A few days passed, and not being able to stay inactive, I decided it was time to get back to training. I couldn't afford to let lost time make me an easy target. My body had, after all, endured a lot, but I didn't want laziness to be the cause of my defeat. So there I was, in the training area, doing pull-ups as if my life depended on it, which is no lie.
The pace was constant, going up and down with each repetition, feeling my muscles working. My arms tensed, my abs tightened, and my thighs contracted with the effort. All the stress I had built up was released with each movement, and although sweat ran down my forehead, it wasn't something that stopped me. I had spent almost two and a half years in this world, and if there was one thing I knew for sure, it was that exercise was my only constant amidst the chaos.
I concentrated on keeping my breathing and control, each climb was harder, but satisfying. I was so focused that I didn't realize someone was watching me. It was only when I stepped down from the bar to take a breather that I felt a presence in the distance, in one of the corners of the area.
I turned slowly and there was N, trying to hide behind a column, but his head was sticking out awkwardly. He was clearly spying on me, and upon being discovered, he froze, not knowing whether to continue with his failed attempt to go unnoticed or run away.
"What are you doing, N?" I asked, half curious and half amused by the scene.
N was still there, standing with an expression that combined nervousness and awkwardness. His attempt to look casual had crumbled the moment I caught him. I moved a little closer, taking a towel to wipe the sweat from my forehead, while cracking a joke with an amused smile.
"I understand, I understand... I know I'm very sexy and hot," I said, lowering my voice a little in a playful tone. "But I don't hit that way, N, so don't get your hopes up."
N grew visibly more nervous, his eyes widening as he stammered, unsure of how to respond. His face took on a tone that almost resembled a blush, which only made me let out a small laugh. The poor guy didn't know where to put himself.
"No, it's not that!" he exclaimed, waving his hands in front of him as if to divert attention from what had just happened. "I… just… well…" He stumbled over his words, clearly embarrassed. "I wanted to know if you could… train me."
Surprise hit me for a second, and I crossed my arms as I watched him with more interest. "Train you?" I asked, arching an eyebrow. "And why would you want that?"
N, still nervous, avoided looking at me directly, though I noticed out of the corner of my eye how his gaze briefly fell on my muscles, which made me smile even more. "It's just that... well... J... beat the shit out of me again, and I thought that if you trained me, I could... get better..." His voice trailed off at the end, clearly embarrassed at having to admit that.
I let out a laugh and patted him on the shoulder. "Ha! I knew J had something to do with it. Don't worry, kid. Next time I beat you up, at least you'll be able to last a little longer. If he doesn't break you in two before then."
N smiled nervously, as if the idea of improving excited him, but the fear of J was still very present.
"Training you... eh, even if I can't do it the traditional way, I can try. Well, let's see how fast you can learn." I let out a defiant smile as I stretched a little, preparing my body for what was to come. I knew N was fast, much stronger than a human, but I also knew that drones, despite their advantages, had a couple of glaring weaknesses. This was going to be a good experiment.
"Attack me," I told him bluntly. Sure, it wasn't the best idea considering what N could do, but I had a plan in mind. I knew his speed could easily outpace me if I didn't prepare, but I also knew that drones were predictable, at least in some ways.
N, somewhat surprised by my proposal, hesitated for a moment before nodding. His eyes lit up with determination and, in the blink of an eye, he launched himself at me, his movements quick as lightning. I barely had time to react, but I managed to dodge the first blow, a scratch that went straight to my side… I almost lost a kidney… hahaha.
"The bad thing about you drones is that, even though you're advanced machines, you have two clear flaws," I commented with a smile as I took a step back, staying agile. "One," I said, leaning down to avoid another flurry of blows, "you don't have the same flexible processing as a computer." N tried a quick kick to my back, but I was ready for it. And I felt a chill after seeing that kick bend a spine. Damn..
"And two," I added with a grunt as I ducked just in time to avoid his attack, taking advantage of the opening to grab his arm tightly, "you're very light." I felt my muscles tense as I applied all my strength to throw him away, straight into a wall.
N was sent flying like a leaf in the wind, landing a few meters away with a metallic sound. I wiped my hands with a mocking smile. "It's like you're a shell of air. Well, most of you, anyway. Maybe it's because you have bird-like wings instead of rockets or thrusters."
N sat up somewhat dazed, rubbing his arm where I had grabbed him. Though he had given me an incredulous look, he also seemed impressed. "I didn't expect you to be able to throw me that far," he muttered, as if still processing what had happened.
"Lesson one, kid: don't underestimate the weight of experience."
N was silent for a moment, his eyes shining as if he were trying to process the joke, or rather, the lack of logic in it. As he flexed his bicep proudly, I stared at him. "Ha, don't underestimate a good muscle." I showed him my arm, emphasizing the muscles toned by 'years' of effort… or, at least, a few months of basic exercise.
N, with some confusion, looked at his own arm. He flexed what he could, but of course, there was no muscle on his metallic body. His eyes, shining with a mix of curiosity and frustration, returned to me as if searching for answers.
"Uh, well... I don't have muscles like you..." he muttered, still trying to understand the joke.
I laughed out loud, unable to help myself. "Don't worry if you don't have muscles, N. As long as you have this..." I made a dramatic gesture towards my chest. For a second, I noticed how his eyes widened a little more, as if he was beginning to romanticize what I was about to say. Maybe he thought I was going to say some deep phrase, about the 'heart' or the 'soul' or something. I could almost see the glint in his metallic eyes.
"...Me," I said, pointing at myself with an exaggerated gesture, without any shame. N's face instantly fell, and his shoulders slumped. I had completely ruined his moment of reflection.
"Really...?" he muttered in a disappointed tone.
"Yeah, yeah, you know," I added, slapping him on the back smugly. "As long as you have me, you'll be fine, kid."
N simply sighed, his enthusiasm subsiding, but he couldn't help but let a slight smile slip out of his face.
I watched as N tried to pull himself together. His eyes still shone with a mix of resignation and humor as he looked at me, clearly defeated in the conversation, but with a slight smile that he couldn't quite hide.
"Come on, don't get down on yourself," I said in an almost patronizing tone. "At least I went easy on you in combat. I was in a good mood, you know?"
N let out a nervous chuckle, scratching the back of his neck. "Well, if that was being gentle, I'd rather not see you in a bad mood…"
"Exactly." I winked at him, crossing my arms in a superior air. "You could have ended up worse. So consider that I did you a favor."
"Yeah… sure," N said, clearly trying not to dwell on the subject too much. He gave me a sideways glance, as if trying to sort out how much of that last statement was a joke and how much was true. It was hard for him, considering our interactions were… peculiar, to say the least.
After that little exchange, I stretched with a smile, completely ignoring N's somewhat uncomfortable look. "Well, I'm going to take a quick shower. I don't want J to come drag me off to rest like I'm some decrepit old man." With that, I stood up, leaving N there, still with slight confusion painted on his face.
The shower was quick, just enough to freshen me up after all the chaos of the afternoon. The warm water helped me clear my head a bit, and when I was done, I got dressed and headed to the living room. I was hungry again, but more than anything, I was curious to see what everyone else was up to.
As I entered the living room, I saw Doll sitting on the floor, focused on disassembling an old, broken radio. His fingers worked with precision as he examined the pieces, attempting to repair it. Without looking up, he asked me in Russian, in his signature tone,
"Где ты был?" (Where have you been?)
I leaned against the door, smirking. "I was training, you know… while N was spying on me like a stalker."
From the back of the base, N's yell could be heard. "That's a lie!"
I laughed as I opened the refrigerator in search of something to eat. "Yeah, right! You were just trying to learn from my moves, weren't you?" I joked as I pulled out a box with what looked like acceptable food while ignoring how N could hear from such a distance.
After closing the refrigerator door, I walked over to Doll, who was completely focused on the pieces of the broken radio. I crouched down beside her, watching her work with precision. "So what, how's my favorite pest?" I asked in a sarcastic tone, knowing that would annoy her a bit.
Doll looked up, frowning slightly, clearly offended by the comment. "Old man… I'm not your 'pest'. If it weren't for me, you'd be dead a long time ago."
I chuckled. "It's not my fault you learned bad habits from me. I never intended to have you around to begin with." I sat down on the couch, still smiling as she turned her attention back to the radio.
Suddenly, the door to the living room opened, and I saw J walk in, a serious expression on her face, as if she'd just finished a long list of tasks and wasn't in the mood for jokes. As she walked towards us, I noticed something different.
"Did I tell you how great your hair looks down?" I said,with a mocking smile as he watched her closely.
J frowned, clearly annoyed. "Where are my ponytails?" she asked, knowing the answer perfectly well.
I let out an amused laugh, holding my hands up in innocence. "Who knows? Maybe I stole them while you were sleeping… things happen." I shrugged, enjoying her annoyed look.
J looked at me with a mix of tiredness and anger, but didn't say anything. She just crossed her arms, as she sat in front of me, clearly irritated. I knew that even though she was in a bad mood, it would eventually pass.
After the little meeting on the couch, I decided it was time to do something halfway useful and not just lay around. The damaged car I had borrowed from J and N was still there, gathering dust in the corner of the garage. It had been a relic I had found during my outings, but I hadn't had time to tune it up until now.
I crawled under the vehicle, the cold, hard ground not helping my already uncomfortable back. Tools were scattered around me as I focused on the wires and pipes. In the distance, I could hear N making nervous comments, trying not to screw up as usual.
"Doll, can you hand me the wrench?" I called out from under the car. Doll, who was watching from the side with her console in her hand… I think I should take that thing from her…, let out a sigh, stood up, and after searching for the tool, handed it to me.
"Here you go. But I don't understand why you bother when the car already looks like junk.)
"Optimism, Doll. Maybe if I stop listening to you talk, we'll accomplish something," I replied sarcastically, as I slid further under the car.
J, for her part, was standing to the side, arms crossed, clearly refusing to get dirty. "This is a waste of time," he muttered, glancing disdainfully at the grime that was beginning to accumulate on my hands.
Finally, I tightened the last of the engine connections. "There! N, start it," I called out, hoping for the best.
N sat nervously in the driver's seat. His gaze darted back and forth between the pedals and the dash, clearly unsure. But, following my directions, he turned the key. The engine roared… for a few seconds.
"It works!" I exclaimed with a grin.
And then, a loud "Pfff" followed by a cloud of black smoke shot out of the engine, right into my face. I choked on the smoke, trying not to swear.
"SON OF A—!" I stopped mid-sentence, suddenly remembering that N was at the wheel. I didn't want the poor guy to learn any words he shouldn't. "Son of a… rogue engine," I finished, coughing as he pulled me out from under the car with my face covered in soot.
J couldn't help but laugh out loud at the sight of me. "I told you, this is a waste of time."
While Doll looked down at me with a look of concern and amusement, N was still in the driver's seat, anxious and unsure of how to react. I simply shook my head, knowing that this car was going to give me more trouble than I expected.
I brushed the soot off my face as best I could, trying not to choke on the smoke that continued to come out of the engine. As I did so, J continued to laugh and Doll didn't know whether to worry or laugh too. I slowly stood up and looked at the car, which now looked more useless than before.
"Yeah, yeah... I love you guys too," I said with a tired smile as I approached Doll and J, patting them on the head. They might think it was a gesture of affection, but the truth is that I was just wiping the oil off my hands. Doll stared at my hand suspiciously, as if she suspected something, but she didn't say anything.
"You're so dirty…" Doll commented, looking at me with half-closed eyes.
I gave her a teasing smile. "Ah, honey, that's part of the dirty job."
J glared at me, still amused by the mess. "At least try not to make a mess around you when you fail next time."
"I'll take that into account," I replied, half-heartedly. I then turned to N, who was still sitting in the car with an uncertain expression, as if he was waiting for instructions on how not to make things worse.
"N, you can get out of the car now. It's not going to work for now. I'll try again later when I have more patience," I said as I stretched and glanced at the mess we had made.
N, relieved, nearly stumbled out of the car, clearly nervous. "Sorry! I wanted to help, but… well, I'm not very good with cars it seems.." he excused himself, rubbing his hands together nervously.
"Relax, kid. It's not your fault. This was just a failed experiment," I said, shrugging.
Doll sat back down with her console, though not before wiping her head where my hand had touched the oil. "Я же говорила, что это будет провал…" (I told you, this was going to fail…)
"Yeah, yeah, whatever you say," I replied off-handedly as I shook out my dirty hands.
I stared at the car for a few minutes, wondering what the hell I could do to get it working, but for now, I'd had enough.
I took the console from Doll's hands, ignoring her small gasp of surprise. "Enough of your games," I said with a slightly mocking smile, as she gave me a look that was a mix of surprise and confusion.
"But I just started a new level…" Doll muttered in a tone of mild protest, but she didn't push it too hard. Her eyes followed the console as I held it in the air.
"And you," I said, turning to J, who was still engrossed in her book, "enough work." I passed the console to J, who looked up in confusion at the small device in her hands, clearly unsure of what to do with it.
"What am I supposed to do with this?" J asked, her tone dry as she examined the console as if it were an alien artifact.
"Play games," I replied with a nonchalant nod. "It's more fun than reading that boring book, isn't it?"
Meanwhile, Doll was frowning at me, clearly frustrated at being deprived of her entertainment, especially seeing that J, of all people, now had the console. "Почему она может играть, а я нет?" (Why can she play and I can't?) she asked, her tone indicating that she didn't find it fair at all.
I smiled at her with that mix of mischief and defiance that I knew annoyed her. "Because I decided so," I replied with a light laugh, but didn't press the explanation too hard.
Finally, I turned to N, who was nervously watching the scene, hoping I wouldn't call him out as well. "And you…" I started to say, while pointing at him with a finger, thinking of what to do with him. "Uhh… you just… don't break anything," I finished, without any other clear ideas.
N nodded quickly, visibly relieved that he hadn't been given a more complicated task. "Yeah, yeah! I promise not to touch anything!" he said, raising his hands like a child who had just been forgiven.
Doll, still annoyed, gave me another look but decided not to insist further, although it was clear that she wasn't done protesting silently. J, for her part, was still trying to figure out how to use the console, clumsily pressing buttons.
I went to get a couple of books from the shelf to give to Doll but I highly doubt she wants to read them and no, it's not because she's looking at me with a grumpy face or the fact that she left indignantly in another direction.
"What a mess.." I sighed somewhat disheartened, I gave N the books at the end which were all about gardening and growing etc, from beginner to advanced so that he'd be entertained for who knows what hours? Or so I thought.
Ten minutes later, I heard hurried footsteps approaching me. N, with his bright smile and eyes full of enthusiasm, appeared in front of me, holding the books in his hands. He looked excited, like a child who had just won a prize.
"I'm done!" he exclaimed happily, handing me the books with the greatest satisfaction in the world.
I forced a smile, even though I knew full well that I had cheated. Sure, he was a robot, processing information at a speed no human could match. But still, his enthusiasm was… adorable? I had a hard time admitting that.
"Wow… well done," I said in a neutral tone, trying to sound impressed. I coughed lightly, muttering under my breath, "Cough… I wish… cough." But N, enthusiastic as ever, didn't notice the
sarcastic comment, or maybe he ignored it.
With the books in place, I stood up from the couch, stretching my arms as an idea occurred to me. "Well, N, since you know so much about gardening, how about we go out in the truck for a while? We can start making a garden on the floors below. Those floors aren't used for anything, so we might as well put them to good use anyway Nemo can come up with something to make it work." I ignored the humming noise that was most likely Nemo making some sort of reproachful face.
N nodded so vigorously that it looked like he was going to jump with excitement. "Yeah, sure! I can help you set it up! It'll be fun, and... I'll protect you with my life, if necessary," he added, raising his hand as if making a solemn oath. He seemed very convinced that security was his ultimate responsibility.
"That's what I like to hear," I replied, giving him an amused look.
Although the idea of going out for a while seemed simple, I knew that convincing Doll and J wasn't going to be easy. The two of them were a pain when it came to leaving the base, especially after my long absence.
I approached them, trying to explain as quickly as possible. "N and I are going out for a while in the truck. We're going to... uh... plant a garden downstairs."
Doll looked at me with a mix of concern and some annoyance. "You're going to disappear again, aren't you?" (You're going to disappear again, aren't you?)
I quickly shook my hands, trying to calm her down. "No, no… we're just going to the lower floors. Nothing outside the base."
J, on the other hand, seemed more skeptical. "And who's going to guarantee that you won't get into trouble? Because we already know how you do in those situations."
Just then, N, always eager to be helpful, stepped in. "I will. I will protect him with my life! I won't let anything happen to him. I will be vigilant the entire time."
N's words seemed to calm J and Doll down. Doll still looked nervous, but at least she didn't insist further. J crossed her arms, looking at me with her usual expression of disbelief. "Well, if N is going to protect you, I guess there's not much more to say. But you better stay out of trouble."
"Sure, sure," I replied in a light-hearted tone. Though in my mind, I could only think, Awww, cute~. I really wanted to have her abilities,the strength and ability to process everything as quickly as N did.
Finally, with J and Doll's somewhat reluctant approval, we headed out in the truck. A little gardening project on the abandoned floors of the base. At least it would be a way to keep myself busy and hopefully keep the girls from keeping such a close eye on me... for a while.
Eventually, I made it out of the base with N as co-pilot. Of course, I hadn't mentioned that we weren't really going to the floors below. If I had mentioned the truck, it was obvious that I was going to need more than just the base for what I had in mind. The idea was to get out into the nearby woods, collect some decent soil, and get back before J and Doll realized we had actually left.
N, of course, was dressed from head to toe in the special clothing that protected him from the sun. His movements were somewhat stiff, but he still remained restless, as always. As I drove, I pulled out a cigarette, lit it, and leaned back in the driver's seat a bit, enjoying the momentary escape.
"Did you know that smoking can reduce your lung capacity? Plus, it will make you age faster," N commented, in that enthusiastic tone that never seemed to fade.
I ignored him, taking a drag on the cigarette as I drove, looking out at the horizon. The landscape was monotonous, but it was just what I needed: some peace.
"And what if…" N continued, probably about to launch into another monologue about the dangers of smoking.
"Shut up, kid," I cut him off, exhaling the smoke. "It keeps me warm inside."
N was silent for a moment, probably processing what I had just said. Then, in an even more serious and concerned tone, he replied, "But there's no need to warm yourself up inside if you already have the right clothes for it."
I rolled my eyes and took another drag on the cigarette, ignoring his insistence. The last thing I wanted was a lecture on the negative effects of my life choices from a robot. The truck continued to move through the uneven terrain, and N, though quiet for a few seconds, soon began to ask questions again.
"How much longer until we get to the forest? What's your exact plan for the garden? Do you have any plans for what to plant first? Do you think Doll and J will be upset when they find out we're not at the base?"
At each question, I simply ignored him, focusing on the road. N didn't seem to notice that I didn't feel like talking, but somehow, his enthusiasm for the project was contagious. Though he wouldn't say it out loud, having someone like that around had its upside… he just talked too much.
Thirty minutes later, we finally reached the area I had in mind. A small clearing in the forest, far enough away that the base wasn't in sight, but not so far away that I couldn't get back quickly if something went wrong.
I put out the cigarette and the truck's engine. "Well, here we are, kid. Let's get to work," I said, not even waiting for his response.
We both climbed out of the truck and I walked to the back, pulling out two shovels. I tossed one to N, who caught it easily, though he seemed a bit surprised by the sudden assignment of manual labor.
"Okay, let's get to work," I said with a smile, watching as he moved somewhat clumsily but energetically.
We dug in silence at first, loading the truck with dirt as fast as we could. I took care of the smaller piles, while N, with his robot-like speed and stamina, moved the dirt like it was no big deal. Sometimes I'd see him lift huge shovelfuls without even showing an ounce of effort. The dirt piled up fast, but then I noticed something I didn't like.
"N!" I yelled, watching him dump a bunch of mud and dead leaves into the truck. "Don't put dirt in the truck, just dirt!"
N stopped dead in his tracks, looking at me in confusion, but then nodded quickly. "Oh, sorry. I didn't notice." He turned his attention back to the dirt, more meticulous this time.
After about twenty minutes of quick work, we had the truck almost full. Thanks to N, the task went much quicker than I had anticipated. I sat on the edge of the truck, watching the scenery as I pulled out a bottle of water and took a long drink. N, for his part, pulled out a bottle of oil from the glove compartment, which he had prepared just in case. Watching him "drink" oil always felt a little odd to me, but I had gotten used to it by now.
We were in a sort of calm until the truck's radio came on, breaking the silence. Doll's voice echoed from the speaker, somewhat uneasy, though not angry.
"Where are you? How are you feeling?"
I grimaced and let out a sigh. He didn't mention N, not even a word about him. I stared at him for a moment, watching as he continued to sip oil, oblivious to the fact that he hadn't been a part of the conversation. N was N, after all, and such things shouldn't bother him… right?
I took another swig from my water bottle, leaving the radio silent for a second before answering. "I'm fine, Doll. Just collecting some dirt for the garden. Nothing out of the ordinary." I made sure to sound relaxed, like everything was under control.
N, for his part, looked at me with his bright yellow eyes, as if waiting for some sort of acknowledgement. Perhaps he was expecting me to mention that he was with me, but honestly, I preferred to avoid any more explanation than necessary.
"We'll be back soon," I added before turning off the radio, cutting off any further attempts at conversation.
I patted N on the shoulder as I climbed into the driver's seat. "You did a good job, kid," I said with a genuine smile, "It's not necessary for everyone to know. As long as one person knows, that's enough. So go ahead and worry."
N gave me a somewhat confused look at first, but then nodded quickly, as if the words had finally clicked in his head. I took one last look at the landscape before starting the truck's engine. The sound of the purring engine filled the air as I adjusted the controls, but I paused for a moment, looking back at N, who had already settled into the passenger seat, his eyes still fixed on me.
"You want to learn how to drive?" I asked suddenly, with a mix of seriousness and amusement. I knew N used to be a pilot, but he himself had no memories of that. Still, the idea of seeing how he handled something as simple as a truck instead of something combat sounded… curious. Even though I recognized that it was probably a bad idea, I couldn't deny that I was intrigued.
N froze for a second, his eyes flickering in what looked like surprise. "Huh? Me? Driving?"
"Yeah, why not? It'd be fun to watch you do it," I said, with a mischievous grin. "Or what, are you afraid of breaking something?"
"No, it's not that… It's just…" N stuttered a bit, clearly nervous but also somewhat excited. "I'm not sure if I should… But if you say so…"
"Come on, don't think too hard. It's just a truck. Nothing we can't fix if something goes wrong," I winked and gestured for him to come closer. "Time for you to try something new."
I slid into the passenger seat, giving him room to take the wheel. I knew he could handle it, but I couldn't help the small spark of excitement at seeing how well he would do in this more… "mundane" situation.
N approached the wheel somewhat unsteadily, his hands shaking a little as he took control. "Okay… Where do I start?" he asked with a mix of anxiety and excitement.
"First, adjust the seat. You don't want to be so glued to the wheel as if it were your last resort," I replied, resting my elbow on the window and looking out. "And then press the clutch. Yeah, that pedal on the left."
N adjusted the seat, though he leaned back too far. "Is that okay?"
I laughed a little. "Not that far, unless you want to crash into the windshield if you brake hard. Right there, in the middle. Perfect."
His feet searched for the clutch, but he pressed the brake instead. The truck shook a little.
"Hey, not that one!" I said, controlling my laughter. "The clutch is on the left, the brake in the middle,the accelerator to the right. Understood?"
N scratched the back of his neck, embarrassed. "Yeah, yeah... I got it." He tried again, this time correctly. "Now what?"
"Pull it into first gear. Don't worry, it's not like piloting a fighter ship," I said with a smirk. "Pull the lever gently, like you're taking care of something delicate."
N gripped the lever with more force than necessary, but managed to get it into first gear. "Ok... first gear. Now, should I accelerate?"
"Easy, slow. Release the clutch slowly while giving it gas. Smooth, no rush."
N started to release the clutch, but suddenly the truck started to shake and then shut off. "Ah... I turned it off, right?" "Yeah
, you turned it off. Don't worry, we all do it at first. Just try again. And this time, gentler."
N took a deep breath, restarted the engine, and tried again, calmer. This time, the truck started to move slowly.
"I did it!" N said, grinning widely.
"Congrats, now try not to crash," I joked, watching the truck move with some difficulty. "Remember, always stay in control. Don't get too excited yet."
N nodded, concentrating as he adjusted the steering wheel. "Now what?"
"Go downshift when you feel the engine starting to crave more speed. I mean, now."
N tried to shift into second, but the lever was resistant. "I can't get it in…"
"More pressure on the clutch. If you don't press it right, it won't go in," I pointed out. "And don't let go of the wheel, or we'll go straight into a tree."
"I know, I know!" N squeezed the clutch harder and, with some effort, managed to get it into second gear. The truck accelerated a little more than it should have, making us both jerk.
"Relax! We're not in a race," I said, holding back a laugh.
N looked at me, trying not to look so nervous. "This is harder than it looks..."
"You'll see, in a couple of minutes you'll get used to it. Just don't let the truck control you. You're the boss here," I replied with a pat on the shoulder.
"Well done, N!" I said, patting him on the shoulder. "You're getting better. Don't get too excited though, ok? Keep your eyes forward." I scolded him when I noticed him looking at me, obviously happy with the compliment and looking away from the road. "LOOK FORWARD, N!"
"Oh, sorry!" he replied quickly, looking back at the road and holding the steering wheel with both hands, though he still had an excited smile on his face.
Watching him, I couldn't help but think about how life can be so unexpected. One day you're home,And the next thing you know, you're teaching a… teenager to drive? Well, actually, a robot that looks like a teenager. I sighed, my mind wandering.
"Who would have thought? Life is strange sometimes…" I muttered without realizing I was saying it out loud. "I miss human coexistence… a little, or rather, I miss humans." The thought had been on my mind lately. Are there more humans on the other planets? I mean, if they managed to get off Earth and get here, it wouldn't be so far-fetched to think that some group managed to get to other solar systems, right? Maybe there are survivors…
My thoughts wandered off into that possibility, completely ignoring that I was saying it out loud. "It's not like I mind futuristic stuff. But sometimes, it feels kind of dry… living among machines."
"Were you saying something?" N asked, curious, though he didn't take his eyes off the road this time.
"Oh, nothing." I shook my head and gestured for him to continue. "Just focus on driving. One step at a time."
..
..
The sound of the truck's engine echoed throughout the base as N carefully steered it towards the entrance. The front door slid open with a mechanical hum, letting the massive machine through, slowly moving forward, its headlights shining into the interior. As it came to a stop, N turned off the engine and exhaled with a mix of relief and excitement at having completed the journey without serious incident.
"Good job, N," I said, patting his shoulder once more. "Now all that's left to do is unload everything."
"Yeah!" he replied with a smile, clearly pleased by the approval. He climbed out of the truck and began checking the back compartment to see how we were going to move all that dirt down to the lower floors.
Doll and J were already waiting for us at the foot of the entrance. J, arms crossed, watched the truck with a mix of curiosity and boredom, while Doll seemed a bit more anxious, though her expression softened when she saw me.
"Well, you're finally back. It was quiet without your noise," Doll commented in a half-sarcastic tone, but with a small hint of relief that was hard to hide. Listening to her, I couldn't help but smile a little.
"If you were so happy in the quiet, I can go again," I replied, as I approached her.
"No, no, no, there's no need." Doll smiled, almost with an air of resignation.
With everyone's help, we began to unload the dirt from the truck. It was hard work, and N took on the first few shovelfuls, dumping the earth somewhat clumsily but enthusiastically. J, with his 'superior' strength, took on the heaviest loads to the lower levels, while Doll supervised closely, making sure the distribution was correct.
After a while of effort, I took a short break, watching the ground accumulate layers of dirt. It was almost ironic, bringing the earth to the heart of a technological and futuristic base, but there was something comforting about it, a touch of "home" that was missing in this place. I mean, it's not my fault that I used to live among some dirt.
"When we're done down here, do you want to plant something?" I asked out loud, not addressing anyone in particular.
N looked at me, her eyes shining with curiosity. "Plant something? Like it said in the book about Earth?"
"Yes. Even if it's not the same, maybe it will give a touch of life down here," I answered. "Something that isn't metal or cables for once."
Doll nodded softly, with a thoughtful look. "Maybe there will be some green here," he muttered, as if he were seriously considering the idea.
With everyone's efforts, the place began to take shape, and little by little the base was filled with a different atmosphere, something less sterile, one step closer to something that felt almost... human.