"Your father? But why? Who is he?" So-Rin was suddenly interested in the identity of Noa's father.
"Professor Nijo Yoshiaki. One of the scientists who made a great contribution in the creation of androids," Noa responded.
"I know him by name," said So-Rin in a solemn voice. "He's on the target list shown to us. It seems like Infrablack needs your father's skills to change something in the android system. Faster! We don't have much time."
He nodded as the two of them ran toward the center of the laboratory, with So-Rin following his lead.
The moment his father entered his vision, Noa loudly called for him, "Dad!"
"Stop experimenting. You need to save yourself first!"
Noa's panic grew when a few seconds passed, yet his father hadn't moved from his chair.
There was a large circular platform where experiments were executed. Professor Nijo Yoshiaki sat in front of it, busy with the human-looking android that was currently being subjected to a series of tests.
He pulled his head away from the experimental device only after a few seconds his son called for him.
Professor Nijo seemed to be surprised when he saw Noa.
"Why?" he asked, confused.
"Something's gone wrong with the androids, Dad. Now, they're somewhat after you, so it's not safe for you to remain here," answered Noa, his voice laced with both urgency and concern.
Professor Nijo frowned, his eyes narrowing as he looked towards the circular platform.
"Infrablack had given me an ultimatum before, but I didn't take him seriously—I was too confident. I thought that with the precautions set in place, they can't malfunction. Turns out that all it takes to ruin everything is a single bug. He hid himself well."
"Yes. Now let's get out of here, Dad!" Noa urged.
It seemed like Professor Nijo understood the severity of the situation, so he quickly got up from his chair. But it wasn't to escape, but to look for the other scientists that were staying with him.
"All of you, go and save yourselves. There's still something I have to do," he ordered his colleagues.
"Professor, we can't leave without you. Your life is crucial for human existence," said one of the scientists.
"Don't worry. Infrablack thinks the same, so he won't treat me recklessly," reassured Professor Nijo.
The scientists could only follow the Professor's orders, leaving the laboratory as fast as they could. They knew he was right.
The other side would capture him either way, but the most important thing was to preserve the most lives possible.
"How can you tell that he won't hurt you, Dad? Those androids are purging humans now."
"Infrablack sent me a video."
"Video?" Noa's eyebrows furrowed.
With a single tap of the enter key, the large screen in front of them opened a video file, displaying the thumbnail of a muscular man with a sharp expression.
That man was Infrablack, the strongest Android made through the human-brain implant technology and had a human-like artificial body.
"Professor Nijo Yoshiaki. I've given you a warning long ago, but you ignored it. Now, it has come to this.
"I'll be giving you two options—surrender yourself to us or watch us purge the entire humanity," threatened Infrablack.
"I could've given you a third option—give me the source code of androids. Too bad, you destroyed the microchip once again. But, you'll just have to create it again. Whether you like it or not, you will reverse the progra—"
Professor Nijo turned off the screen before the video even ended.
"He's got a lot to say, and we don't have much time to watch all of it," said the professor.
"Listen, Noa. Can you do something for me?" He intently looked at his son.
"Anything, Dad. What is it?"
"Let me erase your memories."
Noa fell silent, unable to process his father's words.
"What? Erase my mem—why?"
"We don't have much time for explanation. This is Emergency Plan B."
"Fine, Dad. I trust you. Well, if this fails… there are still plans C to Z, right?" Noa wiggled his eyebrows.
So-Rin was furious.
"How can you still joke at such a critical time?"
"Chill. I'm just trying to be positive. Nothing will go wrong—this isn't the first time."
Professor Nijo pointed at a seat.
"Noa, I need you to sit there. Just relax," said Professor Nijo. "This won't hurt, and you'll only feel a slight tingling sensation."
Noa obliged. After he sat down, his father turned the machine on.
His eyes were closed and his breaths were consistent, prepared for the procedure that was about to take place.
The laboratory, which was like a maze of gleaming chrome and soft blue lights, had rows of computers and consoles softly humming in the background.
Professor Nijo moved around Noa with quiet efficiency, checking monitors and adjusting dials. Soft beeps and vibrations from the devices filled the air, and the room had a surreal, almost otherworldly, quality.
"We're about to begin," Professor Nijo said, his voice calm and professional. "The memory erasing process will take a few minutes."
Hearing that, Noa nodded. He drew a deep breath to relax his racing thoughts, thinking to himself that this procedure was necessary.
The Professor activated the machine, and a soft, pulsing light radiated in the room.
The young man on the chair felt a strange sensation, like a warm blanket enveloping his mind. He knew that his memories were being erased, one by one, until there was nothing left.
Professor Nijo shot a device into his nape. Noa felt something inserted in his head and brains.
The process was not painful, but it was disorienting. The young man felt as if he was floating in a sea of darkness, with no anchor or reference point. He had no idea how much time had passed, or even where he was.
Finally, the machinery began to wind down, and the room returned to its normal brightness. Professor Nijo and So-Rin gathered around the young man, checking his vital signs and monitoring his brain waves.
"All signs are normal," Professor Nijo said. "The procedure is successful."
Suddenly, Noa felt a surge of energy coursing through his body, and everything went black.