"So, moving on to more recent events. One week ago, intel came in from a construction site regarding a ghoul. When confronted, the ghoul was unharmed by all Quinque attacks. However, the ghoul did agree to come peacefully to our testing facility, claiming to be able to prove that it wasn't a ghoul. For now, the ghoul will be codenamed Fortress due to its unusually tough defense. Upon arriving, Fortress showed no aggressive tendencies. However, even specially prepared and treated needles could not draw blood. All samples had to be taken by the ghoul itself as not even our specially designed metals could cut away samples. The ghoul has shown to be unusually compliant in that it consented to taking its own blood, hair, saliva, and nail samples. Since then it has been in confinement. It has not eaten the food given to it, but it has begun eating the chair left in the room with it. When questioned, Fortress stated that it had a different diet and didn't mind eating plastics. It is unknown whether or not this a unique trait Fortress, or merely a ruse to garner some form of trust or assumption form us, though Fortress has not given proof of any gastrointestinal discomfort." Sasaki Haise finished his report. "The ghoul has remained in solitary under the watch of my squad."
Mr. Washuu nodded and turned to the next CCG employee seated at the table, . The odd man grinned beneath his strange mop of dark hair. Beside him, Dr. Shiba also looked peculiarly excited. Sasaki grimaced slightly at the sight.
"I have been looking over Fortress's DNA samples alongside Dr. Shiba. And, we've both come to the frankly astonishing conclusion that Fortress's DNA is human based." Dr. Shiba rose and held up a tablet to display several strands of DNA. Then he highlighted a few parts blue and the other parts yellow while Dr. Chigyou continued speaking. "The blue strands of DNA are the human bits of DNA. Meanwhile the yellow strands are the DNA that doesn't match either ghoul or human, and the red strands of DNA," Here Dr. Shiba highlighted some very small segments of DNA. "Are similar or use the same patterns of acids found in Ghoul DNA." Soft shuffling and murmuring broke out around the table. Though only those directly involved with the containment and testing of Fortress would be speaking at today's meeting, the floor heads, several higher ranking investigators, and a few board members were also present. For them, this sort of news was both shocking, horrifying (as some of them had not even been aware there was a ghoul that was impervious to their weapons and tools), and intriguing due to the test results.
"So it's quinx?" One of the board members asked. From the disinterested timber of the man's voice, Sasaki could tell he was one of the Washuu that had not had to work for his position.
"No. A quinx is a human who undergoes surgery to obtain a biological weapon. At no point was this "Fortress" a human. Whatever it is, Fortress is the culmination of either extensive DNA modifications from before birth or the offspring of such a pair of individuals." Dr Shiba cut in with an uncharacteristically sharp undertone to his voice. Apparently he didn't like anyone comparing a clearly more powerful, and seemingly just as stable, alternative. "It is no natural creature and its body and brain will reflect that, as soon as we can find a way to scan the hybrid that works."
"But you do admit it is a hybrid?" Another board member, probably also a Washuu, asked as she leaned forward in interest.
"A hybrid? Yes. But of what, I ask. These yellow strands." Here Dr Shiba gestured to the highlighted yellow strands, "Match no known creature on Earth. No human has ever recorded these DNA strands, yet we have come in contact with the majority of the life on earth. If you discard prehistoric creatures, the small organisms frozen at the poles, and the deepest depths of the oceans, we have actually studied or come across every living organism on the planet. So, where does this come from?" He pointed at the yellow strands again.
"Some how, someway, something completely different from all that we have seen has appeared. Its not a ghoul, its not a human. We don't know how all of this," He waved at the yellow strands. "Thinks. For all we know it's a carnivore that tricks its prey by walking among it, similar to ghouls or some sea creatures. Or, it might be something entirely different. The point is that we can't tell how it thinks or behaves because it is programmed" another hand wave at the yellow DNA strands "differently than we have ever seen."
"Now," Dr. Chigyou cut in with a sharp look at Dr. Shiba. "We can tell in part how it will behave based on the DNA we recognize. And that is where it gets interesting." Here the man highlighted and enlarged the ghoul DNA. "Fortress doesn't have the aggressive behavior strands that ghouls have. Typically, ghouls have a specific strand that looks like this," Another strand was pulled up beside Fortress's ghoul strand of DNA. Personally Haise couldn't tell any difference but he supposed it must be different enough if it was exciting Dr. Chigyou so much. Dr. Shiba didn't look very pleased but Chigyou looked quite excited in the conversation's new direction.
"This strand allows for ghouls to produce heightened amounts of "aggressive hormones" like oxytocin, cortisol, and adrenaline. All ghouls produce extra stress or aggressive hormones in comparison to humans. This allows heightened response time and we believe territorial behavior. Fortress doesn't have these. Instead, her DNA strand mostly has to do with the strands that we believe allow ghouls to utilize their brain in different ways to maintain low stress levels despite being constantly bombarded with stress hormones. So even though Fortress doesn't have heightened stress or aggression levels, it does utilize the same parts and framework of the brain that ghouls use to induce a base level calm. So, I don't think it would be too far off the mark as to say that Fortress has a heightened sense of calm rather than any aggressive tendencies." Here the man nodded toward Haise."As the Quinx squad leader has reported a well behaved hybrid, I believe that we can assume whoever created Fortress's DNA intended for a very "calm" subject. Perhaps in a bid of having higher control?" Dr. Chigyou seemed to lose himself in thought for a moment before returning to the subject at hand. "Her human DNA is primarily based around things like physical shape, hair color, and such. We've found strands for skin tone, nail length, and even the shape of its nose with ease. However," Here he enlarged the human portion of the DNA and highlighted some small areas in blue. "Things having to do with skin density, bruising, and even the enzymes produced in the stomach or the stomach lining are formed using what I am calling "Unknown" DNA, just slipped into where it would be in a human. Meanwhile, Fortress does still have, barring the few bits of Ghoul brain matter, a human brain. From all that I have found, Fortress should be able to form interpersonal and personal relationships with others just as a human does. Without a social group I believe that she, and I do mean it when I say she, will experience things like depression or withdrawal just as a human would." The doctor grinned.
"Its quite fascinating really. We've spent all this time trying to give humans the upper hand against ghouls and now a true scientific miracle has fallen into our laps. This is a ghoul-human-unknown hybrid that does not require surgery to create or medication to stop the rejection of ghoul related cells. Nor does she appear to need to consume human meat or even, dare I say, meat at all. We've been trying to create the perfect weapon but we've been eclipsed by someone else years before we even began to play with the idea."
"Yes, but we still don't know what this is. Utilizing it when we aren't sure who made it or what they used," Dr. Shiba cut in. "Would be extremely... risky, to say nothing of the lost opportunities for study." Several of the squads shifted and Haise struggled to remain inscrutable. Supposedly, Dr. Shiba had been very... enthusiastic about dissecting Haise when he had first been discovered to be alive and half human by the CCG.
"You speak of lost opportunity, but all opportunity comes paired with risk. From what we can decode of Fortress's DNA, she is not capable of the aggressive tendencies seen in ghouls. She also doesn't necessitate human meat as her primary comparison to other assets that have proven profitable, Fortress is relatively low risk." This time Haise did shift as he felt several pairs of eyes turn his way.
"Just because-" Dr. Shiba argued only to be interrupted by commanding voice from the head of the table.
"Enough." Mr Washuu sounded irritated as he leaned onto his elbows and steepled his fingers together. "Cease your bickering. Fortress is too much of an asset to waste on mere dissections." Dr. Shiba glowered at the table and leaned back into his chair with a huff. "All the same, fieldwork of any kind would be out of the picture until we have a way to control it. As of yet, we still have been unable to put any sort of mark on it, correct?" Here the Washuu's eyes sought Haise's out and the hybrid nodded in acceptance. There didn't seem to be any way to actually injure Fortress. She was entirely impervious to everything except her own body. Although...
"I think withholding food would work." Haise spoke before he really had time to think about it. Once more, attention came back his way and he struggled not to flush in discomfort. Still, he pushed on. "Fortress likes food and she is typically hungry again within an hour or two of eating. Even when eating plastics like her chair and the plastic items we provided to her thereafter, Fortress can't go very long without food. If she isn't fed every few hours, she begins exhibiting signs of distress and you can, erm, hear her stomach growling. Very loudly. Withholding food from her would likely be a very... effective punishment and any rewards for good behavior could be human food. She's been complaining that she wants to eat more deserts."
For a moment the hall was quiet. Then Mr. Washuu spoke.
"Are you suggesting we control Fortress by offering it candy?"
Haise grimaced at the Washuu's tone but dipped his head. "Or other food she likes. If she is capable of forming emotional bonds, she might be more amenable to working for or with those that feed her what she likes. And she really likes food. She hasn't asked for anything else; not a better bed, blankets, a bathroom, or even a change of clothes. Instead she just asks for food."
"I see. You are saying that food can be both the carrot and the stick then?"
"Based on what I have seen of her behavior, yes. Either way, if it doesn't work its not as if we have any alternatives. We have nothing that can harm her or force her to do what we want. If she didn't want to be here, she likely wouldn't be." Haise took the time to remind everyone of how little control they actually had over fortress. If they realized their own powerlessness, perhaps they would be more careful as to her treatment. From what Haise had seen, Fortress (or Maple as she preferred) was not a cruel or unkind individual. A little air headed, yes. But not unkind.
"In that case, she will need a handler, or a team to manage her. If we can train her, she would be an indomitable asset in the field." The Washuu grinned. "Perhaps even literally." Several other Washuu and older members chuckled at the head's attempt at grim humor. Haise didn't think it was all that funny, but then again, they didn't have to deal with teenagers and young adults running around with foreign biological weapons stuffed into their bodies and expected to be as functional and emotionless as a gun.
"Then should we attempt to integrate her into a partner set? The older operative could work as a control factor, while the younger can be the emotional contact as well as be in training to take charge of the asset full time, once he or she reaches appropriate strength to graduation from being a junior partner to a senior partner. In this way we can create a specific set or small group of interchangeable agents that Fortress can be trained to work with and be familiar with." One retired, but not surprisingly not dead, elderly detective spoke up.
"Yes, but then we're drawing more man power from areas in which we are already short in manpower. We can't just take out a partner pair in the hopes that they can train the DNA mixing pot to be useful." Another CCG detective, this one still on active duty argued.
"Why not just do with her as we've done with our other resident hybrid? Or the Quinx agents? She can just function with them. If she's hybrid she can do the same work they do."
Haise studiously looked away from the table when he felt a few other people look his way. He wasn't going to be voicing an opinion on this, partly as he didn't really have one. Fortress seemed kind, but he wasn't comfortable trusting her with his... younger operatives. She could be a loose canon and he had finally gotten his team to work together properly. Taking in another kid... operative... would be detrimental to the careful balance he was already maintaining between the younger operatives in his squad. And yet... Fortress hadn't seemed dangerous. In fact, between being embarrassed over breaking things, she'd seemed rather... lonely.
Three days later, Maple was presented to the quinx squad as their newest member. She wasn't too sure about her offensive capabilities, but she was absolutely sure she could protect her new comrades with her "Loving Sacrifice" skill. It was one of the only things that had stuck with her through being reincarnated.
"Hi, I'm Maple, code name: Fortress. Its my pleasure to meet you! I look forward to working with you!"
This concludes the CCG version. I'll be working on the anteiku part next which should be much easier since I've actually watched season one (though an excuse for a tokyo ghoul season one marathon is always appreciated!). The anteiku version would be something along the lines of if she was discovered by the Anteiku ghouls rather than the CCG.
Also, I have only watched season one of Tokyo Ghoul because the rest is too sad/scary. Sooooo if people are ooc that'd be why.
I know these aren't super deep or anything, but I didn't want to write something big when I've still got more projects that haven't been done. If someone wants to take my ideas and expand on them... GO FOR IT! I would love to read it! But as of now and here... these short little snippets are all I have for this particular plot bunny. Go read one of my other works for some thing long, deep, or well written.