I quickly said, “Of course I never do such a thing. I already have no time for my research, to look for money for us. How can I have time for that kind of wasting time?” My voice was tinged with frustration, the weight of my responsibilities heavy in my tone.Aurora nodded, her eyes searching mine for sincerity. “Alright, I will believe in you.”“Thank you, believe in me. I will never lie to you,” I assured her, my heart pounding with the hope she understood.Suddenly, she stopped, her expression shifting. “Kathleen just sent me a message asking why we fired him,” she said, her fingers flying over her floating screen, typing a rapid response.“And what did you answer?” I asked, my curiosity piqued.“Of course, I fired her because she had sex with you. Even in the virtual world, I still don’t approve of that,” Aurora replied, her voice cold and sharp like a winter breeze.I chose to be silent sometimes when a woman is angry; it's better to shut my mouth.“Alex!” Aurora suddenly yelled,
Aurora Alex hadn’t come back home and he stubbornly hadn't called me yet. He was still an *asshole*, always protecting his workers, those he had affairs with. Was it so hard to just fire them? He could find other workers, couldn't he? Did he think his research was more important than me? I looked at the ball floating around me; this was the central unit of the system, the artificial Intelligence, we called it Linda. I knew Alex might still be watching me through that ball. “Linda, I don’t want you to monitor me all the time.” “But, Mrs. Aurora, I have a job given by the master to check on your health periodically, to ensure you are well,” Linda responded. “Enough with that!” I snapped, suddenly filled with rage with the artificial intelligence. “I command you to stop monitoring my health. If Alex wants to check on me, he should fire his workers and come himself.” Linda suddenly stood more upright, and the light on it started blinking, signaling a connection to Alex. After conveyin
Alex. Life and death are something that was really out of our control. We couldn't control how the baby made her movements inside the mother’s womb; it was just fate that we didn't have a baby at this time. I had already read everything and understood about ‘fetal demise due to umbilical cord torsion’, it is not something human could control. It was just fate and not our destiny to have a baby. Even though I had already prepared a name for her. Even though I had already wished and prepared everything for her. Even after I dream for her to grow big, pretty and marriage with her lover. Even after what I did, I knew it was useless. My tears I couldn’t hold it again. Maybe it was just the best arranged by God. Where would people go when they died? I didn’t know. But I knew that wherever I went, lived, and died, I would remember and always remember I had a daughter, even though she was only with us for 7 months. She was still my daughter, and I would find her when I died. At least for a
Aurora I hate this life because it doesn’t spin in the direction I want. I want everything to be according to my will. And because it doesn’t revolve around me, I try to force it to spin even harder. I want Alex under my control, to fire everyone I dislike. I hate it when Alex doesn’t listen to me, I despise Babel, and I hate it when my daughter died. I want to be in control of everything. I know something is wrong with me, but I can’t seem to stop this intense desire to control, and maybe in the process, I’m losing everything. Yet, the anger inside me hasn’t even subsided. In the living room, Linda showed me the recording of Alex’s video. “Aurora, I am sorry. I can’t tell you this face to face because I’m afraid we will end up fighting again and hurting each other," Alex’s voice came through the speakers, weary and resigned. "I found the gate two days ago. And I think you better return to Earth. I know you hate Babel and you can’t learn to love it nor try to find joy in it.” Alex
A year had passed. Trudging towards the police station, my appearance was akin to a homeless person. The relentless consumption of blue pills over the year had significantly reduced my body weight. Real food had become a stranger to my palate for too long. As I approached, an artificial robot glided towards me, scanning my face before greeting, “Welcome Mr. Alex. What can I help you with?”Feeling a deep unease, I confided, “I feel like my soul is in danger; can you protect me?” I was aware that the Babel system offered some form of sanctuary.The robot queried, “How long do you wish to be protected? We can offer one day of protection per year for every citizen of Babel.”Hesitating, I requested, “Can you protect me for two days?”It responded, “Yes, we can, but you will be using your entitlement for two years' worth of protection.”“Alright,” I consented.“Please follow me. Starting now, we will temporarily erase all your data from the Babel system so you will be untraceable by anyon
The nine members frantically scoured every possible avenue to locate Alex, but their efforts were fruitless."He might have found a haven from the authorities," Number 7 speculated, his eyes darting anxiously. "But there are countless police sanctuaries scattered throughout Babel. Figuring out his exact hideout is like searching for a needle in a haystack.""Damn," Number 5 interjected, his voice laced with frustration. He scanned the room, locking eyes with Number 2 and Number 3. "What are you waiting for? Get moving and find Alex!"“Do I take order form number 5 now?” Number 3 let out a bitter laugh, the sound echoing in the tense atmosphere. "I've had it with your nonsense. I'm leaving this group. It's on the verge of collapse anyway. I regret not siding with Number 10. This is farewell." With those final words, Number 3's avatar vanished from the scene.Number 5's face flushed with anger, his fists clenched tightly. "If Number 3 thinks she can just walk away, we'll bring her down
My disdain for Alex was burgeoning, every fiber of my being recoiling at the mere thought of him. To the world, he might be a hero, but to me, he was nothing but a despicable man who had inflicted pain on his own wife and daughter. This seething anger was a heavy shackle I vowed to carry eternally.Although some of his ventures were professedly philanthropic, enriching various charities, the reins of his empire were now firmly in my grasp. I was resolute in diverting the flow of funds solely towards profit maximization.“Linda, can we pivot all of the company’s efforts to profit-making? Why bother if it doesn’t yield financial gain?” I inquired, the bitterness lacing my words.“But Mrs. Aurora, Master Alex always advocated for a balance between philanthropy and profitability,” Linda cautiously replied.“That’s precisely why your master is a fool. He favored strangers over his own flesh and blood, breeding dependency and idleness. I intend to dismantle his so-called legacy,” I retorted
AuroraThere's an old adage that says, "When there is a common enemy, people will unite. But in its absence, they turn on each other."This notion resonated with me, especially as my life veered into territories I'd never imagined. Suddenly, I was flush with cash, a stark contrast to my previous existence. Despite Alex's wealth, he was a philanthropist at heart, funneling nearly all her resources into charity. Leavening me with nothing!And once the charitable flow halted, the influx of wealth was astonishing. Our coffers began to swell, rapidly filling with about a million dollars each week.Nicholas, my guide in this lavish new world, introduced me to indulgences I'd never fathomed. He led me to opulent havens where handsome men provided services that were anything but economical, yet they offered an experience that justified every penny. Their attention was relentless, fulfilling desires I didn't know I had, providing a daylong ecstasy that left me breathless and momentarily allevi