“Celeste, please recheck the sensors for me.”
“…Are you Fyuf? Is that what you’re called?”
The act of emitting directional compression radio language while speaking aloud is a skill I acquired after arriving here. Normally, I wouldn’t use sound as such a leisurely interface, but doing so now feels like using the phone while typing emails. Back when I was in compulsory education undergoing simulated work experience, I used to do it all the time.
“All clear. I’ve combed through thirty minutes of history on the baseline reality timeline, but there’s nothing. Is something the matter, Captain?”
“There’s an elf-like creature right in front of me.”
“What!?”
I could see out of the corner of my vision that the central Type I unit, guarded by other Dicotomus-4 units, flinched. Its optical sensors glowed as it identified me, clearly in surprise.
Well, if it can fire plasma cannons with magic, then fooling sensors isn’t exactly something that’s odd, is it?
But for this giant, standing 250cm tall, to pull it off, the contrast is so great it’s almost like my brain glitches. There’s no way this guy is a scout—it’s clearly a tank with a build like that.
“Yeah! It’s me, Hyunf! Who’s the outsider? What’s your individual code?”
“My name is Nozomu. Noshaou Nozomu.”
“Got it! Remembered it!”
The behavior of this elf-like creature, childish and full of naivety, made Celeste halt the silent and unnoticed aiming of the Sashigame’s cannon remotely controlled by her.
You can hit me from this distance, and even with a near miss, the backlash will wreck my body. With us so close, if they recklessly tackle me with no intention of backing down, I wouldn’t be able to avoid it. If that railgun hits directly, my skull will surely fragment.
“So, why are you here?”
“Come to see the outsiders! I’ve always been curious! But even though our leader says we shouldn’t leave the forest, I thought it would be okay if it was to help Mire.”
“Mire? Is that the child captured this afternoon?”
“Yeah!!”
As she innocently asked where Mire was, I contemplated in my highly accelerated thoughts how best to proceed. After all, she’s the only friendly individual so far.
On the other hand, the fact that she’ll be reprimanded by her “leader” suggests her rank isn’t high. Considering she came out alone, I assumed she doesn’t have many companions close enough to call friends.
“Fyuf, you’re interested in the outside world, aren’t you?”
“How do you think we should handle this, Celeste?”
“It’s dangerous. Elimination would be the safest course of action.”
Yeah, that’s what I thought you’d say.
However, to me right now, she seems like the only ticket to the forest.
If negotiation goes smoothly, we might be able to make peaceful contact.
“I’ve never been outside! Outsiders haven’t come since before I was born! That’s why I’ve always been so curious!”
“Why do you have an interest in outsiders?”
“To destroy Eden they said, but I wanted to know if that’s true!!”
Reacting swiftly to the unfamiliar term, I immediately searched my libraries. An archaic term, a word already obsolete even in the time our compulsory education motifs were based on, was something I had recently heard again in the information database of the ‘defiled male deity’ I acquired in the Valley of Death. Could it possibly connect with the fragmented ‘Project Eden’?
It does seem a bit clichéd, doesn’t it? A word worn out from overuse in creative works. If it stems from the same linguistic basis as us, I understand why someone would use it even if it’s trite, but still…
In the past, many Old Earth-system nations named new frontiers as “Eden,” representing promises for the future. To us, it’s tedious having tags flung around everywhere, especially since none of them ever quite lived up to being a paradise. Yet, when judged based on visual appeal, it’s hard to strongly oppose.
The elf-like creatures, however, are clearly constructs made by humans. They’re humanoid drones… no, there’s probably a chance they carry photon crystals, but human-shaped robots do not naturally come into existence.
Based on the idea that they were designed to guard the forest from outsiders who might destroy “Eden,” it’s not hard to imagine their connection to the aforementioned project.
Could this be a chance to get closer to the truth behind why the world turned out this way?
“I don’t know what this ‘Gun Eden’ is, but I have no intention of destroying anything.”
“Gun Eden… er… What was it in binary… the world?”
That’s a pretty grand claim. First, I’m mistaken for a demon that could destroy a holy city, and now a potential destroyer of entire worlds? It’s just getting more chaotic and inflated as we go on while I just want to go home.
“I heard you, Celeste?”
“As an information source, they don’t seem particularly reliable, but I recognize them as an important lead to get closer to the core issue.”
“So, Hyunf, do we look like the kind of people who would end the world?”
“Can’t tell! You look weak!!”
“Um… yeah, it’s a bit of a blow hearing that, but if being unassuming makes you less cautious toward us, I’ll take it.”
“Hey, Hyunf, I might be willing to return Mire depending on the situation. She wasn’t captured on our volition.”
“Calm down, Celeste.” Don’t overreact. This isn’t about giving her away for free. If we can secure her as an interpreter, and a channel for information, she provides more value than just dismantling the prisoner who offers nothing by comparison. Besides, they came out to meet us, showing interest. It’d be wasteful not to take advantage of this opportunity.
“Really?! Mire is annoying and loud, but she’s a comrade! I’d be happy if you returned her! It would make it so outsiders don’t get killed!”
“Get killed?”
“Our leader said they’d launch a night attack!!”
So, that kid just casually leaked some very crucial information about our allies. Is she naive, or is she just a young one without enough experience? She’s being far too open.
“Will the night attack be called off if we return Mire?”
“Yes! They were saying they’d let her return or else they would kill!”
It’s difficult handling someone who can bypass sensors and approach us while deceiving them, so avoiding a mass night attack would indeed be wise. Losing one prisoner is a small price to pay. Also, if we run now, they’re likely to still chase us, so we don’t want to play hide-and-seek in a radius we don’t fully understand. It’s a fair tradeoff. More importantly, if we can demonstrate goodwill through her, it could help soften their stance.
“Celeste, what do you think? I believe returning the prisoner and getting her hooked up to the leader is the best option.”
“Our unit is a bit concerned. This Hyunf seems a little… deficient in the upper floors, and we’re worried. Sure, it would be nice to have two units to dismantle. That would feel like a good deal.”
“You know, Celeste, maybe try and be a bit… gentler… in your approach…?”
Admittedly, some of her elementary-school level statements are a bit awkward, but this is better than dealing with someone who refuses to listen from the get-go since she came here purely out of curiosity, not malicious intent.
Although, I did have hopes that she might be the leader’s only daughter, adored and pampered… making it easier for our requests to be accepted. However, given her behavior, mannerisms, and willingness to break protocol out of curiosity alone, that seems unlikely.
Besides, considering we don’t even fully understand how these elf-like creatures replicate or increase in number, the concept of family might not even exist for them.
“Anyway, outsider! It’s my first time outside the forest! What is this!?”
While we were talking, her interest seemed to shift to Dicotomus-4, and she started banging away on the armor panels. It’s unlikely to leave a dent, but the sharp sounds in the quiet night risk waking someone.
“I’ll explain various things to you and return Mire too. Could you make one promise for me?”
“Really?! I’ll do anything!”
Wait—did she just say anything…? Leaving aside ancient jokes, it’s helpful how quickly she agreed.
I pulled out a memo from my side pouch and endorsed the message in binary matrix form. Communicating that we have no harmful intentions, that there’s something in the forest we desperately need, and that once we’ve secured it, we’ll help protect the forest—this way, our interests align in a way that might make her more inclined to listen.
Since merely handing it over feels like it might get disregarded, I asked for Fyuf to read it aloud directly.
“What? Surrender the prisoner?”
“Wow, she’s so… big…”
When I called Galatea and Ridelberdy to return the prisoner, they seemed awed and a tad intimidated by Fyuf’s size—especially Ridelberdy, who stood nearly twice as tall as them.
Given their size difference, I understand why their hands remained on their weapons.
“She gave us information about a night attack. I think she’s trustworthy.”
“Ah, if someone could infiltrate this deeply, they must be…” After gritting his teeth in regret, Ridelberdy gazed upward at Fyuf’s impressive form, contemplating just how someone so skilled could have gotten past so undetected.
Clearly, he understands the dangers of a skilled intruder like her. Having an intelligent second-in-command, even one as perceptive as him, is rare indeed.
“Prepare for immediate movement. How far should we retreat?”
“Considering her size, doubling our previous distance would be wise. Then, we wait for a response.”
“Fluffy! Wow, so fluffy and big!!”
“Whoa-!?”
As Ridelberdy and I discussed the plan further, the sound of heavy footfalls akin to a cry echoed throughout. To our surprise, Hyunf had snagged Peter. That she managed to capture an agile Sylvanian so easily—and even though he wore exoskeleton armor despite being stripped of heavier defenses—was truly impressive.
“I’ve never seen anything like this in the forest! It’s so big! The outside world is amazing!”
“Let me go! Nozomu-sama!”
It took some effort to pry Peter away from her as he kicked against the armor plates in his cry for help. Galatea seemed upset about something unrelated, but then it hit me—she’s never been “petted” by anyone before. Upon returning, I should consider widening the scope of social engagements.
It seems getting “petted” is quite an insult to adults, judging by Peter’s attempt to deactivate the safety of his coilgun. It took a considerable amount of effort and careful persuasion to calm him down once more, but eventually he did.
Ah, managing various species truly is a challenge.
I handed over the restrained prisoner to Hyunf, who seemed very excited about the idea of “petting”—though she carried him effortlessly with one hand, which greatly displeased the captive—as I watched her leave. Nonetheless, the unease I felt from our earlier discussion only grew stronger and wouldn’t dissipate.
—
【Planetary Exploration Supplementary Record】Though some old Earth languages have words that have fallen out of common use, many are still active in naming conventions and are thus mostly integrated into the standard language package.
By the way, mechanized humans are often subjectively influenced by what seems aesthetically pleasing, and the reason they continue to utilize Latin for species naming is purely because it looks good.
Updates for 2024/08/28 are planned for around 18:00.
