I woke up warm.
I thought for a moment that it was all a dream, and was about to groan thinking about having to go to work. Then I saw it.
>Good morning Mr. Kang.
Fuck.
I roll onto my back and look up at the ceiling of the administrative office. Metal, industrial, but clean. A ceiling fan spinning slowly. Beneath me there was a bed. An actual bed with an actual mattress. Not frozen ground. Not an ice cave. No corpse for company here. Comparatively? This is probably the best moment of my life.
Hunger makes the best spice after all.
I sat up on the bed and swing my legs over the side, the soreness from everything that has happened here showing, but definitely reduced thanks to some good sleep finally.
The room was small but functional overall. The administrative office had a small desk, bed, bathroom, and windows overlooking the AI Core server racks.
I look back at the terminal that greeted me now showing different text:
>YOU SLEPT FOR 6 HOURS, 47 MINUTES.
I then am met with the growl of my empty stomach. I feel like there is now a bottomless pit, and it has started eating me from the inside. I don't know when the last time I ate properly was.
I looked down and saw that I came in and passed out in an instant. I haven't even changed into new clothes since I took them off of Dr. Vey.
I went to stand up and the terminal in front of me flashes:
>RECOMMENDED MORNING ROUTINE:
>1. HYGIENE (SHOWER FACILITIES FUNCTIONAL, HOT WATER AVAILABLE)
>2. NUTRITION (RATIONS IN STORAGE UNIT)
>3. BRIEFING
>YOU HAVE 31 HOURS UNTIL GENERATOR FAILURE. PROCEED AT YOUR DISCRETION.
I forgot there was a shower. Sweet! I start to take my clothes off and throw them into the small hamper next to the bed. I walk into the bathroom and it doesn't seem much more luxurious than the office itself. Bare necessities with stainless steel everywhere. There is a large mirror on the left side of the room overtop a vanity, and a toilet on the left, with a shower in the back corner. The whole room was probably 5 meters cubed, maybe a little larger.
I get in the shower and felt the perfectly hot water washing away the sweat and fatigue.
"This feels oddly refreshing for it being so hot." I note.
After washing up and grabbing a towel to dry myself off, I turn to look at myself in the mirror. The first time I saw myself in this new world.
I look to be the same height I was back home, 5'10", black hair that's pretty messy, brown eyes, and some light freckles over my nose. The main difference is how I look so worn down. Bruises all over my chest and arms, what looks to be frost damage on the right half of my face, and I've aged 50 years with the exhaustion in my eyes.
"But I'm alive." I reassure myself.
Walking out I head to the desk and sit down, turning the monitor to face me this time.
>LOOK IN THE CABINET BEHIND YOU
Alright, I can't say I've gotten used to being watched like that but I do so anyways.
In the large steel cabinet there are emergency rations. Freeze dried food similar to what an MRE would be back home.
I rip open the pouch and prepare the contents. A soup with noodles and a side of bread with a flavor packet for water. It's not the best thing I've ever had, but it will work.
>CALORIES FROM YOUR RATIONS ARE ADEQUATE FOR THE DAY'S ITINERARY. SUGGESTING ANOTHER ONE IN 4 HOURS.
"After microwave dinners for six months, this is five-star dining."
>WHILE YOU'RE EATING, LET'S GO OVER THE DAY'S PLAN.
>PHASE 1 (MORNING ROUTINE) -COMPLETE
>PHASE 2A: CHRONOPHAGE DUST COLLECTION (50G REQUIRED)
>>ESTIMATED TIME: 3-4 HOURS
>>RISK LEVEL: LOW
>>WITNESS ACTIVITY: DORMANT IN SUB-LEVEL 3
>PHASE 2B: TACTICAL PLANNING FOR TITAN BLOOD RETriEVAL
>>PREP TIME: 1 HOUR
>>RISK LEVEL: EXTREME
>>WITNESS ACTIVITY: PROJECTED TO PATROL SUB-LEVEL 2 WITHIN 4-6 HOURS
>BEGIN WHEN READY.
I finish my meal while watching the scrolling text and nod as I understand what must be done. Grabbing a napkin to wipe my face I say:
"Alright. Let's go collect some magic dust. What could go wrong?"
I mentally facepalm. I need to learn to not flag myself.
>STATISTICALLY? MANY THINGS. BUT I WILL GUIDE YOU.
So far, this has been the best morning routine I've had since, well, even before coming here. I can't remember the last time I ate breakfast. And talking to AXIOM is becoming easier. It's not so bad to have someone to talk to, even if it is in a situation where death is expected.
I pick up my backpack that was set next to the door. I found a charging dock next to the door for the tablet that I pulled from Dr. Vey and set it there before going to bed. I threw that into the backpack as well. There's a lot more room in there now that I've changed into the new clothes. I still left the heavy cold weather gear in there as I might need it.
I make my way down the stairs outside of the administrative office and walk past AXIOM,
"Don't miss me too much, I'll be back soon."
>GOOD LUCK, MR. KANG"
As I make my way down into the research wing, I hear a feminine voice say in a calm demeanor, "Proceed to Sub-Level 1, Sector B. Dr. Lloyd's Temporal Physics Laboratory. There was a heavy concentration of Chronophage dust detected."
I didn't know AXIOM could talk. It sounds like the voice is coming from the intercom, but I can't see any speakers, and after rummaging into my backpack I see that the datapad has lit up. AXIOM has a voice huh?
"Woah! New year new voice huh AXIOM?"
>"Yes, however I can't be too loud as to attract anything so this is what I settled on for the time being."
AXIOM continues to give directions towards the respective room and even pulls up a 3d map on the tablet.
On the way, I passed through an equipment bay with a small gym attached. It looks clean, but used. Weights are scattered everywhere, and I see in the corner a splash of blood. I shudder to think about how that specific person died.
I move on and have to pass through a rec room. The lights flicker on as I step inside the doorway and notice signs of everyday life. There is a boardgame halfway finished on the table, a couple of coffee mugs, a large bulletin board on the wall displaying flyers for "Dr. Chen's birthday next week" and 'Poker night sign-up'. These people partied hard outside of work hours I hope.
>"The facility operated on a 6-month rotation schedule. Most personnel considered this assignment prestigious. Parallax paid well for dimensional research expertise."
"And they all died for it"
>"Unfortunately."
Following the hallway past the room I ended up deeper in the research wing. I was greeted by a door plate 'DR. MARCUS LLOYD - TEMPORAL PHYSICS' The next line read, 'AUTHORIZED PERSONNEL ONLY'
I swipe my badge and on the scanner next to the door and after a beep the door clicks open.
Inside the lab is a pristine environment. Whiteboards filled with calculations, holographic displays with calculations and figures unmoving. But there was a red glitter everywhere, like a glitter bomb was exploded and nobody decided to clean up. The dust coats every surface like a frost and it shimmers faintly when the light catches it right. The dust fell in subtle patterns that resembled geometric patterns.
I look around and find a medical supply box on the wall. Inside, a vial of some pink substance is laying on the bottom row of supplies. I pour it out onto the ground and after taking some gauze to wipe it clean I pose a question to axiom:
"Is this good enough to collect the dust?"
>"99% chance of no effects on the dust. Good to go."
I look around for anything I can use to really get the dust off of the surfaces and one of the desks had a wide, thin, metal blade. Like the head of a butcher knife with the back of it having a handle. As I grab it, I look at the surfaces and start collecting them by scraping every surface clean. It's tedious work, but satisfying.
The dust is heavy, heavier than dust, glitter, or even sand. After having about 5 grams of it, I can already feel the weight in the vial. Heavier than it should be, like the dust carried more than just mass.
Curious, I asked AXIOM, "What is Chronophage dust? A product of Parallax?"
>"Chronophage crystals are artifacts from the Precursor civilization. Origin unknown. They possess intrinsic temporal manipulation properties."
>"Exposure to Chronophage radiation allows limited perception of alternate timelines. Higher exposure grants greater temporal awareness."
>"The crystals are rare. Parallax Industries monopolized most known deposits. This planet had a significant natural occurrence. One reason was that it was selected for DEMIURGE."
"So this stuff lets you see the future?"
>"Not precisely. It allows perception of probability streams. Potential futures. All simultaneously. The human mind is not designed to process this. Hence: The Witness's degradation."
Moving from one desk to the other my hand catches on the corner of the desk, tearing a small hole in the glove and the leverage forcing it down onto the surface. The effect is instant:
I experienced two realities. One, where I am still scraping the previous surface, and one where he is scraping the next. For a brief moment both of them were overlapping, and an intense wave of nauseousness hit.
>"Mr. Kang, your biometrics indicate distress. What happened?"
"I... saw something. Two versions of now. It was like lagging in real life."
>"That was a temporary bleed. Minor, but concerning. Seal any openings to minimize skin contact. Prolonged exposure causes permanent temporal dissonance."
"Permanent?"
>"You would experience time non-linearly. Perception scattered across multiple moments simultaneously. The Witness exists in the state constantly. I do not recommend it."
I quickly find some tape and seal the tear in my glove, AXIOM is right, I don't want to end up like The Witness any time soon. I'm glad that it seems like she cares about my mental state though.
After collecting around 15g of the dust, AXIOM calls from the tablet:
>"There isn't enough dust left here to warrant staying. Let's move to the Observation deck."
"Noted. I'll get a move on."
>"Proceed to Main Level, Sector D. Observation deck overlooking the crater. Significant dust accumulation detected on exterior-facing surfaces."
I make my way there, grabbing a bottle of water out of my backpack and taking a sip. This place leaves me pretty thirsty, and it's nice to have water on hand for a change.
The observation deck is massive. Large windows line the walls from floor to ceiling. They are reinforced around every pane and even have two large X symbols over the top and bottom to further reinforce against any blast. Inside the room were a couple of Bar-height chairs next to standing tables. And directly in front of the glass were 2 sofas and coffee tables.
>"Personnel would have to pull 12 hour shifts on the observation deck. Monitoring DEMIURGE. There would be game nights here because of that, and people let their guard down on watch. Most would bring their computers and sit on the sofas, and since a pair would always be stationed here, one could sleep while the other monitored."
"Must've felt like pulling the short straw when it was your turn. But I can't say I blame them for letting their guard down."
Looking out to what this deck 'observed' was an enormous crater. The crater must've been kilometers across. The crater was perfectly spherical. As if someone took a scoop of rocks and ice. The observation deck wasn't affected as much by the storm or the crater was repelling the current storm as the whole sky was visible above. Looking up, previously invisible from what I could see, was a nebulous galaxy with reds and blues streaking across a pitch black sky. The atmosphere seemed... thin here. The halo rings of the planetary debris visible above. Chunks of metal and ice were ranging from the size of a house to that of mountains. Everything has a red stain to it.
Was this Chronophage? Titan Blood residue?
Whatever it was, was eerily beautiful. A serene painting making my heart skip a beat as I truly realize just where I am. The empty cosmos. The dead planet. And nobody else is here, and may never be here.
The corpse of the cosmos struck awe and fear in me. If The Witness could do that to a planet, what will it do to me?
I was shaken out of my trance by AXIOM chiming in, kind of like one of those museum audiobooks.
>"Project DEMIURGE was conducted in sub-level 3, directly beneath the current crater center. When the demi-plane collapsed, dimensional backlash resulted in a spherical excision of matter."
>"Approximately 4.7 million cubic meters of rock, ice, and infrastructure simply ceased to exist in this timeline.
"Where did it go?" I asked, hoping to hear what could be my fate.
>"Unknown. Possibly nowhere. Possibly everywhere. Dimensional physics allows for both. Or it exists in superposition - occupying all states until observed."
I used the maintenance latch to swing the main window open. The cold air hit me like a truck: instant, brutal, stealing the breath from my lungs. I gritted my teeth and started scraping. To take my mind off of the temperature, I talked to AXIOM:
"So, I'm collecting magic time dust from a dead lab, to make a pill that might explode me. And this is the safe part of the plan.
>"Correct. The dangerous part involves the Witness."
"Great. Love that for me."
>"Your sarcasm is noted. And appreciated. It indicates stable psychological state under stress."
"Wait, you're analyzing my jokes?"
>"I analyze everything, Mr. Kang. It is my function."
"I'll take that as a compliment."
I take what I can from the window, and close it up. Trying to lean out and scrape other windows would be too difficult. I look at the vial and notice I procured a little over double what I just had, bringing my vial to 2/3 of the way full.
"Hey, AXIOM, I know that there is another section here that I can collect dust from, but what are my odds at leaning out the window to collect more?"
>"You have procured 20g of dust. Trying to get another 15 from another window would be suboptimal at best, and fatal at worst. 92% probability of fatality due to strong winds and changing currents. This does not account for potential gear failure or loss of grip."
I take one last look out the windows, and turn to look back at the room behind me.
"This feels like looting a mass grave. The people who live here are gone, and all I can do for them is survive."
>"I had not considered that perspective. I have been focused on survival parameters. Resource acquisition."
>"But you are correct. These were people. Dr. Chen had a daughter. Dr. Hassan collected antique books. Marcus Vey played chess during lunch breaks."
>"I have been alone with the dead so long that I believe I forgot they were once alive."
"Hey, you're doing fine, we will get through this. Lets just... finish this and get out of here.
>"Agreed. Thank you, Mr. Kang."
These people had lives just like me and I'd like to think their death had meaning. Unlike mine, in an act of unbridled hatred and violence. My co-workers might've heard about it on the news or the next day, but I doubt it. I was forgettable in the office and I doubt anybody would pay any attention to another random mugging in the streets. I haven't spoken to anybody in months, and I don't think they would notice if I never spoke to them again.
At least here, AXIOM remembered them all.
>"Your final location is in sub-level 2, outside Laboratory 7-D. Highest concentration detected."
"That's right in the Witness's patrol path isn't it? That's its territory."
>"Correct. However, The Witness is currently dormant in sub-level 3. You will not enter Laboratory 7-D, Only collect the dust from the corridor outside."
"I can only hope that it goes so well."
I checked the datapad. 28 hours until generator failure. The clock was ticking. AXIOM's map showed the route to Sub-level 2, Laboratory 7-D. The path wound through maintenance corridors, pas the cafeteria where I'd glimpsed The Witness before, down in to territory I'd barely escaped once already.
And somewhere down there, the step-drag sound was echoing through empty halls.
Waiting.