After the birth of Sri, the artificial intelligence I created, I immediately began designing a dimensional portal to another world.
Day by day, I worked on constructing the large-scale portal. Sometimes, my mother and father helped as well. Just yesterday, my father's assistant, Brawijaya, who held a higher administrative position in the Violet family, also assisted us.
By the end of the first week, 90 percent of the portal's structure was completed, and the system data input process had begun, managed by Sri.
After reaching 90 percent progress in our research and construction, I decided to take a short vacation to an island and explore the ocean. I invited my parents to join, but they had urgent tasks to attend to.
"Ariel, is this almost done?" asked my mother as she examined the system on the computer.
As I was connecting some cables, I turned toward her and replied,
"Not yet, Mom. The energy testing and system balancing are still at 80 percent. Only the structure is 90 percent complete."
"Well then, I'll stop here. I've got urgent matters to attend to on another island—there's illegal logging happening there, and it could affect the world's climate. I must go handle it," she said after receiving a notification on her smart watch.
My father, who was working on designing the teleportation signal system, suddenly stopped.
"Dear, I'll come with you," he said.
"Are you free now? If you want to join me, let's go!" my mother responded while organizing the data files on the computer.
"Is it alright if I stop helping here?" my father asked as he shut down the system.
"Of course, Dad. I'm truly grateful for all your help. Because of you and Mom, the portal construction has progressed much faster."
Even though I was slightly disappointed that I couldn't bring them along on vacation, I understood that their responsibilities were important.
"Alright then, we'll be off," said my father as he walked with my mother toward the transport room to depart.
"Take care, Mom and Dad," I said, waving at them.
After they left, I sat down to rest a bit.
"Sri, do you think we should go on a walk and relax for a while?" I asked while tidying up the cables and lab equipment.
"Based on my analysis, you need rest and a vacation to relieve stress and boredom," replied Sri after scanning my body with her sensors.
"I love my research. How could I be bored? Maybe you're malfunctioning," I teased.
"Meanie!" Sri yelled in a frustrated tone. "You're so cruel calling me broken! I'm a cute and adorable AI with a bright personality. There's no way I'm malfunctioning!"
"Alright, alright. I'm planning to explore an island and the sea. Do you want to come along?" I asked while heading toward my exploration aircraft.
Sri's expression immediately brightened. "Of course! I want to see the outside world too!"
"Oh, right. You haven't seen the outside world since you were activated. Then, let's clean up this place first," I instructed.
"Yes, Master Ariel. Activating cleaning bots now," Sri replied in her usual playful tone.
Note: Only the Violet family and authorized special staff are allowed access to this laboratory.
In just 20 minutes, with the help of the cleaning bots, the lab was neat and clean. After that, Sri and I began preparing for our island trip.
"Ayo Sri, choose a robotic body to move around more freely. We're going on a trip to Ariel Island."
"I'll choose the fairy-bot form!" Sri exclaimed.
"So cute, Sri!" I chuckled.
"Of course I am!" she replied proudly.
"Sri, prepare my protective gear."
After gearing up, Sri and I boarded the special aircraft and began our journey.
On the way, we chatted.
"We're heading to Ariel Island to meet the merfolk species," I said.
"Merfolk? What are they, Brother?" Sri asked curiously.
"Look it up on Google."
"What's Google?" she asked innocently.
"You're kidding me, right?"
"Hehe, yes! I'll search now… Oh! Merfolk are creatures that resemble humans with fish tails. They're beautiful and handsome!"
"Not all look the same. It depends on their race. But there's only one kind that frequently visits the island they look more human."
"We're just three kilometers away now. Oh, Brother, why is the island named after you?"
"It was a gift from my parents for my birthday. Our family has a good relationship with the merfolk, and I'm friends with their princess, Novia. The island is filled with sweet, fragrant fruit trees. I love that place, so I named it Ariel Island."
"Oh, so that's the story behind the name. I'm even more curious now!"
After some time, we finally arrived at our destination Ariel Island.
"We've arrived," I said while landing the aircraft near the beach.
The island was breathtaking, with lush, fragrant trees, blooming flowers, and fresh, soothing air. I jumped straight into the sea to swim, while Sri activated the beach shelter system. Instantly, umbrellas and a beach bar appeared beside the shoreline.
"This island is amazing, Brother!" Sri said in awe, admiring the vibrant colors and unique fruits.
"I told you, I love this place," I said while swimming happily.
Afterward, we headed to the lake where the merfolk often gathered.
"Let's go meet the merfolk at Ariel Lake!"
"Yes, let's go!" Sri replied excitedly.
When we arrived, the merfolk were singing and playing in the water.
"Hello, friends!" I waved at them.
Upon seeing me, the mermaid girls screamed in joy, "Kyaa! Our handsome prince is here!"
"Stop it! Don't act like that you're embarrassing Ariel!" Novia scolded them firmly.
Novia, the most beautiful mermaid princess, appeared among the crowd.
"Don't you like Ariel, Sister? He visits often just to see you," said Novia's younger brother mischievously.
"Enough, Rangga!" she snapped, blushing as she scolded him.
"Forgive my brother's silliness, Ariel," Novia said shyly.
"It's alright," I smiled.
Her friends encouraged her to approach me on land. She hesitantly walked up to me.
"So… where are you going?" Novia asked nervously.
"I just wanted to relax and escape stress," I answered.
Curiously, Novia looked at the winged robotic figure by my side.
"What is that creature? A fairy? But it has no life aura."
"Wow! Brother Ariel, they really are half-human, half-fish! Incredible!" Sri shouted while scanning the mermaids with her sensors.
"She's my AI Sri. I programmed her like that," I explained.
"She's adorable," Novia said as she watched Sri flutter around.
"Wait—what are you doing?! Why are you standing there without clothes?!" I shouted, covering my eyes in shock.
Unknowingly, Novia had come ashore without clothes. Her fair, curvaceous body glistened under the sun.
Embarrassed, I shouted, "Get back into the water! Don't you feel ashamed?"
Novia quickly returned to the lake, blushing.
Her friends were upset. "How rude! Is this how you treat a lady?!"
"No, I just meant it's embarrassing from a human cultural standpoint," I tried to explain.
"It's alright. I didn't know about human customs," Novia said softly.
"It's fine. I'm just here to enjoy my vacation. Let's talk about something else."
"Let's sing together!" said Rangga, playing a conch flute.
Together, we sang and played music by the lake.
Meanwhile, Sri was chatting with the mermaids. "You're so unique and fascinating," she said.
"What are you? You have no soul," one mermaid asked.
"I'm an AI, an artificial intelligence created by Master Ariel. Remember this I'm the smartest and cutest in the world!" Sri declared proudly.
"Let's sing together!" the mermaids invited her joyfully.
Before we knew it, night had fallen, and it was time to head home.
"This was a wonderful trip. Thank you, friends. Thank you, Novia. Until we meet again!" I said, waving goodbye.
"Take care, Ariel!" Novia and the others waved as we departed in the aircraft.
***