Now more intrigued than ever, and understanding next to nothing within the strange note, she opened the little box; there, in a padded interior, was an oval, flattened object with a black screen on its upper face. It fit perfectly inside her closed fist, not so much because it was the size of her palm, but because, when she closed it, the object compressed as if it were a soft rubber ball. She was so surprised by the exotic manufacture that, carelessly, she dropped it and, to make matters even more strange, the device bounced a couple of times in front of her before coming to rest on the dark green carpet around the bed.
Mari took it again, saying to herself:
- What is this supposed to be? Am I still in a dream?
Immediately, the screen came to life, turning on a blue light and emitting the projection of a logo similar to a P and a W crossed in the middle. In mere moments, a voice came out from it:
- Welcome, user, to the Outcast-11 operative system. Your voice sample has been read, and will be used as an initialization and unlocking method for this device.
Mari was amazed; she'd never seen anything like it, because, although it looked like a smartphone or a folding screen, it had no comparison with either of them:
- Default language, Korean (E-001B-001). Please choose a username and voice password to create your personal session.
The actress thought about it; she didn't know what she was facing, but, taking into account the latest events, she finally made the determination to throw herself into the unknown. If that note didn't lie, this was necessary:
- Username is Kangmi95@18 – she said on the fly – and password…well, it could be **********
- Credentials saved. Please provide the information below to personalize your experience and security settings…
That would be more extensive than she had ever imagined, as if she were registering her entire identity in one hand. The thing asked for her name, ID number, addresses, vehicles plates and license number, information about family members, friends, place and work experience, information about studies, blood type, preferences and a long etcetera, although, to her relief, it didn't request financial data. The machine was exhaustive in its requests, scanning her to create a profile photo and avatar, building thus a comprehensive profile of the actress before saying:
- Your account has been successfully established. Before proceeding to desktop, please take into account the following information. I am an original A15 Four-Dimensional Locator specifically adapted to the current interface, so if an error occurs, Outcast Corp may be accountable to any prejudice, and a guarantee could be reclaimed within two years of my fabrication.
- What are you talking about…?
- A15 powered by Outcast has the following functionalities. 1. Maintain a permanent record of the user's spatiotemporal location to ensure receipt of assistance in case of emergency.
- Emergency assistance, it sounds good...I guess?
- 2. Periodically record all quantum foam activity within a 10 kilometer radius to keep you alert for nearby incursion events and hyperspace anomalies.
- Quantum foam? Incursion?
- 3. Provide intelligent assistance in accessing and searching local spatiotemporal databases as well as the Wandering Archive in accord to a security clearance approved by the Pariah Canonic College.
- Wandering Archive? Canonic College?
- 4. Keep a continuous biometric profile, updated for preemptive and diagnostic health purposes.
- So, just like a smartwatch.
- 5. Issue alert notifications, relevant updates on the known continuum, and direct message communication between all users of Outcast devices through the Ratatoskr app.
- I didn't understand that reference.
- This has been your informative introduction. For specific tutorials, open any app for the first time. Bye bye.
The actress didn't say anything else; she saw holographic icons appear on a touch ring, and began to delve into the functionalities, curiously digging for everything, proceeding to ask questions once she realized that the device had its own AI, which far surpassed any other in the world she knew. This system not only performed the functions mentioned in the tutorial but, by talking to it for a long time, it was capable of doing mathematical calculations, telling jokes, analyzing readings or explaining in a simple way topics in exact sciences, engineering, arts or humanities alike, offering sources and statistics from such Archive. When she finally became interested in it, this opened in a huge three-dimensional hologram that took up her entire room, showing that, it was a link to knowledge; she consulted about things she got to know in her journey, and both Raon and the Society had extensive entries about them.
- Thank you…Raon? I think it was her at least, not sure – she said looking at the locator.
During the next month, she would spend not only carrying out her media schedule, or her controlled public appearances but, in her little free time, or when no one was watching her, would check the device, and also talk to it to find out more things. In a matter of a few weeks she was already able to give the thing a decent handle, and was always keeping it hidden out of everyone's sight, but always carrying it everywhere to avoid any potential challenge to her luck. It didn't take long until Mari was already chatting with the AI casually, as if it were some confidant, always willing to listen to what she wanted to say, even if in reality it had no other option than to serve the person it was left with; no, it turned out not to be a dream.
Eventually the day would come. Mari had anticipated, she told her mother everything, and even though none of her parents completely believed her, they decided not to take drastic measures, even though they were worried about delusional thought and PTSD. That morning they went with her in the vehicle, which would take half an hour to travel through the city until reaching their destination; it slowed down on the avenue and turned to enter the paved road leading to the parking lot of a huge building. It was 6 stories high, with the emblem of the 5-petal taegukgi crowned with an eagle adorning its entrance; the car finally arrived in front of the Seoul metropolitan district's central police station, around which dozens of journalists and onlookers were already waiting.
From her tinted glass, Mari looked at them a bit anxious, so decided to cheer herself up:
- You'll be fine, dear - Mr. Kang said - Just go there, tell them what they want to know, and... be careful.
- I will be. Thank you…thank you dad, mom, for understanding.
- It doesn't matter what happens. You'll always have us on your side, you hear? – her mother added.
She smiles one last time before getting out of the jeep, and exposing herself face to face, as always, before the numerous cameras, already photographing her hundreds of times with their flashes from outside the half-open window; she caressed the device with her hand and got up the entrance, helped by a personal bodyguard. She had a lot to tell, but she swore never to talk about that artifact; it was true, now Raon knew where to find her and had the means to reach her whenever she wanted; that was the uncomfortable side of having finally returned home, where she had so much to do and explain, being certain she would see her and S-1 again one day. Of course, it was not explained why they didn't give her this strange little device before her return, or why they didn't give it to her personally, instead leaving it furtively in the middle of the night despite knowing her, and despite the fact they ended up at quite better terms.
The surveillance systems in her residence was fried, it was true, but that was the least of it since she could easily replace it; what still disturbed Mari was the thought she didn't fully understand many things, and that her personal world, mind and heart, after this experience, were changed forever. Why a secret organization from another timeline was so desperate to find Kim Ra-on such as to end up mistaking her identity, why things failed the way they had during that whole misadventure, and why there were monsters from an even more remote place looking for her, to what end?. It was very clear those riddles had not been solved, and, therefore, it was possible that her story in relation to them had not yet concluded.
THE END