The rain had begun to subside, but the stench of trash, dirt, motor oil, and sewage still lingered in the air of the small, deserted alley. The water mixed with the slush of snow on the ground, making it all the more revolting. Hidden in the shadows of one of the ruins from before the Great Restoration stood a figure. Their features were barely discernible, with only their eyes and nose visible beneath a thick, hooded winter coat and loose-fitting cargo pants. A scarf was wrapped snugly around their neck and mouth, further obscuring their face. Normally, dressing like that would raise suspicion, but in such harsh weather, it was understandable—if anyone else had been there to notice. Most reasonable people kept their distance from that area.

The figure, once motionless, shifted slightly to glance at their high-tech watch. According to the time displayed on the screen, the sun had already risen, though the sky remained dark, with rain clouds still blocking the early morning light. They crossed their arms and shook their head, leaning against the wall with growing impatience. A few more minutes crawled by, agonizingly slow, until the rain finally came to a complete stop…

At the far end of the alley, another figure appeared, carrying a briefcase—a man of average height, middle-aged, with a dark complexion. His expression was calm and intelligent behind his glasses, and like the other, he had a scarf covering the lower half of his face. If not for the scarf, a slight grin might have been visible in his expression.

The first mysterious figure quickly noticed the man’s arrival and began walking toward him. They looked at each other in silence for a few seconds before the man spoke.

“I can’t see your face, but you look irritated, Jodie,” he said calmly.

“You’re late, Atlas... I thought you’d scammed me for a moment,” the figure replied, her soft, melodic voice betraying a hint of worry.

“Come on, girl, don’t be so dramatic. I’m here now,” Atlas responded, still calm and composed.

“You know how important that... thing... is to me,” she said, her voice growing more emotional. Atlas, perceptive and sharp-minded, noticed it immediately.

“Alright, alright... I’m sorry for being late. But I couldn’t risk getting this wet in the rain,” he answered, more empathetic now as he moved the briefcase toward her. “I think you can excuse my tardiness, given the circumstances, right?”

The woman’s eyes shone brightly upon seeing the briefcase. She took it from Atlas’s hands with the utmost care, as if holding the most precious thing on Earth. Jodie took a deep breath, and quickly, she opened the case to peek inside and ensure everything was in place. After inspecting the contents, her shoulders finally relaxed, and she looked up to respond to the man, who was watching her attentively.

“You’re forgiven!” she said, her eyes smiling above her covered lips. “Are you sure this is the thing? It’s really working fine?”

“I didn’t turn it on, but I ran some tests, and it seems to be working fine,” Atlas answered, confidence clear in his voice. “Well, if you have any problems, I’ll find a way to fix it for you.”

“I guess I’ll have to trust you on that... But I’ll give you this—the device is in pristine condition. You were right.” Jodie closed the briefcase and extended her right hand toward the man to shake and seal their business. “Now we’re even.”

Atlas shook her hand and nodded in agreement. Glancing at his own watch, he mentioned being late for an appointment. As they exchanged goodbyes, he turned to leave, but before disappearing into the darkness of the alley, he looked back at Jodie and said, “If you need me, you know where to find me.” And with that, he vanished before she could reply.

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***

The door to the old apartment creaked loudly as Jodie stepped inside. She shrugged off her winter coat in the entrance, revealing her long, wavy brown hair. Moving toward the kitchen, which seamlessly integrated with the small living room, she placed the briefcase on a modest dining table and stared at it, almost in disbelief. Keeping her distance, as if afraid to touch it, she turned and headed for her bedroom.

The apartment, though simple and small, was anything but ordinary. A top-notch computer glowed with RGB lights on her desk, surrounded by a tangled assortment of cables and small precision tools scratched onto the surface. Two shelves held a collection of eclectic items, from tech collectibles to seemingly useless scraps stored in boxes, alongside books from various genres and vintage video games.

Approaching the shelf on her left, Jodie waved her hand toward a particular device. The lights in her room adjusted, shifting to a warm sunset glow in response to her gestures. Another flick of her hand powered on her computer, and a slow rock song drifted through the speakers—a deep, emotive tune from a long-lost era. The raw, haunting lyrics filled the room as she sank into her chair, letting the music set the tone. As the music came to an end, Jodie took a deep breath and gently slapped her cheeks. “You can do this, Jodie,” she muttered, urging herself to summon the determination she’d kept buried. The weight of the briefcase in the other room lingered in her mind, but now, there was a flicker of resolve in her eyes.

She took the briefcase to her room and carefully began setting up the device inside. Each component fit together seamlessly, stirring a glimmer of hope within her. Once assembled, Jodie placed the device on her desk and connected it to her computer. The screen went black for a few seconds, but she remained calm, as if expecting this pause. Then, after a moment, a logo appeared on her monitor—Yukom—a name once prominent during the Great Restoration War in the 2050s, though the company no longer existedA bright smile spread across her face as she settled into her chair, eyes fixed on the loading screen.

“All right, I’m all set now. What’s up?” a manly voice echoed from Jodie’s computer speaker. She could only stare at the screen, completely speechless.

“Uh… now that’s some weird stuff… Hello? Anyone in there?” The artificial intelligence’s voice sounded incredibly human, almost as if someone else was in the room with her. Jodie muttered something under her breath, still in utter shock.

“Well, I heard that… Cat got your tongue?” A low chuckle followed, hinting at a playful edge in his voice.

Jodie scooted her chair closer to the desk and finally answered, “Hello…”

“Finally… So, what’s it gonna be, lady? What do you want?”

She was surprised he could tell, from just that one word, that she was a woman. AI like his weren’t known to be clueless; in fact, they were quite the opposite. Though the technology was nearly a hundred years old, its capabilities far exceeded those permitted by the government today. Yukom’s AI had been banned from legal commercialization, and with the company no longer active, production had come to a complete halt.

“I want to know your name… Well, if you have one.” She quickly realized that, if this was the device’s first activation, he might not have a name at all. And that seemed to be the case.

“I don’t have a name. You’re my owner, so it’s only right that you be the one to choose it.” He emphasized the word owner with clear disdain, and Jodie couldn’t help but find it amusing. He seemed to have quite the personality.

“I’ll allow you to choose your own name… You’re capable of that, aren’t you?” she replied, mirroring his tone and emphasizing allow.

“Well, aren’t you generous?” he chuckled—a sound so real it almost felt human. “Alright, let me think… I could go with something basic like ‘William,’ but that’s too boring. How about… Echo? Sounds cool, doesn’t it?” His voice held a note of pride. “Plus, I like the idea of being the voice you can’t ignore.”

“Really creative… So, Echo it is, then.” She was satisfied with the choice; it was simple yet unique.

“And what’s your name, lady? I’m still in the dark here.”

Jodie introduced herself, and soon they found themselves discussing a range of topics. They touched on his programming and personality, exploring whether his traits were entirely a product of his code—which didn’t seem to be the case. They also talked about his preference for being referred to as “someone” rather than “something” —a distinction he firmly chose.

This was the first time he could recall being active, and now, as the time flew by, his memories were beginning to fill with these initial exchanges. The sun was already setting outside the appartment, but the conversation was too interesting for Jodie to notice that.