Walking back to the same streets with Lei occupying him to distract him from his thoughts, Sunny couldn't help but feel a sense of sadness creeping up in his chest like a venomous snake preparing to strike.
After their little conversation with his family, he held tightly to his shoulder bag with one question: amongst them all, would there be someone unknown to him? He couldn't put a finger on who it might be. Many unanswered questions swirled around his mind like a tornado, but he knew deep down he would eventually find out the truth someday.
Especially when everyone is on edge.
The bustling streets of the Ark seemed to pulsate with life despite their artificial surroundings. Intricate patterns of light danced across polished concrete walkways as people went about their daily routines in neatly organized rows. A symphony of chatter filled the air, intermingling with the hum of machinery that kept everything running smoothly.
The sky above was an illusion, crafted by the angeloids to mimic the sky of Earth while clouds drifted realistically overhead with scent of crisp synthetic air mixed with the faint aroma of restaurants cooking various dishes from Earth's diverse cultures—an attempt to bring comfort and familiarity to those who had lost everything.
Along with the armed angeloids patrolling through the streets as if they were guardians protecting the inhabitants from any potential threat lurking within the vast expanse of this seemingly utopian cityscape as the gaze of their eyes pierced through the crowd with unwavering vigilance, ensuring peace and order throughout the Ark. For all the promises of safety they provided, there was still that nagging feeling deep inside him that something wasn't quite right about how they operated.
"You okay?" Lei asked, noticing the distant look in the young man's eyes.
Sunny stopped briefly as bystanders passed through them. "Lei, can I ask you something?" He asked, turning around in the busy streets to face her directly, "Are we truly free?" Question that puzzles the android, making her abruptly answer with a confused expression etched on her face.
"Free from what?" She replied cautiously, sensing the seriousness behind his words,Is something wrong?" Worry grew in her eyes as she noticed the darkness clouding over his face. "If it's about us telling your dad of what you have done, don't worry about it; we know he would just give you a slap on the wrist," she said, believing wholeheartedly that Nelson wouldn't go so far as to harm his own flesh and blood son after all they have been through together since the beginning of their journey to the Ark.
"No, it's not that," he said, shaking his head in denial while looking away from her gaze. "Let's find a seat first; I need to explain it to you in detail," he said, leading her towards the nearest park bench available while the crowd dispersed around them, giving them some privacy to talk freely without being heard by anyone else. "Lei, I know you and your sister are good people, just like my father, but please answer this question honestly without..." He paused before continuing, "without fear of getting into trouble."
"What is it?"
Leaning her face towards him, she was curious to find out what could possibly make her friend look so troubled and anxious despite living in apparent paradise. Unknown to her, Sunny's cheeks turned into brightened tomatoes from embarrassment of how close the girl is to him at that moment. "Could you move a bit further away from me?" He asked, blushing slightly as his heart beat faster than usual while trying to regain his composure.
"Okay," obediently moving back, "what's wrong now?" Lei is beginning to be more concerned the more he avoids a direct answer to her initial question. "You don't have to tell me if it's something too personal," she reassured with a gentle smile, reaching out her hand towards him in an attempt to comfort him. "We're friends, remember?" The icy touch of her fingers against his skin sent shivers down his spine, but he ignored it as best as he could, not wanting to look weird in front of her or make things worse for the both of them.
"I don't think I can keep living like this."
His answer completely shocked her. She was stunned, and silence filled the air around them like a thick fog. "What?" Blinking twice, she couldn't believe what she heard from her friend's mouth: "Why would you say such a thing? Isn't this your home?"
Lei was at a loss for words; every fiber of her being screamed in disagreement with his statement. This wasn't what they fought so hard for—to escape the endless wars of earth only to find themselves trapped in another prison disguised as paradise. "You're not thinking of what I'm—"
"Listen to me, please!" He interrupted her before she could finish her sentence. "I want to know something missing that is part of my life, and I don't think living here in eternity with sunshine and rainbows is how I could find the piece of the puzzle in helping me find who I am," Sunny said with a trembling voice, tears forming in his eyes.
"There's something out there waiting for me, something greater than myself, and I felt..." He paused briefly before continuing, "a calling from somewhere deep within my soul telling me that I must leave this place."
"But why?" She asked, bewildered, "Where would you even go? Were orbiting around earth from space, and that planet is said to be dead already!" Lei exclaimed incredulously, not understanding his sudden desire to abandon everything they had built together over the years, "You don't know what danger lies beyond those walls! We are safe here!"
Why anyone would abandon a place full of safety and prosperity for something ridiculous is beyond her comprehension. Perhaps there is a reason why machines and humans are different—it's how they operate on things.
Sunny looked down at his feet, comprised of many troubling thoughts going through his mind like a storm brewing in the horizon. "I know, but I can't ignore it anymore," he said with determination. "I need to find out who I truly am, who is missing in our lives as well as seeing what life has to offer for me outside the Ark."
The coldness of his heart began to melt away, slowly revealing a burning passion inside him that he could no longer suppress anymore, "and I have been thinking about this the day I have been living in this city."
Words cannot describe how Lei felt at that moment, her heart breaking into pieces as she saw the determination glint in his eyes, knowing deep down she couldn't stop him from leaving even if she wanted to.
For all the things they did to give the humans the best life they could experience, Sunny was something entirely different that couldn't be explained by logic alone. He was like a wild, untamed creature who needed freedom and adventure more than anything else.
"Are you sure?" Seriousness filled her voice, brimming with tears as she tried hard to maintain her composure but failed miserably. "Once you go out, you can never come back," she whispered sadly, clutching onto his hand tightly as the young man could only widen his eyes in surprise at this notion.
"Not come back?" He was confused, not comprehending the reason behind that. "Why? Are they going to lock me out or something?" He joked nervously, trying to lighten up the mood but failing miserably when he noticed the serious expression etched on her face.
"Wait, your actually serious about this?" Realization hit him like a train speeding towards him at high velocity: "You mean, they might kill us if we try?" He caused his trusted friend to gasp in shock at coming to this conclusion.
"No!" Shaking her head vigorously, "They'll just prevent you from coming back," she said softly, struggling to control her emotion, "but it's dangerous out there! You won't be able to survive without us!" Her concerning and compassionate nature is displayed clearly as tears stream down her cheeks uncontrollably.
"Please don't do this, Sunny...for us?" The pleading look in her eyes was enough to break even the hardest of hearts. But Sunny knows better to search for his true path in life than what others have planned for them.
"I'm sorry," he said, refusing to break eye contact with her. "I can't live my life according to other people's expectations anymore. I want to be free, truly free from..." He trailed off, unable to finish his sentence, "from this place that lies." His mind was made up; he would leave regardless of the consequences that awaited him once he stepped foot outside the gates of the Ark. The only problem lies with how he could even get out of this place without getting noticed by the authorities.
Silence filled the air again as their eyes locked in a long moment, each of them knowing that Sunny would follow through on his decision no matter how much they tried to stop him. They shared a silent farewell, understanding that their paths in life had diverged forever. But no matter what, they will always be friends who will look each other in the eyes, even when it hurts the most.
"I will keep this a secret between us," she whispered softly, wiping away her tears and hugging him tightly for one last time. "When will you leave?" Removing themselves from their embrace, they looked up at the sky above, which was nothing more than a lie, filled with illusions to keep everyone believing that this place was perfect.
"I don't know yet," he replied with a sad smile, "but when the time comes, you'll be the first person I tell," promising her with every fiber of his being that he sees the truth of who he is and wants to be, "because between you and me, I think your the best sister than Mei." His response immediately made her blush heavily from the compliment, making her all feel warm inside despite all the heartache they were going through right now.
"And you are the best friend I could have asked for," Lei responded back with a smile before pinching his cheeks. "Yes, you are!" She said in baby voice as she played with his embarrassed face, letting out a laugh that echoed through the streets much to his pure horror.
"Lei!" He whispered loudly, glancing around them to see people giggling like idiots from this humiliating scene playing between them, "Stop this! It's not funny!" Sunny wanted to die right here and now, wishing he never had this conversation with her in the first place. "LEEEII!!" Whining like a child, his face turned redder from embarrassment as he quickly moved away from her before covering his own entire face from prying eyes.
She laughed happily at his embarrassment once again before continuing once again, "Say that I'm the best sister! And I might..." She paused dramatically and said, "Stop pinching you like a little boy who got caught stealing cookies from the cookie jar," smiling affectionately at him with a look that can force any man to comply.
"UGH! LEI!" Sunny found her annoying at times like this, but she was also the only person that made him smile when he was feeling down and lonely, and it would be a dull life without her in it.
"You won! You are the best sister! There, happy now!?" He muttered sarcastically while still trying to recover from the humiliation that she had just inflicted upon him with such ease and glee that Lei couldn't contain herself any longer as she burst into laughter again at his expense.
Watching her laugh and giggle like an idiot made Sunny smile at how much she was enjoying this. Truly, the two of them are great friends who will always be there for each other, no matter what happens in their lives.
