Fragmented Unreality: Chapter Two

Trekking through the seemingly infinite landscape of snow, a cacophony of questions reverberated through my head, loud enough to silence any logic. This strange girl, Kara Lovestring, was leading me somewhere. She said she could help me. Maybe she’s able to ease my mind? I stopped myself there. Naivety is a weakness. She could very well be leading me to my doom. Is she working with humans? Are they hoping to dispatch me once and for all? Have they all been hiding?

I flinched as something came into contact with my shoulder. It was Kara, and that something was her hand.

“I’m designed to detect any grievances within a mind. You’re anxious.” Kara gently whispered. “Please don’t be anxious. I promise I’m not going to hurt you. I just want to help.”

“So, you can read my mind.” I stammered, attempting in vain to maintain my stoicism. While stoicism wouldn’t mean much in the presence of a supernatural ability like that, the chance of trickery was still very real. I didn’t want to take that chance.

“Read your mind? Not quite. I can merely read what emotions are generated by your thoughts. Reading your mind would be an immoral invasion of privacy.”

“And reading my emotions isn’t?” I barely slipped another stoic sentence out, as my mind raced. Sure, she couldn’t read my mind, but she could read my emotions. She could see past my masquerade, and that was a problem.

“Well, it’s not as supernatural as you may think. Emotions are always expressed through body language. Your face may droop, and your body may slouch. I am merely designed to do these computations at a long distance.”

“Interesting. And, why exactly am I supposed to trust that? My emotions are quite the opposite of what you claim.” Her previously saccharine facial expression seemed to drop at this remark.

“Well, we’re here. Please enter that cave.” she gestured towards a dark opening in a white cliffside, illuminated by an orange light inside. Every ounce of logic I had told me to avoid that cave at all costs.

Unfortunately, I am not the logical person I masquerade as. I stepped into the cave, Kara following close behind. The cave was dark, but there was a soft glow in the center, illuminating some various rudimentary weapons and materials littering the walls. Right by the light, there was the very thing my logic told me there would be.

A human. Our enemy.

Why would this fellow machine side with a human? Did the human trick her? These questions blasted throughout my mind, but I quickly put them aside to pull out my blade. It was now or never. 

Kara gasped and grabbed me from behind. The human stared at me, unphased. I fought to break free of Kara’s grasp, but she was a lot stronger than I had anticipated.

“Wait.” The human spoke with a gravelly voice. “Kara. Let him go.”

Kara promptly removed her arms from me, allowing me free reign. I prepared to strike the human with all my might.

“Kara, do me a favor,” the man spoke, “I’m sensing another anxious soul out there. Go bring them here.”

“B-but… this machine is terrified! Are you sure you can soothe him on your own?” she stammered.

“Yes.” the man spoke succinctly. 

Kara hesitated for a moment, before shuffling out of the cave and off into the distance. Every bit of me wanted to take this chance to destroy the human, but I hesitated. What an odd decision he just made. Maybe it wouldn’t hurt to learn more about this human, if only for the sake of strategy.

“Listen, Kara doesn’t know about you human hunters,” he started, “I know it’s taking every ounce of your being to resist killing me on the spot. I’ve run into enough of your type before.”

I stared for a moment, perplexed. He continued.

“Sit down for a moment. We have a lot to discuss.”