I run. I run without stopping.

  Branches and stones tear at my body as I push forward without care. I don’t have time to watch the ground. I’ve gone too far, and I can no longer hear the voices of my clan’s people. Even so, I don’t stop, because I can hear it behind me.

  The elders warned me not to venture into the forest beyond where their voices could reach me. That the sky and the mountain were still roaring, enraged. That the demons had descended, and when they took someone away, their voice was never heard again. But it’s too late for regrets.

  I hear its footsteps drawing closer. I hear trees splitting apart. I feel them vanish behind me. I feel many things… everything except him. He is a void, an abyss that consumes all in its path.

  I stumble. My legs are still small and short. I fall. I feel pain. I feel fear. But above all, I feel the presence of the abyss behind me. The demon has caught up to me.

  I am about to be taken. In my final moments, just before its claw reaches me, I wish to act bravely: to scream at it, to hit it, to fight. But before such darkness, all I can do is cry. Cry and beg for help.

  To wait, even knowing that no one will come.

  And then, when all seems lost, I feel a hand pull me out of the path of the claw. How…? How could someone approach without my noticing? And even with him right in front of me, how is it that I cannot feel him?

  I don’t feel him. Even when I hear his ragged breathing, even when he lifts me into his arms and runs, to me he is only a shadow. A demon…? No. I know it. I can only bury my head in his chest and cry. He is a divine being. He has come to put an end to the demons.

  ***

  [Do you remember your shopping list?] the princess says to me through Cadejos’s communicator.

  “Yes, I have it here. But… isn’t it a bit long? How am I supposed to find all of this floating out here?”

  [Where did your enthusiasm go? Besides, the list includes the most likely locations. So, get to work. Oh, and if you find any external unit out there… bring it back to me.]

  “And what happened to yours? Shouldn’t it be on the ship?”

  [Long story. The short version: it abandoned me and ran off with a man, taking my sense of humor, my soft skills… and all the love from my poor little heart] she says, wiping away invisible tears with a dramatic gesture.

  “…So you basically broke up with yourself?”

  [That’s one way to put it.]

  “Okay. I’ll see what I can find.”

  I move Cadejos through the Storm, being careful not to run into the enemy. I spend several hours searching through old wrecks for everything we need and storing it in the hypercube.

  “All right… I think that’s everything. Or at least, everything I could find.”

  At last, I return home after an exhausting workday.

  I’m thinking about what the girl I’ve worked so hard for might have prepared for dinner. I even brought her a gift.

  “Princess, I’m back. What’s for dinner?” I ask as I get down from Cadejos and take everything out of storage.

  [About time. There are dry bars in the dining room, in over a hundred different flavors.]

  She shows me holographic versions of the bars as she lists them with enthusiasm.

  “Bars? Just that?” I make a face of disgust. “Where did the romance go?” I joke a little.

  [Affirmative. There are only bars on board. They are highly protein-rich, easy to transport and store; furthermore, their size makes them perfect for consumption on missions. They are the epitome of efficiency and human engineering] she tells me, lifting one as if I should bow before its glory.

  “But what about the taste? Have you ever tried them?”

  She looks at me as if I’d said something stupid.

  [How do you expect me to taste them? I don’t have a physical body.]

  …Right. Maybe that was a stupid question.

  “They taste like roasted turnip, for some reason. And those ‘over a hundred varieties’ are just variations of the same thing: wet turnip, fried turnip, smoked turnip…”

  [The holographic ones taste good.]

  “And what do those taste like?”

  [I don’t know. I make the flavors up. This one tastes like yellow] she replies, nibbling on her bar like a digital squirrel.

  “…Okay. I’ll get one later.”

  [A wise decision. Leaving that aside… I see you brought everything. But tell me… what’s in that box?]

  I smile when I see her interest.

  “You want to know? You’re going to like this,” I step closer and press the release button.

  The box opens, revealing a humanoid robotic body. Not very large, about a meter and a half tall, white, featureless… except for its face, which is a holographic screen.

  “Ta-da! I found an external unit you can use!”

  The princess examines it, turns it around a couple of times, then looks at me with a critical gaze.

  [I appreciate the gesture… but that unit doesn’t meet the requirements.]

  “What? Why not? The technology is compatible.”

  [Indeed. But it doesn’t meet the aesthetic requirements. Also… it’s a male unit.]

  “Male? Aesthetic?” I look at the robot again, with no obvious features. “How can it be ‘male’? And why does that matter?”

  The author's narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

  [I am a princess. I refuse to use a body that doesn’t meet my standards] she says, crossing her arms with authority.

  I cover my face with my hands. Women… I bet this wouldn’t happen with a male AI. But by some old tradition, ships are always women.

  “Okay. What are the requirements?”

  [Smooth, flawless skin. Hair white as the stars. Eyes of such deep silver that they reflect the vastness of the cosmos. Beautiful, perfectly defined lips. Harmonious, symmetrical features. Small, well-shaped ears. That’s the baseline. And a figure with proportions I will not discuss with you.]

  “……”

  God, grant me patience.

  “And the minimum requirements?”

  […That it be recognizable as a female body at a glance. Which this unit is not. And don’t start with the idea that, since I’m a program and therefore have no gender… or I’ll report you to the Army for binary digital affront.]

  “……”

  She’s got me beat. I grab a marker and draw a pink ribbon on the unit’s head.

  “Happy now?”

  The AI looks it up and down.

  [All right] she connects to it without hesitation.

  “You’ve got to be kidding me! How did that work? That makes no sense!”

  [What are you talking about? I have always been the physical manifestation of logic. And the modifications meet the standards] she stands up in her new physical form, moving with graceful motions.

  “…Well, whatever. At least now you’ll be able to move freely, even come with me outside.”

  [I suppose it’s better than I expected. Although I still prefer my projection. I’ll use the body only for tasks that require physical support.]

  “Fine. With that settled, we’ve got most of what we need. It’s time to prepare for battle.”

  [Of course. Two days. In two days, you’ll have your rematch. And if we emerge victorious, we can calmly look for a way out of here.]

  “One problem at a time. I wouldn’t even know where to start looking for an exit.”

  [Well, for starters… the eye of the storm seems like a suspicious place to me.]

  “Maybe. But I haven’t seen anything like that.”

  […Is that some kind of humor I don’t understand?]

  “No. Why would it be?”

  [Then… you don’t know where the core of the storm is?]

  “No. Do you?”

  […I think it’ll be easier for you to see it than for me to explain it. Have you looked behind the remains of that enormous Dominion-class vessel beside us?]

  “No. It blocks almost the entire view from the stern.”

  [Okay. Let me deploy a drone and show you.]

  Still intrigued, I focus on the main screen of the bridge, where the drone glides toward the colossal, twisted megastructure. Instead of going around it, it slips through a crack.

  For several minutes, it passes through warped tunnels, scorched metal, and the remnants of destroyed technology. At the end of the corridor, an opening bathed in a reddish glow appears.

  And when it crosses through it…

  An impossible spectacle unfolds before my eyes.

  “Shit! This has to be a joke…”

  ***

  My unit crashes to the ground with a dull thud. I try to stand up, but the armor is completely destroyed, its legs and arms severed with surgical precision.

  “Damn it, it’s still a monster…”

  I thought I had prepared myself. I analyzed our previous encounters, devised a strategy after many nights of planning, even switched to a far superior armor and still…

  Suddenly, its shadow looms over me. It seems it’s finally done playing and will put an end to this. I grip my broken sword and brace myself.

  I watch as its long blade descends toward my unit, stabbing straight into the cockpit and bringing my futile attempt at resistance to an end.

  [Simulation complete.]

  I take a few seconds to steady my breathing and exit the simulator. Outside, sitting there, is my instructor, drinking as he smiles at me.

  “Good practice, but you’re still light-years away from surpassing me when it comes to piloting armor.”

  “It feels like I’m not improving much… the outcome is still the same, even if I change my strategies or upgrade my weapons.” I say as I sit down beside him.

  “It might seem that way, but the improvement is there. It’s just that I’m a wall that’s far too high. Bwuhahaha!” he laughs as he ruffles my hair.

  I brush his hand away and fix my hair. He knows it annoys me, especially because I’d bet he pilots even when he’s drunk. That’s discouraging.

  “What do you think my biggest mistake was?” I ask him.

  “Hmm… there were a few, but if you ask me, it was your resolve. You fought me in a simulated battle, while I fought with my life on the line. That’s why you bit the dust,” he takes a swig from the bottle. “When you get into an armor, you have to leave everything behind: all doubt and fear, and fight as if your neck were on the line. If you don’t, you not only dishonor yourself, but also the armor you pilot.”

  I fall silent. Could that be true? My mind had been full of strategies and plans… did that somehow weaken my strength?

  “But you’re still young, and that’s not something that can be taught. You have to live it. Acquire that instinct on the battlefield,” he says as he offers me a drink.

  I reach out to take it when I feel someone calling me.

  [Rob.]

  I turn my head… and right in front of me there’s a white, robotic face staring at me.

  “Whoa!” I shout as I jolt awake and sit up in bed. “A dream? Lately I’ve been dreaming a lot about the academy,” I say as I rub my face. “But what was that terrifying face?” I turn again… and see it right beside me. “Whoa!” I yell again, falling out of bed.

  [How melodramatic. Besides, you chose this unit yourself] says the princess, standing beside my bed in her external unit.

  “Damn it, Princess, you shouldn’t enter someone’s room while they’re sleeping,” I say as I get up.

  I’m starting to think getting her a body wasn’t such a good idea.

  [I called you through the communicator and you never answered. Did you get enough rest? In any case, everything’s ready.]

  Hearing that, the drowsiness suddenly vanishes and I focus.

  “Is the table ready?”

  [We prepared it over two days. Now all that’s left is to receive our guest.]

  “Then we won’t keep it waiting,” I grab my pilot suit with determination and pull off my shirt to change.

  “Eeeek! What are you showing a lady, you degenerate?!”

  At that “scream,” I turn around and see the little robot with its hands over its eyes, yelling without changing its tone. How can she even do that?

  “…What are you doing?”

  [What do you mean, what am I doing?! What are you doing stripping in front of a young lady?! Are you one of those exhibitionist types or something?!]

  “Of course not! I have to change!”

  [Then why didn’t you say so first?!]

  I watch her head for the exit, still muttering with her hands on her face… and then bumping into the doorframe, complaining a bit before finally leaving.

  “Heh… wow, she really does some cute things,” I chuckle as I finish changing.

  I leave the room and head toward the hangar, feeling a little less nervous.

  I enter and walk straight to my partner.

  “Are you ready for today, Cadejos?”

  I ask to my armor, which is kneeling there, waiting for me.

  I spent a full day performing maintenance on it until it was ready for action. I watch it, feeling how eager it is to prove what it can do. I climb aboard and slip into the cockpit.

  “Bridge, I’m ready. Do you read me?”

  […I’m not turning on the camera until I have proof that you’re dressed.]

  “You’re still on that? And how do you expect me to show you if you can’t see?”

  The line goes silent for a few seconds.

  […All right, I’ll activate it. But if this is a trick, forget about me sharing my nutrition bars with you] she says this as the image of a white-haired girl appears on the communicator.

  “See? Nothing wrong. I see you’re not using the robotic body anymore.”

  [I had to leave it in the maintenance bay. It had… a small dent on its head] she says, avoiding my gaze.

  “Haha, I’ll check it later. Promise.”

  [I warn you, saying things like that before a battle is considered bad luck by humanity.]

  “It’s not really bad luck… it’s more like an overused cliché.”

  [Understood. Then, when you return, I’ll prepare a banquet of bars for you.]

  Mmm… I get what she means. Hearing it out loud really does make it sound like I won’t be coming back.

  “Well, whatever. Is everything ready to depart?”

  [Affirmative. Proceed to the exit] she says as the blast doors open.

  “This is Red, heading out,” I say as I stand Cadejos up and fly out on the thrusters.

  [Red?]

  “Yeah. You like it? It’s my mission call sign.”

  [Then I’ll be White.]

  “Hold on, you’re HQ. You can’t use a call sign.”

  [I’m White.]

  “I’m telling you, you’re command central!”

  [Call me White.]

  “But you’re the base…!”

  [White.]

  “…Okay, White. I’ve reached my position. Begin the mission.”

  [Copy that, Red. Activating the lure] she says, humming to herself, clearly pleased that I called her White.

  At her signal, the wreckage of a ship explodes nearby, engulfed in massive flames, while I plant myself in front of it, in the heart of the Storm, with no cover whatsoever.

  I put on Cadejos’s circlet. The red crystalline processor lights up, and I feel my mind sharpen. I remember my instructor’s words. I push away every distraction. I forget the jokes. I forget that I’m trapped in this storm. I forget that I got beaten senseless last time. Now there is only me, a warrior… and the enemy I’m about to face.

  I open my eyes, cold and resolute.

  “Come, monster. It’s time for a rematch.”