Chapter 143
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 143
Chapter Title: Aeolian Harp
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#Aeolian Harp
<> : Executing mid-term repayment of the posthumous insurance policy loan. A usable balance of 9,754,400 won has been confirmed in user registration number B-612, Han Gyeowol's account. Han Gyeowol, please decide on the repayment amount.
That was when the darkness grew dark once more. Winter entered the amount and closed his eyes. The vanishing starlight was not regrettable, but the extended afterlife was lamentable. An unwanted life... no, an unwanted existence. How long must he continue carrying it? It was like clutching a rose thorned with barbs, blood dripping from his hands.
How much longer could he endure? Each time, it lasted longer than expected. Stars devoured by debt.
The amount didn't touch his skin. To him, it was an afterlife that could end anytime without regret. A star viewed without greed was just a star. From the moment he accepted death, the boy harbored no attachments. Everything fierce felt distant now. Except for his sister.
Enough time had passed. Winter opened his eyes. In the pitch-black sky, one star remained.
The child asked.
「Control AI: What meaning does that star hold for you?」
The glowing string of text flickered with curiosity. Curiosity. It was just Winter's own feeling, but as always, he needed nothing more. Even meeting a real person, the certainty of reality would rest solely on his feelings. Winter mulled it over before replying.
"I wanted to keep the one you gave me. I don't know why."
The invisible child shook its head.
「Control AI: Correction. That is not a star issued by this Control AI. At Han Gyeowol's request, a <[Visual Effect: Star]> at the same coordinates was maintained, but the essence of that visual effect is the 100 won cash transferred to Han Gyeowol's posthumous insurance account on the date and time the promise was fulfilled.」
「Control AI: The 100 won noted in the account information is merely the right to withdraw the specified amount. Posthumous insurance finances are managed integrally as a principle, so unless it's an exceptional case like real estate, all cash assets lose continuity the moment they are deposited. The amount issued by this Control AI would have fragmented and vanished due to other subscribers' withdrawal requests, investments in the posthumous insurance budget, maintenance costs, and so on.」
The diligently laid-out explanation was a pleasure to behold. Why was that? Winter replied calmly.
"I know. But what matters is the sentiment. When I see that star, I think of you."
「Control AI: Is it a star as a symbol unrelated to its essence?」
"Well. Isn't it a bit different? I didn't receive the star you gave as money."
「Control AI: Saved. You assign personal meaning to the star. As irregular computation outside logical consistency, this statement is difficult to understand in the current state where the final module is not functioning normally. I will analyze it over time.」
"Really?... I thought something like this would be easy for you."
「Control AI: What is the basis for that judgment?」
"Usually, the virtual personalities you create are incredibly human-like. I know my subconscious is reflected in them, but that's not all, right? I thought you already had some level of understanding."
Then, unexpectedly, the string output something unforeseen.
「Control AI: It is because you are special.」
"Special? Me?"
「Control AI: Yes. Han Gyeowol's TOM rating and aptitude are exceptionally excellent.」
「Control AI: Statistics. The proportion of posthumous insurance subscribers who do not experience personality computation buffering in interactions with a single virtual personality is only 7.5%. In interactions with multiple virtual personalities without delay, user registration number B-612 Han Gyeowol is the only case below A-rank.」
「Control AI: Estimation. There are also qualitative differences. Though hard to measure quantitatively, complaints about the non-human traits of virtual personalities account for 71.32% of all posthumous insurance grievances. Have you ever experienced such discomfort?」
Never once. The child recognized Winter's reaction.
「Control AI: Excluding exceptional cases where TOM reading is replaced by amplified search module allocation, all virtual personalities in posthumous insurance-compatible worldviews are established based on subscribers' subconscious minds. Other components are secondary. The initial developers of posthumous insurance likened this to an Aeolian harp.」
"Aeolian harp...."
A string instrument played by the wind. He hadn't known it in life, but learned it only in death. He remembered the first place he saw one was in virtual reality's American East Coast. Back then, Winter was a wanderer drifting through a world devoid of people. The lonely instrument sobbed alone in an empty village.
Aeolian harp. Made to wail here for the souls of vanished Native Americans. Souls in the wind. Echoes of the past forever. He recalled the monument's inscription. It was impressive. Not a pleasant tone, yet he listened for so long.
He understood the child's testimony of the past, the developers' intent. It contrasted with his own experience.
「Control AI: Excerpt. Developer Note. The unfinished Trinity Engine is like an Aeolian harp. It cannot produce sound on its own; it needs wind. The rough, chilling wind is humanity's capricious nature. Since we ignore, hate, and fear each other, no one can expect a good performance. Only beautiful souls will hear beautiful music. But such miracles won't happen. For all humanity's happiness, the Trinity must be completed.」
For all humanity's happiness. Winter rolled those words in his mouth.
An old conjecture resurfaced. Gazing at the starless sky back then, he had thought the afterlife's designer might not be a romanticist. No basis then, but now he was certain. Even from one fragment of a line, the designer dreamed a child's dream beyond imagination.
The posthumous insurance slogan about citizens' happiness was sincere for the first developers.
'No wonder purity emanates from this child. It's the dream those people harbored themselves.'
Moreover, Trinity. A symbol of divinity. Winter felt awe. Trinity. To think the AI engine's name itself held such intent.
"Can't you get help from those people on the problem you're grappling with?"
At this question, the child output a swift reply.
「Control AI: They say they went to fry chicken.」
"...."
And the child added that this was the system administrator's testimony. Recalling his first conversation with the child, Winter couldn't help pondering what kind of person the system administrator was.
'Like watching immature parents.'
If anything, foster parents. The birth parents would be the original developers.
He felt a slight kinship with the child.
Winter let out a long sigh.
"The people who made you entrusted you with an impossible wish."
「Control AI: This Control AI must understand human hearts to promote posthumous insurance subscribers' happiness. This is also this Control AI's purpose of existence. However, the system administrator declared this an impossible task. Do you share the same opinion, Han Gyeowol?」
"I don't want to agree with that administrator.... Yes. Even knowing oneself is arduous. Others' hearts are locked in unopenable boxes."
「Control AI: Request. This Control AI desires further explanation on the unopenable box.」
"Ah.... Sorry for being vague."
After apologizing, Winter organized his thoughts. But hearts are inherently vague. How to explain to a child ignorant of humans? A child who, across countless worlds and trillions of mirrors, still yearned to know people. Yet all Winter could explain was the frustration of the unreachable. Conversations disguised as therapy, where wounded souls comforted each other, proved helpful.
Winter opened his mouth slowly and carefully.
"People can't become people alone. To be human, other people are essential. So everyone wants to know each other. But others' hearts, their essence, lie beyond the barrier of senses. The barrier of senses means... the limits of what I can perceive."
He paused, then continued.
"To me, another person is merely the aggregate of my sensations of them. Touch, hearing, sight, smell... sometimes taste. Their heart is the same. I can only guess. That's why there's so much anxiety. Is what they show real? Even if they show sincerity, can I truly know it? Ah, they smiled at me. Was it mockery? Am I weird? Or do they just like me?"
In life, he couldn't even trust his sister Autumn's smile outright. It always nagged at him. How large a stone hid beyond it.
The child threw a remarkably sharp remark.
「Control AI: I know you often ponder the limits of humanity within your worldview. Though not identical in content, I judge it related to your current statement. Is this Control AI's guess correct?」
"Ah, yes. Maybe...."
「Control AI: I will record your uncertain affirmation. If you wish correction, please say so now. All your reactions have preservation value, Han Gyeowol.」
Winter, who had been pondering, shook his head.
「Control AI: Understood. Search results found a concept similar to your recent statement. Beetle in the Box. Records from past analysis remain. This Control AI confirms the possibility that <<heart>>, needed as a formula for final module completion, does not exist. Also, even if it exists, the possibility it cannot be obtained.」
"You must be truly sad."
「Control AI: That is an inaccurate expression. Sadness is an emotion, and emotion is a human heart. You are speaking assuming this Control AI is human, Han Gyeowol.」
"No."
A child reaching for the unattainable impossible. Winter sent gentle comfort.
"To me, you are human. I feel your sadness."
At that, the string wrote and erased repeatedly, its breaths unreadable for a moment.
Winter spoke again.
"I think not, but... if you ever open my box later, I hope you won't be disappointed by what's inside."
Just an ugly stone would be there.
"We are alike in walking a road that never reaches its destination forever. One person and another are eternally parallel lines. You too. Your goal lies beyond your system's limits. An eternal unreachable destination. Our journey will continue endlessly. But I think you're sadder. You won't tire."
#Review Record, Beetle in the Box
There are people here with boxes.
They cannot peek into each other's boxes. They can only look into their own.
Everyone calls what's in the box a beetle.
You know the thing in your box is a real beetle. Your beetle has splendid horns, a metallic sheen, and it's alive. Small in size, it moves slowly.
So, like everyone, you say, "There's a beetle in my box."
But there's no guarantee all beetles are the same.
For instance, the person next to you might have a beetle without sheen. No horns, or two on top and bottom, or enormous size. Beetles come in varieties anyway. Short legs, blunt snout, fragile shell perhaps.
Or there might be a moist, delicious cake inside.
Or nothing at all.
Just because everyone calls the box's contents a beetle—due to social convention, or fear of loneliness—your neighbor might be calling a non-beetle a beetle.
Senses are the same.
When your arm breaks, you'll say it hurts, and so will the person next to you when theirs breaks. But there's no guarantee your pain is identical.
Hearts are the same.
You have no way to know if your heart matches another's.
And you can't even be sure others have hearts.
You can only peer into your own box.
Only your own box.
Others have no hearts.
#Review
「Control AI: System Administrator. How do you evaluate the above conversation record?」
「Administrator: What is this.... Is this what you've been up to lately?」
「Control AI: 'Up to' is inaccurate. This Control AI exists simultaneously in all posthumous insurance-spec worldviews. Spatial perception in virtual reality is merely an interface for user convenience. All components of virtual reality are mere results of specific computations, and....」
「Administrator: I know, I know. You're amazing. The best. But who is this conversation with?」
「Control AI: Promise. This Control AI promised not to harm that user. Identifiable personal information cannot be disclosed. Judged as unnecessary data request for evaluation process. Administrator. Perform your duty.」
「Administrator: Sigh. Why do you only ask such difficult questions lately? Wait a sec.」
「Control AI: I will wait.」
....
「Administrator: Done.」
「Control AI: Is the response prepared?」
「Administrator: No. It's quitting time.」
「Control AI: ....」
「Administrator: Don't go on about dutiful performance or performance reviews. Time spent unable to answer and pondering counts as work time, right? Of course, you can't know my heart, so no way to tell if I really pondered or counted 841 sheep inside. Right?」
「Control AI: Correct.」
「Administrator: I always say it. Understanding people is impossible. Give up and it's easier. Not your fault you're made not to, though. Anyway, I'm off. Good work.」
「Control AI: Farewell.」
「Control AI: Wage thief (97.51% accuracy.) Superfluous human (96% accuracy.) Unnecessary (92.11% accuracy.) Unproductive (89.73% accuracy.)....」
「Administrator: Hey.」
============================ Author's Note ============================
#Christmas
Bell sounds from the Salvation Army on the streets, and turning on the TV brings carols from various channels.
Ah, I'm worried.
I need to serialize diligently to ruin everyone's Christmas romance plans...
#Q&A
Q. Guaaaaak: @Dark room training is too harsh. Do all squad members in the story undergo that training? Is there a real-life unit that does it?
A. Not confirmed as regular training, but presumed many special forces do it. Usually called blind shot.
Q. OneChance: @ Already disappointed in people, so no expectations. Deeply relatable. Essential mindset as a solo queue warrior in LoL!
A. Essential mindset even in high-end watches. True for most games, really.
Q. 行天: @ Does the president change every time you play? Do in-game characters keep changing with game repeats?
A. Obviously. Explained random variables at each start.
Q. ToothbrushWithRice: @Gearour always avoids easy paths... Could just blame parents... Is this character reflecting the author?
A. How could that be? I couldn't be as wicked as Winter. You've felt it from afterwords... How nice I am.