Editing Amaryllis in the Ice Country:Chapter 7 (section)

===Part 11===

It feels like a dam is burst.

After that, there’s a clear decline in number of people who clearly voice their support for ‘humanity to continue surviving’, while those supporting ‘wiping out humanity’ have increased in numbers. Just a moment ago, everyone was unwilling to say such a guilty thing, to not ‘wipe out humanity’, but once Viscaria Acanthus, a prominent person in the village, helped give a nudge, it seemed there was an atmosphere where they can all say whatever they want.



<strong>“I have lost my vision. If possible, I want to look at everyone’s faces again. If I can obtain proper parts, I will be able to see the light of day again. Please allow me to regain my parts from the Snow White.” </strong>



<strong>“Our child here can’t move the legs. My parts can’t get him moving. But, if the parts from the Snow White are available, this child will be able to walk again. Please, allow this child to.” </strong>



<strong>“My husband has been sleeping since twenty years ago. If the parts from the Snow White are available.” </strong>



Due to ‘extraction’, the villagers lost parts of their bodies, unable to move their limbs freely, started to worry about their family’s health, or lost their lovers. There are all kinds of thoughts expressed, but the villagers convey all their wishes, and have a common mindset. Sobbing can be heard from the arena, and even I, listening from far away, can’t help but feel the same as I think of the suffering everyone feels.

Once thirty people finish their speech, a break is called at the meeting.

At this point, the atmosphere at the arena is completely different from before. The side supporting the notion that humans are to live on has completely vanished, while more than half of them support wiping out humanity, increasingly riled up.

—This is bad.

Two hours have passed, and I remain short-circuited. I remain prone on the icy ground, tormented by anxiety and helplessness.

If this keeps up, the proposal to wipe out humanity will be passed. Chief will press the ‘switch’ that’s prepared, and the Snow White will be ruined forever. By that time, it will be too late, and even if we do regret, we won’t be able to wake up our masters again. I finally managed to find a third route where both humans and robots can coexist—

—Move…!

I pray, I earnestly pray.

—Move, my body!

Restart, force stop, emergency reset, insert backup work-in—I tried every single method, but my body is unable to react.

My consciousness fades from time to time. Whenever a short-circuit longs for a long time, I’ll be forced to shut off all functions in order to protect the Mind Circuit. If that happens, everything will be for naught. The path where humans and robots can work together to survive, and move into the future; that will disappear forever.

—Ahh.

The world before my eyes get increasingly darken.

—Time…ah, ah.

My visual installation is forcefully shut down, and I’m unable to see anything. The end is near.

The voices from the arena become increasingly distant. Someone is calling for humanity to be wiped out. That voice becomes increasingly fleeting, and finally vanishes.

—No, this isn’t it…listen to me, everyone. We, don’t have to fight, like that…at…all…

The moment my consciousness blacks out,

I see a light.

A blue light shines in the bottom of the darkness, and the sand before my eyes crumble.

—What?

I sense a figure opposite the sand appear before me, and my consciousness is cut off.