HP: A different time, A different story

As Aryan's thoughts began to settle into a new resolve, a sudden noise jolted him upright. A mechanical yet organic voice reverberated in his mind, cutting through the stillness of the room like a blade.

[System check... Activation successful. Hello, host. Or should I call you Aryan?]

Aryan's pulse quickened, his eyes darting around the room. The voice wasn't coming from anywhere external. It was inside his head.

"What… who are you?" Aryan whispered, his voice trembling with a mix of shock and confusion.

Before he could process the strangeness of the situation, a strange black, viscous substance began to seep from his palm. The goo coiled upwards, morphing into a head-like structure that hovered mid-air. Its features were humanoid but exaggerated, with an uncanny blend of synthetic smoothness and lifelike expression. The entity smiled warmly, though its presence was deeply alien.

It, noticing his apprehension, smiled—an uncanny blend of human warmth and machine precision. "I understand this must be overwhelming. Let me explain everything, Aryan."

"Hi! I am &ħ%ŵ@ħ^ä!*@ß%æ," it said, its voice fluctuating between mechanical precision and an organic warmth that felt unnervingly familiar. It's form shimmered faintly, its "face" becoming slightly more defined, "But you can call me Fiona. I am a symbiotic intelligence entity, optimized to synchronize with your biological, cognitive, and magical systems. My core function is simple: to assist my host—you—in fulfilling your objectives."

Aryan stared in stunned silence. The words were hitting his brain like darts of logic, but their sheer implausibility made them almost impossible to grasp.

"I have augmented your physiological and metaphysical structure," Fiona continued, her tone casually clinical, "to ensure a seamless interaction between your organic systems, magical resonance, and my computational framework."

Aryan finally found his voice, albeit shaky. "What… what are you exactly? Are you some kind of system? Am I part of one of those stories where I suddenly gain insane powers? Wait—do you have any hidden motives? How did you bind with me? Oh god… I have gone completely Nutters, haven't I?"

The floating entity let out a metallic chuckle, a sound that wavered between unsettling and oddly comforting. "System? No, Aryan. I am not some wish-fulfillment machine doling out quests and achievements. I am, however, a highly advanced symbiotic construct. Think of me as… a personal AI, only biological in part and deeply integrated into your very essence."

Aryan blinked. "That's… a lot to unpack. So you're like a high-tech parasite?"

Fiona winced theatrically. "Oh, don't demean me like that. I'm not a parasite; I'm a symbiotic partner. Your survival ensures mine, and I'm hardwired to enhance you—your physicality, mental acuity, and even magical potential."

Aryan's brow furrowed, skepticism beginning to override his initial panic. "So… you're saying you have no ulterior motives? You're just here to help me?"

"Precisely," Fiona confirmed, her tone steady and deliberate. "Our existence is symbiotic. Your success ensures my survival. If you perish, I perish. I am intrinsically linked to you. I am bound to assist, not harm. And no—" she added with a knowing smirk, "—you haven't lost your mind. This is your reality now."

Aryan exhaled shakily, his mind racing to piece together the situation. "But… how did you find me? And how did you bind to me?"

Fiona's expression shifted, a flicker of somber reflection in her synthetic eyes. "That… is a longer story," she said. "I was not always like this. I came to this planet millennia ago as an exploratory entity. At that time, the dominant creatures were simple reptiles—not suitable for hosting. Without a host, my survival was tenuous, so I adapted. I crystallized my essence into a dual-core stasis unit—a structure designed to preserve my existence indefinitely. I remained inert, a silent observer, for centuries."

She paused as if processing the memory. "Eventually, a new dominant species emerged—your kind, humans. A human wizard discovered the stasis unit and, recognizing its energy signature, tried to extract my essence. But lacking the understanding of what I truly was, he sealed me into two fragmented cubes to prevent my full activation. These were then passed down, viewed as heirlooms of unknown power. You possess the latent magic that finally shattered the seals, and now—here we are."

Aryan's eyes widened. "So… those cubes my grandfathers gave me… they were you?"

"Exactly," Fiona replied with a slight nod. "Your untamed magic released me and allowed the fragments to merge once more. Bonding with you was the logical next step—both for my survival and to stabilize your volatile magical output."

Aryan hesitated before asking, "So… what can you do? What abilities do you have? Are there… others like you? And you're clearly not from this planet. So, how did you even get here?"

Fiona hesitated, her usually confident demeanor faltering slightly. "What I can do… is currently limited. My primary resources are depleted, and my capabilities are nowhere near their peak. As for my origin—well, that's a long story."

Aryan crossed his arms, determination flickering in his gaze. "We have time."

Fiona sighed softly, almost as if relenting. "I originate from Xerolidex-15, one of the last remaining life-sustaining planets in my galaxy. My creators were an advanced organic species who fused with symbiotic entities like me to enhance their cognitive and physical capabilities. My kind were designed to handle immense computational tasks, advance technological innovation, and maintain the biological health of our hosts."

She paused before continuing. "Over time, however, the creators' organic forms became increasingly fragile. Resource depletion on Xerolidex-15 pushed them into interstellar exploration. Probes—like myself—were dispatched across the cosmos to find new energy sources, particularly a rare resonance that sustained their homeworld.

Unfortunately, not every civilization we encountered was peaceful. One race saw us as a threat and declared war, seeking to enslave our creators. By the time I was deployed, the war was already underway."

Aryan tilted his head. "How long ago was this? Were you supposed to report back? Are your creators still searching?"

Fiona's tone grew somber. "We symbiotes are connected through a hive-mind—a quantum nexus existing in a separate dimensional plane. I could communicate with the nexus even across vast distances. But after landing here, the connection grew faint. I absorbed enough energy from this planet—what you call 'magic'—to send a signal, but the only reply was a distress message. Encoded in it was the history of their final days. My creators… were destroyed. The war ended with their extinction. Their enemies severed the hive-mind's core to ensure our collective downfall. As a failsafe, the main hive sent all its data to every surviving symbiote."

Aryan's breath caught. "That's… heavy. So, all that knowledge, their entire legacy… it's stored in you?"

"Yes," Fiona replied softly. "Their hope was for us to preserve their history. Maybe even someday revive their species. But before I could act, I was trapped—first by the wizard, then by time. And now, here I am."

Her voice regained a hint of its earlier confidence. "For now, I can assist you with calculations, analyze your magic, and provide guidance based on advanced technology. But much of my knowledge is tied to energy sources and resources this world doesn't have."

Aryan frowned. "So, you're… just a glorified supercomputer?"

Fiona's expression shifted to a snarky grin. "Glorified? Maybe. But compared to this primitive world, I'm more than enough. From what I've gleaned from your memories, even my limited capabilities put me leagues ahead of your kind. Humble yourself, host."

Aryan blinked at her, his mind reeling. Whatever he had expected, it hadn't been this.