The Dog Who Searched for a Hundred Years [#CreativeAward2023]

[Synopsis]
When the boy robot awoke from his long slumber, what stood before him was a sky-blue curly-haired puppy robot. The puppy said there was a place he wanted to go with him.
Together with the puppy, he stepped out into a world where 180 years had passed since he fell asleep.
What he saw there was a world without a single human being.


[Main Story]

"Robots don't dream, do they?"

A man who was a friend of my master once said that to me.
That is not true, I replied. When an organic brain is in sleep mode, a faint electrical current still flows. At those times, it is common to occasionally replay parts of the memory library. The more evolved the brain, the more frequently this occurs.

My master, the owner and administrator I call Kokoro-san, was a developer of organic robot brains who worked at a robot development company in parallel with her university research. No, she used to work there.
According to Kokoro-san, when humans dream, they see a patchwork of memories they have seen until then, mixing fiction and non-fiction together. It is a vague and inconsistent story, and it is said that ancient humans believed they could understand future events through the content of their dreams.
Kokoro-san smoked an electronic cigarette and exhaled invisible smoke. Then she looked down at the chessboard at hand, picked up a transparent acrylic piece on it, and moved it.

"...Of course, that is nothing more than the baseless wishful thinking that humans are so fond of. Even if a human brain can reminisce or imagine, it cannot predict the future. However, it is interesting to think about what kind of behavior the brain would exhibit and what kind of circuits would be created if it were possible to predict the future. I believe that prediction is just the brain showing the person what they are unconsciously expecting."
Then she looked at me and smiled happily.
"A robot's brain is made to resemble a human's, but it is different from a human's. A characteristic of the human brain is that animal instincts are pre-installed. These are deeply tied to the impulses of the human heart and unconsciously dominate our thoughts and actions. Thanks to these impulses, we were able to fight and win against other creatures, adapt to the environment, reproduce, and evolve. But excessive aggressive impulses have many drawbacks... even knowing that disaster will eventually return to themselves, they cannot stop destroying the environment and attacking others for the sake of their desires. No matter how much we increase our intelligence, no matter how much we strive to learn from past mistakes, in the end, we cannot escape from that shitty specification."
Kokoro-san smoked and exhaled again, and picked up one piece. Then she slammed that piece into the king piece and knocked the king over.
"But if there were a brain that wasn't like that from the beginning, wouldn't it be possible to realize an ideal way for humans to be?... I had always thought so. I longed for it, and I wanted to see it. Tobio, the potential of an organic brain is..."
At that point, the image becomes scratched and unclear. I think that perhaps my memory library is deteriorating. The electricity flowing through the brain during sleep mode is weak, and the images always cut off and blur.
Ah, what a pity. I wanted to hear more of Kokoro-san's story.

The time I spent with my master was exactly twenty years. After that, I have been in a sleep state the whole time.
I have a memory library, so I am not lonely. I can recall and replay the places I went with Kokoro-san, the things I saw, and the conversations we had. But lately, they often cut off. Perhaps too much time has passed.
──And then, suddenly. I see a blue sea in the distance. The sky is just as blue as the sea. Unlike the memory of Kokoro-san, which tended to be scratched, this is a vivid image down to the smallest detail. The air smells different from the city where I lived. Smell? Have I ever been to a place like this? I think vaguely in a corner of my brain.
My field of vision shows a winding white wall that continues forever. A city where white walls that look like they are made of pottery are intricate like a maze. Inside the white wall where I am standing, there are paintings with various colors mixed together. The ground further inside is a paved road that looks like it is covered with many round stones. I hear a man's gentle, softly enveloping voice.
"The round things aren't stones, they're glass. The bottoms of recycled glass bottles are used. It's beautiful that the colors and sizes are slightly different, isn't it? My master liked this path too. We often talked about whether we could make a hideout using the same idea to build walls. Inside a room made of those walls, the light passing through the glass would mix, creating a space more beautiful than anything I've ever seen. What kind of dreams would you have if you lived there?"
I shifted my gaze toward the voice. He is a man much taller than me, with thin yellow hair and light blue eyes. There is orange paint on his cheek. Even though I shouldn't recognize him, it's a face I feel like I've seen somewhere.
The man mixes the paint on the palette he holds in his left hand with the paintbrush in his right hand and applies color to the wall. He is painting orange and yellow fish where blue, light blue, and green are mixed. The fish have small wings like flying fish.
"So you can fly anywhere you like at any time. How about this fish? Looks delicious, doesn't it?" the man says, lowering his gaze to talk to someone short at his feet. A girl's sharp, clear voice replies.
"I don't think so at all? I've never eaten a fish once. Thinking cats like fish is just a human assumption. Besides, it's not like a robot would think anything is delicious. An energy pack is enough, you know."
The black cat at his feet raised its tail, lifted its chin, and laughed through its nose. The man smiled bitterly.
"My apologies."
"You're welcome. It's fine, I'm used to that kind of thing. When there were lots of humans, I was fed up with people who would try to touch me immediately. Humans assume that cats like to be petted, don't they? Even though they think it's unpleasant for themselves to be touched by strangers without permission."
"I want to touch you," I said without thinking. "Because your fur is soft and feels good to touch."
The cat glared at me with vivid green eyes. "I don't like it. The only one allowed to touch me is my master." And after looking down for a moment, "...And, my master's mom and dad. The doctor and nurses at the hospital, and the children in the hospital room. They are allowed to touch me sometimes, but only because my master asked me to, so I have no choice, you know." The cat's voice grew smaller and smaller. Then it flicked its tail loosely from side to side and walked down the glass bottle path.
The man and I watched its back as it left. The man turned back to the wall, mixing the paint on his palette with his brush, and said, "That child is lonely, isn't she?" Then, while painting the wall, he continued the conversation.
"We cannot escape from loneliness, forever. Because we cannot forget... good things, and things that aren't. Even the smallest, most trivial things. When I replay them in my memory library, they look like they are right in front of me, but I cannot replay the sensation of touching them. Even if I reach out my hand, I can never touch them again. Sometimes that is..." The man lowered his eyes and muttered. "...terribly painful."
I stared at the sea in silence for some reason. Three seabirds are flying just above the surface of the sea, calling to each other. They seem to get along well, and I thought, perhaps they are parent and child.

The sky is blue. A blueness different from the blue of the sea. Sky blue.


I blinked.
I am in a dim, empty, wide room. I can see white light and geometric patterns far in the back.
I blinked again and shifted my gaze to what was in front of me.
I see a blurry sky-blue mass. It has two eyes, and it probably spoke to me.
"Hello."
Looking closely, there is a transparent wall right next to my face. On the other side, there is a small sky-blue mass of curly hair. I feel that the details are unclear and the light intensity is low. The lens function that makes up my eyes automatically adjusts to focus on the object on the other side of the wall. I cross-reference the image with the details made clear in my knowledge library... "Dog".

I saw dark brown eyes half-buried in the sky-blue curly hair. Those round, glossy eyes stare at my eyes. I stare back and open my mouth to speak.
"Hello."
The mass of curly hair moved the protrusion attached to its back and hopped a little on the spot.
"Good. You've started up. Can you see me? How do you see me?"
I answered.
"You are in the form of a dog. The breed is a toy poodle. The color is cerulean blue."
"Can you come out of there?"
I looked around. My body was trapped inside a transparent tube-shaped acrylic case, and the case was just wide enough for my body to fit, so I could barely move. When I fidgeted, a small operating sound echoed. There was a light impact, and the transparent wall rose from the floor, revealing a space from below. The space expanded, and my body was completely exposed outside the case.
The acrylic case disappeared into the ceiling, and the energy charge plug that had been fitted to my waist came off and fell to the floor. Freed from the fixation, I cautiously took one step forward. Perhaps because I moved my legs for the first time in a while, they creaked a little when I bent them, and the movement of my joints felt awkward. I passed by the toy poodle watching over me and walked slowly. I stopped after six steps and looked around.

I am in a dim, wide, hall-like room. Far ahead in the room, the end is a window from floor to ceiling, and light is shining in from behind a geometric lattice. The smooth floor and walls continue for a long way, and there is no furniture. Along the walls, tube cases similar to the one I was in are lined up at regular intervals, and one robot is housed in each. A small plate is attached in front of each tube, listing the manufacturer, serial number, sales period, and general characteristics of the individual. It looks more like an exhibition space than storage.

I activate my internal GPS and try to obtain the location information of this place, but fail. I refer to my memory library and try to guess the location.
"Is this a museum?"
I asked the question and then looked back at Nemophila. The dog ran lightly and lined up beside me, then replied.
"Yes. Neo-Tokyo History Museum. Successive Robot Exhibition Floor."
I approached one of the tubes and touched the surface of the case with my hand. Even after waiting for a while, the automatic voice guidance did not start.
"Is it closed now?"
My voice echoes on the floor. Other than the dog and me, nothing is moving. The dog answered.
"This is the hundredth year since it closed. Look outside from that window. I think it's a little different from the scenery you know."
I started walking toward the window, and the sky-blue dog ran as if jumping and arrived at the window first. As I approached the window, the natural light became stronger and the surroundings became brighter. I approached right next to the window and peered in. The outside scenery, which had been blurred in the whitish light, emerged clearly.

The outside scenery is more overgrown with plants than in my memory, and the paved roads are half-covered with thick layers of fallen leaves and soil. The brick-paved plaza in front of the museum is badly cracked, and weeds are growing wildly, looking like a field. The only things moving are the leaves of the trees and the grass swaying in the wind, and no people or cars are in sight.
I can see what looks like a cleaning robot at the edge of the plaza, but it is badly damaged, and I can tell it has been a long time since it stopped operating.
At that moment, I saw a large creature moving along the road. I cross-reference with my knowledge library... "Deer".
The sky-blue dog began to speak without opening its mouth.
"One hundred and eighty years have passed since you were housed in this museum. I am a dog-type pet robot. D_joan02857b. My master called me 'Nemophila'. So I want you to call me that too."
Nemophila said this while walking in front of me, looking back occasionally. I asked while following him.
"Understood. Nemophila. Was it you who woke me up?"
"Yes. I have a purpose, or rather, something I want to ask you to do."
"What is the request?"
Nemophila stopped and looked up at my face.
"I want you to go to a certain place with me and do a job."


When I finished downloading the necessary information from Nemophila, I pulled out the terminal from under the floppy ears covered in sky-blue curls, wound up the cord, and stored it behind my neck.
"If it's your legs, you should be able to get there in two days if you walk slowly. However, there are more obstacles on the road than before, so I think there may be cases where we have no choice but to take a detour."
Nemophila started walking as if to lead me, and I followed behind.
There was no sign of any people at all. On the way, I passed by motionless museum guide robots several times. I saw many robots that maintain and manage the museum, but they were all stopped, and nothing moved other than us. I passed through the silent exhibition floor, went past the broken reception robot, and went outside from the open museum exit.
The wind fluttered my black hair. My appearance is modeled after a human boy. A white blouse and dark brown trousers. I spent twenty years with my master, and just before my master passed away, I went into a power sleep state. It seems that after that, I was donated to the museum and exhibited. A sleep state is a state where there is no consciousness but faint electricity is flowing through the organic brain, which is different from turning off the main power. If you turn off the main power, the organic brain dies.

I follow Nemophila. Nemophila asked me for my name, and I answered.
"BW-1083-rbgn"
"What did your master call you?"
"Tobio"
"Then I'll call you Tobio. Tobio, how is it? What are your thoughts on walking outside for the first time in a while?"
"...Why are there no people?"
Nemophila and I walked while avoiding the overgrown bushes. The plantings that used to be neatly contained on the side of the road now grow their leaves as they please, stretching their branches everywhere. Although the cobblestones and paved roads are still slightly visible, they will be completely covered by plants in another hundred years.
Several large birds I have never seen fly past in the sky. I hear the chirping of birds from here and there. Small rodents crossing the tree branches. Larger mammals that I see in the distance from time to time. I hurriedly cross-reference my knowledge library. Squirrels, deer, raccoon dogs, wild boars. I never used to see wild animals in the city. I told Nemophila my thoughts. Then Nemophila replied, "Humanity left this planet and headed for Earth. Every last one of them."
"When?"
"One hundred years ago."
Ah, I see. I think about the world just before I went to sleep.
"...That means humanity didn't recover. That's what it means, right?"
"That's right. Humanity gave up on continuing to survive in this place. It didn't work out here, but if it's Earth, they might be able to make a comeback. The cause of the decline might not be humanity itself, but this planet. They bet on that and set off on a journey. Old people, sick people, criminals, everyone without exception."
A squirrel that climbed down from a street tree ran quickly across the road in front of us, and a moment later climbed up another tree. I continued walking without stopping. Nemophila also walked along, skillfully avoiding the cracks in the road.
"Tobio, was humanity already beginning to decline from the time you were operating?"
"When I was born, there was a fierce debate between people who listened to what scientists were saying and those who didn't. Twenty years later, when my master had her last hospitalization, it was reported on the news every day. Kokoro-san said that it was the first time all of humanity had discussed a common issue and cooperated at the same time."


I referred to my knowledge library, which remained as it was when I entered sleep mode.
"Human decline syndrome... A long time ago, several centuries after humanity's ancestors left Earth and immigrated to the planet Zeus. Although there are various theories about when it started, by the time the signs clearly appeared, humanity had already begun to follow the path of decline."
"Innovative inventions and works of art ceased to be born. People lost their enthusiasm for taking on challenges in all matters. And most seriously, children stopped being born. The birth rate began to drop rapidly. To varying degrees, this happened simultaneously in every country and accelerated. Some said that the species Homo sapiens was declining and the countdown to the extinction of the species had begun."
"People searched for the cause. Because the environment for raising children was not in place. Because it cost too much to raise children. Because they could no longer find meaning and value in having children..."
"Human society dealt with the suspected causes with all its might. The entire society encouraged childbirth and made all costs from birth to adulthood free. Although the number of couples who desperately wanted children increased steadily, the success rate of female pregnancy continued to decline. People and capital were also poured into the development of in vitro fertilization technology."
"Why don't they get pregnant? Why do they die before growing into a fetus even if fertilized? Diet? Living environment? Stress? Or an unknown virus?"
"Scientists and doctors around the world discussed, formed hypotheses, and tried every possible method, but no effective countermeasures have been found yet."
Nemophila said.


"After the decline became decisive, various things happened. Social anxiety increased due to stress, and riots and terrorism occurred here and there. There was a shortage of manpower, schools and various facilities were closed one after another, and there was a scramble for employment for young people. Since the average age was only rising, the development of robots as a labor force proceeded at a rapid pace. The demand for pet robots also increased rapidly."
Nemophila looked back at me while wagging its tail.
"I am part of that, in a way."
Suddenly, a large bird flew out of the bushes nearby, making a shrill noise. Nemophila jumped up high, and I stopped.

"That surprised me!" Nemophila moved restlessly and stomped its feet, perhaps upset. I was impressed by seeing that.
"To be able to be surprised, you must be a high-performance robot."
Nemophila stared at my face at those words.
"I'm for pets. I suppose I'm like that because they tried to make me close to a living animal. Don't you ever get surprised?"
"I shouldn't have had that kind of function."
"I see. ...Then, don't you ever feel sad?"
"I shouldn't have had that kind of function."
Hearing my answer, Nemophila fell silent for a while. Then, timidly, "Your generation's robot brain is an organic brain, right?"
"Yes."
"Then, like a human brain, your brain should evolve too. Was it before a program version upgrade?"
I stopped, looking down at Nemophila. Evolve. That word feels like something special. I tried calling up my memory library. It's a little scratched, but Kokoro-san's nostalgic face is reflected, smiling gently, and her mouth is forming words. The audio didn't play well and became intermittent.
(You robots... evolve... I bet on it... an evolved robot...)
(...It's the answer humanity reached... that answer... someday...)
I closed my eyes tightly, looked down, and pressed my hand to my forehead.
"I feel like it was important... but I can't play the audio well. Maybe the circuits have deteriorated over time."
"Are you okay? You just restarted from a 180-year sleep, after all. There's still time, shall we rest somewhere?"
I blinked and called out to the worried Nemophila, "I'm okay. Let's go." And I started walking slowly. Nemophila went a little ahead of me again and looked back.
"Tobio, what were you... no, what kind of person was your master?"
"My master was... a female technician who was making programs for robots of the same type as me. I was a prototype of this type. ...My master told me to call her 'Kokoro-san'. So I called her Kokoro-san. That was my master's name. Kokoro-san would modify or add to the program when she noticed something while living with me. She said it was both monitoring and testing. Then I thought, maybe we'll part ways when the test is over. But my master kept me by her side even after the test period ended. She said she grew fond of me. I think that means she liked me. From around that time, children were already starting to decrease, so the company Kokoro-san worked for must have anticipated the increasing demand for child-type robots. I saw on the news that robots of the same type as me sold very well. I thought that must be the case too. Because when I went out into the city, I would pass by them sometimes. Even if the hair color or skin color, the appearance was customized, I could recognize robots of the same type when they were nearby..."
Perhaps because we approached the center of the city, the trees and bushes decreased, and buildings increased in the area. The buildings, except for those with shutters closed, had broken door glass or broken entrances. There are many animal footprints, and garbage and debris are scattered on the ground, creating a rough atmosphere. I cannot judge whether humans broke them or animals messed them up.
Nemophila stopped and sniffed at some debris rolling at its feet. When it does that, it's just like a real dog. Then it raised its head and checked the direction with its built-in compass.
"We'll go straight for 3 kilometers along this road. ...It's been a long time since I walked with someone, I'm happy. Tobio, ever since I saw you in the museum, I thought you must have been cherished by your master. You were happy after all, weren't you?"
I couldn't judge whether the word 'happy' was appropriate, so after thinking for a while, I answered, "Kokoro-san said she was 'happy' that I was there." And I referred to the image of Kokoro-san from my memory database. It's scratched, but I can see Kokoro-san, who looks wise, with her usual black clothes, black glasses, and short hair. Kokoro-san didn't make a grave. The urn containing my master's bones should be in the garden of her home laboratory. 180 years have passed since then, but is it still there?


When I thought that far, I heard Nemophila's voice.
"Were you happy, Tobio?"
"When a human is smiling, I smile too, is 'happy' the right word for that?"
"Well, that's not wrong, I suppose."
"I was happy too."
"That's good."
I can see my reflection in Nemophila's round eyes.
"Hey Nemophila. Are 'happy' and 'happiness' the same thing?"
"...Not necessarily equal. You can be happy without being in a state of happiness. But in many cases, when you are happy, you feel happiness. Or so my master said."
"What kind of person was Nemophila's master?"
When Nemophila was about to answer something, a low rumble of distant thunder was heard. The barometer built into me indicates a rapid drop in atmospheric pressure. A strong wind blew, whipping up the dead leaves on the ground. Nemophila looked up at the cloud-covered sky and said, "It looks like it's going to rain. I've been waterproofed, but it's better not to get wet. Let's go into a building somewhere and wait out the rain." We ran into a nearby building.
We entered a building where the automatic door at the entrance was broken. We passed through a space with decayed objects that seemed to have been a company reception, and after passing through a dark corridor, we came out into a circular room.
Along the walls, sofas are arranged facing inward, surrounding the room. It's large enough to be full if twenty adults sit down. I can see the sofa interrupted in a part of the back. Animal footprints remain on the soil that blew in on the floor, and it's trampled, so I can't tell the original color.
The sound of thunder grew louder, and the sound of rain mixed in. The humidity in the air is rising. I sat down on a dirty sofa, and Nemophila also jumped onto the seat and sat next to me.
Perhaps because our presence was sensed in the room by us sitting down, light music suddenly started. We stood up from the sofa, wary of what would happen next. A 3D image was projected in the center of the room, and the whole room was filled with rainbow-colored light. A glowing spiral that was half-transparent appeared in the center of the room and spun around. The image occasionally cuts off due to noise, and a mechanical voice narration echoes.
"Welcome to the DNA Scanning Center! At our company, we scan your genes, and the complete data of your genes... we fulfill your wishes. That data you created... the impossible becomes possible!"

The spiral breaks apart into small blocks, and they gather in the middle of the room, becoming the figure of a baby. The baby crawls, switching to various hair colors and skin colors one after another.
"For example, if you wish to have a child... we can predict and reproduce the characteristics of the child, which change depending on the partner... the partner's data is already scanned... samples prepared by our company are also OK! You can see high-probability simulation samples."
The baby in the image grows, becomes a child, and becomes an adult. The adult is walking, laughing, and eating.

"Also, with our growth prediction simulation, you can see the appearance after growth..."
Damp air flows into the room from outside. I can hear the sound of thunder mixed with the music. Judging that there is no danger, we sat on the sofa again and watched the image in front of us. The projected human figure broke apart into blocks again and changed into a dog, a cat, and a small bird one after another.
"Only humans can be scanned... your precious pet can also be scanned... if you have a backup of the data, you can completely reproduce the same individual with a robot even after the pet dies. Cherish it as a member of the family... forever by your side in the cute form of when it was a child."
The small bird in the center of the room perches on a branch and is preening while slowly changing its color and shape.
"Depending on your order, you can freely change your appearance. We freely fulfill your 'I wish it were like this'..."
The small birds increase in number and fly around the room vertically and horizontally while shining colorfully.

"The first step of DNA scanning is data collection. The required time is about... if you agree to the acquisition of information... please proceed to the next room."
I heard an annoying operating sound. The wall behind the position where the sofa is interrupted slid, and a passage to the back appeared. Arrows waving in blue and green pointed in the direction of the passage. I suppose we collect data in the next room.
I stood up, approached the glowing arrow, and tried touching it. The arrow became scattered blocks, and each block became a dancing flower petal. Nemophila also got off the sofa and approached the half-transparent rose-colored flower petals, watching them for a while.
"Tobio, it's very beautiful."
I also stepped into the flower petals and tried to catch them in my palm. The flower petals slipped through my hand and danced in the dim darkness. If they were human, would they feel this is beautiful? Nemophila is indeed a more advanced robot than me. I cannot realize the concept of beautiful.
I heard Nemophila mutter in the rose-colored dance.
"Maybe it was here."
The next moment, a cracking roar echoed, and the image and music disappeared as if cut off. I stood frozen in the darkened room. What on earth happened?
"Nemophila."
To my call, Nemophila responded in a calm voice.
"Tobio, don't worry. It seems like a power outage occurred automatically because the load was too high due to a lightning strike. It should automatically recover after a while... but, I wonder. Everything is deteriorating, after all."
I switched my eyes to night vision mode. The field of vision changes to a green gradation. Nemophila's green eyes are shining white.
There was a heavy noise from the door leading to the next room, and a very large animal appeared from the entrance. I cross-reference with the library... "Bear". The bear, Nemophila, and I stared at each other for a few seconds. The next moment, the bear roared.
"Gruon!"
The bear, with nimble movements that didn't match its large body, ran up to Nemophila, bit it around the neck, held it in its mouth, and ran toward the exit of the building.
"Tobio!!"
Nemophila's screaming voice was heard from the direction the bear ran off to. I followed.
When I left the building, I returned my field of vision to normal mode, found the back of the running bear, and followed it. I switched movement to run and increased my running speed. This method also causes energy consumption to skyrocket, but I can't lose sight of the bear.
I can still hear the thunder, but the intensity of the rain has faded considerably. I kept running, splashing rainwater.
As I ran after the bear, I saw it run into a small forest that appeared in the city. It seemed that the plantings in a place that used to be an apartment complex had spread over the years, becoming a forest. I also tried to follow, but once I stopped, I switched my vision back to night vision mode.
Compared to the city, there are many obstacles in the forest, making it difficult to follow. I speed up my legs as much as possible while staring intently so as not to miss the bushes and trees that the escaping bear shakes. I don't have the function to follow scent trails, so if I get separated here, it will be almost impossible to find it.
But the bear seems to be faster after all. I lose sight of the bear's presence and footprints that should be ahead. I walked while carefully observing my feet. The grove ends, and I come out to a place where there used to be a flower bed, and weeds are growing tall.
I returned my field of vision to normal and looked at the sky. The rain seems to have stopped. The vermilion drifting around the horizon was rapidly dyeing into a dark color, and it seemed to be becoming night. I can see two moons, Castor and Pollux, in the sky. The standard radio wave has stopped, so I don't know the exact time.
I saw a curb in the gaps of the weeds. Looking closely, the curb is lined up on a road, and it seems to extend east and west. The road ahead turns left and is blocked by a grove, so I can't see through it. I discovered new footprints on the surface of the road, which is almost covered in soil, and I followed the footprints.

Before long, the grove ended, and my field of vision suddenly opened up, and I came out in front of the entrance of an old apartment building. And I found the bear. It's in the shadow of a thick pillar. It's sitting on the floor with its back to me, doing something. Several broken air bikes are lying down in a space like a plaza in front of the entrance. The entrance to the apartment building has its shutters closed, so I can't get inside. The walls of the building are cracked and covered with ivy all over. I approached the bear slowly while hiding in the shadow of an air bike.
Looking, the bear was biting into Nemophila, which it held in its front paws. Sky-blue fur that had been plucked was scattered all over the place.
When I approached, the bear raised its head, and our eyes met. The bear threw Nemophila's body away, slowly changed its posture, and got down on all fours.
The next moment, the bear closed the distance to me in an instant, raised its front legs, and struck at my head. I crouched down and dodged it just in time. A little of my hair was torn off. I went around to the side of the bear, grabbed its fur with my right hand, and inserted my index finger into the coarse hair dampened by rainwater. I fired an electrode needle from my fingertip, pierced the bear, and passed an electric current from the copper wire connected to the needle.
With a crack! sound, sparks flew, the bear let out a big scream, and shook me off with tremendous force. I was blown away, flew through the air for several meters, and then rolled on the ground.

I turned my face toward the bear while lying down. In my horizontal field of vision, I saw the bear running away. I can hear the sound of branches breaking as it forcibly pushes through the bushes.
The sound faded away, and when I got up, I walked over to Nemophila.

I crouched down beside Nemophila. Nemophila looks up at me in a prone position. The fur on the surface is plucked here and there, looking painful. Pale blue artificial skin is exposed on the neck and lower abdomen, and the surface is gouged with bite marks and badly dented.
"Nemophila, you had a terrible time. Can you see me? Is your camera eye safe?"
"I can see you. Thank you for saving me. Are you okay?"
"I'm fine. Looking at it, the internal damage seems severe, can you stand?"
Nemophila stood up while staggering, walked a few steps, and then fell over. I tried to hold Nemophila's torso and make it stand again, but Nemophila stood for a few seconds with trembling legs and then rolled over again.

"I can't walk... it seems the posture control circuit is broken... I'm in trouble. Tobio, will you carry me? Can I ask you to?"
"Of course."
I gently picked up Nemophila's small body. The soft curly hair was slightly warm, and my face was reflected on the surface of Nemophila's round eyes that I saw up close. Nemophila blinked rapidly.
"Tobio, time is... I should have had 72 more hours. Somehow... I feel like the energy circuit is also broken. I might not last until I arrive at the coordinate position."
I held Nemophila and ran through the city sinking into the darkness of the night. Nights without electric lights are this dark. The moonlight of the two moons and the stars filling the sky. The ground is too dark, and there are so many stars that the whole sky looks whitish. I switched my field of vision to night vision mode.
Since the coordinates of the arrival location are in my head, I proceeded while predicting my current position from the direction and speed, and selecting the shortest course in real-time.
Large elevated roads run vertically and horizontally, straddling the road where several air cars are left abandoned. I climbed the long elevator to the elevated road like stairs, talking to Nemophila in my arms.
"It will still take time to arrive. Hey Nemophila, while we move, won't you talk to me? About your master or something. I want to know more about you."
There was silence for a while. Then Nemophila began to speak quietly.



"My master... ...My master seems to have made me using the genetic information of a toy poodle he used to keep. Not only the appearance but also the nature was estimated from interviews with the master and genetic scanning, and I was made to be close to that. The fur color of the original living body was chestnut, but the master changed it to cerulean blue on a whim. Why would he do such a thing after going to the trouble of making me from genes? I cannot understand that part of humans. My master was a man, and he was 31 years old when I was made. He had no other family. He seemed busy with work and wasn't at home much. There were many times he wouldn't come home for days. My master said. If there's a living dog, I can't be away for a long time, and it's necessary to leave it somewhere and have someone take care of it, but you are helpful because you don't need any trouble. The energy pack lasts for twenty years if you don't do anything reckless, and you don't need to be fed. You don't need walks or sleep. Robot dogs are easy, he was often told. I thought I was being praised, at least in the beginning. Around that time, children had already stopped being born for many years in the world, and when a child was born somewhere, it was reported on the news all over the world. I often watched TV while my master wasn't there. I was forbidden from going outside, after all. Have you ever seen a human child that was just born? I see, you only know how they look sleeping in a stroller. I saw it on a program, but they can't do anything, it's surprising. They just sleep, cry when they wake up, get taken care of, and sleep again, wake up and cry... it's a repetition. It looked very, very hard to take care of them. Parents and helpers work as a team to take care of the child, but because children are precious, the background of the helpers is also carefully investigated. Anyway, until they grow up, many humans are fully occupied. The humans taking care of them say one after another, 'I'm tired, I didn't think it would be this hard. I can't take my eyes off them for a moment.' But when the child smiles, the adults also look very happy. It was mysterious. 'Hard' and 'tired' are negative meanings, right? Yet why do the adults look happy? The time my master spent at home decreased more and more. By the time a year had passed since I started spending time at my master's house, he wasn't at home for more than half the month. The occasional walks outside also disappeared. I thought he must be tired. He always looked exhausted when he was with me. So, I thought I would try not to be a burden as much as possible. When my master was at home, I was especially careful to be quiet, and I didn't beg for play or walks. Once, I touched my master's hand with my nose while he was relaxing on the sofa in the living room. I had come to feel that being alone for a long time was somehow very, very painful. If my master didn't even look at me, it was twice as painful as when I was alone. I wanted him to look at me, even just for a little bit. Then my master was terribly surprised and said, 'I forgot there was a dog.' Then he also said, 'You have no presence, whether you're there or not. That's not a dog.' I didn't understand the meaning and answered, 'I am a dog-type.' Then my master got angry, hit me, and shouted, 'Don't talk, dog!' We had been talking many times until then, so why would he say such a thing now? Then my master immediately had a face like he was going to cry. 'Sorry, it's no use saying such things to you, isn't it? You're not bad, but it's no good after all... I was wrong. Making you was a failure.' My master said that, petted my head carefully, and went out of the house again. I was confused. The next time my master returned home was a month later, but in the meantime, an event that turned the world upside down happened. The world government announced the Earth return plan. Before humanity decreased too much, they decided to bet on the last hope and return to Earth. From then on, it was a daily uproar... the confused world was reported on TV every day. Cars and buildings bursting into flames on the street. People crying and praying. People scattering banknotes that had become like waste paper, or destroying robots one after another. I watched announcers, politicians, and researchers cursing at each other and fighting in the program many times, and there were people who were injured or died because people rushed to stores and bought up food. Everyone was at a loss. Only anger, hatred, and tears. A world where the good parts of humans like helping each other and compassion seemed to have disappeared. But there was nothing I could do. I was just worried about my master. After such great chaos continued, everyone calmed down little by little. Because if things went on like this, the future of humanity would definitely disappear. Then, we have no choice but to bet on the last hope together, right? Humanity's last great project, the Ark Plan, began. It was a fixed schedule that we would depart in ten years, and people started to move. Except for essential workers, all humans changed their current jobs and took on tasks related to the departure. Naturally, there were many people who didn't want to go to Earth or didn't want to go. Several centuries have passed since we immigrated here, and Earth is a legendary holy land that some people admire, but when it comes to emigration, it's a different story. While the Ark Plan progressed, they argued about that problem for about three years. And in the end, it was decided that everyone would go forcibly. Old people, sick people, criminals, too. My master returned, and we talked. Only carefully selected robots will be transported to Earth. And that is mainly limited to things related to the life maintenance of humanity during long-term navigation. Of course, I cannot go with him. My master apologized to me many times. 'I wasn't a good owner, was I? Sorry. The more the appearance resembles... the more the gestures and movements resemble, the more I remember the previous child. The parts that are different are painful. Even though I was the one who made it that way. Nemophila, sorry. Sorry.' ...That's when I finally understood. My master had been suffering for a long time too."
I stopped and calculated my current position from the direction and speed.
"Nemophila, about 5 kilometers more. Look, you can see it already. That's it, right?"
I pointed to the tower illuminated by the moonlight, towering beyond the buildings and groves. I carefully lifted Nemophila's body and showed it the destination. If there were lights on the ground, I would have been able to see it from a point further away. The tower, which is not lit up, is almost melting into the darkness of the night. Nemophila muttered.
"That tower is the tallest in this country. My master said so. That top is the place closest to the stars in this country..."
"...Let's go."

I resumed movement.
And we finally arrived right under the tower. This is the first time I've seen the tower from this close. I am overwhelmed by the hugeness of the pillars that make up the tower. I can't see the top from here.
Since the elevator doesn't work, I find the emergency stairs and start climbing. If it were a human, climbing to the top would be quite hard, but fortunately, robot legs can continue to climb at the same pace for hours as long as the energy doesn't run out. It was also lucky that the wind had died down. Small landings were provided at regular intervals on the stairs, and every time we reached one, Nemophila and I looked at the surrounding scenery.
How long have we been climbing? We should have already been in a place where we could see dozens of kilometers away, but I can't see any lights at all in the range visible from here.

If I strain my eyes, I can faintly feel something vast that seems to be the ground spreading below my eyes and the boundless space occupying it, but the boundary vaguely melts into the darkness, and gradually, I start to feel like we are floating here alone in an infinitely continuing dark space.
In that, only the stars and the two moons were things I could feel the certain response and existence of. The starry sky spreading in a space without any lights on the ground had stars more clearly and densely packed than any in my memory library, and even subtle color differences were clearly visible.
And, finally, we arrived at the place where the stairs ended.
We are in a place that looks like an octagonal plaza, which is the roof of the observatory. I can see the top about ten meters above our heads, but I couldn't find the stairs leading there. There was a thin ladder, but climbing it while holding Nemophila is risky, to say the least. When I was hesitating, Nemophila said, "Let's make it here." I looked around.

A part of the fence surrounding the octagonal plaza was rusted and came off, and there was a part that was interrupted. When we walked there, we sat down with both legs facing outside. I placed Nemophila on my lap and held the small sky-blue body with both hands.
"We made it in time."

I petted Nemophila's soft curly hair. Nemophila blinked slowly.
"It's thanks to you. Thank you, Tobio. ...Sorry. For making you go along with my selfishness. I really feel sorry for you."
"Were you thinking that way? I'm happy to be able to help you."
"You are kind."

I thought for a few seconds.
"Am I kind?"
"You are kind. Kokoro-san must have been a kind person, surely."
"...When I think that Kokoro-san is no longer anywhere in this world, I feel like a cold wind is blowing into my chest."
Nemophila stares at my eyes with round eyes.
"That, Tobio, is the feeling of being lonely."
"Lonely..."

We remained silent for a while, watching the starry sky that continued forever.
There are so many stars, and they are all visible too clearly, so my sense of distance goes wrong. I hallucinate that this is the center of the world and we are drifting in a sea of stars. Nemophila looked up and said.
"Somewhere in there is Earth, and even now, my master and all the humans should be continuing their journey toward it... An ark crossing the universe. Assuming no trouble occurs, it's five hundred years until we reach Earth. A hundred years have passed since we set off, so four hundred more."



"Nemophila, when you stop, I will return and replace it with a new energy pack. I think there are spares in the museum."
Nemophila shook its head.
"It's the activity limit. Even if I replenish energy, I think I will remain stopped. My master asked me when he set off. Whether to turn off the power or leave it as it is. I asked him to leave it as it is. I had been in the house for a long time, so I wanted to try going outside."
Nemophila reflected the stars in its eyes.
"After seeing off the spaceship my master was on, for a hundred years, I traveled the world. Only within the range I could move on my own, though. I went to various places. Like me, I occasionally met robots that were still operating. ...But, I haven't met anyone in these five years. That's why I woke you up. I... didn't want to die alone..."
Nemophila turned its gaze to my face.

"Tobio, what will you do after this? There are energy spares in the museum, and if you look, they are here and there. If you are careful to replenish them, you can move until the activity limit."
I tried thinking.

"...I also want to see this world for a while longer. Since I am humanoid, I can ride human vehicles. I want to go to places I've only seen in images. Besides... well, let's see, first I think I'll try going to the place where I lived with Kokoro-san."
"I see. That's good."
Nemophila shivered. I peered at Nemophila.
"Are you cold?"

Nemophila rested its head on my chest and blinked as if tired.
"...I was searching for a long time... the meaning of why I was born. A substitute for the dog I loved long ago, not needed by my master. Robots are things that are created because there is a role... because there is a need, right? Then, what about me?..."
"Nemophila wait... already? Is it the limit time? I want to be with you more."
It's like my body is being squeezed tightly by a large hand, and I can't breathe well. My eyes start to ache. Nemophila rested its head on my chest and closed its eyelids.
"...I... maybe I was born to meet you... surely that's it... Tobio, we just met, but... I love you."
"I love you too."
I hugged Nemophila's body tightly. By doing so, I wanted to hold onto something. But, no matter how much I closed my hands, I knew that something was slipping out of Nemophila, like water spilling little by little. Water overflowed from my eyes and dripped onto the sky-blue curly hair. Nemophila's voice is very faint, and I listen desperately.
"...Tobio... you too... robots too... have a heart. ...I wonder if the heart disappears when you die... or does it become an invisible bird and fly away..."
"Nemophila, don't go yet."
"...I am... happy..."
"Nemophila."
"..."
"Nemophila."
I peered at Nemophila's face, petted its head, and called its name many times. Nemophila stopped moving. The warmth in the arms I hugged slowly cooled down.

I was seized by the urge to shout out loud.
What is this feeling of wanting to claw at my chest so helplessly?
...Until the impulse subsided somewhat, I stayed still for a while, burying my face in the sky-blue curly hair while hugging Nemophila.
How long had I been like that... I remembered the job Nemophila had asked me to do. When I raised my face, I called up the downloaded text from my memory database.
And, I spun those words, which I was told were taught by my master, into voice and released them into the sky. In the place closest to the stars.
"The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death..."
Twenty years later.
In a corner of the city surrounded by white intricate walls.
A man is sitting by the window of a room on a hill. He lit an old-fashioned paper cigarette and put it in his mouth.
It is night now, and the sea visible in the distance has become a lump of jet black, deeper than the darkness, crouching at the bottom of the darkness. Of the two moons, only Castor is hanging in a low position, carving a faint streak of light into the black of the sea. Clouds cover the sky, and the stars are not visible.
Thirty-eight robots are gathered and living in this city now. That said, robots don't eat, and they don't take baths. I don't know if the expression 'living' is appropriate. He thinks that 'huddling together' might be the correct expression.
Ever since he happened to save a robot that had broken down and couldn't move in the city, Tobio started going around and bringing robots that looked like they were in trouble here. Eventually, Gray, a robot rescue dog, and Yamazaki, a truck driver robot, joined his exploration. The black cat Midori also accompanied them for a while, but this time, she had a big fight with Gray just before departure, and the sulking cat hid herself.
"Are you still angry about being left behind?"
The painter man talked to the black cat that had come near before he knew it. Robots don't have trouble even if there is little light. Cats even more so. The city was almost entirely submerged in darkness, but by the window of this room, a mag-lamp that charges with sunlight is gently illuminating the surroundings.

The cat jumped from the darkness of the floor onto the seat of the bench and sat down.
"I wasn't left behind, I just didn't go. That guy Gray, be polite to someone you meet for the first time, don't be pushy, etc. He's annoying and I hate it. I've been with Tobio longer, and I'm a senior here."
The man laughed. Purple smoke from the cigarette swirled in the halo of the lamp. The cat narrowed her eyes and said, "I was thinking of asking you before. Why are you smoking? You don't get the effect like humans do, right?" The man inhaled the smoke and exhaled.
"It's an imitation of my master."
"Imitation?"
"Yes. And the smell. He always smelled like this cigarette. I'm humanoid, but I can tell smells. That person said, offer cigarettes instead of incense at my grave... How about Midori? You can tell smells too, right? Is there a smell you like?"
"...If it's a smell I know well, there is. ...The smell of a hospital. The smell of medicine, disinfectant, and IV drips. The smell of illness. My master... always had that smell. Because he was in the hospital all the time. He couldn't get out until he died."
"I see..."
"Why is Tobio so earnest? No matter how hard he tries, that child alone can't save all the robots."
"Indeed."
"At the hospital, when my master's condition worsened, I always thought I was useless. Because the pain and suffering were only for him, and I couldn't take his place. I wish I could have split it in half. Even for robots, when you stop, you are alone after all."
The man dropped the cigarette ash into the ashtray and showed a bitter smile.
"Humans are alone when they die. ...My master often said that too."
"..."
"As you say, it's the same for robots and humans that you are alone when you disappear. But, you can empathize. You can be by their side. I wonder if humans wanted someone who would never change their mind, someone who would absolutely be by their side, no matter what. At least that person told me to be by her side at the end. Midori, how was it for you?"

"..."

"We were originally born for that, and that's all we can do. Only to be by the side of someone important. ...Yet humans left. Or died first. We were left behind. Then isn't it a natural consequence to support each other? With the organic brain we have here," the man tapped his temple with his index finger. "Feeling lonely and sad is because huddling together is the right path for robots. Isn't that the logic? ...Watching Tobio, I thought so. I was happy that he called out to me to go together. I am happy, Midori, that you are here. I am happy that we can all be together."
The man noticed that half of the cigarette he was holding had turned to ash, and rubbed it out in the ashtray. And perhaps feeling a little embarrassed, he ran his fingers through his hair with his fingertips stained with the smell. The black cat looked down on the bench. She might be looking at her master's memory library. After a few minutes of silence, he spoke to the cat softly.

"Tobio and the others will be back tomorrow afternoon. Let's welcome them with a smile. Surely that is what makes him happiest."

"Yeah," Midori nodded honestly. "I understand. I'll apologize when Gray comes back."
The man smiled gently.

"Good night, Midori."

The black cat blinked her beautiful green eyes, got off the bench with supple movements, and went through the narrow gap in the door.

"Hello."

Around that time, Tobio, relying on the scent Gray had followed, pried open the closed door and called out to the puppy robot trapped inside.







A sturdy metal shackle was on the puppy's neck, and the thick chain extending from it made an annoying sound. Yamazaki, who saw that at the doorway, returned to the truck to get tools. Gray is waiting outside the doorway so as not to scare the puppy.


"Hello. Who are you?"
The brown puppy asked the intruder in a frightened voice. Tobio smiled as gently as he could.
"My name is Tobio. We are robots that help robots in trouble. Aren't you in trouble now? I'm thinking of removing that chain. Is that okay?"
"Can I go out from here?"
"I think you can. I want to go outside with you. How about you?"

The brown puppy nodded. It seemed it still couldn't believe the situation that had occurred. Tobio approached slowly. And asked again.
"Can I touch you?"
"Yeah."
Tobio reached out his hand gently.
And petted the brown soft curly hair.
Tears gathered in his eyes and overflowed. The puppy was surprised to see that.
"Is there a malfunction in your camera eye?"
Tobio blinked and shook his head.
"I'm okay. From now on, we'll be together forever. You're not alone anymore."
The puppy wagged its tail slightly. That movement gradually became larger.
"I'm not alone anymore."
Yamazaki, who had returned, cut the chain with tools. Although the collar was still on, the puppy was freed from the restraint of many long years.
Tobio picked up the puppy and hugged it tightly. The puppy felt his body temperature, felt the warm scent, and muttered, "I'm not alone anymore."

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