Third Encounter

There was a projected possibility of between 60 and 70 per cent that the Incubator would seek Haruhi Suzumiya anyway.

From her apartment, Nagato Yuki waited and observed, and then she took action.

It was a week later when the first Incubator appeared. It slunk carefully along the walls outside Haruhi Suzumiya's house, preparing to enter through the windows of the young girl's bedroom. Nagato plucked the Incubator from where it was situated and twisted its head on a one-eighty degree angle so that she could look into its beady red eyes. The creature was still smiling, its expression set like a plush doll.

Nagato was careful to rewrite the data jurisdiction on the surrounding area, so that ordinary mortals could not interfere with what was to happen next. She peered at the Incubator closely.

It gazed back at her unblinkingly and pleasantly.

Your name is Nagato Yuki, is it not? I have discussed my enquiries with the Integrated Data Sentient Entity. I have been given the approval I was seeking.

You have sided with the radical faction.

That still pits us against each other. That is a shame. I would have liked to have the approval of the majority, but it was not to be.

There was nothing more that Nagato had to say to the Incubator. She sought at first to destroy the creature before her, but as she scanned its data readings, she discovered that such an action would be impossible for her. The Incubator had set up a protective firewall that was too advanced for her to take down.

Slowing the creature was certainly possible. Nagato twisted its neck further and tore the head off the body completely and let the separated organs fall. The Incubator let out no sound, perishing quickly and seemingly painlessly.

When she was done, Nagato turned around. In the time that she had taken to rip apart the Incubator, she observed an identical creature dashing towards the front door of Haruhi Suzumiya's house. It was running just outside of the area effect sphere of data that Nagato was currently controlling. Its speed was approximately 25m/s, about twice as fast as a cheetah's sprint. Nagato was still quicker.

It was impossible to slay the Incubators because it appeared they shared one mind and consciousness, jointly protected by complex layers of firewalls. The bodies could be taken down but they could spawn indefinitely. Nagato took down the second Incubator and decided quickly what she would need to do.

Match the Incubators' technology with her own. Nagato inputted her own data readings into the area effect sphere, an action which effectively cloned herself. Every time another Incubator appeared, Nagato spawned further copies of herself. No matter which angle her target came from, she could take it down, neatly and effectively. They were not offensive creatures and could not withstand physical damage. But it was impossible to kill it.

At the end of the day, she factored these battles into her data reports. If one were to look within the area effect sphere Nagato had created around Haruhi Suzumiya, they would see countless Nagato Yukis striking down countless Incubators, from countless angles and for countless times.

It was an extra, menial task – part of what had to be done to ensure the safety of Haruhi Suzumiya.

This happened for three years until the routine changed.