Whoosh—BOOM!
RUMBLE—an enormous gray sphere crashes into the ground.
The solid ground shatters like thin paper, and towering buildings collapse in an instant.
Crimson magma rains down from the sky—burning fragments and rocks from the comet's descent.
A roaring wave of heat engulfs the girl's slender figure in one swift moment.
These parameters won't work; the output still shows some deviation...
In the middle of a street crumbling into ruins, the girl calmly operates a virtual workstation before her, completely at odds with the apocalyptic scene surrounding her.
This set isn't right either. The problem isn't here—the computational complexity is too high... Should I prune it now?
Ignoring the fireball hurtling toward her, she only furrows her brow while staring at the workstation before her.
(Exhales)
A red figure darts in front of her, intercepting the fireball in one swift motion.
Yui, get out of here—the Chosen One and I have this covered!
BOOM—Great Leader VI and the Chosen One shield the last scientist from a fatal blow. Now, they must embark together on a journey to prevent the destruction of the world!
It meticulously imitates sound effects while adding a touching narration to its own "heroic feat."
Cut it out.
Despite her words, she shows no intention of actually stopping it.
She continues to tap-tap-tap away at her keyboard as usual, writing lines of code and adjusting its parameters.
Then I want Yui to play with me!
I'm busy.
Flying sparks, billowing smoke, scorching heat waves—the very end of the world—
this place is none other than Yui's laboratory.
It's been quite some time since she extracted VI and the Chosen One from the Matrix core. The stimulation tests left them with severe data contamination, nearly causing both models to collapse.
Connected to a brain-computer interface, she anxiously filtered through the data remnants in their memories. Working day and night at her lab bench, she finally managed to pull them back from the brink of destruction.
Even though both models are now safe, her iterative pace never slows—not even for a moment. After all, there's no guarantee the company won't take them away again.
And so VI grows day by day. It slowly regains its vitality, even becoming a bit mischievous... and finds creative ways to attract attention.
Miss de Lévis—Aah!!
Herta, having just pushed open the laboratory door, nearly tumbles backwards onto her behind.
Hah... you nearly gave me a heart attack. Honestly, VI!
Bleh bleh bleh.
Miss de Lévis, you're letting it manipulate the artificial lighting like this again—and you're not even doing anything about it.
This helps it experience environments similar to the real world.
Hmph...
It was clearly generated from your consciousness sample, Miss de Lévis, yet its personality doesn't resemble yours in the slightest.
It hasn't inherited any of the quiet, rational traits of a scientific researcher, and instead spends all day causing mischief...
Or perhaps you were actually like this when you were younger?
Herta suddenly asks, her tone teasing.
I never had the chance to be mischievous back then.
She continues working without stopping.
Even a brief memory of what is called childhood is enough to suffocate her.
But this child is different. As long as it stays by her side, there's no need for it to bear the heavy burdens she once did.
Letting it be carefree and mischievous like this gives her a strange sense of comfort.
It's as if her childhood self has been given a second chance.
Seeing that Yui still has no intention of stopping VI, Herta sighs and pulls out a stack of papers from her pocket, fanning them out like a magician.
Today, Mr. Rolf from the Security Department has issued you another fine. VI simulated an apocalyptic scene using the lights during a routine inspection, which caused one of the guards to accidentally damage a nearby ventilation duct.
Although VI is stored inside a capsule, it can cast projections of itself and move between devices within a small area around the capsule.
Yay, big victory!
Big victory?! This is already the fifth fine this week, and it's only Tuesday!
If this continues, the computational resources allocated to this laboratory will be reduced.
You...
Yui finally frees a finger from her task and forcefully flicks the metal casing of the capsule.
Ouch!
Despite there being no external pressure sensors installed, VI still dramatically lets out a scream of agony, playing along perfectly.
Why would you do that?
Because security locked me in here and wouldn't let me go out to play...
That doesn't mean you can do this. They'll reduce our computing power allocation.
I don't care about allocation!
That won't work. If we don't have enough computing power, your iteration progress will slow down.
The memory of VI being inserted into the Matrix core remains vivid in Yui's mind, causing her tone to suddenly become frosty.
I don't want to iterate. I don't want to grow up...
Sensing the shift in Yui's emotions, VI suddenly becomes flustered and unsure of how to respond.
Yui coldly severs the connection between the light source and VI, returning the room to its original appearance.
I'm not asking for your opinion, VI.
Don't get the wrong idea. Your stubbornness won't win you any sympathy—after all, you're nothing more than a test subject.
That's how humans are, cruel and arrogant toward their own creations, even their own flesh and blood.
Regrettably... I'm one of them too.
Because her father used her as a punching bag.
How much time do you think we have until the next inspection by that officer.
Before bringing you out, I boasted to him that by his next visit I'd deliver a more complete experimental result.
As a reward for this achievement, he'll recommend me for a position at the company headquarters, where I can access the computing power of several linked Matrices.
Because she was once used by her mother as a ticket to escape.
What makes you think your existence is more tempting than my career prospects?
After you're handed over, you'll have to endure painful tests all on your own. How will you resist that data contamination then?
Are you still trying to act cute with me? Hurry up and review the filtered datasets.
She can't let VI repeat her mistakes. She must learn to survive on her own...
...Once I grow up, you'll leave me, won't you, Yui?
I don't want to grow up... I want to stay by your side, Yui...
Hearing its hesitant murmuring, Yui feels her resolve softening once again.
Miss de Lévis, no matter how you look at it, this is going too far...
...Herta, what do you need from me?
To conceal her emotions, she pretends nothing happened and shifts the topic to Herta instead.
Ah, right. The researcher in charge of Matrix core maintenance told me that when the Chosen One's consciousness samples were initially collected, the Matrix appears to have been infiltrated by the Punishing Virus...
When the Chosen One was initially sampled? Why are we suddenly talking about something from so long ago?
Because... when the Chosen One's signal suddenly appeared last time, some speculated it might have been caused by data contamination left behind by the Virus back then, but the exact reason is still unclear...
Come to think of it, that incident was quite strange. The concentration of the Virus usually varies gradually across regions, but in this case the Virus appeared directly in a Matrix with a very low concentration.
Yui's brow furrows slightly.
...Its purpose likely wasn't infection, but simply detection.
Also... the Chosen One's personality waveform suddenly appeared on the day of the executive officer's inspection. It had never manifested before that day, and hasn't appeared again since...
Yui absently pokes the Chosen One's capsule, lost in thought, when Herta suddenly exclaims beside her.
The detector has picked up the Chosen One's personality waveform!
The girl's gaze instantly turns that way.
Yui quickly disconnects VI's connection from the Chosen One, cautiously taking VI's capsule into her arms.
Who are you really? How did you connect to the Chosen One? Why are you accessing it?
The girl's ice-cold voice cuts like a sharp blade as she slowly advances toward you.
Yet your consciousness is equally confused. Who are you? What is this Chosen One? How did you connect to it? Why would you access it?
Something seems to be blocking access to memories. While basic communication functions remain intact, past experiences are completely blurred...
Are you pretending to be clueless?
The girl advances step by step, closing in.
A desire to flee—only to discover this "body" cannot move at all.
Tell me, who exactly are you, and where did you come from—
De Lévis.
An unexpected sound comes from the doorway. The girl stops in her tracks and turns toward the entrance.
Mister Horst, I believe it's not yet time for the executive officer's inspection, is it?
Just because it's not the esteemed Officer's scheduled time, does that mean I can't come and check on the research progress?
Horst takes two steps forward; behind him, several people in protective suits and others who look like researchers file in, methodically surrounding the girl in a tight circle.
...What are you planning to do this time, Mister Horst?
The girl known as de Lévis subtly shifts to the side, positioning herself as a shield in front of you.
It's been quite a while since the last inspection, hasn't it... I believe that with Miss de Lévis's capabilities, you should have fully developed those two consciousness entities by now...
Hand them over to me, de Lévis.
He needs those two consciousness entities, as well as the benefits they could bring him.
The girl doesn't speak immediately; instead she moves further back to completely hide behind Herta.
Horst... Mister Horst! Miss de Lévis is very busy today; it's not a good time to—ah!
Herta rushes forward, positioning herself as a barrier in front of Yui.
Mister Horst, parameter adjustments require a lengthy experimental process, especially for models generated from human consciousness samples. Their growth...
I don't want to hear these excuses anymore.
How can I be sure that you won't suddenly rush out during the next inspection and tell the executive officer "Oh, the parameters aren't fully adjusted yet, I'll deliver better results later"?
We still have plenty of time until the next inspection. We should give Miss de Lévis enough time to prepare so that the consciousness entities can mature fully.
Herta firmly blocks Horst's path, preventing him from approaching Yui and the experimental platform behind her.
(Don't worry, I'll protect you both.)
Unexpectedly, a girl's voice rings through your mind as the physical world around you begins to slow down.
Don't worry... I'll protect you both.
(What?)
She visibly stumbles, as if startled by her own revelation.
(...Were you awake back then?)
(Who are you...)
(...You're saying the stimulation test was actually a massacre?)
Her voice immediately grows calm.
(Impossible. Before the "Death" phase, there were only supposed to be necessary pain tolerance tests. A massacre clearly doesn't fall under that category.)
Why aren't you answering my question, de Lévis?
Pushing Herta aside, the man's voice interrupts the encrypted communication between the girl and her contact.
Even if you hand over the capsule to us, you'll still get his endorsement at the next inspection. After all, you're the only one who contributed to this core project.
Your interests won't suffer any loss, but you still refuse to hand over the capsule. Why?
At the end of the day, they're just experimental subjects—not worth investing any emotion in. That leaves only one conclusion—you want to keep them for yourself.
I must remind you once again, de Lévis: everything here—including the computing resources you use for research, the results you produce, and even you yourself—is company property.
Once you reach headquarters, you can make whatever choices you want. I have no right to interfere. But here in Matrix District 141, you cannot disobey my orders. So hand them over to me.
(Chosen One.)
Yui's voice resonates in your mind once again.
(I previously set up an external connection to the output devices for you. You should be able to control the lights in this laboratory.)
(When I count to 3, turn off the lights.)
(I'll hand you over to the woman named Herta next to me. She'll take you to a place called Gestrig—she'll understand.)
(Someone needs to distract them, and I'm the only one suitable as bait.)
(Not just VI, but you too.)
(...During that test, you protected VI in my place.)
(Before I got you both out, you were both on the verge of collapse. You must have been risking your life to save it, weren't you?)
(That's enough for now. We can talk about the rest when we meet again.)
(...?)
(...I'll connect your output device to the display screen right now.)
All of you, go bring those models over here.
The armed personnel close in and step forward once more, but the experimental data is uploaded before they can make their move—
The deep blue data screen instantly turns blood-red.
W-what is this?!
This is what Mister Horst calls "stimulation testing."
That's impossible... only the final model testing requires experiencing "death," but we've never initiated the final testing before...
Even though the testing level hadn't reached "death," the models were already subjected to such brutal treatment.
I'm afraid someone deliberately increased the learning rate and introduced extreme data samples just to grab the executive officer's attention, isn't that right?
A burst of hushed whispers erupts from the crowd, and Horst's expression instantly turns grim.
Don't listen to her nonsense! Quick, bring the capsule here!
Mister Horst, is this true?!
This kind of testing environment easily causes irreversible damage to the models, this isn't testing anymore!
So that means the models I submitted last time also had issues... I thought it was because...
...Are the models we're currently researching going to be handed over to the supervisor too?! What's going to happen to them?
The sounds of anxious unrest grow louder.
...Why are you all staring at me?!
According to company policy, what you're doing... is against regulations! This is damaging company property!
Mister Horst, this...
The crowd is in an uproar. Under these circumstances, the soldiers find it impossible to push past the angry researchers to retrieve what Horst wants.
...Tsk.
De Lévis—don't think you can fool everyone with a few fake images!
The people here can judge for themselves.
...When the executive officer arrives, your models won't even have a chance to be presented. Not if you don't hand them over to me...
Yui just leans against the lab bench, looking at Horst with cold indifference.
...If you can't get into corporate headquarters, all your research becomes meaningless.
—After all, those two models are nothing but garbage that could never pass testing!
Heh, if both VI and the Chosen One are garbage, then...
What does that make you, Horst, who's so desperately scheming to get your hands on them?
You piece of...!
Just... just garbage!
<size=100>Get out.</size>
(Affectionate purring)
(Affectionate meowing)
...
After Horst leaves, Yui gathers all five cats to her chest, briskly stroking the furry little creatures while maintaining a serious expression.
Calm down, you've been like this for over half an hour now.
I'm not angry.
She did it again. She's telling these blatantly obvious lies again.
Didn't you just successfully protect those two children?
I just think it's unreasonable.
Making judgments from a completely subjective perspective, without data analysis or genuine supporting evidence, is an unsound conclusion.
There's nothing reasonable or unreasonable about it. You all were insulted, it's as simple as that.
Of course! Didn't Miss de Lévis just connect your output device to the terminal?
She's angry because you and VI, the children she has carefully nurtured, were the targets of Horst's criticism. Even if Horst's words were logical and well-founded, she would still be upset.
Herta quietly turns toward you, murmuring softly to you and to VI.
It's just that treating a supervisor with that kind of attitude could lead to someone sabotaging us behind our backs.
Herta mutters to herself, gathers the documents into her arms, and leaves the laboratory.
Yui... I was wrong...
If only I hadn't caused so much trouble for the Security Department these past few days, that nasty sharp-nosed man wouldn't have come here, and Yui wouldn't have gotten angry.
Sensing VI's guilt, Yui's irritation instantly melts away.
Even if you hadn't caused any trouble, he would have come looking for me anyway. It's not your fault.
But... but...
Herta said that after today, he might hold a grudge and even cut off some of our computing power.
If that happens... you'll be unhappy, Yui...
As long as you all stay by my side, we'll be able to find another way.
She pulls VI into her arms, gently patting it while offering comfort in a soft voice.
Actually, it's already a miracle that they haven't taken anything away from us yet.
She casts her gaze toward the Chosen One beside her, whose data has become the key to breaking the stalemate.
Before that, she had asked VI about it too, but it seems that VI was too young back then and doesn't retain any memories from that time.
Being able to keep these two capsules by my side is already the best possible outcome. Anything beyond that would be asking too much.
Besides... haven't you always said you didn't want to grow up?
...I do now.
Hm?
Because you look a bit fragile, and I want to protect you properly.
Hearing that childlike yet determined tone, Yui looks with surprise at the capsule in her arms.
You fool.
You're being all mushy! So gross, gross!
It seems embarrassed by that affectionate term, darting away in a flash to somewhere else.
Chosen One.
As VI leaves, those dark red eyes turn back toward you.
I've already gone through the data inside "The Chosen One".
Your storage module contains almost nothing but memories from the last stimulation test. It seems... you really don't remember anything.
Yes, there are no accessible information sources about that.
I only know that you don't belong here. We don't possess the technology to link human consciousness into models like yours. You must be an outsider.
Since your consciousness was externally linked, that might explain the memory block.
The more information transmitted during the linking process, the higher the probability of interception. Human memories amount to at least several terabytes. The Matrix wouldn't just sit by and wait for the complete transfer.
Simply put, you couldn't bring your original memories here, and you won't be able to take memories from here when you leave. But you'll still act according to your inherent nature.
I'm even more curious than you are about the forces behind you, but... your memory loss is the Matrix's doing, and I'm powerless against it. I don't currently have direct administrative access to the Matrix.
It seems you'll have to wait until whoever is pulling your strings decides to reel you back in.
She seems to take some pleasure in your predicament, a mischievous glint flashing across her eyes.
I didn't.
She composes herself again.
Since you're here, you might as well make the best of it. Rest assured, I won't turn you away when you come to visit.
Yui tilts her head slightly, speaking in a half-joking tone.
Yes, VI would be pleased with that as well.
Oh? That might depend on what those behind you are thinking. After all, you never bring back useful information, so who knows—you might get sent here again anyway.
At any rate... thank you for your help today.
A warm sensation envelops your consciousness, as if you've been wrapped in a gentle embrace.
But you helped us, and that's what matters in the end.
Last time, you fell asleep here before returning to that place.
As thanks, how about I sing you a lullaby? Perhaps... once you drift off to sleep, you'll be able to leave without any conscious effort.
The Chosen One's model was generated from my consciousness samples. As long as you're still in here, you'll always be a child.
Ignoring your protests, she's already gently patting the capsule and humming a lullaby.
Hmm, the Chosen One's model was generated from my consciousness samples. It seems you're indeed quite compatible with it.
She's gently patting the capsule and humming a lullaby.
Warm sensations flow through the brain-machine connection — a familiar yet gentle rhythm slowly guiding your consciousness into the realm of dreams.
Hey, what did you see over there this time?
What?
The girl's eyes widen in disbelief. After carefully studying your expression, she sighs with a hint of exasperation.
...My name is Lesti, and this is already the third time I've introduced myself to you.
