Staring down the campfire blaze fluttering against the raging darkness, I sat solemnly on the periphery watching the dim-lit embers scattering in the wind. To be reborn after the ash settled, after everything has crashed and burned is a form of a new beginning, yet in an ironic twist of fate, I had what I wanted and loathed it.

Five of us gathered under the starless night, while the makeshift cloth tent fluttered through the midnight breeze making me shiver.  

I instinctively kept myself close to Firewall, with my hands crossed while holding my shoulders, two others sat while another was bowing on the other side of the fire, eyeing curiously their two guests.  

A squirmish girl roughly my age clutches her antiquated black blouse so tight she’ll rip it in two. A familiar noirette with blue streaks, Patchnotes— the one who nursed me earlier— with lowered eyes she stutters “I-I’m terribly sorry everyone! I-If I wasn’t careless none of this would’ve happened.” 

She bowed in utter shame, from her negligence of not standing after me and apologized by bowing at us, her head lowered so much that it almost touched the ground. 

Firewall and the other two didn’t take the ordeal as seriously as she did and were even amused by her overly courteous display. 

Firewall motions his hand in jest, “It’s fine it isn’t your fault, she’s already here safe and sound.” He says, referring to me as if they’ve known each other since birth. “Right, Malware?” He reassures. Without a choice, I answered “Only because you said so,” I sighed.   

The two others were little boys who helped her sit down after her bow, one spontaneous, the other inconspicuous. Blue and yellow, despite sharing identical forms including pale silver hair, their difference might as well be night and day.  

The livelier of the two— wearing an oversized yellow raincoat— spoke first “‘The more the merrier! More people means bigger families!” He cheers with his hands held high, the other nods at him before turning to us “Even if things didn’t start nicely, I know that my decision won’t be wronged.” He says with a relieved look. 

My eyebrow raises “Your decision?” I ask with pursed lips, he tenses up like he’d bit his tongue.  

Firewall takes over for him. “He’s the one who helped us get here.” He answers, easing my face, I sigh. I better not be indebted to him, because of this… 

After that clarification, he’d easen his gestures also, motioning his head with a smile “I’m glad your vitals are way better now.” He states while keeping his eyes locked to mine. 

Then, our voices soon timidied down, whether because they had nothing left to say or nothing worth interesting to mention. For me, It’s just that, I’m still recuperating myself, bracing for the inevitable darkness; the lingering directionlessness that pervades in me. The same sensation that caused me to spiral in all sorts of reckless avenues— videogames— vices that merely lent temporary happiness…

As for my success… I’ll just have to live long enough to work for an opportunity to make things right. 

Firewall— having initiative— broke the silence among us, bearing a means to break the ice.

“Because we’re the guests, we’ll be the first to do introductions.” He remarks with the clap of his hand “The name’s Firewall, nice meeting you all.” He says, “I was about to… go home for college, before all of this happened.” He explains scratching his head. 

Despite not saying a word, I’ve already assumed his past through his outfit, although the time that it took for him to finish his sentence struck me as odd, I didn’t question it. 

Patchnotes wanes, holding a hand over her face while her cheeks puffed.

“Wearing that… bucket?” Patchnotes asks while holding her laughter, pointing at Firewall’s beloved headgear. 

He meets her look with confusion, but played along with a chuckle. “This? I can take it off if you’d like.” He answers back, while hoisting the helmet off his head. 

Numerous clicks and shifting could be heard from the device before he finally pulls it off… it never occurred to me that this is the first time taking the thing off, while being so nonchalant about it.

Now that I notice, could this be his sign of showing vulnerability…? 

Locks of messy black hair with a red streak matching his sparkly eyes, he was definitely as old as I am yet his fresh— naively innocent— demeanor contrasted his otherwise cold and firm exterior.  

He softly passes the helm over to the curious pair, who graciously grabbed and began toying with it “Sure! It looks cool, where did you find it?” the boy with sparkly eyes cheers. 

“Just what is this thing?” Patchnotes obliviously grasps the helm from Firewall, looking the more curious the second longer she held it.

Intel remained fixed on Firewall however, undistracted by his peers’ noise.

“You look just like my brother—” He says while examining his face, a similar face came to my mind too… one that I’d willingly harmed. 

I chimed in, wanting to confirm myself “You mean?” I pressed as a sinking shroud of awkwardness brewed between us. He’d jump hearing me interject so strongly and nervously chuckled “Ah— he’s alright, if that’s what you’re asking.” he reassures while waving his hands.

“I see.” I mutter, relieved that he wasn’t bothered about the ordeal, although I wonder if he’d known about the gunshot he’d fire towards me. 

He rekindles the conversation with a smile and tugging at his orange jacket “His name is Shutdown, my older brother… let me apologize on his behalf for his short temper.” he softy chuckles his explanation, looking at the stars whilst he spoke of his brother.  

He lowers his head back with a serious glint in his eyes“I’m Intel… I’m just as lost as all of you about the world… But I’m sure we can figure out what happened.” “I must’ve slept past it, I can’t remember much either.” He entails, expectedly yielding no results.

Among these three, I found myself gravitating towards Intel the most, his prim and proper first makes me think we’ll find common grounds far easier compared to the other two.   

“Nice to meet you, Intel, where’s Shutdown? Is he not joining us?” I ask albeit for my own concern more than anytthing. After all, his disdain for me was clear as day when he was tricked, and It’ll be foolish of me to assume he’d let that slide unsettled.   

He shakes his head with closed eyes “He’s fine, he doesn’t fare too well with too many people around.” He remarks with crossed arms.  

I nodded, without anything else to add. Our attention quickly found itself to Firewall by clearing his throat. 

“And your name, little guy?” he calls for the kid who’d found interest with his helm.   

The boy smiles and happily obliges “My name’s Cookies! I don’t really remember much…” he explains,  

’Not much changed really, but Intel and Shutdown helped me out!” He adds with the same enthusiastic tone. 

Although, as much as I didn’t want to be a bother, these answers proved to disappoint

“Do you guys really not remember anything?” I demand with my per-as-usual tone, and unsurprisingly, the group was taken aback and silent for a brief moment.

A part of me suspected the lengths of what they really knew, but how could I possibly verify such thoughts? Besides, what will they gain by withholding their knowledge in this situation besides anonymity?   

Much to my surprise however, the girl— Patchnotes— tuned in. 

“Well, I do.” she answers while shifting her hands “You know me, Patchnotes… I recall the weather was particularly bad that day my dad told us there'll be a storm surge coming… but after that I can’t remember anything.” she entails, squirmish in tone— as if simultaneously besieged by concern and fright— Cookies sensed this and leaned himself beside her, with a comforting gesture. 

“Your family? Where are they?” I follow up, pressing further, hoping that my words could jog her memory at least. 

She grows frantic— eyes flailing and hands jittering— her stutter exasperates while answering. 

“I- I want to know too, but something must’ve happened during that storm to split us apart.” She answers before freezing stiff. 

As if overcome with a horrific revelation, I could even almost feel her shout “This can’t be!” yet before she could, she capitulates and relents. Slouching her shoulders while tears well up in her eyes.       

Intel interjects to quell her tears, he presses her hand while touching her back.   

“I’m sorry… we hope to help you find them.” He reassures with certainty, she sighs and accepts his words for the moment.  

“Don’t lose hope, we’ll find them soon enough.” Firewall parrots with the same committed look, the same ones he’s given me, just as I’d picture it under his helm.  

“I’m Malware.” I introduced myself, intending to steer the conversation away from the problematic route I’ve accidentally caused. “As for me… I was on my way home back from work before the rain came.” I explained, withholding the more nuanced details in my mind.  

If that’s how they’re going about theirs, then better be safe by following them along. 

“To me, none of this right, is it just me?” I added, I couldn’t have been the only one who found the seemingly unreality of our situation strange. Hopefully, I could at least have just another person relate to my suspicions…  

The group halts, I’d not notice until now but for the length of my intro they’ve kept their eyes firmly onto me, not that it was bothersome, on the contrary they’re genuine gazes… 

I’ve long grown weary and used to corporate stares and dull expressions that seeing life through people’s eyes for once felt like an anomaly, leaving me stunned shut. 

I wasn’t saying anything wrong, and yet I felt as though these  kind looks sent for me were largely undeserved. 

The enthusiastic Cookies would begin to think with exaggerated features— leaning down on his hand, while propping it under his thighs, closing his eyes with a frown— reenacting a child-like rendition of The Thinker by Auguste Rodin.  

“Well, after witnessing those robots I thought I was dreaming, but it’s really cool to see them in real life.” He says, despite the infantile answer, it was nonetheless something… at least.   

“I get you, it’s almost like we’re in a game.” Intel adds on, being the more inquisitive between them, though his words aren’t much better.   

“A game? I-I’m sorry but I don’t think this is tag or hide and seek…” Patchnotes questions— with sincere confusion— If only she’d been kidding but I found zero traces of jest on her face or tone. 

Has she been living under a rock? Even the most unfortunate— dirt poor— individuals know what videogames are and despite my rejection of these distractions, I am nonetheless aware of them, 

“We’re not talking about those games!” Cookies harps on, carrying my sentiment, and whispers something— an explanation hopefully— to her ear.    

“You’ve never seen a videogame before?” I pressed, simultaneously amused yet concerned.    

“Y-you can say that.” She answers. 

I’d shook my head baffled by her words— my ears were working fine yet, that just didn’t sound right— But, before I was able to press further about how shallow her technological awareness was a sixth guest stepped before our campfire. 

A lanky silhouette approaches from the shadow, his face obscured by the shadow casted by the flame,  

“Welcome guests” “Or should I say, soon-to-be trackers of new hope.” He reaches for us with stainless metallic arms. 

While leaning forward, he shows a rather inhuman sight of a metal mask of a human face. Most disturbing of all, one glance at one of the pair eye holes shows he “lacked” eyes so to speak. He was faceless like that old man that roamed the alley, and so he chose to wear a mask in its place? 

They were the same… but he was clearly the more human of the two. Do these things have varying levels of awareness?

“You can call me Capitan and this is district Nueva Esperanza.” He explains with a cheeky bravado while we lagged behind, still processing his arrival. “Already well acquainted with each other huh? Patchnotes, lead ‘em the way.” He points his arm towards the dark.   

Patchnotes reacts almost instantaneously, realizing the cue and stood up.

“A-ah! Oh right… I’ve almost forgotten Capitan, I’m sorry! this way you four.” she stutters while ushering us towards the darkness. 

“Right now, your thoughts must be filled with questions, things like “what  happened”, “where’s my family?”, “where are we?” Let me, as your leader explain.” Capitan explains, while we traversed along the sidewalk

Then he continued, about storms and catastrophes that swept the world and caused an apparent “rapture” like those preached by evangelists on TV. He calls it the rapture because it took everyone else besides us, 

soon after came these metallic beings— the entities and the variants— fundamentally different from ourselves, yet he makes the emphasis that the familiar non-aggressive human-like “variants” must be protected as brothers and sisters, as we our few and far between. 

Apparently, those with auths and protocols belong to a category as well, “units” and unlike variants, we have independence and awareness to make our own decisions. 

This means, we have the responsibility to watch over and be their protectors. However, the thing that mostly piqued my interest was the way out, similarly to other peoples belief he says that the real world was waiting for them beyond, there must be a way to pierce through the storm and free themselves here.

That remains as our apparent mission, which is to quell the unnatural storm surrounding us. 

As easy as it sounds, he didn’t seem to have a direct process on how to do so… just that it’s our apparent “mission”.  

Before us, I presume that we’ve arrived at our destination, the Capitan made sure we’d know that. 

“Do you understand?” He concludes, seemingly expecting us to already be on board.

The moonlight sunk deeper into the apparent barrier casting a stark shadow before us, a concrete segment— several stories tall— stretching both sides to cover us like a fortress. 

Unbothered, the capitan barely gave mind towards it, and instead turned our attention on the barely hanging-on bulletin board that was nailed on it. 

A wooden plank with some accents that was expected of one, although what stuck out were the things pinned to it…    

“That’s the spirit! Be ready, because you’re getting your first missions today.”