079
Vast amounts of data travel through the empire’s networks at the speed of light, but we pass important words by word of mouth, and information by hand.
Because networks are vulnerable to security. This is a fact that remains unchanged no matter how much technology advances.
Back at the Guard, I handed the data chip over to Heilas. It was a chip that contained the memories of the Nemesis contact.
Dalgrak.
Heilas took the data chip and dropped it into a glass filled with liquid.
Tsuzuzuzu… … .
The chemicals applied to the data chip reacted with the liquid in the glass to neutralize it.
‘That’s the seal of the Custoria family.’
Only the family and a few others will know the chemical formula.
If you connect the chip to the terminal without breaking the seal, disaster will occur. Not only will the terminal break, but the chip will also be damaged.
Data sealing is one of the many security measures used by noble families to keep their secrets. If secrets must be stored digitally, they are protected by at least one analog security measure. The Custoria family used a method of coating chips with chemicals.
‘If I had read the contents of that chip first… … I would have been questioned right away.’
Heilas didn’t give me any hints. Maybe he thought I wouldn’t see it, or maybe he was testing me.
“Hmm, I guess that’s it. If you soak it for less than the specified time, the seal won’t be completely neutralized, and if you soak it for longer, the chip will be damaged.”
“Helas explained kindly. He put his finger into the glass and took out the chip.
Creak.
The terminal’s lens opened. As soon as the chip was inserted, a bluish light hovered over the lens and a holographic interface appeared.
“Then let’s go out.”
I said so as not to reveal any confidential information.
“No, you deserve to see it. Because we went on this mission together.”
Heilas’ trust often felt heavy. I knew so many secrets and confidential information, each of which was information that threatened my life.
OMG.
Heilas put his hand into the hologram and touched the data. After a tedious security procedure, the memory image flowed out.
Visualizing human memories is extremely difficult. Even now, it was only at the level of forcibly connecting fragmentary scenes. The low-resolution images were as dark as the deep sea, and the sound was so disorganized that it hurt my ears. The occasional human voices were muffled and distorted, and even those were cut off abruptly.
Even when watching the holographic image, it was difficult to understand the context and content. It was like looking into the brain of a schizophrenic patient.
I also felt a sense of futility. Was it really the case that humans were ‘decomposed’ for such crude information?
‘Memories squeezed from the brain.’
Pygon would wring out the contact’s brain like a disposable rag. In fact, he would immediately discard it after extracting all the information.
Whether he noticed my disappointment or not, Heilas continued his explanation.
“From now on, we will input this data into an artificial intelligence that mimics human cognitive algorithms to accelerate the calculation. Then, the images and sounds will be degraded and corrected. We humans correct and fill in our fragmented old memories on our own, turning them into ‘reasonable memories that make sense.’ It’s the same principle.”
It was the first time I heard of it too.
“Isn’t the information in those memories inaccurate? It’s literally deteriorating.”
Human memory becomes less accurate as time goes by, which is why cross-validation is necessary.
“But at least it becomes clearer as the context becomes more observable and understandable. It’s okay if it’s inaccurate. What we need is a trace for the next tracking.”
As Heilas gestured, the memory data that appeared on the hologram accelerated. As the playback repeated, the scene layout changed and the sound also changed.
The story, which had only a shabby framework, was being made concrete through the mouth of a liar.
-… …and convey it.
-deliberately……
-Two days, blank.
I also felt like I was gradually able to understand the context of the content.
“Hmm, this is getting tricky. This guy was Memento.”
“Memento?”
I feel like I’ll learn a lot today.
“Memento, a human with extremely reduced long-term memory. They only have a portion of their past memories, and their current memories last from a few minutes to a few days. They are perfect as liaisons to convey confidential information.”
Heilas was calm, but I couldn’t help but frown.
“There are separate names and usage methods… … Are you saying that you artificially removed brain function and made people crippled?”
“Usually, that’s true. It’s been a while since I’ve seen it. It’s a security method that’s hard to see these days.”
“So, have we done something meaningless?”
I spoke to Heilas as if I was questioning her.
Since joining House Custoria, dealing with Heilas has become more and more comfortable. Damn, I don’t know if that’s a good thing.
Anyway, despite my bad attitude, Heilas continued talking without showing any sign of surprise or anger.
“Even computers have a hard time completely evaporating data. It’s nearly impossible to completely erase memory from the human brain. There must be traces somewhere that we can recognize.”
Heilas accelerated the memory images. Our pupils also lit up, and our brains started thinking at high speed. We have to find the traces.
Blurry images and fragmented voices flashed by repeatedly. I could barely make out the context. Warm memories and even terrible traumas flowed out.
A person’s life was being dismantled piece by piece, even if the footage was full of noise.
-This time, important, shh, cus, mine.
I focused hard. This wasn’t the first time I’d mentioned the Custoria family, but this part particularly stuck with me.
Creak, creak.
Heilas manipulated the holographic interface to replay the part just now.
In the video, a woman was speaking. It was barely possible to tell that she was a woman. Only about one word out of ten could be heard.
“Can’t you see more clearly?”
“If we correct it any further, it will be completely different from reality. It is a realm of imagination that goes beyond lies. This is the limit.”
“Then, could you just transfer this part to my terminal? There’s something wrong, but I can’t quite figure out what it is.”
“That’s not difficult.”
Heilas edited the holographic image. Soon after, the image was transmitted to my terminal via short-range communication.
“If you find out anything, come to me anytime. You don’t need permission in advance. This is a family matter, not a guard matter.”
I left Heila’s office.
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-This time, important, shh, cus, mine.
I heard voices all the way back to my accommodation. It was the same when I went back to rest. I watched and listened to the video over and over again. Later, even when I closed my eyes, short images would pass through my mind, and I could hear the sound as if it were an auditory hallucination.
Another day passed. I was so frustrated that I thought I was going crazy. I wanted to pick up the things that had fallen through the wire mesh, but I could barely reach them with my fingernails.
I’m not just blindly listening to the video. I have a basis in my intuition.
Anyway, if it ended without any conclusion, I thought I would go crazy.
Crazy, crazy.
I stretched my body by moving parts of my neck, waist, and even my entire body.
‘I’ll finish it today.’
I also exhaled at regular intervals.
‘Meditation.’
I focus all my energy inwardly, not outwardly. Now, even if someone were to attack me by surprise, I wouldn’t be able to respond. That’s how much I’ve turned off my sense of looking outward.
I divided the memory images into frames in my conscious world and unfolded them. I looked at each frame carefully as if I was looking at a work of art.
-This, this, this, this.
The faster I walked in the conscious world, the faster the voices sounded. If I walked slowly, the pronunciation became infinitely slow.
‘No matter how much I’ve mastered the Archetypes fighting techniques… … I won’t be able to notice something that even Heilas didn’t notice.’
So let’s think about why I’m hooked on this video. It’s a realm of intuition that’s hard to explain.
-This time, important, shh, cus, mine.
Intuition is not a superpower. It is something that comes from my experiences, memories, and knowledge.
‘Heilas doesn’t know, but I do know.’
My thoughts became deeper. My thoughts became faster and I got a headache. My nervous system felt like it was burning.
Tzuzu.
A faint noise rose in my head. For a moment, a person came to mind.
“… …Barbara.”
I opened my eyes and muttered. Haylas had probably never met Barbara in person. If he had, it would have been a very long time ago. On the other hand, I had only recently met Barbara.
I superimposed the Barbara I remember onto the memory image.
There is no physical evidence, but I was convinced that the woman in the memory image was Barbara.
It wouldn’t be strange if Barbara appeared in the contact’s memories. She was a spy the Empire had infiltrated the Nemesis.
I checked the time that Heilas was in the office and went straight there.
“This is Barbara.”
I went to see Heilas and spoke briefly. I didn’t say anything like “evidence without evidence” or anything like that. There was no need to explain that to Heilas in detail. He was an excellent superior who knew his subordinate’s abilities well.
There was a slight tremble in Heila’s pupils. I could tell that he was troubled.
“Okay. Wait for further instructions.”
* * *
Two more days have passed since I reported.
The evidence and link found in the contact’s memory images was ‘Barbara the Witch’.
Heilas seemed hesitant about whether or not to contact Barbara. The Empire had spent a long time putting Barbara on the Nemesis.
‘Barbara is monitoring the internal dynamics of Nemesis for the Empire.’
It is extremely dangerous for an Imperial soldier to contact Barbara first. This means it is dangerous for Barbara.
‘Barbara has only been infiltrating Nemesis for a short time. It hasn’t been long enough to gain her full trust. If she acts even slightly suspiciously, she’ll be dealt with.’
We still need to wait until Barbara settles inside Nemesis. We should not make any hasty contact with Barbara.
But without contacting Barbara, there was no way to immediately uncover the truth about Nikolaos Custoria’s death.
‘Would Haylas use the Empire’s public resources for his personal gain?’
I had my doubts. The Heilas I know are people who are very clear about their military and public affairs. It didn’t seem like he would do that, being a great soldier.
And my prediction was correct.
“Luka, this is the end. Until other evidence and traces come out, remain faithful to your guard duties.”
Heilas and I chatted on the airship ride to the Custoria mansion. We sometimes ate at the mansion like this and then returned to the guards. It was necessary to show our faces as members of the family.
I didn’t answer right away and waited. Heilas was staring at me blankly.
“… … There may be a way to contact Barbara naturally.”
I, who had been worrying, opened my mouth.
“What if there is a way?”
Heilas’ eyes were sharp and heavy as if observing me.
“If Giselle goes outside Akbaran… … it’s likely that Barbara will make the first contact. If I remember correctly, Barbara was obsessed with Giselle to an extreme. That feeling wouldn’t be theatrical.”
I don’t know if Heilas will accept this method. It’s a kind of trick. In any case, it’s a way to lure Barbara, a public resource of the Empire, by setting bait.
I added quickly.
“Nemesis also knows that Barbara is obsessed with Giselle. They tried to kidnap Giselle at Barbara’s request in the first place. They wouldn’t find it strange if Barbara made forced contact with Giselle.”
“There’s a chance something could happen to Giselle. Are you saying we should put the child in danger?”
If you only look at the content, it may seem like he is questioning or angry. However, Heilas is not a person who overprotects his children. He is simply asking about my intentions.
“You, Captain, have used Giselle as bait at the Academy. And even if you don’t lie to her, if you explain the current situation to her, she will gladly accept the role of bait. It’s a family matter. Giselle has that level of sense of duty and responsibility.”
Heilas stroked his chin in silence. The air vehicle moved on silently. Only when it neared the mansion did he nod softly.
Heilas’ permission was granted. Not as captain of the guards, but as head of the household.
