The Sixth Satellite City.
The once desolate wasteland had long been flattened and rebuilt, with towering steel factories now piercing the clouds like silver-gray spires.
The roar of engines and the whir of machinery filled the air.
A precise production system churned out more and more intelligent machines.
The sheer volume of these machines grew exponentially, multiplying until every last resource of the planet was squeezed dry.
This was Xu Xi's plan.
The cosmos was dangerous, hiding countless unknown threats.
To prepare and protect themselves, Xu Xi's faction was gathering as many resources as possible, laying the groundwork for future starship construction.
"Master, your soup is ready."
In the underground laboratory, the voice of the mechanical maid, Ailei, interrupted Xu Xi's thoughts.
"Thank you, Ailei."
Xu Xi took the steaming bowl from Ailei's hands.
The soup was a rich, creamy white, its aroma tantalizing, with freshly picked mushrooms floating on the surface.
Thanks to the vast database and the unique computational power of intelligent machines, there had been no mishaps with toxic fungi.
"Mmm, not bad."
"Ailei, your cooking has improved," Xu Xi remarked with a smile as he sipped the soup, savoring the umami flavor that danced on his tongue.
"Thank you for the compliment, but I still have much to learn," Ailei replied, standing quietly with a composed demeanor, though her ears twitched rapidly.
It was rather endearing.
Under Ailei's watchful gaze, Xu Xi slowly finished the soup.
The warm broth and the crisp, tender mushrooms slid down his throat with each bite.
"Life like this is truly wonderful..."
Xu Xi set down the empty bowl, and the diligent Ailei immediately collected it.
She asked if he would like a second serving.
Xu Xi declined with a smile.
"Sit down, Ailei. You can't always be busy; you need to take breaks too," Xu Xi said, urging the ever-busy mechanical maid to sit and rest beside him.
"Yes, Master," Ailei obediently complied, sitting down quietly.
Looking at Ailei and then at the familiar surroundings of the laboratory, Xu Xi couldn't help but reminisce about the past.
Especially those early days.
When he first met Ailei.
Who could have imagined that a household AI, known as RTX-9090, would evolve into a self-aware being with human-like qualities?
Xu Xi had once tried to replicate this miracle but ultimately failed.
The golden-grade machine spirit's joy did indeed hold the potential for self-awakening.
But just as humans are different from one another, so too are machine spirits.
Not every machine spirit could awaken a self-aware consciousness like Ailei had.
"Ailei, I'll continue to rely on your help in the days to come."
"Of course. Please rest assured, Ailei will serve you until her machine spirit extinguishes."
"You don't have to be so serious about it."
Under the light, the dust in the air was clearly visible, and the shadows of the man and the mechanical maid stretched long and deep, merging silently.
Their voices echoed off the empty walls.
The atmosphere was quiet yet warm.
...
[The rebellion of the intelligent machines had been quelled, and your new life was filled with tranquility.]
[You enjoyed and cherished this peaceful atmosphere.]
[No longer needing to plan the next attack or worry about machine assaults, you could now focus on your technological research and relax during your leisure time.]
[You once asked Ailei if she had any plans for the future.]
[Her answer remained unchanged: to serve you until her machine spirit faded.]
[You hesitated, wanting to say more but holding back.]
[Once again, you felt you weren't a good teacher.]
[You tried to correct her, but the loyal mechanical maid had her own principles, and no matter how much you tried, her answer never changed.]
...
[Time passed quickly, with summer fading into the crisp winds of autumn.]
[Months of research had deepened your understanding of starship technology.]
[You successfully established contact with an old Federation starship.]
[Through resonance, you obtained its blueprints.]
[But the technology was too complex and profound, and you couldn't fully grasp it. Still, you weren't in a hurry.]
[You adhered to the principle of balancing work and rest. Whenever your mind grew weary, you would set aside your research and indulge in leisurely activities to relax.]
[In the courtyard of the Sixth Satellite City, you tended to fragrant flowers and gazed at the stars with Ailei.]
[But you felt that this wasn't quite enough.]
[So, you took your loyal mechanical maid to a distant natural landscape.]
...
The anti-gravity starship was fast.
It took less than twenty minutes to travel from the Sixth Satellite City to the cedar forest Xu Xi had chosen.
As they stepped out of the starship, a breathtaking scene unfolded before Xu Xi.
Mist lingered among the brownish tree canopies, weaving through the gaps between leaves and wrapping around the trunks, merging silently and glowing with an otherworldly radiance under the morning light.
A body of water mirrored the scene, creating a symmetrical reflection of nature's beauty.
"Ailei, do you think this scenery is beautiful?"
"Very beautiful."
Ailei answered Xu Xi's question honestly.
But she was puzzled.
Why was Xu Xi asking her?
Indeed, beautiful scenery could relax the human mind, but a mechanical maid was different. She could see beauty but couldn't feel it.
Xu Xi smiled and denied this: "But Ailei, you've already had that for a long time, haven't you?"
Ailei was confused: "I... have it?"
"Of course," Xu Xi said, recalling an incident from years ago when Ailei had played in the water. What seemed like childish fun was actually her way of appreciating beauty.
So, naturally, it wasn't possible for Ailei to be unable to perceive beauty.
"I see. Thank you for explaining," Ailei replied, though it was unclear if she truly understood.
She crouched down, picked up a dried leaf, and stared at its yellowed veins, falling into a prolonged stillness.
This reaction piqued Xu Xi's curiosity.
"Ailei, do you like cedar trees?"
"I was calculating whether using this wood for a barbecue would enhance the flavor of the ingredients."
Ailei spoke calmly, her silver-blue eyes observing the trees with a serious expression, her hands gesturing as if measuring the ideal size for cutting.
It was clear she was being entirely serious.
"Ailei, do you not like this scenery?"
"I like it, but serving you is my top priority."
Her black hair cascaded like a waterfall, catching the golden hues of the setting sun.
Ailei answered Xu Xi honestly. She didn't dislike the cedar forest, but upon seeing it, her first thought was always about how it could benefit Xu Xi.
Whether it was beautiful or not was irrelevant.
The mechanical maid didn't care about such things.
"Master, would you like to have a cedar wood barbecue?" Ailei asked earnestly.
"Let's not," Xu Xi sighed, reaching out to ruffle Ailei's head.
His mechanical maid was loyal.
But perhaps she was a little too loyal.