Ch.175Work Record #026 – Iconoclast (1)

On the next holiday, I’ll go to meet Prometheus. Whether he’s about to pour down sulfurous fire or is meekly waiting with a new torch for humanity, I don’t know.

Hope can sometimes be futile, neutrality might favor someone, and skepticism can needlessly hold one back. This time will likely be the same.

What I must do after meeting Prometheus is to mix all these elements together like a cocktail, creating something drinkable. I wished I had a bartender’s talent.

Of course, there was a more pressing issue at hand. Before talking about hope, neutrality, or skepticism, I needed at least one set of clothes to take Arthur-2 to Nightwatch.

She currently owned exactly two sets of clothing: an ill-fitting employee uniform taken from a Half & Half security guard she had subdued, and a synthetic fiber robe prepared by Jerome.

Eve stirred, awakened by the commotion around her. I thought I should have turned on the noise canceller, but she looked around and spoke in a slightly grumpy voice.

“Why is it that when I wake up after just one hour of sleep, the number of women around you has tripled, Arthur?”

“Probably because I don’t have a habit of barricading my bedroom door. Should I ask Chance to stand guard next time?”

Should Arthur-2 even be counted as a woman? The body is a means of self-expression. Once physical growth is complete, if you don’t like your body, you can always change it. So pronouns follow the body.

Not everyone’s story can be known to the world, and Arthur-2 has no better option than to either change her body again as soon as possible or get used to it.

“Not a bad idea, but… I’d feel bad making Chance overwork. He’s already handling all sorts of tasks. Ah, more importantly, Arthur. No, the other Arthur. I mean…”

“We call ourselves by numbers, right? I’m Number 1, and that Arthur is Number 2.”

“Ah, right. I’m a bit disoriented after waking up. Arthur-2, you can’t just walk around in a synthetic fiber robe or a Half & Half employee uniform, can you? I placed an order before falling asleep, so at least put on some proper clothes.”

Arthur-2’s expression soured at Eve’s words. From what she had observed of Eve over the past day, she could guess what kind of clothes Eve would have ordered. Eve chuckled.

“I like that her expressions are more honest. Still, someone who’s worn a woman’s body for 27 years would know better what’s comfortable for mercenary work in civilian clothes, right?”

“It’s just my less mature social self. Though Jerome did the outer packaging. And are you, a jealous person, really saying things like ‘this one is better’?”

Eve turned to me with a rather mischievous smile, still slightly intoxicated with sleep, and buried her face against my neck, embracing me.

“They say people who express affection through jealousy believe it’s the most efficient form of affection. Which means… I quite enjoy being the object of jealousy. Not bad.”

Sometimes moments like this reminded me of the days when I called her a cold senior. There are things you can’t know just from appearances and casual conversation.

Arthur-2 soon opened the package delivered by a drone as if she were handling hazardous materials during training. In contrast, the contents were more ordinary than expected.

Most of the box contained comfortable clothes: shirts and t-shirts good for layering under bulletproof vests, and jeans with decent elasticity that were easy to move in.

By any measure, they were nothing more than basic attire, but that was exactly what Arthur-2 needed most. She showed a somewhat relieved expression.

Do I hide my expressions that poorly? Perhaps an Arthur Murphy whose first experience after resurrection wasn’t being rescued by a reliable Belwether but taking two bullets to himself might be different.

She was already beginning to change slightly, with honesty becoming the biggest difference. It could be called hastiness, but… until she causes trouble, we can use the nicer term “honesty.”

I handed Arthur-2 the box I had brought from Belwether and waited outside the room. Soon, Arthur-2 emerged wearing somewhat proper clothes, carrying the box.

She had packed away her only combat uniform—the Half & Half security team uniform—and the synthetic fiber robe that might serve as a disguise.

On top of those were a white slide Belwether pistol and two magazines—her entire worldly possessions. She too could now fit her life into a single box.

We headed to Nightwatch’s office with the three of them. Voices could be heard inside the building. Probably Vola and Director Yoon. And we needed to keep Nadia’s presence secret.

Arthur-2 was still me, but a version of me still processing death. A me who fortunately wouldn’t have her life saved by Nadia. It would be better not to reveal her.

We went up to the office and entered through the automatic doors that once failed to recognize me. Director Yoon waved casually at the incoming crowd, then… saw Arthur-2. His expression didn’t change.

However, instead of his usual coldness, he looked at her with a well-crafted smile. He sized her up, then turned his gaze to me, immediately understanding who had brought her.

“Adding a new recruit is good, but we’ll need some form of identity verification. I like her eyes. They’re full of spirit—the kind that can get things done.”

“Doesn’t she look like someone you know?”

“She does resemble Arthur when he first joined Nightwatch. Perhaps a younger sister… No, that can’t be. They wouldn’t cultivate two children from the same vat.”

At the mention of “younger sister,” Arthur-2’s expression twisted, but I gently pressed her head down to hide it. I explained what needed to be said without hesitation.

I told him that when I died at Belwether, they had scanned my brain, and someone had revived that information and rescued it, resulting in this form. I added that the cleanup had been thorough.

Director Yoon wasn’t the type to think I would lie, there were two witnesses nearby, and… Arthur-2’s eyes clearly had the same color as mine, so believing wasn’t difficult.

Director Yoon had been cautious about mentioning Nadia to me during those rigid days. He would do the same with Arthur-2. We exchanged an implicit agreement with just our gazes.

“So, she has your memories but isn’t a posthuman… Fascinating. Do you have identification? If you need a guarantor, Nightwatch can provide one.”

Even I alone was sufficient as a guarantor, being a Belwether-certified freelancer. Director Yoon, as the head of Nightwatch, a Belwether partner company, was more than qualified.

Arthur-2 looked at Director Yoon, who had become friendly as soon as my name was mentioned and she was identified as being like me, then shifted her gaze to me. I just smiled.

She briefly clenched her fist anxiously but eventually relaxed it and nodded. She believed that if I could accomplish something, she could too.

“I already have someone who can vouch for me, but a Belwether partner company would be more reliable. The other person was just trying to show meaningless kindness.”

If Jerome had tried to take responsibility, that would be more than enough. Arthur-2 didn’t want to be tied down. It might have been similar to my refusal to go to headquarters.

“And although I don’t have a Posthuman Type IV enhancement… I’ve received the same tactical training and have the same learning capacity. I can’t lead field operations in an enhanced body, but—”

Director Yoon raised an eyebrow, indicating interest. Arthur-2 seized the opportunity. Being Arthur Murphy, she fully utilized Arthur Murphy’s memories and abilities.

“It’s exactly as I said. Field operatives inevitably have limited vision. I know how much training Arthur-1 must have completed in three months. He probably trained eight hours a day, using whatever was available.”

She hit the mark. Whether it could be called hitting the mark when I was striking at my own heart, I wasn’t sure. She continued her argument.

“However, my expertise isn’t limited to field operations. Even moments before death, I received command authority and successfully led Security Division 4 to… almost suppress Jaina’s terrorist attack.”

Arthur-2’s shoulder twitched slightly as if feeling a tingling sensation rising in her throat, but she suppressed it. The numbing sensation of having her neck severed was something to experience in private. She was on duty now.

“During my time at the Security Team Training College, I also led prospective security teams as an Alsatian. I believe the position that would best utilize those abilities would be command support.”

Director Yoon examined her as thoroughly as she examined him. She boldly stated what she had learned during that brief assessment.

“Judging by your prosthetic eye, you seem to be a sniper, and I believe you need a spotter. That position doesn’t require much physical ability beyond good eyesight, and having an assistant can increase command efficiency.”

Director Yoon, who had been listening quietly, burst into light laughter. He looked genuinely pleased. The efficiency Arthur-2 demonstrated warranted such a reaction.

She had something different from me. When I joined Nightwatch, there were things only I could do, and I was irreplaceable. I could afford to be relaxed.

But the Nightwatch Arthur-2 faced wasn’t like that. I was already there, and if she didn’t want to be replaced by me, she had to run at full speed. It was time for efficiency.

My hasty, desperate, perhaps even fierce and wild self seemed to have found a place in Director Yoon’s heart. The temporary employment would become bittersweet.

“Indeed. You are the Arthur Murphy I know. Very well. A spotter—usually drones handle that, but… command support is something drones can’t do. Honestly, I’ve been lamenting having only one Arthur.”

Director Yoon handed Arthur-2 identity registration documents connected to Belwether’s administrative department. She approached me briefly and asked. She apparently didn’t want to share the same name completely.

“Arthur-1, turn on the noise canceller. What was that man’s surname again?”

I turned up the noise canceller as she requested. Director Yoon probably wouldn’t try to listen anyway, but this was an important matter. It was better to ensure privacy.

“Solverson, Jerome Solverson. Why?”

“He may be a pervert wandering black markets, and inefficient enough to be subdued and have his creation escape, but… he tried to take responsibility. He can’t actually take responsibility, but I want to preserve that intention.”

I nodded briefly as I listened calmly. No matter how different we might be in some aspects, Arthur-2 was still me. I know how to show respect to people who take responsibility.

“Arthur is my name. Murphy was given to me by someone else. The people who gave you the name Murphy don’t know me. I don’t know them either. So I’ll take a name from someone I do know. It’s my name after all.”

“You know you don’t have to draw such a clear line just because your childhood memories are gone. It’s just because of storage device damage that you forgot, and originally you would have remembered too.”

Arthur-2 wrung her hands together, then let them go. She sighed deeply and looked up at me. To her, I was someone who had achieved a lot.

“If I’m judged as the same Arthur Murphy, I feel like I’ll just end up following in your footsteps. So don’t get the wrong idea about what I’m saying. I am Arthur Murphy, fundamentally.”

“You’re already trying to be different, yet you say that. Fine, I like it. Do you need the spelling too?”

I spelled out Jerome’s surname for the nodding Arthur-2. She wrote Jerome’s surname in the last name field. It seems she could consider him somewhat of a father figure, despite being a pervert, a coward, and a bookish nerd.

She soon finished filling out the identity registration form and returned the tablet to Director Yoon. He added his electronic signature and sent it to Belwether’s administrative department. Arthur-2 finally asked me:

“Since our names are the same, what’s your callsign? Arthur-1? Probably not Shepherd Six.”

“The new Shepherd Six was quite reliable, actually. Even if just a rookie. My callsign… though it’s not officially set, Tina calls me Boogeyman.”

“Alright, between Boogeyman and Arthur-1, which do you prefer… No, never mind. I’ll call you by your callsign around others, and Arthur-1 when it’s just people who know us.”

She’s definitely more autocratic than me. Vola, who had been quietly listening, tapped his composite knee lightly, stood up, and put his arm around Arthur-2’s shoulder.

“Your mindset seems much less meat-like than the original. Well then, I’ll get her fully equipped before today’s operation. We can bill the company for expenses. Is the original coming too?”

“I’ve been running around with Arthur-2 since dawn solving ‘The Mystery of the Resurrected Belwether Security Officer,’ so don’t ask me to come along too. Let her taste the bitterness of society firsthand.”

Vola let out a light laugh through his voice synthesizer. Saying he’d “contact Enzo first,” he walked out of the office building with Arthur-2, now Nightwatch’s fourth new employee.

She probably wouldn’t understand what that meant now. She’d wonder, “Who’s Enzo?” But once she meets Mr. Enzo, she’ll learn what a reliable person he is. Nightwatch was a good starting point.

After those two left the office, Director Yoon tossed me a can of caffeine concentrate he often drank at Belwether. I caught it easily. One sip brought a bitter taste that stung my tongue.

If it hadn’t been one-fifth the price of coffee, I would never have drunk it. It was a work beverage with sugar removed, containing only caffeine and nutritional supplements, but Belwether people quite enjoyed it.

“I asked you to find a verified new recruit, and you bring back two? Still, not bad. Let’s not mention the emergency exit for fire evacuation.”

“Of course. Arthur-2 is still a Belwether employee. And it will only be a short-term contract. She said she’d leave once she earns enough money to either change her body or modify it.”

I shouldn’t have said that. I had no response to Director Yoon’s comment: “Then you’ll find the next new recruit too, right?”