I just published a chapter, but I still feel bad about forgetting this for so long, so I immediately started working on the next. This story tends to have small 1k word chapters because I am lazy, so I might be able to get two out in one night. I really need to work on some sort of a schedule.
I do not own Vocaloid.
Cramone's POV
No response.
I got no response from her. That means that the information he gave me is most likely correct.
I feel numb. But also, what did I expect? To them, I have been dead for years. They moved on. I always had a small hope I would return, but I eventually came to terms with being stuck here doing my own thing. I was content.
Rin ruined that. She brought the little hope back to life. Back to the forefront of my conscience. But I shouldn't be mad at her. I know that. Frustrated, yes. But not mad, she didn't do anything wrong.
Doesn't stop the hollow feeling.
Maybe if I still went back everything would work out?
No. No, that won't work. Miku would be put in a tough spot if she has any feeling for me left. This Leon guy would probably resent me. The others would also have some reservations as I am sure they have all moved on as well.
Me coming back would just throw a wrench into the Vocaloid machine, and probably hurt more than one person.
Staying here and not letting them know I am alive is the best option, I know that.
Doesn't stop my tears. I can't even tell what emotion they are from. Is it sadness? Desperation? Frustration? I don't know. I need to get out of here. I am suffocating in my room waiting for a response that will probably not come.
I hope Marissa isn't out in the living room.
She isn't. The room is empty. Kinda like me.
Stop being depressed. I need to go on a walk.
After getting dressed I exit my house into the cold night. Wait, when did it get so late? I must've lost track of time at some point. Oh well.
I look around the street. Houses on both sides of the street have dark windows. It seems that the world is asleep around me. A perfect time to walk and sort myself out. Taking a deep breath, I start walking with no real destination in mind.
Houses pass by as I slowly move down the street. Following the streets, I eventually arrive at a small park. There is a small jungle gym in the middle with a swing set next to it. Seeing it vacant of any life, I head over.
The swing's chains creak as I sit down. The night ambience is the only thing I hear at the moment. It's relaxing. Closing my eyes, I just absorb the world around me and recede into my thoughts.
She really moved on. Maybe this is the time for me to do so as well. There are girls here that can rival Mikus beauty. Most of them are not my type however. Thinking on that thought, what is my type?
The only response I can come up with is Miku, so I am pretty much screwed.
The creak of the other swing snaps me out of my thoughts and gets an immediate reaction from me.
Jumping up and doing a subtle sensory check, just in case. It is more habit than anything.
However this time something was picked up.
The thing on the swing next to where I just was is not human. But getting a closer look, isn't a virus either.
Two long pigtails are the first thing I see. The general proportions are the same as I remember. The skintone is as pale as I remember. The playful look in her eyes is almost the same as I remember.
This thing is almost an exact replica of Miku. However, there are a couple differences. Her hair is pitch black, so black it almost blends in with the darkness of the night. And the faint glow of a nearby street light reveals wide crimson eyes staring at me playfully.
Nevertheless, I can't stop picturing this girl as Miku. And it is causing me to hesitate.
A giggle reaches my ears. The girl grins and stares directly into my eyes. "You are rather hard to find you know? You are Cramone, are you not?"
Well, that settles it. Not Miku. That is all I need to steel my nerves and get into a loose combat stance. "Depends on who you are. Why are you looking for Cramone?"
She giggles once more, "Wow, quite the defensive one you are. I am not here to fight, you can relax." Her voice almost comes off as a purr.
She says I can relax, but I feel on edge about this girl. "Who are you?"
"My my," another giggle, " you can't recognize me? I am your lover you know. This kind of hurts."
"You are not Miku."
"Yes I am. Not the one you remember. But Miku nonetheless. My name is Miku Zatsune. Pleasure to meet the one who the original loves."
That catches me off guard. Original? What does she mean? The confusion must be clear on my face, as she chooses this time to continue.
"I am sure you have seen the additions to your family, have you not? I am sure I sent someone to catch you up to speed a little while back." She must mean the guy who snuck on me in school and told me about Leon. "I see you know who I am talking about. Good, that means you are caught up. Well, those additional Vocaloids didn't pop out of thin air. They were created. The scientists that created them, and are working with the Vocaloids, have another side to them. One that is less appealing. We are a result of that side."
I don't yet see where she is going with this. Though, knowing that the scientists are not as honorable as I assumed they were shall take some looking into. I decide to wait patiently for her to continue.
After giving me a few seconds to digest the information, she continues, "They decided to experiment on the viruses. Something that the other scientists didn't do. They created a special Vocaloid. Her name is SeeU. She is different. She isn't promoted as a Guardian like you and Miku, but she is. But she doesn't protect. She hunts and captures. I am sure the other Vocaloids don't even know about her strength. She goes out, captures viruses, then brings them to the lab. This body that you see here. This was once a virus. It was injected with DNA retrieved from Miku without her knowledge, and I am the result. I have faint memories, but not much. It is how I know who you are, despite your lack of vocalizer."
She paused again. There is a lot for me to mull over here. Virus experiments? Injecting with vocaloid DNA? I am not going to lie, I didn't even know we had DNA that could be used like that. However, i have something to ask now. "You seem pretty vocaloid-esque to me. Why aren't you with them?"
For the first time since I have been looking at her, the playfulness disappears. In its place is anger. An intense rage that puts me on guard. "I was one of the first V-Types created. That is what they call us by the way, a V-Type Virus. Our creation is what led the scientists to be able to create more vocaloids. They needed to understand how they worked. They needed to see inside the body and mind. They needed to test and reverse engineer them, but that could only be done by experiments Horrible experiments. Terrible things were done to us. And when they succeeded, they weren't done. They then created SeeU so that they can further satiate their desire. She was the first of the new generation to be created. Now they create Vocaloids for work, and experiment on V-Types for fun. I want to put a stop to that, and I believe you can help me."
So that is what she wants. "Why do you want my help?" A simple question, but one that must be asked.
She smiles at me. Honestly, despite the differences, she is close enough to being my Miku that it makes my heart flutter. "I do believe I told him to tell you that you were the key. Did he not explain? I will have to talk with him later. You, cramone, are in the same boat as us. You are a V-Type, but you became one in a very different way. You corrupted yourself. You willingly became part virus to survive. You are still you, you still have your mind. If you can make the other Vocaloids change as well, we will all be equal standing. They can become stronger, and we will have a right to not be experimented on any longer. I do not desire violence, I want to settle things peacefully. My people do not want to live in fear of being captured and tortured again. It is not a healthy way to live."
"Your people?"
Another giggle, she seems to have gotten over her previous mood. "Yes, my people. I led many V-Types to escape the lab. With us, we took many of their samples taken from the Vocaloids to save other mindless viruses the way we were saved, only they will not be tortured after being turned. And we are not the only group. There are faction, Cramone. You and the other Vocaloids might not know this, but there are big things happening in the shadows. V-Types are not the only classification of virus. The viruses you dealt with as a vocaloid were the weakest there is. A-Types, animals, what you rank as levels 1-10. Nothing more than mindless beasts that only desire you death, occasionally one can talk, but never expect much from one of them. V-types you know of now. H-Types are the step above the A-Types. Humanoid, they are more dangerous. They can have any amount of intelligence, like a normal person. And they can actually fight. There are some more classes, but there is one that you need to worry about above all else. The I-Type. Infection. They can forcefully corrupt another, virus or vocaloid. It makes them completely subservient. They are 100% virus, unlike us. They feel no sympathy for you and desire the death of the vocaloids. No, not death. They want a part of you that that don't have. They want to be alive in the outside world. They want to rule over all. They have built factions of their own, but it's not enough. They hunt the vocaloids because they want to assimilate their bodies so that they can survive just as well as you all can out there. They are your true enemies."
"I have been attacked by viruses in the real world. Your story has a hole."
"I didn't say that viruses couldn't. Have you ever wondered why you don't get attacked in the real world as much as you do in the digital world? Its because viruses can't keep a physical form for very long. The ones who chase you out have no intention of surviving, they have just gone into so deep a rage that they chase you out even though they will die shortly."
This… actually makes a lot of sense. I have been on my own for years, and honestly haven't been attacked that much. When I was with the rest and we were in the digital world, we would get attacked every other day. And thinking back to the virus that seperated me, why did it die like that? It didn't take much damage from us. And if I survived the fall, surely it did. If there is a time limit they have in the outside world, it explains why it died. Maybe what she is saying isn't so wrong after all.
But, she wants me to help. She wants me to go back and convince them all to change into what I have become. I only trained Rin to be like me because I didn't know how much longer she was going to be here. I couldn't do that to the rest. And I can't go back in the first place. Steeling myself, I respond. "I'm really sorry. But I can't help you. I cannot go back, not yet. There are things that I need to work out first, things they need to work out. I agree with you, if what those scientists are doing what you say they are, they need to be stopped. But as of right now, I can't do much for your cause. Maybe in the future, but until then I will be here. Have my number, and feel free to keep in touch, but I make no promises. I am sorry."
I can see she still wants to talk, but I have resolved myself. I turn around and walk away. I hear her get up from the swing, but she doesn't follow. I keep walking and eventually I arrive back home. I notice that my lights are on, and I know I turned them off when I left. Marissa is probably here now, just great. Hopefully she passed out on the couch.
Opening the door as quietly as I can, i sneak inside. There is definitely someone on the couch, but it isn't marissa.
Its Rin.