Chapter 3: Wind-up Sprite
Translator: Skythewood
Editor: Hiiro
A few minutes after riding the elevator deep below ground, a gentle voice informed them they had reached the destination before the doors slid open. The four of them saw a corridor leading deep inside, with several junctions, illuminated by white light.
「It’s very clean inside, without a speck of dust. I’m hesitant to call this a historical relic.」
Anarai exited the elevator and immediately touched the walls and floors made from unknown material. Ikuta and Jean behind him were also checking their surroundings carefully. Only Pope Labutesuma was silent as she followed and observed them.
At this moment── The white-haired officer searching ahead found a strange object and stopped. A figure they were familiar with, but had a completely different size, could be found about ten meters away from the elevator in a crevice inside the wall.
「What’s this? A large sized Sprite...?」
「Oh, it seems to be sleeping.」
It was a gigantic Luminous Sprite the size of a ten years old child. Jean and Anarai approached and touched it, but the Sprite’s eyes remained shut with no signs of moving. However, when Ikuta approached it, Kusu who was in his pouch spoke.
「Ikuta, Ikuta.」
「Hmm? What’s the matter, Kusu.」
「I have a favour to ask. Can you pull out my soul stone and put it in that Sprite’s neck?」
The sudden request made Ikuta stare with his eyes wide open. He could sense Kusu’s intent, but even though it was the one that suggested it, he couldn’t treat the Soul Stone of his long time partner lightly. The youth crossed his arms troublingly.
「... Is it dangerous?」
「No, and it will be temporary. Don’t worry, I will always stay by your side.」
Kusu promised in its usual gentle tone, and the dark-haired youth believed it. He took out his partner from his pouch, and placed it on the ground.
「I understand. Go on then, Kusu.」
With his permission, Kusu closed its eyes and lowered its head, then ejected a small Soul Stone from its neck. Ikuta picked it up carefully and approached the giant Sprite’s neck.
He could feel the Soul Stone in his hand was sucked in swiftly into the Sprite. Immediately after that── the giant Sprite before the youth opened its eyes.
「Initialization complete── Good Morning, everyone.」
The giant Sprite greeted in a tone Ikuta was familiar with, and left the crevice. Jean backed away warily.
「... I thought about it, but it really can move, huh.」
「You’re Kusu, right?」
「Yes, Ikuta. Sorry for scaring you. This is the body used to welcome guests, and I will be your guide.」
Kusu smiled. Ikuta acknowledged as he carefully kept the small Sprite body into his pouch. He then asked his gigantified partner:
「You know about this place?」
「Yes. The information has been declassified, so I have knowledge of the facilities’ internal structure.」
「Is there anyone here aside from you?」
「The only current active body is me. I will explain in order, please follow me.」
Kusu led the four of them forward. After passing several junctions, they soon arrived in a big room with a high ceiling. Four chairs were placed around a round table, and the light here had a warmer hue, unlike the ones in the corridor. There were machines with unknown functions by the wall, but it was clear to everyone that this was a room for people to rest.
「This is the reception room. I will bring some beverage, so please take a rest here.」
Kusu then went further in. The four of them had different reactions. Anarai started observing the objects in the room, Ikuta sat down heavily on the chair as suggested, and Jean stood by the door, keeping his guard up. Pope Labutesuma thought for a while before sitting down besides Ikuta.
「Sorry for the wait.」
When Jean sat down in resignation, Kusu bought cups for all four guests and placed them on the table. Inside the transparent cups that had a different texture from glass was bubbly dark liquid. The white-haired officer frowned as he stared inside his cup.
「... I have never seen a beverage that look so much like poison.」
「When we encounter anything new, we have to ignore any preconceptions.」
Ikuta picked up the cup and moved it to his mouth, then drank a big mouthful. He swallowed as Jean watched in surprise── the unknown sensation flowing down his mouth made the dark-haired youth open his eyes wide.
「Ohh── I see, that’s how it is.」
「Are you mad?」
「Calm down. We are deep in their territory, and would be long dead if they really wanted to kill us.」
The youth shrugged. Anarai came back after inspecting the facilities in the room, and nodded after sitting down.
「Indeed. Firstly, there’s no reason to spend so much effort to invite us in and then kill us. It’s better to accept their hospitality instead.」
He drank from his cup too. The old sage sighed as Jean watched nervously.
「Oh, this tastes great. This sensation in my mouth, is this soda? And it’s unique fragrance makes it feel refreshing. It will sell great in a place with a hot climate.」
「Professor, don’t you think it resembles that? The Coca leaves beverage we tried to make a long time ago. If we mix in soda instead of water, it should taste something like this.」
They discussed the beverage they just had. Seeing this scene, Jean couldn’t suppress his curiosity and brought it to his mouth after hesitating a little. He carefully licked it with his tongue, and commented.
「... It taste like Coca, but in a way I never tried before.」
「Right? Kusu, can you give me another cup?」
「Of course, Ikuta. Everyone, please enjoy yourselves.」
Kusu picked up the empty cups and went back into the room. It returned quicker than before, and said as he served the cups.
「I’m glad it suits your palette. This is the best selling beverage during the era when we were manufactured. It’s a rare chance, so I want to serve this to everyone who travelled so far to get here.」
It’s words contained an important hint. Anarai pointed that out immediately.
「The era when we were manufactured── If I’m not wrong, that’s what you said, right?」
「Yes, Professor Anarai. Your hypothesis is basically correct. We, the Four Great Sprites, are manufactured by a prosperous civilization in the distant past of this planet.」
Kusu admitted readily. Silence hung over the room as Anarai grunted.
「You are admitting that? I thought you would tell me in a more roundabout manner.」
「There’s no point in hiding the facts from those invited here. Or rather, we invited you here to tell you about this── you must have a lot of questions, but can you listen to my explanation first?」
Before it was asked, Kusu preemptively stated its intention to explain everything. When they heard that, Ikuta and Jean looked at each other, and glanced at the silent Pope Labutesuma, before looking at Professor Anarai.
「I will hear you out then. Since you prepared a comfortable chair for me, I won’t mind listening to a long lecture.」
Anarai said casually, and leaned into his chair which had armrests. The chair was made from unknown material that doesn’t creak. Seeing no one was objecting, Kusu nodded.
「Let’s begin. First, please put this on.」
Kusu announced and took out something that looks like spectacles and gave them out. The four of them showed different reactions as they put it on, and the light in the room went out. Jean was about to get up with a start when a scene played out in his vision in the next moment.
「This is a story that happened a long time ago, which no ones remembers except for the Sprites.」
Kusu’s voice echoed in the room. Their consciousness flew back into the distant past.
── C.E. 2267. Tokyo City, Kasumigaseki, Chiyoda District. Technica Pte. Ltd., Headquarters building, 16th floor.
「Professor! I’m coming in!」
A woman scanned her iris in the security system as she knocked twice on the door. She wasn’t expecting an answer and pushed the door open. The room being more messy than she expected almost made the woman fall on her knees.
「... I-I just cleaned up yesterday──...!」
There were delicate tools and equipment all over the floor, and even used liquid nitrogen canisters rolling around. She pushed the objects aside with her feet and walked in. There were other disasters created by kicks, but that was trivial for now.
「Professor! Answer me, Professor Rikka!」
The woman surveyed the terrible state of the room as she cried out. There was movement in a corner of the wrecked room, and a woman in a wrinkled white coat stood up.
「Oh～ What’s the matter, Sapuna? You look distraught.」
That woman in a white coat, Professor Rikka, pushed up her Augmented Reality (AR) glasses and stared at Sapuna in a daze. She was far from presentable, which made her assistant cry out with a headache.
「You are asking me that!? I told you there is a project meeting at 1pm today! Why are you still here, it’s going to start in ten minutes!」
When she heard that, Professor Rikka took out a palm sized computer from her coat to check the time. She was so engrossed in work that her AR glasses didn’t even show the time, and opened her eyes wide in surprise.
「Ohh──? It’s already so late, I’m so sorry! I got too caught up checking the data from the reports!」
「I know, so go get changed! The investors will be participating too, so you can’t wear your usual wrinkled white coat!」
「Just watch me, changing quickly is one of my special skills! Heave ho!」
Professor Rikka boldly stripped off her clothes and tossed it to the ground. Sapuna matched her perfectly, gathering all the clothes into one spot, then ran to the water dispenser to fill a basin with water that was just the right temperature. While her assistant was rushing around, the Professor in her sports bra and underwear walked to her desk.
「It’s finally your turn to shine. I will be counting on you.」
She touched 4 deformed mini humanoid objects one by one. When she turned back, there was a basin filled with warm water right at her nose.
「Please wash your face! When you’re done, sit down there, I will put on makeup for you in three minutes!」
The assistant squeezed out facial wash on the Professor’s palm. Professor Rikka obediently washed her face with the warm water in the basin. After scrubbing her face as if she would a potato, she sat down on the chair facing her eager assistant holding a makeup kit. The Professor suddenly asked in doubt:
「It’s fine without makeup, right? I’m presenting the data, not my face.」
「Both your face and data will be presented! You are going to a meeting that is actually a war, are you going to the battlefield without wearing any armour?」
「I-I see, then I will put on my armour.」
「If you understand, then sit still!」
Sapuna shut down her objections and got to work. She was always swiftly and meticulously putting on armour for this woman who didn’t care about her appearance.
「Thank you everyone for coming to this meeting!」
Thanks to her assistant’s effort, Professor Rikka wasn’t late, and stood in the conference room in a perfect suit. Sapuna beside her sighed in relief. There were around thirty conference attendees, half of them were major shareholders of Technica, so she couldn’t irk them because of her outfit.
「I’m Rikka from Technica corp, and I will be presenting today. Let’s start with the briefing, please activate the AR glasses by your hand.」
The investors put on and activated the AR glasses as instructed. It’s common for briefings to be done in Augmented Reality or Virtual Reality, and with Professor Rikka’s guidance, they purview the various data within that space.
「As you know, the situation in the euroasia continent has been deteriorating in the past few decades. Food shortage intensified armed conflicts, which caused more serious shortages, leading into a vicious cycle. Furthermore, the use of biochemical weapons heavily polluted the land, resulting in shortage in potable water in some regions. Please refer to the screen for details.」
The Professor played several short clips in succession. People drinking obviously unsanitary water and children rummaging trash cans for food── however, most of the investors didn’t even bat an eye at that scene. This was no longer a surprising fact to them.
「We are in the 23rd century, but there are many living at far primitive standards. They aren’t a minority anymore, and are increasing with time. We have debated time and again how to give them support. If left alone, poverty will lead to chaos, and become a hotbed for all sorts of crimes like human trafficking. It goes without saying that is a disaster all nations want to root out.」
The video vanished from the AR glasses, replaced by the flow chart of the current relief programmes in place. Professor Rikka pointed out the core of the problem.
「Transporting resources and dispatching talents to them are obvious steps, but in conflict zones with no clear government in power, getting the supplies to the citizens is a matter of luck. When we dispatch personnel over, there is the risk of injury, abduction and death. Hiring private security companies will eat into our budget.」
The blocks representing the cost started piling up visually before them to show this was a waste of funds. The investors looked troubled by that. Their investments being wasted without getting any returns was unpleasant for capitalists like them.
「The method we found was to dispatch robots instead of personnels, which eliminates the risks to our staff. However── there are already many human support robots on the market, everyone of them are delicate and expensive machines. Before mentioning the unit price, just sending robots to impoverished regions will create a lot of problem.」
The screen displayed the robots of other companies and their prices. One investor said with a sigh.
「... They will get dismantled and sold off by the locals.」
「It is as you said. For people living in a harsh environment, metal is valuable, even more so for precious metals. It will be fine if the robot is still functioning, but it will get dismantled the moment it breaks down. A technician might be able to fix it on the spot, but the citizens without such technical knowledge will be helpless.」
Even if they send delicate machines to regions without the basics in technical knowledge, they wouldn’t last long. After affirming this common fact when supporting developing countries, Professor Rikka continued:
「We came up with a plan to solve this contradiction, which is 『lowering the cost of robots』 and 『building a circulatory system』. First, lowering the cost── we won’t use any expensive spare parts containing precious metals. With the advent of robotics in recent years, we can realize this point. By using low cost artificial precious metals, it wouldn’t fetch much money when sold, which solves the problem at hand.
As for the circulatory system, simply put, we will create a factory locally to collect the robots. As mentioned before, this will work synergically with the low cost of the robots. Since they can’t make money by selling them, and it can be used after repairs, the citizens will want to fix the robots. We will need to send personnels to build the factory, but the estimated cost still falls within our budget.」
Professor then flashed the actual figures on the AR screen. The investors checked how adequate the numbers were, and asked her questions unreservedly.
「Are there any risks of the factory being attacked? Since it’s a factory, we will need to station people there, right?」
「Allow me to explain.」
The screen changed, and a rectangular structure appeared before the investors.
「As shown here, the local factories would be a facility impossible for humans to invade. The openings are limited to the supplies and robots, which will be designed to be impenetrable by humans. The management of the facility, repairs, and operation will be handled by the factories automatically without any staff onsite. We have considered hiring local security to guard them, but in theory, it can be operated without any staff.
The only problem is that we can’t avoid scaling up the factory── I want everyone to note that the operation and maintenance of the facility can be done by the facility itself. Normal factories are supplied spare parts externally to manufacture their products, but this factory can forge the spare parts itself. With the improvements in 3D printers in recent years, this can be done. It only needs to be supplied with raw material, which doesn’t require any special technologies. I hope it’s clear that this circulatory system itself is the innovative idea.」
The manufacturing line could be seen through the transparent rectangular structure. A factory that could be operated without any staff── in this era, civilization was advanced enough to make this a reality. The investors accepted this and continued:
「I see, I get the concept── so, how does the most crucial part of the plan, the robot, looks like?」
This was the key. Professor Rikka broke into a grin and shut off all the AR displays. She then signalled to her assistant with a gaze.
「Please look over here── This is the mass produced human assistance robot our company is developing.
The Assistant Elements series.」
They peeked out from the box Sapuna placed on the table, and tottered over to the Professor and stood in a line. Surprised by its appearance, the investors were confused and shocked.
「... It’s really small.」
「Instead of a robot, it looks more like a mascot. How can they help us?」
They raised an obvious question, and Professor Rikka said:
「Before I get into that, I hope everyone can understand that the AE series is used to raise the standard of living in impoverished regions── or a tool to maintain a certain standard of living. Potable water, breathable air, able to use fire anywhere, spending the night in a bright place, and a companion to speak too when you are lonely── these function of these robots is to provide humans with these basic convenience, and won’t provide them with anything more.」
「So it can’t do much?」
「If you put it that way, you’re right. Considering the concept of low cost and circulatory system, I believe everyone can understand their functions will be limited.」
「I know that── but useless things won’t be of much help.」
The investors pointed that out. Professor Rikka smiled boldly:
「Please hear me out before deciding if they are useless.」
「En, you’re up.」 She said to the red robot on the far right. The mini robot, a Fire Sprite, raised its hands when it heard that.
「The first is the Fire Sprites── They can absorb materials from the air and any material to create flammable fuel. For example, if they eat rapeseed, they can make rapeseed oil. They can extract oil from any soft body that possesses it, then use oxygen in the air to burn them. It can even create hydrogen from water. With them around, people can always create fire.」
As the Professor explained, the Fire Sprite shot out blue flames from the 「Fire Hole」 in both of its hands. When Sapuna fed it raw olives, the colour of the flame changed. The Sprite was creating fuel.
「The second type is the Water Sprites── They can extract and filter water. Other than the function to filter harmful substances out from polluted water sources, they could extract water from soft objects, just like the Fire Sprites. As long as the humidity isn’t zero, they can even gather moisture from the air. The efficiency of gathering water decreases in the order I introduce them. But as long as it is not placed in the middle of the desert under the sun, it can safely create potable water.」
Sapuna took out water that looked clearly polluted, and let the Water Sprite drink it. The 「Water hole」 in the torso of the Sprite created clear water in no time. The Professor caught the water with a paper cup and gulped it down. This was a live demonstration which she was good at.
「The third type are Wind Sprites── Their specialty is purifying the air and controlling wind. In regions with heavily polluted air, this will become necessary functions. The harmful substance they can process is shown on this chart, which includes almost every modern biochemical weapon── That’s not all, although I hope this function won’t be used, but they are somewhat effective against radiation pollution. It can also blow out air, suck in air and compress air with adjustable speeds, which will be very useful in clearing radiation pollution. They are also cleaning machine that can move freely at their own judgement.」
The Wind Sprite’s 「Wind Hole」 sucked in air at a surprising rate for its petite body. Coloured gas was sprayed into the air to represent pollutants, which was immediately drawn into the Sprite. After sucking for some time, the Wind Sprite spat out a small lump. Sapuna took the lump, which was the substance filtered from the air.
「The fourth type are Luminous Sprites── as their name suggests, they give out light. It’s simple, but serves an indispensable function in the lives of humans. There are still many places with unstable or non existent power supply, which includes the conflict zones. The Sprites can provide a convenient light source to increase the productivity of the people drastically. A common example would be children reading by candle light.」
The Luminous Sprite’s 「Light Hole」 shone brightly. The intensity and spread could be adjusted, and if necessary, the Sprite’s entire body could be lit up in its Lantern mode. The Luminous Sprite could direct its light conveniently, efficiently using its energy.
「All these functions are possible through the solar power convertor inside them. As you can see, the Sprite’s functions are just the application of existing technology, and aren't groundbreaking. However── implementing these four functions in a robot of this size is definitely the result of our company’s independent research.」
Professor Rikka said with the confidence of an inventor. Miniaturizing the robot while maintaining its functionality was a selling point of the AE series that distinguished it from other products on the market.
「Furthermore, all Sprites have an important feature. They are a good communicating partner for humans. Because of the aforementioned conditions, there is a limit to how refined the AI is, but it can communicate better than dogs or cats. For example, when the parents are out at work, it is possible for them to teach the children to read and write.」
Professor Rikka explained before talking to the Sprites before her. She asked about simple calculations or history. Their conversation was normal, but the Sprites answered plainly and concisely. What surprised the investors the most, is that there wasn’t any sense of dissonance when humans converse with AI. The Sprites felt really human── this wasn’t limited to the AE series, and was a common feature of all the AI created by Professor Rikka.
「Aside from that, there is a restriction── our developers are strictly limiting each person to be contracted to only one Sprite. Do you know why?」
She cued the audience to think about this. And as expected, the experienced investors arrived at the answer in no time.
「I see── it’s to stop a minority from hogging the Sprites, and to promote cooperation?」
「That’s correct. This is the reason why the Sprites’ functionality is divided into four types. When a community possesses all types of Sprites, they will have an easier life. And there will be more benefits by cooperating than competing── We want to create an environment where people think this way. I think this will be somewhat effective in preventing conflicts in the future.」
Each person would possess one function necessary for their livelihood, and help each other when needed. Keeping the collaborative nature of the plan in mind, the investors discussed the feasibility of the project.
「Hmm… in any case, this is a large package deal that includes the factory, not a product marketed towards the individual. The target audience are the country with impoverished zones, correct?」
「That will be correct, but we can also promote this indirectly to multinational organizations, reducing the risk of them defaulting on payment. But that will be after the success cases in the beginning are made public. Before that, we need to accomplish this goal with our own power.」
Professor Rikka said as she activated the presentation on the AR glasses. The familiar world map appeared before the investors, which then zoomed in on a certain area.
「Considering the above, the first repair factory, where the AE series will make their debut… I have a location in mind, a country everyone is very familiar with.」
The image showed a corner of the Euroasia continent by the sea. That place reached its economic peak a century ago, before it’s national power gradually declined. It was the third most populous nation in the world.
＊
「... So that’s the story behind your birth, Kusu?」
Ikuta said as he looked at the history shown in a corner of the AR glasses. Kusu nodded.
「Yes. As you can see, we, the AE series, were created to provide humanitarian aid to the people in impoverished regions. The first place of operation is the current Katjvarna Empire── a country named India back then. The war in the middle east during the 21st century affected India deeply. It remained stable politically, but it had many impoverished zones inside its borders, making it an ideal nation for a test case.」
「Hmm. Instead of suddenly installing them in a conflict zone, they are verifying their practicality in a relatively safer zone instead. And before taking action, they gathered wealthy people, persuading them on the benefits of their inventions, huh. The way they conduct business isn’t too different from the present.」
The old sage said sarcastically. Jean who was entranced by the video said:
「... I have a question, is this project conducted by a country? Or a organization bigger than a nation?」
「No, they are a private company in a nation called Japan── an organization of staff and investors seeking to make profits through the market. Like I said, we, the AE series, were created for humanitarian relief. But the premise is that the profit from promoting and selling the products is higher than the cost.」
「So the goal is to make money? After all the talk about helping the poor...?」
「From the ethical perspective of this era, both answers are correct. Well made product selling well can bring in more funds for the company, and increase the quality of their products. The money flowing in the economy will also stimulate the market, making the citizens richer. Seeking profits within an acceptable margins will benefit society as a whole── please understand that this way of thinking is prevalent throughout society.」
Kusu’s explanation made Jean cross his arms and groan. Noticing his displeasure, Ikuta shrugged.
「Personally, I think this line of thinking is logical── leaving that aside for now, Kusu, you are very talkative today.」
「Yes, Ikuta. On top of the information being declassified, this large body is helping with my thinking. You can think of it as me having more room to think, so my mind is now sharper.」
「I see. In any case, I’m happy to see a side of you that I didn’t know about.」
Ikuta looked at his partner through the AR glasses with gentle eyes. Kusu answered with a smile.
「Well then, let’s continue── we will return to the viewpoint of the inventor and mother of the AE series, Professor Rikka.」
＊
──C.E. 2269. Central India, slums.
「── Closer～! Slightly to the right… Alright, great!」
The voice of the photographer echoed out under the bright sun. Standing shoulder to shoulder with the locals holding the Sprites, Professor Rikka was smiling brilliantly.
「......」
Sapuna watched from the sides. It has been three hours since their interview here, and they were now shooting promotional photos. However Professor Rikka’s face wasn’t a farce. No matter where in the world she was, she was always like this. More energetic and cheerful than everyone, bringing energy to the people who saw her.
「── Good work, Professor. Please have a drink.」
The shooting ended a while later, and Sapuna gave an opened bottle of refreshing beverage to Professor Rikka who had returned. She took big gulps from it.
「Pwah── Thanks, Sapuna. I didn’t do much, so I’m not tired. But this place is really hot.」
Professor pulled at her shirt and fanned herself. Her sweaty breasts were showing, and Sapuna immediately glared at the people around them to keep them in check. However, the subject herself didn’t seem to mind.
「But you might not feel this way. How does it feels to return to your home nation after such a long time?」
Professor asked nonchalantly. Sapuna looked around her before shaking her head.
「... I have never liked this country.」
「Hmm.」
「Especially the atmosphere here, it reminds me of my home town which I never want to visit again… Thinking back, the environment there is slightly better than here.」
Sapuna answered after thinking about the environment she grew up in. At this moment── several kids surrounded them.
「Big sis, you are rich, right? Can you give us something?」
「Can you give me money to buy medicine? My mom is sick.」
The children pestered them and shoved their wooden bowl at Professor Rikka. Before she could even react, Sapuna pulled out loose changes from her pocket and tossed it in equal portions to all the wooden bowls.
「We won’t give anything else! Go home!」
The kids scampered off, and Sapuna sighed irritably.
「They have practiced movements── they learned their begging techniques from their parents. Even for things like this, there is a clear difference between the skilled and unskilled. In a densely populated area, just one person can get enough to feed their family. I’m talking about begging, you know? Isn’t that strange?」
Even Professor Rikka could tell that she wasn’t being ironic. Sapuna watched the kids running away with a self mocking face.
「I’m the unskilled type── or rather, I hate relying on the charity of others. I’m bad at getting sympathy or acting cute… I remember being the burden of the family.」
「But you are better at handling numbers than anyone else, right?」
「It was a long time before I knew such a skill can earn much more money than begging… A non profit organization conducted an intelligence test on impoverished children as part of a census. I joined unwittingly and scored well, which was a turning point in my life.」
They were sweating from the hot weather, but the chill Sapuna felt made her shivered── She was imagining what would have happened if she didn’t get that chance.
「There are no simple coincidences, everyone has the chance to break free from the cycle of poverty… It’s the same for this place too. So, how about it? Will our AE series improve their situation?」
「I created it because I believe it is possible. At least── we can avoid talented people like you growing up without the chance to learn basic arithmetics. That’s a big difference, right?」
Professor Rikka patted her shoulder. Sapuna nodded… her feeling of helplessness seemed to have lightened because of what the Professor said.
「... Hey, what’s that～?」
Suddenly, a childish voice came from behind. They turned to find an innocent 7 or 8 years old girl standing there. Unlike the group earlier, she wasn’t trying to beg and didn’t have anything in her hands. The girl was pointing at the Professor’s face when she asked that.
「Hmm, you mean the AR glasses. I can’t give it to you, but you want to try wearing it?」
She manipulated the display before taking it off and handing it to the girl. Sapuna was on guard, ready to stop the girl if she ran off. But the girl just put it on, and yelled because of the information displayed in her field of vision.
「Uwah── I can see so many things!」
「The display is showing news sites made for children. Is there anything you find interesting?」
When she heard that, the girl pointed at one of the pictures── a large structure on the moon.
「... What is that strange thing?」
「Oh, you have good eyes. That’s the latest technology in humanity’s goal to go to outerspace, the Bertram Reactor prototype 1 spaceship.」
「Outerspace?」
「That means the other end, beyond the end of the sky── a place no one had gone before. Because it’s so far away, it will take millions of years for the fastest vehicle to reach it. So we need a vehicle faster than that. Take you for example, you can walk if it’s closeby, but if you want to go further, you have to ride a bicycle, and a car if you want to go even further. It’s the same for outer space.」
「I can’t ride a bicycle, I’m practising with my older brother.」
「That’s great. If you work hard, you can operate an amazing vehicle in the future. For example, an outer space exploration craft like that.」
The Professor said seriously to the child, and didn’t seem to be kidding. As if the spacecraft was just several steps above a bicycle── Sapuna realized this was what made her so amazing. People staying beside Professor Rikka wouldn’t forget about how to dream.
After enjoying the information she never knew about, the girl was satisfied and returned the device to the Professor. She then ran energetically to the adults who were probably her parents. The Professor put on the AR glasses and watched her go, and then browsed the news site she frequented.
「However── the outer space exploration field reeks of danger. The closer the prototype is to completion, the more boos it receives. Unfortunately, I’m not directly involved with the international efforts, but I have complicated feelings about this as a Scientist.」
「Since they are developing an unknown propulsion device in the sky, it can't be helped if others treat it as a threat. Humans have the presence of using nuclear energy after all.」
「In theory, it’s not that much safer than nuclear energy. But that’s exactly why it’s constructed on the moon instead of on earth. It will be more troubling if the conspiracist thinks they are being secretive or pulling some kind of scheme? The project has the approval of the United Nations, and if the moon is not good enough, will they accept it if it’s done on mars?」
「They will just complain with a different excuse. Since a long time ago, people’s expectations towards outer space exploration have been decreasing. People prefer to have the budget spent on them instead, and others think the unknown technology will breach religious taboos.」
「It’s fine if the earth can handle the increasing population. But the fact is, if we don’t terraform other planets with the Bertram device, then 3 billion people will die of famine in two centuries. I don’t think it will be wise to ignore this～」
Professor Rikka muttered with her hands on her hips. Because of how cute her pouting face and action was, Sapuna couldn’t help saying sarcastically.
「Then the demand for the AE series will increase. The inventor, Professor Rikka, might become the messiah.」
「In a world that I failed to save? I don’t agree with that.」
Professor shrugged unhappily. Sapuna sneaks glances at her ever changing expression happily.
＊
「──Which means, the people from that time were trying to migrate to other planets?」
Jean asked after sorting out the information. Kusu answered with a nod.
「That’s their goal, and it is necessary. Overpopulation or underpopulation── the countries at that time faced one of these problems, and the population was growing on a global scale. Adjusting the birth rate is a problem they couldn’t solve until the end.」
Jean crossed his arms with a stern face. Even a world that was much more advanced than them, it was far from being a Utopia. He fell into deep thought when he realized that. The old sage beside him quickly got accustomed to the controls of the AR glasses, and then enlarged a part of the still image before speaking.
「Can I go off track for a bit? ── Before we discussed the technology, the energy source they used are fundamentally different from ours, right?」
「I will explain the rise of the civilization based on electricity later, since this will be something you will face in the near future── unfortunately, the classification of more advanced technology is not unlocked. Even if it is, with the deficiency of basic knowledge, I can’t even give a rough explanation.」
Kusu said apologetically. I guessed as much── Anarai was unexpectedly okay with this explanation. The technology shown in the video was too different from what their world had. The old sage realized that this gap couldn’t be filled easily.
「Even so, I still showed that scene to everyone, as it includes crucial elements in the history we will discuss. Ten years after the development of the AE series── they experienced a catastrophe.」
Kusu continued his explanation. Time progressed greatly from the previous scene── and they witnessed a civilization heading towards dusk.
＊
── C.E. 2277. On a satellite path around planet earth, control room of the new spacecraft model 「Odyssey」.
「... Oh. We finally reach this stage, huh?」
Staring at the blue planet displayed on the screen, the person manning the helm on this memorable virgin voyage of this spacecraft sighed heavily. His colleagues seated beside him had the same expression.
「Long… it has been so long.」
「That’s right── Frankly speaking, I was prepared for the project to be halted with just the completion of the training.」
One of the crew answered. They were selected as part of the crew in the early stages of the project, and went through harsh training as an astronaut. There was a huge possibility that their efforts would all be in vain. Because of various problems in politics and economics, the construction of Odyssey, a spacecraft with the Bertram device almost stopped several times. They were very thankful that they overcame all the problems and reached this stage.
「── Ahem, Captain. Apologies for disturbing you, but a large group of space debris is approaching our spacecraft.」
「Yes, the amount of space debris has been increasing in the past two centuries. Don’t worry, there is no need to take any action aside from the exceptionally large debris. Everyone should understand the reliability of the ship’s shield, right?」
「Don’t you get it? No one likes their shining new car getting scratches from a coin.」
A crew wearing an AR helmet grumbled as he looked at the 3D radar image of the debris. At this moment, another crew said:
「Alright, it’s time to broadcast to earth. It’s at the same time as the space debris passing through.」
「This is your last chance to style your hair. Your opportunity to scout for a lover from the entire human race── anyone with outstanding tasks?」
The crew nodded at the Captain. Soon after, one of them started counting down.
「We are starting. 3, 2, 1── Good afternoon, citizens of earth──」
His first words to the entirety of mankind── was cut off by a sudden tremor.
── Same day. Technica corporation, India, Hyderabad branch company, basement 3.
「... Ughh...!」
When Professor Rikka woke up, she felt unexplained pain all over her body.
「Ughh… Guu...!」
She didn’t know what was happening, and crawled on the cold floor with her hands, surveying the surroundings with her groggy head. She found a lot of her colleagues lying on the floor unconscious. Her familiar assistant was right beside her, and Rikka shook her by the shoulders.
「Sapuna...! Are you alright? Sapuna!」
Sapuna opened her eyes a while later, and slowly sat up. She was feeling the same headache, and nursed her forehead.
「... I’m awake. Are you alright, Professor Rikka?」
「Yes. I might have a fracture somewhere, but I can still move. Anyway, let’s get help── ughh?」
Professor pulled out her PDA on reflex, but it didn’t show the icon that indicates it was connected. Sapuna took out her own device to confirm too.
「My PDA is offline too… Professor, do you remember what you saw before losing consciousness?」
「... Yes. It was just an instance, but I hope I’m wrong.」
The two of them recounted what has happened so far. That’s right── they were supposed to witness a historic moment with their colleagues in the India branch company. The spacecraft carrying the Bertram reactor has been constructed on the moon, and was returning in triumph. It would start a revolution in fuel efficiency, and have the potential to explore outer space with no regards to distance. Everyone was watching the spacecraft in excitement through their PDA, as the spacecraft hovered over the skies of the earth.
However, the ship that carried the hope of humanity── exploded. With over 10 billion watching, the spacecraft shattered into shreds in a manner that couldn’t be intentional. People could only watch with stupefied faces at what was happening on the other side of the screen.
「... Let’s ignore if this accident is intentional or not, the spacecraft disintegrated in the sky. The PDA than rang out in alarm, and we rushed from the third floor of the building to the basement.」
「But we still got knocked out by the tremors, which showed how strong the impact was. The probability is low, but did the shrapnels from the spacecraft land closeby?」
「If that is true, we can only lament our lack of fortune, however──」
As they spoke, the other employees slowly got up. They checked the others for injuries and went to a device installed at the room’s entrance. The device was usually operated by the AR glasses, but it wasn’t working now, so they had to operate it through the touchscreen.
「Good, the backup power and company’s lines are working. Only the wireless line is down. We can use the cameras to check the situation at the upper floors.」
She said as she used her authority to connect to the surveillance camera. The image they saw made the two of them gasp.
「... It’s terrible...」
Sapuna said with a trembling voice. The surviving cameras showed rooms with objects scattered all over, like a warzone, and people lying facedown on the floor.
「The damage and casualties are concentrated on the upper floors. But… What kind of impact hit us? This is different from being hit by the backdraft of a heat wave. This is like the aftermath of an intense microwave...」
It was clear the people on the upper floors were dead. Their bodies were in a terrible state, which made Professor Rikka frowned── Even a bomb detonating nearby wouldn’t be so terrible. She had seen footage of cities hit by tactical nukes in the mid 21st century, but this was different. The tragedy she was seeing was unlike any she had seen before.
「Anyway, escaping underground was the right call. But we can only see the situation around the office building. If we have a wider field of vision, we can see how wide the damage is. But...」
The Professor manipulated the device in an attempt to find a way. At this moment, one of their colleagues snapped out of his stupor and said.
「Oh── Professor, I have a drone. It can’t relay a live footage since there are no wireless connection, but if we send it out to film and then come back, we can──」
「Great! Please do so!」
The Professor nodded immediately. The male engineer input some commands to connect the drone with his PDA, and let it fly out towards the surface through a slit in the open door.
「Go! Please don’t screw this up...!」
The drone would follow its flight program to navigate through the start and end point, but it would get stuck sometimes. Everyone hoped that wouldn’t happen as they waited for tens of minutes── the drone answered everyone’s expectations and returned successfully.
「Well done! Can we play the images right away?」
「Sure thing! But the screen is small...!」
The male engineer said quickly as he displayed the footage from the drone onto his PDA. The drone passed through the ground floor and flew out of the ceiling before ascending into the sky. It quickly showed the entire city──
「──Oh...」
They could see the damage inflicted onto the city they were familiar with, and the fires burning everywhere.
They couldn’t even tell where the epicentre was. Within the field of vision of the drone, there were countless fallen buildings and broken roads...
「... P-Professor...」
Sapuna said with a trembling voice. Professor Rikka bit her lips.
「... If this is caused by the debris that has fallen here, then it’s still fine. The disaster is limited to one city.」
She squeezed out her voice with quite a bit of effort. Because she knew that a death toll in the tens of thousands was an optimistic figure.
「However── if that isn’t so, then the disaster will be at a global scale.」
＊
「── How did things turn out this way?」
When the tragedy witnessed by Professor Rikka’s group was shown to him, Jean wailed. The 3D model of the globe before him was covered by a red destructive wave.
「This is caused by the Bertram reactor falling onto earth while it was active. The reactor fell into one corner of the Pacific ocean, and two spots in the Atlantic ocean, and a strong impact wave spread out on impact. The first disastrous wave hit everything on the surface of the earth.」
Kusu plainly stated this harsh content. Anarai’s shoulders shuddered.
「... You said it’s the first wave?」
「Yes. Depending on how bad a place was hit, the second wave might be more serious. The first impact was propagated through the air, while the second was a literal wave── a tidal wave originated from the point of impact and hit all the shorelines on earth. At this point of time, the estimated death toll was over 500 million.」
The number stated by Kusu was far beyond their imagination. Death toll of 500 million. The Katjvarna Empire had a population of 20 million, so 25 times that number died in a few short hours. And that was only the casualty at the start of the disaster.
「But the biggest shock to humanity was being cut off from the world at that instant.」
「Cut off?」
Ikuta interjected as he watched the beginning of the disaster. Kusu nodded before adding.
「Let’s put it another way, they got cut off from their information network── before that day, all the nations on earth were connected through a high speed communication network. If you had a device on hand, you could check whatever happened at any place on earth with very little time lag. When a disaster happened in the past, they could use that network to send supplies and support from a safe zone.」
High speed communication network and a close cooperation relationship, that was the biggest advantage that the humans of that era had. However── the impact from the first catastrophe put that function out of order.
「Even after sinking deep into the ocean, the Bertram reactor’s strong radio waves still disrupted communications worldwide. The disaster hit all the humans on earth── but with no means to communicate, those in the disaster zones had to deal with the situation by themselves. This applies to the nation with vast lands too.」
＊
── C.E. 2278. India, Telangana, North Refugee Camp.
With the factory that produces and repairs Sprites at the center, tents and camp sites were erected. It has been eight months since the crash of the spacecraft, known as the Great Fall. The people who lost their livelihood kept flooding in.
「... To think we don’t have to wait for two centuries.」
Professor Rikka sat down beside the factory and muttered as she watched the refugees… the people who came in search of the Sprites. If steps weren’t taken to deal with the increase in population, the need for the AE series would increase with time── The dark humor said by Sapuna in the past came true drastically ahead of time.
As she was thinking about that, Sapuna jogged towards her.
「... I gathered the testimonies from the survivors, and confirmed them. Aside from the places near the shoreline that got flooded, the factories we built had all survived. Thanks to the evacuation facilities, the factory survived the impact, and the people are building refugee camps around them.」
「I see… So it’s great that it served its purpose?」
Complicated emotions welled up, and Professor Rikka said what came to mind. There was a short silence before her assistant said with some hesitation.
「... Sorry, Professor. We haven’t been able to contact your friends and family in Japan...」
「Oh, it’s fine. After hearing the situation along the shoreline, I can imagine how my home nation that is surrounded by the ocean would be.」
The Professor waved her hands with a dry smile. She didn’t need to check to know the situation in her home nation from the fragments of information she had gathered.
「Sigh, the capital Tokyo is definitely destroyed. It’s questionable whether the government functions can be shifted inland… Worst of all, the disaster happened during a parliamentary session. How many Ministers and Senators survived? That’s questionable.」
「... Ughh...」
「Hence, we can still be hopeful that the United States, China and Russia which had vast territory inland to take action── but at this stage, all the countries are having a tough time just dealing with internal affairs. For now, we have to survive in this place too.」
She said as she drank the well water purified by a Water Sprite. The recovery of the living facilities were not progressing at all, and many people had to make do for now.
There were more tents here than yesterday. Sapuna looked at the factory behind her uneasily.
「There are more people coming here for the Sprites, can the production and repairs keep up?」
「It will be fine for now, and when it’s overloaded, we can direct them to another factory. Considering the population in other zones, it should be less crowded there.」
Professor Rikka analyzed calmly── After leaving the office with their surviving colleagues, they saw that the basic facilities for living in the city had been destroyed, and headed straight to the factory to set up a refugee camp. This saved many people who had nowhere to go, but they couldn’t find the way to recover their old way of life.
Professor looked at the crowd as she took out her PDA from her white coat pocket. The computer retained its function because the Sprites charged it── but when she unconsciously checked her email and social media sites, she remembered for the upteenth times that it wouldn’t work.
「Again. I know the network is down, but old habits die hard… The era where you can connect with anyone with a computer seems like an old dream.」
Professor muttered as she looked up into the sky. Sapuna sat down beside her without saying anything.
After learning that Professor Rikka did everything she could to help the refugees after the disaster, and the great help the AE series has been, the Indian government officially worked together with her. As time passed, planes from other nations landed at their airport to learn more information, and one of them came just for her.
「Professor! A guest from the United Nation wants to meet you, Professor Rikka!」
When her assistant Sapuna was calling for her, the Professor was documenting the interaction between the refugees and the Sprites. She stopped tapping on the virtual keyboard on her PDA and turned around. A man in military uniform behind Sapuna said happily.
「Ohh! You must be the inventor of the Sprites, Professor Rikka, right!? I’m surprised, you are more charming than your photo.」
「It’s been a while since I last heard a joke like that. You must be from the United Nations, may I have your name?」
「I’m Frederick. As you can see, I’m a soldier. I have many things to discuss with you, but this isn’t a suitable place. May I invite you onto our plane?」
The man gestured at the airport with his thumb, Professor warned him.
「That’s fine, but please don’t abduct me. I’m not anyone important, but this place needs me.」
「We won’t do things like abduction. However── not just this place, the entire world needs your ability. That’s how great you are, please remember that.」
Frederick said seriously. Sensing his words weren’t just social niceties, Professor Rikka felt a stir in her heart.
She was chauffeured to the airport along with her assistant Sapuna, and after finishing some tedious diplomatic procedures, Professor Rikka was invited onto Frederick’s small United Nations plane. Some of the seats had been dismantled to create a meeting room, and a middle aged man was waiting there for her.
「Nice to meet you, Professor Rikka. It’s an honour to meet you… My apologies that our first meeting has to happen under such circumstances.」
The man’s first words were self mockery. When she saw his face, Professor Rikka opened her eyes wide.
「──Dr. Bertram? The man himself?」
「... Yes, that Bertram. Forgive us for troubling you to board the plane even though we are visiting… Because of my current situation, it won’t be a surprise if I get lynched.」
The exhausted Bertram said. Professor Rikka gasped. The reactor designed for the spacecraft, the Bertram device that would herald the future of humanity── the man before her was its inventor. However, what humanity was facing right now ran contrary to his intentions.
「I have something I want to ask if I ever see you. Was that── an accident? Or done intentionally? What went wrong──?」
「Judging from the conclusion, it’s both. The direct cause is a mini bomb hidden inside space debris, a new method of terrorism. We aren’t sure who is behind it, but──」
「But?」
「... The probability of a terrorist attack is small, so we never considered it. We also simulated the reactor suffering serious damages in a terrorist attack. However… in the ten thousand ways that the reactor is destroyed, there are a few hard to predict outcomes. And we hit the jackpot.」
Bertram lamented. Professor Rikka listened to the professional explanation for about ten minutes, and then summarized it.
「... In short, the government pushed your project forward anxiously, resulting in lapse in security management. On top of that, the new method of terrorism caused an unprecended catastrophe── is that it?」
「That’s correct… This isn’t an excuse, but I have pointed out these unstable factors ahead of time. To be safe, I wanted to push back the project for one year. However── however, the government rejected the proposal! If they lose the support of the people and stop the funding, the Bertram device would not be completed! Thinking that humanity would not have a future if I don’t get results, we got too impatient...!」
Bertram grabbed his hair in regret. Thinking about how they felt right now and during development, Professor Rikka couldn’t say anything.
She knew... The Bertram device was an invention hanging on the edge despite its great potential. With the nations losing interest in space exploration, his invention was said to be the last ditch effort. With his budget being cut due to the criticism from society, they fought on valiantly. All for the sake of changing the future where 3 billion would die from starvation──
「......!」
Because they were too impatient, the disinterested view from society made them even more anxious. And the malicious terrorist attack── caused this tragedy? That made her bit her lips. The entire thing was too regrettable.
「... Dr.Rikka, I’m familiar with your work, especially your theory on AI. Most importantly── our field of expertise might be different, but we share a common goal in saving the future of humanity. I feel ashamed that I’m pushing the problems I made onto you...」
Bertram hung his head and said weakly. Professor Rikka grabbed his shoulders firmly with her hands to stop him from saying anything more.
「Let’s talk about the future, Dr. Bertram. There should be a reason you came all the way here to visit me.」
No matter how much they regret the past, people had to look towards the future. She conveyed that to the Doctor. Bertram raised his head and faced Professor Rikka properly for the first time.
「Yes, you are right, I’m here to talk about the future with you… To talk about the bleak future of mankind.」
He started with that── and what he said made Professor Rikka shivered.
He told her that the Bertram device in the ocean would operate uncontrollably for several millennials. With no way of destroying or recovering it, acting recklessly might cause a second catastrophe on the level of the Great Fall.
The berserk reactors were emitting all sorts of radio waves── known as Bertram waves, it had the terrible effect of blocking communications throughout the globe. Climate change, rising sea levels, the disruption to the ecosystem── there were countless problems, but there was one that had the greatest impact on humans. The drastic fall in the survival rates of children. The Bertram waves were a great threat to the children who lacked resistance towards external pressure, and most of them would die before maturity. From the estimated research values, only one out of twenty children would survive until adulthood──
After listening to him for more than an hour, Professor Rikka used her PDA to receive the detailed data from the Doctor’s data storage device. Even she was dumbstruck. Humanity was in a worse state than she ever imagined, which shocked her deeply.
「... What can I do?」
She said after taking a few deep breaths. Bertram answered with a question.
「Can you continue building factories for the AE series?」
Professor Rikka nodded, then took out a small data storage device and handed it over to him.
「Please take it back with you. The schematics for the Sprites and the factories are all in there. Normally, I should get permission from the main office before making this decision… But I have not received any communication at all, and waiting probably won’t do any good.」
Now wasn’t the time to act with the benefits of a corporation in mind. Bertram received the storage device respectfully, but showed a sad face as he stared at the object in his hand.
「Thank you. However── practically speaking, aside from this place, there isn’t much change for the AE series to be popularized.」
Professor Rikka stared with her eyes wide open. Since he came all the way to visit her, she thought his goal was to bring back the Sprite to his country, and didn’t expect that.
「You don’t need it? Has the United Nations recovered that far?」
「I wish, their situation isn’t too different from here. The problem is with the mind of the people. You can probably guess how our political scene was hit by the Great Fall.」
Bertram sighed heavily. Professor Rikka’s face turned gloomy. With how many lives were lost in that incident, the people will want an answer.
「The tendencies of the people moving towards anti-Science. It’s the era where those claiming the world is ending has the most power. We Scientists are their target as we clinged to our authority to speak. And me, the mastermind, won’t be surprised if they roast me alive.」
「......」
「The one glimmer of hope is that we know about your place. Build more factories centered around Asia. There is nothing better than the words of mouth from the people who benefit from the Sprites.」
Bertram said as he signaled Frederick who was standing still behind him. The soldier brought over a briefcase when he saw that.
「We want to give you this… The vaccine for a new type of humans.」
Professor Rikka looked at the case Bertram gave her confusedly. The Doctor showed a bitter smile.
「There isn’t some weird child of Science inside. Simply put, this is a patch to update the human hardware── a stimulant to change the genetics affecting the functions of humans. Our country did research in case of such a situation. We couldn’t do it openly due to ethical reasons── even without that incident, we have been taking precautions in case the environment on earth changes drastically.」
「Genetic manipulation?」
「That’s right. To overcome the climate change I mentioned just earlier, we have to either hide deep underground or remake our bodies… My nation is leaning towards the former. Right now, each state is building underground city vaults. The citizens think this is the choice made through democracy, but there are no ends to their protests.」
Professor Rikka took the briefcase for now and thought with a complicated face.
「Only those who live underground, or people who change their genome can survive… There are two choices, and it’s difficult to judge which is better.」
「For this country, the latter is more realistic. If that’s what the people choose, then mass produce this stimulant while you can spare the effort. The method is simple. If you vaccinate women before their third month of pregnancy, there is a high probability that their child can adapt to the environment. And that’s also true for their descendents.」
Which means, this wasn’t a treatment for just one generation, but changing humanity in the future too. If not, humanity would not be able to survive, Bertram emphasized. Realizing the seriousness of the matter once again, Professor Rikka asked:
「Building more factories and increasing the new type of humans that can survive the change in the environment… If we don’t hide underground, those are the only two methods we can use in our limited time, right?」
「There might be other ways, but I can’t think of any. I plan to travel to other nations and tell them the same thing. I don’t know whether they will believe me though.」
Bertram showed a face of self reproach. He bowed deeply at Professor Rikka, and said to her as in prayer.
「Please let the people survive, Professor Rikka. I hope it doesn’t come to this, but if the other nations choose the wrong method── then this place might become the last bastion of humanity.」
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