Ch.5454. Wound.

# 54.

Among all objects that exist in this world, nothing is truly eternal. This is because all matter is bound to time and space.

Time, which continuously repeats destruction and regeneration, inevitably affects objects that exist by acting upon time and space.

In ancient times, people likened this concept of time to a snake eating its own tail and regenerating itself.

As mentioned earlier, this symbolizes destruction and regeneration, birth and death, while simultaneously representing eternity.

Unfortunately, we are not snakes. We are merely finite beings living in eternal time.

From the snake’s perspective—or rather, from the world’s perspective—everything that is destroyed and created, every life that dies and is born might seem the same.

But our sense of self, born from countless coincidences, would not recognize that it was once “me” even if an identical Earth were created elsewhere and we were reborn there.

If we were to compare humans to something, perhaps a snake’s scale would be most appropriate.

“Lately I’ve been getting minor injuries more often. Maybe it’s because I’ve become sluggish from sitting around too much. My back and neck often feel stiff too…”

Anyway, what I’m trying to say is that the human body continuously wears down and deteriorates as we live.

We sustain damage from internal processes like simple aging or joint friction, and we also suffer injuries from the effects of objects brought about by the passage of time.

For example, a wall that seemed perfectly fine might actually be very old, collapsing as soon as you lean against it.

Or the surface of seemingly normal stairs might be completely frozen, causing you to fall before you even have time to notice.

“Tsk… that hurts.”

I entered this building thinking there might be something useful inside.

I pull up my pants and apply a bandage to the wound on my knee from the fall.

“Infection shouldn’t… be a concern. It’s just a bruise, not a scrape.”

Having to worry about every little thing, even a small injury from tripping on a step, made me feel how pathetically fragile the human body is.

If my body were made of machinery, I wouldn’t have to worry about this.

“I guess people who didn’t want to feel this way created artificial organs and bodies.”

Not only to solve congenital physical disabilities but to escape fragile bodies and live eternal lives.

“Mori, please help me too…”

“Huh?”

However—just as massive mountains and huge boulders eventually lose their form to the passage of time.

Even artificial life forms made of metal and circuits, created by humans dreaming of eternity, couldn’t fully resist the flow of time.

Crash!

While I was grumbling and putting a bandage on my knee, the Robot collapsed in front of me.

“What? Why did you suddenly fall?!”

“The screw in my arm joint must have come loose because it won’t move at all! I can’t move properly because my balance is off!”

“You’re like that just because of one screw…?”

Can a robot made with advanced technology really be this fragile?

As I stared at the Robot rolling around face-down on the floor, the face displayed on its screen turned bright red.

“This happened because I tried to stop you from falling earlier! I told you I wasn’t built to carry heavy things!”

“Hmm…”

I wonder why we keep seeing human traits in life forms created to eliminate human flaws.

Perhaps, just as one cannot exceed their own knowledge, no matter how perfect a life form we try to create, we ultimately can only model it after humans.

“Wait a moment, I’ll get some tools.”

“Don’t say that and then leave me behind.”

“I would never do that. What do you take me for?”

Humans are organic beings, so when our bodies are injured, we can heal ourselves as long as the wound isn’t too severe.

But machines made only of materials need someone to repair them when something goes wrong.

In the end, humans longed for godlike beings without their flaws, and thought they had finally created them through their own power.

But these machines couldn’t fully possess the advantages humans naturally had, so they ended up, just like humans, unable to function without others.

“Wow. This is a mess, a complete mess. Everything’s rusty and creaky. There’s not a single part that’s in good condition.”

“I couldn’t help it. With the maintenance facilities and repair robots no longer functioning, there’s almost no way to fix a broken body by myself.”

“Hold still. I’m not an expert, but… I’ll at least make you more comfortable.”

“‘Make me more comfortable’? That sounds kind of scary.”

“What are you talking about?”

The Robot’s body, which hadn’t been maintained for a long time, was in terrible condition.

Just touching it lightly left rust or oil stains on my hands, and there were strange rods stuck in places where the robot arms should move.

Bolts and screws that should have been firmly fixed looked like they could come loose at any moment.

…Come to think of it, when we first met at the pharmacy, it was complaining about stiff joints too.

“Why didn’t you ask me to fix you earlier?”

It must have known its body was in this state, so why didn’t it ask for my help all this time?

Did it not trust me? Or did it think it would be a burden to me?

Whatever the reason, it was being foolish.

I don’t know what people were like in the Robot’s era, but I call someone who helps cover each other’s weaknesses a friend.

And I never leave a friend alone or abandon them because it’s troublesome.

“Whine…”

“What’s this? Where did you find it? That’s exactly what I needed. Thank you.”

While I was sitting on the floor cleaning and oiling the Robot’s body, the Puppy, who had disappeared earlier, returned with a cloth in its mouth.

Though we can’t communicate directly, it’s so endearing how it sometimes seems to read my mind and brings me what I need.

I took the cloth and patted the Puppy’s head. Its wagging tail was adorable as always.

“By the way, you know more about machines than I expected. Did you have knowledge in this field before?”

“What are you talking about? These are just little skills I picked up while wandering around the city touching this and that. Anyone could do this much.”

All I’m doing is spraying cleaning solution on rusty parts, removing debris from joints while applying lubricant, and replacing worn-out screws with matching ones.

It’s not specialized knowledge—anyone with a bit of interest in machines could do this with some practice.

“No! Your actions may be simple, but your touch and precision are extraordinary! This is the most pleasant maintenance I’ve ever received!”

“‘Pleasant maintenance’? What are you talking about?”

Still—hearing praise after such a long time inevitably made me smile.

“Robots have it tough too. If something breaks down and there’s no one to help, it must be truly desperate.”

“That’s right. It was fine when there were many companions in the same situation, but…”

When machines form societies and live like humans, they’re fine, but a machine on its own is terribly vulnerable to injuries and malfunctions.

It must be terrible to have your consciousness intact but your body broken, unable to move, waiting for death that will soon come.

…No, maybe that’s the same for humans too.

“I guess this should do it?”

“Wow, I feel so much lighter! I can’t remember the last time my body felt this good!”

I throw the oil-soaked cloth and worn-out screws into a rolling trash can.

Meanwhile, the Robot, now feeling lighter, flew around the space with a smiling face. If I’d known it would be this happy, I would have done this sooner.

“Sigh. All that concentration made me hungry. I should eat something.”

With plenty of oil and food, my life has become a little more abundant.

I can now freely use fire, which I usually could only light briefly with an alcohol lamp because I was worried about wasting it.

I pour a little oil on some cloth or clothes lying around and throw a match on top.

With a whoosh, the fire flares up brilliantly, and I grill the meat I had already skewered.

“Mmm… this is delicious…”

Eating heated canned meat is tasty too, but eating it on skewers like this is definitely better. I don’t know why, though.

The fantastic taste and the pleasure it brings makes me smile involuntarily. Any guilt disappeared long ago.

“But are you two okay?”

“About what?”

“The weather’s been cloudy, and I haven’t seen any chargers around. Aren’t you getting worried?”

It’s been quite a while since we met. I haven’t been counting the days, but it’s probably been about a month, and during that time, I haven’t seen the Puppy or the Robot charge once.

Well, the Puppy is small, so maybe it’s fine charging occasionally when the sun is out, like a drone.

But a robot that moves so energetically and even floats a little must consume a significant amount of battery power.

“We’re fine. We were basically designed to operate for at least a few weeks, or even months, on a single charge.”

“…You can last for months without charging at all?”

“That’s right. Besides, since we mostly travel tied to the cargo compartment, we don’t consume as much power as you might think.”

“Ah. That makes sense.”

Both the Puppy and the Robot are always on Alexander except when we’re exploring buildings like now.

“Being able to go for weeks without eating anything… I’m a bit envious of that…”

As an ordinary human who loses strength if I don’t eat every meal, I found myself envious of robots for the first time.

No, this would be the second time, since I had envied its ability to open locked doors at will before.

As I grumbled while tearing into the meat, I suddenly wondered:

Just as I occasionally envy the Robot for solving the flaws I have in myself,

I wondered if that Robot, with its human-like mind, ever looks at me and feels envy too.