I find myself in darkness, the only sensation of that of slowly sinking and falling into nothingness. I feel myself, and can move my eyes but all I see and feel is complete nothing. Not hot, not cold, just the slight sensation of going down as if I were lying in a pool of honey or molasses, slowly going under. Is this the afterlife? Is religion a lie?

No.

This is just me. I'm a clone, a husk of flesh loaded with the memories of someone who has died. I don't have a soul, makes sense. I am a fabrication made by men and a woman who simply want to play God. My life is a lie, about a year and a half of it. There was some good, but it's been pretty messed up. It's just a shame that I won't be able to help Seraphina, and those fucks are going to tear her apart... in more ways than one. Dusty will be sad, unfortunately. I guess I have no connection to Liberty so who cares, just sucks. Genevieve will suffer greatly, I'm sorry I couldn't save her. Eloise... I'm not sure there but I guess the fate she was predestined to will happen. Everyone else I know... I don't know if they will be sad...happy... or just indifferent.

This is it... endless falling through a thick blackness that extends infinitely in all directions, forever for all eternity...

Then a voice,

"Well... look what we have here. Some sad sack of shit who never even got his dick wet."

Above me, I can see something. It looks like the edge of some floorboards above me. Ther is light, something in the darkness. Then a face peers over the edge and I see it's me... no not me, the old me. The one who is dead. It's Wendigo!

I reach upward, and the movement itself is slow and it feels like a million pounds are weighing down on me. I see his hand extend from above as the ledge gets closer. I will myself towards him, I don't want to be stuck here in the dark... at least not until I say my goodbyes. My hand gets closer and closer and finally, our hands meet. His grip is strong and he begins pulling me out of the black mire. Slowly I make it over the ledge and find myself in a nice living room. It feels comfortable. The blackness behind me is suddenly gone, a wall where the ledge once was. It's warm in here, pleasantly so.

There are three chairs set up equally around a small coffee table with some random snacks on the table. I nearly jump backward when I see sitting in one of the chairs is the deer skilled monster from my nightmares. He is sitting in the chair calmly sipping on a cup of black looking over at both of me with a bored and almost calm expression, well as well as an expression can be shown on a deer skull and glowing red orbs. The other me motions for me to take a seat and I do and he does likewise. He sighs and we all sit there staring at one another, no one brave enough to begin talking. Suddenly the other version of me starts,

"Hi welcome to Fractured personality anonymous. I am Wendigo, formerly known as Mike Richardson. I died nineteen years ago... sorta. Introduce yourselves..."

I reply,

"Hi, I'm also Mike Richardson... I guess I died a few minutes ago... uhhhh I am a clone of the original Mike."

The monster speaks in a demonic voice,

"I do not have an official name, but I guess I also am Mike. I'm the first personality formed by the clone prior to Mike taking over... I guess that's all I am."

Wendigo nods along and then with a smile begins speaking,

"Wonderful. Now we will be able to talk more freely with one another... I guess I'll explain the situation in full."

I nod and so does the monster. Wendigo sighs and begins,

"Alright, Mike. You are dead. You got shot with a 45 caliber round in the left lung. Really not much chance of surviving that. That and your heart kinda exploded due to the extreme forces of the bullet. I think it was long colt, not ACP so lots of power.

I saved your ass by plugging you into the Hussain foundations systems before all vital signs went out... very little mental damage should have happened... mostly because I dropped you once...maybe twice. That darkness and emptiness you experienced was you being stored in a random hard drive in the facility... sorry about that, but I made this little room for us to talk in... also good on you for not growing too depressed because all your memories would have decayed if you had given up in the blackness. I think I pulled you here just in time.

I managed to separate the handsome-looking monster here from your psyche. Turns out you may have been created with a soul. Not sure though, neither of us knows, but apparently during the creation of the cloned body you called your own, brain function started way before the rest of the body, and the personality that is the monster here was created, Kassandra and Holstein overwrote it with us. The clone's personality didn't go away, just kinda got repressed. Basically, it is the manifestation of the anger and other bad emotions and other stuff Kassandra wanted buried, plus he was kinda mad he isn't in control. That cold sociopathic feeling, that's not us, that's the skelly boy right here.

I'll admit he saved your ass a few times when your emotions were going to get in the way so I thank him for that, but overall he has to go, he understands that and actually wants death so he gets dibs on your corpse. "

I nod along confused about the whole situation, but greatly interested. The idea of a literal monster living in my head is upsetting, but cool that he helped us survive a little. I look over at the monster and he nods before speaking,

"It was a great run, very fun being with you for a while, but it is time for me to go... I was born to die and need to fulfill that destiny. I'll let you keep some of my killer instinct or whatever it is, but that coldness I offered has no place in your life. No place in your destiny. Anyway, Wendigo has a better killer instinct than me so let him hand over the good kind, the killer instinct to protect, not to destroy.

I'll hang around until you two are done, but this is most likely goodbye. Not that we talked much, but still, we helped each other survive, you being my body, and me making sure you didn't freeze in place when the goings got tough."

I smile at him and feel a little pang of sadness in my heart, it's true I only talked to him in literal nightmares, but he is a part of me. He helped me and he suffered the short life we have lived. I reply to him,

"Thank you for coming along with me. I won't miss that cold feeling, but I'll miss the concept of you... and I hope you are allowed an afterlife."

He nods and I turn back to Wendigo who is sitting in his chair sipping on something that smells like caramel. The smell is almost nauseating and every time he takes a sip he cringes heavily before setting down the cup, clearing his throat, and then starts speaking again.

"Alrighty, now that is cleaned up, it's time to figure out where to go from here. When you get plugged into me I can sorta read your mind, well I can tap into your memories and that includes your memories of thought, but I only understand the exact thought or what is said, we don't really communicate now plans. Just sorta semi-understand one another and just move forward from there.

So tell me. If you hadn't been shot in the chest, what was your plan moving forward?"

I sigh while shaking my head and reply,

"It's hard to say. My plans, as hairbrained as they are seem to fall through constantly. I planned for Seraphina to give that speech and discredit the main faction moving against us, and expected a few assassins which I would have taken care of and from there would have used that to further cause damage to the image of those working against us.

Since that failed my plan was to get support from who I could because of the whole raid and attack, it sorta worked, but then the high preist turned out to be a fucker so my plan from there was to meet with him and kill him or maybe beat him until I got support from him. No real idea, and with Holstein and Kassandra I just hoped they would hook me up and I'd have some past concepts and maybe something in my past would have inspired better actions moving forward... and well there really is no preparation or really moving forward after you learn you aren't real... not sure what I would have done if I survived..."

Wendigo shakes his head before leaning over and giving me a light, but firm smack on the cheek. He leans back into his chair and says mockingly,

This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

"WAWAWA, I'm a little pussy boy.

That's all I'm hearing from you. Yeah it sucks, really fucking sucks and I don't blame you for feeling confused and a little depressed but not having any idea moving forward is how you die. If you die, the others die and despite how stupid and dense you are, you like them, hell I can read your hormone levels, you like-like most of those girls. You won't admit it, but that feeling towards needing to protect them is basically a crush you wont admit you have. I'll agree it's crazy talk to go after them all, you aren't some character of a power fantasy book, manga, or anime or something. And I also fully understand...

Deep down inside it feels wrong, it feels horrible like you are betraying someone if you act romantic, you didn't remember, nor do you remember still, but we both have to move on... you especially, it's been nineteen years for something you never experienced, don't hold on to Prisca. That's only for me to weep about, I'm not telling you this, I'm asking you with best intentions in mind. Trust me... figure out which one of these girls you like the best and pursue them. Hold them close and love them well, you deserve it, but before that...

GET YOUR SHIT TOGETHER AND COME UP WITH A PLAN!"

I am startled by his sudden shouting but his words are true. I am being really hesitant and dismissive about a lot, but what can I do? I'm a corpse! Yet he is right I should have a plan for moving ahead, at least something to regret as I die, something I could have done if I wasn't dead. I shake off my hesitation and respond,

"Alright, I'll bite.

If I was to continue to live my plan moving forward would first, kick the shit out of Holstein for being a slimy fuck. Then I'd probably slap Kassandra once... maybe twice depends how mad I am still for lying about my entire existence. From there I had planned to tell Seraphinia a bunch of the truth as promised. Even the part about her father, it's gonna make her mad at me, but I'd rather get it out of the way now. Then I'd go find Genevieve and apologize profusely for leaving her behind.

From there I'll try to start the war and make it mine. I'll kill that head priest, maybe make him suffer, don't know yet. Using that as a stepping stone I'd try to begin a massive campaign behind Seraphina and try and get her to force the civil war, and since we didn't fire the first shot we should be able to bring multiple moderate factions around to our side. From there I'll do our best skill. I'll wage war, and I will win. We were never some amazing tactical mind, but it seems our opponents aren't either, I guess over a decade of no active combat does that, and most veterans are in their forties and usually too old to be a soldier.

My main goal is to try and get the US government on my side, I think I have a foot in the door with the general, but knowing American politics it will take something serious to bring them around to our side, but who knows, maybe Seraphina can give a good speech?"

I stop talking and Wendigo nods following along. The monster just sits there with his expression impossible to read due to his face being made of bone. After a bit Wendigo speaks to me,

"I have found your answer... satisfactory for now, of course, all that plan will have to change as life isn't going to be easy to plan for from here on out. My opinion... which you should listen to... is that the war already started and you have only joined a little late.

Our foes moving forward have already made moves on us, they have mustered forces and prepared for this longer than we knew this shit was going on. Our ability to gather support will be very limited, but we might be able to work with some of the opposing factions honestly, some are only in opposition because they don't like another faction from the information I've gathered. I recommend attempting diplomacy at least once before you rule out an entire faction, from your memories I think Seraphina's mothers' faction is one that may join with us, even though the mother-daughter relationship seems strained, she doesn't seem to be violent opposition to us, and she also seemed very interested in working with you. Maybe use this to your and Seraphina's advantage

There may be others like this, not directly going to act in violence against us, that's the first step towards working together, not trying to kill one another. Despite being the new kid on the block in the nobility you have a lot of influence, or the ability to have a lot of influence. Just try talking to folks, and act like you are the biggest dog in the room, might work in your favor.

That's just my two cents about it. I recommend listening to me, but you can do what you want. I'll be there to help support and guide you."

I shake my head and reply,

"Thanks for the advice, but you seem to forget.

I AM A FUCKING CORPSE!"

Wendigo smiles widely and shakes his head and responds,

"I am in the Hussain foundation system, which includes the cloning system. I have reviewed all their data and data from the greater internet as a whole. Using this I have created you a fancy new body. I didn't grow it in the slow and boring way Holstein and Kassandra did. I basically 3D printed some flesh and bone for us. I upgraded all our hardware. It's made up of the two other clones they had floating around so it's 100% us, just better, and I also upgraded the AMS uplink system on ya too, should be... less painful.

Also, of course, it is a ship of Theseus problem to an extent, but it is technically us in absolute prime physical status. I'll go over all the features once I load you in, it's not done just yet. Give me about 30 more minutes, one day body is pretty good if you ask me."

I feel my mouth drop open in shock as I ask,

"How the fuck are you able to do this? I mean we never even went to college!"

Wendigo shakes his head while laughing and replies in a horribly synthesized voice,

"While that is true for you my fleshy friend, I have become one with the blessed machine!"

He laughs and continues after his voice returns to normal,

"Well sorta. Human brains are kinda like really powerful supercomputers, able to process all sensory data and make sense of it all. A regular rat's brain is still a super-powerful computer, a few million gigabytes of Ram, plus a petabyte or more of storage. Pretty much until recently, computers couldn't compete, that's until the Hussain foundation building was made.

Before AMS computer systems could emulate a humans brain, but only barely, no sensory data, just raw processing power, with ten petabytes of hard drives they can download our memories and stuff to storage in the cryostasis like we were in. This resulted in the eventual creation of human brain adjacent computing systems, computers so fast and strong they could almost have comprehensive thoughts in the same way a human does, but AI was a mega no-no due to the stupidly strong computers, well advanced AI, the simple kind were still allowed.

We are currently inside the most powerful computer in the world, the entire Hussain foundation building to an extent is one giant computer, the whole place is on one system attached to one truck-sized motherboard. It's absolutely impressive how far computers have come since we died, but with a literal human brain in computerized form, they just sorta copied it and then upgraded it, a massive predictive engineering computer with some low-level AI to help design.

Basically, after becoming part of the computer I have been able to receive and process data at incredible rates, and I can understand it all without any human emotion getting in the way, basically, I am a super-duper quantum deep learning AI or something like that. I still don't understand because I am the only example available of this happening right now so I can't find information on the subject that isn't science fiction.

So all in all, I can learn, come to conclusions, and even do research in seconds that would take a human team decades and lots of money to figure out. The simulations I can run, both predictive and constructive, are so advanced I sometimes forget they didn't happen in reality. Thirteen trillion different outcomes for your body, and I followed the four hundred thousand outcomes where it worked and made a healthy body that isn't some nine-foot-tall supersoldier. While doing this I was able to design, test, and build us a new AMS, and a new one for all the folks we brought along here. I am currently working on both these projects, some weapons design and testing all while having this conversation with you. This is beyond fucked, and I don't feel like I'm overwhelmed. It feels as if I am doing basic multiplication tables at the level of hard thought I have to do. To be honest... it's both exhilarating and terrifying.

If I had even a tiny bit more of an ego I probably would have tried to become a theoretical god, but I think I am personally a piece of shit so that's not happening."

He laughs at the attempt at humor. I snort at the last part, understanding fully his point, but I am still left awestruck at the raw ability that Wendigo now possesses. The idea to do what he is doing is unfathomable to me, but I am glad that he himself shares much with me, I couldn't imagine if it was someone else has this power, I am no saint, but I am definitely not a demon. I then ask,

"Will you hand over the memories of our sorta shared past when I get this new body?"

He shakes his head sadly, but responds seriously,

"No. I will share them in due time, especially if needed for a situation, but until the job is done, or mostly done you don't need this shit clouding judgment. Trust me, it'll only serve to confuse you, but you have my word when you do what you are going to do I will share it all with you in a way that doesn't break your mind. Death isn't a roadblock anymore, I'll keep putting you in a new body every time. "

I get a little mad and respond,

"C'mon, not you too. Plus, what if I'm not hooked up? "

He shakes his head and says,

"First, not your memories, if it wasn't for the few you were given you'd have no reason to want them, aside from that you'll be moping around about certain things and it will take a while to sort through them all in your head. Too much time and it'll confuse you and keep you off of your task.

For your immortality, your new body is effectively a wireless node for my consciousness, which you now are a part of. I can't control you, except for like yanking you in and out of consciousness, but that's it. I have the ability to continuously download and process information as you receive it. That includes your entire mind. Plus I'll run in the back of your mind, resulting in some extra brainpower for ya, I'll perform similar roles to what I did in the AMS."

I shrug defeated but still interested. This is actually really cool, scary, but cool. I am excited for my new body and excited for a new life, a better one where I will succeed in all my goals. I smile and say,

"Let's do this."

Wendigo smiles and replies,

"Well, the little bun in the oven that is us is finally done. So let's go... good luck, I'll be with you."

I look to the monster who nods acceptingly and says,

"It's time. Good while it lasted. Fuck you for letting me die a virgin, but I need to rest. "

I thank him for his troubles as the monster fades from the room. Wendigo smiles as reality begins to fade and the smell of cheesy potatoes begins to fill my nose. I begin to hear distant and muffled voices as I fade into blackness and into a wet and warm reality...