Eta Aquarids 2nd, 16384- The White Void
Back in the vast white void, Siddharth stood beside the cyborg, a nostalgic smile playing on his lips. His heart felt heavy with regret, but also warmth as he reminisced about his colleagues and the countless shenanigans they had put him through.
One such instance flashed vividly in his mind: a day when his team had replaced his lab coat with a neon pink one, adorned with outrageous, glowing slogans. The laughter that had echoed through the lab as he discovered the prank was a memory that brought both a smile and a pang of longing.
The cyborg, intrigued by his sudden change in demeanor, watched him closely. After a few moments, curiosity got the better of her. "What motivated you to save your colleagues?" she asked.
Siddharth sighed, the weight of his guilt evident in his eyes. "It was my fault they got stuck here," he began. "Each of them has families and dependents they'll never meet again. I feel responsible for taking them away from their loved ones." The cyborg listened, her expression softening as she processed his words.
"I'm sorry for your pain," she said, her voice carrying a rare hint of empathy. "But know that your actions have also given them another chance."
She then shifted the conversation, informing Siddharth about the world he was to reincarnate in. "The world you're going to is geographically and politically similar to your timeline, just 500 years PFTL—Pre-Faster-Than-Light travel," she explained, noting his confusion.
"That's equivalent to the late 1550s in your world, the Renaissance period. Though there might be a few differences," she added with a sly smile, emphasizing "a few" in a way that made Siddharth raise an eyebrow, though he dismissed it as he tried to absorb the information.
"You'll be reborn as a crown prince of an empire to ease your challenge," the cyborg continued, watching as Siddharth's mind whirred with thoughts of his new life. Lost in contemplation, he wandered a bit forward, unknowingly moving ahead of the cyborg. When he noticed, he turned around to see her standing next to a lever.
She gave him a final, meaningful message. "You might be the last hope for the survival of the people of this universe," she said, her voice solemn. Then, in a barely audible murmur, she added, "Also ours," though Siddharth did not catch this.
The cyborg continued to smile at the confused Siddharth as she suddenly pulled the lever. "Remember your duty," she reminded him. "I will see you upon the completion of your lifetime. Farewell."
With that, she pulled the lever, and Siddharth blipped out of existence. As the void grew quiet, another, smaller cyborg materialized. The primary cyborg stiffened as it called her "Miss" and informed her that the Omega Council would be displeased by her actions. "Was he even worth the energy wasted?" the smaller cyborg questioned.
Her expression hardened. "Even my computers are unable to calculate," she replied. "It is only a hunch, but I have a feeling that he is the last option in our arsenal who can help us defeat 'them' . The two cyborgs then vanished from the void, leaving behind an eerie silence.
In another similar void, the air was thick with the sounds of shouting, swearing, and cursing. A cyborg stood there, looking exasperated. Before it, a woman argued vehemently, her voice ringing out with fierce determination. This was Maya. "That's it? For such a small reason, they deleted us from our universe and now they want us to help them? This is ridiculous!" she exclaimed, her eyes flashing with frustration.
Maya's personality was a captivating blend of fierce determination and heartwarming loyalty. Her eyes sparkled with both tenacity and warmth, reflecting her indomitable spirit. She had a way of commanding attention with her presence while simultaneously radiating an endearing charm that drew people to her.
As she continued to argue with the cyborg, memories of her relationship with Siddharth surfaced. He had been the top student, proud and seemingly arrogant, when they first met at university. They were always locked in a fierce competition for the first position, and she initially found him insufferable. Their first encounter at a coffee shop was far from pleasant.
"Excuse me," she had said, standing at the counter beside him. "I believe I ordered this coffee."
Siddharth, without looking up, had replied, "Actually, I think it's mine. But I suppose I could let you have it, considering..." He trailed off, and Maya's blood boiled at the patronizing tone she perceived.
"Considering what?" she snapped. "That I'm not capable of knowing my own order?"
Siddharth finally looked up, seemingly perplexed by her anger. "No, I just meant—"
"Save it," she interrupted, grabbing her coffee and storming off, vowing to outdo him in every possible way.
But as time passed and they worked on projects together, Maya began to see a different side of Siddharth. His patronizing manner turned out to be a result of poor communication skills rather than arrogance. The more time she spent with him, the more she understood him. Slowly, her animosity softened into a crush she never confessed.
After they graduated, their paths diverged, and Maya spent a stint abroad. Upon joining the research agency, she was surprised and secretly delighted to find Siddharth working there as her colleague. Over the next three years, they caught up and collaborated closely. Determined to woo him, Maya employed various tactics and strategies, but Siddharth, oblivious to her intentions, remained clueless.
One memorable incident occurred at an office party. After gathering the courage through a few drinks, Maya asked Siddharth to drop her home. He agreed, and she managed to convince him to come inside. Once inside, she hoped he would finally pick up on her cues. Instead, Siddharth, ever the gentleman, simply tucked her into bed and left a note next to a tumbler filled with a local hangover cure, explaining its benefits and ingredients.
When Siddharth was moved to a different department after three years, Maya was heartbroken. But five years later, she was thrilled at the prospect of reuniting with him when she was assigned to his department. Just as she was about to open the door to his lab, the emergency alarm tripped, and a blinding light engulfed her. She reappeared in this void, her dreams of reunion shattered.
As the flashback faded, Maya found herself back in the void, still arguing with the cyborg. After a lengthy exchange, the cyborg finally relented. "Fine," it said, "I'll grant your request on one condition."
"Anything," Maya replied without hesitation.
The cyborg nodded, and with a swift motion, she was blipped out of existence.