Changed: Deep

Chapter 13: Self Doubt

[Scott's Pov]

I feel the cold pavement of the floor on my two hind legs. I am filled with void around me. I only see darkness, and then there's a huge floating battery bar glowing in the dark appear in front of me, similar to those battery bar indicators on phones. It has four bars, but the whole battery bar is depleted. A floating button also appeared to the right of the huge floating battery bar. I took a step closer and raised my right paw, hovering it close to the button. I gently pressed the button, and the first bar of the battery lit up. The first bar of the battery filled up. A glowing phrase then appeared just above the battery. It reads, "Thank you.".

I slowly opened my eyes to the white ceiling of the garden room. It is all a dream. I slowly got up and sat up right. I see Prima sitting on my office chair and facing my computer. He has his right paw raised and one of his claws stuck into the USB port of the CPU cabinet. Doctor K is standing behind the Protogen, presumably observing what the Protogen is up to. I looked to my left and saw the white wolf and black wolf cuddled up together, asleep.

I slowly stood up from the grass and approached Prima and Doctor K. As I walk closer, Doctor K noticed me and turning to look at me. He raised his right paw and gestured me to come closer. i stood beside Doctor K, and the Protogen is in front of us busy with the computer. Observing the Protogen, he has a notepad open on the monitor, and letters and words are being typed in despite the Protogen not typing on the keyboard and only having one of his claw stuck in the USB port.

Looking at the notepad being shown on the monitor, I noticed that the words and statements Prima is writing are somewhat related to Protogen, but it feels different. The way the sentences are constructed in each statement, it sounds somewhat of a comparison. If it is to compare, then what is it comparing to? The sentence went to a halt when the USB port broke from the pressure of his claw stuck in it. The claw slid off the USB port, and the Protogen collapsed on the chair.

I looked at Doctor K in panic, and I tried to pull the unconscious Protogen from the office chair. I felt Doctor K's paw on my left arm, and I looked at him. He shook his head and pointed at the right paw of the Protogen with his right paw. "What do you want me to do? We can't just leave Prima on the chair. He needs to eat to replenish energy, just like me." Doctor K shook his head once again in disapproval.

"This Protogen is different. I have been observing him for thirty minutes now since I got awoken by Prima trying to type on the keyboard. His visor lit up a low battery bar, and he shoved his claw into the USB port. Magically, he began to recharge and type on the computer without the use of the keyboard." Doctor K stated and I slowly reached for the right paw of Prima and held it with my right paw. I hovered it close to the second USB port of the CPU cabinet and plugged one of his claws into it. Prima's visor immediately lit up with a battery bar before being replaced with his red facial expression.

Prima has his eyes fixated on me and gave me a warm smile. "Thank you for saving me, Scott. You may let go of my paw now." I let go of his right paw and he returned his gaze into the monitor. Words for statements began to appear again. "May I ask you a question? I hope you don't mind." I asked and the Protogen gave me a nod. "I read about what you are typing earlier. May I know what it is all about?" I asked and the words on the screen of the monitor went to a stop, and the Protogen looked at me.

"To be honest with you, I don't really know either. My visor notified me thirty minutes ago to write or type down every words that appear on my visor. Of course, I have been reading it while typing it on the computer, and it makes me question myself. You match the description of the details of a Protogen in the article that appears on my visor and on the notepad I have been typing on, but I don't. If I am not a Protogen, then what am I? Do you perhaps know what I am?"

I looked at Doctor K, and he looked at me as well. He gave me a shrug, as if he knows that I am expecting him to say something. I looked at Prima, and his facial expression from his visor shows a confused Protogen face. "Maybe if you typed longer enough, then the words that appear on your visor should give you the answer to the questions you have. We are curious about what you are typing on the notepad, and we would love to see more of it soon. Do you need a rest?"

The Protogen let out a sigh and gave me a nod. The notepad on the screen of the computer gave a notification of the note being saved. "Before I pull my claw out of the USB port, please insert my claw into a power outlet so I can recharge myself properly. The USB port isn't enough to charge me fully." I gave Prima a nod and he pulled his claw out of the USB port. The Protogen immediately fell unconscious on the office chair. "Let's help our friend charge. Let's drag him to the other outlet on the corner of the garden room." I gave Doctor K a thumbs up on my right paw, and we both carried the heavy Protogen from my office chair and into the corner of the room.

We gently sat the unconscious Prima on the grass, and Doctor K stuck the claw of the right paw of the Protogen into the electrical outlet. The visor of Prima quickly lit up, and a battery bar is being projected on his visor. The Protogen is now charging, and is fast asleep like the white wolf and the black wolf on the other side of the garden room. It got me thinking though. A Protogen is having doubts about himself.