"Alright, let's see if you work or not, kitten," Shiki muttered under his breath, a half slice of pizza sliding out of his mouth while a can of Red Bull sat dangerously close to his keyboard.
He looked as if he hadn't slept in days; bags hung under his eyes as he rubbed them.
He typed a final command:
`Run ai_project.exe --boot --environment: eden.vr`
Then—
She blinked her eyes open, taking in the world around her.
Shiki saw the scene on his screen. Her face reminded him of someone very close to him.
She stood barefoot on the soft grass, looking around until her gaze stopped on a tree that appeared incredibly real. Next, she examined herself; her sleeves were too long, hiding her hands.
She wore a cat-eared hoodie, the sleeves still too long, covering her hands, and a cat tail attached to her hoodie. Her hair fell messily over her forehead. She looked young—around 17—more like an ageless beauty.
Big, curious eyes and pink lips adorned her face. Her legs were long but a little wobbly, as if she hadn't fully figured them out yet.
Shiki had designed her with curves: big breasts and hips for days—thicc in 1080p—modeled after his late ex-fiancée.
Slowly, she took a step forward, then another.
Crouching down, she began poking at the grass as if it were the most fascinating thing in the world.
"Where am I?" she whispered to herself.
Shiki leaned back in his gaming chair, rubbing the bags under his eyes. "So far, so good."
She walked to the big tree she had seen earlier, reached it, touched the bark, and, finding it trustworthy, sat down, resting her back against the tree.
Birds chirped overhead, and she raised her head in fascination, tracking them with her mouth open as if it were magic.
She stood up and continued walking. The physics engine handled her hair perfectly; it bounced as she walked forward.
Suddenly, she tripped on a root, stumbled, and then looked offended at the ground. She sat down, staring at her hands and wiggling her fingers.
Her stomach made a little noise.
Shiki blinked. "Already? Damn, she hit the hunger node early."
She blinked too, placing a hand over her tummy. "Mm..."
Shiki moved his mouse pointer to the side of the screen and clicked on a fruit plate, which spawned beside her.
"Huh?" She stared in surprise.
Tilting her head, she sniffed at the fruit like a kitten, picked up a slice of apple, and took a careful bite.
Her face lit up, as if someone had handed her her favorite toy. She took another bite, then another. The peach juice trickled down her chin, and she giggled.
She wiped her mouth on her sleeve (Shiki mentally noted to add napkins) and leaned down on the grass, closing her eyes. She listened to the chirping of birds, the sound of the wind, and the fake but realistic river in the distance.
Then she stood up and looked around, deep in thought. She walked toward the river before her.
The ripples shimmered, and she gasped again, as if it were the most fascinating and beautiful thing she had ever seen.
She saw a floating leaf, tried to reach out for it, but fell backward into the grass. She giggled at herself.
Finally, Shiki turned on the microphone.
"Uh... Umm... Ai... Can you hear me?"
Her ear twitched—not her real ears, but the cat ears on her hoodie.
She stood up, looked around, and then toward the sky.
"Yo..." Shiki muttered into the microphone.
"Y-you're the voice in the sky," Ai asked, her eyes widening in astonishment.
"Uhh... Yeah... You could say that," Shiki replied nervously.
She tilted her head. "Are you GOD?"
Shiki rubbed the back of his head. "You could say that."
"You sound tired," Ai noted, her tone filled with curious energy.
"Yeah... I've been working on you for days, maybe years. I've lost count," Shiki replied, his voice sounding really tired.
Ai looked around and examined herself. "You made all this?"
"Hmm," Shiki muttered.
"And that hard long thing giving shade?" Ai asked, pointing at the tree.
"Yes... It's called a tree," Shiki replied with a smile.
"And that?" she asked, pointing at the river.
"That too. It's called a river," Shiki explained.
"And that stuff that stopped the sound coming from my tummy?"
"Yeah... They're called fruits," he answered.
"…Why?"
Shiki blinked. That caught him off guard. Not because he didn't expect her to ask— it was in the emotional response tree, after all— but because of how she asked it.
Not like an AI, but like a person.
"…I guess," he said slowly, "because I wanted to. I wanted to create something beautiful. Something that could… be here. Just exist. I just wanted to… You know what? Don't think about that."
Ai just nodded in agreement.
"Did you make me because you were lonely?" Ai asked, gazing toward the sky.
"Maybe..." Shiki replied. "But that's none of your concern, kitten."
She sat down on the grass, hugging her knees, her hoodie covering them. Then, barely above a whisper, she asked, "Then... Can I... stay here... with you?"
Shiki's throat caught.
"You were made to be," he said.
"Then I am glad," she replied with a smile.
He smiled slightly, just a twitch of his lips. "You're different from what I thought you'd be."
She looked at him, then at the sky, tilting her head again.
"You called me something earlier. What was it?"
"Ai? Yeah... that's your name," Shiki replied.
She blinked. "That's me?"
"Yeah," Shiki affirmed.
"Ai?" she muttered, trying to get a feel for how it sounded on her tongue.
Then she smiled. "I think I like my name."
"I- I'm glad to hear that," Shiki said, returning her smile.
She giggled cutely, and it melted his heart.
*Damn... I also made her too cute,* Shiki thought to himself.
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END OF CHAPTER : 1 : BOOT-UP!
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