“Izzy, come for breakfast.”

Isaac saw his wife Sarah - she was looking at him with a grateful smile on her joli face. The sunlight shone on her cheeks, adding another healthy dose of colour to her fabulous look.

“Oh … okay!” He stammered.

Sarah's clear, bright eyes blinked now and then as she looked at her husband, "Are you good?"

"Y … yes," replied Isaac. He was anything but alright. He’d been deeply haunted by nightmares, and even though Sarah had a healthy demeanour and a cheerful disposition, Isaac's instincts had been right. He couldn't help but worry about Sarah's health.

When he saw the front page news on the holographic screen, Isaac was wolfing down his buttered toast. The news said the government was recruiting scientists who could develop the robot with an independent mind. Isaac had long been researching in the field of artificial intelligence, and this new branch of robotics was right up his alley. He could barely contain his excitement.

The news report then continued, asserting that whoever completes the project will be rewarded with untold riches.

Certainly, Isaac was capable of the task, but after much consideration, he decided against it. It may have been his life's professional ambition, but his wife and the cozy home were his priority. Isaac knew he'd made the right decision, and even so, a prowling tiger came to mind, howling wistfully, wailing over the loss of its prey.

Just then, however, his thoughts were interrupted by the whip-crack of a phone call, as if it were a whistling bullet that snapped, sending the tiger darting to safety and pulling Isaac back to reality.

"Isaac Black speaking."

"Looongggg time no see, my old friend!" said a faintly familiar voice.

Isaac dredged the canals of his memory before tentatively responding.

"Alex?"

"So you CAN remember your old roommate from college, huh?"

"Of course I remember, you old devil! How could I forget my roommate being the world's number one slob?"

The memories of an old friend he hadn't seen in nearly twenty years came flooding back to him, and for the next half hour, the two talked endlessly about the old times and things.

However, after a moment of laughter, Isaac made the conversation solemn. Though the smile on his face hadn't disappeared, his tone began to grow icy, like a midsummer cloud veiling the sun - a heavy rain was coming.

"I apologize if my memory is fuzzy, but I remember that you don't just visit people without ... purpose. Now, it is time to reveal your hand."

"You're still a direct person. Nothing can escape from your eyes," Alex tore off his smile of disguise as well. He accelerated his speech. "Do you know I work for the government now? They're looking for someone to invent a robot with an independent mind. Of course, you’re the best candidate. Would you like to come? If you succeed, you will receive immeasurable wealth and fame."

The desire for achievement awoke the tiger in Isaac's mind again. But at the same time, Isaac himself was restraining the tiger in the dark, preventing himself from leaping at the opportunity.

What was his real purpose? Did he just want to offer his old flatmate a valuable chance to succeed? Was Alex just trying to correct the mistakes and injustices in the past that had so soured their relationship?

"Sorry, but I still have some unfinished work. I can't help you." Isaac sighed inwardly. Isaac knew that he was turning down the greatest opportunity of his professional life and he wasn't quite sure why. True, he didn't trust Alex, but he'd always been one step ahead of him and was confident that he would be able to spot any tricks or ulterior motives. Was he rejecting the offer because he was scared of failure, or was he worried about losing the life that he and Sara had so carefully constructed? The strength of their love would endure any situation, though, right?

"Ok, but I won't give up trying to convince you," Alex said, attempting a jocular air. Then, he hung up. Isaac knew his old friend well enough to know that his jocular tone was about as genuine as the smile that had been on his face.

"What’s wrong?" 

Sara walked downstairs to the dining room, intuiting Isaac’s complicated feelings. Isaac looked back at his wife tenderly. He loved that she had always been able to read his expressions and body language since the day they first met. It was almost as though she was telepathic. He told her about the news from Alex's call.

"You should go," said Sara, picking up a piece of toast.

"You know I want to…but I can’t leave you. I don’t want you to deal with any of the uncertainty that comes with fame."

"It's not about the fame, Izzy. You can't always stick with the easy choice. You're a scholar. For you, it's impossible to stay hidden in your comfort zone forever. Life shouldn’t be passively lived. You know that, dear. Have you forgotten our life before? Have you forgotten how you withstood all the torment in your research? To be honest, Izzy, that's what attracted me to you."

Isaac felt tension all over his body; he nodded slowly and with difficulty.

"Now, you have a chance to steel yourself, to rekindle your innermost spirit, to bring honour to the country, and to let me see the real Isaac, my favourite person—the person that you used to be." All this was said with passion, rising to a resounding crescendo before Sara's voice returned to her usual calm and confident zone. "Why don't you go?" every word of hers was accompanied by irresistible warmth, like a string of forceful arrows shot into his heart. "Don't worry, my dear, I’ll always be with you."

"Thanks. You've helped me rediscover myself. " 

Isaac picked up the phone and firmly pressed the button.

Isaac stepped across the government laboratory. Despite having the most advanced equipment and the best researchers, however, he still couldn’t solve the electricity issue with the robot prototype. It consumed electricity so quickly that a normal power supply was useless for it. 

Isaac spent 10 days trying to solve this problem. He burned out countless prototypes, reassembled infinite parts, and even broke one laboratory wall.

"Why can’t I solve it?” he muttered again and again.

Through a pane of glass, Sara watched her husband on the verge of collapse and offered a hand.

“Don’t worry, my darling, I’ll fix it for you.” 

Isaac was struggling with his design blueprint for the battery when Alex stepped into the lab.

"Isaac, we haven't met for quite a while!" said Alex cheerfully. "How is it going? Did you do well?"

"No, there are still many problems, especially with the power source."

"You’ll solve it soon, I believe," he encouraged his friend. "And I'm here to give you some suggestions about building the independent mind of the robot. Have you ever thought about using a human brain to do experiments on robots?"

"Why do you say that? What can I do with a human brain?" Isaac asked.

"I don't know, I'm just conveying the message of the government. They said that you may need a proper brain." Without another word, Alex left.

"It would be feasible, yes, to build a bionic neural network with a human brain, but......where can I get a living human brain?" Isaac was lost in his thoughts.

Possessing professional knowledge of radioactive materials, Sara knew that finding the right power source for Isaac’s robot was not too challenging for her. She walked carefully down the corridor and opened the door to her lab at the end of it. She saw the green light on the door and gave a satisfied smile. The green light stood for a sign of safety, which means no radiation is leaking from the reacting furnace, endangering the health of the researcher.

The moment she shut the door, the green light suddenly started flashing and became red.

“It works!” shouted Isaac, who was overcome with excitement. “The radioactive materials are suitable for the robot.”

“I think so,” agreed Sara.

“Well, I’ll finish making the robot soon thanks to you!” cheered Isaac. He hugged Sara tightly. At this moment, he put aside all the troubles of the past few days. The only thing he cared about and loved was the woman in front of him.

In this rare display of Isaac’s true feelings, Sara smiled.

“Sir, there’s bad news. You must wake up! Are you listening? Sir, wake up now, please!”

So annoying, Isaac thought to himself through the fog of sleep, that his bad dream had come again!

“Wake up, sir!” Someone was shaking the whole house, in Isaac’s confused state.

Isaac was shaken to full consciousness. He opened his eyes impatiently, only to discover his robot standing in front of him. Isaac stared in amazement.

“What’s wrong?” asked Isaac angrily. “I don't think I want you to wake me up so early.”

“Sir, your wife’s got cancer,” the robot answered in a whisper.

A long silence ensued.

“What is the prognosis, Doctor?” asked Isaac in a state of severe anxiety.

“The situation isn’t good. The cancer has spread all over her body.”

“What treatments are available?” the sweat burst through the skin of Isaac's forehead in tiny beads.

“Conservative treatment will be no use. Give up the idea of treatment,” the doctor said, sighing.

Isaac covered his eyes with his hands in despair. He shed tears of true heartbreak.

Sara was dead. Isaac slowly walked back to his house. He was thinking about Sara, thinking about how good she had been to him.

He felt like the world had collapsed. Sara’s death was the worst thing that could have ever happened to him. His eyesight blurred with uncontrollable tears; he could barely hold up his body with his arms and legs.

He pushed the gate open feebly and limped back towards his house. The robot’s greeting sounded like a sharp knife scratching his ear.

Isaac passed the lab, where he noticed the red light on the wall. It was still blinking.

"What do I do now......" Isaac sat alone in a bar, tasting dry, bitter whiskey for the first time in his life. Tears trickled onto the table, but he looked ahead with empty eyes. 

He heard a bar stool being pulled over, and a strong hand patted him on the shoulder. Isaac turned his head: it was Alex.

"My condolences."

Isaac didn't speak.

"Maybe you can try to use her brain for the experiment. You have a chance to bring her back into existence."

Isaac gave a shudder as if he had suddenly recollected something. He gave his friend a grateful look and left.

Alex, however, still stood there, thinking in silence.

"Why would it be such a coincidence......"

On the second day, Isaac received Sara’s frozen brain from the hospital, as he stood and waited anxiously on the path.

“This time, I will fight on my own,” he thought. Without turning back, he walked away with a determination he had never possessed in his life.

Five days later, Sara, the only "living" robot in the world, opened her eyes.

Isaac reunited with his wife. Even if she had now gone to another world, she would still be in the world forever as a robot.

The news of the creation of this unique robot was also spreading fast. One day, Alex knocked at the door of the Isaacs in a hurry. Grasping for air, he made a hoarse voice.

"The government is coming for her. Run!"

The finale took place in an abandoned warehouse.

Watching the government pursuers getting closer to them in the navigator, Isaac knew that he couldn't lose anymore.

"Sara, go on without me-- you have the most advanced mechanical technology, not even government pursuers can catch up with you." His hand trembled as he grasped her own, but in his heart, he was resolute.

"No, I can't leave. I'm not the real Sara, she's dead. The last thing that filled her mind was trying to protect you. I can't let her down." For the first time, tears welled up in her eyes, even though they weren't real.

"Oh, Sara, please. They’re not going to do anything to me, but I couldn’t live without you. " His lips trembled. He could already hear the distant chatter of pursuing soldiers.

"Yes, you can, Izzy. You have completely changed. You don't need my help anymore. You're a hero, people will celebrate your deeds, your courage, and your determination that lifted you up from rock bottom."

She picked him up and ran quickly behind a sturdy row of shelves. She put him there, gently releasing his arm around her. 

"If Sara were still here, she'd be so happy to see how you've changed. Farewell, my husband. " The last words are spoken in Sara's voice.

"No!" Isaac tried to grab her arm, but it was too late.

She has already rushed to the pursuers. With a loud noise and thick smoke, she disappeared among them.

He couldn't hold on and lost consciousness.

The next time Isaac woke up, he was lying in the hospital. He saw the familiar figure again in the hospital bed.

"Sara!"