電車の中でも寝る前のベッドの中でもサクサク快適に。
もっと読みたい！がどんどんみつかる。
「読んで」「書いて」毎日が楽しくなる小説アプリをダウンロードしよう。
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電車の中でも寝る前のベッドの中でもサクサク快適に。
もっと読みたい！がどんどんみつかる。
「読んで」「書いて」毎日が楽しくなる小説アプリをダウンロードしよう。
テラーノベル
アプリでサクサク楽しめる
When Miyashita entered the lab, Watari was shouting into the landline handset on his desk, his voice dripping with displeasure.
“Why on earth is my team obligated to take on a job like that? Huh? ‘Next year’s grant funding’? That’s just a matter of convenience for the university president, isn’t it?”
As Miyashita placed her bag on her own desk and glanced at the others, they all offered wry smiles and pressed their index fingers to their lips, signaling her to keep quiet. It seemed Watari had been talked into it.
“Fine. I’ll do it, then — I’ll do it. But I expect my teaching hours to be reduced. You’ll have to handle the arrangements with the Academic Affairs Department yourself. Right, then.”
He slammed the receiver down and spoke with a scowl.
“Ms. Miyashita, Mr. Matsuda — come here a moment.”
When Miyashita and Matsuda approached his desk, Watari pointed to his laptop screen, his expression and tone still conveying his dissatisfaction.
“We’ve received a new request. It’s another bodyguard job.”
Matsuda asked, looking intrigued.
“So, who exactly are we protecting?”
Watari pointed to the screen, which displayed an image of a boy — apparently in his early teens — sitting in a wheelchair.
“Shiro Furueda, thirteen years old. He’s the only son of Professor Furueda, an authority on robotics. He’s a test subject for a specific field experiment.”
Matsuda leaned in close to the screen and nodded.
“What kind of experiment is it?”
Watari switched the display. It now showed a young woman dressed in what is known as a “maid outfit” — a combination of a long black skirt and a white apron dress. Watari spoke.
“This is Maria Q, an android developed by Professor Furueda’s team to assist with daily human life.”
Miyashita and Matsuda both gasped in astonishment. Miyashita asked, staring intently at the screen.
“Is this a robot? One that’s indistinguishable from a human?”
Watari speaks while stroking his beard.
“Apparently, that’s its main selling point. However, since it’s just been completed and is still a prototype, we need to run a practical test to see if it can actually be of use to humans. Meanwhile, the professor’s son is paralyzed from the waist down due to an illness he contracted in childhood. The plan is to have Maria Q look after Shiro and conduct a field test in the process.”
“I see,” Matsuda says, sounding as though he understands.
“So, our job is to act as bodyguards for this boy, Shiro? Is there a fear that he might be targeted by someone?”
Watari’s reply made Miyashita and Matsuda exclaim in surprise once again.
“It isn’t Shiro you’ll be guarding. The request is for you to protect this android, Maria Q.”
The following morning, Miyashita and Matsuda were at Professor Furueda’s home — located in an upscale residential area on the outskirts of Tokyo — receiving a direct explanation from the professor himself.
Seated on the sofa across the coffee table in the living room, the two listened as the professor — a tall man with distinguished, salt-and-pepper hair and the quintessential air of a scholar — explained the reasons why a bodyguard was necessary.
“Maria Q is an android developed to serve as a support robot in fields like elderly care and child-rearing. Since she looks exactly like a human from a distance, there is always a risk that someone might try to steal her for malicious purposes.”
Miyashita nodded and asked: “You mean, for instance, using her to transport a bomb for a terrorist attack?”
Professor Furueda nodded and continued: “Furthermore — though this is merely a possibility — an android like Maria Q could pose a mortal threat to certain factions.”
Matsuda frowned and asked: “Certain factions? What kind of factions?”
“The augmented humans you encountered the other day.”
Both Miyashita and Matsuda gasped in surprise. The professor went on:
“Maria Q is a humanoid robot powered by a high-output solid-state battery. She is designed to generate power far exceeding human limits for short bursts. At the scene of a fire, for example, she can easily carry an adult male. The same applies to her physical agility. In other words, it is theoretically possible for her to go toe-to-toe with those augmented humans in combat.”
Matsuda slapped his knee with his palm and said: “So, there’s a chance those types might try to hijack the android during testing, and you want us to prevent that. Is that the situation?”
Professor Furueda smiled and nodded vigorously.
“Precisely. Well, as expected of a referral from Prof. Watari — you grasp the situation quickly, which is a great help. However, I’d rather not burden my son with the complicated details of this matter. I’ve told Shiro that you two are simply here to keep his company. Could you play along with that story?”
Miyashita replied.
“Understood. And what is the duration of the field test?”
“It’s scheduled for two weeks, starting today. Rooms have been prepared for you on the second floor. Now, shall I introduce you to my son — and to Maria Q?”
Professor Furueda picked up the landline receiver and used the intercom to ask them to come to the living room.
Before long, the living room door opened, and a bright-looking boy in a wheelchair entered, pushed from behind by an android dressed as a maid.
Prompted by the professor, Shiro introduced himself to Miyashita and Matsuda.
“I’m Shiro Furueda. I’ll be in your care; thank you for your help.”
Hearing the boy speak with the earnest, open manner typical of his age, Matsuda smiled warmly and shook his hand.
“The pleasure is ours; we’ll be staying for a while. Please let us know if you need anything at all.”
Shiro smiled faintly as he spoke to Matsuda.
“Okay. But I don’t think you’ll really have a chance to step in. Maria is incredibly capable.”
Professor Furueda addressed the android.
“Maria, record the data for these two.”
“Yes, Master.”
Speaking in a young woman’s voice — though with a flat, monotone delivery — the android named Maria Q first stepped up to Miyashita.
Miyashita’s eyes widened. Her appearance was so uncannily human that one would hardly realize she was a robot without getting very close. She had straight black hair falling to her shoulders and smooth, fair skin. Only her eyes were clearly artificial; they resembled the glass eyes of a doll.
Maria spoke to Miyashita. “Excuse me. I am going to perform a scan, so please remain still for a moment.”
Maria Q’s eyes emitted a faint glow as she scanned Miyashita from head to toe. Once finished, she stepped back in front of Miyashita and asked, “Your name is Ms. Miyashita. A human female. Your status is ‘friend of Young Master Shiro.’ Is that correct?”
Miyashita replied, looking slightly flustered.
“Yes, that’s right. It’s a pleasure to meet you. Um … may I call you Maria?”
“Yes, please call me Maria.”
Maria then moved over to Matsuda and began scanning him in the same manner. Professor Furueda stepped up beside Miyashita and said, “She records the other person’s appearance like that. To Maria Q, you’ve now become — so to speak — someone she knows.”
Miyashita tilted her head and asked, “I suppose I expected that aspect to be a bit more advanced.”
“Maria Q is completely standalone.”
Matsuda, having finished his interaction with Maria, chimed in from the side.
“What does ‘standalone’ mean?”
“It means she is normally completely cut off from networks like the Internet. Even though she’s equipped with an autonomous AI, staying connected to the net would expose her to risks like hacking or computer viruses.”
“I see. But wouldn’t that limit the amount of information she can record?”
“That’s true. She doesn’t have enough memory capacity to record everything from her visual cameras and audio sensors. That’s why special processing has been applied to Maria Q’s AI circuitry.”
“What kind of processing?”
“She acquires necessary additional information from the people around her — learning about human relationships, in a sense. Since there are physical limits to the size of her body, the memory available for information processing and storage is restricted. In other words, the android and the people around her work together to improve the performance of her robotic software. That is the primary objective of this development project.”
Miyashita asked the professor, “Why did you choose a female form?”
“We conducted experiments on the appearance beforehand. After testing various factors — such as age and gender — with human subjects, we found that a female form resembling a twenty-year-old elicited the least resistance. Young children, in particular, seem most at ease with this kind of look. We anticipate that, once mass production begins, these units will be deployed in places like nursery schools.”
The four of them then returned to their seats around the table, and Professor Furueda instructed Maria Q to brew some tea.
With a proud smile, the professor said to Miyashita and Matsuda, “Seeing is believing when it comes to the naturalness of her movements. Just watch.”
Maria Q measured the tea leaves into a large pot, poured in hot water, and then served the tea into cups. Although her body movements were somewhat linear, she prepared four cups with surprising dexterity and placed one in front of each person.
Watching those fluid movements, Miyashita and Matsuda instinctively gave a small round of applause.
For the rest of the day, Maria Q attended to Shiro’s daily needs, while Miyashita and Matsuda observed the proceedings, keeping a close but unobtrusive watch.
In the afternoon, Shiro said he wanted to go for a walk. Winter was drawing to a close; it was a clear, sunny day, and the temperature was unusually high for the season.
Miyashita stepped outside first to check the weather and found the air warm, as if spring had arrived early. Judging that it wouldn’t harm Shiro’s health, she gave him permission to go out.
Maria Q pushed Shiro’s wheelchair, moving slowly along the road toward the nearby riverbank. Miyashita and Matsuda walked close behind them.
Once down by the river, Shiro propelled the wheelchair himself, moving about while enjoying the sun-warmed air. Maria Q stayed right by his side.
Suddenly, Shiro stopped moving and narrowed his eyes at something in the distance. Beneath a bridge pier, an elderly man who appeared to be homeless was surrounded by three rough-looking youths.
Grinning, the young men were taunting the old man, who was cowering on the ground.
“Hey, hey — you’re in the way, old man.”
“Who gave you permission to live here? Huh?”
“What’s with that look on your face? You think scum like you actually count as human?”
Maria Q stood motionless, showing no reaction. Miyashita started to step toward the commotion, but Shiro stopped her with a wave of his hand.
“Wait. Let Maria handle this.”
Ignoring Miyashita, who had stopped in hre tracks with a look of bewilderment, Shiro spoke to Maria Q.
“Maria, save that old man.”
Maria Q turned her face toward Shiro and asked: “Please explain the reason for this order.”
“It’s in the Three Laws of Robotics, isn’t it? The First Law.”
A small ring of light traced a circle within Maria Q’s eyes. She spoke aloud:
“A robot may not injure a human being or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm. Are you saying this situation falls under that rule?”
“That’s right, Maria. That old man is a human being, too, so we have to help him.”
“I understand the order. Executing order.”
Maria Q instantly broke into a run and interposed herself between the old man and the youths. Standing with her back to the old man to shield him, she addressed the young men:
“Please stop the violence.”
One of the young men spat an insult at Maria Q.
“What is it? Hey lady, you looking to get hurt too?”
But he quickly realized that Maria Q isn’t human.
“Huh? Hey, guys — this thing’s a robot.”
The other two youths laughed and chimed in.
“What? Seriously? That’s hilarious.”
“A robot, daring to defy us humans?”
Raising their fists, the youths moved to attack Maria Q all at once. However, she dodged their blows by a hair’s breadth; missing their target, the young men lost their balance and tumbled over on their own.
One of the youths spotted a thick club nearby, swung it overhead, and brought it crashing down on Maria Q. She crossed her arms to catch the blow and shoved back; the youth holding the club was easily forced backward.
Watching the scene, Matsuda spoke up with a look of suspicion.
“Why isn’t she fighting back? Maria Q has the overwhelming advantage in terms of power, doesn’t she?”
Shiro answered with a proud look on his face.
“The Second Law of Robotics: A robot must obey the orders given to it by human beings, except where such orders would conflict with the First Law. The order I gave was to help that old man. Since those guys are humans too, she can’t hurt them.”
Miyashita spoke in an impressed tone.
“I see. But if this goes on any longer, I’ll be worried about Maria Q.”
Miyashita ran over to where the youths were scuffling with Maria Q and shouted at them.
“That’s enough!”
One of the youths glared at Miyashita and yelled.
“Who the hell are you? Another robot?”
Miyashita took her police badge out of her inner jacket pocket and flipped it open.
“I’m a police officer. If you keep this up, I’ll have to take you down to the nearest station.”
The youths turned pale and hurriedly ran off. Miyashita knelt down to check on the old man.
“Are you alright? Are you hurt?”
Still sitting on the ground, the old man replied with a look of relief.
“Oh, you saved me. And thank you, too, young lady. You’re really strong, aren’t you?”
But Maria Q didn’t answer the old man. He looked puzzled.
Matsuda pushed the wheelchair as Shiro arrived on the scene. Shiro spoke to the old man.
“It looks like you’re okay, sir. Maria is an android, you see.”
The old man’s eyes went wide with surprise as he stared intently at Maria Q.
“Well, I’ll be! So it’s true. This young lady is a robot?”
Shiro spoke to Maria Q.
“Maria, answer the gentleman.”
Maria Q turned her face toward Shiro and asked.
“In a situation like this, what should I say?”
Shiro replied.
“Just say you were simply fulfilling your duty. That should do it.”
“Understood.”
Maria Q knelt on one knee on the ground beside the old man and continued: “There is no need to thank me. My AI is programmed with the Three Laws of Robotics. Protecting humans from danger is simply my duty.”
“Humans, you say?”
After saying this, the old man suddenly let out a groan. Miyashita leaned in, looking concerned.
“What’s wrong? Are you in pain?”
Shaking his head, the old man spoke in a tearful voice:
“No, it’s not that. I’m just … happy. You’d treat even a homeless guy like me like a human being? These days, robots show far more compassion than people do.”
Repeatedly offering his thanks, the old man hoisted a mud-stained bag that had been lying nearby onto his shoulder and walked away.
That night, when Miyashita and Matsuda reported the incident at the riverbank to Professor Furueda upon his return from the university, the professor nodded with a look of satisfaction.
He then took Miyashita and Matsuda to the basement and used the intercom to summon Maria Q there as well.
The basement resembled a laboratory for maintaining Maria Q. A massive, computer-like structure standing two meters tall occupied the space.
“Did you call for me?”
As Maria Q entered the room, the professor ordered her to undress. Maria Q immediately unzipped her maid outfit and slid it down.
Matsuda’s face turned bright red, and he covered his eyes with both hands.
“U-um, shouldn’t I step out of the room?”
However, when he tentatively opened his eyes, Matsuda let out another cry of surprise.
“Is that what she looks like underthe cloth?”
On Maria Q’s body, the only parts resembling human skin were the area from the chest up, her forearms and hands, and her legs from the groin down.
The rest of her torso consisted of exposed, matte-silver metal. Her rounded, protruding chest featured sockets of various shapes and sizes for connecting diagnostic cables.
As he explained the situation to the two, the professor seated Maria Q next to the massive, computer-like device and connected multiple cables to her body.
“As I’m sure Shiro has told you, Maria Q’s AI is programmed with the Three Laws of Robotics. It is designed to record a log of any actions that violate those laws.”
Miyashita asked, watching the professor work.
“Is that how you check for violations?”
The professor replied: “Exactly. Since she operates as a standalone unit, we can’t monitor her actions in real-time. Besides, it would defeat the whole purpose if we had to keep her constantly connected to the network just to ensure human safety. As long as we can confirm she hasn’t violated the Three Laws of Robotics, we can guarantee she won’t harm any humans.”
The device connected to Maria Q by a cable began to hum loudly; it was analyzing her AI.
Matsuda spoke to the professor.
“Even though she was merely evading attacks, Maria Q’s movements were formidable. If she were operated in combat mode, she might well hold her own against that cyborg. I finally understand why you requested a bodyguard.”
The analysis results appeared on the device’s display. Professor Furueda nodded with satisfaction as he looked at them.
“There is absolutely no record of any violation of the Three Laws of Robotics. The results align with your reports. The primary objective of this demonstration experiment is to verify whether Maria Q can act in 100% accordance with the Three Laws of Robotics.”
The professor ordered Maria Q to get dressed and return to the floor above. Once she had left the room, he turned to Miyashita and Matsuda and spoke in a grave tone.
“What I fear most is the mass production of androids based on the Maria Q AI — but with the Three Laws of Robotics removed. A Maria Q-type unit unconstrained by the Three Laws could easily become a humanoid weapon. To prevent that, I need your continued cooperation starting tomorrow.”
The next day was another clear, warm day — unusually mild for the season. In the afternoon, Shiro went out for a walk, accompanied once again by Maria Q. Miyashita and Matsuda followed a few paces behind.
This time, they walked up a gentle slope and entered the park. As they strolled along a tree-lined path dotted with blooming plum blossoms, they heard the sound of a small child crying nearby.
Following the sound, they found a little girl — likely a kindergartner — standing beneath a tall tree, gazing upward and weeping. Shiro and Maria Q approached her, and Shiro spoke to the girl.
“What’s wrong? Why are you crying?”
“You see …”
Pointing to a branch about three meters up, the girl struggled to get the words out.
“Mii-chan… Mii-chan can’t get down.”
Shiro looked up and saw a calico kitten perched on a branch. It was huddled there, trembling violently and letting out faint, pitiful mews.
It seemed the kitten had climbed too high in a fit of playful daring but was now unable to get back down on its own.
“Maria.”
Shiro turned his head back toward Maria Q.
“Please help that little one.”
Maria-Q crouched down in front of the girl, and bands of light raced across her eyes; it appeared she was scanning the girl’s condition with her optical sensors. She then turned to look at Shiro and spoke.
“Young Master. This young lady is not in immediate danger. Her breathing and pulse are slightly irregular, but I judge that it does not warrant calling an ambulance.”
Miyashita and Matsuda, unable to stand by and watch, moved to approach the girl, but Shiro stopped them again. Pointing at the kitten on the branch, he continued speaking to Maria Q.
“Maria, there’s something up there, isn’t there?”
Maria-Q looked up, and bands of light traced a circle within her eyes.
“I have identified it as a juvenile of the small mammal species known as a cat.”
“Right. Please save that cat.”
“Your instructions are contradictory.”
The light racing within Maria-Q’s eyes grew brighter.
“Cats do not fall under the protection of the Three Laws of Robotics. Your initial order was to save this young lady.”
Shiro firmly restrained Miyashita, who was about to interject.
“Leave this to me. My father taught me how to train Maria-Q.”
He turned his face back to Maria-Q and explained.
“Maria, that girl is crying, isn’t she?”
“Yes. This physiological reaction is inferred to be associated with the emotion known as sadness.”
“Her heart is being hurt right now. She’s being separated from that kitten. The second part of the First Law states: ‘…or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm.’ That is exactly what is happening right now.”
Maria Q froze in place for ten seconds, bands of light racing across her eyes; it appeared her AI was rapidly processing data to assess the situation. Then, she stood up and moved to the base of the tree where the kitten was perched.
“Am I to return that cat to the young lady?”
Shiro’s face lit up instantly.
“Exactly — spot on, Maria. We need to keep her from getting her feelings hurt. Oh, and remember, it’s a kitten, so handle it gently.”
“Hurt feelings … a form of harm … I understand the order. Executing order.”
With those words, Maria Q leaped straight up without a running start, landing on a thick branch two meters above the ground. From there, she nimbly used her hands and feet to climb the trunk, reaching the base of the branch where the kitten sat.
“Distance: fifty centimeters … Branch load-bearing capacity: confirmed.”
Speaking aloud, Maria Q slowly approached the kitten and scooped it up in both hands. She then jumped straight down from the branch toward the ground.
The long skirt of her maid outfit billowed open like a parachute, and she touched down with a surprisingly light thump.
She walked over to the girl, knelt down, and held out the kitten she was cradling.
“Here you are — this is your cat.”
The girl’s tearful face suddenly brightened up. She hugged the kitten she had received to her chest and nuzzled it against her cheek. Then, she spoke to Maria Q.
“Thank you, Miss! That was amazing. Are you from the circus?”
Shiro spoke to the girl with a wry smile.
“That lady is an android.”
The girl didn’t seem to understand; she stared intently at Maria Q’s face and asked: “An…droid? Is that your job?”
Shiro chuckled softly as he replied.
“Well, I suppose you could say that.”
“Thank you so much. Come on, Mii-chan, say thank you to the lady, too.”
The girl brought the face of the kitten she was holding close to Maria Q’s face. The kitten stuck out its tongue and gave Maria Q’s cheek a quick lick.
“Bye-bye, Miss!”
With that, the girl ran off, clutching the kitten tightly to her chest.
Maria Q stood up and returned to Shiro’s side.
“Was that satisfactory, Young Master?”
“Yeah, you did a great job, Maria. I guess this falls under … Article 1? The scope of application, or whatever it’s called. So, yeah.”
“Understood. I will overwrite the data.”
Shiro and Maria Q then left the park to head back home. Walking behind them, Matsuda whispered to Miyashita, careful not to let Shiro hear.
“Did you see that? The way Maria Q moved just now?”
“Yes, she has incredible athletic ability.”
“The professor’s concerns are certainly justified. If that kind of ability were misused as a weapon, the consequences would be terrifying.”
Shortly after they returned home, the doorbell rang. The intercom screen in the living room showed three girls, all around Shiro’s age.
Shiro smiled openly, unable to hide his delight, and pressed the button to unlock the front door. He spoke to Miyashita and Matsuda, looking a bit sheepish.
“They’re classmates of mine. I missed the end-of-term ceremony, so they’ve come to drop off some handouts and things.”
Miyashita and Matsuda moved to the open-plan kitchen area connected to the living room.
“Hi there! Sorry to barge in!”
The three girls entered, calling out cheerfully, but upon seeing Maria Q, they squealed with excitement. They immediately began peppering Shiro with questions.
“Hey, hey, is this the android you told us about?”
“Wow, she looks just like a real person.”
“Can she understand what we say?”
Miyashita found herself observing them with the critical eye of a police officer. She frowned slightly.
One girl, wearing her hair in braids, seemed like the quiet, unassuming type. The other two were flashy and wore heavy makeup — unusual for middle schoolers — and the one with wavy, shoulder-length hair was wearing earrings in both ears.
“Hey, Furueda, can we touch this android’s body a little?”
“Oh … sure, I guess.”
The moment Shiro said that, the girls took turns throwing their arms around Maria Q. With no instructions from Shiro, Maria Q simply stood there stiffly, letting them do as they pleased.
“Wow, look at this skin. It’s just like a real person’s.”
Shiro explained, “Apparently, it’s a special synthetic resin. But up close, you can tell it’s artificial, right?”
“Why is she wearing a maid outfit? Don’t tell me that’s your thing, Furueda.”
“Huh? N-no, it’s not. My dad — or rather, the development team — decided on that.”
“Oh? Her torso is actually pretty hard. I thought it would be softer.”
“Well, Maria is a prototype, so they’re still working on that aspect.”
Then, when Maria Q brewed tea for Shiro and the girls, squeals of delight echoed through the room.
“Amazing! Even her movements are just like a human’s!”
“You might not be able to tell the difference from a distance. She looks like a beautiful young woman.”
“I’m so jealous, Furueda. Don’t you ever get … you know, turned on?”
“W-why would I?! This is an important scientific experiment.”
After the commotion died down, the girls prepared to head home. Shiro spoke to the girl with braided hair in a strangely nervous voice.
“Um, sorry to ask, Ms. Tomita, but could you come to my room and check my PC settings? The connection to the school’s messaging network has been a bit unstable.”
“Huh? Sure, I guess so.”
“Thanks. We can go up to the second floor using that elevator over there.”
Miyashita noticed the other two girls grimacing; it clearly irked them that only the girl named Tomita had been singled out.
When Maria Q moved to position herself behind Shiro’s wheelchair, he hurriedly stopped her.
“Oh, Maria — it’s fine for now. This won’t take long.”
“Are you certain?”
“Yeah … er, oh, right.”
Shiro turned to the other two girls.
“This was your first time at my place, right? Do you know the way to the station?”
The girl with the piercings spoke up.
“Yeah, come to think of it, I’m not sure I do.”
“In that case, Maria, please show them the way to the station.”
Maria Q replied in a flat, even tone.
“Understood, Young Master. Ladies, I shall accompany you to the station.”
As the two girls and Maria Q headed toward the entrance, Shiro, blushing slightly, invited the girl with the braided hair to his room. He turned the wheels of his chair himself and left the living room with Tomita.
Miyashita, having witnessed the whole scene, whispered to Matsuda with a faint, knowing smirk.
“Shiro is a sensible boy, but I suppose he is at that age. He’s really living out his youth, isn’t he?”
Matsuda asked back, looking bewildered.
“Huh? Did something strange happen?”
“You didn’t notice anything? Oh, never mind. It’s great to be young, isn’t it?”
About ten minutes later, Shiro and Tomita came down from the second floor and headed straight for the entrance. Shiro walked her all the way to the door to see her off.
The next morning, just as Miyashita had finished getting ready in the guest room she’d been assigned, there was a knock at the door.
Sensing something amiss from the rapid, insistent knocking, she hurried to open it and found Shiro’s mother standing there, her face deathly pale.
“Ms. Miyashita, could you please come downstairs right away?”
“Is something wrong?”
“I just received a call from the police station. Shiro’s classmate…”
Miyashita gasped at the mother’s next words.
”…was found dead early this morning.”
Entrusting Maria Q to Matsuda’s care, Miyashita headed to the local police station. She didn’t know if the incident was connected to the Maria Q field test, but given the timing, the detective in charge agreed to share the details with her.
In a small conference room, Miyashita sat facing an elderly detective who spread out some documents on the desk.
“This is the junior high student whose parents had filed a missing person report after she failed to come home last night and couldn’t be reached. Her name is Yoko Tomita.”
Miyashita’s eyes sharpened as she picked up the photograph. There was no mistaking her — she was one of the three girls who had visited Shiro yesterday, the one with the braided hair.
“So, what was the cause of death?”
The elderly detective grimaced as he answered Miyashita’s question.
“It’s hard to explain. I mean, technically it was a cervical spine injury …”
“Cervical spine … a neck injury?”
“The thing is, there were almost no external wounds. It was as if … well, her neck was snapped in a single blow. That’s the only way to describe it. On top of that, the circumstances in which the body was found were bizarre.”
“Where was she found?”
“You know that power transmission tower up on the hill in the neighborhood where you’re staying? She was hanging face-down from one of the horizontal steel beams. Six meters up in the air.”
“How could something like that happen?”
“That’s what we want to know. In any case, one thing is certain: this isn’t just an ordinary murder.”
The estimated time of death was shortly after she left the Furueda residence. Furthermore, fibers from Maria Q’s maid outfit were found on Yoko Tomita’s clothing.
However, given that she had been clinging to Maria Q repeatedly the day before, that fact in itself was hardly surprising.
When Miyashita returned to the Furueda home, she found Shiro’s mother and Matsuda sitting in the living room, both looking utterly haggard. The moment she saw Miyashita, the mother asked breathlessly:
“Ms. Miyashita, what did you find out? Was it really that girl — Shiro’s classmate?”
Miyashita nodded silently. She led Matsuda out into the garden and explained the cause of Yoko Tomita’s death and the circumstances of the discovery. Matsuda clenched his fists, trembling, and spoke.
“Only that ‘enhanced cyborg’ could pull off something like that. It means the professor’s worst fears have come true.”
Miyashita said, “But why kill a classmate who had nothing to do with this?”
“To show off their power and issue a threat — it’s a standard military tactic. We have to assume they are making a serious attempt to seize Maria Q.”
Upon hearing the news, Professor Furueda had left the university early and returned home. Almost too impatient to even take off his shoes, he asked his wife — Shiro’s mother — about their son.
“How is Shiro doing?”
“He’s in shock and has shut himself in his room. Maria is waiting outside his door, though.”
As the professor entered the living room, Miyashita spoke up abruptly.
“Professor Furueda, could you please examine Maria Q’s AI immediately?”
“What is this about, Ms. Miyashita? That’s a rather sudden request.”
“I need you to verify right away whether there were any aspects of Maria Q’s behavior that violated the Three Laws of Robotics.”
The professor turned pale, his lips trembling. He stepped toward Miyashita, his tone laced with anger.
“Are you actually suggesting that Maria Q is the culprit? On what grounds?”
“Please don’t take offense. Based on the timeline from yesterday, Maria Q has no alibi. If the results come back negative, that would be the best outcome.”
When Miyashita described the bizarre state of Yoko Tomita’s body, the professor nodded.
“I see. That certainly isn’t the work of a human. I would have assumed it was the doing of that modified human, but Maria Q is indeed capable of the same thing. All right, fine. Let’s begin the analysis immediately.”
Matsuda spoke to Miyashita hesitantly.
“Ms. Miyashita, aren’t you overthinking this? Logically speaking, you may be right, but Maria Q lacks what humans call a ‘motive.’ In fact, it’s simply impossible.”
Miyashita crossed her arms and looked down, yet her tone remained firm.
“I’m a police detective; if there’s even the slightest possibility, I need to verify it. Also, Professor — please send the analysis data to the Watari Lab’s computer as well. I’ve already spoken to Prof. Watari about this.”
The three of them — the professor, Miyashita, and Matsuda — immediately took Maria Q down to the basement. They connected Maria Q to the apparatus with cables and initiated the analysis.
As a precaution, they ran the analysis on all the data multiple times. The results were simultaneously transmitted to the Watari Lab.
After spending roughly two hours analyzing the logs for any violations of the Three Laws of Robotics, no such data was found.
Professor Furue, having reviewed the analysis records repeatedly, let out a deep sigh — perhaps as the tension suddenly drained from him — and spoke to Miyashita.
“These are the results of a meticulous analysis performed on a supercomputer. Are you satisfied?”
Miyashita bowed to the professor and replied:
“I apologize for my skepticism. Still, it would have been even better if the unit had the capability to record images and audio. Even if I’m convinced, there may be others who would consider that possibility.”
The professor answered with a wry expression: “You’re right about that. But if we included that feature, the Maria Q-type would end up a three-meter-tall giant. It’s a trade-off.”
Matsuda spoke up, his tone animated: “In that case, the culprit must be an augmented human. It implies that some military organization or international terrorist group is targeting Maria Q. I’ll go ahead and request that the Ministry of Defense provide us with information as well.”
Even when dinnertime arrived, Shiro refused to leave his room. His mother made some sandwiches and ordered Maria Q to take them to him.
Maria Q knocked on the door, but there was no reply. However, having been instructed by his mother to enter if the door wasn’t locked, Maria Q tried the doorknob.
It was unlocked, and the door swung outward. Maria Q stepped into the room. Shiro was sitting in his wheelchair facing the desk, sobbing as he gazed at a photograph displayed on his laptop screen.
The photo showed Shiro and Yoko Tomita smiling side-by-side during a summer school field trip. It appeared she had been his first love.
As Maria Q placed the plate of sandwiches on the edge of the desk, Shiro twisted his upper body, clung to her, and wept aloud. Maria Q spoke.
“I surmise that this fluid is tears. Are you in sorrow, Young Master Shiro?”
Shiro forced out the words between sobs.
“To kill Ms. Tomita … that guy isn’t human! Damn it … if only I didn’t have a body like this, I’d definitely take revenge.”
Bands of light raced in a circle within Maria Q’s eyes.
The next day, Miyashita returned after having gone out somewhere early in the morning. Late that afternoon, the two girls from before came to visit Shiro’s house.
Miyashita called out to Maria Q just as she was about to pass by in the kitchen.
“Hold on, Maria — the collar of your apron is crooked.”
Miyashita stepped behind Maria Q and adjusted the position of the white apron over her maid uniform. As she did so, she discreetly attached a tiny chip — no bigger than a fingernail — to the underside of the collar.
“There, that should do it.”
Maria Q checked the position of the apron strings with both hands before speaking to Miyashita.
“Thank you. I shall return to attending to our guests now.”
Shiro seemed to have regained some emotional stability; he met with the two classmates and spoke to them for about five minutes.
The girls came down to the first floor, and the one wearing earrings spoke to Maria Q.
“Hey, could you walk us to the station again? The roads around here are confusing — we just can’t seem to memorize the way.”
Maria Q pointed to the intercom in the living room and replied: “I require Young Master Shiro’s permission. Please wait a moment.”
Maria Q picked up the receiver and connected the call to Shiro’s room. Shiro instructed her to do as the girls asked. Maria Q turned back to the two girls and said:
“I have received the Young Master’s permission. I will escort you to the station.”
Miyashita, watching with a detective’s keen eye, didn’t miss the faint, scornful smile that crossed the face of the girl with the piercings. It stood in stark contrast to the other girl, who maintained the same somber expression she had worn upon her arrival.
After watching the girls and Maria Q leave through the entrance, Miyashita drew her pistol from beneath her jacket and checked its action. She returned the gun to her holster and spoke rapidly to Matsuda, who was staring at her in shock.
“Mr. Matsuda, stay close to Shiro. Keep your phone ready to receive my calls at all times.”
The two girls and Maria Q walked along a deserted road, now shrouded in the dimness of twilight. Miyashita trailed them from a distance of about twenty meters.
An earpiece in her right ear transmitted clear audio from the bug concealed within Maria Q’s maid outfit.
A girl wearing piercings spoke to the other girl in a cold tone.
“Hahaha, to think it actually killed her. Well, I guess it all worked out in the end — the obstacle to our plan of seducing that filthy-rich heir is gone. Robots really are convenient, aren’t they?”
The other girl, her face pale, speaks to the pierced girl.
“Let’s just stop this, Yumi. Yoko is dead. We went too far.”
But the pierced girl replies with a faint, mocking smile.
“What is it, Kaori? Are you scared? If you’re backing out, I’ll do it alone. I’m going to make Shiro cough up plenty of cash, so I might even toss you some scraps.”
“I’m out. I’m done. It’s too scary.”
Suddenly, Maria Q — who had been silent until then — asked a question.
“Are you going to quit?”
The girl flinches, then answered in a frightened voice.
“Y-yeah. I’m not doing it anymore. I just have a bad feeling about this.”
The pierced girl, called Yumi, speaks with an open, derisive sneer.
“Then I get it all to myself. Hahaha, things just got easier. Hahaha.”
As she said this and walks past a utility pole, Yumi — distracted by the conversation — fails to notice an empty can lying on the ground; she tripped over it and stumbled heavily.
It was a completely random movement, one that even Maria Q apparently couldn’t predict. The girl twists her ankle and crouches down, groaning in pain.
Maria Q’s left hand swept over her head and clamped onto the surface of the concrete utility pole. With a faint sound of friction, a section of the concrete surface was crushed under her grip, and fragments rained down to the ground.
Both girls screamed at the same time. Maria Q advanced toward Yumi. Yumi cried out:
“What? What is this? Stop — don’t come any closer!”
Maria Q spoke in the flat, monotone voice characteristic of a robot.
“In accordance with the First Law of Robotics, I shall eliminate the threat of harm to Young Master Shiro.”
The next instant, a gunshot rang out, and sparks flew at Maria Q’s feet. Miyashita, pistol drawn, came running up and shouted: “Maria Q, stop!”
Maria Q spun around and vanished from Miyashita’s field of vision in a flash. Just as Miyashita was scanning the area, Maria Q’s body dropped down from directly overhead.
Maria Q attempted to pin Miyashita from behind. But Miyashita was an active-duty detective trained in combat; she narrowly slipped out of Maria Q’s grasp and dodged the attack by sliding across the ground.
Maria Q continued her assault. Miyashita kept evading while holding her gun, but she found herself being steadily cornered, unable to find an opening to fire.
Finally, Maria Q’s hand seized Miyashita’s right arm, gripping it so tightly it went numb. With her other hand, she pinned Miyashita’s torso. Maria Q spoke to her:
“This action is taken in accordance with the Third Law of Robotics. Please forgive me.”
Miyashita’s grip on the gun slackened, and Maria Q’s left hand inched steadily toward the weapon. Continuing this movement, Maria Q spoke.
“Article 3: A robot must protect itself, provided such protection does not conflict with the aforementioned Articles 1 and 2.”
Gasping for breath, Miyashita shouted at Maria Q.
“Maria Q! What about Article 1?”
“To avert psychological harm to Young Master Shiro, I have eliminated the biological entity known as Yoko Tomita.”
“W-what? What are you saying? Killing a person violates Article 1, doesn’t it?”
“From the biological entity known as Yumi…”
Maria Q spoke with utter detachment.
”… I received information that Yoko Tomita was a dangerous presence approaching Young Master Shiro solely for his money — and that she was not truly human.”
Stunned, Miyashita’s body went limp for a split second. Seizing that moment, Maria Q snatched the gun from her hand.
Holding the gun in her left hand, Maria Q aimed the muzzle at Yumi, who was cowering on the ground in pain and terror. Without turning around, she spoke to Miyashita.
“I am eliminating the source of the harm. Please refrain from interfering with my actions, Ms. Miyashita.”
Maria Q had likely held back, yet Miyashita’s right arm was numb and temporarily immobilized. Clutching her right arm with her left hand as she stood, Miyashita muttered to herself:
“Does she recognize me as a human? I see! So that’s it!”
To close the distance to her pistol’s effective range, Maria Q advanced, keeping the muzzle of the gun — held in her left hand — trained directly on Yumi. Yumi, overcome by panic, could neither flee nor do anything but sit slumped on the ground, trembling.
Noticing the other girl hiding nearby, Miyashita shouted at Maria Q: “Stop it, Maria Q! That girl is a human!”
Maria Q halted her movement; without shifting the aim of the gun in her left hand by even a millimeter, she twisted her torso to turn her face toward Miyashita.
“The information I have been given is contradictory. It was the biological entity known as Yumi that ordered me to terminate the biological entity known as Yoko Tomita. Yet, Young Master Shiro told me that the biological entity responsible for terminating Yoko Tomita was ‘not human.’”
A wagon car came speeding around the street corner and screeched to a halt right beside Miyashita. The door flew open and Matsuda jumped out; he opened the rear hatch and helped Shiro, who was in a wheelchair, get out.
Shiro propelled his wheelchair forward, staring at Maria Q with trembling lips. He seemed to have grasped the situation through the conversation relayed from Miyashita’s smartphone to Matsuda’s.
“Stop it, Maria! Correct the information! That girl is a human!”
Bands of light flashed dazzlingly within Maria Q’s eyes. She shifted the muzzle of the pistol in her left hand away from Yumi.
“Information corrected; data overwrite complete. Target recognized as human.”
Maria Q reported this in a flat, emotionless tone, as if nothing unusual had happened. Shiro shouted, tears streaming down his face.
“Why did you kill Ms. Tomita? Maria, please — stop hurting me!”
Bands of light swirled rapidly within Maria Q’s eyes once more. After a few seconds, she spoke to Shiro.
“Order understood. Executing order.”
Maria Q raised her left hand again, pressing the muzzle against her own head.
With a sharp crack, a bullet tore into the side of her head, near the base of her neck. Then another shot rang out, followed by yet another.
As she fired bullet after bullet into her own head, Maria Q’s monotone voice echoed through the air.
“Three Laws of Robotics, First Law: A robot may not injure a human being or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm…”
Bullets gouged out chunks of Maria Q’s neck, and sparks began to fly from the exposed machinery. Her voice suddenly dropped in pitch and began to stutter and break up.
“Must… not… inflict… harm… upon… humans…”
The ammunition ran out, leaving the automatic pistol’s slide locked in the rear position. Maria Q’s entire head was torn from her torso; it fell to the ground and rolled down.
Shiro, who had been watching in a daze, drove his wheelchair forward with all his might, heading toward Maria Q’s head. The wheels caught on a bump in the road, and Shiro was thrown forward out of the chair.
Dragging himself along the ground with his arms, Shiro reached Maria Q’s head; he cradled it — her eyes still wide open — and wailed.
“Maria! Maria! Maria! Why? Why is this happening? Why did it have to come to this? Aaaah… uwaaaah!”
That night, as the clock neared midnight, Miyashita finished submitting her report and presented herself at the desk of the Public Security Mobile Investigation Unit commander. Without even reading the report, the commander slammed it down beside his desk and ordered Miyashita:
“Hand over your police badge, handcuffs, and service pistol. I’m taking them into custody. Right now.”
Miyashita silently removed his suit jacket and placed the items on the commander’s desk one by one. The commander spoke to her in a flat, emotionless tone.
“Negligent handling of your service weapon and unauthorized use of a wiretap. Normally, this would warrant disciplinary dismissal, but you did prevent a second murder. Taking that into account, you’ve been given a ten-day suspension. Get your act together!”
Miyashita saluted silently, executed a sharp about-face, and turned to leave the commander’s office. As she walked away, the commander spoke — almost as if talking to himself.
“What you do or where you go while suspended is your own business, but I’d like to know your whereabouts. Let’s see … it would save me some trouble if you will spend your time hanging around a university laboratory somewhere.”
Miyashita turned and bowed deeply to the commander.
On Monday morning, three days later, Miyashita was getting ready at home to head to the Watari Lab.
She put on a dress shirt and suit trousers, then reached for her pistol holster — only to realize it wasn’t there.
“Oh, right. Habit is a funny thing.”
After a moment of thought, she took the matching suit skirt off the hanger in her closet.
“I’ve only worn this once since I bought it. Well, a change of pace is nice now and then.”
Dressed in the matching suit — jacket and skirt — and wearing unusually high heels, Miyashita walked across the campus toward the Watari Lab.
Catching a glimpse of her reflection in a building’s window along the way, she felt a sudden, buoyant lift in her spirits.
As she walked along the path bordering the shrubbery, she spotted a familiar figure on a bench: Professor Hyodo. He noticed her too and called out to her.
They sat down side by side on the bench. Professor Hyodo, looking utterly haggard, began to speak.
“I’ve just come from paying my greeting to Professor Watari. It looks like I’ll be resigning from my university.”
Miyashita spoke apologetically.
“I am so sorry I couldn’t be of more help.”
“No, you did a fine job. Without your quick thinking, there would have been another victim. Tell me, Ms. Miyashita … could I get your opinion on something? About Maria Q.”
“Oh, but I’m no expert in robotics or anything like that…”
“No, actually, I want to hear the opinion of a layperson — someone who isn’t an expert. Experts sometimes overlook things precisely because of their expertise. What do you think the Maria Q system was missing?”
“This is just my personal impression, of course.”
“That’s fine. Please, speak freely.”
“I believe Maria Q was perfect. But there was one thing that wasn’t.”
“Now, hold on — even for a layperson’s opinion, that’s a contradiction. It was perfect, yet not perfect? What exactly wasn’t perfect?”
“It was us — we humans — that weren’t perfect.”
Professor Hyodo audibly gasped. Miyashita continued.
“As a police officer, I’ve seen a lot of the dark side of humanity — the negative aspects of people. Maria Q was an android that gathered information and made judgments based on the words and actions of the people around it, right?”
“You don’t mean…”
“It judged whether the bipedal animal standing before it was ‘human or not’ based on what the people around it said. So, what if the people around it spoke about or treated specific individuals as if they weren’t human?”
“If that were the case, it would mean the AI’s very programming was flawed.”
Professor Hyodo, enraged, instinctively stood up; Miyashita remained seated and spoke in a calm, quiet tone.
“No matter how perfect robots might be, are we — human beings — perfect enough to demand ethically correct behavior from a machine?”
Left speechless, Professor Hyodo slumped back down onto the bench. Miyashita stood up, bowed to the professor, and walked away along the campus path.
Behind her, she could hear Professor Hyodo letting out a cry of anguish: “Uwaaaaaa!”
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うわあ…第15話、一気に読んじゃった。マリアQが三原則に従って行動した結果、人間の「言葉」を真に受けすぎて悲劇が起きちゃったのがすごく切なかった。最後の「人間が不完全だから」って結論にグッときたわ。アンドロイドは完璧でも、こっちが不完全だとどうしようもないって現実を突きつけられた感じ。アクションも良かったし、感情揺さぶられる回だった。続きが気になる！
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