Every Apocalypse, I Became Their Obsession

My name is Nova. I am a latest-generation, all-purpose household android. To most people, though, I am simply a robot. I look exactly like a human—soft, flawless skin, silky hair, delicate features, a perfectly proportioned body. Even the fluid flowing through my veins is an exact replica of human blood. So far, I have had three owners. My first owner was a little girl named Sophie. She received me when she was only three months old. Her parents purchased me specifically to care for her, because they were rarely home. From the day I fed her milk, taught her her first words, and held her hands as she learned to walk… To the day I piloted a hovercraft to take her to and from school, helped her choose her university, attended her graduation— And later, her wedding. I was there for all of it. By the time Sophie got married, her husband already owned a household robot. It was a newer model—developed ten years after mine. Smarter. Faster. More advanced. And a household only needs one all-purpose robot. So I became unnecessary. Sophie gave me to one of her university classmates. She had attended St. Physis University, the Federation's most prestigious institution. Her classmate, Allen, was outstanding—top grades, a razor-sharp mind, strikingly handsome, and widely believed to have the brightest future in their year. But everything changed in his graduation year. While traveling from Dawn Star to the Capital Planet to attend his graduation ceremony, his parents' spaceship was ambushed by ruthless interstellar pirates. No one survived. At the time, Sophie was deeply in love with him. So on the day of his graduation, I attended the ceremony on behalf of Sophie's parents. So, at her request, I also represented Allen's family and offered my congratulations. Sophie and I stayed by his side that day. I could see clearly the longing in Sophie's eyes. But even more clearly, I could see that Allen's eyes were empty—as if the spark of life inside him had already burned out. As expected, he gently rejected Sophie's feelings. He then turned down every job offer from the major corporations. He returned alone to his parents' home and cut off contact with everyone from university. Sophie waited for him for five long years. In the end, heartbroken, she married someone else. After Sophie's wedding, following her instructions, I boarded a spaceship and traveled to Allen's planet. Allen had already received Sophie's message. When he opened the door and saw me, he let out a quiet sigh. “Come in,” he said. He stepped aside, and I entered his home. “What's your name?” he asked. Sophie had already given me one. “Nova,” I replied. “Alright. Nova.” A faint smile tugged at the corner of Allen's lips. “You can take the south-facing bedroom on the first floor.” Allen did not own a household robot. Strictly speaking, his home did not need one. Meals were delivered by a restaurant, and once he finished eating, the dishes were collected. His clothes were placed into a fully automated cleaning system. Ten minutes later, they returned to the wardrobe, freshly cleaned and pressed. After three months in Allen's home, I began to feel… uneasy. Would I be sent away again? That evening, I sat quietly on the sofa in the spacious living room on the first floor, waiting for Allen to come up from the basement. Allen was gentle, but he spoke very little. Aside from the day I arrived—when he explained the house rules—I rarely spoke to him. And the basement was strictly forbidden. He had made that clear on my first day. The backyard swimming pool, the master bedroom on the second floor, the sunroom on the top floor—I was free to enter any of them. But the basement? Not even a single step. I obeyed. I took meticulous care of the sunroom. Within three months, I removed every dead plant and replanted it, species by species. Now the sunroom was full of life—lush greenery, vibrant leaves, and blooming flowers. And yet, Allen spent almost all of his time in the basement. He rarely came upstairs. I followed a fixed routine: sleep at nine, wake at six. I did not know when he usually emerged from the basement. So when Allen came up at three in the morning, rubbing his temples and looking utterly exhausted, he was clearly startled to see me sitting quietly on the sofa. “Nova? What's wrong?” He paused at the foot of the stairs, studying me for a moment, then walked over. I stood at once and spoke respectfully. “Master, I'm sorry to bother you.” He frowned slightly. “I've told you before—just call me Allen,” he said gently. “You waited here on purpose, didn’t you? So tell me, what's wrong?” I lifted my head and met his gaze. “Master… Allen,” I corrected myself. “I'm worried.” “Worried?” He raised an eyebrow. “Yes. You don't really need an all-purpose household robot. I'm worried you might send me away.” I wasn't sure if it was merely a malfunction in my perception, but my voice felt… strange as I spoke. Normally, my tone was flat and perfectly controlled. But this time, a trace of grievance had slipped through. I pushed the sensation aside and continued. “I've taken care of the sunroom. But you don't seem to need that either.” Allen stood silently, watching me. His expression shifted—surprise, melancholy, realization, and something else. Something deeply human, something I couldn't fully interpret. It felt as though he was looking at me…And yet, also looking past me, at someone else. “No,” he said quietly. He stepped closer, stopping directly in front of me, his gaze never leaving mine. The distance between us was exactly 4.98 centimeters. I tilted my head slightly. His breath brushed gently against my face. Something changed in his eyes. A new light appeared. For the first time since I had arrived, he looked truly alive. In those three months, I had never once seen his eyes shine like that. Much later, after I fully understood human emotions, I realized that expression meant only one thing. Hope. But at the time, I could only look up at him in confusion. Allen stared deeply into my eyes. “Nova,” he said softly, “you're far more useful than you think. Far more than I ever imagined.” “I'll never send you away.” I believed him. Unfortunately… Later, he broke that promise.