Immortal Children

I brought Misuzu to the end of the corridor, opposite the passageway that went to the decontamination room, after the three of us had discussed for a bit about what we were going to do.

“What’s this room?”

“It is a vehicle storage room. There is also a lift to take you to the surface.”

I asked Kaguya to turn on the lights in the room.

A multi-legged vehicle the size of a car was discreetly placed in the centre of the room. Tools for maintenance and mechanical doll components were scattered throughout the room.

“A spider machine?” Misuzu tilted her head.

Three legs on each side, plus two short legs with a manipulator arm in front. The vehicle, which comprised eight legs, appeared to have been purposefully designed to resemble a spider.

“That’s Wiedle. When I go to the Birdcage, I take this one.”

Misuzu cocked her head in response. “Wiedle? Could it be that the name is a twist on the word beetle?”

“Yeah. Isn’t that a simple name? Originally, it was used on construction sites with inadequate scaffolding.”

“Does it work?”

“Without a doubt. The small fusion generator is still functioning, and I’ve been working on it in order to get Wiedle up and running.”

“Nuclear fuel? Um, is there a safety issue?”

“Not an issue. Most of the old civilization’s vehicles were fueled by nuclear fuel, and there were many layers of safety to guarantee that nothing went wrong. Unless something goes wrong, I don’t imagine it will blow up with us on board…….”

“Huh…..”

Wiedle has a hemispherical cockpit in the centre of its legs, and I sat in it and played with the control panel.

“A claw came out of the end of its leg.” Misuzu was taken aback.

Four finger-like claws protruded from the tips of the legs, guarded by grey rusted reinforcing plates, and when they contacted the ground, the vehicle’s body rose slightly. The grounded tyres are then lifted and retracted until they are buried in the leg tips.

“This allows me to travel easily even among the ruins of an abandoned city, where footholds are scarce. To go around, I can dig my claws into the walls of buildings.” I told Misuzu.

“Wow, um, is this another relic from the old civilization?”

“That’s correct. While exploring the ruins, I stumbled upon an aircraft with a frame in perfect condition. Then I asked Kaguya to retrieve the schematics from the database, and I did the repairs to get it functioning. That’s how we could return the body to its original state.”

“Could it be something extremely valuable?” Misuzu said.

“Not really. Multi-legged vehicles are commonplace in this world.” I sigh and shake my head. “The merchants even use a big Wiedle with a container on its buttock. However, this type is valuable. This is a miniature version of the military’s multi-legged tanks for personal usage.”

“What’s so great about the army’s multi-legged tanks?”

『It features artificial intelligence that aids the pilot’s manoeuvres,』 Kaguya cut in.

“He’s like Kaguya”

Kaguya quickly countered my flippant remark.

『Don’t lump me in with that piece of shit. He pretends to be a freethinker, but he’s nothing more than a tool.』

“Does this kid also have artificial intelligence?” Misuzu asked Kaguya as she sat fearfully in the rear seat of the Wiedle.

『We are planning to install a more special artificial intelligence in this child.』 Kaguya said.

A bulletproof canopy arose from each side of the frame to cover the top of the cockpit, then closed tightly so that it met at the top, at the touch of a finger on the control panel display. The cockpit transforms into a perfect sphere.

The closing of the canopy temporarily darkens the interior of the cockpit. This was because of the separation of the space between the inside and outside of the cockpit, which resulted in the loss of the light source. The outside world, however, soon emerged on the canopy’s all-sky monitor. I could even see my feet, creating the illusion that I was sitting on a floating seat in midair.

“It’s the same as seeing with your eyes……” Misuzu seemed to like the Wiedle’s function. “Um, special artificial intelligence?”

“It’s a synthetic flour that bakes cookies.” I said.

“Does he function similarly to the housekeeper droid?” Misuzu asked, astonished.

“Yes. His artificial intelligence is unique, as you may have noticed. But not as special as Kaguya’s.”

『I’m human,』 Kaguya said.

“That’s right,” I mumbled to Kaguya as I adjusted the screen to open the bulletproof canopy that surrounded the cockpit. “We don’t yet have enough weaponry or special parts to install on the vehicle, but once we do, this vehicle will be our new force to be reckoned with as a tank with total free will.”

“Your housekeeper droid must have been very special.”

『Yes, she is. She’s another relic from the old civilization.』

From the speakers in the room, I could hear Kaguya’s confident voice.

Before turning off Wiedle’s generator, I withdrew Wiedle’s claws into the reinforcing plate and switched it back to fast-moving mode, travelling on tyres. After leaving the vehicle storage, I prepared to head for the birdcage. After finishing the preparations, Misuzu approached me as I was checking my equipment in the armoury for the last time.

“Well, Leila. I’ve finished loading the bags.”

“Thank you, Misuzu.”

I said to Misuzu, who was helping me load the luggage into the Wiedle.

“Misuzu, you can take a rest.”

“Yes, I understand. I’m going to take a rest first.”

“It’s just that you and Kaguya shouldn’t stay up too late.”

“Yes, it’s okay. Maybe …….”

“Goodnight.”

“Yeah, Goodnight.”

As she stepped onto the surface lift, she noticed the housekeeper droid standing there with the old security droid on either side.

“I’ll see you later, Droid-san.”

The housekeeper droid returned Misuzu’s voice with a graceful bow that did not suit her appearance. Then a voice came over the speaker mounted on the wall.

『See you, Misuzu.』 A dignified woman’s voice spoke out.

“Take care.” said the security droid as well.

As I was checking my equipment, I heard a low beeping sound from the housekeeper droid.

“I’ll take full responsibility for her.” I said.

Then the continuous beeping sounded again.

“The reason our food reserves are low is that we have more people. But don’t worry, I’ll get some.”

Then it beeps again.

“I’m off. I asked you to stay.”

I entered the Wiedle and performed a system check on the control panel screen. Misuzu was seated in the backseat.

“You two are very close.” Misuzu giggled.

“Yeah. But she’s being too nitpicky.” I said.

“Was the housekeeper droid originally from this facility? Or did you find her somewhere else?”

“I was looking for the wreckage of a warship that had washed up on shore with a gigantic octopus-like creature. There, in a compartment that hadn’t been ransacked by other scavengers, we found the tightly packed core of artificial intelligence.”

“Is it a creature like an octopus? I’m curious, but is it a warship……? Droid-san, was she a military weapon?”

“All we know from the data that was left behind is that it was a prototype of artificial intelligence that a company was developing for some kind of test.”

When the lift comes to a stop, the system at the base examines the nursery grounds for any abnormalities.

“It must have been precious artificial intelligence for the military to lend a hand to a corporation.” Misuzu said admiringly.

“That’s right.” I said.

When the system at the base confirmed that there was no abnormality, a short warning signal was sounded, and the bulkhead leading to the outside was reopened.