Psycho Pass: Redemption (UPDATING)

8 (UPDATED)

When people first immersed themselves in virtual reality, they found the new world so different that when they returned to their room, all they longed to do was reconnect. They soon realized that the virtual world could be modified at will, and that those who had access could enjoy a freedom they did not find in their real city. In that reality there were no faces, no physical differences, only avatars representing different ways of thinking.

But the other side of the coin was different. If people wanted to live to return again to their own paradise, they had to feed themselves, go to work and support themselves financially. And the moment they disconnected, they looked at their faces in the mirror. Only then did they realize that freedom was much more complex. The virtual world was still a fishbowl, and a fishbowl would never encompass an ocean.

"Everyone must have tasted ambrosia at some point in their life, you can't be an exception," Hisakawa Izumi commented.

The young woman sitting across from Yashiro looked at her with a smile. They were the same age, but in her case she looked much older, with shaved temples and nape and short brown hair falling in curls. She was of average height and in her class most of her classmates were taller than her.

Yashiro had several conversations with her discovering that like Rikako she hated the Sibyl System, in her case since the death of her brother, yet another victim of the psycho hazard. Rikako had told her that it struck her that a young woman could harbor so much hatred, one that was directed at the Sibyl System.

"I'm not against virtual reality," Yashiro's tone was calm, she was observing one of the library shelves behind the young woman. "I just think people should stop lying to themselves."

"It's not that easy," Izumi replied with a serious expression. "For some people that's their only reality, because they know if they leave the only thing they'll find is death."

"Everyone could die, if the crime coefficient indicates it. Such is the price of welfare and security. But what kind of progress can exist in a society whose inhabitants live in a world that functions like George Orwell's Minutes of Hate?" Yashiro raised her hand gently. "We can all criticize the Sibyl System in it and behave like criminals. But as soon as we return to real life the illusion of freedom vanishes."

"I see you're not a big fan of the anarchist CommuFields," Hisakawa guessed.

Yashiro furrowed her brow as her companion reclined in the seat, eyes open like two large buttons.

"I once spoke to an avatar who considers herself openly feminist, but adheres to Proudhon's thought. When I told her that he was a detractor of feminism itself, she blocked me and never spoke to me again. I think it was someone our age or younger," Yashiro replied with a frown.

"Nowadays, it's unusual for teachers to talk about reality," Izumi looked up for a moment. "Don't you think we're in a comfortable, quiet bubble, idealizing a world that doesn't exist? The shock we'll have upon graduation will be so strong that many will see how easily a hue can be clouded..."

"Even truth can be used as a weapon. The constant fear of psycho hazard is like terrorism or the Cold War of the past," nodded Yashiro. "As Foucault would say, where there is power, power is exercised. We don't know who exactly has it, but we know who doesn't."

The country was at war, but a silent and invisible war, like a cancer that circulates in its carrier without the carrier being aware of it. Society, in its eagerness to protect the mental health of each of its members, was bleeding under the pressure of internal strife. She would not be surprised that despite technology and advanced medicine, life expectancy was in steep decline. But, no doubt, that information would never be made public in the media, with the exception of conspiracy forums or CommuFields.

"Anyway, they could... break the fall to reality," Izumi lowered her gaze.

"The Oso Academy, as you know, is conservative," Yashiro pointed out, raising one hand while the other rested on her thigh. "To maintain order and reputation, it takes care to keep us away from any social influences that are threatening, to prevent the psycho pass from being triggered-"

"All it does is sweep problems under the rug."

"The problem is that some people would rather live a sweet lie than a painful truth," Yashiro turned to the window on one side of the library. "And there's nothing worse than lying to yourself."

Izumi was silent for a long time.

"There's nothing worse than lying to yourself," she repeated what Yashiro had said a minute before, frowning. "You're right. I think... I think I've been lying to myself in every possible way for a long time. I've always hated the Sibyl System ever since what it did to my brother, but the only way I found to take that pain away was to turn to virtual reality, sharing my thoughts with many other people who had gone through the same thing. I may never be like you in the end. I'm terrified of this reality, I admit it. You move on the surface while I try to make it virtual. You may underestimate it, but I'm telling you, there are a lot of people willing to do things you can't even imagine. People who don't just hide, but wait for the right moment," Izumi lowered her gaze and then turned back to her. "What kind of person are you, Takahashi-san, the one who plans or the one who waits?"

"Don't worry," Yashiro replied with a smile. "That's not why you came here, so ask yourself, what kind of person are you?"

Izumi stayed silent until she stood up from the couch with a smile.

"I'll remember your words," Izumi said with a sincere earnestness, bidding Yashiro farewell as she headed to her class. "It's strange, but whenever I talk to you, I find myself believing I can tackle all my challenges."

Izumi left the library giving Yashiro one last smile. She remained seated on the couch with one leg over the other, one hand on her thigh and one elbow resting on the backrest, her gaze fixed on the floor with a slightly raised eyebrow. Suddenly, there was a slow, soft clapping.

"By holding out baits, he keeps him on the march; then with a body of picked men he lies in wait for him," said a deep, quiet voice behind her.

Yashiro closed her eyes for a few seconds and footsteps echoed in the room. She followed Shibata with her eyes as he sat on the couch in front of her, where minutes before Hisakawa Izumi had been. They were the only ones in the whole library. Yashiro saw that he was carrying a book and when he realized that she was focused on the cover, he rested his elbow on the armrest and lifted the small book up to his chest to catch her attention.

"Sun Tzu," he smiled with narrowed eyes.

"Shall I take it as an accusation or as a compliment?" she asked.

He looked down crossing one leg over the other and resting his hand and book on his thigh.