Last Savior

After the three-month-long riot was finally quelled, the Alliance government enacted a new law banning the development of fully formed bio-humans. Only partial bio-organs and harmless bio-pets could be produced, strictly under government supervision.

This colossal upheaval forced the Noah Six to abandon the bomb shelter and relocate elsewhere, shifting their focus to biocomputer research.

As time passed, the key figures involved in the incident gradually rose to major positions of power, and the bomb shelter was reclassified as a B-level zone. The painful memories made that deserted shelter a place everyone preferred to ignore and never mention again.

Forgotten by the world, the little white rat in the shelter slowly grew old. As its human genes merged ever so slowly with its own, it gained consciousness, took on a name, and became the old Gadget of today!

"Hey! I've let you ramble on forever, so don't say I haven't given you a fair chance. And yeah, I admit your story's pretty riveting… but how does any of that answer my question?" Lucas asked impatiently. "You said Number Four was sealed. So how exactly did you unlock him? And why can you control him? If humans couldn't manage it, why the hell would it be any easier for an animal?"

Old Gadget responded in a calm, slightly snarky tone, "I've been stuck here for fifty years. There's not much I don't understand by now. I was literally created to pilot Number Four, so why should it be surprising that I can handle him?"

"But wait—this Number Four thing doesn't have any self-awareness? Those idiots couldn't even erase a rat's consciousness. You're telling me they managed to wipe all of Number Four's? Please." Lucas's eyes flashed with genuine concern. "If Number Four really was that handy, you would've shown him off way sooner. So why only use him now, when we're up to our asses in danger? Come on… just tell it to me straight: how complete is his self-awareness? Will he go berserk like the official version did? Is he gonna hurt you?"

Old Gadget avoided Lucas's gaze. He seemed to be studying the tubes running through his own body instead of answering, then finally muttered, "Heh… well, at least he won't blow himself up."

"Old man…" Lucas squatted down and dropped his voice. "You're the first friend I made after coming to the future… and I do appreciate everything you've done for me these past few days. I'm not exactly a reckless person. If this giant lug was about to self-destruct, I'd probably cut and run, leaving you in the dust… But if there's even a slim chance everything might be okay, I can't just ditch you like that!" Lucas's tone grew more solemn and determined. "So, please—tell me the truth."

Old Gadget went quiet for a moment, then spoke slowly. "Noah believed they'd wiped all traces of Number Four's consciousness and sealed him away for good. But over the last fifty years, Four's mind has never stopped growing and piecing itself back together… I can't say exactly what he is now, but 'complete' doesn't even cover it."

"If I really had to find a single word for Four's current state…" Old Gadget paused, his eyes shining with fervor. "I'd say… he's 'evolved.'"

"Evolved? That's what you call it?" Lucas sputtered, pointing at Number Four in alarm. "He's cold as ice and blank as a board… that's your big evolution? So before this, he was what—literally a piece of crap?"

Of course, Number Four wasn't just a pile of trash; Lucas was only trying to lighten the mood.

Old Gadget forced a weak grin at Lucas's wisecrack and went on. "After I woke up and realized you'd been captured, I had no choice but to remove Number Four's seal to save you… At first, everything was exactly like before. I used the pilot seat, linked up my neurons, and it went off without a hitch… Then I found out he already had a mind of his own."

Lucas gasped. "Why didn't you bail out right away? Why not lock him back up?"

"If I bailed… who was gonna rescue you?"

"…"

"You can stop looking like you're about to break down crying," Old Gadget muttered. "Honestly, I just got cocky. I thought, sure, if this guy has woken up, he hasn't been exposed to the outside world in decades. He'd be a total child. Shouldn't be too hard to steer. Didn't expect that a being without any normal human experience could be the most terrifying of all."

Lucas glanced warily at Number Four. "So you're telling me… this big brute is moving under his own control right now?"

Old Gadget nodded. "He's been in control the whole time. Ever since you first clapped eyes on him, Number Four's been the one steering that body."

"Whoa!" Lucas leapt back a couple of steps, adopting a defensive stance. "Then why is he being so chill right now?"

"Because… I'm here," Old Gadget said, hesitating briefly. "He's basically a newborn consciousness right now—still nowhere near a full human mind. If he wants to become a fully realized person, he needs a complete personality…"

What does it mean to be alive? Is it a soul in a body? Some combo of proteins and carbs?

To qualify as truly "human," a bio-soldier needs more than mere self-awareness. According to Old Gadget, self-awareness is just a kind of raw instinct—like fish swimming or birds flying. Sure, every living thing longs for freedom, but a higher being can't be ruled by instinct alone. They need independent thought and judgment.

For Number Four, he may have tasted freedom, but developing a genuine, original way of thinking would require time, new experiences… and, of course, all the knowledge locked in Old Gadget's memory and his own database. That was the fastest way for Four to accelerate his evolution.

"So that's it. You promised to give him all that, right?" Lucas said through gritted teeth.

"Yeah… that's correct."

"Damn!" Lucas leapt over and seized the membrane holding Old Gadget, glaring at him. "So you've basically decided to sacrifice yourself for him, and bam, you get to rescue my sorry butt as a bonus? How noble. How heroic!"

"Watch out!"

Before Old Gadget could finish, Lucas felt a sudden jolt of pain as a powerful shove launched him through the air. He flipped over a few times before crashing hard to the ground.