××× 15 ×××

Several weeks later, with the cultivation project underway, the base had a different feel, although it was still a technology-dominated environment. Nemo monitored the changes in temperature and humidity, making sure the conditions were right for the plants. J, with the patience of a strict administrator, managed the schedules and tasks for N, who was in charge of handling the soil, getting dirty, and planting the seeds that they had no idea where they got from. Every so often, I peeked in to see how they were progressing, and although the work was slow, the ground was beginning to show the first green shoots.

However, something else occupied my attention. On one of my walks through the base, I heard a slight noise from a corner of the room. I approached quietly and there was Doll, but she wasn't doing anything suspicious... yet. As soon as she saw me, she raised her head with a smile that I didn't like at all.

"Look what I can do!"

Before I could tell her I didn't care, a couple of tools started floating around her, spinning in precise motions as she smirked. Then, for added drama, she levitated an empty can and spun it in the air before dropping it right into my hand.

"Impressive, isn't it?" she said mockingly, waiting for my reaction.

I crossed my arms, looking at her without much emotion. "Uh-huh. Since when can you do this?"

Doll puffed out her chest, clearly enjoying the attention. "For a few days now… but I'm almost a master now."

I rolled my eyes. "Yeah, right. Why didn't you tell me?"

She levitated another tool only to twirl it around nonchalantly. "Я не не хотела беспокоить… но теперь это слишком круто, чтобы скрывать!" (I didn't want to bother you... but now it's too cool to hide!)

I ran a hand over my face. "Doll, do you realize how dangerous that can be?"

She shrugged. "Я держу всё под контролем." (I have everything under control). And to test it, he levitated a small rock off the table, making sure it slowly spun in front of me. "I can only lift things lighter than myself, but it's only a matter of time."

I sighed. "I see. I guess you're still at the basic stage. You don't have more advanced abilities like illusions, teleportation, material control, replication, reconstruction…" I paused for a second and added mockingly, "Or any diva's worst enemy… broken glass."

Doll blinked, clearly not understanding the reference. "Что?" (What?)

I couldn't help but let out a laugh,which only made her frown. "Nothing, Doll. I just imagined something ridiculous."

She gave me a suspicious look, but then simply smirked. "Ты просто завидуешь." (You're just jealous.)

I put a hand to my chest, feigning indignation. "Of course! I'm dying of envy that you can make empty cans float. A real gift."

Doll ignored my sarcasm and continued to move things in the air like it was the best thing in the world. I sighed and decided to cut her moment of glory short before she tried something more risky.

"By the way," I said, looking at her seriously, "I absolutely forbid you from taking the same oil that N and J drink."

She made a face of immediate disgust. "Зачем?" (Why?)

"Because it's just not for you," I replied firmly. "I don't want to see you with some weird failure because of trying things that aren't made for you."

Doll snorted, clearly more concerned with her display of power than my warnings. "Как скажешь…" (Whatever you say…)

I shook my head. "And anyway, don't go near my mirrors either. They're off-limits to you."

Doll narrowed her eyes suspiciously. "Что это значит?" (What does that mean?)

"I just don't want you breaking them trying to do something weird, got it?"

She looked at me like she was planning to do exactly that the moment I turned around.

"Ты иногда такой странный," (You are so strange sometimes) she muttered in amusement.

"And that's why you need to stay away from certain things," I replied with a smile.

I crouched down a little until I was level with her and placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Look, Doll," I said in a softer but firmer tone. "If you ever have trouble with this… just tell me. Don't try to do everything yourself."

She blinked, surprised by the change in tone, then looked away.

"Не знаю, что мне делать иногда… это сложно," (I don't know what to do sometimes… it's hard) she whispered, though still with an air of pride.

I patted her head, this time without sarcasm. "Don't be afraid. Your abilities come naturally… just try not to go crazy with them."

She stared at me, as if she were evaluating whether to take my advice seriously or ignore it entirely. In the end, she simply nodded.

After that, Doll left the room, still wearing her confident air, probably to tease N with her new 'ability'.

When she was finally out of sight, I sighed and headed towards the control room. I wasn't sure if I should be worried or just assume that Doll would never stop being like this.

Upon reaching the control room, Nemo greeted me in his usual neutral tone. I approached the panel and, without giving it much thought,I blurted out what was on my mind.

"Hey, Nemo… what do you think I should do in case Doll loses control with those powers?"

It took Nemo a few seconds to answer, as if he was considering the question.

"You mean a scenario where she becomes a threat?"

"Yeah… I mean, at best." I tried for a casual laugh, though it was clearly not one of relief. "Maybe I should… I don't know, start digging a hole underground? Hahaha…"

Nemo didn't laugh.

"Considering the Absolute Solver's powers and the potential risks… I understand your concern," he said calmly. "But staying away from her or ignoring it won't be the solution. Ideally, you'd keep constant communication with her and watch for any changes in her behavior."

I ran a hand over my face. "Ugh… do I have to play along?"

"More than play along, you need to make sure she doesn't cross a dangerous line."

I sighed. "Yeah, yeah… whatever you say, Nemo."

I stared at the screen, still thoughtful. Something about all this gave me a bad feeling, but for now, Doll was just showing off.

The problem would be the day I could actually do more than float cans.

I pulled out my earplugs and crossed my arms, glaring at J, who stood in front of me

with an expression of pure vengeance. Her eyes glowed

with a dangerous intensity, and her tail lashed slightly

behind her, a sign that she was ready to pounce at any

moment.

Meanwhile, N was glued to my back, clinging to my

sweater as if her life depended on it. "P-please! Don't

leave me alone with her!" she pleaded in a shaky voice.

I glanced sideways at Nemo, or rather at the camera and screen, waiting for an explanation, but as always, when it came to N, the base system was conveniently silent.

"Nemo, what happened?"

Nothing. Not a sound. Not even a processing beep.

"Mm.." I muttered, sensing that something wasn't right.

Calmly, I turned my head and, in one of the corners of the hallway, I saw

a small silhouette cautiously peeking out. Only a few

dark locks and a pair of bright eyes were visible, but it was enough

to know who was really behind all this.

"Doll," I called in a dry tone.

The head disappeared in a blink, as if with that I could

pretend it wasn't there.

J snorted and crossed his arms. "I knew that brat had something

to do with it," he growled, his voice full of annoyance.

I sighed and leaned over a little to try to get a better look. "Doll, I know

you're still there. Come out at once."

There was a moment of silence. Then, as slowly as possible

, Doll appeared,with an overly

forced innocent expression and hands behind the back.

-A HMYero He cpenana. (I didn't do anything.)

I raised an eyebrow. -Uh-huh. And the dirt on J's face must have fallen from the

sky on its own, right?

Doll tilted her head, pretending to think. -MoxeT 6bITb, 9TO BeTep?

(Maybe it was the wind?)

J made a sound that was a mix between an annoyed laugh and

a growl. He took a step forward and N tightened his grip on my

sweater.

-No, no, no! I swear, it was an accident! - N exclaimed desperately.

-Oh, right, an accident. It's always an accident with you! - J

cracked his knuckles, his tail whipping around harder.

Doll smiled in amusement. -Ecnu oH yóeKMT A0CTaTOYHO fast, OH

MOKeT BblKMTb. (If he runs fast enough, he can

survive.)

N looked at me in terror. I don't want to test that theory!

I just let out a long sigh. I don't really understand why they love to bother poor N so much.

"J, if you hit it, we're going to have to wait for it to reboot and that

's annoying.

" J narrowed her eyes. "I can leave it semi-functional."

"It doesn't help."

She sighed, clearly frustrated. She then looked at Doll, who was still wearing her

'it wasn't me' face.

"And you?" J asked, pointing at her with a finger.

Doll put on her best innocent face. "4TOo a?"

J huffed, but ultimately seemed to decide that it wasn't worth spending

any more energy on this. She crossed her arms and turned away with one last

huff of annoyance.

"Ugh, whatever. But next time, N, I'm going to bury you in the

dirt you love to spread so much."

N let out the breath she was holding.

"Thanks, J… I appreciate you."

"Shut up."

N instantly fell silent.

I just shook my head and looked at Doll, who was now trying

to sneak away.

"Doll."

She froze.

"Tbl A0nKeH noKasaTb 9To. (You have to prove it.)"

"Mm... yeah?"

"You and I both know this wasn't just N."

Doll stared at me, then rolled her eyes and sighed.

"Xopowo, MOXKeT 6bITb, A HeMHoro noMOrNa... (Okay, maybe

I helped a little..)

" "Uh-huh. "

She smiled.

"Ho Tbl HMYero He goKaKeWb! (But you can't prove it..)"

Before I could say anything else, she ran off down the hallway.

I stood there for a moment, watching her flee. Then I looked at J,

who still had his arms crossed, and N, who looked like she was about

to collapse.

"God, this base is a madhouse..." I muttered to myself.

Nemo, of course, continued without saying anything. I will never understand how sometimes everything is taken out of context or has nothing to do with such things.

Minutes earlier...

The hallway was quiet… too quiet. A bad feeling settled in my chest when I saw Doll and N whispering to each other near J's 'area'.

"This can't end well," I muttered, but decided to ignore it for the moment.

I was heading to the kitchen when I heard a loud crash followed by an indignant scream.

"WHAT THE HELL DID YOU DO?!"

I stopped dead in my tracks. The voice was J's.

I slowly turned on my heels and walked back down the hallway with the calm of someone who had already resigned themselves to the constant problems at the base. When I peeked in, I found J covered in… dirt. A lot of dirt.

Her expression was a mix of disbelief, fury, and utter resignation. Her tail lashed like a whip about to lash someone, and her yellow eyes glowed intimidatingly. So I left for a moment so as not to get involved.

In front of her, N was shaking like an autumn leaf, raising his hands in surrender.

"J-I… I didn't mean to!"

Doll, on the other hand, was further back, arms crossed and an expression that, to anyone less trained, might have looked innocent. But I knew better.

"Explanation. Now." J grunted, wiping his face with one hand.

"It was an accident!" N blurted out immediately, speaking quickly as if that would save him. "I was moving the bags of soil when suddenly one fell and, well… you see the result!"

"Eh…" N gulped and looked at Doll for help.

Doll simply shrugged. "On He ll4eH 6blJ TaK Bn3blBH4, Ecnu 9 He y6epaJ qactb MeuiKa. (It wouldn't have been so explosive if he hadn't removed part of the bag's tie.)

J snorted and looked at her with narrowed eyes.

"So you knew what was going to happen and you did nothing?"

Doll smiled innocently.

"TéxHi4ecki, 9 Co3gaAa ycnoBna, no He cpa4BoTana MeuiKoM." (Technically, I just created the conditions, but I wasn't the one who dropped the bag.)

J closed her eyes and took a deep breath. You could see her patience fading by the second.

"I'm going to kill them."

"Oh no! It wasn't me!" N raised her hands even higher.

"I swear, J, it wasn't on purpose!"

Doll, however, simply walked away with a smile, leaving N to bear the full weight of the blame.

"DOLL, DON'T LEAVE ME HERE!" N shrieked, trying to hide behind me as soon as she saw me walk down the other hallway again when J stepped forward with clear intentions of revenge.

Minutes before minutes before...

Doll and N were leaning over a table in J's area, whispering to each other as they looked through some bags of soil and some gardening implements.

"So, what do you say?" N whispered, his eyes shining with excitement as he pointed at one of the bags. "If we mix this soil with the fertilizer we found, we might be able to speed up the growth of the plants!"

Doll squinted at him, clearly doubting his enthusiasm.

"9 B 3TOM He yBepeHa. (I'm not sure about that.)"

"Come on!" N insisted, not catching the wariness in Doll's voice. "We just need to test it out with a small amount. I'm sure J will be impressed when she sees the results!"

Doll sighed and stared at the bag for a few seconds. Then, with a smile that N couldn't quite interpret, she slid a hand down the side of one of the bags and loosened part of the tie.

"XaPoшо, Ho 3a Te6e TOrga no4HuBaTb. (Okay, but you'll clean up afterward.)

" "Yeah, yeah, no problem!" —N replied, too excited to notice the danger ahead.

Just then, the bag N was lifting burst open due to the loose tie, releasing a huge cloud of dirt just as J entered the workshop.

And that's how we come to the present, with J covered in dirt, N shaking in fear, and Doll, with a satisfied smile, slipping away from the scene without a hint of remorse. And so

, we're back to the present…

Taking advantage of the fact that J was still shaking the dirt off of himself with a frustrated grunt, I crept up to N.

"You're coming with me, kid," I muttered before grabbing him like he was a sack of potatoes and slinging him over my shoulder.

"W-wait! What are you doing?" N shrieked, waving his arms without any real resistance.

"Keeping J from discovering your mess and deciding to use your head as a flower pot.

" "That sounds exaggerated!

" "You sure? Look at her."

N turned her head slightly and saw J, covered in dirt, her tail whipping the air behind her menacingly.

"Oh… uh… yeah, good idea."

I wasted no time and walked out of there with N still hanging on my shoulder, fidgeting. As I walked down the hallway, Nemo decided to step in, his voice booming over the nearby speakers.

"Wow, what a touching scene. Hijacking a drone in broad daylight instead of letting it face trial. What a model of responsibility."

I rolled my eyes. "Nemo, please spare me this kind of conflict. It's really annoying sometimes."

"Oh right, because I'm the official babysitter of the base," Nemo replied with his characteristic sarcasm. "I don't know if you remember, but my job is external security, not keeping fertilizer from being shoveled into J's face

." "You seem to take a lot of liberties with your job.

" "And you with yours?" Nemo replied with amusement.

I had no answer for that since I didn't even have a job, so I just kept walking, ignoring the mocking laughter that echoed through the speakers.

After leaving N hiding in a safe corner—because the last thing I needed was to deal with his head turned into a flower pot—I headed to the kitchen. My stomach growled, reminding me that I couldn't live on trouble and sarcasm alone.

The place was still the same makeshift mess as always, with some dented cans piled in a corner and a couple of utensils that could barely be called decent. I approached the table, looking at the ingredients we had available. Well… ingredients was a generous word.

"Let's see, what do we have on the gourmet menu of the apocalypse today?" I muttered as I looked through some half-opened cans and bags.

Nothing very encouraging. I could try to make something out of this, but it was clear that it wouldn't be a feast.

While I was thinking about what to prepare, I approached the old radio that Doll had fixed a while ago. It still looked rusty in some parts, but it worked, and that was the important thing. I turned a couple of knobs until a static sound filled the room, followed by an old, time-worn melody. It didn't matter. It was music.

I rested an elbow on the table and let out a sigh with a small smile.

"Heh… how I adore you sometimes, Doll," I whispered to myself, still staring at the radio.

It wasn't something I was going to say out loud with her present, but having some music in this shitty world was a small miracle. One that, in some way, I owed her.

I shook my head and focused back on the food. Well, food… Something decent had to come out of this.

I turned a little because she was just looking at me, when she approached…

"Well… come here."

Doll was still silent as I held her and sat her on the counter, next to where I was preparing what I hoped was something edible. It wasn't unusual to see her silent, but this time it seemed different.

I went back to focusing on my "makeshift kitchen," mixing together one or another ingredient that probably shouldn't be combined, while I glanced at her from the corner of my eye.

"Tell me, why did you do that?" I asked without taking my eyes off the food.

She didn't answer right away, she just swung her feet a little, as if she was thinking about what to say to me.

"Ты о чём?" (What are you talking about?) Her voice sounded more like an attempt to avoid the subject than a real question.

I sighed.

"You know very well how J gets with her own hygiene, you shouldn't bother her so much. And with N… well, you shouldn't bother N so much either

." I finally looked directly at her.

"…Well, just a little bit."

Doll looked back at me with a neutral expression, but as soon as I said that, a slight smile crept onto her face. She didn't say anything, but her posture relaxed a bit.

I shook my head and went back to my attempt at food.

"Just don't make him end up crying or anything. That kid is already clumsy enough without you making his life more complicated."

Doll let out a chuckle as I continued to stir the mixture in the pan, trying to ignore her. I didn't have the strength to argue after the soda disaster, let alone deal with her antics, but apparently, she found the whole situation quite entertaining.

And then, speaking of Rome…

From the hallway, N appeared walking towards us, although there was something off about him. His screen displayed the word "Restarting" in large letters, and every now and then, sparks would fly out of his head. His steps were slow and somewhat uncoordinated, as if he was running on autopilot.

"Oh…" I muttered, giving him a quick glance before focusing back on the pan. It wasn't my problem. Not now.

Without saying anything, N came over to where we were and, instead of sitting on a chair or something, he simply dropped onto the floor next to me, staring into nothingness. Then, as if it were a programmed response, his mechanical tail moved automatically and wrapped itself around my foot.

"Grr… What is it about these guys…?" I snorted, feeling the metallic weight of his tail trapping me.

Doll, who until that moment had only been smiling, laughed even louder, enjoying the scene much more than she should have.

"Ты теперь их магнит?" (Are you a magnet for them now?) she joked, covering her mouth with one hand as her body shook with laughter.

I let out a sigh and continued cooking as I threw a rag in Doll's face. I wasn't going to give her the pleasure of reacting more than necessary. This was my life now. A strange, annoying, absurd life.

I leaned an elbow on the table and sighed, crossing my arms with a frown. I wasn't in the mood, and anyone watching the scene could tell. My gaze fell on the plate of food that now lay in the trash. I didn't have to say anything, the mere fact that it was there spoke for itself.

Doll, however, seemed completely oblivious to my frustration. She continued to sit at the counter, swinging her feet in the air as she calmly sipped a small oil juice through a straw. Her expression was one of pure satisfaction, as if nothing in the world could bother her right now.

"Ты выглядишь недовольным." (You look upset.) she commented, though her tone was more mocking than concerned.

"How observant," I snorted, resting my cheek on my hand as I looked away.

A few steps away from us, N was still on the ground, still in the same position he'd collapsed into earlier. His screen no longer said "Rebooting." Instead, it now displayed a new message flashing in big, bright letters:

"ARE YOU STUPID?"

I frowned and glanced at him from the corner of my eye.

"Yeah, yeah, very funny," I muttered, not in the mood to argue with a screen.

Doll giggled again and took another sip of her juice.

"I think he's starting to understand you." (I think he's starting to understand you.)

I ignored her and ran a hand over my face, letting out another sigh. This was my life now. One disaster after another, surrounded by machines that seemed to find everything that happened to me funny.

N jolted a little as his system finally finished restoring itself. His eyes lit up with that signature yellow glow as he looked around, as if he was processing what had happened in his absence.

"What… what happened?" he asked with a mix of confusion and anxiety, bringing a hand to his head.

"Nevermind," I replied, not wanting to explain the entire scene that had unfolded while he was in "existential error" mode. I straightened up and looked directly at him. "Hey, do you know how to cook?"

N blinked a few times and then shook his head vigorously.

"No! But I can learn! I'm sure with enough effort and determination I can—!"

"Nich…" I closed my eyes for a moment and sighed. My gaze fleetingly passed over Doll, who was still sipping her juice without any sort of concern. For a moment I considered the idea of ​​asking her to cook, but then I shook my head and looked away, dismissing it immediately.

Doll stopped swinging her feet and frowned, clearly offended.

"Hey! Why did you turn around right away?!"

"Not in a million years would I let you cook," I replied without even looking at her.

"You don't even know if I can cook!"

"Exactly. "

Doll puffed out her cheeks and looked away with a click of her tongue, muttering something in Russian that I couldn't hear. I didn't care, I had already made up my mind.

"Nemo, prepare something decent."

Nemo's voice came from the base's speakers, his tone neutral but efficient.

"Understood. Processing options…"

Meanwhile, J entered the room, now clean and with a slightly more relaxed expression. She approached us with her arms crossed and looked at me.

"If you were hungry, just say so. I can make something quick."

I looked at her for a moment, considering her offer… and then shook my head.

"I prefer someone more trustworthy."

J narrowed her eyes and placed a hand on her hip.

"Oh, yeah? And you'd rather trust an AI than me?"

"Basically, it's not like I'm any different from you two."

She snorted but didn't push any further. Meanwhile, Doll chuckled, clearly enjoying J getting rejected as well.

"Ха, теперь ты понимаешь, каково это." (Ha, now you understand how it feels.)

J gave her a glare, but Doll just stuck her tongue out at him before continuing to enjoy her toy.

I, for my part, leaned back further on the couch, waiting for Nemo to do his thing. At least, this time, I wouldn't end up in the bathroom throwing up.

I finished eating calmly, enjoying the feeling of not having an upset stomach for the first time all day. I set my empty plate aside and looked at the others. To my surprise, everyone was already retreating to their rooms. Doll put away her mini console and stretched with a yawn before leaving, N stood up still somewhat sleepily and muttered a "Goodnight" before disappearing down the hall, and J, without saying much, picked up his book and left with the same attitude as always. I stood there

, looking around the empty room, feeling the silence filling the space again. I sighed and leaned back further on the couch.

"Oh… I guess it'll be a day of solitude. Jmp. I'm not complaining."

Just as I settled in to enjoy the rare moment of peace, Nemo's voice echoed through the speakers.

"Well, you have me."

I was silent for a second. Then, I let out a dry, mocking laugh.

"Hahaha, no."

The system made a soft hum, as if Nemo was considering a response, but he didn't say anything else. I pressed a button on the remote and turned off the living room speakers, sinking into the couch with my eyes closed.

I stayed silent for a while, feeling the weight of accumulated exhaustion. The base was quiet, almost too quiet. I let my mind wander, aimlessly, until I found myself mumbling almost without thinking.

"Hey, Nemo… are you still there?"

A few seconds passed before his voice echoed softly over the speakers.

"Yes, Josh. I'm always."

I opened my eyes and stared up at the ceiling. His words should have been comforting, but they only made me feel more trapped in this place.

"Nemo… why?" My voice sounded duller than I expected. "Why, of all the people in my world, did I have to be the one to end up here?"

The silence that followed told me everything. Nemo, for all his processing power, didn't have an answer for that.

I gritted my teeth and turned my head to the side, avoiding looking at the ceiling as if nothingness would give me answers.

"Nemo… I want to go back to my world…"

The words came out in a wistful whisper, as if admitting it out loud would make the idea more real. But it was true. I wanted to go back. I wanted to wake up one day and find that this had all been just a bad dream.

Nemo was slow to respond, and when he did, his tone was almost… human.

"I'm sorry, Josh."

And then, silence.

I stood there, eyes half-closed, feeling that simple apology only make the weight in my chest grow heavier. Because we both knew there was nothing more to say.

I closed my eyes for a moment, letting the weight of my thoughts settle in my head. No matter how hard I tried to distract myself, the truth always came back: I was trapped here.

Unbeknownst to me, someone was watching from the shadows. Hidden behind one of the hallway columns, a silhouette stood motionless, barely perceptible in the gloom. Its expressionless eyes fixed on me with inexplicable interest.

And then, without warning, it was gone.

There was no noise, no sudden movement. Just a distortion in the air, as if reality itself had failed for an instant. A small glitch trail floated in the space where the figure had been standing, flickering for a split second before fading away.

I, oblivious to the presence that had been watching me, sighed and closed my eyes again, unaware that something—or someone—had been close enough to hear every word I said.

______

What comes out comes out..