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Upon returning from the deep silence of the cosmos to the bustling Herta Space Station, Hiroshi immediately pulled out his phone. His fingers hovered over the screen before he finally sent a message.
Hiroshi: Madam Herta, do you... have a moment?
An answer arrived in the blink of an eye.
Herta (Auto-Reply): (The other party is typing...)
Looking at those flickering dots, Hiroshi sighed and turned off his screen. This wasn't a real person typing; it was a specific, mischievous auto-reply Herta had set up just for him. To anyone else, she was blunt: "I'm busy and won't be contacting you later either." But for him, she liked to keep him hanging.
"Sigh... I guess she's deep in the labs again. I'll have to try her later," he murmured.
Meanwhile, in a high-security laboratory, three of the most brilliant minds in the galaxy were locked in a heated debate. Alongside Herta and Ruan Mei stood a tall, elegant robot in a tuxedo and a magician's hat, gold-rimmed glasses perched perfectly on his mechanical face.
This was Screwllum, the 76th seat of the Genius Society. Even Herta, who looked down on almost everyone, considered him a "truly good person."
"Boring! Absolutely boring!" Herta's voice echoed through the lab as she waved her wand dismissively. "We didn't invest these resources just to turn the Simulated Universe into an electronic bonsai! According to the current logic, the birth and destruction of these civilizations are just pre-set programs. There are no surprises!"
"Herta's point is valid," Screwllum added, his voice a calm, aristocratic baritone. "Complete controllability stifles the possibility of the simulation giving birth to true divinity. If it is merely our puppet, it will never replicate the miracle of an Aeon's birth."
As the geniuses discussed the nature of miracles, Herta's phone vibrated on the table.
"Tsk! Who is it now?" she hissed, immediately silencing it. She was ready to settle the score with the intruder later—until a thought struck her. Wait... could it be him?
Hiroshi rarely initiated contact. Despite her irritation with the interruption, her curiosity (and a flicker of concern) won out. Right in front of a confused Screwllum and a secretly watchful Ruan Mei, Herta brazenly opened her phone.
Herta: What is it?
On the other side of the station, Hiroshi's face lit up. "Great! She's taking a break!" He quickly typed out his request.
Herta: Go find the fourth mirror and just tell it the coordinates. Hiroshi: Okay, okay! Thank you, Madam Herta! You're the best!
Hiroshi jumped up, pumping his fist. "Yes! I didn't think she'd agree so readily. She... really is good to me."
Inside the lab, Screwllum was stunned. Herta, the woman who cared more about the Simulated Universe than almost anything in existence, had just forced two of the universe's greatest geniuses to wait while she texted. He couldn't help but wonder what kind of "emergency" could make her cast aside the project of the century.
"Herta?" Screwllum prompted politely.
"I know, I know," Herta said, tucked her phone away with a small, unreadable smile. "Let's continue."
Back in the Main Control Module, Hiroshi found Asta buried under a mountain of paperwork. She was busy negotiating with the Intelligentsia Guild and approving equipment requisitions, looking every bit the overworked Station Master.
"Brother Hiroshi?" Asta said, looking up with a kind smile. "Is something wrong at the Department of Applications?"
"Uh..." Hiroshi flustered for a moment before regaining his composure. "No, everything is fine. I've finished my tasks for the day, so I wanted to see if I could help you here. And... I have a surprise I want to show you."
"A surprise?" Asta was taken aback. Her mind immediately raced. A surprise? Does he know today is my birthday? He's so thoughtful! She didn't refuse. "Alright then, I won't be polite about putting you to work!"
She handed him a stack of documents. Having managed the station's logistics for weeks, Hiroshi was now the only person besides Asta who truly understood the station's inner workings.
They worked side-by-side until 8 PM, finally clearing the mountain of envelopes.
"Whew..." Asta stretched, her well-proportioned figure silhouetted against the view of the stars. "Finally finished. What's next, Brother Hiroshi?" Her purple eyes shimmered with expectation. I wonder what it is? I'll love it no matter what, as long as it isn't too expensive...
"Follow me, Asta."
Hiroshi took her hand and led her straight back to Herta's private quarters.
Asta looked around the spacious room with its familiar pink and purple hues. When her gaze landed on the large, neatly made double bed, her face turned a brilliant shade of crimson, heat spreading from her neck to her cheeks.
Wait... why did he bring me to his—I mean, Madam Herta's room? Asta's heart began to hammer against her ribs. Could it be... Brother Hiroshi wants to give HIMSELF to me as a gift?!
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