Chapter 135
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 135
Chapter Title: Past (8), The Season the Roses Wilt (1)
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#Past (8), The Season the Roses Wilt (1)
Autumn stood on the platform where seasons changed. A chilling wind blew. The people waiting for the train with her pulled up their worn collars. She was worlds apart from them. Different nationalities. Birth was essentially status. Low-status laborers couldn't cross the line. The line drawn to protect Koreans. Just a single red line, but absolute. Crossing without permission was a crime tantamount to theft or conspiracy.
Blatant discrimination. Yet no one protested. Not the superior ones, who saw it as natural, nor even the inferior ones. The media reported daily on crimes by some of them. Murder, arson, theft, fraud, rape... Victims crossed class lines. So the discriminated hated a part and made it the whole. I'm different. Even though I'm different, I'm treated the same as you.
Beyond the line, they crowded with no room to step, glaring at each other. This side didn't even glance over. Just looking bred suspicion. Police watched closely. Their status was low too. For paradise after death, they needed results. To officers who struggled with Korean, laborers ignorant of it were just potential criminals. No, they had to be. Self-love always trumped brotherhood. Empathy was a skill that killed you.
'Disgusting...'
Autumn shuddered in revulsion. The artificial grape flavor of her morning energy pack surged up her throat. Her throat scratched. Her nostrils stung.
Just then, the wind blew again. Sharp as a blade. The chill pierced to her core. It felt refreshing instead, and Autumn welcomed it.
With a gesture a bit embarrassing to onlookers, Autumn opened her arms to the wind. The season named after her missing brother rushed into her embrace. Her body felt the cold, her heart the warmth. She was reliving the body heat from memories. Winter had never liked winter. Every cold spell, he couldn't get out from under the blankets. It had been nice to hug him without awkwardness.
It must be so cold now.
Not his body, his heart.
A garbled electronic chime rang out.
[The inner circle line train heading toward Comet Station 3 is now arriving. Passengers, please board safely. The inner circle line train heading for...]
The train pulled into the station. Her car was sparse. Koreans rarely worked in reality. To foreigners, half the residents now, the natives were often intangible holograms. This was the dawn of virtual reality. Physical reality was already deemed dangerous.
At least outside work paid hazard bonuses.
Beyond the line, chaos reigned. People exiting clashed with those boarding. The station attendant yelled. The curses were in Burmese.
To Autumn, they appeared as subtitles. Her lens-eye and portable terminal linkage. A line extended from the shouter, labeling it as this person's words. Unfocused shouts auto-filtered.
But when crowds bellowed, terminal limits tangled the subs. Managing laborers herself, Autumn wished for a higher-spec device. Premium ones offered better filtering and voice conversion. Just a hope. Hers was company-issued.
'Save it. Use it only for really important stuff.'
Shaking her head, Autumn boarded. Most seats empty. She distanced from the few others. Sat quietly, summoned Trinity. A vibrant interface bloomed in view. The world's top AI engine handled afterlife insurance and more, even personal terminals.
『Afterlife Insurance Corporation Central Detention Visit Request』
Autumn pulled up the visitation form. Time to see Winter, her lost season. It had been tough getting approval before. Poor meant low credit. Facility security trumped family longing. National competitiveness core, they said.
Stable job now, should be easier.
Job. Yes, she had one. Comet Group famed for fair contracts above all. No room for personal feelings. Winter already terminal. That kid extended his time through his own efforts. Solely for Autumn.
Vision blurred. Form distorted. Autumn wiped tears.
"I want it to end now."
Winter's exhausted words. Not spoken aloud, of course. He wouldn't stab loved ones' hearts. But Autumn heard it clear. The expressions, voice, consideration unspoken spoke volumes.
No one else, but Autumn couldn't be fooled. So she replied.
"Without you, I'm gone too."
Live for me. Not said outright. But conveyed through every non-verbal means. Each recall brought self-loathing. I'm so selfish.
"It's okay."
Winter in memory smiled calmly.
A conversation baring no true hearts. Reunion joy soured by pure agony.
Autumn scrapped the unfinished form.
What to do? No courage to visit.
Thinking of reliving it made her hands shake. Rare visits till now? More her weakness than procedures. Horrific fear, ugly self-hatred. Winter smiling casually in hopeless straits was excruciating pain to Autumn.
Her torso slumped. Hands cupped her face. She sobbed muffled.
"You fucking bastards..."
Started with parents' blame. Sold what shouldn't sell. Became grudge against old monster taking child's body, then self for impotence, finally whole world.
That kid hates the world too. Surely.
But...
'Does he resent even me?'
Love and hate coexisted easy. Any hint of hate from Winter, Autumn couldn't bear.
Another unbearable: Risk of new wounds to him.
Autumn suffocated.
#Intermission, Polyamory
Dear customers, been a while.
Yes! I haven't been fired yet. Hey, don't be disappointed. I'm the disappointed one.
Since 『Pluck Stars from the Sky』, quite some time passed. Many grabbed stars with both hands after my pitch. Earned praise and flak. Sales up praise, complaints flood blame. Customer service hates my guts.
Knew it'd happen.
Buying multiple celeb virtual personalities at once. Be honest. Skipped usage warnings? Even vital afterlife insurance revisions unread, why bother DLC fine print?
Now, your skipped warnings, read seductively by fatal homme voice. Simple listening quiz. Hear explanation, pick answer.
『◎Usage Precautions - feat. System Admin』
Your celeb products included, most virtual personality packages embed essential psych controls. Meeting conditions, initial favorability default.
Options block romance toward other VPs too. Popular. Player-only romance stacks, 100% love guaranteed.
Bought expensive, then they play with others? Rage. Buyer's remorse. Oh, some relish it. We respect tastes. If they pay.
But VPs mimic human psyches. Feel human-like emotions baseline. Can love, can jealous. Indistinct really!
Know your empathy struggles seeing AI human. Proper romance unlikely too. But that's that, this is this.
Oh, add jealousy suppression to base psych controls?
Recall "base" meaning. Minimum for stable use. Provided controls enough for normal? That's base vs extra line.
Your star wars? Beyond our base responsibility. No bug, no scam.
Explanation ends. Pick best customer response to VP jealousy.
⓵ Fuck↗You↘
⓶ Name's Karen. Realized my customer identity. Yes, ultimate Karen. Storm satisfaction center.
⓷ Shut up and take my money!
⓸ No choice. Off to Blue House!
Too easy?
Sorry, 4 wrong. Customer-like though.
Clap clap. Yes, 3 correct!
Ultimate fix for all VR love dramas! New DLC, Polyamory Package!
Apply to worldview: Poof, jealousy gone? Lovers tame magically. Monopoly types change loving you.
Light jealousy fans? User-set intensity selfish option.
Name ill-fitting though. Polyamory: Belief human love limitless. Don't cage boundless emotion in monogamy.
Heavens. Such human positivity?
We know love's limits clear.
Unconditional infinite love examples abound. Beautiful tales nearby.
But rare = heartwarming.
How many can such love?
One in thousand? Ten thousand?
Eh, say one in ten thousand generously.
0.01% humanity? Mental illness?
Customers, ditch PC, embrace desire honest. Polyamory mostly vanilla sex fantasy! VR frees humans! Be true selves in VR!
Ready for new happiness buy?
Turn all your admirers insane!
Hahaha.
This was Paradise Group VR Division.
============================ Author's Notes ============================
#Chat
Tunguska: Bad comments shatter my mental now. Didn't at first.
Friend: Tsk tsk tsk
Tunguska: Can't shatter alone, so shatter readers' too.
Friend: So pure-hearted.
#Q&A
Q. Barhoe-nim: @No genitals... Hand-holding ancient race breeding?
A. Dunno. Modern humans: Marriage contract, Heroes of the Storm 15 games, loser impregnates.
Q. AntiChrist-nim: @Noblesse binge, got manuscript coupon, wandered works, none beat Little Prince, all in. -> Manuscript coupon WRYYYYYYYYYYYY
A. Huh? What's... Wind and star herds exist. Wanna pretend ignorance, conscience and innocence block.
Q. Lee Moon-se: @Innocence fed best by cash over votes. Manuscript coupons galore lol
A. Thanks. Eat with your coupons.
Q. Credica-nim: @Usage rights dwindle, my innocence shrinks, what now?
A. Run 4 years later US election, seize White House, lock me Guantanamo, daily whips for next chapter.
Q. Quietus-nim: When recharge author's innocence? Intense heart scratch? Grill meat lunch surety? Past satisfaction, objective self-view?
A. Finish upload, anxious first comment wait, positive, safe sleep thought.
Q. Iron Mockingbird-nim: Reading Naver Books too, no weekend uploads?
A. Publisher rests weekends. All jobs should guarantee 5-days... Pity seeing others upload weekends.
Q. Blue Crystal-nim: @Paper book when??? Want physical copy.
A. Even author me unknown. Heard in works... No real paper lust... Contracted including paper for fan service... Hehe... Check again, reply.
Q. Ha-cheon-nim: @Fun read, bye. No reply reason: 1.Spoiler 2.Future plot 3.Too long tire 4.Nothing say 5.This question? 6.Other... Curious ^^
A. All-nighter muddled mind?
But 2? Can't say 2! Spoiler! Haha.
Replying 133 comments.
Past arcs' experience melts into Winter's normal actions/responses. Winter ain't childish? Vs old fox Richgen too.
Typical regression: "Regressed, I know this sure!" repetitive = contrived.
Afterlife VR situational calcs vary each time.
Especially world changes you push. Management Rationalization arc covers.