𝐅𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐝𝐨𝐦 𝐢𝐧 𝐚 𝐅𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐛𝐨𝐰𝐥 (3)
Nemea star nation’s planet Nemea has a capital city called Argos, and the metropolitan area formed by Argos occupies more than half of the planet’s surface.
In the representative office here, Director Coelacanth and Haber sat with the door tightly shut.
“Kreion is a child of the Darwin Foundation.”
“Child, you mean. . . artificial human?”
The 70-year-old director’s question was mixed with fear, with wrinkles on the corners of his mouth. Haber smiled slyly at this.
“Let me tell you he’s a child that our foundation cares for very much.”
“Then he’s the son of Director Darwin or. . .”
“Don’t try to find out too much. I told you before.”
“Oh, I’m sorry. Hehe. . . This damn talkativeness. . .”
“Kreion’s parents do business abroad. Kreion came to this country because of a conflict with his parents, and I will act as his secretary and legal guardian in place of his parents.”
“Hehe. Yes. I understand what you mean. I’ll definitely take care of the hiring process.”
“Good.”
Haber took out the briefcase he had left next to his leg, put it on the table, and pushed it towards the director with his hand.
“Hmm? What’s this?”
“Open it and see.”
The director opened the briefcase and checked the contents.
Twenty or so turquoise memory cubes shaped like gold bars were stacked.
“This is the mined cryptocurrency. Since it’s a coin that will be delisted soon, sell it off today. Even if you can’t, it will be 25 million Cret.”
“But. . . Isn’t this position supposed to buy and use Kreion’s abilities from the Darwin Foundation? Is it okay to receive such a separate case. . .?”
“This is an expression of our gratitude for your cooperation with our foundation. The director specially prepared it, so please accept it.”
At this, the director’s wrinkled lips twitched as if they were convulsing slightly.
“Oh my, how many gold bars are there. . . It seems rude to refuse when you’ve prepared so much like this. Hehe. . . But I wonder if the country will smell something if it’s this much money.”
“We’ll take care of that part, so don’t worry.”
“. . . No matter what anyone says, the Darwin Foundation is the Darwin Foundation. I think it’s really great.”
Whether he has already absorbed the upper echelons of the Nemea government or is tricking them, there is no need to worry about receiving 25 million Cret through an intangible transaction. That’s where the Darwin Foundation stands today.
“Kreion will show you something unusual at your company.”
“Yes, yes. Even just looking at the pictures, you can feel the atmosphere of a very extraordinary person.”
“And he might be a little rude to employees or superiors. He’s not a people person. If there’s a problem because of that, please mediate it so that he can get along well with people.”
“Oh, of course. I’ll have to be clever and resourceful. If he has the ability, there won’t be any big trouble. We value ability above all else, so. Hehe. . .”
“Lastly, Kreion should not be exposed to society as much as possible. Whether he achieves results, contributes to a project, or how great he is, please pay special attention so that no public records remain.”
The director, who had received the money, nodded his head vigorously as he closed the briefcase tightly. It was a look that showed he understood enough.
Haber got up from his seat and held out his right hand to him.
“I’ll leave it to you. Director.”
The director got up abruptly and shook hands happily.
“Yes. Secretary. Leave it to me! Hehe.”
🔸🔸🔸🔸🔸🔸
9:00 AM.
The sky outside the window is close to sunset.
I made it a cell because they said I should wear clothes called formal suits. Now I can make clothes that fit my body and wear them around.
“Mr. Kreion. This is it.”
The holograms of equipment made by humans and computer screens fill the office. About thirty employees are sitting in their seats and doing something.
The middle-aged HR manager who brought me here clapped his hands a couple of times to focus everyone’s attention.
“Now, this is a new employee who joined yesterday from the Rubyco star nation. Can I ask you to give me a brief self-introduction for now?”
It seems that my arrival at this company has been communicated in advance. Everyone stood up as if they had been waiting, and those who seemed to be older pulled their chairs closer.
I recited the lines prepared by the secretary in front of them as they were.
“I’m Kemet Agele Kreion. You can call me Kreion. I was specially hired as a member of the bioengineering team as of yesterday. I look forward to working with you.”
“Mr. Kreion is still legally a minor, but I heard that he was an elite at the school he attended before. He submitted a thesis that even some professors couldn’t match, and he gave up a prestigious university to enter, so I hope you will guide him well.”
Murmurs could be heard from all over the office.
I enhanced my hearing and checked their reactions without missing a single one.
“He’s a real elite. He’s a genius.”
“Ah, that’s the person you were talking about. . .”
“You said he was 18 years old.”
“Isn’t he too young?”
“What was the director thinking, bringing in such a young student? He’ll probably lack practical skills and experience.”
“I don’t care since I’m not going to teach him anyway.”
“He must have some skills. This isn’t a start-up, it’s a mid-sized company. . .”
“My head is already throbbing.”
“Welcome.”
“Nice to meet you.”
Half of the reactions were of anticipation, and the other half were of concern.
It’s a company where real humans, not artificial humans, work.
“Team Leader.”
“Yes.”
A large, burly man walked out from in front of the separately partitioned team leader’s office.
“Mr. Kreion is going to focus on Bioblock here in the bioengineering team. I told you about it before, right?”
“I remember.”
The team leader’s expression as he spoke showed dissatisfaction. I guess he didn’t like me because I was young and hadn’t even graduated from high school.
“He’s a special hire.”
“I’ll see when I see him.”
The HR manager left without saying anything else, and I followed the team leader of the bioengineering team into the team leader’s office.
“Yes. Mr. Kreion. . . You came from Rubyco?”
“Yes.”
The team leader sighed slightly as he looked at something on his computer screen.
“Since there’s a big age difference, I’ll just talk to you comfortably. There’s also the matter of rank. Is that okay?”
“I’d rather you do that too.”
“You. Do you know what Bioblock is?”
“It’s a cell that replaces machinery derived from Xenobot.”
“So what are we trying to do?”
“Using Bioblock technology, we can add electronic devices and artificial packaging to muscle cells and nerve cells. With that, we can produce parts that are immune to cyberattacks and EMPs and have regenerative power and maintainability far superior to existing machines. The bioengineering team of this company, Coelacanth, is carrying out the task of creating greater profits by collaborating with related companies with these new materials.”
“You memorized it well.”
Is it a compliment?
“I’m sure you’re already prepared, but if you cover your lack of experience with your skills or talents, your company life will be easier in the future. Don’t think of it as just a passing career, and do your best in everything and show the best results. Prove properly why you had to be specially hired. Got it?”
“I’ll prove it.”
When I answered back immediately without any hesitation, the team leader made a surprised expression and slowly stood up.
“You have a strong personality. It would be great if you could take responsibility for that answer. I’m looking forward to it.”
“Thank you.”
“Follow me. I’ll give you a seat across from the deputy team leader. You can learn about work-related matters from the deputy team leader. Don’t ask other people unnecessarily and learn wrong things.”
“I understand.”
That’s how I found my place at this company. It’s a seat with a holographic keyboard, a thin monitor, and a small hologram.
The deputy team leader, who was sitting across from me, briefly entered the team leader’s office and came out to explain simple things to me.
“The account is done. With this, you can connect to the unmanned research institute server and operate the equipment remotely. It’s a research institute where people can’t enter because it’s sensitive to pollutants, especially organic matter.”
The deputy team leader was a young-looking woman with the voice of a middle-aged woman, and her personality was the opposite of the team leader’s.
「Coelacanth Bioengineering Team Research Institute」
「Bioblock Spaceship Part Number 23315-4-0」
The screen shows a part where a programmed cell and a human mechanical device are connected.
“What do you want me to do?”
“Our bioengineering team creates a blueprint and sends it to the production team. Then, the production team receives the blueprint and goes through the process of actually making it and finding problems.”
“If there are no problems, does it become profit right away?”
A company is a group of humans who pursue profit.
“Profit? Haha. Well, that’s what happens. But unlike machines, there are no set standards, and they are greatly affected by the external environment. It will take a while to design a part that is free of problems.”
「Bioblock Spaceship Part Number 23315-4-0」
It’s a part that’s hard to tell what it’s for. Just by looking at its appearance, it looks like a machine stuck in white flesh, but looking at the complex description consisting of lines and arrows, you can tell that it’s a very sophisticated machine.
“If you look at it and don’t understand, you can turn to this page and see a more detailed explanation. If that doesn’t work, find the original designer of the part. . . or search the bioengineering team database or contact the production team. You can even ask me.”
While listening to the deputy team leader with my ears, I focused my eyes on understanding the design intent of this part. I followed the dizzying arrows and descriptions, read the text quickly, and mobilized all the knowledge of the human world that I had learned. That’s how I created and simulated this part directly in my head.
So I can see it right away.
“The design is wrong here.”
“. . .Yes?”
I pointed my finger at the part of the screen where the part receives external electrical stimulation.
“Every 3 seconds, 1.6 kilowatts of power passes through this transistor and is supplied to this bio-integrated circuit, but to make the integrated circuit like this with cells, a larger size is needed.”
“W-Well. Why?”
“If you actually make this, the integrated circuit will be cooked. The electrical resistance generated in this circuit raises the temperature, and the higher the temperature, the faster the reaction speed of the bio-integrated circuit.”
“Oh no, if the temperature gets too high, it will cook or undergo unwanted denaturation.”
“Yes.”
“But this is the best possible miniaturization model that can be compromised. Of course, if you make it bigger here, it will work stably, but the value will decrease.”
“This size is a fundamental problem. Can’t you change the size?”
“Honestly, it’s difficult to make it any bigger. There is a standard recommended specification for spaceship parts. If you deviate from the specifications, no one will buy them. It’s fine if they’re too small.”
“I understand.”
Then, I just need to find a way from the outside.
“Then, when designing a spaceship in the first place, a separate cooling device would be required for the part to be installed in. So, if we modify it so that it’s easy for the customer to use a cooling device, such as by attaching an empty capillary that allows coolant or gas to pass through, it should work. In a recirculating manner.”
“. . .Oh.”
🔸🔸🔸🔸🔸🔸
According to the company’s schedule, I can leave work at 5:50 PM. Then, I come to work at 9:00 AM the next day.
If I generously calculate the time to commute to and from work in Haber’s vehicle, I will be given 14 hours of freedom each day.
5:57 PM.
When I came out of the company building, Haber was waiting with his vehicle parked on the wide road.
Other humans who were leaving work from the same company glanced at the vehicle and muttered something.
As soon as I got in the car, I asked Haber.
“Was this such an expensive car?”
“Ah, yes. That’s right. Did someone ask about Young Master’s vehicle?”
“Employees who just got off work were exclaiming in admiration when they saw this car.”
“Haha. I see. I bought a slightly expensive model on purpose. Since it’s an imported limited edition model, it’s hard to find in Nemea.”
“I wonder if this vehicle is attracting too much attention.”
“That’s why it’s good. Because it makes Young Master seem like an extraordinary person.”
I kind of understand what he means, but I don’t know.
The coming-of-age ceremony has not yet officially begun. So the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th experimental subjects do not know each other’s identities.
However, I think that the experimental subjects who came out into human society a little earlier will have an advantage over me in terms of information power.
“How was the company?”
“It was easy.”
“Coelacanth is continuously trading with our foundation and aims to become a luxury brand in the bio-parts industry. In such a company, I judged that Young Master’s aptitude is well-suited to designing Bioblock for the bioengineering team.”
“It was your judgment.”
When I said that and closed my mouth, Haber glanced at me through the rearview mirror.
“You did well. Thanks to that, I think you’ll be able to adapt to human society without difficulty. The team members weren’t bad either. It’s an atmosphere where they acknowledge me regardless of age.”
“Ah! I’m glad. But my judgment is not important.”
“Why?”
After all, I praised him.
“If you are Young Master, you will adapt in any environment. In any situation. I believe so.”
“I see.”
It seems like I have gained a fragmentary answer to the question of how the society of the dominant race in this galaxy works.
Now Haber closes his mouth and pretends to concentrate on driving. Even though he has autonomous driving mode on anyway.
By the way, Haber doesn’t look very happy. Like he’s uncomfortable somewhere.
He must have gotten a lot of busy work lately, so he must have a lot of worries. He must be desperately hoping that I win the coming-of-age ceremony.
And humans are generally affectionate animals, so Haber would never want to see me die.
At times like this, it’s better to show him an active attitude rather than an answer.
“When does the coming-of-age ceremony start?”
“Ah, I was going to tell you right now.”
The 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th experimental subjects residing in the Argos region. And me, the 5th experimental subject.
All of them are individuals who have survived in the foundation after going through a survival competition of 100 to 1. Perhaps those guys, like me, each have special abilities that allow them to break through the survival competition.
And it’s a bit of a disadvantageous start. The 1st experimental subject came out in January, the 2nd experimental subject in March, the 3rd experimental subject in May, the 4th experimental subject in July, and I came out in October, so the guys who came out into society earlier must have prepared more than me. Anything.
“The coming-of-age ceremony starts tomorrow at 9:00 AM.”
“What about their information?”
“I have sent the personal information of the subjects of the coming-of-age ceremony, including Young Master, to your cell phone by e-mail.”
I pick up my cell phone and open my inbox.
The attached document file contained simple information along with faces.
※
「Former 1st Subject 13」
「Autophagy Tosis」
「Molecular Synthesis, Cell Control Specialization」
※
「Former 2nd Subject 166」
「Zeul Pin Bythos」
「Molecular Synthesis, Networking Specialization」
※
「Former 3rd Subject 240」
「Aria」
「Wave Interference Specialization」
※
「Former 4th Subject 374」
「Bellum Damian」
「Legion Domination, Strategy and Tactics Specialization」
※
「Former 5th Experimental Subject 412」
「Kemet Agele Kreion」
「Legion Domination, Cell Control Specialization」
※
I thought there would only be faces and names, but there were also hints about the specialization of abilities. With this, I have a basis for inferring what abilities they will use in society and what kind of people in the organization they will get along with.
“Do I have to search for the rest of the information that is not included in this file myself?”
“Yes. That’s right.”
“Does that mean we start killing each other from 9:00 AM tomorrow?”
“Yes. But you must follow the rules.”
“I know.”
“And the difficulty level will be different from what Young Master has faced so far. You can never predict when or how it will come.”
Even so, they’re opponents who are less than a year apart. They’re in the same city, and they must have realized each other’s identities by this point, so wouldn’t it be okay if I did well from the search phase?
. . .But the way Haber warns me like this is unusual. I have a hunch that the coming-of-age ceremony will not be as overwhelming as the preliminary selection.
“How different is different?”
“Young Master.”
Haber erased his smile. His eyes even showed hostility.
It was an expression that Haber used for the first time.
“This time, they are truly ‘dangerous opponents’.”
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