Story Reader / Affection / Lee: Hyperreal / Story
After the two of you return from your "mission," Lee has been staying inside his room without coming out or mentioning assassinating anyone for you.
Is Lee... really doing fine?
You still worry about him as dusk arrives after you have finished your battle with the various documents.
He should be fine, right...?
You still knock on his door despite that.
I'm okay...
The voice in the room sounds dull but not hurt or in trouble.
Inside the room, Lee is flipping through the open notebook on the desk with a solemn expression.
Different handwritings pen the pages, the mellow strokes getting more and more aggressive the further back in the notebook they are.
...What a mess.
Lee flips to the first page again, reading the fragmented lines with furrowed brows.
The childish, wavy letters protest on the pages.
I only grazed the commandant's ear by accident when I was still unfamiliar with the gun.
I even succeeded in defeating the Corrupted that ambushed Commandant.
Now I know what kind of monsters Corrupted are. They're terrible.
Immature.
That said, the fragrance of milk surges in his taste module once again.
Constructs do not need to drink this kind of nutritional composite solution, but he still received such special treatment...
...
Flipping to the next page, Lee finds even more frenzied handwriting. His penmanship was rough and scrawly back then when he was worried about Murray's illness and making a living.
Corrupted, the Punishing Virus, the Red Tide, the Hetero Tower... Is that the kind of dark future awaiting me?
But the ice cream was sweet.
Wasn't expecting the commandant to be so familiar with this weapon.
At the back of the page is a sketch of ice cream and his weapon, followed by a long trail—an arc similar to the trajectory of the chair he threw that day.
An assassin who has mastered every "weapon" would never have missed.
The moment he saw his "target"... something inside him interrupted his precise aim.
...Luckily, the chair missed the commandant.
He is still startled by the incident after the fact. He should have applied for the observational room in the first place...
A few leaves have fallen from the plant on his desk due to the lack of care when Lee was away for missions. A breeze created by Babylonia's ecosystem blows one of them onto the notebook as it curls up and rolls.
Lee turns to the next page, where he finds two paragraphs of similar handwriting. Inspecting closely, he can still tell the difference.
I shouldn't have told Commandant about this. I should just pretend to be on a mission and stay in an empty room.
...Temporarily redeploying a Gray Raven member requires the Gray Raven Commandant's approval, not to mention sending one on a long-term mission.
What was he thinking when he wrote this?
That said, he was just assigned to Gray Raven back then. He was constantly cautious about his companions... and his commandant.
The handwriting after that does not differ much from his now. The messy notes document some test results on his M.I.N.D. and his hypothesis on the M.I.N.D. disorder.
Asimov's report only indicates that this is abnormal data leaking, but what could be causing it in such a new frame?
I went out a few times in the middle of the night. Commandant's light was still on.
The commandant was sleeping on the desk with the reports and data of the specialized frame all around.
Commandant's life hasn't been easy lately either.
You should leave something behind as an appreciation and a reminder.
That is the last line in the notebook.
...There's nothing about this event that's worth being reminded of.
Closing his notebook, Lee is almost done compiling his M.I.N.D. shards. His memories gradually merge, and those blurry fragments replay in his M.I.N.D. like colorful movies.
The colors slowly fill the gaps in his memories. Even the old, insignificant cracks are tinted with brilliant shades.
The rustling of paper suddenly stops inside Lee's room, replaced with the sound of clanging metal—
You walk back and forth in front of his door for a little while before deciding to knock. Right then, the door opens, and you find Lee staring at you expressionlessly while holding a small hand file.
What are you doing?
Passing by? I don't recall my room leading to anywhere.
Despite saying that, Lee still moves aside a little and gestures for you to come in and talk.
His room is as tidy as ever, but an open notebook on his desk has caught your eye.
It's not a diary. It's just...
Lee stumbles with his words, failing to come up with a more fitting description.
It's just entries I made while my M.I.N.D. presented unexpected problems. They help me with studying the symptoms of my M.I.N.D. disorder.
Are you here for something important?
Given the progress the M.I.N.D. shards have been compiling, this will be around the time Asimov expected it to be complete.
Just in case, you have prepared sticky notes to put on Lee's door in case his M.I.N.D. switches again and forgets about this.
I can't help but suspect that you are planning to ambush me at the hall, given how shady and cautious you are acting.
Seeing the notes that are neatly taped onto the desk, Lee looks down as if trying to hide something.
But since it is your request, Commandant... I will be there tonight.
Hesitating to speak, Lee puts down the file in his hand.
I've brought you many troubles recently, haven't I?
This weird M.I.N.D. disorder... I...
What if... this disorder can never be cured?
What if the temporary amnesia and M.I.N.D. shards switching never stop?
?
The occasional M.I.N.D. disorder does not diminish Lee's combat prowess.
It is not so bad to travel the earth as a merchant while taking out some Corrupted on the way.
...
That sounds pretty nice.
My M.I.N.D. is almost clear. That "incurable" situation was just a speculation. It will never happen.
Ahem. By the way, I'm planning to give you something. For the trouble I've caused.
Is there anything you want? A firearm repair kit? Or a new alarm-bot?
Lee will probably feel guilty for a while if you ask for nothing, given his character.
What notebook?
A notebook with detailed accounts of these symptoms must be helpful to understand Lee's current frame upon further study.
...
I see.
Seemingly surprised by your answer, Lee takes a step back stiffly.
...Anything else?
...See you tonight.
Quietly and awkwardly he closes the door—blocking the door briefly with his fingers so that he does not make any noise.
As always.
