Story Reader / Floating Record / ER01 The Ark Beyond / Story
Haicma walks alone for a very long time.
Graffiti and murals pepper her way. She stops to record and analyze each of them.
Some of them are simply expressing emotions.
—Joy, hope, doubt, confusion... Unrestricted, the artists seem to have poured every feeling felt through the brushes without being patronizing or bounded by traditional skills. They look incredibly free.
The "revelation" of the machines is likely a result of making these artworks. Like seeing colors in a world of black and white, these machines have expressed their "feelings," recording their doubts and confusions.
The graffiti begins to reveal sadness, loss, hatred, and fear...
The further Haicma goes, the richer the graffiti becomes. Sometimes they hide in the corners of the city or blend with nature, and sometimes they are presented proudly and explicitly in plain sight.
Haicma gradually learns to identify "Sage's" graffiti from the imitations by "Sage's" followers, but even she cannot say what exactly separates them.
A vague image of "Sage" starts to form in her mind. Following the trail of art, she is on the phantom's tail, keeping up closely behind.
The graffiti's locations may be spontaneous, but they are not entirely patternless. At least, she can tell that an area with graffiti is relatively safe with fewer Corrupted.
Stopping at a street corner, Haicma notices a small, familiar graffiti on a wall, its meaning simple.
Treasure ahead.
Haicma follows the words and looks up to find a bookstore. In the Golden Age, humans would put their thoughts on paper with their pens, publishing and selling them in a shop like this.
The store signage has already cracked and fallen into the mud. Dangling posters struggle to hang on the shattered shop window, their words only barely legible where they are shaded by the eaves.
"Feel the Grains of Paper Once More". "No AI Authors Here".
Haicma pushes open the rusty door, and it snaps upon her touch, startling the birds resting on the eaves.
...Sorry.
She gently puts the door aside and walks inside the bookstore.
Vines have climbed all over the shelves, pushing away the books and grasping for sunlight from dark corners. Life finds a way.
After humans are gone, the wind still carries seeds far and wide, putting down roots in all places.
Some humans seem to have stayed here. She can see embers of fires near a nook where books were used as fuel.
This is...
Her hand glides over a row of books on the shelf before taking out one of them. Dust flies from her motion, dispersing in the afternoon air.
...It's the comic book she mentioned.
Damped, the pages have become incredibly fragile over time. Just flipping through them can cause them to crumble.
It's been so long... It's illegible at this point.
Haicma has not pulled up the memory data, but the memories surge up nonetheless as she flips the pages.
Comic books?
Certainly. I can retrieve any information you need, including all comics currently published.
Nanami's asking whether you've read them, Haicma! I really, really, really like them! There're so many cool things in them!
"Like"...
You should try them, Haicma... They're so interesting!
Right, the comic book Nanami was thinking of is called...
Hello. Would you mind returning that issue of "Space Knight: Dawnbreak"?
A mechanoid's voice pulls her back to reality.
Looking at where it comes from, Haicma sees an old model delivery droid heading toward her. It has a stack of comics in its arms, asking politely as its camera locks onto the comic book in Haicma's hands.
It is part of the offerings I am currently collecting.
Offerings?
Yes. If I collect enough of them, Sage will return to this place.
...Is that so?
Haicma crouches, placing her comic book on top of its stack.
Thank you very much! Package received!
As if having its default command triggered, the delivery droid joyfully holds up the "offerings" in its arms.
Did you say "Sage" was here?
Yes. "Sage" was here at our headquarters. She was the one who gave me new commands and fixed my body.
To repay her generosity, we are collecting objects that Sage might like, including "cool things" created by humans.
That was the last comic book on our list. Thank you for your assistance. I can return to our headquarters now.
With that, the delivery droid turns with a little sway and leaves. Heading straight ahead, it crashes into a fallen bookshelf.
...Obstacles detected... Adjusting route...
And it crashes right into another wall.
...
The delivery droid stops, the signal light on its head blinking red.
Adjusting route...
Haicma realizes that the droid is covered with scratches and dents, old and new. Clear, winding tracks can be found on the ground, going around and around, leaving similar loops on the floor.
It seems that this delivery droid has been spinning around here for some time.
Attempt 2378... Route adjustment failed...
It lowers its head, looking frustrated. It is not intelligent enough to self-diagnose, so it has been waiting here for possible companions to show up.
Suddenly, it feels a hand on its head and sees a pair of calming eyes.
Your GPS is malfunctioning.
I can try to repair and calibrate it.
This machine needs help. Although it is not part of the commands Haicma received, she still proceeds to the delivery droid's side.
She can still help those in need without being commanded, just like what Nanami would do.
The delivery droid stares at the humanoid machine before it, and it experiences the same "feeling" it felt when Sage touched it the first time despite Haicma not showing any emotions.
...Thank you, Lady Big Hat.
Is that me?
Yes. I came up with that name by observing your appearance as Sage taught us.
You can call me... Haicma.
Understood, Haicma. You can call me Deli.
You should be fine now.
The delivery droid stands up again, stretching its limbs.
Essential functions repaired. Thank you for your assistance.
...Resources are scarce, so I couldn't completely fix you. I've only calibrated your GPS for now.
That is enough.
If I may... Haicma, would you return to the headquarters with me?
I should repay you for your assistance, but... everything we collected is stored at our headquarters.
As a repayment... you are free to choose anything from our collection.
I didn't help you in exchange for something, but...
The delivery droid mentioned that "Sage" was there before. Perhaps Haicma can find clues about her there.
...I understand. Allow me to accompany you.
And so, guided by the delivery droid, the two figures, one tall and one short, begin their journey back to the headquarters.
