"Dad!" A child's voice made Stan look up. A little girl in overalls and a plaid shirt, with messy hair tied into two braids, was looking at him. "Dad, how long do we have to stay here?" The girl's voice pulled Stan out of his thoughts. He had lost track of time in this virtual space, though it must have only been a short while in the real world because he didn't feel hungry. The time acceleration in this virtual space had a severe side effect on Stan's brain, causing him to experience something akin to hallucinations, trapped in memories of the past. Those memories were so vivid, and Stan wished he could once again sit in that Tesla Cybertruck and return to the little house where Mrs. Mao and Fang Lu were waiting for him.
"Just a little longer. I have one last question for Mr. Treehole," Stan said to the girl.
Stan now stood in a tiny oasis in the desert, with just a small puddle of water and a withered tree. The surroundings were bright, the desert bathed in natural sunlight, but there was no sun in the sky. The sky was so bright it was colorless, all white. Stan and the little girl were wrapped in white cloths, with only their faces exposed, the cloths so clean they seemed unreal. The withered tree in the oasis looked petrified, with a hole that the girl called Mr. Treehole. It emitted sounds, and Stan knew it was the cornerstone of this virtual space, a relic of the old GPT AI accidentally damaged during transport, projected into this virtual display.
"Does she have to 'die'?" Stan asked his final question.
"Using 'die' isn't accurate. It's just a relatively stable state to solve the current problem. Stability is necessary," Mr. Treehole replied.
Stan was silent, looking at the little girl, just looking. The girl looked back at Stan and then gave him a big smile. "Do we have to study today, Dad?" the girl asked. "No, let's go home. We'll study tomorrow, Ling," Stan replied.
Stan took Fang Ling's hand and stepped out of the oasis. As soon as they left, the environment around them began to change rapidly, as if they were moving quickly, passing various scenes, animals, people, and events. Fang Ling watched these changes intently, while Stan just silently watched Fang Ling. Soon, they reached another part of the jungle. Unlike the desert, this was a vast jungle "maze," with a small cave in the center. In front of the cave was a bonfire, with some food heating beside it. Stan and Fang Ling took off their white cloaks. Fang Ling took both her and Stan's cloaks into the cave and put them away.
Stan walked to the bonfire and looked at the heating canned food. He threw it all into the bushes and then brought out a complete set of barbecue tools from another bush. Then he turned and shouted towards the cave, "Ling, today Dad will teach you something new: a barbecue party!"
Amidst Fang Ling's cheers, Stan and Fang Ling had a pleasant dinner. Late at night, Fang Ling fell asleep beside Stan. Stan took out his phone from his pocket and pressed the pause button, returning to reality.
ns 15.158.61.43da2
