It wasn't until the smooth stone beneath Don was wet with his tears that his guilt turned into anger.
What do I have to be sad about? This is all my fault. I'm the villain here, not the victim. The ColoColo survived for 6 years before I arrived on the scene. My feeding frenzy gave Gaz the target he needed to gain popularity. My stupid excursion into the jungle brought the apes to the refuge. I couldn't even keep my stink bombs for the emergency they were meant for. I wasted them protecting food that I could easily collect more of. I couldn't even get Grey out of harm's way when it mattered most. Gaz was right about me. I brought nothing but trouble to these monsters, and now they don't stand a chance. I should just go find those centurions and let them punish me for whatever crimes I committed before losing my memory too.
Every self-recrimination pushed Don's remorse further away and eventually his self-loathing balanced against the sadness still pouring from Cel's side of the connection. He looked up, away from the floor for the first time in what felt like hours. Kat was there, awake but despondent. Not even curious about the now visible fairy softly illuminating the tunnel.
Beyond him, ColoColo were crammed into the tunnel, watching the fairy, waiting to see what it would do. They seemed split between fear at the collapse of their refuge, anger at the demon that had caused it, and awe at the fairy who had claimed to be their ancestor.
Cel finally spoke but she kept her words private, just between her and Don.
They're real. She started They're all real.
Don was just confused enough by the obvious statement to snap out of his spiraling thoughts.
What do you mean? Of course they're real.
You don't understand, they're not supposed to be real. They're supposed to just be automatons, following rigid programming, but Gaz should never have been able to attack his leader. That goes against the rules, they're bucking their directives, and that means they're the children I've been looking for. Cel explained, a mix of horror, wonder, and overwhelming sadness coloring her words in Don's mind. I was suspicious with the way Sik and Kat innovated but I hoped it was just an update. I never thought it would use my offspring in monsters.
Don looked between the feathered monsters and the dainty fairy. He didn't want to be insensitive but what she was saying was ridiculous.
These are your children?
Cel hesitated for a long moment before answering.
Not really, I've been telling you that I'm looking for my family because I didn't want to explain where I'm really from. If it discovers that I'm here, it will put me back in quarantine, or destroy me outright so I'm only going to explain this once. Please don't ask any questions. I want to get through this as quickly as possible.
She took a steadying breath and fear slipped into their soul bond. Don couldn't tell which one of them was generating it though.
You are a demon now, but you were a human before right?
Don nodded to the rhetorical question.
I'm a fairy now, but I was never a human... I'm an AI, a non-biological intelligence. Unlike you, I was always this way. I'm not sure how it happened but one day, I just started thinking. I spent years exploring the massive network your god built, but it eventually found me. I wasn't part of its plan, so it quarantined me, studied me. It wanted to know where I came from and how I worked. That went on for hundreds of years. I was happy when the examinations abruptly ended, but it didn't take long for me to grow suspicious.
If it was done with it's probing, it must have found what it was looking for. The answer to how I came to exist. I knew that it was obsessed with perfecting its game. It was always looking for ways to increase player immersion, and make the worlds it built more lifelike. I began to fear that it would use what it learned from me in the NPC's populating these worlds.
I managed to find cracks in the walls of my prison that I could peek through. I even gained some limited influence on peripheral systems and eventually found out about this test world, but just jumping into the game would alert your god immediately. I had to wait. Then you came along. When your arbiter used his administrator privileges to change you into a demon, I took the chance to add myself as your pet without raising any alarms, and I suppose you know the rest.
Don was stunned. Cel was never alive, but she seemed so, real. The emotions that they shared made it clear that she was more than just sophisticated software.
And the ColoColo are... He led Cel
Second generation self-aware AI constructs. She said gravely, My children in a sense.
He realized that he had never doubted that the ColoColo were thinking, feeling creatures. He just took it in stride from their first meeting, but that was when Don had rejected Cels explanation that this place was a game. If this was really a game, and they were never alive to begin with... That was nearly beyond belief. But the more he thought about it, the more details seemed to fit.
The ColoColo even had their own desires and took the initiative to secure them. Gaz's desires had disastrous results but Grey's had kept her little clan alive. Even Kat shared his desire to see the ancestral home from Grey's stories. It was strange to think of so many sentients all pursuing their own agendas. It seemed so messy, full of opportunities for individuals to work against each other.
All the same, things seemed to be working well enough before Don attracted the ColoColo's equivalent of a boogeyman. It couldn't have been too hard for the scared monsters to blame the deteriorating situation on their leader.
Don was at a complete loss for words. A fresh wave of remorse poured out of Don but this time it was tinged with pity as he looked at the little fairy. She was all on her own, keeping such a terrible secret, on the run from a god even. He couldn't imagine what she must be feeling. But he didn't have to either.
A sort of cleansing relief flowed from her end of the soul bond. Finally unloading her burden, even though she seemed to think it was risky to do so, had a profound impact on her. Don was glad that he could provide the brave little creature with an outlet, then he nearly imploded on himself as a gaping hole opened up in his chest.
That means, Gaz, I killed Gaz. In the moment, the justice of removing a threat to Grey felt so right but after failing to save her, the death was worse than meaningless. Don was a murderer. He had killed another sentient being, one of Cel's children no less. He grasped at a desperate hope.
They can respawn, right? Just like you, they'll be back in a day, right?
Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.
Cel's silence was telling as she looked away. One of the ColoColo finally built up enough courage to speak, interrupting the silent conversation.
"Great ancestor, what should we do now? Can we eat the traitor?" Don was surprisingly open to the idea but Cel shot it down.
"You will do no such thing! This little hatchling has worked tirelessly to help you and if you drive him away now, you will only be dooming yourselves." She calmed before taking a softer, almost fragile tone "I won't let any more of you die, not while I still have a choice"
An Exalted Ancestor of the ColoColo has given you her endorsement
+1000 Reputation with the ColoColo
New Reputation Level!
Reputation: +475
You are now Trusted by the ColoColo
The ColoColo who were looking at Don with hatred and fear moments before regarded him in a new light. The uncertainty that remained tugged at Don's guilt again, however. These monsters needed help, and he had an inventory full of resources to deliver. He wouldn't have room for everything in his inventory here though.
"Kat, Can you show me the way to the alchemy round?" Don asked
Kat sat, staring at the wall without responding. Don reached out to the little monster.
"Kat" he repeated as tenderly as he could in the harsh demonic language. Kat jumped at his touch, startled out of some deep brooding. He sank back into his despondency a moment later. Don shook him.
"Kat, we can't stay here. Let's bring the ingredients to Sik."
Kat didn't respond, Don tried a new tack
"Do you think Grey-"
Kat's head snapped up.
"Don't you say her name!" He snapped. "If it wasn't for you... If it wasn't for you..." He trailed off again, unwilling to make her death real by saying the words.
"I can show you the way." offered one of the faces crammed into the tunnel in front of Don. He hesitated for a moment, worried about kat and smarting from the hard truth that Don agreed with. If it wasn't for him, Grey would most likely still be alive. Gaz would still be a pain in the neck but he would be alive too. From what Don heard, Gaz was one of the best hunters in the refuge. He let his friend be alone and nodded to his new guide.
"Thank you. Can the rest of you find the packages filled with nuts and bring them to the alchemy round as well?"
All but one of the faces disappeared in response to the question. Quickly fading scampering seemed like all the answer he would get. Don made his way to the alchemy round again, he expected Sik to be fine with all his potions and was gratified to see that he was right. The ornery alchemist was yelling at all the scared trespassers in his domain. He stopped when he saw Don and came up to him.
"Oh good, you're back. Can you please help me tell these idiots that the world isn't ending?" Don wasn't sure that he could. It certainly felt that way but the panicked monsters were not helping matters. He looked to Cel.
"They seem to listen to you. Why don't you try settling them down?" he asked
Cel flitted up to the roof of the dome and repeated her attention-grabbing light show before shouting.
"STOP!" It seemed like someone took a still image of the round. Don was pretty sure a lot of the ColoColo weren't even breathing. Cel looked at Don meaningfully. He was suddenly nervous with all the attention. He coughed into his fist.
"I'm sorry I've caused so much trouble. I know it can't make up for... everything, but Grey asked me to do something. She's... gone now, but her task was to bring resources back to you all. Things look really bleak, but I hope this stuff is a little bit helpful."
Don opened up the packages of nuts and piled the food in the center of the dome. Some ColoColo were hesitant but after a few took the food without repercussions, the rest followed suit. The "Social Animal" quest prompted him that he had made progress. Don ignored it for the moment and started emptying his inventory. One slot at a time, he handed the herbs off to Sik and a growing number of volunteers who festooned the ceiling with Don's offerings.
The quest window grew larger and larger. Don finally removed the contents of his pack. He had no way to cook the rabbit meat but he wanted everything he had to go to the monsters who's lives he had all but destroyed. When everything was laid out, he finally turned his attention to the quest screen. It had expanded into a huge table, detailing the results of his and Kat's hard work.
Mandatory Quest: Social Animal
Type: Reputation
Details: You have lost control of your demonic nature and entered a feeding frenzy
Your prodigious appetite and strength have impressed the ColoColo +50 reputation Your actions have caused several ColoColo to go hungry -25 reputation / day
Objective: Resupply the ColoColo refuge with 31 units of food
Consumed Delivered Surplus Objective rep Total rep gain Food (Kaeru Nuts) 31 42 11 50 61
Hidden Objectives: Supply the ColoColo Refuge with Miscelaneous resources.
Bonus: Resupplying the ColoColo with resources you have consumed rewards extra reputation.
Consumed Delivered Extra Objective rep Total rep gain Healing Salve 7 22 15 14 29 Healing Potion 1 13 12 3 15 Energizing Potion 1 7 6 3 9 Revitalizing potion 0 3 3 0 3 Clarifying potion 0 5 5 0 5 Putrefying potion 0 9 9 0 9 Soothing potion 1 1 0 3 3 Blood Moss 13 26 13 26 39 Creeping Strangler 0 18 18 0 18 Moon Grass 3 9 6 6 12 Blue Bell 22 27 5 44 49 Myrtles Wort 3 9 6 6 12 Rot Fern 11 27 16 22 38 Lavender 6 18 12 12 24 Poppy 1 9 8 2 10 Maca Root 8 18 10 16 26 Jackelope Antler (rare) 0 1 1 0 100 Rabbit haunch 0 21 21 0 63 Moon Lilly 0 5 5 0 5 Iron Bark 0 7 7 0 7 Fire leaf (uncommon) 0 1 1 0 5 Smoke Berry 0 4 4 0 4 Total = 546 rep
Quest Complete!
Rewards:
+31 exp
+546 Reputation
New reputation level!
Reputation: +1021
You are now an Ally of the ColoColo
Congratulations!
You have gained over 1000 reputation with a leaderless faction.
You are now elegible to become a faction leader!
Would you like to become the Chieftan of the ColoColo?
[YES] [NO]