Alright, this is my longest chapter so far but what can I say I had a lot of free time so I decided to write and I ended up writing it in a couple of hours. :3 Anyway I hope you enjoy it and remember to leave reviews.


Chapter 8

All my life I didn't think that someone would have had a worse life than I had or even one just as bad.

"Then...I'm free."

Those words carried so much emotion, so much sorrow, so much unbelievable hurt. Quinn dropped to her knees her head hanging low. She started to shake and sob uncontrollably. Not knowing what else to do, I walked beside her to her left and sat down leaning against the wall of the hallway. Reaching out with both of my arms I pulled her to me, holding her head to my chest softly with my left hand and wrapping my right hand around her front. She didn't move but accepted my embrace crying into my chest.

We sat there for what felt like years, her crying into my chest and me being a rock for her. Valor stood there next to Quinn and I, looking from her to me and back again. He knew his companion was hurting, but he didn't know what to do. So he got closer to her and rubbed his head on her arm, trying to comfort her. After a while the tears stopped, and instead she was left with quick hyperventilating double breaths. Eventually even that stopped and she instead to just sit there in my embrace. I wanted to say something and comfort her but I decided against it instead opting to let her to be the one to break contact and start talking.

She slowly lifted her head off my chest and looked into my eyes. Hers still red and puffy from all the crying. "I-I'm s-sorry." she choked, trying not to start crying again.

"What for?" I asked. Not understanding why she would be sorry just for crying.

"For coming into your life and causing you strife." she said sincerely and apologetically.

Looking into her eyes for a while I let out a sigh. "There is nothing to be sorry about. You have been no trouble at all." I assured her.

Her eyes stayed on mine until again she spoke in a tired and raspy voice. "Why?"

That was it. All she said was 'why'. I was speechless. Why did I do what I did? Why did I save her, she wasn't my responsibility. Why didn't I call the cops after I found her? Why was she here? Why was she outside in the cold? Why is it possible that she is alive? So many 'whys' rushed thru my mind, but one stood out in my mind the most and was the 'why she was talking about. When I knew nothing of this woman, her past, her life, anything. After everything I did for her, saving her, clothing her, making sure she was comfortable. Why after all that did I sit next to her and comfort her in such an intimate way? My mind went to a time years ago, around this time. To a promise I made long ago.

I didn't know how to say why I did what I did. Searching for an explanation I looked to Valor, he was still beside Quinn now laying at her side. Then I looked at Aiha, she was sitting on the edge of the table staring at the ground. Probably deep in thought. She was such a good friend to me, even though I created her she was the only one I actually considered family. Finally looking back at Quinn who was still staring at me our eyes met once again and I sighed.

"Because." I began "Long ago I promised someone that I would never turn down someone who needed my help, no matter what the situation. And up until now, I haven't kept that promise."

She stared into my eyes and I stared into hers. Though they were puffy and red she had the most mesmerizing eyes. They were a deep golden yellow with amber streaks emitting in light streaks from her pupils. Amazingly beautiful her eyes were that wasn't what drew me into them. As I stared into her eyes I could almost see inside her, I could see the person she was. I didn't know how but I could feel what she had been through, what she had endured. For some reason seeing this hurt me and I don't know why but I wanted to hold her to me and keep her safe from her past, to protect her. Because she was someone to me, she was part of me, and for some reason I knew I was part of me. I didn't quite understand it but we were connected somehow.

Hearing my words her eyes slowly dropped until she was looking at the ground. "I know what that is like." she said. Taking a deep breath to compose herself a bit she looked back into my eyes and smiled a bit. "Thank you."

"Your welcome." I said. Looking to my right to the clock on the wall I seen we had been on the floor for little over an hour. "I think it's about time we got up and on with the day." I said letting go of her.

After a deep breath she picked up Valor and stood, giving me room to stand. Getting up to my feet I walked up to Aiha. Seeing me approach she stood and looked at me. "You need something monsieur?" she asked.

"Yes, would you mind making some breakfast for us?" I asked.

"Not at all, is there anything in particular you want me to prepare?" she asked as she jumped off the table.

I looked back at Quinn who was wiping her eyes while Valor sat on her shoulder. She looked at me and just shook her head as to say 'I don't care'.

"Surprise me." I said.

"As you wish." she said turning around and walking into the kitchen. As I watched her leave and thought back on how she came into my life, and the horrible story of how such a wonderful personality and person she is.

It all started 3 years ago, we were in school then, Alison and I. It seems like such a long time ago. It was 2:00am on February 22nd. We had been up all night working on the coding for our school project. We came to a speed bump and we both had different opinions on how to solve the problem. We had been arguing previously and as we typed away at our computers. I decided to leave but little did I know that that would be the last time I seen my friend alive.

I had left our apartment to go down the street to the nearby 24 hour gas station to get something to eat and clear my head. Me and Alison argued on how to give an IA self awareness. I said you could teach it like a child and if you teach it to have self awareness then it will. She completely disagreed with me, she believe that the only way for an AI to achieve actual self awareness was for someone to implant their memories and conciseness into the code matrix of the AI.

I told her that was preposterous and that it was impossible, but did she listen. No, she didn't. When she had alone time from time to time she worked on a machine to transfer her thoughts to a computer and from a computer to a AI memory core. When I left that night she decided to prove to me that I was wrong. For her machine to work she had to stick a large metal spike into her temple so that the neurological inhibitors could intercept her brainwaves and copy the data. What she didn't realize is that copied data wouldn't be self awareness, because you would still have to give the machine a code for it to compute data. This didn't matter to her, she couldn't stand to be wrong. So she went ahead with her plan. She set up the prototype AI 'body' we had built and set the memory core inside the robot to be transferred. Then she sat at her desk and wrote me a note.

Dear Lain,

I know you don't believe that this will work but I have to try. If this works then we will be the most revered scientists EVER! You have your doubts but with all the calculations I have done I don't see any reason why this shouldn't work. Just think of the possibilities. If I became a fully functional AI. I could be able to think at lightning speed, never need to sleep/eat/go to the bathroom. I could become the greatest scientist the world has ever known. In the off chance you were right and this doesn't work I have to tell you something. I know you said that you could never love anyone the same way you loved your fiance but I feel like we've gotten close these couple of years here and well I just wanted to tell you that I have fallen in love with you despite the fact you may never love me back. With that, if I achieve then I'll talk to you when you activate me and if not. I'm sorry and goodbye.

Sincerely Yours

Alison

She then cleared off her desk so nothing was on it and shut out the lights. Putting the note in the middle of the desk she closed her eyes, took a deep breath and in one motion stuck the spike into her right temple. As soon as the spike entered the head she went limp. Blood seeming from the wound as well as her mouth and eye socket. I got back to the room around 20 minutes later. At first I didn't notice she was dead. I just seen her in her chair and didn't think anything of it. With the darkness in the room it was hard to tell. I got something for her to eat as a peace offering. Walking over to her I seen her face and immediately froze.

Her face was calm and relaxed but her eyes were open unmoving, unblinking. Blood was seeping from her nose and mouth. Before I even seen she had the machine in her head I already knew what she did. "NO NO NO!" I had screamed dropping to my knees and grabbing her lifeless had. "nonononono" I kept murmuring sobbing into her hand. Wishing my friend would return to me. "W-why did you have to do it? Why do you always have to be right?" I asked my friend still gripping her hand. I turned her around and my heart shattered instantly. She had done it. She killed herself. The only person I called 'friend'...was gone. I rested my head on her lap and cursed the heavens in between sobs. "whywhywhywhywhy" I kept repeating over and over again. This couldn't be happening, not again. I just sat there clutching her hand, my head on her lap. Trying to hold onto the last person in my life, but it was too late. The cops came what felt like an eternity later. They tried to pull me away from her but my grip held strong. She was the only thing I cared about. They pulled me away and my grip faulted and her hand slipped from my grasp and fell to her side. As soon as her hand fell so did my heart. Out in the hallway the officer sat me down and I curled up into a ball sobbing, not having the will to move.

They eventually took her away, and questioned me. They wouldn't let me go into the room as they said it was a crime scene and I didn't have anywhere else to go so they sent me to the police station. While I was sitting on a chair in the police station an officer approached me with a grim look on his face. He said that there was a note that was for me so he gave it to me inside a plastic evidence bag. I opened the bag and read the note. It was then that it finally sunk in. I was alone in this world. Nobody to turn to for help. No one to talk to. That night not only did my friend die. I also died.


Tourvelix:

Please, can you separate the dialogue with a line. It is hard to read a block of text when both characters are speaking.

Other than that, the story is going well!

Me:

Your wish is my command. If you haven't noticed I updated all the chapters and separated the dialog, and I'm glad you enjoy the story :3

SomeOneWhoCared:

Eyyyyyyy still love da story keep it going and rock on brah

Me:

Thank you and I will :^)