Chapter 188 – Dismantle
“It helps that you understand stuff without needing a lot of explanations. I estimate that this tool, which is a phone, by the way, is about 60 to 70 years more advanced than the technology here.”
“It is not that much.”
“Unfortunately, it’s not that simple. How many people are researching advanced computing in the domes?”
“I think less than twenty.”
“Right. Those 70 years are the accumulation of my world’s worth of scientists. A world with a population of thirteen billion. Well, let’s say seven billion 70 years ago, since the population increased a lot. We’re probably talking about thousands of researchers looking into the topic, if not tens of thousands.”
“Billions of people. I want to visit your world.”
“Yeah, me too. Too bad it’s not possible. I’m stuck here.”
“I understand. Can I dismantle this “phone” to study it?”
That was a very good question. On one hand, I didn’t use it much since there was no Rylnet here, and no one to call. Heck, there wasn’t even a telecommunication network this phone could connect to. On the other hand, it wasn’t completely useless either, just like when I needed to prove my origins, or when I recorded the water mage that destroyed my first stand.
“Okay, but only if you promise to put it back in a working state when you’re done.”
“I promise.”
“I’m not sure you’ll be able to learn that much anyway, it’s technology far more advanced than the stuff that exists here. I heard selnic circuits in my world have elements the size of a few nanometers.”
“That is incredible.”
“It sure is.”
I gave her my phone and she placed it on her desk. She then looked at me, waiting.
“What’s wrong?”
“I want you to take me outside of the domes.”
This gave me a good idea.
“Right. But this is a demand unrelated to our work contract. You know that nothing is free in the universe?”
“What do you want?”
“I want us to upgrade our relationship level. Not just employer/employee, let’s be friends.”
“I accept.”
“Wow, judging by how fast you said yes, you must have a lot of friends?”
“You are my only friend.”
“Really?”
“Yes. I had friends before, but they no longer consider me their friend.”
I felt a bit of compassion for her. Her personality was a mess, but she wasn’t a bad person. It was all about understanding her way of thinking. As a matter of fact, I was still ready to accept that she could reveal my secrets. It was only a matter of time until that happened anyway, both here and in the outer world.
“Oh, I’m sorry to hear this.”
I impulsively took her in my arms, like I often did when Suuru was upset, even though I had no idea about her current mental state. She didn’t resist and passively let herself be hugged. I stayed there, enjoying her soft body and pleasant fragrance for a long time. Finally, I broke contact with her.
“Ah, I did that without asking first. Forgive me if you hated it.”
“No, I liked it.”
So she said, as calm as ever. However, I now knew she meant it, just like everything that came out of her mouth.
“You did? Let’s do it one more time?”
“Yes.”
I hugged her again, appreciating the feeling of her large boobs against my torso. She hugged me back this time, her arms around my back. When I released her, I asked once more.
“Again?”
“Yes.”
And so we did. I couldn’t help but question her after the third time.
“You seem to like this a lot. What do you like about it?”
“I like the feeling of contact with another person, the proximity, your breath so close to me, and your smell.”
“I agree! I think we’re going to be very good friends. Again?”
“Yes.”
We did it several more times, but it seemed she would never say no, so I had to be the one to end it.
“Now that we’re friends, you don’t need to speak so politely anymore.”
“I got it.”
“Great, let’s go outside the domes now. Take my hand.”
The moment she did so, I teleported us right outside 82’s orange dome. It was the second time I would serve as a guide for a human, so the journey was well-established. She looked down as soon as we arrived, still as expressionless as ever.
“I feel bad.”
“It’s normal for people who aren’t used to teleporting. Sit down for a moment, it’ll pass quickly.”
She followed my words, and I sat next to her until she recovered. When she did, she stood up and looked around.
“So that’s what the dome looks like from the outside. The concentration of sel is so high here. And the sky… Marvelous. And that’s… a forest?”
“Correct.”
“You acquire raw material from outside the domes since they’re so abundant?”
“Exactly. You’re so smart, Minsto.”
“It’s a simple deduction. Show me more.”
She extended her hand, and I gladly obliged. The next stop was the river. She was dizzy for a few tens of seconds before commenting.
“Is this drinkable?”
“It is.”
I demonstrated it to her directly, drinking from the source. She imitated me soon after.
“It tastes the same as the water in Suuru’s home.”
“Yep, we’re getting our supply of water from here. It’s all free.”
“Infinite wealth in the domes.”
“Yes, and speaking of which, I want your input about this.”
“Tell me.”
“I was thinking of selling this water in the domes to finance the factory. Actually, I already tried selling water before, but people from the water management association stopped me. Do you know a good way to go around the problem?”
“Yes. I don’t know about 82, but in 2 and 7, there was an alternative market for water because the prices from the water management association were too high. Using it is risky because one can get into trouble with the association, but the prices are much more affordable there. Some people don’t have any choice but to take the risk since they can’t afford water otherwise.”
“That’s precisely the sort of information I needed. Do you know how to contact the folks running this alternative market?”
“I know.”
“Oh my sel, you know everything! You’re amazing, Minsto!”
“I am.”
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