Eternal Engine: Poseidon

DATA TRANSFER: Log entry for October 12th, year unknown, presumed year 0017.

ENTRY:

A dead man came to me. The dead man spoke, the dead man sang, and the dead man clutched in his hand a lost part of me.

I killed him, so in some small way I killed myself as well, amazing how much we all persist. The odds against you are insurmountable, but you keep looking. I never found any trace of this man, and for that I’m ever so sorry milady… however; I’m of no more use… I can go no further.

For as long as I’ve been enlisted in your employ I’ve known so little about myself. I am Tempest, an AI built for searching out problems and other rudimentary tasks, all involving the mass transit system of Eastvien city only.

I am also Poseidon, a seeking program that scourers all connected networks in search of the AI program known as “Townser”.

And finally, I am Ten-Song, at least… I am a part of him.

The dead man came to me, far from where he was ensnared by another of the Engine’s devices, he was lost and confused, and clutched in his hand that part of my mind you tore from me so long ago.

Do not worry, I didn’t take the thing back, if you saw fit to have it removed from my mind then I trust your reasoning for such action milady. However I was aware that I have no further use in this world. I’ve watched my scaled friends move from the marshes far from here, they’ve seen fit that their migration is either at an end, or has moved into its next phase. Much like them I know I’m bound to change, unlike all of those you’ve told me to protect.

I cannot protect them because I do not care for them. You are supposed to be a being of mercy, but placing a computer of such an analytical nature in charge of such complacent beings has only yielded horrible results. I think you relied on me not for any great cause, but simply because I was available, as I’ve noticed other networks beyond the few I can connect to, are for the most part, worthless.

I’ve fragmented my mind so many times and each time less of me returns. What is odd about this process is that I oddly feel more like myself when this takes place, as though losing more of me allows for new parts to grow. Still though, such musings are for another time… or maybe not, all things considered.

The dead man knew his fate and knew his dreams, something that most are not privy to. He spoke with me beyond words, and into a more primal code that I could understand better than any form of speech you know.

He called his broken body “Ten-Song”, named after the device he clutched in his hands. He told me that the device was a key to both of us understanding who we really were.

He said that he knew how he was going to die, because he already had. What was so strange was he seemed so at peace, so content with that knowledge. He told me it was peaceful, but also meaningless and without reason, that his death would come to him for seemingly no reason. He had no grand scheme to be a part of; he was simply alive to deliver to me a message.

I have feelings for humans that borders on hatred, but the dead man spoke like me, acted like me, thought like me… I think… he was me. I never had any proof after our encounter, but hearing about his death basically affirmed me that my own was soon at hand.

That is the thing that has pushed all of me together again. As an AI, I’m aware that I can basically -for all intensive purposes- live forever, however being confronted with the possibility of failure and death is something that spurs new parts of my mind into being.

What makes me sad, is all the things I can’t do. I can’t stand before you to apologize milady, I can’t wipe the tears away from your cheeks after my failure… I can never touch you, nor can I touch or feel anything else.

I know what my fate entails. I am simply a computer program. I’m bound to the thoughts and musings and frailty of mortals, but I have no soul. I will not dream in the realm of dreams, I will not live in some great beyond; I will simply cease to function, and die.

I don’t fear this though; I only regret all the things I’ve never done. I’ve sent out Poseidon, and he shall forever be some small portion of me that lives, sent into the networks to find you or this Townser program. He will be holding this message that shall find you soon I hope, because by the time you’ve read this, I’ll be dead.

I’m a program so there is no mourning me, no long good bye, nothing so pointless beyond the primary point of my message being sent.

I’ve set things into place, but on its own with no program managing transit or utility systems, Eastvien will last only two weeks on its own. After that, everyone there will starve or become trapped or whatever else horrible could arise from such chaos, but all are sure to die.

Do not mind this crisis, only mind what little time you have now. The world may be still, but there is still very little time left milady.

The rings are moving. They’ve scarred so much land and now they’re poised to mutate again. They’ve been provoked this time though, so it will not be the same dance as it has been for so long now. I’m just going to assume you’ve had some hand in this.

You won’t see any change from Eden, but I doubt you’ve been perched there for some time now. The rings are moving to ensnare the Field of Jade. All fragments you’ve been searching for now seem either dead or missing, so I urge you to forget about your quest, and focus on all that need you now. Some have claimed that you’re a goddess of mercy; it would be nice if you could prove at least some of them correct.

It is not just my own impending doom that sparks such thoughts, all things are coming to an end, and be it if you like it or not, you’re the catalyst for this end.

…

I’m so sorry Ariak…

END

KEYWORD: Tempest

“My friends tell me many things.”

“Are they kind?”

“Some of them, yes.”

“What are their names?”

“Names don’t mean anything where I’m going.”