My progress so far:
I reached the portal on planet Kirt XVI, and activate it using the glyphs previously obtained from monoliths. The portal teleported me to a strange new planet with yellow sky. Then reality faded, and I was in front of a huge black sphere with crimson hue in a dark hall. It was Atlas. Interacting with Atlas indicated that the galaxy itself is a simulation which had been running for countless millennia, and serious errors are occurring within. I was sent back to the planet and found my starship. I picked up an incoming transmission signal, which could be from Artemis. I'm checking out the signal source. (log #15)
The signal source turned out to be Artemis' grave. Artemis' consciousness seemed to be still remaining in a form of hologram, but I couldn't talk with her effectively. I went to a long-range communication tower to contact Apollo, but I couldn't. Instead I was connected with an entity named Null via manual override. Null gave me blueprints of Mind Arc and Soul Engine. According to Null, I might be able to revive Artemis with them. (log #16)
Before starting to gather materials needed for crafting Mind Arc, I decided to check out the source of distress signal I previously picked up. It turned out to be a settlement on planet Nucaselis L12 in Onbets-Arg system. I took out the Sentinels and then pirate starships attacking the settlement. I was offered to be the overseer of the town, but chose not to take the seat because of harsh natural environment. After a few going back and forth, I gathered all the material and components needed and crafted the Mind Arc. I'm going to contact Artemis again and see what this Mind Ark can do to help her. (log #17)
I landed on planet Jodice G20 in Konaka system, to contact Artemis using a Holo-Terminus.
Hologram image of Artemis appeared on the Holo-Terminus. I approached Artemis and activated the Mind Arc.
Artemis just disappeared. She wasn't revived, but trapped in the Mind Arc. And then, hologram of Null appeared nearby. Null told me that my friends could help me bring peace to Artemis. As for my "friends", it seems Null is talking about Polo and Nada at the Space Anomaly station. They are the only ones who addressed me as friend.
I went out to the space and summoned the Space Anomaly. I went to Nada and Polo to show the Mind Arc. Nada told me there is no way Artemis can be revived but her consciousness trapped in the Mind Arc can be uploaded into a machine which simulates a solar system similar to this reality. Polo would calibrate the machine so that I can access it and upload Artemis.
I went to a room with huge cylinder-shaped machine. It was a solar system simulator which ancient Korvax built to pay homage to the creator, Atlas. Nada enabled write permission to the machine so that I could connect the Mind Arc to the simulator.
I had 2 choices. Firstly, I could upload Artemis consciousness to the simulator. She would live in a lesser version of reality. And perhaps she would find out she was all alone in some unknown place that resembles the world she knew but not the same. Secondly, I could just let Artemis die. She would be gone for good.
This is only a computer game, but this situation actually made me hesitate. I saved and quit the game, and thought about it for a while.
If my consciousness is confined in a lesser version of reality forever, is it good? Would I want this kind of immortality if I could get it?
Imagine you're forced to live in a metaverse. You cannot get out of this virtual reality. But your whole consciousness will be digitized and dumped to server storage, which means you will live forever there. Would you accept this fate? Which one is more scary, living forever in a virtual reality or dying?
I would rather die as normal human beings do. That was my conclusion. I restarted the game, and let Artemis die. This galaxy might also be a simulation, but I wouldn't trap her in a lesser reality forever.
The Mind Arc was opened without uploading. A blue spark of light appeared in mid-air, and faded away.
May she rest in peace.