I do not own Halo or any of its characters.
Beach Trip
"We're being reassigned?" Amelia repeated, staring at Ethan incredulously.
"I'm sorry," Ethan apologized.
"What'd we do wrong?" Erin asked.
"Nothing," Ethan said. "But ONI needs experienced soldiers to develop anti-Promethean countermeasures."
"But you're our anti-Promethean countermeasure," Frank said.
"Crimson, listen to me," Ethan sighed. "We are the most elite Spartan Fireteam on the Infinity. We competed against Intrepid in a battle that was suited perfectly for their chaotic, destructive fighting style but was terrible for our ruthless precision style. ONI recognizes that. And even beyond that, we're one of the only two surviving Fireteams that encountered those new Promethean forces, and are the more elite of the two by far. They need you."
"Sir, you have pull with ONI's higher ups," Jason said. "Can't you make them take someone else?"
"I'm sorry, Crimson," Ethan said. "This isn't my choice or my call. There's nothing I can do. But even away from the Infinity, I will always be your Fireteam Leader."
"They'll probably just stick you with Intrepid or Majestic," Erin said dejectedly.
"Maria, would you mind showing them their going away presents?" Ethan sighed.
As he raised his hand, Maria projected a convincing hologram of MJOLNIR armor around them, and they all looked around, staring at each other. Their holographic armor was all War Master armor, most of it a dark, steel grey, halfway between silver and black, the usually white highlights were a bright red, and the visors of the helmets were a dark, blood red. Maria projected Ethan's own armor onto his body, and they all nodded approvingly. His armor was almost identical, but the highlights were a bit more pronounced, and the ridge running front to back along the top of the helmet was also bright red on his where as theirs was not. On the outside of either gauntlet and the chestplate just below the the shield recoupler were Crimson's emblem, a white kite shield emblazoned with a blood-red wolf's head facing straight-on, and three jagged, orange claw scratches across the shield behind the wolf's head.
"Your new armor will have all the usual upgrades, and it'll be delivered to you," Ethan said. "Mine is being painted right now. I'll be working on Infinity as a Freelancer, but I'll still be a part of Crimson. And someday, when you've finished creating anti-Promethean countermeasures, you'll be back."
The others all hesitated, then nodded, their holographic armor fading. Then, they all saluted him. He returned the salute, and they all took their leave, heading to their barracks to pack. About an hour later, the Infinity had landed on Earth, and Ethan and Sarah saw Crimson off together before leaving in a Pelican to find a beach. Fortunately, Sarah actually had a destination in mind this time, and about an hour later, they'd landed the Pelican on a small island a ways out in the Atlantic Ocean, one where no other humans lived, they could easily catch enough fish to survive their three weeks of time off, and there was a beach all the way around. The island was near the equator, so they wouldn't need to worry about getting cold, their Pelican made the perfect shelter after they had blown up a portable mattress that Ethan had installed in the Pelican explicitly for if he and Sarah went AWOL at some point, and Maria assured them that it would be perfect weather for the duration of their time off, at most getting partly cloudy a couple of days, which would only provide a relieving break from the direct sunlight.
"Alright," Sarah smiled. "This place really is perfect. I'm glad I had Roland look for a place for us."
"I agree," Ethan smiled. "It's perfect. Maria, would you mind?"
"Happy to help you out of your clothes," Maria smiled.
Ethan rolled his eyes as Sarah raised an eyebrow. Then, Maria had channeled an electric charge through his body and into his skinsuit, deactivating it and making it expand slightly, loosening. Ethan turned around, and Sarah pulled the magnetized seam open from the top of the collar to the small of his back. Then, once it was open, he thanked her and pulled the suit's upper body off before sighing in relief as he stripped the lower half off. It was relieving to have the suit off entirely.
Sarah smiled slightly as her eyes roved over his bare body, then raised an eyebrow again. "You shave?"
"I can generate a laser to remove it," Ethan smirked. "Much easier that way."
Sarah nodded appreciatively. "Not bad. Now, mind helping me with my suit?"
Ethan smiled, nodding, and set his hands on her hips, Maria generating a charge to deactivate her own suit. Sarah smiled, kissing him seductively for a few moments before turning away, allowing him to open the back of her suit, then allowing her to slowly peel it from her body. Once it was hanging from her waist, she turned back around, kissing him again, only for him to begin kissing his way down her body. He stopped, taking several moments to worship her breasts and her stiff nipples, earning several hungry moans for his effort, then knelt, kissing his way down her abdomen, then down her thigh as he pulled her body suit down her legs and allowed her to step out of it. Then, he kissed his way up her thigh. As he neared his destination, Sarah moaned, leaning back against the side of the Pelican. When his tongue finally dipped between her lips, Sarah moaned deeply, her back arching and pressing her mound against his mouth. Ethan groaned out his approval, his tongue greedily lapping up her sweet, tangy juices. Sarah moaned, hands tangling in Ethan's hair as he pleasured her, Ethan letting out several aroused noises as her taste drove him into a state of craving. He couldn't get enough, and as his tongue grew more and more insistent and its ministrations more and more intense, he was rewarded by the sound of Sarah's moans rapidly growing louder and more hoarse and with more and more of her taste flooding out of her to greet him. Despite his best efforts, her fluids were soon trickling down her thighs, and she soon began to tremble above him, holding him tight against her crotch as her hips began to rock against him, desperate for release.
"Oh, fuck, Ethan!" Sarah cried out. "Fuck, I love your tongue!"
Ethan hummed proudly, pressing his tongue into her tunnel rapidly several times before focusing his attention on her swollen clit. Within a handful more seconds, Sarah bucked, grinding roughly against his face and drenching it as she crested, crying out in shameless ecstasy. Ethan continued to work her dripping folds throughout her orgasm before finally standing and kissing her hungrily, Sarah returning the kiss with an equal passion as she guided him into her. He pressed forward until he'd rooted himself inside of her, then waited for a moment to adjust to the feeling, then began to move. Sarah clutched at his back as he probed her with firm, measured strokes, pressing into her until his pelvis pressed against hers before pulling back until he was in danger of slipping out of her before repeating the motion. Sarah's breathing was already coming out in ragged, hungry pants and gasps, her body still hyper-sensitive from her orgasm.
"Deeper!" she gasped out, rocking against him.
He lifted one of her legs, opening himself up more room as he rotated her hips slightly, and Sarah moaned appreciatively as he began to pick up the pace, his erection stabbing deeper into her in this position. Her hips rocked as he fucked her, but after a few moments, she pressed her hips against him desperately, silently begging him to go faster. He smiled, lifting her other leg, and she wrapped them around his waist, clinging to him as he began to thrust into her in earnest, spearing her over and over rapidly. She tilted her head back, crying out in pleasure as he lifted her slightly each time he pulled out, then tugged her down into him, using her body roughly. Her nails bit into his back, clawing at him as she moaned and cried out her approval. His hips slapped against her thighs rapidly, the firm flesh of her ass jiggling with the force of the impacts, and before long, he felt her beginning to quiver around him. Her fingers dug at his back more insistently, likely drawing blood, but the stinging pain felt good, and his thrusts became more forceful still, bordering on savage. Finally, Sarah came unwound, shrieking and squirming against him, rutting on his length as her walls contracted and spasmed around him, milking him as he continued to spear into her. Finally, she pushed off of the wall with her shoulders, and Ethan allowed himself to fall backward onto the mattress, and Sarah immediately began to bounce on his erection, riding him violently, continuing to wail and cry out in pleasure. Ethan groaned deeply as he felt her rapidly driving him to the point of no return, and he began to meet her drops with thrusts of his own, his hands kneading and massaging her breasts roughly.
"Fuck Sarah!" Ethan groaned. "I can't..."
He groaned as her movements became even more violent, Sarah managing a grin as she rapidly drove him over the edge. He grunted loudly as he yanked her down onto him, erupting inside of her and flooding her with his seed. Sarah moaned loudly, shuddering and rolling her hips, milking him of every drop, until he began to settle and his erection began to deflate. Both of them took a moment to struggle to catch their breath before she folded forward, kissing him equal parts tiredly and hungrily.
"I've been waiting to be able to do that since we got to Requiem," Sarah smiled tiredly. "Fuck I love your dick."
"Only my dick?" Ethan asked, kissing her.
Sarah hummed thoughtfully before speaking without fully breaking the kiss. "No, I suppose there's more. Your tongue's pretty good, too."
Ethan rolled his eyes, smiling, and kissed her for a few more moments before setting his head down, Sarah resting on his chest.
"I love you, Sarah," Ethan smiled, holding her tenderly.
"I love you, too," Sarah smiled. "Let's take a nap before we hit the beach."
"Agreed," Ethan smiled.
He reached over, grabbing a thin, soft, fleece blanket, and flicked it open, covering them both with it, and Sarah almost purred appreciatively, cuddling into him.
Ethan rinsed the last of the cleaning agent from his and Sarah's skinsuits and walked back to the Pelican, draping them over its legs to dry before walking out onto the beach to join Sarah. She was lying in the sun again today, as she had for the last several days in a row, and he lay on the blanket beside her, sighing comfortably.
"I love it here," Sarah smiled. "We should build a cabin and just live here."
Ethan laughed. "Unfortunately, even for all of Humanity's advancements, we're still out of range of food delivery."
Sarah sighed heavily. "You know, when I enlisted to be a Spartan, I never would have thought I'd be lying here and wishing I could retire."
"I wish we could," Ethan smiled. "I'd love nothing more than to just live here with you."
Sarah smiled. "I never thought I'd fall in love, or that being a Spartan would be the happiest time of my life." She looked over at him adoringly. "You're the best thing that ever happened to me, Ethan."
"Are you going soft on me?" Ethan asked teasingly.
Sarah's eyes sharpened, but he kissed her tenderly, and her gaze softened again.
"You know you're the best thing to ever happen to me, Sarah," Ethan smiled. "You're literally the thing that keeps me alive."
Sarah smiled, kissing him for a moment before pulling away, lacing her fingers with his as they returned to tanning together. After a while, they rolled over, and then when they were nearing the point of beginning to burn, they headed out into the water to swim for a bit. Eventually, they returned to the beach to sun themselves dry before returning to the Pelican for their daily nap. As they woke in the evening, Ethan headed out to the ocean and used his DMR to shoot several fish through the eye to catch them dinner.
"That's still cheating," Sarah smirked.
"Easier than using a fishing pole," Ethan shrugged, beginning to set up a fire.
While he began to cook the fish, Sarah began to exercise, working both strength and endurance, and after running a lap, the fish was finished. They ate in a peaceful, contended silence, watching the sunset together, then walked to the beach to watch the stars.
Ethan sighed contentedly as he watched the stars, Sarah laying in his arms, eyes also on the sky. After a while, a shooting star flashed across the sky and Sarah's mouth curled into a smile before her eyes closed. Ethan watched her face for a moment, smiling, then closed his own, making his wish. The only one he had. The one thing he wanted. To never lose her.
"This vacation has been perfect," Palmer smiled after a while more of silence.
"Yeah, it really has," Ethan smiled. "I'm definitely bringing you back here."
Sarah smiled, nodding, just as Maria appeared off to the side, lifesize. "Hello Maria. What's up?"
"I...I wanted to...talk to the two of you," Maria began hesitantly.
Ethan frowned. "Why are you acting so nervous?"
"I...I wanted to talk to you two about something you...may not like," Maria explained, though still unhelpfully vague. "I want...I mean..." She paused for a moment, collecting her thoughts. "I finally finished sorting through the data from the artifacts and the Assembler Vat...and among other things...I can create myself a Hardlight body, now."
"You can?" Ethan asked.
Maria nodded, and suddenly her form changed unidentifiable. It gained more realness without changing at all. Visually she was different, but her presence strengthened, and suddenly her body was weighing down in the sand, leaving a pair of footprints.
"Why would we not like that?" Sarah asked. "That's great news!"
"It's not...I didn't think...not the body," Maria stammered, seeming increasingly more hesitant, more flustered, by the moment, and Ethan's eyes widened slightly as realization set in, helped along by the connection their joint existence entailed.
"Because it's not the ability to have a physical body that she's worried we won't like," Ethan answered for her. "It's what she wants to do with it."
"What do you mean?" Sarah frowned.
"Maria and I are one being," Ethan explained. "She's an extension of me and is the side of my existence that operates my AI capabilities for me. But despite that, she's also more than just another part of me. Ever since I created her, she's been growing as 'Maria' instead of just as the other half of 'Ethan.' Developing her personality to her own being. She's as much her own person as I am, and as her own person, she has her own wants and desires."
"You're going to need to be a lot more clear about what's going on than you two are being," Sarah finally said. "Stop worrying about upsetting us...about upsetting me, and just say it."
Maria nodded, taking a slo, shaking breath. "I...I wanted...I want to join you."
Sarah frowned. "Join us as in..."
"I want to...I want to have sex with you," Maria said, her cheeks darkening. "Ever since I was created, I shared Ethan's emotions, and because of that, I fell in love with you as he did. And Through our connection, I get to share his joy at being with you...but I still have never gotten to know what it feels like to...to touch you, or to kiss you, or...anything. I never thought I'd be able to, and I was okay with that, but...now that I can form a physical body...or at least a Hardlight one..."
"You want to feel what it's like to be with me for real," Sarah understood.
Maria nodded, then hesitated. "Not...Not just you. Ethan too. I...I think it's because of our connection, but...somewhere along the way...I fell in love with him, too."
Sarah's eyes widened, looking between the two in surprise, then lowered her gaze to the ground.
"I'll understand if you don't accept, but I had to ask," Maria said. "I want to know what it's like to be held, to be kissed, but it's your choice."
Sarah was silent for a long few minutes before finally letting out a large, long breath. "I gotta say, this is definitely not something I would have ever expected. You having feelings for me...kind of makes sense, given your connection to Ethan. But you're also definitely your own person, enough so that I sometimes forget that you two are actually the same person at base, so I can also understand how it's possible for you to have feelings for Ethan." She looked over at Ethan. "What do you want to do?"
"This is your choice, Sarah," Ethan said. "Maria and I can...alter our programming, if we choose to. If it would be easier, we could make it so that she doesn't feel this way."
"That's cruel," Sarah said, though her tone wasn't accusatory.
"It's my idea," Maria told her. "I'd be the one doing the reprogramming, anyway."
Sarah shook her head slowly. "It's not right to just...erase your emotions. You may be a part of Ethan, but you both already pointed out that you're more than that now." Finally, she sighed, nodding. "Alright. We can try it."
"Really?" Maria asked, hesitant but hopeful.
"Really," Sarah nodded, holding a hand out to Maria.
Maria hesitantly set her hand in Sarah's, and Sarah closed her fingers around Maria's hand, Ethan taking her other hand as they guided her into sitting on the blanket with them. Sarah turned Maria's hand over, trailing her fingers over her Hardlight body slowly.
"I wasn't expecting it to feel so soft," Sarah admitted.
"I can change the texture," Maria explained. "I don't think I can make it feel like skin, but I can make it softer than things like a Hardlight Bridge."
Sarah nodded, trailing her fingers over Maria's smooth Hardlight flesh from her wrist to her elbow and back. Ethan did the same, and Maria shivered slightly at the unfamiliar feeling. It definitely didn't feel like skin, but it was less solid than Hardlight Constructs, the first example Sarah had thought of also being a Hardlight bridge. And it was impossibly smooth. And then, as Sarah's hand began to trail higher, making Maria shiver and shift in anticipation of what was about to happen, she found that Maria's Hardlight body was actually soft. Not as soft and flexible or pliant as skin, but as she ran her fingers through Maria's hair, which was let down and swept over her left shoulder currently, it was soft and felt almost like real hair. She brushed a thumb against Maria's lips and found that they were soft and deformed around Sarah's thumb as Maria subconsciously pressed her lips against it, her lips parting slightly as she took a shaky breath.
And then, Sarah leaned forward, kissing her, and Maria let out a puff of air as she leaned into the kiss. It wasn't hesitant. At all. Maria desperately sought physical contact with a hunger surpassing any form of restraint or inhibition that Maria had had before. Sarah was overwhelmed by Maria's eagerness for a moment, but then began to return the kiss with an equal passion, allowing Maria the physical contact she craved. Sarah's hands explored more of Maria's new body, pressing against her sides and sinking into her Hardlight form like she would a human's skin, kneading the firm flesh of her perfectly proportioned butt, kneading her buoyant, perky breasts. Maria moaned, pressing forward until Sarah lay on her back, continuing to feel Maria's new form, but now Ethan's hands joined Sarah's, Ethan likewise marveling at how different Maria's body was to even his own understanding of Hardlight. While still decidedly different than skin, her ass was soft, yet firm, and when he applied pressure, his hands were easily able to sink into the flesh of her thighs. He trailed his hands higher, and Maria squirmed in anticipation, but Ethan paused, staring at the slit that Maria had definitely not had the entire time he'd been with her. Sarah likewise found stiff flesh poking against her palms where they hadn't been before. Suddenly, it was as if the markings that had been used as clothing before were not as aesthetic as tattoos.
Ethan smiled, leaning down and pressing his lips to the small of Maria's back. She flinched in surprise, but made no move to pull away, still kissing Sarah with an almost desperate hunger and pressing her body against Sarah's as tightly as she could manage. Ethan's hands began to trail over Maria's thighs again, slowly moving higher before he finally moved his left hand down to trail a finger through her slit, and as Maria moaned heavily into Sarah's mouth, Ethan stared in shock at the fluid his finger was found lubricating Maria's lips. He knew it was also Hardlight, mostly thanks to his connection to Maria, but it was as warm and slick as Sarha's own fluids. He hummed interestedly, and began to run his finger through her lips slowly, teasingly, making sure to show Maria as much stimulation as possible, and Maria squirmed constantly, her hips rolling in desperation. He slid his finger along her nethers slowly, soon finding Maria's clit was swollen and began to rub it in slow, teasing motions with his thoroughly lubricated digit. Maria was moaning freely and constantly by this point, and Sarah left her lips, allowing her moans to ring out unhindered as she kissed her way along Maria's jawline and down her neck before beginning to suck harshly at her throat, seeming to be trying to form a hickey. Ethan smiled, shaking his head slightly, and slid his finger up to slip it into Maria. Maria cried out in pleasure instantly, arching her back and pressing against his hand as his finger slipped into her tight, moist entrance. It was nearly tighter than Ethan had ever experienced a girl being, though his list of references was only single digits, so it wasn't saying much, and yet Maria was so thoroughly lubricated by her Hardlight fluids that slipping his finger into her was easy. However, as he added a second and then a third, he realized that despite being impossibly tight, her artificial flesh also stretched unnaturally, accommodating whatever was being used while still remaining impossibly tight, seeming to actually form around the intruding object perfectly for the maximum amount of stimulation, both hers and his, when he used something besides his fingers later.
He spent a couple of minutes thrusting his two slick digits into Maria at a slow, exploratory pace before finally laying himself between the two girls' legs and leaning forward, withdrawing his fingers in favor of probing her slick labia with his tongue instead. Her fluids were completely tasteless, but not at all unpleasant. Taste aside, the physical sensation he got from trailing his tongue through her sensitive flesh was a perfect match to if she'd been a flesh-and-blood person, and her responses seemed, if anything, amplified compared to Sarah's own, due to the lack of experience Maria had with physical contact at all prior to this. Every feeling she received was brand new and overwhelming, and within barely three minutes of him beginning to pleasure her with his tongue, Maria broke, crying out in pleasure and writhing atop Sarah as she came. Sarah slipped out from under Maria, kissing her once again, but as she began to settle, Sarah gently guided Maria lower.
Maria complied instantly, beginning to lap eagerly at Sarah's own slick folds and moaned as her tongue was greeted by the taste of Sarayh's own arousal. Ethan and Sarah exchanged a surprise look as they realized that Maria could actually taste Sarah. However, the surprise lasted only a moment before Sarah began to moan, her hands gripping Maria's head, thoroughly enjoying Maria's efforts. Ethan smiled, but then slid forward and lined himself up with Maria. He wanted to go slow, to show Maria every possible sensation he could, but his erection was starting to ache, and if he didn't use it soon, it felt like it might burst from excessive swelling.
He teased Maria's lips with the head of his cock, dragging it up and down through her slit several times, getting it slick with her lubricant, then began to push it into Maria. As with his fingers before, she was impossibly tight, and yet stretched to accommodate him easily. And as soon as he began to enter her, Maria cried out in pleasure, momentarily forgetting her own task before Sarah rocked her hips to remind her. Ethan groaned as he slid deeper and deeper into Maria, feeling her soft, slippery tunnel squeezing him in a vice-like grip the entire way. Maria pulled her legs up, sitting on her shins to give him completely uninhibited access to her body, and Ethan pushed into her until he'd bottomed out. He had to wait a moment so as not to immediately finish at the unfamiliar, truly unique feeling of her tunnel. Sarah noticed and grinned.
"Is her..." she moaned heavily, rocking her hips against Maria as Maria wriggled her tongue deep inside of Sarah's dripping entrance, "pussy good?"
"Incredible," Ethan groaned. "You'll have to feel it after."
Sarah grinned, nodding, and Ethan finally began to move, setting a slow, controlled pace while he adjusted to the feeling of Maria's insides. Finally, he had himself under control and began to speed up, increasing the force as he thrust into Maria. Maria moaned and mewled, wailing in pleasure every so often as he thrust with more force than the rest of the thrusts, a trick he had learned in the past week they'd been on the island that Sarah also loved, and Sarah began to roll her hips against Maria to help compensate for Maria being distracted from her ministrations. However, it didn't seem to matter, because after about another minute, Sarah broke, moaning heavily as she came. Ethan picked up the pace again, beginning to fuck Maria roughly, and after barely a couple of minutes, Maria followed Sarah's example. Except, as she did, she surprised Ethan as her undulating, spasming inner walls also began to vibrate, emitting an audible buzzing sound. The sheer surprise compounded with the massively heightened sensations brought on Ethan's own climax without warning, and he grunted in surprise, bucking into her and erupting, Maria wailing in pleasure as she squirmed and shook around his member, bouncing her hips back against him as his semen flooded her. Finally, she rocked forward, slipping off of him, and the buzzing sound faded as Maria rolled onto her back, panting and staring at the starry sky in a daze.
"Did she just use a vibrate function?" Sarah asked.
Ethan nodded, still catching his breath, and Maria smiled tiredly.
"I thought he might enjoy it, but I wasn't expecting it to be so effective," Maria said.
Sarah laughed, kissing Maria again. "I'd say this new body of yours gets a solid perfect score. But now it's my turn to try it out."
Maria nodded eagerly, and Sarah positioned herself over Maria's face, then lay along her body, instantly digging in. Maria moaned heavily instantly, and Ethan moved around behind Sarah, pushing into her and making her moan into Maria. Ethan began to fuck Sarah quickly and roughly, knowing she loved it rough and taking advantage of the fact that he couldn't finish right away no matter how hard either of them tried. Maria began to flick Sarah's clit with her tongue, also licking Ethan's shaft every time he withdrew, and Sarah moaned appreciatively into Maria's slit. Ethan pounded Sarah hard, beginning to yank her back into him with every thrust, and Sarah's noises of approval quickly began to grow more shrill. Within a matter of minutes, Ethan and Maria had brought Sarah to orgasm, and Sarah traded her tongue for three fingers, plunging them into Maria furiously as Ethan continued to mercilessly fuck her. Maria broke after barely another minute, but Sarah continued to vigorously finger her. This time, all three of them lasted nearly another ten minutes, all of them feeling their next and final climax growing to a higher and higher peak. Then, finally, almost as though planned, all three crested in a rapid series of thrusts.
Maria broke first, bucking and writhing beneath Sarah, a sudden spray of her Hardlight fluids soaking Sarah's face. The fingers Maria had begun to stimulate Sarah's clit with instinctively pinched as Maria's entire body contracted then spasmed. The sharp shock of pain and pleasure sent Sarah exploding over the edge, and her inner walls suddenly clamping down on Ethan with nearly enough force to push him out of her sent Ethan careening over the edge after her. As he bucked and rutted into her with a feral grunt, erupting deep inside of her, Sarah shook and writhed alongside Maria, her juices also flooding out of her like an eruption, soaking Ethan's pelvis and inner thighs. All three of their orgasms lasted for nearly a minute before they all collapsed, gasping and panting for breath. Then, Sarah rolled off of Maria, Maria dragging herself around to lay the same direction as Ethan and Sarah, and both pulled her into them, holding her securely and showering her face and shoulders with tired kisses before taking turns kissing her lips and each others.
"That was...incredible," Sarah panted. "Anytime. Anytime you...want, Maria."
Maria literally glowed with joy, nodding. "It won't be every time, but it's definitely going to happen again." She kissed them both again. "I'm going to power down for a rest cycle."
Ethan nodded, and Maria faded, Ethan wrapping his arms around Sarah instead.
"Maria sleeps?" Sarah asked.
"Sometimes," Ethan nodded. "Part of her rest cycle is to catalog and compress her data, and to purge anything unnecessary. If normal Smart AIs could do it, they could extend their life cycle, but we haven't managed to create a way for them to do that sustainably, yet."
Sarah nodded. "Well, I think she has the right idea. Sleep sounds perfect, and I'm going to do it right here. I'm too tired to walk to the Pelican, and I can't feel my legs right now."
"Same on the too tired," Ethan chuckled.
"So, whose is better?" Sarah asked.
"Yours," Ethan answered honestly. "Hers is unique, and feels incredible, and gets bonus points for the vibrate function, but yours is still better."
"Do you love her?" Sarah asked.
"I do," Ethan nodded. "Like she said, that much was inevitable, because it started from our connection. But I love you more. You are the most important thing in my life."
"I know," Sarah smiled. "I'll never doubt that, even given this very surprising development."
Ethan nodded, smiling, and kissed her one last time before both lay their heads down and almost instantly fell asleep.
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