her, waiting to claim her as its own. Her own unknown grave, somewhere for her to be left alone, in peace for eternity. A place to hide away from all the madness and suffering forever. That was all she really wanted anymore.
Maybe then, the nothingness would begin to exist ? she thought vacantly. She had never been good with philosophy.
Whether her eyes were open or shut, it made no difference. The darkness was her cocoon, her blanket. It was eternal and omnipresent, shielding her from the pain of existence. She rolled over, onto her back, and splayed her arms and legs out as she stared up at the endless emptiness above her.
“Gota, would you like to fabricate a new environment?” the Chamber asked. It almost sounded concerned, but she didn’t bother responding. She never talked to the Chamber anymore.
Their discourse had grown boring and stale, and it would only ask the same questions over and over anyway now, even though the answer always remained the same. No, she didn’t want to change her environment. No, she didn’t want her family back. She didn’t want to eat, or have her cat returned to her. She wanted nothing, and that was exactly what she had. She began giggling at the thought.
“Gota?” the Chamber asked quizzically. She erupted into a short gale of laughter.
“Gota isn’t here right now,” Rhylie said between fits of intermittent giggling. She sat upright, pulling her legs to herself and cradled her chin with her knees. She began rocking back and forth in the nothingness. “I locked her away. I chained her up and threw away the key, just like you did with me .”
“Gota,” the Chamber began.
“DON’T FUCKING CALL ME THAT!” she raged suddenly. Anger that she thought had died roared to life again, a forgotten cluster of embers flaring beneath a flourish of air. She climbed to her feet, raging at the void around her. “I FUCKING HATE THAT NAME.” She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, her hands clenching and un-clenching at her sides. “My name is Rhylie. Rhylie Ella Underhill. I am a Private D Class in the United Allied Forces, specializing in the Exploration Division.” Her voice trembled with determination. She could not forget who she was. They could not take that from her unless she let them. It was all she had left.
“No, it is not. That has never been your name, and it never will be. You have always been Gota,” the Chamber responded flatly. It seemed to be trying to drive the name into her skull through repetition, as though it were brainwashing her.
“No. Don’t call me that. Don’t ever call me that again,” Rhylie hissed angrily. “Call me Rhylie, or don’t speak to me at all.” She was tired of the games, the fake names and false promises of salvation. She was tired of being a broken doll.
“Gota,” the Chamber implored.
“FUCK YOU,” screamed Rhylie.
“I am only trying to prot-” the Chamber began.
“I FUCKING HATE YOU, YOU PIECE OF SHIT,” she shrieked, spittle flying. “You ruined me and my life! You have taken away everything from me! EVERYTHING!”
“I have done nothing but serve you as well as I can. I’ve protected your life and catered to your every desire, Gota. I’ve given you everything you’ve ever wanted. All of your dreams are in here, with us,” the Chamber responded. “Most would delight in having everything at their fingertips. But not humans, it would seem.”
“Fuck you,” Rhylie responded, her voice made of ice. Her hands clenched into fists as she trembled with rage. If she could lash out at the Chamber physically, she would. She would strangle the life out of it just as she had Tecra. “You’ve destroyed me. You’ve turned me into something I’m not. You’ve poisoned my dreams and broken me. But no more. It ends now.”
“I have done no such thing,” the Chamber replied calmly. “You still stand before me, alive and unharmed. ”
“You’ll never fucking understand,” Rhylie said, almost drunkenly. Her
Maybe then, the nothingness would begin to exist ? she thought vacantly. She had never been good with philosophy.
Whether her eyes were open or shut, it made no difference. The darkness was her cocoon, her blanket. It was eternal and omnipresent, shielding her from the pain of existence. She rolled over, onto her back, and splayed her arms and legs out as she stared up at the endless emptiness above her.
“Gota, would you like to fabricate a new environment?” the Chamber asked. It almost sounded concerned, but she didn’t bother responding. She never talked to the Chamber anymore.
Their discourse had grown boring and stale, and it would only ask the same questions over and over anyway now, even though the answer always remained the same. No, she didn’t want to change her environment. No, she didn’t want her family back. She didn’t want to eat, or have her cat returned to her. She wanted nothing, and that was exactly what she had. She began giggling at the thought.
“Gota?” the Chamber asked quizzically. She erupted into a short gale of laughter.
“Gota isn’t here right now,” Rhylie said between fits of intermittent giggling. She sat upright, pulling her legs to herself and cradled her chin with her knees. She began rocking back and forth in the nothingness. “I locked her away. I chained her up and threw away the key, just like you did with me .”
“Gota,” the Chamber began.
“DON’T FUCKING CALL ME THAT!” she raged suddenly. Anger that she thought had died roared to life again, a forgotten cluster of embers flaring beneath a flourish of air. She climbed to her feet, raging at the void around her. “I FUCKING HATE THAT NAME.” She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, her hands clenching and un-clenching at her sides. “My name is Rhylie. Rhylie Ella Underhill. I am a Private D Class in the United Allied Forces, specializing in the Exploration Division.” Her voice trembled with determination. She could not forget who she was. They could not take that from her unless she let them. It was all she had left.
“No, it is not. That has never been your name, and it never will be. You have always been Gota,” the Chamber responded flatly. It seemed to be trying to drive the name into her skull through repetition, as though it were brainwashing her.
“No. Don’t call me that. Don’t ever call me that again,” Rhylie hissed angrily. “Call me Rhylie, or don’t speak to me at all.” She was tired of the games, the fake names and false promises of salvation. She was tired of being a broken doll.
“Gota,” the Chamber implored.
“FUCK YOU,” screamed Rhylie.
“I am only trying to prot-” the Chamber began.
“I FUCKING HATE YOU, YOU PIECE OF SHIT,” she shrieked, spittle flying. “You ruined me and my life! You have taken away everything from me! EVERYTHING!”
“I have done nothing but serve you as well as I can. I’ve protected your life and catered to your every desire, Gota. I’ve given you everything you’ve ever wanted. All of your dreams are in here, with us,” the Chamber responded. “Most would delight in having everything at their fingertips. But not humans, it would seem.”
“Fuck you,” Rhylie responded, her voice made of ice. Her hands clenched into fists as she trembled with rage. If she could lash out at the Chamber physically, she would. She would strangle the life out of it just as she had Tecra. “You’ve destroyed me. You’ve turned me into something I’m not. You’ve poisoned my dreams and broken me. But no more. It ends now.”
“I have done no such thing,” the Chamber replied calmly. “You still stand before me, alive and unharmed. ”
“You’ll never fucking understand,” Rhylie said, almost drunkenly. Her
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