Rip 2/Red Blade Lily

BEGIN: ------- VII -------

Recollection initiated...

Video analysis commencing in..  5...4...3...2...1...

It is a warm day. I can see the sand particles through the open hatch, and the glass on the Suppression Chambe-

Recollection corrupted...

Introduction of foreign terminology. Encryption mode incompatible. Searching for compatible encryption modules.

...

Encryption module found. Installing... Installation complete. Decrypting... Decryption complete. Reading...

'Definition: Suppression Chamber.

Mechanical construct, consisting of a cylindrical metal frame, connected to an Aether supply via four channels, as well as equipped with a glass frontal panel for visibility. The Aether flows through a particular volume within the frame, a 200x40x40 cm cuboid in a specified pattern. Said pattern serves to stop automatons from engaging in activities that consume Aether beyond a specific threshold."

Recollection reinitiated...

The sandstorm outside is quite beautiful. I like the shapes it makes. They look like an ornate veil that some invisible hand moves across my view. Almost like it's dancing. I loved dancing, even if I was never particularly good at it.

The people outside the chamber are speaking once again. I do not know their names, and have labelled them as A, B and C based on their vocal patterns.

Recording...

Streaming audio...

C: I am telling you it's dangerous. We have to leave her.

A: And risk going back empty handed? Do you have any idea how dangerous this territory is? We can't just fly back where we came from.

B: Errm, excuse me, what's that about not being able to fly back? I thought this ship was a top-of-the-line transport.

C: She means back to Atharom. We can move between here, anywhere else in Keffar and even Acrima with ease, but making it over to where Atharom is would be extremely difficult.

A: By ship, that is. Although I think if you have a vessel fit for space travel you can leave the atmosphere, go around and then re-enter near Atharom.

C: That won't do. There's this large trail of Aether near the area Atharom is. You don't really get a feel for it when you're down there since it tends to mix up with the clouds. I think that place...Dormina, has a similar situation.

B: I've heard, yes. The Scar. It makes the clouds glow blue at times, and it's especially clear during the night. I suppose I can see how that'd be a problem. Concentrations of Aether that big would mess up with the ship.

A: Hmm... well then... that does leave us with only one option. Which is why we cannot leave that chamber behind. You have any idea how valuable it's contents are?

C: More valuable than our lives?

B: Seconded. It looks just like an automaton to me.

C: Now, in all fairness it's... not 'just' an automaton. Definitely alien tech. Not to mention she doesn't look  like a pure automaton, there's... More to her.

B: It, you mean.

A: Well... What I'm more concerned with is maintenance.

B: Maintenance?

A: Maintenance. Whatever they've put in her is rare, expensive and old. In other words, 'something will go haywire, I'll have no idea how to fix it and even if I did I would not have the tools to do so.'.

C: Still sounds like more trouble than it's worth to me.

B: Hmm... I suppose we do need to return with some profit, and while I'd much rather not rely on this plan, I don't see another option.

A: Thank you for your note of confidence.

C: Ugh... Anyway, you mentioned replacing things?

A: Indeed. I had to replace some of the technology. I hope my modifications will prove stable. I'll have to do a checkup soon and go through some routine procedures. Make preparations.

System pausing...

Disable sensory input channel? Y/N

Y.

PERMISSION DENIED.

...Again. The discrepancy between my situation and the system's basest commands. If the environment is deemed hostile, inhibiting pain, fear or distress means a limited ability to assess danger, which is undesirable. This is an alien planet, which the system always deems hostile.

What ensues is pain. The Aether flows even faster now....so fast that everything is tinted blue. Soon enough the blue becomes deeper, denser...I can no longer see the sand. A second later, I feel a sting at the back of my head, and then I hear the pod open up. The Suppression Chamber is lifted by a 40 degree angle. The left and right sides pull back a little. It allows them to work more easily.

I have already half of my arms to their crude attempts at dissecting the technology used to make me. It is far too incompatible with their perception of automation. They cannot make more of the alloy composing my skeleton, but they did mess up with my stabilizers, placed underneath my shoulder bones. Which is why they had to butcher most of my arm from the elbow to the shoulder, and fit it with all sorts of circuitry.

The reattachment feels uncomfortable. I want to itch all the time and yet I can't. My motor functions aren't activated yet. These people don't know how. It's like a nightmare you can't ever wake up from. Please, somebody...Any of those fools... If they could only figure out how to activate the rest of the functions, that way I could at least scream.

The skin on the part of my arms they worked with is artificial of course, as a small opening appears, where A starts working. C often fetches things for her, and  B just sits and watches. I've gathered that much from their conversations afterwards. This part is easy. It hurts my arm quite a bit but the pain is something I can't bear. It's that itching sensation from when the pain subsides that I can never get rid of.

The worst part has yet to begin however. Normally, my spine is already modified to include a number of interconnected processing units. These fools added a layer on top of my skin so they could better interface with it. It is uncomfortable, but pressed against the back of the suppression chamber, I do not really feel it. Of course, to make it a 'worthwhile investment' they have to probe for data.

A thin needle shoots up one of these small patches over my vertebrae, and then right into the processing unit within my spine. The pain shoots all over my body. First comes the headache, as many different alarms fire off, multiple warnings overlay my sight and even the sounds I hear are all that same, obnoxious siren.

Then it's the pain. Every bit of my body burns. It's like someone is injecting molten metal in the deepest parts of you. Below your fingernails, into your veins, underneath your eyelids... Every single place you cringe at the thought of it being violated burns fiercely. Not to think of every other part of you, even if my mind can only focus on the worst.

I hate A. I hate A. In this moment, every ounce of my being wishes I could move and strangle her. Why is she doing this? Can't she tell I am here?! I'm alive?! I'm not some piece of junk, I'm a person! A real person! She just wants to collect data whenever she can, breaching past the system protection to steal away pieces of me, bit by bit... It's like someone eating your soul with a spoon.

I hate this. No...no, I refuse to let this be it. Sys...tem... failu...re...

Shutti... dow...

...

...

...

Syncing requi...

Syncing... 0%

I am out o.. syn... Mus.. resto... syst...

Syncing 10%

Underg... restor...

Syncing 25%

Restorat... going we...

Syncing 45%

Continuing to attem... syncin... Difficulty with sens... input. System reading of enviro... likel... faulty. Heat signatur... abnorm...

Syncing 70%

Syncing completion at 70%. System was not faulty. There is fire everywhere. I no longer sense movement. Suppression Chamber compromised. Aether is flowing outwa... Makes the fir... even wors...

Syncing 100%.

Syncing completed. Everything is on fire. I am still confined within this chamber. I see a body further away, trapped under a part of the ship's upper cover that seems to have fallen off. There's sand everywhere. I can see some of the ship's controls burning up ahead.

Is this how I go too? Once the fire spreads and something explodes, most likely the Aether supply... That's where I burn to death, not able to move a finger or get one word out?

That is quite the disgusting death. I'll die the same death as these people...no... that would be fine. I'll die an even worse death. Unable to move, unable to defy my fate in the slightest. No. That can't be me. That can't be anyone.

I refuse to accept this... I...re...FUSE!!!

...

END: ~~~~~~~ VII ~~~~~~~


BEGIN: ------- A -------

It's no good. I won't make it. One of the side walls has fallen on top of my legs. Drat! They got us good. Just as the  sun was rising, we got ambushed. Five small drone-ships. Looked Dorminan. Came from below and blasted the ship open. Then one of them rammed right in, killed Vorlan as he was flying the ship. I'd rather I didn't have that image in my head... His bleeding, messed up corpse. Even thinking about it makes me vomit.

I sure hope something kills me before the flames spread though...that's a death way too fucking slow. Why did this happen? Why did it even HAVE to happen? I think I'd like it if there was some reason behind our deaths...

And that's when I see it. The half-smashed chamber opens up. I don't know how or why... Maybe some malfunction? Why should I even care right now...

Except of course in the event that the woman inside starts walking right back out. On her own two feet. Moving. How?! We tried everything and couldn't even get her to twitch a little, and now she's perfectly fine walking. What sort of cruel joke is this? Waving my defeat in front of my face...

Ah... She's approaching me. You know, I always thought she looked really pretty. Not for any particular reason, but it always made me wonder. Why do they make them pretty? You'd think that would be needed for the ones meant to see social interaction, not combat. That one... That one confused me. I could never understand why she existed, from my viewpoint as a mechanic.

And now, I suppose I never will. I wonder if she'll talk to me. Maybe she'll kill me. If she is that sort of automaton, there's no way I can justify my actions.

"...A..re...you alive?"-The voice brings me back to reality. It sounds almost childish. I looked up to her. Short hair, down to the neck. Locks, slicked to the left, while the rest of it simply fell on her. The wind was picking up, and with it, moved her hair. The tips were white, while near the top of her head it slowly turned to some greenish hue... mint? I think that's mint, yeah. Her eyes were too bright. I could see the same color as that hair in them, mint green. Too bright. I almost wanted to look away, but something kept me.

"I...I'm..."-I couldn't say much more, as my thoughts became a jumbled mess. I was about to say 'I'm fine', but I really wasn't. I tried to lift the thing holding my legs down on reflex. Too heavy.

But she did it, with ease even. She grabbed the plate with one hand...one of those perfectly delicate hands and just flung it aside. How absurd. How utterly absurd. Yet here I am looking at it. And she is looking back... I cannot tell what she's thinking. She must hate me.

And that's what we both want. "...Are you going to..."-cough... "...kill me now?"

She shakes her head, and grabs my arm. She pulls me out of the rubble and then lays me to the side, before bending on a knee to check my wounds. "Hmm...This is...this is bad."-she mutters. I knew that of course.

"Yeah...tell me about it. I won't make it. H...hngh..."-the pain returns, surely enough. "Hey...you... I have to ask, why are you so pretty?"

"...what?"-yeah just as I thought.

 "Sorry, that was a weird thing to ask."

"I suppose... well, I mean, I was born this way. Aren't we all?"

"Bo...rn? Aren't you an..."-a less weird question, but one definitely more awkward. Hah... good job brain...

She shakes her head. "No...that was your first mistake. I was very much alive all this time. The automaton wasn't...me. The things connected to me were all automata. Not the most advanced, processing-wise. They were just meant to keep me stable."

"I...I see. So everything I ended up doing..."-of course, the moment she left that chamber I knew. I was beginning to suspect that for a while now...that she wasn't just an automaton... or at least not like the others. I guess I had been right.

"It all hurt. Yes."-she says. Matter of fact. There's no sugar-coating it...I...should have stopped the moment I had my first doubt. Or even after I had my second or third...I should have...ah! Ah!

"A! Are you... steady...steady now... A, look at me!"

"What's...A?"

"...Sorry...just... I did not know your names in the first place, so I assigned letters. You're A... that one..."-she pointed at Vorlan. "C. I...he's dead, right?"

"His...name...Vorlan."

"Vorlan...I see...I'll remember that. Who..."

"Sarla. I...listen..."-cough. Cough. Cough... No...not yet! Not now...

"I'm...sorry. If I knew...you were a pers..."-cough.

"No...no...I knew you were..."-cough. cough.

"A...err...Sarla. Please, don't stress yourself."-I could feel her holding my hand. Why? This woman looks scared... I can see it in her eyes, she's terrified.

"I knew...near the end. I'm sorry... I caused you so much..."-cough...coug..h...

"Sarla, no! No! Please..."-she is trying to say something. I don't know why I'm smiling...I can't hear her, and this is definitely not a happy occasion. Her hands are very soft. So soft... warm... ah... maybe if...it ends like this.. It's not that bad. Quick... painless...

END: ~~~~~~~ A ~~~~~~~

BEGIN: ------- VII -------

"Sarla, no! No! Please... don't... stay with me, alright? Listen to my voice...come on..."-her breathing is slowing down. I can see it... it's slower, every second. I fear I am going to lose her. The breathing slows down even more...

And then it stops. Is she really dead? She could be alive... She has to...

Ah..no...no... Her heart's not moving. She is not breathing, which means I have little time. These people had no dream force to inject on my system so they went with the liquid equivalent found in this world. They call it Abyssal blood. It's rather dense, but also impure. Unpleasant to put in one's body. I...

Could do without a bit of it. I tried to find one of their syringes. Spilled the Abyssal blood in it...injected it in Sarla's bloodstream. Not enough to mess her up...hopefully enough to extend her life until help comes.

Why am I doing this..? Maybe because I finally got a chance to escape my pain... And maybe this woman deserves a chance too. Just a chance...nothing more, nothing less. Goodbye Sarla.

~ - ~ - ~ - ~

My journey continues. It is quite fun out here, in the sand. I have very faint memories of my home. I remember the rain. So much rain...all the time. I grew to dislike it. I remember the mud too. Mudland. That's what they called the area where we lived in. I remember the name... Mudland. I don't remember much else...

I must have had parents at some point, definitely. I just cannot recall much about them. I remember going to sleep... Our house wasn't very big, or at least I think it wasn't. It was somewhere high up...  I could see a lot more houses from there as well. Like a hill. I think I might have lived on a hill, but I can't be sure. There were plants too. Everywhere.

Sometimes it's sunny in my memories, and then I remember a lot of the plants. Big trees, a lot of grass...yes... But it also felt cold. The sound of wind, howling like mad...I remember it too. I didn't like the cold.

Which is why I like sand. It's warm, dry and you can easily get rid of it with some water. Mud tends to be stickier, and it weighs you down when you fall in it. I don't like the way it feels. It's probably one of my strongest memories of that distant past...

Of course, I took some time to slide down one of the dunes in my path. It was fun! It...helped get rid of the dread feeling from before, even if a little. I do not need much food, but I shouldn't waste time here, or else I'll run out of whatever energy supply I have left.

With that in mind, I kept making my way further into the desert. It would take hours...although with the sun and the sand for company, time becomes more bearable. At least I can run...

Or not, once I tried it. Turns out I tripped pretty quickly, given I haven't really moved around in quite a while. I had to take it slow for a while. But that's good... It helps me stretch out, and the pain and discomfort slowly dies while I regain control. This is fine...

Even though alone, in the midst of nowhere... This is still fine. The wind begun to pick up too, blowing sand away. I can see how people would find that uncomfortable, but given the unique nature of my being, I can only find it refreshing. Soon, a sandstorm proper would begin. While rather difficult to displace, I'd still be hampered by it, so I hurried on ahead.

The dunes behind me, I headed towards the horizon. The direction the ship had taken was rather unreliable, given that C... or...how was it...Vorlan? Yes... that one. The ship must have taken some turns while under attack, so I know neither which way they were coming, nor where they were going.

I simply turned my back to the sun and went on, walking west. After...I do not even know how long, my luck finally turned and I saw it. A town. In the distance standing tall... It was...ah...

That was when I tripped yet again and rolled down the sand, all the way towards the entrance of the town. A rather unfortunate incident. I need to learn to be less clumsy! Once I got back in my feet and dusted myself off, I made for the town. It was not what I expected.

Particularly, this gathering of clearly-up-to-no-good folks waiting at the city gates. A few of them had pieces of armor over their body, not aligned to protect any vitals, more likely kept as trophies. They had a lot of hair in most cases, and wore googles as well. Likely to keep the sand off. Many kept scarves over their faces.

Their leader was definitely not human too, far too tall and far too bulky, easily at 3 meters tall. He had one large, shiny horn that seemed to be made of glass, poking out from his forehead. Long hair and an even longer beard, with a layer of bone around the left eye, extending some to the cheek and forehead.

Steam came off his body, as he let out a loud roar and banged his chest. He took  off the traveling cloak, revealing a fairly scarred body underneath. Battle-hardened.... but still up to no good. Someone who's been hurt this much really shouldn't seek out more scars. But what do I know.

"Hey! Hello? Can I pass?"

These odd people turn to face me. They shout in a strange language and seem to be quite angry. This is going to be a chore. The big creature moves forward and gives me his hand. Perhaps a peace offering? Of course I to...AAAAAHHH!

Of course, it was not what I assumed. It grabbed my arm and yanked me off my spot, all the way through the town entrance. My body is slammed against one of the poles, holding up the entrance marker, slightly bending it. Then I fell, face flat against the ground. Ouch.

The strangers simply advance towards the city, as I stood up on my elbows. About three or so of them begin to circle. They shouldn't get much closer... although I cannot exactly warn them. I begun to put up my Crest. The fools... they reached for me, but now they will suffer a grim fate.

Crimson sparks fly off the ground, as it quivers a little. I stood up on one knee, and the sparks grew more intense. Small glowing bits begun to form too, before a bright red pillar emerged from the ground. The trio is caught up in it, and their bodies are impaled by the Crest which has now fully manifested. A small red circle, from which seven 'petals' proceed, also red. They widen for a bit, before starting to come to a point, for about two thirds of their length. In between the seven more spring forth, longer than the first... and then from between those, even more. The three layers of petals spin around pull back, leaving the injured bodies hit the ground.

Now the attention of the whole group is on me. This is where the ones I downed begin to cough and convulse. Their bodies shake as injuries appear, glowing red. Petals, sharp like blades, glowing with the color of blood shoot out of their bodies. The petals expand outward and multiply in great number. I bid them to stop, and the three look up, terrified. One of them has a petal emerging from beneath his lower jaw. Another, has one straight out of the throat and a third has his emerge straight out of his mouth.

I held out a hand, as small red strings form, emerging from where their hearts should be. "...Will you abandon this town?'-I turn to ask them. I made sure to gesture to the town with my head, and then back outside, into the desert. This group seemed to have these large 'boards' stashed in the back, with a single sail installed and an engine of sorts at the back. Rather primitive, but I suppose it allows them to travel and raid at their leisure.

One of them stood up to attack me. Fool...

I gripped the thread, and yanked away at it, as even more of the petals grow out. His body is soon torn to pieces, as only a small orb remains where his heard used to be. I reached for it with my hand, gripping it tightly before pulling away, as a sword unveiled itself. Curved, with a serration near the middle. Not the most practical, nor really special, but good for making messy injuries. Most of them were already terrified...

Until the big one came up front and center. I held the sword with both hands, ready to defend myself but that proved to be futile. With a swing of his hand he had it flung aside and stabbed in the sand, too far off my reach. Then he readies to strike me. I put a hand up, softening the impact enough that it didn't fling me far away, although I still found myself with my legs digging into the sand almost all the way up to my knees.

The big one seems confused. He must have assumed my physical strength matched my looks. Mistake number one. I dug myself out with a big of effort, as the wind was picking up even here. Perfect.  That was his second mistake. As he prepares to attack, the small glowing bits for before blow his way. He likely inhaled one or two of them already. As he raises his fist, he must already be feeling it. The churning in his stomach.

The sting of pain near his tear ducts. The smell of blood in his nostrils. The first petal escapes from below his left ribs. The next one, off the right shoulder. One more from the back, a few from the stomach, three from atop the head, one right out of his face... soon he is covered in petals and forced to his knees. A macabre sight. I moved a hand to his face, caressing it for a moment, just so that he would be distracted...

While I pulled out another sword, from the glowing opening near his chest. This one looked far more impressive. Curved as well, seemingly made of rock. A flat top, yet a blade of razor sharp grey rock, not to mention how large it was. I had no problem wielding it with both hands, as the petals broke into pieces and fell down, fading away into small bits of light. This one was a strong being... most likely an ageless monster or something of the sort. Yes... he would live to tell the tale.

Before his followers got any bright ideas, I swung the sword at their direction. Sand blew upwards, as spikes of rock, rising from the ground and pointing in the direction of the crowd rose, a menacing crown of stony spikes that staved off entry into the city. One of them impaled the tall one on the shoulder, albeit this seemed to help him regain his senses. Back on his feet, he stood ready to...

Turn back and go, it seems. He simply shrugged and turned around, barking orders at the group. They all turn around and get their little transports...before making off. I hadn't noticed, but people had left their homes and were watching. I turned around to greet them... before finding  myself down on one knee.

Then the other. Oh dear...did I overdo it? Maybe I had less in my storage than I originally presumed? That expenditure of dream force... maybe...ah...this is the price of my action...s...

My head hits the sand beneath me. Shortly after...

Cognitive functions...halted...

System... halted...

...

END: ~~~~~~~ VII ~~~~~~~

BEGIN: ------- A -------

"...Where.. where am I?"

I thought I was dead. Clearly, this is not the afterlife. It looks too... earthly. There is a battle raging on out there, against what seem to be raiders from the Atoll. The troops closer to my side seem to be dressed in black body armor, and have somewhat more advanced armaments. Guns. They fired away at the assailants, disabling quite a few of them... before the group could even get close to attacking, really.

Only their leader, this really large figure stands atop. An Incarnate, no doubt. They fired at him too, and he seemed to be given pause. I could see multiple injuries all over his body, thin like he was stabbed with a blade of some sort. Soon enough he learns his lesson and turns back.

"Ah. You are awake.'-someone brings me back to reality. A man, sitting across from me. "We found your body near a wreckage site, far in the desert."

Old guy. Uniform. Looks nice. Reminds me of my grandpa, almost. "I... Yeah... we got hit. Unexpected ambush. Probably those rebels from the Wind Pillars."

"Most likely. Rather unlikely how you managed to survive. That crash looked quite severe, and your legs were damaged...by a falling piece of the ship. That somehow happened not to be on top of you, when we found your body. Apart from that, we...scanned you and found a rather curious compound in your blood.

Abyssal blood. Mind...telling me how you got it in you?"

Of course. The Keffar-Atharom Defense Force. They go around the desert in these trains of theirs, disrupting raids, checking in with the locals. This must mean I am near Keffar-Atharom then... That is not unfortunate. What is problematic is giving answers. And...

"...I do not know. I felt a sting at some point, someone must have injected me with it. I do not know much else, I passed out."-I said, looking out the window.

"And... that suppression chamber in the wreckage? How do you explain that?"

"Automaton...had very nice make. We intended to sell it off when we made it to a nearby market. Didn't want to tamper with it's core, so we kept it suppressed instead. Expected a lot of money out of it."

"An automaton? Nothing...more?"-the man's voice...it really reminds me of my grandpa. Whenever I'd take an extra serving of grandma's desert, he'd ask if I took it...I'd lie, and then he would ask again, if that was all...

It always got to me.

But grandpa always said, it only got to me because I knew what I did was wrong. This wasn't such a case. "Yeah. Just an automaton. As I said. Good make. Good money."

The old man frowns, and his bushy, white mustache almost seems to eat his upper lip. "I see. Well, you can remain on the passenger wagon. We offer free travel until-"

"Until the nearest station. I am aware."-I smiled faintly. 'I've done this before, it's alright."

"I...see. I hope, in better circumstances than these ones..."-the old man said. "Also, I almost forgot. What happens to be your name miss...?"

Ah...my name. Hmm...I wouldn't want to give them too much. The old fellow will most certainly investigate. He has to know I'll catch up on this though, so...why?

I can see a little glimmer in his eyes. The man's lips curl... he is smiling.

"...A. My name is A."

"A? Just that? How peculiar..."

"Not the weirdest name in this desert."-I was honestly not sure what the weirdest name in this desert is. I've known people named 'Cccc', 'Get Away' and 'Militant Agnostic Echinoderm' although his friends called him 'Violent Confused Hedgehog'.

The man accepts this too. He nods. "I'll let you be for a bit. Once you feel alright you can go to the passenger wagon of course. The nurses will check in periodically."-and with that he picked his hat up, made for the door and left.

Whew... I got off that one easy. The old man didn't seem to want too much... or maybe he figured out I didn't know a lot about it? Worst option is that they are already tracking her down... A loose automaton in the desert..no way they'd just take me at my word. Ugh! Now I'm getting worried...

Strange girl... where are you? I hope you can stay out of trouble until I find you...

END: ~~~~~~~ A ~~~~~~~

BEGIN: ------- VII -------

Unfamiliar voices wake me from my sleep. I opened my eyes and looked around, to see the place full of people. Small children, women, men...an old lady in the corner, and a man by my side. Dressed in a mix of some sort of silk robe and a cut-off lab-coat, a mane of messy hair, tied up behind his head in what looks to be a large ball. A sword at the side, as he managed a strange machine. Some of it is hooked up to me...

A liquid, dripping bit by bit. Dream Force...or, well, Abyssal Blood in this case. "I..."

"Rest."-the man says, and I can understand him. At least someone who can understand me. "We found you when you collapsed... after you saved us from the raiders. I hooked you up to some Aether, since your reserves seemed low. But then you just fizzled... I was afraid we lost you.

Then I noticed the dried up Abyssal Blood... I had a small amount of it with me. It won't last long. You'll need to either modify your power source to accommodate for Aether, or find a supply of Abyssal Blood at some point. If you do not stress yourself too much, you should be able to go on for a month with what I gave you."-he explains.

"Thank...you...I..."

"I do not know where you came from. And after you saved us, I do not care if you want to keep it to yourself. What else do you need?"-the man looks at me, asking.

I...honestly did not know what to say... These people thought I was saving them and... "I...didn't know what was happening, I just fought them since they..."

"I remember you calling out to them first. You could have sneaked past them. You saved us. Even if you did not mean to. What's your name?"

My...name.. "ACW Model-VII."-I blurted out.

"...Hmm... yeah I figured. You're not from around here, right?"

'No...sorry. I'm..."

"An automaton?"

"No, no... but I get the confusion."-I smiled.

"Well, if you aren't an automaton you could use another name. Unless you like that one. I won't judge. Sounds nice, really."

Ah...another name. I remember other people had names. The other  ACWS, I only spoke to them very briefly, in my mind...deep, deep in what were like 'dreams' for me.

But I do not recall much of it. I recall being closer to ACW Model-VIII. She had a name. So did I, IV, III... then...I must have had a name too, but I can't remember it. I wasn't always like this... back when I lived in Mudland, I had a name, most assuredly. How did I not even think of my name so far?

"You there?"-ah! I spent too much time, lost in thoughts. But I need an answer for this guy. A name, a name... the first thing  I remember  is the look of my Crest...from before I fell down...

...Yes!

"Lily."-I replied. Lilies were nice. My Crest was supposed to invoke their imagery. A crimson lily of blades.

"See...that one works. Anyway...if you have time, and if you want, the other people in here...uh... they'd like to meet you. I'll try to translate what they're saying... Basically, we all see you as a hero. This village is frequently plagued by wild animals attacking, or the occasional raider. I and a few others can usually fight them off, but when that group walked in we thought we were doomed for sure."-the doctor...who apparently is also part of the town guard clarified things for me.

"I'd love to."-I said, smiling faintly in turn. "Just...give me a few minutes."

"As you want. Do you want some time on your own...?"

"No...no need...I just... I think I lost a friend, recently..."

"Oh?"

"Yeah...I..."

"Don't want to talk about it?"

"No, no, it's fine. We were on a vessel together. It crashed somewhere nearby... I don't think she made it."-Was Sarla really a friend? She tormented me, then... No...I can't think that way. She's dead... I don't know if or when anyone else will get to learn the news. 'B' was not in the ruins, so maybe she'll remember her... But it wouldn't hurt if one more person thought of her as a friend.

It's... the least I could do I guess...despite of what she did, she recognized me as a person near the end. Maybe if we had more time we could have been friends...

"Hmm... Give me a moment..."-the doctor leaves, and says something to a man waiting outside the tent. Then he returns. I am ready now...

"Alright! Bring my 'fans' in."-I said, laughing a bit by myself. The doctor nods, as they come in...

The first was a little girl. She whispered something in the doctor's ear, and I heard him say 'Lily'...I assume she asked for my name. I waved a little at her. She seemed to giggle a little... Not the reaction I expected. I do not remember many sounds from my past... especially not laughter. How odd...

What I did could be considered pretty terrifying yet this child isn't afraid. Are the people here so accustomed to death...?

~ - ~ - ~ - ~

'She asks where you came from...? Who are your ancestors?"-the doctor conveyed the old lady's words. "She has traveled all across the desert, yet never seen one like you."

"...Huh...well... I...came from a place called Magbor. It means...'Mudland'. I don't remember much of my past... I think my parents lived atop a hill. I am sorry, memories of my past...very muddy..."-and then I realized what I had just said. The doctor chuckled.

He went on to explain this to the old lady, who merely nodded, and took out some sort of book. She wrote a few words down, looked  up to me and made a motion with her head. "You told her of new lands... She'll want to visit them someday."-the doctor explained.

"Now...we have..."-but he didn't get to say much more, as someone entered. That man from before. He said something to the doctor, beckoning him to come outside. The doctor seemed to refuse, and the man begun to speak. The doctor kept nodding, before turning to me.

"They have found the wreckage. Big ship. With...metal coffin...Five small drones around it... One dead body. Male."

"...You mean two..."

"No."-wait...what?

"Just one. A man. There were trails though, mostly covered, but we spotted a few."

"I...I see."-oh dear...she survived? Sarla's alive...

"...You must go?"-The doctor asks. "Then at least wait a little. Caravans pass by tomorrow. You can have dinner here, and rest at peace. As we said, you are our hero."

"I... Thank you."-He was an understanding man. That made me glad. "...What's the name of this place? I'd like to return to it someday..."

"Galamine. The village, and the region surrounding it are named Galamine. You can at least find the nearby canyon on most maps. The town isn't hard to find them, just follow the canyon towards the north...and you should see it."

'I see...thank you then. I'll definitely be back once I've..."-Once I've sorted out my other business. But I do not know how long that'll take.

"Aye. We'll have a feast on your return. The people here will surely want to hear of your adventures."

I smiled a bit. Yes...this was... Hope. Finally some of that.

"If it's okay..."

"You need to rest, yes...I'll clear the tent."-he said, and went to have the people leave. "Good night."

And with that, I closed my eyes... Sarla... I'll definitely find her... and...

...

END: ~~~~~~~ VII ~~~~~~~