The group navigated through a crowded corridor, passed through a heavy blast door connecting to the underground, and finally, after Joan unlocked the security measures, entered a hidden space.
This was her usual laboratory.
As soon as they entered, they saw Kahraman standing on a repulsor platform, operating an instrument with his four arms.
"You're back, Joan. And Amir, 32, and the lovely Milisen. Since everyone is here, let's discuss the specifics of our cooperation." It was clear that Kahraman was also eager to get back to researching the exoskeleton.
Beside Kahraman was a young girl assisting him.
Upon seeing Amir's group, she smiled. "We have new guests today, Doctor."
Both Joan and Kahraman held doctoral degrees, but Kahraman preferred people to call him "Doctor" in the medical sense.
"Valera, these are Doctor Kahraman's friends."
"Hello," Valera greeted them.
Amir nodded in acknowledgement. This time, he had discovered early on that she was a droid.
Because there was no life force radiating from her.
Valera stepped forward. "Is there anything I can help you with?"
"Prepare some drinks," Joan said. The girl acknowledged the order and left the main lab, heading toward the inner rooms.
"How is the data?" Amir asked Kahraman.
Kahraman flashed a reliable smile. "The data is completely fine. Joan is an expert in this field; I've already given it a rough read-through."
Faced with excellent scientific results, Kahraman maintained an attitude of respect, dropping his usual arrogance.
Amir trusted Kahraman's academic standards implicitly. Since he said it was usable, there was no need to worry. The next issue was the price.
"When you begged me for the data back then, I generously gave it to you for free. Otherwise, you old hag, you wouldn't have been able to achieve your current form," Kahraman said with a teasing tone.
Fortunately, Joan didn't mind.
"These things don't have much value to me anymore, so giving them to you directly is fine. However, I've had a problem recently. Since you're here, I'll take some appropriate profit in the form of a favor," Joan said calmly. She didn't seem capable of expressing much emotion.
"What is it?" Amir asked.
"It shouldn't be a big deal for you," Joan organized her words. "Nar Shaddaa has been very lively recently. Many people are looking for something."
"You mean that ancient object? Haha, you don't actually believe it's real, do you? An ancient vessel carrying a 'soul'?" Kahraman, having arrived a day earlier, had heard about this.
Joan didn't get angry. "Real or not, I am very interested in it."
She turned to Amir and explained, "About a month ago, a bounty hunter claimed to have brought an artifact out of an ancient ruin—a vessel containing a 'soul.' It caused quite a disturbance across the galaxy. It is said to contain the path to immortality."
"After a period of hype, he decided to sell it to the Hutts for a very high price. So he came to Hutt Space, arriving first at Nar Shaddaa."
"But the fool had just stepped off his ship when he was pickpocketed by the children around the spaceport. The artifact intended for the transaction was unknowingly swapped. By the time he realized it, the trail was long cold."
"Under the wrath of the Hutts, this man lost his life, so the final lead was cut off. However, the attraction of an artifact hyped to a sky-high price is undeniable. Even now, there are still a large number of bounty hunters on Nar Shaddaa looking for clues, wanting to make a fortune."
Amir found the story strange. "Containing the path to immortality? That sounds like a scam no matter how you listen to it."
"But there are always people who believe it. As long as someone is willing to pay, there will be people willing to risk their lives for it."
"Do you believe it?" Amir asked Joan.
"My goal has never been so-called immortality. I want to figure out whether the thing inside that vessel is truly a human soul or some created consciousness. If it is created..."
Kahraman interjected at the right moment. "There's a video circulating. Do you want to see it? That vessel really can speak."
With Joan's help, Amir watched the leaked video: a rectangular stone slab that constantly emitted obscure and difficult-to-understand language. Blue light flashed across its surface in waves, indicating the flow of energy.
"The video is real. There are no traces of editing; I found someone specifically to verify it," Joan dispelled Amir's last doubts.
Watching the video, Amir fell into thought. He had just personally contained a Sith Spirit, so he had some understanding of soul-related matters. This stone slab might truly be a carrier for some ancient person's soul.
"The most important reason I'm interested is this," Joan pointed to the slab. "These blue energy lines leave a complex pattern on the stone. This pattern looks like a very high-level circuit. If that's the case, this slab might be a traceable artificial object. This is significant to me. My research has basically taken shape, but it's always missing something."
"Just like Valera. You should have already noticed she is a droid, but she is still constructed by programming. Although everything has met my expectations, it's still not enough. I can clearly see through her thinking patterns; her every move brings me no surprise. So I hope to get inspiration from this artifact—to see if I can use mechanics to cultivate something close to the essence of a soul."
Even Amir was a bit staggered after hearing Joan's words.
This was indeed a very constructive idea.
But the chances of success were infinitesimal.
The droids of this world had their own templates. Some fully independent droids were actually not much different from other sentient life forms. They could think, had emotions, knew how to seek advantages and avoid disadvantages, were willing to strengthen themselves, and even indulged in enjoyment.
It could be said that they were already a special race, worthy of respect and equal treatment from other lives.
But this was still not enough for Joan.
According to Kahraman's perception of her, Joan had a near-pathological pursuit of complete anthropomorphism. If she just wanted to "try it out," she would have achieved her goal back in university.
Even Kahraman didn't understand her purpose in doing this.
Perhaps it was simply a hobby.
Amir stopped thinking about it; he needed to seal the deal first. "I don't have any advantage in finding things. I might not be able to..."
"We do have an advantage," Joan said suddenly.
"What?"
"I was there the day the item was stolen. Hehe, it almost fell into my hands, but two brats beat me to it!" Although her tone remained flat, Amir could sense the resentment within.
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