Episode 22. Two Chips

 Zena felt a growing fondness for the place she had found. It was nice to have Siu there, and then Siu brought Marty, and Marty brought Tyra to this hideout. Although they hadn't spent a lot of time there, they had built their own memories in this place. They had shared conversations, emotions, and even danced and sang together. The shared emotions created various melodies in Zena's mind. Although she hadn't studied how to write music, she made sure not to forget these melodies. For the day when she would sing them herself. And the opportunity came. Y, who referred to herself as a Resistance member, visited the hideout. So, contrary to her usual self, Zena stepped forward and asked her.

To protect the girls who had shared their hearts with her.

"Zena..."

"It's something that must be done eventually. Perhaps it's even an opportunity."

"Well, I guess so."

Marty and Tyra were taken aback by Zena's sudden question. Siu and Y also seemed more serious.

"Why?"

"Sorry?"

"Why do you want to leave?"

"Because I've realized what kind of person I am."

"Are you willing to risk your life?"

"Yes."

"Think carefully."

"I've thought about it many times. Ever since my time at school."

Zena remained adamant. Y knew this stubbornness well in such a child. After trying countless times to find a way, she must have eventually felt discontent with IDYPIA. Therefore, her actions could never be considered impulsive or rash.

Perhaps she's been waiting for the right moment to speak.

Y gently stroked her own face before explaining more slowly than before.

"The power of AG is growing stronger by the day. That's why we're currently unable to act and are all dispersed, hiding. I'd like to take you with me, but the circumstances are very different now compared to then. It might actually be safer for you to stay hidden here for the time being."

Even with Y's persuasion, Zena did not give up.

"However, personally, I'm curious to see if you're the ones meant to venture outside IDYPIA."

Y retrieved a small, black rectangular box from her embrace and handed it to Siu.

"Open it and see."

"What's this?"

As Siu opened the box, inside were two chips neatly arranged, with the word "PANDORA" written in capital letters in English and two chips in blue and red.

"Two chips?"

"It's different from what we've seen so far."

"What is this?"

As the girls questioned, Y moved to a corner of the hideout to explain.

"Outer and inner."

Then, she opened one of the boxes stacked in the corner of the hideout and pulled out a cube-shaped, dusty purple chip reader.

"What's that?"

"This is our resistance-exclusive chip reader. You can only access their contents using this. Actually, the reason I came here was to get this, but somehow I ended up meeting you all. If fate even exists, then surely this must be fate."

Y seemed somewhat disappointed.

"Anyway, whatever you choose after seeing it, your freedom is right there."

Upon Y's words as she brought the chip reader in front of them, the four girls pondered their options.

"I want to see. What about you guys?" Siu spoke confidently.

"I want to see too."

"Let's play it."

Agreeing with Siu's words, the three of them, Siu included, inserted the blue chip into the chip reader and played it as a hologram.

- Mmmmm!

As if being sucked into the brain chip, the hologram accelerated and lit up, displaying a white screen and the AG Entertainment logo before fading away. Eventually, the scenery of the blue aerial garden atop the skyscraper slowly faded in.

A moment of peaceful silence. The world was intact and tranquil. It was the landscape of meditation class that any student of Noah Tech School would have seen at least once.

Then, a hologram resembling a young woman with long black hair neatly tied back appeared before them.

"Welcome. I am your guiding SAI."

"You're the SAI Prime?"

"No way. How could SAI Prime be here..."

The hologram, addressing itself as SAI, continued speaking as if unaffected by the astonishment of the four girls.

"The scenery you're currently witnessing is part of IDYPIA. Quiet and peaceful, isn't it? People will come to live new lives here."

With SAI's words, the scene before them quickly transitioned.

There, a scene unfolded of a baby holding hands with their parents, strolling happily in the park. The baby giggled joyfully, and the parents smiled back, evoking a sense of happiness in the four girls just by seeing it.

Next, they saw a lively street adorned with colorful signs, with students laughing and chatting as they walked along. They seemed to be enjoying themselves immensely.

Suddenly, fireworks erupted, accompanied by cheers from the crowd. Then, they witnessed a concert hall where pop stars danced and sang amidst a chorus of cheers from the audience.

The four couldn't tear their eyes away for a moment. The spectacle was far more dazzling, impressive, and astonishing than anything they had seen from the brain chips.

"Do you see it? The future you're dreaming of. And the future you'll hold in your hands is here in IDYPIA."

Suddenly, a loud bang accompanied by darkness engulfed their vision.

"But before that, we have a lot of work to do."

- Warning!

The sound of war alarms echoed, mingling with gunfire, shouts, and screams. The girls were startled, wavering in confusion.

"In cities where global warming and dust cloud warnings have become commonplace, spring has vanished, refugees fleeing from desertification, food shortages, and war have exceeded 300 million, and the sky is now perpetually filled with thick clouds, making the notion of stargazing at night a thing of the past."

And what they saw before them were faces tainted by war, piles of bodies resembling mountains, numerous typhoons emanating from cracked land and seas, rampant wildfires, famine-stricken children and animals on the brink of death, and refugees fleeing hunger, all facing the barrels of guns.

- Bang!

"People have grown weary. There have been multiple opportunities to reverse this situation, but no one could hit the brakes. All that remains now is to march inexorably toward extinction... Why is that?"

"Why?"

"Well, hmm..."

Without giving the four girls a chance to ponder, SAI Prime swiftly moved on to another question.

"Do you know where pain originates?"

"Huh? Pain?"

"Well, any guesses?"

"Isn't it when you fall or something?"

"Right here."

SAI Prime pointed to her head.

"In this head, there are things called hearts, and emotions. And because of these hearts... emotions, people use their reason more like animals than any animal in the world. It's selfish."

Though SAI Prime's tone was dry, it seemed to carry underlying emotions.

"So, to be liberated from the origin of all pain in the world, it's necessary to eliminate emotions."

SAI Prime's words went unchallenged. That's because the girls had just learned what emotions were through Y. Therefore, they accepted SAI Prime's words as they were and listened intently.

"So, we chose the brain chips. As long as there are emotions, humanity will repeat past mistakes over and over again. This is a matter of human survival. And it's also for the Earth, suffering because of people."

Once again, the image of IDYPIA appeared. And SAI Prime made a strong appeal to the girls in front of them.

"With IDYPIA, you don't need to feel pain or sadness. If you seek a better world, a better life, a better place, please join us. For you and for future generations."

With the conclusion of SAI Prime's speech, the hologram from the first chip came to an end.

***