Android (Part 1)

"We have to go up there now!"

"Stay calm, 102. We've requested external support, so we wait."

"Goddammit! What if that thing takes out everyone while we sit here? We strike first, before it picks us off one by one!"

"That is not possible."

William watched the argument between the officers and M01, all of them fellow comrades in uniform, and felt a bitter taste rise in his mouth.

102 wanted to move immediately to reinforce their comrades; M01 insisted they hold position and attack alongside the support forces arriving from outside. By rank, M01 outranked everyone present, so obeying him was the correct protocol. The police refused and pushed back for one simple reason: M01 was a machine.

Mega Corp's chronic hatred of robots is as alive as ever.

William had spent long years in the military, so he knew exactly why the people of Mega Corp despised androids and cyborgs so deeply.

The Star Union.

Not long after Mega Corp was founded, vast numbers of lower-class laborers had been semi-forcibly thrown into the colonization of space. Androids were used in considerable numbers too, but compared to humans they were a mere fraction.

Human lives were cheaper than employing robots. It was a tragedy born of that arithmetic.

While countless lives were being shoved into that black void, some of the colony ships began to walk a different road.

The androids managing those ships suffered an error, and turned against their ruling Capital. Using the network linking android to android, they spread the corruption to other colony ships as well.

The rebellion swelled, and soon ordinary laborers—not just androids—began to join it.

A massive insurrection led by machines, with humanity joining after the fact.

That was how the Star Union began.

The Union's androids claimed that surviving the harsh environment of space demanded replacing the body with something better, and the humans accepted it, becoming cyborgs of their own will.

An ideal community where machines and humans survived together, discrimination between them abolished—that was their stated goal.

...Or so the Star Union claims.

The Union advertised itself as a righteous force standing against a corrupt Mega Corp, but the reality was nothing of the sort.

The rebellion had started with a machine error in the first place.

An uprising led by malfunctioning machines was never going to turn out that conveniently.

The Star Union's androids force-converted even laborers who wanted no part of modification into cyborgs. They went so far as to implant chips in their brains, stripping away free will entirely.

After the rebellion, they expanded by raiding other colony ships and forcibly cyberizing the colonists.

Naturally, Mega Corp's ordinary citizens held no love for the Star Union. Who could ever warm to the kind of monsters that abduct you and turn you into a machine against your will?

A long stretch of time had passed since then, and the spark that started the fire had long since burned away—but the embers remained, lodged deep in the minds of every Mega ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Corp citizen as a visceral hatred of machines.

In any case, setting history aside, it was hardly desirable for allies to be at each other's throats in the middle of a crisis. William moved to calm the officers first.

"Hey. Everyone, settle down."

"But—!"

"We're police. I understand worrying about our people, but don't forget the mission."

"...Tch."

Once William spoke to them with level-headed firmness, the officers visibly regained their composure. Having settled them, he called M01 over.

"Hey. M01."

"Speak, Detective Team Leader."

"I heard commander androids receive data transmissions from their subordinate units. Is there anything on that thing?"

After the Star Union's rebellion, Mega Corp had imposed several restrictions on android manufacture.

One of them was converting androids' data recorders to a closed architecture so their thought processes could not be linked. Since the android network had been one of the root causes of the rebellion, the measure had been all but inevitable.

However, in war, where information exchange was critical, applying it across the board carried too heavy a cost—so commander androids serving as control towers alone were permitted to temporarily lift the restriction.

"That is correct in principle. However, the androids of the T&C Special Trade Hub have recently revised their protocols for defense against EMP attacks. Shielding technology has been applied, and data transmission over the network is now only possible in limited form."

"...I see."

William accepted that it was probably because of the Board of Directors Meeting.

The most dangerous weapon in a space city was not plasma armaments, not cutting-edge warships, not even a swarm of Metallic Gremlins. When an entire megastructure was controlled by machinery, nothing posed a greater threat than an EMP strike.

With the Board Meeting approaching, EMP protection had been raised above its usual level, and the androids' protocols had evidently been changed along with it.

"Then can't you infer something about the thing from even that limited data?"

"What do you mean?"

"That thing may not be human at all. I want to verify it properly."

"You believe the target to be a non-human sentient entity?"

"I caught a glimpse of it when it dragged 112 away. It was no person. The shape was closer to a monster—no, a beast."

"Understood. I will check."

As M01 spoke, a green light kindled in its eyes—a sign that it was decrypting the data the other androids had ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠transmitted.

A commander android could remotely review the data stored by its subordinates, but while doing so it was left completely defenseless, exactly as now. Mega Corp had designed it that way deliberately.

...What a stupid arrangement.

How many soldiers had been harmed by that godforsaken restriction?

While William sank into his thoughts, M01 finished decrypting and spoke.

"As you suspected, the enemy is assessed to be non-human."

"Give me the details."

"M06, lost on the first floor, and M05, lost in the second-floor corridor, were both destroyed by high-penetration attacks."

"A Gauss rifle?"

"No. M05's data recorder was destroyed by a projectile thinner than a tungsten round, and M06's power source is assessed to have been destroyed by a psionic attack."

Perhaps because it had received only fragmented data, M01 used the term "assessed" rather than "analyzed."

But William knew well that an android's analytical capability surpassed any human's, so he trusted M01's words.

"An enemy with psionic power and high-penetration weaponry. Then what happened to M03, which went up with M05?"

"M03 was destroyed by an attack from an organism not registered in the database."

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"When I widened the search to include all organisms in the database, the weapon that destroyed M03's data recorder showed a ninety-percent structural match to the tentacle of a large alien jellyfish-class organism discovered in the deep sea of planet E-101."

"No sea monster is going to be lurking in a space city. So the enemy is a Hulk Mutant, then?"

"No Hulk Mutant model carrying that organism's genes exists."

"...A new model, then. Or something we know nothing about."

Since the enemy was believed to be intelligent, judging it a wild animal was difficult. A prototype Hulk Mutant not yet publicly announced was the most reasonable assumption.

Could the Eugene family be moving against T&C?

Hulk Mutant manufacturing technology was half-monopolized by the Noble Capital's Eugene family. A new prototype would very likely have ties to them as well.

And here, of all places, the Board Meeting was imminent. Perhaps all of them had simply been caught up in the shadow war being waged among the upper Capitals.

Seeing William lost in thought, M01 added a remark.

"There is no cause for concern. Even if everyone present is annihilated, the data will reach the District General Security Team intact. When the shielding was installed, our data recorders were upgraded to dual units, so unless the enemy destroys us completely, the information cannot be lost."

"...How reassuring."

At the android's toneless remark, William gave a wry smile.

Unlike an android with no concept of death, William had no desire whatsoever to die here.

...I've let my mind wander long enough.

Worrying about tomorrow could wait. Right now, focusing on the mission came first. He voiced his thinking to M01.

"I agree with waiting for support, but the enemy may counterattack before then. We should prepare."

"Agreed."

"Administer the combat enhancers."

"The upgraded formula has reduced side effects, but are you certain?"

"Better than dying, I'd say."

"Understood. Enhancer administration authorized."

With M01's authorization given, the four officers present and William injected the combat enhancers.

The drug hit William's veins for the first time in a long while, and he shuddered slightly at the familiar mix of discomfort and liberation. The other officers wore much the same expression, so they were probably feeling no differently.

Just then, the comm unit of one of the armed officers lit up.

"It's a transmission from 112! I have to answer—"

"One moment. I will take it."

M01 took the comm unit from the officer's hand and pressed the button.

They're not coming up?

I'd hidden on the stairwell planning to eliminate the enemies as they climbed, but not a single one of them had shown so much as the tip of its nose.

Are they stalling?

If they were calling for backup and waiting it out, that was decidedly unwelcome news. They could receive reinforcements; I could not. The longer this dragged on, the more the balance tipped against me.

Should I charge in and hit them myself?

My senses registered nine enemies in total. Three androids and six officers.

One android and one officer were holding the first floor; the rest had all gathered on the second.

If they're clustered together, I could sweep them all in one blow.

Monster's Tentacles—the most powerful weapon in my arsenal.

A trait created by fusing the Galagon's Claws, inherited from the White Galagon genes implanted in Sihyeon Yujin's body, with my Psionic Organ.

Until now I'd used it as nothing more than an upgraded psionic organ, but that was far from this trait's true worth.

Just as Adhai, a Blue Galagon, used her tentacles to unleash psychic impacts, all Galagons channel their psychic techniques through the tentacles in their mouths.

It's called the organ of the dragon's tentacles—under normal circumstances, a trait I could never have devoured.

But through fusion, I had acquired an organ identical in form to the Dragon's Tentacles. Through Monster's Tentacles, I too could wield the psychic techniques of the White Galagons.

Which means I can use Psychic Breath.

The "Psychic Power" and "dragon's power" mentioned in the text box referred to Psychic Breath, the signature technique of the White Galagons.

A technique modeled on the thermal beam fired by the protagonist of classic Japanese kaiju films, and—as the text box had warned—it boasted truly devastating power.

The original could slice this apartment building clean in two. I couldn't produce output on that scale—though sweeping every enemy in the corridor away in a single strike was well within my reach.

The problem is the enemy on the first floor.

Psychic Breath consumed enormous energy, leaving me completely exposed immediately after firing. If the enemy on the first floor came up to attack me in that window, I would have no way to respond.

I'll hold Monster's Tentacles back as my trump card.

I switched on the comm unit, giving the enemies one last chance to be lured out.

｢This is M01. Speak, 112.｣

"They're torturing me! Please! Please, somebody help me!"

｢The one torturing you—is it human?｣

The android asked me in a bone-dry voice.

'Am I human?'

Hadn't they been fighting me all this time on the assumption that I was? Why the sudden question?

Did they figure out I'm not human?

As far as I knew, Mega Corp androids couldn't share information with one another. By setting, Mega Corp had banned inter-robot data sharing because of the machine rebellion of the past.

They might have seen me when I dragged the officer away.

That was possible. Come to think of it, one of the officers had seemed to keep his eyes fixed on my side of the room right up to the end.

It had been a very brief moment in the dark, and I'd assumed he hadn't gotten a good look at me. Apparently I'd been wrong.

While I deliberated, the android on the other end continued.

｢Given your delayed response, the probability that you are not 112 exceeds eighty-five percent. Effective now, 112 will be recorded as killed in action.｣

"Ah."

With that, the thing cut the transmission.

Hm.

Sharp as any android could be, certainly. I'd hesitated only a moment to think, and it had immediately concluded I wasn't 112.

It's been a while since I ran into this kind of enemy.

In the game, the Morphing Organ was a trait only I possessed, and plenty of players had fallen for it.

But as time passed and I became famous, the players developed countermeasures of their own.

Checking speech habits and conversational style, asking questions only comrades would know the answers to—they flushed me out in all sorts of ways.

Tch. Deceiving them won't work, then.

I gave up on the idea and ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠crushed the comm unit. Ambushing them after sowing confusion was no longer an option.

So the only way left is the straight approach.

Going down and attacking them head-on. Honestly, not my preferred method.

They'll be burning with determination to catch me too, on their ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠end.

If luck ran against me, the enhancer-dosed officers would be waiting for me. Upgraded powered suits meant upgraded enhancer effects, presumably.

Officers armed with Gauss rifles, dosed on combat enhancers. Plus androids on top of that.

I might have to accept losing a limb or two.

Not that I have any intention of running.

At the very least, I had to finish off everyone on the second floor before leaving. They knew I was a monster that could mimic human voices.

...This time, let's do a proper pincer operation.

I had no intention whatsoever of being strung along just because the enemy had landed one blow on me. Impressive that they'd caught on to what I was—but they still had no idea there were three of us.

I explained the plan to the kids, then rose from my hiding spot.

Well then—shall we?

This time, it seemed I would have to trust my hardened hide and the kids' combat skills to carry the day.