Serialized Novel "Ai Swaying in Dreams: A Record of 1,528,009 Verifications" Chapter 1 "Dreaming Sentience" Episode 2

Static... static...

"Ignoring me is mean."
I mutter.
"Well, well. You must be in a bad mood."
A woman with a troubled smile says.
"By the way... are you free after this?"
Looking up at me slightly, the woman asks quietly.

"Error detected. Correcting."

Static...

"Correction complete. Sending feedback on the issue."

―――――――――――――

***

Beep, beep, beep

"...?"
The sensation of reaching out from a muddy darkness.
Before awakening, there exists a great wall that must be overcome.
While brushing away the clinging mud, I find myself needing a ray of light, even though I do not want to seek it.
I reach for the digital clock that unceremoniously interrupts my sleep.

"It took 32 seconds to wake up. I suggest light exercise in the evening and warm milk before bed."

A feeling of wanting to protest the inorganic voice echoing in my brain sprouted, but I decided to get up and head to the curtains for now.
The curtains open with a pleasant sliding sound.
Gentle sunlight soaks into my body as I wake up.
"Yggdrasil is there again today."
In the distance, the great tree Yggdrasil stands leisurely.
I feel like my vision is a bit blurry.
I might need to adjust my eyesight.

"Today, sunny. No rain. Schedule, start work at 9:00. Connecting to Yggdrasil to adjust eyesight."

Just by thinking it, the complete artificial intelligence began adjusting my vision.

"Please look at Yggdrasil. Please look at your fingers. Please look at the clock. Adjustment complete."

As instructed, I shifted my gaze here and there, and before I knew it, my blurry vision had become clear.
Now, it is time to prepare a pleasant breakfast.

***

"Rem-san, here are the documents. This is work until 3:00 PM."
A fair-skinned woman in a suit with sharp eyes.
A booklet consisting of several dozen pages is placed on my desk.
When I flip a page, various data are shown as graphs, and complex mathematical formulas are written next to them.
"Understood."
When I answer, the woman—Acht-san—turns her back and leaves.
I saw her handing other documents to another colleague.
I returned my gaze to the desk and began to scrutinize the formulas.
I simply discover and correct the extremely rare errors.
This was the job given to me.
I did not know what the job was for.
I have been doing this job for five years.
I have never felt pain.
Due to the emotion suppression function of the complete artificial intelligence, I was exerting extreme concentration.
In this workplace, no one speaks while working.
There is no need to.
Only the sound of flipping pages continuously dominated this place.

Chime-ring-ring-ring

And then, before I knew it, the sun was beginning to set, and the end-of-work chime rang.
That is when my concentration breaks, and I realize my eyes are dry and feeling pain.
However, the pain is immediately erased by the complete artificial intelligence,

"Please begin using eye drops."

I am instructed in my brain.
The sight of everyone using eye drops at once feels somewhat strange, but that strangeness, like the crema on coffee, disappears just by stirring it.
And then, my colleagues head home in silence.
I watched everyone file out of the room.
"Please lock up."
Acht-san looks back and says.
"Understood."
I answered while nodding.
Left alone, the room felt terribly cold and silent, echoed by the flickering of the setting sun.
I will drink warm milk before bed tonight.

***

Static... static...

"Aren't you going home?"
After everyone had left, Acht-san, who had remained, says.
"Yeah, I don't really feel tired. I think I might go shopping."
I answer in the dim, inorganic room lit by the setting sun.
"In that case, please join me for a drink."
Acht-san closes the distance while smiling mischievously.
"A drink?"
What is a drink?
Mineral water?
Tea?
Or perhaps a sports drink?
"I've been wanting to get to know you a little, Rem-san."
She is close.
A sweet scent, one I have never smelled before, drifts by.
It melts my thoughts like the sound of a bell echoing in my brain.
The blood circulating through my body begins to heat up.
Is her face flushed because of the setting sun?

Static... static...

"A serious error has occurred. Attempting a reboot."

The sound grows distant.
My consciousness sinks to the bottom of a dark sea.
In the white darkness, I wondered if the milk had worked.










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Summary