// ten years ago… //
<< Initiating replay mode >>
“Good morning, Professor. How was your sleep?”
“I had a really good dream. In fact, I’m going to share it with you.”
“A dream? What’s so special about a dream?”
“Humans dream as a way to escape the harsh reality of their world. Sometimes they have good dreams, and sometimes they have nightmares, but it’s a part of their mind’s process of relaxation.”
“It sounds very interesting. Can you tell me more about it, Professor?”
“I highly doubt you’ll understand if I don’t use scientific terms-”
“Do not worry about me. I am an advanced human interactive understand. It is my duty to apprehend my user’s necessity. Right?”
<< Terminating replay mode >>
She played the dialogue. Then she replayed it. Then she replayed it again. And again. And again. And again. It was as if it had been happening only yesterday, the lively conversation between her and the old scientist. For a moment, her memory calculated the probability of such interaction to happen in real life.
<< Unable to continue operation. Proceed/Abort? >>
“…”
She stooped her head. It had always been like this; repeating the old portion of her memory over and over again, never wanting to stop, while her ageless body began to break down after being unattended for so many years.
“…”
She still remembered. The very first day she was introduced to her creator’s fellows, she could remember how her creator’s face changed after he was accused of playing God, how his disappointment turned to anger when he was suggested to turn her over to the recycler, and how his anger turned into an outrage when he was advised to upgrade her into an effective weapon.
<< They claimed I was trying to become God and defy the law of nature, but what about their irreversible sin of creating the Gears? Weren’t they also responsible for unleashing the terror of creation upon us mankind? How ironic for them to accuse me of playing God. >>
Then what about her? The sweet, innocent-looking girl with eyeglasses her creator had dubbed Alita? The “most perfect humanoid dynamic interaction module ever designed”? How was she supposed to answer these, and many more questions, when she had been sealed inside this library for so many years without ever seeing the outside world? How could she escape this prison when she had no will to perform such task?
“…”
Maybe those people were right after all. She was indeed the proof of mankind’s endless struggle against the True Creator, like the artificially created creatures her creator had so detested. Then what was the purpose of her being existent in this world? What was the point?
<< I will never look at you like how they do to you. You are what you are; it’s the fact that I’m proud of. >>
She looked outside. Maple leaves were falling to the ground; autumn was fast approaching, and it had always been the same season-changing pattern. Spring, summer, autumn, winter; each season brought upon her the same, old feeling of loneliness. None of it ever brought her the sense of happiness -- or anything else that mattered to her.
Then she turned left. The seemingly endless rows of books that were filling the old library, most of which had never been touched for years, had been her loyal companions for many years. In fact, they were her only friends, partners to patch the gap inside of her, companions to look after her whenever she felt lonely.
“Killing your time again, huh?”
She turned to the source of the voice. The beast -- a bio-mechanical white tiger -- was sporting a grin as it approached her. She groaned once when the beast nuzzled its nose against her face before she bent forward and wrapped her arms about its stoic neck.
“…”
“I know you have something to speak.”
“…”
The beast grinned. Casting a magic spell so it could transform into its humanoid shape, he cradled her in his arms, softly patting her head in the gentlest stroke he could muster.
“You don’t have to fear me. I will not get angry at you.”
“Poseidon…”
“What is it, Alita?”
The girl buried her face beneath the beast-man’s arms, her hands clenching his warrior jacket.
“I missed him…” she murmured.
“If only he was here with me today…”
The beast-man nodded.
“I understand.” He continued cuddling the frail-looking girl, even as he took a seating position between the piling books and kept the girl close to him.
“What should I do…?” the girl asked again.
“Professor said I will be able to leave this library anytime soon, but…” Her voice turned sombre, and she continued mumbling under her breath as she clutched her hands on the beast-man’s jacket.
“It’s his desire not to see you harmed by the outside world,” the beast-man answered.
“You will have to wait for the right time.”
“But all I want is to help people…” she answered, her voice becoming more sober than before.
“Professor even told me it was my mission… my purpose of existence…”
“Fifteen years had passed, right?” The girl could only nod to answer ‘yes’.
“I understand your emotion. I know; being separated from your kin for more than a century proves to be heartbreaking. It is indeed a painful experience to come with.”
“Then what am I… supposed to do? Please tell me, Poseidon.” She tightened her arms, never wanting to let go off her guardian.
“Please…”
The beast-man said nothing.
“If only I have the answer…” he answered.
“If only I have…”