A video stream was playing, watching it on a bench with a group of friends while manipulating their constructs.

.....[The mystery of Aether energy really made everyone believe in magic. You see, we never had any knowledge about this energy at all before we've reached our today's aesthetics where colorful neon lights are everywhere, we all thought before that it was all... Technology made by XZ robotics...]

Tutorials, theories and techniques on how to create an Aether construct are the most popular videos in StreamingLike! Making Aether constructs after all is like a textbook easy and engineering difficulty. It's easy in theory but hard in practice especially for common people.

Most follow these tutorials to imitate the design made by the people who posted these tutorials and tips on how to evoke your imagination if you want to create your own. They teach how to imitate their design or change its colors though some are putting patents on their designs due to the complexity of its structure.

Not everyone can create, not everyone is as imaginative, motivated or could care less about Aether. And putting a mathematical expression to this phenomena is a puzzle and impossibility for the experts.

How would you put units on human imagery, the way of their processing and how it interacts with Aether energy? That equation won't happen until they can't answer the question of why Aether construction simply does not trigger even with mediums and catalyst they need.

17 years after its appearance, only 3 years of revelation and publicity. The time is still too short.

[I mean in order to understand how to use this technology out of nowhere, shouldn't we ask where it came from even? What the big shots are trying to hide from us? We are going to reveal some of it here in this video.]

.............

Near the seaside where the lights are a bit dimmer than the city, the parabolic soap shaped car roams the empty road. The lights from the pier are reflected by the dark sea, you can see at the distance the cold work of robots with enhanced limb features shipping packages is all the activity in that port.

.............

[The concept of Aether appeared ever since the myth of the Maker which wasn't even heard 33 years ago, and the Starlium Gear which said to have divine power to grant any wishes appeared out of nowhere. At first no one believed it obviously, the claims of the Maker existence is the creator of four cities of Rhythm is impossible, magic is impossible, yet when the phenomena of Aether construction manifested 17 years ago, everyone suddenly accepted him being real and everyone took him and his Gear seriously and of course his philosophical questions becomes the doctrine of the Musical Movement.]

[Ever since the reveal of XZ's research introduced the use of Aether energy and construction 3 years ago to the public, we've come to learn that the Starlium Gear might have been credible. XZ in their interview reported that they found this energy near the landmarks of the clue of where the Starlium Gear probably is with the help of that internet user legend and the ancient texts recovered from the Maker's era. An unusual fluctuation in high temperature and particles of the surroundings is the clue yet there's even a bigger question, why was his existence never mentioned in history we know at all? Did someone forget him? Buried him? Or something that's changing our history?]

The man inside the car earlier began to unload his equipment, reloading the chamber mechanism of his matte revolver gun arm.

.............

[Well, going back, they discovered the Aether energy 17 years ago apparently because one of XZ's gun testers for the 17th entry of their railgun tried imagining something cool, like a dragon trail on the energy bullet and it worked! And no other rail gun was able to replicate it. Suddenly the public started reporting weird phenomenons of spectral constructs and phenomena manifesting in their eyes and reporting their eye wear to be malfunctioning... Well until they realized it is indeed true and started the first conspiracy that the government wasn't able to stop nor censor.]

[Everyone was able to control it when it utilized strong emotions or imaginations -not refined as today -but still the earlier images of what cool things we could do and the government can't do nothing about it unless they fuck over the brains of their citizens.]

[They are so humane aren't they, so considerate of our individual thinking lol!!!]

[Nowadays, because XZ was the oldest one to research Aether, they are able to store Aether energy in the Aether modules but it is still expensive due to the process of gathering said energy. It is too thin and spread out yet abundant for the masses to use just that the technology today on how it is processed is too intricate and subjective. But hey, at least you can still experience it, it just takes 3 weeks the amount of your meals.]

[Others tried to create artificial Aether construction for mass produce and yes it is beautiful but it's not really a pure Aether energy, it is synthesized with other compounds that are able to contain Aether and then put it on a computer to render a design. It's still expensive but it's for the masses who are fearing FOMO and wanting relevance but that's the exact reason why most people don't buy and rather work hard for their own constructs. Corpoids could never imagine the genuine emotion of building something on your own and being able to share it with the people without asking for any monetary value.]

[Aether constructs are created within the imagination and emotions of the individual, it is possible to harness it even without module but the known people who can do this are very arbitrary in terms of their characteristics and imaginations so we can safely assume that natural aether construction ain't only for the very genius and immersed dreamers.]

[In the beginning, people tried to integrate it to their weapons but yielded disappointing results as the colors are way too dull or the lights are too distracting. They created weapons out of Aether construct, which is possible but very fragile, and because of that discovery they unfortunately popularized a new technique for criminals to get away from their murders.]

[But today, the music revolution only further got stronger with the improvement of the technology that even today, most people can afford a D class Aether module sufficient enough to show off one thing that matters in this era. Aesthetics.]

[Halos, glowing lines, dancing beats, graphics, word animations, transitions and so on, and the construct of today is even brighter and detailed 3 years ago due to the purity of people's emotions brought by music!]

[Although It is a mystery even for the XZ itself why such energy or particle triggers on the human mind to create a physical output, such concept is rather close to supernatural yet still threading science considering it may be an electron or neural manipulation, a engineered particle invented by the bygone era of Maker and the Starlium Gear might have the answer.]

[But the bigger question is... How did the Maker, his civilization that was never recorded and impossible to track at which point in time existed? His era that created something as impossible as an electron engineered particle like this? How did such an advanced civilization like them leave no little trace in history that people can't help to wonder if they truly know their history or the giant corporations are hiding something from the people? Will the revolution help us bring light to this mystery? Or will people remain rather ignorant about this?]

[Anyway, intriguing as it may be but you're definitely going to be more surprised! The virtual reality digital world of Echorrion is now celebrating their 2nd anniversa.....]

[.....]

The hologram closed.

.............

Somewhere in the factory...

A bottle of violet alcohol was slammed on the table. He closed off the video and wiped his drooping beer mouth.

"Yeah... Starlium Gear doesn't exist... It's something... that should not be given at anyone's hands... He didn't leave any legacy... sniff... sniff.... Fuck him... Oh my fucking god..."

Inside of an office lab, a researcher all alone in his lab is packing all of his documents while carefully watching the cameras on the screen.

"I need time... I need a fucking time... People won't accept what I found. Those pigs were already on my ass years ago, but I also need to warn them... God dammit, now those SJ fuckers want to screw me and my research thinking that Starlium Gear will be on their hands!?"

"Fucking RIDICULOUS!"

[WARNING: INTRUDER ALERT, FIRST FLOOR]

[Safety Protocol Level 1 Activated]

The researcher looks up at the screen, looking at the first floor wreckage as if a ghost passed through.

"He's here... I need to leave now before he reaches this floor. The walls are something he cannot penetrate but it is also a prison to me if I don't move. He has no choice but to enter the building, hopefully my measures are enough to kill him, fucking hopefully."

..........

Below the floor, the man who's masked all the way in black except his gun arm advances to clear each floor. Facing the barrage of turrets, compressors, EMP and many more obstacle traps.

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"They didn't tell me about this."

He thought that this is a simple infiltration and stealing research document from the head researcher Miro but he never expected that the intel given to him was way too vague.

There was never infiltration, the lead researcher is all alone and expecting him. The traps are unbelievably hard for him to face alone in these tight hallways. The enemy was prepared and his owners intentionally screwed him. It is impossible to scale the walls or fly at the rooftop, due to the EM pulse that the building emits outside, blowing up this fortress is futile and only gathers attention.

From the 6th floor to 27th, he reloaded his arm and used different types of 6 inch and 1.7 in diameter bullets wisely to solve each puzzling danger. EMP bullets to buy time, explosives and normal calibers for pure destruction and bullet substitution leap for exchanging location, and slicing androids with nanobots if needed to be.

He is exhausted from all of those traps smashed all over the unusual metal walls of a supposedly normal office building. His fuel reserves and adrenaline package are running out, even the muzzle in his palms are in risk of breaking from the deformity it suffered from heat.

As he reached the 46th floor, nothing welcomed him, which is unsettling.

And then a loud sound transmission appeared in the hallway.

___________________

[As expected to the greatest terminator of the SJ group. You exceeded my expectations, but you should stop your pursuit.]

"....." He remained quiet.

[Corinth. You are a newborn that became their hunting dog for 8 years in which you are reborn 4 times in both newborn and cyborg bodies due to the excellence of your implanted memory module, your personality and intellect but this time. You need to think for yourself. I have seen the truth.]

"What truth...?"

A delay in the researcher's voice suggests that he was shocked to receive a response from him but he continued.

[The fantasy about the Starlium Gear is nothing but false imagination. The true Starlium Gear is dangerous and can potentially bring out threats that our civilization never expected to manifest. Think about it, since when was the last time our generation ever craved genres of fantasy? A pure terror? We know nature but are they really organic? Or cultivated in labs? Yes that is true but how about the sun and moon? Are they true or just giant screens casted on us? Did the schools even tell us how we know all of this? Who invented this? Learned this? Do you even know the image of space? The sun? The moon and stars? Tell me?]

'I've never been to school.' Corinth said to himself.

"I don't get what you are saying."

'This could buy me some time... And the fact that he's speaking like this... He is confident I can't record anything with that EMP outside isolating the signals."

Corinth listens and slowly regenerates his energy back, with a few stalling, he can continue the chase. If Miro was broadcasting this, it means that he is still inside the building, and it only has 60 floors.

[What I'm saying is.... The night sky. Have you ever seen the moon, the circle in the night? It's true face?]

"I didn't."

[Yet you know what a moon is. The round, bright and pale circle that can only be seen in our textbooks.]

"...."

[The sun, a brighter light that illuminates the world and introduces the concept of daylight. We never saw it either, and yet unconsciously thought of it every time we see the light blue sky every morning.]

"......"

[Our knowledge in science and physics seems to be complete, yet the figures that proved them, these astronomical objects... Why have we never seen it?]

"Why...?"

'He's getting onto something. It sounds absurd but is this the reason why they are after him?'

[Because we are living in a dome, we never saw the real world.]

"... W-what...?" This time, a genuine dumbfounded Corinth.

[.... I don't know if that is genuine, I don't know if that's a true shock for a terminator like you who follows nothing but order.]

"It is a shock for me, what are you even saying? And do you think I am a mindless robot? I enjoy the night like others as well."

'Just a bit more and I'll be able to recharge completely.'

[That's... interesting. Ahem, yes, the world we know is a dome imprisoned from the real world. The very depth of this soil is nothing but metal, the edge is nothing but a meaningless sea immersed in absolute darkness and away from any signals, a strong magnetic pull and that terrifying rumble that you could never imagine in the curvature. And the top sky is but pixels, not allowing anyone to soar higher with all of that gravity alteration technology.]

[We actually know nothing about our civilization. The big shots you follow and the people that control this world. Actually knows nothing either, and I need to live through to warn the people blinded by a false pursuit of this tempting legacy.]

"....."

At this point, Corinth is fully recovered. Although what the researcher was saying is intriguing and confusing, the way he became a target priority for a top terminator like him, he must give the benefit of the doubt.

If he's lying to buy time, it's meaningless. Miro should've left instead of talking to him, which may have already killed him since he saw that the traps below are regenerating by now yet they are not acting again. If he blows the floors, all the moving traps from below will follow him too.

But if he is telling the truth, then Miro wants something from him to reveal this information.

Corinth never cared about history at all. As the greatest terminator of the SJ Company, he is obliged to do all the dirty work against their opponents and competitors. He never cared about loyalty or freedom. Simply by living and eating while admiring nature is what matters.

But as he grows becoming lethal and efficient in order to get longer free time for himself his owners put him to even more perilous missions and every time he dies, he can feel that a part of him is slowly being stripped away. More and more dangerous missions come towards him and slowly, his trusted weapons are being stripped away from him either because it was destroyed, or needing an upgrade but never returning back to him, leading to a handicapped difficulty in clearance time. He just doesn't know why they want to screw him over when he wants nothing but rest.

He believes that the group is conspiring against him but he has no proof, stripping away his weapons, removing parts of his memories, skills and harder missions that have a high mortality rate compared to the missions of the other terminators which means that they want to dispose of him.

By this time at point from all of the oppression, Corinth also finds the Music revolution tasteful and yearns to taste true freedom.

.........

"You want something. What is it?" Corinth listened to his possible negotiation.

[I'm glad you're able to catch my drift.] Miro chuckled with a hint of relief.

[What I wanted to propose is, work for me.]

"And what's in it for me?"

[I'm sure you won't resist the word freedom right? I don't know... That's what just comes to my mind.]

"I sure do need one." Corinth removed his mask and cowl revealing his cyborg body and human face.

Miro also responded by showing his face on camera. He's still in the building as well.

[I need you to protect me until I'm able to convince people with the research I found about the Starlium Gear, it is the same document that you are trying to steal, that's why I'm going to disappoint you now, I burned the papers and it only belongs to mine right now.]

"But you already know its location."

[.......]

"....."

They both remained silent, trying to anticipate each other's reaction from Corinth's question. But no one budged a suspicious move.

[If you help me, I will transfer your consciousness to another unregistered custom module that I newly published and put patent on illegally, It'll back you up to my nearest newborn body I created and your backup consciousness will be downloaded from all of the hidden locations where I put the newborns, that way, you will be able to live an untraceable life, being able to pick new identity whatever you want. There's no serial number that would be able to detect Corinth anymore.]

"....."

If Corinth finds a proof that the SJ group is indeed conspiring with him, what is he going to do? If goes into a killing spree, he will take a lot of them but in the end, even if he causes the downfall of SJ, what's the use if he can't see the end of it?

If he runs away, he's just going to be hunted, but at least be able to savor a bit of outside life.

But if he takes this offer. Maybe it is the closest one that can be described as freedom despite all of the "imprisoned civilization" things Miro said.

There's no deep attachment he has to this world except for living. Being able to learn new things outside killing... Maybe then that's when he can find purpose in life, the question asked by the Maker, but for now, that purpose won't happen until he makes a choice.

.........

After some time, he decided.

"The truth of the world, you just need to reveal it and I just need to protect you?"

[Yes. That's all.]

"Then will I be able to see the real sun and stars?"

[.... I'm sorry...]

"......."

[I can't tell you yet... But that should not ever happen.]

"Even the moon?"

[Even the moon.]

"You talk about all of this prison world and the false reality we are living in yet you do not want the people to see the truth?"

[Krgh..... I'm really sorry. This is not the time to discuss this. What I said barely scratched the surface. Even for someone like you who does not care, would feel that my words are straight up from fiction.]

"So what's the point of all about protecting you?"

[To convince people to stop pursuing the legacy of the Maker, the Starlium Gear isn't a magical artifact that they think it is. Its ability to manifest reality that grants hope and wishes is dangerous! As long as people longed for the Starlium Gear, they threatened to doom our world.]

"....."

[So are you in...?]

Corinth looks at Miro's clear anxiety.

"As long as you promise a new life, let's do it."

[Oh my god... Thank you...! Thank you...] The desperation Miro had was real and the exhale was the tension breaker of their deal. The most deadly killer of the SJ group and a researcher being lucky that he is reasonable.

........

The hologram screen changed to a 3d.

[I deactivated the traps.]

Corinth approached the hologram who's still cautious on his steps.

Standing face to face, the fat and messy researcher extended his hand.

"You're a hologram." Corinth looked at the awkward extension of Miro's handshake.

[Of course! You're a legendary terminator! I still need to be cautious.]

"........"

[Uh... Don't stare at me blankly, on the 55th floor!]

.........

After reaching the 55th floor, Corinth saw Miro and his suitcase in which the fake documents were probably stored.

While walking, Miro had discussed his plans in advance, such as gaining publicity and what enemies to expect that will shut him down, Corinth listened attentively.

.......

"Are you sure they told you to do this mission alone? How come they look down on me so much to an extent of sending you alone? I know you are great but they know my capabilities as well, I fucked them over in the internet years ago, XZ fucking betrayed me in our collaboration and I messed with their exploration of the Maker's supposed location which force them to just focus on Aether itself."

"They are trying to dispose of me as well, they didn't say that your building here in the port is filled with traps." Corinth with his stern face remained vigilant.

"That's unfortunate..."

"I know."

Miro halts and sighs.

"I don't fully trust you. But I think that you dying after this mission is real. After all, haha... This is the Starlium Gear we are talking about. I am sure that all they would read what I have after getting their hands into this if you betray me and reveal the location. And you are the only one who's gonna know most of its truth. That's why I'm giving you another choice."

In his hand is a small chip, he inserted it to the connector in the side of Corinth's metal neck.

"This chip is the only one soft copy of all the things inside this file. The moment I die, you should escape immediately. And this one..."

A thin aether drive key.

"Just connect it to your body and it will back up your consciousness on the newborn or android bodies I told you earlier, it will take one hour for one human body to calibrate tho and four hours for android due the technicals and distance of those factory from here, so you need to survive for four hours."

He is also holding Corinth hostage with that forceful choice. Corinth didn't do anything as he already promised.

"Why are you confident that you might not last long? You still have a lot to do right?" Corinth asked.

"Haha.... I'm preparing for the worst case scenario. The moment I die, the chip that contains the soft copy will be the only one left. They will hunt you and need to stay alive for four hours, you will get the copy on your newborn, but you should self destruct your current body, that's one less copy for them to pursue. That's my only way that I can pay back your betrayal, or -to save humanity from themselves."

"Why the two choices if you don't trust me?"

"Haha... Beats me... I believe you can protect this secret well, after backup, you just need to destroy your body since only your module will be transferred and the copy of the chip, the encrypted file in the original chip will remain." Miro rubs his sweaty fingertips with his choppy breath. A faint sense of dread is getting over him, further strengthened by the isolation of the place.

"Don't you have anyone that you can trust?"

"I was fucked over by the government, by XZ and SJ, betrayed by my staffs and assistant, and too poor to find an ideal partner to be happy, too ugly unlike you to even make anyone interested on me. Look at your face even if your whole torso and limbs are robot, your black hair and cold demeanor screams "cool and mysterious actor"."

"......" Corinth doesn't know how to respond to that, he never watched digital programs except online contents that are within his interest.

"All I have is my research, that even betrayed me... Now I am scared for all of us, but mostly scared of myself, absolutely living my life for nothing if I die here." The research gave a melancholic smile.

"....." Corinth remained silent to give respect.

"People should live for themselves... Yeah, I believe so too, this is what I said in that post. Find the true meaning of freedom, that's my wish."

He tightly grips his deceptive suitcase.

"But... Even trying to wish for Starlium Gear to be touched by us is not worth it."

"......."

They continue their silent walk towards the rooftop.

.........

"Alright, we are here." Corinth paused at the two doors leading to the rooftop.

"I don't know... miracle help us." Miro painted, he can feel his heartbeat rising up.

Corinth opened the door for him.

As the outside slowly unfolds, the skies welcome them with a sudden flash of light but at the split second, he sees the armed groups pointing their weapons at them. The small carrier planes beaming towards their direction. The unpleasant feeling that creeped on Miro had come true.

"Get out Miro!"

A rain of bullets barrage over them that is too late for Corinth's fast reflex to throw Miro back to the stairs at the expense of taking the bullets. He closed the door and strides at the stairs to retreat while carrying Miro.

"They didn't tell me that they are sending back ups!" Corinth immediately tensed in the situation.

'So that's why they removed my x-ray features as well!'

Limping, Miro held Corinth's shoulder for support.

"*Cough *cough... I told you..."

"I'm very sorry. What should we do?" Corinth can't change anything, he wanted an immediate action for survival. Miro's not going to make it, healing him with nanobots is useless to the gunshots he suffered and he is a human born.

"Start the back up, leave me be... It's so... futile... my dream..."

Miro touched his watch, the hallway suddenly was filled with all glowing interfaces.

[Full activation of safety measures in 3 minutes].