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Mirroring human beings, reflecting the owner's affection and turning it into growth.
That is the essentials of a hybrid doll.
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"I don't want any other but Gourry! I only want Gourry!"
I remembered that memory of my childhood all of a sudden. Thinking back to those days was more peaceful than thinking about the paperworks stacked on my desk in front of me.
Ten years ago, I found Gourry thrown away at the side of my house. He was a defected hybrid doll, a synthetic copy of human beings. Humans, with money, of course, raise hybrid dolls to their own discretion. Depending how you care for them, they will gradually grow physically and mentally. I found him thrown away and seeing as to how my household can never afford a hybrid doll, I picked him up and cared for him.
I was eight at the time and I found that he had been resetted, all his memory erased. Everything he learned had to be relearned, but I didn't mind, not one bit. I didn't have any friends, couldn't make any around my neighborhood, and Gourry was my only friend. He is all I have.
It surprised me how fast he grew physically. After a couple of years caring for him, he grew a good three or four heads taller than me.
My family objected to him being a defected, but I didn't care, they were hardly home anyway, and Sis was okay with it.
I was so happy when he started talking again and then walking. He was obedient and listened to my every whim. It was great, but now...
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"Lina! Wake up!" Gourry, the tall blonde hybrid doll, nudged the sleeping red-haired Lina awake.
"Nyuh?" Lina groggily lifted her head up. "Leave me alone!"
"Lina, come on! If Ms. Luna found you slacking off, she'll punish you again," he argued.
"I don't care! It's summer! I'm lazy! And it's so hot inside!" Lina whined, fanning herself. "I wanna go outside!"
Gourry sorted through the books that she finished using. "Well, we can go outside as soon as you're done. That is a direct order from Ms. Luna."
"Ugh! Ms. Luna, Ms. Luna, Ms. Luna!" Lina said exasperated. "When'd you stop listening to what I say?"
"Come on, Lina," Gourry said, "You know that's not what I meant. I just don't want you to get in trouble again, that's all."
"But it's hot!" Lina exclaimed defiantly.
She pointed to Gourry and asked, "I wish you only KNEW what it feels like to be hot!"
Gourry smiled at Lina and said, "Well, I CAN turn off my cooling system, but then I'd overheat."
Lina eyed Gourry. "Hmm...you have a cooling system to keep your body temperature down huh?"
"Of course," he said and reached a hand out to touch Lina's face. "Feel."
"Hmm...I see," Lina mumbled.
Gourry turned away and started to sort through the papers scattered across Lina's wooden desk. "Well, you should hurry up and finish these paperwork, Lina, before Ms. Luna comes home."
He started to turn around. "You wouldn't really want her angry at yo--WHA!"
Lina suddenly pounced on him, rampaging through his clothes.
"STRIP!" She shouted.
"Wha! Lina, what are you doing!" Gourry exclaimed, trying to pry Lina off.
"Take it off!" she continued to rampage through his clothes and managed to take his shirt off. "Take it all off!"
"Lina, I can't possibly think of something like tha--"
"Aah! I'm alive again!" Lina said with satisfaction as she held onto Gourry's cool upper body. "It's so cool! I should've thought of this before!"
Gourry sighed. "Oi...Lina..." He brushed his hair back. "Lina, come on, get up."
When Lina didn't respond, Gourry looked down and saw her comfortably taking a nap on his upper body. Gourry let out another sigh.
I'm spoiling her...
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Lina is my only family and my only friend.
She picked me up from being thrown away.
"I don't want any other but Gourry!" She held onto me defiantly against her parent's wishes and kept saying "I only want Gourry!"
When my thoughts were able to process itself again, Lina told me that I needed to be picked up because I looked very "lonely."
I looked down at the sleeping Lina and smiled, brushing her red-hair away from her face.
She took care of me ever since. As a hybrid doll, although designed in every way like a human, we are just dolls. We don't come with emotions, the real humans are the ones who gives them to us. So this nice feeling I feel everyday ever since I could remember, I thank Lina for it.
She told me once, after I was able to walk and talk again, that she wanted to find out who my previous owner was.
"Then I'm going to beat the crap out of them for throwing you away!" She said with a ten year old's passion.
I smiled. I don't care who my previous owner was. I don't need my memories back from before the time they were erased. All I care about is being with Lina and only remembering her.
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Gourry picked the sleeping Lina up and placed her on the sofa next to the wooden desk.
"Hm?" Lina lazily popped open an ruby-red eye. "Why is it hot again?"
Gourry put his shirt back on and turned himself towards her. "Lina, if you're awake, you need to finish your work."
"Work, work, work!" Lina complained, sitting up. "I don't wanna work!"
"Lina, how many times do I have to say that Ms. Luna will be mad if you don't finish?" Gourry asked and started to pick up papers off the floor.
"A lot!" Lina exclaimed and smiled a sweet smile. "Many, many, many times!"
Lina went over to the kneeling Gourry and hung onto him. "Aah! This is great! I have a personal cooling system."
Gourry sighed. "Lina, I'm not a walking air condit--!" Gourry cut himself short as he hunched over, clutching his chest.
"Gourry?" Lina called out worriedly and let him go, peering at his face. "Gourry, what's wrong?"
Gourry replied with a sharp gasp and clench his other hand.
"Gourry? Gourry, come on, what's wrong!" Lina exclaimed.
Gourry didn't reply as he collapsed forward. "Gourry!"
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"He overheated," the 'doctor' simply said.
He was more like a technician for hybrid dolls. There are many around the world, like how there are many doctors for humans around the world. If there was something wrong with a hybrid dolls, the owners would take them to doctors for hybrid dolls.
"Overheated!" Lina exclaimed. "How can he overheat! He has a built-in cooling system!"
The doctor sighed. "That's the problem."
Lina blinked. "What is? His cooling system? Well, we can just replace it right?"
The doctor hesitated. "It's not that simple.
"What do you mean by that!" Lina shouted frustratedly. "Explain what the hell you're saying!"
The doctor just looked at her for a moment. "It would be easier to show you."
He turned to a hybrid girl to his left and said, "Amelia, get me the tools."
The doll smiled brightly and said, "Ok, Mr. Zelgadis!"
"That's DOCTOR Zelgadis," he mumbled as the hybrid girl quickly made her way out of the office.
He turned back to look at Lina and Gourry.
"Might I ask something, Ms. Inverse?" He said.
Lina blinked and nodded.
"Where did you buy your doll?" He asked.
Lina glanced at Gourry and replied, "I didn't buy him..."
"Then where did you acquire him?" Zelgadis continued to ask as he turned in his chair to shuffle some papers.
"Look, what does this have anything to do with making him better!" Lina asked, frustratedly.
Gourry placed a cool hand on her arm, calming her down.
He turned to look at the doctor and replied, "She found me. She picked me up from being thrown away."
Zelgadis nodded slowly. "I see."
"So can you now tell me what's wrong with him?" Lina asked with exasperation.
Amelia walked in with a small, pointy knife and a metal bowl. "Here, Mr. Zelgadis!"
"Doctor," Zelgadis mumbled and took the tools.
He walked towards Lina and Gourry and said, "I will now answer your question, Ms. Inverse, what is wrong with your hybrid doll."
He took Gourry's arm and pressed the tip of the knife into his human-like skin.
"Hey! Hey! What are you doing to him!" Lina exclaimed, trying to stop the doctor.
"It's alright, Lina," Gourry said soothingly. "It doesn't hurt."
Lina was going to say something back but stop short as stinky black substances ran out of Gourry's opened arms and into the metal bowl.
"What...is happening to Gourry?" Lina asked hesitantly, afraid of the answer.
"Ms. Inverse, your doll is an old model," Zelgadis replied, patching up Gourry's openning. "Or rather, I should say, he is a rare model. I haven't seen a model like him in years. However, therein lies the problem, he is rotting from within, Ms. Inverse. Malfunctioning is the word I'm looking for."
"Wh..at? WHAT!" Lina exclaimed. "No other doctors ever told me this! And Gourry is checked often!"
After patching up the openning, the doctor went back to shuffling papers.
Without looking at her, he replied, "I've said before, Ms. Inverse, your doll is a rare model. I doubt any of the other doctors have even noticed that. I, however, know because I am a collector of hybrid parts...hm...sort of. And I must say, your...Gourry, is it, is one of a kind."
He pulled out a single sheet of paper and ran his eyes through the data, then tossed it aside where Amelia picked it up.
"So what if he's a rare model?" Lina asked. "We can still replace what's malfunctioning right?"
Zelgadis hesitated, pulling another piece of paper out from a bundle and nodded.
He handed the paper to Lina. "That is the part that is malfunctioning, Ms. Inverse."
Lina's eye widen as the title of the paper read: CORE Model #10101. $500,000,000.
Zelgadis gave a short nod and said, "Yes, Ms. Inverse, his CORE is malfunctioning. The very part that makes him who he is. It might have been that his previous owners threw him away because of the cost of fixing him."
Gourry clutched at his chest, where his CORE is, where the human heart would be if he were human.
Lina clutched the paper. "This is riddiculous! FIVE MILLION!" She banged the paper back onto the desk.
"That's impossible!" she exclaimed. "I've never heard of it costing THAT much! How do we know you're not lying?"
Zelgadis shrugged. "It would be your decision to believe me or not."
"This is riddiculous! C'mon, Gourry! We're getting a second opinion!" Lina took hold of Gourry's arm.
Before Gourry could stand up Zelgadis said, "They won't be able to help. I told you, Ms. Inverse, your doll is a rare model, most of the doctors probably doesn't even recognize it."
Lina dropped Gourry's arm and said nothing.
Zelgadis turned in his chair and looked through some more papers. "With my connections, Ms. Inverse, I'm able to get the part for you, however, will you be able to come up with the money?"
Lina stood silent.
He turned back around to face them. "I recommend getting a new doll entirely, Ms. Inverse. Less of a hassle and cheaper as well."
Gourry felt a twinge at his CORE, his thought processor couldn't explain to him why he felt it.
Lina gave Zelgadis a glare. "I don't want another doll! I only want Gourry! And I'm going to come up with the money!"
"Lina!" Gourry exclaimed. "You know that's nearly impossible. He's right, you should just get another doll, y'know."
Lina glared at Gourry and said, "No way! And it's not impossible, I CAN come up with the money! I just need a little time."
"I'm afraid you don't have any more than a little time, Ms. Inverse," Zelgadis spoke up.
Lina turned to blink at him. "What? What do you mean by that?"
"His CORE is, how should I say, worse for wear," he replied. "In my calculation, he has no more than a week before he completely malfunctions."
Lina's eyes widen and she tried to say something but words couldn't make it out of her mouths.
Gourry clutched his chest again, his face saddened.
Ten years. Ten whole years he spent with Lina, just to find out he wasn't going to be able to be with her any longer.
"I apologize for being the bearer of unfortunate news, Ms. Inverse," Zelgadis said.
Lina couldn't tell if he was actually really sincere or not.
"However," he continued. "I still recommend getting a new doll. Erase his memories before he malfunctions, it'll be easier for you when the time really comes. Turn him off now--"
"NO!" Lina shouted, it echoed in the small office. She clenched her fists. "I'm going to come up with the money! I'm going to make Gourry better!"
She turned to rush out of the doorway, Gourry stood up to follow her, feeling grateful for her protest but still felt the despair of this undoable feat.
"If you're that determined, Ms. Inverse," Zelgadis raised his voice slightly to catch Lina's attention. "Perhaps I can offer a trade of sorts."
Lina turned around with quickness. "What kinda trade? What do you want?"
"Well, I've said before, I'm a collector of hybrid parts," Zelgadis started to reply. "If you can find me a certain part I've been searching for, then I will trade it with you for your doll's CORE."
Lina nodded vigorously even before knowing the details. "Alright! I'll do it! What kinda part is it and where do I find it!"
"If I knew where to find it, Ms. Inverse, I wouldn't be making a deal with you right now," Zelgadis said with a sigh. "As it is, I'm so busy with my clients, I hardly have time to research for it anymore."
"I'm yawning with sympathy, Zel," Lina said sarcastically. "Now what kinda part am I tryin' to find!"
Zelgadis' mouth twitched slightly with annoyance. "Doctor Zelgadis. And the details are on here." He handed her a piece of paper.
Lina's eyes scanned the paper. Gourry looked over her shoulder. The paper said: Eyes. Model #00001.
Lina looked at Zelgadis. "Eyes? That's what you collect?"
"Various parts," he replied. "I do not like having the dolls as a whole. Just parts."
Lina raised an eye at Amelia, the hybrid girl cleaning up the mess he had made with the papers.
Zelgadis followed her view and mumbled, "She's an exception."
"Right..." Lina said, uninterested, putting her eyes back on the paper. "I wonder if Sis'll know anything about this. Her job's to track down stuff afterall." She glanced at Gourry. "What are the odds she'll have some connections to your CORE too?"
"Probably very unlikely," Zelgadis spoke up suddenly.
"How would you know?" Lina asked.
"Because I am the only one who can get access to a part that rare," he replied.
Upon Lina's confused look, Zelgadis sighed slightly and said, "My grandfather has the part. So far, the only one on this continent to have one."
"And you suppose he'll want to just give that rare part to you?" Lina questioned.
"Provided I trade something that he wants, of course," Zelgadis said. "But for Model one's eyes, I'm willing to do it."
"Okay...anyways, I'm off," Lina said and made her way towards the door. "Wait for me with bated breath, Zel, I'm going to bring this to you for sure! Ya better have Gourry's CORE ready!"
"Remember, Ms. Inverse," Zelgadis said. "One week. After that, I don't have to tell you again what will happen to your doll."
Lina was silent for a moment and then winked at him. "Call me Lina." She smiled with new hope and made her way out of the office, Gourry close behind.
Zelgadis sighed deeply and leaned back into his chair.
"Would you like some tea, Mr. Zelgadis?" Amelia asked and handed him a cup.
Zelgadis took it silently and sipped it.
"Um...can I ask something, Mr. Zelgadis?" Amelia asked and hesitated.
Zelgadis nodded silently.
"Are you really willing to go through Mr. Rezo to get Model Ten-Ten-One's CORE?" Amelia asked. "I mean even for Model One's eyes, I'm surprised you made such an offer."
Zelgadis finished off the cup and handed it back to Amelia. "I just want to know how far she will go before giving in to the inevitable. Model One is also rare, you know that, Amelia. I've been looking for it for years. There is no way she can be able to find it in such a short time."
"But she seemed so determined," Amelia said. "Isn't that cruel, Mr. Zelgadis? To give her false hope?"
"It's not false hope, Amelia, provided she can find the parts I want, I'm willing to make the trade," Zelgadis said. "I just want to know how far she'll go before she gives up and get a new doll...like all the rest I've seen done."
Zelgadis turned his back on her and shuffled through some papers. "Cancel the rest of the appointments for today, Amelia. I don't feel like taking any more patients."
Amelia nodded and said, "Yes, Mr. Zelgadis!"
"Doctor," Zelgadis mumbled as she left the office.
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End Chapter 1
to be continued...