A few minutes passed, with Hyde in his seat and the books floating beside him, observing the unconscious shadowy figure on the floor. A humanoid Gestalt, just like me, proving that there was a remnant of human consciousness in its body.
I wonder, from the words she spoke, the names of people, and the events of the past, are these her memories, of the various individuals that compose her body, or just an illusion caused by her unstable creation?
It seemed we would receive the answers soon, for the being on the floor began to move. Slight tremors ran through her body, then her head rose, a painful groan escaping her lips as she stood up, or at least tried to.
Assuming a physical form proved difficult, alternating between solid, liquid, and gaseous. Confused noises escaped her mouth as she struggled to rise, stumbling mid-way, each step leaving a wet sound as it touched the ground.
Her body was feminine and slender, as slender as a Gestalt could be without altering its form, with a dark mass of fine strands serving as hair, long enough to almost touch the ground, with bangs hiding her eyes.
She had no nose, but her mouth, with its golden, shining lips, revealed rows of teeth that would honestly belong in the mouth of a predatory animal. Aside from her hands and feet ending in long, sharp fingers, and her other peculiar features, she possessed the shimmering yellow lines running down her form, just like me before my appearance changed.
She looked around, scratching her head in confusion, until finally noticing us, becoming paralyzed like a statue. I expected many things—fear, confusion, anger—but instead, a smile that threatened to split her head open appeared on her face, and she walked towards us with outstretched arms.
I glanced at Hyde, clearly uncomfortable in his seat, and sighed, approaching the Gestalt, ready to shatter her delusions.
I stretched my leg, landing on the arena below, the rest of my body following, as well as the young boy and the floating books. Our old enemy perked up at this, quickening her pace, almost falling and losing her balance mid-way.
"Miss, wait a moment."
However, she ignored my words and continued walking.
I sighed, stretching out my arm, pushing her face with the palm of my hand until she was a few meters away.
"DAMN IT!"
Pain coursed through my body and I pulled my arm back as her sharp teeth closed around my hand, which was now missing half of my index and middle fingers, gushing dark blood.
I regenerated the severed parts, watching as she chewed the rest. I half-closed my eyes, feeling a pang of irritation burning in my chest. It was far from the worst I'd suffered, but the disrespect hurt more than the damage itself.
Hyde and the books were ready with weapons and energy attacks, and I, prepared to draw my axe against the strange being in front of us. The young man passed by me, observing the Gestalt in silence before speaking in a soft tone.
"Can you understand me?"
She didn't answer immediately, seeming surprised by the words, probably because she was able to understand them, and with effort, she returned with hers, a trembling and difficult-to-understand sound.
"Y-yes, I can."
We all exchanged a look, dumbfounded by the fact that we had found another one of mine that could communicate. In that brief instant, she stretched her arms toward Hyde, moving like a pair of snakes, but Blank created a barrier in her path, preventing her from continuing.
"Listen, you're confusing me with someone else. I don't know who Erik is, but it's definitely not me."
The smile that Gestalt had wavered for a moment, her arms returned, and she approached, pressing her face against the barrier, staring at the one who spoke to her.
"My name is Hyde, and these are Jekyll, Zon, and Blank. Forgive us for hurting you; we didn't know what you were, and when you started chasing me, well… things got out of control. Erik must have been a special person to you; I don't doubt you loved each other, but he's not here."
There was no reply, only tense silence, broken seconds later by a sob, and then another. I had never seen a Gestalt genuinely cry; there were no tears, but the screams that escaped her mouth revealed intense pain and suffering.
-XXXXXX-
We gave her the time she needed to calm down, the crying subsiding until it became a mixture of moans and sobs. The scene was heartbreaking, and although they didn't comment, it was obvious the books felt worse, as they were the ones who suggested killing the Gestalt before her transformation was complete. Now they both kept their distance and remained silent in the stands.
"She can't live with us, Hyde. It's hard enough hiding us all in one house."
"I know, but… But I don't like the idea of leaving her alone in the Junk Heap with a bunch of robots. It doesn't seem right."
"I agree, but P-33 won't attack her if we explain the situation, and the factory will protect her from sunlight and any Replicant who wants to kill her. We don't know if she has combat experience and she can barely maintain physical form, so this will have to do, for lack of a better option."
Hyde nodded, tearing a large piece of the theater's red curtains before approaching the figure sitting on the floor, weeping into her hands.
"Here, this should protect you from the sun."
She raised her head and looked at him as the fabric touched her body, nodding and wrapping it around her like a cloak.
"Jekyll can explain the situation better than I, but the world you knew has changed. Much time has passed, and now there are people who will attack you at the first opportunity, and the sun is also a danger. If you wish, we can take you to a safe place, Miss…"
"Christine."
"Miss Christine. So, what do you say? Would you like to come with us?"
There was no immediate answer; she merely stared at the hand Hyde offered, and then extended her own, a slow movement as if the young man before her were about to disappear at any moment.
Now standing, they exchanged a smile, hers weak and trembling, his radiant. With that done, we left the underground theater, me returning to Hyde's body, while he guided Christine by the arm, the books floating nearby.
The Gestalt let out a hiss when the sunlight touched her, slightly burning her body, making her shrink even further into her cloak.
"Yes, Jekyll suffers from the same problem, but no one knows why the sun burns you all."
"This is annoying. Will I never be able to go out during the day again?"
"Hm… You could hide in the shadows, use an umbrella, or clothes that cover your whole body. But going out without protection is dangerous."
"Not only because of the sun, is it?"
Her tone was weak, already knowing the answer.
"Yes, people are afraid of beings like you. They think you are body-stealing monsters."
Her mouth became a thin line, and a murmur echoed through the area.
"You're not afraid of me."
"I was in the past, but Jekyll saved my life and helped me by explaining the situation, and now we're working together to solve some problems."
"It must be great to have someone you can count on."
The mood of the conversation shifted immediately, the air becoming heavy, and no one knew exactly how to respond, so we continued on our way as quickly as possible, avoiding people and heading towards the Junkyard.
-XXXXXX-
The literal red carpet was rolled out for us as soon as we stopped before the main entrance of the large factory, now free of piles of scrap metal surrounding it.
Through the windows, we glimpsed the outlines of the robots working on the upper floors, pillars of smoke rising in the distance, and the rumble of the machinery was like a muffled, almost inaudible noise.
The doors opened automatically as we approached, revealing a tidy reception area. Well, as tidy as it could be after so long. All the dirt and dust had been removed, but some structural damage and worn furniture were still there, being repaired by robots.
Most paid no attention as we passed, each focused on their own work, be it repairs, cleaning, organizing documents, or removing debris. It was a sea of metal and conveyor belts beeping and flashing colored lights.
Hyde and I watched in amazement at how quickly they worked. It hadn't been long since our last visit. For Christine, this must have looked like a science fiction movie.
She hadn't commented on the abandoned ruins on the way here, remaining quiet and dejected, but now her mouth dropped open in disbelief and her body spun in a way impossible for a normal human being as she tried to keep up with the robots' movements.
"T-this… T-this is…"
I couldn't help but laugh at her reaction, and Hyde did the same, holding back a giggle.
"Jekyll told me that you and he probably lived in the same era. You've never seen robots before?"
"I-I don't know? My memories are hazy. I know the basics of how the world works, or used to work, but this… This is amazing!"
It was good to see a smile on her face; it warmed my nonexistent heart during our search for P-33, with Christine asking all sorts of questions about the place along the way.
There was only one incident when she decided to poke one of the cleaning robots and received a jet of water in the face as a response. Strange how that happened more than once now.
Anyway, we eventually found P-33, just following the miniature rumbles and tremors. The giant robot was about to pass through a pair of doors made to its size before stopping when Hyde called its name.
"P-33, over here!"
His metallic head swung toward the noise, the light in his eyes flickering for a second before he turned to us as we approached.
"Greetings, your return is earlier than I had expected. The factory is still unable to operate at full capacity. What is the reason for your return?"
Hyde looked away, scratching his head before asking Christine to come closer, now shifting uncomfortably at the robot's cold gaze.
"Well… We found a friend, and we were wondering if you could let her live here."
Several clicks and beeps escaped the robot as its eyes flashed various colors. This lasted only a few seconds before the answer came.
"I suppose this is because discretion is necessary for the fulfillment of your objectives, and a new element could prove detrimental to the mission."
We cringed at the machine's cold, but far from incorrect, reply.
"I wouldn't put it that way, but she can't come with us. It's too dangerous, and yes, we'd end up drawing more attention than we already have."
"I promise I won't cause any trouble, I just need a place to stay… And to understand what happened to everything around me."
Christine stepped forward, her movements cautious and worried in the face of the robot's menacing presence, raising her head and staring at the machine's expressionless and inexistent face.
"Without a human component, I'm unable to understand your words."
Right, we'd forgotten about that. So Hyde translated Christine's words for the robot, which didn't take long to respond.
"Affirmative, I'll send some units to prepare your residence."
As soon as the words left the machine, a group of robots advanced down the corridor, pulling carts full of materials and tools before disappearing around a corner.
"Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to supervise the repairs on the other P units."
P-33 returned to what he was doing before we arrived, stomping his way into a huge room. On the other side, there was a series of walkways and mechanical arms and smaller robots repairing machines like the one we had just talked with.
And just like at the end of the fight against Mercury, P-33 ignored us once what we asked of him was completed.
"Hey, don't worry, he's always like that."
Hyde offered a nervous laugh followed by a smile, something Christine returned in kind, though with less energy. After this brief interaction, we searched for a place where we could talk in peace, finding a small rest room and blocking out the sunlight with what remained of the curtains.
The Gestalt sat in a chair, with Hyde doing the same in front of her while the books floated beside him. Then I left my friend's body, making my final mental considerations before beginning the explanation I had been preparing all this time.
"Miss Christine, I believe you have many questions, and I am willing to answer them, but first of all, I need to explain what happened in the distant past, the current state of the world, and what will happen in the future."
She nodded, asking me to continue, so I recounted everything I could remember, omitting some sensitive parts, and words could not describe her reaction as more was revealed.
-XXXXXX-
The room was completely silent, with our group watching Christine break down in tears again. Imagine waking up and discovering that the world you knew no longer exists and that everyone you loved is probably dead. As if that weren't enough, you'll become a monster if you don't merge with a human, and the project that would save you was never completed.
I placed a hand on her shoulder, trying to comfort her, but had to pull back when she tried to absorb me. Right, I have to teach her to control her powers at some point.
"Y-you… HIC! Could you give me some time alone?"
I exchanged a glance with Hyde and the books. Leaving her alone in this state was a terrible idea, but we couldn't force her to feel better, so we respected her wish.
"Just speak if you need anything."
"T-thank you."
We left the room, closing the door behind us, remaining in the hallway in case Christine decided to do something drastic.
"Jekyll?"
"Yes?"
"Do you think there are more like her and you?"
"Probably, but stable Gestalts are rare these days."
"How about we look for them and bring them here? It would be better than leaving them to their own devices, and no one will have to be alone."
"Hm… That's not a bad idea, and it would be easier to finish the project if everyone is in the same place."
The smile the young man gave me was radiant, and I couldn't help but ruffle his hair, making him grumble while I laughed, but inside, I couldn't help but wonder:
How many like me are there in the world?
END OF CHAPTER