Volume 2 (Light Novel)/Chapter 3

We Are in a Small, Doorless Room

## Synopsis

After the news of Farman's escape broke, Echika and the others are summoned to the London branch for a meeting. According to Aide Ross, someone messed with the programming of the branch's security Amicus, causing them all to malfunction at once while driving. Farman, despite being injured, managed to steal a gun from an investigator and escape in a stolen rental car. The car was tracked to the Cotswolds, a designated limited communications area that blocked the internet and GPS. Totoki organizes a search party.

Echika and Harold question the residents of the villages in the Cotswolds, but are unable to find any information. They arrive at the last village in their search area, Bibury, but didn't find any clues. Once Echika and Harold are alone together, Harold attempts to apologize to her. Echika didn't expect an apology, since she knows that all the "human emotions" he displays are just a part of his programming as an RF Model Amicus. Despite all that, Echika still wants to understand him for reasons unknown even to her. Harold says that he also wants to understand her.

Past sunset, Echika and Harold rent out a gift shop so that they can use the landline phone. None of the other teams had found any trace of Farman either. They have no choice but to hold a stakeout in Bibury for the night. As Harold looks around the gift shop, he suddenly starts intently observing a poster advertising villas before announcing that he figured out where Farman is heading. He refuses to tell Echika his reasoning as they drive off to the villa areas. It turns out that Harold had thought of going here before Farman did, as they see his Ford Focus driving towards them. They pursue the car, which drives off the road and into the pastures. Echika manages to ram the Volvo into Farman's car, but Farman somehow remained unfazed and crashes into the Volvo before driving off.

Echika and Harold borrow a pickup truck from a local resident to pursue Farman. They eventually spot the abandoned Ford Focus on the road. There is a trail of circulatory fluid leading from it, confusing the two as they were sure it was Farman who stole the Ford Focus. The trail leads to the last villa area, so they follow it to a house. The two find Farman tied up in a room that looks like a workshop, which means the person they were chasing was someone else. Farman asks them to untie him, and Echika obliges. Just then, a bullet flies past her. Harold grapples with the attacker, who turns out to be Marvin. Marvin tries to retrieve his gun, but is shot in the head by Echika. Just as she is trying to understand what is going on, Farman strangles her from behind and causes her to lose consciousness.

Farman carefully places Echika down on the ground and ties her up so she wouldn't run away once she wakes up. He had fooled even Harold with his act. Harold is unable to stop Farman or harm him because of his programming as an Amicus. Farman notes that the Bureau seems to think that he is doing all of this out of resentment towards Professor Carter, but Echika hadn't obeyed his request to go all the way back to his old memories. He further states that Professor Carter had lied to him, Novae Robotics, and the ethics committee about the dangers of the RF Models. Harold knows what Farman is getting at, but refuses to cooperate with him, so Farman uses a hammer to incapacitate him. He informs Harold that they are going for a drive and leaves to get the car keys. During that time, Harold uses his mouth to pick up a knife and attempts to cut through Echika's bindings. Farman returns and picks up Harold. He attempts to ask Farman why the professor modelled his face after him, but Farman refuses to answer. After putting Harold in the back seat, Farman forcibly shuts his system down.

Some time later, Echika wakes up and finds Harold gone. She is about to pursue Farman when she suddenly spots something that stuns her. She goes over to Marvin's body and discovers something that made her realize that Farman hadn't gone insane and is actually trying to proclaim the truth. Her gun as well as Marvin's gun had gone missing. She considers calling Totoki, but decides to not let anyone go for the time being. She gets into the pickup truck and heads to where she believes Farman is going.

## Characters

* Echika Hieda
* Harold W. Lucraft
* Ross
* Ui Totoki
* Aidan Farman
* Marvin A. Allport
* Lexie W. Carter (mentioned)