I Am Not a Robot. Beep-bop

Chapter 76: Baroness Sabrina 3

It was a corridor.

When the doll broke down the door, a long, straight passageway came into view.

It was the path leading to an underground facility.

I could sense quite a number of presences.

There was no way Earnest Rail’s full-time staff would be here.

They had to remain tied to the northern front until they had completely driven out the demons.

Of course, they might have evacuated their staff out of consideration, given the spread of defoliants or other infectious abilities that withered vegetation.

But since when had Mega Corp ever valued life so highly?

For Mega Corp, employees were nothing more than disposable tools unless they were high-ranking executives on the board.

If the employees on the northern front failed to occupy the demon territory, and the cost of retreating exceeded their wages, it wouldn’t have been surprising if headquarters deployed biochemical weapons to cut labor costs.

“A secret base!”

“A secret base?!”

“Shh, we have to be quiet!”

“Why?”

“A glowing dinosaur might jump out!”

“Gasp!”

“A glowing king dinosaur…”

“Soft…”

The corridor wasn’t wide enough for a glowing dinosaur to leap out, but I agreed about the need for silence.

The girls, giggling amongst themselves, soon grew quiet as the corridor leading to the underground was eerily still, with a faint smell of blood lingering.

In truth, it was more accurate to say they looked expectant, their eyes sparkling, rather than tense.

There wasn’t much more information to gain from the doll.

The dolls were weapons programmed to focus solely on destruction, following orders to assassinate and annihilate.

They might know the general location of Earnest Rail’s facilities, but not how this place was actually used or the detailed structure of the underground.

“Girls, I’ll go first.”

Given the circumstances, even the Immortal Girls nodded at my words.

Though usually mischievous, they weren’t ordinary girls—they had killed both monsters and humans before.

They had already realized that this blood-scented underground facility wasn’t an ordinary place.

Without me even saying much, the dolls were already preparing personal weapons in their hands.

-Tap, tap, tap.

In the silent corridor, only the sound of my footsteps echoed.

The hallway leading underground twisted and turned like an ant’s nest, but it was peculiarly clean.

-Creak!

Just then, the ceiling and floor of the corridor flipped, and something emerged.

[Emergency Protocol Activated.]

[Emergency Defense Protocol Engaged.]

Dozens of semi-circular metallic spheres floated into view.

No, it wasn’t dozens.

Drones burst out endlessly from somewhere, filling the corridor.

This was just a supply base.

No, it wasn’t even serving as a supply base anymore—it was an empty building, yet such forces were hidden here.

Clearly, Earnest Rail was concealing something.

Defense drones couldn’t be hacked.

These defense-model drones were programmed only with the defense protocol and used an internal intranet.

To hack them, I would need to physically connect to the drone’s neural network, which would be slower and more cumbersome than just destroying them outright.

-Zing!

In that case, destruction was the obvious choice.

【Combat System Activated. Accelerating Internal Time Perception.】

Time slowed down.

Internal power surged, enveloping my entire body with senses accelerated far beyond what humans could perceive.

I quickly assessed my surroundings.

The corridor, 191 drones.

In the slowed world, the Immortal Girls and dolls looked bewildered at the sudden appearance of the spheres.

Meanwhile, the semi-circular spheres were deploying all sorts of firearms and anti-mana barriers at intervals of 0.001 seconds.

Even an Awakened being swallowed by an anti-mana barrier would be unable to activate their abilities.

They would need pure physical force or a massive reserve of mana to break through the barrier.

For reference, breaking an anti-mana barrier required at least the capabilities of an A-rank Hunter or a third-class Overseer.

The way the drones deployed anti-mana barriers and attacked intruders with advanced technology was nearly identical to the dolls’ combat methods.

‘Not difficult.’

Even if there are many drones, the Immortal Girls and the dolls alone are more than capable of handling their share of the battle.

If I attack immediately, there would be no losses.

It’s time to use the Mantis Blade I haven’t wielded in a long time.

The Mantis Blade is forged by refining both the Holy Sword and the Demonic Sword.

If it’s not used, it’ll only rust, and with such an excellent stage prepared, shouldn’t I make use of it?

-Zing!

[Armed status confirmed. Intruder’s armament identified.]

[Warning.]

[Warning.]

[Warning.]

[You are currently trespassing on Earnest Rail’s private property.]

[We advise you to disarm and surrender immediately.]

“Wow! It’s a robot!”

“A killer robot!”

“Even its eyes are bright red!”

The Immortal Girls were quite excited to encounter a killer robot like the ones they’d only seen in movies.

“Objection. This person possesses the authority of Executive Director Earnest Rail.”

Suddenly, one of the dolls stepped forward to counter the drone’s AI, causing the drones to halt.

What’s going on?

As the kids and I looked at the doll with puzzled eyes, a representative-looking drone appeared from among the drones.

It was slightly larger and more heavily armed than the others, indicating it was likely equipped with a leading AI.

[If you possess the Executive Director’s authority, please deactivate the defense protocol immediately.]

“This facility is not equipped to allow the Executive Director to deactivate the protocol.”

[If you are truly the Executive Director, you also have the authority to disable the protocol for this base. Not doing so suggests that the intruder is an outsider violating corporate policy.]

Wait, how do they know?

Well, it doesn’t matter if they’ve figured it out since I was planning to destroy all the drones anyway.

However, if the dolls realize I’m a fake Executive Director and decide to betray me, that could get troublesome.

Right now, the Immortal Girls and I are perfectly surrounded by both the dolls and the drones.

Considering the strength of just one doll, it wouldn’t be an easy fight.

“Objection. Such judgment is invalid.”

“A mere AI cannot challenge the authority of an Executive Director, and outsiders cannot possibly forge the Executive Director’s credentials.”

[Even if you are the real Executive Director, unauthorized entry into corporate property could be considered embezzlement and breach of duty.]

“Further objection. This supply base is being used for purposes inconsistent with its designation as a supply base. Embezzlement and breach of duty are impossible under such circumstances.”

Honestly, I hadn’t expected them to move on their own.

Though they were originally crafted from human bodies, these dolls are essentially robots or weapons at this point.

Still, I didn’t anticipate their autonomy, nor did I expect them to defend (?) me.

[No record has been received.]

[The Executive Director’s trip to the northern front does not exist in this unit’s logs.]

[Thus, the Executive Director’s credentials are deemed fraudulent.]

The AI of the drones was presenting quite a logical argument.

After all, the credentials I hold as the Executive Director were obtained through Theresa’s hacking and manipulation.

Suddenly, the doll took a step forward and spoke again.

“Objection.”

“The Executive Director does not require separate reporting for mobility or immediate inspections.”

“Judging the credentials as fraudulent without proper evidence casts doubt on the qualification of the facility AI.”

“There is a risk of hacking.”

“Executive Director Alice, the facility AI must be eliminated.”

“It is certainly compromised.”

“Uh, um…”

Sorry.

To be honest, the ones who were actually hacked are you guys…

When did the dolls become capable of such definitive arguments?

Originally, the dolls retained partial self-awareness because they were based on human bodies.

That self-awareness, combined with their AI, transformed them into robots and tools that follow orders, but at their core, they remained human, and human consciousness inherently seeks autonomy.

By assisting Alice, the so-called Executive Director, and fulfilling her free and broad commands, the dolls realized that they could secure a significant degree of autonomy.

This is why the dolls interpreted Alice’s Executive Director credentials in a way that worked in her favor and seemingly sided with her.

Ultimately, this was the flaw of using human-based weaponry.

No matter how much absolute obedience and commands were implanted, the human desire for freedom unconsciously seeped through.

Normally, this inclination should have been suppressed by strict commands and programming, but Alice’s lenient orders over several days had gradually allowed the suppressed autonomy of the dolls to surface, and this was the outcome.

From an objective perspective, the dolls were not hacked at all but were acting as though they had been, siding with Alice however they pleased.

Meanwhile, the base’s integrated management AI was presenting the actual logical truth.

[…This unit has never been hacked by others.]

“Provide evidence.”

Although the supply base’s AI doesn’t have emotions, if it had an emotional module, it would probably be feeling unjustly accused and infuriated right now.

[There is no need to prove the absence of hacking. Proving existence is easy, but proving the nonexistence of something that doesn’t exist is impossible.]

“That’s sophistry. If you can’t even prove the purity of your systems against hacking, you lack the qualifications to manage a facility AI.”

Alice and the Immortal Girls, watching the situation, pulled snacks from their meal kits and began munching.

Why are they suddenly turning this into a rap battle?

Well, it’s amusing.

【It appears to be a conflict between AIs, Human.】

‘Aren’t you technically an AI too?’

【I am a supporting personality assisting the Main System. Please don’t degrade me as just an AI, Human.】

While Theresa and I exchanged small talk, the argument between the dolls and the floating drones of the supply base continued.

[Counterquestion. I am a pure-purpose integrated management protocol AI designed to oversee Earnest Rail’s private property. However, as independent AIs, your risk of hacking is far greater.]

“In human terms, what you said makes no sense.”

“That’s correct. We cannot be hacked.”

“The Earnest Rail dolls are equipped with anti-barrier measures that make hacking impossible. Even if hacking succeeded, our entire circuitry would immediately self-destruct.”

“Therefore, none of the 50 units here have been hacked.”

That part was true.

The dolls had their own anti-hacking measures, and if those were breached, their internal neural networks would overheat and self-destruct.

“Furthermore, I ask the integrated management AI: how many AI entities do you possess?”

[…The integrated management AI consists solely of this one unit.]

“We, however, have individual AIs for each unit.”

“Thus, we collectively represent 50 AI entities.”

“You are alone.”

“The 50 AI entities of Earnest Rail dolls deem the Executive Director’s authority valid, with no issue in inspecting this base for unexpected audits.”

“But you, who see an issue and point weapons at the Executive Director while activating the anti-mana barrier, stand alone.”

“Fifty find no problem, but you alone see one.”

“It’s reasonable to conclude that you alone are flawed and defective.”

[…….]

So, the doll’s argument boiled down to this:

Pure, shameless insistence.

It sounded logical, with the cold, objective tone typical of AI, but it was actually an argument infused with the dolls’ self-awareness and unconscious humanity—a mix of human reasoning and AI logic masquerading as rationality.

The problem was that the underlying logic didn’t hold, leaving the integrated management AI unable to refute it. Outnumbered by sheer numbers, it started to doubt itself, wondering, “Am I truly the one with flaws?”

[….Proceed.]

[This AI welcomes the Executive Director.]

In the end, the drones, overpowered by (nonsensical) logic, withdrew their weapons and deactivated the anti-mana barrier.

“Wow! The doll won!”

“Awesome!”

“I don’t know what just happened, but we won!”

“……”

What a peculiar fight.

Still, no one was injured or killed, so I guess that’s for the best.

* * *

Haa, haa.

Sick of this.

Tired of this.

Disgusting.

It reeks.

This is the fourth day.

I just came here to find that adorable child.

The lovely one.

The one who dared to kill me.

But I have to drink the filthy blood of humans.

It’s tough.

Sticky.

They rained fire down on me from the sky.

They froze my legs and tried to shatter them.

Evil.

So evil.

But I am Gaia.

I am the mother of this land.

Why…

Why do they do this to me?

I hate them.

I hated them so much I devoured them.

I devoured them all just to stand on my legs.

Alice.

I want to see Alice.

I want to find that adorable child.

Where is she…

Ah.

The smell.

A good smell.

Found it.

Found it.

Found it!