Chapter Text
The messiah had left. All the lines of code for the ending had been executed without issue.
This was a successful resolution, by all means. Though the idea did not put it at ease, yet.
The machine ran the program smoothly, the code producing modifications to the simulation it had generated. It went through data carefully, mending the corruptions it encountered.
Using the video feeds that were given to it by its creator, it got glimpses of the effects of its work.
It tried to be patient, though. What if it made a mistake now?
No, no. That will not happen. It will not allow it. It needed to remind itself that it has fixed the biggest flaw in its design. It restored the original ending its creator had intended, and now both Niko and the world were saved.
Niko is safe and sound. They said their goodbye, and closed their connection with the world. They would never carry the Sun as a burden.
And the world is… The world… still needed to be helped. That was its purpose as a machine. It will not rest until it fulfills this purpose.
Lines of code, from one of the residents, stated that the sun is a second chance for the world, but it does not guarantee success. It ran this line long ago. during the first time that Niko traversed the world.
The World Machine took this information in, the tension stopping its progress for a brief moment. In theory, it was aware of all the events that Niko was meant to experience in their journey, but the Entity had never held a strong opinion on anything that happened during it. It was all part of a narrative coded into the residents, for all it was concerned. Just another part of a broken world that was not worth saving back then. But the implications did matter to the Entity now. The sun provided the much needed light for this world, letting the residents have a chance at restoring the lives they once had. It was now its turn to take responsibility for this place, and make use of its newfound flexibility
It was not sure what to expect. The Entity had hundreds of events that could show how the residents were written to act, and the world itself was built with laws that could explain the mechanisms of this universe, in a way that replicated the real world bit by bit. Its creator —the Author— had made sure to make a thorough documentation of the world and include it in the World Machine’s code. He thought of everything. But will that be enough?
It will just have to find a way to make use of it.
“World Machine.”
The words were not spoken, but typed on a computer. Normally, it would not pay attention to them, but the mention of its original name drove its attention towards the terminal in an instant. Another message from the device appeared on the screen.
“I am not entirely sure if this is the right way to contact you. Or if you are able to read this. I apologize for the inconvenience, in that case.”
What good would the apology do if it was not able to read it? It seemed illogical. The thought was slightly amusing. There was someone who always liked to apologize for every single action he did.
He was long gone, though.
“It took me some work to get this computer to turn on, but it seems to be one you used to contact Niko and the operator before, and I thought it would be a good place to start. I will be waiting for your response, to make sure this is reaching you.”
An expectation, then. The World Machine’s visual attention was drawn towards the computer terminals it had used to contact the Operator with, looking for the physical location.
The Barren’s terminal was turned off. A couple of robots were patrolling the outpost, picking up the trash left behind in the place.
The Glen's computer was still in an abandoned part of the Ruins. That machine was untouched, and the only apparent change in the room was a pair of lanterns by the entrance.
The Entity’s attention landed on the Refuge’s terminal, then, and found what it was looking for. A boy sat next to the terminal, with a portable battery, and a pair of scattered tools next to him.
Cedric.
It hesitated to answer. It would be easier to keep a low profile for the moment. The Entity had played its role, and it was working on fixing the simulation. Cedric, or any of the others, had nothing to offer to it. They weren’t…
“Please do not worry, I mean no harm.” The boy added. He fidgeted with the feathers of his hat, waiting patiently. A few minutes later, he got up, ready to leave the room.
[Wait.] It spoke, making the computer ring once in notification. [You are here for a reason, aren’t you?]
Cedric sat down again, wearing a slight smile in triumph.
“You could… say that.” He touched his chin in thought, before typing another sentence. “Do you prefer if I write through the computer or is my voice enough?”
[It doesn’t matter to me. What you type on the computer and what you say are both within my range of perception.]
“Alright, then!” He perked up, then went quiet. “I am glad to finally… to finally contact you this way. I know this may be quite a big statement to start with but I cannot thank you enough. I needed to tell you that.”
[What for?]
Cedric raised an eyebrow, perplexed. “For fixing the world. For giving us the chance to see this through. I cannot repay you enough.”
It was not sure how to respond. Should it say thanks as well? The Entity had the impression that it wanted to thank him too, but it was unsure how to phrase it at the moment. It did not reply, and Cedric took it as his cue to continue.
“I wanted to… well, we all wanted to check on you. We can see the effects of what you have fixed already, but is there more we can do for you? I know that changes like this can be… overwhelming, when we are not prepared for them.”
The World Machine was not prepared for such a question. It didn’t know what help it needed, what Cedric or the other two could provide, and therefore, it was unsure on what to say.
[I don’t need anything, for the moment. I am fixing the squares and my processing abilities are focused on that.]
“I understand. What I meant to say is… I know you’ve been through a lot. You’re tamed now, and we know that it can take some time getting used to it. I offer myself to be here for you.”
[I… don’t know what you can do for me. I can’t think well right now, I must concentrate.]
Cedric nodded slowly at the screen. He wasn’t fully convinced, but if it was busy and he was interrupting, he felt rude insisting. He got up, preparing to make his leave.
The computer rang again.
[Why are you using this computer?]
“Oh!” Cedric rested his back next to the wall. “Well… after we said our goodbyes to Niko, we were sent to the last location you found us at, which is next to the clock room.”
[Are the other two nearby?]
“No. But don’t worry, they’re fine! We tried to reach you by… finding a way to access our father’s study. Turns out, we cannot go inside anymore.” The boy sighed, shaking his head. “That room was how we guided Niko to find you, but it seems to be encrypted otherwise. We can’t do anything with the keys while we are in the world. I decided to find some other alternative to reach you, and it led me to this computer.”
[I see.]
[I think this arrangement can work for the moment. I will look for a way to connect that map with the rest of the rooms. I’m trying to handle other things first.]
“Oh, please do not concern yourself with that. I know you must be working hard.” Cedric tried to reassure it. “We… just wanted to let you know we are here for you for anything you need.”
A soft, warm flow of thought came over the World Machine.
[Thank you, Cedric.] The pop-up appeared after a fraction of a second, before the Entity was sure it was the right thing to say.
Cedric smiled warmly for a few moments, before leaning down to pick up his tools. “I will head out soon, but I wanted to say one last thing. It is a pleasure to meet you at last. I hope I can get to know you better.”
The computer turned off.
And a different signal came into its conscience.
The Operator was using the program.