Rising Emotions Chapter 5
By Karen Hart
Things were not going well in Shion's office.
She stared at the pug-nosed little man in the chair across from her for a full minute before speaking. "Let me get this straight. You expect me to turn KOS-MOS over to the military before she's even completed?"
The man—one Eric Mathiis—scowled back at her. "You've had more than enough time to—"
"We have had not quite seven months. I hate to break it to you Mr. Mathiis, but seven months is a god damned short time to be finished building a battle android. Or did you think we got her out of a model kit and all we have to do is attach part A to piece B and maybe slap on a few decals just for kicks. Hm?" She wasn't famous for her sweet disposition and calm temperament. "Or maybe you figured not done was just about good enough. 'The chassis's finished, isn't that all we need?'"
Mathiis sputtered. "Now see here, Miss Uzuki—"
Shion glared, though somehow her expression didn't change. "That's Chief Uzuki and you will address me as such while you are in my office, in my lab."
"Chief Uzuki, then. You were informed at the start of your position as Chief Engineer that you were to be finished with your work in half a year and to turn over the results to the Federation."
"No. No I was not." She could feel her voice starting to raise just slightly. "I was told that after that time a representative would be sent to discuss the possibility of a model being designed for military use. Not to turn the project over completely."
A sour look from Mathiis. Did the man know no pleasantries? "I hate to break it to you Miss—excuse me, Chief—Uzuki, but you were misinformed. I've gone through the file detailing my excursion here and it clearly states that you are to turn over the KPX unit and its related research and findings to—"
Shion stood up then, a swift move that made Mathiis lean back in his seat. She glared at him. "You were told that because you're an idiot." Mathiis's nostrils flared in outrage at that. "You're a desk jockey, a sorry little office goblin whose sole function is to push papers. You don't know the last thing about developmental engineering, only that we play with neat computers and tinker with stuff a lot. I'm betting they sent you because you wouldn't know to do anything but irritate me until I give in. Sorry, but that's not happening. Do you know, anyone else with the least bit of sense would've walked right out that door and gone straight home when I mentioned that the results of KOS-MOS's latest reflex text weren't up to par. Do you know why? Because 'not up to par' in this case means we can't get to her shoot her targets in the simulators in time. And if we can't get a simulated version of her to work correctly, how well do you think the actual model's going to function? Also, if we were to turn her over to anybody, it would not be to you, but to the Second Division, as the findings and creations of Vector's R and D laboratories—or any other department—do not fall under the jurisdiction of the Galaxy Federation except in previously described states of emergency. This hardly qualifies."
Eric Mathiis stood, face red with angry, beady eyes as wide as they'd go. "I don't have to take this from you!" Empty threats now, was it? He was folding fast.
"Actually, you do. However, we have nothing more to discuss. Good day, Mr. Mathiis."
Somehow the man actually got the message that time. He stood up and with, yes, another scowl, quit the room. Thank god.
"So what just happened?" a voice piped up once she headed back into the lab. The owner of the voice was a young woman in her late teens, possessed of an energy that seemed to manifest itself even when she was standing still—not that she ever stood still, though. She wasn't the only one waiting for a response, either—every pair of eyes in the place was focused on her.
Shion sighed. "Oh about what you'd expect. 'Turn over KOS-MOS to us because we want her! Forget all that nonsense about having her work properly! Surely nothing bad will happen!'" She slumped down into a nearby chair. "Idiots!"
"I say we hand her over," Togashi spoke up. "Let them handle her when she goes berserk." He didn't apologize when he saw the look on Shion's face. "I mean, they know so much anyway, why not let them handle this?"
"And then what?" Allen piped up a moment later. "We've been pouring our souls into this. I don't know about you, but I've been seeing C-line protocols in my dreams lately. I'd hate to just ship her off to some Fed lab."
Togashi lifted his hands as if warding off an attack. "Hey, I was kidding, kidding. Like I'd give up on this after putting so much time and effort in. If I wanted to give up I'd just stay in bed one day." That got a short laugh from everyone present.
"Yeah, yeah," Shion waved the slight digression away. "Anyway, I'm hoping that'll be the end of it, but we'll probably hear from the Federation and the Director, but at least I probably won't have to deal with that guy again."
At that, Miyuki grinned impishly. "Bet the feeling's mutual. I'm sure he didn't appreciate being called—what was it, an 'office goblin'? That was awesome!"
"Oh please shut up, Miyuki."
