It does not take long for me to reach Mirai, who is lockpicking a door to a building when I see her.
- So, would you mind elaborating on your next phase?
- After we cut their reinforcements, I will attempt to breach the security of this base. Meanwhile, you destroy their remaining forces. If we succeed, we will move to the third phase.
- Okay, how many phases do we even have in your plan?
- Enough so that the word 'phase' is in its plural form.
I do not see any point in trying to be evasive. But sure.
After a few minutes, Mirai successfully opens the door, and we enter the building. Again, it does not take long before we reach the control room after climbing a long flight of stairs. Mirai injects a cable from her hand into one of the ports. Despite a d
In the dim light of the electric factory, there stand two individuals, one with wisdom and logic, the other with mysteries. Mirai has soon known that even with a forty-five years' worth of advantage, she would still struggle fighting head-on with an Intruder whose overall rating reaches the ninety band. Whatever happens next further confirms her fear. Behind the Intruder, she can see the dark, faint shape of some large weapon-like machine, characteristic of a Scientist class. To remind you, besides ratings, Intruders are also split into classes, the Physical, the Engineer, the Technician, the Scientist, and the Commander, in increasing power and authority order. Intruders with higher ratings are eligible for higher classes. However, the Intruder is showing a very calm expression. The entrance to the electric factory is not shut. It does not plan to trap Mirai here. Rather, it is just a display of an overwhelming power gap, where the aura of the Intruder itself is telling Mirai that
Thursday... Messing with the Intruder, especially the ones with high ratings, is in no universe a clever idea. When Mirai told the ninety-rating Intruder to drop us in Cape Town, it soon looked through her intentions, that the destination is merely a decoy. With all of the current evidence, for the last few days, even Mirai did not leave the hotel. After the assault which is supposed to be the final one, not only the base will be technically permanently inaccessible, but we also expend excessive resources. On top of that, her satellite data shows an overwhelming amount of hostile units across the continent. The barrier between accidental exposure and capturing us cannot be any thinner. Thanks to the incessantly patrolling, invisible drones, as well as the current lockdown policy of the corporation, I can spend more time in my room, doing whatever I want. The plan I desire is that every morning, I will sleep to my heart's content before forcing my ass up at twelve and rushing my w
Only after stepping on fire and experiencing the scorching heat first-hand that one can understand how hot the fire is. After being in the deepest of the deep, Albert first met his saviour, who helped him clear all of his worries and returned what is lost. The instantaneous feeling of successful revenge was satisfying for a fleeting moment, and then regret emerged like a lion. Even if what had to be done was settled, Albert knew that his hands now shed blood. Furthermore, after the incident, the mysterious person rarely contacted him. Albert did not even know the name of the person. He only received a silenced pistol and a small telecommunication device, the only piece of equipment that helped maintain the contact between the two. Sometimes, Albert would be instructed to transport a small box or assassinate unknown targets under the pretext of serving justice. Due to the contract, Albert could only bite his teeth and try to push through the missions. However, he could never co
- And, sent. After some hesitation, Albert finally sent the email to the Counter-Extraterrestrial Association. Immediately, a machine-generated reply email was sent to him to confirm the reception of his email. It said that a person working at the association would be sent to his house to discuss any necessary procedures as soon as possible. Everything seemed to have settled, so Albert could head to his bed. The next norming, Albert was sleeping very soundly, when he was woken up by the sound of his doorbell. Half-awake, he dragged his lethargic body to the entrance and opened the door. In front of him was a woman in her late twenties. Her jacket was embedded with the logo of the Counter-Extraterrestrial Association. Albert was surprised at the rate at which the association responded. The woman bowed politely. - Good morning, sir. My name is Halina, and I work for the Counter-Extraterrestrial Association, also known as CEA, Australia branch. - The staff greeted
The incident quickly makes it to the mass media. Countless credible newspaper headlines and television broadcasts garner massive attention towards Africa. Many countries send research teams to fight over the corpse of the fallen Intruder. Samples are retrieved and experiments are conducted. The internet community comes up with various conspiracies to explain the phenomenon, not realising that some of them are exactly what is happening. People all over the globe engage in heated debates and discussions. The sudden attention forces the Intruder to be less aggressive, giving time for us to build up our arsenal again. For a while, Intruder activity across the entire continent has been low enough for us to have sufficient freedom, but we cannot drop our caution. For the past five years, Mirai has been sending more small satellites into the low Earth orbit to observe the Intruder activity globally. Every once in a while, we launch attacks on their facilities outside Africa for distract
I have already settled the payment for the damaged door. There should be no other reason he sends me something. However, I still have to check it. I click on the highlighted mail. "Sorry. It seems that I cannot hold any secrets longer. Please, run away while you two still can. You do not know what dark abyss you are heading into. They are coming." Very brief, but also too abstract. What does he mean when he says the secret? Is it related to the incident before? I immediately send a reply, hoping that things would come to the light. Other work email notifications quickly pop up. I am distracted by Albert's email. I should start doing my work before Mirai comes back. Half an hour later, the door opens and Mirai returns with a pack of goods from the nearby market. She takes out the kitchen utensils from the tablet archive and starts cooking. Nowadays, to adapt to the small environment we have to live in, Mirai specifically spends a portion of the archive storing those basi
After saying so, Mirai leans back. She is aware of her action and keeps the same face. Mirai is scared. Which breaks her character. But that makes me feel relieved. After all, she still has a human side that lurks between the rotating gears and running motors inside her. Artificial intelligence is constructed based on data. They use the past to project into the future. With many uncertainties that ordinary humans cannot factor in, there is a limit to what the mighty machines can do. Including this future. Timelines are born from the various uncertainties of the universe. With each choice, they branch and convolute. Thus, making it this far is purely due to luck. If anything, I should be surprised that nothing has gone off the track for ten years. Not only me, but I also think that Mirai would be the gladdest, knowing that her calculations based on her timeline are correct. They give her the motivation to continue fighting for the goodness of the world. The sense
- Too risky! As expected. We are in a heated discussion with the department directors, who keep rejecting my plan because they are risk-averse. - Listen. You have to remember that you are just an ordinary employee in the IT department, and if not for your boss who convinced the executives to keep you, you would have been dismissed the moment you stepped out of Egypt. And do you understand the word 'budget'? Look. we do not want things to escalate, and just try to help you realise what your job is. - Because I am in the IT department, I can access all sorts of data in the company if they are not restricted. That is why I say that it is possible. - Well, show us. With Mirai backing up, I cannot wait to see the eyes of the men, who condescendingly talk to me, shining up as if they see an entire gold mine. But no, after this, they will see a literal one. After walking towards the large screen, I place my tablet on the table to establish a
- Have you received their money?- Yes, but ultimately, they agreed on half the maximum prize. It was a huge compromise on our side, but better than nothing. The money was wire-transferred into my decoy bank account this morning. A few days have passed since the filming of the game show. I was told to do nothing, as Mirai would handle the negotiation. Details of how they met up are intentionally omitted when I ask her, but she agrees to disclose how the negotiation progresses. Nobody knew the exact location of the room, but it represented the interrogation room, except nobody was having the edge. As per Mirai's request, they only brought three people. In the middle of the room, there was only a poorly maintained wooden table, with two chairs on opposite sides: Mirai on one side, and the main negotiator on the other side with two standing guards. The room was small, and the only source of light was a loosely hanging lamp. Their negotiator initiated the conversat
With an abrupt gunshot, the screen that streams everything happening in the studio loses signal. Ali's face distorts and darkens: given how the strict protocols have kept the upper hand for him and the production crew, the incident is a surprise. He tries to contact the surrounding staff for help, but the electromagnetic interference system imposed on this room renders all his attempts futile. - I knew it! You have been the mastermind behind this scheme all along. Now we can legally arrest you for fraud...- I am pretty sure this is one of your operation blunders that resulted in a technical failure. On top of that, you have no grounds to frame me, and given how you said that everything I have to go through here is backed by the government, I wonder how this narrative would develop in case we see each other again in court.- Nonsense! As if somebody will trust the word of an ordinary person.- But how would you, the perpetrator, prove that whatev
So the production team does not stop at heightened security.- You don't seem surprised at all.- I know the production team will go all out to protect the hefty sum of a billion pounds. It is just a matter of time before you rely on drastic measures, but to go this far... So, regarding the fifteenth question...- We have plenty of time. And the moment you incorrectly answer the last question, it is all over.- What makes you think that I will get the final question wrong?- Of course not you, but him.- Him? The screen in front of me shows the footage of the studio. Everything is there: the dramatic lighting and sound, the audience holding their breath, the host reading the question, and the contestant furrowing while listening carefully to every word. Except the people sitting at the podium are not Ali and I.- The moment I first saw your assistant pushing you into the office for registration, I have already felt s
- Quick! Secure all exits of the television studio. Initiate first-level protocol. Focus security around studio 4-A. Hurried footsteps echo through the corridors and halls, as fully-armed police and military personnel impose a lockdown on the studio and check every nook and cranny for any intruders. The studio that hosts the game show is located in a fairly remote region near Cairo. As a national studio that produces most of the programmes in the country, its level of security is on par with a military base. The specific information of measures implemented is obfuscated to the public. Still, with some observation, one would realise that making any move within the studio needs meticulous planning from the most intelligent of humanity. As soon as every staff in the studio is mobilised, the girl starts to move. The trip sensors she installed throughout the studio have simultaneously triggered, capturing a huge movement.__________- The twelfth question is another
- ... and despite being the country with the largest area in the world, boasting up to eleven different time zones, Russia is surprisingly not the country with the most time zones in the world. In fact, it is France that claims the crown as the country with the most time zones in the world, with twelve different time zones ranging from UTC-10:00 to UTC+12:00! This is attributed to the fact that France has many territories worldwide, which also highlights their significant presence worldwide.- Wow, that is a very detailed description, although it may be difficult for the audience to grasp what you are trying to say. But yes, the correct answer to the country with the most time zones is B, France! Let us give another round of applause for the amount of wisdom this fortitudinous man possesses! With Mirai's assistance from somewhere outside the studio, we breeze through the first ten questions ranging in all sorts of topics and requiring countless hours every day look
- Ladies and gentlemen! Welcome to the thousandth show of the series "Who Wants to Be the Zillionaire?", a weekly trivia game show every Tuesday only available on Al-Hayat TV. I am your host, Ali, and today, to commemorate the thousandth show, the stakes have been raised. There are still fifteen questions, but each question is exponentially harder. In return, once the player clears all fifteen questions, he will win up to... A billion Egyptian pounds, approximately three billion yen or twenty million US dollars. That is ten years' worth of my previous salary or more. For thirty-three years of my life, I have never thought about this, because the odds of reaching the final question are as high as winning a lottery. However, with Mirai's help, getting the winning prize will be a breeze.- Let's welcome our player for today! Due to special circumstances, we will refer to him as T. Mr. T, please come in. The door to the game show arena opens., and I am immediately
- It has been so long since we last talked in person. So, how have you been? - Let's say, my past few years have been a mess. You? - Same on my side. You cannot imagine how difficult it is to live around that woman. - From what I see, she is a very intelligent and awesome person, no? I envy you for having such a partner. - It is because of that so-called intelligence you praise her for, that I do not even understand what is going on in her head. I have a better chance of winning a lottery than guessing her mood. We quarrel almost every day. - However, if you think of it, it is those days that you argue that make you appreciate the days that you two live harmoniously together. Of course, I cannot speak for you, because my marriage is very peaceful back then... - I think I have mentioned this before, but please do not compare our dynamic with a married couple. - You are overthinking, brother. Albert and I
2060, Sahara desert... Project Ashita... After the brief exchange with the Colonel-ranked Intruder named Lamabula, Mirai and I spent countless hours after the construction observation duty hours to devise a plan. After careful consideration, the seeds of Project Ashita are sown. Before introducing the project to the CEA survivors, Mirai initially hesitated, but she ultimately discussed it with Lamabula. Without a doubt, he burst into his signature, explosive laughter and rejoiced the moment Mirai mentioned the scale of the project, and willingly lent a portion of the base's space for the construction of the colossal battleship. So long as he deemed us subpar compared to the Intruders, he would continue lending assistance. However, the dangerous part of this rigged contract is that we do not know until when he would deem us sufficiently dangerous and suddenly cut all support. However, that has never been Mirai's concern, who can fight head-on with Lamabula, and whose distrust a
Counter-Extraterrestrial Association, Egypt branch, 2060, From the outside, it looks like a small stand-up comedy house within the bustling tourist area of Cairo. However, in the basement, its true form is revealed. More than half of the basement area is for equipment and vehicle storage, and in the corner, a hydraulic lift is responsible for carrying them to the first floor. Deeper into the basement is the meeting room. Around the table, Mirai and Wilhelm sit next to each other, on the largest seat designated for high-ranking officials of the CEA or important people. Then, Ernst, Gottlob, Arthur, Maric, and I sit on the remaining seats. At the centre of the table, a hologram depicts the images of the current situation. Under the table, each seat will have a mouse which resembles a ball, so anyone can freely rotate or zoom in on the hologram projection for better observation. - Thank you everyone for being here. Before we start the impromptu meeting, two more people wo