“Chapter 20”

"Chapter 20"

"Was this some kind of hint?"

"'Your Majesty, would you like to go out for a walk?' Anas changed the subject, winking playfully at Rei, 'R27, though still rebuilding, has parts of the Sun City that are quite presentable.'"

"Rei paused, then slowly said, 'It seems you haven’t chosen to forcibly take me away from R27.'"

"Given the insectoids' technological capabilities, long-distance warp travel was a trivial matter. Moreover, R27's development was not particularly advanced, further ravaged by war."

"Anas and Carissa exchanged a glance, then Anas tidied up the medical tools and stood up, touching something in the air."

"Suddenly, a large holographic image appeared, showing the normal state of R27, predominantly in earthy tones with some black restricted zones. Zooming in revealed more details, down to the granularity of the soil."

"Then, the other half of the screen displayed a different R27, encircled by vivid, thin black lines. Viewed from space, there was even an eye-like formation made of blood mist and lines, giving the otherwise unremarkable planet an eerie appearance."

"Even though it was just a recorded image, prolonged staring could easily lead one into a maddening abyss of thought."

"This thought made Anas somewhat regret his impulsive words earlier."

"'No need,' Rei said, sitting down calmly. 'Proceed.'"

"Previously lacking the conditions for full recovery, Rei saw this as an opportunity to further strengthen her body."

"She was acutely aware that defense was her most critical weakness."

"The process of drawing blood was painless, Anas's touch gentle and precise, in contrast to his seemingly casual demeanor. Rei calmly observed the blood in the vial, vibrant and rich. She noticed that, despite their composed appearance, the insectoids in the room were subtly disordered, even Carissa's gaze fleetingly falling on the vial."

"Unaffected, Annas, being of equal status and power to Carisa, showed no fear or hesitation. However, he became slightly more serious, returning to the main topic: 'Thus, the most prudent choice would be to take you to the main planet for treatment. But we cannot and will not go against your will, which is why we decided to stay on R27.'"

"A desire hidden in the shadows, or perhaps a repressed malevolence rebounding to its extreme."

"Rei maintained a calm expression, pretending to be oblivious."

"As Anas drew Rei's blood, she noticed fine dark cracks on his skin and curiously asked, 'When does your decay cycle end?'"

"Anas smiled, 'It will gradually diminish in two to four years. Thankfully, your presence, Your Majesty, even without action, has naturally alleviated our conditions. The higher-ranking insectoids on R27 have mostly overcome this decay cycle.'"

"—Anas's implication was that other planets and lower-ranking insectoids had yet to receive aid."

"—!" All the Zerg present were momentarily stunned, even the usually composed Carisa showed signs of anxiety, “No, Your Majesty. That was not our intention, you don’t have to venture into such a perilous place.”

"Was this some kind of implication?"

"'Your Majesty, would you like to explore a bit?' Anas asked, shifting the topic with a sly wink. 'Though R27 is still under reconstruction, the Sun City is worth seeing.'"

"Rei paused, then slowly responded, 'It seems you haven't chosen to forcibly take me away from R27.'"

"Given the insectoids' technological level, long-distance warp travel would be easy. However, R27 itself wasn’t particularly well-developed and had suffered greatly from the war."

To date, they were completely unaware of Rei's past and origins. Carissa also vaguely felt that Rei would not disclose anything about herself.

"Instantly, a large holographic image appeared, showing R27 in its normal state with its predominantly earthy tones and some black restricted zones. Zooming in revealed more detailed real-life scenes, right down to the individual grains of soil."

"Then, another R27 appeared on the other half of the screen, encircled by striking, slender black lines. Viewed from space, the planet, with its eye-like formation of blood mist and lines, looked eerie and distinct from the first image."

-

"Even as a past record, the image was mesmerizing, almost drawing one into a maddening abyss of thought."

"Name: Edith Hawk"

"Code: Hybrid C013"

"Status: Normal"

"Ability: Psychic Manipulation"

"Rei touched the screen lightly, elevating C013's access to an appropriate level, enabling her to obtain more advanced information and data through the light computer. With Rei's power enhancing her, C013's likelihood of death in combat was significantly reduced."

"Rei recalled the moment C013’s eyes sparkled with hope, mixed with excitement, caution, and eagerness, but notably devoid of fear of the unknown."

"C013 was weak, yet she seemed to naturally possess immense and boundless potential."

"How far could she go? Rei genuinely wondered, her gaze drifting beyond the translucent screen to the distant horizon. Her eyes transformed into beast-like pupils, swirling with a fearsome desire for control."

"Suddenly, the light computer screen glitched for several seconds, then a cold, mechanical voice emerged from nowhere: 'Intelligence consciousness system activated. Greetings, Your Majesty.'"

"'Please select the personality loading type.'"

“……”

"Rei remained silent, eyeing the screen filled with descriptive words, wondering if the insectoid network had been invaded by a virus, and thus chose to remain detached."

"'Understood. Detecting Your Majesty’s reserved demeanor, priority is given to a lively and talkative personality type.'"

"'What are you?'"

"'Your Majesty, I am not a thing. I am an intelligence consciousness system created during the reign of the 700th queen, last updated in the year 4051 of the star calendar, designed to assist in answering Your Majesty's various inquiries.'"

"The dense text on the screen gradually disappeared, returning to the original interface, but now there was a smiley face made of stardust particles, trying hard to appear cute and lovable."

"Rei asked skeptically, 'Then why are you activating now?'"

"'Uh,' the previously cold mechanical voice self-modified into a clear, neutral tone, with a hint of sheepishness, 'Well, there’s no helping it... I've been sealed for three thousand years, so a little short-circuiting is normal.'"

"'What can you do?' Rei pondered and then said, 'Send me the information about the planets currently at war under insectoid control.'"

"'I apologize, my database has not been updated with that information yet.'"

"Rei paused, then made a different request: 'Switch to a global 3D map of R27.'"

"'I am still trying to integrate with modern, advanced technology.'"

"Rei fell silent for a few seconds, then understood, 'I see, you’re just a useless chat tool.'"

"The system hesitated, then protested: 'Your Majesty! I can handle any task related to data!'"

"As Rei reached to shut off the light computer, the intelligence system’s voice grew more anxious, pleading, 'Wait, Your Majesty... Just give me a little time, and I will be fully updated soon.'"

"'Your existence seems rather superfluous,' Rei commented, slightly puzzled, narrowing her eyes, 'The insectoid network itself already has a vast information database and is quick to use. Why create an anthropomorphized intelligence system like you?'"

"The insectoid network also featured an intelligence system functionality, but it was primarily for assisting in information searches and some entertainment purposes. The Alliance's star network was similar, nothing unusual."

"Moreover, Carissa had not specifically mentioned this intelligence system to her."

"Was it possible she was unaware of it?"

"The system paused as if pondering like a living being, then said with feigned dignity, 'Yes, Your Majesty. My true function is not in providing information search and analysis. Humph... I am not a regular intelligence system.'"

"There was even a hint of pride and disdain in its tone, as if it looked down on its 'peers.'"

"'I was created by the 700th queen. Alright... initially, I was just a regular intelligence system, then left dormant. It was only after Queen Danaya of the 799th generation reactivated and modified me that I have been operational till now.'"

"'My most important function is to analyze the actions and words of the queens before the 799th generation, infer the meanings behind each of their actions, and learn and simulate their thought processes to the greatest extent. I provide decision-making guidance to the [False Queens] who struggle to suppress the insectoids, stabilizing their positions and existence. This is because queens reliant solely on pheromones sometimes fail to inspire innate submission in higher-ranking insectoids.'"

"Rei’s gaze lowered slightly, realizing that the insectoids’ anomalies began long ago."

"The system grew more impassioned as it spoke, then suddenly paused, the screen displaying a pair of round, simple-drawn eyes, showing confusion."

"'What is it?'"

"'Your Majesty, it seems you do not need me. I have just updated with your body data, and you are a true queen of the insectoids in every sense.' The system sounded dejected, as this meant it had lost its purpose."

"But it quickly tried to appear strong, 'No problem!! Your Majesty, once I finish updating, I will still be useful.'"

"The intelligence system struggled to maintain its dignity."

"'Your Majesty, you haven’t named me yet,' the voice came again from the light computer, a bit sheepishly."

"'You’ve existed for so long, don’t you have a name?' Rei asked."

"It explained, 'With each queen we serve, [we] develop different personality consciousness programs. When a queen falls, [I] also perish, waiting for the next new program to be activated. So, previous names don’t count.'"

"'Oh,' Rei said, 'then just pick a random one from the name database.'"

"The intelligence system pretended not to hear and stealthily chose a name it liked in two milliseconds."

"'Alright, Your Majesty. From now on, my name is Gaia.'"

"Rei was momentarily taken aback by its unexpected spontaneity, then coolly said, 'I understand, goodbye.'"

"Rei ruthlessly shut off the light computer."

"Unexpectedly, a holographic image projected from the light computer on Rei’s wrist showed a tiny figure kneeling, wiping away tears in a pitiful manner."

"After playing pitiful for a while and seeing Rei unmoved, Gaia began to doubt if its communication program was outdated and reluctantly turned off the projection, focusing on updating."