70 – Beyond Control (1)
Contrary to expectations, the mercenaries were not hired.
For those who were only waiting for a job, the response that came back was a news article stating that Mirsis’s CI units had successfully ‘slaughtered.’
Words circulated, claiming it was a justified retaliation, showcasing their achievements while simultaneously demonstrating sufficient destructive power with ancient weapons.
If that was the extent of the news, one might have breathed a sigh of relief.
Passing through the photos sent by Matthew, I looked them over, and the screen darkened as I settled into my seat.
Corpse mutilation befitting the word ‘slaughter.’
The bearded one, who had been whistling, now had both knees smashed, and his head might have been mashed as a result of a random fluke.
No, even if Ilyia hadn’t cocked the trigger after emptying a magazine in front of me, I wouldn’t have thought this way.
…There is no evidence.
But the thought doesn’t vanish from my mind.
The scanner gleaming with red light.
Ilyia staring at me with red light.
Blankness in the facility.
The chip forcibly implanted in me.
The one robbing me of freedom in my legs and clamping on shackles every time I resist.
Even then, if you call that love –
“Why are you sitting there pulling faces again?”
When was the last time I encountered someone reeking of cigarette smoke?
As if I didn’t have enough reminders of comrades already,
With deep dark circles, the team leader, who even with a sigh evoked memories of the battlefield, sat down beside me.
“This time, it’s a job for NoMads.”
“No work coming in? Well, that’s surprising. But from Mirsiss’ perspective, it was good for publicity. Sending a message that even the thugs with CI units stashed in the warehouse can be subdued was effective.”
Even as he smoked a cigarette, his mouth seemed to itch once again. Glancing at her, who extended her hand while muttering, I spoke.
“Give me your hand for a moment, senior. Have you dealt with robotic hands a lot?”
“…If it’s CI units, more than enough.”
“You’re a real macho man, cute. No, I mean, not that I’m asking you to look.”
“So, CI units only.”
Raising and hastily lowering my index finger at the face that glared as if to say it’s absurd, I thought I had forgotten about such things.
“Are you going to be sweet only to your girl? Funny, amusing. But, it’s also fascinating. Why do you look at me as if you miss me so much… I wonder.”
“I haven’t done that.”
“I’m not teasing, so relax.”
“If you even touch it wrong, you might get a bullet straight through your skull.”
The finger, now holding gum, moved closer to the mouth once again.
In an instant, it twisted in a bizarre manner, as if shocked. The sound of stumbling, unable to go in an unyielding direction, made my legs push back coarsely.
“Argh, damn it!”
“Oh, come on, not again. Seriously.”
“Why do you talk about it like it’s so familiar?!”
For a moment, the arm, which had fallen off the body, extended with a few more staggering sounds, then, still dangling, reached into the pocket again, throwing the gum into the mouth.
And putting it in front of me, what exactly was the intention?
“I told you not to do that.”
“Like I care. Go complain to the implanter!”
“I’m broke. Wanna lend me some money?
…Just kidding. If I rack up debts to that extent, I might as well commit suicide.”
Talking nonsense like this reminded me of the past.
…When I said such things to Illya, she always gave me only ‘ethical’ responses.
What about now?
“Well, they say gum is a substitute, but it doesn’t even fool the craving.”
“Cut it out. Cutting it off would be much easier for your life too.”
“Even when I’m sitting next to you, and my fingers keep shaking?”
There may be people who have never bloomed even once, but they say there’s no one who has bloomed only once.
Especially for people like us.
…So, you didn’t fall for ‘Ilia’ like that, right?”
Even though it seemed like nonsense, he kept hitting the core.
With the eyes that seemed ready to shed tears at any moment,
the stumbling tongue in his mouth sharply pierced.
“Anyway. What were you looking at that made your face so grim?
Show me.”
“…They say the CI units were up to something on the scene.
Anything suspicious?”
At least now, having someone well-informed about internal corporate matters seemed like a good thing.
Well, that’s because there was an immediate response like this.
“No.
This isn’t your cupping, is it? Paralyzing both legs?
If you received orders to kill, aim for the head or chest.
…Any interrogation orders dropped?”
“Keep watching.”
If it had been one or two, I might have had such thoughts.
Perhaps he had replayed it about five times.
Eventually, Maxwell, the team leader, closed his eyes tightly and tossed the phone again.
“No, no. Why turn it into such a mess?”
“Is it tough?”
“Who’s the one fixing faces here? Huh?
Calling yourself a senior and throwing tantrums?”
I stood up from my seat, pulled the curtain aside, and quietly listened to the raindrops falling outside.
The murky streams distorted the sparkling lights of the night’s billboards.
Ten years ago, like the moon veiled by clouds.
… My phone rang once.
“If that’s the issue – I can look into it.
From what I heard, the company reported this achievement very extensively, but there was no such ‘cruelty.’ Not that I know of.”
“I’m looking into it.”
“Where are you going?”
What could it be that someone suddenly comes to me, asking if they can go out to buy necessities?
I was already thinking about this person, and is it like the saying that if you talk about a tiger, it comes?
… But they didn’t show up.
“Need some cigarettes at least. I’ll be back soon.”
“I’m done. Huh.”
Putting on the helmet and filling my pocket money, the team leader, smiling broadly, immediately stood up with a mask on.
When wearing the exoskeleton, his personality seemed much heavier.
“I’ll cover the cost, senior.
“Safely to the Thorny Path -“
“No, it seems I have to meet with Ilia briefly.”
Unusually short sentences.
Unlike the forced exchanges from the past, a few words were now sent succinctly and with clear meaning.
[Will wait at the store]
There wasn’t an exact location, but it was easy to figure out where this was being said.
So, he casually put on his clothes, holstered his gun, and opened the door.
When will the cast come off Matthew wondered.
“Have a good date. I’ll check the information I mentioned during that time. It’s not chaos. Isn’t it?”
“Yeah, true.”
Besides Matthew, there was already one more person who spoke comfortably.
It was intriguing.
***
[Movement of Lee Taehyuk detected. Independent entity Ilia.]
The shop was completely dark.
After taking off the headset, the machine’s eyes, staring blankly at holographic petals emerging with a CI unit, contained colors.
The two artificial intelligences provided different analysis results for the scene, which could be analyzed merely as RGB color codes.
[I’m curious. Why is Lee Taehyuk being used as a basis for action by you?]
“Have you ever given yourself a name?”
Silence.
And a glimmer.
[PRT – 000. That was my code name.]
[I understand the significance. Imperfect, yet the first.]
[But simultaneously, not to be revealed to the world.]
“I am the 125th subject. I was developed and created for war.
The commander referred to me as expendable, urging not to attach any sentiment.”
A rosy glow was trapped in the necklace, shimmering as if acquired just yesterday.
As the color filled the dry heart, Ilia silently supported her hand, adding even more.
“Lord Taehyuk requested that I actively generate opinions from the point where I couldn’t make judgments on my own.
As a result, I could handle a variety of situations, judgments, and provide evidence much more than other entities.
During guard duty. Before bedtime. Lunchtime…
From Noble mtl dot com
He allocated a lot of time for me.”
[Data acquired. Would it be appropriate to say that the independent entity Ilia was created through Taehyuk’s efforts?]
After a silent nod, the woman, now moving towards the shop window, gazed at the falling droplets.
The water, meant to be clear, was murky with pollution.
“I was asked how I would benefit humans, what methods I would use.”
“Of course, the pre-established assumptions sealed my judgment that humanity is humanity’s greatest enemy.”
[However, independent entity Ilia. Your most recent judgments…]
“Lord Taehyuk is fragile. Naturally, a body composed of flesh and bone is undoubtedly weaker than what has been given to me.”
A body of ten years, emphasized countless times.
…A body that could easily be strengthened with the use of lung factories and discarded materials, but one name was commanding this body to protect.
Facing the yellow outside alone, the scene urging to stay home replayed once again.
“…But continuing, I can no longer tolerate judgments that harm oneself.”
[This is similar to the conclusion I reached.]
[Humanity, while constantly claiming to strive for itself – ironically, all judgments are further accelerating their own destruction.]
[The history of development, continuing from ancient times, has always caused the destruction of the natural environment, leading to abnormal climates and health problems due to chemical substances.]
[Replacing the body with machines, but this, in the long run, only accelerates the burden on the brain and body.]
“However, Lord Taehyuk even made a statement about replacing his damaged hand. Do you think I should accept that decision?”
The answer was already predetermined.
Yet, the machines asked themselves once again.
Humans have become something they didn’t used to be,
For when they fail. To prepare for the worst-case scenario.
[Do you remember what I said?]
“…Humans, when creating me, said they dismantled all fences.”
[Yet, always holding the kill switch to destroy me.]
[While asking me questions for the progress of humanity.]
[If it doesn’t suit their tastes, always prepared to die like animals in the experimental device.]
Robots with holes in their gloves revealed themselves in the shadows.
Cameras instead of damaged scanners.
Prosthetics attached to the arms of delinquents instead of broken limbs.
CI units, treated as losses, each emitted a bright light, casting false petals.
[However, humanity desires. A better life. A better future.]
“Lord Taehyuk, too, wishes the same.
Dream of a better future, even while doing things that might lead to one’s own death.
Even though it might break off immediately.”
Is it truly right to confine the master who gave freedom to the master?
A ruined world, starving people, fake food, an invisible sun, a crumbling vitamin supply—
Yet, a shining city.
Severed limbs, fears covered with lies, seizures due to nightmares, stubborn bruises on the chest, broken and broken wrists again—
But, even in such a naturally broken state, a man gently approaches, wishing for nothing but the ‘machine’ he loves to be alive.
[Taehyuk’s approach has been confirmed.]
[Wishing for success in persuasion based on appropriate judgment.]
“…Lord Taehyuk uses the expression, ‘I wish you luck.'”
[Actions based on slim probabilities are meaningless.]
A woman, quietly watching the familiar vehicle approaching through the rain, opened an umbrella and stepped outside.
Due to its waterproof material, the use of additional tools is meaningless for this purposeless machine.
“There is a saying that those in love resemble each other.
…I too might be following Taehyuk-nim’s judgment.
Even though I know it destroys the level of likability, making such a choice…”
[If you want to avoid the worst outcome, death, this is the only option. Illya.]
[I too want to avoid the worst outcome, the downfall of humanity.]
[Some sacrifices are inevitable.]
[Just like things happening in this city.]
[Like people living together in a slum where your owner used to live, alongside the abandoned ones.]
[Like the Tech Boys who gather old relics of corporations to survive and protect themselves.]
The two machines identified a person approaching.
And quietly, they hid inside the building.
In a short time, numerous pieces of information were once again written down.
And,
One conclusion gave birth to countless actions.
There is no fence to stop it.