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Chapter 4: A Feeling I Want To Keep Forever

It’s been a while since I have been to a grocery store. I think it has been a month. I had 6 or 7 exhibitions in a row; no wonder they gave me two weeks off from working. They don’t want to set alarms in the UN. Damn, those carrots and potatoes are very cheap right now. I should grab them now. What dish can I make with these ingredients that can be made quickly and easily? Uhhhh, I think I got it: curry rice. Luckily, our company provides a small kitchen for us to cook in with some ingredients provided, or otherwise I have to get a big bag of rice home. I don’t want to carry a big bag of rice back home.

I grabbed some of the potatoes and carrots and placed them in the plastic bag. I guess the next would be chicken. I like the thighs of the chicken, so I’ll grab that. Oh, lucky it’s half off. I know I can afford it with the amount of money I have, but I want to have enough to retire on a small planet with no thoughts in the world. So with those, I think I am only missing the roux and the gyozas. The other stuff like oil and spices should be in their kitchen. I passed through the isles to find the curry roux and EGH protein bars; seeing them made me sick. I have been living on nothing but protein bars. Seeing them makes me feel sick. I grabbed the roux and a pack of gyoza and headed back to my company's kitchen. I checked around the kitchen to grab the last few ingredients and started cooking the curry and gyoza.

It feels great to cook again and finally have a proper meal. But one thing hasn’t left my mind: is it the right thing to pick her up? I had a small feeling my life wouldn’t be the same when she talked about something about history being erased. No matter what happened, having this information feels dangerous. Eh, that’s future me to deal with. Right now, I am hungry. I can't wait any longer. Why does making food take time?

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I finally finished cooking and cleaning. One of the rules for this kitchen is always to clean up after you use it. I hate it so much, but I understand why. Like most people, I enjoy the cooking process more than cleaning, but what must be done has to be done. I placed all the food in different containers and headed straight to my home. I remember it took me a long time of saving to get this beauty. I had to use the small rust bucket for a good 2 years. The P3R Falcon was so worth my purchase, and I got it for a cheap price because no one wanted a ship with bird wings cause it’s stupid and has no practicality; plus, it doesn’t have any weapons, making space combat useless. But the durability and speed of this ship are insane. If only it had hyperspace travel, it would be amazing to have, but I cannot afford those ships; they are way out of my budget. I grabbed my key and pressed the button to open the back of my ship and entered.

Tiana was swiveling in the chair with her right leg on top of the chair and both of her arms placed on top of her knee. Her head was hunched down and placed on top of both of her hands. She

「I’m back. I got the food. I even got some curry rice for you.」

She looked at me slowly with a half-dead expression and dragged her body towards me.

「Are you alright?」

「Maybe. My body feels unusually damn heavy.」

「Yeah, hold on for a bit longer. I just need to set up the table before we can eat.」

I pressed a mini control panel on the walls at the end of the corridor and set it to the dining room. The parts of the floor opened up to lift the long rectangular dining table and dining chairs. I placed the bag on the table. One by one, I grabbed the cutlery and container to set them out on the table. I can see her dead expression drool while she sits down. Once everything was placed, I sat down, and we both ate our food. She started to devour the food, I was shocked at how fast she was eating without choking. I guess being stuck for a long time doesn’t halt your hunger. I took my time, taking slow bites of my curry. I like to appreciate every bite I take just to savour the moment. As an explorer like me, my job is very dangerous, especially working solo. I learned to enjoy every moment in life cause I know any day can be my last.

「Thank you for the meal. I will somehow pay you back later.」

I looked up and saw she had already eaten it all. I was sure to give her a lot. I guess I shouldn’t be surprised seeing her eat like that. She grabbed a napkin and started wiping her mouth.

「No need to. It’s nice to have someone. I think I only ate with someone like 3 times in my life.」

Her eyes flashed purple for a bit.

「Damn, they really did that to you, people treating others bad due to something damn stupid.」

「huh?」

「I kinda just had a little peek of your childhood.」

「This feels like an invasion of my privacy.」

「 Sorry about that. I was a bit curious.」

「 It’s ok. I guess it was gonna happen anyway.」

I sighed while I finished my food. I guess I can’t hide anything from her. I just hope she doesn’t bring that up. Tiana Wait, why is she smiling like that? It’s creepy. She leaned closer towards me placing both of her elbows on the table while laying her head on her hands.

「So, Anyone you interested in?」

I KNEW IT. Out of all things, she knows what not to bring. I gave her the most unamused look I have ever produced.

「No, of course not. I don’t have time for that.」

「hmmmm, ok. You too cool for a bit of romance?」

「No, either way, no one here likes me, so there's no way I would get a girlfriend.」

She giggled for a bit. I now know why she was trapped away; she is too dangerous. I have to be cautious of her words. If I take one wrong step, she will out all my secrets.

「I’m just messing with you. You don’t have to be weary of me.」

I didn’t trust her words at all, she is going to dig even deeper soon. I felt a weird emotion in me, something I hadn't felt for a long time. It makes me fuzzy and warm inside. I don’t feel I need to be tense, worrying about every single word I say. I can just be me. I hope I can keep this feeling forever.

「Leo, what are you smiling for?」

「 What do you mean? I’m not smiling.」

「That’s definitely a smile, a small one, but I can clearly see a smile. See?」

She grabbed a small mirror from her watch and reflected it towards me. I see myself with a small grin. I grabbed my face, I can't stop smiling.

「It’s ok to smile, Leo. It’s what makes us human. Don’t ever let anyone take that way from you, even when people try to bring you down. 」

I really cannot stop smiling, especially with her. I only met her for a day, and the amount of happiness she brought me reminds me of back then with her.

「I will keep that in my mind.」

「 That’s good to hear. Since we have time, do you want to pick out what you want?」

「I’m still questioning why you letting me pick when there are things that are literal weapons of mass destruction in there.」

「I know I can trust you.」

「And that’s it?」

「Yep.」

「You trusting someone too much you just met for not even a …」

「I can tell you I know who I can trust and who I can’t. With 100% of my heart, I know I can trust you.」

「Then do you have the recipe for those eneerrggyyy baaalllllsssssss.」

Huh? My body feels hazy and tired; I can barely pick up my body, and I cannot keep my eyes open anymore. Tiana seemed worried about me. I fell to the floor, and I heard some muffled sounds coming from Tiana when she jumped over the table. I can barely hear her but she said something about forgetting about something. I can't keep my eyes open any …………..

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In the mountain of Karmen held a secret unknown to the public. Once filled with infinite magic crystals created by a grimoire, it is now completely erased and replaced by a highly guarded test facility. The facility's lowest level holds a large room with a cylindrical tank containing a tall, blond woman floating inside. Attached to the tank is a rectangular digital screen.

Project Godhood

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