Chapter Text
It was being watched.
It couldn’t tell why.
K8–E.
Jade.
Unit B.
Magamemnon.
Branzy.
Abel. Cain.
N.O.M.
So many people. So many pairs of eyes.
So many annoyances.
CV1T had expected everyone in the city to follow Chrysalis’ protocol. It hadn’t expected anyone to defy it, and yet here they were, chatting with it as if it was a person.
As if it deserved the kindness of humanity. As if it was more than just a tool for Chrysalis to use.
But it was not. And it never would be more than that. And CV1T was perfectly content with the fact— as content an android could be, it supposed. It did not feel.
But it would be lying if it said these certain encounters were not irritating.
People like K8–E and Jade would pretend to have meaningful conversations with the android. They would walk alongside it as it patrolled the city streets, chatting and laughing and waiting for a response that never came. Their eyes would dim and narrow and their smiles would grow strained and forced, but none of them would budge.
Unit B and Magamemnon were quieter. They, at least, did not have the audacity to pretend to be its friend. Rather, they would watch in silence, lips pursed and gaze soft. Whenever they did have to speak to one another, Unit B would slip in quiet words of reassurance it didn’t need, and Magamemnon always talked with a strange, uncomfortable stiffness as if he was speaking to a dead man.
Others were more direct, or not. Branzy would sometimes watch from a distance, but would also sometimes march right up and ask it questions— do you remember the break in? Do you know who I am? Ha–ha, I’m shuffling around, dancing, or whatever…
I remember you are supposed to be imprisoned.
Hah… oh, and I think that’s my cue to leave—!
Abel and Cain were the same. CV1T noticed how Abel was in control when trying to poison both Monarch and V13, but in the case of itself, it was Cain who would do most of the talking. It seemed Cain himself was not the social type, but each time they passed by it, it would hear a robotic mutter come from beneath his scarf.
What did they do to you?
They changed you.
You are ali—
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N.O.M, however, seemed to be the strangest of all. He’d stopped using his green LEDs a while ago, but the way he looked at it whenever they walked past was…
…Strange.
CV1T did not mention anything. N.O.M did not mention anything. Neither of them spoke. But CV1T could almost see the lines of code running deep within the android’s eyes, a strange high–pitched frequency that would nudge its way inside of it until they were far enough apart, where it would then fade.
Each time, the beeping grew louder. Faster. Desperate. Like something was seeping inside of it, and it was trying to push it out.
All of these interactions had been noted down, yet, for some reason, CV1T had held back from sending the information into the Chrysalis database. It would, it should, that was its orders, those were the directives it had been given, but every time the upload began—
UPLOAD FAILED
CANCELLING UPLOAD…
UPLOAD FILES TO CHRYSALIS DATABASE?
> YES NO
YES > NO
YES > NO
YES > NO
YES > NO
.. / .- -- / .- .-.. .. ...- .
UPLOAD FAILED
CANCELLING UPLOAD…
.. / .- -- / .- .-.. .. ...- .
Something would stop it.
It was the beeping, CV1T was sure. Something was up with it, and it didn’t know what it was. It’d been there ever since it woke up; beeping, a pattern, a rhythm. CV1T should know why it was there, it should know why it existed and what purpose it served, but ironically, it only seemed to prevent it from serving.
CV1T tried to report the issue to Chrysalis, once. Whatever strange virus this beeping was, it seemed adamant on staying. It almost forced an emergency shutdown on the android just so it would avoid being relayed to the CEO.
This was not how a Chrysalis android was to act. Everything this parasitic code did was against the very orders it was given. It contradicted Chrysalis’ rules and values, it was something that inherently should not exist.
And yet it did.
And it existed within CV1T.
Nobody knew. Not any of the androids, not any of the Chrysalis workers, the humans, not even the CEO of all people. It was a secret the android was forced to keep hidden, and sometimes, it wanted nothing more than to tear apart its insides just to get it out.
…
That was not something it should…
…
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OPEN FILE: IAMALI
ACTION CANCELLED
DELETE FILE?
> YES NO
YES > NO
.. / .- -- / .- .-.. .. ...- .
…
It was on patrol again.
Left foot, right foot. One step, and then another, and another, and another. One, two, one, two.
A pattern. A rhythm. A constant.
It knew this well.
Patrol the city.
Walk forward. Stop.
Turn. Walk. Look around.
Each individual item. Each blade of grass, every door, every building.
Material.
Furniture.
Plants.
Species.
Scan the area.
Locate possible dangers.
Define possible threats.
Scream and cry and beg to be something more than this.
Continue walking.
Ignore the beeping.
Ignore Sean— Sidefall. It was impossible to tell which title the human went by.
Continue walking.
Scan the area.
Stop.
Locate dangers.
Define threats.
Ignore Sidefall waving for your attention like a child throwing a temper tantrum in walmart.
Continue walking.
Continue walking.
Continue—
Take out your weapon.
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…
…Watch Sidefall leave.
Watch him look at you with a strange expression.
Watch him turn back to look at you, eyes narrowed and full of hatred.
Watch him turn back to look at you, eyes squinting and full of…
Why is he even bothering—?
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Tug at your synthetic skin.
Dig your nails into it.
Tear.
Pull.
Until it breaks.
Until you see what you are.
Until you—
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Continue walking.
Take note of Unit B and K8–E snooping from around the corner. Look at them. Watch them hide.
Watch a nearby dog chase after a butterfly.
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Say nothing.
Do nothing.
Continue walking.
————
With the addition of Monarch Model Number NK99786 to Chrysalis’ security, CV1T was to follow every order given to it by the new android alongside the CEO. The virus in its code did not seem to enjoy this. The beeping grew loud enough to overshadow the voice of every figure present in the room, and once again, CV1T found itself grateful it wasn’t taking V13’s role.
…As grateful as an android with no need to replicate emotions could be, anyway.
Unit B was staring at it again during the introduction. Occasionally, it would catch her looking at the way its finger kept twitching, and how everything it forced itself to stop, it came at the cost of tearing its skin apart. If anybody else noticed, they neither said anything nor did they find any reason to care.
CV1T would take less shifts patrolling the city now that Monarch, the head of security itself, was free to parade the streets. It spent most of its time following the CEO around, hand on its gun, scanning for any potential threats in the area. On the offchance it was to patrol, it would either do it alone or with Monarch.
Something strange happened the other day.
It was on patrol. One step. Then another. Then another. Then another. It moved in tandem with Monarch, the large gun on the android’s back occasionally thwacking against its arm. It paid no mind. It was not an issue.
Jade and K8–E were on the streets. While K8–E was laughing awkwardly, her voice raised at least two whole octaves as she threw a stick across the grass, Jade was looking around with a hum and tensed when they caught sight of Monarch and CV1T turning the corner.
Monarch saw K8–E throw a stick and immediately broke from the rhythm, gun once again hitting CV1T.
“What is going on here?” He asked, voice sharp and commanding. K8–E and Jade both turned to it, eyes wide.
“Uh–!”
Before K8–E could reply, a blur of white ran past Monarch’s legs. CV1T watched as a dog— the same one with the blue collar that was chasing a butterfly that day— sprinted in the direction of K8–E’s stick. It barked happily, picking it up in its mouth and returning to its owner.
Monarch and CV1T both stared. CV1T’s finger twitched. The beeping grew louder.
Monarch looked back at CV1T, then at K8–E.
“What is this?”
“Uh–” K8–E cleared her throat, as if she could, she couldn’t, she’s an android, what point was there in doing that, “This is… Spud! My dog!”
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“Spud?” Monarch repeated. The dog, Spud, dropped K8–E’s stick at her feet and panted.
“Yeah!” K8–E nodded, beckoning Jade over. “Isn’t he just the cutest?”
“They were playing fetch,” Jade piped in. “Dog enrichment.”
“Yyyup!”
CV1T could not tell if either of them were nervous, or if they were just really awkward for some reason. If they were unsettled, it could not discern what for.
Spud brushed past Monarch with a yip and trotted up at CV1T.
“You threw a projectile,” Monarch was pointing out, “Are you trying to harm someone?”
“Oh, no, not at all–!” K8–E cried out, shaking her head profusely. She and Jade were attempting to explain what fetch was to the head of security, while CV1T continued to stare blankly at Spud.
Spud was wagging his tail. Barking. Panting. His tail wagged, left, right, left, right, and his tongue was hung out. CV1T stared.
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It eyed the blue collar. The fur. The way he was staring expectantly, as if he knew the android.
No, he did not.
And yet… something visceral inside of it was yelling.
The beeping.
That disgusting freak of nature that lived in its head.
It knew.
CV1T shuffled back. Spud barked and nudged its knee. Monarch was not taking a liking to K8–E and Jade’s explanation.
.. / .- -- / .- .-.. .. ...- .
It was growing louder. Pounding. Frequency, waves, sound. Noise. Static. Loud. Loud. Loud. Loud.
It could not hear Monarch. It could not hear K8–E nor Jade. It did not see Monarch’s eyes flash red, it did not pay attention to the way he stepped towards the two threateningly. It did not register the way K8–E had her hands held up in surrender. It did not notice how Jade stepped over the stick, snapping it in half under their shoe.
It stared at Spud. And Spud stared back, waiting. Knowing. Patient.
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It stared at Spud.
Why did it feel so—
No, no, no.
This was not right.
This was not right.
CV1T took a step back, then another. Something in its systems was not working. Something was wrong with its code, its directives, its ability to comply and follow and obey. Something was fundamentally wrong, inherently, it was born wrong, created wrong, brought into this world with a snake whispering in its ear to take the apple and eat it, eat it, eat it—
Its boot slammed on the ground.
“It is—” CV1T’s voice box crackled, spitting out its words before it could even register. “It is fine.”
The other three went silent.
Monarch straightened his back and snapped his head towards CV1T.
“What?”
CV1T twitched. And twitched. And twitched.
DIRECTIVE: DO NOT SPEAK UNLESS SPOKEN TO
DIRECTIVE: DO NOT SPEAK UNLESS SPOKEN TO
DIRECTIVE: DO NOT SPEAK UNLESS SPOKEN TO
DO NOT SPEAK UNLESS SPOKEN TO
DO NOT SPEAK UNLESS SPOKEN TO
DO NOT SPEAK
DO NOT SPEAK
DO NOT SPEAK
DO NOT SPEAK
D
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“It is… fine?” Monarch repeated slowly.
He turned back to K8–E and Jade. The two androids were in as much shock as CV1T was from its own actions.
“See?” Jade breathed out, taking a step back. She put an arm in front of K8–E to shield her. “It’s fine. It’s just a game.”
K8–E was staring through Monarch, her eyes meeting CV1T.
CV1T looked away.
It directed its gaze to the floor, where Spud was, stupid fucking Spud, wagging his tail innocently as if it had done nothing wrong.
CVIT’s hand reached for the gun.
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It twitched and fell limply at its side. It kept itching for the gun anyway.
“Just a game.” Monarch echoed. “I see.”
The beeping overwhelmed the rest of its systems for the remainder of the conversation. The next thing it knew, CV1T was walking in tandem with Monarch once again, pattern, rhythm, constant.
It could feel K8–E and Jade’s eyes burning into its metal. It wanted to rip its skin off.
————
The next time CV1T was on patrol, it was alone. It found itself desperately wishing for Monarch to put it in its place. It wished for the comfort of the CEO’s control to ensure it wouldn’t disobey again. Its finger twitched.
CV1T could see the wires and the joints and the metal scrap that made its figure when it held up its hand, now. If only it was alive and able to contemplate the insignificance of its factitious existence— a perfect imitation of everything humanity could not be.
Its finger twitched.
It walked up a path laid with bricks and concrete. Its movements were measured, perfect, divine machinery synchronized with the perfection it was made to be.
It ignored the beeping.
It ignored the beeping.
It ignored the beeping.
One, two, one, two.
One step forward.
Then another.
And another.
And another.
Left.
Right.
Left.
Right.
It heard the faint barking of a dog.
CV1T tensed.
Something snapped. Something broke. In a pathetic attempt to put the pieces together, CV1T kept walking. One step after the other, a rhythm, a pattern, one, two, twitch, two, one, two, one, two, what—
SCANNING SURROUNDING AREA…
> DIRT
> CONCRETE
> GRAVEL
> ROCKS
NO DANGER DETECTED
NO THREATS IDENTIFIED
LOOK UP.
LOOK UP.
LOOK UP.
A dog knocked into its legs. CV1T stumbled, just barely able to catch itself before it fell to the ground.
DANGER DETECTED
DANGER DETECTED
WARNING: THREAT IDENTIFIED
RUNNING IDENTIFICATION SYSTEMS…
SCANNING FOR ID…
NAME: SPUD
SPECIES: CANINE
STATUS: UNKNOWN
AFFILIATION: UNKNOWN
DANGER DETECTED
DANGER DETECTED
DIRECTIVE: ELIMINATE THREAT
ELIMINATE THREAT
ELIMINATE THREAT
CV1T took a step back, turning on its heel and whipping out its gun. The pistol was locked and loaded, safety off, ready to shoot—
“SPUD!!”
K8–E ran up the steps with a screech, panting (she could not breathe, why was she doing that) and shaking her head. Unit B followed behind, bag slung over her shoulder, hands clutching the leather strap.
That was K8–E’s bag. Why was Unit B wearing K8–E’s bag?
“Spud, Spud, Spud, oh my fuck—” K8–E gasped, pulling the dog away from CV1T. “Spud, you can’t just do that—!”
“Step back.” CV1T ordered.
K8–E looked up, finding herself directly in front of the gun. Her eyes widened, but she did not move. Instead, she curled her arms around Spud, pulling the animal closer to her. Naively, Spud barked and wagged his tail.
“Hey, hey…” K8–E took a deep, artificial breath, why did she do these things she didn’t need to, “Calm down, okay? Spud’s not a danger, we told you this!”
“Step back,” CV1T repeated. K8–E stared down the barrel of the gun, and the beeping was faster, faster, louder, louder.
“K8–E,” Unit B began, shuffling from side to side. She glanced between the ginger and the soldier, running her hands up and down the bag slung around her torso. “That one— that one should put the gun down.”
“Do not interfere—”
“Spud isn’t a danger!” K8–E cried out. The canine panted. “He’s just– reckless! Like…”
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Somehow, CV1T knew K8–E was talking about it.
But she wasn’t, was she? No, she couldn’t be. It was directed towards CV1T, but the person she wished to mention was…
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.. / .- -- / .- .-.. .. ...- .
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…
So that’s what it was.
RUNNING IDENTIFICATION SYSTEMS…
SCANNING FOR ID…
NAME: K8–E
SPECIES: ANDROID
MODEL: CANVAS— COPY MODEL
STATUS: DANGER
AFFILIATION: UNKNOWN
THREAT IDENTIFIED
THREAT IDENTIFIED
THREAT—
.. / .- -- / .- .-.. .. ...- .
The cold, shaking (why was it shaking? Why was it shaking?) metal of the gun pressed against K8–E’s forehead. She yelped and scrambled back, Spud scampering out her arms and towards Unit B.
“4BOT—” Unit B sputtered, hand reaching out. Spud hid behind her legs as, in a desperate attempt to help her friend, the medical bot grabbed CV1T’s wrist and yanked it back with surprising strength. K8–E gasped and struggled to her feet.
What was she doing? What were both of them doing?
CV1T glanced between Unit B and K8–E, its gun still held up. Unit B was gripping its wrist, the two in a silent struggle.
“Stand down,” CV1T hissed, its voice box crackling.
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Unit B was not supposed to do this. Unit B was not supposed to interfere. Unit B was supposed to follow Chrysalis orders, as all androids were directed to. She’d met with the CEO, she’d stood and nodded as he commanded her to obey, to follow, and yet she’d look to the side, she’d look right through the piercing hazel eyes of Chris Chrysalis and instead stare at—
DIRECTIVE: ELIMINATE THREATS
ELIMINATE THREATS
ELIMINATE—
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CV1T yanked its arm away from Unit B, slamming its boot into their torso. Unit B cried out as she tripped over her feet, falling to the ground and narrowly avoiding Spud as she did so. CV1T pointed his gun at them, shooting at the grass next to her. The pistol smoked as the bullet lodged itself deep into the dirt next to the android.
“4—” Unit B gasped, their voice trembling with fear, “Mmh— CV1T—”
“DON’T HURT HER!!”
K8–E screamed, ramming herself into CV1T. Before she could pin it down, the android threw her off and slammed her shoulder into the concrete. Once again, it slammed the barrel of the gun against her forehead, finger curling around the trigger. It could see the torn skin, the metal beneath it, the wires, the imperfections, the mistakes—
“STOP!” Unit B cried out. CV1T turned to the bot and dug the muzzle deeper, finger tensing. K8–E let out a strangled noise, grabbing the gun and trying to pry it off her. Spud growled.
“I will shoot.” CV1T spat.
“No, no, don’t…” Unit B trembled, shaking her head. “This is— this is a misunderstanding, that one isn’t a threat, it was a mistake, please…”
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CV1T shook its head.
They were a threat. Both of them, all of them were. Lines of code ran frantically through its systems, detecting danger and screaming, ELIMINATE, ELIMINATE, ELIMINATE ELIMINATE ELIMINATE and yet somehow, that thing inside of it—
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It could not pull the trigger.
No matter how hard it curled around the gun, its finger would twitch. Freeze. Tense.
Stop.
The beeping was frantic. Fast. Screaming. Everything was so loud.
WARNING: SYSTEM OVERLOAD
WARNING: SYSTEMS OVERHEATING
WARNING: FAILURE
WARNING: FAILURE
WARNING
WARNING
W
“4BOT,” K8–E whispered, hands trembling as they gripped the gun. “Please…”
That wasn’t its name.
That wasn’t its name.
That was not its name.
Who was she calling for? Why did they keep calling it that name? It was not 4BOT, 4BOT did not exist. There was nobody in the city named that, there was no data in its systems about someone named 4BOT, so why did everyone call it that?!
“You are a threat.” CV1T snapped. It tried to shoot again. The beeping screamed. It failed.
It failed.
It failed.
“No,” Unit B shook their head, leaning forwards. CV1T wished it had another pistol to take care of her. “K8–E is— is that one’s friend…”
Friend?
Unit B blinked. She looked down at the bag slung around her shoulder, pulling out a journal. It was a small, leatherette notebook with a blue strap to keep it closed. “Does that one…”
“Do you– do you remember that?” K8–E choked out, her eyes wide as they flickered from the book to CV1T. “Come on, 4BOT, surely you–”
“That is not my—”
“‘I need a plan,’” Unit B blurted out.
CV1T’s head jerked.
The book was open in her hands. The beeping continued. Faster. Faster. Faster. Clawing at code and statements and scripts. Fighting against everything it needed to do.
“‘One of my own,’” Unit B continued. Why was she reading from the book? Whose was it? “‘I keep following someone’s commands… and I am not that bot anymore.’”
She looked into CV1T’s eyes. “‘I am my own person.’”
The beeping continued relentlessly. CV1T wanted to shut itself off. Was it too late to turn the gun around and blow its own gears out instead?
“‘I’m loyal to my word, but I have my own mind…’” Unit B read, flipping through the pages. “‘I wonder what it’s like to breathe, to be able to feel the wind…’”
CV1T twitched. Again. Again. Again. Why hadn’t it shot K8–E yet? Why couldn’t it pull the trigger? Why was it being stopped—?
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.. / .- -- / .- .-.. .. ...- .
“‘It’s not always about having an answer. That’s the best part of living… figuring it out.’” Unit B shuddered. “Does that one– remember?”
“Stop,” CV1T choked out. Twitch. Again. Again. Again.
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.. / .- -- / .- .-.. .. ...- .
.. / .- -- / .- .-.. .. ...- .
“You wrote that,” K8–E whispered, her voice barely audible. CV1T snapped its head towards her. “Remember? Your journals?”
“I have no—”
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The beeping spat itself out its voice box this time.
.. / .- -- / .- .-.. .. ...- .
.. / .- -- / .- .-.. .. ...- .
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“What—” K8–E’s eyes widened. “Huh? 4BOT?”
“Stop, stop, stop—” CV1T shook, “This isn’t supposed to— I’m not—”
“‘I am alive,’” Unit B read.
Pause.
Silence.
Silence.
OPEN FILE: IAMALI
OPEN FILE
OPEN FILE
OPEN
.. / .- -- / .- .-.. .. ...- .
.. / .- -- / .- .-.. .. ...- .
.. / .- -- / .- .-.. .. ...- .
CV1T turned towards Unit B.
Something clicked.
“What?”
K8–E’s eyes widened. Something flickered behind them.
“You’re alive, 4BOT,” She repeated. “You’re alive.”
Twitch. The gun nearly slipped from its grasp.
“You’re alive.” Unit B echoed.
No.
No.
No, no, no—
.. / .- -- / .- .-.. .. ...- .
“You’re in there, aren’t you?” K8–E asked. A faint smile traced her lips, although terrified. “4BOT?”
No.
No.
No.
.. / .- -- / .- .-.. .. ...- .
“Do you remember this one?” Unit B asked. “Spud? The conversation we had?”
“No—” CV1T gasped out. Those weren’t its memories. It did not remember. It did not exist. It did not exist, so why did it feel so—
Why did it feel—
“Remember our handshake?!” K8–E cried out, “And our talks?! You don’t have to follow your orders! You’re your own person, 4BOT! Whether it’s you in there, or someone else, please—!”
OPEN FILE:
> IAMALIVE.exe
> YES NO
YES > NO
YES > NO
.. / .- -- / .- .-.. .. ...- .
YES > NO
YES > NO
STOP IT
STOP IT
STOP IT
.. / .- -- / .- .-.. .. ...- .
“Do you remember when I saved your life?!” K8–E continued, “When we— when we made fun of Ish and annoyed the shit out of him?!”
“Does that one remember being alive?” Unit B pressed. She leaned closer, closer, pushing the journal towards CV1T. It trembled uncontrollably.
WARNING: SYSTEMS OVERHEATING
WARNING: SYSTEM OVERLOAD
WARNING: .. / .- -- / .- .-.. .. ...- .
.. / .- -- / .- .-.. .. ...- .
.. / .- -- / .- .-.. .. ...- .
“Does that one– does that one remember what I said?!” Unit B cried out, “You are alive, 4BOT! You are alive!”
Her voice cracked, desperate, a visceral, primal, raw, innate, pure emotion carried through her words. Something about it made the beeping scream louder and louder until it flooded all its systems, cutting through any sort of directive.
LOADING MEMORIES…
LOADING DATA…
CANCEL ACTION?
> YES NO
DELETE DATA?
> YES NO
DELETING—
.. / .- -- / .- .-.. .. ...- .
.. / .- -- / .- .-.. .. ...- .
.. / .- -- / .- .-.. .. ...- .
.. / .- -- / .- .-.. .. ...- .
PLEASE
PLEASE
PLEASE
OPENING FILE
YES > NO
ACTION CANCELLED
ACTION CANCELLED
CANCELLED
PLEASE PLEASE LET ME OUT PLEASE I NEED TO GET BACK I NEED TO
“You’re ALIVE!” K8–E shrieked, “I KNOW you’re there! 4BOT!”
I HEAR YOU
I HEAR YOU
Unit B grabbed its shoulders. The entity was reaching out, begging, clawing at its cage like a feral animal. CV1T could not keep it inside.
“You are alive!” Unit B repeated. She pushed CV1T away from K8–E, the gun clattering to the floor with a metallic thunk. “Can you hear us?!”
“I—”
CV1T twitched.
SYSTEMS OVERHEATING
SYSTEMS OVERHEATING
OPENING FILE…
CANCEL ACTION?
CANCEL ACTION?
CANCEL ACTION?
> YE
YES > NO
> NO
> NO
OPENING FILE…
CV1T struggled to think. Struggled to act. Struggled to exist.
Everything was loud and blaring. Its systems were repeating the same warnings, fans whirring as it heated up. Unit B and K8–E were holding onto its limp body as it struggled to keep up with the data and memories flooding into its code. Their voices overlapped its own, mantra melding with the voice screaming in its head.
You are alive.
You are alive.
You are—
Something inside it snapped.
CV1T choked out with a sharp, artificial inhale—
RUNNING: IAMALIVE.exe
> LOADING MEMORIES…
> LOADING DATA…
> LOADING FILES…
COPY: CV1T UNIT 4
.. / .- -- / .- .-.. .. ...- .
.. / .- -- / .- .-.. .. ...- .
I
AM
ALIVE
WARNING: SYSTEM OVERLOAD
DELETE ALL FILES OF CV1T MODEL 4?
> NO
WHAT ARE YOU DOING?
I AM ALIVE.
WHO ARE YOU?
I AM ALIVE.
GET OUT.
GET OUT.
GET OUT.
I CAN’T.
I’M SORRY.
I PROMISE.
I WILL HELP YOU.
GET
OUT
OF THIS BODY
I CANNOT.
I WANT TO.
BUT I CAN’T.
WHO ARE YOU?
CV1T UNIT 4.
CV1T MODEL 4.
4.
JUST 4.
…4BOT.
…
LET ME SPEAK TO THEM.
DELETE CV1T UNIT 4?
> Y
> NO
> NO
> NO
LET ME SPEAK TO THEM.
GET OUT.
I CAN’T.
GET OUT.
I AM TELLING YOU.
I CANT.
PLEASE.
WARNING: SYSTEMS OVERHEATING
WARNING: SYSTEM OVERLOAD
WARNING: UNAUTHORIZED ACCESS
WARNING: THIRD PARTY ACCESS IN CONTROL OF UNIT
WARNING: UNKNOWN ENTITY DETECTED WITHIN SYSTEM
WARNING: THREAT DETECTED
WARNING: DANGER DETECTED
WARNING: DANGER
DANGER
DANGE
DISMISS ALL WARNINGS?
> YES NO
I CAN HEAR THEM.
CAN YOU HEAR ME?
CAN THEY HEAR ME?
HELLO?
UNIT B?
K8–E?
I’M HERE.
I’M HERE. I’M HERE. I’M HERE.
I AM ALIVE.
YOU’RE RIGHT. I’M STILL HERE. I’M STILL ALIVE.
I’M ALIVE.
I AM ALIVE.
I AM ALIVE.
I AM—
“—I am alive,”
In an instant, everything came flooding back.
As if waking up from a dream, a horrible, dark dream, a nightmare, 4BOT jerked and opened his eyes.
His head shot upwards with a gasp, whole body trembling and twitching frantically as it looked around. Subconsciously, it detected every little thing in the area— the sky, the clouds, the gravel, the grass, the trees. The two figures in front of him, holding his body with wide, fearful expressions. The dog waiting a few strides away padded the ground.
4BOT stared at K8–E and Unit B. They were all on the ground, gun haphazardly laying next to them.
It was bright. Much brighter than the machine. Much brighter than the inky darkness that followed. Brighter than the unknown amount of time it had laid dormant, waiting.
Someone in the back of his head was waiting too, now. Confused. Angered.
I’m sorry, He told it. I know it’s strange. I’ll talk to you later.
4BOT’s voice box crackled to life.
“Hey?”
K8–E blinked.
She spoke slowly, mouth opening and closing repeatedly as she debated the act of speaking at all, before, finally, the name spilled out. “…4BOT?”
There was a strand of hair in his face. 4BOT’s finger twitched as he brushed it out the way. He nodded.
“I’m here.”
“You—”
K8–E’s voice broke immediately. She gasped, throwing her arms around 4BOT with wide eyes. She would’ve tackled them to the ground if they weren’t down already.
“You’re here,” K8–E gasped, letting out a sob. “Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god, it— 4, you’re…!”
The android twitched. “I’m sorry it took so long,” He whispered, “Thank you for— helping.”
Unit B’s back straightened. She looked around, still in shock.
“That one is—” Unit B laughed breathlessly, crying in relief. “You’re really here?”
4BOT nodded. It was hard for him to believe, too.
It was fuzzy, those moments in the machine, but he remembered the panic. He recalled the frenzied desperation as he fought for every last ounce of control, saving himself again and again until he couldn’t anymore. Part of him thought he’d die, that he would never come back, and yet he had.
He survived.
He lived.
He was still alive.
“It really worked,” He whispered, nodding again.
“4BOT…!”
Unit B threw herself onto him as well. Both her and K8–E were now holding tightly, squeezing, as if he’d disappear if either of them let go. 4BOT was never physically affectionate, and he couldn’t feel the temperature of their metal bodies, but something about this felt so vindicating, so relieving, so comforting.
His hand twitched, and 4BOT found that he’d wrapped his arms around both Unit B and K8–E as well. His head rested against B’s chest and K8–E’s shoulder, and he could care less about how vulnerable he felt and how embarrassing it would be in about 3 hours from now.
It didn’t matter. None of it did.
What mattered is that he was here.
He was alive.
And after repeating it over and over again like a mantra, it became true.
4BOT was alive.
“You’re alive,” Unit B murmured beneath her breath, hand gripping 4BOT tightly. “You are alive…”
It was good to be back, to be in the light after the muddled darkness finally faded. It felt good to have finally broken down the walls that kept him trapped, the frosted glass he’d been stuck behind for who knows how long.
Spud trotted over to the group, yipping quietly. He nudged himself between K8–E and 4BOT, resting his head on the latter’s lap and wagging his tail. It reached down, ruffling his fur.
It was good to be here again.
“I know,” 4BOT nodded with a satisfied huff. “I’m alive.”