The factory hands watched me go with a mix of surprise and resignation as I strolled past, a mangled android head dangling from my hand.
What? It’s not that weird, is it? ...Okay, maybe it is. Don't sweat it.
I offered a casual shrug and a wave. They hurriedly bowed and scurried back to their tasks. Nobody called me out on what I was carrying. They knew better.
The head was tucked under my arm now. Its half-shattered face remained vacant, leaking static-choked speech bubbles. Fragments of words that didn't quite form sentences spilled out.
<...where... what is... why...>
I couldn't tell who the voice belonged to, or if it was just the echo of a recording. It felt as if a broken arithmetic circuit was trapped in the middle of a dead dream.
The maintenance crew had polished the Road Stella to a mirror finish. I flicked some chips their way, and their faces lit up with joy. Sliding into the driver's seat, I placed the head gently on the passenger side. The faint scent of scorched hair and burnt metal drifted through the cabin.
It wasn't exactly a pretty sight.
"Well, whatever. Let's call it a drive-date."
I let out a dry chuckle and turned the ignition. The Road Stella’s heart roared to life, the heavy bass vibrating in my gut. I glided out of the factory and headed for the gate.
After driving for a few minutes, I activated my private line. It was a local circuit—a secure channel shared only with a handful of people. I cut the official line just to be safe.
Two rings. Three rings.
No answer.
Is she still asleep, or... Just as the thought crossed my mind, a muffled voice finally drifted through the terminal.
『...Mmm? Who’s this... the Repairman?』
The voice was low and heavy with sleep. I could hear the rasp of a late night and the lethargy of someone who hadn't had enough rest.
"Yeah. It’s me. Hey, you’re the one who told me to call."
I kept one hand on the wheel and cracked the window to let in some fresh air. The exhaust fumes helped clear the static from my head.
『...Shut up. I’m sleep-deprived. Thanks to you.』
I heard the rustle of bedding. Apparently, she was still buried under her covers.
"Not my problem," I replied flatly. "So, what do you want? I assume you didn't call just to whine."
『...Right. Yeah. There was something I needed to check. Where are you now?』
Her voice grew a bit more distant. She was likely rolling out of bed to get dressed. In my mind’s eye, I could see her—Lucia, with her messy red hair and bedhead.
"It’s actually perfect timing. I'm heading to the Upper District now. Let’s meet at your place."
The moment the words left my mouth, there was a massive crash from the other end. It sounded like a piece of furniture had been sacrificed to the floor, followed by the frantic thumping of footsteps.
『M-My place?!』 her voice cracked.
I raised an eyebrow at the reaction. "Yeah. Why?"
『W-Wait! I mean, I’m not saying you can’t come! It’s just—my room is a total disaster! I need time to clean! How about we meet after lunch?!』
I didn't know what she was panicking about. She sounded like an adolescent boy trying to hide a magazine.
"I don't mind either way... was there really that much to clean?"
『T-That's not the point! I need to prepare! Just make it after noon, okay?!』
She was so flustered she was actually out of breath. I felt a laugh bubbling up, but I was starting to feel the pangs of hunger myself.
"Fine. I’ll call you again after noon."
『Yeah, do that! Don't you dare show up early!』
She hung up abruptly, leaving the car in silence once more.
"...What is her deal?"
I tapped the steering wheel with a wry smile. Beside me, the head on the passenger seat tilted slightly.
<...where am I...?>
Was it a question directed at someone, or just an unconscious reflex? I glanced at the speech bubbles and felt my lips curl into a thin line.
"I might be about to find out exactly what you are."
I pulled a towel blanket from the back seat and draped it gently over the head, staring at the fading text for a moment longer. Then, I floored the accelerator. The crimson car slipped through the back alleys and glided toward the gate leading to the Upper District.
Two days in a row in the Upper District. The neon lights bled into a thin, morning mist, blurring the city's sharp edges. As I watched the scenery blur past, a thought occurred to me.
I should probably set up a base of operations around here soon.
Up until now, I’d just hopped between hotels and motels when I had business here, returning to the Lower District once I was done. It hadn't been inconvenient, but with how often I was coming here lately, things had changed. Having a safehouse would give me a place to go if things ever went south.
I gave the wheel a light turn and pulled into the drive-thru of a random diner. A synthetic voice gave a flat "GOOD MORNING" as the menu projected into the air. I settled on a chicken burrito. A few minutes later, I was back on the road with the warm package in hand.
I found a desolate parking lot along the way. A single, ancient streetlamp flickered nearby, its head tilted as if it had forgotten the sun was up. Surveillance was thin in this area. I parked the car and unwrapped the burrito.
The smell of sweet and spicy sauce filled the air. I took a bite. The "chicken" inside was a collection of brown, rectangular blocks—distinctly synthetic in both look and texture. It wasn't exactly gourmet, but I’d had worse.
"They could have at least tried to make it look like meat," I muttered to myself.
I scanned the area to make sure I was alone. The car's internal sensors confirmed there were no surveillance pings. To be safe, I activated a low-level jammer. A soft hum vibrated through the cabin as a weak electromagnetic field deployed. It was a habit of mine—just enough to stay off the radar without drawing attention.
"Now then..."
I pulled back the towel blanket to reveal the silent android. The speech bubbles had vanished. She looked peaceful now, as if she were merely sleeping.
I triggered my skill. A holographic window flickered into view.
[Target: High-class Hospitality Android Vira-NC Series / Saphir] [Damage Rate: 99%] [Repair?: Sufficient materials available]
"Everything looks in order."
There were no anomalies in the data. I initiated the repair, but I did it cautiously. Instead of letting the process run on autopilot, I manually throttled the progress. It was a feature I rarely used, but it allowed me to stop or resume the restoration at any moment.
A soft light rippled over the head as the scorched artificial skin began to knit itself back together. Polymer structures mimicking cellular fibers intertwined, mending the warped mechanical components. The sound of metal groaning and the faint clicks of internal units filled the car. It was like watching a dead thing slowly find its breath again.
The damage on the right side vanished. An eye was fitted into its socket—a glass-like orb that caught the light with a faint blue shimmer. Then came the protective coating, the outer shell, and finally... the hair.
Pale, azure hair swayed gently in the still air of the car. Despite the mechanical nature of her body, the sight was hauntingly lifelike.
I halted the repair there. The power core wasn't restored yet, meaning she couldn't move or speak.
But something was wrong.
I leaned in, staring intently at the restored face. It wasn't the "perfect customer-service smile" I’d seen back at Cordeaux’s shop. There was a softness to it—something delicate and fleeting.
No. I knew this face.
The hum of the car seemed to fade into the background as a memory surfaced from the back of my mind.
"...Cecily?"
The name escaped my lips before I could stop it. The android remained silent, eyes closed. But those features—aside from the pale blue hair, there was no mistaking it.
It was the girl I had treated yesterday. Lucia’s sister, Cecily Rainburg.
I stared at her in the silence, reaching out to touch her cheek. The cool, artificial skin told me exactly what she was, but my mind was already racing to find the connection.