The entire factory followed a highly unified style, clearly the result of careful design rather than the haphazard piling-up of the past.
Clean, efficient, with a strange industrial beauty to it.
There were no longer crowds of workers packed tightly along the production lines. Instead, the place seemed somewhat spacious, while the Machine Souls shouted out bright work chants and processed goods without pause.
"Chloe, now that the factories have the Machine Souls' help, the workers have been spared much of the tedious work. The production of many things actually depends on coordination between Machine Souls. Once you teach them to read, perhaps we can even discuss production plans with them."
Gaia, who was showing Chloe around, spoke with a hint of longing.
"Maybe one day, factories won't need workers at all. Machines can handle the heavy labor, while people only need to do creative work, like writing novels or painting, leaving the actual execution to the Machine Souls. What a wonderful picture that would be."
Chloe nodded, then felt that something was off. "But what if Machine Souls are better at writing novels and painting?"
Gaia: "6
"Machine Souls don't need rest, either. They can write and paint twenty-four hours a day. Wouldn't that mean humans could only do low-level work?"
Gaia: "Huh? Uh... th-that shouldn't happen, right? I don't think any Machine Soul could replace Nini's novels...
Chloe thought of Nini's unofficial histories and all her other stories, and found that argument exceedingly convincing.
"True. Machine Souls probably aren't that unhinged."
Gaia: "Still, I think Miss Zoe might be replaced. I heard her romance novels aren't selling again."
"...Once I've taught the Machine Souls to read, Zoe can try selling to them."
Hugging her diary, Gaia led the way to the assembly workshop.
"This is the assembly workshop.