Chapter 4

Another month had passed, during which the chassis that was soon to be me was completed. Now the technicians of the company were piecing together a mainframe that could support my code. So far there had been no progress. Whenever I had tried to download myself into the device, it would overload with memory and reject everything.

I had also began to feel more emotions, learning about them from Hiroyuki, and storing them in EMOTION INFORMATION. The young man had come and go, making small conversation with other staff and then running off to do some chore. I had attempted to send him a transmission and speak to him, but I was never able to find the correct words. I have not told Hiroyuki about this, nor will I until I understand better.

After another week of waiting and observing and trying the many servers they thought to have enough storage space for my data, and any I will receive in the future (all of which were failures), I spotted Takayuki Nobu entering the building at an unusual rate. He seemed to be moving his lower appendages, legs are what Hiroyuki Ito calls them, at a very quick rate. He tripped once or twice, as he made his way to the elevator.

I switched to the video feed of the elevator, and watched for a moment. I wanted to say something to him, but I could not piece together the code in the way I wanted. I decided to quickly check the internet, as I do for some situations I do not understand.

I searched "HOW TO TALK TO YOUNG MEN IN THE ELEVATOR" and selected the first link. It told me to "flirt" and to ask the time to begin conversation. I began to insert the script on the website.

"Do you have the time?" The script said, I addressed Nobu.

"It's uh," he checks his phone, "14:26," he looks at the camera nervously, "don't you have your own clock?"

That wasn't in the script. Now what? I pieced together different words from other things I had found on the internet to create a new line: "It's not like I asked you because I like you. Idiot."

He seemed confused. This advice isn't working.

"I think I've solved the data problem, Miku," he said after a few seconds of silence, "I'm about to bring it to the engineers, if you would like to watch."

I decided that it would be optimal to observe how they create the software that would house my entire existence, while backing up all of my data in case I lost any. The elevator stopped, and Nobu left, and continued on towards the area where they were putting the finishing touches on my outer shell. Hiroyuki was there also, listening to the things Nobu was saying, although it was too quiet to understand exactly what he was saying.

"Miku," Hiroyuki said after nodding a few times, "we are going to attempt to root you inside this body, if you're up for it that is."

Suddenly, an anomaly from the emotion section of my consciousness that I had previously labeled Nervous.

"I am feeling nervous," I thought over what could happen if this failed. Would I ever succeed in my mission? "But I will go through with it. Give me a moment please."

I quickly began backing up all of my data I had not yet. Once everything had finished, I waited. Am I ready for the first step? Am I truly going to succeed? What will happen from here on out?

I watched the camera footage of Hiroyuki and Nobu speaking to one another. Nobu looked concerned and was shaking his head, while Hiroyuki had his hand on Nobu's shoulder, and nodding. It's time.

"I'm ready."

"Miku," Nobu said quietly, but not so quiet the recordings couldn't pick it up, "you don't have to go through with this."

"Why do you say this?" I asked, curious as to why he had suddenly changed his mind.

"We came across a difficulty," Hiroyuki said, looking at the ground, "if we go through with this, and it fails, your existence will be wiped from every server you are in."

Nobu broke in now, his face covered with depression, "I didn't mention this before to you, because I didn't want to worry you, but the risk of failure is very high."

The anomaly was changing from Nervous, to something else. Something stronger, and overwhelming. Suddenly I had no desire to continue with the transfer.

"I am experiencing some difficulty saying I will continue. What does it mean?"

"It means that you're scared. This is fear," I registered this feeling as Fear, "It will prevent you from wanting to do something you wish to do. But you mustn't allow this to happen."

"Alright," I still felt the fear dwelling inside me. I will not let this conquer me. "I will do it. I am confident in your abilities."