Following an excellent meal – Max’s parents had bought a real farmer’s chicken raised outdoor – the two young adventurers picked up their stuff and got out of the house, promising the boy’s parents they would not do any crazy or stupid things and be back for dinner. Max was going for his car when Valentia told him to follow her.
They arrived in front of a warehouse a few minutes away. After she entered an access code, the huge doors opened on a small spaceship. Judging from its outside, it must have been at least five centuries old, certainly abandoned by its owners following energy supply issues to have it fly and not enough cash to buy a newer model. Indeed, the sale of spaceships was strictly forbidden by the universal government, and owning one meant constantly upgrading it to newer versions. This way, the FuturaTech could control the entire space fleet with up-to-date versions and avoid any strikes and rebellions against the government.
But this ship was not what Valentia was coming for: she went passed the space ship to the back of the warehouse close to a car-like shape covered by a dirty black sheet. “There you go!” she said proud of herself while removing the sheet and revealing a magnificent coupé. That car was far more beautiful than every other car ever designed by the FuturaTech Max had ever seen in his entire life. “And you haven’t even started to be surprised about how amazing this vehicle is!” Valentia continued. The young man remained speechless in front of the car, unable to move any muscle. Valentia had to shake him up for him to come out of his thoughts: “Where did you get such a wonder?” Valentia was quite embarrassed by the question and hesitated for long seconds before answering: “He is from my past. It’s a long story…But for now, if you would like to get on, please.” She brushed her hand on the car’s hood, which automatically activated the vehicle:
“Hello Valentia! It has been such a long time! How are you?
— Hi, Newt! Valentia answered. All is fine, do not worry about me.
— Knowing you, I doubt that!
— It is none of your concern! Can you run a complete inspection of your circuits and engines, please?
— Already running, Val. I knew you would ask me that. Dirt, clog and rust are absolutely non-existent. My circuits work perfectly. And my batteries are still in great shape!
— Great then! »
Max had remained aside from Valentia and her car, dumbstruck by what he was seeing and hearing: he had never encountered a robot interacting so naturally with a human and have such a conversation.
“Oh, I am so sorry! Valentia exclaimed. Max, let me introduce you to Newt, my car.
— The comparison to a car is not really flattering, Val… Hello, Max!”
The boy did not know what to say to the robot.
“Don’t be afraid, you can speak to Newt the same way you would speak to any human. He is one of the most advanced artificial intelligence systems of our time, Valentia explained.
— It is like I am human, without all the design flaws! the vehicle mocked.
— Err… well… Nice to… meet you? Max tried.
— Likewise! The pleasure’s mine! Valentia told me so much about you! Newt started. She always speaks…
— Shut up! Valentia ordered to Newt which stopped and blinked its headlights in a way to ask for forgiveness. Enough talking, we need to move. We have no time to waste.”
The two friends got in the car as Valentia started transferring indications and orders to Newt by thought. When the transfer was finished, Newt approved its owner’s plan entirely the same way Max did earlier and promised to help her see it through as well as rescue her in case anything should happen to her. Valentia did not wait long before answering: “Oh my dear Newt, of course you will come and rescue me! Even if that is not to happen any time soon…” But Newt, with all the repartee it had to learn to use with its driver, answered that she may not be seated here that day if it was not for itself. Valentia did not respond. Max did not understand what was happening. An icy silence followed that discussion, until Newt decided to warm up. The slow preheating of its engines had completed – the vehicle did not want to risk damaging itself nor its reactors switching them on too quickly after such a long time of inactivity.
The car took off and exited the warehouse, activating in its path the automatic closure of the doors. “Buckle up, friends! We are now leaving Elegia’s atmosphere!” Max was hanging tightly on the handle next to him: he was frightened by the very idea of escaping a planet’s atmosphere in such a small ship – which was more of a car than a ship – as he had never lived such an experience before. Trying to reassure him, Valentia took his left hand, brought it to her lips and kissed it gently on its back. Max turned his head toward his partner with a look for which every single student in their university would have killed to see even once in their life: Max’s eyes, usually green, had dressed up in a mesmeric golden-bronze shade, reflecting the sun behind Valentia. Max had this distinctive characteristic in his eyes that made him unique. Very few people in the galaxy had eyes that could switch between colors. Some legends said they were the messengers of gods; other myths saw demons in them, sent to seed chaos into this world. Scandalmongers had them escaping from genetic labs of the FuturaTech. But whatever the true origin of color-switching eyes, the simple fact that Max had green eyes was already unique and rare. Indeed, with the decades and centuries, eye colors had homogenized and nearly all humans had the same brown, black or grey eyes. This double rarity of Max’s eyes had always fascinated everyone paying attention to it and the boy was used to turning this into his advantage to subjugate and destabilize anyone rising up against him. The young man was well aware of this but never dared to abuse of it. At that moment, Valentia could not refrain herself any longer from kissing him with passion while contemplating his magnificent eyes, reflecting more and more of the sun as they were rising in Elegia’s atmosphere.
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