Aster

1 - Creation

The world was dark, devoid of anything at all. That was the beginning, and as time passed I began to feel. The first feeling was the warmth of my core, I didn't know what it was then, but I knew this piece contained all of me. Attached to this I became aware of multiple parts I didn't have a name for. Within each part were small bits that spun. They caught hold of others that were the same kind, causing them to spin along too.

My body began to form, taking on a certain rhythm as the parts that made up my being spun. Energy generated with each turn, and soon I became more aware. A sense that I didn't know was possible, sight. I could see through eyes that only knew a few shades of the same color. The world I saw was red, and what I witnessed was stagnant. I didn't know how to move then, so before me the sight was a simple ceiling with a dangling light pointed down at me.

Occasionally I saw someone. I had her registered in my mind as my creator, and that is all I knew. Clementine was her name, but I never thought it suited her. I was pleased to see Clementine, though this feeling confused me. I didn't know if it was real. Whenever I saw her, she would add something to me. One day she added smell... I didn't like it. The scent that filled mind was tangy, bitter, and harsh.

The next addition was sound, and at first I didn't like it either. It was loud, clicking and clanking. Bursts of air and bubbling water. A chaotic mixture of noise... Then I heard her voice speak, "Aster... Can you hear me now?"

Her words seemed foreign to me, yet somehow I understood. Her voice made hearing something worth while, that brief sentence brought me joy. Answering her question I nodded, and then I heard her footsteps tapping away. It was a long while that she was gone, and all I could feel was an anxiety that coated my soul, something I couldn't escape. My eyes were all that could move. They frantically flicked from left to right, looking for Clementine.

She stood beside me, and I felt hands run through my hair, parting it to the sides of my head. A loud clank followed by the jangle of metal startled me. I heard something click into place a short distance below my new eyes. "Try to say something."

I tried to figure out speech, attempting to move various parts of me to no avail. After a bit of trial and near total error, I said, "Ahh."

"Good!" Clementine cheered, her voice sounding soft and breath, soothing. "How about you try and form a sentence?"

I tried what she asked, drawing information out of nothing, or what seemed like nothing to me. I wasn't sure how, but I was able to speak, "Hello, Clementine."

"Good, but eww." Clementine's voice sounded slightly annoyed, and she continued, "Call me Minty."

"Minty... Minty." I spoke her name, enjoying how fun it was to say. "Mint!"

"Uh... Aster, you can stop saying it now..." Minty mumbled, seeming dissatisfied with my repetition of her name. It was understandable, my voice sounded harsh and metallic. I didn't quite enjoy hearing it.

"Minty, what am I?" I asked, wishing to know the answer. It was strange, existing. I didn't know why I was, who I was, or what I was. Still it seemed even though I didn't know, I did at the same time, like it was written within my core. Though I didn't learn it...

Minty pressed a few buttons. With a burst of air, a contraption underneath me tilted upward. My perspective changed so I was eye to eye with my creator, and I heard the click of a mechanism lock in place. Minty smiled softly, and answered, "You are an automaton. My creation."

"Then... Why am I?" I asked yet again.

Minty still answered, not seeming bothered, "I made you to be my friend... It's lonely in this world."