§HermioneSims§ corner: content warning!
I don't know exactly what to write to avoid any spoilers about the chapter, but I also feel like a little content warning could be useful. How to do, uhm...
Let me say a certain conversation could go out of hand in this chapter, and more than one character may end up regretting what they said. I hope the read won't be too upsetting, as it wasn't the purpose of the scene...
From Gaia's diary
Gaia: Do you think we can build something this large?
Techna: We should dedicate the entire startup solely to this project for a few weeks, but if we don't encounter any mechanical failures, it should be doable.
Gaia: The Regional Council said they can send us the material in a short time, maybe we should start doing some planning then.
Techna: Good observation.
That project announced by the city hall was our best chance to stand out, and yet it was already giving us so many headaches. But we'll think about it when the time comes, we already have too much to do with the recomposition of the electronic devices we work on every day.
So we went back to the startup, expecting a day like any other. We certainly didn't expect to receive any visits, though.
Thomas: So the rumours were true, there really is a robot here!
Gaia: Of course it's true, I'm not a liar!
Tommy really surprised me this morning, showing up out of the blue at our new startup. We hadn't spoken since that "arguments on diverging opinions" we had some time ago, for a moment I almost thought he was there to apologise to me. But then it immediately became clear that he was just curious about Techna, not to say suspicious.
Thomas: It's been decades since anyone tried to build sentient robots, because all the new units soon decided to join the other robots on Sixam. Why does your robot seem so obedient instead?
Gaia: First of all, they're not "my robot", their name is Techna. And then it's up to them to decide where to go.
Thomas: I'm surprised that the authorities haven't investigated yet, a robot willing to stay with us should be newsworthy. Unless it's just a self-propelled toy incapable of complex processing, of course.
Gaia: …
I was sure that Techna was listening to us attentively and that they didn't want to attract any attention too. Surely those insinuations were annoying them, but their priority was not to become a media case. For the same reason, they had already refused several interviews for local newspapers.
I couldn't tell the truth, I had to keep up the facade that Techna wanted to maintain in public. So I answered, as calmly as I could:
Gaia: Whatever they are, they've definitely been really helpful.
Thomas: I see…
Tommy stayed a little longer to snoop around and check out what Techna was up to, before politely saying goodbye and going back to his work.
Honestly, I wasn't happy to meet him again, he made me so anxious…
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From Petra's diary
Emma: Oh, hello Alec, and hello Nico! How's school going?
Alec: A little better, at this rate we're really going to enter the football team next year!
Nico: Yeah, well, we still have to pass the next test though…
Alec: C'mon, we studied a lot! I'm sure it'll be enough!
Nico: Rather, how's school going for you guys?
Petra: Great, do you need to ask?
Petra: We still have to discuss the next science group project, but I think it would be more prudent to go somewhere else.
Nico: Why do you say so?
Petra: You seem contagious, you know how it is.
The project we have to hand in to the science teacher next month seems simple, but the more we think about it, the less obvious it seems. We have to choose a method to combat climate change, and analyse in detail how it could be implemented, what the consequences would be, and so on.
We all know that we have to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and avoid waste, most of our classmates are very tempted to write some banality along these lines and call it a day. But will it really be enough? I've talked about it quite often with Techna, but they always seem so pessimistic about it...
Emma: The more I think about it, the more resigned I get... People have been saying for ages that climate change is a big issue, yet no one does anything and CO2 emissions keep rising year after year...
Michael: That's what I've been saying for years, too, at this point all we can do is try to slow down the process as much as possible and wait for the consequences. Being proactive isn't the strong point of our politicians, apparently.
Emma: Uhm...
Mike was being as brutal as usual, but Emy was getting sadder and sadder listening to him. She's so sensitive, and thinking about all the disasters like the Sulani Typhon that will hit most countries in the next decades seems hard for her to handle. I'm not as good as her with words, but I still wanted to do something to try to make her feel better.
Petra: As small as it is, we still have some chance of reversing the trend. By now, a lot of people are doing research on the subject, I'm sure that sooner or later someone will invent something that can make a difference!
Emma: ... how can you be sure?
Petra: Because, um... Because earthlings are really stubborn, we try and try again until they find a solution, right?
It was a silly answer, but at least I made her smile a little. So we went back to talking about the assignment, and which of the many alternatives we could choose for our research.
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From Gaia's diary
Petra: Ah, welcome back, mom! I was wondering when you were planning to come back home today.
Gaia: I know, it's late, but after work I passed from Sulani to check on the situation.
Petra: Are you sure you didn't want to spend some time with Diego instead?
Gaia: (cheerful) Well, the two things aren't mutually exclusive, are they?
Petra: (perplexed) I really don't get it: I don't know exactly when you started dating, but it's been a lot of years now! Are you really okay with continuing to just casually dating?
Gaia: What can I say? We're fine with it. If we decide to spend time together, it's because that's what we really want to do, and not just because we feel obligated to do so. It's a bit like being a fresh new couple forever, isn't it?
Petra: If you say so…
I miss many things from the time when my kids were little, we used to play so much back then... Nowadays, however, I can talk with them about so many more topics, and I find it great too! I actually waited a long time to be able to talk with them about relationships in particular, and looking at Petra recently, I suspect there may be something going on too.
Gaia: Who were you texting, anyway? It's not like you to be glued to your phone like that!
Petra: It's ... nothing. My friends and I are gathering ideas for an assignment and Mike just texted us some links, that's all.
Gaia: I see.
It's not like her, but from the way she avoided my gaze, I immediately suspected that the message said something completely different. I remember well what it's like to be a girl that age, it wasn't so long ago after all (well, sort of). And of course I was also curious to know, so much so that I asked her:
Gaia: So is it also a coincidence that lately you're taking forever to get ready before going out, or…
Petra: What are you talking about? I'm not taking forever!
I know that sometimes I talk too much without realizing it, and yet I just can't control myself. Especially when I'm curious, like in this case.
Anyway, brain, here we are again: why can't you stop and think before letting me say out loud everything I think? In particular, when I'm about to say something I'll regret?
Gaia: You can talk to me about it, if you like someone. Who is it, a schoolmate? Do I know him?
Petra: Mom, I-
Gaia: Oh, I'm here! It's Mike, right? You're always together, and…
Only at that point I realised what her expression looked like. She seemed to be barely holding back her anger, but also on the verge of crying. And then, suddenly, she burst out screaming at me:
Petra: It's Emy the one I- I mean... You don't understand anything!
At that point, before I could come up with any pathetic excuse for the epochal mistake I had just made, she had gone silent again, as if she had just realized she actually said it out loud. She had then shaken her head again, before running to hide in her room, dramatically slamming the door behind her.
My dear diary, how can I be such an idiot?
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