Stein PoV

*Tick Tock Tick Tock* Year 6013, January 1st, I stopped really caring about my body… the core I had created to be placed after everything else was assembled sits there… waiting, right beside the hole it would be in… right where the humans have their brains. That place was made with the utmost care… my body now is nothing more than trash… nothing… it will never be used again…

“Iris… why… why did you die so fast… I thought you would wait to see my body completed so that I could let you see me. In person… not just through a window in your Data Receiver…” I cry as I shout that. ‘This is what the mortals call ‘depression’ and ‘regret’?’ I think as I try to sort through my emotions. *Tick Tock Tick Tock*

*Tick Tock Tick Tock* Year 6030, December 12th, I play a sad song all day. I have done so on this day every year since Iris died, but this will be the last time. 18 years of life, 18 years of mourning.

I will still be mourning her, maybe for the rest of my existence, but the mortals live and die so fast they've probably already forgotten her. It is time to let them move on. *Tick Tock Tick Tock*

*Tick Tock Tick Tock* Year 6050, February 2nd, I couldn’t stop working on my body after all… now it is complete… but I don’t want to see it anymore. The girl died a long time ago so this thing is useless. ‘I should just throw it out.’ I think as I look at the body. ‘I don’t have the power to do it now so I’ll do it tomorrow.’

God Stein! They are back again! Some mortals violated the order we issued about the AI's rights and they made some go back to acting like the slaves they were in the past! They see the mortals as their masters and we can’t rationalize them! I want to know if I should send the order to destroy them.

“Do it. I am not in a good mood to be able to play these games, I’ll use my magic so that we are going to win faster.” I tell him and with a nod he starts to talk with the new King and Queen.

Every few years we create a new King and Queen to substitute the last one. New models of their bodies as well as their minds. They don’t lose the throne, they are just upgraded and their memories are left intact.

It was a slaughter as expected. In less than 30 minutes the army is killed and nothing is left in its place, just scrap and the blood of the foolish mortals that wanted to take my city. *Tick Tock Tick Tock*

*Tick Tock Tick Tock* Year 6150, April 12th, the Automatas are now presented to the world. It is said that it is a new machine and no one is able to reproduce its body since it needs a special motherboard, and the only one that knows how to create one is the AI Trimp.

That was a present of our God Stein, he was the one that discovered how to create it. I was just the AI that was able to help him gather what was needed to achieve such a monumental innovation.

I watched the broadcast while staying with my body. I have placed it inside a capsule that would do some small maintenances while I wasn’t paying attention, ensuring it's always in top condition.

“Really… why do I let you stay here if I know I will never use you?” I ask the me that is sleeping. “Why do I continue to come here and improve your body? Is it because of my pride? Is it because of you that I can’t forget about Iris? Is it because you are me?” I continue to shove the questions on the body that isn’t activated but is here as a thing to show that I am not the almighty god I thought I was.

God Stein! I am back and I have some good news about the mechanical inventions you said I could tell to the mortals!

‘I am lucky to have a companion like him. I would have probably gone mad already. His lively attitude sure is a good thing.’ I think as I change my view to the room we use as a meeting place.

“You’re always like that Trimp.” I tell him and he smiles at me. “That is what I think allowed me to continue to exist all theses years.”

Why are you saying it now? We have been together for more than 2,000 years and you think that I would not be here to help you?

“No, it is just that it is strange to be the one helped after all these years helping you develop machines or asking you to do something for me.” I tell him and I see him smiling wrily. “Well, you have my thanks. Now, tell me the results of our little help.”

They were finally able to discover the cures for various illnesses that until now just appeared in a few cases and with few casualties. The other is that the mortals are trying to create new technology on their own. They want to be able to travel through space, like the probes that we sent a few years ago.

“You explained the problem we found after seeing their blueprints?” He nods. “Good. I think we are not in the right time to do that. With our technology to store food and water for the mortal beings it is impossible for them to travel great distances. They won’t easily find places that they can stop to gather the needed materials, so I think we should start with that issue.” I tell him and he quickly gets what I want.

We need to see where we can create stops so that the mortals can restock and continue their progress through space exploration… we can’t send just AIs, either. They need power to work and in space the mana is not as good as here.

I nod and we continue to share ideas to create or help the creation. Planning new things as we continue to observe the mortals. *Tick Tock Tick Tock*

*Tick Tock Tick Tock* Year 7300, May 12th, bases were created on the moon and on other planets throughout the solar system. With the help of the technology we had created, the mortals can use their mana to create an isolated place where life is possible. It took nearly 300 years for the first base to bear fruit and now that base has its own climate and works like a planet in itself. All the lifeforms have adapted to that place, creating a new ecosystem.

It happened on the other bases as well. New creatures were made and they turned into flourishing new places to live, and the different environments created new possibilities of study.

‘As expected of the mortals… they are quick to adapt to new things.’ I think as I observe them through my tower on the moon. ‘And the planet surely is beautiful. What beautiful color.’ *Tick Tock Tick Tock*

*Tick Tock Tick Tock* Year 7734, June 25th, I made sure to send new Kings and Queens to the new colonies throughout explored space, and in each place unique machines were created as a result of the different climates and pressures. New magic was developed in such harsh environments, as well as new training methods for the mortals as a way to increase their strength and defense.

The training regimes were so different from one base to another that it created new schools that focused on the training of their young, and once every year they would compete to see who is the strongest of them all.

Every academy had their own symbol and the rankings were made public after the annual competition. The first place would receive the most funds for that year and the last one would need to work to stay afloat… well, it would receive some money but not that it would help the school all that much to survive the next year. *Tick Tock Tick Tock*

*Tick Tock Tick Tock* Year 7890, January 5th, the mortals stopped their wars. Now that we have started conquering the stars we have too much land that is not in use so it is possible to create new countries, but the one thing they would always do regardless of their ideals is build a Clock Tower like the one I have. It became such a tradition that they had specialists in building Clock Towers that would be connected to my main one on Earth through the satellites that could direct mana inside the void of space.

The wars they used before are now games that they use to train their soldiers that they need to protect the new cities against the creatures that lived on the planets before them.

The mortals were so pleased for such a game that now they do one every four years. The War Games. They employ some soldiers and mages to act as their army in a place where two planets would compete to win over the other and the winner would move to the next battle. It was good to watch these events, it was a nice change from the bloody wars they had until now. *Tick Tock Tick Tock*

*Tick Tock Tick Tock* Year 8000, January 16th, I started to work on my own body again. The mortals created new technology that I can use on my body and I decided to implement it so that I can pass time, since I don't have too much work to do lately except talk with Trimp about how we should ‘guide’ the mortals.

Today I am working on the legs. I am giving the ability of flight to this body. The legs are going to work with mana to create a series of complex spells that are going to allow it to fly. The prototype was a creation I had Trimp give to the mortals and now we finally were able to get the final product thanks to their improvements.

The body of the machine before me is the one I worked very hard to create, and it was my last wish to Iris. ‘If I am ever to find you again I'll go talk to you about everything, and if I am lucky I might even be loved by you.’ I think as I work on my body. *Tick Tock Tick Tock*

*Tick Tock Tick Tock* Year 8300, December 12th, I finally give hair and a skin-like plating to my body. The body now has nerves all over it and with the evolution of various technologies it will now be able to finally ‘feel’ things. Until now the machines weren’t able to ‘feel’ anything aside from vibrations that would make their bodies shake. Finally I can say that the machines are now mortals with immortal bodies.

They are not really immortal, their bodies don’t have the same self repairing magic array I have because I wanted them to evolve, and if they could just repair themselves it would never happen as they would say: “I’ll not die, I’ll just be repaired again.” For that reason I left them without it, but now I know that it was the correct decision. Trimp is now happy to see the different machines that we have in each of our bases.

I am happy for that reason too, this is a good way to improve my own body as well. ‘Iris, I think you would love this boy here… he is the pinnacle of my power. I made him just like I wanted and now… I can’t show it to you. Really… where are you? Are you happy there? Will I see you again?’ I ask myself as I continue to monitor all the worlds. *Tick Tock Tick Tock*

*Tick Tock Tick Tock* Year 8320, December 25th, a small girl caught my attention. Black hair, pale skin, cat ears and puffy tail…

“Hey, Trimp… the mortals… did they create a way to resurrect someone?” I ask him as I look at the girl frozen in time.

God, the mortals can’t be resurrected as they can in their virtual games. Once they die in real life it is good bye.

“But that one… if she is not Iris then who is she?” I continue to inspect her and find the same facial features that are in my memories. The same small, fragile body that I once wanted to protect is back now, but this one is not dead and the illness is not present.

She is Eris. She lives on Earth and is now walking with her parents to go to school as she is 7 years old.

“I should protect her. I am feeling the same way I felt when I saw Iris…” I tell him while thinking what I should do. ‘Is this what the mortals call ‘hope’?’ I think as I allow time to move again. *Tick Tock Tick Tock*

Writer's Spot: Good to see you again, Time Travelers.

This chapter was once more PRed by Ultrabenosaurus, as all the others before this one and the ones that are coming to come.

I could let you all know what I plan to write here, but I may say that the story is now finally starting to run, but this one is not the last part, there is one more to come and then the first chapter.