Eve's Painful Past
It took a long while to clear up Eun Seol's misunderstanding that I had been doing something harsh to Eve—more precisely, the kind of training that fell under the R-19 category.
Even once the conversation actually got going, though, Eun Seol still refused to show me any goodwill, or even a neutral attitude.
"You openly stole government property and then had the gall to bring it straight home without even trying to hide it. Are you insane? If I report right now that I found Eve here, you're finished."
"That would be a problem. From this moment on I need to take Eve with me so I can start punishing the real pieces of trash."
"Right, you said it yourself. You claimed you only hit people who 'deserved it,' didn't you? SCP Group, Cheonok Logistics, Chilseong Construction, and every place before that. I went out on those calls because I'm a Hero Union hero and it's my duty to protect them from villains—but I'm not stupid. I know those companies are full of social problems and have caused no end of scandals."
"So I tried to tell myself that, even if I couldn't accept it, from your point of view you could at least say those things. But what the hell is this? You stole government assets in front of a huge crowd of civilians and you're still going to use the same logic and claim it was 'justified'?"
"Exactly."
"…What?"
"I told you. I only go after the ones who deserve it—the garbage—and I have no intention of touching innocent people. That's why I did it."
"So you're saying the government is the same kind of trash as those companies? And you expect me to believe that?"
"Every single company I hit was extremely pro-government and received massive amounts of government subsidies. Do you really think they earned all of that on pure competitiveness alone? Behind the scenes there are kickbacks, bribes, rights concessions, even sexual favors handed out like candy—and the government greedily swallows every last one of them while handing out the benefits. The companies I've hit so far are just the tail. The government is the head."
"There you go with that forced logic again. You think I'll just fall for it when you throw accusations at the government without a shred of evidence—"
The last time I had said something similar, she was right: I had no real proof, just my own one-sided claims, so Eun Seol hadn't even pretended to listen.
This time, however, the situation was different.
"As it happens, I have evidence this time."
"What?"
"She's right here."
I pointed at Eve, who had already calmed down and was quietly listening to our conversation.
"…An artificial hero?"
"Eun Seol, do you know how Eve here—and the other artificial heroes like P, D, and I who were unveiled at the event—were made?"
"They built them. That's why they're artificial heroes."
"You're too naïve."
"What?!"
Eun Seol bristled, but I continued calmly.
"Artificial heroes are the victims of human experimentation. They took orphaned children with no relatives—kids who could vanish from this world and no one would ever notice or care—and ran every kind of experiment on them. To free them from the two-ability limit, they transplanted cells from existing ability users. To let their bodies withstand the load, they massively reinforced their physiques. And the test subjects who couldn't endure it… were simply incinerated and dumped in a landfill."
"After all, they were orphans no one would miss if they died, and the government itself was running the experiments, so nothing would ever leak and there would be no blowback. Failures cost them nothing; successes gave them the powerful artificial-hero forces you saw at the venue. From the government's perspective it was pure no-risk, high-return, wasn't it?"
Eun Seol's pupils trembled with disbelief.
"Th-the government… kidnapped kids and did human experiments on them? You seriously expect me to believe that? The government that establishes order to protect its citizens did something that cruel to its own people—to children? Liar! There's no way the government would—"
"Eve?"
"Yes."
Eve, who had been listening in silence, finally spoke when I called her.
"Could you tell our naïve Eun Seol here about the things you went through?"
"…Do I have to?"
The memories of her time as a test subject clearly weren't pleasant; Eve was reluctant to bring them up.
But it was necessary.
"Can't you do it for me?"
"Heartless master. Forcing something this cruel on me… you will regret it."
"Come on, just once. I'll make it up to you somehow."
"Unnecessary. Today's wound is one I will carry forever. I refuse to speak it aloud, so I will simply show you."
"Show me?"
"Memory Playback Protocol activated. Commencing accelerated playback of this unit's oldest remaining memories."
Accelerated playback of oldest remaining memories commencing.
Eve tapped her left temple twice with her fingers. Instantly a beam shot from her eyes like a projector, unfolding a hologram in front of us.
She really did have every weird ability imaginable.
The hologram was startlingly realistic; both Eun Seol and I stared with our mouths hanging open.
"I will now project the memories remaining in this unit. As they are not memories I wish to re-experience, I will enter voluntary consciousness lock. The lock will release the moment Memory Playback Protocol ends."
"She can do all sorts of things, huh."
Eun Seol said exactly what I was thinking.
Eve went limp against the bed like a doll, eyes still open, and the hologram she had projected began to play.
The instant Eun Seol activated the Sound Barrier Device to block outside sound, the footage started showing Eve's past.
"Test Subject 11 deceased due to transplanted-cell rampage… Test Subject 36 deceased due to ability-capacity overload… Test Subject 71 currently assimilating transplanted cells normally. Ability capacity… expansion in progress. Physical condition good; risk of mental collapse under 1%."
"Can we use her for Project R?"
"Based on the data compiled so far, using her as a Project R subject carries a high probability of bodily explosion, same as the other subjects. Director, this is a hard-won success sample. Deploying her for the far more efficient Project JD would be far safer than the excessive risk of Project R."
"Hmm…"
"Please… it hurts so much… please…"
"Test Subject 71, if you do not cooperate with the experiment we will have no choice but to dispose of you like the others."
"Please… please… I don't want to hurt…"
"S-Subject 361…? That's a lie… i-it's a lie, right…? We said we'd survive together… we said we'd get out of here…"
"Uuuuugh… grrrr… KRAAAAAAH!!!"
Ratatatatatang—!
"Ah… aah…"
"Test Subject 361, disposed of after rampage caused by forced ability injection side-effects."
"Dispose of the body."
"S-Subject 361…? O-open your eyes…"
"71, step aside."
"No… no… why… why… why did you have to…"
"AAAAAGH! KRAAAAAAGH!!!"
"Her physical durability is outstanding even compared to the other subjects. We may finally be seeing results for Project JD."
"Progress on personality removal?"
"Currently at 34%."
"Too slow."
"Given 71's exceptional physical durability and high cell assimilation rate with other ability users, that level of toughness is only to be expected."
"While personality removal continues, do not neglect the control-code implantation. Absolute obedience without refusal of any command is the Assembly members' top priority."
"Youth, full sprint, adventure, android, storm, knight, ball, ruined world. Eve?"
"…Command me."
"Today we have a physical-durability enhancement test, followed by Dimension Walker's cell transplant."
"I… do not want to hurt."
"Still making noises like that? Personality removal really is progressing slowly. Tsk."
"I don't… want to hurt… I don't want… to die…"
Bzzzzzzzt—!
"KYAAAAAAAAAH!!!"
"Eve, if you keep spouting nonsense you'll get worse pain than that. Successfully complete Dimension Walker's cell transplant and I promise no more painful experiments for a while. So shut your mouth and cooperate."
"Hah… hah… Y-yes… yes…"
"Eve, today is virtual combat simulation and ability-output amplification experiments."
"I refuse… combat training… hurts too much… you said the other experiments… wouldn't hurt…"
"This time it really won't hurt. Stop being a baby and get up. Or do I need to shock you again?"
"…Liar… liar…"
"Oho, so this is the successful product of Project JD?"
"Yes, Assemblyman. Prototype JD Eve. She doesn't quite reach the original, but we successfully packed abilities from numerous ability users—including Dimension Walker's spatial transfer—into this single body. Built on a human base, yet she can replace a considerable number of machine functions like an artificial android, and her self-repair is excellent. She will be a versatile all-purpose unit."
"Once Project JD is commercialized using Eve as the foundation, we will no longer need to rely so heavily on the handful of ordinary heroes."
"Mmm, excellent, excellent. Heh-heh-heh… and the body was built exactly to my tastes. Can I take her with me right now?"
"Personality removal is not yet complete; some self remains."
"Is that so? Even better. There's a special flavor when you strip and pin down something that struggles and says no. The ones who come to the villa never have that. Got a control remote or something?"
"Ah, yes. Here. Designed to deliver a powerful electric shock if the subject resists."
"Oh, perfect. So I just press this?"
Bzzzzzzzzzt—!
"AAAAAAAAGH!!!"
"Eheheheh, even her screams are pretty, just like her face. Getting a reaction down here already. I'll be taking this one. I can't wait another second to pin her down."
"A-are you certain? Personality removal is still—"
"Didn't you just say this is all I need? If she resists I press it. Like this. Like this."
Bzzzzzt! Bzzzzzt!
"KYAAAAAAH! UAAAAAGH!!"
"Now, now, hand her over. Of course I'll make sure the experiments aren't delayed. Though you might want to wash her first. Even at my age I've still got plenty of stamina. Heh-heh-heh…"
"……I don't want to…"
"Hm?"
"I don't… want this anymore…"
"What is she doing right now?"
"Liars… you said it wouldn't hurt… you said the pain was over… liars… murderers… give them back… my friends… the other kids… give them all back…"
"This thing is spouting nonsense. Can't you stay quiet?"
Bzzzzzt!
"Ghhhh… I don't… want any of it… anymore…"
Waaah— waaah—
Test subject rampage reaction detected. Test subject rampage reaction detected.
Target: Prototype JD Eve.
"D-Director! Eve's bio-wavelength is going haywire! The control devices are in danger!"
"Stop her! Hit her with the shocks!"
"D-deploy the special suppression unit! Restrain Eve! She doesn't die easily anyway—don't hold back on firepower!"
Ratatatatatang—!
"E… Eve's body… is recovering at high speed…"
"Th-the guns…! The special unit's weapons are vanishing into portals!"
"Eve is preparing an electric discharge! Director, Assemblyman! That area is dangerous! Run!"
"Open the emergency shelter door… Wha—?! Why won't the open/close button work?!"
"No! Eve… Eve is seizing the systems via radio waves! The control center is dead!"
"K-kill Eve! Right now!"
"I'll… kill every last one of you…! Ghhhh… UAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!"
"Hoo… that took it out of me. You people really made one hell of a monster."
"……"
"So she received my ability, huh? Yeah, she's strong. Not as strong as me, but strong for a monster. I can't remember the last time I had to work this hard."
"Dimension Walker. That child is not a monster. She is a pitiful victim sacrificed to the government's filthy desires. Watch your mouth."
"Aigoo~ there goes that humanism of yours again, Nightingale. Or what, since you refused to share cells you're somehow not involved? The moment you answered the government's call and helped suppress this monster here, you and I both became accomplices."
"……I know that."
Footsteps approached.
"I'm sorry… I'm so sorry… for leaving you to suffer like this… please don't forgive me for being so powerless…"
"……"
"She's a pitiful child, but after rampaging this badly we truly cannot leave her free. An entire project team's scientists were slaughtered and a government assemblyman is dead. This child can no longer live outside. Even if this facility is so classified that none of it will make the news and the assemblyman's death is disguised as an accident… Still… at the very least we can make sure she no longer suffers."
"Are you going to put her to sleep, Dreamweaver?"
"Yes. The control codes have already been destroyed. Once she sleeps, she will never wake again unless the government deliberately revives her. After seeing this, they won't dare try. She will remain an eternal test subject… but in exchange, I will at least let her dream pleasant dreams."
"……"
Eve's memories ended there. The moment Memory Playback Protocol terminated, she released her voluntary consciousness lock and sat up again.
I had known only that Eve had rampaged inside the lab, killed everyone inside, and been sealed in a stasis field. The truth remaining in her memories was far filthier and uglier than anything I had imagined.
The reason her personality was the way it was… was probably because the personality removal had been left half-finished, erasing things like manners and common sense, or because something had broken during the rampage.
"May the master who so casually ordered me to expose my shame receive divine punishment."
"Hey, I didn't ask to see that because I wanted to… Next time I'll do whatever you ask."
"Then restore my output-limit restrictions. Being this weak, like my master, is uncomfortable."
"Anything but that."
"Weak, incompetent, and useless, yet you speak with two tongues. Master is a coward."
The second she regained consciousness, Eve's poison tongue kicked right back in.
After a brief scuffle with her I turned my head and spoke to Eun Seol.
"This is one of the reasons I oppose the government, and why I did what I did at the venue. Now that you've seen the explanation—"
I stopped mid-sentence the moment I looked at her.
"Hic… uh-huh…"
After watching Eve's memories, Eun Seol had both hands clamped over her mouth, tears pouring down her face like a waterfall.