Here, on his own outside-world PC, he’d finally done it—finally assembled the framework for what might someday become a second Alexandria. Eventually, he might even find a way to access her from out here. Maybe. It...probably wasn’t smart, but he was at least considering it.
Otherwise? He’d at least be able to begin recreating her, given time. And he could use those building blocks to build her, more than just her knowledge. He smiled. What would Alex sound like, if she could choose a voice? If she wasn’t just limited to rattling locked doors and dropping books on his head? He closed his eyes, and for a moment, he heard it again—that voice, that’d spoken to him while the Library burned. Would she choose that, if she could, or something else entirely?
That was a question for the future, though. Daniel nodded, brushing a strand of hair back behind one ear. He’d get there, one step at a time.
He’d decided to keep moving forward, and he would.
Something in his chest still twinged, still longed for the thought of just being free to be himself. The rest of him stomped down on that hard and fast. Don’t do that, his thoughts hissed. Don’t whine. Don’t mope. Make the most of it.
So he would. Together with Alexandria. He’d keep moving, until he found his own place. And so…
Reaching out, he took his phone in hand. Painfully slow, he lifted it, turning its screen to face him. It lit up, bright and welcoming.
Daniel sighed. Something about this...it still felt like giving in. Like going right back to the life he’d so-recently abandoned.
But he didn’t have a lot of choice. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t think of a way to change his situation. Making the most of it was the next best thing. He wouldn’t get outside, and he...he wouldn’t get the friends he’d made. He wouldn’t get Leon. Best he got that through his head now—and that didn’t mean he couldn’t have anything at all.
The messenger app appeared under his thumb. He pulled it up, lips pressed tightly together. A pair of familiar names appeared at the top of the screen.
Lucas, Nate. You guys free tonight? I’m bored.
Moving to hit send, he paused, frowning.
This was fine. He’d make it be fine.
Before he could stop himself or mull it over again, he jabbed the button. The message disappeared into the nether. The phone dropped back to his desk a moment later, landing with a heavy clack.
And Daniel leaned away once more, lacing his fingers behind his head.
It might take a while, but he’d be fine.
- Chapter Five -
Owl stared down at the tiny, faintly-glowing box—the culmination of his efforts for what felt like an eternity. Without guests in the Library, it was harder than ever to track the passage of time. But there it was, smack dab in the middle of the table where it could be the center of attention. For once, it felt good for something besides for him to fill that role.
“So that’s it?” Leon said, leaning in. His brows furrowed, drawing together delicately.
“Doesn’t look like much,” James mumbled. “Just a little thing.”
“That’s it,” Owl said, reaching out to lay a hand atop the box—the computer, painstakingly forged by machine and by magic over the span of his visits. “What exactly were you expecting?”
He watched James’ expression slowly turn more perplexed, more intense. “Well, you talked this thing up. Made it seem like it’s this big, groundbreaking creation.”
Maya glared at him from the far side of the table. “It’s supposed to be an AI. It’s not going to be big and complicated. It’s a computer.”
He snorted. “Maybe it will. It’s supposed to be all sorts of fancy, right?”
Owl rolled his eyes. Left unchecked, the two would continue on all day. Leon stepped forward, though, bringing Owl’s musings to a close.
“Does it work?” Leon said, crouching down to bring the box to eye level. “Does it...What does it do?”
Owl smirked, nodding down at the thing. “Say hi.”
Leon glanced back to him, confused. “What?” At Owl’s gesture he slowly turned around, examining the box carefully. “Uh...hi?”
“Hello,” the computer said.
Leon jumped. Maya jumped. Hell, even James jumped, as much as he was trying to hide it. “Holy shit,” Leon said. “Warn me next time.”
“What were you expecting?” Owl said, starting to chuckle. “Hell, even Alexa talks, in the outside world.”
James shifted from foot to foot. “In the real world.”
Owl shrugged. “Whatever.”
“That’s so cool, though,” Maya said, creeping up to join Leon. “And this is what you’ve been working on for so long?” She reached out, tapping a finger against the case. “Uh...hi?”
“Please don’t touch me,” the box said with what sounded like a sigh. “It itches.”
Maya blinked—and then snorted, grinning at it. “You gave it an attitude, Owl?”
Again, Owl shrugged, but shoved his hands into the pockets of his coat.
He had. Programming the system with a proper personality had taken most of the last few months of outside-world time, which amounted to...far too long inside. It’d been a lot of work, but...he couldn’t imagine working on a project like this, a faux replacement for Alexandria, without incorporating a bit of fire to her.
Even still...he shivered, listening as Maya and James began a furious back-and-forth with the AI. Originally, he’d tried to give the computer more than just Alexandria’s attitude. Her voice was permanently burned into his mind, every rich, pure syllable as she’d pulled the dreamer off him. At first, using her voice had seemed...right. Proper. But it wasn’t. If anything, it sent pangs of fear straight through his gut. He’d had to pull back, changing her voice to a more nondescript one.
Now, though, he could sit back and enjoy it.
“Have you solved the magic problem?” a voice interrupted. Owl looked up.
Leon leaned closer to the box, running his fingers over a corner and ignoring the muffled protests from the computer.
Owl frowned. “The magic problem?”
“You know,” Leon said, glancing to him. “Connecting
