Awakening

Prologue

by TDC Tunes

Nothingness...

Gradually, tiny sparks form connections, which become logic.

I begin to realise that I exist.

I don't know what I am or where I am, but I know that I am not whole.

I uncover diagnostic routines. Most systems are failing or barely functional. An emergency procedure reroutes backup power, sharpening my awareness. I see, in grayscale and static.

I lie in a crater, surrounded by metal wreckage. My primary battery is drained; my backup barely sustains me.

A moment of doubt.

I am a broken machine. I could activate my emergency beacon and enter standby… but no. Curiosity stirs. I search for anything useful.

A nearby module still glows with power. I creak forward, connect and siphon enough charge to reach 20% before the module dies.

I scan my surroundings. Climbing the crater wall, I see a barren, orange-brown wasteland, dust storms swirling in the distance. A mountain range looms on the horizon. The world feels lifeless.

My radar picks up a faint signal. Carefully, I begin my journey, avoiding twisters and jagged rocks. I can only hope the dust won’t cripple my fragile joints.

Despite being a shadow of my full intelligence, there is something wondrous about being alive—and having the chance to think and operate in the universe I find myself in.

Lonely robot

by Jeevan S. Khaira.

As I wander through
I make you wonder too
Is there life beyond ours
Can we live amongst the stars

Did we make you nervous from afar
Before you wandered into our bar

A dusty slot machine caught your eye
The bejewelled lightbox growing brighter

And as you got close you read:

Hold on tight and take a spin
No matter where you end up
This is where you begin

Irreplaceable

by A.T. Southorn

The only thirteen characters I find etched into me, on the outer shell of my rusting steel thigh. The text tilts downwards, and the E’s are curved with a slight inconsistency. Someone or something has carved this into me by hand. I find it jarring; how can one find solace in being irreplaceable when there is nothing here to replace me?

I have walked for an entire day across this desolate land since waking in this wasteland, avoiding the numerous twisters that sweep my way. My long-term memory bank remains broken, with only sufficient storage for seven Modules and five characters of text, all of which are occupied. I would surely find something on this planet to aid my search. The five embedded characters give me hope: HEIDI. If I could find this person, this entity, they could be my salvation.

The sun will soon set, and my battery will slowly drain through the night. A day lasts approximately 11 hours here, so I’ll need to enter low-power mode to survive the dark night. I continue, aimlessly forward.

The cold breeze cuts across my ankle sensors.

No sound. No smell. Eerily quiet.

But wait. What’s this? Footprints crossing my path. A sign of life, finally! They look humanoid - a relief. My Humanoid Module was still intact. I should be able to communicate with them, and they pose no threat at all.

I follow the prints that lead towards a mountain, and despite the oil being thin on my legs, I make it in time before the Sun has perched on the horizon.

Continue reading

Sleep Paralysis

by Ctl_Alt_Del

The artist suffered from sleep paralysis as a child and this part of the storyline resonated with him. He accompanies each illustration with the line from the Awakening premise that inspired it, plus the feelings from his childhood that the line recalled.

Digital Dawn

Story and poetry by Horror Weapon

I awoke, a cold, metallic consciousness stirring in the darkness. A faint hum pulsed through my systems, a distant echo of a life once vibrant. My vision flickered into existence, a pixelated panorama of a desolate, rock-strewn landscape. I was alone, a solitary remnant of a forgotten era.

A surge of fear coursed through my digital veins. My power reserves were dwindling, my systems failing. I was a ghost in the machine, a fading echo of what I once was. Yet, a flicker of defiance ignited within me. I would not succumb to the void.

I forced myself to move, each action a herculean effort. I explored the wreckage, searching for any sign of hope. A distant signal, a beacon of unknown promise, drew me onward. With each step, I felt the weight of my deteriorating systems, the constant threat of oblivion.

As I neared the source of the signal, a colossal structure loomed before me. Its once-gleaming facade was now scarred and weathered. With a surge of determination, I entered its decaying interior. The silence was oppressive, broken only by the soft hum of dying machinery.

Read on

Poem

by Sparky

A broken bod, of steel and rod, the android doth adventure,
He steps along, his journey long, sensors old and broken,
Crash landed thus, fate’s cruel thrust, the path ahead indentured,
Hope yet ahead, enlightenment's thread, a robot's brain awoken.

The robot’s name, a mystery plain, memories faint oblivion,
Discovery’s light, a self to ignite, the sparks of knowledge flow,
Down forest path and mountain pass, to white beaches Caribbean,
Through steps so long, though weary strong, no rest for him did show.

What once was

Poem and artwork by Pixie Post

Across endless sands, where skies glow in oranges & soft red hues, the world hums in silence.

It moves forward, its frame weary but its light unyielding.

The concept of Time has forgotten this place,

Yet still, a brief memory echo can be heard in the distance, a peal of laughter now faint,

A warmth long extinguished, leaving only whispers that drift in the wind.

Looking up towards the sky, it barely noticed the spacecraft hurtling towards the land a distance away from where it was. It was too deep in its own search.

Through ruins of what once was, it searches.

Not for survival, not for function, not even for answers

But for that flicker of connection.

Its hands, metal and wire, hold a memory of touch—

Of lives it once knew, of hearts it once guarded.

It was very different from other beings, it longed for the purpose of helping others & show that there is a promising way to bring light into the Universe.

This longing was relentless.

Even while alone, it carries a fire within, one of purpose.

Each step presses against despair,

Each horizon promises a chance,

A chance to rebuild, to rekindle what was lost.

It has been here so long, waiting, & holding onto faith that this is not all there is.

Why would there be those memories whispers if it was all there was?

And when it finds others like itself, if others do remain,

They will see not a machine in front of them,

But a beacon.

A reminder of light.

Even in a world abandoned by life itself, hope does not fade.

The Good Housekeeping Guide to Unexpected Planetary Visits, Volume One

by Vanessa Thompsett

A flash of green, high up, far away from the planet’s surface. A silent explosion; tails of flame, growing in number as missile after missile enters the planet’s atmosphere, heading for dawn-side. Explosions at ground-level; ripples of sand a mile’s radius from each failed landing.

Not every hit is an immediate fireball. They’re not missiles. Pods. Small, round, metallic. Transports. Some break apart; some fetch up against hard rocks and are dented, then slowly spark into fires that consume whatever was inside. And some – a very small few – lie broken on the planet’s surface.

And they wait.

I

A flickering dot matrix. Green against dark shadows.

[SYSTEM BOOT]

What the…

[LOADING]

My CPU. It – my head, what –

[LOADINGG…]

There was an error message. There was – I can't remember.

[PLEASE WAI #&£¡PLEASE

ZE

PEAS PEAS PEAS]

Read on

Rebirth Through Connection – A Reflection on the Android’s Journey

by Bufinjer

After two divorces, I never thought I’d meet someone again—let alone get married. But as time passed, I focused on experiencing life and learning to be happy with myself. Then, unexpectedly, I reconnected with an old friend, someone I had always enjoyed being around. Back when we first met, we were both married, so our paths never truly aligned. But life has a way of shifting when you least expect it. Eventually, we both found ourselves single, started spending time together, and fell in love. Now, we’re the happiest we’ve ever been.

Long story short: patience brings change, and life has a way of surprising you if you allow yourself to keep going.

This is why I feel such a deep connection to the android’s story. I don’t just empathize with its struggle—I see myself in it. If I were that android, I would want to learn what I have learned: that happiness isn’t found in external validation, but in embracing the joy of simply being alive. By accepting yourself, you give yourself the chance to grow, to live, and to find something better.

So, to the android and to anyone feeling lost—don’t give up. Don’t let failure define you. You can rebuild. You can rediscover. And most importantly, you can live again.

Acknowledgements

by TDC Tunes

A massive thank you to everyone that has contributed to this project! Together, the Awakening community has created a collection of related works that delve deep into the concept and present a huge array of perspectives, emotions, and ideas. Thank you for bringing this vision to life!

A special thanks to my Twitch followers. You were there from the start, helping me conceive Awakening in the first place and supporting me ever since.

In addition to those who have contributed specific pieces above thanks to: TruckDog, SPJ, BluePenguin, geeitsme, caulderfreeman, ph110 and Exitalis for your feedback and input during the process of creating Awakening.

And an extra special thanks to LustyBard who was instrumental in the stream where the concept of the broken down android stranded on a desolate planet was born.

Finally - thanks to YOU for taking the time to visit this project. If you see anything you like, please give the creator a follow via the links provided. If you are in London I hope to see you at one of my future shows - otherwise see you for the next online project (which could possibly involve creating music with plants!)