wooden house
Gu Yan's Shadow Crossing was an inorganic silver-gray, so understated that it could blend into the colorful neon lights. He climbed into the vehicle, skillfully put on the neural node bracelet, and while waiting for clearance, he turned on the voice recorder Dr. Lowry had given him.
The sound, a remnant of an old civilization, was mixed with electrical noise, making the human voice sound stiff, like that of an early android.
Can you tell me your name?
"Ella." Ella Zero's voice was much more normal, clear and pleasant. What was even stranger was that when it was her turn to speak, the static was several frequencies lower.
I meant your 'name'.
Ella Zero paused, seemingly somewhat reluctant: "Ella Type Zero."
Who is your mother?
“Dr. Lowry.” The other person made some kind of expression. “Not a biological mother, of course I know that. You don’t think I don’t even know that, do you?”
“Very well, let’s talk about what happened five hours ago.”
"OK."
“Five hours ago, our people assigned you the task of protecting the Crown Prince.”
"Yes."
"According to the mission instructions, you should escort the Crown Prince from the central area to Shenwan for inspection."
"good."
"Do you have anything to add regarding this operation?"
“Shenwan is a slum, and the unrest was something that could have been predicted. My guards and I protected the Crown Prince and successfully evacuated him.”
"...Yes, you did a great job."
"It's my duty."
"...I think we have some other topics to discuss."
“I don’t understand, why does your expression tell me you’re questioning me?” Ella Zero’s voice was indeed full of confusion. “The Crown Prince hasn’t lost a single finger.”
“But we noticed that during the evacuation of the Crown Prince, you rescued a little girl from the slums.”
The recording was silent for a brief moment.
Ella Zero spoke again: "Perhaps, if you can accurately describe the little girl's physical characteristics, it will help me to better locate the memory."
“Oh, okay, let me see… a human girl, with features of old Eastern Europeans, emerald green eyes, and brown curly hair.”
"Yes, I helped her during the evacuation. Is there a problem?"
"That's the problem—it's beyond the scope of our assigned tasks."
At this point in the recording, the vehicle communication network showed a connection signal.
Gu Yan pressed the pause button and connected the voice call.
"Yan, how have you been lately?" The other person's words were casual and didn't match up with anyone else in the research center.
Gu Yan said coldly, "I would be better off if you didn't contact me."
"You know, I had no choice, you haven't been reporting on your progress for a while."
"Everything is going well. If you could contact me less often, things would go even better."
"Oh?" The other end became interested. "How did it go so smoothly? Tell me about it."
"You'd better shut up and wait for me to contact you. If I fail because of you, I'll tear your mouth apart before I get torn to pieces myself."
He cut off the signal immediately, realizing that his breathing was a little rapid. He glanced at the device on his wrist and slowly took a few deep breaths.
He felt something unsettling against the back of his head, and couldn't help but turn around.
David's tall figure stood quietly not far away, his deep blue eyes fixed on him.
Gu Yan's body was as stiff as a statue, his hands at his sides, the knuckles of his clenched fists turning slightly white. He took a deep breath, his nostrils flaring slightly, but his exhale was extremely light.
Watchman David, as the most versatile Sentinel-type android in the Central District, could capture every minute detail with his gaze. Gu Yan was uneasy about that gaze lingering on him, as if an invisible blade was scrutinizing the direction of his attack.
But in the end, they are just androids.
Gu Yan slowly lifted his eyelids and met David's gaze: "Is there anything else?" He raised his wrist, which was strapped with equipment, "I'm still waiting for the travel permit. If possible, I hope you can help me urge them to speed things up."
“I would be happy to help you, Mr. Gu. Ella is my friend. I hope everything goes well for you and that she is safe.”
"You even know the word 'friend'? Why do you think you and Ella are friends?"
According to Gu Yan, his daily work was to record the functional values of the Ella type, while David's daily work was to record the time the Ella type entered and exited the research center.
What constitutes a friend? The androids are still unfamiliar with their language.
He wasn't sure if David had caught the sarcasm on his face.
David said calmly, "Ella told me that I was her friend."
——————
Dr. Lowry returned to her residence. Ella Zero wasn't home waiting for her today, and she felt a little lonely.
She turned up the room temperature by two degrees.
I made myself some barley tea, based on a recipe Ella Zero prepared for her. Today is Thursday, and dinner is a simple Eastern European salad.
In a time when edible plants are extremely scarce, this can be considered quite abundant.
The clock jumped to 23:00.
No one came looking for her at that time.
Dr. Lowry dislikes fully automated security systems; if Ella Zero is present, she will activate the access control system periodically.
Clearly, only Dr. Lowry himself can confirm the activation today.
That's when the doorbell rang.
"who?"
“Dr. Lowry. I am Jade Omen, the third captain of the Federal Royal Guard. I have been ordered to come and take you to a safe place.”
——————
Ella Zero checked the source code again; no one had updated the information.
But she definitely can't stay in the central area anymore; she has a better place to go.
Without Siphus's incessant chatter, all Ella Zero could hear was the sound of the wind sweeping across the earth.
The wind swept through her hair, just like when Dr. Lowry stroked her.
"Ella, do you like it here?"
"If Mom likes it, then I like it too."
Dr. Lowry smiled kindly: "I like it very much; it's quiet here. If you're feeling down, you can come here for a while."
Why should I be unhappy?
"Everyone has unhappy times, just as everyone has happy times. I hope you are happy most of the time."
Ella Zero tilted her head back: "I'm very happy right now."
Suddenly, a gust of wind blew, whistling past Ella Zero's ears.
She walked along the edge of the central area from south to east.
This direction was determined based on the Earth's orientation in the old era. As for why this side is east and that side is north, even children's textbooks don't mention it anymore.
Using coordinates for location was too risky, so she tried to pinpoint the location from memory.
However, she was not timely in updating information about the east because she was only allowed to update geographic information within the scope of her mission.
"Keep heading east and you won't go wrong."
In her memory, Dr. Lowry was wearing camouflage and waving back at her while holding a pulse weapon.
"Look, right ahead, welcome to my cabin. From now on, it's yours."
This land is no longer as desolate as it used to be.
The woods were still two miles away, and a few brick houses were scattered along the roadside.
Upon closer inspection, it became clear that even the courtyard had been meticulously maintained, and an elderly man was enjoying the cool air in the garden.
"There are few unfamiliar faces here, child. Are you passing through here on your way to the woods?"
The old man saw Ella Zero.
He had no luggage, his hands were empty, and he was dressed in simple work clothes, leather gloves, and a leather waist bag.
Ella Zero guessed that her current attire was out of place here.
"Hello, I'm going to the east."
The old man said worriedly, "That would require crossing the forest. Strange people have built an ancient biological cultivation base in the forest. There are rumors that anyone who accidentally wanders in has been eaten. We don't go near that area."
"Thanks for reminding me, I'll get to the other side before dark."
The old man sighed, "Then you should leave quickly. After dark, it's not safe to leave the forest, or even here. Although those people make a living selling androids, they still occasionally have bad intentions when they see a lone human girl. That's how my youngest daughter was kidnapped."
Ella stopped and said softly, "I'm sorry to hear about this. Is there anything I can do to help?"
The old man's cloudy gaze finally softened for a moment, slowly moving to her face.
"That happened forty years ago. I don't think you can help me right now, so I'll just wish you good luck for now."
——————
Gu Yan didn't really understand what was strange about that recording; it was like a puzzle piece, and he must have missed some crucial information.
Shadow Crossing's pass notification was all green. He silently glided onto the track and disappeared into the colorful neon lights.
David watched him leave, then slowly moved his tall figure to a corner behind the research center's protective door, disappearing into the darkness to continue playing the role of an eternal guardian.
Having broken free from the research center's network, it was finally time for him to put his skills to use.
He easily hacked into the surveillance system and now had thirty minutes to gather enough information.
The K902 code has been viewed several times, and it's clear that Ella Zero is already in action.
Gu Yan curled his lips. She was indeed smart enough to understand his plans without needing to communicate with him.
Compared to her side, Gu Yan was more curious about the actions of the Federal Royal Family.
He moved with ease within the supernet, no intelligence escaping his notice. He remained hidden in the shadows, completely undetectable to the other individuals within the supernet. He was a god in this virtual world.
But the gods couldn't bring themselves to laugh at the news they received.
"Extract the coordinates of the army's assembly."
A small dot in the east is displayed on the holographic screen, and it keeps getting bigger and bigger.
This time, in addition to the numbers, a noun was also displayed.
"Wooden house".
What's the meaning?
He put the term and coordinates back into the supernet to look for clues.
A hidden document from thirteen years ago has surfaced.
Name: wooden house
Owner: Ella Lowry
Date: October 19, 735 AD
Ella Lowry?
The name lingered on Gu Yan's lips.
Things seem to have become much more complicated.
Why are they there? How many are there? What is their purpose?
Gu Yan knocked on the communication system.
"I really didn't expect you to contact me again so soon, it's an honor. It's only been thirteen minutes since our last conversation..."
"Yang Guang, help me look something up."
"...Damn it, I knew it wouldn't be good."
"I should have thought of that earlier. Damn it, I only had time to check all the research that the doctor had officially sponsored. What if she hadn't made it public at all?"
"I get it, so I'm the one who has to do these dirty, underhanded things, right?"
"Only you can do it."
"I like it, I'll take care of it. Where are you going now? You have time to chat with me for so long, aren't you at the research center?"
"Going on a business trip."
Gu Yan glanced at the countdown and sent a yaw command.
Yang Guang whistled: "Exciting!"
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