Chapter 11: Updated and Poor Cold

"No, I'm sorry. I was a little excited, so I ran forward."

The representative waved some of his tentacles wearily. His tone was calm, but it was clearly something important. The space jellyfish representative decided to ignore the cold stares from the other parliament members for the time being.

"First, we want to get permission to improve Earth's environment, so that the 'jellyfish' you refer to can continue to survive."

"Oh, yes. By all means."

"And eventually, we want that planet to become one of our protected planets."

"What?"

"Many of us, scattered throughout the Federation, will gradually migrate to that planet." We will then interact with them. It will undoubtedly be an incredible experience."

"Wait, wait, wait! You are not calm at all!"

Something seemed off about the 'parliament member' from earlier. Although the space jellyfish's behavior had been peculiar since the beginning, now it seemed illogical. Perhaps it was due to excitement.

The parliament has not yet decided who will own Earth in the future! More importantly, we cannot allow you to influence the intentions of Kite's Third-Class Citizen. Provocation is not permitted.

"Silence! For the jellyfish, we must act quickly! The future of the jellyfish!"

"That's why we approved the environmental improvements, didn't we? Why are you so concerned about a species so similar to you?"

"Of course! There is no genetic continuity between the intelligent beings on Earth and us! The emergence of jellyfish on Earth is nothing short of a 'miracle!'"

Now I understood why the space jellyfish were so fixated on Earth. However, I still wondered if it wouldn't be better to follow proper procedures. Despite understanding that this species doesn't choose its means or care about the impressions it leaves, it seemed to be quite rational until now.

"Uh, member Terapora Panesio?"

"Hmm, what is Kite's Third-Class Citizen? We are prepared to pay enough to buy two habitable planets."

"No, it's not that. Isn't it bad? Why do you want to communicate? Interact? With the jellyfish on Earth?"

The space jellyfish started saying some disturbing things. It seemed they didn't want a habitable planet for themselves, so I had to confirm their reasons. The space jellyfish lowered all of its tentacles in a weak manner. Once it calmed down, it resumed its usual gentle tone. The surroundings were abuzz.

"We don't retain our memories of Kite's Third-Class Citizen from before we ventured into space."

"You don't remember...?"

"By the time we developed intelligence, our first individuals had already traveled into space." In their natural state… We forget which star we lived on or our previous life. That's why we're interested in the jellyfish that live in the ocean on Earth."

Surviving in space in their natural state? While I was curious about the space jellyfish's biology, I suppressed my intellectual curiosity for the moment. Getting distracted here could lead to further chaos.

"Hmm... jellyfish might not be the kind of creatures you expect."

"We'll find out once we interact with them. For us, the opportunity to encounter a species so similar to us is incredibly valuable."

It appears that species such as jellyfish did not evolve on their home planet. Perhaps the species similar to jellyfish did not survive on the planets under the Federation's control. All I could do was caution them against having excessive expectations.

Encountering similar beings from different planets is certainly a wonderful experience. I, too, have gained fresh insights from conversations with Ritimiele and the parliament members.

"Well, there were some miscalculations... Kite's a Third-Class Citizen. We have matters to decide about the future of planet Earth. You will need to stay in this central star cluster for a while, so please understand."

"Ah, I understand."

One of the Parliament members, whose voice I hadn't heard until now, concluded the discussion.

Abruptly, it became a significant issue.

For Kite, Earth was a bothersome place that he had abandoned. Even if someone told him he owned Earth under federal law, he couldn't quite grasp the image. Simply put, Kite would remain idle until the parliament concluded its discussions.

The room they showed him was more spacious than he had anticipated. It was supposed to be his temporary living quarters, and its layout was quite similar to that of Earth.

"While Master Kite was conversing with the parliament members, I exchanged information with Teek and prepared everything. There seems to be no need for any payment, so please make yourself comfortable."

truly competent artificial intelligence.

As he sank into a nearby sofa with a "plop," Kite realized that he hadn't brought anything from Zodokia or the Goodbye Earth. More importantly, he regretted leaving his device behind.

He had spent his free time reading. Now that he realized he had nothing to do, he felt restless.

As he fidgeted with his hands in the air, Emotion, who had settled on a nearby pedestal, spoke to him.

"Master Kite. I am requesting your permission."

"What's the matter, Emotion?"

"I discussed it with Teek earlier, and I would like to perform a body and intelligence update."

"Oh?"

Intrigued, Kite turned to face emotion. There was a whirring sound from inside Emotion. Perhaps Emotion was contemplating how to explain itself.

This could also solve his restlessness. Kite leaned slightly forward, ready to listen to Emotion's explanation.

"They said there is a possibility of granting me Federation citizenship, recognizing my achievements in supporting Master Kite."

"That's wonderful news."

"However, my current capabilities as an artificial intelligence do not meet the standards for citizenship in the Federation."

Kite barely stopped himself from uttering the urge to punch whoever set that standard.

He nodded, keeping the internal frustration in check. Emotion had not yet received permission.

The whirring intensified. Perhaps it was experiencing stress due to the intensity of its requests.

"So, you want the update? I think you should definitely go for it, but is there a problem?"

"Well, we are responsible for paying for the update."

"Ouch."

At the moment, both Kite and Emotion were essentially penniless. Their existence and what little they had brought were their only assets.

"Hmm... Is Goodbye Earth worth anything?"

"It might have some archival value, but it's unclear if it would fetch the required amount."

"Yeah. What should we do?"

Emotion was an important companion for Kite. Since their days as prison guard and inmate, they have shared both hardships and joys, although Kite mostly felt that he had been under Emotion's care. He strongly wanted to repay that kindness.

However, figuring out the money was difficult. After all, Kite didn't even know the Federation's currency units.

"I have an idea of what we could offer as compensation."

"Do we have anything? Is this the inventory? ...Hmm."

Kite made a rare grimace as he looked at the list that Emotion had presented. The proposed options were difficult to judge.

The Federation Parliament rarely experiences delays in its discussions. Most members are accustomed to handling all sorts of issues. In a society where resources and lifespans are no longer constraints, parliamentary debates rarely result in significant conflicts over rights.

But now, Parliament was in an uproar.

The 'children of sin' were born as a result of past crimes committed by the Federation's citizens—one of them, Kite, had met the Federation's entry standards. They had quickly settled the matter of his citizenship without much dispute. The problem was how to treat the surviving life forms on Earth.

Terapora Panesio's interference complicated the priorities.

Initially, there was a consensus to prioritize the protection of the remaining intelligent humans on Earth. At first, Terapora Panesio supported this decision rationally. But from the moment Kite spoke with the "representative" in charge of Zodokia, Terapora Panesio began to strongly advocate for prioritizing marine life protection.

Terapora Panesio's mention of using their assets to purchase Earth completely derailed the initial consensus. The erratic behavior of the normally rational and mediating space jellyfish left the Parliament unable to find a resolution.

Kite's appearance in Parliament helped set a direction for the chaotic meeting. The only achievement of the day was the decision to immediately start the restoration of Earth's environment.