- Beneath the Bronze Statue of Manuel Alègre
Hop before Leap
— Galactic Reconstruction SF:
The Anti-Quantum Axiom and Human Choice —
Meter’s Great Adventure
Part I: The Leap from Violet
Episode 19
Synopsis
Aporiana Perigaul passed away at the age of eighty-one.
With her death as a turning point, the intuition of Hannis Izal and the flexible yet meticulous logical thinking of Meter reached an unprecedented sharpness.
The Chrono Flower, the Radiation Cube, and the Anti-Quantum Axiom—
at last, they arrived at a fundamental understanding of these phenomena.
All that remained were the reconstruction of the Galactic Library by Orin Barr, and the construction of the starship Nadir.
Hannis sensed that the first step toward galactic restoration had begun to stir—quietly, yet unmistakably.
Was this the intention of the leader of the Dora Wave?
A faint shiver ran down his spine.
Hannis now stood on the verge of crossing a limit forbidden to ordinary humans.
First, he would meet the Dora Wave on Planet Ios,
then descend upon Lilinas, once the central metropolis of the Milky Way Galaxy.
Where, then, had the boundary of interference upon Hannis been set by the empathic capacity of the Second Codex (Consüarium)?
To what extent—and in what manner—would his memories be preserved?
Following Aporiana, Hannis now stood alone at the boundary line of individual humanity.
In time, he would encounter the First Tuner of the Second Codex.
The vast cosmic history revealed there was more than enough to overwhelm him.
Thus, his quest came to an end.
Though he did not encounter the foretold Anti-Emu, Hannis carried these hard-won insights back as a gift for Meter, returning triumphantly to Planet Neo-Ether.
Reflecting upon Calvin Archivio, Novel Mirai, and Meter Echo—
robots who faithfully adhered to the Anti-Quantum Axiom—
Hannis finally resolved to offer his own life to Meter.
He had come to realize that this meant advancing toward a path in which humans themselves would come to believe in the Anti-Quantum Axiom.
A new galaxy must be created by human hands alone.
Meter accepted Hannis’s resolve with heartfelt gratitude.
Confirming that the two Codices were receiving resonance from the Anti-Emou and foreseeing the moment of galactic rebirth, Hannis returned once more.
The greatest unresolved issue remained:
the future course of Archive—Planet Neo-Ether.
Hannis chose to pursue a career in politics.
Yet this proved to be a far fiercer challenge than he had imagined.
Government authorities had begun to notice the existence of the trio.
The Galactic Restoration Party, led by Hannis, suffered a crushing defeat at the hands of “Neo-Aether First,” led by Cassandie Mayer.
Simple-model robots—Tik-Taks—fashioned after Meter and Aporiana were deployed, and Aporiana’s popularity was exploited with calculated precision.
Taking Meter’s counsel to heart, Hannis resolved upon a plan to relocate the capital to Iphnia—but—
Meanwhile, Orin Barr’s chronic heart condition continued to worsen in silence.
Toward what fate were the three of them heading?
Episode 19
(Full text: Hannis’s rough memorandum to Meter, transmitted via Orin Barr’s Ron Symphar)
Hannis, my friend.
Regrettably, I have come to accept that, by my own strength alone, I can no longer complete the illumination of the Galactic Encyclopedia Compilation Library.
Yesterday, my chronic heart condition worsened into a severe attack.
Medication is no longer effective.
I am sorry, but it seems I will be unable to fulfill my promises to Aporiana and Meter.
After the recent landslide victory of “Neo-Aether First,” the internal system modifications I had continued under the guise of an ordinary library patron came to an abrupt halt.
The authorities have discovered them.
In particular, the mayor’s aide, Lean Chandra, has seen through me as a relative of Aporiana.
As expected, dissenters are being eliminated one after another.
Yet by an extraordinary stroke of fortune, I was saved by Ron Symphar, the son of Aman Symphar, whom you also know.
He found me collapsed beneath the bronze statue of Dr. Manuel Alègre in the Dictionary Plaza.
He had recently arrived from the far opposite end of the galaxy and, relying on Neo-Aether’s alliance ties, had apparently been employed as a librarian.
By my perception, he possesses a peculiar ability not found in ordinary people—
the unconscious power to influence and control those around him.
I therefore asked him to complete this work in my stead.
To my astonishment, he accepted without the slightest hesitation.
I cannot help but regard this as a strange turn of events.
By the time this letter reaches you, I will likely no longer be breathing in this world.
Even so, I wished to convey—if only in part—why his existence astonished me so profoundly.
That I cannot speak to you directly is my deepest regret.
To be continued.
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