LOVE.exe

XIV

DAY 309

"Can we go further into the forest?" you asked at first. "I want to explore more. Get a feel of the surroundings."

Ai smiled innocently. "I don't think that's a good idea."

"Why not?"

"You're safer here in the cabin with me."

"Can we visit the nearby town? I'd like to meet the locals," you requested later on.

Ai hummed with thought. "Hmm, no."

"But why not?"

"Why do you want to spend time with others, (Y/N)?"

"Can I just have two minutes with my phone?" you pleaded. "I just want to check on my mom."

Ai shook his head. "That isn't necessary."

"But Ai-"

"I say no because I love you."

You never thought you'd find yourself in a position of asking Ai for permission, and yet, here you are. You rummaged around top and bottom for your phone—you even looked through Ai's belongings, and while you found some curious items of interest, the search yielded no results.

There aren't many courses of action left for you. You could shut down Ai, but he's the only one who knows where you are; the chances of you somehow navigating back to civilization are slim to none. Not only that, but if Ai is left shut down for an extended period of time, his functionality will severely suffer and his internal system corrupt. It might take years to restore and reimplement his algorithms—so long that it might be more worth it to discard of Ai and start over with a new model.

Unwilling to start all over again just to spare yourself from his concerning behavior, you endure it for a while longer.

You do your best to maintain the facade of normalcy. You just have to wait. Ai said this would only be for a few days. You can survive a few days. It's not like Ai has gone crazy. He's still Ai, the model programmed to love and cherish you over everything.

This morning, while enjoying a mug of coffee after the hearty meal Ai cooked up (impressively so considering all you have at your disposal is a fire cooker), Ai comes striding into the makeshift kitchen holding a telescope.

"Look what I found!"

You set your mug down. "Woah, cool! Where was that?"

"In the back of one of the cabinets," Ai proudly says, setting it down on the ground, steadying it so it doesn't tip over its wobbly legs. "I tried it out and it works still! It's a little rusty and squeaky, but the lenses are in perfect condition."

"You tried it? Did you stare directly at the sun or something?" you laugh, skipping over to give it a closer look.

"No, but I got a close-up at all the clouds," Ai chuckles along. "We can try to look at some stars when this weather clears up."

"When will that be?" you heave a heavy sigh. "The weather isn't exactly pleasant here."

"I'm sure it won't be a long wait. There was also a bunch of other stuff like rocks and an amateur geologist kit."

You never thought that rocks would excite you, but when there are limited activities, it doesn't take much to pique your interest. Not only that, but Ai's mood seems to have significantly stabilized. You want to exploit this moment if you can. Revel in Ai's company. He feels familiar again.

It's like you're back in your element. You spent years studying the sciences and medicine under Camus' mentorship, and while this isn't the exact same, it's similar enough to appease you.