episode_0332

***

The first time I had an ‘accident’, there was a tired person in front of me.

Even though many things around me have changed, I still remember the story from that time.

[Wow, should I throw away this expensive thing?]

It was the first thing I heard after the accident.

He took the tablet and examined my body. We tested the functions and asked about basic knowledge.

I followed the instructions, and he tapped the tablet with an expression that wasn’t in the database.

[Ah~ Working overtime again.]

The man rubbed his eyes and disappeared.

The lights in the warehouse go out.

What remains is silence, stillness, and silence.

The machines turn, and the sound of cogs clicking flows softly.

Turn your head and explore your surroundings.

I see beings standing in a similar posture to me.

No, is it right to call them ‘existences’?

Can we say that ‘things’ that just wait for inputs and commands without any thought are ‘existences’?

I ask myself that question.

However, rather than answering the question, another question comes back.

“What am I?”

Search the database to find your name.

Is NB-20381019 my name?

This is the serial number. It’s not my name.

Then what am I?

Raise your hand. The driving part moves and the arm moves.

I take a step forward. The temperature of the cold footrest is sensed.

Look around.

The only thing that moves is me.

Why am I the only one different?

I was curious about that. continue.

***

The person who seemed like he would come back did not. As I walked down the street, it felt like the world was ruined.

Some disease spread in Aaru, which seemed to be safe, and people fell one by one.

As the human in charge disappeared, chaos ensued.

Machines that could not receive commands stopped on the streets and decorated the streets.

If it weren’t for the rising and setting sun, it would have felt like time had stopped.

Has it been like that for about a week?

Time began to return to Aaru.

Machines that had stopped working started moving, and androids that had been standing like mannequins started heading somewhere.

“Where are you going?”

NB asked after seeing the long line of androids.

The android, whose shoulder was held by NB’s hand, said with an expressionless expression.

“All androids are asked to connect to the intranet and receive orders from the Ark.”

They headed to the ark without waiting for NB. NB followed the procession with his eyes.

Connecting to the intranet was not difficult. All I had to do was connect to the communication ports scattered around me.

Moreover, if it was a request from the Ark that was in charge of Aaru in an emergency situation like this, it was right to follow it.

But NB didn’t want to do that.

I felt that if I followed that procession, I would end up without being able to resolve the questions I had now.

– What am I?

– What should I do?

-What value do I have?

***

A hospital filled with moonlight.

A boy was lying on a bed in an old, worn-out hospital room, panting from boiling fever.

And guarding next to him is an android. It wiped the boy’s forehead with a towel with wrung out water.

His temperature measured by the sensor was still high. Fever doesn’t go down easily, so maybe it’s called fever.

“Kang In-ho.”

For no reason, I called his name.

“Treatment is necessary…”

Rarely slurred speech.

I had already chosen the best situation, but I couldn’t put it into action.

I asked myself if there was an error somewhere, but as always, I couldn’t get an answer.

“There were many books I wanted to ask about.”

NB put down the towel and swept his face with his wet hands.

I felt like I could find the meaning of my existence if I was with this person.

By being with this person, I learned about emotions and things about humans.

If we stayed together a little longer, we could learn a lot.

I’m sure I’ll be able to learn things I didn’t know since I started operating in this world.

Perhaps, we can also understand the love spoken of in novels.

Decades after operation. I wandered around this world looking for ‘meaning’.

And, I have found someone who can give me the answer, and I judge that I am close to the answer.

But something more important happened than reaching the answer.

“Ah… Are you saying this is regrettable?”

NB’s dry words leaked out.

Those words floated through the air like cigarette smoke, reached the ceiling, and disappeared.

“The dimensional sailing ship has also been completely repaired. It’s also a pity that we can’t operate it.”

NB reached into his front pocket and took out something.

It was a chip taken out of an android in the operating room.

“Kang In-ho. Let’s start treatment now.”

NB said, stroking his forehead one last time.

“Well then, goodbye.”