Chapter 2 - Ciel
The Reploid girl clung to me as the transerver deactivated, looking around in wonder at the small Trans chamber we were in. We stepped off of the server and a moment later it reactivated and Harpuia appeared. Levaiathan and Phantom had already left the room and were on their way to report to X, as I'd instructed them to do. Harpuia, however, remained with me, still, to my annoyance, not trusting the innocent, frightened girl that stayed so close to me.
"I can scan a Reploid's systems," the green-armored General-Sage had said before I had activated the server. "But I'm not designed to pick up on anything like programming bugs or even virii."
Worrying wasn't usually his style--but then it was true that he'd never had dealt with something like this girl. For all he knew, it could have been clinging to Ciel, waiting for a chance to harm her... Or (Ciel took advantage of having created him, and often predicted his own thoughts) perhaps it was true that the girl meant no harm and had simply lost a portion of her inherent data when the rogue Pantheon had raided that laboratory.
"Where...?" breathed the Reploid girl now.
"We're in Neo Arcadia, the last remaining human colony in the country. I work here and live here, and maybe you can, too," I added cheerfully.
Though she was in the guise of a small child, her mind was obviously a little wiser, as she picked up on my choice of words. "Maybe...?"
Harpuia, stepping off the transerver now, spoke, and the girl cringed, apparently still afraid of him. I couldn't blame her--this was the Reploid who'd nearly killed her barely a quarter of an hour after she'd first come to "life"! "You may be percieved as a threat and..." he paused, obviously wising up to the girl's form and trying to think of the gentlest way to say this. "You may be...shut off."
"Noo!" cried the girl, throwing her arms around me.
I stroked her hair soothingly--and, I admit, because it was cute. "You don't need to worry. I'll make sure that doesn't happen."
"You cannot promise--" started Harpuia, but I glared at him and he subsided. "...Very well."
There was a chirping in my ear, followed by the voice of Allaya, X's secretary. "Doctor Ciel."
"Yes?" I responded.
"Master X requests your presence immediately, along with General-Sage Harpuia and your...charge."
I sighed. This was predictable--X was jumpy as usual. I designed him practically to the letter of the original X's designs, plus a few minor additions, and yet this X seemed nothing like the X that had first ruled Neo Arcadia before even my mother was born. I'd seen holotapes of him in session, and he was much wiser and calmer than this new "copy" X. Even after seven years, he still didn't seem to fit the role.
But then, I was only a thirteen-year-old science prodigy. What did I know or care for politics?
I sighed. "Very well. Come along," I added gently, trying to pry the girl loose from around my midsection.
She began to shiver again. "I...don't want to be..."
"You won't," I said again, as vehemently as I could without startling her. I placed a kiss on top of her head. "I promise nothing will happen to you."
"...Okay..."
"Shall I come too, Doctor?" said Harpuia quietly.
"Yes. X wants to talk to all of us."
"I did tell you," said the Sage, walking to the door. He glanced at me as if to say "Don't get either of your hopes up," and then he was through the door and the girl and I were alone. Gently I pulled her along with me and we followed Harpuia into Sector X's main hallway which was, surprisingly, almost deserted.
To the left were windows, and from them there was a startling view of Neo Arcadia in the twilight of evening. Just over the tips of the buildings in the next Sector over were rosy clouds on top of a not-quite-navy sky; the buildings themselves were all lit up in various shades, depending on the color of the autoshade in each room. The Reploid girl switched sides (she had originally stuck by my right hand) and was staring out at them.
"This is... Neo Arcadia...?"
"Yep. The only real civilization for miles." I did not add that the utopia covered several miles in and of itself; there was something about the girl that suggested fragility, and she had already had enough shocks today without the added detail of Arcadia's size.
"...Pretty," she concluded. She then stumbled, but let go of my hand before she went too far. I felt a flush of heat rise to my cheeks--she was still wearing my jacket, which was far too big for her.
"Here," I said quickly, helping her back to her feet. "I'll take that back, okay?" She nodded, eyes downcast, and relinquished my coat.
She did not offer any more insight as we walked, and I did not feel like it would have been right for me to intrude upon her thoughts. Pretty soon we came upon a door guarded by several Pantheon Elite. Their optical sensors all fixed on the girl, and she did her best to hide behind me. I was beginning to get annoyed by the level of attention this girl was receiving--did it not occur to anyone else that all she wanted to do was avoid attention? She was barely half an hour old and didn't know anything about the current world.
And now X would make a big deal about it, of course. I wouldn't be surprised if the events of the meeting about to take place were recorded and then broadcasted to every television unit by the next morning. Especially if things went sour.
"Now," I said quietly to the girl as the Pantheon deliberated between themselves, "X--the blue one probably sitting on the big chair--is probably going to ask you to talk. If he does, you'll have to be respectful. Call him 'sir,' or 'Master X.'" Saying so made my tongue slightly sour. I did not like the idea of owing allegiance to my own creation--but nor did X expect it. He'd let me get away with nearly every informality possible, were I in the mood.
The girl nodded once at my explanation, but her eyes were glued to the floor and she was clasping my hand so tightly it was beginning to hurt. She said nothing.
The door, marked with an elaborate X, of course, slid open slowly, and far too dramatically for my taste. We walked in, flanked by two of the Pantheon Elite. The room was unlit, but as we stepped forward the lights turned on, and, several yards in front of us, X was revealed.
He, along with the Four Generals, were arranged on a dais raised slightly off of the rest of the floor. X was in an elaborate throne of sorts, which was of course designed in the shape of an X (This Reploid's ego knew no bounds!); to his right, my left, stood Harpuia, and to his left, Leviathan. Fefnir, the only one of the Generals who had not accompanied me to the ruins of the old Gamma Sector lab, stood on the Fairy's side, and Phantom the Sage's. There was a totally opaque wall behind them, but it was not normally so: that wall, along with the exterior wall of every chamber in the capital building, was designed to turn translucent or even totally transparent on command. Obviously, X wanted us to feel enclosed.
This was going to go very badly. Probably for him, if he got me worked up.
"Doctor Ciel," said X. "Phantom and Harpuia have already given me their reports. I require yours."
"Yes...sir," I said, for the girl's benefit. "I took three of the more stable-minded Generals with me to the ruins of the laboratory in the Old Gamma Sector. The place had obviously been raided by Mavericks, and very nearly everything was in pieces. There was, however, one pod that seemed more or less intact, which contained a Reploid of a female appearence and young age. The pod's systems seemed inactive, and even when we restored temporary power to it with Harpuia's help the pod's systems seemed locked in a diagnostic of some sort. So we left it alone.
"We made a sweep of the building, come across and restoring power to the generator to gain access to any locked doors. There were only a few spare Energy Crystals lying about, and we were on our way to the transerver chamber when we came across... Well, we came across the girl who'd been in the production pod."
X nodded thoughtfully. "This is the girl?"
"Yes," I responded.
"Step forward."
Gently, I prodded the girl forward, but she seemed loath to let go of me. She seemed stymied and overwhelmed by X's presence (I admit, I may have overdone his charisma a bit.). So I shuffled forward with her, and she did her best to look up at X. She succeeded only for half a moment, then looked down again.
"What is your name?" barked X.
The girl flinched. "I... don't know, s-s-sir..."
"Don't know...?" I began to offer an explanation, but X fluttered a hand in my direction and I said nothing. "Production number?"
"I d-don't know that either... Um... Master X..."
He didn't seem surprised by her reverence. In fact, he failed to react so spectacularly I was further irritated. It was as if he expected it!
"What is seven to the sixty-seventh power multiplied by negative 1.142857 repeating?"
She rattled off the answer instantly, before I'd even comprehended the question. X nodded. "What color is the gem upon my head?"
"R-red, s-sir."
"What is the definition of axiomatic?"
"Self-evident."
X nodded again. "That was an easy one, but it passes nevertheless. All of your pseudoneurological systems are functioning perfectly, and yet there seems to be a gap in your memory..."
"X," I said quickly. "The fault lies with us--"
"When you were tampering with her pod before restoring full power, yes, I figured as much." X pursed his lips. "You realize this could be a compromise of security?"
"I thought you'd say that," I said dryly.
"It is at the very least a breach in the protocols that have been established by this Council for the protection of humans such as yourselves!?" X shouted the last few words. The girl lept back in fright.
"How can it be a violation if I myself--a human--am the one who did it?"
"You are in a position of power in Neo Arcadia. A somewhat startling position of power, it seems, since with the proper overrides you have total control over me," said X, his eyes boring into me.
"I would never--"
"You are therefore the most powerful human in the utopia, one which all the others--several million--look up to. What kind of example are you setting by bringing in such a potential threat?"
"How can she be a threat!?" I countered, quite angry by this point. "Look at her! Never mind how smart she is, when it all comes down to it she looks like and has the mentality of at most a seven year old. Harpuia himself has verified she is not a combat model, and if she was programmed to attack humans she had several minutes to do so in between the time we arrived back in Arcadia and we got here to have this...conversation."
X leaned back in his throne, steepling his fingers. "Nevertheless," he said quite calmly, as though his temper--and mine--had never been aroused. "Nevertheless, Doctor, it doesn't hurt to be cautious. We will be conducting a full scan of this girl--"
"You will not!" I countered again as the Reploid hid behind me again. "It will be a cursory system examination and I will do it myself."
X's expression did not change, but the stream of data flowing behind his eyes had picked up speed in obvious anger. Three of the Four Generals were statues: Fefnir was twitching, his teeth gritted in anger. Amazingly he'd remained silent.
X spoke one word, nearly inaudibly. "Why?"
"Look at her," I said again, just as quietly. "She's frightened of you, apparently the most benevolent Reploid in the history of the planet. She at least seems to trust me--I'm the one she's hiding behind."
X's lips pursed. "It is as you say, Miss Ciel. Very well. This examination will be conducted first thing tomorrow in Floor 542's infirmary lab. I, along with Harpuia, will attend. Until then, this girl is your responsibility. If she is found to carry malicious code she will be immediately retired; if she is not... Further discussion will be had. That is all."
He settled back in his chair and closed his eyes. Thus did the hearing end.
My quarters were easily the most spacious of any human in Arcadia, but I ignored most of it and headed straight for my bedroom. The girl still tagged along behind, shaking with fear.
I sat on the bed and sighed, then hugged the girl tightly again. She did not stop shaking.
"Shh," I whispered, kissing her beautifully-made hair again. "You'll be fine."
"I don't want to... die... I'm not...bad..."
"I know you aren't, dear. I know. Shh, now..."
"You require sleep... Yes?" she asked after a moment. "Humans need to sleep..." She forced herself away from me and sat upon the cushioned chair along the wall. "I will not disturb your sleep..."
"You don't have to go over there," I said immediately. "Here. Up on the bed."
She looked at me hesitantly. "Are you sure...? I am somewhat denser than what the bed was probably designed for..."
"You'll be fine," I promised. It was true. The bed had been designed to handle any weight, and that included light- to medium-weight Reploids. "C'mon. It'll be cold otherwise."
Still somewhat hesitant, the girl stood up and crossed over to the other side of the bed, then, just as slowly, got in and under the covers. I showered and prepared myself for bed, and when I finally got under the covers with her she snuggled up to me instantly. I thought for a moment I saw a smile on her face as she said "It's... warm."
I closed my eyes, smiling, and was nearly sleeping when a flash of wit caught me by surprise and I opened my eyes again. "I know what to call you."
"What?" she asked quietly.
"Alouette. It means lark, a type of bird that became extinct a few decades ago. But lark can also mean a joke, especially an irritating one. Like what's been worked up over you."
"Oh..." She looked uncertain for a moment, then said "Alouette... It sounds nice... Can that...be my name?"
"Sure, if that's what you want."
"I do..."
"Okay then." I smiled and stroked her hair one more time. "Good night... Alouette."
"Good night... Ciel..." she responded, and then, to all appearences, fell asleep.
I smiled again. Maybe she was more like a child than I'd thought.
A lark, I thought as I drifted off. Like some stupid joke. And it'll all be resolved tomorrow. I'll make sure of it.
A/N: Alright, so maybe I changed Ciel's personality a little... But I don't want to end up doing a story with two characters that have more or less the same personality.
Until next time...
