It didn't take long to resolve a rather thorny problem. The good news of an initial victory left Natsume Sonoko feeling inexplicably buoyed.
At that moment, most of her attention was actually focused on herself, with only thirty percent devoted to the synthetic human.
Yet both were functioning normally, and even the bio-computer was performing formula derivations and calculations with remarkable efficiency.
All the computational power for these derivations and calculations was supplied by the bio-computer inside the synthetic body.
The synthetic human's own brain merely served as a bridge, connecting Natsume Sonoko to the bio-computer's network.
Looked at this way, Natsume Sonoko, the 160cm-tall girl, and the bio-computer formed a simple, miniature networked ecosystem.
For instance, the 160cm girl could use the bio-computer, and Natsume Sonoko could also use the bio-computer, but she needed to go through the 160cm girl to do so.
It was quite similar to the Sisters' Misaka Network in principle, not much different from the Level Upper.
The only key difference was that the Misaka Sisters were all clones of the same person, and due to intentional or unintentional adjustments by the staff, their brainwaves were naturally identical from birth.
Although the Sisters didn't use anything like the Level Upper, this was still an application of the AIM Diffusion Field.
Because their abilities and brainwaves were the same, the AIM Diffusion Fields of the Misaka Sisters would interact and influence each other.
The Electromaster ability passively converted brainwaves into electrical signals of the same frequency.
These signals propagated through the air, forming a vast shared memory network—essentially a shared brain, whose computational power increased with the number of Sisters.
Since the 160cm girl's genes weren't completely identical to her own, there were significant differences in their brainwaves. Furthermore, the Temperature Control ability didn't easily produce widely propagating signals, so they could only use the Level Upper to connect.
But now, Natsume Sonoko finally turned her concern to the brain of the 160cm girl, who served as the bridge between herself and the bio-computer.
The 160cm girl's brain was already fully developed, a process completed during her cultivation in the tank. Normally, her brain wasn't much different from an ordinary person's.
The only difference was probably that it hadn't yet developed a unique consciousness of its own.
Although the Temperature Control ability had been developed within the 160cm girl's body, she still only possessed Level 0 computational power, because the development process had actually utilized the bio-computer.
"Kiyama-sensei, will she develop her own consciousness, like an ordinary person?"
Natsume Sonoko stood up and walked over to Kiyama Harumi, a look of inquiry in her eyes.
Kiyama Harumi was currently deleting various files from her computer, seemingly wiping all records of this experiment from the system.
"Generally speaking, sensory organs begin to develop during the embryonic stage. However, since there's no contact with the outside world yet, concepts like emotions and memories don't exist."
"Once exposure to the external world begins, allowing for interaction with various information—especially after acquiring language—a person's consciousness forms rapidly."
"In other words, a person's consciousness is entirely shaped by the information they encounter from childhood onward."
Kiyama Harumi set aside her task and looked calmly at Student Natsume.
"Based on this theory of human consciousness, I know Academy City developed a learning device that can input vast amounts of information into a person's brain in a very short time. It saves the time and cost of information accumulation to rapidly construct a consciousness. This was also part of the earlier Radio Noise Project. The flaw is that human emotions cannot be constructed this way."
Kiyama Harumi spoke slowly. She recalled that the synthetic human had briefly developed a consciousness once before, but it was influenced by the hundreds or thousands of Level Upper users, resulting in a consciousness full of bias and violence.
"If you want a consciousness with normal emotions to emerge, it requires a long period of growth. In this regard, the synthetic human isn't much different from an ordinary person."
Hearing this, Natsume Sonoko roughly understood.
The synthetic human, having just been created, didn't yet possess the concept of consciousness, but it would form eventually.
However, to live like a normal person would require a long time—at least several years of normal learning and life.
"If you communicate with her frequently, Natsume-san, her vague consciousness might begin to take shape before long. But at first, it will be like an infant's, so you need to be mentally prepared," Kiyama Harumi said.
"I understand. Then, as the price for using the bio-computer, I'll take responsibility for her care."
Natsume Sonoko nodded seriously. This aligned with what she had imagined, and now her gaze towards the 160cm girl held a different quality.
"In that case, she should have a name. Calling her '160cm' really isn't very good," Natsume Sonoko declared gravely.
She thought for a long time, realizing she had little talent for naming. Racking her brains, she mentally rejected a whole list of potential options.
"Dr. Kiyama, do you have any good suggestions?" Natsume Sonoko looked at Kiyama Harumi.
"Well... since she's your synthetic human, how about calling her Natsume Zero?" Kiyama Harumi seemed hesitant, her face showing difficulty, as if she had thought of something before replying softly, seemingly lost in thought.
"Zero? If that's the case, why not just call her Natsume Reiko?"
(T/N: If you put the Kanji for zero and add just one more kanji, (i forgot which one) you get Reiko which is why Sonoko said 'why not just call her Reiko?')
Natsume Sonoko wore a completely serious expression, speaking as if she'd had a sudden revelation. Though 'Reiko' still sounded a bit informal.
Leaving Dr. Kiyama's facility, she took the Lamborghini back to the student dormitory entrance.
Watching Dr. Kiyama's car drive away, Natsume Sonoko and the Natsume Reiko beside her simultaneously waved their arms, looking like a pair of twins with incredibly high compatibility.
'Oh no,' she suddenly thought, 'I've just realized a serious problem. I don't seem to have any clothes for Reiko to wear.'
Standing in a corner not far from the dorm, Natsume Sonoko looked at Reiko beside her, who mirrored her troubled expression. In truth, it was just Sonoko looking at herself.
Reiko was still wearing a lab coat, tailored to Dr. Kiyama's proportions, not Reiko's. It looked loose and baggy on her, the sleeves hanging down almost to her legs.
Reiko's body, standing in the corner, began to turn transparent. Meanwhile, Student Natsume quickly ran to her own room, rummaged around, and dragged out a few large boxes.
After briefly comparing them to Reiko's height, she finally found a relatively loose-looking dress, and also gathered some underwear and daily necessities.
Just as Natsume Sonoko was leaving her room, she saw Misaka-senpai walking over, her face filled with clear anxiety and worry.
"Misaka-senpai."
Natsume Sonoko wanted to call out to her, but Misaka-senpai seemed distracted, as if she didn't hear, and simply opened the door to room 208.
Seeing Misaka-senpai so absent-minded, the words Sonoko had been about to say caught in her throat.
"Natsume-san, Onee-sama has been acting strange, hasn't she?"
Just as Misaka-senpai returned to her room, Shirai-san's voice suddenly sounded behind Natsume Sonoko.
Natsume Sonoko turned around in a hurry and saw Shirai-san, her eyes grave and her brow furrowed.
"Shirai-san, when did you get here?" Startled, Natsume Sonoko, who was holding a small bundle, asked urgently.
"Just now. By the way, Natsume-san, are you going out? It's already so late," Shirai-san said, glancing at her.
The Misaka Apartments had now become a collective residence for 26 Misaka Sisters.
After just a short time away, a new Misaka Sister, Misaka 10002, had arrived, bringing the total to 26.
Most of the Sisters had returned from their day of wandering around and had begun their dormitory life.
The courtyard was quite lively now, filled with the sounds of the Sisters moving about, seemingly unable to stay idle even after a full day.
The new Misaka Sister moved into Room 102, while Reiko moved into Room 103.
Natsume Sonoko was worried about the Sisters, and she couldn't stay with them all the time. But with Reiko, things were different. Reiko could stay with the Sisters day and night, and she didn't have to worry about her strict Dorm Supervisor getting angry.
Moreover, in terms of ability, Reiko's body was much stronger than Sonoko's original body.
"Although it feels strange, Misaka 9990 still welcomes the new roommate, says Misaka 9990."
Misaka 9990, the dorm leader for Room 103, stared vacantly at the distracted Reiko beside her. Seeming to notice something odd, she poked Reiko's arm with a finger.
"Stop that."
Natsume Reiko snapped out of her absent-minded state and looked seriously at Misaka 9990.
Still in a kind of 'Dorm Supervisor mode', no matter which body she was in, Natsume Sonoko put on a stern expression, dissatisfied with Misaka 9990's antics.
"My apologies, Misaka 9990 says while making an apologetic expression."
Misaka 9990's face showed a moment of confusion as she looked puzzledly at the two people next to her, who even shared similar serious expressions.
While Natsume Sonoko was chatting with 9990, Reiko had already entered Room 103 and placed her daily necessities alongside those of the Misaka Sisters.
Inside the room, three Misaka Sisters were sprawled out on the carpet. One of them was even rolling around on the rug, seeming to enjoy it greatly.
"Hello, from today onward, we are roommates," Reiko said with a serious expression.
Shifting focus back to her original body, Student Natsume was currently discussing with several Misaka Sisters how to solve their living expenses problem.
"Ah, regarding everyone's living situation, I've thought of a solution."
Seeing Misaka 9977 and the others returning from their supermarket taste-testing activities, Student Natsume suddenly remembered something, immediately drawing the attention of several nearby Sisters.
"The method is actually very simple: part-time jobs," Natsume Sonoko announced with considerable authority.
"'Part-time jobs?' says Misaka 10000, expressing her disappointment," one of the Sisters spoke up.
"Why so disappointed? This is a solution I came up with after much effort," Natsume Sonoko said, somewhat resentful.
--+--
Night fell, the entire sky darkened, and the time for lights-out arrived swiftly.
After finishing brushing her teeth and washing her face, Natsume Sonoko walked barefoot towards the sofa, but she seemed somewhat distracted.
With another version of herself over at the Misaka Apartments, she didn't have to worry about being unable to react if something happened.
Over there, her other self was already asleep. When she wasn't actively controlling it, Reiko would usually be in a sleep state, no different from an ordinary baby.
But Reiko couldn't really be treated like a baby. Babies sleep a lot primarily because their brains aren't fully developed.
But Reiko, aside from lacking a consciousness, was no different from a normal person in every other aspect—in fact, she was even healthier than most, despite the meteorite inside her body.
"The experiment starts tomorrow night."
Lying on the sofa, Natsume Sonoko's mind was actually full of doubts. But she had done all she could. Even if a situation she couldn't handle arose later, she could still call for backup.
Just then, Student Natsume's eyes suddenly snapped open, and she looked suspiciously towards the dormitory window. She had heard some faint rustling sounds.
It didn't sound like someone breaking into Tokiwadai's dormitory, but rather like someone was leaving.
Inside the dorm, Natsume Sonoko used her ability quite restrainedly, merely applying it slightly towards the direction of the noise.
A heat-formed silhouette was currently jumping down from the dormitory window. Judging by the distance, it was likely from Misaka-senpai's room.
Shirai-san, with her Teleportation ability, naturally wouldn't need to go to such trouble. The only possibility left was Misaka-senpai herself.
All sleepiness instantly vanished. Natsume Sonoko stood up from the sofa and peered through the window at the figure in the distance. It was indeed Misaka-senpai.
She saw Misaka-senpai generate a spark of electricity at her feet, step onto the dormitory fence to vault over it, and use a minor discharge to interfere with the nearby surveillance cameras.
'Misaka-senpai going out so late at night... she couldn't be planning to blow up a research institute, could she?'
Remembering that high school senior named Kamijou Touma had probably already made contact with Misaka-senpai. Thinking about it, that seemed very likely.
Hesitating for only a few seconds, a sudden wave of concern made Student Natsume hurriedly put on her clothes, open the window, and prepare to follow.
Seeing the look on Misaka-senpai's face, Natsume Sonoko guessed it definitely had something to do with the Level 6 Shift Project. Maybe she really was going to blow up a research institute, just as she had thought
--+--
T/N: While I am an inexperienced Translator, I have a Patreon! While it may seem empty as of now, webnovel will get 3 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
[email protected]/AspenTL
If you guys wanna check it out.