literature

MARKI5578 Part 24

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C6372N and I turned around. Our guardian had discovered our hiding place and was leaning into the room through the window. I wondered how they got to it considering there was no platform to walk on by that opening.

“Hello,” I said. “How did you find us?” I decided that since we were already caught it couldn't hurt to act guilty.

“I have seen you come up here often. When you weren't in the room where I left you, I figured I'd find you up here. I also thought you could help me find the large one, but it looks like you're both camping out up here. Now, why are you hiding, is the thing I want to know.”

The giant changed their posture to appear less threatening. They looked like someone had just scolded them. “You were going to tell them first, weren't you?” they asked me.

Buere climbed through the window and sat on the frame, putting their elbows on their knees. “Oh?” They seemed to be enjoying the scene. “What did you have to tell me? Was it something Hall said?”

“It is,” I said. “But I don't want to share this information where anyone else could get it.”

“We just finished a manual intelligence transfer,” the giant said. “We can't tell anyone else.”

Our guardian thought for a moment and looked at us. I couldn't tell what they were thinking. “Isn't that a little risky as well? I would rather just have you relay the information in private.”

“I can't risk someone walking by and picking something up,” I said. More forcefully that time, to try and avoid repeating myself too many times.

“I know. I know.” They stood up in the room and went to the door. “We don't have time to talk right now, you are supposed to be somewhere. After the ceremony, I can take you with me. Then we can talk. Come on.”

We followed them out the door and asked about the ceremony they mentioned.

“We are changing your names. According to the overseer, Hall would not like it if you to retain the names Tower has given to you. Something about the enemy's influence. I don't know. It is supposed to help you be a normal member of our society.”

I couldn't see anyone in the city among the tarps. It was like the place had been deserted. We took an elevated pathway to the other side of Hall and eventually started descending toward the ground. We entered the cave that was filled with lights, the large room was crowded with what had to be everyone that resided in that city.

Almost everyone was quiet, aside from a few murmurs. We eventually reunited with the other two of our group and were left by Buere. They were going to talk with the overseer. YT119U and B34I9 asked us where we had gone and the giant made up a half truth about watching the sunset above the canopy of the city. The two made a few quirky comments, but we couldn't respond before the overseer started speaking.

“Hello everyone. This is a new occasion for all of us. You all know the foreigners that were brought into our walls. They have gradually been turned into citizens and have proven themselves to be trustworthy. Hall has decided that they will be a nice addition to our diminished population. Because of this, I wanted to present them with new titles. Something we can call them that will not remind us of their past and hopefully will allow them to go forward without the constant reminder of the being who has attacked both us and them!”

They said a few more sentences before Buere returned. They explained what we would do, which was simple enough. Just stand in the middle of the crowd and let the overseer give us our new names. After explaining, they ushered us to our spots and stood by the overseer.

The cave's lights all had been dimmed aside from the center, where we stood. The crowd of thirty something mechanicals were hidden in shadows as they watched us. I noticed the little one with the cloak. They waved at me and smiled. I waved back very slightly.

The large native with a tree in their shoulder stepped towards the thin blue B34I9. “After the moment I say your names, you will now only be referred to by them. Your old 'handles' will be of the past. B34I9, you are now Toero.” They moved to the rest of us and presented our names. YT119U became Spind, C6372N became Ritica, and I became Marki.

The event was quickly over and less impressive than I thought it would be. I felt no different with the new name. It was made clear that a name and a handle were not the same thing, but I did not know how. The others didn't seem to be effected either. The crowd dispersed quickly after the final name was announced and the overseer spoke to us personally.

“Welcome to the city. I apologize for any previously negative experiences. Buere will teach you how to do anything you have not been allowed to do. Goodbye until later.” They walked away and left us alone with our guardian.

“I already sent you the files the overseer was talking about. They are not incredibly important.” We followed them back to our designated charging room before speaking again. “You no longer need me as a guardian, but I will continue to be around if you need me.” They looked directly at me with a questioning expression and then to the giant.

“Thank you for saving us,” our leader said. “I don't know if I have ever thanked you for that before. We would still be in your older city if you had not discovered us.”

“My pleasure,” Buere said. “Goodbye now.”

They closed the door behind them and I listened to their footsteps fade away.

“What kind of handle is Toero? There isn't even a number!” the fragile blue mechanical said. They spoke as soon as they were certain our native friend was gone.

“Name, not handle,” I said.

“Same difference!” They were clearly unhappy about the change. “Are they really that afraid of Tower that we can't keep our own names?”

“They have been trying to integrate us into this society since we arrived... Toero,” the leader said. “We will just have to get used to it. There is nothing we can do about it.”

“Don't call me that!” they growled, taking a defensive stance.

“We can probably still call each other by previous names, can we not?” the giant suggested. They grabbed the small frame of their friend and pulled them away from the agitated leader.

“I have the suspicion that the overseer will not allow us to continue doing that.”

“Nobody asked us if this was okay. I am not changing file names in any of my systems. That's too much work.”

“To-... B34I9. You will listen to what I say. I am still in charge of your safety here.”

“You sure haven't been acting like it!”

I watched the giant trying to prevent the two from fighting. They had flat out hit each other in the past, but it had never been over something too important. It struck me as odd that the most fragile of our group was the most violent. I could tell the leader was not handling their comments well. For once, they decided not to fight back and agreed.

“I know I haven't. I haven't been able to. None of us have any control in this place. We might be allowed to walk around, but everything else is off limits. We are not even allowed to be productive. I spoke with the overseer on my own before and they made it very clear that we are not going to be tolerated if we cause any problems.”

“What do you mean? While they were degrading us with these names they seemed to think that Hall really liked us being here.” B34I9 shrugged themself out of the giant's hands, which had loosened their grip.

YT119U looked at their feet and started speaking softly, “We came here to learn and we did, but we still have questions. Nothing is new here. They ignore everything around them to create what they refer to as 'art'. I have tried to have them teach me what it means, but it's nothing but introspective garbage.” their voice raised as they continued. “There is no progress. Everyone here might as well be scrapped already.”

The rest of us watched them hunched over. They had not spoken much in a while and had clearly been trying to figure out our next direction.

“I let us come here. We had nowhere else to go, but being offline may have been a better end than this. We have become the definition of useless. I wish I had allowed Tower to catch us.”

Their smaller friend successfully landed a hit in their chest, forcing them to step backwards. They did not defend themselves while B34I9 held them against the wall.

“What is wrong with you?” they said. Their voice was quiet but forceful. “What happened to you? Is this a negative effect of connecting to the new system? You were so determined back when we were being hunted by Tower. Answer me.”

“There is nothing left to do but stay here and wait,” they responded. “There is nothing left to do.”

The smaller mechanical let them go and they sunk to the floor and wrapped their arms around their legs. We remained silent for what felt like an hour before the newly named Ritica ushered me outside. We walked a few feet away before they started speaking.

“We should tell them,” the giant said, “I know they won't like the idea, but it would be unfair if we didn't. They have reasons not to tell anyone else.”

I thought about the possible outcomes. I realized that I could not imagine them sharing any information with the overseer. Not to mention any other citizen. “Okay, but we should wait for Buere to tell us where to do it,” I said.

They agreed and we returned to the room where the other two had hooked themselves up to the power supply. Our leader had not moved and B34I9 was sitting next to them, adding a pair of arms to their friend's torso as they kept them still. We did not make conversation and connected to be charged as well.
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Oh my god I have less than two thousand words left for nano. I am actually going to make it this year. I'm so proud of myself. :iconmanlytearsplz:

This is the part where the human emotion thing that Hall gave everyone really messes with people. The only time we see the leader having an unstable moment. Poor little jerkface. 
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