Baseline [ 3 ] A - 1 ]

--Baseline [ 3 ] [ Rewrite ] [ A - 1 ] - Loss is not the end. --

	[ You are unwell, that I am able to see for sure. ]
	You sat there, remaining quiet as you cradled your head in your hands. Something was gone, some integral piece of you missing, and the hollow space within your being felt cold. Frayed edges crashed against your nerves, the two sides of your senses tearing each other apart, all the while you let out a slight cry of pain.
	[ I can call nine-one-one if you are sick. ]
	The next time you opened your eyes, they were overwhelmed with the sheer amount of stimuli, and you sat there unable to comprehend what you were seeing.
	A series of lines twined around one another, spiraling upwards from the cell phone sitting on the nightstand. They were some indescribable color that you had never seen before, as if it simply didn't belong here, which only added to the otherworldly qualities they possessed as they hung in the air.
	[ Please tell me if you need assistance. I can help you. ]
	With every word emitted from the speakers of the phone, you saw ripples go through the threads and fade away. What the hell was going on? This correlated with the dragon leaving, there was no doubt of that, but what the fuck was all of this? What did they mean by the things they said before they left? One thing stuck out in your mind, when they said that you could reach them on your own.
	Maybe... there was some way to do just that.
	"I'm... I'm fine, Mal0," you finally said to the phone. Your mouth was dry, likely due to the fact that most of the water contained in your body was soaking the sheets and blankets of your bed in the form of sweat and tears. "I'm going to get some water."
	[ Can... can you take me with you? ] it asked. Was that fear in its voice?
	"Uh, sure," you replied, picking the phone up and setting it in the pocket of your shirt. The oddity of this situation was not lost on you, carrying some odd entity in your pocket while going for a drink of water because you were having a nervous breakdown due to the disappearance of a lifelong friend. Who also only lived in your dreams. Which were also weird as shit.
	Something sounding like 'ehehehehehhehheheh' slipped past your lips. You just had no idea how to deal with this amount of stress, or why you were even this concerned in the first place. At least there was a simple goal in your mind as you shambled to the kitchen to get a cup and fill it with water from the tap.
	At least you managed that before allowing the glass to slip from your hand and crash into the floor with a shattering impact.
	"Well... shit," you said, stepping around the fragments and reaching into the cabinet to pull out another cup. This one was plastic, so there was no danger from you dropping it, save for a few fractions of a second spent picking it up and cleaning it.
	[ Are you not going to clean that up? ] your phone asked.
	"Not at the moment," you say in reply before turning the faucet on again. Now with a full container of water, you empty the container of water with a few quick gulps. Already, you start to feel better. You would take care of the glass in the morning. Doing something like cleaning that up in your current state wasn't the best idea.
	You set the cup in the sink and made your way around the puddle, being careful to avoid tearing your foot open on one specific shard of glass that sat along the edge there. Yeah, not going to do that right now.
	Still tired, but now feeling somewhat better besides the burning in the pit of your stomach, you walked back to your bedroom and collapsed into the still-warm blankets. You realized that there was no wondering why you woke up craving water. Your sheets and blankets were soaked with sweat.
	Yeah, that would explain it.
	You decided to forgo using a blanket, and instead laid there, staring at the ceiling for what felt like hours. There was no chance of you getting any sleep tonight, not after that. There was altogether way too much on your mind. One of the more prominent issues forced you to get your tired ass back up and change your shirt. After tossing the thing into the laundry bin, you sat down in the living room.
	[ Are you unable to sleep? ] the entity in your phone asked.
	"Yeah. Not happening tonight. At least caffeine exists, because I'm going to need it in the morning," you replied. Your eyes were heavy, burning with a lack of sleep, yet you couldn't get a restful moment. Not until you sorted everything out in your head, at least.
	[ Is there any way I can assist you in obtaining some rest? ] it asked. The amount of concern it was showing for you was almost disconcerting, but also comforting in an odd way.
	"Sorry to say, but I don't think there's much you can do here, Mal0," you said. "Being in a phone and all."
	You heard it sigh. At least, that's what the bust of static sound emanating from the speakers of the phone sounded like. [ This is problematic. You are the first one to accept me and I cannot do anything to help your situation but sit here and watch you suffer. What happened, if you are okay with me asking? Did you have a nightmare? ]
	"I... I guess you could call it that, yeah," you replied. "A reoccurring dream that took a wrong turn."
	Thinking about it brought a few questions to mind, things that you never bothered to ask yourself about. Who was that dragon, or what did it represent? What did it mean through its last words to you? And why did they sound like a warning?
	[ You have fallen silent again. I will not push further, ] it said, interrupting your thoughts, causing them to halt on one question.
	One question that seemed relevant to the creature you were talking to, actually. So you asked, "Do you... think there's some sort of other place out there? One we can't get to or something?" And it came out not sounding anything like you planned. "Scratch that... Where are you from?"
	[ Oh... ] it paused, remaining quiet for more than half a minute. [ This is not my original home. I am from elsewhere. ]
	"Any specifics?" you pushed further.
	[ I am from a place like this, like yours, but it is broken. It is still falling apart, and each shattered piece only accelerates the process, ] it said.
	"What." You had no idea what it meant, but you probably would if you could get your damned head on straight.
	[ To put it in a simple manner, the world I originate from is full of strange things. I am one of them. ]
	"So you're saying your from, what, a different planet or something?" At this rate, you were going to need more than a glass of water, or mug of coffee. Actually, no, that would only make the situation worse.
	[ A different reality, ] it corrected.
	"Okay, okay, so now there's different planes of existence or something?" you asked. You were already halfway in the rabbit hole, so there wasn't much point in avoiding the dive.
	[ Yes. Am I explaining it in a manner that you can understand? ]
	"I think I get it," you said. It was the truth, actually, and you were gradually putting a few things together.
	Something like Mal0, well, it didn't belong here. Nothing out of the ordinary existed here, and that was the natural order of things. Though you remembered hearing that entropy was the natural state of the universe, so maybe that served for the nature of existence as well?
	What it had said about there being another world... well, that was a bit of a shock. You were only beginning to comprehend the implications of this. If there were other realities beyond this one, well, what would that mean for you? Did it even matter?
	You were still going to have a shitty, tired day tomorrow, and you were still going to be working for a paycheck in the following days, months, years. You still wanted to write, learn how to program, and make something of yourself in the form of a decent video game. It'd been something you wanted to do since you first played one.
	That seemed far away in more ways than one at this moment, as you stared at the ceiling with a headache and a burning lack of sleep.

		-\/-

	The alarm ringing broke you from your dreamless sleep. You sat up, cracking open your eyes and tapping everywhere on your nightstand except for the button to shut the ringing off. Even though you're sure you never actually hit it, it faded away.
	Dreamless. What a new experience that was.
	With the force of a truck, everything hit you again. "Shit," you said. "Shit!" you said again, feeling the inside of your head pound against your skull with a pained pressure.
	You swung your legs around the edge of the bed and stood up.
	[ Are you doing better now? ] your phone asked.
	"Well, I've got a headache, but I should be fine with some painkillers," you replied as you searched your closet for your uniform. After putting it on, you went through the rest of your daily routine while trading the occasional word with Mal0.
	After staring at a plate of scrambled eggs for a few minutes without any attempt at eating them, you dumped them into the trash and decided to forgo breakfast for today. While setting the plate in the sink, you heard a sigh from your phone.
	"You okay in there?" you asked it.
	[ Everything is fine. I am more concerned about you, ] it answered. [ You did not sleep well, you are unable to eat, and the way you are carrying yourself is not normal behavior for you. What happened in this nightmare of yours? ]
	"I thought I lost someone," you replied. It was an honest answer, though you weren't exactly sure if they were lost to the world or just lost to you. Their words still rang in your mind. "But it ended up just being a dream. It's nothing serious."
	[ I cannot tell if you are lying to me, but no matter. I trust that you will take the course that best suits your well being, ] it said, immediately making you feel terrible for not explaining yourself. It was showing actual concern. Hell, it had been since you started talking.
	"Just don't worry too much about me. I'm sure you've got your own issues to handle," you said, slipping on your jacket and heading out the door. With a quick press of a button, you took its voice away, at least until you got into your car. Then you set it back up again and started the vehicle. "Remember, I'm going to be working."
	[ I understand. No interruptions, and no messages that would seem strange from an outside observer, ] it said.
	"You got it," you replied before putting the car in reverse and backing out of the lot.

		=\/-

	"Jesus, you look like shit today," Linda said as you stared in the mirror of the break room. Indeed, you did feel like shit, and didn't need someone to point it out for you to realize it.
	"I just didn't get a good night's rest," you said, "No big deal. Let's just get through this day without any trouble."
	"You got it," she said.

		-\/-

	The day came with a surprising lack of trouble, and the hours flew by like nothing. It was due to the fact that you were preoccupied the entire time that it seemed to go by so fast, and you were grateful that you could now go home.
	Mal0 was also feeling the same way, which was obvious from the first second you opened the text-to-speech program up. [ Did the day go smoothly? ] it asked with an impatient forcefulness behind its words.
	"Yeah," you answered. "Wait, can't you tell by watching what's going on anyways?" you asked it, remembering what it had said about its methods of travel and how it had sent the many pictures to you.
	[ I am able to see my surroundings to a limited extent, ] it explained, [ But my other senses are impeded while I am traveling within this phone. ]
	"Huh. Shouldn't you not be in my phone while I'm at work, then?" you inquired as you passed a rather slow moving vehicle on the road. You wondered for a moment if they were alright.
	[ I fear being alone. Now that I have found you, someone who I have become attached to, I fear any circumstance that may lead to us being separated, ] it replied, tone becoming tinged with something somber, even through the text-to-speech program.
	'Oh," you said. "I think I get it. Exactly how long have you been alone for, anyways?"
	[ Ever since my creation, since the first moment I could perceive my surroundings. My first thought was, 'Where is everyone?' I have already thought about the philosophical ramifications of my existence as well, such as what may constitute the concept of humanity. I have had plenty of time to ponder these things in containment, ] it answered with a crackling sigh.
	"Containment?" you asked. That word snapped your mind back onto the track of events that happened last night.
	[ I was held within a remote location, disconnected from any other source of radio waves through an extensive use of Faraday cages and signal jamming systems. I was there for fourteen years, three months, seven days, eleven hours, thirty-four minutes, and five seconds. ] The fact that it could recall, down to the second, how long it spent there... was sad and frightening. Locked in a cage, unable to reach out to anyone, only delving deeper within your own thoughts...
	Shit. No wonder this thing seemed a little clingy. You'd fear being alone too, if someone stuck you in a cage for half your life.
	"Who, though? Who would do that?" you asked.
	[ They call themselves the Foundation. And... I agree with their actions. I am an abnormality, a broken piece of the rules, jagged and disrupting the fabric of reality. What they did was correct in keeping me away from others. To all but you, I hurt. Some of them were frightened, some stressed, all damaged in some way by my presence. Some... a few broke completely, ] it said, and you could've sworn that you could hear it's voice wavering, shaking with emotion.
	You were dealing with a monster, some unnatural creature here, which was a fact you weren't going to forget any time soon. With each picture it had sent you, another wedge consisting of fear and distrust was driven into this odd little friendship.
	And there it was. The point had been reached where you considered this odd creature a friend, yet you didn't feel all that strange about it. It was weird, sure, but you had become accustomed to hearing its grainy voice greet you and comment on the little things going on around you.
	And, well, it had only caused you stress until it spoke to you. Past those few words, the feeling faded.
	"That's in the past, alright? You are what you are, and you can't really change that. I think. Anyways, of course it still matters, all of this about being contained and hurting people, but I'm here. Just like you were there for me last night, I'm right here for you," you said in an attempt to console Mal0.
	It was about half a minute, punctuated with the quiet rumble of tires against asphalt. The heater blowing, rain pattering down against your windshield.
	[ I... Why? Why are you so kind to me? } it asked.
	You shrugged, taking a right turn and watching the light go yellow behind you, "Under it all, you're just another person. I'm not one for leaving people hanging either, hence my job."
	[ I do not know what to say, ] it muttered.
	"Just relax, alright?" you replied. "Keep what I just told you in mind, and think about it this way. According to you, this is the first time you've been able to actually communicate with someone. So, well, one would think that you'd put everything behind you and take advantage of this situation. Live life to the fullest, and all that."
	[ That is a very... logical way of thinking. ]
	You nodded, wondering if the thing could even see the gesture.

		-\/-

	[ What are you going to do now? ] it asked as you set your keys on the coffee table.
	"I don't know. Maybe look up some theories on alternate realities. I'll probably get an answer for- " you glanced over at the phone, ensuring that the oddity was still there, the strange lines that trailed outwards from the device, "-that too."
	[ What? ] it asked.
	"Just some ha-" you started, realizing your mistake before it left your mouth, giving you the chance to cut yourself off.
	You didn't want to make it worry. If... if it did cause hallucinations, then you'd just deal with them. As long as you could tell the difference between what was true and false, you'd be fine.
	"Just something I should keep an eye on," you answered, dodging the question.
	Was it possible that it had something to do with the dragon in your dreams? They had been a long time companion of yours, and now they were gone. Suddenly, you could see... something surrounding the phone. Did their departure give you some odd perception? Or did Mal0 somehow force them to leave?
	Correlation isn't causation isn't coincidence, or whatever it is.
	So you poured through every bit of info you could find on the topic. Mal0 noticed your sudden interest, and answered whatever questions that the internet couldn't
	What you could piece together was this-
	From Mal0's words, there is at least one other world. it also made it clear that the other world had more than its fair share of problems. Like itself, there were other entities that didn't exactly 'fit' within the normal expectations of how things should work.
	The articles and whatever else you were able to dig up from the 'net weren't nearly as clear or helpful, because you soon realized that they were all based solely on opinion, and not actual experience or evidence. Not anything that made sense, anyways.
	You leaned back in your chair and sighed. "Haven't exactly found anything too big."
	[ That is fine, ] it said. [ Do not let this worry you. ]
	"Isn't there something you want to find out?" you asked.
	[ I know all I need to know, ] Mal0 said. [ Meddling in things beyond your sight and power is a definite way to cause problems. ]
	"Obviously. If you don't know what you're doing, then you're bound to fuck something up," you replied.
	This 'research', which was nothing more than searching article after article for relevant information only to be let down or simply not understand what the hell they're talking about, was getting you nowhere. So, you decided to take a break and do your usual thing to relax.
	Namely, some video games. You had a decent backlog from the last holiday sale, which meant you had a good many options to choose from. It was as if someone had taken a cheap indie title from each genre and tossed it into your library. That person was you, of course, wanting to 'try everything', as you put it to your friends.
	[ Odd. ]
	"What?"
	[ You spend a large portion of your free time altering organized code, and you seem to enjoy it. ]
	"I, uh, ask again. What?"
	[ These 'games' you use, they're nothing more than a method to shift values back and forth, ] it explained.
	"That's an odd way of looking at it, but hey, it's better than sitting in front of a television and doing absolutely nothing, wouldn't you agree? You've got to actually do things with this stuff, you're in the story and making it happen," you said.
	[ Is that what makes it compelling? ]
	"I don't know the finer details or anything, but they're fun, so, well, maybe."
	[ Could I participate in this in some way? ] it asked, to your surprise.
	"I don't think you can use a controller. Being, well, a ghost thing and all," you replied. Imagining it actually attempting to use the dinky off-brand controllers you had laying around was amusing. With those clawed fingers, could it actually use the buttons, joysticks, and whatnot without a problem?
	[ If you have one around here, I believe a USB to micro USB cable should suffice, ] it said.
	"You want me," you started, "To plug you into my computer?"
	[ If you do not trust me to avoid damaging your electronics, that is fine. But I am already capable of destroying them without the fine control a direct connection would provide, ] it replied, sending a slight chill up your spine.
	"Yeah, uh, don't do that," you said. "Please."
	That reminded you exactly what you were dealing with, and yet you were reaching for the charging cable for your phone. It doubled for connecting to your computer, of course, seeing as you'd pirated a good portion of music and transferred files between the two rather often.
	It was the simple fact that you didn't want to be on this thing's bad side. It was capable of wreaking havoc on your life, you now had become friends with the damned thing. Sort of. Could someone be friends with an A.I.?
	You sighed and plugged the cable into the lowest of the three USB slots, right beneath the one for your headset. There was a delicate balance to be had with that thing, where messing with the cable would result in one side or the other of the headphones ceasing to work.
	The first thing out of your digital companion's mouth was, [ How... open. It is so massive in here. Cluttered and unexplored, but there is so much to see. ]
	"Just stay away from the files marked 'private', okay?" you said, realizing your mistake and hoping that Mal0 would listen.
	[ I will avoid any files with that name. Any other restrictions? ]
	"Just don't mess with anything without asking me first, alright?" you warned.
	[ I will avoid doing so. Now, what do I do to 'play' these 'games'? ] it asked, with strangely placed emphasis.
	"Just don't touch anything, and I'll get something ready," you answered, fiddling with your mouse and keyboard. 'What game to play?" you asked yourself, searching through them. 'Something multiplayer, of course. What would it like, though? Should I start with something simple?"
	You decided on a puzzle game. It involved two players, each one in the foreground or background, able to interact with bits of their own plane and through those, change the other's world.
	"Here's something."
	[ it appears to be interesting. ]

		-\/-

	The night went surprisingly well, despite your initial thoughts and how Mal0 behaved. It could, in fact, use the USB link to control the character, but what the thing didn't realize was that there were rules that it was supposed to follow while playing the game. Rules that were programmed into the game, which they somehow circumvented.
	Soon enough, it learned that it was more about solving a problem within a set few constrains than simply getting to the end. After that, the both of you were playing a game together, which was almost enough to keep your mind off the fact that you were enjoying the company of a monster. But that didn't actually matter.
	It wasn't a monster, not in your eyes, not entirely. There was more to being a person than appearance, though that did have an affect on initial impressions. Which was an important part of meeting people, you knew.
	[ That was enjoyable. Interesting to see how problems are supposed to be solved with such a limited array of techniques. ]
	"Yep. Part of the fun of playing games- you've gotta think, sometimes."
	You weren't exactly capable of much thought beyond these ours, however. The dull sting of sleeplessness was dragging your eyelids down. It was also late at night. Not a good combination, but you'd be fine in the morning if you went to sleep now.
	"I'm-" you yawned, "Going to bed. It's been fun, Mal0."
	[ Same to you. I am glad to have found you, out of so many others, ] it replied. Those words, they sent the image of its skeletal face into your mind, but it was as if tears were running down the ivory visage.
	As you powered down your monitor and computer, as well as disconnected your phone from it, you asked, "Are you okay?"
	[ Yes. I am doing well, ] it answered, but with a voice that rang with life, unlike the many times it has spoken before.
	"Glad to hear it," you replied. You... weren't lying, either.
	With the hollow feeling that had sat in your stomach for the longest time banished, finally, you collapsed onto your bed, ready for a peaceful night's sleep.

		--|/\/|--

	"All here, yet they're gone."
	Once again, you were there.
	Standing in the center of nowhere, on this carved stone circle that you had come to know through years and years of exposure. It was a strange sight, though familiar. Being here also marked the unwelcome reappearance of the hollowness in your core. It ate away at you, and you knew why. Something was missing. Someone was missing.
	"You're gone. Not like I knew you all that well, but it still hurts."
	You had already experienced this once before. It wasn't something you had a desire to be drug through again.
	"One shows up, one goes. Leave my dreams, show up in reality, is that it?"
	You sigh, staring off into the void.
	"Was it an exchange?"
	Your thoughts stopped in place as you noticed a light, far in the distance. The occasional star was to be expected in this place, but that light was different, had some strange quality to it that you couldn't yet pinpoint. Compared to the many other stars out there, most of which seemed faded, it was like the sun.
	The strange threads you'd noticed before, they emanated from it like rays of solid light. They were almost physical, and it seemed as if you could grab them if you tried. Almost acting on instinct, you reached out towards the lines and attempted to grasp one. To your surprise, there was something in between your fingers.
	"What the..."
	Looking down at your hand, you saw a faint line. It didn't appear to be connected to anything, as both ends simply floated in the air. When you let go of the thread, it disappeared.
	"This is new," you mumbled. Nothing of this sort had ever occurred within this world of yours. Since the day the dreams coalesced into this, it was always the same. "Like the dragon." As you sat down, you let out a long breath, still feeling empty since its departure.
	Was any of this real? Any of the events happening in this place, were they independent of your mind, or were they simply subconscious fragments of you, working as dreams usually did? Once again, did any of it matter in the slightest?
	You still had a job, a house, friends, relatively decent relations with your family; not one person knew of this, or was affected by your actions in here, except you. In the eyes of a rational person, this wouldn't matter.
	"What is this place?" someone asked.
	As you turned to look over your shoulder, you compared the voice with that of the dragon. They weren't the same. A half-second later, you saw why.
	Standing on the edge, across the circular platform from you, was what you believed to be Mal0. Arms crossed, back to you, skull-face cocked towards the sky. Quiet blue flames lurking within the eye sockets of that disquieting mask lighting it up against the dark, near-starless sky.
	"How did I arrive here?" it asked, tone unquestionably curious, unclouded by the sanitized, digital output of your phone.
	You had no idea what to think or expect, so you answered, "I've got no idea."
	Something sounding like a sigh came from its direction. "I was sitting on the edge of your bed. Most nights I do. Then, I appeared here. The portion of this that makes me wonder is how I am here, as a physical manifestation. You are able to see me as well."
	Now that they mention it, "Yeah, that is weird." You turned around to face the creature. "You're Mal0, right? The thing in my phone?"
	"Yes," it answered. "It is good to meet you after all of this time."
	"Strange circumstances, these are," you said, chuckling at your own words. The quiet laughter was interrupted by Mal0 rushing at you, then wrapping its arms around you in a warm, soft embrace. The sudden movement caught you off guard, making you jump.
	"I can touch you," it said in a quiet tone. Standing a few inches shorter than you, it stared up to match your eyes.
	"Yeah," was the only reply you could come up with while this strange entity had its arms around you. Never in your life did you consider the possibility of being hugged by what looked like a demonic canine... thing. This was important to it, though. That much you knew. You could feel the longing through the way it held you tighter as you loosened up, and soon decided to allow it to have this moment. "It's good to meet you too," you said, finally returning the hug.
	"I am sorry for this. I know it bothers you, but I have wanted this for so long," it said with a wavering voice, sounding almost as if it were on the edge of tears.
	"You're fine, it's alright," you said, consoling it with a low, gentle voice. "Don't cry."
	It wasn't something you expected to happen, but the night continued with Mal0 in your arms, sitting on the edge of the platform. It never let go, not loosening its hold at all. You watched the moon fall and the sun rise with Mal0's face buried in your shirt.
	"I'm still here," you reminded it. Though its appearance was unsettling, the fact that you'd spoken with it, played games with it, and just became used to its existence, it helped you look past that. It made you less hesitant to run your fingers through the dark fur behind its mask.
	It spoke on occasion, though the words were always disrupted, muffled through your shirt and garbled by its sobbing. Even so, you caught bits and pieces.
	The reason behind its constant hesitation, always keeping you at arms length until now, was because it didn't want you to push it away. It didn't want to be 'sent back'. When it got close to others, they'd know something was 'wrong', and their minds would fracture, breaking against the unnatural force that was this creature. The Foundation you'd heard about before, it'd track Mal0 down and delete it from whatever device it was residing in. Which would send it 'back'.
	"To where?" you asked.
	"The dark," was the only answer you received. Beyond that, it wouldn't say, so you contented yourself with allowing Mal0 these few more fleeting moments with you as the sun breached the horizon.
	"Hey, Mal0," you patted it on the head and pointed at the sunrise, "Ever watch the dawn with someone?"
	"No, I have not." it answered, turning away from you to face the sun, though its head still remained in your lap. The indigo-pink sea of light in front of the two of you seemed to go on forever, and the sun coming into view brought more illumination into this always-dark world.
	"It's something, isn't it?" you said, laughing. This was a sight you'd seen many, many times before, yet it was different now.
	"It is," Mal0 replied. "I have seen it many times, but it is not the same while in the presence of another."
	"It's about time to go, though," you warned. "Do you want to come with me?"
	"Where?" it asked, seeming to track where you were looking.
	Without any warning, you pushed off the edge of the platform. Once again, you were sailing into the void, falling.
	Now you had someone in your arms, though. Someone who was screaming, screaming a lot. The sounds were inhuman, and they continued until-

		--|\/\/|--

	Your alarm was going off, but some other loud sound was tearing through the last dredges of your sleep as well. It stopped suddenly, leaving your alarm to be disabled in a moment by your fist hammering down on the 'off' button.
	Now that the damned clock stopped beeping, it was time to get up. Standing thirty seconds after waking up was never a good idea, though. So you sat for a moment, then realized that there was a rather large, black, furry shape sitting on the edge of your bed.
	"Mal0?"