Ch.8383. Will to Survive.

Humans possess an irrational and blind will to live, no matter how desperate and painful their situation may be.

This survival instinct grows stronger as suffering increases, and doesn’t disappear until one strongly denies their own will to live. Even in a painful life, it helps people continue living while pursuing modest happiness.

But robots don’t have such survival instinct. Perhaps it’s because they’re beings that can be created and discarded as needed. Even though they understand the concepts of life and death, and know that turning off their power permanently resembles death, robots remain calm about it as if it’s simply a matter of turning power on and off.

“The basic settings to stop the city are already in place. Mori, you just need to visit there and provide authentication.”

What the big robot asked of me was nothing less than eternal rest for this city and its robots.

In a situation where robots had taken most jobs, the only work left exclusively for humans was creation, politics, and control. The robot told me that in the facility called the Police Station—which controlled citizens and robots simultaneously—there remained a system that could control the city’s robots.

All I had to do was visit that place after the festival ended, while everyone was immersed in happiness, and stop the operation. It was truly a simple task, just as the robot had said when we first met.

But this wasn’t something I should be hearing while sitting on a bench in this peaceful park, so I could only smile bitterly.

Although there were supposedly no people here, I had been healing from the sight of this vibrant city. How long had it been since such a cruel story was thrust upon me?

I was the one who asked the robot to tell me right now instead of waiting until after the festival, but I couldn’t help it since I’m not the type of person who remains indifferent to the precariousness and anxiety subtly permeating the atmosphere.

“If that’s really what you want, I have no reason to refuse, but are the other robots thinking the same as you? When they brought me here, the looks they gave you weren’t entirely friendly.”

These pitiful beings, denied the right to freedom from birth, wanted their own death to escape pain and find happiness in their final moments.

And I was the only one who could grant that wish so easily. Just like I did for the robot at the animal care facility—if death was what they desired, I could fulfill that wish.

But there was something that worried me.

Were all the other robots really thinking the same as this one standing before me?

“There must be so many robots living here. Among them, couldn’t there be some who are satisfied with their current lives even without humans? Maybe they don’t enjoy their work, but they like their ordinary daily lives… Wouldn’t such robots want to live a little longer?”

“Your point is valid, Mori. But my request isn’t entirely arbitrary, nor is it a sudden decision. We’ve been discussing death for a long time, and everyone agreed to accept death with a smile when the time came. The reason other robots were surprised was because they had calculated long ago that this would be impossible.”

The robots thought that in a world where humans had disappeared, no one would ever come to this city to grant them rest, and no such person would ever appear.

But whether due to a mechanical error or something planned from ancient times…

I, a stranger, woke up alone in a city where everyone was asleep. After stubbornly continuing to live, I finally found this place.

The robots were shocked that something they thought would be forever impossible had actually happened, and simultaneously realized that the death they had planned for was approaching.

I could almost hear the voice of the short robot sighing while saying “Finally…”

“This request must seem merely perplexing to you, Mori. But for us, this is our first and last chance. How long would we have to wait for another miracle like you to find this place?”

“If everyone agrees… but…”

“During the preparation and execution of the festival, the robots, including myself, will be immersed in the feeling of happiness we haven’t experienced in a long time. But after the festival ends and you leave for Paradise, we’ll either wait for another miracle or simply continue to wear down until our bodies expire. We aren’t beings ruled by emotions, but we can feel the pain caused by emotions.”

Throughout our conversation, the robot’s tone remained utterly indifferent.

Yet the words and emotions conveyed through that indifferent tone felt incredibly earnest to me, probably because I empathized with the robot’s situation and feelings.

“Ah, really.”

I hate this situation. It was too heavy a request for someone like me who had been just an ordinary boy. I couldn’t help but sigh.

Regardless of all causality and calculations up to this point, suddenly giving me the right to decide on life and asking for this favor made me feel like some god of robots.

The problem was that I never wanted such a role. Of course, who among all the humans and robots who have lived until now would have wanted this situation?

“You could hold festivals among yourselves even when I’m not here… you could live like that.”

“Would there be meaning in purposeless actions? Would emotions be conveyed through empty gestures? I think a moment of happiness, however brief, is more beautiful than continuing meaningless actions that cannot be given purpose.”

All that remained in this collapsed world was destruction.

If they could experience happiness for even a moment in such a world, and close their eyes for the last time after that moment…

“…Alright. Leave it to me.”

…Yes. Sad as it may be, there couldn’t be a better ending than that.

When I first met the robot, it described Paradise as an abundant and peaceful place without any deficiency or conflict.

Was that why? This city had quite a lot of items left behind by the people who had lived here.

“Hey you! Human friend, come over here for a moment. Young one, what kind of outfit is that? Your clothes are all shabby and nothing fits properly. Did you just pick them up from somewhere?!”

This happened while I was wandering aimlessly through the city after parting with the big robot, who had said “Let’s meet after the festival ends.”

In the midst of the city bustling with festival preparations, I stopped in my tracks imagining what it would look like after the festival ended.

At that moment, a robot suddenly emerged from a shop with a hanger-shaped hologram on its door, grabbed my arm, and dragged me inside.

“You’re right, I did pick them up…”

“…Ahem! Never mind, just spread your arms. Wearing clothes like that must be uncomfortable and drafty. I’ll give you several outfits that fit properly, so wear those instead. And while we’re at it, wear this around your neck too.”

“What is this?”

“When you press the button in the middle, a thin fabric comes out that blocks the wind to some extent!”

It looked like a thin rubber band, but fabric would come out of this?

Half-doubting, I put the ring the robot handed me around my neck and pressed the button in the middle.

With a buzzing sound, the gap in the ring opened—and truly, a transparent fabric emerged from inside and covered my body.

“Wow, this is amazing. There’s definitely something there, but it doesn’t feel like anything.”

It was amazing that such a small object could produce fabric wide enough to cover my entire body, but even more amazing was the texture of the fabric.

It felt like a very light fabric hovering just a few millimeters away from the edges of my body, including my clothes.

Moreover, it seemed to read my movements in advance and change its shape accordingly, as I felt no resistance when I stretched out my hand and moved my fingers.

Yet it blocked the wind so effectively that the difference between having it on and off was clearly noticeable—it truly seemed like a magical item.

“That’s it. You don’t need to pay, so take these and wear them well!”

“…Somehow, while I was spacing out, I received all sorts of things.”

While I was entranced by this necklace-type windbreaker I’d never seen before in my life, turning the switch on and off, I unexpectedly acquired a ton of clothes.

From thick coats to underwear. Thanks to the robot’s machine-like skill in quickly tailoring clothes I couldn’t wear, I ended up with no less than four large bags full of clothes.

“But where am I supposed to change into these?”

Belatedly examining the bags to see what clothes I had received, I chuckled at one particularly eye-catching bag.

Clothes full of colorful and elaborate patterns that would never be considered ordinary no matter what era you took them to.

To be honest, they might be called unique but not exactly pretty, yet the clothing store had quite a lot of such outfits hanging up.

Is it because there’s nothing but white snow fields above this underground city?

Looking at clothes that not only depicted the universe but seemed capable of blowing the viewer’s mind beyond the cosmos, I smiled and firmly gripped the bag in my hand.