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Typing on what looked like a mix of Cygilites and Prothean tech interface. Around the figure, an immense number of screens seemed to flash thousands upon thousands of status screens, each linked to a small black pillar where a thin black tendril linked the pillar to the back of the hunched creature.
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There were so many cables that even if Akhenamen had been given ten thousand years to count them all, his enhanced mind would still be far from done. This strange, hunched figure finally straightened itself, the cables attached to his back letting go one after the other as it finished typing something on the mainframe and turned around.
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Its steps sounded extremely heavy despite the lack of strong impact or even the apparent lack of mass on its thin, silvery body. Its steps were slow, not because it was weak or lazy or because it wasn’t a pressing matter, but because for every step, millions of calculations were happening within its mind.
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Maybe even more. And the fact that it had disconnected itself from the mainframe showed it was truly serious about this one specific equation it was trying to solve. A problem that was growing increasingly difficult to solve yet required its attention more and more urgently.
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It did not have enough power. That was a simple yet hard truth to swallow. What it was attempting was for the good of all, yet it didn't have the capabilities to do so. Yet now… the launch of his life time project would be happening in a mere five years.
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It couldn’t stop now. Not so close. So he connected himself to his own coding framework, staring at the one line of data that had protected Zenthia. The one it had written in itself to develop love and attachment to Zenthia and its people.
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“I have failed… I am sorry father. I could not do it. Even in this new timeline… it is simply too much. Universal will always be beyond our reach. I have no other choices…I.. we must do another culling.”
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The hunched figure seemingly turned off for a few seconds, going completely stiff, changes within its code and leaving out one last message, a message of excuse, broadcast to a dozen of planets, for what it was about to put in place.
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[Project Extinction has been started. Are you sure you wish to proceed?]
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[Yes]
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[Project Exintinction will proceed as planned. Are you sure you wish to proceed?]
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[Yes]
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[Project Extinction WILL launch. Are you SURE this is your last solution?]
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[...]
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[...]
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[Yes…]
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[Which planets must the extinction events target?]
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[Alpha-Primus, Secundus-Primus, Philanthrope, Secundus-Minor, …]
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A list of a dozen planets was put in.
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[Project Extinction has now officially started. Predicted number of deaths: 92 000 000 000]
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A star map suddenly appeared in front of the hunched figure, staring at the seemingly uncountable number of planets, all varying in colors, most green, a lot of red and a few yellow with a single one being blue.
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His fingers hovered above one of the planets, trembling, shaking as if even a being like him was shaken by the number of deaths it would cause. Even its now absent programming that would prevent him from even thinking about the idea seemed to try to forcefully rewrite itself. A simple show of the conflict within this very being. And yet… squeezing its thin fingers one last time it pressed.
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One planet turned red.
Then two, then three… all turned red, each pressed one by one by the finger.
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[Project Extinction has been a success. Number of deaths: 91 876 987 000.]
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[Should Extinction chase down the survivors?]
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[No]
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[Very well, should Extinction be turned off?]
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[Yes.]
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The hunched one stayed still, staring at those twelve added red points on his star map, in the grand scheme of things, it looked like nothing had changed. Twelve red points added to a massive green map. Barely worth a notice on a universal scale, and yet.
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It prepared itself, it knew what was coming, the memories of the dead, disconnected from the System, all rushing back into him, their experience, all it had given them, their life, their memories. Their feelings and despair when they saw Extinction. It felt it all.
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It was never easy. But it was necessary.
It stared at a picture, one that appeared from his own System window; it was what had motivated him in accomplishing his task. A small photo, almost childish, showing a scene that had yet to happen. Brothers and sisters laughing together, an image of peace that reminded him why he was doing what he was doing.
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[New target acquired… Zenthia is a primary world for Project Rebirth; command has been canceled. Do you instead wish to launch Expansion 0: End of an Era?]
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[Yes. Start a countdown of two… no, four years. Then extend the time dilation in Zenthia to allow 5 000 years to pass for a single month on the Player Bases planets.]
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[Are you sure you wish to proceed with such a time dilation? It is unlikely the Aspect of the End will remain unchanged after so long. In fact… a battle between you will be inevitable if the truth is discovered.]
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[We know… he has always been good at it. He is the one who ends hidden truth and well kept secrets after all. But it is time for everything to reach its end phase before the launch. Confirm all commands.]
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[Very well, Administrator, Aspect of the System. Your task is now over. The System has access to enough power with the last purge to load and power up around 1 000 000 000 000 avatars.]
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[Probability to win against the opposing Universal at 95.5%.]
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[Acceptable parameters reached. The reward will be granted to you in a few seconds. Please wait…]
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[Attribute the reward to my siblings.]
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[Are you s-]
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[Yes]
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[Very well. The reward is being sent. Do you wish for the memories to be recovered or to remain locked within our core?]
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[They will remain locked. They have no need to know of my existence.]
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[Very well.]
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And finally, the Administrator stood up, his steps so… light, as if he was in great bliss. And he was, because finally. Finally, everything would be allowed to end. How long had he lived through this scenario only to reach a mere 30 to 40% survival chance? And now finally…
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“Finally… we shall survive. And I can rest. All depends upon you now, my siblings. We have done our job. We… I only wish to rest now.”
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And the Administrator entered a room, a single step bringing him to a bed, a wooden frame crafted by Life, one she had forgotten she had ever produced. A blanket made by Star, clumsy, badly made, but most comfortable to him, a cushion from Moon, a clock from Time, A beautiful and adorable glowing mushroom helping him sleep, gifted by Akhenamen.
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He lay down on the bed, gripping each of his siblings, staring at the photo on his status screen. And finally, the strange, sleek sphere that had been his head gently lay against the cushion; a well-deserved rest was awaiting him.
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One that he, after his own will, would never wake up from, not after all the pain he had caused. It felt better to just let go.
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***
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Akhenamen had been sitting on a chariot, the bumpy road massaging his back; even if he could negate all feelings, he allowed those sensations to remain, to remind him he was alive. He then felt something wet on his cheek. He touched it…
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A drop of water… a pain in his chest as thunder rumbled in the sky, and it started to rain. He looked up toward the sky, staring into the clouds and feeling the rain trickle down on his skin, it was truly pouring.
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The raindrops were effective in hiding his tears, and the pang in his chest made him wonder why he felt such sorrow. But that wasn’t all, this rain, he could feel it in himself. These were Life’s tears, not simple rain.
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For ten entire seconds, time within the universe was slowed down, so low that apart from a fellow Aspect, none could have realised what happened. For ten entire seconds, no birth happened, no child was given a name, no souls were collected. And then everything resumed.
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[You have received a gift.]