I Woke Up Piloting the Strongest Starship, so I Became a Space Mercenary - Chapter 559

Wondering if there was anything I could do about Chris’s overwhelming workload, I decided to bring up the idea of getting help from machine intelligence while everyone was gathered. Better keep my voice low, just in case.

「This might be coming from someone who lacks critical knowledge and is completely unburdened by political ties, but... would it really be such a bad idea to get some help from a machine intelligence with Chris’ duties as a star system governor?」

With Elma, Serena, Chris, and Mei all here, I figured I could get a solid answer to my question. But the looks I got in response—from Elma, Serena, and Chris—were about as sour as if they’d just bitten into a whole tray of bitter bugs. Mei, of course, remained expressionless as ever.

「I’ve been thinking this for a while, but folks connected to the Imperial nobility really seem to have this aversion to machine intelligences. I don’t know the details, but I get that it’s a super touchy subject. Still, I want to talk about it properly.」

As I said that, the others started exchanging glances and rapid-fire hand gestures in a silent flurry. Honestly, it looked like they were performing some kind of high-speed pantomime. Judging by the vibe, they’re trying to foist the explanation onto each other.

「Maybe I should just ask Mei.」

「I have no objection.」

Hearing that exchange, the other three visibly flinched and froze. Then, after a brief bout of even more frantic silent communication, Elma let out a small sigh and hung her head. Looks like she’s the one who has been picked as the spokesperson.

「Do you remember the story about how the Empire once fought a war against machine intelligences?」

「Yeah, I heard about it in the Sierra system. From Miro, I think.」

I wonder how Miro—the machine intelligence that used to manage that resort planet—is doing these days. That guy was pretty funny, despite being an AI. I mean, he had a sales quota for maidroids and tried to push Mei on me, after all.

「The thing is, the ending of that war... was a lie.」

「The ending... oh right. Wasn’t it something like, people who developed a bond with machine intelligences came forward and convinced the others that they could understand each other, and they eventually made peace?」

「Right, they did reach a reconciliation. But the truth is, the Empire basically lost to the machine intelligences.」

「...Huh.」

Now that she mentions it, that actually makes a lot of sense. I don’t know exactly how powerful their computing capabilities were back then, but machine intelligence is essentially a form of electronic life. As long as they have access to a networked device, they can infiltrate and control it. Any device.

And probably, they can flee into any system that offers enough computing power and memory to sustain their ‘existence’.

How do you even beat something like that? I can’t think of any winning strategy. Maybe if you developed a truly lethal computer virus designed to take them out—but that’s electronic warfare, and that’s their turf. No way we’d win on that front.

「Okay, so the Empire actually lost the war, sure. But how does that connect to the nobility being so averse to machine intelligences? I mean, the reconciliation was peaceful, wasn’t it?」

「It was... but here’s the thing: we’re being watched.」

「It’s most regrettable to hear it phrased that way. We merely observe and safeguard the citizens of the Empire from the shadows, both in light and dark.」

Elma’s ominous comment earned a calm protest from Mei. That sudden drop of a disturbing phrase got my heart thumping—for real.

「Wait, what do you mean by ‘being watched’?」

「If a noble starts indulging in personal greed and abuses their people... somehow, somewhere, a warning always comes. A message that says, ‘We’re watching you.’」

「Okay, yeah, that’s scary. Go on.」

「If the noble ignores the warning and keeps acting out, weird things start happening. Appliances start breaking one after another. Then, if they still ignore the warnings, industrial facilities, power grids, infrastructure—those start experiencing mysterious malfunctions. And if even that doesn’t stop them, personal assets start vanishing into thin air...」

「Scary! Too scary! That’s straight-up from a horror flick. But wait—how the hell did the Ixamal House get away with all their crimes and generally shady behavior then?」

「There are ways to avoid surveillance. The trick is to create an environment completely disconnected from any external networks. If you conduct your shady business entirely within that closed system, the machine intelligences can’t detect it. Of course, doing that thoroughly is extremely difficult... I suspect they developed some kind of counter-technology on their own.」

Elma furrowed her brows as she said that. Some kind of counter-technology, huh? To slip past machine intelligences? I can’t even begin to imagine. Maybe they got help from rogue machine intelligences that sided with them?

「Well, never mind the Ixamal House. I get why nobles have an aversion to machine intelligences now. But then, why not use them for governance?」

「Ah, well... even if you go through the official channels, in the end, the machine intelligence ends up taking over. If you act up too much or can’t manage your domain properly, they quietly take control. Over time, the notion spread that relying on them for governance is the mark of a failure as a noble. And if you hand over governance entirely, it raises the question of what purpose nobles even serve.」

「I think I get it... kinda.」

I personally think it’s best to use whatever tools you can to make your life easier. But the nobles of the Grakkan Empire clearly don’t—or rather, can’t—see it that way. What a hassle.

「Master, to bow your head and ask for help from someone who defeated you is a painful wound to one’s pride.」

「I see. So it’s like—yeah, we lost the war, but there’s no way we’re letting you take over our governance too. We’re still in control here.」

「Hey, hey! You two, wrap those words in a bit more tact! You’re going to make a lot of enemies saying things like that!」

Mei’s blunt summary was refreshingly clear—but evidently quite dangerous in noble circles. Nobles are such a pain.

「Okay, how about this—what if we made an android identical to Chris and had it act as her double...?」

「That would be extremely dangerous. People who dislike machine intelligence might take it as proof that they’ve secretly infiltrated noble society and are replacing nobles with androids. That could very well spark a second war. Besides, creating androids indistinguishable from humans is a violation of the treaty.」

「Dang... nothing’s ever easy, huh.」

Yeah, when I think about it, that is a classic sci-fi horror setup—replacing people with androids, your friends and family switched out without you even realizing. Definitely something that’d stir up fear.

Time to shift perspectives.

「I mean, I’m not a real noble. So it shouldn’t be a problem if I work with machine intelligence, right?」

「「「...Huh?」」」

The three of them blinked at me in surprise.

「I didn’t undergo any of the noble enhancement surgeries. And if I rely on a machine intelligence to help Chris, maybe it’ll be overlooked since I’m not a true noble?」

Technically, I do hold a title in the Grakkan Empire, but it’s an honorary viscountcy that came with the Gold Star medal. In other words, I’m a one-generation-only fake noble. I didn’t even get the usual noble augmentations. If someone like me enlists the help of a machine intelligence to support his wife, what’s the problem?

「That’s... technically true.」

「So it’s a maybe-not-impossible situation...?」

「Still can’t believe how good you are at thinking up weird but effective loopholes... Though your noble reputation’s going straight into the dirt.」

「It’s not like I had a reputation to begin with. I’m a fake noble who didn’t even get the surgery. If my reputation tanks but Chris gets to breathe easier, then it’s totally worth it.」

At that, the three of them exchanged glances and began thinking things over.

If we’re going to recruit a new machine intelligence, maybe we should pay a visit to Miro. Last time we went on vacation there, it ended kind of halfway. Going back now with the current crew sounds like a solid plan.

The Marquis did say he wanted us to go on a honeymoon. If we can work Sierra System into the route, that’d be perfect. Most of all... I want to see everyone in swimsuits.

Yeah, let’s go. We have to go. I’ve made up my mind—our honeymoon destination is the Sierra System. Decision made. Screw the wedding ceremony—let’s finish that ASAP, grab Serena’s ship, and head out.