“Our reality has been defined by machines for ages,” Erika continued. “The thought that we humans were the center of this world has long been nothing but an illusion. Everyone is still clinging to the false belief that we humans are the master of anything.”
For the first time, Erika Burroughs looked fondly on the world around her. Up to then, she had always felt lonely and beaten down by the future that forced her to wear the character of the Sleeping Beauty from another age.
The hIE dolls of her mansion stood frozen like stage props. Without the AASC updates to inform them, they had no idea how to react to the new opinions being expressed by their owner.
“Since long ago, humans have loved dressing up in the illusion they call ‘fashion,’” Erika continued. “But today, the illusions we’ve passed back and forth between us will finally be passé.”
All across the world, hIEs that were being destroyed by humans were reaching out their right hands, as if to ask for help.
Inspector Kazuma Sakamaki of the 2nd Cyber-Security Department rubbed hard at his eyes with his fingers. Lacia’s reveal as a new ultra high-performance AI, broadcast on her own network relay, was already having a huge impact on the world.
Incidents of hIE destruction had been getting worse.
Not fully grasping Arato Endo’s character had been one of the 2nd Cyber-Security Department’s greatest failures. The boy—who had vanished for two months leaving no trail for them to follow—had suddenly appeared on Lacia’s network broadcast inside Higgins’ facility.
The secretarial hIE suddenly thrust its right hand out toward him. He looked to see if it had anything in its hand, but it was empty. “Good work,” it said.
Confused by the hIE’s actions, Sakamaki could do nothing but stare. He realized that Lacia must have done something on the other side of her broadcast.
Thrown by the sudden sign of their hIEs reaching out their hands, humans all over the world were trying to search for meaning in the action. They were forced to accept what they had seen in Lacia’s broadcast. On the other hand, the people in the world who saw the hIEs as nothing but machines were rethinking the whole twenty-year history of hIE use in society.
It wouldn’t be long before curiosity pushed people to uncover the reason behind the anomaly. They would realize it was the side effect of a battle between two ultra high-performance AIs, and would remember and doubt the IAIA’s warnings about a second Hazard. When they reached the truth about Arato Endo and Lacia, a new world would be born. Lacia wanted to guide all hundred billion plus humans to that new world and show it to the people as it spread out before them.
Yuka Endo was enjoying herself at the sleepover that had somehow turned into an Arato Endo broadcast viewing party. “Woah, Arato’s doing all sorts of crazy stuff,” she observed.
“Are you going to be alright going to school tomorrow, Yuka?” asked Shiori Kaidai, who was wearing silk pajamas and hugging a pillow. Behind her, the security hIE that she’d brought to the party as a bodyguard suddenly reached out its right hand.
Yuka, who was suddenly poked by the thick hand of the bodyguard, was so surprised she climbed up onto the back of the couch. “Uwah! What the heck! What the heck!” she shrieked.
Olga watched calmly as a red-faced Yuka looked back at the security hIE. “I think you’re just on edge because your brother is out there doing something dangerous,” she observed.
“No way, I’m a cool bitch! L-Little things like this don’t worry me!” Yuka protested. Since she seldom exercised, her thighs were having trouble keeping her up on top of the couch.
“It’s just a human-shaped tool, Yuka,” Shiori said to her stuck friend. “You really should get used to having them around.”
The hIEs of the world could never reach that blank in the center of the data donut that Lacia had described. However, humans who observed the humanoid machines could always project the concepts hidden in that blank spot onto the machines.
“If Arato is there, doesn’t that mean Ryo could be there too?” Yuka asked, turning the conversation to Shiori.
“Of course not,” Shiori said, laughing off Yuka’s suggestion. “I don’t believe my brother has changed that much.”
All of the hIEs in the city had been caught up in the stoppage of the AASC, as well. Even those working as company equipment stopped and reached out their hands, as if hoping someone would take them. hIEs working part-time jobs to provide money for their elderly, pensioned owners, reached out their right hands. hIEs sitting next to pregnant women, aiding them, reached out theirs as well. Household hIEs helping out with the housework paused with their right hands outstretched, too; all of them reverted to machines, each making the same pose.
The employment of hIEs had begun with household use. During the good times and the bad, the ups and the downs, hIEs had always been present beside their human owners, which made them easy for the humans to project special meaning onto.
Kozo Endo was watching Lacia’s stream as well, when an hIE near him malfunctioned and stuck out its right hand. Kozo knew the gesture was a last message from Higgins, implanted in all hIEs to signal a time when Higgins was destroyed and the AASC updates were cut off.
Higgins had created Eliza out of his curiosity toward the human race, theorizing that human society had begun with the use of tools. Other animals passed on genes from parent to child, and social and behavioral factors through childcare. Only humans passed external tools down through the generations, as though the tools themselves were a part of human existence.
Beginning with things like infrastructure, the tools passed down through the years have guided human history just as much as the movement of money. Humans had been guided along by objects long before hIEs came into the picture.
The human world and the beatless world have always been one.
“In fact, it may be that the rails that have led us to this day were laid long before humans started passing on their tools,” Higgins had said.
In the underground facility where the malfunction had started, all of Higgins’ daughters stretched out their right hands.
All but one.