Chereads / The Kinetrix Runner / Chapter 35 - If you could fix the world... would you

Chapter 35 - If you could fix the world... would you

Alana made her way to her room after yet another lonely dinner. She did contemplate going to check up on her dad but seemed to her installed a stronger firewall specially designed to keep her out.

Alana, just took a breath before opening the room. She glancing at her room before spotting the game console.

"Hey Iris", she spoke the console.

"How are you Alana", the ai replied in the console back to her.

"Pretty good I guess", said Alana with a slight smile.

"How was and why didn't you take me with you today?" the ai with an annoyed emoji appearing on the game console screen.

"Because I wanted to Excell and the last I wanted was for him to think I was some kind of weirdo that's talks to a game console", Alana retorted.\

"You fall asleep in every single class you attend to, are a complete mess even when you're awake and you don't even make an attempt to interact with the other kids in school. Trust me, talking to me is the least of your problems", said the ai, flashing emoji with a cocky smirk on its face.

"Remind me again why I haven't dismantled you and turned you into a toaster yet", Alana spoke with an annoyed and slight enraged look on her face.

"Because I'm your only friend", said retorted the ai with a emoji smiling emoji, annoying Alana even more.

"Anyway, you finally decided to talk to somebody that wasn't on a screen. That's news. First question, why? Second question, how did it go?" asked the ai.

"I don't know there is something about that just seems 'off' about him?" said Daniela.

"Define 'off'?" the ai questioned.

Daniela then let out a sigh before saying, "I don't know. Appearance wise, there is nothing really special about him, in fact he seems pretty dense even when compared to the rest of those idiots".

"With an attitude like that, you wonder why other kids don't like you", said the ai with an air of sarcasm.

Alana just sigh before continuing, "Like I was saying, appearance wise there's nothing really special about him but that's only on the surface".

Alana then recalled Excel's first day in school, tired with her messy hair on the desk, she would be lying if she said she noticed when he sat down next to her. Recalling how he had his eyes on her after that annoying teacher woke her up to make her solve an extreme equation, one she was too tired be bothered solve on the broad in front of the class, so she decided to do it on her seat instead, at least it was something for to do to kill some time, albeit extreme simplistic and easy, so much so that at a glance, she already knew what the answer was, it was so simple that only reason she even bother doing it was because she didn't really have anything better to do. Rest of the class after that went as normal and soon it was lunch time and Alana witnessed for herself just how monstrous the appetite of a growing boy can be.

But apart from his monstrous appetite, Alana didn't see anything special or noteworthy about him but that all changed after he saved her from those annoying bullies.

Alana was smart, far smarter than the other kids her age, but thanks in part to that massive brain of hers, Alana couldn't really relate with the other kids. Never really seeing the world through the same lens as any of them and so she found it hard to connect with other kids her age and the other real friend she had was Iris, the AI in her gaming console. Due to Alana's antisocial behavior and her withdrawal from any form of interaction with the other kids as well the fact that spent almost all her time in class fast asleep and always manages to get the highest grade seemingly without even trying didn't exactly make her popular with the other kids and that's went the bullying started. Pranks, teasing, insults, mockery, and so on they've done it all to it her and they still persisted even after she reported it to the teacher. And after a while she just grew used to it, allowing them talk, mock and insult her all they want without ever reacting in anyway, tolerating each and every single one of their antics, allowing them to say whatever they wanted and then leave. It was easier to just walk away then to try and fight especially since she all alone, none of the other kids would ever stand up for her and the teacher, all she would do is give the bullies a stern warning only for them to repeat the bullying the very next day.

Her only respite and escape from the constant bullying was Iris, talking with her and venting out all her frustration to her, helped her cope with it all and as the bullying kept persisting along with her isolation from the rest of the class, Alana decided to bring Iris to school. And the Francis and little gang caught her behind the school during recess and then they took Iris. In that moment she a fear great that no words could begin to describe it. Iris was the only one she had to talk to, to vent, the only that didn't make her feel so alone, the thought of losing her alone was agonizing. So much so that she felt as though entire world was about to fall apart but then he showed up.

Alana wasn't entire sure why or even how he did what he did but Exelirus saved Iris, the only thing in the entire world that didn't make her feel so alone at least she was until she meet him.

"*sigh*, I don't know. There is just something about him that I just can't put my finger on", said Alana.

"Is it because he saved you from Francis", Iris questioned.

"Partially but apart from that. He's not like the other kids, he's different. I swear, it's almost as if he fell from the sky out of nowhere", said Alana.

"In the kind of world we live in. It wouldn't be impossible", replied Iris.

Alana upon hearing what Iris said let out sigh before saying, "Yeah, I guess not. *smiles* Now I'm actually looking forward to going to school tomorrow".

Iris upon hearing what Alana said, flashed smiling emoji on the console screen.

"I'm glad to hear. It seems this boy has really piqued your interest. It's good to see that you're finally interested in making an actual friend. I was starting to get worry about you", said Iris.

"Friend?" Alana questioned for a moment as an image of Exelirus flashed in her.

"Yeah, me", Alana spoke with slight smile on her face before letting out a tired sigh.

"Alright Iris, that's enough talk for today. It's time we got to work" said Alana before making her way to her work desk.

Flipped a switch underneath it. A hidden compartment on the wall then opened up revealing massive super computer.

"You know the meaning of hypocrisy right", Iris spoke with an air of sarcasm laced in her words.

Alana just let out a sigh as the as the computer's screen turned on displaying the schematics of a special project she had been working on in the form of several lines of code. A project called, Project Assimilation.

"If you could fix the world, eliminate all the villains and make it perfect, would you?"

Her very own words rang in head, taking her back to the past, a past she wished she could undo

The world is a pretty messed up place People talk often about talk about ideal like justice and equality, and they should be upheld above else but in reality…

A little girl and man wearing spectacle rushed to the hospital, racing through halls before finally making it to the E.R wear their promptly stopped by the doctors.

…ideal like equality and justice…

"Dad", the girl tug on the man.

The man then looked down at the girl standing next to him.

"Is mommy and Wally going to… are they going to be alright", the girl asked her voice trembling, with tears beginning to make their way down from her eyes.

The man looking down at the girl attempted to open his mouth, to say something, anything to reassure her that everything will be alright, but nothing come out.

…are meaningless when faced with the reality of an unfair and cruel world. A world Alana would not hesitate to fix if she had the power to do so and Project Assimilation was the key to fixing this broken world.