[KENT: MAI’s REM sleep cycle is about to end. Time to disengage.]
"See you again, MAI.
I’ll be back."
[Log out?]
"YES. Take care of SHIN, alright?"
[Confirmed. Consciousness level… awakening.]
I slowly woke up and removed the helmet.
But my head was still foggy.
"You did great.
MAI’s going into non-REM sleep now, so her brain’s taking a break.
You should rest too. We’ll resume in about 45 minutes.
Might be good to eat something."
"No thanks."
After what I just saw, food was the last thing on my mind.
"Good job, really.
That was a solid first link. The press loved it.
Top headline material for tomorrow, no doubt."
The professor—full of himself—spoke cheerfully.
"I’m exhausted..."
I shut the door on him and curled under a blanket.
"What the hell am I doing?"
I was toying with MAI—the person I cared about most—through words and simulations.
I felt sick.
Crushed under guilt.
"How are the subjects doing?"
"He’s visibly shaken, but Subject XX76573 is showing promising responses.
Data collection is proceeding smoothly."
The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.
"Good…
Make sure to remind him not to get emotionally attached.
We’ve had subjects break before..."
[KENT: Alright SHIN, time to head back in. Just take it easy. She’ll be happy to see you.]
"Yeah... I’ll do my best."
It was all I could say.
In the real world, I could no longer touch MAI.
So at the very least, I wanted to hold on to the memories.
"Though honestly, I’m the one wishing for this more than anyone..."
I still hadn’t accepted this reality.
MAI probably hadn’t either.
The assistants entered and placed the helmet on my head again.
"I’m going to see MAI.
That’s all I’m doing, like always."
I told myself that, and let sleep take me.
---
"Hey SHIN, are you listening?"
I was on the Galactic Railroad again.
"Geez, we’re finally together and you’re falling asleep?"
A pouty MAI… still cute.
Though honestly, she looked older than me now.
Something in her expressions caught me off guard.
"Remember when we went on that field trip to the park and caught bugs?
I cried because I was scared of cicadas.
And you took one off my sleeve."
"And that time…
You didn’t do your homework again.
Here, you can copy mine.
The SUM function is important for debugging dump lists, remember?"
"Oh! So just because that girl’s a little cute, you’re happy about the chocolate she gave you?
You’re totally blushing!"
"Waaaah, you took my candy!
SHIN, you meanie!"
What was I watching? MAI’s memories?
[KENT: That’s the memory archive.
During REM sleep, memories replay randomly and can also be rewritten.]
So MAI was still asleep.
"Hey MAI.
Are you awake?"
"You fell asleep too, didn’t you?"
That must’ve been just a fragment of her dream.
Outside the window, a rainbow-colored world spread out.
Her memories of me—of us.
But the tracks twisted, spiraling into darkness.
MAI’s expression went blank.
And she began to speak in a flat voice.
"In the shelter, there was a room for the useless kids...
If you couldn’t do something right, they punished you there.
Behind the silver door..."
"Please, I’m sorry!
I’ll do it right next time!
I won’t mess up my homework!
I won’t forget anything!"
"Let me out.
Hello? Is anyone there?"
"I’m doing everything right!
You know some kids… they died in that room, right?
I don’t want to go back in there..."
"Today, XY74156 died.
Recorded as suicide. No further action.
Male models really are mentally fragile..."
These were MAI’s lived memories.
But her emotions were broken, dulled—organized like commands.
"When I sleep in that room, something grabs my foot…
Cold hands...
And they just stare at me with hatred..."
"Listen carefully, XX-models.
You were created to preserve the Japanese genetic line.
So choose a superior male and bear children.
Three, ideally."
Voices echoed from all around.
Many voices—layered, overlapping.
Cold, robotic whispers.
Like an AI training protocol for human behavior.
"Be a kind girl."
"Be obedient."
"Find someone who will love you."
What... what was this?
"What the hell am I seeing? "
"This... this isn’t right."
This wasn’t memory.
This was programming.
Were these commands planted deep in MAI’s consciousness?
A system of fear-based obedience?
This wasn’t the past of a normal girl.
This shouldn’t be anyone’s memory.
I shuddered, instinctively chilled.
It felt like something didn’t want me to look any further.
Or maybe... I didn’t want to know.
Had MAI only come to see me because of this?
Was she even capable of choosing that?
Did she ever actually like me?
Or was I just... a target?
[KENT: No, SHIN! Get out now! That’s the edge of the conscious mind.
You can’t step into that zone.
You won’t be able to return.]
...“Won’t be able to return”? What the hell does that mean?
I heard someone crying.
In the dim light, there she was—young MAI, sitting alone.
I gently spoke.
"What’s wrong?
Are you crying?"
"Yeah… I don’t know why.
I don’t know where to go… or who to meet."
I felt the same.
In the vast galaxy of her mind, I had no idea where to go.
I crouched down beside little MAI and spoke softly.
"I’m looking for someone special to me... maybe you know her."
When I stood up,
"Don’t leave me behind..."
She gripped my shirt tightly.
"Alright.
Let’s go together."
We held hands, and slowly returned to the light.
—Back to the tiny station of the Galactic Railroad,
the one we’d always dreamed of together.
