Chapter 194 – Brain Scan
The rescue operation was successful.
There was some damage, but that was only destruction, not combat. In a way, the loss of an army made up of robots is an extension of the loss of missiles.
Expensive control devices, computers, lenses, precious metals, and circuits are used, but in the end, they are consumables.
However, I do not feel at ease when I see a robot being brought in completely destroyed. In human terms, they are loyal soldiers who quietly carry out their duties without even complaining or moaning even when seriously injured.
[Then we will withdraw our troops.]
Seongbong Lee spoke via video communication.
“Thank you for your hard work. You can take any remaining fuel or parts with you.”
The reason a temporary intermediate base was established in Yeosu was to prepare for a major change during the operation.
Because the operation went off without a hitch, there was not much fuel or repair parts consumed during the return.
[Thank you. As always, you are very helpful.]
Lee Seong-bong spoke uncharacteristically. As his life as a leader rather than a commander grows longer, is he slowly breaking away from being a born soldier?
[Was there any particular reaction from Japan?]
After hesitating for a moment, he continued.
[Even though it was an area where Kyushu lost control, military operations took place on its own territory.]
“The operation was carried out while keeping communication channels open, but there was no communication from the government level. There were only 11 civilian communications. Five of them were sent by two local survivor warlords.”
[What do you mean by local warlord?]
“These are some of the larger private groups in Fukuoka. One was created by the Yakuza, and the other was created by a local merchant association. The latter is also joined by former police officers and firefighters. The content of the communication was nothing special. Kind of like asking for help or telling them to disappear quickly and not make unnecessary noise? “There was not a single communication in Korean.”
[Was there a rescue request?]
“Yes. However, it did not feel like their lives were in danger, and they radioed that they wanted to join us. I guess they thought it was a strong military unit. “I ignored it because I had no time or reason to accept it.”
[Okay. Thank you for sharing the information.]
Seongbong Lee never asked us what we did there or what we got from it.
As a born soldier, I must have been very curious as a military operation that could be related to the security of the country was taking place right in front of my eyes.
Is it because they thought it was meaningless to ask that? Or has he also adapted to the newly changing world?
Either way, I decided that if I were to disclose information to the outside world in the future, I would let him know first.
By the time the communication ended, the incubator containing the senior had been transferred to a research center outside the shelter.
[No power supply problem.]
[Life support equipment operating normally.]
[Negative infection response.]
These processes were monitored in real time from the central control room.
[He is still in suspended animation. Life activity is very slow, but regular and stable.]
A variety of photos of all aliens were displayed on the screen. From X-rays, thermal imaging, electrocardiogram measurements, etc. Because we did not know his biological mechanism, a CT scan could not be performed.
[The components of living cells are surprisingly common. These are things you can find on Earth too. The way they come together is surprisingly different. What’s especially interesting is the blood part. Like Earthlings, they transport nutrients and oxygen, but when necessary, they cool themselves like a coolant to lower the surrounding temperature.]
“That’s a great feature. There’s no need to sweat at all.”
[But there are organs that are presumed to be pores and sweat glands. Although not a lot.]
Artemis showed the enlarged photo material.
[There is already a means of sweating, but it is an overlapping body temperature control system. It’s such an artificial feature that it seems too convenient. I think the senior’s blood is also functional artificial blood, just like it flows through your body.]
If you look at the thermal image and see the yellow and red tinges all over the body, it appears to be a warm-blooded animal. But strangely, the color of the brain was blue.
With a cold brain, I don’t think he would get a headache or a pain even if he suddenly ate ice cream.
“You have a water-cooled brain just like me. “The cooling efficiency seems to be much better there, though.”
[If your brain becomes like that, you will die.]
Is your pride hurt by comparing performance? Artemis just passed by without saying a word.
The components that make up each biological tissue, including bones, as well as temperature, density, and blood pressure, were displayed in various ways. Looking at it this way, I get the strong feeling that we are the same living thing before we are aliens.
[On the other hand, 38% of the machines that replaced his body are made of materials that do not exist on Earth. Most of the rest are graphene materials. It’s interesting. I almost want to ask about this before the hope he spoke of.]
“I must hope that that alien is not a liberal arts major.”
[…
Artemis warned me not to make boring jokes.
[In any case, we will not allow them inside the shelter until it is absolutely safe.]
“Because there are still many questionable parts.”
Codename Senior was a being in whom everything was shrouded in unknowns.
[Because we are not 100% sure what abilities it has, whether it is truly friendly to humanity, and what its purpose is.]
The external laboratory is a place where most necessary medical measures can be taken for seniors, and even if a problem arises, it can be immediately isolated.
However, there are some areas of concern.
“It’s hard to erase the feeling of being imprisoned, but I wonder if you’ll be displeased when you wake up. In any case, we are also seeking cooperation.”
[Probably not. Because there is no anger even if there are indigenous people pointing arrows at the documentary team approaching for peaceful purposes.]
“From their point of view, are we such indigenous people?”
[Of course. At a time when interstellar travel is possible, even such an analogy is embarrassing.]
“This is a war that even those with such a wide technological gap have lost…”
I knew it, but when I looked at it clearly, it was true that I felt a bit weak.
[Strictly speaking, a group of civilizations lost the war.]
“It’s even more demoralizing.”
Artemis does not tell white lies or remain silent.
If testicular cancer is found in me during a regular checkup, they will calmly inform me that I should have it cut without saying anything. Maybe…?
[Still, in a war, you have to go to the end to know the end. For now, we have to look forward to the hope he spoke of. If it’s not a big deal, we’ll just proceed with other plans.]
“You’re calm. To be honest, I would be very disappointed if the aliens came up with no solution.”
[Because I watched for a long time from the beginning.]
The incubator containing the seniors has been completely completed.
[This fight is not won by simply fighting and killing. We must study our enemies, improve our technology, and deal with their evolution as we progress. If our progress catches up with them, we will lose. If we surpass them, we will win. Isn’t it simple?]
“It’s not simple at all.”
This was an idea closer to species competition rather than a war of simply fighting and killing.
[It will be a task that will take several centuries. I can’t endure the joys and sorrows of just a few years or decades. Take heart.]
“…”
Artemis’ existence has always been trustworthy, but it felt even more powerful now.
I don’t consider myself incompetent, but in the end, I’m just a soldier.
He’s pretty good at fighting enemies in front of him and leading people who need protection, but the war against infectious agents requires more than that.
It’s like fighting against a typhoon that constantly follows me wherever I go, and a never-ending winter.
What is needed is knowledge that transcends human beings, a long-term vision, and an unwavering ability to act.
In this respect, there is no one on this planet more qualified than Artemis. It was indescribably reassuring to think that such a being would always be by my side.
[I’m dreaming.]
“Huh?”
The senior alien’s face was enlarged on the screen. Horns growing like a crown on an elongated exoskeleton face. A thick, long beard was revealed on his chin.
Even though the eyes, which account for the largest portion of the creature’s impression, were closed, it was impossible to hide the ooze of wisdom and goodness.
[Look at his eyes.]
The senior’s eyes, which had been closed peacefully the entire time, are twitching rapidly. Blinking movements with closed eyes.
Thermal imaging equipment showed the temperature of his brain, which turned yellow.
[There was a change in brain waves as well.]
“Can you do a brain scan now?”
[Already doing it.]
Brain scanning works most effectively when you dream.
According to the records of the Enterprise research team, senior aliens rarely dream, perhaps due to a mechanism different from that of humans.
“Is the change happening because there is not much time left to wake up?”
[Probably.]
“But if you think about it, doesn’t that mean you’ve woken up at least once? Otherwise, they wouldn’t have been able to send us communications.”
[For the record, that incubator has never been opened. However, there is no built-in means for communication with the research team. If it were alien technology, it might have been possible to send communication to the outside world indirectly. But everything will be known when he wakes up.]
Just the time to ask questions to him after he wakes up will take several days.
I also have a lot to ask, but the questionnaire Artemis created was hundreds of pages of A4 paper. Although the majority had nothing to do with the infection situation, it was about her scientific curiosity.
“He speaks Korean well. There was nothing annoying about the voice. “When and how did I learn it?”
The rescue message sent to us was in Korean.
[Maybe they already knew about the existence of Earth. And when it comes to language, I can speak all the languages of the world, right?]
After a while, the results of the brain scan began to be output.
It depicts a proper image, not the chaotic scribbles collected by the Enterprise’s research team.
It feels like watching a watercolor animation.
A dark being stands alone.
It had a dreamlike appearance, like a cloud of smoke or shadows.
[I think this is closer to an abstraction created by combining his memories and deep consciousness, rather than something that actually happened in his past. Human dreams are also like this.]
“He’s an alien, right? “Can we look at it the same way as in the case of humans?”
[Then is there any other way to guess?]
There was nothing I could say to her rebuttal.
[It has different shapes and different places, but it is still the same creature. They breathe oxygen, have 64% of their body made up of water, have a neural network that operates based on electrical signals, and have body organs similar to those of higher organisms on Earth. There is no need to approach aliens as if they are from another world. If there are any mistakes, you can correct them separately.]
How long were you alone?
A large shape of light appeared in front of the dark being.
There is a difference between the two, like a child and an adult.
The shape of light reached out and stroked the head of the dark being.
Then, a dark being as small as a child began to grow.
It grew, grew, and grew until it reached the chest of the being of light.
Soon, other dark beings appear. They are all as small as children and look weak, as if they will fly away when the wind blows.
Numerous dark beings surrounded the figure of light. Just like children who were lost and crying in the mountains find an adult and run to them.
When the grown dark being pointed at them and looked at the shape of light, the shape of light responded.
A shining hand went down to those small beings as well.
[I stopped dreaming.]
The senior’s brain waves and eye movements have returned to a stable state.
“What does the video from earlier mean?”
[The number of possible interpretations is 215. Would you like to listen to it all?]
I shook my head. I didn’t want to listen to unclear interpretations of dreams all day.
[Compared to past data obtained from the Enterprise, his consciousness is considerably closer to the surface. I probably want to dream several times during the remaining time.]
“I guess I can collect a lot of data before I wake up.”
[That’s right. Cross-analyzing multiple images is more accurate than analyzing just one abstract image. For now, let’s just wait and see.]
Artemis said as if that was the end of today’s observations. It is a recommendation to stop and take a rest.
The last thing shown on the screen was heavily armed robots standing at the border.
When the lights in the room where the senior was enshrined were turned off, only the softly glowing glass coffin and the red eyes of the robots remained.
“One step at a time… I guess we’re going the right way, right?”
I muttered something that I had no idea who I was talking to.
