Chapter 227 - That Girl's Papa
"They say curiosity killed the cat, don't they?" Sugitani-san laughed self-deprecatingly.
Perhaps it was because of his age. Maybe he had the luxury of looking upon his own fate, being toyed with by state power, as if it were someone else's problem.
"Just what kind of thing did you see?"
At my question, Sugitani-san replied after a face that looked as though he were thinking for a moment.
"A head like a goblin, a body like a drone. Furthermore, it can be operated via an external controller. That is the sort of thing it is. In short, it's a giant remote-controlled airplane. It seems to be under development at a research institute within Tokyo."
"...If it can be controlled by an external device, it feels like there's no need to go out of the way to mount a goblin's head. Is there some kind of reason?"
"It seems they want to eventually transition from external operation to complete autonomy. In that case, they will need a brain that possesses a certain level of judgment, and moreover, a brain that feels no guilt regarding acts of slaughter. An animal's brain lacks sufficient intelligence, and a human's brain has too much morality. In that regard, a goblin is just the right balance... And conveniently, they possess no human rights. No one will complain whether they are carved to pieces or pierced with electrodes. If things continue like this, artificial intelligence based on goblin personalities will be mass-produced."
"That's in bad taste."
"I think so too."
It was a rare reaction for Sugitani-san. He usually operated with a mindset that suggested anything was acceptable if it was for the sake of national security, so one would expect him to welcome it if Japan were to acquire powerful weaponry.
Perhaps sensing my suspicion, Sugitani-san spoke with an exasperated air.
"It would be fine if this were for national defense. Unfortunately, the research funds are coming through the US Military. Naturally, once the actual object is completed, it will be transferred to them. Our country's brilliant minds and cutting-edge technology are being used to strengthen the military of another nation."
"...I see."
"Moreover, on the day a goblin reborn as a drone goes berserk, our country will be the first to suffer the damage. Ridiculously, the arrangements are such that test flights and test combat are completed in Japan, and the unit is transported to the United States only after its safety has been confirmed. An unsinkable aircraft carrier is one thing, but being used as an unsinkable flask is unbearable. We are not laboratory mice."
So that's why Sugitani-san clashed with them and was ousted, is it?
I finally understood.
"But, the US Military, huh? I wonder why they're so obsessed with something like high-performance drones?"
"...In West Asia and Central Asia, there is a custom of firing celebratory shots during weddings. They rapid-fire things like AK-47s toward the sky. Then, when a drone equipped with artificial intelligence captures that from above, it makes a judgment like this: 'Oh, many humans are gathered there firing guns wildly. —They must be a group of terrorists. Alright, let's conduct an airstrike.' As a result, innocent newlyweds are turned into mince, and the survivors become real terrorists out of hatred for the United States that deployed the drone. Similar tragedies have occurred many times. It is a natural consequence that those countries invest in combat artificial intelligence."
"Do drones really exhibit such stupid behavior?"
"Unfortunately, not yet."
"Why would they deploy something like that... though, if you make flesh-and-blood soldiers fight, it's not worth it because of things like PTSD treatment, right?"
I didn't expect trivia derived from Ayako-chan to be useful in a place like this.
"You know a lot, don't you? As you say, the human heart and body are far too fragile... Even if you win a war with a flesh-and-blood army, if you end up in the red due to subsequent medical treatment and social reintegration support, there is no point in conducting war to begin with. It is something learned from the bitter lessons of Vietnam and Iraq. War in the twenty-first century is a business, after all. Thanks to that, even if there are some problems, we have no choice but to use drones."
"I understand well enough that the development funds are being provided for a desperate reason. The problem is where they are researching those goblin drones. ...Do you know the location?"
"Of course," Sugitani-san replied.
"It seems the development of the AI and the development of the airframe are divided into different departments, but as long as we crush the former, there should be no problem."
Sugitani-san smoothly listed the names of famous universities in Tokyo.
...What was it? Those university names sounded like I'd heard them somewhere. Hmm, where on earth had I heard them?
"We have already identified the lead researcher. Masahiro Otsuki, fifty-one years old. Until a few years ago, he seemed to be wandering off into nonsensical themes like treating father complexes, but now he appears to be concentrating on artificial intelligence research. Perhaps because he has cut through his hesitation, he is regarded as a hope of this generation."
Pfft! A strange sound escaped my mouth.
Looking over, Angelica, who was beside me, also had an awkward expression, as if saying, "That's..."
"Ah—Sugitani-san? You are aware of my relationship with Ayako-chan, right?"
"Naturally. What do you think the Public Security Bureau is? Ayako Otsuki is the daughter of Masahiro Otsuki... and she has interaction with you. Her home has been renovated into a second-hand bookstore, and Nakamoto-san was a regular there, wasn't he?"
"Have you already investigated that Ayako-chan split in two, that one half is living with me, and even her sexual preferences?"
"...Split...? I don't quite understand what you're saying... though reports have come in that she apparently enters and leaves your apartment from time to time."
Despite saying things as if he knew everything, he seemed to only recognize things to that extent.
Unexpectedly, my privacy might be being protected at the very limit. I wonder if they aren't monitoring inside the room?
"I didn't mind it because it's a common occurrence for multiple women to frequent a male celebrity's house, but what about that girl? Besides, since when were you close enough to be living together... Hm? Ayako Otsuki was still seventeen, I believe... Have you obtained permission for overnight stays or dating from her guardian? Even though she has a main partner named Rio Saito, how did you get permission...?"
"Well, there are various complicated circumstances regarding that..."
"Come to think of it, there is also an investigative report that Ayako Otsuki was bulk-buying contraceptives and pregnancy tests, could it be that your relationship is illegal—"
"For now, heading to the university is the priority. Let's somehow make them stop the research."
Sensing that the conversation was heading in a bad direction, I forcibly changed the subject.
"That is true," Sugitani-san nodded easily, and gave instructions to the driver's seat to head toward the university in question.