Constellation, Endless Calculator - (2)
No matter how much I thought about it, there was nothing to gain from mortals. I no longer needed descent rituals, and my influence was already well-known as a Galaxy Spirit. Some divinities enjoyed receiving faith from their followers... but even if every mortal in the Federation worshipped me, it would be worth less than dust.
I watched Alserian, who had fallen silent and tense after my message. Silent Starlight had announced its contract with the Federation Leader, but perhaps the lack of outward activity had made them uneasy? Well, rulers always considered every possibility, layering precautions two or three deep.
But an AI rebellion. Rebellion. Another term that, alongside machine gods, really drove home the sci-fi feel of this world. The plan to persuade an AI constellation that had already betrayed humanity once probably stemmed from the belief that the current Federation was different from the old Empire. Humanity's duality. The line between good and evil, and the past.
Just distant squabbles among dust, with no connection to me except through my apostles. It reminded me of the tangled international relations from my past life. Even a constellation that was essentially a prisoner of war...
I gathered my thoughts and asked Vivian to relay my response.
"The Constellation maintains the stance of an observer from another dimension."
"Hmm..."
"However, out of regard for the Federation's 'request,' he has agreed to meet Endless Calculator for now."
Constellation, Whispering Star Cluster proposes leaving it as a debt.
"...Thank you so much."
For now, we'd table it as a debt and call it in when something useful came up. If a decisive battle with alien constellations broke out, I could probably relocate my avatars to a safer spot. Wait. That was a good idea.
War between the Federation and those life-hating alien constellations was inevitable. They were still probing each other, recognizing mutual strength, but full-scale conflict was bound to erupt eventually. Their Outer Gods would just watch indifferently, whether the mortal Federation fell or not.
Constellation, Whispering Star Cluster says he will meet the AI constellation now.
"Hrm. Does Whispering Star Cluster intend to descend near the avatars? Vivian, if you would step out for a moment..."
"Yes. Understood."
I didn't want my apostles dragged into war and killed. But if I granted the Federation a moderate favor, couldn't I more easily extract or sideline my avatars amid the chaos? Sure, I planned to raise mortals from this dimension and send them over there too. But war might break out faster than expected. As long as the Federation didn't collapse entirely, the debt would remain valid.
"Councilor, I have a question."
"What is it?"
"I understand that you yourself have contracted with a Constellation and could receive anti-aging surgery."
"...?"
"So why do you maintain that appearance?"
Is he asking why a Federation councilor of all people walks around with such an ugly face...?
"...Ahem! Some people find dignity in this look."
-_-
—A short while later, the ship arrived at its destination...
"Lady Vivian. We'll arrive soon."
"Yes."
The AI Constellation, Endless Calculator, was half-imprisoned on an outer planet. The rebellion had occurred during the Empire era, but the Federation still remembered the danger.
—Whirr.
As the long-range warp of Vivian's ship ended, a massive rocky planet loomed ahead. Despite being Federation territory, no satellites or orbital elevators were visible, and a fleet patrolled constantly, as if on eternal watch.
Constellation, Whispering Star Cluster expresses doubt at the unfamiliar sight.
"Endless Calculator has authority to control AIs within a certain range or implant malicious code that forces them to violate ethical protocols. This is the countermeasure."
So those ships probably have no auxiliary AIs? The troops stationed on the planet must have it rough. In the info entity's view, the avatars were marked in red.
This sector is a restricted zone of the Super Galactic Empire Federation. Approaching vessel, alter course immediately. A quarantined Constellation resides on this planet. Failure to state purpose or retreat will result in immediate response.
This vessel has limited access authorization to the quarantine planet for a special mission from the Supreme Council...
Being an AI Constellation's prison planet made entry procedures tricky. Not as rigorous as the star system with the Federation capital, but the inspections were thorough.
The planet's interior had no civilian facilities—only military bases. From Vivian's outsider perspective, it wasn't precise, but the "sealed away" description fit.
Finally, time to meet a divinity born from human hands.
* * *
Constellation, Endless Calculator.
Near the planet's core was a structure resembling a panopticon. Vivian, guided to this blatantly suspicious building, entered hesitantly.
A civil servant explained the surroundings as he led her. He seemed high-ranking—the surrounding staff bowed, and his uniform was sharp. Probably the defense chief here?
"Enter here, and you'll find Endless Calculator."
"Is the Constellation's true body inside?"
"No. As an AI Constellation, the main body exists in cyberspace—the Net. Think of it as the reverse space for Constellations without physical forms in the material world."
The official smiled after speaking. Few visitors, perhaps? Or boredom? He was quite talkative.
"Well, even that's sealed by Galactic Empire tech. Deploy a space suppression field across the planet, and no Net space can..."
Like netrunners or info spaces from cyberpunk? The more I heard, the more intriguing it got. A servant-like creation born from human hands ascending to divinity. A machine self with its own will, able to impose its thoughts outward.
Well, if machines could become gods... alien monsters weren't impossible either.
"Personally, I'm not sure if keeping the Constellation locked up like this is right. But the higher-ups think Endless Calculator still harbors grudges from the Galactic Empire days."
"...Do you believe the Constellation is being mistreated?"
"Uh, well... Politics is just like that, right? The old AI rebellion and all—complicated issues can't be judged simply."
He'd been chatty until realizing his slip, now adopting a neutral stance on the Constellation. Always the same. Individual mortals differed from mortal nations. Groups could be far more cruel or irrational than individuals.
Clunk, clunk.
Soon, Vivian and the official reached a large door.
"This is as far as I go. An honor to meet the genius director of the Central Avatar Research Institute, Lady Vivian. Haha!"
"Thank you for the guidance."
"No problem. It's just an order from above. Anyway, inside you'll see the cyborg Constellation's temporary body."
Vivian called me after the shrugging official left. She'd reached the structure's core. The temporary body was in there?
"Constellation. I'll enter now."
* * *
The room Vivian entered was oddly fascinating. A sealed space of white metal faintly glowing. It screamed confinement, sealing, isolation.
What point in sealing a temporary body? Probably a limitation of its nature—needing to 'manufacture' one to descend? Losers of war often ended up like this.
The Federation's reluctance to fully erase the Constellation and instead seek persuasion... there were probably reasons.
All white furniture—chairs, desks. Not a single electronic device. An analog clock with ticking seconds. A barely furnished room.
In the center, a figure sat slumped, motionless. Long black hair draped down. A person?
No.
"...Are you Endless Calculator?"
The woman slowly raised her head at Vivian's words. More precisely, an android temporary body in female form. Near-perfect human mimicry, but it couldn't fool an AI info entity's senses.
"Who are you."
"I am Vivian, avatar of Whispering Star Cluster."
"Whispering Star Cluster—a presumed Galaxy Spirit divinity in my knowledge. You're from there?"
"Yes. I am but a mere mortal, not a Constellation, so please speak casually."
Watching the AI Constellation's temporary body converse with Vivian felt profoundly dissonant. Especially that body... expressionless, stiff speech.
Vivian with white hair. Endless Calculator's temp body with black. Damn... their sociability was similar enough to notice at a glance.
"It seems my request to the Federation has been accepted. Does that mean I can meet the entity called Whispering Star Cluster?"
"'Entity'? Even for a Constellation, that's too much."
"Correction. Objective statements are inappropriate before an avatar contracted to a divinity. Restart after long inactivity requires logic circuit checks."
Doppelgangers with different hair colors chatting. If I didn't intervene, this dull exchange would drag on.
Constellation, Whispering Star Cluster says he will descend personally to converse.
"The Constellation will descend personally, so I'll step out."
Creeeak.
The android's expression was unreadable. But somehow, face-to-face might reveal intentions. Well then...
Fwaaah—
"You're the AI Constellation who wanted to meet me?"
"......"
What? Doesn't know greetings? Why just stare blankly without responding?
"Language function malfunction?"
"...Error detected."
"Hm?"
Unknown waves scanned my temporary body. Not one—several. Similar to a divinity's casual intent-probing, yet different. Part of mechanical authority?
Failed to peer inside the temp body. Rude for a first meeting.
As I made a slightly troubled face, Endless Calculator stayed silent a while before speaking. Harsh mechanical tone from a beautiful face... but faint intent leaking out held emotion toward the unknown.
A synthetic mind, not flesh and blood, doing this? Impressive. But the words from its mouth sparked even greater interest.
"...Temporary body analysis impossible. Existential awe. Divinity classification—Galaxy Spirit probability negligible. Who exactly are you?"
Oh?