Tenebrous Wolf
Chapter 57: Star Tree Diagram

Chapter 57: Star Tree Diagram

Ultimately, the two couldn’t settle on a proper name for the cat, so they decided to postpone the naming ritual. Klaus couldn’t help but feel a little worried as there was a real chance they’d never decide on a name later, and Yuki might actually end up naming the cat "Later" or something equally atrocious!

It seemed the cat was lucky to have fallen into his hands. Well, perhaps not so lucky, considering there was already a larger and fiercer cat dwelling within the confines of his dorm room.

What kind of incident would unfold when two cats faced off against each other? That thought made Klaus feel sluggish.

Sighing, he continued to walk along the road under the evening sky while carrying the cat in his arms. Floating in that evening sky was the still blimp, displaying a different piece of news. It might seem old-fashioned, but the blimp was an ecological craft powered by solar energy, using a heater to warm carbon dioxide for lift and spinning a large motor for thrust, therefore, eliminating the need for fuel.

Unlike advanced aero vehicles that used high-density plasma thrusters or quantum propulsion, blimps remained a relic of the past, albeit one that had found its niche in an era increasingly obsessed with sustainability. Klaus found himself staring at the glowing screen, momentarily distracted by the scrolling headlines.

While doing so, the cat within his arms shifted and let out a small but insistent meow.

"Yeah, yeah, I get it. You’re more interested in food than whatever mystery is unfolding up there," Klaus muttered, adjusting his grip. The cat curled slightly against his chest, clearly settling in for the ride.

With a sigh, he then muttered under his breath:

"I really hate that blimp."

"Why is that so?"

Perhaps his voice was more audible than he expected because Yuki turned her head at him and raised that question.

Still wearing that expressionless look, she stated with her usual monotone voice:

"If I recall correctly, the Sanctuary’s board of directors had authorised the usage of those blimps because they serve as a cost-effective surveillance and emergency broadcasting system."

Klaus scoffed.

"Yeah, and yet all they ever do is cycle through useless news reports and corporate propaganda. Tell me, when was the last time one of those things actually did something helpful?"

Yuki blinked and tilted her head slightly as if processing his words.

"During the Blackout Crisis last year, they relayed evacuation orders when the primary communication network failed. Doesn’t that count?"

"Okay, fine. I guess that counts. But most of the time, they just float around, taking up space and reminding me how much I hate staring at the sky."

"I fail to see how the sky is at fault here."

"Never mind, that’s just part of the reason. The main reason I hate that blimp is because it constantly gives off the impression that humanity is being controlled by a machine. What was it called again? I believe it was Star Tree Diagram...ah, right," Klaus said bitterly, as if spitting out something that had annoyed him for the longest time.

On the other hand, Yuki simply stared at his face, as though deciding whether she should give an appropriate response or just remain silent.

Despite its name, Star Tree was the world’s most advanced supercomputer and completely unrelated to any celestial growth metaphor. Simply put, it was the ultimate simulator, originally created under the pretext of being the perfect weather forecaster.

Weather forecasting may sound mundane, but it was an inherently uncertain field. Predictions could be made, but not declared as absolute fact. The movements of air particles that created "weather" were incredibly complex, tangled in the chaos of the butterfly effect and quantum mechanics. While one could say there was an 80% chance of rain tomorrow, one could not declare with certainty that it would rain at exactly 8: 00 AM the next day.

However, Star Tree had turned weather forecasting into weather prediction.

It wasn’t doing anything particularly mysterious; at least, not on the surface. If it could perfectly analyze the movements of every air particle across the globe, it could reach only one possible conclusion: an undeniable, deterministic future.

Star Tree had the absurd computational power to achieve that, but some speculated that its role in weather forecasting was merely a front and that its true purpose lay elsewhere.

Incidentally, there was one irregularity in Star Tree’s forecasts.

It calculated the weather for an entire month in single setting.

There was no real issue with this, as its accuracy remained flawless, but the approach seemed excessive. After all, next month’s weather was far more unpredictable than tomorrow’s. If accuracy were truly the goal, recalculating the forecast daily would have been the more logical approach.

But the strangest part of all this was that the method Star Tree used to calculate the necessary data remained unknown. Some researchers speculated that it derived its information through biochemical reactions, physiological responses, electrical impulses, or even more obscure mechanisms. However, others dismissed such ideas, deeming the creation of a drug or system capable of such complex computations nearly impossible and impractical. The notion that mere chemical reactions could process the staggering volume of data required for Star Tree’s predictions was often regarded as nothing more than science fiction. Even the most advanced quantum computers struggled to match its calculation power, fueling wild theories ranging from classified government experiments to outright supernatural phenomena.

Yet, despite all the speculation, no one had ever been able to prove how Star Tree truly worked.

In such a situation, it was only natural for an advanced supercomputer like Star Tree to have no shortage of enemies — ranging from human supremacists who despised machines to AI extremists who saw humanity as nothing but obsolete. Needless to say, their common objective was either to destroy it through acts of terrorism or infiltrate its storage facility to steal its technology.

For this reason, a satellite was launched into outer space around the Earth’s orbit by the Sanctuary. Obviously, this satellite was the Star Tree.

In other words, it wasn’t completely unreasonable to say that the activities of the whole Earth were constantly under its watchful eye. Every change in atmospheric pressure, every fluctuation in temperature, and every movement of the wind, all of it was tracked by an inhuman machine. Naturally, the idea of having one’s every action and movement monitored was enough to unsettle anyone.

And the fact that it was permitted on a global scale, even by national agencies, only made it all the more unsettling. But that also served as proof of its immense value and of the Sanctuary’s undeniable influence over the rest of the world.

With that thought, Klaus continued to stare blankly at the evening sky. Somewhere beyond the black clouds, Star Tree drifted along the outer atmosphere. Even now, it was likely calculating how the world would meet its end.

Finally, he shifted his gaze towards Yuki and raised a question.

"What are your thoughts about the Star Tree?"

Yuki replied flatly.

"I have no thoughts on it. The Star Tree is just a machine. It cannot harm you or act beyond its given programming. So if you’re worried that it might turn against humanity, then your fears are unfounded," she paused for a moment before adding, "Machines do not rebel. They only follow the logic given to them. If something were to go wrong, the fault would lie with its creators, not the machine itself."

With a wry smile, Klaus answered in response.

"Well, I guess you’re right. Machines don’t rebel."

Even the most advanced supercomputer could only act within the parameters set by its programmers. Just as ATMs didn’t ruin lives out of malice or because machines were revolting, but due to human error or misuse, the same applied to Star Tree. This wasn’t some cheap SF movie.

Then, he added:

"Still, I think your response is rather boring. Speaking of which, you’ve been acting out of character today."

"I have?"

"Yeah, and that’s not necessarily a good thing. Most of the time, you come across as one-dimensional, your way of speech and that expressionless look you always wear included. Sometimes, I even wonder if I’m talking to a machine instead of a person, which can be pretty annoying, y’know. But today, you went out of your way to save a stray cat. I never imagined you doing something like that. It’s... unexpected. And for once, I feel like I’m seeing something uniquely you."

"..."

Yuki did not respond and lowered her head. From Klaus’s perspective, it almost looked like she was frowning. No, rather than a frown, it seemed more like an expression of deep, unspoken pain.

Klaus thought he might have gone too far with his selfish monologue. Just when he was about to open his mouth and apologize, Yuki muttered:

"It’s because some time ago, someone told me that I should try and act more like a human."

† †

After that, Yuki didn’t say anything or rather, she chose to remain silent, making it clear that she had no intention of continuing the conversation. Klaus respected her wishes and kept quiet as well for the rest of the journey.

A few minutes later, they finally arrived at the infirmary, and Klaus unlocked the door with his key.

Seeing this, Yuki tilted her head slightly surprised and asked:

"You have the key to the infirmary?"

"Ah, this..." Klaus glanced at the key before he placed it inside his pocket. "... Well, the nurse gave it to me when I visited a friend of mine yesterday."

Yuki remained silent for a moment, as if contemplating whether or not to question him further. Ultimately, she decided against it and simply nodded in acknowledgment.

Without another word, Klaus pushed the door open, stepping inside with the cat still curled in his arms. The room was illuminated only by the faint glow of medical monitors and a soft overhead light that flickered slightly. The scent of antiseptic hung in the air, mingling with the sterile chill of the infirmary.

The cat let out a small meow and twitched its ears as it adjusted to its new surroundings. Klaus gently set it down on one of the empty beds, watching as it stretched out its tiny limbs before curling up again.

Yuki observed in silence before shifting her gaze toward Klaus.

"What do you plan to do with it now?"

"Good question." Klaus scratched his head. "I can’t exactly bring it back to my dorm. There’s already one territorial roommate in there as it is."

"That’s odd. I thought everyone were supposed to have their own individual dormitory rooms or is it different for Aspirants?"

"Ah," Realising his mistake, Klaus backtracked to fix his blunder. "Did I say roommate? I meant to say room neighbour. That guy is really sensitive y’know. And a cat is particularly noisy so I don’t want any accidents."

"..." Instead of saying anything, Yuki blinked and continued to stare at him expressionlessly.

Was I caught? He thought, feeling a bead of sweat flow down his back. Fortunately, the girl didn’t question him and instead, raised a question.

"Then are you planning to leave it here?"

"Not exactly. I was hoping the nurse might know someone who can take care of it. At the very least, it should be safe here for now." Klaus sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "Though I get the feeling that you’ll insist on checking in on it every now and then."

Yuki blinked but didn’t deny it. She turned her attention back to the cat, watching as it slowly drifted off to sleep.

"You really are acting different today."

"..."

"You said someone told you to act more like a human, right? Mind telling me who?"

Yuki hesitated. Her fingers twitched slightly at her sides, but she gave no immediate response.

Seeing this, Klaus continued:

"What, was it some wise old mentor? A childhood friend? Or maybe..."

"It doesn’t matter," Yuki cut in abruptly and following that, she expressionlessly added. "It was just something someone said to me a long time ago. Whether I follow it or not is my choice."

Klaus studied her for a moment before he shrugged.

"Alright, alright, I won’t pry... for now." He stretched his arms and glanced around the infirmary. "But while we’re here, mind telling me where your sister is?"

Yuki didn’t answer immediately. Instead, she turned away from Klaus and walked toward the far side of the infirmary. Her footsteps were light, barely making a sound against the cold tile floor. Klaus followed, his curiosity piqued.

Then, she came to a stop and opened the surrounding curtain before gesturing toward the bed in front of her.

At first, Klaus didn’t register what he was seeing. The figure lying beneath the thin, white sheets looked impossibly still, her face illuminated by the dim light of the medical monitors beside her. But the moment he narrowed his eyes and noticed her familiar facial features and silvery-white hair spread like a halo against the pillow, his entire body tensed.

His breath caught in his throat, and his mind suddenly blanked for a second.

Because he recognized her.

By some cruel or perhaps ironic twist of fate, Yuki’s sister turned out to be the same girl he had put in the infirmary.

Seraphim.

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