DIARY ENTRY 3: Observation

He suddenly went towards Hideki's room, almost tearing the door as he came in.

"Why didn't you tell me you have a persocon?!"

"Um..."

"How much- I mean, did you-"

"No!!! I did not! I only found her on a garbage pile a few blocks from here..."

"Garbage pile?" Ichiro thought. "Sounds awfully familiar..."

"...and I just brought her here... and I..."

"Can it!!! I'm not here to talk you into lunacy, but to have a look at your persocon... so, what's her name?"

"Um..."

"You fool!!! Every persocon on the planet knows its own identification key! Its model no., its manufacturer and even a list of name suggestions! Have you even asked for it's- I mean her name?!!"

"Well..."

"This is hopeless, Hideki! I'm trying for months to give you a decent-and high paying job at my agency and yet you refused, now that I'm a major, I'm really desperate for an assistant!!! So, what did you first hear from it- I mean her?"

"Chii..." the persocon cried. Hideki nodded an affirmation.

"Chii huh... okay, let's name her that! From now on, we shall call her Chii..."

Hideki nodded.

"Okay then, I'll come by here tonight, by nine, so eat early and clear the floor..."

Hideki again nodded.

"Great... another wall..." Ichiro puffed as he opened the door to his metal-less room.

Data log entry, 3:20:03 pm standard, June 27, 2095, Major Ichiro Sunikata, head of cybernetics R & D… begin entry…

'My search for the persocon was hopeless-at the moment. The leads that stemmed from the garbage pile evidence were fruitless, except for one. I've found some traces of the same friction-burned bandages from the site in the apartment of my foolish neighbor from across the street, Hideki. I've also noted the persocon that he "'brought' from the garbage pile". It seems too suspicious... I'll check on it later. The disk that was retrieved from the site contained a file that contained the IRIS operating system, a system that was notorious for being independent and amazingly-though rarely, creating an avatar with all its "memory"- a living, breathing body, always female, and assuming human status- Major Melfina, my teacher, is an example. So much for information. Tonight, I get to examine the persocon up close and determine... her constitution. Ichiro out!'

"Great... this job is really getting to me..."

9:00 pm. As ordered, Hideki cleared the floor and laid the persocon in the middle of the room. Ichiro came in a few moments later, carrying a couple of tool boxes.

"Well, shall we begin? When you first switched her on, where did you found the switch?" Ichiro asked as he opened the back access plate- a common feature.

Hideki sat there, dumbfounded.

"Well? Where?"

"Um... it's too much of a 'private' matter..." Hideki said, pointing to a particular zone on the persocon.

"I see..." Ichiro puffed, now knowing where the switch was.

After a few moments...

"Let me see here... a tag plate. Hand me those magnifying goggles, Hideki.

Ichiro read the plate... to no avail. It was written in a cryptic code. He thought for a while then remembered something.

"Graphical cipher... this should be examined further..." Ichiro thought as he began to take a snapshot of the plate. As he examined the external and internal composition- by non-invasive means, he recorded everything. Until...

"What do we have here?" Ichiro thought and looked- Hideki was gone from his sights. "A paeksis reactor, interesting..."

Ichiro then closed the panel, left the persocon on the floor and departed the room. He left a note telling Hideki that the android had no problem whatsoever- physically that is.