With the help of two young people, a man slowly stands up from a couch. He is only 66 years old at human age but he looks older, fatigue and weak. The former brilliance has nearly faded away completely.
"This may be my last time," The old man murmurs,
"You know, dead men tell the best tales."he talks to the two young men and smiles.
"Everything has been recorded." one of them replies.
"Except here, " He points to his head, "and there", then he points to a direction in the air.
It seems far away in the space but also far away in the time back to 50 years ago.
When 16-year-old Aiden stepped down from his air mount, a pure white peace dove, he was stunned by the vibrant and futuristic mechanical world before him.
Circular, cylindrical, spherical, cubical, bird-shaped, gyroscopic objects, and some forms he had never seen before, shimmering in the sunlight and moving without flapping or vibrating wings, were constantly ascending and descending in the highest skies. Beneath them, a layer of massive, spiraling tracks, resembling the slides he had played on as a child, were enclosed in transparent tubes. These tracks, some straight, some curved, stacked layer upon layer, circle upon circle, extended endlessly to far-off, unknown destinations. Inside the transparent tubes, long and short cylindrical objects darted rapidly back and forth.
Closer to the ground, where Aiden and the others stood, were wheeled objects—some with two wheels, some with four, and even some with a single wheel—along with humanoid figures moving about. Occasionally, these humanoid figures would transform into wheeled forms and suddenly speed away. One of them abruptly stopped and transformed back into a humanoid figure right next to Aiden and his group. Bowing deeply, it greeted them:
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"Welcome to Cyberstein!"
"Hello!" Aiden and the group bowed in return. Aiden studied her closely and realized she looked exactly like a human. Sensing the curiosity in Aiden's eyes, she responded with a smile:
"You must be this year’s human representative for the Olympic Intellectual Subdivision. I’m Unit 2049, the host for this year’s Olympic events. You can conveniently call me Unit 49. Please follow me."
As she spoke, a row of luxurious, minibus-like vehicles lined up neatly along the roadside.
"Please board one vehicle per person. Since Cyberstein has no concept of rooms, hotels, or similar accommodations, each of these vehicles will serve as your mobile hotel, dining space, and private quarters for all your needs."
Everyone looked toward Aiden, who couldn’t wait and eagerly stepped into the nearest vehicle. The metallic scent immediately filled his nostrils, overwhelming his senses. Despite the effort to decorate the interior with painted hues on the bed, bathroom, and desk, the metallic essence was unmistakable.
"Can I redecorate it myself?" Aiden asked Unit 49.
"Of course! It’s your space; you can do whatever you want with it. You could even light a campfire in there if you wish," she replied with a playful smile, clearly amused by her own joke.
Aiden returned her smile, softly closed the door, and the rest of the group boarded their respective vehicles. Unit 49 winked, and the convoy of vehicles departed one after another, heading toward the northernmost point of this steel metropolis.
In his new "apartment," Aiden removed the crossbody bag he had been carrying. From inside, he took out a small, fragrant pouch and picked a tiny, shriveled bud that had curled up. He fetched a cup from the closet, filled it halfway with water, and placed the tiny bud into it. Then he pulled back the curtains on the car window, letting sunlight pour in, shifting directions as the vehicle moved. The sunlight danced across the cup, and the tiny bud seemed to spring to life as if by magic. Its tendrils rapidly unfurled, stretching out of the cup to chase the specks of sunlight. Guided by Aiden’s graceful arm movements, the vine-like tendrils gradually spread throughout the room. With a few more sweeping motions, they even formed a hammock.
“You’re my little darling,” Aiden murmured, as if communicating with the tendrils. He gently patted them, and they responded with a rhythmic, lively movement.
Suddenly, a sound came from the bag, reminding Aiden of something. He quickly unpacked the bag completely, and out jumped a cheetah the size of a kitten. Aiden hurriedly opened a can of beef chunks and tossed a few pieces to it. The tiny cheetah eagerly gobbled them up, chewing noisily.