Year 4667 of the Unified Imperial Calendar:
Fourth Month, Day 11. (7:41 AM)
◇ Astra's POV ◇
Led by the drone, we moved as we followed suit. It wasn't hard at all. The drone moved at a walking pace, and the place was pretty cool and humid. At the very least, none of us were struggling or having trouble keeping up.
The entire party however, was silent. I don't really know why, but I feel like these two are trying to avoid talking to me. It's just a feeling, but it's really uncomfortable.
And so, as someone who sets thing straight, I spoke. "U-Um..."
The two turned to me, and my chest just somehow raced. Was it because their gazes was scary?
"...Y-Your not gonna ask anything?" I said while my voice stuttered.
Lady Reyshia sighed. She glanced over to Lillia, and then turned back at me. "Not now, Astra," she said in a gentle manner. "we have plenty of time when we return home."
Oh! I see! What a splendid way of foreshadowing my own doom!
I felt my body grow a bit colder as cold chills went down my spine. However, since it was already said that this walk home will be a silent one, it will be a silent one.
Having nothing better to do, I suddenly remembered about the collar on my neck. If I remember, Isabelle said something about modifying something about it.
'Hmm... let's see... If I'm right, I think the boot up was... this one?'
I stroked the collar as I suddenly felt a jolt of electricity trace my spines, as it instantly spread all over my body.
BEEP... BEEP... BEEP... BEEP...
I suddenly heard a series of beeps making me look around in panic, but Lady Reyshia looked at me in confusion.
"Is anything wrong, Astra?"
"Ah, no. It's fine. I just felt cold chills for a second." I wasn't sure if she could still verify lies, so I told her a half truth. After all, the jolt of electricity felt like cold chills, but a bit more intense.
BEEP... BEEP... BEEP...
The beeping sound continued to ring, but it seems I'm the only one who can hear it. It continued for a while, then a synthetic voice resounded within my head.
[Connection with Quanta established...]
[Please issue a command.]
I involuntarily paused from my steps.
Did Isabelle really just give me a remote command for the entire lab?! Holy shit, this is practically no different from having a goddamn system!!
As I was dazed from my amazement, Lady Reyshia saw me stop, and asked the same question earlier. "Astra, is there anything wrong?"
I snapped out of my daze and shook my head. I then looked at her, and stated.
"This place is cold." Yes. It was cold, but not that much. Even so, it doesn't change the fact that it's cold.
She sighed, perhaps in relief? Well, no matter. I've got to try this thing.
I then focused mind as I thought of a command.
'Please contact Isabelle.'
[Affirmative. Contacting Unit 001 Beta.]
Oh? 001 Beta? Does that mean there are more? Interesting.
A series of beeps once again rang in my head, but a short while later, a voice came to my mind.
["You called, Master?"]
'Isabelle, please explain what you've done to my collar.'
["Yes."] she paused for a while, and then continued.
["After you passed out, I had noticed that the collar on your neck was one for Warslaves. We tried to remove it, but realized it was integrated with your spinal chord, which would mean taking it off is a bad idea."]
["Thus, we took the liberty of modifying it, and removed any dangerous programming inside."]
'W-Wait, you took liberty?! And what do you mean 'we'?! And what dangerous programming?!'
Now those were a bunch of dangerous-sounding words. However, the more surprising thing was that I was quite calm despite that. Is there something wrong with my brain?
Before I could ask anything else, Isabelle surprisingly answered all my questions.
["Yes, and decision was done after consideration with Quanta."]
["As for the programs, we removed the functions regarding: termination; mind manipulation; neural control; and neural paralysis."]
Hearing her words, I suddenly felt cold chills down my spine as I realized how much in deep shit I was. I had forgotten what it means to be a 'slave'--someone under absolute control of someone else. Though it was me who initiated such thing with Lady Reyshia, I couldn't help but get upset with how cruel it was.
And by the way...
'How are you projecting your voice in my head?' I asked.
["The collar is connected to your spinal chord. And taking advantage of that fact, we imbedded a program that would directly send data into your brain. What you are hearing is the data that your mind had comprehended."]
Hmm... Why do I feel like she's hiding something. Well, in any case, it looks like I'll have some sort of support from now on.
'I see. Looks like I'll be relying on you from now on. Please take care of me Isabelle.'
["I understand."]
The other side went silent after that.
I focused back into the present situation and looked at Lady Reyshia and Lillia. I wonder how they could walk coolly just like that. Is that just how nobles are?
In any case, it seems we were now nearing our destination. Why? It's because I could now somehow see Valkyria on a launching platform ahead.
However, unlike the battered state we expected it to see, the Valkyria was now fixed, and was good as new. I was surprised at this sudden revelation, so I figured it was time for bullshit.
I whistled. "Whoa... They seriously did fix it..."
The two turned to me after hearing my words, demanding explanation. I raised my hand from their intense glare, and explained. "U-Um...I think it's just a freebie..."
However, it seems just that much wouldn't convince them, so I'll add a little loss. "...or maybe they also analysed how it works? In any case, I'm just making conjectures here."
Lillia frowned at my statement, however, she didn't say anything.
As for Lady Reyshia, her eyes widened the moment she saw Valkyria, and tears spilled out from the corners of her eyes. She must love her Ark that much, huh?
She turned towards me, and bowed. "I owe you another one, Astra."
Her wasn't exactly low, but I get the feeling that people don't normally get this kind of bow from nobles. In the first place, the people in the manor are quite prideful. Not exactly that much, but even the servants are required to at least have certain refinement.
Yeah. And when I try to compare my mannerisms with them, I feel like a complete bumpkin.
Back at the current situation, Lady Reyshia was the first one to approach the Ark. She climbed over to its chest(?) and opened the hatch. She entered, but the hatch didn't close. The Ark then started to boot as whirring sounds and mechanical hums and noises started, and my favourite phrase then resounded.
-
-
Damn. Whoever thought to make that notice into a audio projected is a damn genius.
Lillia once again frown when she saw the wide smile on my face.
"What are you thinking, 'slave'?"
'Ugh!...she's back at it again', I thought. I turned towards her, as the smile I had became wry. "D-Do you not think Valkyria is cool?" I said. Unknowingly, I was talking in formal tone again. "I do think that the notice earlier was very much so."
Surprisingly, the reaction she had, was to smile. She smiled, and looked at the Valkyria. "Indeed, it is splendid."
...Uh....Okay.
The Valkyria then lowered its body, as a platform emerged from its hatch. Lady Reyshia's voice then resounded. [Get on.]
Lillia went first, and I followed suit. The platform then raised, and were now in front of the hatch. We entered, and it was a bit more spacious than I though. It was pretty cool inside. The air was properly conditioned, and there were some sort of holographic panels, along with some buttons, two control sticks(?), and a red button, and a spherical crystal.
Ooohh... My first time in an Ark. Damn it, if I only had a camera. Not that I'm fond of them though.
Lillia and I entered, and then the hatch closed. Thankfully, there were something similar to passenger seats beside the main seat, and with seatbelts too. Really, I wouldn't want to get slammed around by inertia if this thing flies.
Lillia and I sat in each one, and she was kind enough to teach me how to use a seatbelt. And hey! I found out that the mechanism for seatbelts transcends differences in worlds!
Lady Reyshia turned to us and asked. "Ready?"
We nodded. However, I then raised a hand. "Um..."
"What is it, Astra?"
"Are going to bust our way from the ceiling?"
However, as if mocking my question, the ceiling then split up, revealing a light that I could only tell as sunlight. Damn, so this was one of those huh? And judging from her reaction, Lady Reyshia didn't seem to expect this too.
Lady Reyshia then shook her head, for reasons I don't know. She then warned. "I'm counting on you, Valkyria."
She then held the rods that—...whatever, lets just call it control rods. She held it, and then put her feet somewhere, and I suddenly felt a peculiar sensation. Like the feeling when a car moving at high speed, suddenly goes up as it runs up a higher ground.
"Whoa! That was scary." I inadvertently said out loud.
In any case, I kept my eyes on the display monitor(?), and watched as the light from above gradually became brighter, and bigger, and the next moment...
...we finally left the mountains.