L breathed out, the sweat running heavy under his tunic. His skin began to itch him more insistently than usual, constantly reminding of how much it did not appreciate the light. He thanked the devil, otherwise known as the devs, for removing mosquitoes, flies, and any other type of tiny abomination Divers would have had to suffer from, but he truly wished they could have removed sunburn while they were at it. His pale skin truly did not enjoy the sun.
“That went pretty well...I think,” L wheezed, pulling the tunic away from his chest. He was sitting under the shade of a tree, in front of the river. “She’ll be there, probably. She still has the coat.”
She might, though that doesn’t mean she’ll be in a well-receiving condition.
“Null! I missed you, dear buddy, where you’ve been the past few days?”
Had stuff to do.
“What stuff? AI’s do stuff? I thought each Diver had a supervisor, that, you know, supervises.”
What was that thing you said, back then? Remember? Like, two weeks ago, when you said any type of information I could offer, you would be already aware of?
“Yikes, and you’re in a bad mood. Information regarding the game mechanics, yes. But never said you could not offer good conservation.”
Whatever, figure it out on your own.
A strong wind ruffled the branches above him. The deeper one went into the forest, the taller and wider the trees become. A few animals hopped in the distance. Squirrels played tag in front of L, climbing trees and jumping from one branch to another.
“Say, tell me about you.”
Figure it out on your own.
“Argh! You sound like an angsty teenager! What are you so moody about?”
The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.
Figure it out on your own.
“If you didn’t want to talk, why did you bother to speak up?”
Figure it out on your own.
“Sure!” L said, gladly, “It’s because you’re in a bad mood, that you want to talk. Speaking with someone makes you feel better. Why don’t you talk to other AI’s, or even players, if that’s the case, you silently ask me? Well, the fact that you didn’t, means you’re just a copy of one main AI--it’s something that’s done often to make things easier on the devs, and game balance, so no AI can provide benefits a different type of AI won't so you’re stuck with me. A copy of you is pasted for each new Diver. But it’s not that fun, is it? Speaking with yourself?”
A short moment passed before Null spoke again.
You are a distasteful human being, L. Why do you always wish to dissect, label, and experiment on everyone? On everything?
“You know what I’m about to, don’t you? No spoilers. And Everything or Every thing? Nice play, but don’t change the subject on me, that’s a trick I’ve already mastered. You’re not as half-clever as you think you are. You were a human before you became an AI, right? How did that come to be? Something like that is never done before. It was tried, but never successfully. That’s the secret behind this world being beyond the reach of the larger states of power, isn’t it?”
The world seemed to have hushed down as he waited in anticipation. When no answer came, L cracked another smile. “See, you’re not much different from me after all. You know I am a curious person, you know I love secrets. That’s why you said ‘everyone, and everything.’ You wanted me to remind myself of the mystery behind you, the mystery behind what you are. And guess what, Null?” L said, and then waited a few seconds. “It worked!” He exclaimed, springing up. He dusted his trousers off from the grass and dirt. “Congratulations, you are every bit much an asshole as the humans you look down on,” he said, and then began to make his way towards the forest.
It would be a couple of hours until lunch time came, and L had no serious plans until then. He could not practice his magic, however, as he soon would need every bit of his reserves and neither could he tax his body, as it would also be required of him.
He went deeper and deeper into the forest, looking for something to do. He was unarmed, and the further away he went from civilization, the more wild the forest grew. Trees reached boggling heights, nearly at a hundred feet long, with their roots going over rocks and going as far as to even topple other trees. The land was hard fought over, with each tree attempting to gain control over the other. Branches extended over others, while some went under and snuck in between others.
It was a foolish thing to do. A careless thing to do. A thing which offered no benefits but endless risks. If he dies now, if a beast were to cut him to pieces, or if he would to be mortally injured, then all his plans would all go to ruin. All because of a simple, meaningless, whimsical desire.
The very thought of it excited him. It made the hours that would otherwise have dragged in a plain and dreadfully slow manner into a vicious and life-shaking stroll, where each sound or howl send a shiver down his spine.
When it ended eventlessly, when no beast came out of the unseen depths, L did not know whether he was fortunate or unfortunate in his hunt. He turned around when he felt like the sun had risen enough. He would need to make his way back soon,
His smile when he turned back, however, was quivering. He tried to fight it back, to put on the correct persona for the job, but his face could not cease its enjoyment. It opened wide and showed sharp teeth, with eyes that glazed over in energy.
Everything is coming to a close. Everything will begin. And so it goes.