When she woke up, she instantly felt sluggish, as though her body was made of thick mud.
Echika vacantly stared at the paper cup in the center of her vision. It took her a few seconds to realize it wasn’t a cup but the covering for the LED light bulb in the ceiling. She was lying on a fluffy bed, the realization settling in that her body was solid and intact. With difficulty, she raised an arm and touched her forehead, finding that she was sweating profusely.
Ultimately, she’d wound up passing out, just like Investigator Lin. It was dark outside the bedroom window, so the sun must have set. Her Your Forma had an isolation unit in it again, and it showed that the time was five PM. Three hours had passed since the Brain Dive—but there was still some time until the Alliance’s meeting at ten PM.
She knew she couldn’t afford to stay put, but when she tried to get up, her body refused to listen, like she was glued to the bed. Also, her throat was terribly parched. She moved her eyes, finding a glass cup full of mineral water with a straw sitting on the side table. There was a note next to it in Totoki’s handwriting.
Rest up.
Feeling apologetic, Echika reached for the cup.
“You’ll spill it if you’re not careful, Investigator.”
Another hand swooped in and picked up the cup for her—Harold’s. Even the sight of his face wasn’t enough to shock Echika’s weakened mind awake. She just accepted the cup he held out for her, adjusted the angle of the straw, and sipped. It flowed through her parched insides in a satisfying manner, quenching her thirst. By the time the cup was empty, her head had started clearing up.
It was at this point—far too long after it had finished—that she realized her Brain Dive with Harold was over.
“…Why are you still here?”
She was shocked at how sickly and feeble her voice sounded.
“My excuse is that I need to rest as a result of the performance drop the Brain Dive caused.” Echika realized he was sitting on the edge of her bed. He put the cup back on the side table. “Investigator Lin woke up a bit earlier. Everyone’s in the kitchen, discussing our next move.”
“Our plan for the Alliance’s meeting?”
“Yes. You focus on resting for the time being.”
Harold turned his back to her and glanced out the window. Echika stared at him blankly. As always, the back of his blond hair stuck out a little. For some reason, it reminded her of an exchange they’d had when they’d first met.
“The hair on the back of your head is standing up, though.”
“That’s intentional. Leaving a few flaws in my appearance makes me come across as likable.”
She could tell her lips were curling into a self-deprecating grin. At the time, she’d never dreamed she would come to trust him so much.
“By the way, I see you found your necklace.”
“Oh, yes…” Echika unconsciously reached for her neck. The necklace hidden under her clothes was exposed, lying on the sheets. “Chief Totoki found it, and Bigga gave it to me.”
With awkward motions, she placed the dully glowing nitro case on her neck. She threw her arm over the bed. It was just centimeters away from touching the cuff of Harold’s sweater. He was always by her side, yet always just out of reach. In the end, she hadn’t gotten to him, and at this point, she felt afraid to even try.
But I’m sure that…this is for the best.
“…Your final Brain Dive yielded results,” Echika whispered at the Amicus’s side, so as to give each word weight. “I won’t tell anyone your secret. And as for Detective Sozon…I hope you find the real culprit this time.”
She knew that the only reason she could say this was because the haze from her Brain Dive hadn’t worn off yet. Just for this moment, she was grateful for being disoriented. If this was going to end either way, she preferred to let it be simple and clean, without him noticing anything.
Harold didn’t respond immediately, but his fingers, resting on his lap, moved ever so slightly.
“Thank you.” He didn’t turn to face her. “I, too, pray that you find a human aide who can match your talents.”
A thin, gentle silence hung lightly in the air. All Echika could hear was the thin hum of the central heating vibrating against the floor.
A human aide that could be a match for her.
If only Harold was human. Not a machine, but a normal young man.
That idea cruised through her thoughts.
After ten minutes or so passed, Echika heard loud footsteps ascending the stairs. A moment later, Totoki appeared in the open bedroom doorframe. Echika could move a bit better now than she’d been able to before, so she slowly sat up.
“Thank goodness, Hieda. How are you feeling?”
“I’m fine.” She was still a bit sluggish, but within the acceptable margin. “Lucraft, about your maintenance tonight—it was scheduled for seven PM, right?”
“Yes.” Harold stayed put on the bed, perhaps trying to present himself as being in bad shape. “Is there a problem?”
“I need you to contact Novae Robotics Inc. and ask them to postpone it. I’d love to see your malfunction fixed as soon as possible, but I think this might be a better idea.”
…What is she saying?
As Echika and Harold stared at Totoki in confusion, she carried on sternly.
“With Steve’s help, we’re going pose as Greg and infiltrate the Alliance’s meeting.”