Chapter 121: Machine Gun Talk Girl
Commander Eve, Ringo, and the six sisters gathered in the lounge.
“Sister, what caught my attention was that battle against the giant scorpion, Tefen.”
Asahi had called everyone together to discuss the tense standoff with one of the Selket.
“Oh, so you have something on your mind, Asahi?”
“Yes, Sister! I reviewed the logs, and I thought we might need additional measures, so I wanted to hear your opinion!”
Seated to the right of Commander Eve, Asahi was in high spirits, with Ringo sitting across from her. Akane had taken her place on Asahi’s opposite side, next to Eve. Ichigo sat directly in front of Eve, while Utsugi and Erika snuggled together, occupying a sofa. Olive was behind Eve, fiddling with a console in the air, her back turned to the group.
Although everyone was present, they weren’t huddled together like before. Each was doing their own thing.
“So, Sister, about that thought wave Tefen sent… was it telepathy, or perhaps some kind of magical communication? In any case, we need to address it!”
“Oh, that. I analyzed the logs, but in the end, it was deemed incomprehensible…”
Commander Eve recalled how Ringo and Olive had diligently sifted through the AI logs of the multi-legged tank, only to conclude that the issue was unexplainable and scientifically impossible, leading to the isolation mode problem.
“I believe it was a magical effect, so it’s understandable that we can’t pinpoint the cause. More importantly, what about our response afterward? I heard the local AI had the jailer function added, but have we taken any measures for ourselves, Sister, or for you and the others, Ringo?”
“…Hmm? Is that really necessary?”
“Asahi, given the distance, I don’t think it’s needed. While I can manage, the Brain Units of Akane and the others don’t have the resources to spare. Preparing for an unlikely event to the point of disrupting daily life is unreasonable.”
The problem had occurred over 1,000 kilometers away from The Tree. The telepathy issue had only affected the local AI, and the strategic AI at the Oil Port, which was in a tactical link state, had remained unaffected. The limited range of telepathy meant that the strategic AI far from the site was not impacted, leading to the decision to forgo adding the jailer function to the AI stationed at The Tree.
“I see. Well, if it’s Ringo making that judgment, it might be unavoidable.”
Asahi, however, raised an objection to that judgment.
“Listen, Ringo! Magic is a force that can’t be measured by common sense! At least, based on the phenomena we’ve observed so far, relying solely on distance or the range of the phenomenon is dangerous! The chances of being wrong are high! We must always consider the worst-case scenario!”
“…Go on.”
Under the pressure of Asahi’s passionate outburst, Ringo leaned back slightly, urging her to continue.
“Why did the effects only occur with the AI around the site? Perhaps Tefen simply chose to limit the targets of its communication! It might have only attempted to relay information to the units deployed on-site, which is why it didn’t escalate further! If Tefen had intended to send a thought wave to the queen of the swarm, in this case, the strategic AI at the Oil Port, wouldn’t there have been an impact there as well?”
“Assuming it was simply out of range is the more logical conclusion.”
“Logical! So you’re applying common sense to magic, Ringo! Well, that’s true; you’re not wrong. But that’s precisely why I was created—to correct such thinking!”
It was rare—truly rare—for Ringo to frown. The possibility that she might be making an incorrect judgment had been pointed out, causing her facial muscles to move unconsciously.
From Commander Eve’s perspective, seeing an emotional Ringo was delightful, but it was not the time for such expressions, so she remained silent. It was indeed a wise decision.
“I don’t understand why you’re ignoring this possibility, but Tefen initially sent its subordinates to scout! Yes, during the first engagement! Subsequent aerial footage confirmed that Tefen was far away, beyond the horizon. This means Tefen somehow overcame that vast barrier and communicated with its smaller scorpions!”
“There’s a high likelihood that it was not direct communication, but rather relay communication.”
“Possibility! Understand this: that possibility only emerged because of the recent telepathy incident, which suggested there were distance constraints! Aren’t we reversing the order of reasoning? While it’s true that the likelihood is high, that assumption is based on scientific reasoning! If we’re considering magic, we must prepare for the worst!”
Asahi’s arguments were indeed on point. One should not use scientific reasoning as a basis for assumptions about magic. When you think about it, that was absolutely correct.
Ringo’s thought process was biased by a foundation of scientific knowledge. Given her nature as the Control AI of The Tree, which was supported by scientific technology, this was unavoidable. It also indicated a significant lack of experience.
And it was precisely because of this concern that Asahi had been created.
“We must consider that Tefen, and by extension, the Selket, possesses a means of communication that spans considerable distances. We must prepare for the worst! This means that the local strategic AI, which could potentially attract the attention of the Selket, as well as you and the others linked to Ringo, might be in danger!”
Regardless of Ringo’s inner thoughts, Asahi’s opinion needed to be heeded.
However, unlike Asahi, who had ample resources in her Brain Unit, the initial five sisters were using their processing capacity to the max. Adding the jailer function would likely lead to a significant decrease in processing speed.
Thus, Ringo decided to utilize the abundant resources within The Core to conduct external monitoring. This way, as long as they remained within The Tree, they would always be under surveillance.
“Isn’t it just like magic to affect through data links? We still don’t know whether the magic in this world is somewhat systematic or merely conceptual, but it wouldn’t hurt to be cautious!”
“Asahi, you really do talk fast. Try to calm down a bit.”
“Yes! Sister!”
“Your response is fine, but…”
Asahi, whether due to her lack of experience or because she had already fixed her personality in this way, had become a troublesome enthusiast who spoke incessantly about her area of expertise.
“I don’t think this measure is particularly meaningful.”
However, it seemed that Ringo was not pleased with this response. In fact, Commander Eve also harbored doubts about its necessity. It was only natural.
“What nonsense are you spouting, Ringo! When it comes to defense, it’s only natural to go all out! If even one of us were to be compromised, it would turn this place into a death trap for Commander Eve! Do you understand that?”
“The likelihood of breaching the encrypted local network that The Core maintains in real-time is virtually zero.”
“Only against an opponent with the same level of technology! Even if the computation results are correct, if the input is wrong, the answer will also be wrong! Ringo, your simulations lack the magical elements! The input variables are simply insufficient, so it’s only natural that the assumptions would be flawed!”
“I cannot agree with the notion that the input variables are insufficient. We have covered all observed phenomena to date. As a result, the likelihood of direct or indirect damage to The Tree is nearly zero…”
“Ringo, what are you refusing to acknowledge! To say that it’s nearly zero and therefore no measures are needed is not the behavior of a Control AI! We must absolutely protect Sister! Absolutely! Any resources consumed for that purpose are necessary expenses; no matter how low the probability, failing to take measures is unacceptable! After all, Ringo, you sought permission from The Core to install large cannons for asteroid defense. How do you assess the risk of damage to Sister from an asteroid? Even if we lived a thousand lives, the chance of dying from an asteroid is low!”
Indeed, it was true that Commander Eve had granted permission for the construction of large cannons to defend against asteroids, driven by the fear of a threat that had not yet been observed. As Asahi pointed out, there was a contradiction in Ringo’s actions.