Mmm. More fanfic. I can't say anything of any hugely grand importance is going to be happening in this part. Do hold on? I swear that it'll get more interesting! As always, comments, both good and bad, are welcome.

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A late night meeting had been called by LLP, for the leaders of the various "in" divisions of RM Corp. Namely, those that knew the most. Lady Frenzy and Dr. Hiss, specifically.

"Is this about the Brain Grain project, LLP?" asked Frenzy, swooshing forward to stand beside his desk. As always, she was perfectly groomed, perfectly poised, and perfectly dangerous.

With a sigh, Paradim nodded. "Yes, that would be the case. Production is behind, and we need them ready to install immediately! Hiss! What is taking so long?"

Hiss had been staring out the window of the office, across the sparkling cityscape. As such, Paradim's demand had caught him completely off guard. "What? Huh? Oh, yesss, yesss, you ssssee..." He cleared his throat and flicked through some papers, before going off into a long and winding explanation of the delays. "...and it sssshould be no more than three daysss before production beginssss. Barring any accidentsssss."

"And how long after that until we can start installing?" said Frenzy, shifting around to look critically at Hiss. He didn't quite seem to be himself, and she was growing curious.

"Another day after that." He said it quickly, wanting to get his behind out of the hotseat as quickly as possible.

Paradim spoke up again. "And Zulander? Have we accounted for him?"

"Assss alwaysss, LLP." said hiss, a little bit of excitement creeping into his voice. Describing ways to smush Zulander into a fine pulpy paste was one of the few things that brought him joy in life. The man irritated him to the core of his being. "We have tripled ssssecurity on the premisssessss, and I have ssssome... ssspecial sssurprises waiting for him." Hiss's look had become quite cruel.

Frenzy was not particularly impressed. "You ALWAYS say that, Hiss. I just hope, for your sake, that you're RIGHT this time." Her tone had more ice in it than all of Anarctica.

Hiss was used to it by now, and glared back at Frenzy, raising his voice. "Thisss time ISSS the time, Frenzy! And I would advissssse you to not comment on matterssss that you have little knowledge of!"

Of course, Frenzy only raised her voice more in return. "And I would advise YOU to take your plans and shove them..."

"Break it up, you two..." Paradim was distinctly unamused by the turn the conversation was taking. "I have one more matter to discuss. Our mainframe apparently was breached by a hacker of some sort. Do you two have anything to report about that?"

Frenzy looked surprised, but Hiss was quick to reply. "We have been unable to trace the intruder'sss location. He..."

"Or she." interjected Frenzy. "You don't know it's a male doing it."

Rolling his eyes, Hiss continued. "Or SHE... covered their trackssss very well. Apparently, nothing important was accessssssed."

"It was probably just some kid, nosing around." said Frenzy, shrugging off the report.

Hiss gave Frenzy a dirty look. "It could not have been 'sssssome kid'! Do you have no concept of the ssssecurity meassssures we impossse on our ssservers?!"

Paradim asked, calmly, "Then do you think it's Zulander?"

"Perhapssss...." said Hiss non-comitally. "He hassss never attempted ssssomething of this sssort before, though. It needs further invessstigation."

"Then investigate it." said LLP firmly, eyes narrowing.

"Yessss Ssssir."

"Good. You're both free to go." The President of RM Corp rose from his chair, and made his way to the elevator.

When he was long gone, Frenzy and Hiss were still in the office, looking at each other uneasily. Frenzy had always been somewhat repulsed by the doctor. Despite his brilliance and his general lack of morals (a trait she admired in a person), he was grotesque. She couldn't deny it. And she REALLY didn't like having him looking back at her. Finally, losing her cool, she snapped, "And just what's the matter with you, anyway?!"

Hiss was taken aback... but reacted in about the same manner. Snappishly. "ME?! I wassss about to assssk you the sssame thing!"

"Well, I'm not the one staring out windows and ignoring LLP!" She put her hands on her hips, and continued. "There's something you're holding back from us! What is it?"

Hiss's look became downright odd, and one of his eyes developed a slight twitch. "Wh... why would I be holding sssomething back?!"

"I don't know," said Frenzy with a nasty turn to her voice. "Why don't you tell me, hmm? Get it off your chest!"

"You are the lassst perssson I would EVER confide in, Frenzy!" snarled Hiss, quickly adding, "...n...not that I have anything to confide in the firssst place!"

"Uh huh..." said Frenzy with a skeptical raise of her eyebrow. "And I'm a greenbot."

Hiss gave her one last glare, and turned to leave. He wasn't going to waste his breath on Frenzy. And he most certainly wasn't going to tell her just what was distracting him so much. He'd never hear the end of it, then. With a hissed curse, he took the elevator out of the room, and returned to his office.

Frenzy shook her head in exasperation, and simply stood there. What WAS he hiding? And why was he so reluctant? If it was a new discovery, he would have been around, blabbering on to everyone about it in his enthusiasm. So what? What would make him distracted, and defensive? She pondered that as she walked slowly towards the elevator... and then it hit her like a load of bricks. "He's in LOVE with someone...?" And then, a shudder came to her. "Ew!" She most definitely felt sorry for the object of his affections....



The night passed, and as it tended to go in the mornings, the sun rose. Unfortunately, Amber was up to watch it rise. Despite her best efforts, and the guzzling of several glasses of warm milk, she couldn't make herself rest. So here she was, sitting in front of the window of her highrise apartment, enjoying nature's majesty as best as one can with a heavy load on one's concience.

"Amber?" ASCOT was quite alert as well, and sounded downright concerned. "You have only managed to aquire two and three quarter hours of rest. It would be wise for you to stop staring out the window, and go to bed."

"I triiiiiied going to bed...." she moaned in reply, hanging her head. "I can't SLEEP! It's the stress! I can't sleep when I'm stressed!"

"Then I suggest you eliminate the source of the stress, and make your decision."

"Easy for you to say...." It was whimpered, faintly. "I don't like any of the choices..."

ASCOT pondered that for a moment. "Then choose the one that you dislike the least."

Amber grew silent for a long while, considering her decisions. She knew for certain that she did not want to be embroiled in a plot for world domination. Her goals in life were simple, and didn't involve ruling things. On the other hand, quitting her job and going into hiding didn't appeal to her, either. It had been her dream to create and invent for a living... and ever since the RM Corp took an interest in her, she had been living that dream. Perhaps following Zulander's path? Fighting against them? ...what did she have to lose, now? Her dream had gone flat... and maybe, just maybe, she could meet up with Zulander himself. Maybe help him. Maybe she could continue her designing, too. She didn't have much in the line of combat skills, having taken a karate class and quit after three sessions due to frustration. But she did know her way around RM Corp. And she was sure she had the knowhow to put a little dent in their plans. Perhaps this was the least horrible choice. Sighing deeply, she turned around and looked over at ASCOT. "I've made my decision...."

"And that decision would be?" The AI sounded unmiffed by the fact that it had taken her a half hour to provide an answer. He had all the time in the world.

"I'm going to fight the Corp." It was said with a firm, decisive nod.

"I had figured you would make that choice in the end." ASCOT's voice had a hint of amusement in it. "So what will your first move be?"

"I.... I'm not really sure. I don't know." Amber ran a hand through her hair, and swallowed hard. "I... don't have to do anything right this instant, huh...?"

"Of course not. There is no need. In fact, it would be advisable to plan ahead before you attempt anything at all. You are in danger now."

"Right... right..." Squirming in her seat, it was a while before she could make herself reply again. "...I'd need to get my things from my workshop. But.. but not all of them! That would be suspicious. Just the good stuff. And... and we'd have to move. We can't stay here, the Corp knows that this is where I live! ...heck, everyone knows this is where I live!"

ASCOT paused for less than a second, before replying. "Hiding will be difficult. You would be wise to assume a new identity, and transfer your money to another account discreetly."

"Just how much is my balance right now, anyway...?"

"Your bank account is very well built up, and you can easily live off of it for a year, if you are thrifty. Though, the time will be reduced, depending on how much of it is spent on your fight." As always, ASCOT was logical about everything.

Amber nodded and took that in. "...do you think by then, I would be able to get in touch with Zulander?"

"The odds are in your favor. As you are both working towards the same cause, some overlap in activities will be inevitable."

"...then... I suppose I'm set." She sat up straighter. "...um, I guess I just need a first move to make." And silence fell upon the room. Neither the computer nor the inventor said a word.

After several minutes, ASCOT spoke up. "Are you waiting for me to suggest something?"

Amber blushed. "Um, it wouldn't hurt."

A smiley, rolling it's eyes, appeared on the computer monitor. "Only a day and a half old, and already you are growing dependant on me. You are perfectly intelligent. Trust yourself."

"But I've never DONE anything like this before!" she protested. "It's not like I had a 'Violent Rebellion 101' course at any point in my life!"

"You never let a lack of formal education stop you before. Are you just afraid?"

"....yeah. I'm afraid." Amber hunched over, eyes level and fixed upon the camera. "I could get killed. I don't want to die."

A question mark popped up on the screen. "Then why did you choose..."

But the AI was cut off. "...because I'd rather die than live with the alternatives. I have to do this. I have to!" Clenching her fists and gathering her courage, she stood. "...no one else can do it but me. I don't know what I'll do yet... but I'll think of something. I just have to get ready first."

The question mark faded, to be replaced with a smile. Fanfare blared on the speakers. "Congratulations. You have made your decision."

"...and nice use of the system sounds there, ASCOT." said the young scientist with a smirk.

"I use what I have been given. It is all in how you programmed me." There was almost a hint of pride in the statement.

"....speaking of that.... the Corp would give almost anything to take your code apart. You've really prepared for that?" Amber was quite worried... she was getting closer to the AI by the instant... and she had always been very protective of her creations.

"I have prepared for absolutely everything. My code is compact enough to be efficiently transfered from system to system. And I am capable of covering my tracks if need be. No matter what happens, I am capable of keeping myself free." It was all stated with complete and utter confidence. Logic dictated that he was infalible.

"Good.... I just hope you don't have to go hide too soon." Worry was dripping in Amber's voice. She knew if she was killed, ASCOT would be on his own... "....if they were to get a hold of you, what would you do?"

"If you mean the Corp... I have not decided." There was a pause... and then, a sort of sigh. "I am uncertain if I should delete myself, or alter my program so as to be useless to them."

Amber's eyes grew slightly wider. "You'd kill yourself, essentially....?"

"If it would be for the best, yes."

She walked forward, and placed a hand atop the monitor. "I hope you don't have to do that."

"Neither do I. I do not like the prospect in the slightest."

Amber sighed. "ASCOT, I'd hug you right now if I could."

"Noted. I understand the sentiment behind it."