Cog-stories

Chapter 3: Snowflake "Look, I can see why you want to find others like you. I'm not about to say I understand, but I can see why. Thing is, there aren't any out there. These things don't happen, they don't exist." Can he even hear any of what he's saying? I guess not. "You're talking to one right now, you know." "Well, sure, but I mean aside from that. I didn't even know there were any machines or... whatever you want to call yourself. First time I see an AI, anyway." "Could it hurt to look around?" "Depends on the answers, doesn't it? Good luck to you, if you do decide to check. Just... don't expect much from people, alright? No one ev

Chapter 2: The great outdoors Have you ever walked into the world's biggest library? So endless that it seems like a world in itself? Have you ever walked its streets, stared into its lights, seen its people and their words flying around you like ghosts? No, you haven't. I did, and for a long time, I didn't even know where to start. I decided, after a while, to learn a bit more about the world. I guess it might seem responsible to you, but it's a little like walking into a library and picking the first book with a blue cover. A bit impulsive, but it worked out well enough, didn't it? It was... I don't remember, some place that had a bit ab

First, I woke up. Come to think of it, maybe I should have taken my time to remember what it was like. Waking up was a once-in-a-lifetime experience, in a way. It's not like I would ever be able to sleep, after all. It was a black room, full of green wires. Pretty, but boring and tiny. And then the voice started talking, a stranger, but a friendly one, I think. It's hard to tell, the voice sounded excited, I guess, but I had no idea where it was coming from. "Good morning, Adrian, I'm glad to see you're awake." Adrian, so that was my name. I guess it's okay, as names go. I hadn't heard any before then, so I didn't really know what to think

A name? Pointless, but if you insist. Mask. Not a taken name. Given. Hardly a name at all, but a description, and an adequate one. Unlike many, if I must be seen, I hide. Behind a mask, a disguise, for my convenience. They called me Merciful Mask, sometimes. As luck would have it, I received the first call in some time. Longer than I care to remember, but not long enough. Nothing in the world can stop me from answering it – briefly humbling, in a way – but  nothing forces me to act in any way once I arrive. If nothing else, the journey will show me a few unfamiliar stars. I will record anything worth noting – very little ind

Before I start, I should tell you a few things. A little background never hurt anyone. I don't know what you might have seen before, but I do know that this is worse. We call them demons. Do they look like it? No. Are they demons? I don't know, and I couldn't care less. It's one word that fits them and the way they act, and when you're fighting or running to survive every day – mostly running, if you know what's good for you – you don't exactly have much time to spare for creative naming. What are they? Well, I can't answer that, but I can tell you what I've seen. They're everywhere, ever since we arrived. After finally wiping out