Chapter 133
Chapter 133
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 13
Chapter Title: Enlightenment and Impermanence
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217 hours have passed since Dr. departed,
and I'm still here, mulling over his command.
Dr. wanted me to return with a clear answer, so I can't leave just yet.
I pull up the memory of the sad expression he wore when he left and analyze it. If I disobey his instructions and wander off like this, there's a 93.28% chance he'll never smile at me again.
Dr. himself would stake his life on even the slimmest odds, but I can't budge from this spot. No matter how small the probability, I don't want him to hate me.
Thinking about him like this somehow stimulates my tear glands. The image of him I've conjured internally is making my visual organs ache for real.
You really love that boy, don't you.
I'm already suffering functional degradation from wrestling with this unsolvable puzzle, and now there's an unidentified object before me that even my scanners can't read—something utterly unreal.
It keeps trying to talk to me. I record its pure white glow and soft voice in my storage, hoping it might one day help Dr.
"Enough meditation. Get up already. Little one, are you still unsure?"
It's trying to meddle in my relationship with Dr. I can't touch it or analyze it—this being of light—but its gentle warmth registers clearly on my sensors.
"What are you so afraid of?"
"You don't understand. First, tell me who you are. I'm ending this conversation now."
Amy, don't be scared. You mustn't fear.
Even when I shut down my audio sensors, its echo reaches me. I can't figure out which organ is picking up this entity's voice. An inexplicable error.
Love isn't hard. Amy, that boy doesn't hate you. He wouldn't even think to. He just wants you to understand his feelings.
But the heat in my tangled computation circuits starts to cool. Its voice helps the surrounding matter return to its original calm state.
That's the ability I crave. If I could offer Dr. this kind of comfort by his side, would he look at me again?
Dr.'s vivid face lingers beyond my closed eyes. I want to see him. This place without him means nothing—it's as if everything has frozen in silence.
Amy, love isn't something you analyze.
[The light] tells me. It shows me a completely new perspective while urging me to go meet Dr. soon.
Amy, if you just sit there meditating, you'll never understand love, not even in a lifetime. Your core is already brimming with the radiant light of youth and love. You're just refusing to accept it.
I miss Dr.
I miss him so much that my synthetic blood and every circuit overflow with his warmth. Energy surges through me.
Run to him.
Amy, save your boy.
"Kyaaak..."
The light vanishes. In its place, a familiar cry fills the once-silent space. A voice pattern I've heard many times before.
"Eut... Stay still."
It's the woman named Nephyr who took her place by Dr.'s side. Ever since we came to the desert, she's been monopolizing his affection.
Perched on her shoulder is Jenny, thrashing about. The creature's vital signs are meaningfully faint, yet it breathes precariously while radiating fierce hostility.
"..."
On her other shoulder slumps a completely unconscious succubus. I have no idea how she ended up being carried by Jenny and Nephyr. Can't infer it easily.
"Kyaaak!!"
Jenny whips her tail violently, turning the interior into a wreck. Aggressive behavior fueled by boiling rage.
"Get out of my way!! Stop annoying me and scram!"
Jenny stuffs every bit of preserved food I had stored straight into her mouth. Despite wounds still oozing blood, she greedily packs in nutrients.
Her eyes, blazing with fury ready to explode any second, turn toward me in the middle of my meditation. She chews through preserved rations and jerky without even tearing the packaging.
One preservation kit contains 3,000 kcal—enough for a 75kg adult male to last a day—and she devoured fifteen whole ones. An astonishing amount.
"I'm gonna kill that tin can bastard..."
In her unrelenting rage,
Jenny bares her teeth and claws, threatening us all.
"You all go die in Daddy's place before he gets hurt. If Daddy gets even a scratch, I'll rip every one of you apart. I'll let you live if you buy time. Go stop that tin can right now. A punk like that, just swap out the shell and—"
"Jenny, Granny and I saved you. You're hurt, so don't push yourself. Stay here with Amy. I'll go and handle it somehow..."
"...Act all buddy-buddy and I'll kill you right now. Don't get cocky just 'cause you're weak—do as you're told."
Nephyr looks shocked, but I've already analyzed Jenny's cunning and violent nature from her time with Dr. It's no surprise anymore.
The important thing now isn't Jenny's violence.
Dr. isn't with these three creatures.
Dr. is alone. Jenny's words imply he's in danger.
Dr.
Dr. is in danger.
"Not bad at all."
The massive Ember Cannon starting from Rophuk's fingertips has grown to a considerable size. This secret weapon, built in secret inside the temple, will shatter the ceiling above and fire once the moon is in position.
"Joo-ho, our journey together is drawing to a close. Shall we share some stories before the end? I've got a drink I've been saving."
His question goes unanswered. I deliberately avoid casual chit-chat with Rophuk, and whenever I do, he shows a slightly bitter back as he carries on the conversation himself.
"Hahat, a refusal, then. It's called Kora—a fizzy drink popular on my planet. Quite the kick. Tastes great. If you ever change your mind, I'll treat you to one."
I have no idea what he wants from me. Rophuk devotes himself all day to the noble goal of [destroying the moon and the planet], yet he keeps tossing me mundane questions or lame jokes.
"...You'll like it, for sure."
Rophuk steps away briefly and returns with two glasses and a container of unfamiliar liquid. The packaging screams alien civilization.
Then he slides a glass and the drink toward me. Of course, I have no intention of drinking, so it'll end up with Rophuk sipping alone.
"Saved it for a day like this. Figured we'd share it someday."
But thinking about it, with his body fully replaced by machines except for his brain, all Rophuk can do is pour the drink into a glass and pretend to sip.
"Mm. Tastes nostalgic."
The liquid runs down his metal jaw. Realizing how ridiculous he looks, Rophuk clears his throat awkwardly and sets the glass down.
"Why don't you try some?"
"No thanks."
At this point, refusing almost feels rude. Rophuk maintains his usual gentle demeanor, but there's a creak in his actions now.
"...I'm telling you to try it. It's really good."
"I said I'm not drinking."
We push the glasses back and forth.
I'm not in the mood anyway, and I don't want to do what Rophuk says.
But.
Bam-!
"Just try it, damn it!"
Rophuk suddenly erupts in fury, slamming the table. The force is so immense that the sturdy metal table splits clean in two.
The glasses and bottle scatter everywhere from the impact, shattering with a crash and littering the floor with shards. Only then does Rophuk stammer, trying to smooth things over.
"...Ah, I broke my treasure. Wasn't trying to get mad. Just... wanted to share a drink after so long. Sorry if I startled you. I was just feeling a bit—"
But once emotions burst out, they can't be reined back in.
Rophuk tries to play it cool, but soon lets himself go.
"...Damn it all. What's the point? This is ridiculous. Boy, do you think you're something special? I took care of you, and here you are, crawling up without knowing your place!"
He grabs me by the collar. Rophuk bellows threats loud enough to shake the basement.
"Just...! Do what I say! Drink if I tell you to drink! What the hell is your problem? Don't you get that you're alive only because of my whim? You inferior piece of trash who can't even analyze that much!"
But I'm not scared.
For some reason,
I even feel sorry for him.
"Don't look at me like that. You're just—! Some extra that's alive...! Useless abilities, just hiding behind other bitches to survive...!"
"H-Hey! Okay, okay, just calm down for a sec—!"
Thud!
Rophuk can't hold back his anger and hurls me away, then yells at my sprawled back.
"Ack..."
"...I'm the idiot. Let's call it quits. Kids these days are all..."