[FFML] [FANFIC][BGC] Interlude - Revised

[skychan]

 Hello,
I would like to thank the list and especially Matt Campbell for their help
in looking over the first very rough draft I sent.  It was especially raw
as I was toying with the aproach I wanted to take in writing the
interlude.  Hopefully this revision is much more palatable.  It has been
switched out of first person and heavily edited from the previous
incarnation.  As always please C&C.
Kelly
Skywise,Skychan
previous chapters can be found here
http://www.fanfiction.net/~skywiseskychan


Frozen Butterfly 2 a story of Bubblegum Crisis

Interlude

The sudden shift to violence in the apartment had caught the watchers off
guard.  The Hou Bang a Chinese crime family had hired them to look after
Irene but simultaneously handicapped their efforts.  She wasn't supposed to
know they were watching.  Just like Genom wasn't supposed to have been able
to slip a boomer in so close before Nene had picked it up with the
sophisticated scanning suite her suit of powered armor employed.

Those two facts combined explained the minute delay in their response, such
a short time, but also an eternity.

As Nene stepped forward in Priss' wake her eyes grew wide at all the blood.
Kari was absolutely coated in it, shirt plastered to her chest, some even
pooling against her belt as she lay motionless, awkwardly propped against
the coffee table where she fell.  Those smears of red were everywhere.

Nene reached out, hand trembling, her armored gauntlet gently touching
Kari's face but the slight woman was frighteningly still, her eyes staring
unseeing, unmoving into eternity.  Nene had to choke back the whimper that
tried to crawl up her throat as a rivulet of blood trailed down Kari's
neck.

The youngest Knight Saber was stunned.  How, she was, was a boomer and now
she's dead.  How could this happen.  If she hadn't already been kneeling
the shock of it would have made her fall.  Scrambling back at the
realization she was kneeling in a pool of her friend's blood Nene's back
hit the wall and she couldn't do anything but stare at it until Priss'
rough voice came over the radio.  "Nene, Irene's been hurt but she looks
stable, your friend…"

Priss knew and concern in her tone made it obvious but wasn't sure how to
snap Nene out of her horror.  Priss had seen the amount of blood on her way
past, no one could survive that.  Still her voice was enough to get Nene
moving again.  She looked over to see the blue hardsuited figure very
gently lifting Irene up.  Unable to speak Nene gave a tiny shake of her
head unable to believe what had happened as Priss turned to face her.

"Look, it was a brave thing she did, braver than most, but we have to go,
we can't stay here."  Priss' voice was sensitive as she stepped closer.  But
the woman in pink just looked away to stare at her friend's pale still body
and swallowed.  Priss' tone changed growing deeper, more emphatic as she
tried to get her teammate's attention.  "NENE!  We have to go, we can't
stay here!"

Nene reached down picking up her friend, a friend who was a boomer,
confused and shaken by the revelation.  Seeing the question in Priss'
stance as the butch woman watched she felt the need to defend her
action.  "She,
doesn't deserve this, to be left here like garbage, forgotten…"

"What the hell are you talking about?"  Priss asked, her frustration and
incomprehension growing.  "Nene, get your head back in the game.  She's
beyond help and I need you on the lookout for more boomers.  We can't
afford a fight with Irene injured like this."  The punk turned private
mercenary tried to keep her temper.  She knew that Nene and Kari had been
close, but they couldn't afford for her to break down now.

It was in that moment Nene realized, Priss didn't know!  The pink
hardsuits' electronics were far better than those the rest of the Knight
Sabers, for what Nene did they had to be, and because of that Priss didn't
realize what Kari was.  That there wouldn't be a funeral, that this would
be the last time she would see her before she was thrown out like trash,
just another broken boomer.

Her grief struck mind was almost caught up in a spiral of despair until
Nene fixed on that last thought.  Wait, Kari's a boomer!  With sudden hope
Nene reinitialized her scan, eyes wide as she analyzed the results.

Kari was dead, er non-functioning, but she still had power, and more
importantly there wasn't very much actual damage to her body.  There was a
chance if they could get her systems online again fast enough…

Filled with purpose Nene checked their surroundings once more before
leading the way.  Priss followed behind a bit confused but relieved by the
new urgency and purpose in her teammate's steps.  A teammate whose mind was
already working its way through what it might take to keep her friend,
alive?

Priss watched Nene lay her friend down in the transport van before
stripping hastily from her hard suit, the normally innocent and upbeat
woman working frantically to heal Kari's injuries, heedless of the blood
that stained her hands.

"Nene, stop, it's too late."  Laying a hand gently on her shoulder Priss
tried to pull her back only to see a surprisingly composed face turn to
meet her.  Looking closely only Nene's eyes, shot through with frantic
worry betrayed her concern.  "It's Not!"  The two words were simple, but
spoken with certainty before she turning back to her labors.

Sylia was waiting when they arrived in the garage beneath the Silky Doll.  Not
only did the twenty two year old genius own the entire building lingerie
boutique included, but she also funded, and lead the Knight Sabers.  She
was an engineering prodigy, the daughter of Katsuhito Stingray, inventor of
the boomer but that legacy had been stolen from her by Genom.  In the wake
of his murder as a part of an industrial accident she was left with a quest
for revenge and cause to hate the excesses and inhumanity of that
mega-corporation.

Taking charge of the situation with grace and poise she directed Priss
efficiently and quickly, getting Irene settled down in their makeshift
infirmary, a quick examination showing she would be fine for the moment.  It
was when she turned to the second, unanticipated patient that the mask of
control was strained as she contemplated the possibilities.

Priss had called ahead to telling her that Kari was dead, and that Nene had
snapped and just couldn't let go.  Even her gruff persona had cracked a bit
as the singer let some of her real concern for Nene slip into her tone as
she delivered the news.

However as Sylia approached she didn't see the hysteria or denial that the
Blue Knight Saber had, instead she saw that Nene had been hard at work, but
not in a frantic attempt to deny the truth.  Her eyes went instead to what
the brilliant young computer hacker had done already analyzing the
situation.

The reason for an emergency IV was obvious given the amount of blood that
covered the still limp blond form lying on floor of the van, the crude
bandages at its neck could also lead an observer to feel Nene was simply in
denial.

Sylia's keen eyes however also noticed diagnostic tools scattered about and
an emergency power supply that had been hooked into that pale unmoving body.
Those were things a human wouldn't need, and that indicated something more
was at work.  "Nene, what's going on?"  Her voice was cool and controlled,
but sharp enough to draw an immediate response.

"She, Kari, She's a boomer."  Even saying it aloud it still didn't seem
quite real to Nene.  "I think I was fast enough to save her memory, but, I
don't know how to, um, fix her…"  Looking away from Sylia her eyes settled
on the small body of her friend.  "Please, help…"

Uncertain about the wisdom of it but seeing the hope and trust in her
subordinates brief glance Sylia just nodded.  "Help me get her into the
lab, I'll do what I can."

An hour later Nene rejoined the others to see that the fourth member of the
Knight Sabers, Linna Yamazaki had arrived.  When she paused to look into
the infirmary and saw her two newest friends, one unconscious and the other
near dead, or dying still her depression began to morph.  It was replaced
by a low burning anger, one matched in the gymnast's eyes as they met
across Kari's pale bloodless face.  "Mason has to pay."

Linna gave a sharp nod, "That bastard isn't going to get away with this."  Her
own shock and anger still boiling ever since she got the call about the
attack.

Priss looked up from where she sat watching over Irene, her gaze going from
one to the other before she nodded.  "I'm in; let's put him in the ground,
Sylia?"

Three pairs of eyes turned to Sylia who gazed back impassively considering
each one before asking the most innocent "Nene, are you sure?"  Her gaze
swept across the others to be sure of their decision. "All of you?"

~~~

The assault up the sides of Genom tower was both exhilarating and
frightening for Nene at the same time.  As the Knight Sabers climbed that
slope fighting their way past boomer guards she grit her teeth, wishing for
the same kind of firepower as Priss or the others had.  She wanted to
strike out, to hit something, or more specifically someone.

Every time Nene closed her eyes she could see Irene and Kari's faces, one
so cold and pale, the other swaddled in bandages and already purpling
around their edges from the blow.  It had made for good motivation on their
way to the base of the tower.  Irene would be fine, but might carry scars
for life.  With Kari, it was still impossible to say.

Before leaving Sylia had come through with a supply of blood and hooked her
into a permanent backup power system but her heart remained still,
unbeating, and her skin frighteningly pale when they had to leave.  Only
time would tell if they had been in time to preserve her thoughts, mind,
personality or if all that remained was a mindless automaton.

Nene used those thoughts to help bolster her determination as she crested
the tower at Sylia's side coming face to face with Brian J. Mason who was
wearing a personal hardsuit and an imposing BU-55C combat boomer at his
side.    Diving for cover Nene worked faster than ever before, managing to
fool the sensors of the boomer so badly it stepped off the edge of the
tower as it circled her believing that to be solid ground.  With a metallic
shriek it tumbled out of the fight.

Below the summit Priss and Linna fought a desperate holding action against
the mechanized reinforcements responding to the Knight Sabers assault, the
tumbling body of the 55-C ignored as it continued to roll uncontrolled down
the tower past them their hands more than full with its counterparts
already.

Filled with elation at a rare victory Nene looked back to Sylia only to be
shocked seeing her losing to Mason.  It didn't seem possible that their
infallible leader could do anything but win.  Sylia was the most
incredible, talented, and driven woman Nene had ever met, watching her duck
and weave for her life seemed wrong.

Swallowing a lump in her throat Nene hunkered down trying not to attract
any attention knowing ruefully that she wouldn't last a minute out there if
he had Sylia on the run.  Instead she set her suits electronic warfare
suite to work hacking Mason's custom power suit.   It was only a few
moments before she borke through its firewalls and realized how he was
doing so well.

It wasn't skill or power, but a very advanced analytic program that almost
perfectly forecast Sylia's motion.  It wasn't quite enough to allow him a
clean win, but it was more than enough to keep the White Saber on the run.

With that revelation Nene felt her lips turning up in a predatory smile,
incipient vengeance blooming within as she recognized the
vulnerability.   Mason's
systems were too complex it took only the smallest nudge to overload the
system causing it to fail.  Proving once again why she was their leader
Sylia reacted to the change in circumstance even before Nene could tell her
what she had done.

Without pause she recognized the fundamental change in Mason's ability as
his fire ceased to track her.  Summersaulting over behind him she slid an
energized blade through a weak point in his armor.  As she stepped back the
last two feet were red with blood and Mason's suit collapsed as if its
strings were cut.

Nene felt a grim satisfaction mixed with horror at the sight.  They'd done
it, Mason was dead.  She had to swallow back bile as it rose in her throat.
Light glinting darkly off the blood staining Sylia's weapon.  Oh God, we
really did it, He's really dead.

It was a relief that the need to help cover their escape took all her
attention.  The need to employ jamming and the intricate dance of ECM and
ECCM helped to re-center Nene during the escape from the tower and both
Genom and AD Police patrols.

Later that night as Nene literally showered blood from her hands, the guilt
and sickness over her part in Mason's death resurged to then slowly be
washed away, swirling down the drain along with the blood of a friend, of a
boomer.  It was all really beginning to sink in.  Kari isn't human, wasn't
human, and never had been and while she might be coming back Mason never
would.

The water heater in Sylia's building however didn't let her down.  The heat
continuing long past the point at which she was physically clean.  The
shower finally washing away the last remaining chill, embracing her with
warmth and it was a bright pink and wrinkly fingered Nene who finally
stepped from the changing room her confusion and loyalties over the night's
events decided.

Slipping into a guest bedroom she tried to sleep but her mind continued to
pick at thoughts of Kari.  Nene liked her, it, her.  She liked Kari, and
boomer or not she was a friend.  As she thought back Nene realized that
there had been clues, but nothing so glaring it couldn't easily be
dismissed.  Kari was just so lifelike, so genuine, not just physically but
mentally that Nene never even noticed a difference when talking with her.

Rolling over Nene tried to think objectively but she just kept reliving
their interactions.  Kari was just so much more human than any other boomer
she had ever heard much less met; the level of sympathy, of compassion that
she exhibited, if a machine could really do that were they just a
machine?  Hell
she passed better than most of the creeps hauled in by the ADP.  Thinking
about how much more human a boomer could be Nene lay uneasy with her
troubled thoughts for another restless hour.

Unable to sleep she took the elevator down to the computer room and logged
in.  Ever since she was young this was where she could find her answers.  A
place where anything was possible, and you could learn whatever you needed
to know.  She wouldn't be able to rest until she knew the truth.

She started by pulling up the records from her hardsuit.  Studying the deep
scan that had shaken her world more closely; it was obvious now that she
knew what to look for, the microscopic weave of wires through the body,
connecting tissue and synthetic organs with a series of microprocessors and
the Genom patented synthetic brain that made her boomer.  That brain was
indisputable proof that her friend wasn't a highly augmented human, but a
highly humanized boomer.

That only pushed her to search further, getting into the ADP databases
through a backdoor she had put in months ago she tried to learn if anything
like Kari had been seen before and to her surprise found a perfect match.

*33-S model humaniform domestic boomer.  *

*This model has been banned due to extremely high failure rates and
instability in its AI matrix, often going rogue and killing its owners
before being put down.  These Boomers are capable of masquerading as human
and require specialized systems to detect.  It has been used for
assassination but is primarily seen in illegal prostitution dens.  The last
unit was produced March 14 2027, blanket authorization to terminate on
discovery granted in Japan as of November 1 2027, most recent case file
April 3 2028.  *

No wonder she didn't recognize it, there hadn't been a sighting of one for
more than a year before she joined up.

Continuing to sift through the ADP data she tried to understand how one
could have survived so long unnoticed.  Most boomers required at least
monthly maintenance or risked mechanical failure.  While it's true that the
33-S was largely organic surely it couldn't have been hiding all this time
without some maintenance problem surfacing.   That was when she came across
a disturbing technical footnote.  *Although the 33-S circulatory system was
designed to use a synthetic compound on the restricted materials list human
blood can be used as a short term substitute without compromising operation
but will require frequent replenishment due to deterioration. *

Was that it, had she somehow escaped and been living the last five years
off human blood, or wait, she was being held by Genom… if that's true then
what experiments were they doing on a five year old boomer.  Tears came to
her eyes, she couldn't help it.  The thought of her friend being a
prisoner, a slave, for five years before they met and she escaped… Her eyes
fell on a statistic showing that within six months 90% of 33-S boomers went
rogue, 80% violently.  No, she shook her head.  I won't believe that of
Kari.

She was a friend, and twice had risked herself to protect Irene.  She would
have done the same for me Nene was sure.  She wasn't like what these files
described.  Maybe she was a new model an improvement.  Ending her
speculation, her research having done nothing but raise troubling questions
Nene shut down the system and stumbled back to the guest room and its too
comfortable bed before trying to sleep.

The young redhead woke to the bright glow of sunlight on curtains.  She
wanted to rush down and find out what had happened, to learn if Kari would
be alright.  Nene found herself hurrying to get dressed in rumpled day old
cloths, and to save a little time pulled her wavy hair back into a simple
ponytail rather than taking the time to brush it out properly for her usual
style.

She suffered a moment of panic on arrival seeing Irene's bed lying
empty.  Bright
green eyes widening, Sylia's name on her lips Nene turned, heading for the
'office'- a room that held the Knight Saber's mainframe just as Slyia
having heard the elevator stepped out to join her.

As usual the young business woman looked impeccable despite having been up
even after Nene went to bed.  Somehow the creases of her suit remained
sharp, her hair perfectly coifed.  In fact she looked ready for a photo
shoot, like always, and also as usual began to answer Nene's question
before shorter woman could open her mouth to speak.

"Irene is fine.  She was removed earlier this morning and is on the way to
China for her safety.  It is better this way Nene."  She reached over and
touched the shorter woman's shoulder looking deep into her eyes offering a
rare show of support.  "She will be safe under the aegis of her grandfather
and we could not have kept her here without revealing our identities."

Nene slumped a little but nodded, Sylia was right, as usual.  She was
always right.  Drawing breath the redhead opened her mouth to ask about
Kari.  The boomer was still in view, Nene could see her laying still and
quiet on a work table to one side.  The soft hum of support machinery
indicating something of her survived but her skin was so pale, tinged
almost blue in the florescent lighting she couldn't help but worry.

Again her leader preempted Nene's question, but now her tone was cool, the
flicker of compassion gone, once more Sylia was the Ice Queen all the
Knight Sabers had all grown familiar with.  "4m83r is still recoverable.  I
know you thought of it as a friend Nene, but it is not.  It is a 33-S, a
sexaroid, and they are designed to mimic humanity, to learn what people
around them want and then give it to them."

As she went on, rolling over any attempt to object by simply continuing to
speak.  Nene could hear the grim warning in her tone.  "I know you do not
want to think it of… Kari… but it is most likely that she was planted on
you as a spy."  Raising a hand to quell the fury rising in Nene's emerald
eyes she went on.

"I am not even saying that it was a conscious decision, or was
intentionally targeting the Knight Sabers, it may just have been a sleeper
agent until the fight on the bridge but Nene, Priss brought back one of the
handguns it used.  There is no way an innocent being could have gotten
their hands on that gun.  I already traced it through back channels to a
Genom black operations project.  It is one of a batch Genom uses when it
wants the freedom to either declaim all knowledge of the weapon or provide
proof of legal ownership and licensing as the occasion requires."

She let that sink in for a moment longer and the shorter woman felt her
stomach churn glancing over at Kari.  She looked so small, so weak and
helpless.  Nene shook her head it couldn't be that way, it just
couldn’t.  "There
has to be another explanation.  She probably got it when she escaped from
wherever they were keeping her.  She was their prisoner, not some kind of
spy."

"I know you want to think that way, but Nene, I have had my concerns since
the day you told me how you originally met.  I think you have to face
reality, that it may have been intentionally placed to find someone exactly
like you.  A variation of a honeytrap meant to worm into the life of any
hacker skilled enough to attract the attention of Genom.  I feel that the
best scenario is that it is simply a recruiter but we cannot take that kind
of chance."

The younger woman set her feet and met Sylia's gaze as defiantly as she
could.  Nene could feel herself shaking, but wither in anger, frustration,
or guilt she didn't know.  Taking a deep breath to help gain control and
muster her courage Nene did her best to answer.  "That doesn't make sense.  Why
wouldn't she have done something by now, said something, or blackmail me
into working for Genom once she learned I was with the ADP?  Wouldn't that
have been valuable enough to break cover?"

The compassion she saw in Sylia's normally cold eyes shook her more than
anything else she could have done, any argument she could have used.  "Nene,
your position is probably why it was going slow.  Acquiring an asset like
you within the AD Police would be a huge coup for Genom.  You would be a
prize and I want you to keep that in mind for what comes next."

"It is stable now.  The emergency shutdown procedure appears to have
functioned correctly to save memory files and your efforts combined with
the support systems here have allowed us to preserve its organic components
well.  The actual physical damage was relatively light.  For now it is in
hibernation due to a physical bypass I put in last night.  The nanites and
self-repair systems are functioning but higher brain functions are being
kept offline and will stay that way until I am certain it is safe."  She
gave the young girl a look that brooked no disobedience on that point.

"I want you to go in and find out just what mission this 33-S is on.  After
work today I want you to come back and key me in as its master and remove
any software or hardware Trojan horses that might exist.  I know you want
to think of it as your friend, but even if it is not working for Genom the
Knight Sabers cannot risk our safety by letting it go.  Do you understand?"

Her intensity was a bit frightening but Nene nodded, feeling awful about
violating her friends mind and privacy like that but she couldn't find a
flaw in Sylia's arguments.  "I, I understand Sylia.  I don't think your
right but, I'll do it."  And as Nene's shoulders slumped the tension in
Sylia's stance melted away, she could stop being the leader if only for a
moment.

"I know it may not seem fair if it really is a runaway but this is the best
solution, the only solution, to keep all of us safe Nene, Kari included.  It
is better than the alternative."  And with that statement, one just vague
enough to veil the threat of shutting down, of killing Kari, she strode
past Nene to the elevator leaving her alone with her friend and the soft
beep and whir of the machines around her.

Turning her attention back to her friend Nene stepped closer to brush a
lock of her white blond hair off her face.  Her eyes nervously traced down
over that delicate jaw to get a better look at the large bandage around her
neck.  She didn't have the least temptation to peal it back, the gaping red
wound still disturbingly clear in her mind.  The contrast between her own
pale but healthy skin and the bone white of her friends caused a shiver to
run down her spine.

Getting a washcloth and bowl Nene sat down to do a better job of cleaning
Kari's face.  No matter what Sylia said she couldn't, wouldn't see her as
an enemy.  Kari needed her help, and even if Sylia refused to see that Nene
knew it in her soul.  "Don't worry Kari, I'm here, I'll look out for you, I
promise."

Unfortunately there was little more Nene could do for her right now.  A
beep from her watch reminding her she would be late to work if she didn't
go.  Leaning down she placed a butterfly light kiss on Kari's forehead.  "It
will all be okay, truthfully."  Swallowing back the nervous guilty feeling
of having gone too far, Nene hurried off to work her mind in turmoil.

That evening when Nene returned Sylia had finished the repairs and cleaned
Kari up.  The rat's nest of wires and bloody cloth was gone replaced with a
clean white sheet and a single pair of cables.  One led to some kind of
medical machine, while the other stretched from Kari's quiet form to a
computer Nene knew was physically isolated from the rest of the base for
analyzing potentially infected data.  Nene almost jumped out of her skin
when she heard Kari take a soft but rasping breath the sound loud against
the quiet hum of background machinery.

Her hands were still trembling as she sat down to start.  Looking over to
Sylia Nene gave her a weak smile up before diving in.  Somehow the older
stately woman's presence helped to calm her even as her insistence on what
must be done fostered disquieting thoughts.  Working her way carefully into
Kari's systems Nene tried to tell herself it would be just like meeting her
friend out on the web.  It didn't work.

It was a bit strange.  She had studied the system architecture for the 33-S
model while at work.  How Sylia had gotten her hands on that she had no
clue, but as she infiltrated deeper she found more questions than
answers.  Kari's
programing just wasn't organized correctly.  All of the hardware drivers
seemed the same but the way information and memory were stored was nearly
incomprehensible.

At first she was afraid they had been too late and Kari had been…
scrambled, but the longer she looked the more Nene realized that every
program file outside of personality and memory were fully intact.  It just
seemed as if the main OS had  never been fully installed.  It was
overridden in places, missing in others, but it wasn't the code she
expected to find.

As Nene worked to find and isolate the code needed to, to enslave her Nene
realized it just wasn't there.  The elaborate programs meant to shackle and
control a boomer's mind were missing only the few governing instinctive
response and behavior active such as obeying the law and lawful authority
but those weren't overrides just guidelines.  Even firmware systems showed
signs of tampering, the hardware overrides in place but without the
software to back it up.  Kari was as independent as Nene could imagine, at
least if that encrypted data representing her memory didn't hold its own
special limiters on her behavior.

Eventually though she reached the ultimate layer.  Hidden away in her bios
chip, where the slightest error could require complete replacement were the
standard boomer ownership protocols.  They were intact and Nene felt her
heart sinking.  Kari really was just a boomer, a slave to whoever was
listed on that chip.  She would have to obey them and no matter how much
she wanted to believe otherwise, that her friend was free if whoever was
listed here gave her an order she would have no choice but to obey.

Heart close to breaking, almost unwilling to look Nene queried the
chip.  Already
feeling defiled by the faceless man who's name would soon be revealed.  So
what she got back made no sense.  It couldn't be possible.  She checked
again with the same result.  Digging deeper showed that it had been
altered, and recently.

Ignoring Sylia when she looked up at the girls gasp Nene concentrated with
an intensity only found when fully engaged by an enigma.  She was absorbed
in her work until she had recovered the complete record of every change in
state those few simple bytes of memory had ever held.  Sitting back as she
finished she looked up to realize Sylia had been scrutinizing her for some
time.

"Nene, what is the matter?"  Sylia's voice finally broke the silence once
more and Nene realized it wasn't the first time she had asked.  Recognizing
she finally had the brilliant hacker's attention Sylia tried again "What
did you find?"

"It's me."

She blinked but the intrigued expression didn't leave her face as she
simply waited for Nene to explain.

"Her master, it's me… I don't know how but, it changed the night of the
first attack on Irene."  The disquieted redhead looked back over at Kari
where she lay silently on the table.  Licking her lips nervously she went
on.  "We were with her the whole night, no one had access, it shouldn't be
possible but…" taking a deep breath she tried to settle her racing thoughts
and start over from the beginning.

With a visible effort to take a metal step back the confused officer
collected her thoughts before beginning to speak.  "Kari was activated for
the first time several months ago without anyone being uploaded as an owner.
I don't know how, or why, it's against all standard operating procedure,
but it's true.  That code was just left, blank and all the obedience
hardware dormant… and it stayed that way for a week while she was
active.  After
that she was shut down.  I don't know why but her internal log shows she
was put into storage for months before being activated again.  This time
with her owner being registered as 'Master Flint'.  But Sylia, that's all
that was entered.  Not a first name, image, biometric data, anything just
'Master Flint'."

Seeing recognition in Sylia's face Nene paused her recitation and waited
for Sylia to say something.  Realizing she would have to speak up to get
Nene to go on Sylia answered the unspoken question.  "It most likely refers
to Marcus Flint, head of GPCC, Genom's space research division.  I'm not
sure how he got his hands on her but it wasn't aboveboard or there would be
more.  Genom isn't usually sloppy about this kind of thing…"

Nene nodded, that made a little sense, even if nothing else did.  Swallowing
she continued to give a report of what she had found.  "Somehow I think, I
think she's updating it herself.  That really shouldn't be possible,
without some kind of outside access.  But Sylia here's the weird part.
 Starting
the night of the first attack the rest of the missing data, the biometric
information its, mine.  My image, my voiceprint, everything.  It's is as
though a technician performed an official change of ownership, and the name
it's now Ne-chan.  She actually overwrote her own owners file!"

"What should I do?"  Nene asked, voice soft looking to Sylia for direction.
The sudden feel of responsibility towards Kari strangely stifling at the
same time as it made her heart being to race.

The only indication Sylia gave of the thoughts running through her head was
to tap her chin with one long elegant finger as she pondered before nodding
more to herself than her companion.  "This does not change anything.  We
will keep her under until her body has had time to heal and then wake her
up and see what she has to say for herself.  Apparently she has changed
masters once Nene, there is nothing that says she will not do it again. We
have to be sure she is trustworthy before even considering letting her go.  Can
you get the rest of her obedience software running as well?"

The question made Nene squirm a little in her seat.  "Maybe, but Sylia,
that isn't right… I mean, she's," there was a pause as she tried to marshal
her argument.  "She shouldn't be made a slave just because she tried to
help out.  She could have died for Irene and you want me to reward her by,
by putting her mind in chains?  She might be a boomer but she's also my
friend."

Even watching Sylia closely the only reaction Nene could see to her
impassioned plea was a slight widening of her iris' before the tall woman
gave a sharp nod.  Her silvery shoulder length hair bobbing with the motion.
"Very well Nene, you can leave them alone for now.  We'll see what she has
to say for herself first, but I want you to put in a way to turn them all
on remotely if it comes to that."

Shoulders slumped a little of the glint lost from her eye Nene set out to
do what Sylia demanded as the price for bringing back her friend.  She only
hoped that somehow Kari would forgive her, as sinking feeling in the pit of
her stomach promised that her tampering wouldn't go un-noticed.
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