Ok, here's the gamma draft of Awakenings. Special thanks go to Damon
Casale and Jeanne Hedge for the C&C, which contributed to a major
reworking. Please let me know what you think, as I'm not done revising
this yet. Thanks.
Stormwalker presents...
Awakenings
A Bubblegum Crisis fanfiction by Douglas A. Reeves
Part the Second - Discoveries
The next day, the Knight Sabers gathered at Sylia's apartment
for their usual business meeting. After the official matters were
taken care of the discussion turned to less important things, and
before long, Nene was rambling about how wonderful her date had been.
"Come on, Nene, nobody's THAT perfect," Priss said pointedly,
"They've all got some secret or another that you don't find out until
later."
"Priss!" Nene rolled her eyes, exasperated. "You're such a
cynic."
"And you're a dreamer," Priss shot back, voicing the label with
disdain.
"And what's wrong with that?"
"Nothing's wrong with it," Linna interrupted, "but Priss does
have a point. Don't get all wrapped up in this 'perfect' person.
There is no such thing."
"Oh, I know THAT," Nene answered, immediately dismissing the
thought. Linna sighed.
"Do you?" Priss prodded. "We'll see when you find something
wrong with him."
Nene shook her head defiantly, "I guess we will."
In a much less expensive apartment across town, Michael sat at
his computer and grinned at his prize for the day. On the monitor in
front of him was the AD Police file of Nene Romanova. Skimming it
quickly, he made a few mental notes and then closed the connection.
He could always get back in to see it again, and besides, he didn't
really need it for anything.
He wondered why he'd gone and gotten it in the first place. As
far as he'd been able to tell, Nene hadn't been particularly
deceptive with him, but something about her aroused his curiosity.
There was something more to her than was readily apparent, and he was
sure he'd wind up tying himself in knots trying to figure out what it
was.
In a way, he hoped that he never would... the little mystery
about her was a game that he enjoyed playing, and he would like to
draw it out as long as possible. These things never seemed to last
long enough, though; he decided he was just too smart for his own
good.
* * * * * * * * *
Tuesday afternoon came, and it seemed to Nene that the last few
hours of work were far too long. Finally, she was free, and she
hurried home. Michael would be coming to pick her up in a couple of
hours, and she wanted to be ready. She wondered why she was so taken
with him; she'd been interested in other men before, but he intrigued
her in a way she'd never really experienced. <Is this love?> she
wondered.
A quick shower and change of clothes left her ready a full hour
ahead of time, and she had to sit and wait, nervously and excitedly
considering these new feelings she was having. Certainly she cared
about him in a way that she hadn't anyone else, but then, there were
other explanations for that... weren't there?
The ring of the phone came at precisely seven o'clock, just as
it had before. Picking up the receiver, Nene said, "Hello?"
"Hello, Nene," Michael's voice responded. "I'm downstairs."
"All right. I'll be there in a second." Hanging up the phone,
she practically ran down to the security doors. With great force of
will she managed to slow down before she reached the last corner, but
she still couldn't shake the childlike giddiness that overwhelmed
her. <Let's not be TOO enthusiastic,> she reminded herself, trying to
keep her composure.
She smiled when she saw him through the glass door, and went out
to meet him. Immediately, he produced a dozen roses, some red and
some white, from behind his back.
"Why... thank you," she responded, very surprised, "they're
beautiful."
"Not too cliche, I hope."
"Oh, no, not at all," she giggled, then turned and hugged him.
"You're wonderful."
"I try, anyway," he smirked, then leaned down to kiss her
gently. "Shall we be going? You'll just love this restaurant I
picked out, and," he glanced at his watch, "we have reservations in
fifteen minutes."
Nene giggled, "Let's go, then. I hope you drive fast."
* * *
As it had on the first date, the evening seemed to fly by.
Dinner was excellent, by Nene's estimation, and the service was far
better this time. She almost lamented that part, though, as it gave
her less time to talk with him. When she voiced that sentiment, he
smiled. "I know a good place."
"Oh? And where is this?" she asked.
"It's a surprise," he grinned.
For most of the drive she pestered him, trying everything from
pouting to puppy-dog eyes to get him to reveal where he was taking
her, but he wouldn't say. "Just trust me, you'll love it," was all
she could get out of him. Finally, they arrived, and she had to
admit that he was right.
The observation deck of the Kawasaki building was usually closed
this time of night, but since Michael's company had its offices in
the building he was able to get in. Nene privately wondered if he
had hacked the keycard access, but it mattered little to her.
The panoramic view of Megatokyo was spectacular on this rare,
cloudless night, the product of a severe morning storm. She could
see everything for miles, save that which was obscured by Genom's
monstrosity of a headquarters. At first, she was speechless.
"Incredible, isn't it?" Michael grinned. "Sometimes I come up
here at night, just to think about things."
"What sort of things?" she asked curiously.
"Well... I used to come up here when I had a stubborn problem I
couldn't solve. Sometimes it helps to step away from it. Lately,
though, I've been thinking of you."
"Oh?" she grinned. "And what have you been thinking about me?"
"Well... how beautiful you are, and how wonderful, and how I
think... I love you, Nene. I knew it from the moment I first saw
you."
Nene's eyes widened a bit, "You, too? Oh, that's so romantic!"
Michael smiled, "Isn't it, though? I'm not usually that way...
letting my heart run away with me like that. Then again, love does
that to a person, or so my friends tell me."
"I love you, Michael."
"I love you, too, Nene."
* * * * * * * * *
Priss sighed. "I don't know, what do you think, Linna? I don't
like this."
"Well," Linna mused, "It's hard to say... I know people who
believe in love at first sight, but it hasn't been like that for me.
On the other hand, I've never found the right person... maybe it's
different."
"I don't buy it... it's too convenient."
"It is, at that... but then, there's not a lot we can do about
it, is there? Besides sit back and hope for the best. It's her
life."
"Maybe," Priss said with an uncharacteristic quietness.
Something was nagging at her... and she didn't like it a bit.
Nene clearly had no such reservations. Weeks passed, and with
each day gone by she felt more and more in love with him. While she
couldn't speak for him, it seemed very much that he felt the same
way. They were spending more and more of their time together,
meeting nearly every day not for lunch or dinner, or just to talk for
a while, and the initial nervousness was fading, replaced by a
growing comfort with his presence.
She was beginning to get annoyed with Priss's attitude toward
Michael, though. Sure, he had flaws, but nobody was perfect, she
reasoned. They were no reason to jump all over him. <Why doesn't
Priss ever trust anybody?> she asked herself. <I just hope she
doesn't get Sylia off on this kick with her.>
As it stood, Sylia was being quietly observant, as usual for
her. While it was clear that she wanted Nene to be happy, the
youngest Knight Saber couldn't tell quite what she thought of
Michael's place in that happiness. <If only they could see him the
way I do.>
Still, they weren't actively interfering in the relationship.
Even Priss, for all her grumbling, left them pretty much alone, and
Nene was grateful for that. She would hate to be at odds with them;
after all, they were probably her closest friends.
* * * * * * * * *
"Hey, Nene... take a look at this," Michael gestured to his
computer. They had stopped by his apartment so he could check his
messages, and he had received something of interest from a friend.
"What's that?" she responded, leaning on his shoulder as she
read off of the screen. "A list of access codes?"
Michael nodded. "Supposed to be for the GPCC mainframe."
Nene leaned a little closer to the machine. "Nope."
"What do you mean, nope?" Michael looked at her a little oddly.
"Those are fake. I know the real ones."
"You WHAT?!"
She grinned. "At least, I know a few of them."
"What HAVE you been hacking, girl?"
"You really don't want to know."
"No, you have to tell me," he insisted.
"How much time do you have?" her grin expanded a little. "It's
a long list..."
With that, she launched into an extensive recitation of the
corporate and government systems she'd cracked, many of which were
considered to be "unbreakable". It took her several minutes to name
them.
Michael sat speechless. He'd thought that he was a serious
hacker, but if Nene was telling the truth... "Why the GENOM
obsession?"
"Huh?"
"Well... every one of those is tied to GENOM in some way or
another... except the USSD and SDPC stuff."
<Even that is, if only you knew,> she thought. "Biggest thing
out there. I'm going to hack the Tower main someday."
"You're kidding. That's dangerous!"
"Yeah?"
"Well... what would they do if they caught you?"
"They won't," she responded with a little too much confidence.
"How do you know?"
Nene frowned. "I... really shouldn't talk about that," <Oops.
How am I going to play this one down?>
<Oh, really?> Michael thought, but decided to let it drop.
<Better not to push; I don't want to make her too cautious.> "I...
see, I guess."
"Well, I don't do it alone," she lied. "And I can't betray a
confidence."
"Ah..." he nodded, not sure whether to believe her or not. <It
WOULD explain some things...> "That makes sense."
"I'm glad you understand," she smiled, then turned so that she
was facing him. Leaning forward just a little more, she let the
smile slip into a predatory grin. Suddenly, she pounced, throwing
her arms around his neck, and kissed him, nearly sending them
toppling from his chair.
"Nene?" he blurted out, grinning. "Where did THAT come from?"
"Oh... you're just so good-looking, I couldn't resist." she
stuck her tongue out at him. <One custom-made distraction, served
with style. Fun, too.> "Let's go out for dinner... I'm hungry."
Michael laughed, <Some things never change.> "As you wish."
* * *
Late that night, Nene lay awake in her bed. "What were you
thinking?" she scolded herself aloud. "You start talking and you
just can't stop, can you?"
She sighed. She would have to be more careful in the future.
At least none of the others knew how close she'd come to giving them
all away... she'd never hear the end of it, especially from Priss.
The worst would be Sylia, though... she probably wouldn't say
anything, but just knowing how Sylia felt about such things... she
didn't want to think about that.
* * *
Back at his apartment, Michael stared in awe at the computer
screen. <She was right, after all,> he thought. <Of course, it could
have been a lucky guess, but she was so CERTAIN about it. I should
have remembered to ask her for the real codes. Doubt she'd have
given them to me, though, if she was telling the truth about working
with someone else...>
Shutting down the intricate remote connection he'd set up to
avoid being traced, he sighed. <Looks like I may be out of my league
here. At least she loves me, though... can't argue with that.>
* * *
Elsewhere a far more powerful computer was at work, and Sylia
looked up as the file she was seeking came up on the screen. <So, who
are you, Michael Greyson? And why do I not trust you?>
She had maintained a close watch on Nene since the beginning of
this relationship, and nothing seemed inherently wrong. This in
itself was cause for worry, because young Nene was far too trusting,
but there was more here. Unfortunately, she couldn't find any hints
as to what it was.
The common interest of the two was clear. Though Nene had not
said as much, her description of Michael's personality and his chosen
profession implied a tendency toward certain... questionable uses of
information systems. This being a hobby of Nene's as well, and the
primary reason behind her membership in the Knight Sabers, it
provided them with a common ground. If her understanding was
correct, theirs was an unconventional romance by any standards. The
more serious question was that of its stability.
Still, there were no indications of trouble thus far, and Sylia
would have to be content with that, for now.
* * * * * * * * *
Since that first night there, the Kawasaki Building observation
deck had become one of their favorite hangouts. Many a late night
was spent there, sharing secrets and whispered words of love, and
this one was no exception.
"So," Michael asked, "have you ever done any hacking for money,
or just fun stuff?"
"Well... never for money," Nene smiled impishly, "but I can't
claim to have gotten nothing out of it."
"Such as?"
"Well," the grin was accompanied by a sudden blush, "the
government thinks I'm three years older than I really am."
"Nene! You're joking, right?"
Nene shook her head. "Uh-uh. I didn't want to wait until I was
old enough to work for ADP, so I... made a few changes."
Michael laughed, then made a mock-worried face, "So... how old
ARE you?"
Nene grinned and shook her head.
"Aw... come on."
"All right, all right... I'm 20."
"That's your REAL age... not your legal one, right?" he grinned.
"Yes!" she sputtered, feigning indignation, then gave it up and
just laughed.
"You're so much fun to be around, Nene-chan. I love you."
"I love you, too," she smiled, squeezing his hand a little
tighter.
"Do you realize that Saturday it will have been a month since we
met?"
"So soon? Wow... we should celebrate! What do you want to do?"
* * * * * * * * *
The phone rang, jarring Nene from her nap. Glancing over at the
clock, she gasped. She'd slept through her alarm, and Michael was
here already! Quickly, she threw on some clothes and ran down to
meet him.
"I'm sorry... I was taking a nap after work and overslept.
Would you mind waiting upstairs while I take a quick shower?"
"Not at all," he smiled. "You know, you're pretty even when
you're not trying to be."
She blushed. "Thanks." Leading him into her room, she said,
"I'll be out in a few minutes."
"Ok, I'm sure I can entertain myself that long," he grinned,
taking a seat. As soon as she had closed the bathroom door behind
her, he was at the computer. <Finally! He thought. I knew I'd get a
crack at this thing eventually.>
Quickly he set to work. The anti-intrusion setup on the system
was good . . . very good, in fact, but he wouldn't have to fight
that. <Tried that once already; nearly got caught, too.> Accessing
from the inside, all he had to worry about was the internal security,
and it was rather lax. <Of course . . . who uses this system but her?
Now, all hackers have interesting tidbits on their system; time to
find one . . .>
* * *
Nene silently cursed herself for oversleeping. She knew that
Michael had made special plans for this night, and she didn't want to
ruin them. On the other hand, he hadn't seemed too upset, so he must
not be in too much of a rush. Carefully, she hung the dress she had
chosen on the door's hook, then slipped out of her clothes and set
the water temperature.
* * *
<Nene, Nene . . . > Michael smirked as the hidden directory
listing scrolled down the screen.. <You made this FAR too easy.>
Skimming the file names, he recognized one. <What's this?> he asked
himself, opening the file. <Encrypted. Still, she's got to have the
code key somewhere on here, or it would be useless.>
* * *
Nene reached to turn the hot water up a bit more, savoring the
warmth as it flowed over her. Her mind wandered, as it often did
now, to thoughts of Michael... dreams, hopes for a future together...
which came to a sudden end as she remembered that he was waiting for
her. <Oops...> she thought, and began to rinse out her hair.
* * *
<I've seen this encryption before,> Michael realized as Nene's
program set to breaking it. Suddenly, he remembered where from.
<That want-ad I found on the net . . . the code I couldn't crack.> He
remembered now; he'd spent days trying to break that cipher before
giving up. Evidently, Nene had done better. <This will take time;
good thing she takes long showers.>
* * *
Turning off the shower, Nene frowned, <I hope he doesn't mind my
taking so long,> she sighed. Quickly, she grabbed a towel and dried
herself off, then reached for the clothes she had chosen. <Wait 'til
he sees me in this,> she thought, suddenly grinning.
* * *
<Come on . . . > Michael silently encouraged the computer. <Ah!
Finished!> Suddenly, the screen went blank. He'd been expecting just
a text file, but this seemed to be some sort of program. A screenful
of information popped up, with a message at the bottom.
<Welcome to . . . > he read from the screen, then alarm bells
went off in his mind. <Knight Sabers? Nene?> he stared in disbelief.
For a second the message just sat there on the screen, evidently
waiting for some sort of response. He tapped a key and the computer
resumed reading from the file, but then he heard the shower turn off.
<Ack!> he started in a panic, quickly shutting down the
computer, putting the chair back in its place, and resuming his
original seat. <Nene, a Knight Saber? How could that be?>
His mind was flooded with warring emotions. He was awed,
because she had broken the code he thought unbreakable; afraid,
because the knowledge put him in danger; jealous, because of what her
skill had won her; and angry, because she hadn't told him.
Worst of all, though, was the realization that she could not be
his. He had badly underestimated her; not his equal, she was easily
superior. He could never be good enough for her, he knew, and the
knowledge stung him. She could never really love him; he had nothing
to offer her. And yet . . . she did seem to care for him. He
couldn't understand it at all.
For the first time in his life, he regretted his curiosity.
Resentment now warred with his affection for her, and he didn't know
if it was a fight he could win. <Why, Nene?> he asked. <Why?>
***********
End Part Two