Location: Terra Colony Andromeda
North Sector - Draco Outpost - Corridor I-902 Sublevel 4
Date: January 31, 2050
Time - Midnight
“Talk about a tough lock.” Arielle was knelt by a door’s console, its lower maintenance panel cracked open with a tangle of circuits splayed out on the floor. The thing was utterly gutted. Behind her, Haruka, Sinder, Tricky, Vienna, Numi, and Bao, watched with mixed reactions as she crossed a couple wires. “Hmmm.. no effect. How about this?”
The heavy steel door made an unnerving creak and then a thump, showing that Arielle’s attempts were having some effect. Pressing her manicured fingernails to the circuit board, a line of energy coursed from her hand, manipulating inputs to unlock or circumvent the hold on the door’s programmed locks. She felt resistance, a push back at the tip of her touch.
“Uh? This doesn’t seem like a good idea.” Sinder said over her shoulder. She glanced behind her, wary that someone would turn the corner and see that they were up to no good. “We really shouldn’t be here.”
Tricky was keeping her head on a swivel at the back. It helped to give Sinder some sense of security, except it didn’t make much difference. They were all on edge, mostly because this part of the facility was almost empty, eerily empty. For an infirmary, you’d think every level would be busy after the war games. Apparently not here though. There was only the occasional CSU officer minding his or her own business.
Arielle waved a dismissive hand at them, her other hand working away. “We’re fine, We’re fine. I’ve blocked out the camera’s and disabled the security alarms. Even if we get caught, they won’t have any proof. Plus, we can make a quick get away if it comes to that.”
“That isn’t encouraging.” Sinder retorted, ears flicking in annoyance. She had gone along with Arielle’s offer to see what Itsuki was up to, but when things got to a point this extreme, it had crossed a line. “We’re going to get in trouble at this rate. This is a military facility, Arielle, and I don’t think they’ll forgive us for breaking into places we shouldn't be. And what if you break something?”
“Don’t worry, I’m being careful.” Arielle assured her. “And I promise, we won’t get in trouble. In fact, we should’ve had access to this part of the facility in the first place.”
“Then why are we sneaking around?” Sinder asked, exasperated. “Why did you have to disable the cameras? That's pretty overkill.”
Arielle sighed in annoyance at a certain push back from the console security firewalls. “That’s the thing. I didn’t need to at first. We should’ve had access to this door, but we’re locked out. I can only think of one reason why, or should I say, think of one person in particular who’d do something like this.”
Haruka rolled her tired eyes, leaning on the wall. “Yeah, that sounds like Itsuki.” She yawned. “What do you think he’s hiding, or even doing in there?”
“No clue.” Arielle said, wrenching a handful of wires together. “When I usually snoop around, I get caught by him and get my ass handed to me. This time though, I think I have a chance of finding some juicy secrets. The bug I planted on him is still working, so that’s a good sign he hasn’t caught on.”
Sinder hesitated, and asked, “W-What kind of secrets?”
Arielle shrugged off a cord of wire. “Not sure, but haven’t you ever wondered what a guy like him hides, or what he does in his off time?”
The answer to that was yes for all of them. Everyone here had the tacit agreement that Itsuki was a busybody. They’d only ever see him working, fighting, or training. What he did besides that was a big unknown and seeing him do mundane things was rare. He had a mysterious air to him, one that Arielle couldn’t help but want to figure out.
A click came from the door as its metal frame slowly creaked. Arielle pushed herself out from under the maintenance panel. She tapped a few times at the console controls, then snapped a few circuit boards back into place before shutting the panel. After a couple thumps, no doubt being the door’s internal locks, the entrance eased apart, the two halves of its frame sliding away.
Arielle clenched her hand in delighted success. “Nice. I still have my touch.” She was the first one to take a step inside. “Come on, let’s..”
The sentence cut short when she realized everyone behind her stood still, rooted, and were staring into the room. Arielle wondered what had gotten into them and turned to follow their gazes. Her reaction was much the same.
“Oh, um?” She stuttered, giving a tepid wave. “H-Hello?”
A trio stood poised for a fight inside. The tallest of them was a pretty boy with demon-like horns and blackish long hair. He narrowed his eyes on them, they hardened as he tried to hide someone behind him, then softened as Haruka stepped inside.
“Oh, it’s you.” He said. “What are you doing here, Haruka?”
Haruka blinked a few times, becoming somewhat more awake than a second ago. “Hmm? Oh.. Bubi, is that Mousey with you?”
“Y-Yeah.. Of course she is. Mind explaining why you’re here?”
“Well, we were looking for Itsuki?”
Bubi noted the door’s console and then Arielle. “And you had to force your way in? You could’ve knocked.”
Arielle scratched her cheek, embarrassed. “You see, we didn’t have access and.. well.. I.. Uh.. Um..” She had no defense. Locked out, she was convinced that it was Itsuki’s doing. If she had known she could’ve just asked to enter, this would’ve made things a lot easier. “So? What are you doing here?”
Bubi shrugged, letting Arielle change the topic. He gave his compatriots a pat on the back to calm them down. They all recognized them as Hime and Garnt, a married couple who she’d worked with a few times in the past. They stepped to the side, sitting back down into seats at an array of consoles. That was when Sinder and Arielle caught a sight at what else was in the room. There was a body, a person, floating in a glass vat of greenish fluid with innumerable lines and cables hooked up to him as if he were a science experiment gone wrong.
Numi moved over, approaching the clear vat that stood bolted to the floor and ceiling at the far wall. She tapped the glass, meeting Itsuki’s unblinking blank gaze on the other end. “Woah, talk about freaky. Is he even alive in there?”
Bubi tilted his head up to the ceiling, prompting someone on high to answer. Someone did, or well.. Something did. A holographic projection of a silver star materialized next to Numi, spooking her enough to jump away. Yuzu caught her before she fell on her ass, and was on guard.
“Query.” A voice spoke from the overhead speakers. “The answer to your question is complicated. But.. yes.. In a way.. He is alive.. For now.”
Arielle remembered that voice. It was that AI that had hacked her hardware and software during the training exercise. “Oh, it’s you. That AI thingy. So this is what your avatar looks like. I was expecting you’d take on a human form.”
The silver star hovered over to her. “It is good to see you too, User Arielle.” It then faced Haruka and Sinder. “User Haruka, User Sinder. I am glad to see that you both are unharmed.”
Sinder wasn’t sure how to respond. AIs were.. Strange.. And she hadn’t talked to many in her lifetime. Haruka on the other hand didn’t seem to have any trouble, giving it a wave and then snoozed off while everyone settled at one of the nearby tables.
“You said he’s alive, right?” Arielle asked, typing away at one of the consoles. “What do you mean by.. For now? According to the readings, he seems alive enough.”
“Query.. User Itsuki has taken sufficient damage from his recent fight.” Said the AI. “The regenerative processes of muscular tissue have been successful, but recovery for his nervous system is still underway.”
Sinder’s shoulders trembled all of a sudden. A faint expression of guilt flashed across her lips. Tricky and Vienna sat her down, rubbing her back as they listened to the AI’s retelling of events. A mix of pride and regret stirred inside Sinder. Pride at how she had driven Itsuki to his limit in their fight, and regret at how much injury she had inflicted.
The AI chirped on, until it noticed Arielle’s work at the console. “Query.. User Arielle, what are you doing?”
Arielle glanced up, giving the AI avatar a grin. “Oh, just checking a few files.”
“I can tell that is a lie. Please, do not attempt to use your abilities to access this console's hardware or software.”
Not listening, Arielle clicked away at the console's controls. “What’s the worst I could do? Plus, I’m a pro at this. I won’t break a thing.”
“I doubt that, please.. Cease your intrusion, you may cause irreparable damage to the..”
A loud beep rang out as all the console screens turned red, blaring with warning signs. The lights went out and the room was submerged into darkness for a few seconds. Emergency lights kicked in moments later, all of them only enough to illuminate the console and glass vat Itsuki was in.
The AI’s avatar struggled to maintain its holographic form next to Arielle. “Oh.. no.” It’s voice was slow and blaming. Somehow, even without a face, it glared at Arielle. “What did you do?”
“Nothing!” Arielle held her hands up. That didn’t convince the AI. “Really, I didn’t do a thing.”
“Well, you must have done something. My logs are reading that a failsafe has been activated and it will..” The AI then went deathly silent. “Oh shit, this is not good.”
Everyone grew uneasy at how the AI’s tone changed. It was permeated with real emotional shock and awe, contrary to its earlier no-nonsense tone. It was as if it had been given a revelation from God. Sinder had a sinking suspicion something would blow up. She was proven partially right when the console screens exploded with warning signs. A countdown appeared on the main monitor and Itsuki’s body shuddered in the vat.
He was convulsing unnaturally.
***
Line Memory C8932-122ENB-3-LIFE-G2-03202025.. Beginning Playback.
A couple years had passed since Itsuki's arrival to this rural village. In that time, Ember and Blaze had done their best to help him acclimate to this new life. They gave him room and board in one of the community houses, and warm food and greetings everyday. He scooped up a spoonful of soup, tasting each drop as it went across his tongue.
Savory, sweet, sour, and.. Normal. Is this what normal life was like?
This was all still so new to him. Instead of drills and combat training every moment of everyday, the hours went by at a slower pace than he was used to. He had time to.. Well, to do anything. He could do things he hadn’t believed he could’ve experienced. He helped the villagers plow the fields, he foraged for food, picked berries, chopped down trees, carved out furniture, built houses, and he.. Talked to people.
Now that was the biggest change. That, and the village.
In the first couple months, the village had expanded in size with its ever growing population. What was once a collection of houses started to become an urban town. Itsuki laid brick after brick, pounded nail after nail, and lifted wall after wall into place. Because many of the refugees had been explorers during the war, they had strength and energy to spare. And with more refugees coming to settle here after the war, the place was coming together quite nicely.
Itsuki hoped that it would one day become a city, a refuge, a place of.. Peace. He wanted that, he wanted it so bad. He wanted to stay here for as long as he could.
There were, though, a few snags to that. Sinder, Ember’s and Blaze’s child, had grown up quick. She took her first steps and was already walking on her own at the age of three. She became an ever-energetic toddler, playfully pestering all the adults, asking them to play, and getting all their attention.
Except, she didn’t treat Itsuki the same. Neither did the other children.
Probably, because they’re afraid of me.
Every time Sinder saw him coming, she’d run or hide behind someone. On the bright side, she never screamed or cried at the sight of him.
Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.
Still, that hurts.
Itsuki wasn’t sure why she always reacted that way to him. In the end, he decided on one fact he understood when people looked at him the way she did. To her, I’m her.. Enemy. She sees me as dangerous. They all do.
While he had begun to talk more often, that didn’t mean he was sociable. The neighbors stayed clear of him if they could help it, and no matter how much he had a hand in raising new houses and growing the village, he wasn’t going to shake off the stigma they had placed on him ever since he arrived.
Child Soldier. That is what they see. I’m.. a threat to them.
Itsuki just didn’t fit in. There was no real place for him here. He couldn’t connect, he couldn't embrace the new norms. He was just going through the motions, imitating everyone else. Pretending. And everyone saw through it.
I really don’t belong anywhere, do I.
Line Memory H2233-145BAC-3-CHANGE-D2-06202026.. Beginning Playback.
“A week?” Ember asked him. “You’re going to be out there for that long? I know hunting wild game takes a while, but you don’t need to exert yourself, Itsuki. You should stay here, with us.”
“It’s fine.” Itsuki replied, packing his bag with camping essentials. “I’ll be okay. We need more food anyway. There’s another group coming to settle here in a couple months, so it’s best if we have a surplus so we don’t have to worry. Building new houses takes a lot of effort and we’ll need food to keep everyone going.”
“I know that, but that isn’t any reason to kill yourself with work. You’ve done plenty, you need to rest, Itsuki.” Ember wasn’t pleased by his answer. “Just what’s this about?” She knew he was hiding something. “You’ve been distant. I know you’re still coming around to the idea of living here, but..”
They heard a few steps approach the door to Itsuki’s room. Sinder popped in, calling out for Ember. Her eyes lit up when she saw her mother. The little girl was about to run to her side, except she stopped and hid behind the door when she met Itsuki’s gaze. Itsuki turned away from Ember, hurriedly packing his rucksack. That was all Ember needed to see to know why he was going out for so long.
“It’s better this way.” Itsuki said, knowing what Ember was going to say. “I don’t want to be a bother. I’ll come back and visit, and if I need anything, I’ll tell you.”
“Itsuki, you don’t need to do this. She’ll get used to you, just give her some time.”
Itsuki shook his head. “No.. she won’t.” Because I know I can’t change. She’ll always fear me, she’ll always see me as.. Different. They all will. He stepped past Ember and Sinder, not daring to look at them. Just as he opened the front door, he said, “I’ll be back in a week. Again, I’ll be fine.”
Without a second of doubt, he left. And kept to his word. For months, he camped and hunted, bringing back fresh game to the growing village. He’d stay one night with Ember and Blaze, then leave the next day. He didn’t want to make a child suffer, and his very presence seemed to do harm to Sinder.
There was no other way.
The solution was simple. He thought. I have to remove myself, I have to keep away. This is fine. It really is. I’m fine.. I really am.
The seasons passed and a new summer heat was setting in. A few of the kids in the village had begun to show promise. While not common or rare, they had awakened to their explorer powers. During one of his passes through the rapid developments in town, Itsuki watched Blaze mentoring a group of kids. Itsuki wasn’t sure how to feel about that.
They’re too young. They shouldn’t.. No.. forget it.. Don’t worry about that.. The war is over. They’ll be fine.
Itsuki moved on, there was work to be done. There was always work to be done, and that hadn’t changed. When he was in the middle of skinning and packing away his latest catch, an enormous boar that was about 2 meters long, a faint rustling in the brush caught his eye. He made a show of not noticing as he wrapped and stored the cuts of meat. At first, he thought that it was an animal, but the footsteps were too light and the smell was off. He also sensed the faint core energy radiating off of whoever it was.
Not an animal.. A person.
He slowly turned, making it look natural as his hand reached behind his back for his knife at his waist. Then he trained his focus on a certain bush, raising his voice in a threatening tone. “Identify yourself!”
A shrill yelp followed as a child stumbled out and fell face first into the dirt. Itsuki eased his grip on his knife, sheathing it when he saw it was Sinder.
He frowned down at her. “Sinder, what are you doing here?”
The little girl trembled with an intense fear, her eyes shaking as her lips quivered. She tried to tilt her head up to meet his eyes. In the end, she burst out crying the next second and Itsuki had no clue what to do. He knelt down, hesitating to hug or comfort her. Giving it a try, he patted her head, like how Blaze had done before. His fingers brushed the back of her ears and that made Sinder groan. Thinking he was being too rough, he moved his hand away.
“S-Sorry.” He muttered. “But what are you doing here? You shouldn’t be out of the house this last, or this far out of town.” He looked around, hoping to find someone following her out of the jungle of trees. “Where’s your mom, or dad?”
Sinder fell silent, clutching the hem of her shorts, then shook her head. “I.. I.. I came.. On my own.”
“What? Why? And how?”
Another pause. Tears well in Sinder’s eyes. Itsuki guessed she must’ve followed him somehow, that or it was her beast human traits coming in. They all had a good sense of smell and a knack for finding things.
“D-do you..” Sinder shakily asked. “Do you hate me?”
The question made Itsuki blink in confusion. He should’ve been the one asking that. “No.” He said immediately. “Not at all.”
“Then.. why are you.. Out here?” Sinder’s voice cracked with a deep sorrow. “Why did you leave? Was.. Was it because of me?”
Now that was a question Itsuki didn’t want to answer. Telling her that he left because of her, felt wrong. It felt like he would be blaming her. Instead of answering, he changed the topic.
“Are you hungry?”
It seemed to work. Sinder’s stomach growled and she went pink in the face, her little tail wagging behind her. That got a laugh out of Itsuki, which got him a tiny punch in return from Sinder. Even while getting punched, he laughed as she pounded her fist helplessly against his shoulder.
Itsuki regained his composure and lifted Sinder up into his arms. “Come on, we should get you back home.” He slung his rucksack on with his free hand, noticing that daylight was running out. “Did you tell your mom that you’re out here?”
Sinder wiped her tears away, then warily shook her head. She knew she had done something wrong, and her mother would be furious. She was a smart girl for her age, and a talented one too.
“Then I guess we should hurry.” Itsuki said, sitting her on his shoulders, making sure she held onto his head. “Hang on tight, okay?
“Uh.. um.. Okay? But.. why?”
With one stride, and no elaboration, Itsuki took off in a sprint and got up to speed in seconds. He could feel Sinder tense as she squeezed his head, her legs wrapping tighter around his neck. Darting between the oak trees, he broke from the dense forest and came out onto a gently sloping ridge that nestled a few kilometers from the village. With a leap, he sailed through the air down the shortest path.
The wind ruffled Sinder’s hair and she dared to peek through her eyelids. The last light of sunset fell on her face, dazzling her. Itsuki heard her giggle, then she broke out into excited laughter. Faster, she had said over the wind, and so he did. Like a mountain goat, Itsuki traversing the mess of boulders and ledges down the steep side of a sheer face cliff.
By the time they made it back, Ember was frantic with worry at the front of the house, while Blaze was getting the short end of the stick. When they saw Sinder with Itsuki, they both jumped with joy. Apparently, Blaze had lost track of Sinder during a kind of savannah hike he had arranged for the kids. Sinder had seemingly wandered off and found Itsuki all on her own, which came as a surprise to all of them.
More importantly, this was a fault Ember was going to lord over Blaze. As Itsuki explained his side of the story, he too got the scolding of a lifetime when Sinder talked jubilantly about the moments he rushed down the ridge with her on his shoulder.
“Can we do that again?” Sinder asked, completely unaware of the danger Itsuki put her through. “That was really fun! I wanna go again. Please?”
“No, never!” Ember sighed, face pale and cheeks red with anger. “In any case, at least you’re both alright. Now, come inside. I think my heart has had enough to worry about as it is.”
Itsuki was about to refuse. He was still in the middle of his 7 days of hunting, and was sure he needed to keep his distance from Sinder. Just before he could say anything, Sinder grabbed his hand, or well, one of his fingers with her tiny hands. She was considerably shorter than him, though Itsuki was considerably short for his age. With a tugged, she made him take the first step and Blaze followed it up with a hard shove to his back.
“Come on!” Blaze said with a hint of humor. “Don’t stand around. You’re not going to say no and make my kid cry.. Right?”
Itsuki couldn’t refuse. The thought of making Sinder cry was not in the cards, though he wondered if this was a turning point. Letting Sinder take him inside, he sat down at the dining table. For the first time, Sinder pulled up a chair next to him. He swallowed silently, hazarding to give Sinder a lift up onto the chair. She smiled and he gave her head a pat. She didn’t shy away this time. She cooed.
Itsuki made sure to remember how bright her smile was, and where she apparently liked to pat on the head. So, the sweet spot is behind the ears. Interesting.
Line Memory A1123-675CHV-1-SMILE-J2-08232026.. Beginning Playback..
The smell of grilling meat flowed on the breeze of the night air. Amongst a chatter under the starlight sky of a full moon, men and women pranced about in the town square, eating away with content faces full of cheery glee and raucous banter. Kegs of ale were poured out, filling cups to accompany the servings of skewers grilling away to brownish charred perfection.
At the sides of the square, vendors cooked up dish after dish. Itsuki threw on another handful of skewers onto the makeshift grill he and Blaze had cobbled together. It was basically a long rectangular piece of black flat top metal over a brick kiln. A pretty old school method of grilling. The popping of fat brushed Itsuki fingers, flecking them with a hot and oily sensation. It stung, though he didn’t react. The pain was miniscule.
“Another!” Said one of the men, holding his plate out to him. “And make it a large portion!”
Itsuki nodded, flipping a few skewers and prodding a few with a tong to check if they were well cooked or not. He’d gotten better at this. Cooking. He’d never had the chance to learn until recently, and he’d gotten better at it ever since he started living permanently with Ember and Blaze. In comparison to before, his culinary skills were abysmal. Sinder described his creations as.. Mushy slop, while Blaze said it was almost inedible. With some of Ember’s help, he got the hang of tasting, heating, prepping, and seasoning his food correctly.
People crowded around his stall that night, their eyes locked on the sizzling chunks of fresh meat he butchered himself. There were new faces in town, new arrivals who had come to make a new life here. That also meant there were more children, who in particular waited with bated breath, licking their lips in anticipation at all the enticing smells of roasting meat at all the open vendors. For the past few months, Itsuki had gone from being the strange child soldier to what the children began to commonly call him.
The meat man.
It was an.. okay.. nickname. Itsuki didn’t mind how silly the moniker was. He gave the cooking meat one last glance before he started serving them.
“Alright, they’re ready.” He handed a child a plate. “Make sure to chew properly.”
The kid didn’t hear him though, and rushed away to sit with his parents at one of the bonfires. Itsuki rolled his eyes, moving his attention back to the hungry line. One by one, he filled the people’s plates, exchanging their nods and smiles with ones of his own. Many of them hid their recoiling reaction to his attempt at a smile. Blaze had said he looked off whenever he tried to do that. It was the teeth and the lips, Itsuki just couldn’t get them to naturally smile the way he wanted.
Sinder appeared at his side, tugging on his apron. Her plate was empty, and he could tell she was still hungry. Her eyes were literally asking for seconds. In this case, it was going to be her third round tonight. The kid could eat, and she could eat a lot.
“You know, you’re going to get fat at this rate.” Itsuki said, reluctantly giving her a refill. “Also, Ember might scold you if you don’t finish your greens.”
Sinder pouted, then scampered off without a word. They had grown close and were getting used to each other. Itsuki was especially getting used to her curious intrusiveness and childish pestering. Some would be annoyed by all that, but he oddly wasn’t. Being with her, and the children, gave Itsuki’s days a purpose. He watched them, taught them, and kept them safe.
Near the end of this night’s feast to welcome their new townsfolk, Blaze had brought part of the festivities into the house, mostly due to how he was on his 4th round of drinks. The recent renovations were finished, and they could now easily accommodate a few more guests than usual. Not only that, they had their own rooms. Sinder’s collection of stuffed animals was on the rise, nearly drowning her closet and bed. And the collection of motorbikes Blaze worked on had skyrocketed ever since he expanded the garage.
While the parents and adults were in the dining room, Itsuki kept Sinder company on the couch with a book she had begged him to read.
“Just one more story, Uncle.” She said, “Just one more.”
A high pitched bark came from her lap, where a black and fiery red colored puppy shaped creature tilted its head up to Itsuki. This was Charley, Sinder’s new pet construct she had recently learned to summon. For a kid about to turn 4, she was coming to grasp her powers quicker than the rest.
Itsuki sighed as Charley nibbled on his hand. “Fine, but you have to go to sleep after this. It’s past your bedtime, and that goes double of you Charley.”
Sinder leaned back, resting her head on his chest, giggling because she knew she’d get what she wanted. Charley barked in support, hopping up from Sinder’s lap onto her head and then onto Itsuki’s. The pup sat there, using Itsuki’s mess of blonde hair like a bird’s nesting. Itsuki let them have their fun as he reached over and grabbed one of the fairy tale books from the pile they dumped onto the couch. The cover showed a mighty wolf and young boy standing side by side atop a hill with a clear blue sky.
The story was a simple heroic tale. One full of action, friendship, and daring adventure. The ending, though, was.. A tad sad. The mighty wolf perished to save the boy who would one day become king and the world’s savior. He was selfless, good, just, and kind. It was a cliche story, though a good one for children.
“And so.” Itsuki said, reading the last line. “The boy lived his life as the wolf had taught him, and he forever remembered the friend he had made on that hilltop so long ago. He fell into a deep sleep, with the tree of their reunion at his back. The. End.”
He shut the book, realizing that Sinder was already fast asleep in his lap. She rolled over onto her side, clutching at his shirt as if he were her pillow. Charley was much the same on his head, chewing on locks of his hair like a chew toy. They probably hadn’t even heard the full story. No matter, Sinder was at least quiet and calm now.
That’s a relief.
Itsuki made to get up and put them to bed. Suddenly, everything was so heavy. His eyelids fell and he didn’t want to move. He faded in and out of consciousness, and time seemingly sped up. He felt a blanket fall over him at one point, seeing Ember come into his bleary view. She gave him a gentle smile, her hands on her hips with a slight hint of sass. She put her fingers to her lips, softly shushing him to sleep.
image [https://i.postimg.cc/d3FdwcNr/1709753537561.jpg]
“Get some rest.” He heard her say, her voice becoming distant. “Sleep well you two, and dream good dreams.”
Line Memory Z9-.. Error.. Error.. Playback.. Interrupted.. Detecting Intrusion.. Failsafe Initiated.
Total Heart Failure..
T-Minus 30 Minutes.
Completely Memory Wipe.. Initiating.