Disclaimer: I do not own the rights; property, intellectual, financial, distribution, etc., to Gunslinger Girl. All rights therein are the possession of Yu Aida, Media Works Inc., and Funimation Entertainment. The above mentioned property is being used without permission.
I
A bright day illuminated the parking lot of the NATO Air Base Hospital. Even from far away, the entrance can be seen bustling with people carrying on with their personal business. In the rear, chaos is about to erupt. A wail of sirens arrives moments before a young boy is unloaded from an ambulance along with two adults.
After a few quick checks, the attending doctor straightened over the man and woman solemnly shaking his head. The young boy coughs up a mouthful of blood prompting the doctor's response. Surveying the small child, he informs the assistants that the boy's ribs are broken and one of them has punctured his lung. With a swift wave of his hand the assistants quickly rush the boy inside while the doctor remains to speak with the police.
The year was 1999 and the place was Crotone, Italy. A successful American businessman was on vacation with his wife and son. The three of them were enjoying a sailboat cruise when a freighter suddenly appeared around a small cape without sounding away. The family all tried to maneuver the small schooner out of its way, but ended up being tossed in the ship's wake. The manufactured waves had thrown the boat into a tall reef sending most of the vessel skyward before landing on rocks ahead; crushing what was left of the boat.
The crew of the freighter called out emergency S. O. S.'s and sent out small rafts of its own. The grim wreckage was evident upon first sight. The sailors made attempts to bandage their wounds, but they kept bleeding from everywhere. It would seem that the husband and wife attempted to shield their child from harm. For the most part they succeeded as their son was still breathing.
After retrieving a record of details, the doctor turned and briskly walked through the emergency corridor and into an operating room. Another physician had already begun to remove pieces of bone from the boy's chest cavity. From behind his mask, he glanced up at the doctor upon his arrival. His eyes spoke for both of them, this child was lucky to be alive.
After an hour, the boy had transfused four pints of AB negative. All of the bone fragments were recovered and the worst of the bleeding had stopped. When the surgeon stood back to look upon his work, he clenched his fist forcing himself not to turn away. No more than four ribs and a clavicle held the child's sternum in place. 'If this is what his chest looks like, I fear for the rest of his body,' the surgeon thought.
He gave the order to close him up and stormed out of the operating room. Despite all his knowledge and skill, a thought penetrated his psyche for the first time. A life might not have been worth saving.
An old man smiled at himself in a vanity mirror. He had been called a few days ago to a meeting. A final stroke along his short, nappy, grey hair and he was ready. His name was Dr. Giacomo Gianncomo, a pioneer in human anatomic replacement.
This man, widely respected as a genius, had already designed and patented multiple limb replacement devices for a wide variety of maladies. His next venture was having trouble getting off the ground. Already holding the patent to a design to replace muscle tissue, skeletal mass and even nerve fiber; sparing patients the need for amputation. Unfortunately, investors were increasingly skeptical about this new idea. Despite his previous successes, investors were wary of regulations the United Nations kept updating.
Other responses to this new science came in the way of being too risky or too expensive at the experimental level. It took all of Giacomo's will to refrain himself from the last potential investor, who referred to his research as ridiculous and having no benefit to humanitarian society. However, today was a new day and a new opportunity had presented itself.
A woman had notified him on behalf of an unnamed entity. All she said was that he was very interested in his work and wished to meet at a hospital. The doctor agreed and here he was making a final adjustment to his tie. After a final nod, he removed himself from the mirror and left for the hospital.
As Giacomo stepped through the automatic doors, he felt comfortable in these surroundings. The familiar smell of surticide and pine oil was almost inviting.
"Dr. Gianncomo?" addressed a young woman wearing a black suit.
"Ah, yes," the doctor said. "You must be the woman I spoke to over the phone."
"Will you please follow me?"
"Of course, it is good to meet you Miss…"
The doctor held out his hand, but she had already turned and marched to an elevator. Clearing his throat, the doctor followed her stiff gait.
Upon stepping into the elevator, Giacomo noticed that it was a freight elevator. The woman inserted a small key at the bottom of the control panel before the elevator moved. For a brief time Giacomo was nervous due the lengths the entity had gone to.
'A rich banker maybe or perhaps a high-profile politician,' Giacomo thought.
Shaking his head, Giacomo quickly dismissed the as typical of anal-attentive privacy. When the elevator stopped, Giacomo was surprised to find they were on the roof.
"This way Dr. Gianncomo," the woman said taking two steps out of the elevator.
Giacomo pulled on the front of his suit jacket once before stepping onto the roof. The woman pointed to the roof's edge where a single figure stood. Proceeding to the edge, Giacomo went to meet his potential benefactor.
Turning to face the doctor, the figure smiled.
"Dr. Giacomo Gianncomo, medical maverick and genius extraordinaire," the figure said extending his hand.
"It appears my reputation precedes me."
"That it would, but the pleasure is still mine."
Releasing his hand, the figure turned back to the ledge, "Doctor, I am in league with certain…concerns; that invest in projects with great potential use to us in both the short-term and long-term sense. We've become very interested in your research.
"So I've been informed. I beg your pardon, but you claim to be interested in my wares on a personal basis, yet I still don't know your name."
"Forgive me, where are my manners. My name is Giacomo Lorenzo."
"And one more detail if you please. What of these…concerns that wish to partake of me?"
Smiling, Lorenzo slowly answered, "SISDE, the Italian Army, and especially the NOCS."
The silence between them lasted a few minutes, but expanded into eternity. Each minute recognized and every second torture. Giacomo had received offers from multiple government agencies across Europe. He was aware of the funds such agencies could command, his ideas could come about in ways even he couldn't dream of. He would never contract with one, for it would be paid piecemeal out of the pockets of many. Most of all, he was afraid of what such an entity would do with his works. Remember Oppenheimer was an oath and salute valued for over fifty years after its underground inception.
"This conversation has ended," Giacomo flatly stated before walking to the elevator.
"Dr. Giacomo, a request if you will!" Lorenzo said.
"Not interested."
"Grant me a favor and I'll personally compensate you for your time here."
"What kind of compensation?" Giacomo answered.
"Fifty thousand euro."
Staring forward for a moment, Giacomo nodded in agreement.
"Splendid, come with me please."
Lorenzo walked into the elevator in front of Giacomo. The woman stood at his side before Giacomo walked in.
"Ferro, take us to the fifth floor," Lorenzo said to the women in black. "I would like you to see our test subject, doctor."
"You already have a test subject?!"
"Yes, conveniently enough he came to us."
Giacomo stood in silence, aware of the double meanings governments were fond of. 'Should I refuse, will they let me go?' Giacomo thought. 'Very well, should I be destroyed, my work will die with me. I'd rather it be forgotten than used by those who would pervert it.'
They arrived from the elevator in front of set of double doors. Judging from the writing and specialty equipment, Giacomo determined they had arrived at the Intensive Care ward. He felt uneasy as the multiple patients around him lay in their beds, most of them comatose. 'Which one of these unfortunates would these monsters choose?'
The answer that came made him wish he'd never asked.