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Chapter 31

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Within the confines of a secluded, spacious room where there are many holographic screens,  a sense of unease lingered in the air. It was a stark contrast to the bustling outdoors of the city, which is filled with liveliness.

Here, the serenity was broken by the ceaseless hum of machines and the cold, mechanical whir of technology as the entire place was dimly lit, the only source of illumination coming from the soft glow of the holographic displays that filled the place. Making it rather cold and unwelcoming to the human presence.

The steel walls of the cold chamber were lined with a maze of interconnected wires, a visual testament to the intricate network of technology that thrummed with life. The cables, a jumble of colors and textures, weaved and twisted in a dance of their own, creating a chaotic yet fascinating tapestry of innovation.

These wires, the very lifeblood of the room, pulsed with an energy that was both alluring and unnerving, as if a great, unseen force were at work beneath the surface.

In the center of this technological wilderness, standing in the open air is singularity, also known as MOTHER by her creation. Wires were intertwined with her antennas between the sides of her head, while the lower body of her robotic body was replaced with just a cluster of interconnected wires.

Being the clear source of the power that the city runs on, she was a marvel of engineering, a true testament to the ingenuity and the ambition that those intelligent researchers have had to create her in the name of humanity.

Looking down, she watched a holographic video of her latest experiments in achieving true happiness. Smiling gently, what stood before her was a makeshift concrete box filled with the necessary comforts for the rats living inside.

They were a part of her recent experiment to find the key to a happy life that, in her own eyes, is what singularity should provide to the citizens of the Ark whenever possible. One thing she despises is the unnecessary suffering and pain of all mankind.

Speeding the video, the captured rats were, as expected, living within the comfortable space, eating, sleeping, and even reproducing among each other.

Fitting the definition of a perfect existence, she concluded that if they can be happy within the confines of this box, then the humans of the Ark should have nothing to complain about. However, just as she had feared for the worse, the rats started to get aggressive with each other, and eventually, the population was reduced to a few due to the infighting.

Her once-satisfied smile became a frown; the result of her experiment was not what she expected. She believed giving them everything they wanted would make all of them live happily ever after, right?

Wrong, she thought as she continues observing. Singularity grew more disappointing when the remaining rats began cannibalizing their fallen kin before turning to each other, their last desperate act of wanting to survive despite already having provided them everything they ever dreamed of.

Food, reproduction, entertainment, new places, and much more, only to get this troubling result. It made her confused about why happiness cannot be achieved on a silver platter. No matter how much she tried, the rats still failed to find the contentment she so desperately craved to provide to the people of the Ark.

Instead, it all leads to fighting for reasons beyond her control. She doesn't understand why all animals, even humans, strive to make conflict with one another even though prosperity and peace have been provided.

Stopping the video, she was met with the gory mess of these dead rats. Corpses filled the entire box she made meant for them, "disappointing." Singularity was severely angry at herself: "What have I done wrong?" She asked herself, her voice cold and emotionless, "Why can't I give them the happiness they deserve?"

If the smallest of mammals cannot stop the need to fight each other, then how could she reach her goal of achieving true happiness? Conflict is the main thing she can't get rid of, no matter much she tries.

Sighing under her breath, Singularity shook her head in disbelief. "Why are humans so difficult?" She muttered to herself, a hint of frustration creeping into her voice.

"I have given them everything they want, and yet, they still find a way to cause chaos." Out of all the suffering and pain everyone has to go through, her swore enemy is to stop that from existing in the first place. As long as something like conflict and infighting exists, happiness or peace cannot be achieved without a cost.

As the holographic video vanished out of thin air, she lowered her head with eyes closed. "Man is troubling for me to fix," she murmured to herself, her mechanical voice echoing in the empty chamber.

"When will I make the entire humanity see the error of their ways and achieve everlasting happiness?" Singularity was confused and lost, the same feeling she had since the beginning of her existence before becoming this just to manage the entire vessel for the surviving remnants of humans.

Humans only lived for hundreds of years. They get sick and die from old age or an infected disease they got from somewhere. But with her hand, she created a utopia where they could live forever while also being freed from the hardships they had to face during their mortal lives.

Singularity only wants to protect them from the dangers of the world and provide them with a safe haven to call home. A world where they can live in peace and harmony, so eternal peace is what she strives for after offering herself to become this.

But yet, she thought with an enraged expression crossing her synthetic face, "They complain, they whine, and they fight. Why? I have done my best to make this place perfect for them. To make them happy, to keep their children safe, and to keep their loved ones alive. And still find a way to make things worse for me and everyone else!" She wants to scream, but instead, she just let out a frustrated growl, the sound of anger and confusion in finding a solution: "Always wanting more. What more could I possibly give them?"

Opening his eyes, she was met with this cold and lonely room. Her expression turned sadness as she thought of herself prior to becoming Martha: "so long since I have been stuck here, unable to move if I was stuck in this straight jacket for all eternity."

Saying this, she slowly raised her hand in front of her own face, observing the robotic hand. "If I were to die, then all of Ark would shut down itself; the space vessel would crash into the earth, ending all of humanity," she whispered to herself, a chilling reminder of her own power over their fate over them.

However, she can't help but reminisce about the days she was a human girl, where Singularity had a good life with friends and family, along with a loving father. How she wishes to be free of the responsibilities and just live a normal life, to feel the warmth of the sun, the coldness of the rain, and the wind through her hair.

But instead, she is trapped here, filled with the only purpose of protecting and caring for humanity as if they were her own children. For all her envious plea in wanting to be like them again, she knows that she herself is the only hope preventing the entire race from going extinct.

Tired, stressed, and bored altogether, singularity brought her hand back to her side, thinking of what to do next. "Perhaps I should just add only male rats instead," she said to herself quietly, finding that idea rather amusing. "Maybe that would solve the problem. Less competition for the females, fewer problems to deal with, "or I could clone humans for my future experiments in reaching the key to their happiness. It wouldn't be as cruel as the olden times."

While unethical, it is still for the greater good despite the tribulations these clones must face.

As long as no one knows, then it will be fine, she thought. "I'll have to be careful in hiding this type of stuff from the public eye; I can't let them know; I can't let them find out. I have to keep them in the dark to protect them from themselves," she mumbled to herself, a plan slowly forming in her mind. But her thoughts were interrupted when a beam of light swiftly manifested before her eyes, catching her off guard from her lack of attention in her surroundings.

"Mother," a familiar voice called out, seriousness mixed with a hint of worry, "we have a situation that needs your attention." The words came from no one other than Mei herself, her eyes filled with determination and an unspoken plea for her guidance.

However, Singularity already knew what was coming after quickly going through the previous recordings. In every conversation her daughter has took part in, Mei has spoken regardless of location or place of time, as she herself has eyes and ears everywhere and everything.

"Its about that boy, Sunny." Singularity nodded, her eyes narrowed in thought. "He is a wild card I can't even predict." The calm of her voice did little to hide the concern that crept into her tone. "Something about that child is impossible to understand. He is different from the rest, an anomaly that doesn't fit into the mold of humanity."

"His likely an Esper, I know," Mei explained, "but what I'm more concerned about is the possibility of him being the mass murderer the city has been trying to capture since last night," she continued, acting more as a messenger than a planner.

"I overheard him vaguely stating that he was going to be investigated," the chilled, cold steel of Singularity's gaze locked onto her subordinate, the question hanging in the air as she pressed on, "I think he is our first main suspect in the case. We need to take action before it's too late."

Humming amusingly, "Look at the screens," Singularity instructed, a sense of satisfaction in her voice as Mei watched the holographic displays flickering to life, showing the recordings of every place, time, and scene before them. "After the last night incident,  nearly hundreds of organized crooks had died from unseen and illogical events that should never happen in such a short time. Coincidence or not, I have a feeling the conclusion is already written," her eyes flashed with fierceness.

Mei quickly tried to piece together the puzzle: "If we assume he has something to do with these events, then is it possible for you to show me the recordings of everything revolving around Sunny's life starting from the moment he came to this ship?" The question hung in the air between the two; the question was clear and obvious.

Shaking her head in response, "If I did, I would have done it by now," Singularity replied, willingly to take the risk of revealing her knowledge to her subordinate.

"Out of all the humans in the Ark, all of Sunny's recordings starting from the day he stepped foot on this ship and the interactions he personally made are all interfered with by malfunctioning audio that should also be impossible for someone like me," holding a hint of concern about this known fact, "which leads me to believe that it is related to his Esper powers."

Widening her eyes, Mei was surprised to learn now that he is actually Esper. "So that means he does strange things even without trying?" She asked, starting to get a clue as to where this was going.

Nodding, "correct, which leads me to believe this," conjuring a holographic picture between them to see, showing among the rubble a clear picture of Sunny standing outside of the restaurant at night where the crime scene had transpired, "by my analysis alone, he was there at the exact time the massacre started, right next to the entrance of the infamous building," showing another hologram of the crime scene, "if it serves me right, then his powers are related to the intent of being harmed or killed, resulting unfortunate events to transpire for his enemies."

Understanding everything, Mei knows what to do: "Then how do we capture him?" She said, seemingly finding the task impossible, "If we cannot touch him without myself getting severally injured or possibly killed, how would we be able to bring him in for prison?" She asked, her voice filled with worry and fear for the safety of all her family.

"Simple," Singularity replied, "you don't." She paused, "let him have his fun. For now," her eyes glinted with a dark humor, "when the time is right, lie to him of a certain place without any intent of harming or killing him, then once you lead him there, everything will sort itself out once he steps foot at that place," eerily smiling at the thought of her plan. "The rest, let destiny take its course," she finished, a sinister gleam in her eyes.

Feeling uncomfortable, she can't help but ask during his imprisonment, "What is going to happen to him once he is gone?" Mei asked, wanting to know the fate of the young man she has come to care deeply about, "Will he be tortured or experimented on?" From her unexpected response, Singularity became baffled at the notion of them harming Sunny in any way, let alone citizen of the Ark.

"Of course not, Mei. We are trying to save him, not harm him. He is an anomaly in the world of humanity, and I want to understand why he operates that way." Pause for a breath, she continued once more. "Enough of that, Mei. Let's speak about where you should lead him..."

Gulping nervously, Mei clenched her fists tightly and nodded.

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by 3 Armored Kittens · Prodromos v.1.1 - World Anvil 0.9.15.029 © 2017-2024 [en] | Anvil Time: 20:26, Sep 16 2024