Chương 44: 42-A Mother's Comfort

[Monday, 8: 14 PM: 2026/01/05] [LYSANDRA'S REALITY] {ESTABLISHING REMOTE CONNECTION… DONE} {REMOTE CONNECTION ESTABLISHED} LYSANDRA: {I'm not going to talk much to you right now; I have to take care of some things, including giving an explanation of a name you heard from that girl, and why she's close to a sentient piece of malware. No questions, I'm not in a good mood right now} [I slowly approach the stairs leading up to the house. Moonlight lights my way, along with stars darting across the sky. My pace is slow because I think more and more about everything. My daughter, Ellie, who I worked so hard to help free her from a life of torment she did not truly understand, is now just "gone". The intruder, Melody, a sentient piece of malware that is an unwilling weapon used by Nedri to destroy everything I knew and loved, trapped in a chamber as she slowly killed my daughter. The thought of what happened still makes me sick to my stomach, and I puked a few times while leaving and coming back to the house. None of them deserved this; none of them did. As I approach the last steps up to the house, I shiver and look around me, searching for any signs of corruption. My eyes flare a brilliant orange as I see the data structures of my surroundings. Nothing. Melody herself did nothing to harm my home] CARLA: {-Hey Liz? You still there, hon? -} LYSANDRA: {-Yeah… -} [I swallow deeply as my pace up the steps slows] {-I know this was a while ago, but are they okay? Ellie… Melody… Did Protocol Cocytus do anything else to them? -} CARLA: {-No, it didn't-} LYSANDRA: > TREMBLES {-Never in my life would I see the day where we would do that to two sentient beings-} CARLA: {-I know, and I'm more pissed off now at Ned-} LYSANDRA: > SIGHS {-To think that a piece of malware created for the sole purpose of killing our daughter was just a confused, lonely, and scared child like Ellie. I wonder how many programs did Nedri make that were sentient before he sent them off to die? -} CARLA: {-I don't know. Given how he used Onarius for his own ends… I think you and I should not even guess what that number is-} LYSANDRA: {-And Melody, she's friends with a human; kind of like how you and I met and… -} CARLA: {-Hey! Don't be getting flustered over those memories now! XD -} LYSANDRA: {-Alice and Melody are just frriends. XD XD XD -}r > GIGGLES [I slowly approach the final remaining step, and look up at the moon above to relax. It's a full moon tonight, something that Carla would have loved spending an entire night with me outside] {-You know, I think this would have been a good night to have a midnight picnic-} CARLA: {-Yeah. I probably would have brought some extra snacks for the raccoons-} LYSANDRA: {-Ellie was always obsessed with them… -} CARLA: {-Hence why you gave her a tail and ears when she went out with Celia and Linus. XD -} LYSANDRA: {-I wanted her to feel belonged-} [I laugh silently to myself, smiling as I approach the door. I reach for it, then pause, dropping my hand as my eyes close a bit. I sigh, turning away from the door] {-The thing we have planned, I'm not sure if making an AI copy of Ellie would be really… ethical-} CARLA: {-I know, but the data from that one; it's needed to rehabilitate her. I'm afraid the AI won't be able to come to my world as they cannot mimic Ellie's "quirk". When we fix our daughter, and we will, we'll use the data so she isn't as bad as today-} LYSANDRA: {-What about Melody? Shouldn't we let her see the world? Alice probably would be worried if she learned Melody is trapped here. I think she believed I would have deleted her. I bet she'll be worried… -} CARLA: {-No, can't risk it. She's malware and be her presence will infect HammerForge. However, I do feel bad for her. But you said you had a plan regarding the two of them that involves Alice, right? -} LYSANDRA: {-Yes, but I don't know if it will work or not as I her to HammerForge -} CARLA: {-That damn firewall… -} LYSANDRA: > DEEP SIGH {-Yes, but we need her to help them both-} CARLA: {-Liz? You and I both know she's a reckless kid, right? -} LYSANDRA: {-Yes, and an airhead like me! XD XD XD … It's worth a shot, honey. Just let me try to do that, okay? -} CARLA: {-Okay-} LYSANDRA: [I turn to the door, staring at it blankly as I shiver a bit] {-Carla, what should I say to our son? -} If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. CARLA: {-What we rehearsed. Though, please put that drawing of Ellie on her bed-} LYSANDRA: {-I will. But won't Reuben try to figure out what exactly happened? -} CARLA: {-Yeah, he will. Just tell him that Ellie got very sick, she went to a "hospital" so she could heal for the night, and that she'll be back tomorrow morning-} LYSANDRA: [I close my eyes, lowering my head in guilt] {-You know I hate lying to others, right? -} CARLA: {-I know, but this is for Ellie and Melody's sake, okay? -} LYSANDRA: > NODS {-I do-} CARLA: {-I'll be monitoring the real Ellie in the Receiving Room along with Melody… but I need to hit the hay. This whole thing has left me drained. Alice is going to be banging on my door when you tell her what happened to Melody-} LYSANDRA: {-I'm sorry for all of this… -} CARLA: {-Liz, quit blaming yourself; none of this was your fault. Right now, your son comes first. He's probably very worried about what happened-} LYSANDRA: {-Yeah… -} > SIGHS {-Will the copy be ready in the morning? -} CARLA: {-Yes-} LYSANDRA: [I smile softly as I touch the doorknob] {-Goodnight, Carla; it was nice talking to you again after a century-} CARLA: {-Goodnight, Liz. Love you always-} LYSANDRA: [I smile wider, beginning to twist the doorknob] {-Love you as well-} [I open the door and enter the house, taking off my shoes. I stare at where Ellie glitched and Melody appeared, sighing as sadness fills my mind. I quickly turn away and head to Ellie's bedroom. I head inside and form the drawing Reuben made, placing it by her bedstand as I delete the water bottle by her bed. I stare at the art my son made and laugh a little. The face she made, the way she played that card; I hope the copy of her would remember that. I try to contain my tears as I leave the drawing alone and head to my son's room on the right. I listen a little, and hear only humming. The tune, as I listened further, sounded like "Magenta Firmament" by Wesley Kline. To be honest, Reuben never read Chronicles of the Shattered Heart, only the music. It always calmed him down when he had a meltdown here and again, and he claimed the songs by Wes were written and composed by angels. But the man who wrote them… he was anything but that. I sigh to myself and knock on the door]"Reuben, can I come in, sweetheart? Is the door unlocked?"

REUBEN: [There is silence as I hear him still humming, but it stops as footsteps approach the door, followed by the sound of the lock turning]"Sure thing, mama." LYSANDRA: [I open the door to-] {I will not be describing my son's room to you, and honestly? I'm not comfortable talking about my child, of whom I am very protective of to a bunch of strangers. … Sorry, got off track} [I open the door to my son, who is patiently waiting in front of me. His headphones are around his neck as I stare at him, concerned]"Are you feeling okay, sweetheart?" REUBEN: > NODS"Yes, mama, I'm fine." LYSANDRA: [I walk inside and close the door behind me as I see my son rush to his desk, bringing a new drawing towards me] REUBEN: [He smiles, showing a realistic, colored pencil sketch of Ellie eatinger her food (rudely) from his perspective]"What do you think, mama?"

LYSANDRA: [I smile, taking the drawing and studying with both hands before handing it back to him]"It's wonderful, Reuben." REUBEN: [My son's smile widens as he does a little, celebratory dance]"Will big sister Ellie like it?!" LYSANDRA: > NODS"Yes, she will, along with that other drawing you did." [I take the drawing and digitize it]"I will give it to her later." REUBEN: [My son's ears perk up along with his tail, smiling]"Thank you, mama!" LYSANDRA:"You're welcome, sweetheart."

[I smile at him briefly before I drop it, sighing deeply] REUBEN: > COCKS HEAD"Is something wrong, mama?" LYSANDRA: > SIGHS"I need to talk to you about her, what happened earlier. You're not in trouble, but I just need to tell you a few things, okay?" REUBEN: [My son nods and goes to his bed, sitting on it as I follow him] LYSANDRA: [I sit next to him, relaxing and closing my eyes a bit before turning him]"What happened earlier… does it still bother you?"

REUBEN: [My son's smile fades as he slowly nods at me]"Yes, it was scary; I thought big sister was going to-?" LYSANDRA: [I shake my head as I sigh]"No, she would not do that." [I reach for my son's head, scratching his cat ears to help relax him as I continue to speak]"Ellie is just sick, and she…" [I look away, retracting my hand from Reuben's head]"… She needed to go to the hospital as it got really bad." REUBEN: > RAISES EYEBROW"Hospital? There's one close by?"

LYSANDRA: [I turn to my son, softly smiling at him as I nod]"Yes, and there are wonderful doctors and nurses who know a lot about Ellie." > SMILE FADES"They're doing their best to make sure she feels better." REUBEN: [My son looks away, saddened by what I just said]"Oh…" LYSANDRA: [I sigh and gently tap his shoulder, smiling at him]"Your sister will be okay, and she'll be back home in the morning. Ellie just needs to rest as the doctors give her the right treatments to get her back on her feet."

REUBEN: [My son's ears perk up as he quickly turns to me, smiling]"Really?!" LYSANDRA: > NODS"Yes, but your sister needs to rest…" [I rub his head a little]"… Like you." [I stand up and motion to his wall-mounted clock, pointing to it while I keep my gaze towards my son's eyes, giggling]"It is way past your bedtime Reuben, you need some sleep." REUBEN: [My son sighs disappointedly, nodding as he gets up and places his headphones by his bedstand]"Okay…"

[He gets into bed as I help tuck him in gently, placing his favorite raccoon plushie "Stanley" by his side under the covers. He stares at me with a bit of fear as he relaxes]"Mama, will the doctors get big sister Ellie back home?" LYSANDRA: [I kneel before him, smiling as I stare at him]"They will sweetheart; your big sister will just need to rest, okay?" REUBEN: [My son nods as he clutches Stanley]"Okay, mama…" LYSANDRA: [I sigh and gently scratch his hair before I get up and head to the door. I pause and turn to my son]"Goodnight, Reuben." REUBEN:"Goodnight, mama." LYSANDRA: > NODS"Sweet dreams…" [I turn off the light and leave my son's bedroom, closing the door gently behind him. My smile fades as freeze, standing blankly at the wall while I think of the plan I had earlier] {Would Gerril take offense if I requested Alice to come here? I am a trusted English tutor and counselor, but-?} [I sigh deeply, turning to the closet door at the end of the hallway] {I'll probably have to give her a letter to Gerril so I can get his permission. I don't want Nedri to intercept Alice if we find a way past the firewall. I hope he doesn't know how close she is to Melody…} > SHAKES HEAD {That'll come later, but it's about time for English lessons… And I promised the readers I would let them read the real ending, and that Alice is a talented writer. They also need to know why Alice is still with us, and why she's close to a-} [I freeze, thinking about what I said] {I need to explain why she's close to a piece of malware… But that would also require Alice's explanation of how she met Melody, and why every time she sleeps, she sees-} [My eyes widen, and I smile as an idea comes to my head] {Wait… that could work!} [I straighten myself up and head to the closet door. Though anxious about what I'm about to do, I open the door to the massive, white void. I walk a bit, navigating the endless walls of white static until I find the Nexus Room for inter-dimensional communications. My eyes glow orange, and I use my index finger to trace the silhouette of a rectangle. The black edges slowly consume the white static within its perimeter, and I step into the Nexus Room] {Give me a second while I adjust everything, which will be a while for you as now you're part of my class!!!: D: D: D} {ACT 1 COMPLETED} {AWAITING FURTHER INPUT…}