The sound of footsteps echoed through the corridor as I followed behind Herta's puppet #3. I observed my surroundings carefully, mentally mapping the area, and came to the conclusion that I should do my best not to get lost in this place or else I wouldn't ever see daylight again.
This giant maze that Herta called home looked like a group project by architects where each member contributed a different fairy tale, only for the final result to resemble something you'd only see in Minecraft. For that reason, it made this whole place feel magical, showing how far Herta was willing to commit to the 'Magical Girl' theme, which, admittedly, was adorable considering how long she has lived.
"Madam Herta, wouldn't it be bad if someone got lost here?"
"There are several other puppets like me and service robots scattered around." She replied without batting an eye. "So if you happen to get lost or need anything, just approach one of them."
We soon stopped in a wide-open area, where several massive pillars in the form of spirals connected the ceiling to the floor.
"Where is this?" I asked in awe.
"This is one of many mid intersections. Each spiral over there connects to different sectors." She turned toward one of the pillars. "Look, they have arrived."
As if on cue, another Herta puppet that was standing nearby blew a whistle. A purple carpet descended from one of the spirals and stopped in front of us. I gasped at the cuteness when I saw several tiny Herta puppets seated on it, some of them were holding an object.
They looked like fairy versions of Herta.
The fairies stood up and flew toward me, carrying the "baggage" with them.
"This is the card and phone prepared for you," Puppet Herta explained as the fairies handed them over. "This is your identity card. Your current authority level is four, which allows access to common facilities and terminals. The phone comes with all necessary applications pre-installed, so take your time learning them. Needless to say, try not to lose or damage either of them."
"Understood." That advice wasn't hard to follow.
"Good." Herta nodded and raised her hand. "Now, look at my hand."
"Huh—Ouch! Hey!" I flinched as a sharp sting hit the back of my head. I rubbed the spot and spun around, only to see that the culprit was a tiny Herta fairy floating in the air, holding a syringe pistol.
'You little…' I thought you were a fairy, but you are actually a bee!
[Notice: A foreign object was detected entering your body. Do you wish to expel it?]
"What she injected into you is called Synesthesia Beacon." Herta explained as if nothing had happened. "It's an implant that allows you to convey your intentions into a language the other party can understand, and vice versa. And it also works with written language. It's an essential tool when you meet people from different planets."
"That's amazing…" I turned to puppet Herta only to see a smug smirk on her face. Even if it was cute, it annoyed me. She was totally enjoying my suffering.
'I will hold this grudge…'
One day, I will…I will…pet that head of yours so hard and turn it into a mess!
'For now, there is nothing I can do. But I'll wait for the promised day to arrive… Anyway, Great Sage, analyse the components and mechanisms of the implant. Maybe we can create our own better version and replace it.'
[Understood. Commencing the analysis…]
"If this surprises you," Herta said, "then this Earth you've talked about is quite outdated in technology. This has been widespread through the cosmos since some Amber years ago."
"Well, compared to what I've seen so far, Earth is indeed way behind in technology." I admitted. "But it has its own charms."
Comparing my old world with a fantasy sci-fi game turned real wasn't fair at all.
"That may be true, but let's continue the conversation on the way." Herta said as she stepped onto the carpet. "Get on, I will bring you to your accommodation."
I hopped on just behind her.
The carpet was surprisingly firm, not as hard as the floor, but stable enough to walk on without tripping, similar to walking on a mattress. Once I settled, I nodded to Herta, and we took off and flew upward to a different spiral.
"This is amazing." Despite the speed we were going, I felt no wind hitting my face or inertia. No matter the manoeuvre, our feet remained firmly planted on the carpet. "How does this work?"
"This is just one of the curios Madam Herta created for convenience and aesthetic." She explained it like a guide on a tour. "It has artificial gravity, anti-gravity, atmospheric calibration, and inner space expansion, among other features. And all of this while still maintaining the texture and behaviour of a carpet."
I had a rough idea of what she meant, thanks to the sheer amount of fiction I'd read, but I had no clue how technology could actually achieve such effects. It reminded me of my student days at university, lecturers explaining concepts using words I understood individually, but not when put together.
"Your outdated knowledge will be taken into account." she said. "That's why our original self has granted you partial access to the databank. You'll be given three days to choose one assignment from the list, and two months to complete it."
'I don't know if three months would be enough to complete a project like this, but with Great Sage here, I think I can manage.'
[Conclusion: You can do it.]
"Thank you, Madam Herta. I'll do my best." I silently thanked Great Sage for the encouragement as well.
The carpet slowed down, and we arrived at an open area containing only a single one-story house.
"This is where you'll live for the time being."
"It looks quite large for one person…Will anyone else be living here?"
"No, it will be only you. Matter of fact, you and Madam Herta are the only sentient organic organisms currently in this base."
"That's surprising. I thought a base this big would need a lot of people to—" I stepped off the carpet, then stopped as realisation struck. "Never mind. I get it now."
Who needs to hire people when you have basically millions of your clones managing the base for you?
"Then I'll be going. If you need anything, contact me through your phone." With that, Herta flew off into the distance.
Since I basically came empty-handed, I walked straight into the house. The security was simple: I only needed to scan the identity card and my retina. The inside of the house was surprisingly…normal. Fully furnished, fully operational and even stocked with food that can last for days.
"I half expected it to be Magical Girl themed too." I chuckled as I explored the place. Two bedrooms, a kitchen, three bathrooms, a living room, two fully equipped labs, and even a garden.
"This is nice. Better than my old place." I said as I collapsed onto the couch and felt all the stress melting away. 'She said I should check out on my phone…might as well do it since I am technically free right now.'
There were the usual apps, like camera, calendar, settings, messages, but there were also ones that I had never seen, like Hertazon, HertaLibrary, HertaKitchen, HertaMaps…
"…Let's check the messages first. I already have notifications before I even unlocked the phone."
Herta
This account is disabled | Business Contact: Take a ticket and wait in the line
——————————————————
Herta: Hey, Welt Royce, it's Herta.
Herta: I recommended checking out Hertazon if you need anything delivered (remember not exceeding the budget, depending on the assignment you chose). The other Herta apps are important too if you're living here.
Herta sent [HertaHouseRules.File]
Herta sent [TutorialGuide.File]
Herta: This is the list of assignments you can choose from. Reminder, you have 72 system hours to decide and 1460 system hours to complete it after selection.
Herta sent [Assignment List.File]
Herta: I will check on you from time to time.
Herta: Good luck
Welt Royce: Thanks
Welt Royce: I have a very important question
Welt Royce: Will I really be dissected if I fail?
Herta: [Automatic reply] Hi, I'm currently unavailable, and I won't be contacting you later
Welt Royce: ???
——————————————————
"What was I even expecting?" I rubbed the bridge of my nose and sighed, disappointed in myself.
I opened the HertaHouseRules. Thankfully, nothing was out of the ordinary or outrageous and quite simple to follow…except some, like the rule 34.
"'Rule 34: If you are staying here, you must memorise the three verses of praise for Madam Herta and be ready to recite at any given moment'?" I thought for a moment before I suddenly recalled the elite ball knowledge. "Three verses praise…No way, is that the: 'Madam Herta is a peerless gem! Madam Herta is an unrivalled genius! Madam Herta is an inimitable beauty!'!?"
I laughed harder than I realised. But could you really blame me? I was still adjusting to the fact that I was inside a game, and all the memes and brainrots were real.
'Maybe I should stop. Who knows when a wild Herta will suddenly appear and send me to the backrooms if they see me laughing at their creator.'
I covered my mouth to suppress a chuckle and opened the assignment list. It couldn't be that bad…right?
"Satellite Star Cannon, Perpetual Energy Generator…" I scrolled through the list until one entry caught my attention. "Curio Order Commission, requested by…Murata Himeko."