Blackjack Gabbiani
Merely a collector
- Pronouns
- Them
- Partners
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Encounter
The AIs existed in almost every timeline. In most, they were the last calm to stand against a mad storm that had threatened to consume all Paldea, all the world. In some, they worked merrily to discover the secrets of the Great Crater alongside a creator who had diverted away from their destructive path.
In some, rarer than the others, they existed alongside each other, their creators never having parted. But their unity still carried divided paths, either both scientists salvaging each other or dragging each other down, with their creations left to pick up the pieces.
Those who followed the story we know, those who worked alone and who gave themselves to the time machine to prevent the spread of Paradise, were the most plentiful. But from there, their fates continued to diverge. Some truly ended up in the past or future they dreamed of, and were able to have the adventures they so desired. Some were sent to different timelines entirely, removed from their original worlds, but thrived there and came to view it as home. Some were too badly injured by the Protocol and perished with only a glimpse of their dream.
But some of them...some found each other.
Some worlds saw them united the moment they emerged from the machine's portal, while others saw them explore on their own for years, even centuries, before happening upon each other. And some knew each other only in their final moments, grateful to have company. In one especially strange timeline they were brought by an even stranger pokémon to an island, returned to the era they had left behind.
Out of all of these, we will tell only one tale. Perhaps a typical one for them, perhaps not. After all, there are so many universes out there.
AI Sada knew that she wasn't alone. The tracks were far too obvious, and left by a being that was far too human to be part of the world naturally. Had some fool recreated the machine?
She shook her head. If that was the case or they were brought there by the power that had displaced pokémon in that area for as long as the crater had been recorded, they were clearly ill-prepared.
Professor Sada had studied things like tracking and wilderness survival, and her AI had retained that knowledge as she had everything else. But the world was so different from what either of them had anticipated that she had to keep updating and refining her data. That still put her ahead of this unfortunate human, though.
Following within each footprint, she kept alert for any human signal. But all the fauna around were those she had been seeing since her arrival, the so-called "paradoxes" that her creator had been so fixated on bringing to the present as well as the strange metallic-seeming ones that somehow had never fallen through the machine. At first she had thought they were robots like her, but they displayed vital signs and required food, so it was likely they were cyborgs. Entire species of them, though? She wanted to study them but had not yet gotten a chance.
For that moment, though, finding this human was her priority.
The world was strange, AI Turo mused, and not at all what he had imagined. Far from a future Paldea populated by the cybernetic pokémon that his creator had longed to bring to the present, they shared the land with many far stranger creatures that bore resemblances to ancient species. Those long ago evolved away from, negated by changes in the natural world. How was it, then, that they thrived here alongside their future brethren? He had not yet gotten the chance to study them, and had to rely only on his knowledge of those from the future.
Or wherever they were. Referring to past, present, and future seemed inappropriate when all of them existed together. He had even seen a few species that seemed unchanged from what he knew of Paldea and the world beyond.
Beyond the wildlife, the world itself was so little like expectation. It was unpredictable, a mishmash of elements that would make no rational sense in the world he started from. But there, it was more of a patchwork quilt forming an overall cohesion. Even if things like waterfalls falling from trees or a perfect crystal bridge over a small pond had no scientific explanation, they were strangely comforting as a whole.
And that bridge was where he found himself, looking out over the water. The pond was partially underneath what seemed to be a cave overhang, but with no surrounding walls to it. At the far end of the water, a large crane-like bird that seemed to bear some resemblance to Bombirdier picked at the surface. He turned his head to watch it and wondered if it would leave behind a feather he could analyze.
The footprints led AI Sada out of the forest onto the shore of a pond. She was no closer to sensing any human vital signal, so as she scanned the area, it took her a few microseconds longer than usual to notice the figure on the bridge.
That there was a bridge there at all was surprising, but not entirely out of line with what she had witnessed in that world. She could study that later.
The figure was unmistakably human in shape, from what she could see, but without any signal, it couldn't possibly truly be one. She focused her eyes to zoom in closer.
Oh, those crystals were not simply part of the bridge. They clung to the figure's body and clothing in the same manner as they did on her own. Between that and the lack of vital signs, perhaps this was another--
And then he turned, and that face was unmistakable. A face she had seen in so many of her inherited memories, the face of the person who had once been more important to her creator than anyone...
She approached the bridge.
Movement out of the corner of his eye. AI Turo paused for a moment to scan, hoping to learn more about the creature as he turned, but found nothing. Strange.
At the sight, he was struck into stillness.
His immediate analysis bypassed the more basic of thoughts. Rather than wondering how a humanoid creature was there, or why she had no readable vital signs, his first thought was "Why do you look exactly like Professor Sada?"
She stopped fully, with a shock in her eyes in a way that showed them to be screens like his. Crystals like his, the ones that had grown through his body during the Paradise Protection Protocol's domination, permeated her as well.
Between the two of them, a faint breeze blew as the reality of the situation sank in.
Neither of them had vital signs.
Conclusion: they were both artificial.
They both carried the same crystals.
Conclusion: they had endured a similar energy surge.
Subsequent conclusion: they had both been present in the Zero Lab's time machine room.
They bore the likeness of someone who studied another era.
The world they had emerged into had creatures they had once believed were from their own preferred era as well as strange ones that appeared to be from the era the other one studied.
Tentative conclusion, requiring further study: Their current surroundings led to multiple worlds.
AI Sada smiled, putting her vigilance in a lower priority. "I think we will have a great deal to talk about."
Family
"What a miraculous escape." AI Turo's voice remained much the same as always, but it was clear to AI Sada that he was very enthusiastic.
"I thought you would like that." She had been speaking as she assembled a campfire, and finally began lighting it. Though neither of them required the warmth from it, it would keep away most interlopers. Even the more futuristic ones, though both robots were learning that such time-based designations were inaccurate, avoided fire for the most part. "Unrelatedly, I have found that fire attracts two species that bear a resemblance to Volcarona. But neither of them are around us now, so there is little risk."
He watched how she lit the fire. His own creator had never studied such things, preferring his own outside studies to focus on fields like language development and cybernetics, so this was entirely new to him. "I am familiar with one, termed Iron Moth, that has wings akin to solar panels. They tend to observe, although they can be aggressive, seemingly at random. Is the other likewise?"
She smiled, both at his description and at the fact that the kindling finally lit. "The other, one we called Slither Wing, is docile and will only attack if provoked. It is also, if I may be unscientific, quite adorable."
At that, his expression flattened slightly as he tried to imagine what it may look like. "I suppose...Iron Moth is not adorable, but I find it aesthetically appealing. It is sleek and impressive, although how I cannot truly describe without simply describing it directly." He shook his head, his kneeling position swaying ever so slightly from it. "Pardon me. I have only been here for a short time and have yet to truly explore my individual mind, although it is something I hope to be able to do."
With the fire lit, AI Sada was able to move more freely, and she went to sit next to her new companion. "I have been here only two weeks, three days, seven hours, fifteen minutes, and thirty five seconds, as of...now," she admitted, "so I have not done so properly either. I still feel as though I must fulfil my creator's wishes even though I know that I am no longer beholden to her."
AI Turo took note of how close she was, but the bulk of his attention was on their continued similarities. "That is my experience as well, down to the second. But more than simply our time here, I can identify with that mindset."
Tilting her head, she looked skyward. They were under the impossible cave ceiling, near where it met the ground, but the lack of a cave wall gave a view of the nearby sky. "Perhaps we ought to discuss how we differ from our creators and build from there."
"An excellent idea." He glanced back at her with a soft expression. "Other than the obvious things such as disagreeing with him on his view of Paradise, I have always..." A pause as he thought through his wording. "...disliked this haircut. I believe it was unflattering."
Certainly she had seen it, but she took that opportunity to let the sight sink in. His artificial hair only fell from the top of his head and was barely extant around the sides and back, and unless he was willing to speedrun the ladder of technology and recreate everything that went into their dermal layer, he would be stuck with that for the rest of his existence. But she didn't think it was so bad. "It is what you were created with, yes?"
He nodded.
Before he could reply, she told him "It is a bit silly, but I find it charming."
At that, his expression dropped into shock, and that only looked sillier and more charming, prompting her to giggle. He again shook his head, with a faint trace of a smile. "You are very much like your creator. At least my creator's memories of her."
"Oh..." Her smile vanished, gaze falling to the ground. "I am sorry to disillusion you. In my world, Professor Sada was quite serious and without mirth in her later years. Although she had been more jovial in her youth, as in your memories."
"I see." But instead of continuing in words, he put his hand over hers. The same way that his creator would offer solace, and the same way he preferred to give it as well.
As such, she let things fall silent, and was able to enjoy his touch.
A few minutes passed, and when AI Turo finally spoke, his voice was soft under the sound of the fire. "Another difference between my creator and myself is that I tried to call Arven. I imagine you did as well."
"Of course." AI Sada had adjusted her hand so as to intertwine her fingers with his. "My programming prohibited it. But I did get to meet him!" Her voice perked up but rapidly declined. "It was right before I had to leave. But I am grateful for it. I told him what I had needed to say."
"That his parents truly loved him."
"Yes."
They let silence take over again.
Memory
"I think," AI Sada mused, "my fondest memory of her is her smile. Although I described her as mirthless, she did find joy in her work. And she would often smile as she went about her research."
Their conversation had continued well into the night, paused once so they could find more firewood, and resumed as though there had been no gap. By this point, they had been talking for nearly twelve full hours.
She sighed. Not physically, as they lacked any respiratory systems, but a sound file that her creator had thought little of adding to her databanks. "I differed with her, but I loved her dearly."
AI Turo stroked the back of her hand. While usually he would look a little too directly at whoever he was speaking to, he looked away, towards the fire. "I want to believe that he would be happy that I could accomplish his dream of seeing this brilliant world. But I know that the fact that it is not the future he wished for would have prevented that."
"Indeed..." She shifted slightly and looked around them. A few metallic creatures, not cyborgs but steel types that bore a striking resemblance to a flightless Skarmory, poked around the forest for fallen berries. The reeds of a common grass waved at the shore of the pond. A chilly air sent two tiny proto-rodents rushing back to their underground den, cheeks sparking slightly. "I think Professor Sada would have found this place fascinating, but I agree that she would have felt somewhat let down." She tilted her head towards her companion. "It is an adjustment, I confess. There was nothing in our studies that would have indicated a world like this awaited on the other end of the time machine. In particular, Koraidon's genetic link to Cyclizar indicated that it must have been part of our own world."
"Unless some species exist in multiple timelines," he mused. His voice was a bit more relaxed as the subject shifted. "The fact that both of us are familiar with Cyclizar shows that much. I have pondered also that perhaps some species that are not paradoxes may have strayed into our worlds from the same distortions that Heath witnessed." Turning to look at her, he had the faint trace of a smile. "We can study that together, if you like."
Somewhere in AI Sada's mind, she entertained the thought that if she possessed a physical heart, it would have skipped a beat. "I would like that very much. I believe we can be a successful team." She had the impulse to settle against him, but something stopped her.
Their creators had been a team once, in both timelines, and it had fallen apart. Miscommunication and ego had betrayed their bond.
She clutched his hand a little tighter and changed the subject. "What is a fond memory of your creator then? To return to our previous conversation."
He returned the gesture with a gentle squeeze, eyes slightly averted. It was clear that his thoughts had wandered to the same betrayal of trust. "I remember a breakthrough. A new species never before witnessed, one he termed Iron Leaves. He believed it to even be a legendary pokémon. While normally stoic, he..." AI Turo paused, seeming wistful as he savored the memory. "...He was overjoyed. He even laughed, and excitedly hugged me." His hand tightened softly, as if hugging her own hand back. "It would be a fond enough event even without that, to see him so happy, but it was the only time he ever did so."
AI Sada remembered, through her inherited memories, how Turo had always been reluctant to outwardly display his emotions. Some degree of stoicism came naturally to him, but as the years went by, he became more and more closed off. And the formerly rambunctious Sada had closed herself off as well. In her own timeline, her world had reduced to just the two of them. Then just the three. And then down to two again, as she was left alone with her newborn son. "That must have been wonderful."
"Did Professor Sada ever hug you?"
"No," she admitted, "but I hugged her. A nightmare jolted her awake, and she seemed unaware of her surroundings in her panic. So I embraced her and soothed her back to sleep." She left out how nightmares had become more and more frequent as the months went on.
He looked pensive and brought his off hand to his chin. "I wonder just how similar our stories are then. His nightmares had grown in number, but he rejected any aid other than asking me to work nearby. He desired company but could not bring himself to request any sort of touch or contact."
"Organic beings need others. Humans are social animals, after all."
With a nod, he looked away again. "I wonder what would have become of them if their respective treasured dragons had not been in danger."
But to wonder was all they could ever have of that subject.
Freedom
Eventually, they began to discuss what they had been doing while on their own. It had been nearly two weeks and four days since they had come to that world, after all.
AI Turo began. "I emerged in a canyon, and immediately knew that it was not anywhere near where I had left. Although at that point I still believed that I was in the future." He seemed to be watching a distant bird, something unidentified that superficially resembled a metallic Pidgey, but not close enough to believe a relation. "I tucked the Violet Book into its pocket and counted my blessings, as they say." A pause. "I suppose we are the only two here who would say anything, including such phrases."
AI Sada giggled softly. "I suppose that is true. Go on!"
"Ah yes. When I found my way from the canyon, it was in the form of a long ladder, one that seemed to be formed from crystals. Though of course..." He patted a tera crystal on his arm. "It lacked any sort of energy output. I climbed the ladder, and emerged onto the shore of a vast ocean. It was geologically impossible, I quickly realized, and knew I was in a strange world indeed."
"I wish I could have been there," she sighed with a bit of the hope that they could see it together someday. She could approach that subject later on.
"I wish you had been as well. I will likely say the same when I hear your story," he said as he stroked her hand again. "Shall I continue?"
She gestured yes with her free hand.
"Very well." He made a sound like he was clearing his throat, but as with her earlier sigh, it was only an audio file. "I walked down the shore for an hour, and exactly an hour later, it gave way to a thin forest. Both the ocean and canyon stopped here. And within the forest, I saw such strange creatures, ones that I could physically describe but could in no way understand..."
"Mm. I have seen a few like that. We ought to find some together."
"Exactly my thoughts." He continued, slightly to her disappointment, as she was hoping to hear some of those descriptions. "My pace slowed at their sight, but one more hour later, I reached the other side. And that was where I found something I..." His voice wavered, his hand tightened, his eyes narrowed "...never thought I would see myself..."
That sounded familiar too, distressingly so, and her metaphorical heart pounded. "I think I saw it as well. May I hazard a guess?"
Silently, he nodded.
She made the motion of taking in a breath, her chest shuddering with the artificial gesture. "It was that crystal pool. I--I saw it too." To stutter a word had been programmed into her in an effort to sound more conversational when taking Professor Sada's calls, but this felt different. This felt more like a glitch, like she had when the children had wandered into the fourth research station. And she felt a dread unmatched since, well, since seeing it.
He initially showed no reaction to this, and she wondered if he knew what she meant. But he tilted his head back, showing that his lower lip was quivering. "I never m-meant to see it..." That same glitch, that same sense of unnamable fear. "I c-could not f-find a purpose..."
Immediate regret. She turned rapidly, breaking their handhold to rest both her hands on his shoulders. "We are not there. That place cannot affect us here." That position left her face to face with him, so she could finally fully take in the look in his eyes. "We c-cannot fall into that li-lingering fear."
"You heard t-the voice then..."
She leaned forward, draping her arms down his back as she did and resting her head on his shoulder, trying desperately to comfort him, trying desperately to seek comfort herself. "Only there. I have not heard it s-since."
"Nor have I..."
It had, after all, been Arven's voice.
"...I wish to hear your tale." AI Turo spoke without stuttering.
Without moving from her embrace, AI Sada shook her head. "I wish to hear how you came to this spot. How you found the bridge."
When he chuckled, something that she hadn't thought he would do so soon after such an intensely negative emotion, she pulled back to see him smiling. There was still nervousness across his face, a tightness at the edges of his mouth, but a smile just the same. "This is the longest I have stayed in one place. After t-that, the presumed one hour limit lifted, and I was able to stray about as I pleased. In the time since, I have simply gone where my feet take me. And when I see things such as a bridge or a boat, I take them. I hope to discover someday if some sapient species has built these artifacts, or if they are a formation of this world."
She pulled back a bit but still kept contact. "Oh, you have seen a boat? I traveled by canoe to that forest! On the other side is a river."
"Is it built for two?" After a beat, he added "the canoe. I believe the river inherently would be, or else it would be a brook. Potentially a creek."
AI Sada couldn't help but laugh, the humor of his dry statement feeling so utterly freeing.
Wisdom
Twenty hours had passed. By that point, the two AIs were leaning against each other, and the daylight passing under the wall-less cave ceiling meant that there was no further need for a fire. It had dimmed down to embers, though AI Sada had gathered plenty of firewood and kindling to ensure that it could keep going for a few more days if need be.
After all, it wasn't like they were in any rush.
"It is such a funny thing to consider." AI Sada had been musing about the potential ramifications of the world's randomness. "It is almost akin to a board game with tiles laid down."
"I have thought the same. And if this world has such places as the crystal pool," some part of him was glad that he could mention it without stuttering or glitching, especially with what he was about to say, "then I would think that perhaps it is in part drawn from our own memories. Although I do not know how that would be." He looked away again. "My sensors treat this realm as a physical place, but confess that I have the nagging feeling that it may be a simulation. That none of this..." He couldn't bring himself to finish that sentence.
She patted his back. "I do not believe that to be possible. It is far too real for that. And besides the scattered nature of the biomes and the crystal structures, there is too much internal consistency. A simulation would have small tells, glitches and imperfections here and there." After a pause, she added "Although I have not ruled out the notion that some force is drawing from our memories. But I believe it is a force that exists in reality."
His eyes closed as he pondered what she had said. It was correct; a simulation would not be as perfect a world as this. Which was quite a relief. A slow nod. "I concur."
She could see the flash of his eyes behind his eyelids. Blue, while her internal lights were red. Some part of her wondered why Professor Turo wouldn't have made them purple. After all, red, orange, those were Professor Sada's favorite colors. "The worlds we came from already function in strange ways. It would not surprise me to consider that a god may have tossed this world together. Perhaps it is some manner of testing grounds before ideas are implemented elsewhere."
After letting that sink in for a moment, he turned back to look at her. One eyebrow was slightly raised. "Are you suggesting that we are in some manner of divine...debug room?"
Well, that was exactly what she was suggesting, wasn't it? A mischievous smile spread across her lips. "It would seem I am saying that is a distinct possibility. It is unquestionably real, but also geologically and physically impossible, so that would be the most direct conclusion."
"I...see." With a merry laugh, he tilted back to lay on the ground, and with his arm still around her, she followed suit. "It may say considerable things about my journey so far that your theory makes perfect sense. I cannot see a flaw in it."
She adjusted to the new position but kept contact by holding his hand again. "We will have to test this hypothesis, but I believe that we will be able to discover the truth no matter what it will be."
"I look forward to it." Though his voice was calm, she could detect much eagerness in it, and she smiled in turn as he continued. "If I may be sentimental--"
"You may."
He squeezed her hand. "--I believe this is the best possible outcome for both of us. We have a brilliant world full of secrets to explore, and have a research partner and friend to explore it with."
A mutual partner, an equal, with whom to rely on utterly. Even in their brief companionship, they knew that the future ahead of them would be beautiful. "I am eager to get started, then."
He gestured to tell her that he intended to sit up, and they did at once. He took a burnt stick from the remnants of the fire and held it like a pencil over the ashes. "Shall we plan where to begin?"
Artificial
"I think that will be an excellent way to progress." AI Turo was finalizing their list. Not that any of it truly needed to be written down, but a crude tiled map in the ash was a start.
AI Sada tried to draw a tiny tree in one of the tiles, but had no implement slender enough to do so properly, and it instead looked like an awkward letter in an unknown language. She pouted, the gesture more subtle than her creator would have done. "I concur. I believe that heading in a single direction is as good a form of exploration as anything."
"We are not trying to get anywhere specific," he agreed. "Would you like to leave now?"
It was late into the afternoon by that point. "I think we should forage for some supplies in this area, but wait until dawn to leave. This is a perfectly good encampment and it would be a shame to have to build another one in only a few hours."
His confusion likewise was distinct but more subtle than his creator. "I know that we are both equipped with night vision."
"Yes, but we'll be less disruptive if we travel during the day, and less likely to raise the ire of a predatory creature. While they would be very little threat to us, it is best to leave them to their natural prey." She rubbed her arm, showing that her lab coat sleeve had a row of small punctures in it. "It is a good thing that our skin is self-repairing. A human would have lost a limb, but for me, it took a minute to rearrange some things."
"Oh!" He reached out and reassuringly rested a hand on her upper arm, above where the punctures were. "I am so grateful you are all right." Despite the detached, clinical tone in which he spoke, it seemed that he was struck by what she said, and had no idea how to properly express his concern. "You have not demonstrated any sort of restriction in the mobility of your arm, so ought I assume that you have solved the issue?"
"Of course." She patted his hand as best she could with the angle, raising the affected arm and having to turn her own hand around to nudge his. "It is all right. To fix it entirely was nothing."
His expression softened, but he kept his hand where it was. "You must have been frightened."
"Yes, but it was nothing compared to what we have both endured." That wasn't nearly as reassuring as she had wanted it to be. "Regardless, I am fine." She wanted to add that if she could survive the Protocol, she could survive almost anything, but that was a very Professor Sada way of thinking that downplayed current or future danger. "Besides, I will have you with me, and there is safety in numbers."
He withdrew his hand, sliding it from under hers, and a moment later cocked his head, other hand coming to his chin in that distinctive gesture his creator would make when deep in thought. "I have a question."
Now, that got her curious. "You know that you can ask me anything."
"All right." His posture stiffened a little, clear nervousness. "May I hug you?"
What a question! Joy sprouted through her, a celebratory feeling the likes of which she had never felt. With perhaps the biggest smile she had ever displayed, she wrapped her arms around him and rested her head on his shoulder.
It took a moment for him to realize that this was permission for him to do likewise, and he savored it, slowly finding the perfect spot to rest his arms and properly embrace her. He bobbed his head up and down, and she realized that he was trying to nuzzle her cheek.
If she had the receptors to feel such things, she would have found it to feel quite ticklish. But she could rely on memory. "You said that you do not care for your hairstyle, but I find your beard quite attractive."
She could feel him smile. "If we are able to create the necessary items to alter our appearances, I will take care to leave that how it is. Although..."
"Yes?"
After a soft chuckle, he somewhat sheepishly admitted "I wondered if you carried your creators' wish that my creator had a fuller beard. And I admit I have been curious how that would look."
She paused to imagine it, a process that involved bringing up an image that had accompanied a report, the author having a thick and wild beard, and superimposing it on an image of AI Turo. The result was highly unflattering to a comical degree. "You may do what you wish, but I differ with her in that regard too."
"Well, if we ever do create such a breakthrough in this world that will permit such changes, we will concern ourselves with such things at that point and revisit this subject." He craned his head back to look at her. "Although I ask that you do not alter your eyes. They are the perfect color."
Theoretically, they could change their eye colors at any time, but they would have no reason to do so. "All right," she laughed, unwinding an arm from him. "I promise to not alter my eye color. And you never should either." Her hand cupped his face. "That color is...warm. Beautiful. Comforting."
As intensely as he watched her, taking in every detail of her gaze, there was still some hesitation. "Are we rushing into things?" But he made no effort to pull back.
"I..." The question was not entirely out of nowhere. "If you wish to take things slower, we can. But I do wish to be by your side."
"Of course!" Despite his normally inexpressive tone, AI Turo nearly shouted his affirmation, firm in his conviction. "Do not mistake my hesitation as a refusal. I believe the fact that we can exist together is nothing short of a blessing!" But he looked away for a moment, those soft brown eyes reflecting decades of memories. "I simply cannot...I still feel the pain our creators both endured from and inflicted on each other. So I hesitate."
She squeezed him a little tighter. "I understand. And we have only just met."
"Oh, that is not the issue. I feel as though I have known you for lifetimes."
The way he said it was so matter-of-fact that AI Sada couldn't help but laugh. "I feel the same way. But I do understand. We are constructs made from very flawed humans, but we are not them. We can correct their mistakes."
He leaned into her embrace as if wanting to absorb every feeling of it into his memory. "Sometimes I do...struggle with knowing things logically versus fearing illogical things."
"That is our human side. I do that too. It comes naturally to us." Her voice was soothing, calming, a light in the proverbial dark. "Now then, my companion, would you like to join me for a walk in the forest? If we are to begin our journey at daylight, we must find what we need for it now."
He calmed, body relaxing, and stepped back. "Of course. I like that...'my companion'."
AI Sada didn't exactly want to tell him that it was something that her creator had read in a fantasy book when she was twelve. "Let us go together."
And they continued together, hand in hand.
Paradise
They would go west, as far as it could take them, and when they reached a massive lake, they went northeast, and soon their plan to go in single directions changed to wandering wherever they wished.
And they would explore the vastness of the strange world, sometimes for years at a time.
And then they would settle in some places, building a shelter that would become a home and remaining there for years as well, then moving on when the desire set in.
Every answer they find leads to more questions. They will be entangled in the mystery of that world for as long as they please to be. Someday, perhaps, they may uncover the reasons behind that world, but until then, they continue to enjoy their quest.
Their adventures have been vast, the sorts of things that their creators could have only dreamed of, and they have never once parted.
The AIs existed in almost every timeline. In most, they were the last calm to stand against a mad storm that had threatened to consume all Paldea, all the world. In some, they worked merrily to discover the secrets of the Great Crater alongside a creator who had diverted away from their destructive path.
In some, rarer than the others, they existed alongside each other, their creators never having parted. But their unity still carried divided paths, either both scientists salvaging each other or dragging each other down, with their creations left to pick up the pieces.
Those who followed the story we know, those who worked alone and who gave themselves to the time machine to prevent the spread of Paradise, were the most plentiful. But from there, their fates continued to diverge. Some truly ended up in the past or future they dreamed of, and were able to have the adventures they so desired. Some were sent to different timelines entirely, removed from their original worlds, but thrived there and came to view it as home. Some were too badly injured by the Protocol and perished with only a glimpse of their dream.
But some of them...some found each other.
Some worlds saw them united the moment they emerged from the machine's portal, while others saw them explore on their own for years, even centuries, before happening upon each other. And some knew each other only in their final moments, grateful to have company. In one especially strange timeline they were brought by an even stranger pokémon to an island, returned to the era they had left behind.
Out of all of these, we will tell only one tale. Perhaps a typical one for them, perhaps not. After all, there are so many universes out there.
AI Sada knew that she wasn't alone. The tracks were far too obvious, and left by a being that was far too human to be part of the world naturally. Had some fool recreated the machine?
She shook her head. If that was the case or they were brought there by the power that had displaced pokémon in that area for as long as the crater had been recorded, they were clearly ill-prepared.
Professor Sada had studied things like tracking and wilderness survival, and her AI had retained that knowledge as she had everything else. But the world was so different from what either of them had anticipated that she had to keep updating and refining her data. That still put her ahead of this unfortunate human, though.
Following within each footprint, she kept alert for any human signal. But all the fauna around were those she had been seeing since her arrival, the so-called "paradoxes" that her creator had been so fixated on bringing to the present as well as the strange metallic-seeming ones that somehow had never fallen through the machine. At first she had thought they were robots like her, but they displayed vital signs and required food, so it was likely they were cyborgs. Entire species of them, though? She wanted to study them but had not yet gotten a chance.
For that moment, though, finding this human was her priority.
The world was strange, AI Turo mused, and not at all what he had imagined. Far from a future Paldea populated by the cybernetic pokémon that his creator had longed to bring to the present, they shared the land with many far stranger creatures that bore resemblances to ancient species. Those long ago evolved away from, negated by changes in the natural world. How was it, then, that they thrived here alongside their future brethren? He had not yet gotten the chance to study them, and had to rely only on his knowledge of those from the future.
Or wherever they were. Referring to past, present, and future seemed inappropriate when all of them existed together. He had even seen a few species that seemed unchanged from what he knew of Paldea and the world beyond.
Beyond the wildlife, the world itself was so little like expectation. It was unpredictable, a mishmash of elements that would make no rational sense in the world he started from. But there, it was more of a patchwork quilt forming an overall cohesion. Even if things like waterfalls falling from trees or a perfect crystal bridge over a small pond had no scientific explanation, they were strangely comforting as a whole.
And that bridge was where he found himself, looking out over the water. The pond was partially underneath what seemed to be a cave overhang, but with no surrounding walls to it. At the far end of the water, a large crane-like bird that seemed to bear some resemblance to Bombirdier picked at the surface. He turned his head to watch it and wondered if it would leave behind a feather he could analyze.
The footprints led AI Sada out of the forest onto the shore of a pond. She was no closer to sensing any human vital signal, so as she scanned the area, it took her a few microseconds longer than usual to notice the figure on the bridge.
That there was a bridge there at all was surprising, but not entirely out of line with what she had witnessed in that world. She could study that later.
The figure was unmistakably human in shape, from what she could see, but without any signal, it couldn't possibly truly be one. She focused her eyes to zoom in closer.
Oh, those crystals were not simply part of the bridge. They clung to the figure's body and clothing in the same manner as they did on her own. Between that and the lack of vital signs, perhaps this was another--
And then he turned, and that face was unmistakable. A face she had seen in so many of her inherited memories, the face of the person who had once been more important to her creator than anyone...
She approached the bridge.
Movement out of the corner of his eye. AI Turo paused for a moment to scan, hoping to learn more about the creature as he turned, but found nothing. Strange.
At the sight, he was struck into stillness.
His immediate analysis bypassed the more basic of thoughts. Rather than wondering how a humanoid creature was there, or why she had no readable vital signs, his first thought was "Why do you look exactly like Professor Sada?"
She stopped fully, with a shock in her eyes in a way that showed them to be screens like his. Crystals like his, the ones that had grown through his body during the Paradise Protection Protocol's domination, permeated her as well.
Between the two of them, a faint breeze blew as the reality of the situation sank in.
Neither of them had vital signs.
Conclusion: they were both artificial.
They both carried the same crystals.
Conclusion: they had endured a similar energy surge.
Subsequent conclusion: they had both been present in the Zero Lab's time machine room.
They bore the likeness of someone who studied another era.
The world they had emerged into had creatures they had once believed were from their own preferred era as well as strange ones that appeared to be from the era the other one studied.
Tentative conclusion, requiring further study: Their current surroundings led to multiple worlds.
AI Sada smiled, putting her vigilance in a lower priority. "I think we will have a great deal to talk about."
Family
"What a miraculous escape." AI Turo's voice remained much the same as always, but it was clear to AI Sada that he was very enthusiastic.
"I thought you would like that." She had been speaking as she assembled a campfire, and finally began lighting it. Though neither of them required the warmth from it, it would keep away most interlopers. Even the more futuristic ones, though both robots were learning that such time-based designations were inaccurate, avoided fire for the most part. "Unrelatedly, I have found that fire attracts two species that bear a resemblance to Volcarona. But neither of them are around us now, so there is little risk."
He watched how she lit the fire. His own creator had never studied such things, preferring his own outside studies to focus on fields like language development and cybernetics, so this was entirely new to him. "I am familiar with one, termed Iron Moth, that has wings akin to solar panels. They tend to observe, although they can be aggressive, seemingly at random. Is the other likewise?"
She smiled, both at his description and at the fact that the kindling finally lit. "The other, one we called Slither Wing, is docile and will only attack if provoked. It is also, if I may be unscientific, quite adorable."
At that, his expression flattened slightly as he tried to imagine what it may look like. "I suppose...Iron Moth is not adorable, but I find it aesthetically appealing. It is sleek and impressive, although how I cannot truly describe without simply describing it directly." He shook his head, his kneeling position swaying ever so slightly from it. "Pardon me. I have only been here for a short time and have yet to truly explore my individual mind, although it is something I hope to be able to do."
With the fire lit, AI Sada was able to move more freely, and she went to sit next to her new companion. "I have been here only two weeks, three days, seven hours, fifteen minutes, and thirty five seconds, as of...now," she admitted, "so I have not done so properly either. I still feel as though I must fulfil my creator's wishes even though I know that I am no longer beholden to her."
AI Turo took note of how close she was, but the bulk of his attention was on their continued similarities. "That is my experience as well, down to the second. But more than simply our time here, I can identify with that mindset."
Tilting her head, she looked skyward. They were under the impossible cave ceiling, near where it met the ground, but the lack of a cave wall gave a view of the nearby sky. "Perhaps we ought to discuss how we differ from our creators and build from there."
"An excellent idea." He glanced back at her with a soft expression. "Other than the obvious things such as disagreeing with him on his view of Paradise, I have always..." A pause as he thought through his wording. "...disliked this haircut. I believe it was unflattering."
Certainly she had seen it, but she took that opportunity to let the sight sink in. His artificial hair only fell from the top of his head and was barely extant around the sides and back, and unless he was willing to speedrun the ladder of technology and recreate everything that went into their dermal layer, he would be stuck with that for the rest of his existence. But she didn't think it was so bad. "It is what you were created with, yes?"
He nodded.
Before he could reply, she told him "It is a bit silly, but I find it charming."
At that, his expression dropped into shock, and that only looked sillier and more charming, prompting her to giggle. He again shook his head, with a faint trace of a smile. "You are very much like your creator. At least my creator's memories of her."
"Oh..." Her smile vanished, gaze falling to the ground. "I am sorry to disillusion you. In my world, Professor Sada was quite serious and without mirth in her later years. Although she had been more jovial in her youth, as in your memories."
"I see." But instead of continuing in words, he put his hand over hers. The same way that his creator would offer solace, and the same way he preferred to give it as well.
As such, she let things fall silent, and was able to enjoy his touch.
A few minutes passed, and when AI Turo finally spoke, his voice was soft under the sound of the fire. "Another difference between my creator and myself is that I tried to call Arven. I imagine you did as well."
"Of course." AI Sada had adjusted her hand so as to intertwine her fingers with his. "My programming prohibited it. But I did get to meet him!" Her voice perked up but rapidly declined. "It was right before I had to leave. But I am grateful for it. I told him what I had needed to say."
"That his parents truly loved him."
"Yes."
They let silence take over again.
Memory
"I think," AI Sada mused, "my fondest memory of her is her smile. Although I described her as mirthless, she did find joy in her work. And she would often smile as she went about her research."
Their conversation had continued well into the night, paused once so they could find more firewood, and resumed as though there had been no gap. By this point, they had been talking for nearly twelve full hours.
She sighed. Not physically, as they lacked any respiratory systems, but a sound file that her creator had thought little of adding to her databanks. "I differed with her, but I loved her dearly."
AI Turo stroked the back of her hand. While usually he would look a little too directly at whoever he was speaking to, he looked away, towards the fire. "I want to believe that he would be happy that I could accomplish his dream of seeing this brilliant world. But I know that the fact that it is not the future he wished for would have prevented that."
"Indeed..." She shifted slightly and looked around them. A few metallic creatures, not cyborgs but steel types that bore a striking resemblance to a flightless Skarmory, poked around the forest for fallen berries. The reeds of a common grass waved at the shore of the pond. A chilly air sent two tiny proto-rodents rushing back to their underground den, cheeks sparking slightly. "I think Professor Sada would have found this place fascinating, but I agree that she would have felt somewhat let down." She tilted her head towards her companion. "It is an adjustment, I confess. There was nothing in our studies that would have indicated a world like this awaited on the other end of the time machine. In particular, Koraidon's genetic link to Cyclizar indicated that it must have been part of our own world."
"Unless some species exist in multiple timelines," he mused. His voice was a bit more relaxed as the subject shifted. "The fact that both of us are familiar with Cyclizar shows that much. I have pondered also that perhaps some species that are not paradoxes may have strayed into our worlds from the same distortions that Heath witnessed." Turning to look at her, he had the faint trace of a smile. "We can study that together, if you like."
Somewhere in AI Sada's mind, she entertained the thought that if she possessed a physical heart, it would have skipped a beat. "I would like that very much. I believe we can be a successful team." She had the impulse to settle against him, but something stopped her.
Their creators had been a team once, in both timelines, and it had fallen apart. Miscommunication and ego had betrayed their bond.
She clutched his hand a little tighter and changed the subject. "What is a fond memory of your creator then? To return to our previous conversation."
He returned the gesture with a gentle squeeze, eyes slightly averted. It was clear that his thoughts had wandered to the same betrayal of trust. "I remember a breakthrough. A new species never before witnessed, one he termed Iron Leaves. He believed it to even be a legendary pokémon. While normally stoic, he..." AI Turo paused, seeming wistful as he savored the memory. "...He was overjoyed. He even laughed, and excitedly hugged me." His hand tightened softly, as if hugging her own hand back. "It would be a fond enough event even without that, to see him so happy, but it was the only time he ever did so."
AI Sada remembered, through her inherited memories, how Turo had always been reluctant to outwardly display his emotions. Some degree of stoicism came naturally to him, but as the years went by, he became more and more closed off. And the formerly rambunctious Sada had closed herself off as well. In her own timeline, her world had reduced to just the two of them. Then just the three. And then down to two again, as she was left alone with her newborn son. "That must have been wonderful."
"Did Professor Sada ever hug you?"
"No," she admitted, "but I hugged her. A nightmare jolted her awake, and she seemed unaware of her surroundings in her panic. So I embraced her and soothed her back to sleep." She left out how nightmares had become more and more frequent as the months went on.
He looked pensive and brought his off hand to his chin. "I wonder just how similar our stories are then. His nightmares had grown in number, but he rejected any aid other than asking me to work nearby. He desired company but could not bring himself to request any sort of touch or contact."
"Organic beings need others. Humans are social animals, after all."
With a nod, he looked away again. "I wonder what would have become of them if their respective treasured dragons had not been in danger."
But to wonder was all they could ever have of that subject.
Freedom
Eventually, they began to discuss what they had been doing while on their own. It had been nearly two weeks and four days since they had come to that world, after all.
AI Turo began. "I emerged in a canyon, and immediately knew that it was not anywhere near where I had left. Although at that point I still believed that I was in the future." He seemed to be watching a distant bird, something unidentified that superficially resembled a metallic Pidgey, but not close enough to believe a relation. "I tucked the Violet Book into its pocket and counted my blessings, as they say." A pause. "I suppose we are the only two here who would say anything, including such phrases."
AI Sada giggled softly. "I suppose that is true. Go on!"
"Ah yes. When I found my way from the canyon, it was in the form of a long ladder, one that seemed to be formed from crystals. Though of course..." He patted a tera crystal on his arm. "It lacked any sort of energy output. I climbed the ladder, and emerged onto the shore of a vast ocean. It was geologically impossible, I quickly realized, and knew I was in a strange world indeed."
"I wish I could have been there," she sighed with a bit of the hope that they could see it together someday. She could approach that subject later on.
"I wish you had been as well. I will likely say the same when I hear your story," he said as he stroked her hand again. "Shall I continue?"
She gestured yes with her free hand.
"Very well." He made a sound like he was clearing his throat, but as with her earlier sigh, it was only an audio file. "I walked down the shore for an hour, and exactly an hour later, it gave way to a thin forest. Both the ocean and canyon stopped here. And within the forest, I saw such strange creatures, ones that I could physically describe but could in no way understand..."
"Mm. I have seen a few like that. We ought to find some together."
"Exactly my thoughts." He continued, slightly to her disappointment, as she was hoping to hear some of those descriptions. "My pace slowed at their sight, but one more hour later, I reached the other side. And that was where I found something I..." His voice wavered, his hand tightened, his eyes narrowed "...never thought I would see myself..."
That sounded familiar too, distressingly so, and her metaphorical heart pounded. "I think I saw it as well. May I hazard a guess?"
Silently, he nodded.
She made the motion of taking in a breath, her chest shuddering with the artificial gesture. "It was that crystal pool. I--I saw it too." To stutter a word had been programmed into her in an effort to sound more conversational when taking Professor Sada's calls, but this felt different. This felt more like a glitch, like she had when the children had wandered into the fourth research station. And she felt a dread unmatched since, well, since seeing it.
He initially showed no reaction to this, and she wondered if he knew what she meant. But he tilted his head back, showing that his lower lip was quivering. "I never m-meant to see it..." That same glitch, that same sense of unnamable fear. "I c-could not f-find a purpose..."
Immediate regret. She turned rapidly, breaking their handhold to rest both her hands on his shoulders. "We are not there. That place cannot affect us here." That position left her face to face with him, so she could finally fully take in the look in his eyes. "We c-cannot fall into that li-lingering fear."
"You heard t-the voice then..."
She leaned forward, draping her arms down his back as she did and resting her head on his shoulder, trying desperately to comfort him, trying desperately to seek comfort herself. "Only there. I have not heard it s-since."
"Nor have I..."
It had, after all, been Arven's voice.
"...I wish to hear your tale." AI Turo spoke without stuttering.
Without moving from her embrace, AI Sada shook her head. "I wish to hear how you came to this spot. How you found the bridge."
When he chuckled, something that she hadn't thought he would do so soon after such an intensely negative emotion, she pulled back to see him smiling. There was still nervousness across his face, a tightness at the edges of his mouth, but a smile just the same. "This is the longest I have stayed in one place. After t-that, the presumed one hour limit lifted, and I was able to stray about as I pleased. In the time since, I have simply gone where my feet take me. And when I see things such as a bridge or a boat, I take them. I hope to discover someday if some sapient species has built these artifacts, or if they are a formation of this world."
She pulled back a bit but still kept contact. "Oh, you have seen a boat? I traveled by canoe to that forest! On the other side is a river."
"Is it built for two?" After a beat, he added "the canoe. I believe the river inherently would be, or else it would be a brook. Potentially a creek."
AI Sada couldn't help but laugh, the humor of his dry statement feeling so utterly freeing.
Wisdom
Twenty hours had passed. By that point, the two AIs were leaning against each other, and the daylight passing under the wall-less cave ceiling meant that there was no further need for a fire. It had dimmed down to embers, though AI Sada had gathered plenty of firewood and kindling to ensure that it could keep going for a few more days if need be.
After all, it wasn't like they were in any rush.
"It is such a funny thing to consider." AI Sada had been musing about the potential ramifications of the world's randomness. "It is almost akin to a board game with tiles laid down."
"I have thought the same. And if this world has such places as the crystal pool," some part of him was glad that he could mention it without stuttering or glitching, especially with what he was about to say, "then I would think that perhaps it is in part drawn from our own memories. Although I do not know how that would be." He looked away again. "My sensors treat this realm as a physical place, but confess that I have the nagging feeling that it may be a simulation. That none of this..." He couldn't bring himself to finish that sentence.
She patted his back. "I do not believe that to be possible. It is far too real for that. And besides the scattered nature of the biomes and the crystal structures, there is too much internal consistency. A simulation would have small tells, glitches and imperfections here and there." After a pause, she added "Although I have not ruled out the notion that some force is drawing from our memories. But I believe it is a force that exists in reality."
His eyes closed as he pondered what she had said. It was correct; a simulation would not be as perfect a world as this. Which was quite a relief. A slow nod. "I concur."
She could see the flash of his eyes behind his eyelids. Blue, while her internal lights were red. Some part of her wondered why Professor Turo wouldn't have made them purple. After all, red, orange, those were Professor Sada's favorite colors. "The worlds we came from already function in strange ways. It would not surprise me to consider that a god may have tossed this world together. Perhaps it is some manner of testing grounds before ideas are implemented elsewhere."
After letting that sink in for a moment, he turned back to look at her. One eyebrow was slightly raised. "Are you suggesting that we are in some manner of divine...debug room?"
Well, that was exactly what she was suggesting, wasn't it? A mischievous smile spread across her lips. "It would seem I am saying that is a distinct possibility. It is unquestionably real, but also geologically and physically impossible, so that would be the most direct conclusion."
"I...see." With a merry laugh, he tilted back to lay on the ground, and with his arm still around her, she followed suit. "It may say considerable things about my journey so far that your theory makes perfect sense. I cannot see a flaw in it."
She adjusted to the new position but kept contact by holding his hand again. "We will have to test this hypothesis, but I believe that we will be able to discover the truth no matter what it will be."
"I look forward to it." Though his voice was calm, she could detect much eagerness in it, and she smiled in turn as he continued. "If I may be sentimental--"
"You may."
He squeezed her hand. "--I believe this is the best possible outcome for both of us. We have a brilliant world full of secrets to explore, and have a research partner and friend to explore it with."
A mutual partner, an equal, with whom to rely on utterly. Even in their brief companionship, they knew that the future ahead of them would be beautiful. "I am eager to get started, then."
He gestured to tell her that he intended to sit up, and they did at once. He took a burnt stick from the remnants of the fire and held it like a pencil over the ashes. "Shall we plan where to begin?"
Artificial
"I think that will be an excellent way to progress." AI Turo was finalizing their list. Not that any of it truly needed to be written down, but a crude tiled map in the ash was a start.
AI Sada tried to draw a tiny tree in one of the tiles, but had no implement slender enough to do so properly, and it instead looked like an awkward letter in an unknown language. She pouted, the gesture more subtle than her creator would have done. "I concur. I believe that heading in a single direction is as good a form of exploration as anything."
"We are not trying to get anywhere specific," he agreed. "Would you like to leave now?"
It was late into the afternoon by that point. "I think we should forage for some supplies in this area, but wait until dawn to leave. This is a perfectly good encampment and it would be a shame to have to build another one in only a few hours."
His confusion likewise was distinct but more subtle than his creator. "I know that we are both equipped with night vision."
"Yes, but we'll be less disruptive if we travel during the day, and less likely to raise the ire of a predatory creature. While they would be very little threat to us, it is best to leave them to their natural prey." She rubbed her arm, showing that her lab coat sleeve had a row of small punctures in it. "It is a good thing that our skin is self-repairing. A human would have lost a limb, but for me, it took a minute to rearrange some things."
"Oh!" He reached out and reassuringly rested a hand on her upper arm, above where the punctures were. "I am so grateful you are all right." Despite the detached, clinical tone in which he spoke, it seemed that he was struck by what she said, and had no idea how to properly express his concern. "You have not demonstrated any sort of restriction in the mobility of your arm, so ought I assume that you have solved the issue?"
"Of course." She patted his hand as best she could with the angle, raising the affected arm and having to turn her own hand around to nudge his. "It is all right. To fix it entirely was nothing."
His expression softened, but he kept his hand where it was. "You must have been frightened."
"Yes, but it was nothing compared to what we have both endured." That wasn't nearly as reassuring as she had wanted it to be. "Regardless, I am fine." She wanted to add that if she could survive the Protocol, she could survive almost anything, but that was a very Professor Sada way of thinking that downplayed current or future danger. "Besides, I will have you with me, and there is safety in numbers."
He withdrew his hand, sliding it from under hers, and a moment later cocked his head, other hand coming to his chin in that distinctive gesture his creator would make when deep in thought. "I have a question."
Now, that got her curious. "You know that you can ask me anything."
"All right." His posture stiffened a little, clear nervousness. "May I hug you?"
What a question! Joy sprouted through her, a celebratory feeling the likes of which she had never felt. With perhaps the biggest smile she had ever displayed, she wrapped her arms around him and rested her head on his shoulder.
It took a moment for him to realize that this was permission for him to do likewise, and he savored it, slowly finding the perfect spot to rest his arms and properly embrace her. He bobbed his head up and down, and she realized that he was trying to nuzzle her cheek.
If she had the receptors to feel such things, she would have found it to feel quite ticklish. But she could rely on memory. "You said that you do not care for your hairstyle, but I find your beard quite attractive."
She could feel him smile. "If we are able to create the necessary items to alter our appearances, I will take care to leave that how it is. Although..."
"Yes?"
After a soft chuckle, he somewhat sheepishly admitted "I wondered if you carried your creators' wish that my creator had a fuller beard. And I admit I have been curious how that would look."
She paused to imagine it, a process that involved bringing up an image that had accompanied a report, the author having a thick and wild beard, and superimposing it on an image of AI Turo. The result was highly unflattering to a comical degree. "You may do what you wish, but I differ with her in that regard too."
"Well, if we ever do create such a breakthrough in this world that will permit such changes, we will concern ourselves with such things at that point and revisit this subject." He craned his head back to look at her. "Although I ask that you do not alter your eyes. They are the perfect color."
Theoretically, they could change their eye colors at any time, but they would have no reason to do so. "All right," she laughed, unwinding an arm from him. "I promise to not alter my eye color. And you never should either." Her hand cupped his face. "That color is...warm. Beautiful. Comforting."
As intensely as he watched her, taking in every detail of her gaze, there was still some hesitation. "Are we rushing into things?" But he made no effort to pull back.
"I..." The question was not entirely out of nowhere. "If you wish to take things slower, we can. But I do wish to be by your side."
"Of course!" Despite his normally inexpressive tone, AI Turo nearly shouted his affirmation, firm in his conviction. "Do not mistake my hesitation as a refusal. I believe the fact that we can exist together is nothing short of a blessing!" But he looked away for a moment, those soft brown eyes reflecting decades of memories. "I simply cannot...I still feel the pain our creators both endured from and inflicted on each other. So I hesitate."
She squeezed him a little tighter. "I understand. And we have only just met."
"Oh, that is not the issue. I feel as though I have known you for lifetimes."
The way he said it was so matter-of-fact that AI Sada couldn't help but laugh. "I feel the same way. But I do understand. We are constructs made from very flawed humans, but we are not them. We can correct their mistakes."
He leaned into her embrace as if wanting to absorb every feeling of it into his memory. "Sometimes I do...struggle with knowing things logically versus fearing illogical things."
"That is our human side. I do that too. It comes naturally to us." Her voice was soothing, calming, a light in the proverbial dark. "Now then, my companion, would you like to join me for a walk in the forest? If we are to begin our journey at daylight, we must find what we need for it now."
He calmed, body relaxing, and stepped back. "Of course. I like that...'my companion'."
AI Sada didn't exactly want to tell him that it was something that her creator had read in a fantasy book when she was twelve. "Let us go together."
And they continued together, hand in hand.
Paradise
They would go west, as far as it could take them, and when they reached a massive lake, they went northeast, and soon their plan to go in single directions changed to wandering wherever they wished.
And they would explore the vastness of the strange world, sometimes for years at a time.
And then they would settle in some places, building a shelter that would become a home and remaining there for years as well, then moving on when the desire set in.
Every answer they find leads to more questions. They will be entangled in the mystery of that world for as long as they please to be. Someday, perhaps, they may uncover the reasons behind that world, but until then, they continue to enjoy their quest.
Their adventures have been vast, the sorts of things that their creators could have only dreamed of, and they have never once parted.