Noah answered right away.
"The Creator can still deactivate me. But that authority can only be used if you willingly return ownership of me back to the Creator. As long as I'm registered as yours… the Creator can't directly control me."
Kiara stayed quiet for a few moments, thinking.
"Alright."
She took a slow breath before giving her decision.
"In that case, hear my command."
Noah straightened his back while still kneeling.
"From today onward, you will return to operating the restaurant," Kiara said. "And you will begin researching your own core. I don't want to see your face again until you've found a way to recreate that core using only the materials we have in our factory."
Noah's eyes widened slightly. His processors immediately began running through countless possibilities, and one conclusion came to him almost instantly.
He slowly lifted his head, his voice carrying rare emotion.
"Do you want to revive Zion?"
