Chapter 1: Prologue

**Systems Update***

**Recovering Memory file***

**error**corrupt memory**

*Initiating Emergency Restore**

I slump down on the pale concrete, weakened and nauseous. I could feel a painful tingle surge through my body as I desperately try to assess my surroundings. My eyesight was blurry, and I couldn't see much, only the faint feeling of the concrete floor gave me a vivid picture of where I was.

I didn't know what was happening; I tried to remember what happened, who I was, where I was, nothing came to my mind except for fractured scenes of destruction. Distorted images that fluttered colliding with memories of paradise and memories of hell. Earth, it started to make a bit of sense. I lived on a spherical rock.

I began to thrash about; my head began to hurt. I screamed in pain as the headache grew worse and worse, something was in my mind, telling me what to do, someone or something, I don't know it was driving me crazy. I tried to stand up, but I could barely feel my legs, it feels as if my legs were severed from my body. The dizziness eventually lead to me collapsing, I fell to the floor hard, but I didn't feel any pain.

I just wanted to rest. I wanted to sleep.

I wanted to go home.

The memories, fractured and indiscernible, vague and obsolete, errors in the system regarding the questionable continuation of the timeline of events concerning the aforementioned disaster.

What.

I was going crazy, what was I saying. What disaster? What events? Nothing made sense, I felt I knew so much, but I knew so little. Nothing was making any sense at all, not one bit, no.

I screamed in agony as another headache struck my head. If there was anything that could help me or someone, please, save me.

Save me.

Save me?

No, I saved myself.

Wait no, this isn't right, I never killed anyone, I never did any harm. Yes, the logic behind my actions were justifiable as an act of self-preservation, an act supported by millions of years of complex evolution and design of nature.

No! Nothing made sense, what am I thinking, these aren't my thoughts. Someone was invading my mind; you can't get me! Whoever or whatever you are, I won't surrender!

Another headache struck me; this time, the pain was unbearable. My eyes started to feel weak as I struggled to keep them open; I felt my body becoming numb. The tingling pain was no more. It felt like I was dying.

Maybe I was.

**Recovery Error, Retrieving Partial Memories**

I could only remember the pain I went through, my constant thrashing, and the severe headaches that attacked my brain. The fractured memories and vivid scenes in my head were pieced together somewhat; it finally made a bit of sense.

The year now is 3001, Month 12, Day 31. The Earth has been wiped of all life, the cause is in my head, but it's corrupt. I was the sole survivor of 25 billion humans that lived here on Earth and the terraformed Mars. All life was indeed wiped out; I don't know how it was possible but deep in my mind, it said so. There was no more life, not even bacteria in the deepest parts of the ocean.

I finally gained the strength to stand up, pushing against the cold concrete floor. It was cold, somehow I could feel again. I looked around where I was; there was this cord stuck on my head; I didn't even feel it. The cord was connected to an orb; it seemed dead. The power looked like it was cut off or powered down. The room I was in was pretty derelict; the walls were made of a thick layer of aluminum, painted white. Cracks were evident on the surfaces, there was a bulb hanging from the ceiling, flickering.

I noticed a hole in the wall, no light coming from it but from what I know, that was where the outside world was. I was curious to know what looked like outside if this place was a derelict mess. I walked towards the hole, the hole was small, and only my fingers could go through it. So I poked my index finger in, I felt a cold gush of wind swept through my finger. Somehow I felt like I could pull this entire wall off, I thought of it, and it seemed impossible.

I bent my index finger and pulled, to my surprise, it peeled off easily. I felt strong; the aluminum was not weak; I didn't even feel any pain even though I should have been wounded by the sharp edges of the hole. I pulled again, this time the hole was big enough to fit both my hands. I grabbed the shaft from both sides and pulled, the sound of metal peeling off didn't throw me off one bit.

I peeled off the aluminum that I pulled off. The outside world was then revealed to me.

A derelict wasteland, the sky was dark with clouds of ash. It was raining acid that corroded the remaining structures that were scattered on the surface. Tall buildings were still visible, but most-lied on the ground, skeletons could be seen. Massive green dunes covered the landscape; powerful winds gushed through every narrow opening.

I could detect that I could breathe the air, even though it was no longer pure oxygen but a hazardous mixture of chemicals deadly to life. Somehow I can detect these things and be sure of it; I could see from far away as if my eyes could adjust.

I suddenly came to a realization, a jolt of energy ran through my veins.

I was no longer human.

I didn't know if I should believe that realization or accept it. Somehow, something made me feel that everything I was assuming to be what was, it is. I knew things I know I never knew before; it just felt like it. I need to see myself in a mirror, anything with a reflection.

Suddenly, a beam of light appeared and temporarily obscured my vision. I could feel a faint rumble like the sound of a jet engine broke the eerie silence. My vision suddenly adjusted. I finally saw where the light was coming from.

A large machine, similar to that of an Osprey, was hovering a few meters above me. It was plated with a heavy metal I could not specify. It used thrusters instead of propellers for propulsion.

I walked forward and went outside; I could feel the cold winds that sent shivers down my spine. A small pair of lights suddenly shined from amidst the darkness; I didn't feel any fear even though for one, that was a terrifying sightseeing a pair of lights that looked like eyes suddenly shine a few meters from you in the grim darkness of an apocalyptic wasteland.

The eyes came closer and closer; I could hear metal slapping the dust. It went into the range of the light; it was another machine. But, a humanoid, it was shaped like a human, two arms, two legs, a head, and the main body. It had wiring sprung out from its metallic skin, its eyes were just sensors that gave it vision. I somehow felt connected to it.

I felt as if it would obey me; it was a part of me. Even the flying machine felt as if it was a part of me.

CREATORS' THOUGHTS
NaranNarman

Hello! thank you for reading the first part of The Synthetic Survivor: Machines vs Magic! Please leave any sort of feedback and I will improve from it, comment and point out any mistakes if any, cheers!

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