The one-piece coverall dyed in a dark hue and the multifunctional pouch-equipped belt that could be swapped out depending on the task were items from my data bank, derived from VR game data and then output by a stereoscopic forming machine.
The long boots, similarly, had been equipment used in a game where I wandered alone through a desolate city; they were well-suited to walking, conforming nicely to the feet, and I found myself reaffirming how beneficial it had been to play so many games.
I firmly put on gloves with the index and middle fingers removed and picked up the hard case placed on the table.
Inside was something that resembled a toy gun made by connecting empty candy boxes—something I had created during my elementary education days in the virtual space, which took place in a pastoral setting reminiscent of the 1990s.
The matte black, non-glossy main body was entirely smooth, with no raised features, and lacked even a sight device or a magazine release button and trigger. Strictly speaking, these features were simply unnecessary.
“Sorry, Captain. We couldn’t prepare anything else like this.”
“Even having it is better than nothing, Selene.”
This toy-like gun was, in fact, an electromagnetic pistol equipped on facility security drones to eliminate low-threat targets. It had low recoil, decent firepower, and excellent fuel efficiency, making it easy to operate in zero-gravity environments and commonly employed as basic armament for drones.
As soon as I held it, the radio linked automatically, connecting the virtual firearm control system to the makeshift gun. When I pressed the virtual magazine release button, a magazine loaded with bullet-shaped silver heads smoothly ejected.
“It can hold fifty rounds. The battery allows for twenty-five shots in normal mode, twelve in heavy mode, and fifty in energy-saving mode.”
“What about its power?”
“In normal mode, it delivers about 650 joules with an effective range of around 120 meters. Heavy mode outputs approximately 3,300 joules, but it causes severe barrel wear, so I wouldn’t recommend it. Here, it’s hard enough to manufacture spare barrels with the current facilities.”
“Well, it will serve as a protective charm.”
When I aimed, the gun’s orientation was reflected in my field of vision thanks to the integration with the FCS, and the predicted impact point was displayed in red. When I specified the desired impact point in my field of vision, my arm muscles automatically corrected the alignment, turning the aim green once the accuracy was confirmed.
The entire process took about 0.25 seconds in real-world time. Compared to fighting with a military-grade prosthetic, this was slow, but from my background in VR gaming, it was almost suspiciously fast.
With this, I figured I could handle any immediate threats that came along.
I stored the electromagnetic pistol in the holster equipped on the first-line tactical belt and continued loading spare magazines into it.
The next most important item—one that I could fully utilize due to my deep VR Fantasy immersion—was a single-atom blade.
“Single-atom molecular blade. Usable time in an atmospheric environment is around 56 seconds. Please return it to the sheath each time it reaches its limit.”
“I’m experienced in handling this. Have you forgotten, Selene? I hold the Class One Close Combat Badge.”
“That’s right, Captain. My apologies. It’s actually a decoration for officers.”
This sword with a shape reminiscent of a Japanese katana was a cutting-edge creation of science: “theoretically capable of cutting through anything.” The blade’s tip, formed of extremely large single-atoms, excelled in molecular disruption by penetrating the molecular spaces of any objects.
Conversely, the single-atom tips of the blade’s edge were fragile. When exposed to the atmosphere for long periods, they quickly chemically bonded with atmospheric substances, losing their single-atom integrity and dulling. Therefore, they had to be returned to the scabbard, enriched with maintenance nanobots, to preserve their cutting power.
Still, for a duration of a few minutes upon unsheathing, it maintained an ordinary level of sharpness sufficient for close-combat fighting. It was a genuinely reliable weapon.
Especially for me, who had spent hundreds of thousands of game hours wielding such primitive weapons in VR, it felt like an extension of my own fingertips.
Upon drawing it, the seal broke with a soft “psht,” and the unique sheen of its blade, wrapped in a layer of fluid nanomachines, became visible.
This was not a standard-issue weapon of the unified military but a personal item from a custom order shop. The 50-year wait and fifteen years’ salary poured into producing this Kuniyoshi Type-A sword had paid off: it was as stunning as ever, even two millennia later.
“My faithful sword, thank you for being preserved.”
“Since it was you favorite, Captain, I made sure not to disassemble this one.”
Given this facility couldn’t replicate such items, it was a comforting and reliable companion. Though, in recent combat scenarios, it was rare for such close-range weapons to be used unless in extremely confined spaces, it still served as the last tether for this body.
After giving it a light swing and returning it to the scabbard—careful not to lose a thumb through inattention; a classic rookie mistake—the weight of the blade provided assurance at my hip.
So far, this covered the armaments.
Next were the practical tools: a flashlight to navigate through dark places since my eyes only pick up visible light, a multi-tool tube filled with fluid metal, high-calorie tablets to maintain a body that would collapse without oral nutrition, and a small canteen that automatically replenished itself with water filtered from atmospheric moisture.
And, considering the communication band contamination, it was dangerous to directly connect with various machines, so I was also given a palm-sized information terminal.
It’s nostalgic, this. Since my required education in virtual reality; it’s been at least two centuries since I’ve seen one of these. In cyberspace, everyone was operating with this, thanks to the lack of physical restrictions.
“If I could only wish for something else, it would be a multi-arm work tool.”
“My apologies, Captain. The equipment’s mostly been used to produce Type D prosthetic limbs, so our current factory facilities are quite weak.”
“I understand. But thinking about it, maybe one of the Three Saints would gift me something.”
After the Second Solar System Conflict, which obliterated the Earth, most of humanity’s pre-conflict remnants were lost. Consequently, today’s religions differ drastically from those before the conflict.
The Mechanized Humans now revere A. Clarke, A. Asimov, and R. A. Heinlein, collectively known as the Three Saints. I have survived based on their sanctified wisdom from the remnants of data from the previous civilization, but they aren’t about to answer every frivolous request.
On a side note, there are derivative Saints associated with the Three, and the numerical intelligences—myself included—are fervent enthusiasts of T. Osamu and A. Ken, who are known for portraying love between artificial intelligence and humans.
In any case, I can’t simply rely on the Three Saints. I need to proceed beyond this closed circuit, survey the situation outside, and retrieve live data.
In the dark corridors of the sealed facility—standard prosthetic limbs have enhanced vision, so there’s rarely lighting needed from the start—I asked while using the flashlight.
“Was the facility completely sealed off for two millennia?”
“Yes. We weren’t sure how the information contamination would manifest, so we haven’t sent out any drones either.”
“A careful and wise decision. But…”
“Yes, I’ll switch to a private, sealed circuit with you, Captain, and back you up.”
As soon as those words exited, a drone came flying down the corridor.
This one was a small surveillance drone. Around the size of a briefcase, it featured a pair of tilt-rotors on each side and hovered in near silence. It was the standard investigative drone outfitted inside with communication and analysis units alongside a coil gun for defensive purposes. The base should’ve been equipped with fifteen of them, but after extensive part harvesting, only three, including this one, remained operational.
Considering the need for communication relays with the base, this drone would be my sole companion.
What a lonely companion it was. I, who once commanded squads of dozens of integrated army soldiers and thousands of drones on various battlefields, now find myself with just one drone for company.
“I can’t see your cute face, which is a shame, but let’s take it back one day. Shall we proceed?”
“Yes, Captain. I’ll accompany you wherever you go!”
Marching along with my loyal and affectionate companion, the several layers of bulkheads, sealed tightly for two centuries, began to open. With a resonating “thud,” releasing slight dust—ugh, these organic sensors are sensitive but overly so—I stepped toward the camouflaged exit to surface.
The thunderous sound from the other side indicated the soil was being pushed away. As the door slowly opened, I instinctively shielded my eyes from the blinding brightness.
“Is this…the outside?”
“…It’s beautiful, Captain.”
From the middle of the hill where the facility was buried, an endless expanse of vast grasslands stretched out to the horizon. Grass knee-high, lush and green, was a sight refreshingly novel to me, a person who grew up on a Ringworld.
Earth-type environments encircling their central star with metal rings did feature parks, but this sort of extensively untamed nature was entirely new to me.
I had trampled across countless battlefields, but those were landscapes of trenches and muddy debris from orbital bombardments—completely devoid of the freshness I felt here. Taking a deep breath in this space, I could feel the fresh air, sharper and more invigorating than anything experienced through VR games, filling my lungs.
“Unending green horizons—a sight I’ve actually never witnessed in reality.”
“Nor have I, Captain. The last time I saw the surface of a planet, it was all reddish earth under a grey sky.”
Looking up, I saw a clear blue sky, the sunlight diffused evenly through the stable atmospheric strata with clouds drifting lazily by. Even though we had abandoned our home planet, Earth, it now made sense why humans sought to reside on Earth-like planets.
“Well, as for maps…they’re probably pretty useless, huh?”
“We have detected multiple vibrations and there may be signs of tectonic activity. Moreover, without satellite links, we’re in for a blind hunt.”
With a whirr, the drone ascended higher to capture a map of the surroundings from above. Displayed on my terminal, this newly created map was disappointingly limited. Just like being dumped into an open-world game, it felt as though the unexplored wilderness stretched endlessly.
In a game, at least, there would be some guidance on an initial destination.
Reluctantly using the planetary magnetic field to ascertain true north, I observed an expansive view of nothing but grasslands for miles around. About 30 km north stretched a forest, but apart from that, there were only gentle hills dotted throughout the region. Truly, there was nothing to see.
…Could this really mean we’re supposed to walk all this and investigate manually? Usually, with a map this expansive, you’d expect some sort of transportation offered.
Reality wasn’t playing favorites like VR games—sigh. Still, I compared the old map data with the current layout, deciding to head first toward a nearby development base. While it’s unlikely there’ll be much useful equipment remaining, it’ll surely contain something. From there, we can salvage materials gradually, aiming to restore the base’s full functionality and extend our production capabilities.
Then, onwards to space. Otherwise, there would be no way to comprehend what is occurring on this humble planet’s surface.
At minimum, we need to reach the mother ship “Nagato 7” docked in orbit or the Gravity Transfer Gate. Though unlikely they survive given the lack of rescue attempts, anything is better than staying here.
“North first. That’s about 25 km… quite a distance.”
“Shall I head ahead to scout?”
“Can’t afford to lose communication with you. Let’s stay close.”
“Understood, Captain. I’ll cover the rear.”
Not the most urgent of travel, considering this prosthetic form may be fragile but does not age. As long as the photon crystals encased in my brain don’t shatter, death won’t come easily to me. Injuries hindering mobility would be far worse. Let’s be cautious and leisurely paced, then.
“Is this underbrush Thysanocarpa? It seems someone kept nurturing it even after the communications broke down.”
“Yes, indeed. The beech and ash trees visible to the north indicate they are still using Earth-standard vegetation for terraforming.”
While brushing the underbrush aside, I noticed movement far away.
Oddly enough, as the drone ascended and its cameras synced wirelessly with me, I could see distant figures through a far superior visual resolution than my organic eyes.
“… Is that a rabbit, perhaps?”
“That’s strange. Our task didn’t go beyond managing the vegetation before handing it off later for the introduction of animals. And without the proper facilities, how could there be living creatures…”
Wait, something’s off? The scale…
Even considering the drone’s altitude, these were way too big…
Right before my eyes, the rabbit lifted upright, its head standing taller than the knee-high underbrush.
Not just its size but its attire was astonishing—it wore plant-based clothing, dangling knives at its waist likely as tools or weapons. It also carried what appeared to be pouches made of animal hide.
“Huh?”
“Huh?”
Startled by our surprised voices, the rabbit simply bowed its head, then dashed away at an incredible speed.
Ohhh, incredibly fast. Over 45 km/h for sure. With this prosthetic body, I could only manage around 35 km/h at full tilt, so the rabbit’s speed was downright astonishing.
“Huh? Could this be a Second Kind Close Encounter?”
“No high-intelligent rabbit species has been confirmed yet.”
Among the various races in the High Consortium, my kind of mechanized human, Selene’s kind of numerical intelligences, and also the photon-based intelligent life forms that initiated everything exist harmoniously. There are also other distinct beings, like the seemingly fierce but actually gentle slime-life forms and algae clusters that somehow developed higher intelligence.
Among them, there were no carbon-based rabbits. And yet here is one, clearly possessing intelligence through its clothing and tools. What could be happening?
“Captain, returning! And there are more!!”
“What?!”
Thinking they might be hostile, I instinctively reached for the holster. However, the rabbits—arriving at a rapid pace with their characteristic hopping gaits—quickly surrounded us from a distance of a few meters. Instead of closing in or attacking, they began to encircle us in a playful hopping pattern.
Are they performing a hunting ritual? No, this almost looks like dancing.
While we stood baffled by this second kind of encounter, the rabbits, maintaining their characteristic expressionless faces, enthusiastically bounced around in a lively rhythm…
[Supplementary Notes on Planetary Exploration: Numeral Intelligence Entities. Homo Sapiens Mathematicus. Highly evolved AIs that have gained originality and “imagination,” recognized by mechanized humans as the new form of humanity and treated as partners.]
Even though they self-identify as servant species, mechanized humans regard them as equals.
This exploration, akin to reincarnation into an almost alternate world with vastly changed surroundings, promises open-world excitement of vast uncharted territories and a sense of starting over with nothing but oneself.
We’d much appreciate feedback—it’s always motivating.
[Additional Notes:]
First-line equipment: A belt that allows various pouches and holsters to be attached for use on the waist. Similar to those worn by law enforcement officers or military personnel.
Coil Gun: A weapon using electromagnetic acceleration from coiled magnets. Its use of small batteries and low recoil make it ideal for zero-gravity environments.
FCS: An acronym for Fire Control System, responsible for weapon aiming and control, essentially providing advanced auto-aim functionality.
