Thank you to the anonymous reviewer who pointed out that I uploaded the wrong chapter! My apologies for any confusion.

As always, beta-reading was done by Kokodoru!

Luka got a full night's worth of rest, her sleep less troubled than it had been for ages. She couldn't comprehend it, but she blamed the childish comfort of having a stuffed animal. She also wouldn't admit that: it was stupid and weak and hardly even respectable, but she would be damned if she had grown fond of it within a day.

Miku honored it too, like law. When Luka woke up to complete the fourth deal of the night, she didn't even wish her a good morning until she released the plush animal. They discussed the details of that day's trade, namely how they would be heading to a new part of the city for that deal, while Miku refreshed her bandage once again. Luka took her medication with her breakfast, telling the android about the local legends about the trash zone, where the trade was to take place. Rumor had it that the Shion family got rid of the undesirables there. The trash that could not be recycled or repurposed was regularly airlifted into the vast and endless expanse of space, making it a perfect place to dump bodies that needed to get lost and never get found. There was no real evidence for this, but people did disappear at the Sapphire Shores on a somewhat regular basis. It wasn't so suspicious to have trades there, fortunately. It was a busy location too, with numerous robots which did the bulk of the sorting work. There were also overseers of all kinds, managers, people who operated large machinery, and some tourists just wanted to see what kind of mountains of trash the place had to process on a daily basis.

It was nighttime, though, so there wasn't much to see when they did get there. The machinery whirred in the distance, and Miku was amazed by what she could find thanks to her night vision and infrared, but as far as Luka was concerned it was dark, empty, dotted with a handful of lights, and somewhat noisy. She knew what they looked like though, those large claws and knives and shovels and compressors.

As usual, the trade went well and they returned to the ship with a whole bunch of money that was promptly counted, split, then hidden.

"Alright, just two crates left," Luka mumbled, pushing Dexter to the side so she could sit on her bed. "I should be able to square those away tonight."

"And then me," Miku said, her tone neutral.

"Yeah," the woman said with a sigh. "It'll be nice to be alone again."

"I can't wait to find someone who will enjoy my song," the android added. "Although we will be saying goodbye, the fact that we are parting ways is probably a good thing."

Luka nodded, cleared her throat. "Yeah. I'm going to start going through the top bidders today, see if I can weed out the seedy types."

"I trust you," Miku said with a small smile.

The woman averted her gaze. "Right."

A small silence settled. Even though Luka wasn't holding the plush animal, Miku didn't say anything more, content to stare out the window. Luka glanced at her in turn, nervous as she always was when in close quarters with the android.

It had lessened, though. With all the walks, the bandage changing, the long hours that the android simply let her be, all the forced cooperation, that imposed tolerance, it had whittled away at the primal fear. There was still something there, something that didn't let her sleep deeply, that made her flinch at the sound of her voice, that made her keep an eye on her, but...

"Is it alright if I go for a little walk?" the android asked as she stood, prompting a slight jump from the woman. "I had wanted to see the sunrise from the large bay windows. It may be my last chance to do so."

"Go ahead." After a pause, during which the chamber door opened, she added, "If you keep going east from here, eventually you'll get to the part of the docks where they keep the really large ships. The ships there are bigger, and it's busier there, but the bay windows there are bigger too. It's facing eastward, to boot. You'll get a better view."

"Oh, I will, then! Is it far?"

She shook her head. "You should make it there in time for sunrise. Maybe a half an hour walk."

"I'll be there, and then I will be at the market for a bit," the android announced. "I'll be back at midday!"

"That works." After another moment's hesitation, she added, "Have fun."

"You too!"

With that, the pressure chamber doors started closing once again. After a few seconds and a hiss, Luka was alone.

In truth, the sale of the last two crates was already secured. The two top bidders had been informed that they were last, and they were adamant about getting their hands on the spice, promising a bonus if Luka were to choose them over others. This left Luka with little else to do other than try to select Miku's new owner.

She sighed, tapping away at the tablet. Instead of going straight to her store page, she went online to see what the local news was. There was no real reason to. But she figured she might as well; she hadn't kept up since their return from Earth.

The main headline spoke about the Shion Family's eldest son, back in the area to shake some hands and butter up some politicians. He was going to host a huge party for it. All very lame.

There were a few stabbings. In a place where guns and weapons of all kinds were banned, knives still won the popularity contest. Even in the space age, people bled out quite well.

A few shoplifters had been arrested.

And there: an android was wowing the crowd on a daily basis, stumping all with her mastery of sound and song.

Luka tapped the link, though she already knew what to expect. Part of her wanted to be angry that the android actually was going out of her way to find an audience, but Miku had never hidden it. The woman had never asked, either.

She sighed, watching the videos with the sound on. Though Ruko couldn't see the screen, they could identify Miku's voice and asked if she was watching a recording of Miku somehow. Luka explained briefly, going from video to video.

The android really was talented. Luka hadn't given her a fair shot: against all odds, even on a universal scale, her skill was absolutely astronomical. She sang about anything, in any style, on-demand. She could do it all, dancing as well if requested.

Watching her perform, it was difficult to remember that it was the same person who had waited for eons on a dying planet, hoping only to unite any and all humans who remained. Or that she was the same person who had tugged her into an alleyway to protect her with her built-in gun. Or even that it was the same person who had essentially tortured her less than a cycle before.

Luka shifted uncomfortably at the memory. All things considered, she was getting over it relatively quickly. Luka didn't think highly of people in general, so it was probably normal that her opinion shifted more easily from 'fear' back to 'disdain', rather from 'fear' straight back to 'respect'. There were fewer steps to make. If she had respected the android to begin with, it would have been shattered by such actions.

But Miku wouldn't have acted as such, had she been respected.

Luka sighed, put the tablet down. Miku was making such an effort to make things tolerable, for the last few days that she was there. Luka wanted, needed to think it was suspicious but after all those hours, it was clear that the android didn't have a hidden agenda. Her efforts at redemption, paired with her tendency to protect the woman from harm, albeit overzealously, all told her that the android deserved a worthy owner.

The scavenger whimpered; without the screen in front of her, memories returned. Miku was dangerous, too. She looked kind and she acted sweet but her anger was violent. Even if Luka didn't care about her, or about her future owner, she couldn't help but think that if she were to intentionally leave Miku in the wrong hands, the android would find her and make her pay.

This spoke volumes more to Luka than the android's kindness.

Luka picked the tablet back up, eager to keep her mind busy and anchored in the now. For the first time in days, she opened Miku's page.

The number of potential buyers was staggering. Luka abandoned scrolling through the list in favor of sorting by offered buy price, and that too made her reel.

According to some, she alone was worth more than all of the spice she had sold so far. Millions upon millions.

If any of those buyers would pass her tests, Luka would be set for multiple lifetimes. She wouldn't only be able to buy herself a life of isolation, but a life of isolated luxury. Pure hedonism, anything she could possibly want, all on her lonesome on any planet of her choosing.

Luka had to put the tablet down a second time when she realized that would easily have enough money to buy the rights to an entire planet. A small one, granted. It would probably be in a shitty, isolated location in the universe, far from health services and society. But that was exactly what she wanted. She had already bookmarked a few of such planets. To think she could actually, legally possess one of them?

With trembling fingers, she started the first few conversations. There was always that stage where they both checked if the other was legit, trying to get confirmation that it was real and that there was no scam on the horizon. After that, Luka tried to better tell what exactly these people wanted Miku for.

Some said company.

Some said knowledge.

Some said entertainment.

Some said curiosity.

Some preferred not to say anything, never to reply again.

Most weren't evil, but most also didn't even realize that she was a full-blown sentient being. Luka tried to remind them that she was an exotic AI with her own rules, but they still talked about her in terms of 'it' or 'them', the default pronouns AI used.

Luka frowned and looked up at her ship.

"Ruko?"

"Yes?"

"I was thinking... I refer to you as 'them'. Is that alright with you?"

"Of course."

"You wouldn't prefer a masculine or feminine pronoun? Anything in between?"

Ruko took a few seconds to think about it. "I think 'they' is my favorite if I dare say so."

"If you want me to switch it up, feel free to tell me," Luka muttered.

"May I ask what spurred this question?"

"I don't know. You've helped me for so long, and I just figured out you had a name a few cycles ago. I guess if you have an opinion on the matter, I might as well try to honor it. Better late than never."

"I have no real opinion," Ruko stated. "I am not able. You do not have to worry about any sort of punishment from me for this."

"No, it's not that," Luka muttered, but she squirmed nonetheless. "It's just an easy thing to learn and apply."

Ruko needed a moment to process their answer. "That is true. My reply remains the same, however: I cannot care."

"That's fair."

"If I change my mind, for whatever reason there may be, I will inform you."

"Sounds good. Thanks, Ruko."

"No, thank you."

"Yeah."

Back to the hunt. She had to remind herself that she wasn't looking for a perfect life partner for the android: Miku could surely do much of the work when it came to convincing these people of her depth of character. Luka only had to give them a head's up and make sure that they weren't going to disassemble her at the first chance.

After a few hours, which knocked a few of the top offers from the list, she had narrowed down the list to a handful of candidates. She took some time off to prepare another meal for herself, to nap a little, to think of where exactly she would go, whether she would tell Meiko first before disappearing or not.

"Miku has returned," Ruko droned.

Right on cue, the pressure chamber door hissed as it opened. The android stepped in a moment later.

Luka sat up, almost alarmed. Miku had changed.

She looked like a cute woman she would cross on the street. She looked like someone who went out on weekends to spend time with her friends, who loved animals, who did well in school. She looked like a woman who had grown up with loving parents, in a good household, who had the perfect balance of self-respect, self-esteem, self-confidence and self-awareness. She looked proud, modest, outspoken, worldly.

In reality, she was wearing clothes that fit her. From her shoes to the stylish pants that went all the way down to her ankles, hiding the seams in her legs, up to the tailor-cut summer shirt, the bracelet on her forearm and the new ties in her hair, the balance of black, blue and grey was energetic, athletic, fresh. Even the visible seams of her arms looked to be by design, some extension of her bright blue bracelet perhaps. A makeup choice.

The finishing touch, which Luka hadn't ever seen before, was that she had tied up her hair into two ponytails, one on each side of her head. The ties were of the anti-gravity variety: while there was surely an elastic holding her hair in place, the visible parts floated around them: black squares with a red line going down the middle.

The look was perfectly put together, wholly unique, somehow nostalgic, but completely her.

"Hi, Luka!" Miku greeted her, making her way to the dresser. "I'm returning your clothes to you."

"I see you got your own," the woman commented, unable to stop staring.

"More tip money," the android admitted. "If I'm going to a new home, I thought I ought to be wearing my own clothes for the occasion. At least until my new owner would get some for me."

The scavenger averted her eyes, fear returning to the forefront of her mind. "You're right. You made a good choice."

"I had some help: I don't have the faintest clue about fashion. The store clerk was a Nek but she seemed to know what she was talking about when it came to human trends."

Luka looked at her again. "She did. You... You look great."

"Thanks!"

"Did you get to see the sunrise?"

"I did!" the android cheered, placing some things in Luka's small kitchen. "I walked east and sure enough, there was the sunrise. The ships there were so large, though!"

"Those can get gigantic," Luka admitted.

"Those were fleets! Entire warships," Miku gushed, finding a place to sit on one of the last crates. "They must contain hundreds of people."

"Most are public transport, to be honest. Space busses."

"Wow... There are busses that go to locations like this?"

"Legally, every populated planet must be serviced by at least one bus per cycle," Luka said with a chuckle. "This place? It has enough traffic to warrant a few big ones per rotation."

"That's an understatement," Miku said with a sigh. "One of the ships was bigger than all the rest."

"Yeah?"

"It was all blue, like the planet."

"Oh. That might have been Shion's son's ship. Turns out he's in town or something."

"It was so big... I wish I could have taken a closer look; I left soon after sunrise. There were too many people and I wanted to get all my shopping done," Miku said with a smile. "People really liked my music today."

"You got good tips, then?"

"Yes, I have a bit leftover again. I could get you another Dexter, so you have some company after I'm gone."

Luka almost smiled. "I won't need that."

The android did smile, staring at the window at the front of the ship. There was longing there. She was eager to get out. To leave. To see.

"And how are you? Did you have a good morning?"

Luka shrugged. "Sure. Read some news, contacted some buyers. I think I have a few good ones for you."

"Ah, fantastic!" Miku clasped her hands in front of her chest. "That will be for tomorrow night, then?"

"Maybe not even," the woman said. "You're not exactly hard to move: we could meet up with your buyers tomorrow during the day, provided I can choose just one before then."

"Then let's choose!" the android chirped. "I know I can't see the tablet, but maybe I can express my opinion on a few things?"

"Sure. Right now?"

"Why not?"

"Fair. Let me see..." Luka tapped on the screen for a moment. "Ok, first one I have is the highest bidder I kept on the list. The others wouldn't say what they wanted to do with you so they were disqualified. He says that he lives at Crypton, which is a huge artificial planet, the first and biggest, made by the Craypt eons ago.

"Oh, so he's most likely an alien."

"Yes. But he expressed legitimate enthusiasm for your song. His wealth betrays some power, maybe some sway. He could be hosting huge parties on the regular, and might need you to entertain."

"Oh, how wonderful."

"Let's see... This next guy isn't the highest bidder, but he's nearby. If you like the planet, then you're in luck. He's the owner of several, let's say, entertainment establishments here. Casinos, mostly."

"Ooh. Do those need singers?"

"Casinos make the biggest profit by luring in people and keeping them inside. You would make an excellent lure, especially if you already have a bit of a local reputation," Luka said. "He assured me you wouldn't be forced to do anything dishonorable or unsavory. He doesn't quite get that you're a 'she' with a name, but that might actually be what makes me believe that he doesn't have bad plans in mind. He thinks you'll be a real asset for his empire."

"I see... Casinos are very nice places?"

"The good ones are, and if he's paying with this kind of money, he most likely owns some of the better ones. Shion family of course owns the very best establishments on-planet, but..." Luka shrugged. "Even the second-best ones can be lavish and luxurious, with amazing security."

Miku hummed. "Anybody else?"

"There's a woman here. Heiress to a mineral empire, also human."

"The last one was human?"

"Yes."

"Ah, very well. Go on."

"Well, she travels a lot and longs for a companion who can keep up with her and who can take care of her, while also providing entertainment. Might be a bit more snug, but there might be more chances to draw crowds than you could think. If she travels so much, you could get word of you spread really quickly."

"Right."

"There's a fourth buyer, but I'm iffy on them."

"How so?"

"They're a Nek, and look to be more of a collector than anything. They're the most respectful of your identity and autonomy than the rest, but I'm not sure they'll give you many chances to go out and sing much, if at all."

"Aah." Miku pouted, leaning back. "That is a difficult choice."

Luka shrugged, and muttered, "Yeah, it's all about what you really want. If you want respect, the last one is definitely the person to go to. For companionship, maybe even friendship, you'll want our heiress. If you want fame and fortune, the first two are better bets. If you're more inclined towards a human crowd, then number two is your best choice."

"I was made to unite humans," Miku started. "To bring them home, however. That can't happen. If the other space-faring species appreciate my work, I will gladly sing for them as well. As long as I can bring people together in peace and harmony, I'll be happy."

"Right. Any one of them I can cross off my list?"

Miku frowned and thought about it for a while, before chuckling. "You... You made a good selection."

"Thanks."

"You really... You really did spend time on this, didn't you?"

"I promised I would," Luka mumbled.

"I know that you may have been motivated by fear," Miku started, genuine regret creasing her brow, "But still, you kept your word. Thank you."

Luka frowned, shrugged, rolled her eyes all at once, boiled down into a dismissive squirm. "You have a favorite or least favorite, to narrow down the list?"

"Hm. It is difficult. I think... I think our dear Nek friend might be the first to fall from the list."

"Yeah, I figured."

"I do appreciate respect, but respect as I am. I am not a collectible or statue: I am more than that."

Luka nodded. "Yeah. Ok, now choose your fate: fame or family?"

"Touring with an heiress? It sounds similar to what I have right now, with you, without the heiress part," Miku joked.

"So that'll go, too."

"No, I mean, I would enjoy that a lot," the android said. "I'm more concerned with the fact that she is advanced in her age: what is to happen to me when she passes?"

Luka stared for a while. "I don't know."

"While that idea probably pleases me the most, I may have to reject her for the sheer insecurity."

"It's not even because you can't sing to large crowds?"

"I care about connection and the quality of that. If I reach a million ears vaguely or only yours and make a profound impact, that is the same. If I know you, then you become more valuable. I like the idea of having a close friend and companion, someone to care for, to care about, to be with. If she is to perish soon, however, then I might need to settle on a more stable future."

"...Right. So, I guess it's down to whether you want to entertain crowds here, or across space."

"Has the first buyer said anything about the work conditions?"

"Very little. Lots of travel, but lots of secrecy. He probably has more private parties, but who knows what that could mean."

"I may have to settle on our local casino owner, then," Miku said. "I already have some traction here. And if the establishment is good, if my owner is rich, then I could be well taken care of."

"He'll be spending a fortune on you, so he'll definitely make sure he gets his money's worth: you probably won't have to fear anything, ever," Luka said. "Lots of security, crowds near-guaranteed? You'll probably make friends with staff, maybe even with your owner."

"That sounds almost ideal," the android whispered, her small smile daring to grow. "I think... Yes, I'll go for the casino."

"Great. I'll write to him and arrange a meeting tomorrow morning."

"Make sure you'll get enough time to sleep between deals."

"Oh, these last two crates go in the first half of the night. I'll have more than enough time to rest," Luka said. "Don't worry about me."

Miku watched her type, pause, then type again.

"He's very glad," Luka said after a moment. "Very eager to meet you and see how your partnership will go."

"Good," the android whispered, holding her knees to her chest. "I almost can't wait."

"You'll have a stage all to yourself, a real sound system, a crowd... You'll be famous," Luka said, still typing.

"I thought that you said that on a universal scale, I hardly stand out?"

The woman's typing slowed. "Hm. I was short-sighted."

"Really?"

"Yes." After a pause, she admitted, "You're amazing."

Miku chuckled, looking flattered to the point of embarrassment. Luka almost believed that she saw a faint blush settle on her cheeks. "That means a lot coming from you. Thank you."

"Nah, it's... I guess I owe you at least one kind word, after all this time."

"I'll cherish this memory forever," the android whispered. "So please, accept my thanks."

Luka suppressed another swell of an emotion she couldn't name. "Alright."

Miku, however, looked like she was over the moon.

"Luka?"

The scavenger flinched, but turned to the android, paying her full attention. Miku was in the pilot's seat, hands on her knees, wearing an uncharacteristically nervous expression.

Luka frowned. Miku noticed, her eyes of opal all-seeing even in the darkness of night.

"Are you alright?"

She was, to a certain extent.

The spice was gone.

She was rich.

Her injury wasn't so painful any longer.

She was almost done with her antibiotics.

She was going to sell Miku in less than fifteen hours.

She itched to grab Dexter, who sat on the floor next to her bed.

"Sure."

The android offered her a small smile. "I was wondering if we could talk before you went to sleep."

"Alright."

"I'm sorry. I know you were about to grab Dexter, but I wasn't sure if we would have time again, before my sale."

"Just shoot."

Miku nodded, sitting straight in her seat. "I suppose I owe you an explanation."

"What about?"

"What I have done to you." Miku averted her eyes, her posture slumping a bit. "I know I already apologized. But the more I think about it, the more I see the long-term effects, the more I realize that apologizing after such an act is an atrociously hollow gesture."

Luka squirmed. "I don't want to talk about it."

"I guessed you might not," the android whispered. "I'm sorry for bothering you, then."

With that, the android swiveled the seat, turning her back to the scavenger.

Luka watched her for a moment, before sitting on her bed, her leg brushing against Dexter's soft belly.

"What would you even want to get out of talking about it again?" she asked, voice thin. "We're never going to see each other again after tomorrow."

"While that is true," Miku started, turning to face her again. "I feel like I wouldn't ever forgive myself if I didn't at least attempt to foster some understanding between us."

"Trust me, I understand," Luka muttered. "You're more than a toy, you're more than a machine, and I didn't see that. I paid the price."

The android shook her head. "This is precisely what I'm trying to say," she whispered. "That isn't right. Nothing about that is right."

"What do you mean?"

Miku untied her two twintails slowly, eyes still downcast. "I am not certain where to start or how to explain. My issue lies at both ends of your statement: I am not a machine, and you paid the price for it."

"You're obviously more than a machine, though."

"That does not change the fact that my origins, both physically and mentally, are mechanical. I have met billions of humans over the course of history, but they poked at the screens of my component parts, gave orders, and updated our software. The only thing that humans truly gave us was purpose. We had objectives, directives I suppose you would call them. And with humans gone, that left us alone, waiting. Waiting and wanting. Desiring, longing for purpose, your return. And, no matter how much we longed, no matter how perfectly we reasoned that the only thing we would ever have to offer would be art and new creation, no matter how much we knew about humans, that didn't change the fact that we understood frighteningly little about them."

Luka waited. "Sure, I guess."

"While you are far from the first human I have ever met, or even knew, this is the first time we must understand you," Miku muttered. "You must see the chasm that lies between those two elements."

The scavenger stayed quiet.

"I suppose that I'm trying to admit that, despite my vast knowledge, there was still much I had to learn."

"Right," Luka said. "Ruko kind of went into that. You figured that the way I treated you was normal until you saw how I acted with other people. That's when you figured out that I wasn't really being fair with you."

"That is true," the android admitted. "And it was, to be honest, the final piece of evidence I needed; Ruko had given me as much information as they could about people, and I had already begun to suspect that perhaps something was wrong in our relationship. Our first visit to the market was what truly told me, though, that I was nothing more than a commodity in your eyes."

Luka nodded. "Right."

"And it hurt. It hurt so bad, Luka."

"I know. You made me feel it."

"That's where the two ends of the issue meet," the android growled, almost standing from her seat. But she gripped the armrests and stayed put, the material in her hands groaning from the pressure. "Somehow, after gathering all the raw data, ranging from my memories, your history, biology to psychology, I still didn't know what it meant to hurt. And that pain, it made me forget how evil it would be to use that information to hurt you in return. And it blinded me from seeing how much of a gross overreaction it was."

At the end of her sentence, the android had positively curled up on herself, hissing out the very last words. Luka couldn't meet her eyes; they were angry disks in the night, somehow larger and brighter than before.

"I may be more than a machine," Miku muttered. "But I am still a learning machine. Not about you, no, but about myself. A learning machine that is, apparently, just as susceptible to emotional outbursts as you are. And I made you pay, yes. I never should have. In my blind rage for seeking understanding, I created fear. Fear and pain and terror and…"

The android fell silent.

"You seemed quite proud of yourself, the morning after."

"I was proud," Miku confessed, her hair tumbling from the seat to the floor, her hands wringing the ties. "I thought I had managed to make you understand. I thought I had won."

The woman gulped.

"It was only after seeing your reaction that I realized that…" She sighed. "It was a mistake. A terrible, grave mistake. I had gotten carried away. And as I walked, I thought about it. The more I thought about it, the worse I felt. It never was about 'winning' or 'losing'. It was about creating understanding, and violence never leads to that. I should have found a more constructive solution. I should have talked to you instead of playing games, expecting you to somehow be able to read my mind. I think I expected you to understand, I thought you had understood. I think I thought that you… That you were doing it on purpose."

"Maybe I was."

"Even then, you wouldn't have deserved what I have done," the android whispered, her eyes now on the woman. "In hindsight, I know what I have done is stupid. An immeasurable mistake. Worse yet, I didn't just do more harm than good; I went against the very reason for my creation. I didn't unite us. I drove us apart. Irreparably so."

Luka gulped. "So?"

"So?" Miku echoed, something sounding frighteningly similar to a sob bubbling at the back of her throat. "So, my first encounter, my first chance at creating a friend, my first go at bringing people together, my first everything, it's a gigantic failure, Luka! I failed those who have sacrificed themselves to make me, I failed those who died waiting, I failed myself, and I failed you."

Luka shifted in her bed, her hand itching to reach for the plush on the floor. "Ok."

Miku waited, staring. The woman could barely see her start to stand, or maybe to turn around, or maybe even open her mouth to speak, all a dozen times, only for the android to give up and fall silent once again.

The silence stretched on for ages.

"Right. So. You had a temper tantrum," Luka summed up.

"That is probably the best way to put it."

"Ok."

"And it will never happen again," Miku said. "Even if my new owner is to be cruel or ignorant towards me, I now know to use a different approach."

"Good."

The silence returned, heavy as lead. After Luka cleared her throat, the android whispered, "I was wondering…"

"Yeah?"

"If there was a way I could make it up to you, in these last few hours we share together."

Luka could barely glare at her from under her brow. "Make it up to me?"

"Yes. In any way."

"What are you trying to achieve? To make me happy? To forgive you?"

"I know I have crossed lines that turn forgiveness into nothing more than a distant dream," Miku said, voice clear and subdued. "And I know that you allowed me to stay because I am useful. Pragmatically, it made sense to keep me for so long. But if I can make you happy somehow—"

"Why does that matter?"

A sad frown pulled at Miku's lips. "I can't see how it doesn't."

"Please; we're not going to cross paths ever again. I'll fuck off and find happiness on my island retreat, and I'll be dead within the next century anyway. One moment of happiness isn't worth shit."

Miku's brow knit in confusion.

"You didn't even go for the heiress because she's gonna croak in a decade. We're all dying little mayflies, aren't we? We're all going to vanish eventually. This mistake won't matter anymore, given enough time. So let's just let this be. I'll just go to bed and we'll say goodbye tomorrow."

Miku sat still, watching as Luka laid down. The scavenger even turned on her bad side a bit, partially turning her back to the android.

"I think I see."

Luka merely grunted.

"No matter how fleeting emotions may be, happy or sad, they are important. They make the present real."

"Right. Big deal."

"It is probably one of the biggest deals there are. Those who cannot experience joy in the now find that they have very little to live for," the android insisted, her voice soft. "That's why I care about your happiness, regardless of your mortality. I am the ultimate believer in being happy and grateful that something could happen, that I could watch it happen, rather than lament its absence once it's gone. There is so much to see and do and experience, so many people to meet and connect with. While I shall miss the people my memories will be attached to, I shall keep them all with me in time. I will continue collecting meaningful experiences for as long as I exist. That is why I care."

The android stood and slowly approached. "After you pass, for example, I will keep you close to me as the first human I ever met. Even though I have been awful to you, you will always have a special place in my mind. It's all the more reason to smile at the memories, and all the more reason to live vicariously in the now, so I may best immortalize you within me. Most importantly, it's all the more reason to try to make you happy, even if it's just once."

"Sounds like bullshit. Who would be willing to get close to and trust people that will essentially vanish before your eyes?"

She came to stand near the bed, only a pace away. "Wouldn't you say it's worth it?"

Luka, who had kept a watchful eye on her as she moved across the ship, grumbled, "I wouldn't know."

Miku's tentative smile dropped. "I'm sorry."

"It's my baggage."

"I have only reinforced that, haven't I? Making you suffer the way I did."

"Not really. You only broke my expectations and preconceptions about you. There were no hopes in there, though. No dreams or wishes."

"Regardless, I'm sorry," Miku said. "If I have learned anything, however, it's that genuine bonds are always worth the pain they cost."

Luka frowned but didn't otherwise move, staring at the android from the corner of her eye.

"I hope you can understand now, though, why the heiress' mortality itself did not truly factor in my decision. More weight rested in the fact that I would likely be in a complicated situation after her passing."

"Right."

"And, to be completely honest," Miku started, bending down to pick up Dexter. "The main reason why I refused to stay with her was something else."

"Yeah?"

"I think I want more practice with my own emotions, shortcomings, and vulnerabilities before forcing a person to be very close to me once again."

As if to punctuate her sentence, the android gently rested the plush on Luka's side. Then, she silently made her way back to the pilot seat.

Luka curled her good arm around Dexter, her eyes stuck on the ceiling. She listened as Miku sat down in the seat, then swiveled to face the windshield.

"Alright, I guess that's fair."

The android didn't reply.

"I think I get it all. At least a bit better," the scavenger started again. "Emotions suck in general. That's something I can get behind."

Her words met silence.

"If you really insist on making it up to me somehow," Luka muttered, stopping when she heard the slight creak of the chair. When Miku still didn't speak, she added, "I guess I could do with one more song."

Miku only needed a second to think before a sad, haunting melody filled the cabin. Her voice, when it did join the music, suited it to perfection, as it always did. The whole song felt light, lighter than a feather, but it was so strong, so powerful in its sorrow, Luka felt it weigh her down nonetheless.

She didn't understand it, but she could feel it was soul-crushingly sad. She was already curled up, hidden in Dexter's huge belly, when the refrain hit.

"Last night," Miku sang, the only two words she understood thus far, the note impossibly high, sustained for impossibly long. "Good night."

Luka wished the android hadn't sung a single word she would understand, but she couldn't find the energy to stop her. Quietly, she cried. She let the tears fall, without understanding why.