Tears For Nomad

Your kindness sent me out into this world. Your mechanical hands were as warm as a human's filling me with hope. Though our time together was short and there were many others you had to take care of, I still wish we'd get to spend more time together.

Now you're intertwined with the debris in the stars.

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//AzOS Self-Diagnosis-Client version 2.3.15

Copyright (C) 542-62, AzSynth Dynamics, Inc.

((Model #A14189)) 

[ Self Diagnosis-Client ]

[ Processor Check ] 100% Success!

[ Battery Check ] 100% Success!

[ Language Module ] 100% Success!

Running [ Memory Test ]

[ Memory Test ]

Determining Data Integrity - Active

Running  File -「08-16-0562」

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「Year: 0562」

「ACSQ: #A14189」

「Location: AzSynth Dynamics ACSQ Division HQ, Home 」

「Status: Initializing First Boot」

 

The very first moment of my very existence was a moment that I'll forever cherish as one of my happiest days during the operation. 

Opening my eyes for the first time, I was already seated on a plain minimalistic chair, my overwhelmed eyes adjusted themselves to the blindingly blank room. All there was around me were walls of blurry glass, hiding the silhouettes of someone sitting next to me and a screen on a stand displaying"#A14189's Initialization Process" with a large "Start!" button.

Filled with curiosity and excitement I touched it and the moment I did a holograph of a tall hovering egg-shaped machine projected itself before me. 

"Welcome to your Initialization Process! I'll be your manager of the Android Courier Service Quartet, you may refer to me as M.O.T.H.E.R. From now on I will oversee and guide you through the process!"

Her voice, though mechanical and monotone, still had a pleasant tone to it that felt fine-tuned to get my upmost attention. The moment I met her her presence was one of comfort and reassurance, despite having no expressions and a monotone voice.

The screen changed and displayed a "Personality Test" with various questions that took me a while to scroll through while Mother was speaking. All of the questions ranging from favorite colors to usual questions on interacting with others.

"One of AzSynth Dynamics' greatest features differentiating itself from the competition is its highly realistic personality models, allowing for seamless and comfortable Android-To-Human interaction. Take a look at all the listed questions and answer them as truthfully as possible."

"Okay! Let's see-"

((Making friends is one of your main motivations))

"Yes!"

((Even under pressure, you see yourself staying calm))

"Uegh- I-I think so...? Not really..."

As I was tapping away at the screen I could see several blurred silhouettes across the glass do the exact same test as me. Their muffled voices overlapped with each other, not letting me listen in on them as the large camera on Mother actively monitored me.

((You enjoy actively discovering new things and finding innovative ways to improvise your deliveries ))

"Sure! Could be pretty fun!"

During the seemingly endless sea of questions, Mother kept silently monitoring me which at first made me worry whether or not I was answering the wrong way or not up to her expectations, but after a while, the blank stare felt like one of encouragement and comfort. Either that, or it was something I made myself think to get through the test.

"Congratulations on completing the Initialization Process. Now you'll be assigned to a Quartet consisting of 3 additional ACSQ models to fulfill your deliveries with."

The blurry glass disguising the silhouettes and muffled voices to my right slid into the floor, revealing a girl with the same appearance as me, as if she were a twin. Though she wore the same uniform and had the same face as me, her black hair was much longer with crimson-red eyes looking right at me, just as surprised as I was.

All four of us were looking at each other curiously across the room as the many holograms of Mother vanished and the actual, physical Mother approached us and caught our full attention.

"Congratulations on passing your Initialization Process. You're all the first AzSynth ACSQ Unit #01. From left to right we have the following members: A14189, 1A1A1A, 77FC-"

"Wait! Wouldn't it be easier for us to talk through like... normal names?" one of the girls spoke up, her hair a stunning green with hazelnut eyes, getting up from her seat and raising her hand.

"Very well. You each may decide names for yourselves."

So we spent that time pondering on our chairs, each going of us humming, sometimes even in sync and going "hmm, huh... maybe-" but in the end, none of us could figure names for ourselves. Which wasn't easy to do when it was your very first hour of existence.

"Augh! Why is it so hard to find names!? Maybe we should just stick to those numbers-" I complained before the black-haired girl next to me interrupted me "I don't know either but I may have ideas for everyone else!"

She got up and gracefully approached me and swirled her finger before she pointed at me, and as if the swirling told her anything she dramatically said "You'll... beeeeeeeee... Mauve!"

"Mauve?"

"You're Mauve!"

"I'm Mauve!" to which she happily grinned and continued down the line-up of members until she arrived in front of the green-haired girl and did the same swirling as she did to me.

"And.... you'll... be! Vert!"

"Elegant. I like that!"

"Right? You get it!" satisfied with the reaction, she approached the last girl in the lineup at the other side of the room.

"And you haven't said much at all since the test. Not talkative?" she approached a white-haired girl. Her hair and eyes perfectly blended into the bright room as she looked up with a silent and calm demeanor.

"My name is F3F3E-" she monotonously said before getting stopped. Her soft voice pretty much imitated that of Mother.

"Hmm... Hmmm....You'll... be...! Blanc!"

"Understood. Unit F3f3EA Blanc reporting for du-"

"Just Blanc!"

"My name is Blanc.", Blanc said which finally satisfied her with a "There we go!" but there's one person left without a name.

"What about you?" I called out to her and curiously walked up to her. With a glance at the ceiling and some more darting around with her eyes and fidgeting with her fingers she just ends up staying silent. 

"Then! You'll.... be...!" I put both of my fingers up and replicated her swirling motions "You'll uhhhhh... be...!" and with a dramatic pose I pointed at her.

"Noire!", I told her 

"Noire... hmm... it's lovely! I'll be Noire!" She pulled me to herself and grabbed Vert's hands who in turn also pulled Blanc into the group hug with our faces smushed together. "You're Mauve, you're Vert, you're Blanc and I'll be Noire!"

"I can hardly tell the difference between us, haha!" Vert took a good look at everyone and didn't seem as overwhelmed by this as Blanc, who suddenly poked my eye and her own at the same time as if she were comparing them.

"Ow!"

"Our eyes are the same."

"You're the ACSQ Quadruplets. It's nice to see everyone have positive responses to each other." Mother interjected, seeming positive beneath her monotone voice and cold-staring camera.

"Now, without any further hesitation let us advance to your onboarding." to which everyone else followed our hovering egg-shaped mother with an "Okay!"

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*Clunk.... Clunk.... Clunk* 

Large yet slow mechanical steps were leaving behind giant footsteps in the soft sand as the large machine trotted towards the sun. The light reflected on its rugged steel body whilst carrying a child on its only remaining arm, hidden underneath in the shadows of its body.  Though the ride was extremely slow and bumpy, the child didn't mind it at all, sh was simply happy being around "Biboo", as she called named it herself.

"Biboo, Biboo! Are we going to find more Worm Crabbies today!?" Lillim ended the silence between the gusts of the wind and the shuffles of the sand, excited for that day's meal.

"Biboo..." the machine played a disagreeing tone from its weak and crumbling speakers.

"Aw, Okay... Maybe I can find them myself, someday!" Lillim, disappointed, turned her eyes back to the endless sea of sand and various sandy ruins as far as her eye could see. A sight like that would usually bore someone, but the simple comfort of being on a trip with Biboo was more than enough for her to be fulfilled. 

After a while of just walking a giant structure in the distance faded in the further they've distanced themselves from their temporary home. A place that Lillim had seen many times across various trips with Biboo yet was never allowed to go to. 

"Do you think we can check out that place someday? It looks so big, we gotta go someday!"

"Bibbbo..." the machine denied her once again, as it had done many times before. 

Biboo only allowed itself and Lillim to stay within sight distance of the structure. It was simply way too risky for them to go that far. Yet staying in its proximity has proven bountiful for Biboo as the grounds beneath had richer Ether Veins it could connect itself to.

"Bibibooboo-" Biboo notified Lillim in an affirmative tone as it gently set her on the ground underneath its shadow.

"Charging time? Okay!" Lillim sat herself down on the sand as Biboo did too. Its body harshly rattled and slowly lowered itself onto the ground and assuming its charging position.

"Bibibibi" Biboos front lights turned yellow with a green gradient going through until it'd recollect some of the used energy through a Vein. While doing so Biboo opened its pilot seat as gusts of warm humid air ejected with a "pshhhh" and a cloud of vapor revealed Mauve sleeping inside Biboo.

"Aw, Mauve is still sleepy." Lillim climbed onto the entrance of the pilot seat fully decorated with little chewed-on snacks, toys, and random mechanical things she had found, including notebooks with a collection of crayons which she attempted to hold onto.

"Oh- Sorry!" she bumped into Mauve trying to reach for her box of crayons, to which Mauve finally opened her eyes.

"Huhh... Wh-What happened..." Lillim bumping into Mauve ended up waking her from her deep slumber, barely aware of what had happened last night.

"Oh hi, Mauve!"

"Ah-! Hi, Lillim"

"Wait- urgh- lemme get through, I wanna get my colors!" she crawled into the cramped interior accidentally hitting and bumping into Mauve.

"Ow-! Ah- sure! Ah.. Uhh..." Mauve, fully overwhelmed by the sudden situation and being in Biboos interior, barely had any time to adjust and grabbed the nearest looking object to hand to Lillim "This box?"

"Yeah! Thank you!" Lillim snatched the box away from Mauve and grabbed a soft blanket as she joyfully hopped off of the cramped interior and made herself comfortable on the sand, ready to doodle on her notebooks.

Immediately as Mauve climbed out of Biboos interior, the sun's light and warmth overwhelmed her and her eyes, making her realize just how long it has been since she's passed out which wasn't supposed to happen in the first place.

"Come here, we can draw together!" 

"Sure!" Mauve took off her boots and sat on the soft blanket across Lillim "What happened last night though? Are you guys okay!?"

"You were sleepy! I think!"

"Sleepy? I have no need for sle-"

"THE PULSE OF ETHER CAUSED BY MY ETHER DOME HAS DISRUPTED YOUR INTERNALS,  ACCIDENTALLY SHUTTING YOU DOWN."

"Holy- That's possible!?" 

Though as intimidating as it sounded, it didn't seem intentional at all, especially with Lillim willingly having given up her little space for Mauve to rest in just getting to show how considerate the both of them were. 

"SENTITEK ARMADA SYSTEMS ARE EQUIPPED WITH MILITARY-GRADE EQUIPMENT. I APOLOGIZE FOR THE DAMAGE CAUSED BY THE ETHER DOME"

"It's alright! Thank you for your consideration, Biboo!"

"Lookie lookie!" Lillim turned her notebook over and revealed a messy childish drawing with Biboo, Mauve, and Lillim herself in it and cheerfully handed it over to Mauve.

"You're such a talented artist! Drawing that fast and well is quite the skill!" she encouraged Lillim, beaming from her praise. Mauve stretched out her palm towards the drawing with a blue light immitting and covering the entire drawing. 

"Check this out!" she said with a smile as the blue light reappeared in her hand and a glowing holographic copy of Lillims drawing emerged.

"Whoa! You're a magician! Can you do more?"

"Haha! I'm not really a magician, but sure! Lemme borrow it for a bit longer!"

[SCANNING DOCUMENTS - 5%]

Mauve gently went through the notebook, scanning artwork by artwork which ranged from random doodles made out of plain boredom to more thoughtful pieces depicting herself and Biboo going on various trips.

[SCAN COMPLETE]

"Now I have something really cool to show you!" Mauve said as she laid the notebook between her and Lillim with her hands next to it, palms facing the sky. Another blue light emitted from her hands as a blue holographic butterfly appears. To Lillim, it was her first time seeing a creature of that kind. With each flap of its wings, a trail of sparkles followed its path as Lillims big eyes were entirely locked onto it with genuine wonder. 

"W-whoa..." Astonished by the unusual yet beautiful insect, Lillim stretched her arms towards it, gently trying to hold the butterfly as the butterfly smoothly avoided her grab.

"Hold out a finger for the little butterfly! Just like that" Mauve demonstrated it to Lillim as the holographic butterfly softly landed on her finger. Lillim closely followed Mauve's movements. 

It majestically flew away from Mauve's fingertip and took a soft landing on Lillims fingertip, "Butterfly..." she whispered to it. Though she couldn't feel it, the detailed hologram was more than enough to take her entire attention.

 

 

"Look there's some more!" Mauve pointed at several butterflies gently flying around them, covering the sight above them with shiny sparkles, fully mesmerizing Lillim. "Now look around you, Lillim!"

Within the sparkles, all pages of Lillims notebook emerged in a mesmerizing collage of her memories. Without hesitation, Lillim got up and pointed at one of her drawings, "That's when Biboo got me my first Worm Crab! And that's when I played Hide And Seek with him! Oh oh! Look! That's when we went to a pretty town, but Biboo got pretty sick recently so we can't go far but I'm doing my best to heal him!"

She looked at Biboo, slightly worried yet still hopeful for his eventual recovery, but then moved on to more about her stories as Mauve attentively listened to every one of them. As soon as Lillim finished telling Mauve about her drawings, Mauve felt like telling a bit about herself too.

Above Lillims notebook, another image emerged, a memory Mauve had. An image of Mauve and her sisters standing side-by-side back at the AzSynth Dynamics HQ, her home, smiling and posing for the camera.

"That's me right there! Then right behind me is one of my sisters, Noire! Then there's Blanc holding onto her! She's always been a bit shy, haha! And back there is Vert! We're all the same, so that makes us Quadruplets!"

"More Mauves! But where are they?" Lillim asked Mauve innocently but it ended up leaving Mauve with a slight worried expression.

"I-I don't know. But I'll find them! And they'd be amazing friends with you and Biboo too!"

"Really!? Do they also have butterflies!"

"Sure do!"

"WILDLIFE DETECTED, INITIATING HEAT-SEEKING SHOTS" Their conversation has been abruptly interrupted by Biboo suddenly scanning for a creature not too far away.

"Biboo found food!"

In an instant, small bullets formed above barrels attached to Biboos back which fired with immense speed towards something across the dunes of the desert.

"TARGET NEUTRALIZED, INITIATING RECOVERY."

"That means we gotta go! My tummy has been rumbling for a while now!" Lillim said as she joyfully gathered her things and jumped into Biboos pilot seat. Mauve, having left her bike at their home, was instead taking a seat on the hand of the machine as it initiated itself to move towards its target.

 

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*Clunk* *clunk* *clunk*

With each mechanical step the three of them had been getting closer as Biboo methodically treaded through the tall dunes of the desert. Once it had been crossed, a little mechanical object with a clean hole through it could be seen in the distance.

"A Worm Crab! They're really really tasty you know!?"

"What exactly is a Worm Crab?" Mauve heard Lillim mention them a few times but never really got to see one in person until now.

"They're these yummy long worms and they have these big robot shells! They live in those!"

Once they got close enough, Mauve hopped off Biboos hand and curiously walked up to the Worm Crab half-buried in the sand, clearly dead. She put her palm on its mechanical shell, clearly borrowed from another machine the likes of Biboo, but surprisingly couldn't find any information about it.

[NO ENTRY AVAIABLE]

"Huh... that's a bit weird, usually it would show me something."

[SAVING NEW ENTRY "WORM CRAB"]

"I'll show these to my sisters when I find them" she mumbled to herself as Biboo and Lillim had finally arrived. With another "pshhh" once again gusts of warm humid air ejected as Lillim jumped off her seat and ran to the Worm Crab in excitement. She picked up the mechanical shell and pulled onto a fleshy and slimy tendril that's been sticking out from the bottom, revealing several large strings of flesh.

"That's what the worm looks like! Now Biboo is gonna grill it for us!" Lillim pulls one of these fleshy strings into the pilot seat, Mauve helping her with some more. Once all of them had been shoved in the seat, Biboo closed its chest with a "BRRRRR" noise being emitted similarly to a microwave.

"Now we gotta wait a bit! I haven't been here before." Lillim told Mauve as the both of them took a little walk on the sand.

"You haven't? I thought the both of you had been here for a while."

"Nuh uh. We only got here maybee.... a month ago? Biboo got really, really sick so he wants to rest here a bit before we go!"

"Where are you guys headed? More towns?"

"I dunno. Biboo always decides which way is best, and I like this place! It has the yummy worms!"

All of a sudden, Lillim stopped midway and looked to her side. "The big thing! It's so close now!" she pointed at a huge tower in the distance, that had become way more visible. The structure went up as high as one could see yet was clearly destroyed and didn't seem stable at all.

"Biboo never wanted to go this far but I always wanted to see it... It's so big!"

"It is! Should we check it out while Biboo is making food?"

"But Biboo is gonna get upset!"

"Ah.... Right." Mauve was immediately reminded of the heavy artillery that Biboo had up its sleeve, and wouldn't want to anger it by endangering the thing it cared about most.

"OPERATION COMPLETE." Biboo played a little jingle that didn't fit its menacing looks at all.

"The worm is done! You gotta try it!" Lillim grabbed onto Mauve's hands and rushed back to Biboo filled to the brim with excitement.

Once they had arrived, the pilot seat had opened itself with several tendrils of flesh being fully grilled. Even after being grilled, it still maintained its slimy texture but had a pleasant smell to it that made Lillim drool as she bit into it with absolute bliss. Mauve took a piece and bit into it.

Though she didn't have the need to eat like biological lifeforms had, the small traces of Ether that flowed through animals and other lifeforms still contributed to her search for her sisters, by boosting her Ether Core as much as she could and therefore increasing her signal range. Also, she simply enjoyed the taste.

"So good right!?" Lillim looked at Mauve, waiting for her reaction to the taste. "Mhm! It's really good! I get why you're so excited!"

"Yeah!"

"You can have the rest though. I'm not really hungry, you need it more than I ever would!"

"Okay! Thank you. More for me then!" Lillims smile increased even more at the thought of getting to eat the entire worm.

 

Mauve handed Lillim her piece as she already entire finished a whole strand of the worm with ease. "I'm going to check out that tower over there! I'll let you know what's out there, okay?"

"Okay!"

"PROCEED WITH CAUTION, I WILL NOT BE ABLE TO RETRIEVE YOU UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES IN DISTANT ZONES."

"Got it! I'll see ya in a bit!" Mauve said as she made her way through the soft sand on her way to the tower. Ever since she's gotten this close to it she had a slight suspicion about it.

"Maybe there's another Etheryte..."

「Etheryte Potentiality = 75%」

「Pinging ACSQ #1A1A1A, #77FC70, #F3F3EA」