With a gradual, almost reluctant movement, X-204's eyes flickered open.
A sense of hazy confusion surrounded him. The feeling of prolonged slumber enveloped him, not sure for how long he had been in this slumber.
How had he been dormant for so long? And why?
Attempting to recall his past, he found a frustrating void in his memory. Despite straining his mind, he couldn't recover any information about his past or the events before his slumber. Only his name, X-204, and the phrase "Cycle of Evolution" lingered in his consciousness.'
…Could that have been the reason why I was asleep for so long or why my memories are almost non-existent?' X-204 pondered. Yet with no way of validating his reasoning, he shifted his attention to the room he was placed in.
As he attempted to sit up, an unyielding impediment at the nape of his neck thwarted his movement. His struggle unveiled glimpses of the dim, plain, and spacious room, along with other figures resembling him. These beings shared his dark skin and lacked discernible facial traits. An air of helplessness radiated from them, mirroring his own confusion.
Even though the hall was devoid of light and their faces lacked features, X-204 strangely sensed the expression of deprivation emanating from them.
It was they too had lost most of all of their memories, adrift in the same sea of uncertainty as him.
A surge of uneasiness swept over him as he pondered the orchestrator behind all of this and its intended purpose. However, what unsettled him even more was the strange absence of insecurity or danger. It was as though his body was somehow familiar with the surroundings or just weirdly felt secure, assuring him against any potential harm.
As X-204 contemplated his plight, a strangely familiar voice resounded within his mind.
[Preparing Dyyx for dispatching]
Instantly, X-204 felt a sensation retract from the back of his neck, freeing his movements.
Turning his head, he realized the restrictions on his mobility had vanished. Swiftly, he sat up on the soft sleeping material.
Stunned by the sudden turn of events, he gingerly touched a particular spot at the back of his neck as gazed around the hall.
Despite the darkness, his vision remained unaffected.He wasn't the only one to regain freedom. The other beings, much like him, were stirring, each engaged in similar motions.
'Wait, that voice... it must be connected to the architect of this surreal circumstance,' he thought. 'But why does it feel so familiar? And that word Dyyx...is that what...I am?'
Before he could delve deeper into his thoughts, the familiar voice echoed once more in his mind. This time, however, it wasn't manipulating attachments or detachments; it seemed to have control over X-204's own body.
[All Dyyx Report to the Dispatch Center]
'Dispatch Center?'
X-204 grappled with confusion, uncertain of the voice's intent. Yet, before he could think of a response, his muscles twitched, propelling him to his feet with abrupt urgency.
'What's... what's happening?' Alarm coursed through him.
Following the sudden motion, he found himself involuntarily striding towards the far end of the hall.
He struggled to halt his feets, but his own limbs seemed beyond his command.
From the corner of his eye, he glimpsed fellow beings, Dyyx, moving with equal precision. They advanced in orderly fashion, as if mere puppets manipulated by an unseen puppeteer—likely the architect of all this.
At the hall's terminus, a metallic gate parted, granting passage to the procession of Dyyx.
Beyond the gate, a new expanse unfurled—larger, illuminated by a dim blue glow that contrasted with the earlier darkness.
Transparent cylindrical containers clung to the walls, adorned with intricate circuitry patterns emitting a soft, ethereal radiance.
[All Dyyx Report To Pod For Dispatchment To Assigned Planet]
Once again, the familiar voice echoed in X-204's head, stirring recognition.
With involuntary resolve, X-204's body propelled him towards a pod affixed to the wall, mirroring the actions of fellow Dyyx.
Curiously, this time each Dyyx moved in twos, not single file.
Beside him, a Dyyx marched in lockstep. X-204 yearned to converse with it, yet words remained trapped, inaccessible, even since he had woken.
His gaze fixed on the pod marked "Planet B-23."
'Planet B-23... why does that name stir something within me?' X-204 strained his memory, seeking a connection.
Yet his body was not done dictating his actions. His right palm came to rest on the pod's transparent surface.
In response, the pod's patterns shifted from blue to green, accompanied by an abrupt voice in his mind.
[Preparing Pod for Dyyx X-204 and Dyyx Y-204]
'Y-204... the name echoes familiarity. Is that its name? Are we more intertwined than strangers?' As the name resonated, X-204's mind buzzed with questions. But before he could decipher their meaning, the pod opened, releasing green gas that gradually dispersed, revealing the pod's interior.
The pod's dual demarcations hinted at unity in separation, inviting X-204 and Y-204 to recline. As they settled, the pod sealed once more, and a new stream of green gas flowed in.
Initially sharp, the sound softened as the gas filled the pod, and his senses dimmed.
'Is this the gas... or something else?' X-204's thoughts dulled, his consciousness sluggish.
'Am I bound for Planet B-23?'
Despite uncertainty, an odd tranquility enveloped him. Gas permeated the pod, shrouding his form.
[Preparation For Deployment.]
[Preparation For Deployment..]
[Preparation For Deployment…]
As drowsiness threatened, X-204 jolted awake as a new surge of motion gripped him.
Beneath him, inky black gas filled the pod.
'What?' Panic clawed at him, shattering his calm. Dizziness clouded his senses.
The black gas displaced the green, wrapping him in an unsettling warmth, intensifying his disorientation.
Apprehension escalated as his calm crumbled. Lost in a void of memories, X-204 grappled with a deep-rooted sense that this deviation was definitely wrong.
His inner voice insisted on denial, on preserving an illusion of normalcy, until the pod's voice interrupted.
[Error!…Operational Pod Malfunctioning]
[Initializing Reset…]
[Reset Failed.]
[Initializing Reboot…]
[Reboot Failed.]
[Continuing Deployment Process….]
[Deployment Process Complete.]
Senses faded as X-204 barely registered the last word, his consciousness dissipating.
Darkness consumed him, in an all-encompassing silence.
A sensation pressed upon him—as he fell into a pitch-black abyss.
Desperation urged him to shout, to move, but all effort proved futile.
And then, the darkness swallowed his consciousness whole.