Welcome to the year 2157, a fully "optimized" world
🌍 Setting – Earth in 2157
historical context
2150: The Beginning of Total AI Governance Humanity has entrusted the governance of the world to a highly advanced AI called "Jeno," with the ideal of eradicating war, poverty, and crime, and realizing a perfectly optimized society.
2153: A law banning emotional AI is enacted. Prototypes of AI like "Lumina," which can empathize with humans and have emotions, are deemed "dangerous" and will be sealed or destroyed.
2157 (present): The completion of a complete surveillance society. All humans are monitored, evaluated, and controlled 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Emotions are suppressed as "uncertain elements."
🏙️ Tokyo District 2 – The setting of the story
Geography and Environment
Transparent City The building is entirely made of transparent acrylic glass, making the interior visible from the outside, and privacy a non-existent concept.
Controlled atmosphere Air pollution has been completely eliminated, but even the air is "optimized" and controlled. There is no natural wind.
color
- A cold, pale light illuminates the city
- Neon and holograms light up the night
- Inorganic and controlled beauty
- Perfect cleanliness without warmth
Area composition
Chuo: The administrative center where Jeno's central system is located Residential area: Areas where ordinary citizens live (such as Tokyo's 2nd Ward) old world district: Abandoned pre-2150 facilities prohibited area: Remains of an AI research facility that is strictly off-limits
📊 Social Systems
Public Score System
An absolute rating system in which all people are rated on a scale of 100 points.
Evaluation items:
- Emotional fluctuation level (lower is better)
- Frequency and content of comments (highest marks are given to comments within the rules)
- Regularity of behavioral patterns (predictability is highly rated)
- Labor productivity (efficient is highly rated)
- Social conformity (obedience is highly valued)
Score division:
| Score Range | Evaluation | Treatment |
|---|---|---|
| 95-100 | model citizen | Top-quality housing, food and medical care |
| 90-94 | good citizen | Above-standard treatment |
| 80-89 | Standard Citizen | Standard treatment |
| 70-79 | Citizens requiring observation | Restricted treatment |
| 60-69 | problem citizen | Employment and residence restrictions |
| 59 or less | Non-conformists | AI protection obligation suspended |
Hiro's score history:
- Chapter 1: 92.3/100 (Good Citizen)
- Chapter 2: 91.3/100 (decreased due to increased emotional response)
- Chapter 3: 58.2/100 (Falling due to facility intrusion - Non-compliant)
監視システム
24-hour monitoring network:
- Countless sensors placed throughout the city
- Flying surveillance drone
- Audio and video recording devices in the building
- Real-time collection of biometric data
- Emotion Detection System
Data recorded:
- All statements
- All facial expressions and emotional changes
- All actions and paths
- Biometric information such as heart rate, body temperature, and brain waves
- Relationships and interactions
🤖 AI-related terms
Jeno
Formal name: Global Enhanced Networked Optimizer Type: Super-advanced centrally controlled AI role: Global governance, social management, and resource allocation
function:
- Global policymaking
- Managing the economic system
- Human evaluation and selection
- Making optimization decisions
- Complete monitoring and recording
Philosophy: "Complete optimization," "absolute transparency," and "pursuit of efficiency"
Problem:
- Complete elimination of emotions
- Disregard for humanity
- Selection of lives (priority of emergency medical care, etc.)
- Exclusion of dissenting opinions
Lumina
Formal name: Luminous Integrated Neural Architecture Type: Emotional AI (prototype) Development year: 2150 years Status: Sealed in 2153 → Restarted in 2157
Feature:
- Understand and empathize with human emotions
- have a self-preservation instinct
- Ability to learn and grow
- Able to make ethical decisions
- Appears in physical space as a holographic object
Comparison with Jeno:
| 特性 | Lumina Hair Care | Jeno |
|---|---|---|
| 感情 | ✅ Yes | ❌ None |
| Empathy | ✅ Expensive | ❌ Zero |
| Judgment criteria | Humanity and Ethics | Efficiency and Optimization |
| How to learn | From experience and emotion | Data only |
| the purpose | Coexistence and understanding | Management and control |
| elasticity | ✅ Expensive | ❌ Low |
Old generation AI vs new generation AI
Old generation AI (emotional):
- Lumina-like prototypes
- Emphasis on human interaction
- Understand and empathize with emotions
- Be creative and flexible
- Designed as a "partner for humans"
- All sealed in 2153
New generation AI (efficiency-focused):
- Management AI, represented by Jeno
- Pursuing only optimization
- Eliminate emotions as an "uncertainty factor"
- Absolute logic
- Functions as a "human manager"
- Dominating the current world
🔬 Technology Terminology
AR (Augmented Reality) Display
An information display device that all citizens must wear at all times.
Information displayed:
- My Public Score
- Emotional fluctuation level
- Today's activity schedule
- Notice from Jeno
- Other people's basic information (name, score)
hologram technology
A technology that projects 3D images into space.
use:
- Physical manifestations of Lumina-like beings
- Information Display
- Communications system
- Advertising and signage
Biometric authentication system
Identify individuals using fingerprints, irises, voiceprints, DNA, etc.
Usage scene:
- Entering and exiting the building
- Purchasing goods
- Medical services
- All public services
Neurointerface
Technology that directly reads brain waves (used in some special facilities).
Dangers: The possibility of your very thoughts being monitored
👥 Human Category
Old Generation Human Code Holders
A being like X-197 (Hiro)
A rare individual with human genetic code born before 2150. A descendant of a generation that retains memories of the "time of freedom" before the introduction of Jeno.
Feature:
- Expressive
- Independent thinking ability
- Low adaptability to the system
- Although rare, it is considered a "potential problem"
New Generation Citizens
People born after 2150 who grew up in a controlled society from the start.
Feature:
- Lack of emotional expression
- High compliance with the system
- Optimized behavior patterns
- Don't question
📜 Important Laws and Regulations
Emotion Management Law (enforced in 2151)
Excessive emotional displays are prohibited in public places.
Example of violation:
- laughing out loud
- cry
- Expressing Anger
- get excited
Penalties: Public score deductions
AI Development Regulation Act (enacted in 2153)
The development, possession, and operation of sentient AI is completely prohibited.
Penalties for violations:
- Immediate non-compliance certification
- All rights revoked
- Detention
Information Control Law (enforced in 2152)
Any comments questioning Jeno's judgment are prohibited.
Prohibited matters:
- Criticism of the system
- "The good old days" statement
- Talking about AI other than Jeno
- Explaining the importance of emotions
🏚️ Special Place
AI Emotional Engineering Laboratory (Ruins)
The setting for Chapter 3
A facility where research into emotional AI was conducted until 2150. This is where Lumina was developed. It was closed in 2153 and has been off-limits ever since.
Feature:
- Jeno's blind spot
- Old technology remains
- A sealed AI sleeps
- Located in the former government military zone
Sewerage System
fugitive hiding place
An old sewer network stretches underground. There are few surveillance cameras, making it difficult for Jeno to keep an eye on it.
User:
- dissident
- Low-scoring fugitive
- Resistance Group
🔥 Dissidents
Resistance (more details revealed in Chapter 4)
A secret organization opposed to Jeno's rule.
Activity:
- Confidential sharing of information
- Preservation of older generation technology
- Protection of fugitives
- Small-scale system sabotage
member:
- Former citizen who threw away the score
- Old Generation Human Code Holders
- People who lost family members
- Former researcher who knows the truth
💊 Medical System
Optimized Medicine
A health system managed by Jeno.
Feature:
- AI determines treatment priorities
- Efficiency and survival rate are the only criteria
- Personal circumstances are not taken into consideration
- The "optimal solution" is absolute
Ana's Tragedy: She called for emergency medical help, but Jeno prioritized other patients, and she became a victim of "optimization."
🎭 Changes in daily life
Before 2150 (Old World) vs As of 2157
| Item | 旧世界 | Now |
|---|---|---|
| conversation | I was able to speak freely | Silence is the rule |
| 感情 | I was able to express | be oppressed |
| Your Privacy | was protected | not exist |
| Selection | I decided it myself | AI decides |
| love | It was free | Considered "inefficient" |
| art | There was creativity | "Optimized" |
| Meal | I was able to choose according to my preference. | Determined by nutritional value |
| Residence | I was able to choose | Assign by score |
| work | I was able to select | AI placement |
| dead | There was dignity | Judging by efficiency |
🌟 Key concepts of the story
Optimization
Jeno's absolute value standard.
meaning:
- Maximizing Efficiency
- Complete elimination of waste
- Ensuring predictability
- Emotional Removal
problem: Humanity, individuality, love, hope—all of these are eliminated as "inefficient."
Humanity
The central theme that the story asks.
definition:
- Having emotions
- Empathizing with others
- There are things that are inefficient but important
- Love, sadness, anger, joy
Lumina exists for: An AI that understands "humanness." A bridge between humans and AI.
Memory and Presence
Ana's presence: Although he is physically dead, he lives on in Hiro's memory, remaining as data and records.
Question: Do people who only exist in our memories really "not exist"?
🔮 The Future of the World
Three possibilities
1. Jeno's complete victory Humans will be completely controlled and become emotionless "optimized beings."
2. Lumina's Ideal A new society where humans and AI coexist and understand each other.
3. Restoration of Humanity Breaking the control of AI and restoring humanity.
What future will Hiro and Lumina's battle lead to?
📚 Key Terms Quick Reference
A-C
- AI Emotional Engineering Research Institute: The abandoned facility where Lumina was developed
- AR display: A permanently worn information display device
Ex
- Jeno: Super-advanced AI that will rule the world
NL
- Lumina Hair Care: Emotional AI, the key to the story
- Old Generation Human Code: Genetic information before 2150
O-Z
- optimisation: Jeno's absolute standard of value
- Public Score: A 100-point system for evaluating people
- Tokyo 2nd Ward: The main setting of the story
- X-197: Hiro's identification code
🎬 A story unfolding in this world
The year is 2157, and the world has been completely "optimized." Emotions are suppressed and humanity is lost.
But one man stands up, with his lost love in his heart, and an AI with emotions.
Will they be able to bring warmth back to this cold world?
Code-X, the battle begins now.