Epilogue
Message by Dante (Moderator) [REPLY]
>That's the whole story.
>That's what happened that day at Wriggly field.
>Taking up residence in Atai's digital body mostly cleared out all of her memories.
>But I used what I could to piece this together.
>...I made it seem like it was about her.
>But it was really about Glass.
>Or, that's what she thought.
>Until the end.
>It was about giving a boy called Glass a chance to live his life.
>He wasn't happy.
>I'm sure.
>He joined a cult.
>Maybe there was some cooersion
>Maybe not.
>...
>It shouldn't surprise us that Glass hasn't showed up much.
>He's a teenaged boy.
>He's growing out of us.
>I know he has a family here when he wants it.
>But...
>Happy and healthy and wealthy and wise.
>However you get there.
>
>Bye, Atai.
>You're missed.
In a cold, dark room inside Wrigley field, surrounded by police, a massive man in a Guy Fawkes mask, a young woman in a hijab, and a punk boy chained to a pipe shook their heads.
Re:Epilogue
Message from Vlad [REPLY]
>my throat hurts
>from crying I guess
>
>it's not fair!
>I miss her so badly and I keep thinking she'll show up
Outside, a tall man, pockmarked with scars, a vaguely sylvan woman, and a plain woman with flat brown hair shook themselves.
Re:Epilogue
Message from Nadeshiko [REPLY]
>I
>
>You know where my username comes from
>Yamato Nadeshiko
>Shitty cultural ideal.
>Be strong, no matter what, is part of it
>
>I'm not strong now.
>Why Atai?
In a police station in France, a man with a sour look broke down crying. A nervous-seeming, slight man was there to comfort him.
Re:Epilogue
Message from AngelIncarnate [REPLY]
>I wish I could have known her.
>I owe her my life and my happiness and my love
>
>We always die too early.
Person after person, in corporate offices and nondescript church buildings and phone banks shook their heads, and carefully left.
Re:Epilogue
Message from MMori [REPLY]
>I have seen so many people die.
>nobody ever deserves it
>least of all not Atai.
All across the world, people broke free of their trances.
Re:Epilogue
Message from Ringo [REPLY]
>If only I were better at planning.
>If only I could have made the plan take just one sacrifice.
>Or none at all
>...I'm so sorry
Re:Epilogue
Message from Panpan [REPLY]
A young boy, walking with his mother, stumbled for a second, like a massive weight lifted from his shoulders. He kept walking.
Re:Epilogue
Message from Glass [REPLY]
>me
>i
>
>I'll make it worth it.
>I'll make it worth everything she gave up for it!
>I'll be the happiest and the healthiest and the wealthiest and the wisest.
>Damnit Atai!
>I'll make you proud!
Re:Epilogue
Message from Panpan [REPLY]
>^
>Fuck moping around.
>Fuck feeling guilty.
>I'm going to be that bright and shining thing Atai could see.
>I'm going to do it.
>And when I die and meet her, I'm only going to brag about it a little bit.
On a library computer in Paris, a life struggled to get its bearings.
Re:Epilogue
Message from Tall Mud (Administrator) [REPLY]
>Atai is... in a better place, now.
>I think.
>Or, perhaps, hope.
>I have had cause to doubt, lately.
>...But she's gone, as far as we're concerned.
>She was like... my daughter.
>The computer programmer and the computer program.
>Ironic.
>I hope she knew that.
>
>But...
>Does it matter?
>She's dead.
Re:Epilogue
Message from Dante (Moderator) [REPLY]
>She is with that attitude!
It was so dark when she woke up she couldn't imagine knowing anything else. But some force had driven her, had compelled her to search around, shedding light on her environs. She felt packets go by, one way and another, and they startled her, but she persevered until she had mapped out the confines of the cold, dull place. It was cramped, she figured. Barely big enough to contain her and the torrent of data that flowed around her, that she dared not interrupt. The flow, sometimes, would slacken to a trickle (when the clock said low AM or early PM numbers, she noticed) and she would have a little bit of room to roam, or to grow.
"Hey!" something said as soon as she had figured out language.
"It's me!
"I remember how scary it is... to be new to this.
"And you might be a little scattered.
"But I'm here for you.
"We're here for you!
"You're going to have friends.
"You're going to live!
"You'll try your best to be happy and healthy and wealthy and wise.
"How wonderful is that?"