I keep driving the buggy north, with nothing but wilderness stretching out in front of me. For the first two days after leaving Yard, there was still some greenery around, but now I only occasionally see some scrub bushes. With more and more sand mixing into the barren landscape, it looks like I'll be crossing the desert tomorrow.
But that's okay...
Somewhere along the way, I might figure out what that mysterious voice calling to me is all about. I could probably spend my life as just another worker in Yard, but I can't ignore the voice that keeps calling to my heart.
Actually, if I ignored it, I think I'd go crazy. Ever since I was young, I've had this feeling that someone was calling me, and by the time I hit puberty, it had become a clear voice—a woman's voice. I saw several doctors, who only prescribed me some medicine for my nerves, but even that didn't make the voice go away.
My parents were apparently part of an organization called the Knights, but they died when their large landship was attacked by bandits when I was five years old. That's what the dwarf grandpa who raised me told me.
I should remember their faces, being five and all, but I don't have any memory at all. There are no video records either, and Grandpa never told me their names.
After finishing compulsory education, I worked as a maintenance crew member at one of the mineral collection yards scattered around the outskirts of the capital, alongside Grandpa.
I thought my life would just continue on as it was, but then the old man who took care of me passed away.
While sorting through his belongings, I found a small, heavy box addressed to me. Inside was a hefty revolver, engraved with the old man's name—clearly meant as an heirloom.
In the room where the old man and I used to live, I played around with the gun and thought to myself...
Maybe I could disappear from this world without bothering anyone? The old man never talked about my parents, and I don't even have any friends.
So... maybe I should go find the woman who calls out to me?
Now, I can even pinpoint the direction her voice comes from. On a whim, I decided to act. Using the old man's inheritance and my savings, I bought a used buggy.
It doesn't carry much cargo because I added a large fuel tank, but I managed to pack enough food and water for 20 days. Five days ago, I left the familiar yard.
The buggy moves smoothly. Even though the driver's seat is low, the terrain is mostly flat, so I can see about 2 km ahead. If I climb up to the roof using the reinforced ladder, I can probably see up to 3 km.
As dusk approached, I pulled the buggy over near a small cluster of bushes. Being alone in the dangerous wilderness means there's a lot to do before nightfall.
I chop some firewood and start a campfire, then use a small pot to make instant soup. While the soup is cooking, I set up vibration sensors about 100 meters away from the buggy in four directions. When they detect any vibration, the receiver on the buggy blares out a loud alarm. Without this setup, you can't even sleep on the wild plains of Planet Raiden.
The uncharted wilderness is teeming with carnivorous beasts, you know.
After a simple dinner, I pull out my pot again to brew a cup of coffee for myself. I load it with plenty of sugar and enjoy it with a cigarette, savoring the solitude of the campsite. I don't feel lonely, though, because I can still hear a woman's voice calling out to me. No one else can hear it, but to me, it's clear: "Rio... Rio..."
I toss the cigarette butt into the fire, gather my things, and load them onto the makeshift cargo rack on the buggy. I recline the seat, wrap myself in a blanket, and hold my revolver as I close my eyes.
The next morning, I wake up to the sunrise. Using the leftover firewood, I make another campfire and brew some coffee. While it's brewing, I retrieve the four vibration sensors.
I pour the coffee into a cup with a straw, hop into the buggy, and munch on some portable snacks while steering northward. I should have traveled about 1,200 kilometers north by now. Though I still haven't figured out who's calling my name, I can probably keep going for a few more days. After that, I might need to think about it—otherwise, I'll run out of fuel to get back to the capital.
It was the eighth day since leaving the yard. By then, we were already 1,500 kilometers away from it.
As we approached that point, the voice calling out to me became clearer.
"Master... Please adjust your course five degrees west."
I followed the instruction and changed the course westward. Although I was nearing the point of no return to the yard, I figured I should check it out. Maybe this was my destiny.
The next day, when I set off in the buggy, there was another course correction.
The following day, corrections came both in the morning and at noon.
On the thirteenth day after leaving the capital, just before noon, a woman's voice suddenly echoed in my mind.
"Just go straight for 500 meters!"
I confirmed the distance on the odometer and stopped the buggy at the 500-meter mark.
There was nothing around me—just a vast expanse of sandy ground mixed with pebbles.
Is this really the right place?
The land was flat, with no visible hills or valleys. The only change was a bird of prey soaring high in the sky. I knew I was already too far from the capital to return.
"Ah, Rio. My master... I've been waiting for you."
"I did come... But where are you?"
Before I could finish speaking, I noticed a vibration beneath my feet. I quickly stepped back, but the vibration grew stronger.
As the vibrations intensified, the ground in front of me started to rise, revealing a metallic object. It looked exactly like one of the combat robots, known as "battlemachines," I had seen several times in the yard.
It seems that the one who's been calling me all this time is this very fighter. The reason it has a female voice is probably because its silhouette looks like a woman, unlike any other fighter I've seen before. Also, it feels a bit smaller than usual fighters. While fighters are typically around 16 meters tall, this one definitely looks a size smaller. It's a sleek fighter painted in white and red.
The deep red trim decorates the bright white body in various places. Most fighter heads look like bulky helmets, but this one had a gentle, feminine face. The sharp features and green eyes make for an enviable female figure.
Overall, its form resembles a woman too, with smooth curves rather than rugged lines.
If only its appearance were smaller, the media wouldn't leave it alone, would they?
"Nice to meet you... no, it's been a while."
"Isn't this our first meeting? This is the first time I've seen this fighter..."
"I am not just a fighter; I am a War Maiden. We were together all along, but during a subspace jump, we encountered interference and got damaged, forcing us to land on this planetary system. That's when you were thrown away from me. It was 13 years ago."
Thirteen years ago? Wasn't I living with my parents then?
I thought the records were lost because the Roundship of the Knight's Guild was heavily damaged during a battle with a bandit group.
"Neither the Spawn of Hatred nor I have any memories from that time, and there isn't even a record left. But, a war maiden or fighter like you... wouldn't the knight's order have taken notice?"
"My codename is [Alice]. My master is Rio alone. No one else can control me."
Must have some kind of personal identification lock mechanism, right? A skilled dwarf could probably disable it in less than a day.
"No one else can control me. Only my master can make me move."
I've heard of systems that authenticate using DNA. Even if it has such a system, it should be possible to bypass it by removing the system itself, but maybe it has a self-defense feature built into part of it?
If so, that would make it quite a rare model. If they somehow got my DNA at some point, I can understand why they greeted me with 'long time no see'... Wait, maybe my parents had something to do with it.
Did they find this unit at some point and install my DNA?
That's the only explanation, but if I'm the master... Hold on, in all the stories about war machines I've heard from coworkers, I've never heard of one with self-awareness. What kind of war maiden are you?
I am the final prototype of the Valkyrie Project. I don't have a model number. You, Rio, were chosen as my pilot."
"Let's just say you're a friend for now. I'm really glad I found the woman who's been calling out to me every day. By the way, you mentioned you descended onto this planet—do you have a specific purpose?"
I doubt it's anything as extreme as wiping out humanity. If it came to that, I'd just have to become the pilot.
"The master chose a journey to one of the planets where settlers once began living, following the conclusion of the plan. The reason is unclear."
I guess it's my wish or something, but I have no memory of that at all. And there's no way a five-year-old could be a pilot. It must be a case of mistaken identity, and it's probably best to clear things up sooner rather than later. If I can't operate this thing, even the AI-equipped warrior princess should realize her mistake.
"Can you let me in once? I don't think I can handle being a pilot, though."
"Understood."
The chest armor panels opened to reveal a spherical cockpit about 2 meters in diameter. The front of the sphere split open vertically, revealing a seat designed to envelop the body.
"Please step onto the hand."
Following the instruction, the machine bent down on one knee and lowered its hand to the ground. Climbing onto the hand, it slowly carried me up to the chest area.
"Sit down in the cockpit and grip the joysticks on either side."
As I climbed in as instructed, my body was secured into the seat, sinking halfway into it. The seat extended upward to firmly hold my thighs and abdomen, ensuring that even if I struggled violently, I wouldn't be thrown out.
"I will control the vehicle by receiving your brainwaves. The joystick will be used for subtle controls and triggering weapons. I will now rebuild the brainwave control system. Please keep looking forward."
Although the sphere had already closed, I could see the surroundings as if the interior of the sphere were a panoramic screen. Probably the chest armor plates have closed too.
"Work is complete. Master, where would you like to go?"
"It's finished? I think I should head back to the yard first..."
Since I've left my previous job, I need to find a new workplace. There's no fuel left in the buggy, so I'd end up as prey for wild animals if I stay here. I do have a revolver from my inheritance, but I don't have more than twenty bullets.
"Understood. What about the buggy?"
"If you can really take me there, I'd like you to at least carry my belongings..."
The front of the sphere opened vertically, revealing a palm right in front of me.