Me? (2)
Black Monolith Corporation.
Black Monolith Corporation.
A megacorp that no citizen living in this cyberpunk world could possibly be unaware of.
In fact, even in my in-game hometown—the garbage landfill, where corporate influence was (almost) nonexistent—there wasn't a single vagrant who didn't know of it.
It was only natural in this insane world, where corporate influence outweighed national power.
I knew that the number of employees spread across the globe was close to a million, and the number of subsidiaries dominating the market economy ran into the hundreds.
A truly absolute existence.
I quietly gazed down through the window.
『The World Led by Overwhelming Innovation』
The text of Monolith's promotional slogan drifted through the air in the form of holographic letters.
Innovation, huh....
Come to think of it, that word never failed to appear in Monolith ads. I remembered a similar phrase written on the Monolith ad Andrea had shot.
Soon.
Beyond the forest of skyscrapers, Monolith's 'headquarters' began to reveal its massive form.
Though I'd had a similar thought the last time I came, the sight naturally made my chest swell with awe.
The enormous building, pitch-black like obsidian and rising 153 floors, literally looked like a 'monolith.'
Just gazing upon it gave me a sensation of mental strength being drained away.
It was surreal, and compared to other buildings, its sense of otherness stood out sharply.
Issues like glass surface reflections, shadow problems, absorbed solar heat treatment...
Many problems would arise.
It felt strange to me that they deliberately maintained such an inefficient structure 'on purpose.'
Well, it was true that such a sight could be seen fairly often in a cyberpunk world.
You could consider it the rich's way of spending credits.
Enjoying unnecessary expenses and indulging in lavish luxury.
Thinking about it that way now, it also explained quite well why Koozaka's headquarters was situated right in the middle of an amusement park.
From the perspective of a small-time citizen like me, I just thought, 'Are they all crazy bastards?'
Really, it's a whole other world.
.......
Of course, the fact that the 'Monolith Chairman' I'd just described at length was sitting right next to me was the most surreal thing of all.
34. Me? (2)
Personally, I'd briefly imagined that on our way to work, interns, regular employees, executives, and even passing citizens would come out in order, kneel down, and greet the Chairman as if he were a god—or rather, a god-like being, the Chairman.
Thankfully, nothing like that happened.
It wasn't that the citizens' recognition range had been exceeded and they couldn't recognize the Chairman; it was simply because our aerial vehicle stopped on the rooftop.
As we stepped out, the Chairman murmured quietly.
"That was fast."
"Well, it's only a 30-minute walk, after all."
Since it's nearby, it didn't take long.
On the rooftop, as if informed in advance, the face of Justin Borg, Monolith's chief of staff, came into view.
Justin Borg walked over slowly.
"Chairman-nim, today, unlike usual, you came to work directly without switching bodies—"
Then his eyes met mine.
"—and now I see there was a reason for it all. First, shall I cancel all external schedules?"
"Hmm, I'll check and let you know later."
"Understood."
It was a remarkably quick pivot of topic.
Justin Borg's complexion grew darker and darker. If I could use X-ray magic, I felt like I'd be able to see a hole forming in his stomach in real time.
Having looked at me and the Chairman and grasped the entire situation in an instant, Justin Borg continued speaking, clinging to a thread of hope as thin as a spider's silk.
"Then for now, 'today' I will only submit high-priority electronic documents for your approval, Chairman-nim."
"Not just today, but 'for the time being' like that."
"......Yes, understood."
Realizing the truth, Justin Borg nodded, concealing his pained expression.
He looked even more tormented than I'd felt when I heard the phrase 'for the time being' from the Chairman.
Somehow, I felt sorry for him, too.
.......
But come to think of it, I'd been dragged here as well.
The apologetic feeling lessened a bit.
Anyway.
The Chairman walked at his usual leisurely pace toward the rooftop entrance.
"Have you investigated the accident?"
"Yes, but we haven't found any traces yet."
"Hmm, keep investigating for now."
"I'll inform the relevant department once more."
Finishing the short exchange, the Chairman moved his feet again. Justin Borg quietly followed behind.
I knew that in Neon City, activities were regulated above a certain height. Accordingly, besides us, no one could be seen on the rooftop.
It was incredibly spacious.
It was my first time coming up to the top of Monolith Tower, too. Curious, I secretly looked around, trying not to make it obvious.
The top of a megacorp tower....
......Hmm.
"It's your first time on this rooftop, right?"
The Chairman's voice cut off my thoughts.
Because if I kept pondering here, it was obvious that Justin Borg's gaze would turn murderous and some unknown assassin would appear, so I answered the Chairman right away.
"Yes, that's right. Honestly, there's no reason for me to come up here. The view is nice, though."
"Heh heh."
Perhaps my absent-minded answer pleased him, as the Chairman looked at me with a brief eye-smile.
"Speaking of which...."
The Chairman's gaze traveled downward.
Narrowing his eyes halfway, he continued.
"If you're going to take on the role of bodyguard, I suppose you'll have to change into appropriate attire."
But these are really good clothes, though.
The outfit I was wearing had been given to me by Vice Chairman Koozaka.
It was something about carbon nanotubes, Kevlar, muscle fibers... I couldn't recall all the specifics, but it was definitely high-quality stuff.
To get something like this just because some broth splashed on my clothes in the sewers... Come to think of it, I guess I'd been a bit shameless back then.
Still, I couldn't just say "NO" to the Chairman's opinion.
"...I guess I'll have to, huh."
Hearing my answer, the Chairman looked at Justin Borg.
In response, Justin Borg gave a slight nod.
"Confirmed. The size is—."
The Chairman manipulated his vision interface.
A moment later, having received the numerical data, Justin Borg bowed and answered.
"Understood."
The way he so naturally provided my clothing size left me speechless.
"Now, let's go down."
"......Uh, um. Yes."
I managed to nod in reply with some difficulty.
The elevator that went directly to the Chairman's office existed separately, so there was no need to take a complicated route.
However, I'd assumed Justin Borg would ride the same elevator with us.
He didn't.
Wearing an even darker expression, Justin Borg saw us off from outside the elevator door.
"...Please take good care of Chairman-nim."
"......Yes."
I silently observed a moment of silence for Justin Borg.
Condolences to a long-suffering subordinate.
The elevator door closed slowly.
The fact that an outsider like me was riding the same elevator alone with the Chairman, and that there was an elevator running directly from the rooftop to the Chairman's office, and all that.
I was momentarily worried about Monolith's internal safety regulations, but still, it's a megacorp, so I figured there had to be some reason for it.
.......
"Um, Chairman-nim."
"What?"
The Chairman answered in a relaxed voice.
I addressed the Chairman, who was acting casual as usual.
"...I was thinking, aren't you a bit too close?"
Something's been brushing against me since earlier....
I tried to erase the sensation on my forearm from my awareness.
But the Chairman dismissed my words lightly.
"Is that so? It's because the elevator is narrow."
As the Chairman said, the elevator was narrow.
I'd expected that the elevator used by a megacorp Chairman would at least be large enough for a person to stretch out and lie down.
In fact, the elevator connecting the reception room on the 152nd floor and the Chairman's office on the 153rd floor was very spacious.
This one wasn't extremely narrow, but it was the kind you'd find in an ordinary building.
"......."
Still, it wasn't so narrow that we had to be pressed against each other.
[The estimated area of the elevator is 1.54m². While it is subjectively narrow, it is not at the level of having to be pressed together.]
Thankfully, I wasn't the only one who thought so.
Eve, who'd been quiet until now, spoke inside my head.
Whether the Chairman had heard Eve's voice or not, he naturally picked up on her words.
"Still, it's narrower than the bed on the 14th floor, isn't it?"
[.......]
Eve?
In an instant, my ally had sunk.
The talk she'd had while gripping my shoulder at breakfast (Eve's scent), and now suddenly bringing up the bed talk.
It was clear that the Chairman had caught on to something.
I scratched my head.
Silence continued in the atmosphere of just the two of us.
No, if we were going from the rooftop to the office, it was only moving 'one floor.' I didn't know why the elevator ride felt so long.
I tried to quickly change the subject.
What should I say.
What would be good to say.
Hmm.
"Uh, Chairman-nim. Now that I think about it, if you're concerned about your safety, wouldn't it have made more sense to bring along others like Catherine or Eve?"
...Come to think of it, that was true.
I'd only brought it up to stall for time.
But now that I'd said it, it was a valid point.
Why had he brought only me?
Surely, a figure like the Chairman of a megacorp wouldn't fail to draw the line between public and private matters and summon me, an ordinary small-time citizen, just to be together.
That would be an insult to the Chairman.
At my words, the Chairman looked up at me.
In his current body, the Chairman was as short as Julia. His head came up to the height of my chest.
The Chairman slowly stretched out his hand.
Only after stretching it almost fully did his hand reach my head.
Poking my forehead with a finger—poke—the Chairman drew a faint smile on his lips.
"It's rude to ask when you already know."
As if that wasn't enough, the Chairman grabbed my face with both hands.
Uh-huh.
Normally, the muscle power of a bioware body is weaker than cyberware. Led by that movement, I had no choice but to lower my head.
"If you keep pretending not to know, I, like a corporate Chairman, might just act on suspicion alone."
It sounded even more frightening because it came from the Chairman, who could easily influence and shake not just Neon City but this entire world.
I'd always thought the Chairman's eyes were dead.
Now seeing this, a fiery light seemed to burn within those eyes, a blend of indolence and dignity.
The elevator door opened.
Only then did the Chairman relax the grip on my face.
"Well, 'for the time being' there's plenty of time. I suppose it's fine to take it slow and find physical evidence first. Having spent time together, I've found that moving at a leisurely pace is quite nice."
Leaving me standing still inside the elevator, the Chairman stepped off first.
I stared blankly at his retreating figure.
And then.
[...Tch, I was planning to keep it secret for a while.]
I could also figure out why Eve had been concealing my truth.
In that moment, I once again felt the same feeling I'd had when I'd gone out to take on the manager job for Andrea recently.
This was only the start of the day, right?
Even more, it wasn't an issue that would end with just today.
.......
I slowly shut my eyes tight.