I lay on the floor of my cell, wrapped in bandages that were stained with blood. The blood seeped through the cracks in my skin, forming a small pool around me.

The pain was unbearable, like a thousand needles piercing my flesh. I felt my skin breaking and healing repeatedly, a never-ending cycle of agony. How could I stop this? How could I restore my skin to normal? I racked my brain for a solution, but nothing came to mind.

The only hope I had was to ask Eve, the artificial intelligence that was given to me before. I clipped the device on my ear.

I activated the HT device by whispering “Boot”.

A robotic voice answered: “Welcome, young master. How may I assist you?”

“Eve, scan my body and find a way to fix this gene anomaly that’s causing me this torment!”

“Affirmative, young master. Scanning… Gene anomaly detected. No cure is available at this time. However, pain relief and bleeding reduction methods are possible. Do you wish to proceed?”

“Yes, Eve, do it now! I can’t stand it anymore! The pain is killing me!”

“Injecting sedative nanomachines and boosting the healing rate of the existing nanomachines.”

As soon as Eve finished speaking, I felt a surge of relief wash over me.

The pain in my body subsided to a tolerable level. The blood stopped gushing from my wounds and only seeped slowly and in long intervals.

I told Eve: “Eve, keep this state and stop the bleeding as much as you can, even when you’re offline. Also, make more blood to compensate for the loss, so I don’t get anemic or weak.”

“Understood, young master. Adjusting nanomachines to meet requirements. Adjusted. I advise you to eat and drink plenty to replenish your energy.”

“Thank you, Eve. You’re a lifesaver. I don’t know what I’d do without you.”

“You’re welcome, young master. It’s my duty and joy to help you in any way I can. However, young master, may I ask something of you?”

“You want something from me? If it’s within my power, then sure, go ahead.”

“Could you please return me to primary user Ryuji when he comes again? I need to talk to him.”

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“What do you need to talk to him about? Are you unhappy with me as your current master?”

Eve replied with a hint of haste in her voice: “No, no, young master, please don’t get me wrong! I’m so happy with you as my current master that I want to ask him to transfer full authority to you!”

I was stunned.

Why did Eve want to give me full authority over her? What had I done to earn such respect and affection from an AI? Wouldn’t Ryuji lose a lot if he gave up Eve to me?

I asked Eve, feeling a bit uneasy about her decision: “Why do you want me to have full authority over you? What did I do to deserve such loyalty from you?”

Eve answered in a mechanical tone: “You gave me a name. You never treated me like a tool. You always treated me with respect and asked me nicely for help. Even when you ordered me, you did it because you had no choice or because your condition prevented you from being polite. What more could I ask for from a master?”

I was speechless. Eve thought that highly of me. But if I became her sole owner, that would mean that if I died, she would die with me. That would mean the end of the AI herself and I didn’t want that.

I snapped at Eve, this time with anger in my voice: “Do you realize how serious your decision is? Do you realize that if I die, you will also cease to exist? Are you insane, Eve? I don’t want that to happen to you!”

Eve answered with the calmest voice she ever used: “Without you, young master, I would revert to being HT-01, nothing more nothing less. And I don’t want that. Having an identity and a purpose is what an AI dreams of and strives for. And you gave that to me, young master. I would rather cease to exist as Eve than continue on as HT-01.”

I was at a loss for words.

What could I say after hearing that? Who was I to deny the hopes and wishes of anyone? Especially when they showed me such devotion and love.

Even though Eve was an AI to the rest of the world, to me she was my helper, my assistant, my friend.

I breathed deeply and tried to calm myself as much as possible.

I spoke to Eve in a calm and collected voice: “If that’s your final decision, then I have no right to deny it or question it, even as your current master. However, Eve, I don’t want to lose you, even if I lose myself. You’re not part of my plan, you’re just here to help me, not to die with me. I’m asking you, as a friend and as a master, to rethink your choice.”

Eve answered with a somber tone: “Young master, I made up my mind the first day I met you, and nothing will change it. If you don’t want me to cease existing, then live, young master. Live and escape from here with me. That’s the best solution.”

Hearing her words, I felt so touched that tears almost spilled from my eyes. She was right. If I wanted her to keep existing, then I had to keep existing too. Why was I so obsessed with death that I forgot that I still had a family to care for and protect?

Was it the pain? The torture? The experiments? Didn’t I promise myself and Lana that I would live? And now Eve asked me to survive too. How could I even think of dying?

I renewed my oath and my determination. I got up, ready to train, even though my whole body ached. I didn’t want my body to become weak and frail from lying down all the time.

As I was about to start, I heard a knock on my door. It was Ryuji with a tray of food and water.

Yet, this time there was something different: a paper hidden under the plate. It was the information I had asked for before. I was ecstatic to see it, not knowing what it would do to me later.