The sunlight shone through the transparent dome, illuminating the young girl's deep emerald eyes into shades of bright green.
She has long, silvery white hair that fades into a mixture of blue and seafoam green at the tips, almost like soft moss. Her curly locks frame her small face, making her deer-like eyes prominent.
Adding her tiny frame, she's like a doll that has come alive.
After the explosion of evolution and the advancement of gene engineering, a beautiful face has become something common.
No one in the interstellar era can be called ugly and nowadays, it's a matter of what type is attractive for an individual.
In this sense, Liele honestly admitted that she's very much to his liking.
Her voice sounds sweet, her smell is sweet, and she looks sweet.
Liele concluded that her physical threat level was in the negatives. This was, of course, not including the fact that they were in her territory.
He made a decision, gathered his dry spiritual energy, and then spat out a light brain from a tiny spatial rip.
The light brain bounced on the floor, and Hua Lian's heart followed in sync. In a blur, she pounced on it.
"You…!!!"
A high-ranking mimic!
She abducted a predator to her home!
High-ranking mimics have better perception and control over their spiritual powers and can materialize their spiritual energy. Some into a more concentrated form of energy, while others can transform it, giving them unique abilities.
Being able to cut his own space to store items, no doubt, this palm-sized being can kill her with just an accidental bump.
Hua Lian, who was proud of having the survival instinct of a small prey, ends up digging a big hole for herself.
She has made a mistake of forgetting that the best hunters often come in the form of weak prey.
In fact, for a legally disabled citizen who boldly walked around the grey areas, it was only a matter of time before Hua Lian kicked an iron plate.
As the universe's number one collateral casualty, disabled citizens can't perceive others' spiritual auras.
To say it nicely, they can't be intimidated by the radiating auras of higher-ranking mimics.
But to say it bluntly, they're ignorant of the dangers around them and prone to accidental injuries.
[Ding~]
The light brain flickered open and popped out a message.
[I followed willingly. Not abducted.]
Hua Lian stared at the tiny master. "...Really?"
[Really. If we talk about it, you're my benefactor.] Look at how willing he is to repay with his body.
"..."
"..."
The two were in a dreadlock for a second.
"You implanted an optical computer." Hua Lian lowered her voice. "That's illegal."
In short, the two of us aren't law-abiding citizens.
Liele, "..."
He only heard of finding common topics to start conversations and divert awkward topics, but this girl's focus was awesome; she immediately labeled them together for warmth.
[Well, I did.] Liele admitted openly.
One day, she will learn that there's a so-called number of crimes and degrees of violation.
Seeing that he was so open-minded, Hua Lian regained her energy. "Speaking of, little buddy, what's your name? I heard before that a patient's files cannot be disclosed by the doctors, so I didn't ask Doctor Xiao."
Liele paused. Staring at her bright and clear eyes, why does he feel that she has a selective illness?
Selective learning, selective hearing, and selective blindness.
Most important of them; selectively choosing to follow beneficial manners for her.
Those kinds of selective illness.
[My name is Liele.]
"Liele what?"
[Just Liele.]
"What about your family name?"
Thinking about her family name, Liele was patient. [The use of family names is no longer common.]
The populace of the interstellar era has a long life span. The majority have an average life of 200 years, while there's a minority that lives beyond 300 years.
With this kind of lifespan, what family inheritance are you guarding and waiting for?
Maybe at 100 years old, your parents will add a little sibling for you, or who knows, you will return to the embrace of the stars before them.
Even by the time the head of the household dies, who will know for sure how many branches there are or how lush the family tree has become?
It's better to branch out and establish your household early.
But whether it is a woman or a man, they both carry the family genes and, therefore, have the same rights to the family name.
In the same sense, a child carries both of the parent's genes, which then becomes a dispute between the two families, making a commotion about which gene is dominant.
This is not even starting to talk about all the mixed families out there. Citizens of the Empire marry and divorce on an average of 3–5 times in their lifetime.
Eventually, the use of family names was no longer a common practice.
[Instead, the majority name their children with similar-sounding words or from common root words as a distinction.] Liele thought of an example and threw his father. [My father's name is Lyle.]
"History does repeat itself," Hua Lian concluded.
[History? Which one?]
Hua Lian frowned. "Somewhere in the early days of the ancient blue planet, they also didn't have family names."
Liele was not interested in the in-depth discussion of this topic, especially when the conversion have a sign of descending into the history of forgotten memories. Instead, he hovered around the holographic device and, in a swift move, shut it off.
This has been his goal from the start.
Pleased with the result, he flew up and surveyed the nursery.
Liele found a plant with better sunlight to continue sleeping.
Hua Lian followed the fluttering butterfly, fascinated by the flashing golden color.
Although the wings have tears and wear, and some parts have fading colors, their distinct black patterns and unique swallowtails are evidence of how beautiful these wings were once. Each movement of his wings poured dusty particles, shimmering with every touch of sun rays.
How can someone be so in line with her heart?
Seeing him land and fully open his wings, Hua Lian traced the pattern on his wings with her eyes. "Why are you spreading yourself?"
Liele, "..."
My color palette might be relatively yellow, but don't stuff me with yellow waste.
[... This is called basking.]
"I know that." Hua Lian defended her intelligence quotient, not allowing any misunderstanding. "Is it because butterflies are cold-blooded?"
[Yes and no. Our mimetic forms are simply the manifestation of our spiritual powers; we aren't really 'beasts', 'animals', or...]
"Spiritual powers are mimicking these forms; yes, I know. But since what catalysts its form is the expression of our dominant genes, you want to say that it carried over a corresponding instinct or side effects related to that gene."
After saying this, Hua Lian's eyes shifted. She suddenly thought that for the Espers of the Federation next door, thinking that if this concept was applied, then by definition they're beasts mimicking humans.
[That's right. Since childhood, we have been taught to control these instincts and not to indulge in them; however, when you are injured, it is better to follow these instincts. Especially when in a manic state, people tend to lose their minds. Turning into your mimetic form amplifies these instincts, which, in its most primitive form, will do everything to save itself.]
But that's also why it was a shame to degenerate into your mimetic form.
The longer you lose your mind, the more these instincts corrode you, eventually swallowing your whole being.
Not dead, but also not alive.
After all, what separates a civilized person from a wild beast is their control over their instincts.
That's why every life in the interstellar era feared the nightmare of alienation.
Distortion does not only happen physically.
Hua Lian, who doesn't like exercising her brain cells nor has the habit of killing them, doesn't pick up the complexity that mimics have about themselves.
Instead, she listened happily to what she wanted, interpreting it according to her own logic. "When in dire situations, we instinctively know what can save us!"
She has caught an injured butterfly mimic, which will act on self perseverance. This was not just sending a pillow, this is exactly what she wants!
Aren't the main instincts of a butterfly to fly, find food, and mingle around the flowers?
And along these processes — to pollinate?!