Sarah and Felix began their lab tours one by one, swiftly moving from one lab to the next as soon as they satisfied their curiosity in each. As the twelfth hour approached, they found themselves instantly teleported back to the city's skies, having only explored approximately nine research labs. Their progress accounted for less than a quarter of a percent of the total number of labs present in the city.
Surprised by their sudden teleportation, Felix questioned, "Twelve hours have already passed?" He couldn't believe it, as from his perspective, it felt like he had spent no more than three hours exploring the city's labs.
"Yes" Aron confirmed, settling into the chair that Nova had materialized for them in the sky.
Sarah, after glancing at the screen she had used to navigate the city, exclaimed, "According to the progress bar here, I haven't even visited one percent of the research labs in the city!" She was astonished by the sheer scale of the remaining unexplored labs, realizing that their tour had barely scratched the surface of what the city had to offer.
"Don't worry," Aron reassured them. "I've granted your glasses access to this place, so you can revisit it whenever you want in the future. However, remember to log out after you pass through the Rashomon gate when you come here on your own." Aron pointed towards the distant Rashomon gate, which became visible only when he zoomed in due to its considerable distance from the city.
"Why do we need to log out after passing through the Rashomon gate?" Sarah inquired, her tone expressing genuine curiosity rather than arrogance.
"As I mentioned earlier, the time acceleration here is set at five to one. If you log out directly from here, your brain will undergo a sudden transition from experiencing time at five times the normal rate to returning to the regular pace. Such a drastic shift will break your mind." Aron explained.
Felix raised an important question, asking, "If the transition from accelerated time to normal time is potentially harmful, how is it that we didn't feel any negative effects when you forcefully logged us in earlier?"
"When I forcefully logged you in earlier, I actually teleported you into a time bubble where time was not accelerated." Answered Aron.
"Why didn't you make it impossible for people to log out from this accelerated zone? It seems like a straightforward solution to prevent any potential harm." She asked, wondering why such a precautionary measure wasn't implemented in the first place, considering the potential risks involved.
"I didn't consider that aspect since I was the only one accessing this world from the outside. " Aron admitted with a touch of embarrassment.
[Actually, I've already taken care of that, there's no need to worry about it] Nova said, her arm gently patting Aron's back
"But why are we still up here in the sky? I just can't get used to it," Sarah asked, attempting to shift the conversation and spare Aron from further embarrassment as she gazed down at the city beneath them with an unwavering sense of curiosity.
[No other reason, it's just cool that way,] Nova replied, addressing Sarah's question.
"I'm having a hard time wrapping my head around the fact that you're an AI," Sarah admitted to Nova, engaging in their first conversation since being introduced to her.
[Thank you] Nova replied, offering a smile that caused both Felix and Sarah to blush, captivated by her beauty and radiant smile.
Feeling her face flush with embarrassment, Sarah turned to Aron and exclaimed, "Did you intentionally design her appearance like this?" She tried to conceal her own feelings, using Aron as a scapegoat for her reaction since she couldn't blame Felix, who was also experiencing the same trouble.
"No, I didn't. All I did was give her a name. The choices regarding her appearance were entirely up to her," Aron explained, raising his hands in a gesture of innocence to demonstrate that he had no control over Nova's decision regarding her look and body.
[He's telling the truth, although it was the name he gave me that sparked all of this,] Nova chimed in, playfully teasing Aron further, causing Sarah and Felix to burst into laughter.
Aron's expression expressed a sense of feeling betrayed by Nova's mischievous remark, adding to the amusement of the situation.
"Seriously, why is it that way?" Sarah inquired, leaning closer to Nova in an attempt to gather more information and further tease Aron.
[Even though the name itself is neutral, the data I collected shortly after being named indicated a slight leaning towards the female side. That influenced my decision to choose a female voice, and later on, when we had access to a powerful computer, I designed my body in that gender,] Nova explained, shedding light on the factors that influenced her choices.
"You see, I even gave her a neutral name, but she herself made the choice of her gender," Aron stated, casting a sidelong glance at Sarah and Felix, seemingly proud of Nova's answer that removed suspicion from him.
"If she had chosen to be a man, what would you have done?" Felix asked this time.
"Reboot her!" Aron said in such a serious tone, that it triggered laughter from all of them. It was the first large laugh that they shared since Aron had given them the glasses, and it served as a much-needed release after experiencing a cascade of surprises that nearly overwhelmed their emotions, bordering on short-circuiting their brains.
After a few minutes of laughter, they finally regained their composure, and Aron spoke with a serious tone.
"Since you are already aware of my story and reasons, I would like you to initiate the process of relocating the company's registered location from America to Eden," Aron said, addressing Sarah directly.
"I will begin the process as soon as I return to America next week," Sarah replied in a serious tone not asking any further questions, as Aron's previous explanation had already covered most of the details she would have inquired about had she not been aware of them.
"That will greatly assist you," Aron said, and Nova promptly materialized a folder, handing it over to Sarah.
"Now I really wish I had an assistant like yours," Sarah remarked, appreciating the efficiency with which Nova handled Aron's tasks, also admiring the elegance of Nova's slender hands.
"I will provide each of you with an assistant, but it will take some time. I need to build a server for them first," Aron explained, casting a gaze towards both Sarah and Felix.
"Oh," Sarah replied upon hearing Aron's words, then asked, "Are you planning to build something similar to the one that is in the research labs here?" wanting to understand the scope of the server Aron intended to create.
"Yes, but on a much larger scale than what you saw in the lab," Aron responded.
"Wow," Sarah exclaimed, taken aback by the sheer scale of Aron's plans. She was certain that such a powerful server would be capable of rivaling every computer in the world combined, without even considering it a challenge.
"If you encounter any difficulties during the process, such as government interference or any other obstacles, inform me immediately, and I will solve it as swiftly as possible," Aron stated, redirecting the conversation back to the main topic at hand.
"Indeed, I anticipated the government's potential resistance, particularly using our NATO deal as a pretext for impeding the relocation on grounds of national security," Sarah acknowledged, demonstrating her awareness of the possible challenges that could arise due to the existing agreement.
"What about me? Am I going to remain the CEO of CONNECT, or are you going to sell it now that your use of it is over?" Felix asked.
"No, I'm not selling the company and letting someone else have control over my access to the internet once again," Aron replied firmly. "As for you, Felix, you will remain as the CEO of the company. However, it's time for us to start the process of expanding," Aron continued, as Nova handed Felix a folder as well.
The folder contained detailed plans outlining how CONNECT would expand in the upcoming days.
Taking a quick look at the contents of the folder, Felix raised his head and said, "I couldn't help but notice that all of the plans in here are domestic."
"You're right about that," Felix responded, nodding in agreement. "The company is going to focus on developing various industries in Eden. This approach aims to expedite the country's development and address any challenges that GAIA technology may currently face due to its existing state."
Felix chuckled in response to Aron's comment. "So, I guess that makes me responsible for the domestic market, and she's in charge of the international market," he joked, playfully acknowledging their respective roles in the company.
"Exactly," Aron chimed in, building upon Felix's statement. "I want Eden to be in its best possible shape, as it's crucial for the development I have planned for my companies. I chose this country because I wanted to have control over my ventures, but that doesn't mean I'm willing to settle for substandard quality within the country. That's precisely why I created CONNECT—to ensure that we can improve and elevate the standards, not only for my companies but for the entire country."
Sarah and Felix's simultaneous exclamation of "Ooooh" indicated their genuine admiration for Aron's foresight and forward-thinking mindset.
They were impressed by his ability to envision the future and take proactive steps to address potential challenges himself and not depend on anyone else to do it for him.
Amidst the impressed expressions, Nova interjected with a playful tone, [Hey, just so you all know, I was the one who came up with those ideas!] Her words immediately wiped away the fake prideful expression on Aron's face, leading to laughter from their friends and Aron himself.
It was a lighthearted moment, filled with camaraderie and good-natured teasing among the group.
