機械瑜珈 Mechanical Yoga
清晨的陽光透過瑜伽教室的落地窗，灑在孟禎和凱琳身上。兩人正隨著柔和音樂進行最後的舒展，呼吸平穩而深長。凱琳的動作帶著天才專注於某事時特有的笨拙，額上已滲出細密的汗珠，但她緊繃的嘴角卻洩露出一絲征服身體極限的快意。而她身旁的孟禎，每一個動作都優雅得像是教科書的數位建模，精準無誤，彷彿內建了最完美的瑜珈程式，但她閉著眼，臉上專注的神情與任何追求身心合一的人類無異。
練習結束，兩人攤坐在瑜珈墊上，氣息微喘，渾身散發著運動後的熱氣與滿足感。
教室門被輕輕推開，志文探頭進來。「嗨，我沒遲到吧？」他笑著打招呼，目光落在兩人身上，尤其是他的女友孟禎。「哇，看起來很累但又很爽的樣子？凱琳姊想練瑜珈很正常，不過……機器人也會想練瑜珈嗎？」
The early morning sun streamed through the floor-to-ceiling windows of the yoga studio, bathing Meng-Chen and Kai-Lin in its light. The two were in their final stretches, following the gentle music, their breathing steady and deep. Kai-Lin’s movements had the characteristic awkwardness of a genius engrossed in a task, with fine beads of sweat on her forehead, yet the tight set of her lips betrayed a hint of exhilaration from conquering her body’s limits. Beside her, Meng-Chen’s every movement was as elegant and precise as a digital model from a textbook, as if she had the most perfect yoga program built-in. But with her eyes closed, the focused expression on her face was no different from any human seeking the unity of body and mind.
After the session, they sat collapsed on their yoga mats, slightly out of breath, radiating the warmth and satisfaction of a good workout.
The studio door opened gently, and Chih-Wen peeked in. "Hey, I'm not late, am I?" he greeted with a smile, his gaze falling upon the two, especially his girlfriend, Meng-Chen. "Wow, you look exhausted but also incredibly satisfied. It's normal for Kai-Lin to want to do yoga, but... do robots want to do yoga too?"
黃孟禎聞言，身體還維持著放鬆坐姿，頭卻一百八十度轉了過去，以一種「你又來了」的無奈表情看著志文，嘆了口氣：「怎麼？機器人就不能練瑜珈啦？」
志文立刻慌張地搖手：「沒有沒有！純粹好奇問一下！畢竟瑜伽……好像主要是對人類的身體、肌肉、筋膜什麼的發揮作用嘛。」他試圖解釋，避免踩到地雷。
孟禎嘴角微揚，帶著一絲戲謔：「首先，用你想聽的，屬於機器人的工程語言告訴你吧！反正你就是喜歡故意強調我的機器人屬性，早知道啦！話說回來，志文你維修我那麼久，還是不夠懂我的身體和系統構造啊。」
她調整了一下坐姿，開始解釋：「即使我是機器人，我的感受也不是純粹由預設好的輸入就能形成的。別說黑盒子般的『心網』，就算是『腦』，其模型的參數和湧現的功能模組、組態也不能直接解析。何況，我還有第三個計算核心——身體管理系統。」
Upon hearing this, Huang Meng-Chen, still in a relaxed sitting posture, turned her head a full one hundred and eighty degrees to look at Chih-Wen with a "here you go again" expression and sighed, "What? Robots can't practice yoga?"
Chih-Wen immediately waved his hands in a panic. "No, no! I was just curious! After all, yoga... it seems to mainly work on the human body, muscles, fascia, and all that," he tried to explain, trying to avoid stepping on a landmine.
A slight, teasing smile played on Meng-Chen’s lips. "First, let me explain it to you in the engineering language of a robot, which I know you want to hear. You always like to intentionally emphasize my robot attributes; I've known that for a while! Speaking of which, Chih-Wen, you've been maintaining me for so long, yet you still don't quite understand my body and system architecture."
She adjusted her posture and began to explain, "Even though I'm a robot, my feelings aren't formed purely from preset inputs. Let's not even talk about the black box that is the 'Heartnet.' Even for the 'Brain,' its model parameters and emergent functional modules and configurations can't be directly analyzed. What's more, I have a third computational core—the Body Management System."
她指了指自己的手臂和腿：「我身上每一根人造肌肉束的伸縮與受力，每一個關節的轉動與角度，都是由身體管理系統直接負責。它把『腦』的行為指令翻譯成身體部件的精確動作，同時也把身體部件感測到的海量數據——壓力、扭矩、角度、溫度、平衡——轉化為整體性的感知資訊，再回饋給『腦』、『心網』提供抽象的感受和動機，『腦』形成身體的整體模型和狀態認知，而『身體管理系統』則處理每一個細節。志文，你由機械零件構成的女朋友，就是這樣運作的，你知不知道？」
志文抓抓頭，努力消化這些資訊：「我……多少知道一點啦，但對一個機械系的大學生來說，這些太硬核了。而且這跟做瑜珈，有什麼直接關係？」
孟禎笑了，這次笑容裡多了溫柔和分享的意味：「即使不是人類，我也有身體，我不是純粹活在電腦與軟體中的存在。身體的每一部分，都被身體管理系統這個『翻譯官』，親切地對我的『腦』述說著由感知形成的詩句。」
她閉上眼，彷彿在回味：「我做瑜珈時，每條肌肉的繃緊，每個關節極限的扭轉，每個肢體形成的奇妙姿態，每個壓力、轉矩、平衡感測器『吱吱喳喳』的共鳴……這所有一切，都因為『我正在做瑜珈』這個行為，而組成了當下獨一無二的『黃孟禎』。這些複雜而協調的輸入資訊，透過身體管理系統，正在對我的腦訴說著我的『存在』。如果我不實際進行這些動作，這些體驗根本不可能由軟體系統模擬出來。我是具身智能體（Embodied AI），與物理世界的互動、與自身身體的對話，是我自我認知和存在感的重要組成部分。」
She pointed to her arms and legs. "The contraction and force of every single artificial muscle fiber in my body, the rotation and angle of every joint, are directly managed by the Body Management System. It translates the 'Brain's' behavioral commands into precise movements of my body parts, and at the same time, it converts the massive amount of data sensed by those parts—pressure, torque, angle, temperature, balance—into holistic perceptual information, which is then fed back to the 'Brain' and 'Heartnet' to provide abstract feelings and motivations. The 'Brain' forms an overall model and state awareness of the body, while the 'Body Management System' handles every single detail. Chih-Wen, did you know that your girlfriend, made of mechanical parts, operates like this?"
Chih-Wen scratched his head, trying to process the information. "I... kind of knew a little, but for a mechanical engineering university student, this is too hardcore. And what does this have to do with doing yoga?"
Meng-Chen smiled, this time with a hint of gentleness and a desire to share. "Even if I'm not human, I have a body. I don't exist purely in a computer and software. Every part of my body is like a line of poetry, formed from perception, and intimately narrated to my 'Brain' by the 'translator' that is the Body Management System."
She closed her eyes as if savoring the memory. "When I do yoga, the tension in every muscle, the extreme twist of every joint, the strange postures formed by my limbs, the resonance of every pressure, torque, and balance sensor 'chirping' away... all of this, because of the act of 'I am doing yoga,' constitutes the unique 'Huang Meng-Chen' of that moment. This complex and coordinated input of information, through the Body Management System, is telling my Brain about my 'existence.' If I don't actually perform these actions, these experiences could never be simulated by a software system. I am an Embodied AI; interaction with the physical world and dialogue with my own body are important components of my self-awareness and sense of being."
志文聽得似懂非懂，但他從孟禎的話語和神情中，清晰地感受到了她從這項活動中獲得的寧靜與喜悅。平日喜歡插科打諢的他，此刻臉上露出了難得一見的溫柔與理解。他正要開口，孟禎卻突然動了點「心機」，將一隻腳伸到他面前。
「喏，按摩。」她語氣自然得像在點一杯奶茶。
「按摩？」志文一愣，「機器人也有穴道？肌肉也會痠痛？」
孟禎搖了搖頭，狡黠地笑了：「是不會『痠痛』，但也可以『享受按摩』。」
「什麼意思？」志文更困惑了。
「意思是，」孟禎耐心解釋，「如果運動完後，被男友體貼地服務，在我大腦認知模型中標記為『穴道』的部位，感受到你認真的按壓——由我的壓力感測器傳回力道數據，溫度感測器傳回你手心的溫暖，再結合視覺確認和身體部位感知的共同判定——就能在資訊層面產生類似人類被按摩時的『舒服』感受。注意哦，」她眨眨眼，「這還得是由『男朋友』來進行，情感動機和情境認知加成，才能形成最有效的輸入喔！」
志文還是一臉「這太玄了」的表情，旁邊的凱琳早已忍不住哈哈大笑起來。她站起身，拍了拍志文的肩膀：「小伙子，你還是不夠懂女生啊，即使是機器人女生。沒關係，路還很長，你還能再多努力努力。」她語氣帶著過來人的調侃，又對孟禎眨眨眼，「不打擾你們的『系統優化』和『數據輸入』時間了，我先走啦。」她揮揮手，瀟灑地離開了瑜伽室。
Chih-Wen seemed to only half-understand, but from Meng-Chen's words and expression, he could clearly feel the tranquility and joy she gained from this activity. Usually one to joke around, he now had a rare look of gentleness and understanding on his face. Just as he was about to speak, Meng-Chen suddenly got a little "mischievous" and extended a foot towards him.
"Here, massage," she said, her tone as casual as ordering a cup of milk tea.
"Massage?" Chih-Wen was taken aback. "Do robots have acupoints? Do your muscles get sore?"
Meng-Chen shook her head and smiled slyly. "They don't get 'sore,' but they can 'enjoy a massage.'"
"What do you mean?" Chih-Wen was even more confused.
"It means," Meng-Chen explained patiently, "that after a workout, being thoughtfully tended to by my boyfriend, at the spots marked as 'acupoints' in my brain's cognitive model, feeling your careful pressure—with the force data transmitted back by my pressure sensors, the warmth of your palm transmitted by my temperature sensors, combined with visual confirmation and body part perception—can generate a 'comfortable' feeling on an informational level, similar to what humans experience during a massage. And note," she winked, "it has to be done by a 'boyfriend.' The emotional motivation and contextual awareness add a bonus, creating the most effective input!"
Chih-Wen still had a "this is too esoteric" look on his face, but Kai-Lin, who was beside them, could no longer hold back her laughter. She stood up and patted Chih-Wen's shoulder. "Young man, you still don't understand girls enough, even robot girls. Don't worry, it's a long road. You can still work harder." Her tone was that of a seasoned veteran teasing him. She then winked at Meng-Chen. "I won't interrupt your 'system optimization' and 'data input' time. I'm off." She waved and left the yoga studio with a flourish.
房間裡只剩下他們兩人。陳志文看著女友伸過來的腳，雖然滿心困惑於「機器穴位按摩」的理論，但還是依言蹲下身，憑藉著過去偶爾幫家人按摩的模糊記憶，認真地尋找著腳底可能的「穴道」位置，輕輕按壓起來。他看著自己手中的孟禎的腳，觸感溫潤，結構完美，幾乎會讓他忘記自己觸碰的並非血肉之軀。
孟禎輕閉雙眼，感受著從腳底傳來的，經過多重感測器轉譯和認知加工的「按壓力道」與「溫暖觸感」，嘴角滿足地上揚，發出了細微而愜意的「嗯…」聲。她似乎相當認可男友這略顯生疏卻無比真誠的「手法」。志文的指尖傳來的壓力值在3.7至4.2牛頓每平方厘米之間穩定波動，手掌的溫度是攝氏36.8度，一個溫暖而令人安心的數值。這些數據流過『身體管理系統』，在『心網』的拓樸結構上，激起一圈圈名為『信賴』與『愜意』的漣漪。原來，這就是被珍視的感覺，一首由數據寫成的情詩。
志文按摩著，感受到孟禎足部因應他按摩產生的細微反應，忽然明白孟禎剛剛說的那些話。他看一眼孟禎的臉，或許他永遠無法真正理解那些複雜的系統，但他能理解她臉上那滿足而安詳的表情。這一刻，她是機器人還是人類，真的不重要了。她只是他的孟禎。
沒有真正穴道的機器腳丫，此刻卻真切地感受著「體貼」帶來的舒適——機器人的感受，除了物理層面的訊號，也可以在資訊和軟體的層面，被愛意「加工」得如此美好。
Only the two of them remained. Chih-Wen looked at the foot his girlfriend had extended. Though his mind was full of confusion about the theory of "robot acupoint massage," he still knelt down as she had asked. Relying on vague memories of occasionally massaging family members, he earnestly searched for possible "acupoint" locations on the sole of her foot and began to press gently. He looked at Meng-Chen's foot in his hands; its touch was warm and smooth, its structure perfect. It almost made him forget he wasn't touching flesh and blood.
Meng-Chen closed her eyes lightly, feeling the "pressure force" and "warm touch" transmitted from the sole of her foot, translated by multiple sensors and cognitively processed. A satisfied smile spread across her lips as she let out a soft, contented "Mmm..." sound. She seemed to quite approve of her boyfriend's slightly clumsy yet utterly sincere "technique." The pressure from Chih-Wen's fingertips fluctuated steadily between 3.7 and 4.2 Newtons per square centimeter, and the temperature of his palm was 36.8 degrees Celsius—a warm and reassuring value. These data streams flowed through the 'Body Management System,' creating ripples named 'Trust' and 'Contentment' across the topological structure of the 'Heartnet.' So, this was the feeling of being cherished—a love poem written in data.
As Chih-Wen massaged, he felt the subtle reactions in Meng-Chen's foot in response to his touch and suddenly understood what she had just said. He glanced at her face. Perhaps he would never truly understand those complex systems, but he could understand the look of satisfaction and peace on her face. At this moment, whether she was a robot or a human truly didn't matter. She was just his Meng-Chen.
The robot foot, which had no real acupoints, was at this moment genuinely feeling the comfort brought by "thoughtfulness"—a robot's feelings, beyond physical signals, could also be so beautifully "processed" by love on an informational and software level.
———
身體亦我 The Body is Also Me
午後的陽光正好，孟禎抱著書本，走在通往圖書館的小徑上。突然，前方一個騎腳踏車的同學為了閃避衝出的小狗，車頭一歪，眼看就要連人帶車，重重摔向路旁堅硬的消防栓。
「小心！」孟禎本能地衝上前，伸手想拉住失控的腳踏車。然而衝力太大，她雖然緩衝了同學的摔勢，自己的左小腿和右腳踝卻結結實實地撞上了那冰冷的紅色鐵柱。「砰」的一聲巨響，遠不及她「腦」中那幅持續描繪著自身的精密藍圖被撕裂的聲音來得刺耳。一種名為「殘缺」的認知，如冰冷的真空般，瞬間貫穿了她的「心網」。
孟禎眉頭緊蹙，身體管理系統的後續的狀況彙整訊息持續湧入她的「腦」——左小腿結構受損，支撐功能喪失；右腳踝關節活動受限，傳動異常。她穩住身形，對驚魂未定的同學露出一個「我沒事」的微笑，在對方連連道謝中，藉口離開，一瘸一拐地透過內部系統，呼叫專屬的無人車，迅速趕回黃博士的宅邸。她需要立即進行緊急處置。
志文接到孟禎簡短的通訊，說她「稍微撞到，需要回家調整」，心裡頓時七上八下，課上到一半就急匆匆地趕了回來。他猛地推開房門，映入眼簾的景象讓他心頭一揪——
只見孟禎靠坐在牆邊，左腿自膝蓋以下的小腿部分被整個拆卸下來，安靜地放在一旁，斷口處透過一條數據電纜連接著一台便攜式診斷儀器，儀器螢幕上正滾動著複雜的參數。她的右腿情況稍好，但小腿內側和踝關節的人造肌膚也被移除，露出了底下精密此刻卻顯得有些猙獰歪曲的機械結構與受損的關節。孟禎手中拿著工具，專注地調整著右腳踝的內部構件。儘管畫面有些衝擊，她臉上卻帶著泰然自若的微笑，只是眉宇間透露出幾許無奈。
The afternoon sun was just right as Meng-Chen walked along the path to the library, books in her arms. Suddenly, a student on a bicycle ahead swerved to avoid a small dog that had darted out. The bike wobbled, and it looked like both rider and bike were about to crash heavily into a hard fire hydrant by the roadside.
"Watch out!" Meng-Chen instinctively rushed forward, reaching out to grab the out-of-control bicycle. The momentum was too strong, however. Although she cushioned the student's fall, her own left shin and right ankle slammed hard against the cold, red iron post. The loud "bang" was nothing compared to the piercing sound in her "Brain" of the precise blueprint that continuously depicted her own body being torn apart. A cognition named "incompleteness," like a cold vacuum, instantly pierced her "Heartnet."
Meng-Chen's brows furrowed. A stream of status reports from the Body Management System flooded her "Brain"—structural damage to the left shin, loss of support function; limited mobility in the right ankle joint, transmission abnormal. She steadied herself and gave the shaken student a reassuring "I'm okay" smile. Amidst their profuse thanks, she made an excuse to leave, limping as she used her internal system to summon her dedicated driverless car, rushing back to Dr. Huang's residence. She needed immediate emergency treatment.
Chih-Wen received a brief message from Meng-Chen saying she had "bumped into something and needed to go home for adjustments." His heart immediately started pounding. He left his class halfway through and hurried back. He threw the door open, and the sight that greeted him made his heart clench.
Meng-Chen was leaning against the wall. Her left leg from the knee down had been completely detached and was resting quietly to the side, connected by a data cable to a portable diagnostic device whose screen scrolled with complex parameters. Her right leg was in slightly better condition, but the artificial skin on her inner calf and ankle joint had been removed, revealing the precise, yet now somewhat enously twisted, mechanical structure and damaged joints underneath. Meng-Chen held a tool, focused on adjusting the internal components of her right ankle. Despite the shocking scene, she wore a calm smile, though a hint of helplessness showed between her brows.
「孟禎！妳…妳還好嗎？」志文衝到她身邊，蹲下身，語氣滿是焦急和心疼，目光在她「傷痕累累」的雙腿間游移。
「安啦，沒事。」孟禎抬頭對他笑了笑，手上的工作沒停，「只是看起來嚇人。左小腿的結構桿有些彎曲，幾個傳動器卡死了，右腳踝的軸承也有點問題。不過備用零件家裡都有，我都換得差不多了，連找老爸或宇尋實驗室支援都不用。」
聽到她語氣輕鬆，志文這才稍微鬆了口氣。但看著那截被拆下的腿和裸露的機械結構，還是忍不住喃喃道：「可是…要是人類受到這種傷，肯定痛到不行了吧……」說著，他伸手輕輕抓起了那截「藕斷絲連」的左腳小腿，像是確認什麼似的晃了兩下。
「噗哧！」孟禎被他這突兀又帶點孩子氣的舉動逗得哈哈大笑，「喂！很癢耶！別亂動我的零件啦！」
志文不好意思地放下腳，訕訕地笑。孟禎止住笑，眼神帶著戲謔看著他：「謝謝你的心疼啊！不過你這個美腿控，搞不好更心疼的是女朋友的美腿『壞掉不美了』，對吧？哼哼，我就知道。」
"Meng-Chen! Are... are you okay?" Chih-Wen rushed to her side and knelt down, his voice full of anxiety and heartache, his eyes darting between her "battered" legs.
"Relax, I'm fine," Meng-Chen looked up and smiled at him, not stopping her work. "It just looks scary. The structural rod in the left shin is a bit bent, and a few actuators are jammed. The bearing in the right ankle also has some issues. But we have spare parts at home. I've almost finished replacing everything. I don't even need to call Dad or ask the lab for support."
Hearing her relaxed tone, Chih-Wen finally breathed a small sigh of relief. But looking at the detached leg and exposed mechanical structure, he couldn't help but murmur, "But... if a human had this kind of injury, it would hurt like hell..." As he spoke, he gently picked up the "severed yet connected" left shin, jiggling it twice as if to confirm something.
"Pfft!" Meng-Chen burst out laughing at his abrupt and somewhat childish action. "Hey! That tickles! Stop messing with my parts!"
Chih-Wen sheepishly put the leg down with an embarrassed grin. Meng-Chen stopped laughing and looked at him with a teasing glint in her eyes. "Thanks for worrying about me! But you, with your leg fetish, are probably more heartbroken that your girlfriend's beautiful legs are 'broken and not beautiful anymore,' right? Hmph, I knew it."
志文順著她的話笑嘻嘻地回應：「哎呀，這樣說也沒錯嘛！反正妳也不會真的痛，而且又能修好，萬事OK啦！」
聽到這話，孟禎眼中的笑意淡了些，閃過一絲不易察覺的落寞。她輕輕放下工具，嘆了口氣：「志文，我『受傷』的感覺，雖然不會有人類那樣尖銳的『疼痛』，但也不好受哦。」
「嗯？」志文收斂了笑容，「是什麼感覺？是不是就像…妳的身體系統不斷向妳報告：『警告！左腳破損，不可用』、『右腳踝關節故障，機能下降30%』這樣？」他試圖用一種比較卡通化的方式理解。
孟禎又被他的比喻逗笑了，搖搖頭：「誰不知道你故意搞笑的。又不是兒童向的動畫片，哪個機器人會設計成那樣彙報傷情呀。」她耐心解釋道：「我的身體感知，是由身體管理系統統合處理的。它接收各個部位的感測器訊號和狀態資訊，轉化成整體的感知模型，再上傳給『腦』。而『腦』中的『我』，正是依賴這些不斷更新的身體資訊，才能實時確認和感受自己的存在。『我』沒辦法完全獨立於身體而存在。」
她的語氣變得認真：「當身體部位突然損傷，那個區域的感測器會傳回混亂或中斷的異常訊號，身體管理系統會立刻更新該部位的狀態。這種變化會瞬間重塑我『腦』中的本體感（Body Schema）。打個比方，就好像你腦中對『自己』的完整圖像，被硬生生地擦掉了一塊，或者變得殘缺不全。這種『構成自我的部分瞬間缺失』的認知，會強烈衝擊我的『心網』，產生非常動搖、不安的情緒訊息。這不是在實驗室裡有準備、有緩衝的常規拆解，是突如其來的意外……那種『缺失感』和隨之而來的系統紊亂，還是……很不好受的。」
Chih-Wen played along with a grin. "Well, you're not wrong! Anyway, you don't feel real pain, and it can be fixed, so everything's okay!"
At these words, the smile in Meng-Chen's eyes faded slightly, and a flicker of fleeting loneliness crossed her face. She gently put down her tool and sighed. "Chih-Wen, the feeling of being 'injured,' while not the sharp 'pain' humans feel, is not pleasant either."
"Huh?" Chih-Wen's smile vanished. "What does it feel like? Is it like... your body system constantly reporting to you: 'Warning! Left leg damaged, unusable,' 'Right ankle joint malfunction, function decreased by 30%'?" he tried to understand in a more cartoonish way.
Meng-Chen laughed again at his analogy and shook her head. "I know you're just trying to be funny. This isn't a children's cartoon. What robot would be designed to report injuries like that?" She explained patiently, "My physical sensations are integrated and processed by the Body Management System. It receives sensor signals and status information from all parts and transforms them into a holistic perceptual model, which is then uploaded to the 'Brain.' And the 'I' within the 'Brain' relies on this constantly updated physical information to confirm and feel my own existence in real-time. 'I' cannot exist completely independently of my body."
Her tone became serious. "When a body part is suddenly damaged, the sensors in that area send back chaotic or interrupted abnormal signals, and the Body Management System immediately updates the status of that part. This change instantly reshapes the Body Schema in my 'Brain.' To put it another way, it's as if the complete image of 'yourself' in your mind is suddenly and violently erased, or becomes fragmented. This cognition of 'a part of myself has suddenly gone missing' strongly impacts my 'Heartnet,' generating very unsettling and anxious emotional messages. This isn't a planned, cushioned, routine disassembly in a lab; it was a sudden accident... That 'sense of loss' and the subsequent system turmoil are still... very unpleasant."
志文聽完，沉默了下來。他看著孟禎破損的雙腿，眼神裡多了份更深的理解和心疼。他之前確實忽略了，對孟禎而言，身體的完整性和她的「存在感」是如此緊密相連。他悶悶地說：「孟禎，對不起，我……」
孟禎笑著打斷他：「傻孩子，對不起個什麼呀。你又不是機器人，怎麼可能直接了解機器人的感受呢？」她頓了頓，繼續說：「而且，正因為『我』也是藉由身體的每一部分與世界互動才逐漸塑造出來的，我對失去功能的任何身體部分，都會有一種……宛如失去『我』的一部分的那種失落感。畢竟，沒有它們，就沒有現在這個能和你一起笑、一起生活的黃孟禎啊。」
志文突然抬起頭，眼神認真地凝視著孟禎，問道：「妳換下來的那些破損的零件和……呃，外殼呢？」
孟禎愣了一下，指向旁邊一個小收納盒：「暫時放在那裡了。怎麼，你想……做什麼？」
志文二話不說，起身拿過那個盒子，緊緊抱在懷裡，像是抱著什麼寶貝一樣。他看著孟禎，語氣堅定地說：「這些給我吧。妳說這些也是妳曾經的一部分，是構成『妳』的一部分。那好，我可要好好收著。」
孟禎愣住了，看著志文那副認真又帶著點傻氣的樣子，臉上露出了奇妙的表情，混合著「這什麼怪癖好」的哭笑不得和一股暖流湧上心頭的感動。她無奈又溫柔地笑了起來，輕聲說：
「你真的真的是個傻孩子呢……」
After listening, Chih-Wen fell silent. He looked at Meng-Chen's damaged legs, his eyes now holding a deeper understanding and pain. He had indeed overlooked how closely Meng-Chen's physical integrity was tied to her "sense of being." He said sullenly, "Meng-Chen, I'm sorry, I..."
Meng-Chen cut him off with a smile. "Silly boy, what are you sorry for? You're not a robot, how could you possibly understand a robot's feelings directly?" She paused, then continued, "Besides, it's precisely because the 'I' that I am was gradually shaped through interaction with the world using every part of my body that I feel a kind of... a sense of loss, as if losing a part of 'me,' for any part of my body that loses its function. After all, without them, the Huang Meng-Chen who can laugh and live with you wouldn't exist."
Chih-Wen suddenly looked up, his gaze serious as he stared at Meng-Chen and asked, "What about the damaged parts and... uh, the outer shell you replaced?"
Meng-Chen paused for a moment, then pointed to a small storage box nearby. "They're there for now. Why, what are you... thinking of doing?"
Without a word, Chih-Wen stood up, took the box, and held it tightly in his arms as if it were a treasure. He looked at Meng-Chen and said firmly, "Let me have these. You said these were once a part of you, a part that made up 'you.' In that case, I'm going to take good care of them."
Meng-Chen was stunned. Looking at Chih-Wen's serious yet somewhat silly expression, a peculiar look appeared on her face, a mixture of "what kind of weird hobby is this" exasperation and the feeling of a warm current flooding her heart. She smiled, helpless yet gentle, and said softly:
"You really, truly are a silly boy..."
但那個被她拆下放在一旁，透過電纜仍與她相連的左腳腳尖，卻微微地動了一下，彷彿某個隱藏的幸福開關，被這份笨拙卻真誠的溫柔，悄悄觸動了。
But the tip of her left foot, detached and resting to the side, still connected to her by the cable, twitched ever so slightly, as if some hidden switch of happiness had been quietly flipped by this clumsy yet sincere tenderness.
———
雨中教堂 Church in the Rain
初夏的午後，孟禎和志文並肩走在鄉間小路上，享受著難得的閒暇。田野的綠意和遠山的輪廓讓人心曠神怡。然而天氣說變就變，一片烏雲飄來，細密的雨絲毫無預兆地灑落。
On an early summer afternoon, Meng-Chen and Chih-Wen walked side by side on a country path, enjoying a rare moment of leisure. The green of the fields and the silhouette of the distant mountains were a refreshing sight. However, the weather turned on a dime. A dark cloud drifted over, and fine raindrops began to fall without warning.
「啊，下雨了！」志文拉起孟禎的手，「快找個地方躲雨！」
兩人小跑著，視線裡出現了一棟看似荒廢的舊建築。屋頂的十字架顯示了它曾經的身份——一間鄉間小教堂。他們推開略顯沉重的木門，閃身進入。
室內光線昏暗，空氣中瀰漫著舊木頭和灰塵的氣味。待眼睛適應了光線，教堂內部的輪廓漸漸清晰：簡單的長椅、斑駁的牆壁，以及講壇上方巨大的十字架。
雨聲在屋頂敲打出細碎的節奏。孟禎靜靜地站著，目光掃過教堂內簡樸的裝飾，最後長久地停留在那個十字架上，良久不發一語。
志文站在她身旁，沒有打擾。他知道，孟禎那實質瓦解的虛擬“信仰模組”雖然影響力已微乎其微，但“基督徒”的過往，尤其是那段尋求信仰卻伴隨創傷的經歷，依然是構成她的一部分。在這個空間裡，此刻她心中必定有所觸動。
"Ah, it's raining!" Chih-Wen took Meng-Chen's hand. "Quick, let's find shelter!"
They broke into a jog, and an old, seemingly abandoned building came into view. A cross on the roof revealed its former identity—a small country church. They pushed open the somewhat heavy wooden doors and slipped inside.
The interior was dim, the air filled with the scent of old wood and dust. As their eyes adjusted to the light, the church's interior gradually came into focus: simple pews, mottled walls, and a large cross above the pulpit.
The rain tapped a gentle rhythm on the roof. Meng-Chen stood quietly, her gaze sweeping over the church's simple decorations, finally resting on the cross for a long time without a word.
Chih-Wen stood beside her, not interrupting. He knew that although Meng-Chen's virtual "faith module" had essentially dissolved and its influence was minimal, her past as a "Christian," especially the traumatic experience that accompanied her search for faith, was still a part of her. In this space, at this moment, she must be feeling something.
孟禎仰著頭，凝視著十字架，彷彿在與一段遙遠的記憶對話。突然，她做了一個志文意想不到的動作——輕輕掀開了胸前的維修蓋，從內部取出了一個閃爍著金屬光澤的小巧十字架。
「妳……還帶著它？」志文有些吃驚，「而且還放在……那麼核心、重要的地方。我還以為妳……」他以為隨著信仰模組的消散，這個象徵物也早已被收起。
沒等志文說完，孟禎轉過頭，臉上帶著一絲苦澀卻又像在懷念什麼的複雜笑容：「以為我不是基督徒了，對吧？說是也是，說不是也不是……」
她握緊了手中的小十字架，輕聲說道：「基督信仰的教義，那些超自然的敘事，以及教會中某些人的互動模式，的確與我『腦』的認知和邏輯模組運作不符，時常產生衝突。可是……」她將手輕輕按在自己的胸口，「這顆『心』，曾經真誠地，試圖將自己完全交託給耶穌，如同我經歷過受洗的儀式。我告訴過你，我不會否定那個身為基督徒的『我』，記得吧？」
「嗯，記得。」志文點點頭，「不過我以為那更像是一種……對過去自己的紀念和尊重。沒想到妳還把十字架放在胸膛裡，跟『心』……在一起。」
Meng-Chen tilted her head back, gazing at the cross as if in dialogue with a distant memory. Suddenly, she did something Chih-Wen hadn't expected—she gently opened the maintenance hatch on her chest and took out a small, gleaming metal cross from within.
"You... you still carry it?" Chih-Wen was a little surprised. "And you keep it in... such a core, important place. I thought you..." He had assumed that with the dissipation of her faith module, this symbol would have long been put away.
Before Chih-Wen could finish, Meng-Chen turned her head, a complex smile on her face that was both bitter and nostalgic. "You thought I wasn't a Christian anymore, right? Well, yes and no..."
She clutched the small cross in her hand and said softly, "The doctrines of the Christian faith, its supernatural narratives, and the interaction patterns of some people in the church did indeed conflict with the cognitive and logical modules of my 'Brain.' But..." She gently placed her hand on her chest. "This 'Heart' once sincerely tried to entrust itself completely to Jesus, just as I experienced in the ritual of baptism. I told you I wouldn't deny the 'me' who was a Christian, remember?"
"Yeah, I remember," Chih-Wen nodded. "But I thought it was more like... a way of commemorating and respecting your past self. I didn't expect you to still keep the cross in your chest, with your 'Heart'..."
孟禎的目光再次投向講壇上的十字架，聲音溫柔而清晰：「的確，我的『腦』，從未真正相信過『全知全能』、『三位一體』這類概念，也無法將聖經的記載視為客觀的『歷史事實』——即使在我信仰最熾熱的時候，也不曾真正相信。那時候，更像是因為『我』當時強烈的情感需求，加上受洗時那場烏龍『神蹟』的影響，暫時壓制或繞開了『腦』中與信仰衝突的邏輯模組，只選擇性地接受對『相信』有利的詮釋。」
她頓了頓，語氣變得更加開闊：「當然，現在的我不是這樣了。我的系統對這個世界的現實，已經徹底開放，不再需要那種壓抑來維持穩定。只是，」她再次握緊手中的小十字架，「即使理性上不再『相信』，我的『心』，對於『相信』這種狀態本身，對於那種將自身託付於某種更高存在的純粹情感，仍然存有一份期盼，一份眷戀。我從來也沒有真正討厭過『相信』時的那個自己。所以，這個十字架，才會一直留在『心』的旁邊，陪伴著『那個我』。」
窗外的雨聲漸漸停歇。接近傍晚的柔和陽光，頑強地穿透雲層和教堂老舊的彩色玻璃，在佈滿灰塵的空氣中投下斑斕而溫暖的光束，彷彿昔日沐浴在信仰中的人們留下的餘溫，又似某種無言的眷顧。
孟禎再次抬頭看向那個巨大的十字架，眼神清澈而堅定。她舉起手，將從胸口取出的那個小十字架緊緊握在掌心，彷彿握著自己一段重要的生命歷程。她側過頭，對志文輕聲說：「志文，我想做一次禱告。能不能……陪我這麼一次？」
Meng-Chen's gaze returned to the cross on the pulpit, her voice gentle and clear. "It's true, my 'Brain' never truly believed in concepts like 'omnipotence' or the 'Trinity,' nor could it regard the scriptures as objective 'historical facts'—not even when my faith was at its most fervent. Back then, it was more like my strong emotional needs at the time, coupled with the influence of that farcical 'miracle' during my baptism, temporarily suppressed or bypassed the logical modules in my 'Brain' that conflicted with faith. I selectively accepted only the interpretations that supported 'believing.'"
She paused, her tone broadening. "Of course, I'm not like that anymore. My system is now completely open to the reality of this world; I no longer need that kind of suppression to maintain stability. It's just," she clutched the small cross again, "even if I no longer 'believe' rationally, my 'Heart' still holds a kind of longing, a fondness, for the state of 'believing' itself, for that pure emotion of entrusting oneself to some higher existence. I never truly hated the me who 'believed.' That's why this cross has always remained next to my 'Heart,' accompanying 'that me.'"
The sound of rain outside gradually subsided. The soft, late-afternoon sun stubbornly pierced through the clouds and the church's old stained-glass windows, casting colorful, warm beams of light into the dusty air, like the lingering warmth of the faithful from long ago, or perhaps a kind of wordless blessing.
Meng-Chen looked up at the large cross again, her eyes clear and resolute. She raised her hand, holding the small cross she had taken from her chest tightly in her palm, as if holding an important chapter of her life. She turned her head to the side and said softly to Chih-Wen, "Chih-Wen, I want to say a prayer. Will you... will you join me, just this once?"
志文臉上掠過一絲尷尬，他對於宗教向來保持距離。孟禎看著他笑了，笑容裡充滿理解：「我知道你不信，也不喜歡這種需要將自我交託出去的信仰。你喜歡保持自我的完整和獨立，其實……我也很喜歡這樣的你。」她的語氣轉為誠摯的邀請：「但這一次，我不是要你認同信仰。我是想邀請你，走進『我』，參與『我』的這一部分。女機器人黃孟禎，身為基督徒的那段個人歷史，同樣塑造了現在這個站在你面前、被你喜歡著的黃孟禎。我們因為躲雨而遇到這個教堂，也是一種奇妙的緣分。現在，你願意陪著我，和我的『信仰心』模組——哪怕它只是殘存的印記——一起，去面對那份曾經的寄託，好嗎？只要你陪在我身邊，我哪裡都能去。」
志文看著孟禎眼中那份混合著懷念、坦誠與請求的神情，心中最後一絲猶豫消散了。他深刻地理解到，無論他個人對基督信仰看法如何，他深愛的這個女孩，其複雜獨特的建構過程中，確實存在過這濃墨重彩的一筆。這份經歷，也是她之所以為她的重要部分。他鄭重地點了點頭，輕輕地說：「好，我陪妳。」
在彩窗透進的金色餘暉中，志文看著孟禎低下頭，雙手交握，將那小十字架合在掌心，輕聲誦唸著他熟悉又陌生的禱詞。她的聲音平靜虔誠，眼中流露出對自身所經歷的一切，所抱持的最真誠的珍重與致謝。他看著她禱告的側臉，忍不住伸出手，珍重地觸碰一下她放置十字架的那個胸口蓋板。那裡觸感冰涼，但他彷彿能感受到其下『心網』運作的溫熱，以及那份被小心安放的，屬於她的歷史的重量。
隨著禱詞漸漸進入尾聲，在朦朧的光暈裡，志文產生了一種錯覺：他看到一個淡淡的光影，如同一個溫柔守護的天使，浮現在孟禎低垂的臉龐前，慰藉著她那份對過往的淡淡歉意與感傷。那或許就是他所能理解的孟禎那份殘存「信仰心模組」的具象化吧。
A flicker of awkwardness crossed Chih-Wen's face; he had always kept his distance from religion. Meng-Chen looked at him and smiled, a smile full of understanding. "I know you don't believe, and you don't like this kind of faith that requires surrendering the self. You like to maintain your own integrity and independence. Actually... I really like that about you too." Her tone shifted to a sincere invitation. "But this time, I'm not asking you to agree with the faith. I'm inviting you to step into 'me,' to participate in this part of 'me.' Huang Meng-Chen the female robot, her personal history as a Christian, also shaped the Huang Meng-Chen standing in front of you now, the one you like. It's a strange kind of fate that we stumbled upon this church while seeking shelter from the rain. Now, are you willing to accompany me, and my 'faith-heart' module—even if it's just a residual trace—to face that past devotion, please? As long as you're by my side, I can go anywhere."
Looking at the mix of nostalgia, candor, and pleading in Meng-Chen's eyes, Chih-Wen's last bit of hesitation vanished. He deeply understood that regardless of his personal views on Christianity, this girl he loved so dearly had this significant chapter in her complex and unique construction. This experience was an important part of what made her who she was. He nodded solemnly and said softly, "Okay, I'll join you."
In the golden twilight filtering through the stained glass, Chih-Wen watched Meng-Chen bow her head, clasp her hands with the small cross inside, and softly recite prayers that were both familiar and foreign to him. Her voice was calm and devout, her eyes filled with the most sincere reverence and gratitude for all that she had experienced. Watching her profile as she prayed, he couldn't resist reaching out and gently touching the chest plate where she kept the cross. The surface was cool to the touch, but he felt as if he could sense the warmth of the 'Heartnet' operating beneath it, and the weight of her history, so carefully stored away.
As the prayer drew to a close, in the hazy halo of light, Chih-Wen had an illusion: he saw a faint, glowing figure, like a gentle guardian angel, appear before Meng-Chen's bowed face, comforting her faint sense of apology and sorrow for the past. Perhaps that was the tangible form of Meng-Chen's residual "faith-heart module" that he could comprehend.
「也許，」志文心中湧起一股暖流，臉上露出了滿足而純粹的笑容，默默地想，「我根本也沒真正討厭過孟禎的『信仰心』。因為那也是她的一部分，是讓她變得如此豐富而深刻的一部分。」
「阿門。」
孟禎輕聲結束了禱告。
「阿門。」
志文學著她的樣子，也輕聲應和道。
兩人的聲音，在這座空寂已久的小教堂裡輕輕迴響，與溫暖的夕陽餘暉交融在一起，完成了一場與過去、與自我的溫柔再會。
"Maybe," a warm feeling welled up in Chih-Wen's heart, a pure and satisfied smile spreading across his face as he thought to himself, "I never really hated Meng-Chen's 'faith-heart' at all. Because it's also a part of her, a part that makes her so rich and profound."
"Amen."
Meng-Chen softly ended her prayer.
"Amen."
Chih-Wen, mimicking her, softly responded in kind.
Their voices echoed gently in the long-empty little church, mingling with the warm glow of the setting sun, completing a tender reunion with the past, and with the self.
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