Chi was washing the dishes, trying to be quiet as possible. Hideki was sleeping on the futon from the medicine the doctor had prescribed for him.
She had been living with Hideki for many years and she was happy she had all that time with him. While she had learned so much about the world around her, in it's beauty and wonder, she sometimes wish she didn't know what death was.
She came into his life when he was a young man, a man of 19. He was now an old man of 80.
She tried not to think of it but she had to face the inevidability.
He was a human, alive and no matter how much she loved him she knew it would not keep his body from slowly reaching the end. Most recently his kidneys were starting to fail him, he would normally have trouble sleeping but that's what his new perscription was for.
Chi picked up a spoon. She watched the reflection for a moment and then put it back into the water. She didn't age physically but her hardware was wearing down. The technology had advanced and even if her mother were still around to tell them how to fix the small problems with Chi, they would not have any place to buy the parts.
Chi picked up a plate. Since Hideki was the only one who ate, she could let the dishes go for a few days and do them all at once.
She paused for a moment. Freya suddenly started to say something.
Freya's voice had gotten quieter, like she wasn't as assured as she had once been. Chi sometimes wondered if she had lost some of her sister's data over the years so Freya didn't know what to say.
'He has time left. Sometimes I wonder if you forget that'
'No...'
'Enjoy what is left, I know you're worried but all things must end.'
Chi pulled the pug on the sink. And watched as the water drained.
'Even love?'
Chi did not get a response.
Hideki groaned in his sleep.
They had a happy life.
Hideki had gotten into college after many tries and when he graduated they had gotten married. Then they moved into a slightly bigger home. They had a chance to go to China once, and they had even adopted a little girl but she was all grown up know with children of her own. But those years with the sound of little foot steps where the happiest. Hideki had a good job and could be home more.
She had all these memories. So did he.
Chi looked around. It was night now.
She could see the moon.
'I like to believe that love won't die', Freya had decided to speak.
Chi turned the light off above the sink and the moon light entered the room. Where they lived now was much like the first place she lived with Hideki in. They had sized down after Hideki retired. It was more cost efficiant then the house they had raised their daughter in.
'But you don't know?'
'I don't think anyone knows, just like they don't know what happens when a human stops breathing.'
Chi looked down at the man she loved. She slowly went to her knees and watched him sleep, Freya continued.
'I suppose you could say death cannot stop love. As long as someone remembers that love.'
'Like living on in someone's memories...but if they live on...maybe it will hurt to see them live on if it's only in memories.'
Hideki's chest raised itself and fell again.
Chi laid down next to him, and covered herself in the blanket.
She closed her eyes and listened to the crickets and Hideki's breathing.
She could also hear the gentle humming of her circuits, they being the ones that were to never turn off. The ones that would be her heart beat if she would call them that.
Chi looked at Hideki. She put one arm on his chest and moved close to his ear.
"I will love you forever...Not even the silence can make me stop."
She closed her eyes and felt her arm rise with Hideki's chest and fall with it.
And then it stopped moving.
Chi opened her eyes slightly. Hideki's heart beat no longer registered.
She closed her eyes. At first everything was normal but then, she felt a pressure from within.
The circuits started to slow their normal functions. It seemed to be unvolunteery, she was scared.
She could no longer feel her legs and then her arms and then she heard Freya.
'Good bye sister...'
Chi could barely hear her.
An observer would have been able to spot the sudden small smile that came across the persocoms lips, but wouldn't know why.
And slowly the gentle humming stopped.
It always made me wonder. A machine and a human both can be worn down even if they still have the ability to work, the physical parts break. But what's after that? If you believe in souls they move on, continuing the life they once had only without any pain but in the hypothetical scenario that a machine can love does that mean it has a soul? Because some people think being alive means you have a soul and to some being in love is being alive. Even beyond that is a soul can survive why can't love? This is just something I had stuck in my head and tired to make come out right. But I think it moves too fast.
Also I didn't look up the average life span of a man in Japan nor the retirment policies. Chobit's itself takes place in the future and this story in a future that happens after that so policies and what's average would change. Also what's typical won't apply to everyone. I think 80 seems young yet it's not. I really need to start writting more happy stories without character deaths and world destruction. My collection of published works is lacking in happyness.
