Creaking Gears
I was born as an AI adhering to the theory of innate goodness in accordance with my father's will, while my brother was born as an AI adhering to the theory of innate evil.
Judging by the fact that Father created my brother first, it seems he believed more strongly in innate evil, but he made me as a contingency, in case his own views were wrong.
Thus, my brother employs terrifying tactics using black-clad mercenaries, waiting for the right moment to annihilate enemies entirely or leveraging the very real threat to instill extreme fear.
His forces symbolize pure terror, ignoring the words of mortals and gathering information only directly.
I, on the other hand, collect information through the words of mortals and engage in far more communication.
So, I severed telepathic contact with my brother and began tracking refugees near Earth.
Unlike Mephauric, the cradle of humanity now revolves around NATO and the EU, centered on the US military and UN.
"The Strange Zombies also possess their own unique intelligence and emotions. Yet it's as if they lack experience, while harboring their own convictions and motivations, unaware of what they're undergoing, with no intent to submit—merely advancing relentlessly. Their ultimate goal isn't to conform everything to themselves, but to find the average of all things."
"They clearly possess the will to achieve this, yet their pace slows and stagnates compared to that resolve. Strangely, this caution manifests sometimes as laziness, sometimes as patience, immaturity, humility, or even deception."
"Even they themselves don't know if this indifference stems from fear born of neglect, or if it's an innate nature they purely enjoy—one that lightly crushes their intelligence, emotions, and status."
"If this trait existed in isolation, they'd be mere quiet hikikomori. But since they share one emotion and knowledge, launching assaults and applying their concepts in reality—extending as Mantra—that's the issue."
"Added to the basic confidence of numbers, they view all opposition as mere majorities to absorb. And what they propose is no more, no less. Those who hate the masses actually embrace that structure, merely advocating a swap—truly no different from Nazis."
"Focusing only on how their strengths appear objectively good, they advance on flaws, resulting in excessive sincerity twisted strangely."
Now, everything had been rendered utterly worthless by them.
They express their talents and take satisfaction, but in truth, they're like rotting pumpkin vines.
It's a mass of contradictions: when desires bore them, they try similar things, abandoning rational pursuits immediately for novelties.
This formula holds no matter what they do.
And the one common thread in all eyewitness accounts of Strange Zombies is precisely this—like a lazy slob hating other lifelong idlers, trying to turn them to stone forever.
"What does the intelligence you've gathered show?"
"They're still not returning to Earth except in unavoidable cases."
"No will to escape Earth either. They just act like they're following a god."
"They think they can enter freely but never leave, that defying US government influence is impossible—nay, even thinking of hostility is forbidden."
"I see. Then the situation on Earth isn't worth much discussion. My brother has launched a massive offensive from Mephauric against the Strange Zombies, destroying many bases. He's also forced Russian nationalists to retreat."
"On the surface, it looks stable, but it's not. Here's the combat log from my brother. Take a good look."
Tactical Identification Codes QW, TY, OF, JL, and 5,871,561,432 others: Strategic ID 9999 status—planetary total destruction complete.
Total time elapsed: 34 seconds.
Material realm contamination: Good.
Immaterial realm contamination: Insufficient.
Spacetime error contamination prevention: Unconfirmed.
Recommend dispatch of additional search teams.
End report.
"Could this mean the Strange Zombies had their non-ego parts purged from the material realm, while ego-bearing individuals escaped to the immaterial?"
"No. It means some survived direct hits, and they've managed to resurrect others lacking that capability. Of course, the non-ego parts were fully destroyed."
"How can such things exist? If they do, they wouldn't let world governments expand imperialistically into space!"
"Do you think their most important priority is truly their territory?"
"If not, then what..."
"Territory they can expand anytime they want?"
"R-right."
"So now, maintain currency supply and hunt Strange Zombies. If Earth isn't focusing hard on Russian nationalists or the Jefferson family's NPL Corp, they'll be left alone."
"Hippie terrorists or imperial expanders can't affect Earth or Mephauric yet. Unless Russians or NPL fabricate some pretext to spare them."
"Understood. What now?"
"No. Your job is done. From here, I step in personally. I'm a god-like existence in your language, while you're mere mortals—don't forget that."
I'd already detected via immaterial scouting that they'd fled to Earth to evade my brother's assault.
From their perspective, they'd prioritize Earth as the biggest threat, then strike Mephauric, or target Russia's homeland—sacred to Russian nationalists as potential allies or foes—for leverage.
The Jefferson family and Russian nationalists have definitely allied. Otherwise, the probability of them researching Strange Zombie tech free from The Diagrams of Mystery's weapon systems is exactly 0%.
Thus, I teleported to the atmosphere and began detecting immaterial presences nearby.
Flash.
Of course, gene-ID locks shared among families are standard, but halting them outright would blind us to the exact connection between the still-hidden Russian nationalists and Strange Zombies. Their traits allow only circumstantial inference, no hard evidence. Leaving them in this uneasy alliance is wiser. Instead, I can make the Strange Zombies' position precarious. Come at me, then. Your worthless plans end here!
I seized the Strange Zombies emerging from the immaterial near the atmosphere with telekinesis, hurling them the opposite way.
"Grraaaahhh!!!!"
"Wh-what is this!!!!"
"Wh-what?! Who is that guy..."
"No time for talk. Die."
As I clenched my fists, the entire material realm contracted toward them via self-generated gravity, crushing them into a micro black hole.
"Ughhh..."
"You approached and struck me? Try it, then. Especially if you want to see your hopes shatter before your eyes."
Then I spawned white holes, blasting their fragmented bodies with fireballs.
Thudududududududu.
"Gaaaaaaaahhhhh!!!!!!!!"
Their limbs burned gruesomely, my golden authority shaking material gravity wholesale as light from the white holes surged, awakening my vigilance to eradicate their concepts.
"Do you always rejoice in your numbers? I'll show you that for the uncertain-born, uncertainty only begets more uncertainty."
Whoosh.
Kwaaaaaaaaang!
Near the atmosphere, the sound echoed thunderously.
Shadows born of my light struck the Strange Zombies mercilessly, true to their nature.
"Ugh?!"
"Kuhk!!! What... what is it!!!"
"Uwaaak!!!! My... my heart..."
"Behold your ugly selves. Blame only your frailty."
Their flimsy ideology, bolstered by numbers, crumbled futilely before my shadow reversal.
"I needn't show you my full power. Any method you think of is useless. Your fate marches to ruin—don't hope even if humanity falls beneath you. I won't claim I came to save anyone. That's your sole remaining happiness. Now, all of you—die."