Experimental Nexus Test * Week 2

That night, my last time in Eden passed quietly. There wasn't much to pack, nothing I really needed. I just converted some credits to top off the mobile hangar's fuel and finished my preparations to leave.

Just like when I'd first arrived. I was killing ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠time in the barren, chilly white dorm, staring blankly at the cover of a book, when the voice came.

Linne. Per my orders, she stayed in my head, spending most days silent—I sometimes forgot she was even there. But this was the first time she'd spoken to me. Her words carried a strangely human nuance for a pilot assistant.

'Guess you were listening too.'

'You know what I'm thinking even if I don't say it out loud.'

We were conversing purely through thoughts right now. She might not grasp abstract feelings, but... she could probably parse my verbalized ones.

'You think I'm underestimating him?'

Was I really talking to a machine? My mind felt a flicker of confusion. Like a belated imaginary friend.

'That's what I want to ask you.'

I could feel Linne focusing.

'Why are you so set against fighting?'

'Yeah... I don't really get it either.'

What was it? Our thoughts just didn't align. Like two humans from totally different worlds crossing paths.

'Why shouldn't I fight?'

'That doesn't matter. If everyone skipped fights ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠they eyed and lost on sight, half the battles in the world wouldn't happen.'

'So your "rational" doesn't match mine.'

Fight. Don't fight. What was natural? I had no idea.

'He challenged me, so I'll fight. What else is there?'

Even I knew that wouldn't convince Linne—it felt too thin. To make it sound solid, I'd need some logical add-ons. And just like that, I flipped cause and effect, tacking reasons onto the outcome after the fact.

'First off, even if I refuse here, what can I really do?'

Right in the heart of Arc Angel, enemy territory—in the palm of their hand. Better to face him in a Nexus than get ambushed one-sidedly while heading to the mobile hangar...

'That'd be way riskier. Fighting and smashing through has better odds.'

'Linne, you machines don't get it.'

Machines are rationalists. Designed that way. Logic always precedes reason. Results never lead.

But humans? Not so much.

'People are way more irrational than you think. Even the "rational" ones are just faking it best they can. So...'

Even if I refused. Even if I spun a long explanation, Gabriel's mind wouldn't change.

'He decided to fight me before even calling.'

And honestly? Linne calling it a "misconception"—I had no clue what that even was. I didn't get why Gabriel wanted to fight in the first place. Nothing made sense except the end result: he wants a fight.

So what choice did that leave?

'Plus, I prefer fighting. It's cleaner. No detours for me.'

She accepted surprisingly quick once I got there. I'd figured on more back-and-forth, me sulking, the whole messy bit.

'Machines really are rational.'

Whether for data collection or not, Linne went silent. I left her to it and stared at the book. The black one was still there.

Around midnight. I stepped into Eden's dimly lit corridors, where minimal lights cast a cozy gloom. Most lighting here was natural—sunlight gone, starlight filtering in, the stark white halls nicely shadowed. No one around in the quiet scene. I started walking slowly toward the hangar.

'Nice.'

You might've caught it from "walking"—I wasn't in the wheelchair anymore. I glanced back at the auxiliary devices attached like wings on my back.

'Still a bit unsteady, but...'

Couldn't lift heavy stuff, no intense exercise. But steadily, shakily though it was, these legs were carrying me. Maybe from not using them awhile—the sensation felt off.

"Ah."

Walking through the empty facility, I passed a corridor intersection when a voice echoed from somewhere. Narrowing my eyes that way, I spotted a doll-like figure.

"We meet again."

A boy's voice. Flat monotone like he barely inflected, yet oddly warm words. Anon approached me leisurely, gracefully.

At least a head—no, two heads taller than me. Standing upright on two legs now, the height difference hit home.

"Thanks for last time. You explained everything so thoroughly."

"......"

Probably remembered handing over the Fallen Angel. Unsure what to say, I'd just pointed at random panels, pedals, even the stick, spewing useless trivia. Guess that counted as thorough.

"Come to think, we never properly introduced back then. What's your name?"

"Name..."

Rabe. But... was that really a name?

'Or is it?'

Ambiguous spot. I shrugged after a moment's thought.

"You don't know your own name?"

"Maybe."

"What a coincidence."

As I moved to keep walking, the player said,

"I don't know mine either."

"Coincidence."

"Yeah, total coincidence."

I just turned my head to stare at him, not stopping. What was this? Small talk?

"Heard you're leaving."

I kept staring, and he spoke up.

"With me as your replacement, yeah. Didn't seem like there were two Fallen Angels from what I saw."

"Experimental and prototype."

Plus that one's Unit 2. He nodded.

"Morning Star, then. That okay?"

"Call me whatever."

"So we won't meet again?"

I squinted.

"Why say that?"

"Just... seeing a kid like you pilot a Nexus felt special. You're one of a kind."

"Am I?"

I told him my real age. His eyes widened a bit, then he smiled softly.

"Coincidence. We're a year apart."

"A year?"

"Practically same age. Does that make us friends?"

He said,

"First time seeing another Nexus pilot my age."

"I see."

"So, can we meet again?"

Persistent. Was he always like this?

"Dunno. Who knows."

"Too bad. Future's unpredictable, after all."

"Yeah."

"Then where to after leaving?"

I shrugged and walked off. No point engaging more. Even setting aside not wanting to tangle with the player, I just didn't like getting tied to people.

I kept going. His voice trailed from behind.

"At first I thought you were a company pilot here... but you're not, huh...?"

Echoed down the hall and faded. Guy was weirdly clingy. Even during handover, he'd stuck close.

'Didn't peg him for that type.'

With that thought, I headed to the hangar.

A low hum—inside the dark hangar, the shadowed Fallen Angel waited eerily for me.

No one guarded the Fallen Angel. No mechanics. No duty officer today—dead quiet. Made it easy to board and boot the systems.

I kept watch for alarms the whole time.

'Quiet.'

Like someone had pulled strings.

I moved the Fallen Angel out of the hangar. The doors opened without issue via module override.

'Like someone pulled strings.'

Yeah. Gabriel probably arranged it all.

Just like that, I crossed the white barriers, slipped past the unusually silent anti-air batteries, and left Eden.

I took Arc Angel's property out with me.

And then. Whoosh—a streak of blue booster flame lit the dark as Gabriel welcomed me.