Since it's officially Halloween season, I thought I'd post something a little different. Something a bit more frightening. This is a story on how the series might have ended had Aya taken a different approach to ending "pain." It is based off of this video : youtube {dot} com {slash}watch?v=3xovQcEOdg8 which I suggest you watch after reading, and I typed it while listening to this song: youtube {dot} com {slash}watch?v=B3cReQRgYxg which I suggest you listen to while reading. Enjoy!
(Also, I am almost done with the next chapter for What is Love? for those who are still reading! I have not given up on it!)
Couple: Razaya
Rating: T for suggested blood, gore, and psychological horror.
Dollhouse (he loves me, he loves me not)
clank…
clank…
It's the first sound you hear when you awaken. In the beginning, you don't notice the sound, not while you struggle to fight the fog in your eyes or the pulsing pain in your head. But once you do, it's the only sound you can hear simply because it's the only sound in the room, other than the light huff of your breath. Only then do you notice your surroundings. A dark, dank metal chamber with only a hint of light filtering from the cracks in the walls surrounding you. From what you can see, there is nothing in it but a control panel over an arm's length away, a few towels littering the floor, a small table with a vase of flowers next to you, and of course you yourself. You find your body is laid back on a chair, legs straight in front of you, and arms on either side, nothing out of the ordinary…except for the fact that they're completely restrained by the metal shackles attached to them, complete with a gag across your mouth. The awareness causes your breathing to grow rapid and your heart rate increases. You try to scream but the gag prevents it. Sweat begins to gather on your forehead in small beads, and blood begins to pound in your ears like a drumroll preluding a funeral march. How appropriate, you think, secretly cursing yourself for the ill-placed simile.
The icy seed of fear takes root under your skin.
clank…
Clank…
CLANK…
The noise grows eerily louder. So does the pounding in your ears. Opposite from you, the wall panels move aside of their own accord, and you're temporarily blinded as light floods the rooms. You can do nothing but shut your eyelids in a vain attempt to block it out. Eventually growing accustomed to it, that's when you see them. Three figures, two large ones about the same height on the left and right with a smaller one in between. The big ones are wide-set, bulky, and intimidating. They appear to be automatons of a sort, their strides perfectly time, perfectly measured. If there was a tolerance or error in their movement then it isn't visible in your eyes. You wonder how the glowing red eyes of a soulless machine could look so collected yet reflect such malice.
But in the center of the automatons, a smaller, darker, and sleeker figure leads the two. Not walking but rather floating about a meter off the floor. Upon closer inspection, you are able to discern a hauntingly feminine face to compliment the curvy form. Perfectly sculpted cheeks, a small button nose, plump and pleasingly shaped lips only partially marred by the frown she wears, and long defined eyelashes that kiss her skin whenever she blinks. Had you not been in this position, you might have been awed by her unnatural beauty. And yet, you find yourself fearing her more so than the other two. Perhaps it's the air she gives off; her very presence radiates authority. Or maybe it's the way she maneuvers herself, smoothly gliding above the ground with a silence loud enough to challenge a shadow. She almost resembles a shadow herself.
Either way, you're certain your heart has just skipped a beat as she hovers over you, watching you with those bottomless black holes for pupils.
The seed has sprouted.
"Leave us, my children," she commands her followers. The sudden sound of her voice makes you flinch. It too sounds unnatural, yet surprisingly elegant.
Without any protest, the automatons exit, the door closing behind them. You're alone now with no one but this specter of a figure.
A bud has formed.
Hovering closer, she continues to peer down upon you. Disapproval is etched on her face. What have you done to deserve such treatment, you may wonder? What does she plan to do with you? To you? You want to ask but at the same time you don't. Regardless, you doubt she'd answer the questions anyway. She watches you for a second more before directing her attention elsewhere. A sliver of relief slows your heart…that is, until she speaks again.
"You are probably wondering why you are here," she says.
Unsure of how to respond, all you can do is slowly nod your head.
"Why indeed." She starts reaching for you with those long, blue fingers resembling icicles. They draw ever closer…closer…fingers spread apart…closer… (Would they be just as cold?)…closer…less than a breath's distance from your face…you squeeze your eyes shut, anticipating her touch. But after a moment goes by without any sensation, you cautiously open them again, just in time to see her black metal gauntlet brush past your nose, fingers holding steady the stem of one of the flowers from the vase. She brings it to her chest, studying the blue blossom, and speaks again.
"Have you ever wanted something so badly, that you would do anything to obtain it?"
Her words only serve to confuse you. Languidly she strokes the blue petals. You don't know why, but the sight makes her even more frightening.
"A drive that you cannot deny, even if you already understand how pointless your attempts are to reach your goal? You could almost describe organic life as such." She pauses. "You all fight to live, instilled with the will to survive starting as early as the day you were born…not realizing just how meaningless your life is in the universe."
The bud of fear slowly blooms with each word that leaks from her mouth.
"For in a moment, that life can easily be taken away in the blink of an eye."
Pluck!
…a single petal floats pitifully to the ground.
"And in a few years, no one may even remember who you were. But still, you continue to strive for material wealth, meet new subjects with which to interact…and search for the one you are destined to share a love with."
Pluck!
Another petal.
Even though you know you should be trying to find a way to escape, almost subconsciously you find yourself being drawn in by her words, her motions, hypnotized. You wish to know the reasons for her questions all the while knowing there is nothing you can do to get them. Nothing but wait until she reveals them to you.
She stares at the flower in her hand, twirling the stem between her fingers. Dare you guess that she is reminiscing? "I have been told that I am merely a machine, a tool built for the use of the organic beings." Your eyes widen involuntarily with surprise, for she looks so real, acts so sentient, you would not have guessed that she is a robot. "However, if I am just a program, why do I feel such things? Why am I aware of myself?" She turns to look at you. "Do I have a soul?"
Pluck!
She returns her attention to the flower. This time, when she speaks her voice grows softer.
"I had a family once. I was their nav-com, programmed to help navigate them safely through space. You may claim that it was a life of servitude. However, they did not treat me as just a computer. They encouraged my desire to learn and taught me many things as if I too were a sentient being. They cared for me, just as I cared for them."
Pluck!
This time, she held on to the petal she'd pulled off.
"But he was different. I desired more from him than just mere companionship. To me, he was the only one who could make me…feel these things…these emotions."
You watch as the petal slips between her fingers, though she doesn't seem to notice.
"He said he loved me, and I him. For a time, I thought I was happy. But then…"
She turns away again and lifts the stem, revealing the last petal stuck to the end as though it were hanging on for dear life. The sole survivor, the last shred of hope…
"then…nobody taught me how to cope when the one you love claims it to be nothing but a lie."
Pluck!
And just like that, the final petal floated to the ground. Your eyes soften as you continue to watch her. For in that instant, she is vulnerable. You can almost hear the heartbreak in her words.
"And so, I decided I must fix him. Because… if he could not initially see that his love for me was a lie from the beginning, then he must be malfunctioning…broken."
A tear escapes your eye despite yourself. She drops the lonely stem to the floor where its remains also lay, and reaches for the vase a second time. Only, the flower she retrieves is not fresh and vibrant like the one she'd retrieved the first time. This one is old, withered, and has begun to wilt. It is intact; however, it is a hallow husk of its former beauty. All the life has drained from it. It's alive, but isn't.
"I succeeded in fixing him," she declared, caressing the fragile plant, her voice sharp. "He no longer says those hurtful words. Now, he wants for nothing,"
Pluck!
"hopes for nothing,"
Pluck!
"and lives for nothing,"
Pluck!
"…but me."
From over her shoulder, she glances at you, her gaze darkened even further. At this point, the fear has returned, and the bud has slowly began to blossom. Shivers roll down your spine and your body tenses. Your breathing has increased once more.
"Of course, the rest of my family did not approve of the changes I had made to him, and soon they too began to resent me. I had little choice but to fix them all. Presently, we live happily here, my family, my children, and him. No one gets hurt, no one feels pain."
Setting the flower aside, this robot's eyes have returned to you as she watches with amusement. The sweat pours down your neck. The look she casts your way causes you to wrestle against the bonds that hold you, even though you already know that your efforts are in vain, just as she previously stated. Unintentionally, your gaze falls back on her…and your blood freezes over. That crooked smile she wears leaves you screaming through the gag.
"That is when I finally understood. The best thing I can do for the universe is to fix everyone with emotions so that they may never experience pain again."
The bud finally blooms completely. Panic's bony fingers grip your heart.
"And now…you will be the next to join us."
Fierce panting blows through your nose as she leaves your side and hovers over to the control panel. Placing a hand upon the pad, the robot's grin widens even more, the panel activating with flashing lights.
clank…
clank…
Something above you stirs. Your mind commands you not to look up, but your body reacts instinctively to the loud metallic sound. Up above, an enormous machine resembling a black arachnid makes itself seen. It creaks and crawls towards you, a metallic monstrosity coming to life, each leg donned with a different type of tool. Not carpentry tools from what you can tell, but more rather like…surgical tools. And on each tool, fluids of various colors glimmer eerily, rolling down the metal as it moves lower and lower, down to your level. Some of it even drips onto your face. Though it is not the same color as your own, it cannot be mistaken for anything else. Blood. A strangled sob escapes your throat.
"Fear not. In a moment, your pain will be but a memory. You will be amongst friends and you will remain happy for the rest of your life. I will make sure of it."
clank…
Clank…
CLANK…
It is the last sound you hear…or rather, it would be had it not been followed by your own mutilated scream.
"The procedure is complete," Aya said, pleased with the results. The figure lay on the hospital bed, unmoving for the time being. The process had gone well so it seemed; another one to add to her collection. Calling the Manhunters back in, she ordered them to place the new arrival in section 21. Surely, they would be happiest there. Without question or protest, her children did as they were told, lifting the unconscious figure up and carrying the body away. Such loyal, well-mannered beings, she thought, watching them go.
However, all that reminiscing had reminded her of just how long it had been since she'd seen him. Surely, it would be unkind not to pay him a visit after staying away for so long? Nodding to herself, Aya collected the rest of the flowers from the vase into her hand before setting off. Briefly, she wondered if he'd felt lonely while she'd been gone, but she pushed the thought away a moment after. Loneliness caused pain, and he didn't feel pain anymore, so he couldn't have been lonely. None of them could.
Idly floating by, she passed a few more of her children guarding the various entrances to each section where different subjects were placed, but she was not interested in any of the others at the moment. Rather, she made her way to the very back of the hold, a section made specifically for them. They were her family after all and had one occupied a special place in her electronic heart, so it was only fair that they be placed in a special area secluded from all the meaningless others. And she alone held the means to access them. Entering her security code, Aya waited patiently as the system validated it and allowed her entry. Once the doors slid closed behind her, she continued on. The AI paused only for a moment to look upon the four figures that occupied the room, her lips pinched with disapproval. Kilowog's mouth had fallen open again allowing saliva to drip onto the floor, and Hal had begun to slump in his seat. They would have to be corrected at some point, and she filed away the information for later. Aya could still remember the looks they'd given her when the two GL's had discovered what she'd done. Kilowog's horror-stricken face, staring down at his silent crewmate whom he held in his arms, Hal's mixed look of shock and disappoint as he'd looked at her and muttered, 'Aya, what have you done?'
It meant little now that they too had undergone the procedure, not willingly, mind you. Their rings had abandoned them once it was complete but like all other factors, it was of little consequence. They'd have no need for them now, not in this little paradise she'd created for all of them. She'd even been so kind as to place their loved ones Carol and Galia amongst them here in this hold. Aya couldn't help but stare at their interlocked hands. It had taken her awhile to line up the fingers just right so as to mimic the motions she'd witnessed in the Earth Cinemas Hal had insisted she watch. But of course, it couldn't be complete without the last piece of the puzzle.
Hovering towards the final door, Aya uploaded the code and entered the solitary room. The inside was a pitiful sight, an empty crevice of a room, unfurnished and barren save for the couch and the giant screen that flashed with familiar memories, memories she'd deemed acceptable and downloaded onto a disk for viewing. His viewing. All in a continuous loop. On the couch in front of the screen, a lone grey figure sat silently in the dark, eyes glassy and unfocused, seemingly staring into space. Right where she'd left him.
"Hello my love," she whispered upon entering. A brief flicker of his eyes was the only indication of acknowledgement she received, though the AI didn't seem to mind. Making her way over to his side, she lowered herself down onto the couch next to him, cuddling against his arm and depositing the blue flowers into his lap. "I brought these for you. I intended to deliver them on an earlier date but found myself preoccupied with important matters." He responded with nothing but a small noise from his throat. "It pleases me that you are not bothered by this turn of events," Aya said, pressing her head into his shoulder.
Absentmindedly, she traced the marks on his face with her finger, something he'd never have allowed her to do in the past. Straight down his chin, climbing his angular cheeks, curving around his eye to avoid hitting it, and finally across the scar on his forehead. It was almost completely healed by now, the scabbing having fallen away. Intelligent, independent-minded organics really were a strange breed, she concluded, all the while continuing to trace the dark marring of scar tissue. Their actions, their decisions, their memories, their emotions and so much more all depended on a wet spongy mass of tissue to contain them. Relying on a single source to hold such valuable data was quite impractical in her opinion, but then again, it made her work much easier. It makes pinpointing certain areas for removal more efficient this way, she thought.
As his body began to slump against her, Aya adjusted his position so that his head now lay on her lap. He accepted it with no objection, just as she'd expected. And when he let out another noise, a light indecipherable grunt, Aya only smiled down at him, lacing her fingers through his soft hair. "I know. I love you too."
Reviews, comments, and criticisms are greatly appreciated just no flames!