I finally finished Mamoru's assignment! I rose five more levels while training all day in the VR center. I havn't been able to explore the mines though, something bad happened and I've been at the hospital, I'll tell you what happened...
First off, I met a new friend at the VR center. Her name is Marle, she's a RAcaseal with a cute pink body. She's one of the older models so you can still tell that she's a machine, but it's so cute though. She doesn't like the newer, more human looking models. "Why would I want that? Why would I want to hide my heritage?" she says.
Anyway, after we introduced ourselves, she chose the settings for our VR training. The environment she chose was very pretty, it looked like an ancient temple, and from the windows you could see the ocean stretch out forever. "I love this place, it helps me to think, but watch out for the enemies though, if they catch you sight seeing they'll take advantage" she warned.
The VR environment was really interesting. In it I saw a mixture of creatures from my previous visits to Ragol, from both the forest and the underground caves. I guess with the VR environment they can recreate these creatures in the same environment, where as in the real world they could not survive in one another's.
Marle is a very skilled warrior. She was taking long range shots with a rifle, which allowed me to get in close to strike with my sabre. Team work makes a big difference in these situations, that's something that Mamoru hasn't shown me yet. I guess that's because he's such a higher level than me and I wouldn't get any experience.
We were doing just great until we reached one of the larger halls. The room quickly filled with man enemies, from Rappies to cave Lilies to a few strange new beasts, Dimenians.
"Be careful Shinobu, they're laying it on us now!"
"I will! ...Nyah!"
We fought and fought, but the enemies just kept piling in from the outside rooms. This is where the trouble started. We were able to exterminate the lilies and rappies with no problem. However the Dimenians took several hits to kill and gave chase after the initial strike. Eventually I got cornered by about 4 of them. I had to quickly defend each strike and stab at them only when an opening arose, I was stuck and separated from Marle.
Meanwhile, Marle was having problems of her own. A hildebear, a hulking bipedal creature covered with fur, had leaped across the barrier from another room, probably catching a whiff of our scent. I could see Marle firing shots, but they just werent enough to slow down the Hildebear and soon it had her cornered.
I was down to one last Dimenian, they were tough and I was about to be knocked out. I saw what was going on with the Hildebear so I just couldn't fool around with this enemy any longer. Quickly I lunged forward with a straight-lined stab and pierced the mid section of of the Dimenian. I don't know how angry or scared I was, but somehow I was able to drive the Dimenian to the floor and pierce the stone wall with my DB's Saber. Now he was pinned to the wall with my Saber, I could finally get to Marle!
"Shinobu!" she called out to me. I hurried as fast as I could but the Hildebear had already grabbed her with it's large hand. I froze with fear as it lifted her into the air. It's hand was absolutely enormous, covering almost all of her body.
"Let her GO!"
The beast turned it's head towards me and it's nostrils flared. I'm a newman, so I suppose I have a more tasty smell than an android. He was tired of playing with Marle now and decided it was time to finish her off. I screamed, I was so scared, and I had lost my weapon, how stupid of me. The Hildebear swung it's long arm outward, holding Marle out by her ankles. Her body smashed against one of the tall stone columns, shattering at the mid section.
"MARLE!"
Her upper body landed a distance from the Hildebear but her legs fell close. The room was showered by the glistening pink fragments of her shattered frame. The beast was cruel, and couldn't be reasoned with, clearly I was next. It made its way over to me quickly and was ready to rare back it's arm to smash. I had no weapon, what could I do?
"Mamoru...I'm sorry...I wasn't any better than this..."
I closed my eyes, waiting for the final blow, but instead I heard the swing of a saber and the toppling rumble of the Hildebear's mass.
"This session is over! Clearly you girls have the difficulty level set too high" a new hunter said. His name was Landel, one of the VR instructors. I guess they were monitoring the situation and sent him in to save us.
He started lecturing me, but I really wasn't paying attention. I bursted into tears and ran as fast as I could to where Marle landed.
"Marle!" I didn't know what else to say, I just wrapped my arms around her frame and pulled her close. Tears streamed down her cheeks, the same color and the same hurt that was in mine. I didn't know that androids could cry.
"It...it hurts..." she panted.
I really don't remember much else after that. I just felt so emotional. I picked her up myself and ran as fast as I could back through the ruins and to the transporter. Landel was behind us, but really it seemed as though he didn't care much. I don't care if Marle is an android, her tears are real and her pain is real, therefore, she is real.
The nurses were much nicer than the VR people and knew just what to do with Marle. They told me to come back in six hours or so and they would have everything patched up. I didn't go home though, I waited in the waiting room the whole time. A few people told me to go home, that "she's just an android" but I wouldn't listen. She's not just an android, she's my friend.
Eventually they said they would have to let her recover over night, but I was able to see her in her room during visiting hours before they closed them.
"Hey...I'm really glad you're okay...I was worried."
"It's okay...it still hurts quite a bit, but I'll be fine with some rest. They told me that you waited in the lobby for me this whole time...thank you. I've never known anyone to care so much."
"I couldn't just go home after that, you're my friend and I care about you."
I could feel that we were both getting emotional again, I don't know why, I love to have a good cry though.
"A lot of people still lack respect for androids, they think we're just machines. The government has even acknowledged that we are real people, but some people still hold their beliefs from before the android cleansings."
"Android cleansings?"
"I guess they don't really talk about it anymore at school...since there are so many android students. The instructors are sensitive about it, because they were the ones who defended the androids the most when the people attacked."
I was getting confused, or maybe just really curious.
"Ask your instructor about it sometime, he'll explain."
"All right girls, visiting hours are up!" the nurse called in to us.
We exchanged guild cards and phone numbers and all before I had to leave. But Landel met me at the door before I was able to leave the hospital. "I'm going to report todays events to both of your instructors. I'll give them every detail so they can advise you on how to avoid the situation next time. I would punish you if you were my student, but I'll leave that option to them."
I'm not really worried about it. If Mamoru feels that a punishment is in order, then I'll gladly take it. I have that much respect for my instructor because he knows what's right. Well I guess I should go ahead and end this entry diary, it's almost time for class.
I hope I see Marle in the lobby again soon, I love making new friends!
Bai bai Shinobu