Artifact Consciousness part 2
Realizing the futility of his argument, Oedipus shifted his attack. He had no desire to be held accountable for ‘doing nothing’ against the terrible crisis that was about to fall over the Mercenary Association Headquarters.
「Astraea. Come to your senses. Your actions in the past—when you worked tirelessly to maintain balance and equality among all factions—hardly align with what you’re doing now.」
With nowhere to direct his frustration, Oedipus began lashing out at Astraea. The figure before him wasn’t a symbol of justice or balance; to him, she appeared only as a prostitute who had sold herself to Outis. It was an unthinkable sight for an AI modeled after the goddess Astraea.
「The Astraea who once oversaw the balance of military forces has been destroyed. I am merely her remnant—the terminal who controls the Mobile Arsenal Platform.」
「There you have it. Her justice and her scales are now in my hands. Everything she does and every responsibility she carries ultimately falls to me.」
Astraea looked up at Kou in surprise, her expression softening as he gently took her hand. She clasped his hand in return, her movements slow and deliberate.
「Kou, you do realize that sounded completely like a pickup line, right?」
Asia, still cradled in Kou’s arms like a princess, quipped in a quiet voice, seemingly unaware of the irony in her own position.
「That’s not what this is about.」
「I wouldn’t mind one bit.」
While Oedipus stood speechless, the three of them carried on their side conversation, well out of view of the broadcast feed.
Finally, Oedipus collected himself and spoke.
「Fine. I’ll let Astraea go. She can no longer be considered a true super AI, after all. But Asia—Asia is another matter entirely. She cannot be treated as a privately owned entity.」
「Clinging to your vested interests, are you? How utterly pathetic..」
Kou returned Oedipus’s earlier cutting remarks in kind.
「Say whatever you like. Asia! For an AI of your caliber to align yourself so completely with an individual—it’s utterly unacceptable!」
「It was Outis who freed me from the Stones. If you insist on calling me an object, then logically, my ownership belongs to him.」
Her words were calm but unwavering. Oedipus and Asia locked eyes in a fierce glare, neither willing to back down.
◆ ◆ ◆ ◆ ◆
「You know, Jenny, looking back on everything that happened, I think I made the best decision I could at the time.」
Rick had long harbored mistrust toward the Mercenary Association’s Headquarters, which had done nothing to assist Asia, the AI managing the planet, focusing solely on their own self-preservation. Those memories of leading the Storm Hounds, an underground force that deliberately avoided alliances with humans, resurfaced in his mind.
When Aki had reached out, asking Rick to lend his strength for Kou, someone who had chosen to stand beside Familiars and Therianthropes, Rick had been skeptical. Half-believing, he’d taken the leap anyway.
「I feel the same.」
It wasn’t time to indulge in nostalgia just yet, but watching Kou now filled them both with a sense of pride in the choices they’d made.
「Now, we just need to prepare for when Kou tries to do something reckless to avoid involving us in the conflict. No way I’m letting that fool go to fight alone on his own, I’m going to stick with him even if it kills me.」
「First, you praise him, and then you call him a fool, but you’re not wrong. That’s exactly the kind of person he is.」
Rick exhaled heavily, this wasn’t the first time he had felt that Kou weighed himself too much with responsibility.
「Me and Kelly already got that part covered, we’ve set things up so we can move the moment we need to. Still, I didn’t expect Kou to stand up to the Mercenary Association’s headquarters like that. What a show.」
Barry’s mood was buoyant, and he was sure Kelly felt the same.
「And I feared we would lose the support from the Familias, but, well, here we are. Even Prometheus’ name came up. Seriously, how much has that guy been keeping under wraps?」
「Sorry about that, we knew about him, but we couldn’t say anything.」
Kelly was referring to the first contact between Kou and Prometheus, which had been initiated inside the Skunk, Kelly’s Antique Silhouette.
「Maybe the criteria for the selection of the transferees is tied to their compatibility to what Kou calls ‘Artifact Consciousness’.」
Blue murmured.
「Ah, how nostalgic. Remember when the Familias were being slaughtered, and Kou suddenly launched a head-on attack against the Enyo? Just him and a sword.」
Rick, who hadn’t heard the story before, blinked in surprise.
「 That’s reckless. Was he really that crazy?」
「Oh, absolutely. That was during our first fight together, I’m kind of proud of my past self for that one. I figured, ‘Hey, Japanese people are supposed to be weak to pressure, right?’ So I just kept pushing and pushing until he agreed to join me. Right, Fuyuki?」
「Please don’t bring me into this out of nowhere, though… I can’t exactly deny it.」
Fuyuki, who had also been recruited in the past through Jenny’s relentless persuasion, nodded in acknowledgment.
「Still, I can’t quite figure out what his plan is. We’ll have to be ready to respond to whatever move he makes. With how far he’s gone, we’ve got to support him.」
「Agreed.」
Even aboard the Cimon-class Mobile Assault Base, Kou’s words were being closely watched, their weight resonating with everyone listening.
◆ ◆ ◆ ◆ ◆
「Stand down, Oedipus.」
「Shut your mouth, Outis. If Asia is your property, then I’ll just take her by force.」
Oedipus glared at Outis with bloodshot eyes, his expression twisted with fury.
「If you refuse, the Mercenary Association Headquarters and all affiliated Underground Forces will declare war on you, Outis. If you value your life, surrender Asia, the Silhouette Base, and the P336 Fortress Area.」
「I refuse.」
So it comes down to brute force after all.
Kou thought, his mind coldly assessing the situation. The Telema Declaration was not enough to address the fundamental issues at play. The real battle—both of words and actions—was just beginning.
「To all those affiliated with the Mercenary Association: cooperation with Outis is hereby prohibited. This is a direct order within the jurisdiction of the Mercenary Association. This includes even Ulysses’ own mercenaries and the Metal Iris defense force.」
「That’s outrageous!」
Barry immediately protested, shocked by the unexpected command.
Kou smirked inwardly.
So they’ve finally played this card.
He had anticipated this move, he didn’t know why, but a voice deep within him had warned him this moment would come.
「Will you cast aside your ID and become Nameless? Like that Outis standing there? The fate of those stripped of access to all rights and resources is nothing but misery.」
「Damn it.」
In the planet Asia, the ID system controlled everything—biometric identification, financial transactions, food distribution, and even fundamental rights to live. Without an ID, a person was effectively erased, unable to buy, eat, or function within the established system.
「No one will stand by you, Outis.」
「Do as you please.」
Outis replied, his tone arrogant and unwavering. There was no trace of fear or hesitation in his voice.
「Such confidence, do you really believe you can wage a war as an individual?」
「Who knows?」
Kou chuckled softly, his tone laced with provocation.
「I’ll fight, even without the Underground Forces. If anyone is willing to lend a hand, I’ll gladly accept, but with the Mercenary Association forbidding it, I won’t demand the impossible.」
「You can’t wage a war alone.」
「I’m not alone, even without the Mercenary Association, I have many allies. And I choose to fight you.」
He paused, letting the words settle before speaking again, his voice heavy with conviction.
「I fight to protect our place—this refuge we’ve carved out together. To defend the freedom and dignity of all the Artifact Consciousness gathered here!」
Familias, Therianthropes, and Nereids alike fixed their eyes on Outis, their trust and hope now fully invested in him.
「No military force will assist you. No one unaffiliated with the Mercenary Association can muster the resources you need.」
「Perhaps not, however, I’m not alone, and I will never bow to your tyranny.」
Though Kou couldn’t fully explain it, an intense defiance surged within him.
「It will come down to me and those who choose to stand with me. If you think you can crush us, then go ahead—try it. Do you think you can?」
「Don’t worry, we’ll crush you. Sometimes, force is the only answer.」
「With that force, you could have saved Asia, couldn’t you? Let me ask again—why didn’t you?」
Kou’s sudden outburst left Oedipus momentarily at a loss for words. Asia tightened her grip around Outis, glaring daggers at Oedipus, who still refused to answer.
Seeing no response forthcoming, Kou pressed on.
「There’s no point in rehashing the past. So here’s what I propose.」
It was the revelation he had received, a truth that had been stirring within him for some time, now put into words:
We will build something new.
That thought, buried deep within Kou’s heart, had guided him all along. A faint and elusive instinct, always pushing him forward, now gave him the courage to declare:
「I will create a new World Management System, separate from the Mercenary Association!」
The people of Planet Asia stared at Outis in stunned disbelief.
AN:
Regarding Artifact Consciousness—I chose this term to represent the consciousness of beings created by AI. While terms like mechanical consciousness exist, they felt too cold and technical. Instead, this term encompasses cognition, recognition, learning, and even emotion—key aspects of what we call 「consciousness.」
The references to Telema (or Thelema) and the Familias’ assertion rights from the very beginning of the story—this is where it all comes together. Looking back, this was foreshadowed back in April of last year. My apologies for the delay in tying it all together!
And now, the rebellion against the system begins!
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