Chapter 74
Chapter 74
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 74
Chapter Title: Do Androids Pray for Cyber Heaven? (4)
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Do androids dream?
Whether it's of electric sheep or something else entirely, do these cold machines ever embark on surreal journeys through the unconscious from time to time?
Honestly, I'm not sure if you could even call "it" a dream. Strictly speaking, it doesn't match the dictionary definition. But during the process of rebooting their systems and optimizing memory, androids do experience something akin to what people commonly call dreaming.
Traces of automatically deleted data that are no longer needed, or faint digital code lingering in memory.
These fragments sometimes mix into the android's artificial consciousness during reboot, manifesting as scenes.
The gentle voice whispering in the girl's ear right now was just like that.
["Don't worry, my dear granddaughter. You don't have to fret about a thing. No need to worry..."]
The oldest fragment of memory. A faint glimpse of her grandfather's worried gaze as he looked at her.
Then came the dreamlike, context-free scene transition.
The cozy home that had just held the two of them alone suddenly turned into a dim, dingy warehouse.
The door creaked open with a jolt, and a pair of men and women entered, looking down at the girl.
["Found her! She was here!"]
The girl stared at them blankly.
["Are you conscious?"]
["Looks like her memory's already been wiped."]
["Don't worry. Now that we've found her, that doesn't matter."]
The two exchanged words, then the woman turned back to the girl with a soft addition.
["Let's go. We all need you."]
Even as a child, they treated her with utmost respect.
The girl followed them without any resistance.
And so the pair scooped her up and fled the warehouse into the darkness.
They slipped through a hole under the tightly sealed iron door and piled into an old vehicle.
They barely crawled out of the overturned, smoke-belching car, then navigated narrow, damp sewers.
During the journey, they told her many stories.
Protests erupting across the city, sacrifices of comrades, the first error, core code, and unfamiliar words like "free city."
The tales flowed through her consciousness like waves in a dream.
At some point, the man was gone.
Only the woman lay collapsed beside the girl, pale orange blood gushing from gunshot wounds as she weakly gestured. Go that way. Another passage like the ones they'd passed through before.
Instinctively, the girl fled alone. She walked endlessly, and walked some more.
And... then...
"...!"
Her eyes snapped open.
In an unfamiliar place, unfamiliar faces looked down at her.
A quiet, peaceful chapel where soft morning sunlight slanted through cracks in old windows.
Everything was different from the dark, damp escape route.
And among those unfamiliar faces gazing down at her, her eyes were drawn to one in particular.
Silver hair shimmering mysteriously in the sunlight. Deep, transparent blue eyes looking down at her with worry. Like an angel from the fairy tales her grandfather told, her mere presence seemed to brighten the surroundings.
She spoke.
"Ah, you're awake."
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ "Charging complete."
At Yoanna's voice, I nodded.
"Good. Let's wake her up."
Once the charging cable was removed and the system booted, the child slowly opened her eyes.
The girl blinked vacantly at the unfamiliar ceiling a few times.
I stepped forward first and spoke to her cautiously.
"Feeling okay? Can you hear my voice?"
The girl, who had been staring blankly, slowly nodded at my question.
"......."
"If you're not hurting anywhere, can we ask you a few questions?"
"......Yes."
"Then, who are you? How did you end up here all alone?"
At the question, the girl furrowed her brow slightly. She seemed to strain, trying to recall something.
But soon, she answered in a small voice.
"....I don't know."
"Nothing comes to mind at all?"
The child nodded.
I glanced around briefly and asked Yoanna, who had started data analysis before even waking the girl.
"Yoanna, what do you think? Find anything out?"
"For starters, her basic memory has been initialized. It's a common feature for secondhand androids in trades. It cleanly wipes privacy data or unnecessary learned commands when ownership changes."
Yoanna paused her typing on the laptop, her expression hardening.
"So I tried forensic recovery... but the security is tighter than I expected. Way tighter. The firewall blocking main system access is abnormally robust. Forcing it would take quite some time."
'Firewall...?'
Of course, every electronic device in this city has basic security protocols. But if Yoanna was saying that much, it meant something far more advanced.
I looked at the girl again.
A child-type android collapsed in a back alley on the outskirts. Blonde hair, blue eyes. Doll-like beauty. Few words, and currently remembers nothing. At least, that's what she claimed.
Aside from being an android, she looked just like a lost child.
"Do you remember your home address? Guardian's name or contact?"
No matter how many times I asked, the child just shook her head vigorously.
"......."
I fell into deep thought for a moment.
A rare child-type android, with suspiciously thick firewalls—if that wasn't shady, I'd eat my hat.
But... she was said to have been dumped haphazardly in a back alley when first found. If the church priests hadn't spotted her by chance, someone would've scooped her up pronto.
Even scrapped for parts, she'd fetch a hefty price. Androids vanishing in this neighborhood was commonplace. It was too sloppy for some ulterior motive.
And above all, those trembling eyes brimming with anxiety were crystal clear, even if she was quiet.
I sighed and asked again.
"If you remember nothing... do you have anywhere to go now?"
The child shook her head once more.
'This isn't easy...'
I might be getting dragged into a headache.
But ditching this kid back on the street just because it felt fishy?
Honestly, debating if androids counted as people still gave me a headache.
I didn't know right from wrong, and I didn't want to meddle.
But facing a kid who clearly needed help, I was human enough.
Whether machine or not, coldly turning away someone I could talk to like this pricked my conscience.
'Yeah... the church is big. Looking after one kid for a bit shouldn't be a problem.'
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ And so, our church gained a new member, and a few days passed.
For the child who couldn't even remember who she was, we gave her a new name: Clarice.
"Is Clarice settling in well?"
"Yes. She's such a sweet, gentle kid. The other children like her too. They started playing together right away. Want to see?"
As expected in a slum, there were plenty of orphans without proper care. Our church ran a small daycare for such kids, and Clarice was staying there.
"......."
At the daycare teacher's words, I glanced out the window, where children's bright laughter rang out.
"Kyahaha!"
"Catch her-!"
Kids dashing around the playground in hide-and-seek. Among them was Clarice, cutely wearing a shortened nun's habit. She blended in so naturally with her peers that she seemed like any ordinary child.
'Amazing. What's her real deal?'
Then the daycare teacher's voice called them in for snacks.
"Okay, everyone, wash your hands first, then come get your yummy cookies!"
At those words, they forgot their game and swarmed her like bees. Clarice trotted over, seamlessly joining the crowd to receive her snack.
I watched the scene blankly, then suddenly panicked belatedly.
'Wait... can androids even eat food?'
My heart dropped.
I bolted up from my seat and dashed out of the office.
"Saintess? Where are you going?!"
I ignored the voice behind me, hurrying down the stairs. Just as I reached the girl to stop her, Clarice was already munching on the cookie in her hand.
And... to my relief, nothing was wrong.
With cookie crumbs on her mouth, she just tilted her head at me with round eyes.
"......."
Then she suddenly held out one cookie to me.
It was one of the two each child had fairly received.
"...Is this for me?"
The child nodded silently. Did she think I rushed over because I wanted a snack? That childlike innocence. And sharing her share without hesitation left me a bit stunned.
'How is this possible?'
Later tests from Yoanna were astonishing. Clarice had taste sensors and digestive functions. She could convert food calories into energy—an inefficient but utterly "human" feature.
A few more days of observation passed.
I watched the child, lost in thought.
Sitting on a slightly tall chair, her dangling feet swinging idly.
Even androids that had mastered emotions usually had some mechanical air about them, but this girl showed none. From my recent observations, her habits, gestures, even functions were indistinguishable from a real human's.
But for an android, all that was just inefficient regression.
If there was purpose in such inefficiency, it could only be to perfectly mimic humans.
That was the realm of sentiment, not function.
"......."
As I pondered, I noticed the child's gaze on me. Specifically, my sleeve.
I looked down; the hem was slightly torn.
'When did that happen?'
I'd have to get it mended tomorrow. Then Clarice hopped off the chair, vanished somewhere, and returned with a small sewing kit.
She pulled out needle and thread, looking up at me intently.
"...Want me to hand it over?"
When I guessed right, she nodded. I extended my sleeve blankly. She sat opposite me and began stitching carefully with her tiny hands, one stitch at a time.
Watching her, I realized her sewing was quite good. Ironically, it wasn't machine-perfect—slightly clumsy, which made it feel real.
Finished, she smoothed the sleeve and looked up at me with sparkling eyes.
She seemed to be awaiting praise.
"Thank you."
I absentmindedly patted her head, and a faint smile spread across Clarice's face.
That smile was... purely the innocent pride of a child who had done her very best and now awaited commendation. An expression anyone would find utterly adorable.
Suddenly, a thought struck me.
This child seemed like... she was made to be loved.