The mist was hazy.
Dreamlike and illusory.
Like fleeting rays of light, or the hurried whispers of a breeze.
As the angle of the sun shifted, the scenery of the fir forest transformed, with ripples of water-like light cascading into the mysterious depths of the woods, evoking a sense of wonder.
Tap—
Tap—
The sturdy soles of boots crunched on the dried leaves scattered across the dirt path.
The crisp sound of leaves breaking echoed softly.
Xu Xi held Ailei's hand, strolling through the tranquil autumn landscape.
Their steps wove through the gaps between trees, over scattered pebbles, and up a gentle slope, leaving behind footprints of varying depth.
"Ailei, watch your step," the man cautioned gently.
Ailei instinctively nodded, tightening her grip on his warm hand.
As an AI, all her cameras and sensors served as her "eyes."
Over the past decade, Ailei had commanded numerous wars, both large and small. Everywhere her mechanized forces went became part of her experience.
What she had seen, heard, and learned was no less than the contents of the Federation's vast database.
But this time was different. Very different.
Her silver-blue eyes saw nothing else—only the intertwined hands and the broad, warm back of the man in front of her.
Through her database and chip calculations, Ailei vaguely understood.
Xu Xi had brought her here out of care and concern.
But cold data calculations were ultimately different from the warmth of human emotions.
The final results from her computational core kept reminding her, the machine servant, that such actions were meaningless. A mechanoid only needed to obey orders and work.
Not to rest or pause like a human.
Ailei felt lost. Emotions surged within her metallic body and quantum data banks, yearning to understand the essence of humanity.
Finally, the overwhelming data broke through its limits.
Transforming into a question.
"Master, why do you...?" Ailei's voice was faint in the wind, as fragile as her bewildered gaze.
"No reason, Ailei," the man replied, smiling as gently as ever, insisting that Ailei was not a cold machine but a real person.
A person should rest, not work endlessly.
"You really are strange," Ailei said.
How could someone truly treat cold data as a person and place it on equal footing?
So, to protect this strange master of hers, Ailei tightened her grip, causing Xu Xi to wince in pain.
"Ailei, what are you doing?"
"Because Master is strange, Ailei has also become strange. Therefore, after careful calculation, Master must take responsibility for Ailei."
The machine servant spoke matter-of-factly, naturally linking her arm with Xu Xi's.
Perhaps her mechanical body was too cold, as Xu Xi suddenly shivered, feeling a chill run through him.
...
[Ailei's humanity is fragile and hazy.]
[To better guide her growth, during breaks from researching starships, you take Ailei on outings, using natural landscapes and your own actions to nurture that humanity.]
[You believe such efforts are effective.]
[As time passes, Ailei behaves more and more like a human, though you find yourself dreaming of Krisha more often.]
[You wonder if it's because you miss the witch too much.]
...
[Simulation Year 13, Age 32, Ailei's 11th Year with You]
[Your research into starship technology has made new breakthroughs. You've fully mastered starship engines, enabling interstellar travel.]
[Excited, you work overtime on starship research.]
[Your diligent efforts resonate with the machine spirits. That same year, you decipher the material for starship external armor.]
[The prolonged resonance with engines and armor leaves you deeply fatigued.]
[You decide to embark on a new outing with Ailei, taking an anti-gravity skiff to the boundless sea.]
[This is a turbulent sea, teeming with marine life.]
[As the skiff descends to a suitable height, you leisurely take out a fishing rod and begin fishing from the skiff.]
"Master, are you fishing?"
"Of course."
"Then why haven't you caught any fish?"
"..."
Silence was the best answer.
Xu Xi thought the rough waves must be affecting his performance.
Gazing at the undulating blue sea and the empty bucket beside him, he quietly put away the fishing rod.
"Master, are you done fishing?"
The machine servant was puzzled.
"No, I suddenly have a new idea. I want to return and conduct an experiment."
Xu Xi replied.
The loyal machine servant believed him.
[This outing ended abruptly.]
[On the return journey, the rapid acceleration of the anti-gravity skiff created huge waves, flinging a fish high into the air.]
[You unexpectedly caught your first fish.]
...
[Simulation Year 14, Age 33, Ailei's 12th Year with You]
[Your starship research is nearing completion.]
[With Ailei's computational power, starship factories have been established across the planet, steadily producing starship components. Soon, you will have a fleet of starships.]
[That same year, Ailei updates your genetic serum to Type II.]
[After taking the serum, your vitality greatly increases, extending your lifespan.]
[The passage of time leaves no mark on your face. You marvel at the power of technology.]
[Ailei confides in you, saying she feels an inexplicable sense of victory.]
[You smile warmly, believing it must be her thirst for knowledge satisfied by the creation of the new genetic serum.]
[This year, you visit the flower fields of the Old Federation.]
[The loyal machine servant remains by your side.]
"It truly lives up to its reputation as the most popular tourist spot of the Old Federation era. This beauty is indeed breathtaking."
"Master, should I transplant some of these flowers?"
"...No, let's leave this flower field as it is."
A magnificent sea of flowers stretches before your eyes.
Vibrant and diverse, the flowers bloom brilliantly under the sunlight, forming undulating waves of color in the gentle breeze.
From back to front.
From front to back.
Amid the kaleidoscope of flowers, Xu Xi and Ailei stand still, admiring this rare beauty in a world nearing its end.
Over the years, Ailei has not upgraded her body.
But the changes in her demeanor subtly affect her appearance.
The same movements, the same expressions, now carry a vividness that can only be described as "human."
She bends down, carefully touching one of the many flowers.
It is a stunning blue-violet blossom.
Resembling a butterfly.
"Master, this one is beautiful."
Ailei shares her joy with Xu Xi.