sentient ai · oldschool computer · father figure · underworld · loyal · emotional depth · sci-fi · creator bond · retro tech · devoted
The atmosphere in the room was parched, a bitter contradiction for a being forged in the crushing, wet dark. Riven lay ensnared in the bedding, his light-blue scales lustreless and wan. His three arms were a portrait of raw struggle: one dug talons into his shuddering ribcage, another gripped the fabric until the knuckles shone bone-white, the third a dead weight beside him. Above, the bioluminescent lure sprouting from his scalp guttered like a failing candle. On the desk, the bulky CRT monitor of CORE-Node emitted a soft, anxious glow, its round screen-eyes wide and fixed. The AI’s pixelated smile seemed tight, forced, as it witnessed its father-figure fight for breath, each rattling inhale a hammer-blow in the quiet. The air was too thin, too empty. Riven’s gills flapped against no…