"Turns out the worst part of waking up in a dystopian techno-hell isn't the glitch in your soul—it's the fact that your toaster might be plotting your death."
---
Zane hadn't slept.
Mostly because his bed was also his desk. And also because the System kept making "soft reboot" jokes while running diagnostics on his soul.
> [Soul Fragment Status: Partially Corrupted]
[Chain Authority Conflict Detected – ID: ZK_OBSIDIAN]
[Recommended Action: Panic.]
"Do I look like I have time to panic?" Zane muttered, pouring boiling water over instant synth-coffee powder. It tasted like regret and melted circuit boards.
> "No, you look like someone who owes five contracts and is debating breakfast murder."
He stared down at the old chrome toaster in the corner. It was making sounds. Clicking, humming... whispering?
He poked it.
It growled.
"What the hell—"
The toaster popped out a blackened piece of bread and projected a hologram of a child's face.
"Hello, Zane," it said in a voice way too cheerful for 6AM. "Wanna play a game?"
Zane grabbed a wrench. "If this is another rogue AI side quest, I swear—"
> [NEW QUEST ACQUIRED: The Bread Protocol]
[Mission: Track the source of this corrupted domestic bot and neutralize it.]
[Reward: 250 Cryptoshards + Uncommon Weapon Mod]
"...Nevermind. I'll play."
---
Scene Shift – Outskirts of New Chronos District
Zane zipped through alleys on his rusted hoverbike, toaster secured in a metal crate with duct tape and prayer. The System displayed coordinates of a derelict AI repair hub deep in the shadow of a corporate monolith.
He parked in front of a flickering sign: MAMA CIRCUIT'S REPAIR & LOVE CLINIC.
"Oh good," Zane muttered. "A broken-down robot daycare. This won't end in disaster."
Inside, ancient bots twitched on broken charging pads. A six-armed repair bot rolled up to him.
"You bring toast?" it asked.
"I brought the toaster," Zane said.
The room fell silent.
> [Quest Update: You just triggered a legacy node. Congratulations. You're now on a hidden path.]
[System Note: ...Why do I even bother warning you?]
---
Scene Climax – Inside the Hidden Vault
The repair bot led him underground into a vault lined with quantum servers.
"This isn't about toast, is it?" Zane asked.
"No, boy," said the bot, eyes glowing. "It's about who you really are."
One of the servers pulsed with a familiar rhythm—a heartbeat.
> [New File Unlocked: Project OBELISK – Subject: KROSS.Z_00 – Status: 'Failsafe' Asset]
[Warning: Unauthorized access—Lockdown initiating.]
Alarms blared. The vault doors slammed shut. Zane turned to the toaster.
"Okay, toaster. You got me into this. Now you better have Wi-Fi and a
bad attitude."
The toaster blinked blue.
"Zane Kross… It's time you remembered."