"Then it's simple," I say, with a casualness that's meant to instill confidence in her.
"We just have to win the game you mentioned earlier. If we win, we can attract new members or, who knows, get some funding."
"It's not that easy," she says, shaking her head.
"We need at least three pilots, and there's no one right now. If you join, we're still down to one pilot. We can't even start without a second."
I think about what she said. "Three pilots..." I repeat, remembering something I'd read.
"I heard that in a Nexus Battle there are spots called Exchange Points. You can swap out one pilot for another during the race. Is that true?"
She nods slowly, but her face remains skeptical.
"Yes, but without other pilots we can't participate."
"That's not possible? You don't have to have a full group."
She nods again, but she seems conflicted.
"Yes, technically you can participate alone, but..."
"But what?"
I interrupt, keeping my tone calm and firm. I don't want to get into unnecessary tangents.
"But that can't work," she continues, trying to justify herself.
"Playing alone gives you virtually zero chances of winning. Each team has three members for a reason: they require different skills, not only to handle the different terrains, but also to react quickly to changes. You never know what theme will come out!"
Suddenly, her tone lights up, as if she were talking about the most exciting part of the whole game.
"That's the beauty of it, you know? One minute you're in a desert that drains all your energy, and the next you're in a huge jungle that requires you to be precise and silent to avoid attracting unwanted attention. Then maybe the race moves to an icy field where you need stamina to not slip or collapse from the cold. Every challenge is different! Alone... you can't do it. You need someone to cover your weaknesses, who can do what you can't do alone. That's why participating alone is almost impossible!"
"Oh, sorry... I got carried away," she says, looking down for a moment, visibly embarrassed.
"It's okay."
I don't let her worries discourage me.
"Aren't you desperate?" I say, a touch provocatively.
"Trying is always better than standing still. Every step, even if you are unsure, brings you closer to what you want. Standing still, on the other hand, condemns you to remain stuck, and can even lead to a failure that you could have avoided."
Her gaze falters, but finally becomes firm.
"O-okay," she admits, her determination renewed.
"Good," I say, a hint of satisfaction showing through.
"Let's get the deal done right away. As for payment, you'll give me what I'm owed when this is resolved. That's all I care about."
She nods, a little more confident.
With a firm gesture, she grabs her digital device, her fingers moving quickly across the screen, reflecting her growing determination.
"I'll send you the contract on your Ethercell," she says, but there's a hint of uncertainty in her tone, as if she wants to get the deal done as quickly as possible.
I am silent for a moment, then calmly reply, "...I don't have one."
She pauses, surprised, as if I've just revealed a secret. "You don't have an Ethercell?" she repeats, incredulous.
"No," I reply, keeping calm. "I've never needed one."
Her gaze grows incredulous, almost frustrated. "But without an Ethercell... you can't do anything. Communications, contracts, even Nexus Battle!"
"We'll find another way."
"For example, I'll use your device. As long as I can participate, it doesn't matter."
Her gaze deepens, and after a moment's hesitation, she shakes her head, resigned.
"Okay... I guess we can manage that," she murmurs.
"I'll lend you my Ethercell."
"Thank you," I say simply, as she hands me the device.
A standard form appears on the screen, with the usual requests: first name, last name, age. Without hesitation, I begin typing information into the virtual keyboard, filling in each field without even thinking twice.
Birthplace: [_______________]