{ Time, 12:55am, Day, Tuesday, Year 2025 }
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- Last Pod to open -
- Code: 9674 -
- Age when entered 18 -
- Accumulated years 5 -
- Male -
- Name, Xion Ji -
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"Do we know why this pod was the last to open?" Wonders a weird creature that has the head of a computer screen but a body of a human.
As it's long fingers type in a few codings into the side of the pod on a holographic keyboard.
"It doesn't matter, 9674 will awaken soon. We just need to do our job" said another as the fluids started to drain from Xion Ji's pod.
"Hang on-" spoke the one next to the keyboard typing. The others black screen head seemed to look up before it spazzed a random bunch of pictures and symbols, coding it's emotions as if in distress.
"His coding was interfered with" they both said at the same time as they were interconnected but separate. "What should we do" they continued to speak as one as the one at the keyboard jotted down a few more codes.
"His memories are still somewhat maintained, they were not erased?" As if they weren't strong enough apart, the other creature seemed to move towards the one at the keyboard and merge with it's counterpart.
"Altering his memories now, Xion Ji >> Kilo Ji, will now be code 9674's name to avoid further code damage "
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- Code: 9674 -
- Age when entered 18 -
- Accumulated years 5 -
- Male -
- Name, Kilo Ji -
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Kilo's pod seemed to move in the room that seemed to have lot's of empty pods besides his. The area his pod was in was a spiralling interfaced cage almost.
More weird creatures with computer screens as heads but smaller and seemed to crawl around everywhere watched his pod from above. His pod moved suddenly it would go to where all the other ones went 4 years ago.
The smaller creatures followed it, scurrying up the walls and some even riding on top as the pod floated down the spiral heading to the ground floor. They were interested in this last pod, the smaller creatures weren't as interconnected as the older and more human type counterparts. They were that of rodents and pet sized bodies, they would watch to make sure nothing went wrong during hibernation process. Their job was very simple and clean in most circumstances but this one pod had not moved for years. They had somewhat grown attached to 9674 and his quiet pod spent in the spiral chamber.
"Should we give him a guide? The others did not need one since they were awaken before orientation" the humanoid creatures that had split apart again both agreed upon a guide. That way higher ups wouldn't become suspicious of code 9674.
A cat like creature on top of Kilo Ji's pod sent out a frequency of it's interest in being code 9674's guide. The two humanoid computers stilled their actions as if in a concerned way, unsure of whether they should give that role to a prototype?
"That prototype was more around code 9674's pod than the rest, I suspect it's become attached and wouldn't be an insignificant guide" Spoke one half as the other simply peeled it's arm skin away and coded the prototype into 9674's coding to allow it to past as just an item.
"Do your job well prototype" they both spoke as the cat creature seemed to burst into cubes and merge with Kilo Ji, disappearing from plain sight as the pod finally left the Spiral chambers.
***
"God! This is so boring- What are we even still doing in the Octagon?" Whined Dixie.
"I got news" simply stated her Rion, as he looked around.
"Oh yeah?" Leaning in, her eyes squinted, "And what would that be Rion?" He knew why she was pissed, he promised to take her to >>Wonder<< which had just bloomed with a bunch of flowers.
But the news he'd received was far more of interest at this point,
"Apparently… the last player ever was just sent down" her aggression stopped immediately as confusion etched itself on her face instead.
"Wait… you're meaning to tell me there was still a hibernating player after 5 years… I thought everyone woke up at the same time?" He had thought the same, but a weird notificationtold him otherwise.
As if to prove his news, a body was suddenly falling towards them as high speed.
Looking up in the same direction as Rion, Dixie's mouth opened in an 'O' shape.
"They won't die right?"
"We didn't" was Rion's quick answer as they watched the body get closer at alarming speed.
"They're not slowing down" she spoke with a blank look on her face as Rion looked conflicted.
'They'll slow down, we all did' He thought in slight panic, but that was back then and the body was halfway to the ground!
"Fuck it! Headphones on!" Shouted Rion, as he pulled out a small disc and proceeded to shove it into a playing compartment apart of his arm. The disc immediately spun and created a loud frequency causing his headphones to radiate along with it and launched him. Rreaching the falling player he secured them in his arms. Looking down he saw the name [Kilo Ji] above his head.
Landing with impact, Dixie ran up to them in a mix amount of emotions from awe to anxious. She too saw his name and looked at the guy in Rion's hold, fairly blonde hair nearly white, quite a sturdy frame but not as big as Rion, his skin was slightly tan but mostly pale yet the thing that bothered her the most-
"Why isn't he awake?" She questioned, his life bar hadn't even shown up yet.
'He's definitely a new player' she thought, 'But where did Rion get such accurate information?'
"He's breathing which is the main thing" spoke Rion.
'The information was correct but why had this guy taken so long?' Rion wondered as he thought of the strange notification again.
"Oi" snapping Rion out of his thoughts, Dixie picked up Rion's bag he'd dropped "Also turn your Battle mode off. Disc's aren't fucken cheap".
"Headphones Off- I was getting there you know" His headphones that had appeared dispersed into cubes as he nimbly still holding Kilo changed out his disc.
"Sure, Sure" She waved him off as she began walking away but stopped to look at Kilo again. 'I wasn't losing it'
"What's with his eye?" Looking now he saw it, a slight sliver pattern that ran under his right eye?
"I'm not sure" Rion replied as he peered closer, "It seems to be apart of him?"
"I don't see how, we reflect what we looked like when we were alive in the real world" when he said it there was a bitter taste to the words, Dixie too looked uncomfortable.
They weren't alive anymore', was the most fucked up thing they were told- but it wasn't set in stone. No one really knew what had happened to them to be here besides, that wasn't the worst of it.
"Let's just get him back to the house"
"But what about the flowers!" Whined Dixie as Rion gritted his teeth in frustration. 'This woman' he really couldn't stand her sometimes.
Walking back hadn't been an option as they spent 3 § (30 coins) to teleport back to Prism, a place were many players had made it their home because it was one of the most safe havens.
Opening the door to the orphanage where Rion and Dixie stayed ever since they arrived in this world, an elderly woman with the name [Martha lee] walked up to them with a bit of confusion.
"Rion, Dixie, I thought you two weren't coming back for awhile?" But her eyes weren't trained on their faces but rather on Kilo in Rion's arms.
"What's the meaning of this?" She enquired not seeing a health bar on the boy.
"A new player, he just fell from Octagon's sky" pure shock was evident on her face.
"Good heavens-"
Walking closer she touched the boy's face softly.
Dixie pulled out a small chain from her inventory, it was supposed to be a birthday present but now was a good time as ever.
"Granny I bought you this" she spoke softly as the older woman looked at Dixie with a warming smile.
"It's beautiful my dear" she cupped Dixie's face with adoration as Rion sighed,
"I'll put him in my room for now" as he nodded at Dixie to which she waved to him. That seemed to be her favourite gesture these days.
Rion walked up the stairs of the orphanage, most of the younger ones had gone out to practice. But those who had remained asked Rion a bunch of questions.
"Who's that?"
"His hair is pretty!"
"Why's he sleeping"
It was a weird thing, Rion hated kids but chose to stay here and provide aid? Himself and Dixie were about 18- 19 years old when they first awakened.
Martha had been one to provide aid for those who were 6+ till they were knowledgeable to fend for themselves.
'Everyone wished that this world was just a nightmare they'd wake up from'.
Laying Kilo on his bed, he covered the guy in his sheets while lifting his hand up to a screen that showed everything just above the disc compartment, were now the disc spun an even slow pace.
Rion's finger tapped the notification icon to see he had 2 messages- one from Dixie and another from the source that had accurately informed him about Kilo Ji. The only thing that bothered him was the second one:
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At noon the last player will fall like those before them
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That was all the message said, the only reason why he knew it would be at Octagon was because that was were orientation was- that's where everyone else fell from the sky.
But as far as that, there was nothing else, not who or even what had been the one to inform him. It was simply a notification on a screen.