Alright. The name 'Smith'...

Well, it isn't like my family are the only 'Smiths' in the galaxy. And besides, my sister is not that short. Nor is she that hot-tempered. And she isn't...

Anyways, yes, she isn't my sister. So, I was going to assume she was from another family with the same name. I mean, there was no chance that- well, she couldn't be her daughter, adopted or not, and I don't think I had a sister I wasn't aware of...

It's simply not possible. Nuh uh.

I feel a hand on my shoulder. I turn and see Grace, smiling.

For a moment, I'm confused about the fact she was standing in real space, there. Then I recall the facts. Ah yes. Lucy.

"What are ya' thinking 'bout?" She asks.

"Nothing." I say.

"Mhmm. Nice battle. Didn't think you could do that well."She says.

"Thanks," I reply, drily.

She grins and punches me on my shoulder.

"Well, are you going to stay for another battle?" She asks.

I think. Do I want to? Not really. This was fun, but I was missing some of the implants that usually aided my fights. Luckily, I didn't fight on habits but rather worked based on the current situation. That meant I wouldn't instinctively go to an implant that I used to have but not anymore.

Despite how it might increase reaction speed, habits could also make it hard for you to change. And well, my fighting style didn't agree with that, and neither did I.

I shake my head.

"Think I'll be leaving. Don't feel like going for another match."

She shrugs.

"Then what shall we do? It's barely been half an hour."

I shrug.

"I'll figure it out."

I wait till the cube rotates just enough for me to face the opening. Then I kick off, flying forwards. My angle is slightly off, but not enough for it to be a big problem. The hatch opens, and I push slightly off the wall to avoid colliding with it.

Then gravity returns, and I slam into the floor. I turn my head to save my nose.

I pick myself off the ground, to see Grace standing there, covering her mouth as she pretends to resist the urge to laugh.

I dust my suit off as I give her a dry look. She is only further amused. Which, I should've expected to be honest, but right now I couldn't care less.

"Again, what do we do now?"

"I dunno. Just wander around?"

She gives me a look similar to the one I had given her a few moments ago. I then realize why she was amused. I decide I like it.

"I swear I will annoy you like never before." She says, grinding her teeth together.

I raise an eyebrow.

"Sure. Go ahead." I reply impassively.

When I see her fuming face, I have to try very hard to not smile. But a slight boost in my control with my muscles help. Ah, the convenience of implants. I can't live without 'em.

She deadpans.

"You know what? Just walk." She says.

I smile and begin walking. Her eyebrow twitches. I have to prevent my lips from doing the same. Again, my implants greatly help in doing so. I don't think I have that level of self-control.

I stop and think. What if I added an implant that could give me precise control over all my muscles? But then, I would have to spend a lot of time practicing to get used to all the controls. Have to well, basically override instincts that have been there for millennia. I don't think that will be an easy task.

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Well, if I studied how all the muscles worked together, made a program for the basic stuff, and only left the complicated maneuvers for manual control, it could work. But then again, I would have to keep a toggle switch so I can use it only it times of need.

That would be the idea. What materials should I use?

Oh right. I don't have money. And, I'm still on this excursion. Damn it. I have to put that idea on hold.

I see Grace looking at me annoyed. Oh right.

"Just had an idea." I say.

"I'm sure you did." She says, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

"What's with all the hostility today?"

"Today?" She asks.

"Well, now," I add.

"I'm annoyed. Cause of you." She says.

I shrug.

"That's.. your problem. Don't be annoyed is all I can tell you." It was shit advice, but I was doing it on purpose. I could annoy people. Being the good guy was tiring. Being the bad guy... occasionally, that is, was fun.

Well, it would cause problems for me down the road. That was for sure. But right now it didn't matter. I was just annoying a girl. Well, an A.I that's now... something that's a girl. I have my ideas about what happened, but they're mostly baseless guesses. I wouldn't be surprised if all of them were wrong.

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" She asks, her brows furrowed.

Oh well. This could lead to an argument if I say the wrong thing. I could simply back down, but that was no fun. I can be a jerk. After all, I'm only a human.

"Many things." I say. Cryptic is a tried and tested method to piss people off.

"This is what I meant when I said you're annoying me."

I give her an innocent confused face. Seeing her swell with anger a moment later, though, has me laughing, unable to bear it any longer.

She looks confused, then her eyes widen in realization. She rushes forward and tackles me to the ground, pinning my arms.

I look up and see her panting, her eyes ablaze with fury.

"You were doing it on purpose!" She yells.

I lower my eyelids, pout my mouth, and nod. I feel her grip on my arms tighten. I wince.

I poke my tongue out.

"What's wrong with that?" I ask innocently.

"It's annoying me!" She screams in my face. I have to prevent myself from flinching.

"So?" I ask, acting confused.

"Stop doing it!" She yells.

"But why? I'm enjoying it very much." I whine.

"Argh!" And then she releases her grip on one of my hands and slaps me. I'm momentarily stunned.

"Ow," I say, rubbing my cheek. "What was that for?"

"Don't act like you don't know!"

I laugh involuntarily and shut my mouth when I see her expression worsen. I then notice a guy behind her. He's got both his eyebrows raised as he stares at us. Me.

"Ah crap," I say.

She breathes in deeply. I give a slight nod to the person behind her. Grace's eyes widen, and she turns to face him. He smiles sheepishly and raises his hands. He walks backward slowly and then disappears behind a turning.

When Grace turns back around to face me, her cheeks are tinted pink. I grin. She grinds her teeth together. I push her off me and dust my suit.

She stumbles onto her butt.

"Whoops," I say, as I offer her a hand. She glares at me and gets up herself.

I shrug and continue walking. My feet echo through the corridor. I can hear the tell-tale sound of the coolant flowing through walls. It sounds somewhat like 'Grrsshhhhh...'.

I flip through my optical settings. Besides me, I notice Grace seething. I choose to ignore her.

I look out the windows as I pass them. The stars are nice to look at. Bright, and colorful. And the vastness of space... It fills me with a feeling I cannot describe for the life of me.

What was I going to do in the excursion? Improv, probably. That's pretty much how I always did things. It didn't always work out, but I wasn't expecting perfection at every corner.

I was satisfied with how I was. There was no need to change myself as of currently. Yes, I was flawed. I knew that more than anyone. But at least I could say I was different. Just as there were downs, there were ups. Not many can say they can make implant systems off basically... shit. Not really, no matter how good I was, there were certain things I needed. But I knew I was better than most.

Sure, there were things I was bad at. But no one's good at everything. Aiming to be good at everything would be very ambitious, and few could pull it off. I wasn't ambitious.

Just self-centered, I guess. When you don't have people you can trust, that is as a shoulder for you to lean on, what else would happen? Independence was lonely. Dependence made you vulnerable. I don't know which I preferred better. I didn't really feel lonely, but I knew that there were certain things I was missing. Empathy, for one.

My moral code was long since demolished. My past self would probably be horrified if he knew all the things I've done so far. How I've turned out. Actually, I do remember wondering how I would end up in the future. I had decided that there was a chance I wouldn't recognize myself, though I did have ideas for who I wanted to become. Had wanted to become.

I guess I was right. I wouldn't recognize the person I had become if I was little old me six years ago. But that was fine. I couldn't change what had happened.

Just have to move on. Brace myself, and move forward. A lot of other people had people that gave them a reason to, but I just had myself.

But, what about the event? Would I just... wait for the end? Do nothing?

But if I did do something, would it really change a thing? It was like trying to face a natural disaster. It was inevitable. The technology we need to survive past it...

I recall my implants. My new set. But I dismiss it soon after. It was expensive, and couldn't be mass produced. A small group of elite soldiers using it wouldn't make a difference.

No. There was the only way. Get better at Building. Learn. But would it be that easy? Moreso, what I was talking about here wasn't just out doing my class. Hell, it wouldn't just be out doing the entire school.

I would have to outdo every single goddamn genius that ever existed.

A shiver runs up my spine. The good kind.

I smile wide.

"Sounds like a reasonable goal to me," I mutter.

Grace looks at me in confusion.

I simply smirk, and walk a little faster.

I knew what I was going to do now. What I had to do. Sure, I would probably oscillate back to the other spectrum in a couple of days, but why let that ruin my mood? I'll make this work.

I will. No matter what. I promise this to myself. And I probably won't hold myself to it, but if it helps... yeah.

I'm going to be the greatest builder to have ever lived.