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Without them knowing, the chimera's hands drifted upwards to their lips, their index and middle fingers holding a phantom cigarette. Their body took a breath, their hand lowered, then exhaled longingly. It took several seconds for their consciousness to catch up to the motions, and a groan accompanied their grimace. Their head shook, hands moving back down to tightly grip the bath towel that had been draped over them - the only comfort they had been given so far after a hectic, rainy escape.
Looks like... There are vestiges of another consciousness in mine...? What am I? Who were they? The bio-synth struggled to contemplate their own existence, one that only booted up mere hours ago. Before their thoughts could drift further, they were interrupted by a knocking on the door.
"Could I come in?" The masculine voice was soft and filled with concern, painted with exhaustion.
"...Yes, though I'm afraid my fur is still not dry enough to wear the clothes you gave me without soaking them." Their reply was coarse, uncomfortable, unsteady. Speaking was an unfamiliar task to them.
"O-Oh--I suppose you wouldn't know - The connected bathroom has a full-body drier in the shower. That could help."
Their head slowly turned to the other door. So that's what it is. They lifted up from the soft comforts of the bed, despite their aching joints desperately refusing. The idea of laying down and closing their eyes, of letting everything turn to black, to suspend their consciousness back into the comforting embrace of the void. It was tempting to let go and recuperate but the instincts of survival kept coursing through their entire form. Whenever they slowed down, those instincts would jolt them awake, aware.
The door handle was cold to touch the soft pads on the underside of their fingers and the palm, just enough to startle them with unfamiliarity. Fortunately, they glimpsed how their savior operated it: a gentle push downward, a subtle click, then a push towards the door and, it swung open, revealing a modestly sized space. Their subconscious filled in for their empty memory and reminded them that the shower was the sectioned space to their right, the one with the glass walls and the sliding door. They draped the towel onto the towel rack and stepped inside.
Unlike interacting with the bed and the door, they felt a familiar sensation as they scanned the walls of the shower and found a touch terminal. The world briefly turned monochrome as their senses focused. Where the terminal would be, a bright, pulsing pinprick existed and it was calling for their attention. They had glimpsed so many of these pinpricks during the frantic run through the rainy back alleys, as the distant whirring of engines faded into the pitter patter of the sky's tears. The pull was magnetic, reaching out to their curiosity to pull them in. So they reached back.
The physical world faded away into nothingness as a web emerged around them. It was so dense it was suffocating - the chitter chatter of data drowning out their entire being, it's so overwhelming, it's pulling them into the bright abyss of binary--pzzbt.
Darkness.
Pain was ringing through their entire being when they next arose from the void of oblivion. It felt as if a bolt of lightning struck through every nerve of their body, and now the embers of deep soreness were voiding any commands they issued to their body.
is this death?
The thought flashed over the trembling being's mind, but, another followed.
...if i'm still thinking, i must still be alive...right?
They were correct. The veil of darkness was slowly lifted away to a dimly lit room. The same bedroom they were in before, but they weren't alone this time. The kirin, the one that saved them from that compound, was sitting at the edge of their vision. They attempted to get his attention but no words came out. No matter how hard they tried, it felt as if their being was slowly melting away from their grasp again, and darkness reclaimed them.
...is this...it...?
...no, no, no. No. I won't have it. I won't have all of it be for naught. I didn't fight for my existence only to let it slip past my fingers now. I refuse.
Oblivion retreated again and their vision returned. Their attempts at speaking only sparked the embers in their throat further, and resulted in them coughing. At least it got the kirin's attention.
"...You are...awake. You are awake! I thought I had lost you again...!"
Their vision was still blurry and their hearing was still muffled at best amidst the ringing pain, but they somehow made out those words.
Again? Do they know my predecessor?
They tried to ask those questions out loud, but only incoherent mumbles and coughs escaped their maw. The kirin furrowed his brow, but he was smiling in relief.
"...please rest...are overloaded...tell you later..."
They were concerned about letting go of reality yet again.
"...I'll be here with you..."
He took their hand in his and squeezed gently, like a reassurance. A promise. One that was enough to let the synth ease into the warm embrace of slumber...