Chapter 24

Translated by SkyTL Edited by SkyTL

Chapter 24: Ningen

It was the day I first invited her to Eos, the day Charlotte knocked Lacey down with a rubber ball.

It was then that I asked her to go to Eos with me.

We haven’t talked about it since. At that point, I hadn’t even considered the possibility of them becoming humans, and I simply asked if they would come along as friends . Nor did I tell them that they would have to sacrifice Astoria to fix Eos, that they might die if they stayed in Astoria instead of coming to Eos .

What was I supposed to tell them?

As Charlotte still stared at me suspiciously , I thought for a moment and then added.

“No, I mean, there’s plenty of room on the Eos, and it can carry about fifty people. On the other hand , I’m the only one on board right now, so I’m looking for new members.”

What am I supposed to do on the Eos? You’re going to let Riza fly me far out into space, aren’t you?”

“Not quite, but…”

The Eos mission has several objectives.

First, a long-term test of the main propulsion system, the antimatter rocket engine. Then, the long-term operation of cryosleep and the study of its effects on the human body and mind. The final goal is to establish a settlement in a star system designated by Earth and live there as well.

After that, Riza will be responsible for preparing the colony, while humans will remain in cryosleep for hundreds of years, waiting for the [next] generation .

On my wall display, I showed the small red dwarf star Canaroa 2048-18754, which is our current target.

Lacey and Charlotte look at it and nod their heads in agreement. It was Charlotte who asked the question

“Canaroa?” Is that the name of a star?”

“Canaroa is a space observation system in orbit around Neptune. It found the star and cataloged it as the 18754th in 2048. We’ll give it an official name when we arrive. And we know there are at least four planets. Our target is the second planet.”

“What good am I to you there?”

“Well, it’s always nice to have someone around…”

At this point I looked at Lacy, who was staring at me silently . I’ve told her this before, so she knows.

“…If we disable your neurochips in the Doctor Walker program, there’s a lot more you can do.

“What can I do?”

Charlotte mutters musingly , tilting her head briefly , then looks at me suspiciously .

She looks at me with a suspicious look, as if to say, ‘You’re hiding something, what dubious intentions are you talking about?’

This is really outrageous….

She looks at me suspiciously and continues.

“What do you mean, for example?”

“Well, you will be able to give orders to Riza as well as Ira, and it is better to have human biometrics on site. It would be very useful to live there first and wait for the next immigrant ships to arrive.”

“Hmm …”

She didn’t seem very convinced.

Our task is to reach the planet in question, establish a base there, and lay the groundwork for later immigrant ships to begin colonization . The main point is to show that human life is indeed possible. If this does not happen, it will be too dangerous for others to come.

…I don’t know if they understand what it’s like to be a …

Charlotte then looked at Lacey. Lacey turned away from the rather accusatory look, startled.

“…What’s wrong, Charlotte?”

“What do you want to do, Lacey? I mean, there’s so much to do. Have you decided yet?”

“It’s…”

“I mean, when did you tell me you were going with Lyle? I didn’t know that.”

“It’s just that we were told it was possible …”

Lacey’s words are slurred as if she is troubled by Charlotte’s somewhat indignant approach . Charlotte is a little upset, as if she feels she’s been left out.

They’ve always been as close as sisters. As far as I know, they don’t often hide things from each other. The only exception is when I’m involved.

When I feel the uncomfortable tension in the air, I hold it back with my hands and ask.

“If you really don’t want to, I don’t want to force you, but are you worried about something?”

“It’s… nothing…”

Lacey replies mumbling, not looking at me.

But I could already tell she was worried about something and didn’t want to tell me.

This girl, who is loyal to the three principles to the point of dogmatism, tends to block out her own feelings and comfort . But as I have found out in the time we have spent together, she is not emotionless, but more emotional than most.

— Maybe I should apply the second principle of command and let her speak her mind once and for all.

A somewhat disturbing thought crossed my mind, but I pushed it aside for the moment. I am very afraid of an accident.

I looked over at Charlotte to see if she was okay, and she looked at me with a slight twitch in her eye.

“What?”

“Charlotte, if you have any discomfort or concern, it would be better if you told me as soon as possible,” I said.

“Because I don’t understand.”

She replies, dangling her legs.

“I already told you that we are born with a neurochip in our brains. But we don’t know what would happen if we lost it.

“Well, that’s…”

“Well, for example. I’m talking to you right now, and my mind is in the chip, and if the chip stops working, my mind could disappear, right? Who would I be in that case? And…”

“No, that’s not…”

No, of course not.

If the Simulants’ entire minds are in the chip and their brains are completely useless, then when they lose the chip, all they have left are their baby-like brains that were never used . This can be life-threatening in the worst case.

However , such a situation would defeat the purpose for which Dr. Walker developed the deactivation program .

As she spoke, there was no indication of any damage to the minds of the Simulants, but only of the removal of the limitations imposed by the three principles .

…It is also true, however , that Charlotte’s concerns cannot be dismissed as impossible.

She continues in her frustration.

“I get the impression that Lyle doesn’t like us robots very much. We’re not human, and we’re not as good as Ira or Riza. Maybe Lyle’s job won’t be affected by our disappearance, but…”

“No, it won’t. Thanks to you two, the ship is fixed and I won’t be alone anymore. It’s not like I don’t need you guys.”

Charlotte’s lips are pouted , but I’m not sure how serious she is.

It’s true that they saved my life. It’s not that I don’t care who is there now. I want them to be there for me.

That’s why I don’t want to think about the horror of seeing the girls standing in front of me lose their personalities forever just because I push a button in the program .

As for me, I try to tell them I’m grateful every chance I get, but they seem to have some reservations. Charlotte, in particular, is not pleased when I don’t tell her often enough.

“I want you both to stay close to me.”

“… Really ? So Lyle likes me?”

“Of course.”

—’As a friend,’ I add, without saying it.

Charlotte smiles, whether she’s aware of it or not, but unlike usual, she doesn’t back down.

It’s kind of a pain in the ass, but…

She leans forward and continues.

“So, if I become human, will you tell me that you love me, that you want me to be your wife, and that we will live happily in Astoria?”.

“I don’t want to stay in Astoria, so I won’t.”

“Chi—”

I replied immediately, and she looked a little deflated, but not offended, and her lips curled a little.

Truth be told , when she acts like this, she’s often not so angry or unhappy that she can’t take it. Over the last month, I’ve finally learned how to deal with her.

Charlotte snorts a little and turns to Lacey with a pout.

“Have you made up your mind yet, Lacy?”

“I haven’t… Because it’s…”

Lacey’s gaze wanders as if she’s running from Charlotte, but then her eyes meet mine and she stops.

I wonder if she has the same concerns as Charlotte?

It’s not like I want to hurt her. Even if I get the doctor’s program back, I’ll have Riza and Ira check its safety before I decide whether or not to use it.

“Lacy. If you have any concerns, you can tell us. I mean, you should. I don’t want to make you do something you don’t want to do.”

“Um, Lyle-sama, I don’t care what happens to me. But…”

Lacy’s words surprised me a little. Apparently , she was hesitating for a different reason than Charlotte.

She looked at me with her gray eyes, a little worried, but after a while she opened her mouth as if she had given up.

“Lyle-sama, I was created to replace Miss Lacey Whitford. If I could remove the chip and become a human, would I be able to become her? What if…”

“Wait a minute. I don’t think you’re a replacement for Miss Whitford. I think you’re just another person with a similar appearance and voice.”

—But what is she talking about?

After spending the last month or so with the girls, it has become very clear to me that Lacey is not Miss Whitford. There is no resemblance at all.

Although Miss Whitford seemed to be a quiet girl and her tone was gentle, she was a headstrong girl who put her likes and dislikes on full display . She showed an extraordinary interest in the culture of the earth, but she was also persistent in naming things she found boring .

Between you and me, I was often a little hurt that she was so direct, but to me it made her so attractive when she smiled.

Lacy is different. She is the opposite. She rarely expresses her preferences. Perhaps she has studied earthly culture to pass as Miss Whitford, but I don’t know much about her likes and dislikes . I can even say that she is blindly positive toward Earth and humans.

However , she rarely smiles, and it’s kind of a treasure hunt when she occasionally loosens up and smiles carefree .

“Well, to be honest, the name is a little confusing, and I wish she would be a little clearer about what she means. Lacy is fine the way it is. As someone who fell for the video, I find it pretty hard to imitate Miss Whitford.”

“But that’s… No, I… I just need some time to think about it.”

Lacey’s face doesn’t brighten.

…Did I say something wrong?

I tried to cheer her up, but she looked down and depressed.

If she has a problem, why doesn’t she just tell me? Am I that unreliable?

“You know, Lacy. I’m looking for a new planet to play soccer on.”

Lacy didn’t answer my question.

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