Seeing a think tank outsdie your bedroom window is NO way to start the day. Now, imagine if that same think tank was outside your bedroom door...
Hotaru opened the door to the stairs and met a shock.
"AAAH! MOM!"
The giant blue spider-like tank stood in her doorway and she was on her butt on the floor. Where did that thing come from?
"The Major never mentioned you were so jumpy, sheesh!" A girl's voice scoffed.
"MOOOOOM!" Hotaru screamed at the top of her lungs. A woman in a business suit followed by a young woman-also in a suit-slipped passed the machine and came into Hotaru's room. The woman hurried to her side and hugged her. "Wha-what is that thing and what is it doing in the house-in front of my room?"
Her mother, Keiko, held Hotaru against her. "It's all right, honey. It's all right. There's no need to be afraid of it."
"No need to be afraid?" Hotaru squeaked. "Did you even run a threat detection program? It's armed more than my gym teacher!"
"Calm down, Miss Tomoe. This is a Tachikoma Battle Tank AI. We use them in Section 9." The young woman replied with a comforting smile. "I'm Major Motoko Kusanagi. I'll be your caretaker while the Prime Minister-and your mother are away."
Hotaru looked at Keiko. "Not the peace talks in Russia! You told me those were canceled!"
"They moved them to Berlin." Kusanagi corrected.
"BERLIN?!"
"Man, she's eccentric." The Tachikoma mumbled to the Major.
"Miss Kusanagi-you can't let my mother leave Tokyo!" Hotaru said getting to her feet and lightly clutching Kusanagi's sleeve. "The terrorist Angel's Feathers just escaped from prison! My mother will be killed!"
"But your mother has to go." Kusanagi told Hotaru. The girl looked at her mother who nodded once slowly. "If she doesn't, something bad could happen."
Hotaru bit her lower lip, thinking as she looked down and away. She was obviously linking to something. She looked up at her mother then rushed to her desk and searched the left-hand top drawer. After a moment she found what she was looking for. A small PDA was in her hand as she half shuffled back to Keiko.
"Take this copy of my Silver Wing AI program. It'll activate AI tanks for your protection." Hotaru pressed the PDA into Keiko's hands. "It's the one I updated and synced with your Ghost's imprint."
Her mother hugged her daughter. "I'll keep it on me at all times, Sweet Pea. I've got to go now. Be good for Section 9. They're doing this as a favor to me, to the Prime Minister, okay?"
"Yes, Mama." Hotaru muttered. Keiko kissed her forehead before leaving her daughter's room.
"Don't worry, honey-I'll com you before I board the plane and after we land." Her mother waved good bye as she hurried out the door. Hotaru leaned against a wall and sighed.
"You know, she's doing all this for you." Kusanagi replied. Hotaru looked away. "So, uh, what's this program you gave to your mother?" Kusanagi asked as she entered Hotaru's room and opened the girl's closet. She took out a sailor uniform and a small basket of accessories.
"It's a program I designed. It's meant to tap into the satellites in space and access any AI units around any receiver. That's the PDA." Hotaru answered, getting ready for the day. "The Silver Wing Operating Artificial Intelligence Programming System-or the SWOAIPS-is very powerful. I have the main program but I make copies, like the one I gave my mom. The copies are called 'Silver Wing AI Programs'."
Kusanagi whistled. "That's pretty advanced, kiddo. AI programs are highly complicated."
Hotaru shrugged. "Not really. I even make various things that work far better than the crap out there in 'the real world'."
"All right, Miss Tomoe. It's time to get dressed." Kusanagi responded, setting everything she had taken out of Hotaru's closet on to the girl's bed. "I'll take you to breakfast this morning but you'll have to hurry. You don't want to be late for school."
Hotaru watched Kusanagi leave her room, closing the door for privacy. The girl scoffed and scowled at the closed door.
"-Pfft- Like school's a party I'm just dying to attend."
Hotaru doesn't like school very much. Although she's brilliant, she's still seen as a plague by the more "popular" kids. If they only nkew the truth, ne?