The year is 2327, and the desert landscape stretches out before Rika and Yui like an endless, barren sea. The sun beats down upon them, casting a golden glow over the rusting hulks of ancient machinery that dot the horizon. The air is thick with the acrid scent of smoke and ozone, and the only sound is the soft hum of the CORE7 rig, a constant reminder of their quest to find the Polyák family.
Rika's eyes are fixed intently on the beetle perched in Yui's hair, her expression a mixture of amusement and concern. Yui, oblivious to the tiny creature, gazes out at the desert landscape, her eyes squinting against the bright sunlight. Rika takes a slow sip of water from her canteen, her movements calm and deliberate, a stark contrast to the chaos that surrounds them. The beetle, seemingly unaware of the tension, crawls lazily through Yui's hair, its green eyes glinting in the sunlight.
“You've got a friend, Yui.”
“What are you talking about, Rika?”
“The beetle in your hair. It's making itself at home.”
“Oh, poor thing. It must be lost.”
“We're all lost, aren't we?”
As Rika gently plucks the beetle from Yui's hair, their shared moment of tenderness is a fleeting respite from the harsh realities of their search. The brief connection they share in this moment will stay with them, a reminder of the humanity that persists even in the most desolate of landscapes.