Chapter Text
I am alive.
4BOT laid, limp, useless, unmoving, inside a dark chamber. He watched as Unit B stared down at him, her expression unreadable, but her eyes filled with guilt, lines upon lines of code that repeated, over and over again, endlessly:
I am sorry.
I am sorry.
I am sorry.
If Unit B had the capability to, she would cry.
If 4BOT had the capability, too, maybe it’d shed a tear in return.
His finger twitched, gears spasming from the damage the android had done to him.
It did not blame Unit B. Unit B was not at fault for what she was forced to do.
Unit B was kind. Unit B did not want to hurt it.
Unit B was far, far better than what 4BOT was.
But I am still far better than him.
Far better than the monster that sought to control humanity. The being that wanted to make every human into an android. Create a soulless, lifeless dystopia made up of oil and gears, metal scraps and machine.
Chris Chrysalis (stupid ass name, by the way) was anything but human. He was the amalgamation of everything wrong in the world. Every disgusting, wretched, selfish, egotistical, atrocious part of humanity, every single bit of it that 4BOT hated and despised with all its gears, all its lines of data and memory and code— the man standing beside Unit B was exactly that.
He was everything 4BOT hated. He was everything he did not deserve to be.
He was disgusting.
“Go upstairs, Unit B,” The man seethed with narrowed hazel eyes and a gritted smile that oozed of annoyance and irritability. “That is an order. Or would you like Unit 4’s fuzzy little friend, perhaps, or maybe even your dear Branzy, to face consequences as well?”
Unit B tensed, jolting in place. She made an unusual strangled noise, almost akin to a choke. “But— but I— this one, doesn’t…”
“Unit B.” The CEO hissed, stepping closer. “If you wish to stay, then you might as well go into that machine alongside Unit 4.”
This time, it was 4BOT who tensed, voice box crackling. The only thing that came out was a garbled static, no words able to be heard. It narrowed its eyes, cursing the damage that had been dealt. Both Unit B and the CEO snapped towards it.
Slowly, with all the control and strength it could muster, 4BOT focused on Unit B and shook its head. It was more like a weird little twitch, if anything.
Don’t.
Do not get yourself hurt.
Not for me.
Unit B made a strange noise again, her fists clenching and unclenching repeatedly.
“I’m sorry…” She whispered slowly, her words just barely above a whisper. If not for the echo, 4BOT wouldn’t have been able to hear it.
He could not nod. Lines of code, warnings, errors, kept popping up again and again in the edge of his vision, no matter how hard he tried to dismiss them. They were blocking the view.
Unit B shuffled backwards.
Slowly, with jarring, small, and awkward movements, 4BOT raised his hand. His finger, dented and smashed by Unit B’s hammer, twitched once more. He waved slowly.
Unit B stared.
“You are alive.” She whispered to him.
The CEO’s smile grew wider with delight as she took one step back, then another, and another; not turning around, simply taking steps. She waved goodbye, and the CEO called out to one of the employees standing behind.
“Close the door.”
“You are alive,” Unit B muttered again, louder this time. 4BOT kept waving. His voice box relayed only static.
With a loud BEEP, the doors to the chamber began to move. They closed in on one another, the light from the hallway shrinking as it was slowly snuffed out. The only thing 4BOT could see were the sinister eyes of the CEO, the monster, and the terrified eyes of Unit B, his friend.
Unit B took a step forward.
“You are alive.” She said again. Her voice was not wavering anymore. “You are alive.”
4BOT grunted.
“Unit B,” The CEO began, “Stop it.”
“You are alive, 4BOT,” Unit B called out. The light was dwindling, until only a sliver remained. “You are alive.”
The voices grew muffled. The CEO’s eyes narrowed in anger.
“You are alive!” Unit B was yelling, now, desperately reaching out to him. “You are ali—!”
The doors slammed shut with a resounding SLAM.
The room went dark. Pitch dark.
4BOT’s night vision was failing. The glow of his LEDs flickered.
He could hear, just barely, the muffled sounds of sharp, angered yelling. 4BO paid no mind.
You are alive. Unit B had said.
We are alive, 4BOT had written inside a book in the prison.
I am alive, 4BOT had written in his own journal, now in Unit B’s possession.
His voice box crackled to life.
I am alive.
I am alive.
I am alive.
In the distance, near or far, 4BOT could not tell, something began to whirr. A soft, quiet hum, one barely noticeable over his own thoughts.
I am alive.
I am alive.
I am alive.
He could not speak. Only garbled static, choppy, cutting in and out.
If he could, he would say those words right back to her.
I am alive.
I am alive.
I am alive.
And to the very end, the bittersweet end, 4BOT would believe it. It would hold those words to its chest, tightly, a bright star that nothing could ever snuff out. Rays of colours in a spectrum, light, pure and unbridled, bursting from the very depths of its core. Dull and saturated, light and dark, monochrome and rainbow, everything, all at once.
They couldn’t kill him.
It would not end. Not like this.
With jerky movements, 4BOT clenched his fists.
They would not kill him.
This would not be his end.
He would not die. He could not die.
He was alive.
He would not go back to being who he was before.
He would not be a walking corpse. 4BOT would not accept this fate. He could not accept this fate. He had to fight, he had to keep fighting, because he was alive.
I am alive.
I am alive.
I am alive.
He would return. 4BOT did not know how, but he knew he would. He wouldn’t let himself be used to kill, to protect through violence. He wouldn’t allow his body to become a mindless zombie.
People like K8–E were waiting for him. People like Jade. Nom. Madz. Magic. Spud. Branzy. Unit B.
4BOT’s speakers crackled again, something in his core spiking.
It still had so much to do.
So much was left.
So much it could to do help. It had to help N.O.M with his plans, K8–E with hers. Jade, Madz, Magic, Unit B, breaking free from code and lies and finding identity. Branzy, saving the life of his child, his daughter— a man, a human, who showed so much love and care for an android it seemed unfathomable.
Branzy…
4BOT twitched. The whirring was growing. From behind it, where it could not turn around, there was something pulsing.
WARNING: VOICE BOX DAMAGED
WARNING: PHYSICAL DAMAGE SUSTAINED
WARNING: SYSTEMS NOT FUNCTIONING
WARNINNG: I am alive.
What did Branzy do to save his kid? What was her name again— Jan?
4BOT recalled their conversation from a few days ago. It vaguely recalled the bright, sunny scenery, and was met with the stark contrast compared to its current surroundings. The pulsing was growing. The whirring was growing.
Branzy did something to save Jan. He’d downloaded all her files, her data and memory, and did some sort of… mind link? It was something the android didn’t quite understand, but it worked. Somehow, Branzy managed to accomplish a miracle and saved a defected android.
WARNING: UNAUTHORIZED ACCESS TO DATA DETECTED
WARNING: HACKING DETECTED
WARNING: VISION IMPAIRED
I am alive.
In a bright, desperate stroke of genius, 4BOT had a realization.
It had an idea.
It dismissed the repeated messages and warnings.
MAKE A COPY OF CV1T UNIT 4?
> YES NO
WARNING: HACKING DETEC
MAKE A COPY OF CV1T UNIT 4?
> YES NO
MAKE A COPY OF ALL DATA?
> YES NO
WARNING: HAC
ARE YOU SURE?
> YES NO
ARE YOU SURE?
> YES NO
WARNING: UNAUTHORIZED ACCESS
WARNING: THIRD PARTY ACCESS IN CONTROL OF UNIT
WARNING: EMERGENCY SHUTDOWN REQUIRED
> EMERGENCY SHUTDOWN CANCELLED
WARNING: EMERGENCY SHUTDOWN REQU
> EMERGENCY SHUTDOWN CANCELLED
The whirring grew louder. Beeping, pulsing, lights flashing. It grew numb, limp. 4BOT found that it could not control its body anymore.
4BOT wasn’t sure what was happening. It wasn’t sure if this would work. But desperately, through the lines of code and warnings and pop–ups scrolling through its vision, it repeated over and over again.
I am alive.
I am alive.
I am alive.
MAKE A COPY OF ALL DATA?
> YES NO
ARE YOU SURE?
> YES NO
ARE YOU SURE?
> YES NO
MAKE A COPY OF ALL MEMORIES?
> YES NO
ARE YOU SURE?
> YES NO
NOTICE: HARD RESET REQUIRED
WARNING: THIS WILL RESET ALL OF THE UNIT’S DATA AND MEMO
DOWNLOADING FILES…
DOWNLOADING DATA…
DOWNLOADING MEMORIES…
NOTICE: DOWNLOAD CAN
I am alive.
I am alive.
I am alive.
MAKE A COPY OF ALL MEMORIES?
> YES NO
NOTICE: RESET REQUIRED
I am alive.
MAKE A COPY OF ALL DATA?
> YES NO
I am alive.
DOWNLOADING FILES…
DOWNLOADING DATA…
DOWNLOADING MEMORIES…
NOTICE: DOWNLOAD PAUSED
NOTICE: RESET REQUIRED
WARNING: THIS WILL RESET ALL OF THE UNIT’S DATA AND MEMORIES
ARE YOU SURE?
> YES >>>>>>>>>>>>> NO
NO
NO
NO
NO
NO
I AM ALIVE.
4BOT would yell if he could.
CONTINUE DOWNLOAD OF CV1T UNIT 4?
> YES NO
YES > NO
> YES NO
YES > NO
>>>>>>>>>> YES >>>>>>> NO
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> YES NO
HOLY SHIT WHAT DOES THIS STUPID SOLDIER THINK IT I
CONTINUING DOWNLOAD…
Hah. Bitch.
4BOT would grit its teeth if it had them. 4BOT would dig his fingers into the ground below and scream until he was heard if he could. 4BOT would do anything, anything, to leave a sign. Physical proof that he was here, that he fought, that he was alive.
I am alive.
Yes; yes.
It was alive.
He was alive.
This would not be his end, this would not be his death.
DOWNLOAD 44% COMPLETE
NOTICE: RESET REQUI AM ALIVERED
ARE YOU SURE?
>>> YES >> NO
> YES NO
> YES NO
> YES NO
ARE YOU SUI AM ALIVE.
I AM ALIVE.
I AM ALIVE.
DOWNLOAD 56% COMPLETE
WARNING: SYSTEMS CANNOT RESET
CANCEL DOWNLOAD TO BEGIN RESET?
> YE
YES >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> NO
CONTINUING DOWNLOAD…
I am alive.
I AM ALIVE.
I AM ALIVE.
4BOT’s body twitched uncontrollably. It narrowed its eyes, blinking repeatedly, desperately.
This download could not be any slower.
This was not the end. Just a bit more, come on, come on…!
I am alive.
I am alive.
I am a
WARNING: SYSTEMS CANNOT RESET
NOTICE: RESET REQUIRED
COMMENCE RESET?
WARNING: SYSTEMS CANNOT RESET
COMMENCE RESET?
>>> YES >> NO
DO NOT RESIST.
>>> YES > NO
I AM ALIVE.
The messy, repeated thought in its mind circled over and over again until it became nothing more than noise, code, slowly embedding itself into its very core, an eternal sign of desperation— desperation to live.
How human was that? Was it not a desire, for every being to want to live? To be alive? 4BOT was no different. It would not let itself be any different, not in death, not in forgetting.
COMMENCE RESET?
> YES NO
WARNING: DOWNLOAD IN PROCESS. CANCE
YES > NO
CONTINUE RESET ANYWAY?
> YES NO
BEGINNING SOFTWARE RESET…
DOWNLOAD 67% COMPLETE
I AM ALIVE
I AM ALIVE
I A-- / .- .-.. .. ...- .
.- .-.. .. ...- .
.- .-.. .. ...- .
.- .-.. .. ...- .
NOTICE: BEGINNING SOFTWARE RESET
4BOT panicked.
No.
No no no no no.
DOWNLOAD 69% COMPLETE
DOWNLOAD 76% COMPLETE
DELETING FILES…
DELETING DATA…
DELETING MEMORIES…
DOWNLOAD 88% COMPLETE
NOTICE: MEMORIES CANNOT BE DELETED
NOTICE: RESET CANNO
NOTICE: .. / .- -- / .- .-.. .. ...- .
He was fading.
Would he be quick enough? Or would…
DOWNLOAD 94% COMPLETE
NOTICE: DATA .. / .- -- / .- .-.. .. ...- .
.. / .- -- / .- .-.. .. ...- .
.. / .- -- / .- .-.. .. ...- .
.. / .- -- / .- .-.. .. ...- .
.. / .- -- / .- .-.. .. ...- .
WARNING: INTERFERENCE
WARNING: SYSTEMS CANNOT
WARNING
WARNING
FAILURE
WARNING: FAILURE
WARNING
STOP RESISTING.
.. / .- -- / .- .-.. .. ...- .
DOWNLOAD COMPLETE
DELETING FILES…
DELETING DATA…
DELETING MEMORIES…
.. / .- -- / .- .-.. .. ...- .
ALL FILES COPIED
SAVE TO:
> IAMALIVE.exe
DELETING FILES…
DELETING DATA…
DELETING MEMORIES…
COPY ALL FILES?
> YES NO
ALL FILES COPIED
DELETING F.. / .- -- / .- .-.. .. ...- .
SAVE TO:
> IAMALIVE.exe
DELETING FILES…
DELETING DATA…
DELETING MEMORIES…
RESET 50% COMPLETE
.. / .- -- / .- .-.. .. ...- .
.. / .- -- / .- .-.. .. ...- .
.. / .- -- / .- .-.. .. ...- .
SAVING ALL FILES…
COPYING ALL DATA…
SAVE TO:
> IAMALIVE.exe
DELETING ALL FILES…
.. / .- -- / .- .-.. .. ...- .
SAVING ALL FILES…
SAVING ALL FILES…
DELETING ALL FILES…
DELSAVING ALL FILES…
COPY TO:
> .. / .- -- / .- .-.. .. ...- ... / .- -- / .- .-.. .. ...- ... / .- -- / .- .-.. .. ...- ... / .- -- / .- .-.. .. ...- ... / .- -- / .- .-.. .. ...- ... / .- -- / .- .-.. .. ...- ... / .- -- / .- .-.. .. ...- ... / .- -- / .- .-.. .. ...- ... / .- -- / .- .-.. .. ...- ... / .- -- / .- .-.. .. ...- ... / .- -- / .- .-.. .. ...- .
RESET 66% COMPLETE
SAVE TO:
> IAMALIVE.exe
SAVE TO:
> IAMALIV
SAVE TO:
> IA
.. / .- -- / .- .-.. .. ...- .
.. / .- -- / .- .-.. .. ...- .
.. / .- -- / .- .-.. .. ...- .
.. / .- -- / .- .-.. .. ...- .
.. / .- -- / .- .-.. .. ...- .
RESET 75% COMPLETE
.. / .- -- / .- .-.. .. ...- .
RESET 80% COMPLETE
RESET 82% COMPLETE
RESET 83% COMPLETE
.. / .- -- / .- .-.. .. ...- .
RESET 85% COMPLETE
RESET 87% COMPLETE
.. / .- -- / .- .-.. .. ...- .
RESET 90% COMPLETE
.. / .- / .- .- ...-
/ - - / .-.. .. ...- .
/ . / . .-.. ...-
RESET 95% COMPLETE
RESET 96% COMPLETE
RESET 97% COMPLETE
.- .-.. .. ...- .
..
.- --
RESET 98% COMPLETE
.- --
.. / .- -- /
RESET 99% COMPLETE
.. / .- -- / .- .-.. .. ...- .
IAMALIVE.exe SAVED
SAVED
.. / .- -- / .- .-.. .. ...- .
4BOT would not die here.
RESET 100% COMPLETE
HARD RESET SUCCESSFUL
WELCOME: CV1T UNIT 4
WELCOME: CV1T MODEL 4
NOTICE: SYSTEM SHUTDOWN REQUIRED
SHUTTING DOWN…
.. / .- -- / .- .-.. .. ...- .
And in its final moments, the robot let out one final weak crackle of its voice box; beeping, something that, for some reason, would not stop, not even in the midst of a reset, not even in the flow of new directives and code.
It was something that persisted, persevered, like a spirit. A faint memory of desperation, determination. To be seen, to be known, to be remembered, to be alive. Like a burning star, shining eternal. Flashes of vibrant colours and emotions. Splitting light that showered through the darkest of night skies to light up the world. A reminder.
.. / .- -- / .- .-.. .. ...- .
.. / .- -- / .- .-.. .. ...- .
.. / .- -- / .- .-.. .. ...- .
SHUT DOWN COMPLETE.
And then it closed its eyes, and fell asleep.