Stratocumulus clouds hang low, pressing the sky down onto the mountains. As the transport vehicle winds along the twisting road, Teddy nods gently with each bump, as if knocking on the door of sleep.
Just before her head hits the window, you reach out to shield her forehead.
...Hmm?
Inside her M.I.N.D., the process known as Cyber Counterpunch continues to retrieve suppressed memories, while part of her computational power is still occupied maintaining the Deerbear consciousness simulation. Last night's decomposition routines were, frankly, her own doing.
It's fine... probably just had too many electrolytes last night.
Seeing your incredulous look, the fog of fatigue in Teddy's M.I.N.D. lifts almost completely. She lowers her head and chuckles softly.
The longer you two travel together, the more moments arise that tug at each other's hearts.
Relieved by her smile, you take the chance to ask the question she avoided yesterday.
In simple terms, it's kind of a sensor—normally used for assisted driving in bad weather.
Wow, you're smart...
Uh...
In the passenger seat, Teddy slumps down like a deflated plush, pulling her long hair forward to hide her face like a pouting child.
What was I supposed to do back then, huh... It's already done anyway.
What do you want from me now...
A faint tremor ripples outward from deep within her M.I.N.D., like a hammer tapping beneath the knee, triggering words that escape before she can stop them.
Let's pull over. I'll contact Babylonia and call this trip off—
I was being serious... forget it.
Out of your sight, Teddy frowns and gives her head a quick shake.
...Hmph... keep teasing me and I'll climb out the sunroof.
You check the typhoon path data in the system and breathe easier. The rest of the route lies outside the severe impact area—you should be able to avoid the worst of the storm.
It might not even rain, you know.
Teddy blinks.
A flash of lightning lights up her profile. Thunder rolls, and the rain comes down in torrents, clawing at the windows like a hissing swarm of restless cats.
According to the weather broadcast, the typhoon's path has shifted. A landslide has buried the bridge ahead, forcing them to detour through the mountains.
What is this, an episode of "The Misadventures of Teddy"?
Even if you've only caught the tail of the typhoon, the mountain rain still causes serious problems for the journey.
The transport vehicle's window defoggers have given up, and the real-time road sensors are down.
After one last slide into the mud, the engine sputters a few protests, then dies for good.
Nobody could've predicted that bridge would collapse. The detour wasn't exactly part of the plan.
First things first, we fix the engine... We can't stay here.
Teddy leans against the window, eyeing the hills and ridges on both sides of the road with concern.
I'll go check it out.
But the girl is already out the door and running into the rain.
Without thinking, you grab the handle and follow her.
If humanity's most advanced Construct model still has to worry about a bit of rain...
...then humanity's future is doomed.
You're the one standing out here getting soaked. If you catch a cold, I'll have to take care of you... Wait, is that what you want?
Teddy smiles, blinking through the raindrops. A few slide down her cheek as she tucks the wet strands behind her ear.
Get back in the car. I'll have it fixed in no time.
You...
A look of displeasure clouds the young woman's face. She's clearly annoyed by your stubbornness.
To make matters worse, under the pounding rain, the old vehicle shows absolutely no signs of coming back to life.
Go back inside... You shouldn't stay out here like this.
Let me try again... it might be something else—
Before she can finish, you grab her wrist and guide her firmly back into the car.
I've dealt with bigger problems than a bit of rain. When have you ever seen me back down from anything?
You...
Teddy falls silent, looking uncertainly at you, who now seem upset.
I just... didn't want you catching a cold. Fine, be that way.
There's a faint tremor of hurt behind her stubborn tone. You sigh softly.
You reach out to pat her head, brushing away the raindrops on her cheek. She turns away slightly, eyes closing.
Raindrops trail down from the clouds and fall uninvited on the corners of her eyes, hiding the damp traces within her heart.
Your thumb gently wipes the corner of her eye, and Teddy finally opens hers.
No.
This isn't solid bedrock, and we don't know what kind of terrain we're standing on. I'm not gambling on whether it'll slide or not. We need to push the car out of here, now.
But you're right. We'll do it together.
If you hate sitting around, come help me push the car.
And finally, she smiles.
If you really get sick, I'll take responsibility for you.
[player name], I'll take good care of you.
With a Construct's help, pushing a car isn't hard. You two lean against the car with your full weight. The wheels turn through the mud, leaving two parallel tracks that frame your matching footprints.
Slowly, you two leave the treacherous mountains behind. Beyond the veil of rain, the path begins to open up.
The heavy rain shows no sign of stopping, yet the sky above is bright and clear blue. It's a daylight downpour, caught between the blazing sun and a sweeping arc of rainbow.
Even the most steadfast materialist might, in the face of such a rare gift from fate, wonder if a wish made at the rainbow's end could really come true.
And as if answering the wish in the girl's anxious heart, beneath the rainbow stands a great arch of granite, silent and unmoving, like an old friend from stories who always keeps their promises.
Let's take shelter over there, Commandant. Are you cold?
The wheels roll over mud and wet grass, and every trace of frustration quietly fades into the damp air. When your stubborn vehicle finally crawls up the cliff, the arching rock ahead already reflects the soft glow of sunset.
The moment you pass through that natural archway, the world opens wide.
Below the cliff stretches a vast sea, its surface rippling with light. Thousands of silver threads run from the horizon to the waves. Through the shining rain, the setting sun paints the sky and ocean in deep strokes of burning gold and red.
The ancient arch, born in some forgotten age, has waited through endless years, only to appear here, at this moment, as if replacing fate itself, quietly embracing two travelers beneath it.
And even the falling light is lucky enough to be embraced by the sea.
Yeah. It was part of that Constellia beach trip we never got to take...
It's not quite what I pictured, but... it's beautiful.
Your profile grows hazy in the fading sunset light, and past regrets dissolve into mist within that same haziness.
Your eyes sweep across the sea and catch a faint white line cutting through the waves.
Your heart starts pounding. You pull out your road guide and quickly flip through several pages, checking and rechecking the coordinates.
Huh?
Teddy stands there for a moment, lips parted slightly, as if she still can't believe luck could arrive so easily.
The rain clears, leaving the sky polished and pure. The wet ground shimmers faintly, and each small puddle glows like a scattered star, lighting the path ahead.
Okay.
You both press your hands against the back of the vehicle. The worn-out transport vehicle slowly rolls onto the ramp, picking up a little speed as it catches the slope.
Beep... A faint sound, like a heartbeat coming back to life, echoes from the vehicle's control panel and reaches Teddy's auditory module.
One by one, the indicator lights blink back to life. A calm, mechanical female voice follows, almost smug in tone.
Power system restored. Automatic navigation online. Switching to autonomous driving mode.
The engine gives a cheerful hum, starts to move, and glides freely down the slope.
...
You both freeze in place, still holding your pushing stance.
The absurdity of the situation hits hard, mercilessly battering both your human mind and Teddy's M.I.N.D.
Damn it!
She completely loses her composure and breaks into a sprint after the transport vehicle that "betrayed" them the instant it came back to life.
Her angry shouts melt into laughter, bright and breathless.
What the heck? Is this a sequel to "The Misadventures of Teddy" or something?
Pfft—
Hehehe... hah...
Thanks to her reliable Construct frame, Teddy quickly catches up to the vehicle, leaps forward, grabs the rear guardrail with precision, and flips herself neatly onto the roof.
Commandant!
She reaches out a hand toward you, the setting sun casting a soft golden glow behind her, as if the light itself is guiding her forward and lighting the path you've taken.
You grasp her forearm firmly. She braces herself, pulling back.
You use the vehicle's momentum to leap upward, landing right beside her.
You lift yourself up slightly; beneath your arm, Teddy's smile glimmers across her pink hair under the fading sunlight.
The transport vehicle cuts through the waves, racing onto the winding sea walkway. Across the mirrored surface where sea and sky become one, the rippling wake forms the only notes dancing in this vast expanse.
The whole sky glows with scattered rays, and the sea below reflects it all, like an inverted sky holding up a burning ocean of clouds.
The spray at the back of the vehicle unfurls like the hem of a white dress, and the crashing waves compose a melody that carries toward the horizon, flowing into the sunset.
It feels like a moment that calls for words.
Commandant, I—
Your face is reflected in her eyes.
Tap tap tap—
The feelings she's been holding back rise to the tip of her tongue.
This sunset in the rain, the rainbow above the blue sea, this perfect coincidence—if these aren't signs or revelations, then what else could they be?
Because of quantum randomness, the universe isn't entirely predetermined nor entirely unknowable, but evolves through probabilities bound by physical law. How generous those probabilities are, to have granted her a moment so close to perfect.
From a physicist's point of view, "fate" is more like a probability cloud. Its randomness and uncertainty always leave room to choose—to change your path.
(If I just make a choice...)
Tap tap tap—
Teddy waits quietly for that ridiculous doll to show up again, to joke around and stop her from saying it.
But no one appears. No one comes to stop her. She has no reason left to hold back her heart.
Commandant, I...
The next moment, a heavy pounding echoes through the depths of her M.I.N.D., each strike sending ripples across the calm lake within. The lingering tremors bring a faint sting to her eyes.
...Nothing.
We're here.
The place where her heart should be remains hollow.
The end sign flashes past your peripheral vision. The sun sinks beneath the sea. The short stretch of the boardwalk nears its end, and ahead lies the seaside village you planned to reach.
