Mr. 9S’s transmission comes in as I am riding around a building that had started leaning.
“Yes, what is it?” I answer a bit nervously. It is definitely about the lunar tears.
“I found a lunar tear. The location is …”
The location data is pointing toward the desert. I’m at the entrance of the desert right now. How lucky!
“I’m coming right away! Please stay right there!”
I need to go as quickly as possible! The faster the better! Faster, faster!
… Yeah!
“Sorry to make you wait!”
“Wow?!” Mr. 9S yelled. There is no reason to be that surprised. Anyway, about the lunar tear. I look down near Ms. 2B’s and Mr. 9S’s feet.
There is a white flower growing from the sand, waving in the wind. These colors—sand and white petals. I’ve seen this. These colors.
“That’s right, this place …”
“Did you remember something?”
“A long time ago, I remember taking care of this flower.”
It took a lot of care to grow this flower. It needed to be in the right temperature, humidity, and had to be watered at specific times …
“But the sand slowly ate away the plant, and the flower started to die …”
I didn’t want it to die. I wasn’t allowed to let it die. But the sand and dry air had no mercy.
“That’s right, I stopped seeing humans around that time.”
“Humans?”
Wolves filled the desert and humans disappeared from the surrounding cities … I was all alone. Hm? That’s weird. I feel like I wasn’t alone yet? But why? My memories are getting all mixed up.
“Thank you for finding it. If you find any more, please tell me.”
I might remember more if I see other lunar tears in other places. My memories are probably all over the place because there’s some missing parts.
“I’m … going to stay here for a bit …”
I’ll keep watching this flower a little longer.
✦ ✦ ✦
The next time Mr. 9S contacts me, my tires are stuck in some rubble and I am stranded.
“Yes, what is it?”
But I kind of know what Mr. 9S is going to say. Probably something along the lines of, “I found a lunar tear …”
“I found a lunar tear. The location is …”
Just as I thought. I was right.
“I’ll go right away! Please stay there!”
I can’t stay stranded. The path from here, the crater zone, to the amusement park is pretty complicated.
I need to hurry. I need to get there quickly. The faster the better! Faster, faster!
… Yeah!
“Sorry to make you wait!”
“You always get here so fast!”
Mr. 9S is really shocked. There’s really no reason to be that surprised.
Anyway, the lunar tear. I look down near Ms. 2B’s and Mr. 9S’s feet.
Right below an emergency exit sign, almost hidden by rubble, is a white flower.
The sound of fireworks, interrupting the music played by the robots. Low, but erratic and sharp sounds.
“That’s right. This place is …”
The sound of gunfire. Heat and the smell of something burning.
“A long time ago, aliens invaded Earth. I fought desperately to protect Earth, right in this very spot.”
I need to vanquish the aliens. I need to drive them away from Earth.
That is the new fragment of a memory I recalled. A memory of a battle so stressful it made me anxious just thinking about it.
“You did, Emil?”
“Yes. I probably had something I needed to protect. But I don’t remember what that something was …”
There’s no memory of that something in my vague recollection. I know it was important and something I didn’t want to forget, but I don’t remember.
“Thank you for finding it. If you find any more, please tell me. I’m going to stay here for a bit.”
I want to keep watching this flower … but the more I watch it, the more pain I feel. That’s what I feel.
✦ ✦ ✦
I am searching for materials in the Abandoned Factory when Mr. 9S sends me the third transmission.
“Yes, what is it?”
This is probably about a lunar tear as well. I need to check Mr. 9S’s location data.
“I found a lunar tear …”
“I’ll come right away!”
It is quite a way to the Flooded City, where Mr. 9S was. I panic.
I need to hurry. I need to get there quickly. Faster, faster, the faster the better!
… Yeah!
“Sorry to make you wait!”
“As always … you’re fast.”
Mr. 9S seems more amazed than surprised. Anyway, the lunar tear! I look behind Ms. 2B and Mr. 9S.
There is a white flower growing from a crack in a boulder. It looks like it is holding on for dear life in the sea breeze. The sound of waves is harsh.
“Ah, that’s right.”
This beach. The flooded city, and the sound of seagulls.
“What happened here?”
“The battle against the aliens,” I replied. It happened here. I was responsible for this area around the beach.
“The battle conditions only got worse with each passing day. I cloned myself so I could win in battle.”
Since the enemy fought with numbers, we needed to fight with numbers too.
“But the number of enemies kept growing. And I lost many of my friends.”
I had no time to mourn the death of my friends. I kept cloning myself, and increasing the number of casualties. It was just a repetition of that cycle.
“This happened a long time ago.”
“I see,” replies 9S. He suddenly looks up.
“Emil, how long have you been alive?”
“I don’t really know.”
I feel like I’ve been alive so long I forgot, but I also feel like I’ve only been alive for a short time. I don’t know anything for sure.
“I didn’t need to know to fight.”
We only had to worry about how to get rid of the aliens. That was all.
“Thank you for finding it. If you find any more, please tell me. I’m going to stay here a bit.”
I want to keep watching this flower forever. But I also want to stop remembering. I’m scared to remember more.