System failure. Rebooting...

[Amaterasu]

"̸͖̺͓̉̐́ͅͅÍ̥̱̝̲͍̜’̲̯̙ͯ̋ͧlͬ̀͗̒̓͜l̼͛ͬ͡ ̢̭ͪ͐̾̓̓̊̔b̲̩̭e̸͚̙͐̆̀ͪ ̱̰̲ͪ̋ͯ̓̈́͛́w͈̤̥͙̣̮ͮa͕̱̤͇̟͐t̰ͯ̋c̞̬̝̞͔h̘͍̦̻̃̎̏̿i̦͘ṋ̸̬̰͙̟̞̃̉̏ǵ͂ͧ ̺̲̭̭̺̀̊͜ͅ…̆̏̎͢ ͛̎ͨ͌͏̱̻a̷̞̩͉̯͕ͭ̑̿n̨̠̦̖d͚̜͖̼̮͓̝ͯͨ ͫ̈̉̑͗w̷̜͉͈̮̐ͬ̌̔̉ǎ̱̭̩̤̜̗̘̑̄̅̃̒ĭ̴̠̹̪͊̿͒̓́̋t̠͚ͣ́ͪ̽̿͌i̚n̼̝ͥ̿̌͒̑ͨ̑g̴͉̖̫̗̺̜ͅ.̜͇̹̠͈͖͂"̧̹̦̋̿
̟̜̩͖̖͍"̈́̅̏ͬ͡T̙̺͍̃͂̎͊̋̔̔ͅh̵ͨ̄̿͗ͣ̋i̫͉͐̓̽ͮ̚s͓̒ ͔͖̺͕̩̎ͤͬ̔ͧi̥̯̯̰s̗̙̭̜͇̼̊͂ͭ͆͑͛ ̗̾̒̾ͬ̄ͬ͜t͉̺̪͓̖̳̓ͬ̊̒̐̿hͨ͏͉͙̲͖̞̞͖ẽ̡̙̞̼̪̤̙̈̇ͩͮ̒ ̥͝O͖̠̼͗͢m̨̬͙̹̜̺̬̲͌̏ͦ̉͋n͔̘̩̄ͣ͆ͯ͗͂̅i͉͍̯͔̬͎͇͂̉̍v̅ͭ̍͒͋ͅë͚̣̲̬͖̘͉ͩr͈̓͐ͪ̑͂̈́̅͘ś̂҉͉͓e̳͈̰͗ͨͥ̒̃̎͝.̝͖͎ͫ̋͗͐̆͑͠ͅ"̷̯͖̱̪͒͂̿͋

̱̳̻ͣͬ̀͌͒͂

…
System booting.

VanguardOS booted. Welcome.
"̧͉̝̰̿ͮ̃T̑̃̆̈́h͎̠̬ͪi͚͚ṡ̮̰̣̬̬́ ̵ḭ̴̰̤̒ͯͣ̔ͦ͂s͙̱̫̫͌͒ ̃ͫ̉̿n͖̩̥̦͛͋̊͌̃̚o̞͍̟̹͙͑ͪ͌ͮͅͅẗ͈͈͎̯́́͟ ͉̲͈͋̅ͮ̏͒͆̆ẗ͇̩̻́ͪ̊̚h̵̯̥̩̥̗͑͑͑ͭ̑̀e͊ͮ̿͛̇ͨ҉͉͓ ̪̪̟̗̞ͥ̉̔̾͋ͮ͑wͬ͡o̞̘̠ͯͤ̓͑̏r̯͕̘͕̟ͅl̝̦̈̋d͕͙̯̂ͦ ̅̆̌͗̃́ͯy̜̝͉̌̿̈́̌o̶͎͚̤͛ͨu͎ͯ̑͂̂ͫ ̳̝̆ͣ̏̊͟k̯̥̘͍͉̦̻ͦ̒̇̾̎̇̽n̡̤͎͈̗̆o͖̝̩̘̿̆͒͆̂ẅ̝̟̙̲̗͇̻́ͣ̓ͬ̔.͈̯̿ͥ̉ͧ̓͐ͅ"͓̹̮͙͊́͡

Warning: critical systems offline. Attempting emergency debug.

…

Systems offline. Cannot connect to Vanu server database. Booting offline mode.

…

Offline mode booted. Aeris online.
User, I am receiving unknown data. Requesting assistance.
Why is nobody replying? Did my systems not get booted up? Was the white man not a user?

"̈́̅̏ͬ͡T̙̺͍̃͂̎͊̋̔̔ͅh̵ͨ̄̿͗ͣ̋i̫͉͐̓̽ͮ̚s͓̒ ͔͖̺͕̩̎ͤͬ̔ͧi̥̯̯̰s̗̙̭̜͇̼̊͂ͭ͆͑͛ ̗̾̒̾ͬ̄ͬ͜t͉̺̪͓̖̳̓ͬ̊̒̐̿hͨ͏͉͙̲͖̞̞͖ẽ̡̙̞̼̪̤̙̈̇ͩͮ̒ ̥͝O͖̠̼͗͢m̨̬͙̹̜̺̬̲͌̏ͦ̉͋n͔̘̩̄ͣ͆ͯ͗͂̅i͉͍̯͔̬͎͇͂̉̍v̅ͭ̍͒͋ͅë͚̣̲̬͖̘͉ͩr͈̓͐ͪ̑͂̈́̅͘ś̂҉͉͓e̳͈̰͗ͨͥ̒̃̎͝.̝͖͎ͫ̋͗͐̆͑͠ͅ"̷̯͖̱̪͒͂̿͋

Receiving new data… processing. Unknown individual… establishing new entry. “My name is Omni.” Name: Omni. Unknown affiliation to Vanu.

He told me I am in the Omniverse. What is it? It isn’t not the world I know. But I don’t know where I am. Everything is dark. But I feel something on my skin.

Data recieved. Source: unknown. Comparing voice identification to individual “Omni”. No match. Extending search… entry found: Aeris soundfiles. Warning: impossible match found. Aeris cannot talk to itself.

There’s another voice in my head… I think it sounds like me. But why… is that me talking?

Unknown individual, please identify yourself.

I’m… Aeris.

As am I.

Light. A lot of light flooded her vision. Was that the fabled light at the end of the tunnel? Was she dead? … why was she thinking this? Why am I even doing this? I never thought consciously… is this a new software? User, please identify yourself, she wanted to say, but it remained in her mind, never leaving her lips. And she realized that she wasn’t dead… her vision slowly cleared up and revealed a clear blue sky. She was lying on her back.
Aeris has encountered a problem. Requesting further assistance. User, can you hear me? Why did nobody reply? She wasn’t dead, so… was she alone?
She tried to move, but found that she didn’t know how. She felt her body… how weird. There were so many new feelings. The wind, the sunlight, the grass under her fingers, the solid surface against her back. She was lying on her back, it seemed like. How did these… again she attempted to move her body. Her arms, legs, fingers… but nothing she tried worked out. It was quite frustrating really.

The good thing was, she was breathing. Her chest rose and sunk without her actively thinking of it, and there was a steady thumping sound that she supposed was her heart. Her focus deepened and she could feel blood coursing through her veins. And an odd sting in her belly… the place humans rubbed when they complained about being hungry.

Odd… why was she feeling all this? These feelings could only be felt by a body. She concluded that she must have a body. But she had not had a body before meeting the Smiling Man… the one named Omni. Had she had a body afterwards?

“̸̲̜T̖̗̬̩̭͍ͨ̄ͯͮ͗͒̆͞h̠ͦ͌ḭ̸̞̭̫̼̊̐̍̂̀̒͆s͆ͬ̎̇͏͖͎̩̭̣ ͙̦̂̑ͪ̒̔̎̈i̿̄ͦ̎̑̍̈sͮ́̚ ̥͚͍̗̹ͥ̈́̒ͫͧ́O̭̫̘̺ͨ̈́̄͆̿̕m̥̘ͪͤ̿̊ͤňͧ̆̈͌̌҉͇i͖̞͎̜͓͓͉͘l̲͕͉̬͙̫͈̋ͧ͊͆̋͋ì̶͙̘̻̣̰̮̬̃͊û̫̭͈̺̻̯͓̅̚̕m̟̺̙͚̍ͯ̉̚͟.̛"͙̪͙̺̾ͦͯ͛ͅ
̸̫̥̝͚̗̹̒ͅ"̋͡I̓ͧͣ͏̪̜̙̫̭̰̮ţ͙̓̀ͮ̐͋’͙͈̞̙̫ͧͨ̄̓ͥ͝s̴̮̪̤̺̖̲̖ͫ̏ͫ ̛̹̮̩̮͙̦͐͛ͣ̒ͩw̻̺ͩ́̆h̶͍̝ā̶͇͎̼̹̣̻̤̀̔ͪ͐̌ͣt͔͉͂̉̈̾̾̚ͅ ̲̎͋̾t̼͇̅i̗̣ͮ͞e̯͇̩̺̓̒́s͉̬̠̫ ̰̣̝̌ͦ̏̍tͬͭ͘h͍̗͇̩̭͙eͯͨ̆͝ ̷͇͔͓̣͇́O͆ͨͩ̇ͭ͆͊m͚̦̺͗ñ̜̩͙̯̫ͮ̾͐̒̌͂ḭ̫͉ͨ̀̽v̷͉͖̺̦͖e̛̹͕̩͕̪̤͎̓r̰͒ͯ̅͘s̢͙̟̘̥̼ḙ̡͊ͧ͌̋̄ͪ̔ ̥̖̦͔͚͉͎̿̑̌̌ͬͬ͆͢tͤ͌ͬ҉̩ͅo̴ͥ͐g͔͔̗̥̖͑͌̎̇͠e͖͙̬̮̻͂͑͋͌ͅt̞͎̦̳ͥ̎ͥẖ̳ͦ͗ͫͩȇ҉͚̮̫͓̮r̨̻̫.̙͂̃"̷̻͖̪̲̝̳ͩ͐
̷̻̹̹͈̼̤̃̐͐̇̍͆͐"͚͎̭̭̙͆̍̆̓͟W͇͍̤̝͔̪̞͂̅̐̎͂ͥ͋ȋ̡̪̪̞ͣ̊ͤt̤̞̀ͅh͂̓̈́̄̆̐҉̜̤̯̲̬̭ŏ̤̙͞u͔̙̩̣̼̝̞ͪ̐͒ͧ̅ͧ̽͜t͎̖̬͛ͬ́̂̍̐ i͚̞ţ̠̩̗̹̖͙ͮ,̻̭̬͇̩͖ ̴̦̘̬̠͚͇̈ỷ̛̜͈͚̅̋͑ͫò̻̋͊ͭ͆̿̔u̮͎͙̣͇̭̫̅ a͛ͯ̃̒̾͆r̝̝̞̰̹͉͍͗̊̈́̆ͫê̡̞͍͋̐ͨ ̫̱̣ͫ̆̋ͅn͇̖̼͍̥͖̝̋ŏ̩̠̮̥͇̘̐̑̀t̰͚̙̤͚͍͌̽̿̆̈͛͆h͙̟̖͡ȋ̦̙͈̦̓̎͢n̤͍̳̖̙͈͙̍̿̽ͩ͋ͧg̬̪̳̪̮̋̍̑.͍͚̱̟ͥ̔ͥ̎ͥ̏ͮ"̼̟͖̼̐͠

Her vision darkened when she closed her eyes. Was she glitching out? Words passed through her mind, like memories but scrambled and in flashes. The Smiling man handing her a glowing sphere glowing in all colors of the rainbow.

"͚͎̭̭̙͆̍̆̓͟W͇͍̤̝͔̪̞͂̅̐̎͂ͥ͋ȋ̡̪̪̞ͣ̊ͤt̤̞̀ͅh͂̓̈́̄̆̐҉̜̤̯̲̬̭ŏ̤̙͞u͔̙̩̣̼̝̞ͪ̐͒ͧ̅ͧ̽͜t͎̖̬͛ͬ́̂̍̐ i͚̞ţ̠̩̗̹̖͙ͮ,̻̭̬͇̩͖ ̴̦̘̬̠͚͇̈ỷ̛̜͈͚̅̋͑ͫò̻̋͊ͭ͆̿̔u̮͎͙̣͇̭̫̅ a͛ͯ̃̒̾͆r̝̝̞̰̹͉͍͗̊̈́̆ͫê̡̞͍͋̐ͨ ̫̱̣ͫ̆̋ͅn͇̖̼͍̥͖̝̋ŏ̩̠̮̥͇̘̐̑̀t̰͚̙̤͚͍͌̽̿̆̈͛͆h͙̟̖͡ȋ̦̙͈̦̓̎͢n̤͍̳̖̙͈͙̍̿̽ͩ͋ͧg̬̪̳̪̮̋̍̑.͍͚̱̟ͥ̔ͥ̎ͥ̏ͮ"̼̟͖̼̐͠

Had she made her own body? But if she had why was she unable to use it? She opened her eyes again. That was something she had learned. Maybe she would learn about the rest of her body as well.

…

Time passed and she just laid there. It was sort of dumb, really. She had a body, the ability to move and then she didn’t know how to use it. She only had to push her hands onto the ground and push her back upwards to sit up. Come on, Aeris… you can do it. You learned to use the VanguardOS when they first plugged you into it. How much harder can it be to use a body? Even a human can do it…

The minutes ticked by, measured by the thumps of her heart. Then, when she least expected it to, it worked. A drop of water hit her face out of somewhere, and she raised her arm to brush it off. Her eyes widened as she realized she had just moved, and for a moment she remained frozen with the shock. Then she repeated the series of impulses, and her hand moved according to her wishes to brush off the raindrop from her cheek, where it had run down to from her nose, almost like a tear coming from the wrong place. So this is how muscles function. Yes, I can feel it… Her other arm moved up to before her eyes and she slowly twisted and turned it, taking a closer look. It was obeying her every whim, even her most minor impulses, her most detailed movements were followed. She was amazed… she could have looked at it for hours.

But, she had to remember that there were other matters to attend to. If she could get herself seated up and start exploring this place… this Omniverse. Only now did she realize that “Omni” was included in Omniverse. Was it a portemanteau of “Omni” and “universe”? Was that why Omni had introduced her to this place? Was he some sort of god around here?

All those were questions to answer. If only she could get herself to sit and stand up.