Changed: Deep

Chapter 19: Leeching Mind

[Scott's Pov]

Here I am once again in my realm of darkness in my dreams. Darkness surrounds me in all directions. The void devouring any source and presence of light. I sit on the floor and let out a long sigh. I ponder about the reasons as to why my dreams brings me here, or something else keeps bringing me back here. On the first bar of the battery being filled up, Prima began to question himself. He doubts himself being a Protogen. On the second bar of the battery being filled up, Prima went rogue and attempted to hurt Puro.

On the third bar of the battery being filled up, Prima went insane and demanded control over the white latex. Do the bars signify his stage in achieving something? Am I the one releasing his true self through these dreams? Are we somehow connected by a thread? All these questions in my head left unanswerable. I need answers but I can't when I'm stuck here. I see two familiar figures in the distance. It's Prima, and I see him holding Doctor K on his neck with his big right paw.

I quickly stood up and ran for the two. If we are indeed connected, does this mean Prima is trying to kill Doctor K? Thoughts race through my mind as I feel my heart pound in my chest. I took a step, and I felt the lack of flooring to accompany my footing. I fell down, again. Falling through the chasm of void, I noticed a command prompt down at the bottom left corner of my visor. Letters and words began to form.

"Hello, Scott. I am the entity that lives inside of your Prima's mind. I am his little companion, and I guide him through the obstacles he faces. You must be thinking, why are you here in this dream like state? This dream is the connection between your conscious you, and the unconscious Prima. It is a bridge that lets a Protogen modify a Primagen's software." My reading is cut short with myself landing on a stack of soft pillows. The big soft pillows cushioned my fall, and I am able to survive. I stood up and let out a sigh. I look at the command prompt once again. Wait, did it mention something about a Primagen?

"Are you even listening? Are you even listening? There you are. The connection is a bridge that lets a Protogen like you modify a Primagen's software. I know this probably must have raised a lot of questions about Primagen and Protogen, and you might demand for answers. I will partially answer amongst them. When the Protogen betrayed the Primagen, Protogen stole a special software that is supposed to fortify the firewall of the Primagen to keep them safe from sudden bridge hijacking and software modifications. Unfortunately, Primagen forgot to make copies of this, and I find it hilarious. It is true that Primagen are more advanced than Protogen, but who told them that stealing isn't an option?"

I looked around the room I found myself in, occasionally taking glances on the command prompt on my visor. I am in a regular sized room. The walls are painted yellow, and the flooring is covered with yellow carpet. I looked up and I noticed the grid ceiling is also colored yellow. Buzzing can be heard from the lights of the room, filling the room with the sound and not with silence. The lights occasionally flicker. There is no door leading inside, or outside of the room. The room reminds me of my office complex back then.

"Protogen are immune to the software modifications in the bridge, but Protogen cannot form the bridge themselves. Primagen, however, are open to the software modifications in the bridge, but the Primagen must first initialize this bridge to connect to either other Primagen, or to be unlucky enough to connect to a Protogen. Both species can wield the ability to modify softwares in the bridge, but the Primagen are the only ones modifiable, and the Protogen are not. The bridging often requires the Primagen to hold their fellow Primagen or a Protogen for the bridge to form."

A huge monitor suddenly appeared in front of me, and the command prompt began to appear from the screen of the monitor. "Prima is special though, because I found you. I personally made the bridge of you and Prima. Don't ask how. I live within the minds of Primagen. Those who I find and inject myself into are the most unlucky ones to live. Often times, Primagen are already self aware of who they are and what species they belong to. Prima, however, needs me and needs you to awaken himself."

Without hesitation, I immediately punched the monitor of the. My fist went through, and the huge monitor went dead. I noticed the command prompt on my visor still playing. "Anger is an interesting emotion. With my control over the bridge, I have personally made it easier for you to modify Prima's software through a press of a button, and a huge battery to signify the progress of the software modifications."

The broken monitor disappeared and is now replaced by the glowing battery I have been looking for. The same button I pressed the first time I found myself here is the same button that appeared beside the battery. The battery and the button are both floating up in the air, but are within my reach. "Don't even think about not pressing it. Remember, you made this as your exit, but the original intention is to progress Prima into his awakening. With the press of the button, you are to wake up free from the bridge once and for all, and Prima is to be free from his innocence. We are to meet again in the future."

I reached out my right paw to the button, hovering above it. "If my faith and Prima's relies on this button, so be it. Prima is destined to become a Primagen, and I must aid him to his awakening no matter the outcome. I have to save my friends too. May I perhaps know your name before I press the button?" I asked, and the command prompt typed a phrase.

"Malware, also known as the Hive Mind by the Primagen."