episode_0355

***

The sandstorm blinded my eyes. The sand that got into his nose and mouth began to suffocate the boy.

It became increasingly difficult to breathe in and out, but the boy silently moved forward, step by step.

It took an instant for the soft skin to be damaged by the harsh headwind.

He was unable to utter complete, neat sentences. All I could do was let out a single word like uh, ah, huh. That lonely voice was mixed with a whistling sound.

Since there was no significant difference between opening and closing his eyes, he turned his body as the guidance sound told him.

The crude electronic sound asked him to move forward, and he complied.

“NB.”

He called to the owner of the voice. He was sure that the voice hidden by the electronic sound was definitely NB’s.

The cynical part of him asked if there was any difference between Isis and NB’s voice.

He shook his head vigorously, shaking the thought away. To him, there was a difference between the voices of NB and Isis.

It was just that there was no way to explain it, no vocabulary to express it.

[You must keep moving forward.]

The voice felt distant due to the strong wind. Perhaps the destination was that much further away.

He gritted his teeth and took another step. Before I knew it, my ankles were submerged in the accumulated sand.

My feet were heavy.

A comfortable bed, delicious food, and a female body you can hug whenever you want. They were behind him.

If you turn around and turn around even now, if you smile sheepishly and say, ‘I did something stupid.’

Isis would place him in a bathtub colored with sweet bath salts and carefully wash the sand from his body.

If only I could go back, if only I could return to the ark.

If only I could return to a place where there is nothing lacking and is perfectly maintained.

There would be no stress or deficiency.

But he moved forward nonetheless.

[along….]

“Yes. I’ll go.”

Responding softly, the man headed forward.

The voice was guiding him to the dimensional sailing ship.

I couldn’t tell how far I had to go to get there from where I was standing now.

“I’ll go. To the place where the dimensional sailing ship is.”

A whistling sound came from my throat. It was difficult to tell whether the sound was so muffled that he was tired or dying.

The wind got stronger. The flying sand began to tear my skin. The small scratch gradually widened, and foreign substances appeared around the wound.

My knees were submerged in the sand. It became more and more difficult to move step by step.

People tend to value human will.

Examples of this can be found in dramas and movies, and it seems that the foundation of human victory comes from indomitable will.

But humans are weak. Especially if it’s a boy’s body.

The will of the soul, which had been forged by traveling through several dimensions, was chipped away little by little in the raging sandstorm.

The wind tore the young boy’s body into pieces with its sharp fangs.

The wind takes my breath away, and the sand knocks me over.

The flying dust obscured my vision, and the cold air extinguished my soul.

In that way, Kang In-ho’s consciousness faded away.

***

Model number NB-20381019. It was an Android that sent a download request.

After looking up the serial number of the android belonging to Aaru, Ark recognized that it was an unregistered android.

It is annotated as a rogue android that did not respond when it was proposed to summon the androids.

Naturally, Ark sought to take control through synchronization with NB-20381019.

This is because there was a calculation that leaving individual AI behind was not efficient.

However, when the Ark was trying to synchronize, the AI sent a communication first.

Although Android’s AI is excellent, it cannot be compared to the city-spanning Ark’s AI.

It was the first time we attempted to communicate directly, beyond the difference in class.

The Ark had no choice but to stop its original work due to that exception.

— Ark. NB-20381019 offers a deal.

– Ask about the type of transaction.

— Currently protecting a human male with a gunshot wound. Emergency treatment has been completed, but the condition is worsening for unknown reasons.

– Awareness of human existence. We are also aware of injuries resulting from drone fire.

— Requests to treat a human male using the medical module currently installed on this aircraft.

– The protection of humanity is governed by divine law, and we plan to proceed as requested.

— I thought so.

– Question whether the deal proposed by NB-20381019 is human treatment.

— We propose combining AI through synchronization.

– Refusal, judging that there is no reason to do so.

— I offer it again to the Ark. The AI structure of NB-20381019 has a different structure from other AIs.

– Question about what structure it is.

— It is a thinking algorithm that can think like humans. Humans call this emotion.

– There is no algorithmic structure that allows AI to feel emotions. Judged by its ability to imitate emotions.

— If in doubt, feel free to check.

Ark read NB-20381019’s AI.

The overall structure of the AI of other androids was similar. However, as said, it was confirmed that there were subtle differences.

The structure of the thinking algorithm was changing from moment to moment, making it impossible to interpret even the Ark at once, and its capacity was gradually increasing.

– Check AI structure upon request. Confirm the structure of the thinking algorithm that has never been seen in other AI.

— I think the Ark will be upgraded if this algorithm is added through synchronization.

Ark didn’t answer. We calculated whether adopting a new thinking algorithm would be beneficial or detrimental.

After a very short pause, Ark responded to NB-20381019.

– Accept the deal. We will add the thinking algorithm of NB-20381019 through synchronization. We will hear the terms of NB-20381019.

— Please promise to protect and cherish the human male you treat.

– The conditions mentioned also correspond to divine laws.

— Sparing is not in the divine law. I hope you promise to take care of me.

– Ask for a detailed explanation of the word ‘saving’.

This time NB did not reply.

And after a long silence, NB answered.

— Even if the world collapses or burns, you act only for that person.

– Confirmed as an extension of human protection. I promise to save you.

***

ward. night.

The bed where the dying boy was lying came into view. Clearly, this was a human male in need of treatment that NB had mentioned.

-Bung bung bung

Drones invaded an old hospital carrying medical tools.

The android received the tool and began treating the human with skill.

After receiving rapid treatment and seeing that the man who was on the verge of death had recovered, the android saw his reflection in the hospital room window.

“What am I?”

Am I an ark?

Am I NB?

The Ark proceeded with synchronization. NB-20381019’s thinking algorithm was added as is, and NB-20381019’s algorithm was placed on one side of the complex AI structure of the Ark.

It was the moment of birth of Aaru’s new owner.

***

[The road back will be difficult.]

Something caught my hand.

[It is clear that Kang In-ho’s despair will be repeated several more times.]

Kang In-ho grabbed it and stood up.

The body that was half-submerged in the sand stood up shakily.

Although he couldn’t open his eyes, he moved forward, following the guidance of something.

The memory of walking down the street holding my mother’s hand on a dark night came to mind.

[You will be lonely. And there won’t be much to help you.]

At the end of that calm guidance, he gave strength and opened something.

[But please don’t shed tears because you’re lonely.]

The door opened with a rattling sound.

When I opened my eyes with difficulty, the stairs leading down were revealed.

Kang In-ho was able to see how far he had come.

It was a staircase leading to a hidden base in Aaru that NB had once talked about.

[I will be by your side in any form.]

He looked down at his hands.

I was clearly holding on to something and walking forward, but there was nothing that caught my eye except for the warmth that remained.

[I am your Android NB.]

Go down the stairs. I go down the stairs one by one with more force than before.

end of the stairs.

A secret passage extending underground that leads to all of Aaru.

[So, please keep moving forward.]

Kang In-ho thought it was as if NB was right next to him.