140 Expedition Arc 25 Dialogue 2

Sorry I’m late. No warning about the delay, my apologies.

One week after meeting with Kyle in the neural virtual space, today I’m meeting with Kyle again.

We’ve been forced to face Ethan (the Third Prince), who is highly suspected of hosting an organic Naihyūmu.

The goal is to talk to him—if he’s truly been taken over by an organic type.

The meeting is being conducted by Kyle’s body double, an organic android.

If the organic type still retained the ability to infect even after transforming, the human who faced it could’ve been taken over.

“Ethan accepted Kyle’s visit, huh?”

“Yeah, at least the will of Ethan himself was present. Hard to believe he’s a Naihyūmu.”

“Still not confirmed he’s a Naihyūmu, but compared to the organic types in the old records, he’s more like a mechanical doll.”

“Either way, if he’s a Naihyūmu, that new identification method should work.”

The new identification method Kyle mentioned was one found in the materials brought from the True Empire.

I’ve been splitting the True Empire’s materials into old records and new research results—keeping the True Empire’s existence hidden.

Kyle’s referring to the identification method from that new research.

It’s nothing fancy—just checking temperature distribution.

Simple and straightforward. The core area has a distinct, consistent temperature difference.

You can see it clearly from outside using what they call a thermograph.

Humans, animals, organic androids—all have body heat.

The core shows a temperature distribution that’s clearly different from that.

And it never changes, as long as the core’s alive.

Probably means something’s wrong if it’s not a living being.

“If we’re doing this formally, Kyle, we can’t just go it alone.”

“Then we’ll mobilize a fortress ship. The meeting’ll happen in the fortress ship’s facilities.”

“Guarding the elite guard is risky—there’s infection danger—but we’re planning top-tier quarantine protocols.”

Typical of Kyle—never misses a detail.

“So we’ll need time to reach Syree, the Third Prince’s star system.”

“Meanwhile, we’re putting Henry, the Second Prince, under quarantine too.”

“Then the operation starts in about a week?”

“No. The military’s already moved since the last meeting. Today’s the execution date. That’s why I called you.”

This decisiveness. This speed. Now I see what makes an emperor.

“Of course, the capable get things done fast. Did you already have a backup plan when Ethan refused to visit?”

“Naturally. I’ve got a plan for if this meeting doesn’t happen, too.”

What a capable person. The emperor’s messy throne should just be handed to Kyle.

No, I think the emperor’s coming back? In the sense of the next emperor, you know.

The real imperial web of constraints exists—but if they return even just a fraction of the empire’s hidden legacy, they’ll be satisfied.

I thought that, and decided to wait eagerly for Kyle—the impostor—and Ethan’s conversation.

**************************************************************************************

The fortress ship exits the Dimensional Jump Gate and enters the Sily system.

I’ll be using my organic android as an avatar to participate in Ethan’s scheduled talk.

Sure, there’ll be debates about whether organic androids are living beings—but officially, the empire treats them as tools.

I suddenly thought, this is just like a near-hyume infesting an organic android.

Ethan arrived at the fortress ship, and the talks began immediately.

All the usual welcome ceremonies were cut short—apparently, the near-hyume had caused massive damage across the system.

The official reason for the meeting was to have Kyle, the emperor’s proxy, and the prince speak openly about the system’s reconstruction.

Under heavy surveillance, Ethan entered the meeting room without any guards.

Is this some kind of appeal that he means no harm?

The room, prepared for the talks, was naturally furnished with lavish decor—after all, it was meant for a high-level dialogue between the emperor’s proxy and the prince.

But it was small, almost intimate—like a room made for whispered secrets.

Once Ethan stepped inside, the identification device checked him instantly.

“Can’t detect any waveform. So this is probably a countermeasure, huh?”

"There's a region on the head with unusually low temperature distribution for a human."

So far, just basic identification. If suspicion arises, that's when I'd deploy the device I'd been saving.

Would've preferred not to use it on a person, but I'm repurposing a ship-mounted survey sensor for identification.

Then, on Ethan's head, a core of Niahum—like a brain tumor—was attached.

"Ah. Got you."

"Hard to admit when it comes down to it. Brother's not human anymore... that kind of thing."

"I'm not related by blood, but we're still brothers-in-arms. I get the complicated feelings.

Still. Can't dwell on it. Time to start the meeting."

Kyle (the double) and the secretary (my avatar) enter the room.

"Hey, Ethan. All right?"

Kyle (the double) addresses Frank.

"System's in bad shape, but I'm holding up. How about you, Kyle?"

Ethan answers with a weary expression.

Looks human. No—more like the original Ethan himself.

“Hey, Ethan. How much of an Ethan are you, exactly?”

“……”

Ethan says nothing.

“Would pulling out that core still bring you back?”

At Kyle’s (the double’s) question, Ethan finally speaks.

“Thought the Empire had lost that tech. Guess I was careless.”

“Where are you now, exactly?”

“I am the one you call Nearhume.”

“Huh… Can Ethan be returned?”

“No. Once a true Ethan leaves me, its function ceases.”

“So if you step back, is Ethan real again?”

“No. I’m just simulating the functions of an Ethan through my own processes.”

“So you’re saying… you killed him?”

“That’s how you’d put it.”

Kyle (Double) clenched his fist so hard his knuckles cracked. Trembling with rage.

"Why would you do something like that? You could’ve just used any organic android, couldn’t you?"

"An organic android—meaning the one currently standing there, I assume?"

I decided to answer, since Ethan (Niahyūmu) had just thrown the question at me.

"That’s right. If you’re just using them as vessels, being human isn’t even necessary, is it?"

"Why go through all this cruelty?"

"Hmm."

Ethan (Niahyūmu) paused, chin resting on his fist, lost in thought.

Was he drawing on memories of what it meant to be human?

"I can’t tell the difference between a human and an organic android.

Besides… haven’t you already killed an organic android to get where you are?"

"W-what are you talking about?"

"An organic android’s currently offline, right?

So what’s really different between that and the one named Ethan?"

A cold dread settled in me.

Inside the neon-hue, it wasn’t anything more than a mirror image of what we do to machines—whether we’re parasitizing humans or turning them into parts.

Same ethics, just swapped positions.

Both justice. Both evil. Just depends on which side you’re on.

Is there any room to bridge that gap?

No… we should’ve been able to coexist peacefully once. That’s the only question left.

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