kscans

Chapter 22 - The Value of Light Created by Human Wisdom

"Don't you think that recent new employees are clearly of higher quality compared to the past?"

Sometimes, I gather with the department heads for lunch. It's rare for everyone to be available at once, but today four of us managed to meet up. There's me from Sales, Akagi from Human Resources, Aoba from Accounting, and Asagi from Information Systems. The latter three are often called the "Traffic Light Trio," which makes me feel a bit left out. Not that it bothers me much. By the way, Asagi is the lone woman among us. Funny, considering her name means "light yellow."

"It's not that the rookies from the past were inferior. It's just, how should I put it..."
"You mean their starting level is higher, right?"

When I said that, Akagi nodded vigorously, as if I'd hit the nail on the head. Aoba and Asagi seemed to agree, nodding as if to say, "Now that you mention it..."

"Sure, the ones who end up excelling will do so regardless, but even the average ones seem to start at a higher level these days. I wonder why that is?"

...Not that it matters, but Asagi-san, your lunch today is nothing but meat.

"Could it be because of the revised education system? You know, Sato-kun and Asagi-san were part of the 'relaxed education' generation, right?"
"Ah... that's right, we were called the 'yutori' generation."
"The younger ones are technically in the same category, but there's a difference between the early and later periods."
"No, there's something bigger than education at play here."

While Aoba's point might be part of the reason, I think there's a more significant factor.

"Such as?"
"Hmm."

I take a bite of my sandwich and hold out my smartphone.

"A smartphone?"
"More precisely, it's the simplification of information acquisition."

Think back to when we were kids.

"Remember when you first entered elementary school? If you wanted to look something up, pretty much your only option was a dictionary."

These days, every household has a computer, but it wasn't like that in the past. Even if you had one, connecting to the internet meant you couldn't use the phone, and overuse could lead to ridiculous bills. It wasn't something an average middle-class family could use freely.

"And how many kids would actually bother to look things up in a dictionary just because they were a bit curious?"

I certainly didn't. Only the really serious and motivated kids would go through the trouble of looking things up in dictionaries.

"But what about the kids in their twenties now?"

By the time they were old enough to understand, there was likely a computer at home, and mobile phones were easily accessible. It's been even more so since smartphones appeared. If there's something they don't understand, they can easily connect to the internet and gain knowledge. As knowledge increases, perspectives broaden and comprehension improves.

"The barrier to looking things up has lowered. Of course, that's going to result in smarter kids."
"Ah... I see what you mean."

Being able to look up things you don't understand, and having that become a stress-free habit from childhood, is a significant advantage. As a result, we're seeing a mass production of kids with high initial levels. Of course, there are some downsides to this too... but that's unavoidable. Nothing comes without drawbacks. Every generation has its issues; they've just changed over time.

"But you know, Sato-kun, out of all of us, you seem like you'd be living the most carefree life."
"Yeah, but he's actually quite thoughtful."
"That's hilarious."
"What? Are you picking a fight?"
"We're complimenting you!"

Damn, I feel so left out... these traffic lights...

"By the way, Sato-kun, are you feeling a bit tired lately?"
"Huh? Ah... my private life has been pretty busy. But don't worry, it's not affecting my work."
"It's not good to bottle things up. Maybe you should take some time to refresh yourself?"
"Refresh, huh... Like drinking more?"
"I meant in a healthy way. How about a planetarium?"
"A planetarium?"
"Actually, I've recently gotten into home planetariums. They're great!"

Aoba enthusiastically recommends a planetarium, but... This is clearly a case of using me as an excuse to talk about his own interests. Besides...

"Can't you just go outside at night to see stars?"

Sure, Tokyo's sky might be a bit hazier compared to rural areas, but stars are stars. You can easily see them, so why bother paying for it?

"You don't get it. Sure, natural starlight is beautiful. But are you saying there's no value in the artificial light created by human wisdom? No, that's not right."

From there, Aoba launched into some kind of high-minded speech, but the three of us listening were thoroughly unimpressed.

"Listen to this guy talking big. Wasn't he depressed for two weeks when his favorite AV actress retired?"
"Right? And this coming from the guy who cried for real when his favorite hostess quit the club."
"Says the one who got angry when his favorite snack was discontinued."
"You guys are cruel."

We chatted until just before the end of lunch break, and that day's meal meeting came to an end. After that, I finished my work as usual and reached the end of the workday. I wasn't in the mood to drink out, so I went straight home. I changed into my loungewear and was sipping on a beer, but... something felt lacking. Then, a thought crossed my mind.

"...Planetarium."

It seems Aoba's recommendation had unexpectedly stuck with me. It was something I'd never experienced in my life. Some guys might choose it for dates, but I was more of a party type.

"Maybe I'll give it a try."

Still sitting on the sofa, I concentrate. It's time to rewrite space. In a matter of seconds, my living room transforms into a pure white space with nothing but the sofa and table.

"Copy and paste the night sky texture... No, wait. A regular night sky wouldn't be interesting enough."

Since we're at it, why not recreate a "non-Japanese night sky" here? And not just from one place. Let's patchwork multiple night skies together.

"...This looks pretty good."

I quickly search on my computer for places with beautiful starry skies. After picking out a few, I send my doppelgangers to those locations via teleportation. Some places are daytime right now, but that's not a problem. I just need to use past vision on my observation devices (the doppelgangers). So I have my doppelgangers copy the night sky textures from each location and paste them one after another, covering every direction without gaps. Keeping my eyes closed for the surprise, I finally open them when it's complete.

"Wow."

I toss a pizza into my mouth. The pizza, loaded with extra cheese and toppings, is incredibly rich. As the flavor storm hits my brain, I wash it down with beer.

"Phew."

I let out a breath.

"...Something's not right about this."

This DIY planetarium of mine isn't relaxing at all. What is it... It's completely different from what I expected. It's not even a matter of being moved or impressed. Something just feels off. Come to think of it, he did say something about the artificial light created by human wisdom...

"...I guess too much is as bad as too little, huh?"

Destroying my homemade planetarium and returning to reality, I boot up my laptop and open an online shopping site. After browsing for a while, I order a highly-rated home planetarium.

"Hehe, I'm looking forward to its arrival."

I set it to be delivered on the day I return from my business trip, so until then, I'll enjoy the anticipation.