Warning: Mentions of attempted suicide
Church woke up early, as per usual. He found himself propped up against the headboard of Thetas bed. The small miniature Church-like AI soundly asleep in their bed. Church could slightly remember enjoying reading Theta "The Brick Gulch Chronicles"; it reminded him vaguely of something, he just couldn't place what. In any case, Church made the decision to simply leave Theta to rest for a while. The kid obviously needed sleep.
Quietly exiting the room of the AI Church walked down the halls in relative comfortable silence. This did not last long as the sound of a faraway crash sent the Alpha into a run. He entered the main room to find Sigma and Omega punching at each other, with Gamma trying desperately to separate the two. Church would've usually have gone over and told the two to stop fucking around like some kind of displeased father. But right now he was wayyyy too tired for some shit like that. So he instead just brought his thumb and index fingers to the bridge of his nose, rubbing it with a sigh.
"Surrounded by goddamn morons," Church paused for a second, "Just like old times huh?"
The somber feelings that accompanied yet another reflection on his friends left Church feeling even shittier, and this morning seemed already pretty shitty. So the tired man opted for some fresh air. The place had to have some kind of 'balcony' right? A sudden opening noise caught Church's attention. A wall close to him had suddenly folded open to reveal a small room. Noting quickly no one else had seen or heard anything and were still enraptured by the brawl between Sigma and Omega, Church walked into the tiny room.
Once inside the wall shut back up behind him. Church panicked quickly, pounding on the wall. He was about to start screaming when all of a sudden he noticed the button molded into the other side of the wall.
"This place reacts to my thoughts…" Church thought aloud, quickly he pressed the button and suddenly felt himself go surging upwards.
There were railings within the room, like an elevator, and so when it started moving upwards, Church screeched like a banshee and held on for dear life...uh...dear afterlife.
The elevator room continued on it's speeding course upwards, until it came to a sudden halt.
The 'doors' opened up and revealed what must have been the very top of the tower. Church cautiously stepped out to see a number of things. Firstly, a small group of chairs around a large round table with a large umbrella over it in one corner of the roof balcony area. Secondly, a bar in the other corner area of the roof balcony area. Thirdly, was the numerous and strange bridges jutting out and off the edge of the tower, just behind the glass parapet (which looked to be hinged in some way to open up). Fourthly, he noticed the huge sofa in the middle of the balcony, seated just a little away from a huge widescreen TV. Lastly, Church took note of the fact that the balcony was quite literally above the clouds. As far as the eye could see over the edge of the balcony was entirely white fluffy clouds. Church's mind again wandered to his friends when he laughed aloud at the thought of Caboose thinking the clouds were actually fluffy, though upon further reflection it would probably be less funny when Caboose jumped over the edge trying to hug said clouds.
"I'm sorry, Church!" Church froze.
Slowly he turned to where the voice had come from only to find the area empty. Church walked around the edge to try and see if he heard it right, or if he had simply imagined Caboose-
"I can explain." Church whipped around.
On the screen of the TV was displayed a perfect clear image of Caboose, standing in some kind of...desert temple? Floating next to him was what appeared to be a glowing robo bowling ball. Or at least that's all Church assumed it to be before it began to talk.
"Who the fuck are these guys?" The thing spoke, in exactly the voice of Church.
"No." Church whispered, all other noise became null and void.
It couldn't be true. This had to be something else...but there was no denying what Church was seeing. Somehow, someway, the construct could see to life back where Church's friends were...and they had replaced him. It almost seemed too horrible to be true. But maybe that's what made it so easy to believe. They had replaced him.
"Church," Tucker's voice coming from the TV snapped Church out of his depressing internal monologue, "Your telling me that thing is Church."
"Well, not exactly. See, um, technically, uh, this thing is, uh, just a memory of Church. Um, his name is Epsilon." Caboose quickly explained.
Church felt a realization run through him. They had replaced him...with Epsilon. The same fragment AI he created. The same AI he gave his AI life to save. A boiling anger filled Church, alongside a sinking sadness. For the second time in being here, tears stung the Alpha's eyes. He scowled darkly as he stalked away from the now dark screen of the TV (it likely detected his aggravation and shut off to prevent him hearing more and punching it). He walked to the edge of the tower and grabbed tightly to the glass parapets. Tears fell from his face and into the clouds below. His friends didn't need him, they had replaced him in his absence, they had moved on from him. They had left him behind. Church felt like he wanted to scream. The pain in his chest was stronger though. So without another thought about it, in a fit of anger, sadness, and unmistakable loneliness. Church flung himself off the side of the tower and fell what must have been hundreds of stories, to what he hoped would be the end of his now absolutely miserable afterlife...