Volume 8 - The Indignation of Suzumiya Haruhi

by Tanigawa Nagaru

  I may get beaten up for that.

  After leaving Sakanaka-san’s house, it seemed like Haruhi and Asahina-san had each left part of their soul there with Rousseau, as they continued lifelessly towards the station. They were silent all the way to the station, in the station, and even after leaving the station, just like breathing corpses. It seems that Sakanaka-san’s depression has infected them as well.

  I understand these feelings of depression well. Seeing something so lively and energetic become so frail and sickly is a painful process. But instead of being cooped up in depression, we would be better off taking a stroll to soothe our minds. Besides, there’s nothing we outsiders can do. After all, we aren’t dog experts —- That was Koizumi’s icy conclusion.

  “The only thing we can do is standby and watch. But don’t worry. The vets aren’t idiots. They must be formulating a plan now, right?”

  If only they could find out what the cause of the disease was via research. But what if they couldn’t? I don’t want to attend Rousseau’s funeral, for certain.

  “It’s a good thing I know a few vets. I’ll try giving them a call. Maybe they’ve got leads on this.”

  Even though Koizumi was trying his best to cheer the girls up, it didn’t seem to be working on Haruhi and Asahina-san at all. They remained silent aside from the occasional ‘Oh’s and ‘Hmm’s.

  Since it was pointless continuing on in this somber mood, the five of us decided to call it a day. If we hadn’t done so, we would all probably still be stuck in front of the station, staring blankly into space.

  As Haruhi and Asahina-san shuffled forward, Koizumi and I stayed behind. We usually take the same path as Haruhi, seeing that it was closer to our homes, but Haruhi didn’t seem to notice this. After a while, the two of them gradually disappeared from our sight.

  How I wish Asahina-san had stayed behind! It’s a pity then. It seems that she won’t be able to step up on the stage this time.

  After witnessing the two girls head home, Nagato turned and started towards her own apartment. However, all she did was face the direction of her apartment. She herself remained rooted on the spot.

  “Nagato.”

  As the short haired, sailor-suit clad girl turned back to face me, I wondered if she had predicted I would call her name?

  Upon looking at the expression on her face, I was sure that she knew something. Without wasting any time, I asked her:

  “What’s up with Rousseau?”

  Nagato hesitated a while, before answering:

  “Data lifeforms.”

  After listening to her ‘explanation’, the only thing I could do was remain silent.

  “………”

  Is she aware that I’m not sure what she’s saying? Sensing my confusion, Nagato added:

  “Paragenetic silicon-based data lifeforms.”

  “………”

  As if sensing that I was still lost, Nagato opened her mouth to say something. However, she abruptly shut it, and fell silent once again, as if not wanting to add anymore.

  “………”

  And so the both of us looked at each other in silence.

  “In other words, Rousseau is infected by some other-worldly being, am I right?”

  Koizumi suddenly interjected, as if attempting to create a shortcut of his own. Nagato paused for a moment, as if seeking confirmation from someone, before replying:

  “Yes.”

  Nagato then nodded her head.

  “So that’s how it is. These ‘data lifeforms’ are actually things that humans aren’t capable of seeing. Or to be more precise, things that human beings can’t possibly see, since they don’t have an actual physical form. They merely ‘exist’, am I right?”

  “Does that mean that they are beings similar to the Integrated Data Sentient Entity? Much like the kind that infected the Computer Society President’s computer and spread via the Internet?”

  “Compared to the Integrated Data Sentient Entity, they are of different status. They are classified as a more primitive being.”

  “So are there any similarities between them? If the Integrated Data Sentient Entity decided to latch on to a human being, just like the ‘Paragenetic Silicon-based Data Lifeforms’ decided to infect Rousseau, would there be a similar result?”

  He’s really something special, that Koizumi. How he managed to remember that long, complicated name after hearing it just once I have no idea. Faced with Koizumi’s incoming barrage of questions, Nagato calmly replied:

  “Viral.”

  “What do you mean by ‘viral’? The dog’s body, no, the dog’s mind, was the first to display any irregularities… Does that mean that these symptoms are caused by the ‘data lifeforms’ breeding rapidly in Rousseau’s body, just like viruses do?”

  Koizumi asked this as he flicked his hair with his finger.

  “And one more thing – What are these ‘data lifeforms’ doing on earth? Why are they infecting dogs?”

  “Perhaps,”

  Nagato replied simply.

  “Because of the silicon that is present in their data composition, they are attracted to the Earth’s gravity, just like how meteors are. The silicon compositions were destroyed due to friction with the Earth’s atmosphere, leaving behind only the data composition. Even if their physical silicon bodies were destroyed, their data compositions weren’t. This is why they can continue to remain on the Earth.”

  “They happened to be scattered around the area where the dogs frequently had walks. As the unsuspecting dogs passed by, they took the opportunity to latch onto them.”

  “Maybe it’s because these ‘Silicon Lifeforms’ have nervous structures similar to those of dogs.”

  “But since they are an external lifeform after all, they have caused the dogs to weaken after infecting them.”

  During this endless Q & A session with Koizumi, Nagato opened and shut her mouth rapidly. After Koizumi’s questions had apparently ended, she opened her mouth again and said:

  “These ‘data lifeforms’ are planning to expand their memory circuit.”

  What does that mean—-

  Even though I was lost in the dark, Koizumi seemed to have understood perfectly.

  “One dog wasn’t enough to perform such a feat, and I don’t think two are sufficient either. In order to expand their brains to the sizes of the ‘Silicon data lifeforms’ memory capabilities, how many dogs would that take?”

  “According to the minimum estimations of the ‘Silicon data lifeforms’ memory capabilities, it would require at least every single dog on the planet to perform a large scale data transmission…”

  “Wait a second.”

  I had a very bad feeling about this.

  “Rousseau and some other dog are infected by some cosmic virus, this I understand. These viruses originated from outer-space and are like meteors, this I understand too. But the one thing I want to know is, in the wide universe, aside from humans like us, and these ‘data lifeforms’ which are made up of an accumulation of data as you said, Nagato… What else is out there?”

  Nagato fell silent, as if in deep thought, before she blinked once and said:

  “The answer to this question would be incomprehensible to organic lifeforms like you.”

  She stared at me with her clear eyes, as if trying to draw me into her pupils.

  “But as these ‘Silicon-based data lifeforms’ have thought processors within their composition, it is very likely that other similar lifeforms exist.”

  That’s easy for you to say. I know that I’ll never sleep well after learning the answer to this question.

  Since I’ve already come this far, I might just as well ask her more.

  “What is this ‘silicon’ you keep mentioning?”

  Sorry about that. I don’t get along well with my chemistry teacher, and my chemistry grades have never been good either.

  “Simply put, it is the silicon element, Si,”

  Koizumi answered.

  “It’s
a very famous semi-conductor.”

  Koizumi then threw Nagato another deep smile.

  “I think what Nagato-san mentioned earlier is what we call a ‘Mechanically Subconscious being’. It’s another form of Artificial Intelligence we humans have yet to discover. Somewhere in the huge universe is a type of ‘Mechanical Sub-consciousness’ that is not artificially manufactured. In other words, it is a non-living thing that has the ability to process thoughts on its own. Or maybe I should say that throughout the entire universe, these beings are fairly common. It’s just us humans that are different.”

  Nagato, on the other hand, was totally ignoring what Koizumi had to say as she continued to stare at me. It was as if she were trying to tell me the key to everything.

  I suddenly recalled the first time Nagato lent me a book. There had been a single bookmark in it, and from the instructions written on the bookmark, I had gone out to meet Nagato for the first time. It was then that she told me—-

  —- It is impossible for organic lifeforms, who have limited data collection and transmission ability, to be able to acquire knowledge.

  Koizumi scratched his chin instinctively.

  “Maybe these ‘Silicon compositions’ are no more than ordinary materials. Only after the ‘Data lifeforms’ latched onto them did they gain knowledge.”

  Nagato looked up at the sky, made a gesture that suggested she was acquiring permission, before assuming her original pose and saying:

  “Knowledge…”

  She made a brief pause, before continuing:

  “Is based on how much data one has collected and accumulated based on one’s current data handling abilities.”

  Nagato hasn’t spoken for so long in quite a while. The last time I remember her ever talking for so long was when she revealed to me her identity as a humanoid interface for the Integrated Data Sentient Entity. It seems that if a topic catches her attention, she’ll go on talking on and on about it.

  “The ‘Data composition’ resides in the ‘Silicon composition’. Through mutual interaction, they are able to assist one another in thought processes. These ‘Data lifeforms’ are nothing more than isolated data clusters. In order to obtain new data, they attach themselves to any suitable material present. Both parties form a mutual interaction for their individual benefit.”

  But what about these so-called ‘Silicon lifeforms’? Lifeforms that can survive even after immolation within the Earth’s atmosphere?

  “They are lifeforms that have reached an evolutionary dead end,”

  Nagato said simply.

  “They are capable of nothing else save thought processes. The universe is very, very wide. These lifeforms constantly drift around the universe, because they are capable of processing nothing more than thoughts of self preservation.

  Then what are they doing, drifting all around the universe?

  “Their thought pattern is not something that organic lifeforms like you can relate to, because of the inconsistencies between basic thought patterns.”

  So it seems that we can’t interact with them. Then I guess there’s no point of calling in NASA to investigate. Even though contact was made, it would serve no point.

  “Sheesh.”

  How in the world did Sakanaka-san’s ‘spirits’ turn into cosmic beings? Isn’t this exaggerating too much? And forget knowledge or thought patterns. I couldn’t even understand one of Nagato’s science fiction novels.

  So it’s hard to put this to an end, eh. It wasn’t something modern science could explain, philosophers could understand, or religion could solve. Unseen ‘Data lifeforms’ composed mainly of ‘Silicon’… A simple way to put it would be ‘spirits’, eh?

  “Probably.”

  A weird thought suddenly struck me. The first time Sakanaka-san approached us, she had told us some rumors about spirits.

  “Do spirits really exist?”

  ‘Data lifeforms’ without any physical being that came from outer space. Even though their ‘physical silicon compositions’ were destroyed, they continued to live on by depending on their ‘data compositions’. After landing on Earth, they would latch on, or possess, any suitable host they found. Would these qualify as spirits?

  “What about humans? We have our own thought processes and consciousness too. Do you mean to tell me that even after I die one day, my soul will continue to live on?”

  Oh whatever —- No wait, on second thought, I couldn’t take things so lightly this time. This was something important, after all. To know whether I continued to exist after my death was an important thing I needed to know. I dare say that Nagato’s answer here will influence my entire life.

  Nagato didn’t reply. She had a very weird expression on her face. I couldn’t tell what it was, but I knew that something was off. Even if no one were to notice it, I would always be able to read Nagato’s emotions. After all, I’ve been together with her for almost an entire year now. All the time spent observing her this past year has been sufficient to read her emotions, I dare say. Plus, there were many incidents last year that practically forced me to read her emotions. So, I don’t think that I’m wrong on this one.

  Nagato —-

  “………”

  Was still not willing to say anything. And her expression was definitely weird. It was as if she was trying to tell me something —-

  “………”

  Nagato looked at me, as if I had just cracked a lame joke. Can’t you at least smile?

  Nagato’s response finally came. Needless to say, it was very short and simple.

  “That’s classified information.”

  I heard a very loud sigh, before realizing that I was the one who had emitted it. Classified information, eh. Now where have I heard that before? The next time someone asks me a question I don’t understand, I’m going to reply ‘Classified Information’. I think I’ll try it out the next time a teacher asks me something in class.

  Has Nagato ever cracked a joke before, ever since the day she was born? This was another question I had in mind, but let’s ignore it for the time being. Now we should be focusing on Rousseau, and how do we rid him of that pesky cosmic virus.

  “Just think of a way to get rid of that virus, okay, Nagato?”

  “Alright.”

  Nagato seemed very reliable whenever she said that.

  “First we have to force the ‘data compositions’ into submission, before attempting to compress them into the smallest size possible. We will then need to render their activities to zero, and this can only be done using a working network interface.”

  Even though I had no idea what she was talking about, I could tell that it was very troublesome. Can’t we just exterminate them altogether?

  “We cannot exterminate them.”

  “Why?”

  “Because it is not allowed.”

  Your bosses aren’t allowing you to exterminate them?

  “Yes.”

  Don’t these ‘Data lifeforms’ pose a threat towards the universe?

  “They are actually beneficial towards the universe.”

  They seem more like lactobacilli or Escherichia coli to us humans though.

  I think it’s time to pass this annoying soccer ball to Koizumi. Seeing him standing there with a bemused look on his face made me angry, for some reason.

  “Why don’t we just stuff these Silicon beings into a container, and shoot them back into outer space with a rocket? Your ‘Organization’ should be able to handle such a simple feat, no?”

  Koizumi gently shrugged his shoulders, before saying:

  “First of all, we would need a silicon casting container to place them in. After that, if we organize some big scale economical or political activities, we should be able to amass enough funds to purchase a Hydrogen Rocket. The only problem lies in capturing these Silicon lifeforms.”

  So you can’t do it after all. No… Wait a second…

  Something suddenly flashed in my mind. Not long ago, Tsuruya-san had dug up something str
ange from the mountain behind her house, and it was probably dated back the Genroku period. Can’t we use that now? That mysterious object from the past?

  According to Tsuruya-san, that rod was made out of titanium-cesium alloy. If her ancestor had unveiled such a device during the Genroku period, even Yamataikoku would become a peaceful place to live. Since he had no idea how to use it, or how to dispose of it, the only things he thought of were to seal it up and preserve it for the future. I really don’t want to stumble upon one of those things again. Let’s just hope that this is pure coincidence.

  As I was lost deep in my thoughts, Koizumi’s voice drifted by my ears, forcefully pulling me back to reality.

  “It’s a good thing the current situation isn’t too urgent. We only know of two dogs that have this current sickness, the first being the one mentioned by Sakanaka-san, and the second being Rousseau. There is a margin of five days before Rousseau was affected, so if we think of something these few days, we should be able to prevent more similar cases from happening.”

  But time on Earth is different from time in the Universe, right? Should we be happy that these viruses had decided to adopt Earth’s time?

  “We’ll go visit Sakanaka-san again tomorrow. Even though it’s a weekend, I think we’d better think of an excuse before visiting her. It would seem very suspicious if we were to visit her two times in a row. Oh and we’ll have to think of an excuse to see Higuchi-san too…”

  That was as far as I listened to. You should be the one to take care of such excuses, since we’ve already troubled Nagato with the task of finding a cure.

  “So we’ll meet tomorrow. I’m sorry to trouble you, but we’re counting on you, Nagato.”

  Just like how Haruhi and Asahina-san seemed to have left their souls in Sakanaka-san’s house, I too seemed to have lost my spirit. My head was spinning with thoughts of other-worldly beings and cosmic lifeforms. As I was ready to leave for my house, I suddenly felt as if someone was pulling me strongly from behind. What was it now?

  I turned around, only to find Nagato pointing at my belt, not saying anything. If you want to get my attention, Nagato, couldn’t you have at least said something? Or tug my sleeve or something. However, seeing that I had asked her for a favor, I decided to remain silent about this matter.