Chapter 11
'No, my apologies. I got a little too excited and jumped ahead.'
The representative swayed a few of their tentacles wearily.
Their tone was calm, but that only underscored the importance of the matter.
Kait had a feeling the surrounding stares were coldly directed at the congress member, the space jellyfish, but decided not to dwell on it for now.
'First, I would like to request permission to improve Earth's environment. So that the "jellyfish" you speak of can continue to survive safely.'
"Ah, yes. By all means."
'Indeed. And eventually, we would like to designate that planet as one of our protected worlds.'
"Huh?"
'Even we, scattered across the Federation, will gradually relocate to that planet. And we will interact with them. It will surely be a wonderful experience.'
'Wait, wait, wait! You're not calm at all!'
Something had seemed off about the 'congress member' for a while now. Well, the space jellyfish's behavior had always been odd since they first met, but now it just wasn't logical. Were they excited?
'There hasn't been a final decision in Congress about Earth's future ownership! And above all, trying to sway the opinion of Kait, Third-Rank Citizen (Enec Lagif), is unacceptable!'
'Silence! We must act as quickly as possible— the jellyfish! The jellyfish's future is at stake!'
'That's why we already granted permission for environmental improvement, didn't we!? Are you really that concerned about a different species that merely resembles you!?'
'Of course we are! There is no genetic continuity between intelligent life on Earth and us! In other words, the emergence of jellyfish on Earth is nothing short of a "miracle"!'
Kait started to understand why the space jellyfish had become so obsessed with Earth.
However, that only made him wonder whether they should be more thorough in following proper procedures. He knew their species would do anything to achieve their goals, even disregard others' impressions, but they had seemed fairly rational until now.
"Um, Congress Member Terapolapaneshio?"
'Hm, what is it, Kait, Third-Rank Citizen? We are prepared to compensate you with enough to purchase two habitable planets.'
"No, that's not it. Isn't that kind of... bad? Uh, why do you want to communicate? Interact? With Earth's jellyfish?"
The space jellyfish said something suspicious. It didn't seem like they simply wanted a habitable planet, so Kait had to confirm their true intentions.
The space jellyfish let all of their tentacles fall limply. Perhaps they had calmed down, as their tone returned to its usual gentleness. The room also began to murmur.
'We do not retain any memories from before we ventured into space, Kait, Third-Rank Citizen.'
"You don't retain...?"
'By the time we gained intelligence, our first individuals had already ventured into outer space. In their raw bodies, no less. So we don't remember which planet we lived on before that, or what kind of life we led. That's why we're interested in Earth's jellyfish, who live in the ocean.'
They survived in space in their raw bodies? Kait was first and foremost curious about the space jellyfish's biology, but he suppressed his intellectual curiosity. If he got sidetracked too, things would really spiral out of control.
"Hmm... I don't think jellyfish are the kind of creatures you're hoping for."
'That's something we'll know only after interacting with them. Please understand, to us, the opportunity to meet a species so similar to ourselves is extremely precious.'
They claimed that Kait and humanity were not like those who had twisted Earth's fate. Perhaps jellyfish had never evolved on the planets of those people. Judging by their excitement, maybe jellyfish-like lifeforms hadn't survived on any of the Federation's planets. For now, all Kait could do was advise them not to get their hopes up too much.
On different planets, similar creatures could be born. Interacting with such beings would certainly be a wonderful experience. After all, Kait himself had been inspired through his conversations with Ritimiele and the congress members.
'Well, despite some miscalculations... Kait, Third-Rank Citizen. There is something we must decide regarding the future of the planet called Earth. You'll be staying in this central star cluster for a while, so please understand.'
"Ah, understood."
The one who brought the meeting to a close was a congress member whose voice had not been heard until now.
***
It had suddenly become a big matter.
For Kait, it was a homeland he had abandoned after much frustration. Even if they told him that ownership belonged to him under Federation law, he honestly couldn't picture it. Until the congressional debate ended, Kait would essentially be left alone.
The room he was guided to was more spacious than expected. It was meant to be his temporary living quarters, and its layout closely resembled those on Earth.
'While Master Kait was speaking with the congress members, I conducted an information exchange with Teek and prepared everything. No compensation is required, so please relax.'
Truly a capable machine intelligence.
As he plopped down onto the nearest sofa with a soft thump, he remembered he hadn't brought anything from the Zodokia—or the Goodbye Earth. Most of all, he regretted leaving behind his terminal.
Whenever he had free time, he used to spend it reading. Once he noticed the absence, he couldn't help but feel restless with nothing to do.
As he fidgeted, his hand hovering in the air, Emotion—settled on a nearby pedestal—spoke up.
'Master Kait. There is something I would like permission for.'
"What is it, Emotion?"
'I received a proposal from Teek earlier, and I would like to proceed with an update to both my body and intelligence.'
"Oh?"
Intrigued, Kait turned to face Emotion. Her insides made a soft whirring sound. She was probably thinking about how to explain it.
It would help cure his boredom. Kait leaned forward slightly, listening intently to Emotion's explanation.
'Apparently, due to my achievement in supporting Master Kait, there is a possibility I will be granted Federation citizenship.'
"That's wonderful."
'However, my current machine intelligence performance does not meet the quality standards required for citizenship in the Federation.'
He felt like punching whoever came up with such a standard.
Kait nodded, barely managing not to say those words out loud. Emotion hadn't yet gotten to the part where she asked for permission.
The whirring sped up. Perhaps expressing her wishes put a strain on her.
"So, it's an update. I think you definitely should do it, but... is there a problem?"
'Well... It seems the update must be paid for out of pocket.'
"Oof."
Both Kait and Emotion were currently penniless. The only things they could call their assets were each other. Well, technically there were things far away, but...
"Uh... the Goodbye Earth is basically worthless, right?"
'It may have archival value, but it's unclear whether it would fetch the necessary price.'
"I figured. What should we do?"
Emotion was Kait's precious partner. Since their days as warden and prisoner, they had shared both joy and hardship—though it felt like he had mostly relied on her.
If he could repay her, he wanted to. He felt that strongly.
That said, figuring out the money was tough. Kait didn't even know the Federation's currency units.
'I have a rough idea of something we might be able to offer as compensation.'
"Do we have something? Is this the list? ...Hmm."
Kait frowned unusually as he looked at the list Emotion presented.
That's how difficult the proposed content was to judge.
***
It was rare for the Federation Congress to stall.
That was because, for the most part, everyone was used to every kind of agenda. In a society free from problems like resources or lifespan, congressional debates rarely led to major conflicts over rights.
Yet this Congress was in turmoil.
The 'children of sin' born as a result of crimes once committed by Federation citizens. One of them, Kait, had reached the Federation's criteria for entry. His citizenship as a Third-Rank Citizen (Enec Lagif) had been granted without issue.
The problem was how to treat the lifeforms still living on Earth.
Terapolapaneshio's interference had complicated the priorities.
Initially, there had been a near-consensus to prioritize the protection of surviving intelligent Earthlings. Terapolapaneshio had also rationally supported that choice at first.
But at some point, they began forcefully insisting on prioritizing the protection of marine life. Specifically, from the moment Kait had spoken with the 'representative' aboard the Zodokia.
When Congress Member Terapolapaneshio even mentioned using their own assets to purchase Earth, the original agreements completely vanished. The Congress, usually rational and with Terapolapaneshio often serving as mediator in disputes, now found itself in chaos due to the space jellyfish's erratic behavior.
Kait's appearance in Congress allowed the chaotic session to finally find direction.
For now, the only outcome of the day was the decision to immediately begin Earth's environmental restoration.
***
A small figure stood in front of the sofa where Kait was sitting. According to Earth knowledge, the closest comparison would be a fairy or a dwarf.
Appearance-wise, if one ignored the size, they looked more like Earthlings than anyone else Kait had met in the Federation. Yes, if you overlooked the extra pair of arms sprouting from their shoulder blades, they were almost identical.
The person, who arrived riding on a machine intelligence they called an assistant, introduced themselves in a low, pleasant voice.
"Nice to meet you, Kait, Third-Rank Citizen. I am Adie Ze, and this is my assistant, Cernunnos. We both hold the rights of Fifth-Rank Citizens (Alto Romia)."
"Nice to meet you, I'm Kait. A pleasure."
"I've heard some of the details from Teek, Fourth-Rank Citizen (Darda Elra). I understand you're in urgent need of freely usable assets."
According to what Teek had told him beforehand, each citizen received a sort of pension—there was no better word for it—based on their rank. Kait, now a Third-Rank Citizen, would definitely receive it, but the timing of the deposit and the paperwork would take time. Even Teek didn't know if one payment would be enough to cover Emotion's update.
Emotion had said she was fine with waiting, but Kait was still anxious without any immediate funds. He had asked Teek to introduce him to a trustworthy business contact, which led to Adie Ze's visit.
Kait respectfully lifted Emotion and gently placed her in front of Adie Ze. She whirred softly.
"This is Emotion, who retains memories of the culture of the planet 'Earth.' I'd like you to assign a value to it."