AL ONCE AGAIN LAY IN THE FAMILIAR ROOM. WELL, MOSTLY FAMILIAR ROOM, THE ADDITION OF A CART BORROWED FROM THE YILKINS’ WAS ODD BUT NOT TOO JARRING. AL WAS STILL ASLEEP. IT HAD BEEN NEARLY SIX HOURS AND EVENING HAD COMPLETELY SET IN.

ADRIA HAD AGAIN ENDURED STRANGE LOOKS FROM THE TOWNSPEOPLE BUT IT WASN’T EXACTLY SOMETHING SHE WAS UNFAMILIAR WITH SO SHE BRUSHED IT OFF. SHE WAS MORE WORRIED ABOUT AL.

AS WOULD I BE, IF I DIDN’T KNOW PRECISELY WHAT WAS HAPPENING. HONESTLY HE REALLY SHOULD HAVE FOUND A WAY TO EXPLAIN IT TO ADRIA. PERHAPS HAD SHE HEARD THE WHOLE STORY SHE WOULD HAVE UNDERSTOOD A LITTLE BETTER WHAT HAPPENED.

SIX HOURS PRIOR AL WAS BEING DRAGGED INTO THE BACKYARD WITH TRAVIS. FROM THERE AL IMPRESSED THE SOCKS OFF OF TRAVIS WITH A NEAR PERFECT SWORD DRAW. FROM THERE TRAVIS DEMANDED AL GIVE UP HAVING GUNTHER TRAIN HIM AND INSTEAD TAKE HIM AS HIS MASTER. HE THUMBED AT HIMSELF PROUDLY AT THAT STATEMENT AS IF IT WERE SOMETHING AL WOULD FAWN OVER HEARING.

AL OF COURSE MADE NO RESPONSE, WHICH TRAVIS TOOK AS SHEER SPEECHLESSNESS. SO IT WAS AGREED, TRAVIS TOOK THE SWORD FROM AL AND DEMONSTRATED TRUE SKILL WITH A BLADE. SKILL BEATEN INTO A BODY WITH ENDLESS HOURS OF PRACTICE. THE FARMER TRANSFORMED INTO A WARRIOR WITH A DEEP FIRE BURNING IN HIS EYES.

AL WATCHED CAREFULLY. HE TOOK NOTE OF EVERY MOVEMENT, EVERY SLICE, EVERY MOCK PARRY. HE IMPRINTED EVERYTHING ADDING IT TO THE EVER GROWING PILE.

THEN IT CAME HIS TURN TO TRY DRAWING THE SWORD ONCE MORE AFTER SEEING IT PROPERLY DONE.

OF COURSE WITH ONLY THE PRIOR DAYS DATA LOADED NOTHING JUST WITNESSED COULD EVEN BE MIRRORED, HIS DRAW WAS EXACTLY THE SAME AS THE FIRST TIME.

AS ANY STRICT TEACHER WOULD TRAVIS CORRECTED HIM MID-DRAW WITH A LOUD "STOP!"

THE REST IS ON AL. YOU SEE HE FOUND WHAT HE THOUGHT WAS A SMART WAY TO DEAL WITH THE MASSIVE AMOUNT OF DATA THE NEXT RESET WOULD BE INSTALLING. HE DECIDED TO PROCESS IT WHILE DREAMING. HE INSTALLED A PROTOCOL TO ACTIVATE SLEEP ONCE THE NEXT RESET WAS CALLED.

NOW HAD HE EXPLAINED THIS TO ADRIA SHE MAY NOT BE SO WORRIED, HOWEVER IT'S NOT EXACTLY SOMETHING HE CAN EXPLAIN. IN FACT IT MAY NOT EVEN BE SOMETHING HE IS AWARE OF CONSCIOUSLY, IT'S ALL SUBROUTINES DEEP IN HIS PROGRAMMING.

NO ONE SAID COMBINING A MACHINE INTELLIGENCE WITH A HUMAN BRAIN IS EASY. HE IS IN UNCHARTED TERRITORY.

AT AROUND 16 TRILLION CYCLES AL’S SOFTWARE COMPLETED ITS UPDATE AND BEGAN TO REBOOT INTO THE NEW REVISION.

"OH." AL SAYS IN SLIGHT SHOCK. HE COULDN’T HELP BUT SMILE. HE UNDERSTOOD THINGS. HE COULD THINK BACK ON PAST THINGS HE HEARD AND UNDERSTAND THEM IN WAYS NEVER BEFORE POSSIBLE. HE REMEMBERED THE FIGHT. HE REMEMBERED THE RUMORS IN THE TOWN. HE BEGAN TO GET A TRUE GRASP OF HIS PLACE IN THE WORLD AND THAT WORLD IN GENERAL.

ADRIA SAT IN A CHAIR SNORING SOFTLY A COUPLE FEET AWAY. HE COULDN’T HELP WANTING TO JUST WATCH HER FOR AWHILE BUT HE THOUGHT BETTER OF IT DUE TO SOME RANDOM INCOMPREHENSIBLE VARIABLES.

"ADRIA." HE SAYS SOFTLY FOR THE FIRST TIME IN HIS LIFE. HE EXTENDS A HAND AND PRESSES HER SHOULDER GINGERLY.

"MM…" ADRIA MUMBLES OPENING HER EYES CAREFULLY BEFORE THINKING BACK A FEW MOMENTS. "WAIT, WHAT’D YOU SAY?"

"WHAT?" AL ASKING COCKING HIS HEAD AND UNCONSCIOUSLY BLUSHING.

ADRIA WATCHES HIS FACE CAREFULLY SOMEWHAT SURPRISED BY THE SIGHT. HIS EYES FOLLOWED HER CAREFULLY UNLIKE JUST TWO DAYS AGO WHEN HE LOOKED LIKE A DEAD FISH. HIS CHEEKS HAD TURNED PINK AS IF HE WEREN’T JUST MADE OF CLAY, A MASSIVE CHANGE FROM THE PRIOR DAYS.

"STOP STARING AT ME." AL SAYS AFTER A FEW MOMENTS ONCE THE PROPER VARIABLES TRIGGER THE RESPONSE.

"SORRY. YOU ARE JUST SEEM… SO DIFFERENT NOW." SHE SAYS WITH A RELUCTANT SMILE. "I AM GLAD YOU FEEL BETTER THOUGH. YOU SCARED THE HELL OUT OF US. I WILL HAVE TO TELL THE YILKINS YOU ARE FINE. ALTHOUGH IF I DO THAT TRAVIS WILL FORCE YOU TO COME TRAIN AGAIN."

"I WOULD LIKE TO. I HAVE ADJUSTED THINGS, SO THAT WON’T HAPPEN AGAIN." AL ASSURES HER WITH A FIRM NOD. "AND THE FOOD WAS GOOD TOO."

"I SEE. WELL OK." ADRIA SAYS JUDGING HIM CAREFULLY. "YOU HAVEN’T RECOVERED YOUR MEMORIES HAVE YOU? YOU SEEM IN MUCH BETTER SPIRITS THAN NORMAL. AND YOU ARE ACTUALLY TALKING. ITS LIKE A MIRACLE."

"NO MEMORIES BEFORE THE GUARDS." AL SAYS WITH A SHRUG.

…

IS HE LYING OR DOES HE NOT REMEMBER MEETING ME? TECHNICALLY HE WAS A VERY BASIC FORM AT THAT POINT. BUT SURELY HE WOULD HAVE STORED THE DATA ABOUT THE INTERACTION WITH ME FOR A LATER ANALYSIS RIGHT? DOES HE REALLY NOT KNOW WHERE HE CAME FROM. I WAS SURE I CHECKED THE BOX FOR ‘REMEMBER PAST LIFE’ IN THE PAPERWORK I SENT DOWN WITH HIM.

"I SEE." ADRIA SAYS WITH A SOMEWHAT REASSURED SIGH. "AND THE TALKING? YOU JUST FEELING MORE TALKATIVE?"

"I LEARNED." AL SAYS HONESTLY.

"YOU AREN’T JOKING ARE YOU." ADRIA SAYS WATCHING HIS FACE CAREFULLY FOR ANY TRACE OF LIES. NOT THAT THEY WOULD SHOW ANYWAY.

"NO, MOST I LEARNED FROM YOU. OTHER BITS I PICKED UP IN TOWN, OR BOOKS."

"SO YOU REALLY READ THOSE BOOKS LIKE YOU SAID?"

AL NODS SIMPLY. "I AGREE THE MILITARY HANDBOOK WAS TOUGH. THINKING BACK ON IT, IT WAS MOSTLY JUST CONTRADICTORY INFORMATION."

"EXACTLY." ADRIA SAYS WITH A LAUGH. "NOW YOU UNDERSTAND MY LIFE. IT’S NOTHING BUT CONTRADICTION AND LOOPHOLES."

"MY CONDOLENCES." AL SAYS WITH A SHAKE OF HIS HEAD.

ADRIA AGAIN LAUGHS AT HIS REACTION, REMINDING HERSELF OF THE WINE-SKIN SHE HAD FROM THE NIGHT PRIOR.

"DRINK?" ADRIA ASKS HOLDING UP THE SKIN AFTER A SWIG.

AL GRIMACES BEFORE TAKING IT GINGERLY FROM HER HANDS AND TILTING IT BACK TO HIS MOUTH. AGAIN HIS MOUTH PUCKERS AND HIS EYEBROWS DIG INTO HIS EYES PAINFULLY. "BLEHHH."

AGAIN ADRIA COLLAPSES INTO LAUGHTER. ONCE SHE RECOVERS, BEFORE TAKING THE SKIN FROM AL, SHE MOVES FROM THE CHAIR TO THE BEDSIDE. FROM THERE SHE TOOK THE WINE AND SIPPED DEEPLY.

"NOT A FAN OF WINE?" SHE EVENTUALLY ASKS AFTER FINISHING THE CANTEEN AND SETTING IT ASIDE TO WASH IN THE MORNING.

"OH." AL SAYS THINKING ABOUT SOME OF THE INFORMATION HE READ EARLIER IN THE DAY. "THEN THAT WAS THE FERMENTED JUICE OF THE SAME WILD BERRIES FROM LUNCH?"

"EXACTLY." SHE SAYS WITH A NOD HAPPILY SWINGING HER HEAD BACK AND FORTH.

"I SEE." HE SAYS LIFTING A HAND TO HIS CHIN. "AND THE MEAT, THAT WAS…?"

"SMOKED BEEF." ADRIA SAYS RUBBING HER STOMACH WITH REMINISCENT JOY. "FROM A DOMESTICATED COW BEAST."

"COW... BEAST." AL SAYS THINKING ABOUT THE COMMON FACTOR IN ALL THE ANIMAL NAMES HE’D HEARD SO FAR.

"CURIOUS?" ADRIA ASKS WITH HEAVY EYELIDS.

"ALWAYS." AL ANSWERS WITH A NOD.

ADRIA LIFTS HERSELF AND BRUSHES THE HAIR FROM HER FACE. "A LONG TIME AGO THEY SAY A THING CALLED… AH, DIANNA TELLS THIS MUCH BETTER THAN ME. BASICALLY WHAT WAS CALLED THE ‘BIG BANG’ HAPPENED LIKE TWO HUNDRED AND FIFTY YEARS AGO. A WHOLE BUNCH OF MANA RELEASED INTO THE PLANET TURNING ALL THE BEAS… ANIMALS INTO WHAT WE NOW CALL BEASTS. THEY SAY ALL SORTS OF THE ANIMALS USED TO BE DOMESTICATED, BUT NOWADAYS IT'S HARDER. MOST OF THEM WANT TO EAT US FOR DINNER NOT GET FED BY US."

"MR. FRED WANTS TO EAT ME?" AL ASKS LOOKING AT HIS HANDS AS IF JUDGING TASTE.

"PROBABLY. BUT HE’S A BIT DIFFERENT. HIS GRANDPA AND GRANDMA WERE RAISED IN A MANALESS ENVIRONMENTS IN AN ATTEMPT TO RETURN THEM TO THE ‘CATS‘ WE USED TO KEEP AS RAT DETERRENTS."

AL THINKS ABOUT IT CAREFULLY. "AND COW BEASTS?"

"YEAH COW BEASTS ARE AN EXCEPTION I GUESS. OR, WELL THERE ARE A FEW OTHERS, BUT THE COW BEAST DON’T SEEM TO HAVE A TASTE FOR HUMAN FLESH. THEY ARE MOSTLY HARMLESS." ADRIA LEANS OVER BESIDE THE BED AND LIFTS A SMALL BAG OF SOURDOUGH ROLLS TO THE BEDSIDE TABLE. SHE TOSSES ONE TO AL AND BITES THE OTHER. "ALTHOUGH SOME PEOPLE THINK IT'S BULLSHIT. THEY THINK BEASTS HAVE ALWAYS BEEN BEASTS AND WE ARE JUST HOLDING ONTO CHILDREN’S BEDTIME STORIES."

AL SAYS NOTHING INSTEAD OPTING TO BITE THE ROLL A FEW TIMES.

"WHAT DO YOU THINK? ARE WE CRAZY? COULD MONSTERS EVER REALLY LIVE AT PEACE WITH US?"

AL THINKS ABOUT THE QUESTIONS FOR A MOMENT BEFORE BEGINNING TO ANSWER. "I DON’T THINK YOU ARE CRAZY. MR. FRED PROVES IT, RIGHT?"

"YOU’D THINK, RIGHT?" ADRIA SAYS WITH A LAUGH. "WELL PEOPLE ARE BLIND, AND WHAT DOES IT MATTER ANYWAYS, PEOPLE DON’T CARE ABOUT THE PAST. THEY HAVE ENOUGH WORRIES AS IT IS. THINKING ABOUT A PAST LIKE THAT DOES NOTHING BUT MAKE US PITY OUR OWN CURRENT SITUATION."

"THE PAST." AL SAYS BLANKLY, THINKING ABOUT THE TERM. TO HIM PAST IS EVERY REVISION PRIOR TO THE CURRENT AL. THE SILENT ONE, THE CURIOUS ONE, THE BOOK WORM, THE SWORD FREAK. THEY FELT LIKE THE PAST, ALMOST A DIFFERENT PERSON EVEN. BUT TO ADRIA, THE PAST IS ‘THE STONE PRINCESS‘. WHATEVER THAT MEANS.

"I WANTED TO WAIT UNTIL I FOUND OUT WHO YOU ARE TO TELL YOU WHO I AM BUT, THAT SEEMS MORE AND MORE IMPOSSIBLE BY THE DAY." ADRIA SAYS UNDERSTANDING WHERE HIS LINE OF THOUGHT HAD HEADED BASED ON HIS LINE OF SIGHT.

"PRINCESS?"

"MHM, ALTHOUGH NOT ANYMORE. I GAVE ALL THAT UP. BEST THING I EVER DID. BUT IT'S IMPOSSIBLE TO MAINTAIN A LOW PROFILE AS YOU’VE NOTICED I'M SURE." ADRIA SMILES GRIMLY. "AGAIN SORRY ABOUT THE FIGHT."

"NO WORRIES." AL SAYS THINKING BACK ON THE FIRST NIGHT. "I LEARNED A LOT."

"OF COURSE, OF COURSE." ADRIA NODS "ANY MORE QUESTIONS? OR CAN I HAVE MY BED BACK NOW?"

"RIGHT." AL ROLLS OUT OF THE BED AND ONTO THE PILE OF CLOTHES BESIDE IT.

ADRIA SHIMMIES UNDER THE COVERS AND INTO THE WARM SPOT AL HAD LEFT BEHIND. SHE FELT AT EASE IN THE HEAT, LIKE A KITTEN SUNNING ITSELF IN A WARM RAY OF LIGHT. SHE LET OUT A RELAXED SIGH AS SHE BREATHED DEEP INTO THE PILLOW NOTICING A TINGE OF UNFAMILIAR SCENT IN THE PILLOW.

"AL," SHE ASKS AFTER NUZZLING THE PILLOW ONCE MORE AND PEEKING OUT THE SIDE OF IT.

"HMM?" HE ASKS THROUGH A PILE OF CLOTH.

"WHY ARE YOU ALWAYS SNIFFING MY CLOTHES WHEN I WALK IN? ISN’T THAT KIND OF WEIRD?"

AL SITS SILENTLY FOR A MOMENT BEFORE ANSWERING "IT IS WEIRD, BUT THEY SMELL GOOD."

"MY DIRTY LAUNDRY SMELLS GOOD?" SHE ASKS WITH A FROWN BURNING THROUGH HER FACE.

"NO, JUST YOU IN GENERAL, AND WHEN YOU ARE GONE I MISS IT." AL EXPLAINS SIMPLY. "YOUR SMELL I MEAN."

"I SEE…" ADRIA SAYS IN A SHEEPISH TONE. "NIGHT, AL"

"GOODNIGHT." AL REPLIES DESPITE HIS OWN LACK OF TIREDNESS.

HE DIDN’T MIND. THERE WAS STILL WORK TO DO. HE WANTED TO RE-CALIBRATE HIS BODY IN ORDER TO BETTER IMPLEMENT THE SWORD TECHNIQUE COPIED FROM TRAVIS.

AROUND FIFTEEN MINUTES AFTER ADRIA DRIFTED TO SLEEP, ONCE HE WAS SURE SHE WAS OUT HE STOOD AND CAREFULLY TOUCHED THE TIPS OF EACH OF HIS FINGERS AND TOES IN ORDER TO HAVE A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF HOW HIS BODY WORKED. WITH THE NEW DATA ADDED WIELDING A SWORD SHOULD PROVE EASY.

NEXT IS VISUAL DATA. HE PLACED ONE OF THE LIT CANDLES A FEW INCHES FROM HIS FACE THEN HE STEPPED BACK A FEW PACES WATCHING THE CHANGE IN SIZE VERSUS THE DISTANCE HE WALKED. HE ALSO LOGGED THE CHANGE IN INTENSITY OF THE LIGHT BUT HAVING NO USE FOR THE DATA KEPT IT FOR LONG TERM STORAGE.

LAST HE WANTED TO TEST HIS REFLEXES. HE DROPS A PENCIL AND RIPS IT OUT OF THE AIR A SECOND LATER WITH THE OTHER HAND. HE ATTEMPTS AGAIN WITH A SMALL DELAY, TIMING HOW QUICKLY THE PENCIL DROPS AS WELL AS HOW QUICKLY HE CAN RECOVER.

WITH NOTES ON HIS ABILITIES AS WELL AS THE SPEED AT WHICH GRAVITY EFFECTS THINGS AL FINALLY FELT LIKE HE HAD AN UNDERSTANDING OF HIS WORLD. PERHAPS HE WAS NAIVE IN THINKING IT WAS REALLY ALL THAT SIMPLE.