(POV The Old Man)
–One hundred and twenty hours should be enough.
She did not answer immediately.
Her gaze remained fixed on me, as if she were trying to determine if I was serious or simply stalling. With her, even a casual conversation could quickly turn into an interrogation.
that look.
I had seen it on many faces over the years.
This time, however, it belonged to Asmara.
This expression really doesn't match that face.
That was still the strangest thing in the whole story.
Alpha-1 had changed bodies several times throughout her life. She had always considered these bodies as mere tools and had never shown the slightest attachment to them. But with this one, she strives to mold it and make it her own.
I could feel it, one of those obsessions.
"One hundred and twenty hours," she repeated sarcastically.
– Your brain needs to assimilate the host. You can obviously refuse to rest, but if you continue to force integration in this state, you risk losing certain functions before you've even finished.
She lowered her eyes to my feet.
For a few seconds, his expression remained perfectly neutral.
Then her fingers moved slightly.
– She's still here.
I sighed
– Just a little residue.
– leave it.
His voice had also changed.
She looked more and more like Alpha-1.
I remained motionless; it's hard to know what she truly desires.
His gaze turned away from me and settled on the damaged screens in the room.
I followed his gaze.
Don't worry about it.
She didn't answer and turned on her heel.
I approached the console to check their status, but she stopped me with a simple wave of her hand.
– Don't touch that.
I raised an eyebrow.
– You just asked me to solve your problem.
– not that one
I let out a small laugh.
– You are horrible.
-You too.
That answer made me smile.
– This is the first time you've complimented me.
She did not seem to appreciate the remark.
I nevertheless returned to the data.
Integration was still stuck at seventy percent.
No progress.
No decrease.
Exactly the same number for several minutes.
I checked the host constants.
They were normal.
Apart from rest, I didn't know what to recommend to him.
I slowly raised my head.
She was looking at me.
For a second, I had the impression of seeing someone else behind her eyes.
A different expression.
Softer.
Younger.
Then she disappeared.
Alpha-1 immediately resumed its usual behavior.
A subtle smile appeared on her face.
I must have imagined, sweet? She's not capable of that.
I turned towards the console.
– You can go and recharge your batteries without any worries.
but instead of leaving,Alpha-1 came very close to my ear and whispered.
– nothing exists anymore
Then I understood why something was bothering me.
I turned back towards her but only saw her back moving away.
The door closed softly behind her.
In the corridor, I remained motionless for a few seconds before sighing.
– I think that these one hundred and twenty hours are perhaps very little.