Chapter 29: Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic

Friday, 16 May, 20XX - Part 3

She put her hands on the lectern, getting ready to explain how she was going to end the world this time.

According to her, she had done it several times before because she had become dissatisfied with the path of development humanity has taken. Once we had passed the point of no return, she would intervene with a disaster which would set us back to square one on the civilization ladder.

She had sunk the continent of Mu before. She had also used a great flood.

My gut feeling told me that those weren’t the only examples.

“This time, we’re going to use a far more elegant method,” she said, glowing with pride. “Sinking an entire continent, a great flood – these were all too crude. Important lessons have been learned from those mishaps.”

She took a breath.

“This time, we’re going to end the world with a virus.” She stretched out her arm, and a small glass vial appeared in the palm of her hand. “Everyone is going to die from a severe form of the flu. I will make sure that the entire process takes no longer than three years after the Effective Date. No continents need to be sunk, no oceans will be raised. Isn’t it neat? The inconvenience experienced by the survivors will be minimal.”

Hearing her talk about the deaths of billions in such a casual manner made me feel sick.

“Survivors?”

I thought she was going to kill all of us.

“I will leave a few human beings on every continent alive. Enough to repopulate the planet, and then I will check on you again in a few millennia.”

She saw herself as a parental figure. And yet at the same time, she didn’t see a problem with wiping out billions of people. It was like she saw herself as the parent to the species itself, but had no personal feelings regarding any individuals.

But –

There was something odd.

“Is Yui an exception?” I asked.

Yui’s boss tilted her head. It felt strange to be looking at Yui’s face, but at the same time, it was clear it wasn’t her.

Yui’s boss spoke.

“For every era, I always choose someone who can communicate the incoming end of the world to the general population. I’m a kind parent, you know? The others tell me I’m too kind and that I need to be harsher. Anyone who heeds the warning messages will have a chance to survive the end, in addition to those whom I choose, of course.”

“And you chose Yui as your messenger?”

“She asked me for the job.”

“S-She did? How?”

“Every night, she prayed fervently for the end of the world. I decided to grant her that wish. When I appeared before her in my original form, she was not frightened. That moved me deeply, so I offered her the job and she took it. Of course, this is a salaried position with paid overtime. She gets paid time off, health care, life insurance and survival guarantee. Another one of her benefits is that she gets to choose two people who survive the end of the world with her.”

She grinned and gave me a wink.

“See? God does answer your prayers.”

I couldn’t help but smile. She may be about to eliminate billions, but she had a sardonic sense of humor.

“Can I ask a question?”

“Yui is fond of you, so I will allow it.”

“And you seem to be fond of Yui,” I thought, but didn’t say it out loud.

“Yes, I am fond of Yui,” she stated plainly.

Huh…so she can read my thoughts. Somehow I wasn’t even surprised by that.

“How did Yui send an email to every device on earth? How do you control the power grid?”

She put a finger to her chin. “How should I explain this? Hmm…Ah, I have an idea.”

Her body glowed for a moment, and a small wooden box appeared in the palm of her hand.

“It’s the same method we use to make objects like this appear. Your species is unable to figure out the fundamental science to make this possible.”

“Can you try to explain it?”

She raised an eyebrow. “Iyama Haruto, can you imagine explaining the technology behind smartphones to someone living in the Tokugawa era?”

“That might be impossible.”

“Exactly. What was that famous saying one of the smarter members of your species came up with? Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic. So don’t think too much about it. Accept that there is a little magic in your life.”

I recalled reading in a book that during World War Two, remote tribes on islands in the ocean thought that Japanese warplanes were representatives of God and began to worship those planes.

“Here, this is for you.”

The wooden box vanished and appeared before me, landing gently on the desk.

“What’s this?” I asked.

“There’s no need to be so apprehensive. It’s a gift, not a bomb.” She blew up her cheeks like a hamster – the same way Yui sometimes did.

I wonder if sharing the same body with Yui, even just temporarily, influenced her mannerisms. They are clearly two different people, but at the same time, also a bit similar.

“That’s an interesting idea. I should research that,” Yui’s boss said.

She read my thoughts again.

I wonder what she will say if I think of something perverted –

“Don’t try that. Memories of this conversation will remain with Yui. If I see what you’re thinking, then Yui will also remember it…and I don’t think she will like it.”

“R-Right…”

I opened the wooden box. Inside were two tiny glass bottles filled with a clear liquid. Accompanying each glass bottle was a syringe.

“These are vaccines,” Yui’s boss said. “She is fond of you and has requested that I guarantee your survival. I have granted her this request. In that box are two vaccine doses. You can use that on yourself and one person of your choosing. Perhaps there is someone you’d like to save.”

“How generous.”

“A parent always looks out for their children.”

So on the Effective Date, January 1, 20XX, Yui’s boss will release a virus that will cause most of humanity to die from flu-like symptoms. A small minority of people will survive this, but there won’t be enough survivors to keep modern society operating. The cities we have built will crumble, and within one lifetime, we will have reverted to feudal times, or even pre-feudal times.

I sensed that this conversation was gradually coming to an end. There was one question I still needed to ask. Maybe it was the most important question.

“What is it that humanity did this time that displeases you so much?”

“That is a good question. It’s better than all the other ones you’ve asked so far.” She put a finger to her chin, imitating Yui’s mannerisms. “The one thing that all fallen civilizations have in common is hubris – hubris and the resulting greed.”

Her smiling expression fell. She appeared to be greatly saddened.

“All civilizations fell victim to this. I wonder why it always ends up like this. Even the greatest civilizations that lasted for tens of thousands of years eventually become consumed by greed and hubris. It pained me greatly to eliminate them before the planet could no longer be salvaged.”

She looked at me.

“I can see in your heart that you want to disagree with me. Of course, not everyone is greedy and arrogant. But can you say that about your species as a whole? Even though the end of the world is certain, so many of you only care about money and status. This fictional social construct has wormed itself so deeply into your minds that you are beyond saving. Haruto, you look like you disagree with me. But think of your father. Isn’t he the perfect example?”

“If we are such disappointments, then why not just get rid of us once and for all?”

She smiled sadly.

“Because of people like you, Haruto.”

“What do you mean?”

“You helped Yui when she needed help. You could’ve stayed in your house, ignored her, gone to university and lived a normal life. Your mother’s house and savings would’ve laid the foundation for that. But you chose to help Yui. Every time I decide to wipe out humanity, there are people like you who remind me that despite all of your faults, there is beauty in your foolishness.” She scratched the back of her head, appearing embarrassed. “Or maybe I’ve gotten soft hearted with age.”

She emerged from behind the lectern, closed the distance between us and touched my face. Her hand was warm.

“I want to ask you to stay with Yui, but I know what you’re thinking.”

Her eyes were cold as she said those words.

I said nothing.

“It’s time for me to go. Please take care, Haruto.”

She closed her eyes, and when she opened them again, the real Yui had returned.