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R A I S I N G ◦ A N ◦ N P C !

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▶ BOOK 1: M A K I N G ◦ A N ◦ N P C !
▶ CHAPTERS: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 |

⊹˚₊·‧Chapter 16: “abstraction” state=forming

Something stirred Pierrosie. It was a big vibration all around her. Then she felt another change; She didn’t understand what it was at first, but then saw the handle of the door moving roughly. 

While clutching onto finalFINAL_v03, she looked closer, trying to perceive more coding lines.

The thing in front of her door didn’t seem like the other persona models. But it also wasn’t like the big, massive jumble of her family’s identity clusters.

It was something new. And whatever it was, it had made it into her room, and was now trying to come for her.

daemon: “abstraction” state=forming
node: probability(0.78) 

$: man “abstraction” 
no manual entry found 

node: probability(0.79)
node: probability(0.80)

Pierrosie didn’t understand what this meant. It took over the meager rest of her processing. Why was the number going higher? What was the threshold of that number? And what would happen when it was breached?

Then she felt another vibration. 

The door was broken open.

And behind it: someone who looked like the Papa, staring at her with big, worried eyes and panting.

Even though she realized this wasn’t really the Papa, she knew one thing for sure: she was saved.

She immediately went into shutdown. 

---

When she broke the door open and lit up the room with her flashlight, she saw her.

Even though she couldn’t remember how she looked like, what her name was, or what she was; She knew it was her.

Huddled into a corner next to the toilet, clinging onto a worn plushy for dear life.

As soon as they had eye contact, the little thing closed its one open eye and collapsed into herself like a literal doll. It looked terribly exhausted.

She went over and carefully lifted her up, together with the horse toy that she still held tight.

It was a black and white clown doll. It was so tiny… so lightweight. 

For some reason, she felt like crying. Out of relief. Or maybe appreciation. Or exhaustion? She didn’t know.
All she knew was that she had fulfilled what she had came for.

Instinctively, she pulled at the string.

Something pulled back.

Now she would have to wait, right?
Right. Probably. Her gut feeling told her so.

She walked over to the bed, holding the little doll close, then climbed onto the mattress.

Even though the tiny clown didn’t breathe, she knew it was alive. It was just waiting to wake up again in a world that was kinder than this one. And she would make sure to hold her until then.

Don’t let her go, someone's voice repeated in her head.

She wouldn’t. Even without the advice.

Nobody would take this little creature from her arms. Nobody but… 

Red, twisted cords came to her mind.
The smell of warm linen, right out of the dryer.
A plush body pushing against her.

Warm feelings.

She couldn’t remember her face.
But she knew it was the mother of that doll. Of that… child.

She closed her eyes and allowed herself to relax, while holding the little one close.

She knew she should be afraid. Of what her memory loss meant. Of what would happen after she had fulfilled her purpose. About forgetting her face.

But she wasn’t.
She was just… relieved. And warm.
She knew things would turn out fine.

---

“She has her!” Kinger proclaimed, quickly typing something on the keyboard.

The others cheered and gasped. Except Pomni, who just stood there, frozen in place, as if she were an immovable object. 

Still, Ragatha held her hand, even though she understood that Pomni wasn’t really here right now.

Caine, who was able to move again by now, floated around nervously behind Kinger.

“Don’t… d-don’t forget,” he said to Kinger, only in a medium-booming tone this time. “The moment she’s here, you shut down the UI and take off the glasses.”

“I know, I know. A deal is a deal.” Kinger answered, somewhat annoyed, while quickly typing on his keyboard like he was some futuristic hacker.

When Ragatha looked closer, she saw that he even had five fingers on each hand.

“You promised. Please,” Caine pushed further.

“Caine. I promised. Please let me work.”

This conversation held some weight that Ragatha couldn’t fully grasp; And didn’t want to, right now.
So she instead took a mental note for later.

After a couple of minutes, Kinger gave a triumphant laugh.

“Ha! I got her! I found a way to download her. It should be a matter of seconds. Ready?”

“Please!” Ragatha shouted, and Kinger pressed on a button almost at the same moment.

The string on Pomni’s finger stretched and glowed bright yellow. It looked like a taut fishing cord now.

Then, something snapped out of nowhere, shooting back attached to the string as if it was a rubberband. Ragatha caught a glimpse of a second Pomni holding something, as she plunged into herself, merging into one and throwing the original Pomni back and rolling through the momentum. 

As she came to a halt, Ragatha saw that she was holding Pierrosie with both arms, tightly and safely, sheltering the little doll with her whole body.

Kinger and Ragatha were the first to be at her side.

Behind Kinger, Caine quickly drifted to the UI and did something to make it disappear.

At the same moment, Kinger's goggles vanished.

Caine hasn’t trusted him.

But Ragatha wasn't concerned about that right now.
All she cared about was Pierrosie.

“Is she alright!?” She asked, panicked, taking the completely motionless baby from Pomni's arms.

Pomni nodded weakly. She looked dizzy, as if she didn’t fully understand where she was and what just happened.

“She’s just… tired…” Kinger said, his slurring indicating that he was already forgetting what had been going on.

Ragatha held her close, kissing her little head over and over, tears of relief rolling down her cheek, while simultaneously huddling close to Pomni, who was still sitting on the ground.

“My baby… my baby…” She whispered, as if these words were glue that could weld her broken heart back together.

Pomni slowly stroked her back, while the others came close.

Well, Gangle and Zooble did.
Jax walked away, towards his room.
Ragatha let him.

She wasn’t in the mood for anything other than her baby and wanted to do nothing more than to lie down together with her and Pomni, holding both of them for as long as it would take them to regain themselves.

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