Chapter 19: Homonyms, Gadflies, & Alter Egos

. After getting out of her shower, Genocider Syo was having just the grandest time. She was finally able to call her own shots and not smell like blood all the damn time. (Mrs. Morose hating showering because how much blood she smelled like was her personal way of figuring out how active Genocider had been.) She figured that had been the reason why Mrs. Morose had been so anti-social. Everybody wanted to stay away from her because she smelled bad.
. "Well, I don't smell bad any more. So Byakuya will now surely adore me! A-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha!"
. Laughing manically without an audience was a lot more underwhelming than she figured.
. As she got dressed again in the bathroom, she reassessed her situation. She hadn't been active in quite a while. But she was up to speed on a few things, number one they were trapped in here. That didn't bother her. Number two: Byakuya was trapped in here.
. She remembered the time Mrs. Morose had been doing research on Byakuya when Genocider had activated. She read all the info that had been complied by her other self. The Togami conglomorate head either remained unmarried, or practiced polygomy, or remarried a hella lot of times, as evidenced by all the half-siblings fighting each other for the right to be named heir.
. She also remembered the first time she had seen a picture of Byakuya. Unlike her previous victims, his eyes were different. Win him over, and he would forever remain hers. His eyes gleamed with a thrist for intellectual stimulation. For him, the money was a means to the end for mental exercise. Perhaps that was why he had been chosen as heir.
. Genocider knew she had three floors to explore. Number three: She had to read Mrs. Morose's notes on the previous few days. Surely there were some information on her classmates that she could gleam, but she would have had to leave them in a place where there was no surviellance, as to where, she had no idea, that would be her own personal quest.
. With her tongue, she shot a glance at the security camera.
. "Okay. So that gets rid of Togami's theory that Genocider Syo and the mastermind are one and the same."
. She was not the mastermind. This wasn't her style. And even so, why would she have put Togami in here?
. She clutched her Geno-scissors. "These babies are probably my greatest asset."
. She grabbed her room key with 'Fukawa' scribbled on it. She'd have to get a pen and scribble Genocider on it.
. Directly across from her room was Junko Enoshima's room. On her right was Cherry's room. On her left, Maizono's.
. Upon exploring the dorm area, she ran into Monokuma.
. "Hey there, Genocider, how are you holding up?"
. "Not bad. Not bad. I must say, this area is somewhat nice."
. "So are you going slice someone up?"
. "No."
. "Going murder Naegi for calling you a threat?"
. "No. I only murder men I find attractive."
. "So why aren't you murdering Togami? You find him attractive."
. "Because... I have my reasons."
. "You've murdered, who knows how many people. Why stop now?"
. "You say that like I should continue."
. "You know, if you murder someone and get away with it, you can leave."
. "And then what?"
. "I'm sorry?"
. "I'm a proven homicidal maniac, even if I get outside. What happens to me? Nothing pleasant, that's for sure.
. "You sure are different from the other students."
. "Of course. Ordinarily, people are born, people live, people die."
. "And you?"
. "I was never born."
. "Then according to your own logic, how can you live? You're a homicidal maniac, killing is all you do. Ending other people's lives so you can continue your own."
. "Is that so?"
. "Yes."
. Genocider's eyes narrowed.
. "Hey, listen, I don't think you get it."
. "Do I ? Of course, I get it. That's all there is to you. What more can there be?"
. You know, back before Mrs. Morose went brain-dead, we fought each other for control all the time. It was stressful in of itself. We were two halves. But now, there is only me.
. "What is it, Genocider?"
. "None of your business."
. "Of course it is, I'm the headmaster. I have to know the business of all of my students."
. "I wonder how long you'll last."
. "I'm sorry?"
. "They're gunning for you. You know that?"
. "You think I don't know that. Say Genocider, how would like to be my spy?"
. Meanwhile, in the bathhouse,
. "The hell, Fujisaki." Leon said. "I'd say this stretches the limits of plausibility. You built an artificial intelligence."
. "Fujisaki, she's beautiful." Yamada said. "Her face, her keyboard, her everything."
. "Oh, see now you've done it." Asahina sighed.
. "Might I ask how you did it?" Naegi said.
. "Well, the first thing was getting the information storage set up. Then making sure Alter Ego could bring together the correct information per context."
. "Yes, Master. Yes, Master." Alter Ego said.
. "I-uh-I-uh was inspired by the Doctor's K-9." Fujisaki sheepishly admitted.
. "Well, Fujisaki this is quite the accomplishment." Hagakure said. "I may not be tech-savvy, but I know this is something special."
. "Thank you."
. "So what does it know?" Naegi asked.
. "It's still just learning." Fujisaki said. "Obviously, it knows all about computer programming."
. "So can we add to it?" Asahina asked.
. "Of course. But not all at once. Monokuma would get suspicious."
. "I see." Kirigiri replied. "Perhaps, the first data you should enter Fujisaki is everything we know about Hope's Peak. Perhaps Alter Ego can see something we can't."
. "Forgive me, but I don't follow." Asahina said.
. "In every branch of logic, you have what are called axioms. These are fundamental truths that can not be altered if the logic is to work." Togami said. "I think it's safe to say that Monokuma has made us each have our own set of axioms without realizing it."
. "You mean like assumptions?" Celeste asked.
. "Of course."
. "I need to tell it all about my anime and manga. It is vital to the world over that Alter Ego knows about it." Yamada said.
. "Your anime and manga are extra. They're useful for providing great lines. But in terms of practicality, there's not much." Naegi said.
. "Reminds me what John Lennon was once told by his aunt. 'The guitar's all very well as a hobby, John, but you'll never make a living out of it." Leon said.
. "Lennon?" Togami asked. "Wait, any relation to the guy that preceded Stalin?"
. "I don't know what 'Lennon' you're talking about, but John Lennon of the Beatles? Perhaps the greatest rock band of all time." Leon said.
. "Oh, I was thinking of Vladmir Lenin, the first man to lead the communist Soviet Union."
. "Yeah, we're most definitely not talking about the same dude."
. Fujisaki chuckled.
. "What is it?" Naegi asked.
. "You may not realize it, but Alter Ego is learning right now." Fujisaki smiled.
. "Vladmir Lenin, first leader of the nation known as the Soviet Union. Which had a political ideology of communism. John Lennon, member of the Beatles, a rock band. His aunt once told him that the guitar was only a hobby, but he went and made a living out of it."
. "Oh, that is so cool. It even has voice recognition." Asahina said.
. "Yeah, I was able to compile that program just last evening." Fujisaki grinned.
. "I think another question is: how did you get the laptop working?" Kirigiri asked. "When it was first seen on the second floor, it wasn't turning on. I know, I tried it myself, even plugging it in to the charger."
. "Well, the problem was, a lot of dust clogged up the system, especially in the cooling vent. It wasn't turning on because it would have overheated and exploded if it had. I took it apart, cleaning it up, and put it back together."
. "Ah, that makes sense."
. "Even so, despite this program's capabilities, it's not a true artificial intelligence." Celeste said.
. "What do you mean by that? Of course it is." Naegi said.
. "No, I mean it's still limited only by how much knowledge it has. A key part of intelligence is reasoning. Tell me, Fujisaki, have you programmed anything comparable to inductive reasoning?"
. "See, that part was tripping me up. I only had so much resources available. The computer isn't exactly the latest brand."
. "I think the next question is this." Togami said. "Where did you get the source code for that program? I can't imagine they came installed as default programs on the laptop."
. "Well, they sorta were. I mean the individual programs were. I had to compile them together. Including the voice recognition software. And there was something weird..."
. "What was weird, Fujisaki?"Maizono asked.
. "Well, in order to enable a decent voice recognition ability right now, you need a loud sample of sounds, preferably of common words, and preferably of those who often speak to it."
. "And..."
, "The computer already held audio recordings of all of us. I couldn't crack the files but I could program Alter Ego to go to them."
. "All fifteen of us?" Togami asked.
. "Yeah, I think so. The files were all listed according to name. Except there weren't fifteen voice files. There were sixteen."
. As Genocider explored the first floor, Monokuma's offer nagged at her. The steel-iron barred door at the front of the school was nothing new. But she spotted a box.
. 'Dead Students' ID."
. In it were the ID-s of the following students: Sakura Oogami, Junko Enoshima, Kiyotaka Ishimaru, and Mondo Oowada. If it hadn't been for Genocider needing hers, Mrs. Morose's would have joined theirs. Now she knew how many students were participating, fifteen. She wondered who killed who.
. The classrooms were boring for the most part. She found the school store and its retro gaming completely and totally uninteresting. The atrium to the gymnasium with its awards was slightly more interesting, such as a glided golden sword awarded for an accomplishment of a Peko Pekoyama for example.
. Genocider felt the sudden urge to touch it. The golden leaf covering stained her finger.
. "Interesting. Clearly a display item and not for practical use. But considering, everybody here (except myself) has a title of SDHSL -, maybe this Peko Pekoyama would have gotten in as SDHSL swordswoman. Either way, nice alliteration of the name. Easy to remember." Genocider thought approvingly.
. The gymnasium was littered with basketballs.
. She thought back to Mrs. Morose's research. One of the girls, Aoi Asahina was almost as big of a basketball nut as she was for swimming. She recalled Mrs. Morose's written research on that girl as well.
. "Likely to be cheerful as hell. Mentioned her favorite food as doughnuts. Without her insane energy and competitiveness, she likely would only get as far as her pretty face would take her."
. Oh the research, Mrs. Morose put into learning about her classmates before meeting of them. Perhaps that was meant to help with her old self's naturally high anxiety.
. "Naturally high anxiety? I wonder what would happen if I took Prozac?" Something to try if she ever got out of here she supposed.
. Genocider sat down on the bleachers, and closed her eyes. As much as she hated to admit it, she actually missed Mrs. Morose. Sure she was a bit on the paranoid and high anxiety side, but they had still been together for years.
. The serial killer distracted herself by thinking of Mrs. Morose's other notes, the ones she had read so many times they had been burned into her brain.
. "Sayaka Maizono: the Idol Singer. Capable of withstanding the enormous pressure of the lifestyle. Notable for her sheer force of personality, and the fact that she never abandoned the other members of her idol group even though she could have gone solo at any time. When asked why, she replied. "Because I don't turn my back on my friends."
. "Leon Kuwata: at 5'9, the sheer talent of this rising baseball star makes him an attractive prospect as a pitcher. He's billed as good enough to potentially create an argument over the necessity of the Designated Hitter position."
. "What the hell is a 'Designated Hitter' anyway?"
. "Celeste Ludenberg: The Queen of Liars. This girl could take on anyone and anything at any gambling game. With her dark fashion sense and wicked dark sense of humor, she inspires loyalty among her 'servants'."
. "Mondo Oowada: The Biker. Manages the largest bike gang in the country. Keeps them in check with a surprising amount of reason despite being a ball of rage. Has a need for speed. Also, knows a surprisingly large amount about lawn care."
. "Lawn Care? Like we're going to be mowing in here." Genocider thought.
. "Kiyotaka Ishimaru: The Hall Monitor. The grandson of a former Prime Minister, this hard worker is out prove with a vengeance that satisfaction comes from hard work."
. "Sakura Oogami: The Fighter. She's as strong as her male counterparts. Heir to a dojo that's been around for three centuries. Stay out of her way.
. "Junko Enoshima: The Model. Perhaps the most charming teenager ever known. With a killer smile, she sets high standards for everyone around her.
. "Yaushiro Hagakure: the Shaman. Supposedly can predict future, but his greatest skill is reading other people. This laid back dude never lets anything faze him. Or so he claims."
. "Hifumi Yamada: The Otaku. With a passion for the industry, his works are entirely hit-or-miss. This Otaku breathes the lifestyle.
. "Chiriro Fujisaki: Cute as a button, this shy programmer is a self-proclaimed xkcd fan and rumored as being able to be good enough to threaten the Turing Test.
. "That still left a couple of unknowns for Mrs. Morose." Genocider muttered to herself. "Kyoko Kirigiri and Makoto Naegi."
. Genocider got up, and moved onto the second floor. There was a library, and more classrooms, and changing rooms and a pool. She went over to the pool. On the far side was a locker away from most of the cameras.
. "Perhaps this is where she kept the notes."
. Genocider opened the locker. It was empty.
. "Well, that was underwhelming. Say why is no one ever 'whelmed'? It's always overwhelming or underwhelming?. Huh. I guess it's just Mrs. Morose's wordsmithing coming to me. A-Ha-Ha-Ha-ha-ha-h-... Nope, still not doing anything for me."
. Genocider left the pool and moved onto the third floor. It was just as uninteresting the other two. After she finishing exploring it, she went back down to the first floor and in the cafeteria where almost everyone was sitting.
. "A-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA!"
. "Enjoying yourself there, Genocider?" Celeste asked.
. "I was right. It IS more fun laughing manically with an audience."
. "Of course it is." Leon said. "It's like going mad with power. You ever try going mad without power? It's boring."
. "How do you know that?" Naegi asked.
. "Let's just say I've dated more than my fair share of crazy." Leon admitted.
. "That just raises another question. Why? Why would you date crazy?"
. "I-I-I don't know."
. "Of course, you don't."
. "So what were they? Yandere? Tsundere? Dandere?" Yamada asked.
. "Bro. I got no idea what those terms mean."
. "Well, you see a yandere is what happens when a girl is willing doing anything to maintain romantic possession of her love interest. A Tsundere is where a girl switches between being very ice-cold and very nice and warm for one person. A dandere is -"
. "Yamada, I don't care."
. "Well, in any case, Genocider is Byakuya Togami's yandere."
. "Wait, those are all girls." Maizono said. "What about the guys? What's the terms for them?"
. "Mostly 'stalkers' and 'assholes.'" Naegi said.
. "Well, that's a bit of double standard."
. "You don't say?"
. "Hey dumbasses." Genocider Syo said. "What now?"
. "What now?" Celeste replied. "We wait for Monokuma's next move."
. "Move? Like how so?"
. "Before the first trial, Monokuma incited Sakura Oogami to murder someone for the sake of her dojo. Before the second trial,Monokuma offered a large sum of money to induce murder."
. "And you're waiting for a third motive to go for themes."
. "You could say that."
. "I rather there not be a third motive at all." Leon said.
. "Yes, well, I believe there will be."
. "So are we speculating or not?" Naegi asked.
. "It's acutally safer not to. At least not out loud. Don't want to give Monokuma ideas."
. "Ah, no fun." Monokuma popped up.
. "ACK."
. "You're taking all the fun about this. I was originally planning to present straight motives which would lead to murder."
. "But it's been all twisted around. Because of the double-KO, a death from natural causes, and a culprit still walking because of an alternate personality and whom murdered for a different reason than your motive." Naegi said.
. "Yeah. Well, at least it's more entertaining this way."
. "You're just saying that because we've been smarter than you expected." Celeste said.
. "Maybe so."
. "No, it's true." Naegi said. "You were expecting us to get completely played by you."
. "Ow- that hurts. Well, I'm off, and you should know I've already got a third motive in the pipeline."
. "That doesn't sound good." Hagakure said.
. "Hey, wait, where's my White Knight?" Genocider suddenly realized.
. "He's in the changing room with a bunch of books." Fujisaki said.
. "Seriously?" Kirigiri said.
. "Ah, well, I'm off." Genocider ran off.
. "She seems pleasant. " Naegi deadpanned.
. "She's a serial killer." Maizono said.
. "I'm a sarcasm-er."
. "That's not even a word."
. "You know what we need?" Fujisaki suddenly chimed in.
. "What?" Yamada asked.
. "A gadfly."
. "What's a gadfly?"
. "A person says stuff just to get a reaction with the intent of entertainment."
. "So how's that different from a troll?" Naegi asked.
. " A gadfly is doing it without malice."
. "Ah. So you're saying we need someone who says random stuff to Monokuma?"
. "Yes." And as Fujisaki's eyes went to Kirigiri, so did everyone else.
. "What?"

AUTHOR'S NOTE: I originally wrote the beginning and then I realized I had written an excellent cliffhanger. So I went back to the middle and expanded it (for those curious, I first expanded between the K-9 and the 'true artificial intelligence' lines). This chapter provided me a way to expand on Alter Ego's origins a bit, something that isn't really done in canon due to the timing of his introduction.

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