In the year 2070, Earth has improved in a lot of ways: laws, nature preservation, and especially in technology. Tech has evolved by 79% over the last 45 years, but human creativity hasn't declined. In fact, it's grown alongside AI. Governance is still led by humans who make the final decisions.
A utopia.
Well, almost.
Crime had lessened, sure. But not enough. Not for the big leagues. That's why they built him.
"Sir... this is…" One of the engineers stepped back, stunned.
"This,'' said their lead, eyes gleaming, ''is the most excellent invention on Earth to date.''
An engineer stepped closer, scanning its face. "It blinks," she whispered, stunned. "Not just mechanically. It's timed and random, like us."
Another tapped the screen. "Heartbeat sensor synced. Breath intervals faked, but perfectly paced."
"Ah, it even looks away when stared at too long. Haha," someone muttered. The head scientist smiled proudly.
"But he has no emotions," one of them said.
"Not yet," the lead replied. "But with enough stimuli… who knows?"
Everyone laughed, mesmerized, inspecting every detail of the humanoid creation.
"We shall call it... Kor Zero."
…
For the first test, Kor Zero was placed outside.
That's when she bumped into him, sprinting as fast as she could. It was a young looking girl probably on her 17 to 20. The long ponytailed brown hair she has seems to reflect the shimmer of the sun.
His gaze followed her, focusing on a strange object in her hand. Unfamiliar and possibly illegal.
[ Target: Acquired. ]
[ Analyzing Target: Female.
Age Range: 17–21.
Unknown object in hand.
Probable misdemeanor. ]
[ Time to arrest. ]
"Sir, look!"
"KOR ZEROOO!"
"GO AFTER HER!!"
The engineers screamed as the robot suddenly moved, chasing.
"Huh?! Why is this guy following me? HEY!!" the girl yelled mid-run. "Stop—!"
All of a sudden, the sky swirled into a pastel hue. The wind grew stronger.
BOOM.
An explosion.
Smoke. Dust. Coughing.
The blast sent light and dust in all directions. Her ears rang. Her vision blurred. When the dust cleared—
There was no sign of the cave. Just silence.
"Oh no," she whispered.
And there he was. That same cool-looking guy who'd been chasing her, calmly sitting and scanning the surroundings.
She groaned. "Oh my gosh. Bro, you've really done it now."
—
FLASHBACK
Exploring the woods was her thing. Traveling, hiking, poking around places she probably shouldn't (lol). That's when she saw it: a cave. Marked with horrible handwriting—"Mageia."
She couldn't read it. Obviously, she went in.
With a flashlight in one hand, she admired the ancient drawings on the wall. "Whoa... this looks like something out of Avatar. Whoever painted this? Total legend."
She saw a ripped paper and a bottle with glowing liquid. Pretty and vintage. So she grabbed it. No thoughts. Just vibes.
Then something glowed. A heart symbol, deeper in the cave.
"Oooh. Sparkly."
She touched it.
Because of course she did.
"Travel the world of Ralaxia "
The words appeared in her vision.
Her body started to fade. Panic kicked in. The ground shook. The cave was collapsing.
She ran.
"AHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!"
She didn't even notice she'd already left the woods—
bump
"Hey, sorry! Running late! Hehehe." She laughed nervously.
Then the guy started chasing her.
Then something exploded.
And now… here they are.
—
BACK TO PRESENT
"Why did you follow me?" she asked, sitting in the dirt.
"Aren't you a criminal? It is my job to chase and arrest lawbreakers," Kor Zero replied with a poker face.
She stared at him, confused. Processing.
"WHAT?! I was just trying to escape the collapsing cave! Now I'm a criminal? Haaahh.." She sighed dramatically, brushing dirt off her clothes.
"What is that thing you were holding earlier? The liquid in the strange bottle." Kor Zero pointed at her bag.
"Oh, that? I got it from the cave. I think it's nothing, so let's just forget about it? Hahaha... it's probably not a drug or anything..." she replied nervously.
He paused.
"...You're not going to ask?"
"Ask what?"
"Where we are''
"No. I've concluded this place is not Earth."
He turned his head, 2 o'clock. The waters are literally glowing, floating in the air.
Raia's jaw dropped. "Okay, what kind of Avatar nonsense is this?"
"Calm, I must say," she muttered.
She blinked at him.
"You're disturbingly chill," she added. "You a robot or something? Haha."
"I am."
She looked at the self-proclaimed robot. No sign of lying. No hint of a joke. "Really?" she asked again.
"Yes. I am designed to arrest criminals."
Freak. My head hurts.
They awkwardly stared at each other.
-4 hours after the two burst into Ralaxia-
"I'm beat..we've been walking endlessly!" Raia said while catching her breath. They are finding any clues on how to get Earth or.. how to survive. And saw nothing but glowing trees and rivers.
After walking for over 5 hours, Raia's face was on the verge of death. turned bright and happy as she pointed at the village below mountain.
[ No name provided ]
[ Defaulting to label: Woman ]
"You, woman," Kor Zero called out as they walked through the grass toward a nearby village. He wanted to ask something.
"Woman? I have a name, you know. It's Raia." She held out her hand for a handshake.
Kor Zero stared at it.
[ Body Part: Hand ]
[ Target: Requesting a handshake ]
Before he could move, Raia grabbed his hand and shook it herself.
"Now we're companions," she grinned. "I don't know how we ended up here… That cave lured me in! But it's not my fault you're here too. You were chasing me, remember? Haha. But sorry, still."
She tilted her head. "By the way, what's your name?"
Kor Zero thought: This woman named Raia is chatty. His face remained blank.
"I am Kor Zero."
"Oh, strange name but pretty unique. Suits you, given that you are a robot haha?"
She sprinted toward the village. Raia looked back with a smile. Kor Zero, as usual, was expressionless. However…
[ Target: Raia ]
[ New Information Added ]
[ Trait: Pretty ]