Tex never could rest...for so long she's had to fight. Even before she became an AI, all she ever could do would be fight. All she was allowed to do.
She never got the chance to love the person she wanted to...ok maybe that applied a little to pre-and-post becoming AI. Still, it changed nothing.
Tex always was constrained to the desires of another, always doomed to the same fate no matter what she did.
So it was almost a relief when Church did what he did...or Epsilon rather. He set her free, he let her rest. Even if she was dead, Tex could never have been happier to just lie back into the void and sleep for as long as she wanted…
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So why was she still awake? Why did she still stare into the darkness as if challenging its power to end her existence? Why instead of blissful peace, she found only a sad emptiness in the deafening noise of silence? Why did she feel...like this?
It wasn't even a feeling of sadness, no, that would be a feeling she could identify. But this? There were so few ways to describe it, she just felt empty. Like...finishing an amazing book, or television series, you reach the end and you're left with...nothing. It's not an emotion it's just...nothing, emptiness. You know you feel a bitter hole of nothing in your chest, but you can't get rid of it. You don't feel sad, or mad, or happy, or anything. You just feel the overwhelming sensation that...you've lost something, and there is little there to fill its place.
In all her life, Tex had never felt so...empty.
Then she looked out and saw the light. Growing brighter, like it was approaching slowly. Stunning, blinding, her vision clouded white. The blank light engulfed the darkness. A new white void surrounded Tex. She remained calm. Suddenly, colors began to swirl and formulate around her,
Then she was standing in a familiar scene,
"Alright, O'Malley, this is it," It was Church, he was standing pistol pointed at familiar O'malley, the AI Tex once hosted, "From now on, if anyone makes my girlfriend cranky and psychotic, it's gonna be me."
"Aww, that's sweet." Tex turned to see herself standing beside Church. She rolled her eyes as she new her b-...ex-boyfriends next words.
But instead everything faded away and she was led into a different memory. She was next to a tree, surrounded by a snowy landscape.
Sidewinder,
"Good luck!...yeah, that's totally not gonna work." Tex turned again to see Church standing talking next to herself, "Tex, I recommend you get down there, and try to defuse the bomb that's in Church's stomach. I think you're about the only one here that can do it. And Tex?"
The memory Tex turned to Church, meanwhile Tex watched as a part of her chest churned slightly, though she suppressed it quickly.
"The one thing I didn't realize before was this. Maybe I'm the last Church not because I fix everything, but because I died and there's no way I can come back. And if that happens, I just wanna let you know that I'm sorry. I'm sorry I got you mixed up in all this stupid stuff. I'm sorry I wasn't a better guy than I should've been. I'm sorry for... fwell, for a lot of stuff." Both Tex's stood silent.
Though once more, the memory melted away and disappeared. Then was replaced with another familiar landscape. One of a barren canyon with few grassy fields.
Bloodgulch,
"Tex, don't, do this!" Tex turned to see Church pleading at the leaving ship...that she was in...oh no.
"Liftoff." the mechanical voice of Sheila spoke,
Tex could almost hear the faint echo of her own voice. A whisper of a goodbye. But one that didn't hurt any less. She knew where it went from there, the ship detonated leaving everyone staring up at the spot in the sky. Tucker turned to Church,
"Uh Church, what should we do?" He asked, Church hung his head and turned away, the echoes of pain visible in his voice,
"Do whatever you want. I'm goin' home." Church proceeded to walk away.
But this time, as the memory faded, the outline of the blue soldier remained walking into a familiar black endless void. Suddenly the soldier stopped staring at the ground, and a voice echoed out around Tex,
"Do you miss him?" It asked, Tex couldn't respond, but she watched as the figure of Church melted into the void, "Would you...like to see him again?"
Tex's answer was already decided before she spoke. But with a short nod at the emptiness, she croaked out a heartache ridden,
"Yes." She could almost hear the smile in the 'entities' voice,
"Well...no goodbyes this time."
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Tex woke up. Well, really speaking the truth she happened to sit up abruptly due to the fact a large amount of sand had made it into her mouth. She wildly looked around her realizing all of a sudden she had been lying face down on some kind of beach. She thinks,
'was it all a dream? Dying, Church, the voice, was it all just a dream?' but as she sits up on her knees gazing off she realizes how something is off. The sand is perfectly soft, there are structures jutting from the ground and some floating across the sky like some kind of...alien constructs, and more oddly, there is a stream of water flowing up...nope she's dead.
'so this is heaven huh? Didn't expect an AI could go to heaven.' There is suddenly the sound of something dropping to the ground with a thunk behind her and Tex is suddenly and completely on-edge, she whips around to steady herself against the threat only to see the last-well maybe not the LAST person she'd expect to see.
Church. He was wearing his armor, though his removed helmet is laying in the sand. He looks like he's been through a lot, his eyes are bagged and tired, he's got a familiar black stubble and his also black hair is unkempt, he looks like he hasn't eaten much (which is weird as there is a perfectly good looking amount of fruit legitimately hanging from trees all around them). The poor guy looks dumbstruck, though he nearly always was when they saw each other. But this seemed different, she saw something in his eyes that gave away that he wasn't the only one who thought they'd never see someone again either. His lip gave a little quiver as he opened his mouth and croaked out,
"Tex?"