Two years had passed since the success of the first manned aircraft flight caused an uproar throughout the kingdom. We were still working to restore the Yanga region, but the worst of it was behind us. The remaining refugees had begun to see the potential for a normal life there and were slowly starting to return home.
With the crisis now averted, we were able to hold a quaint ceremony, meaning I now had two wives. My name had changed as well—I was now Ash George Fenix Yanga Sacula. It sounded like some kind of spell. I was technically in the line of succession for the seat of Viscount Yanga as well as Count Sacula, but it would probably be our children who would carry on those family names.
Since everything had fallen into place, I was now flying through the sky in order to meet with someone who had been waiting a long time for me. I was testing out a one-seater aircraft, seeing how it handled long distances. Above me was a clear blue sky, and below was an ever-expanding unexplored forest, split by a mountain range. It was a picturesque view that ignited an adventurous spirit within me. There was so much left to explore in this world that I could probably take up exploration as a trade.
“Right... According to the mental map from the treants, it should be nearby...” I wonder if that exceptionally large tree is my destination.
“Yes, it is, young one. I have been waiting for you.” Seems this is the right place. They had been waiting a long time for me, so I hurriedly turned the center stick and moved closer. “Brother, we will guide you.”
Guide? By guide, do they mean the dragons will be helping me?
“Yes. We have prepared a place for you to land, brother.”
That’s handy. In fact, I was prepared to have to walk to my destination.
“Now, we shall raise you up to the skies, brother.”
Please and thank you... Oh yeah. I’m just having a very normal telepathic conversation. I had noticed that they referred to me with affectionate terms like “brother” or “young one.” Just like the demons did. They must be involved in some way or another with the Apocalypse Scenario Resurrectioners. I wonder if they are.
As I approached the large tree, I peered out at what the three dragons were circling above. Beneath them was a bare stretch of land. That must be the landing spot. I was a little nervous as I prepared to touch down, but the dragons flew next to me keeping a close eye. I managed to land safely—the dragons were not as much of a nuisance as wild birds.
“Brother, we will watch over the aircraft.” Oh, yes, please. Thank you. As if they had been switched on, a group of dragons that were laying down sluggishly made their way over to the aircraft.
While my fantastical guards kept lookout, I made my way through the dense forest. These were roads yet untrod by mankind, however, I was not worried about losing my way. It felt as if I was being sent instructions directly into my mind. I finally arrived behind the large tree with the assistance of my handy navigation system.
“Welcome, young one. I am glad to meet with you again.” The large tree spoke to me in a voice that was too quiet to hear. Inside the large trunk of the tree, there was an equally large silhouette of a werewolf. One of humanity’s enemies.
“I have no idea how to properly greet you even after coming all this way but...I can tell you have been waiting a long time for this,” I said. “It was you who called me here, right?”
“Correct, young one. There is something I must entrust to you,” the tree spoke.
“I will talk about it. I am still able to speak clearly, brother.” I could hear the words in my mind, however, they seemed to be coming from a large dragon that was curled up nearby. “First, I will tell you my name. I am Fafnir. I am one of the Resurrectioners, Operation 03-EX. This is...” The dragon turned to face the great tree.
“I am the one who the humans would call a treant, Operation 02: Yggdrasil.”
“Then the werewolf is Operation 01: Fenrir, right?” I asked.
“Exactly,” the dragon Fafnir nodded in response. “Well, I guess we should start by explaining our existence as self-proliferating smart nanobots.” They did not look like nanobots, but it seemed that it was more complicated than that. The nanobots entered the bodies of plants and animals and remade their bodies to use as vessels. These vessels served as a means for the machines to synchronize and link together to fulfill their duties. They’re like parasites.
“I can’t deny that our very existence is probably quite hideous to a living being,” Fafnir continued. The reason for their being manufactured was simple. The earlier civilization had made huge advancements, however, as the earth’s resources started to deplete, war broke out over the scraps. In those last days, as hope started to die out, humanity came up with a plan to resurrect society after they were gone.
“Fenrir’s task is to restore mineral sources, so he was made in the image of a four-legged animal that can easily change his form in order to roam the lands to mine and stockpile. Yggdrasil’s task is to cleanse the atmosphere and the earth. The civilization that created us was especially skilled at destruction and bloodshed, you see. Yggdrasil’s purification process stabilized the planet’s sulfur and phosphorus. So 01 Fenrir and 02 Yggdrasil were in charge of restoring the environment.”
They’re both just huge recycling machines. So far, everything’s matched up with what Father Folke has deciphered. There was one thing I needed to ask about, though. An operation that seemed distinct from those two.
“Fafnir, there is also an Operation 03: Fenix, right?”
“For you to ask that... It seems the malfunction was as bad as I feared, brother.” Ah, that expression. The dragon looked at me anxiously, but it confirmed what I had been thinking.
“I’m a part of the early civilization’s remaining operations, Operation 03: Fenix, aren’t I?” I asked.
“You could say that, brother. To be precise, you are a human containing a fixed number of Fenix nanobots, also known as the Fenix main individual.” Despite how strange it was to hear, I understood. I have memories of my previous life. I have no idea how they were sent to me, but that was probably also a part of the early civilization’s operation. Though I had somewhat predicted it, to have the reality of it thrust at me in such a way made me feel like the ground beneath me was shaking like an earthquake. My sense of self and reason for being was shaking.
But come on, it was only a magnitude-1 quake! Most humans wouldn’t even be able to feel it. I’ve been living as Ash for more than twenty years now. It’s a bit late to tell me the big secret behind my origins. Roughly fifteen years too late to be more specific. I mean, I have friends and a family now. There are people who have come to love me for who I am. If I got mixed up in the early civilization’s operations, I would lose that.
I wouldn’t let them steal me away. I couldn’t do that to Maika. If I were to lose who I was, who would make her happy? Speaking of origins, Alicia has been faced with constant issues as a result of the circumstances of her birth. She had withstood all of that and became my wife, so it could be a good thing that I also have special origins.
I have lived my life relying on others, so I am no longer just one person. I’m Ash, and I have been supported by so many people. There’s no way I can just say to those I’ve built relationships with over the years, “By the way, I am actually a half-machine built by the early civilization!” My father David and my mother Sheba, feeling their child can do no wrong, would probably question what gibberish I’m speaking. Father Folke would certainly find it interesting. He’d no doubt ask me a flurry of questions. Goddess Yuika would ensure nothing reckless happened, and village chief Klein would just copy whatever his wife did.
Isn’t that weird? I feel like even if I gave them such surprising news, they would more or less react like they always do. Maybe they were just exceptions, though... I thought about Mr. Quid, Lady Tanya, Ban, Jigil, Hermes, Lady Reina, Madam Rihn, Madam Yae, Sir George, Head Chef Yacoo, Lord Itsuki, Lady Suiren, Lady Renge, Lady Seire, Lusus, Tris, Father Birkan...
Ah, the list would go on forever. My classmates from the military academy, the representatives from the refugee wards, the merchants I was close to in Itsutsu, the lords of the Frontier Alliance, the kingpins of the underground society, and the management team from the orphanage...and there were probably more that didn’t come to mind immediately. There would indeed be people who would be worried for me. Probably. If we were to think about it objectively.
Anyway, the Ash who had interacted with so many people over the course of his life was no longer just one person. He was the accumulation of all of their help. I have been thought of as weird, interesting, and just a big fan of tomatoes. It has all helped to solidify my sense of self. Today, I am formed from a sturdy ceramic covered in a shock absorbent gel—not even a bomb can break me. If Fenix was a being created by the people of the past, then the Ash of today was a product of the people in my life. In other words, although we may be in different times, it was fundamentally the same thing.
Right, that’s solved! I’ve successfully defined who I am! Now that that’s out of the way, we can continue our discussion. There are a lot of things I still want to ask.
“However, was the reason for my confusion in those early years...was that due to the malfunction you mentioned earlier?”
“Yes. To put it plainly, I suspect around half of the Fenix features were malfunctioning,” Fafnir responded.
“Isn’t that a bit too much to not be working?” That’s not something easily fixed. I wonder if I’m really all right.
“It is not a problem. At least, it has not affected your day-to-day life. Right, brother?”
“I have to say, I am doing quite well despite passing the limits of a normal human—sometimes, I would sneak into the shade of the night and perform superhuman feats.”