Crossing the World

XXXIV - Shelters (Karen)

My destination point is the coordinates of the recreation room at the shelter. After successfully jumping safely to my destination, I immediately sat on one of the sofas in the room sighing.

"Is there a problem?"

AI might read my facial features and analyze them to the conclusion that I was in trouble. Through databases accumulated over thousands of years, his ability to read facial expressions must be very accurate. So, I'm not surprised if he can guess this to some extent.

"Well remember that brunette girl I talked to you about before?" I asked the AI.

After hearing the question I asked, the AI responded with the answer that she still remembered it. Of course, it was impossible for him to forget even a single word that had been spoken from my mouth. For artificial intelligence, forgetting is a completely non-existent thing.

"So he came to me while I was waiting for a representative from Palapa Inc."

I began to explain what happened to him briefly. Then, after I said what I experienced to the AI, she gave me a question that surprised me enough.

"Isn't that normal?"

What does that question mean? Why does AI consider it a normal thing? Was my encounter with the girl an inevitable fate that God had prepared for me even before I was born?

"Normal what? My only encounter with him was through a T-13. However, now he suddenly came to see me when we had never met face to face before. Wouldn't it be strange if she knew how I looked when we'd never met?"

"You're the weird one here."

Ugh ... basic garbage machine! He defends the girl instead of me, but we are on the same side!

"You are weird! Obviously his appearance at the restaurant where I was doing the appointment was not normal! It's impossible that it was a coincidence! He must have known my identity and come there knowing I would meet with one of the staff of Palapa Inc!"

I blabbed with a single deep breath, replying to the AI's insults in a voice filled with emotion. The index finger of my right hand even pointed towards one corner of the recreation room, where a surveillance camera pointed at me.

"That's exactly why I said that your meeting was normal."

I ... have absolutely no idea what he's talking about.

Maybe the AI realized my lack of understanding of the conversation between us. Therefore, he began to talk back and explain it a little more in detail so that I could understand what he meant.

"There are some important points that go unnoticed by you. First, Palapa Inc is a giant company engaged in technology, even already affiliated with the government. The T-13 is a robot designed with technology alien to humans. Third, the girl met you at a place where the T-13 was."

Yeah, I know those three points. However, all of these points have absolutely nothing to do with this issue. There was no common thread between those three points and how the brunette girl could tell my identity.

"Now comes the fourth point, which is that you contact Palapa Inc and ask for an appointment. You also exposed a completely foreign technology to attract the attention of Palapa Inc. Didn't we?"

Hearing the AI explanation, I nodded my head in response and allowed the AI to continue its explanation.

"If we simplify the four conclusions, it will create a common thread that can answer the reason why the girl can know your identity.

"Palapa Inc is a government-affiliated technology company. When a foreign machine suddenly appeared, it was clear the government would send it to Palapa Inc for an investigation.

"After investigation, it was discovered that the T-13 was designed with a completely different system. Then, by the time the T-13 is activated, you connect consciousness with the T-13 and communicate with the brunette. Since there are no problems after, you assume that the case is over just get here."

"After making a fuss at Palapa Inc, you innocently sent them a message and revealed the design of a VR controller built using a system identical to the T-13. Obviously they'll draw the conclusion that you're the one behind the T-13 and send the brunettes to the meeting."

I was silent when I heard a conclusion that was exactly the same as what I was thinking.

If thought about once more by considering what the AI just explained, it would not be strange if the girl came to me. I should have known this from the beginning. Why can't my brain think the same way over there?!

"You ... Why didn't you tell me before I called the company?!"

I'm devoting all my carelessness to AI.

"I think you've considered this as well."

Hearing her reply that impressed like an innocent person triggered my emotions to rise even more.

"lik! There's no way you didn't realize my carelessness! You must have done it on purpose!"

My voice grew higher, echoing in the quiet room. My fingers kept pointing at the surveillance cameras as long as my ramblings went out wildly.

We spent a few minutes just blaming each other on the matter. I personally don't want to lose and hand over all my mistakes to AI. However, instead of succumbing, he instead continued to insult me and called me the most careless shelter resident in the past 5,000 years. Of course I don't accept such a painful insult.

After the exhaustion of arguing with AI, we started to go to the solution part of the problem that is happening to me now.

"Regardless of the strangeness you experienced when the girl fainted, I think meeting her was the only way out for this matter."

Yes, since then AI has not discussed at all about the weirdness that I experienced and how I lost my ability to control Johan for a few seconds. I conclude that even AI cannot explain the phenomenon through its database. So, we ignored it for now.

"Is it okay to do that? What if he kills me?"

"The possibilities are very small. If he really wants to finish you off, he should have shot you from afar instead of walking up to you."

Well, I guess AI's saying has a point. If the girl wanted to kill me, she couldn't possibly bother approaching me. After all he only brought one other girl with him and I have confirmed the absence of any firearms they brought. So, I guess they did come purely to talk to me.

"All right then. Tomorrow I'll send a message to Palapa Inc and arrange for the next meeting."

AI approved of the action I was about to take and she ended our conversation with a suggestion.

"Set the meeting in a quiet place and bring all the cyborgs along with the robots controlled by Aura. Equip them with weaponry and don't let yourself be ahead."

Yeah, can't he be overprotective? Who is he? My mammy?

Whatever, I'm too lazy to argue with her again. So, I agreed to what he said without much complaining.

Let's leave this matter for tomorrow. Let's just hope that the first meeting directly between me and the brunettes goes smoothly and there is no hostility between us.