A Chemist's Interstellar Saga

Chapter 193: Discrimination
Chapter 193: Discrimination

Drexel, sprawled out on the sofa, looked bored as he chewed his apple. He eyed PO, remembering the last time he got in trouble for teasing the robot, so he decided to keep quiet and just watched him.

PO noticed Drexel’s gaze and felt annoyed. He even thought that Drexel looking at him might somehow make him less clean. If he weren’t waiting to escort Arix out, PO would’ve left the room.

”Hey, why are you called PO? The name doesn’t sound that great. How about I give you a new one?” Drexel suggested, trying to start a conversation.

PO rolled its eyes, pretending to be a robot that didn’t understand Drexel’s words.

Ignoring Drexel didn’t deter him, though. He continued, ”How about ’PP’ or ’OO’? Isn’t that better than PO?” He looked quite proud of his suggestions, raising an eyebrow.

”Beep! Drexel, you have been deducted 5 points,” an opticomputer announced suddenly.

”What? 5 points! That’s harsh,” Drexel exclaimed, suddenly upset. Earning those 5 points required attending five classes and getting good evaluations. He’d worked hard for a month to accumulate just a few points.

Grinding his teeth, Drexel fought the urge to swear. ”PO, don’t you think it’s unfair to deduct points without a good reason?” he asked, forcing a polite smile even though he was fuming inside.

PO glanced at him and replied in a cold, mechanical voice, ”You disrupted the campus assistant’s mental well-being by insulting him. Therefore, you lost 5 points as a penalty.”

”Wait, you’re a robot! How can you have mental well-being?” Drexel was stunned, staring in disbelief as he felt his worldview crumble.

”Beep! Drexel, you have been deducted 1 point,” the opticomputer announced again.

Drexel looked down at his opticomputer, watching his score drop from double digits to single digits. A cold wave of shock washed over him.

”Why did you deduct points this time?” Drexel sounded like a young man being unfairly treated, his voice filled with frustration.

”You displayed discrimination towards a intelligent being, affecting his mental well-being,” PO responded coldly.

Drexel zipped his mouth in no time.

Drexel and PO were staring each other down when Arix arrived with what they needed.

Arix looked confused and a little defensive as she saw how close Drexel was to PO. ”What are you doing?” she asked, squinting like she thought Drexel was up to no good.

Drexel felt a bit insulted by Arix’s protective stance. After all, he was the one feeling offended in this whole situation.

Just as Drexel was about to say something, PO noticed the tension and hurried over, gently grabbing Arix’s hand. His screen displayed a sad face as PO said, ”Master, are you leaving now? Can I come with you?”

Arix immediately shifted her focus to PO, hugging it and feeling a bit guilty. ”Sorry, PO. I asked the president, and unless there’s an emergency, I can’t take you out of the school. Please stay home for two days; I’ll be back soon.”

”Okay, Master, come back soon,” PO replied, trying to be brave despite his sadness as he let go of Arix.

Arix hugged PO tighter, feeling sorry for him.

Meanwhile, Drexel stood off to the side, puzzled. ’Why is the robot acting so emotional? Shouldn’t I be the one feeling upset?’

For the first time, Drexel felt genuinely confused by the situation. After comforting PO, Arix and Drexel finally left. Once they were out of sight, Drexel turned serious and said, ”Arix, there’s something odd about PO. I think he might have his own consciousness.”

Arix laughed, clearly not buying it. ”You’re overthinking! There’s no way a robot like that could be conscious.”

”But what if there is? Remember, there are mechanical lives in this world,” Drexel insisted, though he knew it sounded far-fetched. He just couldn’t shake the feeling that something was off about PO.

”For a mechanical life to exist, it would need to be a level-eight mecha. Do you really think PO looks like a level-eight mecha?” Arix replied, rolling her eyes.

”Well, no, not really,” Drexel admitted, starting to doubt his theory. After all, PO seemed too delicate to even fend off a low-level insectoid, let alone be a level-eight mecha.

”Okay, enough with the wild ideas. Get your Lev out, let’s go home,” Arix said. She had to meet Thaddeus later and didn’t have time for Drexel’s theories.

”Fine, fine, I get it,” Drexel said, eager to get home and log in. He quickly brought out his Lev, and once they were both inside, they sped off toward the Kering family estate.

As they pulled up to the gate, they saw Fleur waiting.

”Mom, did you miss your little darling?” Arix exclaimed, jumping out of Lev and running to Fleur, acting all sweet.

Fleur chuckled, patting Arix’s head affectionately. ”What do you think? Why else would I be out here?”

Arix giggled happily.

Drexel, putting Lev away, noticed something off. ”Mom, where’s Dad? I don’t see him,” he asked, confused.

Arix glanced at Fleur, also curious.

”The Military Research Institute sent some people over. They’re checking on your dad’s health. They’re all in the living room right now,” Fleur explained, not missing a beat.

”Let’s go check on him,” Arix said, feeling a pang of worry since it had been nearly a week since she’d last seen Thaddeus.

Fleur nodded and led her children into the living room. Inside, they found Quillan, head of the Alliance Military Research Institute, busy examining Thaddeus with a range of instruments.

”Sir, is there any chance to restore my Psychic Incarnation?” Thaddeus asked, his tone hopeful yet strained as he went through the tests.

Quillan sighed and shook his head. ”Admiral Thaddeus, with our current technology, we haven’t found a way to revive a lost Psychic Incarnation.”

Thaddeus’s shoulders slumped. ”I see...” His voice was heavy with disappointment, the reality setting in that his Phantom might never return.

Quillan tried to offer some comfort. ”Don’t give up hope, Admiral. Perhaps we’ll soon overcome this barrier with new advancements.”

”Thank you,” Thaddeus replied, though his expression was still clouded with sadness.

Just then, Arix and her family arrived.

”Hello, sir,” Arix greeted warmly upon seeing Quillan, a familiar face from her past.

”Ah, little Arix! You’ve grown and become even prettier,” Quillan greeted back, smiling widely.

”Thank you, sir. You look good today,” Arix replied, her voice sweet.

Quillan chuckled, appreciating the compliment even though he knew it was just flattery. But then he remembered the seriousness of Thaddeus’s condition, and his smile faded slightly.

He turned to Arix, his expression thoughtful. ”Arix, your father’s physical health is stable, but we’re at a loss on how to restore his Psychic Incarnation. Do you have any insights?”

Quillan knew of Arix’s work in the psychic field and thought she might have some new ideas.

Arix’s face turned serious. ”There might be a way, though it’s still untested. I think there’s a good chance we could revive Dad’s Psychic Incarnation.”

”Really?” Thaddeus immediately perked up, looking at his daughter with a mix of anxiety and hope. He had resigned himself to the idea that her earlier reassurances were just to comfort him. But now, hearing her speak with such confidence, it felt like a lifeline.

Quillan was equally surprised, his eyes wide with curiosity and excitement. ”Arix, are you serious?” His voice carried a blend of shock and seriousness.

If what Arix suggested was true, it could be as groundbreaking as the discovery of the psychic power healing potion.