1 1 – Reincarnated

My eyes were still glued to what was on my computer screen. Those artificial characters are building a fence around their shelter among the ruins. Some strapped materials to iron poles already embedded in the ground while others rummaged through the rubble.

One of them is wearing a powered mechanical armor called E.E.S. or Enhanced Exoskeleton Suit. He was the one who did the heavy lifting.

I control them with my keyboard and mouse. Well, not really controlling them, actually. These characters have their own 'will' programmed into them. I only give orders and bits of advice using my role as a companion drone in the form of a small hovering robot.

If they disagree with my order, an emotion icon will be above their head. And if those emotions overwhelmed them, they could refuse my orders.

I must take care of their mental state in that post-apocalyptic world.

Like this one of my female characters carrying materials back and forth, there was an annoyed icon above her head.

I think it's because this new place still lacks entertainment. She is a character with a mental state that is so dependent on fun activities, after all.

Should I make them play games to refresh their minds? But they have to finish this new shelter's fence soon. Their previous home had been destroyed by monsters.

'Ding.'

An information box appeared in the lower right corner of my screen. There is a chat message from one of my friends.

[IronPlatypus69: Oh, come on. Why are you still playing that? They stopped developing it when it was still in beta five years ago. Even the name Project Axiom is just a placeholder, right? No one knows the meaning of that title]

I replied.

[Duketheslayer: It's up to me what game I want to play. Besides, I don't have any money to buy new games or upgrade my PC anyway]

I felt like something hit my heart as soon as I pressed the enter button. Things like this remind me that I've been unemployed since graduating from college five years ago.

I don't have the money to get what I want.

I've applied to various companies. But in the end, they always turn me down. And as I got older with no work experience, it was harder and harder for me to get a job.

I thought about starting a business, but I didn't have the capital, and I didn't have the confidence to create anything on my own. At the same time, all my friends already have jobs, and I'm sure they don't want to partner with an unemployed person like me.

So here I am every day, playing games on an outdated pc.

"Jerk." Feeling my mood drop, I got up from the chair, wanting to go to sleep.

While stretching, I checked the time on my computer. Huh? It's Monday already? I've been playing the game for almost two days?

No wonder I was so sleepy, and my body was exhausted.

But when I was going to bed, I felt an immeasurable pain in my chest, as if someone was squeezing it so hard. My breathing also became heavy, and my head was dizzy. Then, I knelt down while clutching my chest as my stamina suddenly disappeared.

I wanted to scream, but no words could come out.

Unable to do anything else, I fell on the cold floor. My eyelids closed on their own, taking me into the pitch darkness.

Is this the end? I died without doing anything meaningful?

***

[Initialization complete]

[Companion drone A-46-X with navigation function activated]

The robotic voice woke me up, and I winced at what was in front of me; a futuristic armored figure like those in sci-fi movies.

"We don't have much time. Can you escort me out of this place?" The voice that came from behind that 7-feet tall dark green armor was muffled but feminine.

Is she a girl?

Wait. I observed the figure from the orange visor on her helmet to her legs wrapped by a bulky metal structure.

Why is this armor familiar to me? No way.... this is a type of Enhanced Exoskeleton Suit from the Project Axiom game!

"Are you functioning or not?" The armored figure asked. "You must get me out of here fast, Companion drone."

Companion drones? Something like that was also in Project Axiom, but why did she call me that?

Suddenly, rumbling echoed from a distance.

"I've been trapped here long enough!" The armored figure grew even more desperate. "There's a monster chasing us! You have to get me out of here!"

Still processing what actually happened, I just realized something was off about me. I couldn't feel my hands, feet, and body.

"What?" I tried to hold my head, but all that happened was a mechanical creak, and I knew my arms were coming out from beside me.

Yes, I don't feel it. I just know my hands are coming out of there.

"What the…." I was bewildered when I found that my hands were now made of thin metal. And instead of having five fingers, a pair of pincers are attached to the ends of those things.

Like a robot.

I moved past the armored figure in a panic. And again, I felt another anomaly. Instead of walking using both legs to walk, I'm hovering.

"Wait… What? What happened to me?" Confusion increasingly took over my mind, especially when I looked around and realized that I was in a futuristic lab with computer terminals.

This place is also familiar to me. Had I really awakened to the world of Project Axiom? What the hell!?

"Hey!" The armored figure turned me to face her head. "Please, don't malfunction! I need you to navigate me!"

I was speechless, staring at my reflection in her visor. Yes, I'm not human anymore, but a robot the size of a human head in the shape of a white cylinder with a round red lens.

I'm really a companion drone.