[FFML] [FANFIC][BGC] Frozen Butterfly Arc 3 Chapter 3 Draft

[skychan]

Here's the latest chapter draft of my story.  It still needs a bit of
polishing and so I'm hoping that if anyone has sugestions or comments that
they will feel free to share them with me.

Thank you.

Skywise,Skychan


Frozen Butterfly Arc 3 Chapter 3 a story of Bubblegum Crisis

I returned home with the rising sun.  The timing wasn't great for riding
the subway but I'd waved away Sylvie's offer of a ride anyway.  Despite our
connection I just didn't feel comfortable enough to show her where I lived.
Although she was nothing but friendly, and honest with me I just couldn't
reciprocate.  Hell she even offered to go out and help top me up!  Thankfully
she also accepted my reasoning on why not.  Maybe it's time to teach them
some advanced golden rule theory…

Letting out a huff I tried, and failed to ignore the pheromones that came
with my next few breaths.  The only good thing was it kept me too keyed up
to fall asleep amid the crowd.  My eyes shifted from one to the next, each
glance evaluating.  Would they be a good choice, or maybe victim?  Could I
stand back and let them be next on Sylvie's list, and how immoral had I
become I to even think about it?

Of course the odds that anyone on this train would die just because I
didn't do, or say anything were vanishingly small.  But, someone would.  Like
the punk with his wild flyaway hair pestering the girls near the door.  Or
the office lady radiating disdain.  Her dainty hands covered in gloves to
keep from having to touch the grime about her.

Pulling into Todai-mae station I gratefully stumbled into the relatively
fresh air outside of the subway car.  Pressing my forehead against a
vending machine I let the cool plastic help calm my racing heart as I
slowly worked my way through each element on the periodic table.  Sure it
might be cheating to call up a perfect picture of it in your mind but the
exercise was still complex and boring enough to calm myself down enough and
really think.

My problem was Nene.  Just considering her that way made an uncomfortable
lump form in my stomach.  Making my way past the seemingly endless line of
bicycles and a rare surviving bush I sighed.  Getting past her would be
nearly impossible but I would have to try.  Even if she caught me I had to
at least try to keep Sylvie from continuing down the path she was on.

Slipping back into my room unbothered wasn't an issue.  Most of the dorm
was still asleep from a late night out, even if one not quite as late as
mine.  So like the real students around me I piled into bed and let myself
crash for the rest of the morning.

Waking up I let out a scream and struggled momentarily with the sheets.  My
body felt as though the weight of the world held me in place.  Panting, in
a cold sweat, my resting heart rate began to increase until it could
support full body functionality.

Damn, the nightmares were back.

I'd discovered that I could slow the degradation of my fluidics supply by
reducing my heart rate when at rest, but it came with a price.  Feeling
muzzy on waking and nightmares the cost of increased longevity.

I let myself fall back into the reassuring routine of standardized system
checks, *Fluidics at 71.6% Ocular systems 81.2%.*  The news wasn't good,
but the solidity of the numbers helped ground me.  It washed away a
lingering sense of betrayal and blood, all I could recall now of whatever
dream had haunted my sleep.

Getting up I gathered my toiletries and made my way to the showers.  It
might be in Japan, but a dorm is still a dorm, and with forty girls to a
floor showers really were the only reasonable way to go.  Though busy on
class day mornings they were all but abandoned at this hour.  The rest of
the occupants off to lunch, or hanging out in common areas on the last day
before the new school year started.

Unfortunately I didn't have the luxury of relaxing with them.  Showering
quickly I was pulling on my robe when my solitude was broken.

"Good Morning Alice-chan."  Her voice was soft as a fuzzy Nanami eased the
door shut behind her.  Standing there, blocking the door she wasn't exactly
imposing.  *Subject projecting false confidence 83% probable.*

Still she was almost half a foot taller than me and fully dressed.  False
front or not I was going to have to actually talk with her to get
past.  Something
I doubt either of us was really ready for.  Visibly screwing up her courage
as she stepped closer and into focus I estimated to the tenth of a second
when she would speak.

"I just wanted you to know that I'm not like that but I like you and that I
had a good time at the club and it was fun and I would really like to do
that again but I didn't want you to think it's because I'm like that just
that I had a really good time and that if you don't mind we could maybe go
out again sometime without the others just in case we like each other and I
hope that you don't think I'm creepy or strange but I just wanted to make
sure to ask you before I," noticeably losing courage she took a break
changing what she was going to say.  "Well anyway I just thought that it
was a lot of fun and we could go out again sometime and maybe give it
another try and so will you?  Go out with me again I mean?"

It was like a flood.  I was fairly certain just from looking that she had
been up at least as late last night as I was.  Although, she had probably
spent it lying in bed instead of gallivanting around MegaTokyo.  Certainly
her state of nervous exhaustion wasn't doing her any favors in either the
comprehensibility or orderly hair departments.

Still, her underlying meaning seemed clear enough with *1.36 seconds* of
reflection on her words.  *Subject deluding herself by claiming no
attraction to females, is afraid to be considered promiscuous and discarded
for that fact, and is attracted to females generally and self specifically.*
Oh, and I was pretty sure she also just asked me out on a date.

I felt my own self-awareness spike as I caught a blurred glimpse of my
reflection in the mirrors.  Tugging the robe a little tighter, and the
knotted belt a bit more secure I stepped forward offering her a smile.

"Nanami, it's okay.  I had fun last night too.  Going out with you, and the
rest, was a blast.  Even the club wasn't too bad.  Just, don't you think
it’s a little too quick?  You’re very pretty, and I am attracted to
you."  Thank
god for housekeeping systems or I would have been sweating bullets by
now.  "However
I'm not sure that I'm ready to date yet.  Could you just, wait and ask me
again in a month?"

"I, well um, are you upset with me?"  Nanami stuttered, It was cute.  Letting
my instincts take over was becoming more normal and the way her cheeks
started to color as I slipped into her personal space gave me a profound
sense of satisfaction, of power.

"Not at all Na-chan."  I reached up to brush a lock of her bobbed brown
hair into its proper place.  "I'm flattered, still.  I just, need a bit
more time to figure things out for myself."  And then, to make sure she
wouldn't forget me went up on tiptoes to place a soft kiss on her lips.  I
was planning to go for the cheek but my instincts insisted and the idea was
thrilling enough that I went with it.

"Now I really do need to get dressed."  With a wink I left her behind, both
our pulses racing as the door to the hall fell shut between us.

I was almost giddy all the way back to my room.  Teasing Nanami was fun!
Like I told her, I wasn't actually sure if I could or would want to
actually date, but flirting, that was enjoyable.  It was like a piece of my
life, missing until now had finally slotted into place.

Buoyed up by what could have been an awkward meeting I quickly dressed and
headed out for the heart of MegaTokyo.   Anonymous in jeans and a band
t-shirt, or as anonymous as I could be without intentionally marring my
beauty, I picked a stop at random and started looking for a web café.

While I could technically try this anywhere, I didn't want anything leading
back to my new home.  It was dangerous enough taking the tiger by the tail
without that kind of added risk.  Paying for several hours in advance I sat
down in the back of the store with a small plate of pickled vegetables and
cup of green tea to help blend in.  Plus I liked vinegar.  It was
refreshing like spearmint.

As I slipped through the local network I pondered just how natural doing
this had become.  The limitations set on the system that would once have
held me back and followed my every move bypassed almost without thought.

Plunging into the system the synesthesia required to navigate it now felt
as natural as breathing.  A short peek at the AD Police scheduling master
system showed that Nene was on shift right now.  Good, at least she would
be preoccupied until I was done.

Withdrawing from the system without a trace I had to giggle a little at
something I noticed in passing.  I wasn't the only one who snuck in from
time to time.  I had a feeling this is how Nene played hooky.  It must be
nice being able to edit your own work hours at need.

Shaking my self mentally as a wet dog might to discard the idle thought I
refocused on the reason I was here.  Blood.  From my earlier investigations
I knew that hospitals and blood banks were out.  A delivery of the kind I
needed would be too obvious even if it didn't raise flags with the people
actually delivering it.  What I needed was a way to blend in rather than
stick out.  Thankfully there was one market that catered to my needs.

Some people, through either poor judgment or unfortunate accident had
enough cyberware that their bodies no longer naturally supplied enough
blood to replenish themselves.  Mostly dual or quad amputees, those lucky
or unfortunate enough to survive major accidents.

As the paramedics had recognized my specialized needs so did capitalism and
a small group of companies focused on that market niche, providing regular
or 'enriched' blood to clients at need for prices designed to gouge
insurance companies for everything they could.

I chose Kamiya Biomedical, the second largest provider.  The last time I
looked it was obvious Nene had gotten here first and had programs designed
to alert her if any new orders were placed.  This time however I had an
idea.  Carefully I checked her work, and as I expected there was some kind
of trigger if I tried to alter or disable it.

However I had to smile to myself.  That wasn't what I planned to do.  A
sense of triumph came over me as I examined the selection criteria and
found a loophole.  It was only looking for new orders, a simple oversight.  All
I needed to do was make sure that every date of entry was prior to her
virus and it wouldn't flag a thing, even for deliveries after that date.

Instead of trying to fake an entirely new entry I chose an older inactive
account.  It only took a little bit of fiddling to change the status of the
last delivery to unfulfilled, update the destination to a post box, and
update the date.  Taking careful note of the insurance information I
started to slip out of the system when I felt the brush of an access
request and froze.

No, No NO NO!  How!  I couldn’t understand it, she was busy, at work, and I
had been careful and a quick look showed her monitoring program hadn't
noticed a thing out of place!  But despite that, she was here and I could
feel the ache of immaterial bones as the spearmint scent of her presence
seemed to fill my mind.

Pinku Neko: Galatea, Kari, I know you’re here.  Please

Jerking back from the computer before me, my wireless transmitter cut off
the connection abruptly.  It left me feeling unbalanced, ill.  Stomach
roiling and mind unsettled, somehow incomplete.  I wanted to curse but it
would be impolite… okay maybe living here was affecting me a little more
than I first thought.

Carefully getting up I made my way out of the store, the rest of my
scheduled time forfeit.  If Nene could find me in the web she could
definitely track down my access point.  I spent a tense few minutes waiting
for a bus.  The subway might have been quicker but I hoped this would make
trailing me just a little more difficult.

Pressing my forehead to the cool glass of the window I let my mind wander.  I
had a little more time to find an answer.  Sylvie had agreed before I left
to give me two days to work something out.  Now it didn't feel like it
would be enough.  Hell, with Nene watching the only remaining source I
could think of for blood that didn't require robbery or assault it wasn't
enough.

Watching my reflection in the glass felt almost Zen as the bus pulled up to
Ueno park.  Cherry Blossoms filled the air.  It was beautiful, more so
because of the transition from the bare concrete and glass just a block
prior.  As the bus stopped I got off and like countless others took a
moment to take in the row upon row of Sakura tree's that lined the
wandering paths.

I wandered slowly through the park.  The sun was bright, but not too hot in
the spotted shade beneath the pink petals.  Only a few had yet fallen the
majority still fresh and bursting with life.  I would like to say that I
had a perfect zen moment, realizing the totality and unity of all things,
and how every single blossom was perfect.  Of course that wasn't really
true.  Some were discolored or showed signs of rot, little spots of
ugliness in a canvas of beauty.

Nothing is perfect, and trying to find that kind of solution wasn't going
to help.  It might not even exist.  Letting my path lead me out I made a
decision.

I wasn't nervous, exactly, sitting there with ankles crossed, hands in my
lap and counting the seconds down until eight o'clock.  I mean, the area
was open to the public, even if I was somewhat conspicuous for being the
only one there.  But it wasn't against the law to wait in the lobby, and
the officer at the desk would make a good witness if I kept my voice down
when the time came.

Besides, even if an illegal boomer sitting in the AD Police headquarters
lobby seems out of place, the Knight Sabers breaking in to disappear me
would be even more unlikely.  I don't think even they would be quite that
bold.

Then, all of a sudden there she was.  Nene.  Taking a deep breath I felt my
heart rate increase, the increased flow bringing a blush to my cheeks.  Along
with that came a sharper awareness, as if someone turned up the color
saturation of the world.  Nene's hair going from an attractive but
otherwise monochrome red, to a shimmering spectrum as each hair caught the
light differently from colors nearly as pale blond as my own to a dark ruby
red.

I realized on seeing her just how much I had missed it, the chance to talk,
her smile, just being in her presence.  Her emerald eyes widened with shock
as she spotted me.  The friendly if shy smile I gave her only increasing
her confusion as she glanced around as if looking for a trap.  *Subject
exhibiting signs of shock.  *

Her footsteps quickened as she headed over to join me.  Glancing over her
shoulder to make sure we were out of earshot from the desk I couldn't help
noticing the delicate curve of her neck.  Or when she looked back, the
guilty way her eyes refused to meet my own.  "Kari…" she started, but then
ran out of words, instead biting her lower lip.

It took all my courage not to cringe before her and beg forgiveness.  But,
I reminded myself I had something I had to do.  "Hi Ne-chan."  Steeling my
will I forced myself to plough onwards.  "I'm sorry about interrupting you
at work but we really need to talk."  I put as much sternness and subtle
disappointment into my tone as I could manage.

Shifting in my seat I nodded toward another set kitty-corner to mine, a
small table covered with out of date magazines like you might find in a
dentist's office between them.  "I know you are, were, looking for me, and
that's fine.  But, I need you to let me at least do this.  I don't have a
lot of options, and I don't want to take the only one left without Kamiya."

She still looked shocked, *subject full recovery from surprise estimated at
33.2 seconds.*  I needed to get my point across now, before m-she had a
time to argue or rationalize things away.  "I'm not going back, I can't,
just can't but I don't want to hurt anyone either.  I won't breathe a word
about secrets, I promise.  Just, please don't use this to find me, to stop
me from living."

Now it was my turn for breath to catch in my throat, my heart beating like
a hummingbird as I leaned forward and caught her hands in mine, soft,
smooth… warm… and I was being distracted.  Her eyes were losing that gleam,
narrowing in thought even as her fingers closed on mine, *subconscious
indication subject reluctant to allow escape.  *

With her scent filling my nose she shook her head.  "Kari, you know I can't
do that.  If it were just up to me I could, but it isn't.  Please I promise
you won't get hurt."

Gritting my teeth tightly I vacillated for a moment.  The urge to just cast
aside my concerns and just go with her was almost overpowering.  But no, I
couldn't do that.  Even if it meant spending time with her again it would
also mean people would be hurt, killed, and I would be responsible.  "No,
I'm sorry, but, I can't.  I'm not alone in this anymore Nene.  I found
others… and I don't want them going rogue."

The pleading look on her face turned quickly to shock, then a growing
burning anger appeared in her eyes.  It was frightening to watch her
expression change as she made the connections.  She really was smarter than
her bubbly exterior lead one to think.  Her voice was soft, dangerously so
when combined with how she narrowed her eyes.  "The vampire murders, more
33-S models."  *Subject suspects complicity in killings 68.4% probable.*

"NO!"  My shout drew a curious gaze from the front desk.  Again, but more
softly I said, "No, Nene, I'm not a part of that, But I did meet them and
want it to stop.  This is the only way to do that.  I need you to let me
help so they stop hurting people."  'Hurting', if I were more honest with
myself I would have said murdering, but admitting that much when you don't
want to confront ugly truths is hard.

Nene opened her mouth, as if to say something then stopped.  Watching her
think was almost painful as I could almost see the moment she decided
against it.  "Kari, they're criminals," her tone soft, like how you would
explain to a child the realities of the world.  "I can't just let them go
free."  *Probability of being able to change subject decision 12.4%.*

Before she could go on I stood, body vibrating with tension, emotion, with
I don't know what other than the need to escape.  I couldn't feel it but I
could see the way my steps were shaky in the reflection on the lobby's
glass doors as I approached, each step faster than the last, so that I was
almost to a run by the time I reached them.

"STOP!"  And I froze.  Heart caught in my throat as I heard the first
actual command from my master since I had arrived.
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://www.chez-vrolet.net/pipermail/ffml/attachments/20131204/a8f9aa5a/attachment.html>