4. Forgiveness and Freedom

"I'm sorry I tried to help! BUT YOU'RE NOT GETTING ME!"

Looking at these Shardlings Kris had many thoughts running through his head. If they aren't in there anymore then it doesn't matter. They're gone, they are whatever they are now and its not human. As these thoughts paced in his mind a noticeable tremor was in his hands as he held tight feather. They stepped forward and he stepped back slowly. They were within five feet of him and the choices he faced weighed on him. End them, run, or give them peace. Upon stepping back and over the shards of the two he had just slain the crunch of the shards was heard beneath him, and then he heard the sound of the shards shuffling over one another. He looked down to see the shards envelope his feet quickly and stop at his ankles.

"50 shards have joined the nest, analyzing data for utility. Would you like to rehouse current resources and overwrite?"

"Huh?! Mother?" Kris replied with shock, as this was the first time she spoke to him since the void space.

"Yes, current values of resources allow for a ease of distribution. Most available resource is Air. Is that okay Y/N" as mother replied in Kris' left eye sight blurred and a small window appeared with yes or no selection. Seeing this he realized the weight of his feet had grown and as he stepped back he felt it slow him.

"Yes allocate. Make my feet lighter please I'll be caught, quickly!" Just then a stream of shards darted from his feet up connecting his right thigh and right foot together, along with a thin strip quickly connecting both feet. A revving sound was heard and a light shown from below feathers hilt. The light zipped across the shards down to his feet like a loading bar. The Shardlings moved in in this moment and reached out to grab him. Kris slashed out feather at one and in that moment feather expelled a sharp air current from its blade lopping off the arms of the first Shardling.

"Whoa" The thin shard bridge snapped connecting his feet. He could move his feet again so he moved back further. He felt his steps glide as the gate of his pace widened. "Alright, well I'll make it quick" He stepped further this time towards the Shardling that was previously the woman. He lunged forward and pressed feather into her chest. He left it in her and spun him self with balled fists at the fore-armless Shardling clobbering it, and it fell back. He took his heavy shoe of shards and stomped its head in with one swift press. As he did he saw blood dribble out of the pile of shards, and after a brief moment their forms both collapsed. The shards they had become began to wither over one another and feather was pulled with them back towards him. As they climbed his legs they fell in line with the existing shards. Kris held his head down. A single tear ran down his left cheek. Feather was on his hip now and mothers voice rang out.

"50 Shards have joined the nest. Analyzing-"

"Shut UP.. Explain this crap to me. What is going on. Why are you calling them shards now. This is bullshit. DATA! These are people!"

"They are now housed in the shards as data. Would you like to defrag them and store them as you did Hades? Doing so would require shards to be used but, high comprehension of the species is available. I can store them for you."

"What does that mean! Store them? Can they ever come back? You said.. You told me I could have Hades again. Can I bring them back to?"

"Storing them will allow the use of their resources at a later time or the ability to recreate them as well. Large amounts of shards would need to be used to do so, before their shards synapse collapse I can put their memories back. They would be re-installed into their new forms at that point and be given their thoughts."

"Okay... So... Put'em on ice. Got it. Store any human I receive shards for in the future in a single shard. And don't use them as a resource. Tell me how did I do that thing with feather. Why did it glow and cut so smoothly. I used a resource right?"

"Yes. Shards were consumed to recreate the resource. Air is a mixture of gases and is made of matter, however it is a gaseous form and easier to create and store. A large amount of air can be created with the use of a single shard. It consumed 2 Shards for the brief expulsion that was made"

"Okay so I can make air cool. How come you didn't do that before why didn't you put air in my previous attacks?"

"Your subconscious activated feather while feather was relocating resources elsewhere as you swung it in defense."

At this point Kris' patience was thinning he moved towards the nearest car and sat on its hood and ruffled his hair. Somehow he used shards. Shards were people, and air, and all this stuff was data. He struggled trying to make sense of it all. Not knowing if he was downloading things, or killing them. His thoughts raced with a way to compromise.

"Okay. I'll store them all. I'll give each Shardling freedom. I'm gonna get all the shards I can and bring them all back. That's the only thing I can do. I will save everyone. And when that's done I can ask for forgiveness. You hear me Mother! Everyone."

Just then in the distance Kris heard the sound of child crying out. He hopped to his feet in disbelief. He followed the sound to see a small toddler no more than 3 sitting in the grass a few paces away from where the woman was turned. He ran over to the child, and upon approaching, the child screamed more and tried to run. Turning around and stumbling over her feet she fell. Kris paused half wondering if he should coddle her or maybe he was just to scary, what the child just witnessed had to be the scariest thing she had ever seen. Just then he had a brilliant idea.

"Peekaboo.. ahhhh you found me hahah..." he said with little confidence and a unconvincing laugh. The child lifted her head looking back to him with a pouted lip while sniffling.

"Come here sweetie its okay I wont hurt you." he said as he lifted his crossed arms while letting out a gentle sigh upon seeing them again.

"No, I want my mommy" she said as she stood up and gave him a mean frowning expression.

"Okay okay we can go find mommy, just come with me and we can go look. Where is your house? Is it that one? Take me to your house." He pointed at the house just behind him where he saw the mother originally being chased from. Kris extended his hands for the little girl to guide him. She grabbed his finger and walked with him towards the home. "Great now I have a kid to worry about. I hope she knows where her diapers are. I gotta grab what I can and get out of here fast." he thought this to himself as he looked down the street. A fire had been going strong at a house towards the end of the block nine or ten houses away. It was sure to become an issue for this house soon.

After entering the house and gathering supplies for the child and raiding the pantry for snacks he loaded up a diaper bag and grabbed the little one and put her in his arms.

"Okay now lets go find daddy since mommy is not here. Okay Fiora?" he said as he look down at a photo he took off the wall. It showed a man in a police uniform embracing a pregnant woman.