Cyborgs among us

© Roman Rumyantsev, 2021

ISBN 978-5-4496-8079-2

Created with Ridero smart publishing system

FROM THE AUTHOR

The action takes place in Japan. The story tells about a schoolgirl Yuki, who looked down on people, she was a very bright and eccentric person with a cold and self-confident outlook on life. Her parents were the most famous, well-off and at the same time very sympathetic and kind, such a combination of qualities is very rare among the rich. Outside of school, Yuki meets Aoi, they become friends, not like water. Yuki did not have time to find a job after graduation, as soon as Aoi called her, congratulating her on graduation, she offered her to become a model at the agency where she worked as a manager. Aoi promised her high popularity and a lot of money, Yuki, of course, agreed. After leaving for Tokyo, at first she lived with Aoi in a luxurious, large apartment. When Yuki had already achieved great popularity and wealth, becoming the most successful and beautiful model, she forgot about her parents, and did not even answer their calls. When Yuki is invited to work for a foreign modeling agency, the most famous in the world, she receives a message that her parents are in danger and need help.

Chapter 1. Dangerous Sensei

Japan. It was 2025. A group of scientists in a closed laboratory is working on the creation of an artificial person, or rather on the creation of a girl with an artificial mind. Now people are surrounded by artificial intelligence everywhere-smart homes, garages, cars, bicycles, clothing, shops, artificial intelligence is built in everywhere, they are starting to lay asphalt with nanocoating and neon markings. People have already learned to change people in parts for health reasons – these are prostheses, arms, legs made of steel, artificial eyes, a heart, and even exoskeletons that are ten times higher than human strength.

The Japanese authorities are developing a new methodology and tactics of war with Russia, for this they want to use combat robots, as well as the commander-in-chief with AI. But for what? They need natural crystals that are needed to make super-powerful nanorobots with AI, they will become invulnerable, which will allow them to rule the world in the future. It is this natural element that is found only in Russia and is strictly protected by the government. The Russians do not yet know that they may soon be attacked by Japanese combat androids. They need to create their own heroes, but they must be something better, with some “zest”, otherwise the battle can turn into a fatal outcome for Russia. While scientists are working on creating a cyborg, the Japanese live as before: they stay up late at work, make important discoveries in the field of medicine, beauty, and technology. The rich live in luxury luxury apartments. The poor are crammed into small capsule rooms. Everything is going its own way. Anime and cosplay are the most popular in Japan. Some schoolgirls are so obsessed with them that they go to school in such an outfit. Here is just one of such cases:

– Good morning, Mom.

– Yuki, why did you get up so early?..

– I still have to catch up with my girlfriend.

– To a girlfriend?! But… you’ve never… had any…

– Exactly, it wasn’t!

– And what’s her name?”

But Yuki only replied with a grin and went upstairs to put on her “extravagantly heroic” outfit, then went downstairs to the huge kitchen.

– Where did you get this?! And you will go to school in this?!

– Exactly!

– Yuki, are you serious?!

– Absolutely!

– Well, take it off immediately! Don’t embarrass me! You’ll be kicked out of school!

– I wouldn’t think of it!

– Yuki! Yuki! Come back here!

Yuki slammed the door and went to her friend, from whom she exchanged her laptop for this brand-new bright suit, then went to school with a quick and proud gait.

In Japan, there is a practice of compulsory preschool education. Young children are sent to such educational institutions at the age of 3 years. After that, each student must pass the appropriate exams before entering the school. In primary school, children are not given any homework. However, then their number increases every year. In order for Japanese schoolgirls not to lose their knee socks, they glue them directly to their feet with glue. Students are required to wear a certain uniform. If, for example, someone decides to wear socks of the wrong color, they will be removed and confiscated. There are no cleaners in schools, since the cleaning of classrooms is on the shoulders of the students themselves. An interesting fact: to learn Japanese literacy, you need to master 2,500 letter-characters. Every child should be able to read and write in three different ways: traditional Japanese, the Japanese version of Chinese and the Latin alphabet. The beginning of the school year in Japan does not begin as we do, on September 1, but for some reason on April 6. Students are strictly forbidden to take any food with them to school. In higher educational institutions, students can choose the subjects that they are interested in at their own discretion.

At school, she does not like one male teacher who underestimates her and constantly laughs at her. His name is Kazuki Kitamura, he is thirty-seven years old. Yuki went to class, and she studied in the ninth. That teacher came into the classroom with a bell.

– Hello, who is missing today?

– Everyone is here, Sensei – everyone answered in unison.

– That’s good… today we have a special lesson.

– Yes, no… You have it. Special!

– What?! How dare you be impertinent to me, Yuki?! And what kind of strange costume are you wearing?!

– Who would say! Yuki replied with a grin.

– Get out of the classroom! Students should not come in this!

Yuki approaches the teacher.

– I won’t leave! What… will you punish me? Yuki retorted with a soft smile.

– What?! How dare you talk to a teacher like that? the teacher replied indignantly.

– If you left the question, it means that you would still punish me with a whip. Isn’t that right, Teacher? Yuki replied with an even bigger smile.

– Get out of the classroom!

– I’ll leave… But it’s high time for you to leave school! Kazuki… Kitamura!

– what?.. the teacher asked with a stunned look.

– You are mad because I ignore you and don’t even look in your direction. And because of this, you give bad grades and make fun of me. But I’m not the girl from the younger class who obeyed you and … satisfied your sexual fantasies by pleasing you!

Everyone in the class froze and opened their mouths with surprised frozen faces!

– No! What are you talking about?! I had no such thoughts!

– They won’t believe you!” Everyone already knows from today! Yuki said with a smile.

When she finished, the headmaster came into the classroom with a very strict and serious look.

– Can I talk to you for a second?

The teacher went out.

– As of today, you are dismissed!

Despite the fact that sexual consent is allowed in Japan from the age of 13, the director considered it necessary to dismiss him.

– You did a great job on him! the classmates laughed.

– Learn! Yuki said, laughing along with them.

– That old pervert! Serves him right! I see he’s been walking around too happy lately.

– By the way, where did you get such a cool costume?! her classmate asked with an astonished expression on her face.

– Yes… at a friend’s.

– Such a beautiful, chic, I need the same! Yuki burst out laughing. Now she came to school in a regular school uniform, and wore a suit only for special occasions.

– Mom, I’m home!

– Well, they didn’t kick you out of school?!

“This is still someone who kicked someone out,” Yuki thought to herself.

“No, they didn’t,” Yuki snorted.

– How is it… no…

– We have something to eat, I’m terribly hungry!

– Yes, look in the refrigerator. However, Yuki, don’t wear that stupid fancy suit anymore!

– Yeah.

– And where did you get it at all?!

Without thinking twice, Yuki answered:

– I exchanged the laptop for this thing.

– Are you crazy?! Is this the laptop that we gave you?!

– Was there some other one? Yuki replied with a smile.

– This isn’t funny, Yuki! You don’t know how to appreciate things!..

– And you and your father don’t know how to appreciate me! You are so rich that you can buy an entire island! But you don’t even care about me! Never ask me what I want, what I like, what I don’t like! You don’t even give me money for nothing!

– If we gave you a lot of money… then you would be promiscuous!

– Trust me! Promiscuity lies not in money, but in relationships and actions! Yuki reacted angrily.

The mother, after thinking about the events for a long time, said:

“Okay, Yuki, maybe I was wrong, mir?

– The world…

Yuki grew up a pedantic and eccentric girl with a cold look, looked down on everyone, was sometimes treacherous, never suffered humiliation and insults from others and always achieved what she wanted.

Their house was “super smart”, her father, Kazuhiko Kanayama, personally designed such a house, you can even say a computer house. The floors in the house are heated and activated by voice command. There is no need to plug something into the socket when it is far away or in an inconvenient place for you, you just need to bring the plug to the wall, and an outlet will immediately appear absolutely anywhere. But how does it work?! This is a very complex AI system. Special micro-cameras, proximity sensors and scanners are hidden in the walls, which scan objects and choose the optimal application for them, they are necessary without electricity. The wall object becomes transparent in order to scan any detail, then the system, recognizing the plug with the wire, triggers mechanisms in the walls that deliver the outlet, something like a transport tape in factories. In total, 15 sockets are hidden in the walls. Also, the walls can change the color of the wallpaper at the command of a voice or gestures of swiping a hand. But how?! The walls of the house are not made of wood or concrete, they are made of super-strong thick glass, billions of tiny organic LEDs are attached behind the glass, which change the wallpaper or color. You can change the brightness or turn it off altogether when necessary, for example, at night. But the ceilings are ordinary, as in ordinary apartments and houses. There are also built-in speakers with a subwoofer in the walls that play music or the voice of an AI. The house also has air regulators that make sure that the air is always clean and fresh. The house is closed and opened by a fingerprint, or you can set a password or PIN code. Everything else in the house is like in ordinary “smart” houses: temperature regulators, a security system, lights are turned on from a smartphone, electric kettles, irons, vacuum cleaners are also controlled by a smartphone.

Evening was falling, sakura was blooming, couples were walking in the parks and basking in the warm rays of the setting sun. In the city of Nagasaki, a monument was erected to an eleven-year-old boy who died during a bombing with the Americans. Every morning, the students, going to school, bowed to him. Despite the multiple losses, the city is flourishing. Despite the fact that Japan is a small country, the Japanese built an artificial island out of garbage. When night fell in Tokyo, the skyscrapers shone with thousands of colored lights, especially the advertising and the poster on them stood out. In the evening, you could go to a karaoke bar and perform your favorite song of the virtual and popular singer Hatsune Miku in Japan. In some people, you could notice an “electronic skin” – this is a kind of film with sensors made of micro-leds, which monitors the user’s health, shows the heart rate, pressure.

Yuki’s mother, Rieko Kanayama, worked as a journalist, wrote articles, took interviews and was a presenter on TV news. Once during an interview, a terrible tragedy occurred, when Rieko was interviewing a famous director of horror films, she asked: “Will there be a continuation of the series of films, because you have been releasing films under the same name for about twelve years.” He replied: “Of course, we are just starting to write the script for the last film, which will become… will become…” He felt something wrong in his condition. He was running out of air, he was almost suffocating, his eyes were starting to get dark, and everything was blurry around. Rieko was scared and asked: “Are you ill?! Can you talk?! Someone, call an ambulance! “Everyone immediately became alarmed and quickly began to call an ambulance. Then a little girl came up and said firmly loudly: The director felt his strength leaving him, an ambulance arrived and he was taken to the hospital, but soon he had a stroke in the hospital, and it was not possible to save him. Rieko was shocked by what she saw. “I don’t know if it had something to do with this girl or if it was just a coincidence…” she thought.

They had another son in the family – Hayato, he went to the third grade, and if he was “run over” by high school students, then Yuki protected him. Everyone in the family lived together. Yuki also had a grandmother, Hiroko Ichikawa, who lived on the outskirts of the city, and it was necessary to look after her, her husband died at the age of sixty-seven, then she was seventy-four years old, now she is seventy-eight. When she lost her husband, she developed a mental illness-agoraphobia, or fear of open space, with every month, year, she slowly went crazy. In terms of physical health, everything was normal for her, except that she was blind in one left eye, this eye was covered with a cloudy white shell. She had thick, long, wavy, gray, ash-colored hair. Yuki was afraid to visit her every time and reluctantly went to her to bring her pills, necessary medicines and clean up the house. She lived in an old two-story wooden house. The house was not painted and had a dark gray texture. When Yuki came again, it was cloudy and rainy weather, the sharp bare branches of trees near her house “cut” the darkened sky. It was very creepy for her to be in this house with her. Climbing the low broken stairs into the house, opening the heavy door with a terrible creak, she carefully entered. In the hallway there was a huge and dirty mirror with cracks, the house smelled musty and damp. Everything in the house creaked: floors, doors, stairs and even furniture, which was very old and nondescript. Flies were circling in the house, rats were running around. Creeping quietly into the hall along the long corridor, she could hear the white noise on the TV better with every step when there was no signal. She had a TV set from the late seventies. The walls were all scratched with something sharp. When she entered the hall, she saw her grandmother sitting with her back, and she was scribbling something on the floor with a knife. It was a hideously creepy picture. Yuki quietly approached her grandmother. Hiroko turned around sharply, seeing the pills in her outstretched hand, she froze without uttering a single word, then abruptly took the pills from Yuki and turned away, continuing to scribble on the floor with a knife and pull out clumps of her hair. Then Yuki cleaned up the house and left. Yuki hurried to her home, she could not hold back her tears. She didn’t want to eat anything, she was sick. She felt very sorry for her grandmother, and she understood that she could not be cured.

Morning. Yuki, as usual, went to school, but with a depressed mood. At school, she was popular, and they were a little afraid of her. Everyone at the school welcomed her as a great person, she was the most influential and outstanding student in the school, even the teachers obeyed her. But she wasn’t in the mood to see any of them, they were already boring her. She studied perfectly, and was always more active and bolder than others. But this time she didn’t even talk, she hid that her grandmother was mentally ill. When the teacher told the class with a smile that a new student was coming to them, he asked the students to greet him and be friendly to him. The student came in, Yuki caught his eye. He smiled at her, but she just pierced him with a desperate sharp look, ignoring his smile. She had no one and nothing to do with. After school, she came home and fell asleep, after she woke up, she still decided to eat. Her parents were still at work, and she was left alone. Misoshiru, a miso bean paste soup, was waiting for her in the refrigerator. For its preparation, soy tofu cheese, wakame seaweed and other ingredients are used. Before she could start eating, the doorbell rang. The AI system scanned the guest and displayed it on a hologram – it was her only friend outside of school with whom she exchanged things, her name was Aoi. Without getting up from her chair, she reluctantly ordered the voice assistant to open the doors for her. The doors abruptly opened from the bottom up. Aoi went to the kitchen and was glad to meet Aoi, hugging her tightly. She was four years older than Yuki. Noticing that she was upset, she asked what had happened to her. Aoi was the only one to whom she told the whole truth about her grandmother, not counting relatives. Yuki burst into tears on her chest, or, as they say, cried into her vest. She needed support, and Aoi came just in time. She calmed Yuki down and then suggested that she go somewhere to relax, forget about problems for a while. After dinner, Yuki agreed, Aoi had a car, and they went to a local bar, then went to a nightclub. Yuki got so drunk that she molested married men, but Aoi controlled her a little so that she wouldn’t do anything stupid, she wasn’t as drunk as Yuki. When Aoi drove her friend home, it was fifteen minutes to three in the morning.

– Thank you, Aoi, you are my best friend in the world! Thank you for … understanding me like no one else, you really helped me relax.

– Apply, Yuki, in any case, especially when you feel bad. I will be happy to help and support you in a difficult moment, because that’s what friends are for. Bye!

– Bye, Aoi!

Yuki got out of the car, and Aoi drove home. Yuki carefully and as quietly as possible entered the house so as not to wake her parents. She sent them a message that she was walking with a friend, she would return home late at night. Her parents took it calmly, because they felt that she needed to unwind, even though she had never drunk before and did not go to nightclubs. On the same day, she skipped school and slept until lunch. She made herself a Tamago-yaki-an omelette rolled into a roll. Tamago-yaki differs from the usual omelet in that a little soy sauce with added sugar is poured into it. Then, plopping down on a soft ottoman, Yuki began flipping through the pages of new glossy magazines about beauty and fashion, after reading the magazines, she turned on the TV, there was just showing the news, which was led by her mother. The next day, Yuki went to school, as always, she was greeted loudly and joyfully. But the new student Hitoshi did not welcome Yuki, and she did not like it. She stood in front of him and said firmly:

– Kiss my feet, Hitoshi.

– What?! What kind of nonsense are you talking about?! Hitoshi asked with a grin.

– You didn’t say hello to me!.. Yuki replied with a furious look

– And what?! I have to kiss your feet?!

– Everyone at school welcomes me, and you will have to get used to it! As a punishment, you must kiss my feet. Otherwise, you will get hurt – " Yuki warned with a long, soft smile.

– You better listen to her, otherwise she will come up with a punishment for you every day – a classmate whispered in her ear.

– Come on! Don’t keep me waiting…

He knelt down in front of her and kissed her feet, or rather, her school sandals.

– Well done. Good boy – " Yuki smiled at him.

– Aren’t you being too hard on him?” her classmate asked.

“Not at all, Chiako Kuriyama.

After school, Yuki hurried home. Her mother came home early from work that day, but her father was still at work until late.

When Yuki was having dinner, AI’s voice sounded.

– One new letter has been delivered to you.

– From whom else?..

– The sender is unknown.

Yuki, ran out of the house to look at the mailbox, read the letter.

You will still be mine, Yuki, they will come for you… and take you to my domain. If you resist… you’re finished!

After reading the letter, Yuki grinned, averting her eyes.

– What’s that letter, Yuki?” her mother asked her.

Yuki wondered who it could be from.

– Yuki?!

– Yes, Mom?

– What does the letter say?

– Probably… the door was wrong… – Yuki said worriedly.

Yuki shredded the letter and threw it in the trash so that her parents wouldn’t read it. Yuki kept wondering who the letter was from, and the letter was from Kazuki Kitamura, a teacher who was allegedly fired because of her fault. Yuki needed to visit her sick grandmother again, she was reluctant to go to her again. When Yuki got to her house, she saw that her grandmother was lying on the floor, face down. Yuki cautiously approached her. There was a pool of blood under her head. Yuki gently rolled her onto her back. She was horrified when she saw that her face was gone, as if someone had cut out her face like a mask. She screamed and ran away with tears from this damned house. Out of breath, she ran home hysterically, explaining to her mother what she had seen with a tremor in her voice. Her parents were convulsively thinking about her death. They went to her house to find out why Rieko’s mother died. They couldn’t give themselves an explanation. It was unknown whether she had killed herself, or someone had been able to kill her, but why? Yuki was hysterical for so long that she even had to call an ambulance to get a sedative injected into her. In the evening, Yuki called Aoi. Aoi invited her to visit, Yuki told her friend about the incident. Aoi was her mental “medicine” at the moment. Her speech flowed like a balm. Yuki was not herself, she could not move away from what was happening. She didn’t eat anything, didn’t sleep well, and often began to have nightmares. Aoi slowly walked over to the sideboard, reached up to the top shelf to get a bottle of expensive wine and two glasses, then in the luxurious living room, she put it on the coffee table next to the sofa in front of Yuki. She offered a little drink to her tired, exhausted girlfriend, her face was devoid of any expression, slowly nodding, she agreed to drink a couple of glasses with her beloved girlfriend. She was quietly crying, dissolving into the calm and in the light, gentle embrace of Aoi. It warmed her body and soul. Slightly drunk, Yuki was so used to her that she didn’t want to leave her. But Aoi had a husband who didn’t like guests, and she had to go home.

It was April, Yuki was entering the 10th grade. Schoolgirls change long skirts to shorter ones as they grow up, as is customary in Japanese schools. In total, there were 12 classes in schools. In the evening, Yuki and Aoi celebrated her admission to the 10th grade in the maid cafe. Maid cafes are places where you can see a waitress in a maid’s uniform, she can feed you with a spoon, you can chat with her and even play board or video games. During a noisy, cheerful conversation with Aoi at the table, Yuki’s phone vibrated, it was a message. Turning on the phone, she read the following:

Yuki, they are already close, you’d better come yourself, I’m sure… we have something to talk about. You don’t want your reputation to end. Tomorrow we will meet at the old factory, at 17: 00

This time, the sender’s name was known to Yuki, it was still the same teacher Kazuki Kitamura. Yuki’s mood immediately disappeared, and she stared thoughtfully at one point.

– Yuki?.. Everything is fine?

– No-e-e – t, – slowly and quietly pulled with her head down into the phone.

– Eh?!

– Aoi… I’m sorry… but … I’ll probably go. I need to get ready.

– To what?! Aoi waved her hands.

Yuki did not involve her friend in her showdown with the teacher, nodding to Aoi, she quickly left the cafe and got into a taxi, going home. Aoi spread her hands with a grin and stayed to finish the remaining cocktail from the straw.