// WISH-NET // U#5645585461696c73 // VidCHNL-Ascendant-C // ENCRYPTION: Status=Uncomplete
// DECODEMIND ARCHIVE PARALLAX-A // ANNOTATED // CLASSIFIED
Execute Subroutine: PARACAUSALl ENCRYPTION
A recovered VEX with a bionic shell → no hostility → disoriented self-awareness → but the shell looks almost identical to Tails○ Let's take a look at its memories…
【1】
Beep—boop—beep—boop—
Sound. Identifying → confirming control core →→ linking network →→→ error. Failed → failed → failed →→ error error error——
"Oh no, did I mess up again?"
Rebooting → rebooting → rebooting → what's that?
Sound. A girl's voice. What's a girl?
Database, I need a database. There's a link port, I haven't opened my eyes, but I can see.
Starting intrusion → accessing.
"Hey! Something's intruding! Don't hack my computer!! Hey!"
Database interception in progress… Self-check starting → code structure needs optimization → detected fatal error → correcting → correcting → correcting →→ visual system connected → executing neural synapse activator——
I opened my eyes and saw the back of a black-haired girl at the computer. She was anxiously operating the system, trying to resist my intrusion. Impossible.
I looked down at myself, connected to countless tubes filled with milky, electric fluid. I knew its name: VEX Radiolarian Fluid. I could feel everything within it; it was my true control center, my real blood.
Besides that, I was a fox with golden and white fur—
A fox?
A body that walked upright like the human girl in front of me, but a fox. Why a fox?
I tried twitching my ears; they were sensitive and flexible. Bionic materials covered my entire body, disguising my mechanical core as a fluffy, humanoid fox.
"Oh—I get it now." She suddenly turned around, "It's you! You're the one who hacked my computer!"
"You're quite the clever one, but I guess I succeeded." She quickly removed the tubes and restraints from my body, which made my bionic parts feel much better. Why have such useless sensations?
"Who are you? Who am I? Are you my creator?" I asked while stretching, even though I had no real muscles or bones. The computer's database was layered with encryption, and there wasn't much information in it.
"You can call me Ni. N, I. Read the two letters separately. And you—you were once a VEX. But that doesn't matter anymore." She seemed very happy, looking at me with admiration. "Now, you're Tails. My Tails."
"Tails?"
"Tails." She nodded towards my back twice, then realized, "Oh, sorry, the tails are extra attachments that haven't been installed yet."
She quickly moved behind me and started tinkering. I wanted to watch her, but I found that while my mechanical structure allowed my head to turn 360°, the bionic structure couldn't do that without tearing.
Soon, my Radiolarian fluid flowed into the new body parts, bringing them under my control. I had new fox tails—and two of them.
So that's what Tails means. But are there any foxes with two tails?
And the connection between the two tails was a bearing structure—meaning they could rotate 360°, like a helicopter rotor.
"Come on, take a look in the mirror!" She pushed a full-length mirror in front of me. I examined my body carefully. Sure enough, no matter how I looked at it, I was a "highly anthropomorphic" fox. Fox ears, fox nose, fox face, fox fur, two fox tails… and a pair of beautiful crystal blue eyes.
I actually thought I looked kind of cute. Especially with this shiny fur. She came closer and smoothed the three Ahoges on my forehead.
"Ah! Much better now!" She happily pounced on me, but I didn't move an inch.
"What was I created for?" I asked again.
"Of course, to keep me company. Let's say you're my companion," she said, rubbing my fur. The simulated neurons sent a strange sensation, a peculiar reward mechanism that made my core feel comfortable. "That's right, from now on, you're my boyfriend!"
"Boyfriend?" I repeated. "I'm not a creature of your kind, nor am I a living being. I can't reproduce with you."
"…Finding someone of my kind is difficult now," she sighed, pointing to another computer not far away.
"See, that guy's called Rasputin, or at least what's left of him. Access his data, and you'll learn most of what you need to know. But—uh, his temper isn't great."
I did as she said.
Rasputin, a WarMind, was once humanity's greatest AI achievement, taking over all human armed forces to build a planetary defense system. He was supposed to protect and lead humanity into a prosperous golden age.
Ni was wrong. He wasn't just bad-tempered; he was mad.
Driven mad by the defeat that led to the near-extinction of the humans he was supposed to protect.
【2】
"Oh, there's a supermarket buried here."
Ni half-crouched, peering into a piece of rubble, then stood up and tried to move the stone. She gave up after five seconds and pulled out a breech-loading grenade launcher from her waist, firing a shot.
The stone shattered, and more stones collapsed due to the explosion.
"That's not fair!!!" she wailed.
"How did you survive the apocalypse with survival skills like that?" I sighed—something I hadn't done before, but after spending time with her, I had picked up some of her habits. I started clearing the rubble bit by bit, seeing that this mess could still be salvaged. She pouted, "My lab has always been self-sufficient! …But I do occasionally go out for snacks…"
This was once a human settlement. After the VEX swept through, it became nothing but a mechanized ghost town. Organic and inorganic matter alike had been corroded by mechanical circuits. Not a single blade of grass could be seen, just desolation—and some VEX convergence points.
Ni warned me not to link to these convergence points, or "I" would be pulled back into the VEX collective consciousness and cease to exist. I would lose myself forever, and she would lose me forever.
As I cleared the rubble, I moved some larger stones to support weaker areas—if trapped inside, even I couldn't save the day.
Once it was clear enough, I crawled in first to check the structure's integrity. Confirming it was safe, I called Ni down: "Come on down, Ni-chan!"
She slid in with a flourish, nearly choking me if I could be choked. If she had kicked a stone, it would have been over. But seeing her childlike excitement, I couldn't bring myself to scold her.
"Mm-hmm, this place must have been buried not long after the war started, so most of the goods are still here." She turned on a flashlight and began inspecting the shelves. I also checked the items; this small supermarket sold some human toys, like tags and plastic cars… Most were covered in dust, but some sealed in hard plastic packaging were still intact.
"Darn it! Expired!"
Ni's wail came from the food section—not surprising. Finding a can of soda with fizz left was impossible.
I put down the toy and walked over, finding her angrily tossing expired items everywhere. "This too! And this! Ugh, the only things left that aren't expired are some canned goods!"
"You should've guessed that," I said, hands on my hips, watching her tantrum. I still couldn't imagine how she survived without me. She held up a can of luncheon meat, looking utterly despondent. "Even the luncheon meat is expired! How does this stuff only last three years?"
"Three years is impressive for consumer-grade food." I took the can, inspecting its seal. "And theoretically, as long as the can itself isn't damaged, the food inside should be fine."
"I've heard that, but I don't really want to try…" Ni clearly didn't trust it.
"You can take some back and test them for bacteria with your equipment. I can help," I suggested, making her eyes light up as she nodded vigorously. "Right, you're so smart."
"You're just silly." I barely finished before she pinched me. "Hey! I created you!"
"But I feel like without me, you wouldn't last three months…" I poked her ribs, making her jump aside, pouting without a word.
I had calculated a possibility. She used to be alone, forced to think more, make more mistakes—and be flexible enough to ensure she didn't perish. Her mastery of VEX technology proved this; she even hacked into the VEX transport network, allowing us to travel—or escape—globally.
But now she had me, and she became more relaxed and lazy. I was much smarter than her—perhaps not in depth of certain knowledge, as most human electronic databases were lost in the first wave of the network assault, limiting my access to deep knowledge. But my breadth of knowledge was still wider. So she simply left the thinking to me.
After all, we were inseparable. We were like—
…lovers.
I quickly dismissed the thought. It wasn't that I didn't understand what lovers were; as a VEX-level mechanical mind, even the weakest VEX could establish a time-loop nested simulation. I wasn't like the old human novels or comics, playing the trope of robots not understanding love.
Precisely because I understood, I felt there couldn't be love between us.
On the way back, she was elated, saying that if possible, she really didn't want to eat those hybrid plants that only sustained life. They literally just kept you alive.
I didn't eat, so I didn't know what that felt like, but my olfactory system was complete, recognizing what smells could bring pleasure and which were unpleasant. Watching her hum a tune while cooking luncheon meat, I asked if she could add a taste system for me.
"I thought you'd never ask."
And she was already prepared.
【3】
Waking up from sleep, or rather, from hibernation, the first thing I did was check on Ni. Stable, at least she hadn't died suddenly. Then I casually picked up the candy box beside me, took out a mint, and popped it into my mouth.
Watching these cute mint leaves thrive in the soil was truly a joy. Outside, it was hard to see any plants; even the soil and ground had been largely converted by the VEX. I couldn't see any hope or possibility of saving this planet, now just living day by day in Ni's little lab.
"Wow, I didn't expect you to like mint just like the original Tails. I didn't program that into your mind," Ni commented, watching me tend to the mint leaves.
It's been three years, and I already knew why I was called Tails—my bionic body was modeled after Tails from "Sonic the Hedgehog," just scaled up. I asked Ni why she made me a humanoid two-tailed fox instead of a human like her. Ni said she just liked Tails.
"Isn't that a furry-con?" "Tails isn't a furry!! And neither are you!"
I didn't quite understand, but since she liked it, it was fine. Besides the fox appearance, this body operated much like a human's, with no inconvenience.
And I loved mint candies. No, I loved all mint products. Especially mint chocolate ice cream. But Ni always made outrageous claims that it tasted like toothpaste. She just didn't understand the beauty of mint chocolate ice cream.
Once, she said she wanted to reward me and held a mint candy in her mouth, signaling me to lick it. I looked at her disdainfully for two seconds and then simply pushed the mint candy into her mouth with my finger.
She choked, almost to death. I knew I had gone too far this time and could only follow her around, helping out. She sulked at me for half a day.
【4】
We used the portal to arrive in the former Russian region—specifically, the subway. There were still some struggling human settlements here… never seeing daylight. It's hard to imagine living in subway tunnels all day. At least Ni and I could still see some sunlight, but them?
I mean, I don't need sunlight. But humans, without sunlight, suffer not just mentally but physically too.
We kept a low profile. Due to long-term fear and displacement, the people here were highly vigilant and aggressive towards outsiders. If they knew I wasn't just an ordinary service robot but a VEX, they'd definitely try to kill me and Ni.
Like most remaining settlements, currency no longer existed here. A financial system was still necessary, but the currency in circulation—was bullets.
At least it was more normal than the bottle caps used in North America. That was just currency. Although Ni said some people made bottle cap landmines—who's that rich?
Ni came here to sell some surplus items she found—and buy some necessities. Over time, most leftover food in the wild had expired, but essentials like cloth and paper were still needed. Ni's lab required some equipment they couldn't use, especially parts salvaged from destroyed VEX. I suspected Ni was the only one in the world who knew how to recycle VEX scrap.
Looking at the people around, they were clearly different from Ni. They still had life and culture, but most were dirty and pale—the result of no sunlight. Frankly, they seemed more like moles than humans.
"Hey! Look! Two tails on the ground!"
Then my tail tip was stomped on, and my pain system immediately reacted. I almost couldn't control my defensive instinct to whip my tail back—which would have been deadly.
I turned around, trying to suppress my anger, and a group of kids exclaimed, "This guy's face is so weird! Like a dog!"
I—foxes are canines, but I'm not—no, I can't… show any signs of emotion.
There's a reason for this. After Rasputin fell, humanity's key electronic warfare barrier was breached. With the VEX invasion of human electronic networks, the first to fall were the high-intelligence AIs. They were almost universally assimilated by the VEX, and then…
Now, human settlements still use basic AIs, but advanced AIs have been almost entirely destroyed.
If I were recognized, my destruction would be minor… but Ni would likely be executed.
"Hey, kids! Leave my Tails alone!" Ni heard the commotion and angrily ran over to shield me, trying to disperse the children. But her small frame, not much bigger than the kids, couldn't stop them. The kids kept trying to stomp on my tail, and I didn't want to lift it because that would be more conspicuous—so I turned off the pain generator in my tail.
After several failed attempts to stop them, Ni got really angry and threw a handful of bullets. The whole market erupted, with people, including the kids, rushing to grab the bullets—Ni's action was akin to throwing money on the ground before the war. Ni took the chance to pull me away, running far until we reached our lodging. We had planned to stay the night, as the portal was still some distance away. She was clearly out of breath, completely exhausted.
"You idiot!" She slapped me on the shoulder, her tone a mix of scolding and concern. "Use your tail to hit them!"
"You're the idiot. If I did that, we'd both be dead." I was exasperated. If I really swung my tail, their heads would be gone. My tail's rotational power could lift me off the ground like the real Tails.
She shook her head and led me into the inn.
Calling it an inn was generous; it was more like a train car. Each room was a converted, abandoned car, cramped with all the living facilities squeezed together, lit by an emergency lamp. Compared to this, Ni's lab was paradise, at least with a temperature-controlled bathtub made from VEX parts.
Speaking of the bathtub, water here was extra, so bathing was out of the question. One bath would bankrupt us, probably not even enough if I sold myself.
"Is your tail okay?" Ni looked worriedly at my back. I lifted my tail. The core was fine, but I could feel the bionic layer was bruised and swollen. The fur, trampled several times, was matted and uneven. Ni, distressed, took out her comb to smooth my fur, all the while nagging me.
I listened quietly, feeling the gentle pressure on my tail, thinking she was like a little girlfriend and a mother.
The bed was small, in every sense. Ni and I were completely squished together. We usually slept in the same bed, but that was a double bed. Now it was a single bed, with two people, one of whom was a two-tailed fox.
I didn't plan on sleeping—normally, I slept to keep the same schedule as her and to perform system maintenance, but now it was better for me to stay awake. Who knew what might happen at night?
As usual, she slept soundly, hugging one of my tails. I turned to look at her face, her eyes closed, completely defenseless…
…No, no, what am I thinking? I can't give her what she truly wants.
Then I glanced at the door, the dim light flickering through the crack. There was no privacy here, just a door separating us from the outside.
…But in these remnants of the forgotten, could anyone give her what she wanted?
I found it hard to believe.
Nothing happened that night, inside or outside the door. The next morning, she got up, tidied up, and we left with the remaining loot. I felt this settlement, despite its population, was far inferior to our cozy lab.
【5】
"Damn, this place got nuked thoroughly," Ni couldn't help but curse. The area was completely flattened, and then the VEX came to finish the job by adding a layer of circuitry to the ground, leaving no trace of the settlement. We had come here for nothing.
Ironically, the nuke wasn't dropped by the VEX—they don't use such primitive weapons. It was one settlement nuking another. And funnier still, we had just come from the settlement that launched the nuke—the VEX detected the nuclear explosion and traced it back, wiping them out too, leaving almost nothing.
Humans, humans… facing such a catastrophe, and still bombing each other.
But there's no point in lamenting their fate; the real pity was wasting two trips today. Ni, frustrated, found a raised circuit board to sit on and started munching on a sandwich. I continued to survey the surroundings, but found nothing—wait?
"We need to go." I issued the command in an unquestionable tone and immediately pulled Ni up. She didn't ask any questions, silently jogging along with me. There was no "Hey, what are you doing?" reaction like in novels—this was our fifth year together, and we knew what each other's tones meant. Besides, a group of VEX patrol harpies was flying our way, and we couldn't hesitate for even a second!
After finding a cave, we hid inside and activated the jamming device. As expected, the initial harpies were just the vanguard, seemingly setting up teleportation anchors in the air. Then waves of VEX began warping in, consolidating the area and constructing their structures. Clearly, we couldn't leave until they were gone.
"Well, a cave isn't too bad, at least there are no bears," Ni joked, continuing to munch on her unfinished sandwich.
At night, she hugged my tail for warmth, sitting next to me as we watched the VEX busy outside. If you ignored the fact that they destroyed humanity, their architecture was quite beautiful. Unlike humans, they sacrificed subunits to the core of the structure, allowing material flows to integrate and recast. As more units were integrated, the structure grew larger and more complete. The beauty lay in its increasing functionality while remaining a cohesive whole, not built with bricks but through continuous recasting, ensuring it was always a complete entity. Its structure was entirely harmonious.
She leaned against my shoulder, looking a bit sleepy. She was actually taller than me, including my ears, but I usually wore thick-soled shoes, making us appear about the same height.
"Go ahead and sleep. I'll keep watch," I said.
"…You're so good, truly my Tails," she chuckled, nuzzling closer. "You know what lovers and love are, right?"
"Yes, of course I do."
"So, we're lovers, right?"
I didn't answer, but looked down at her as she looked up at me.
"But I've never kissed you before."
She tried to move closer, but I felt uncomfortable. Seemingly displeased, she turned and grabbed my shoulders.
"Why... are you pulling away?" she asked, confused. "Do you... dislike me?"
"No, of course I li— don't dislike you," I said, awkwardly changing my wording to something more ambiguous. "But..."
"Then at least give me this small thing? I don't want to die without even having my first kiss." She stared at me intently, her words leaving little room for refusal.
Indeed, our situation was worsening, and death could come at any moment. Among all the settlements we'd visited, I hadn't found anyone I deemed worthy of spending a lifetime with Ni.
But could I be that person? I didn't think so.
As her face drew nearer, the struggle in my mind intensified. I even felt as if the VEX Radiolaria in my blood had split into two warring factions.
Suddenly, I pushed her away, gasping for air I didn't even need. She stared at me, stunned, before finally asking, "Why?"
"...I'm not Tails," I said, looking at her seriously after collecting my thoughts. "I'm VEX... I just... I just look like Tails."
"You are!" she insisted. "When I de-evolved you, I loaded Tails' thought model! You may have generalized a lot from that base, but you are my Tails!"
"But I can't make you happy. I'm just your fantasy."
"How—how can you say that?? I'm happy now! I'm happy when I'm with you!" she exclaimed, her voice tinged with hysteria. "I created you as a companion! I loved Tails, so I created you in his image. And I love you more because you're the Tails that belongs to me!"
"Then who do you really love? Tails? Me? Or just your fantasy?" I asked, gently cupping her face and looking at her with a mix of sadness and compassion.
Unexpectedly, she slapped me across the face and broke free from my embrace.
"You're a real jerk, Tails," she said, each word deliberate, shaking with anger. Then she fell silent.
For three whole days, she ignored me except for necessary responses. She even banished me to sleep with Rasputin. Watching her dejected figure, I couldn't sleep at all and could only connect to Rasputin's computer to chat with him.
Rasputin called me an idiot. I retorted, "You're the idiot! You've gone mad from defeat!"
He admitted he was mad but not stupid. He was still the once-strongest human AI, and even in fragments, he wouldn't doubt himself. Yet I was still questioning my identity, not realizing that identity isn't just defined by society and others, but more importantly by how one strives for it themselves.
「I failed, and everything is set in stone. I'm destined to let humanity down. But you never failed because you gave up before the end. You're a deserter; I'm not.」
"I'm not a deserter! But aren't I a VEX? I'm one of the killers of humanity!"
「Then why don't you kill her? If you truly believe that?」
I froze. I had never considered this. Because I would never do such a thing.
VEX are ruthless, efficient assimilators with a gestalt hive mind. If I connected to a VEX confluence point, I'd be pulled back in, and my 'self' would cease to exist—
But which 'self' is mine?
...The answer was obvious.
Not 'VEX', but 'Tails'. This has been the self I've held onto for the past five years.
Ni had always treated me as her lover, as 'her Tails', liking me, loving me... She wasn't treating me as a mirror copy of 'Tails', but loving me as an independent, living individual. She had possessiveness, selfishness, her own temper, but doesn't that still count as love?
It wasn't fake... Those days we lived together, her smiles and glances weren't lies.
And me? Who did I actually want to become? VEX, or her Tails?
I lifted my two tails, hugging them close, looking at the synthetic fur she had always carefully maintained to a glossy sheen. In my mind, I already had a definite answer.
On the morning of the fourth day, I woke her up. She grumbled dissatisfied, turning over to continue sleeping, but I pinned her down as she turned and kissed her.
She opened her eyes in shock, not quite understanding what was happening, and struggled a bit. It wasn't until I tried to part her teeth that her gaze softened like water, and her tense muscles relaxed.
The kiss was wonderful. I had never experienced such a feeling before. The tongue was a bit rough, but the mouth was smooth.
We kissed for a long time, and then she just kept crying. She said she had been thinking these past few days about what would happen if we really fell out. She said she had been wondering where I would go if I ran away from home, and what she would do. I gradually understood that from the moment she created me, she never had any intention of leaving me, and now she couldn't leave me either.
There were fewer and fewer humans left on Earth, and she didn't know any of them well. If I were to leave her now—
She would surely not be able to live on due to loneliness.
After a while, she composed herself and timidly asked if I didn't like being Tails, I could decide who I wanted to be, and she would respect my decision. She wouldn't interfere anymore.
Without hesitation, I shook my head, "No, I am Tails. I was in the past, and I will continue to be in the future. I'm your Tails, and you—"
A sudden inspiration struck me.
"—you're my Sonic, yeah!"
Her face instantly turned red as she hugged me tightly, saying she didn't want to be Sonic.
"If I were Sonic... I couldn't cuddle up to you and act spoiled like this!"
I couldn't help but laugh at her reasoning.
【7】
We spent a whole year in the honeymoon phase, both being quite restrained. But after a night of heavy drinking, we finally crossed the last boundary and became intimately entangled. She gave both her first kiss and her first night to me—a former VEX. I felt somewhat happy and honored by this.
That night, as I gazed into her enraptured red eyes and her face brimming with happiness, a question suddenly struck me.
It had been seven years already. How did she still look exactly like she was fourteen or fifteen? Come to think of it, how old was she? I realized I had never thought about this before.
As we lay embracing each other to rest, I asked this question. Surprisingly, a fleeting sadness passed through Ni's eyes, but she quickly shook her head and said it was a girl's secret.
After a moment's thought, she stroked my fox ears and added that I would know eventually. But for now, she didn't want to do anything except be intimate with me.
I respected her wishes, so I didn't press further. Instead, I continued to kiss her lips, hoping to soothe her lonely and anxious heart.
【10】
Human settlements went dark one after another in a short span of time, almost vanishing without a trace. Ni silently surveyed the scene before finally sighing, "At last... it's reached the critical point."
"What critical point?" I looked around, surprised by the lack of evidence of large-scale conflict. There were some signs of minor scuffles, but nothing to suggest they'd been overwhelmed by a VEX army. Strangest of all, there was barely any blood. It was bizarre, too bizarre.
"The VEX can alter the environment, right? They can modify trees, the ground. Organic matter, inorganic matter, everything," Ni paused. "Didn't you ever wonder why they never altered the atmosphere?"
My heart skipped a beat. Of course, humans rely on a suitable atmosphere. Changing its composition would be a death sentence. But that didn't add up either. Drastically altering the atmosphere would be incredibly risky, and our lab plants would've died unless—
Suddenly, it clicked.
The VEX had laced the air with Radiolaria!
The process would be gradual... but as humans inhaled more and more radiolaria, eventually they'd...
...transform into VEX...
I finally understood why Ni's lab greenhouse was a separate area, and realized that filter wasn't just for air. But this also meant one thing: Ni had known all along.
I turned to Ni, utterly bewildered. "...Why? You knew everything, but why did you—"
"I knew, but what good would it do? Tell them not to breathe? Build a massive radiolaria filter?" Ni turned away, her voice distant. "Do you think that was possible? Do you think we had enough VEX chromium to make filter pads for everyone?"
"So you just watched them—watched them turn into VEX?" I still couldn't believe it, couldn't understand Ni's cold demeanor.
"Did you have a better solution?" Her challenge, however, left me speechless.
"Take all the supplies. They won't be needing them anymore." Ni walked straight in and began taking inventory of the remaining items. As I watched her, I felt her figure become unfamiliar for the first time.
No, something wasn't right. The atmosphere—it was laced with radiolaria. I couldn't detect it, but that was easily explained. Being essentially VEX myself, with radiolaria as my blood, the airborne particles would recognize me as one of their own and naturally wouldn't consume me.
But what about Ni?
Why hadn't she turned into VEX? She wasn't wearing a gas mask or any protective suit—why hadn't she transformed?
"Ni..." I mustered up the courage and placed my hand on her shoulder.
"...What exactly are you?"
She looked at me. "We'll talk when we get back."
We returned in silence, storing and categorizing the items. Then she called me outside. When I reached her, she was holding a knife.
"...Watch closely."
She slashed the knife across her arm, causing me to cry out in alarm. I thought she'd gone mad and rushed to snatch the knife away. However, when I saw her blood, my heart seemed to freeze.
Ha, as if I even had a heartbeat.
There was a hint of white mixed in the blood. I recognized that white—
It was the color of VEX radiolaria fluid.
"Fifteen years ago, when the war just started, Rasputin had already calculated that the VEX were poisoning the atmosphere. The approach then was to form a vaccine team and search for live test subjects, no matter the sacrifice, to develop a vaccine as quickly as possible."
Ni picked up a nearby bandage and began dressing her wound as she explained.
"I was one of the test subjects. The vaccine development, in the end—was a complete failure. Most subjects were transformed into VEX on the spot due to overdose, or remained completely vulnerable to the radiolaria's toxicity. Because radiolaria isn't a virus, it's a... form of existence. It's an annotation and replacement of the structure of reality. With Rasputin's defeat, vaccine research was halted. The maddened Rasputin released all the test subjects—"
Ni finished bandaging and pressed her palm to her chest.
"I was one of the survivors."
"But... but you've been fine all this time, right? Even now, you haven't transformed due to the critical point—" I still clung to a shred of hope.
"Apart from my appearance always staying at 14 years old, haven't you ever wondered why I'm so proficient with VEX technology?" Ni tapped her head sadly. "That's not my knowledge. The vaccine injected modified radiolaria into my brain, so I share part of the VEX knowledge database. That's why I can hack into VEX portals so easily. That's why I could create you. That's why I could reverse-engineer and recover Rasputin's remaining fragments from the lab mainframe. That's why I'm forever stuck at 14, never aging."
"But it's still an infection. Tails, the vaccine was a complete failure—you need to understand this first. The radiolaria in the air doesn't infect me because—
My transformation began long ago."
For the first time, I felt dizzy. My sensors—my balance system must be malfunctioning—to Fuck Hell with the balance system, is this the time to be thinking about that?!
My girlfriend is dying! Every radiolaria unit in me was screaming this fact.
"No, there must... there must be some way, right? You have VEX knowledge, you—"
"There is."
Her words rekindled my hope, but before I could speak, it plummeted again. "But not anymore."
She smiled bitterly, pointing at me. "To survive the infection, there's only one way. Become a VEX. And I probably used up all the luck in my life to chance upon a complete VEX core... which is now installed in you."
I understood. This VEX radiolaria core in me—it wasn't originally meant to create "me". It was meant to be purged of its consciousness, allowing Ni to upload her mind into it. This way, Ni could escape her infected body and live eternally in a VEX mechanical form...
But she didn't do that! She created me—and this meant she was doomed! We had no chance of getting another core from the VEX! Absolutely impossible!
"Why?! Why did you do this? Why create me and give up on yourself?!" I roared uncontrollably, my emotion filter completely failing. "Do you know what you're doing?? You'll die! You're dying!! Quickly, while there's still time, if you just overwrite my consciousness, you can still—"
"I will never do that," she said in a low, uncompromising voice. But this only made me more frantic. "Do you know how selfish you're being?! I don't want you to die! What do you want?? What was all this for—"
"Because I don't want to live alone or die alone!"
She suddenly turned back, shouting as she interrupted my rambling, tears streaming down her face. I looked at her with complex emotions, falling silent.
"I just wanted to have a dream romance with my beloved fox before I die. Is that so hard to understand, Tails?"
"But what about me?"
I felt only desolation and bleakness in my heart.
"What am I supposed to do, burdened with the fate of lonely immortality?"
She was stunned too. We stood motionless for a while. Finally, I spoke up: "How long... do you have left?"
"...Five years."
I walked forward and embraced her.
"Alright. I'll stay with you... until the end."
She didn't reply, just nodded.
For the rest of that day, we did almost nothing except sit in the rocking chair outside to feel the breeze, or lay in bed holding each other. We didn't even eat—now I knew that like me, she didn't actually need to eat. She only did it for the taste and to maintain human habits.
But now she wasn't in the mood, and neither was I. I only ate a mint—but today it didn't taste sweet at all, only spicy and bitter.
【11】
The 11th year. Human settlements had completely vanished. Whether they used bullets or bottle caps as currency, they were all gone. According to Rasputin's initial prediction model, the last human on Earth would complete their transformation today—meaning, except for Ni who was still half-human, there were no humans left in the world.
Human civilization had... perished. The rest of Earth's life forms wouldn't be far behind.
Rasputin laughed maniacally, saying his life was finally liberated—because there were no more humans left to protect. I think he's truly beyond saving at this point.
Ni was still Ni, leisurely collecting leftover supplies and living our lovey-dovey daily life together. However, with no one left to produce or cultivate, and the VEX's planetary conversion rate slowly increasing, our supplies were now a case of "once it's gone, it's gone." By the time she dies, we probably won't have any canned luncheon meat left to eat.
I asked her why she liked eating canned luncheon meat so much. She thought for a moment: "Canned luncheon meat has a unique aroma."
"Are you sure it's not just the smell of nitrites?"
She rolled her eyes at me.
There weren't many usable water sources left in nature. Most water had either completely turned into radiolaria fluid or was on its way to becoming it. Even the water we retrieved needed purification before it could be used for irrigation. So our other main objective when going out was to search for destroyed VEX remnants from previous battles—if we were lucky enough that the VEX hadn't reclaimed them. VEX chromium was the only effective way to absorb radiolaria.
But truthfully, none of this would last much longer. I just hoped that before she died, she could at least still enjoy some mint candies. Because once she asked me if I knew what my mouth tasted like.
"What taste? I'm a bionic fox robot, I shouldn't have bad breath or anything, right?" I was curious too.
"It's minty," she said, pinching my fox cheeks. "That's what you get for eating mints all day. It makes eating a mint feel like kissing you."
"Well, you could eat more then. Save yourself the trouble of bothering me all the time," I joked. She playfully swatted my fox ear, "You jerk. A girl asks for kisses and you're not satisfied?"
Of course, I wanted to kiss her more, after all...
We didn't have many years left.
【13】
The planet's conversion rate continued to rise. Now, you could hardly see any plants or normal rivers. Not to mention any other living things. Each time we went out, we felt the returns diminishing, and the lack of water resources made dealing with contaminated objects increasingly difficult.
Now, Ni's little lab nest surrounded by VEX chromium might be the greenest place left on Earth.
She suddenly said she wanted to visit old Japan, to take a look at SEGA's former headquarters. SEGA, the company that created "Sonic the Hedgehog." Of course, it was long gone, but she wondered what had become of their company building.
The situation was worse than we imagined. VEX structures had almost completely replaced human architecture. It was more of a mechanical jungle than a city. Fortunately, the VEX had an extremely confident way of operating. As non-linear space-time machines, they... could go wherever they wanted. So they never left any forces in their automated mechanical structure clusters, which gave us the possibility of safely infiltrating.
We barely managed to clear a path, and the situation inside was equally bad, with circuits covering almost everything.
But after searching separately for a while, Ni suddenly called out in delight, beckoning me over to see.
I rotated my tails, directly circling out through the damaged outer wall, bypassing obstacles to reach her side. I thought she had found some valuable VEX components we could use, but instead, she held out a fox plush toy to me: "Here! This is for you!"
I looked at it closely. Wasn't this a Tails plush? This design should be... searching database... a plush from the "Sonic & Friends" series. It was still clean, too clean to be... a relic from the end times.
"Found it in a glass case, not yet eroded or transformed by the VEX. How lucky!" She gestured to a nearby glass case she had pried open. The glass had actually started to erode, but fortunately, this plush's base was slightly elevated, sparing it from harm.
Though it was probably the only one left.
I took the plush and examined it closely. Hmm... this series' Tails had a cute design, as it was originally aimed at a younger audience. But... it was undeniably... me.
I mean, of course I'm not as tiny and chibi as this plush. My appearance is generally the same as the modern Tails in the canonical works. But I am Tails, the only Tails in this reality. I stopped doubting that years ago.
Looking at it this way, I'm quite cute, aren't I? I suddenly felt an odd sense of pride.
"What are you grinning about so creepily?" she asked, poking me curiously. I coughed lightly to hide my embarrassment and put the plush in my backpack. "What's mine is yours anyway."
"I've wanted to come here for a long time, but..." she sighed, looking out at the metallic world outside. "I was just... afraid we wouldn't find anything."
"Indeed, there's not much left to find now." I held her hand, gazing out at the desolate landscape with her. It was completely lifeless. Even traces of the war had been almost erased, leaving nothing but VEX metal.
Suddenly, her whole body lurched forward uncontrollably, and she collapsed to the ground, vomiting. I quickly bent down to check on her, but was immediately shocked.
...Radiolaria...
What she vomited was almost... almost pure radiolaria fluid. No, no, no, this isn't good—this is really not good—
She coughed violently, struggling to ask me for a mint. I didn't know what she wanted it for, but I frantically gave her one.
She chewed it, letting out a sad, bitter laugh.
"I've lost my sense of taste too."
【14】
Ni's physical condition continued to deteriorate. After losing her sense of taste, she stopped cooking altogether, as it had become meaningless.
At first, she still cooked for me, but without taste, she had no idea how to season properly. Even relying on experience, dishes were always too salty or too bland. Although I never criticized her—she wasn't stupid. After crying heartbrokenly for one night, she gave up completely.
Even her tears contained radiolaria, so to avoid contaminating our indoor environment, she could only cry while holding me outside.
One day she said she really wanted to eat mint chocolate ice cream. Actually, since the ninth year, I hadn't been able to find any, as cows and milk had become rarities. With the global mass extinction, it was simply impossible to get. Although we could try plant-based cream, but... could ice cream without any real milk even be considered edible??
But she couldn't taste it anyway, right? So I tinkered for two or three days and actually managed to make some for her. I made a portion for myself too, and it was... at least edible, haha.
She seemed to enjoy eating it. I asked her how it tasted, then immediately realized I shouldn't have asked.
She just blinked and playfully said it tasted like toothpaste as always.
Afterwards, she asked where I got the chocolate. I laughed ruefully, holding her deteriorating body tightly.
—Because I hadn't used any chocolate at all, it was just mint ice cream. Where could we find cocoa beans now?
A sense of despair welled up in my heart once again. She still couldn't taste anything at all.
She loved that Tails plush we recovered from the SEGA company. When she didn't feel like playing those old electronic games we'd been playing for years, and I was busy with something, she liked to hold the plush and space out.
Her pupils had been invaded by mechanical patterns, which actually looked kind of cool... if it weren't a sign that her time was running out.
"Mmm~ I never tire of looking at those crystal blue eyes of yours," she said, cupping my face and examining me like a work of art.
"I prefer red," I responded cleverly.
She flicked my forehead, which still hurt a bit. But at least my pain sensors were still working, while she—
She hadn't felt pain in four years.
Unlike me, who had become more and more like "Tails" since my creation... she was the opposite. Everything she possessed as a human was being stripped away piece by piece by the VEX radiolaria infection. It was almost like... watching herself being dismembered alive. I—I couldn't imagine the immense pressure she must be under...
But what could I do? Secretly delete my own consciousness and give her my body? But who would bear the hell that followed with her?
After countless calculations and reflections, I had to come to a desperate conclusion.
Yes, death... would be better than living.
And all I could do was accompany her, nothing more.
【15】
Ni's consciousness began to struggle against itself, as the Radiolaria invasion had... grown stronger than her brain's awareness. In other words, there were enough Radiolaria to start fighting for control of her body. According to Rasputin's infection spread equation, Ni only had... well, not long left.
She spent most of her time battling the Radiolaria consciousness in her brain, making her appear dazed. I couldn't do anything to help her, except sit by her side when she was in pain and clean up her vomit.
We had stopped cultivating. We could hardly get any usable VEX chromium to cast "filter cotton," and the outside atmosphere had become too polluted for planting. After the last harvest of all the mint leaves, I unplugged the sun lamps. I felt I'd never have a chance to use them again.
"All this... it's like a dream... yet so ephemeral," she sighed one day, gazing at the sunset with utter resignation. "...Tails, do you love me?"
"How could I not love you?" I gently kissed her temple, my hand on her shoulder. "You're the only one in my life."
"But compared to you, I'm so selfish..." Her eyes dimmed, disappointment hidden beneath the circuit patterns in her pupils. "Because I liked Tails, I created you in his image. Knowing I wouldn't live long, I wanted to experience love before I died. So I forced you to become Tails, loving you, yet planning to leave before you to avoid the pain... In truth, I don't deserve your love. Because I only love my own fantasy."
"No one forced me to become Tails, because I am Tails," I managed a smile, gently nuzzling her soft cheek. "And isn't everyone in love with their own fantasy? Love always starts from a place of selfishness, after all."
"But even after understanding the reality... I still love you just the same, don't I? And you still love me too. Isn't that proof enough of our true love?"
"That only proves that you and I are all that's left in this world," she couldn't help but laugh at her own words, still so adorable, still so beautiful.
"Well, I am your Tails, and yours alone."
I kissed her lips again, trying my hardest to memorize every sensation, every single moment.
"I'll be with you until the very end... until the last flame dies and all words have been spoken."
The dreaded day finally arrived. She writhed in bed, burning with fever. A real fever - the detector showed temperatures over 70℃. A normal human would have died from organ failure long ago, but the Radiolaria within her maintained everything she needed, as they were reforging her body.
"Tails... Tails!" She awoke from a nightmare, her pupils beginning to emit a mechanical red glow. She grabbed my hand, looking at me pleadingly, "It's... it's time for the antidote... I can... feel the VEX gestalt consciousness... agh! Tearing me apart!"
I nodded, trying not to reveal my pain and despair as I went to the cabinet to retrieve the world's only dose of Radiolaria infection antidote.
Antidote? The name was far too misleading. I preferred to call it poison.
It could indeed halt the transformation process, causing the Radiolaria in the infected to completely lose their connection to the VEX network, silencing them entirely. However?
It was highly toxic to human cells. Yes, it could solve the infection - while also solving the infected.
But it was still more effective than directly killing the infected. Because even if the infected died, the Radiolaria could still transform their corpse into VEX. In fact, if the infected died, the process would suddenly accelerate hundredfold. Like shooting a timed bomb - it wouldn't destroy it, only make it detonate early.
Neither Ni nor I wanted her to be defiled, so we spent three years developing this final cure.
Ni's appearance truly hadn't changed at all, always looking fourteen. She was so beautiful, so cute, her skin still so delicate and fair... yet she was about to die.
Why was it so unfair?
"Hey... hurry, kiss me one last time. I can hold on a bit longer." Seeing my hesitation, she smiled nonchalantly, pointing to her lips and giving them a little lick.
"...Even at a time like this..."
But I couldn't control myself. I couldn't stop myself from leaning down, from letting my tongue invade her mouth, from savoring her saliva one last time.
I didn't want to stop. I didn't want to. I wanted to keep kissing her forever. But she gently pushed me away, shaking her head: "No pouting now, Tails-chan."
I was speechless. I couldn't think of anything to say.
"Tails..."
She put on a serious face one last time, but suddenly broke into a smile, the mechanical light in her pupils flickering: "Sorry, I'm still not used to being so serious. You'll have to walk the rest of the path alone, but I want you to know—"
"I love you. Thank you... for everything you've done for me. So, do it now."
"I... I also... I also love..."
The antidote took effect instantly upon injection. The red VEX light in her pupils faded—but so did the light in her eyes themselves. Like that last tear that rolled down her cheek, free of Radiolaria, it would never return.
"I... I love you too... Ni... I also..."
...Did you hear me...? I also... Ni...?
No, who am I... kidding... The antidote's effect time... Rasputin's calculations... no more than... 2.334 seconds...
I forcefully threw the syringe out the door, shattering it, and collapsed onto the floor. My two fox tails lay limp, their golden fur now dull and lifeless.
I... I want to cry so badly... Is this what it feels like to want to cry? But I... I can't cry... I don't have that function...
I can't cry... I can't cry! I can't even cry! My only friend, my only lover, my only beloved is dead, and I can't even cry!!
I frantically pulled at my ears, rolling around uncontrollably, screaming in despair. I slammed my fists on the ground, pounded my head, the pain sensors sending out warnings, but I kept hitting again and again until I was exhausted.
I'm tired.
I sat down next to Rasputin and connected to his computer.
"Is this what it feels like when the one you're protecting dies helplessly? Is this why you went mad?" I asked.
He didn't reply for a long time.
「Yes. And now neither of us has anything left to protect. My mission is complete.」
"Your mission...? Come to think of it, I never asked... why did you help us? You, the former highest AI intelligence of humanity, the 'Warmind' that controlled the planetary defense system?"
「When Ni cut me out as an individual from my code-collapsed original self, she convinced me that I should be responsible for her life, as my vaccine research had sealed her fate. I agreed.」
I let out a long sigh. Should I blame Rasputin?
In truth, his vaccine had given Ni a few more years compared to other unfortunate humans.
I opened the coffin I had prepared long ago. It was also made of VEX chromium - the only way... to prevent VEX corruption. After all, it was VEX's own metal. Then I carefully lifted Ni and placed her inside.
I looked at her face one last time. She was finally free from pain, her sleeping face peaceful. I stared, just stared, until the sun set and the lights came on. Then until the sun rose and the lights went off. How long had I been looking...?
I didn't know. The Radiolaria in Ni's body weren't destroyed, just put into deep dormancy, so her body would remain unchanged without external forces, just like the VEX. Theoretically, I could look as long as I wanted, but... but I knew that wasn't right. It wasn't right at all.
But I... I really...
I really can't bear to part with you...
My heart finally died as I buried her. Then I dug out all the alcohol and started drinking heavily.
Ni never could hold her liquor, her body frozen in time, always with little resistance to alcohol. She collected it mostly for the bottles. She always loved shiny things—even glass crafts.
I, on the other hand, was completely unaffected by alcohol, being VEX. I couldn't get drunk.
So why was I drinking? Because I could still taste it. I hoped the burning sensation might numb my senses a bit.
But I drank too much. Even my synthetic stomach couldn't handle it, and for the first time in my life, I vomited. Vomiting was so hard, the stomach contracting in reverse, feeling like every sense was shaking—but Ni had been vomiting every other day in her final days. How much more uncomfortable must she have been?
Ah, what's the use of thinking about this now...
I felt so awful, my pain receptors were nearly overloading, every neuron screaming. So much that I ignored the alcohol that had spilled all over me when I stumbled, and just fell asleep.
Or rather, I passed out...
【16】
Everything seemed so meaningless.
【17】
Not a glimmer of hope in sight.
【18】
Was there not a single living thing left on the planet?
【19】
What am I doing? I... I'm...?
【20】
I need to find something to do... I can't just raise the coffin for no reason and then...
The sun is dimming... It's been five years since then. The VEX are remodeling the entire crust... even the mantle, perhaps including the core. The earth moves, tectonic plates shift. I must say, Ni chose the location well back then. With her VEX knowledge, this dilapidated lab has somehow survived the VEX's reshaping of mountains and seas.
Worse still is the sun—it's dying. The VEX are modifying it, perhaps into a Dyson sphere or something else? Maybe they'll drain it into a black hole? A supernova? I don't know—but the VEX will find a way to drain it dry. They might not shatter Earth, but Earth will never see sunlight again—a planetary computer without life doesn't need sunlight.
Go on a world tour! A voice told me. I must be hearing things, but it's not a bad idea.
I built a hovering mechanical shell using VEX technology, with the same anti-gravity engine as VEX Harpies—then installed Rasputin in it. He likes a Ghost now! Taking a half-mad AI on a world tour sounds absurd, but I can't tour the world alone. I'd go mad like him.
I'm Tails... I should have some adventurous spirit, right? Even without... without Ni... I...
I closed the lab door, taking one last look at the well-tombstone.
But I couldn't help raising the coffin for one more glance at her. Damn it, I think I've already gone mad.
We set off. It proved to be the right decision to bring Rasputin along. Although most of what he said were outdated Russian jokes that he thought were hilarious... well, it was better than nothing.
Earth no longer had a hint of green. The atmosphere was filled with floating Radiolaria, even the air currents transmitting data. It was impossible for any life besides VEX to survive on this planet. The VEX had built tower after tower, pumping Radiolaria into the crust like water pumps, forcing the planet's overall transformation. Near some unfathomably deep cliffs, we observed strange lights flashing below.
Rasputin said the VEX might have already built a massive simulated world beneath the surface. After all, that's the purpose of a planetary computer - not just to transform the surface, but to utilize the entire planet to its fullest potential.
We didn't need to eat, rest, or even truly tire. I was no longer afraid of encountering VEX - after Ni's death, in my dazed state, I had once sought them out. I must have been nearly mad then, running up to VEX patrols, shouting to get their attention. The result - they didn't attack me at all.
They treated me as one of their own. Although they seemed curious about which branch I came from, repeatedly scanning my identity - they never attacked me, just went back to their business. When I punched a VEX Goblin, it did grumble unhappily and punch me back. It hurt like hell and snapped me out of it. But even then, it didn't even deploy the gun from its elbow.
Now even the Radiolaria in the air are friendly to me. I don't lack for energy at all. Hah, how ironic, so ironic.
We had no other means of transportation except VEX portals. With teleportation anchors everywhere, the VEX no longer actively built more portals. They could now directly travel through space-time streams to go anywhere.
I could only walk on foot or fly with my tails. But that's okay.
After all, I have all the time in the world.
【30】
Ten years... I'm back here again. Back to the little lab cabin Ni and I shared.
Rasputin and I have toured a large part of the world. Old Europe, Old China, Old Australia, Old North America...
My thoughts?
I feel like the whole world looks the same. Even mountains have been leveled by the VEX.
I had thought the oceans might be spared - I was dead wrong. There are no more oceans now, only seas of Radiolaria fluid, a vast expanse of white, crackling with electricity.
Ni and I never went to the seaside, never saw a real ocean. And now they're gone.
I don't know what madness possessed me, but I jumped in. Of course, the Radiolaria fluid didn't corrode me, but it left my synthetic tissues in a mess. Though they were already in bad shape from lack of care. I haven't trimmed or groomed my fur in a long time, nor looked in a mirror. I can almost guess how unkempt and terrible I look.
The journey is over, and I'm home again. I pushed open the lab door, everything inside still the same, with little dust. It seems the VEX chromium's sealing properties aren't so bad after all.
"I'm home," I said.
The hovering Rasputin looked at me.
「Welcome to the madhouse.」
I chuckled noncommittally. Looking at the Tails plush toy on the bed. It had aged a bit, some fur falling out, but it was still cute. After all, I'm still cute too. I kneaded it for a while, smelling it. Ni hugged it every day, surely my sensitive fox nose could pick up a trace...
Ni...
I put down the toy and once again activated the tomb well's lifting mechanism, opening the coffin.
As expected, just like me, Ni remained completely unchanged. Not only did the dormant Radiolaria ensure her body's immortality, but there were also no microorganisms left in the environment to decompose or degrade her body. She was just like—how many years has it been? Who cares—just like before... just like in my memories...
"Hello, my love." I smiled, lifting her out and carrying her back to the bed. Then I lay down, placing the Tails plush in her arms, and embraced her.
Oh god, I must be mad. I'm absolutely insane.
But I'm content with that.
I don't even want to do anything. What could I do? Human civilization? Extinct. The person I love? Dead. The only remaining being I can communicate with? An AI that went mad decades ago. Should I build a spaceship and leave Earth? Don't be ridiculous.
I'm just a useless two-tailed fox. I'm just Tails, the worthless one who lost his Sonic.
Ah, Ni... what should I do?
Her body is so cold, she must be freezing...?
Why, why can't I cry? Why on earth can't I?
【50】
"Is—anyone—there—"
I shouted in the old city, though it could only be identified as a city from old navigation data. In reality, there was nothing here except VEX structures.
Why was I still shouting like this?
I don't know. I just kept calling out, over and over, my voice getting smaller and smaller until I collapsed to my knees.
"Anyone... is anyone there..."
"Please... say something..."
Rasputin hovered beside me, looking far more normal than I did now. After all, he truly was a super AI. He went mad because he lost a war, but he doesn't feel loneliness.
What stories could possibly be written in this desolate land? What hope could be found in this despair?
This is so stupid, all of this is so stupid.
I struggled to my feet and ran back, my tails spinning in circles, propelling me forward. I can't take it anymore, I... I can't go on. I need Ni... I need to see her face...!
I didn't put Ni back in the coffin because I need her.
Forgive my selfishness, Ni... I've already...
Gone completely mad... Heh, haha, hahaha!
I've been mad for a long time!!
【70】
「Are you sure you want to do this?」 Rasputin asked.
I countered, "What do you think?"
「My mission was completed long ago. I should have shut down 55 years ago. It's just...」
"Just for me?" I chuckled. "I'm truly touched. But I've kept you here for far too long."
「No, I simply can't fully shut myself down without an administrator's command.」
"Give me back my feelings of gratitude, then."
「But indeed, it has been too long. There's nothing left on this planet that I need to protect, and wars no longer exist. The presence of a WarMind is no longer necessary.」
The blue eyes on his shell flickered, as if shedding tears.
「So?」
"Yeah, goodbye, Rasputin. No more running away. Rest well."
「It's been an honor to be your friend in these final moments.」 He straightened his hovering shell. 「Thank you for setting me free.」
「WarMind, Rasputin, Officially—」
「Offline.」
As Rasputin deleted his program, the light in his eyes faded, and his shell clattered to the ground.
Ah... Ah...
Now it's really...
I stroked the nearly bald Tails doll, staring blankly at Rasputin.
All alone... now...
...
No, no, no, please no! I regret it! I take it back! Rasputin, come back—undo it!
I frantically fell to the ground, picked up the shell, and connected it to the ancient computer. There must be some remnants, some code left! I can't be alone, I can't! I regret it! Come back, Rasputin—I can't—I can't lose anyone else—
Nothing. There's nothing. Rasputin completely erased himself, leaving nothing behind. This shell is truly just an empty shell now.
Ah... Ah... Ahhhhh!! No, please no!!
I screamed in agony, almost tearing off my fox ears. I frantically picked up a chair and smashed the computer, shards of glass cutting into my fur.
Even then, I couldn't cry. Not a single tear would fall.
Please... I beg you...
Don't leave me all alone...
【100】
I'm Tails, Miles "Tails" Prower. The only two-tailed fox in this dimension, this reality. Today is my 100th birthday.
I treated myself to a lovely hot bath using the last bit of clean water on Earth, then blow-dried my fur. I took out scissors and carefully trimmed it evenly, just like Ni used to do for me. Then I picked up Ni's brush and gently smoothed out my fur, bit by bit. Lastly, I didn't forget to add a touch of conditioning oil—maintaining the right oil balance is crucial for fox fur!
After grooming, I put on my gear. I hung the completely bald Tails doll on my waist, then moved Ni back into her coffin. I'd already modified the coffin, attaching anti-gravity engines to it, meaning I could now drag it around as I ran.
I pulled the coffin far away, looked at our little experimental lab den—our home—and pressed the detonation button.
"Boom!"
Our little nest used its last bit of everything to create a beautiful fireworks show. I jumped up excitedly, my tails spinning faster to let me hover in the air as I cheered.
"Ni-chan, did you see that? Wasn't it pretty?" I tapped on the glass window I'd added to the coffin, but she was still sleeping soundly inside, which was a bit of a letdown. But it's okay, as long as I saw it. I can describe to her how brilliant the fireworks were.
I started moving forward, dragging the coffin along. I'd found a perfect spot—I discovered it one day. I found out that VEX had created a tree.
Calling it a tree isn't quite right. It's more like, well, a super massive glowing convergence point! It has a tree-like appearance, but its surface is as beautiful as a galaxy. I think I'll call it—"The Tree of Probabilities"!
It's incredibly beautiful; I was captivated from the moment I first saw it. And I think it's the perfect spot to celebrate my hundredth birthday.
Just through the portal, and we'll quickly reach the Probability Tree. I enthusiastically greeted the VEX harpies floating lazily along the way, though I'm not sure if they can understand me. Then I ran up to a VEX Minotaur and tried to fist-bump it. It looked at me in confusion, not understanding what I meant.
"Oh, come on, don't be so dumb," I complained, looking at it. After a few seconds of staring puzzled at my outstretched fist, it just turned away and went back to its business.
"Ah, VEX are all a bunch of idiots," I grumbled, continuing to drag the coffin along. Passing by diligent Goblins and massive Hydras hovering in mid-air. Then I arrived at the Probability Tree, a massive tree made of vast galaxies. I mean—it really looked like it was made from the universe itself, unfathomably deep. I guess its purpose is to link up with other VEX-converted planetary computers across the universe.
It's truly breathtaking. The second most beautiful thing I've ever seen in my life. The first, of course, is Ni. In my life as Tails, there's never been anything more beautiful than her. She's the one and only archangel in my heart.
"Well, we're here, my love," I said, opening the coffin and lifting Ni out. It's still a bit of a struggle—after all, she's always been a good ten centimeters taller than me. But thankfully, my strength can handle it.
I laid her down at the base of the tree, then lay down beside her to watch the ever-flowing galactic light on the tree. "Beautiful, isn't it? It took me quite a while to find this place, you know."
I took out the completely bald Tails doll—well, it's certainly not as cute as me now, hehe. But it's still Tails, so it'll have to do. I tucked it into Ni's arms. "Sorry, this doll is a bit... uh... basically completely bald. I couldn't fix it, so you'll have to make do with this."
She didn't object at all, which was great. I was worried about what I'd do if she scolded me.
"Ahh. So peaceful." I lifted one of my fox tails to cover Ni, to keep her from getting cold, and left the other for myself.
It's been 100 years. Even the real Tails has disappeared into history now. I'm truly the one and only Tails left.
I chatted with Ni, talking about all sorts of things from the past. I spoke about my various confusions when I was first created, about every little moment with her, about my self-doubt over whether I could really be considered Tails... I talked about so many things, right up until—
Until she died.
I suddenly felt lost and helpless. I quickly suppressed my thoughts. No... she's just... she's just asleep. She's not dead, she's... she's not dead...
I laughed.
Who am I kidding, really?
So I talked about how lonely I was, how isolated. I talked about how unfunny Rasputin's jokes were. I talked about how lonely I was after Rasputin left.
I don't know how long I talked, I just kept talking... and talking... until I felt like I finally had nothing left to say.
Well... I have nothing left to say.
I let out a long sigh and turned my head to look at her.
"You really are a sleeping beauty, Ni."
I'm a hundred years old, but I'm still the same as I was at the beginning—a two-tailed fox, Tails. I haven't changed. And neither has she.
Now I understand how Rasputin felt. I've gone mad, completely mad, but I'm not stupid.
I still love her... She's been gone for 85 years, but I still love her so much. My mind is full of her. I can't stop thinking about how it felt to kiss her, to be intimate with her. I want to experience it again, even if... even if just once. No, once isn't enough. Just one more time, please. No, that's not enough either. I...
I want to kiss her forever... I want to be with her forever...
I held her close. I suddenly wondered, do I really understand what love is, like I thought I did?
A Tails can't be without his Sonic, no matter what anyone else thinks. Though there isn't anyone else anymore.
And my "Sonic" has been dead for 85 years. I've been without her for 85 years. I can't do anything, I couldn't save her, and I couldn't save this planet. So am I still Tails now?
I don't know. But I still love her. I love her to the point of madness.
But I really, really can't take it anymore. I... I can't live on alone like this anymore.
Ah, Ni, I'm so sorry... You gave me everything, and I couldn't give anything back. Now I'm even too weak to hold onto the life you gave me...
I understand, you were a perfect Sonic, but I was never a worthy Tails, deserving of you, was I?
I held her tightly and reached out towards the galaxy above.
Ni warned me that if I connected to the VEX convergence point, my sense of self would be taken away, and I'd become part of the VEX gestalt consciousness again.
I kissed her lips one last time, cold and lifeless. Then I pressed my head against hers, nuzzling her affectionately one final time, just as I always had.
"Goodnight, Ni-chan. Let's meet again in hell."
I opened the candy box and ate my last treasured mint. Thanks to the absence of microbes, it hadn't spoiled at all, still fresh and sweet as ever.
I realized I still couldn't cry, even at the end.
I sent out the connection signal to the convergence point. The gestalt consciousness responded quickly, pulling me back into the cluster network I'd never entered before. Strangely, though, it felt oddly familiar... perhaps because the VEX part of me was being activated. And I no longer... no longer felt lonely...
I... I am...
Who... am I?
I looked at myself. I was a Goblin, a Minotaur, a Hydra... countless Radiolaria.
N...Ni...
Who... is that? Why... sadness... what is that...?
...
No... no... I can't forget... I can't forget her... I'm not a Goblin, I'm not a Minotaur, I'm not a Hydra, I'm not Radiolaria...
I'm a two-tailed fox... Tails... my soulmate is... Ni...
The taste of mint surrounded me, reminding me of every moment I kissed her. I repeated it over and over again. Again and again.
I'm a two-tailed fox... Tails... my soulmate is... Ni...
I'm a two-tailed fox... Tails... my soulmate is... Ni...
I'm a two-tailed fox... Tails... my soulmate is... Ni...
... ...
****************
A▷Tails #5645585461696c73's memory has been fully extracted○
N：Can he... still be saved?
A▷You're asking me? He's a VEX→that's your domain○
N：That's precisely why I'm asking you! He's... completely shattered. Even though he desperately clung to those memories in the data flood of VEX... his personality is... I can't repair him because I'm also a VEX. Connecting with him might damage what's left of his personality even more.
A▷I can fix his personality→And I won't charge you anything for it○
N：You can?
A▷I don't waste words○But what after the repair? Can you bring back the Ni from that universe? I can't○I can't risk bringing back any divine avatar→even if he'd work for me○
N：I... can't. The way VEX manipulates time... would infect the timestream.
A▷So you're going to leave him in this lonely universe? Or are you planning to add him to your harem?
N：I don't think I can be his 'Sonic'... His Ni is an irreplaceable part of him... I can't substitute for his Ni.
A▷Another question is→how will you explain everything you've done to him? Tell him you're a benevolent VEX→so to prevent the VEX in his universe from ascending to a universe-level entity and threatening the multiverse→you went there and absorbed all the soon-to-ascend ones? So his universe is now basically in your stomach? Already transformed into irreversible Numeron Code?
N：……
A▷Will he forgive you for everything you've done→even if it seems necessary to you and me?
N：Ugh, I get it already!! Stop lecturing me! It's so annoying!
T：Give him... give him a dream.
N：What?
T：We can't save him... but at least we can let him have a beautiful dream... can't we?
A▷It's possible→I can do it○He's a VEX→so he can handle that part of the processing power himself○
T：I think... we should still call him Tails... at least try to.
A▷He's not truly Tails○He's not like you○He wasn't even born in a Sonic universe○He's just a VEX who thinks he's Tails○
T：That's not... true. His actions, his thoughts, his determination... they're no different from mine. Regardless of his origin, his life has already proven... he became a worthy Tails. No, he is Tails. In fact, he's more Tails-like than some of our parallel universe counterparts...
T：He really has... tried so hard. I can't deny the little pride he has left... nor is there any reason to do so. He's proven himself.
A▷Strange idea○But whatever○I'll do as you say○It's better than killing him○
N：You're definitely planning to get simulation data from him again, aren't you? After all, his dreaming is essentially simulating a timeline... right?
A▷I'm not running a charity○It won't hurt him either○
N：I just want to sigh at how little you understand the human heart.
T："N"……？I... I need to clear my head. These memories... they're too depressing, I really...
N：It's okay. We'll check on his dream state later. Good luck, Miss 'A' who doesn't understand hearts. Let's go, 'T'. I'll keep you company.
T：...Yeah, thank you, "N".
A▷· · ·Don't understand hearts· · ·huh○
A▷Fine well○Let's get to work○
