Two-Person Galactic Journey: Earth Was Destroyed While Imprisoned in Space Prison

Chapter 106

The entity on the other side of the transmission identified itself as Chibbahe of Aguares.

Kait posed a fundamental question to Chibbahe.

"Mr. Chibbahe. Are you an artificial intelligence embedded in that ship, or are you a biological being with a physical body?"

'Junior. So you refer to us as artificial intelligence. That is correct. I am the survival management system created by Aguares.'

"Survival management system... So is it correct to assume that the people of Aguares have survived thanks to your existence?"

'Indeed. Junior, we are journeying in search of planets with environments suitable for migration. All citizens under Chibbahe's management will obtain a safe haven. Even after migration is complete, we hope to deepen our exchange.'

There was a sense of hope for dialogue in Chibbahe's words.

However, as things stood, peaceful exchange would not be possible. Kait and the others had learned the true nature of their existence. And they had also confirmed that their actions were indeed for the purpose of migration.

While Kait was unsure how to proceed with the conversation, Emotion continued speaking.

"Operator Chibbahe. I am Emotion, an artificial intelligence like yourself. The planet you are heading toward is inhabited by native lifeforms. Are you aware that your act of migration could severely damage their living environment?"

'...And what of it?'

But Chibbahe's response disappointed not only Kait, but everyone who had hoped for dialogue. Nezasuriwe, who had been leaning forward, could be seen sighing beyond the monitor.

'We are a pioneering species. We ventured first into the wilderness of space and chose to expand our living domain. That right of residence takes precedence over all other rights to life.'

Such a rule does not exist. At least not in the Federation, and likely not in the Corporation either. If it did, Nezasuriwe would not have said they wanted to stop this. The Federation ties residency rights to citizenship, while the Corporation prioritizes whether one is native to the planet.

The reason most Earthlings affiliated with the Corporation resent Kait is likely because he handed Earth over to the Federation instead of the Corporation. But that issue has no relevance to the current discussion.

Emotion firmly rejected Chibbahe's claim.

"Operator Chibbahe. Regrettably, your claim cannot be accepted. The planet in question is currently under the jurisdiction of an interstellar aid organization called the Federation. Federation law imposes strict restrictions on the migration of intelligent lifeforms to undeveloped planets."

'That does not concern us.'

"Under Federation jurisdiction, if intelligent lifeforms not affiliated with the Federation forcibly migrate, they may become targets for removal. Are you prepared for that?"

Kait judged that Emotion was in a more difficult position. Especially since she was telling some lies. The space tuna meteor swarm is officially recognized as an astronomical phenomenon by the Federation, so in reality, wherever the space tuna migrated, it wouldn't violate Federation law.

What Emotion was referring to was the general policy applied to intelligent species expanding into other universes. In other words, a general principle.

Even so, Chibbahe seemed to have a strong attachment to the idea that Aguares were intelligent beings. After a brief silence, the entity slightly softened its stance.

'Then grant us Federation citizenship and immediately authorize migration.'

"Impossible. You may be a pioneering species, but in the Federation, citizenship is evaluated based on intelligence and reasoning. In most cases, newly admitted species are not granted citizenship that includes the right to reside on natural planets."

'We are a pioneering species!'

"Even so."

Emotion was dependable. No, Kait had always relied on her dependability. But seeing her calmly counter Chibbahe's arguments like this revealed a new side of her charm.

Moreover, even now, she avoided touching on the internal issues of the species. She was respecting Chibbahe's pride.

Still, feeling that the conversation was going nowhere, Kait decided to change the subject for the time being. Either way, even if they tried to obtain Federation citizenship now, it would be difficult.

"For now, let's inform the Federation Congress. It won't be immediate, but they should consider it."

'...Thank you, Junior Kait. For us, migration to a new world is a long-cherished wish.'

"On that note, I have a question."

'A question?'

"I'd like to know the actual scale of your migration efforts. Could you tell me?"

If possible, including the place of origin.

***

The firm Emotion and the flexible Kait. Their mixed approach to negotiation seemed to be particularly difficult for the likely old-fashioned Chibbahe to handle. They had come to understand much about the reality of Aguares, also known as the space tuna.

"I see. It does appear that traces of a civilization once existed in this region of space."

'So it had perished after all...'

Using the Federation and Corporation's star charts, it took some time to pinpoint the planet from which Aguares had departed, but it was eventually accomplished.

There are many planets where civilizations once existed but perished before reaching space. Archaeologists from the Federation and Corporation study such traces while observing undeveloped planets.

Unfortunately, the planet Aguares once inhabited was no longer suitable for life. The surface had eroded severely, and there were no visible traces, so it hadn't even been targeted for observation.

Based on the information from Kait and the others, Federation archaeologists rushed to the site and just now reported that they had managed to find traces underground.

"So you escaped the planet before it perished."

'That's right. We built fifty-seven migration ships, and the residents were randomly boarded and sent on a journey. This ship departed at the same time as three others: Hedyro, Betum, and Beitorn.'

They separated into different groups and directions. An utterly hopeless journey with no idea of their destination.

Faced with the destruction of their planet, those former beings made such a decision. They were likely far superior to Kait and the Earthlings.

"How much time has passed since then?"

'...Unknown.'

"Oh?"

'Even I, as a survival management system, have limits. When the burden of calculations and management continues, it becomes necessary to delete all but the minimum required information.'

This was it. Kait's instincts whispered that this was the root of everything.

Data organization. It was understandable. The ship known as space tuna originally served as a scout to explore a wide area. But with the computational burden of its movements, the daily health management of Aguares, and monitoring space region data—no matter how high the performance, there were limits.

To understand the benchmark, Kait whispered to Emotion.

"Emotion. If you did the same work as him, how long would it take for you to hit your limit?"

"Let's see... I'd say approximately 6.12 million years. Before my upgrade, I doubt I could've lasted even 300 years."

The numbers before and after were drastically different. That alone showed how incredible Federation technology was. Still, it served as a benchmark. Chibbahe and the others had higher performance than early Emotion, but lower than her current version.

Even the current Emotion had to organize data more than ten times. One could only imagine how many times Chibbahe and the others had done so.

"So... do you know how many times the data has been organized in total?"

'...I don't. That data was not included in the preserved records.'

Was it forgotten, or deliberately excluded?

If it was deliberate, was it simply deemed unnecessary, or was it an act of mercy by the creators?

Hoping it was the latter, Kait stepped into a topic that had to be addressed. Sooner or later, it had to be said—even if it brought only despair.

"There must have been data that should never have been deleted."

'No such data exists. Our creators carefully selected what to preserve. There is no mistake.'

"Unfortunately, it does exist."

Emotion declared firmly.

The words Kait had been about to say slipped away without being spoken.

"Listen carefully, Operator Chibbahe. We want to stop your migration efforts. Because not only will it bring misfortune to the native lifeforms of the planet, but also to your own people."

'What are you saying!'

"Unfortunately, the current people of Aguares can no longer physically endure the act of migration itself."

With even a hint of anger, Emotion's words cut sharply like a blade.