Ch.82Aftermath! (3)

[Static… Hello… ma’am?]

The robot’s internal components were constantly moving, like a machine that never rested.

Though its exterior was rusty and crude, the parts visible through the glass appeared quite intricate, which made Himena see the robot in a somewhat different light.

“Does this robot have any firearms or biologically threatening weapons?”

Himena asked the engineer who was attempting repairs with a screwdriver against the robot’s body.

“It doesn’t even seem to have means to defend itself. It’s more like an animatronic or exhibition robot.”

[I… am, not an, animatronic.]

Though it was a flat, monotone mechanical voice, to Himena it sounded like a plea not to call it that.

It not only understood language but also appeared to comprehend the meaning of the conversation between Himena and the engineer.

‘If it can even object like that…’

Despite its appearance, it gave the impression of being a more advanced entity than modern robots.

‘What exactly is this robot?’

Dexter might know, but for Himena, this was the first time she had ever seen such a robot.

She now understood why the middle-aged female agent from the Science and Technology Department, who had worked longer than her, had called her.

‘Even an agent with that much experience isn’t certain about this robot’s identity.’

Though Himena had just barely shed her rookie status, to the middle-aged female agent, she still appeared like a new recruit.

Part of the reason she had brought Himena was curiosity about how this robot would appear to the eyes of such a newcomer.

Of course, Himena didn’t have any special insight either.

“Are we certain this robot came from that spacecraft?”

“Yes. The agent who first discovered it and the rapid response team have testified to it.”

The visibly ancient spacecraft and the rusty robot that had been aboard it.

Assuming it had traveled through space for an extended period before landing on Earth for some reason, Himena began questioning the robot.

“Where is your planet of origin?”

[‘Earth’, it is.]

Taken aback by the unexpected answer, Himena waved her hands dismissively.

“Huh? No, not the planet you’re currently on, but your planet of origin.”

[Orion arm, spiral arm, static. ‘Earth’, the third closest planet in the solar system… it is.]

The robot kindly explained the location in case Himena hadn’t heard correctly.

Himena’s expression grew quite serious as she stared at the robot.

“So, you’re saying the planet where you were manufactured is Earth?”

[Affirmative… static. It is.]

The situation was becoming peculiar.

The engineer standing nearby was looking at Himena as if to say, “What nonsense is this?”

“Is this robot malfunctioning?”

“I’d need to run a detailed diagnostic to be sure… but there’s a possibility that a strong impact damaged what would be equivalent to a CPU in a computer.”

It seemed a thorough investigation was necessary.

“For now, we need to take this robot to headquarters. Agent Helen, you’ve completed your investigation of this area, correct?”

The middle-aged female agent, Helen, nodded in response to Himena’s question.

“Yes, the preliminary investigation is complete. I’ll send you the results later.”

After saying this, Helen glanced around briefly, then whispered to Himena.

“By the way, will Dexter be coming for the detailed investigation?”

“No, we haven’t decided yet… Why do you ask?”

“Nothing, never mind.”

Helen just smiled slightly at Himena.

‘What was that about?’

Wondering about Helen’s apparent interest in Dexter, Himena headed to OSA headquarters.

* * *

-Is time travel possible?

“What’s with that question out of nowhere?”

Dexter, who was having a snack with another correctional officer in the morning, stared blankly at Himena’s bizarre message before replying.

>Should I look up a hospital for you?

-Why a hospital?

>Thought you might be experiencing mental confusion from overwork stress. Does OSA cover health insurance?

Himena quickly replied to Dexter’s joke.

-It’s not like that! >:( I’m asking seriously.

‘Time travel, huh.’

Dexter figured Himena wasn’t simply talking about revisiting old memories, but rather the act of traveling to the past or future via spacecraft or time machine.

>Time travel isn’t just a human fantasy. Aliens have attempted it too.

‘Though all have failed.’

Even aliens imagine erasing their mistakes or changing history by turning back time.

Aliens with superior scientific technology to humans have conducted time travel projects with planet-scale funding.

But there were no documented cases of successful time travel.

There were only theoretical possibilities or legendary tales, like how residents of some planet could time travel but took the secret to their graves.

So Dexter summarized everything he knew in his reply to Himena.

>A wormhole with a closed timelike curve might be theoretically possible, but I’ve never heard of any living being passing through one.

-Living beings? Is it impossible for living beings to enter wormholes?

>I don’t know that much. I’m just remembering articles I read while in space.

Just as an ordinary person who drives a car doesn’t understand all the science behind it, Dexter had seen and heard many things throughout his life but didn’t know everything.

-I see… So the general consensus in the universe is that time travel is impossible?

>I’m not the universe’s representative, but most would think so.

-Thanks! 🙂

Dexter took a bite of his donut after receiving Himena’s positive reply.

‘Is this related to an investigation?’

Dexter wanted to help Himena, but he was clueless about scientific technology and believed the OSA agents, who knew more than him, could handle it better.

Meanwhile, Himena was chewing on the end of her pen after receiving Dexter’s message.

“So that’s what Dexter thinks…”

In the examination room at OSA headquarters.

Before Himena stood the robot, now cleaned of rust and with damaged parts neatly repaired, thanks to the Science and Technology Department staff and engineers.

[Operating at 99.8%. Status, good.]

“So there are no malfunctioning parts?”

[Affirmative, it is.]

Hearing the much clearer voice output than before, Himena nodded.

However, despite multiple engineers working on repairs, the voice still broke between phrases, which seemed to be an inherent limitation.

“Alright, robot. What’s your name?”

[Libratron, released by Electronic Dynamics, serial number, LIB-078, it is.]

“No name, just a serial number…”

Himena nodded, but her eyes widened when she heard a key word.

“Wait, Electronic Dynamics?”

Electronic Dynamics was a currently existing company.

Famous for robotics even now, it designed and manufactured walking robots like the Libratron standing before her.

“You were made by Electronic Dynamics?”

[Affirmative, it is.]

“Then what’s your manufacturing date?”

[October, 23rd, 2077, it is.]

It matched exactly what the engineer who repaired the Libratron had said.

‘When we opened the back panel, we found the model number and manufacturing date. It says this. It can’t be 1977, which means it’s about 60 years in the future?’

[10/23/77]

Himena remembered the engineer showing her a photo of the date on the back panel, scoffing at how implausible it was.

“……”

While she didn’t disbelieve the engineer, having another confirmation made Himena’s expression harden.

Electronic Dynamics was established in the 90s.

This meant the Libratron standing before her was claiming to have time-traveled from the future to the past.

‘Dexter said a wormhole might make it possible.’

But the alien staff in OSA’s Science and Technology Department were skeptical.

They concluded that time travel through wormholes had proven impossible even in astronomical-budget projects.

So why was the Libratron standing before her?

Tapping her pen against her head, Himena questioned the Libratron.

“So, Libratron. What’s your purpose?”

[I was, assigned to, assist staff, at the, James Madison, Memorial.]

“…James Madison Memorial. You mean the Library of Congress in Washington?”

[Affirmative, it is.]

Himena typed everything the Libratron said into her laptop as she spoke.

“Among your assistance duties, what specifically were you assigned?”

[I was, tasked with, organizing, American history, before, the destruction.]

The Libratron output its voice in a robot-like, calm manner, but Himena’s reaction was different.

“Before the… destruction?”

[Because, 85% of, Earth’s cities, were destroyed, by alien, attacks.]

As this serious topic emerged, the senior agents observing Himena’s investigation from beside the examination room had noticeable reactions.

“What is it talking about?”

“Earth gets destroyed around 2077?”

“No, it said the manufacturing date was ’77. And we can’t even be sure this robot really came from the future.”

“That’s true, but… what does this all mean?”

“Let’s set aside the destruction talk for now and have Agent Libero ask more questions to determine if what this robot says is credible.”

Himena had a similar reaction to the senior agents.

‘I can’t just believe everything it says because it claims to be from the future.’

“Libratron, I know you’re a robot, but honestly, I can’t say your statements are trustworthy.”

[I, apologize.]

Though she wasn’t sure why the robot was apologizing, Himena told it today’s date and year, then added:

“Do you remember any events that will happen after today?”

[Searching, searching…]

After making clicking sounds like an old computer working, the Libratron spoke:

[In two days, a spacecraft, will crash, in Valley of Fire, State Park.]

“Another one? What kind of spacecraft?”

[Other than, the fact, of the crash, no data, remains, uncertain.]

‘Does this mean in the future, spacecraft crashes are disclosed to the public, or that Libratron had security clearance to store such confidential information in its drive?’

Himena asked the Libratron about other events that would happen around Las Vegas, but the rest were either difficult for OSA to verify or too insignificant to notice.

Himena found it hard to believe the Libratron, despite wanting to.

It was because of the robot’s appearance.

‘Why would future humans apply such an outdated design to a self-aware robot in an ancient spacecraft that’s not even used today?’

Though the Libratron claimed it was produced in the 2070s, its appearance featured aesthetics that would only have been acceptable in the distant past.

The spacecraft was the same.

It was as implausible as saying an old spacecraft from the Roswell incident was still active in the 2070s, so nothing made sense.

Since each question to the Libratron raised more doubts, Himena decided to continue investigating with the robot. She also informed other agents to focus on the spacecraft crash that was supposedly going to happen in two days.

‘Ah, this is giving me a headache.’

Himena sighed deeply, as each question generated at least two more uncertainties.