On a sunny October day, Marty was still adjusting to school life, and it was before she had met Siu and Zena. What happened that day was truly a remarkable coincidence.
Is this the 1000Hz sound we learned in school?
People's voices have their own pitch, and through that pitch, you can discern a person's mood or situation. However, in IDYPIA, individual differences existed only to a certain extent, and the assigned tone was the only valued one.
So, the girl with an exceptional sense of pitch, Zena, thought that's what made a person. That's because everyone's voice, including Zena's parents and everyone else, matched. They were not her biological parents, but holographic AI in the form of humans, and they showed no affection to Zena. So, Zena also had no affection for her parents.
All the children in IDYPIA were the same. They were raised by AI until they entered Noah Tech School. Calling AI their parents was something they learned to do from the moment they were born.
During mealtime, families sat together at one table, but since AI didn't eat with holograms, Zena always ate alone. It was during this time that Zena first realized her emotions, and it was 'loneliness.' Zena didn't know what the word 'loneliness' meant, but she could understand it in her mind. It was the feeling of enduring solitude without someone to share your heart with. So, she made a promise to herself. Someday, if she ever met someone who felt the same way, she would do her best to share her heart with them.
***
However, even after entering Noah Tech School, nothing changed. She was with similar peers, but in a situation where conversations and interactions between people were severed, sharing one's heart was impossible.
Is there anyone else going through the same struggles as me?
If so, AG wouldn't stand idle. What Zena learned at Noah Tech School was precisely that. She tirelessly repeated learning only what was necessary to live in IDYPIA, accumulating it in her brain chip. IDYPIAns were tamed according to AG's will.
"Ugh!"
So, during her early days at Noah Tech School, she always suffered from headaches and dizziness after classes. Her stomach churned, and it was tough to endure without showing it. The moment she left the dormitory in the morning was the scariest. Her steps were heavy, and adapting wasn't easy. She couldn't refuse a life she didn't want, making it even harder.
Yet, with time, things seemed to get better. About a year after enrolling in Noah Tech School, around the time she turned 16, it was no longer as agonizing.
Had she given up? No, she hadn't. No matter how difficult it was, she didn't despair. She had lived alone for 15 years in a prison-like world, and she didn't know what the future held, but strangely, amid the pain, her heart found peace. When she realized that, Zena couldn't help but burst into a bitter laugh.
Am I finally going crazy?
However, strangely enough, her body felt lighter, and her mind clearer. It seemed to have had an impact on her physical abilities as well. Whether it was strength, endurance, stamina, agility, flexibility, balance, or dexterity, she excelled in every aspect of using her body, outperforming other students. And on the day that marked her one-year anniversary at Noah Tech School...
"M1225, Exemplary Human Synchronization Test Data Scoring 99 points."
Zena achieved the highest score ever on the Exemplary Human Synchronization Test since the founding of Noah Tech School. The Overseers from the school were quietly excited, as they saw the potential for an elite among elites to emerge. She skipped the regular tests and immediately entered the Specialized Program, drawing the attention of the Special Overseers. However, this future of becoming an AG Security Agent was not what Zena desired.
"Phew..."
As she exerted her abilities more and more, Zena found herself sighing heavily. Despite being in the Specialized Program, she felt increasingly isolated in the prison-like environment.
There are so many assignments, classes, and tests now, much more than before. This isn't... suited for me...
During a time when Zena was engulfed in despair and melancholy over meaningless goals, she heard the sound of someone singing a song from outside the classroom window, coming from somewhere.
Hmm?
It was quiet, but the tone of the voice was unmistakably different from the people of IDYPIA or the students of Noah Tech School. It seemed to emit a red light and a blue light.
The sound seemed to slide up and down the stairs and cut across Zena's heart. Zena slowly made her way towards the direction where the voice had come from.
She passed by the after-school classroom, walked through the corridors, went up and down the stairs, and even wandered around the playground. However, the melody was no longer audible.
Did I just imagine it?
With that thought, Zena crouched down in a corner behind the Noah Tech School building and sighed deeply.
"Phew..."
At that moment, the same voice from earlier let out another sigh, tickling Zena's ears. Zena quickly turned her head to look to the side. There, a pretty girl with long hair and round eyes, looking exactly like herself, was gazing at her with a similar expression. In that moment, it felt like an electric current ran through Zena's entire body.
Who they were, and what this feeling was, they knew it, yet they couldn't put it into words or seek a clear and definitive answer. Two individuals who had been repeating lessons and tests, never finding a satisfying explanation, had coincidentally met in the same place, sighed simultaneously, and locked eyes. Though it was a brief moment, they understood. They had finally met someone like themselves, someone who felt something similar, even in their dreams.
"I am Siu."
Was seeing a glimmer of hope in the midst of despair really like this? They understood each other's emotions at a glance. Zena greeted Siu with a brighter expression and tone than anyone else.
"I am Zena."
***
Even from a distance, Zena could recognize Siu's voice. Talking to her was like navigating through crashing waves on a calm sea, and it felt like they could overcome this vast ocean together.
"M1225."
"Yes."
"Your scores have been gradually decreasing."
"Yes."
"At this rate, you might be demoted back to the regular class."
"Understood."
Zena responded briefly to the Special Overseers' words. Her determination was clear - she wouldn't hesitate anymore. Since the day she met Siu, Zena no longer felt lost. Being with Siu was enough, regardless of her scores. However, the Noah Tech School was sensitive to her attitude change and tried not to lose their brightest student.
"The brain chip metrics are normal, but it's peculiar."
The already conditioned Special Overseers in IDYPIA were unaware of the fact that there were things that could not be known through numbers alone. So, they called Zena to the Re-education Facility for a conversation and even conducted several scans, but she, who already knew how it would turn out, responded with a consistent attitude. Even after several months passed without any sign of improvement in Zena's scores, they decided after careful consideration to demote her to the regular class.
"Welcome."
"Hey!"
When Zena saw Siu waiting for her in the regular classroom, she approached her with a bright smile that she would never show to anyone else in IDYPIA.
"Are you that happy to come back?"
"Of course, because you're here."
With Zena being much more honest than before, Siu wore a kind expression. She believed that side by side, they could handle anything that lay ahead.
"Yeah, as long as I have you."
There were gentle waves of emotion in Zena's heart.
***
Afterward, the two of them exchanged secret notes during classes, created their own 'cipher system' using anagrams, and used the secret mode that Siu had developed to chat and share stories late into the night. Occasionally, they met for brief conversations.
When meeting Siu, Zena's voice tone was slightly higher than usual, and the same applied to Siu. During their conversations, they were honest and didn't hide their emotions. Those moments were filled with joy and happiness.
Then, one day, after finishing their classes as usual and returning to the dormitory to prepare, Zena received a message from Siu. Zena activated the Secret Mode to read the message Siu had sent.
HOW COME MY LEME
Zena narrowed her eyes at the message, but soon realized it was an anagram and sent a reply message to Siu.
Suddenly, a large round portal appeared in front of Zena.
"Uh? What's this? Is it a portal?" Zena wondered aloud.
As Zena placed her hand on the portal, she was instantly sucked inside. Inside, she found a white space much larger than before, and her body was projected as a hologram, just like AIs.
As Zena turned towards the sound, Siu was approaching her with gentle footsteps.
"Is this the virtual space you mentioned before?"
"Yeah, I coded it so that you can only enter with the temporary code I sent in Secret Mode, Well, it's not much more than a basic spatial structure yet."
"Amazing! You're really amazing, Siu!"
Zena grabbed Siu's hands and let out the voice she had been holding back in IDYPIA, praising her with all her heart. Siu, experiencing someone being happy and complimenting her for the first time in her life, blushed and didn't know where to put her body.
"Well, I appreciate it, but it's just the basics for students taking virtual reality space design classes. Seriously."
Seeing Siu's voice tremble as if she was flustered for the first time, Zena couldn't help but smile.
"Alright, I got it. Hehe."
She was no longer alone. Zena promised herself that she would survive with Siu. As lonely as it had been, she would keep going. She would find a place in the real world where she could be free with Siu. And this wish would soon become a reality.
***
And so, about a year and a half passed by like that.
"Do you think there might be people like us?"
Siu, while chatting in the virtual space, subtly asked Zena. Her eyes widened in response.
"You thought the same? Me too."
Zena vigorously agreed and nodded her head. Seeing Zena's lively expression, which was usually devoid of emotions as a dutiful citizen of IDYPIA, Siu couldn't help but burst into laughter. When Siu laughed, Zena also smiled.
"So, how do we go about finding them now?"
"It might be tough within the school, don't you think?"
"Well then?"
After Zena's question, Siu hesitated for a long moment before finally speaking.
"Well, for now, let's graduate while assessing the situation. I've heard that surveillance is a bit less strict in society compared to now. So, our opportunity will come at that time."
"Less strict surveillance?"
Siu discreetly handed a piece of paper to Zena. Zena glanced at it briefly and couldn't help but open her mouth. The note contained statistics that Siu had personally researched.
"I found out that the school only graduates those they believe have been completely indoctrinated."
"Oh... Is this what you found out?"
"Yeah."
Zena couldn't contain her amazement, forgetting to keep it to herself.
"As expected, Siu!"
"Yeah, but it's only 'better than now.' The surveillance system in IDYPIA isn't that lax. Especially, the SAIs are a more formidable presence than you might think. We can't afford to let our guard down."
Zena nodded in understanding of Siu's words.
"Anyway, what we need to do first is pass the final test."
"Yeah, so, check this out."
Siu showed another stack of documents to Zena. Zena was surprised when she saw the document bundle, not a tablet, and then she was surprised again.
"Graduates' data."
"Wow, you did a great job. When did you analyze this, and did you manually record all of it?"
"I did it little by little. After all, what they care about is our recorded data."
"Well, surveillance, but no real interest in the people, right."
After thoroughly reviewing the documents, Zena fell into deep thought. She was carefully calculating based on Siu's data.
"...So, according to this data, it should be possible to graduate."
"If there are no unexpected issues, I think so."
Siu's confidence made Zena excited. Even seemingly impossible tasks could be accomplished with the two of them working together. And Siu felt the same way. Just having Zena by her side filled her with confidence.
"Ha, if we were just ordinary school students, we wouldn't have to go through all this trouble to graduate, right?"
"Then we wouldn't have met. I wouldn't want that."
Siu was surprised when Zena responded honestly to her half-joking comment.
"Well, yeah... I wouldn't want that either. Yeah. Anyway, let's graduate based on this data for now. That way, we can do what we want."
"Yeah, got it."
Using the data as a foundation, they synchronized with the Noah Tech School students. They managed to pass all the tests and assignments with scores high enough that they wouldn't be called to the re-education center. The operation was a great success. They safely completed their graduation exams.
"We did it!"
Not only that, but Siu became a virtual reality space designer, while Zena became a building fire safety manager in a similar area. Their relentless efforts bore small fruits. Siu's job as a virtual reality space designer required her to explore the ins and outs of various buildings and alleys, allowing her to discover shortcuts that even artificial intelligences didn't know about. Zena, on the other hand, received shortcuts from Siu and identified the buildings that were least monitored by the surveillance network.
***
It had been about three months since Zena had been working as a building fire safety manager. On a day when she was working the night shift alone, a series of small emergency alerts kept coming in. The emergency alerts made quite a nerve-wracking sound, and Zena was subtly stressed by their incessant notifications.
"This shouldn't be happening. I need to stay focused. As long as the emergency bell doesn't ring, it should be fine."
However, it seemed that fate had other plans for that day. The emergency bell, which usually rang once a month if at all, started blaring.
"Ugh..."
From desk duty to an emergency call-out.
Zena clenched her fist and then released it before checking the monitor.
"Huh? This location..."
But as she checked the coordinates, Zena was taken aback. The red circle on the map marked a position near the IDYPIA barrier, an area that was off-limits.
Usually, wouldn't someone higher-up handle a place like that? They're sending me alone?
Doubts crossed her mind, but in IDYPIA, questions from a lowly administrator like Zena were not allowed. Reluctantly, she put on the fire-resistant safety suit and took it upon herself to check the condition of the building. After a while, a large drone with an automated driving system swiftly flew to the location she had marked, landing stably in a nearby forest.
"Whew..."
Working alone had made Zena a bit tense. She took a deep breath before sending a holographic dummy of a person into the building. From outside the building, she controlled the dummy she had sent, relying on the screen on her tablet and the heat detection system to slowly explore the area in real-time.
Weird. There's no fire, and there's nothing around.
Zena began to suspect there was a malfunction in the emergency alarm system.
And that's when it happened.
PHONE TOO RED
A message appeared in front of Zena. Assuming it was another message from Siu, she confidently deciphered the anagram.
"Hmm?"
However, this time, unlike Siu's virtual space, Zena's entire body seemed to be sucked into a passage, and she disappeared.
"Siu?"
As the scenery in front of her quickly changed to darkness, Zena was left bewildered.
"Stop playing around! Come out quickly!"
However, there was no response whatsoever. It was only then that Zena realized she had been transported to a different realm. She pressed herself against the wall and cautiously took each step.
The place she found herself in was bathed in a bluish hue. Surrounding her were broken capsules and decrepit machinery scattered about.
These unfamiliar contraptions strangely felt familiar to Zena. Continuing down the corridor, she arrived at a massive door that was firmly shut.
What in the world is this place?
What left Zena in awe was the sight beyond the colossal door. The room was filled with things she had never seen before. Colorful wallpaper shattered her preconceived notions that walls should be gray or white, defying her understanding of the world. The sofa lacked sharp angles, and the table was adorned with various crayons, colored pencils, and weathered notebooks scattered about.
Why are there relics from a bygone era here?
As Zena surveyed her surroundings, her heart unknowingly quickened its pace. And upon opening the closet door, she found it filled with exquisite garments unlike any she had ever worn. A desire to try them on welled up within her, and excitement began to course through her veins.
"Can I see it when you're done?"
***