Title: Curiosity Killed the Katze
A/N: I just couldn't sleep, so I thought I could present my little sister with some more Ai no Kusabi fanfiction. 3 I'm starting to get too found of this little universe I created. :3 Please, once more, understand that I only know very little of this anime/novel. The few things I know are what I learned from the OVA's and the parts of the novels, that my sister tells me (the parts she can't keep quiet about and some parts, with Katze, I ask her to tell me). So please be patient about OOCness and mistakes in details (this always passes for my sister first, so I get sure there wont be any problems like that). If you see any of these mistakes, please kindly point them to me so I can correct them. You might want to read 'Melt into me' before this one... not that you have to, you'll understand anyway, but this is kind of a sequel. Above all, please have fun!
Disclaimer: I don't own Ai no Kusabi nor any of its characters.
You're crazy. 'On.' The lights of the lab turned on at his command. As he made his way, fast paced to the center of the cold room, he was careful enough not to spill any of the precious samples he was carrying.
You're completely crazy Katze. You just have to see how it works out right? He tried to ignore that strange voice inside of him that was telling him just how wrong all that was. 'Start.' was the calm and collected order he gave to the main computer in the wide room.
You're so addicted to the poison of dangerous knowledge that you would let it kill you, if it meant more of it. 'Running primal program settings.' All the machines started to work with the soft sound of engines and fans all around.
You know you can't get away with this, not now that Iason is not here to save your sorry curious ass. He turned his eyes to a particular section and set the box he had been holding, on top of an operating table. He proceeded to take out the two samples kept inside of it and analyzed them under the artificial strong light. That was good, they were nearly intact, a good thing about explosions, they always let a mess bigger than the later fire would be able to erase.
He worked around them for a couple of hours until he got two distinct containers with the samples now turned into, what looked like, water. Stop it while you can, it's not too late. There was a reasonable part of him, still fighting against the inevitable, still struggling to forget his pain and get his life back as it was before all that mess... before he lost every human reference he could empathize with. 'Starting the process IM96684, first try. Engage.' While the big glass tank started to fill with a thick liquid, he tryed to keep his head as clear as possible. He couldn't though. You see, emotions are like a drug, you have no need for them, but once you're exposed to them they become more important then the very air you breath. Your heart hungers for happiness, and friendship, and love. And once it cannot find the good ones, then the bad ones kick in. It's not as if you loose your heart and go back to the blissful numbness, you keep feeling the most painful feelings you can believe. After that? You just can't keep on with it. Whether you end it, or you find a new fountain to feed your lonely heart. Katze decided he was far too good to be lost from his world. Far too bright to just disappear. And there were thousands of things he still wanted to do with his life. Yes, pain was not worth dying for, but to end it he was ready to risk everything. So much for the brightest mind among all mongrels.
Holding one of the results of his work, Katze analyzed it once again, to search for imperfections on his work. He held his own hand for a moment, trying to be rational about all that was happening. He had been cautious enough not to be followed. Careful so as to use one of Raul's old labs, one where he would never even think to find anything other than dust and outdated machines. Specially not now that the world was turned upside down. He had taken advantage of that too, the chaos that Iason's tragic end had caused all around the place. Everyone would be too focused on killing the story before it turned into a legend of hope and courage to the lower castes. For someone such as him, it was too much of a temptation not to give in though. He was absolutely free to do what he wanted, who would look at him, a mere black market dealer with so many more important things to worry about? But if he really was found doing that, then it would be his end.
He climbed to the top of the tank and put two drops of each liquid inside of it, mixing them with the thick nutrients soup. And it's not like you can hide THIS secret in a corner of you mind, it takes a little more space than that! He hadn't given a thought on what to do if he succeed, but it didn't matter. Something was telling him to do that. A voice that was not his, yet it came from within him. A strong and deep voice that murmured close to his ear, giving the order he already knew by heart. Even if he wanted he couldn't disobey it, him, not this time.
Jumping from the high glass surface, he landed gracefully on the floor. Facing the big tank he wondered if there was something amiss. 'Microscopic tests on the subject. Searching for life form.' Riki would laugh if he heard him speak like that, all practical commands and no side talking. Of course if Riki was there there WOULD be unnecessary talking between them.
His attention turned to the screen in front of him as a list of technical information was shown. Those machines were worse than old, they were ancient! There was no way to save the automatic analysis results, if he wanted to keep them he would have to whether do it the manual way, which could compromise the experiment, or record it in sound. He didn't like the second option much, his voice was bound to pollute the experiment also, but it was the lesser of two evils. Grabbing a sound recorder he proceeded to the reading of the information. ' Successful connection between the two male DNA's. Life form found, positive. Age of the subject, three minutes and forty eight seconds. Biological information, healthy male.' It was a pity that the analysis on such a small thing couldn't determine anything else. He wanted to know more. You always do. What would Iason say if he knew you merged his DNA with that dirty mutt's.
Something caught his attention on the screen after the letters had disappeared. A very interesting question. 'Interesting. Proceed to the forced aging of the subject, yes.' That was starting to get even more exiting, he saw with his own eyes as the small being, he had just created, started to grow. A disgusting alien form all tangled up in itself waiting to get out of that glass prison, expecting for love and care of a parent. It was a gorgeous process to look at. Raping Creation's privacy like that, made him feel divinely good. Normally one would cover the glass womb, so the creatures couldn't identify with the exterior before they had to, but for this one, Katze wanted to see every detail of , every transformation and growth changes.
When his excitement got tamed, enough for him to breath, he remembered that those machines didn't have the automatic order to stop at birth age. Normally the scientist would insert the information for the speed growth and just order it to stop when he was satisfied. 'Damn it, stop!' Seeing as he didn't even specified the speed, the thing grew faster than weeks in seconds, and when he was able to stop it, the subject had already grown past three years of age.
Errors like that one were bound to kill the fragile little subject. The process of forced growth was painful and traumatic, most of them died if it took faster than half the time of a normal gestation. Also everything could go wrong if one was not attentive during the whole process. Genetic diseases, deformities, everything. The immune system only developed at half the speed the body did, in cases such as that one, most times it stopped developing at all.
You had one chance and you spoiled it, stupid mongrel! He couldn't restart the process from the beginning. The DNA samples had been exposed to the chemicals, he inserted them in, for more time then necessary,. Nothing worth looking at would come from the use of them now.
He was trying to get a way of re-using the failed experiment, when he heard a noise behind him. Great, now the thing was alive, most likely scared to death, not even understanding why its body was falling apart or decaying with decease. It was NOT going to be a beautiful sight.
He gathered the courage in his guts to turn around and look. All his life he had been around deformities, but it never got easier. He knew, by personal experience, that the unintentional ones were always the worst. When he faced the artificial womb his face turned into a mask of the very definition of surprise. The thing inside was... not a monster for a start. It was a beautiful and big toddler with a chubby body, soft blond hair, translucent fair skin and a pair of deep blue eyes. It didn't even look scared at all. It was slightly wincing, in pain, looking wildly angry at Katze and punching the glass surface with his small fist, but it didn't look like it was panicking, just trying to call for its creator's attention.
Faster than he thought he could, Katze opened the drawer with the the painkillers and dropped them into the water. He hoped it wasn't too much for that frail body to handle, but the little thing didn't seem to react badly to it. As soon as the medicine started to work, he saw the child's body relax and his look change into a coldly calm one. Mildly curious of what to find in the outside world, the little boy started to hit the glass again. It was only after some minutes that the red haired man found out what the child was doing. Because the only world he knew was inside that place, the boy thought that by touching the glass he could feel the world around him. He saw the boy tracing his fingers around the lines of the machines and furniture and, when Katze got closer to that barrier in between them, he tried to touch his creator's face. It was truly a beautiful creature.
Wanting to know if his experiment could live outside of that protective womb, he proceeded with the removal of his body from within it. 'Evacuate the liquid waste. Prepare the subject for removal.' He was giving the order while already climbing to the surface of the tank. When all the liquid was gone, we was surprised to see the little boy clinging to the edge of his first home, looking up at him. He seemed alright with the change from liquid to air, only gasping and coughing in the beginning, but was able to keep himself in that position until Katze took him in his arms.
If the boy could speak, he didn't show it. He seemed to be too smart for his age though. When he was put on the floor, he traveled, half running, to the other end of the lab and pointed at the small fridge beside him. It wasn't an order, nor a childish selfish demand, the boy's eyes wore a polite request within them. When the red haired man didn't answer to the boy's request, he himself opened the fridge and chose, between all the different chemicals and drinks in there, a bottle of mineral water. He even managed to open it and drink without spilling any of it. All of this was made with very careful and slow movements, but not once did he do anything wrong. When he finished the bottle he seemed pleased with himself, he then proceeded to open a locker and put on a long coat abandoned there. He was cold and knew how to make it better. The same happened when he got back to the fridge, to take a bowl containing a jelly-like red substance and, apparently not wanting to get dirty, used the tube of a destroyed pen as a straw to suck it. He didn't ask for Katze's help during any of it.
'Fascinating.' At the sound of that low male voice, the boy turned around and faced him. He didn't look mad anymore, nor happy for that matter, he just looked curious. There was a burning question, in those big eyes of his, that made the older man come back to reality. The boy didn't seem to know what else to do, now that his basic needs were taken care of, he was looking at the experienced adult for guidance. What now smart ass? Did you plan it after the birth of a perfect baby?
Understanding that the adult knew less then him, the boy took control over the situation. He went back to the locker, grabbed a hat and put it on. Then he ran to the front door and, before opening it, hide the more he could of his white body inside the long dark coat. When he opened the door, he ran again to the grown man and stretched his arms up, to be held out of harm's way. He was still barefooted and the streets were crowded with dangers at the ground level.
He's smarter than you! This realization made him smile a little, an action that the little one mirrored and saved inside his brain for further analysis. Before leaving, Katze decided to blow up the whole facility, so no proofs of the event would be discovered. He ran from the commotion it caused, as fast as possible, they were going to blame it on some riot, like many others, anyway.
When he got inside his apartment he noticed to boy had fallen asleep. Of course he had, it was just logic, after all the tiresome events of that day. Even so, it didn't stop him from looking in awe at his own creation. How small and peaceful and perfect he looked cradled in his big masculine arms. As that little mouth gave out a sigh of contentment, Katze noticed one thing. It was impossible not to love that perfect little angel.
'Sleep for now then. I have big plans for you, little one! Your parents died because this rotten paradise is trying to deny its own mistakes. Everything they took for granted was proved wrong by those two men, and they lost their lives for it. You are going to make these people regret it.' They were going to love him as he did, to adore him as the messiah of the new society. That love was going to be their downfall, he just had to be patient enough and let it happen naturally.