Daily Life with NB – 3

Kang In-ho was sound asleep. NB, who had come to Aaru, captured the image of the rising sun in its visual sensors.

Lately, it had been watching the sunrise from the stronghold, but seeing it from the alleyways leading into Aaru presented a slightly different view.

It thought the sight of the sun faintly illuminating the darkest alley resembled the word “hope” as described in the books it had been reading all night.

There was no particular reason for NB to come to Aaru, leaving Kang In-ho behind. The Ark had changed the Drone operation plan, so it had to travel alone until it analyzed their patterns.

NB was the only one who knew all the blind spots in Aaru that even the excellent Ark had failed to grasp.

In other words, it was safer and more efficient for NB to move alone to observe the changed Drone routes without being detected.

-Whoosh

Drones flew in pairs above NB’s head. Judging by their speed and direction, there seemed to be no particularly unusual phenomena observed.

After sending several Drones, the unregistered android carefully moved its feet and began to roam Aaru.

NB’s movement did not stop until the midday sun rose.

To cool down its temporarily overheated body, NB hid in a shaded area, and the seams of its body opened, releasing the intensely heated air.

Its next destination was the library. Thanks to Kang In-ho’s interpretations, it had finished reading all the novels brought to the stronghold, so it was to get new books.

-Whoosh

As it watched the Drones fly by again, NB stared at the empty space in front of it as if someone were there.

Whether it was a malfunction of the time sensor, a face suddenly appeared and disappeared in a flash.

“Determined to be a temporary error in the visual sensor due to overheating. No problem in continuing the mission. Will stay for 5 more minutes for cooling.”

It was the first thing NB had said since entering Aaru today.

After 5 minutes, NB, having confirmed the normal operation of all organs in its body, stood up.

The brown sackcloth it had been using as camouflage slipped down.

NB entered the library through its usual route. It had observed the unexpected Drone flight, but no unfortunate incident of being detected occurred due to its quick concealment.

With the library entrance in front, it went around the building, and the hole that NB had previously made appeared. NB entered the library through it.

Since the library’s CCTV was only installed at the entrance, it could freely roam from the stacks.

NB began to search for books worth taking.

There were no studies related to dimensions published as paper books, and the only scientific books NB could refer to were basic science.

Since it had moved all the basic science books to the cave in the early days of exploration, most of what was going into its bag now were novels.

Then, NB’s fingers, scanning the desk, stopped in front of a book.

[What Makes a Person]

It seemed to be a book related to the human body, but the label attached to the bookshelf caught its eye.

[Fiction]

NB took out the book and dusted it off.

Turning the cover, the author’s words were prominently placed in the center of the page in one sentence.

“Only love makes one call a person a person.”

NB read along the sentence with its finger, and it was the second thing NB had said today.

“Love.”

NB replayed yesterday’s memory.

[Because it’s the most intense emotion humans can feel.]

As Kang In-ho had said, and as this book seemed to be saying, ‘love’ seemed to be important to humans.

“What is love?”

Only the silence of the library returned to the question without a listener.

NB put the book in its bag.

[Mythology, Its History], [Humans and Androids], [A Cookbook for Beginners], [About First Aid]

It put a few more interesting books in its bag and left the library.

As it came out of the library through the hole, the sun was setting.

NB realized that it had stayed in the library longer than expected and began to return to the stronghold at a slightly faster pace.

There was some Drone movement, but just like the day NB first led Kang In-ho into Aaru, NB was able to move without the slightest hesitation, avoiding their eyes.

“Returning to Stronghold A-11 from now on.”

NB hoped that there would be recipes in the cookbook for dishes that could be made with the ingredients in the stronghold and increased its speed.

Exactly 18 hours after the Drone patrol route was changed, the Ark discovered something.

It was a plastic wrapper that had fallen into the bushes.

The Ark zoomed in the Drone’s lens to see it more closely.

[Analyzing]

Colorful LED panels began to flash.

[Confirmed as packaging for energy bars produced in factories]

[Residue found inside the packaging]

[Estimated to be traces of organic matter]

[Low probability of being the act of uncontrolled wildlife, based on the opened state of the packaging]

[Calculating]

[Confirmed possibility of the existence of an intelligent entity. Probability 2.46%]

[Initiating search for intelligent entity]

[Scope: The entire area of Aaru]

As the Ark’s calculation ended, the doors of the hangar on the outskirts of the city began to open.

The lights came on in this place where Drones for use in emergencies were gathered, and the power of the Drones that had been placed on the floor in the shutdown state began to turn on.

One, two, three…

One thousand, one thousand two hundred, one thousand three hundred…

[Search period: Until the discovery of an intelligent entity or definitive evidence that no intelligent entity exists]

With the Ark’s instructions, 7800 Drones in the hangar simultaneously took to the air.