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The young woman sat down on the bed she had been given, lost in her thoughts. So much had happened to her in the past week. First it was being sent out of her home to find the Scientist, then the death of her younger brother Alphonse out in the war, and finally the death of her lover Victor just as they had made it to safety. All of it began to weigh her down. She had lost everyone she cared about in what felt like an instant. All to save her soul. She looked over at the two Stitchpunks that were on top of the bedside table; the ones her father had created.
15 and 16. They had been meant to save her and Alphonse's souls from being lost, but now Alphonse was dead. There was no way he would ever come to life. Unless...
She got up off of the bed and left to find the Scientist.
"Sir, I've made my decision."
Professor Oppenheimer looked up from the Stitchpunk he was working on and turned to her. "What do you mean, Marissa?" he asked.
"I'm going to bring them both to life. 15 and 16." Marissa said.
Oppenheimer's tired eyes widened at this. He knew that she was sent here to bring a Stitchpunk to life, and that her brother was to awaken another, but to try two? "Are you certain you want to do this, my dear?" he asked.
Marissa gave a nod of her head. "I have nothing else to live for." she said. "I saw this destruction before it would happen, I knew the end was drawing closer. My father is likely dead by now, my brothers have both perished, and even Victor is lost to me." She looked out the window, watching as smoke filled the skies and machines roamed the streets. "Besides, I've seen what will happen to this world in my dreams. There is no life left, no humans, no animals, even the machines will eventually power off and die. I'd rather give my soul to these things my father left me than watch as the world crumbles away."
The professor walked towards the young woman and sighed. "You've really given up all hope, haven't you?" he asked.
"I lost hope long ago." Marissa said. "I lost it when I woke up from the nightmare that predicted this fate and was thrown in the asylum by the Chancellor."
"You seemed so happy with the boy though." Oppenheimer replied.
Marissa cringed, her hardened expression faltered. "Victor..." she began, letting out another sigh. "Victor made me forget about the future. He understood me, comforted me, brought back some hope to my poor soul. But now he's gone. And he'll never come back." She tried to hold back tears. "In the end, all I can do is try to give life to 15 and 16. Alphonse is gone, and 16 can't be left alone and forgotten. My father's work can't go to waste."
The professor knew that deep down, the girl was lying to herself. She hadn't lost hope before, she just didn't have anyone who understood her. But this is what she wished for, and he had no other choice. Either way, she was giving up her soul to keep life going. "Very well." he said. "Did you bring the body?"
Marissa took out the first Stitchpunk, the one her father had labeled 15 and given to her. She could only stare at it for a moment, it resembled her in so many ways. The soft gray fabric used for the body was the same as her favorite sweater, brown thread hair that resembled her own but was shorter, the blue rimmed optics that matched her own eyes, the pen-nib fingers that were attached so drawing was not an issue, even the 15 on the chest held significance being the year she was born. It was clearly created with holding her soul in mind. No doubt if she took the time to look over the other one, she'd see her brother in it. Snapping out of her thoughts, she looked up at the scientist. "I'm ready."
She handed the lifeless doll to the professor, and stood there as he examined it. He took it to the desk and hooked it up to the device. "Come, sit down." he said. Marissa took a deep breath and walked over. She sat in a chair as the process was explained to her. She need only hold up the mask when the small talisman device opened. He placed it in the slot, setting the combination, and Marissa did as expected.
She thought hard about this doll, what it would be like, how much it would be her, how she would be able to say good-bye as a piece of her soul went off into the world. She knew that she wouldn't be afraid. As the device started up and she placed the mask in front of her face, she thought about everything she wanted this 15 to be. Her qualities needed to go in there, best and worst, it wouldn't be her otherwise; but it also needed something she lacked. Hope. Courage and hope. The life of Marissa may end, but 15 needed to go on.
As the device began it's work, Marissa felt some kind of pain in her body. She couldn't pinpoint it, it just seemed to be there. She wondered, was this what ripping out a piece of one's soul felt like? And to think that Oppenheimer was going to do it nine times, she felt pity for him. To feel this pain over and over again, it must be torture. The machine turned off as she fell off of the chair. The process made her feel weak. She felt a hand help her up, turning to see Professor Oppenheimer staring at her. "Did...did it work?" she asked.
The two looked up at the table, expecting to see 15 move. But there wasn't any sign of movement or life. The doll just continued to hang there endlessly. Was it a failure? "Professor, is it..." she couldn't finish the sentence.
Setting her back down in the chair, Oppenheimer unstrapped the doll and looked over it. As he did so, Marissa glanced over at a set of blueprints for the other Stitchpunks he was creating. There were three of them, some only partly completed. 7, 8, 9. She recalled one of her many nightmares, her visions of the future. Everyone she knew and loved was dead, no one lived except these dolls. The Fabrication Machine, the thing that was killing humanity, and taken hold of the one called 8. She didn't understand what it was doing, but somehow the machine had killed 8, as the one called 9 watched in horror. A strange snake-like creation handed out another doll, the one called 7, as if in offering to it's master. She didn't see what happened after that. The dream had ended there. It merely served as proof that misfortune would plague them as well.
She set the papers down, something else catching her eye. It was the Stitchpunk the professor had been working on moments ago. She picked up the unfinished body, looking it over. It was mostly a skeleton of sorts meshed with gears and wires, so there wasn't much to discern about it. She looked at the one area that did have fabric, noticing it was black and white stripes. Before she could look at it closer, the professor's hand was on her shoulder again. "I understand you are curious, but I'd ask that you left that one alone for now." he said. "I haven't finished him yet."
Marissa set the unfinished doll down. "Sorry, sir." she said. "So is there anything wrong with 15?" She hoped that changing the subject would fix things.
Oppenheimer sighed. "I'm not sure." he said. "The soul has entered the body without any problem and all the mechanisms are working. But she won't awaken."
"I suppose we can only wait and see." Marissa said. Her father's work didn't go to waste, did it?
"Why don't you go get some rest?" Oppenheimer said. "The soul extraction process takes a lot out of you, and you placed a large part of your soul in there. I will keep an eye on her in the meantime."
Without room to argue, Marissa did as she was told. She returned to her room, feeling a slight headache. She placed 16 on the dresser next to the bed, wondering if she could bring that one to life now that 15 wouldn't wake up. But perhaps she merely needed to wait.
As she slept, she had no nightmares.
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A few days had passed, and 15 continued to remain lifeless. Oppenheimer was confused, the soul transfer had been successful so why didn't 15 wake up? Marissa hadn't changed much, though she seemed to space out more than usual. Whenever the topic of bringing 16 was brought up, she'd refuse and say it wasn't the right time. He wasn't sure what she meant by that, but he didn't question her. The girl knew what she was dealing with after all.
Then he brought 6 to life.
He had designed the Stitchpunk after that young man Victor. He wasn't sure why, but he felt that it was the best way to honor the boy's memory. And 6's presence seemed to light something up in Marissa. She smiled more as the striped Stitchpunk was being studied. Perhaps it was the resemblance to her dead lover, but seeing her smile again was enough to lift Oppenheimer's mood. They kept 15 out of sight as he explored, it was clear that 6 wasn't all there so seeing a lifeless shell could damage him further.
Two days passed since 6 came to life, 15 had not awakened, and it was time to let 6 out into the world.
"Marissa, would you see that he leaves this place safely?" Oppenheimer asked.
Marissa blinked. "Are you sure you want me to do this?" she asked.
"Yes. I must work on 7 and time is running out. Plus it would be best for me to keep an eye on 15 in case she finally awakens."
Marissa stood in thought for a moment. "Alright, I'll do it." she said. He could have been imagining it, but he thought there was a spark of hope in her eyes again. She walked over to the corner to where 6 sat drawing. He looked up at her while she placed her hand out in front of him. "Come on 6, it's time for you to go."
6 seemed to falter as he slowly walked into her hand, gripping onto the key the Scientist had let him have. It seemed to be a source of comfort for him. Marissa looked at him and saw he was upset about something, shaking slightly in her grasp. He was mumbling to himself, but she couldn't make out what he said. "It's alright, 6." she said in the hopes that she'd comfort him. "You'll be okay. I won't let anything happen to you."
He looked confused at first, but then tried to smile. "M-Marissa will k-k-keep me safe..." he said.
Marissa nodded as she left the room, Stitchpunk in hand. She walked outside, first peeking her head out the door to make sure it was safe. She kneeled down to let 6 go free. He left her hands, but looked back at her with a melancholy frown. He stood there for a moment before finally saying, "I'm s-s-sorry Marissa..."
The young woman blinked. "What do you mean?" she asked.
6 began to shake again as he clutched his key. "I-it's all my f-fault."
A stomping sound got both of their attentions. Marissa looked up and saw a Walker robot coming towards them. She looked down at 6. "6, hurry up and hide!" she said.
"B-but-" 6 tried to speak.
"Just go! I won't let anything happen to you!" Marissa said. "I'll be fine, so get out of here!"
6 said nothing, but ran off into the rubble. She hoped he'd be alright out there, but if there were five others out there then he'd be fine. She started to run, the stomping behind her had stopped and she began to hear another sound: the sound of guns.
As she reached the door, she felt sharp pains in her body. Marissa shut the door behind her quickly and slumped to the ground. She placed her hand on her stomach and felt a wet substance. She looked at her hand and saw just what it was. Blood.
She wasn't going to last long.
Pulling herself up, she stumbled up the stairs. She knew what she had to do. She had to bring 16 to life, before it was too late.
She walked through the door into Oppenheimer's lab. "Professor..." she breathed.
Oppenheimer turned his head and gasped. He dropped the skeleton he was working on and rushed over to her. "Marissa! What happened?!" he asked.
"Not enough time..." she said. "Hurry... Grab 16..."
Understanding what she meant, Oppenheimer ran off to grab the other Stitchpunk. Marissa sat down in the chair in front of the soul transfer device. Had Victor felt this same pain when he took the bullet for her? He went through this to save her... She understood now.
The professor ran back in with 16. "Marissa, are you-" he began.
"I'm going to die anyway... Better I do it painlessly...then wait to bleed out..." she said, cutting him off. "Now hurry and...put 16 in there..."
Oppenheimer did as she said, strapping in 16 to the device. "Are you certain you want to do this?" he asked.
"Professor, I'm dying..." Marissa stated. "But I have a duty...to my father...to Alphonse...and to...Victor... I have...no regrets... It's like you said...life must go on... Thank you...professor..."
Oppenheimer pressed the talisman symbols with a somber look on his face. The device opened and the lights shot back into Marissa's body.
As her final moments passed, she remembered her brother. This Stitchpunk had been meant for him, so her memories of him would have to suffice. As she felt her life leaving her, she saw an image in her mind. But as soon as it appeared, both it and she were gone.
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Awake. She wanted to be awake. She'd been in the dark for so long with nothing but flashes of images in her mind. She didn't understand them though. All she knew was that she needed to wake up.
Suddenly she saw a flash of light. She went towards it, anything was better than the darkness.
Her eyes opened.
She lied there, staring at a ceiling. She pushed herself up, looking at her surroundings. A room. She was in some kind of room. Even though she'd never been here before, it felt so familiar. But why?
She stood up, trying to balance herself slowly. She looked down at her hands, her fingers looked strange, but it felt so natural. She had an urge to use them. She needed some paper.
She flinched as she heard footsteps coming closer. Something walked through the doorway, no, it was someone. An old man with a somber look on his face. She had a feeling that she knew him, but how? She'd never met anyone before. But then, a name flashed through her mind.
"Professor...Oppenheimer..." she said, startled by the sound of her own voice. The old man looked to where she stood and only stared at her. "You're Professor Oppenheimer, right?" she said again.
The old man, or rather Oppenheimer, readjusted his glasses as he came closer. "How can it be?" he asked. "15, you're awake..."
15, that was her name then? But just what was she? She turned her head until she saw a mirror and gasped. "This is me?" she said.
"I don't understand. Why now?" The professor asked himself. 15 looked back to see him pacing. "Why did she take so long to awaken, and why this exact moment? Is this fate or coincidence? I just don't understand."
"Sir? Are you alright?" 15 asked, snapping the old man out of his rambling. "Tell me, what's going on here? Just who are you? And why am I seeing these things in my head?"
Oppenheimer looked down at her, a soft smile spreading on his face. "Perhaps it doesn't matter." he said.
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A few days had passed since 15 had suddenly left. Oppenheimer continued to work on the last remaining Stitchpunks as if nothing had happened. And just as suddenly had 15 awakened, so did 16.
He had heard a large thump and a groan. He turned his head and saw the other Stitchpunk had fallen from the floor. "WOAH, YOU'RE HUGE!" 16 exclaimed, pointing a finger at him. "Are you some kind of giant?! Or am I just a total shrimp?! Either way, it's still completely awesome!"
Oppenheimer just chuckled. 15 and 16. Two beings who held the same soul, but were completely different. Yet they were so much like the two they were meant for.
The two of them would certainly help with the spread of life. He just knew it.