Chapter Thirty: But Now
“If we’re going to have another talk,” Delia scowled, “then lets get out of the hallway. Think of how suspicious it would be, someone like me talking to someone like you.”
Double shrugged, marching into a nearby unused simulation room, Delia moving after she made sure no one was around to witness her following him. Once the door was locked with her worker’s code, Delia whirled around and crossed her arms under her bosom, glaring at him.
“All right, talk, but make it quick; I have to catch Axl coming out of Lifesaver’s.”
Double suppressed the urge to roll his eyes, and he sat down on a nearby bench, palms resting on his knees. “Have you given my proposal any thought?”
The woman’s scowl grew more severe, yet she remained pretty despite. “Your proposal is second to my current conquest, Double. So, no, I haven’t.”
“I’m about to up the stakes, so it just might become first priority.” Double grinned at her look. “As you just witnessed, great ol’ X and Zero are having issues.”
“Yeah,” Delia spat out, “they mentally fuck each other too much and it’s messing up their systems. Most likely due to their special program and processor types—if they discontinue connection for a month they’ll be fine. What’s it matter?”
Double tilted his head slightly, looking at her in a slightly new light. “I’m impressed—you can say all of that confidently?”
“I’m a high ranked Engineer for a reason; Reploid troubleshooting is my specialty. So what do you want?”
The round Reploid leaned forward slightly, and Delia never got over just how creepy a fat and typically cheerful Reploid could pull off such a serious, sinister look. “Your relationship with Axl is progressing well?”
“What’s it to you?” this put her on edge, and her narrowed eyes told him such.
Double decided on a different approach mid-plan. “I understand you’ve been commissioned to work on the New-Gens. Congratulations. But I can imagine an… aspiring woman such as yourself would want to take that new, interesting technology for yourself and play with it…”
“Axl is similar to New-Gens, and I have him to play with.” Delia responded smoothly. “He’s more interesting than the New-Gens. Besides, they’re not all that impressive.”
“That so? I do wonder what that new add-on was you recently equipped, then.”
Delia lost her neutral stance for a moment. “You…” she regained it easily enough and glared. “I re-installed the pregnancy program. What’s wrong with that?”
Indeed, Double knew that, but that wasn’t the only thing she installed, although he let it slide. “You’re a work of art, Delia. You combine construction with data analysis like a pro researcher and scientist; one would think you used to be one.”
“Get on with it, lard-ass.”
Double decided to be frank, he didn’t exactly like the woman anyway. “Change of plans, Delia. We know, if he hasn’t already, Axl will obtain data on Zero and X, enough to copy them. Being his soon-to-be girlfriend, my benefactor would be immensely impressed and willing to pay extraordinary amounts for that data.”
Delia raised an eyebrow. “Get X’s data? I already have it from the last time I screwed him.”
“You got his personality directives. We’re talking combat A.I processing, weapons system adaptation, system directives and drivers. The nitty-gritty, Delia, the stuff required to properly ‘copy’ him. And Zero.”
“And what the hell does your ‘benefactor’ plan to do with this data?” Delia hedged. “Create a clone army? Analyze it to find weaknesses? Make a super-Reploid? What consequences would I be triggering if I handed you such precious stuff?”
Who thought the bitch had a consciousness? “Nothing that would harm you, Delia; it’s all for the betterment of the world, both human and Reploid. You see, even if they aren’t the origins of the Maverick Virus, they’re naturally immune. Why can’t the rest of us have that immunity? That’s all my benefactor wants.”
Delia wasn’t constructed yesterday, but she pretended to look interested. “Manufacture immunity for all Reploids?”
Double nodded and Delia looked pensive. “All right. I’ll see what I can do.”
“Thatta girl. You know how to contact me when you’re successful.”
Delia harrumphed, flicked her hand in that feminine dismissive way and left the room. Double waited until she was gone for several seconds before scowling.
I’m not an idiot, girl. Whatever you’re thinking, you’ll regret, I promise you that.
~*~
A sense of loneliness, a chilling presence of negativity swirling in a tight ball of darkness trembling in a corner away from the light… Doubt, gear, guilt, shame, bottled up and shoved away, growing by the day and pressing against the sides of the bottle. Cracks were forming, dangerously spreading like a virus, black wisps seeping out…
/What’s this? /
/It’s what I hide from everyone. /
A flash of pain made both Zero and X cry out and fall to the ground in a crumpled heap, Axl gripping the wire in his fists and nearly tearing it apart. He did not like how that sound they emitted came out, like a fully fused combination of their voices. The gunner swallowed the apprehension and turned to the corner where the nurses stood, waiting for a command.
“Well, c’mon!” Axl snapped, and the women quickly came over to him, wheeling the large stretcher. With a bit of struggling, the three managed to heave both shut-down Reploids onto the bed.
Axl walked behind the nurses as they sprinted down to the medical wing, the wire swinging from his clenched hand. The news Lifesaver gave him made his systems want to erase the memory file, and the guilt of being such a selfish child began to crush his insides. If X weren’t so stressed out about him, if Axl was less of a stubborn idiot and was more willingly to listen to the man who took care of him, maybe these extremes wouldn’t have come up.
It really is none of his business how I feel about Delia, Axl thought as he marched to the medical wing, the wire twisting in his fist. But it is his right to worry, to care. I threw it all into his face and…
Terror made Axl freeze and he pressed his free hand against the wall, eyes wide as a thought made him feel weak. Technically, it was his fault things came out as they were… for all his words, Axl had been the worst son in the world.
What’s a girl to my family? Absolutely nothing, and Axl had nearly lost the two people who cared for him the most. With Red Alert and Gate running amuck, and Red Alert issuing threats to get him back… X wasn’t the type to cope well with stress, Axl knew this, yet he just piled it on him because, ‘Oh hey, it’s X, he can handle anything!’
Axl was a shitastic son… but he could start making it up now by helping his parents. The Delia thing had all the time in the world, the rest didn’t.
By the time he reached the medical bay, Lifesaver already had the two in separate pods, hooked up and strapped in like Mavericks. The sight of it made Axl wince and recoil from the room, and he bumped into someone. Whirling around, already apologizing, he realized who it was and let out a breath of relief.
“Delia…” Axl murmured, and the woman gently placed a hand on his arm. “Y-you shouldn’t…”
“We might not be friends,” she said quietly, lowering her eyes. “But Zero and X are saviors of the world. If I can help I’d… I’d like to.”
Axl was unsure of how she could help, Reploid Engineer or not, but anything positive was definitely welcomed. “Thanks, Delia. I know Pops treats you really crappy, but… thank you.”
She smiled, so brilliant and pretty, a light in the vast gloom Axl was sure was going to overcome him over this incident and the guilt involved. He hugged Delia, clutching her close, even as she stiffened in surprise and it was several awkward moments later when she finally returned the affection. Axl leaned his cheek against her hair, heaving a sigh.
“They’re my parents. Now look what I let them do.” Axl muttered. Delia said nothing, and he slowly pulled away with a light blush, realizing what he had done. “S-sorry…”
Delia had an odd look on her face, but she replaced the hand on his arm in a comforting manner. “It’s okay,” she said, soft and sweet. Why was she so wonderful? “I understand… and I’m here. We’ll get them back up soon, but recovery will take a while. We’re going to be in trouble, with Red Alert running around…”
Axl nodded solemnly, opening his mouth to speak when a female voice cut him off, “We’ll handle it while they get off their asses,” turning, the pair watched as Alia approached them.
“Alia!” Axl took a few steps toward her to cover the distance remaining between them. “I wanted to talk to you earlier…”
“I know. Let’s get analysis done on Zero and X first, and then I’ll answer. You cool with running the tests, Delia?” Alia looked at her, and Delia didn’t quite like the glint in her eyes.
Women made terrible rivals, but Delia kept her pleasant front up. “Of course. Let’s get started.”
Lifesaver wasn’t exactly pleased to find his medical bay with so many people, although it certainly could hold them all even as Delia and Alia raced from side to side, running diagnostics and tests as Lifesaver kept Zero and X asleep. Axl fidgeted from his corner, wanting to help, but having no idea how to go about doing so. Not only did he contribute to this, but he was useless in any way to help!
Stop it. Axl scolded himself. They’ll need you during recovery. Being here is all you can do, so do it.
It felt as if excruciating hours of nothing happening passed, Axl finding himself at wit’s end by the time Delia approached him with a portable screen in her hand. He stared at her, willing her to share her findings, and Delia actually really was regretful to tell him what exactly was on the screen.
She rubbed her eyes. “Just as I thought,” she said to him quietly. “Zero and X are merging into a single Reploid entity.”
“So we just separate them.” Axl prompted. “Keep them from connecting for a while.”
“If it were that easy, we’d be doing it. The issue is they’re half-way merged. We’d have to split them apart and figure out which file belongs to whom… and they’re completely unhackable.” Delia tapped her screen and flipped it so Axl could see.
He went nearly cross-eyed trying to make sense of all the moving data, and only by inputting it into his own processor’s compiler could he actually read it. It was several lists of directories, programs and systems within both Zero and X that had already merged, along with a comparing list pulled from their last system back up. Persona directories, weapon specialty systems, adaptation files, critical thinking programs… key files essential to each Reploid to make them separated from other Reploids, already merged and somehow functioning…
“If this keeps up, we won’t have a ‘Zero’ or ‘X’ anymore. We’ll have this in-between entity that’s both but neither… but it can’t function without both bodies.” Delia tapped the screen and it changed again. “In other words, they’ll be rendered useless unless completely reconstructed into one single Reploid, but we have no idea what exactly we’ll end up with. It could be some super-solider, or a bipolar freak with no battle expertise.”
Axl’s head hurt from the onslaught of information both from Delia and his inner compiler, and he shut down the compiler. “How do you fix it?”
She scoffed. “If we’re lucky, we can force their systems to re-accept themselves solely by forcing them to accept their most recent backups. The issue is, they’ll be completely defunct while the systems try to reformat using only themselves as opposed to two, and with how far gone they are? This could be months! Essentially, Axl, your parents are dead until they’re fixed.”
Dead? Axl shook his head several times and pushed the data pad away from him. “Don’t say those things!” he hissed. “They’ll pull through! You talk like you know exactly what to do… so, please, Delia! You said you wanted to help… start the process!”
Delia scowled, but Axl hoped it was out of how he spoke, not malice toward his parents. The silence she gave him nearly made him fall to his knees to beg, but she huffed and rested her hands on her hips.
“Starting now is a bit risky. They need to defrag first, Lifesaver’s already got them started on it.” Delia waved her free hand before Axl could speak. “Alia’s in the unoccupied room waiting for you to grill her. I’ll stay out here and update you when you’re done.”
Axl smiled, wide and innocent and boyish. “Thank you, Delia. You’re the best.”
She returned the smile, sauntering to him and pressing a kiss to the corner of his mouth. “You know it,” she purred, enjoying the blush that laminated Axl’s face.
You owe me now, boy.
~*~
Alia wasn’t as reluctant to share information as Axl thought she would be. Although she had no idea why Gate would team up with someone as brutal and merciless as Red, she surmised the reason he had a piece of Sigma and what he’d do with it. Axl had to admire her analytical processor, knowing it far out-matched Delia’s.
“Gate’s been ‘dead’ for a while,” she was saying. “He’d have done his research. If I’m his only target—meaning he’s already murdered the others involved—than he knows I fear nothing more than being a Maverick. But because I work at HQ, infecting me would be difficult, but if he could tie the virus to something like X’s data, he’d just hack the system and send an infected file to me in the guise of X’s security Officer’s code.”
“Or dump a virus bomb on us.” Axl replied dryly. “If he could figure out how to surpass my parents’ immunity, than…”
“We’re fucked more than a four-zenny whore.” Alia ignored Axl’s jaw-dropped expression at her language and leaned back in her seat with a heavy sigh. “We’re going to have to get more data, and that means going out on the field, except we’re down our three best Hunters; Zero and X are obviously out of commission for a while and you’re still under X’s Guardian Censor.”
Axl’s brow rose. “Guardian Censor?”
“That’s when an appointed Guardian of a minor, a human under eighteen or a Reploid with a maturity A.I. under eighteen, puts a restriction on them that can affect their income or ADLs.” Alia looked at him with one eyebrow rose. “What? Wasn’t Red your Guardian, then it got transferred to X?”
“No… I never had an official Guardian. I know everyone viewed X and Zero as such, but it was never legalized.”
“Signas is bending over backwards for those two again…” Alia pressed two fingers to her temple as if she had a headache. “He’s gonna get fired eventually…”
Axl leapt to hit feet suddenly, making Alia jump in surprise at the unexpected movement. “Since it isn’t legalized yet,” Axl said, a bit of triumph in his voice, “I’m not under any such Censor!”
Alia smirked slightly. “X won’t be happy once he hears that, you throwing off his Guardianship.”
“He’ll understand,” I hope. “Besides, this is more important. We have to stop Gate… and Red.” Axl frowned deeply at the words, eyes downcast. To get to Red, he’d have to go through all his previous brothers-in-arms…
In the end, it came down to who Axl treasured closer— his new parents, whom have in barely a year proven to be more trustworthy and reliable, or his old family, who had taken him in and taught him all he knew. And in reality, what Axl knew, wasn’t something to be proud of. How to kill, how to extract data from unwilling Reploids, using his unique ability for sabotage… Hindsight was always twenty-twenty, and Axl had more than just his parents to make amends to for the wrongs he committed.
He’ll have to start now if he wanted to make it all up before his expiration date. Axl resolutely brought the interview to an end and walked out of the room, leaving the medical wing with Delia and heading to the Engineering department for some badly needed upgrades. He’ll need them if he’ll be going against Red, of all people.
Alia was slower in leaving, staying an extra two hours with Lifesaver to assist in the tests, diagnostics and the like over X and Zero. She was despaired over the findings, seeing how close they were to completely merging. In a way, Alia felt responsible—everyone depended on Zero and X, especially X, with nearly every possible task simply because he could do it right the first time. X went on missions far below his expertise and on the most dangerous war fronts, and everyone just wanted him to grin and bear it… when they all knew he was the biggest opponent to the entire concept of war. If X wasn’t so stressed, would he have gotten to this point? If he wasn’t so pressured, would Zero feel it was his duty to sink with him?
It was all too much to really think of, and so Alia left the medical bay after making sure Lifesaver had it all under control. She wanted to straight to the Engineering to get the combat programming installed, along with the canon, but she was intercepted by Layer in the hallway.
“I heard you’re going frontline,” was the first thing Layer said.
Alia was a bit lost how to reply. It wasn’t like they were best of friends; just work partners, and Alia never spent time with Layer outside the Navigation room. Slowly, she replied with, “Yeah… I’ll take over for X.”
“Axl’s a good Hunter, but he’ll be more undercover going for Red, while you’re going for Gate.”
At this Alia scowled. “Signas has a big mouth.”
Layer smiled good-naturedly. “Actually I just overheard it all. Alia, you’re technically going after Gate alone. It’s already spread throughout all of HQ that Zero and X are down, and you probably don’t trust any other Hunter to watch you back… so, I figured you’d trust a fellow Navi to help you.”
Alia stared at her for several seconds before realizing what she just said. “Oh, Layer, no way, it’s dangerous—”
“I wasn’t designed to be primarily a Navigator, Alia,” Layer cut in smoothly, tilting her head slightly. “I was meant to accompany my creator on his missions as a battle partner. He was a Marine, you know.”
Alia quirked an eyebrow at this. “You have a primary battle program?”
“Essentially. It’s outdated, especially since my destruction during the Repliforce Incident, but I managed to update it, in a way, by using some old data from Zero.” Layer blushed at this, looking down. “A-anyway, every ranged fighter needs a melee partner, so basically, I’m just saying I’ll dedicate my rapier to you if you need me.”
“Why?” Alia blurted, making Layer look up at her. “I mean, I appreciate it, but we hardly know each other, and this is my fight…”
Layer laughed at this, putting her hands on her hips and shaking her head, her purple hair swishing behind her. “Alia, if everyone only helped those they knew and only for ‘public’ fights, do you really think the world would be where it’s at?”
That was a new perspective Alia honestly hadn’t thought of, and it made her pause and think. It made her think of X and Zero again—the Mavericks were, technically, X’s issue and his fight, and Zero in the beginning didn’t have to get so close to him and get involved. If he never did, would X be the same person he was now? Would he be weaker? Less resolved, less determined, to see the war to the end? Maybe Alia needed to get out of her box, and realize not everything worked out scientifically or like data analysis.
Layer held out her fist, and Alia only hesitated a moment before reaching out and grasping it with a tight squeeze. Her fellow Navigator smiled, and Alia returned the expression. Releasing Layer’s fist, after acknowledging the silent exchange of camaraderie, the two women walked together to Engineering. No more words were exchanged, but somehow, Alia felt like she gained a friend for life in a span of seconds. Maybe that’s what war, personal or grand scale, caused—people to put aside the norm and accept their allies for what they were.
Or something like that. Alia was fairly sure her first real fight she’ll probably nearly get killed, but now she had Layer guarding her back. With that security, she felt like she could learn how to wage war with a few less worries.
I’m sorry it came to this, Gate, Alia thought as she went into Engineering, going straight for the Reploid installation area. But you brought it on yourself.
~*~
“Are things going accordingly?” Gate asked, lazily and casually as he seemed to swagger into the laboratory.
Professor Isoc cringed at the screen before apply a stoic expression and turning toward his boss. “Smoothly, sir.” He replied dutifully. He carefully hid the extra window on the screen, displaying only Gate’s research notes and projects.
Gate wasn’t an idiot, but his smile didn’t change. “Still going on about that, eh? I encourage individual research, unlike my formers, but I merely ask you prioritize wisely…”
“Of course, sir,” Isoc said. “Regarding your experiment, the success rate as reached ninety-five percent. Also, construction of P.H.M. has recently concluded, and the shell is ready for installation.”
“Excellent, then we’re adhering the schedule.” Gate picked up a few papers off the desk, leisurely looking through them. “Has Red contacted you about the samples he promised?”
“Just one set, sir. He’s withholding the second set until he sees ‘real results’ as he puts it.”
“That so? Very well, I believe the Amazon jungles will be the perfect testing arena. Yammark has been bellyaching about getting back to work in the forests. Make sure you run the tests on him prior to release.” Gate threw the papers down. “I will remind you, Isoc, I don’t mind you borrowing copies of those samples. However, attempt to steal them from me or con me, I will not hesitate to get rid of you or use you as an experiment.”
Isoc shuddered at the word ‘experiment.’ Ever since he saw what was happening in Gate’s private lab, he made sure he remained on the half-mad Reploid’s good side…
Whoever he’s going after made a fatal mistake, Isoc thought as he turned back to his console, re-opening the minimized window of schematics and encoded data. However, that wasn’t his problem, and so he readily stopped thinking about it.
He had much more important things to think about, after all.
<--- PREVIOUS CHAPTER NEXT CHAPTER --->
“If we’re going to have another talk,” Delia scowled, “then lets get out of the hallway. Think of how suspicious it would be, someone like me talking to someone like you.”
Double shrugged, marching into a nearby unused simulation room, Delia moving after she made sure no one was around to witness her following him. Once the door was locked with her worker’s code, Delia whirled around and crossed her arms under her bosom, glaring at him.
“All right, talk, but make it quick; I have to catch Axl coming out of Lifesaver’s.”
Double suppressed the urge to roll his eyes, and he sat down on a nearby bench, palms resting on his knees. “Have you given my proposal any thought?”
The woman’s scowl grew more severe, yet she remained pretty despite. “Your proposal is second to my current conquest, Double. So, no, I haven’t.”
“I’m about to up the stakes, so it just might become first priority.” Double grinned at her look. “As you just witnessed, great ol’ X and Zero are having issues.”
“Yeah,” Delia spat out, “they mentally fuck each other too much and it’s messing up their systems. Most likely due to their special program and processor types—if they discontinue connection for a month they’ll be fine. What’s it matter?”
Double tilted his head slightly, looking at her in a slightly new light. “I’m impressed—you can say all of that confidently?”
“I’m a high ranked Engineer for a reason; Reploid troubleshooting is my specialty. So what do you want?”
The round Reploid leaned forward slightly, and Delia never got over just how creepy a fat and typically cheerful Reploid could pull off such a serious, sinister look. “Your relationship with Axl is progressing well?”
“What’s it to you?” this put her on edge, and her narrowed eyes told him such.
Double decided on a different approach mid-plan. “I understand you’ve been commissioned to work on the New-Gens. Congratulations. But I can imagine an… aspiring woman such as yourself would want to take that new, interesting technology for yourself and play with it…”
“Axl is similar to New-Gens, and I have him to play with.” Delia responded smoothly. “He’s more interesting than the New-Gens. Besides, they’re not all that impressive.”
“That so? I do wonder what that new add-on was you recently equipped, then.”
Delia lost her neutral stance for a moment. “You…” she regained it easily enough and glared. “I re-installed the pregnancy program. What’s wrong with that?”
Indeed, Double knew that, but that wasn’t the only thing she installed, although he let it slide. “You’re a work of art, Delia. You combine construction with data analysis like a pro researcher and scientist; one would think you used to be one.”
“Get on with it, lard-ass.”
Double decided to be frank, he didn’t exactly like the woman anyway. “Change of plans, Delia. We know, if he hasn’t already, Axl will obtain data on Zero and X, enough to copy them. Being his soon-to-be girlfriend, my benefactor would be immensely impressed and willing to pay extraordinary amounts for that data.”
Delia raised an eyebrow. “Get X’s data? I already have it from the last time I screwed him.”
“You got his personality directives. We’re talking combat A.I processing, weapons system adaptation, system directives and drivers. The nitty-gritty, Delia, the stuff required to properly ‘copy’ him. And Zero.”
“And what the hell does your ‘benefactor’ plan to do with this data?” Delia hedged. “Create a clone army? Analyze it to find weaknesses? Make a super-Reploid? What consequences would I be triggering if I handed you such precious stuff?”
Who thought the bitch had a consciousness? “Nothing that would harm you, Delia; it’s all for the betterment of the world, both human and Reploid. You see, even if they aren’t the origins of the Maverick Virus, they’re naturally immune. Why can’t the rest of us have that immunity? That’s all my benefactor wants.”
Delia wasn’t constructed yesterday, but she pretended to look interested. “Manufacture immunity for all Reploids?”
Double nodded and Delia looked pensive. “All right. I’ll see what I can do.”
“Thatta girl. You know how to contact me when you’re successful.”
Delia harrumphed, flicked her hand in that feminine dismissive way and left the room. Double waited until she was gone for several seconds before scowling.
I’m not an idiot, girl. Whatever you’re thinking, you’ll regret, I promise you that.
~*~
A sense of loneliness, a chilling presence of negativity swirling in a tight ball of darkness trembling in a corner away from the light… Doubt, gear, guilt, shame, bottled up and shoved away, growing by the day and pressing against the sides of the bottle. Cracks were forming, dangerously spreading like a virus, black wisps seeping out…
/What’s this? /
/It’s what I hide from everyone. /
A flash of pain made both Zero and X cry out and fall to the ground in a crumpled heap, Axl gripping the wire in his fists and nearly tearing it apart. He did not like how that sound they emitted came out, like a fully fused combination of their voices. The gunner swallowed the apprehension and turned to the corner where the nurses stood, waiting for a command.
“Well, c’mon!” Axl snapped, and the women quickly came over to him, wheeling the large stretcher. With a bit of struggling, the three managed to heave both shut-down Reploids onto the bed.
Axl walked behind the nurses as they sprinted down to the medical wing, the wire swinging from his clenched hand. The news Lifesaver gave him made his systems want to erase the memory file, and the guilt of being such a selfish child began to crush his insides. If X weren’t so stressed out about him, if Axl was less of a stubborn idiot and was more willingly to listen to the man who took care of him, maybe these extremes wouldn’t have come up.
It really is none of his business how I feel about Delia, Axl thought as he marched to the medical wing, the wire twisting in his fist. But it is his right to worry, to care. I threw it all into his face and…
Terror made Axl freeze and he pressed his free hand against the wall, eyes wide as a thought made him feel weak. Technically, it was his fault things came out as they were… for all his words, Axl had been the worst son in the world.
What’s a girl to my family? Absolutely nothing, and Axl had nearly lost the two people who cared for him the most. With Red Alert and Gate running amuck, and Red Alert issuing threats to get him back… X wasn’t the type to cope well with stress, Axl knew this, yet he just piled it on him because, ‘Oh hey, it’s X, he can handle anything!’
Axl was a shitastic son… but he could start making it up now by helping his parents. The Delia thing had all the time in the world, the rest didn’t.
By the time he reached the medical bay, Lifesaver already had the two in separate pods, hooked up and strapped in like Mavericks. The sight of it made Axl wince and recoil from the room, and he bumped into someone. Whirling around, already apologizing, he realized who it was and let out a breath of relief.
“Delia…” Axl murmured, and the woman gently placed a hand on his arm. “Y-you shouldn’t…”
“We might not be friends,” she said quietly, lowering her eyes. “But Zero and X are saviors of the world. If I can help I’d… I’d like to.”
Axl was unsure of how she could help, Reploid Engineer or not, but anything positive was definitely welcomed. “Thanks, Delia. I know Pops treats you really crappy, but… thank you.”
She smiled, so brilliant and pretty, a light in the vast gloom Axl was sure was going to overcome him over this incident and the guilt involved. He hugged Delia, clutching her close, even as she stiffened in surprise and it was several awkward moments later when she finally returned the affection. Axl leaned his cheek against her hair, heaving a sigh.
“They’re my parents. Now look what I let them do.” Axl muttered. Delia said nothing, and he slowly pulled away with a light blush, realizing what he had done. “S-sorry…”
Delia had an odd look on her face, but she replaced the hand on his arm in a comforting manner. “It’s okay,” she said, soft and sweet. Why was she so wonderful? “I understand… and I’m here. We’ll get them back up soon, but recovery will take a while. We’re going to be in trouble, with Red Alert running around…”
Axl nodded solemnly, opening his mouth to speak when a female voice cut him off, “We’ll handle it while they get off their asses,” turning, the pair watched as Alia approached them.
“Alia!” Axl took a few steps toward her to cover the distance remaining between them. “I wanted to talk to you earlier…”
“I know. Let’s get analysis done on Zero and X first, and then I’ll answer. You cool with running the tests, Delia?” Alia looked at her, and Delia didn’t quite like the glint in her eyes.
Women made terrible rivals, but Delia kept her pleasant front up. “Of course. Let’s get started.”
Lifesaver wasn’t exactly pleased to find his medical bay with so many people, although it certainly could hold them all even as Delia and Alia raced from side to side, running diagnostics and tests as Lifesaver kept Zero and X asleep. Axl fidgeted from his corner, wanting to help, but having no idea how to go about doing so. Not only did he contribute to this, but he was useless in any way to help!
Stop it. Axl scolded himself. They’ll need you during recovery. Being here is all you can do, so do it.
It felt as if excruciating hours of nothing happening passed, Axl finding himself at wit’s end by the time Delia approached him with a portable screen in her hand. He stared at her, willing her to share her findings, and Delia actually really was regretful to tell him what exactly was on the screen.
She rubbed her eyes. “Just as I thought,” she said to him quietly. “Zero and X are merging into a single Reploid entity.”
“So we just separate them.” Axl prompted. “Keep them from connecting for a while.”
“If it were that easy, we’d be doing it. The issue is they’re half-way merged. We’d have to split them apart and figure out which file belongs to whom… and they’re completely unhackable.” Delia tapped her screen and flipped it so Axl could see.
He went nearly cross-eyed trying to make sense of all the moving data, and only by inputting it into his own processor’s compiler could he actually read it. It was several lists of directories, programs and systems within both Zero and X that had already merged, along with a comparing list pulled from their last system back up. Persona directories, weapon specialty systems, adaptation files, critical thinking programs… key files essential to each Reploid to make them separated from other Reploids, already merged and somehow functioning…
“If this keeps up, we won’t have a ‘Zero’ or ‘X’ anymore. We’ll have this in-between entity that’s both but neither… but it can’t function without both bodies.” Delia tapped the screen and it changed again. “In other words, they’ll be rendered useless unless completely reconstructed into one single Reploid, but we have no idea what exactly we’ll end up with. It could be some super-solider, or a bipolar freak with no battle expertise.”
Axl’s head hurt from the onslaught of information both from Delia and his inner compiler, and he shut down the compiler. “How do you fix it?”
She scoffed. “If we’re lucky, we can force their systems to re-accept themselves solely by forcing them to accept their most recent backups. The issue is, they’ll be completely defunct while the systems try to reformat using only themselves as opposed to two, and with how far gone they are? This could be months! Essentially, Axl, your parents are dead until they’re fixed.”
Dead? Axl shook his head several times and pushed the data pad away from him. “Don’t say those things!” he hissed. “They’ll pull through! You talk like you know exactly what to do… so, please, Delia! You said you wanted to help… start the process!”
Delia scowled, but Axl hoped it was out of how he spoke, not malice toward his parents. The silence she gave him nearly made him fall to his knees to beg, but she huffed and rested her hands on her hips.
“Starting now is a bit risky. They need to defrag first, Lifesaver’s already got them started on it.” Delia waved her free hand before Axl could speak. “Alia’s in the unoccupied room waiting for you to grill her. I’ll stay out here and update you when you’re done.”
Axl smiled, wide and innocent and boyish. “Thank you, Delia. You’re the best.”
She returned the smile, sauntering to him and pressing a kiss to the corner of his mouth. “You know it,” she purred, enjoying the blush that laminated Axl’s face.
You owe me now, boy.
~*~
Alia wasn’t as reluctant to share information as Axl thought she would be. Although she had no idea why Gate would team up with someone as brutal and merciless as Red, she surmised the reason he had a piece of Sigma and what he’d do with it. Axl had to admire her analytical processor, knowing it far out-matched Delia’s.
“Gate’s been ‘dead’ for a while,” she was saying. “He’d have done his research. If I’m his only target—meaning he’s already murdered the others involved—than he knows I fear nothing more than being a Maverick. But because I work at HQ, infecting me would be difficult, but if he could tie the virus to something like X’s data, he’d just hack the system and send an infected file to me in the guise of X’s security Officer’s code.”
“Or dump a virus bomb on us.” Axl replied dryly. “If he could figure out how to surpass my parents’ immunity, than…”
“We’re fucked more than a four-zenny whore.” Alia ignored Axl’s jaw-dropped expression at her language and leaned back in her seat with a heavy sigh. “We’re going to have to get more data, and that means going out on the field, except we’re down our three best Hunters; Zero and X are obviously out of commission for a while and you’re still under X’s Guardian Censor.”
Axl’s brow rose. “Guardian Censor?”
“That’s when an appointed Guardian of a minor, a human under eighteen or a Reploid with a maturity A.I. under eighteen, puts a restriction on them that can affect their income or ADLs.” Alia looked at him with one eyebrow rose. “What? Wasn’t Red your Guardian, then it got transferred to X?”
“No… I never had an official Guardian. I know everyone viewed X and Zero as such, but it was never legalized.”
“Signas is bending over backwards for those two again…” Alia pressed two fingers to her temple as if she had a headache. “He’s gonna get fired eventually…”
Axl leapt to hit feet suddenly, making Alia jump in surprise at the unexpected movement. “Since it isn’t legalized yet,” Axl said, a bit of triumph in his voice, “I’m not under any such Censor!”
Alia smirked slightly. “X won’t be happy once he hears that, you throwing off his Guardianship.”
“He’ll understand,” I hope. “Besides, this is more important. We have to stop Gate… and Red.” Axl frowned deeply at the words, eyes downcast. To get to Red, he’d have to go through all his previous brothers-in-arms…
In the end, it came down to who Axl treasured closer— his new parents, whom have in barely a year proven to be more trustworthy and reliable, or his old family, who had taken him in and taught him all he knew. And in reality, what Axl knew, wasn’t something to be proud of. How to kill, how to extract data from unwilling Reploids, using his unique ability for sabotage… Hindsight was always twenty-twenty, and Axl had more than just his parents to make amends to for the wrongs he committed.
He’ll have to start now if he wanted to make it all up before his expiration date. Axl resolutely brought the interview to an end and walked out of the room, leaving the medical wing with Delia and heading to the Engineering department for some badly needed upgrades. He’ll need them if he’ll be going against Red, of all people.
Alia was slower in leaving, staying an extra two hours with Lifesaver to assist in the tests, diagnostics and the like over X and Zero. She was despaired over the findings, seeing how close they were to completely merging. In a way, Alia felt responsible—everyone depended on Zero and X, especially X, with nearly every possible task simply because he could do it right the first time. X went on missions far below his expertise and on the most dangerous war fronts, and everyone just wanted him to grin and bear it… when they all knew he was the biggest opponent to the entire concept of war. If X wasn’t so stressed, would he have gotten to this point? If he wasn’t so pressured, would Zero feel it was his duty to sink with him?
It was all too much to really think of, and so Alia left the medical bay after making sure Lifesaver had it all under control. She wanted to straight to the Engineering to get the combat programming installed, along with the canon, but she was intercepted by Layer in the hallway.
“I heard you’re going frontline,” was the first thing Layer said.
Alia was a bit lost how to reply. It wasn’t like they were best of friends; just work partners, and Alia never spent time with Layer outside the Navigation room. Slowly, she replied with, “Yeah… I’ll take over for X.”
“Axl’s a good Hunter, but he’ll be more undercover going for Red, while you’re going for Gate.”
At this Alia scowled. “Signas has a big mouth.”
Layer smiled good-naturedly. “Actually I just overheard it all. Alia, you’re technically going after Gate alone. It’s already spread throughout all of HQ that Zero and X are down, and you probably don’t trust any other Hunter to watch you back… so, I figured you’d trust a fellow Navi to help you.”
Alia stared at her for several seconds before realizing what she just said. “Oh, Layer, no way, it’s dangerous—”
“I wasn’t designed to be primarily a Navigator, Alia,” Layer cut in smoothly, tilting her head slightly. “I was meant to accompany my creator on his missions as a battle partner. He was a Marine, you know.”
Alia quirked an eyebrow at this. “You have a primary battle program?”
“Essentially. It’s outdated, especially since my destruction during the Repliforce Incident, but I managed to update it, in a way, by using some old data from Zero.” Layer blushed at this, looking down. “A-anyway, every ranged fighter needs a melee partner, so basically, I’m just saying I’ll dedicate my rapier to you if you need me.”
“Why?” Alia blurted, making Layer look up at her. “I mean, I appreciate it, but we hardly know each other, and this is my fight…”
Layer laughed at this, putting her hands on her hips and shaking her head, her purple hair swishing behind her. “Alia, if everyone only helped those they knew and only for ‘public’ fights, do you really think the world would be where it’s at?”
That was a new perspective Alia honestly hadn’t thought of, and it made her pause and think. It made her think of X and Zero again—the Mavericks were, technically, X’s issue and his fight, and Zero in the beginning didn’t have to get so close to him and get involved. If he never did, would X be the same person he was now? Would he be weaker? Less resolved, less determined, to see the war to the end? Maybe Alia needed to get out of her box, and realize not everything worked out scientifically or like data analysis.
Layer held out her fist, and Alia only hesitated a moment before reaching out and grasping it with a tight squeeze. Her fellow Navigator smiled, and Alia returned the expression. Releasing Layer’s fist, after acknowledging the silent exchange of camaraderie, the two women walked together to Engineering. No more words were exchanged, but somehow, Alia felt like she gained a friend for life in a span of seconds. Maybe that’s what war, personal or grand scale, caused—people to put aside the norm and accept their allies for what they were.
Or something like that. Alia was fairly sure her first real fight she’ll probably nearly get killed, but now she had Layer guarding her back. With that security, she felt like she could learn how to wage war with a few less worries.
I’m sorry it came to this, Gate, Alia thought as she went into Engineering, going straight for the Reploid installation area. But you brought it on yourself.
~*~
“Are things going accordingly?” Gate asked, lazily and casually as he seemed to swagger into the laboratory.
Professor Isoc cringed at the screen before apply a stoic expression and turning toward his boss. “Smoothly, sir.” He replied dutifully. He carefully hid the extra window on the screen, displaying only Gate’s research notes and projects.
Gate wasn’t an idiot, but his smile didn’t change. “Still going on about that, eh? I encourage individual research, unlike my formers, but I merely ask you prioritize wisely…”
“Of course, sir,” Isoc said. “Regarding your experiment, the success rate as reached ninety-five percent. Also, construction of P.H.M. has recently concluded, and the shell is ready for installation.”
“Excellent, then we’re adhering the schedule.” Gate picked up a few papers off the desk, leisurely looking through them. “Has Red contacted you about the samples he promised?”
“Just one set, sir. He’s withholding the second set until he sees ‘real results’ as he puts it.”
“That so? Very well, I believe the Amazon jungles will be the perfect testing arena. Yammark has been bellyaching about getting back to work in the forests. Make sure you run the tests on him prior to release.” Gate threw the papers down. “I will remind you, Isoc, I don’t mind you borrowing copies of those samples. However, attempt to steal them from me or con me, I will not hesitate to get rid of you or use you as an experiment.”
Isoc shuddered at the word ‘experiment.’ Ever since he saw what was happening in Gate’s private lab, he made sure he remained on the half-mad Reploid’s good side…
Whoever he’s going after made a fatal mistake, Isoc thought as he turned back to his console, re-opening the minimized window of schematics and encoded data. However, that wasn’t his problem, and so he readily stopped thinking about it.
He had much more important things to think about, after all.
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