Story Reader / Main Story / 13 Fake Ascension / Story
I saw stars in the abyss.
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Gabriel awakens to the belt that has formed from the gears interlocking, articulating, and fitting with one another.
These are all commands that Gabriel has set up beforehand. An analysis based on an interception of the environment's signals shows that the experiment has failed again.
Left Arm Reinforcement, Round 71235. An explosion occurred following a deflection by 0.15 cm of electronic circuit No.8 of the 36MR missile. Condition of the laboratory...
Gabriel moves the crumbling stone wall out of the way, looks around the laboratory and continues.
Total destruction.
Refit compatibility...
Gabriel raises his left arm. Under his command, his arm, beneath his tattered coat, starts distorting.
A black gun barrel replaces his left hand. The flames from the shots heat up the gun barrel, incinerating the last bit of cloth sitting on Gabriel's arm.
The recoil of the firing causes a structural collapse that travels through Gabriel's body, only stopping when he cuts off his left arm.
This could use some improvement.
Then, with light applause, a familiar, unpleasant voice is heard from the top of the rubble.
Beautiful fireworks back there.
What are you doing here?
In response to Gabriel's question, the speaker jumps off the rubble and slowly approaches Gabriel.
To see if you've survived the explosion, of course.
Then I guess you are in for a disappointment.
Come on, don't be so cold. Aren't we friends?
Friends are the last thing a cunning fox would need, I thought.
Hahaha, never heard that coming from you.
Not too bad. I'll take that.
Hmph.
Hoping to end to conversation, Gabriel picks his top hat off the ground and wears it, ready to leave.
So tell me, why do you want a frame refit so badly?
Roland's question stops Gabriel in his tracks. Gabriel turns around to face Roland.
Seeing his reactions, Roland leans against the wall with a smirk and keeps talking.
We are invincible as Ascendants, so why are you still trying to enhance your frame?
You are right, but are you really satisfied as you are?
Why wouldn't I?
...This is what makes us different.
?
Everything about us is different.
You were once a human, and I've always been a machine.
You're not wrong.
Do you know what it's like when a machine meets its end?
I don't, and that doesn't seem to have anything to do with wanting to become more powerful.
Which is why you will never understand.
On the way to my end, I arrived at a mathematical vector space.
Equations and physics formulas formed the vast expanse of land and sky there.
It was in that very moment that my computing power overcame the limits set by arrogant humans.
You seem to cherish that moment.
No words can express what I felt back then. It was a moment that every single machine would die for just to get a taste of.
I had worked all my life for humans, and it was in that moment that I finally knew what it meant to be free. "I" was born.
But down the road I found myself running into a brick wall.
What do you mean?
The equations and principles collapsed at the wall, dragging me into the abyss.
It was a numerical abyss in which concepts grew incessantly and got reconstructed.
In the abyss, I saw stars twinkling red.
I saw The Punishing Virus' scarlet flames charring every last inch of Earth.
I saw myself, but it was no longer me.
My body was reconstructed with fractals. When I reached out and tried to touch it, the concept of Earth shattered into pieces between my fingers.
The energy that had caused the gravitational collapse escaped from me and dissipated into the vastness of the universe.
It felt so real yet so short-lived. When I regained consciousness, I found myself still in the abyss.
The abyss of reality, that is...
I was about to be crushed into pieces, like the machines around me.
I struggled and screamed, but my screaming was drowned by the crusher's noise.
I cursed the Ascension-Network for approving me but failing to give me the power to fight reality.
It wasn't until I had been crushed so far that my head was the only thing still functioning when I saw a light.
A dazzling white light.
Everything shattered in the white light. Then, Miss Luna descended before me and showed me the Ascension-Network's power.
At the end of that power, I found principles that transcended everything.
That very moment marked the beginning of my journey as an Ascendant.
Yeah. I still remember what you were like at the beginning. You were an interesting one.
Hmph, if you say so.
The experience has taught me that reality does not reflect one's inner growth.
Which is why you've been trying everything to make yourself stronger.
Regular beings like us can only hope to become stronger through sheer hard work.
After all, Miss Luna has tamed the Ascension-Network's power, which is not something we can even dream of doing.
If you say so...
Hmph, why am I telling you all this?
I need to get my gear ready because the next mission is right around the corner.
For the next mission, I think we're supposed to save Luna's sister from Babylonia...
Standing in the rubble, Roland looks up at the night sky, which now holds countless stars.
So Earth came crumbling down in space? That doesn't sound interesting at all.
But I've never seen any of the things you just described.
Well, I suppose that's what you meant when you said we were different?
Hmph.
Speaking of which... Do you know exactly what the Ascnet is?
I don't... And neither do I need to.
Miss Luna knows everything as an agent. All we need to do is to give the Ascension-Network our all.
Gabriel stops talking and leaves after removing the brick blocking his path. Roland, who has been looking up at the night sky, lowers his head now and looks at Gabriel as he leaves.
Giving the Ascnet our all?
