[DISCONTINUED + REWRITTEN] The Infinite Stars

Chapter 8

5 months ago

The young Mobian wasn't able to understand a word the older Mobian had said to his other workers. War was raging outside, but they were safe in a laboratory, underground and safe from the destruction.

Knowing that spying was useless, she ran back to where the others were. Wait, why's she here again?

She starts to look around, trying to remember. She fails at that, so she decides to sit on one of the little beanbags the people running the place had kindly given them. She's got nothing to do. Sure she can play with the other kids, but they don't seem to enjoy her company as much.

She really just can't seem to remember anything at random moments. Her mind just blanks. She's not sure why. Maybe it's a condition she had when she was born. She tells herself that this is the case, but she's not entirely sure and wishes someone could answer her questions.

She starts swaying back and forth as if to just rock herself to sleep. She tends to do that, and it works!

Not this time though, since she was interrupted by a sudden loud thud. The adults only say that something is going on above the surface and that there's nothing to worry about since they're safe. That's the least she can remember.

She always wonders, though. What is making that thud? There were multiple ones too. She thinks it sounds like footsteps, which it might be.

"Loud footsteps from something really big!" she'd say. Well, she's not wrong.

A certain someone did have a lot of robots. And some seem to be a lot larger than the normal ones.

The Mobian then catches one of the adults walking down the hall with something in a jar. She didn't know what it was, but it was shiny and glowing. Bright red with stripes.

She wondered what it was.

The adults would say when it was time to eat, to play, to eat again, and to go to bed. She didn't mind. She liked this simple schedule. It was fun. Sometimes during playtime, some would be taken to another room for testing and then returned back into the room they were all in.

She was chosen once. From what she heard, despite not understanding what they were saying half the time, they were praising her. It made her smile a bit.

She was soon chosen today, and things looked a little different. She saw that red glowing thing on the table in the same jar. She points at it, hoping to get an answer.

In a way, she did, but they said words she couldn't understand. She wasn't the nagging type despite her being a child, but she was never one to speak a lot.

After the tests were over, she seemed more relaxed than usual. She's not sure why but-

Wait, why was she in that room again?

She turns back, looking at the door. She couldn't remember, so she shrugs and walks back to where the others were.

"Zara!" one of the adults called.

Oh yeah! That's her name! She completely forgot.

She turns around to look at them. The adult gives her a little floating creature. Is this a new friend?

They said something she couldn't understand. There was a handful of words she just could never understand. Unlike everyone else, she was a slow learner. Very slow learner. She'd forget lessons she had just learned within seconds, which frustrated some to no end. They were planning on giving up on her, but for their true goal, she was the best out of the other kids.

Of course, she didn't know what that meant. She wasn't good, but she was good? She never understood.

"Hi! How are you doing? I was told you can't seem to remember a lot of things!"

Huh? She can understand it. She tilts her head.

"I'm going to take that silence as an "I'm good but I'm too shocked to answer cause this thing is talking!" That's okay!" it says, "I'm doing great! I will be helping you remember! I hope I will do a great job for you!"

This thing sounds like a new friend. She smiles and runs off to have a little chat with her new best friend. She's just really happy.

Her new friend had answered all of the questions she had. Where was she? Why is she here? What's going on above them? Her new friend was also teaching her things, which was a huge relief to the adults since they finally found something that helps her pour soul.

Despite this, she was still a little shy to even talk to others. Her new friend tried it's best to encourage her, which worked only a little. She'd end up going back to being very shy again once she and the other cuts contact for even the slightest moment.

Lunch, free time, and dinner went by quickly. It was already bedtime. Each of the children had their own spacious rooms with some personal belongings like toys they had when they were taken in.

Many of the kids here were orphans after all. Either their parents had died during the war, or they got left behind when the resistance was helping civilians escape. Don't take it the wrong way. It was very chaotic so they couldn't get everyone, and there were plans to scout around for survivors to bring them to base. They seemed to be a little too late, though.

Her door opened with a small hiss and she walks in. It closes behind her once her friend floated in. She then took a small purple bandana that was sitting on a shelf and placed it on a table after putting it in the form of a little cushion.

"For me?" they ask.

She nods with a proud smile on her face. Her friend smiles and floats into it, "Thank you. Goodnight, Zara,"

She climbs onto her bed and pulls the blankets over her. It took a moment for her to finally drift off to sleep.

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A masked jackal had floated to an entrance leading underground. He knows what he's looking for is here.

Filthy thieves, he thought.

He forced the doors open with his abilities and walked in. What they're trying to do with the prototype, he doesn't know, but his mission is to destroy every prototype.

But for some reason, he feels this strange aura surrounding him as if there were multiple prototypes around. Could they...? No, they couldn't have. Especially not within such a short time.