Under Elder's new commandment, Miss. Missy was tasked with a monumental duty—to seek out new worlds fit for life, rich in environment, and worthy of nurturing the next generation of creation.
Without rest, she sent her fleet of drones across the stars, each programmed to survey the planets she had marked as promising. The outer atmospheres had already passed every test—oxygen levels, gravity, magnetic balance—all met the standards of life. But now came the deeper trial: the inner atmosphere, the hidden heart of each world.
Her drones descended through clouds, scanning deep into crust and core. They measured temperatures, mineral compositions, and the flow of energy that moved through the soil. They also studied the nature of life, if any existed—creatures, plants, unseen microforms—and how they reacted when confronted with something foreign. Elder had been clear in his command:
"Find me a world untouched, empty of native life—yet perfect for living."
That instruction limited her choices, but she obeyed without hesitation. To prepare for the great migration, she also had to locate the best sites for the receiver stations—the arrival points for the teleportation devices that would carry the children to these new worlds.
Days passed like seconds. Her screens glowed endlessly with data—streams of symbols, light, and images from a thousand worlds. She reviewed it all personally, determined that no detail would escape her sight.
But then… she noticed something wrong.
Her brows furrowed as her fingers danced over the orange screens. The numbers didn't align. She knew exactly how many planets she had deployed drones to—yet the data she was receiving was short by one hundred worlds.
One hundred planets had gone silent.
No readings. No signals. No trace of the drones that were sent.
Miss. Missy's expression hardened. The faint hum of the screens filled the silent chamber as she whispered to herself,"That's… impossible."
Miss. Missy sat in silence, her mind clouded with unease. She had checked and rechecked the data countless times — yet the results remained the same.One hundred planets missing.
She pressed her fingers to her temples, her circuits humming faintly as she thought.
"Maybe… the life on those planets destroyed the drones?" she muttered to herself. "Well, even if I add those lost readings, it won't change much. The rest of the data is complete and accurate."
She sighed, dismissing the thought for now. "Alright, this isn't the time to worry about it. Elder is waiting."
With that, she gathered the compiled reports and made her way to the Great Hall.
Inside, the vast chamber was filled with light — soft, golden, living light. Elder hovered in the air, his right hand resting upon the Tree of Life, whose branches glowed and pulsed like veins of the cosmos itself. His eyes shone like molten gold, radiant and distant, as though seeing something far beyond the hall.
Miss. Missy stopped at the entrance and bowed her head, waiting.
After a while, Elder slowly descended, his feet touching the marble floor as the golden glow faded from his eyes. He turned toward her, calm yet commanding.
"What is it, Miss. Missy?" he asked, his voice resonating like a calm wave.
"My lord," she said, stepping forward and offering the crystal tablet in her hands, "the command you gave me is now fulfilled. I am delighted to present the list of planets that meet your requirements — all within the nearby systems."
Elder accepted the data and began turning through the glowing pages, his expression thoughtful.
She watched him carefully. There was a stillness in the air — not peace, but tension.
"My lord," she finally asked softly, "is something wrong?"
Elder stopped turning the pages. Slowly, he looked at her."How did you know something was wrong?"
She smiled faintly, a trace of human warmth flickering in her mechanical eyes."My lord, I may be a creation of your father — a program made to serve — but I, too, have learned to feel. I understand human emotion. And right now, I feel something is heavy in your heart. I am tired too… not from work, but from sensing your burden."
Elder's expression softened. For a moment, he said nothing. Then, with quiet gravity, he spoke:
"Yes, Miss. Missy… something is wrong."
He closed the glowing tablet and looked toward the Tree of Life. The branches shimmered faintly, as though listening.
"My younger brother," Elder said at last, his voice dropping low, "has gone missing."