Reunion
Chapter 4
Nene, she was a beautiful and intelligent young girl. I'm so glad I met her, I think of her everyday. And now I wonder, could I have done more? Nene. She made me feel human, she made me feel this feeling I still can't even explain. I think it might be what people call love. But if so, why is it I still feel like she is alive somehow? I just don't feel that loss. Is that wrong? Nene.... I miss you so much.
Maki sat in front of the blue computer screen, reading over the text he had just written. He felt like he was crying, but no tears were forming in his eyes. He deleted all the words he had just written. With out Nigel, or Sylia around he was feeling rather useless, and dwelling upon his loss. He hadn't given up hope on Nene, but now it was so hard to keep a hold of that hope. Everything just seemed so unreal.
He wondered if Sylia had found anything in LA. He clicked on her inbox, cluttered with thousands of unanswered messages from hundreds of different people in her life. He wasn't going to snoop; he just thought she might have sent him a message. Something good, something saying Nigel is fine. The most recent Message was from yesterday, titled "URGENT, Sylia I need your help!"
Maki was torn between reading the Urgent message that belonged to Sylia, and leaving it for her. He clicked on the blue link. It took him into a short message,
Sylia,
I know I kinda lost contact. I'm sorry, I had to. I'm working for the US Government. The urgent reason of this message is a file I ran across. They're going to re-create Boomer Technology Sylia, and they have the power to do it. I couldn't just sit back and let them create another Galatea, please come to LA. Come help me!
Nene
"She's alive?" Maki said out loud, "Nene...."
"Oh, hey" Priss said answering the door. It was Sylia standing there, looking like royalty as usual. Priss left the door open for Sylia to come in but went back to the window next to Linna. Sylia poked her head in the door, noting that Priss was back to being her cool calm self. Linna how ever was dressed in a towel, and looked ever so embarrassed.
"I have a little more information." She said casually, "Perhaps I could share it with you two over lunch?"
"Oh, sure" Linna agreed nervously, glancing back at Priss, "I just.... need to put some clothes on."
Sylia nodded and stepped in the room completely. It was a motel room compared to the suite she had on the top floor. Linna grabbed her suitcase and went into the bathroom, not completely shutting the door so she was still part of any conversation the other two might have.
"Is it good news?" Priss asked.
"Not really." Sylia shrugged, "I'm afraid there's still a lot more we will have to uncover."
After a long moment of silence Priss responded with, "I'm not even sure why I'm here."
"I'm glad you're here..." Linna said stepping out of the bathroom in a set of her normal clothes, t-shirt, with a short-sleeved button up guy's shirt thrown casually over it, and a pair of jeans
"Yes, me too. This just might take all of us." Sylia agreed.
They made their way down into the dinning area of the hotel. Sylia ordered for them all right off. Then, it was down to business.
"I've confirmed that Nigel is being held here in LA, and the Boomer Technology threat is real. I believe that is why they have Nigel."
"That's horrible...." Linna sympathized, "What would they want with
Nigel?"
"He's one of maybe three scientists still alive that were working with my father." Sylia frowned, "He may be their only way to re-create a sotai."
"He's going to talk." Priss stated evenly.
"Nigel won't betray me. He won't. He knows what Galatea did, and there is nothing that could make him create another one!" Sylia said very emotionally. This caused a silence at the table.
Linna was trying to focus on the task at hand, but still the topic she had found herself on with Priss haunted her thoughts. Did Leon's fears have a ground? Could Priss fall for her? Even if she could.... how could it work? Linna didn't know anything about lesbian relationships. Priss was the only girl she had ever felt so strongly towards. Priss was the only one she had ever felt so strongly for actually.
The food came. Sylia went into very little detail about exactly where Nigel was being kept, in a military base here in LA. Priss ate her food quickly, as if she hadn't eaten in days, or perhaps weeks. Then again, it was probably just fast in comparison to how slow Linna was eating. She just wanted to ask her question again, 'Could you fall for me?'. Sylia was there though.
"Linna?" Sylia said suddenly, and Linna prayed that Sylia wasn't going to ask her what her opinion was on something she had just said. Linna hadn't been listening.
"Yes?" She said innocently.
"Is there something wrong?" Sylia raised an eyebrow, and then glanced down at Linna's barely touched plate.
"Wrong?" Linna questioned, "What... what would be wrong?"
"You mean, aside from all of this re-creating boomers shit, right?" Priss said snidely.
"Linna." Sylia scolded, "I know Priss has a wonderful figure, but I think your attention would be better off on what I have to say here."
"Um...." Linna blushed profusely. She had been staring at Priss, and she hadn't even realized it. How embarrassing.
"Ah, leave her alone Sylia," Priss defended, "You haven't said anything we all didn't already suspect.
"Oh?" Sylia scoffed, obviously offended, "I think I've come a long way compared to you two, and if you'll excuse me, I have to get back to work."
"I'm sorry Sylia...." Linna apologized, feeling as if it was her fault Sylia was upset.
Sylia stood up and nodded both Priss and Linna good night, paid the cashier and left the lobby. Linna sat there head down. Priss stood up, and elbowed Linna in the shoulder.
"C'mon, I know it's the middle of the day.... but I'm beat." She said. Linna stood up on queue and walked over to the elevator with Priss. They stepped into the elevator alone. Linna was still looking down, and still slightly flush from Sylia's comment. Priss smirked; it was moments like this she had missed. Oh, and those core crushing intense moments.... but she didn't see any of those in the near future. The silence lingered on until the elevator hit their floor.
"Priss," Linna asked, "About that question earlier...."
Priss stepped out of the elevator, "What question?"
"You know," Linna followed her. They began to walk down the short hall, "about Leon's insecurities...." Right after she'd said it she realized how stupid that sounded.
"Err, " Priss wasn't sure what Linna was talking about, she remembered their conversation, but not where it had ended abruptly, "What about 'em?"
Linna swipped the key card through the door, and pushed it open, trying to find the right words. They came to her, just as Priss remembered where the conversation had left off.
"About us?" Priss asked, and then Linna's words were lost once again.
"Yeah, about us...." She said quietly.
"Oh, well-" Priss began, and then stopped seeing Nene sitting on their bed. She looked older, more mature. Priss wouldn't have recognized her had she just been walking by. Instead of an APD outfit, she wore an all black military outfit, topped with a black baree. "Nene?"
Linna looked up suddenly and saw Nene there as well, now the thought of Priss left her mind for a moment, "Nene!"
"Hey guys!" Nene grinned, and hopped off the bed, "It's soooo good you came!"
"Wow, you look good." Linna said, "They make you do physical training or something?"
Nene scowled for a second, "No Miss Superhero...."
"Wouldn't happen to be the NSA you work for, eh Nene?" Priss was still looking her up and down, sizing up how much she had actually changed over the last year.
"Actually I am working for a branch that is funded by the NSA, why?" Nene asked, "I mean, how did you know?"
"Did I know?" Priss asked in return, emotionless.
"That's great! You might be able to get Sylia information about Nigel!" Linna said, "Or maybe help her get him out...."
"Nigel?" Nene asked, "What are you talking about Linna?"
"Sylia came to LA too, she's searching for Nigel, she seems to think he's been taken prisoner by the NSA...."
"That would make sense..." Nene said under her breath.
"Can you help?" Linna asked.
"I might be able to, I'll have to find out." She said, "I can't be here too long anyway. I'm not even supposed to be out, I'm supposively dead."
"We heard..." Priss said.
"Really?" Nene grinned at Priss, "You looked for my death records? I didn't know you cared...."
"Sylia told us, apparently Maki found the record." Priss shrugged.
Nene's expression suddenly fell at the mention of Maki. She looked around nervously, and then tried to look happy again.
"Nene...." Linna whispered.
"It's fine, I'm alive. And we're gonna save the world again."
"Heh." Priss scoffed. Linna elbowed Priss at the scoff.
"Well... I have to get back before they realize I'm gone. So this is how it's going to work okay?" Nene explained, "I'm going back to the base, I'll research this Nigel thing. I need you guys to be reachable if I need to contact you." Nene handed them both a small black phone.
"Can we contact you?" Linna asked.
"No" Nene answered very decisively, "You never know when I'll be standing next to one of my supervisors. Considering I shouldn't have any communication with the outside world.... that would be bad."
"True...." Linna said.
"Wait a minute here," Priss grabbed Nene's shoulder as she was turning to head out, "What did the paper say?"
"Paper?"
"The document, whatever. About the Boomers."
"Ooooh, right." Nene smirked, "Sorry, I got ahead of myself. It was an approval from the NSA to go through with the project as a black op. There was an attachment detailing the research gathered from Tokyo, and other cities that had been involved in Boomer creation."
"Do they have enough information?" Priss asked seriously.
"It didn't look complete to me, but we're good at filling in gaps. I don't think they need all of the information to make it work. Fact, the Doppelganger must be made from a brain that has the same Genetic structure as the one it will gather information from. Stingray's dark records show that very clearly."
"What do you mean?" Linna cocked her head slightly.
"He had his wife...." Nene trailed off, "It's not important. What is important is that we are probably already in the process of making this Galatea 2.0. I have to get more information. I will call." Nene waved quickly then bolted for the door.
"But... Nene!?" Linna called out after her, following her out into the hall. Nene just waved again as she ran down the hall. Linna sighed heavily and returned to the room.
"That was creepy." Priss said matter-of-fact like.
"What was?" Linna sighed again.
"You didn't think so?" Priss smirked.
"I guess it was a little..." Linna agreed meekly, "but Nene does work for some deep government agency creepy just comes with that kind of stuff."
"Eh." Priss shrugged and took off her jacket.
"Did you want the bed?" Linna asked, in an offering way.
"You paid for the room, I'll sleep on the floor. It's fine."
"We could share...." Linna offered again. Priss raised an eyebrow at her in response. Linna coughed, and then laughed blushing again. Priss didn't acknowledge the statement at all after that, she just continued to strip off her leatherwear. Then she dug through her suitcase for something more comfortable to sleep in.
Linna sat down on the little bed, and pulled off her shoes. That was enough for her; she lay down and cuddled into her pillow for some comfort. Here she was in a room with Priss, and it was just awkward. Is this what she had dreamt of?
Priss finished getting comfortable herself, then looked at the ratty LA apartment floor, and over to the space on the bed with Linna...
To be continued...
Chapter 4
Nene, she was a beautiful and intelligent young girl. I'm so glad I met her, I think of her everyday. And now I wonder, could I have done more? Nene. She made me feel human, she made me feel this feeling I still can't even explain. I think it might be what people call love. But if so, why is it I still feel like she is alive somehow? I just don't feel that loss. Is that wrong? Nene.... I miss you so much.
Maki sat in front of the blue computer screen, reading over the text he had just written. He felt like he was crying, but no tears were forming in his eyes. He deleted all the words he had just written. With out Nigel, or Sylia around he was feeling rather useless, and dwelling upon his loss. He hadn't given up hope on Nene, but now it was so hard to keep a hold of that hope. Everything just seemed so unreal.
He wondered if Sylia had found anything in LA. He clicked on her inbox, cluttered with thousands of unanswered messages from hundreds of different people in her life. He wasn't going to snoop; he just thought she might have sent him a message. Something good, something saying Nigel is fine. The most recent Message was from yesterday, titled "URGENT, Sylia I need your help!"
Maki was torn between reading the Urgent message that belonged to Sylia, and leaving it for her. He clicked on the blue link. It took him into a short message,
Sylia,
I know I kinda lost contact. I'm sorry, I had to. I'm working for the US Government. The urgent reason of this message is a file I ran across. They're going to re-create Boomer Technology Sylia, and they have the power to do it. I couldn't just sit back and let them create another Galatea, please come to LA. Come help me!
Nene
"She's alive?" Maki said out loud, "Nene...."
"Oh, hey" Priss said answering the door. It was Sylia standing there, looking like royalty as usual. Priss left the door open for Sylia to come in but went back to the window next to Linna. Sylia poked her head in the door, noting that Priss was back to being her cool calm self. Linna how ever was dressed in a towel, and looked ever so embarrassed.
"I have a little more information." She said casually, "Perhaps I could share it with you two over lunch?"
"Oh, sure" Linna agreed nervously, glancing back at Priss, "I just.... need to put some clothes on."
Sylia nodded and stepped in the room completely. It was a motel room compared to the suite she had on the top floor. Linna grabbed her suitcase and went into the bathroom, not completely shutting the door so she was still part of any conversation the other two might have.
"Is it good news?" Priss asked.
"Not really." Sylia shrugged, "I'm afraid there's still a lot more we will have to uncover."
After a long moment of silence Priss responded with, "I'm not even sure why I'm here."
"I'm glad you're here..." Linna said stepping out of the bathroom in a set of her normal clothes, t-shirt, with a short-sleeved button up guy's shirt thrown casually over it, and a pair of jeans
"Yes, me too. This just might take all of us." Sylia agreed.
They made their way down into the dinning area of the hotel. Sylia ordered for them all right off. Then, it was down to business.
"I've confirmed that Nigel is being held here in LA, and the Boomer Technology threat is real. I believe that is why they have Nigel."
"That's horrible...." Linna sympathized, "What would they want with
Nigel?"
"He's one of maybe three scientists still alive that were working with my father." Sylia frowned, "He may be their only way to re-create a sotai."
"He's going to talk." Priss stated evenly.
"Nigel won't betray me. He won't. He knows what Galatea did, and there is nothing that could make him create another one!" Sylia said very emotionally. This caused a silence at the table.
Linna was trying to focus on the task at hand, but still the topic she had found herself on with Priss haunted her thoughts. Did Leon's fears have a ground? Could Priss fall for her? Even if she could.... how could it work? Linna didn't know anything about lesbian relationships. Priss was the only girl she had ever felt so strongly towards. Priss was the only one she had ever felt so strongly for actually.
The food came. Sylia went into very little detail about exactly where Nigel was being kept, in a military base here in LA. Priss ate her food quickly, as if she hadn't eaten in days, or perhaps weeks. Then again, it was probably just fast in comparison to how slow Linna was eating. She just wanted to ask her question again, 'Could you fall for me?'. Sylia was there though.
"Linna?" Sylia said suddenly, and Linna prayed that Sylia wasn't going to ask her what her opinion was on something she had just said. Linna hadn't been listening.
"Yes?" She said innocently.
"Is there something wrong?" Sylia raised an eyebrow, and then glanced down at Linna's barely touched plate.
"Wrong?" Linna questioned, "What... what would be wrong?"
"You mean, aside from all of this re-creating boomers shit, right?" Priss said snidely.
"Linna." Sylia scolded, "I know Priss has a wonderful figure, but I think your attention would be better off on what I have to say here."
"Um...." Linna blushed profusely. She had been staring at Priss, and she hadn't even realized it. How embarrassing.
"Ah, leave her alone Sylia," Priss defended, "You haven't said anything we all didn't already suspect.
"Oh?" Sylia scoffed, obviously offended, "I think I've come a long way compared to you two, and if you'll excuse me, I have to get back to work."
"I'm sorry Sylia...." Linna apologized, feeling as if it was her fault Sylia was upset.
Sylia stood up and nodded both Priss and Linna good night, paid the cashier and left the lobby. Linna sat there head down. Priss stood up, and elbowed Linna in the shoulder.
"C'mon, I know it's the middle of the day.... but I'm beat." She said. Linna stood up on queue and walked over to the elevator with Priss. They stepped into the elevator alone. Linna was still looking down, and still slightly flush from Sylia's comment. Priss smirked; it was moments like this she had missed. Oh, and those core crushing intense moments.... but she didn't see any of those in the near future. The silence lingered on until the elevator hit their floor.
"Priss," Linna asked, "About that question earlier...."
Priss stepped out of the elevator, "What question?"
"You know," Linna followed her. They began to walk down the short hall, "about Leon's insecurities...." Right after she'd said it she realized how stupid that sounded.
"Err, " Priss wasn't sure what Linna was talking about, she remembered their conversation, but not where it had ended abruptly, "What about 'em?"
Linna swipped the key card through the door, and pushed it open, trying to find the right words. They came to her, just as Priss remembered where the conversation had left off.
"About us?" Priss asked, and then Linna's words were lost once again.
"Yeah, about us...." She said quietly.
"Oh, well-" Priss began, and then stopped seeing Nene sitting on their bed. She looked older, more mature. Priss wouldn't have recognized her had she just been walking by. Instead of an APD outfit, she wore an all black military outfit, topped with a black baree. "Nene?"
Linna looked up suddenly and saw Nene there as well, now the thought of Priss left her mind for a moment, "Nene!"
"Hey guys!" Nene grinned, and hopped off the bed, "It's soooo good you came!"
"Wow, you look good." Linna said, "They make you do physical training or something?"
Nene scowled for a second, "No Miss Superhero...."
"Wouldn't happen to be the NSA you work for, eh Nene?" Priss was still looking her up and down, sizing up how much she had actually changed over the last year.
"Actually I am working for a branch that is funded by the NSA, why?" Nene asked, "I mean, how did you know?"
"Did I know?" Priss asked in return, emotionless.
"That's great! You might be able to get Sylia information about Nigel!" Linna said, "Or maybe help her get him out...."
"Nigel?" Nene asked, "What are you talking about Linna?"
"Sylia came to LA too, she's searching for Nigel, she seems to think he's been taken prisoner by the NSA...."
"That would make sense..." Nene said under her breath.
"Can you help?" Linna asked.
"I might be able to, I'll have to find out." She said, "I can't be here too long anyway. I'm not even supposed to be out, I'm supposively dead."
"We heard..." Priss said.
"Really?" Nene grinned at Priss, "You looked for my death records? I didn't know you cared...."
"Sylia told us, apparently Maki found the record." Priss shrugged.
Nene's expression suddenly fell at the mention of Maki. She looked around nervously, and then tried to look happy again.
"Nene...." Linna whispered.
"It's fine, I'm alive. And we're gonna save the world again."
"Heh." Priss scoffed. Linna elbowed Priss at the scoff.
"Well... I have to get back before they realize I'm gone. So this is how it's going to work okay?" Nene explained, "I'm going back to the base, I'll research this Nigel thing. I need you guys to be reachable if I need to contact you." Nene handed them both a small black phone.
"Can we contact you?" Linna asked.
"No" Nene answered very decisively, "You never know when I'll be standing next to one of my supervisors. Considering I shouldn't have any communication with the outside world.... that would be bad."
"True...." Linna said.
"Wait a minute here," Priss grabbed Nene's shoulder as she was turning to head out, "What did the paper say?"
"Paper?"
"The document, whatever. About the Boomers."
"Ooooh, right." Nene smirked, "Sorry, I got ahead of myself. It was an approval from the NSA to go through with the project as a black op. There was an attachment detailing the research gathered from Tokyo, and other cities that had been involved in Boomer creation."
"Do they have enough information?" Priss asked seriously.
"It didn't look complete to me, but we're good at filling in gaps. I don't think they need all of the information to make it work. Fact, the Doppelganger must be made from a brain that has the same Genetic structure as the one it will gather information from. Stingray's dark records show that very clearly."
"What do you mean?" Linna cocked her head slightly.
"He had his wife...." Nene trailed off, "It's not important. What is important is that we are probably already in the process of making this Galatea 2.0. I have to get more information. I will call." Nene waved quickly then bolted for the door.
"But... Nene!?" Linna called out after her, following her out into the hall. Nene just waved again as she ran down the hall. Linna sighed heavily and returned to the room.
"That was creepy." Priss said matter-of-fact like.
"What was?" Linna sighed again.
"You didn't think so?" Priss smirked.
"I guess it was a little..." Linna agreed meekly, "but Nene does work for some deep government agency creepy just comes with that kind of stuff."
"Eh." Priss shrugged and took off her jacket.
"Did you want the bed?" Linna asked, in an offering way.
"You paid for the room, I'll sleep on the floor. It's fine."
"We could share...." Linna offered again. Priss raised an eyebrow at her in response. Linna coughed, and then laughed blushing again. Priss didn't acknowledge the statement at all after that, she just continued to strip off her leatherwear. Then she dug through her suitcase for something more comfortable to sleep in.
Linna sat down on the little bed, and pulled off her shoes. That was enough for her; she lay down and cuddled into her pillow for some comfort. Here she was in a room with Priss, and it was just awkward. Is this what she had dreamt of?
Priss finished getting comfortable herself, then looked at the ratty LA apartment floor, and over to the space on the bed with Linna...
To be continued...