The stillness oozed into my veins，like ice-cold lips kissing my bones.
There weren’t many taxis at midnight.Once in a while，a few passed by on the suspended tracks，their headlights scratching a line in the dark.
I stood by the side of the street，watching flowing light drag shadow behind it.A taxi stopped in front of me.A dark window rolled down revealing the driver.He was a good-looking man.When he smiled，his teeth were white.The corners of his mouth tilted gently.The expression in his eyes was as clean and flowing as water.
“Where to？”he asked.
I stepped in，then told him my destination.
Once we got on the road，we didn’t speak.
I plastered my face to the car window.Colors faded as I rode.I saw the town through the gray forms that emerged.Nothing had changed in seven years.This small town，old and broken，still made people’s hearts bleak and desolate.
“Everyone is emigrating now.Very few returned.”The driver was the first to speak.
I nodded.“I’m also planning to leave.I applied for the Pegasus star system，the planet called KG6.My application’s already approved.”
“Then what are you returning here for？”
“To say goodbye.”
The driver didn’t say any more.
The taxi stopped in the north end，at a house I knew intimately.I got out.The driver，still stopped by the side of the road，wasn’t in a hurry to leave.I think he must have wanted to tell me something.At last，though，he just started the engine.The taxi slowly glided into the night.
I knocked on the door.The dull thuds sounded like the beating of a lonely heart.
The door opened with a creak.The robot’s face revealed itself.Facial features had been carved on its black face guard.The childish scratches formed a weird smile.
The robot came out and took my suitcase.“Miss，you’ve returned.”
I looked inside.The house was a black cavity.“Is she here？”
“Yes，she’s home.She’s been waiting for you for a long time.Why don’t we go in？”
I hesitated.I stood at the door.Below my feet，it was as if a deep trench had split open.A great and frozen wind blew down that vast gap.I had no way to cross it.I simply sat down.The woman inside the house，who was also sitting，opened her eyes，as though she was looking back at me.
She was my mother.Or，rather，she was once my mother.
The first seventeen years of my life，I spent at her side.In my memory，this little house will always be cold and damp，like the years I can’t bear.The place always carried the faint smell of rot and the young me hated it.After I escaped，though，not a night went by that I didn’t secretly long for this house.
I was born in the final age of Earth’s exhaustion.No one felt secure.When I was small，I saw too many pallid faces grow alarmed and bewildered，but I didn’t know why.Until I was five，I roamed the world with my parents.Or rather，we were fugitives.
Then the once colossal Alliance crumbled.We settled down with lots of robots to help with the housework.But not long after，my father，lying in bed，swallowed his last breath.I remember his eyes，withered and cloudy，staring forever at her and me.Deep grief was buried in those eyes.
After my father died，she became frail and stubborn.She wouldn’t let me out of the house.She wouldn’t let me have any contact with boys.If I defied her，she didn’t hit me or yell at me.She just kept staring at me，her dark eyes shining like a wolf’s.
So I stayed by her side.Time flowed like water.It washed over me until I was clear and slender.However，it wore her down until her face grew ashen and wrinkled.Did time retaliate against her on my behalf I’ve never dared to imagine.
I let go of a silent breath.A fierce wind screamed under the cover of night.The town let out a loud and lonely cry.Yes，the town was also lonely.One after another，people emigrated.The center of town was deserted，like a great beast that has lost its heart，lamenting without end.
“Miss，let’s go in.”The robot had waited a long time before finally speaking.Its voice was as flat as ever.This time，though，I seemed to hear an imploring tone in its voice.
But I shook my head.If she didn’t open her mouth，I wouldn’t go in.She and I were two sheafs of wheat in a wheat field，leaning against each other，but always pushing against each other too.We could never hug.
When I was seventeen，I decided to leave.
That summer，I had worked everywhere in town.I carefully saved every cent.After that muggy summer，I already had enough money for a bus ticket.As far as I was concerned，all I needed was a bus ticket and I could lead my own vagrant life.
So，that September，I told her，“Ma，I’m going to buy a book.”
“Hm，”she said in the dark.
I turned to the door，and just like that，I left home.The moment I bought my bus ticket，tears filled my face.Soundlessly，I sobbed.
And she waited for me to return.It took exactly seven years.
In those seven years，I traveled to many places.I saw warm sunshine and was drenched in dark rain.I never stopped moving.Until I met him.
It was on a main street in the south.He stood on a platform simultaneously passing out leaflets to passersby and，in a loud voice，extolling the virtues of the interstellar immigration policy.The instant he gave me a leaflet，I saw his beautiful eyes.Furrows wrinkled his brow.His gaze，clear like spring water，flowed past the seething sunlight and crowd，surmounted the air，then flowed into mine.
And just like that，I was lost.
The man always liked to hold my face in his large palms，nuzzle my forehead with his nose then tease me like a small animal.I never refused him.Later，when he wanted to take me away from Earth，I still didn’t refuse him.
He said，“We’ll settle down in the Pegasus star system.There’s already a terraformed planet.The atmosphere is as fresh as your breath.Six satellites orbit the planet.When you walk outside at night，six shadows spread out beneath your feet.”
I said，“Fine.”
My only request was to return to see her，to say goodbye.
But，now，I hesitated at the door.It was a chilly night but I didn’t dare go in.
The person in the room and I exchanged gazes.After I don’t know how long，I stood.“LW31，give me my suitcase.I want to leave.”
“Miss，you really don’t want to visit her？”The robot said，hurriedly.“She’s missed you so much these past few years.”
I nodded.I’d also missed her.Instead of sending a message，if I had a chance，I’d come back to visit again.
The robot stayed silent.Dew condensed on it，like tears weeping down its outer shell.
She still hadn’t come out and I decided I wouldn’t wait any longer.I took my suitcase，turned around，then left.Clouds floated across the sky.A strong wind howled past.
I knew she was in the back looking at me，but I never turned around.
“I know what happened next.”LW31 said.“The spaceship she rode on was hit by a meteorite.The ship’s cabin was damaged.All the crew and passengers suffocated to death.”
Mrs.Griffin didn’t say anything.A long while later，two thick tears fell down her face.They hit the photo frame.The display slowly faded to black.
“So，those who loved me，they’re all gone.”Mrs.Griffin put the photo frame back into her pocket.“I no longer have any meaning to my life.Tell me the way to kill myself.Let me die，please？”
“As you wish.The most suitable method is…electrocution.”
“Won’t that hurt？”
“Electrocution is the most beautiful way to commit suicide.It best preserves the original appearance of the corpse.In fact，if it’s done correctly，it doesn’t even leave any burn marks.In the moment of electrocution，you’ll feel a sharp pain then you’ll stop breathing and your heart will stop beating.The process is very quick.Practically no pain at all.”LW31 said earnestly.“But what you need to make sure of is this：the electric current must pass through the heart in order to cause death.No other way will do.But I can help you with this bit.I will use rubber tape to attach copper wire to your solar plexus.I guarantee the electrical current will pass through your heart.Moreover，I will use cotton balls moistened with salt water to lower your resistance.Mrs.Griffin，would you like to do this now？”
Mrs.Griffin nodded her head.
“Very well.I exist to serve you.”LW31 turned to look for copper wire，rubber tape，and cotton balls，but when he reached the door，he stopped.“Mrs.Griffin，before you are electrocuted，I want to give you a warning.You’re wrong about a few things.”
“What things？”
“You said everyone who ever loved you is dead，leaving your life friendless and wretched.”LW31’s back faced Mrs.Griffin.Its back was corroded by rust.Its voice was slow.“You’re wrong.There’s still one person，from start to finish，who has always loved you.”
“Who？”
LW31 turned around.In the light，the smile scratched on its black face guard seemed to move.It looked at Mrs.Griffin，its carved gaze infinitely soft.The electric transmission in its body buzzed.
After a long time，it said，“Me.”
Mrs.Griffin stared dumbfounded.
Events of her past fell thick like snowflakes.Gradually and clearly，she realized it was right.Throughout her long life，LW31 indeed had stuck with her from start to finish.When she was little，her mother was always ill.She couldn’t do any housework.LW31 took care of Mrs.Griffin in every possible way.It allowed her to grow up without any worries or cares.
Once when she was mischievous，she thought its black face guard was too forbidding，so she carved a smile on it.It didn’t get angry.It was peaceful and docile.After she grew up，LW31 always cleaned the house until it was spotless，cooked the meals，then stood quietly in the house，waiting for Mrs.Griffin to come home from work.After her daughter was born，it became even busier.It practically never had any free time.Once Mrs.Griffin grew old，it still took care of everything at home.It accompanied Mrs.Griffin sunbathing，told her jokes downloaded from the internet.
It could take care of a person all her life and，from start to finish，show every possible consideration without even a single complaint.If that wasn’t love，then what was？
Mrs.Griffin choked with sobs.She walked up then hugged LW31.Her hand touched LW31’s back.There，LW31’s outer casing was even rougher than Mrs.Griffin’s skin.
“I’m sorry.I’ve always taken you for granted.”
“Never mind，Mrs.Griffin.”LW31 still had that smiling expression.Its voice was tranquil like before.“Mrs.Griffin，your dinner is already cold.Would you like me to reheat it？”
“Yes.”Mrs.Griffin wiped away her tears，nodding her head.
The Hunger Tower
by Pan Haitian，Translated by Nick Stember
They saw the tower just as the suns were beginning to set.
Pure white and rising to a sharp point，it seemed to soar higher than even the darkly shadowed mountains in the distance.In the west-slanting light of the three suns，the tower stood out as a long，thin line of light against those gloomy mountains which clustered around on four sides.
Gazing reverently at this line，it was if they were looking up at hope itself，and not a single one of them had the thought they might die in this place.To get here they had walked for over two weeks without stopping to rest.Passing through the great desert，they had left behind a trail of those too weak to carry on，the sun-crazed.The beast had taken the choicest morsels，leaving who remained at the point of exhaustion.Starving，they were little better than walking corpses.
Two weeks ago，their vessel had crashed deep in the desert，killing half of the passengers on impact.The pilot was fortunate enough to have been killed on the spot，smashed into a shapeless meaty pulp.Fortunate，because had he lived，he would have most likely been subjected to unspeakable cruelties by the indignant survivors of the crash during the hopeless days which followed.
After climbing free of the bloody carnage of the wreckage，it was a long while before they had set aside the shock and hysteria of falling some 20，000 chi[about 6666 meters]from the sky like a lead weight.After grieving for the dead，and praising God’s benevolence for sparing their lives，almost as one the survivors raised up their heads to take in the boundless expanse of gobi[desert，wasteland]which surrounded them.Stones of varying sizes lay on the ground as far the eye could see，like skulls embedded in the glistening sand，reflecting back the brilliance of the three suns.
The survivors did not speak.Just because God had seen fit to send one half their number straight to His heavenly kingdom，did not necessarily mean he planned to let the other half live.The majority of the vessel’s crew had been killed in the crash，leaving the passengers to fend for themselves.A certain captain from a special forces unit soon emerged as natural leader.After inspecting the wreckage，the captain informed them that the communicator was finished，so there was no way for them to call for help and also no way to know their exact position.At best，they could hope for a rescue mission to arrive in three months，not counting the time it would take the rescue team to search the barren wasteland of this singularly enormous planet.
“Please search the wreckage for things that may be of use to us and share them with the group.If we are to be rescued，then we must band together in this time calamity，”said the captain.It comforted them all a little to look up at his ruggedly unyielding grey eyes，his muscular neck，his sturdy and well-defined chest.
The survivors began to enthusiastically search the vessel，even exploring the severely damaged fore cabin from which not a single man had escaped alive.Coming across that room，which looked like nothing less than a strawberry slurry spattered blender，the searchers found themselves afflicted with constant nightmares，vomiting even while dreaming.
Finding water was not a problem，as the twisted，gurgling pipes of the vessel were still leaking coolant.Despite tasting of motor oil，it was not poisonous.They were also able to find no small amount of food—local delicacies bought by tourists on the various planets they had visited.Still，despite the profusion of flavors，and no matter how tasty these snacks were，it was apparent that it would be impossible to sustain sixty people for three months on these meager rations alone.This was especially true since many of the survivors were so fat that it was all but guaranteed that they were gluttonous gourmands.
Eventually they found a battered and ancient-seeming map in the bag of pilgrim who had been killed in the crash.The captain spent half a day studying the map with a compass and slide rule，together three others：a surviving member of the boiler room crew，a chemistry professor who was on vacation，and the ship’s priest.They announced that they would be leading the group to a temporary shelter，the monastery of an infamous ascetic and a reclusive sect.This was the only sign of human life that was marked on the map.
It was not until after ten days of arduous walking that they finally caught sight of the monastery’s lone spire.Far in the distance，it gleamed like gold in the light of the setting suns.
