The Angel of Eden
The master eventually projected the data screen onto the display and began explaining the biochip to me.
“The biochip’s core material is a parasite. Its official name is Abaddon. On the front lines where they fight monsters, it’s nothing short of pure terror. The larvae look like tiny caterpillars. They enter through the back of a person’s neck, parasitize the spinal cord connected to the brain, grow, and eventually seize complete control of the host’s body.”
“Is there truly no way to prevent it?”
“The only prevention is stopping the larvae from reaching you. Once it parasitizes a host, it roots itself and fuses with the nervous system, making clean removal nearly impossible without catastrophic damage.”
“It sounds like an incredibly dangerous monster.”
“Once it takes root, it learns through the host’s brain and develops its own ego. That’s the growth phase, when the host begins to notice something is wrong. The type of Abaddon is determined during this stage. The most common are soldier types, general types that can command soldiers, and queen types capable of laying Abaddon larvae.”
“If we eliminate only the queen-type Abaddons, could we wipe them out completely?”
“It would be possible if we killed every queen before they could lay larvae. But we still don’t understand the criteria by which Abaddons differentiate into different castes, so distinguishing them is impossible. The only thing we know for certain is that the hosts of queen-type Abaddons are always female.”
“So this device uses such a dangerous creature.”
“It utilizes the Abaddon’s unique traits. Its perfect stability with zero rejection no matter what organism it parasitizes, its ability to connect directly to the rooted brain, and its extraordinarily high intelligence that allows it to form an ego from the host’s memories and knowledge—if we can control it, the applications would be revolutionary.”
In other words, it was a high-risk, high-return organism. Eden and the other nations had judged the risk too great and rejected its use.
“Then in the worst-case scenario, it could break free of control and seize the host entirely.”
“There have been no recorded cases of it breaking control so far, but we cannot guarantee one hundred percent certainty.”
“What happens to the host once it is taken over?”
“A mature Abaddon manipulates its host according to its role. It protects the host and works to increase the number of hosts.”
“Are there no visible external signs?”
“None. That’s why on the battlefield, comrades who fought side by side suddenly stab each other in the back. It’s an object of pure terror. You’re essentially fighting an invisible enemy.”
Even after learning about the Abaddon, nothing changed for me. In the end, I simply had to follow my master’s orders and use the device.
“Don’t worry. If it ever breaks free and you become an Abaddon, I will do my best to grant you a peaceful death.”
“I trust you, Master.”
I left the laboratory with the device stored safely in its case, my master behind me.
The next day, I visited the bank to apply for a loan. Thanks to the special privileges granted to angels, I received an interest-free, indefinite-term loan. As expected, turning me into an angel had been a brilliant move on my master’s part. With these privileges, it seemed I would even be able to support his research funding. I would need to get permission first.
I went to a large hospital, paid the procedure fee, and just as my master had said, everything had already been prepared. I underwent the necessary examinations and received the treatment without issue. When I asked the doctors to use the biochip my master had given me, they looked puzzled at first but proceeded without any real suspicion.
With the familiar sensation of full-body anesthesia, the lights in the operating room came on. I was subsequently admitted to the hospital to monitor the progress of the implant procedure. I had already explained the situation at the shelter and taken leave in advance.
After the procedure, while lying in the hospital bed, I received the instruction manual for the latest Eden-model implant that had replaced my old one, along with the storage device from my previous implant.
Just as my master had predicted, this storage device likely contained Elisha’s past.
The sensation of having the implant replaced felt no different from before. I still felt no foreign object in my neck. Thanks to Eden’s advanced wound-healing technology, the back of my neck was completely clean with no scar. Only the faint trace of the access port cover could be felt beneath my fingers.
The manual stated that these access ports allowed direct connection to a computer for manual operation. It also had a built-in device for remote internet access, enabling connection through thought alone. I could make calls without needing to see or hear through conventional means. Additionally, it advised keeping the firewall and security programs updated to the latest version to protect the implant’s security.
So implants could be hacked. Using the built-in internet connection to browse the net felt strangely surreal. Even though nothing was physically there, internet windows would float before my eyes, and I could manipulate them with nothing but thought. At first it was difficult to adapt, but with persistent use I gradually grew accustomed to it and found it incredibly convenient.
A day later, after being discharged with a successful procedure result, I headed toward my master. On the way, I truly experienced the augmented reality function for the first time.
The technology that implemented augmented reality by sending signals directly to the brain was undeniably impressive. The sheer volume of information that automatically floated over the streets of Eden I perceived with my eyes was so overwhelming it nearly obscured my vision.
From simple data like shop advertisements and the names of trees to complex analysis of passing pedestrians—their nationality, personality traits, and more—everything was projected before me like holograms. It was so cluttered that I eventually disabled the internet connection and turned off the augmented reality function. Only then did my vision clear, making it much easier to walk.
When I returned to the laboratory, my master greeted me warmly.
“Looks like the procedure went smoothly. So? What did you think of the implant’s power now that you’ve experienced it firsthand?”
“It’s incredible. It feels like I’m in a completely different dimension.”
“It’s a form of cyborg technology, so public perception isn’t great, but its performance is undeniable. On the front lines, many soldiers still undergo the surgery despite the lag issues.”
“Now that you mention it, cyborgs were almost completely banned, weren’t they?”
“The higher-ups are obsessed with the idea of pure humanity. Prosthetic technology is also heavily restricted and can only be used in cases of disability.”
My master told me he would install various software onto the implant and asked me to expose the access ports. The ports were equipped with a protective cover to prevent foreign substances from entering. When I mentally commanded the cover to open, the barrier slid aside, revealing the small holes beneath.
When my master inserted the cable connected to the computer into the port at the back of my neck, I felt a tingling sensation followed by the distinct feeling of being connected to something.
“Disable the firewall and security programs.”
“Yes, Master.”
Once I fully disabled the firewall and security programs, the simple sensation of being connected transformed into the distinct feeling of something entering my mind.
“The feeling is strange. It’s hard to describe in words… It feels like someone is looking inside my head.”
“The implant is essentially a computer directly linked to your brain. It can read and process everything inside your mind. When connected to an external device, it can also output data outward.”
“So that’s why the firewall and security programs exist.”
“It’s also why the higher-ups refuse to receive implant procedures. If they were hacked, every piece of information in their brains would be laid bare.”
My master spoke while organizing the information being displayed on the computer monitor. I couldn’t understand the complex data, but the continuous stream of information on the screen was undoubtedly coming from inside my brain.
“The transmission speed is noticeably faster than a normal implant. It seems the roots are spreading successfully.”
“You mean that Abaddon?”
“It hasn’t reached zero-lag levels yet, so it hasn’t fully spread. Once it roots into every corner of the brain, data will transmit instantly with no delay whatsoever.”
“When I used the augmented reality function earlier, I didn’t really notice any lag?”
“You weren’t in combat. In complex, high-computation battle situations, you’ll feel it quite strongly.”
As I stared blankly at my master, my arm suddenly lifted on its own. Surprised that my arm was moving without my will, I tried to lower it, but it refused to obey.
“It won’t move, right? I’m manipulating the signals going to your arm through the implant.”
“So something like this is possible too.”
“I’ll show you something even more impressive.”
When my master operated something on the computer, everything suddenly changed. Emotions that should not have been felt came flooding in all at once, like a dam bursting. Happiness, anger, sadness, longing, awe, fear, anticipation—everything. The overwhelming flood of emotions left me unable to think straight.
Before I knew it, I was wiping away the tears flowing from my eyes. Ah… I had been sad about losing my emotions, and now I was crying with joy at having them returned.
“Can you feel it? The emotions.”
“Yes… yes. So this is what emotions feel like.”
“This program was originally developed to remove the fear of battle that frontline soldiers felt. It controls emotions to turn people into living weapons of war. By reversing its use, we can artificially grant emotions. I’ve modified it for my own purposes.”
“It’s so sad… Are these truly my feelings? Or are they manipulated emotions?”
“Angels have the parts of the brain responsible for emotions surgically removed during their modification with drugs and brainwashing devices. The program installed in the implant replaces those lost functions. It recognizes emotional triggers entering the brain, processes them according to its programming, and sends signals that make you feel as though you are experiencing those emotions.”
“So in the end, I am still being controlled by the implant.”
“Strictly speaking, yes. You’re at the level of a doll that can feel emotions, not a complete person. Complex emotions are difficult to replicate perfectly, so you may sometimes feel a sense of incongruity.”
“Still, it’s amazing. Right now I feel such overwhelming joy. And gratitude as well.”
My master truly was kind. To go this far even for a mere doll. I could feel my affection for him deepening.
“There is one thing you must be careful about. If the implant is hacked and the emotion program is taken over, you could be swept away by forcibly imposed emotions. Like this.”
When my master manipulated the computer again, the joy vanished and an endless wave of despair crashed over me. Something felt wrong. There was no reason to feel despair, yet I was drowning in it. My entire body grew weak, and just as helplessness began to take hold, the despair suddenly disappeared.
“Since it can be manipulated like that, always keep the firewall and security programs active.”
“Haa… That was an emotion I never want to feel again. That endless despair…”
“Are you aware of it yourself? You’re gradually becoming more emotional.”
“Is that so? I do feel like I’ve been acting a bit more on instinct lately. The presence or absence of emotions really does make this much difference.”
“Even if you feel emotions, your dead eyes remain unchanged, so no one will suspect anything. The brain functions were removed as they were, and you’re simply being controlled by the emotion program.”
The fact that my master’s words, which had never bothered me before, now felt sad—was that proof that I was changing? When I had no emotions, becoming an angel hadn’t mattered to me at all. But now I felt an indescribable emptiness. It was a complicated mix of sadness and anger, yet also the joy and relief of having met my master.
“Now that I can feel emotions, I’m somehow losing confidence in whether I can continue working as an angel. What should I do?”
“Are you anxious about making mistakes?”
“Yes. An angel must respond the same way no matter what humiliation or injustice they suffer. But now… I’m not sure if I can endure it.”
When I imagined being insulted and assaulted by a client while pretending to be Elisha, rage surged within me. My brows naturally furrowed and my fists clenched. It was a far more natural reaction than when I had no emotions. Not being able to control my emotions was more uncomfortable and unsettling than I had expected.
“That’s what it means to be human. To get angry and protest when faced with injustice. If it’s too difficult to endure, I can make some adjustments for you.”
“It’s fascinating. Just the thought of being manipulated by you makes me happy. Is this also a human-like reaction?”
The thought of being manipulated by my master strangely filled me with relief and joy. Were these the reactions of a normal person? Simply imagining being owned by him and handled however he pleased filled me with happiness and even pleasure.
“It’s not normal. No matter how many emotions you feel, you are still ultimately a doll. A normal person would feel rage and fear at the thought of being controlled and manipulated. You feel this way because you are an angel and my slave.”
“But I did feel anger toward the clients.”
“Perhaps it’s because you value being my slave more than being an angel? It makes me a little happy to know that your identity as my slave is stronger than your identity as an angel.”
“So even if I can feel emotions, I am still your slave in the end.”
After hearing my master’s words, I began to understand why my reactions were the way they were. I had already come to accept being his slave as natural, so the emotional triggers my brain received were shaped by that.
“So what would you like to do? Shall I adjust things so you can work comfortably as an angel?”
“Wouldn’t it be more helpful to you if I could perform perfectly as an angel?”
“For now, yes. For the sake of my goals, I need a capable angel.”
“Then please adjust me.”
I could do anything for my master. The moment I made that decision, joy welled up and filled my chest.
“I’ll make it so you barely feel negative emotions like reluctance or anger.”
When my master operated the computer once more, I felt something shift inside my mind. When I imagined the scenario again, the anger that should have come did not appear. Instead, the satisfaction and happiness of satisfying a client’s desires grew far stronger than before.
“I definitely feel like I’ll be able to perform my duties as an angel much better now.”
“And I’ll also remove the limiter on your pleasure response.”
“Why that?”
“You said pleasure was the only joy left for angels, didn’t you? Consider it a gift for my slave.”
“Thank you, Master.”
It might make acting more difficult, but since I could now express pure pleasure naturally, it probably wouldn’t cause any major problems.
“And once my goal is complete, I plan to give every angel possible an implant and install the emotion program.”
“If that happens, they will all become much closer to real people. That would be wonderful.”
Simply being able to express emotions as I felt them was a joy in itself. Their fundamental role as angels wouldn’t change, but I wanted to help them experience genuine happiness.
After that, my master installed various combat assistance programs and other software into the implant. Unfortunately, due to insufficient storage space, we couldn’t load Elisha’s memory data.
“I wasn’t planning to put it in from the beginning, but there really isn’t enough space.”
“Is the amount of data that large?”
“From what I can see, this contains the complete extracted memories of one person. Even though it’s an outdated model, it has completely filled a storage device with considerable capacity. In theory, if it were fully transplanted, it could generate an ego similar to the original based on those memories.”
“So it’s not simply lost memories that were stored?”
“I thought so at first too, but no. This is essentially the forced implantation of an artificial ego.”
The forced implantation of an artificial ego… Did that mean that before losing her memories, Elisha might have been someone else entirely? The thought sent a chill down my spine.
“Then it’s possible that I’m not Elisha, but someone else.”
“The possibility is quite high.”
I had thought they were memories Elisha had lost, but they had actually been implanted. In that case, could Elisha’s real memories even be found?
My master stroked his chin with his fingers, his expression serious as he pondered.
“Besides Eden, where else could they extract and implant memories this perfectly? Moreover, human cloning is prohibited for human rights reasons.”
“Is my body a clone?”
“It’s either a clone or a mosaic baby. Look here. I’m analyzing the information in your brain right now, and it’s unnaturally empty. No matter how thoroughly memories are erased when turning someone into an angel, this level of cleanliness is abnormal.”
To think that my body might be a clone or an artificially created one. If he hadn’t reduced my negative emotions, the shock would have been considerable.
“So I didn’t lose my memories—I never had any to begin with?”
“My guess is that Elisha’s body was grown in an incubator, immediately received an implant, and an ego was created from the memories stored within it. Since the foundational memories that formed the basis of that ego were all in the storage device, when the implant malfunctioned, it was thought that the memories had simply been lost.”
“But the being known as Elisha did exist.”
“The residual memories transferred from the storage device to the brain, combined with the knowledge accumulated since then, formed the personality called Elisha. I don’t know. This is all still speculation.”
“If we awaken the owner of the ego inside this storage device, wouldn’t we find out?”
“Where would we find a body to transplant it into?”
Ah, that was true. It wasn’t as if we could create a clone like me, and we certainly couldn’t use a dead person’s body. Hmm… What about an android?
“Then what if we transplanted it into an android’s body? Couldn’t that give an android a human ego?”
“What did you say?”
“If we transplant the memory data directly into an android, wouldn’t it create an AI based on that memory data?”
“That couldn’t possibly—wait. No, the processing power of high-grade artificial brains is comparable to a human brain, so if we do it like this…”
My master suddenly began muttering to himself and entered full research mode. I had simply spoken a thought that occurred to me, but to him it seemed like a viable possibility.
As I watched him manipulate the computer and work on something, a sudden headache struck me. My head grew foggy, as if something was wrong. Was it because the implant was still connected to the computer? Feeling the abnormality, I tried to call out to my master, but my body wouldn’t move. It felt as though it had overloaded and shut down. As my mind grew increasingly hazy, my vision began to blur.