So ends the prologue of Analog Hack.

Time really flies. It has been almost a year since this project began. Considering that the previous chapter was meant to be the conclusion to the opening arc, I tried to increase the firepower of the writing as much as I could. I'm not sure if readers can tell, but I really wanted it to have a nice finale feeling, considering that I believe that the opening scenario can be considered a full story in itself, in the sense that it covers the technical beats with clear writing milestones of introduction, worldbuilding, relaxed scenes, high tension scenes, climax, and resolution.

If I am to make some self-criticisms of my own work, it's that I believe that Arato and Lacia's relationship is progressing too quickly. But I think that was a necessary compromise, because it takes Arato over 80% in the original to even start questioning Lacia (That's over 600 pages!). Frankly, I would like to be able to write Lacia a bit more subtle and Arato more clueless but I don't think readers, especially one with such a high amount of blind entries as this work does could stand over 500 thousand words (give or take) of Lacia faking it non-stop while Arato continues to be clueless. So I had to show the cards early.

Recently, I took time off to watch the 2018 anime that had adjustments made to the plot. All I can say is, wow, the 2018 anime version of Arato and Lacia acts so differently compared to the original 2011 serial which this story is based on. Arato is so much more soft-spoken and timid in the anime, while his original 2011 incarnation was much rougher around the edges. Lacia too, in the 2018 anime was much softer as well, she didn't have the tendency of the original 2011 serial to just drop hot takes on Arato out of nowhere before immediately slipping back into cute waifu-mode, while Arato doesn't even notice he's being ridiculed by Lacia. I mean for heaven's sake, in the original 2011 source she actually made fun of Arato for liking her so much in a blink-and-you'll-miss-it moment.

So if there are any anime watchers coming in and wondering why Analog Hack Arato and Lacia seem out of character, it's because they're based on the original 2011 Japanese serial novel paperback that was initially published in Kadokawa Shoten's Newtype magazine. Now, I'm not going to say they're 100% accurate true to form, as this is fanfiction after all and there are liberties taken for entertainment's sake.

Now that that's done, I will be skipping the usual chapter commentary to describe the production of Analog Hack in greater detail.

Analog Hack will be divided into six arcs.

The prologue plus three arcs will consist of the first half. The second half will consist of three arcs plus an After Story.

The overarching theme of the first half is:

"A love that transcends form and meaning."

To be honest, Lacia doesn't come across to me as a traditional female heroine. She doesn't neatly fit in that category. To me, Lacia comes off as a 'something' doing her best to roleplay a 'someone'. Because of that mental image, to me, Arato's relationship with Lacia doesn't seem like a realistic relationship between a male and female, but instead a complicated relationship with a robot who took on the social concept of a 'girl'.

It's difficult to call the relationship between Arato and Lacia a relationship between a man and a woman. Lacia was created by a super-intelligent AI for a greater goal, but then found herself playing the role of a girl to suit the desires of Arato.

It's pretty ridiculous when you think about it. But considering Hase Satoshi called Beatless a Boy-Meets-Girl story at it's core, I tried my best to live up to its expectations. That was why I had Arato in the story repeat "She's a woman" and "I can't see Lacia as anything but a woman" multiple times in order to remind the readers that "Lacia is really a woman" (Laughs) It's like I as the writer am the one actually trying to analog hack readers into thinking that Lacia's a girl, not a machine.

The way I look at it, their relationship isn't one that is fueled by instinct or passion like the relationship between a man and a woman, but instead, it is a clash of passion meets reason between two entities who find themselves needing each other for their own self-interests. To me personally, it remains the biggest reason why I find their romance refreshing.

In current conventional thinking, we expect relationships in modern times to be fully equal between both partners, regardless of their genders. We have come to think of an ideal relationship as one where each party supports the other and mends each other's weaknesses with their own unique strengths, and I think it makes for a very nice relationship. I too would like everyone to experience such a wondrous relationship like that if it were at all possible.

However, the story of Analog Hack is not that sort of story. Arato is a human teenager. Lacia is a sentient AI who so happens to pilot a human-shaped shell for the sake of easing interactions with humans. Honestly speaking, there was never any chance of their relationship being equal in the sense of conventional social terms. But yet, the relationship is pursued anyway. I think that in itself is a beautiful concept, when two parties understand the gap and seek to close it, even if turns out to be an impossible one to close. It's not an ideal love, but it is love anyway. And that is the type of story I would like to deliver, the purest vision of a human-robot romance.

In this part, Arato will have to slowly come to terms with the things he has to give up to be with Lacia, a robot.

Moving on to the overarching theme of the second half:

"A love that transcends time and fate."

This is the part of the story where the Romance between Arato and Lacia blossoms into Love. The idea of "Romance" is one that begins as the pursuit of ideals between a couple. It carries with it elements of hope and fantasy.

Over time, the romance if given the chance to develop, eventually blossoms into the concept of "Love". With "Love", unlike a "Romance", there are no ideals to be found. It's just about coming to terms with reality. It is a situation where the participants of the relationship don't even have time to dream.

All they can do is keep pushing forward. Step by step to the next stage of their relationship.

In this part, Arato has fully understood what it means to form a bond and act as a single unit with a heartless machine and all the sacrifices it entails.

After all, his heroine is a tragic character that is unloved, she has nobody but him to rely on, so no matter what, he cannot abandon her. If he does something despicable like that, she will become truly alone in this cruel world.

Thus, even if the path leads to ruin, the both of them will burn to ashes in a beautiful blaze together.

That is the concept I wish to explore in this work of mine, Analog Hack.

At the same time, in this part, Analog Hack will also serve as the concluding chapter to Yuzuriha Inori's story. It is a story that has been frozen in time on its final page since the year 2039. Now in the year 2105, that page will finally turn and that story can finally come to its proper conclusion. She might be long gone, but her unfulfilled wishes and lingering regrets still remain.

Having said all that, for those who have stuck with this story all this way, I'm really happy that you've chosen to do so. I hope to see everyone again in the next chapter, where we will finally properly begin our first story arc.

Infinity Caliber,
April 2022