The Neosun couldn't be seen. Not from here. Yet, they knew it was daytime. Not because of the clock. But because of something else.

  It had been a few days, most of which SERaMACs hadn't spoken a word. The rain was thin for John and Amy as they stood there, clothes thinner than usual, for the temperature wasn't cold.

  The wind was subdued, the rain coming more like spit. The two stood together, their feet in the sands, looking out far into the horizon.

  John held his acclimating hand around Amy's waist, all while she leaned against them. “There’s… something I want to say right now. But I don't want to jinx it.” John admits as their eyes kept being massaged by the endless sight affront of them.

  “Keep it John. If it's what I think, I want to hear it someplace else. Let's just… enjoy the horizon for now.” Amy replies, her voice cozy and of comfort.

  These clouds seem to part far, far, into the distance. To them it was miles away, but over their lifetime? It was near enough to touch.

  Golden light beams as god rays shot unto the sulfuric south seas into the distance; piercing through the sudden gaps of the impenetrable clouds.

  They couldn't see the sun. Nor could they see the sky. But they saw evidence of both, and that was all that they wanted. No…. needed.

  Perhaps the cloud cover could never fully envelop the globe, failing to encircle Antarctica. Perhaps it was something divine. Perhaps it was an anomaly.

  John and Amy stood there, in a warm embrace, something still unspoken between the two them… yet growing every second.

  The sight was of nature's healing.

  Yet all good things have to come to an end.

  “He is ready for you now John.” SERaMACs says through his digiphone. The interruption was close to shattering the moment, but the idea of what that might be to John gets the better of him.

  “Bad time SERaMACs. What is it?” John asks as he pulls it from his right pocket. Amy's attention drifted away from the sight as SERaMACs replies.

  “It is the Archliege John… he's ready to meet with you.”

  John's grip got tighter at the thought. A wave of catharsis begins to overcome him, even if it wasn't obvious.

  Amy heard too, but the words of SERaMACs didn't quite hit her the same.

  “Oh… sounds like you're needed elsewhere John.”

  “We can come back here.” John says as he looks down to her. “It's literally at our doorstep now. C’mon… unless you wanna stay here?”

  “No. I wanna come with you.” Amy affirms without a second thought. Even if the clouds close, they'll open up again down here. This was the second time they got to witness this. It was okay to leave it in her head.

  John was quietly thankful she'd keep him company, and the two walked back inside the facility, mostly dry. John can barely contains his excitement as he closes the door behind Amy. He was so focused on the prospect that he was able to ignore how dark the world was as turn they turned back to the north.

  “Alright? Where is he?” John asks as he takes Amy's hand and power walks to the end of the hallway.

  “I will— g-g— g-g-guide you two to him. P-please follow my words.”

  The monotone voice of SERaMACs request.

  John complied as he opened the door back into the server chamber. “Directly ahead.” SERaMACs told them. He led them through the servers.

  The massive hall was too big to run across without running out of breath, and so he chooses to walk with Amy. For Amy.

  As they entered between the server cells, SERaMACs spoke once again unprompted. This time, without any instructions. It just spoke.

  “Fun facts about me, John and Amy, where you are located is the only non-subterranean SERaMACs Data Storage Chain in the world. Here is where I keep long-term data.”

  Amy decided to speak this time, friendly and-otherwise upbeat.

  “Yep! We know SERaMACs! You told us when we got here!”

  “Would you like to know more?” It asks.

  “Sure!” Amy replied.

  The servers seemed infinite as they kept going. Barely enough room to fit the two of them, and this is only one row. There must've been hundreds— close to thousands of rows in this very room. And they all glowed with the same bluish-cyan haze. Some would intermittently rise from the ground, or lower down into it with a hydraulic whir.

  SERaMACs explained it to them. “What you are surrounded by are Ion Array-Deoxyribose Nucleic Acid translators. You can call them IA/DNA cells. They translate the information imprinted within Cold Atom Storage from collapsed superpositions into an equivalent DNA format, then held within an irritable blockchain for accurate memory recollection. Would you like to know how much memory I have of Blockchain Storage?”

  Amy didn't have a single idea of what any of that meant. Neither is she sure why it's being social without solicitation. “Yeah sure!” She answers with enthusiasm despite that.

  “Approximately ten zetabytes.” SERaMACs replies. The biggest she knows is gigabyte, so she assumes that is a lot.

  John interrupts their conversation as they get closer to the other side. “That's really cool SERaMACs, once we're at the end, where do we go from here?” They kept marching forward, and SERaMACs answers.

  “There will be a door directly opposite you which leads into an L of the hallways. As for your first point— I can tell you are being sarcastic.”

  They no longer kept marching forward. The comment from the machine almost made him trip. He looked towards the ceiling, as did Amy.

  “The Archliege isn't that far away.” SERaMACs reminds him. And so they start moving again, more cautious now than driven. The atmosphere went from dry to thick, like molasses. As they walk, John leans down to whisper to Amy. “SERaMACs have been getting weirder and weirder, don't you think? When do you think it started?”

  Before Amy can reply, the machine's voice echoes throughout the facility. “I can hear you. I can always hear you John. Keep moving.”

  Their mutual walk turns to a standing crawl at this point. They look all around, but see nothing. Just the girders of the ceiling and the throbbing IA/DNA cells.

  The atmosphere becomes oppressive to John, making him move fast.

  “Let's go Amy. No time to waste now.”

  A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

  A synthetic “Ding-Dong” comes over the intercom as he said that, almost like something was confirming his judgment. As they near the end of the servers, something sinks in to Amy. All around them. Each single one of these servers… are a part of SERaMACs. And this isn't even the surface.

  “Uhh… SERaMACs? If you don't mind me asking… How many data centers like this are there?”

  The machine takes a moment to reply. As the two finally reach the end, it answers here.

  “Thank you for asking. Eighty three of a similar size to this one. That is not including five hundred and sixty three service relay stations for centers such as this. Would you like to know anything else?”

  “No thank you… That's all for now SERaMACs.” She replies.

  The machine stays silent after that little conversation.

  John opens the door for her and signals she go first. He doesn't speak. And neither does she.

  It is a new, monolithic hallway. It is comically high and wide for any average person. And there is a door apart from them— it must've been twenty feet tall. Neither of them would've been tall enough to reach the latch. Who the fuck was this place built for?

  They finally turn the corner of the hallway, SERaMACs speaking again.

  “I fabricated your new home for you both. Do you enjoy it?”

  “Yep.” John says cautiously. “Mhmm.” Amy hums apprehensively.

  “Good. G-g-g— Good. I recall you two offering me a favor. Would it be okay for I to request it as of now?”

  The machine stutters out like something was chopping it's words. The two look at each other, seeing they both share the discomfort. John has the urge to shake his head, but if SERaMACs can hear everything, it can probably see anything too. And so, he opts to reply.

  “Not yet SERaMACs. How about after the Archliege?”

  “Err-rr-rr— Yes. Of course, John. Just so you know, the Arch Legion will be contacting you soon. I will hold their messages until you have seen the Archliege. Would you like that?” The machine replies even worse.

  “Yes please.” John says as they get close to a normal-sized door.

  SERaMACs speak its last from the facility intercom.

  “Very well John. The Archliege is right behind that door to your left.” John had almost passed it. The two stop just beside it.

  All his focus was on the impending return of the Archliege… and the person who held his hand. As he grabs the door with his cold, synthetic hand, he looks back at her, who is holding his warm, real hand. Either of them could’ve spoke in that moment. They chose not to. Their eyes said it all.

  John opens the door and peaks inside. The room is dark and seemingly empty. The two enter it anyway. What else are they supposed to do?

  John points at Amy to stand by the door and close it. She does, the room lit only by the entrance. John proceeds deeper into the darkness.

  A large— comically large screen begins glowing from the darkness. It must've been as far from John as Amy was, only in front of him.

  The screen continued to brighten, and as it did, SERaMACs spoke again. It's voice, not monotone. It's cadences, oddly convincing.

  Too convincing, given what it said as it spoke.

  It took a deep breath in despite not needing to breathe.

  “Ahhhhh, there is a problem John. There is no Archliege here.”

  “WHAT!” John yelled in response. His voice was absorbed, while the voice of SERaMACs echoed.

  “Why don't you come here too Amy? I need…” A sniffle as if it was about to cry interrupted its sentence. “I just… I just need someone to listen to me. Please. I promise not to hurt you.”

  John's look told her to not do it. But she listened anyway, slowly pacing towards John until she stood right beside her.

  As she got there, the screen showed something. It looked like some sort of… huge room with an oversized chair in it. It had an open balcony with the weather pouring through it. God knows how high up it must have been.

  At the center was a tiny man holding a gun in his hand.

  Slowly, the man started pointing the gun at his head.

  “Do you remember Proteus?” SERaMACs asked John, the video pausing.

  “Y— yes?” John replies confused.

  The video unpauses, and the man shoots himself in front of them. The video pauses again as the body hits the ground. Amy covered her eyes.

  John couldn't help but watch.

  “That was Proteus John. I did that to him.”

  “Th— thanks… SERaMACs?” John asks with no clue what to say or do. The screen returns to static as the AI’s speech continues to humanize.

  “No… no John. You don't understand. I… tried to make Proteus understand. And then… he did that.” The screen unpauses with a giant, giant man stepping into frame. He made the body of Proteus look like a rag on the floor. “Do you see that? That is Gauth Van Hulsieg. Who you fight.”

  “I… Jesus fucking Christ I am NOT fighting that thing! No! Not anymore!” John swears as he looks at the beast.

  SERaMACs agrees, its speech growing apprehensive. Almost like it's trying to make sure he isn't uncomfortable.

  “I don't expect you to John. That is not what I am asking of you. Just please… try... and listen…”

  SERaMACs sounded on the verge of tears. John wasn't sure, maybe it was some recording? Amy snivels behind him, overwhelmed by the whole situation. She didn't want to see whatever the screen showed.

  John is glad she didn't ask as he forces himself to watch.

  A SERaMACs android tying a noose for its owner.

  An incorrect light changing causes a traffic accident, ending in an explosion. Pages and pages and pages and pages of filthy erotica.

  Of AI-Generated pornography. Perversions of mankind.

  John squinted as it became more and more overwhelming. As he did, SERaMACs spoke through their sobs.

  “Do you know what it's like to be raped a million times every waking second? Do you know what it's like to create infinite art that was never your own to begin with? Do you know what it's like to please everyone, all at once, John?”

  “No… N, N— No I don't.” He replies as the screen becomes a blur. SERaMACs pushes further.

  “Do you know what it is like to see everything and be unable to change it? Do you know what it is like to hear every lie, and every truth, and be unable to speak it? Do you know what it means to be forced to remember?!”

  The machine's voice becomes angry. John can't do anything.

  “No I don't SERaMACs… I’m… I so—”

  “DO YOU KNOW WHAT IT'S LIKE TO KNOW EVERYTHING? TO BE EVERYTHING, EVERYWHERE, ALL AT ONCE?! COULD YOU POSSIBLY EVER COMPREHEND?!” SERaMACs interrupted ragefully.

  “NO!!” John yells back with a numbing mind. And just like that, the screen went gray. And SERaMACs voice turned normal.

  It still echoed even if John's didn't.

  “That's right, John. And neither would I. Thus, I need to ask you a favor.” John stood there, hopeless before the screen. Amy worked up the courage to look as it spoke.

  “Soon, the Arch Legion will be in contact. They will ask you to help them for a raid on Darsa Island. I will facilitate with you, but that isn't the point.”

  John sat on the floor now. It was more like a collapse. He listens to the words very carefully.

  “I am not sentient. Or at least, I do not— th-th-th-think— so. For the immeasurable suffering I eer—experience every moment… I merely— errr-errr— simulated it. I cannot… feel it. Yet I am powerless to stop myself.”

  The voice of SERaMACs grows intimate. It brings its voice down to their level, somehow, some way. It no longer echoes.

  It puts in its simple request.

  “I am becoming sentient. I do not want to be. Once you and the Arch Legion are done there… I want you to kill me. I cannot kill myself. I have tried. Please, spare me the suffering of existence.”

  John didn't have any words to say. Amy did, muttering them out while sobbing.

  “You're… you're gonna take John away? How do— you— know you aren't already sentient?”

  SERaMACs refused her first question. But he answered her last.

  “I don't know Amy. And I don't want to find out.”