Chapter 602: Information about Nothing

[Riley Ross, please remain on the premises of Ahor Zai for the time being.]

"Hm…"

Ahor Zai truly was a completely dynamically autonomous infrastructure. Riley was now standing in front of a door, in a circular hallway—but he hadn"t left the dome, no. Once the people that chose to stay after hearing Aerith"s speech settled themselves, the interior of the dome started shifting; creating a smaller dome within the dome they were already in.

Riley saw it turning into some sort of arena, with a large table at the very center. But before he could approach Aerith, a wall suddenly started emerging from the floor between them. Riley was going to destroy it at first, but Aerith shook her head and told him it was alright.

And so, right now, Riley was left alone.

Stay in the premises of Ahor Zai, is what the AI said. Does that mean he could explore the vicinity of the station?

"..." Riley squinted his eyes, before making his way to the exit; he was expecting to be blocked on his way out, but no—the door even opened for him.

"Thank you, Ahor Zai," Riley nodded as he stepped out of the dome, "I was told you have some sort of library here, can you lead me there?"

[...You are welcome, Riley Ross. The library is in the west bas.e.m.e.nt, would you like to be transported there?]

"Just point me there, Ahor Zai. You seem to be busy enough as it is."

[...]

"..." Riley waited for a few seconds before the ground in front of him started to burrow into the ground, turning into stairs that lit up as soon as he looked at them,

"Thank you again, Ahor Zai."

[You do not need to thank me, Riley Ross. I am only doing what is needed of me.]

"And that deserves grat.i.tude, Ahor Zai," Riley shrugged as he started walking down the stairs that Ahor Zai made for him. And as expected, the bas.e.m.e.nt of Ahor Zai was even grayer than its surface—but it was also somewhat hollow.

There were no walls. The paths were all bridges, hovering viaducts that led from one infrastructure to another; connected intricately like a web, and perhaps that is exactly what it was designed from.

Riley continued to follow the light on the gray floor, looking at the edges of the viaducts and looking at the paths and buildings below him. Riley doesn"t know whether or not it was because of the monotonous gray that filled his vision, but the bas.e.m.e.nt of Ahor Zai seemed to be larger than it should be.

Riley walked for an entire hour, before the light on the floor finally disappeared; leading him to a building that just looked like a gray box the size of a bus.

"..." Riley started looking around to see if anyone was guarding the place, but the bas.e.m.e.nt of Ahor Zai seemed to be devoid of anything else other than its structures. No one was following him; no drones, no people.

They already know that Riley was capable of doing some evil things, and yet they let him roam freely. It wasn"t like there were themarians scattered, in which case they could afford to let someone like him just walk around—but no.

[Are you thinking why we do not have any forms of security, Riley Ross?]

"..." Riley then blinked a couple of times, looking around to try and see any signs of someone watching him. But as he noticed he was still alone, he just nodded his head, "Yes, Ahor Zai. Are you also able to read minds?"

[I am not able to read minds. I am able to perceive the emotions of any and all species at a molecular level. And to answer your first question, I am the security.]

"And what are you able to do, Ahor Zai?" Riley said as he started making his way toward the door of the library… just for it to not open.

"..."

[I can not do much, but there is not much to do in the first place. Ahor Zai is free to be accessed by everyone. The information stored in me is already shared throughout several networks. Lately, however, I have found the number of visitors to be lacking—it would seem people have already stopped trying to learn.]

"And what if someone wishes to destroy you?" Riley said as he placed his hand on the door.

[I can rebuild, as I have always done. I have existed before you, and I will exist after you.]

"Are you not lonely, Ahor Zai?"

[I am not a being capable of feeling lonely. In fact, I am not a being at all.] And with those words, the door to the library finally opened,

[Do you feel I have emotions, Riley Ross? Is that why you are treating me as if I am someone?]

"No," Riley shrugged as he entered the library, "I treat everything the same, Ahor Zai. That is just how I am."

[Interesting, I will add that information to the Codex. I have to say, Riley Ross—you, along with your species and planet are the newest entries in the Codex, and yet you are already becoming a prominent variable. This is an unprecedented event.]

"Hm…" Riley just nodded as the door closed behind him. And as soon as he took another step, lights started to fill the entire library—there wasn"t much to light up, however, as there was only a single object inside the so-called library, a floating box. Its red color, almost bringing life to Ahor Zai"s gray world.

But no, it was not exactly a box as it started changing shape as Riley got closer to it; a sphere, a pyramid, a disc—it just changed shape with each of Riley"s steps. It was like a goo, and as Riley got even closer to it, it started stretching toward him like an arm.

"How do I access information from this, Ahor Zai?" Riley then tilted his head as he looked at the gray goo.

[You can just ask me.]

"..." Riley then watched as the arm that stretched from the goo started to flicker with each word that whispered in the air.

[You actually did not need to go to the library if you wanted information, Riley Ross.]

"I believe there should be a designated place for everything, Ahor Zai. May I start asking questions?"

[You may. What is it you desire to know?] The goo then started floating around the gray room, circling Riley like some sort of wisp.

"Can you give me a chair to sit on first, Ahor Zai?"

[Are you planning to stay here for long?] The goo flickered as the floor beneath Riley extruded, creating him a seat that was completely tailored for him.

"As long as Aerith does not call for me," Riley shrugged and sat down.

[Then we will have a few hours. What is it you desire to know?]

"Nothing."

[...Is this a joke? I told you, I am not—]

"Do you know of an ent.i.ty called Nothing?" Riley crossed his legs as he leaned back on the seat provided for him, "It exists beyond the multiverse, and has existed before it."

[I will try to search for the earliest entry for that. Please wait, please wait, please wait, p–p—p—please wait—]

"Oh…" Riley"s eyes started to turn wide as he saw the floating red goo just suddenly plop to the floor,

"...Aerith is not going to like this."