Mother's Anguish

Air damp and frost tender. An island where you only hear birds cry is shrouded in mist and cluttered with foliage covered, empty housing. To an educated elder the knowledge of this land is rare. A hundred-eighty six years ago it was a place where the sick could live at home with their families while still receiving any and all proper medical treatment. All human life on this island belonged solely to the patients and families. The caretakers were robots that worked around the clock to help anyone that needed it. Something that sounds so wonderful, if only the work of medicine was as advanced as the tools and appearance of its surroundings. During its first thirty two years of operation at least…

Rumors have it, the person who built the facilities and robots was a lonely woman. Who used to have a small family of her own before the island. They lived in a community on the mainland in the East, filled with Other Worlders. People who had all been snatched from their realms at the brink of death or as children under the age of ten. The lonely woman, Vero, was one summoned at the brink of death. Her husband was also an Other Worlder and they had a daughter together. All of the people living in the community had been kicked from the kingdoms that summoned them for lacking skills and not obtaining new abilities on arrival. Everyone remembers their lives before they were summoned, except for some of the much younger children. Vero and her husband told their daughter stories of their past life before bed every night, though the girl had no idea the stories were true, she loved hearing of a world much different from this world she’s used to. Having parents known for being Otherworlders does come off a bit ironic.

Life in this community was easy going. The people were close and dedicated to making all that felt lost from the World Summoning not feel alone or scared. Around the community the land was a lush open field, a river leading into a lake was nearby. Though the world was not originally their own, life was good. Sadly, by the time their daughter was six, her husband passed away to an incurable illness. With loss weighing heavy on her heart Vero did her darn hardest to show her daughter how to be strong. To see the world in a good light, even on the nights they held each other close and silently cried from the pain of him being gone. Since she had her daughter with her, Vero thought this was a wound that would heal in time.

Two years went by and at the age of eight the girl showed signs of the same illness that took her dad. Vero was sent into an obsessive spiral of trying to cure her beloved child. Searching for and asking anyone well versed in medicine from each neighboring community and nation. A year's time passed to no avail. Until, a paladin with knowledge of medicine from Vero’s home world reached out in a letter. Inside were detailed instructions to Vero on how to persuade a kingdom into giving her the tools she needed to save her daughter’s life. Only if she agrees to attempt to cure that kingdom’s sick population as well. That proposal got her the island, along with all the materials needed to build each unique family home, the underground pathways leading from the homes to the central medical facility, robots, and medical equipment.

The island did wonders for hundreds of families, but there were many like Vero’s daughter whose only benefit was being able to stay in the same home as their loved ones. Progressively getting worse over the next several years, all Vero’s daughter wanted was to one day see more of the world with her mom. Meanwhile, Vero pushed herself to learn magic from the paladin who sent her the letter. Day in and day out she strived to incorporate the magic into the tools to cure the illness.

Unfortunately, she’d never make it in time. Her daughter passed away two days after her twentieth birthday. Which was twelve years after she developed the awful illness. Vero never gave up though, she was too attached to let her go. Preserving the body, she started on a new plan. One that would take her another twenty years to accomplish.

Unclear chatter in the distance was enough to make her eyes flutter open. Bright and blurry the girl begins to take in her surroundings. Seems to be a lobby of sorts. In front of her stood an elderly woman, tears in her eyes, and a smile on her face. Pressing her hand to the thin, and unnoticable glass, the woman’s lips begin to move. A voice she sensed she'd heard before accompanied the movement. It was soft and although the girl’s body felt cold it made her ears warm with the sensation.

(...): Tina?

The woman's gaze was tender. Tilting her head to the side she called out again.

(...): Tina please. Do you remember?

Face unsure, the girl thought for a moment… That name feels right somehow. For what it’s worth though I don't actually remember if that’s me.

Tina): Hello.

(...): I’m so happy to finally have you. Do you know where you are and who I might be?

Tina): I’m sorry. It feels like the name could be right, but I don’t know if I’m Tina. As for you and this place I don’t recall knowing that either.

Smile fading and now pressing her forehead to the glass the woman sighs. Tina can tell that answer was not to her liking. Movement was limited behind this glass for she could only turn her head and speak. Tina got a small urge to press her hand to the woman’s behind the glass, but couldn't.

(...): It’s alright, maybe you just need a little more time after waking up. That’s all.

With that the woman turned and walked away. Realizing Tina never got the woman's name she soon began to feel sleepy. Closing her eyes and having all noise in the background slowly fade out she fell asleep, not waking till the middle of the next day.

Update complete! Another’s voice wakes her, but to her surprise there is no one around for that voice to belong to. Today feels different. Looking around once more she begins to understand what the place she’s in might be. The lobby was round and open, it had three hallways connecting to it. One on the left, right, and in the center. Hanging from the center ceiling was a huge double sided screen. Now and again people would walk through, sit and talk, or watch what was displayed on the screen. Mostly, robots were constantly coming through. A while passed and she started to think about that woman from yesterday. As she does the voice from before speaks, this time she knows its origin is in her head.

Voice): Vero. Creator of the facilities and patient number one-twenty five.

Thinking back to yesterday Tina now realizes Vero must have been disappointed her creation didn’t recognize her. The time was now 2:30 in the afternoon, Vero approached Tina, this time with a neutral face. Again she asked.

Vero): Do you happen to know who I am and where you are?

Tina): Yes. You’re Vero and the creator of the facilities and robots we see now, and of me.

Gently smiling, she confirmed to Tina that it was correct, but something inside Tina told her the answer was still wrong. Vero began to tell a story. All of it sounded like a familiar bedtime story. Explaining the things she used to do and create, in a world much different than here. Weeks went by and everyday at 2:30pm Vero would come visit the girl behind the glass in the lobby and tell her a story. Tina looked forward to it everyday. It was calming and her presence felt warm even from behind a glass.

Always wondering if Vero was doing alright, the days the old story teller showed up late Tina sat eager. Then one week she started to show up late consistently or not show up at all. Suddenly, in the middle of the night about three months after Vero and Tina consciously met for the first time in the lobby and a whole week after the last time they spoke, Vero came to tell Tina a story..

Vero): Tina.

The woman that sits before Tina had a light smile, but in her eyes was heavy sorrow and questioning.

Vero): I haven’t been the most truthful. The reason I created this facility wasn’t for other people. It was all a very selfish thing. You see… Before this island I lived in a community of Otherworlders. One of which I am. Otherworlders could only be brought to this world when at the brink of death or as a child. I still remember what happened to me right before I died. It was a brutal incident, in my world it’s known as a car accident, a pole pierced through my body and to my right was the passenger next to me with poles piercing their body as well. The last thing I saw was the face of the person next to me. That same face is also the face I woke up to when I came here to this world. I was lucky enough to be part of a rare double summoning. The person was able to follow me because my love for them was pure and I was holding their hand at death. They also followed me over because they met the requirements to do so. That person was my husband and the man I loved more than anything. In our old world I was pregnant with a girl, but being only seven months she did not fit the requirements. We later went on to have a daughter in this world. Though once she hit the age of six her father, my husband passed away from a strange incurable illness. It left me heart heavy, but I still had my daughter. That is… until she was eight, where she developed the same illness as her father. That is when I put my all into making this place happen. For her sake. My efforts weren’t kind, I used the deaths of the people before her to perfect what I have done to save her. Learning dark scientific magic I transferred her consciousness back into a repurpose body form her original. That is how you were born.

Vero stood and started slowly walking down the hall to the left. The same hall she walks to and from Tina every time. Her voice is growing a bit quiet.

Vero): It failed though. Since you have no memory of who I am. I believe this is it for me.

Looking back to Tina once more she raises her voice.

Vero): I lost him twice and I couldn't bear to lose you twice as well, but I did. I'm sorry, and I love you.

Just then Tina began to feel sleepy again, closing her eyes. Tina drifts into a deep sleep state. Just as the sun comes up that voice in her mind comes back to inform her of another update. Slowly waking from her sleep, memories start flowing into Tina’s mind. Childhood years and faint retellings of the people and stories Vero told her dance about in her head. By this time Tina has gotten more movement and freedom as to what she's capable of behind the glass. Her whole purpose was to be here and check on all while making them smile. So as these memories return she quickly decides to pop into the room of Vero, patient one-twenty five. A panel in Vero’s room allowed for Tina to digitally do that. Once Tina was in Vero’s room she saw the woman laying in a hospital bed with an oxygen mask on. Next to Vero was an open laptop.

Tina): I remember Vero! I finally remember everything! I know who you are now, you’re my mot…

Tina freezes. She can no longer move or speak. All she can do is watch, as the monitor next to Vero flatlines. A loud beep goes off in her room and two robots come in to cover the body and wheel it away. As they do, one robot bumps the small side table with the laptop. On the screen of the laptop showed a loading bar stuck at ninety nine percent, then one hundred.

Tine): ther…. You’re my mother Vero.. I’m so sorry I couldn’t remember.

Tina returned to the lobby. Years passed as she watched the people of the island fade out. Then one day an announcement was made for all robots to return to resting stations and that the last human had passed away. The lights went out and the surroundings got cold. Behind the glass and the girl showed all the thousands of wires that held her body up and filled her with the scientific dark magic that gave her life again. Tina was now alone. She grew tired and went into rest mode like the rest. In her sleep she watched people through TVs around the world to fill this cold void. A few made her heart feel warm so she subconsciously started sending hints for them to come find her. Hundreds of years later.

Hidden within these untouched walls is a sleeping girl.