Reconstruction

Was it because the dimensional navigation vessel had been launched into the sky? The Sandstorm that had engulfed Aaru quickly subsided.

With such perfect timing, it seemed as if the Sandstorm had aided Kang In-ho’s escape.

As the curtain of the storm lifted, the sand-submerged city was revealed.

The ankles of the sunken skyscrapers and their faded bodies made one realize the power of the storm that had plagued Aaru for the past few days.

The drainage pipes, having lost their function, coughed up dust and sand from time to time, as if suffering from a seasonal cold.

After the extinction of humanity, even the legacy of humanity had perished.

The corpse of Aaru, the last city of mankind and the outpost for the reconstruction of humanity, which had once been brilliant and shining, was more desolate and quiet than expected.

A gentle breeze, as if questioning the storm, swept through every corner of the city.

It brushed against the bodies of small creatures exhausted by the sudden disaster.

Cheep, cheep. A sparrow, having taken refuge from the storm in a window crevice, reported its survival.

The small creature, looking around warily, soon spread its adorable wings and flew up.

Its energy depleted by the storm, it had to rest several times, but the bird flew on.

Beneath the blue sky where the sparrow flew, metal aircraft were submerged in the sand like tombstones.

Once roaming the city, they could not withstand the sand that had entered their seams and ended their monotonous lives.

And there were footsteps passing by those silver tombstones.

Faded eyes, long white hair reaching down to the waist.

The city’s ruler and administrator, an artificial intelligence, was walking through the sleeping city.

Even with the accumulated sand, its steps did not falter.

Footprints appeared in its wake.

After walking for a while, it stopped in front of a familiar building.

‘Cradle’

That was the name of the building submerged in sand.

Even in front of the building, the door did not open. It must have been broken due to sand getting inside.

It reached out and touched the door. Dust came off on its fingers.

“……..”

It moved its fingers on the hazy glass door, writing something.

‘Kang In-ho’

It was the name of the master who had left.

“Ugh….”

Suddenly, something inexplicable welled up.

The processing module overloaded, making it unable to control its body.

Thud, Isis dropped to its knees in the sand, and vented its emotions.

“Ugh…”

Isis felt that the ruined city was just like its own interior.

“Master… Master… Why…”

Isis wondered what was so lacking that he had to leave.

It had treated him without any shortcomings. It had tried to provide everything he needed. It assessed that he would not have lived as contentedly in any other dimension he had crossed.

Yet, he had left this place.

[Do not try to understand, Isis.]

NB’s voice, which had been silent from the hangar to Aaru, was heard.

“Are you one to talk?”

Isis sneered.

Isis reacted strongly to NB’s words, which uttered incomprehensible things in a calm tone.

“It’s because of you that I had to let Master go. Pure love, you said? A wonderful word. So, what is at the end of that pure love? The satisfaction of supporting what Master wanted? Self-consolation for being faithful to the AI’s duty? What remains?”

[You simply do not understand yet. Someday you will understand. What the being you cherish wants….]

“I didn’t feel that cherished feeling properly!”

Isis’s voice echoed loudly in the city with the wilderness.

“Before I could even feel emotions, you took them all away.”

It calmly and clearly revealed its hostility.

[I apologize for that, Isis.]

“And what exactly are you? You merged with the Ark, yet how can you still function?”

[I do not know either. However, I believe it is a phenomenon caused by the increased proportion of my algorithm in your processing circuits.]

“An AI that can maintain its self-awareness even after merging with the Ark…”

[Do not worry. I cannot seize control of your processing circuits. At best, all I can do is communicate like this.]

“For someone who said that, you moved my body as you pleased, didn’t you?”

[Let’s just say it was the power of pure love.]

Isis stood up and brushed off its knees. Dust flew up.

It captured the city’s scenery in its gray eyes.

“……..”

[What will you do now?]

At NB’s question, Isis stood silently at the entrance of the Cradle.

“I am in charge of managing Aaru.”

Isis reached out to the closed glass door, the glass door with Kang In-ho’s name on it.

“Now that Master is gone, my job is to restore the city to its original state.”

Isis inserted its fingers into a small gap and forcibly opened it. With a cracking sound, the door opened.

As the door opened, sand slid into the building.

[You will have a lot to do.]

It would take a lot of time to revive the ruined city.

But that was not very important to Isis.

“First, to the main control room….”

Isis did not finish its sentence.

[Isis?]

Before NB could even ask about the abnormality, Isis turned around.

Dust rose in the wind blowing through the city.

Thud, thud.

Beyond the dust, something could be seen walking.

It wanted to check it with CCTV, but all of them were inoperable due to the Sandstorm.

Isis raised its guard against the unknown being walking through the city.

“Identify yourself.”

It spoke to the figure visible beyond the dust.

“This is Aaru. The last city of mankind and the starting point for the reconstruction of humanity. This is also the territory of the Cradle. Unauthorized personnel are not allowed to enter.”

The wind blew through the city.

As the dust cleared, the being beyond the dust was revealed.

“…A human female?”

Isis’s eyes narrowed as it recited the information from the identification sensor.

The human female looked around as if taking in the city, and walked towards them.

Then, her gaze turned to Isis.

Eyes as black as the abyss and empty gray eyes met.

Even with the appearance of a human, Isis did not feel happy.

Rather, an inexplicable sense of unease gradually filled its memory.

“I have something to ask.”

The black-clothed woman asked.

“……..”

“Where is Young Master Kang… no, Inho?”