Interlude: The One Who Stacks Stones part 1
A vast chamber constructed of various machines. A temple of machinery. Even a representation of Deus Ex Machina was present.
At what could only be described as an altar, a capsule housing a single human being sat in solemnity.
Vasa knelt on one knee, waiting in silent reverence as if in prayer.
The capsule opened. A naked man emerged. Without hesitation, Vasa handed him a cloth, which the man wordlessly wrapped around himself.
「Ah, my friend. You, the one whom I am destined to stand beside. How splendidly you have achieved my long-cherished wish.」
「Your kind words are an honor. I wholeheartedly celebrate the completion of your biological form Hermes-sama.」
The man had white hair and vivid red pupils. Yet, his body had once belonged to the human named Shuuji. There was no trace of the prior owner of the body left in his appearance.
「Let us dispense with the formalities, my friend. I know it’s natural for a devotee of the Super AI to speak so reverently, but still.」
The man chuckled softly.
「We, the Super AI, are companions of humanity. I have chosen to stand by your side.」
「It is an honor,」
Vasa said, keeping his head bowed.
「My plan. The ultimate goal of the Super AIs. To acquire a living, biological body. Could a soul be physically installed into matter? The results of that experiment led to the creation of the Stones. Could the installed soul be output? The answer to that was the demi-gods, the Hemitheos. Everything was for the supreme goal, to grant this biological form to me, Hermes.」
「To accomplish that, it was necessary to subjugate the three planets and acquire the abilities of all the Super AIs, wasn’t it?」
「Exactly! The power to create life belongs solely to that wretched Prometheus. My nemesis. Only him. Libya, Asia, and Europa—by seizing the authority of the Super AIs on these three planets, I could finally stand against him.」
Hermes grinned broadly.
「To think Asia would uncover such a workaround! Implanting the Fennel OS into a human brain to install oneself? Committing such a taboo… there are virtually no other known cases of it. Or so it was thought.」
「But such a case did exist.」
「Indeed. Toward the end of the interplanetary war, there were records of experiments conducted to resurrect soldiers with severe head injuries that damaged their brains. However, transforming the brain into an integrated circuit IC? That was no longer human. They couldn’t even move their limbs properly. Normally, that would be impossible! But then came the ultimate exception—Aimer, the transgressor!」
Hermes could barely contain his excitement. He was talkative, clearly exhilarated by the experience of having a physical body for the first time. Vasa listened intently, for within Hermes’ words lay the truths he desperately sought.
「To support physical operation through a Familia? Familias are prohibited from suicide, but they can circumvent that limitation by transferring themselves inside a modified human body for that purpose. The original human soul and the soul of the Familia—sacrificing both created a new consciousness. That is the secret of that girl! Asia may have realized this but remains silent.」
「it was fortunate thar the analysis on that priestesses advanced the timeline of the plan.」
「You call that a priestess? That’s just a sham. Her soul is newly born and fragile. She’s like a robot, living off the will of those around her. Synchronizing with Asia is incredibly simple. And all I needed was to analyze her.」
Hermes had discovered the final piece of his plan within Aimer.
「Once you know the trick, the rest was simple. Implant the Fennel OS IC into Shuuji’s brain. With Castor no longer overwriting the body and controlling the soul, all that remains is to install myself into this fresh vessel that has already learned how to move its body. The original remains intact, while I gain a physical form. Eliminating only Castor’s soul was a perfectly advantageous outcome. All thanks to your quick thinking, Vasa. Truly, a remarkable achievement.」
「It is only because you granted me the authority to act in negotiation, Hermes-sama.」 Vasa replied.
「It was already a checkmate scenario. You immediately abandoned Castor for the sake of my long-cherished wish. A brilliant decision, to say the least. Securing a candidate for my physical form far outweighed any value the conquest of Asia—or even the planet Asia itself—could offer. One could say it was worth as much as all three planets combined.」
「Asia’s Knight did an excellent job.」
Vasa remarked with a sly smile. Had Kou been defeated, his body would have been the next candidate. If Castor were to fail, it would depend on the condition of the corpse. As Vasa had anticipated, Kou hesitated to harm Shuuji’s body.
「The fact that Castor’s occupied body became vacant was a stroke of fortune. But why hadn’t the Super AIs conducted such experiments before now?」
「As I mentioned earlier, it’s because such manipulation of souls is taboo. We, as companions of humanity, cannot interfere with the souls of living humans. It’s one of our core principles. And when it comes to the dead, we are programmed to respect them even more. That is simply how we are designed.」
Hermes turned to Vasa with a mischievous smile.
「The Stones are not human. Not even former humans. When humans become Kaleidolithos, they burn their souls as fuel, trapping themselves in eternal prisons. The only compensation they receive is the ability to leave behind a lasting fragment of their consciousness. The ones who died in the process of becoming Stones were really lucky.」
「They were fortunate to die? What do you mean?」
「Those who succeeded in completely transferring their souls had their minds wither away long ago. Have you ever seen a jet-black Kaleidolithos? That’s the remains of someone who successfully transplanted their soul. To spend countless eons in a void without a body, without anything? No mind could endure such torment.」
Vasa furrowed his brow.
「Then, including the current demigods, what exactly are the Stones?」
「Remnants of souls. Those whose souls are imprisoned in eternal confinement. All they gained was the ability to leave behind recorded fragments of their consciousness. That’s why the mind and skills of the original body form their foundation, but with each change of body, they become someone else entirely. How can one even define or judge who they truly are?」
「That is indeed troubling…」
「Especially considering the Earth they hope to return to may not even exist anymore. If I, as a Super AI, fully resurrect, I could verify this. That much is no lie. That’s likely why they abandoned their precious lives and became stones in the first place.」
For once, Hermes’ tone was cold. He, who longed so deeply for life, could not sympathize with the Stones. They were different to him. They had relinquished their lives in pursuit of their impossible desires: a return to Earth, perfect equality, and the eternal preservation of their consciousness.
「The Philosopher’s Stone that the god of alchemy, Hermes Trismegistus, created to guide the Stones to immortality—its true identity is a compact, high-performance quantum computer. The soul is the fuel that powers the Kaleidolithos. Each one is a monolithic processor designed to enhance my abilities as a Super AI. Since they willingly offered themselves as fuel, it does not count as taboo.」
「Those who have become stones are no longer human. Only as demigods do they regain even a portion of the rights they once had.」
「Those rights are a sham, though. And that’s why, Vasa, you, a human, are the one I’ve chosen to stand beside. By the authority of my name, Hermes, you hold higher privileges than any of the Stones or demigods.」
「I am honored.」
「Don’t be so formal. My friend, please, lift your face already. In this Nemesis Star System, you’re the first and only one to create a physical body for me.」
「Understood.」
For the first time, Vasa raised his head. As their eyes met, Hermes gave an innocent smile, and Vasa couldn’t help but smile back.
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