August-SY102
The school has restarted.
Even though with the appearance of kaijuu and visitors from parallel universe the world is quite in chaotic state right now, our daily lives in Leyford City seems to be undisturbed.
Even so, I can’t stay complacent with this situation. I don’t know what will happen in the future after all.
That realization that anyone close to me can suddenly disappear anytime, renew my conviction that I have to grasp my own future, and not leave it to any other. That’s why from now on I will seriously reach for that future.
Even so, right now I still can’t do anything. I might know fragments of future from my past life mecha otaku knowledge. But since only relying on knowledge of future events is impossible with this situation, I have to make adjustments accordingly.
But still, right now I still can’t do anything. First thing to do is I need to have power. So, right now I’m improving my electrokinesis ability.
“Triggering model impulse.
Real impulse triggered.
Deviation… 32um. Spread… 16um. P-accuracy… 5 point.”
…
“Hmm, your pinpoint control is improving. Though it’s still not enough.”
“It’s not enough yet?”
“At least if safety is a priority, you need to lower the deviation to under 1 microns, spread is fine as it is as long as you can consistently maintain it. Swimilarly with p-accuracy.”
“I will work hard.”
“That’s good, but I will be the one troubled if you get sick. Let’s finish for today.”
Just now I was training to use my electrokinesis to control the activation of neurons in my nervous system. Deviation is how much the target is missed from the center point. I also need to activate within a certain area, which is measured by spread diameter. P-accuracy is the accuracy of how much power should I use, the closer it is to 0, the more accurate the power used. Too much power would fry my nerve. That’s why power regulation part is particularly sensitive and took up much time before to master.
It is a precursor to strength electromaster training regime. Like what was mentioned before, strength electromaster is an electromaster who can perform strongman feat, like lifting a car or pulling a bulldozer. Usually they are part of some big country military special force. And because the training regime is usually military or national secret, not everyone can access it. I just hope the Professor doesn’t suddenly disappear for leaking a military secret…
Huh wait. If she disappears for that reason, won’t I disappear too…?
Crap… I didn’t realize it. And it’s already too late to stop now. I already can’t stop the Professor obsession with my data. Oh well, I will just go ahead with this. Beside is there anyone who don’t have a secret or two? I bet everyone have a secret or two. In the end, what we do are not different from others. Just keep it hidden from others.
It’s not a crime if you don’t get caught.
Back about the training regime itself. Beside training, I also have to learnt the theory about human body musculoskeletal system. I don’t really know much about biology though. In the past life, I had always sleep in biology class. They feel too boring, repetitive, and too much focus on rote memorization. Not only in that world, in this world too biology book is really thick. Thankfully in this world, I have enhanced memory so I have less barrier to learn from them now.
I learnt from the Professor that some angels especially those of esper type usually have enhanced mental capacity and capability. It may be enhanced memory, enhanced mental calculation or other kinds of mental enhancements. The theory is that, enhanced brain capacity is required to handle the mental calculation when performing an ability.
This is why esper training especially ones to refine their control over their ability actually is mental enhancement training. This is also the reason that esper training is not limited to esper only, but also for normal people without ability, since it can enhance their brain. Supposedly, there are also various health benefits, such as longer lifespan, and lesser risk of age-associated mental ability decline and mental disease, such as Alzheimer’s or dementia.
So according to that theory, I have enhanced memory because of my electrokinesis ability. Or rather, I have my electrokinesis ability because of my enhanced mind/memory. Also apparently an active esper, esper who frequently use their ability or train their mental capacity related to their power, have healthier psychology. On the contrary those who don’t train their mental capacity at the bare minimum, would have shorter lifespan compared to normal people without ability. They are also more prone to psychological disorder compared to normal people.
This is why mental health is particularly troublesome things for most espers who prefer to lead lazy lifestyle. On one hand, anomalous ability can be a boon for someone following particular career path. On the other hand, having ability also limit yourself to various degree depending on the ability type. Of course people with ability still can follow any career path. It’s just, when they are following a career particularly unsuitable to their mentality, which is determined by their ability, they will need to follow certain therapy or exercise, so to say.
For example a pyrokinesis esper usually have fiery personality and have hot temper. Someone who is a pyrokinesis esper will have hard time in job like customer service, where you might need certain degree of patience. Electromasters usually are suited to jobs that require them to be in focused thinking state. These include, but not limited to, researcher, engineer, programmer, and most of intellectual type of worker.
By the way, most people with ability don’t really use their ability for anything useful. Some angels do use their ability in some very specific job. For example, a telepath esper is particularly sought angel because of their ability that allows for faster-than-light (FTL) communication between two linked telepath espers. Though direct communication mediated by telepath esper is actually inefficient, so it’s rarely done. Instead, with the aid of two telepath espers, using quantum entanglement to provide for FTL communication is possible. One of holy grails of anomalogy research is artificial replication of telepath esper ability. However, apparently not much progress is being made in that direction so far, and telepath espers are still required component of FTL communication.
Anyway, some specific abilities do get sough for in certain types of job, but most jobs don’t really need an angel ability. So there is really not much social or economical distinction between angels and normal humans.
…
… …
Finishing with Professor’s training regime. I secretly do my own experimentation and training.
“Starting up visual mode. Implement model-03. Input ready…”
I thought that with my ability to project image directly into my eyes, it could aid me in some mental calculation. However I quickly realized that I could go beyond that and perform high-degree mental calculation with enough training. The final goal is to build internal computer in my brain.
It works by first visualizing a model of computer in my eyes and then perform computation using the said computer model. After that, I would perform internalization of the computer model inside my brain. Internalization itself refer to process whereby you try to turn something that previously was done consciously, to one that is done unconsciously. It’s one of fundamental method of esper ability training.
Well the harder part is actually studying computational models and theories for it though. Internalization is simply equivalent to repeated practices in most cases. Finding computational models that’s just right for my mental model is harder than it might seem at first. First I have to learn the theory, then find out how efficient it is with my previously exist mental model. Then there are various minor adjustments. Thankfully I learnt a bit about theory of computation in my past life, so I have rough guesses on what to do. Actually in the first place, that was the reason I thought about this whole thing in the first place.
“Score… 7.2 kFLOPS.”
For now I’m not really sure what is the use of it aside for finishing a math exam quicker, not that I have much of those kind either. But there do exist some potential uses that might prove handy in my mind. For example it could aid me in decision making in high-pressure emergency situation.
…
… …
… … …
“Hah…”
Being full of sweat after training, I sit down over a bench in the training room. I mentioned it before, the training room is make-shifted from the unused classroom the Professor rented.
*Knock knock*
“Huh?”
Someone is coming. Is it the Professor?
Wait, no way, she won’t even knock. She usually just enter recklessly, and does not even care if I might be in the middle of my electrokinesis ability training, which has chance of unintentionally injuring anyone coming close. It must be her.
“Please enter.”
“Sena~”
Reo is the one coming in. Sometime she would come when it’s recess time. At first, like the Professor she would barge in recklessly. But when I scolded her telling that it’s dangerous, she somehow apologized really quickly and never once barge in without asking again. She still nonchalantly barge in my room at home though.
“Eh? Is it recess already?”
“Un. Here.”
Reo sits down next to me and then offers me a can of cold milk.
Hmm… I did say I like cold drink after training, but why does she keeps bringing me cold milk? Oh well, it’s not really important and I feel thirsty anyway.
“Thanks.”
*Gulp gulp*
“Sena is… lately working really hard isn’t he?”
“mmn?”
“Don’t you need to rest, Sena?”
“Rest? I do get enough rest though…”
“But, whenever I see Sena, it’s malways either studying, training, or studying and training.”
“Well… I rest too. You just don’t know it.”
“muuu” *stare*
“W-what?”
“Do you really rest properly?”
“Un”
“Sena hasn’t passed out again, has he?”
Several days ago I passed out during personal training in a particularly strenuous session. Though I didn’t realize it to be that stressful, but right after I finished the session, suddenly I blacked out. Next thing I know, I was in the infirmary with the Professor and Reo next to me. I told them not to tell Mom, in exchange Reo made me promise to not overexert myself again, or at least not to do it without supervision from someone else.
“N-no, not yet.”
“Not yet? So it would happen again?”
“It w--”
“Sena!”
…
… …
“Huh…?”
I felt like my mind went blank for a bit.
“Sena! Sena… you are fine, aren’t you?”
I feel my body being shaken.
“Nnmm…? Reo…?”
The next thing I know, Reo is holding me.
“What…?”
“Let’s rest for today, Sena.”
“Un?”
“Sena is resting in the infirmary for today.”
“Why?”
“Because he is really tired.”
“Tired…? Ah…did I just blacked out again?”
*nod* “Un”
“I see… Sorry.”
“Un”
…
With me being supported by Reo’s shoulder, we walk together toward infirmary. She hasn’t said anything since then. I wonder if she’s angry.
…
Arriving in the infirmary, I lie down on the bed. Reo sits down next to me.
*ding dong ding dong*
The sound of bell is heard, signifying the recess is over and it’s class time again soon. Even with advent of new technologies some things don’t really change much, like the school bell which is still struck manually.
“I’m fine already, Reo. You should go back to class now.”
“No”
“Ms. Greta will get mad.”
“It’s Sena’s fault.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Un”
…
“...”
“Are you angry?”
“Un”
“Sorry.”
“If Sena is really sorry, please stop being reckless.”
“I will try.”
“Please do instead of try.”
“I will do try.”
“Sena is an idiot.”
“Sorry for being an idiot.”
…
“Is Sena feeling better right now?”
“Un. So, can I get up now?”
“No.”
“Okay.”
“Can I ask something?”
“Mnn?”
“Why is Sena working so hard lately?”
“Not really…”
“Why is Sena working so hard?”
“Do I have to answer that?”
“Un”
Even though you asked permission before asking that.
“Because I want to protect everyone.”
“Protect everyone?”
“Un. I don’t know if you will believe me, but actually I…”
I don’t know what strange power she has, maybe I just didn’t think right from the huge stress from training, but in the end I told her my biggest secret that I had planned to keep with myself until the end.
I told her that I was reincarnated person. That this world is actually from a game in my past life. That there will be war in the future. That various worlds from different stories in my past life is merging with this world and those worlds will bring along with them big dangers.
…
“I’m really sorry, maybe… I actually was a bit excited when I learnt that various worlds of my favorite mecha stories is merging with this one. I was and maybe am still excited that I’m living in world of my dream.
But on the other hand, I know that there will be dangers threatening everyone. That’s why in exchange for letting me to live in this world, I will protect everyone. Though maybe that too is just my selfish wish-fulfillment reason.
Sorry, Reo.”
“...”
Reo is just staring at me without uttering even a single word.
“Umm? You don’t have anything to say?”
“Ah, sorry sorry. It’s just… I don’t know what to say. I’m not as smart as Sena, so I don’t really know what to say when Sena suddenly revealed something so big…”
“Huh, you believe me?”
*Nod* “Un. I know Sena is not lying at all.”
“Really…?”
“Un. Didn’t I say it before? I can know someone else’s heart. And you see, Sena. I just learnt it during entrance examination but I’m an angel too.”
Angel? Eh?
“Really?”
“Un. I was told that my ability is called “telepath”. But I also have another ability to read someone else’s feeling. So I know when someone is lying or not. And Sena is… being honest.”
“I see.”
“Sena didn’t know?”
“Eh why would I… ah…”
“Doesn’t Sena know the future?”
“No, in that world game, it’s not revealed that you are an angel, Reo.”
“Really?”
“That, or maybe this world is really different from what I know. Then maybe the story about war too might be different to this world.”
“Then isn’t it great? Sena won’t have to overwork himself.”
*Shake head* “Sorry… it might be different but I still think the world is in danger.”
“Why?”
“Because even if there are changes, there will still be war. There will also dangers from other worlds that merged with this one.”
“Sena is really serious, isn’t he?”
“Un. Sorry for being selfish.”
“Then I will help Sena.”
“Huh?”
“I will help Sena in protecting this world. I’m not doing it for this world though. It’s because Sena will fall someday if there is no one watching his back.”
“I don’t want to put you in danger, Reo.”
“Even if Sena says it like that, didn’t he also said that I will be in danger either way. I will enter the military and take a big part in the war of the future.”
“That is… I will take responsibility for it, so you don’t have to--”
“Shake shake* “Unnn. Sena will protect this world. In exchange, I will protect Sena’s back. Please don’t try to stop me, Sena.”
“It will be dangerous.”
“I know.”
“You might die you know.”
“Sena will protect me, won’t he?”
“I will. But you will still get hurt a lot that way.”
“I’m happy as long as Sena keeps protecting me.”
“You will probably change your mind later.”
“I won’t.”
“We will see.”
“It’s actually Sena who doesn’t want me to change my mind, isn’t he?”
“Huh…? Me?”
*Nod* “Un. Sena, can I tell Sena another secret? Actually.. my ability gets stronger the closer I am to the other person. Right now, I can see it clearly, Sena’s feeling.”
“Huh?”
“‘Please don’t leave me alone’ it says.”
“No way. T-that’s not true..”
“Sena wants me to be safe, but he is also afraid being alone. He feels guilty for wanting to put me in danger just to be with him.”
“...”
“There is no way I can leave Sena alone like this. Even if it’s dangerous and scary, I’m more scared of losing Sena. So, please let me be with you, Sena.”
“Sigh… do as you wish then.”
“Un. I will.”
