Well, it's been awhile since I last updated, but, once again, only a couple of people seem interested. Thanks to Mats Forsen for your kind comments, and I hope that anyone who's still reading this is enjoying.
Back at Cytech Enterprises, Dr. Nakatomi was once more at his desk, the phone window open again. On the other end, once again, was Ms. Madigan. She wore an expression of mild satisfaction as she said, "Well, Doctor, I think we can call tonight's test a success, though there were some decidedly unexpected factors involved. Your impressions?"
Nodding thoughtfully, Dr. Nakatomi said, "I think that's a fair assessment of things, Ms. Madigan. Generally, Ms. Natomi fared rather poorly against the BU-22X, but we were able to gather an excellent appraisal of her combat chassis's overall survivability at least. And she provided a rather telling field test for the largely untried fault-finding software. Now we know that, while effective, the program is simply too slow. We need to re-evaluate it from the base code up before we consider a production release, obviously."
Ms. Madigan nodded as well and said, "My thoughts exactly. And, of course, we now have a much clearer picture of how the BU-22 performs under field conditions. A few more tweaks, and a quick retrofit to fix that bothersome soft spot Ms. Natomi so kindly pointed out for us, and I believe it might just be ready for a limited production run. And another round of field testing, of course."
Dr. Nakatomi smiled coldly, and said, "And I'm certain that Ms. Natomi will be up to the challenge when the time comes. I have a few… improvements to incorporate once I put her back together. Which I should do soon, I suppose. After all, our contact team is competent to stabilize her, and even begin the recovery process, but they lack my… expertise in this area. I wouldn't feel comfortable with anyone other than myself overseeing the process."
Pursing her lips thoughtfully, Ms. Madigan said, "I'll defer to your judgment on that matter, Doctor." And then, frowning just slightly, she said, "But tell me, what are your impressions of the collateral factors involved with the test tonight? The partner, and that rogue android who just happened to show up. How far do you think they skewed our results? And in what directions?"
Pausing thoughtfully, the doctor finally said, "Well, certainly they played a key roll in her survival. Without the android's timely distraction or her partner's suicidal attack on the BU-22X, she'd have been a complete loss. But I don't think they affected our basic assessment significantly. The root cause of Ms. Natomi's less than stellar performance was two-fold. First, her primary concern seemed to be preventing further civilian casualties, rather than taking down the BU-22, which is entirely understandable, given her personality and background. And, second, there was the distressing failure on the part of her threat-assessment software to properly identify all of the BU-22's offensive capabilities. I'm truly dismayed that the program mistook the BU-22's high-output twin laser assembly for an auxiliary sensing system. I'll have to have a long… talk with the programmer responsible, I'm afraid. And that will most certainly be one of the first software upgrades I install, rest assured."
"Very good then, Dr. Nakatomi," Ms. Madigan said slowly. "I think we've just about covered everything, unless there's anything else you'd like to add."
Shaking his head slowly, Dr. Nakatomi said, "No, I think that's about it, other than to say that, by my preliminary estimates, I would expect Ms. Natomi to be ready for another iteration in, oh, perhaps a week. But certainly no sooner. Her physical recovery won't take nearly that long, but I suspect she'll need a bit more time to…reacquire the right frame of mind, shall we say."
"Once again, I'll defer to your judgment, Doctor. Just let me know immediately if there are any changes on your end."
Smiling once more, the doctor said, "But of course, Ms. Madigan. But of course."
With that, he cut the connection, and, standing, headed out to gather the equipment he knew he'd soon need.
Without knowing how she got there, Akiko found herself sitting on the narrow, utilitarian sofa in the small cubicle that passed for a living room in her ADP tower suite. As she looked around curiously, trying to remember what chain of events had brought her there, the front door opened quietly, and Dr. Kenjiro Nakatomi walked in. There was a warm smile on his lips, but the warmth didn't reach his eyes, which were as cold and hard as two chips of ice.
Standing just inside the door, which was still cracked, he said, "Akiko. So good to see you again. And I've brought a visitor for you."
As he opened the door just a bit wider, she saw a tiny, familiar dark-haired figure poke it's head around, staring at her with solemn brown eyes. "Mommy?" The little girl said tentatively.
A radiant smile lit 'Kiko's face, and, jumping up, she said, "Maiume!"
"Mommy!" The little girl repeated, emphatically this time, and ran toward 'Kiko, who knelt down with outstretched arms.
As Maiume flew into her arms, 'Kiko lifted her up and spun her around, laughing and hugging her fiercely. But then suddenly, she started to squirm, and yelled, "Ah! Mommy, you're hurting me!" Before 'Kiko could properly register this, she heard a sort of wet snap and felt something in Maiume's body give way. With a small cry she went limp in 'Kiko's arms, a tiny trickle of blood running from the corner of her mouth.
A kind of numbness washed over 'Kiko then, and a wave of nausea so intense she almost threw up then and there. Collapsing to her knees, she cradled the little girl's broken body in her arms, and, vision blurred by hot tears, said in a tiny, broken voice, "Maiume? Oh, God, Maiume!"
Standing suddenly beside her, Dr. Nakatomi just shook his head reprovingly, and said, "Now, Ms. Natomi. Didn't I warn you about becoming over-excited? I told you, always check to ensure those safety interlocks are engaged before handling anything fragile, but did you listen? Apparently not."
Looking up beseechingly, she said, "But Maiume! For the love of God, help her!"
The doctor just shook his head again, and said, "Oh, it's too late for that, I'm afraid." And, suddenly holding a clip board that 'Kiko hadn't noticed before, Dr. Nakatomi began to scribble methodically, saying, "No, I'm afraid you've done very poorly on this test, Ms. Natomi. Not satisfactory at all. In fact, I believe we're going to have to start all over at the…"
He continued to drone on in a monotone, his words lost to Akiko as she held Maiume's limp form in her arms. Sobbing now in raw anguish and remorse, she threw her head back and screamed, "MAIUME!" And then she awoke.
"MAIUME!" Akiko screamed, sitting bolt upright in the hospital-style bed, eyes wide open and staring.
"Jesus Christ!" Hall exclaimed, startled almost out of the chair he'd been half-dozing on. And then, seeing 'Kiko's wild-eyed expression, an equal mix of confusion and panic, he stood quickly and reached to put a hand on her shoulder. "Hey, easy partner," he said soothingly. "You're safe now. You made it."
She blinked hard once and shook her head, and then, looking to Hall said dazedly, "Hall? Then- Then it was only a dream."
Frowning, Hall said slowly, "What was only a dream, 'Kiko?"
But instead of answering, she only stared at Hall for a moment more. Then, suddenly, her eyes filled with tears and with a ragged sob she reached for him, throwing her arms around his neck. "Oh, God, Hall!" was all she managed to get out before her sobs overwhelmed her voice, and she just clung to him, her tears slowly soaking his shoulder.
For his part, Hall was utterly shocked at first, and just stood there. But, once his surprise wore off, he hesitantly put his arms around 'Kiko and finally just held her until she'd cried herself out.
Eventually, her sobs wound down to quiet sniffles, and then ceased entirely. Releasing her hold on Hall, she drew back and looked at him sheepishly. "Well, I guess this shoots my 'super-cop' image all to hell," she said quietly.
Hall just grinned good-naturedly and said, "Naw, even a super-cop is entitled to a good cry every once in a while. Especially after the shit you just went through." And then, sitting down once more, he said, "So what was that all about, anyhow? Bad dream?"
'Kiko shuddered, and nodded slowly. "The worst." She said in a tiny voice.
Hall nodded slowly, and said, "Well, I can understand if you don't want to talk about it-"
"It was a dream about Maiume," 'Kiko said quietly. "Or, more to the point, a dream about me accidentally killing Maiume. With Dr. Nakatomi critiquing and taking notes, no less."
"Damn," Hall said slowly, "That's rough."
"Tell me about it," she replied sullenly. Then, after a moment's silence, she said, "So what ended up happening? At the club, I mean. I don't remember much after the contact team got there. I think they must've whacked me up on the electronic equivalent of morphine or something."
"Huh!" Hall said. "You're probably about right, there. You were pretty messed up, if you remember."
"Yeah," 'Kiko said absently, "I remember. Speaking of which, how long- no, never mind, I can answer that question myself." And, consulting her internal chronometer, constantly synched to Net time, she said, "Three days. Christ, I've been out for three days? What the hell have I missed?"
Hall sighed, and said, "A bunch of shit, actually. For starts, you spent the first day and a half over at Cytech, getting worked over in their facilities. From what I understand, that old gargoyle Nakatomi oversaw everything himself, actually got his hands dirty, too, I guess. The techs who brought you back here to the infirmary said it was touch and go for a while, but the old bastard pulled you through. Matter of fact, they said something about him coming by later. Said he had some upgrades to explain to you or some shit."
'Kiko rolled her eyes, and said, "It figures. And here I thought I was just kidding when I told Priss that crap."
Frowning in puzzlement, Hall said, "Well, I don't know anything about that, but I suppose Nakatomi'll be by any time. He probably knew to the minute when you'd wake up."
'Kiko shuddered just slightly, and said, "I don't trust him, Hall. I never really have. There's something just not right about Dr. Nakatomi, and I've known it since I first heard his voice in that damned VR sim they used to rehabilitate me after the accident. He acts like he cares, but I think all he really cares about is seeing how his modern day Frankenstein performs."
Still frowning, now in annoyance, Hall said, "You shouldn't talk about yourself like that, 'Kiko. You're not a monster. If anything, you're a hero. There's a lot of people alive today who wouldn't be if you weren't around."
Akiko sighed, and said, "Maybe, Hall. But that doesn't really change the way I feel. I mean, for God's sake! I faced off with a damn battle-boomer, practically in my skivvies, and lived to tell about it! I just shrugged off a couple of hundred 20mm rounds and then survived being cut nearly in half! And now, three days later, I'm as good as new? Or, considering Dr. Nakatomi's 'upgrades', even better than before? Just how human does that make me, Hall? And if I'm not human, then what the hell am I?"
'Ah, shit,' Hall thought tiredly. 'Five'll get you ten that Fanward was asking himself some of the same damn questions toward the end. Christ, she can't be headed down the same road he was, can she? I sure as hell hope not. For a lot of reasons.'
Aloud, he said, "Look, 'Kiko, you can beat yourself to death with shit like this, but in the end what the hell good is it going to do you? I think Popeye said it best; I yam what I yam. And that's about all any of us can really say, 'Kiko. We are what we are. And I'll tell you this much; I've never seen a machine reduced to tears by a nightmare. Right now, you're still as human as you ever were on the inside. But if you let this keep eating at you, you might not stay that way. And as little as you want to hear it, I have to tell ya'. That's what happened to Fanward. He stopped believing in his own humanity, and after that… well, it was all down hill from there. For God's sake, 'Kiko, don't follow in that poor bastard's footsteps." And then, seeing the sudden repressed grin on Akiko's face, not to mention the giggles she was obviously holding in check by sheer willpower, Hall frowned again and said, "What the hell is so damn funny, Natomi?"
"I yam what I yam?" She said, barely keeping a straight face. "Are you waxing philosophical on me, Hall? I didn't know you had it in you."
Hall rolled his eyes skyward, and said, "Oh, sure, blow me off! It's not like I'm trying to say something important here, or anything."
'Kiko sighed, and said, "Hall. Patrick. I got what you were saying. And- it does make sense. I want to believe I'm still a human being somewhere inside of here, but it's just not easy. Everything I see, everything I do, and more and more everything I hear from other people just makes it harder and harder. But- you're right about one thing, I guess. Whether I'm human or not, it doesn't mean I have to end up a monster. It just means that I- need to redefine myself. Figure out how I actually fit into the world now. And that means letting go of all the pretenses, I'm afraid."
With a sudden cold feeling in the pit of his stomach, Hall said carefully, "What exactly does 'letting go of the pretenses' mean, 'Kiko?"
"It means," she said slowly, "waking up and realizing that everything isn't just going to go back to 'normal' someday. I guess that's what I've had in the back of my mind until now. That once the probationary period was over, I'd just somehow be able to waltz back into my old life. That I'd be able to move back in with Maiume and go back to the ADP being just a job. But that's not going to happen, Hall. Things will never be the same between Maiume and me. Not only am I almost afraid to touch her now, but legally, there's no way I'd ever be given custody back. You heard the chief. I have no legal rights. No legal identity. The best I'd ever be able to hope for is liberal visitation rights, and she deserves more than that. How is she ever going to get on with her life if her dead mother keeps dropping by between boomer calls?"
Frowning again, Hall said, a little too loudly, "Christ, 'Kiko, what the hell are you saying?"
"I'm saying," 'Kiko said quietly. "That I need to just accept things as they are and move on. Akiko Natomi died four months ago. She, along with all her concerns, needs to be laid to rest so that I, and Maiume, can move forward. I have a new life, and the ADP is it, Hall. Maiume needs the chance for a new life too, and I don't think I can be a part of it."
"Goddamn it!" Hall exclaimed, startling Akiko as he slammed his fist into the wall beside the bed. "'Kiko, you're just spooked by that damn dream you had! Get over it! I know you well enough to know that there's no way in hell you'd ever hurt your own daughter, and you'd damn well know it too if you'd knock off this self-pitying bullshit for a minute or two!"
'Kiko just sighed and said, "That's not it, Hall. I know it was only a dream, and of course I'd never hurt Maiume physically. But emotionally… I just want her to be able to have a normal life. She'd never have that with me. My life isn't normal, and never will be again. And that's not self-pity; it's reality."
Hall exhaled loudly, and then said, "If that's the way you see it, there's no point in arguing any more, I guess. But I'm pretty damn sure you're gonna change your mind eventually, 'Kiko."
She shrugged, and said, "Who knows? But right now…" And then, frowning, she abruptly changed the subject. "Hey! So what else has been going on while I was out? What happened with-"
"With the android?" Hall finished for her.
"Yeah," 'Kiko said. "With her."
"She's here," Hall said slowly. "Down in a holding cell in impound. I was able to stall things off by reminding everybody that, technically, she's the property of Asakawa's daughter now, held in trust by her grandpa. That, and the fact that she didn't put up a fight, was enough to keep them from deactivating her until they got a hold of Asakawa anyway."
"And?" 'Kiko said.
"And now things are up in the air. From what I understand, the little girl managed to convince her grandpa somewhere along the line that she wouldn't be breathin' right now if it hadn't of been for that boomer, which is pretty much true. Now he's filed to reclaim her, but-"
"But there's still the issue about her 'behavioral irregularities'," 'Kiko finished quietly.
Hall nodded slowly, and said, "Yeah. Chief won't allow her release until the boomer psychologist does his thing, and you know what he's gonna say. Old Man Asakawa obviously does too, and it looks like he's warming up for a fight of some kind. Rumor is, he's been calling up some of his old Diet buddies; testing the waters and shit, so to speak. Either way, he's made no secret of the fact that he's got an injunction already set up, just waiting to stop a destruction order as soon as it's issued. Shit's gonna get damn interesting before this one's through."
'Kiko frowned, and said, "What exactly is Asakawa aiming to do, Hall? Once they slap a 'rogue' label on her, that's basically it. It doesn't matter who she belongs to after that. They have carte blanche to take her apart, and as far as I know, there's no legal recourse."
"Well," Hall said slowly, "I think that's just what the old man has in mind. I think he's lookin' to MAKE a legal recourse."
'Kiko's eyes widened, and she said, "Christ. And he just might be able to do it, with the connections he has. My God, Hall, we could be looking at a test case here; something that could be used to force a re-examination of boomer and boomeroid legislation. This could be big. Really big."
Hall nodded, and said, "You got that right. And you're not the only one to figure that out, let me tell you. There's a lot of shit coming out of the woodwork around here over this…"
'Kiko frowned again, and said, "What do you mean, 'coming out of the woodwork'?"
Hall sighed, and said, "You know the score. It didn't take the damn media long to pick up on things. Hell, the old man might've leaked it himself. But TNN, Vixen 16, all those bastards took the damn ball and ran with it, starting with the 'Hot Legs Massacre', as they're calling it." He paused for a moment, and then continued. "There've been recaps on the Asakawa case, mostly playing up how the boomer saved the little girl, and some interviews with the little girl herself, as well as her grandpa and the back-up security guy who worked with her. Shit, hearin' that kid pleading for the ADP not to 'kill her friend' was almost enough to choke me up. Almost. But then there's the damn rebuttals…"
"Rebuttals?" Akiko said quizzically.
Hall nodded and said, "You familiar with a group called B.A.S.I.C.?"
'Kiko's expression hardened, and she said, "B.A.S.I.C. 'Biologicals for the Abolition of Synthetic Intelligence Cyberdroids'. Yeah, I guess you could say I'm familiar with the bastards; I get hate mail from them on a regular basis. They don't care for cyborgs any more than they do for boomers, apparently. So they've thrown their two cents worth in, I take it?"
"Yeah," Hall said. "They threw a bunch of shit out there, all of it aimed at pissing people off toward boomers in general. Mostly recaps of some of the really bad boomer incidents over the last couple of years, and a couple of ads aimed at cutting into Asakawa's creditability. Their usual shit, I guess."
'Kiko shook her head slowly, and said, "And all this after only three days?"
Hall nodded and said, "Uh-huh, and that's not all." He paused for a moment, considering, and then said, "Leon and Nene are in hot water. Chief's not happy with the media circus, or the political wrestling match that's coming, and he's all set to take it out on them. He called them both on the carpet and grilled them on the Asakawa case, and then put both of them on 'paid leave', pending the results of an Internal Affairs investigation. And I gotta tell ya', 'Kiko, from the way Nene was acting at Hot Legs-"
"They're hiding something." 'Kiko finished matter-of-factly. "They let her walk, or something, but one way or another, they knew she didn't die down in the sewers. That what you're thinking?"
Hall nodded again, and said, "More or less. And if I think so, you can damn well bet IA's thinkin' so too. Now, whatever the hell happened, McNichol's gonna brazen it out and stick with his story, you can bet. He's been around the block too damn many times to crack for a bunch of IA pansies. But Romanova…"
'Kiko sighed, and said, "She might break. Which could get both of them fired, maybe even charged."
"Yeah," Hall said, "that's about the size of it. And, of course, it'd be their own damn fault, but still…"
'Kiko nodded, and said, "It'd be a damn shame. McNichol's a loud-mouthed, obnoxious son of a bitch, but he's also one of the best damn senior cops we've got left."
"And Romanova's still just a kid," Hall added. "If Leon told her to keep her mouth shut, she'd probably do it. Be too damn bad if she got canned or picked up a rap sheet just because she wouldn't rat out a senior officer."
'Kiko exhaled loudly, and said, "You remember that old Chinese curse, Hall? 'May you live in interesting times'?"
Hall snorted, and said, "Yeah, and I'd hafta say we're livin' it, partner. Right here and right now."
Outside the door of the highest office housed in the Genom Tower, Ms. Katherine Madigan, First Special Assistant to the Chairman, waited just a bit nervously. While it was true that, since her little 'accident' at the hands of the bastardized Mason/boomer hybrid, Largo, both her life and her relationship to the Chairman had changed in ways most people wouldn't have believed, she knew all too well that, with the Chairman, there were no absolutes. If he were displeased with her, as he might well be, considering the unforeseen fallout from what should have been a simple product-on-product field test, the consequences could be… unpleasant.
With a deep sigh, she pressed the intercom button next to the door, and waited for an answer. After a few seconds, calculated, no doubt, to increase her anxiety, the Chairman's deep, calm voice said, "Yes?"
Making sure to keep any emotion from her tone, Kate, or Katie, as she thought of herself these days, said, "It's Ms. Madigan, sir. You requested my presence?"
After a few more seconds, his voice came once more. "Yes, of course. Come inside, Kate. We have a few things to discuss."
"Yes, sir," she said, pulling the massive oaken door open as she heard the locking mechanism buzz. Then, letting the door swing shut on it's own behind her, she strode confidently in, stopping a few paces short of the Chairman's antique hardwood desk. He stood behind it, back towards her, hands clasped behind him, gazing out over Mega Tokyo through the full-wall bay window like a Khan surveying his domain.
Turning slowly, he fixed her with the same intense gaze and said, "Relax, Ms. Madigan. This is to be a fairly informal meeting, not an inquisition." And then, seeing her loosen up just slightly, he said, "Good. Now, summarize for me. How is the Asakawa situation developing?"
Knowing that he almost certainly already had the information he'd just requested, Ms. Madigan said carefully, "The situation is maturing much more quickly than we'd thought, sir. It appears that the ADP's cyber-psychologist will render his opinion soon; he's spent the better part of three days interrogating the android, and there's little doubt what he'll say. From there, it appears that the destruction order and Mr. Asakawa's injunction will go into effect simultaneously, at which point he plans to launch his legal battle. It's my understanding that he's already been in contact with a number of rather high-caliber lawyers, as well as representatives of the Diet and the Boomer Ethical Treatment Alliance. And of course, he's already started a media blitz, which has been rather unsuccessfully countered by a number of anti-cyberdroid movements, with B.A.S.I.C. at the forefront. As matters stand now, public opinion is still divided, but young Miss Asakawa's pleas and the human interest stories being run on her father's murder last year seem to be carrying more weight than the opposition's message." She paused for a moment, collating her thoughts, and then said, "From a legal standpoint, Mr. Asakawa is about to set sail into uncharted waters, as it were. There are no real historical parallels for what he's about to try, though we're relatively certain of the tack he'll take."
Nodding slowly, The Chairman said, "I can imagine. The real question, of course, is whether or not he might succeed. Your thoughts?"
Pausing once more to consider, she said, "It is… possible, sir. A number of unforeseeable circumstances seem to have aligned here, not the least of which is Mr. Asakawa's substantial remaining influence with the Diet. If matters were allowed to proceed unhindered, it's conceivable that he might get what he's after."
"Thereby setting a precedent that could, eventually, lead to the legal recognition of all sentient cyberdroids as living beings, deserving of civil rights and legal representation," The Chairman finished quietly.
Ms. Madigan swallowed a bit nervously, and said, "That is the possibility that concerns us, sir."
"And well it should," The Chairman said slowly. Then, in a dangerously playful voice, he said, "Tell me, Ms. Madigan. Do you see any way that our current dilemma could've been avoided? Anything that could have been done differently?"
Seeing the trap before her, Kate decided to simply brazen it out, and said, "No, sir. All things considered, I don't see anything that could have prevented this. We had no way of knowing that the android would show up at our test site, though we did have reports that she was still functional. A determination had been made that it wasn't worth the resources at risk to follow and eliminate her after the conclusion of the Asakawa affair, and she was resourceful enough to eventually elude the rather cursory surveillance left on her. As for the situation after the test, I must confess that neither Dr. Nakatomi nor I had any real idea of what was to come. Given the situation, the natural conclusion was that the ADP would follow it's usual pattern and dismantle her as soon as time permitted. We had no way of knowing that they'd be forestalled long enough for the elder Mr. Asakawa to become involved, or that his rather low opinion of cyberdroids in general had been swayed in this case by his granddaughter. In retrospect, the pattern of events is all too clear, but at the time…"
"I see," The Chairman said in a flatly neutral tone that gave Kate no insight into his feelings on the matter. "So the question now," he continued thoughtfully, "is what's to be done. Again, your thoughts, Kate?"
Frowning slightly, she said, "Certainly we're ready for counter-action on every front, sir. There's a very real possibility that we can have Mr. Asakawa's case dismissed before it's even heard, though there will be some minor political fallout to deal with in that case. Barring that, our legal capabilities are far in advance of anything that even Mr. Asakawa can muster, and we can spin the media in any direction we need to support the court battle. Or, if we so choose, it would be fairly simple to arrange a mishap of some sort. There are enough B.A.S.I.C. sympathizers inside the ADP that an 'early termination' would raise few suspicions. We'd have full deniability, sir."
The Chairman slowly turned then, gazing once more out over the city, his impassive face reflected in the glass before him. Smiling just slightly, he said, "A rather impressive battery of options, Ms. Madigan. And I think we may employ a number of them, though not to the extent that you have in mind."
Bewildered, Ms. Madigan said simply, "Sir?"
"As you said before, Kate," he said slowly and thoughtfully, "this was a situation that couldn't properly have been anticipated or prevented. In fact, it's a situation that's simply been waiting to happen, looked at from that perspective. A situation that could have happened earlier and might very well be repeated later. Given the sheer number of cyberdroids in the world, you might even say that it was inevitable that eventually something like this would come to pass."
Eyes widening, Kate said, "You already have contingency plans for something like this. You knew that this would happen."
He nodded slowly, and said, "It had to sooner or later, although I admit that this is sooner than I'd expected. Still, it only means that certain time tables will have to be moved up. Just in case Mr. Asakawa's little venture is successful."
Frowning again, Kate said incredulously, "You don't plan on opposing this, sir?"
"Oh, I didn't say that," he said, amused. "Certainly we'll make them prove their mettle. And if they're not up to the task, then the status quo will be preserved, for the time being at least. But if they get what they want, it will finally be time to move on to the next phase. And we are very nearly ready, I firmly believe."
Shaking her head in a kind of awe, Kate said, "What do you want me to do then, sir?"
"Three things, Ms. Madigan," he said. "First, implement whatever of the measures you outlined to me before that you deem suitable. But purposely plan with a small margin for error; give them a chance. Second, ensure that our lawyers plan their strategy with certain… contingencies in mind. I'll forward my criteria to you later, and you can take care of the details. And, lastly, Kate, I need for you to ensure that the entire 40-series timetable is accelerated. Bring Dr. Nakatomi into the loop as far as you think you need to, and get the ball rolling with Dr. Ishizawa as well. Let him know that we're ready to go ahead, and get the media campaign started with the BU-40X. Giri, I believe he's named her, yes?"
Kate nodded slowly, a slightly uneasy feeling creeping over her at the mention of the 40-series project, and especially at the mention of Giri.
Sensing this, The Chairman said in a surprisingly compassionate tone, "Kate? You will be able to handle this, I trust? Or does this strike a bit too close to home for you right now?"
"No, sir," she said a bit too quickly. "I'm perfectly capable of handling anything you see fit to task me with, sir. It's just…"
"I know," he said soothingly. "I know. But this is an important matter and yours are the most capable and loyal hands into which I feel I can place it. I'm certain that my confidence in you won't be misplaced."
Feeling a sudden rush of emotion at The Chairman's words, something that the old Kate Madigan never would have felt, she said in a tight voice, "Of course not sir. I'll ensure that everything is taken care of. You won't be disappointed."
Smiling placidly, The Chairman said, "I'm sure I won't, Katie, dear. I'm sure I won't."
As Hall had predicted, Dr. Nakatomi wasn't long in making an appearance. He entered quietly, not bothering to knock, and closed the door carefully behind him. Both Hall and 'Kiko fell silent at the sight of him, putting their still-ongoing conversation on hold.
Into the sudden silence Dr. Nakatomi injected, "Ah, Officer Natomi. So good to see you feeling more yourself again." Then, glancing to Hall, smiling warmly, he said, "And LT Hall, isn't it? So very good to meet you. You're taking good care of this young lady, I trust?"
Frowning slightly, Hall said neutrally, "Nice to meet you too, Doc. And I guess if I'd been taking better care of 'Kiko, we wouldn't be having this conversation, would we?"
The doctor just shook his head slightly, and said, "Nonsense, Lieutenant. I've studied all the reports on the 'Hot Legs Incident', and I certainly can't see anything that could've been done better on your part. In fact, if it hadn't been for your… rather unorthodox approach at the end, I dare say that your partner wouldn't be here now. I don't think we can ask for more than that, now can we?"
"Huh!" Hall said flatly. "I guess not, if you put it that way. So you're here to talk to 'Kiko, right? Something about upgrades, the techies said?"
Dr. Nakatomi nodded and said, "Yes, there are some things I need to explain. You're welcome to listen in, of course, Lieutenant. It certainly behooves you to know your partner's capabilities, after all."
Hall just grunted impassively, and the doctor turned to Akiko, saying, "So how are we feeling today, Officer Natomi? Better, I hope?"
"I don't know, Doctor," she said in a low voice. "How am I feeling today? Or didn't you do the fifteen-point service check when you had me in the shop?"
Frowning just slightly, Nakatomi said, "Oh, come now, Akiko my dear. Sarcasm ill suits you."
'Kiko sighed, and said, "Sorry. I guess I'm just having a hard time accepting the fact that I can be put back together again overnight now, that's all. It's… a little creepy."
The doctor nodded slowly, and said, "That's understandable, of course. But don't think that repairing your body is anything at all like repairing a simple machine. Most of what we did for you wouldn't have been out of place in an emergency room trauma unit. Your body simply has rather amazing inherent recuperative powers, thanks to the nano-technology that permeates it. After dealing with the gross damage, all we really did was immerse you in a nutrient bath and introduce a few more nanites to assist those already on-board. So, in essence, your body healed on it's own, like a human body would. Just a bit faster, of course."
"Right," 'Kiko said skeptically. "So what are these 'upgrades' I'm hearing so much about, Doctor?" And then, sardonically, she added, "I'm just dying to know."
Ignoring her tone, Dr. Nakatomi said, "I'm glad you asked, Akiko." And then, shifting into lecture mode, he continued. "First, we were able to install a number of software upgrades. The telemetric data we pulled from your virtual 'black box' pointed out both the failure of your threat-assessment software, and the unacceptably slow operation of the experimental 'fault-finder'. While your 'hardware' problems were being taken care of, we managed to patch some of that bad code, and hopefully both of those programs will be functioning correctly now. In addition, we installed an upgraded version of your kinesthetic software that should further improve your speed and reaction time, and, in conjunction with a nanoware upgrade, significantly improved the power output of your electrochondria. You remember the specifics of that system, yes?"
'Kiko nodded slowly, and said, "Sure, how could I forget? They replace the mitochondria you'd find in human cells. Instead of breaking down food and storing the chemical energy as adenosine triphosphate, they take hydrogen right out of the water I drink and conduct catalyzed cold fusion. Then they store the energy from that in a whole lot of little nano-sized batteries that circulate freely until they're needed. Basically, it makes me a walking, talking fusion reactor."
Nakatomi nodded appreciatively, and said, "A fair summary. However, the electrochondria in your cells only compliment a mitochondrial analog that handles the processing of normal foodstuffs. Most of the energy you use for casual exertion comes from these, and the electrochondria only 'kick in', so to speak, when your energy demands exceed a certain level. Normally, that only happens when you utilize your internal weaponry, or when you exert yourself at super-human levels." He paused for a moment, and then continued. "As I said, we've managed to raise the system's power output significantly, by over seventy-five percent, in fact. This should alleviate the fatigue you've been experiencing when utilizing the gravimetric blasters, and improve your overall strength and endurance. Which brings me to the next upgrade…"
"There's more?" 'Kiko said incredulously.
Dr. Nakatomi smiled just slightly, and said, "A bit more, my dear." And then, "The last significant upgrade we were able to make was to your gravimetric weaponry. Basically, we added some new conductive channels in your knuckles, and set up a system roughly analogous to a capacitor that allows for split-second gravimetric discharges. In conjunction with a software upgrade, this allows for a far more flexible range of firing options." He paused for a moment, and then said, "Now, in addition to the simple lethal/non-lethal firing modes you had before, there are a number of intensity and concentration settings to choose from. These range from a hemispherical burst intended simply to push opponents back to a highly collimated beam intended to defeat heavy armor." After another short pause, he finished by saying, "Also, we added a 'contact-fire' setting that essentially adds the gravimetric system's damage to a hand-to-hand attack. The effect is rather similar to the shaped-charge-penetrator system utilized by the Knight Sabers, in fact, and it seems to work rather well for them, we've observed."
'Kiko frowned, and said, "So you're trying to turn me into a living, breathing hardsuit? Is that what you're saying?"
"No, not at all, my dear," Dr. Nakatomi said, smiling. "We simply want to equip you as well as we possibly can to do the job you're doing. And you must admit, considering the close call you just had, that there's no such thing as over-kill in this particular arena. Am I right?"
Grudgingly, 'Kiko said, "I suppose so, Doctor. So now what? Back into the breach?"
Dr. Nakatomi shook his head just slightly, and said, "If that's what you really want, Akiko. Certainly you're perfectly capable from a physical standpoint, though you'll need at least some firing range and VR familiarization with those upgrades before you're 'street certified' again." Then, frowning slightly, he said, "But, to reiterate my earlier question, how do you FEEL? On the inside, I mean. Do you think you're quite ready to just go back out there?"
'Kiko started to reply, thought for a moment, and then, sighing, said, "It's my job, Doctor. More than that, it's pretty much my life right now. If I'm not out on the street, what good am I?"
The doctor nodded slowly, and said, "Well, far be it for me to keep you from your work, my dear. But at the very least, you'll need to visit the on-call psychologist before and after every shift for the next few days. I must insist on that much. And if you should need anything at all, don't hesitate to call me." Then, turning to Hall, he said, "And of course the same applies to you, LT Hall. Please ensure that your partner is being taken care of, and takes care of herself."
Frowning, Hall said, "Yeah, I think I can handle that, Doc. But thanks anyway."
"Well, then," Nakatomi said, heading for the door, "I suppose that about concludes matters here." And, as he departed, "Do take care of yourselves, Officers."
Looking to Akiko, Hall said slowly, "Gotta admit, you had that one pegged, 'Kiko. There's definitely something not right about that old bastard."
Nodding slowly, 'Kiko said, "Yeah, and I really wish I knew what that something was, partner."
End of chapter 5, and the plot thickens, so to speak. Chapter 6 will be up soon, and that's probably going to be it for a while; I don't have the rest written yet! So if you're enjoying this, let me know, and just maybe I'll be able to find a little time to finish this sometime soon…
