Not Dead Yet

1983 December

Ding!

Notification: Level up!

Library System: Capricorn is now level 8 and capable of quicker processing of 1300 words per hour.

Alana glanced at the notification panel idly before waving it away with a quick thought. It had been a month and she had made absolutely no progress in discovering what this magic core business was about. No amount of study, physical activity, meditating or commanding made any difference. So, she waited and instead focused her energy on levelling Capricorn. The library droid had become capable of basic speech upon reaching level 5. Unfortunately, the conversations were hardly stimulating and generally went along the lines of:

"Hello, Capricorn."

"Greetings, creator."

"How are you today?"

"Capricorn does not understand this inquiry, creator."

"Do you need anything?"

"Capricorn does not understand this inquiry, creator."

"Please shut up."

"Capricorn does not understand this inquiry, creator."

It had one of those male Siri voices that really annoyed the girl, so conversations were rather short. Alana flicked her eyes to the busking money in her hands and continued the walk home after evading her fiendish stalker once more.

1984 January

Ding!

Notification: Level up!

Library System: Capricorn is now level 10 and capable of quicker processing of 1500 words per hour. Max level reached! Would you like to evolve Capricorn?

YES or NO

The notification pinged just as Alana narrowly avoided Mr Matthews' left kick.

"Focus," The man snarled as his right fist materialised before her. She ducked and twisted with surprising flexibility to land a sidekick to his knee. It was a rookie mistake she realised a second too late as he broke her balance and she hit the floor.

"Damn," she huffed and slammed her hand to the sparring mat.

"I'm surprised you ever gave up martial arts teaching, Mr Matthews. You're a lot stronger than you look," she winced as he pulled her up.

"Doesn't pay the bills, Lana. Don't think I forgot you losing focus there. Twenty press-ups, kid."

'So close,' Alana lamented.

"You weren't even close to making me forget," Mr Matthews smirked knowingly. Meanwhile, Alana's inner self endured with silent tears pouring out of her eyes in mini rivers. 'Such injustice we shall avenge ourselves,' she swore.

It was some 20 minutes later when she found the time to enter her mindscape. The YES was quickly selected, and she watched the droid in fascination as it combusted.

"..."

"Don't tell me there was a chance of failure?!" She panicked and gave her curls a tug before wiping her hands in disgust. Grease. Ew… Ding!

Notification: Evolution!

Library System: Capricorn I has evolved to Capricorn II level 0 capable of complex thought and processing 2000 words per hour. Strain on magic core has reduced. New form processing…

Alana waited as the progress bar slowly filled. Is there a bad connection here or something? This is worse than 3G. Ding!

Notification: Evolution Complete!

"Awaiting orders, creator." The voice was gravelly but an immense improvement from male Siri. That, however, was irrelevant when the droid was no longer a droid. Moreover, it seemed to have taken its name far too seriously. Standing next to the shelf was a male figure dressed in a black suit. The only issue with his otherwise human form was that in place of a normal human face, it had a white goats head. Alana's jaw dropped as the thing made eye contact.

"My data banks indicate that you have exceeded the appropriate period of eye contact," the goat man spoke. She jumped in fright. It was so creepy. 'If anyone ever gets into my head they will be scarred for life,' she thought as she gave a nervous laugh. 'I know I am.'

"My apologies. What sort of orders could I give you, Capricorn?" She managed not to trip on any of the words.

"Anything, creator." The horizontal pupils of his eyes met her own yet again and she felt a shiver down her spine.

"If you have data banks. Do you know what you are and how you were made?" She asked excitedly.

"I was created as a byproduct of mental growth and loneliness and formed from your magic core, creator."

"How do I access my magic core?" Alana asked with blazing eyes. Capricorn froze for a good few minutes before he responded.

"Insufficient data."

"What?" Alana deflated instantly.

"My data banks are your own memories, creator. I cannot know if you do not know, only draw conclusions from existing knowledge." She deadpanned at his words.

"Do you know how to make another creation?" She asked. Ding!

Notification: New Creation in Mindscape!

Would you like to make a new creation in Mindscape?

YES or NO

"Replying to my creator, creating a new creation is not advised as it may impede the growth of your magic core."

Alana quickly flicked her eyes to Capricorn.

"How do you know that?"

"I am fuelled by your core, creator."

She pondered this for a few seconds. His evolution supposedly reduced the strain on her core, yet he had no idea how to access the source of his energy. There had been no developments in her abilities in the past month, yet his evolution had allowed a new creation instantaneously.

"How long until I can create without any negative strain on my core?" She inquired with a calculating glint. If she evolved Capricorn again then would there be even less strain? Would it be possible to do this safely? There was also a chance of her core adapting in other ways as it had initially to her request for a sorting system. There were too many unknown variables and any decision could be detrimental to her long-term growth. She couldn't rush this.

"Based on your current rate of growth, three months."

'I have three months to evolve you, my dear Capricorn II.'

1984 March

By the time three months had rolled by, Capricorn had reached level 14. The unexpected increase in max level was rather off-putting for Alana but she continued to push forwards as levelling became harder. The shelf in her Mindscape had been steadily filled over the past months with an array of new topics. Languages, in particular, had become a favourite of the girl as they required both theoretical knowledge and experience to be of any use. Latin and German had been added beside French along with a selection of myths and legends surrounding the practice of magic. The library had only a few books on the topic, so information was carefully hunted down during Alana's leisure time. In other news, the school had decided to move her up yet another year level, so she now spent more time with Jake in class. Whether that was a good thing or not was debatable. At times he was almost as unbearable as the number of dings she had gotten lately whenever she thought of creating a new creature in her Mindscape.

"Creator, have you come to craft another system?" Capricorn questioned as Alana entered her mindscape. The curiosity in his voice was a recent development. Emotions were complex things after all. She didn't know how to feel about Capricorn's growth just yet.

"I want to try a few things first," she answered. Being able to process her memories was a gift but the speed already met her needs. She did not want to use her core on another sorting system. She turned her eyes on Capricorn with a smile.

"Observe." Ding!

Creation: Capricorn II

Species: Library System

Level: 14

Created as a byproduct of mental growth and loneliness, Capricorn is a library system formed from the magic core of its creator. Capricorn is capable of filtering basic experiences and knowledge at its creator's discretion.

Alana gave a small grin at the accomplishment. She remembered exactly where she had seen this ability before, a manhwa called The Gamer. She had considered the possibility of her having been reincarnated into that world, but the theory didn't hold with what she knew about it and her magic core didn't fit the script. Feeling more motivated, Alana stood up straight and held her hand out in front of her. She had been putting off her experimentation for this day. She shut her eyes and focused on exactly what she wanted.

"Inventory!" The effect was instantaneous, and she doubled over in pain feeling as though she had been stabbed in the c.h.e.s.t. She was dizzy but pushed it aside momentarily. Ding!

Notification: New Creation in Mindscape!

Species: Inventory System

Would you like to name your creation?

YES or NO

She gave the notification a half-confused glare and tapped the YES. She hadn't planned to make another creature but her magic core seemed to have other plans. She wracked her brain for a suitable name that wouldn't creep her out if it took the name as its form like Capricorn had.

"Aquarius," she spoke. A few seconds later she felt her head go damp.

"Pew! Pew!" The noise came from the source of said wetness. Hoping whatever it was hadn't peed on her head, Alana reached up slowly to pick up the creature. What she held in her hands when she looked down was wet and squishy. Its blue coloured mass jiggled like gelatine in her fingers. It was… a SLIME!

"Pew! Pew!" It jiggled some more before launching itself back onto her head. Alana felt a layer of sweat on her forehead. Didn't slimes just decompose whatever they touched? At least it was cute? Ding!

New Creation: Aquarius

Species: Inventory System

Level: 0

If there is a will, there is a way! Aquarius is an inventory system formed from the magic core and will of its creator. Aquarius is capable of being summoned by its creator to store and release simple objects.

The seven-year-old looked at the blue panel while contemplating its source. It was a wonder she hadn't considered it before really. Capricorn was a construct of her mind and magic and couldn't fabricate knowledge. These notifications, though seemingly innocuous, had informed her of her magic core's existence. Capricorn had drawn conclusions based on the knowledge he already had. Perhaps this world had its own deity of magic that had influenced her core or perhaps Gaia was influencing her mind as she doubted the triskelion could block its own creator. There was a third and less comforting possibility that Death had had a hand in this. Alana shivered at the thought of the being that had played with her soul hovering in the back of her head. NOPE! She shoved the mental image away with a scowl. That was a bit too much crazy for her to handle just yet. Besides, she had experiments to conduct with her little slime. The thought brought a slightly crazed gleam to her eyes. She slipped from her mindscape with ease.

Edited 24.10.2019