Memories of the Past

Long, long, long ago, before the creation of the Digital Entities and Cyber Animals, there was nothing but the Digital Stream that traveled across the cosmos, filling the empty void with pure, uncorrupted data. From within that void, a hog-like entity slept undisturbed as eons flew by until it was time for him to rouse from his dreamless sleep.

The data that flowed innocently within the dark void clustered together, creating an explosion of light. Startled by the light, closed eyelids opened to reveal bright blue orbs. Inspecting the data surrounding him, he lifted a hoof, catching some mysterious data on it. He was memorized as images of a vast space, and other worlds filled his mind.

What would it be like to explore those lively worlds of the unknown, to explore the cosmos and everything it has to offer? What would it be like to feel the sand under my hooves or to see the sun set into a beautiful orange sky? What would it be like to be out of this suffocating darkness?

Your wish is our command. As the data glowed, a female voice filled his head, growing in size. It took only a second for him to realize what was happening. It had created land that stretched beyond the horizon, surrounded by a clear ocean of floating data and a bright blue sky. Lush greens with beautiful specks of color, vegetation, tall trees bearing fruit, and enormous mountains covered the land.

Blue eyes widened of their own accord as he witnessed what he had only dreamed about becoming a reality. Was this really real? Could he really live here? Sensing his hesitation and disbelief, the data that remained with him lifted him out of the dark void and into a new world where he would no longer be alone.

Ever since leaving the void, Drekhog has continued the creation that the mysterious data started. With the aid of the data and the invisible specter that guided him throughout his journey, he created other beings to fill and nurture the land. When he grew old and left this plane, he wanted the newest generation of entities to be at peace that they were taken care of, and have a place that they could call home.

The invisible specter, Lady Fate, told of a child that would soon be born into their realm. The future queen of a new race of Cyber Beings. It was his task to find this child and teach her all she needed to know. However, this proved to be difficult, as not even Lady Fate knew where she would be born, nor when.

This was how the search for the queen began. From the moment he opened his eyes in the morning, King Drekhog guided his growing group of Cyber Animals across the vast lands of Cyberspace. They would smooth out the land to create various structures and farmland for each village they created. Then, when the sun went down, turning the sky dark, they would settle around a campfire, shifting through the resources they had gathered throughout their travels.

But as weeks turned into years, and years into decades, Drekhog had found it challenging to inspire hope in his people. Many have long since given up after the passing of their mates and loved ones from exertion caused by their travels, while others have become doubtful and frustrated with the specter their king preached about day after day.

“Where is this child that this Lady Fate speaks of?”

“Is she even real?”

“She doesn’t exist! Why are you making us waste our time and resources on a fairy tale?”

“If Fate exists, why doesn’t she show us where this child is?”

Lady Fate had no answer, and neither did he.

Frustrated with the ignorance of their king, the once massive group of Cyber Animals separated, forming their own packs and leaving him behind with nothing but a scoff and cruel words. Unfortunately, the hardships and setbacks that soon followed the king were anything but kind. As the group grew smaller with each passing day, it had become difficult to gather supplies with only two elders and a handful of young ones. Neither could handle the hardships that the mother of the realm would throw at them. However, despite how bad things got, they did not give up hope. Lady Fate would guide them to the future queen and to their salvation.

And then, one day, while seeking shelter in a cave, the group heard a cry. They did not hesitate as they traveled deeper into the dark cave, only to find a little one wrapped in a soft pink blanket. Near her were three round, pink-furred Cyber Animals with pure white feathery wings. Seeing the family struggling to soothe the crying baby, the king approached them.

“Can I be of assistance?” When he got a better look at the child, the king froze, realizing the baby was not a Cyber Animal after all, but the being they had been searching for, for almost three decades.

“This must be the first queen, chu.” Bright red eyes lifted from the old brown leather book she had been reading from to gaze at her companion. The two of them had woken up in this strange lab that seemed to be locked from the outside. No matter how often they tried fixing the machinery, it refused to work. Escape seemed to be next to impossible.

Now that just begs the question: why was she in that massive tube when her companion broke it open? How did they end up here? Why couldn’t they remember?

The list could go on, but she refused to entertain her conflicted thoughts any more than she had. There had to be a reason for all this. They just had to keep digging. Thus, why they had boxes of books and research journeys scattered across the floor.

The answers to their pasts and why they were trapped within these walls had to be here somewhere. It was just a matter of time. The Digital Entity glanced at the pile of journals she had finished reading. From what she understood, this secret laboratory once belonged to Dr. Ama, the current Royal Scientist of King and Queen Digiko. But she had disappeared shortly after the king’s death.

The mystery only seemed to expand, as there was no record of her whereabouts, nor the circumstances around the Royal Family. What is going on here? A slight frown graced her features as she gazed at a small folder she found hidden within what she assumed was once the Royal Scientist’s bedroom. The folder contained three documents, each recording information about her, her companion, and the queen.

The handwriting on the records was in a language she couldn’t understand, except for a few sections. According to the documents, her companion was a Cupid named Wiluff. Although, she probably should have figured that out by the bow and arrow it carried around. The queen’s records were completely blacked out, with only a word written across it: TRAITOR. What could that mean? And then there was the document about her, what little there was. Whoever made these records on them was just as clueless about her identity as she was.

Name: Unknown

Family: Unknown

Age: 16 when infected / 26 (currently)

Race: Digital/Virtual Entity Human

Gender: Female

Subject Name: Virtual Digi-Girl

Entry # 1: She brought in her 16-year-old daughter. She must have failed to kill the husband before he attacked. She blames me, of course. Not that I care. I could only watch as the scientist placed the child in one of the lab tubes for monitoring.

Entry # 2: The virus is not infecting her as quickly as the others. Interesting, I should do some tests when the mother and scientist are not around.

Entry # 3: The queen has ordered the scientist to remain in the lab. They are up to something. But what could they be after? Whatever, as long as they don’t interfere with my plans.

Entry # 4: They created a cure and gave it to the girl! The Bitch! How dare she betray me! I have to eliminate them before they give the cure to anyone else!

“You ok? You’re staring into space again. Do you want to take a nap?” Wiluff landed on her folded thighs, unsure of what she was feeling.

The Digital Entity smiled at her Cyber Animal friend. “I’m fine, just thinking,” she said, wanting to return their focus to the subject at hand. “This book seems to be talking about the cyber animals’ first king and the digital entities’ first queen,” she began, “but it doesn’t really explain how or why we woke up in the Royal Laboratory.” She skimmed through several pages before coming to a page of interest.

“The sickness?” They asked, looking unnerved at each page they read.

“For eons, under Queen Elena and King Drekhog’s rule, the Digital Entities and the Cyber Animals lived in harmony. At least, that was until the sickness.”

“Oh, no,” they murmured to themselves, allowing the Digital Entity to continue reading.

The first recorded sickness turned the once humble and peaceful king into a mindless, vicious monster. Once he succumbed to the sickness, many more soon followed. Queen Elena, along with her husband, sorrowfully fought against the creatures that had raised her. After countless decades of senseless war, the creatures finally retreated out of the kingdom and into the dark net. The first recorded sickness turned the once humble and peaceful king into a mindless, vicious monster. Once he succumbed to the sickness, many more soon followed. Queen Elena, along with her husband, sorrowfully fought against the creatures that had raised her. After countless decades of senseless war, the creatures finally retreated out of the kingdom and into the dark net.

Cyber Animals that were infected by the sickness were classified as Malware or Mals as they were very dangerous and contagious to the public. Any newly created data from the stream of life would turn black and glitchy, and any new Digital Entity or Cyber Animal created by the Royal Family would fall into the same madness as their brethren. Anyone scratched by those infected by the sickness would eventually turn into mindless monsters.

“T-that doesn’t sound very good, chu.”

She lifted her gaze away from the book, turning her gaze to Cupid, who was still resting on her thighs. The pink-furred Cyber Animal had long since left the comfort of her thighs they had been perched on. Opting to flutter around the room nervously. They had been trapped in this lab for days. Every lead they had led to a dead end, leaving them with more questions than what they had started with.

It was just so frustrating. Why were they here? What happened to them? Had they done something to be locked away from the rest of her kind? Or had something terrible happened outside these walls, which warranted them to be protected from the outside world?

My head hurts? Why can’t anything be easy?

A sigh left her as she placed the book on the ground. Judging by the state of the lab, they had been trapped here for a very long time. The computers, monitors, cameras, and other laboratory equipment seemed old and outdated. The light rarely worked properly, leaving them in semidarkness every so often. The computers and monitors showed them nothing but a blue screen. They had no form of communication nor a way to see what was happening outside. It truly was disheartening.

“No, it doesn’t.”

“Do you think that’s why we were in those tubes? This sickness sounds bad, chu.” It was tough to say. It was possible, but without the mother, the queen, or even the Royal Scientist, they had no way of knowing.

“I don’t know, Wiluff. Maybe,” she shrugged, “maybe not. We won’t know until we actually get out of here.”

They frowned, their blue eyes gazing at the computers they had been trying to fix earlier. The monitors, which generally showed a blue screen, started giving off a strange static sound all day. At the same time, the computers, despite figuring out how to get them to turn on, would not turn on now. However, every so often, a computer would randomly turn on `with a static screen, giving off a noise that sounded distorted, almost as if someone was trying to speak to them from the outside.

Picking up the book once more, the red-eyed Digital Entity flipped through a couple of pages until she found a page about the current Royal Family.

“After the passing of the late King Albert Digiko IV, Prince Philbert took over the throne and quickly married Princess Cecilia Mayland of the Kitchen Kingdom. They all feared the creatures that continued to chip away at the castle walls. The King and Queen were a fearsome force as they strategically fought the monsters by using the creature’s own corrupted code against them. This ultimately resulted in the creatures’ numbers decreasing rapidly, to the point of being almost nonexistent.” She paused, her brows raised just under her bangs.

How was it even possible for His and Her Royal Majesty to do something their ancestors had not done?

“Well, we already know a little bit about the passing of the King and this sickness,” Wiluff commented. “But I didn’t think a Digital Entity could be unaffected by the virus unless they had the antidote or got affected later on.”

Wanting to find out more, she turned the page. “What?” Several pages were missing, and two folded pieces of paper were in their place. “What’s this?” Placing the book on the ground, she unfolded one of them and began reading.

“To my dearest daughter,

If you are finding this, then I have failed you as your mother. The virus would have long since affected our great kingdom and me. I know you may not remember me once you awaken. Just remember, my love, and please forgive me. Locking the two of you in the lab was the only way to protect you.

You may be asking: why have I done this? What have I done to deserve such punishment?”

The woman took a deep breath before slowly releasing it. Something about this woman made her feel uneasy and nauseous. How did she know what she was thinking? She returned her focus to the letter and continued reading.

“You did nothing wrong, my daughter. The blame lands firmly on me. I had known that your father had been infected with the sickness. He desperately wanted me to kill him, knowing he would attack anyone once he reached the final stage. I refused. I locked him away in the guest room with no windows. I thought I had time to find a cure, but I regret not killing him then.

Killing your father was the hardest choice I had to make. His pain will always haunt me until the day I die. But I refuse to allow you to face the same fate. The cure, Dr. Ama is helping me create, is almost ready. I promise I will not make the same mistake twice.

Besides, it was my fault you got infected. And I’m sorry for the pain I have put you through. I understand if you never want to see or speak to me again. I deserve it.”

She placed the letter to the side and began reading the second.

“My daughter, be wary of the humans. Before the incident, I had met a man from the realm of the Humans. He and his colleagues called themselves the Hackers. He approached me, promising to help me create a cure in return for a favor. He is a liar and has no intention of giving us the cure.

With Dr. Ama’s help, I discovered he was spreading the sickness. While he did not turn King Drekhog into a mindless monster, he and his friends are why the sickness is spreading so quickly. He can control them into doing his bidding.

Whatever you do, don’t listen to him. He will come for you and Wiluff. I only pray Lady Fate watches over you and guides you, just as she did for me and your ancestors.

I am sorry, my daughter, my time is running out even as I write this out. So please bear with me and heed my warning. The Royal Family, the Kingdom, has been compromised. All of us have been infected by the virus, and it is only a matter of time before he comes for you. I don’t care what happens to me. But you must live on and continue what I started.

The Hackers must be stopped before all data from the Digital Stream becomes corrupted and unreversible. The antidote that I have given you will give you a fighting chance. But you must travel to the Dark Void. That is where the source of the virus is, where the answers are. You must destroy it and put an end to this madness.

I hope we will never meet again. But if we do, just remember me as I used to be and not the monster I will become. I don’t want to hurt you, but if I try to, you must end my life. I know I am asking a lot, but I know you will do the right thing.

Good luck, my little adventurer. May Lady Fate be with you always.

~ Mom.”

“So everyone was infected,” Wiluff said. “Does that mean we are alone?”

“I don’t know, Wiluff. If we’ve survived, then I’m sure there are others. But she spoke of these hackers. How are we supposed to stop them from harming more innocent cyber beings if we can’t even escape this place?”

“You want to go to the Dark Void?” Wiluff asked, their wings pinching up in surprise.

“Mom did everything she could to protect us. This letter was her last wish.” She held up the letters in front of her, a newfound hope overcoming her. “If she gave me the cure, then maybe there is more. And,” she added, her fingers gently tracing the bat-shaped pendant around her neck, “if we find it, we can save her and everyone else as well.”

Wiluff was silent as they thought about what she said. The sickness was a problem. They didn’t know how far it had stretched nor how many were infected. If they were truly the only survivors, was it even worth venturing outside the lab?

As much as she wanted to say no, that it was not worth it, something told her she had to. It was her duty to help those who could not. She had to be the bigger person and show the future generations that she was unbreakable, a leader in her own right.

“We have to try.”

“You’re right,” they said as they landed and shifted a few books around, finding the book they needed. The Cupid picked up the book and placed it in her hands. “Let’s figure out how to fix these computers, so we can start up the machine that controls the door.”

A bright smile graced her features as she shifted through the computer manual. Surprisingly, the computers and other electronics were highly advanced and the newest model on the market. But if that was true, why do they look so old? They looked like they were going to disintegrate at any moment?

Dumbfounded, the Digital Entity walked up to the computer that was supposed to control the door. Like all the others, it showed nothing but static and snow. Glancing at the book, she carefully rebooted the computer, entering the computer’s mainframe. Glancing at the book, she entered a series of codes that were laid out in the book before rebooting it once more. This time, instead of static and snow, a variety of footage showed on the screen.

Her stomach dropped as she saw the walls and grounds of the Royal Palace covered in blood. Bloody swords and the remains of armor and clothing littered the floor in front of the lab. Then, the scene suddenly switched, revealing several infected Digital Entities wandering the palace grounds in a mindless, ravaged state.

Was this what happens when they reach the final stage of the sickness? She swallowed the bile that had crawled up her throat.

According to one of the research journals, there were three stages to the sickness. The first stage was memory loss. The next stage of the virus was the loss of one’s current form. At this stage, depending on how much data was overwritten, one form can change to a Digital Entity, a Cyber Animal, or a combination of the two. The final stage, and the most deadly, is the insanity stage. At this stage, any Cyber Beings infected by the virus are mindless, vicious, contagious, and supposedly incurable.

“Those look like the palace maids,” said Wiluff as they fluttered closer to her. Even as horror wedged into the pit of her soul, she couldn’t help but nod.

This couldn’t be real. This was all just a dream. A horrible, senseless dream.

The scene soon changed to what was happening beyond the palace. Malwares, at least over a dozen, were ravaging the homes and tall structures of civilians, infecting all who got in their way. All that fought back were slaughtered by the Malwares or by the newly infected citizens. The once strong and powerful structures of the kingdom collapsed as puddles of corrupted data slowly ate away at the once great and oldest standing kingdom in Cyberspace.

“Hurry, men!” One of the citizens, a tall masculine man with hair as dark as coal and eyes as bright as the sun, called out to a few of his comrades. “We must get to the Princess.” The outfit that he wore gave the impression of someone of royal status. The purple and black coat bore the insignia of a rose, which matched nicely with the white pants and purple cape he wore. It was a stark contrast to what the other Digital Entities were wearing. With the exception of the woman, the others wore a multi-pocket brown jacket with an attached purple belt and bag, white pants, and a purple hat.

In the man’s right hand was a sharp, thin sword with a golden cage-like handle; in the other was a diamond-shaped shield branded with the same rose insignia. The other men in the group wielded similar weapons; only theirs had the insignia of a bat, the crest of the Royal Family.

The corners of her lips tugged into a slight frown, worry creeping into her soul as the group fought their way to the palace.

What could they want so badly that they are risking their own lives for?

Despite their small number, the group fought valiantly against the Malwares who sought to corrupt them.

“What makes you think Her Highness is even still alive?”

The Digital Entity that spoke was a tall man with long red hair, blue eyes, and a scruffy beard. The man wasn’t wearing a hat like the others and opted to wear his jacket around his waist. A variety of scars could be seen traveling across his muscular chest and disappearing at his hip. In his hands, she noticed a heavy-looking hammer that was absolutely gorgeous with its craftmanship.

“It has been ten years. Her Majesty is already lost to the sickness. Our families and friends are beyond saving, and our beloved kingdom is in ruins. For all we know, the Hacker has already gotten to them.”

The other man turned to the hammer-wielding man just as a lion with red eyes rushed towards them with its mighty claws.

“Watch out!” She screamed before the footage changed. Instead of camera footage around the palace, they saw a dark room. The room was as dark as the darkest shadows, with the only source of light being a computer screen within the room. In front of the computer was a thin man sitting on a comfortable-looking chair. If asked, she would not have been able to describe the man. The light was not enough to make out his features, despite the brown hat covering his eyes and dark clothing seamlessly blending in with the rest of the room.

No words were exchanged as the stranger gazed at them from his side of the monitor. An unsettling feeling overcame her senses as he smiled at them, showing off his white teeth. “You two seemed to be in quite a predicament.”

She shivered as she recognized the ominous voice from before, a voice that had been trying to get them to reconfigure some sort of portal that was supposedly within this room. The same voice that had been extremely rude to Wiluff, yet tried to be friendly towards her.

She frowned at the man that was no longer the phantom from within the rundown laboratory.

“Ain’t I right, Subject: Virtual Digi-Girl, Subject Bait.”