Herze

Prologue (part 2)

 She stands up with me and now she looks like a totally different girl, she looks so harmless, as if she trusts me and I trust her.

—Mikuni, can I...can I check your head?.— As I speak, I make gestures with my hands to make her understand me more easily.

—.........— With a smile, and without omitting a single sound, Mikuni tilts her head.

..She's like a different girl...

When it comes to building an android, I'm not sure if it's better to leave our CPU in the head or in our chest, but like me, Mikuni has most of her important components in her head.

—Don't worry, it won't hurt, I just want to understand how similar we are.— Although like me, she shouldn't feel pain.

I also don't think I can dismantle her right here, but if I can communicate with some electrical signal that is linked to her circuits, I could see part of her structure and do something for her.

—It's strange, Mikuni.— I furrow my brow a little as I place my hands on her head.

I can go through her system without any problem, to some places I can go, and to others I can't. I would say they used the same base model to make both of us... we're almost identical.

Mikuni presents the same type of modification that they did to me, but instead of her memory, her language ability has been modified, this means she remembers everything but can't express herself clearly, it's the opposite of me.

My fingers delicately run through her soft hair, maybe I can fix her primary functions, if she could understand me, it would be a great advancement.

My eyes move from side to side, my expression calm, slightly concentrated.

—I think I'm done, can you understand me, Mikuni?.— I remove my hands, stepping back a bit from her, expectantly.

—.........— She doesn't say anything, but smiles and nods her head.

It's a bit frustrating, there's so much I would like to ask her. She's the first... not person... machine, but she's the first time I've seen someone in a long, long time. There's so much I would like to hear from her.

—Let's see, when we met, were you following me?.— I ask softly.

—.........— Mikuni shakes her head from side to side, denying it, and then raises her hand and points behind me, in the distance, gesturing with her hands.

—Do you mean the shortwave frequency?, were you walking in that direction?.— I turn, realizing that over there the most relevant thing is the radio transmission, but I still can't identify it, probably because of the distance or some interference.

—.........— Mikuni smiles, closing her eyes, she seems happy that I can understand her, and nods her head.

—I'm also heading to its origin, there shouldn't be any living beings left in Aria, so we shouldn't hear anything.— I position myself by her side to look in the same direction, pensive.

—...We can go together, is that okay with you, Mikuni?.— I ask, expectant and somewhat afraid she might refuse..

—.........— She takes my hand and begins to walk with her eyes closed and a faint smile. That's her answer, she wants us to go together.

I don't know what that signal will say exactly, it must be almost on the other side of the planet, it's still too far to identify it, but we'll get there, just come with me, we'll get there.

***

If I'm honest, I can't stand this noise.

—If only I could communicate directly with IA and with Mikuni, I wouldn't have to go through this.—