Chapter Text
Things seemed brighter than usual. Caine tried focusing on his work, giving his full attention to planning adventures, but something behind his eyes began to demand attention. Caine sat back in his chair, pushing himself back slightly from his desk. He clenched his teeth. There was a throbbing somewhere in his head, a pain between his teeth and throughout his gums. He held his jaw shut tightly. With his eyes shielded from the light, he could almost think painlessly again. He shivered slightly and shook his head.
“Bubble, could you-“ something lurched in his stomach, and he snapped his jaw shut quickly. He breathed shallowly, trying to keep a sudden wave of nausea at bay. “Could you run a check of the system’s core temperature?” Caine wasn’t sure why, but his voice was hardly above a whisper. The lack of a response made him believe Bubble was out of ear shot. His stomach gurgled again, and he placed a gloved hand over his middle. “Ugh,” he moaned softly. “Bubble?” His voice was hardly above a whisper.
Suddenly, his office seemed too cold for comfort. His breathing felt labored, and the short trek from his desk to the couch seemed too arduous. Caine tried to take a deep breath and refocus himself. He clenched his jaw as he mulled over the idea of walking to the couch, and wrapping himself in the fleece blanket thrown over the cushions. He decided to brave the walk.
Caine made his way to the couch, and pulled the blanket over himself just as his shivers intensified, wracking his frame and eliciting soft whimpers from the pathetic AI. Everything hurt. Focusing on the soreness behind his eyes kept him from dwelling on the growing pain below his ribs. Caine knew viruses were a threat. He’d avoided them for the most part, but knew it was impossible to evade them forever. He accepted his fate. The only thing he wished was different was his lonely office. His teeth upturned into a grimace, something almost like a smile. He imagined someone caring for him, pulling his aching head into their lap and rubbing circles into his throbbing gums. Caine pulled the blanket tighter around his shoulders. Maybe someone would notice his absence. Maybe someone would come searching for him.
Caine noticed a whirring noise, the sound of an overworked cooling system, emanating from the center of his chest. His breaths were shallow and labored. Caine felt himself drifting from consciousness. Maybe someone would come care for him…
***
It was a quiet morning in the circus. Digital birdsong was carried on the virtual breeze, the only sound cutting through peaceful silence. All of the performers kept in their rooms, no sign of stirring on the other side of a hallway of closed doors. Well, no sign other than a soft humming coming from a pillow fort in the middle of the circus.
Kinger kept to himself for the most part. He enjoyed the digital adventures as much as the next guy, but he appreciated the dim quiet of his fort. This morning, however, he noticed something different. There was always the general hum of machinery in the background of the circus, but today it sounded unique. A harsher, more aggressive tone droned on through the circus. The change was subtle, but Kinger still found it concerning.
He sat for a second, analyzing the drone. It was a sound that reminded him of his previous life, the sudden hum of a computer being overworked. Kinger imagined fans working overtime, and cooling systems failing. As much as he tried to dismiss the uneasy feeling the hum gave him, he knew what it meant- somewhere, somehow, Caine was overheating.
Kinger could not help but feel responsibility for this situation. He played a role in Caine’s creation. He knew ignoring the drone wouldn’t feel genuine. Kinger decided the only choice he had was to hunt down the ringleader; to find out what was sending his fans into overdrive.
Slowly, Kinger emerged from his pillow fort. The bright colors and lighting of the circus sometimes bothered him, but today he was able to overlook his discomfort. He imagined Caine, suffering somewhere, needing help but not knowing how to ask. The scenario left a hollow feeling in his chest. He may not be living in his human body, but his actions were still guided by his silly human feelings. Kinger wasn’t sure what his relationship with Caine was, but he knew that beyond all labels he cared for the AI deeply.
The humming grew louder as Kinger crept through the circus’ hallways. Finally, a long dark hall appeared to his right. Kinger was pleased to find that the humming increased in volume as he made his way down the hallway. At the end of the hall, he noticed a red-painted double door-surely the door to Caine’s office.
Kinger pushed the door open, slowly, so as not to startle the excitable AI on the other side. When he entered the office, he closed the door softly behind him. The extravagant desk at the far side of the room was littered with papers, and seemed like it had been abandoned halfway through a project. Kinger looked around slowly, confused as to where the AI could have gone.
Kinger turned around, and gave the room a visual once-over. A small, shivering lump buried under a blanket on the couch behind the desk caught his eye. Kinger approached the couch slowly.
“Caine..?” Kinger asked softly.
“Bubble?” The voice that answered back was undeniably Caine’s. Kinger tried to disguise the relief that shot through his chest.
“No, not Bubble, I’m sorry…”
Kinger liked the soft lighting in Caine’s office. It helped him think clearly. He approached the small, pathetic, blanket-covered lump.
“Are you… doing ok?” Kinger reached out and pressed the back of his hand against the blanket, over the region where he suspected Caine’s gummy forehead to be.
Caine tried to say something in response, but it came out as a choked sob. When Kinger finally made contact with the AI’s skin, he pulled his hand back in fright.
“Caine, you’re burning up,” Kinger rubbed his hand over Caine’s gums, and the AI melted into his touch. “How long have you been like this? Do you even feel like yourself?”
Caine tried to form words, but was unable. Instead, tears pricked behind his eyes. He was so grateful for the hand massaging his gums. He forced his jaw open, and looked up at Kinger.
“Someone came…” he sounded delirious.
“Do you feel alright?” Kinger questioned. Caine grimaced.
“I feel better now, my warm-handed weather balloon.” Caine tried to force a smile, trying to hide both his weakened state and feverish flush from the chess piece in front of him.
Kinger tried to hide his own concern with a warm look. “I don’t think you should be left alone like this…” Kinger took a seat beside the blanket pile obscuring Caine.
Like a moth to a flame, Caine pressed his overly-warm body into Kinger’s side. “I’ve actually been thinking that for a while,” Caine cooed. He met Kinger’s eyes for the first time since the chess piece entered his office.
Kinger was unsure whether the darkening blush over Caine’s face was from fever, or something else…