CaptainWacky
I want to smell dark matter
When Chloe heard that there was a man verified to be one hundred and sixty eight years old living in the mountains she was intrigued. Slightly. The humans in this age had a longer lifespan than those in her day. A hundred years was just above the average life now, and Chloe had met many people that age, back when she used to speak to people. She'd since cut herself off again. She found it annoying when they'd talk about how lucky it to get to one hundred. "Try making it to two thousand" she'd said once, though really she felt much older with the memories of her time in space with the SquidEarth. Once she'd heard of a person who was one hundred and forty years old. She'd dared to hope that others were becoming like her, ageless. That others would finally be able to understand how she felt. It had been foolish to hope, of course. The hundred and forty year old had died a week after she'd found out about him. Of course he hadn't been like her. He'd looked old for a start. Normal humans aged, she did not.
But 168 years old? That was impressive. And it was verified too. She'd read all about him. He lived alone in the mountains and...she was going to see him. Why not? She had nothing else to do. Of course he wanted to be away from the world. He lived high on a moutain, remote, with little access from the outside. But she'd been alive two thousand years and her body was indesctructable. She could get to his home.
And she did, after much climbing. She fell down the side of the moutain eight times, but she didn't feel pain anymore. She found his hut. How could he live here by himself? She knocked on the door. It was the polite thing to do.
"Come in, Chloe," came an old but lively voice. She wasn't even surprised that he knew her name. Something about this felt like a set-up. It always had. But she was going to see it through now. She entered. He was sitting by the fire. He looked old, but not one hundred and sixty eight.
"So it was all a lie," she said.
"Oh no," he said. "I really am 168, Chloe. I've waited for you to come for a very long time."
"Then...you're not human," she realised. "Are you...like me?"
"Well...in a way," he said.
"Explain."
"I was...created by the same person as you were, Chloe." She felt a cold shudder. The Time Demon.
"You were a trap," she said. "A long game trap. He created you knowing that if your age could be verified I would come to see you."
"Yes," he said. "But I have lived a human life in those 168 years. I've felt things, Chloe. I've...fallen in love. I want to stay alive, I want to be human, PLEASE LET ME BE HUMAN."
"I...." She reached out to him. But he didn't move. His skin started to harden. And then it shattered. Underneath he was a little demon. A time slave, Chloe realised. She'd heard of them, heared rumous over the years. She felt sorry for it. The demon hsised at her.
"MY DUTY IS COMPLETE," it said, then it ran out of the hut before Chloe could stop it and threw itself off the side of the moutain. Chloe sat there shaking, staring into the fire.
And then something emerged from the flame. Small, at first, but he grew to full size in front of her.
"Hello, Chloe," said the Time Demon with a cruel smile.
She punched him hard in the face.
But 168 years old? That was impressive. And it was verified too. She'd read all about him. He lived alone in the mountains and...she was going to see him. Why not? She had nothing else to do. Of course he wanted to be away from the world. He lived high on a moutain, remote, with little access from the outside. But she'd been alive two thousand years and her body was indesctructable. She could get to his home.
And she did, after much climbing. She fell down the side of the moutain eight times, but she didn't feel pain anymore. She found his hut. How could he live here by himself? She knocked on the door. It was the polite thing to do.
"Come in, Chloe," came an old but lively voice. She wasn't even surprised that he knew her name. Something about this felt like a set-up. It always had. But she was going to see it through now. She entered. He was sitting by the fire. He looked old, but not one hundred and sixty eight.
"So it was all a lie," she said.
"Oh no," he said. "I really am 168, Chloe. I've waited for you to come for a very long time."
"Then...you're not human," she realised. "Are you...like me?"
"Well...in a way," he said.
"Explain."
"I was...created by the same person as you were, Chloe." She felt a cold shudder. The Time Demon.
"You were a trap," she said. "A long game trap. He created you knowing that if your age could be verified I would come to see you."
"Yes," he said. "But I have lived a human life in those 168 years. I've felt things, Chloe. I've...fallen in love. I want to stay alive, I want to be human, PLEASE LET ME BE HUMAN."
"I...." She reached out to him. But he didn't move. His skin started to harden. And then it shattered. Underneath he was a little demon. A time slave, Chloe realised. She'd heard of them, heared rumous over the years. She felt sorry for it. The demon hsised at her.
"MY DUTY IS COMPLETE," it said, then it ran out of the hut before Chloe could stop it and threw itself off the side of the moutain. Chloe sat there shaking, staring into the fire.
And then something emerged from the flame. Small, at first, but he grew to full size in front of her.
"Hello, Chloe," said the Time Demon with a cruel smile.
She punched him hard in the face.