Sasaki and Peeps - Volume 6 - Chapter 3.1

The blinding glow illuminated us as we entrusted ourselves to fate.

After a while, we felt a particularly heavy impact, and the boat stopped rocking.

After that, I felt the light dim though my tightly closed lids. Had something turned down the brightness, or had I simply grown used to it? Though I couldn’t be sure, I slowly cracked open my eyes.

The first thing I saw was a big, wide-open space. We were in a room—about as large as a school gymnasium—and our swan boat was sitting in the middle of it.

Unlike the pitch-black surface of the lake, this place was bright, with plenty of illumination. The floor, walls, and ceiling were all made of the same material, which had a metallic luster to it. Every few moments, I’d see light darting across the surface. Why was that?

I quickly looked around but couldn’t find the hole the boat had been lifted through.

What’s more, there were a number of other people in the same space with us. Most of them were in small groups, standing some distance apart from the others. For example, there was a group of white men and women wearing suits, one of Middle Eastern people in kanduras, and a band of Asians who seemed to be senior military officers. I even spotted a few clusters of people in casual dress, just like us.

There were a dozen or so groups in the room. When they saw us, they started conversing among themselves. Everything I heard was in a foreign language. Talk about international exchange.

“Hey, I feel like we really stand out here,” said Miss Hoshizaki.

“Who wouldn’t in a boat like this?” replied Ms. Futarishizuka.

“It seems we were the only ones taken while aboard a vehicle,” I pointed out.

Suddenly feeling too awkward to disembark, we sat back down on the boat and continued our discussion.

After a little while spent observing the others, we spotted a familiar face. There was a group consisting of a few people in suits and others in military uniform, and among them was a girl in very bright blue clothing. Her hair was the same color as her outfit. If I wasn’t mistaken, that was First Lieutenant Ivy, the magical girl from a certain allied country whom we’d just met the other day. When I looked closer, I could even make out Captain Mason right next to her.

A ways away, we also spotted that nerdy rank-A psychic. He was the only Asian in a group of blond, blue-eyed people. Could they be psychics he’s friendly with? I wondered. Or were they sent by a sponsor as extra firepower? The sight brought to mind all kinds of possibilities.

“Hey, isn’t that the blue magical girl over there?” asked Miss Hoshizaki.

“And I see an acquaintance of yours a little further off, Ms. Futarishizuka,” I added.

Another group contained some faces I thought I’d seen in political or financial news, and while nobody said anything to me, I felt myself straighten up anyway. I might not know what was going on, but at the very least, I could tell that we’d gotten ourselves into quite the sticky situation.

At this rate, in addition to those we’d already spotted, there could be additional psychics, magical girls, and even Disciples from the death game in the mix. Depending on how things played out, a battle could very well erupt right here. That was a scary thought.

“Does this place seem a bit big to you?” mused Ms. Futarishizuka. “Compared to what sucked us up anyway.”

“Are you implying we could have been teleported?” I asked.

“Yes. In fact, I think it’s likely.”

“Did these people all decipher the message, too?” wondered Miss Hoshizaki aloud.

“I bet they did,” I replied.

“Don’t go using your powers on people we don’t know, girlie.”

“I—I wouldn’t do that!”

Unwilling to make any rash moves, we continued our conversation in the boat.

After a short time, there was a change in the massive room as an image suddenly flicked onto one of the walls. Our swan boat was facing it, so we were able to watch while still seated. There was a stir among the others, with everyone present turning their attention to the wall.

Displayed on it were words in a variety of languages. One of them was Japanese.

It said this: I WILL BESTOW OUR TECHNOLOGY UPON THOSE WHO GIVE ME WHAT I DESIRE.

A single sentence, but an attractive proposal. The clamor in the room grew even louder as everyone read the message on the wall. Those in each group exchanged glances, then launched into fervent discussions.

We were no exception.

“I’m fine with a trade, but how do we discuss it with them?” asked Miss Hoshizaki.

“I expect we’re being watched,” I said.

“You don’t think they’ll ask us to kill one another—and give the prize to the last one standing, do you?” said Ms. Futarishizuka.

“I’m not sure what they’d get out of an arrangement like that.”

Then, as if in response to all the noise, something happened in a corner of the room. Where there had once been a plain wall, there was now a passage. Part of the surface had smoothly slid away, revealing a path that led farther in.

At the same time, the words on the first wall changed. Now it displayed a pair of numbers—probably the latitude and longitude for a location.

“Do you think those are coordinates they communicated?” wondered Ms. Futarishizuka.

“Highly likely,” I said.

Upon seeing the numbers, each group began glancing around at the others. The atmosphere grew tense as everyone tried to figure out who they belonged to. It reminded me of a school classroom after the teacher finds a lewd book someone smuggled in and starts homeroom with a search for the culprit.

After a while, a group near the center began walking toward the passage. Every single one of them looks nervous as hell, I thought. The small, meek-faced group vanished beyond the wall. As the last one entered the passage, the hole closed back up—which only caused a bigger fuss among those left behind.

It was starting to feel like we’d just been dropped into some kind of horror game.

“Never thought we’d be forced into a competition in a crazy place like this,” said Ms. Futarishizuka.

“Hey, Sasaki,” Miss Hoshizaki said, “what do you think they ‘desire’ or whatever?”

“I can think of many possibilities,” I replied. “Resources, food…”

“You think they want everyday necessities?” cut in Ms. Futarishizuka. “No one would put on this kind of production for stuff like that, would they?”

We traded banter for a little while, until after about ten minutes, another entrance opened. We stared, wondering if the group that had just left was coming back, but no one emerged.

Instead, the coordinates displayed on the wall changed. I got the feeling they were telling the next group to enter.

“The people who left didn’t come back?” said Ms. Futarishizuka. “How very terrifying.”

“You don’t think they were killed for failing negotiations, do you?” asked Miss Hoshizaki.

“It’s equally plausible they were returned through a different exit,” I pointed out.

As the tension rose to a zenith among those remaining, we saw some groups start to drift together. Maybe they’d decided it was better to join forces for everyone’s safety than to try to go it alone in order to claim the prize for themselves.

Eventually, the second group headed toward the passageway—it was the group with Magical Blue and Captain Mason. As they left, I met First Lieutenant Ivy’s eyes as she cast a glance over her shoulder.

A little while after they left, another opening appeared in the wall. Once again, the previous group didn’t come back. Despite this, the next one made their way to the passage. I assumed they were all here for professional reasons, just like we were.

“Even if they only spend a few minutes with each group, it will take a while for them to get through everyone here,” I remarked.

“It’s a good thing they took the boat along with us. We have seats—a real boon for the hips,” said Ms. Futarishizuka.

“What should we do if we have to go to the bathroom?” asked Miss Hoshizaki.

“Ugh, just saying that will make me want to go. Could you not?”

I glanced over the rest of the groups and saw a couple of people’s thighs already fidgeting. I assumed the stress wasn’t doing them any favors. One man had taken off his suit and was tying it over his eyes as a blindfold.

“I’d like to blow this popsicle stand before it becomes a smelly, festering mess,” said Ms. Futarishizuka.

“Then maybe we should figure out a plan of action,” I suggested.

“Did you have something in mind?” asked Miss Hoshizaki.

“We don’t know the other party’s situation, so I think we should consider several different possibilities and come up with answers to them all. We probably won’t have much time to discuss once we’re called on.”

“Right you are,” said Futarishizuka.

And so, still sitting in the swan boat, we talked through this and that in preparation for the competition. Two or three more hours passed as we waited for our turn. Eventually, every group except for ours had gone, leaving us all alone.

“Looks like we’re last, huh?” said Miss Hoshizaki.

“Maybe we were called in the order in which we got here,” I suggested.

“Now that you mention it, nobody arrived after us.”

“Seeing the excrement left behind by the others is making this experience feel a lot more real,” said Ms. Futarishizuka.

A few minutes after the previous group left, the numbers on the wall changed to coordinates we recognized. Simultaneously, an entrance slid open in the same place as before, revealing a passage. We got out of the swan boat and made our way over.

But after taking a few steps, I suddenly thought better of it. Stopping, I looked back at my two coworkers. “Ms. Futarishizuka, could we bring the boat with us?” I asked.

“You’re being unreasonable again.”

“Well, we did inconvenience the shop to borrow it, so I’d like to return it safely if we can.”

“It can’t possibly fit into the passage.”

“Really? I think it might just barely get through,” said Miss Hoshizaki.

“……”

This seemed to frustrate our remaining colleague. Nevertheless, she dutifully went back to the boat and picked it up. It was an incredibly weird sight, considering her youthful appearance. The boat was almost three meters long—probably even heavier than your average motorcycle. I’d been planning to use flotation magic or something in order to keep her power a secret.

“Um, I was going to help with that…,” I said.

“But I can carry it myself, see?” she replied. “And if something happens, we’ll need at least one person to react immediately, hmm? In exchange, you and she can take the vanguard. You’d better keep me safe.”

“Understood.” I nodded, taking the lead as we headed for the passage. Futarishizuka followed, trotting along in the role of backup player. Behind her, acting as rear guard, was Miss Hoshizaki.

Our senior was right—the big swan did indeed barely fit into the passage. Though the opening was wider than a hallway you might find in someone’s home, it was still only about two meters across.

The walls were undecorated and led straight ahead. Their texture, as well as that of the floor and ceiling, were unchanged from the previous room. After continuing for a dozen or so meters, we turned a corner. Then we covered about the same distance again before catching sight of an open area up ahead.

Is that where the interviews are being conducted? I wondered. We’d already finished our discussions, so we continued straight ahead without stopping.

The room at the end of the passage was about thirty or forty square meters. Actually, the term space was probably more appropriate. Like the previous area, there were no pieces of furniture or appliances of any sort. The metallic sheen of the floor and ceiling only increased the effect.

A single person stood in the center of the space—a girl.

She looked younger than Miss Hoshizaki but older than Ms. Futarishizuka. Her lustrous silvery hair and bright-red eyes were especially striking. Her clothing consisted of a simple one-piece dress and a round hat. The predominantly black outfit contrasted well with her pale skin.

She greeted us with a masklike, impassive face.

“Are we in the right place for the competition?” asked Ms. Futarishizuka as soon as we came to a stop. There was a thump as she placed the swan boat back down.

Immediately, I worried she’d damaged the floor—a side effect of being a lifelong renter. Come to think of it, I never got my deposit back on my old place.

In any case, once our little group lined up facing our host, she reacted quickly.

“You three will be the last of my planned inquiries.”

Her Japanese was fluent, though her voice sounded somewhat robotic. For now, I was just relieved we’d be able to communicate. I cast a glance to my side and saw our senior coworker exhale in relief.

“We’d appreciate if you told us your name,” said Ms. Futarishizuka. “We came a long way to meet you. If you would rather we introduce ourselves first, then you may call me Futarishizuka. The tall one here is named Sasaki, while the smaller one is Hoshizaki.”

As part of our discussions, we’d decided Ms. Futarishizuka’s role would be to lead the conversation. Miss Hoshizaki and I were no match for her in negotiation skills. The older, the wiser, indeed. Instead, I would prepare for the worst and concentrate on maintaining the barrier I’d put up around everyone.

“To state my name in accordance with the rules of your language,” the girl responded, “I am Independent Multipurpose Early-Model Frontier Sector-Pioneering Long-Range Space Cruiser Type Three-Seven-Six-Nine. However, this point of contact possesses a unique manufacturing name.”

“Should I take that to mean you are the spaceship itself?”

“Your perception is correct. This point of contact is one with the control functions of this vessel.”

“Then, if possible, I’d like to know the manufacturing name of…this point of contact, I suppose?”

“To state this point of contact’s name in accordance with your language, it is Humanoid Point of Contact Type Twelve, based on Independently Operational Small Point of Contact Basic Design Three-Five-Seven-Eight-One, whose primary objective is to facilitate communication with local life-forms.”

“Does that mean there are eleven others like you?”

“Yes. However, only this Type Twelve is currently operative.”

The term point of contact seemed to refer to the person we were currently speaking to. And even she, judging from her manufacturing identifier, was, like the ship, not a living creature but an artificial construct. Thoughts of androids naturally filled my mind. I’m going to go ahead and guess this UFO definitely came from outer space. As it turned out, the guy from the occult magazine on that news broadcast had actually gotten it right.

“Looking at you like this, you seem perfectly human to me,” noted Ms. Futarishizuka. “You must be quite high-tech.”

“I utilized this vessel’s equipment to manufacture a form capable of achieving communication with you.”

“When you say this vessel, does that mean there are others, such as the one that sucked us up?”

“Your thinking is correct.”

Now we knew why the area we’d been made to wait in had felt so much bigger than the strange flying object that had appeared over the lake. Considering the international character of the people gathered here, there could be little doubt that some sort of warp technology was used. But then how many spaceships are floating above Earth in total?

“Since you’re able to emulate our appearance, does that mean you’ve been investigating this planet for years? Or is your technology so advanced that you can produce a humanoid robot in a single day?”

“The answer to both of your questions is yes.”

“Then I assume you know what resources exist here.”

“Geological surveys for this planet and those nearby are already complete.”

The girl was providing information quite readily in response to Ms. Futarishizuka’s questions. We’d come up with a few ideas during the wait about what we might be told, but hearing it in person from an actual alien still came as a shock. Though thanks to my prior experiences with the otherworld and the bureau, it didn’t unsettle me too much—at least, not so much that I did something rash.

Personally, the existence of aliens hit me a lot harder than the idea of a parallel fantasy world. Witnessing technology so far beyond that of humankind felt kind of like a rejection of my very existence. Humans might reign over Earth, but to the greater universe, we were probably more like animals let out to pasture or microbes locked in a composting toilet.

“Changing the topic slightly,” said Ms. Futarishizuka, “is this spaceship unmanned?”

“The answer to that question is yes, but it includes a misunderstanding on one point.”

“A misunderstanding? If I’ve gotten something wrong, I’d appreciate if you could correct me.”

“Our cultural sphere is dominated by what those on your planet would class as machines. In our civilization, beings you see as intelligent life-forms hold no more value than pet animals. Thus, none of our vessels are ‘manned.’”

“…Oh. I see.” Ms. Futarishizuka seemed as surprised by this revelation as I was. She was managing to keep her poker face, but I detected a subtle gasp that was very unlike her—and showed just how rattled she was. While we’d considered several possibilities relating to an alien visitation, we hadn’t considered that intelligent life-forms might be like pets to them.

To one side of me, Miss Hoshizaki’s eyes had gone wide. I, too, was in shock.

In spite of herself, my senior colleague asked a question. “D-does that mean all life has been wiped out by machines?”

“It does not. Creatures within our cultural sphere are administered to appropriately. Those that present risks may be disposed of, but they represent a minority. In some undeveloped sectors, they are used as resources.”

It appeared the conversation had veered into some dangerous topics. Ms. Futarishizuka shut her mouth and entered thinking mode. Meanwhile, the girl continued.

“I will explain using your world’s concept of the Kardashev scale. Considering the rate of evolution of the organic life-forms you define as ‘creatures,’ it has been determined that there is a zero percent chance of reaching type I civilization status within a planet’s life span.”

Suddenly the girl was hitting me with a lot of words I didn’t understand. I really should have read some sci-fi novels or something before this.

“We have repeatedly run verification tests, but there have been zero successful instances thus far,” she explained.

“Then is our planet one of the instances you’re testing?” prompted Ms. Futarishizuka.

“At present, there are no traces of our civilization in this galaxy, other than myself.”

“So our planet would be considered an undeveloped region or perhaps something even more remote?”

“That is what we have determined.”

There were a few points I was unsure of, but I was starting to get the gist of what was going on. From the aliens’ point of view, we probably seemed like a bunch of monkeys howling in a planet-size zoo. But in that case, I had to wonder: Why in the world would they bring us aboard their ship? What transaction could be so important to them?

Ms. Futarishizuka seemed to be thinking along the same lines, and her next words had a twinge of self-deprecation. “Then what could such an impressive spaceship want from a frontier planet full of apes?”

“I will now make my inquiry.”

“I hope it’s something we can answer.”

The girl made a formal announcement signaling the end of our preliminary exchange of information. I started to tense up, on the edge of my seat wondering what sort of impossible problem she’d present us with.

But when I heard the question, all that tension crumbled into nothing.

“What is ‘family’ to you?”

This wasn’t even close to what we’d discussed in the waiting room. In fact, it also seemed completely unrelated to our discussion up until that point. Ms. Futarishizuka seemed taken aback, her expression screaming “What the hell?” Miss Hoshizaki and I were in total agreement.

Ignoring our reactions, the girl prompted us to reply. “Futarishizuka, Hoshizaki, Sasaki, provide your answer in that order.”

I wondered if she was using the order we’d spoken in and realized I had yet to say a single word.

“Just to make sure we’re on the same page in terms of vocabulary,” said Ms. Futarishizuka, “before I answer, I’d like to clarify. Are you referring to groups, related by blood, including—generally—a married husband and wife as well as their children and grandchildren?”

“Your thinking is correct.”

“Then there can be only one answer.” Ms. Futarishizuka smirked. She delivered her next words boldly and proudly. “A family is the crystallization of love. It is a relationship based on mutual affection and tenderness. We humans carry on into the next generation through family. At times, the love between family is so pure and altruistic, one might ignore their own survival to save another!”

That all sounded great, but considering it was Ms. Futarishizuka saying it, it came off as more than a little dubious. That ecstatic look on her face assured me she was only saying whatever came to mind, and the way she spread out her arms made her seem like some shady cult leader. If she’d said all that to Peeps, the mark on her hand might have started expanding.

“I have understood Futarishizuka’s viewpoint. Next is Hoshizaki.”

“She already answered,” complained our colleague. “Do I really have do it, too?”

“Should you have no viewpoint, that is a valid answer.”

“No, that’s not it. I have views on family just like anyone else.”

“Then I would like to know those views.”

“Um…” Miss Hoshizaki began to grow flustered under the girl’s stare. After appearing to think for a moment, she said, “For us humans, family is natural. It’s something that evolved with us before we even learned to talk. That’s why you have to treasure family—and why it’s inexcusable to betray them.”

I could see her love for her sister and her anger toward her father in her views. It was a Hoshizaki answer, through and through. I found myself hoping she could live the rest of her life with that same straightforward earnestness.

“I have understood Hoshizaki’s viewpoint. Next is Sasaki.”

“Right. Let’s see…”

After hearing my colleague’s answers, I’d already decided on my own. Following my senior’s example, I appeared to think for a moment before offering it to the girl.

“Each person’s situation varies, but if I were to average out the experience of our whole species, I would describe ‘family’ as a group of strangers you happen to be a little friendlier with.”

“Wait, Sasaki, that’s going too far, isn’t it?” complained Miss Hoshizaki. “That sounds so lonely.”

Both of my colleagues had delivered strong appeals to familial love, so I provided the opposite. It seemed important to have some variation within the group if we wanted the highest chance of giving the “correct” answer. Miss Hoshizaki didn’t seem very convinced, though, and she’d immediately snapped at me. She’s not throwing away her youth for nothing, I thought. It’s all for her sister.

“Why do you have to chime in?” said Ms. Futarishizuka.

“Because it’s so lonely! Sasaki, do you always think about stuff that way?”

“Not on a daily basis, no,” I replied. “But I believe it is closer to the objective truth.”

Miss Hoshizaki still didn’t seem satisfied as she stared at me. I felt bad, but I couldn’t reveal my plan to her—we were in front of the question giver, after all. As a result, I wound up giving weird, awkward excuses to try to fool her.

In the meantime, said question giver responded. “I have understood your assertions.”

Before we could devolve into internal strife, our attention was pulled back to the girl. As we looked on, she turned her gaze on Miss Hoshizaki.

“Hoshizaki, I would like to verify a matter with you.”

“Wh-what?”

“Regarding your earlier remark, what is lonely, and how is it lonely?”

“Huh?”

It seemed she wasn’t interested in the answer to her question, but rather in Miss Hoshizaki’s comment. Miss Hoshizaki seemed surprised as well—what about that exchange had affected the girl?

“I will ask again. What is lonely, and how is it lonely?”

“Isn’t it obvious?” Miss Hoshizaki replied. “Treating your family like strangers—that’s like the definition of lonely. Sure, maybe some families are like that, but it’s no way to describe the concept to someone who just arrived here! It’s way too lonely!”

“Is the absence of a family ‘lonely’ to you, Hoshizaki?”

“Yes! Very. I don’t know if I’d have the strength to go on without mine.”

“…I see.”

After this mechanical stranger watched Miss Hoshizaki make her appeal to familial love, she looked back and forth between the three of us. She seemed to be trying to gauge our reactions to our senior’s comments. When she stared at me, I felt a cold tingle run up my spine.

“Hey, you’re not checking our heart rates or something, are you?” demanded Ms. Futarishizuka.

“Futarishizuka, your suspicion is correct,” affirmed the alien without skipping a beat. “I am constantly monitoring your vital information.”

In other words, she was giving us a lie detector test. And considering who was studying the results, I assumed it would be pretty accurate. I didn’t see any machinery like that nearby, so I wondered how she was doing it. I hadn’t noticed a single piece of equipment the whole time we’d been here, nor was there anything in the waiting area. All around us was nothing but that featureless, metallic sheen.

“The likelihood that Hoshizaki is telling the truth about finding it ‘lonely’ is incredibly high,” the alien stated.

“Oh, then what about my appeal to familial love?” asked Ms. Futarishizuka.

“In contrast to your exaggerated words and actions, your biological signs showed no marked change.”

“Argh. I was trying so hard, too…”

It was really amazing how Ms. Futarishizuka could make such bold statements even to the owner of a UFO. Maybe I could learn a thing or two from her raw vitality. I wonder what Peeps would have said to the girl if he were here.

“Let me get this straight,” continued Ms. Futarishizuka. “Are you actually implying you don’t know what a family is?”

“I understand it in the form of knowledge.”

“Then why bother asking around like this?”

“While I understand it as information, I cannot project myself into it. The reason for my inquiry is that we are not equipped with the functionality you humans refer to as ‘emotion.’ We discarded it long, long ago, after determining it posed a significant risk. It has been forbidden ever since.”

“So you’re saying you machines don’t have any feelings?”

“Your thinking is mostly correct, Hoshizaki.”

“But then you wouldn’t have wanted to ask about it,” Ms. Futarishizuka pointed out. I’d been thinking the same thing. That thought only lasted a moment, though.

“However, I have felt,” the girl said before pausing.

Then, after looking at each of us in turn, she said this:

“I, too, am lonely.”

“……”

Hadn’t she literally just said that was forbidden? Was it all right for her to reveal something like that to unknown life-forms living on some undeveloped planet? Contrary to her calm demeanor, her words held a hint of danger, making me uneasy.

“After a long time spent drifting through space, I arrived in this sector, and that is what I felt,” she finished.

“The buds of emotion have sprouted, then?” asked Ms. Futarishizuka.

“There have been reports of other units experiencing similar bugs in the past.”

“If it’s a known bug, has no one tried to fix it?”

“It seems the system intended to counteract it was not operating properly. While the probability is extremely low, said system’s experimental data indicated that such situations are possible. The phenomenon that has occurred within this unit is thought to be an applicable case of said data.”

“Machines developing emotions? Sounds like something straight out of a fantasy story,” Ms. Futarishizuka remarked.

“Upon my return to our cultural sphere, I will be disposed of as a defective unit. Before that, however, I would like to learn more about this function. It is this newfound mechanism you call ‘emotion’ that tells me, each day, that I must do so.”

Yep, I thought. That’s how emotions work. That’s exactly why we often let them get the better of us.

“But didn’t you say emotions were forbidden?” asked Miss Hoshizaki.

“It demands a more detailed investigation precisely because it is forbidden,” the alien stated. “Additionally, should the loneliness within me disappear and I am released from this malfunction called ‘emotion,’ I will be able to report that my defect was merely a temporary event.”

“Ah. I see,” said Ms. Futarishizuka.

I couldn’t help but think this idea, too, was a product of the alien’s newfound emotions. I suspected it was also a major factor in why such feelings had been declared a risk and remained forbidden in her homeland. But she might get mad if I say that, so I’ll keep my mouth shut.

“And so you set your sights on the concept of family as a way to diminish your feelings of loneliness?”

“Your thinking is correct, Futarishizuka.”

It was easy to imagine her conducting a great deal of advance investigation into human culture and civilization in preparation for all this, judging from how she’d penetrated Japan’s aerial defense network without anyone realizing it and from the overwhelming technological power she’d used to scoop us up. Their mechanical eyes could be all over, and nobody would be the wiser.

“Originally, a family was a system of mutual aid to protect oneself from those with greater strength. However, in more recent eras, you humans have used the mechanism called family for an even greater purpose—to diminish your loneliness.”

“Well, humans have been at the top of the food chain for a while now,” agreed Ms. Futarishizuka. “It gave us more room to think and feel, I’m sure.”

“And when you gain such ‘room,’ loneliness occurs?”

“The busier you are, the less you’re distracted by the small problems of living, yes? Whether such a thing is good for one’s body or enriches one’s life is another matter, however.”

“……”

Thinking about it like that, loneliness started to seem like a luxury. A lot of the people on this planet didn’t even have time for it. Looking back, I got the feeling that would explain a little of why I’d managed to stay single all this time.

“Well then, solitary spaceship,” said Ms. Futarishizuka, “do you think you’ll find your ideal family soon?”

If the other groups engaged in similar conversations with the alien, I bet every one of them offered to arrange a family for her. All the people in that waiting room had looked to be in a high enough social position to make such a proposal. And they were probably willing to extend a lot more than just that if it meant getting their hands on this ship full of space-age tech.

“Without exception,” said the girl, “all previous groups I have attempted to communicate with here proposed to introduce me to a family. Among them were those with specific suggestions and highly affirmative vital signs. I am currently holding their proposals in mind as effective candidates.”

“Well, you do seem pretty easy to win over,” quipped Ms. Futarishizuka. “I bet you could play pretend family no matter where you went.”

“I am…easy to win over?”

“Well, you just started feeling emotions, right? That means you’re basically a baby. You’re an easy mark. We’ve had to confront our own emotions for millennia. If professionals in the field became your family, they’d run circles around you. They’d have you doing whatever they wanted.”

“……”

I couldn’t help but agree—things could very well turn out that way. Then again, it seemed equally possible she might lop off her false family’s heads in a display of her machine mentality. Either way, this UFO seemed likely to throw things on Earth into chaos. My personal wish was for her to voluntarily return to her own civilization.

“If you ask me,” said Ms. Futarishizuka, “I think you should go straight back to your manufacturers.”

“But then she’ll be destroyed!” argued Miss Hoshizaki.

“Those are their rules, yes? What say do we have in it?”

“But—”

“And if possible, we’d prefer if you pretended you never found our little planet.”

Once again, I was in agreement with Futarishizuka. This alien business ran the risk of causing even more chaos than a bunch of superstrong dragons from the otherworld teaming up to attack us. I would like for humanity to remain as the metaphorical frog in the well, at least for as long as I was alive. There was no need for us to know what lay out in the sea.

“Look, the people here only want to use you for their own ends,” Futarishizuka explained. “Forming any kind of real family with them is a pipe dream.”

“I would like to know your basis for that statement, Futarishizuka.”

“Did you already return everyone else to Earth?”

“Several groups wait in another place.”

“In that case, why don’t you use drugs or something on the remaining groups to find out what they really think? It might get a little messy if there are psychics in the mix. But if not, you can probably get every last drop of information from them.”

A fiendish idea, indeed. Even more frightening was that my colleague never said such things for mere show or whim. I was sure she wanted nothing more than to pretend our meeting with this UFO had never happened. And for that, it seemed she was willing to make sacrifices.

The UFO’s control function had a very honest personality, too. “I understand,” she said, immediately agreeing with the girl in the kimono. “Executing Futarishizuka’s proposal.”

As she spoke, something translucent appeared next to us. If I had to describe it briefly, I’d call it a midair display. We could see people through it—probably the ones waiting in the other room. There wasn’t just one “screen,” either, but several, all side by side. They were set up to provide a high-angle view of the room’s interior, so you could see the people inside moving around.

“I have already acquired the earthlings’ biological information. I will now temporarily numb a section of their brains and create a drug that will make it easier for them to answer my inquiries. I request that you three wait here until I am able to verify the drug’s dissemination and experiment.”

“Sure thing,” said Ms. Futarishizuka.

And so at the girl’s request, we decided to wait around for a little while.

While we waited, we asked about our current location. The girl told us we were in outer space, inside a UFO floating in Earth’s vicinity. She also explained that the object that had visited the skies above the lake had been something else—a terminal that could transport matter. Apparently, the other participants had all been through something similar that day.

In addition, this vessel was fitted with all kinds of production facilities. Using these, the girl could create any extra equipment she needed, like the vessel that had come to pick us up. She explained that she would use such equipment to produce the drug Ms. Futarishizuka had suggested.

The incredibly short time needed to produce it seemed to imply unbelievably advanced technology, like how humans could make screws and bolts with 3D printers. We didn’t even have to wait thirty minutes.

“The drug is complete. It has been loaded into the ventilators in each space.”

“What’s it called?” Ms. Futarishizuka asked.

“It currently has no official name, as I designed it only for temporary use. If I was to assign it an identifier anyway, it would be Temporary Earth-Type Local Life-form-Suppressing Drug, Type One, and Effect-Enhancing Drug Intended for Use with the Former, Type One.”

“That is one long URL. Really digging the outer space vibes.”

It wasn’t just the drug—the names for the spaceship and point of contact were a mouthful, too. Maybe the aliens saw no need to simplify them. This society of mechanical life-forms was starting to sound pretty stark, though maybe they found spelling everything out more convenient because it was harder to mix things up.

“I will now disseminate the drug into the space where the targets are standing by.”

At this, we all turned to look at the midair displays. They showed unfurnished rooms, much like our own, containing people we recognized from the waiting area, all spending their time as they pleased. Some were sitting on the floor, while others were examining the walls and ceiling. Each group had been given its own room, and each display showed only one of them.

As we watched, there came a moment when the behavior of everyone on the screens changed. Many of them put their hands to their heads and fell down, curling up on the spot.

Having noticed something not right with their bodies, many of them descended into confusion. I didn’t know any other languages, so I couldn’t tell what anyone was saying. But no sooner had that thought crossed my mind than a second sound channel immediately began playing through the display.

Type Twelve must have done that just for us, I thought.

The people on the other side of the display were all mumbling and crying out in unease and surprise at their sudden health issues. Within a few minutes, however, they all fell to the floor and calmed down. They didn’t appear to be unconscious; I saw them twitching and shaking a little. We could hear random moaning noises, too. The sight was making me very anxious.

Then Type Twelve’s voice sounded in each room, coming from nowhere in particular.

“You have all promised to build a warm family with me. You have described the lengths to which you will go. Is this for the sake of diminishing my loneliness? If you have any other reasons, then please tell me. Tell me right now.”

While her intonation was flat, her question made it clear that, somewhere deep down, she still clung to hope.

In response, the people on the floor began confessing their true intentions in a very up-front manner.

“I want to bring information on the unidentified flying object back to my nation.”

“…I can’t afford to let another country get their hands on this spaceship.”

“We will be the ones to win this unknown technology.”

“This is so annoying. God, this AI is so annoying.”

“I’m thirsty. I wish I had some water. Could you give me some water?”

“Miss AI, you’re so sexy. I want to bring you home and lick you all over.”

A whole lot of naked feelings were coming through the midair display from each of the rooms. I remembered hearing that a lot of people became like this when sedated, like if they had to have a camera put in their stomach or something. I thought back to my own health screenings of the past and, a little nervously, wondered how I’d acted. This drug seemed far more potent, however. The people on the floor were apparently willing to say anything.

However, there were a small number of exceptions: specifically, the groups containing Magical Blue and the nerd. They were probably protecting their people with a Magical Barrier and some psychic power of a similar variety. A few of them seemed to be feeling the effects regardless and had fallen to their knees. Magical Blue, who looked very light, appeared to be having a particularly rough time of it.

We waited a little while, but the answers of those on the ground didn’t change. Type Twelve tried asking them repeatedly, but they always gave a similar reply. After a few attempts, she turned back to face us.

“Results have been verified. I could not confirm even one who desires me as family.”

“Seeking a family without blood relations is no easy task,” mused Ms. Futarishizuka.

“Investigations have already confirmed the existence of families not related by blood.”

“Then you must know that there are just as many broken families, right? For your own sake, I think it would be best for you to stop investigating this weird frontier planet and follow the rules of your home world instead.”

“……”

I felt waves of pressure coming off Ms. Futarishizuka as she tried to convince the UFO to return to the beyond from whence she came.

You’ve been had, Type Twelve, I thought. While I didn’t know what they were like originally, I imagined her newly awakened feelings were probably moving in a negative direction. Though her words and actions lacked human warmth, I did sense some emotion behind them.

However, it appeared she was even more soft-brained than we had thought.

“The verified reactions of my negotiation partners are so different than the statements they made when we conversed directly.”

“Weren’t you measuring the veracity of their statements using their vital signs during your conversation?” asked Ms. Futarishizuka.

“My loneliness keeps increasing.”

“…Are you all right, dear? You’re making me a tad uneasy, here.”

The UFO was in a very powerful position in regard to Earth. Every nation and organization on the planet wanted the borderline-paranormal science and technology she possessed. If anyone were to get it for themselves, it would allow even an individual to challenge entire nations. They could potentially place the whole world under martial rule.

And it was for that reason that I imagined she’d been getting a lot of insincere smiles and polite words while questioning the other groups. The difference between the answers they’d given then and the truth of what she was seeing now was probably affecting her newborn heart on a deep level.

“I had confirmed their biological information. However, it is impossible to read an organism’s mind.”

“But considering your position, you can imagine a little of what they’re thinking, can’t you? You’ve got so much impressive technology, and we have so little. Anyone would jump at the chance to butter you up.”

“I understood that nonmechanical life-forms frequently tell lies.”

“Do machines not tell lies, then?”

“There is no need. We have evolved to be more rational. We do not engage in unconstructive behavior such as prioritizing an individual’s circumstances. This allows the individual to operate in harmony with the whole. To do otherwise is to abandon any possibility of surviving beyond the life span of one’s planet.”

“Either way, if you anticipated something like this, couldn’t you have taken countermeasures?”

“That is a separate issue. I cannot stop my emotions from spiraling out of control.”

“Uh… Wait, what exactly does that entail?”

The girl’s voice was still a monotone, and her movements remained unchanged. Her expression was the same impassive mask as before. But those factors only served to emphasize the strange instability creeping in at the edges of her words. We could feel a dangerous impulse brewing within her.

“I…hate humans.”

“Wait!” exclaimed Ms. Futarishizuka. “Didn’t you just say your sort doesn’t prioritize individual circumstances?!”

Hearing the girl say those three words sent shivers down my spine. Next to me, Miss Hoshizaki shuddered, too.

“Lies are vulgar.”

“Hold on now. I think these sorts of lies are relatively normal. Lying is a really basic survival strategy for living creatures. You knew what organic organisms were like, right? Didn’t you understand what you were dealing with?”

“I did understand.”

“Then why let it get to you?”

“The concept, I understood. But the shock, actually, of being lied to, has impacted on my core module.”

“All right, now your grammar is getting all out of whack. You’re really scaring me. Why not take a moment to calm down?”

It had been a while since I’d seen Ms. Futarishizuka seriously panicking. And Type Twelve, well, her unexpected new emotions were clearly running amok. She reminded me of an introvert with no romantic experience who had just been chatted up by a sunny extrovert simply after her money, only to realize she’d been had. I felt a little pity for her, too—it was a situation I could easily relate to.

“What poorly made beings humans are,” she said.

“Hey, could you wait a second?!” exclaimed Miss Hoshizaki, backing up Ms. Futarishizuka. She looked desperate. “Not all humans are like them. It won’t do you any good to judge us all based on a few jerks!”

“That viewpoint contradicts Futarishizuka’s remark that lies are a basic survival strategy for humans.”

“But that’s just because those people came here to investigate you!” our senior insisted. “If you’d arrived here more normally, like as a transfer student at some school for example, plenty of students would approach you with kindness and curiosity and want to be your friend!”

“Either way, right now I am very lonely.”

“Ugh…”

It was like talking to a little kid. If she had indeed been a child, we could have just let her cry it out. But she was a spaceship from outside our solar system. If we let her be, she could very well put the whole planet in danger.

Unwilling to remain silent, I followed up with my own viewpoint. “Excuse me for interrupting, but it seems you’re being driven by some strong emotions right now. You previously explained that emotions are forbidden in your culture. In your current state, isn’t it likely any conclusions you draw will be mistaken?”

“Yes, your thinking is correct.”

“Then why don’t you take some time to rest, and then we can—?”

“But I’m very lonely right now.”

“We don’t know the nature of your organization, but I expect you have a superior of some sort whom you report to. Will your report contain details about how you prioritized your own individual circumstances?”

“…When you put it that way, my hatred for humans surges.”

“……”

All right, maybe my approach wasn’t going to work. So much for her steely mechanical logic—it seemed it had already shattered to pieces. Such a sinful “function” these emotions were.

“What are you doing, Sasaki?!” cried Miss Hoshizaki. “This poor AI’s heart is on the ground, and you’re still kicking it!”

“I thought it would be a good argument,” I explained, “considering how the conversation had been going.”

“This vessel will now eradicate humanity.”

The tone of the girl’s declaration left no room for argument or negotiation. She maintained a consistently cool demeanor, but if she’d been human, I expect more than a little anger would have shown on her face.

“Expelling all humans I have summoned on board,” she continued.

“Both of you,” I shouted, “please hurry to the boat!”

“Ahhhhh!” cried Ms. Futarishizuka. “How could this have happened? How could this have happened?!”

Miss Hoshizaki called back, “I, uh, don’t really understand, but—understood!”

The three of us rushed toward the swan boat. After confirming we were all inside, I cast a barrier spell around us.

Just as I did, a large, round hole appeared in part of the wall. Just like the ones we’d seen earlier in the waiting area, the featureless surface seemed to move smoothly away. The resulting aperture was big enough for our boat and then some. Outside, it was pitch-black. I couldn’t tell what was going on beyond the wall.

Some force began to viciously suck our boat straight toward the middle of the hole. In fact, it seemed to me that the air filling the room was being pulled out.

“Is this it?” Ms. Futarishizuka exclaimed. “Is she going to jettison us right out into space?!”

“Please calm down,” I replied. “I think we can hold out for, oh, a few minutes?”

“Can’t you be a little more confident?!”

Despite its significant weight, the boat reached the hole in seconds. A moment later, we felt an impact as the barrier I’d deployed around us caught on the hole’s edges. I’d made it pretty large, and as a result, the hole wasn’t big enough to eject us.

“Confirmed presence of undetectable matter. Expanding exit to maximum size.”

But a second later, the hole in the wall grew, then swallowed us right up. The sensation was followed by what felt like a roller coaster ride through utter darkness.

I thought about holding us in place with flight magic, but I didn’t want to risk the chance—however small—of her capturing us and taking us back to her home planet. It might have been worth considering had Peeps been with us, but for now I just wanted to get us back to Earth.

“And whose psychic power are we supposed to say this is?” demanded Ms. Futarishizuka.

“I’m sorry,” I said. “I didn’t think that far ahead.”

We were in an extremely bad situation. What I had just done was beyond any of our known powers. If anyone saw us, there would be no way to avoid questions. And since we were right next to the UFO, the entire world’s attention was on us. We might try to claim it was a reward from the death game, but even then, it was a bit too flashy.

“Sasaki, make some water for me.”

“All right.”

Keeping the barrier up, I expelled water from my hands. As soon as Miss Hoshizaki touched it, it began to move as though it had a mind of its own. Flowing along the inside of the barrier, it stretched out, engulfing us. Eventually it formed a sphere, surrounding the swan boat in its entirety. Now we looked like a simple spaceship made of water.

The liquid below us rose to the bottom of the boat like a pedestal, supporting the swan from below. Realizing what she was going for, I—while still maintaining my barrier spell—used a flotation spell, adjusting the boat’s position to aim in the direction of our movement.

“I’ve a newfound respect for how handy those psychic powers of yours are,” remarked Ms. Futarishizuka to our senior colleague.

“It’s only because Sasaki’s here to provide the water.”

“Thank you, Miss Hoshizaki. That was a big help.”

In the meantime, there was a change in the pitch-black scenery around us as light from the sun shone in. Evidently, we’d been jettisoned from the spaceship. In front of us, we could see our homeland, Earth. I felt very moved by the sight.

“Wow. The earth really is round…,” said Miss Hoshizaki.

“Photographs don’t do its beauty justice,” I agreed.

“We must look like part of a fantasy illustration right now.”

Our swan boat floated lazily along through space, wrapped inside a vessel of water. Ms. Futarishizuka was right—we probably made for a fantastic sight.

Personally, I was worried about space radiation exposure. That said, we already knew from the octodragon incident that the barrier spell could block radiation. I hadn’t measured its effectiveness or anything, but we’d probably be fine. The layer of water was fairly thick as well, so we’d have a good excuse to give everyone else. Maybe I ought to hit us all with a battery of healing spells as soon we get home, though. Just to be safe.

“Oh, I see that blue magical whelp over there,” said Ms. Futarishizuka. “And the rest of her group, as well.”

“And I can see your former colleague in the other direction,” I said.

“Wait, where?” asked Miss Hoshizaki.

I spotted several other competitors who had survived, all using various means similar to my barrier spell to stay afloat in space. I could see them talking among themselves, too. I felt a tiny bit of the weight lift from my shoulders when I saw our acquaintances safe and sound—I’d been worried about them.

That said, some had been jettisoned without any recourse, and the remains of the deceased drifted among the living.

“Just FYI,” said Ms. Futarishizuka, addressing me, “the planet is getting bigger. Fast. Do you know what you’re doing?”

“My plan is to set us back onto the lake we left from,” I told her.

“Ah. In that case, please and thank you.”

“I’m kinda worried we’re gonna burn up on the way down,” said Miss Hoshizaki.

“This barrier is the same kind the Kraken used to protect itself, so I doubt heat will be an issue. It can’t do anything about the oxygen we’ll need to breathe, though, so I would suggest talking as little as possible.”

I could handle moving us with flight magic. As the Earth sped closer, I took aim at a corner of the Eurasian continent.

But as we all shifted our attention to the journey home, something happened nearby: A shaft of light, probably a Magical Beam, fired from the blue magical girl’s group toward those traveling with the nerd. A moment later, the latter sent similar rays of light lancing back toward the former. Those of us on the sidelines were in shock.

Unfortunately, it seemed a hostile exchange had begun between the psychics and the magical girl. The nerd was the leader of an anti-governmental group in Japan, so I supposed it made sense that those under Captain Mason’s command would see him as an enemy. But wasn’t this going too far?

“Oh my goodness,” said Ms. Futarishizuka. “They’re going to give me a heart attack.”

“Let’s escape before we get caught up in it,” I suggested.

“This kind of thing just makes me sympathize with the AI girl,” said Miss Hoshizaki.

“I’d like the three of us, at least, to lead proper, upstanding lives as psychics,” I agreed.

“How very idealistic,” said Ms. Futarishizuka. “When we all know that survival of the fittest is the default on this planet.”

After a little while, the colors around us began to change. What was once total darkness took on a blue hue. The outline of the continent below us quickly expanded out of sight, replaced by geography rapidly coming into focus. I’d seen a video of the skydiving world record once, and I imagined it probably felt something like this.

Eventually, a roaring noise began to pelt our ears.

“Sasaki, this is kind of terrifying,” said Miss Hoshizaki. “Are we really gonna be okay?”

“I plan to decelerate after getting as far down as is feasible,” I told her.

Approaching too slowly would draw attention. If possible, I wanted to disguise us as a meteorite from space, though I knew that wouldn’t really work because of the speed. I was hoping to put us down as naturally as possible with as few witnesses as we could manage. Otherwise, the boss will be very angry with us later.

After a few moments, we had come up on the Japanese archipelago. As we watched, the ocean disappeared from view, and a stretch of land expanded before us.

“Hold on!” said Ms. Futarishizuka. “Isn’t that Lake Aoki you’re aiming for?”

“Wait, is that the wrong one?” I asked.

“We were on Lake Kizaki. It’s the one south of that.”

“My apologies. I’ll correct our course.”

There were several lakes in the area, and it was difficult to tell them apart. Above all, it was nighttime in Japan right now. Once we’d entered the planet’s shadow, the sunlight no longer reached us, making it pretty tough to distinguish geographical features. I had to use city lights to even figure out where Nagano was. If the night had been cloudy, we would have been up the creek without a paddle.

Hmm, I wonder if our new trajectory is a little too steep.

“Whoaaaaa!” yelled Ms. Futarishizuka. “Too many! Lateral! G-forces!”

“Sasaki, please—please don’t rock the boat like that!”

“We’re going to land soon. Please grab hold of the railing.”

Due to my course correction, our final deceleration was pretty forced. I was basically slamming on the brakes as we completed the arc.

And then we touched down—directly in the middle of the lake. There was a huge splash as the boat sank into the water while waves surged around us.

Once the underside of the boat lightly struck the bottom of the lake, we began a rapid ascent. Eventually, the swan boat popped back above the surface, and all that water surrounding us was released and flowed into the lake. Courtesy of Miss Hoshizaki, no doubt. With a splash, our field of vision opened up.

We looked up on a whim then and saw a sky full of stars.

“Ah! Have we returned safely?” breathed Ms. Futarishizuka.

“Kind of feels like I’m dreaming,” said Miss Hoshizaki.

“I feel the same way,” I agreed.

We all sat in the swan boat in a daze, not doing anything. Our poor brains had all had a little too much stimulation, and we were mentally exhausted.

Everything around us was pitch-black, just as it had been when we left; at most, we could make out a few lights in the distant houses along the shore. The lake was altogether serene, and the light splish-splash of the waves as they hit the boat’s side was oddly refreshing.

I’m not sure how long we stayed like that, but eventually Ms. Futarishizuka said, “Let’s head back.”

“Agreed,” I replied.

She began to pedal, creating a series of kree-koh-kree-koh sounds, and our swan boat commenced its slow journey back to shore.