Title:BGC Blues 5 : Illusions Part 1/5
Author:Shehulk
A Story of Bubblegum Crisis
Quotation key:
=Enclaves=
<Thoughts to each other or the enclaves>
'Thoughts to themselves'
**Thoughts to anyone outside of the enclaves**
{Inner selves)
Sylia stared at the grave with unseeing eyes as the rain
continued to fall in driving waves. The other mourners had long since
retreated to the shelter of their cars and she could hear the last of
their engines fading away as they left. She knew she should go as well,
but something held her here. Some indescribable emotion that refused to
let her leave Priss' side even now. Sylia knelt by the headstone,
ignoring the mud that rose up over her and touched the cold stone with
trembling fingers. Priscilla Asagiri. Born: 2013. Died: 2040. The sound
that escaped her was one of pure pain, but Sylia didn't hear it. Nor
did she hear the rain, feel the cold, or notice the approaching night.
She was lost in the past, the only place where Priss remained.
Across the cemetery, Linna and Nene stood watch as their friend
and leader grieve for her lover and wished that they had some way to
ease her pain. Nene sniffed pitifully and leaned against Linna. "Oh
God,
Linna! What are we going to do?" Linna shook her head and tightened her
grip on the umbrella. "I don't think there's anything we can do, Nene.
It's just going to take time." Time that they had thought that they had
in abundance. But Fate had decreed otherwise and their friend had been
cruelly taken from them by of all things a motorcycle accident. That
was perhaps the cruelest part of allthis, that someone who had risked
her life time and time again in battle had died because some fool had
run a red light.
Sylia bit back a scream as her heart tried to shatter and
resisted the urge to strike the smooth marble. 'It's a lie! It has to
be a lie!' Emotion churned inside of her in relentless waves and she
thought she might go mad from the pain. 'My Priss! Oh God, why did you
leave me? You promised you'd never leave me!' Sylia buried her face in
her hands and wept. As the rain continued, she gave in and threw back
her head to rage at the indifferent sky above. "Why!" She screamed
again, a wordless expression of agony that brought Linna and Nene to
her side.
They pulled her from the raw wound in the earth and guided her
into the waiting limo. As it silently glided from the cemetery, Sylia
could feel herself closing down more with each passing mile until she
knew nothing else.
?????
Sylia opened the door of her apartment to find Lt. Leon McNichol
standing outside. She arched one eyebrow in amused inquiry, "Leon? I'm
afraid Priss isn't here right now."
Leon shifted uncomfortably. "I need to speak with you Ms.
Stingray. Can we go inside?" Curious at the formality, Sylia nodded and
swung the door wider to allow him entrance. Leon sat down on the couch
as Sylia did, his eyes falling to a stack of papers on the coffee
table. The musical notes seemed to leap off the page and Leon was
forced to close his eyes until he regained control.
He opened them again to meet Sylia's calm gaze with one of
regret. "It's about Priss. I'm afraid there's been an accident."
Sylia was non-pulsed. "Accident?" Taisei immediately signaled
Arashi, but there was no response.
Leon nodded and reached into his pocket. His hand gripped the
metal fragment and he desperately wished that he did not have to do
this. "Apparently a car ran a red-light and struck Priss' bike head
on." He drew a deep breath. "There were no survivors."
Sylia smiled, shaking her head. "There's been a mistake."
<Taisei?>
= I can't reach Priss or Arashi.=
Leon pulled the piece of metal from his pocket and set it on the
surface of the table with the utmost care. "There's no mistake."
Sylia stared at the charred image in horrified recognition. The
once gleaming hawk was now twisted and blackened, but it was definitely
from Priss' arm. "No."
"I'm sorry." Leon shoved a hand through his hair and wondered
when this would ever get any easier.
"No." Sylia was shaking her head vehemently. "It can't be. You
saw her?"
Leon hated to tell her this but she needed to know. "Both
vehicles exploded on impact, Sylia. We didn't find enough to make a DNA
match, but it was Priss' bike and we found... that."
<Taisei?> Her desperation was evident, but Taisei had no hope to
offer her.= There's no trace.=
The apartment door opened and Sylia looked up to see Linna and
Nene standing in the doorway. One look at their faces made Sylia
realize the truth: Priss was gone.
Sylia jerked awake, the tears still falling as she tried to force
the memory away. She heard the phone ringing and asked herself if she
really wanted to answer it. As she debated the pros and cons, the
telephone stopped ringing and the question was answered for her. She
rolled onto her side and pulled the covers up over her head. Logic
dictated that she should get up, shower and go try to bury herself in
her work for a while but her heart demanded that she continued to
mourn. It had been a week since the funeral and Sylia knew that she was
worrying the others, but she couldn't seem to gather enough energy to
care.
Sylia threw the covers back and stared at the empty space beside her in
the bed. Her hand reached out and touched Priss' pillow as her mind
tried once again to come to grips with what had happened. She's gone.
Sylia felt the tears beginning to fall again and let them come; maybe
this time they might release some of the pain filling her. 'She's not
coming back.'
Immediately images of Priss began to whirl through her mind:
Priss on stage, coming out of the shower, climbing into her hard suit,
waking up in Sylia's arms...
The sob that escaped Sylia was the embodiment of grief and as she
buried her face in the pillow she held, she knew that she would never
accept that Priss was gone.
{She doesn't have to be.}
Sylia ignored the little voice in her mind and forced her self to
get up. She sat on the edge of the bed for a long time, wondering what
she should do if she did get up and finally decided to get dressed.
She went to the closet and stared at the rows of neat clothes and
suits, realizing that she didn't feel like wearing them today. She
wasn't that person right now. Sylia saw the small row that held Priss'
clothing and flinched. She had such a small wardrobe in comparison to
Sylia's, but it had been by choice. Sylia pulled a faded blue t-shirt
over her head and a pair of Priss' sweat pants. She added a pair of
thick pair of white socks and went to find breakfast.
One piece of dry toast later, Sylia was in the living room and
trying not to cry again as she neatened up. She stacked Priss' song
books back on their shelf and then set her guitar on it's stand in the
corner. As she straightened the cushions on the couch, she saw
something tucked in between them and pulled it out. It was one of her
bras. Instantly, Sylia remembered how it had come to be there.
Priss had been working on a new song and Sylia had been feeling
playful. She had sat beside Priss on the couch and preceded to do
everything she could to distract Priss. She had kicked her shoes off
and then had unzipped her skirt, pushing it down and letting it join
her shoes on the floor. Priss had continued to hum and make notations
in her book, but Sylia knew that she was completely aware of what she
was doing. She had slowly unbuttoned her blouse, taking her time and
finally shrugged out of the silk and tossed it onto the coffee table
next to where Priss was working. She had stretched her leg out, bracing
her foot on the table, unhooked her garter, and carefully rolled the
stocking down. The intimate apparel wasn't very pragmatic, but the
knowledge of Priss' reaction to it made it worthwhile. Sylia repeated
the process with the other stocking, quite aware of the fact that Priss
had stopped humming and was watching her from the corner of her eye.
She reached behind her and unhooked her bra, pulling it off as Priss
turned to look at her fully.
"I take it that you want me to stop working now."
Sylia shrugged and laid the lingerie over the back of the couch.
"No. Go right ahead, just ignore me."
Priss had tossed her pen aside and pushed Sylia down on the couch
with a knowing grin. "I'd have to be dead to ignore you."
Sylia was pulled sharply back to the present as the prophetic
words struck her. She sank to her knees beside the couch and cried for
what had been lost.
{Not lost... just misplaced.}
'I didn't even get to see her again.' Sylia had tried to console
herself with the realization that Priss had not suffered but it was of
little comfort. 'I miss you.' She laughed at herself, knowing that
Priss would find her behavior foolish.
{Get up and get to work, Sylia! We've got boomers to fight and
Genom to crush!} The sound of Priss' voice echoing so clearly through
her mind made Sylia freeze in disbelief. Familiar laughter filled her
ears and Sylia bolted upright, searching the room. {Now that is a
complete waste of time. I'm dead, remember?}
"A ghost?" Sylia shook her head and rubbed her face. "I've gone
mad."
Taisei stirred at the first words Sylia had spoken in days. =
What's wrong? =
Sylia was slow to answer. "I thought I heard Priss' voice." The
half question in her voice made Taisei send out a call to Arashi but
there was no answer.= Nothing.=
Sylia laughed shortly. "Like I said, I'm mad."
{Nope, just lazy. Think Sylia! Am I really gone from you? Or is
there a way to bring me back?}
Sylia realized that she was imagining Priss' voice and that
frightened her more than the thought of a ghost. "Oh God." She
practically leapt to her feet and dashed into the bathroom. She turned
the shower on full force, stripped and stepped under the cold stream.
Gasping as the water chilled her, Sylia stood under the water and tried
to shake off whatever it was that was making her hallucinate.
{Not that easy I'm afraid. I'm the part of you that wants Priss
back badly enough to do anything to make it happen. Anything.}
= Sylia? =
Sylia shivered, but it was not from the cold. She knew very well
what the voice was talking about because she had first entertained that
idea the night Priss had died. She didn't have to stay dead... No. It was
wrong and not to mention highly illegal.
{Since when had legality stopped you?}
= You can't. The penalty for that is death.=
{Only if you're caught.}
"I don't have the equipment." Even as Sylia said it, she knew
that she was lying. One of her subsidiary companies made almost
everything she needed and the rest could be gotten easily enough. 'I
can't! It wouldn't be Priss!'
{Yes, it would. In every way that counts.}
= No it wouldn't! Sylia please! You mustn't do this.=
Sylia rested her head against the cold tile and admitted to
herself that she had already made up her mind.
?????
Priss heard Arashi as if from a great distance and tried to open
her eyes. They felt heavy and she had a strong urge to keep them closed
and drift back into the sleep that was pulling at her.
= Priss! Wake up damn it! We're in trouble! =
Priss opened her eyes and stared in confusion at the metal floor
she was lying on. She raised her head and looked around.
She was in an eight by eight foot room, made entirely of metal
with no windows and the heavy door in one wall looked strong enough to
stop a rampaging boomer quite easily. Priss rolled over onto her back
and immediately realized two things: one, she was naked and two, her
cybernetic arm was missing.
<What the hell?> She tried to remember what had happened but
everything was fuzzy. <Arashi? What happened? Where are we?>
= I don't know where we are, but I'm assuming that we were hit by
some kind of taser weapon. That would be the only thing strong enough
to knock my awareness off line despite the back up circuits.=
<How long have we been here?>
= I'm not sure; I regained consciousness so to speak, about an
hour ago. I've been trying to wake you ever since.=
Priss sat up and felt her head swim. <Christ! I feel like hell.
Any guesses as to where we might be?>
= I'm a little blind without the sensors in your arm. I've been
trying to connect to the system, but there's something blocking me.=
She braced her right hand on the floor and got to her feet with
difficulty. <The last thing I clearly remember is leaving the club
after rehearsal.>
= It probably happened then.=
Priss studied the small cell. The bright lights were coming from
the ceiling and Priss could see no way to access them through the steel
grill that covered them. <Hmm. What do you think?>
= I think we're in deep shit.=
<Oh, that's helpful.>
= You asked me, I told you. We're cut off from back up, you've
lost not only your weapons, but also an arm and you're naked. I can't
see a bright side to this at the moment.=
<Gee Arashi, don't try so hard to cheer me up.> She ran her
fingers along the edges of the door, not seeing any hinges. <I wonder
how this-> Priss backed up as the door began to slide upwards and she
tensed as she saw that someone was standing on the other side. She had
a quick impression of blond hair and smooth features before she charged
forward.
Priss struck out with her fist, catching the woman in the jaw and
sending her falling backwards. She found herself in a narrow hallway
and as she turned to run, she felt herself caught up in an unbreakable
grip.
The boomer had wrapped its arms around her and was now carrying her
back into the cell. Priss fought wildly, but could not get free. The
machine threw her and she crashed into the wall with a pain filled cry.
Priss felt and heard something snap a split second before pain shot
through her side.
The woman stepped into the cell, absently dabbing her split lip
with a handkerchief. Her hair come loose from its bun and now fell in
pale waves around her shoulders. She tossed it back and looked at
Priss. "That wasn't very nice Miss Asagiri. I wouldn't advise you to
try that again."
Priss held her arm close to her ribs and felt her stomach heave
from the pain. Arashi moved quickly to dull the pain and after a
moment, Priss managed to draw enough breath to spit, "You bitch."
She smiled grimly and nodded to the boomer. Priss was hauled
roughly to her feet and she winced as the metal fingers dug into her
neck, holding her still as the woman stepped closer.
Priss glared at her. "What the hell is this? Where am I?"
"Good questions, but sadly unoriginal." She seemed disappointed
so Priss kicked her in the stomach. Or she would have, but the boomer
holding her had other ideas. She found herself dangling above the
floor, suspended by the hand around her neck. "Now, now. Don't waste
your energy in futile outbursts
Miss Asagiri. Or may I call you Priss?"
"You can go to hell." At the woman's wave the boomer lowered her
back to the floor and Priss could feel the warm trickle of blood where
the metal fingers had pierced her skin. "And take this overbearing tin
can with you."
She laughed quietly and called over her shoulder. "You can bring
it in now." Another boomer appeared in the open doorway, pushing a
large cart. Priss looked at the cloth covering it and sneered, "Lunch?
How nice."
"Not quite." The boomer pulled away the cover and Priss froze.
The woman picked up the long metal wands and brought the tips close to
each other. Blue current arced between them and Priss glanced up to
find her watching her reaction.
Priss assumed a bored expression. "I take it that this has
nothing to do with that late cable bill."
"You have information that we require." She shrugged faintly.
"It's my job to extract that information."
"What information?"
"The names of the other Knight Sabers."
?????
Linna shut the screen off and turned to Nene, her expression
puzzled. "She's not answering or not there. Do think we should go over
there?"
Nene tugged the blanket around her shoulders closer and thought
about it. She hadn't felt warm since Priss' funeral and poor Linna had
been forced to wear shorts and tank tops because Nene had the heat set
so high.
Not that Linna wasn't having her own problems. Unable to sleep,
she had begun taking long walks at night, trying to find some kind of
peace. Priss had been her best friend and Linna found that she missed
her more than she would have ever imagined. Everything was strange and
unreal; making her wonder if the world would ever be right again. One
of the foundations was gone and things were tilting alarmingly.
Nene picked up her hot cocoa and felt the warmth seep into her
icy fingers. Sylia's self-imposed solitude was probably normal, but you
never could tell with Sylia. <Seiki?>
= She's all right, Nene. Taisei says that she's been trying to
work a little and seems to be coping.=
"Okay then. I think we should give her a few more days and then
we'll go see her."
Linna sighed and muttered quietly. "I wonder if we should cancel
our trip."
Nene shook her head slowly. "I don't really think that it would
make any difference one way or another. Sylia's not likely to turn to
us for support anyway. She's a loner, like Priss is... was." Nene closed
her eyes briefly and then pasted a smile on her face. "Besides, I've
already told my parents we were coming."
Linna winced. "And did you tell them why we were coming?"
Nene's smile became real at Linna's unsettled look. "Oh no. I
thought I'd wait to see the expressions of total shock in person."
The pillow that shot towards Nene's head was hurled with stunning
accuracy and she barely dodged it. She stuck her tongue out and
chanted, "Nah, nah, nah, nah!"
"Seriously Nene, how do you think they're going to react?"
"To what?"
"To what she asks! To the fact that you're sleeping with another
woman!" Even though same sex relationships were a matter of course in
this era, Nene's parents were somewhat old fashioned in their views and
Linna knew that this was not going to be the carefree trip she had
envisioned when she first suggested it to Nene. Nene had been quick to
point out how close they would be to the home that her parents had
moved to after they retired and Linna had seen her plans for a romantic
holiday in Hawaii shot down in short order.
Nene appeared to consider the problem and then shrugged. "I don't
think it's the sleeping part of it that will bother them as much as
it's the fact that we're also having sex."
Linna groaned and resisted the urge to pull her hair. "Please try
to be serious. I wanted this trip to be special."
The blanket fell to the floor as Nene got up and went to Linna.
"Honey, I know that. You're worried about nothing. I already told Mom
and she's going to break it to Dad so that he'll have time to calm down
before we get there."
Linna scowled up at her and wrapped her arms around Nene's waist.
"Why didn't you say so in the first place?"
"What? And miss the look of utter terror that kept crossing your
face whenever I mentioned it?'
?????
Sylia signed the delivery order and sent the men on their way.
She closed the garage door behind them and hit the remote to bring the
forklift to her. It rolled into view and she watched it lift the large
crate and then turn towards the freight elevator. Sylia followed,
absently checking off the tank from her list. "That's the last of it."
She could begin now.
= I can't believe you're doing this.= Taisei had been pointing
out how wrong this was for the last four days, but Sylia had refused to
answer her.
She sighed and leaned against the side of the elevator as it rose
swiftly to her lab. "You know, I think you should ask yourself
something, Taisei. Do you miss Arashi?"
Taisei didn't answer and Sylia permitted herself a slight smile.
= How did you know? =
Sylia shrugged a little. "It made sense. The enclaves copied our
personalities. That I was in love with Priss and she with me was all
tied up in that. "
= It won't be them.= Even to herself, the protest seemed weak.
Taisei realized that she wanted them back as much as Sylia did.
"It's either this or I kill myself. I can't stand it without
Priss."
= I should argue that a week is hardly enough time to come to
that conclusion.=
"But you won't."
= No.=
?????
Priss was hanging limp, unable to stand by her self any longer.
They had shackled her wrist to a chain above her, lifting her high
until the only way to relieve the strain on her arm and shoulder was to
stand on tiptoe. But after the first few shocks, she had not even been
able to manage that and now the weight of her body was pulling her
wrist into the metal of the restraint. She could feel the blood seeping
down her arm. Arashi had tried to block the pain after the first shock,
but the bursts of electricity were interfering with her and it was
taking longer and longer for the collective to resume each time.
Her torturer had finally introduced herself as Kutsuu, but Priss
hadn't really been paying attention. She couldn't brace herself against
the pain and each time she used the rods, Priss thought that she was
going to die. The pain didn't end in between bursts as the small burns
that the prods left continued to throb. Kutsuu walked around her in
slow circles, repeating the same question over and over again. "Who are
the other Knight Sabers?"
Sometimes she would shock her after the question, sometimes she
wouldn't. She changed her pattern enough each time so that Priss
couldn't predict when the pain was coming. She screamed again as the
rods touched her back and Priss jerked helplessly as the current flowed
through her. Arashi couldn't stay stable enough to help her and Priss
knew she was on her own.
"This can end right now, Priss. I can stop this right now." She
took a damp cloth from the boomer and wiped the sweat and tears from
Priss' face. "I want to stop this, Priss. Just tell me and I'll let you
down and you can rest."
A glass of water was held to her lips and Priss drank thirstily,
but she was not so far gone that she didn't realize what she was trying
to do. "I don't know who the Knight Sabers are. I'm a singer, you
stupid bi-." Priss screamed as she shocked her.
Kutsuu sighed in disappointment. "I considered several different
ways of beginning this, Priss. Trying to gain your trust, to establish
a rapport. That is the standard way to approach this, but your
psychological profile suggested that you would be resistant to these
methods and I see now that it was a completely accurate assessment.
Besides, those methods take time and I'm afraid that I've been given a
deadline with you." Priss couldn't muster enough strength to cry out
this time and she only gasped as she applied the current to her back
again.
"You're too stubborn and too loyal. This utter devotion that you
have to Sylia Stingray is admirable, but ultimately destructive." She
placed the rods at the small of her back and shook her head when Priss
didn't make a sound. The rods left small burns, marring the fine black
lines of the tattoo there. "How can you protect her, Priss? She thinks
you're dead. She's going on with her life and is already trying to
replace you." She gripped her hair and pulled her head up.
Priss glared at her. "Sylia may think I'm dead, but I know damn
well that she loved me. Go fuck yourself, bitch."
The rods returned and this time Kutsuu held them in place until
Priss felt herself losing consciousness.
?????
In the end, it was frighteningly simple. The stored copy of Priss
and Arashi's minds were only a few weeks old and the DNA sample that
keyed the suits to their users was more than enough to clone. Who'd
have thought when they had copied the team's minds in order to improve
the suit's response time that they would be used for this?
Sylia had constructed the acceleration chamber, which would
mature the clone quickly and had only to set the process in motion. The
penalty for having a chamber of this size was death, the practice of
cloning having been banned worldwide. Even Genom had not broken this
particular law and Sylia wondered if that made her worse than the
sprawling corporation.
Her hands hovered over the keyboard that would input the final
commands. Last minute doubts surfaced and she pushed them aside as the
image of Priss appeared in her mind.
Taisei held her silence, leaving the ultimate decision to Sylia.
Sylia lowered her fingers and typed in the commands to begin the
process.
?????
The sudden release of tension in her arm made her cry out and
Priss collapsed to the metal floor. She was vaguely aware of the boomer
fastening something around her ankles, but she was so disoriented that
she couldn't tell what. Within seconds, she found herself hauled back
into the air, this time upside down, her ankles holding her weight. The
blood began to flow back into her arm and Priss groaned as the pain
began. She twisted futilely, trying to escape the agony that her own
limb was causing, but there was no escape.
?????
Sylia stared down at the clone and felt her heart lurch. It had
taken five days from start to finish and in the back of Sylia's mind
she knew that she should be appalled by what she had done. She reminded
herself that it was almost as if she had reached back in time and
pulled Priss forward a few weeks, past the accident. Almost.
Taisei studied the readouts as Priss' mind was mapped into the
clone's blank one.= What about Arashi? =
Sylia shook her head. "Not yet." The nanos would become active
immediately and something needed to be done first. She gathered the
instruments she would need and readied the implants and the artificial
limb. Sylia tugged on surgical scrubs and began the most difficult and
necessary part of all this.
For the illusion to be complete, the clone would have to lose her left
arm as Priss had.
She lifted the laser scalpel and told herself that there was no
turning back now. The smell of searing flesh filled her nostrils, but
Sylia forced herself to focus on her grisly task.
?????
Kutsuu sat in the chair that the boomers had brought in and
sipped from the tall glass of ice water. Priss watched her, wishing
that she had her arm back so that she could blow the impact caps right
in her face. The boomer holding her was the only thing keeping her on
her feet and she tried not to moan as the blood flowed back into her
legs. Kutsuu raised the glass and smiled at Priss. "Thirsty?"
When she spoke, her voice was harsh. "Bitch."
She laughed. "You astound me, Priss. I would have expected a mere
singer to have broken long ago, but then you're not just a singer, are
you?" Kutsuu drained the glass and handed it to a waiting boomer. She
stood up and the machine removed the chair from the room. "You're a
Knight Saber. A champion of justice. Defender of the weak. A crusader
against the corporate evil." The boomer returned with the covered cart
and Priss tensed.
This time how ever the cloth was removed to reveal a collection
of surgical instruments. What made it worse was that she knew what each
and every one of them was capable of. The medical knowledge that Arashi
had imprinted into her mind months ago was still very clear and Priss
knew that she was in trouble.
<Oh hell. Arashi?>
= I'm here Priss.=
<This is going to be bad. Can you do anything?>
= As long as there's no electricity then I can dull the pain. But
the less you react to the pain the more damage she might do.=
Priss watched Kutsuu pick up a pair of thin rubber gloves and
pull them on. <Just keep me from talking.>
"We don't have to do this Priss. Just tell me what I need to know
and you're free. Why go through all of this for people who don't care
about you? They've moved on and forgotten about you Priss." She picked
up a scalpel and touched it to the skin above Priss' heart. "Why
protect them?"
Priss felt the blade sink into her flesh and gasped as the pain
went from sharp to agonizing in an instant. 'It shouldn't hurt like
this!' "I'll tell you one thing."
Kutsuu paused, waiting expectantly.
"I will kill you in the most painful way I can."
Kutsuu sighed and lifted the scalpel again. "Unless you cooperate
Priss, you're not getting out of here alive."
?????
Linna walked past Nene as she talked to her mother and waved in
greeting on her way to the kitchen. The gesture was met with a pinched
expression that made Linna wince. Apparently, while Nene had told her
mother about them, she was not exactly happy about it. She opened the
refrigerator door and stared inside, wondering bleakly if she could
manage to fall seriously ill.
Inji's quiet laughter told her no and she sighed. The plan had
been to get to Hawaii and stay with Nene's parents for a few days
before checking into a hotel for the rest of their vacation. Linna very
much doubted she'd make it past the first meeting.
Nene watched her from the doorway and knew that she was nervous
about meeting her parents, but she didn't know how to reassure her.
Linna was acting as if her parent's disapproval was going to make Nene
stop seeing her and that was just impossible. "Find the secrets of the
universe in the lettuce?"
Linna glanced at her and realized that she had been standing with
door open, not seeing the contents. She closed it with a snap and then
leaned against the refrigerator. "Not really. Your mom doesn't seem too
happy."
Shrugging slightly, Nene grinned. "I think it's the whole
grandkids thing."
"What grandkids?"
"Exactly. I think I was supposed to produce a batch of kids for
them to spoil. She'll get over it."
Linna groaned and then laughed when she heard Nene's stomach
gurgle. "You want to grab something to eat?"
Nene nodded, but there was a small frown on her face. "We should
go see Sylia first. Maybe we can coax her out with us."
Linna agreed to try, but seriously doubted they would be able to
pry Sylia out of her isolation. Even Mackie had been unsuccessful in
his attempts and the fact that her beloved brother was making no
headway spoke volumes about how Sylia was handling this.
?????
Sylia opened the door and stared at Linna and Nene blankly. "What
are you doing here?"
The abrupt tone took them aback and Nene sputtered. "Uh, we just
wanted to visit, um, and see how you were doing."
Realizing that she had been rude, Sylia shook her head ruefully
and opened the door wider, motioning them inside. "I'm sorry. I've been
a little distracted lately."
They stepped inside somewhat hesitantly and Sylia waved them
towards the couch. "Please, sit down. Can I get you something to
drink?" The words were polite and very automatic. Sylia's mind was
definitely somewhere else.
"No thanks. Are we disturbing you? We can come back later." Nene
almost protested, but a sidelong glare from Linna stopped her.
= They'll need to know eventually.= Taisei was right, but Sylia
knew that they wouldn't understand. She still wasn't sure that she did.
Now that the clone was finished, she was a little appalled by what she
had done. "No. I need to speak to you actually. Are you sure I can't
get you something?"
<You know, I'd almost say that she's nervous, but that doesn't
make sense.> Linna sent the mental comment to Nene and once again
refused any refreshment.
<I think you're right. I wonder what's going on?> Nene declined
as well, leaving Sylia out of time.
She began to pace from one end of the living room to the other,
not looking at the women as she spoke. "I know you're not going to be
happy about what I've done, but at the time it seemed like the only
thing to do. My only defense is that I was out of my mind with grief
and I made a rather hasty decision. All that I can ask though, is that
you don't blame her for something beyond her control. She doesn't know
what's going on and doesn't know what she is. She can't know."
Linna held up a hand to stop Sylia's pacing. "Sylia, what are you
talking about? Who?"
Sylia drew a deep breath and just said it. "I cloned Priss."
Silence. They stared at her in complete shock as the words and
all they meant sank in.
Linna felt like she had just been smacked by a two by four.
Nothing Sylia could have said would have surprised her more. Nene was
making little choking sounds, but Linna ignored her, trying to grasp
the reality of what had happened. "Y....you....cloned....Priss?"
"Yes."
Nene found her voice and squeaked, "How?"
Sylia shrugged. "Some of the companies I own make the necessary
equipment. I had Priss and Arashi's mental images from a few weeks ago
and the DNA from the suits."
Nene shook her head. "No. I mean how could you?" Her voice rose
and her eyes filled. "How could you replace Priss so easily? How could
you disgrace her memory like this? Didn't you love her?"
Had Nene struck her she could not have caused Sylia more pain
than with those few words. She crossed to the younger girl quickly and
knelt before her. Laying her hands over Nene's clenched fists, Sylia
tried to think of how to explain this so that she wouldn't hate her.
"Nene. I do love Priss. I love her so much that when she died," her
voice cracked and it was a moment before she could continue. "When she
died, a part of me died as well. I was so lost without her, Nene. I'm
not saying that this was the right thing to do. I know now that it was
probably the worst thing I could do, but it's done now."
"So undo it!" Linna's harsh declaration made even Nene flinch and
Sylia knew that Linna was going to be the hardest to convince. She had
been the closest to Priss and their friendship was something Sylia knew
that Priss held dear. The clone would as well, not realizing what she
was.
Sylia stood and calmly folded her hands together. When she spoke,
she was composed and rational. "You're asking me to kill Priss."
Linna jumped to her feet and resisted the urge to punch something
or someone. "No, I'm asking you to destroy one of your experiments!
Priss is already dead!"
Sylia glanced at the bedroom door again and suddenly Linna knew
who was behind it. "She's here, isn't she?
"She's asleep in the bedroom." Sylia's eyes were pleading and
that was a rare thing indeed. "She doesn't know, Linna. She thinks she
was in a motorcycle accident and that's why she's lost a few weeks. No
matter how you may feel about this you have to understand the she is
Priss. In every way, thought and action. She won't understand your
reaction to her. She is the same person she was when we took the mental
scan."
Linna knew what she was saying but her resentment wasn't that
easy to set aside. "You want us to play along? To keep your illusion
intact?"
"I'm not sure how she would react if she knew the truth." Sylia
did know that she not want to find out.
Nene had listened to Sylia's arguments and had listened to Linna.
Now she had a question of her own. "But what about Arashi? Surely she
realizes that something's happened to her enclave?"
"I constructed a new enclave and overwrote it with Arashi's
personality and memories."
Taisei immediately found herself under a barrage from Seiki and
Inji.
Linna had a rather horrible thought. "But her arm...?"
Sylia turned away and stared blindly out the window. There was no
way they were going to understand this.
Linna felt her stomach clench and fought to keep the contents
down as she realized what Sylia's silence implied.
Nene looked from Sylia's stiffened form to Linna's pale face.
"What?"
"Nene, the clone would have had both arms."
"So? ... Oh." She gasped and covered her face with her hands. "Oh
no! Sylia how could you?"
Sylia heard her exclamation but did not turn. "I had no choice,
Nene. There was no other way to keep the reality of what she was from
her. If Priss had woken up and had both arms then it wouldn't have
taken her long to figure it out."
Linna laughed harshly. "I can't believe how easily you throw that
line around. 'I had no choice.' You once said that you had become a
monster. Now I know it's true."
Sylia took the hit with a calmness she did not feel. She turned
back to them and nodded at the closed door. "Priss will be waking soon.
Will you tell her the truth and watch her destroy herself or will you
help me give her a life she would not have had otherwise?"
?????
Inji was furious and Seiki was so angry that she couldn't form
words. Taisei had known that this was coming, but it was still
difficult. = Calm down.=
= Calm down? Why should we calm down? If there was ever, a
situation that called for agitation then it's this one! Why did you
help her do this? =
= Because I missed Arashi! =
The other collectives didn't understand.= We all missed her,
Taisei.=
Taisei laughed sarcastically.= You blind fools! You don't see it,
do you? You have your hosts, they have each other, and so you have each
other as well. Sylia loved Priss therefore I loved Arashi! =
They were shocked by this revelation. = Y-you loved Arashi? But
that would mean...= Inji faltered. She considered her relationship with
Seiki and realized that the connection they shared could be defined as
love. = Oh.=
Seiki contemplated what she would feel if something happened to
Inji and understood why Taisei hadn't stopped Sylia. = I see what you
mean. =I couldn't stand it if anything happened to Inji. But this could
backfire so easily, Taisei. What happens if the new Arashi finds out? =
= She won't. I'll make sure of it.=
?????
Kutsuu was almost grinning, her pleasure in Priss' resistance
apparent. "Wonderful! Exactly what I would expect from a trained
warrior."
Priss swallowed hard and focused on her tormentor. "Drop dead."
The pain had faded into a dull ache, but she knew that it was only a
momentary reprieve. She looked down at her body and wondered how such
small wounds could cause so much pain. The multiple cuts tracked their
way up her body and each radiated a fire that was excruciating.
"I want to stop, Priss. Just give me the names and you'll walk
out of here. It's not you we're after, Priss." She made another small
cut across her breast and Priss clenched her teeth, trying not to
scream at the pain.
= She's dipping the scalpel in something. Some kind of acidic
fluid. I'm trying to neutralize it, but it's taking time. My resources
are stretched to limits right now. Priss....= Arashi hesitated, knowing
that what she was going to suggest was a little radical. But it was a
radical situation.
<Spit it out Arashi.>
= I 'm going to block your nerves from the neck down. Just the
surface ones, but I thought I should warn you.=
<I understand.> It started from her feet and swept up her body
like a cold wave. Her flesh tingled wildly for a moment before going
numb and while it brought relief from the pain, Priss felt like she had
just been dipped in ice.
?????
Priss opened her eyes and focused on the familiar ceiling above
her. She stretched lazily, feeling her muscles protest as she did so.
<Damn, I am so out of shape.> She sat up with more effort than normal
and pushed the covers away. Priss looked down at the pale blue pajamas
she was wearing and grimaced. "Good grief, Sylia!" She swung her legs
off the bed and stood up, swearing as the world tilted. Priss sank back
down onto the bed and waited for the spell to pass. <Can't you fix
that?>
= No. You've been lying prone for a long period. Your body just
needs time to adjust to the new activity.=
"Well hell." Priss tried to stand again and this time was unable
to keep herself from falling. She struck the bedside lamp as she
stumbled and it shattered as it hit the floor.
Sylia heard the crash and ran into the bedroom, Linna and Nene
right behind her. "Priss?" Sylia saw the broken lamp and Priss kneeling
on the floor beside the bed. "Are you all right?"
Priss' reply was more of a growl. "Of course, just banged up my
pride a bit. I hate being like this!" Sylia helped her back to the bed
and Priss saw Linna and Nene. "Hey! It's about time you guys came to
see me. I was beginning to think I'd been abandoned."
Somehow, Linna had expected to be able to see the difference, but
the woman before her was simply Priss and that made it all so much
worse. Linna forced the ball of tears blocking her throat back down and
managed a weak smile. "Well P-Priss, you know how it is."
Priss let Sylia tuck her back into bed and rolled her eyes. "Tell
me about it. I thought the mad scientist here had refused to let me
have visitors."
Nene flinched at Priss' innocent comment and tried not to look
into the clone's eyes as she spoke. "No, just a little busy. Um, been
planning a little trip actually."
"You two are actually going to go? That's great!" Priss assumed
they were talking about their
often-mentioned desire to go to Hawaii.
Linna's laugh was forced. "Yeah, we're going to go in a couple of
weeks."
A sudden wave of lethargy washed over Priss and they were alarmed
at how pale she grew. She leaned back against the pillows and sighed.
"Damn, I hate this! I'm sorry, guys, I can't seem to keep awake for
long. Arashi says that it's normal though so don't worry." She
brightened as she thought of something else. " Did Sylia show you the
designs for the new bike?"
Linna shook her head, but Nene burst out. "Really, Priss! You get
yourself killed on one of those things and now you're wanting another
one?"
Sylia tensed at her slip, but Priss only laughed. "Almost Nene,
almost. Besides, I'm not alive if I'm not riding." She closed her eyes
and missed the stunned looks on their faces. "I think I'm about to fall
asleep on you." They flew open as she heard the bedroom door and she
pointed at Linna and Nene. "But please, come back and visit me, okay?
Sylia's hovering like a mother hen and it's making me nuts."
They agreed and left the room. Sylia told Priss she'd be right
back and shut the door behind her.
Priss closed her eyes again and wondered why they had been acting so
strangely.
?????
Linna waited until the bedroom door closed to turn on Sylia.
"What's wrong with her? She looks terrible."
"She's been out of the acceleration chamber for about a day,
Linna. Arashi's speeding things along, but it'll still take a little
time for her to adjust."
Nene moved closer to Linna and looked at Sylia in question. "So
the new enclave can't tell that she's a clone?"
"No. I've hidden every possible clue as to her origin. As far as
they're concerned, they are themselves."
Nene glanced at Linna. "It... she really does seem like Priss,
doesn't she?"
Linna nodded reluctantly. "Yes, but she isn't. I can't forget the
fact that our friend, your lover is dead. I'll play your game, Sylia,
but not for you. You were right, she has no idea what she is and I'm
not going to be the one to hurt her with the truth." She headed for the
door, calling back over her shoulder. "That's a job you're far better
at." Nene hurried after, not looking at Sylia as they left.
Sylia felt the barb and knew that in part it was the truth.
?????
Mackie stared at the readouts on the computer screen in
disbelief. The equipment in Sylia's private lab was highly specialized
and it was impossible to deny the evidence before him. He checked the
time of completion and realized that the clone had been out for a
little over twenty four hours. He mentally kicked himself for leaving
Sylia alone. Mackie had wanted to give her time to grieve, but instead,
she had done the unthinkable.
"I guess you've figured it out."
He turned to find Sylia standing behind him and he looked at her
in dismay. "I was hoping I was wrong."
"I'm afraid not. She's upstairs, asleep."
Mackie didn't know what to say to his sister. She had broken so
many laws that if she were ever found out, she'd be executed by the
world nations. "You know how dangerous it was to do this, so I'm not
going to point that out."
Sylia nodded, but said nothing to defend herself.
"I suppose that you've tried to match the original Priss as
closely as possible?"
"I replaced her arm and recreated her scars, yes."
Mackie had known what her answer would be, but had hoped that he
was wrong. Had hoped that his sister had not been capable of such a
thing. He stared at her helplessly. "What have you done, Sylia?"
"I brought Priss back."
"That isn't Priss! All you've done is taint her memory! You did
something that you knew Priss would never condone!"
"I had no choice, Mackie."
Mackie was incredulous. "No choice? What the hell do you mean, no
choice? Someone held a gun to your head and made you clone Priss?"
"I couldn't live without her, Mackie." She waved a hand at the
equipment. "And I wasn't ready to die yet."
"So that gives you the right to play God?"
Sylia got a firm grip on her temper. "No, but it's the only
excuse I have."
He knew then that he was wasting his time trying to reason with
Sylia. Mackie didn't look at her as he left the lab. "A pretty pathetic
one."
?????
Kutsuu prepared the syringe with deliberate motions, letting
Priss see everything she was doing. She didn't feel it when she
injected the drug into her and Priss looked at her tormentor through
impassive eyes.
"We know that you're a Knight Saber, Priss. We know that your
lover, Sylia is one." A picture of Nene and Linna flashed onto the wall
in front of her and Priss was glad that she was too exhausted to react.
"We're almost positive that these two make up the rest of your little
group. So why don't you just admit it and I'll disappear."
Priss would have spit at her, but her mouth was as dry as a
desert. The rate of dehydration was being speeded up by the blood loss
from the hundreds of cuts covering her body. She settled for shaking
her head and grating, "If you're so sure, why all this?"
Kutsuu laughed. "We want to be absolutely sure that the people we
kill are the Knight Sabers."
"And I'm supposed to help you? Whether they are or not, I'm not
going to tell you jackshit so go to hell!"
"The mixture of drugs that I just gave you is my own little
recipe, Priss. You should be feeling the effects any moment and then
you'll tell me anything, do anything, believe anything that I tell
you."
Her mind was already beginning to cloud and Priss stared at her
blankly, trying to understand what she was saying. The drugs... <Arashi...
stop the... drugs.>
= I'm trying.=
Memories began to flash through her mind in a kaleidoscope of
nightmares and Priss wondered if she was going to be able to survive
this trip into hell. She felt herself shift and opened her eyes to see
the gleam of a blade. "No... no Sylia.
= It's all right, Priss. It's not real. You're safe.= Arashi
worked quickly, trying to lessen the effects and filter the stimulants
from Priss' system.= Hang on Priss! Just a little while longer.=
Priss' response was a low moan and then she began to cry as Sylia
stood before her and once again, she felt the pain and terror as her
lover abused her. "Please.... stop.... don't."
= Don't talk! =
Terrifying images whirled through her mind and Priss lost her
grip on tthe small part of sanity that had remained. She screamed as
Sylia's face melted away and left the cold emotionless features of a
boomer. Every nightmare she had ever had surfaced in a horrifying
parade and Priss twisted wildly trying to get free.
"Oh God, Sylia! Not my arm. No!"
The flashbacks kept coming and Kutsuu began to speak, a calm
voice in a sea of blood and pain.
Priss heard her words and answered automatically. "Yes."
She smiled at Priss' confirmation that she was a Knight Saber.
"And who is your leader?"
Arashi was ready this time. Priss parroted what Arashi told her.
"Qu-Quincy."
Kutsuu paused in confusion. 'She's still able to lie?' "Who are
you Priss?"
"Bishamon."
She scowled at her answer. "Strangely enough, I could almost
believe that." She left her hanging and the door to the cell slid
closed.
Priss sank back into the dark abyss that her mind had become and
began to ramble. Arashi hesitated a second and then swiftly blocked her
ability to speak. The effects were temporary, but she would be unable
to betray anything to their enemy.
?????
Linna finalized the travel arrangements and turned away from the
computer to watch Nene who was ironing her uniform with an attention
that was not warranted. Linna sighed deeply. "I'm sorry, Nene."
Nene shrugged, but didn't look at her and Linna knew she was
still angry. "Nene I know how you feel, but I can't change the way I
feel. What she did was unthinkable."
"She brought Priss back."
Nene's quiet defense made Linna furious but she had always known
how loyal the younger girl was to Sylia. "No, Nene. She didn't. She
brought a simulacrum to life. An animated conglomeration of cells that
looks like Priss, but the real Priss... she's dead. I can't just set
that fact aside and accept this creature with open arms."
Nene set the iron on its rest and glanced at her. "I want her to
be real, Linna."
The plea in her voice was clear and Linna nodded slightly. "I
know, Love. In a way I wish I could accept her so easily, but I can't."
"There's nothing easy about accepting her Linna. It's the most
difficult thing I've ever done, but I'm trying. One thing that Sylia
said was very true: We shouldn't punish the... Priss... for what Sylia has
done."
That was the only thing that Linna and Sylia agreed on.
?????
Priss shot up in bed, her breath coming in hard gasps as the
nightmare faded back into the shadows from where it had sprung. Sylia
stirred beside her and asked sleepily, "What's wrong, Priss?"
"I'm not sure. Just a nightmare I guess." She laughed hollowly
and tossed the covers back, swinging her feet to the floor.
"Where are you going?" Sylia sat up, her concern evident.
Priss smiled slightly in confusion. "To the bathroom? You sure
are acting odd lately, Sylia. I can barely get out of your sight." She
reached out and cupped Sylia's cheek. "Relax, Love. I'm not going
anywhere."
Sylia leaned into her touch and tried to convince herself that
this was real. "Can you blame me after the accident?"
Priss grimaced at the reminder. "No, I guess not. Damn shame
about the Cat." She shot Sylia a sly look and asked, "So when will my
new bike be ready?"
Sylia's laughter made Priss grin. "About a week. It would be less
if you'd help me."
"I don't know, Sylia. I need to get in touch with the band and
let them know that I'm better. We've missed a lot of shows and we're
going to have to bust our butts to catch up."
Sylia nodded reluctantly. "You're right, of course."
= So what are you going to tell them? That the rumors of Priss'
death have been greatly exaggerated? What about Priss' grave? =
<One problem at a time.>
Priss was back a few moments later and she pulled her t-shirt off
before sliding back under the covers. She moved close to Sylia and
began to drop light kisses along her shoulder as her hands stroked over
her skin.
Sylia closed her eyes at the familiar touch and let herself fall
under the spell of the chimera she had created.
Chaos reigns within.
Reflect, repent, and reboot.
Order shall return.
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