A few days had passed, and the settlement of Verwüste had improved significantly. A large number of resources had been added, along with building materials to improve the town's infrastructure, distribution, and consumption systems.
Thanks to Yoku—and Simon, who somehow knows the knowledge of ancient holographs and scriptures left by a forgotten civilization—they were able to create cement and forge steel, helping rebuild the town efficiently.
But who is he? The people of Verwüste barely know Simon, and yet, he arrived just a few days before us—almost as if by fate.
Because of Yoku, the town's electricity needs have been greatly reduced, which in turn has allowed resources to be allocated toward other developments. Truly, sometimes improving one thing can lead to the improvement of many others.
"Hey Adam! You ready?" Yoku called out to me, already packing equipment and food into his backpack. He carried essentials: a lantern in case the flashlight battery ran out, food, tools, a futon, water, and even a grappling hook.
He also carried a rifle and bullets—an old PTRD-41. We didn't know what to expect while exploring, so I had my drones tucked away in my own bag.
I looked the part too—like a proper explorer.
Looking at Yoku, I noticed something. "Hey, why is your arm bandaged?"
He gave an embarrassed smile. "Oh… just something stupid. Broke my knuckles trying to fix the Kettenkrad."
We walked toward the group of soldiers gathering at the edge of town. Some looked at me with confusion or quiet disdain. One of them, the one who always smoked, greeted me with a knowing smile. "Hahh. I knew you'd come…"
"Well, of course I'm curious," I replied dryly. "Let's just say I'm curious."
He grinned as we hopped onto our vehicles—the Kettenkrads and their own trucks—heading toward the outskirts.
The convoy rumbled through the dust, five to seven vehicles strong. Clouds of dirt and smoke kicked up into the air, shadowed at times by the windmills overhead.
The man in the armored truck drove closer to us. "Like I said a few days ago, Adam… a group of soldiers went in there a few weeks back. None of them returned."
From the back, a skinny, bald man in a military uniform with a rifle slung over his shoulder laughed. "Haha, maybe there's a monster in there."
They chuckled among themselves, humor I didn't quite get.
The driver or the middle age man added, "The only monsters I've seen are two-faced people."
What…? What is he even talking about? I glanced at Yoku, wondering if we should back off. Still, I asked, "What kind of monster is that?"
"The kind with two personalities," he replied. "One who talks behind your back, and one who smiles to your face. You don't even know who they really are." He coughed a bit. "Anyway, that's the type of monster I hate. The ones who stick around only when they need something. Adam, I'd rather tell you to your face if I like or hate you."
I leaned back, slightly more at ease. "Ah… so that's what you meant. I guess that's normal in his world."
When we arrived at the ruins, a massive pit opened before us. Steel rods supported a cavernous gate that descended deep underground.
So this is it, I thought. Yoku grinned beside me. "Ahh, it's been a long time since I've explored like this."
Yeah… or more like it's been a long time since you weren't dying in pain, I muttered inwardly.
Still, despite the danger, we headed inside.
Surprisingly, the interior was clean. Robotic drones scuttled about, sweeping debris and repairing sections of destroyed infrastructure. Machines hummed as they reconstructed what had once fallen apart.
Dim blue lighting buzzed overhead, casting shadows on the dark steel and reinforced concrete. Hallways stretched endlessly, like a maze.
The surveyor at the front carefully mapped the area, ensuring we wouldn't get lost.
This place… it was unlike that strange building I found months ago.
Suddenly, I was bumped by a soldier. He ignored me and kept walking, irritating me.
Yoku and the middle-aged man beside him both stared at the rude soldier silently. We pressed on, passing several rooms—some were comfort rooms, completely empty, while one turned out to be a massive library with towering shelves stacked high.
The soldiers sighed, thinking to themeselves that there are nothing usefull in here. "Pointless. Nothing but firewood unless you can read those things."
I picked up one book. The text was ancient, written in some kind of script. The paper had turned orange and brittle, its pages stiff and difficult to turn.
Title: Creating a Conscious Entity
By: Reverra Riverwood Mortem
Date: August 14, 2459
> Hello. I am Reverra Mortem. My purpose in this study is to show humanity the creation of artificial intelligence—what I have titled the "Artificial Maker"—to serve and assist humankind.
It is essentially a replication of the human mind. The human brain contains distinct regions that control cognition, speech, spatial reasoning, emotions, and movement.
We have designed a system of circuits that mimics this, giving our creation an emotional regulation system—empathy.
Strange, isn't it? Intelligence created by humans… just for us humans.