Mother
This is clearly a laboratory setup. The cold, metallic noise of the instruments echoes in the empty space.
"I found it! It's the doctor's daughter, her daughter's name is just like that! How come I didn't think of that!"
Yang Guang punched the wall.
"Of course you wouldn't expect this." Gu Yan stared at the nameplate on the door of the sterile room.
Elvia Lowry.
"Wait, why can't I find where his daughter went in the end?" Yang Guang had already strode in, holding the instrument in his arms and starting to look through the list of students on leave of absence.
He repeated the name and told Yang Guang to continue investigating.
"Damn it, I know, but why don't I have her name change report? There's a name named Elvia Lowry on the leave of absence list. The age matches, and the academic year matches too."
There really are students on the list of those who have taken a leave of absence.
Gu Yan's mind raced: "What's the reason?"
"Reason... I am taking a leave of absence due to illness."
Gu Yan pondered for a moment: "We haven't heard that the doctor's daughter is sick. Not to mention the entire research center, at least in our department, all we know is that the doctor has a daughter."
"Then we'll have to ask the Federal Hospital." Yang Guang was full of enthusiasm. The harder a secret is to uncover, the more valuable it is, isn't it?
Gu Yan pushed open the door and was met with a pair of amber eyes. The grayish-brown fur reminded him that this was the lone wolf that had come with Ella Zero.
The Arabian wolf stood in the center of the lab table with a haughty expression, blocking Gu Yan's view.
Like a solemn guardian deity.
We cannot avoid it; we must face it head-on!
Instinct made Gu Yan want to back out, and he gritted his teeth and struggled with his true self.
If he retreats, the wolf will undoubtedly conclude that he is the weaker one, and the only consequence will be that it will pounce on him and decisively bite through his throat.
Two hours earlier...
Ella Zero received the first greeting as she pushed open the door.
“I’ve been waiting for you for a long time, Ella. I knew you would come,” he said softly.
"You should also know that we all have to fulfill our mission today."
David stood silently in the middle of the cabin, like a statue, perfectly cold.
"Where's Mom?" Ella Zero ignored David's words and went straight to the Doctor. "On such an important day, she should come and see me."
David gazed at her silently for a long time: "The Doctor will come after all the plans have succeeded."
"All plans have succeeded..."
"Yes, you're already late. Keep going, we can't let this delay continue."
“I am her daughter, she should come to see me.”
“Ella Zero, you wouldn’t have said something like this before.” David’s tone revealed a hint of dissatisfaction.
This is a very strange thing. All of David's programming was done independently by the doctor. Logically speaking, she would not have injected such a program into him.
But he did say it, so what?
Alarin slowly reached her left hand towards the package behind her back.
"If I were you, I would choose not to act rashly. We agreed on all of this, are you going to back out now?"
"The doctor is right. You've become human enough, so you've naturally learned all their bad habits perfectly."
David stood silently, exuding a silent threat.
"If I were you, I would also choose not to provoke a life form with enough intelligence to cut off all your signals."
She spoke slowly, deliberating for a long time before choosing the word "living organism".
For the first time ever, she saw an expression on David's face.
He raised his eyebrows slightly, and his eyes seemed to come alive.
"provocative?"
“No, no, no, you misunderstand me.” David waved his hands in front of him. “We grew up together, like brothers. We would never be enemies. So why would I provoke you?”
"We're just all going to listen to the doctor, aren't we?"
Ella Zero pondered for a moment, seemingly trying to understand what was happening before her eyes, and then she asked:
"You've evolved, haven't you?"
David remained motionless, offering no comment.
"So Mom's been at the research institute lately, otherwise she wouldn't have had time to help you rewrite the program." She smiled slightly and continued, "You know, back in the Bionic Technology Academy, you were always one step ahead of me."
She continued to mock, "Your tricks... We were in the same class back then, and you couldn't pull them off. I saw through it immediately. It's useless."
David remained calm and composed, saying, "Whether it's useful or not isn't that important. I was just sent to assist you; there's no need for that, because we've never been enemies." He emphasized again, "And are you ready? Can we begin?"
Ella Zero said, "Was I not clear enough? I want to see my mother. I thought she would at least come and see me."
"I think I've made myself clear. She'll come to see you after this is over. After all, you're her only daughter now."
After a long silence, Ella Zero finally spoke slowly: "So, did she come to see me, or to see someone else?"
She could already read David's micro-expressions; he was thinking.
Then he chose the most cautious answer.
"Does that matter? You are you. If you're ready, we can begin."
He went back to the window and pressed a start button.
...
Gu Yan watched the Arabian wolf nervously, but he realized that the wolf meant him no harm; it simply stared at him with its amber eyes. Not wanting to make a move, he remained silent for a long time before realizing that the wolf seemed to be trying to convey some message.
"Holy crap, how can it be so big!" Yang Guang followed closely behind. He made quite a move, and as soon as he came in, he came face to face with this behemoth. His heart skipped a beat, and he wondered what was going to happen. Without any time to think, he pulled out the gun tucked behind his back and pointed the dark muzzle at the enormous creature.
"Don't move." Yang Guang felt as if the butt of the gun in his hand was a ton of weight. It was Gu Yan who pressed the muzzle down.
The beast stirred, and Yang Guang's entire body bristled. A moment later, a chill ran down his spine as cold sweat soaked his back.
"Damn it!" Yang Guang cursed. "Watch out!"
He struggled to raise his gun, but Gu Yan pressed it back down.
“Wait,” Gu Yan interrupted his simmering anger before he could start cursing, “It has something to say to me.”
"Brother, a wolf? Is technology that advanced now? A wolf can talk?"
The Arabian wolf remained motionless. Gu Yan realized something, bent down, removed the holster from his waist, and took the dagger from his leg, throwing them both on the ground.
As expected, the wolf reacted, jumping off the experimental table without hesitation and strolling gracefully ahead. Not hearing the footsteps of the two people following behind, it turned around to look.
"This is weird." Yang Guang was completely baffled. Gu Yan called him to follow, and Lone Wolf led them into a secret passage.
"Keep up."
It was just an inconspicuous wooden hut, and for a doctor like him, the land was practically worthless. But he never imagined that it held a hidden paradise inside.
The long, narrow passageway, winding and twisting, was enough to disorient an ordinary person. The deeper one went into the passage, the more obvious the signs of a struggle became. After another turn, there was a tightly closed door ahead.
He started to get nervous.
"Look, isn't that..."
Ella Zero's military backpack. She's been here before.
"What exactly is this place...?"
...
Seeing that David had opened the secret passage, Ella Zero immediately went on high alert. She suddenly chuckled and walked in without a word.
“Please.” David seemed satisfied with her silence.
"You should have everything you need prepared, right?"
Ella walked away from him without giving him any response.
I can sense your unease; you must be afraid of the unknown. Because you are the best one.
"Anxiety? Unknown? We're not on the same wavelength, so our understanding of these two words should be quite different."
David knew she had more to say.
Do you know why I agreed to come down with you?
“If you’re willing to tell me, I’ll be a quiet listener.”
“Because the cabin is Mom’s favorite place. If anything inside breaks… or gets even the slightest scratch, Mom will be heartbroken. But here,” “It’s nice here, I won’t feel restricted.”
She grabbed David by the neck.
“I told you, I want to see my mother. Contact her, or wait for her to give you a head transplant. But I promise you I’ll crush the chip.”
“Calm down, Ella.” David’s expression remained unchanged, as if he were merely observing someone else being choked.
These words did not come from his mouth.
“My dear child, I was a little late on my way.” Dr. Lowry came from the other end of the corridor. She was wearing an elegant suit, the navy blue fabric of which looked like the color of ink against the surrounding environment. “I know you wanted to see me, and so did I.”
“Long time no see, Mom.” Ella loosened her grip, and David staggered a few steps back to his feet.
The doctor approached and lovingly stroked her forehead.
“I’ve been following your news closely, not missing a single day. You’ve suffered so much… I know you’re a good child. Everything you’ve done is for your mother, right?”
Ella Zero held her hand and stroked her cheek, even snuggling against the Doctor's palm like a kitten.
Despite the subtle movements, she still felt the doctor's sudden and unexpected start.
"Ella, you..."
“As I said, I started taking action as soon as I saw my mother. I knew she would come and would fulfill all my requests.”
She led the doctor into the room by the hand.
"Sweetie, just take a nap. When you wake up, David will make your favorite corn chowder."
Ella nodded obediently and took out a metal disc from her backpack.
The doctor smiled with satisfaction.
"Go ahead, Mom will stay with you while you sleep."
Ella Zero said softly, "I don't want my mom to see me. It will make me sad."
"Mom, can you go outside and watch over me?"
The doctor smiled slightly and nodded.
"Alright, if you wake up, call for Mom."
The doctor spoke, but never moved.
The slight upturn at the corners of Ella's mouth softened as she knowingly pressed the button.
Siphus's desperate screams filled the entire cold room.
"Work! Work! Long live work! I'm awake! I have a job! Work! Work—"
Ella Zero found the right spot and gently touched the mechanism, and a display screen immediately popped up in front of Sivers.
As if remembering something, Dr. Lowry patted the back of her neck one last time and said reassuringly, "Mom still needs to tell David to prepare food."
She walked to the door and turned back for one last look. This time, Ella Zero didn't turn back to look at her; instead, she focused intently on Sivers, operating the screen in front of her.
She pressed the switch, and the door slowly closed in front of her. The moment the light completely disappeared from her face, her smile vanished as well.
David bowed respectfully to him.
"Why the rush? What's the matter? Tell me more."
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