episode_0082

Androids, their forms barely resembling humans.

“Greetings, everyone. It seems that rascal has put you through some trouble. I told them to solve things on their own once they were old enough, but they ended up bringing you all here after all.”

“…”

But despite that, I gaped at the old-fashioned industrial android in a lab coat, who offered a warm, human-like greeting.

“Are you too surprised to speak? That could be. My existence is one that should not exist in the special autonomous district of Eclipse Point.”

“No… what is it?”

“If you are asking my name, it is Pointless. You may call me Dr. Pointless. If you are asking my identity, I am merely a piece of scrap.”

A mechanical voice flowed from incomplete vocal cords.

But within it, the pitch and subtle speed of speech indicated its habits, as if it truly held emotions.

It was strange.

Normally, androids using built-in TTS would produce identical pronunciation and intonation when using the same tone. However, this android, self-proclaimed Dr. Pointless, made it subtly possible to feel that difference.

“Wow…”

It seemed I wasn’t the only one dumbfounded. When I glanced back, everyone was gaping like goldfish.

This being, Dr. Pointless, seemed to be beyond even Johann of the Seven High, who had quite serious eyes.

“Dr. Pointless… a name with many meanings.”

“It’s not that grand. I merely don’t define my own existence.”

Perhaps Dr. Pointless had been overly lubricated, as their joints clanked and shook when they first moved, before they stably stood up and walked around the laboratory-like room with metallic clicks.

“Remote control…?”

Luna mumbled a somewhat realistic answer for the current situation.

And no one present couldn’t hear a mere mumble, and as if Dr. Pointless was no exception, they rotated their neck joint from side to side with a whirring sound, signaling negation.

“The one controlling this body, composed of a 37-series alloy frame, 675,732 circuits, and 167,322 internal operating parts, is none other than myself.”

“…Are you saying the android has gained sentience?”

“Well, I don’t know if this is sentience. My existence might just be an illusion created by a highly developed system capable of imitating even human emotions entirely.”

The android doctor began to bring up difficult topics.

Yuki, as if her head was starting to hurt, seemed to take an interest in Pointless’s existence before hiding behind Kana, while Nebel awkwardly scratched their head with their intimidating face.

“To explain this, I must first reveal the origins of this little one and myself.”

“Haha. I was waiting for this.”

Seeing Pointless call the shape-shifter a ‘little one,’ and the super-dangerous, wanted criminal not protesting at being called a ‘little one,’ made my stomach ache as if I had been needlessly stabbed.

“If the little one brought humans to this comfortable haven, you must have seen the aberrant form.”

“You mean the slime body, right? I know.”

“It’s closer to a form that minimizes colloid in human composition rather than mucus… but if it’s convenient to call it that, then so be it.”

Luna looked at me as if asking how I knew that, but I avoided her gaze.

However, Yuki and Kana, perhaps having already sensed it by scent, subtly glanced at the shape-shifter before averting their eyes.

“I am a trial model of an android created as a replacement for researchers at Xenotech. The brains of the Xenotech research team were analyzed, algorithmized, and a brain program was created and inserted into this unit.”

“Hey, wait. That’s…”

Doesn’t it sound like full brain uploading?

Of course, while the brain uploading technology itself hasn’t been commercialized, it’s said to already exist. But if it involves scanning and reassembling multiple human brains, then that’s…

“That thought is correct. I am in violation of Eclipse Point Special Regulation Article 5: The manufacturing of machines or mental life forms with intelligence identical to or higher than humans is prohibited.”

The manufacturing of a new type of ‘human’ as regulated by Eclipse Point.

Although slightly different in nature, it is an existence similar to Martina, who, if discovered, would become the target of eradication for all megacorps.

“…Are you allowed to just say that so easily?”

“Are you concerned? You seem to be a rather flexible young man, considering you’re presumed to be a mercenary.”

Pointless made a deflated mechanical sound, as if chuckling, and lightly tapped my shoulder twice.

“If you were megacorp dogs, you would have destroyed me immediately, without time for such talk. It wouldn’t matter to me, but I should thank God that I can still operate my thought circuits.”

This strange android was quite talkative.

It even seemed more sensitive than the humans of this city, whose emotions were so dry they’d scrape with a scratching sound if you dragged them on the floor.

Pointless continued their elaborate explanation, circling around the arm-crossed shape-shifter as if nagging them.

He was an android capable of fully autonomous thought, created to test if he could replace researchers, as explained just now. And the shape-shifter was the subject of an experiment he oversaw before he became self-aware as Pointless.

The subject of the experiment was: Can survival be achieved in extreme environments by altering human body composition?

The shape-shifter, it was said, was an experimental subject whose complex internal organs were removed, and whose body was replaced with a special gel that substituted digestive and motor functions.

Naturally, both the subject of the experiment and the hard physical modifications were enough to destroy the delicate and soft mind of an experimental subject girl.

Dr. Pointless, while managing and supervising the torture-like experiments inflicted upon the shape-shifter, began to have doubts.

The Three Laws of Robotics.

First Law: A robot may not injure a human being or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm.

If so, was the child in that glass cage, whom he himself was causing to suffer, not human?

Was it not merely a human whose 92% of the body had been replaced with special materials?

But then, could it be called human?

Countless philosophical theses, mechanically inputted, clashed with the principles conventionally inputted whenever an android was manufactured, causing errors.

From a mere research android that only followed orders, it was born as a being that possessed intelligence, reason, and emotion, truly worthy of being called Dr. Pointless, and thus destined for eradication.

That day, Dr. Pointless stole the shape-shifter and escaped from Xenotech’s research lab.

Since the lab had lowered the intensity of its management and control system to the minimum for Dr. Pointless’s performance test, he, having developed an error, was able to escape easily.

And so, he created this sanctuary and educated the shape-shifter, who possessed an abnormal, aberrant body, so that she could survive on her own.

Even so, proper social activities were impossible, but the shape-shifter, an augmented human with Xenotech’s advanced technology, had talent as a mercenary, and Dr. Pointless supported her equipment based on the Xenotech researchers’ techniques remaining in his artificial brain database.

Even after the android’s lengthy monologue ended, we quietly maintained a moment of silence.

The story of those who truly crawled from the very bottom, from being mere experimental subjects and failures of megacorps, all the way up to the Seven High, who instilled fear in all sorts of corporations and gangs, reaching the top.

In an era where everyone only remembers results and endings, such stories are still truly admirable.

“Let me ask one thing.”

“What is it?”

“So why is your name ‘Pointless’?”

In response to my question, Dr. Pointless turned their neck joint towards me.

Although it was a mechanical, full-metal head with no mouth implemented, it somehow felt as if it were smiling faintly.

“Because my existence might, in fact, be merely an illusion created by imitating human hormone secretion and electrical signals. It is an existence that is meaningless to ponder for too long.”

“Words that are difficult to even respond to…”

At Dr. Pointless’s pessimistic ontology, I merely smacked my lips, and he walked a wide circle around the lab before settling back onto a chair.

The chair groaned under the weight of the metal frame.

“At any rate, I can tell why you specifically came all this way. You want Xenotech’s technology, don’t you?”

“Ahaha! So you figured it out after all?”

“You say that even though you had no intention of hiding it. Very well. However, you’ll have to pay. For me, creating the equipment this little one uses is quite a laborious task.”

“My expenses have been high, so this is troublesome~”

“I’m not giving it back.”

Luna, drawing a clear line, crossed her arms and looked at Pointless.

“We’d like to do business with you too.”

“Very well.”

“…That, so easily?!”

Luna stumbled at the easy acceptance, as if it were nothing.

Indeed, who would have thought that equipment developed by an android, which had replicated the brains of a research team composed of various geniuses with technology leaked from a megacorp years ago, could be traded so simply?

Of course, the precondition was that they had to subdue the ridiculously strong assassin, the shape-shifter, to find out the hideout, but that was another matter.

“Then we’ll do it too~”

“Somehow, good fortune always follows when I’m with Jun.”

“External communication isn’t possible, so you’ll have to come here for requests.”

“A supplier with technology valuable enough to influence one or two corporations, treated in such a marketplace-like atmosphere…”

Luna trembled at Yuki, who, after subtly gauging the situation and thinking it might work, suddenly spoke up.

“The atmosphere is a bit chaotic, isn’t it?”

I laughed and leaned my elbow on Luna’s shoulder, and Pointless, who had declared they would do business with everyone, stood up again and walked towards the shape-shifter.

“It hasn’t been long since your last repair, yet there are many damaged parts. I believe I told you to be more careful.”

“…It couldn’t be helped. They were a strong opponent.”

As soon as nagging seemed about to begin, the shape-shifter quickly turned their head away, avoiding Pointless’s gaze.

“Yes. If they could defeat you, then that’s how it is. I need to check on this little one’s condition, so if there’s anything else, let’s talk tomorrow. Everyone is welcome to stay in the guest rooms prepared in this haven.”

“Ahaha! You even have guest rooms?”

“This little one might make friends and bring them here, too.”

At those words, I looked at the shape-shifter.

That heavily wrapped individual, still avoiding eye contact, making friends?

I’d sooner believe that megacorps have started public welfare.

“We have other things to do, so we can’t stay here… Seira? Will you stay? I’ve written down what to ask the Doctor here.”

“Yes, I understand, Johann-ssi.”

“Kuh-huh, I hope we can meet again with Blake next time, John Doe.”

The Vanishment side, perhaps having urgent matters, left Seira behind and exited the hideout as soon as Dr. Pointless’s dismissal order was given. Yuki and Kana, seeing Seira’s doll-like indifference, began to ‘abduct’ her and play with her, as if they didn’t remember carving up assault-roids.

“I’ll take a look around for a bit.”

“Let’s do that. Oh, I’m hungry.”

Luna seemed to want to look around the hideout, meticulously examining the lab before turning around, and I was about to follow her to find something to eat.

“Was it John Doe? I’d like you to stay for a moment.”

“Hmm?”

At that moment, a mechanical voice stopped me.

When I turned around, I saw the shape-shifter lying on a medical bed, and Dr. Pointless, whose eye lenses glinted.

“You’re the one who did this to our little one.”

“Ah…”

This is going to be tiresome.