Midnight, December 24, 2032AD.
Shinjuku, Mega-Tokyo. Japan.
A woman with long hair reclined in dimly lit room. She was gazing thoughtfully out at the skyline. A glass of red wine was in her left hand. A small, leather bound tome was near her right. It sat next to a wine bottle and a lamp.
Unbeknownst to the woman, a mouse with brown fur was gazing intently at her.
The woman put the glass down, grinned, then went to pick up the tome. The figure turned the lamp up a bit, turned to the first page of the report, then sighed when a humanoid entity emerged from the left wall. The entity had long black hair and was wearing a kimono. It also seemed to have a pair of whip like tentacles.
"Ah, Tripades," The mysterious woman sighed, then nodded. "Tell me, do you know what happened to Xanthes a few nights ago?"
"Xanthes met his destiny the other day," The creature hummed. "He was killed by well trained Toratotaka personnel. Lady Katsumi survived the abduction and is now under Rally Cheyenne's careful watch."
"I see," The woman hummed, then gazed at Tripades. "This should prove interesting. What of Toratotaka's 'savior' Daniel Wisner?"
"He is pre-occupied with grief," Tripades murmured, then seemed to laugh. "An unexpected bonus of our raid wouldn't you say, my lady?"
"True..."The woman nodded, then gazed at Tripades. "However, it would be in our best interest if Dan's sense of self was destroyed. Doing so will lessen his chances of being successful in his quest. You know what to do. Make the attempt in several hours, understand?!"
"I do, Mistress." Tripades nodded, then turned to leave. Just then the woman noted a small mouse that scampered out of sight.
"Oh and Tripades," The woman hummed, nodded, then picked up the wine glass. "Be prepared for a welcoming committee from Toratotaka, understand?"
"I understand," Tripades hummed, then turned away from the woman. "I shall return soon, Lady Kurumi."
"Hai," Kurumi nodded, then took a sip of her red wine. "May Nemesis protect you, Tripades."
Early morning, December 24, 2032AD.
Toratotaka Tower, Floor One Hundred Sixty Six.
A small group of Toratotaka personnel ran down a corridor. It consisted of GMT-10, and a half dozen bio-warfare series 33-Ms. Elizabeth's team had their weapons drawn. The 33-Ms had medical equipment at the ready and a stretcher in their hands.
The group rounded a corner, thundered through the recovery ward until they arrived at room 21. Elizabeth kicked the door open, the gasped when she found that Dan was not alone. Tripades was in the room, as were Elinor and Edith. Both women were aiming rather large handguns at the creature. The entity was wounded by small weapons fire. Elinor and Edith looked upset.
Dan looked a little worse for wear himself. His breathing seemed labored and he was sweating profusely.
Elizabeth ran into the room, followed by a few 33-Ms. Anne brought up the rear and signaled to Leslie and Ursula to stay outside.
"Clear out!" Elizabeth bellowed as she aimed her sub-machinegun at Tripades. "You have no business here, Entity!"
As she confronted the Entity, the 33-Ms quickly and efficiently checked his vitals with medical tri-corders. They gasped at the results, put their tri corders away, then went to work. One of them prepared an I.V drip while another attached sensors to his chest. The last one had a syringe in her left hand. She stuck the needle in Dan's left arm and discharged the liquid into his veins.
"Very well." Tripades hummed, then nodded. "I shall leave now. My mission is complete."
"Mission?" Elizabeth blurted, blinked when Dan groaned, glanced back at him, then noticed a peculiar welt on Dan's neck. "What did you do to him?!"
"You will see. I can not, and will not, divulge anything else! Farewell!" Tripades hummed, then faded from view. Elinor and Edith blinked, then holstered their large handguns.
"Get the stretcher in here!" One of the nurses bellowed, then went back to work. "We've got to get Daniel-ya to the ICU!!"
"Why?!" Elinor started to approach the bed, then backed off when the rest of the nurses wheeled in the stretcher. "What's wrong with him?!?"
"He's got a serum flowing through his body," One of the nurses reported, sighed as Elinor came to Dan's side, then helped her sisters prepared Dan for transport. "Its fast acting and toxic! We need to get him to the ICU for extensive treatment."
"We'll escort you there!" Elinor offered, then blinked when Elizabeth laid a hand on Elinor's shoulder. "Amy?"
"We'll take it from here," Elizabeth sighed, then nodded. "Go back to you're apartment and try to relax. We'll take care of Daniel,Onesama."
Elinor doubted her offer, then looked to her close friend for advice. Edith thought about it, gazed at Dan, then nodded in approval of Elizabeth's offer. Elinor sighed, then nodded to Elizabeth. At that same time, the 33-Ms hefted Dan's weakened form onto the stretcher and put the EKG and EEG monitors between his legs.
"Okay," Elizabeth nodded to them. "We'll call if anything happens, ne?"
"Thank you," Edith nodded, watched them wheel Dan out, then looked to Elinor who had turned away from her friend. "Are you all right, love?"
"What do you think?" Elinor moaned, made a fist, then tearfully shook her head. "We totally blew it, Edith. We didn't expect it to come up from the floor because of that we couldn't protect him from that monstrous bastard!"
Edith sighed, walked up to her, then hugged the taller woman from behind.
"That may be so," Edith hummed, then nodded. "But he's now under the CMCO's care. I'm sure they'll do the best they can to save his life."
"But we erred," Elinor muttered, shook her head, then laid her hands on her chest. "No! I erred. In doing so, I'm loosing a warm and caring lover."
"He's still living, though," Edith hummed, shook her head, then wrapped her arms around Elinor's arms. "So don't feel bad. We all make mistakes, love. Just remember what he said and you'll do fine."
Elinor looked doubtful, but squeezed her friend's arm anyway.
Chapter Five. Changes...
4:30AM, Floor One Hundred Sixty Five.
The CMCO strode into the Intensive Care Unit. Yukari Koshiki looked around, then sighed before walking up to the receptionist desk.
"Ohayo, Sempai." The duty nurse nodded.
"Ohayo, Erika-ya," Yukari nodded then stared at her. "A patient named Daniel Wisner was brought here recently. Which bed is he in?"
"Daniel-ya is in bed 10, Koshiki-sempai." The duty nurse pointed to a small group of 33-Ms in the left hand corner, then went to hand a datapadd to the CMCO. "Here, the datapadd will refresh in five minutes."
"Arigato, Erika-ya," Yukari nodded, walked away from the desk, nodded to GMT-10 who was keeping watch, then walked over to the group who was huddled over Dan's body. "Good morning, ladies. What's his status?"
"Good morning Yukari-sempai," A green haired bio-warfare nurse looks up, then went back to work. "He's in serious condition. EKG is above normal, his blood pressure is up to 200. He also has a fever. The good news is that his brainwaves are normal. He's unconscious and won't respond to any stimuli, however."
"I see," Yukari murmured, nodded, then gazed at the green haired nurse. "What's the cause of his symptoms?"
"A chemical agent is the cause," A pink haired nurse declared, then went back to work. "Mutagenic it seems. We don't know what the bloody thing doing to him as of yet, though. At any rate, we've downloaded the data. It should be on the datapadd, sempai!"
"Mutagenic, you say?" Yukari hummed, held the datapadd up, then began to skim through the datapadd's contents. She went white when she found the data on the serum. "This!? Oh, Megami-sama. Why would they do such a thing like this?!"
"Sempai?" The pink haired woman uttered.
"Its..." Yukari began, felt a little sick to her stomach, then steeled herself. "Its...altering him. It's not going to happen right away but...it'll alter every single cell in his body. Fortunately the Neurophages are still in his blood stream. They can't stop the process, but they -can- repair his neurons after the mutation takes place."
"What's going to happen?" The pink haired nurse wondered.
"Simply put..."Yukari hummed then shook her head. "It'll transform him into a woman, Rhee Ann-ya."
Elizabeth and Anne gasped, then looked to Ursula and Leslie. The other nurses nodded, as if they've heard of this situation before. Rhee, on the other hand, just stared at the CMCO, then looked at Dan's prone form.
"That's..." Rhee uttered, shook her head in denial, then looked at the green haired nurse. "No way. That can't happen? Can it Ela-ya?"
"Oh yes it can Rhee-ya," Ela Yung Min nodded, then gazed at her co-worker. "I should tell you about my stay at the Juysenkyo sub-station sometime. I've seen loads cases similar to this one. But enough of that! We still have to get him stabilized! Okay?!"
"Un!" Rhee nodded, then checked his blood pressure. "Oi! His blood pressure is up to 220 now!"
"Kuso!" Yukari uttered, nodded, then washed her hands in a nearby basin. "All right! Lets get him as stable as we can. Since we can't communicate...we'll have to allow the transformation to occur!"
"Hai!" The 33-Ms called out, then busied about Dan's body.
*It's all we can do now, really.* She thought, then let out a noisy breath. *But Shiori-san won't be happy about it. Neither will Oshika when they get wind of it. I'm hoping I'm doing the right thing here...*
8:00AM. Tianjin Annex, Peoples Republic of China.
Sandy tiredly slipped out of bed, trudged through her well-furnished
guest apartment, then stepped into the small bathroom. The bathroom had a toilet, a sink, small cabinet and an enclosed semi-circular shower stall. The shower stall had an opaque sliding glass door.
She slipped out of her lingerie, slid the door open, then stepped inside. The stall had three showerheads; two smaller ones on either side of her and a larger one on the ceiling.
Sandy sighed as turned on the tap, hoping that it would wake her up. A gentle spray of hot water from all sides caressed her form. She shook her head. While it felt pleasant, it wasn't doing a thing to wake her up. What she needed was a stronger dose. She turned the tap to half way, then sighed when doused with streams of hot water.
"Now this is more like it," She hummed, stepped away from the stream, then lathered her hair and skin with an all-purpose soap. "This feels so good! Livens me up! Not to mention get all that sand, soot and dust of my body. I'm glad that we have stalls like this back in Nerima."
She sighed, reached in, turned the tap to full, then watched as the streams turned to jets. She smiled to herself, then stepped into the downpour to rinse her body off. She grinned as water cascaded down her body and billowing clouds of steam surrounded her.
"Nothing like a good shower to start the day." Sandy uttered, then sighed when she turned the tap to OFF. "But I can't stay here. I've got an appointment with breakfast meeting with Xian."
She slid the door open, then took a deep breath as she stepped out of the stall. She grabbed a towel off of a nearby rack, wrapped it around her torso, then began to dry her hair.
Just then the guest apartment's videophone rang. She blinked, plopped the towel on her head, slipped a housecoat on, quickly tied the belt down, then strode out of the bathroom. She walked into the kitchen, then turned to the videophone which was on the wall. She tapped a few controls then smiled when Shiori's face popped up on screen.
"Ohayo, director," Sandy nodded, then gazed at her boss who looked a little depressed. "Hm. You don't look too happy. Is it crazy over there?"
"Lets just say its going to be one of those days," Shiori shrugged, then sighed. "But that's neither here or there. Akari is about to give birth to her twins. You've got the next two weeks off to adjust, okay?"
Akari was a human, a pro-skater and Sandy's wife. Sandy had met her during the Winter Olympics.
"A...Akari-chan...Akari-chan is..."Sandy uttered, leaned against the refrigerator, then gazed at Shiori's image. "Did you say I've got the next two weeks off? What about the negotiations here?"
"Don't worry." Shiori sighed, then nodded. "I've already assigned someone to take your place. Do you have any unfinished business there?"
"Just my report," Sandy hummed, then wistfully shook her head. "Jeez, time flies doesn't it?"
"Seems like it," Shiori nodded, then gazed at Sandy. "By the way...an old friend of yours has paid us a visit. Does the name Daniel Wisner ring a bell?"
"Hey yeah!" Sandy grinned, then nodded. "I know him! Why is he here? Another wish perhaps?"
"No," Shiori hummed, then sighed. "He was brought here by a Megami to handle the Entity situation. Unfortunately, he's lost his world to the Lucifer Hawk. Fortunately he's decided to side with us. He's going to be you're co worker, by the way."
"Ah, I see," Sandy nodded again, but then became puzzled. "So why the long face?"
"He's...been attacked by the Lucifer Hawk," Shiori shook her head. "One of them...injected a fast acting mutagenic resin in his body. It's...changing him. Into a woman."
Sandy just stared at her, then laughed nervously at Shiori's image.
"Yer joking, right?" Sandy uttered, then 'EEPed' when Shiori scowled at her. "I guess you're not. Is he okay?"
"Alright I guess," Shiori sighed, then shook her head. "He's in a roughly stable condition and has survived the initial stage of the metamorphosis. Daniel-kun's has been moved to a private room. A duty nurse has also been assigned to his room."
"I see," Sandy hummed, then nodded. "Then that's why you're looking upset."
"Hai," Shiori nodded, then shook her head. "Oshika's not happy with it either. You should have seen Dame Nicole's face when I told her that an Entity infected him with that...resin. It was quite...unpleasant."
"Really," Sandy gulped, then shook her head. "No guessing what SIAT 23's new assignment will be, ne?"
"Hai," Shiori sighed, then sadly smiled. "Well that's all I have. Hop on a transporter pad as soon as you're done talking to Xian-ya, ne?"
"Will do," Sandy nodded, then clicked her tongue when the link was cut. "Hope you're doing well, Daniel-kun...err...Danielle-chan. I'll say a prayer for you when I get back home."
At around 9:00AM, Sandy was sitting in the Annex Matriarchs office. She and Xian were sitting on the floor. A satchel and a small suitcase was near Sandy's feet. A ten-page document was sitting on the suitcase. They were just finishing there breakfast when Xian noticed how happy Sandy looked.
"You look pleased," Xian hummed thoughtfully, then nodded to Sandy. "May I ask why?"
"Akari's almost due." Sandy said simply.
"Ah," Xian hummed, then grinned. "So that's it. No wonder why you're so excited."
"Ne," Sandy nodded, then smiled before finishing off the rest of her meal. "Oh I can't wait to get one of them in my arms. I'll have to be careful and watch my strength, though. Even my weakest of hugs causes Akari to wince."
"Ne," Xian hummed, then finished of her orange juice. "Still, it must be a wonderful feeling. Makes me wish I could bear children."
"Can't argue with that," Sandy hummed, turned around, picked up the document, then handed it to Xian. "Here's my report on Operation Lima and on the Tianjin settlement."
"Thank you," Xian nodded, then sighed. "So what's going on locally? Anything good?"
"Aino," Sandy sighed, then shook her head. "Beijing has given Tianjin's politico's the thumbs up on Project Shei-Tai. Shei-Tai, as you know, will be a new business district for Z-H's subsidiaries. Good news is that it'll give people more jobs. Bad news is that Z-H is going to demolish a bunch of high-apartment rises. The locals aren't happy because they'll be displaced."
"Just like district 3 in Mega-Tokyo," Xian sighed, hummed, then nodded. "Very well. We'll handle the relocation and finance the construction of new apartments. What's the time table?"
"It won't start until the latter half of 2033," Sandy nodded, then hummed. "That'll give the companies time to lay the foundations down and start to work."
"Ne," Xian grinned, then sighed wistfully. "Nerima's on the ball as well. They've known about GENOM's plan for district 3 for a year or so. They've already cleared Reclamation Zone 10 away for lavish one-story townhouses and bungalows."
"Ne," Sandy nodded, then sighed. "As for Lima...well...that was a complete bust. Muong Mian Eyung-Sea got the drop on the our armored column five miles into his territory."
"I see," Xian hummed, then sighed. "So the convoy was ambushed, but continued on?"
"Well yeah," Sandy nodded, then shrugged. "That attack didn't do much damage to us. It was just a four-man squad. A bunch of grunts with anti-armor rockets put them out of their misery. It was the third and fourth attacks that cancelled Operation Lima. As soon as we dealt with the four-man squad, Intel informed us that Muong Mian Eyung-Sea had dispatched two entire armored companies of drones and light autotanks to stop us. We tried to outmaneuver them, but they routed us and forced us to retreat. That's when the fighting started. Of course I went in unarmed. You know me, I don't know how to use a gun. I'm glad I know magic or I would have not made it...and Akari..."
"Would be a widow." Xian uttered, then looked beat. "Ye gods, to think that almost happened..."
"Whoa," Sandy uttered disbelievingly, blinked as she tried to comprehend its meaning, then shuddered when that thought finally hit her. "That's kinda frightening when I think about it. I'm gonna give Akari a big hug when I get home."
"That's what I would do" Xian hummed, then nodded. "Nothing better than the comfort of you're loved ones. But I think you should hold off after she gives birth to you're children."
"You've got that right." Sandy nodded.
* * *
9:30AM Toratotaka Tower. Nerima, Mega-Tokyo.
Shiori took a deep breath, then quietly slipped into Dan's recovery room. She walked up to his bed and took stock of his situation. Dan was in bed, still looking worse for wear. The welt on his neck was now the size of one nuyen. The IV drip was still in place. A pair of catheter tubes poked out of the covers, leading to god knows where.
A blonde haired nurse was sitting in a nearby chair. She smiled pleasantly at the Director as Shiori stood at the foot of the bed.
"Good day," The blonde nodded. "Is there anything I can do for you, Director Fujisaki?"
"Aino," Shiori shook her head, then nodded to Dan's prone form. "I'm just here to see how he's doing, Mie Lin-ya"
Moments later Dan cried out in pain. Shiori jerked back, then stared at Mie Lin.
"Ano..." Shiori blinked, then cocked her head at Dan's body. "Is pain part of the mutation process Mie-ya?"
"Unfortunately," Mie Lin sighed, slipped out of the chair, then mopped his forehead with a small towel. "His body is changing after all. It's quite taxing to his physiology."
"Ah," Shiori nodded, then gazed at the duty nurse. "What's happened to him so far?"
"Not much," Mie shrugged. "Just Estrogen production and alteration of his skeletal system."
"I see," Shiori hummed. "That's a lot actually. What type of alterations?"
"Just the hips mainly," Mie sighed. "His chin is becoming a little pointed though. Fortunately, the IV solutions contain a mixture of calcium and other nutrients to help his body grow. Oh and a slight increase in his bust and redistribution of fat around his hips, as well. Won't be long until he'll, or I should say she, will have a shapely figure."
"I see," Shiori nodded, then quickly turned away from his or her body. "Very well. Thanks for telling me about his situation Mie-ya."
"Your welcome," Mie hummed, then sighed as Shiori quickly walked out of the room. "Hmmm. I was going to tell her about the regression and reformation of his genitalia but...I guess that would have really upset her."
* * *
5:00PM. Mega Tokyo, South Bayshore Drive.
Nene guided the compact patrol onto the two-lane highway. She glanced at Katsumi then shook her head. Katsumi was still consulting the navigation computer.
*Can't do everything with a computer,* Nene thought to herself, then shook her head. *Katsumi-san has to get some experience sooner or later. There's a rest stop two blocks ahead, fortunately. I think we'll switch there.*
"Ne, Katsumi-junsa?" Nene chimed a minute or so later, then grinned when Katsumi looked up from the computer screen.
"Hai, Romanova-Bachou?" Katsumi blinked.
"Are you ready to switch places?" Nene asked her, slowed the vehicle down, then turned on the left turning signal.
"Mmmm," Katsumi mused, then nodded. "Why not. I think I've memorized our route long enough. When do we switch?"
"Now," Nene pleasantly hummed, then nodded as she guided the patrol car into the small rest stop. "This'll be good practice for you. Today's route will cover several districts. That way you'll get a lay of the land a lot faster."
"Gee," Katsumi wistfully hummed, then sighed as Nene neatly slipped the vehicle into a parking space. A red sports coupe was spaces down. "This sounds vaguely familiar. I wonder where I've heard this before?"
"Oh?" Nene wondered, opened the driver side door, then slipped out of the vehicle. "You've done this before?"
"In Oahu." Katsumi nodded, did the same, then noticed the sports coupe. There was something strange about it. "Eh? Oh dear. Not one of these. Don't they have any decency?!"
The car's windows were fogged up, and the vehicle was rocking back and forth.
"Eh?" Nene blinked, gaped at the car, then blushed. "Oh god. I've never run into one of these before. Have you, Katsumi-junsa?"
"Hai," Kastumi nodded, then gazed at Nene. "Do you want me to handle this?"
"Un," Nene nodded, thought a bit, then grinned. "Should we gang up on them?"
"Nice thinking," Katsumi nodded, then gestured to the vehicle. "You knock, I'll interrogate and ticket them for indecent behavior. Wakaru?"
"Hai," Nene nodded to the experienced officer. With that, the Sergeant and the Corporal marched up to the vehicle. Katsumi stood a foot away from Nene as the operator wrapped her knuckle on the driver's side window. Seconds later, the rocking stopped and there appeared to be some frantic movement in the ground vehicle. The power window cycled down and the AD Police officers got an eyeful.
Nene couldn't believe it. It was Priss! With blonde haired bombshell, no less! Both were in various states of undress and perspiring heavily. The couple just stared back at them.
"Alright ladies," Katsumi intoned firmly. "Would you care to explain this!?"
* * *
4:00PM Nerima, Toratotaka Tower.
Megumi waited patiently as Yoshio flipped through the pages of Sandy's report. He frowned thoughtfully, then handed the document back to Megumi.
"Sandy's right" Yoshio hummed, then nodded. "Muong Mian Eyung-Sea is definitely paranoid. Didn't even allow Sandy to get to the relay station. Doesn't he know that we've got good intentions?"
"Apparently not," Megumi nodded, then hummed thoughtfully. "The 2nd desert division of the People's Liberation Army will be trying another attempt at the Relay station. If they can't we can have someone dive from one of the Chinese relay stations and communicate with Muong Mian Eyun-Sea from there."
"Lets make that one of our last resorts," Yoshio hummed, then nodded to Megumi. "The other one being...well...lets not go there. I really don't want to think about it. At any rate, has Dee found out when Mason's going to send out the Bu 10X?"
"Hai," Megumi nodded, then sighed. "It'll be a day after Christmas."
"Really," Yoshio noted, then let out a noisy breath. "I see. He just doesn't know when to stop, does he?"
"Seems that way." Megumi sighed, then nodded. "I've already informed Nozomi of the release date. She isn't happy either, just so you know."
"Un," Yoshio sighed, then shrugged. "None of us are, these days."
"Un," Megumi nodded, then turned sideways. "Now if you will excuse me?"
"Un," Yoshio nodded back to the SFIO, then gazed out at the skyline as she quietly exited his office.
* * *
8:OOAM December 27, 2032 AD.
Tinsel City. Mega Tokyo, Japan.
Priss and blonde bombshell walked out of the Tinsel City District Courthouse. Both were warmly dressed for winter weather.
A noisy breath escaped Priss. Not only were they detained, the bombshell's sports car was impounded, but they also had to pay a hefty fine for 'indecent activities and exposure' on public grounds.
"G..gome," Priss began, sighed, then blinked when the bombshell turned and laid a finger on Priss's lips. "Nami-san?"
"I have to admit..." Nami hummed, sighed, then nodded. "I have to admit that it was a bad move to get it on in the car. Demo...I'm mostly to blame for it, though. So don't get upset about it. I'm the one that should be upset. I couldn't control myself. I wanted you, Priscila, and I wanted you bad."
"I see," Priss blushed, noticed Linna's mini-van, then sighed. "Look I've got to run. But before I go...could you tell me something?"
"Anything, Priscila-san." Nami grinned.
"Well," Priss uttered, then stared at Nami. "Did this have anything to do with our interview several days ago? When we were idly chatting about our preferences. Or was this a more long lasting thing?"
Nami Shinji was a disc jockey for JMRC 88.5 FM. She was on from 9AM-4PM. JMRC was the only radio station that played Replicants music. It was one of the few independent stations in Mega-Tokyo. Toratotaka International gave it some financial backing.
"The latter," Nami hummed, then chuckled. "I fell for you when the moment you first stepped into the broadcast studio, Priscila."
"Ah," Priss nodded, then sighed. "This'll get around, you know. You're listeners will want to know about it, too. Especially when you missed yesterday's broadcast."
"Probably," Nami nodded to her, then rubbed Priss's shoulder. "Don't worry. I always keep it low key. My listeners aren't stupid, though. They know something is going on between us."
"Yeah," Priss nodded, then shrugged. "Well my ride's getting impatient. Gotta go Nami-san."
"Yeah." Nami nodded, then grinned. "Until next time, ne?"
Priss nodded, watched her leave, then strode over to Linna's vehicle.
"Hi," Linna nodded to her, then sighed as Priss slipped into the vehicle. "So...who was that?"
"A friend," Priss nodded, then shrugged as Linna pulled away from the curb. "Her name is Nami Shinji. I met her several months ago."
"Nami Shinji?" Linna hummed, blinked, then glanced at Priss. "Isn't she that DJ from JMRC?!"
"Well yeah," Priss nodded, then stared at Linna. "What's it to you?!"
Linna blinked, then sighed. By now, all of Priss's teammates knew that Priss was arrested for indecent exposure and behavior on public grounds. Linna had expected it to be with some guy. But this?!
Nene also has told her that Priss was caught with radio personality. Could Nami be that person.
"So she's the one that..." Linna began, but Priss cut her off.
"Yes! Damn it!!" Priss admitted, blushed, then turned away from Linna. "Yes! I had sex with her in the car!! What of it?!"
Linna blinked at Priss, then decided not to press matters. Still, Nami was a public figure. Better bring this up at the next weekly meeting.
"To make matters worse," Priss ranted, then shook her head. "Nene was a witness to it! She saw the car rocking back and forth, after all!!"
*Well,* Linna sighed, then shook her head. *There goes that idea. Nene will probably tell Sylia during our Year Forgetting Party. Sylia will question Nene, then question Priss. Priss will storm off.*
"Priss," Linna hummed, then nodded as the mini-van worked its way through the congested city streets. "This will probably be brought up on the 31st. Do you want some moral support?"
Priss blinked, stared at Linna, then blushed harder. She really didn't know what to say.
* * *
That same moment, Toratotaka Tower, Floor One Hundred Sixty Sixty Six.
"As you can see," Yukari Koshiki hummed, glanced at her concerned audience, then grimaced as she pulled the sheet away. "Daniel is enduring a mutagenic transformation. Its a very painful, yet complete process. As you can see he, or should I say she, has the form of a adult female human being."
The audience stared at Daniel's body, then stepped away from the bed. Some, like Elizabeth, Anne and Elinor, shied away out of sorrow and guilt. Others, like Skuld, Utena, Nikki and Shiori just stared at her body.
"How..." Elinor uttered, then shook her head. "How long does she have to suffer?"
"That's what we'd like to know." Utena nodded, sighed then shooked her head. "What about her body, eh? Will she have functional sex organs be able to bear children. Or will she be sterile?! These are very important questions. Could you answer them please, Sempai?"
"I'll try," Yukari nodded, then drew the covers over Daniel's body. "She should be up and around in mid January. As for the viability of her sex organs...its still to early to tell. Her body, however, does produce copious quantities of estrogen.
"Soo ka," Elinor nodded, gulped, then gazed at Yukari. "Take good care of her, okay?"
"Eh?" Yukari blinked, then nodded. "You can count on it."
"Arigato," Elinor nodded, then glanced at Anne and Elizabeth. "Lets go, ne?"
"Hai," Anne and Elizabeth nod, then follow her out of the room.
* * *
That evening. Nerima, Greenwood Apartments.
Nami sighed as she stepped into the foyer of her two-story apartment. She looked at a nearby clock, then slipped her full skin faux-fur indigo jacket. She opened a nearby closet, hung up the jacket, then smiled when she heard someone walk up.
She turned then smiled as a warmly dressed teenager handed her a cup of tea. The teen was short, had brown eyes, and hot pink tresses that fell to her ankles.
"Welcome back," The hot-pink haired teen nodded, then gazed at Nami. "So sis, how did it go?"
"I'm free and I have my car back," Nami shrugged her shoulders, then shook her head in disgust. "But that doesn't make up for the fact that I missed X-MAS. Sorry, Reenie-chan. I know you were looking forward to it."
Reenie Shinji sighed, then nodded at her elder sisters admission.
"Apology accepted," Reenie hummed, then wagged her finger at Nami. "So long as you've learned from your lesson, got me!?"
"Hai, Hai," Nami nodded to Reenie, then patted her on the shoulder. "I won't forget this one, Reenie Imouto-chan. Any calls, FAXes or E-Mails?"
"Un," Reenie nodded, then sighed. "Mostly E-Mails."
Nami Shinji was quite popular. Therefore, when she misses a show, her fans become quite concerned.
"I see," Nami nodded, sighed, then shrugged. "I had a lot of E-Mail's waiting for me at the station. I tried to respond to all of
them....but I had other things on my mind.Well I guess I'll fire up the ISP and try respond to a few more."
"How did you respond to them?" Reenie inquired.
"Low key," Nami nodded, then shrugged. "But I've always done that in regards to my radio career. My fans know that something is going on...but they're not bugging me about it."
"I see," Reenie smiled, then nodded. "Well I'm glad this is over. Looking forward to new years?"
"Un," Nami nodded, then gazed at Reenie. "So....are the 'Minstrels' ready for Toratotaka's Year Forgetting Party?"
"Uh huh," Reenie grinned, then nodded. "We're all looking forward to it. It's going to be held on the Robert Bruce."
"Wow," Nami hummed, then smiled. "Must be one hell of a party. Sounds like everyone in the region is going to be invited."
"Un." Reenie nodded at that, then laid a hand on her chest. "What's more my sisters, the other Child Companions, will also be in attendance. It'll be a great to see Rin-Rin, Marie, Hinako and Sakura again. I hope Chi-chan and Taru-chan will show. But that may just be wishful thinking. Those two aren't into social events like the Year Forgeting Party. They probably won't show."
"I see," Nami hummed, then nodded. "So when is the next jam session, eh?"
"Tommorrow," Reenie shrugged, blinked when a beep came from the kitchenette, then ran off. "Eh!? Oh no, Dinner's ready and I haven't set the table yet!"
"You made dinner? I hope its edible." Nami commented to the retreating form, then sighed when Reenie stuck her tongue out at her.
* * *
10:30PM. Near the GENOM Tower.
Four female combatants surround the remaining Bu-10X. Its brethren was cleaved in half not to long ago. The combatants were dressed in black bodysuits. Most of them had gleaming katanas in their hands. The other one seemed to be wounded. The injured combatant was holding her right hand over her left side.
The prototype boomer fell to its knees, then collapsed to the ground. It looked worse for wear. It's left arm was missing and its left knee seemed to be dislocated. Its head and torso were caved in by lightning fast punches and kicks. Its right arm, however, remained intact.
The combatants relax, then tense up when the wounded combatant collapsed to one knee. Her oval glasses fell to the concrete road.
"Tomomi-chan?!" They all cry out. Tomomi, however, didn't respond to their cries. A girl with ribbons in her black hair runs up, then shook the brown haired girl to get her attention.
"Tomomi-chan diajobu?!" The girl asked, then gasped when Tomomi revealed that she had a ugly looking graze. "Tomomi-chan."
"G...gome," Tomomi uttered, then sighed. "Gome ne, Yui-chan. I was careless around this one."
"Iie," Yui Narusawa shook her head, nodded to Tomomi Mizuno, then helped her up. "Over-confidant is more like it. Come on, lets get you patched up."
"Hai," Tomomi nodded to Yui, then grunted as they leapt off into the night.
End Chapter Five.
Shinjuku, Mega-Tokyo. Japan.
A woman with long hair reclined in dimly lit room. She was gazing thoughtfully out at the skyline. A glass of red wine was in her left hand. A small, leather bound tome was near her right. It sat next to a wine bottle and a lamp.
Unbeknownst to the woman, a mouse with brown fur was gazing intently at her.
The woman put the glass down, grinned, then went to pick up the tome. The figure turned the lamp up a bit, turned to the first page of the report, then sighed when a humanoid entity emerged from the left wall. The entity had long black hair and was wearing a kimono. It also seemed to have a pair of whip like tentacles.
"Ah, Tripades," The mysterious woman sighed, then nodded. "Tell me, do you know what happened to Xanthes a few nights ago?"
"Xanthes met his destiny the other day," The creature hummed. "He was killed by well trained Toratotaka personnel. Lady Katsumi survived the abduction and is now under Rally Cheyenne's careful watch."
"I see," The woman hummed, then gazed at Tripades. "This should prove interesting. What of Toratotaka's 'savior' Daniel Wisner?"
"He is pre-occupied with grief," Tripades murmured, then seemed to laugh. "An unexpected bonus of our raid wouldn't you say, my lady?"
"True..."The woman nodded, then gazed at Tripades. "However, it would be in our best interest if Dan's sense of self was destroyed. Doing so will lessen his chances of being successful in his quest. You know what to do. Make the attempt in several hours, understand?!"
"I do, Mistress." Tripades nodded, then turned to leave. Just then the woman noted a small mouse that scampered out of sight.
"Oh and Tripades," The woman hummed, nodded, then picked up the wine glass. "Be prepared for a welcoming committee from Toratotaka, understand?"
"I understand," Tripades hummed, then turned away from the woman. "I shall return soon, Lady Kurumi."
"Hai," Kurumi nodded, then took a sip of her red wine. "May Nemesis protect you, Tripades."
Early morning, December 24, 2032AD.
Toratotaka Tower, Floor One Hundred Sixty Six.
A small group of Toratotaka personnel ran down a corridor. It consisted of GMT-10, and a half dozen bio-warfare series 33-Ms. Elizabeth's team had their weapons drawn. The 33-Ms had medical equipment at the ready and a stretcher in their hands.
The group rounded a corner, thundered through the recovery ward until they arrived at room 21. Elizabeth kicked the door open, the gasped when she found that Dan was not alone. Tripades was in the room, as were Elinor and Edith. Both women were aiming rather large handguns at the creature. The entity was wounded by small weapons fire. Elinor and Edith looked upset.
Dan looked a little worse for wear himself. His breathing seemed labored and he was sweating profusely.
Elizabeth ran into the room, followed by a few 33-Ms. Anne brought up the rear and signaled to Leslie and Ursula to stay outside.
"Clear out!" Elizabeth bellowed as she aimed her sub-machinegun at Tripades. "You have no business here, Entity!"
As she confronted the Entity, the 33-Ms quickly and efficiently checked his vitals with medical tri-corders. They gasped at the results, put their tri corders away, then went to work. One of them prepared an I.V drip while another attached sensors to his chest. The last one had a syringe in her left hand. She stuck the needle in Dan's left arm and discharged the liquid into his veins.
"Very well." Tripades hummed, then nodded. "I shall leave now. My mission is complete."
"Mission?" Elizabeth blurted, blinked when Dan groaned, glanced back at him, then noticed a peculiar welt on Dan's neck. "What did you do to him?!"
"You will see. I can not, and will not, divulge anything else! Farewell!" Tripades hummed, then faded from view. Elinor and Edith blinked, then holstered their large handguns.
"Get the stretcher in here!" One of the nurses bellowed, then went back to work. "We've got to get Daniel-ya to the ICU!!"
"Why?!" Elinor started to approach the bed, then backed off when the rest of the nurses wheeled in the stretcher. "What's wrong with him?!?"
"He's got a serum flowing through his body," One of the nurses reported, sighed as Elinor came to Dan's side, then helped her sisters prepared Dan for transport. "Its fast acting and toxic! We need to get him to the ICU for extensive treatment."
"We'll escort you there!" Elinor offered, then blinked when Elizabeth laid a hand on Elinor's shoulder. "Amy?"
"We'll take it from here," Elizabeth sighed, then nodded. "Go back to you're apartment and try to relax. We'll take care of Daniel,Onesama."
Elinor doubted her offer, then looked to her close friend for advice. Edith thought about it, gazed at Dan, then nodded in approval of Elizabeth's offer. Elinor sighed, then nodded to Elizabeth. At that same time, the 33-Ms hefted Dan's weakened form onto the stretcher and put the EKG and EEG monitors between his legs.
"Okay," Elizabeth nodded to them. "We'll call if anything happens, ne?"
"Thank you," Edith nodded, watched them wheel Dan out, then looked to Elinor who had turned away from her friend. "Are you all right, love?"
"What do you think?" Elinor moaned, made a fist, then tearfully shook her head. "We totally blew it, Edith. We didn't expect it to come up from the floor because of that we couldn't protect him from that monstrous bastard!"
Edith sighed, walked up to her, then hugged the taller woman from behind.
"That may be so," Edith hummed, then nodded. "But he's now under the CMCO's care. I'm sure they'll do the best they can to save his life."
"But we erred," Elinor muttered, shook her head, then laid her hands on her chest. "No! I erred. In doing so, I'm loosing a warm and caring lover."
"He's still living, though," Edith hummed, shook her head, then wrapped her arms around Elinor's arms. "So don't feel bad. We all make mistakes, love. Just remember what he said and you'll do fine."
Elinor looked doubtful, but squeezed her friend's arm anyway.
Chapter Five. Changes...
4:30AM, Floor One Hundred Sixty Five.
The CMCO strode into the Intensive Care Unit. Yukari Koshiki looked around, then sighed before walking up to the receptionist desk.
"Ohayo, Sempai." The duty nurse nodded.
"Ohayo, Erika-ya," Yukari nodded then stared at her. "A patient named Daniel Wisner was brought here recently. Which bed is he in?"
"Daniel-ya is in bed 10, Koshiki-sempai." The duty nurse pointed to a small group of 33-Ms in the left hand corner, then went to hand a datapadd to the CMCO. "Here, the datapadd will refresh in five minutes."
"Arigato, Erika-ya," Yukari nodded, walked away from the desk, nodded to GMT-10 who was keeping watch, then walked over to the group who was huddled over Dan's body. "Good morning, ladies. What's his status?"
"Good morning Yukari-sempai," A green haired bio-warfare nurse looks up, then went back to work. "He's in serious condition. EKG is above normal, his blood pressure is up to 200. He also has a fever. The good news is that his brainwaves are normal. He's unconscious and won't respond to any stimuli, however."
"I see," Yukari murmured, nodded, then gazed at the green haired nurse. "What's the cause of his symptoms?"
"A chemical agent is the cause," A pink haired nurse declared, then went back to work. "Mutagenic it seems. We don't know what the bloody thing doing to him as of yet, though. At any rate, we've downloaded the data. It should be on the datapadd, sempai!"
"Mutagenic, you say?" Yukari hummed, held the datapadd up, then began to skim through the datapadd's contents. She went white when she found the data on the serum. "This!? Oh, Megami-sama. Why would they do such a thing like this?!"
"Sempai?" The pink haired woman uttered.
"Its..." Yukari began, felt a little sick to her stomach, then steeled herself. "Its...altering him. It's not going to happen right away but...it'll alter every single cell in his body. Fortunately the Neurophages are still in his blood stream. They can't stop the process, but they -can- repair his neurons after the mutation takes place."
"What's going to happen?" The pink haired nurse wondered.
"Simply put..."Yukari hummed then shook her head. "It'll transform him into a woman, Rhee Ann-ya."
Elizabeth and Anne gasped, then looked to Ursula and Leslie. The other nurses nodded, as if they've heard of this situation before. Rhee, on the other hand, just stared at the CMCO, then looked at Dan's prone form.
"That's..." Rhee uttered, shook her head in denial, then looked at the green haired nurse. "No way. That can't happen? Can it Ela-ya?"
"Oh yes it can Rhee-ya," Ela Yung Min nodded, then gazed at her co-worker. "I should tell you about my stay at the Juysenkyo sub-station sometime. I've seen loads cases similar to this one. But enough of that! We still have to get him stabilized! Okay?!"
"Un!" Rhee nodded, then checked his blood pressure. "Oi! His blood pressure is up to 220 now!"
"Kuso!" Yukari uttered, nodded, then washed her hands in a nearby basin. "All right! Lets get him as stable as we can. Since we can't communicate...we'll have to allow the transformation to occur!"
"Hai!" The 33-Ms called out, then busied about Dan's body.
*It's all we can do now, really.* She thought, then let out a noisy breath. *But Shiori-san won't be happy about it. Neither will Oshika when they get wind of it. I'm hoping I'm doing the right thing here...*
8:00AM. Tianjin Annex, Peoples Republic of China.
Sandy tiredly slipped out of bed, trudged through her well-furnished
guest apartment, then stepped into the small bathroom. The bathroom had a toilet, a sink, small cabinet and an enclosed semi-circular shower stall. The shower stall had an opaque sliding glass door.
She slipped out of her lingerie, slid the door open, then stepped inside. The stall had three showerheads; two smaller ones on either side of her and a larger one on the ceiling.
Sandy sighed as turned on the tap, hoping that it would wake her up. A gentle spray of hot water from all sides caressed her form. She shook her head. While it felt pleasant, it wasn't doing a thing to wake her up. What she needed was a stronger dose. She turned the tap to half way, then sighed when doused with streams of hot water.
"Now this is more like it," She hummed, stepped away from the stream, then lathered her hair and skin with an all-purpose soap. "This feels so good! Livens me up! Not to mention get all that sand, soot and dust of my body. I'm glad that we have stalls like this back in Nerima."
She sighed, reached in, turned the tap to full, then watched as the streams turned to jets. She smiled to herself, then stepped into the downpour to rinse her body off. She grinned as water cascaded down her body and billowing clouds of steam surrounded her.
"Nothing like a good shower to start the day." Sandy uttered, then sighed when she turned the tap to OFF. "But I can't stay here. I've got an appointment with breakfast meeting with Xian."
She slid the door open, then took a deep breath as she stepped out of the stall. She grabbed a towel off of a nearby rack, wrapped it around her torso, then began to dry her hair.
Just then the guest apartment's videophone rang. She blinked, plopped the towel on her head, slipped a housecoat on, quickly tied the belt down, then strode out of the bathroom. She walked into the kitchen, then turned to the videophone which was on the wall. She tapped a few controls then smiled when Shiori's face popped up on screen.
"Ohayo, director," Sandy nodded, then gazed at her boss who looked a little depressed. "Hm. You don't look too happy. Is it crazy over there?"
"Lets just say its going to be one of those days," Shiori shrugged, then sighed. "But that's neither here or there. Akari is about to give birth to her twins. You've got the next two weeks off to adjust, okay?"
Akari was a human, a pro-skater and Sandy's wife. Sandy had met her during the Winter Olympics.
"A...Akari-chan...Akari-chan is..."Sandy uttered, leaned against the refrigerator, then gazed at Shiori's image. "Did you say I've got the next two weeks off? What about the negotiations here?"
"Don't worry." Shiori sighed, then nodded. "I've already assigned someone to take your place. Do you have any unfinished business there?"
"Just my report," Sandy hummed, then wistfully shook her head. "Jeez, time flies doesn't it?"
"Seems like it," Shiori nodded, then gazed at Sandy. "By the way...an old friend of yours has paid us a visit. Does the name Daniel Wisner ring a bell?"
"Hey yeah!" Sandy grinned, then nodded. "I know him! Why is he here? Another wish perhaps?"
"No," Shiori hummed, then sighed. "He was brought here by a Megami to handle the Entity situation. Unfortunately, he's lost his world to the Lucifer Hawk. Fortunately he's decided to side with us. He's going to be you're co worker, by the way."
"Ah, I see," Sandy nodded again, but then became puzzled. "So why the long face?"
"He's...been attacked by the Lucifer Hawk," Shiori shook her head. "One of them...injected a fast acting mutagenic resin in his body. It's...changing him. Into a woman."
Sandy just stared at her, then laughed nervously at Shiori's image.
"Yer joking, right?" Sandy uttered, then 'EEPed' when Shiori scowled at her. "I guess you're not. Is he okay?"
"Alright I guess," Shiori sighed, then shook her head. "He's in a roughly stable condition and has survived the initial stage of the metamorphosis. Daniel-kun's has been moved to a private room. A duty nurse has also been assigned to his room."
"I see," Sandy hummed, then nodded. "Then that's why you're looking upset."
"Hai," Shiori nodded, then shook her head. "Oshika's not happy with it either. You should have seen Dame Nicole's face when I told her that an Entity infected him with that...resin. It was quite...unpleasant."
"Really," Sandy gulped, then shook her head. "No guessing what SIAT 23's new assignment will be, ne?"
"Hai," Shiori sighed, then sadly smiled. "Well that's all I have. Hop on a transporter pad as soon as you're done talking to Xian-ya, ne?"
"Will do," Sandy nodded, then clicked her tongue when the link was cut. "Hope you're doing well, Daniel-kun...err...Danielle-chan. I'll say a prayer for you when I get back home."
At around 9:00AM, Sandy was sitting in the Annex Matriarchs office. She and Xian were sitting on the floor. A satchel and a small suitcase was near Sandy's feet. A ten-page document was sitting on the suitcase. They were just finishing there breakfast when Xian noticed how happy Sandy looked.
"You look pleased," Xian hummed thoughtfully, then nodded to Sandy. "May I ask why?"
"Akari's almost due." Sandy said simply.
"Ah," Xian hummed, then grinned. "So that's it. No wonder why you're so excited."
"Ne," Sandy nodded, then smiled before finishing off the rest of her meal. "Oh I can't wait to get one of them in my arms. I'll have to be careful and watch my strength, though. Even my weakest of hugs causes Akari to wince."
"Ne," Xian hummed, then finished of her orange juice. "Still, it must be a wonderful feeling. Makes me wish I could bear children."
"Can't argue with that," Sandy hummed, turned around, picked up the document, then handed it to Xian. "Here's my report on Operation Lima and on the Tianjin settlement."
"Thank you," Xian nodded, then sighed. "So what's going on locally? Anything good?"
"Aino," Sandy sighed, then shook her head. "Beijing has given Tianjin's politico's the thumbs up on Project Shei-Tai. Shei-Tai, as you know, will be a new business district for Z-H's subsidiaries. Good news is that it'll give people more jobs. Bad news is that Z-H is going to demolish a bunch of high-apartment rises. The locals aren't happy because they'll be displaced."
"Just like district 3 in Mega-Tokyo," Xian sighed, hummed, then nodded. "Very well. We'll handle the relocation and finance the construction of new apartments. What's the time table?"
"It won't start until the latter half of 2033," Sandy nodded, then hummed. "That'll give the companies time to lay the foundations down and start to work."
"Ne," Xian grinned, then sighed wistfully. "Nerima's on the ball as well. They've known about GENOM's plan for district 3 for a year or so. They've already cleared Reclamation Zone 10 away for lavish one-story townhouses and bungalows."
"Ne," Sandy nodded, then sighed. "As for Lima...well...that was a complete bust. Muong Mian Eyung-Sea got the drop on the our armored column five miles into his territory."
"I see," Xian hummed, then sighed. "So the convoy was ambushed, but continued on?"
"Well yeah," Sandy nodded, then shrugged. "That attack didn't do much damage to us. It was just a four-man squad. A bunch of grunts with anti-armor rockets put them out of their misery. It was the third and fourth attacks that cancelled Operation Lima. As soon as we dealt with the four-man squad, Intel informed us that Muong Mian Eyung-Sea had dispatched two entire armored companies of drones and light autotanks to stop us. We tried to outmaneuver them, but they routed us and forced us to retreat. That's when the fighting started. Of course I went in unarmed. You know me, I don't know how to use a gun. I'm glad I know magic or I would have not made it...and Akari..."
"Would be a widow." Xian uttered, then looked beat. "Ye gods, to think that almost happened..."
"Whoa," Sandy uttered disbelievingly, blinked as she tried to comprehend its meaning, then shuddered when that thought finally hit her. "That's kinda frightening when I think about it. I'm gonna give Akari a big hug when I get home."
"That's what I would do" Xian hummed, then nodded. "Nothing better than the comfort of you're loved ones. But I think you should hold off after she gives birth to you're children."
"You've got that right." Sandy nodded.
* * *
9:30AM Toratotaka Tower. Nerima, Mega-Tokyo.
Shiori took a deep breath, then quietly slipped into Dan's recovery room. She walked up to his bed and took stock of his situation. Dan was in bed, still looking worse for wear. The welt on his neck was now the size of one nuyen. The IV drip was still in place. A pair of catheter tubes poked out of the covers, leading to god knows where.
A blonde haired nurse was sitting in a nearby chair. She smiled pleasantly at the Director as Shiori stood at the foot of the bed.
"Good day," The blonde nodded. "Is there anything I can do for you, Director Fujisaki?"
"Aino," Shiori shook her head, then nodded to Dan's prone form. "I'm just here to see how he's doing, Mie Lin-ya"
Moments later Dan cried out in pain. Shiori jerked back, then stared at Mie Lin.
"Ano..." Shiori blinked, then cocked her head at Dan's body. "Is pain part of the mutation process Mie-ya?"
"Unfortunately," Mie Lin sighed, slipped out of the chair, then mopped his forehead with a small towel. "His body is changing after all. It's quite taxing to his physiology."
"Ah," Shiori nodded, then gazed at the duty nurse. "What's happened to him so far?"
"Not much," Mie shrugged. "Just Estrogen production and alteration of his skeletal system."
"I see," Shiori hummed. "That's a lot actually. What type of alterations?"
"Just the hips mainly," Mie sighed. "His chin is becoming a little pointed though. Fortunately, the IV solutions contain a mixture of calcium and other nutrients to help his body grow. Oh and a slight increase in his bust and redistribution of fat around his hips, as well. Won't be long until he'll, or I should say she, will have a shapely figure."
"I see," Shiori nodded, then quickly turned away from his or her body. "Very well. Thanks for telling me about his situation Mie-ya."
"Your welcome," Mie hummed, then sighed as Shiori quickly walked out of the room. "Hmmm. I was going to tell her about the regression and reformation of his genitalia but...I guess that would have really upset her."
* * *
5:00PM. Mega Tokyo, South Bayshore Drive.
Nene guided the compact patrol onto the two-lane highway. She glanced at Katsumi then shook her head. Katsumi was still consulting the navigation computer.
*Can't do everything with a computer,* Nene thought to herself, then shook her head. *Katsumi-san has to get some experience sooner or later. There's a rest stop two blocks ahead, fortunately. I think we'll switch there.*
"Ne, Katsumi-junsa?" Nene chimed a minute or so later, then grinned when Katsumi looked up from the computer screen.
"Hai, Romanova-Bachou?" Katsumi blinked.
"Are you ready to switch places?" Nene asked her, slowed the vehicle down, then turned on the left turning signal.
"Mmmm," Katsumi mused, then nodded. "Why not. I think I've memorized our route long enough. When do we switch?"
"Now," Nene pleasantly hummed, then nodded as she guided the patrol car into the small rest stop. "This'll be good practice for you. Today's route will cover several districts. That way you'll get a lay of the land a lot faster."
"Gee," Katsumi wistfully hummed, then sighed as Nene neatly slipped the vehicle into a parking space. A red sports coupe was spaces down. "This sounds vaguely familiar. I wonder where I've heard this before?"
"Oh?" Nene wondered, opened the driver side door, then slipped out of the vehicle. "You've done this before?"
"In Oahu." Katsumi nodded, did the same, then noticed the sports coupe. There was something strange about it. "Eh? Oh dear. Not one of these. Don't they have any decency?!"
The car's windows were fogged up, and the vehicle was rocking back and forth.
"Eh?" Nene blinked, gaped at the car, then blushed. "Oh god. I've never run into one of these before. Have you, Katsumi-junsa?"
"Hai," Kastumi nodded, then gazed at Nene. "Do you want me to handle this?"
"Un," Nene nodded, thought a bit, then grinned. "Should we gang up on them?"
"Nice thinking," Katsumi nodded, then gestured to the vehicle. "You knock, I'll interrogate and ticket them for indecent behavior. Wakaru?"
"Hai," Nene nodded to the experienced officer. With that, the Sergeant and the Corporal marched up to the vehicle. Katsumi stood a foot away from Nene as the operator wrapped her knuckle on the driver's side window. Seconds later, the rocking stopped and there appeared to be some frantic movement in the ground vehicle. The power window cycled down and the AD Police officers got an eyeful.
Nene couldn't believe it. It was Priss! With blonde haired bombshell, no less! Both were in various states of undress and perspiring heavily. The couple just stared back at them.
"Alright ladies," Katsumi intoned firmly. "Would you care to explain this!?"
* * *
4:00PM Nerima, Toratotaka Tower.
Megumi waited patiently as Yoshio flipped through the pages of Sandy's report. He frowned thoughtfully, then handed the document back to Megumi.
"Sandy's right" Yoshio hummed, then nodded. "Muong Mian Eyung-Sea is definitely paranoid. Didn't even allow Sandy to get to the relay station. Doesn't he know that we've got good intentions?"
"Apparently not," Megumi nodded, then hummed thoughtfully. "The 2nd desert division of the People's Liberation Army will be trying another attempt at the Relay station. If they can't we can have someone dive from one of the Chinese relay stations and communicate with Muong Mian Eyun-Sea from there."
"Lets make that one of our last resorts," Yoshio hummed, then nodded to Megumi. "The other one being...well...lets not go there. I really don't want to think about it. At any rate, has Dee found out when Mason's going to send out the Bu 10X?"
"Hai," Megumi nodded, then sighed. "It'll be a day after Christmas."
"Really," Yoshio noted, then let out a noisy breath. "I see. He just doesn't know when to stop, does he?"
"Seems that way." Megumi sighed, then nodded. "I've already informed Nozomi of the release date. She isn't happy either, just so you know."
"Un," Yoshio sighed, then shrugged. "None of us are, these days."
"Un," Megumi nodded, then turned sideways. "Now if you will excuse me?"
"Un," Yoshio nodded back to the SFIO, then gazed out at the skyline as she quietly exited his office.
* * *
8:OOAM December 27, 2032 AD.
Tinsel City. Mega Tokyo, Japan.
Priss and blonde bombshell walked out of the Tinsel City District Courthouse. Both were warmly dressed for winter weather.
A noisy breath escaped Priss. Not only were they detained, the bombshell's sports car was impounded, but they also had to pay a hefty fine for 'indecent activities and exposure' on public grounds.
"G..gome," Priss began, sighed, then blinked when the bombshell turned and laid a finger on Priss's lips. "Nami-san?"
"I have to admit..." Nami hummed, sighed, then nodded. "I have to admit that it was a bad move to get it on in the car. Demo...I'm mostly to blame for it, though. So don't get upset about it. I'm the one that should be upset. I couldn't control myself. I wanted you, Priscila, and I wanted you bad."
"I see," Priss blushed, noticed Linna's mini-van, then sighed. "Look I've got to run. But before I go...could you tell me something?"
"Anything, Priscila-san." Nami grinned.
"Well," Priss uttered, then stared at Nami. "Did this have anything to do with our interview several days ago? When we were idly chatting about our preferences. Or was this a more long lasting thing?"
Nami Shinji was a disc jockey for JMRC 88.5 FM. She was on from 9AM-4PM. JMRC was the only radio station that played Replicants music. It was one of the few independent stations in Mega-Tokyo. Toratotaka International gave it some financial backing.
"The latter," Nami hummed, then chuckled. "I fell for you when the moment you first stepped into the broadcast studio, Priscila."
"Ah," Priss nodded, then sighed. "This'll get around, you know. You're listeners will want to know about it, too. Especially when you missed yesterday's broadcast."
"Probably," Nami nodded to her, then rubbed Priss's shoulder. "Don't worry. I always keep it low key. My listeners aren't stupid, though. They know something is going on between us."
"Yeah," Priss nodded, then shrugged. "Well my ride's getting impatient. Gotta go Nami-san."
"Yeah." Nami nodded, then grinned. "Until next time, ne?"
Priss nodded, watched her leave, then strode over to Linna's vehicle.
"Hi," Linna nodded to her, then sighed as Priss slipped into the vehicle. "So...who was that?"
"A friend," Priss nodded, then shrugged as Linna pulled away from the curb. "Her name is Nami Shinji. I met her several months ago."
"Nami Shinji?" Linna hummed, blinked, then glanced at Priss. "Isn't she that DJ from JMRC?!"
"Well yeah," Priss nodded, then stared at Linna. "What's it to you?!"
Linna blinked, then sighed. By now, all of Priss's teammates knew that Priss was arrested for indecent exposure and behavior on public grounds. Linna had expected it to be with some guy. But this?!
Nene also has told her that Priss was caught with radio personality. Could Nami be that person.
"So she's the one that..." Linna began, but Priss cut her off.
"Yes! Damn it!!" Priss admitted, blushed, then turned away from Linna. "Yes! I had sex with her in the car!! What of it?!"
Linna blinked at Priss, then decided not to press matters. Still, Nami was a public figure. Better bring this up at the next weekly meeting.
"To make matters worse," Priss ranted, then shook her head. "Nene was a witness to it! She saw the car rocking back and forth, after all!!"
*Well,* Linna sighed, then shook her head. *There goes that idea. Nene will probably tell Sylia during our Year Forgetting Party. Sylia will question Nene, then question Priss. Priss will storm off.*
"Priss," Linna hummed, then nodded as the mini-van worked its way through the congested city streets. "This will probably be brought up on the 31st. Do you want some moral support?"
Priss blinked, stared at Linna, then blushed harder. She really didn't know what to say.
* * *
That same moment, Toratotaka Tower, Floor One Hundred Sixty Sixty Six.
"As you can see," Yukari Koshiki hummed, glanced at her concerned audience, then grimaced as she pulled the sheet away. "Daniel is enduring a mutagenic transformation. Its a very painful, yet complete process. As you can see he, or should I say she, has the form of a adult female human being."
The audience stared at Daniel's body, then stepped away from the bed. Some, like Elizabeth, Anne and Elinor, shied away out of sorrow and guilt. Others, like Skuld, Utena, Nikki and Shiori just stared at her body.
"How..." Elinor uttered, then shook her head. "How long does she have to suffer?"
"That's what we'd like to know." Utena nodded, sighed then shooked her head. "What about her body, eh? Will she have functional sex organs be able to bear children. Or will she be sterile?! These are very important questions. Could you answer them please, Sempai?"
"I'll try," Yukari nodded, then drew the covers over Daniel's body. "She should be up and around in mid January. As for the viability of her sex organs...its still to early to tell. Her body, however, does produce copious quantities of estrogen.
"Soo ka," Elinor nodded, gulped, then gazed at Yukari. "Take good care of her, okay?"
"Eh?" Yukari blinked, then nodded. "You can count on it."
"Arigato," Elinor nodded, then glanced at Anne and Elizabeth. "Lets go, ne?"
"Hai," Anne and Elizabeth nod, then follow her out of the room.
* * *
That evening. Nerima, Greenwood Apartments.
Nami sighed as she stepped into the foyer of her two-story apartment. She looked at a nearby clock, then slipped her full skin faux-fur indigo jacket. She opened a nearby closet, hung up the jacket, then smiled when she heard someone walk up.
She turned then smiled as a warmly dressed teenager handed her a cup of tea. The teen was short, had brown eyes, and hot pink tresses that fell to her ankles.
"Welcome back," The hot-pink haired teen nodded, then gazed at Nami. "So sis, how did it go?"
"I'm free and I have my car back," Nami shrugged her shoulders, then shook her head in disgust. "But that doesn't make up for the fact that I missed X-MAS. Sorry, Reenie-chan. I know you were looking forward to it."
Reenie Shinji sighed, then nodded at her elder sisters admission.
"Apology accepted," Reenie hummed, then wagged her finger at Nami. "So long as you've learned from your lesson, got me!?"
"Hai, Hai," Nami nodded to Reenie, then patted her on the shoulder. "I won't forget this one, Reenie Imouto-chan. Any calls, FAXes or E-Mails?"
"Un," Reenie nodded, then sighed. "Mostly E-Mails."
Nami Shinji was quite popular. Therefore, when she misses a show, her fans become quite concerned.
"I see," Nami nodded, sighed, then shrugged. "I had a lot of E-Mail's waiting for me at the station. I tried to respond to all of
them....but I had other things on my mind.Well I guess I'll fire up the ISP and try respond to a few more."
"How did you respond to them?" Reenie inquired.
"Low key," Nami nodded, then shrugged. "But I've always done that in regards to my radio career. My fans know that something is going on...but they're not bugging me about it."
"I see," Reenie smiled, then nodded. "Well I'm glad this is over. Looking forward to new years?"
"Un," Nami nodded, then gazed at Reenie. "So....are the 'Minstrels' ready for Toratotaka's Year Forgetting Party?"
"Uh huh," Reenie grinned, then nodded. "We're all looking forward to it. It's going to be held on the Robert Bruce."
"Wow," Nami hummed, then smiled. "Must be one hell of a party. Sounds like everyone in the region is going to be invited."
"Un." Reenie nodded at that, then laid a hand on her chest. "What's more my sisters, the other Child Companions, will also be in attendance. It'll be a great to see Rin-Rin, Marie, Hinako and Sakura again. I hope Chi-chan and Taru-chan will show. But that may just be wishful thinking. Those two aren't into social events like the Year Forgeting Party. They probably won't show."
"I see," Nami hummed, then nodded. "So when is the next jam session, eh?"
"Tommorrow," Reenie shrugged, blinked when a beep came from the kitchenette, then ran off. "Eh!? Oh no, Dinner's ready and I haven't set the table yet!"
"You made dinner? I hope its edible." Nami commented to the retreating form, then sighed when Reenie stuck her tongue out at her.
* * *
10:30PM. Near the GENOM Tower.
Four female combatants surround the remaining Bu-10X. Its brethren was cleaved in half not to long ago. The combatants were dressed in black bodysuits. Most of them had gleaming katanas in their hands. The other one seemed to be wounded. The injured combatant was holding her right hand over her left side.
The prototype boomer fell to its knees, then collapsed to the ground. It looked worse for wear. It's left arm was missing and its left knee seemed to be dislocated. Its head and torso were caved in by lightning fast punches and kicks. Its right arm, however, remained intact.
The combatants relax, then tense up when the wounded combatant collapsed to one knee. Her oval glasses fell to the concrete road.
"Tomomi-chan?!" They all cry out. Tomomi, however, didn't respond to their cries. A girl with ribbons in her black hair runs up, then shook the brown haired girl to get her attention.
"Tomomi-chan diajobu?!" The girl asked, then gasped when Tomomi revealed that she had a ugly looking graze. "Tomomi-chan."
"G...gome," Tomomi uttered, then sighed. "Gome ne, Yui-chan. I was careless around this one."
"Iie," Yui Narusawa shook her head, nodded to Tomomi Mizuno, then helped her up. "Over-confidant is more like it. Come on, lets get you patched up."
"Hai," Tomomi nodded to Yui, then grunted as they leapt off into the night.
End Chapter Five.