Autodoll wa Kuchita Sekai de Yume wo Miru

That night, Lydia couldn’t sleep at all.
The thoughts about Yuuyami were ー not a reason.

“Onee-chama…”

The nuisance – Rapha, who was clinging onto her.
Lydia was sleeping together with Rapha in one bed.
Rapha emphasized that with: “Sisters are always sleep together.” Thus, she had no choice but to give in.
Lydia had no experience of sleeping with someone.
She was always sleeping alone since Yuuyami never slept.
Certainly, Yuuyami was sitting next to Lydia when she asked her to stay.
However they never slept together.

“Uh, my little sister is troublesome.”

Even if she mutter so, nothing would be solved.
She was saying nothing but unpleasant things, she suddenly started to cry, however she apologised obediently, although she was tsun and prim.
Lydia thought that Rapha truly was a complicated life-form.
Nevertheless, she believed they started to get along.
Lydia flicked Rapha’s forehead with her finger.

“Unyaa…”

Rapha crawled a bit, however there was no signs of separating from Lydia.
Lydia sighed and closed her eyes.
She had to sleep. Had to clear her thoughts, and save Yuuyami.
Then, she relaxed her body and ceased thinking,
while leisurely doing so, little by little,
Lydia’s fell into mysterious dream.

◇

Lydia realised that she was in her dream right away.
In that dream, a peach-coloured filed was spreading out endlessly.
Lydia stood alone in that boundless world.
No, it was unclear whether she actually stood.
It wasn’t obvious where bottom nor which was the top. Better to describe it as floating.
However, Lydia didn’t feel like she was floating, she recognised a surface with her feet.
Lydia looked around the world, she wanted collect information of this space as much as possible.
And then, started walking. Without destination. Without target. But that was a dream, so it’s okay. Even if she get lost, when she wake up everything will be over.
That was how she explored a pale-pink world alone, however, seriously, truly, there was nothing at all.
The perished physical world was much better.
After Lydia got bored, she stopped.

“Perhaps, it’s cramped in fact​.”

She judged that place only seemed to be endless but it was just an optical illusion.

“If the extent equivalent to universe feels cramped​, then assuredly it is cramped​.”

It wasn’t Lydia, who spoke so. That was hard to comprehend the owner of the voice. A masculine or feminine.
If she were forced to divide a gender, was it closer to a hoarse female?

“Who are you? Where are you?”

Lydia looked around, however no one was found.
The voice seemed to be audible​ from ahead and behind, from top and bottom, from left and right. In other words, she heard it from everywhere.

“Where am I?”

Suddenly, a purple flower appeared in front of Lydia.

“Waah, cute.” Lydia sat down and reached for the purple flower. “I know. Iris. right? Haven’t we met before?”

The moment Lydia’s fingertips touched petal, the image of single drop of water appeared in Lydia’s mind. That water drop fell from a great height, leaving a beautiful ripple in the clear puddle.

“This is..?”

Lydia tilted her head. Purple flower ー Iris also tilted its stem.1

“Hmm. It’s an ordinary mental image. It may mean influence at each other, or, perhaps, it’s different. It’s quite open to interpretation.”
“Listen, Cute-Iris-san, where is this?”
“Aah, My-Cute-Deliverable. This is thy dream.”
“Ah, I already knew that.”
“Alright. Do thee have any other questions?”
“Er, are you a flower that symbolizes a love fulfillment, right?”
“Quite so. Today I came here precisely for this occasion.”
“Where are you from?”
“From somewhere that’s not here.”

Lydia tilted her head to the words of Iris.

“I think you’re funny.”
“Why?”
“After all this is my dream, you must have born here.”
“Dreams are no different from reality.”
“Eh?”
“Albeit, it doesn’t mean that dreams are a part of reality.”
“What do you mean?”
“This is also a reality, Lydia. And now I’m in contact with thy mind, thus, this reality called a dream.”

Lydia was silently lost in thoughts.
Not for a long time, though.

“You are an intelligent life-form?”
“Yeah. That’s right.”
“A life-form that wander from dream to dream?”
“It’s different. I also exist in the world which thou call a physical reality.”
“Then, we can meet outside?”
“That’s impossible.”
“Why?”
“We have a different in existence-frequency. If thou meet me in my current state, thee will vanish.”
“Then we won’t meet.”

Lydia smiled and answered immediately.
She didn’t give that reply since she would disappear. But because Lydia wouldn’t be able to help Yuuyami.

“Well, I’ll see thee someday. By the time when thee create a universe.”
“Universe?”
“Loose mouth.” Iris narrowed its stem​. “Thou so cute, I couldn’t help it.”
“Thank you. You are also cute.”
“Thanks. Well, shall we get to the main subject. I can’t stay here for too long. It’s a burden to thou.”
“Is that so?”
“Yep.”

Iris nodded.

“Well then, the main subject.”
“Do you aware that Yuuyami loves thee?”
“Uh-huh.”
“Then, thee also aware that thou love Yuuyami.”
“I’ve loved her for a long time. Although, before, I didn’t understand the exact difference of romantic love from attachment.”
“In other words, thou having a mutual love. Albeit, hitherto there has never been this sort of connection, between an Autodoll and human being, in a history of humanity.”
“I know that either.”

In the first place, Autodolls didn’t possessed consciousness as a living organisms, similar to Yuuyami. That is to say, Autodoll didn’t love anyone.
There was a subroutine which made them behave that way, however the romance wasn’t established at such a situation.
Even for humans, the only ones who fell in love with the non-living body, an Autodoll, were the types who’ve broke-up.
A female humans basically were falling in love with a male humans. In most cases, generally.

“Species are too different, howbeit what do thou thinking about this?”
“I believe it’s irrelevant.”
“What?”
“Yuuyami is AD, I’m a human being… or rather a new breed of human being. Nevertheless, I believe this is a trivial matter. Each of us have mind and we can communicate with each other. Accordingly, there’s nothing wrong with that.”
“Good answer. Then thy task is to rescue thy dearest somehow​.”
“I understand that either. You are merely saying things of which I already aware. As expected, you are product of my dream, aren’t you?”
“Then I shall say something thee don’t know. There is a method to save Yuuyami.”
“Eh?”

Lydia widened her eyes.
Simultaneously​, she would be happy if that was the truth.
However,

“Howbeit, I won’t teach thee.”

Iris seemed to sneer while saying that.

“Why? Are you stingy?”
“I shall give thee a hint. Since that was a reason why I came. Still, this would be a task for both of thou. It doesn’t make sense if I thoroughly​ teach thou a method.”
“Task?”
“Yes. I shall rephrase it​, the process of evolution.”
“Evolution?”

Lydia tilted her head.
It wasn’t such a grandiose conversation. It was much simpler.
She wished to help beloved partner. In short, that all of it.

“Fine. I’ll give thee a hint. Thou bound to handle their emotions.”
“Me?”
“Yes. You’re, Lydia. Is that okay? It shall be thee who rescue Yuuyami. This isn’t a metaphor or anything. Genuinely, thee will rescue.”
“What do you mean? I’m not an AD to connect with Yuuyami, I ca…”

can’t?
Really?
Was that truly impossible?
Could it just something that she just never thought about?

“It looks to me as it was a breakthrough. Good.”
“Thank you. I feel like you taught me something very important.”
“This shall be enough.”
“Hey, who are you? Why did you give me a hint?”
“Before anything else, the answer to question of who I am. This is as yet a secret, nevertheless, thou already had a conversations with me.”
“When?”
“Conversations from which thou was waking up in the library until today. I shall not tell thou any further.”
“So you’re a little stingy after all.”

Lydia laughed, Iris shrug its stem.

“Next, the answer on question of why I gave a hint. I’ll just say it’s for the sake of inheriting. Thou and Yuuyami are the prime candidates now.”
“What? Even if you ask, you won’t tell, right? At any rate”
“Quite so. Hitherto it’s too early now. Thee still have a lot of things to understand and as yet to grow. I shall not help or hinder it.”
“Understood. Not really, but I understood.”
“Thou truly fun. Well then I shall get going now.”
“Uh-huh. Thank you. I need to get up either. Can I get in touch with you again?”
“Anytime thee wish… is it an exaggeration? Thee can meet whenever thee bound to.”
“Is that so. See you later.”

When Lydia waved her hand, Iris shook from side to side.
And then, leisurely, the peach-colored​ world began to collapse. Smoothly, as if a sand-castle.
Lydia closed her eyes and waited for her awakening.
How peculiar, close eyes and wait for awakening ー while thinking about that.2

◇

Morning, Rapha was rubbing her sleepy eyes, Lydia’s eyes flew open and just like that she declared.

“Rapha! I know how to save Yuuyami!”

It was an unprecedented project.
Rapha, who heard the outline, opened her mouth.
Insane. Rapha thought it was absolutely insane.
Lydia wanted to share a dream with Yuuyami, and, in the dream, help processing Yuuyami, it was a dream-esque project.
To be more precise, insert the main routine of Yuuyami into Lydia’s dream. Such a Baka Project.
Even a God haven’t thought of it.

“Such a thing…”
“I can do it, Rapha! Believe in me and help me! I need a strength of Rapha!”

Lydia’s expression was full of conviction,
it was straightforward and clear.
It turned out that Lydia needed Rapha, purely, just straight(forward) manner, with no front or back.3
Therefore,
Rapha stopped repudiate.
Instead,

“Understood. Would you tell me in details?”

she tried her utmost​ in order to assist Lydia.