NIKKE, When the Milky Way Blossoms

She was completely manipulated by a human male she had only met for less than half an hour...

Anik couldn't understand how the other party could see through his identity just because of a discrepancy in one sentence.

Who exactly is artificial intelligence?

"Don't you want to prolong the lifespan of the human race, Mr. Phoenix?"

She was unwilling to give up. Based on her secret observations and summaries of the Ark humans over the years, the reason of "extending the lifespan of the human population" was an irresistible temptation for both those who were afraid of death and those who were not.

So this man has no reason to refuse her! Nor should he threaten her with running away!

Taking this AI along on our escape would be like adding wings to a tiger!

She really didn't want to stay on this underground ark for even a second longer!

Just watching that imposter get bossed around by that idiot every day was driving her crazy!

"I said, before we think about running away, shouldn't we have a proper, open conversation?"

Upon hearing the words of a certain unscrupulous commander, Anik, not wanting to be manipulated any further, immediately became extremely alert and said warily:

"What do you want to know? As the AI ​​that guards the Ark, I have the right to remain silent on any questions involving classified central files."

"Don't worry, it's not about Ark," the lieutenant said with a smile.

"More than all that mess with the Ark, I'd like to know what's really going on with you."

……

……

laugh--

The triple alloy gates of the server room slowly rotated and opened.

Upon hearing the noise, Ingrid, who was standing guard at the door, slowly turned around and stared at the man who walked out from behind the door. She spoke with her usual demanding expression:

"Anik's sentence has been handed down. He assaulted officers of the Central Command, causing one officer to suffer a level one disability and another to suffer a level two disability."

He was transferred to a reformatory for first-degree solitary confinement interrogation. After the interrogation, he was placed in first-degree confinement at the reformatory for three months, received psychological counseling for six months, and was under 24-hour surveillance for twelve months.

If a passerby didn't know what kind of place the rehabilitation center was, they might think that Phoenix must have someone protecting him.

But Ingrid knew very well that Anick’s series of calls showed no mercy to Phoenix, and could even be described as harsh.

Interrogation in solitary confinement at the rehabilitation center.

Let alone a human being, even someone like Nikki, who has NIMPH to suppress her emotions, could develop mental problems during solitary interrogation.

Thank you for your notification.

On the other hand, Phoenix, who had already been informed of the news by Anick, did not feel that anything was wrong.

He genuinely didn't know what Level 1 Confinement meant, because the game's storyline didn't seem to mention anything about it.

Seeing someone's ignorant and fearless demeanor, Ingrid's eyebrows rose even higher.

"Remember, if you can come out of that place healthy and well, don't do it again."

If anyone causes you trouble again, you can try to notify Anderson or me, or even Mastine in Tetra.

Because you treated his employee Niki well, he also had a good impression of you. He'll naturally help you if he can.

After the woman finished speaking, she paused for a moment and then added a sentence.

“I will try to help you reduce your sentence. Although your personality does not meet my expectations, your abilities should not be wasted in the rehabilitation center.”

"Actually, I feel the same way."

Phoenix, still in the mood for a joke, nodded and solemnly agreed.

Ingrid was genuinely surprised by his flippant attitude and playful reply, but upon further reflection, she realized there was nothing to be surprised about.

A man who broke through Lecher's encirclement twice certainly had the right to look down on the rehabilitation center without knowing the truth.

“Commander Phoenix, I sincerely hope that you will maintain this optimistic attitude during the lockdown.”

……

……

Ninety minutes later,

Rehabilitation Center, Level 1 Detention Area.

The alloy fence of the public activity area emitted a dull motor sound as a young man in prison uniform, wearing sturdy magnetic handcuffs and leg irons, stepped into the prison area with a resounding thud.

Having just been washed and disinfected in the shower room, the young man's skin still had a rosy glow that hadn't faded, and his black hair was blown about by the hot air blower, resembling a pile of straw swaying in the wind.

Newcomer.

A word that hadn't been mentioned in a long time suddenly appeared in the minds of more than a dozen prisoners.

Whether old or young, kind or vicious, all the prisoners stared intently at the young newcomer's face, like children seeing a superhero in the real world.

Thirty-six hours.

Inside the cell, a one-eyed man chuckled, squeezing his gaunt face into the gaps in the cell bars, making his already protruding eyeballs appear even more ferocious and terrifying.

"I bet thirty-six hours, half a meal."

No sooner had he finished speaking than people in other cells immediately raised their bets.

Thirty-six, half a meal.

"Thirty-eight, half a meal."

Thirty-eight, for one meal.

"Forty..."

As the bidding intensified, a bizarre scene unfolded.

Despite the presence of two heavily armed prison guards and six mass-produced Nikkis on the scene, the prisoners seemed oblivious, reaching their hands out of the alloy bars like little devils from hell, excitedly waving their arms at Phoenix.

"Are they always like this?"

Upon arriving, Phoenix curiously scanned his surroundings. Perhaps because the scene was so artistic, he found it hard to believe that the prisoners had acted voluntarily.

Could they be actors hired specifically to scare prisoners?

Unfortunately, the prison guards on either side of him ignored his question and instead nudged his back with the muzzle of their guns, signaling him to continue walking forward.

After passing through a dimly lit short corridor, Phoenix finally arrived at the end of the corridor, in a strange room containing a huge spherical device, but surrounded by empty space.

Looking at the crack in the spherical device, one's intuition tells them that this thing is probably the real interrogation room.

as predicted.

The prison guards' subsequent actions confirmed his idea.

When the narrow door of the spherical device is opened, all that comes into view is an alloy restraint chair standing in the center.

Neatly arranged black woven straps hung down in various positions on the restraint chair, numbering at least twenty. Judging from the texture, Phoenix believed that these straps were made of extremely tough fiberglass.

“This room is being monitored 24 hours a day. If you want to confess, you can just shout, and someone will talk to you.”

"Ok."

Phoenix responded and actively cooperated with the prison guards in binding himself to the restraint chair, causing the two guards to look at him with a hint of apprehension.

They struggle, but to be honest, they're not afraid at all. If they're locked up for two or three days, they'll immediately become as obedient as dogs.

Those who don't struggle are rare, but you can usually encounter three or four a year. Most of them are indeed ruthless characters, and those who are still gambling outside are basically the remnants of this group.

As for those prisoners who actively cooperated with them...

If you look at the historical archives of the rehabilitation center, you'll find that every single one of them was either antisocial or mentally ill.

pat.

A click was heard from behind the seat, and a nutrient needle with a plastic tube was removed by a prison guard and skillfully inserted into Phoenix's forearm vein.

“Commander Nikki, Second Lieutenant of the Military District, Mr. Phoenix. We need all your call logs with the pilgrim codenamed ‘Snow White’.”

After saying this as is customary, the two prison guards led the six mass-produced Nikis out of the spherical interrogation room.

As the narrow gate closed, Phoenix once again experienced the absolute darkness and absolute silence that he had just experienced not long ago.

One hour……

Two hours...

Four hours...

Eight hours...

In the darkness and silence, an indescribable loneliness silently seeped into the ocean of thought, beginning to try to strip away the consciousness of one's own existence.

So this is what Level 1 solitary confinement is?

No wonder Ingrid said she "didn't want her abilities to be wasted in the rehabilitation center." Let alone an active person, even a sloth would probably go crazy if locked up here for a few days.

Phoenix thought to himself that he had endured a full fourteen hours, twenty-eight minutes, and thirty-two seconds.