A Japanese writer born in Chiba, a software engineer and photographer. In 2019, she won the award for excellence at the Sohgen SF Short Stories Award for “飲鴆止渇(Zhenniao)”. She set up a TOKYO Shitamachi Sci-Fi project.
일영 번역 김혜진
Question 1. Choose all the answers that correctly describe the Japanese government’s pandemic responses implemented in the 2020s.
A. A ritual praying for health B. A massive vaccination program C. Prohibition D. Changing the Japanese era name
“2020 was like six hundred years ago. I don’t have a clue, really. Let’s see. It was later than the Third Industrial Revolution, and the Fourth Industrial must have just begun by then, right? And you’re talking about a prayer ritual or changing the era’s name? Was it such a primitive age six hundred years ago? But then, choices like these often turn out to be correct. Uhm, B… and then A and D.”
Correct Answer: B & C
Commentary: A indicates the Olympic Games initially scheduled for 2020. It is wrong because the purpose was not to pray for health. The change of Japan’s era name in D happened in 2019, which had no relevance to the pandemic. The massive vaccination program began around 2021, and vaccines were administered to eighty million people. Alcohol was still served in bars and restaurants in the 2020s as it was not yet designated as a drug, but the government proclaimed an alcohol ban, committed to curbing the spread of the pandemic. Therefore, the correct answers are B and C.
Question 2. The pandemic in the 2020s triggered many violent incidents against a specific ethnic group (‘anti-Asian hate’). Write down the reason for this phenomenon in less than eighty characters.
“Well, Asian is a cursory definition. I think if you ask about the coverage of Asia at the time, it must have been everywhere except the Christian world, right? Oh, and they called it anti-Asian racism. I think they definitely looked down on the Asian culture and practices. I feel lucky to be born into this era. We don’t have that today.”
Correct Answer: It occurred as hidden racist feelings surfaced with the pandemic outbreak from Asia. (Seventy characters).
Commentary: In those days, anti-Asian racism was prevalent in Western society for several reasons. For example, Asians were diffident in expressing their opinions. Asian laborers were heavily concentrated in specific jobs. Meanwhile, as developing Asian countries grew, Asians took a more significant chunk in the white color labor market. These resulted in a rising tide of nationalism and exclusion against Asians in many countries. Then came the pandemic in the 2020s caused by a new coronavirus called SARS-CoV-2, and the first COVID-19 cases were identified in Wuhan, (then) the People’s Republic of China. As the pandemic spread wider in Europe and the United States, words got around that the new coronavirus was a biological weapon developed by China, which triggered the violence against Asians.
Question 3. In 2231, a letter of protest against the humans on Earth was filed regarding the violation of the responsibility to protect life. Choose all the life forms that took part in the protest.
A. Tisek B. Harpooning Pili Tribe C. TTS-9232 D. Ptylepaso
“The letter of protest in 2231 is the first one, I guess. TTS-9232 joined from the second letter, so that’s the wrong answer. Tisek and Ptylepaso were mediators. Therefore, the correct answer is B. Easy-breezy!”
Correct Answer: B. Harpooning Pili Tribe
Commentary: In 2231, virzoa (an infinitesimal life form) filed a protest regarding the persecution committed by the humans on Earth. The letter stated how the pandemic measures in the 2020s became the destruction or holocaust against virzoa’s habitat. However, humans on Earth had not been aware of virzoa’s existence until 2231. In addition, virzoa’s invasive settlement could stop the vital activities of the host human. Given the circumstances, the mediator Ptylepaso did not rule what happened as a holocaust while recognizing virzoa’s argument. The protest led to five mediation sessions, and by 2583, the Federation of Virzoa and the humans on Earth signed an agreement. The only parties involved in the first protest were Harpooning Pili Tribe, Ise, and Spiny Stellate Life Forms. The correct answer is B.
Question 4: In 2583, the Federation of Vizora (FOV) and the humans on Earth signed an agreement to protect vital activities or limit aggressive actions against them. Choose the correct description of this pact from below.
A. When a life form that is a member of the FOV wants to make a human body its habitat, it must obtain prior authorization from the relevant person.
B. When a life form that is a new member of the FOV wants to make a human body its habitat, it must use a designated test subject to confirm that its residence will not affect human life.
C. A human on Earth should not persecute virzoa inside the body without going through a specified procedure.
“I’m not good at this kind of question. Well, A is correct to say it must obtain prior authorization, but referring to the ovuject as the relevant person might be a trap here. C is just wrong, and even I can see that. In that case, the answer is B, I guess.”
Correct Answer: B
Commentary: Vizora lurking in a human body performs its vital activities using the human’s systems. However, the host human’s vital activities may stop in some instances. That is why the agreement was signed for mutual protection. C is wrong because the host human cannot decide or choose to control their immune systems. Since the mutual pact was signed, humans on Earth have provided virzoa with the test subject called ovuject, which B has described. Ovuject is an organic matter made from a randomly submitted fertilized egg. Since human rights are not granted until the twelfth week of fertilization, people receive and control the egg to stop development. Therefore, the relevant person in A is not an appropriate description.
Question 5: In 2609, an ovuject capable of spontaneous breathing was discovered. It was decided that the ovuject had intelligence. Subsequently, the authorization for the virzoa’s settlement was withdrawn after the investigation by Tisek. Please write down the name of this ovuject.
“I can’t believe that they give a name to an ovuject. I mean, grown-ups often say that it is still someone else’s child, but—a child? No way. That’s a thing. They can’t be serious.
By the way, something like that is near my home, and I warned it not to hang out ever again. A human would generally be scared or angry by those threats, right? But that thing was just gawking, without any reaction at all. I thought that I was right—it was really a thing. Its name? No clue.”
Correct Answer: Riot.
Commentary: In 2609, during a temporary removal of life-support systems from an ovuject to run a preliminary test of a brain support device, the subject ovuject began to breathe on its own. It was recognized as a living thing in 2612 and was named Riot. Consequently, the incident extended the mandatory pre-settlement period from ten to twelve years after the ovuject’s production. In addition, a full inspection was implemented to check whether there was any other ovuject capable of spontaneous breathing.
Question 6: The 2609 incident led to the recognition of an ovuject as a living thing. Later, a human came in contact with the ovuject and died. Write down the summary of the death in less than 80 characters.
“It was in the news recently! The ovuject was wandering about the neighborhood with virzoa still inside the body. And the virzoa migrated to an old man who got pneumonia and died. The virzoa was the bad guy, I mean, it shouldn’t have migrated, but it doesn’t speak our language. I think the ovuject should have been locked away properly in the first place. It shouldn’t be so cocky just because we recognized it as a living thing. That thing is useless as an ovuject, and it can’t become a human, which means its existence itself is— What? Oh, right, I did push it. But it was just a push. It wasn’t a beating or anything like that. My buddy may have kicked it, but it tumbled to the ground on its own and was smashed. It’s not our fault. It’s not, I say. That thing broke, and so what? The owner should be grateful to us because it must have been a real handful…. Can I go home now? You must be kidding! Why are you calling the cops? That’s unfair! I told you, I only pushed it!”
Correct Answer: A virzoa colony’s resident migrated to another human’s body without authorization.
Question 7: Since the ovuject was recognized as a living thing in 2609, violence against the ovuject began. Considering the racism of the past and the death in 2611, discuss the background of the violence or the rights ovujects must have. You have four thousand characters to use.