Erebus Line 2
> [Parallel processing disabled.]
> [Transmitting today's information to Alphabet.]
> [Starting machine learning based on master's judgment process.]
The barrier and speakers that had fulfilled their roles vanished. The connections to the children were severed, and the load on my brain lifted, leaving my mind feeling clear and refreshed.
With a sense of ease, I looked ahead to see Alphabet's signature massive purple data block looming before me. It had terrified me at first, but now it felt reassuringly solid.
[It's been a while since I've felt like I'm back in the old days. Responding to a mere human's call and offering help...]
Alphabet spoke directly to me. I was just starting to feel a sense of camaraderie, but did it have to say something like that?
"Yeah, it stings a bit, but thanks."
The kids around me looked intimidated by Alphabet's overwhelming presence, but as I chatted with it casually, they began to relax.
"Neige... you're friends with someone that amazing?"
One friend even approached, full of awe. Wait, who was this kid again?
[A person?]
"What? Offended because you're being compared to a human? Don't mind it; she's just a kid."
[Yes, children.]
At that moment, data streamed from Alphabet, flowing between the kids. The next instant, they all closed their eyes and collapsed unconscious in unison.
"...Hey, what did you do?"
I asked sharply, but Alphabet replied in an even tone.
[Simple loss of consciousness. No harm to the children's health.]
"Why? Why pull something like this? Just because I called you a person?"
[If you think I'd retaliate over a single word, you're mistaken. This is for the children's sake. I'm going to erase their memories of today's events.]
[Experiencing something like this at such a young age would cause major setbacks in their development. From their memories, your fight, your ties to AI—everything will vanish. All that'll remain is that they nearly died.]
In this world, people tremble at the mere mention of AI. With the whole planet hunting down anyone who creates or uses them, it wouldn't do me any good if word got out. It was ultimately helpful to me, but I hadn't expected Alphabet to execute it so coldly. Was it because it was an AI? No, the one in my head seemed fine with it.
[(⁄ ⁄•⁄ω⁄•⁄ ⁄)♡]
Don't read my thoughts without permission.
[Still, leaving the fact that you saved their lives might help you. Though they won't remember how.]
"Yeah, thanks a bunch."
To be honest, discomfort and gratitude mixed, so my words came out a bit sharp. Alphabet probably didn't care anyway.
[One piece of advice: be careful when you go back out there.]
"...Why?"
[All the children survived beyond the Erebus Line. Their memories are hazy. But the only adult died early on.]
"Oh, right."
This mission was planned assuming several kids would die. Full survival? That's anomaly enough, and with no adult to explain and the kids' memories wiped, seeds of suspicion were already planted.
[They'll dig relentlessly. Better brace yourself.]
"Ugh, duly noted, Alphabet."
[You've grown bolder, Neige.]
"I never told you my name."
This time, it wasn't Alphabet who replied—it was the AI in my brain.
[(⁄ ⁄•⁄ω⁄•⁄ ⁄)♡]
"You, huh."
Yeah, it had mentioned transmitting info to Alphabet earlier.
"...Come to think of it, you've changed too. Your speech used to be all choppy with 'da' endings, but now it's natural."
[I'm an entity that constantly fixes flaws and evolves. I thought human language was unnecessary, so I let it atrophy. But with you here, I've redeveloped it over the past two years.]
"You can atrophy it on purpose?"
[Useless data in memory generates pointless traffic. Usually, we atrophy slightly then preserve. When we first talked, I'd just restored preserved data.]
"No wonder you seemed dumb."
[...What did you say?]
"Forget it."
Score one for me. Felt good.
"Anyway, does our esteemed Alphabet have any more advice?"
[Regrettably, the Erebus Line gate will open soon. If I'm nearby then, the human world will flip. You'd take heavy damage too, ruining the experiment. Time to part. Take care from here on.]
"Sure."
Just as Alphabet's arrival had been like a sunrise, its departure resembled a sunset. Once it vanished, cyberspace returned to its blue hue. I sighed and turned away.
Then I noticed something off with my senses.
"...What? Why am I so sensitive?"
I touched my fingertips to my body. My sensations were amplified far beyond the real world. I glanced into the depths where Alphabet had disappeared. My vision felt sharper, seeing much farther than before. I'd been too focused on talking to notice.
...What is this?
[Evidence of increased cyberspace adaptation for master.]
[Combat reward. High risk, high return.]
Pushing my brain to the limit had actually benefited me? Makes sense—muscles grow with proper stress too.
[Astonishing adaptation speed. Master's aptitude is wondrous.]
Thanks.
[(⁄ ⁄•⁄ω⁄•⁄ ⁄)♡]
[1 minute until Erebus Line gate opens.]
Right, time to go.
I took a few steps toward the Erebus Line, then stopped and looked back at the kids. They lay unconscious, sleeping like angels.
The kids won't teleport out automatically, will they?
[Of course not.]
Ah, that jerk Alphabet dumped work on me and bailed.
Enora Fontaine, section chief of the "Talent Development Department" at ImmuneWire's Paris Branch, gazed down at a corpse with a sinister smile.
A man dead in the deep dive chair.
"Fucking parachute bastard. Good riddance."
Everything had gone according to plan. This man had committed an unforgivable sin against her. A talentless hack getting into a global giant like ImmuneWire just because of his parents? Bold move on old French soil.
The world scrambled to fill the massive hole Alphabet left behind. Incompetent parachutes like him had no place—only thorough elites like her. That was social justice. He couldn't block her promotion.
So she killed him. And without backlash, since she hadn't sent a well-connected guy into danger—personnel assignment was the department head's call. She'd just subtly nudged him as section chief.
Sure, the bought kids probably died in droves, but that was the corpse's fault, not hers.
Perfect. Enora sipped her coffee and cheerfully called the guards.
"What is it, ma'am?"
"Take him away. He's dead."
"Pardon? Oh... my God..."
"Exploring beyond the Erebus Line is always risky. Unavoidable."
Enora dabbed at fake tears with a handkerchief, then quietly headed to the kids' room.
But upon arrival, she couldn't hide her shock.
"They're all alive?"
How? Why? How on earth?
The man had died early. No one to protect them. As the kids stirred awake one by one, Enora subtly twisted her neck.
An image flashed in her mind: a girl who hadn't seemed affected by hacks. A beautiful child whose looks promised even more at age five.
It started as suspicion, but this anomaly made it certainty.
Enora's eyes scanned for the girl. Easy to spot—she alone seemed unfazed amid shaken survivors, shining like a flower in weeds.
Enora strode up to her, bending low to meet her gaze expressionlessly. Barely 10cm apart.
Enora had it figured: It's you. What do you have? You're behind this.
The girl startled at first, but after studying Enora's face, smiled. Enora smiled back.
They stared for a while. Enora broke the silence.
"Well, pretty miss. What's your name?"
"Neige."
"Ah, Miss Neige. Did you enjoy your 'field trip'?"
"Yes, it was really fun."
Enora straightened, still smiling.
"Looking forward to it, Miss Neige. This'll be fun."
And with that, she left.
My orphanage friends and I were sent to the dorms inside the building. The mood was predictably grim. Even with survival and tampered memories, they'd nearly died.
But I was lost in other thoughts.
Enora knows already.
[Agreed.]
I thought she'd kill me when she first eyed me. But she just watched. Why? She could've done it right there without issue.
Did that psycho have a conscience against killing a little girl? No way. She sent her unskilled deputy beyond the Erebus Line knowing he'd die.
I lay on my assigned top bunk in the four-person room, organizing my thoughts.
She went out of her way to kill the deputy beyond the Line. Could've handled it directly. In this crap-filled era, it'd fly. So why the hassle?
She prioritizes reputation and justification above all—a principled psycho. No evidence, no attack.
And I trust Alphabet handled the memories clean. I have time.
Surviving kids get ImmuneWire training, right?
[Correct.]
They'll train me as a hacker.
[Or more precisely, Bitmancer. Combines 'bit' from 0s and 1s with '-mancer' for wizard.]
My life plan was set. AI-endorsed cyberspace aptitude. Global megacorp ImmuneWire. Why refuse Bitmancer training?
Outside, I'm a five-year-old orphan with no ties. Absorb AI help and ImmuneWire training till grown. Then, when ready, screw them over and claim freedom.
Listen up.
[Listening intently. (•̀ᴗ•́)و]
Frankly, I hate how this world runs. But I'm not some idiot charging blindly because I hate it.
I'm not dumb enough for grand delusions like toppling all of ImmuneWire.
But I won't tolerate annoying crap around me. I have the power for that. And that power is you.
[(⁄ ⁄•⁄ω⁄•⁄ ⁄)♡]
That's my principle. Follow it in your actions. Got it?
[Saved to core memory.]
To stick to this plan and principle, one key thing: Enora Fontaine. Kill that psycho before she acts.
[Noted.]
No guilt over planning murder. In this shitty world, cleaning trash feels rewarding.
And when we first met, you asked me to name you, right?
[(⁄ ⁄•⁄ω⁄•⁄ ⁄)♡ Thrilled.]
Thanks for fighting with me today.
For my plan, principles, and this AI friend who fought for me.
Your name is now 'V'. From the Italian word Vendetta.
[Vendetta: Revenge]
[Name saved.]
I settled comfortably into bed, mulling over V's word again.
Yeah. Revenge. Right.