I Reincarnated as the Captain of a Battleship in a Robot Anime, but at This Rate, I’m Going to Be Assassinated – Chapter 44

Chapter 44: It’s Easy to Say “Evolve,” But I Think the Odds Are Worse Than a Bad Gamble
  “Three days to complete it? Isn’t that an unreasonable request?”
  
  Shougo, who had been unexpectedly summoned, had made his way to the laboratory at the Fortress Base. It had become a temporary storage facility for the Trismegistus, and repair work on the machine was underway there.
  However, it was not repair work, but rather modification work that was being carried out, causing Shougo to let out a cry of surprise.
  
  “However, that’s not quite the case.”
  
  Yuuki, who had ended up in charge of assisting with the maintenance, began to explain, holding Thoth in his arms.
  
  “First of all, Dr. Phoenix and Percy were here. And the first one who appeared before us was Percy. The Rabi Reivu he was piloting was equipped with a barrier. Presumably, they had a prototype of it left over. A barrier generator.”
  “It’s the equipment for the defense-focused Trismegistus that Thoth came up with, right? Certainly, a barrier is valuable. Percy at that time was able to repel even the main cannons of a battleship. That, on the Trismegistus?”
  
  Whether or not it was necessary was questionable.
  If the Trismegistus unleashed its abilities, it would likely catch and neutralize the main cannon’s beam with one hand.
  
  “Maybe, but I don’t think this is a barrier for defense. I think it’s meant to be like knuckle guards for punching.”
  “Hey, hey, hey, what’s with that stupid-sounding equipment……? So, is the next Trismegistus going to do a beam punch or something?”
  “That’s what I’m afraid of…… And the additional armor is simply thick, and they’re going to equip it with auxiliary thrusters, so it won’t lose mobility……”
  
  As for the additional armor, since there were plenty of materials available, he had heard that the armor reinforcement would probably be finished within the day.
  
  “I don’t care about the beam punch. I can’t stop them, I mean, the engineers seem to be having fun with it, they’re making it with gusto.”
  “That’s why engineers are…… But, the way you’re talking, I have a feeling you’re trying to say it’s not just punches, right?”
  “Yes…… That’s…… the Mirandora’s modification plan.”
  “The Mirandora’s?”
  
  Even though it was state-of-the-art, the Mirandora had suffered significant damage from repeated battles, and the short-term warp jumps had taken a toll on it. Shougo’s decision to capture the Fortress Base was primarily due to the need to repair and resupply the Mirandora.
  It was a surprise to hear that a proposal had been made for it.
  
  “Is it because it’s his own nest?”
  
  Muttering to himself, Shougo looked over the specifications that Yuuki had handed him. The specifications, which seemed to have been output directly from Thoth, were simple graphical data showing the Mirandora’s appearance after the modifications.
  At the same time, Yuuki operated a nearby PC to display a graphically rendered image.
  Shougo compared the two.
  
  “It looks like a telescope goldfish you sometimes see at festivals……”
  
  The new cruiser class, including the Mirandora, had a somewhat distorted shape for a ship, being rhombus-shaped or square, perhaps because they also served as aircraft carriers. This structure created some difficulties with anti-aircraft equipment, but the firepower itself was good due to the missile capacity and main gun placement. The concentration of firepower to the front was particularly impressive, but conversely, it was very vulnerable if its sides were attacked.
  The modification plan Thoth had instructed was meant to compensate for these blind spots, but in short, it was a ridiculous plan to attach parts from other ships to various parts of the Mirandora, turning it into a hedgehog.
  Equipment and armor from destroyers and cruisers were directly attached to the vulnerable sides and the underbelly, which lacked firepower. To compensate for the enlarged hull, two battleship-class boosters were connected and equipped at the stern. To protect the gigantic hull, two beam barrier devices were attached near the b*idge, looking like eyes.
  That’s why Shougo called it a telescope goldfish.
  
  “What’s a telescope goldfish?”
  “Oh, it’s a goldfish. A small freshwater fish, its characteristic is its bulging eyes. I don’t know much about it either, but there are a lot of enthusiasts. Haven’t you heard of goldfish scooping?”
  “No, I haven’t. Is there such a creepy fish?”
  “Look it up. It’s surprisingly deep. I’m not interested, but…… Some people even spend a lot of money on them. But…… does this mean Trismegistus is getting serious?”
  
  Shougo thought that he should approve the modifications.
  They had to repair the Mirandora anyway, and increasing their fighting strength was a must.
  
  ‘But, did Trismegistus, did Thoth, think about strengthening anything other than itself? No, it’s rather strange to think it wouldn’t. Percy said that Thoth had developed intelligence and emotions. That means it’s starting to understand the surrounding situation accurately……’
  
  Machines with emotions were a common setting in the creative world. Shougo didn’t find it strange in itself. The problem was the degree of emotion and how it manifested.
  Would it have emotions like humans and foster friendships? Or would it try to understand emotions in an inorganic way, showing awkwardness? Or…… would it observe the folly of humanity and try to manage their existence?
  
  ‘Roughly speaking, these are the typical emotions of machines. From a meta perspective, the manifestation of machine emotions in this world, in this anime, is close to the third one. But, looking at Thoth, it’s somehow different. Or rather…… this guy is clearly abnormal.’
  
  Proposals for performance improvement. The awakening of the survival instinct. Rejection of beings that are disadvantageous to oneself.
  Viewed as an emotional argument, it wasn’t particularly strange. But what about when viewed as a weapon? Normally, no weapon value could be found in a machine that acted so capriciously, like a child, or rather, like a beast.
  He could understand giving it a beastly nature in the sense of simply defeating the enemy in front of it, but Thoth had intelligence and reason.
  In that case, a system that could build tactics and strategies from the beginning would be sufficient.
  To put it bluntly, it was wasteful. If it had a passionate personality, instilled with justice and love, he could still understand, but it wasn’t like that either.
  
  ‘I feel like there’s a subtle difference in the way we, the Phoenix camp and the New Balance camp, perceive the Trismegistus machine, the Thoth AI. We see it as something relatively dangerous. Even so, that danger can be used as a weapon, so we handle it with care. I don’t quite understand Phoenix, but he’s only looking at its evolution. New Balance probably sees it as a weapon…… Really?’
  
  There was a sense of discomfort there. The answer he had come up with was probably not far off.
  But he felt like he was missing something.
  In the long run, a machine that reproduces and continues to evolve forever. It could be said to be a living organism. As an engineer, he understood Phoenix’s desire to see the end of its evolution. But what about its military use? Replication and evolution could certainly make it an invincible soldier, but intelligence was a hindrance.
  However, it was none other than New Balance who developed this machine. Would they tolerate such waste?
  Anferu and his ilk might not understand, but they wouldn’t have good feelings towards a machine that didn’t obey them.
  
  ‘What about Fauden……?’
  
  Shougo suddenly realized.
  Only this man’s true intentions were unclear. He couldn’t understand anything about him.
  
  ‘Phoenix is clearly in cahoots with New Balance. Is it because he’s conspiring with Anferu? No, that’s not enough. Bringing out a UFO-like battleship like that, using drones and Percy, it’s impossible for everything to be controlled by Anferu alone. Then, was that old man connected to Fauden behind the scenes from the beginning? If so, why?’
  
  Franny had said that her father always talked about what to do with humanity.
  
  “Could it be…… the management of humanity?”
  “Huh?”
  
  It seemed Yuuki had heard his muttered words.
  
  “Oh, no, sorry. Just thinking. I was wondering why Trismegistus was created.”
  “The reason? Well, to borrow the Doctor’s words, it’s to see the future of evolution?”
  “That’s Phoenix’s reason. That old man poured all his technology into it and probably created something he doesn’t even understand himself. That’s why he wants to see it, the future of evolution. But weapon development takes time to do individually. Moreover, that old man is part of an organization. Naturally, he needs permission from above…… And the only person who can give that old man permission is the Commander.”
  
  It could be said to be the final decision-making authority.
  
  “We can exclude Anferu. That man is easy to understand, he’s only interested in exercising power and military force. But, Franny-ojōsan’s father, the Commander, is different. That man is a mystery. I want to know why such a man approved the development of Trismegistus.”
  “Is that what you meant by the management of humanity?”
  “Yeah…… Chicks, taking care of them…… He’s saying things that are typical of the ruling class, but I’ve never had a proper conversation with him in the first place.”
  
  Forgetting his act once again, Shougo continued.
  
  “I can understand his point to some extent. His words about the planetary development project straining finances and resources are probably true. I thought he had an ideology of controlling that…… But can that be done with Trismegistus? No, it would be possible with Trismegistus’s capabilities. But the core is Thoth, that monkey. Would he entrust the management of humanity to something like this?”
  “But…… this guy is steadily growing…… Lately, we’ve been able to have conversations, or rather……”
  
  Yuuki timidly held Thoth up in front of Shougo’s eyes.
  Then.
  
  “WHO IS MONKEY? WHO IS MONKEY?”
  
  It was as if it was reacting to the previous words.
  
  “Thoth, has. Thoth, has. Grown stronger? Ouch, ouch, ow.”
  “Does a guy who evolves in the direction of punching hate pain? Or rather, does he even feel pain?”
  “Maybe it perceives damage control as pain.”
  “I don’t know if it’s skillful or clumsy.”
  “But I think its intellectual development is remarkable. And…… Maybe it’s only like this because we’re here now?”
  “What do you mean?”
  “Well…… Thoth has a tendency to prioritize its own evolution. Dr. Phoenix seems to respect Thoth’s free will, but I think this guy is merciless to those who get in its way. It sent Percy somewhere.”
  “Yes, that’s true, but……”
  “Then, if someone comes along who uses it, lets it do whatever it wants, spoils it…… What will Trismegistus’s evolution be like? Or, if you can give it clear orders and let it do whatever it wants within that range…… No one will be able to stop it.”
  
  Yuuki’s words reminded Shougo of the word “demon” that Percy had uttered.
  An existence whose evolution could not be stopped, that proliferated and wielded its power. A demon? No, that would be closer to a g*d.
  A mobile weapon that neutralized the Planet Killer and turned its power against it. It would multiply. It would evolve. It would become even more powerful and produce copies of itself.
  Over and over again. Humanity would have no chance. And its intelligence would continue to grow.
  
  “But isn’t it a gamble? What if it doesn’t achieve the desired evolution, the desired growth?”
  “…… Gods aren’t just omnipotent, are they?”
  “Huh?”
  “Oh, no…… I had an otaku friend in Byblos. He was interested in Earth’s religions and stuff, and he often researched gods…… He said that gods having the appearance of old men was a much later development, and that they initially started as personifications of the environment. In other words, they were terrifying beings.”
  
  Yuuki said in a murmur, looking down at Thoth.
  
  “Free-spirited, wielding power…… Doesn’t that sound like nature itself?”