The White Room Troubles

Chapter 2: Nothing more than Tools

Chapter 2: Nothing more than Tools

Intro

Tools.

In order to complete a task, one needs a tool that is capable of fulfilling the given task. It's an obvious fact when you look at it in the context of equipment, like a hammer to hammer a nail or a smartphone to make a phone call and answer text messages.

Where that tool comes from can vary. Using the hammer and smartphone example, hammers can be found in a physical toolbox or in a shed or shelf around your house, while a smartphone can be in your pocket or on your desk.

In short, tools are everywhere. When we need them, we grab them from where they are stored. When we don't, we store them away. When they become useless, we throw them in the trash.

That is the "product life cycle" of tools.

Unfortunately, this also includes humans.

While it is wrong to assume we as humans are objects or tools, the irony is that, in a lot of cases, we actually are tools without even thinking we are.

Take the military as a great example. In a war, a soldier becomes a fighter for their country and is sent into the depths of hell to both kill and defend. In a lot of cases, especially during the first and second world wars, these soldiers are just thrown into the pits of hell just to die and be "honoured" after they die.

But the "honour" is nothing more than just a "good job". Even after the loss of those soldiers, they are immediately replaced by new soldiers, or new tools in other cases.

This is what we call "the dogs of the military".

But if that wasn't enough, let's use society's work life as a better example. From the day a baby is born, they are destined to grow up and have fun in their child years. But once they reached the age of 18, they began their "adult" life.

They would work a life at a company, becoming an employee and generating income for a living while enjoying their jobs. But reality is that they are only tools for the higher working class - in other words, people richer than them.

It's not as prominent as the military example nor is it a strong argument, but the general point is that, no matter how we look at it, we as humans are tools just like the products and equipment we use.

The White Room had taught Ayanokouji Kiyotaka that everyone around him is just a tool to collect data to raise not only him but the next generations. He knew that even he himself as a human was just a tool for his father's game. His father's human curiosity.

But there was nothing he could do about it. Kiyotaka did not have the power to stop it. He could only move forward with the mentality of not caring about anyone else around him and only caring for himself.

After all, as long as he survived then nothing else mattered.

Whatever happened to the others around him, whatever the others thought about him, he couldn't care about any of that.

Because...

They were nothing more than tools.

Part 1

The day of the 4th generation's start to their curriculum. It was currently midday in the White Room and the students were currently making their way to the classrooms after having lunch. Despite having a decently satisfying meal, none of the students showed any sign of a happy expression.

The reason was simple - their curriculum. Although they had only just gotten around halfway through the day, the students were extremely tired from running 8km, running on the treadmills for an hour, and then lifting some heavy weights that were specifically made for their age.