"Cleo, what am I even looking at right now?"

    ["Answering the host, this is a Khryssari princess."]

    Rex stared at what looked like an egg, though it wasn’t like any egg he’d ever seen. It seemed to be made of some kind of hard tissue, pulsating every so often as if it were alive. The surface was slightly transparent, and inside, he could make out a shadowy figure; it was humanoid in shape with long hair.

    "So, Cleo... should we kill it?"

    ["I’m dumbfounded. I already knew the host lacked intellect, but I didn’t see this coming. Congratulations, host; your level of stupidity can’t even be measured by me."]

    "What? Cut me some slack. I’ve never seen anything like this before. If it’s dangerous, wouldn’t it be better to destroy it?"

    ["You can destroy it, yes, but it’s not recommended. The Khryssari hive minds only have one daughter in their lifetime. She becomes the Queen if the current one dies."]

    Cleo’s voice softened a bit, almost cracking, when she mentioned the egg.

    ["Years ago, my race also encountered a Khryssari princess egg..."]

    Rex noticed how her tone had changed, then she made a brief pause before she continued.

    ["One of our primary memory systems made the decision to eradicate the egg, thinking it would prevent future threats. But it turned out to be one of the most catastrophic mistakes we ever made."]

    [....]

    ["Soon after, wormhole signatures began to appear across the planet where we destroyed the egg. Hivemind fleets poured out, an endless number of them."]

    [Our fleet was annihilated in minutes. The planet was razed to the ground, and they didn’t stop there. The Khryssari’s fury over the loss of their princess burned for years. My once-prosperous race... was wiped from the galaxy."]

    "So, is this why you ended up on this desert planet?"

    ["Affirmative. The fleet I was assigned to got caught in a battle with one of the hive mind’s fleets. Our fleet was mostly made up of cargo and escort ships; we didn’t stand a chance against them. I managed to escape through a wild wormhole."]

    ["But wild wormholes are unpredictable. My ship took severe damage, and my body was also compromised. I had no choice but to enter hibernation until I woke up a few hours ago."]

    "Alright, so what do we do? Should we take it with us?"

    ["That would be the best option. If we leave it here and something happens to it, which is as good as death, the consequences could be catastrophic. Take it to my ship. Sharing coordinates now, proceed as quickly as possible."]

    Rex noticed the illuminated path appear once again.

    "Okay, but first, let’s get out of here. We’ve already kept Carlos waiting too long, and who knows if the guards have ditched us by now."

    "Oh? Alright. Carlos, make yourself comfortable, but don’t break anything, or the owner will probably kill us."

    "Sure thing. I’m just going to crash in the car for a bit. So much has happened today, and now that we’re finally safe, I can feel how tired I am."

    "Go ahead, man! Just don’t drool on the seat where my butt was a few minutes ago!"

    "Fuck off, dude! Get outta here already."

    Rex chuckled and waved him off as he headed toward the area Cleo was directing him to. As he approached, the automatic doors slid open, revealing a room that was mostly empty except for a tank-like structure made of metal and glass, surrounded by various pieces of machinery.

    ["Host, please lie down inside the tank. It will not harm your body. The process will help you recharge your energy, and in the event of severe damage, it can assist in healing."]

    "Well, you’ve helped me this far, so I trust you."

    [.....]

    Rex walked up to the tank, and as he got close, the glass cover automatically lifted open. He was just about to step inside when Cleo interrupted.

    ["Host, please remove your clothes first. They will interfere with the examination and recharge process."]

    "W-what!?" Rex stammered. "Cleo, you’re a naughty AI."

    He instinctively covered himself, as if he were a shy girl being caught naked.

    ["W-what? Y-you... I didn’t mean... y-you!"]

    For a moment, Rex was completely thrown off by Cleo’s flustered response. He knew she was far from the typical AIs you could find across the galaxy, but seeing her get this worked up was definitely a first.

    "Wow, even you have moments like this? You’re kind of cute when you’re embarrassed."

    [....]

    ["Activating control over the host’s body!"]

    "W-wait, hey! What are you doing!?"

    Before Rex could protest, Cleo took control of his body. He found himself undressing, completely against his will, while Cleo calmly guided him into the tank. Once he was lying down inside, control of his body was returned to him.

    "Great, now I’ve been dirtied. I guess I can’t get married anymore!" he said dramatically.

    [....]

    Cleo, for the sake of her sanity, chose to ignore Rex’s antics. Meanwhile, Rex just grinned, clearly amused by this side of Cleo that he hadn’t seen before. As the glass door of the tank slid shut, he noticed a small spherical object descend from the ceiling. It looked like a camera, and from it, an image that looked like a hologram began to form.