Human kind is doomed, and not a single soul cares. Most souls, in fact, are probably completely unaware of the fact.
But fact it was, and Kokubunji Minoru knew it. He had known it since that whole spectacularly futile incident with that retched Chobit and her remarkably dull owner. Or, as Motosuwa and that pastry chief friend of his would insist, her "lover". Bull.
But he was being bitter again, and his therapist had told him to stop that. It was bad for his prosthetics if he was tense so often. Watching humanity slowly doom itself over fifty years was depressing enough, doing it while rising to the top of the business world ruthlessly would make anyone bitter.
After that remarkably sappy little climax that almost destroyed the world- and by his calculations, saved humanity- the idea of persocoms as romantic figures became more and more accepted. In an earlier age, the process would have taken many, many decades, but this is the age of information! We move at the speed of light! Instead of centuries, the fall of man only takes decades! Yippity shit.
No, Minoru thought, dwelling on the idea of humans dooming themselves solely by fucking robots would accomplish nothing. He'd be much better off dwelling on his own hypocrisy in keeping Yuzuki around. The years had not been kind to either of them, and she no longer bore even a passing resemblance to his sister. But, as far as Minoru is concerned, the fact that he had to look through the family's photo albums to compare the two balances things out. A sister complex does not suit the CEO of one of the greatest persocom manufacturing companies on Earth.
It was thanks to Minoru that SynthetiSoul branched into prosthetic organs, and eventually, limbs. He was their own best mascot, having roughly 70 of his body made hard and artificial. He should be proud, if not because of all the lives he saved and improved, then for all the money he made doing it. Money he put right back into the company, ironically. He kept his home and possessions just grand enough to seem fitting, dumping every remaining cent into keeping Yuzuki upgraded and keeping the company strong.
Of course, there was also the small sum that went into studies on persocom/human relationship studies, but he liked to think of those studies as essential to the company's decision making, and so that wasn't really personal spending. Indeed, with the research being done on synthetic nervous systems, he was sure he'd end up living forever. Ironically, the very same sentimentalism that encourages mankind to love persocoms also kept them from embracing artificial bodies. Minoru possessed no such irrational thoughts, and neither did most of the upper crust of society. They were more interested in immortality than morality, and so was he.
He needed, after all, to finish automating his entire business, piece by piece. Once every slot in the occupational food chain could be filled by a robotic chameleon of circuitry, then Minoru could die. With him, the last of bitter, jaded, pessimistic humans would be dying, or so he liked to think to himself, as he walked through parks during lunch, not needing food, and seeing far more smiles, as well as far, far too many ears/computer ports, than he thought he should be seeing.
That couple is wearing rags, where is their anxiety? Look, a family of five- no, six, happily picnicking next to- by God, a lesbian couple, both persocoms. Where is the negativity? What happened to fear, prejudice, and tribal in-fighting? The world's gone straight to Hell, and that damned scientist is the one who opened the gates. "Let's make them so similar to people that every single human subconsciously empathizes with them, allowing them to be married, and even eventually be granted suffrage!" Fucking New Age bastard. Minoru need only read up to "sentient robotic daughter fell in love with him, became depressed, and eventually committed suicide, after which she possessed the body of her sister" in Ichiro's file to know everything he needed to know.
Yuzuki, he thought, what I would do for your optimism. To be able to see the rising trend of loving, and marrying, persocoms, and think, How nice. To notice the slowly dropping birthrate and just attribute it to the female empowerment movement, to say that it will pick up soon, even though people have been saying that for twenty years.
Alas, Minoru was cursed, forever more, with the greatest curse of them all.
Perspective.
Great God am I awesome or what. Just a look into the possible future of Chobits-land. Reviews must use proper English under penalty of eternal damnation.