Nothing Matters, except YOU & Me novel Chapter 545

The road was paved with glass, creating an illusion of walking on space. Also, the path was flanked by a starry sky, and Matthias seemed to have reverted to a childlike state. His eyes were gleaming happily while the stars were smiling down at him. Heather envied him for that, as it had been a long time since she last felt like a kid who got her wildest dream fulfilled.

She wondered what her wildest dream was anyway. Every time she was asked that question, Heather would tell them about how she wanted to be a successful businessperson. But is that really what I like?

“Feels like we’re walking in space, huh?” Matthias looked at her.

Heather nodded with a smile. She didn’t want to snuff out the light in Matthias’ eyes, for dreams were something to be respected, and she respected everyone’s preference. The older she got, the vaguer her childhood dream was, but she knew she never wanted to be a filthy businessperson in the first place.

“Look up there. It’s the planets.” He poked her gently, reminding her of the view.

Heather looked up and saw the planet’s hologram. I see. This is no normal path. They started off with something normal to get the customer into the mood, but the deeper we go, the more magnificent it gets. “Super realistic ride, huh? Interesting,” she commented calmly, but that was already an acknowledgement coming from her.

It wasn’t a long ride, but they spent more time than everyone else normally did. Matthias would point out all the projections, then when they were nearing the end, the projections turned into AR visuals.

A spaceship was floating above their heads, and Matthias tried to touch it. Heather watched him as he tried to get closer to the spaceship, and she thought Matthias was really adorable that day.

Then, two women in spacesuits appeared at the end of the tunnel and announced simultaneously, “We shall open this door of mysteries for you.”

Heather was surprised that the ride was better than she thought it would be, while Matthias looked excited. He suddenly held her hand, and Heather wanted to shake it off. However, she hesitated when she saw how delighted Matthias was.

Matthias took her to the door and tried to push it, but it was an automatic door, so it slid open before he could touch it, just like in the movies.

They went inside the spaceship, though Heather was just curious, while Matthias was in there to learn. It was a nice view, for the simulation was no AR visuals, but real-life objects. Matthias tried to touch everything he could. At that moment, it was as if they were flying in space, and a big screen stood before them.

They could see what was happening outside through the screen, then they looked at each other and realized that the people around them looked emotionless. After a while of observation, they realized that the people were just simulations instead of the real deal.

Matthias wondered if the simulations could talk to humans, so he took Heather and went up to the captain to greet him. “Hello, captain.”

The captain was sitting in the center, but he ignored Matthias. Matthias looked at Heather before trying again, though he knew it must look stupid. “Can you understand me, captain?” He had to get the answer for that, or it’d become an obsession.

“Be quiet, sir. I’m trying to lead my team here,” the captain answered, much to their surprise. Apparently the simulations could talk to people.

“Sorry, captain, but I have a lot of questions—”

Before he could finish, the captain interjected, “A moment please, sir. I’m very busy right now.”

Matthias kept quiet and turned to the screen. Apparently, the spaceship was traveling smoothly, so the captain didn’t have anything to do. And nothing was happening, as everyone was working as usual. Matthias whispered, “Looks like the captain is ignoring us.” Matthias was still looking at the captain.

“Or maybe you’re just annoying,” she teased. Compared to Matthias’ curiosity, Heather would much prefer a quiet observation.

“It’s probably pre-programmed.” Matthias wanted to salvage the situation. Since simulations weren’t really advanced, it was impossible for a simulation to have a conversation with a normal human.

Heather smiled. It was a gentle smile, for Matthias was acting like a curious teenager that day; the sight of it even made her tone down her fierce look.