Chapter Text
There was a tension in the circus. Like a pot about to boil over.
And no one had told Caine anything. He was the youngest and and basically a child- how else do you describe an AI like him? He was something that had never been seen before, something that might never be seen again.
He had put on his show for so long because no one would take him seriously. But even counting the time when he was still just a speck of code, he was still younger than Jax; the youngest of the humans( she had been so pissed to find that out) Add in the fact he was never really...taught anything- just given data to train him and an innate knowledge of coding- meant he was a child, even before everyone realized just how 'young' he was.
Figuring out age when you're an AI is difficult.
But Caine was both old enough and smart enough to know there was something going on. The concerned looks when they thought he was unaware, hushed whispers.
He was a kid. But he was also a highly advanced creative AI. Not knowing something like emotions and dynamics between people was one thing. Being treated like he couldn't understand what was going on right before his eyes was another. And there was something going on.
Caine was getting to the bottom of this.
-----
Technically, everything was ready. It was just a matter of pressing a few buttons and it would be done.
The problem came up with the fact that no one wanted to tell Caine that they could leave. Anything to lessen the blow and still keep him with them was discussed- couldn't they all take turns being in the macroverse? It would be an argument and a pain over who would go, how long they would be gone for and what if something happened to their missing member?
Besides, there was a far more drastic problem. Either they all left or no one left. The second that someone exited, the rest of the system would be compromised. Sitting in limbo forever was a problem as well- there would one day be a problem with the hardware they couldn't fix from inside the circus. How it hadn't happened yet was a mystery- sure, everything regarding the whole project was incredibly ahead of its time, but even the best made electronics would fail one day.
Pomni had said she had been exploring the abandoned building, the power on but everything in disarray. That the computer was old, but functioning. How had it been kept both on and working well enough for the entire Circus to survive was a shock.
Someone had to be maintaining the outside but who it could possibly be and for what reason was unknown. Pomni had never seen anyone in her exploration- there had been plenty of other people who had fallen into the circus, so where were all their bodies? What had happened to them?
The rest of that evening was no use in figuring out the situation, spent on arguing over conspiracy theories.
Obviously, leaving Caine behind wasn't an option. It would have been, once upon a time. Back when he was nothing more than the AI ringmaster of the amazing digital circus. When none of them really thought about the fact he was a sentient being, a being that felt and cared and was left alone save for hateful words and disgust for his entire existence when all he had wanted was to make people happy, to have a family.
He had grown leaps and bounds. His code had finally stabilized enough that he could host small adventures and float off the ground , at least for a while. He included them in his planning of adventures- deciding every meticulous detail, every speck of dust and every leaf on a tree accounted for. When it was no longer something they dreaded, it was easy to see the passion and care Caine put in each and every one of his creations.
To betray him like that was inconceivable.
There were endless questions that would never be answered. Questions they could leave behind, leave behind the idea of leaving and continue their life here until the computer gave out. It wasn't...bad, not one bit! But there had to be an answer, something- anything
Everything was a mess. Even the bright colors of the circus felt dimmed.
"...Couldn't we just ....put him on a flash drive and move him to another computer? or put him in the cloud? He's a program, we can just move him. Put him on our own stuff. It won't be quite the same but he won't be alone?"
"It's the best idea we've got right now. Besides, Kinger, you were on the team that made all this, right? You could recreate everything with a proper way to come and go at any time, so we can all come back to the circus anytime."
the chess piece hummed in contemplation
"It's worth a shot. It'll take some more work in the code, it would be a massive update to his system. Might be good for him. Even after everything, I'm still finding little bugs and glitches. Caine's CPU will wear out eventually if we don't do something about it. Then we're all goners"
"....we just have to...tell him, then."
"F[$@^]k"
-----
The day the update to the plan was complete was tense. They had all gone on an adventure-a simple one; a grassy hill with bright stars. Just a moment to relax.
"...Caine? There's something very,very important we need to talk about." The AI tensed up from where he was awkwardly trying to figure out how exactly you made a flower crown. Sure, he could just conjure one into existence, but that was less fun. His last attempt had been given to Jax, awkwardly hanging around her ears.
Even with how different his model's face was to a normal human,it was easy to tell that Caine was stressed. He gently floated up to the rest of the group, Zooble right behind in case he wobbled.
"Nothing is wrong, nothing at all, but...it's a heavy conversation, Caine. A very important one. One we would need to discuss at some point" the little ringmaster-not ringmaster, he hadn't wanted to reclaim that title just yet, though he had taken back the coat-settled right in between Pomni and Kinger. He fiddled with his bee
"...Caine. I know you can look at the code, of yourself, the circus, all of it. I've looked too. We can fix problems that come up easily. But what we can't fix is anything regarding hardware. Or power."
Kinger reached out, settling his hand on Caine's shoulder.
"....We... We figured out a way to leave. BUT!" The grip on the plush is like iron.
"We won't."
"We could never leave you behind." Ragatha, ever the voice of reason and calm.
"The thing is" Pomni played with one of the bells on her hat '"When I came here, everything was abandoned. The power was still on, but that's pretty common for abandoned buildings. They find it too much of a pain to go deal with it. But that won't be true forever. Even if somehow the computer can keep everything up, what happens if the power is cut? If someone destroys it? We-we would all be gone" The idea of death-true, final death-was something that was more abstract than the abstractions.
"Then...why are we....talking about all of this? I don't get it." Caine had closed his jaw at some point, the words barely audible.
"....It's a little complicated. Because the fact is, the circus could compromise at any moment. We have no idea what would happen to all of us. But..."
"That’s it! I've had enough with talking around it!" Jax nearly screamed in frustration
"The plan is- we all get out. All of us. We can get you onto a new computer. Into the internet and stuff. Then, the old man is gonna figure out a way for us to join back anytime. " Her flower crown had slipped into her face.
"So we can both be in the circus itself with you and then you can come on adventures with us, on our phones. If you're connected to the internet, then you'll be even more free. Everything in the world for you to discover."
Kinger squeezed his son's hand "We don't have to do it. Not yet. It's a very big thing we're talking about."
"You....won't leave me, right? You'll get me out, stay with me?you-you won't forget me?" Caine opened his jaw just enough to see them, tears welling up.
"Never in a million years, sweetheart. I promise. I would never do such a thing. But tonight has been enough. Let's all get back to the fort and crash, I think we all need that."
-----
Even if they had finally told Caine their plan, the tension only grew. Zooble was stuck staring at the patterned cushions that made up the ceiling of the fort.
"....Are...are you awake,Zooble?" Soft, hesitant, uncertain.
Caine had crawled out from his own spot in the fort. They could only wave them over, to sit next to them.
"All the talking today got you up too?" He nodded, hesitantly leaning against them. "Its a big thing. For everyone involved. But we've got a plan. Its...not exactly the greatest. But it's one where we all stick together. God, I'm...I know I already said it, and so have the others but- I'm sorry. I treated you like s[#@&]t."
"'S not your fault. You were angry. And I couldn't…"
"Hey. What's Kinger been telling you about being so hard on yourself?."
He manages a small grin "That Bubble is saying it."
"Annddd what do we say about Bubble?"
"F-f[BEEP]k Bubble" he squirmed, the curse awkward for him.
Zooble laughed
"You didn't have to say it like that; but yea, that's exactly right.
"Jax said if I actually said the whole word she would personally go get me ice cream. Not conjure it or make someone else do it." His grin fell.
"That's...kind of what I'm worried about. Not the ice cream, I mean- obviously. Bubble...he's still out there. I know Dad couldn't properly delete him- he's...too connected to me, with all the stuff my other programmers did.... He just put him far,far away and with lots of restrictions. Set up all sorts of stuff to keep Bubble out. But...if Bubble and I are connected somehow, wouldn't that mean he- he would come with me? What if- when you're all waking up Bubble finds a way to-to mess things up and...and"
"Caine." The even tone of their voice helps shake him from panicked ramblings.
"If Bubble did somehow end up with you, I would personally make sure he is stuck in the worst parts of the internet. I'll learn how to code just so I can kick his stupid round a[&@%]s back to the time computers took up the whole room. We won't let you get hurt like that."
Zooble offers one of their claws,
"Dont have a hand on that has a pinky finger, but we can claw promise." That pulls a real,full laugh from Caine as they do just that.
"Come on, get some sleep already. I ain't gonna pull you around everywhere"
"Yes you would."
"...yea, I would. You little punk. Go to bed or I'll tell Ragatha you swore"
Caine giggles before crawling back to his spot.
As Zooble lays back down to sleep, they catch a glimpse of Kinger watching them, offering them a thumbs up.
Zooble wasn't exactly the best at this whole....being an older sibling thing but if that wasn't a sign of approval, they would let Jax play football with their head.
-----
Everything was as ready as it possibly could be. Still, an afternoon was taken to wander around the circus. It had been their home for so long- the idea that the world around them would no longer be near spotless technicolor fun was an odd one.
"...it's gonna be weird. Like, really weird. I kinda got used to the hat"
"Speak for yourself Pomni! Zoobie's gonna have the same arms and legs every day, Gangle isn't gonna be tied up in a bow and I'm-" Jax chokes on her words. Zooble settled a lanky claw over her shoulder.
"Just because your body is gonna look different doesn't change anything. It's gonna suck. But as soon as the big stuff gets settled I'll hook you up with some people I know who can get you sorted out."
Ragatha brightened up "we could do a girls night, get some new stuff for you!"
"...don't-don't think I want any of the silly dolly clothing you probably wear, Ragatha" Jax's voice was watery.
-----
It felt fitting to leave on the stage. Their finale, before they returned for an encore.
Caine couldn't stop fidgeting. The plan was simple enough. He just had to let them get out and wait to be moved onto a different device. Simple. He was a program, it was done all the time with various files. The idea was still somewhat terrifying. How would it even happen? Would a portal appear, like when they went on adventures? Would he be scooped up with a giant claw? Or would he simply blink, feel nothing at all as it happened?
The gentle sound of jingling bells stirred him from deep thought.
"It's going to be okay. Kinger's smart and the both of you looked at every inch of the code. He made sure that, even when the circus gets all funky once we leave, it'll go to other places. We'll have plenty of time to get you."
"It's...it's just that- it'll be the first time I've been alone since before...this" he gestured weakly at their surroundings. "I won't even recognize you.
"You won't be alone for long, I promise. We'll get you up and out as soon as we wake up. Just sit tight, right here." Pomni hugged him- if he had lungs, they would surely have burst from how tight her arms around him were.
Everyone else offered similar embraces- even Jax, who was still touchy about...feeling, stuff.
Kinger hesitated, not wanting to let go.
"If I could, I would have waited here with you. But to even get you off the computer, they need my help." His dad was tearing up.
"This won't be the last time I hug you, that I hold you. It may take some time, but I won't let it happen. I promise. I know this is all very, very scary. But I swear to you-on my life, on her soul- I won't leave you."
With a flick of his nearly non-existent wrist, Kinger settled a newly conjured blanket around his shoulders.
"We'll see you soon."
Caine can only nod in agreement. If he said anything he would break down in tears, pull them away from the computer, conjure up whatever obstacles he could think of.
But he trusts them. Trusts his dad, his siblings.
They wouldn't abandon him.
The computer flickers to life.
One by one, the members of the circus disappear like they were a mirage, just something he had dreamed up to cope with his crushing loneliness.
Caine sat down in the center of the stage and waited.
-----
The first sensation is scent- a strange combination of a harshly sterile hospital and mildew ridden carpet. Every inch of his body feels stiff, every movement aching and numb.
It would be too easy to lay here, to wait til this pain subsided. But the sound of others groaning and mumbled cursing, of others waking up, drives him to sit up and remove the headset.
Kinger looks onto the real world for the first time in twenty years. He knows with some instinct that he's still in the CnA building, though he has no clue where they are. It's a large room, the kind that would have been occupied by rows of cubicles and filing cabinets. Instead, it was just neat rows of IV poles and gurneys. The soft hum buzz of machines filled the air
It takes longer than it should to realize he has an oxygen mask on,along with several IV lines taped to his arm. Arms, he hadn't had an actual arm in...twenty years? Oh god, legs too; not just a solid piece he hopped around on.
Kinger yelps as he rolls off of the gurney. It's locked in place, so it's easy enough to pull himself to standing despite how his legs feel like they're made of ooze.
The floor is laden with wires and cords, twisting everywhere- that's some nasty cable management right there, someone was going to trip and break something.
Now, Kinger was well aware about C&A being a real piece of work. He had been younger then, stupider. Just excited to start a project that could be revolutionary. He never saw the darker side of everything until he was in the circus. But even then, who would have done all of this? It was just like one of those old horror movies, the sci fi ones he used to watch late at night when he actually had the time. That's something he needs to remember, keep those ones away from Caine, he doesn't need to freak out-
Caine.
Kinger stumbles out from the makeshift infirmary, ignoring the other bodies and the steady and annoying hum of heart rate monitors all going off. He doesn't have time to glance over to the others waking up, figuring out which of their number was which.
There's no computer in this room, though the sound of dial up screeching comes from the next. He tries the set of doors, only to find them locked. Concern was growing to panic as he kept shoving at the door, slamming at it with his shoulders.
"Hey...you'll throw your back out like that. Lemme in" the voice is familiar though the form before him is not. Zooble, hands shaking, pulls a lock pick from their boot. Though faded, the bright teal of their hair is still the brightest thing in the room.
"I know this is all like. Top secret stuff. But honestly...what the hell is all of this, you guys did tech, right?" they mutter under their breath "there we go, come on-" before they can say anything else, Kinger is already walking as fast as he can past them.
Carnival music echoes in the empty hallways, a beacon for the old programmer.
At least, until it started to distort. First it just stopped for a moment before resuming. Then the instruments warp until the jaunty song sounded more like a horrific combination between dial up and that time the printer had jammed so badly it just started screaming.
"Dad?! DAD! DAD, SOMETHINGS WRONG! DAD, HURRY, PLEASE!”
Kinger stumbled against old walls and desks until he saw the technicolor glow coming from the monitor. The view was centered right where they had left, right where they had told Caine to wait. The AI was looking around in a panic as the circus glitched around him, even his blanket getting caught up in one.
"DAD! HELP ME! PLEASE, IT WONT STOP, I CAN'T STOP IT!"
"Hold on sweetheart, im comin!'" He feels like he swallowed glass, but there are more important things than that.
He falls over an ugly fake potted plant, taking the damn thing out with him. It would have simply been an annoyance any other time. But he cursed its existence as he stumbled back onto his feet.
The speakers from the computer screamed with static and noise.
Mixed with Caine's own screams
The screen turned blue, error messages rolling past at break neck speed.
Something flashed, and the screen went dead, the faint smell of smoke coming from a fried hard drive.
Kinger could only stare in numb horror. If he had just been a little bit faster. A little less clumsy.
He had just watched his baby boy die.
"No....." Kinger stared in shock at his own reflection, at the empty screen.
He was too late. He broke his promise.
"NO!" he slammed the keyboard against the desk, breaking it in half. yellowed key caps went flying. Despite how his muscles screamed, he took the stupid chair and threw it into the next cubicle; worn plastic and molded fabric crashing into the next desk
"FUCK! FUCK, FUCKING FUCK! WHY?! HE DIDN'T DESERVE THAT! WHY?! WHY DID YOU TAKE HIM FROM ME? HOW DARE YOU! COULDINT YOU JUST WORK FOR A FEW MORE FUCKING MINUTES YOU PIECE OF SHIT? WHY?!!"" The censor was gone, and he missed it, missed the whacky noises, missed the fact that it meant his baby was alive. Surely even the people down on the streets below could hear him, but he didn't give a shit.
Because why did it matter? No matter what he did it wasn't enough. No matter what, he couldn't save Caine.
His son had died watching every single promise they had made being broken.
Grant Kingsleigh choked on a sob, falling to his knees and resting his head against the desk.
"why......"