Code # Broken

Chapter 1

So how we wrote it was this first part will be broken up into all the character's perspectives. then, as soon as it's not anymore, we will get into the story. At the End of the story, or I might make it before this chapter,will be a description of all the characters, so you won't feel too confused. We will try to stick in the order of perspectives, but just in case, I will put down who's perspective we are writing in when we get into the story. If you have any questions, feel free to put them into a comment and ask!

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Number 01000010 01000111 00100011 01000110 01000110 00110000 00110000 00110000 00110000 has been activated - Preparing divertissement... Character complete; simulating now.

          Before, I never thought much of the repetitive strings telling me to go places and do things. I may never have seen it if it weren't for a bug in my system. Not a huge bug, but just enough of a bug that it caused me to question myself. My bug wasn't noticeable to my creators -- it didn't interfere with my daily routine at all -- so it was never fixed. I'd had it for awhile, even previous to the "beginning," as it never seemed to want to leave.

          I realized I had a bug a few months before, when I began to notice how everything was the same. Everything I could see repeated every single day. My grandmother, my friends, even the main character seemed to repeat. Though, of course, the main character was always different because they were the one that this whole program was meant for. They were the one who was being entertained by us.

          Everything I did, too, was the same. Getting up, walking around in town, walking some more, eating at a restaurant in the background of the main character. Everything I did was in the background; all meaningless things, stupid things. A sickening, inescapable loop.

          I am one of the "lucky" ones who remained the same from the pre-alpha. My quirks, my flaws, and my personal idiosyncrasies all remained. Though I don't feel lucky at all, but I do take a small amount of joy from knowing that I was deemed important or efficient enough to remain the same in the update.

          Each day, as I strolled down the street of town on my usual and unchanging routine, I gazed upon the shops and other things ahead. I really wished I controlled my movements and speech, but that wasn't possible for anyone, including myself. My code wouldn't let me do things differently each day; it controlled my walking speed, dialogue, even my way of eating. The only thing it couldn't control was my thoughts. So even as I walked, ran, and spoke, I could still think without any distractions. I had given up on listening to my own conversations, and other repeated things that became boring after not too long.

          There were many things I didn't know and wanted to know, but still I couldn't. One such thing was how some characters stood out more than others. I saw them in my route in the same places, looping again and again, but still they acted different. Bored. Unsurprised. I always looked at them, though they never returned the glance. I found three boys and two girls that appeared different to me.

          It made me want to reach out and know them, to see more of who and why they were. One quiet night I was thinking about all this before I sighed and turned in bed to fall asleep as I was coded to, at exactly 9:30 pm. The next day I felt sick - well, more sick than usual. I checked my character tag like I did each morning, though I didn't expect it to be any different than it always was.

Sheara

Age 16

Bg

level: #[*=0-?

          I couldn't read my level. I don't even remember if I ever really had a level. I am a background character, so the flaw is understandable, but it still looks more like a glitch than a silly idiosyncrasy. I sighed, seeing nothing visibly wrong with me, although the inner pain continued everywhere on my body.

          As I stepped outside into the world, I suddenly came to a halt. I didn't move for about another second. I began walking again, but still I was wondering if that was another glitch or bug that blocked my code for a moment. I wanted to shrug it off but I just couldn't.

          I became more and more dazed, fearing that I would collapse during my routine. I was extremely relieved when I sat down at the restaurant table I always sit at, closed my eyes and took deep breaths.

          When I opened them, I saw glitchy static and noise, and I was so startled I almost fell off my chair. In a moment, however, the noise disappeared, and everything was ordinary, and my code kept me from breaking from my position. I was shaking inside and out, and had many questions zooming through my head. What just happened? Why is it happening to me? Why? Why? Why?

          As I was trying to figure things out, I was already up again and traveling home. Everything was going fast, too fast, I was going to pass out. I wanted to hold my head. I wanted to move on my own, and I wanted to break away.

          I woke up in my bed in a cold sweat, confused at first, but I quickly regained my thinking. I must have blacked out, so my code took me back to my bed. I stared up at the ceiling feeling suffocated and exhaled, feeling a bit better, but still with a tight knot in my stomach.

          I wondered what would happen the next day. I was restless and excited at the idea of breaking free. I want to, I want it to end, I thought. I had never been so determined in my life, and the feeling was already working its way through my whole body. Even as excited as I was, I fell asleep at 10:00 at night, a half-hour later than usual.

          I woke with a start, having dreamt about something for the first time in my life. It filled me with a strange euphoria, and I knew what I was going to do. I got out of bed and got ready like normal, went outside like normal, and walked to town - just like normal. What wasn't normal was how tense I was. I was going to try and do something that no one I doubt would survive. I was going to try and break my code.

          Not fully break it; just crack it. Just enough. I didn't want to die - I doubt anyone wants to die - but just once, I wanted to feel the freedom of controlling myself. It doesn't have to be long, I told myself. it doesn't even have to be pleasant, I just want to be in control. Though now that I think about it, I never got to the point of knowing how to crack my code. I didn't have time to think, as I was in too much of a rush. As I sat in the restaurant, I calmed myself down and told myself that I would think it over and do something while walking back through town after eating.

          I didn't know how in this world I would break my own stable existence. What if I'm caught? What if... I die? My heart began to sink. This idea is insane, I told myself. But I suddenly caught a glimpse of the five other strange people, going about their routine in the square. Seeing them gave me an idea. It gave me the hope I needed to go through with what I was about to do, despite the fears and worries that came along afterwards. What if by enlisting their help, I drag them down with me? What if they hate me and despise me? No... I know that I can do this. And if they're truly anything like me, they'll do it too.

          As quick as it was yesterday, the little window of freedom ended before I knew it. But just as I began to walk past the path that lead to the center of town, I forced myself to move outside my path. To my ultimate surprise, I found myself able to control my movements. It was amazing, although I still felt the strong pull trying to drag me back into my place.

          As I did so, my plan came into place. One by one, the others joined me in stepping outside the lines, as if we were connected; our codes intertwined. No, I thought. Not codes... destinies.

          Maybe it was just a slip-up, or a coincidence, however rare those may be here. But I and the other five all walked towards the center, our heads down. Then, in perfect unison, we all began to run. This was it, I knew it; we were going to collide, to crash into each other.

          We were about to crack our codes together.