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Fred Herriotfherriot@yahoo.com**** **** ****"Fanfiction IS Real Life!"**** **** ****
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-- File: IllFLC-1.txt
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Ookawa, south of Fukuoka, 15 June 2031, late evening...
"Going somewhere?"
Startled, the man swings slowly about to gaze into the dark
alley beside him, clearly surprised by the question. Seeing
nothing, he blinks, then challenges, "Who's there?! Sh-...!"
A galaxy of stars explode in his eyes as a blur slams into
him, pain exploding across his cheek and chest. His body stumbles
drunkenly around before crashing into a nearby garbage can, the
impact scattering the can's contents everywhere. The coppery tang
of blood fills his mouth as he fights for consciousness, he
shifting his arms to prop himself up. It is hard, given the pain
assaulting him seemingly from all directions. Before he can muster
the strength to rise, a foot slams into his stomach, whooshing his
body into a curl as he collapses to his side.
Staring through slitted eyes, he sees a dark woman-shape
hovering over him. A shape topped by dirty blonde hair...was it
blonde? It was so hard to tell!...tied in a shaggy ponytail. The
face was masked in shadow until the woman shifts to allow light to
shine on her. The man blinks, then his eyes widen as the woman's
features come back to him from almost a year before. A freckled,
Western face pierced with wide green-blue eyes. "Wh-...y-y-...!"
he sputters through a mouth filled with broken teeth.
Before he could muster another word, two arms grab him by his
jacket, then he is jolted into the air as the woman races down the
alley towards a dead end. She moves so fast, the air is sucked out
of his lungs, his mind fading from the pressure now put on him. It
is fortunate his brain is unable to register much then; just before
she would slam into the wall, she brakes hard, sending him flying.
The crunching sound of his skull shattering on unyielding concrete
is muffled by the surrounding walls and his own flesh.
As his body collapses to the ground, the woman pauses, then
crouches as the tidal wave of energy warping through her nervous
system ebbs away. Not all the way, though. No one possessing a
move-by-wire system like the one fitted into Matilda Velney is ever
truly free of its influence. But it is enough to allow her to
relax, even if it was only for a short while.
Staring at her target's broken face, Matilda feels her eyes
sting, then she reaches up to wipe them clean, a torrent of pain,
shame and anger surging through her heart. Unnoticed by her, her
hand quakes slightly, but it is steady enough to allow her to
compose herself. With that, she turns to leave, then pauses,
taking a brief glance back. "How many others did you rape?" she
wonders, her Japanese flecked with the southern California accent
used by her creators/parents...and the one she was named after.
A buzzing sound echoes in Matilda's ear, causing her to tense.
"Matilda? This is Asuka. Where are you?" a woman inquires.
"I'm done here, Asuka," Matilda taps the lapel-mike affixed to
her battlesuit collar. "Is there something wrong?"
"Hurry," Asuka Sendou replies. "Kiki's in trouble. She's in
Grid Nine-Zed-One now. Mika's going to help her."
Matilda draws up a grid map of the Ookawa area in her mind,
then nods. "Wakata (Gotcha)! Coming over there now."
"Yokatta (Okay)!" Asuka replies.
With that, Matilda speeds out of the alley, then turns right.
She keys in the link between her MBW master computer and her
central nervous cortex. With that, her speed increases ten-fold as
she races off once more to battle.
Unseen by the Mark Two 33-S, a ghostly apparition with long
purple hair, drawn up into a bun, stands on a nearby rooftop. Eyes
of royal blue follow the speeding Matilda as she races off to aid
her sisters, then they close as the apparition suddenly acquires a
pair of giant wings similar to a crow's. With one sweep, the
astral form of the woman soon to be known in the mortal world as
Chikage Hirosaki, is airborne, she arcing to pursue Matilda.
In the sky over Ookawa, the wind swirls...
* * *
"Illusions - For The Love of a Child"
a fanfic of the Bubblegum Crisis - Megatokyo 2030-2032
by Fred Herriot
fherriot@yahoo.com
**** **** ****
Edited by E.B. Kushnir <kush1@iaw.on.ca>
C&C by Robert Geiger <robertgeiger@prodigy.net> and Shawn Hagen
<hagen@brant.net>
**** **** ****
Based on situations from "Bubblegum Crisis," created by ARTMIC and
Youmex; "Urusei Yatsura," created by Rumiko Takahashi; "Tokimeki
Memorial," created by Konami; "Sister Princess: Onii-chan Daisuki"
and "Seraphim Call," created by Mediaworks; the "Little Lovers"
series, created by NTT Shuppan; "Kita-e. White Illumination,"
created by Hudson Soft; and "Wish Tale," created by Videosystem.
**** **** ****
This story is also based on my UY fanfic series "The Senior Year"
(co-created by Mike Smith) and "The Ishinomaki Years," as well as
the BGC fanfic series "No Armour Against Fate" by Shawn Hagen
**** **** ****
PART ONE - RUN LIKE THE WIND!
Ookawa, 15 June 2031, late evening...
"BIII-DA!!! You dorks couldn't hit the broadside of a barn!!"
Roaring, two men spin around, levelling their assault rifles
in the direction of the taunt. Their reflexes are too fast for
normal people, but not in the same ballpark as Kiki Sheffield's.
She ducks behind a garbage dumpster as bullets part the air behind
her, then flips the selector switch on her Genom Arsenals GA-12
railgun to single-shot. Glancing around the other side of the
dumpster, she sees both men had stopped firing, sweeping around the
area, weapons at the ready. Off to the distance, four others do
their own sweep. Even at this distance, Kiki is quick to notice
the slight jerkiness in their arms and legs. No doubt, they were
hyped up on Baal, which would make their reaction time variable.
Taking that into account, Kiki relaxes slightly, though her MBW
booster was keyed in and ready to go at a thought.
The people she and the others were hunting tonight composed a
cell of Baal distributors who had targeted new customers working
for the GPCT (Genom Port Container Transport) facilities in Ookawa.
Containers brought in from Genom plants worldwide normally entered
Japan via specially-prepared zones like Ookawa. This was a remote
place, located at the head of the Ariake-kai (Ariake Sea) dividing
the Nagasaki-hantou (Nagasaki Peninsula) from the rest of Kyushu.
Purpose-built, possessing ultra-fast rail links to connect the
terminal to the nearest Tower, places like Ookawa gave Genom an
extra layer of security when it came to "sensitive" material
shipments, especially from industrial terrorists.
Drug dealers were a whole different story, especially when it
came to traders in Baal. None of the Mark Twos possessed any real
understanding about how this particular street narcotic worked on
its victims. What they did know (from overhearing their parents
speak of it) was that Baal was pretty bad, something that had no
place in Japan. Also, Samantha Johnson..."Aunt Samantha" to Kiki
and her sisters...deemed it very important to see these people
forever shut down. And the Mark Twos had long come to the
conclusion that whatever Aunt Samantha wanted, she got.
A buzz echoes in Kiki's ear. "Yeah?" she whispers.
"It's me," Mika Fujisaki replies. "I've got a good bead on
the two closest to you, Kiki. Matilda'll be here real soon."
"Take them out. I'll deal with the others."
"Wakata."
Kiki shifts herself to take aim just as two loud gunshots fill
the air. The two closest to Kiki spasm as their chests explode,
then they drop. The other Baal dealers spin on hearing the shots.
Kiki flips the railgun's selector to rock-and-roll, then sends one
volley each into her targets' heads. Just as she expected, almost
anticipated, their heads explode. A burst of wind then heralds
Matilda's appearance. Surveying the scene, Matilda hums, then her
shoulders deflate. "Aw, didja HAVE to kill 'em all?!" she pouts.
"What took you so long, Matty?" Kiki wonders, standing up as
she glances around for any more who might still threaten them.
Matilda scowls. "Busy with a certain creep Aunt Samantha
arranged to be in the area before we came down," she mutters.
Kiki blinks, then gazes concernedly at her sister. "Get him?"
The taller Sexaroid blinks, then a crooked smile crosses her
face. "Yeah, I got 'im." She taps her lapel-mike. "Oi, Mika,
Asuka, you see anyone else around this dump?"
"All clear from my position," Mika replies.
"I...chotto (wait)!" Asuka cuts in. "I've got three coming
towards you. Male, all unarmed. They don't appear threatening."
"Wakata," Matilda nods. The Mark Twos had orders not to kill
anyone who wasn't directly involved with this Baal group. To kill
innocent bystanders even in a run-down place like this, Samantha
had told them before they came down, was unprofessional. "We're
heading for the muster point," she waves Kiki with her.
Both girls head towards an alley which would give them an
unobstructed run to the muster point, where they had stored their
kit so they could travel back to Megatokyo without being noticed.
Just as they were about to race off, Asuka's panicked voice calls
in, "***KIKI, MATTY, LOOK OUT BEHIND YOU!!!!***"
Both turn, but don't dodge fast enough as two hulking shapes
slam them into opposite walls, knocking the air from their lungs.
As they try to recover, a burning *hzzzzz!* calls their attention
to their assailants' hands, where burning vibro-claws now deploy
from their fingertips. "Forty-eight-Es-Dees!!!" Mika barks over
the line as she and Asuka quickly make the right conclusions.
Matilda and Kiki barely leap clear of hand-thrusts aimed at
their throats, then both rush toward the place Kiki had killed her
opponents. That is now blocked by a third man. He charges them,
vibro-claws splayed. Given the narrow confines, both Mark Twos
know they can't dodge around. Leaping over him might work, but the
girls needed some running distance to make a good jump. Dare they
risk the SD jumping right after them? The Mark Twos had been
trained to do a lot, but not against other boomers. Matilda and
Kiki shift the other way, only to see that blocked by the other SD
boomers. Overhead, Asuka Sendou, a pert girl with long brown hair
(in a French braid) and eyes of milk chocolate, aims to shoot the
lone SD blocking one path of escape for her sisters. She had to be
careful. A railgun round could, if not aimed right, hit Matilda or
Kiki. As she is about to squeeze the trigger, a barely-human roar
makes her head snap up, the railgun barrel shifting up in turn.
"ASUKA, LOOK OUT!!!!" Mika, covering her, aims and fires.
The bolt slams into the C-55 about to make mincemeat of Asuka,
she rolling clear as the boomer's fuel cell explodes, showering her
with fragments. Across the way, Mika moves to aim her weapon into
the alley when she pauses, her auburn eyes widening in disbelief.
Asuka recovers, then glances across. "Mika, what...?!" she notes
Mika's shocked look, then looks down before her jaw drops.
Downstairs, Kiki and Matilda gape on seeing the lone SD, now
impaled on a burning longsword wielded by a ghostly angel. The
boomer seems frozen for a moment, then his eyes roll into his head
as he drops dead to the ground. The two Mark Twos watch him fall,
then tense as twin roars of outrage boom from behind them. "Get
down!!" the angel barks as she cocks a hand at the attacking SDs.
"***OSCULUM PAPILIONIS!!!!***"
A shockwave bursts from her fingers, Kiki and Matilda ducking
clear. The energy wave grows as big as a B-12 when it smashes into
the SDs, pulping them instantly as the surrounding walls crumble
from the shockwave. Kiki and Matilda cover their heads as dust
showers them, then when all falls quiet, they look up.
The angel is not there.
Brushing her hair, Matilda gets back to her feet, then scans
both ways before tapping her mike. "Anyone else?"
"Um...chotto," Asuka is understandably quiet as she glances
around with her eyes and railgun scope before relaxing. "Clear."
"Clear here," Mika echoes.
"What about the...well, whatever that was?!" Kiki demands.
Asuka pauses, then sighs. "She just winked out, Kiki."
"Nani?!" Matilda gasps.
"You sure?!" Kiki wonders.
"Hai, we both saw it," Mika rises, glancing around to confirm
Asuka's security sweep of the battle scene before setting the
safety on her GA-12. "One moment there, the next GONE!"
"How's that possible, Mika?"
"Can't say," Mika shakes her head, wiping her brow. "Maybe
Kaa-san and Tou-san can tell us. Let's go home."
"Okay," Matilda nods as she and Kiki move to leave, then she
glances over her shoulder. *Arigatou, Tenshi-sama...*
* * *
Elsewhere...
"You're welcome...Matilda-imouto (little sister Matilda)."
Chikage feels her astral body fade, the energy that she had
drawn unto her reserve memory unit returning to merge once more
with the power of the Spiral. As that happens, the ovoid crystal
that now held her living soul lowers into a velvet-lined box.
Six more days of being a wraith, the magi apprentice muses.
Six more days...then the fun would REALLY begin!
* * *
Mizuma, north-east of Ookawa, 16 June, after midnight...
"Ohayo, ladies. Hop on."
"Ohayo, Oji-sama," Asuka nods as she and the other stream onto
an unmarked van for the ride into Fukuoka, then they would take a
helicopter back to Megatokyo. After returning to the muster point,
the Mark Twos stripped their GA-12s, switching their bodysuits for
gym gear worn by local junior high girls. After leaving their gear
in a public locker at the Ookawa JR station (to be picked up later
by a security officer from the Fukuoka Tower), they made their way
to a 24-hour bathhouse to wash down and relax. To anyone who
might've seen them, they were four normal girls having spent time
playing volleyball or tennis at the local youth centre. Once that
was done, they hopped onto the local passenger train for Mizuma.
"There're food and drinks in the back," the driver notes.
The four girls perk. "FOOD!!! I'm starved!!" Matilda yelps
as they reach behind them, drawing up a cardboard box filled with
energy snacks, plus an ice box filled with calorie drinks...
* * *
Megatokyo, Genom Tower, after sunrise...
"Ohayo, Samantha-san."
"Oh, ohayo, Kanako-san," Samantha Johnson nods pleasantly to
Kanako Sakurai as she walks into her office. "What's the news on
what happened last night down in Ookawa?"
"Mission successful. All the targets taken out, including the
man who raped Matilda-san. No harm came to any of the girls, by
the way," Kanako smiles. "The drughouse was wiped out. Kiki-san
reported there were three SDs and a 55-C there, most likely to help
with security. All the boomers were destroyed. I asked the GSS
chief in Fukuoka to have those boomers brought in."
"How'd these damn bastards get their hands on them?" Samantha
demands. "Es-Dees are military spec ops boomers. None of them've
wound up being sold second-hand, at least not to our knowledge."
"The people in Fukuoka have promised us an explanation by
noon," Kanako assures her boss. "Oh, one other thing. It seems
our girls got a little...well, *divine* help, so to speak."
"Excuse me?"
"They reported seeing an angel."
Silence.
"An...angel?" Samantha reiterates, blinking.
"Hai, an angel," Kanako nods. "In fact, according to them, it
was this 'angel' that killed the three SD boomers. One died thanks
to an energy sword of some sort thrust through the heart, the other
two crushed by some sort of sonic shockwave attack. The girls'
parents are doing a scan of their memories now to confirm this."
The chief of Special Project Development takes that in, then
sighs. "I better go down and have a chat with those girls..."
* * *
The Mark Two laboratory, an hour later...
"There!! That's the Angel!!!"
Eyes stare at the copy of Asuka's memories now playing before
the core staff of the 33-S Mark Two Project. The girls involved in
the Ookawa mission are also there, in the special cryosuits they
wore when put into hibernation between missions. On the screen
before them, a winged, ghostly image hovers behind the SD that had
initially blocked Matilda's and Kiki's move to escape his brothers.
"Play," Samantha orders. "Slow."
Trent Velney taps controls. As the forward motion proceeds at
one quarter-speed, the ghost thrusts her right arm from her body.
An energy blade appears in her hand, then she sends it into the
back of the SD. He jolts, then collapses, dead. The energy sword
dissipates as the ghost cocks her hand.
"This is where she told us to duck," Kiki does play-by-play.
Kiki and Matilda dive for the deck as a wave of boiling air
lashes out from the ghost's hand. It grows, smashing the other SDs
before they could dodge, then dissipates. Kiki and Matilda remain
still, heads covered by their hands. Then the ghost vanishes.
Elapsed time on the recorder: two seconds.
In real time, about half a second.
"My God! How did she do that?!" Alicia Velney demands.
"Switch to Matilda's POV (point-of-view)," Samantha orders.
"Right," Trent taps controls.
The image changes. This time, the SD is seen from the front,
chopped through by the energy sword. As he collapses, the angel
comes into view. "Stop play, magnify her face," Samantha orders.
"Hai," Trent taps controls again.
An icon falls over the ghost's face, then a view box is drawn
up. Her face is magnified. Trent's fingers fly over the keyboard
as the image is cleared up, revealing a severe yet sensual face
framed in purple hair done up in a bun, long sidebangs framing her
cheeks. "She's so beautiful," Asuka whispers.
"She looks cold," Mika shakes her head.
"Does anyone recognize her?" Asuka's mother, Yoshiko, asks.
Negative responses echo from the scientists. "Well, you were
right about one thing, Matty," Samantha reaches over to gently
squeeze Matilda's shoulder. "She IS an angel."
"Why did she help us, Oba-chan?" Asuka wonders.
"I dunno, Asuka," the chief of SPD shrugs. "It's hard to say.
No sense going into a panic over this. I think we'll let it go
this time. Meantime, girls, it's bed time."
Hearing that, the four Mark Twos moan. "Obaaaa-chaaaamaaaaa!"
Kiki whines for them all. "Do we HAVE to?!"
Sayako responds for her boss. "YES, young lady, you HAVE to!"
she leans over her daughter, causing Kiki to duck away from her
mother's intent stare. "Until such time as we deem it truly safe
for you girls to live on your own with the MBW unit active in your
heads, you're going to spend your spare time there!" she points to
the four empty cryostorage units nearby, beside the two units now
holding the sleeping forms of Rina Koizumi and Ryooko Hayami.
"Mama, I HATE it in there!!" Matilda whines.
"We all do!" Mika adds.
"That's enough, dear," Alicia moves to comfort the shivering
girl. "We're doing this for your own good in the end, alright?"
"I...oh, okaaaay!" Matilda drawls, her shoulders slumping.
The others quickly acquiesce, moving towards the gurneys where
the cryostasis drugs would be administered, then they'd be lifted
into their storage units. "Don't worry about it too much, girls,"
Samantha smiles. "Barring any unforseen incident, you'll be on
your feet by the twenty-first. It's only six days away, okay?!"
Hearing that, the Mark Twos warily smile, nodding. As they
are prepared for cryosleep, Kanako walks up to gaze at Samantha.
"What's happening on the twenty-first, Samantha-san? Are they
going to have a part in the anniversary celebrations?"
Samantha waves her assistant away from the others. "No, I've
been invited down to Kyoto to attend a little 'waking up' party for
Rei Ijuuin's first batch of CCs series Sexaroids," she whispers.
"I thought we weren't going to concern ourselves with whatever
Saotome-hakase and Ijuuin-hakase were doing," Kanako objects.
"No, we aren't, but since some of the KMs might be there as
well to welcome their 'little' sisters into the world, I might as
well give our girls a chance to see their counterparts," Samantha
clicks her tongue. "Anyhow, get a prelim report drawn up on the
Ookawa mission for my signature so I can take it to the Chairman.
He's interested in this whole mess with Baal. If you can, I also
want to know everything about the boomers Kiki and Matty fought."
"Hai, wakarimasu (I understand)," Kanako nods...
* * *
The senior executive offices, fifteen minutes later...
"I understand your people were busy in Ookawa last night."
Samantha turns to see Tsuyoshi Kataki gazing at her. The
chief of Market Analysis and Research (and executive-in-charge of
Genom Special Services) had caught his fellow Board member as she
got off the Sky Elevator. "Hai, we managed to shut down one Baal
group," she motions the older man to follow her to a food kiosk.
"My people discovered they had combat boomers. Kanako-san put a
request to the GSS people in Fukuoka to look in on this."
"Soo ka (I see)," he nods. "I'll see to it you're informed of
all that we discover on the matter since Quincy-shachou desires
that the Mark Twos help deal with the Baal problem. We can't allow
such degenerates to get their hands on that type of firepower."
"Hai, agreed, especially since three of the boomers were SDs
that shouldn't be in any service outside ourselves, Toratotaka or
the SDF," Samantha nods, then hums. "Oh, Tsuyoshi-san, I heard
that two of your research analysts were selected to receive one of
Rei Ijuuin's CC series 33-S girls. Is that true?"
"Actually, it is, but it's more for Tomohisa-kun's father than
for himself or his wife," Tsuyoshi nods. "They've long moved past
Chikage-san's passing. I can understand that, of course, but Elder
Ryuuji wanted to have a granddaughter to play around with in the
twilight of his days and his son," a shrug, "...well, personally,
I approve of Tomohisa-kun's show of filial piety to his father."
Samantha's eyebrow arches. She had known Tsuyoshi long enough
to guess what his true feelings for others were even if he did not
directly come out and express them. "There are things about him
you DON'T approve of? Why's he still working for you, then?"
"He and his wife are efficient in their current occupations,
which enables me to overlook their less-desirable qualities, I have
to admit," Tsuyoshi chuckles, turning back to his office. "In the
meantime, I wish you a pleasant day, Samantha-san."
"Hai, you too," Samantha nods, then heads for her office.
Once there, she taps into her computer, then calls up a file
from her personal ExecNet server. It was a packet passed onto her
by Megumi Mikihara a week ago. The top page was an invitation for
Samantha and a party not to exceed twenty to come to the Kyoto
Annex on the twenty-first of June at eight o'clock. There, Rei
Ijuuin and Yoshio Saotome would host a "Waking Up Party" for nine
Child Companion Sexaroids, the first products of a continuing
project Toratotaka was running to finally heal the many wounds of
Second Kantou. The number "twenty" made Samantha smirk when she
first saw it; no doubt, Megumi (not to mention Yoshio and Rei) knew
of the work being done on the Mark Two Sexaroids. That would cover
not just the six Mark Twos themselves, but their adopted parents.
Add Samantha and Kanako to that and that would round out the list.
Flipping through the following pages, Samantha skips over the
basic information packets about the CCs and what their purpose
might be, then she hits the nine packets containing short bios and
histories on the girls to be woken that day. Finding a file marked
BuTT-33S4CC10HC - HIROSAKI CHIKAGE, Samantha calls it up, then her
jaw drops on seeing the computer-generated image there.
"I'll be...!" she whispers, then closes the files and shuts
down her computer before she turns to gaze out the window at the
city. "Well, for Toratotaka, 'weird' IS normal...!"
* * *
The Kyoto Toratotaka Annex, after lunch...
"Konnichi wa, musume-chan. Welcome to the world."
Eyes flutter as a gentle moan escapes the dozing form in the
bed. A hand reaches over to gently squeeze the girl's shoulder,
then she grunts, her sapphire eyes fluttering as she looks to see
who now sat on the bed beside her. "Mother..."
"Wake up, sleepy-head," Sayuri Katayama smiles, leaning down
to gently kiss Risa's cheek. "Your first day of life. C'mon,
you've got lots and lots of things to do today."
"Haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaai..."
Grunting, Risa, a seventy-ninth generation MK series BuTT-33M
daycare nurse, sits up, stretching herself. Like any 33-M or 33-S
who was woken or re-woken within a Toratotaka Annex or Tower, the
petite brown-haired girl finds herself draped in pyjamas. Unlike
most of those others however, Risa Katayama is in her own bedroom
in Sayuri's apartment midway up the Annex's central needle. Yes,
Risa would have to work for the Cyber-Nurse Project for the next
six years, but since she is a memory-copy of Sayuri's late husband
(atop her also being the genetic offspring of Satoru and Sayuri),
she would serve wherever her mother had been assigned to work.
Taking a shower, then styling her hair in a short ponytail,
Risa dries off, then slips on a Toratotaka gold T-shirt and track
pants. Workers at the Annex's daycare unit never wore the white
"milkmaid suits" Cyber-Nurses were given unless they were seconded
to help in a field rescue mission. That seldom happened in Kyoto,
but all the 33-Ms in the Annex trained for it just in case.
After all, you just never knew.
She heads into the living room, where Sayuri was setting down
lunch for her and her child. Risa kneels, then gives a quick
prayer of thanks before calling out, "Itadakimasu!"
Sayuri watches as her daughter digs in, a sad smile crossing
her face. When she decided to make use of a memory scan she made
of Satoru before the New Year, she had been tempted to select an
older-looking 33-M and let her take Satoru's place as a soul-mate.
Then she remembered the times Satoru lamented on how they couldn't
have children. It was theoretically possible once Sayuri underwent
"organic upgrading," but Toratotaka wasn't willing to explore that
option for some time. So when she selected the "daughter" option,
Sayuri elected to honour her husband's wish and have Risa created
as the genetic offspring of Satoru and Sayuri Katayama.
"Oishii (It's good)!" Risa sighs, setting her plate aside.
"Let's just hope you don't have the 'grease' attacks your
father had at times," Sayuri shakes her head, smiling.
Risa blinks, then nods. "Yeah," she sighs.
She knew much about her father thanks to his memories forming
the core of her being. It would be the only way Risa would ever
know of her father, unfortunately. Gazing at Sayuri, Risa pauses,
feeling a strange blankness in her heart, then she relaxes, chasing
away the questions from her mind. Normally when it came to cases
like her, more intimate moments between the mental template and his
lover were suppressed so as to not cause future emotional conflict.
Risa was Sayuri's daughter, not Sayuri's new lover. Many things in
Toratotaka were quite loose compared to elsewhere, but there were
still boundaries which would not be crossed.
A door chime rings. Sayuri rises, calling out "Hai, chotto
(wait a minute)!" as she walks over to open the door.
Risa looks over, then feels her cheeks redden on seeing a girl
her age, possessing maple fudge-shaded hair tied in side ponytails.
She...Yuka Fukuda, Risa recognizes thanks to data pre-programmed
into her for her convenience...was the chief nurse of the Annex's
daycare unit. Like Risa, Yuka is dressed in T-shirt and track
pants. "Konnichi wa, Sayuri-san...ara?!" Yuka's tan eyes turn to
lock on Risa, then she beams, sticking her hand out as Risa walks
over. "Konnichi wa, Risa-chan! Yoroshiku (Pleased to meet you)!"
"Yoroshiku, Yuka-sempai," Risa bows her head. Yuka was a
fifteenth generation MK, so the "sempai" title was merited.
Yuka waves it off. "Oh, cut it out with that 'sempai' crap,
please!" she drawls, giving Risa a reassuring squeeze, then she
lowers her arm. "We don't use it in my shop, be assured of that.
Anyhow, Sayuri-san, if you're not busy with your daughter now, I'll
take her off your hands and help her deal with more...well, shall
we say, *intimate* matters (if you know what I mean)."
"Be my guest," Sayuri chuckles, then leans over to kiss her
daughter's cheek, giving her shoulder a warm squeeze. "Have a good
day, musume-chan. I'll see you tonight, okay?"
"Hai, Mother, I'll be fine," Risa smiles, then slipping her
arm around Yuka's, she follows the older woman to the elevator.
Sayuri sighs, watching Risa go, then a shudder flows through
her as an image of Risa and Yuka doing the passion dance passes
through her mind. Shaking her head, the newly-appointed Annex SFIO
(Supervisory Field Intelligence Officer) heads over to clean up the
dishes before returning back to work. Pure-organic mothers didn't
have to worry about their children exploring their sexuality for
many, many years after said daughters were born.
*They don't know how lucky they are!* Sayuri ruefully muses...
* * *
Rei Ijuuin's office upstairs, later...
"So how's Risa-chan?"
Sayuri smiles. The SFIO had been giving the Annex Matriarch
a daily brief on all the interesting things haunting their
particular area of responsibility, which covered the districts of
Kinki, Chuugoku, Shikoku and Kyushu. "Oh, I think she'll be fine,
Rei-mama," she softly exhales. "Yuka-san came by some days ago and
volunteered herself when the 'itch' came."
"That's good," Rei sighs, glancing at her datapadd. "I hear
Yuka's become the local 'Hot Lips' among the 33-Ms working here at
the Annex. That girl needs to settle down some."
Sayuri barely restrains herself from laughing. "Hot Lips"
came from an interesting addition to the programming of 33-Ms: a
database on the legendary comedy "M*A*S*H." As most associated
with the Cyber-Nurse Project knew, the Project's directors were
fans of "M*A*S*H," considering some characters depicted there the
right inspiration for 33-Ms to carry out their work regardless of
whatever adversity faced them. From that database came nicknames
applied across the board. "Hot Lips" normally went to the nurse or
doctor who loved to date around, not wanting to take the promise
oath and settling down with someone in particular.
"Well, I'm not interested in seeing my girl settle down just
yet, Rei-mama," Sayuri chuckles, then sighs, handing Rei a set of
folded sheets of print-out. "Here's the AAR (after-action report)
on the fight between Genom and that one Baal group in Ookawa."
"Oh, I was wondering about this," Rei nods, taking the sheets
and scanning through them. Her eyebrow arches. "They had boomers
to help...what th-...?!" she looks up. "There were SDs there?!!"
"Hai, three of them," Sayuri nods. "We're not too sure as to
how they were destroyed, however. We didn't have a monitor unit on
scene at the time. All the notes in the AAR were taken from what
we picked up from Genom communications after it was said and done.
The SDs weren't taken down by the Mark Two 33-S's Johnson-kachou
(Chief Johnson) sent down. From what our friends in Nagasaki are
reporting now, the GSS people in Fukuoka are investigating."
"Alright, keep an eye on that," Rei nods. "Oh, I got a call
from Ohita. Akane Suzuki might get off on a technicality."
Sayuri pauses, her eyes widening, then a shudder runs through
her body. "A *technicality?!*" she hisses.
"Hai. Seems her lawyer is much better trained than most other
public defenders who normally get picked to helping Baal mules deal
with their day in court. He managed to persuade the judges that
Akane didn't have any real idea that the Baal dose pumped into
Satoru-san was doctored with a lethal dose of lithium."
Sayuri blinks, then sighs. "Could it be true?"
"Can't say. No one we could trust has had a chance to go down
and talk things over with this girl...and no, Sayuri, I'm NOT going
to let you go down there and handle this yourself," Rei glares at
the younger woman. "Getting too emotionally involved serves no one
in the end, musume-chan. That's not what you wanted, is it?"
Sayuri tenses at Rei's comments, then she relaxes, nodding.
"Hai, Mama, it is, but still..." she bites her lip, then she sighs.
"So what'll happen to her if they drop the murder charge?"
"Standard incarceration time for dealers of Baal."
*Six months,* Sayuri translates. "Aren't the police in Ohita
trying to find out who did lace the Baal with lithium, Mama? I
mean, it IS murder we're talking about! Someone killed him..."
"True, true, but I'm having the SFIO in Nagisaki handle this,"
Rei sighs. "And that means I don't want you hogging up the LoopNet
lines getting daily updates on how the people in Kyushu are doing.
This is going to take time since we don't have a clear idea yet as
to how big this organization is, much less who runs it and what his
ultimate goals might be. Wakaru (Do you understand)?"
Sayuri blinks, then nods. "Hai, wakarimasu wa yo."
"Good," Rei nods, then lightly smiles. "I know you're still
hurting, musume-chan, but you can't let the hurt overcome you. I
need you clear-headed about this so you can do everything else I
need you to do, Sayuri. It'll come, but it'll have to come at its
own time, okay? Promise me you'll keep your head about it?"
"Hai, Mama, I promise."
"Good girl. Alright, we'll have our meeting tonight about the
CCs with the others in the work group. Eve'll be up from Osaka so
she can get involved if she wants to."
Sayuri beams. Eve Mary Webster, the first of the XX series
prototypes, was the first "pure-born" Sexaroid (not a boomeroid as
in Rei's case). Throughout the end of 2029 and the whole of 2030,
Eve Mary had been Rei's chief laboratory assistant in Toratotaka's
part of the Genom 33-S project. Along the way, she made the
acquaintance of Carl Webster, now Director-in-Chief of the Space
Development Public Corporation. After the Genom 33-S's were
recalled in October, Eve Mary convinced Carl to take the orphaned
girls on as workers aboard the SDPC relay stations Genaros, Long
March, Polaris, Roma Prime and Temple Mound. When Carl agreed to
it, Eve Mary's feelings for the man blossomed. They got married on
the first of May, just when FABS went into full effect in Canada.
"Great, I'll have to get things ready for her when she comes."
Sayuri nods, then her eyebrow arches. "Oh, Mama, what time will
she be here or will she be *fashionably* late?"
Both laugh...
* * *
Megatokyo, Genom Tower, after lunch...
"I have to admit, Johnson-san, that was one hell of a good job
your girls ran. My people couldn't've done better."
"You're very courteous, Altman-san," Samantha sips her flute
of spring water, toasting Conan Altman. They, along with several
others of the Megatokyo Board of Executives, were having a private
meeting in the main boardroom, a floor down from their offices.
"I heard there were SDs involved in this fight," Kenji Sousuke
hums, sitting at one end of the table. "Where'd they come from?"
"We're still investigating the matter, but it appears the SDF
may have a leak somewhere in its supply network," Tsuyoshi Kataki
shakes his head. "GSS is currently tracking the histories of the
units involved. I expect a report by suppertime today."
"Better get a cap on that ASAP, Tsuyoshi-san," Conan grunts.
"The SDs are worlds better in intensive combat than the 33-Cs or
the 55-Cs. Hell, their thinking capacity is superior to a 59-C,
for Heaven's sake. We don't need them running loose."
"Agreed," Kenji nods. It was his group that had come up with
the Bu-48 in early 2028. As humanoid endoskeletal units went, the
48s (known more popularly by their job code "SD" [Special Duties]
or the sub-code "SDCI" [Special Duties/Combat Intelligence]) were
on the cutting edge of Genom cyberdroid development. While many
would be able to spot a 33-C easily even if she was programmed to
act as human as possible, spotting a well-programmed 48-SD or SDCI
was thought to be next to impossible. That made them perfect as
military special operations and intelligence-gathering units.
Outside the world's military and intelligence forces, the only
groups who had access to the 48s were Genom and Toratotaka.
To let such boomers fall into the hands of drug dealers...!
"There is one thing I do wonder about."
Eyes turn to the other end of the table, where Brian Mason now
relaxed, a cup of tea in hand. "Being?" Kenji wonders.
Mason sighs, then gazes on Samantha. "Why is it you're only
making use of just six of the Mark Twos. We had eighty of those
boomers built when the project was first starting. Why keep the
others in deep-cryostorage in the Osaka Tower?"
"It's only a temporary measure pending the final outcome of
the initial trial process, of course. If things turn out well, I
expect we'd call on the others' services by the start of fall,"
Samantha shrugs. "As you are aware, the move-by-wire system fitted
into them is still an experimental thing when it comes to combat
units. When we were working on Saotome-hakase's 33-S's, we wanted
to fit the MBW into the second generation girls. Saotome-hakase
shot it down right away. Now regardless of how some might think of
him, Saotome-hakase doesn't do things without a reason. He was
taught too well by Stingray-hakase to make decisions on the fly."
"Why would he disapprove of it?" Kenji asks.
"He told Quincy-shachou then that he was afraid the MBW system
would not work in conjunction with a Mark 97 brain," she sighs. "I
realize now that he had to keep some knowledge about that system's
capabilities secret from us. He did mention to me in private later
that he feared the boosting abilities of the MBW would, over time,
destroy a Mark 97 system. The Mark Twos have Mark 11-SP brains, so
I don't THINK we have to worry. Some people might say we'd garnish
better test results if we have all eighty of them up on their feet,
operating all the time. I prefer to err on the side of caution.
We ARE dealing with a very complex mechanism. A Mark Two is on a
different operating plane than other combat boomers. However, if
things turn out good by fall, I'll have the others woken up."
"Plus you're saving money by cutting down on the support staff
to the bare bones," Conan nods. "Just twelve scientists."
"Exactly."
"You're basing your decision on what happened a year ago with
a different model boomer using a different brain," Mason notes.
"Hai, I am, but our Mark 11-SP shares many qualities with
Toratotaka's Mark Ninety-seven. Saotome-hakase designed the Mark
97 based on what Stingray-hakase taught him in Whiz Labs. When it
comes to wetware design, Saotome-hakase is perhaps THE expert on
how a boomer's brain could survive any operational situation."
"And you trust his judgement on these matters?" Mason snorts.
Samantha glares at the special assistant. "Yes, in that sort
of matter, I would trust him," she calmly replies, though her eyes
flash another message. *More than I'd ever trust an asshole like
YOU!* she so much wants to state out loud, knowing that the others
now in the room would, one way or another, agree with her. Brian
Mason didn't seem to care what sort of enemies he made now that he
was so close to the top. That would cost him greatly in the near
future. It was in fact costing him a lot now. But there was no
need to spill *that* particular secret, Samantha sips her water.
"Still, much that I admire your sense of caution, I'd like to
see some of those girls working for my group one of these days,"
Conan admits. As chief of Special Corporate Affairs, having such
fighters under his control would make his group's work much easier.
Samantha nods. "I'll try to push the testing phase as quickly
as my scientists dare, but I don't want to waste materiel unless I
feel it necessary, Altman-san. Since we're not now envisioning the
Mark Twos to work anywhere else but Genom, we have to get it right.
The safety concerns are much greater when it comes to units working
in the company than for those we plan to sell on the open market."
The others nod understandingly, knowing where the chief of
Special Project Development was coming from. Samantha Johnson was
notoriously tight-fisted when it came to spending the company's
money, especially for "in-company support" projects. As executives
in Genom went, she was seen as alright by members of the company's
financial department. Rarely did a project that Samantha oversaw
ever go over budget. No doubt, limiting field testing of the Mark
Twos to six units, keeping the others in long-term cold storage,
plus forcing the active test units into ready cryostorage between
missions, would reduce day-to-day costs considerably.
"How did you choose the six units anyway?" Manabe Takeo asks,
he now seated beside Mason. "I mean, from what Miyata-san told me
before he was reassigned, the scientists and artisans who prepared
the Mark Two 33-S's really poured their hearts out into those
units. Choosing six out of eighty must've been hard on some."
Samantha tries not to roll her eyes. Petty questions like
this, she could gladly do without, but to not answer might cause
even more problems down the road. Manabe Takeo had long ago struck
her as a brainless marionette, only doing and saying things because
Mason wanted someone else to look the fool. Were it not for the
special assistant's patronage, Manabe would be some nameless Level
One executive deep in the Tower's R&D laboratories. "Hai, it was,
but I took the most democratic means possible to choose the test
girls. Just loaded numbers into a lottery machine and let them
come out." A pause, then, "Besides, I assured the others that we
would find use for all the Mark Twos. And as we know, we will find
use for them, I'm sure of that. That satisfied them."
"How far will you test them?" Mason asks. "Say, for example,
against," he pauses, "...a Kuromoroboshi or a Guardsman?"
Samantha stares intently at the special assistant. "I really
think the Chairman would not approve of anyone provoking a petty
incident between ourselves and Toratotaka. Things like that,
Mason-san, have an ugly tendency to get way out of control and lead
nowhere in the end. I'm not that type of person."
Mason catches himself, then sighs. "Perhaps not in direct
combat, but certainly, we can learn how capable a Kuromoroboshi or
Guardsman is, then do a comparison with a Mark Two," he chuckles.
"Do you really think T'n'T's gonna let us know something like
THAT, Mason-san?!" Conan stares incredulously at Mason.
"There are ways to arrange that," the special assistant muses.
"True, but will they play along?" Samantha finishes her flute
of water, then stands, moving to leave. "If you'll kindly excuse
me, minna-san, I have to get back to the office. Ja mata."
She heads out. As soon as the doors close behind her, a sneer
crosses Samantha's face. She cares not a whit for those who pass
her as she returns to her work area, though she says nothing. An
executive who lost her temper in public lost influence, much less
Quincy's respect. That, she couldn't afford, not now.
As soon as she marches into her private space, Samantha closes
the door, then taking a deep breath, bellows out, "DAMN HIM!!!!!!"
"I take it Mason tried to get under your skin again."
Samantha jolts, then spins around before breathing out. "Damn
it all, Kate, where'd you come from?!" she snaps.
"Your secretary let me in," Katharine Madigan chuckles, moving
to sit down in front of Samantha's desk. "So how was the meeting?"
"What do you think?" Samantha growls as she plops down in her
own chair, shaking her head. "So where was Iwao-san all this time?
That meeting concerned what happened in Ookawa last night. The
fallout from that's right up Security's bailiwick, isn't it?"
Kate sighs. She was only a Level Two executive in Genom's
security department. For her to attend a Board meeting required
Iwao Sumeragi's presence; to just come on her own was not seen as
proper for one so junior. "Sumeragi-san can't stand to be in the
same room as Mason, you know that," she leans back in her chair,
then smirks. "What did that moron do to make you mad this time?"
"Oh, the usual," Samantha rolls her eyes...
* * *
The Kyoto Annex, that evening...
"Konban wa, minna-chan. I call the meeting to order."
Everyone in the conference room two floors below Rei Ijuuin's
office pipes down as they give their full attention to the Annex
Matriarch. "Alright," Rei gazes at the people before her, then she
places her chin on her clasped hands. "This'll be our last meeting
before the solstice when the first nine girls wake up. First of
all, Nanai-san, have we confirmed all the invitations?"
Nanai Kirishiro, now seated to Rei's immediate right, is the
Annex's SPD-PA (Special Project Director for Personnel Affairs).
When it came to public reception parties held at the Annex, Nanai
always took charge of preparations. "Hai, Rei-san, all invitations
have been confirmed, though I've received a call from the offices
of several dietmen who expressed interest in coming to the party."
Rei blinks. "I specifically instructed that no dietmen were
to be invited, much less even given the hint that they'd be welcome
here. What the hell's that all about, Nanai-san?"
"Well, Yamabuki-kokkai'in's (Dietman Yamabuki's) secretary
told me that he's concerned that the CCs were being built with the
same parts that caused problems for Yoshio-san last year," Nanai
sighs. "I e-mailed a copy of the design notes and schematics to
him as per your standing instructions in case members of the Diet
call about that sort of thing. I've yet to receive a reply."
"Well, contact his office and...wait!" Rei pauses. "What
party does Yamabuki-kokkai'in belong to?"
"He's New Japan, ma'am."
The Annex Matriarch considers that, then nods, a sly smile
crossing his face. "Extend an invitation to Yamabuki-kokkai'in,
then, Nanai-san. Inform him from me directly that the girls I'm
making have not the slightest HINT of C-class parts within them.
Please also thank him for his concern for the public welfare and
emphasize that Toratotaka will always strongly acknowledge those
representatives of the people who care for public safety."
"Of course," Nanai smiles knowingly. The words "strongly
acknowledge" was the phrase which would indicate Toratotaka's
willingness to provide financial and other services when the next
general election came. "Also, Kirishima-kokkai'in asked if he
could come down. He's of the Liberal Party and he voted against
adding the older Sexaroids onto the restricted list last year. He
wanted to purchase a 33-S from Genom, but he stated that if it was
possible and if Yoshio-san would consider it in the future, he
would be willing to purchase a 33-S built by us."
"How old is he anyway, Nanai-san?" Eve Mary Webster asks.
"He's only in his late forties, I'm afraid, Eve-san. He's
never married, which is surprising enough. I guess trying the
singles scene scares him and with his duties in the Diet..."
Laughter fills the room. "Well, I personally doubt Yoshio
might want to start again with a public-sale 33-S anytime soon,"
Rei hums. "Does he understand what the CCs are for, Nanai-san?"
"Hai, I told him the full story. He states he would prefer an
older-looking woman as a companion. He also passed his compliments
to you concerning the primary focus of the CC Project."
"I see, then. Alright, call back and inform him that he'd be
more than welcome at the reception. Also tell him that I'll speak
to Yoshio about having a 33-S constructed for him sometime in the
near future, but do emphasize that Yoshio has many other things on
his mind at this time and that we might not be able to get to
filling Kirishima-kokkai'in's request anytime soon."
"Hai, wakarimasu (I understand). And except for that, all the
problems concerning invitations to the reception are resolved."
"Yokatta (Good)," Rei nods. "Alright, Sayuri, what's the
final analysis about the adopted parents of our first nine?"
"The only problem I see, especially in the realm of industrial
espionage matters, is Yuuko Sakuramachi," Sayuri clears her throat.
"Her father, Yuuichi, is, as you know, the chairman of Jericho
Industries in Miyazaki. From what Aunt Megumi has hinted to me,
some elements within Genom are expressing interest in either seeing
Jericho absorbed or put forever out of business."
"Jericho's the company that built the first combat boomeroid
Megatokyo ADP put into operation back in 'twenty-seven, right?" Mei
Ijuuin looks up from her notes, her eyebrow arching.
"Hai, Aunt Mei, that's them. According to the most recent
reports, the senior executives at Jericho want to try it again
sometime this year, but this time trial it in Nagasaki," Sayuri
scans her notes. "That would be a smart thing since Genom doesn't
have a large presence in the area save for various distributors."
"What about the boomer population there?" Rei asks.
"Quite normal for a 'consumer-dominated' part of the country,
Rei-mama," Sayuri sighs. "Boomers are supplied from the various
Genom factories in Fukuoka and Kitakyushu. Or else, they're
shipped in through Ookawa from Taipei, Pusan and Naha." A pause,
then she adds, "The risk of boomer rampages in Nagasaki is small,
but it has the potential to increase because of the Baal problem."
"I don't understand, Sayuri," Eve Mary perks up. "What would
a street drug have to do with boomer rampages?"
"I better explain that," Mei cuts in, then on seeing Sayuri
give the CMCO a nod, begins. "Baal is an offshoot of megaval, the
'hyped' version of Valium. Like megaval, Baal instills a state of
tranquil peace with an addict. Given the sheer pressure-cooker
atmosphere in most workplaces these days, the allure of something
like megaval is considerable. The primary difference between them
is what happens when the drug wears off. Megaval has a minute
trace of lithium in it. The lithium latches onto those parts of
the brain megaval primarily effects. Repeated use allows the
lithium residue a chance to destroy those parts of the brain.
Eventually, what happens is that the addict will regress to the
point where s/he has NO sort of aggressive drive whatsoever. In
Baal, there is no lithium, except in cases like what happened to
Sayuri's husband, where it was deliberately added to kill him," Mei
gives the SFIO a glance. "What IS added is a passive hormonal
booster, a booster that doesn't trigger until the drug wears off.
So when the drug wears off, the booster activates, then latches on
to the body's natural adrenal and other hormonal triggers."
"That's when they go crazy," Sayuri finishes. "And that's
when the second-hand damage is done when these people chase after
potential targets. In effect, Baal allows people to vent out their
fantasies without any moral inhibition stopping them. If the body
can't adjust fast enough to the hormone release, the person could
easily die. That's why Baal dealers always insist that new
customers start off small for their first hits."
"They're KIND to their customers?!" Nanai gapes incredulously.
"Oi, in a business sense, they're ensuring they can hang onto
their customers, plus get new ones," Mei rolls her eyes, then she
sighs. "The other big difference between Baal and megaval, much
less other street drugs, is that with a special enzyme added to it,
Baal can also be very effective on boomers."
Silence.
"You mean a person could trigger a boomer rampage using this
stuff?" Eve Mary gasps, her gold-brown eyes widening in horror.
"Exactly," Mei nods. "The biomechanical tissue structure in
a boomer's central processors and nervous cortex is as close to
humanoid organic norm as Stingray-hakase came in his experiments
back in Whiz Labs. Genom hasn't done much to deviate from that
design pattern. What inorganic parts are in there effectively
shield boomers from normal organic drugs. Whoever designed Baal,
from what I've seen of the stuff, must've had a version of it in
mind that could hurt boomers just as bad as organics."
"That's why, I believe, Quincy-shachou wants the whole Baal
supply network shut down," Sayuri sips her spring water. "Genom
already has to deal with enough bad press when it comes to boomer
rampages. If someone decided to launch an all-out campaign to
fully discredit boomers as a whole, Baal would be an effective tool
in seeing that campaign through to its desired conclusion."
"Will you recommend to the Board that Baal be placed under
Directive Two restrictions, ma'am?" Nanai gazes at Rei.
"I'll discuss it with Yoshio first, but I think that could be
made company-wide policy," Rei nods. "Alright, are there other
matters which require our attention at this time?"
"When do we start work on Rinrin and Nana?" Mei asks.
"Let's begin after the reception," Rei sighs...
* * *
Miyazaki, 17 June, mid-morning...
"So this is a sample of Baal, eh?"
Sylia Stingray shakes her head as she gazes at the computer
screen before her. A diagram of a complex molecule is projected at
her. Standing beside the Sabres' leader is the chief of production
for Jericho, Shinnosuke Makai. "Yeah, that's it. Vicious bugger,
ain't it? Amazing what the human mind can dream up."
"Agreed," Sylia nods, then looks once more at the screen. "Is
this the variant that can affect boomers, Makai-san?"
"That's it, alright. You know, given your own work back in
Megatokyo, you can use this to considerable effect."
Sylia tenses, then shakes her head, rising. "No. Making use
of something like this would be far too unpredictable unless it is
specially targeted on a boomer and no innocent bystanders are close
by. Atop that, there is a strong risk that Genom might approach
Toratotaka and place Baal under their Directive Two shielding."
"Why would they do that?" Shinnosuke crosses his arms.
A wry smirk crosses Sylia's face. "Baal could be used against
Cyber-Nurses, especially those who work in a civilian capacity like
daycare centres, old age homes and other such places. That would
be almost perfect for lunatics like those in the ABLS or Prometheus
Bound, especially now that FABS has been passed in Canada. I don't
think Toratotaka would desire to see that happen given the good
press they've gained so far because of the 33-M Project."
The executive considers that, then nods. "Agreed, that would
be right up the alley of people like that," he sighs. "I've little
use for the way your father's inventions have been introduced into
society, but I know he'd definitely approve of the Cyber-Nurses."
"He would," Sylia nods, then blinks as a secretary comes up.
"Sumimasen, Stingray-sama, but the Chairman would like to see
you as soon as possible," she bows to the Sabres' leader.
"Hai," Sylia smiles, then turns to Shinnosuke. "Oh, what news
on the planned new police boomeroid project?"
He shakes his head, moving to follow Sylia to the elevator to
take them up to Yuuichi Sakuramachi's office. "Well, we've got the
basic design down, but as to when we might get a person to add the
organic element to the project, it's hard to tell. Given the sheer
firepower of this thing, it could theoretically take on and beat
Genom's B-12 infantry boomer design hands down. That might give
people like Mason and Quincy some pause before they'd go out and
play their stupid games on the folks of Megatokyo and elsewhere."
"Try to be careful about that," Sylia warns.
"We'll do our best," Shinnosuke nods.
Sylia steps into the elevator car, then nodding to Shinnosuke,
relaxes as it ascends to the top of the Jericho Tower. Gazing out
through the clear glass at the surrounding cityscape, the Sabres'
leader smiles. Her stake in Jericho, which amounted to over thirty
percent of total stock, had been part of the inheritance she gained
from Katsuhito. With some creative paperwork generated by various
parties who all shared a growing hatred of Genom and its capricious
ways, Sylia had been able to mask her partial control of Jericho,
allowing Yuuichi Sakuramachi to have voting control of her stock
(thus granting him the chairmanship). It was necessary given her
current mission. Jericho had been the "secret" builder of the
Knight Sabres' armour, spreading production across the globe to
ensure spies from Genom couldn't put things together.
The elevator stops, the doors opening to reveal a white-haired
patriarch with piercing grey eyes. "Sylia!" he grins, hand out as
she walks out of the elevator. "How are you?!"
"I'm alright...and it's good to see you, Oji-san," Sylia beams
as she embraces Yuuichi, then she follows him to a coffee table,
her host beckoning a servant over to provide some tea.
One of the people who had independently invested into Whiz
Labs, the chairman of Jericho had been something of a business
mentor to Katsuhito, not to mention an unofficial godfather to both
Sylia and Mackie. However, as Genom solidified its influence on
Katsuhito's work, Yuuichi faded from the scene, turning his full
attention to keeping Jericho vibrant and independent. He was one
of the VERY few independent businessmen in Japan who had truthful
knowledge about Katsuhito's fate. When Sylia had come to him in
2030 about building the Sabres' hardsuits, Yuuichi had been willing
to help. "I might not be as 'clean' a businessman as you'd think,
Sylia, but what Quincy does in comparison is downright criminal!"
Yuuichi had told her the day their agreement was made.
"Anata (Dear)?! Is...oh, ohayo, Sylia!" a voice calls out.
"Oba-chan!" Sylia smiles as Eiko Sakuramachi walks in, rising
to accept her embrace, then they relax. "How are you today?!"
"Much better than I've been for some time now," Eiko smiles,
then nods thanks as the servant provides her tea. "You've got the
invitation for the reception on the twenty-first in Kyoto?"
"For Yuuko-chan? Hai, I have," Sylia nods. She and Mackie
both had known the original Yuuko Sakuramachi before Second Kantou
claimed her life. While the Stingray siblings hadn't been as close
to Yuuko as they were to Yoshio and Yumi Saotome, her friendship
was just as valued...and her loss had hurt them badly. "When was
she first woken? I heard the ones whose templates were born before
the twenty-first would've still be woken on their birthdays..."
"Hai, she was," Yuuichi nods. "We've had a dozen chances to
'talk' to Yuuko (so to speak) since she was born. Gods, I'm not
sure how Rei-san managed to do it, but...it's like Yuuko herself
never died in the first place. As I recall, Sylia, Katsuhito only
made two of those special datadisks. I know Yoshio-san got the
first one and you the second, so how did Rei-san do so good...?"
"Jii-chan let Rei-neechan sample Tou-san's memories...oh, this
would be around June of 'twenty-six," Sylia reports.
"I don't think Katsuhito would've liked that," Yuuichi hums.
"Perhaps, but I can see Jii-chan's reason for doing it," Sylia
admits. "While they were working from the same knowledge database,
having someone around who could view things in a much different way
than Jii-chan would've helped him greatly. Besides, Rei-neechan's
sister Mei has quite the inventive streak of her own, almost on par
with Yuina Himoo's. Toratotaka has quite the creative team under
its control right now. AND unlike such people elsewhere, Genom
would be very hard-pressed to eliminate them all."
"True, true," the chairman of Jericho nods, then sighs. "I
just wish they wouldn't've thought of inviting Quincy and some of
his brood to that reception party as well."
Sylia jolts. "Quincy's invited?!"
"Hai. Nicole-san, so I'm told, insisted on it," Yuuichi rolls
his eyes, then sighs. "Much that I and others like me appreciate
Toratotaka's neutral stance on a lot of things, I think they can
afford to be a little MORE neutral than they are right now."
The Sabres' leader considers that, then nods. "Agreed..."
* * *
Megatokyo, Genom Tower, that afternoon...
"So we're all invited to this? Plus the girls?!"
"Hai," Samantha sips her tea, relaxing with Sayako Sheffield
in the former's office. "The Child Companions and the Mark Twos
have one thing in common. They were all built, in a way, as living
memorials to people who died in Second Kantou. Besides, some of
the Kuromoroboshi might be there. Might as well give Kiki and the
others a chance to see what their true counterparts are like."
"Mason actually proposed setting up a fight between one of our
girls and one of the KMs?" Sayako rolls her eyes.
"He hinted at it, but there's no chance in Hell of THAT ever
happening," Samantha snorts. "Relax, Sayako. Granted, at this
time, we're still under the *special assistant's* purview," a sneer
enters her voice as she states Mason's position, then she relaxes,
"...but if we garnish some more successes with the Mark Twos (not
to mention the other projects I've got under my control), I think
I could persuade the Chairman to see the light on some things."
"Well, I hope it comes as soon as possible, Sam," the older
scientist shakes her head. "I may have not worked under Mason in
the past, but Trent and Alicia have. From what they've said, he's
a real busybody when it comes to new inventions. Everything that
people under him have worked on, it's the same thing. 'Can it be
reprogrammed in an emergency?' 'Will it survive in combat?' 'Is
it properly hooked to the OMS?' Gods!!" she breathes out, then
slumps in her chair, lightly rubbing her forehead.
"'Dual-use mentality.' That's what Yoshio calls that sort of
thinking," Samantha shakes her head. "According to him, you can't
expect a boomer to give itself fully over to a mission if you come
along and snap-reprogram it without giving it some psychological
preparation beforehand. That's what can lead to boomer rampages,
especially with pure-civilian boomers like the labour units."
"Imperoma and Zion avoid that totally, right?"
"So I've heard. There's a very clear dividing line between
'military' and 'civilian' models. Neither the twain shall meet, as
they might say in Rome and Jerusalem. If you ask me, Sayako, I
wish we'd do the same thing, but...well, it's just too handy for
some people at times," Samantha shrugs, then sips her tea. A knock
is heard. "Hai, haite (come in)!" Samantha calls out, then blinks
as Yuusuke Onoda comes in. "What is it, Yuusuke-kun?"
"Sorry to bother you, Sam, but I need Sayako to see this," he
holds up a printout, then places it in his wife's hand.
"What's this...?" Sayako scans what is there, then she looks
at her husband. "Kiki's latest brainscan reading?!"
"Yeah, look here," Yuusuke points.
Sayako looks, then her jaw drops open. "When did this start?"
"Just saw that today," he grunts. "Blips in the transmission
of messages between parts of her mind. It'd result in a pretty
minor physical reaction were she was out of cryostorage."
"Bad?" Samantha wonders.
"I..." Yuusuke pauses, then shakes his head. "I'm not sure
about this, Sam. We ARE dealing with some pretty brand-new ideas
being trialled out here all at the same time. The brain, the MBW,
a lot of the other things they have, ALL of it was just off the
drawing board when we meshed it all together to create the Mark Two
design. And this is the first time we've seen this in any of the
girls. Maybe this is just a once-in-a-lifetime thing."
"Then again, maybe not," Sayako shakes her head, then sighs,
turning to Samantha. "Sam, is there any sort of possibility that
we can trace down a biomech neurological expert outside the company
and get him or her to consult us on this on the sly?"
Samantha blinks, then hums. "The nearest place to find one of
them is Toratotaka. Specifically, Yoshio Saotome, Rei Ijuuin or
Yuina Himoo. Do you really think it might be that important?"
"You've always said to err on the side of caution, Sam."
The chief of SPD blinks, then nods. "Hai, true..."
* * *
To be continued...
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