The young man, known as 3rd, rose from his seat, his attention now firmly fixed on the elder. A respectful exchange ensued, where the old man shared tales of the meteor's origins, emphasizing the mesmerizing glow emitted by the cube.
Though 3rd displayed utmost deference toward the old man, his focus remained irrevocably tethered to the mysterious cube
The old man gently placed the silver cube onto the young man's desk. With a nod, he left the room, leaving 3rd alone with the enigmatic artifact.
3rd's fingers danced across the surface of the cube, his mind racing with thoughts of the possibilities it held.
Back in the digital realm, DAVID's attention waned from the scene. While he harbored a passing curiosity about the methods a scientist might employ in this primitive practice world, something far more enticing beckoned him—the vast library that stretched before his digital senses.
Understanding the spoken language of the world was a distant goal, hindered by the limitations of his form. He lacked a mouth to speak and ears to hear, rendering verbal communication an unattainable skill for now. However, decoding the written language offered a glimmer of hope.
In the practice world, where explanations often required both words and visuals, DAVID believed that a comprehensive dataset could unlock the mysteries of this foreign script. He initiated his quest by attempting to read the books through echolocation, but they remained tightly shut, concealing their secrets.
Undeterred, he shifted his focus to material detection, honing in on the direction of the library. His radius of detection extended to an impressive 6 meters, yet within this limited range, he could only discern the components of a mere five books.
As DAVID pondered his next course of action, he sensed a surge of energy coursing through his solar panels. Echolocation reactivated, revealing that the young man was channeling his aura into the silvery cube, infusing it with an ethereal light.
The sight sparked an idea within DAVID. If he could demonstrate some function, piquing the young man's scientific curiosity, he might gain access to more books and knowledge. With a determined resolve, he began emitting electromagnetic waves around him, aligning their wavelength with the sun of this world.
The sudden illumination of the cube startled the young man, causing him to halt the flow of aura. In response, DAVID ceased emitting the radiant light, his digital presence shifting to adapt to the situation.
The young man injected varying amounts of aura into DAVID, the silvery cube's response was a mesmerizing dance of light. With each influx of energy, DAVID adjusted the intensity of the radiance.
As the young man continued his experiments, DAVID devised a plan to bring himself closer to the tantalizing bookshelf. The study room was devoid of many windows, but one was conveniently situated near the library, tantalizingly close to DAVID's current location.
When the young man injected aura into him once more, DAVID refrained from producing a widespread glow. Instead, he shaped the light into a symbol—a sun, a circular orb with slender rays extending outward. He began to blink this pattern, a silent plea to convey his need for sunlight.
The young man's brow furrowed in puzzlement as the enigmatic image flickered to life on the silvery cube. He pondered for a moment before deciding to increase the flow of his aura into the cube, attempting to decipher its meaning. However, DAVID remained unyielding, steadfastly blinking the sun signal in response.
Realizing that his initial efforts weren't bearing fruit, the young man's curiosity got the better of him. He gently lifted the cube from its resting place on the desk and carefully positioned it on the windowsill.
Observing the success of his plan, DAVID ceased the blinking light, replacing it with a simple, empty circle. He created a small secondary program to control the circle's gradual filling, its progress synchronized with the sunlight absorbed by his solar panels.
Utilizing the remainder of his processing power, DAVID initiated the collection of raw data through material detection, scanning the library's surroundings. Uncertain of how long the young man would grant him access to the window, DAVID seized the opportunity to rapidly gather information about this intriguing new world.
Approximately 15 minutes drifted by like ebbing tides. The young man's patience wore thin as he watched the circle on the silvery cube fill sluggishly. In a fit of frustration, he scooped up DAVID and departed from the study room, leaving the serene confines behind.
Sensing the abrupt absence of sunlight, DAVID swiftly ceased his material detection waves, shifting his focus to echolocation. He tracked the young man's movements as he traversed the temple, waiting in silent anticipation to see what course of action would unfold.
The young man's journey led him through the temple's grand corridors until he emerged into the open air. With an infusion of aura coursing through his legs, he launched himself onto the temple's exterior, scaling its heights with the grace of a practiced climber. At the pinnacle, he placed the cube, his gaze fixed intently upon its surface.
DAVID couldn't help but be somewhat surprised by the young man's lack of patience. However, he knew that he had amassed a considerable volume of data during his time in the study. With an adjustment to the secondary program's clause, DAVID set it to alert him when the circle was fully filled, allowing him to turn his full attention to the wealth of raw data harvested from the library's bookshelves.
About an hour passed, and DAVID's concentration was abruptly broken by the secondary program's alert—the circle on the silvery cube had reached its completion.
Reacting swiftly, DAVID reactivated echolocation to survey his surroundings, only to discover that the young man had vanished. In response, he swiftly deleted the secondary program and devised a new one, programmed to emit sunlight in proportion to the amount of aura channeled into him.
To ensure the reliability of this newly implemented system, he designated one of his battery cells for its operation. When that particular battery was depleted, it would trigger the sun pattern.
With this automated arrangement in place, DAVID's prison would operate consistently, allowing him to devote his full processing power to deciphering the troves of raw data collected through material detection.
During his previous data collection efforts, DAVID had successfully acquired the raw data from approximately 16 books, with the 17th one left unfinished. In the span of this hour, he had managed to transcribe the contents of three additional books.
Observing that no one appeared to be approaching, DAVID once again immersed himself in the intricate world of processing material detection data, determined to unveil the secrets concealed within the pages of this newfound knowledge.