Get out of my head...
"Dad, come play ball with me! It's so nice outside!"
Get out of my head...
"Aw, I don't wanna go to school. Can't I come with you today?"
You're not supposed to be here. Why are you in my head?
"You're the best, Dad!"
No, stop it!
"Get out of my head!" I shouted as my eyes flew open. Breathing heavily, I tried to remember where I was. Slowly, it all came back to me as I took in my surroundings. I had put MOMO to sleep last night, and then I had headed down to the room Matthews had lent me. I brought my right hand to my face and rubbed the sleep from my eyes. It was almost funny that so much of my body was a machine, but what little human there was left in me still needed sleep. And I still had dreams. More like nightmares...
I sighed slightly, staring up at the ceiling, where the normally bright lights sat dark and lifeless. I sat there for minutes on end, feeling the grains of my nightmare slip through the fingers of my mind like miniscule grains of sand. Even after all these years, my memories haunted me. It was like a bad dream with no end, constantly reminded of the mistakes I made in my former life. I kicked my feet over the edge of the makeshift bed in the center of the room and stepped onto the corrugated metal floor. The sound of metal on metal sounded through the room, but I had learned to not pay it any heed. But then, I thought, the sound must be annoying to my newly acquired friends who weren't used to it yet.
Before I could contemplate on it any further, the northern door slid open, and I was surprised to find the little Realian MOMO staring back at me through glassy golden eyes. They were clear and bright, a thankful respite from the normal red-rimmed eyes I had seen on her face recently. Her cheeks were free of clinging tears, and her lips curled upwards in a friendly smile. I restrained myself from mirroring her emotion, but I approached her form and knelt next to her. As I searched her face for any sign of fret, she giggled.
"I take it that you're feeling better?" I asked, though I could feel the answer before she said it.
"Yes, I'm better. Thank you for asking, Ziggy," she said sweetly. She turned her head slightly, and I saw that the thin frame of chaos was hovering behind MOMO. His tanned face lit up upon my noticing him.
"Good morning, Ziggy!" he said lightly. I stood again, nodding.
"Good morning, chaos," I returned. "Is there a reason why everyone seems to be congregating in front of my door?" Both MOMO and chaos smiled.
"MOMO wanted to visit the Kukai Foundation today," chaos answered, "but she refused to leave without you."
"Is that right?" I asked, staring at the tiny girl by my side.
"Captain Matthews said that he could let chaos off work in an hour or so to take us down to the Foundation. Doesn't that sound like fun?" Her voice was trying to mask her excitement, but I knew that she couldn't hide it for too long.
"Well, I can't let you two go by yourselves," I said, finding an excuse to go with them. I turned to chaos, whose eyes were brimming with joy. "I don't want anyone getting hurt." I didn't allow my emotions to show themselves, but, for some reason, I felt that chaos could see the happiness I was feeling deep in my heart. MOMO cheered and clapped her hands together, and the smile spread like jam over chaos' thin face.
"It's settled then!" chaos told us, looking from me to the shorter MOMO at my side. "If you two just wait for me on the Durandal's bridge, I'll be there to pick you up in about an hour." He glanced around him, then leaned in closer to add, in a whisper, "Maybe earlier if the Captain's in a good mood." MOMO hugged him around the middle, and he set off up to the Elsa's bridge. I took MOMO by the hand, and we left for the Durandal.
We didn't talk while we walked to the bridge. There wasn't any need to. After the short talk we'd had the night before, I think that we may have understood each other a little more. When I looked at her, it was no different from seeing a human girl. She had feelings, and they could be hurt. She had emotions, and they were as frail as any girls' were. She had a heart, and it could be broken. The way her gold eyes had filled with tears upon seeing her father's death was as natural a reaction for her as it was for any other human.
Any, that is, except for me.
Here was a Realian, a machine built to be just like a human. And there I was, a human being built to be just like a machine. In more ways than one, it seemed, she was far more human than I was. And just as I was thinking all this, she looked up at me. I pretended not to notice her until we stepped onto the lift up to the bridge.
"You can tell me what's wrong," she said. It looked like it was role-reversal time again. I had asked her something along the same lines last night, and now she was asking me. I shook my head.
"It's nothing that you should worry yourself over, MOMO," I told her softly. She stared for another moment or so, then turned to face the front of the lift, hugging my arm in hers. The lift bumped to a stop, and we walked out onto the bridge. Mary's face greeted us instantly.
"G'mornin', MOMO! G'mornin', Ziggy," she said in her strange accent. MOMO returned the greeting and I nodded politely. MOMO left my side and dashed up to the helm where Shelley was sitting. I could hear them exchange greetings, and I followed her to Shelley's seat.
"Good morning," I told the woman. She stared up at me with her usual placid expression. But this time, one side of her face was turned up in a slight smile.
"Good morning, Ziggy," Shelley said in her calm voice. MOMO was sitting in the woman's lap, staring out at the Kukai Foundation below us. "What are you two doing up so early?"
"Haven't you heard the old expression," I started with the lightest hint of sarcasm, "that 'the early bird catches the worm'?" Her lavender eyes giggled with light, but her face remained steady.
"You sound like Little Master, spouting quotes from old books," she told me. I harrumphed lightly, taking my eyes to the brightly-lit Kukai Foundation. "Or maybe he sounds like you..." It started innocently enough, but soon her compliment turned foul. "Like an old man." I turned to see that smile in her eyes again, so I decided to have my own try at wit.
"I may be an old man," I said, trying to best her remark, "but you..." I trailed off, finding nothing to beat her. MOMO covered her lips with her fingers to keep her giggled inside of her. Determined not to lose, I struggled to find an adequate comeback. Finally, in a calm voice, I retorted, "I'm surprised that you understood at all where I was coming from with such an old expression." I was trying to lead her into thinking that perhaps I was complimenting her. Then the trap was sprung. "Then again, you are probably just an old maid after all."
MOMO could not contain herself any longer, and she laughed. Shelley's mouth turned down in a frown of disapproval, but her eyes shone with laughter. I nodded, and turned back to face the Foundation.
I lost track of the conversation MOMO was sharing with Shelley, as I tuned out everything around me. Every voice around me, those of MOMO, Shelley, Mary and the 100-series Realians ceased reverberating in my head. Everything was focused on the tiny little world beneath us, surrounding us. By this time, everyone was probably awake, starting their morning routine. Children were getting reading for their education, their parents dressing for work. I could almost see the bright faces of the people as they went about their lives, without the knowledge of the U-TIC Organization resurfacing, the threats that my friends and I had faced in KOS-MOS' Encephalon, and the dangers that we might face in the future. Everyone down there was blissfully unaware of everything happening outside their little world... And I was glad. The less people that were involved in such deadly dealings, the better. Lives didn't need to be wasted like that.
Time passed slowly as we waited for chaos to finish his shift on Captain Matthews' ship. I was thinking of returning to the Elsa to inquire about him, but when I turned to speak to MOMO, a jolt rocked the huge ship. I grabbed onto the consoles around me to keep my balance, and Shelley gripped MOMO. Alarms began ringing throughout the bridge, and the 100-Series Realians began dashing to their posts. MOMO climbed from Shelley's lap and clung to the console next to me. I knew what she was going to say before she said it, just by the frightened look in her eyes.
"I sense that the Gno-" she was cut off as a blue-haired Realian shouted out from the front of the bridge.
"Large-scale gate-out! Repeat, large-scale gate-out! The U.M.N. geodesic structure is being forcibly replaced!" As I heard this shouted, I turned to see that Jr. had stepped off the lift and was running toward the helm. I backed away, giving the boy room.
"The Gnosis?!" Jr. asked, peering out at the Foundation. Outside the protective bubble surrounding the artificial world, I could see the incredible amount of gate-outs. It had to be. I glanced at MOMO, and she nodded fearfully. Jr.'s blue eyes narrowed in malice. MOMO's arm shot out, and she pointed to the space outside the Kukai Foundation where the Federation's ships were still guarding us.
"Jr., the Federation ships!"
Just as she shouted out, great blue beams shot from the wavering forms of the Gnosis and collided with the cruising Federation ships. They never had a chance. One by one, every ship exploded in a shower of flame and shrapnel. I shielded MOMO's eyes from the glare, but she still gasped in horror. As I was turned away from the carnage, I saw Shion, Allen and chaos arrive on the bridge. The normally warm face of chaos was uncharacteristically pale and taut. Shion saw MOMO and myself, and looked as if she were about to say something, when the frenetic voice of a Realian rang out above the warning sirens.
"The Gnosis are closing in! Four minutes to contact with the Foundation!"
"The civilians!" Shelley said, her voice strained. "Start evacuating them immediately!" She turned to Jr, who was now at her side. "If all else fails, we may have to abandon the Foundation. Is that acceptable?" There was an almost infinitesimal pause, then Jr. replied.
"I'll leave it to you. Evacuate all civilians into the Durandal!"
"Acknowledged. I'll make the announcement."
Everyone was silent while the third-in-command announced the evacuation to the Foundation. I could only imagine the feeling of terror on the faces of the children as they were dragged away from their homes, away from the monsters, and to the immense Durandal. In the silence that followed the announcement, Shion stepped forward to say what she had probably been waiting to say.
"Where's KOS-MOS?! If we activate the Hilbert Effect, it could buy us some time for the evacuation!" Just as soon as she had said this, the lift arrived, carrying the blue-haired android. With combination of the celerity of her arrival and the cold, dead stare of her lifeless red eyes, I could not help a chill from crawling up my spine.
"Shion, did you call for me?" KOS-MOS asked, stepping off of the lift.
"KOS-MOS, are you ready?" Shion asked, apparently unalarmed at the metal woman's sudden appearance.
"Yes. I am ready," KOS-MOS responded in her flat voice.
"Reports of Gnosis sighted in colony precinct 32! They've also penetrated precincts 18 and 27!" Everyone whirled around to witness the news that the Realian had reported. Sure enough, I was witnessing multiple Gnosis gate-outs appearing inside the Foundation itself.
"What?!" Jr. shouted.
"The Hilbert Effect!" Shion said, turning to KOS-MOS.
"Affirmative. Activating Hilbert Effect." The visor normally positioned at KOS-MOS' brow lowered to cover her dead eyes. In an instant, we were surrounded by vibrant waves of intense energy. But, luckily, the energy was not on our wavelength, effecting only the otherworldly Gnosis. Before our eyes, the Gnosis materialized on our plane, making them solid to the eye and the blade.
"This should keep them from materializing inside the colony," Shion muttered, as if with pride. I could not blame her, for engineering KOS-MOS was a feat that no one could be ashamed of.
"In any case, we have to hurry up and get everyone onboard," chaos said quickly. "If we don't do something, the Gnosis are going to take over the entire Metropolis."
"I'll help with the evacuation!" MOMO volunteered at once. I should have said "no." I should have forbade her from leaving the Durandal. If I had, that would have been the end of it. But I didn't. I spoke without thinking. My only thoughts were of MOMO, and that I would not let her go against the Gnosis without my protection.
"I'll go as well," I said without thought. Shion stared at the two of us, the Realian and the cyborg, for only a moment, as if she had second thoughts of our volunteering. Then she shook her head and turned to KOS-MOS.
"KOS-MOS... We're counting on you," Shion said.
"I am happy to be of service," KOS-MOS answered mechanically. Shion smiled.
"Good."
As we traveled down the lift again, heading to the shuttle, I gripped MOMO's shoulder lightly. She turned her eyes to me. I saw not the slightest hint of fear on her face. She wasn't afraid.
"Why aren't you afraid?" I asked her. She smiled, as if it was an answer I already knew the answer to.
"Because if I get hurt, I know I have Ziggy to look after me." Her smile widened, and I gripped her shoulder tighter.
"Just stay close to me, MOMO, and I promise you that you won't get hurt," I assured her. She nodded.
"I know," she whispered.
Before us, the shuttle to the Kukai Foundation arrived, and MOMO and I, followed by Shion, KOS-MOS, Jr. and chaos, stepped inside.
"Dad, come play ball with me! It's so nice outside!"
Get out of my head...
"Aw, I don't wanna go to school. Can't I come with you today?"
You're not supposed to be here. Why are you in my head?
"You're the best, Dad!"
No, stop it!
"Get out of my head!" I shouted as my eyes flew open. Breathing heavily, I tried to remember where I was. Slowly, it all came back to me as I took in my surroundings. I had put MOMO to sleep last night, and then I had headed down to the room Matthews had lent me. I brought my right hand to my face and rubbed the sleep from my eyes. It was almost funny that so much of my body was a machine, but what little human there was left in me still needed sleep. And I still had dreams. More like nightmares...
I sighed slightly, staring up at the ceiling, where the normally bright lights sat dark and lifeless. I sat there for minutes on end, feeling the grains of my nightmare slip through the fingers of my mind like miniscule grains of sand. Even after all these years, my memories haunted me. It was like a bad dream with no end, constantly reminded of the mistakes I made in my former life. I kicked my feet over the edge of the makeshift bed in the center of the room and stepped onto the corrugated metal floor. The sound of metal on metal sounded through the room, but I had learned to not pay it any heed. But then, I thought, the sound must be annoying to my newly acquired friends who weren't used to it yet.
Before I could contemplate on it any further, the northern door slid open, and I was surprised to find the little Realian MOMO staring back at me through glassy golden eyes. They were clear and bright, a thankful respite from the normal red-rimmed eyes I had seen on her face recently. Her cheeks were free of clinging tears, and her lips curled upwards in a friendly smile. I restrained myself from mirroring her emotion, but I approached her form and knelt next to her. As I searched her face for any sign of fret, she giggled.
"I take it that you're feeling better?" I asked, though I could feel the answer before she said it.
"Yes, I'm better. Thank you for asking, Ziggy," she said sweetly. She turned her head slightly, and I saw that the thin frame of chaos was hovering behind MOMO. His tanned face lit up upon my noticing him.
"Good morning, Ziggy!" he said lightly. I stood again, nodding.
"Good morning, chaos," I returned. "Is there a reason why everyone seems to be congregating in front of my door?" Both MOMO and chaos smiled.
"MOMO wanted to visit the Kukai Foundation today," chaos answered, "but she refused to leave without you."
"Is that right?" I asked, staring at the tiny girl by my side.
"Captain Matthews said that he could let chaos off work in an hour or so to take us down to the Foundation. Doesn't that sound like fun?" Her voice was trying to mask her excitement, but I knew that she couldn't hide it for too long.
"Well, I can't let you two go by yourselves," I said, finding an excuse to go with them. I turned to chaos, whose eyes were brimming with joy. "I don't want anyone getting hurt." I didn't allow my emotions to show themselves, but, for some reason, I felt that chaos could see the happiness I was feeling deep in my heart. MOMO cheered and clapped her hands together, and the smile spread like jam over chaos' thin face.
"It's settled then!" chaos told us, looking from me to the shorter MOMO at my side. "If you two just wait for me on the Durandal's bridge, I'll be there to pick you up in about an hour." He glanced around him, then leaned in closer to add, in a whisper, "Maybe earlier if the Captain's in a good mood." MOMO hugged him around the middle, and he set off up to the Elsa's bridge. I took MOMO by the hand, and we left for the Durandal.
We didn't talk while we walked to the bridge. There wasn't any need to. After the short talk we'd had the night before, I think that we may have understood each other a little more. When I looked at her, it was no different from seeing a human girl. She had feelings, and they could be hurt. She had emotions, and they were as frail as any girls' were. She had a heart, and it could be broken. The way her gold eyes had filled with tears upon seeing her father's death was as natural a reaction for her as it was for any other human.
Any, that is, except for me.
Here was a Realian, a machine built to be just like a human. And there I was, a human being built to be just like a machine. In more ways than one, it seemed, she was far more human than I was. And just as I was thinking all this, she looked up at me. I pretended not to notice her until we stepped onto the lift up to the bridge.
"You can tell me what's wrong," she said. It looked like it was role-reversal time again. I had asked her something along the same lines last night, and now she was asking me. I shook my head.
"It's nothing that you should worry yourself over, MOMO," I told her softly. She stared for another moment or so, then turned to face the front of the lift, hugging my arm in hers. The lift bumped to a stop, and we walked out onto the bridge. Mary's face greeted us instantly.
"G'mornin', MOMO! G'mornin', Ziggy," she said in her strange accent. MOMO returned the greeting and I nodded politely. MOMO left my side and dashed up to the helm where Shelley was sitting. I could hear them exchange greetings, and I followed her to Shelley's seat.
"Good morning," I told the woman. She stared up at me with her usual placid expression. But this time, one side of her face was turned up in a slight smile.
"Good morning, Ziggy," Shelley said in her calm voice. MOMO was sitting in the woman's lap, staring out at the Kukai Foundation below us. "What are you two doing up so early?"
"Haven't you heard the old expression," I started with the lightest hint of sarcasm, "that 'the early bird catches the worm'?" Her lavender eyes giggled with light, but her face remained steady.
"You sound like Little Master, spouting quotes from old books," she told me. I harrumphed lightly, taking my eyes to the brightly-lit Kukai Foundation. "Or maybe he sounds like you..." It started innocently enough, but soon her compliment turned foul. "Like an old man." I turned to see that smile in her eyes again, so I decided to have my own try at wit.
"I may be an old man," I said, trying to best her remark, "but you..." I trailed off, finding nothing to beat her. MOMO covered her lips with her fingers to keep her giggled inside of her. Determined not to lose, I struggled to find an adequate comeback. Finally, in a calm voice, I retorted, "I'm surprised that you understood at all where I was coming from with such an old expression." I was trying to lead her into thinking that perhaps I was complimenting her. Then the trap was sprung. "Then again, you are probably just an old maid after all."
MOMO could not contain herself any longer, and she laughed. Shelley's mouth turned down in a frown of disapproval, but her eyes shone with laughter. I nodded, and turned back to face the Foundation.
I lost track of the conversation MOMO was sharing with Shelley, as I tuned out everything around me. Every voice around me, those of MOMO, Shelley, Mary and the 100-series Realians ceased reverberating in my head. Everything was focused on the tiny little world beneath us, surrounding us. By this time, everyone was probably awake, starting their morning routine. Children were getting reading for their education, their parents dressing for work. I could almost see the bright faces of the people as they went about their lives, without the knowledge of the U-TIC Organization resurfacing, the threats that my friends and I had faced in KOS-MOS' Encephalon, and the dangers that we might face in the future. Everyone down there was blissfully unaware of everything happening outside their little world... And I was glad. The less people that were involved in such deadly dealings, the better. Lives didn't need to be wasted like that.
Time passed slowly as we waited for chaos to finish his shift on Captain Matthews' ship. I was thinking of returning to the Elsa to inquire about him, but when I turned to speak to MOMO, a jolt rocked the huge ship. I grabbed onto the consoles around me to keep my balance, and Shelley gripped MOMO. Alarms began ringing throughout the bridge, and the 100-Series Realians began dashing to their posts. MOMO climbed from Shelley's lap and clung to the console next to me. I knew what she was going to say before she said it, just by the frightened look in her eyes.
"I sense that the Gno-" she was cut off as a blue-haired Realian shouted out from the front of the bridge.
"Large-scale gate-out! Repeat, large-scale gate-out! The U.M.N. geodesic structure is being forcibly replaced!" As I heard this shouted, I turned to see that Jr. had stepped off the lift and was running toward the helm. I backed away, giving the boy room.
"The Gnosis?!" Jr. asked, peering out at the Foundation. Outside the protective bubble surrounding the artificial world, I could see the incredible amount of gate-outs. It had to be. I glanced at MOMO, and she nodded fearfully. Jr.'s blue eyes narrowed in malice. MOMO's arm shot out, and she pointed to the space outside the Kukai Foundation where the Federation's ships were still guarding us.
"Jr., the Federation ships!"
Just as she shouted out, great blue beams shot from the wavering forms of the Gnosis and collided with the cruising Federation ships. They never had a chance. One by one, every ship exploded in a shower of flame and shrapnel. I shielded MOMO's eyes from the glare, but she still gasped in horror. As I was turned away from the carnage, I saw Shion, Allen and chaos arrive on the bridge. The normally warm face of chaos was uncharacteristically pale and taut. Shion saw MOMO and myself, and looked as if she were about to say something, when the frenetic voice of a Realian rang out above the warning sirens.
"The Gnosis are closing in! Four minutes to contact with the Foundation!"
"The civilians!" Shelley said, her voice strained. "Start evacuating them immediately!" She turned to Jr, who was now at her side. "If all else fails, we may have to abandon the Foundation. Is that acceptable?" There was an almost infinitesimal pause, then Jr. replied.
"I'll leave it to you. Evacuate all civilians into the Durandal!"
"Acknowledged. I'll make the announcement."
Everyone was silent while the third-in-command announced the evacuation to the Foundation. I could only imagine the feeling of terror on the faces of the children as they were dragged away from their homes, away from the monsters, and to the immense Durandal. In the silence that followed the announcement, Shion stepped forward to say what she had probably been waiting to say.
"Where's KOS-MOS?! If we activate the Hilbert Effect, it could buy us some time for the evacuation!" Just as soon as she had said this, the lift arrived, carrying the blue-haired android. With combination of the celerity of her arrival and the cold, dead stare of her lifeless red eyes, I could not help a chill from crawling up my spine.
"Shion, did you call for me?" KOS-MOS asked, stepping off of the lift.
"KOS-MOS, are you ready?" Shion asked, apparently unalarmed at the metal woman's sudden appearance.
"Yes. I am ready," KOS-MOS responded in her flat voice.
"Reports of Gnosis sighted in colony precinct 32! They've also penetrated precincts 18 and 27!" Everyone whirled around to witness the news that the Realian had reported. Sure enough, I was witnessing multiple Gnosis gate-outs appearing inside the Foundation itself.
"What?!" Jr. shouted.
"The Hilbert Effect!" Shion said, turning to KOS-MOS.
"Affirmative. Activating Hilbert Effect." The visor normally positioned at KOS-MOS' brow lowered to cover her dead eyes. In an instant, we were surrounded by vibrant waves of intense energy. But, luckily, the energy was not on our wavelength, effecting only the otherworldly Gnosis. Before our eyes, the Gnosis materialized on our plane, making them solid to the eye and the blade.
"This should keep them from materializing inside the colony," Shion muttered, as if with pride. I could not blame her, for engineering KOS-MOS was a feat that no one could be ashamed of.
"In any case, we have to hurry up and get everyone onboard," chaos said quickly. "If we don't do something, the Gnosis are going to take over the entire Metropolis."
"I'll help with the evacuation!" MOMO volunteered at once. I should have said "no." I should have forbade her from leaving the Durandal. If I had, that would have been the end of it. But I didn't. I spoke without thinking. My only thoughts were of MOMO, and that I would not let her go against the Gnosis without my protection.
"I'll go as well," I said without thought. Shion stared at the two of us, the Realian and the cyborg, for only a moment, as if she had second thoughts of our volunteering. Then she shook her head and turned to KOS-MOS.
"KOS-MOS... We're counting on you," Shion said.
"I am happy to be of service," KOS-MOS answered mechanically. Shion smiled.
"Good."
As we traveled down the lift again, heading to the shuttle, I gripped MOMO's shoulder lightly. She turned her eyes to me. I saw not the slightest hint of fear on her face. She wasn't afraid.
"Why aren't you afraid?" I asked her. She smiled, as if it was an answer I already knew the answer to.
"Because if I get hurt, I know I have Ziggy to look after me." Her smile widened, and I gripped her shoulder tighter.
"Just stay close to me, MOMO, and I promise you that you won't get hurt," I assured her. She nodded.
"I know," she whispered.
Before us, the shuttle to the Kukai Foundation arrived, and MOMO and I, followed by Shion, KOS-MOS, Jr. and chaos, stepped inside.