Chapter Five: Programmed (MajorKris)
"Ryoko..?"
Yuki's words became a hush whisper in the room, barley even loud enough for her to hear herself. She quickly turned her head and stared, memorized by the young, blue haired humanoid girl in front of her.
"So they decided to bring you back into existence after all. What is your purpose?" Yuki asked calmly as usual.
Ryoko just smiled, giving a small emotionless pout as she clasped her hands together.
"Still so cold Yuki! Can't you even just pretend to be happy to see me?"
"You didn't answer my question," came Yuki's statement bluntly, preparing herself incase it was a trap.
Ryoko still continued to smile, closing some of the distance between Yuki and her as she sat down in Haruhi's computer chair. "Don't be so tense Yuki, relax. The masters made it clear to me about how my earlier actions were…unprofessional. They agreed with you about deleting me from the system entirely."
Yuki still just continued to stare as she listened contently, still curious about why her masters reinvented Ryoko, but she continued to wait patiently for Ryoko to continue.
Ryoko let the silence fill the air slightly before she spoke again, fiddling with the keys on the keyboard. "I know you're curious of why I have returned, but as I said before I was deleted, the masters would indeed change their views."
Yuki flinched from Ryoko's statement. Was it true? If so, what did they have planned?
Ryoko still smiled, but it slowly began to turn more wicked and vile. "Don't be so surprised. After Haruhi finally showed her effect on this reality, our masters came to a conclusion, and wish to reward you for providing assistance to the boy Kyon, whom Haruhi had chosen. Do you know what your reward is, Yuki?"
Yuki's system began to question. She even had to grasp her book tightly just to help her control whatever small emotion of worry she had coming up against her nerves.
"Life, Yuki. But there's more to it than just that." Ryoko's expression suddenly took a change from one of happy to frightening, leaving a rather stunned Yuki staring at her. Ryoko only stared back, slowly moving her body gracefully over to the now frozen girl.
"Don't be so afraid Yuki," and with a quick, swift move from Ryoko, Yuki had blacked out.
Within a few seconds Yuki had awakened, feeling something of a sting in the back of her neck where her personality chip is.
"Awake? Good."
Yuki looked up in surprise, seeing only then how close Ryoko was to her face, causing her to gasp and stare wide eyed before falling out of the chair she was in.
Ryoko giggled, crawling on top of Yuki in order to keep her old superior from moving. "Did I scare you, Yuki? I know I did, I can feel your heart pounding…" Ryoko then forcefully grasped Yuki's hand as she said so, placing the girl's fingers on her own neck. Yuki gasped as soon as she did, trying to understand the reason of why she was feeling her own raging heart pounding as the hair on the back of her neck stood up.
"I've never seen you with such an expression before, Yuki. You look so…vulnerable. I love it!"
Yuki cried out after Ryoko spoke, feeling a sharp sting in her left hand. She turned her head to see the cause of it, only to realize that Ryoko had stabbed her with one of her own hairpins. Yuki suddenly felt a wave of discomfort as her blood spilled onto the cold floor, causing her eyes to get heavy from the sight and feeling of it. She was then suddenly felt an adrenaline rush through her body, making her heart beat faster as she silently begged for Ryoko to get off of her.
Ryoko laughed as she felt Yuki squirm underneath her. She then made Yuki cry out in protest as she pinned the young girl's wrists above her head rather painfully before she spoke, "That is fear Yuki that is going through your body, and that feeling in hand is pain. How does it feel Yuki? I really have no idea myself…But I love your expressions. At least, I believe that I do. You look so beautiful with them…"
Yuki was in to much pain to even think. She had never felt so useless or pitiful in her existence. She was a device of logical thinking, matter creation, and programmer of living and nonliving organisms. So why is it she suddenly can't do anything but be at the mercy of her ex-backup? All she could do was silently beg for Ryoko to release her.
"Ah, that must be desperation I see right now. Do you wish for me to let you go, Yuki?"
Yuki's voice was too choked up to answer her. She merely nodded her head as Ryoko grinned sadistically. "Your so lucky, Yuki. Soon, you'll feel happiness, sadness, and even love. According to the masters you'll also be able to able to feel bliss. How many humanoids can do that Yuki? None! Emotions only get in the way of our objections, we are empty, hallow shells in human acceptable bodies! But still, how I long for a human life…" Ryoko began to stroke Yuki's hair, giving Yuki slight comfort as she opened her teary eyes.
"W...why? How?" Yuki asked in a shaken whisper.
"I don't know how it works, but the masters just ordered me to inject the new programming into her system. I'm not the type to question them…" Ryoko answered simply. "But bliss, is an emotion I doubt any one of us can feel…Yuki. Now, I want you to smile."
Yuki blinked her eyes in confusion. Smiling was never something she had done before, and so she tried to think of a way to get it out of herself. Something was missing however, was smiling just a characteristic of all human beings? She had seen Haruhi and all of them smile before, but why did it feel so hard to right now?
Ryoko stared down at her…waiting. Soon her system grew impatient, and so she grabbed Yuki's chin forcefully, causing the young girl to cry out in pain again.
"I said smile, Nagato!"
Yuki flinched. Feeling fear again as she stared at Ryoko with wide eyes. She quickly took a breath and forcefully smiled. Her eyes were closed, but tears were streaming down her face. The smile however was of a lovely, broken angel, forcing out happiness to a cold, dark demon.
Ryoko felt satisfied and let go of her wrists before she spoke, "Good girl, Yuki." Ryoko once again had her usual smile back on, and quickly bent over to look more closely at Yuki's face to lick off the tears that still lingered. It was then that she leaned her lips to Yuki's ear and whispered, "Enjoy your life as a human, sister. I'll be back for you another time. Till then, say hello to everyone for me," and with that, she got up slowly and left the room.
Yuki continued to lay on the floor, unsure of how or what to feel or even react. The floor was now still covered in her blood from her hand, colliding with the tears that she had spilled with it. An hour went by and then two and still she hadn't moved. Once the sun began to set however, Yuki felt her eyes grow heavy and her body grow numb, and for the first time in Yuki's few years of existence, she fell asleep.