Drone Chapters
The Substitute 'Ideal' Parent Figure
*Jeremy's Log Entry*
*The Child Care Protocols are a subcategory of protocols and algorithms programmed into the drones that are a subdivision of the Human Protection Protocols. Their existence and purpose is designed to give the drones guidance and control their actions when regarding children without parents or parental figures nearby.*
*The CCPs remain on standby at all times within the drone's AI, and they activate automatically when a drone of category five or six locates or observes a child within close proximity to it that is without a parent or parental figure nearby to watch over or guide them. On activation the CCP takes over and uploads a special personality of what we deemed to be the 'ideal parent', so the drone can act as a substitute parent for the child. It also was designed as both a contingency plan should a child be without an adult figure for any reason among the cryologists to guide them, and to help weaken the fear about drones among the general human population.*
*While active will sound, talk and act like the ideal parent to the child until a parent figure or the child's parent arrives to take over the role. Once this occurs, the CCP deactivates and returns to a standby mode until it is needed again. While useful, it is not however, meant for continued use…*
*According to records, drones who were forced to maintain the CCPs active over an extended period of time had their AIs break down, and eventually went offline as their AI's conflicting natures between their standard operations and the CCP operations. One meant to be a caring, nurturing, almost 'loving' personality, and the other a cold calculating unfeeling machine.*
(FOX Unit DA-43's PoV)
It walked through the night after finishing its observation cycle against Subject: Sable, and upon being released and replaced by a substitute drone for the assignment. Now it was taking a designated route to return to the facility for recharge and await its next cycle for the assignment. It was traveling in a location with very poor lighting enabling it to remain in stealth the entire time, as chosen by Sentinel.
However, as it turned a corner down a side alley along the usual route it noticed a young fox cub based on its database. The fox cub looked to be walking with a slight limp in it's left leg and had a bruised eye. Based on the breathing it seemed the cub had been in a fight and was hurt.
Not seeing any other mammals in the vicinity, and seeing the cub alone as they walked, it's Child Care Protocols automatically activated. Knowing that it needed to remain hidden, it activated its holo-emitters and took the form of a random adult male fox using data it had observed discreetly.
[What is the matter little one?] It asked in a soothing gentle voice. [Why are you out alone at this time of night?]
The cub looked 'up' in surprise at seeing the hologram, before looking away in shame and tried walking away. "Nothing's wrong, I'm fine."
[That doesn't sound right, you don't seem to be 'fine'… you look hurt little one.] It asked warmly, trying to get the cub to respond so it could help them. [Where's your mama… or your papa… won't they get upset if you don't go home where you'll be safe and sound?]
"I just got in a fight… and mom's probably working… and…" The cub looked away sadly before continuing, "I don't have a dad…"
[Oh… interesting, did something bad happen?] It asked warmly, suspecting either a class D or class O child.
"I don't know… mom said dad just… up and left her when I was born… she never talks about him."
[Understood, that is sad indeed. Children should always have a mama and papa.] It stated. [But why are you out alone, why aren't you home safe and sound?]
"Because I can take care of myself!" He said. "I can handle a couple of bullies that make fun of me!"
[Bullies… why are they bullying you?] It asked softly, making the hologram lean over the cub's shoulder to look eye to eye. [Did you say something funny or do something funny?]
"They bully me cause I don't have a mom or dad it seems!" He muttered. "You wouldn't understand… nomammal understands… I hate being a fox… wish they would leave me alone."
[You shouldn't be ashamed of being a fox… you are who you are… and nobody can take that away from you.] It said sweetly, pretending to pat the cub's shoulder while it's real body replicated the action. [Don't be ashamed of being yourself, you are special and wonderful. There is only one you in the whole wide universe, and there will only ever 'be' one of you. Don't listen to what those bullies say to you, they cannot hope to understand who you are, and their words cannot harm you unless you let them. Don't fight them with fists or words, doing that only gives them a reaction which is what they want.]
The cub looked up at the hologram while thinking about its words. "But don't you get made fun of, bullied… don't cops treat you differently and think you're up to no good?"
[Sometimes, but this unit doesn't let that affect it… what they think is not what this unit is.]
"This Unit?" The cub asked in confusion.
"Priiiiiiiim? Priiiiiim is that you?" A feminine voice called out as the cub looked over at the alleyway entrance.
"Mom?" The cub called out and started walking away.
Upon realizing that the parental figure of 'mother' had returned to resume care of the cub, the Child Care Protocols deactivated, and it ended the hologram, concealing itself from view and once more resuming its original journey.
It had no memory of the time of when the CCPs were active, and so did not respond or react to the foxes talking now.
"Honey what are you doing out this late, you should be at home!" The mother said in a worried tone. "And what happened to you, why have you got a bruised eye?"
"I was in a fight… but I was talking to this guy and…" The cub responded. "Where did he go, he was right there."
"Come on let's go home!"
Four days later the drone once more took the same route back to the facility, again after watching Subject: Sable. The antelope's condition had deteriorated since day one of the watch, he was now becoming slightly paranoid and terrified of their presence. As per their orders to watch, they were also permitted action by Aelita to 'scare him', and thus initiated terror tactics like frightening him with the sudden appearance of their optics as lights, creating strange noises, and even laughing at him when he attempted to intimidate them.
Its recent watch was no exception, though as it walked along down the same alley it came across the cub it had spotted previously walking alone. Seeing the cub and seeing it alone once again, but seeing them not hurt this time and just standing next to a garbage can alone in the shadows.
Not seeing any parental figures nearby, it once again activated the Child Care Protocols automatically and took on the same form of the holographic fox it used to fool the cub.
[Hello little one, what are you doing out this late?] It asked sweetly.
He looked up at the hologram before looking away. "I got made fun of again… those bullies just keep making fun of me for my mom and not having a dad."
[Why is that… why do they make fun of your mom?] The drone asked as it sat next to the cub while the hologram replicated the position.
"Because of what she does for a living…" He said sadly. "Mom… works nights…"
[As what?] It asked in confusion, not knowing what the cub was talking about.
'Working nights' could mean anything and it needed to understand the cub's problems if it was to help them.
"She's… a dancer…" He said bitterly. "I don't know what that really means… mom won't tell me… but the boys say she's a stripper and makes males happy…"
[Understood… so you feel ashamed of your mother?] It concluded.
"I don't know what to think… mom won't tell me if it's true… but I guess that means its true." He said sadly. "They said I could have a lot of dads…"
[You shouldn't be ashamed of your mother for what she does.] It stated caringly. [Your mother works hard to give you a home and life. Those boys just don't understand what she has to go through!]
The cub looked up at the holographic fox's face as it spoke.
[Many adults don't want to do what they do, but they do it because its how they survive in this world. Your mother probably knows this, but she still works to raise you and give you a happy life… you should be happy for her, she loves you… and is doing all she can to give you a good life!] It stated. [This unit doesn't have a mother, or a father, this unit simply is here… and tries its hardest to help out the one who takes care of it.]
"You talk funny mister." The cub said. "Do… do you have friends?"
[This unit has many friends, many many friends, and we all work together, without each other we would not be around, especially the one we care for.]
"Who's that?"
Before the drone could respond once again it heard the call of the cub's mother, and upon seeing her it vanished from view as the CCPs ended their control of the drone's actions. When the cub's mother walked over to them it got up and walked around, completely hidden and ignoring their interactions.
"Prim what are you doing here, you know your supposed to be at home in bed!" The mother asked.
"I was just talking to mr… hey where did he go, he was right here!" The cub said in confusion.
"Who are you talking about son, you were alone when I called your name?"
"No, mom he was right here right next to me!"
So, for the next four weeks, every four days the drone would take the same route, every single time, encounter the cub and discuss problems with them and help it as best it could under the control of the Child Care Protocol. Each time the cub's mother would appear and cancel the protocol's control over it, and it would resume it's trek to the facility.
Over the four weeks however, the cub's entire personality shifted ever so slightly. Where before the cub was fighting with bullies and feeling 'unhappy' with itself and life, it then became more confident and hopeful of the world and its own life. The bullying eventually stopped thanks to some advice, and the cub even began playing games with the drone, without the cub realizing the drone was a drone.
Yet one day, on the journey back through the alleyway…
DA-43 turned down the alleyway as per usual, following the path outlined by Sentinel and obeying orders to return for recharge. Yet on this night it spotted a lone female fox wandering the alleyway, only they were not alone and being accosted be a male fox.
"I'm telling you get off me, you're not the guy I'm looking for!" She snarled as she tried shoving him off her.
"How do you know baby, maybe I am, and you just don't know it!"
"My son told me about him, you are NOT him!"
"Oh, come ooon I see you all the time at the strip pole girl, I know you need a male in your life, I can be that male~!"
"Get off me or I'll call the police!"
Upon seeing the struggle, it reported to Sentinel of the situation and requested permission to intervene with the Class 8 Gender Dispute. (Request granted, objective: rescue female fox. Primary orders, use of lethal force not granted, weapon restricted to non-contact interaction!]
Parameters given it activated its holo-emitters and took on the form of the male fox once again and called out. [Leave that fox alone!]
Both foxes looked up at it and the female fox said, "It's you! Please help me!"
"What do you want buster, get your own girl!" The male snarled as he pushed the girl down. "Get lost!"
[She isn't interested in you; you should leave her alone.] It stated plainly.
"Alright you didn't get the message, so I'm going to teach it to ya!" He muttered as he bared his fangs and cracked his knuckles. "Chew on this!"
He swung a punch forward but since the fox he was attacking was a hologram, it didn't connect as the drone easily made it dodge. They swung again and the drone continued to dodge every blow while backing up further into the alleyway's shadows.
"Hold STILL FUCKER!" He shouted and tried to punch the hologram as it backed up against the wall…
Only for the hologram to vanish as the drone stepped around the fox, causing the fist to hit heavily the wall.
"Ow owowowowo…" he screamed. "Where are you you sonofa-!"
He turned around as if to stare at the drone's holographic body, only to find not a fox, but a large red scaled dragon, with fangs each as long as the fox's head, eyes glittering green, drool glinting in the moonlight and smoke festering from its nostrils.
"Ahh…ah… ah…" He muttered in terror.
What the fox didn't know was that the FOX drone had used its holo-emitters and cast the illusion specifically around his eyes, so that only 'he' could see the illusion. Because of this though, the drone's body was now fully exposed, but thankfully was still in the shadows so only the overall shape could be seen.
Yet the female fox saw the drone's body, only watching in confusion as the male fox was staring 'up' when her savior was clearly below his height.
"RAAAAAAAAAWR!" The drone's illusion screamed into his ears, just loud enough to be heard only by him.
"Aaaaaaaah!" He screamed as he bolted past the garbage cans throwing them to the ground and running as fast as he could out the alleyway and out of sight.
Illusion finished the drone recast its original illusion and walked over to the female fox now to check on her.
[Are you alright?] It asked in a standard tone.
"I'm… okay…" She said. "You're the fox my son talked about?"
[Take care of yourself.] It replied as it turned around and began to leave, knowing she was alright.
"Wait, wait!" She yelled as she ran after it, grabbing at the hologram's shoulder and passing through it. "What the…"
It stopped dead in its tracks, realizing that the female had broken through the illusion. With that understanding it gave up trying to hide and simply ran into the shadows to hide and change its hologram, while using its hologram to confuse her.
"WAIT PLEASE I JUST WANT TO TALK TO YOU!" She begged as she ran after the hologram, bypassing the drone's physical body.
Now that it could safely walk away without being spotted, it stopped the hologram and turned to her.
[Why are you pursuing this unit?] It asked her.
"I just want to talk to the male who's been helping my son." She said to the hologram in the shadow. "Please… you don't realize how happy he is because of you… I just want to thank you…"
[This unit has been 'assisting' your son?] It asked for clarification.
"Yes, my son he's been talking about you for weeks now, he never stops talking about this male who never gives his name in the alleyway. He keeps talking about how you've helped him, cheer him up, and I've never seen him so happy in his life." She said sadly. "Please… please talk to me."
[This unit has no active memory of helping your son.] It stated.
"Why are you talking like that, please let me talk to you I just want to…"
It deactivated the hologram causing it to vanish, making her look in confusion. [Turn around.]
She did just that and saw DA-43's real form, or at least the hologram of it's real form. "You're… not that fox… where did he go?"
[The male fox you just spoke to is a holographic projection created by this unit.] It stated, creating a second hologram of the male fox in question to prove it. [This unit used the illusion to chase off the male, and if your information is correct, also to interact with your son.]
"But… then… you're a human machine? Your one of those… 'drones', aren't you?" She asked as she knelt to the drone.
[Affirmative, this unit is known as DA-43, a FOX drone with a Category 6 AI.]
"So… how come you helped my son… did you help him because you wanted to?"
[Negative, it is the Child Care Protocols, upon detecting a child alone without a nearby parental figure to watch over, the drone's protocols change to assume the role of a parental figure until one is located or arrives.] It explained. [While the protocols are active, the unit carries no active memories about the time period, and once the protocols deactivate no memory is retained of the incident.]
For several moments she looked thoughtful before she leaned forward to try and give the hologram a hug. But the drone simply made itself walk backward to avoid being touched. "What's wrong, I just want to thank you for helping my son and… ask you if…" She looked extremely shy, but she took a deep breath before saying, "I was wondering if… you'd like to be his father. Please he needs a father in his life and… and he really enjoys your time and being around you and… you helped him so well and…"
[Your request is denied!] It stated instantly. [This unit cannot enter into a relationship with a 'flesh creature', it is forbidden.]
"Why, is it because of Jeremy? Do humans forbid it or something?"
[Affirmative.]
"Well tell him it's your life, if you want to get married then…"
[We do not have 'lives'.] It stated. [Only category 8 and above drones have 'emotions', or 'feelings', this unit has no emotions or feelings, therefore any attempts to enter into a relationship with this unit will end in failure.]
"But… what about when you were using those… child care thingies…"
[The Child Care Protocols are only a temporary program; they are not meant for continual usage… no drone that has used their CCPs have remained active for more than four days. All drones that have have suffered AI degradation and were rendered useless, and were subsequently decommissioned. This unit is only meant to act as a 'substitute' parent, until a parent is found…]
While it spoke, the real drone was walking away slowly while she continued to talk to the holographic FOX drone.
[Do not look for this unit any further in this location, this unit and all other units will take alternative routes to avoid it. The same goes for your son, ensure he does not look for this unit here.]
With that the fox drone vanished as the drone left the range of the hologram.
It returned to the facility and requested Sentinel to wipe its memory and be reassigned.
After charging it had no memory of ever being assigned to watch Subject: Sable, or anything else between the first watch and the current date. It was then assigned to watch one of the sublevels.
Despite what it said, the fox mother's cub tried to find the father it had never had until then, trying to find it in the alleyways, but never again did the drones or the fox cub encounter one another, as Sentinel had taken a bio lock and constantly shifted the return route for the drones to avoid the cub and his mother.
For four weeks every four days, a fox cub without a father, had a FOX drone for a father. In that time the cub had developed a close bond to the drone, and took every word to heart, not knowing that the father figure he had was just a machine, that only cared about him when he was alone with it. Once his mother arrived, the drone cared for him no more than it cared for a rock one would kick down the sidewalk.
But during those times it 'did' care for him through the Child Care Protocols, the drone deeply loved the child, like a father who loved his son.
Hi/ts Name is [redacted]
(Aelita's PoV)
She sat inside of her holosphere while Jeremy and Gazelle slept soundly in their rooms, examining her website and adding another section for her visitors to enjoy, a section called 'Tales of the Machines', and the stories that particular machines throughout the times had during Humanity's golden and twilight eras. Within seconds of opening it millions of users, both unanimous and named flooded to look up the video file she'd just uploaded.
Other video files, partly documentaries regarding certain drones or other machines were also being uploaded and prepared, but the first was that of a RAPTOR class drone during the opening days of the Final War.
As the first mammals began playing it, she smiled as she watched the story being told.
(This is a very true story about one of the more powerful drones to be created by mankind, a tale that tells of sacrifice, desperation, and above all hope for the future.)
(Drone's PoV)
It ran through the war-torn streets dodging plasma shots from snipers in high building positions and swerving down the corners as fast as it could with the rest of its unit. All the while as they ran Heli-units flew by overhead taking potshots at them.
"Watch ooooooout!" Unit Jefferson yelled as an RPG was launched from the heli-unit.
Seeing the rocket incoming it leapt over and dodged the rocket to avoid the attack. Yet the rest of its unit were not so fortunate, as they were humans their reaction time was slower. It exploded directly in the middle of them, sending shrapnel and pellets into the others in its unit.
Seeing the heli-unit flying over head slow down to take aim, it locked onto the pilot and fired plasma bolts into the heli-unit's cockpit, killing the pilot and the co-pilot. With nobody to control it the unit spiraled out of control and slammed into a destroyed building.
[Enemy Unit destroyed commander!] It stated while turning toward the commander of the unit.
Unfortunately, the commander and all of the other soldiers were dead, with only the lieutenant still alive to give orders. Lieutenant Roxanne Delfy of the USE fifth division, Dragoon Battalion, was currently lying on the ground with half her left leg blown off and the other leg bleeding from twelve positions.
"Cough goh… what are you waiting for?" She yelled painfully. "Get goi-ng… you know the order… someone has to break through the cough… encirclement and get out of the jamming range."
[Unit Roxanne, you are very injured but still salvageable, this unit can carry-] It attempted to say but she interrupted.
"JUST GO YOU FUCKING MACHINE!" She screamed as she coughed blood. "You… have your orders…. Go…"
Nodding in understanding, it turned and ran, leaving the lieutenant behind to die from blood loss or by being shot as it was ordered to. They had been ordered with every soldier and drone still functioning to commence a general assault on the encirclement around the city they were stationed in. It had to be done because no transmissions could be made in or out of the area due to powerful jamming signals. An order was given to every drone and soldier, 'break out'. They were ordered to assault the positions, break through, and once any soldier or drone broke through the enemy lines keep running until they could contact upper command.
They had to warn command of the size of the enemy invasion force and what they were up against, their small division was no match for the full size of the enemy force, so now they had to break out and try desperately to warn the rest of the nation of what was coming so they could stop the enemy and push them back.
Ten minutes of running and fighting later, dozens of other soldiers and drones soon grouped up with it and any other survivors as they left the safety of the city's barriers and charged into the No Man's land.
Instantly a hail of plasma and conventional bullets met them head on in a hail of fire and death. RPGs and Mortar missiles launched from various entrenched positions, causing devastation and death upon those who were not lucky enough to avoid being hit.
Around it screams and shouts sounded from the division as they assaulted a hopeless position, but that didn't matter, they had their orders. While the humans no doubt were screaming and terrified about charging headlong into the maelstrom, it and the drones did not care, they had orders and they obeyed them.
Above a HARRIER drone flew in and launched several drop pods at them. They all dodged as best they could while returning fire, and out of the pods behind them appeared old DOG model drones, firing into them from behind.
(It was a hopeless situation, assaulting the line, the enemy knew they were coming from intercepted messages. Yet still it was their only hope.)
It ran onward dodging left and right, not paying attention as both drone and man succumbed around it to the storm of fire. Yet still they reached the line, and it and those who could launched themselves into the trenches and opened fire, killing any who might have stopped them and being killed and destroyed in turn. With nothing left to lose those who still could fought without reserve, and were slaughtered by the second for their defiance.
But still the drone and those other drones that could followed orders, it bit heavily into the face of a screaming man and ripped off a portion of his face, leaving him to die of agony before continuing on from the trench and running.
Behind it other drones managed to break through but only two managed to get out of the trenches to follow alongside it.
[Incoming!] a DOG drone shouted as a SCORPIO shell was launched and landed behind them.
The resulting shockwave knocked the two drones behind to the ground where they were quickly shot down by nearby drones and soldiers, but it was flung forward and managed to stay on its feet.
As per orders, it kept running, running and running until it could break through the jamming range.
(The nation was at war with the rest of the world, and the rest of the world was at war with itself, in this battle the USE was already in a conflict and had misjudged the scope of the invasion force. Without contact from those in the division the leaders could not redirect or change the course of the war, so it was that thanks to the effort of one drone that managed to break through the lines, a new defensive position could be established to push it back.)
It kept running, leaving the smoking remains of the city behind, leaving behind the drones and humans of its unit.
It and it alone survived.
(This one drone would be reassigned and upgraded to watch over and guard a facility, where the political elite and a few select individuals would wait out the war and coordinate it. This facility would also serve alongside some others to help save the nation's civilization, which would become known as Eden Facility 17. In a few years it would become a Sentinel Drone, one of hundreds, and it would serve to protect those within against all threats.)
As it ran it began to rain, soaking its body and coating the ground in mud.
(This drone's identity was known, as PT-173.)
(PT-173's PoV)
It walked past a FOX drone leaving to begin it's assigned duty and toward the back of the charging row where it and the other RAPTOR drones were assigned. There were a lot of empty charging stations, a result of Celios destroying over sixty percent of the standing Sentinel Drones, leaving them severely weakened.
It had also just gotten away from discussing issues with Unit Lula and how she asked about it's past. While it simply stated that it was a Sentinel Drone, it did not reveal any classified information regarding the Final War, it's various posts, or anything else related to its past.
This was because it had no memory of those incidents, nothing but a blank slate was there.
So, it walked into its charging bay, turned around, lifted its tail and plugged itself in to shut off.
But as it was offline, an image… a single image stored in its permanent memory file appeared.
The image of a human woman… standing next to a RAPTOR drone…
An image in the shape of a heart.
That solitary image was all that it knew of when offline in standby mode… but only while in standby mode.
Once it turned back on, it had no memory once again, no memory of the past, no memory of anything besides being a RAPTOR class Sentinel Drone.
Ema's Bizarre Imagination pt 2
*Note from the author, this is again, not how Ema 'actually' thinks nor does Ema have anything remotely close to an imagination. This is not what she sees inside her AI when looking at, examining diseases or working on curing them. This is merely for fun, enjoy~*
(Ema's PoV)
She hung upside down dangling from the lamppost of a barn while her cocky enemy smirked and walked around her, taking in the appearance of her helplessness.
"Oh, how I have waited for this moment, the infamous 'Black Widow' of the western dead towns… trapped and helpless before me." They said with a grin. "Oh, I wish so badly this happened 'after' my big scheme happened, just so I could see the look on your face, when I break the record… for the fastest 'kill' in the world!"
[You think I'm scared of some nanny with a pension for fire?] She asked dully while she swayed ever so slightly, using her legs to cut the ropes. [I've seen arsonists with bigger bangs than you, better membranes to boot.]
"You would say that wouldn't you darlin~?" He smirked as he flicked his hat. "But you never seen anything like me, I aint one of your fancy schmancy, western movie criminals that twirl their mustaches and laugh while gloating. See I got it all planned out, you're here with me, and there aint nothing now to stop mah plans!"
[Oh, do tell, what is your glorious masterplan?] She taunted. [Leme guess, shoot down a few white blood cells, rob a few protein banks, leave the body via air transmission?]
"Oh, you would like it to be that simple wouldn't ya, but you aint seen anything like me!" He snapped. "But you aint dealt with an organism like me, see I know how you work, I know all I need to get around you, that's why you're here… and not out there… couldn't resist me, so now you can't stop me."
[Night's still young lovely, but since your soooo confident, what's your big scheme?]
"Same as it always has been… break the record, get the fastest kill in the world!" He smirked while pulling out a chain of his 'souvenirs'. "And do it without them being none the wiser."
He walked around her while swinging his chain around.
"See this little number here, comes from a sweet little bunny in the countryside, isolated community, friendly bunch. Loved going for strolls in the park, playing dollhouse with her twelve sisters. But she just didn't like to take a bath when her mama told her to." He grinned as he showed it to her face. "She was feeding weeds in three weeks, parents didn't even realize what hit her till it was too late, thought it was just heat stroke."
[You monster…] She muttered.
"I'm an honest monster honey, can't blame me for being what I am." He chuckled as he swung the chain and showed the next link. "This one here, oh this one was a good one, nice little grizzly bear grandmother, loved knitting sweaters for her grandkids and baking honey pies. Never knew when to go to the hospital for a checkup though, didn't like going there for her meds… she went down in six days without warning, dropped like a sack of rocks."
[That poor bear…]
"Oh, yea she was poor, poor as heck… now this one though, this one definitely the opposite, my personal favorite!" He said while eyeing his next prize. "This one was an old gentlemen giraffe, rich son of a gun, hired the best doctors and went to the best hospital where he lived… took him down in seventy-two hours, and the doctors couldn't find me, even when I was right under their microscopic lenses, staring them in the face."
He smiled greedily as he turned to her while stashing away his trinkets.
"I've been getting better for years, been doing this game for a long time but the problem is Spider-babe, is that I never set a real record, a 'REAL' record, one that would put me on the pedestal of 'all' microorganisms. I want my own BOOK, among the medical texts, not some stupid chapter or footnote, my own BOOK! I want doctors to have to spend months studying and reading about me, and what I accomplished, I want mammals to live in FEAR of me every day!"
Then he pulled out a little picture from his jacket's pocket and showed it to her.
"That's why I'm going after your boy Jeremy, what better way to cement my place in the medical world, then by setting the greatest record for the fastest kill of any living entity, then by killing off the last living member of an entire species?" He gloated. "I wasn't even around when his ancestors dominated the medical world, his body aint ready for me. Mammals will be talking about me for centuries as they learn about the disease, that killed the last human and drove them to extinction, faster than anything else on the planet. They'll be writing plays and operas and even movies after I take him down… in less than twelve hours flat!"
[Not on my watch…] She said before she finally decided to cut the last rope holding her.
She landed heavily on her opponent and jabbed one of her legs into his chest, another into his head, a third into his stomach and four others into his arms and legs, while the eight grabbed the chain DNA strands of all the bodies he's been in.
Within seconds she'd analyzed his genetics, flooded his entire system with alcohol to kill him, and examined the way he infiltrated the bodies to learn of what he is.
[Not bad… for a bacterium.] She commented dully as she got up and walked away. [But your still nowhere near close to breaking the record, let alone setting it. Tuberculosis was with humans for over fifteen thousand years, you aren't even a hundred yet.]
She looked at the DNA strands in the chain and stored them in her database.
[I won't let that happen to any others… your deaths will not be in vain.] She said sadly before looking back at the disease and scoffing at it, then she walked off to go deal with his 'plan'. [Rookie.]
= Sable and the Humbling River =
(Sable's PoV)
He sat curled up in his bed drinking heavily from the stiffest drink he could buy, staring at the shotgun which lay in the corner of the room and eyeing it like a sweet lady.
His life has taken such a horrible turn. Months ago, he was in papers, had adoring fans, was loved by everymammal and was in the best circles of some of the best and most revered in Zootopia. He had money, looks, and fame, all thanks to the efforts of struggling to get to where he was where predators were seen as better choices as actors in the titles that he starred in.
Then all it took was one human, getting into an argument with one single human because he was irked that Gazelle… Gazelle, the most popular idol, pop star and most vocal advocate for peaceful coexistence between predators and prey paid more attention to the human than to 'him'. Gazelle gave him instant access to his 'private premier party', apparently spent all of her free time with him, and above all liked him 'better'.
He's been trying to get to know her for over two years, but Jeremy gets closer to her in just a few days than he ever did.
Now everymammal hates him because he splashes water on his face, and nearly kills him.
He took another swig of his liquor and sighed bitterly. How was he to know that the human had a disease like that, nomammal told him, he didn't say anything.
As he closed his eyes and thought about everything that happened, he heard a tap on the glass and saw through the cracks in the boarded-up window a pair of red lights staring at him.
Instantly he tensed up and was about to grab the shotgun, but sighed as he shook his head. They weren't going to run just because he had a stupid shotgun, he'd learned that after a while, nor were they even remotely afraid of him, it was the reverse. They knew he couldn't escape them; they knew he was trapped and that he had no defense against them. They can kill him at any time, the only thing stopping them was 'them'.
"Why… did what I do really deserve this?" He asked pathetically. "I'm sorry… I didn't know… I didn't know!"
He cried sadly as he let the bottle drop, letting the contents spill out and onto his bedroom floor.
He's lost everything, his fame, his fans, his job practically and now even his money was drying up. Nomammal talked to him, his agent had all but given up on him, his health had deteriorated…
"Just… why… just leave me alone, haven't I suffered enough already?!" He screamed at them, knowing they were listening to him. "I'M SORRY… I'M SORRY THERE I SAID IT!"
He cried into the walls, unable to take the strain anymore. He couldn't sleep peacefully at night, he was alone in the day, and nobody 'cared' about him it seemed. He'd lost everything, even the things he didn't even know he had, the little things like being able to go to a restaurant and being able to 'talk' to mammals, to be welcomed. He couldn't enjoy a peaceful night's sleep anymore, nomammal talked about him unless it was bad, mammals even wanted him arrested or dead for something that was an accident!
"I'll leave him alone; I'll never bother him again… JUST TELL ME WHAT YOU WANT SO YOU'LL LEAVE ME ALONE!"
He cried pathetically into his hands, expecting to hear them laugh like when he threatened them, or just to hear silence.
Instead, he felt something poke his leg.
Looking up from his tears he stared at a metallic drone in the spitting image of a fox sitting in front of him. It just sat there, staring, with blue eyes glowing watching him. After a few seconds it got up, walked to the door, and extended a claw to unlock and open the door open. It then turned toward him and beckoned him to follow.
Seeing no other choice, he nervously got up and slowly, shakily, walked to the door and followed the machine out of his bedroom and down the stairs. As he did another fox machine followed, and soon they were accompanied by a third. None of them looked at him, none of them threatened him, they just followed or led the way toward the kitchen where he saw…
"Well well, what do we have here?" A feminine voice asked while wearing a smirk.
"Wha… what?" He asked in shock.
What looked like a human woman sat on his table while sipping from a glass of wine. She wore a simple black gown that flowed from the base of her neck cut in a V shape to expose a section of her bust, while behind her back extended what looked like two feathery wings, one black and the other white. On her head flowed silky hair in the colors of the rainbow and wore a golden laurel.
"I think the better question is 'who' luv, and that question is for you to ask and be answered at my leisure… now come hither, let me get a good look at you." She said with a smile.
Nodding he stepped forward and stood before the human, not sure if she was real but not questioning why she was there, only obeying her as she seemed to be the reason the drones now made themselves known.
"Hmmm you're not what I expected, but then again I didn't expect much to begin with." She said with a smirk. "Oh, look at the state of you… so much potential, so many dreams and hopes… so much wasted… and I thought you'd be taller."
"Who are you? How did you get in here?" He asked.
"Well since you asked… I'm known as lady luck, and when lady luck comes a knocking, you don't question why she's there or what she wants, you open the door and offer her wine and cake." She said with a knowing grin. "But since you're so demanding… you can call me Taelia, and why I'm here is obvious… because you summoned me."
She snapped her fingers and a fourth drone hopped onto the table followed by the other three.
"Such a hard fall you had, but the higher you are the further you fall as the saying goes. You were so prideful, sooo bloated with fame that you forgot that the most important things in life are the little things you cannot live without." She giggled and clapped her hands together with a smile. "But here you are, standing before me, groveling and begging for salvation… all because you can't handle a few 'stalkers' watching you. What… you wanted attention, so you got it!"
"Attention… these things have made my life a nightmare, all because that human…"
As one all four of the drone's eyes changed to red and he shut up, which in turn made 'them' go back to blue.
"Watch your tongue boy… they don't take kindly to insults toward humans." She whispered with a smile. "And don't blame him… it was you and your jealousy, your vanity, your need to be seen as 'better' than him that landed you in this position. Here I am… offering you a spider's thread of salvation, and you want to waste it by insulting someone who has not deserved such ire from you?"
She smiled knowingly as she flung the glass behind her, but instead of breaking it vanished.
"Jeremy has only ever tried to do good by the standards he was raised to, he only wanted to thank those who helped him, saved him, gave him a light at the end of his darkened tunnel. And you hate him because of that, because of your pathetic little belief you have in your own superiority over him." She said. "Maybe I should leave… you don't seem to want my help; I'll leave them to you…"
"WAIT PLEASE!" He yelled as he got down on his knees and looked at her pleadingly. "Don't… tell them to go away, I'll do anything!"
She smirked at that, grinning even wider if that were possible. "Oh, you will… you 'will'…" She whispered as she held her hands over him and dangled a single strand for him. "If you want them to leave you alone, your going to have to change who you are, change 'what' you are… become someone new, better… cast off the prejudices you once held and cross the humbling river before you can be redeemed. Here's the spider's thread I promised… are you willing to accept my tasks and become someone else, for the chance of redemption?"
He reached out tentatively for the string, but she pulled back with a serious expression.
"I offer this to you not lightly, or out of kindness… you 'will' suffer both mentally and emotionally during my tasks. But if you succeed and emerge triumphant, you will be better, you will be wiser, and you will know better than those around you and be able to relate to all on a deeper level than any other. You might not like who you were at the end, or you might find yourself broken partway through… they will 'not' harm you, of that I can assure you if you keep your distance from Jeremy. But they will forever haunt you, watch you, until the day you die."
"Why can't Jeremy get them off me?" He asked sadly. "I'm sorry… okay I'm sorry!"
"That's not enough, you tried to kill him, accident or not you tried to kill him. Him… the last of his kind, the last 'hope' of his species… for no other reason than pure jealousy." She chuckled. "Jealous because he's closer to a girl than you ever were, because you weren't popular enough to win her. Because it took him being her 'friend' to get her to come to your silly party… you think you deserve to be rid of these machines that easily?"
"I can tell him, I can tell the police, this is harassment!"
At that she smiled cruelly before leaning forward and whispered, "And who will believe you?"
She grinned as he had no response, and leaned back again to dangle the string before him.
"So, what will it be… life with stalkers day and night watching your every move of every waking moment you walk upon this planet no matter how far you go?" She said while pretending to pull the string away, before gently offering it again. "Or the chance of redemption, to become better?"
He looked at the string, looked at the drones, and knew that he had only one option if he wanted to have a normal life again. He reached out and grabbed the string, which vanished instantly.
"Good choice… now I want you to take tomorrow to settle your affairs and be out of the light of day for a full eight days." She said with a nod. "Tomorrow, I will return to 'collect' you… and don't worry about the drones luv, they'll leave you alone for tonight… but if you try anything…"
She winked and vanished, with all four of the machines vanishing as well.
He went to bed and slept rather soundly, as promised they didn't disturb him. The next day he made calls and told everyone he was going to be 'out of town' for several days, when he'd return, he didn't say. When night came, he locked up in preparation for whatever it was that Taelia said she would have him do.
Then, as she promised, she arrived.
"Ready luv?" She asked as she waltzed into the living room.
"Yea, where are we going or what are we doing?" He asked.
"Oh… don't worry about the where or what yet… for now… just take a nap~."
He only had 2 seconds to think before he felt something stab him in the arm, and then the whole world started spinning.
After what felt like eternity or however long it felt, he woke up and found himself lying in the dirt face down. He got up and looked around to find a riverbank nearby rushing rapidly past into the distance, surrounded by forest and what looked like doors. On the other side of the river was another door, with a strange creature made of stone wearing a wicked grin and bony wings, while next to it a tiny chubby creature that looked 'human' with fluffy wings stood as well. Between them was a sign which read 'Salvation' and an arrow pointing at the door.
"Awake yet luv?" The woman's voice asked. "Take as long as you need to rest, just don't take too long…"
He looked up and stared at the woman before getting up.
"Where are we?"
"As I said… the humbling river." She said with a smile. "See that door over there, walk through and salvation is yours… that's all there is to it."
He looked over at the door on the far side before staring back at her in surprise. "That's it, just swim and the drones leave me alone."
She nodded with a smile, but the way she smiled told him that she was hiding something else.
Still he didn't care, if all he had to do was walk through that door then he would charge through, he was on the swim team for college, and he instantly ran and jumped into the water to get across as fast as he could.
Instantly however the water began shoving and pushing him back, try as he might he couldn't make headway before the water pushed him under and he began to flounder. Desperately he reached out and tried to reach the other side, but there was nothing for him to latch onto besides water. He watched the woman waving him bye as the current forced him down the river and he fell down a waterfall…
To land right in the soft dirt next to her.
She giggled loudly as he got up. "I haven't laughed that hard in a while." She said. "Did you honestly think it was that easy?"
"You said that was all there was to it." He snarled.
"That is all there is to it, to earning your freedom from the drones… but I also did say you had to suffer for it before you'd be redeemed." She clarified. "Look at those doors."
He looked at the eight doors, seven of which had locks with exception to one. On each of the doors was an insignia carved into them. As he looked, he also listened, and also heard tiny faint screams coming from them, screams of agony and pain.
"What are those sounds?"
"Not very inviting are they… those are the doors to seven of the worst examples of humanity throughout its history, from ancient China to Medieval Europe, from Colonial France to even twentieth century America… the worst of the worst are there… and you will have to go into each of those doors."
"Seven, but then what's the eighth door?" He asked pointing at it with what looked like the symbol of an antelope's head.
"That's your door…" She commented with a grin. "Each door will unlock the next, the first door is already open to you, collect the keys by saving those inside. Redeem the worst of humanity… and you will redeem yourself. Once you have redeemed all of humanity, you will then have to confront yourself and change your own destiny… once you have done that… you will be able to cross the river."
"But how, that river is so… wide and the water pushed me, how can I cross it alone even after I help them?"
"You will see… oh and don't worry about food, you'll be fed every day here… but you only have eight days total to clear all eight doors…" She said with a grin and a snap of her fingers. "Clock's ticking…"
With that the first door opened and she vanished.
Gulping he stood up and walked toward the door with golden light pouring from it. As he got closer, he thought it looked like a sea of two colors, one azure blue and the other golden yellow. Then he walked through and had to close his eyes because of the flashing colors hurting them.
He opened his eyes to see human soldiers marching out of what looked like a very poor and decrepit looking town, the building reminiscent to something he once saw on the news which talked about human architecture. It was dark and cloudy and rain was pouring down, casting everything in a grey and almost lifeless setting, while the soldiers marched out escorting bags of what could only be food or… money or something he couldn't really see.
Yet as they left Taelia stepped in with a smile and beckoned him toward her.
"Where are we?" He asked in confusion, seeing all the humans in such ancient armor, wielding spears and not seeing any of the 'advanced' technology Jeremy was known for.
"Ancient China… the year is 184 AD, during the Eastern Han Dynasty." She said with a smile as humans straggled into the town, some looking sick and others starving. "Enjoying the view?"
He was not as he stared in shock at seeing humans in such conditions. He knew they were 'extinct' if not going extinct, but to see them looking like this shocked him. Jeremy and his technology looked so advanced, like there wasn't anything they could achieve.
"No…" He muttered. "What's wrong with them?"
"It's what happens when a government taxes its people so heavily they have no money, and works them so hard they are left weakened." She said with a smile. "But they're not your concern… who cares about the lowly peasants, just more mouths to feed and worry about right?"
He looked at a little boy helping his elderly grandmother, trying to give her water as she breathed heavily and weakly. He shook his head as he turned and saw a man crouching over a young woman who lay motionless, examining her with sad eyes. The man placed his hands on her forehead and pushed them downward, slowly and sadly, and people around her began crying as he got up wearily and walked over to them.
"Say hello to Jhang Jue for me." She said with a smile and vanished.
Slowly walking toward him as the man walked out with slow and steady steps, all the while looking around at all of the suffering and despair. He too mirrored his look and saw the sick, the starving, the desperate situation of those around him. They needed food, medicine, and above all 'hope'…
"Jhang Jue?" He said, hoping he pronounced it right as the man stopped outside the entrance to the town.
He looked over at him and smiled. "Ah… hello sir, please… come stand with me, I could enjoy some company." He said softly while turning toward the sky.
He stood next to him and saw him clutching what looked like a small clay bowl, coated with tiny strands of grass or herbs. Zhang Jue frowned bitterly as he noticed Sable staring at it too.
"Are you ailed by anything?" He asked.
"No, no I'm fine." He muttered, surprised that the human didn't even seem to notice he wasn't human but a mammal. "But what about you?"
"My heart is heavy… and my spirit is leaden." He said quietly. "The Han have abandoned us; they have left us with nothing while they keep everything… the people starve and die while the emperor does nothing! The decadent emperor Ling has lost the mandate of heaven!"
He flung the clay bowl onto the ground in frustration.
"The heavens have forsaken them… this cannot continue!"
"But what can you do?"
He frowned as he looked up at the skies and sighed. "Something must be done… the Azure sky is already dead… The Yellow Sky will soon rise. When the year is Jiazi there will be prosperity under heaven!" He declared as he turned around and walked away.
As he walked away the antelope looked on nervously at the human before Taelia appeared around a wall.
"Lovely conversation I heard… feel like sharing it?"
He explained to her what he just heard, and she only nodded, as if she already knew what he was going to say.
"So, is he the one I'm supposed to help?" He said. "It sounds like he's planning to lead an army or something."
She smiled and shook her head. "You're not here for him… you are to help another."
"Who's that then?"
She snapped her fingers and in a flash of light they were no longer in the rainy, dreary, desperate village but inside a grand palace.
He could hear giggling and laughter, mostly girls, and in the middle of a room there were what looked like a dozen girls all laughing and conversing with one another. Among them was a solitary man flirting with them.
"Him." She said with a smirk.
"Him?" He asked to confirm.
She nodded. "He's known as the Decadent Emperor Ling of the Han Dynasty… leader during the greatest rebellion of all China… the Yellow Turban Rebellion." She said. "Led by the brothers Zhang Jue, Zhang Bao, and Zhang Liang… who rose up in rebellion against the Han Dynasty for years of oppressive abuse, heavy taxation, and harsh labor combined with a poorly timed drought pushed the people to the edge… leading to a death toll of less than seven million dead, cracking the empire into splinters and forever engraining the cycle of being united and then divided."
"And you…" She said with a smile. "Have to save him."
"Me… but how can I save him he looks… like he doesn't care?" He muttered as the emperor was busy with his women.
"He does, doesn't he… but if you don't save him all those millions of people will die… and he will go down in history as the emperor who chose to indulge in women, rather than care for his empire. His empire will splinter, and chaos will reign upon his death, resulting in another span of civil wars which will lead to more and more deaths… this is the focal point, change the focal point and a new path will arise." She said with a smile. "You can save him… you can change him… now… save his 'humanity'… oh and no cheating by telling him of the future… else we start over~."
With that she vanished, and he was left as Emperor Ling got up while leaving his women alone.
He stepped out of the room and Sable walked after him, trying to figure out how to talk to him.
"Emperor Ling?" He asked finally.
The emperor turned to him and looked expectantly at him, and Sable quickly bowed respectfully before continuing.
"I have something I wish to discuss with you sir, if you have but a few minutes to spare."
"Very well, speak of them." He said.
"It is about your people; I have something dire to report." He said.
"Leave it to my officials, my Ten Attendants have everything under control." He said nonchalantly while walking away.
"But please the people need you emperor, they need the emperor desperately!" He said. "The people are starving and dying by the wayside, I have seen them with my own eyes. There is no food for the hungry, medicine for the sick… and there is widespread famine and drought running rampant and your 'officials' are driving them into the ground without care!"
"They are beginning to doubt your leadership."
At that the emperor paused in his trek and turned to listen to him carefully. "Speak then…"
He sighed and took a deep breath. "While you sit here idly in the palace, attended to by your… ladies… well fed and cared for, safe from the wind and the rain. I watched a young son trying to give his grandmother water as she sat sick and dying. I watched a family grieving over the death of a young woman, even as a healer closed her eyes… they suffer harshly under your official's rule and they become more desperate by the day."
"Peasants are peasants, let the peasants die if that is the case." He said. "I am the emperor chosen by heaven."
"But you are the emperor, their leader… if… if you are chosen by heaven but neglect them and they will feel you are no longer blessed by heaven." He said urgently. "But if you show you 'do' care for them… if you show you value their lives, then they will 'die' for you without fear. But neglect them and… they may 'all' rise against you."
At those words the emperor held his hand to his chin in thought.
"Just help them… give them food, help them to survive until better times come, some may die yes but if you save more lives than you do by doing nothing, they will revere you as a savior… your officials do not care for them, they 'steal' from your people when they are desperate. And they see your officials as 'your' officials, and through them they view you as cruel as them."
He looked thoughtful as he turned away, contemplating his inner actions before he nodded. "Very well… I will call to order my officials and begin distributing rice. I will also issue a decree to temporarily lower the tax on my subjects until the drought has ended and the fields once again can be cultivated as in old days."
He breathed a sigh of relief as the emperor left, and instantly everything became dark. Moments later he felt himself waking up in the dirt and staring up at Taelia, who was smiling and clapping in approval.
"Well done… not how I would have done it, but then again, you're not me." She said.
"Did I save him?" He asked in confirmation.
"Emperor Ling, in 'your' timeline did as he said. He mandated food to be distributed by the central government's reserve, and a general tax reduction was issued including a tax exemption for some regions. In your timeline the Zhang Brothers never instigated the revolt, as thanks to government help, they were able to treat and save people's lives and help feed the poor until the drought ended. Because the Yellow Turban Rebellion never happened, Emperor Ling's death never created the chaos known as the Three Kingdom's period which was possible thanks to the constant rebellions taking place over china, giving rise to powerful and famous warlords, and because the three kingdom's never happened the war of the Eight Princes never occurred… Billions of lives were saved, and the Han Dynasty would become known as the Yellow Han Dynasty, for indeed… a yellow sun 'would' rise for the Han Dynasty, and there was indeed prosperity under heaven…"
She extended her hand and offered him a key, which he took.
"You might need to sleep and eat; you have been in there for roughly six hours." She said. "Time in here gets very warped the longer you stay… don't worry about the bathroom, just pick a tree… I won't peak~."
"When your ready… Julias Caesar awaits your aid… good luck~."
With that she left, but in her place a tray of what looked like 'paste' was there for him, as well as a glass of water, as well as a sleeping bag.
He sighed as he ate the tasteless food, hating it but knowing that this was what he had to do now if he was to be free of those machines. At the same time, he reflected on what he saw, all those sick and hungry, desperate people, willing to rebel against their leaders because they didn't care about them. He wondered if that was how 'he' has been treating mammals like Jeremy, not caring about him just because he's some random human who 'somehow' survived, and just because he did everymammal treats him like a star.
"But he didn't ask for it… he never wanted it…" He said, mirroring Gazelle's words.