Clearly he’s just locked himself in with her and doesn’t have time to see me anyway, Tessa decided. She’d mostly gotten over him, but it seemed she still couldn’t help these little moments of annoyance.
“I don’t care what Sagara-san does,” she muttered. “I’m saying that I don’t like it.”
《I see,》 Al observed neutrally. 《But I still feel like ‘Colonel’ suits you best.》
“We’re going around in circles like this,” said Tessa. “How can we resolve it?”
《Let’s search for a point of compromise. Might I call you Captain?》
Tessa fell silent, looked at her hand on the wheel, and then sighed. “Very well. I am captaining this vessel at the moment, after all.”
Then the boat, with one human and one robot aboard, headed through the night sea on a southeast course.
After about two hours at twenty knots, Tessa noticed that the fuel gauge arrow was low.
Curious. That shouldn’t be... She stopped the boat on the water, took out her flashlight, and shined it on the fuel tank in the rear. She needn’t have bothered, though... The smell of fuel stung her nose. Gas was clearly leaking out from somewhere. The wind passing over her as she drove had prevented her from noticing before now.
Maybe during the fight with Al before, she reasoned, one of their shots ricocheted into part of the fuel system. There didn’t seem to be any danger of fire, but she had to get to land ASAP. If she didn’t, she’d likely run out of fuel and end up adrift.
《Some kind of issue?》 asked Al, from where he was squatting in the cabin in power conservation mode.
“Yes,” she told him. “We’re running out of fuel. I think one of those shots earlier opened a hole somewhere.”
《If need be, I can attach this body to the stern and kick us along.》
“That would be nice, but I think there’s another issue.” Tessa sighed again as she illuminated the surface of the sea and the boat in turn. “I think the water line has been rising,” she said. “We’ve sunk a bit.”
Al stood up and looked down at the ocean. 《As compared with the view of the sea level from two hours ago, your comment appears to be accurate, Captain. Likely about ten centimeters.》
“Even though five men went overboard and we’re losing fuel, the water level is rising,” Tessa repeated. “That means we’re taking on water, likely from another of the bullets. We’re going to sink eventually.”
《That’s a problem,》 said Al. 《This body can’t float.》
“At least there’s no need to worry about sharks in your case,” Tessa offered as consolation. Any shark that tried to bite through a robot would end up needing dentures.
《You’re acting very calm. I thought a frail woman like you would have fallen into a panic upon facing imminent death like this.》
Tessa scowled at Al’s teasing. “Who do you think I am?”
《Pardon me, Colonel.》
“I told you, I’m not a Col—”
《Captain.》
“Honestly...” she grumbled. But even so, they had no time to waste. They had to be close to their destination, but would the boat hold out long enough to get them there?
Tessa decided to do a rough calculation based on how quickly they were taking on water, given the boat’s size and the current waterline, then factored in the minimum distance to Lantanfushi according to the map. Her conclusion: they could make it. She probably wouldn’t be able to reach the settlement directly, but would at least be able to reach land.
She had restarted the engine and begun driving when Al chimed in. 《The calculations I just did suggest that this boat will not reach land. It is truly a shame. If you have any final words, please tell them to me now.》
He must be using calculations from some strange online documentation, thought Tessa. What an amateur. Out loud she said, “We can make it.”
《No, we cannot.》
“Would you like to wager, then? If I win... I know: you’ll have to change your voice to a woman’s for one week.”
《I do not understand,》 said Al, 《How would that benefit you?》 Because he didn’t have a physical body like a human, his voice couldn’t crack, but there was still a definite nuance of fear in Al’s voice.
“Melissa and the others told me that you’re extremely opposed to changing your voice,” Tessa informed him. “Weber has suggested giving you a girl’s voice numerous times, and you always refused unequivocally.”
《Of course. I am a veteran soldier. A soldier’s voice should be a man’s voice.》
“Hence the wager,” Tessa continued. “You think the boat will sink, right? I disagree. If your judgment is incorrect, I get to ask for something that I enjoy and that makes you uncomfortable: changing your voice to a woman’s.”
《Understood. And if I’m correct?》
“If that happens, I’ll be dead, so it won’t matter much, but... I know. I’ll give all of my inheritance to you. It’s enough money to buy a very nice house, and if you play your cards right, you could even make yourself a new body.”
《A very appealing prospect.》
“That’s only if you win, though. Well? Shall we bet?”
《Very well. I agree to your terms.》
I might be the first person in the world to make a bet with an AI, Tessa thought.
《Allow me to clarify one thing to prevent misunderstanding, Miss Testarossa. I do not wish for your death.》
“I’m sure you don’t.”
《I merely wish to prove that my judgment is correct.》
“I told you, I know.”
In a mere twenty minutes, Tessa’s victory was confirmed when a small plot of land came into view beyond the waves, illuminated by the moonlight. It was definitely Lantanfushi Island, and just about three miles away. The boat had sunk even further, and the fuel gauge needle was close to zero, but they could still make it another three miles.
“There we are,” said Tessa. “See?”
《Brilliant,》 Al said. He didn’t even seem particularly displeased about it. 《As I have lost the bet, I will change my external voice to a woman’s. There are several options, but...》
“Oh, that was a joke. You don’t really have to change it.”
《But we made a promise.》
“It’s all right for the winner to call off the bet,” Tessa clarified. “I agree that your current voice suits you best.”
《Thank you.》
As they spoke, they gradually got closer to Lantanfushi Island. Tessa read the map and worked out the best place for them to moor the boat. “We don’t have enough fuel to search for an anchorage, so we’ll want to beach it on that sandy stretch to the north,” she said. “Help me, would you?”
《Aye aye, Captain.》
Once they’d reached the shallows, Al splashed into the ocean, grabbed the mooring line, and began pulling their craft towards the beach. For the power of an Alastor, moving a boat of this size was a simple task.