[h3][center][color=gray]Prior to the FRA’s arrival[/color][/center][/h3][h3][center][color=gray][sub]Moments of introspection[/sub][/color][/center][/h3]

Life. What can One say about life? They’ve lived for a very long time. More than it is humanly possible. They’ve seen the good parts of life. Parties, women, alcohol, communities and many other things but they’ve also seen the bad parts. 

Death. Betrayal. Starvation. Death. They’ve seen and experienced them all. What do they have now? There were no women alive, the only community they have is their own. Alcohol was something they had, in abundance. A small mercy maybe. The glowy One mushrooms that they found were used in creative ways to produce alcohol using the oil from the robots and ample ice. With their resourcefulness, they lit the oil to generate heat for a distiller. They extracted the sugar from the mushrooms by crushing them and used the melted ice to create a water-sugar solution. Somehow after a few months of trial and error, they’ve managed to create alcohol. It tasted worse than it looked but it did the trick. 

There wasn't much free time in the Circle of One. Survival was always the priority, yet the One understood the importance of relaxation. Mental health was, after all, important 'lest One would need to remove themselves from the collective, and their memories permanently lost. In those rare moments of respite, they gathered around the flickering flames of their oily-fueled fire sources, sharing stories of the past, reminiscing about the diverse experiences of their long existence. They found solace in each other, reaffirming their unity in the face of a dead world.

Yet the One knew how to unwind, to cherish the moments that reminded them of their humanity. They engaged in various activities, not as individuals but as a collective entity that relished every emotion and sensation together.

Music was a rare treasure, but the One had found ways to craft instruments from the bones of the Williams, and their collective voices would fill the air with haunting melodies, a harmonious echo of their unity. Long lost and forgotten songs of a long lost civilization.

In the quiet moments of the night, the One would sit together, gazing at the thick black clouds that shrouded their world. They wondered what lies beyond their dead planet, what other mysteries the galaxy held, and what truths awaited them among the stars. Did others survive? 

They were the One, a single being existing across countless cloned bodies, living, surviving, and striving. They knew not what the future held, but they faced it together, undying and forever intertwined. For within their mind, the memories and experiences of the entire collective thrived, ensuring that the One would endure, adapt, and survive. 

Sometimes they would meditate, they sought to untangle the vast network of memories that they had. Each of the One would align their thoughts, seeking harmony within the collective memories they shared. It was a delicate dance—one that required synchrony and understanding.

The One delved into the depths of their shared experiences, sifting through emotions, traumas, and joys. They embraced the pain of loss, the echoes of laughter, and the warmth of camaraderie. It was a cathartic process, a release of emotional burden that fosters mental resilience.

As they immersed themselves in this internal realm, the boundaries that separated one clone from another blurred. They transcend the limitations of individuality, embracing the truth that they are both many and one.