Chapter 104

**Frontier Guard.**

Those assigned with the code name FG Series were a special corps even among combat police.

After all, the prime territory was divided among corporations and the upper class, and in a broken world where any useless land became one’s own just by sticking a flag in it, one could question what borders even meant. Nevertheless… they existed.

No matter how sturdy the gates and turrets appeared.

It was a security division established because allowing indiscriminate access of outsiders near Metropolis would yield no good.

Moreover, regarding Harvest Planet, there were unmanned plants powered by geothermal and solar energy in the desert, so the allocated budget and operations were much more active.

Sometimes during work hours, it was common to see them striding in through the police access gate and leaving with drinks or snacks bought from the vending machines in the barracks.

Ah, when they occasionally bumped into each other in the hallway, they would nod their heads in greeting.

…So, what is the main task of the Frontier Guard, you ask?

Um… In other words, while other police officers lazed around enjoying their civil servant lives inside the gates or in the city, we were out braving the sandstorms on assigned hoverbikes, working our asses off?

I’m not trying to imply that the gate patrol or engineering positions were relatively easy, but when looking at the police hierarchy, there’s no department with more troublesome basic duties than theirs.

While they were equipped with dedicated hoverbikes and uniforms with air conditioning, even though their base pay was overwhelmingly high, who would want to be a city public servant just to wander around like a scavenger for almost ten hours a day?

There was even a quota, a concept that did not exist in other departments, under the guise of preventing slack.

Wasn’t there a requirement to patrol while covering a certain distance per hour?

Of course, rumors among the staff claimed that FG members were always extremely irritable. There was an unspoken rule that if you ever bumped shoulders, you should shut up and apologize first.

I’ve rambled on, but what I actually wanted to say was…

“…This is FG-01 from the Harvest Planet Frontier Guard, along with subordinate search robots. We kindly request your close cooperation in investigating armed robbery and explosion incidents.”

My deeply modulated voice resonated in their eardrums.

Through the frequencies to Zero, the distorted sound traveled through the voice module to the external speakers.

Ultimately, the phrase that came back to me through the diaphragm sounded like it was suppressing all sorts of bubbling irritation, exactly what one would expect from the Frontier Guard.

And… those who realized they were facing the most probable risk factors as outlaws started panicking.

“Life’s truly a pain in the ass!”

“…What the hell, search robot? Why??”

“They say those corporate bastards are ruthless for a reason…”

“…Hey, put the knife down for a bit.”

Whether it was to exert more intimidation or simply to prepare for the battle, Zero was calmly waving his arm to brush off impurities stuck to the blade, attracting all eyes in the room.

I considered it natural to have some doubt thanks to Asyef, whose appearance was rather unpolice-like and of course far from the typical uniform, but perhaps it was how overwhelmingly Zero captured attention? Or maybe he had some past experiences that might explain, but no one seemed to question it, which was a relief.

Right now, I needed to appear as weak as possible.

So that they could ignite their survival instincts, fostering a sense of hope.

“Detailed investigations will be conducted later, so please present your citizen’s identification and clarify the unlawfully loaded corporate property on the external hovercraft.”

“Shouldn’t we first capture those bastards and then take our time sorting it out?! What kind of rigid police shows up at a time like this…!”

Some passengers were complaining, pointing out that this approach was far too leisurely for an emergency situation.

I thought their grievances were valid. In most cases when dealing with armed criminals who still had the will to fight, it was common for police to discharge their magazines before examining what was “left.”

However, for this particular moment, I believed there was no better way to eliminate the enemies while safeguarding the maximum number of people.

No, considering this, it’s dangerous for them! With two lethal weapons blocking the escape route, if the robbers were pushed out, where would they go?

“We operate based solely on regulations. And we’re still the first team to arrive since we were closest on-site; the main unit has not yet… oh my.”

I threw a bait like it was an accident while responding to a dissatisfied passenger on the opposite side and then fell silent.

In case any sharp-eyed ragamuffin familiar with police procedures might be present, I skillfully mixed truth and lies, even adding in unexpected angles.

It should have eventually sparked some courage!

However, as I looked at them, they…

“…gulp.”

“……”

They hesitated and glanced my way, yet none actively tried to carve out a path forward.

Had these idiots truly not picked up on what I was implying?!

To think I would have to nudge them all the way to the bitter end… They were bothersome from beginning to end.

“…Rosaline? I’m sorry, but could you send a communication pretending to be a part of the gang leader’s cyberware to that person over there? Make it sound a bit urgent, like if they don’t return to the hovercraft now, they’ll dash away.”

“!! Of course, sis!”

Feeling pressed while performing a one-person show, I took a chance and asked her, and she seemed more than happy to assist, eagerly tapping at the keyboard.

…I’ll avoid pointing out how she already had voice modulation software and cyberware firewall bypass tools prepared, as though it was a matter of course.

After all, earlier, when they were asking which software to use and if there were any original masterpieces they could take a look at, I claimed ignorance to distance myself.

“…Hurry…!”

The captain’s face twisted in a mix of various grudges as if he couldn’t believe things had gone this far.

However, if there was only one conclusion that could be drawn from the sheer effort expended, it was whether there was any reason to fear something blowing up?

“F**k!! Charge! No, just shoot while you run!! If we can take them out before we’re surrounded, we can escape!!”

“Wow, you’re making decisions fast. Alright, we’ll just toy around with them and create a path before slipping away.”

With a yell, the desperate charge commenced.

Some who were nearby didn’t want to be in the lead and tried to pull back, but upon the chief kicking their rear, they reluctantly got moving.

Bang! Bang!! Bam—!

Zero deftly deflected the torrent of gunfire that wasn’t aimed at anyone specific, mostly avoiding it while Asyef tilted his head but complied with my request.

“…Well, there’s no need to kill them all.”

“……”

No, I really have no intention of showing mercy.

Even though the enemies were in front of us, playing sounds of chaos like guests hunted inside a haunted house, I completely turned my gaze away from them.

The more I looked, the more nauseating it became to see those revolting attitudes that valued their own lives over anyone else’s.

Quietly. I dangle my legs idly to kill time.

“Now, what should I do next?” Or perhaps, “No, it’s all finished now.” Such trivial conversations happened, but aside from that, the cabin remained tranquil.

Gradually, the loud footsteps of the intruders echoing along the train hallway waned, and disturbances shifted outside to the parked vehicles.

When we finally arrived, I would find no sight of the driver who had contacted us, nor any of those who had been separated. Yet they seemed completely unfazed as they cranked the ignition.

It appeared they were mistakenly elated, thinking they had found escape routes purely on their luck and strength.

At this point, I couldn’t help but be concerned whether they had all managed to board correctly. …Who knows. If there are any remaining stragglers, when the stick-wielders of our people arrive beyond the sand hill, they’ll likely resolve things on their own.

– Target successfully guided into our containment. Preparing the workstation immediately. –

“My stubbornness caused everyone unnecessary trouble… but us? Workstation?”

I returned a complimentary gesture to Asyef, whose smile had become overly familiar and relaxed.

I hadn’t intended to finish things in front of everyone watching like this… But, unexpectedly, it became somewhat like an open kitchen situation.

Though I had no particular achievements to boast of, a part of me wanted to return to my room to work. However, I could not afford to delay further.

If it got caught in the signal amplifier’s range while hesitating, it would create a huge problem.

Clunk….

Zero’s back panel opened.

Like an airplane seat back flipping up, the concealed keyboard and monitor appeared, revealing a folding antenna that had been stored inside.

With small-scale skirmishes happening in quick succession, there were some scratches on the outside, but fortunately, the internal equipment seemed to be intact.

“…Can you notify me when we approach the wireless network’s altitude limit? I need to blow it up before that.”

As soon as I finished speaking, I focused my mind.

The technique was similar to an abyss dive. I became acutely aware of the connected system, as if a new arm had been added to my body, reaching out toward that desert.

The installed amplification circuitry and Zero’s computational assistance bridged the gaps unreachable by my signal, stretching out… eventually ensnaring the retreating hovercraft.

Even butterflies caught in spiderwebs resist, yet the vehicle, already prepped for such actions, began to soar into the sky, disregarding the driver’s and gang members’ wishes.

“&$^*@#…?!”

A wave of vibrations echoed intensely due to the many shouts, but I ignored it. I would have no answer if asked what kind of chaos unfolded inside.

I also had no intention of watching that scene, and there was no mercy left to show now.

Most of the robbers, unable to stand upright due to the almost vertical position, fell to the back of the hovercraft, but amongst that, a few quick-witted ones managed to cling to the exit door as they rushed to leap out.

Desperately trying to open the door and jump down, but… well, in anticipation of that, I had thoroughly adjusted the opening mechanism.

The control was already out of control, and the doors would never open.

If anyone had the inclination to check the dashboard, they would see the overheating levels had long surpassed the threshold, plunging the power source and engine into a meltdown state, with the screen lit up bright red.

…Admittedly, it sounded quite terrifying when viewed collectively, but I thought it was a rather mild punishment. At least it would end swiftly, sparing them from feeling pain.

– Observed critical point collapse, concluding operation. –

“Ah, thank you, Zero…”

BOOM——!!

The shockwaves spread, causing the train to tremble slightly.

Turning my head to look outside the window, I saw the deep blue sky and the scorching desert giving way to a violent plasma explosion.

With this, the operational records evaporated, and the figures able to testify about acquisition disappeared, yielding a satisfactory result. I felt a sense of relief.

Yet? The two who had witnessed everything being definitively resolved seemed to carry somewhat different sentiments.

“It’s not a bad thing to be certain. …Our relationship being uncertain might be fortunate in some ways.”

“…Sister Anastasia is a scary type that leaves no room for future troubles.”

While I brushed off the seemingly incomprehensible words from Asyef, I thought I should clarify Rosaline’s unusual misunderstanding, as she was shivering, quite possibly due to the overly strong air conditioning I had set.

“No…? I actually think I often spill things, only to pick them up later.”

“…….”

Reflecting on my experiences in city life, which had been an endless cycle of learning from mistakes and barely gathering the pieces, I offered a sincere reply.

Both of them seemed to accept it absentee-mindedly, leaving me feeling a bit unsettled, but regardless, the train hijacking incident that had been akin to an utter mess had finally reached its conclusion.

★ ☆ ★ ☆ ★

…Drop!

A controlled droplet of blood gently fell onto a perfectly clear glass pane.

Soon after… another droplet plinked down. But this time, it was a medical fluid loaded with nanobots.

Fearing that precious samples might get contaminated with his secretions or bodily fluids, the professor was operating the medical equipment entirely outside the sterilization room in his quest to quell his curiosity.

“…How’s the reaction?”

– The sample robots report a loss rate of 0%, identical to that of ordinary blood, sir. –

“Is that… good news or just plain boring, I wonder…!”

Grumbling, the professor leaned back in his chair and stretched as hard as he could.

In truth, nothing would change by doing this.

The nanobots injected into the extracted blood could have been intact, but that didn’t guarantee it was due to the brainwaves; it could just as well have been a sheer coincidence of individual peculiarities converging together.

Ultimately, the hypothesis remained simply a hypothesis.

There were way too many uncontrolled variables and inadequately identical premises.

Even so, the professor had shown such interest because… it stirred an odd sense of déjà vu within him.

A woman he had never encountered before, not even a single memory, prior to Helena bringing her—Anastasia Valentine.

Having taken her in recently while she attempted to become homeless, he had come to frequently cross paths with her and reaffirm this feeling, yet the source of the déjà vu wasn’t her appearance at all.

It was something more fundamental… that aching feeling he had experienced at the time of the initial suitability test. Awe.

To put it grandly, the moment he observed the essence of existence (Identity), the jolt of electricity that sprang forth had triggered the déjà vu.

“…Huh.”

However, such a dangerous connection in the unknown realm was nonexistent. He was no longer a special individual.

The nondisclosure agreement he had signed when leaving MegaCorp had already expired, and the projects he had participated in during his active years had already been commercialized, allowing ordinary people easy access to them.

Strictly speaking… he was now a nobody. Therefore, he lived a leisurely life, referring to himself as simply a doctor.

Thud thud thud…!

After the fun of tidying up today’s small research assignment, as he was discarding the prepared samples and resetting the equipment records, the shop door was suddenly pounded on very harshly.

When it came to rudeness levels, the guest was almost akin to a bombing raid, causing Jenny, who had an eye on intruding into the housewife’s territory, to raise an eyebrow.

Since the professor, who had grown weary with everything, certainly wouldn’t want this, she politely but firmly expressed her refusal to the visitor.

– We have concluded our operations at this implant shop today. If you have a personal inquiry, please come back tomorrow… “I am from the Enema Corporation.” …Ah? –

Without any additional descriptors, yet with a commanding tone that clearly demanded the other party’s understanding.

With just that one sentence, she had to cease her interference, as one of the professor’s requests was to handle any matter relating to his ‘former workplace’ personally.

“…The door is open, so come on in.”

– ……. –

Jenny stepped back from the door and quietly took her place next to the professor’s desk.

She was an android meant for him under any circumstance, a precautionary measure, but upon confirming the guest’s appearance, she couldn’t ascertain how helpful she would actually be.

Dressed entirely in black combat armor from head to toe.

The skin that peeked through was adorned with implant patterns that even Jenny, teeming with the latest academic data, couldn’t discern.

And most critically, the atmosphere was far more inorganic than an android.

All of these pointed toward one thing—the Tracker boasted by Enema Corporation.

“Are you Dr. Alexei Makarovich, the brother of Dr. Boris Makarovich?”

“…Compared to my brother, being called ‘Doctor’ seems quite ludicrous, but if you are referring to him, then I guess it is me.”

Striding forward as if considering surrounding objects hardly worth worrying about.

The Tracker, who had rarely stood with proper posturing, approached the professor’s desk and immediately revealed the matter at hand.

“First, I must express my regrets. Boris Makarovich has passed away. Due to complex internal circumstances, we are only now informing you of his death; the headquarters has given an unusual directive to relay our apologies. I believe you, as a retired researcher, would understand.”

“……”

The professor’s mouth, which had unconsciously opened, moved as if it would say something… then fell shut.

Feelings he found difficult to express surged within him, yet on one hand, he might not feel much upon hearing from a family member he had forgotten for so long.

No, the latter absolutely wasn’t true. He simply had no words for the Tracker, but deep down, a murky undercurrent stirred within him.

“How long has it been since you lost contact with Boris Makarovich?”

“…! I erased my contact information alongside the nondisclosure agreement and haven’t been in the same area for a decade or so…!!”

The professor was about to show frustration at the absurdity of the question but upon raising his head and encountering the utterly still black helmet and the cold eyes beyond it, he realized the truth.

He had briefly forgotten after so long, but Trackers were not sent out on simple external errands, especially not for a lab that was no longer active. Thus… he had just been tested. In other words, he had narrowly escaped a potentially lethal predicament.

“…Vital check complete. Blood pressure, pulse, breathing, body temperature, and pupil dilation as indicators of anger and agitation. Upon comprehensive assessment, the connection to the crime is deemed minimal; therefore, we will proceed with the recruitment protocol.”

“Damn…”

Waving a hand back at Jenny, who was growing anxious, the professor reassured, throwing out any curses that he could without care, slumping back into his chair as usual.

It was a clear visualization of his determination to listen to whatever was said, only to let it pass through one ear and out the other, but his human curiosity couldn’t help but spark a bit of interest.

“I’m currently assessing the possibilities of reactivating the unfinished project that Dr. Makarovich was advancing. I wasn’t given the authority to even know its name, but you are an experienced individual, so I’ve been briefed that you would understand with so little.”

“…My brother’s project.”

As the professor’s murmur prompted a cascade of memories, an infinite array of information unfolded and closed from the drawers of countless recollections.

Belief, liberation, integrity—terms that were difficult to reconcile with science sprung forth chaotically before eventually being carefully reassembled.

“…Pfft!”

At last, the professor successfully dredged up the source of his déjà vu from the depths of his memories, letting out a quiet laugh.

Parting with one’s own kin carries sorrow, but what delights a researcher more than discovering the truths they have been pursuing all their lives?

Having considered this, the professor gladly rejected the offer of rejoining Enema.

He felt there was no need for a deficient person like him to touch already completed projects; witnessing the follies of the former workplace while being unable to grasp its fruits seemed much more entertaining from a distance.

…Well, maybe one day. When the watchful eyes of scrutiny lessen, it would make for a fine memorial ceremony to return to Neo Haven in place of his deceased brother and meet her from a different perspective.