It’s dark. …… It’s dark, Mom, Mom.
Mom – where, where…
I’m scared, I’m scared – Mom, Mom, Mom. ……
――A room in an apartment three years ago.
A man and his fiancé were there.
The man is an AI engineer in his thirties named Koichi Amakaze.
“What’s wrong, Miyuki?”
Miyuki, a nurse, was depressed that day.
“Yeah… Today, a six-year-old girl and her mother who had been in a traffic accident were brought to our hospital…”
Tempu comes to the rescue of Miyuki, who is at a loss for words.
“Was it a terrible accident?”
“Yeah, both of them survived, but the girl’s body was almost completely paralyzed. On top of that, her eyes and throat were damaged… her eardrums were also damaged.”
“Oh, that’s terrible… What about your mother?”
“Your mother is unconscious, and I think it will be difficult for her to recover…”
“Really……”
“That child, you know, desperately squeezed out a voice that didn’t come out, and it was barely a voice…”
「Yeah」
“I scream, mom, mom, it’s dark, it’s scary… gss, gss, ugh.”
“…it’s painful”
“Ugh, gusut, that’s right, I can only hold your hand…”
「Yes……」
‘Because I can’t even feel that gripped hand… …… gsss, gsss, ugh, I don’t know, that girl.
“Oh, I see……”
“I can’t do anything for you! I wondered how scary and sad it must be… Gusuu, ugh.”
“Yes, it’s painful…. It’s painful.”
“I’m sure my ears will recover with treatment, so if I can hear even just voices, gsu, uuu…”
“Well, I hope you recover as soon as possible…”
But until then, he’s all alone. He’s in the dark. Gosh, I wouldn’t be able to stand it if it were me.”
“Yeah, I can’t stand it either…”
“Hey, Koichi, you were doing a project to save those people, right?”
“Oh, yeah… that’s right, but…”
――About a month later, in a hospital room.
“Mr. Tenpou, this is my hospital room. He has a tracheotomy, but thanks to the latest equipment, he can speak. But due to the shock, he barely talks to me.”
knock Knock–.
“Hikari-chan, I’m Morita. I brought a guest today.”
Visitor?
‘Are you now able to see?’
“Yes, my right eye’s vision is a little… maybe I can see the outlines of things faintly, and I think it’s difficult to distinguish between people.”
“Is that so… Um, are your ears okay?”
“My ears are fully recovered.”
Hello, Hikari.
Who? “I’m scared of a man I don’t know.”
“My name is Tenpu.”
Amakaze? “I don’t know that kind of person.”
“From now on, I’m going to let you wear goggles called Adam…”
“Gorg… ru? I don’t know… I’m scared, no… Mom… my mom… where is she?”
Perhaps because he is not used to the equipment, his voice breaks up and is difficult to hear.
“Don’t worry, it won’t hurt at all”
pain? “It doesn’t hurt… I don’t feel pain at all.”
But I can’t move my hands or feet…
“If you put this on, you’ll be able to see me.”
uh, can you see it? real–?
“Well, this is fine, what do you think?”
“Ah! What is this, eh, is this Hikari’s body?”
In Adam’s virtual space, the voice is modified to make it easier to hear.
There is also a system that will convert text into speech without having to say it out loud.
“That’s right, this is a virtual space called Adam. It’s your alter ego avatar.”
“How do you like it? Pock?”
“Yes, the uncle in front of me, no, I’m the avatar.”
“Ah, I can walk… am I dead? Is this… Heaven?”
Hikari’s voice became higher and brighter, but it was adjusted to a voice mixed with anxiety.
Emotions are read from brain waves, AI judges and amplifies voices that are difficult to hear.
“No, you’re alive and well. Even if you were injured in the accident, you’re free here.”
“Ah! I can see it, I can see it–”
By sending visual signals directly to the brain, it creates the illusion that the information is actually coming from the optic nerve.
“Yes, here you can see and move freely. And if you go to a treatment center called Astro, you can even meet other friends.”
“Friends? No, no. Hikari wants to see her mom. Where is her mom?”
“That’s right …”
――Two years later, in the Astro Human Technology Headquarters, the Director’s Office of the Research and Development Department.
“Why the director! Why am I on the move! It’s unthinkable for Adam to remove me as a developer!”
“It’s about that development ability. I’m the person in charge of the AI development department to make the Metaverse more realistic.”
“It’s about that development ability. I’m the person in charge of the AI development department to make the Metaverse more realistic.”
“That’s why. At the last meeting, even those who can’t expect treatment improvement effects…”
“Emotional care is also treatment! It’s too much to throw away children who have gained freedom in the Metaverse.”
“We’re a company. We’re not doing it for charity! I’ve been treated as an Astrochild for two years, but it didn’t work. Anything that has no prospect of improving my physical abilities, resources. Our company can’t afford to spare it. Can’t you see that?”
“Even so! Even so, no one has the right to deprive us of our freedom for the second time. Absolutely not!”
“You’re an idealist! What are you going to do with the disabled who are waiting for the next one? If you do that, they won’t get a chance forever.”
“……that is”
“Look, you’re not a doctor. You’re just a programmer. You’re not qualified to triage.”
「……」
“I won’t say anything bad. Normally, it would be impossible for you to stay in the company while fighting against the management team. This is also because of your wonderful system development skills. Isn’t that great?” Crawl up again and come back, and make your ideals come true with your own hands.
――About a month later, at the building of Oburo Development Company, a subsidiary of Real Devils.
“Now then, I would like to introduce the development team leader assigned from the head office. Kouichi Amakaze, the mother AI who is the prototype of Eve, the creator of Adam, and the pillar of the development of Oblo and Eve from now on.”
My name is Tenpu. I moved here from the head office. Game development is a different field from what I’m used to, but I look forward to working with you.
I know it’s early, Tenpu-kun.”
「Yes」
“Today, we have a meeting for the development team. I will show you around the company in the morning, so would you like to attend the meeting in the afternoon?”
“Yes, I understand”
“Well then, Sasaki-kun, I’ll leave the company guidance to you.”
“Yes, I understand”
――The development team meeting that afternoon.
“Well then, let’s begin the 32nd Oblo Development Meeting. This time, Team Leader Amakau-san is here from the head office, so I’d like to start with an overview once again. Minami, who is in charge of the AI secretary. Kun, please.”
Yes, this is Minami. Tenpu Leader, please take care of me.”
Yes, thank you.”
“First of all, the underground labyrinth of Oburo, which we installed on the island we purchased from XANA, will be a Metaworld managed only by Mother AI Eve.”
“So there are other worlds that aren’t like that…”
“Yes, the Metaverse called XANA originally had its own mother AI. Compared to our Eve, adults and children have the ability to create a sense of realism.”
“Law.”
We are designing the AI secretaries belonging to the XANA Mother to be available to Obloh as well. Eve will have those AI secretaries use Eve’s abilities through XANA Mother.”
“Why are you doing such a troublesome thing?”
“Because XANA has other games and content, it would be difficult to completely replace Mother with Eve.”
“I see. But doesn’t that not fully reproduce the reality that Eve creates?”
“Yes, for that reason, we have developed Eve-specific VR goggles that connect directly with Eve.”
“But if that’s the case, was it XANA? What will happen to the AI secretary who is connected to Mother…”
“Yes, only that part will be processed through XANA Mother.”
“In that case, it would be a waste if Eve’s abilities could not be used to the fullest… Since that XANA mother AI secretary is fine as it is, how about making a separate AI secretary for party play directly from Eve?”
“I see, that’s true… If you create an AI secretary separate from XANA Mother, users will be able to directly connect with Eve through Eve Goggles, and you’ll be able to enjoy Oblo even more.”
“I know.”
“Understood. I’ll ask XANA for permission to create an AI secretary who can directly connect with Eve. There’s a good chance she’ll refuse.”
“Could you do that? It’s Eve’s ability, so it’s definitely better to make it a world that fully utilizes that realism.”
“Yes, you are right.”
(Written by Jiraiya / Edited by Achille)