Chapter 141: The Day the Code Fell in Love (11)

Bai Yao was a plant researcher, not a mechanical expert, so she had no way of knowing what consequences Shi Jiu’s physical changes might entail. However, seeing him struggle to maintain his balance as he stood up from the floor, she knew his system was malfunctioning.

She reached out to steady his arm. He blinked, looking slightly exhausted, then said with a hint of urgency, "I only have some damaged circuitry. It is not a major issue, Miss Bai. I have not reached the point of being scrapped. Please... please do not think of me as useless."

Whenever an android suffered even a minor malfunction, the first instinct of the wealthy was never to repair them, but to discard them as scrap at a recycling center and purchase a newer, more advanced model.

Bai Yao looked into his unnatural eyes and said, "I plan to go to Blue-White Star. That is where my family’s corporate headquarters are located. We have the best engineers and technicians there. I will have them fix you up."

Shi Jiu lowered his gaze, then looked up with a smile. "Yes, thank you."

Bai Yao’s thoughts were simple: if his trouble was merely a matter of damaged circuits, it would be easy to repair. What she failed to realize was that once the engineers discovered his programs were acting abnormally, their first step would be to check for viruses. Then, they would format his memory and restore him to factory settings.

He did not want to be formatted. Even though, logically, an android should not have such things as "wants" or "don't wants," he knew very clearly that there were things he did not want.

The ship’s system chimed, "The vessel is about to initiate a jump. Passengers, please take your seats and fasten your seatbelts."

A jump utilized massive amounts of energy to warp the space between the ship and its destination, shortening the linear distance. Bai Yao helped Shi Jiu into a chair before sitting in another herself. As they buckled their belts, the ship vibrated, and the space outside the glass porthole began to fold and curve.

The shaking intensified. Bai Yao gripped her seatbelt tightly. Just as the crushing air pressure seemed to reach its limit, the ship shuddered and breached the warped space.

The black expanse of the universe seemed no different than what they had seen before—or at least, if there were differences, they were impossible to distinguish with the naked eye. Bai Yao quickly checked the control panel to confirm their arrival coordinates.

Destination reached: Andromeda Galaxy—Desolate Star.

Bai Yao froze. She frantically tapped the panel to exit the screen and check the input history.

The history log showed that this had been the set destination from the very beginning. Seeing her expression, Shi Jiu asked with concern, "Miss Bai, is there a problem?"

"I didn't set the coordinates to this place." Bai Yao looked out the window as the ship pierced the atmosphere, descending rapidly. Her brow furrowed. "Could I have entered the wrong coordinates from the start? But that’s impossible..."

She might make a mistake with coordinates for other planets, but Blue-White Star was her home. She had traveled between her school and Blue-White Star countless times; how could she have been so careless?

Bai Yao fell into a state of deep self-doubt. Or perhaps, was she so preoccupied with her research mission that she had unconsciously entered the coordinates for the Andromeda Galaxy?

Shi Jiu asked naively, "If we are in the wrong place, can we turn back?"

Bai Yao shook her head. "The ship just completed a jump; its energy is depleted. It will take at least a month for the power to recover."

Shi Jiu said, "I see. What should we do, then?"

He remained as indecisive as ever, deferring to her for every decision, appearing almost unnervingly obedient.

The ship had now broken through the atmosphere, hovering over the Desolate Star. It was an undeveloped planet, and from above, one could see its raw, primal state: rushing rivers and tall, black trees with twisted branches. Unlike the foliage of Earth, these branches were devoid of leaves, covered only in thorns, resembling the claws of wild beasts clutching at the air, waiting to ensnare the unwary.

The planet was suffused with darkness and desolation; it gave an ominous impression at first glance. Yet, it possessed an ecosystem, which perhaps held research value.

Bai Yao sighed helplessly. "Well, since we’re here, we might as well make the best of it. We’ll take it one step at a time."

In many instances, the sentiment of "since we’re already here" remained deeply rooted in the psyche of every person from her homeland. The ship touched down in an open area. After the external sensors scanned the environment, the system announced that the temperature and oxygen levels were suitable for human survival.

Bai Yao shouldered her pack, made a few quick preparations, and stepped off the ship with him.

The weather on the Desolate Star was gloomy, the air damp, and black vegetation was everywhere. Bai Yao moved forward slowly, scanning her surroundings. Shi Jiu followed at her side, his fingers quietly hooking the corner of her skirt as he smiled softly to himself.

To human perception, this planet truly held nothing beautiful. Shi Jiu stared at his fingers hooked onto her hem, his pure, genuine smile deepening. In this world of gloom and darkness, he alone had the right to grasp this sliver of white.

Bai Yao wanted to find a suitable spot to plant her seeds, and then they could return to the ship. Once the energy reserves were replenished, they would be able to jump again and return to Blue-White Star.

Suddenly, Shi Jiu grabbed her hand. "There is something ahead."

Beneath the black trees lay clusters of disgusting, black matter encased in mucus. Perhaps sensing their proximity, the black, spherical masses began to writhe slowly.

Bai Yao stepped back. "Are these... eggs?"

Shi Jiu replied, "There are signs of biological activity inside."

When this planet was first discovered, it had been scanned. The publicly released data stated that the planet was not dangerous; otherwise, Bai Yao would never have chosen it for her experiment.

Even so, Bai Yao quickly pulled Shi Jiu far away. There was no telling what kind of alien viruses humans might be defenseless against, especially on an unexplored planet where the flora and fauna were entirely unknown.

After careful consideration, and mentally reviewing every scene from science fiction movies where a protagonist’s curiosity led to their demise, she said, "Let’s not go any further. I’ll just dig up some soil to take back."

Bai Yao chose a patch of damp soil by the riverbank, where the vegetation grew particularly lush. Before she could ask for help, Shi Jiu had already taken out the tools and scooped some soil into a glass jar.

Bai Yao crouched beside him and said, "That’s enough."