Ava and Aphrodite: The First Human in 8000 Years (Featured)

Chapter 81: Finding Sylvie

Ava and Sylvie sat in front of the cottage. They were on the grass, looking up at the dark cloudy sky.

"You ok?" asked Ava,

"Yeah," said Sylvie, after a pause she added: "no."

"Maybe there's an alternative."

"No. I'm scared but, I want to do this. This'll be good for me." she smiled, "I really want to be able to help. Finally. After failing my mission, and then being a hindrance to you and Aphrodite for this whole time, I really want to prove myself. Besides, I've only really been alive for a short amount of time. Very few memories, you know?"

"So, you think this is a good thing then?"

"Yes. I feel like a child, I feel incomplete. With only a few months' worth of memories, no understanding of the real world, of history. No experiences, nothing to learn from. I can tell I'm naive and weak." she shivered, "I want to do this. But I'm scared."

"Of what?"

"I'll be a different person, won't I? Your memories make you who you are, after all."

"It's not like you'll forget all the stuff you did with us though. And I'm guessing your past self was pretty similar to your current self. I mean you have her brain."

"Y-yeah."

But Ava could tell that Sylvie was worried that she'd experience memories that she wouldn't like. Learn things that were uncomfortable. Maybe she'd find out she was a completely different person after all.

She was right to be scared. It'd no doubt change her.

It'd almost be like the current version of her would be dying.

Ava felt terrible. He wished it was him who'd be hacked. He wished he wouldn't have to put Sylvie through this. He kept wracking his brain to think of another way to do things but nothing came to mind.

Looking at Sylvie's face, that look of worry and fear she had, it made his heart feel heavy. What could he do to keep her smiling?

He looked around.

Surely something, something could make her smile?

And then he saw them. Patterned around the front of the cottage. Rows and rows of Verbena flowers dancing back and forth in the wind. A brilliant, lush, and deep shade of purple. A perfect coincidence.

He stood on his feet and walked towards them. He found the most vibrant looking one and picked it without any hesitation. He took it back to Sylvie.

"Huh? What's this?" asked Sylvie, "are you giving me this?"

"You like purple right?" Ava replied,

"Well yes but-"

An awkward silence,

"Just take it," Ava stammered, he was suddenly embarrassed. He didn't know why he had done what he did. Why'd he shove a purple flower in her face? What was that meant to achieve?

Sylvie, nonetheless, took the flower from him. She smiled. That's what Ava wanted to see.

"Somehow," Sylvie muttered, "this gesture feels familiar." she rolled it around her ring finger.

The two stayed silent for a while.

"Ahem!" Mother's voice. She'd opened the cottage door, Aphrodite and the Major were standing behind her, the former was blushing, the latter had a disgruntled look on her face "are you done destroying my flower garden, maybe it's time for you to both get to work now, eh?"

***

Sylvie sat on the floor of the living room, cross-legged, her eyes closed, focused. Ava knelt in front of her, ready and waiting to perform the hack. Everyone else stood around the two, an air of tension among even the most steely members of the group.

Ava extended his hand,

"I'm gonna do the hack now... ok?"

"Right," Sylvie replied, unmoving. She was ready.

Ava placed his right hand on Sylvie's forehead and closed his eyes. He focused. No rudimentary hack this time, no barging in, he needed to be delicate here.

Find the cracks that lead to a light deep inside and trickle down inside. A sharp pang and then his consciousness tightened and shot into Sylvie's mind.

He found himself in a dark maze. Dark, morphing shadows were floating around him. He'd rarely hacked Servs, aside from the times he'd done so with Sylvie recreationally (which were very shallow hacks), this one was more intimate. It was deeper.

He was in a state of her mind that was warm and comforting, but fragile like a sheet of paper. It felt like if he'd made even the slightest wrong turn he'd tear her up from the inside.

Where was it?

Left, right, left, right. Not there. For what felt like an eternity he swam around in what seemed like an infinite void. He'd sunk deeper and deeper. He'd never gone this far, he had no idea the consciousness of a Serv went this far down. All these layers, these depths, he'd gone so far in that he wasn't sure if he'd ever be able to find his way back to the surface.

But that didn't matter.

He needed to find her. The real Sylvie.

And then he could feel it. An alien energy. Something organic, something similar to the imposing warmth he felt when he first met Aphrodite.

Yes. He was close, close to the mind, the deep and complex thought pattern of a human. A fascinating and profound energy that was calling to him from deep in the abyss.

He kept hearing it calling to him. And eventually, he saw a light.

He swam towards it. Further and further and further.

Sylvie was there, curled up in a ball. Her glowing body shining in a sea of infinite black.

"Sylvie?" he shouted, but nothing seemed to come out. Could she hear him? "Sylvie!" he shouted again.

Sylvie's inner self moved a little. She looked up.

"It's me! I'm here! Wake up!" Ava swam further un she was almost within arms reach, "wake up!"

"...Who are you?" said the Sylvie deep inside. Of course, this Sylvie didn't know Ava, did she? Stil, she needed to wake up.

"Please, wake up!"

"Where am I?" Sylvie muttered, "what is this place?" still curled in a ball.

"You're lost." Ava said, "let me guide you back."

"Back?" Sylvie looked at Ava "Back where? Who are you? Am I dreaming?" she held her head, "how long have I been dreaming for?"

She'd been dreaming for thousands of years.

"I'll help you wake up," said Ava, he extended his arm. Sylvie didn't say anything, without question she reached up as if she wasn't worried about any consequences. Of course, to her, it probably didn't seem real, so why not?

Ava pulled himself deeper and deeper. Their "fingers" touched. Just a little deeper, finally, palms. He gripped her hand and felt her warmth surround him. Suddenly all the brightness and light surrounding her body started to glow even more. She started to shimmer and suddenly everything around her, everything around Ava started to rush around with intense turbulence. It was hard to hold on, but Ava kept his grip. He pulled and pulled, and eventually this new Sylvie, she was in his arms.

"Sylvie." he said, "come back"

And then. Sylvie exploded. Her body, that was once hidden and curled up into a ball, expanded and expanded. Now, like a collection of countless stars, she expanded and rushed into every corner of the consciousness that surrounded them.

She was spreading back into her body. It'd take some time to reach everywhere. But the wheels were set in motion.

Soon, Sylvie would get all her memories back.

The memories of this mysterious person from 8000 years ago.