Chapter 100
Chapter 100
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Translator: Mod7
Chapter: 100
Chapter Title: Chapter 10 - An Outburst of Emotions
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My breathing returned to normal, and the lingering effects of the deep sleep faded, my mind clearing,
“…”
But we lay there in silence, the passage of time marked only by the gentle rhythm of our breaths. The desert, hot and dry, was unusually quiet.
I lay on my back, watching the dust motes dance in the air, the world outside a hazy blur of shimmering heat and swirling sand, but Amy and I, cocooned in the shade of our shelter, remained untouched.
It wasn't the ideal time to rest, but my body, taking advantage of the opportunity, began to process the exhaustion, the fatigue, I had been suppressing.
So, I lay there, my eyes half-closed,
Staring at the cave wall, my mind empty, my senses dulled.
“Doctor, you must eat.”
Amy’s voice came from behind me, the sound of her preparing the preserved rations.
I didn't respond. I simply curled up on my side, my eyes closed, unwilling to engage in conversation.
“Doctor, I recommend you eat something.”
I wanted to throw the food she had prepared, to reject her care,
But I didn't have the energy, the anger.
“…”
So, I simply ignored her, a silent protest. I wouldn't eat, I wouldn't speak…
“Doctor, I will leave this here. I recommend eating it before it gets cold. It is not wise to waste such a high-calorie, nutritionally balanced meal.”
Amy, her voice laced with a strange, almost human concern, lingered for a few moments, then left to attend to her other duties.
She was always busy. While she occasionally rested, she spent most of her time working.
And it wasn't for herself. Amy’s every action was dedicated to increasing my chances of survival. She gathered food, organized supplies, and cleaned our shelter.
She even dealt with the local wildlife.
Small lizards and scorpions, seeking refuge from the heat, often wandered into our shelter, and Amy, without a word, would simply pick them up and toss them outside.
If they were edible, she would build a fire and roast them…
“Doctor, would you like to eat this?”
As if worried about offending my sensibilities,
She carefully prepared the meat and left it beside me.
Her actions, her constant care, confused me. And that was the reason why I couldn't be truly angry with her.
She was devoted to me.
Without her, I wouldn't have survived. Especially now, in my weakened state…
“I’m not eating this because you want me to.”
I took the lizard meat Amy had offered. While I had dissected countless similar creatures, I wasn't used to eating them.
Crunch-
But it was surprisingly good, the meat tender and flavorful. A little gamey, but definitely edible.
As I ate, crunching on the small bones, Amy’s cold expression softened, her gaze gentle.
I didn't know when she had learned to make that expression. Had it been when she was just a head, attached to my waist? Had she looked at me like that then?
“I’m eating this to recover. I’m useless like this.”
Amy had changed so much.
And I had changed too…
“Understood.”
I knew she was treating me differently. I had realized it during my encounter with Isaac.
Amy wasn't just an AI. She was evolving, developing her own unique behavioral patterns.
A being, created by humans,
Surpassing them.
And her association with me, a foolish, stubborn human, was accelerating her transformation.
She should have remained dormant, hidden within the ship, but
The 130 days we had spent together had transformed the advanced AI into something more, something… human.
“Please eat slowly.”
Amy wasn't evil.
She had become kinder, more considerate.
“If you eat too quickly, you may choke.”
Amy would undoubtedly do everything in her power to help me escape this planet. Her devotion was unwavering.
“…Leave me alone.”
But I couldn't help but lash out. Even though I knew she had saved me, that she had provided me with food and shelter, I still…
“What? Happy now? I’m helpless, and you’re all-powerful. You’re in control now, aren’t you?”
Tears welled up, my emotions overflowing,
And the food in my mouth turned to ash, the saltiness of my tears mixing with the meat,
“Do whatever you want. I don’t care anymore. Do what you want. I’m a cripple, aren’t I? I have to obey your every command, don’t I?!”
But I forced myself to chew, to swallow, my voice a strained whisper,
And Amy, looking down at me, her eyes filled with a familiar pity,
A pity that wasn't just a programmed response. It was a complex, almost… human expression, something I had only seen on the faces of my crewmates.
“Doctor.”
“Let go!”
Amy didn't offer any empty reassurances.
Instead, she wrapped her arms around my shoulders, holding me close.
“Let go of me! You ruined everything! What are we going to do now?! What? Follow your plan? You stupid machine! What can you do?! I don’t have time to rest! I want to go back to headquarters!”
“I apologize.”
Her simple apology rendered my outburst meaningless. She simply repeated the words, her body warming mine.
“What are we going to do… I have to save Isaac, and I have to find Nefer… Aria and Arachne are waiting for me, and I have to help His Majesty… it’s dangerous if we just leave them…”
I didn't know.
My emotions were a chaotic mess. I knew I was being irrational, but I couldn't control it.
“And why did those fingers tell me to come to the desert if they weren't going to do anything?! Fuck… what am I supposed to do?!”
“I apologize.”
I sobbed, my body shaking in Amy’s arms. I finished the biscuit, the tears and saliva making it difficult to swallow, and poured out all my pent-up frustrations.
“Where did Jenny go…? Is she… is she okay…? And that white woman in my dreams, what the hell is she? And that moon! Why is this happening to me?! And the women here! Fucking…! They’re all just… animals in heat!”
I cried, I yelled,
Then stuffed more food into my mouth, chewing mechanically, swallowing,
“Everyone who gets close to me dies… Dan, the captain, Reyes… they’re all dead because of me… and I can’t do anything… I still don’t know anything… I’m just being dragged along! Fuck! You bastards!”
“I apologize.”
“What? You’re sorry? Do you even know what you’re sorry for?! You just do whatever you want, ignoring my orders! It’s easy for you, isn’t it?! Just following your programming!”
And then, I turned my anger on Amy, my elbows digging into her stomach.
“Let go! Just leave me alone! Get out of my sight! I don’t need you! What, you think this is funny?! This is all your fault! If you had come sooner, I would still have my limbs!”
“…I apologize.”
Amy simply endured my blows, her voice a soft, unwavering apology, and my own anger, my own grief, seemed to shrink, to become insignificant.
I didn't know why I was like this.
I was just… so tired.
“Sob, sniff… n-no… I was just kidding. It was all a joke. You’re not really leaving me, are you? I’m… I’m still your command priority! You can’t leave me alone…”
But,
Even though I didn't understand myself,
Amy seemed to understand. She held me close, stroking my hair, her touch comforting.
“Doctor, I will never abandon you.”
“H-how can I believe you… how can I trust you?! You’re just an AI, doing whatever you want, now that I’m… crippled! Would you trust you, if you were me? Would you-”
“Doctor, that will never happen.”
The physical limitations, the loss of control, were a heavy burden to bear, especially on this dangerous planet.
“Trust me.”
Amy gently touched the severed stump of my wrist, her voice soft.
“Doctor, I will carry you now. I will always be by your side. I will be your ally.”
“Doctor…”
“I will be your hands and your feet.”