Vol 7 Chapter 1.2 (2/2)
As he spoke, s.h.i.+on tapped a large screen in the centre of the control panel. Of course, he was concerned about his fingerprints being lifted, but the screen wouldn't function if he didn't touch it directly. Security measures would take effect, and it would lock itself.
”That's right,” Nezumi answered. ”It's indulgence. Indulgence that comes from complacence. No. 6 thinks nothing in the world can threaten them. Makes you laugh, doesn't it?”
Point X was created when Rou was placed in the underground settlement, though at the time, it had probably been mere caverns. The caverns themselves were to be his prison. Then, the Correctional Facility gradually grew closer to its current form: a new, even more secure imprisonment facility than the caves. The underground caverns, Rou, and the other prisoners were forgotten. Either that, or they were written off as people who had never existed.
Only the door remained.
The screen changed into a layout of the Correctional Facility's ventilation system.
”Nezumi, look here.” There were stairs leading from the fourth to the fifth floor, and to the top floor as well.
Each step was 120 millimetres deep, and 240 millimetres high. It was quite a steep slope. The stairs were also barely wide enough for one adult to climb. It was more like a ladder than a set of stairs.
Nezumi peered in. ”What's this?”
”Stairs for construction and maintenance. Everything is usually computer-regulated, but once in while they would probably need some manual labour. The stairs were probably made with that in mind. They probably haven't been used much, though.”
A soft exhale escaped Nezumi's lips.
”I didn't know there was something like this here. Did you know about these stairs all along?”
”No, I only guessed,” s.h.i.+on said. ”I noticed it when I first looked at the floorplan. It was an unusual blank s.p.a.ce.”
”I didn't notice.”
”It's in the wall. There was a narrow s.p.a.ce between the outer and inner walls. This particular part was wider than the rest.”
”So you saw something that I overlooked.”
”That's right.”
Tsk. The sound of a frustrated click of the tongue.
”And is that spot gonna welcome us in like an amus.e.m.e.nt park? There aren't any anti-trespa.s.sing devices?”
”I don't know. This screen only shows ventilation-related systems. I can't tell about anything else.”
”You said it was a blank. So there's nothing written in there.”
”No.”
”Then how about a door? If there are stairs, there has to be a door that leads to them.”
”I don't know about that, either. There's nothing written here that might pertain to that.”
”Then we don't have a next move.”
They did not have a next move. But they would have to move anyway. If they couldn't use the central stairs or the elevator, this was the only route that would take them to the top floor.
s.h.i.+on had stared at the floorplan long enough until he felt his head throb, memorizing the interior structure. This was the conclusion that he had drawn as a result.
Their chips would not take them any higher. They would have to set foot on these stairs, using any method they could. If only they could bound up the steps in one dash. The mother computer was on the top floor. They had to get there. They had to reach it, no matter what.
This was the only way.
In a way, the Correctional Facility was like a prototype of No. 6. All information, activities, functions, and monitoring networks led back to the mother computer. This meant that all the power was in the hands of the single person who could control the Mother freely.
A perfect hierarchy, in which the king was the absolute summit―that was what they were trying to create. It was an incredibly vast, yet foolish ambition.
Humans could control machines. They could develop and refine devices, and use them in any way they liked. But it was impossible for humans to dominate other humans. Even empires which had proudly stood for a thousand years, crumbled after that millennium. Humans could not dominate other humans. The system would always break down.
s.h.i.+on had learned this outside No. 6. The ones inside―those reigning over No. 6―had evidently not. That was why they could continue to believe in this illusion that they would conquer all.
They were foolish. But foolishness created a vulnerable opening. If they could make contact with the mother computer, they would be able to find out Safu's location, and they would be able to halt the Correctional Facility's functions, if even momentarily.
With a centralized system like this one, where everything concentrated into this one single point, then all they had to do was attack that one spot.
No. 6's fragility had also revealed itself here.
s.h.i.+on's fingers flitted about. The screens changed one after another.
The barriers on the fourth floor. They had to overcome those somehow. They had to break through the open s.p.a.ce before the walls closed in on them and blocked their route off.
And to do that―
The inside of his head settled into a cold stillness. Only his fingers kept moving, and finished one task, then another.
”Hey, there's something wrong here,” yelled a man in the next booth. Several workers had already returned. ”The activity lamp for Point X is on.”
”Point X?”
”On location po1-z22. The door's been opened and closed. It's recorded here.”
A tall, young man tilted his head in perplexity. ”Po1... that's underground. Did we ever have a door there? Are you sure it's not a display error on the part of the computer? Maybe the smell was so bad, even the computer couldn't handle it. Haha.”
”This isn't a joking matter,” the other snapped. The man closed his mouth.
”Two minutes and forty seconds ago. That was just now. The door on Point X opened right in the middle of that commotion.”
”Is there something wrong with it opening? Doors are supposed to open, aren't they?”
”It's not general entrance door. It's not an emergency exit, either. The staff don't use this door.”
”Oh. Then, where's the door supposed to lead?”
”I don't know. I've never heard of it. But this means that a door that was never supposed to open has opened. This―”
Evidently the sound-proof setting was off, for the boys could hear the m.u.f.fled voices of the two men conversing.
”Our time's up.” Nezumi undid the b.u.t.tons of his lab coat. s.h.i.+on stood up as well.
Two minutes, forty seconds. It was much longer than they had antic.i.p.ated. It looked like Fortune had not abandoned them just yet.
”Oh―hey! You there.” A grossly overweight ma.s.s of a man was standing in front of them, blocking their way. ”What are you doing there? Who are you?”
Nezumi flung his coat at the man, which landed on the man's head and draped over him. The man flailed his arms and staggered. Nezumi swept his feet out from under him. The man fell sideways with a resounding crash, and gave a m.u.f.fled groan.
”Excuse me.” Nezumi stepped over the man, and exited into the hallway. s.h.i.+on followed suit and hopped over the man's body.
”What was that?”
”Somebody―an intruder! Somebody help!”
”What? Has the emergency bell gone off?”
An agitated buzz rose from behind them.
”Nezumi, run up the stairs.”
”Gotcha.”
If the sensors caught any intruders, the security shutters would fall automatically. Could they reach the fourth floor before all the shutters went down?
The lighting on the stairs turned red. The shutters of special alloy silently began to close.
They were fast.
”s.h.i.+on, go in head-first.”
Nezumi and s.h.i.+on dived into the narrow s.p.a.ce.
Read Chapter 2.
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