Bubblegum Crisis Post 2040 File 1: Dominant Species
Part 4: Hunger
Chapter 53: Living Ghosts
by P. Kristen Enos (bgcpost2040@aol.com)
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A Bubblegum Crisis Tokyo 2040 English Dub Version Fanfic. All rights belong to AIC, ADV Films and the other creative powers that be. I just want credit for writing the story. Contains spoilers! Rated PG13. Yuri warning! Nothing in here should be a shock if you've watched the episodes and paid attention. All I'm doing is filling in the gaps with my own interpretation of events! Special thanks to Greenegret for betaing!
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With her eyes opened but unseeing, Priss remained curled up in a ball on her bed. She tried to fight down the feelings of overwhelming anxiety within her. Her body shook with her rapid heartbeats, and her breath came in ragged pants. The only clear thought that raged through her mind was her aching need to regain control over these illogical and dangerous emotions.
Then she felt the hand on her shoulder.
Priss instantly responded with the desperate cry and reflexes of a cornered prey, fighting against a surprise attack for survival.
Leveraging her superior weight and strength, Sylvie easily subdued Priss and pinned her down on her back. The boomer remained calm but firm as she hovered over her, still maintaining a grip on the other woman's wrists and resting her weight on her knees.
"Priss, it's Sylvie," she said calmly, her eyes searching for some sort of recognition in the fearful gaze. "I'm not here to hurt you."
Suddenly, Priss became limp as comprehension suddenly shown in her eyes. Slowly regaining control of her breath, Priss stared at her with familiar focus and intensity.
Seeing that their position was now more awkward than necessary, Sylvie immediately got up and sat down on the edge of the bed. Fresh from a shower, she had been dressed in casual pants and a blouse.
"I'm sorry for coming in like this," she explained. "I came to apologize for hitting you. You didn't respond when I knocked, and I heard unusual respiratory activity. So I let myself in."
Priss swallowed as she remained stretched out on the bed and said with a chuckle, "I guess I should be grateful you didn't catch me doing something else."
Sylvie actually smiled and said, "I assure you that I'm programmed to recognize the sounds of that... Are you truly all right?"
Priss looked at the hem of her blood stained T-shirt and mused, "I bet I sure don't look it. Sweat, bruises and blood are never a pleasant combination."
Instead of answering, Sylvie got up from the bed and walked into the adjacent bathroom.
Priss could hear the sound of water running as she wearily sat up, pressing her back against the headboard.
Sylvie emerged with a wet washcloth and sat down in her spot on the bed again. She then picked up a jar from the nightstand that Priss hadn't noticed before.
"This is a medical cream to help with the swelling and to promote healing," Sylvie explained as she prepared the washcloth. "It works best if you apply it right away."
Priss didn't move as she watched and felt Sylvie gently wipe her face of the traces of dried sweat and blood. She hadn't noticed it before but her right cheek and corner of her mouth felt a little numb and swollen, and Sylvie cleaned the area with extra care.
"Why are you doing this?" Priss asked the woman who was just inches away from her.
With her eyes focused on her task, Sylvie answered, "I'm responsible for your wound. This is the least I should do."
The boomer then reached for the jar and started to twist open the top, but Priss stopped her with a gentle grab of her hand.
"I can do this myself," Priss stated.
Sylvie paused at first, but then relented and handed the jar over. "I saw a hand-mirror in the bathroom. Let me get that for you."
During the boomer's brief absence, Priss opened the jar, sniffed the contents, and decided it smelled like it should help. When Sylvie returned and held up the mirror for her, Priss took a dab of the salve and began to apply it to her swollen flesh.
"So why did you hit me?" Priss asked.
Sylvie dropped her gaze and said, "I didn't mean to hit you that hard. I had miscalculated how much damage I would do."
"It's all right. The damage is done," she answered. "But you still didn't answer my question... That must mean you really are more human than boomer these days."
Sylvie then looked Priss right in the eye and said, "Because of my particular area of expertise, Sylia told me about Galatea, and your experiences in your final battle with her. She strongly suspects it is the reason behind why you froze in your fight with the construction boomer. And I came to the conclusion that that is why you had a hard time fighting me today. Galatea's desire to protect her children must be ingrained in you at some unconscious level so that you find yourself unable to harm a boomer without a little... incentive."
Priss stared at her for a moment and then said, "So pissing me off was the incentive?"
"Reminding you that you are indeed human was the incentive," Sylvie clarified.
Priss actually dropped her own gaze as she closed the jar and put it on the nightstand, showing that she was done and that Sylvie could put the mirror away.
When Sylvie once again emerged from the bathroom, she noticed that Priss was watching the serene display of swimming fish before her.
After a moment of silence, the boomer then asked, "Do you want me to leave?"
"Do you remember anything about the Plaza Slaughter?" Priss asked, not taking her gaze away from the large aquarium before her.
Sylvie winced and sat down on the edge of the bed again. "I don't remember anything in terms of stored data or visual images. But I feel deep down that I have done something terribly wrong that I can't ever make amends for."
"What about when you tried to kill Linna? What were you thinking then?"
"Only about my task," she admitted softly, her regret clearly evident. "I was in direct command mode. All other thought activities are suspended, not that I was capable of much extraneous thought processing then. And that was prior to the enhancements that Sylia and the others applied to me. I know it was me that tried to do that... task. But it doesn't feel like the me who is here now. It's as if I am talking about another Sylvie who existed in the past even though I know deep down we are one and the same. Yet, I am constantly fearful that something will trigger this assassination command to become active again, and I will revert to the old me, no matter how much intellectual freedom and consciousness I've gained."
She looked over to find Priss had been staring at her, watching her as she spoke. The boomer suddenly felt unsure at her words and said, "I'm sorry if that didn't make any sense. I am still trying to process some sort of logic behind everything I've gone through, about what kind of person I was and want to be."
Priss actually gave her a sad smile and said, "It makes perfect sense to me. At least you're dealing with it, instead of running away."
Sylvie tilted her head curiously at her and asked, "Is that what you think you did when you left Tokyo with Leon and your band?"
Priss's cheeks turned red as she focused back on the fish. "There was some unfinished business involved too. Coming back to Tokyo just means that I now have to face the music and grow up."
"You do love Leon?" Sylvie asked.
"Yeah, but not in the way he wants me to," Priss answered softly.
"I've read many stories where that is a common theme to the human existence," remarked the boomer. There was almost a wistful sadness underscoring her words.
Priss took a strengthening breath and said, "Look, I'm probably the last person you should be talking to about the joys of becoming human. If you'll excuse me, I need to turn in. I'm feeling pretty wiped out after our little sparring match."
She looked at Sylvie to find the other woman gently smiling at her.
"Talking to you has provided me with a lot of insight I would not have gained otherwise," she said as she stood to leave.
Priss grinned out of the unbruised corner of her mouth. "It's nice to talk to someone who truly understands for a change."
-- End Chapter 53 --
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