Chapter 8
"How are you holding up?"
Yuki groaned and scowled, letting his head fall onto the table. "I can't believe those jerks kept us connected for so long. My head feels like it's going to explode," he growled, bringing a hand up to massague the area between his eyebrows. "You would think they would get their readings, then get us the hell out of there."
"You know that we have no idea how the machines work. Maybe it takes a while for the readings to come out. We were only in there for an hour. Anyway, I brought you some pain killers," Tohru replied.
Yuki thanked her, swallowing them down with the majority of his aloted water. He watched as she handed some over to Kyou as well, who relunctantly took them with a brief thanks. Apparently, if he was in enough pain, he could be polite.
"So what did they do to us? I don't remember a thing passed sitting down," Kyou questioned, mumbling into his food.
Tohru took her own seat at the table, shrugging slightly. "No one ever remembers being hooked into the machines, and they don't tell us very much of how it works. I've heard rumors that it steals into your head and downloads every thought in your brain!"
Someone started giggling at the next table and Yuki turned to see Momeji there, with his partner Yohko. Although he wasn't out in the field, he was still partnered with a girl. This way, he wouldn't have to learn another person once he made the transition. Momeji turned into a rabbit, which would be very useful. Those who transformed into small animals that could move quickly were the best to have in the field. Larger animals couldn't go in undetected, and slow animals often transformed back at inconvienent times. Yuki imagined that, once they moved into the field, Momeji and Yohko would do very well. They could never surpass himself and Tohru, but they could probably give Ayame and Yamachina a run for their rank.
"The machines aren't like that," Momeji said through his giggling, Yohko trying to hush him in case a supervisor heard. Finally, she cupped a hand over his mouth.
"How do you know what they're like?" Tohru asked, lowering her voice to a whisper.
Yuki rolled his eyes as they both leaned across the isle to whisper to each other. If they thought that would attract any less attention, with them leaning out two feet from their own table, they were both being stupid.
"I was hacking into Akito's computer, nosing about," Momeji started, but was interrupted by Yohko's hand, and Tohru's gasp. That the kid would hack into Akito's own computer... the kid was either really stupid, or he had a hell of a lotta guts.
"You shouldn't tell people these things. You're going to get into more trouble than you already are," Yohko scolded.
"Maah, but I have to tell them," Momeji whined. "People need to know the truth about things." The childish cuteness worked on his partner, as Yohko sighed and released him.
"Akito's computer?" Tohru asked, the two leaning out once again as though they hadn't been interrupted.
Momeji nodded. "I was curious. I only managed to look around for a few minutes before security arrested me. But I got into his messaging program and read a message sent to him about the machines."
"Oh?" Tohru replied, her eyes wide with interest. Yuki couldn't stop himself from leaning forward in curiousity as well.
"It was from a Professor Ushiro. He said that he wanted to stop using the machines on children, to find their Seeker matches. That he would bring the information to the Cell Council if Akito didn't listen to him. He said it was having a negative affect on the Souma line."
"What would Akito's bloodline have to do with it? What's the Cell Council?" Yuki asked, leaning forward to whisper as well.
Momeji shook his head, turning serious eyes toward him. "I don't know. I wasn't able to find out before I was arrested. But I have some idea's."
"Like what?" Yuki asked.
"Only Seekers are connected up to the machines, right? Then that would have to mean we're the Souma line. Who else could it affect?"
Youko joined into the whispering. "But what if you're wrong? What if they do use the machines on his family as well? Or, what if they are the machines?"
"Why would the machines be called by Akito's family name?"
"Maybe they're hooked up to it when we are, so they can observe."
Yuki shook his head. "If they were hooked up to it whenever we were, it wouldn't just affect them when it was Seeker children. It would affect them when adults connect up to it as well."
"Heads up," Kyou said out loud.
Yuki quickly turned as Tohru did, just as the security officer rounded their isle. He paused as he came closer, his eyes carefully studying the group. "Do we have a problem here?" he questioned.
"We're just talking," Momeji told him. "Is it some kind of new rule that we aren't allowed? If so, you have a lot of people to arrest."
Kyou snorted, then tried to cover it with a coughing spat. Yuki kicked him under the table, doing his best to appear nonchalant. Talking wasn't against the rules, but talking about Akito's private emails would certainly get them all confined to a prison station for at least a week.
"Sorry, we were complaining about the food and didn't want the cook to hear," Yohko stammered, her hand clamped over Momeji's mouth yet again. "You know how sensitive the cooks can get. They might put radish in our breakfast or something."
The security guard nodded, relaxing and making his way back toward the door without a word of goodbye. Yuki rolled his eyes at Tohru. The guards thought they held power in the facility. If they actually stopped to realize their position, they wouldn't be so arrogant. Guards only recieved secondary training. They seemed to think that they were supperior to the Seekers because they were allowed to carry weapons around. Yuki supposed that no one had ever told them that any properly trained Seeker could kill them four times over before they even had the chance to pull their weapon. Mostly, he and the others just humored them.
"Don't lean over and start whispering again. It will attract his attention," Yuki whispered to Tohru.
"I know. I'll have to find out when they're spare time is, and speak to him again."
A napkin suddenly landed next to Yuki's hand.
~~~
In two days. Three until five. We'll be in Game Room 7.
~~~
Tohru grinned at him, showing the napkin to Kyou before hiding it in her shirt. Without discussion, the three of them turned back to their meal. Even with the threat of being caught, they would go. They had to. There was a sudden knowledge of a bigger picture, and they had to see what it was.
Yuki Souma... could that really be his name?
to be continued...
"How are you holding up?"
Yuki groaned and scowled, letting his head fall onto the table. "I can't believe those jerks kept us connected for so long. My head feels like it's going to explode," he growled, bringing a hand up to massague the area between his eyebrows. "You would think they would get their readings, then get us the hell out of there."
"You know that we have no idea how the machines work. Maybe it takes a while for the readings to come out. We were only in there for an hour. Anyway, I brought you some pain killers," Tohru replied.
Yuki thanked her, swallowing them down with the majority of his aloted water. He watched as she handed some over to Kyou as well, who relunctantly took them with a brief thanks. Apparently, if he was in enough pain, he could be polite.
"So what did they do to us? I don't remember a thing passed sitting down," Kyou questioned, mumbling into his food.
Tohru took her own seat at the table, shrugging slightly. "No one ever remembers being hooked into the machines, and they don't tell us very much of how it works. I've heard rumors that it steals into your head and downloads every thought in your brain!"
Someone started giggling at the next table and Yuki turned to see Momeji there, with his partner Yohko. Although he wasn't out in the field, he was still partnered with a girl. This way, he wouldn't have to learn another person once he made the transition. Momeji turned into a rabbit, which would be very useful. Those who transformed into small animals that could move quickly were the best to have in the field. Larger animals couldn't go in undetected, and slow animals often transformed back at inconvienent times. Yuki imagined that, once they moved into the field, Momeji and Yohko would do very well. They could never surpass himself and Tohru, but they could probably give Ayame and Yamachina a run for their rank.
"The machines aren't like that," Momeji said through his giggling, Yohko trying to hush him in case a supervisor heard. Finally, she cupped a hand over his mouth.
"How do you know what they're like?" Tohru asked, lowering her voice to a whisper.
Yuki rolled his eyes as they both leaned across the isle to whisper to each other. If they thought that would attract any less attention, with them leaning out two feet from their own table, they were both being stupid.
"I was hacking into Akito's computer, nosing about," Momeji started, but was interrupted by Yohko's hand, and Tohru's gasp. That the kid would hack into Akito's own computer... the kid was either really stupid, or he had a hell of a lotta guts.
"You shouldn't tell people these things. You're going to get into more trouble than you already are," Yohko scolded.
"Maah, but I have to tell them," Momeji whined. "People need to know the truth about things." The childish cuteness worked on his partner, as Yohko sighed and released him.
"Akito's computer?" Tohru asked, the two leaning out once again as though they hadn't been interrupted.
Momeji nodded. "I was curious. I only managed to look around for a few minutes before security arrested me. But I got into his messaging program and read a message sent to him about the machines."
"Oh?" Tohru replied, her eyes wide with interest. Yuki couldn't stop himself from leaning forward in curiousity as well.
"It was from a Professor Ushiro. He said that he wanted to stop using the machines on children, to find their Seeker matches. That he would bring the information to the Cell Council if Akito didn't listen to him. He said it was having a negative affect on the Souma line."
"What would Akito's bloodline have to do with it? What's the Cell Council?" Yuki asked, leaning forward to whisper as well.
Momeji shook his head, turning serious eyes toward him. "I don't know. I wasn't able to find out before I was arrested. But I have some idea's."
"Like what?" Yuki asked.
"Only Seekers are connected up to the machines, right? Then that would have to mean we're the Souma line. Who else could it affect?"
Youko joined into the whispering. "But what if you're wrong? What if they do use the machines on his family as well? Or, what if they are the machines?"
"Why would the machines be called by Akito's family name?"
"Maybe they're hooked up to it when we are, so they can observe."
Yuki shook his head. "If they were hooked up to it whenever we were, it wouldn't just affect them when it was Seeker children. It would affect them when adults connect up to it as well."
"Heads up," Kyou said out loud.
Yuki quickly turned as Tohru did, just as the security officer rounded their isle. He paused as he came closer, his eyes carefully studying the group. "Do we have a problem here?" he questioned.
"We're just talking," Momeji told him. "Is it some kind of new rule that we aren't allowed? If so, you have a lot of people to arrest."
Kyou snorted, then tried to cover it with a coughing spat. Yuki kicked him under the table, doing his best to appear nonchalant. Talking wasn't against the rules, but talking about Akito's private emails would certainly get them all confined to a prison station for at least a week.
"Sorry, we were complaining about the food and didn't want the cook to hear," Yohko stammered, her hand clamped over Momeji's mouth yet again. "You know how sensitive the cooks can get. They might put radish in our breakfast or something."
The security guard nodded, relaxing and making his way back toward the door without a word of goodbye. Yuki rolled his eyes at Tohru. The guards thought they held power in the facility. If they actually stopped to realize their position, they wouldn't be so arrogant. Guards only recieved secondary training. They seemed to think that they were supperior to the Seekers because they were allowed to carry weapons around. Yuki supposed that no one had ever told them that any properly trained Seeker could kill them four times over before they even had the chance to pull their weapon. Mostly, he and the others just humored them.
"Don't lean over and start whispering again. It will attract his attention," Yuki whispered to Tohru.
"I know. I'll have to find out when they're spare time is, and speak to him again."
A napkin suddenly landed next to Yuki's hand.
~~~
In two days. Three until five. We'll be in Game Room 7.
~~~
Tohru grinned at him, showing the napkin to Kyou before hiding it in her shirt. Without discussion, the three of them turned back to their meal. Even with the threat of being caught, they would go. They had to. There was a sudden knowledge of a bigger picture, and they had to see what it was.
Yuki Souma... could that really be his name?
to be continued...