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

Chapter 112

'What is this?'

Kait and the others first decided to confirm whether Chibbahe was completely free from Fulgadonga's influence.

They shared the recorded footage with Chibbahe, making her recognize the evidence that her internal data had been erased and that Fulgadonga had been operating covertly within the ship. When they then conveyed the conversation with Nezasuriwe and the others, Chibbahe muttered in a daze and stopped responding for a while.

It's understandable given the shock, but hopefully she recovers soon.

"Emotion, what about Fulgadonga?"

"We left that to the Corporation. It seems they're already analyzing it."

"Was it really okay to hand it over?"

"Yes. I don't have any particular objections."

As she said that, it appeared Emotion was monitoring Chibbahe's thought patterns. Even without self-awareness, she had long been under Fulgadonga's control as a machine intelligence. This situation wasn't so shallow that it could be easily trusted.

Emotion, staring intently at a graph Kait couldn't comprehend, quietly shook her head.

"It's no good. There's an unnatural shift in the thought circuits. As expected, it seems her thoughts are adjusted to avoid reaching facts that are inconvenient for Fulgadonga."

"I see. So she was nothing more than a cover for Fulgadonga."

"No. As a machine intelligence that isn't a personality copy, she's been crafted with great care. Fulgadonga must have initially been sincerely engaged with the project."

If we are to believe Fulgadonga's words, the turning point came when a family member who was supposed to board the ship was killed. Up until that point, even if he had his doubts, he had likely been working earnestly for the preservation of the Aguares species.

"Regarding the thought adjustment in Chibbahe, he used his superior authority as the creator. Perhaps, in the earliest ships, there were some that searched for habitable planets without Fulgadonga's interference."

"In reality, we probably don't know how many fleets split off or how many fell onto planets."

Conversely, if we did know that, it would mean the Fulgadonga copies were sharing information. That would be a threat in itself. By now, the Federation and the Corporation must have identified them as hostile entities.

The council said they had dispatched an investigative team toward another swarm, but Kait and the others' actions must not make them a target of attack.

"I'll go finish the report. If Fulgadonga was communicating with others, things could get dangerous everywhere."

"That would be best. Leave this side to us."

Leaving those words behind, Kait hurried back to his own room.

***

In the end, Kait's fears proved unfounded. The investigative team communicated with the space tuna based on the Corporation's research and appeared to be safe.

Like Kait and the others, they had also experienced a forced reboot of the machine intelligence by Fulgadonga during the explanation.

'Apparently, the machine intelligence identified itself as Hedyro. Just as reported in Kait Third-Rank Citizen's document—it was surprising.'

"The issue is whether the Operator Hedyro that made contact is just one of many Hedyros."

'Yeah. The names Bettone, Bettoom, and Chibbahe came up regarding the companion ships. It's not that we doubted it, but it does confirm what Kait Third-Rank Citizen said.'

The council member who received the communication wasn't Redepalwo, but given the circumstances, information sharing seemed to be handled properly.

'So, how are things progressing on your end?'

"The report is still in progress, so please excuse a verbal update for now. We've completed a good portion of the rescue operations for the space tuna meteor swarm. Since we've successfully isolated a Fulgadonga copy, we're prioritizing analysis over dismantling the ship."

'Hmm, I see. That's quite efficient... wait, hold on a second.'

The council member, who had been listening calmly, seemed suddenly bothered by something in Kait's report.

'Did I just hear that a Fulgadonga copy is being isolated and analyzed?'

"Yes. We captured and isolated the data. I've heard that its quality as a machine intelligence isn't high, so hijacking the analysis equipment should be impossible."

'No, that's not it. That's not what I meant.'

On the monitor, the council member held his forehead as if trying to endure a headache.

Was there something in the report that could cause such a headache?

'So, what about the space tuna's casualties...?'

"Zero."

'Even the ship that had Fulgadonga onboard?'

"Yes, of course. We captured it intact."

'...How?'

"With a net."

'?'

The council member looked utterly confused.

Ah, right. If you weren't raised on Earth, the word 'net' might not make sense. It'd be quicker to just attach a video to the report.

They had learned what they needed to know. Kait ended the communication after saying he'd finish the report quickly and send it over for review.

"Now then, I also need to write about Aguares' habitat in the report."

It seemed there was no trace left of the original Aguares form. How much time would it take for them to live independently as a new lifeform? Or would they never regain the ability to survive on their own?

Kait didn't know, but he felt he had to do everything he could to help.

***

Upon hearing from Emotion that Chibbahe had responded, Kait returned to the research block.

He decided to split the report into two. The site seemed particularly eager to learn about the space fixed-net operation, so he sent a video along with it, noting that it wasn't a perfect manual.

The second report would have to cover handling of the Fulgadonga copies, the machine intelligences like Chibbahe, and the future of the Aguares. The responsibility was heavy.

"We've been waiting, Captain."

'Sorry, Captain Kait. It seems we've relied on you quite a bit.'

"No. I accidentally caused the death of one Aguares due to carelessness. I feel terrible about it."

'It couldn't be helped. Based on calculations, generational turnover will likely take ten thousand generations. Given their current biological state, survival in the outside world is probably impossible. I'm grateful for your judgment, not resentful.'

Even Chibbahe's demeanor seemed much less arrogant now.

Emotion nodded at the surprised Kait.

"After releasing the thought adjustments, this is the result. It seems the adjustments even affected her original personality."

'Perhaps it was a mechanism to make me act arrogantly and push the fleet toward destruction. Why would Dr. Fulgadonga do such a thing...?'

"Well, his feelings are his own. You're free to sympathize, but it's too late now. More importantly, you need to think about the future of the Aguares."

'You're right. ...But they're fragile. Even if we could borrow a corner of some planet, long-term survival would be difficult.'

With the thought adjustments removed, Chibbahe was now capable of rational judgment.

In any case, they couldn't let them drift through the galaxy in that state any longer. Kait explained that a protection plan for the Aguares was being formulated between the Federation and the Corporation—something he had heard during the earlier call with the council member.

"It seems the Rare Species Conservation Agency will take full responsibility for their living environment. As for their growth and evolution, we'll continue to rely on help from you machine intelligences."

'That's only natural. We'll see it through to the end.'

"Next, we'll need to rescue the scattered Aguares across the galaxy and bring them together at that location. Among them, there might be Aguares that have evolved differently from the ones you were with. I hope you can coordinate the best future for them."

'You're right. I see... so there are probably copies of me out there, too.'

Chibbahe, who had seemed resolute until then, muttered that line with a notably gloomy expression.