Grandmother’s passing came suddenly.

Before Xiao Yulan could comprehend, she had long been left behind. Watching the video of the funeral afar, the only things that remained were her grandmother’s ashes and a curious sense of disembodied rationality. Like an astronomer glancing at a planet far away, Yulan felt millions of light years away from reality.

In a moment, she thought, she would wake up and everything would be just like before.

Alone, Yulan stared at the sterile ceiling, waiting patiently for the heavy numbness that had swallowed her heart to recede. This stifling room that housed her since birth never felt more constricting. Far away...she must go somewhere far away...The world held no place for her...

“Patient stress level has reached a critical point. Miss Yulan, please relax as we administer sedatives..”

The robotic voice was light and musical - a little high and childish, but hit a degree of noise that seemed to hold a calming effect to the listener. It’s little round body rolled over, circular ears twitching like a cat. The constant dim blue light of the great machine that loomed over her like a strange guardian brightened as it followed protocol. Soon, Yulan began to feel her body relax.

The robotic voice said something else after, but her mind had already drifted away in a buzz - no longer cognizant of the world.

For a period, this scene cycled, looped like a video played again and again on repeat.

It wasn’t until the passage of her 12th birthday that human interference released her from her stupor.

Behind the glass partition, the government social worker was a garish splash of blood against the pristine white of the hospital room. Her arms were crossed as she sat on a chair across from the patient bed; only a small continual tick of her leg giving any indication of her impatience. Next to her, the resident nurse remotely operated the machine with a skillful and familiar hand, inputting the counter procedure for the sedative in the patient’s system.

In the eyes of the social worker, Yulan seemed little more than a porcelain doll - thin, fragile, and motionless. The girl was quite tragic, really, but once one removed her from her special condition and environment, she was just another dime a dozen case.

This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

After a period of time, the girl’s eyelids began to flutter. The social worker fidgeted with the paperwork in her hands as the nurse quietly explained the situation to the girl through the intercom. When the nurse was done, the social worker put on a customer service smile.

“Hello, I’m from the local city government. You can just call me []. I’m here to notify you that your grandmother’s request for your early access virtual ID has been approved by the court.” The social worker opened the folder in front of her and pulled out a single, translucent card. She handed it to the nurse. “I am also here to notify you of your grandmother’s final will. She left behind a sizable sum of money that will be dedicated to your hospital fees. This should give you enough leeway until the age of 18. There, you can apply for further support from the government.“

Silence.

The social worker looked up, peering at the motionless girl. Dark eyes peered muddily at the ceiling, as if she heard not a single word. Mild annoyance surfaced on the face of the woman and she continued abruptly, standing up from the chair. “I will hand over the paperwork to your registered nurse, you can take the time to browse through them as per necessary. If you will excuse me, I will be on my way.”

It was long after the social worker left that Yulan called for the nurse. Numbly, she grasped the access card and final will of her grandmother, the artifacts smelling of antiseptic and a faint foreign perfume. Under supervision, Yulan entered the access pod next to her bed.

The first thing that went in was the memory chip that served as her grandmother’s will. There was quite a lot on there, mainly videos and photos of the two of them, as well as some documents of importance…

...and a single video letter.

Yulan stared at it for a while, something akin to trepidation and a hollow sense of loss. Then, without word, she hit play.

The pod around her lit up, the access panel minimizing as the display opened up the VR system. In front of Yulan stood a mature and regal woman, still youthful despite an age that had long breached her 50s. The woman smiled at her, a perfect replica of life.

Something hot stung her eyes and Yulan found the figure in front of her blurring. When she lifted her hands to her face, she felt that it was wet. However, the person remained motionless, unlike how she would be in life. Her gentle grandmother...had long left this world.

Waiting patiently, the woman stayed silent, until Yulan finally recomposed herself. Then, she spoke softly, her familiar voice warm.

“Ah Lan, by the time you see this, I most likely already left this world.

“It is likely that I wished for more time...I wanted, at the very least, to see your illness cured. To take you to all the places you couldn’t go...But time is cold and life is cruel. If there is a place beyond our mortal bodies, then I hope that I can watch you blossom from afar….

“For you see, life is precious. I hope that when you see this, you will no longer grieve as much over me. You, who fought since birth for the breath of life, are a warrior. A star that shines brightly in the darkness of space. No matter how harsh the world may be, may you please live. Live for yourself and see the world that I couldn’t show you. Grasp freedom wherever it may be and live to the fullest!

“My dear granddaughter, my starlight...Ah Lan, farewell…”

Time passed like water, the same pattern of lights playing against the semi transparent hood again and again. By the time the robot assistant retrieved Yulan from the pod, the tears on her face had long run dry.