Leave me?

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The real Aldrich woke up from his sleep and found himself in a different location. He stood up and looked around the area. The sky was filled with a violet light, numerous amount of blue stars glimmering above, a plain grassland, and pure silence covered the area. There were no structures around the place, and for him, the area looked like the void.

When he looked behind, he saw a person dressed in the same clothing as him. It was facing backwards, so he wasn't able to see it's face just yet.

"Who are you?" Aldrich asked the person who was standing in front of him. It slowly faced Aldrich, and gave off an ominous aura.

"I am you, but technically not you." It said as he completely faced Aldrich. Aldrich was frozen and left speechless in his position.

He couldn't perceive the situation, and was stuck inside a trance. He don't want to believe it, but the guy standing in front of him is --him--.

"You're me?!" He exclaimed in confusion. "Yes, but to avoid confusion, call me --Variant--. Let me cut through the chase, you're here because I made a disturbance in the real world and----" Variant's explanation was interrupted by Aldrich.

"Oii, so you're technically me... But how?" Aldrich asked Variant in a confused tone. Variant giggled and then gave Aldrich a more clearer explanation.

"I was literally expecting you to ask me that. So Ascrid is currently lost right? Here's the thing, he's kidnapped by this weird scientists and is currently used as a test subject for this project called --Simulation of reality--. From my observations, the project itself was still a beta testing. It was a --technology created reality-- where you can transfer ones consciousness to a replication of reality itself. The traits of other people inside the simulation are quite different from their basis, which are you guys... By now, I know you understand that I'm a copy of you, right?" He stated and gave off a weird smile.

Aldrich easily understood Variant's explanation. "So you're technically an A.I. copy of myself?" He said in a serious tone.

"Sigh, as expected of my real self. Yes, we're A.I. but let's just say I'm different among all of them. Those scientists had this weird notes as their basis for our traits. The notes were all somehow connected to Ascrid and all the people connected to him. That's why they decided to use him as a test subject. They used the note to create --Us-- to fool Ascrid that he's living inside reality itself. But... Since it's still a beta testing, there are a lot of glitches that occur from time to time. I'm very worried if Ascrid could handle all of it at once. I know that he's doubting what he's currently seeing right now, but he's constantly fooled by the A.I.s surrounding him" Variant stated.

"Wait... How come that you know all of this? Does it mean that the other A.I.s inside that simulation knows it as well?" Aldrich asked him once again.

"Full of curiosity... I guess that note was accurate. Just like I said earlier, --I am different from them--. No one inside that simulation knows that they're all computer generated. It's like the real world, but inside a computer. Though it sounds nice... It's pure tragedy. Having a world that can be controlled by others is as bad as you think. Imagine living peacefully, but then a random person from the real world decides to start a war in your location just for fun." Variant answered Aldrich with a serious tone.

Aldrich was about to ask another question, but Variant stopped him, "I know, I know... I haven't answered your first question. Okay here, a system error occured when I was created. What I remember from that time was I was in the embrace of Ascrid's mother. She was trying to protect me from that error, but in the end... It devoured both of us and it corrupted our main codes. The error allowed me to slowly retract all the memories that happened during our creation. I don't know if Ascrid's mother remembers it as well... Though, for me I prefer that she won't be able to know the truth about the simulation, since she's gonna be Ascrid's foundation inside there."

"That explains it... Kay', that wraps it up. If all of what you're saying is true, then that means he could be in trouble right now?!" Aldrich said in distress.

Variant nonchalantly laughed and held Aldrich's right hand. He gave off a soothing aura and stated, "I know that there's a reason why you're worried about him. Although we weren't programmed to know the events that occurred years ago, and only the once that happened a few months before Ascrid was implemented are added to us... I know that there's a strong reason why you're worried about him. Would you mind telling me about it?"

Aldrich couldn't say no to Variant's question. He sighed and shared the event that happened a few years ago, "Kay', when I was eight years old, my parents decided to live in my mother's hometown. I know it's sad to leave the things you slowly started, but it's your parents choice. When I arrived here, I saw Ascrid---."

"I badly want to hear that story, but it's almost morning... I'll hear it once again if I'm still gonna be alive." Variant carelessly said.

"Still gonna be alive? What are you talking about?" Aldrich asked him with a curious and worried look in his face.

Variant turned around and said, "The antagonist is already starting to move, and it seems like I'm gonna be its first victim."

"... Don't worry, I'll find that antagonist and bring him to his own demise..." Aldrich said in a brave tone.

Variant laughed and slowly walked away. He looked at Aldrich once again and requested, "Why don't you just spoil the story for me?"

Aldrich's tear fell down his eyes and he suddenly laughed, "Spoilers? Huh... I didn't expect that a copy of myself is going to ask that. Here, he's an important person in my life. I can't forgive my self if something bad happens to him..."

Variant gave off a smile, and the area started to slowly disintegrate. He waved his hand to Aldrich saying his last farewell.

It's his first and will be his last meeting with his old self. He know that something behind the curtain had risen from it's slumber.

A creature much more dangerous than anyone could think. A human in physical form, but a demon in heart. Ready to wreak havoc upon those who are ignorant.

Devouring the weak, and controlling those who are strong. An opponent humanity has to face, A.I.

The awakening of Artificial intelligence is not the threat itself, but instead the ones controlling them are the main ones humanity has to conquer.

Variant's mood changed as he stepped out of the device he created while calculating all the possibilities that could occur after meeting his true self. He's ready to face death, but inside his mind,

"Haha, make sure you'll find the antagonist for me. Sigh, now I'm more afraid for you to --Leave me--..."