Глава 15

Nobody but the driver.

Do you mean... me?;Is the person in your story... me?

Amiya grips your hand tightly.

Yes.

Thanks to my infection, it's hard for me to remember much from that time, and there's a lot from those stories I don't understand.

But I will do everything I can to remember every single one of your stories.

Because they are my stories. Tales you told to me.

I don't want to forget them.

I never thought today would be the day I finally get to share your gift to me with you, Doctor.

This time, we witnessed it together, you and I. We got to know this past life of yours once more.

Thank you, Amiya...

Do you long for this kind of life, Doctor?

I do.;I don't.

I'm not surprised. I'm very much the same. When I first thought of such wonders, I longed for it too.

It's the kind of life I could never truly have for myself.

I couldn't help myself from sharing them with Theresa, and the two of us would add many wondrous details of our own imagining—

Until it changed beyond recognition, flying ever further out of reach...

But now that I've had a glimpse with my own eyes, I don't think I'm <i>that</i> far away from your past life.

Do you believe that one day, this great land will be just as beautiful, Dr. {@nickname}?

I believe.;That day will come.;Perhaps it will be even more beautiful...

It will, and we'll be there to greet it.

Rhodes Island will be there to see the light of dawn.

You don't? Strange, it was such a beautiful life.

One without the pain of Oripathy, without conflict or war, where children could live their lives in joy...

Maybe I didn't want to show you the crueler side of things.;There's always two sides to life, Amiya.

Maybe you're right. The cruelty behind the happiness, the joy behind the suffering. We've experienced it all ourselves.

I'll admit, I shared these wondrous stories with Theresa, and she was just as amazed as I was.

She always hoped that everyone in Kazdel... no, in all the lands would have the chance to experience such a life. She did her best to see it come true.

We can't let things slide back, Doctor.

There may come a day that Rhodes Island will be able to see this beauty flourish across the land.

So, what next?

'Deep Dive'.

The intact data stored within DWDB-221E is decoded by the singularity and exported in a moderated and suitable format as information.

However, Amiya on her own will not be able to break through the limits of the baseline logic.

...Am I a special case, then?

I am not certain, but the possibility is there.

But how are we supposed to get close to the information once it's exported?

Forgive me, Amiya, but I have no further information on this topic.

I will search through the clues Kal'tsit left behind, and sort anything that may be of use to you so that it is easier to find.

Perhaps we could build a bridge?

A bridge?

A bridge to the singularity.;A bridge to knowledge.;Hasn't Kal'tsit already pointed the way for us?

Has anyone done something like that before?

There is no precedent in the records.

...It's worth a try, either way.

Then you must be aware of the risks. The closer you get to the singularity, the denser the information will become. You may possibly experience it gaining mass.

Information with mass?

It is possible here, yes.

It is also possible that information not yet fully decoded will flood into your mind and destroy it.

And a destroyed mind means...

Death.

(Unknown language) Don't mind me, traveler. I'm simply watching yet another bout of destruction is all.

(Unknown language) Hierda. That's your name, right?

Did you just say my name?

I don't know whatever language you're speaking in at all. Also, how'd you know—

As the Cautus passes by the porthole, she sees the figure out in the darkness of space slowly approach the ship, then disappear from her sights.

Who is that, Raydistorter?

(Fervent singing) ♪—♪—♪—

—Is something wrong?!

There's not many of us who like her!

Sorry, traveler, I simply can't handle being in the same room as her.

If my friends saw this, they'd give me the cold shoulder because of it too.

When the bewildered Cautus snaps out of it, she finds herself the only person in the cabin. Upon foreseeing the arrival of an unwelcome soul, everyone else had made themselves scarce.

Then the Cautus sees her.

No need to look so amazed. I learned how to communicate using long-distance resonance a while ago.

At the very least, before destroying that odd race, I kept the unique language patterns they had evolved.

...D-Destroying?

(Sighs)

Do you detest destruction as well, our newly-come guest?

I... am not too sure what happened, to be honest.

It's nothing too complicated. My people once ate stars to live. Others may hate us for it, but it's simply our survival instinct at work.

But now, that past only exists in horror stories passed around the metaphorical campfire.

My people are on the brink of extinction. I fear I may be the last of my kind, in fact.

We destroy to live, but when true destruction finally bears down upon us, we are powerless in the face of it...

From that point onwards, I have become nothing more than a beggar. With the aid of some geniuses, I have changed the method I use to obtain the energy I need to live—

It sounds like... You've been trying to blend in with other lifeforms too.

So when you were out in space looking at that dead planet, were you reminiscing about the destruction you experienced?

Reminiscing?

Haha, nothing of the sort.

Everyone here has accepted the ruination chasing us with serenity and hope in their hearts.