All That Time Spent Together

NoNooo! NoNo! NoNo, where have you gotten to?

What's the matter?

Woe is me! Did you fellas see my precious NoNo around anywhere? It's a cat, by the way.

And just how am I supposed to know if I saw your cat when you haven't told me anything about it? What are you, senile?

Ha! You're right! Well, if you see NoNo, let me know, okay?

Yoo-hoo! NoNo! Come on out, my sweet!

What a feeble-minded man. Like I would know anything about a cat.

"NoNo," huh? You know, it kind of sounds like "Nonold."

Did you become even more inane or something? Listen, Aldo, I'm not even going to entertain the possibility that there is some mangy cat that shares a similar name with me.

"Why" you ask? That is because I, Nonold am a scientist. A genius among geniuses! Hee hee hee!

Y-Yeah...

Well he seems pretty worried about it. We should help him look for it at least.

What? Are you even listening to what I have been saying?

And why should I? Why should I care if a cat goes missing or not? A meaningless waste of my time is what this is.

But I don't want to just ignore someone with a problem.

You know, I've wondered about this before, but why are you always so willing to stick your neck into other people's business? Forget about a worthless cat's whereabouts, I'm far more interested in the precepts behind why you insist on being like this!

Okay sounds good. Let's go then.

Um, what now?

You can help me find out why I like helping other people. Sound like a plan?

What?! No! It sounds like a gross waste of my time and...

I think he must have gone over to the Gamma District. Come on, Nonold, let's get after him!

W-Wait!

What is wrong with him? It's just incomprehensible. We don't stand to gain anything from this! And yet he refuses to just let it go. Completely incomprehensible!

C'mon already, NoNo. Where are you?

Hey, we'll help you find your cat.

Wha? Oh, it's you two from earlier. Really? You'd help me look for her?

Pfft. He merely made me come along with his senseless logic and running away. Let's get this done as quick as possible. Characteristics, now.

You're sure a spikey one... Anyway, my late wife found NoNo quite some years ago. That cat is the only family I have left.

Ah yes, as for characteristics. She has a paw-print pattern on her fur. She has been sick recently. Well, she is getting on in years now after all.

I know she don't have long left in this world. But I can't just let her go without saying a proper farewell.

I get why you really want to find her now. It's the last connection between you and your wife, huh.

I've always found it strange that cats go off and hide somewhere before the end. I wonder why?

You're not telling me you believe that baseless superstition as well now?

Superstition? Yeah I guess I do. Suppose people are still saying it in this time as well then?

Ah-hah! This has finally gotten interesting! Okay then, let's look for this cat already then!

Nonold, what's with the sudden interest? Did you realize something?

Just how long do you think the truth behind that superstition has gone unsolved? At the very least hundreds of years, maybe longer! I'll be the one to uncover the truth! Nonold, solver of the riddle of a millennium! Hee hee! I can barely contain my excitement!

But before I become the pioneer of our time, some preparation is necessary.

Aldo, we're going to Xeno-Domain.

So what was the preparation you needed to do? You're not going to try and make the cat immortal or anything like that are you?

No, Aldo. I'm not going to make the cat immortal. Besides that solution was only applicable to plant-based lifeforms.

I did once, however, conduct an animal test. It unfortunately did not go as I had intended. All that happened was its body returned to a more infantile stage of development. In other words, I was that test subject.

What?! What are you talking about?

Right. I haven't yet told you, have I?

I am actually the same age as Krervo. I'm in this body now thanks to my experiments on becoming immortal.

Although it was purely an unpredicted side effect. I haven't been able to replicate the same results since then.

I-I didn't know...

But since you went back to being young again, doesn't that kind of count as becoming immortal?

Tell me, Aldo. Do you know why humans forget?

It's because your brain isn't able to cope with knowing and remembering everything. My body became younger but I retained all my memories. That will cause an unavoidable burden on my brain in the future.

So as I continue to age, my body may still remain able, yet mentally I will be shattered. Just a husk of what I used to be.

So why even try to become immortal in the first place?

Because life is too short.

How am I even supposed to scratch the surface on my research with the pitiful amount of time one lifespan allows me? Becoming immortal is nothing more than a stepping stone to my real objective, investigating the entire world!

That's why I can't spend what limited time I have just researching cats. So I came up with the idea of grafting a biological scanner on to this robot to look for that cat for us.

Okay, so that's why we came here then. But do you really think it's worth all that trouble?

Better than just walking around aimlessly trying to look for it. That's just so primitive.

Come on. The robot I'm after should be somewhere in the Industrial Sector.

That one looks good enough. I just need to take it apart and retrieve that sensor.

Okay, seems like a friendly unit, I'll just be taking that sensor now.

How long will it take to make that...

I've finished.

Whoa! What? Seriously, already?

Hee hee hee! This kind of stuff is as easy as tying my shoelaces.

Impressed, aren't you? I have fitted this robot with some of the most advanced tech around while keeping it sleek and compact. That nature-loving simpleton Krervo could never even dream of creating something like this!

I don't really get what you said, but sounds good.

Is that it?! Not even your trademark "whoa"?

You're not even going to try and act impressed at least? I've transcended scientific fields, how don't you get that?!

Yeah... I'm not so up-to-date on all this future sciencey stuff.

That's why I'm glad I have friends like you around. I'm always impressed at how you find all this so easy, you know?

Well, as long as you understand how great I am, I suppose that's enough for now. Come on, let's get back to Elzion. We've got to log some data from that cat guy.

Kept you waiting? Did you find your cat yet?

Why hello again! No, no luck.

Then, come here a second. I'm going to log data on you.

Oookay then...

Done. I can extract the cat's whereabouts from its hair and smell on your clothes.

This sensor is powerful enough to be able to search the entirety of Elzion three times over.

Wow! Science is amazing! So, how about it? You know where she is?

Getting a reading from the airport. It's left town completely then.

So she remembers that place after all.

You have any idea why she'd be all the way out there?

Yeah. The airport was where my wife found her.

The oldest memory it had of its family... Okay, let's get over there!

NoNo! You beautiful beast, there you are! Come on, let's go home!

Could you stop using that name.

Merow...

Wait, something's wrong. She's breathing's kinda heavy. I don't think it can even stand anymore.

Really...

It doesn't have long at all. I'm actually surprised it's held on this long. All I can do now is...

Hm? Why are you putting the sensor on its collar?

There's a built-in function that can interpret what the cat is saying.

Are you not curious as to what a cat chooses as its dying words?

NoNo! Are...are you talking?!

That's right! You remembered, after all this time.

Yeah, we used to play all the time. You always loved hide 'n' seek.

Oh, NoNo... I've cherished every day since we found you.

Waiting on you? Yeah, I don't doubt it. You always had a special place in her heart. I know she'll be so excited to see you again.

Goodbye, NoNo. I'm sure we'll get to play together again, someday...

......

NoNo?

Whaaa! NoNo!

NooooooNoooooo!

*cough* Sorry about that. And sorry for making you go to all this trouble for me.

I'm just glad we could help.

Thanks to you two, I was able to be with NoNo in her final moment. You have my eternal gratitude.

Don't worry about it. We'll visit NoNo's grave whenever we can.

*sniff* It...it just wanted to play? Wh-What a stupid reason to go missing...

Wait, Nonold, you're not crying, are you?

Ha *sniff* Ridiculous! Why would I be crying? It was merely a case of signals being sent from my amygdala to my tear glands due to emotional displacement. And that's it!

No one's going to laugh at you if you cry, you know?

Fine! Damn it! I admit it, okay!

Remember what Krervo said after he saw my immortal flower?

Even if it may wilt one day, that is all part of living together. That is what really makes it beautiful. I finally understand what he meant by that now. Saying goodbye to that cat was sad, but also beautiful. Where one life ends another begins. That is life being discovered over and over again.

......

Wh-What are you looking at me like that for?!

Oh, nothing really. Just surprised to hear you saying something that isn't about your research is all.

L-Look!

Let's get this straight, Aldo! My research centers around uncovering the secrets of immortality. This was a valuable insight on life and death and...

Hahaha! Okay, okay I'll take your word for it.

You're not right, you know! Just, ahhh! ALLLDOOOOOO!