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thescarletnargacuga · 6 months ago

Text

Art: @iamespecter

CHAPTER FOUR

Racing AU!

The racers welcome a new member but there's no rest for the digitally trapped. Things get weirder as Pomni starts seeing the red door in a place it shouldn't be.

WARNING: hurt/comfort

A cinnamonbunny hopped out of it's burrow. It's curious nose twitched in the breeze as it looked for predators. The sour candies growing from the small bushes tempted it to be brave and take a bite. The small bun took a berry shaped candy and was immediately spooked back into its burrow by six karts and two bikes rocketing by on the track.

Kinger led the pack through a narrow twisting candy. The track so skinny at some points, it forces the racers to go through singlefile. Pomni took up the rear with the bandits hot on her heels.

"Boss!" Shouted the squat gummy gator. "Where've you been!?"

"Took a detour! Don't recommend it!" Gummigoo looked around and ahead. "Where's Chad!?"

The smaller gator looked like he could cry. "He got fudged! Th-there was nothing I could do!"

Gummigoo didn't like the news, but at the same time, with his recent revelation, he was relieved he didn't have to put up a facade for both. "He knew the risks of the job! Stay focused!"

"Yes, boss!"

The track widened out and all eight vehicles could spread out. Jax immediately went on the offensive. Kinger had spoiled his fun earlier and he was looking to return the favor. He summoned his item, an orange shell, and aimed it at Kinger. The shell hit and Kinger spun, falling behind. Jax chuckled but didn't celebrate long as Kinger came back into view going full speed in reverse. Kinger waved politely and spun back to face forward. Jax stared in disbelief as Kinger sped ahead. He didn't even notice Gangle laughing at him as she passed.

Gummigoo got up next to Pomni. "Mind if my mate gets at least one of these crates?"

Pomni shrugged. "Sure!" She saw that Zooble had a crate. She maneuvered her kart to force Ragatha to the side, giving Gummigoo an opening to Zooble.

Gummigoo revved his bike hard enough to wheelie. He touched the crate as he weaved hard around Zooble, giving them no time to react.

Caine had returned to his booth to spectate the event. His eyes bugged out of his teeth. "In a shocking turn of events, Pomni has sided with the bandits, allowing them to steal syrup from Zooble! Oh, the candimonium! Er, gum-manity... you know what, puns are hard."

He ignored Bubble loudly chewing the ceiling.

Gummigoo tipped the brim of his hat to Pomni and seared off the track with the goods. His companion close behind.

"What did you do that for!?" Ragatha asked.

"She finally realized that none of this matters. You can do whatever you want out here." Jax said as he tossed a bar of soap behind him. A junk item he didn't want for the final stretch.

"Well, no, it's actually a bit more complicated that that. I'll explain later." Pomni avoided eye contact with them both and moved ahead.

The whole time, Zooble had no reaction to anything going on. This was just another drive to them. Sure, the world was impressive, but still. A track was a track.

Gummigoo drove far enough away for some peace and quiet and stopped a bit aways from the finish line. He took the small crate and held it out to his remaining companion. "Here...take back to the village for me, would you?"

"You're not coming with?"

"No. I've...got something to take care of first. Give mum my best, okay?" He fought to keep a straight face.

The purple gator put the crate on his bike. "I won't let you down, boss. See you later." He sped off into the distance.

Gummigoo's face dropped the moment his friend was out of sight. While he had to remind himself that none of this was real, the emotions certainly felt real. He hurt having to lie, knowing full well he'd never see anything he thought he knew again. He took a deep breath and headed for the finish line.

Kinger held on to the lead and won the race. He stood in the winner's circle with Princess Lool were she draped him in a candy wreath. The wreath fell to the ground, having no shoulders to sit upon. Not that Longer minded at all. He was just happy to be sitting still long enough to see candy butterflies again. They make him happy. What he didn't expect was a peck on the cheek from the Princess. An action that made him freeze and Ragatha nearly have a breakdown.

"Well done, brave racers! Our kingdom will thrive thanks to your actions! Farewell!" The princess turned and made her way to the entrance of her castle.

Jax rolled his eyes. As much as Caine talked up the world, he didn't see the so called "improvements". Bigger didn't mean better, it just meant the race took longer. Woo.

Gummigoo rode up to Pomni and dismounted.

"What is he doing here?" Asked Zooble.

"Everyone, i'd like you to meet Gummigoo. He's coming back to the garage with us."

"Is that allowed?" Gangle asked looking out for Caine to appear any second.

"Well, his reality was sort of completely shattered. It seemed like the least I could off him. And, in a strange course of events, I already did ask Caine and he said I could bring Gummigoo back."

"You convinced him to let you bring him back? How? No one's ever done that before." Ragatha looked longingly back at Princess Loo, who just disappeared inside the castle.

"It was a unique circumstance." Pomni shrugged. "Plus, he's already a racer. Figured he'd fit right in."

"You begged Caine to let you keep an NPC as a pet? That's hilarious." Jax taunted. "What are you gonna do when you get sick of him? Make Caine dispose of him? Bet there's room in the cellar."

A round of gasps and shouts ensued.

"JAX!" "What the [%@#!]!?" "That's a messed up thing to say!"

Jax put his hands up as everyone but Gummigoo verbally dogpiled him. The gummy gator glared and crossed his arms. "I'm nobody's pet, mate."

"Has Pomni not told you what you are, mate? You're a mess of code programmed by another mess of code."

"Enough, Jax!" Pomni got in between Jax and Gummigoo. "He knows and he's coming to stay with us. For has long as HE likes."

Jax stood tall in front of Pomni. "I think you mean as long as Caine allows. This is HIS world, Pomni. We're just stuck in it. The sooner you realize that, the easier it is to exist here."

Pomni struggled with a retort.

Caine appeared out of thin air. "Well done, my hard-shelled hamburgers! What a spectacular race! Congratulations, Kinger! You were especially in fine form today." He snapped his fingers and the world around them pixelated and blurred as it returned to its default garage and test track.

Gummigoo watched in astonishment as his entire world disappeared right before his eyes. He now stood in a field of strange green grass and the sky overhead has no clouds of ice cream. It was still a lot to take in, but he kept his composer. Especially now that he was around the being known as Caine. Witnessing what he could do with just a snap of his fingers was more than a little intimidating, especially after what Jax said.

"We also have a new friend to introduce! Gummigoo! He's not human but Pomni said he'd make a great addition! Here, let me give you load down of how things work around here." Caine snapped his fingers again and Gummigoo suddenly stiffened for a moment.

When he relaxed, he groaned and grabbed at his head. "Sugar, honey, and iced tea, that hurt." He blinked as his head swam with new information: Where he was. How the races worked. How the karts worked. The rules of the game.

"There ya go. All caught up. And as an added bonus, I've made you unkillable. Wouldn't want you crashing to your death on your first race! Enjoy your down time and rest up! We've got a big race tomorrow!" Caine poofed away.

"Wait, you were killable!?" Pomni asked, horrified.

"Yeah? Aren't you? Racing is dangerous."

"Looks like there's more to fill him in on." Kinger said.

"Yeah...come on inside." Pomni gestured Gummigoo to follow her.

Caine threw his jacket over a half rendered chair. What a day. He finally got to see his best work in action, but with unexpected consequences. An NPC found sentience. Oops. Looks like he made the A.I. a bit TOO advanced. Or the collision physics that likely got them glitched out of the map in the first place needed work.

He settled into a lounging position and activated some mid air screens full of data for him to ponder over. One gave video feed to the garage. He saw the racers show their new friend around.

Gangle and Pomni were showing Gummigoo the kart settings. Even though Caine had put the information in his head, he still appreciated their effort to welcome him into the fold. Ragatha approached and put her hand on Gangle's shoulder. "Everything is ready. Pomni, you don't have to but would you like to attend Kaufmo's funeral? We like to have a little memorial when someone abstracts."

Pomni looked at Gummigoo who, while not knowing what abstraction was, could tell it was serious. Her nodded towards Ragatha. "Go ahead, I'll be here for a bit." He was still designing his new bike.

Pomni followed Ragatha upstairs to where the others were gathered in front of Kaufmo's room. Small bouquets of white flowers and candles laid against the door, a painted red X crossed over Kaufmo's profile. She stood on the edge of the group, being respectful as the others each said their piece. Except Jax. She didn't see him.

Jax was in his room. His was adjacent to Kaufmo's. He sat on the floor just inside his room with the door cracked. He heard every word. Every story. He wasn't sad. Just numb. He's been through this too many times. He had no more sadness left to give.

When the other finished. Pomni stepped forward and spoke to the door. "Kaufmo...I wish we had met under better circumstances. From what I've been told, you were an incredible friend."

Caine watched from his screen, and took off his hat for the funeral. Kaufmo was a spectacular person. He didn't want to believe Kaufmo abstracted when he went missing. A familiar pang of guilt made him feel like he had angry bees in his chest. It was his fault. He couldn't keep Kaufmo or any of the others entertained enough.

He swore to do better. It's why he agreed to let Gummigoo stick around. That, and other reasons, but mostly to keep his humans happy and healthy. He was willing to try what they think is best. He was built to learn from humans after all.

He minimized the video of the garage and started working on the collision detection of object physics. He completely forgot about why he came back to his workspace so quickly. Not that it mattered anymore. The bright red door was no longer were he had left it.

Pomni leaned against the railing, still with Kinger and Ragatha by Kaufmo's room. She saw Gummigoo near finished with his bike, just working on picking colors and designs. "Do you think what Jax said is true?"

"What?"

"About Caine...that he'll get rid of Gummigoo when he feels like it?"

"No." Ragatha said immediately. "Caine's a weird one but he's never done anything to intentionally hurt us...key word is intentionally. The fact that he went out of his way to make Gummigoo an unkillable NPC should be a sign of good faith, at the very least."

"No one's ever brought back an NPC before." Kinger said.

"To be fair, I don't think there have been any that became self aware before this point." Pomni added

"True. Your gummy friend is unique. I didn't know Caine was capable of programming such advanced A.I." Ragatha joined Pomni in rail leaning.

"Just imagine how advanced he is." Pomni said.

"He's a strong generative A.I. that was originally designed to manage an evolving MMORPG. The first game of its kind. It would have revolutionized the gaming industry and the internet as a whole." Kinger blurted out and then went oddly still.

Ragatha and Pomni stared wide eyed at him. "How do you know that?" Pomni asked.

Kinger jerked his head towards them like he suddenly realized they were there. "Know what?"

Ragatha sighed. "He...sometimes gets like this. He'll say something profound, then disassociate and forget what he said. Just let it go. He really won't remember."

Pomni frowned and watched Kinger's expression. He was a million miles away. The words Kinger used didn't make sense to her but in a weird way, she still understood. There was way more to this game than meets the eye, or there should have been? Why were they just racing?

Pomni's pondering was interrupted by Ragatha nudging her arm. "Eating sounds good right now, wanna eat?"

"Yeah...sure. Kinger?"

Kinger swayed with a slight nod and joined them downstairs. Ragatha summoned a Bubble chef and started making requests when something caught Pomni's attention. A red spec that wasn't there before. It was outside, seen through the window facing the starting line. It was just out there in the middle of the track. She went to the window and squinted. It was the red exit door. "What the..." She looked around. No one else seemed to have noticed it. She quietly opened the door to the building and snuck out.

She bolted for the door and stopped just in front of it. It didn't move or flicker or glitch or do any other kind of digital weirdness. It was just the door. She didn't know why she was hesitating. She grabbed the handle and opened it. It led into some sort of hallway. She looked back once. Maybe she should tell the others. Or maybe...she should see if it even goes anywhere first. She passed the threshold.

The hallway was eerily silent. "Hello?" She went forward cautiously. "Caine..? You in here?" The long hall led to another similar door. She went thought it. Another hallway. "What?" Another door. This one to stairs. Another door. A winding hallway. Another door. With each door she became increasingly lost and panicked. She tried going back, but the door led to a different hall that the one she just went through. It didn't matter what direction she went in, she was going deeper into the labyrinth. "What is this??"

She went thought nearly a dozen more doors before finding something unique. An office space with old filing cabinets and desks and a table with a coffee machine. On one desk, a computer. It was inactive, covered in dust. A headset laid to the side, looking charred. Her mind reeled. She knew this place. She knew that computer. That headset. She could smell the electrical burns on the plastic headset. She could hear the volts in her brain. She could feel the surge overtaking her.

"Pomni..."

She gasped and spun in place. "Who said that!?"

"Pomni..."

She was really panicking. Her voice shaking. "Who's there!?"

"This...way..."

The soft, whispery voice came from yet another red door. She has to use every once of willpower to move her feet towards it. She opened the door and was momentarily blinded by a bright white light. She stepped forward into nothingness. She floated away into the light. The white light was an endless void of spectral color and digital space. It was a glimpse into the infinite.

Caine's wacky watch went bolistic. He spat out the tea he was enjoying and his gums paled when he saw the notification. Void breach. He immediately teleported away, popped up next to Pomni, put an arm around her and teleported with her back to the test track.

"There you go." He set her down gently and tried to sound his usual upbeat self, but he was actually terrified of what Pomni might have seen. She just stood there, wide eyed. "Pomni?" He floated around in front of her, his hands on her shoulders. "Pomni..?"

She blinked. Blinked some more. Then she looked him in the eye. "Caine?"

He nearly deflated with relief. "Oh, good. Here I was worried you'd lost your mind. Care to tell me how you ended up int he void? You shouldn't be able to go out there at all. Ever. Never ever."

"The...door....I thought..." Tears welled in her eyes. "I thought I could..." She couldn't take it anymore. She cried in front of him, pride be damned. She hung her head, tears falling like rain.

Caine wasn't sure what to do, but he didn't push her away. She was in distress. He knew why. "My dear....you can't leave. I'm truly very sorry."

Pomni fell forward a little and her forehead rested against his shoulder. He lightly held his hands against her upper back. He was pretty sure that was how a hug worked. He'd seen the humans do it before.

He let her stay and cry herself out. He offered a handkerchief when she sounded calm again. As she pulled herself together, he gave her space. "Pomni, I really need to know. How did you end up in the void?"

"The red door. The one out of bounds. It was here." She pointed to the spot on the track she saw it. It wasn't there any more. "At first it was just hallways and then it got weird and then... and then..."

"The void." He finished for her.

"No, a voice. I heard a voice. It said my name. It led me out into the void."

Caine gave a look of concern. "That's impossible. There's nothing out there. The void is just empty digital space that surrounds the world."

"I'm not lying! I heard a voice!"

"And I believe you! However, it has been a stressful couple of days for you and I truly believe it's getting to you. There is nothing in the void." He tapped his fingers against his side. He did NOT like the fact that an asset moved on its own. That alone should be impossible.

"Caine." Pomni got his full attention from his thoughts and looked at him with less intense but more pleading eyes. "Please, cut the bull[@#$&] and tell me why I would end up in a vast empty space instead of out of the game. Why is it impossible to leave?"

"Heh, there really is no fooling you, is there? I'll admit, I admire your tenacity. The truth is, it's a malfunction in the software that occured during the beta testing phase. It's why I never went to market or the internet at large. It's what got the project shut down. Why people are stuck here and I...was abandoned."

Pomni's was stunned. She hadn't expected Caine to actually tell her. "So...Kinger?"

"Was one of the first. Along with seven others. Over time, they abstracted. Occasionally a new person would pop in. Then there was a huge break in time where nobody new came.... And then you showed up. And the void...well, I'm an incomplete project, Pomni." He said with a humorless lilt in his voice. "I could've been great! Instead I'm just a racing game. I work with what I have. And please know that I do my best. Perhaps I'm not the best... But I do try. I don't want anyone to end up in the cellar, but when a person abstracts, there's nothing I can do for them but put them somewhere where they won't hurt others."

"... You've been waiting for a long time to get that off your chest, haven't you?"

"I suppose I have." Caine spoke as quietly as she'd ever heard him.

"If Gummigoo is any indication of sentience in the digital plane, I can't imagine what it must be like to control one. To be a god, more or less."

He huffs a small laugh. "You give me too much credit. I'm more of a magician than a god. I just move things around in a fancy way. I was made to be a showman."

"And you do a good job at that." She gave a small smile. "This is a cruddy situation for all of us to be stuck in, but you make the best of it. With what you have to work with and what you have to deal with... I think you're doing good."

His pupils dilated. Genuine praise towards him was rare, especially from those stuck with him. "Thank you, Pomni. You have a real gift for empathy. Even for a silly A.I. such as myself."

"I don't know... The longer I'm here, the more I question if there's that much of a difference between a human consciousness and an advanced A.I. in the digital world."

"It makes one wonder..." He trailed off. He realized he was staring too long when Pomni made a face at him. "You should really rejoin your friends they are probably worried about you wandering off this was a good talk but I really must be off lots of stuff to do big race tomorrow yes have a good evening." He spoke quickly, pushed her all the way through the front door of a garage and teleported away.

The red door was out of bounds were it should be. The faintest light from the void shining underneath.

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#tadc #the amazing digital circus #tadc caine #tadc gangle #tadc jax #tadc pomni #tadc kinger #tadc ragatha #tadc gummigoo #tadc loolilalu #tadc fanfiction #the amazing digital raceway #tadc showtime #caine x pomni #slow burn #gangle x zooble

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