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Things That Go Bump in the Night
2042. Much can change over the course of two years, but the years since the defeat of Galatea at the hands of the Knight Sabers held changes drastic by any measure. Fear of a repeat of the horrific "phenomenon" led to the immediate elimination of all boomers, even those few that had not gone mad. This left a tired populace relying on their wits and older machines to rebuild the shattered Tokyo, which was no small task. The job was slowly getting done, however, and some people were even managing to put the past out of their minds.
With the removal of boomers, the Knight Sabers thought to continue on, focusing on more conventional threats to the public, but this did not last. For one, the ordeal had somehow changed Mackey Stingray, and he had become for all intents and purposes fully human. This instilled in Sylia the desire for a normal existence. The score had been settled with her doppelganger, and she finally had a true younger brother. The others had simply lost much of the desire to continue on with the team. The memories of that last battle were still fresh in their minds, and none wished to risk anything remotely similar.
So Priss went to re-form her band, and fully pursued her musical career. Linna returned home in order to find some new purpose to dedicate herself to, and eventually settled into a peaceful life on her own near her parents. With the AD Police dissolved, Nene drifted between jobs at various computer and technology companies, ultimately offering her superior intellect and computer skills to the government as part of an intelligence- gathering and anti-hacking group.
They all kept in contact, naturally, especially Nene and Mackey, but all were equally content to let the past alone. Sylia had the bulk of the Silky Doll building restored, though left the Pit, surprisingly well- preserved, untouched save to lock away the remnants of the hard suits, which she had no intention of ever using again. In short order, the Knight Sabers ceased to exist. Still, some things are not meant to fade away...
Sylia was sleeping fitfully, disturbed by dreams that had been with her for the last two years: dream of boomers, of Galatea. Her eyes snapped open, and she immediately got up, and paused to listen. There was only silence. She could have sworn she'd just heard something, some distant noise like the thunder of an approaching storm. She jumped as someone knocked on her bedroom door.
"Yes?" she called out quietly.
"Sylia?" came Mackey's voice from the hall, "Can I come in?"
She sighed, thinking perhaps she'd only heard his knocking. "Yes, Mackey, come in." The door slid open, and her brother, half-dressed, half- asleep shuffled in. "What is it Mackey? Trouble sleeping?"
"Not really," he said with a somewhat curious tone, "I thought I heard a noise from downstairs. Did you hear anything?"
Sylia quickly hid her concern, not wanting to alarm him. "A noise? No, I haven't heard anything. You probably dreamt it. You should get back to sleep."
"I suppose you're right. Well, thanks. Goodnight, Sylia."
"Goodnight, Mackey." She waited until she heard him get far enough down the hall, then slid her door open, and slipped out, heading the opposite way, toward the stairs down to the Silky Doll shop below. Now she was certain she had heard something. Something in her said it could not be a robber, they'd never had any after all, but she was not willing to discount anything. She got to the main floor, and took a look around, but found nothing amiss. "Strange," she muttered quietly. Deciding it was nothing, she returned to her room, and fell back into restless sleep.
Far below her, in the Pit, a form disconnected itself from a wall, and once again certain it could work undetected, began to pound away at the floor. Each hit set off a minor explosive, which went chipping away slowly at the metal and cement. It still had a long way to go, but it was patient. It knew what it had to do, and above all, it knew how to do it right. There would be no mistakes this time. No, it realized. There never had been. Everything was going wonderfully. And now the time had almost come...
Things That Go Bump in the Night
2042. Much can change over the course of two years, but the years since the defeat of Galatea at the hands of the Knight Sabers held changes drastic by any measure. Fear of a repeat of the horrific "phenomenon" led to the immediate elimination of all boomers, even those few that had not gone mad. This left a tired populace relying on their wits and older machines to rebuild the shattered Tokyo, which was no small task. The job was slowly getting done, however, and some people were even managing to put the past out of their minds.
With the removal of boomers, the Knight Sabers thought to continue on, focusing on more conventional threats to the public, but this did not last. For one, the ordeal had somehow changed Mackey Stingray, and he had become for all intents and purposes fully human. This instilled in Sylia the desire for a normal existence. The score had been settled with her doppelganger, and she finally had a true younger brother. The others had simply lost much of the desire to continue on with the team. The memories of that last battle were still fresh in their minds, and none wished to risk anything remotely similar.
So Priss went to re-form her band, and fully pursued her musical career. Linna returned home in order to find some new purpose to dedicate herself to, and eventually settled into a peaceful life on her own near her parents. With the AD Police dissolved, Nene drifted between jobs at various computer and technology companies, ultimately offering her superior intellect and computer skills to the government as part of an intelligence- gathering and anti-hacking group.
They all kept in contact, naturally, especially Nene and Mackey, but all were equally content to let the past alone. Sylia had the bulk of the Silky Doll building restored, though left the Pit, surprisingly well- preserved, untouched save to lock away the remnants of the hard suits, which she had no intention of ever using again. In short order, the Knight Sabers ceased to exist. Still, some things are not meant to fade away...
Sylia was sleeping fitfully, disturbed by dreams that had been with her for the last two years: dream of boomers, of Galatea. Her eyes snapped open, and she immediately got up, and paused to listen. There was only silence. She could have sworn she'd just heard something, some distant noise like the thunder of an approaching storm. She jumped as someone knocked on her bedroom door.
"Yes?" she called out quietly.
"Sylia?" came Mackey's voice from the hall, "Can I come in?"
She sighed, thinking perhaps she'd only heard his knocking. "Yes, Mackey, come in." The door slid open, and her brother, half-dressed, half- asleep shuffled in. "What is it Mackey? Trouble sleeping?"
"Not really," he said with a somewhat curious tone, "I thought I heard a noise from downstairs. Did you hear anything?"
Sylia quickly hid her concern, not wanting to alarm him. "A noise? No, I haven't heard anything. You probably dreamt it. You should get back to sleep."
"I suppose you're right. Well, thanks. Goodnight, Sylia."
"Goodnight, Mackey." She waited until she heard him get far enough down the hall, then slid her door open, and slipped out, heading the opposite way, toward the stairs down to the Silky Doll shop below. Now she was certain she had heard something. Something in her said it could not be a robber, they'd never had any after all, but she was not willing to discount anything. She got to the main floor, and took a look around, but found nothing amiss. "Strange," she muttered quietly. Deciding it was nothing, she returned to her room, and fell back into restless sleep.
Far below her, in the Pit, a form disconnected itself from a wall, and once again certain it could work undetected, began to pound away at the floor. Each hit set off a minor explosive, which went chipping away slowly at the metal and cement. It still had a long way to go, but it was patient. It knew what it had to do, and above all, it knew how to do it right. There would be no mistakes this time. No, it realized. There never had been. Everything was going wonderfully. And now the time had almost come...