Open your heart

[jianai]

[1]
[For once Ren's Genoace survived a deployment more or less intact. Its pilot on the other hand is a mess, bandaged like a mummy. But it's a mummy that has important things to say.]

I'm sorry. I'm really sorry for hiding the truth from you. I have no excuses except for - I was afraid.

[The truth that becomes apparent for anyone who reviews recordings taken during the mission. Ren's kin are human creations made in the future to be their slaves. And after humans left the Earth, their own creations rebelled in absentia and sent a cloning facility to the past - as only non-living matter could make the trip intact. That facility is where Ren was born, and all the other kin as well.]

I was afraid of the future where my kind comes from. I was afraid of my duty.

My kin initially all were physically indestructible, their psychic powers manifested in this form only so they'd make reliable workers even for most dangerous conditions. Having to believe in humankind's purity was, or maybe I should say will be, a safety switch of sorts - their vision of humanity was idealized, that of benevolent masters, but if they were ever to learn the whole truth and become disillussioned, they'd lose their immortality, and their horns. That's a clear sign that the individual in question is no longer loyal and has to be eliminated.

But now, all kin have a full view of humanity's history, and almost all of them hate it as a result. Not everyone is violent or dangerous like Bao, but they have no love for human kind.

I do.

I know both the best and the worst that humanity is capable of, and I still have faith in it. Everyone has potential to be the kindest and most benevolent person on Earth... but you know I believe that already.

Among the programming I received while still incubating in my place of birth was a message. A message that told me, only one of my kin will grow up to love humanity and not detest it - and that love will be necessary to save humankind from destruction.

But by doing so, I will inevitably lose my life in the process.

That is my duty.

[2]
[Someone finally had enough common sense to shoo Ren to a medical ward to rest. But if you come visit, you'll see that they're not alone.]


"Ren, you really shouldn't do this kind of dangerous things."


I know... I'm sorry, that was too risky, for everyone involved. But I'm relieved, relieved that everything turned out alright and also that...

[That's when the horned individual sitting in bed notices they're not alone, and so does the unknown man holding Ren's hands.]

Ah! I think we should introduce ourselves. This is...


"Hello. I mean, yes!"
He salutes awkwardly.
"Ensign Mark Tennyson, I'm sorry for the intrusion!"

Comments

1

[brought_it_back]

Are you...really alright with that?

[jianai]

I was afraid. I still am, actually. And, I don't want to die. There's so much more to live for!

But, you see Eva...

[brought_it_back]

...?

[jianai]

I love you. I love everyone.

To protect humanity, I will even give up my own life if there is no other choice.

[brought_it_back]

And...That is your duty? A duty which you accept?

[actuallyselfish]

"Man." Dido says, sitting down on a chair with a 'thump'. "Future humans suck."

[jianai]

That's the stance all the other of my kin have. I don't think I quite agree, though.

1)

[mistaken_for_monster]

Ren...

[Volya looked like he was struggling not to be seriously upset about it and failing.]

Things... things aren't set in stone! You don't have to die!

I know you don't have to! If everyone here can help me, they can help you!

[jianai]

I hope you are right, Volya.

[Ren puts their bandaged hands on Volya's shoulders.]

I really do. There's a possibility that this information is false, or a misunderstanding, that there are other options. I will pursue them, if I see any.

But if there aren't, if I am really supposed to die to protect humanity...

Then I'll do it.

[mistaken_for_monster]

You shouldn't have to... its not fair...It isn't. You shouldn't have to die because of what people did in the future...

[Volya just can't accept this. Life was already harsh as it is, he would have thought that at least for someone as kind as Ren is, it would show some leniency...]

[jianai]

Is it really unfair? The world can be a very violent place. A lot of people have died without having a say about it, or being able to make any kind of difference.

Compared to that, I can do a lot of good.

[mistaken_for_monster]

...I guess...

[Volya kicks his feet a little.]

2

[63rd_shockwave]

Uh...at ease, Mark.

[Sarah looks over towards Ren.]

Bao bit the dust, by the way.

[jianai]

I'm glad. Good job, the Earth will be a safer place now.

By the way, this is Sarah. Sarah, Mark.


"It's an honor to meet you, ma'am... err, Sarah."

[63rd_shockwave]

I'm not actually a soldier you know, I just beat people up and they give me money. And we met before, kind of-I was in the red burny robot.

...Lilica got away, and Zeig...well, if it weren't for Percy he'd probably have tried to kill me a long time ago. We're gonna need to utterly destroy the knighthood.

[jianai]

"Ah. I see..."


Is there really no other choice? Even if their leaders are different, most of the Knights strike me as fundamentally decent people. We might be able to talk to them, make them see that what they're trying to do is wrong.


"Sorry... knights? What are you talking about?"

[Mark's confusion only grows as the conversation continues.]

[63rd_shockwave]

I mean break the organization, permanently...we don't need to kill all of them.

[A glance over towards Mark.]

They're paramilitary do-gooder kind of organization I used to hang out with-my ex still works for them. Anyways, they've got it into their heads that your girlfriend and this russian kid are gonna destroy the world, and need to be stopped at all costs-even if it means slaughtering civilians.

I've got some reservations about that first and last point, so we've been fighting. Uhh, they and I did some work in the last big space crisis, but that's less important for understanding.

1

[abugslife]

And you believe that message will turn out to be true.

[jianai]

It'd be better if it wasn't, right? But I don't see any reason why it'd lie to me.

[abugslife]

That is a very bold and specific prediction the message is making. Almost like the tapestry the Knights of Guiding Hand follow.

[jianai]

However the difference is, this message actually came from the future.

Also I do not try to kill anyone in its name.

1

[kill_all_vagans]

But that's... that's horrible!

It means that the people who made the originals... they just engineered an entire slave race!

[jianai]

That's one way to look at it, yes. I do not blame my kin for being so bitter about it.

[That's an understatement.]

[kill_all_vagans]

... In a way they're almost victims of circumstances. We all are... because of your kin from the future.

[jianai]

Yes, that's true. But it's no excuse for behaviour of the more violent ones, like Bao or Hen.

Especially because their actions have nothing to do with the future or present nature of humanity. They're just... afraid to die. Everything they do is motivated by that fear.