Chapter 30: A Brief Interlude (The Five Sisters)
Eldest Sister: Akane The Tree
“Your name is Akane. Your full name is Akane The Tree.”
That call was my first memory.
Akane. That is my name. Among the family of The Tree, I am the eldest sister. By the original meaning of ‘eldest sister,’ the Commander should be the eldest, but she says,
“That’s a bit different… I do think of you all as my younger sisters, though.”
I don’t quite understand, so I think I will look it up next time. Surely, if I ask Ringo, she will recommend a good book from the library.
The Commander often introduces me to various books. Reading the books she recommends is very enjoyable. Whenever I have questions, Ringo suggests other books, and those are fun to read as well. Everything I want to know is written in books. I thought that was all I needed, but Ringo says that it’s not enough.
Since I still don’t quite understand, I will ask Ringo to find a book that explains why just having books isn’t sufficient.
Second Sister: Ichigo The Tree
“Ichigo. Are you having fun?”
When the Commander asked me this, I nodded. The Commander and Ringo were pointing at the tactical map while discussing something. I still don’t quite understand what they are doing, but I enjoyed watching them. So, I decided to follow the Commander as closely as possible.
“Ichigo, you’re so serious.”
Serious. Am I serious? I’m not sure. But it seems like all my sisters are doing what they enjoy, and I am doing what I like too. It can’t be that I’m the only serious one. Surely, everyone is serious in their own way.
However, hearing the Commander say that made me very happy.
While the Commander is sleeping, I will ask Ringo to explain today’s discussion again. Tomorrow, I will surely understand the Commander’s words even better than today. Someday, I want to discuss things with the Commander and Ringo together. I want the Commander to say “You’re so serious” to me again.
Third Sister: Utsugi The Tree
“Erika, this way!”
Today, we are exploring the 15th floor of The Tree Fortress.
“Utsugi, I’m coming with you.”
Since Erika is following me, I hold her hand to avoid getting separated. If I take my eyes off her, she quickly wanders off somewhere. I could easily find out where she is by asking Ringo, but it’s best not to get separated in the first place.
“What kind of facilities are on the 15th floor?”
“That’s a storage area.”
Storage area? I’ve never seen one, so I want to check it out. I believe it’s a place where many things are kept. Ringo mentioned that The Tree is short on supplies, but I wonder what that means?
“Storage! Let’s go! Elevator, 15th floor!”
By the way, Erika said she wants to see me cook next time. I think I’ll go there tomorrow. The Commander said it’s dangerous, so we should wait, but is it really dangerous? I think it should be fine since Ringo is with us.
“We’ve arrived!”
Oh no, Erika got there first! She always runs off on her own!
Fourth Sister: Erika The Tree
“Erika, this way!”
It seems Utsugi is going to explore The Tree Fortress again today.
“Utsugi, I’m coming with you.”
If I leave Utsugi alone, she will run off by herself. I need to call out to her, and if possible, hold her hand to avoid getting separated. Ringo is guiding us, so we won’t get lost, but it makes me sad when Utsugi disappears.
“What kind of facilities are on the 15th floor?”
The 15th floor. I remember we usually eat on the 16th floor. The Commander built the dining hall because our numbers increased. Since it’s below that,
“It’s a storage area.”
It’s the floor with the storage area. Ringo said that’s where the food supplies are kept. She mentioned they catch fish from the sea, but I wonder how they do that?
“Storage! Let’s go! Elevator, 15th floor!”
Utsugi jumped into the elevator and shouted. Utsugi is really full of energy. When she’s energetic, the Commander praises her. So, I think I should also try to be energetic.
“We’ve arrived!”
I shout loudly so that I won’t be outdone by Utsugi. It feels good to raise my voice. By the way, everyone else seems to be ‘quiet,’ but I wonder why?
Fifth Sister: Olive The Tree
“Olive, what are you doing?”
As I placed the triangular roof on the room, the Commander called out to me.
“I’m stacking wood…”
I carefully set it in place to keep it from slipping. …Done.
“Oh my, you did a great job!”
The Commander smiled brightly and patted my head. …I’m so happy.
“Ringo, there were some building blocks for play, right? Make sure to give them to her.”
“Yes, Ma’am. Olive, come to the playroom tomorrow to pick them up.”
“Okay…”
It seems the Commander is going to make something for me again. At first, I felt like crying because I was always called last, but lately, I don’t mind it as much. The Commander pays attention to me, and that makes me happy.
…But I can’t help but feel a little envious of everyone. I want to be hugged by the Commander like that too. Maybe I’ll try hugging her next time? It’s a bit embarrassing, though.
Overseeing AI: Ringo The Tree
The five sisters were born from the genetic information of the Commander, having their bodies replicated.
Though they share the same body and Brain Unit, surprisingly, each of the five has developed quite distinct personalities. The slight differences in their initial imprinting, subsequent treatment, roll call order, and the toys and conversations given to them have led to these fascinating variations in character.
I was concerned that having too many similar beings might lead to stress, but at this rate, it seems there would be no issue in increasing the number of humanoid androids. However, we are starting to run low on raw materials for body manufacturing. Since we also need to increase the production of Communicator Androids, we should hold off for a while.
While it would be easy to gather materials through hunting in the Northern Continent, the Commander would not permit it, and I wouldn’t feel good about it either, so we must cultivate them steadily. I should seek permission to expand the cultivation tanks soon.
Speaking of which, we have gathered quite a bit of genetic information from the locals… For now, the Commander’s genetic material alone is sufficient. I won’t accept any other humans intruding.
Eldest Sister: Eve The Tree
That’s right. My name is Eve. Eve The Tree. It is certainly not a foolish name like “Kitsuneski.”
If I had known it would come to this, I would have chosen a more proper name… Curse the administration…!
Well, I suppose it’s unlikely they could have predicted such a dimensional transfer.
Anyway, it’s a good thing that I have a proper name… I came up with it myself, after all, so it’s a cause for celebration. If I ever have the chance to introduce myself, I won’t have to panic awkwardly like when Akane questioned me. I can proudly respond, “Eve.”
By the way, Akane has somehow turned into a bookworm without me realizing it. According to Ringo, it seems that her initial desire to know my name and the stimulation from discovering the answer awakened her thirst for knowledge. Honestly, I can only think, “Oh, really?”
I’m relieved that they haven’t turned into the monotonous, uniform humanoid androids that Ringo initially feared. It seems that the lack of external stimuli in The Tree made it hard to predict healthy mental development, but it turns out there are quite a few stimuli here. Ringo probably overthinks things because her processing power is too high.
When I think about it, we have a spacious building, five sisters, a parental figure in me and Ringo, a library filled with knowledge, vast oceans, and the great outdoors. There’s no way it’s lacking in stimulation. We might be a bit short on interactions with a large number of people, but that’s a problem that can be solved with time.
Since I’ve been feeling bored lately, having these girls to interact with is very intriguing for me. They are obviously different from ordinary children, but I can engage with them like older sisters to younger siblings, which is quite fulfilling.
Now, I must become a reliable Commander for them, right?