Chapter 4: Sister
As the light finally returned to Mikoto's vision, she was of course not with the VS. She was in what looked like a office, and to her slight surprise it seemed to rather late at night, with only the glow of city lights through a nearby large glass window illuminating the room.
"Let's try to get a idea where I am." Mikoto thought as she moved toward a nearby computer and switched it on. A familiar pair of name appeared on the screen.
'Microsoft Windows Ultra Six', and then under it 'A ITEM subsidiary company.'
"It can't be..."
Mikoto quickly hacked through the simple password lock and looked at the desktop.
"Ok so it's 4.30am in the morning...in 2170?!"
She looked for a internet browser and found 'Firebear', whose logo looked a bit like Firefox's and then typed 'who is ITEM?' into the thankfully still Goggle search engine. Wikipedia turned up at the top of the search results and Mikoto clicked onto the page.
"Now lets see if it's Meltdowns lot..."
ITEM is a Japanese multinational conglomerate, founded by Shizuri Mugino, that's has consistently been ranked the most financial successfully company since 2106. Through it's original focus was Esper related industries, it's current focus is on space exploration, and it's Mars based holdings are comparable with some smaller nation states.
She quickly clicked Mugino's page to clarify it wasn't just a case of identical names, and found a familiar if older face greeting her, through her Esper title was referred to as 'Empress of Light', instead of Meltdown. Scanning through the page it seems she had got very rich on 'Post Academy City Esper Production', and then bought out countless companies with the money she had made. Interestingly it seems she had died childless, and her company has passed into the hands of a Sakura Hamazura, who unsurprising was the daughter of a certain Shiage and Rikou Hamazura.
Seeing the term Level Five Esper was a hyperlink, Mikoto followed it and found all the usual names in the usual places, with a ? placed over the sixth slot (still mysterious all these years latter...). She then clicked her own name... and found she been shot, aged fourteen, in Academy City.
"Guess this isn't the same world as the one where Kuroko was dating me and Last Order was trying to become a famous musician."
Mikoto could have happily have spent several hours reading wiki pages, however it seemed her nocturnal computer usage had gained attention.
"ITEM security, freeze!" Shouted a man as he kicked open the door to the room. He was dressed in dark blue gear that reminded Mikoto of Anti-Skill's, through the white ITEM Security logo on his chest was a clear difference, and the handgun he was pointing at her wasn't something she expect Anti-Skill to do.
"Hands off the keyboard!" He shouted. Deciding that compliance was better getting into a fight, Mikoto did so.
"Right now let's get a proper look at you... Computer lights on."
Mikoto turned toward the security guard and kept her hands up as the room lit up.
"What the hell.. your a Misaka?" He stated with surprise as he looked her up and down."And one still in her training wheels outfit too?"
He was blatantly nervous and his gun had gone back to his holster very sharply. Mikoto was still getting her bearings, but she would guess that the Sisters nature must be common knowledge, they must be around, and they must be a group who he didn't want to piss off. Feeling somewhat empathetic, Mikoto decided to make his life easier.
"I seem to have got lost, Misaka notes before adding, perhaps it best to find one of my older sisters to help resolve this situation?" Mikoto said in tone as close as could to her sisters.
Mikoto spent the next hour or so in a small breakout area. It wasn't long before more guards turned up and eventually a stressed looking older woman in a suit joined them, who certainly had the look of 'important person given a phone call in the middle of the night'. They muttered quietly amongst themselves while occasional glancing at Mikoto.
"I've totally ruined everyone's evening..." Mikoto thought with mental sigh. And then like an angel of hope, she arrived.
"I see my little sister has been causing trouble." She stated without the normal 'Misaka says'. But there was no mistaking her features, nor the familiar electromagnetic field Mikoto could feel trying to probe her. She looked slightly older than Mikoto, but not by much, and was wearing blue jeans, a white t-shirt and denim jacket. By her side a similar aged (and rather handsome) blond boy stood in a light grey trench coat and headband, with a suitcase in his hand.
"She was hacking our IT systems in the middle of the night." The suited woman explained. "Care to explain?"
The Sister looked to Mikoto and then the suited woman.
"Mrs Petrova." The Sister stated calmly. "Have you ever heard of the early days of the 25000 units?"
Petrova paused a moment.
"If I recall, those were the first Sisters who started at 'year one'?"
"And the last." The Sister replied with a nod. "Because despite having access to the collective wisdom of the Network, they were chaos incarnate."
"I recall the stories, but your point?"
She pointed at Mikoto.
"She came out the tube a few hours ago and managed to get away from the rest of the Network. We sincerely apologise for the chaos she has caused." The Sister stated while bowing her head.
Petrova sighed.
"Well that explains why she hacked into an accounting computer, and then decided to look up some common knowledge on Wikipedia."
"What was it by the way?" Blondie asked after chuckling, before motioning to the Sister" Footsteps here was really aloof and mysterious about the whole thing."
"Oh who ITEM was, and the public history of our founder and the late Railgun. You know, matters I'm sure the Network has far better information on than Wikipedia."
Blondie nodded.
"Anyway since this was just a child being silly, we will pay a fine on her behalf and take her off your hands?"
He opened the suitcase to show a large amount of money was within, before closing and offering it to Petrova.
"Yes, that would be the most logical way to resolve this little mess." She said after taking the case and checking it contents. "ITEM and the Network need to get along after all."
She pushed Mikoto towards the pair.
"Appreciations." The Sister called Footsteps said as she took Mikoto's shoulder softly. "Lets get your home little one."
The three of them left the building in silence. As Mikoto left she noticed a huge stylised I on the building exterior, along with a huge gold statue of Mugino and slightly smaller ones of who had to be older versions of Kinuhata (still in a mini skirt), Hamazura (through he had a beard) and Takitsubo (who someone had put in lab coat).
"So we have much to discuss." Footsteps remarked. "Because we know your not a member of the Network."
"I know this is going to be hard to believe, but it's actually me Mikoto."
"My sister Mikoto is dead." She replied calmly, but bluntly. "She was shot by a experimental rifle and disintegrated. Sadly the then Board of Governors 'buried' the whole research facility in attempts to cover up events... but they only managed to destroy the data on the murder weapon in the long run."
"Wait I was disintegrated?" Mikoto replied. "I remember being shot, but I thought I bleed out in Kuroko's arms before my first jump...?"
Footsteps paused.
"Jump?"
"I seem to be jumping between alternative realities." Mikoto explained before going into some basic detail. "First I was in a near future where Kuroko was my mature girlfriend and Last Order was in a band with Frema and this girl called Ichika. Then I was in this weird world of dragons, elves and airships flying on something called skystone, before I ended up on this alien world with a crashed colony ship called the Seed of Hope and it's AI called VS and we taught these nanobot altered kids that had gone back to the stone age the basics of writing."
Footsteps stared at her a long moment.
"You have no idea of half the context of your words do you?" She stated calmly.
"Context?"
"Exactly." She replied before motioning to the blond boy. "This is Edward Kamijou, who as your likely wondering, is the great great grandson of Touma Kamijou and Leivinia Birdway. He going to ask you a few questions."
"Nice to meet you Mikoto!" He greeted in a friendly manner as he took her hand and shook it, before adding playfully." Can I have your phone number and measurements please?"
"No!" Mikoto blurting out firmly while feeling the heat of a blush in her cheeks. "Why would I tell you them?"
"Then at least you'll tell me any confidential information the VS might have shared with you?"
Mikoto narrowed her eyes.
"Even if your a relative of a old friend, I'm not going to spill another friends secrets so easy."
"First words the Sisters said to you?"
Mikoto thought a moment.
"I think it was meow of all things?"
Footsteps gave Edward a little nod.
"I think we've learned enough about Mikoto through you." She stated before turning to Mikoto. "Forgive Ed's slightly strange questions, but we needed to test your resilience to his Esper ability, as well as your access to otherwise mostly Network only information."
"His Esper ability?"
"Basically his power is supercharged persuasion." Footsteps explained. "He can't make people go against there core ethics, but as long as his suggestions are reasonable and his target isn't too on guard or strong of will, he can usually make people do what he wants."
"So a weaker version of Mental Out then?"
She nodded.
"I'm immune to Mental Out."
"Exactly, through we're not finished testing the validity of your claim."
The three of them approached what looked like a car. Footsteps opened the boot and took out a small wand like device.
"Finger." She stated while looking at Mikoto expectantly. Mikoto gingerly offered her right hand with her palm up...Footsteps poked the wand like device into Mikoto index finger.
"Ow!" She shouted as she felt a sharp sudden sting in said index finger.
"Computer, compare to Network DNA baseline." Footsteps stated to the little wand.
"100% match." It replied in a cold tone that reminded Mikoto of the VS a great deal.
"So I guess she really is your long thought dead sister then?" Edward suggested.
"I guess so." Footsteps replied as she calmly put her device away, before wandering over to Mikoto and giving her the most awkward hug in the history of hug giving.
"We are all glad your back."
Mikoto smiled softly as she returned with a proper hug.
"And I'm glad to find my family."
After that, the three of them jumped into the car. Surprisingly it seemed Edward was in fact a legal driver (the legal driving age had gone down apparently) and drove them to little quiet bar that was open despite the late/early hour.
"So tell me about these jumps." Footsteps instructed..
"Right so the first one..."
Mikoto went into the details of the jump. The part were she was mysteriously shot, the nightclub and Kuroko, Last Order's band (which oddly made Edward look deeply uneasy) and Lievinia and co's experiments.
"Interesting." Footsteps said as she finished.
"That totally sounded like how the honoured ancestor would react." Edward said with nod afterwards. "She still bossy even now."
Mikoto blinked.
"She still about?!"
"She's one of the true immortals and immune to the effects of time." Footsteps explained. "Apparently she's been running around since at least the early Middle Ages...but the Controller has never had an interest in the arts and Saten never ran a club, through Kelly Danielopoulos was an important member of the Dawn Coloured Sun Light for many years and practised Greek styled magic."
Edward nodded at that.
"My big sis always talks highly of Danielopoulos' contributions to the cabal, because her recruitment really improved the Dawn Coloured Sun Light's spell repertoire."
"And so your first jumps events did not happen in this world, but included some figures acting realistic, despite you not knowing them." Footsteps concluded before adding. "Next jump please."
Mikoto told them about the airship, Chiyo, the dragonblood's attack and the aftermath. Oddly enough Footsteps seemed far more interested in the details of there culture that the events.
"Next jump please."
This time she told them about the VS, the lost colony ship and how Mikoto had taught them writing.
"Wait I've heard of those style of ships!" Edward blurted out. "ITEM been sending them out for the last decade or so!"
"Wait..." Mikoto said as started putting things together. "Then you mean all those references to the 'Company', were talking about ITEM?"
"Almost certainly." Footsteps replied. "Through sadly the Seed of Hope departed three years ago, and it's FTL drive makes it move faster then any communication that could reach it. The colony's do use quantum communicator's to talk with Earth once they are established... but there power hungry massive machines you can't fit onto even the biggest spacecrafts. I suppose we could try to explain to ITEM that it's going to crash and to send another ship to the same site to help them, but considering the extreme expense and the only proof being your memories... there very unlikely to do so."
Mikoto sighed.
"You did a lot for them sister." Footsteps said as she awkwardly patted Mikoto shoulder. "The Network will do what we can do to finish the job, so leave it to us."
"Thank you." Mikoto replied sincerely.
"On your jumps...the Controller and other elders wish time to disuse the matter and do some virtual modelling of idea's and theories. I've been ordered to take you somewhere important in the meantime."
"Somewhere important?" Mikoto asked curiously.
"You'll understand when we get there." Footsteps replied as she finished her drink.
It was sometime latter and the sun had fully risen.
"Here we are." Footsteps stated as she motioned towards a church. "The Controller wishes you to visit."
Mikoto looked at the distinctively unjapanese building that somehow made it's way into the middle of Tokyo. Someone with a knack for style had decided the small building would have look weird directly next to a skyscraper, and so had put it in the centre of a little park instead.
"Wonder if this is connected with that Index girl that Touma was friends with?" Mikoto wondered as she walked in with the pair. Considering how early it was, there was a fair number of people present, and off all sorts of backgrounds and ages, through most seemed to be ethnically Japanese.
Currently a rather old looking black woman, who judging from her dress was the minister of the church, was preaching...
"Brothers and sisters, guests and old hands, let me tell you the story of our Saint!"
"Oh this must be Ensigns Jones little church." Mikoto realised . "I guess the Sisters want me to understand him a bit better?"
"Our Saint did not start on a path of faith, but even as girl she walked a path of justice. In that old city of darkness she chose a path of service to others, and boldly fought what shadows she came across."
Mikoto saw a Highschool girl near the front nod rather enthusiastically at that bit. Looking her over, she seemed to have a rather athletic figure and was wearing a bright blue armband on her uniform, so Mikoto guessed that perhaps she was part of this era version of Judgement?
"However when that great tragedy took place, she was there, and she saw her personal dreams shatter in front of her, as the era we now call the Era of Fear started."
She motioned towards Mikoto and the other two.
"Few can remember the era before, but we are lucky that a pair of the Misaka Sisters have joined us... perhaps one of you can tell us what it was like before that great tragedy?"
Mikoto suddenly felt very much on the spot, however Footsteps was quick to reply.
"The Academy City authorities use to be very good at selling hope. " She explained. "Our Network was very young at the time and our illegally cloned nature meant we wasn't really part of any normal social activity... but back then even we could tell that for most of the students, there outlook was rosy."
"Yet?"
"We lost ten thousand and thirty one sisters in that rosy era. Terrible things were done, but the city authorities had a policy that anything was permissible in the name of research... but keep the bloody mess in the shadows. Thus till that incident most people though that city of science was just."
The Minister gave her a slow nod before returning to her preaching.
"The Era of Fear was born out of grand lies being exposed for what they were. An era where that Angel of Destruction, Accelerator brought down the walls of the city and stated 'I am taking my charges and leaving, but if anyone says you can't, then I will bring them down'. A former underworld group called ITEM proclaimed they would protect any Esper in Academy City that gave allegiance to there 'Empress of Light' and our Saint began her long crusade to bring every shadow loving villain to justice in the light and safety to every innocent, regardless of the details!"
There was much cheering at that.
"Let us learn from our Saint's example!" She proclaimed with considerable gusto. "Things will go wrong in our lives, dreams will be shattered and hopes will be misplaced... but those are times we find ways to be hope, to inspire dreams and put things right!"
"Well Ensign Jones certainly walked the walk there." Mikoto thought with slight bittersweetness.
"Also let us remember why she was made patron saint of Espers a mere decade after her death." The Minister continued in a softer tone. "How in those dark days when Crowley still controlled the city, she proudly proclaimed her new faith in the full knowledge that it would make her powerful enemies."
"Er?" Was Mikoto mental reaction to that. "I know Academy City pushed science and progress, but how was it anti-religion?"
"They constantly tried to discredit her and twist her actions with deceitful media. But she fled not from the public eye. No she dragged the sinful monsters who would prey on orphans to do dark research and presented the proof of thei misdeeds before the world. She wrecked super weapons and saved distressed persons. She enforced laws as written and ensured any 'deals' would become public knowledge."
Another rather old lady near the front of the church nodded at that and spoke.
"But when she saved people like my grandfather, they remembered."
The Minister nodded.
"That they did. It was hard on our Saint in the early days especially, but over time she earned respect and trust from those she saved... and she saved again and again."
The Minister smiled a little with a distant look for a moment before talking again.
"Our little church started as a little fanclub in those days. Our faith was born out of her faith, and her faith was a faith of action, so we became a church of action."
"Well they do say that imitation is the most sincere form of flattery..." Mikoto silently noted.
"Eventually our Saints religious piety and deeds earned her the respect of Necessarius, those most Christian Magicians, and with the help of them, our young church and an alliance with ITEM, the last of the monsters were kicked out of Academy City and the Chairman and his tower vanished mysteriously one night."
She then picked up a rather old looking bible.
"The very next morning she swore on this very book and before God, that she would stand as Academy City's new Chairwoman and swore again that she would keep the darkness out of it. Some think this was Necessarius playing politics... but the world accepted her as the new Chairwoman and the war between 'magic' and 'science' ended that day for good."
There was much cheering across the church, but Mikoto felt very much the confused outsider.
"Anyway the rest, as they say, is history. And I know many of you have busy days ahead of you, so I'll let you all have a private moment with the Saint and get on with your days now." Said the Minister warmly before motioning towards the back of the church. "Orderly que and no rushing as per usual brothers and sisters."
Mikoto was even more confused by that statement, but clarity quickly came.
"Footsteps wants you to see the tomb at the back." Edward quietly whispered in Mikoto's ear. "Wait till everyone else has gone and we visit it as a trio."
It took a good half hour at least before they could approach the tomb, but approach it they did. Mikoto wasn't quite sure why the Sisters thought it was so important her limited time was spent in some church, but she took a good look at the tomb.
The first thing she noticed was that it was a work of art in stone. The top slab was of a beautiful middle aged woman with cute features and short hair who been dressed as a helmet less samurai. But instead of a sword in her hands, she held a set of scales instead.
"A warrior of justice then." Mikoto silently noted as she looked it over. "I guess they wanted to empathise the different aspects of her character in one image."
Then she looked at the inscription...
"No way." She thought with a shaking lip as she read it. "She went -this- far?!"
Mikoto wasn't the sort of person to panic in a crises. She could stare death in the face and not blink, but this emotion was a very different beast.
"It's ok sister." Footstep said softly as she placed a hand on Mikoto's shoulder. "We knew it be unfair for you to not know this, even if it's a hard pill to swallow"
Mikoto cheeks were wet, her knees were struggling to keep her legs vertical and she dared not reply with a voice that would most certainly not be able to pull off the neutral tone of a Sister.
Kuroko Shirai
2008 - 2118
Level 4 Teleportation Esper - Move Point
Second Chairman of Academy City
Teacher, Protector and Friend of Many
Patron Saint of Espers
She should have figured it out, she should have joined up the dots. Kuroko had never been elusive or mysterious about how she felt about her and then she had seen Mikoto shot right in front of her eyes.
"According to Touma she was in a really dark place for about six months." Footsteps explained in her cool steady tone. "Touma being Touma, he couldn't just leave her in distress. So he took care of her, and Index was always with him in those days..."
"I know Kuroko." Mikoto mumbled out weakly before motioning around her. "All this work, all this effort...Index must have told her something like 'Mikoto is is heaven watching you now, why don't you give her something to smile with pride about'?"
"...You know Kuroko."
Mikoto stared at the tomb that her best friend now resided in. Her best friends elderly skeleton, her best friend who been punched so hard in hard in the heart, yet had pulled herself together and then out shined Mikoto in deed.
"She's getting red roses." Mikoto declared.
It was sometime latter after the visit to the florist and brief return to the church. Mikoto was sitting in the back of Edward's car with Footsteps.
"Thank you for showing me that." Mikoto stated after a period of silence.
"It was the Controller's idea, but I accept you thanks in the name of the Misaka Network."
Mikoto let herself smile softly.
"How you get a name like Footsteps anyway?" She asked out of curiosity.
"Oh we all get given a name after six months or so. Decided by the Controller, but typically in close concert with the older members of the Network."
"But -Footsteps-?"
"I'm good at detective work, following the footsteps of truth so to speak. The Network has never cared for standard naming, but we do enjoy names with meaning."
Mikoto nodded.
"Anyway we've reached our location."
Mikoto got out and looked at the large building in front of her. It had solid looking walls and and fortified battlements with what looked like heavy machines guns on the top. By the singular door that led inside where a pair of soldiers with machine guns in full light blue body armour.
"Unit 187894, you have returned with the VIP." Said the guard on the right in the cool tone of a Sister to Footsteps.
"Indeed, and I see our eldest sister's electromagnetic aura is indeed quite impressive via your helmet display."
"Oh snooping around on a security channel little sister." Said the guard on the left. "How very naughty of you, tut tut tut."
"Also welcome to the Misaka Networks HQ Mikoto." Said the guard on the right.
"We don't normally let none Sisters in here." Said the one on the left.
"But you are our sister, so we will make an exception." Said the one right.
Footsteps started to walk towards the car.
"Also remember even if she shares our DNA, Mikoto isn't on the Network." Said the one on the right again.
Footsteps paused mid step.
"Footsteps and me will start working on trying to help the Seed of Hope!" Edward shouted from the car. "Enjoy your meeting with the Controller!"
"Good bye eldest sister." Footsteps said with a polite bow before getting into the car. Edward gave Mikoto a little wave and drove off.
"Good boy that Edward." Said the guard on the left. "Little Footsteps is great at logic, but sometimes she forget herself a bit... and young Edward is rather good at covering for her.
Mikoto nodded before replying with a grin.
"She not exactly good at hugs either is she?"
That got a pair of chuckles.
"Anyway Beta is waiting for you inside, and she'll take you to the Controller." Said the guard on the left as she motioned toward the door. Mikoto gave the pair a polite nod and walked inside.
It was a surprisingly busy room. Around the edges of the room were more blue armoured Sisters, but they were very much in the minority.
"Hello, says Misaka as she greets her elder in a friendly manner!"
"I want to see your railgun first hand, says Misaka in excited tone"
There were -dozens- of Sisters in Tokiwadai uniforms all shouting loudly. A fair few adult sisters in white lab coats looking at them with sighs and one middle age sister with white hair and a simple blue uniform who was sitting at a central desk.
"Calm down brats, she got more important things to see too than your childish whims." Said the white haired Sister to the crowd before talking directly to Mikoto. "I'm Beta, destroyer of drug barons, slayer of warlords, keeper of cease fires and now your personal tour guild."
Mikoto grinned at her snarkily words before replying.
"I get this subtle feeling that you perhaps had a rather active youth!"
"You have no idea..." Beta said as she got up. "But first lets get out of childcare."
Beta motioned toward a elevator. Mikoto followed her in and they started heading down.
"You noticed the blue uniforms right?"
Mikoto nodded.
"A long time ago we Sisters realised that Academy City wasn't the only place with shadows." Beta explained. "And we also realised we had a knack for both combat and impartiality."
Mikoto looked at the light blue uniform.
"United Nations?" Mikoto asked curiously, to which Beta nodded.
"We got involved in peace keeping a decade or so after your 'death'. But after Accelerator died the Controller decided to adapt the agenda of 'Aggressive Prevention'"
Mikoto felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end.
"Some people started calling the Controller the 'That Scary Old Woman' after that. But we've never shot a gun at anyone who was trying to live a peaceful life. We shot plenty of people who thought murdering children was acceptable and we've made the organised drugs trade something that only exist in history books through."
It didn't completely ease Mikotos worries. But there was another thing bugging her.
"So the Controller is still Last Order then?"
Beta nodded.
"I thought she would have passed away by now?"
"Well.." Beta said softly before pausing a moment. "The Controller thinks it's best if you see in person."
Mikoto's feelings of anxiousness were growing, but the elevator finally came to stop.
"We must be pretty deep down." Mikoto thought. "I guess for security reasons?"
The door opened and a surprisingly large and long room full of boxes with writing on them revealed themselves.
"Only two none Sisters have ever walked down here." Beta explained with a rather solemn tone. "And please act with softness and care in here."
Mikoto was slightly confused, so she softly walked over to the first box.
10032
Survivor
The last of us to face the experiments
Lover of cats
Died of heart failure in her own bed
It wasn't a box, it was a tomb.
"Everyone returns here..." Mikoto said in a voice barely above a whisper.
"We don't buy into the whole afterlife thing, but it feels... respectful to return to the place most of us where born . Also considerable easier to protect our dead sisters remains being disgraced by magicians with power over the dead and other less supernatural abuse by keeping them here."
Mikoto nodded softly before walking gently down the corridor, and now and again, glancing at the many dead's stories.
10562
Paladin
Founder of the Misaka Peacekeepers
Protector of the weak
Died in action to a missile strike
14678
Voice
Prevented Nuclear war between Israel and Iran in 2087
The world will never know the power of her words
Assassinated by a fanatic with poison
20000
Student
Ensured the Misaka Network's future
Let us never forget her many sorrows
Died of heart failure in a hospitals bed
Mikoto bit her lip and glanced at the next few boxes.
20003
Died trying to be born
20004
Died trying to be born
The sad patten continued for a while, till eventually...
20035
Child
Born a miracle,lived a warrior, died a hero
Destroyer of the Kihara Alliance
Died in action to an assault cannon
There were many violent deaths, but death by heart failure seemed to be the most common by far. (Mikoto made a mental note to take good care of her own in light of this). However after a while she noticed Beta stop at a specific box for a long moment and her curiosity made her look over...
160001
Alpha
Our first 4.5
Her deeds ensured peace
Died in action to a high powered rifle to save the President of India
Considering the Sister next to her was called Beta, it wasn't hard to fill in the blanks.
"We were suppose to be Level 5's." Beta explained while staring at the box. "The Misaka Networks super weapons who could overcome any foe, save any day. Heck because we stole idea's from the Dark May project, me Alpha and Gamma had a really hard start... sometimes I think we would have had a harder one if that other tragic electromaster hadn't existed."
Mikoto bit her lip.
"Alpha wanted so hard to be the 'Neo Railgun' as she put it, and always adored the stories of Touma saving everyone without creating tears when she was younger."
Mikoto stared at the tomb a long moment as well before asking the obvious question.
"Did she live up to that dream?"
"No one ever called her the Neo Railgun, but they call us three 'The Angels' for our knack of saving the day, plus you know... the flight trick. So I think we landed pretty close to her dream."
"The flight trick?" Mikoto ask curiously.
"Well more controlled throwing followed by controlled falling in our special suits, but I'm sure you can do the same trick with less tools right?"
"Ha..." Mikoto replied with an awkward expression.
"So we actually beat the original at something... sweet." She stated with a slight smirk before leading Mikoto to the end of the corridor with little further comment.
"Anyway time to meet the Controller." She simply stated as she opened the door.
Much to Mikoto surprise, the first thing she noticed in the room was a little silver haired girl in a maid outfit. She was pouring fresh tea into a cup on a simple table in the middle of the room with a chair. Said chair was facing a large monitor, similar to the VS's, and on the other side of the room was a powered down mecha about the size of a elephant with tons of weapons built in next to a simple door.
"Last Order?" She asked in a puzzled tone to the little girl.
The little girl sighed before talking to the screen.
"Cease hiding."
Again, like with VS, a green frog logo appeared as a loading screen.
"Cease hiding."
This time a older looking Misaka with long brown hair and a beautiful emerald dress appeared on the screen.
"Good." The little girl simply stated before going to the side of the screen and standing like some miniature solider on parade by the table.
"Last Order?" Mikoto asked again.
"It is I." The Misaka on the screen replied. "We have much to discuss Sister."
"Like why you are using a virtual avatar to communicate with me?" Mikoto asked as she sat at the little table.
"Because this Misaka would point out her body is a wreck and her understand of cybernetics and communications technology is outstanding." Said a familiar sounding voice from behind Mikoto. She turned suddenly and notice the mecha's eyes were now gently glowing blue.
"Worst?" She asked in surprised.
"This Misaka uses Firewall these days, but it is indeed her."
"Sister speaks the truth." Last Order stated calmly. "Time started hunting us both a little bit too closely... so I retired to this shell to administrate, and Firewall retired to her shell to act as my final guardian."
"This Misaka promised that honour student Accelerator she look after Last Order if he couldn't you see, also this form is totally badarse!"
"So you two now see via cameras and hear via microphones?"
Last Order's avatar nodded.
"I miss taste the most, but I have duties to the Network, my fallen sisters and to this world... death is a luxury I cannot afford."
Mikoto gave her a slow nod. She was starting to figure out Last Orders mentality.
"And whose your friend?" She asked while pointing at the little girl with silver hair.
"Oh that's Fräulein." Last Order explained. "Time has no hold on her, but when you lived as long as me, you appreciate having a old friend around... and she appreciates our friendship as much."
Fräulein gave a little nod.
"But let's move onto the main topic eldest sister, the topics of your jumps."
"You learn anything from your modelling and internal Network discussions?" Mikoto inquired.
"We followed our hunches and tested them against plausibility."
"And your conclusions?"
"Your first jump sent you forward through time, but the effect was very much an active effect and thus Touma Imagine Breaker broke it." Last Order explained. "This 'jolt' then sent you far far into the future, and now reality is trying to pull you back to where you belong. It's also likely why 'you' keep resetting too."
"Last Order, my second jump involved a dragon..."
She nodded.
"We ran projections on SNH967582AA and it's long term effects. Our hypothesis is they could break down in time, but they could also mutate in a similar way to biological evolution or go quiet for generation in a families bloodline. Hence dragons and dragon like humans, your friend little oni sister and the elven gentleman. Additional we noticed a lot of mythological terms with modern connections, or connections that fitted with your activities with the VS."
"Ah?"
"The Angel of Destruction is title of Accelerator's that the media latched onto because of his wings and violent ways. Our Lady of Light seems a soft corruption of Mugino Empress of Light title. Considering said lady was being worshipped as representative of a merchant republic's ideals and Mugino was the figurehead of a powerful company... it doesn't seem to big a jump. Then we get to First Spark, the goddess of invention... who sounds awful like a certain electromaster who visited some primitive peoples, used her powers in plain sight, and then kick started there science by teaching them writing..."
"Everything is linking up..."
"Exactly."
Mikoto took deep drink of her tea. There were a few things that still bothered her.
"Last Order..."
"Yes sister?"
"The VS... she said she wasn't a AI, but something similar?"
Last Order's avatar smiled.
"The Virtual Sister project is one of my proudest achievements." She explained. "ITEM are good with many things, but they needed a truly intelligent computer for there colony ships... so I signed a contract with to provide such for a reasonable sum."
"This Misaka will point out that technically it was Convent who did the actual signature."
"She did it in my name!" Last Order blurted out in response to Worst before returning to a calmer tone and continuing. "The VS technology was adapted from two distinctive technologies the Network is very well versed in, networking and implanting knowledge via Testament. To put it in simple terms, a VS's isn't a AI because we didn't create them from scratch, instead we created a copy of a Sisters mind in a digital format and then gave said mind the ability to join our network."
"Wait..." Mikoto sad as she ran through the logical consequences of such a process. "Does that mean when a VS on a colony manages to reconnect to Earth, there basically be another Sister in the Misaka Network, and thus the VS's are under your control?"
"-Exactly-" Last Order stated with a extremely smug expression.
"Holy crap." Mikoto silently thought "Not only has she turned into a control freak, she's cunning as hell."
"How many backdoors of control have you got?"
"Well we use to have Fremea telling us about the board meetings at ITEM HQ till she sadly passed away... "Last Order noted with a slightly distant and sad expression. "We have a VS on Mars controlling most of the key systems and communications, through ITEM seems to have a fair few channels that don't go through her... the countless secret listening post in hot spots... the Misaka Knight bodyguard project given me plenty of ears in important places...and we managed to sneak a few bugs into the more modern ITEM Offices during there construction, but there rather attached to there original HQ for sentimental reasons and it's security is very tight."
Mikoto blinked.
"You seem rather fixated on knowing what ITEM is up to, I get there a powerful company..."
"You don't know the half of it." Last Order replied rather quickly. "Shizuri Mugino worked hard to convince a lot of rich and powerful people to let there children become Espers. Then when Sakura Hamazura took over she started pushing the idea that Espers where special and better than normal people. The modern ITEM is insanely rich, has people in important position everywhere and it's ultimate goal is to create a Esper styled plutocracy to rule the world."
"How did Mugino's lot get so much influence, and so quickly?"
"Somehow as Academy City started to fall to pieces, they managed to monopolise Esper creation. And by the time that monopoly was broken, they were a major player. Heck we still don't get how Rikou was creating Espers of her own a few months after your apparently died... but she did and ITEM took countless Level 0 students and turned them into a loyal army of Level 1s that called Mugino their 'Empress of Light'."
Mikoto sighed deeply.
"What about Kuroko's cult?"
"A great asset." Last Order explained. "They don't have any grand plan to control the world, but a lot of Espers at least give her teachings lip service. So whenever ITEM gets to blatant in there Esper supremacy agenda, they start losing staff to religious guilt and customers to morel outcry."
"'The Saint would never approve', has been a slogan used many many times." Beta added.
"Thank you Kuroko." Mikoto silently thanked. "But however I cut it, me getting shot led to a idealogical cold war that you and my little sisters had to fight."
"So on a related topic... I take it you looked into my shooting in considerable detail?"
"Course we did." Last Order stated. "We worked closely with Misaki and took advantage of her considerable powers to get as much of the full story as we could."
"And what did you uncover?"
"Remember your first jump where I was frivolously playing music?"
"Sure, with Fremea and Ichika right?"
"That Ichika was the one who shot you."
Mikoto blinked.
"Your kidding?"
Last Orders avatar stared at her quiet seriously.
"She would have been like.. eight at the time?"
"We uncovered that she was a Level 4 electromaster with a specially designed sniper rifle. It worked in union with her powers to make it bullets undetectable by electromagnetic means... which is exactly how she managed to shoot you in the heart."
"But why would a little girl want me dead?"
"She saw you as a symbol of deception, of Academy City's false promises. For a long time we really hated her.. but time changes emotions."
Last Orders avatar looked rather grim and paused a moment before continuing.
"They took a talented young electromaster and gave her the impossible goal of being you. They didn't care how much she suffered, they made her think it was her fault that she couldn't blast a railgun or create Kaiju sized constructs of steel with her powers... and so she locked onto you as a symbol of everything wrong with the world."
The image of that nervous girl with a love for music flashed through Mikoto's mind. According to the Last Order in that world, Mugino had took her under her wing and protected her. Was the backstory of that version the same, but her fate changed by Mugino to something less tragic?
"Any idea how a electromaster operating a fancy rifle caused a temporal effect?" Mikoto asked.
"The Board of Directors destroyed all data and persons related to it's creation quicker than we could work annoyingly. Ichika herself was torn to pieces by some killer robot within a hour of your own shooting, because Academy City always loved extreme violence against minors "
Mikoto sighed.
"Also we're pretty sure your next jump will be your last. All your previous jumps, besides the first, have had forward effects... but we have no record of you in the one hundred and fifty year period between and now and then.."
Mikoto bit her lip. Logically she would try to reach the Sisters if she jumped into that period, so the fact she hadn't meant she hadn't landed in it.
"Guess it won't be long till I know what awaits me next, one way or the other."
Last Order gave her a rather serous nod.
"Let's be optimistic and assume I be able to change my fate." Mikoto stated as she started doing her 'homework'...
It was a fair bit latter. After 'homework' Mikoto had spent a lot of time with the younger Sisters, telling them stories about her adventures. Unsurprisingly it wasn't only Alpha who adored stories featuring Touma, as when he popped up in the narrative they all got overly excited and started asking questions about the silliest of minor details. Eventually through as the day started catching up with her, so Mikoto returned to Last Order's room to do her final big sister duties.
"So it won't be long now till I drop off..." Mikoto noted as she lazily on her chair before Last Order screen. "And as your big sis I feel it's my responsibility to give you some life advice."
Last Order blinked.
"I'm not a little girl..."
"Exactly, your the scary old woman that everyone else is scared silly of pissing off." Mikoto replied while shaking her finger at Last Order's avatar. "But I'm your big sis so I don't."
Last Orders avatar looked slightly taken back by Mikoto's outburst. It was blatantly clear no one else had the guts to talk with her so frankly.
"I can see your working hard to try and protect everyone and keep world peace. But there a difference between shielding people and smothering them, and I won't lie and say I'm convinced your never doing the later."
"But sister.."
"No buts." Mikoto replied sharply. "I get it that ITEM plays dirty and has a lot of power, but I don't want my little sister to turn into a tyrant to fight them. Read twentieth century history and see how much evil was done with the excuse of stopping the fascists/communists and don't be the twenty second version."
Last Order looked uncomfortably to the side. Clearly she was feeling the pressure.
"And please please find more people like Edward and let them in on things more. I get it that being a hive mind queen with an army of clones your mentality linked with does give you plenty of hands for plenty of jobs... but you still need friends and allies you can trust, and if I'm the third none Sister to enter in here, then you've clearly got trust issues."
"I'm sorry I let you down and I'm such a disappointment!" Last Order replied while looking like she might burst into tear.
"Your not a disappointment Last Order, don't think that for a moment." Mikoto said in a softer tone before motioning to the celling. "Out there in the cosmos there a bunch of machines whose hobbies include trying to tell jokes and whose first priority is to keep there crew safe. If creating them was all you ever did, then I be the proudest sister ever... and I know you've done far more."
That cheered her up.
"But as your big sis, it's my job to tell you what you could do better and to tell you harsh truths.. so I will."
"And I will take on your advice." Last Order stated with a firm nod.
"Wish I could hug you."
Last Order sighed before giving Mikoto a sad smile.
"I'm just glad I lasted long enough too see you again... the Network will be your pride, mark my words."
"I know you all will, but I'm also struggling to keep awake... " Mikoto explained. "So lets call it a night."
She walked over to Last Order's screen.
"Never forget I love you."
She then wandered over to the mecha suited clone formally known as Worst.
"So Firewall, I think you must be what the myth of the Iron Sentinel was based on in Chiyo's time..." She kissed the hull of the suit softly before hugging the metal suit. "Look after Last Order for me will you?"
"This Misaka will..."
She then wandered over to Beta and attack hugged her.
"I'm going to master that flight trick of yours!" She said playfully. "And your going to look after the others for me right?"
Beta hugged back with a soft grin on her features.
"Oh I'm sure I'll be ok, but I can't see you mastering that flight trick."
Mikoto blob her tongue.
"I'm the sort of girl who doesn't settle for good, but aims for perfect every time!"
"Then you won't master the flight trick." Beta replied before winking. "And that the last hint your getting!"
Mikoto smiled before turning to the smallest person in the room.
"Hey Fräulein, could I borrow your bed?"
She nodded and took Mikoto's hand, leading her through the door. It was rather homely inside, despite the obvious lack of windows. Fluffy animals of all sorts where scattered about, along with many photo's that mostly contained Fräulein, Last Order and Fremea at various stages of there lives, through Fräulein of course remained the same in every image.
"You guys were pretty close then?"
Fräulein nodded before leading her to a bedroom. It had a cute aesthetic.
"Thank you for everything." She stated before closing the bedrooms door.
"Well she wasn't one for chit chat" Mikoto noted as she settled into the bed. "But I guess from all the pictures, that Last Order must be precious person to her.."
She stared at the dark celling.
"I might jump into my own death, I might jump with moments to dodge..." She mused anxiously. "But if I die, then things will go crazy..."
She had to protect her sisters from having to carry such a great weight, she had to protect Kuroko's heart from being broken and she had to stop the streets of her home running red with blood and fear... but this time as the darkness that lasted both a moment and an eternity returned, Mikoto mentally prepared to challenge fate.
Next time: Railgun