The Old Woman's final command to 882 became the highest directive for 882's activities in the time that followed.
"Even if you're alone, you must survive."
But... it was a nanny robot, and the person it needed to care for had already died. Was there really any meaning in giving such a command?
Nevertheless, it was a command given by a human, and even if its logic circuits couldn't tell it the answer, it would obey.
It just... didn't know what to do.
So it could only wander on Beta Star, searching for humans, asking them questions, seeking answers.
But none of this went smoothly. As time passed, the number of humans on Beta Star dwindled, especially after the previously circulating rumors were confirmed to be true.
During that period, a war broke out. Every human fought desperately to seize a spaceship that could leave the planet.
In this environment, humans' appearances changed, and the probability of encountering hostile humans greatly increased.
Sometimes, 882 even felt a trace of relief for the Old Woman, relieved that she hadn't lived through this period.
882 suffered many attacks that humans used for amusement, and these attacks left numerous scars on its body.
These attacks were pointless; most of the time, they just wanted to hit a passing robot.
They would ride past on a vehicle, strike it with a club, and then laugh as it fell before driving away.
However, not all humans were like this; 882 also encountered humans willing to communicate with her.
It was an unkempt uncle, dressed like a scavenger, yet exuding an indescribable maturity.
While everyone else was caught up in the war to seize spaceships, he remained aloof, completely unwilling to participate.
"Do they really think flying into space will be better than now? A bunch of idiots."
"Only the first few ships that left had it good. Those who left later, who knows, perhaps after going into space, their lives won't even be as good as they were on this planet."
He had no wife, no descendants. As he put it, he just hoped to live one day at a time.
"At my age, I no longer believe in any hope that will make life better."
"When I was young, those people told me they would rebuild this planet, and I believed them."
"By the time I reached my age, those grandsons who spouted nonsense to me had already taken the money and fled on spaceships."
"Now, they've left behind this little bit, tricking people who are like my younger self into fighting to the death. Heh heh... let them fight. I'm old."
882 looked at this scavenger, very puzzled.
"They are in the same environment, both humans, yet they made different choices. Why?"
"No reason. In this messed-up world, this is just how we live."
He neither wanted to compete for a future in space nor believed that Beta Star's environment could improve.
In his eyes, the future of this world was clearly visible, filled with despair.
Why continue to live?
With this question, 882 asked the scavenger.
"You really are a bit different from other robots..."
The scavenger looked at 882 in surprise; this robot's question had truly stumped him.
Although his life was quite messed up, he had never actually thought about dying. For him, living seemed to be something that didn't require thought and was taken for granted.
However... now that a robot was asking him this, as a human, he couldn't just say, 'I don't know,' could he?
Human dignity, or something like that, was still quite important to him.
But after thinking for a long time, he couldn't come up with a suitable answer. Finally, he gave up and decided to go with his own style.
"Humans are cheap!"
"?"
Hearing this reply, 882's eyes widened slightly, looking at the scavenger with some disbelief.
Seeing 882's expression, the scavenger tugged at his clothes and said to it:
"Living in such a pathetic state, yet still wanting to live, what else could it be but cheap?"
This answer had a huge impact on 882, leaving it momentarily speechless.
"What? Are you disappointed that you didn't hear some grand philosophy?"
The scavenger laughed heartily at 882's bewildered expression.
"Sometimes, the reason for living is just that simple. Goodbye, little robot."
He waved his hand, ending this simple conversation and encounter, as he still had to figure out how to get dinner for the day.
882 watched his departing back.
His words, though crude, did answer 882's confusion.
Why live—living doesn't need such complex reasons.
It already had a reason to live.
Before she passed away, an Old Woman told it that even if it was alone, it must live well.
882 gained a completely new understanding of living, and it bowed slightly to the departing scavenger in thanks.
"Thank you for clarifying my confusion."
After this bow, 882 turned and walked in the opposite direction from the scavenger.
Besides the question of why to live, it had many other questions that it needed to slowly figure out.
Hopefully, these confusions... could also be resolved one by one through repeated interactions with humans.
But unfortunately, after this, the humans 882 encountered became extremely wary.
When faced with a robot of unknown origin, a robot inexplicably approaching, they all suspected an ambush nearby and refused to communicate.
This greatly delayed 882's thought process, but 882 didn't care, because at this moment, it had not yet developed emotions like frustration or discouragement.
Everything it was doing now was simply to complete the last instruction the Old Woman had left for it.
The last humans 882 saw were a pair of young girls traveling together. They didn't appear very old, and they walked through the abandoned streets as cautiously as mice, searching for supplies.
But good fortune did not favor them. While finding nothing, a large, dilapidated billboard high above suddenly fell.
When they saw the falling giant billboard, they were so terrified that their legs gave out, and they stood rooted to the spot, unable to run.
882, not far away, witnessed this scene. Under the operation of its core code to protect humans, it rushed out almost instantly, pushing the two girls away.
The cost was that its lower body was crushed beneath the heavy billboard, and countless important parts, under this impact, fell into a state of malfunction and disconnection.
By this time, 882 had already undergone a long journey, and its body was covered with the marks of time.
The two girls it had pushed away, after a brief moment of shock, recovered and tried to save 882.
But after half an hour of effort, they accomplished nothing. Finally, they decided to stop wasting their energy.
Before leaving, they knelt down, looked at 882, and held its hand.
They cried as they thanked 882 and apologized to it.
"Thank you for saving us, and we're sorry we can't save you."
882 looked up at them; in their eyes was another emotion it couldn't understand.
Soon, their retreating figures disappeared into the snow, leaving 882 crushed under the giant billboard.
882 could feel its program slowly stopping.
Perhaps, it too would embark on that journey from which nothing could be taken, just like its old mother.
Would she be at the end of the road?
If that were the case, leaving like this wouldn't be a bad thing... But at that moment, the records about the Old Woman, without 882 querying them, suddenly popped up.
The Old Woman in 882's memory was still the way she looked the night before she passed away.
"My dear, even if you are alone, you must live well, okay?"
It... cannot leave yet.
It... has not yet completed the instruction.
882's program, which was about to stop running, forcibly completed self-repair and continued to operate under this instruction.
Its arm twisted at an incredible angle, tearing off its other arm, and it found a way to fashion it into a short spear.
882 raised the short spear, sharpened from its own arm, and plunged it into the connection between itself and the crushed part.
Until it separated from that part.
On the empty, abandoned street, the sound of 882 damaging itself, a hammering sound, was exceptionally clear.
Finally, it broke free, at the cost of being left with only half a body and one arm.
But the Old Woman's dear... survived.
That was enough.
Ai Lu quietly watched this part of the memory and said:
"You're starting to become like a human."