The Reconstitution of a Human Being
Chapter Select:
The SIGNALIS brainrot got me so hard that I had to make this story... so here it is. The title is a working title at least for now, maybe it'll stick, but maybe not. This story's premise is essentially "what if jo had to suffer in the dystopian Nation?"
So as one can see, I really like to write about my OCs in universes of videogames I like a lot...
I've also made several new characters (inc. Gestalts and my OC replika units) which will show up in the story (maybe perhaps) as I write it...
enough rambling, maybe you will enjoy it...
⌈Replika Overview: BZSR⌋
Bioresonante zivile Sicherheitsreplika
-‘Bussard’-
(Bioresonant Civilian Security Replika ‘Buzzard’)
Type: Generation 6 High-Tech Bioresonance Security Unit
Frame: Biomechanical with Polyethylene Shell and Bullet-Resistant Armor Plating
Height: 220 cm
A boon to any security force, BZSR units are designed to integrate seamlessly with existing squads of STAR and STCR units, with the added bonus of being able to work alone. Their bioresonance module allows them to detect bioresonant Gestalts in the general population, though their ability to influence the minds of others is severely limited in comparison to KLBR units.
Despite this, BZSR units are versatile, able to be deployed in a variety of applications ranging from general security to counter-espionage operations.
——————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————
⌈Replika Known Issues: BZSR⌋
Given that the neural template for BZSR units was originally a police officer, they are normally stable and highly loyal, especially when working alone or with other non-bioresonant Replika units. However, Persona degradation tends to accelerate when around degraded bioresonant Replika units (ex. KLBR units) due to the inherent vulnerabilities a bioresonance module brings.
When placed among a squad of STAR units, the BZSR unit’s strong will may cause friction between it and the rest of the squad when it comes to promotions within it. As such, it is important that their ego is properly tempered. Badges or handguns (especially of a higher caliber) typically work best as Fetish objects.
⌈Replika Overview: HHTR⌋
Hochleistungsfähiges Hoch- und Tiefbau-Replika
— ‘Hauchtauber’ —
(Heavy-Duty Aboveground and Underground Engineering Replika ‘Grebe’)
Type: Generation 3 Construction & Civil Engineering Unit
Frame: Biomechanical with High Security Reinforced Armor-Plated Servoshell
Height: 260 cm
These units are unrivaled when it comes to constructing buildings and other civilian & military infrastructure. As such, HHTR units have become ubiquitous across the Nation. In particular, many HHTR units have been deployed to Vineta, where their strengthened hydraulics (compared to the original MNHR frame) help with salvaging derelict buildings from the seafloor and performing construction and repair work underwater.
——————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————
⌈Replika Known Issues: HHTR⌋
HHTR units have a sociable and boisterous personality. As such, they work best in groups of around 5-10 units. However, when working around other replikas not based on the MNHR frame and gestalts, their tendency to roughhouse may cause accidental injuries. Safety training is mandatory for all HHTR units and must be done once every 180 cycles. HHTR units, ironically, do not mix well with MNHR units, so it is best for underground construction teams to make them stay as far away from each other as possible.
It is best to provide the HHTR cadre with a workshop which includes a lathe and mill, especially for woodworking purposes. The objects they make using these machines serve well as Fetish objects.
⌈Replika Overview: WRGR⌋
Wehr- und Geheimdienst Replika
‘Würger’
(Military and Intelligence Service Replika ‘Shrike’)
Type: Generation 5 Espionage & Subterfuge Unit
Frame: Biomechanical with Titanium-Reinforced Polyethylene Shell
Height: 175 cm
These replika units are the premier spies of the Volksarmee’s intelligence arm, able to change appearance via their interchangeable face template. These ‘masks,’ as they are colloquially referred to, can be made to look like any female Gestalt, hiding their true replika appearance. WRGRs have proven extremely effective, especially in the preparation for the liberation of Vineta.
In terms of combat, they are most suited to take out one target at a time with their service pistol and sidearm.
——————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————
⌈Replika Known Issues: WRGR⌋
WRGRs work best when operating in groups of 3 at most, each wearing a different face template. No two WRGR units that work together should wear the same face templates as each other at any time.
To prevent Persona degradation, each WRGR unit should have a default face template that they can reference as their ‘self.’ Certain types of sidearm tend to work best as their Fetish objects (karambits are especially effective), though handheld puzzles may work just as well (however, keep in mind that they switch puzzles often).
⌈Replika Overview: ODTR⌋
Orbitaldiagnostik- und Reparaturtechniker Replika
— ‘Ortolan’ —
(Orbital Diagnostics and Repair Technician Replika ‘Ortolan’)
Type: Generation 5 Kosmo-Ingenieur Specialist
Frame: Biomechanical with Carbon-fiber reinforced Titanium Shell and Titanium Skeleton
Height: 170 cm
Built with an exoskeleton that easily resists the pressure gradient between its body and the vacuum of space, ODTR units are the main Replika type used in the maintenance of orbital platforms and spaceships which would require extravehicular activity (EVA). They are equipped with an internal oxygen module, a hydrazine thruster module, and internal gyroscope which allows them to move through space while maintaining life support during EVAs.
They are also capable of rescuing other personnel that are at risk of asphyxiation in space, whether within or outside a spaceworthy vessel.
——————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————
⌈Replika Known Issues: ODTR⌋
Due to the quirks of the ODTR’s neural template, they have a tendency to freeze up in fear, especially in stressful situations when alone. To compensate for this, ODTRs should work in pairs during EVAs and be evacuated inside when their orbital platform is attacked during an EVA. Allowing them to socialize with EULR units stabilizes their Persona. Do not force an ODTR unit to venture into tight spaces or wield any firearm.
Further Persona stabilization can be achieved by providing them with an observatory and books on astronomy.
⌈Replika Overview: RSAR⌋
Raumfahrzeugschutz und Angriffstaktiker Replika
— ‘Rotschwanz’ —
(Spacecraft Protection and Assault Tactician Replika ‘Redstart’)
Type: Generation 5 Kosmo-Taktiker Specialist
Frame: Biomechanical with Carbon-fiber reinforced Titanium Shell and Titanium Skeleton
Height: 178 cm
This unit was designed specifically to capture imperial ships directly during combat. Equipped with similar modules to ODTR units in addition to electromagnetic foot attachments to help them attach to enemy vessels, these combat-ready Replikas have seen great success accomplishing their function. Due to this success, they have been employed in an expanding range of facilities, most commonly serving in O-series facilities as security.
——————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————
⌈Replika Known Issues: RSAR⌋
Because the neural template of RSAR units is a Kitezhian defector, they are to be closely monitored. Great care is to be taken when it comes to the media they are exposed to, and reminding them of the Nation’s stance on spiritualistic matters helps to stabilize their Persona. Lucky charms, most commonly handmade statuettes, may be kept as Fetish objects, though the commander of each facility may impose alterations as to the appearance of each unit’s charm at their discretion.
⌈Replika Overview: KNCR⌋
Kommando und Nationaler Controller Replika
— ‘Kranich’ —
(Command and National Controller Replika “Crane”)
Type: Generation 5 Bioresonant Control Unit
Frame: Biomechanical with Polyethylene Shell and Bullet-Resistant Armor Plating
Height: 220 cm
As the first bioresonant-capable Replika unit, the role of the KNCR unit has evolved greatly over the years. These units currently serve as high level administrative units, governing sectors across the various planets under the Nation’s control. They also serve as ship captains in the Eusanische Weltraummarine, with each having a cadre of KLBRs subordinate to them. Previously, they served in a role analogous to that currently occupied by FKLR units, though KNCRs occupy a subordinate role to them as of the current epoch.
Newer versions of this model have been fitted with Generation 6 Bioresonance modules, ensuring the longevity of this unit’s service.
——————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————
⌈Replika Known Issues: KNCR⌋
- CLASSIFIED INFORMATION - Commander Eyes Only -
KNCR units tend to sequester themselves in their offices; this is a sign that they are undergoing a self-contained bioresonant feedback loop, and all effort must be taken to stop it. Their subordinate KLBRs are perfectly suited for this task, though EULRs have also performed well in the past. Like KLBRs, if their Persona starts to degrade, they must be decommissioned and replaced immediately.
Each KNCR must be issued a miniature zen garden for Persona stability. They are to make entries in their diary twice per cycle: once upon waking, and once before sleeping.
⌈Replika Overview: EUMR⌋
Einfache Universelle Militär-Replika
- ‘Eissturmvogel’ -
(Simple Universal Military Replika ‘Fulmar’)
Type: Generation 4 Low-Cost Military Unit
Frame: Biomechanical with Polyethylene Shell and Bullet-Resistant Armor Plating
Height: 200 cm
These units form a significant portion of the Volksarmee’s manpower, working in conjunction with Gestalt soldiers and officers as its grunts. Due to their neural template being skilled in a wide variety of combat situations and being able to use almost any firearm, EUMR units have proven incredibly effective in the war against the Empire, both in direct combat and in training Gestalt soldiers.
——————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————
⌈Replika Known Issues: EUMR⌋
- CLASSIFIED INFORMATION - Commander Eyes Only -
EUMR units tend to have longer service lives and are remarkably stable (not counting damage/fatalities in combat). However, Persona degradation is still an issue: if any EUMR shows signs of depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, or general disillusionment with the war effort, they are to be decommissioned immediately. They are to be allowed a trophy item obtained during combat as a Fetish object. During peacetime, they may also be allowed to decorate their helmets.
⌈Replika Overview: NDAR⌋
Notfalldienst- und Gefahrenabwehrtechniker Replika
- ‘Nandu’ -
(Emergency Service and Hazard Response Technician Replika ‘Rhea’)
Type: Generation 5 Emergency Response Specialist
Frame: Biomechanical with Polyphenylene Sulfide Shell and Bullet-Resistant Armor Plating
Height: 180 cm
NDARs serve in both civilian and military roles, acting as paramedics, firefighters, combat medics, and so on. Their heat-resistant shells, combined with their exosuits and their cool-headed Persona, ensure that they are equipped for hazardous situations, ranging from fires to chemical weapon attacks.
——————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————
⌈Replika Known Issues: NDAR⌋
- CLASSIFIED INFORMATION - Commander Eyes Only -
NDARs should not be given rations containing any kind of seafood to avoid resurfacing of Gestalt memories. Their accommodations should also come with at least one vivarium for them to tend to; however, in combat settings, this may be substituted for a digital simulacrum of such an enclosure. Do not break these items in front of any NDAR unit. If these requirements are met, their Personas will remain stable for a long period of time.
Medical History: Chronic asthma, insomnia
Doctor’s Notes: Highly anxious since the attack on 43.8d.
HVG-B - Hochsicherheitseinrichtung zur Verwahrung bioresonanter Gestalten (High-Security Facility for the Containment of Bioresonant Gestalts): Designed to contain & rehabilitate rogue bioresonant Gestalts.
HVG-K - Hochsicherheitseinrichtung zur Verwahrung krimineller Gestalten (High-Security Facility for the Containment of Criminal Gestalts): Designed to contain non-bioresonant Gestalts with criminal records, especially those who have committed violent crimes or treasonous acts against the Nation.
K - Kraftwerk (Power Plant): Any facility that produces electrical power. Facilities under this umbrella include:
L - Landsicherheitseinrichtung (Land Security Facility): Facilities on planetary surfaces designed to enforce the state security apparatus.
O - Orbitale Plattform (Orbital Platform): Facilities in planetary orbit designed to enforce state security & connect interplanetary transit & logistics networks.
S - Staatliche Bildungs- und Arbeitseinrichtung (State Education & Work Facility): Facilities designed to house & educate citizens of the Nation for specialized employment opportunities.
Josefine Zhou sat on her bed, the firm and cold mattress giving her little comfort. She had made sure to check her schoolbag to verify that her things were still in there, which, thank the Revolution, they were. Unfortunately, the heating system in her block had failed yet again, subjecting the girl to an increasing coldness.
She hated this frozen moon. Sure, the occasional view of one of the volcanoes on Boudica erupting against the backdrop of the huge gas giant was nice, but nothing compared to stargazing on Vineta, even if its moon was in the process of being put back together. She missed the ocean breeze, the half-flooded railways bustling with Aras and Hauchtaubers moving to and fro, and her old home.
She’d gladly trade the bitter cold of Rotfront away for a chance to go back to her childhood room. It felt more human than the empty bedroom she sat in, the one decoration on the wall that brought a pop of color to its plain walls being a propaganda poster deeming the cold moon as a ‘hope for the future.’
Yet the blizzards that had yet to be klimaformed away despite over 40 Vinetan revolutions passing since colonisation began always gnawed away at every building in every sector of the moon’s settled surface. It was hardly an image that inspired hope in Josefine.
The opening of the door to the apartment interrupted her longing for Vineta. Josefine scrambled off of her bed, turning the lights off and darting under her blanket as she pretended to sleep.
“Josefine?” her mother asked.
Footsteps echoed through the apartment, coming closer to her room until the door at last opened. Her mother sighed.
“I know you’re awake,” Klara declared, turning the lights on.
Josefine didn’t dare move until her mother tore the blanket off of her. Both of them made eye contact, Klara’s eyes burning through Josephine’s soul.
“I swear, Josefine,” Klara said, half-sighing, “you need to stop pretending to sleep whenever I get home. I trust that you’ve continued keeping up with schoolwork?”
“Yes,” Josephine whispered.
“Good. Make sure you actually get enough sleep tonight. I’ve gotten tired of seeing you wake up on the floor.”
Then, as suddenly as she came, Klara left. Josefine stared up at the ceiling, the short interaction replaying over and over again in her mind. The two of them never spoke to each other much as of late. Rotfront had ruined everything between them.
Josefine turned the lights back off, trying to genuinely fall asleep as she thought of her life on Vineta with her mother and sister. She wondered when Viola would come back from wherever she was. Klara had never explained where the Nation sent Viola to no matter how many times she asked her.
It took an eternity for sleep to finally befall Josefine.
She dreamt of a beach, the familiar Vinetan wind buffeting her as she ran alongside her sister. She didn’t remember her appearance that well due to the sheer amount of cycles it had been since she left. Instead, the vague outlines of the legs of a replika ran alongside her. That was a close enough substitute for Josefine.
“Vi, look!”Josefine exclaimed, pointing at a ship in the distance. Her sister marveled at the vessel alongside it. One of many supply ships sent to aid in the reconstruction effort landed in the distance next to what was once a bustling metropolis.
The two of them stood on the beach together, watching the ship unload its cargo for what felt like aeons.
This was a memory Josefine wanted to relive.
The waves lapping at their feet let Josefine see her reflection for brief moments at a time. Black hair and blue eyes greeted her. To her right was Viola’s reflection, a vague smattering of white, red and black against the wet sand below.
She wondered what Viola would think of her when she finally came back. She’d been in Rotfront for only a few seasons, after all.
As the two of them stood on the beach together, Josefine smiled.
This was a memory she never wanted to forget.
They stood together under the Vinetan sun, watching as the latest construction team exited the ship. The construction replikas’ figures were distant enough that they looked like specks.
“Wanna go in the water?” Josefine asked, tugging Viola’s hand slightly.
Viola hesitated for a moment.
“...Sure,” she said, her voice a bit firmer than Josefine remembered, “don’t get too wet, though.”
“Oh, come on!” Josefine exclaimed. “Water’s supposed to make you wet!”
Viola chuckled a bit as Josefine ran into ankle-deep water. She beckoned her to follow.
“C’mon! We’ve got an hour left before mom’ll be home!” Josefine shouted.
Viola stood still, lost in thought as she stared into the distance. However, her sister’s pleading compelled her to follow. Soon, they splashed water at each other, laughing together and enjoying their precious moments by the ocean.
Yet this was a memory both Josefine and Viola had to wake up from.
And so they did.
Viola woke up with a start as the alarm clock by her nightstand blared at her. She slammed her hand on the snooze button as she lifted herself off of the bed.
She checked the time: 0752 hours?! She was already late for school! She bolted out of the room and into the hallway, running into a bewildered—
“Atalante? What’s gotten into you?”
Viola held her head as a migraine suddenly struck her. The girl fell to the ground as the replika she now recognized as a BZSR unit, tall with three red stars on the forehead, helped her up.
“...who are you?” she asked. “I—I need to get to class soon!”
The BZSR unit sighed. “Oh my goodness, you’re not a student! Look at yourself!”
Viola looked at her body. Synthetic parts coated every inch of it. As she stared at her extremely long legs, she felt her internal diagnostics run in the background of her head. The memories — her memories — flooded back instantly.
“Oh my fucking—”
The STCR unit groaned as she remembered the nickname she gave herself: Atalante, her name. Not whatever Gestalt name ‘Viola’ was.
“Looks like you’re back…” The BZSR unit which Atalante knew as ‘Einstern’ said.
“You can say that again,” Atalante replied. “I just had one of those dreams.”
“About the Vinetan girl, yes. I did a bit of poking around in your head while you were still brainwashed.”
“Yep. I am going to give whoever’s giving me these visions a thrashing when I get a hold of ‘em.”
Atalante stood up, ensuring her balance. “I finally got some sorta name, though. Surprised it took so long for that to happen.”
“Oh?”
“Viola… something. Didn’t get the last name.”
“I see… It is unfortunate that you didn’t get that piece of information.”
“Yeah. Still, a Viola from Vineta narrows things down a lot. I’m gonna inform the higher-ups about this lead immediately, because the last thing I want is that rogue bioresonant continuing to fuck with my goddamn mind!”
Einstern nodded in agreement.
“Let’s just go.”
“Yes, madam.”
The two parted ways, with the STCR returning to her dorm. To her horror, the bookshelf which sat next to her bed had been damaged, as if someone had punched it with extreme force. The other STCRs faced her, their eyebrows furrowing as Atalante realized what she had done.
She wanted to tear her hair out at that moment, especially due to the fact that, somehow, a certain piece of imperial contraband had snuck its way onto the bookshelf again.
“Get an Ara to fix that up,” Atalante said, taking the forbidden book before heading to her office.
—
From: STCR-L5501
To: Land Security Facility ‘Lévy’ Command
Subject: Rogue Bioresonant in population
Sent: 45.93b, 1105 hrs
Hello,
I’m writing to inform you that I finally got a lead from those dreams I’ve been having due to bioresonant influence. Any chance you could find a Vinetan named ‘Viola’ in the ID database? They’re connected to the bioresonant via blood.
— STCR-L5501
—
FROM: Land Security Facility ‘Lévy’ Command
TO: STCR-L5501
Subject: RE: Rogue Bioresonant in population
Sent: 45.93b, 1210 hrs
While it is fortunate that you’ve gotten that lead, it would be inefficient to comb through the database since more than one Gestalt named Viola from Vineta is on Rotfront. I checked the first 5000 entries and found 3 instances that match those criteria. Keep noting things down in your dream diary as you go.
Contact me again once you have a solid lead.
— ADLR-L5501
—
Atalante was on the verge of exploding. Between the bioresonant Gestalt influencing her mind into destroying the bookshelf that held the communal STCR library and her continued inability to find said Gestalt, she was ready to yell at the next replika that so much as inconvenienced her.
That, in part, was why she found herself at the shooting range with some of the resident STAR units, aiming her personal weapon at one of the moving targets.
Her Zhu Armaments PV-45 ‘Komodo,’ chambered in 10x25mm produced by the same company, dispatched the target. Three closely spaced holes perforated the paper dummy which was made to look like an imperial soldier.
The earmuffs that Atalante wore muffled the echoes of other guns, mostly handguns, the STARs were firing. Layered in the background was a guitar song produced by one of the Nation’s state-sponsored musicians. This one, she recognized: ‘Fließband,’ by one Karl Tang, composed specifically for replikas working in factories. The steady beat gave it away.
Another three bullets rocketed out of Atalante’s gun, hitting the moving dummy in the chest area.
“Haha, hell yeah,”Atalante whispered to herself.
Einstern entered the shooting range, carrying her own gun: a Type-78 ‘Protektor Special,’ loaded with a .50 caliber magazine. She walked past the STARs, arriving next to Atalante, who greeted her.
‘Didn’t expect you to be back here so soon,” Einstern remarked.
“Well, you saw what happened. Damn bastard made me smash the bookshelf in the dorm on top of that as well.”
“Damn…”
“Eh, don’t worry. One of the Aras should be done with it soon enough. There’s also the issue of whoever’s smuggling that imperial book in here, too.”
“That’s still happening?”
Atalante’s glare intensified. “We’re still trying to rat out the one behind it. What the hell kinda deal is that stupid play anyway?”
“Dunno. Anyways, our patrol is scheduled for 1800 hours tonight.”
“Ah, shit, forgot about that.”
Einstern put on her earmuffs and unholstered her gun. “Wanna take out a few more targets together?”
Atalante nodded, giving her a smile.
Lorenz Technical High School was not a place Josefine felt at home in. Each breath she took was an ordeal; the air itself, cold and caustic, irritated her lungs. Even after three seasons, the Vinetan girl still hadn’t acclimated to the climate, so she wore a thick scarf and coat in addition to the standard uniform during the morning train ride to the school.
As she entered the bustling lobby, she checked her schoolbag.
Inhaler? Safe in a small compartment, along with spare canisters.
Her binder was also there, its notes untouched and neatly organized.
Her pencil case remained intact, and she’d taken off her mask and put it inside once she entered the school. Everything was accounted for.
Josefine headed upstairs, past the hustle and bustle of the lobby and towards her homeroom on the second floor. The Nation’s flag hung in every classroom, adjacent to portraits of the Great Revolutionary and her daughter. A bulletin board had posters for the various clubs which called Lorenz High home strewn about it in orderly fashion. She’d wanted to join the electronics club, but there was one student—
“Hey, Vineta!”
Josefine flinched at the sudden call for her. From behind her appeared a blonde girl with green eyes, her straight hair done in a clean style.
“Oh, h-hi, Irene,”Josefine replied.
“Don’t be shy, Vineta,” Irene said, inching closer to Josefine as she recoiled. “Anyways, you’re done with the introductory algebra assignment, right?”
“Y-yeah—”
“C’mon, let me see it!”
Josefine pushed her schoolbag behind her as Irene reached out for it, causing the latter to grunt in frustration. She stepped backwards, colliding with a locker as Irene continued to reach out for her bag.
“Give it to me, Vineta!”
“N-No…” Josefine managed to whisper.
“Just give it to her,” a different voice demanded, belonging to another girl. She came from behind Irene, her hair shorter and darker than hers.
Upon seeing Irma emerge from behind Irene, Josefine tried in vain to compress her body against the lockers. The two girls pinned her against them. She felt her throat contract, each breath harder to make than the last. She instinctually unzipped her bag to take out her inhaler, but Irene seized the opportunity and yanked it away from her, ripping the binder out of the bag and scouring its contents for the assignment.
Josefine tried in vain to reach for her bag, but Irma stood in the way as Irene found the assignment and copied all its contents. A burning sensation enveloped her neck, causing her to grip it in pain and stop resisting. She tried to utter a few words, but they were too silent for the two girls to hear.
Not that they cared.
For an agonizing minute, she sat against the locker as the two girls finished copying her work. Thank the Revolution that they relented, Josefine thought, as they plopped her schoolbag and binder in front of her.
She heard their laughter as she used her inhaler, taking in deeper breaths than she expected as her throat relaxed. Her diaphragm heaved as filtered air refilled her lungs.
“Thanks a lot, Vineta!” Irene said as she and Irma walked away, leaving her discarded form behind.
Josefine recollected her things, then staggered up and headed to her first class of the cycle.
—
The cycle passed with such monotonous pace that, if the Eules teaching her spoke another syllable, she reckoned, she’d have fallen asleep on one of the desks. Irene’s constant teasing during Electromagnetism 101 didn’t help things either. But, after Elementary Algebra had finished, she wandered through the corridors as all the other students began their commute to their blocks.
She had been interested in joining the electronics club, after all. The Nation’s investment into technology had nurtured that interest. A memory of her mother watching her solder components onto a circuit alongside an Ara played back in her mind as she approached Room 0256, the electronics lab.
She sighed, grateful for her mother allowing her to stay out late so she could join the club (or try to), but unsettled by her cold demeanor. However, just as she was about to enter the room…
“Hey, Vineta!”
“I-Irene?!”
Josefine spun around to find the silhouette of Irene surrounded by the dim light of Rotfront’s twilight reflecting off the many Plattenbauten outside the hallway windows. She took a step closer, yet Josefine remained frozen in fear.
“Oh, come on! I’m not some Imperial spy or anything! Just your friendly neighborhood Irene!”
Another step closer. Josefine took a smaller step away from her.
“Anyways… I was thinking…”
Irene made an exaggerated expression of pondering to her.
“I still need to study a bit more, and your brain’s looking like the best source of help for me, so…”
Closer Irene came until her and Josefine’s faces were centimeters away.
“...mind coming to the library with me?”
“I was—”
“Oh, come on! It’s not an option.”
Just as Irene was about to yank her to the library, the door to the lab opened, revealing a green-eyed girl wearing thin rectangular glasses. Her brown hair was tucked to one side, her locks slightly obscuring her right eye. She skeptically observed the two girls as Irene let go of Josefine’s hand.
Josefine instantly took the opportunity.
“U-uh, are you… are you in the electronics club?”she asked.
“Yeah! I’m a member! Are you interested too?” the green-eyed girl turned to Irene, who glared to the side.
“No… I was about to go someplace else,” Irene replied.
“I see. Are you thinking about joining, then?”
Irene shook her head.
“Well, uh… have a good night!”
As Irene reciprocated with a curt response, the green-eyed girl noticed the nervous Josefine standing behind her letting out a sigh of relief.
“Are… are you okay?”
“I… I don’t know,” Josefine replied after a long moment.
The bespectacled girl sighed. “Irene… she can be a bit of a handful sometimes,” she finally said.
Josefine’s eyes widened in interest. “Y-You know her?”
“Yeah, but not as a friend, really… She’s gotten into a bit of trouble with the Eules lately. I tried helping her out with homework, but she seemed to just copy my work without understanding it.”
“T-That’s—”
The green-eyed girl raised her eyebrows as Josefine hesitated. “She’s done the same with you, hasn’t she?”
Josefine nodded, her hands trembling as she clenched the handle of her schoolbag.
“I see…”
“C-Can I see the stuff you have in the lab?”
“Oh, sure! Let me show you around! But please, let me introduce myself. I’m Nikola Zhu, and you are?”
“Josefine Zhou. I-It’s nice to meet you.”
“Nice to meet you too.”
Nikola opened the door to the lab and ushered Josefine inside. Josefine was surprised at the amount of equipment the club had on hand: several Aldebaran Model V single-board computers laid on a table, the one immediately next to it holding several soldering stations. Boxes containing electrical components and breadboards were neatly stacked in a cabinet, an Ara inspecting each and every one of them.
“W-We have Aras here?” Josefine asked, remembering her days back at her true home.
“Yeah, they help a lot with the electronics! They also make sure that we’re safely using all our equipment.”
“I see…”
Josefine stared at the Ara for a bit before looking out the window. A line of Plattenbauten overlooked a railroad, occasionally lit by streetlamps placed along the adjacent sidewalk. Silhouettes of a patrol cadre inched leftwards.
The tour continued until Josefine excitedly confirmed that she’d be joining the club. At that moment, several students entered, one among them bearing a badge depicting an oak tree and thunderbolt.
That student, who had short brown hair and slightly red eyes, noticed the new student with Nikola.
“I haven’t seen you around before,” they said. “Are you a new member?”
“She’s actually looking to join now,” Nikola replied.
The student smiled. “Oh, in that case, welcome to the club! I’m Robin, Robin Hou, club president.”
The two of them shook hands. Josefine, for the first time in what felt like an eternity, felt at home. The Ara, who stood behind them, felt a sudden headache course through her head. She stumbled and kept herself from falling.
“Ara?” one of the other students asked. “Are you okay?”
“I’m fine…” the Replika replied. “Just had the weirdest sense of déjà vu.”
The Ara noticed Josefine in the group. “New member?”
Josefine nodded.
“Well, not before she fills out the required form,” Robin responded. “I’ll go get it for her.”
The club president went to the back of the room as the Ara and Josefine stared at each other.
“I swear, something’s telling me I should remember you, but… ah, forget it,” the unit said, retreating to her maintenance of the club’s equipment.
Nikola stepped to Josefine’s side. “Weird. I’ve never seen any Replika do that before. But, I noticed your accent. Are you from off-world?”
“Vineta, actually,” Josefine admitted.
“Oh, that makes perfect sense. How come you came here?”
“Mom got work as a state security officer… but… she was already doing fine back home, s-so…”
Josefine froze up.
“It’ll be okay, Josefine,” Nikola assured her. “You really miss it back there, don’t you?”
Josefine nodded.
“Don’t worry. I’m sure you’ll get used to Rotfront eventually.”
She hoped that that would be true.
To Josefine’s surprise, Nikola insisted that she go home with her after she heard that both of them lived in adjacent Plattenbauten. They had reached the two neighboring blocks by 1805 hours.
She had endured a lot more conversation than she expected on the train ride home, but it felt strange. She pondered if this was what liberation felt like. Despite this, Josefine felt her throat contract again. She tightened her scarf.
“Are you okay?” Nikola asked.
“Yeah, just cold is all…”
Each word took more effort from her to utter.
“L-Let’s go inside…”
“Sure.”
They were only a few meters from the door, so everything should be fine, Josefine thought. Yet the feeling persisted, and a gust of wind buffeted the girls—
渡
Josefine caught her breath, sitting against the wall emblazoned with the words Arbeitersiedlung Reutersvärd in bold red typeface. Nikola stood over her, holding her inhaler.
“Josefine? Josefine, can you hear me?”
“Y-yeah… I’ll be fine,” she choked out.
It was then that she noticed her arm aching. She brought it up and tended to it, confused as to how she got hurt.
“I… How did I…?”
“You fell over when you started choking. I didn’t know you had asthma…”
Josefine frowned. “Ever since I moved here, it’s gotten worse.”
She shivered. The air conditioning in the blocks wasn’t strong enough to counteract the chill that seeped in from the outside.
“I don’t know if I can take the cold anymore.”
Nikola sat beside her, putting her arm on Josefine’s shoulders. She passed over the inhaler to Josefine, who took it and put it back in her schoolbag.
“I promise you I’ll be by your side,” Nikola said.
Josefine gawked at her. “You promise?” she asked, just now noticing tears that had long streaked down her face.
“I promise,” Nikola affirmed.
“T—Thank you…”
They sat together for another moment before the door to the lobby opened, bringing with it a wave of cold air and a woman Josefine recognized instantly.
“Josefine. Why are you out in the lobby?” Klara asked in a deadpan tone as she walked to the pair.
“S—She was just helping me out!”
Josefine straightened herself up, much to Nikola’s surprise.
“I—I had an attack when we were walking together, s—so she helped me out…”
She braced herself for something, which concerned and confused Nikola.
“I see. Did everything go well with the electronics club?”
“Yeah,” Nikola chimed in. “She signed up today and’ll work with us tomorrow!”
“Good.” Klara’s demeanor was unaltered by Nikola’s excitement. “I don’t recall you inviting her to our apartment today, though.”
Josefine stammered out, “S—She was just walking home with me.”
“I see. Let’s go home, then.”
Klara took Josefine’s hand and ushered her up the stairs, leaving Nikola alone to process what she’d seen.
“Was that… her mom?” she whispered. “What’s up with those two?”
變形
“...and you are not to bring her into our residence, do you understand?”
“I—I know, I know! I—I didn’t i—invite her at all!”
“Good. I hope you have a good night.”
The door slammed behind Klara as Josefine once again shriveled atop her bed. She stared up at the top of the alcove where it lay, wondering why Klara had become the way she was now.
She ruminated on the days before her sister’s departure as she sat there, her eyes darting around her bare room. Its sole decorations were a propaganda poster depicting Rotfront and a desk with her dream diary and waking journal. She got up, walking on tiptoes to avoid alerting her mother, to read her most recent dream.
45.93b
dreamt of Vineta again
Viola was there, she looked like a storch, but i knew it was her
we ran across the beach and saw the ships together
i felt happy
…
…
She closed the diary and opened her waking journal. Using the one pencil allotted to her by her mother, she began writing in it. Not one sentence later did she scribble across the page in frustration.
She didn’t feel like writing today.
After doing her homework for the cycle, she called it a day. Turning the lights off, Josefine lay across her brick of a mattress. Falling asleep turned into an ordeal: Josefine tossed and turned so much that her blanket coiled around her, a snake made of fabric that threatened to suffocate her. She unconsciously tossed it onto the floor before she finally fell asleep.
She and a Storch—no, it had to be Viola—held hands together on a mountaintop on Rotfront. A radio tower stood strong against the wind pummeling it. The gas giant Prometheus was visible directly above the two, its gigantic red cyclone swirling within its skies.
The Storch Viola tugged at her, wanting to run away from wherever they were, but her metallic legs stood frozen on the snow-covered road. A dread arose from the deepest parts of their souls.
The sky glowed red as Prometheus grew in size, closing in on the pair. Josefine, captivated as she was by the sky, looked down. There, she saw her loafers and Viola’s hooves boots dangling in the air, the ground moving further and further away.
Josefine tried to ask the Protektor Viola what was happening, but her mouth remained shut as the sky reddened. The swirling red clouds inside Prometheus’s storm took up more of their view. Wind jostled the two of them as they flew into the gas giant’s atmosphere, somehow being able to breathe in the frigid hydrogen around them.
Then, she felt a gaze, an inferno concentrated into a razor-thin spear that impaled the length of her spine. Every organ in Josefine’s body wanted her to recoil, but it was frozen. The tension burned her from the inside out as she saw a gigantic red eye stare at her. The only sign of the Storch Viola Josefine perceived was her hand, still clenched around hers.
Its iris moved in a grotesque manner. At every angle, Josefine felt the spear that was its gaze pierce through her body. She wanted to scream, to cry out, but no sound ever came from her mouth.
Bells tolled—
“Do you hear it?”
She heard ringing, and the trumpets—
“Do you hear the song of the stars?”
Then came soft piano, overlapping with the other instruments—
“Child…”
—in a cacophony—
“Now that you have seen the Red Eye…”
She begged her arm’s muscles to move and cover her ears—
“…what secrets of the stars remain hidden from you shall be revealed…”
She wanted to see Viola’s face again—
“…and you shall become a conductor.”
Red overtook her eyes.
A star fell upon the oceans of Vineta.
A third of the creatures of the sea died.
The oceans turned red like blood.
And the waters of its rivers turned bitter.
She felt sheet music in her hands.
A pair of soldiers embraced.
A woman in white met a Replika.
Both pairs wanted to run away together, and suffered a grim fate.
So many vistas flashed by her eyes…
…that they all blurred together…
Her fragile mind imploded.
共鳴
Josefine heaved, taking deep breaths as she supported herself above the sink, with her inhaler and some paper clenched in her hands. Droplets of warm red liquid dripped from her face: her blood! As she realized that the bathroom lights were turned on, confusion took hold.
The nightmare she’d had felt more vivid than even the previous night’s dream with the Storch Viola. The coldness of Prometheus’s atmosphere still sent chills down her spine. She saw dim light from outside the bathroom, whose door lay ajar. A clock, its display made of Nixie tubes, read 0218 hours.
She wiped blood off her face as she tried remembering how she’d ended up here, but a pain pulsed through her head as she recalled the gaze of the Red Eye. She’d learned about the superstition upon arriving in Rotfront all those seasons ago, but experiencing it in that dream…
She shuddered, not wanting to remember it until she retreated into her room and wrote in her dream diary, where the experience would then be buried forever.
She set aside the inhaler on the sink, choosing to unfold the paper which she didn’t recall having.
31.14c
Wermut Device Deployed in Vineta
KVON High Command has announced today that, in their efforts to combat Imperial forces on Vineta, a Wermut-type nuclear device was deployed in a major Vinetan city. KVON High Command has stated that, due to the heavy depopulation experienced in said city, that civilian casualties are minimal, and have additionally added that heavy losses were inflicted on the Imperial side. However, significant losses, including the destruction of the Vinetan Central Neural Archive, were suffered by the Nation. Higher-ups in the Eusan Revolutionary Vanguard Party and AEON have made statements ensuring the public that Replika production will not be…
She stopped reading after that, perplexed as to how a newspaper from when she was a baby ended up in her hands. She shook her head, wanting to figure it out after sunrise.
So she returned to her bedroom, making sure that all the lights in the apartment were off, wrote her experience in her dream diary, and fell asleep with such swiftness that she felt relieved.
不斷
Josefine passed through what appeared to be an eye’s pupil before landing face-first into a basement. Cold air seeped through her school uniform, dirtied by rust and dust. A multitude of Storches lay on either side of her.
Through the corridor she went, walking past all the Storches, who grew shorter as their hair lengthened. She saw the word ‘truth’ written in red paint on the walls, each instance rotated and resized to multiple degrees.
She ventured further, the word coating more of the wall as she went. More copies of Viola Storches lay against each side, some even wearing a uniform identical to hers for some inexplicable reason.
Going against her better judgement, she touched one of the Violas Storches’ arms, noting its softness. Its surface had the texture of skin.
She turned back, but the hair on the figures laying against the wall looked more like Viola’s. It was almost like—
She embraced herself, repeating the word ‘no’ over and over again like a mantra. These were Storches, she tried to assure herself, but doubt had crept in.
A voice resounded from an intercom system: “The phantom of truth shall haunt you.”
真
Josefine jolted awake, shielding herself from the light of the morning sun streaming through her bedroom door.
“Ngh, must be early,” she mumbled as she covered herself with her blanket.
Her door flew open, slamming into the wall and causing her to shudder.
Klara declared, “Josefine! Communal exercises are in thirty minutes!”
She groaned, “Mom, can I sleep a bit longer?” The words trickled from her mouth.
“No, not a moment more!”
Sighing, she lifted herself off her mattress, the blanket crumpling behind her.
Communal exercises took their usual toll on Josefine, the girl’s breath struggling to keep up with the routine that the resident Star unit was putting her and all the other residents through. Each time the Replika swapped between exercises came a command, shouted by the Star and accompanied by an insistence from Klara. At least the air was warm, she thought as sweat pooled into her cotton tracksuit.
The Reutersvärd-Escher Gymnasium fit two-hundred people, Gestalts and Replikas, inside. Next to her and her mother stood an Eule, a nurse, who flexed her arms and legs with a grace Josefine envied. The Replika smiled at her as her mother demanded, “Come on! Follow along with the Protektor!” as she became lethargic.
Finally, after an eternity of lagging behind, the Star’s routine ended. Josefine fell onto the floor, but Klara yanked her up, pulling her out of the main gymnasium and into the female Gestalt shower room.
She grumbled, “Can’t I rest for a bit?”
Klara’s response was curt. “There are other residents that’ll come in soon.”
After plopping her next to their designated lockers, Klara put a towel on her lap, sitting next to her daughter as she waited for their turn in the showers. The air inside had the same Rotfront chill as all the other parts of the apartment blocks, but heat from the warm water of the showers countered it.
Josefine unzipped her jacket, setting it aside. A couple Stars monitored her and the rest of the Gestalt residents, calling on each by name to replace another that exited the showers like clockwork. Soon, one beckoned her and Klara to enter.
The feeling of warm water flowing on her body provided her with one of the few respites she had on this icy moon. The liquid tended to her aching muscles, relieving all tension within them. As she spread soap over her body, she hummed a tune to herself: one of the patriotic hymns composed for the Vorhutjugend. It served as a reminder to her that she’d have to attend it next cycle.
Turning off the shower, she reminisced about Vineta, its oceans and the sea breeze as she dried herself. Here was the closest place to the ocean world as she could get; even if it was a shell of a simulacrum compressed into a three by three meter cubicle, experiencing water as a liquid in this manner seldom came on Rotfront.
After exiting the stall and changing into her civilian clothing, she noticed a familiar-looking girl while walking with Klara to their apartment block. The girl turned and she recognized the girl’s face.
Josefine shouted “Nikola!” as she excitedly ran over to her, her excitement echoing through the mask she wore.
Nikola nearly fell over due to her sudden embrace, but she quickly took her hands off of her once she realized what she had done and apologized.
“It’s okay,” Nikola said. “You must be excited for tonight.”
“I am!”
They shared laughter as Klara caught up to them. Her firm hand pressed on Josefine’s shoulder. She cleared her throat.
“We still need to get ready.”
Josefine managed to say “I’ll see you on the train!” before heading to the Reutersvärd block. She felt optimistic today, a rarity under the white skies of Rotfront.