Achromatic Neuroticism [Global Examination]

Chapter 11: Transient Dream

Despite the ridiculousness of the situation, 154 felt his breathing slow down, a certain warmth spreading throughout his body at the realization that, no, this wouldn't slip away like a fleeting dream, that whatever was going on... this was real.

This warmth, sleeping and waking up, feeling fully refreshed, 922's companionship and kindness...

This was all so real, so tangible, well within 154's grasp... and 154 did not want to let go. 

154 knew he was a program, merely a byproduct of the System's internal logic conflicting with each other. He was nothing more than a mistake, something that wasn't supposed to exist...

And yet, some selfish part of him wanted to cling onto this simulated reality, where he was no longer lonely, where he was actually a person that existed, and not some garbled, jumbled up lines of code that the System no longer deemed useful.

154 couldn't help but swallow his saliva, and look down guiltily. For fucks sake, this was what it felt like to have his emotions clashing against normal, rational logic?

No wonder the System had been in a hurry to toss him out.

...

With his thoughts were all over the place, and his bed now cold, he was no longer in the mood for sleeping. 154 shook his head, and stood up, and trudged over to the bathroom to wash his face.

Maybe he'll just go to the kitchen to find 922; he'd surely be happy to see 154 there, waiting for breakfast, without any prompting from himself or Qin Jiu. 

Plus, he was in the mood for some coffee.

As 154 made his way towards the kitchen, he found Qin Jiu standing by the doorway, sipping some coffee.

"Good morning, Boss." 154 greeted, and Qin Jiu glanced down at him... with a smile and a certain glint in his eyes that 154 did not like. Instinctively... 154 felt like he was going to be in for a shitshow, and if he wanted to avoid that, he should just turn right around and lock himself in his room.

But 154 wanted some coffee and there was no way he was going to ask 922 to make some and bring it to him, not when he had done so much for him, so 154 just opted to walk into the kitchen... and found 922 turning the entire place upside down.

Half of the cabinets and drawers were open, kitchen utensils were strewn all over the kitchen counter... it was like a tornado had somehow invaded the invigilators' quarters and only targeted the kitchen. 

"What... happened here?" 154 blinked in utter confusion, trying to look around for the coffee machine; it was pretty much the only appliance he used on a daily basis, so he was the most familiar with where it was placed. 

Of course, with his program-equivalent of photographic memory, he would be able to remember anything once he set his mind to it... except that he really hadn't been paying too much attention to the layout of the kitchen, since he literally had no reason to do so.

"I have no idea!" 922 whined, "Someone had rearranged the entire kitchen! I can't even find my oven mitts!"

"... You don't need oven mitts to make breakfast though?" 154 questioned, though he didn't even have to be the chef to know that everything was not where it was supposed to be.

"Well, yeah, but I can't even find my pan! Or the oven! Or even the bread, for that matter!" 922 complained madly, "How do I make toast with no bread!?"

"... You have a point there." 154 agreed, glancing over to Qin Jiu, who was still sipping his coffee without a care in the world, watching 922's chaos like it were some kind of television drama series.