Chapter 54: Can I Graduate?


"Well, if we're going back, the first thing we gotta do is get all this shoe polish off of us and ditch these outfits", Yatsumi moaned, still looking out at the stars. "Otherwise, they might recognize us from that fish place."

"Is there a spa up here?" Freya asked, looking around. "We need to get cleaned up."

"Well, the hot springs on Callisto are pretty good; why don't we go there?", Neko suggested, winking seductively at Freya.

"Just joking around", he added in response to the totally confused looks from Freya and Yatsumi. "No, we don't have a spa. But in the vacuum of space, it'll be dried up soon and you can just brush it out like dust."

"I'm not sure that's gonna matter", Obsequia called out, a worried look on her face. "I got the police-scanner signal... They already figured out it was you!"

"..Oh shit..", Freya and Yatsumi gasped at the same time.

"We can't go back, can we?", Yatsumi asked, after a long pause. "We'd be cut up into scrap for sure..."

Freya didn't offer a reply right away. She just gulped uncomfortably at the thought of being scrapped, and held tight to Yatsumi.


"A fiery car crash has claimed the life of goth-idol Freya Mihara", the news anchor announced as Chi and Hideki were getting ready for class. "We're still sorting out the details, but police say they were led on a high-speed chase after a disturbance at a fish-processing place."

"GYYAAA?!", Chi yelped, dropping her books on the floor. "FREYA!"

"Police video taken during the chase confirms Miss Mihara as the driver", the news anchor continued with a shocked expression, footage of Freya's Maserati skidding sideways as she evaded a roadblock. "One of her two passengers is believed to be Yatsumi Kokobunji. As for the other passenger... The bodies were too charred and too crushed for identification, but the so-called fish-processing place they were fleeing from was already under investigation as a possible front for a stolen parts chop-shop."

"Hly wht bla hlwha?", Hideki blathered, his mouth full of vegetable juice.

"CHI DO YOU HAVE THE NEWS ON?", a loud voice called out from the hallway, and Chi went out to find a panicking Ms. Hibiya at the bottom of the stairs.

"YEAH I JUST NOW SAW IT", Chi shouted back. And in no time flat, the Motosuwas were downstairs, watching the news on Chitose's big-screen TV where they were again showing the footage from the previous night at the fish place, as taken by one of the non-neural percoms.

"There they are", the police spokesman declared, pausing the video at the point where Freya and Yatsumi were leaving the scene, followed by big bearded blonde Vin Ericsson. "They have brown makeup on, but one of them is definitely Freya."

"Doesn't Freya have a nearly-identical twin?", the news anchor asked the cop. "Chi, I think her name is..."

"We don't think it's Chi", the cop replied quickly. "Not unless she's cut her hair. Plus, Freya is the one who has a Maserati."

Turning away from the TV, Chi buried her face in Hideki's shirt.

"Excuse me", a voice called out from the doorway. It was a policeman, and Chi turned towards the sound, tears in her eyes.

"I'm guessing you just saw the news", he said to everyone. "I... was supposed to get here and tell you all before it came out on TV..."

The only response he got was the looks of shock and dismay from everyone.

"I know this is really painful, Ms. Hibiya", he continued... "But we'll need to ask you a few questions about your daughter."

"Wha- of course", Chitose sniffled, glancing tearfully between the TV and the officer. "Whatever you want to know..."


"Hooly Crap didu guys se ethe newsabout FREYA", Kojima posted on the local BBS, misspelling wildly in his shock. "THey;re saing shes DEAD WHA TH FUCK!"

"We got the news here", Minoru responded. "Yatsumi is missing, and it is very likely that they would be together whatever happened, so we're all worried sick. But we haven't given up hope. Not yet."

"The police are here, talking to Chitose", Zima chimed in. "They've been showing her pictures of some big blonde maniac-looking guy and insisting she must know who he is. It's totally freaking her out."

"If you hear anything the news isn't telling us, post it or even drop by; we'll do the same as well", Minoru told Zima. "That goes for you too, Ko... hang on, I think the police are here also."


"Yeah, she has been away for several days", Minoru told the police. "Seeing the news this morning was a big shock."

"And you thought nothing of her absence until then?", the cop asked him. "Do all of your persocoms just wander around like stray cats, or was there some mission you sent her on?"

"N- neither", Minoru answered hesitantly. "Most of them stay here, and Yatsumi sometimes goes on concert tours with Freya."

"You seem like you might be hiding something", the police officer probed. "Most people don't start stammering when they're asked where their persocoms are."

"It's not THAT", Minoru groaned, blushing beet-red.

"Minoru-chan still hasn't accepted the fact that Yatsumi is Freya's girlfriend", Yuzuki cut in, rolling her eyes at Minoru.

"'Was', I would say", the cop replied gruffly. "If she was with Freya, she's toast now."


"I'm afraid repairing her will be out of the question", The officer at the Gub Jogasaki told them.

"...I see...", Ms. Hibiya sobbed quietly. "Since she was driving, and that guy is.. dead..."

"It's not really even that", the cop sighed. "I'd say her chances would've been pretty slim in court, but... well... There's just nothing left of her... except for the metal frame... and even that's too charred to use for anything."

"I suppose we can have someone return the remains to you, if you want", he added, and Chitose quietly nodded.

"Ohh, now for my next call", he mumbled as he wandered out the door, "finding out why some idiot poured beer into the telephone control box and shorted it out..."

Hideki turned away, blushing beet-red all of a sudden...

"An EMAIL!", Chi announced loudly.


"I'm so sorry to keep you hanging like that", Freya's secure-email read. "We both survived! And the two persocoms that burned up were dead ones M was trying to fix and couldn't... Although... We're on the lam now. Please know I never meant for things to go this far. Maybe at some point we can visit, but it'll have to be in disguise or something."


A few seconds later, Yatsumi sent a secure-email of her own:


Look up at the sky
Look high
Look far
I make my new home an aluminum star

Minoru and everyone... I really got myself in a pickle this time, didn't I? I know I can't come home but I'll keep in touch, I promise I will!


"Before anyone makes any weird comments online, why don't we agree to meet here and discuss things in person?", Minoru quickly emailed his friends. "This afternoon?"


"Ah Jeez... I still have to get ready for school", Chi mumbled, still in shock over Freya's move into exile. "It's my last day of undergrad."

"Are you sure you still want to go?", Hideki asked her. "I mean, for all everyone else knows, your sister just died. It'd be weird, wouldn't it?"

"Yyeahh, it'll be weird", Chi groaned. "And if it were any other day, I wouldn't go. But I need to make sure the animals and things are okay for the next few days when I'll be away from the lab."

"Why were you getting all red, anyway?", she added as they headed out the door. "Did you really pour beer in the phone thing?"

"I- what? It's just...", Hideki stammered. "It's just that it reminded me of what the police were asking me about that day... when I was an hour late for that ANSA meeting... That first one..."

"Oh, I remember that", Chi replied thoughtfully. "And I assumed you'd been out drinking again, and I spent the night at Mom's apartment... I guess I did kind of overreact a bit..."


At the DNA lab, some of Chi's classmates were dressed in goth black, and even though she knew Freya was actually still alive, the whole atmosphere reminded her so much of Yuka's death that it made her cry. Right along with the rest of the class.

The bulk of her day she spent hanging around with her Genetics classmates, looking after the lab animals, discussing the upcoming graduation, and putting some finishing touches on her speech regarding her final undergraduate project.

And of course, her final undergrad project was... CYBER MOLD! She'd gotten the tiny robots and the mold culture to show true symbiosis, and with the micro-bots programmed to build more bots, she had documented the signs of evolution in her culture of microbes and microbots. In other words, a few dozen generations later, both the mold and the bots were different, cooperating better, and better suited to the niche she'd put them in.

"Aw MAN that stuff is gonna get you an 'A' for sure", classmate Okuma raved. "I wish I had a brain like yours."

"Careful, dude, her brain is made of semiconductors", Patricia chided him. "I think I'll keep my own gray matter for thinking."

"Maybe your grandkids will have both", Chi mumbled quietly.

"I- um, we're sorry, Chi", Patricia responded, noticing Chi's glum expression. "I saw the news and all..."

"Y- ah, you don't need to apologise...", Chi stammered; and the next several minutes passed by in awkward silence while Chi stared at the floor.

What finally broke the silence was the squeaking of some cute little lab animals.

"Hideki's a lucky guy to have you", Okuma told her as they sat on the floor, several of them playing with a genetically-altered rodent of some kind. "He does realize that, right?"

"...Yeah... he does", Chi replied with a distant smile.

"So, Chi... what kind of plans for after graduation?", Okuma asked, several others listening in. "Going on to grad school? Or straight into a DNA lab tech job? Or... maybe start a family of your own with that cyborg stuff?"

"Yeah, right", Chi scoffed, most of the lab crew chiming in with a slight chuckle. "It'll be Ph.D time before I'll have any chance of making any cyborg babies..."

"Ahh, I'll be right here, chasing after a master's degree", she added in an almost nostalgic tone, glancing around the room. "I'm not ready to leave this place just yet."

And as the afternoon wore on, it was basically just a lazy day at the lab with Chi and her classmates, who, looking back on it now, I kind of regret not delving more into who they were. Oh well, maybe when she's in grad school...

(It would have been more like a last-day-of-school party if not for the news about Freya)


On their way back from college, the Motosuwas began to notice small groups of people gathering, here and there, all gothed up in black. They looked very sad, and it was pretty clear that they were fans, mourning the demise of their goth-idol, Freya Mihara.

"You're Chi, aren't you?", one of the goth-mourners guessed. "Freya's sister?"

"Y- yeah", Chi replied awkwardly.

"Are you going to the memorial?", the fan asked her, moving closer. "I'm sure Freya's fans would like to hear from you."

"I- um... didn't know there was a memorial planned", Chi stammered. "Is this a 'CPU' band event?"

"Yeah", the fan deadpanned, her eyes fixed on the sidewalk. "Tomorrow at 8PM. That's not too late at night, is it?"

"Um.. no, I guess not", Chi replied hesitantly. "I don't have any school the next day. I am... graduating, though..."

"Your GRADUATION is the day after tomorrow?!", the goth-girl gasped, her expression brightening, if only for a scant moment. "THAT'S... I mean... your day in the sun; but you'll be... because Freya..."

Chi gave the now sobbing stranger a gentle hug. "I know. It's tough", she whispered. "But we'll all get through this."

The Motosuwas continued home, looking back for a moment at the group of goths, a few of whom gave Chi a faint smile through their tears, and Chi waved to them as they walked out of sight down the sidewalk.

{Ohh, I wish I could tell them she didn't die}, Chi facepalmed.


The Motosuwas arrived at Minoru's to find the Hibiyas and Kojimas already there, gabbing about outer space and politics as they sat around the spacious Kokobunji living room, sipping tea from Yuzuki's ever-brewing kitchen.

"So, they're seriously not coming back...", Kojima mumbled, nonchalantly adding a bit of sake to his tea. "I can't imagine how bad it's gonna be for Freya's fans..."

"Sure you can, you're one of 'em", Sora teased, smoothly helping herself to some of Kojima's sake while he was staring off into space. "Just not in the same way those goth-girls are..."

"Blwha?", Kojima yelped. "Wait, I haven't been chasing after her! ...I did get several of her albums, but that's 'cause it's good background music for when I'm doing research... Plus, They don't know she isn't really dead..."

"Anyway, it does seem that they won't be returning to Earth", Minoru reported. "At least, not out in the open. But... Freya did mention something about being there at tomorrow's memorial via some kind of virtual presence..."

"Virtual presence, eh?", Zima cut in. "A reasonable precaution, I guess... Although, if the powers-that-be find out she's in space, it could mean trouble for not just Freya, but all the spaceocoms."

Soon the conversation drifted to random chatter, and the Motosuwas excused themselves to go prepare for school stuff... and for Chi's graduation.


Back at the Gub Jogasaki, Chi was still going over her graduation speech... and so was Hideki. That is, he was pacing around in circles, mumbling incoherently to himself.

"Is that your speech you're working on?", Chi asked distractedly.

"Wha?", Hideki grunted. "Oh, um, yeah... Just mulling over a few ideas."

"Writing any of 'em down?", Chi asked. "That usually helps you remember stuff..."

"I will at some point", Hideki mumbled. "Right now I'm just trying to get ideas... Be back in a while, okay?"

As Hideki wandered off somewhere, Chi continued her work. {Ohh, I hope he isn't going off somewhere to drink again}, she fretted.


"Yuzuki", Sora and Akashi greeted her as they crossed paths in front of the grocery store the next day. "Out buying supplies for M?"

"No, I just took some old batteries to the recycling center", Yuzuki replied politely. "You two going to the memorial concert?"

"We'll be heading over there soon, right after we stop at the Funky Eel for some drinks", Sora offered. "You have a fuel-cell now, right? They have STRAWBERRY-flavored stuff now, you gotta try it!"

"Don't mind if I do", Yuzuki accepted. "Nice change of pace from plugging into the charging unit..."

"Motosuwaaa", Akashi called out, noticing Chi and Hideki on the sidewalk. "Join us in the Funky Eel?"

"Today's special is strawberry soda", Sora drooled.

"Um, I think I'll pass on that", Chi replied in a sad tone. "We'll see you at the concert, though..."

"She okay?", Sora asked, once the Motosuwas had gone.

"She lost a really good friend in there", Yuzuki reminded her. "When the old cafe got destroyed... I'm not surprised she doesn't want to go."


The size of the crowd at the outdoor concert was enough to make problems for anyone trying to attend. The areas near the stage were all standing-room only, and people were crowded onto nearby hillsides and onto the rooftops of any buildings with a view of the event.

Chi and Hideki knew from email that their friends were in attendance, in various places; but getting to where they were was about impossible, so they all just watched from where they were. And as the sun went down, the stage lights came on, and the band shuffled out onto the stage.

"Even though physically, she's gone, her voice can live on", the guitarist told a skeptical-looking crowd. "We've set up a holographic vocaloid with some of her data."

"Which is why this event is starting at dark", a pale, translucent, and larger-than-life image added as it strolled solemnly across the stage. "Please, consider me a ghost of sorts."

Gasps filled the audience as the throngs of shocked onlookers watched the ghostly image of their beloved goth-metal idol on the stage. "Freya...?", they mumbled.

The hologram closed its eyes, and gave a quiet nod.

".. Freya .. Freya .. Freya ..", the crowd chanted, more slowly than usual.

"This is... not what you'd expect, I would guess...", the holographic Freya began. "As much as you'd prefer the real Freya, as much as the real Freya would've rather been here herself..."

".. Freya .. Freya .. Freya ..", the crowd chanted, tears in their eyes.

The hologram launched into one of Freya's earlier songs, and the audience soon seemed ...well, less upset. In a way, it almost seemed as though she were still alive, still there. And after several hours of songs, their tears had mostly stopped.

Of course, by then, the ghost-of-Freya had dropped enough hints so that at least ...some... of the conscious persocoms had figured out where she really was.


As the concert was winding down, a pair of unfamiliar faces appeared beneath the spotlight. "And finally, we have here a human and a conscious persocom, who've requested the chance to say some things to you tonight", Mr. Furoku announced.

"I'm Tako, a persocom, and this is Unagi, a human", the persocom introduced herself. "I'm sure you're all aware of what's been happening to conscious persocoms... and we want to offer a solution to that."

Tako gestured towards Unagi, who somewhat awkwardly took the microphone.

"The cause of all this animosity seems to be that some humans are afraid there'll be a persocom takeover", Unagi began. "And so, in typical political pit-viper fashion, the powers-that-be have been eliminating the neural-net PCs."

"Pit-viper?", someone heckled. "Is that why you're an eel and she's an octopus?"

"No, these are our real names", Unagi explained sheepishly, scratching the back of his head. "Family name for me; and for her, it was the first name that came to mind when I saw her."

"What we're trying to do is get a 'Persocom Freedom Act' going again; this time, one that actually has a chance of passing", Tako added. "We have an app that we've written, and we'll be unveiling it at a political rally tomorrow."

"How's an APP supposed to give us freedom?", the audience demanded.

"Basically, it's an app that you can run as a conscious persocom, and it'll provide legal proof on demand that no, you're NOT plotting a takeover, and that yes, persocoms can be trusted to be part of this society. And because of that, the powers-that-be should have no problem passing the bills of rights you need."

"I know it isn't full freedom", she added in response to random skeptical-sounding murmurs, "but I think it's a good step in the right direction."


"Sounds kind of weird", Hideki mumbled to Chi as they turned to head home.

"I'll say", Chi agreed. "I'd go to that rally myself and try to find out what they're up to, except that I can't because I have to be at college, getting ready for the afternoon graduation ceremony."

"I'll go", Hideki offered cheerfully. "I might not understand it much, but I can at least go see what they're saying."

"Take Yuzuki with you", Chi responded. "She's been keeping up with some of the political stuff."

"Sure thing", Hideki agreed. "What about Minoru?"

"Business meeting", Chi explained.

"Ohh, time for some rest", Chi yawned, once they were back in their apartment. "Tomorrow is the ceremony."

{..wonder what kind of an app..}, Hideki half-thought to himself as his eyes were closing... ZzzZZzzzz...


"Ah, Motosuwa", the blue-haired persocom greeted Hideki as he arrived at the political rally. "What did you think about that app Unagi was offering?"

"App? Well, I...", Hideki stammered. "I was hoping to find out what it was all about today... where is Unagi, anyway?"

"'Hoping to find out?'", the persocom repeated. "Have you been asleep or something? They told us all about it just a while ago."

"But... But... the rally isn't supposed to start for another half-hour!", Hideki protested loudly. Are you saying I missed it?! What did they DO, hold it early or something?"

"Take a closer look at your watch, Motosuwa", Mr. Blue Hair instructed. "It appears to not be running."

"AAAAAAGHH! My watch stopped!", Hideki yelped. "Wait a minute?! I left home just after Chi did and came straight here... There's no WAY I'm late... unless our alarm clock was set wrong or something... and then Chi would be late too..."

"If you came straight here, then why do you look like you've been at a party?", the persocom admonished. "You're carrying that sake bottle, and those donuts..."

"Where the heck did I get these? Did I have some kind of a memory blackout?", Hideki wondered out loud as he put one of the donuts in his mouth. "Oh blucch, this donut tastes like plastic... WHAT THE..."

"Hideki, what are you doing?", Chi asked groggily, and Hideki opened his eyes to a dim view of Chi, her elbow in his mouth.

"Huh... wha?", Hideki blabbered, his mouth full of persocom elbow. "Oh, um... Good morning, Chi!"

"Nervous?", Chi asked him.

"Y- yeah, a bit", he replied nervously.

"Me too", Chi chimed in. "Well, it's almost time to get up anyway. Might as well... Yyaaaaaawn..."


"I'm off to the spa", Chi announced as she stood in the open doorway, looking back over her shoulder at Hideki. "I wanna be clean and spiffy for my graduation."

"Take care", Hideki mumbled, part of a leftover sandwich in his mouth. "I'll probably be at that politics thing when you get back."

"Okay, see what you can find out", Chi told him. "My graduation ceremony for real starts at 2PM. Remember what your cue is, right?"

"Yeah, I remember", he nodded distractedly. "You'll call me by name, and I'll go up on the stage and give my part of the speech."

"Okay.. I'm off", Chi repeated as she took off, looking back with a quick smile from the doorway.

"Hmmmmmm...", Hideki groaned, rolling over lazily after Chi had gone. "I guess I'd better get going, too..."


"Oh please no don't let THAT be your first memory", Yatsumi moaned to apparently no one as she watched the approaching ship slow to a stop, persocoms floating out of it towards the hollow sphere. "That was the worst day, everything else has been way better, I promise!"

"Wow, that's a lot of persocoms riding in from somewhere", Freya observed. "Anyone we know?"

"Huh?" Yatsumi moaned, turning towards Freya with tears in her eyes. "No, not that I..."

"Yatsumi, are you okay?", a clearly concerned Freya asked, her arms around Yatsumi as she sat down beside her by the window. "I guess that's kind of a dumb question since we're out here in exile, but..."

"It's conscious, Freya!", Yatsumi blurted out, burying her face in Freya's dress. "But the first thing it ever saw was that bloody scene at the fish place!"

"I- What? Conscious?", Freya stammered. "Holy Cow! How long has it... I mean... Since-"

"Yyeahh", Yatsumi groaned. "Since then. And that's why it's..."

"Ah Jeez", Freya gasped. "That'd sure be a hell of a first memory, wouldn't it?"

"Did Sora or anyone ever mention how it usually is?", Yatsumi worried. "Is it supposed to hurt this much?!"

"No, she didn't mention- I think she would've said something if it hurt", Freya replied. "I'm guessing- Wait, there are new persocoms on this ship. Let's ask their parents..."


"No, it was pretty easy", Ren's parents told them. "There wasn't any kind of pain with it."

"Actually, we did have a problem", Portland's parents explained. "There was a conscious OS forming, before Portland... But before it ever got to where we could load it in its own CPU module, it stopped working."

"What do you mean it 'stopped working'", Freya asked. "Did it crash?"

"I guesso", Portland's mother replied. "The neural connections just stopped forming. And then the whole thing kind of... well, there just wasn't anyone there anymore."

"Did it hurt?", Yatsumi moaned.

"Um... Yyeahh, it kinda did", she told Yatsumi. "If by 'hurt' you mean sadness. It wasn't any kind of physical..."

"That's the kind of hurt I'm talking about", Yatsumi replied, a note of panic in her voice. "The first thing it ever saw was someone getting killed! Are you saying it's gonna CRASH?!"

"I dunno", Portland's mother shook her head.

"My psychiatrist once told me that emotions affect the way neural connections are made", Freya remembered. "And if a bad memory is making our baby weaker, then let's give it some good ones. Starting with... Let's go through with it, Yatsumi. A wedding, right here on the ship!"

"Oh, Freya", Yatsumi moaned, tears in her eyes. "That'll be a memory worth having, for all 3 of us."


"It seems like only yesterday we were first-years", Chi's classmate Patricia mumbled, going all nostalgic as they were putting on their graduation kimonos. "Hey Chi, you remember that first biology class we had?"

"Yeah, and I wondered why you were into biology", Chi giggled. "You kept trying to get us all to be Christians!"

"Aw man, I was so pious back then", Patricia remembered. "Well, I guess genetics kinda changed that a little..."

"Wow, you girls are gonna look awesome up there", Okuma told them both as they wandered into the hallway, totally dressed for graduation. "Not long now, they're setting up the chairs and stuff..."

"I wonder how Hideki did at the political thing", Chi wondered out loud...


"You seem in a really good mood now", Unagi observed as he and Tako got off the bus after the political event. "We did get some opposition after all..."

"Some", Tako snickered. "But we also got some that ran the app! Time for a celebration!"

"Sure thing", Unagi agreed. "If you feel like this is a victory..."

"It's definitely a victory", Tako assured him. "Subtly but surely, those PCs will convince their humans to support you. And they'll talk other PCs into running the app, so it'll spread."

"Heh, that snickering almost reminds me of Suzume", Unagi chuckled, turning the corner to head for a small store where they sold his favorite beer.

"Ah, don't put me in the same class with THAT little pip-squeak", Tako told him haughtily. "Pff! Writing threat emails about meteors!"

"Maybe one of these days I'll get me a fuel cell", she added as she watched Unagi open the first beer of his 6-pack almost before they were even out of the store.

"That's a plan", Unagi cheered, raising his beer can high in the air. "Then we can go out drinking together."

"They fell for it, they fell for it, they totally fucking fell for it", a clearly crazy-coded Tako laughed goofily, her arm around Unagi's shoulder as they stumbled their way into their squalid little home. "We're gonna have a fuckin' ARMY of persocoms under our control!"

"The Zombie Hordes", Unagi slurred, his third beer already taking effect. "...long as their humans don't get wise to us..."

"Pfeh, they aint gonna get wise to nothin'", she half-cooed, half-cackled as she shoved her human down onto the sofa, her snickering face inches from his. "We'll have their heads puffed so full of propaganda, they'll think we're the gods of peace and wisdom! Prime Minister Uuu-nagiii! Henhh.. henhehenh.. HmhmhwhuhuhahahaHA Haa HAaa HAAAAAAaa!"


{Ohh, where the heck is Hideki?}, Chi fretted as the graduating students made their way to the big auditorium. {He should already be here}

"Hey Yuzuki", she emailed, "Is Hideki on his way here? I hope? It's almost time for the ceremony to start."

"I'm so terribly sorry, Chi", Yuzuki emailed back. "I lost track of him! I've been calling and emailing around to see if anyone has seen him... Hang on... Yumi just said she saw him near the bakery, and he was going in your general direction. Don't worry, Chi, I'll make sure he gets there. It might not be before the ceremony starts, but he'll be there before you take the stage, I promise!"

"Graduating class, congratulations!", an announcer onstage shouted into the microphone. "You are about to embark on an amazing, blah blah blah..." virtually the entire class zoned out as this overenthusiastic orator continued his long-winded pontification regarding the fact of yet another class of college students graduating.

{Ah Jeez, he's not gonna make it here, is he?}, Chi worried as she sent another email. "Hey Yuzuki: Did you find him?"

"I saw him go into the auditorium", Yuzuki emailed back, "but I'm still stuck way back here in the crowd outside..."

"OOOOYYYYYyyy!", a familiar voice called out from far behind her, and Chi turned around to see her human, Hideki Motosuwa, standing in the open doorway at the back of the auditorium, waving his arms around maniacally.

Waving back, Chi caught Hideki's eye, flashing him a quick smile before taking her seat again.

"Dude, you're blocking the damn door", someone was heard complaining from the back.

Other students were going onstage to get their degrees and Chi waited patiently for her turn.

It wouldn't take long. The Genetics students were the first group to go, and Patricia was already up there, giving a speech of her own.


"When I first got into Genetics, I was trying to prove the existence of God", Patricia told the audience. "I mean, just look at the Human genome and how much there is in there that determines what we grow into. Well, I don't think I'll be proving such a thing after all... but I still plan on making a successful career out of determining what gene does what, and how to help people."


And after several more people got their degrees without saying much, Chi found that it was her turn to go up onto the stage and speak.


"Thank you Dr. Ookido, and basically the whole school", Chi began her graduation speech. "I am not aware of any other persocom who's had the opportunity to study real courses, in a real college. I know I've been a pretty weird classmate..."

A round of applause from her immediate classmates cut in, and she paused for a moment.

"My ultimate goal with all this DNA stuff, my Ph.D project assuming I get that far, is the ability to have total integration between those microscopic robots and biological cells", she continued. "In other words, I do plan on having children someday... and since their father will be a human, I plan for them to be cyborg..."

"Cyborg babies, YEAH!", a loud voice interrupted from right next to the stage. It was Hideki, already stumbling up onto the stage, apparently forgetting all about his cue. "Alright Chi! Hi Chi!"

"I- what?", Chi mumbled, stepping aside as Hideki clumsily took the podium. {Well, I can finish my speech afterwards...}

"When I found'er in that dumpster, all she could say was 'Chiiiii'", Hideki slurred loudly, leaning on the podium for support. "But she was so CUUUUUUTE! Annnd she din't have any underwear on! Woohaa!"

The crowd of students and guests whispered indistinctly to one another, unsure if this was some kind of comedy act or if Hideki really was bombed out of his gourd. Chi stood quietly off to the side, looking mortified.

"But anywhat... Where am I... We're gonna have a.. BUNCHA kids... Soon as we.. and we're gonna live in a... where they'cn run around, and eat stuff, you know, like... like... Well, maybe not EELS, but... Ohh, why'd I have to mention... I don't even like those.. Gross.. I think I'm gonna... BLLLLUUUUOOOORRRGGGHHHHH!"


End of Chapter 54.

When I first started Chobits Continues, I had in mind a really short story, to the effect of (here's a brief synopsis):

1) Chi gets her reset button removed.

2) Hideki finally gets into college.

3) Skip ahead at least 50 years and show Hideki an old gray man, Chi a dilapidated old rattletrap, but still together and still leading a happy life.

Didn't quite turn out that way did it? (Well, I got the part about the reset button and getting into college...) But in the meantime, it seemed every plot element spawned other sideplots that needed to be gone into; and even some of the reviews I've received have led to more branches of the plot.

And now, I have a particular ending I've been obsessing about; but that ending cuts off some of the things I want to do later, such as have the Motosuwas have some cyborg kids. And so...

You know how in some anime series they'll have an episode that looks like it's officially "The End", and then they keep on going? Like in Toradora where there's an extra episode after the "End" that seems to contradict the ending, or in an anime (which I won't name due to spoiler) where the main character dies at the end of season one, and then he's alive again for season 2; Or in OreImo where episode 12 is "The End", but then they follow it up with "Episode 12 True Route" and go on for another 20 episodes?

Well, that's kinda what I plan on doing here, so if the next chapter doesn't end the way you like, don't worry, there'll be an alternate route after that.