Chapter 161: Dancing with Machines (1)
Chapter 161: Dancing with Machines (1)
“Librarian! Lend me a Reality Stabilizer!”
I threw open the door blocking my path and shouted.
Snap.
Perhaps I was too excited. An ominous sound echoed from the hinges, but it probably wasn't a big deal.
Regardless of the door, I stepped into the room with a spirited heart, but...
“....”
The only things that greeted me were the icy glare of my friend, neatly dressed in a lab coat, and a silence that dominated the room.
In that stillness, how much time passed as we simply stared at each other?
“...I believe I put a 'No Entry' sign on the door,” Librarian finally spoke.
“I’m an associate, so it shouldn't matter, right?” I replied.
“It meant no one should enter, regardless of whether they are an associate or not... Sigh.”
Librarian let out a long sigh.
A harsh, metallic rasp was mixed into that final breath.
“What’s this? Did your lungs turn into machines too?”
It hadn't been that long since I last saw him, but had the encroachment progressed again?
Thinking that, I plopped my backside down on one of the mechanical crates scattered around the lab.
Librarian’s words were negative, but seeing as he wasn't kicking me out, he probably didn't mean for me to leave immediately.
I didn't like that it lacked a backrest for a chair, but the warmth creeping up through my seat wasn't a bad feeling at all.
“I wouldn't recommend sitting there.”
“Why? What is this?”
It looks like just a square metal box; is there a problem?
“It’s a core fragment of a Colossus. I have some research to do—”
Is he insane?
Startled by Librarian’s answer, I scrambled to my feet, but a chill—cold enough to make me shudder—washed over my body.
“Wait... a Colossus? Did you even get permission?”
He’s not doing this by stealing it like I do, is he?
If, by some miracle, the Colossus were to be resurrected and the Management Bureau ground to a halt, it would be a total catastrophe.
“Of course I received permission. I’m not someone who acts recklessly and ignorantly like a certain someone.”
“Then it’s fine.”
The Bureau must have taken precautions. It’s not like dangerous experiments are rare; if I started worrying about every little thing now, I’d never live a long life.
By the way, who’s the one acting recklessly and ignorantly? Is it Oxymoron, who cultures O-Rank Monster flesh in the name of experimentation?
With that thought, I looked around for a new place to sit.
“But why the Colossus all of a sudden? What are you researching?”
Honestly, I wasn't that curious, and I knew whatever he said would be beyond my understanding anyway.
But isn't conversation essentially a game of catch?
It’s a necessary action to maintain a friendship.
“Ah... to explain it simply... you know the concept of the 'soul' established by Calavera? We acknowledge that such a thing clearly exists, but the idea of it inhabiting a machine falls into a category that is somewhat incomprehensible. So, as a comparison group, a monster containing such a concept—”
Would this chair be good?
Librarian was rambling about something, but I ignored him and lowered myself onto a pipe chair.
“...Whether that soul can actually be forged, and what physical influence it might have...”
It’s hard. Maybe that chair over there?
My next target was a chair that looked strangely luxurious for this messy laboratory.
With a gleaming frame and black mesh, it looked expensive at a glance.
Judging by the table in front of it, it seemed to be Librarian’s chair. But it shouldn't matter.
As I leaned back into it, I felt the surprisingly resilient mesh wrap around my body.
A breeze drifted through, so it wasn't stuffy either.
It wasn't exactly soft, but there was a slight counter-pressure that felt like it was supporting my frame.
It wasn't great for sinking in and feeling cozy, but for long hours of focused work, it seemed perfect.
I wonder how much something like this costs...
“...Through that theory, mass-producing AI-based soldiers... Are you listening?”
“Huh? Oh. Yeah, I’m listening. So you’re researching that to make mass-produced soldiers?”
He seemed to have said a lot before that, but the “End” part was probably the important bit.
“...It feels like you’re just repeating my last words... but yes, that is the gist of it.”
Glad I managed to gloss over that.
These research-type experts really get talkative the moment their work comes up.
If I had chosen the wrong answer, I probably would have had to listen to incomprehensible stories all day.
Anyway, this chair is more comfortable than I thought.
I idly tilted the backrest and stared at the glowing lightbulb.
“Well. Moving past my story... didn't you say something to me when you came in?”
Ah. Right, that’s why I came.
Listening to a technical lecture that leads one into a dreamlike state made my mind wander elsewhere for a moment.
“Can you lend me a Reality Stabilizer? I really need one.”
I returned the backrest to its original position and made the request with a hint of humbleness.
I had walked in confidently, but a Reality Stabilizer isn't exactly a cheap item, is it?
“Hmm. If it’s a Reality Stabilizer, they’re scattered all over this lab... but since it depends on the required performance and intended use, I can't just let you take any—”
Of course, I had already heard about that from the Octopus.
Naturally, I couldn't remember that alien language, so I had written it down elsewhere.
“Wait a second.”
Because I wrote it on my phone.
I spoke quickly to cut off Librarian’s technical lullaby and opened the memo on my phone.
Let’s see. How do you read this?
“Um... Output 1.5 mNol, effective range 0.3 Tac, maximum duration 93... How do you read this? Earthworm?”
ζ... What letter is this?
I left it to that Octopus guy, and he typed in a character I can't even read.
No, more importantly, how did he even type this on a phone?
“An earthworm... That would be Zeta. Hmm. With those specs...”
I debated whether to show him the phone, but it seems there’s a common language among technical geeks; Librarian seemed to understand despite my bizarre description.
However, as if he had something to ponder, Librarian began to think deeply, his coolers whirring excitedly from somewhere on his body.
“Why? Is it hard to lend?”
I threw out the question, but...
“....”
Librarian remained silent, the sound of his coolers and gears only growing louder.
Nothing for it. I’ll have to wait.
Once he falls into that kind of thought process, he won't react no matter what I say.
About five minutes passed.
“May I ask one thing?” Librarian finally spoke.
“Go ahead.”
“Before I ask, does our reckless friend here know the power level of a Reality Stabilizer with the specs you just mentioned?”
“Of course I don't.”
What even is Tac or Zeta in the first place?
“I see. Then I shall tell you. A Reality Stabilizer of that caliber has a power output equivalent to about half of the Reality Stabilizers embedded in a Management Bureau branch.”
...Huh? What?
Half of the ones built into a branch?
“...Seeing your jaw drop, you really did ask to borrow it without knowing.”
Librarian pointed it out, but I couldn't close my mouth.
It was an unexpected statement, and I was utterly flabbergasted.
That Octopus guy told me to borrow that?
How the hell am I supposed to carry something like that?
Weren't the ones shoved into the Bureau the size of shipping containers?
Is it even portable?
“Well, then, a question.”
“Uh, yeah. Go on.”
My brain isn't working properly right now, so I don't know if my answer will be sensible.
“What do you intend to use it for?”
“Ah? I’m going to visit the Otherworld for a bit.”
I answered reflexively, and at the same time—
Screeech.
The sound of something twisting echoed.
A sound like a well-running machine coming to a halt, as if the brakes had been slammed on.
“...It’s not... a mission, then.”
The one who made that sound spoke, a harsh metallic rasp coming from his mouth.
“If it were a mission, the Bureau would have provided support long ago. More importantly, are you okay?”
Smoke is coming out from between your clothes.
“I am fine. More importantly...”
Clank. Whirrr.
The friction noise that had been echoing in the room stopped, and with a sound like something clicking into place, the coolers began to whir again.
“I am retracting what I said earlier, but let me ask a second question. Why are you trying to enter the Otherworld? That... horri...”
Librarian’s final word didn't follow.
He was likely recalling a trauma.
The experience of entering the Otherworld as part of an expedition.
Therefore, I didn't answer immediately and waited.
To give my old friend time to regain his composure.
And so, just as my friend’s breathing began to steady—
“Information.”
I quietly uttered a single word.
“Information, you say?”
“Yeah. Information. The information to reverse-engineer this twisted world, which we are always lacking.”
“Is that... a sufficient reason to step back inside?”
I know.
I know how terrible it is in there.
It’s not a place of physical pain.
It’s not a place of simple revulsion.
It is just one single problem.
The experience of not being able to be certain that I am myself.
Senses change.
Time changes.
Memories change.
People change.
And the surroundings change.
If so, who can prove that I am me?
Nevertheless.
“It’s worth going. Don't you know that better than anyone?”
“I’m not so sure.”
That’s a shame.
“Seeking all knowledge to obtain a single answer. Aren't scientists that kind of people?”
Of course, I am different from him.
If information itself is their goal, for me, information is merely a means. A means to reach The End.
However, the fact that both sides need it remains the same.
“...You have a point. Especially if it is information for the sake of humanity. You were always that kind of person, Ha-ram.”
Did he agree with my words? The mechanical tone and sharpness vanished from Librarian’s voice, replaced by a gentle, human cadence.
Well, this seems to have ended well.
If there’s a problem...
“Setting that aside, doesn't this mean I can't get that Reality Stabilizer after all? No matter how small you make it, is something like that even possible—”
“It is possible.”
Huh?
“No, the ones in the Bureau are...”
“Those were made with past technology. They’re bulky because they’re covered in safety devices and runaway prevention mechanisms.”
Suddenly becoming cheerful, Librarian began to launch into a lecture.
“If you’re going to the Otherworld anyway, we can strip away all the unnecessary safety features, apply new technology, and if we can just figure out the energy source...”
Librarian was rattling on about something, but a different thought dominated my mind.
So, is it a yes or a no?
I thought I had escaped the science talk earlier, but I got caught in the Second Wave.
“Well, so the point is, everything else can be resolved somehow. There might be some safety issues, but you’ll manage somehow, Ha-ram. The problem is the energy source.”
Having finished his scientific epic, Librarian glanced at me with a sharp gaze.
“Hmm. This might not be bad. The timing seems right...”
I have no idea what he’s talking about.
I thought the conversation was over, but now he’s started talking to himself.
“Ha-ram. Can you grant me a request? If you succeed, I will make the Reality Stabilizer for you.”
the end of his monologue was a question directed at me.
“What’s the request? I need to know that first.”
I’d probably do almost anything.
We’re friends, aren't we?
“Yes, it is a simple request.”
Librarian paused for a moment.
“Will you be with me at the end of my story? If the worst should happen... I want you to destroy me.”
He had entrusted his life to me.