Detecting Idols

Felix woke in his room to the sound of scratching on his door. It was the little artifex, asking to be let out. He wore custom armor over his arm, torso and leg. It was like a cast but mostly made of a thick hardy tan fabric.

Felix sat up and grabbed his crutches. He hobbled to the door and put his hand over it, opening it. The artifex limped out and he followed. Felix looked over the balcony. It seemed peaceful, at first. Down below gwenens hanging out in the common area were relaxing, but Felix knew better. They were not relaxed. There was no sound of laughter, the rush of play or even a single satisfying sitting position. It seemed confusing at first, but then Felix heard a sob echo through the chamber. Mourning.

"Greetings Felix," Una said next to him. Felix jumped. He hadn't seen her.

"Hi Una. Er, what's going on?" Felix asked her.

"I'm unsure, as I have just woken up. I suggest asking the gwenens below," Una pointed to them without looking in a slow stiff manner.

"Alright..." Felix said. He began heading for the stairs and then the bottom floor. Una and followed after him, and the artifex leapt on his shoulder.

At the bottom Felix walked past silent kids. They stepped back when they saw Una and the artifex, making way for Felix in fear.

"Are you not going to ask them Felix?" Una whispered.

"Uh..Mmn," He mumbled, unsure. He wasn't really close to anyone here. Felix stepped into a clearing in the crowd. There he saw it. A corpse up against the wall, a giant hole where its torso used to be. It had been cleaned out, and its intestines were on the floor nearby, scattered.

Felix put his hand over his mouth and looked away. Luckily he didn't know this person, but the sight was so unnatural. A gwenen body, what he once thought of as whole and strong, had been taken apart into pieces just a few feet away. Could he also be so easily broken? And by what? By who? This was definitely more than murder.

"It's a sad sight," The eight inch cowboy said. He was standing next to Felix with his hands on his hips.

"Do you know what happened?" Felix asked?

"No, but I reckon it's enough to make even a robot cry," He looked to Una.

"Sob, sob," Una said, "My tears are for this gwenen, who has died from unknown causes."

"Get ready to cry some more because there are six more corpses just like this one around the ADC. Something terrible has become of them. If I were to say anything on the matter, which I will, I'll say that I am absolutely terrified, and wish to stay in my room, or close to it, until I feel safe yet again. I am only eight inches tall. Whatever it is will find me easy pickins," the eight inch cowboy said.

"Are you proposing an animal did this?" Una asked.

"Not tryin' to be rude but, what else would it be?" the eight inch cowboy held up his hands in a shrug.

Una looked to Felix. He knew what it meant even if it was a blank stare.

"Let's... get out of here Una," Felix said. He began to exit the apartment chamber. Una followed.

"Can I come?" the cowboy whimpered. He was a little on the young side, maybe even nine to eleven.

"Mnn," Felix looked to Una for a tell, but her face always stayed the same, "Sure."

"Yaya!" He gave a thumbs up and followed. On their way out, they bumped into Tito. No fangs, no barbed tail, no huge claws, just ordinary Tito.

"Hi Tito," Felix waved. Tito grunted at him, his eyes dashed to his gun and then back to his face.

"Greetings Tito," Una stopped to greet him. The rest of the party stopped as well.

"Hey... Una," He looked matted and wet, but he was dry. All his energy seemed to have been sucked out of him. It made him look older than he really was.

"Are you aware of what has happened here?" She asked him.

"Yes I know... th.. the murders." Tito held his face briefly.

"You were not feeling well the other day. Hopefully you have recovered. If so, then congratulations on your recovery," Una asked.

"What are you suggesting?? Look I don't have time for this. Go do something stupid with Felix or whatever.." He walked off.

"Let's just go.." Felix said. Behind him the eight inch cowboy was making faces at the artifex on his back.

***

At Brimstone's Coffee it was very mellow, quiet, and dim. Atmospheric rain sounds played, although Felix never recognized it as such. The coffee and tea were all served by automated systems in the wall, and didn't let a gwenen buy two caffeinated drinks in one hour. Felix sat in a blue booth against the wall next to the artifex. He was across from Una, who the eight inch cowboy sat next to.

"What's your name again cowboy?" Felix asked him.

"Kid!" the eight inch cowboy stuck his tongue out.

"Nice to meet you properly Kid," Una said.

"Ha.. I actually don't know your guy's names.." Kid's smile vanished.

"Oh, well I'm Felix, and this is Una," Felix pointed to each of them.

"Who's that?" Kid pointed to the artifex.

"He's an artifex. I'm not sure if he has a name..." Felix looked at him.

The artifex nodded.

"Yes? You have a name?" Felix asked. The artifex nodded again. He hopped up on the table and pulled a napkin out from the wall. He used a pen to scribble it out.

'NICK'

"Nick!? Nick!" Felix smiled.

"Wah!" Nick crowed like the raven's wings he wore.

"Nice to meet you properly Nick," Una said the exact same way.

"Hi Nick!" Kid waved. Nick waved back.

"Felix, since we have all introduced ourselves, I suggest we get to the discussion. I also vote to let Kid stay ignorant while we figure out a proper way to tell the public. In the wrong hands this news could have terrible effects on culture and possibly result in more deaths," Una said.

"Oh yeah, right.. Uh hey Kid? Una and I were going to talk alone for a moment. We're not leaving the Cafe, just so you know," Felix explained.

"Sounds good," Kid said.

Felix and Una stood up and walked to an empty corner, well Felix swung.

"Felix, I believe there is a monster hiding in the masses. The creatures that you describe in your adventures are most likely responsible. Error discussed the endless possibilities and even trickery that can occur. I suggest we investigate before the world is consumed by chaos," Una said.

"Oh gosh, you're right..." Felix said. He was planning on telling people about the monsters but now he was responsible and couldn't wait or rest. This needed to be done now. The fun was over, "But what do we do? Should we tell the adults?"

"The adult's will not take action without proper evidence. The process to prove this could take up to two weeks," Una said.

"How do you know that?" Felix raised a curious brow.

"I am connected to the internet and have access to all of gwenen knowledge," Una answered.

"Huh.. Why does it take so long to prove something should be looked at in the ADC?"

"The adults value accuracy and tradition above anything else in the ADC court cases. Unfortunately, this causes certain actions to take longer than a court without such strict decision making. It benefits innocent gwenens when a plea made against them was false to begin with, but the time it takes to decide on an action allows for more problems to arrive when action should have been taken," Una said.

"Why don't they just choose to take action when it's necessary?" Felix asked.

"Figuring out when it is necessary is difficult for adults with cyborg implants. If they take action and were mistaken they waste time and resources. This causes them to be unproductive and risk social alienation. ADC cases are especially hard to get resolved, as children are unfamiliar with the protocols built to make processes like these swift," Una said.

"I'm guessing that means we're on our own," Felix sighed.

"Not quite. We should stay focused on our investigation, but at the same time we should gather evidence to show to the adults as well. We will be discovering what we need to know in order to stay safe, and take action on our own. At the same time we will pitch our argument and gather knowledge of the monsters to the adults. If the argument is accepted and we receive backup, then we will become much safer than how we are now. If the argument is rejected then we can simply rely on our own protection just as before. It may not be entirely sound but either way we are going to prepare for invasion," Una explained.

"That's sound," Felix nodded, "Are you sure you won't feel bad if they reject us like the adults do? You won't feel like we're using resources badly?"

"I am not a lawyer nor a detective Felix. My only purpose is to be your friend. My only resource is time, and any time I spend with you, or spend doing something for you, strengthens our bond. That way time is not wasted," Una wagged a finger.

"Una, no, that's not your purpose. I'm.. not your purpose. You're forgetting yourself..." Felix grimaced and emoted with his arms.

"My objectives are more important than myself Felix. If I do not get them done then I would have failed the gwenen race. I must get my objectives done if I am to be seen as valuable," Una said.

"No you don't! You're already valuable, you don't need to.. need to prove it to me! I wouldn't care if you were a spine man on a fallen pillar, you'd be valuable just because you were alive and beautiful and unique!" Felix put his arms out to her.

"I do not understand.." Una said, "Confused.."

Felix sighed. Just when he thought he had unlocked her, a new barrier arose. It was hard to see her clearly when so much of her identity had become about him. Only a day ago she had an objective to continue playing in sport, but now she was saying that her only purpose was to do what made her a better friend. It was an endearing task, but Felix knew he would rather have a friend than a slave.

"We'll talk about this later. We gotta start trying to figure this out before we're caught helpless. At the same time I want you to think for yourself. You are just as important as I am, and as everybody else," Felix said.

"Ok," Una said, "What would you like us to start with?"

"The corpses," Felix said.

***

Up on the sixth floor Una took a picture of Nate's corpse with a printable camera. The image printed out. She pulled it from the camera. Behind her Kid and Nick were playing sticks with their fingers while sitting on the floor. Gwenens passing by looked away and walked faster as they got closer to the horrible sight, but the corpse wasn't the only thing they were afraid of.

Felix held his chin while leaning most of his body on his crutches.

"...There are definitely some bites on the sides," Felix gulped. He pointed to a puncture near the exposed ribcage, and then looked away, "This is seriously sickening.. I'm sorry.."

"This corpse used to be Nate," Una said. She didn't look away. Felix looked back briefly at the figure's face. Its eyes were open and dry, along with its mouth in an eternal gasp.

"It is Nate..." Felix said. His heart sunk. Something like this shouldn't happen to anyone, but now knowing it was someone he had briefly seen alive, he could almost imagine how Nate would have reacted to such a horror.

Tito jogged past behind them.

"Greetings Tito," Una waved.

"Hi..." Felix waved.

"Oh hey..." Tito jogged to a stop. He panted, looked to Nick, and took a step away from him, "What are you two doing?..."

"Felix and I are investigating the murders for the safety of the ADC," Una said.

"Ok.." He panted, "Not sure what you're going to get out of that corpse though. He's dead. What else is there to know?" Tito asked. He tried not to look at it for too long.

Una looked to Felix. Felix's brows went up when he realized what she meant.

"Oh! Well there are bite marks on the ribs, and on the sides of the.. the.. the empty part.." Felix shook his head to try and shoo the disgust away.

"Are you sure your little bird thing didn't do it? It has teeth doesn't it?" Tito said.

Nick opened his mouth showing his teeth. They were ordinary and human, without any huge fangs. He licked the lop row. Kid followed suit and did the same, although his teeth were more like a cat's.

"Nick's teeth do not match the mark making on the corpse," Una took a step toward Tito and showed him the developed photo.

"Yeah, and Nick was stuck in my room all night. He never left my side. He couldn't of been there," Felix said.

"...You named it Nick?" Tito folded his arms and snickered.

"No, he named himself Nick..? Or?" Felix looked to Nick. Nick held up his pointer finger, "The first one. He named himself that."

"Did he just signal to you?" Tito's brows went up.

"Yeah! He's really intelligent, just like us. It's really fascinating. He can even signal to others in their flock using magical instruments!" Felix was just getting started.

Nick held his necklace up and it turned into a real accordion before Tito's eyes. Tito jumped back. Strange things, odd creatures. It only reminded him of that night.

"Flock huh? So there's more of them?" Tito turned from surprise to anger, "Where are they?" He hissed.

"Uh um they're around? I don't know?" Felix froze up but still managed to shrug.

"...I bet you do know," He started soft, "and bet you know about the murders too. What do you know? I'm not saying you're responsible, but if I don't hear anything more out of you might as well be.. So give it up."

"Tito be calm," Una stepped forward, "We have information that you and the rest of the public eye do not know, but it is for your own safety that it be kept confidential."

"Well I don't feel very safe right now! Beasts like Nick and yourself threaten society," Tito said.

Gwenens passing by stopped to watch Tito in the scene he was making.

"How are we threatening society Tito?" Una asked.

"The ADC is for kids! Gwenen kids without any cybernetics! You guys just show up like.. like this! And now there are dead kids murdered like no one's ever seen! And you're telling me that you know something that I'm not allowed to? That sounds awfully suspicious now doesn't it?! I deserve to know why the ADC's falling apart!! I deserve to know!" Tito said, sharp.

"Tito calm down..." Felix said.

"Felix there is absolutely no reason to be calm right now," Tito said, folding his arms tight, "I need to understand what's happening to the ADC."

"I uh...ohh.." Felix looked to Una and then back to Tito, "I can't tell you.. Not yet. We have to figure this out first. I'm sorry.." Felix said.

"...Yeah.. great!.. I guess.. I guess I just will have to assume that you're guilty," Tito, sighed. His anger diminished to despair, "The news would fit right in with your freak show here anyway. You hide it right? With your collar. Hide in plain sight so that nobody would suspect a thing. I bet you don't even know who you are without it..." Tito looked to the few watching behind him, noticing them for the first time. He walked off, and the crowd dispersed with him. Kid and Nick watched from afar.

Felix held his collar, and his ear's drooped.

"Do not let Tito's hurtful words push you to act rash Felix. We still have an important job to do," Una said.

"I..I know. Did you tell him? about my collar?" Felix asked, still holding onto it.

"In the past I have talked about you to other people, yes," Una said. Felix sighed.

"That's alright..." He said.

"Are you upset with me for talking about you without your knowledge?" Una asked.

"No, that makes sense. I talk to Error about you too. It's just what Tito said makes me... uncomfortable. What if he's right and I didn't know? What if I..." Felix silently gasped remembering what Error had said about cannibal devil wolves. How once monsters got a hold of him he might not have a choice.

"I do not believe we have enough evidence to convict you of cannibalism Felix," Una said, "You are almost completely white. If you had eaten gwenens last night then you would be slightly pink from blood stains."

"That's a good argument, but us white furred gwenens have ways of getting stains out. There also might be monster magic involved. Terrible transformations can occur. I might not have even had white fur during the murders if I transformed," Felix said.

"If you transformed then your cast would not fit you anymore," Una pointed to it, "It would also surely be stained, but there is no new paint to cover up any blood."

"I guess that might make sense, but we're still dealing with monsters here. What if I turned into a poisonous smoke that, if inhaled, explodes and disintegrates people's stomachs," Felix pretended his hands were an explosion, "And then when I got back to my room I turned back into myself in the same position I left, fitting back into my cast perfectly." He pointed to his cast.

"Then we would have to see for ourselves if you are a smoke monster," Una said.

"Oh nooo..." Felix groaned, "Are you saying we should do an experiment?"

"It is the only way to squash your doubts," Una said.

"Is it about my collar?" Felix grimaced.

"Your collar has not changed Felix, but the environment has. We will have to experiment on both you and your collar.

If your collar's purpose has to do with these murders why would the murders only occur now? I am not convinced you are to blame for this, but if you are comfortable, I would also like to convince you as well."

"Sure, but we can't just take it off," Felix shrugged, "It doesn't really do that. It can't even twist all the way around," Felix twisted it a little until it tugged at the skin on his neck, "Ow." He let go of it.

"We do not have to take the collar off, but you can stop taking the medication it needs to maintain itself.

Hypothetically, without the medication, it may not be able to function. Eventually it will get to a point in which all of its functions will shut down, mimicking the effect of having it off. You can begin to take your medication again whenever you want. Supposedly taking your medication again will restart the system till it functions properly. This is assuming the collar will not be damaged when it is deprived of your medication," Una said.

"Mmmnn, I don't like this idea. It'd be better if you just watched me to make sure I don't transform or something. My collar might not have anything to do with this. I could die for nothing," Felix sighed.

"Did your father say you would die if you took off your collar?" Una asked.

"No, he didn't say I would die. He just said something really bad would happen," Felix looked up and away while kicking with his good leg.

"From that I can assume he knows what would happen to you. It may be 'bad' but whatever the outcome will be, it must not be as bad as death," Una said.

"Maybe it's the kind of 'bad' where I wish I was dead," Felix's ears drooped.

"Now, now, Felix," Una wagged a finger at him in a stiff predictable movement, "Do not be a downer. I will watch you all along the experiment."

"Heh.." Felix smiled. He could see the old Una doing something similar. Her face would light up to laugh at his ridiculous negatives until he smiled back to positives, "I'll think about it ok? I just don't know if the risk is going to be worth it. I need time to weigh the pros and cons."

"Would you like me to weigh them for you?" Una prompted.

"No.. I need to.. need to think about it on my own," Felix sighed.

"Okay," Una said.

A pause.

"...So are you a smoke monster or nah?" Kid asked. He peeked under his hat, making eye contact.

"We'll have to see," Felix said.

"What should we do now?" Una asked, "We have found nothing telling about any of these corpses besides teeth marks. I am unable to make a proper conclusion with the evidence we have."

"Yeah that's true.." Felix grumbled, "I'll have to go ask Error for hints then. He knows more than I do about this stuff."

"Are you going to visit him now?" Una asked.

"No actually. I will ask him but I need some time to relax," Felix said.

"Are you tired?"

"Yes..." Felix rubbed his face.

***

At the paint studio Felix sat across from Una, Nick and Kid. He sketched a devil wolf standing at the edge of a crumbling pillar.

"Urg.." He grunted. This was just the first draft but he couldn't exactly get the legs right. Indentations from his past attempts were inerasable, "How's it going over there?"

"Adequate," Una said. Felix followed her brushstrokes with his eyes. They went up and down like the arm of a printer. She picked up the painting and showed Felix. It was an incredibly vivid image of Felix looking down at his sketch in puzzlement. Even the gwenens in the background were exactly as they were in reality.

"Una.. That's stunning," Felix stared at it in awe.

"Pride, diminishing pride. This feat has nothing to do with talent Felix," Una said. She put the painting back on the table.

"It's still cool," Felix grinned, "I wish I could print pictures with my hands... but I do also like my art style..."

"Are you feeling relaxed now?" Una asked.

"I am, well mostly. I just have to ignore all the.. you know," Felix pointed to his head and flailed his hand around.

Nick held up his colored pencil artwork for Felix Una and Kid. It was a flat, dense, detailed series of doodles fading from purple to yellow in color. Felix's eyes explored it. It depicted all sorts of creatures he'd never seen, scenes from oddly dark places he'd never been, and Error, standing on his hind legs, roaring with another similar looking creature.

The other creature had a shorter snout, blue circular eyes, joints, wings, and blue just about anywhere Error was red. Felix assumed this was another frogen, but Error had told him that frogens had fur and skin. Perhaps they were related, or maybe Nick had made a make believe character.

Kid held up his scribble. It was the tiny version himself and Nick playing in the halls of the ADC.

"Woa!" Nick crowed. He put a hand to his mouth and blushed.

"It's difficult to draw when pencils are the size of walking sticks, but I made it work," Kid put his hands on his hips.

A group of gwenens dashed into the paint studio. The whole lot of them were looking out into the main hall staying close to the open entrance. Their ears faced the main hall in focused fear.

Kid hopped out of his chair and walked up to the group.

"What seems to be the matter now? Is there a critter?" Kid asked them.

"Yes! There are creatures here!" A young girl turned to him and said. She then turned back to face the main hall along with the rest of the crowd.

Felix overheard. He stood up, put his crutches under his arms and swung over to the doorway. Nick followed closely behind. Felix pushed through the crowd. His hand hovered over his holster.

Following everyone's eyes he saw most of them were looking upward. To his left he caught movement. On a high ceiling pipe another artifex was balancing on her fours. Felix sighed into a smile. This was the opposite of bad news.

From behind him an accordion melody bellowed out. All the gwenens turned around and ran into one another to get out of the paint studio. They ran to the main halls, but coming right at them were dozens of artifexes collecting together in a great flying mass. Both groups piled right back into the paint studio. The gwenens hid under the large flat paint tables while the artifexes tackled Nick and patted his head by the entrance.

Felix stood in the middle of all of them. He had to say something.

"Guys! Guys!" He looked to the gwenens, "These are the artifexes. They aren't dangerous. You don't have to be afraid of them," Felix swung over to them and peeked under the tables. Kid was one of the fearful, "You too Kid? But I thought you liked Nick."

"Mm.. I like Nick, but all of them varmints at once are kinda scary.. I mean, hey, we don't know if any of em transformed and ate all those kids last night," Kid said.

The gwenens' eyes widened in fright. Now the idea was in their heads. A little girl sobbed.

"No, no, that's not how artifexes work...They're good guys," Scanning the group Felix saw that most of them were very young, although the eldest there was Sam next to Tito, "Sam! Get out of there. You're afraid too? You're a knight!"

"Felix, those things are beasts with wings and yesterday kids were eaten. Nothing's changed in the world but them. I don't trust it," Sam said.

"How do you know about them anyway?" Tito hissed.

"I'm friends with one duh," Felix said. Tito was trying to get him to overspeak again, but Felix caught on this time. Felix stood up again and looked back to the artifexes. They were all cooing and patting Nick. Nick himself had a grin that lit up the room.

Felix swung over to the flock.

"Are these our friends from before?" Felix asked in a soft, quiet voice.

Nick nodded.

"They are friendly right?" Felix asked even softer.

Nick shrugged but at the same time he smiled and nodded. It was almost like saying 'yeah basically'. It lacked a little confidence, but maybe that was only because he couldn't be certain of everything.

"Do you still want to play with Kid?" Felix asked. Nick looked out under the table where Kid was. He tilted his head, perplexed. The artifex went on his fours and limped to the table. The gwenens all dispersed, backing out, but Kid stayed.

"Oh uh.. I'm mighty sorry for being afraid old friend. Are you mad?.. sorry," Kid looked away.

Nick rolled his eyes and put out a hand.

"Oh?" Kid took it. Nick pulled Kid out from under the table and led him to the other artifexes. They all squawked and chirped at him. Some of them even leaned on him like jumping dogs.

"Oh.. hello," Kid said. He waved a meek hand.

Nick tapped his necklace and it grew into an accordion. The other artifexes backed up and did the same with their own instruments.

Nick started slow with a melody as hard as nails that could sway like a sand storm.

Violins joined him filling the room even more with musical sorrow, but then the melody rose. It lifted sweetly like a quest. Sounding like good luck despite turmoil. Victory clawing its way out of death, then back again into trouble.

Felix felt his heart follow the music. Not only was there one musician, but several, and more were joining in. A piano was duetting with Nick's accordion, and a cello was strengthening the bass line.

Felix looked behind him. The gwenens were slowly peeking their way out from the table, except Tito, who was still the furthest away.

Sam inched further out. Tito grabbed her arm.

"Don't," He hissed.

By the time the song had ended most of the gwenens were standing around the table as opposed to under them.

Tito held Sam's arm close.

The room was empty of music as if it finally exhaled.

"Woah.." a young boy gasped.

"Don't be foolish!" Tito snapped in the silence, "They're just luring you in with... sounds! Felix and Una know something about them that they aren't telling us!"

"That statement is false," Una lied. She had been sitting in her seat motionless for the entire exchange. Nobody had hid under her table.

"Are you hiding something Felix?" Sam asked Felix. Felix looked to Una.

"...Uh, not anything really important," Felix peeped.

"Lies! They know something about the murders! Something they won't tell!" Tito roared. The crowd looked to Felix.

"Ok! I don't know anything about the murders, but from what it looks like it's not the artifexes. Their teeth don't... their teeth don't match the bite marks on the corpses," Felix said.

"What about if they transformed and did it in another form??" A little girl asked.

"Oh uh... well that doesn't mean it was them either! It just means it could've been anybody!" Felix gasped. He was so focused thinking he might've been a monster, that somehow he never considered if somebody else was. He looked away, "The hole in Law Lake... It could be anybody.." He thought out loud.

Sam heard this. Tito tried not to react but his ears flopped down against his head.

Sam spoke up.

"Could be anyone? What does that mean?" She asked.

".. Anyone can have two forms.." Felix explained, "Anyone could be a trick..! Anyone could be the murderer."

"Even you?" A little girl asked Felix.

"..Well we don't know that," Felix said.

The gwenens began to talk amongst one another.

Sam looked to Tito.

"You were attacked at Law Lake. What does that mean? Were you attacked by them?" She asked, quiet enough to keep it private.

"...Yes, I was attacked by them," Tito mumbled.

"Do you remember what they looked like?" Sam asked, "Maybe we can expose them."

"No.. I don't remember.." Tito looked away.

Sam grabbed his hand.

"We'll find the murderer. They won't get you ok?" Sam said.

"Thank you Sam," Tito tried to smile, but his ears were still flat back.

***

Dear Felix,

Candle Tower is sitting on a planet! The planet's name is Talonlands, but we only live on the tower part of it. The planet part is floating in space in an elliptical orbit around the sun. The sun is a star which is a giant ball of nuclear reactions out in space that are so plentiful gwenens have yet to count or find them all. The sun has an attractive force known as gravity that keeps us floating around it, but do not worry about us falling in. Due to inertia, we will forever be stuck spinning around the sun. The only reason we would fall into the sun is if its gravitational pull increases, or our orbit is interrupted, but these are very unlikely and have not happened in the past billion years.

There are other planets orbiting the sun, as well as other stars. These planets have a chance at having life on them like Talonlands, but if one exists we have not discovered it yet.

Your collar helps you heal a condition you had since birth.

I am very well Felix. In the current time that I write this I have done very well to make progress in Handme Tech. A new shipment from our manufacturer arrived today and I was tasked with making sure all of the stock bots were running properly. They do not like being stopped but some of them needed joint repairs. I scheduled them for inspection but at the moment I gave them more oil.

I hope you are doing well my son. I am really excited to figure out how you have grown once you join me in the rest of the Gwenen Chambers. I also love your doodles. They remind me of myself when I was a child. Hold onto your remaining years in the ADC, they will help you when you feel down as an adult.

I love you,

- Digit

***

Felix put the letter down on his desk in his room. The day had ended without much conclusiveness. He was going to have to visit Error in the morning, which for the first time he was dreading.

Monsters. They were getting closer and only now were they starting to pressure him. The creatures out there, where he wanted to be, his home. It was being taken over and it was already feeling like a place that excluded him as rather than fascinate him. For once he felt obliged to stay inside and relax, as the Wilderness had become too stressful.

Felix looked back to his letter.

It felt so long ago when he had sent his questions, but a lot of time hadn't really passed. Most of the questions had already been answered by Error, or not answered at all. It was at least nice to hear from someone who seemed to still be living an ordinary life. Even though Digit's life always appeared boring and monotonous, Felix felt the pull of being there. It might be boring but at least he would know what to expect.

Everything in the world was uncertain to him now. His home, his people, his friend, himself...

To his right was a tiny door in the wall. A small light next to it was green meaning there was something there. Felix got up and hopped on one foot over to the door. He swung it open as he had many times before nightfall. Within was a pill bottle containing three little gummies. Felix took the bottle out and shut the door. He twisted off the cap and took a gummy out. they were teal and supposedly shaped like farming defense androids. He put it up to his mouth, but then stopped.

He hadn't properly looked over the pros and cons had he?

What if he died?

From what Error had said it was likely he would die whether or not he ate his medication. He was going to die one day, whether or not he was eaten by terrible monsters, by not taking his medicine, or he was going to crumble as an ancient machine in the Gwenen Chambers above.

Didn't he deserve to know before he died? Maybe never knowing wasn't something he wanted. What if he was a monster? A terrible creature from space who had come to rip apart the very fabric of life. It was unlikely wasn't it. Monsters were only here now.. or wait. They had been here before. Error wasn't an alien, he was a native pushed out of his home by the monsters a long time ago. Maybe he was what was left over from their presence... but at least if he knew, he could warn everyone right? That was his responsibility to know, and to tell.

He put the gummy down, and plopped it back into its bottle.