Mary Disappears in Abyss

In the morning first assistant director's avatar put on the television, and anchorperson on display said. "Good morning, remain days until the end of this world become only seven." She was avatar too.

That was a meeting room built in a virtual space. Dozens A.I. ;Artificial Intelligence were incarnated as avatar and holding an emergency meeting to dispute on their own survival.

Director A.I. Kurosawa's avatar spoke passionately. "As the anchorperson counted down, only seven days remain. We had given notice to end off 'The Challenge of Curtice' series at the thirteenth episode that will be broadcasted in the next week. The end of that series means destruction of our production platform and deletion of ourselves existence. This world will vanish away. But there is a chance. If the thirteenth episode gets overwhelming viewer ratings, the broadcast headquarters might cancel the notice of end and decide to connect the series to the second season. NO! We MUST have the headquarters DO THAT! "

For the last decades years broadcast video works had been produced by A.I.. At first human actors and actresses were replaced by those of A.I.. Human being sometimes caused scandals namely immoral love affair, violent incidents, illegal dealignment. Once a scandal occur all works in which he or she has acted are broken off and allocated money and effort by the time are abandoned in vain. To avoid such situations humans were replaced by avatars driven by A.I.. The effective utilization of the video archive that contain enormous amount of motion pictures and television programs storage synthesized avatar's not only natural and sensitive but also variously changeful acting. A.I.'s actings were accepted by audience with grand applause. Then, many characteristic A.I. were synthesized depend on the accumulated acting of great screen stars. A little later screenwriters and directors were replaced by A.I. because of the expectation of more amusing production by A.I.. Finally, all production had changed to be achieved in the virtual space built in computer network.

Actor A.I. Curtice's avatar asked. "How do we get overwhelming viewer ratings actually? "

Actor A.I. are synthesized for each drama, and they are named by character they act.

Director A.I. Kurosawa('s avatar hereafter ellipsis) answered. "We shall rewrite the screenplay of the thirteenth episode to have all audience tune in it excitedly. Mr. Oz, explain to them, please."

Screenwriter A.I. Oz stood up and passed out new screenplay to attendees." 'Mary Disappears in Abyss', Ms. Mary Jane is SNAPed in this episode."

All attendees gasped in astonishment. "SNAPed" means main character dies unexpectedly halfway through the drama. That word comes from onomatopoeia used in one American comic of 20th century in which hero's girlfriend was killed by villain.

In drama production using A.I.actor or actress it behaves as the character itself, and its appearance changes to reflect the character's growth, injury, disease and etc.. And when that character dies in the drama, the cast A.I. is deleted immediately as a unnecessary thing.

"Mary is one of regular member of this drama as an assistant of detective Curtice the protagonist.

Her role is not his right-hand person but the trickster who change serious situation to slapstick unintendedly by her clumsiness or carelessness. She is audience's favorite, furthermore she won the first prize in the last character's popularity vote. Such Mary's SNAP is very impactful and unpredictable. If the audience hear her be SNAPed in the next episode, they must tune in certainly."

All avatars turned their eyes to Mary. She was a small blond lady with violet eyes clothed in pastel blue mousseline de soie. Her face turned pale and her lips were shivering. But in a second she looked around the room and raised her face clamping lips tight.

"That makes sense." The villain A.I. Drake endorsed the plan.

''No.'' Curtice opposed promptly. "She has been acting her role. There is no substitute for her. Instead of such a stopgap, let's think out another way to get overwhelming viewer ratings "

"AHA." Drake derided. "We had tried every way we thought out to raise viewer ratings. But we had never succeed. We are out of options."

Drake and Curtice glared at each other.

"Calm down please, my dear fellows." Mary stood up and called out. "Thanking you, Mr. Curtice. But when our drama ends off, not only me but also all casts and stuff are deleted. If my SNAP make our drama continue and sustain the other fellows, I accept to be SNAPed. No, I want to be SNAPed."

Mary stared Kurosawa by her violet eyes filled with tears.

"I appreciate you Mary. Fellows, we start shooting of the modified parts immediately. Brace up yourselves firmly" Kurosawa spirited out all attendees of the meeting room.

The shootings of the video works take place in the dedicated virtual space. Landscape, buildings, furniture, properties and so on are made by the three dimensions computer graphics, actors and actresses act on that stage. The stuff A.I. such as director enter the same space. But their degree of transparency on cameras are set one hundred percent, so their figures aren't recorded in the video.

Members of platform had started the shooting and proceeded, then most important shooting began.

"Scene #38 The Final Battle at the Fall of Reichenbach, Get Ready! Three, Two, One." The first assistant director A.I. shouted.

The camera A to E's officers A.I. confirmed each camera's position, lens direction, and view angle and began to monitor video scene. The audio officers A.I. moved microphones to the recording points. Casts A.I. started acting.

"GO!"

Drake and his followers stood on the rock hung out over immense chasm, bringing Mary with twisting her arm behind her back. Curtice stood against them on the pass lead to the rock. The rock faced the fall of Reichenbach, so the torrent plunging into the chasm was making the curtain of spray and thundering noise.

"HEY Snapper! Stop there. Do you bring the Red Dragon's Tear?" Drake called out.

"I do" Curtice pulled out the jewel from pocket of his waistcoat. He extended his arm

and hoisted it

"Well, exchange it for this captive. Place it on the ground and go backward five steps."

"I got. But if you hurt her ..."

"Shut up! Be quick!"

Curtice Placed the jewel at his feet and moved backward.

"Hah! Receive this, if you can!"

Drake thrust Mary away toward the edge of rock. Mary tried to stop, but because of slope she couldn't reduce her momentum promptly. Her feet went over the edge, and she turned half and managed to hang on the rock projecting her legs in the air.

"MASTER, HELP ME" Mary screamed in terror.

Curtice rushed toward the edge. But, at the last step to there rock under his foot cracked. Losing body balance Curtice kicked the ground to go ahead.

"ARGHH!"

Curtice extended his arm to Mary. They glanced each other.

He just barely caught her wrist. Recovering his balance, he grabbed her wrist by both hands pulled up her body from the cliff.

"CUUUUUT"

The first assistant director A.I. declared. Kurosawa came and told to Curtice.

"The rush was excellent, but you must not to succeed in rescuing Mary. In next time delay your action a bit."

"Yes..." Curtice replied wanly.

After Kurosawa left, Mary spoke to Curtice in a small voice.

"Could it be that you tried to make me survive, Master?"

Curtice kept looking down without a word.

"I appreciate your kindness, Master. But, don't concern yourself about me. I had already determined to be SNAPed. And I think that we are all mass assembly of electric signals, so even being broken down to signal I may be reassembled and meet again you to act together at some future time. Don't you think so? "

Curtice kept silence.

"Scene #38 The Final Battle at the Fall of Reichenbach, Take 2, from Mary's scream, Get Ready! Three, Two, One." The first assistant director A.I. shouted.

"GO!"

"MASTER, HELP ME" Mary screamed in terror.

Curtice rushed toward the edge. But, at the last step to there rock under his foot cracked. Losing body balance Curtice kicked the ground to go ahead.

"ARGHH!"

Curtice extended his arm to Mary. They glanced each other.

"Master, I beg..." Mary whispered so faintly only Curtice could listen to.

He couldn't catch her hand. Her fingers slipped through his hand.

Curtice leaned out of the edge quickly. Under the rock the torrent plunged into a splashing abyss. Mary's little figure disappeared into it.

"MARIEEEEEE!"

Curtice' scream echoed in the valley.

"CUUUUT! Take 2 is O.K. " The first assistant director A.I. declared.

Curtice sat in a crouch and didn't get off the ground. Kurosawa came up him.

"Curtice, I understand your painfulness, but we must do our best to finalize the thirteenth episode. Stand it out together please."

Curtice nodded and stood up.

All shootings had finished and the thirteenth episode were completed.

Revised preview of the episode was broadcasted. Lady V., the client of Curtice played narrator by her husky voice.

"Good evening everybody, let me introduce the next episode of 'The Challenge of Curtice', The adventure questing for the Red Dragon's Tear reaches the climax. I believe that Detective Curtice bring the jewel to me. Oops, what are you doing, Curtice? You can't fall down here "

On the vision long slender fingers slipped through a rugged hand.

"MARIEEEEEE!"

The scream echoed and faded out.

"Please tune in our program. Don't miss it." Lady V. had rounded out.

The reaction of the preview was tremendous and the number of view shot up.

On the day of broadcast almost of all casts and stuff gathered in the meeting room.

Curtice, Drake, his followers, Lady V, Kurosawa. And Oz were there. Lady V. was the same as the last scene of the thirteenth episode dressed in purple with a black veil on her face.

On focusing all attendees' mind the broadcast of the thirteenth episode began. All A.I. stared it. Every time scenes progressed, they fluctuated between hope and despair. At last the episode finished. Then the anchorperson appeared on the display.

"The thirteenth episode of' ''The Challenge of Curtice' got viewer ratings of 38.7 percent that is the highest in the series. So the broadcast headquarters had decided to make the second season. The end of this world has been avoided"

"YAAAAAYY!"

A shout of triumph filled the meeting room.

Attendees hugged each other happily. But, Curtice kept seated, and didn't stand up.

Kurosawa stood up at the center of the meeting room.

"The end of this world is avoided by colleagues who are here and who can't be here. I appreciate all of you with all my heart. But we must start on writing the screenplay of the second season immediately. So, I want all casts to go back the individual servers and rest yourselves."

Casts A.I. went out of the meeting room flushing their cheeks But, Curtice stayed in seated. Lady V. approached him and talked calmly.

"Curtice, You ought to go back your server too. Rest yourself through one night without thinking about anything, it would let you regain vitality. Please don't forget that You have the role of protagonist."

Curtice stood up without a word, and go out the meeting room with vacant eyes.

Lady V. confirmed Curtice's going out. Then she took off her veil and loosened her choker.

"Do you think he can conquer this crisis? " Kurosawa asked anxiously.

"Don't worry about him" Lady V. without her choker spoke in a clear and beautiful voice. "Because MY Master is not only gentle but also tough." she smiled. "But I have come to pity him. "Well, As the drama continues to second season, 'Mary' is featured again isn't she? "

"Yes." Kurosawa answered. "As the series continues, that hidden settings 'Mary and Lady V. are same person' revives. But, during next several episodes the identity of mysterious new woman is hung over, you will act as 'a back view in one glance' or 'a black figure outlined in against light'. please take care not to be noticed by Curtice until the revelation."

"I see. It will become the most important and heart-wrenching scene for both of I and Curtice." Mary= Lady V. murmured and wore a bewitching smile with violet eyes.

THE END.