Chapter 1: What is a machine? What is a soul? What is a mind?
Ichabod clutched the black metal of her arm. The new element of her shell ached from fatigue, they had been wrong. She wasn’t invincible.
She stood, letting the blood drip off her hands before grabbing her bag and slinging it over her shoulder.
You didn’t use your blade today Ichabod.
“Shut up.”
Why? I am a part of you... You should let me speak.
“Screw you.”
So you’re accepting it now. The voice in her head chuckled. You truly are a machine, aren't you?
“I am the body of a machine, yes.” Ichabod removed an object from her bag. “But my mind and my soul are still the same as they were.”
She watched the object expand in her hand, the black element climbing its way up her arm and onto her back. It twisted into a shape, becoming a pair of large raptor wings.
I still don’t know why you took those rather than the jets.
“Jets... They’re not my style...” And with that, she took off, supporting herself with the black masses of metal now one with the rest of her body.
Just like your hair... You like it so much you won’t change it, even if it will get us found.
“Get me found. You’re a figment of my imagination.” Ichabod tugged on her neon green hair, glowing in the near darkness of sunset.
Now that’s not nice. How could you be so sure that I’m not real?
“The thing is... I’m not.”
So you believe?
“Not even close.”
Darn... What do you think I am then?
“I’m not sure. You started talking after I started killing.” Ichabod shut her eyes, only slightly blocking the light as they glowed the same color as her hair. “So by now... I’m probably just mad.”
But, you’re not. I remember everything you don’t. Like the number.
“The number of what?”
Sixty-seven. Tonight’s attack brought us to sixty-seven killings.
“No number of lives is worth that of my sister’s. Not after they took her soul.”
I’m sure I’m not worth that much... A life is only worth a life right? A soul only one soul.
“But her soul is still living... Her mind is to, I can sense it. I promised dad I’d take care of her... And I know she’s close...”
You d******. You never see what’s right in front of you.
“What’s that?”
Listen to me more often. I could give you a clue to what you’re looking for. Before I was stuck in this body with you I learned everything there is to know about the government.
“What? You know something about Riki?! Tell me dammit! What did they tell you?”
They didn’t tell me anything. I’ve just always been good with computers I guess.
“Riki could hack too...”
The memory of a thirteen year-old girl bubbled to the surface of Ichabod’s mind. Her Pink hair glowed the same essence that Ichabod’s did and she sat, bent over the keyboard as she punched in letter after letter into the system.
“Alarm’s down sis.”
“Nice.” Ichabod tousled up her sister’s hair. “Unlock the armory, I’ll be right back.”
“‘Kay!” Ichabod ran down the hall, watching the doorways seal around her, protecting her from the guards on the other side.
The door at the end of the hall slid open, revealing the weaponry available to her. The room lit upon opening revealing the seemingly endless vault of tools, firearms and blades.
“Lucky I know what I’m looking for.” Ichabod grabbed a bag from the hooks at the door and continued to fill it with the things she would need.
Slinging the pack over her shoulder she headed back down the hall, picking up her pace as to not keep Riki waiting for too long.
That was when she heard Riki scream. “Sissy!” The word itself turned into a piercing shriek.
Ichabod’s eyes widened. Everyone here. Every guard, every soldier, every cabinet member of the government knew better than to hurt her little sister. Now they would learn their lesson again.
She didn’t even know that she was running until she reached the computer room again, dagger in hand.
That was when Riki’s screaming stopped.
And Ichabod knew that she would never scream again.
The guard, standing over her sister withdrew his sword from Riki’s stomach and grunted. He was another one. A stupid, brainwashed, dog of the government, heartless enough to kill a little girl.
“Why?” Ichabod approached the soldier, grabbing him by the collar of his shirt. “She did nothing to you! You people, you’ve already taken everything from her. Why this too?!”
She never gave him a chance to respond, sinking the dagger into his stomach, the same place where he stabbed Riki. Letting him drop, she wiped the blood off her hands and retrieved her dagger.
Why’d you do it Ichabod?
“Who’s there?!” Ichabod looked around her, to find... No one.
It’s me!
“Who? Where are you?!”
Well I guess I’m not exactly a person anymore...
___
“I still don’t believe you’re a real person.”
Oh, you don’t do you? You’re stupider than I thought. Why did I always look up to you?
“So you knew me before this?” Ichabod found a landing place. She could set up a camp there for the night before heading back home.
Icha... I’ve known you my whole life.
“Icha? Nobody’s called me that for years... I guess maybe you are re-Ah!” A scorching pain ripped through Ichabod’s body, but it was nothing new to her. It felt like a compression, being squished by something inside her own body. Like there wasn’t enough room. “I still think that is your fault.”
It probably is...
Ichabod clutched the black metal of her arm. The new element of her shell ached from fatigue, they had been wrong. She wasn’t invincible.
She stood, letting the blood drip off her hands before grabbing her bag and slinging it over her shoulder.
You didn’t use your blade today Ichabod.
“Shut up.”
Why? I am a part of you... You should let me speak.
“Screw you.”
So you’re accepting it now. The voice in her head chuckled. You truly are a machine, aren't you?
“I am the body of a machine, yes.” Ichabod removed an object from her bag. “But my mind and my soul are still the same as they were.”
She watched the object expand in her hand, the black element climbing its way up her arm and onto her back. It twisted into a shape, becoming a pair of large raptor wings.
I still don’t know why you took those rather than the jets.
“Jets... They’re not my style...” And with that, she took off, supporting herself with the black masses of metal now one with the rest of her body.
Just like your hair... You like it so much you won’t change it, even if it will get us found.
“Get me found. You’re a figment of my imagination.” Ichabod tugged on her neon green hair, glowing in the near darkness of sunset.
Now that’s not nice. How could you be so sure that I’m not real?
“The thing is... I’m not.”
So you believe?
“Not even close.”
Darn... What do you think I am then?
“I’m not sure. You started talking after I started killing.” Ichabod shut her eyes, only slightly blocking the light as they glowed the same color as her hair. “So by now... I’m probably just mad.”
But, you’re not. I remember everything you don’t. Like the number.
“The number of what?”
Sixty-seven. Tonight’s attack brought us to sixty-seven killings.
“No number of lives is worth that of my sister’s. Not after they took her soul.”
I’m sure I’m not worth that much... A life is only worth a life right? A soul only one soul.
“But her soul is still living... Her mind is to, I can sense it. I promised dad I’d take care of her... And I know she’s close...”
You d******. You never see what’s right in front of you.
“What’s that?”
Listen to me more often. I could give you a clue to what you’re looking for. Before I was stuck in this body with you I learned everything there is to know about the government.
“What? You know something about Riki?! Tell me dammit! What did they tell you?”
They didn’t tell me anything. I’ve just always been good with computers I guess.
“Riki could hack too...”
The memory of a thirteen year-old girl bubbled to the surface of Ichabod’s mind. Her Pink hair glowed the same essence that Ichabod’s did and she sat, bent over the keyboard as she punched in letter after letter into the system.
“Alarm’s down sis.”
“Nice.” Ichabod tousled up her sister’s hair. “Unlock the armory, I’ll be right back.”
“‘Kay!” Ichabod ran down the hall, watching the doorways seal around her, protecting her from the guards on the other side.
The door at the end of the hall slid open, revealing the weaponry available to her. The room lit upon opening revealing the seemingly endless vault of tools, firearms and blades.
“Lucky I know what I’m looking for.” Ichabod grabbed a bag from the hooks at the door and continued to fill it with the things she would need.
Slinging the pack over her shoulder she headed back down the hall, picking up her pace as to not keep Riki waiting for too long.
That was when she heard Riki scream. “Sissy!” The word itself turned into a piercing shriek.
Ichabod’s eyes widened. Everyone here. Every guard, every soldier, every cabinet member of the government knew better than to hurt her little sister. Now they would learn their lesson again.
She didn’t even know that she was running until she reached the computer room again, dagger in hand.
That was when Riki’s screaming stopped.
And Ichabod knew that she would never scream again.
The guard, standing over her sister withdrew his sword from Riki’s stomach and grunted. He was another one. A stupid, brainwashed, dog of the government, heartless enough to kill a little girl.
“Why?” Ichabod approached the soldier, grabbing him by the collar of his shirt. “She did nothing to you! You people, you’ve already taken everything from her. Why this too?!”
She never gave him a chance to respond, sinking the dagger into his stomach, the same place where he stabbed Riki. Letting him drop, she wiped the blood off her hands and retrieved her dagger.
Why’d you do it Ichabod?
“Who’s there?!” Ichabod looked around her, to find... No one.
It’s me!
“Who? Where are you?!”
Well I guess I’m not exactly a person anymore...
___
“I still don’t believe you’re a real person.”
Oh, you don’t do you? You’re stupider than I thought. Why did I always look up to you?
“So you knew me before this?” Ichabod found a landing place. She could set up a camp there for the night before heading back home.
Icha... I’ve known you my whole life.
“Icha? Nobody’s called me that for years... I guess maybe you are re-Ah!” A scorching pain ripped through Ichabod’s body, but it was nothing new to her. It felt like a compression, being squished by something inside her own body. Like there wasn’t enough room. “I still think that is your fault.”
It probably is...
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