“You’ve memorised SQL, right?”
“Yeah…well, in a manner of speaking.”
The next morning’s travel to our quest was awkward. Maybe I was naive, but her response was ‘You will die, you know?’. We workers were colleagues. Although quests were full of violence and danger, we were still originally gentle office workers. I must have made her very angry for her to throw such harsh words at me.
##############
When I arrived at the quest site, something was there. It had many red eyes attached to a round metal body. A number of metal limbs grew from its back, supporting a body that seemed as heavy as a car. It noticed us and turned its ten eyes towards us.
Bam.
It slammed on of its leg into the ground as if to threaten us. At this point I realised that ‘You will die, you know?’ was meant literally.
“How do we handle something like that?”
“Free your mind.”
“Eh?”
“Free your mind.”
I was probably a quote from a movie, but I couldn’t remember what it was.
“Pardon me, which movie was it?”
“It’s The Matrix.”
I see. I remember now. Come to think of it, that QUERY function looked like the machines that destroyed the ships in The Matrix. Wait? Maybe this is the Matrix…
“Does that mean our bodies aren’t bound by the laws of physics?”
Then, Saito’s abnormal physical ability would all make sense. Why hadn’t I noticed it before?
“Hah? What are you talking about? This isn’t the movie. Isn’t this your first time seeing a QUERY? If I didn’t say the quote now, when would I say it?”
I was an idiot for expecting anything. Saito revved up his chainsaw.
“Let’s go. Cut off all of its legs.”
Inoue and I each started the engines of our own chainsaws. QUERY began moving towards us, as if in response.
GarrGarrGarrGarrGarrGarrGarrGarrGarrGarrGarrGarrGarrGarrGarrGarrGarrGarrGarrGarrGarrGarrGarrGarrGarrGarrGarrGarrGarrGarrGarrGarrGarrGarrGarrGarr.
Thud.
Saito cut off the first QUERY leg. The QUERY didn’t seem to feel any pain, but distanced itself from Saito, perhaps sensing danger.
“Inoue, go over there.”
“Yes-!”
With a thud, it turned towards Inoue and arched one of its legs back. After a moment’s pause, it quickly stabbed at Inoue with its leg.
GarrGarrGarrGarr…Garr.
Inoue blocked the attack with her chainsaw, cutting into its leg. QUERY pulled its leg back, but perhaps deciding that a broken leg was no longer needed, it used two other legs to tear it of, violently throwing it aside.
“URYOAAAAAAAAH!!!”
GirrGirrGirrGirrGirrGirrGiGiGiGiGiGi. BzzBzzBzzBzzBzz.
Saito crawled under the body of the QUERY and thrust his chainsaw into the base of where a group of legs were connected to. Several legs suddenly lost function as they went limp.
Thunk.
Losing the support of its legs, QUERY lost its balance and fell.
“Takahashi! Inoue! Cut off the rest!!”
“Yes-!” “Understood!”
Inoue and I cut off the remaining, still moving, legs with our chainsaws. The terrifying QUERY turned into a lump of metal stuck upside down.
“You guys did a great job. Nice moves.”
After congratulating us, Saito put his hand on the QUERY.
“Stop it. QUERY.”
The huge QUERY function and the remains of its legs sank into the cell as the surrounding cells glowed faintly as well.