Disclaimer: I am not the soul owner of Rurouni Kenshin anime. Nobuhiro Watsuki is the proud owner of it. But I do own my story.
Chapter 2
Whispers of the Beginning
She inhaled deeply as her flighty hands rubbed against her thighs nervously. The moisture on both her hands due from perspiration added to the volume of heat in her already anxious body. Her eyes closed as she imagined good thoughts, trying her best to calm her tensed mood. The atmosphere seemed dull. Students brooded over another day of lecture as their professor made futile attempts to gain their undivided attention. Somehow the scenario only furthered her fear to lecture the class on Human Autonomy.
Just a few months ago she received a message stating her new position as a Hacker. Her field as a Researcher in Human Autonomy delayed, giving her a chance to progress further in the social class ladder. However, the job's requirements were not easy to abide by. Numerous periods she found herself awake at awkward hours, sitting up in front of her computer screen deciphering codes, hacking into programs, encoding new material. All of this for her new job and she never received compensation for her hard works well done. Instead, someone else presented her work and passed it on as their own. And then this opportunity occurred from underneath her nose. Her employer walked into her office discussing variety of procedures and one of them included a promotion. Every junior who endeavored a promotion had to do the basics. And this was what she volunteered to do tonight. Her main objective was to enlighten students about Human Autonomy. This certain field had to display the human body's normal functions and explain the distinctions between a Program and a regular person. Additionally, she would have to explain certain properties of a Program and their so-called "special" attributes.
Sighing, she conjured her lesson in mind, the days of practice rushing into one heady forth. Wryly she smiled as the information storied and memorized in her mind was there for reach. Once her lecture began, a person would find it hard to interrupt her. After all, the focal purpose was to enlighten students about Human Autonomy. With enough lectures she would venture to promotion and be one step nearer to an official place in the government. The major drawback to her job was the unstableness of it. About fifty Hackers were fired from their regular duties last week. It seemed that science improved technology, thus causing fewer Hackers or the field became relatively accepted, thus creating heavy competition.
A next inaudible sigh escaped her as her tongue nervously darted from her mouth to moisten her dry lips. She chewed on her lower lip after vast contemplation. Her fingers intertwined as she imagined messing up on her first opportunity to being able to accomplish something successfully and call it her own. For once, it was her presenting her own hard work and not someone else trying to take her glory and fame.
She folded her hands behind her all while berating herself for negative thoughts. She operated her job in a professional manner. Her tasks were completed by due dates, her final drafts revised by chief editors, her outline approved by common advisors, her presentation viewed by significant people. She did her job and remained in a very difficult field for so long. Now was not the time for childish behavior on morals and ethics. The real world had high standards where one must be strong to survive or perish with other weaklings.
Snorting her distaste, she gathered her last supplies. The professor made his last statement in his opening speech before calling her name on the stage. With unknown serenity, she walked to where the professor awaited her arrival. Sounds of clapping etched through the big lecture room greeting her and somehow making her feel welcomed. Once brooded faces lightened up to an unexpected occasion. 'So they did not think a woman could be a Hacker. Then let me prove them wrong.'
Thus putting down the supplies before her on the speech stand, she began the concise lecture of Human Autonomy.
"To comprehend Human Autonomy, you must understand the display of the human body's normal functions. Then the explanation of distinctions between a Program and a regular person will end our discussion. Only then will you be aware of the true concept Human Autonomy."
The nervous system, the reproductive system, the respiratory system, and the circulatory system were topics briefly conferred. And then she paused before beginning the next part of her lecture on her field of expertise.
"Now to my most preferred in Human Autonomy, the human brain. The brain is the seat of awareness and reason. It's where learning, memory, and emotions are centered. To understand the brain is to look at three different stages of evolution: (1) the primitive central core; (2) the limbic system, which evolved later; and (3) the cerebral hemisphere, which are in charge of higher mental processes such as problem solving and language."
She paused for a moment to move aside and hit a button on her remote control. Automatically the lights dimmed and a picture appeared on the screen of a human brain, viewed from the top in front of the big lecture room. Then she continued her discussion.
"The point where the spinal cord enters the skull becomes the hindbrain. Due to the hindbrain mostly being found in even the most primitive vertebrates, it is assumed to have been the earliest brain to evolve. The hindbrain contains the medulla (regulates respiration, heart rate, and blood pressure), pons (regulates sleep-wake cycles), and cerebellum (regulates reflexes and balance or coordinates movement)."
With a next push of a button on the remote control, a new picture appeared of a human brain, viewed on the side displaying four lobes of the cerebral cortex.
"Cerebral cortex is the outer surface of two cerebral hemispheres which regulates most complex behavior. The significant four parts of the cerebral cortex are frontal lobe (coordinates messages from the other cerebral lobes and mostly involve in problem-solving skills), occipital lobe (receives and processes visual information), parietal lobe (receives sensory information from sense receptors all over the body), and temporal lobe (involved in complex visual tasks, balance, regulates emotions, and strong role in understanding language)."
With a next push of a button, a new picture appeared of a brain, viewed from the top.
"The limbic system is a system of brain structures including the thalamus, hippocampus, amygdala, hypothalamus, and olfactory bulb. It is most recent than the central core and is fully developed only in mammals. The limbic system appears to play a central role in times of stress, coordinating and integrating the activity of the nervous system."
With a final push of a button, the lights grew brighter and the picture in the front the students vanished. She walked back to her position in front the class to briefly discuss the last part of her lecture.
"The most intriguing part of a human brain is the frontal lobe, located just behind the forehead." She brought her index finger to point at her forehead. "It accounts for being half the volume of the human brain." She removed her hand from her forehead to the speech stand. "For years the frontal lobe baffled Researchers. It remained a mystery until the first Program was created. The main duties of the frontal lobe is to receive and coordinate messages from the other three lobes and cortex. In addition, it is to keep track of previous and future movements of the body. Due to these functions, the human brain went through a next evolution. Thus, creating a far more complex being with special attributes."
A hand rose in the air catching her eye. Automatically she called on the student.
"The complex being you speak of is a Program?" asked the student.
She smiled. "Yes it is."
A next hand raised and she called on the owner of the hand. At fist he seemed hesitant, but she encouraged him to ask his question by smiling at him. "Umm… Does that make them smarter then us average human beings?"
Lifting her hand to her chin, she thought how to answer his question to the best if her ability. "An average human uses ten percent of their brain. A Program uses more then ten percent of their brain. With their abilities, they are able to do what scientists thought were impossible such as read minds, moves things, create elements, and many more. Then there are the educational procedures to take into consideration. This is still an on-going debate."
Another student raised a hand. She called on the young woman whom looked down at her notes before asking her question. "How can you ensure Programs won't evolve in the self-awareness category and revolt against us?"
"An interesting question indeed." Everyone in class seemed to gaze at her, engrossed on how she was going to answer the question. "Programs already have minds of their own. However, there is limit to their self-awareness. As you all know, only high-class families can afford Programs as servants. The others are used for governmental purposes."
She over looked the room until a shadow near a doorway caught her attention. However, a terse ruffle of clothing broke her attention from the shadow to stare at her audience of students waiting for her to complete her answer. "There are two ways to create a Program. One has to do with complex chip embedded between the brain and spinal cord, thus controlling a Program. Another is the most expensive, where DNA strands is arranged in an embryo to create the ultimate Program at birth. These two ways construct highly and unlikely probability for Programs to revolt."
The class remained silent until a beeping resonance echoed through the air. Glancing at her watch, she smiled as she realized she finished her hard earned lecture. "I believe my lecture ends here. Thank you ladies and gentlemen for listening." She bowed gracefully before the class and stood up. Gathering her supplies, she went to shake hands with the professor. Exchanging words of gratitude, she exited the big lecture room.
Somewhere in the shadows, a tall man contacted his superior to relay a succinct message. "The Hacker has been established. Her name is Misao Makimachi."
A flustered woman paced back and forth as she anxiously wringed her hands in front of her. Ever since her intern mentioned about withholding a Program, the hospital swarmed with policemen guarding the main entrance and exits. People scurried through the hospital avoiding the main room where the Program was now being detained.
According to the Police Chief, no one could enter the room without a permit. Only she could enter the room due to her profession (doctor). Once in a while they allowed her entry into the room to check the progress of the Program, which absolutely baffled her. Usually a detected Program was deleted or slain. This Program had to hold some significance to the Government to keep her alive.
Checking her papers, she saw the alias of the Program. Tomoe Yukishiro, a name that stood out from the rest of names. The last name sounded familiar yet she could not bring her exhausted mind to remember where she heard such a name. Over looking the documents for any serious injuries, she heard a slight moan from the pale figure on the bed. Automatically, she turned to the monitor of the computer scanning the Program's body for pain or any other serious ailments that she and the other doctors might have missed. Programs were not all that dissimilar from humans. They were considered the evolved form of an average human, however, they were not born naturally. Instead being born from natural birth, they were artificially created by science. The Government engaged in major recreation of Programs ensuring citizens that Programs were the perfect subjects used for many purposes such as war and service. However, only the high class could afford Programs.
Clicking on an icon on the bottom of the screen, a box appeared with information of the particular Program named Tomoe Yukishiro. The blood pressure, cholesterol, and heart level were the three factors notifying her that the Program was sanctioned for the time being. The other rest of information displayed technical entries, which took a professional to handle. For some reason, she clicked on the icon dealing with brain waves and her hands stopped dead in the progress of typing in "Frontal Lobe." Before her displayed something she thought never existed. The average human used ten percent of their brain whereas a Program used more then ten percent of their brain. This Program used more then fifty percent of their brain, which only meant…
"I see you have acquainted yourself with our most loyal Program," startling her from her reverie. Dumbfounded she turned from the monitor to stare at a tall man hovering at the entrance of the room. Her eyes widened as she made out the colors of his eyes. A strong amber glow, the same intensity of scorching flames caused her to gasp. She stepped back all while aware of the man in front of her.
"Are there any serious injuries?" he gruffly asked as if not use to starting conversations as well as conversing with people. She noticed his hands moved to the hilt of his sword hanging limply on the left side of his hip. He wrapped his long lean fingers around them as he awaited her answer.
"No, there are no severe injuries. The Program only has numerous minor injuries sir," she answered while eying his hand still perched at the hilt of his sword.
"Will you please explain to me how the Program got to be here?" he asked in quite a restrained voice, trying to hold onto limited amount patience.
The doctor remained cool and aloof on the surface, however, inside a storm enraged for she was amply asked to repeat her story. It seemed they were not satisfied with it for they detained her as well.
Running a hand through her rugged hair and inhaling a deep breath, she alleged her story once more. "A thrashed looking man walked through the hospital doors asking for assistance. Bruised and battered the other doctors and I gathered the Program from his arms and rushed her to the emergency area. However, I returned to ask him information about the Program when he confessed he discovered her in an alleyway. She told him about someone stalking her. When I asked why he did not notify the police, he said there were no phones nearby and was about to add something else."
"Something else," the tall man pointed out.
"That something else was never mentioned. Before asking any more questions, my intern rudely interrupted us and reported that he brought a Program, leaving me to assume that he was going to include the little secret. Then something weird happened. It was as if the air got heavier and for an instant I saw red. By the time everything got to the normal, the thrashed man disappeared."
"You reported him to the fellow police officer," he said moving to the monitor where she stood before. "Megumi Takani, I am grateful for your cooperation. However, I ask you to please refrain speaking about this incident to anyone else."
She nodded her head as her response. Then she picked up her documents and left the room realizing the seriousness of the situation. The Program inside that room was no ordinary Program. No, Tomoe Yukishiro was a forbidden Program that aroused fear in people. The stirred terror came with a belief of constructing a Great War. Instead of having human conflicts, the next conflict might be humans versus Programs where Programs would terminate the creation of new Programs and insert to have equivalent rights as humans or they might annihilate the human race.
Meanwhile, inside the room, the tall man retrieved his cell phone and clicked the 'Redial' button. After three rings, another person picked up the phone. "We have a witness. Delete her as soon as possible. Identity, Megumi Takani."
The night seemed so dark. Every now and then a dimmed light appeared from the tinted class of the moving vehicle, but disappeared as fast as it came. Then there was the driver whom seemed to have his undivided attention on the road. His long lean fingers curved the steering wheel, tightening on the thin bar once in a while. The woman sitting next to him peered at his hand, noticing the tension in the cramped atmosphere.
"Is something the matter?" she asked turning to glance at her now soaked watch. Her drenched outfit stuck to her frame like a second skin, displaying the contours of her womanly figure. Her skin remained with specks of water drops. Shivering from the cold, she rubbed her bare arms. "You seem upset."
"Nothing is the matter Kaoru," he answered. She did not desire to pester him. If he decided not to speak his emotions to her, then so be it. From growing up she learned not to interrupt him when he was deeply engrossed into something. Unfortunately knowing his thoughts was intolerable for this instance. But still he seemed troubled and that only doubled her concern for him. He was type of man who guarded his emotions as well as the people around him. When she was ten years old, her father brought him home and introduced her to him. Katsu Kamiya, her father named him and explained that he was going to be her new brother. She smiled sincerely at the thought of him as her older, when he acted more like a bodyguard. He comprehended her need for privacy but he hovered about her. Only this night he let her be.
And then the mystifying event from earlier occurred in her mind. She witnessed something inexplicable that caused her to tremble in her seat.
"Is something the matter?" her brother questioned.
Turning to glance at him from under the veil of her midnight bangs she shook her head.
"You look uneasy," he said. He momentarily glanced at her before turning to look at the road. "If you need to talk about anything, you know I am always here."
"I know you are," she whispered. And then an idea stirred in mind, causing her to jump in her seat. Her eyes brightened while her hands locked together on her lap. "I will only tell you my thoughts if you tell me yours."
He groaned and muttered something unintelligible under his breath before answering her. "Okay, you win."
She beamed while her hands clasped together in a pure act of rejoice.
"I thought about what happened earlier. After picking you up around an unsafe neighborhood, I thought I saw something move in the shadows nearby. Furthermore, you looked pale as if you saw a ghost."
She gulped as her body trembled once again.
Katsu's brow furrowed. " What happened before I picked you up?"
She closed her eyes and inhaled air into her lungs, then opened them again, expression stark. "I was standing there waiting for you when I felt someone watching me. Then looking through the mist, I saw something out of the ordinary. I feared because I found myself moving toward it. It beckoned me and I could not stop myself from closing in on it."
"Did you get a good look at how he or she looked like?" It took all his effort to keep his rage at not being there from his voice. "Is there anything you saw that may assist to identifying him or her the next time it occurs?"
Her body froze as her gaze met his. "What do you mean next time?"
He swore and turned his head to look at the road again.
AN- I am not much of a writer so I sincerely apologize for my poor writing skills. I am more of a numerical person. However, I did do my research before writing this chapter. At the beginning where I had Misao enlightened students about the human brain, those are facts. I received some information from the Internet and from an old psychology book I read during my free time. As for the 'frontal lobe' part of the brain, I only fictionalize the supernatural parts such as moving items, reading minds, controlling elements, etc. I picked the 'frontal lobe' as my primary interest due to the fact that it still remains a mystery to scientists. Since the 'frontal lobe' accounts for being half the volume of the human brain and an average human uses ten percent of their brain, I thought this could fill the gap of what leaves people questioning, what will happen if someone is able to use more then ten percent of their brain.
As for the upcoming chapters, I hope to explain the arranging of DNA strands. However, I am still completing some research on it. Once again I apologize for my poor writing skills. I am struggling on improving it, although I feel ashamed because English is my primary language. And the only excuse I have is this is my first RK fiction. It would be nice if you left a review as to know your thoughts but I do not like flames.