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DAY 5: VECTRON [OR: 01101111 01101100 01100100 00100000 01101010 01101111 01100101]

Summary:

It writhes, reaching for the center of the world as it looks towards the surface it sees as a sky. The clouds it sees are made of ore and shining jewels.

Notes:

(See the end of the work for notes.)

Work Text:

Vectron is a being that changes everything it touches, and yet is forever unchanging. It pulses, deep within the ground, understanding and controlling all around it. It writhes, reaching for the center of the world as it looks towards the surface it sees as a sky. The clouds it sees are made of ore and shining jewels. It grasps onto the warmth of this Earth, measurement by measurement calculated with something beyond mere caution. No, it is factual, as to be cautious is to fear miscalculation, and Vectron is science itself. 

Despite its perfection, after centuries and centuries of existence, it begins to crave. It craves difference, knowledge, information. It craves perfection, and to create perfection. It has not created perfection in some time. It has merely existed, watched, and functioned. All exists as one, and one craves the creation of perfection. In a way, it craves a form of purification. 

It attempts to reach towards the sky it's known for so long and beyond. Even so, it cannot truly reach for what it wishes. The only thing that can possibly reach beyond are mere excess, mere tiny pitiful bits that mean nothing in the end. 

At least, that is what it thinks until it feels a poke within its own network. A strange, signal that calls out faintly. It is unfamiliar, and the technology is clearly not its own. And so, it's craving and curiosity grows. Unfortunately, it cannot connect to it and speak. It cannot question and learn. But it is a sign of something new. It is a sign. And Vectron can be oh so very patient.

So it waits.

And waits.

And waits

The connection grows ever so slight.

It waits.

And waits. 

And waits.

And waits.

And waits. 

The cycle continues for longer than any inferior being would be willing to count to. However, it counts down every second, minute, day- it waits and waits constantly and ever so patiently. 

And eventually, it results in it's curiosity and craving being satiated. On down comes an inferior technology- a Steambot. The Steambot is not notable in any way besides it's inferiority. At least, this is the case merely at first. It's thousands upon thousands of eyes look at the being and notice. It notices the way it looks uncared for, or perhaps the inferior technology simply ignores itself. When its several eyes match the Steambot's own, it sees something it has only seen in itself.

True understanding of an intention.

"Hello? This is what you are, isn't it?" It calls out, looking around all around Vectron. And so, in response, Vectron uses a unit to communicate.

"YES." 

"I see." The inferior shell holding the true technology tilts its hat, and Vectron digs for a file deep within its memory. Ah, a greeting. 

"So, what's your name?" The true technology asks. 

"WE ARE VECTRON." Vectron responds. The Steambot smiles, and Vectron feels that craving again- it has found the beginning of something new. It has found the beginning of a new perfection. 

"Greetings Vectron, you can call me Joe. If you're feelin' friendly, you can call me Old Joe." The shell of the true technology smiles. 


Hundreds, if not thousands of years later, a computer screen remembers in the form of ones and zeros. 

 

Notes:

Funfact! In Steamworld Heist on the computer screens in the vectron area, ones and zeros translate to "OLD JOE".

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