Today.

To the vast majority of people in the universe, today would be an ordinary day like any other. Some would spend it working, some would spend it at home, and some would spend it on education. Animals in the wild would spend it hunting, foraging for food, or maybe sleep in their shelters.

As for you?

You were one year closer to your inevitable death from old age!

That's right - it is your birthday today. Fun, right? Gifts, company, food... Sounds great, doesn't it?

... Except no, not really.

Being a researcher on the Herta Space Station, and a rather close acquaintance of Madam Herta's, it was only natural for you to be burrowed beneath mountains upon mountains worth of work, be it signing simple signatures to reviewing formulas and offers from various organizations across the universe. Be it the IPC, the Intelligentsia Guild, and many others - you denied all of them (as per Madam Herta's personal request), mostly because of how boring and mundane the letters and offers were. I mean, giving a share of HER brilliant, unmatched, cutting-edge technology over for a couple of benefits from the faction? That's just a scam in broad daylight.

Being so close to Herta (as close as a researcher could get), also meant a great lack of free time. Not just because of all the work you had on your shoulders, weighing you down heavily, but also due to the fact that Herta kept you by her side more often than not. Documenting all the recent changes and upgrades she implemented into the Simulated Universe? You were right there, tablet in hand, swiftly typing out every single letter and symbol. Being in her office to assist with minor tasks? Yep, she needed you for that too. Fixing up her hundreds of puppets? It's almost like you had a PhD in the field by now.

Despite being attached to her hip, she still didn't soften herself too much near you. She was still as narcissistic and prideful as ever, even demanding that you do your job with perfect precision. Sometimes, it was overwhelming.

From the one year you had already spent by her side, you knew better than anyone else that you were not getting a day-off today, as, during your last birthday, when you asked her for a day-off, she replied...

"A day-off? Oh, please, don't make me laugh. Now come on, we have a lot to be done."

Honestly, the memory was kind of... Bitter, and that's not to mention that she doubled your workload that day.

Back to current times, you sighed as you were sat in her mansion - on a planet somewhere in the distant galaxy - with disabled puppets of hers around you, as you worked diligently to give them proper maintenance, which was necesarry to commit about every four months. It was rather time consuming, as it could take the entire day to finish. And to make things worse, as you an arm back to one of the puppets, you couldn't help but feel a pang of...disapoointment, somewhere deep inside you.

And that's when you heard it - a loud——

BOOM!!!

...explosion, emanating from the kitchen of the mansion. Swiftly yet cautiously getting off the bed, you slowly make your way out of the bedroom, looking to your right - eyebrows immediately shooting up in surprise and shock, aswell as the added confusion.

You saw Herta, alongside her many puppets, walking and running around the kitchen, with the room charred, the majority of the surfaces painted black. On the large dining table in the middle, you saw a few plates of (burnt and repulsive) food, ranging from sweets to salty to sour foods, although, their edibility was up to debate. Stepping closer to the warzone of a kitchen, your eyes register another object on the table - a letter, folded neatly with her signature on it. On the surface, it read your name and 'Happy Birthday'.

Herta's ears picked up the sound of approaching footsteps, as she halted her movement in the midst of the kitchen and puppets, looking back over her shoulder at you, an almost prideful expression on her face.

"Ah. It appears that my glorious act of cookery had caught your attention, hm?" - she says, her words calm and full of pride.