"I lost them."
"...Understood."
AG241 received reports from the surveillance drones that scoured the streets. His voice was stoic, but turmoil brewed within him. Since becoming an Operative for IDYPIA, he had never once lost a target, making this failure all the more humiliating. He even began to wonder if his sense of duty to IDYPIA's peace had dulled.
No, it's all just excuses.
AG241 blamed himself for not considering the possibility that they would use the unmanned restaurant's delivery entrance. That would have been difficult for the drones to detect.
"I should have considered them as equals to the Resistance and kept all possibilities open."
Lost in thought as he gazed at the drifting clouds, AG241 contacted the AG Security Center for assistance.
"AG241 here."
"Yes, understood."
An unfamiliar deep male voice. Yet, he could sense who it was.
"You are M. Why did you personally take this call?"
"I'm aware of the situation unfolding in IDYPIA right now."
"Ah, I see..."
AG241 was impressed. It had just happened, yet M was already taking action. So, AG241 laid out everything that had transpired up until now, speaking honestly.
"So it has come to this."
"Yes, indeed. Their capabilities have exceeded my expectations."
"Understood. In that case, I will elevate the security level from the current level 5 to level 4. Additionally, we will deploy an additional 17 surveillance drones for you."
"Understood."
IDYPIA typically adjusted its security level to the lowest level 5 during normal times, gradually increasing it by one level at a time in response to crisis situations. The final level 1 entailed all citizens of IDYPIA being armed and engaged in full-scale combat, but this only occurred when rebels or Resistance forces were involved.
And M had assessed the current situation at a level 4.
AG241 speculated that M had already calculated everything from the moment the incident occurred and had been waiting for his contact.
With M's abilities, IDYPIA will be safe.
Vague trust forged a belief akin to religion. To AG241, the AIs created by SAI Prime, among them M, had become nothing short of divine.
Before long, the 17 surveillance drones sent by M appeared through the clouds in front of AG241.
AG241 resolved to restore peace once again with this multitude of surveillance drones.
***
As Marty and Tyra entered the hideout, the sound of bass and drums resonated within, following a steady rhythm.
"What's that sound?" Tyra asked.
In response to Tyra's question, they both headed toward the source of the sound. With each step, the noise grew louder, and their excitement heightened. Upon opening the door to a large room, they found Siu and Zena playing a video where girls of their age were dancing energetically on a stage with a black-and-white background, dressed in bright and colorful attire, moving to the beat of a song dominated by bass and drums.
This is our world. Where the ceaseless cascade of light whispers to us.
Only you can change this world.
Faint dreams, stained realities, wounded winds, and contradictory freedoms.
Constantly beckoning you with gestures.
In the video, it seemed like only those girls were emitting light. Their lively expressions, movements, and even their voices.
"Incredible."
As the video ended, the brief silence was broken by Tyra's whisper. Only then did Siu and Zena, who had been staring blankly at the screen, shift their gazes towards Marty and Tyra.
"Marty? When did you arrive?"
"Just now. Oh, this is the friend I mentioned before."
"I'm Tyra."
Marty introduced Tyra to Siu and Zena.
"Nice to meet you, I'm Siu. A graduate of Noah Tech School."
"I'm Zena. Siu and I were classmates."
As Siu extended her hand for a handshake, Tyra hesitated for a moment and then took a step back.
"Come on, let's shake hands. It's a gesture of welcome."
"Oh..."
With Marty's explanation, Tyra, who was a bit cautious, gently took Siu and Zena's hands.
"We've met another girl who's like us."
"It might be a bit difficult at first, but let's do well together, Tyra."
"Yes."
As Tyra's tense expression gradually relaxed, Marty asked while looking at the screen that was playing.
"But what is this video about?"
"Well, I was going through some old data that we had here."
"Old data?"
"Take a look at this."
Siu retrieved a square black box from a deep drawer. Inside the box were several memory chips.
"What are all these chips? Was that video on these chips?"
"Yeah, that's right."
"Wow..."
Surprisingly, Tyra eagerly asked and Siu responded well. Tyra took the chip from Zena and immediately scanned it with her own brain chip, displaying it on the screen in the room.
There's nowhere to hide. Even when I close my eyes to the cruel heart that feels like it's suffocating me...
This time, a girl group consisting of four members sang a different song from the one they had seen before, synchronized to the bass and drum sounds.
"Wow, amazing. How can they be so perfectly synchronized?"
"Look at her. How can she hit those high notes like that?"
"Wow..."
"Like she's going to run out of air~ ta da ta da"
The four girls exclaimed in admiration, humming along with the song, bobbing their shoulders to the beat, and imagining themselves dancing and singing like the girl group in the music video. Tyra, who had joined them last, felt the same way. All the Emotion Resets and tests she had undergone at Noah Tech School suddenly felt meaningless. In an instant, the brain chips that had suppressed the girls' emotions released their limiters, synchronizing the four of them. They looked at each other, realizing that what they had desired was right there.
As the song came to an end and the screen went dark, none of the girls spoke first. They needed time to fully absorb the fervor they had just experienced. The girl group on the screen had been captivating enough to hold their attention, and the girls' passion had become an unstoppable determination.
"Um, guys... if it's okay with you."
Siu spoke tentatively, seeming nervous.
"What if we tried to be like those people?"
At Siu's words, the three others pondered quietly. Though they didn't yet understand what emotions were, the desire to show what they were feeling to someone else grew stronger.
Yes, they all already knew the answer.
"Sounds good!"
And thus, it was the moment when MAVE:, as they would later be called, was first formed.
***