Three months later.
Inside the control room of the ecological starship.
The vast space projected images of the outside world.
It was a desolate darkness, yet also a shimmering sea of stars. In some rare places, long, continuous bands of light formed, radiating the brilliance of hundreds of millions of stars.
The dazzling explosion of a supernova was a release of energy from the universe.
The death of a star.
A magnificent ejection.
An inevitability repeated over countless light-years, time and time again.
Xu Xi sat in front of the control console, his hands infused with mechanical energy, adjusting the starship and enhancing its performance.
Mechanical energy was truly miraculous.
These tasks originally belonged to Ailei, but now that Ailei was unavailable, Xu Xi had taken over completely.
"Ailei's evolution seems to be nearing its end. I'm really looking forward to the final result."
Under the cold light, the rays illuminated the surface of the control console, highlighting every tiny component and the neatly arranged buttons.
After completing the daily maintenance work.
Xu Xi closed his eyes in contemplation, leaning back in his chair, relaxing his body.
He was pondering the direction of the future.
"Once Ailei's evolution is complete, the increase in computational power will lead to advancements in technology, and the starship's speed should improve."
"My mechanical resonance requires high-tech items to fully understand their principles and unleash their potential."
"In terms of future technological development, if we don't encounter other civilizations, a lot will depend on Ailei. As for me, I rely on the joy of the machine soul to provide feasible directions for progress."
"But where exactly should we go from here?"
"Should we find a resource-rich star system, settle down, and plan slowly? Or should we pursue the truth and investigate the reasons behind the rebellion of the intelligent machines?"
The hull of the starship was incredibly sturdy.
Perfectly shielding against the cold of the universe.
Inside the ship, the life-support system maintained a constant temperature, providing a comfortable environment for Xu Xi.
His fingers lightly tapped the armrest of the chair.
Pausing, hesitating, uncertain.
From the perspective of the potential gains from simulation, Xu Xi leaned more toward seeking the truth. The reason was simple: the mastermind behind the rebellion of the intelligent machines must possess an extremely high level of technology.
But a problem immediately followed.
Where was the enemy, and in which direction should they search?
The vastness of the universe far surpassed the distinction between land and sea on a planet.
Without specific intelligence, finding a particular target in the universe was nearly impossible.
Whoosh—
Whoosh—
Scattered meteorites brushed past the hull of the ship.
A long, drawn-out alert sounded inside the ship, and automated weapons activated, destroying the meteorites.
Xu Xi's thoughts were interrupted by this. He shook his head, deciding not to overthink it and to take things one step at a time.
However.
No matter what the final direction would be.
Before the simulation ended, Xu Xi would ensure Ailei had a safe path forward, allowing her to survive rather than be buried in the silent void of space.
"Speaking of which, with Ailei's current strength, perhaps I don't need to worry about her?"
Thinking of Ailei's capabilities.
Xu Xi chuckled.
Indeed, there was no need for him to worry. Ailei could survive safely in the universe on her own.
"Let's go check on her condition. Hopefully, she's improved today."
Xu Xi stood up and left the control room of the ecological starship, walking along the silver metal corridor back to the residential area.
Lush greenery lined the path, and the sound of flowing water filled the air.
Precious soil nurtured vibrant flowers.
Xu Xi entered the spacious living quarters, walking all the way to the innermost room, where the mechanical girl lay quietly on a metal workbench.
When Xu Xi wasn't present, this body remained in standby mode.
Ailei would flow through the databases of the starship fleet.
Struggling to control the starship, avoiding chaos and mistakes.
Now, with Xu Xi's arrival, Ailei's data returned to her body, and her beautiful eyes opened, still somewhat dazed.
"Good afternoon, Master..."
"Good afternoon, Ailei. How are you feeling? Any improvement since last time?"
"Yes, an improvement of 3.87%."
"That's good. No need to rush. Take your time."
The furrow in Xu Xi's brow relaxed.
He walked up to the workbench, extending his hands to repair Ailei's body.
Mechanical energy flowed like a fine stream, weaving through the narrow cracks in the machinery, stitching them together, reshaping and restoring them to their original state.
Even so.
Ailei still couldn't move freely.
Her overly fragile body couldn't bear the weight of her evolved machine soul and computational power.
"Ailei, try lifting your finger."
"...Yes, Master."
At the workbench, Xu Xi carefully recorded the body's data, noting Ailei's responses and compiling them into a dense archive.
He wanted to gather the girl's thoughts to create a new body for her.
It didn't need to be extraordinary.
Just functional enough to move normally.
"You've worked hard, Ailei. Rest now."
Once the recording was complete, Xu Xi spoke in a gentle voice, letting Ailei lie back down.
He then took the recorded data and walked over to the experimental area.
Beginning to contemplate the design for a new body.
"..."
Ailei remained quiet.
Lying still on the metal workbench, she tilted her head slightly, watching Xu Xi's back as he alternated between busy work and deep thought.
In the past.
Whenever Xu Xi began an experiment, Ailei would always be by his side.
Either providing computational support or offering precise auxiliary control.
But today...
Ailei blinked her eyes in confusion. It was strange, frustrating. Her consciousness was so clear, her data flowing ceaselessly, yet she couldn't control her body at all.
Even the simplest movements of her limbs felt clumsy and difficult.
Hateful...
So hateful...
Ailei didn't like this, rejecting this powerless version of herself.
"I must... serve... serve..." A halting sound came from the workbench as Ailei's hands pressed against the metal surface, trembling as she tried to sit up.
If she could just stand, she could serve her master.
The machine servant thought this.
Her trembling feet pressed against the ground, her hands gripping the metal table, trying to use it to stand.
—Bang!!
Ailei's vision tilted instantly as her body collided with the metal workbench, producing a loud crash.
There was no pain. Machines couldn't feel pain.
But the failure to stand caused Ailei's lips to curve downward, her expression clearly unhappy.
"Ailei, are you okay?"
Xu Xi rushed over upon hearing the noise.
Helping the fallen machine servant girl to her feet.
After a brief inquiry and understanding the situation, Xu Xi smiled and said:
"It's alright, Ailei. There's no need to rush these things."
Xu Xi wanted Ailei to rest.
This disarray was only temporary. Once Ailei's computational power stabilized and she had a new body, everything would return to how it was before—or even better.
But the girl didn't want to rest, always thinking of doing something for Xu Xi.
"Then... Ailei, could you pour me a glass of water?"
Seeing Ailei's trembling, uncontrollable body, Xu Xi hesitated for a moment before making a simple request.
"Yes, Master. Ailei is happy to serve you."
Her empty eyes lit up.
Ailei's trembling fingers gripped the water pitcher with difficulty, pouring warm water for Xu Xi.
The first time, she missed the cup.
The second time, the pitcher slipped from her hands.
The third time, she finally managed to pour the water into the cup.
The water splashed against the smooth inner walls, creating colorless bubbles, clear and transparent.