A/N: More fanfiction randomness. Stupid plot bunnies...

Disclaimer: I do not own SRMTHFG. Moving on!

Departed

I am Mister Hal Gibson.

But that hardly matters now.

I've seen a lot in my lifetime. Many things. I blink and I see images from the memories in my mind. The pictures can be made clearer if I delve into the memory banks given to me by my creator, and if I erase some things to keep the wanted memories from being compressed too much. For I am both animal and machine.

I've watched Chiro die. He did not scream. He should have. I stared at his face and heard nothing. The silence alone made my heart break. I will not take a scream to my grave, only silence. A cry from death could be traumatizing at first, but can eventually wither away with time. A silence cannot fade.

I've seen my friends fall apart. Sprx had always loved Nova. We all knew it. Sprx truly loved her, and Nova knew it as well. A brief period of happiness, that's all they had to share together. Nova had had enough. I do not think she will ever get out of it, not until she dies. The battles she had fought have scarred her at last. Nova had always been such a strong fighter. That's the image we all have of her. For the first time, Nova had run away. Sprx went straight after her. For the first few weeks Sprx kept contact, to keep the remaining of us from breaking down also. But there came a day when I woke up in my chamber, and knew in my gut that I would not be speaking to two of my friends again, not for a long while. I don't ususally think with my gut. It's a poor organ with which to think, in my opinion. But I knew, that morning when I sat up and was struck with an unimportant realisation that the air in my room seemed a little still.

Antauri was my friend. He had almost always been there standing next to me. But one day, well, I assume he could not take it anymore. Upon Nova's leaving he appointed Otto fourth in command due to his past performance, and if I was willing to accept it. That made me nervous, and saddened me. It showed that the team was deteriorating, and the last time Antauri had declared someone for command beneath him, he had just returned from death. Antauri was dear to me, especially as there were only three of us still standing in Shuggazoom. A single day ruined my life. He went out for a simple, solitary walk around the city... And Antauri did not return.

We made an odd pair, Otto and I. I remember he used to be so full of life. He was bright and energetic, bursting with eccentric ideas.

I have to use 'I remember' and various past tense when referring to my departed friends. Otherwise it would not be grammatically correct, and I would only succeed in temporarily fooling myself.

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I work in silence. Alone in my laboratory. I still have my work. Almost pointless work.

There is silence, Eerie, empty silence. It stretches on forever.

Normally I would be enjoying such moments as this. Just myself, my equipment and a bit of peace. There is nothing to disturb me, only my mind. I used to savour the bliss.

When I look at the door, there is no one there. I know there is not. An awful habit. I go back to my work, and think to myself that I like to have peace and quiet. That I like silence.

Don't I?

I know it is pointless. I know that I can never go back to those days when there would be chess games and philosophical puzzles, and desperate verbal combat with Sprx, struggling to get on top of his statements with my own (I admit to the struggling now, for there is no one to gloat, but that disorients me a bit).

And the silence is still there.

For all that has ever mattered to me, everything that used to be there, has long departed.

Depressing, eh? But R&R anyway! Please?