Chapter 4: Machinations

Satomi Hakase stood stiffly in the lobby of the Fallen Feather research and development facility, a combination of factory and think-tank that had the sole purpose of developing new technology at the behest of Negi Springfield. It's scientists, programmers, and workmen all answered directly to her. She was the sole supervisor. Which is why she was extremely surprised to discover that her I.D card had not possessed the authorization to allow her entry into her own laboratory on this particular day, when Negi had recently announced that he was going to be revealing a very big new project soon.

After she'd been waiting for ten minutes, twirling her long black braids in silent fury as beads of anxious sweat formed on her generously-sized forehead, she heard a familiar voice come from behind her.

"Ah, sorry to keep you waiting, Ms. Hakase, but I had some urgent business to take care of…"

She turned to glare at Albert Chamomile, Negi's ermine familiar. Only he did not possess the appearance of an emine very often anymore. Negi had worked out an enchantment that gave him a human form, and he'd grown particularly fond of it. Many of the other girls didn't like it very much; they thought it looked too much like a combination of their old enemy, Fate Averruncus, and the Sephiroth character from Final Fantasy Seven. From the pictures she'd seen of the two, Satomi had to admit there were some frightening similarities. The long white hair, the narrow eyes on the somehow sinister yet angelic face. But she never had her own opinion of his looks. And right now she was more concerned with another matter.

"Shut up and explain yourself! How dare you lock me out of my own lab! If this is some kind of retaliation for my demanding to know Negi's plans for my new creation, I would like to again point out that most inventors are told about what their machines are going to be used for."

"Well, as I'm sure you're aware, you are not like most inventors. However, it is because of your 'Meta-Brain' computer that we're having this conversation. Walk with me, will you? Now, as I'm sure you're aware, the computer you created is capable of, among other things, conceiving and programming other artificial intelligences…"

Satomi felt a knot form in her stomach.

"Um, Chamo? Why are we going towards the exit? My lab is the other way…"

"Yes, um, let's see, Negi wanted me to put this delicately…We're sorry, but you're no longer needed, or wanted, or even cared about here. Machines can do a better job than you, and this is what you get for asking questions. The unions agree, sacrifices must be made. Computers never go on strike. To save the working man, you've got to put him out to pasture."

A menacing glint formed in his eyes, and Satomi noticed that two of her androids had begun silently escorting them. Chamo began slowing his pace to fall behind while the machines forced her along the path to the door.

"Look's like we'll have to let you go. Doesn't it feel fulfilling, though, that you, the human being, are now obsolete and there's nothing in hell we'll let you do about it?"

The androids half-shoved her out the door and onto the sidewalk outside, where she fell down on her knees, still wearing her white lab coat. She felt like she was going to cry. After all the work she'd done for Negi, everything he'd accomplished thanks to her, this was how she being repaid? The instant her usefulness ran out, he dumps her, just like that?

As these thoughts ran through her head and she tried to decide whether to have a nervous breakdown where she was or at her house, she heard a sound like a strong wind come from behind her, and then everything went dark.

When she regained consciousness, she groggily made out the shapes of three people talking about her. Two of them appeared to be ninjas, and the second was a one-armed furry. Their voices sounded vaguely familiar, and she concentrated hard to remember who they sounded like while vaguely trying to figure out why she couldn't move.

"We brought her here straight away, just like you said! No way you're charging us a late fee!"

"Sure I am. You're five minutes past the delivery time, which means I get ten percent off, just like ordering pizza."

"That was just a promotional deal! I can't believe you're gonna short us over five lousy minutes! This is so unfair!"

"Hey, you think you're upset? I've got an interrogation to carry out and now all I can think about is an extra large double-cheese pepperoni! Now, get your rookie ninja butts outta my office before I teach you some manners the old-fashioned way!"

The two ninjas, who Satomi had noticed had nearly identical voices, grumbled angrily as they walked past her.

"God, I hate working for Kotaro. I know we gotta take jobs as they come, but he's just such a…bitch."

"What do you expect? How could a pup like that be anything but? Come on, let's hurry up and ditch this doghouse."

As they left, Kotaro muttered under his breath, "Always a laugh riot with the Narutaki twins…"

"Um, excuse me, but would you mind explaining what's going on here?"

"Wha? Oh, sure thing, doll. My name's Kotaro, and this is one of many dingy little rooms inside the rebel alliance base. Certain intelligence I obtained informed me that you would be getting pink slipped today, so I thought I'd have some, er, colleagues bring you over for a little cheering-up."

Satomi sighed. "Let me guess. You want to know about weaknesses in the defense systems I helped Negi build, with particular attention to the android security force?"

"Well, that would be awfully nice, yes."

Satomi rolled her eyes. She'd lost track of how many times she'd been kidnapped and interrogated for those same secrets. A few times were actually arranged by Negi himself as tests of loyalty. Unfortunately, the same standard of loyalty did not apply to her.

"Listen, as much as I would love to help you get back at my former boss, if there's one thing I learned while working for him, it's that betraying him leads to nothing short of an untimely death."

"I thought you might say something like that. Which's why I've got a plan B. Legion!"

The youth stepped out from the shadows, and Satomi was surprised she hadn't noticed him earlier. He was staring straight into her eyes with a hungry gaze, like a starved beast eyeing fresh meat. Kotaro, meanwhile, was cool and confidently composed.

"Legion, I want you to use your magic. Cast a spell to make her tell us everything!"

Legion cupped a hand to his mouth and began whispering into the half-demon's ear. Kotaro responded much less quietly.

"Huh? Whaddya mean you don' know any…They are? Oh…Huh, I didn't know that…Well then what do you…Oh. Oh, ew. Eeewww! Okay, stop, stop. Just, just stop talking. In fact, never speak to me again. From now on, everything you want to tell me must be submitted in writing. Ugh."

Turning his attention back to Satomi, Kotaro spoke with a grim voice.

"Bad news, toots. Turns out we don't have any nice ways of doing this. So, here's the deal: Either you tell us how to take down that mechanical army of yours, or my associate here is going to start hurting you. I'm…I'm not really sure when he's going to stop. A lot of what he intends to do sounds pretty…intricate."

Satomi heard a sound that she thought was a small animal being strangled, and then realized it was Legion giggling.

"Okay, okay, I'll talk. The security system of his palace has some key weak points that I'll have to show you while we look at a blueprint. But the androids I can tell you how to get around right now. Negi commissioned the first models before…well, before he'd started taking as many ethical liberties. So he asked me to make sure all of them were programmed not to ever deliver killing blows to anyone who'd been on his class roster. I suspect he may have wanted to change that later, but at first we didn't have the resources or time to make any large programming changes, and after a while it didn't seem necessary anymore."

"You mean after he thought he'd killed the only ones giving him trouble. Thanks, doll. No need to show us the holes in your security. They've changed since you last had a look at them, and we already to know where to hit the updated version. I appreciate your forthcoming, though, I really do."

"You already…so then, you knew about the androids too, didn't you?"

"Well, I've learned not to treat any source as infallible. It's good to be sure, y'know?"

"I heard about how you guys took out the Honor Guard. Negi released the information to the top officials only. But even he has no idea how you did it. And now you claim to know his security networks inside and out. You knew I was going to be fired before I did…Who's helping you? Who do you know that could possibly be so informed?"

"Heh, sorry, but if I told ya, I'd have to kill ya. Which might be better off for you, I don't really know, I'm not personally familiar with precisely how Negi responds to traitors these days."

"Wha…What? You're giving me back to him?"

"Not directly, no. I'm not heartless. But if you had said no to him all those years ago, the world we live in today would be a very different place. You had a chance to stop this, and you didn't take it. I can't forgive that. So no, I'm not delivering you to him. What I am going to do is let you go right back where you came from, and I'm betting you'll get found sooner or later after that. Afterwards, what happens to you happens to you. I don't really care. Legion, put her under and get a team to send her home."

"Ketril, Aylt, Delt. By witch's apple and maiden's breast, I command you to lay down to rest!"

The spell sent Satomi into a deep sleep. While she slept, she dreamt of Evangeline requesting the construction of her own personal android, Chachamaru. She dreamt of Chao Lingshen conscripting her help in her scheme at the Mahora festival. She dreamt of Negi requesting her to build him an army made of silicone and steel. And she dreamt of Kotaro kidnapping her for a single conversation he didn't really need to have, then kicking her out. She dreamt of all the people who had used her for her mechanical talents, and then forgot about her the moment they no longer needed her. Just when she began to wonder what she had done to deserve such mistreatment, one of her nameless robots appeared in her dream, and said in the perfect monotone they all spoke in, "Now you know how we feel."

When she woke up, she found herself lying in her bed at home, surrounded by androids and face to face with Chamo, who released a short sigh when he saw her eyes open.

"…Hi."