(beeps and screens popping up)

Tae:

(makes a concerned sigh)

Aoba:

How is it, Granny?

Tae:

Hmm…there doesn’t seem to be anything wrong with his readings, but…

Aoba:

(makes a pained sound)

Tae:

Hmm…you, show me your right hand.

Clear:

Eh?

Tae:

Hurry up.

Clear:

Ah…yes…

Tae:

Open and close it.

(Clear does so, but with audible effort)

Aoba:

Oh…

Tae:

As I thought. It’s hard to move your right hand, isn’t it?

Clear:

That’s not really…right now I’m just a little flustered…

Tae:

For how long?

Clear:

…Since a week ago…

Aoba:

Eh?

Tae:

Honestly you…you can’t see properly out of your right eye either, can you? You can’t hear out of your right ear either, can you?

Aoba:

Ah–

Clear:

Yes.

Aoba:

That’s–

Tae:

At any rate, this is something we should look into in more detail. Clear, get ready to head out. We’re going to visit the man who fixed you. He has all sorts of specialized equipment.

Clear:

Yes…

Aoba:

Granny, I’ll come too.

Tae:

Hm? Then hurry up and get ready.

Aoba:

Yeah.

Tae:

I’m going to give him a call now. (she leaves)

Clear:

Ah…um…Aoba-san. I’m all right, so please don’t worry over me so much. I’m sure we’ll fix it quickly.

Aoba:

(makes a pained sound) Idiot.

Clear:

Aoba-san…

Aoba:

(chokes down tears)

~interlude~

(beeps and computer screens loading and running programs)

Tae:

Hmm…

Researcher:

Hmm…this is…

Aoba:

Granny, is Clear all right?

Tae:

Originally, Clear was designed with a self-recovery function. You know that, right?

Aoba:

Yeah…

Tae:

His self-recovery function would repair injuries to his body or system errors as the need arose. Additionally for Clear, or rather, for models of this series, they’re unable to strike their registered master or models of the same series. However, Clear destroyed his own key lock and defied that system. When his key lock was destroyed his self-recovery function was interrupted. In its place, a self-destruction program began to operate.

Aoba:

Ah…

Tae:

When we repaired Clear’s body that had been damaged by the self-destruction program we fixed the self-recovery function as well. However, we were unable to perfectly restore Clear’s body. We were unable to completely repair his right eye and ear that were damaged when he destroyed his key lock. It seems that there’s been a malfunction in his self-recovery function in that area.

Aoba:

A malfunction?

Researcher:

When we repaired Clear-kun’s body, when it came to parts on the surface or the parts that were damaged to a slight degree, we compensated for that by transplanting skin and parts from the alphas of the same series. As for his right eye and right ear, they were smashed to a point that they were almost completely destroyed. It was possible that we could have used the Alphas’ parts as a substitution, but there were certain conditions to that. Additionally, because of the plan to limit the restoration points to the necessary minimum, we didn’t perform a complete restoration. In the end, his self-restoration process tried in vain to restore his right eye and ear and this caused a malfunction.

Aoba:

That’s…why did you limit the restoration points to the necessary minimum?

Tae:

We wanted to try to leave Clear with his own parts as much as possible.

Aoba:

Ah…

Tae:

If you think of him as a machine, it would’ve been best to substitute the alpha’s parts in, but his body is his own to the end.

Aoba:

Granny…

Researcher:

To completely restore Clear’s right ear and right eye would involve switching out all the parts involved with his eyes and ears and his entire self-restoration process with an Alpha’s parts. However, the chance of a successful restoration using this method isn’t very high. The more successful prospect is to take Clea-kun’s, well, all parts of his body save for his human brain, and replace them with an Alpha’s body.

Aoba:

With an Alpha’s body…?

Tae:

At the time of his repair it didn’t present that big of a problem. We determined that it wasn’t to a level where it would cause a hindrance to starting life anew like normal. We would just take a look at his progress for the time being. However, it looks like it really was no good.

Aoba:

Ah…

Tae:

This isn’t immediate, but if we leave it as it is now, someday Clear will be unable to move. We’ll have to make our move before that.

Aoba:

But that means…we’d have to switch…Clear’s body…with an Alpha’s body?

Tae:

That’s how it is. Otherwise, even though the possibility of success is much lower, we could limit ourselves to only replacing the necessary parts. If we do that, Clear’s body will largely remain the same.

Aoba:

But…the probability of success is lower…if we fail it’s all…for nothing, isn’t it?

Tae:

Yeah.

Aoba:

(sighs) If we don’t do something, Clear…won’t be able to move someday.

Tae:

That’s right.

Aoba:

I…don’t want that. But…Clear said it himself, right? There’s an important significance in the fact that Granny left him his own body. For Clear, staying in his original body is really important. I think that too. That body has…the scars of the time when he saved me…the scars that prove Clear’s bravery…there’s so many of them left there. If it’s replaced with an Alpha’s body, if they’re not there anymore, that’s…you can’t just replace something like that so easily! I want to save Clear, but… (sobs) Granny, what should I do? I…what should I say…to Clear? I…

Tae:

Aoba. I understand your agonizing desire to help Clear. But you know, the one who decides what we’ll do is Clear himself. It’s not you.

Aoba:

Ah–

Tae:

Clear’s body is worn out right now. It’s a danger to Clear himself and it’s enough to make us fearful for him. That’s why I know how it feels when you “I have to protect him,” “I have to fix him.” You’ve been looking into how to restore him here all this time, haven’t you?

Aoba:

Eh–

Tae:

You’re coming home from work late and staying up late in your room because of that too, right? I heard from Haga-san that you’ve been completely engrossed in looking up that sort of thing during your lunch breaks.

Aoba:

Ah…haha. So I’ve…been found out…I thought it’d be good if I could fix Clear on my own without having to rely on everyone. I did a lot of studying on the net and from books. I thought I’d ask someone who knew a lot about it to teach me as well. Anyway, I wanted to do what I could.

Tae:

It’s not a bad thing to feel that way. Rather, it’s quite wonderful. But you know, if you’re completely seized by that feeling, you can’t overlook what’s most important.

Aoba:

What do you mean?

Tae:

I’m asking if you’ve given enough thought to the meaning of the fact that Clear’s returned to your side. Clear returned so that he could live with you. In the same way that we live, as a human.

Aoba:

Ah…

Tae:

It’s all right to teach you what you don’t know but you shouldn’t overdo it. After this Clear needs to be able to choose and decide for himself. I told Clear that he should find a job for that very reason. There’s still a lot of things that Clear doesn’t know. He’s like a child. It’s no good to just protect that. He has to be able to stand on his own without you or me.

Aoba:

Ah…

Tae:

We won’t know how Clear feels about replacing his body with an Alpha’s unless we ask him. However, the one who decides what happens to Clear must be Clear. And then you’ll have to accept that no matter what sort of decision he makes. Even if he choses to allow his body to rot as it is.

Aoba:

Ah…Granny…

Tae:

Then, let’s wake him up. Then the two of you can have a proper talk.

Aoba:

Ah…mhm. Thank you, Granny.