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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Simzy
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I slowly looked around.
“The elevator has stopped, and the power is out.”
I turned my head and looked at Eve again.
“……It really wasn’t you, right?”
“It really was not.”
Hmm.
No matter how much Eve was the world’s most outstanding artificial intelligence, and had, unlike an AI, acquired some emotions.
It was rare for her to lie to me.
It must have been a truly sudden accident.
In fact, come to think of it, there was a much more likely candidate than Eve.
“It must have been the work of that Luddite group.”
“That is highly probable.”
…….
But the timing really was suspicious.
As if she was embarrassed to hold my arm even in a place where others were watching, Andrea, who had instantly released her arm from mine, muttered from my side.
“Then is it a hack?”
At those words, Eve shook her head.
“As a result of my current check, it has been determined that there is a physical problem with the power line. The auxiliary generator is in the same situation, so the probability of normal recovery is very low.”
Well, it was typical for a huge facility like this to have an ’emergency power system.’
Seeing as the power had not been restored even now, the possibility of a terror attack was the highest.
For now….
I nonchalantly checked my visual interface.
Thankfully, the signal was not cut off.
I operated my visual interface while at the same time questioning Eve.
“Catherine is upstairs too, right?”
“That is correct.”
Andrea had said yesterday that she had given the audience seats to Catherine and Eve.
Since Eve was here too, Catherine must have come along as well.
It was a rational inference.
I made a call to Catherine.
“Hello?”
[Uh, Shiun? Where are you? The lights are all out here, so people are in a total panic.]
It seemed the situation upstairs was the same as here.
I calmly continued the call.
“We just arrived, we’re in the basement, and the situation is the same here. It’s pitch black without a single light. Anyway, let’s meet up and talk. We’ll go there.”
[Okay.]
I ended the call after a short conversation.
…….
By the way, the elevator had stopped.
‘How long is it going to take to climb the stairs.’
“Phew.”
I let out a light sigh.
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A dark space where all the light had disappeared.
A man was communicating on a radio.
“How are things over there?”
[This front is over too.]
Another person’s voice was heard from the other end of the radio.
The man, who had nodded to himself at the answer, pressed the button on the radio and replied again.
“Confirmed, the finishing touches are done on this side too. The dome’s power is now in a blackout state. Recovery?”
[Absolutely impossible.]
“Good, everything is not for the dream of machines, but.”
[…for the dream of humans.]
The man, a member of the Neo-Luddite group, who had finished the short slogan, slowly continued his thoughts.
‘This will deliver the message.’
The reason the man had infiltrated as a staff member, hiding his identity, and had worked hard to gain trust was all for this very moment.
‘…Now all I have to do is get out.’
There was no problem with the escape plan either.
A space where the light had disappeared. The confusion of the people was bound to be maximized.
If there was no power, a performance was also impossible.
It was not a very difficult thing for the man and his colleagues to slip out, taking advantage of the confusion of the audience.
[Wait, someone is coming through the line—.]
Static.
With a loud noise, the words of his colleague from over the radio were cut off.
At the sudden cutoff of his colleague’s voice, the man pressed the button on the radio and shouted.
“Number 3, Number 3! What happened!”
There was no answer from his colleague, Number 3.
Rather.
[…This is Number 2! Everyone, disconnect immediatel—.]
[This is Number 4! Currently, communication with Number 2, 3, 5, and 6 has all been terminat—.]
[What, what is this!!]
Only the screams of his other colleagues were heard.
The man felt a cold sweat run down his forehead. Even at this very moment, the sound of screams was being transmitted through the radios his colleagues were holding.
Soon, all the colors that had been displayed on the radio lit up in red. This meant that the connection with everyone had been severed.
‘We were using an enclosed network, so there should have been no fear of being tracked…?’
But that was the reality now.
It was clear that if a little more time passed, he himself would also be tracked.
The man, who had thought that far, dropped the radio on the floor. He immediately stomped on the radio to stop the signal. It was a movement close to instinct.
However,
[Confirmed. You are the last.]
“……What did you say?”
The man’s memory ended there.
It did not take that long for the entire Neo-Luddite group that had infiltrated the dome to be silenced.
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“Successfully tracked the Neo-Luddite group, successfully neutralized all personnel.”
“…It’s only been 30 seconds since you said it?”
“To be precise, it is 26.7 seconds.”
“……”
It seemed there was no existence that could hide from Eve, the ‘deus ex machina’ of cyberpunk.
Putting aside the fact that I was flustered because it was faster than I thought, it was true that one of my worries had been reduced.
But even so, Eve could not solve all the problems.
The physically severed power was the biggest problem.
The famous singers were all left sucking their thumbs, and as a result, the audience began to shout for a refund of their credits, and according to the news that had come through Andrea, the company had expressed its intention to just throw in the towel.
In a word, it was a mess.
I asked Eve first.
“…It’ll be hard to restore the power, right?”
“Physical problems cannot be solved with the abilities of this AI.”
‘Well, that’s true.’
To be honest, if she could have solved even this, I would have created something like an ‘Eve Cult’ and prayed.
Catherine said, scratching her head.
“I heard some of the talk around here, and they say it’s just a bust today.”
“I can see it’s a bust too.”
“No, it’s not just that.”
Catherine briefly continued her explanation.
Although the hallway was lit by makeshift lights they had gotten from somewhere, it was said that there were still many people trapped in the parking lot.
Finally, Catherine pointed to the ceiling and the stage.
“Even if they restore everything else, they said it’s absolutely impossible for the stage-related lighting and equipment because they consume too much power.”
“Who said so?”
“The lighting person.”
Since it was an expert’s opinion, it had more credibility.
‘At this point, it seems better not to perform at all.’
The problem was that even if they somehow restored it and started the performance, the music and lights could go out in the middle.
‘…Is there no way?’
I thought for a short moment.
Andrea smiled gently at me.
“No, it’s okay. This is a surprisingly common thing.”
“……”
“It’s true, and besides, I can just sing the song at the next concert.”
“……”
“…Aren’t you going to say something?”
“Ah, just thinking for a moment.”
Seeing Andrea’s troubled look, I wanted to find another way even more.
‘How can we continue the performance?’
I wasn’t even hoping for a complete normalization.
I would be satisfied if the audience could just enjoy it, and if Andrea could sing comfortably.
‘…Stage, lighting, equipment.’
Hmm.
“Hey, Andrea.”
“…Yeah?”
“How about this way?”
I whispered my opinion in Andrea’s elf ear in a small voice.
Soon, Andrea looked at me and said,
“……I’m fine with it, but are you sure you’ll be okay?”
“I’ll have to try first. If it really doesn’t seem like it will work, I’ll just be a human battery.”
However, that was the last resort.
After getting Catherine and Eve’s understanding, I moved with Andrea to find an official.
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[lololol serves you right lol the concert is a bust, right?]
I was pushed back to a waiting number of 1 million lol.
It was a relief I failed at getting a ticket lolololololol kyah
ㅡ I politely curse your mother
ㄴ lololol are you mad? (OP)
[Neo-Luddites are fucking bitches]
(Picture of a dark venue)
I came to see Andrea’s performance!!!!
You should have just taken out the other mechanical-voiced bastards, why did you have to ruin the concert itself!!!!!!!
ㅡ Turn up the brightness, I can’t see the picture
ㅡ Title, dancing black people
ㄴ Your racism is at the orc level
ㄴ Please stop the orc hate
ㅡ lol they said the lights went out, I guess it’s true
ㄴ You really can’t see anything (OP)
[(New news) they say they’re just starting the performance?]
what?
ㅡ I guess they’re just going to sing lol
ㅡ lolol crazy for credits lol it seems they don’t want to give a refund lolololololol
ㅡ Anyway, since they’re performing, I’ll go and see (OP)
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On top of the stage, covered in shadow.
One by one, small lights began to appear.
The lights that had appeared in the air gradually grew in size and illuminated the surrounding stage in an instant.
It did not take long for the gazes of the noisy audience to all gather on the stage.
As the growing flames stopped, at the same time, the figure of the ‘MC’ ‘flying in the air’ appeared on the stage.
His movements were very natural for someone hanging by a wire.
He roamed all over the stage as if he were really flying, and the MC himself also had a wide smile on his lips as if he were enjoying it.
The MC, who had been flying around in the air for a few laps, slowly descended onto the stage.
《First of all, I would like to apologize for the problem that had occurred! You have waited a long time! Everyone! At this time! In this place! I will now announce the start of the ‘Iron Heart Festival’!》
“Waaaaaaaaah!!!”
The loud cheers of the people echoed noisily inside the dome.
As if in response to the cheers of the people, the flames that had been decorating the stage began to grow even larger.
More than a normal spotlight, a strong impact captured the people’s attention.
…….
And I, from behind the stage.
“The lights here! Forward, forward!! I said move them forward! No, a little slower!”
“Raise the MC’s position! No, if you raise it from there, his head will hit the lights! Is anyone planning on cleaning up a corpse?!”
“By any chance, can you make our singer float in the air too? We will compensate you fully!”
I was using magic while being grabbed by the collar by the lighting manager, the stage director, or the manager of another singer. I felt like I was being harassed as Dobby.
‘My concentration is dropping, you humans.’
‘No, don’t cover it.’
“Ah, move a bit! I can’t see!”
“Now! Red lights! Quickly!!”
But they were also just being faithful to their assigned duties.
Hearing the death-cry-like scream of the lighting manager, I slowly changed the color of the light to red.
I had said I would do it, but I should have just stayed still.
“……”
Well, still.
It wasn’t such a bad feeling to help all these audience members and staff, even if it meant I had to suffer a little.
“Brighter!!”
I thought quietly, wiping the director’s spit that had splattered on my face.
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