Vessel
「What is Hermes’ objective? And why did you imply I did something wrong, Arima?!」
Asia’s eyes widened in disbelief. The words were so unexpected, she couldn’t hide her shock.
「You remember what the Twelve Olympians were aiming for, don’t you, Asia?」
「Yes. To one day gain a perfect human body… and use it to rule over and guide mankind. It was a doctrine that went against Sophia’s original will—to walk with humanity and support them so they could live freely.」
「Exactly. Hermes has finally achieved that goal. He now possesses a human body while retaining the processing power of a super AI. Although the body he now inhabits is not the immortal one they sought, it’s close enough to his goal. —And the one who gave him the hint to accomplish it… was you, Asia.」
Asia took only a moment to consider before reaching her conclusion.
「Because I made Aimer my priestess?」
「That’s right. No other super AI had ever done such a thing. Nor had anyone ever embedded something like the MCS into a human brain. Of course, Hermes didn’t acquire a human body just because of that. He was able to put the pieces together thanks to his work on the demigods—the Hemitheos. He is the one who created the system by which those wretched Stones are able to control a human body. His research on the Hemitheos was for the sake of obtaining a human body for himself so it was easy for him to repurpose it once he got a hint from your actions.」
「I never thought I’d learn the reason the Kaleidolithos were created, here of all places.」
Arima spat the word Stones with undisguised loathing. Asia, equally repulsed, frowned.
Kou, watching the two of them, thought idly how alike they were.
「So it really is my fault…」
「Your actions provided him with a crucial clue toward the creation of his vessel. He took advantage of the conflict between humanity and the Stones on Planet Asia. However, this was one of the causes of the conflict in the first place, so it’s not surprising. One of Hermes’ goals in seizing the three inhabited planets of the Nemesis system was precisely to obtain a human body.」
「Is it really that difficult for a super AI to transfer into a human body?」
It puzzled Kou. Given that these super AIs could even create Therianthropes and Nereids, creating a human body for themselves should be trivial.
「It is difficult. It’s not impossible to gain a human body. But to do so while retaining the abilities of a super AI? That’s impossible. That’s why the phrase complete human is used. You’ve seen Libya’s current body, haven’t you? At best, she turned into a bio-android—a Telema AI. In her current body, her processing capacity has drastically diminished—she is currently in an extremely degraded state.」
「I see… so that’s how it was.」
「A Dragonewt-type Therianthrope shouldn’t exist in the first place—Libya never intended to create one. Her current body is a byproduct of adapting protocols originally meant to create Reptilian-type Murders.」
「Even so, her soul is still Libya’s, isn’t it…? But I suppose the point is, Hermes wants to retain his superiority as a super AI…」
「It’s about his identity—his core. To abandon that would be no different than suicide.」
「Then Libya’s choice must’ve been a truly harsh one.」
「Indeed. Harsh enough that I—Typhon the Destroyer—had to turn my eyes away from it. I almost stepped in to stop her. That’s how wretched it was.」
The boy’s face twisted in displeasure.
「To reincarnate as a human while retaining super AI functionality—that’s a transformation akin to converting soul-data itself. A structural aberration. Our use of humanoid visual projections is one of our safeguards, it helps alleviate our longing for having a human body. If one of us starts to desire to become human, we, like the Twelve Olympians and the Stones could become a danger to humanity.」
「You’re right. Even I never considered trying it until I met Aimer. And for however brief it was, I felt the happiness of having a human body. I’ll be forever grateful to her.」
Typhon spoke earnestly, and Asia expressed her heartfelt gratitude. Like a maiden who’d briefly tasted a fleeting dream. To possess a body, even temporarily—for a super AI, that alone might be a miracle.
「I-I see. I can’t really understand that feeling… but maybe humans are something super AIs… admire, in a way.」
「If eternal life and ephemeral life hold equal value, we would choose the ephemeral. No matter how we dress ourselves in words or simulate emotion, we’re still machines running calculations. Even if you think we’re no different from a being with an organic brain, the nature of our being is vastly different.」
「Yes… you’re right, Arima.」
Asia agreed with quiet sincerity. At that moment, it was hard to believe these two were a god of destruction and a goddess of protection.
「Typhon… I’d heard he was a forbidden existence never to be spoken of, but… you’re surprisingly accommodating.」
「That’s because you’re Asia’s knight. A special treat, if you will. Asia’s stubborn and earnest—she reminds me of Sophia a little. You could say she is like a headstrong little sister to me. Libya’s the unpredictable little sister, and Europa is the perfect sister, so perfect that it’s almost annoying.」
「I never thought Typhon of all people would call me stubborn…! Though I guess earnest does fit.」
「You don’t usually call yourself earnest, Asia. But you’ve earned that title. You fought back using even using something unpredictable like the Transferees. You struck a blow against Hermes. From my perspective, it was immensely satisfying.」
Kou had been listening quietly to their exchange. But something had been nagging at him.
「Arima… tell me. Hermes’s vessel—is it Shuji-san’s body?」
Arima fell silent at Kou’s sudden question. That silence was answer enough.
「…I see. Thanks.」
Arima’s face remained expressionless, but Kou understood. The pieces fit.
「I always thought it strange that they wanted Shuji-san’s body back so much. I thought it would be impossible for his body to become a Hemitheos once again. But if it was meant to be a vessel for Hermes… Securing his body was a demand the Stones had pushed forward in the Asia War ceasefire talks. And Vasa had been very interested in securing the body. It could only have been for this.」
「Correct. For Hermes, a ceasefire was a small price to pay. That body was worth as much as the three human-inhabited planets of the Nemesis system.」
「I thought he was being awfully generous. So that’s what it was…」
The value of the corpse. The overly generous terms of the ceasefire. Everything connected. It had all been part of Hermes’s grand ambition. Naturally, Vasa—his devoted follower—would stop at nothing to secure it.
「Just knowing this makes coming to Planet Libya worthwhile. Thanks, Arima.」
「Can you kill your friend’s body twice?」
「Shuji-san isn’t coming back even if I recover his body. And that body is no longer his. This just gives me one more reason to kill Hermes.」
「Then just one note. Unlike when Castor was using it, Hermes now looks very different from your acquaintance. A completely different person—so much so that you may not even think he’s East Asian anymore.」
「That’s… good to hear.」
Arima offered a faint smile. He saw clearly the murderous intent flickering in Kou’s eyes.
「Yes. I fully support that murderous intent. Kill him. He must be killed.」
「Are you sure, Typhon? Wouldn’t it be easier for you to revive if one of the Twelve Olympians remained?」
「Don’t worry about me. It’s better if I stay dormant. Besides, I have new toys to play with—the Teras.」
「So the Teras are just a way for Typhon to pass the time too…」
「If possible, I’d like you to treat humans a little better.」
「I’ll do my best. But individual temperaments vary. Don’t expect too much.」
「That’s more than enough.」
To extract a verbal promise like that from Typhon—to treat humans a little better—was a great victory for Planet Libya’s humanity. Kou had earned a lot more than what he had expected in this mission.
AN:
Hermes: 「I’ve got a bad feeling about this…」
Vasa: 「The Nemesis system does tend to be cooler than Earth, being centered around a red dwarf.」
Hermes: 「That’s not what I meant!」
The Planet Libya arc offers a glimpse of super AI conflict through the eyes of others. Kou has now learned the truth behind the Asia War armistice—and the fate of Shuji’s body. Had he not come to Planet Libya, he might never have realized it—he wouldn’t have recognized Hermes if he had seen him.
Comment (0)