"Say something, damn it!" Ravine's voice cracked with desperation.

  Zhon gently lowered the drone to the ground and stood. "Relax. The transfer went well."

  "So why the long face?" Roan demanded. "You had us all thinking she didn't make it. What's wrong?"

  Zhon's expression remained troubled. "The OS chip requires more energy than I anticipated for the drone's current capacity."

  Irene looked at him with a mix of relief and lingering worry. "What do you mean by that?"

  "I mean, the drone can only be a temporary solution until we find a suitable vessel for her," Zhon said, his tone on edge. He turned to Aria's original body. "Her body is done for now, but her inventory is still usable."

  Irene frowned. "If you were to charge her right now, would she be able to talk to us?"

  "She would, but she'd need to stay stationary. She wouldn't be able to move like she used to."

  Ravine looked down. "Do you think this is something she would want? I mean, you know how she is, right?" She gave a light, nostalgic chuckle. "She's so energetic and moves around so much. It's hard to imagine her just standing there, you know..."

  Roan lifted his hands. "How about this then—how about we let her decide what she wants to do?"

  A long silence fell.

  He cleared his throat. "I mean, we're going on about this and that for her, but wouldn't the right thing be to let her make that decision for herself?"

  Zhon looked around at the group. "But she's like this because of me. I should have had my eyes on her. It's just unfair to her." He dropped to his knees, on the verge of tears.

  "If you feel guilty, then let her make this choice for herself," Irene said, her voice understanding but determined. "She may not have had a choice in what happened to her, but the decision of life should be hers."

  As the sun began to set, Zhon sighed and nodded slowly. "Fine."

  He pulled out his inventory box and retrieved a wireless charger. After expanding it, he placed the drone on the charging pad. "It's not much space, but at least she can be with us now."

  After several minutes, the drone lit up and slowly came to life.

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

  Aria's voice emerged hesitantly from the speaker. "W-what happened? The bridge—I remember the bridge, then... nothing." Her optical sensors widened as she looked around. "Where are we now? What happened to my body?"

  Zhon patted the drone. "You must hate me, huh? After all, it is my fault that you're like this." He sighed. "We got attacked on the bridge, and you were injured." His eyes narrowed. "We managed to meet up with Irene and Roan, but your body... It's compromised. I thought I could fix it, but I couldn't even do that for you. So if you do hate me, I understand."

  The drone remained still for a moment. "Thank you."

  Zhon's eyes widened.

  "Thank you for saving me," Aria continued. "It must have been hard for you—for all of you—but you didn't give up on me. So thank you."

  They all gave faint smiles.

  "I'm glad to have you back with us," Ravine said. "I don't know why, but I feel better now that I know you're safe."

  Roan teased her. "Look at you now. All this talk, acting like you don't care, but you do, don't you?"

  "I'm glad to see you again, Rav," Aria said with a chuckle.

  "I'm Roan, by the way, and this is our captain, Irene," Roan introduced.

  Irene nodded, then her expression turned serious. "We have a few questions for you, Aria, and we need you to be totally honest with us, okay?"

  Aria's voice became worried. "S-sure. What is it?"

  "As you might have noticed, you're currently in Zhon's drone. He managed to transfer your OS chip to it successfully. However, while you remain in it, you'll be restricted to the charging zone you're currently in. Our mechs are coming in a few days. In the meantime, is that something you can deal with?"

  The drone's optical sensors circled for several seconds before responding. "I've been given this second chance at life by someone who tried his hardest to save me. Declining it would be an insult to the work he put in for me to be able to see you all again." She paused. "I won't let it go to waste. So if I have to wait a few days here, then so be it."

  "Are you sure?" Ravine asked. "You won't be able to explore here like you wanted."

  The drone shrugged its front panel. "Eh, I can do without it. It's pretty grim anyway, haha."

  Roan laughed. "I like this one."

  "If we were to attach you to one of the mechs, would you be fine to travel with us?" Irene asked.

  "Well, I think so," Aria said pensively. "After all, the mechs are powered by the Mother Ship, so it would be an upgrade, actually, no?"

  Irene nodded. "That's right. But in the event that we might need to be discreet, would you be able to handle that?"

  "Um, well, I can always do my best, right?"

  Irene crossed her arms. "Lastly, as you're already aware, your original body has been compromised, but your inventory is still salvageable. Since you won't be able to use it anymore, who do you wish to give it to?"

  Aria tensed, her sensors looking between Ravine and Zhon multiple times. "Sorry, Rav. I know you might need it too, but Zhon did save me. You understand, right?"

  Ravine smiled. "Of course! He did save you, after all. He deserves it. With all the tools he's going to have to transport, I'd say he needs it more than me anyway."

  "Thank you," Aria said.

  "While this is a great reunion and all, we still need repairs—especially for Ravine and Roan," Irene said, looking at Zhon. "When can we expect you to do it?"

  "I can get to it right away. I might start with Roan, though, since his repairs are less severe. That way, if we're attacked, we'll have more firepower."

  Ravine nodded. "Makes sense. I can wait."

  Irene looked at the red sun descending toward the horizon. "Good. Let's make the best of these next few days. We'll need it."