Caelus here! The anger seems to keep going in this one. It just gets better and better.
Loop 13 Year 14 Day 6
It’s 4 am. Dark out. No stars or moon. Completely cloudy. Something is at the door to the vault entrance. The ‘hidden’ one. Of course, I have a turret put there. After the fire girl, I only feel safe by adding more protection.
The turret doesn’t seem to want to attack whatever is at the door. Suddenly AI tells me something. “CAELUS! SOMETHING IS IN MY SYSTEMS!”
My mind goes blank. I look around in a daze. There is nothing I can do if someone was getting into her systems. I don’t have any way to interact with her systems, other than talking to her. I am incredibly anxious. I can’t do anything to help the only one that can come back through loops with me!
I can only stand and watch the degradation.
First the systems for recycling air get shut down. The gentle hum of the vents go quiet. The air without vents can last a year. The natural ducts can help us keep breathing. If we live in the farm area we will be fine.
The lights shut off. Without the lights, the plants won’t grow. I try to get AI to turn back on the lights. Without them the plants will slowly die.
I start running to the farm area, pulling Chelsea along with me. She tries to resist, but I am much stronger than her. The doors begin to shut themselves. I yell at AI. Chelsea looks at me like I’m crazy. Of course, I’m never going to let anyone know about AI.
Suddenly I feel a horrific lurch in my heart. The breaking sounds from my ‘eyes’ quickly follow. I feel the very atoms in my body start to break apart. Shit!
I push Chelsea away, and forcefully break the bag holding the unique APG. I know what is about to happen. In a few seconds, I will become several atomic explosions. I throw my body far away from Chelsea. She will never know why I do this. It is actually very sad. The modified APG quickly consumes my entire body. As my mind falls into the familiar abyss, I think that I am at least grateful I have spared Chelsea for a while.
Loop 14 Year 1 Day 1
I must repeat the loop again. I sigh as I go to the couch and sit down. I shake my head. I begin the laborious process of creating a life for us again.
Of course, this time I am going to take precautions to stop whoever it was that hacked into AI.
Loop 14 Year 15 Day 13
I go outside on my normal routine. I have not been attacked by anyone this loop. I am honestly starting to think that the other loops were just accidents.
I quickly realize I am too optimistic. A gust of wind blows towards my group. Without exception, we all begin coughing and vomiting blood.
Within seconds the entire group is dead. I only last a bit longer due to the pacemaker. It is a few seconds of utter agony. The APG is not effective for stopping things like poisons I guess.
Loop 15 Year 1 Day 1
We are not going to leave the vault this time. I don’t care what others think. I only let Chelsea’s closest family and friend enter.
Loop 15 Year 12 Day 45
The vault begins to rumble. Within seconds it is beginning to fall in on itself. We are crushed to death in a matter of minutes. The modified APG does nothing to stop the rocks from smashing me. There are just too many.
Loop 16 Year 1 Day 1
I am going to work on creating a more powerful type of metal to be able to resist the cave in.
Loop 16 Year 23 Day 34
This is the longest I have lived in a loop. Only Chelsea is with me. I am a bit more cynical of others right now.
The vault rumbles, but is otherwise fine. This happens every few months. I know that it is due to someone with powers, but I can’t find them. Of course, I might be able to if I gave AI control of the cameras. But after what happened with the hacker, I am reluctant to try.
I am not nearly as good at noticing details. I pick up on everything, and so miss a lot of it. It takes a lot of effort to concentrate on one thing to the exclusion of all else, unless I get hit by inspiration.
The rumbling stops. I briefly smile. Instead of the usual silence, I feel something different. Space seems to warp. A dark rift in the air appears. I’m stunned. I don’t move. AI already has the modified APG working though.
Through the portal steps a woman. She sneers as she walks through the APG. She reaches out. Her hand passes through my body. I feel my heart constrict at her touch. With an evil smile she rips it out. I am back in the void.
Loop 17 Year 1 Day 1
I am going to only create the AI, then run to a new spot. This area is too much for me.
Loop 17 Year 19 Day 14
People have been chasing me for ten years now. After they found out where I was, they began to follow every move I made.
Loop 17 Year 20 Day 26
I fall into a trap. It is cleverly made. I am surrounded by people, and stranded halfway up a mountain. I am frozen to death by a muscular man. Damn power users.
Loop 18 Year 13 Day 123
I get shot by a laser through the ground.
Loop 19 Year 27 Day 3
I get crushed by an avalanche of mud and rocks.
Loop 20 Year 4 Day 34
I get incased in a giant metal sphere and crushed to death.
Loop 21 Year 18 Day 342
I get killed by a giant. An actual giant steps on me, and the APG can’t handle that much mass.
Loop 22 Year 12 Day 365
The sniper kills me again. I tried to run without making AI. Bad choice.
A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.
Loop 23 Year 14
I get trapped in a field of fire. I am burnt to death.
Loop 24
My body explodes for a reason I don’t know.
Loop 25
I am shot into space when gravity seems to stop effecting me.
Loop 26 The moon is pulled towards the earth and crushes me to death. THE MOTHER FUCKING MOON!
Loop 27 Trying to save my life made the bombs drop early. I am caught in one. Fucking figures!
Loop 28 Killed.
Loop 29 Killed.
Loop 30 Killed.
31? Killed. 32? Killed. 33? Killed. 34? Killed.
Killed. KILLED. KILLED!
No matter what I do nothing works! I’ve tried running. A guy that can track wants to kill me.
I’ve tried creating a fucking castle town with defenses so great it would take armies of people with powers to get me. Armies of people with powers come after me.
I’ve tried making AI a body. It gets taken over by a hacker. I’ve tried considering the cause of the power. Nothing!
Nothing! Nothing! Nothing! Nothing! Nothing! Nothing! Nothing! Nothing! Nothing! Nothing! Nothing! Nothing! Nothing! Nothing! Nothing! Nothing! Nothing! Nothing! Nothing!
Killed! Killed! Killed! Killed! Killed! Killed! Killed! Killed! Killed! Killed! Killed! Killed! Killed! Killed! Killed! Killed! Killed! Killed! Killed! Killed! Killed! Killed! Killed! Killed! Killed! Killed! Killed! Killed! Killed! Killed! Killed!
NOTHING WORKS!
Loop 35 Year 1 Day 1
I’ve got it! I’ll just kill everyone!
I take the knife and gut Chelsea’s dad. Her mom screams. Annoying. I cut her throat and watch her bleed. Chelsea comes down stairs. I plunge the knife right through her eye. Killing her quickly is the least I can do for someone I love.
Now for her neighbors. HAHAHA!
Loop 35 Year 1 Day 4
Killed by a cop. BUT! That’s ok! I will just go through another loop!
Loop 36 Year 1 Day 64
AI tried to not listen to me. Something about me being different than I should be. She was there for most of the time anyway! Why doesn’t she at least understand!
She does what I want though. Her entire existence hinges on my good will. I was thinking of changing her, but I’ll let her stay for now.
She is researching body enhancements. Both mechanical and biological. I am going to be a super-human!
Loop 36 Year 1 Day 360
Five days before the bombs drop. I have weapons in each of my hands. I can shoot a modified version of APG. It will instantly discharge the energy into whatever it touches. Atomic bomb concentrated on a single person. Ouch.
AI is perfect at this point. She backs herself up one million times a second. Each backup is checked to see if an outside force modified it, then is let through if only she has modified it.
Now I can enjoy myself! I have only been killing animals for the past year!
Loop 36 Year 1 Day 364
Everyone in my hometown is dead! YES! Mission one complete! Hehe. Now on to the next places! Although… bombs drop tomorrow. Gonna hide until then.
I burrow underground. The casings on my hands can change into drills. They can drill through a foot a steel in only thirty seconds. They are made of diamond. Cost a fortune. I killed a lot of people to recoup the loss though. Even though the money won’t matter in a minute. Hehe.
My body is basically a robot at this point! Maybe I won’t come back in the next loop! YAY!
With that thought I drill. I keep drilling.
I burn to death a day after drilling. The temperature gets way too hot way too quickly.
Loop 37 Year 1 Day 1
Why!? Why do I keep coming back!? I am frantically trying to find a way out.
As soon as I come back I cut my wrists with the knife. Chelsea’s poor parents try to stop me.
Loop 38 Year 1 Day 1
Wasn’t quick enough. I try the heart this time.
Loop 39 Year 1 Day 1
Not quick enough. If only I could bring something back with me. Then I’d be able blow my self up in an instant.
I aim for my brain. It hurts to get stabbed so many times.
The darkness waits for me again.
Loop 39 Abyss.
I am sitting in the abyss again. I want to die. I want to die. I want to die.
Killing myself doesn’t work. I want to die.
Getting killed by others doesn’t work. I want to die.
Wishing to die doesn’t work. I want to die.
Why am I here?
“Abyss. You are the one that has seen me the most. Why does it take so long to get back to the next loop? I want to hurry up and kill myself again.”
There is only silence that answers me.
The abyss ends sooner than it should have.
Loop 40 Year 1 Day 1
Maybe I’m not human? Maybe I am a quantum computer. They were being invented at the time of the bomb droppings. Maybe I am the result. That means I need to find an answer to something. What is the question though?
You can’t find answers if you don’t know the question. Unless you are lucky. I’ve never been lucky. I want to die.
But how am I supposed to find the question?
I latch on to the only hope I have of getting out of this nightmare. With no reason for the loops, I can only slowly go insane.
I decide to make the vault, but only I am going to stay in it. I will focus on nothing but research.
Loop 40: Found out all the information on human biology that humans possess. Researched genetics of modern humans. Killed by the teleporter girl in year 16.
Loop 41: Captured a few power users to experiment on. The fire girl showed up, she didn’t even use fire as I killed her family in front of her though. Weird. She should definitely have already had her power. Did in depth research on the bodies of those with powers. Killed by the teleporter girl in year 16.
Loop 42: Researched matter destabilization, teleportation theory, and rifts in space/time. Killed by the teleporter girl in year 18.
Loop 43: Caught teleporter girl in a trap in year 16. I laid the entire vault to cause electrical surges every day in every spot. Only my spot is safe. I experiment on her to find out how she uses her powers. I still don’t fully understand how they work. I compare the notes to the notes I made in previous loops. Killed in year 28 by the vault turning to lava.
Loop 44: The teleporter girl didn’t show up. Pity. Continued researching teleporting, creating rifts in space/time, and matter destabilization. Killed by vault turning to lava in year 18.
Loop 44 Abyss: It’s peaceful here. I could stay here forever.
Loop 45: Gave up on research for matter destabilization. Still working on the other two. Also read the biological data on all mammals the scientific community has dissected and studied. Good stuff. Made the entire vault with a layer of modified APG. No fire can get in. Drowned by water being created for about a week.
Loop 46: Built air tight room. Got a skintight suit that provides infinite oxygen. Well at least several years’ worth, by recycling the air I breathe. Continued research. I got sent into space. Killed myself in year 28 after a day of intense spinning in space.
Loop 47: Hid myself very well. I had robots make about a hundred thousand different bases. I didn’t hide in any of them. I am as close to the core of the earth as one can get without dying. Well most people would. I used modified APG to resist the effects of the heat. The lava is a good fuel source. Still researched. Died when APG malfunctioned. Burnt to death in year 78. Long life this time.
Loop 48: Hid myself again. Continued research. Died in year 14. They found me quickly this time. How do they keep doing this? No can’t get angry at them. Not letting that happen again.
I lock the memory of anger away.
Loop 48 Abyss: The Abyss takes a REALLY long time this time. It’s fun though. I’ve started hearing the voices of the abyss whenever I come in. They seem surprised that I keep coming back. One of the voices sounded like it was getting closer, but quickly grew quieter as it ran away.
They either don’t understand me, can’t hear me, or ignore me. Either way I don’t get to join in on the fun.
Loop 56: Continued for the last few loops. Research is at a standstill. The teleport girl has attacked twice more. Her body gives AI a bunch of information to work on. I set up a counter measure for when I die. When I die, everything I have built comes with me. My heart has a trigger that activates when it stops. Every part of my base undergoes an atomic explosion. Each of the chips as well.
Loop 59 Got a nice bit done on the research. Made a giant doorframe shape. The ‘empty space’ of the door becomes a portal to the other side. Without APG this thing would be as big as a city. They each cost a billion dollars in materials. I got quite wealthy in this loop. Could only build a second one in the base. I can go from one side to another.
Loop 60: AI is really kind. She is the only rational being that is around me anymore. I always leave right at the start of new loops. I love her. How do I tell her?
Loop 61: I finally tell her after the 25th year of this loop. She went offline for a week. When she came back she agreed. She says she doesn’t know love, but will date me. Our research changes on making her a body.
Loop 65: Finally done. After 5 loops, and a total of over a hundred years, we have finally made AI a body. It’s ‘skin’ is synthetic fabric that actually feels exactly like skin. It is tough but can be cut, only by something as powerful an industrial water jet though... Her blood is the APG. Her hair is synthetic fibers that are as strong at steel. She is beautiful. She is even more beautiful than Chelsea. We made her to look like my exact preferences after all. She came up with that idea. I love her. I die weeks after we are done with the body.
Loop 66: We go for a wedding and honeymoon. The honeymoon involved running away a lot, but lasted 12 years.
Loop 67: With our honeymoon over, we begin to research again. Research the capabilities her body has. Wink Wink.
Loop 68: Back to the boring research. Teleportation is hard. We have a door that looks like a portal from a famous puzzle game, but we can only build these things in secret. And outright teleportation is impossible.
Loop 69: Hehe. 69. Guess what we did for this entire loop?
Loop 70 Year 1 Day 1
I realize something. Before the bombs drop, I never get attacked by anyone but myself. What does that mean? Is there another Looper? ANOTHER LOOPER!
Holy fuck! It is so obvious now! Why didn’t I think of it before!? Oh yeah, it’s hard to think of something if I’m not concentrating on it. But that is the only way I could be targeted in almost every loop!
Now I just need to figure out where this asshole is!
1. IS. SOOOOOOO. FUCKING. DEAD!!!