Landing themselves onto simulation of being on the moon, Sebastian and Yumi glanced around in awe, experiencing this entirely new world for themselves while marveling at its magnificent appearance, incredibly realistic if not for the fact that they remembered falling asleep in their pods after the gasses entered their tanks.
Suddenly, Carter appeared in front of them as glitch and particles surrounded his body when he materialized; dressed in his everyday clothes without cigar in his mouth, he smiled at their surprised look of seeing him, "welcome to my virtual reality," the young man said while looking around from the space around them, "quite beautiful isn't it?" Asking them in enthusiasm.
Standing on the ground of this rocky lunar landscape, Sebastian observed their surroundings for a moment, taking in the sights that is around them; everything from the asteroid belt nearby to the countless stars in the horizon, he and Yumi couldn't help themselves from staring at it for a while longer, "wonderful indeed," Sebastian muttered in wonder, admiring the sights around him.
Instead of the original void with white dots in outer space; planets and stars that is visible by naked eyes can be seen in distance, painting that this is a masterpiece of technology that had been achieved the prowess of his intellect and determination in creating such wonderful simulation.
"Why the moon, master?" Tilting her head as she one took step forward, "its such boring and plain place to be compared to other places and planets you can visit," glancing around once more to be disappointed of his poor choice in picking a destination.
Carter smirked, "not as much as a mystery this place holds dear in history," he replied, "when astronauts walked on the moon, the place was far from barren and desolate like we thought, it had more potential and interest that scientists back on earth are unaware of," instantly conjuring a jeep behind him as he moved at the side, gesturing them to hop in.
"How about we drive?"
The vehicle that he has simply spawned by simply manipulating his inner world, appears to have futuristic and sleek, with a shiny paint job and various features that set it apart from a regular car. Its exterior is adorned with numerous lights and sensors that light up when touched or pressed, and its interior is comfortable and well-designed for passenger comfort.
With the controls are user-friendly and easy to understand, and the seats are made of a plush, ergonomic material that cradles the body while driving. There aren't any doors as they are nonexistent, leaving the occupants free to exit and enter as they wish while only three front passengers are available.
In addition, the engine is surprisingly silent, and the steering wheel is a joy to grip while the windshield is made of a tinted, impenetrable glass that gives an unobstructed view of the road ahead. Overall, the advanced-looking jeep appears to be the ultimate combination of performance and luxury, making it an exciting and enjoyable ride for anyone who steps foot inside it.
Stepping inside at the middle, his butler and maid seat next to his opposite side before Carter turned the key to turn on the vehicle. The engine roared to life, purring like a giant cat, and the wheels slowly started to spin as the three of them drove off into the endless landscape of rocks, racing across the open fields.
Holding on tightly to their seats, the three begin to smile as excitement grows of the thrilling speed the Jeep is achieving, reaching 100 kilometers per hour in a matter of seconds, and showing no signs of stopping as he drives recklessly, navigating the bumpy and uneven terrain with ease.
Even as the terrain changes from a flat and dusty surface, to a steep and rocky incline, he remains unfazed by the challenge and pushes on, eager to keep moving and feeling the wind in their faces as he goes ever onward. Despite the rough roads, it handled them expertly, barely shuddering when its tires grind against the rocks and dirt, the suspension absorbs the shock of each bump and jump with minimal effort, keeping the three of them relatively stable throughout the whole ride.
Yumi on the other hand was having blast, laughing happily if there were still kids, even if the jeep doesn't have a roof as there is nothing covering them. Enjoying the thrill of having her hair blowing in the air as they pass by, with a bright smile on her face, she held on tightly to the bar to her side, holding herself down so that she doesn't fall off.
Despite the loud winds rushing past, his two trusted friends seem to be having fun, exchanging grins and laughs with each other as they released a younger version of themselves underneath their adult exterior, shouting comments to cheering on while being pumped up by the speed. Their childlike excitement is contagious, spreading to Carter himself, he returns their enthusiasm with a large smile of his own.
Grinning back, he shouts at them, "you guys like it!?" The thrill and enjoyment was all over his face as he gripped the wheel, driving with expertise, "don't hold back!" He yelled with wide and determined eyes, "speak louder!" Keeping his gaze locked on the road.
In addition, although he didn't use much force, the gas pedal is also quite responsive, easily shifting between speeds without jerking or slowing down, the brake is also equally precise, giving him full control over acceleration and deceleration, even in these rough conditions. All in all, it is a smooth and relaxing ride, making them feel like they're floating above the ground as opposed to driving over it.
Laughing at the absurdity of this, she leaned on her master's shoulder with happiness apparent on her face as he took a glance to look at her, widening his eyes from seeing her once mirthful and composed self in returning to the time when they were still children, giving him the pleasant memories of their innocent days before tragedy took that away from them.
Unsure if its only temporary or permanently, but nonetheless, his heart warmed up of seeing her like this, "master," Yumi spoke, turning her head to gaze at him with a sweet and gentle smile on her face, "I'm happy," tears forming at her eyes from the overwhelming feeling in finally finding where her true home is, "because I want—"
The jeep immediately stopped, almost flinging all of them forward due to how sudden it is; thankfully, they were able to grip onto the bars with her leaning closer to Carter than ever before. Turning the engine off, he let out a couple of breathes from the exhilarating speed they had been riding.
"Note to self," he took note while regaining his bearings, "focus on driving even if I am in simulation," tapping the dashboard of the machine he is in, he chuckled, "good thing that we cannot die or feel pain, otherwise," trailing off with an awkward grin, "would have gotten us all traumatized and killed."
Focusing his attention on the two of them, Carter took a few breaths from the excitement while the maid and butler got out from their seats and stand around, allowing him to also leave the vehicle and join their company, "well, I have to admit," his butler began as he took a brief second to breathe, "that was certainly invigorating, master Carter."
"it was," nodding his head in agreement, he stretched his arms upward as he made a tired yawn, "we definitely have fun together, wouldn't you say?" Smiling at Yumi who is now calm and mature, yet clingy to him before she embraced his right arm like usual.
"That was fun, Carter-sama!" She gleefully exclaimed while nuzzling at his arm like a cat, "It's been forever since I felt like that," noticing that all the worries she has been bearing had temporarily left her, "what else will you show us?" Wondering what else there is to see.
Scratching his chin with the other hand, he contemplative of moment in what to do next until Sebastian pointed out something rather peculiar, "earth," his butler eyed on the blue planet that is far from their vision in space, moving forward away from them to sit on nearby boulder.
Having watched him mysteriously said an enigmatic word, they both at each other in confusion before following suit, where she and her master sat at opposite sides of him, their attention was also focused on earth that seems so far yet so near.
Observing the orb of blue and white that spins constantly around, hypnotized by its slow, rotating movements, they noticed small continents that were colored brown, green and grey, and the clouds that circulate across the skyline like a storm raging on.
They stared at earth for what seemed like several minutes, unable to look away as the sheer majesty of it overwhelmed them with its tranquility and grace. The sun's rays bounced off the globe, reflecting off it like a mirror, bathing it in a golden hue, while the shadow of the earth was cast upon the moon, creating a crescent shape of darkness in the background.
Everything about the planet seemed so serene and peaceful, from the white swirl of the clouds to the blue oceans and green landscapes, it appeared as if it were frozen in time, waiting for someone to return and claim it once more.
It was breathtaking in every sense of the word, and they couldn't help but be mesmerized by the sight. The thought of seeing their home planet even if everything here is simulation, gave them a sense of calmness that they desperately needed after living through so many hardships and conflicts.
One of the many places across the cosmos has life originated from, planet earth itself looked beautiful when viewed from above, but the truth behind its surface was a very different story. Full of violence, prejudice, and death, the planet became a constant battleground between those who sought to preserve its natural beauty, and those who would see it destroyed in order to serve their own selfish needs.
And Carter nearly knows all of it from his knowledge and experience throughout his living hell as Adam and the now of losing his parents once again to still having nightmares from his previous life. Casting a glance at his left, he sees Sebastian too deep in his thought while Yumi was just admiring the scene.
He kept quiet, uncertain of what to say other than gaze upon their world that they had left to live better place; where true progress and harmony can be achieved; if time had slowed to a crawl, they silently admired the distant orb with looks of wonder and contentment, finding comfort in knowing that there still beauty lurking out there beyond their grasp.
"Earth is quite special," Sebastian commented with smile, appreciating what he is seeing before his eyes, "even through all the horrors that humanity has done, I am grateful for being alive to see and experience the beauty that exists in this world," he made a small laugh, grateful that he lived through it all, "it truly does give one perspective on life."
Yumi tilted her head from this intriguing answer, "horrors?" She said with frown, "I'm only interested in seeing such wonderful sight," not truly understanding any of his words seriously about the philosophical meaning of human existence or how much destruction and tragedy occurred.
He on the other hand understood as he continued staring, his eyes slowly become wet as single tear dripped down left cheek, many mixed emotions were stirred from his heart that caused his mind to reminisce both the horrible and good moments throughout his experience of living.
That no matter how dark it may seem, no matter how cruel and hard everything is; in the end, there will always be light at the end of tunnel as the positive feelings, emotions and memories is definitive proof of this, "you know, sometimes..."
Speaking with bittersweet expression on his face, "...life is beautiful, because we have choices and opportunities to choose our path; what makes us truly human," his words are rather motivational and enlightening for them to comprehend his meaning, "even in bad times, there is still good and hope; because with choices and decisions, we can choose our own destiny, one that is worthy of living for," smiling at them while still maintaining his calm composure.
"...isn't that right, Lilim?"