Sextuplets.
Raika frowned at a wail from another room in his home. Of all things for when his parents had been actually found to be alive, they had to have had sextuplets.
Of all crazy things for anyone to deal with, and him suddenly as only a thirteen-year-old older brother, at that. It was one thing to suddenly have parents again when he had thought they were dead for years. Perhaps in the space of time that they were certainly alive, they could have had another child, or at the most, two.
But six?
Raika wanted to cover his ears as more screams tore apart the silence, which had finally let him concentrate fully on his homework for a few hours now. The "babies" (one year and four months, really) were certainly not newborns, and generally not talking yet besides a few random babbles here and there.
Who knew why they were screaming now, though. Perhaps someone was biting their sibling (again), or had stolen or thrown a toy (or "toy", depending on what it was), or they had face-planted into another door, or just something else.
Raika supposed that his mother had calmed someone down, as the screams suddenly abated. He then looked at his homework, sighing slightly as he gazed at the problem he had been having trouble with for the last few minutes. Hopefully his mother would not be asking (or pleading) for a "little" help within the next very short while, as had occurred multiple times before.
"At least there are not any stairs, Raika," a voice stated from his left.
Raika turned toward the voice, instantly frowning slightly.
For him, though, his current situation might not have been so bad if there was not another person sharing his room with him. Actually, the person did help- a lot.
But the fact that they were an actual human in the first place . . .
"I know, Searchman," he said automatically. He put his head on his hand, resisting the impulse to just doze on his arms, right at his desk.
There were indeed no stairs in his one floor home, even with the ad-ons of three new rooms to their old home, which had been finished about half a month before, just for the sudden six new siblings (and a guest room for random helpers, including family). He supposed that Searchman was certainly correct about that.
He sighed again instead, and looked at his navi. Or more accurately, what had been his navi.
"I just wish that you were . . . yourself, really," Raika said quietly, purposely leaving out more.
Of course Searchman knew what he was thinking, though, even with the distraction from his own school work.
"It's not your fault, Raika," Searchman instantly responded. "If anyone is at fault, it would be me."
Raika sadly gazed at his former navi. To anyone that did not know the truth, they would just be seeing Raika's same-age adopted brother, finally past the foster child stage after months with his uncle, then a few more when his parents had been discovered alive. It was crazy seeing his navi with his altered stature and voice inflection, and more importantly, his correlating status.
He fingered the familiar green PET in his right pocket, useless now for his former navi unless he let him use it for general tasks. The same applied to himself, as he had profusely refused another navi, which had of course cost him his military net career.
Then again, Searchman could not be a part of that path either (the mere suggestion had been instantly denied by even his chief uncle's superiors).
Even if the latter was possible, though, Searchman had also blatantly refused to own a net navi. Like Raika, he now had a PET, only used for emails and other menial responsibilities.
Searchman's PET was the same shade of green of his own. He supposed that his uncle had attempted to appease his nephew a bit by having the two devices be the same hue. Each time he looked at the new one, though, he saw the same green color of a past he no longer belonged to, the same as his own. He saw the empty concave spot where there was no navi symbol, similar to his PET where the emblem had been removed by orders of the military.
There no navi in either PET screen, and never would be. The only "navi" was in the same room with him, and had had months to attempt to adjust to his new forced life as a lifeform he had first learned about by downloaded orders. Searchman had been made to observe, protect, and fulfill obligations from the higher status beings he was to follow, and most importantly, the young net saver he was to be given to.
He was only created to be net navi, much more replaceable that the actual humans in the world separate from his mere cyber surroundings. His navi was to always be a lower status than himself, as the cyber companion to the human net op, even if Searchman's cooperation was essential in their success as a net saver pair. They had been the best in all of Sharo in their area, even.
His navi was certainly not supposed to gain a higher position (or so said the long-laid out military rules).
Certainly, he was not supposed to become a human.
Raika had failed his navi; Searchman had failed his net op; and now they were both stuck with a new human that could not be returned to his former cyber state.
No wonder they had been both basically thrown out of the military.
Raika sighed some, attempting to by habit to hide the most of his sheer frustration. "I just wish that I had done something to avoid being captured." It had been that fateful abduction that had led to Searchman's new status, after all.
"And I wish that I had warned you in time," Searchman responded sadly.
After just a few more minutes, two new wails slashed into the relative peace. Not surprisingly, the door opened soon afterward, revealing the frazzled stature of Dinara Malenkov.
"Raika, Peter, could you help with the younger ones, please?" she asked quickly. "Jikara can't come due to two of her children being sick, and Daniil is driving me crazy with his antics. He's already shoved Hilnya down twice, and won't stop hitting most of the others."
Raika sighed. Dinara's face was pleading, and since he was nearly done with his homework anyway, he could hardly refuse.
He looked at "Peter". His former navi nodded, and together they headed toward the shrieking horde that was their new younger siblings.
There were many security navis in the center of the room in the cyber world. Raika could see it on a small screen nearby. In the room, he saw a large pole that went up to the ceiling- he not certain of what it was, but he knew that it was important somehow.
He pulled out his PET, but Searchman was not inside. Raika frowned- his navi should be where he usually was, and he had not even jacked him into the cyber world.
He then looked at the screen on the wall again- bigger this time- and then, in a corner of the room, he saw his "navi" behind a pillar, in his human shape.
Peter was crouched there, and Raika grimaced slightly. His "brother" could not even defend himself from any sort of enemy navi, or virus, even. Of course, his reverse synchro chip would not work for this time.
The security navis then looked toward where "Peter" was hiding- or rather, "Searchman".
"Is that someone that shouldn't be here?" one of the navis asked, lifting up his arm, where a lightning encased sword appeared.
The navi next to him nodded, narrowing his eyes behind his translucent visor. "Definitely. He is a cyber intruder, and a dangerous one at that. No self-respecting civilian navi would ever go around looking like a human."
Raika winced a bit at the word "civilian", but knew that was basically what he was now- and "Peter". As for his "navi" in the cyber world, though . . .
Raika quickly put in an area steel battle chip, even though he knew that there were no exits visible in the room. There could be a hidden exit somewhere; something that his former navi could escape out of.
The security navis lunged toward Searchman. Raika saw his navi's eyes widen. He had to know as well as Raika that his mere human-like frame would always be much slower than the navi's sturdier created ones. Raika wished fervently that he had his battle chip gate with him; he distinctly recalled leaving it in his uncle's home so that Chaud could use it as his had broken a while ago.
Raika watched as the security navis (ironically enough, since they were supposed to be helping civilians) took hold of his navi. Part of him was horrified that Searchman did not struggle much as he was hauled from his hiding place. He also knew, though, that his former navi had been welled trained to follow the laws, such as they were, and generally, security navis were on that side.
He was marched forward- Searchman's face was somewhat glum, but mostly devoid of emotion, as was his habit and training as a military navi. Of course, he could not call out to Raika, even if he knew that his former net op was watching.
Raika saw that the security navis were taking Searchman toward the large pole in the center of the room. He then realized, with horrified realization, that the pole was meant for deleting navis, and surely that was the "security navis" intention for his former navi- as exactly that- essentially a traitor to his own kind . . .
He could not do a thing- of course humans could not randomly enter into the cyber world- and the door opened from the lower part of the pole, with the security navis pushing his former navi inside-
Raika woke instantly, sitting up in civilian bed. He was a bit confused until he saw the somewhat familiar surroundings of his and Searchman's small room in his parents' home in Sharo, not to mention the higher view from being on a top bunk.
He looked downward, even though he could not see though the thin mattress. Searchman was on the lower bunk, most likely asleep. The very idea was quite odd, to say the least. Even though he knew that his navi was now human (at least physically), it was still odd even after months to know and witness his former cyber partner participating very human-like activities- such as actual sleeping. Instead of being in the instant "sleep mode" in a PET, he was supposed to have trained himself to sleep as a usual human, which could certainly be more difficult, and was far longer than what was recommended for most navis.
Raika then quietly lowered himself to the floor, not bothering with the ladder on the end of the bunks. In the dimness, he could see his "navi" underneath thick covers on the lower bunk, with his red hair slightly sprawled on a pillow.
He frowned a bit. Such a position would seem very odd for his navi in his former cyber state, especially not being aware of his surroundings. Searchman was perhaps even dreaming as he had been just a few minutes before.
. . . He could even be dreaming that he was a navi again, then wake up to the severe reality that he was nothing more than a mere human. Searchman had told him about such dreams before. Raika had had some similar ones himself, unlike the one from this night. He was glad that at least the military- not to mention the Sharian government itself; a navi becoming a human was not commonplace, after all- had let Searchman live after the fateful transformation. He could still be with his faithful navi, even with all of the changes that had occurred with both of them.
Even with the craziness of reuniting with his long-lost parents and gaining six crazy younger siblings. For the latter, some were more routinely "naughtier" than others, but all of them were "crazy" in their own way, for the most part.
Even so, though, he was not quite sure he could ever adjust to what they were living now.
Eventually, Raika climbed back onto his own bed, wishing that some way, he and his navi could return to what they once were.
Somehow.
Raika entered a wind chip into a battle chip gate. For a moment, it seemed that he was merely battling with Searchman in another net battle against ill-intentioned navis. However, even though the chip he had entered was his own, not only the shape and primary function of the device that he held was quite different.
For one thing, there was a very conspicuous same-sized figure next to him, busy in the same battle with his own portable device and set of chips. For another, he was, in a way, on the wrong side of the dimensional area that had suddenly appeared near his school- outside of it.
Raika scowled briefly, then berated himself. He should be focusing on the battle itself, not the fact that his and Searchman's current status and positioning were changed.
The translucent field was not that difficult to see through, especially as it was during the day. The enemy navi's bright orange armor was very conspicuous as he was currently yowling in fury as the heavy wind from Raika's chip brought fragments from the building he had just destroyed barreling into his already scarred armor.
The wind rapidly faded, and Raika entered another chip into his PET- a heavy magnet-like cube. Just as he knew would happen, at the same time, another one appeared right on the opposite side. The latter mirrored the sideways movement of the first, smashing into either side of the unfortunate enemy navi.
He smiled a bit. Even though Searchman was no longer a navi and could no longer perform program advances or cross fuse as a net op and navi pair, they were both still "synchronized", in a way.
The navi then disappeared in a shower of pixels in a log out motion, but Raika knew that several military navis were already deployed in the cyber world for capture. For now, unless the navi somehow escaped back into the dimensional area, his part was already finished for the current battle.
He was a bit disappointed, when a few minutes later, the translucent area nearby them faded away as it had not been there. Raika resisted a sigh. At least he and Searchman could battle currently, even though in a less direct way.
"We were still able to help the mission be a success, Raika," Searchman's voice came from beside him.
Raika turned toward his former navi. Surprising himself, he smiled a bit again. "Yes, that's something, at least," he replied.
It was with a bit of guiltiness that he was glad that no one else nearby could have battled with chips as he and Searchman just had. They were not useless, as some might suppose if they knew of their former and current positions.
He quickly returned his battle chip gate to his school pack on his back, and took out his PET from his pocket. Attempting- and failing- to ignore the obvious missing emblem on the lower section, he quickly emailed his former superior- who was also his oldest uncle- about the victory. Of course the area net police chief would be receiving success confirmations from other sources as well, including the temporary net op leader of the navis that had captured the criminal navi, but he was thankful that his uncle had insisted that he also send one as well.
He would not be going back to base, though. There was no snowmobile nearby that he would effortlessly maneuver through the thick powder beneath them, and no waiting superior or otherwise that he would report to. He would only be walking back to where they had been heading from, which had been school this time.
Raika felt a gentle hand on his shoulder. He turned to see Searchman- still so unusually short of stature- smiling a bit.
"Let's go on home," his former navi said.
Raika nodded. "Yes, indeed," he responded.
It was a very queer destination, in a way. He had not had a home for years besides the military school that lodged many other students of a similar rank.
. . . Not to mention, his navi was quite different in his status there.
They easily walked the rest of the route back to the enlarged wooden home that was a bit away from the village proper. Raika had never really known why his parents had decided to build their house in that particular spot, but he was glad that it was a little closer to the mines that he had roamed so frequently when he was much younger than the rest of the homes in the small village.
He opened the door, glad to at least not hear any screaming from the rooms beyond. For now, either the mass of younger siblings were happily playing or had fallen asleep due to sheer tiredness after missing yet another afternoon nap.
He closed the door, only to hear the small pattering of footsteps rapidly coming closer to them. Small arms closed in around his left leg, and he looked down to see a short mass of brown hair and another small arm around Searchman's right leg.
"Rai-ah, Pay-ah!" Nellie chirped cheerfully, grinning at them both.
Her pronunciation of their names was closest to the ancient Sharian version. Like Raika, the sextuplets would learn more than one language simultaneously.
Nellie then moved to the left to hug only Searchman's legs. "Up, Pay-ah!" she insisted. Searchman obliged, sturdily holding the one-year-old with both arms.
Raika winced inwardly. For some odd reason, Nellie had seemed to have chosen Searchman as a favorite, and insisted on being near Searchman more than himself, including sneaking onto his bed at night (even though he knew that getting onto a top bunk would be more difficult for a one-year-old). None of the other siblings had "claimed" him in the same way.
He had thought before, though, as he watched Nellie engulf Searchman in another gleeful hug, that perhaps Nellie somehow sensed Searchman's anxiety of being a sort of outsider to the family, and was attempting to make up for it with affection.
A while later, he and Searchman were once again finished with their homework, with Nellie happily playing with a ring of plastic circles on Searchman's lap. The noise had thankfully not been too loud, and he could concentrate on his own school work just fine.
The doorbell then rang, the chimes soon ending. Raika winced as he put away his history binder back into his school bag.
"I would hope that it is not who it was the day before," he muttered in ancient Sharian.
He looked over to his left to see Searchman nod before setting Nellie down onto the floor beside him so that he could put his own school items away.
"That would be profitable," his former navi responded in the same language.
Despite the small tension that he felt, he nearly smiled. A few peers and even teachers at his new school had commented on Searchman's unusual speech patterns, as well as some for himself. It really did not matter too much, though, as long as both of them did well academically.
Just as he zipped up his school bag, though, he heard his father speak from the front room. "This is absolutely ridiculous! If those reporters come one more day, I really should talk to the police about a more permanent solution, and not just shooing them away again!"
Raika winced. "I wish that the media would just accept that our" –he winced a bit at the word, but knew that it was currently accurate- "parents will never accept any sort of interview or anything similar," he stated.
He saw Nellie climb back onto Searchman's lap again by herself, the toy included. "Unfortunately, many in their trade are not accustomed to giving up easily," Searchman suggested. "They would not stay long in their occupation otherwise."
Raika nodded wearily. Unfortunately- and many civilians seemed to agree, from what he had heard his family state- the reporters and even television show opportunists seemed to think that sextuplets in a family deemed them for sudden fame. They had been offered not only interviews, but also commercials for various items, and even a reality television show that included the whole family. Fortunately, his parents seemed to agree with the need of privacy. They, as well, as Raika were not sure how the media had gotten a hold of a family picture that had included the parents, the sextuplets, and even Raika and Searchman, though. Hopefully no other random family pictures or otherwise would be used.
There was sudden knock at his window. Raika grimaced, knowing that it was one of the reporters attempting to talk to one of the members of the family of the Malenkov sextuplets. Somehow- perhaps even with perceptive navis or tracking devices- had discovered that the at least one member of the family resided in his room.
His bedroom door then suddenly opened to reveal Daniil, one of the more mischievous sextuplets. Footsteps hurrying away from the door made Raika sure that his mother had let the young boy in again. Perhaps she was just pleased that there were two other "watchers" in the home, and responsible ones, at that.
Raika was glad to see that Daniil was very much free of the tomato sauce that covered his shirt just that morning when he and two of his siblings had somehow gotten into an open can from the fridge that perhaps had been accidentally left out. It would not have been him or Searchman, of course, but sometimes his mother, with her attention so often tuned towards her youngest children, occasionally did a few absentminded things.
The knock came again, a hard rap that would be quite hard to miss. Raika frowned, knowing that the reporter would be hoping that one of the two thirteen-year-old children, or even better, someone much younger, would curiously peer behind the heavy curtain.
Raika resisted rolling his eyes, turning away from the sound. The reporter did not know that he was dealing with two former net savers that certainly would not fall for such an obvious trap.
Unfortunately, Daniil did not know of the potential media statement that would follow any investigation of the noise. He happily ran towards the window, and gripped the bottom of the dark blue curtain and shook it. Raika knew that the blinds behind them would still keep the room from view, but he did not want his younger brother to mess with the "toy" to get to the noise, either.
He quietly walked toward his brother and hefted him away from the window, first yanking the small fist's worth of material out of his hand. Predictably, Daniil puckered up his mouth to let out a loud protesting yell, but Raika was quick to smother any possible sound.
Raika then did not expect Daniil to attempt to dive headfirst heartily toward the wooden flooring. With a quick grab, he managed upright his brother. Unfortunately, with his hands busy, Daniil let out a loud wail.
"No, no, Rai-ah," he then said loudly as Raika hefted him upright, in a somewhat similar fashion that his mother spoke to younger ones. "No up."
Raika nodded fiercely at the then small grinning face. Daniil shook his head just as fiercely, then laughed as the tapping began again in earnest.
"Circus!" Daniil chirped. "Lotsa horsies!"
Raika was rather confused as the knocking sounded nothing close to the distinct timbre of clopping hooves. Perhaps his younger siblings had even recently watched a television show or motion video with a similar sound and corresponding picture with horses of some sort.
Gripping Daniil firmly with one arm, he covered his sibling's mouth and headed toward the bedroom door. Unfortunately, two feet away, it opened with a small thud of two persistent hands to reveal Henry. Of course, his mother perhaps had not closed the door all the way, and it had opened up to the pressure of the one-year-old behind it.
Unlike Daniil, Henry was covered in some other sort of sauce, and something blue and translucent- the glue that he had seen his father used the day before?- and wandered happily toward his sibling held in in the air.
With Raika temporarily attempting to avoid the sticky mess on Henry's hands, Daniil dove downward again, this time succeeding in falling to the floor. He let out a wail, but was quickly silenced when he heard the tapping again. Before Raika and Searchman stopped them, the two young brothers rushed toward the curtains and tugged hard to get closer to the noise.
He definitely was not expecting both the curtain and the blinds to tumble onto the ground, covering the curious siblings and revealing a large camera held by a suddenly grinning man.
"Get that into the report," the man stated so loudly that Raika could hear him from even through the thick panes.
Clearly the man was either talking to a navi or an automated program of some sort. Raika berated himself for not noticing any weak spots in the blinds or the rod that held the curtains. All he could do currently, though, was free his now howling siblings from their material cage. Searchman rushed to help him, with Nellie watching a few feet away.
He then heard the bedroom door then opened further. "Raika, what just happened here?" he heard his father ask.
Raika looked up just after he and Searchman lifted both the mess of blinds and curtains from on top of the two siblings. His father sighed.
"I knew that I should have fixed that yester-"
He stopped as a very audible click sounded. Raika resisted swerving toward the window, hearing another click of the large camera.
"Of all crazy things," his father muttered, obviously seeing the reporter outside. "Come on. Out of the room, all of you."
Raika happily obeyed carrying the both of his wayward siblings from the sound of the reporter chuckling happily outside his window. He could not hope that the occurrence would not appear in at least some sort of article and most likely even a video the next day.