Chapter 75: Do Androids Pray for Cybernetic Heaven? (5)

In a corner of the cathedral office, a low voice echoed.

“Strange androids have been appearing frequently in the suburban back alleys recently.”

The priest continued his report, presenting materials containing photos from several scenes.

“But the strange thing is, someone is chasing those androids and recovering them back to the city.”

I tilted my head and asked back.

“Certainly… that’s strange. There must be plenty of androids on the city streets, so why would they bother chasing them all the way here to capture them?”

In Omega Detroit, androids were usually treated no differently than tin cans on the street.

They had labor power but were abandoned due to the prevailing animosity, and because no one would hire them, they were reduced to doing simple daily jobs, barely managing to charge their batteries day by day.

The scrap metal from those that couldn’t even get such opportunities and had their functions cease was only picked up by junk dealers.

Wherever they were, wherever they went, they were beings that no one cared about.

Yet, for someone to be deliberately targeting them and coming all the way to the suburbs to recover them was strange.

To be a scheme aiming for their parts value, most of the androids currently operating in this city were old products from before the production ban.

It meant that the effort of coming all the way to the suburbs to dismantle them wasn’t worth the value.

For such things to be happening just as we had taken in an unidentified android girl at the cathedral… the situation felt a bit too coincidental.

The priest’s report continued.

“From what we’ve learned during combat, the pursuers seem to be mercenaries from the city.

However, their skills are quite good, so we haven’t been able to interrogate them to find out who’s behind them.”

“Wait a minute, did we have a conflict with them?”

“Yes, we did. There have been reports of our guardians repelling those pursuers several times because they were attacking the church’s believers.”

I tilted my head and asked again.

“Why were they attacking our believers? Didn’t you say their target was androids?”

“Because there was an android mixed among the believers who attend our cathedral.”

At the unexpected answer, a flustered voice escaped me.

“What? W-Wait a minute. What does that mean? I don’t quite understand….

When did we decide to accept new androids into the church?

Who decided that on their own?”

“That’s not it, Saintess.

The android who was attacked was a believer who has been with us since the early days of the church’s establishment.”

“What?!”

The reply was even more shocking.

From the beginning?

Mulling over the meaning of those words, I soon realized the true meaning and hurriedly asked back.

“Don’t tell me… you mean there were already androids mixed among the suburban residents?”

“That’s right.

Even their neighbors had no idea of their identity.

That is, until the pursuers from the city scanned and attacked them.

It seems they were mistaken for the androids who recently escaped the city.”

“Such….”

I couldn’t hide my bewildered expression.

Until now, I had thought the android incident was completely someone else’s problem.

That taking in the girl was just an exceptional case.

But they were already our neighbors, and even believers of the Church of Radiance.

After calming down for a moment and thinking carefully, it made sense.

It wasn’t a one-or-two-day affair for androids who had acquired emotions to be unable to bear the unfair treatment and flee to various places.

And the environment of the suburbs, where there were plenty of people without even identification, would have been an ideal place for androids to hide.

Moreover, it’s difficult to distinguish androids from real people by appearance alone.

Unless they bleed orange operational fluid instead of red blood from a wound, or are scanned with a special tool.

In this neighborhood, no one would have even thought to doubt whether someone was human or an android in the first place.

And so, they had been living openly as neighbors, as part of the church’s congregation.

If it hadn’t been for this commotion, they would never have been discovered.

As I realized this unexpected fact, my thoughts grew more and more complicated.

Those who had mimicked humans and had already entered our fold.

Was their faith an act?

To blend in with people without being discovered as machines?

Or was it sincere?

As a single intelligent being… had they come seeking salvation to soothe their anxious hearts?

Then, even if they are androids, do we have an obligation to protect them?

My mind was in turmoil.

“…….”

I never thought things would turn out this way.

My drawing a line, thinking that the robot rights commotion was something I didn’t need to worry about, was rendered meaningless as the situation had turned into a problem directly related to the church.

In this situation where an unidentified force of unknown backing has begun to target the androids of the suburbs, what is it that we must protect?

Until now, there was no special reason needed for the choice to help desperate people.

Taking risks to protect the weak in unreasonable predicaments, though the price to be paid afterward might be daunting… was not confusing.

Rather, there was even a kind of certainty.

But now, that very standard was shaking.

It was a situation where I had to redefine what a desperate ‘person’ even was.

What is a person?

What on earth must I protect in this city?

‘My head hurts…..’

Only sighs came out.

To think that androids were already in our church.

Then can the faith of a machine be called true faith?

Is there a way to prove it?

Androids already possessed intelligence at a level that could easily pass the Turing test.

Even if they could argue how close they were to humans, they couldn’t prove it, could they?

“……”

I stared blankly out the window.

Then I saw the girl, playing with children of her age as usual.

The android girl, Clarice, whom we had taken into the cathedral a few days ago.

I hadn’t observed her for long, but I could tell she was a very good child.

To the point where I wondered if she wasn’t a being created to be loved.

If the real purpose of the city mercenaries who had recently come to the suburbs to attack androids was to find the girl Clarice, who was in our cathedral…

Should the church confront them?

In a situation where we don’t even know who is behind them.

Is it right to protect that android girl, even if it means enduring risks and sacrifices?

“……”

I don’t know the answer.

But I couldn’t just keep worrying forever.

In this moment when an unknown threat is approaching.

I had to avoid missing the time to choose by just hesitating.

I needed at least some intuitive evidence that could persuade everyone, and that I myself could accept.

It was right at that moment.

The girl playing outside the window tumbled with a loud thud-!

“…..!”

She had bumped into another child while playing.

It was such a spectacular fall that even the other children momentarily glanced over.

The child, who soon got up, did not cry.

She just stared blankly down at her own knee.

“……..”

From the scraped knee, thin, orange operational fluid was dripping from between the torn artificial skin.

Watching the scene, I shot up from my seat and went down the stairs.

A moment later.

When I knocked on the infirmary door, the caregiver who was about to put a bandage on the child’s knee paused and looked back.

“Ah, Saintess! What is it?”

“I saw Clarice fall from the window just now.

Is it okay if I take a look at her wound for a moment?

And I have something I’d like to talk about with the child, just the two of us…”

“Yes, of course.

Please make yourself comfortable.”

Click.

After hearing the sound of the door closing and confirming that there was no one around, I sat down on the small chair in front of the girl.

“Clarice.

It’s been a while.

How are you doing at the cathedral?

Is there anything uncomfortable?”

The child shook her head.

“It’s nice…. Everyone is very kind to me.

Playing with my friends is fun too.”

The child smiled, her face blushing slightly.

At her pure appearance, my heart actually grew a little heavy.

The fact that I had come here to test the girl also pricked my conscience.

But I soon steeled myself and got to the point.

“May I… take a look at your wound for a moment?”

Clarice obediently nodded.

I lowered my head and looked at the child’s knee.

The thin, orange operational fluid beaded under the torn artificial skin, and the inorganic parts peeking through.

No matter how much she acted like a person, the fact that she was different from a real living being was clearly felt.

That’s why I was confused.

‘Is this really the right thing to do?’

Half of me wanted to just pretend I didn’t know and bury it.

The other half wanted to confirm the definite answer right away.

Hiding my own conflicted heart, I placed my fingertips on the girl’s wound.

“I’m sorry, but could you close your eyes for a moment?”

“Yes.”

The good girl obediently followed my words and closed her eyes.

A moment later, I prayed silently in my heart.

Then the familiar halo of light filled the room before disappearing like mist.

Paaaat-

Presently, I slowly opened my eyes and checked the result.

“…….”

The wound on the girl’s knee….. was still torn as it was.

It hadn’t healed at all.

As I stood there for a while without saying anything at that fact, Clarice asked in a slightly anxious voice.

“Is… something wrong? Perhaps…..”

Still with her eyes closed as I had instructed.

“No.”

I forced a smile and replied, taking out a bandage from the drawer and carefully applying it to the child’s wound.

“You don’t need to worry.

That won’t happen.”

So that what was underneath couldn’t be seen.

Meticulously.

---

Only after walking down the infirmary hallway for a while did I finally let out the breath I had been holding.

“Haah-“

The result I had just witnessed was unexpected if it was unexpected, and as expected if it was expected.

‘The miracle… didn’t work on Clarice.’

The miracle of healing I had seen so far was a power close to omnipotent.

Even mechanical parts or prosthetics, as long as they were part of a ‘person,’ could be restored.

But why didn’t the miracle of healing work on that child just now?

Is it really that androids… are not people?

Because they are beings without souls?

Then were the other androids who had already been baptized and prayed in the church just pretending to believe in God?

I was confused.

I had acted to find a clear answer to solve my worries, but instead, it became even more incomprehensible.

‘What on earth… should I do?’

And so, a few days passed.