24. Charging
The lingering warmth of reuniting with Kana still resonated in my chest as I lowered my gaze to the First Pitch Head resting in my palm. The First Pitch Head was silent, its two indicator lights—glowing green like eyes—holding an expression I'd never seen before. Though we'd spent far less time together than with Kana, it already felt like more than just an acquaintance.
Its light flickered with a heated intensity, as if it were captivated by Kana. Gender settings might be meaningless for a lunar rover, but anyone could see it in the way the First Pitch Head looked at her—it was completely smitten.
"Neo," the First Pitch Head suddenly called out in a small voice.
Surprisingly, it was directed at me, not Kana.
"Hm? What's up?" I asked.
Its voice grew quieter but carried a serious edge. "Aren't you going to introduce me?"
"Oh, right." I chuckled lightly and turned to Kana. "Kana, this lunar rover head is called 'First Pitch Head.' It was a huge help in rescuing you."
Kana's gaze slowly returned from the distant galaxy.
As if her consciousness, adrift in the cosmos, was pulled back to reality by my voice, her blue eyes briefly passed over me before settling on the First Pitch Head resting modestly in my palm.
"Really?" Her voice was soft, tinged with gratitude. "Thank you for helping me."
As she bowed deeply, the First Pitch Head seemed to warm slightly, a faint heat transferring to my palm.
"Nah, I didn't do much," it said humbly, though its indicator lights flickered with a hint of pride. "Neo threw me, and that knocked you out of the spider's cotton candy. I was just a tool."
"But without tools, humanoid robots can't do anything," Kana replied brightly, her voice brimming with her characteristic charm. "Thank you so much, First Pitch Head-chan."
Her gaze shifted to me, and a gentle smile curved her lips. "Thank you for saving me, too, Neo-kun."
"Oh, uh, yeah." Caught off guard, I felt a bit embarrassed. She added softly, "I believed in you."
Her words hit me like they were written directly into my CPU, resonating deeply.
It felt like chains wrapping around me, weighing down my legs—but oddly, it wasn't an unpleasant heaviness. It was an overwhelming yet fulfilling sensation, like cramming an engine full of the sugary shell of the chrysalis Kana had just emerged from.
A bit like the satisfaction of overeating.
"Alright, then," I said, changing the subject before getting lost in the saccharine atmosphere.
I lifted the First Pitch Head carefully, as if handling a precious gemstone. "This First Pitch Head is going to help us get to the starport where the cargo ship is."
"But," Kana tilted her head, her curious eyes fixed on the First Pitch Head, "it's just a head, right?"
"We're going to figure that out from here."
"So, we're building a lunar rover from scratch?"
"Exactly."
"That sounds fun!" Kana's voice burst with excitement.
As expected, her passion for making things lit up her eyes.
Kana really loved creating.
"Let's get started! First, we need to gather materials!" Humming and whistling an impromptu tune like a lively BGM, Kana moved with energy. Following the First Pitch Head's instructions, we began collecting the necessary parts.
The First Pitch Head had the original lunar rover blueprint etched into its CPU. It knew exactly which parts were needed and what structure would be optimal, so the work progressed smoothly.
That said, finding usable parts among the wreckage in the vacuum deep sea was like searching for gems in a desert—a laborious task.
Still, the crater was littered with a wide variety of metals and components.
We discussed joints and structures, occasionally bickering lightly over which parts were best or tossing ideas back and forth.
There was no time to feel bored; the work was engaging and fulfilling.
We kept at it for a full 24 hours straight.
Without charging or sleeping, we tirelessly gathered parts until, at last, we had everything we needed.
The moment for assembly had arrived—but then it happened. My battery finally hit its limit. My energy depleted, my movements froze as if I were a statue, and my vision flickered as the system blared warning signals.
If this continued, I risked permanent damage.
"Neo-kun!" Kana's voice rang out.
Her face was pale with worry. "You look awful!"
"You're not looking so great yourself," I replied.
"I'm just worried, so I'm still fine. I've got 65% battery left. What about you?"
I glanced at the display on my wrist. "…0.005%."
The moment I said it, I was shocked myself.
I'd never dropped to decimals before, and I was amazed I was still functioning in this state.
I wasn't the only one stunned. Kana looked dumbfounded, as if she might faint, and the First Pitch Head's internal alarms were beeping in emergency mode from sheer shock.
"Charge now!" Kana snapped.
Ordered by my possession, I lacked the energy to resist and nodded faintly.
Switching to power-saving mode, I minimized my movements.
Kana hurriedly ran off, returning with a solar panel and connecting it to me. She also dragged over a rock just the right size for a humanoid robot to sit on, positioned me there, and posed me like an avant-garde sculpture.
"This is the most efficient pose for quick charging," she said.
Impressed, I remarked, "How do you know a pose like this?"
"Don't talk! What if you shut down completely?"
Faced with an clearly angry Kana, I obediently shut my mouth.
As she gently brushed my eyes with a tender touch, like soothing a restless spirit, I slipped into deep sleep mode.
"Good night."
Her sweet, succubus-like whisper was the last thing I heard as charging began.