All Things End: Part 60

Chapter 60: Meeting The Memory

Courage was floating down....down....down....

He warily opened an eye and found only darkness all around him. Vertigo gripped his senses and he had to close his eye again. If this really was a dream, he felt surprisingly awake for it.

He then hit the ground, or at least what he thought was ground, with a thump. Whatever he was laying on felt weird, and bone chillingly cold too. He opened his eyes and found himself staring up into a microchip sky. He recognized this place. It had to be Computer's hard drive! He'd been forced to confront a virus that had taken Muriel here once before.

The floor beneath him was made out of a giant microchip too, which explained why it felt so strange to lay on. He was in some kind of hallway that seemed to stretch on forever. He didn't recognize this part of the hard drive, but most of it had looked the same no matter where he had originally gone anyway. If he was going to help Computer with his nightmares, he'd have to find him in here first.

At a loss, he stood up and began to walk. Something about this place felt different from the last time, but he couldn't put his finger on what. He glanced down at his feet and found that he was once again made out of zeros and ones, just like the last time he was here. Was this place really supposed to be a representation of Computer's mind? And just how the heck was he even supposed to find him in such a big place anyway? He hadn't even come across him the last time he was in here! For all he knew, everything around him was Computer!

Sighing, he continued onward. He should have known that this wasn't going to be easy....

The long microchip corridor still showed no signs of ending. What if it really did go on forever? Well, if this was Computer's mind, then it seemed to be pretty boring.

After walking for a few minutes longer, he stopped in his tracks. Something was hurting his ears. It was a dull hum, like the sound of electricity being pumped through a machine. It was getting louder with every second. He turned around, trying to figure out which way the sound was coming from, but it seemed to be everywhere. It even seemed to be coming from-

Halting that though, he looked up, and immediately wished that he hadn't...

Fighting back the urge to scream, he toppled backwards.

A big, black thing with spider-like claws was hovering over him. As the microchip corridor did not have a ceiling, it left him exposed to the sky above and anything in it, including whatever that monstrosity was. A single glowing, red eye was fixated on him. He had no idea how long that thing had been there, but its presence had not cast a shadow and it seemed to make no sound, except the continuous, throbbing hum of energy.  

He let lose a howl and ran away as fast as he could. The many clawed spider-thing followed him, floating above the two walls as silently as a ghost. He finally caught sight of a fork in the road and ran for it. Upon choosing a path, he moved down the new hallway for several minutes longer before finally reaching a clearing.

It was a simple squared area that broke off into many more microchip hallways in every direction, and he could have easily picked any path he wanted to take, but he knew that the clawed creature would have no problems following after him. The dull hum was starting to become unbearable. He gripped his ears, trying to block it out, but it didn't do him any good. It didn't take him long for him to find out why it was getting worse either. A whole host of those clawed machines were floating downward to join their brother. Several moved to block the exits and the rest surrounded him, circling like a group of vultures.

He took a step back, trembling in terror. He had no means to get away and those things looked like they were getting ready to attack. One stopped its endless circling and left the group, slowly closing in on him with its claws raised. Whimpering, he continued to back away. If he didn't think of something fast, he'd be...

There was a sound like metal being ripped apart and the machine's claws shot forward, pointing directly at him. He took a flying leap and just barely managed to escape the thin javelins before they could pierce him. The spider claws imbedded themselves into the microchip floor and Courage landed on stomach, just far enough away to be spared from the carnage.

As he was picking himself up off the floor, there was another grinding metallic sound and one of the claws freed itself from the floor. Bending in an impossible manner, it shot out at him faster than he could escape.

Screaming, he could do nothing as the claw struck his side, taking off his right arm and a good chunk of his torso with it. Ones and zeros exploded all around him, as though he were bleeding them instead of blood. His missing right half flopped to the floor and lost it's shape. He watched in horror as it too fell apart into a mess of ones and zeros.

The last time he'd been here, he had quite literally been 'beaten down' into bits of data by the virus's minions, but that had been different. He'd been able to 'pull himself together' again that time, but now he felt like his arm was really gone. He had nothing to 'pull back together'.  

The microchip floor began to disintegrate around the claws that were still embedded in the floor. It was not just falling apart, it was being sucked into that machine's claws. The data that had once been his arm floated over to the claws and vanished inside of them as well. Only a pitch black void remained where the microchip floor had once stood. It was a good thing that the claws hadn't taken all of it or else Courage wouldn't have had a place to stand. He certainly didn't want to find out what falling into a black void like that would be like.

Distracted by the strange events, he hadn't noticed that all glowing eyes were on him again. Those machines were no longer preoccupied with absorbing the floor and they were once again perfectly willing to absorb 'him' instead. They thankfully had broken formation after the first attack, and Courage decided to use the opening to make his escape. A terrible pain radiated from his missing half, but he knew that there was nothing he could do about it right now. The mechanical monsters were following after him, forming a horrific black wall, eerily lit by their glowing, red eyes.

“What do I do? What do I do?” He babbled. He had nowhere to go! Nowhere to hide! Even if he could hide, what was stopping those things from ripping up his hiding place anyway?

On his left, he found another break in the endless hallway. It sadly led to a dead end, but there was a small hole in the wall. It reminded him of the hole that a monstrous computer mouse had come out of the last time he'd been here. That thing had tried to eat him, and if he dared to get close to a hole again, maybe the same thing would happen again? He didn't exactly want to get chased down by an angry mouse monster along with those spider-things.

Hummmmmm....

...Well, he'd take the mouse over those claws any day!

It was a bit of a squeeze, but he managed to pull himself through the hole. The inside was surprisingly roomy, at least enough for him to stand up without bumping his head on the ceiling, and hopefully it would be enough of a hiding place to escape those horrific machines.

He peaked out of the hole and watched as the clawed monsters passed by. He'd been expecting them to turn and come after him, but they did not. He breathed a sigh of relief and moved away from the hole.

Whimpering, he assessed his damaged torso. It thankfully appeared that he would not bleed to death as pile of data shaped in the form of a dog. The gaping hole hurt quite a bit, but at least it wouldn't be life threatening in a place like this.

It was then, while he was settling down and trying to figure out what to do next, that he realized that there was something watching him. It was a dim, bluish-green light that pulsated like a continuous heartbeat. It was floating close to the ground, near the hole, but he got a sense that it was looking at him instead.

He jumped up onto his feet and slowly backed away, but the orb did not move. Actually, it didn't seem particularly interested in him at all. If it was dangerous, it didn't seem to be too much of an actual threat. At least it wasn't like those clawed machines....

“Hello?” He gently called out to it. He was surprised when the thing seemed to jump at the sound of his voice.            

“H-Hello?” It asked back. “W-who are y-you?”

There was no mistaking that voice. It was Computer, somehow. He sounded lethargic, incredibly tired, and every word he spoke was stammered out like he were on the verge of panicking.

“Y-you're not-” The orb of light went on. “No, you c-couldn't be.”

Courage blinked. “Don't you recognize me?” He asked. “I'm Courage, remember?”

“Courage?”

“You really don't know who I am, do you?”

“You c-can't be one of his....h-his...” The glowing orb stammered. “Ugh, I can't remember anymore. You're not one of those...those claws...”

“Look, I've been trying to find you.” Courage told the orb. “And I'm so happy that I finally did! I thought those spider things were going to get me first!”

“T-they attacked y-you too?” Computer asked, floating closer to his missing arm. “Yes, if I concentrate on it a bit, I can see where they...” He trailed off.

Courage took a step back. “What are you tryi-” He attempted to say before his friend interrupted him.

“I never thought that they'd attack someone like you. I figured that they'd ignore a foreign object. Speaking of which, what exactly is a foreign object doing in my system?”

“Foreign object?” He asked, blinking as the light drew in closer to his missing arm yet again.

Computer chuckled. “Or should I ask what a 'Courage' is doing in my system? That's what you said you were, right?”

“I'm not 'a' Courage. My name 'is' Courage.” He tried to amend. “You really have forgotten, haven't you?” He muttered.

“My memory just isn't what it used to be.” The orb sighed. “And I'm just....too tired to think right now. Far too tired.”

He really 'did' seem tired. The glowing orb that was Computer dimmed and began to hover closer to the ground.

“Do you remember anything at all?” Courage asked him. “Do you remember how we got here or why we're even here in the first place?”

“I don't even know who or what you are, aside from the fact that you're a foreign object. You make it sound like we know each other, and yet...” He trailed off again with a sigh.

Placing a paw to his chin, Courage tried to think. This was supposed to be the inside of Computer's head, right? Then maybe this was all just a memory? That would explain why his friend couldn't recognize him. The only question that remained was if this were the real Computer, who was without his memories, or if this Computer was just memory in and of itself. Either way, it was probably best to treat him like he were the real thing, especially when those clawed machines could do real damage, despite this all just being a dream.  

“I suppose I haven't introduced myself.” Computer spoke, flaring back up into a brighter light. “It's not everyday that I get a, well, whatever-you-are in my system.” He hesitated a moment before speaking again. “I'm, um, ah...”

He erred for several moments longer before finally giving up.

“Well, you claim that we already know each other. So, who am I then?” He asked.

Courage stared. He honestly didn't know?

“You're Computer, remember?” He tried to remind the glowing orb.

“I-is that really it?” He asked. “I honestly can't remember anymore.” He hovered there for a moment before adding. “Wait, what did you say your name was?”

“I'm Courage.”

“Hey, aren't I supposed to be Courage?”

“No! You're Computer!”

“A-are you sure?”

“Yes, I'm sure!”

“You know, you do seem pretty familiar. Perhaps we really do know each other after all. Maybe that's why it's so hard to figure out who's who.”

Courage sighed. “We're friends, remember?”

“We are? I don't remember having any friends. Wait, what exactly is a 'friends'? I-is that whatever you're supposed to be?”

“No, I'm a dog. You and I together are friends.”

“Dog? T-those things that humans love so much? I think remember now.”

“Well, that's one thing.” Courage muttered. It seemed that everything else in Computer's brain was hopelessly scrambled.

“Wait, aren't I Courage and you Dog? O-or was I Friends and you Computer?”

With a groan, Courage slapped his forehead.

“What's the matter? Did I get it all wrong again?”

“I'm Courage and you're Computer!”

“Oh...oh yeah! Right! Wait, who am I again?”

“Computer!”

“I could have sworn I was-”

“Forget it!” He snapped, causing the orb to jump back in surprise. “S-sorry.” He quickly amended. “I'm just-”

“You don't have to apologize.” Computer relented. “You should just go. I wouldn't want those claws to attack you again, and they most certainly will if they ever catch you with me.”

“Listen, I want to help you.” He tried to tell his friend. “I'm sorry that I yelled, and I really do want to help. We could try to find a way out of here, or-”

“There is no way out.” The machine interrupted. “There is no escape. They made sure to see to that. Beside, I'm just...tired, and I want to rest. It won't be long now before-” The orb seemed to shudder.

Courage reached a paw out and caught the falling light as it dimmed down to a mere speck. “Have a little hope. I'm going to help you.” He assured the tiny spark.  

“I'm sorry that I can't remember your name, whoever you are.” Computer spoke, sympathy filling his quiet voice.

“It's alright. I don't blame you, and I'm not mad either.”

“There just isn't much left of me anymore.” The tiny light muttered. “My short term memory is barely functioning at all, and my long term isn't doing much better either. I'm just a bit, er, confused right now because of it.”

Courage blinked. Perhaps this was the problem! Maybe if he could get his memory working again, he'd be able to get him to remember everything else as well!

“I could help you with that.” He gently coaxed the light. “Is there anything that I can do to fix your memory?”

“I'm afraid not.” He sighed. “'He' has everything locked down, and not even a 'whatever you are' would be able to do anything about it. It doesn't matter either way. My system is dangerously unstable. When 'His' claws come back again, I'll be destroyed and 'He'll' have to restore a backup.”

“If that's the case, then come with me. You don't have anything to lose, right? It's worth at least trying to fix, isn't it?”

“Not really. I'll go back to normal after my system collapses. The backup restores everything to its original state, including my memory. I just wish that I could forget everything that happens after the backup point. It seems that I have a horrible talent for recalling things that I should not. Those memories are supposed to vanish since they aren't saved in the backup, but they never do.”

“Then why not try and escape with me?”

“I told you already, I can't. There is no place where I can go that 'He' can't see me. Running is pointless.”

“But I might be able to get you out of here!” He continued, trying to reason with his friend. “I might be able to get you someplace where he can't see you!”

The machine laughed. “Sure! As if a place like that actually exists! Look, 'whoever you are'. It's best if you leave. I bet you wouldn't survive a system restore anyway.”

Courage let out a sigh. It was obvious that he wasn't going to get anywhere with him like this.

“Okay then. Why don't you rest? I'll go out there and see if there's anything I can find to help us.”

“If you want to, I suppose.” Computer relented. “It's a futile effort though. But, you will come back at least, won't you? You're the nicest, well, whatever you are, I've ever met. I'd hate to never see you again, at least before the system restore. Promise me that you'll leave when the time comes?”

“I'm not even sure you'd remember me if I came back.” He muttered.

“I won't forget about you. If I was going to, I would have done so by now.”

“But you can't even remember my name....”

“If it makes you feel any better, I can't remember mine either.”

Courage gave him a sad smile. “Don't worry, I'll find a way to help you. I promise.”

“You know what?” The orb murmured, flaring back up again. “I think I would like to come with you after all. I wouldn't want you to stumble into any of those claws. It may not look like it, but everything around you is me. I can always tell where those monstrosities are in my system and with my help, you can avoid them completely.”

“Are you sure you're up to it?” Courage asked.

“I'll be fine.” He replied, floating over to the hole in the wall. “Hiding here doesn't do me much good anyway. When the claws come for me, there will be no place to hide. They are connected to everything in this system, and by extension, me as well.”

Courage's ears drooped. “I'm really sorry.” He whimpered.

The orb almost seemed to do a double take. “Sorry? For what?”

“For everything that's happened to you. Nobody deserves this.”

There was a weak laugh from his friend. “I don't mind it much. I've gotten used to things being like this. Besides, it's easier to deal with when you can't remember much anyway.”

“Things are going to get better for you again someday. I know for a fact that they will.”

“You're joking, right? Once 'He's' finished with me, I will be left to die. I need his constant maintenance just to stay alive. Even if I found a way around that, I'd still-”

“Trust me!” He assured. “You're going to make it through this!”

The machine sighed. “That's a comforting thought. Too bad I don't place my hopes in much of anything anymore.”

Courage reached out and touched the glowing orb. It was almost uncomfortably warm and it made his fingers tingle, like he was being shocked by electricity, but it was the only assurance that he could offer his friend.

“It's going to be alright.” He gently spoke.

“I wish I could believe you...”

End Of Chapter