"Am I real at all?"
It's been so tiring, but I managed to survive. Was it luck? Was I predestined to live? To meet these people?
...
Ishhi and Yoku both glance at Adam, puzzled.
"He's weird, right?"
"Yeah."
"We're not belittling you, Adam," Yoku added, his face with genuine concern. "Are you okay?"
Adam scowled. "Yes, I'm fine."
He wasn't just annoyed—no, something deeper. Furious. But not even the kind you can explain. It lashed out from inside. Am I always like this?
He hated that thought.
But it didn't matter. He chose his path. If something doesn't feel right, then it's not him.
While they were still inside the cage-like escalator rising through the skies, Ishhi turned to Yoku, curious.
"Hey, Yoku… how do you even know this stuff? Like using tools and fixing things—did you read a ton of books or memorize manuals?"
Yoku scratched his head. "No… I, uh, I don't know. I've always just… learned by doing. From experience, memory. The more I copy people, the more I understand. Mechanics, logic, tools—it just builds the more I try."
"You're not a great teacher, that's for sure."
She teased him with a grin.
Yoku frowned and stayed quiet, sitting near the edge.
Adam smiled. This felt… familiar.
Yeah. He always liked this. Experiencing comfort.
Hours passed.
Adam's eyes widened—shock, awe, nostalgia. This place was nothing like the tower. Floating islands, mechanical engines powering the air, massive bridges connecting lands. A sky-world of cafes, farms, casinos, and homes.
Animals. Birds. Cats. Machines.
People.
"Yoku! Yoku!!" Adam shouted.
Their eyes lit up—
"Humans!!"
Ishhi stepped down from the escalator.
"Welcome to 010-Based: The Rixton Sky Island. Built entirely by the Doctor. But… you're mistaken. These aren't humans. Not a single one lives here."
Yoku blinked. "Wait… to build something like this, he must've been ancient. Like… 300 years old?"
"Humans don't live that long… sigh. Nevermind."
As they landed, many cyborgs and robots gathered, curious.
Adam, Yoku, and Ishhi stepped forward. Whispers spread—rumors of a real human among them.
A robot approached—a tall figure with visible gear fractures, wearing a researcher's uniform.
"Welcome back, Ishhi Zwecklos. It has been years. We believed you had perished… Since the Doctor's passing, the island has slowly decayed. The main power core vanished, and we estimate we'll cease to function in a few years."
Adam couldn't tell if the robot had emotions. He stayed quiet. Was a robot even a person? It towered over him.
"I'm sorry, Adam. I'll catch up later. I have something to do," Ishhi said and walked off.
"WAIT—" Yoku stepped forward. "The Doctor… how did he die?"
"Old age," said the robot simply, walking away.
Some robots followed Ishhi.
Yoku stood still, pale. Something haunted him.
"Uhh… Adam, I'm gonna explore the place a bit."
Am I finally alone? Adam thought. "Yeah…"
They parted. Adam looked down at the grassy ground.
A small black cat purred against his leg.
"Ahh, cute cat."
But Ishhi said everything here wasn't alive.
It clearly is… right?
He picked up the cat and pet it. Most robots moved on, except one.
"Hey!"
A petite, white-haired girl in a big black coat stood nearby.
"You're human, right?"
"…Yeah?"
That was weird.
…
Silence.
Adam walked toward the town. She followed.
"Why are you following me?"
"I'm curious."
"About what?"
"About you humans! So I've decided—I'm sticking with you."
"What about my friends?"
"I thought they were busy."
Adam narrowed his eyes. Is she even human? Ishhi said there weren't any. Why does she care so much?
"…Fine. Come."
She beamed, tiptoeing happily behind him.
"Hey, why do you have emotions?"
"I was programmed to."
"Do all of you have them?"
"Some. Varies from machines."
Adam was conflicted. This town felt like his old world—clean roads, trash cans, air conditioning. Cafés, markets, factories, houses.
He entered a café. A black-haired girl with glowing orange eyes stood at the counter.
"Hello, sir. What can I get you?" she asked, smiling.
Sigh the doctor must have some few screws loose, but still he must or she must been lonely…
"…Does it cost money?" Adam asked, awkward.
"Yes. But… you could work here with that girl."
And just like that, Adam was in a uniform, serving robots of all shapes—some barely humanoid.
A robot in a butler outfit with headphones ordered,
"One oat milk latte, please."
What even is that? Adam mixed espresso, oat milk, and sugar. "Coming right up…"
'What am I even doing?' he thought.
The customer paid with coins.
A slap on the back.
"Woah, you're pretty good at this, human. Averagely," the white-haired girl teased.
Adam gathered all the coins and finally got himself a chocolate milk coffee.
Night fell. The girl still followed him.
But he didn't mind anymore.
"Hey, what's your name?"
"Yuki."
"…I'm Adam."
Then—rumors spread. A kid with short orange hair was drinking heavily in a nearby tavern… not paying… grumbling.
Adam's face dropped. "Oh no…"
He rushed to the tavern and found Yoku slumped at a table, goggles off, boots off. Drained.
"Hey, you okay?"
"No. I'm tired…"
"What's wrong?"
"So humans die of old age?"
Adam sighed. A question he thought no one would ask seriously.
"Of course we do."
"How many years?"
"Eighty."
"That long?"
"Yeah…"
Yoku stared at the table. "But I can't do everything I want in that time… Why was I born just to die? I want to live."
…
"Living beings… will eventually die. As long as they function."
"But why?"
He cried.
A robot butler with a headphone head replied calmly,
"It is entropy. Energy always wants to reach stability, to spread out at the lowest possible energy. High-energy systems break down. Over time, the universe evens out. Stars die. Systems fade. That is why we require energy to exist—and why, one day, we won't."
He polished a cup.
"But," he added, "that doesn't mean existence is meaningless. After all… being alive is the best. Said by the Doctor."
Adam sat down, reflecting.
What does it mean to be alive? Is it just being functional? Conscious? Emotional? Why do I want to live…? Do robots think about this?
Then Yuki spoke up, shattering the silence.
"Hey you! Yeah, whatever you are—pay up for everything you ordered today!"
Yoku blinked, stunned.
"Who are you?"
She smirked.
"Well… I own this place."
Adam was surprised by that… before a black cat rested in his head