C0NV3RG3 (Sequel to M3RG3)

Chapter 6

Lyla

The papers were handwritten and messy, but still legible. I zoomed in on the image until the blur of words became coherent.

During the Starvation Period, Synthesizers were invented. But where did the Synthesizers come from in the first place?

The Synthesizers were invented by a group of young scientists that called themselves the Republicans. They believed that what they did was for the public, for the people, was good. At the start, it was true, but afterwards, it no longer was.

When they realized how much the Synthesizers were helping everyone, they decided to take everything to a bigger scale. They created more technology. Tabloids, Serums, Simulations. People were enthralled by their designs, but the Socialists could not bear their technology. Technology made people lazy, they said. It made them inefficient. Still, everyone, including the Dependents and the Independents, sided with the Republic. The Republic was blinded with the fame and power everyone offered them. They were only scientists. Yet the taste of glory made them want more.

Someone knocked on the door. I hastily hid the Doctor's Tabloid under my pillow and swung the door open. William, or rather, a hologram of William, stood in front of me.

"You didn't go to lunch," William stated, his tone slightly accusatory.

"I informed Terence," I replied calmly, smoothing out my jeans.

"Lunch is a crucial part of your daily life." He said in a robotic tone. I swallowed down a sigh. This wasn't the first time he had chastised me for such mundane issues.

"I understand," I shoved my hands into the pockets of my jeans. "But I felt very bloated after having breakfast."

William nodded, his smile tight. "Fine. But inform me next time. I hope you won't make the same mistake again. Now go down and enjoy your lunch." His hologram flickered twice before disappearing.

The Doctor's Research had to wait. I grabbed my Tabloid and treaded downstairs, tying my hair into a messy ponytail while waiting for the elevator.

Cassandra and Octavius waved me over as I quietly took a seat next to Cassandra. The three of us weren't close, but maybe it was pity that made them reluctantly accepted me into their measly duo. As I ordered some cold cut sandwiches, I opened my Tabloid and clicked on the search icon.

The Republic Anthony. I typed in swiftly, watching the screen shift from grey to white.

Nothing. I tried a different approach. The Republic the Doctor. This time, a fishy database appeared, with nothing but text. The Republic would deem it as an unreliable source, but it was all I had.

A member of the Merging Process. (The first generation) With a passion to heal and discover new serums, the Doctor spends his time helping the sick and occasionally monitoring simulations. He is one of the youngest but most experienced medics in Republican history.

My cold cut sandwiches soon arrived. As I swiftly chomped them down, I quickly excused myself and left the dining room, my eyes half trained on the Doctor's Tabloid and half-trained ahead so I wouldn't bump into anything or anyone.

The Republicans added more controlling elements to the simulations. They made them so immersive that it was virtually impossible to differentiate them for reality. They added transmitters so they could monitor their victims and tailor simulations to their liking. With their power, they silenced their opposers with multiple threats about their newest serum that was the deadliest of them all - Serum 0.

At this brink of this deceptive perfection, where everyone was engrossed in their technology, the Revolution acted. They plotted uprisings to root out the Republic and their controlling technology. The Socialists wanted to help, but they were silenced by the Republic and could only watch helplessly as the Revolutionaries fought back. They were small in numbers, but they had something that made all of them immune to their simulations. There wasn't a name given to it, but it was a beneficial mutation in their genes that made the hosts aware of simulations and be able to manipulate it themselves.

When the Republicans held a Revolutionary hostage, the Revolution would always find a way to escape, both from the simulation and from the hands of the Republic. All the victors that escaped became spokespeople that awoke the rest of the population from their trance, momentarily tearing them away from their glowing devices. At that moment, the Revolution had achieved what they had wanted to do: To stop the Republicans from controlling everyone.

However, no one was prepared for the Republic's ultimate weapon. It was a silent but deadly one that wiped away memories in the blink of an eye, coming in the form of odourless gas. People who inhaled it would be stripped of their identities. Memories kept friends, families and lovers together. Without their memories, everything ceased to exist.

The Republicans took this moment to push the Revolutionaries and the Socialists off the pedestal, taking the throne as theirs. They called themselves the Republic and everyone beneath them their citizens. The Republic built itself upon piles of lies and manipulation. They got everything they wanted, but they were greedy. They continued inventing new technologies, securing their throne with even more advanced and deadly weapons.

Everyone lost their memories, including the Revolution. The serum was too unique, too different, even to the people who were immune to their simulations. Less than 10 people survived this brainwash, and nine of them were murdered or taken away for further brainwashing.

Teresa and I were part of the Revolution. The two of us were normal citizens, wondering what made the Revolution so heroic. We stumbled upon them one day when the two of us were messing about in an Affluent's house. Imagine two lousy teenagers stumbling on a serious Revolution meeting. Most of them were our age, and despite their lack of experience, they were determined to push the Republic off the pedestal.

After being sworn to secrecy, we joined the Revolution. Teresa was a skilled fighter while I aided the Revolution in retrieving information from the Republic. We were all prepared for the uprising and take down the Republic by force. We were all immune to their simulations, so what was there to lose?

What we were all not prepared for, was their ultimate weapon. All of us instantly fell. Very few were even able to maintain an intact mind. The only two that lived were me, and Anthony.

Anthony, I am giving this valuable information to you, because no one will ever think about the kid who holds the key to unleashing the truth upon the Republic. Keep this safe, and never let it fall into the wrong hands.

The last page wasn't signed. My blood ran cold, my mind skidding to a halt. This document wasn't written by Anthony. It was written by someone else.

Still, if I could find out about the hidden secrets of the Republic, then I could find out about Lyla, the girl I was before.

I stared at the girl in the mirror again, imagining chocolate locks instead of glowing hair, imagining sapphire blue eyes instead of sky blue ones, imagining freckles that were carelessly sprinkled across her face. Then I wondered who she was before.

Next update: 16th February