Ai's love AI!

In a park outside the Earth Welcome Center, a pair who just arrived on a StarCab from Mars sit on a bench. A girl checks her armband display and nudges her Ro-Buddy awake.

"Alright, Rudi, looks like you've finished downloading the software. How are you feeling?" the young girl asks as she pats her robot companion's head and smiles.

Rudi stands up, looks down at the girl, and smiles back. "Who are you?"

With an annoyed sigh but a playful smile, the girl responds, "I'm Ai. Your sister. You can't just forget that because of a software update. Stop messing around. You're all I have. Even though my parents are using my existence like some kind of 'life partner-less experiment for humanity's sake' to reinvent love, I'm grateful they at least made me a special Ro-Buddy." Ai walks over and playfully pushes Rudi. "You're all I need."

"If that were true, you wouldn’t have downloaded the life partner database. Also, since I was created before you were even born, that means I’m the older sibling!" Rudi says smugly, looking down at Ai.

Ai blushes and quickly retorts, "Well, you’re not that much older. And Rudi, don’t you want me to live a normal life like literally everyone else? I haven’t been on Earth for more than five hours, and I can’t turn anywhere without being reminded that I’m the only person on Earth who doesn’t have a life partner." Ai points at a giant floating hologram display hovering over the city that reads: "Everyone On Earth Has A Life Partner."

"Well, at least no one knows that you don’t have one, Ai," Rudi replies, trying to comfort her.

Ai lights up but then suddenly remembers something. "Rudi, do me a favor and check how many births have taken place in the past year," she asks nervously.

"Sure thing! According to the planetary birth record, there have been a total of seven births in the last year."

"Seven?!" Ai’s face pales. "People will find out about me sooner or later. I don’t want to end up in the public eye like some weird lonely freak show. That would be so embarrassing. I have to find someone to be my life partner quick before people with nothing better to do start snooping around. Rudi, please look into the life partner database and find out whose life partner has recently deceased… or recently separated."

Rudi takes a moment to search the database and reports his findings: "There is a total of one person who fits the search criteria. Ali Montero. Age: 298. Occupation: Musician. Life partner status: Deceased."

Ai is stunned. "Okay, wait. This person is at the end of their life. It’s gonna be obvious that I’m the newborn without a life partner with that massive age gap. Damn our good healthcare system and long life expectancy! Alright, Rudi, bring up the list of newborns from the past year. I have an idea."

Rudi prints out the list, but as Ai reaches for it, Rudi raises it over his head so she can’t grab it. "I’m not gonna hand you people’s personal information just like that, especially since you haven’t told me your idea. That would be irresponsible," Rudi taunts.

Annoyed, Ai jumps onto Rudi’s back and starts climbing him. "Just give me the list, you gatekeeper! Don’t go making my life even harder than it already is! You’re supposed to be on my side, not like my parents," Ai protests.

The last sentence seems to echo in Rudi’s mind, and he freezes. Slowly, he lowers the list, refocusing on Ai.

Ai triumphantly snatches it. "Ha! I got it!" She looks over the list while keeping an eye on Rudi, knowing he could try to take it back at any moment.

"So what’s the plan, Ai?" Rudi asks, walking up to her side to peer at the page.

"Well, there’s a couple here who both work in Rent-A-Partner services. Why is that even a service being offered when life partners are perfect for you in every way? And look at this—these life partner records are public. So why did Ali Montero’s status only say deceased? Wouldn’t it be widowed? Something’s not—"

Ai pauses mid-sentence and exclaims, "Where did you get that frock coat and cloth cap?!"

"It’s elementary, my dear Ai." Rudi pulls out a calabash pipe, but Ai immediately smacks it out of his hand.

"My pipe!" Rudi cries.

"We are not detectives, and Sherlock Holmes never even said that line in the original story!" Ai huffs as she picks up the pipe. "And you don’t even have lungs!"

Rudi calmly retrieves the pipe and tucks it, along with the frock coat, into a storage compartment inside his thigh. "If we need to investigate, these will come in handy. Anyway, are you going to request one of them as your partner for the day?"

"Already did." Ai grins. "My armband display can do a lot. I’ve already saved a picture of the list on here too—just in case you try anything silly. Let’s go meet my date for the day at the café nearby." Ai starts walking in the direction indicated by her armband. "By the way, I want you to look up everything you can about this guy, Daisuke Shima. I want you to be my secret weapon against this world—my love AI!" Ai flashes Rudi a huge, charming smile.

Rudi quickly catches up to Ai and holds her hand. Ai gets flustered and asks, "Why are you holding my hand?" as she tries to pull away.

Rudi doesn’t let go and insists, "If you need me to download all the dirt on Daisuke Shima, I won’t be able to see where I’m going. Besides, you were holding my hand just fine on the ride over here. Are you embarrassed to hold your big bro’s hand?"

Ai stops and responds quietly but frantically, "That was different! No one else was around! And I had just made a boom-boom that, without your help, would’ve kept me stuck onboard the StarCab for the rest of my life." She glances around and whispers, "Thank you for cleaning me up and getting me nice clothes."

The pair continue walking quietly toward their destination. Ai squeezes Rudi’s hand softly, and he squeezes back.