1: Prologue

Hello to those meeting me for the first time.

Hello again to those who haven't seen me in a while.

This is Kurikeyo.

It's a new work—this time, it's a space-themed story.

That said, it does differ in several ways from typical space-themed works, so please keep that in mind.

On the first day, I'll be updating with multiple chapters as a form of promotion!

"……"

What I felt upon awakening my consciousness was a loud, jarring noise.

Perhaps it's more accurate to say I was awakened by that deafening noise.

"ーーーーー"

"～～～～～"

"……"

My vision gradually comes into focus.

A crimson light pierces my eyes.

A humanoid creature is gathering, doing something.

But I can't tell exactly what they're doing.

Due to the presence of liquid and a transparent barrier, the details are blurred and hard to discern.

"?"

I can smell something.

At first, it had a pleasant scent, but soon it turned unpleasant.

What on earth is going on here?

"-----!"

"!?"

No, first of all—who am I?

Where am I?

What time is it?

Where are the words swirling through my mind coming from?

"……!"

"~~~~~!!"

Ah, why does a sweet-salty taste tingle at the tips of my fingers?

My body neither floats nor sinks.

Something like thin strings is clinging together in multiple places.

Something humanoid was frantically moving on the other side of the wall.

"……"

I tried to figure out what to do…….

"Go-ba-bo-go-ji-ba (hello)"

I probably just made something that sounded like a greeting.

"! ———! Kikimashitaka! Karehaima! Akiraka ni!"

Should I say the world is opening up?

My vision suddenly sharpens dramatically.

Sounds are no longer just sounds—they begin to sound like voices.

It was as if the radio had finally tuned in properly.

"I understand. What's the status of the educational module?"

"It's showing a functional error, but overall it's stable."

"We've confirmed the presence of the hidden component."

Knowledge flows into my mind.

If something I want to know is contained within the incoming knowledge, it enters prioritized.

If I resist, it won't go any further.

Even things that aren't quite right gradually seep in.

"This... isn't the orbital setter, is it?"

"I see. So in classification terms, he'd be categorized as ■■■■?"

"Exactly what we'd call an anomaly, then."

This place appears to be a manufacturing plant for artificial humans.

The current date seems to be Imperial Year 2581.

"Can we recreate it? We can go back roughly 600 seconds from when the alert was triggered, at least?"

"It's impossible. That's precisely why it's an anomaly—expecting us to account for events beyond our observation range is beyond human capability."

"What a shame. If we could do that, we'd have swept the entire Imperial Wisdom Award."

"There's no doubt about it. He's worth that much."

I'm currently in a corner of the manufacturing plant, inside one of the countless cultivation tanks.

Upon closer inspection, I notice several cultivation tanks surrounding me—identical to the one I'm in—each containing what appears to be human figures, though the stages of development vary slightly.

It seems I was meant to be generated here, grow to maturity, have the necessary knowledge installed, and then be sent out... but something must have gone wrong somewhere in the manufacturing process.

That’s why the responsible personnel have gathered here.

"Cough. Is it about time? Let's confirm. What's the status of the anomaly?"

"It's been persisting on a small scale, emitting a distinctive odor, but this is well within the range that the environmental stability module can handle."

"What about intelligence and consciousness levels?"

"Both are green. There may be some gaps in knowledge, but those should be manageable through later education."

"What's the status of life support?"

"All green... Ah, no, the solution is being consumed far more rapidly than standard. It's as if it's flowing somewhere else."

"Redirect from the backup supply. You should have enough for several months, right? It's a rare resource, and intelligent life forms should help one another."

A white-haired, well-dressed man in a lab coat gave orders around him while approaching me.

"Well then, can you hear my voice?"

I slowly nod.

"Let me confirm once more. If you can hear my voice and understand it, please tilt your head slightly."

I slowly tilt my head.

It tilts, but it feels a bit too much to one side.

"Hmm... Do you have a name?"

I slowly move my head sideways.

According to the installed knowledge, this should be the correct way to indicate "yes" and "no."

"Is that so? Well, if you can survive outside the incubation tank, we'll give you a name then too—feel free to think about it yourself. Right now, there are more important matters at hand."

The white-coated man, along with the people around him, are looking at me with keen interest.

"We of the Seiryō Colony's Artificial Human Production Department welcome your existence. Congratulations. Thank you for being born. We sincerely hope to assist in your healthy growth. It is both our duty and our joy to have brought you into the world."

There is no disgust, fear, or anxiety.

Only feelings of joy, relief, and anticipation remain.

"Welcome to the Vanilla Universe Empire. Today is a celebration."

I felt joy, relief, and anticipation swelling in my chest, fully embracing the moment.

I finally understood that they were celebrating my birth.

And time passed... six years later.

I stood at the spaceport of the Primordial Colony in the Hira-Tarutsugumi System.