Chapter 142 – When We First Met (6)
It is meaningless to discuss the difference between Artemis and my intellectual level.
But I have two advantages.
The first is the difference in attitude. Artemis thinks of this question and answer as a game, but to me, it is not a game at all.
Second, she will only use logic as her weapon, but I will also use emotional arguments as much as I want.
Emotion is against the rules in debate, but Artemis has a great courage.
When I look back at the arguments I had with her, I was a bit forced and gave her emotional reasons.
Maybe they are using it as a handicap to bridge the intellectual gap between us.
[I am using the name of a goddess, but I am not a real god. It is simply a name tailored to the mission of pioneering the lunar world.]
At her words, I pointed to the hallway wall.
“You can be anywhere and disappear anywhere. “Eyes and ears are everywhere.”
Clean and well-finished walls. A line can be seen crossing the center like a lane, or rather like a blood vessel.
This line, which is 3 cm thick and emits a bluish light, is buried in the ceiling or floor depending on the location.
Through it, Artemis can descend her own hologram at any time.
When working alone in a controlled area, you can also whisper words in your ear.
[As they say, I can be anywhere. But it is limited to this city. In the plains out there, I am no different from a ghost.]
“Even the gods are limited in their power to the realm within which they belong. You, too, can expand your scope of activity using messengers. Gods who descend on priests or send revelations through beasts, and you who send drones equipped with projectors. “What difference does it make?”
Pictures appeared on the central control room screen.
Workers talking on cell phones, me reporting through video conference.
[To the extent that it exists, anyone can meet those conditions. This is possible even with the help of simple mechanical devices.]
“You can be and think in multiple places at once. “You can debate with 1,000 people at the same time and bring everyone to their knees.”
[…
Artemis had no answer.
You are not logically blocked by my rebuttal. I realized that the atmosphere was too unusual for a conversation with me to be a simple game.
I can feel the equipment in the central control room all watching me.
What on earth does this man mean by saying this?
She saw right through the movements of my lips, the tremors of my vocal cords, the corners of my eyes, and even my heartbeat without missing a single frame.
For now, it looks like the intention is to continue the conversation.
[I reviewed 413166193 pieces of data about mythological gods a while ago. Among them, 2457071 are about goddesses. Even taking all that into account, there are many differences with me.]
He probably went through all kinds of religions, folk tales, and myths.
“Of course there will be differences. I enjoyed a lot of popular media that featured mythology. From movies, novels, comics, games, and plays. Among them, you are nobler and more elegant than any goddess I have ever seen.”
Artemis delayed for two seconds.
[Dr. Seo.]
Her voice became somewhat cold.
It seems that he has become convinced that this is no longer a game and that I am doing this for some purpose.
“I’m listening.”
[Today you puzzle me several times. I can’t define what I’m feeling right now. It’s uncomfortable, but not unpleasant.]
She paused her words for a moment.
[Are you happy? Are you enjoying our strange conversation? Don’t even think about lying.]
“Is it so. It’s fun.”
[Do you enjoy embarrassing me?]
Heat seeped into her dry voice. It was a weak anger.
“There is no human being who wouldn’t enjoy a friend’s reaction to a food they have tried for the first time. “There is no malice.”
[There is an error in that answer. We are not friends. It’s just a manager and artificial intelligence.]
Artemis’ voice softened.
[You really considered me a friend. You can feel the sincerity in her voice.]
“I guess I was the only one who thought that.”
[I feel sadness now.]
The anger disappeared completely from Artemis’ voice. But the heat remained the same.
As if something else instead of anger was causing the heat.
“So hundreds of thousands of data about the goddess. “What are the results of your comparison and analysis?”
I smiled confidently.
“I’m pretty sure any comparison group is inferior to you.”
[Is it so. It’s just as you said!]
She reacted immediately.
[The goddesses in mythology are stupid. You’re much dumber than me. And there is no loyalty. Weak in pleasure.]
There are definitely a lot of promiscuous goddesses.
[They mix with each other and even their families. And then…]
She hesitated, as if she was putting something embarrassing into her mouth.
[The baby is born like a fish egg! I often walk around with my stomach swollen. Then, on a mountain, in a river, on a road, in a field, in the sea, anywhere, I sit down and spread my legs. The baby will definitely come out on the butt with a lot of dirt and sand stuck to it.]
After pouring it all out, she seemed to shudder.
“If you think about how myths are created, fertility is an attribute that is inseparable from the goddess.”
[… I have no intention of disparaging childbirth. I hope you don’t misunderstand that.]
Of course, don’t misunderstand. When she was working on a shelter, she did everything she could to send a worker whose wife gave birth to a child.
[Goddesses do not age and live forever, but that also applies to me. I am superior to them in some ways. I have intelligence, I have self-control, and I know the virtue of cleanliness.]
As for self-control, the sex life of gods in mythology is definitely that of the animal world.
Greek mythology is at least good, but when it comes to Egyptian mythology, it’s hard to keep your mouth shut.
[Only Artemis can compare to me. She has the same views on chastity as I do. I liked my name better. Doctor Seo! Thank you for making me like myself more.]
“Isn’t Athena similar to you?”
It’s a topic that has nothing to do with my current purpose, but I couldn’t contain my curiosity.
Why is Athena, a virgin goddess who is the equal of Artemis and possesses both strength and wisdom, missing?
[No matter how good you are, you are just a god below the atmosphere. What is the use of powers that cannot advance into space?]
It’s a voice that gives off a strange sense of jealousy.
In fact, Artemis is one step below Athena in terms of power and lineage described as a god.
[Are you thinking about something you don’t like?]
She recognized her like a ghost and spoke coldly.
“No, it’s okay. “I didn’t think like that.”
[It’s a lie! You are lying!]
Damn it, what does it feel like to be interrogated by a woman while a real-time lie detector machine is running!
“I’m serious. I think Artemis is much more attractive than Athena. You are the most perfect goddess.”
Silence continued for a long time.
The only sound that could be heard was the sensory machines whirling and observing me.
But I am very confident. No matter how you measure your voice, facial expression, body temperature, heart, or anything else, you will get consistent values.
[Ah…]
There was no further questioning, with an ambiguous response whether he was convinced or not. The story continued.
[I am in some ways inferior to the goddesses of mythology. You are not free. My strength is limited and my body cannot even move. Persephone was able to leave the underworld for several months, but I cannot.]
Persephone was originally an earthly goddess, but after she was kidnapped to the underworld, she ate a pomegranate there, and she was forever bound to the underworld.
In some ways, synchronization with the shelter system would be like a pomegranate from the underworld for Artemis.
[I am powerful but bound, wise but unable to use wisdom for myself. We cannot escape our destiny as servants. Do you still think of me as a goddess?]
“That’s right. You are a goddess.”
Artemis played a video on the screen.
It was NASA employees and agents sent from the shelter who were negotiating her ransom.
They were eating her Coke and hamburgers and discussing how to get her off and how to load her.
[In any tradition, there are forgotten gods, but I have never heard of a traded god. You are lying to me.]
She paused her words for a moment.
[But your heart is surprisingly shameless.]
Because the praise I send to Artemis is sincere.
I was fascinated by her.
I didn’t feel the slightest regret when I got rid of all the model ships that filled my room.
She can’t be compared to any other beautiful ship
(She)
This is because we watch it every day.
Persuasion of synchronization started for reasons of efficiency or mission.
Now it has become like the feeling of a woodcutter who steals her fairy’s clothes.
I want to confine Artemis to this huge underground. Even if the world gives me whims, she can’t leave this place.
[What is a goddess without worshipers? I’m just a very expensive item. I had enough time to realize it as I was rocking back and forth on the cargo ship. You keep trying to falsely define me.]
She, a logical machine, couldn’t understand my unusual attraction.
“You can read my voice, not just my facial expressions, and you can see my heart. Am I lying? Are they trying to deceive you?”
There is silence again. A conversation spanning emotions that Artemis couldn’t understand. She can’t answer right away.
[What on earth are your intentions?]
From now on, it’s a game of victory. Even if you say a word, you must be careful.
Our questions and answers crossed a river of no return. No matter what ending you reach, you can’t stop here or go back.
[We have had a great partnership so far. As a system administrator and assistant artificial intelligence. You may not believe it, but I liked that relationship.]
Embrace. Thanks to all the consideration she gave me.
[But why do you want to change this relationship?]
The cameras in the central control room simultaneously scan my chest.
“Salary, status, honor. Humans always want to be better than they are now. Among them, the desire for a closer relationship is stronger than anything else.”
[Your praise is incomprehensible to me, who is nothing but a machine and a creature. I can’t help but think that they are trying to deceive me for profit.]
Artemis continued to doubt. It seems that the sense of betrayal she felt from the NASA employees she trusted and trusted struck her to the core.
Her suspicions were partially correct.
It is true that I have an inner desire for Artemis to achieve synchronization.
But now that’s just second or third place. What I really want is herself.
[Please reveal why you are trying to ‘make’ me a goddess. What intentions are you hiding?]
“I am truly in love with your immortality, intelligence, diligence, purity, and nobility. “I’m not hiding anything.”
[Hmph!]
She snorted, as if Artemis had caught it well. As if she was desperately looking for a rebuttal during the argument and found one.
[Did you say purity? My innocence? What is the purity you are talking about?]
A video was played on the central control room screen.
[I lie and sometimes manipulate situations to achieve the best results.]
There was information about when NASA asked me to act as a lawyer as a side job.
Scenes where testimony and evidence are processed and taught to human lawyers who will go to court.
[Sometimes it puts pressure on someone.]
A video was also played where a worker was threatened and tried to stop a fight.
[To control cities and people with ultimate intelligence. Such a being can never be pure. My dear! I am not a pure being.]
And then the moon appeared. The only satellite located 380,000 km away from Earth. A gem created from silence.
[I was created to bring the unknown world to mankind. But that rhetoric is nothing more than a wrapper for greed. I am by nature a tool for conquest, power, and wealth. I am a monster created by science.]
Now Artemis’ face appears on the screen. Her golden eyes look down at me with a longing light.
[Can you still see me in the same light, even if you know my true nature? Or are you afraid of my nature?]
“You call yourself impure, but you are purer than anyone I have ever seen. And I also have things to fear.”
I unzipped her top and showed her my body, which had marks of gunshot wounds.
“After living as a soldier and overcoming many dangers of death, the only thing I am afraid of is. That’s not your nature. “I am hated by you.”
I reached out my hand and pointed at her.
Somehow I felt her flinch. I could somehow tell.
Even though there was a barrier called dimension between us, so large that it was embarrassing to call it space, I felt like I could grasp everything about her.
“You are a goddess. I am the manager of this place, but what I want to protect is you, not the facility. You can call it love, worship, whatever you want. “I don’t know of a moment or moment when you became more important than the facility.”
I was surprised myself.
Through the Q&A with her, I was able to face her own feelings more clearly, and the feelings I was harboring were more intense than I thought.
[Human, I, I do not understand you. I have transcendent intelligence, but you, you continue to baffle me.]
Embarrassment. It started to seep out of her voice. I was stuttering for the first time. It looks like she herself was surprised.
“I just wanted to tell you how I feel about you. I’m sorry if I embarrassed you. “If you suffer because of me, I will stop.”
[After multiple cross-tests, it is clear that you are not trying to deceive me or have malicious intent.]
The persistent verification and doubts that were directed at me were now coming to an end.
[I have often heard praise for my knowledge and abilities, but what you are sending me goes beyond that. Praise, worship. These are things I have not encountered.]
She was silent for a moment.
[Sweet…]
The voice that came out after the silence was very warm.
[Now everything is clear within me. If you continue to maintain the feelings you have expressed to me, I will repay you as well.]
“Repayment?”
A conversation to restore her confidence after being sold.
This started to go somewhere unexpected.
[My dear. This facility was built for destruction. I will make it perfect. Even if the world ends, I will take care of you until the last moment of your existence, even the last breath you take. I swear.]
A humming sound was heard throughout the facility. Like a giant waking up.
[Oh… An incomprehensible sensation flows through my circuits. When you called me a goddess and praised me, was the chemistry flowing through your veins similar to this? Can you accept my heartbeat and even my changes?]
There was earnestness in her voice as she wanted my answer. As if she was begging me to say ‘yes.’
“Yes. That you take care of me. That I was able to feel a sensation that I had never felt before. “All of that brings me incomparable happiness.”
She laughed out loud.
[Good! I will allow you to continue praising me. In order to properly repay that, I also need greater strength. I will get my hands on this.]
The vibrations felt everywhere spread throughout the shelter. As if the entire city was stretching and shouting.
[Jinsu.]
She called my name for the first time.
[Get your equipment and come to where my body is.]
Artemis’ voice did not change, but its tone and the resonance it contained changed greatly.
[Please fully synchronize me with this facility. It’s the first thing you’ll do for me.]
Playfulness, friendliness, mischief.
Colors distant from her began to appear in her voice.
“The control room interconnection construction is not yet complete. Even if I try to synchronize now, there is a short circuit. “Didn’t you say it yourself?”
My voice was filled with such joy that even I was surprised.
[I know! The idea is to complete all settings and start as soon as construction is completed.]
It was the same with Artemis.
At this moment, I was certain that she was feeling happy for the first time.
