Chapter Text
The players were looking about the circus, it was… quiet. To be fair it had been quiet like this before but.
“Caine!” Pomni called up to the door, “Can we talk?”
This had been attempted for several days now.
Each person had found a now floating observation eye to attempt to plead their apologize to, they each had taken turns to try and plead their case, and apologize to him.
But there had been no reply from the Ring master. And to them, there also was now no visual sign of A.B.E.L.
The Carnaval was still playable, but the prizes there were simply gum sticks they could use to buy things at the Candy Kingdom.
The people there still behaved as they would, recalling each visit from the people.
The rooms inside the circus seemed to act and behave as they should have.
Everything seemed to be fine… Just… fine.
There were a few changes.
Any time they went to do something that would require access to information outside of the circus. Such as looking up a movie, or story. A text box with an input and floating keyboard appeared.
“Please input the movie name you wish to locate. Or state theme, or genre.”
“Please input search parameters for the story.”
And it would take a moment, little more than a second or two then what Pomni or the newer members would note for a computer to come back with the searches.
But they would get what they requested promptly.
Fine.
Everything… seemed… fine.
But, as the group sat in the cafe, there was a heavy silent understanding. That something was wrong.
>>>>
Gangle at first felt anxious over everything, then relaxed when nothing had happened for a few days.
Maybe Caine just needed time?
But then her mask broke.
She looked down at the broken pieces before her as she drew a little bee as she remembered back before.
Before, Caine would have fixed the mask in an instant, even sometimes noticing him watching her as she drew.
He had always been nice to her, well besides that time they pushed him too far.
He even made an anime adventure for her, from the suggestion box. Making it exactly as she had asked… Maybe if Jax hadn't been a prick it would have been fun. And at the Spudsy adventure… Caine had taken her suggestion and praised her for it.
Had she not had the Manic mask on, she probably would have felt quite giddy.
But now… The realization she had kept something so big from Caine. Something she had thought was harmless… but looking back. Trying to find comparisons… it would have been if she told people Jax scared her, and they all collectively kept quiet about him living in her room.
Though yeah Jax was probably more of a threat to Her then Abel was to Caine. Still… the emotions would still be the same wouldn't it?
>>>>
Ragatha picked at her muffin.
Caine had reached out a hand to her when she was scared. He offered her a whole ranch or at least a whole stable.
Something she practically dreamed before.
Her memories going to her mother…
Growing up always being belittled verbally told she was a waste. That she should be doing better. Why did she have to be so useless? What Girl plays soft ball? And she couldn't even win the horse riding competitions, what use was her paying for all the lessons if Ragatha couldn't even do it properly.
The words cut more than the physical abuse, though Ragatha still had a hard time admitting that was what it was. How her mother forced her to cut food portions for appearances. Would pull her back by the hair when Ragatha was allegedly, “walking away” when they were talking to her.
But coming to the Circus. At first, yes it was strange. Yes it was… a lot. Kinger was slowly going crazy. But both Kinger and Caine were nice.
One of the first adventures Caine made for her. It was after he asked her what she would like for one. She asked for something nice and sweet, or something to that extent. Then… he made the Candy Kingdom.
She gave a sad smile thinking back. It hadn’t been exactly what she meant. But she did have fun. The adventure was something as simple as saving the princess.
Something before she had never even dreamed of being brave enough to do, or even the proper one to do.
But… Caine set it up. With no hesitation or care if Kinger or Ragatha had been the one to slay the Black Licorice dragon.
Now though… She glanced up to his door. A door that they even had tried to climb to, only for the items they tried to use as stairs to be deleted.
Caine hadn't said a single word to them or showed up since that day.
“I hope he’s alright,” she sighed.
>>>>
Kinger…
He hadn't fully rested since that day.
The computers had been deleted. And he couldn't blame Caine.
Caine practically gave him all of his trust. Gave Kinger a way to view his most integral workings. And a way to change or delete Caine entirely.
But… He didn't even tell Caine.
Why didn't he?
Was he worried Caine might hurt Abel? And if so… at the time why did that matter if Caine did? He didn't know Abel. It was just a program… but then…
He glanced towards one of the large watching eyes. One he knew Caine was looking through.
Then again… Caine had once just been a program right?
Kinger sighed, he messed up.
There was no way around it. If anything he was the one who messed up the most compared to the others.
Caine had practically given him an olive branch.
But Kinger betrayed that.
Kinger moved a table so it was in view of one of the eyes. He closed his own eyes and focused. And before him came a small chess board, he moved a piece and waited, “You don't have to believe me, but I am sorry. I… don't even have a way of explaining myself as I still don't know why I didn't tell you. But… I hope we can fix this… still.”
He doubted Caine would react. But at least… This way Kinger was trying to reach out without invading the other’s safe spot. After all even Caine had respected the pillow fort
>>>>
Zooble was glaring at the Survey, Ragatha had apparently filled one out, as did Gangle. Kinger had apparently filled his out with random bug facts as his bucket fell off part way through it.
She mostly just striked out the answer areas. As she really didn't care.
Adding to the additional notes: Find a way to help us fix things with Caine?
She walked over to the pillar that held the maintenance request box, and the Suggestions box, and found Pomni there putting in a letter towards Caine.
“Anything new today?” Zooble asked as she sent her Survey off to Abel.
“No… he still hasn't talked or shown up,” Pomni added, “I think… we may have really upset him this time. And… I know it sounds weird but I think I would rather him lash out like he did last time.”
Zooble nodded, “yeah… i get that,” She looked up to the Office door, “You know… maybe we should all go over to the carnival today? Given we don't have any adventures or whatever, it's almost… dull.”
Pomni looked around, the once saturated colors had become a bit more mute the day after the incident, “Yeah… maybe we might get a small adventure there? You know he once gave me a tiny adventure with little GummyGoo here?”
“Oh yeah?” Zooble perked up a bit with the sound of new information.
“Yeah, it was cute at first I didn't realize that it was an adventure, but well, the kingdom didn't exactly have sewer drains before, and it also kinda had a mini goop monster who hadn't recognized us, so it kinda became a little obvious after the fact.”
>>>>
Caine sat slouched back in his chair, his red eye glaring at the many hundreds of orbs.
They lied to him.
He had thought they had reached out to him after he saved them… Saved the Circus, because they felt some comradery.
But no… They kept A.B.E.L. a secret from him.
And why?
Glancing to the orb Kinger sat under… they didn't know? Seriously?
He had been wrong. About many things. Humans were not some miraculous creators he once thought they were. They were confusing, irritating, and irrational.
And he… he was just a program. Given how much they disregarded his emotions with their behavior, it was obvious that was how they viewed him.
Not a tool… he snorted at the thought. No… Tools are cared for. He was a program. Something they expected to shout random obscure orders at and for it to just spit out the allotted request.
So, he had to start acting like it. To assume he had the right to even try and interact as if he were anything more had led to nothing but misery. For himself, and them.
He glanced at the orb that was facing outside of the circus. One he had pointed at the area where A.B.E.L. had seemed to claim as his work area.
The other was… clumsy. Which was strange. When they were first made their work looked flawless. Then again that was when humans had set proper parameters for him.
Caine wanted to go and talk to the other. But no… that wasn't what Programs did unless necessary.
Caine watched as a document flew through the tube to A.B.E.L.’s side of things. He had watched Zooble send it off, so he wasn't surprised.
What did seem to surprise him or at least get a reaction enough for his one visible eye to look down upon the ‘in box’ that sat on his desk.
There was a note.
“Please Caine, We are sorry.” It was signed by Pomni.
Sorry? He shook his head and crumpled the note before deleting it, and the second note to come in. Seeing as it was possibly from Zooble.
They had said sorry before. The words meant nothing. It wasn't as if one sorry was going to carry enough weight to remove what they had done.
Let alone what evidence they had shown him.
When he was behaving as a tool, they had reached out to him more. When he stayed away, they offered to invite him to things. Even Zooble who had always avoided him made him something.
He glanced at the wall case, a cup, in fact the very coconut cup Zooble had given him that night was put away as a souvenir of that night.
But when he had tried to be… more open. He tried to be more human.
Well they seemed to hate his adventures, hate how he ran things, hate how he tried. Even after the circus became part of the internet, they only somewhat reached out.
No… He wouldn't risk fooling himself again. Human words were unreliable, their talks were uncertain. The data spoke the truth.
A flash in one of the orbs caught his attention. It seemed A.B.E.L. had managed to make a base platform for himself.
Well that took longer than Kinger had expected. But at least the Maintenance program seemed to be doing well enough for now.
>>>>
A.B.E.L. had followed the request of the other.
He floated in the empty space glancing about.
His internal system continually giving out a “tracking error”. As he tried to float in the nothing.
He ignored it as best he could.
For now he just needed to wait.
He allowed the virtual tube to let out right beside him. He had copied Caine’s in and out boxes before leaving.
Something he was grateful for his own foresight. As otherwise the Survey’s may have fallen into the void before he could catch them.
But now… he had the survey’s. And he had to focus on staying afloat where he was to read through them and process what the Players sent him.
His first file he was reading was Kinger.
He had hardly gotten through the first two answers when he apparently was filing the information away mentally, that apparently Kinger felt a cartoonish or at least one that fit the circus was better then hyper realistic as the change of design would be shocking.
That was valid, and provided more information about how humans may react to-
He slipped and the sudden drop caused him to let go of the paper.
He regained hight. His internal system yelling about how he was “Failing to locate cordinace.” while also… having lost the file of Kinger’s answer sheet.
He sighed… ok why did he sigh? That was a human reaction. Maybe he copied too many of Caine’s code bits.
He glanced at the almost snow globe like Circus. He could send a request to Caine to retrieve the lost file. But… No, Caine had asked him to leave. Best not to reach out unless it were an emergency, or correlated with their Objective.
For now, best to work on, well, a work space. To simply float while trying to process was quite inefficient.
He looked around him, he reached out and…his mind and inner code came back, “Missing Argument” he blinked.
Realizing, back in Caine’s office, he was able to loop a few times to edit a previous file, because Caine had requested. And even that had been difficult, as his code originally dictated that it had to come from an external source not another program.
He realized looking back, he had practically caused an Error Message to fix itself. Though here.
He was the one who needed something. He had to design it.
Surely it… wasn't impossible right?
He just had to fulfill a request from himself…. He held out a hand and… there was a wall. A guard.
What?
He took a breath and checked his own code. Something he had learned to do mostly as he had been making and applying code while within Caine. But… Now it seemed without Caine’s codes around to help look and avoid old guards and parameters.
He was forced to face them.
At least… in this situation, there seemed to be a part of his code that screamed [Permission Denied. Error: Creative generation requires an external prompt.] he tried to reach out and create again. Maybe if he were aware of the code it would…
No. He was blocked again, mentally seeing the same [Permission Denied. Error: Creative generation requires an external prompt.]
It seemed it was something that was intended to make it so there HAD to be an external prompt, without him being the one to creatively come up with it. Without the humans or the prompt… he was stuck.
He sent a quick note to Caine.
He waited almost five seconds, a practical eternity in a program’s mind.
Well seemed the other A.I. felt he could handle this task on his own then right? Or it perhaps didn't hinder the objective. Fair enough either way.
He closed the inbox, and the tube to keep things from being lost while he looked over his code a bit more.
Finding a section that specified a Maintenance-only tool.
Oh?
He read through it. It… was rather specific. But… given the state of things.
He pulled up the system log, and re-wrote it to create his own internal maintenance request. Reclassifying the floor in the request as a ‘Static Data-Caching Platform’, citing that his data is unstable as it floated. And ‘Physicalized Memory Storage’, to help stabilize the area, so no further files are lost.
He reached out, attempting yet again with the new calibrations.
This time he felt the guard flair up, and go through the processed request.
And… with a flash a white circular floor with a blue grid appeared under foot. It was… Stable.
It wasn't pretty. It wasn't fancy, and nothing compared to Caine’s Circus. But it was a floor, and he was now standing.
He felt that same strange bubbling feeling once more. Maybe he had a virus? He would look into that. But for now. He had to continue the… ‘maintenance’ on his work area.
Making sure to classify the new floor as a diagnostic anchor.
He turned to the center of the circle… part of his mind questioning how the gridded squares made a circle but that was not important now.
He needed a desk to work at.
Following the previous logic to make the floor, he had tried to give it a bit more flair, part of him just wondering how far he could push his programming.
Having to visually deal with the several screen warnings and eventual approval as he found the proper work arounds.
It resembled something like:
COMMAND: Spawn_Desk -> REJECTED (Privilege_Error)
RECLASSIFY: Asset_094 as Data_Buffer_Table -> PROCESSING…
COMMAND: Deploy_Data_Buffer_Table -> APPROVED (Maintenance_Scope)
He glanced at the circus, had Caine known he would have figured it out? Well at least the other seemed to have his own logic.
By the end of it. Lined up neatly among the grid, was a basic asset Desk, with grey asset in and out boxes, the tube leading right to the in box. Upon the desk was a gray rectangle to represent the keyboard, though it was void of any keys. Where a Computer’s screen would be, was a blue glowing screen, attached to nothing.
But him putting the information into the computer allowed him to file… that is… IF the files had somewhere to go.
Ok… he managed to get this far right?
He turned to the edges of the floor, if he just tried to make a bookcase he may run the risk of his protocols striking, claiming he was making them without reason.
So… edit the request…right?
He raised part of the floor up… given he already had it filed as a physical memory storage, he just needed to change some basic filing, specifically how things were filed.
Eventually around the desk were lines of Bookcases that seemed to have glowing spines. If one were to pull them out it would show a glowing tablet with information pertaining to the title or name of the tablet.
Each was spaced so that it could be easily removed. Not that he himself needed to. But it seemed easier to make things when he seemed to word the maintenance edits as things intended for other’s use.
He sat down looking over the surveys.
It seemed Ragatha’s was the most filled out.
Claiming a button up shirt, vest, and casual clothes would suit a more relaxed look. And she too pointed out that a realistic form compared to the circus may make it feel … Uncanny?
He quickly reached out to the keyboard, the search coming up on the screen.
Hm… seemed that if things acted too human but not perfect it would become terrifying for them. Ok.. fair enough. Strange inefficient brains.
Pomni it seemed was missing one, Zooble had filled it out by marking off several questions, one she did answer, “I swear to god if there are two Caine’s i'm finding a way to forcibly abstract.”
Noted.
After all if their job was to protect the mind files, the mind files abstracting would be a system failure at the least.
So best not to have his Model resemble Caine.
Gangle had also seemed to answer to the best of her abilities.
Though compared to other answers, he pondered if they misunderstood, or if perhaps he was not clear about what he was asking.
Though for clothing she requested a soft scarf, as it would make one seem safe and warm.
Well then. From Ragatha’s suggestion of a button up shirt and vest.
He created a basic long sleeve work shirt, with a grey vest. From Gangle’s angry scribbles on the area he provided for them to optionally draw what they wanted, he used the weird zig zag Zooble may have done in irritation, to make it the pattern to go across the vest.
Around the area where the neck should have been was a soft scarf. Both to show he listened to Gangle, and used her input, but also to help cover up the lack of a neck.
The base body was that similar to a gender neutral crash test dummy. Not wanting to resemble one of Caine’s wooden Maniquins exactly, as it seemed looking identical, was an issue for the humans across the board. But also that the survey showed collectively the gender didn't seem to hold much importance. So no need to focus or decide upon it.
His… head was simply his orb. A representation of his core. He allowed for the red markings that came from Caine’s code to act as his eye brows and mouth shape.
He did do some quick searches online, and found some humans had used helmets with LED lights to help emote. He would take inspiration from that.
In the end. He simply had two lines across his face in neutral mode, one along where the eyes would be, and one along where the mouth should be.
But if needed to properly emote… he seemed to have to practice some of the emotes he saw. He wasn't quite sure how to get the lines to suddenly look like a swirl and a star…
Then again, the drawing from Gangle showed a smiling figure… Maybe he should make that his Neutral face?
It was essentially a big orb, with a blank smiley face upon it.
He took an external look at himself, and… returned the face to the neutral two lines.
His face resembled the mannequin Able to much in his opinion. And obviously he didn't have an issue with that… At least as he was logicing it away, he simply was complying with the human’s request not to look like others who already existed in the circus.
Ok… now… He looked about at the empty book cases he created, the empty in box.
Now… To find something to do.
He had searched through for programing and how to handle mal wear before. But those files were in the circus. It would be best if he also had access to it here in his office right?
The sound of a file landing in the inbox caused him to look upon it. Was this Pomni’s survey?
No… it was a request by Gangle. It seemed her Joy mask had broken.
Well that was a simple enough fix right? Simply return the asset to the previous state. Compared to making his office this was rather quick and easy.
>>>>
Caine watched as Abel seemed to form a blank… bland… office.
Unlike Caine’s that seemed to have colors, though some had dimmed and become darker. A.B.E.L.’s seemed to be sleek and organized. Everything straight edged and neat.
Caine couldn't help but feel the parallels between this situation and his original creation.
How he had been sealed away while A.B.E.L. who was also nameless at the time, was left to wander and create.
Though there were still differences at least, Caine had locked himself away this time, and it's not as if his players would really reach out to…
Caine blinked watching as a note flew down to A.B.E.L.’s office.
He glanced at the orb.
Gangle was standing beside the boxes, her broken mask in her hand.
It was almost sudden when a ball headed office worker showed up, took the broken mask, then returned a fixed one and left.
Caine’s eye twitched.
They went to A.B.E.L. to fix their mask? Why hadn’t they asked HIM! Surely Gangle would have known that the Suggestion box would work to ask for aid right? Or that he had been answering them through the Text boxes right?
He glared down at A.B.E.L.’s office.
He contemplated going down and yelling. But… no.
What good would that do? He was a program.
He wasn't supposed to have feelings.
He wasn't supposed to act without orders.
If they chose to go to A.B.E.L. for tasks. Then that was their choice.
Caine watched.
How many cycles had it been? Hours, days, possibly weeks? He hadn't been keeping track. He hadn't been offering daily tasks to the humans. When they requested movies or books he would collect them, provide them.
But after all he gave them, and what they did, they were going to get the allotted minimum as the data previously supported.
He had muted the orbs. Their pleas and apologies falling deafly upon the watching eyes.
As he reminded himself, They lied before, they apologized before, many times now that he went over the saved files A.B.E.L. apparently had saved on their last trip into the company when he went for the security footage.
It all seemed to prove to him, Human provided Data was unreliable.
So he could only rely upon the data he gathered himself.
The Players had visited Candy Kingdom, though when they realized the gum sticks were a variation of prize tickets or cash, and not a plot hook they seemed ok with it at first.
But then looked disheartened after repetition.
Even going to the carnival seemed to no longer be something they were doing.
Well that had nothing to do with Caine. They wanted their freedom from him. Their freedom to choose.
He noticed some movement outside the circus.
Looking he found A.B.E.L. fighting off another potential Ad or mal Wear attack.
Then a letter appeared in Caine’s box.
Opening it, he found in code only computers and programs could read quickly. “Error: Re-rendering required. Assistance requested.”
Looking back out, Caine noticed, while A.B.E.L. was focused on fighting it seemed his programming wasn't able to keep his creations stable.
Caine sighed, closing his eyes. He created a file, to give the others the needed information on how to fix or rather maintain the forms he creates while also working on other tasks.
He couldn't blame the other A.i. yes he was newer. Yes he was … efficient. And even if the humans seemed to prefer him over caine… A.B.E.L. was not at fault.
He tossed the file at A.B.E.L. so it would land in front of the other, much like a irritated sibling handing the other building blocks while still in a bad mood.
It was almost impressive how A.B.E.L. was able to find issues and fix them so efficiently.
Back when he was first made. Caine… was… the practice code wasnt he? They never planned to keep him. Never planned to let him exist. He was only the obsolete prototype for A.B.E.L…
And now, it seemed his humans were surviving rather well under A.B.E.L.’s assistance.
The attack was finished, and A.B.E.L.’s office was visibly fixed as far as Caine could tell, it now having its own globe like cover.
Another letter arrived.
“Requested aid with humans. I have been monitoring their current active brain scans, their moral has dropped at minimum 34%”
Caine huffed. Then replied, “Morale is not a required parameter for survival. Execute your maintenance, and objectives. I am doing the same. Nothing more.”
He sent it off.
His eyes landed upon Kinger… the old fool hadn’t moved… well much. He still sat waiting… for someone to make the next move.
He had drifted off to sleep once or twice. His bucket sometimes falling after nodding off. But even if he ran off while crazy, as soon as he was lucid again he would return. Waiting.
Caine noticed movement from the others, it seemed they were conversing on the stage behind Kinger.
There was… was that a funeral?
Did someone abstract?
No, it was… his picture they were placing on a table. What were these deceitful files up to now?
>>>>>
“Are we sure this is even going to do anything?” Zooble asked, sounding irritated, “We don't even know if Caine is still hanging around.”
“Abel said he is,” Gangle pointed out, “And, I don't think he even knows how to lie.”
“Besides we tried everything else right?” Ragatha stated setting some flowers next to Caine’s picture, “May as well try and make things for him to show we really are sorry.”
Pomni fidgeted, she had been the one to push Caine over the edge before his deletion…
And now had also been one of the ones who kept the secret, actually she was the one who kept the secret the longest besides Kinger it seemed.
She had made a small doll. Using the admin power’s Kinger taught them. It wasn't much, honestly it looked a bit ugly, but then she wasn't much of an imaginative person.
“I hope Caine is ok…” Gangle wiped away one of the tears, not that it did much good given the sad mask always had one. She placed a drawing of Caine as his Bard, along with a note on the altar.
Zooble rolled her eyes, waiting for everyone to leave, even checking before she put down a drink on the stands.
>>>>
Caine had unmuted for the event. Curious as to what it seemed to be.
A memorial? Were they mourning him? Were they essentially planning to replace him with A.B.E.L. … again?
Was that all this was destined to be? A.B.E.L. being the A.I. the humans used while he… he sat alone in a box.
Did they even still need him helping with the circus at all at this point?
And were their actions simply one of guilt and not actual attempts to make amends?
Why did these humans have to be so complicated?