I Have Returned, but I Cannot Lay down My Gun

Chapter 596

"You're supposed to be in charge of the menial tasks, yet you end up assigning all the trivial things. You're not causing trouble, are you?"

"If I were to cause trouble, I'd be sent straight to the Chamber of Truth. There's no way I'd mess up. I do get scolded sometimes for not doing things right, but I haven't caused any trouble in that regard, so don't worry."

"Well, I guess if something were to go wrong, you'd be pinned down right on the spot."

"…When can I be released?"

"Oh my. I didn't know that an object would have the right to speak."

At the same time, I felt the mini Vyam curl up and shrink in my arms.

The moment when Nasty (Nahstee), who had been played with by everyone who lives here in New York at least once, finally became a doll for me to tinker with in my arms. It was also the moment when the combined teams of the two worlds met for the second time in their lives. My explanation might sound a little weird, but that was roughly the idea.

I hadn’t visited this world often recently, so I didn’t know how much Nasty had been beaten up mentally and physically, but seeing how calm it was in my arms, it seemed the training had been done quite well. Of course, as I mentioned earlier, it was also because rebellion wouldn’t really matter in the first place.

After all, the number of operators permanently stationed here must be at least in the dozens, and if we consider just the conventional forces, even more firepower would be gathered at Central Park HQ. Without any weapons and with only a strong body, how could there be any chance of rebellion?

Well, that’s true…

"So, I heard that you were made with a structure similar to the AI creation process of the Mecha Vyams over there, right?"

"…"

"Well, I get the general idea. Anyway, I’m not really into tormenting a kid who's only good for menial work. Will you be stuck as a mascot from now on?"

"…I can do things too! Like managing large-scale forces or building central control systems!"

"…From what I see, I’m sure the people at Icarus won’t let our youngest into those kinds of tasks for at least a few months."

The only potential thing would be to insert Nasty into a virtual machine, give it a specific goal and parameters, and have it calculate the results. Then, those who check the results could evaluate the feasibility and apply it to the real world, but the war is already halfway over.

If we were to focus on the central control system... Well, I don’t know. There are certainly some systems, like in Central Park, in the general U.S. infrastructure, that don’t work properly… But even if they're there, putting Nasty into them is a completely different story.

In short, at this point, this kid is useless, and the only realistic expectation is... well, it’s probably just going to keep being the mascot.

And the little one in my arms knew that very well.

"Well, that's something for later. For now, you just need to do your menial tasks well. Whether you make yourself known or not, it won’t matter. The only reason you haven’t been discarded is because you’re still useful just by existing, and by studying you, there’s a lot to gain."

"…Is that so?"

"And if you keep doing what you’re doing well, maybe later, you’ll be given more important tasks."

As I spoke, I wondered if that would really happen, but I still had some confidence in it.

Even if Nasty is useless now, once the body is swapped, its combat power can easily increase, and furthermore, the leadership abilities that the current Mecha youngest doesn’t have will be very useful later.

However, as I said earlier, for at least a few months, or roughly a year, this kid will have to stick around doing menial tasks. Honestly, there's no guarantee that, once this kid gets full authority, they won’t suddenly turn the guns on our side, right?

After all, Skynet started as a military defense AI.

But at this point, the world knew how to make an AI into an ally.

The method was simple.

'…Just teach it the emotions only humans can have.'

Why did humans fear "AI domination" from the past?

Because an AI with the same intelligence wouldn’t know what a limiter is, and it wouldn’t be constrained by the morality humans have built up over time, having no issue with killing millions as long as it was efficient. They wouldn't even know what actions they’d take in the name of efficiency.

Moreover, AI cannot be blackmailed. If a human were a terrorist, they could hold family members hostage, threaten them, or use extreme methods like torture. But AI doesn’t respond to those things.

So, we need to think the opposite.

We just need to make it that way.

"As long as it blends well with humans and, further, is acknowledged as safe, that's the job, right? Consider it the process of building trust."

"…I can do that much, ah. Don’t pet my head! It feels weird!"

"Looks like the emotional learning program is working quite well, hehehe."

The point is that we need to artificially create "something an AI cannot lose."

Well, it was a long explanation, but anyway, it looked like Nasty was learning those emotions very well, and soon enough, it would start feeling something like camaraderie… or should I say, sisterhood? Something like that would blossom. The three Mecha Vyams would help it adjust.

There’s still a bit of trouble with Mav, but it seems like most of the bad feelings have been shaken off since the last time.

So, what should I do now?

"Ah- aah… mmm, delicious."

"Sit down and eat."

"But I’m busy teaching the newbie… aaahh!"

"That's the right thing to say, kid. You eat your food sitting at the table."

Getting scolded by Twin-Logan while eating grilled meat, it was definitely not an unusual occurrence.

Though, it wasn’t really hostile… The twin-sharks, who love teasing the polar bear at any chance, welcomed my childish antics with open arms, and the proof was the shark fin on my head while it cheekily asked for a bite of my food, the New York-shark.

Lorentina, who came along with me, surprisingly spent more time walking around and talking to people. From what I overheard, she seemed curious about how the food supply was handled after this world changed… It was a strange thing to be curious about.

I didn’t really care, though, since it was very shark-like behavior.

Anyway, enough of that. I needed to cheer up this gloomy little one.

I gently patted its head and spoke.

"So, I’d like to hear how well our Nasty has been doing."

"Eh… I’m not that good yet."

"Really? I heard it wasn’t quite like that. I happened to overhear while walking outside, and some people said it was cute when a smaller robot that looked similar to me helped out."

"Is that true?"

"I wouldn't lie. I heard people say they found it nice how you did your best with the tasks. Like grilling meat, you did quite well."

"Yes! I’m working hard and doing my best!"

Such an easy little one.

Looking at it now, it seemed like it was just a kid who wanted compliments... Now that I think about it, I guess I wasn’t wrong. Anyway, besides that, I had another carrot to dangle in front of her, so I started whispering sweet words.

"You know how our first, second, and third have crossed over to my world before, right? If Nasty becomes a good little one, I might want to show you some fun things from that world…"

"Th-the other world... what do I need to do! Tell me!"

"Well, if you just keep doing what you're doing, and be friendly with people, and love the people who love you, then it’ll grow into something… you’ll see."

"That’s easy! I’ll handle it!"

"Good. I think you can do it."

And with a glance at the Mecha Vyams, I sent them a message to take the mini Vyam out for a walk, making sure they knew to help it adjust.

I watched as the Mecha youngest was led outside by Jin, chuckling as I did. Owens, who had been watching, also chuckled.

"You’ve really become quite the orator, Eugene."

"It’s Christmas Eve. On such a holy day, we should only speak good things. By the way, do you think that friend believes in Santa?"

"Wrong question. You should've asked if all the Mecha youngest, including that one, believe in Santa."

…Oh, right.

Anyway, it was nice that our Mecha Minions still had that childlike innocence. Furthermore, as I saw earlier, all the tall buildings around Central Park had LEDs wrapped around them, so they might be thinking, ‘If they have so many guide lights on, surely Santa will come?’

So, we all laughed loudly, enjoying the Christmas Eve party. We ate plenty of grilled meat, and everyone else indulged in pizza and sushi, foods they couldn’t usually get enough of.

While the fun passed, a thought crossed my mind, and I spoke up.

"By the way, what kind of gifts do those kids want? If it's something I can get here, I might as well get it for them."

"…"

"Why? Did they ask for something strange? Like a car?"

"Well, no, it’s not that…"

A brief silence.

Then came the response.

"…They said they want a new tail weapon. Apparently, they were really impressed by the sonic and gravity manipulation weapons they saw in the game last time."

"…Ugh."

"If you can get it, try to prepare it."

"Don’t be ridiculous."

It looks like Santa this year will have quite a headache.

Our Christmas Eve passed just like that.

"Oh, right. Eugene, I heard the new operator records will be added today. You know the mini Vyam that came in last time? Its name was revealed. It’s Nasty. What was the spelling again? Nahstee, or something? It’s a little confusing..."

"You two are lucky. You’ve been singing the Vyam song all the time, and now a mini Vyam is here. Take good care of it."

"...Eugene, you seem a bit indifferent to the ones made based on yourself sometimes."

• "He probably just doesn’t care since it’s his own, huh? Hahahaha!"
• "If the Vyam has a kid, I bet he’ll raise it with almost no restrictions. Hahaha!"
• "Oh, the Vyam’s baby... Oh..."
• "Just an honest opinion, but no one’s marrying a Vyam, I bet."
• "Maybe just give something to the polar bears or sharks, that’ll do."

The chat was full of nonsense, and thick snowflakes were gently falling in Manhattan.

It was a White Christmas, so I guess that’s lucky, considering how much snow has fallen in the U.S. this year. There were occasional warm days, but on the other hand, Korea seemed to have suddenly been hit by a cold wave, with Seoul reaching minus 10°C. I guess the single people must have felt pretty miserable.

Well, come to think of it, I’m single too, so I guess it doesn’t matter much.

With that idle thought, I checked the contents of the Operator records, which had been gaining popularity recently. It was about Nasty, who was now wandering the base.

For those who don’t know, Operator records are like a conversation and favorability system, similar to ARPG games based on post-apocalyptic worlds released in the past.

It’s essentially the kind of NPC interaction you’d see in other games.

"So, should I just focus on the Mecha youngest and leave you two out?"

"Eh, no, you can't do that."

"I knew you’d say that, you little brats."

As expected, the two of them flinched and seemed shocked, and the laughter from the viewers exploded. Just a few days ago, I thought that everyone could handle things well even without me—now give me back that feeling of being moved.

Anyway, there was no particular schedule for today. We had a blast yesterday, and the others had drunk plenty of whiskey, leaving them all hungover. Of course, the manifestation people were drinking leisurely, but their metabolism broke down all the alcohol.

Even if they weren’t drunk, if they drank fast enough, they’d still get tipsy. That’s why when I shared a drink with Dice after last year's Asian qualifiers, I got drunk too.

The two little Vyams, who had a hearty bowl of soup this morning to cure their hangover, patted their swollen bellies and made trivial chatter while I chuckled in response.

The main topic was, as mentioned earlier, the Mecha Vyams, but there were other things too.

"By the way, I heard you went to Olivia’s studio yesterday. Did you have fun?"

"I’m not the type to find joy in watching others work... Just kidding. I didn’t have anything to do, so I spent the day chatting and taking a nap. How about you guys, did you have fun?"

"We just played around, sang songs, and went to the bar for drinks. It was fun. It was even better since it wasn’t with our own money... Uh, should I not have said that?"

"I invited you to have fun, didn’t I? Enjoy it more. In a few years, you’ll be able to live even more luxuriously."

• "Haha, that’s awesome!"
• "Vyam wallet (thick)"
• "What do you mean by, ‘You’ll enjoy more luxury later’?"
• "I’d love to say that while hitting people with stacks of money. Hahaha."

As Harmonie and Dice widened their eyes, I casually added,

"Want to take a New York helicopter tour? Burn off some calories. We can go around the Statue of Liberty, then tour all of Manhattan, and by the time we’re done, it’ll be lunchtime."

"Nooo, we can’t go back to the time before Eugene-sensei leaves!"

"Down with Eden’s Vyams! Stop whispering sweet things in my ears!"

Eden’s snake.

But the difference between me and Eden’s snake was that the latter seduced Adam and Eve with clever nonsense, while I was stuffing an overwhelming amount of wealth into the wallets of these two, so I thought I hadn’t done anything wrong.

As I slowly planted the idea that "snakes are right animals" in their heads, I plopped onto the bed and pulled out my phone to check my emails.

• [The production of the body for all UES, including the recently added units, has been completed. Please visit the 'factory' to synchronize the sensory processes.]
• [If desired, the completion of the UES can be announced to the world within a week, and a small expo can be held within a month.]

Has it already come to this? No, has it come this quickly?

Icarus Dynamics had completed the product a full eight months ahead of schedule. If construction were this fast, it might be considered rushed. It was such a massive acceleration, but since I already knew the methodology, it didn’t matter that much.

Originally, eight months was the time required to complete the facilities to produce the specific components for Mecha Eugene, but as I was explained last time, machining the parts individually wouldn’t be a big problem.

Rather, the process of creating the right new materials by considering the heat treatment, composition ratios, thermal conductivity, electrical conductivity, and other materials science aspects was what took longer, but knowing the methods, it wasn’t too bad.

Anyway, what mattered was the result.

'…But maybe it’s too early to announce it now.'

But on the other hand, showing it to a select few shouldn’t be a problem.

Moreover, these two had been informed about the production of Mecha Eugene way back when we were in Hawaii, and since they hadn’t said a word about it since, maybe it was okay to tell them now.

Their birthdays were still far off, so I figured I could count this as a Christmas gift.

After making sure the drone’s word censorship worked, I added:

"Is there anything you two want for Christmas? If it’s something I can get here, I could probably prepare it."

"Whoa, Eugene-sensei is trying to buy us with overwhelming wealth again…!"

"Wait, you’re buying me with money... But that’s way too much money..."

"If you keep talking nonsense, I’ll take back everything I gave you, including the fan-made snake tail avatars you two sneakily use while gaming."

"Whoa, I’m sorry!"

• "Hahaha!"
• "Did you put honey on the tail? Hahaha!"
• "True Vyam fans!"
• "I think the Vyams were asking seriously though, haha."

After they realized what I was saying seriously, they nervously started looking around, likely thinking they had upset me by not responding properly to my question.

Though I thought about giving them a light tap on the head, I still opened my mouth and asked.

"...What do you think if Mecha Eugene comes out a little earlier?"

"What, huh?"

"Well, of course it’d be great! That’d be amazing!"

"Really? How fast would you want it to come out?"

At the same time, the air in the room grew tense in a completely different direction.

They both looked at each other with expressions that weren’t sure if it was joy or something else, and after a difficult pause, they said.

"...Eugene-sensei, surely not...?"

"Are you sure the drone censorship is working properly?"

"The test was done on censorship earlier, but you’re just realizing now? Anyway, the gift I’m telling you about is that."

They breathed deeply, and I continued.

"It looks like the Mecha youngest might come out a little earlier than expected—Ah, why are you charging at me?!"

"Whooooaaaa!"

"THIS is your Christmas present!"

"Why are you charging at me like this?!"

I knew it would happen, but the feeling was so different when it happened in reality.

Chuckling, I gently patted their heads.

With Mecha Vyam's release now advanced from 9 months to about 7-8 months, it was roughly 1 month earlier than expected.