2
A Curious Night Out
In the efforts to rebuild Tokyo, it was decided that the top priorities should be residential areas, to draw back the exiled citizens, and a fair-sized commercial district to provide some work, and enough diversion to prevent the drudging up of old, painful memories. Nene and Mackey had been spending the night flitting through various shops and stopping in here and there for little bits to eat rather than one solid meal.
In between two such snacks, the young pair decided to simply walk without a destination, and talk without any sort of purpose. "So, Nene...how's life in the government?"
"It's really not too different from my old job with the AD Police. I just keep an eye out for things, look through information, and try to keep myself from getting bored. The only real difference is that there are fewer people to work with, and no Leon-pea to bother." Mackey smiled faintly at the mention of her old co-worker, who at the moment was back with the normal police, and trying to maintain a usually-long-distance relationship with Priss, whose band had actually managed to start up a tour. Mackey never had much of a chance to get to know Leon, but Nene never had anything seriously bad to say about him, so Mackey was willing to think acceptingly of him.
Mackey drew himself from his reflection when he noticed that Nene had stopped talking, and seemed rather withdrawn herself. "Nene? Are you feeling okay?"
"What? Oh, yeah fine. It's just...I was just wondering..."
"What?"
"I was wondering if you feel any different, now that you're...well..."
"Human?" Nene seemed a bit sullen at his blunt reminder that he had once been something between human and boomer, but he laughed lightly, and that pulled her gaze up to meet his eyes. "You don't need to worry about what I was. I've always been myself, even if certain parts have changed. You've known that from the start. 'Mackey is Mackey' you said. And that's true. Besides, I was always more human than boomer, like Galatea was more boomer than human, so there's really not that much that's been changed. Certainly there are some things that are different. I feel like my mind is working a bit slower than it used to...but it's ok. I'm glad I'm human now. Because now I can be more like what you want me to be."
"Mackey..." He leaned in and gave her a light kiss on the cheek, which was lined with the trails of a few small tears. She smiled and hugged him tightly.
Just then he noticed a group of about ten people gathered on the other side of the street. They didn't appear to be saying anything. They just stood there and looked at each other. Not knowing why, he realized that he was feeling almost unnaturally curious about them. His attention was riveted on something admittedly unusual, but overall mundane, and that began to disturb him. It almost reminded him of...No, that had to be his imagination. There was just something interestingly strange about them, that was all. Still, he could not deny that curiosity, that attraction...
"...Mackey?" Nene's voice finally registered, though she had been trying to get his attention for a while. He could hear the fearful concern in her tone, and smiled at her in an attempt to ease her mind.
"Sorry. I guess I was just absorbed by that group of people over there. Strange that they're not saying anything."
"I suppose..." she sounded uncertain.
"Anyway, what were you saying?"
"I was saying that we should try to get Linna into the city again for a while, since it's been nearly a year since we've seen her. We probably couldn't get Priss, 'cause who knows when she'll be around now, but Linna at least should be able to make it."
"You're right, that might be fun..."
Later that night, as he was falling asleep, Mackey found that he could not help thinking about that group on the street. What had they been doing? Why couldn't he stop thinking about them? Those questions carried him off to sleep.
Mere moments later, with nobody left awake, a faint pounding drifted up from the Pit...
Next: Familiar Shadows...
A Curious Night Out
In the efforts to rebuild Tokyo, it was decided that the top priorities should be residential areas, to draw back the exiled citizens, and a fair-sized commercial district to provide some work, and enough diversion to prevent the drudging up of old, painful memories. Nene and Mackey had been spending the night flitting through various shops and stopping in here and there for little bits to eat rather than one solid meal.
In between two such snacks, the young pair decided to simply walk without a destination, and talk without any sort of purpose. "So, Nene...how's life in the government?"
"It's really not too different from my old job with the AD Police. I just keep an eye out for things, look through information, and try to keep myself from getting bored. The only real difference is that there are fewer people to work with, and no Leon-pea to bother." Mackey smiled faintly at the mention of her old co-worker, who at the moment was back with the normal police, and trying to maintain a usually-long-distance relationship with Priss, whose band had actually managed to start up a tour. Mackey never had much of a chance to get to know Leon, but Nene never had anything seriously bad to say about him, so Mackey was willing to think acceptingly of him.
Mackey drew himself from his reflection when he noticed that Nene had stopped talking, and seemed rather withdrawn herself. "Nene? Are you feeling okay?"
"What? Oh, yeah fine. It's just...I was just wondering..."
"What?"
"I was wondering if you feel any different, now that you're...well..."
"Human?" Nene seemed a bit sullen at his blunt reminder that he had once been something between human and boomer, but he laughed lightly, and that pulled her gaze up to meet his eyes. "You don't need to worry about what I was. I've always been myself, even if certain parts have changed. You've known that from the start. 'Mackey is Mackey' you said. And that's true. Besides, I was always more human than boomer, like Galatea was more boomer than human, so there's really not that much that's been changed. Certainly there are some things that are different. I feel like my mind is working a bit slower than it used to...but it's ok. I'm glad I'm human now. Because now I can be more like what you want me to be."
"Mackey..." He leaned in and gave her a light kiss on the cheek, which was lined with the trails of a few small tears. She smiled and hugged him tightly.
Just then he noticed a group of about ten people gathered on the other side of the street. They didn't appear to be saying anything. They just stood there and looked at each other. Not knowing why, he realized that he was feeling almost unnaturally curious about them. His attention was riveted on something admittedly unusual, but overall mundane, and that began to disturb him. It almost reminded him of...No, that had to be his imagination. There was just something interestingly strange about them, that was all. Still, he could not deny that curiosity, that attraction...
"...Mackey?" Nene's voice finally registered, though she had been trying to get his attention for a while. He could hear the fearful concern in her tone, and smiled at her in an attempt to ease her mind.
"Sorry. I guess I was just absorbed by that group of people over there. Strange that they're not saying anything."
"I suppose..." she sounded uncertain.
"Anyway, what were you saying?"
"I was saying that we should try to get Linna into the city again for a while, since it's been nearly a year since we've seen her. We probably couldn't get Priss, 'cause who knows when she'll be around now, but Linna at least should be able to make it."
"You're right, that might be fun..."
Later that night, as he was falling asleep, Mackey found that he could not help thinking about that group on the street. What had they been doing? Why couldn't he stop thinking about them? Those questions carried him off to sleep.
Mere moments later, with nobody left awake, a faint pounding drifted up from the Pit...
Next: Familiar Shadows...
