1I'm back with a new story to share. ^_^ You all remember that corpse that appeared at the beginning of the movie? The one that looked like a soldier? Well, a lot of fans say it's the Chancellor, others say it's not. Well, I say it's not the Chancellor, but another person entirely.
I'm pretty sure I'm the only one who's done this, but if not, then I am the first one. XD The idea came to me last month when I was having my nightly musings. After much thought, consideration, and second guessing, I finally worked up the nerve to actually write this.
So, like always; enjoy the story and don't forget to leave a review! ;)
I was caught in the middle of this chaos. I was torn between choosing my father and siding with, what my father used to call, "the weak, insignificant lives." I was very afraid of my father back then, about what he'd do to me if I said the wrong answer. I always said yes to everything he had to say and stayed quiet and tried to be obedient.
But there are some times when disobedience should be used.
After my father had his comrades take the B.R.A.I.N., I tried to help Professor Bronos. Father stopped me before I could come to his aid. He had me oversee the progress of the B.R.A.I.N.'s work. I could tell that it didn't like to be here, forced to work on machine after machine. Steel Behemoths roamed the city. They were so common that you saw them everywhere you went. I remember watching them from my father's office. He would stand next to me, pat me on the shoulder and tell me how all of this was going to save us.
I didn't understand it then, but I rifled through my father's drawers.
I found his journal. He wrote in it constantly. He never look me in it, proclaiming it was "off limits" and that it was "a violation of privacy." But I read it and everything I read blew my mind. My father had this twisted belief of humanity and how we are responsible for its impurities. I found his plans to save himself and a few of his soldiers in a bunker. But the worst part was when he was going to chuck me out in the open to die. I... I was taken aback. My own father...leaving me out in the war to get killed. I knew I was never the "perfect son," but I didn't think he would abandon me like this. My heartbreak turned into hate. I shouldn't have been so surprised. I knew it would come to this. Berating me, tormenting me. I knew he wouldn't not do something like this.
He became more cruel after Mother died. He had me undergo tremendous training to be a fitting successor. It was grueling. The hours spent testing me on our country's history, watching me train with the sword fighters. I thought he was there for moral support, but the fact of the matter, he didn't believe in me at all.
When everything heated up I started searching for Professor Bronos. The newspapers said he was dead, but I didn't believe it. He had to be alive. The Machine would only calm down if it saw its creator. Then, if then, this madness would stop. I searched everywhere for him. One of my contacts gave me Professor Bronos' address only to find it completely empty. He must've escaped with his family. There was no other explanation. Without any leads left, I was on my own. I continued hiding from my father's troops. They'd see looking for me as well. I had to escape; I was not prepared to die. I was going to stop Father before he could destroy the world any further. The B.R.A.I.N.'s done away with half of the world, I wasn't going to let him recreated it in his own twisted fashion. I had to do something.
I laid low. I hid in well-enclosed places. I only came out at night, praying that they wouldn't find me. Steel Behemoths still roamed the city at that time, and who knows where else they were roaming. The earth was dying and the atmosphere was poisoned and all plant life was disappearing.
It wasn't until one night I made a discovery. I saw a faint green light glow from a window. I went into the building, ran up the stairs and found the room it was coming from. I found him, but I was too late. Professor Bronos was dead. I looked at his desk and found a strange contraption set up. Up close it had a doll tied to a rope. I didn't understand what happened, so I searched the room for an answer. I looked at his blueprint for these dolls he called "stitchpunks." I found his journal containing entries about each stitchpunk he made. He write about each stitchpunks strengths and weaknesses, traits each one got from him. Apparently, he didn't write about the last one, the one still hung by ropes. I found a small box in Professor Bronos' hands. It had a tag with the number nine written on it. It was for that unconscious stitchpunk.
I opened it and listened to the message. Professor Bronos talked about the talisman he created, the device still stuck on the device. He explained the talisman's function and how it can be used to restore to the world. Fascinated by this I made a plan to make a stitchpunk of my own. I took one of the professor's blueprints, put the box back in the professor's hand, for the ragdoll to see when it wakes up. I was about to take the talisman with me when a noise startled me. A bomb had gone off. Fear coursing through me, I hid the blueprint in my coat and ran out of the room. When I was running through the ruined streets I immediately regretted it. I should've stayed back there.
The enormous steps of a Steel Behemoth stomped on the ground, its loud echo resonated from every angle. I couldn't escape it fast enough. It shot me through the back. The pain was unbearable as I wished for death to overtake me. I laid there, bleeding out. The last thing I saw was a squadron of Steel Behemoths marching off to destroy everything else.
The darkness took over and I longer felt, heard or saw anything.
The next time I awoke I was above the heavens. I knew that everything was over. There were no machines roaming the world. All of them had been demolished. Whoever shut down the B.R.A.I.N. was right to do so. Without any other purpose to continue on I resorted to watching over the barren world.
For a long time there was no activity. Until some time ago, I saw some activity going on in a familiar spot. I saw a ragdoll trekking through the desolate terrain. I recognized that ragdoll. It was 9! The stitchpunk from the professor's workshop. He was awake. I don't know how, but he was awake and things were going to change. Life would go on.
I watched over them and observed their exploits. They traveled to the factory where the B.R.A.I.N. was slumbering. 9, and the other one, 5, rescued one of their friends. They distracted a feline machine—a Cat Beast. I saw another one of their kind behead it.
It should've ended from there. If only 9 didn't do what he did with the talisman. I wish I were alive to stop him, then the B.R.A.I.N. wouldn't have woken up and killed their friend.
From there all hell broke loose.
I watched them look for answers about the Fabrication Machine. I wished I was alive, so I could help them. While they were looking for answers, the B.R.A.I.N. was busy building machines to stop the stitchpunks. It sent a flying machine, a Winged Beast, to their home. They all fought it off as best as they could, eventually they had to destroy their home in order to kill it. They moved to the library where they continued their research. The leader of the pack, 1, was reluctant about going after the B.R.A.I.N. He reminded me of my father. History repeating itself in a smaller package, but he wasn't evil. I could see the cowardice in him. He was scared, just like my own father was. Whatever killed my father did right by ending him. But I didn't hold a grudge against that particular stitchpunk. He was only trying to keep himself safe, but I don't think he cared very much about the others.
Fights broke out. 1 revealed he sent 2 to die, that he was weak. I was reminded more and more of my father by the minute. After the argument the plans to stop the B.R.A.I.N. were still in tow. I wanted to help them but being where I am made it impossible to intervene. A new beast came to the library. It resembled a cobra in appearance, but it had many needles inside its fabric. I watched it go in and take one of the stitchpunks. The gargantuan one, 8. And then I saw it used 2's body as a means to lure its prey. I watched it use him to hypnotize 1 and take him. Well, it would've took him, luckily the others stopped it, but it took the female one and escaped. That was when they 1 had no other choice but to listen 9's plan.
They traveled to the factory. Seekers flew here and there to see if any of the stitchpunks were nearby. I observed 9 go in and tell the others for him to return with 7 and 8. I looked inside. The cobra-like machine, the Seamstress, offered 8 to the Fabrication Machine. It was too late for him. 9 distracted the Seamstress. Outside the factory, I saw 5 and the others rolling a tank of oil towards an opening to the factory. They were about to throw it in when 9 came with 7 by his side. With them out, they pushed the oil tank together and it went rolling in with a flame alit. The factory exploded. The B.R.A.I.N. was dead. It was over... Or so I thought.
While they were out celebrating, I noticed a shadow slinking through the smoke and debris. The Machine survived and it was going to finish off the stitchpunks. I waited for one of them to notice it. 5 chased a record down the hill and he was the one to notice it first. He ran away, shouting at his friends about the B.R.A.I.N.'s survival. It got him. It was up to 9 and the other six now. They lured it to a bridge that was in danger of collapsing. The stitchpunks made it the other side, only the striped one was captured, but not before telling 9 about the First Room. The professor's workshop. I followed 9 to the workshop where he found the message box. Again I listened to it with him. Now that 9 knew he had to go back and stop it before it could kill his remaining friends.
1 had taken matters into his own hands, preparing to launch a cannon at the B.R.A.I.N. 9 returned, informing them of what he learned from the Scientist's message. They had to use the talisman and use it against him. They went with his plan and 9 was ready to sacrifice himself for the others. I watched him ready to die, but something unexpected happened. 1 ran towards 9 and shoved him away, taking the blow for him. I couldn't believe my eyes. I couldn't believe he would do that for his friend. Perhaps it was 9's bravery that triggered it or perhaps something else was involved, but 1 gave up his arrogant ways to save 9 and the other four. With 1 dead, 9 pulled the talisman from the B.R.A.I.N.'s slot. He activated it and held it in front of the Machine, siphoning the souls of the five. The Machine was dead. For good. It was truly over this time.
9, 7, 3 and 4 had a memorial for their friends. Five crosses with the names of the deceased stitchpunks. 9 activated the talisman to let their souls out. They said their goodbyes to 9 and the other three before making their departure. All five of them flew to the sky. Their souls started a rainstorm. It rained for the first time in years. Now that it was raining, life could begin again. And I know 9 will do well in protecting the world. But he wasn't doing it alone. He had 7 and the twins to help him.
My father was wrong. He had this deranged belief that our existence was a mistake. He was wrong. Sometimes it takes the ruin of an old order to start a new order. When humans disrespect nature, it has to strike back. Nothing is ever easy, though nothing is ever easy, nothing is impossible either. If we truly believe in what we believe in, anything can happen. I used to believe nothing was going to change but it did. Isn't it surprising how something might change after many cycles of time? One change can set destiny on a different course. The outcome might make it better or worse. Humanity squandered their gifts for the pursuit of playing god. We were blind. But 9 will prevail. The Scientist's legacy is coming according to his plan.
I believe in the new future to come, and I will be there to watch it unfold. My wish is that the next humans to come will know better than my generation. I want them to be better that my father, better than my generation, better than me. Smarter, more apt to adapt. I'm getting ahead of myself, but I want this to happen. Until the new generation of humans to come, I'll be waiting.
My name is Roman Vifort. This is my story, and this is how it ends.
Not bad for a one-off piece, huh? I had the basic idea, I just needed to find an outlet for it and work from there. :3
