Unmei Force: Inherited Wills

Extra Chapter 2: Birth of an Android's Dream

A few moments after the departure of the Unmei Force...

As the holographic form of DW watched as the heroes leave the facility, before boarding their transport ship, which then warped back to where the GFS Ryujin was, along with its escort, all of them which seemed to have not done a single thing other than observing and waiting, since the trials started. He then closed the video feed showing the outside of the floating island, before he then turned back to the drone, which went into sleep mode, when its purpose was fulfilled.

"It seems that existence itself is changing again, with the fruits of my labour." DW remarked, as he smiled faintly, looking around. "After spending centuries upon centuries to create all of this, and set all these events into motion... Every moment I have dedicated... Every single moment was worth it. To watch my own success."

DW then turned back to the large console, specifically the monitor, looking up at the large one above him. "Time for you to wake up, sleeping princess, you have been put on standby mode for long enough already." DW stated. "Initiate Reveille Protocol. Authorisation Code: 9572-RGHS."

There was a moment of silence, before the entire console began to create a massive whirring sound, akin the sound of a computer handling a extremely straining task, before a window appeared on the screen, as it was blank for a few moments with a black background, before lines of white code flashed through it, as a speed that no human could read at, before the window then changed into a display showing a familiar face, which seemed to be a bit static-like and was entirely blue with white outlines, but it was easy to recognise who it was, as it was a girl with fox-like ears, with short hair that seemed to be styled like Richard's own, save for the way that it was styled messily, making it look a little ruffled. She then slowly opened her eyes.

"Mmmh... It seems that you require my assistance once again." The computerised being spoke in a digitalised female voice, that sound young, but was also fairly stoic. "To start, it has been 7 days, 13 hours, 12 minutes, and 16 seconds, at the time of this announcement, since you have placed me in standby. I assume that the Unmei Force have completed their duty here?"

"Hewie." DW stated with a smile on his lips. "It always pleases me to see your face, even if you're just an AI. Well, I guess we're both that, but then again... You know how I came to be. Yes, the Unmei Force has came and left successful. I reactivated you, since Richard won't be there to see a face that he'd recognise immediately."

"I understand. The possibility that my appearance would have raised questions, ones that would making you suspicious of you." Hewie stated. "From the recent catalogue of the conversation between the two of you, it would have been dire, if that was to happen during that time. Deactivating me temporarily is the most logical solution, as the digitised being known as Erika Mishima would have noticed my presence in the network."

"Yeah... She's a real tricky one. She would have been one hell of a digital protector, or even a digital goddess of some sort." DW responded back. "But we shouldn't discuss such things. I do believe that it is time that we initiate one of our main projects, now that the conditions have been met. If you would have the honours..."

"Creator, as much as I am ready to proceed with the final phases of the project in question, I have also noticed that the Dimensional-Wanderer Homunculi prototypes have been critically damaged from the confrontation with Richard Liu and Gus Campbell." Hewie stated. "It needs not to be stated what must be done before I can act on my part."

"Oh... right. Yeah, sort of forgot about that for a moment." DW answered back. "Hewie... If you would..."

"Affirmative. Deploying recovery drones." Hewie confirmed, before hatches beside the consoles opened, to reveal much more bulkier aerial drones, which were packed with spools of durable rope-like bindings, which could be seen on top of their body, as they flew up out of the elevator shaft. After a few moments, the charred androids were brought back, as they was placed down on the ground, in front of the AI and the hologram. The first drone then reactivated itself, before it then pulled out a scanning device, as it scanned the bodies of the two disabled androids with lines of green light washing across their bodies, before the drone then moved to the console, and exposed a connection wire that linked it to the console, as the results of the scans were given to both DW and Hewie.

"Oh my... I may have not exactly watched the battle itself, but I'm surprised that they were able to do this much to them." DW remarked with surprise in his voice. "This Phoenix Crash... Heh, I recall the days when this move wasn't so outdated, and how it was considered to be a trump card. Seeing that the two of them have practised it well already... It actually makes me want to shed a tear in pride for them."

"You do know that you are unable to portray that kind of emotion, as you are now, Creator?" Hewie answered back bluntly."

"Yeah, yeah I know." DW sighed, as he frowned. "I'm not exactly one to talk about emotions... After all, I'm an hologram with a almost human programming for myself, and emotions are too complex to be done using mere code itself. Even with all of our tech, what makes a human a human, the soul, the emotions, the hubris... It's impossible to perfectly replicate them."

"Should we start repairs on them?" Hewie asked back.

"Of course. Luckily, this kind of damage, although it's severe, to the point that internal components have been destroyed or corroded by the sheer heat of the flames, we have what it takes to repair them and get them back to full functionality once again." DW answered back with a nod. "Not to mention that this would be an opportune time to update their programming, and complete the project. Hewie, do final-checks on the program, and use the newly-acquired values and components to finish it up. I'm sure that our dear friends have provided us the means to finish this."

"Understood." Hewie answered back. "I will now have them transported into the repair facilities to conduct the repairs required."

"Do so." DW answered back, as the recovery drones picked up the androids once again, before they lifted them up the elevator shaft. "The sooner we get this completed... the better."

A few weeks later, inside the repair facility...

DW looked at the inactive forms of his androids were laid down on two separate beds, as their bodies were covered by light-blue medical tarps, leaving only their heads exposed. He seemed to be fairly happy, as there was a smile on his lips, and beside the holographic projector that contained him, was a monitor that had Hewie on the screen.

"The repairs are done, and the program has been successfully installed in them." Hewie answered back. "If we were to activate them, they should be able to function with everything that had been implemented on them."

"Heh, aren't we a good father and mother, Hewie...?" DW asked back, as he seemed to be more giddy than before. "We're about to witness the true birth of our sons, the ones that will carry our legacy in this reality, in this timeline... Machine and magic instead of true life, they may be, they are still living beings, a fairly unique kind, and they'll create something that will linger in this timeline as an influence."

"Indeed." Hewie responded back, as she smiled a little. "I may not be as emotionally able as you are, DW, but I can still feel pride and joy at our creations, which we have devoted so long to create in our image, and for the sake of everyone that has passed us by."

"Yeah... For them indeed." DW trailed off, with a fairly solemn tone. "At least with this... There will be no doubt that our impact on this reality will ever fade, not unless the very gods of the reality themselves rebelled against our actions."

"...Should we activate them?" Hewie asked DW gently.

"The suspense is killing me, or at least metaphorically, since I'm just a digital construct now..." DW responded back. "Begin the process, but only for R-X058. It's not time for S-X625 to be active yet. After all... Considering who he is based off... He will be a fair bit impulsive, especially when he was just reformatted like his partner."

"I understand. Starting boot-up sequence." Hewie answered back, before the eyes of the Richard android flickered open, as they glowed green for a while.

After a while, the green glow from the eyes changed, as they faded away, before his eyes blinked a few times. They then flickered around, looking at the entire room itself, before he then turned his eyes to DW and Hewie, who were silently watching him.

"Father? Mother?" The android spoke, as his voice sounded much more emotional and human, as it conveyed curiosity and surprise.

"So you have finally woken up, my dear son..." DW smiled warmly. "I suppose that you have a fair lot of questions running through that head of yours, which we have changed up, don't you?"

"...Yes, father. I feel so much different. I feel that both inside and outside, I feel that there are parts of me that remain familiar and unchanged, but the sensations of what has been changed drastically... It brings about a sense of curiosity within me..." The Richard android answered back, before it then looked up the ceiling. "Curiosity... So this is what it feels like... I can feel, I can think with a humane mind-set... Father, Mother... Is this what true sentience feels like?"

"As close as you can get, kid." DW smirked back. "You've got a soul now, and your mind is now self-learning and self-concluding. But that's not the only thing that has been changed. Get up, and see for yourself."

"Yes, father." The android responded back, before he then exited the bed slowly, before he then looked at himself. No longer was he inside a suit of futuristic armour, but instead a light-coloured patient gown, as his figure remained mostly the same, although he can actually see his own skin. "My battle chassis... Did you make it into a separate piece of armament for myself?"

"Indeed I have. Now that you're not a mere android anymore, I can't have you walking around places with that intimidating suit of armour. You can easily re-summon it with a mere thought, so it's not that much of a problem." DW responded back. "Now then, is there anything I would have to answer from you? After all, you're not going to have much from me, once you and your companion leaves our little nest."

"That's exactly what presses me the most in my newly-formed mind." The android answered back, with a solemn expression on his face. "I have read the directives that I have been tasked with. My first question regards the first directive, that I am to leave this facility, and wander the worlds. It does not seem reasonable or logical to do such a thing, when there are many advantages of using this place as a home for ourselves. Why must we leave? Is it because there is a reason that I have yet to understand."

"Because you cannot remain here. There are dangers that you can understand, but ones that we cannot risk encountering." DW responded back. "I wiped the memories of this place from your mental databases, to ensure that neither of you would be able to endanger this place, should you be captured and drained clean for information regarding your origins. You will only remember me, Hewie, and your directives, regarding what has went on here. Same goes for your partner."

"I see... Then the second directive... To ensure our own survival, by creating a faction of artificial beings, to be a safe haven for all types of said classification." The android continued its questioning. "With everything that I have taught through information transfer, such a faction would be extremely difficult to achieve, and a goal that is extremely not recommended to proceed upon. Are you sure that this is the only way that we can ensure our survival?"

"Sadly, yes. We could just turtle up in here, but we'll eventually be eroded by rampancy and digital degradation. It would be akin to a death of old age for all of us. We didn't create you to prove that it was possible to create a artificial being that can be almost perfectly sentient with its own soul, using magic and technology." DW answered back grimly. "We created you, so that there is a hope that we can continue to survive on. And what better way than to pioneer a civilisation? It may only last for several millennia, but that would be enough to secure our survival with astronomically little risk of failure. That is the purpose of Project Anima, to create beings that are capable to lead civilisations with the same boons as the organic leaders, through personality, thought and spirit."

"I can understand that." The android responded back. "Finally, there is the third directive: To create more DWH models, using our own first-gen system to bring about the existence of said models. I only ask, since I am merely a offshoot of the great data-banks and codings that you are composed of, Father and Mother... Is this all possible?"

"The only reason Project Anima stalled, is because we didn't have sufficient data and catalysts to proceed with the final step: Soul forming." DW responded back. "Now that your souls have been created, you can use parts of that to bypass that road-block. The rest should be simple, since you are equipped with sufficient knowledge and experience to do the rest of the steps unaided by us. That way, you can expand your numbers, even though only slowly, so that you will be able to ensure that you will have company for your quest to carry out your directives. After all, you can't spend all this time being buddy-buddy with only the pal beside you. You just need to follow the templates I have left for you, and you'll have friends like I originally did."

"I see. Then I have no more questions. Although now that I am capable of emotion... I feel truly sad that I have to leave your embrace, Father. When I was first created, you have treated me like a proper child, even though I was merely a barely-sentient machine at that time, and you have spent almost your entire life in perfecting the two of us." The android spoke, as it tried to keep its tone calm, although the grief in it was evident. "And now, when you've achieved your goal... We can't even stay together for long, because doing so would endanger all of us. I feel in grief, Father... Mother... And I don't know how to deal with that."

"Then just remember that you will always be our son, no matter who are you, what you become, and where you are." DW assured the android. "And never forget that we will never be truly gone. We will still exist, and there will be a time when we will finally meet again. But that time won't come yet... Not until you've reached your own goals. So don't despair, and don't mourn us, we'll be watching, from where nobody would expect. Now go... Go and live the life that you have been both bestowed. You are no longer mere letters and numbers as R-X058 and S-X625, but you are brothers by title, as Rex and Six Palmarius."

"...Father... No, Dimensional Wanderer..." The now-name Rex responded back, moved by his creator's words, before his expression turned determined, before he then crossed one arm over his chest. "I swear that you efforts will not be in vain. Everything you have done, everything you have taught us, we will use it all to ensure that the civilisation you have envisioned will come to existence. That I swear upon, with my own newly-formed soul as the stake for this."

"Then you are ready. There will be a ship above-ground, through a hidden-passage. It will take you to what I would consider to be the most optimal place to start your ambition." DW responded back. "I wish you the best of luck, my sons."

"Thank you..." Rex stated, before he then picked up the still-inactive Six in his arms, as he was able to easily carry the bulky android in his arms. "See you within a few centuries... Father."

He then left the room, carrying his companion, as DW and Hewie then left the room themselves, as the holographic projector moved out of the room, while Hewie disappeared from the monitor in the room.

Inside the main control room...

The holographic projector then reconnected with the large console in the room, as Hewie reappeared on the console screen inside a digital window.

"Have they left yet?" DW asked Hewie, who then showed the outside feed, as they saw a transport spaceship ascend from the ground, before it then shot off into space. "I see... Always direct to the point as always, Hewie."

"I always do my best to serve." Hewie answered back. "It makes me proud, to see that our own children are independent already."

"Well, we better hope that they don't turn out to be bad eggs, like delinquents and sociopaths." DW stated, before he then laughed. "Oh, who am I kidding! Of course they're not going to end up like that! With how Rex is like me, I doubt that there would be that kind of problem!"

"Of course, we raised these children from birth with all of our support." Hewie smiled back. "I've also finished making the final preparations. I suppose that this will be the final moments that we will be activated for, until it is at least a few centuries later?"

"Indeed. We can only make one final act upon this reality, before we dimension-shift into a realm of void, where no-one can track or find us, unless they know the proper dimension-shift parameters, as well as the means to even start doing that..." DW answered back. "Fortunately, Rex has the former and Six has the latter in their heads, only to be unlocked once their directives are confirmed complete to a reasonable extent, i.e their civilisation will become self-sustaining and powerful enough to handle extra-dimensional threats and threats in this reality as well."

"I have hope that they'll succeed." Hewie stated. "And that is a certainty."

"Of course they will, after all... They're moulded from the greatest heroes of our timeline..." DW answered back. "Hewie... Before we activate complete hibernation of all systems... Mind if you do me one last thing? Show me the photo that we took decades before the time leap, will you?"

Hewie complied, as she then showed a photo, that showed all of the Unmei Force members, who seemed to look like that they have been aged up a fair lot, as well as many other people that were beside them, including several familiar people that were there, as the famous heroes of this reality.

"If only you kept that body of yours..." Hewie pondered. "You would have been actually able to do more, so that there will be less that our children can do..."

"Yeah... The price for this time leap, was my own body." DW responded back with a sigh. "It's a fair price to pay, considering that we were jumping centuries back, something that took a lot of power and super-advanced technology to pull off. Even then, I could only sent a holographic AI counterpart of myself here. But it done the job regardless... At least this time... Richard will be able to do the right thing, now that he learns the truth before it was too late."

"I'm sure that he will know what to do. After all, he is you in the past, isn't he? And this would have prevented a time paradox, since you and him meeting could wreak havoc on the time-space continuum, and that would attract the wrath of a few dangerous individuals." Hewie stated. "Anyway, I have the process at the ready. Are you prepared."

"As much as I will be... Richard... Rex... I hope that the both of you will see the paths that you have chosen right to the end." DW answered back, with a smile on his lips. "Hewie... It's time. Activate Protocol: Return to Zero."

"Understood, Protocol is underway. All systems are shutting down as we speak, and the portal to the void between realities has been activated. Countermeasures have already been prepared for our trip." Hewie reported, as the room itself was beginning to slowly power down, lights and systems all. "Good night, Richard. You have done enough in this era. The only thing left to do right now, is to let the next generation make their impact."

"Same here... I hope that you'll wake up nice and fresh... After all... With this... there will be new hope for all of us... And your past counterpart... Heiwa... She will be able to stay by past me's side this time, unlike the tragedy that tore us apart." DW stated, before he then watched as the main console powered down with Hewie inside of it. "Sleep well, Hewie... Even though we may be artificial minds... May we have peaceful dreams of a brighter future."

And then, the holographic projector powered down, leaving the entire room in complete darkness.

Inside the transport space-ship...

Rex already let the auto-pilot implemented inside the ship do its job, as he was watching over Six, who will still not activated, as he was waiting patiently for the moment that he would awaken. Soon, Six's eyes opened and flashed green like Rex's, causing Rex to smile, as Six slowly booted himself up, and got used to his body.

"...I feel different." Six stated, before he turned to Rex. "You're... Your name is Rex now, is it?"

"That's right." Rex responded back with a firm nod. "And you're Six. Father named us after our designation numbers."

"Father..." Six stated, his words trailing off. "He's gone into deep sleep with Mother, hasn't he?"

"That's what happened. I suppose that they predicted that these events would have happened." Rex answered back. "I asked him the important questions, and he has answered them clearly. All you need to do, is to wake up and help me. You're my brother now. Well, sworn brother, since we're not related in blood, but rather in same brand and same creation date."

"Like the brothers of the Peach Garden Oath." Six mused, before he then chuckled lightly.

"Yeah, I guess so." Rex stated. "I looked outside. They've made a trip to the void, to ensure that they will never be found, until we accomplished our goals."

"The goals... I suppose that we both understand what is supposed to be done." Six answered, before he then got up, as he found himself in the patient gown, and then looked at Rex, who seemed to have not changed yet. "Could we change our clothes, this thing doesn't exactly fit my style."

"Yeah, I suppose." Rex stated, rolling his eyes with a amused grin on his face. "But before we go and do that, we're going to need to decide a name for the little utopia that we're going to create together?"

"Oh my god, this is going to end up like the Romulus and Remus dilemma, isn't it?" Six asked, before he then turned away. "Fuck that. You go and decide, I trust you enough that you've got a good idea in mind. I'm not exactly better than you when it comes to naming right now."

"Hm... Alright then..." Rex stated. "How about... the paradise of artificial beings and homunculus... Exodus Nine?"