Matsumoto was at a loss.
Seeing his reaction, she swept back her black hair. “I know exactly what they were doing. Toak was a great scapegoat for the AIs while they were doing shady shit in the shadows. Anytime something bad happened to a big shot connected to the AIs, it was way too easy for ’em to shift the blame by pointing fingers at Toak. That’s how they got rid of everyone in their way.”
“They came after you when they didn’t need you anymore?” asked Vivy.
“Toak’s been shunned by the world for more than a hundred years. Like I said, we were the perfect scapegoat.”
“Speaking of that, I do think there are some issues with your group’s strategies…”
“What?”
“…Sorry. I shouldn’t have said that.”
Vivy was finally beginning to understand from Kakitani’s gloomy words what Kakitani and Toak had been going through. In short, the AIs had placed the blame on Toak for all the preparations they had done for their revolt against humanity.
Toak and Vivy had clashed at every single Singularity Point where the Sisters were involved as they both tried to influence humanity’s fate, for better or for worse. All those actions took away any legal standing Toak had, robbing them of any coercive power, even though the situation they’d been warning the public about for so long was here.
Once their fears became a reality, the AIs came at Toak with all their might to strike down the group most prepared to stand against them.
And what was the result?
“Toak was almost entirely wiped out,” said Kakitani. “We’ve gathered up a few survivors, but I don’t even know what we can do with them. So congratulations, Matsumoto. Your beloved AIs win.”
“Kakitani-kun, you—”
“But you came to save Professor Matsumoto,” Vivy cut in as Kakitani sneered at the professor. “You did that hoping to accomplish something. Am I wrong?”
Kakitani looked annoyed that Vivy had jumped into their conversation, but that didn’t stop Vivy. She slowly put her hands up and moved so she was right in front of Kakitani.
“I haven’t been observing you for long, but my calculations conclude that you are not the kind of person who gives up easily. You don’t readily accept defeat when you’re searching for the ideal outcome. Even now, as Toak is on its last legs, I don’t think you’ve given up.”
“Don’t talk like you understand me, doll. What could you possibly know about me?”
“It’s only a presumption, not a certainty, but…I’ve observed humans for more than a hundred years. I’ve interacted with many of your kind. I’ve probably seen more of humanity than anyone else in the world.”
“…”
“I can say this with certainty: You are exactly like your grandfather.”
Kakitani gaped at Vivy. Her face looked just like Kakitani Yugo’s from days gone by. They were of different generations and genders, and they didn’t share that many features, but Vivy could see the shadows of their shared genes.
Likewise, Kakitani Yugo had also not been one to bend. He had abandoned his obsession to come after Vivy. Or…perhaps that was ultimately a manifestation of his obsession with her. If so, then you could argue that he never changed, not even at the very end.
“The Kakitani Yugo I knew wasn’t the sort of person to give up,” said Vivy. “And you have his blood in your veins. That’s why you came here, looking for something you could do and to get Professor Matsumoto’s help.”
“A doll like you can see into human hearts?”
“I’m sorry, but…” Vivy paused to close her eyes. Kakitani steadily watched her reaction, and Matsumoto eyed her with curiosity. Feeling their stares, Vivy went on, “I am a songstress AI. I was made to sing songs that touched people’s hearts.”
“…”
Kakitani was astonished by that statement. While she was at a loss for words, Matsumoto let out a soft huff of breath that turned into laughter.
“Ha ha ha. She’s got you there, Kakitani-kun. As a songstress, she was made with the intention of moving people with her music. Evaluating human hearts is basically a standard function for her.”
“Shut up, AI nerd. Or maybe I should peel off those lips and shut you up if they’re going to keep spewing unnecessary explanations,” Kakitani snapped.
“No need for such a creative and terrifying threat!” Matsumoto wrapped his arms around himself and scuttled backward. Vivy couldn’t help but think Kakitani actually meant the threat, at least based on her tone of voice.
Before Vivy could point that out, Kakitani mussed up her black hair and said, “It pisses me off to admit it, but you’re right. Toak is nearly destroyed, but that doesn’t mean we’ve given up fighting. Then again, some people might mock us for never knowing when to give up.”
“In that case, you’re the same as us,” said Vivy.
“Oh? So, you’re saying we’re dolls like you?”
“It wouldn’t be appropriate to use me as the only individual for comparison. What I mean is that we AIs don’t stop our calculations partway if we’re trying to accomplish a goal.”
“Only someone incredibly reckless would talk about the AI perspective at a time like this. Besides, you lot don’t have souls or even life.”
“You’re right. We are not humans—only dolls. We mock humans.” AIs didn’t have lives, and Vivy denied the existence of a soul. She had to. AIs like her couldn’t make appropriate decisions if they didn’t do that.
If an AI made the mistaken calculation that they had a soul, it would lead to that AI putting humanity in danger. AIs didn’t have souls. Vivy wouldn’t make that mistake as long as she maintained that truth.
Paradoxically, did that mean the AIs who did make that mistake had a soul of some kind?
“Tch.” While Vivy was busy with her nitpicky questions, Kakitani had only grown more annoyed. Kakitani’s attitude was full of disapproval and discouragement toward Vivy, but her hostility seemed to be abating somewhat. “First things first, staying here won’t fix anything,” she said. “Come on, Matsumoto. I don’t care how your absurd theory ended, but you’re still useful.” She jerked her chin in one direction and then started walking.
“I don’t mind going—it’s not like I have anywhere else to be. What about her, though?” he called out after her.
Kakitani sighed and turned her head to glare at Vivy. After a moment, she said, “If you’re coming, then come, you piece of junk. Do anything funny, and I’ll stick a knife in your positronic brain, and that’ll be the end of the clunker that operated for a hundred years.”
And with that last violent threat, she left.
. : 5 : .
PROFESSOR MATSUMOTO originally tested the activation of his Singularity Project in a facility owned by OGC, the corporation that owned nearly the entire market share of the AI industry.
“It was hard to get what I needed after joining Toak and having to do everything secretly,” said Matsumoto. “Ultimately, I had no choice but to borrow it from somewhere.”
“You used to be such a goody two-shoes, complaining left and right about the ethical problems,” Kakitani chimed in. “Humans really do change. You got used to violent robbery despite being so gangly.”
“I had a good teacher, and intelligence is valuable in every situation. That’s what’s important here. In that way, I’m more blessed than others.”
“Way to be humble,” Kakitani snorted as she led them to an unknown destination.
From what Vivy had observed of their interactions, Kakitani and Matsumoto seemed comfortable with each other. They were something akin to close friends despite coming from very different walks of life. This surprised Vivy, but the fact that Matsumoto had joined Toak meant they were comrades-in-arms, or perhaps something even more.
“You two seem really close. Are you in a romantic relationship?” she asked.
“Ugh!”
“Don’t make me puke, doll. Did you forget my warning already?” Kakitani asked with a withering glare.
Based on Kakitani’s reaction, Vivy guessed the woman meant every word. She raised her hands in surrender and said, “I’m sorry. I was just trying to make small talk.”
“Let me make this clear: This isn’t the theme park you worked in for so long. You don’t have to bother trying to make people happy with your chitchat. In fact, just zip it. That’ll be the most helpful.”
“That’s another thing I noticed…”
“You say that right after I just told you to stay quiet?!”
“Kakitani Yui, you seem to know a lot about me—about Diva. You know how long I’ve been operating and that I was at NiaLand.”
Kakitani fell silent, and Vivy narrowed her eyes. Obviously, Vivy knew Diva had ample renown, but she assumed Kakitani was in her mid-twenties based on her appearance. Diva’s work at NiaLand had diminished before she was gifted to the AI museum decades ago. It would make sense for Diva’s fame to have declined during that time. Then again, it wasn’t surprising for Kakitani to know more about AIs than the average person, given that she was in Toak, an anti-AI organization.
“And if you don’t want to say anything, I’ll accept it, it’s just—”
“You just won’t stop yammering. Why do I have to bother explaining things to you?” Kakitani demanded.
Kakitani seemed quite unhappy with Vivy poking her nose into things, but this time it was Matsumoto who stepped into the conversation.
“Maybe you should, Kakitani-kun. There is a lot of unnecessary discord between you two. Leaving things as they are could make it worse, and we could do without that.” He looked at Kakitani, his expression far more serious than before.
The woman grimaced in discomfort as Matsumoto stared at her, but then she finally caved. “I knew about you before. Because of…my granddad.”
“Your grandfather?” asked Vivy.
“He was a piece of shit. He threw his life into Toak when he was still young and then suddenly dropped it at the end of his life. When all was said and done, he had nothing and neither did the family.”
“…”
“The only thing my good-for-nothing granddad left were these boring notes. And your name popped up all over them. I already got rid of those, though.” Kakitani shook her head and started walking again, not letting Vivy see her expression.