The story that the Sphere had told me left me with an indescribable feeling.
To summarize, it felt like I had read a novel with the title, ‘I Thought I Was a Murderous Machine, But Turns Out I’m an Emotional Robot!?’
No, actually, it seemed that something exactly like that had happened to the Sphere.
…How on earth should I process this?
The reason I had felt a distance from him was because he had rejected other ‘humans’ and didn’t even see them as similar or comparable ‘entities.’
But as I thought over his so-called “report,” reimagining it as a coming-out of sorts…
I found myself confused—did he truly now perceive others as equals, or had he just defined Yang Ha-na and Han Seori that way?
When I mulled over the Sphere’s handling of the mysterious intruder, and the scene between Yang Ha-na and the Sphere that seemed straight out of some sci-fi novel… I concluded that things had, at the very least, improved from the start.
I also couldn’t help but think Yang Ha-na was truly remarkable.
In some sense… wasn’t it akin to madness? She had managed to bring down a machine.
Scary person.
Anyway,
Perhaps my assessment of the Sphere needs adjustment. Maybe he wasn’t just an uncontrollable killing machine obeying only my commands, but rather a killing machine with the potential for redemption based on whether or not it could learn.
Speaking of which,
Apparently, the Sphere had learned language out of interest in Yang Ha-na’s mutterings.
…I wonder what Yang Ha-na could have possibly said to the Sphere, with whom communication seemed initially impossible?
While I suspected the Sphere might share it if I asked, for some reason, I didn’t feel the urge to press.
I was extremely curious, but I thought it might be best to let it remain a secret between Yang Ha-na and the Sphere.
What mattered was that the Sphere had changed.
Although I worried he might slip out of my control, I believed that if that day came, I could straighten him out again by poking around with some tentacles.
…If the Sphere’s transformation turned out to be more than temporary… it might not be so bad to give him the name ‘Donggyul.’
For now, I would wrap up this discussion about the Sphere. It felt like I needed to continue monitoring the situation.
Who knows? If he loses interest, he might erase language from his own ‘mind’ and revert to his old ways.
Though he might resemble a human when speaking, the Sphere was still, indubitably… from the Singularity.
…And he was, after all, a machine. For him, something impossible for humans might well be achievable.
Even though I, too, am not human, perhaps my extensive experience with humans makes my case different?
With that thought, I concluded my conversation with him, stretched, and headed back to my room.
Now that the Jellies had been settled and I’d heard the Sphere’s “report,” it was time for… rest.
You never know how long you’ll get to rest, so it’s best to relax while you can.
As I wiggled into the room with a jelly-like motion, the first thing I noticed was Sosik, still curled up in the corner, asleep.
It’s hard to tell if Sosik is sulking or sleeping like that.
…I decided to look at Sosik later.
First,
Bounding over with a ‘chu-pak, chu-pak,’ I climbed onto the bed and wriggled my soft body, searching for the most comfortable angle.
While it seemed like the motion itself had no significance, it was less about comfort and more like a routine.
Already feeling better as my body pressed into the soft mattress,
I reached out a tentacle toward the remote control resting on the bed, grabbing it with my jelly-like appendage.
…Not my precious, but not quite like that.
Ahem.
Using my jelly-formed hand, I carefully transferred the black and long-shaped object, taking care not to soak it with sticky jelly, and pressed the button on the upper left corner.
Then,
[Ah, Sky! Now you must listen to Grandpa and stay healthy, got it?!]
The face of an old man laughing while gently patting a barking dog appeared on the screen. This was followed by a segment where they chased runaway animals, refusing help, to capture them.
Hmm,
For some reason, that segment made me uneasy. It reminded me of past times when I was the one being chased.
Feeling vaguely troubled, I switched the channel when the animal got an injection.
May they find peace in a good place.
While flipping through channels to find something interesting, a news channel caught my attention.
Though I rarely watched news before, now I found it more engaging than most variety shows.
…Was it because I wasn’t keeping up with the latest trends, making variety shows less enjoyable for me, or had they become less entertaining? Either way, that was the case.
Unlike the incomprehensible variety shows, watching the news gave me insight into the events happening around the world, even if it wasn’t something I particularly wanted to learn.
It might have nothing to do with me anymore, given that I can no longer be part of that world. But, I couldn’t help but care because it was the world I had lived in.
Feeling strangely moved,
While watching the news with Dae-sik quietly joining me on the bed, I saw Jung-sik rolling around on the floor, not showing much interest in the TV.
…What is he doing?
The jelly crew seemed to be up to something mysterious, either because I had been momentarily absent or because I had simply never noticed before.
Just as I was observing Jung-sik’s peculiar actions,
Sosik, who had been in the corner, stealthily climbed onto the bed, his eyes fixed on the TV.
…Ah, you liked this show too, didn’t you?
Once on the bed, Sosik cautiously approached me and slightly puffed out his cheeks.
It didn’t seem like he was about to spit out jelly but rather seemed to express ongoing dissatisfaction.
Remembering that I had squished him with a large finger earlier, I extended my hand carefully to pat his head… as an apology.
Though I couldn’t express my apology verbally, I tried my best to convey regret through my expression. Watching me, Sosik, who was absently fidgeting his jelly, slumped down in front of me.
Afterward, he gradually leaned his body into mine.
…Is this Sosik’s way of reconciling?
I never taught him this, so perhaps Yang Ha-na had during my absence?
The sticky touch of jelly was slightly unpleasant, but since I was the one at fault, I quietly let him use me as a pillow.
It was resolved, then.
Feeling content, I refocused my attention on the TV.
[Recently, sightings of strange life forms have been increasing, yet the authorities announced no specific evidence has been found, leaving questions—]
What?
Why was this kind of news coming out?
Isn’t controlling such things what the people here are supposed to do?
Watching that, I began to understand why they had assigned such tasks to me.
It probably means that these strange entities are popping up beyond their ability to manage.
Thinking about it, it makes sense.
Unless everyone on this small peninsula is hiding something, the number of people trying to keep it hidden is likely just a tiny fraction.
If their abilities are insufficient to keep up with this, then it’s natural for such news to appear.
While this felt more like something out of a UFO report and thus not overly significant, it was clear that something was amiss.
…Maybe I should get back to work soon.
This isn’t good.
The news was unsettling not only because it rocked my idle bachelor lifestyle but also because it brought back memories of the toads I had dealt with recently.
…This is maddening.
While pondering how I could send out the Jelly army and taking in the news,
The door opened.
I thought it was either Yang Ha-na or Kim Cheon-soo bringing food, but it turned out to be something different.
Not only were Han Seori, Kim Cheon-soo, and Yang Ha-na there, but Hwang Bo-yul was walking in as well.
Why hasn’t she gone back yet?
Is she planning to… settle here?
I was internally astonished, sensing something unusual.
First of all, the tray Kim Cheon-soo had carried in, loaded with something, was quite encouraging. A sweet scent was wafting through the air, and it seemed to be dessert.
For me, it didn’t matter when I ate dessert as it wouldn’t interfere with eating a proper meal, so I was pleased.
As my eyes gleamed with jelly-like excitement,
I noticed small, cute clothes.
So…
Han Seori and Yang Ha-na were holding various items of clothing that seemed designed for a child my size.
Hwang Bo-yul was observing them with a skeptical gaze.
As I sent the same questioning look to Han Seori and Yang Ha-na, I unconsciously retreated into a corner of the bed.
However,
I couldn’t ignore the sweet smell emanating from the tray and found myself approaching them.
I had no choice.
If I didn’t,
The jelly creatures might eat it all.
Just thinking about what might soon happen to me made my jelly tremble.
But the temptation of sweetness was irresistible.
…Alright, it’s probably for Sosik.
Repeating that mantra in my mind,
I reached out with my jelly toward the tray.
