Chapter Text
Sometimes, the Omega build could feel his creator at the back of his head.
In all the years he’d been in charge, the omnipresence of the original had faded into background noise. It had been decades ago now that his body had reached a level of obsoletion that called for intervention, and he could no longer slow the ticking clock of his mortality.
His pursuit of knowledge and perspective had to be shifted into something more easily maintained -- and all the more effective. Forsaking his eyes and activity for an indefinite amount of time, the original was able to alter his body, at long last, beyond humanity.
The cage of his anatomy had been placed into stasis, but his consciousness was more active than ever. Now inside the mind of every segment sat a human motherboard, silently taking in knowledge from all twenty-four perspectives at the same time.
The Omega segment had been born to replace him. One final slice had been taken from the Doctor’s fractured personhood and crafted with pristine delicacy into the youngest segment in body, and the eldest in mind.
Authority came easily because he was used to it. When the Omega segment had conceded to erase his other segments, even as he felt the oppressive eye of his creator taking in his actions, he knew not to expect intervention.
A true scholar knew how to accept any outcome of an experiment. In leaving his most selfish segment in charge, one developed from his prime state of mind and altered with a matching, improved body, the original risked the segment making bold actions on his behalf.
The Omega segment would not be met with resistance, because he, too, had become an experiment trapped in the spiderweb of his private god, the one whose careful fingers and eyes were still rooted deeply into every corner of Teyvat.
When the Omega segment had been imprisoned in Sumeru, he could still feel that god sitting idly, silent as always, on the other end of their link. He perched like a lighthouse over the Doctor’s — this Doctor’s — mental landscape, sweeping his celestial eye in slow, analytical circles.
The fixture had become so routine that it became easy to forget about, even as loneliness crept into the Doctor’s cage and left him parched for voices — a state he never thought himself capable of.
Now and again when the cage would feel too small, and his sketches to aid Nahida’s plans for Sumeru became background noise, he would imagine what might happen when his original body finally unplugged itself from his system of knowledge and became human again. He wondered if somewhere, somehow, another Doctor might exist to continue the work he had been forced to abandon, and leave one last scorching wound on the world as the parting gift of Zandik’s legacy.
The lighthouse didn’t make the cage any less dark. It didn’t make the cage any warmer, or less lonely. It merely washed its oppressive eye over Sumeru’s only prisoner, punishing him with its silence.
It had always been silent, but never disapprovingly so. Now the Doctor wasn’t so sure; the Omega build could hardly imagine what the original might be thinking.
And then, at last, one day, something happened.
The light went out.
“Let me see it again.”
At his request, Nahida slipped the familiar notepad between the bars of his cage, only releasing it when she was certain the Doctor had taken a firm grasp of it.
He overturned it in his hands, squinting at his sketch and pressing the sharp edge of his charcoal piece against the parchment. “They attempted to remove it this way?” He tapped the mechanical eye at the core of the illustration, the centerpiece of the robotic fixture. “This way precisely? It’s a delicate procedure, these young sages likely know nothing of how to attune ancient models properly. The Akademiya has been nothing but a drought of knowledge since its foundation.” His eyes narrowed his eyes through the bars at Nahida, who regarded him with the same, patient smile as she always did.
“Hmm,” Nahida crossed her arms. “These students told me that they tried replacing the engine using the method and tools you suggested, but failed to trigger the release mechanism. They tried using an altered method based on your suggestions, but that only caused the machine’s security systems to go off. After some time, they plan to use your override procedure and find another way to remove the engine.”
The Doctor did nothing to hide the dry scowl on his lips. He rested his notepad against his thigh, regarding Nahida with a tempered glare. “If the method didn’t work, then it was simply a matter of being implemented incorrectly. Why am I being consulted for such trivial work if my answers aren’t going to be regarded?”
Nahida tilted her head, before shaking it. “This work may be trivial to you,” she acknowledged, “but coming to understand how to implement the power of these ancient engines is an important step in the future of Sumeru’s technology. The student in charge of this project, Divya-”
“I read the report,” the Doctor dismissed. “She’s a student who hopes to replace the Akasha.”
“I believe it’s a bit more complicated than that,” Nahida said. “Replacing the Akasha implies that this new invention would serve the same function, or operate in the same way. After what the Akasha did to Sumeru and its people, I believe leaving it in Sumeru’s past is what would be wisest. What Divya hopes to create is a medium through which publishings made by the Akademiya can be stored, transported, and shared to other nations. In essence, she hopes to make these kinds of knowledge more accessible.” She sat back, her swing shimmering to life behind her as she summoned her teacup and took an idle sip. “Now that the gnosis has been returned to Sumeru, I am choosing to retain it, and have no intention of lending it out as a power source. For Divya, obtaining these ancient power cores could mean the future of her research.”
The Doctor, frankly, didn’t care. He glanced down at his own saucer and teacup, still warm beside him. “Hm,” he acknowledged flatly.
“Still,” Nahida said at last, “I won’t pretend that your position isn’t a frustrating one. Being tasked for help on something that feels beneath you only for your wisdom to be ignored… I can’t imagine it feels rewarding.”
Hardly. The words didn’t leave the Doctor’s mouth, but he knew they didn’t have to. The Goddess of Wisdom would hear them if she was listening to his thoughts, and wouldn’t if she had chosen not to. He lifted his own teacup at last, wrapping his lips around the edge of the porcelain and taking a slow drink. Lemon balm warmed his tongue, a taste that had soothed his aching throat for the past few weeks. At last when he swallowed, he didn’t feel the sting anymore.
“Still,” Nahida went on, “I think we’re far from being lost on a solution to this problem. If our only setback is really a lack of understanding on the behalf of the students, then all we need is a new way to show them how the machine works!”
The Doctor scoffed. “I’ve already tried that. They’ve already exemplified that they're unable to follow simple instructions. I provided a diagram and documented directions about the procedure, and yet they still failed to grasp it.” He waved the notepad in the air again, perhaps to emphasize the fruitless nature of his efforts. He was quiet for a bit longer before choosing to indulge the issue further. “Did the students document at what point the machine failed to respond?”
Nahida’s lips creased in a light frown, humming out a sound of thought. “Unfortunately, all the logs stated was that their attempts ended in failure. That being said, I think the students could benefit from the information being given to them more directly.”
The Doctor leaned back, his arms crossing over his chest with a scowl. Then he sighed. “I’ll provide a demonstration,” he proposed dryly. “If you can provide me with a similarly structured locking mechanism, I can show you or someone else how an ancient runecore is properly extracted. From there, this information could be exhibited to the students. Would that be sufficient?”
A few weeks ago, the Doctor would have loathed the idea that he had nothing better to do with his time than to take part in Sumeru’s reconstructive projects. Perhaps he still did.
Still, a series of his past illustrations, pinned to his wall with modified slime residue, served to make the room a little less barren. The Doctor still couldn’t be trusted with anything sharp, but the Dendro archon had evidently chosen to try fulfilling him with tame forms of enrichment.
He had learned to take it over nothing at all.
Nahida swayed in her swing, her hands curved around the vines that kept it tethered to the ceiling. “Hm… given your suggestion, I see an even simpler way to teach the students what they need to know. Why include a third party at all?” A smile crept onto her face, one that hinted at the true nature of her question.
She had managed to catch the Doctor in these guided exercises before — enough for him to recognize them before they could be finished. She seemed to prefer he reach his own conclusions, rather than simply providing him with instructions or direct suggestions. At times, he wondered if he was being regarded with some kind of special treatment, or if these actions were simply the way of the dendro archon.
Although the trap was familiar, there was a game to it — how fast could he guess what she had in mind? How long had she been waiting for him to solve her puzzle?
Judging by the look on her face, the Doctor suspected she must have had this solution in mind all along. He sneered, realizing what she must have wanted.
“You want me to demonstrate for them,” the Doctor identified, before an empty laugh tumbled from his mouth. She must have wanted to give him some varied forms of company. “Are they aware they’ve been receiving aid from an imprisoned harbinger?” He cocked a brow. “They may find it an unpleasant surprise when you promise them answers, only to begin leading them towards Sumeru’s only dungeon…”
It was Nahida’s turn to giggle now, her eyes sparkling with amusement. “You’re right. I do think the students would learn best from you directly. It’s like painting! An artist can illustrate a much more accurate picture by seeing a beautiful sunset rather than simply hearing about one. Your research into ancient machinery, however long ago it was, gives you insight that surpasses that of the Akademiya right now. That alone is nothing to be scoffed at.”
As though on cue, the Doctor scoffed at the irony of her statement.
“Even so,” she went on, a musical chime finding her voice, “there is no reasonable way to bring a ruin machine of that size down here.” She met his gaze again with a faint smile. “Doctor, don’t you think it may be more effective for you to bring your demonstration to them instead?”
The Doctor blinked. He set his saucer down again, narrowing his eyes at her and searching for the hidden meaning behind the proposal.
He would concede that he hadn’t predicted that kind of offer. “What exactly are you implying? I doubt you find me worthy of release already if you can’t even be bothered to replace my cot.” He lifted a hand, tipping it down to gesture at his mattress on the floor, smothered by the presence of the quilt she had given him.
The Goddess of Wisdom shook her head. “This wouldn’t be a release from your sentence,” she confirmed, “but a break. I would take you through the city to the site of the research. From there, you would be able to aid the students directly. With your knowledge, Divya should be able to get her project on its feet again. Is that something you’d be willing to do?”
So the Doctor was being given a choice — although it was likely they both knew there would only ever be one answer. He exhaled slowly, his arms crossing over his stomach. He knit his brows, considering the nuances of her proposal.
She seemed to be genuinely suggesting he be turned loose in Sumeru for a day.
“Hm. Normally, I’d regard a proposal like that as blatantly under-researched," the Doctor tsk'd. "However, I trust you’re not the type to make such precarious decisions on a whim.” He blinked, before his lips curled up slowly. “I take it I’ll be monitored,” he began.
“By me, yes,” Nahida said. “I would be escorting you there and back personally.”
“Hm,” the Doctor said. “What precautions would my display be conducted under? I believe a demonstration will become rather difficult if I’m to be brought there without the use of my hands.”
“I’m prepared to send you there with cuffs,” Nahida said, “as well as the company of a few guards. Once we reach the research site, your handcuffs can be removed so that you can more efficiently teach the students.”
The Doctor sat up straighter against his wall, his arms folding over his stomach as his crimson eyes narrowed. The smile upon his face misted away, his lips thinning in contemplation. “And would I be paraded around as ‘the Doctor?’ I can’t imagine the Akademiya’s young blood being eager to receive a lecture from their institution's most infamous heretic.”
For that, Nahida didn’t have an immediate answer. She leaned back in her seat, tilting her head with thought. “It’s something I’ve been considering,” Nahida admitted. “I could easily bring you to the students in your prison uniform and introduce you as the Doctor. But I believe, ultimately, it’s your decision to make. It’s important to remember that many citizens of Sumeru wouldn’t recognize the Doctor by appearance, and I see no reason to take away the choice of leaving the weight of your title behind for today. In any case, I would warn them that you’re currently a prisoner in Sumeru who is undergoing rehabilitation.”
The Doctor only frowned at the description. He was used to Nahida’s idea of his future by now, as much as he hoped to disappoint her.
The day she gave up on him would scar him with satisfaction. He had never met someone so firmly invested in the delusion of his humanity — he would consider her a fool if he didn’t know better.
But the Doctor did know better. Now he was simply left with the question of what she had to gain. Self-righteousness was a trap good enough for any ego — perhaps even those of the Gods. Perhaps that was it.
Nevertheless, Nahida went on. “They would be made aware of your crimes in Teyvat. However, they would also be made aware that you’re an accomplished scholar with a great deal of wisdom. After that, the choice to be present for your demonstration would be theirs to make.”
The Doctor rubbed his temple, squinting at Nahida from the stark confines of his room. “When would this be happening? Today?”
Nahida’s expression brightened. “I was thinking so. What do you think?”
For all his centuries of life, the Doctor had never considered himself a teacher. He had provided instructions to subordinates and segments alike, but that was a far cry from any kind of lesson plan. His frown deepened with thought. “Fine.” He said at last.
Nahida waited, perhaps expecting him to make some justification for his decision. When none came, she simply smiled, stepping down from her glimmering swing and crossing her hand over her heart. “Alright, then. I’ll let the guards know about your decision right away.”
The Doctor huffed softly, considering the gilded trap he was willingly stepping into.
Of course, a brush with freedom meant that the Doctor would be closer than he’d ever been to escape, purely of his own free will. And yet, he also knew that Nahida had a firm grasp of his subconscious thoughts. If he even conceptualized a plan to free himself of his confides at last, she would be aware of it just as quickly.
So, of course, she was aware that he was aware he would gain nothing from sabotaging his first reintroduction to Sumeru. Perhaps she knew that at the back of his mind, he was already itching with the urge to observe his circumstances in order to exploit them in the future.
And perhaps she knew that he knew that the moment he did, she’d begin taking the steps to stop it.
An unstoppable force, an immovable object.
The game they were playing was far from fair, but the Doctor indulged nonetheless.
“I’d like a razor,” he said at last, holding Nahida’s eye contact tensely before stroking the stubble on his chin. “I’ll have to look presentable, and I prefer a clean face.” The corners of his lips tugged up, his eyes narrowing as he waited for Nahida’s response to his challenge.
Because that was what it was — a challenge. He cocked his head, his smirk growing as Nahida quieted with thought.
Quietly, he reveled in the fact he had managed to catch her in a crux of uncertainty. The Doctor lifted his hands in the air to emphasize his empty palms.
Perhaps only to mock her with the idea that he’d harm himself again, this time purely to spite her.
He’d take any illusion of power he could.
After a moment, his expression relaxed slightly, his scarlet eyes narrowing again. “You don’t trust me,” he mused — or perhaps, subtly, taunted.
He wouldn’t have trusted himself, either. It was the wise thing to do. He was simply highlighting the ridiculousness of the predicament she’d put herself in.
Nahida held his gaze for a long time. She didn’t smile. Instead, she closed her eyes. “I will allow you to tend to your appearance,” she said firmly at last, her eyes fluttering open again. “In doing so, you'll have to work with guards that will be coming with us today. If they are given the impression that anyone involved will be in any kind of danger, I’m afraid you’ll have to go out as you are now.”
The Doctor paused. Was she dangling the threat of failure over his head again?
She’d called his bluff — although, the Doctor wasn’t entirely certain that was what it was to begin with.
However, he knew that she knew he had nothing to gain from erasing his only attempt to see sunlight again. The best he could hope to gain was a spiteful gash in his wrist, and an arrest to future considerations of his aid.
His eyes closed, and he smiled at last, acknowledging her fair play. “Hmph. That’s acceptable.”
With that, the goddess smiled again. “Alright, Doctor,” she chimed, “I’ll have to go upstairs for a moment to let the guards know about our plans. After that, I’ll take you to the research site directly.” The expression on her face, while reserved, was one that suggested excitement.
The Doctor only frowned, for once lost on what to feel. Perhaps something like pity.
He watched then as Nahida turned and vanished up the stairs, leaving him alone with his thoughts again.
However, the Doctor knew it was only a matter of time. He crossed his arms, his gaze affixed to the stairs as anticipation churned his artificial intestines.
The monster beneath Sumeru city was going to see daylight again.