Kohta gratefully accepted the leg of one of the animals being roasted over the fire. Both of the families were gathered around him now and were anxious to hear the rest of the tale. The meat was a bit oily and somewhat foul to the taste, but Kohta had not had any meat in his diet in months and was ravenous for it. The only real source of protein his family came across in their travels was ant and wasp nests. "What kind of animal did you say this was from?" he asked around the piece he was chewing on.

"Feral cat," replied Jim. "It aint the best stuff, but we just have to take what we can get right now. Normally we'd kill skunks and raccoons but they've all gone into hibernation for the winter. Just count yourself lucky you didn't have to kill the damn thing."

"So, mister Kohta, what happened next?" asked Judith. "What happened after you and your cousin got married? You said that your story ties into the spread of the diclonius, but so far it hasn't seemed to happen."

Kohta finished chewing his piece and quickly wiped the grease from his lips. "Our tales tie together eventually. Huh, everyone's individual stories will eventually merge with the uprising silpelits, but the only way I know how to explain what happened is through what my family experienced. I suppose my oldest daughter Kanae was born about the same time that the world started noticing the growing diclonius population…"

-:-:-

Kohta leapt to his feet as the doorbell rang inside his and Yuka's apartment. With a broad smile he leapt to his feet and rushed to greet his guests. Three of the people he loved most in the world were standing there waiting for him. "Lucy, it's so good to see you!" exclaimed Kohta as he embraced his friend. He also warmly greeted Mayu and Nana. "My goodness Nana, you're certainly getting taller." Kohta looked Nana up and down. She no longer looked like that lost thirteen-year-old that Mayu had brought home. In the two years he had known her she had already aged to the point where she could easily pass for eighteen or nineteen, and she now stood nearly as tall as Kohta.

"I don't age the same way as humans do," Nana said quietly. "Being a silpelit means I age at twice the normal speed of humans." She flexed her prosthetic arms. "It's getting tough upgrading these things, but I shouldn't have to keep replacing them for to too much longer."

Kohta stood to one side as he allowed his friends in. He quickly rushed to put the flowers they brought in a vase. "Yuka, our guests are here!"

Yuka quickly joined them in the living room carrying a small squirming bundle wrapped in blankets. She sat down in a rocking chair as Mayu and Nana come to get a closer look.

"Well Kanae certainly looks a lot cuter now that she isn't all red and wrinkly anymore," said Nana.

"That's because the last time you saw her she was only a few hours old," Yuka gently chided. "Babies don't usually look their cutest right after they come out."

Lucy also came over to get a closer look at Kanae. "I can't help but wonder at the name you picked for her Kohta," said Lucy as she gently stroked the baby's hair. Kanae burbled happily and grasped Lucy's finger.

"Actually, naming her Kanae was my idea," said Yuka. "Kohta was set on calling her Nyu."

Everyone sat around catching up on old times for the next few hours. Kohta had recently been promoted at the robotics firm he had been hired at and would soon be able to afford the down payment on a decent sized condo. Lucy was having great success with getting Kaede House back up and running and they already had the restaurant reopened. As soon as she was able to put some finishing touches on renovating the rooms and could hire more staff she had plans to rent a small apartment nearby and have the Inn itself reopen for business.

It did not take Lucy long to spot that Kohta had something on his mind. He was being unusually quiet and kept glancing in Lucy's direction. "Is there something bothering you Kohta?" Lucy finally asked.

Kohta nodded. 'There is something I need to talk to you about; something important. Walk with me." Kohta went to the door and retrieved his jacket from a coat rack. "Are you coming, Lucy?"

Lucy looked to Yuka. "What's going on?"

"It's something important Lucy. All I can say is that it has to do with those news reports we've been seeing for the last month."

Bracing herself for the worst, Lucy grabbed her jacket and followed Kohta out the door.

They walked for a long time before Kohta halted in the walkway on a bridge. He rested his arms on the railing and gazed down at the river running underneath them. Lucy likewise stood next to him, not saying a word for a few moments. "I suppose you are wondering why people worldwide are suddenly giving birth to so many diclonius children," she said at last.

"Yes, that is why I asked you to come here," said Kohta, turning around and resting his back on the rails. "Lucy, what is going on? I know that you haven't been using your vectors to infect anyone, and there is no possible way that you could have caused these infants to all of a sudden appear worldwide."

"This has been weighing heavily on my mind too Kohta," Lucy closed her eyes and screwed up her face in concentration. "I can feel them though. It's been getting stronger as more of them are being born, like each new diclonius is adding their small infantile voices to a chorus in my head." Lucy shuddered involuntarily. "But their voices are strange; unfamiliar…it's like being caught naked in a room full of strangers. I really don't like the sensation."

Kohta looked amazed. "You can feel them all that clearly? And what do you mean their voices are strange and unfamiliar?"

Lucy rested her elbows on the bridge railing and stared at the river. She was trying to find the right words to describe her thoughts. "Those few silpelits that I caused before the research teams found me, most of them seemed to be my offspring, in a way. When enough of us were gathered together we could tell where one another are. That was how Nana first found me. When I was kept contained in the facility their voices fell silent. I suspect that they were blocked by that restraint helmet they made me wear to disable my vectors. But when I was out and others were near me I could feel them. They felt close to me, almost like family I'd known for years." Lucy shook her head. "But these silpelits…don't seem to recognize me. They are still infants, and still purely instinctive, but already they don't like it when I reach out and touch them."

Kohta pondered this for a moment. He thought of everything that Lucy had ever told him about diclonism, trying to find a possible answer to what she was saying. "Are you suggesting that there may be another queen out there; another one like you who can spread your kind across the earth?"

"That's what I thought too," said Lucy. "But if there was another queen I would have felt her. I can brush the minds of the silpelits still at the facility where I was kept, I can feel Nana's presence very clearly, and I can hear the cries of these infants that seem to be popping up out of nowhere…but I cannot feel the presence of another queen at all."

Something Lucy had just said stuck out in Kohta's mind. "Lucy, do you think those people who ran that facility found a way to produce your kind artificially? I remember you saying something to the effect that this was their goal from the beginning."

"Their goal was to replace humankind with diclonius. I remember; when you left me with that professor his intent was to get me pregnant and begin the process of introducing new reproducers into the world to start the process. He told me this after I came too laying naked on the floor of his lab."

Kohta stared at Lucy in horror. "It was my fault you were left there. Lucy…he didn't…?!"

Lucy simply shook her head. "No. I killed him before he could have his way with me."

Kohta raised one eyebrow. "Usually when the subject of people whose lives you ended comes up you either avoid the situation or look extraordinarily ashamed. How can you speak of this victim so casually?"

"Because I probably saved lives by ending his," Lucy turned to face Kohta so she could look him in the eye. "Professor Kakuzawa may have been a brilliant scientist, but he was a buffoon and an idiot, and a dangerous one at that. Even worse is his father. They both visited me in my cell numerous times to tell me how wonderful it would be when the three of us were leading a new world populated with diclonius. The younger Kakuzawa may have had the brains to carry out some of the technical aspects of their plans, but he was not the organizer, not like his father. As long as the senior Kakuzawa is alive your kind will all be at risk." Lucy stood a moment in thought. "And I think you're right. He must be behind these new diclonius."

They stood again in silence, staring at the river and the crimson leaves of the many maple trees that were changing with the seasons. "Lucy," Kohta said quietly, breaking the silence, "I'm glad you came to visit us. I know Yuka and I haven't been back to Kaede House to visit for some time, and we have missed the three of you."

"You've been busy with raising a family," Lucy conceded. "And I've been busy running getting a new business on its feet." Lucy smiled and gave Kohta a quick hug. "You've changed so much in the last six months; but not all for the better." Lucy frowned at the goatee that Kohta had been growing since his daughter had been born. She reached up and gave it a sharp tug while Kohta yelped in protest. "The fur on your face just doesn't look good on you Kohta. You really ought to shave it."

"I guess that's just one more thing you and Yuka can find in common," said Kohta, rubbing his chin. "She's threatened to remove it herself with a pair of pliers while I'm asleep."

Lucy could not help but smile at the thought. She did not laugh though. "Shouldn't we be getting back? I'm certain Yuka is going to need help with dinner."

"Nana and Mayu are there to help out," said Kohta. "But she will be unhappy if we are late."

"Are you sure having the three of us stay overnight is not too much of a bother, Kohta?"

Kohta patted Lucy on the back reassuringly. "Don't worry about it. You're family after all, and family sticks together and does favors for each other in times of need."

-:-:-

Director Kakuzawa slowly read through the reports that Arakawa had delivered to him, and he could feel his blood pressure rising with each line. "Arakawa, this is unacceptable."

Arakawa trembled and wrung her hands in anxiety. She was getting a lot thinner and she was actually starting to develop a few gray hairs at the temples from her constant stress; and having to carry a foreign child that had spread Pandora's Box to her while it was in her womb had also kept Arakawa in a constant state of despair. Her current dilemma was not helping her situation either. "I'm sorry Director, but we are still at a loss as to explain why so many of the fetuses are dying. For some reason test group B has already produced nearly ten healthy queens while those in test group A are either miscarrying their fetus within a month or giving birth to impure queens. We euthanized the entire first batch after birth, as per your orders, and that is what the autopsies of the infants confirmed."

Director Kakuzawa continued reading through the reports. "I notice we have not produced any males yet. Do you have any particular reason why?"

"No sir. The current theories are that diclonius are more like social insects than we originally thought. Perhaps kings are few in number and are meant to seize control of a harem of queens who produce mostly silpelit workers. It would suggest a caste division somewhat akin to a cross between monkeys and hornets. Oh, and their potential for telepathy increases the more there are in close proximity."

Kakuzawa cocked one eyebrow in surprise. "How do you know this?"

"The remaining silpelits that were a result of infection spread by Lucy have complained about the 'noise' that the new diclonius descended from Lucy are causing. Apparently the progeny of the two queens don't seem to like each other very much."

"It would make sense considering that ant colonies are compelled to destroy one another over resources. Now, Arakawa, did you follow the parameters of the experiments exactly as I described them? It may give us a clue as to what went wrong."

"Test group A was all sired by non-infected fathers," began Arakawa, "this was the group that either miscarried or gave birth to impure queens that have a reduced Pineal gland. It is possible that the offspring of the impure queens may not even be able to produce vectors. Test group B who were sired by infected fathers and they all gave birth to queens. This would imply that the diclonius are more separated from us than was originally thought. However, a father who carries Pandora's Box through infection eliminates the impurities in his diclonius offspring."

Kakuzawa set the reports back on his desk and fixed Arakawa with a hard stare. "Now that we know the effects of their reproduction it is time to start over. I want the next batch of reproducers ready for artificial implantation within the month. However, you must only make enough embryos to implant in the surrogates who are ready for another pregnancy. Human beings are not an easy resource to come by and I will not risk loosing my surrogates because of overtaxing them."

"Yes sir," Arakawa glanced at the floor. "The ones who miscarried should be ready by now, but the ones who carried a child to full term need a few more months to rest before another pregnancy…myself included."

Kakuzawa nodded in agreement. "You will not carry another queen until the rest of the carriers are ready. You have earned at least that." As Arakawa turned to leave Kakuzawa cleared his throat. "Before you are implanted with another embryo, have the medical staff collect a few of your eggs. I understand that you were able to positively confirm that the surrogate mothers were infected by Pandora's Box through the fetus's they carried. While I have no use for the week genes of these foolish surrogates, your intelligence is a trait that the new master race of diclonius will benefit from. As soon as males are produced we will grow your offspring. I may even let you carry one of your own children."

Arakawa gulped and backed away. "Th-thank you sir!" she squeaked. She wasn't sure if she should take this order as a compliment, or if she should feel creeped out by the callousness of the Director's casual way of treating eugenics. Arakawa quickly left the office as Kakuzawa returned to his bay windows so he could gaze at the ocean and contemplate his plans for the new world that would soon be his.

Director Kakuzawa knew in his heart that he was doing the right thing. After all, humankind had already proven that they were foolish destructive beings with an inborn desire to destroy themselves. But the diclonius, they were the true survivors. Kakuzawa had read the records his ancestors had made when their diclonism was still pure, and everything he read suggested that the diclonius hive mind would always work toward the greater good of the species. Such a world, where everyone shared one another's thoughts, desires, and emotions…in such a world there would be no strife as there would no longer be any misunderstandings; no individual concerns to cause the selfishness and greed that so often drove the leaders of the human race to wage petty wars. With the entire world sharing one mind and having one goal, survival, the everlasting reign of the diclonius would be assured.

Kakuzawa could not help but smile wistfully at the thought. Once the diclonius were set up in their rightful place as the sole sentient species of this world all war, strife, anger, jealousy…every negative emotion and action associated with individual concerns would be a thing of the past. Homo sapiens reign would come to its inevitable end, and Homo sapiens diclonius would remember him as a hero for all time.

-:-:-

Kohta threw the bones from the cat he had been gnawing on back into the fire. He shook his head sadly as everyone gathered waited for him to continue his tale.

"So, what happens next, Mister Kohta?" Rebecca asked curiously. "Didn't you and Yuka have any more children after that?"

"Yes, we had another daughter," said Kohta. He sighed tremendously and took a few moments to gather his thoughts. "Our lives began to change significantly after she was born, and not all the changes were good."

-:-:-

Kohta sat staring out of the windows of the train as it neared Kamakura. It was not a long train ride from Tokyo to Kamakura, only about forty-five minutes, but Kohta still felt uncomfortable on trains. Ever since that incident from his childhood, the light rails made him feel creepy and edgy.

"Hey Papa, when are we going to get there?" asked Kanae for what was probably the eighth time in the last fifteen minutes. She had greatly enjoyed herself at first on train rides, but became bored so easily. Kanae, like many four year olds, had a great sense of adventure but a rather short attention span.

"We'll be there soon Kanae," said Kohta, feeling a little exasperated with his bouncy, energetic daughter. "Try to be like your sister. She's just sitting there being quiet."

Kohta glanced at his other daughter, Nyu. When she had been born they really couldn't think of a more appropriate name for her. Her pink hair and cat-ear horns had reminded them so much of the girl they had found on the beach. However, her developing personality could not have been any more different. Nyu always seemed to be lost in thought. She had become rather serious, stubborn, and withdrawn. A perfectionist to a fault, she had demonstrated that she had excellent problem solving abilities and was quite clever. However, she rarely related to anybody and seemed to have trouble expressing empathy for anybody. This had gotten her and Kanae in trouble a few times as she seemed to be able to talk her sister into doing all sorts of naughty deeds, yet she never seemed to care if she or Kanae got in trouble. Kohta had wondered about his daughter ever since she was born. She was only two years old, yet was as physically and mentally developed as her older sister. Kohta had no doubt in his mind that his child was indeed one of the silpelits that were popping up everywhere nowadays. Come to think of it, he hadn't seen a human child under the age of three in almost a year now.

"I still can't believe we won't be able to stay at Kaede House," said Yuka, bringing Kohta out of his thoughts. "Six month reservations for the Inn and a three hour wait for dining in the restaurant! I can't wait to see what Lucy did wit the place!"

The train arrived on time at the station and Kohta was able to quickly hire a taxi to take them to Kaede House. The cabby could not help but comment that he and his wife had been planning a romantic getaway at the place for months, and that as a bed-and-breakfast the service and congeniality of the staff was unsurpassed.

As the taxi dropped them off Kohta could not help but whistle in disbelief as they entered the gates. The place had never looked so…cultured. It was the only word Kohta could use to describe the place. Lucy had indeed turned the Inn into a reminder of bygone days and cherished traditions, the remnants of traditional culture that was nearly gone but not forgotten. The staff was all dressed in traditional nineteenth century garb, there were no visible power lines leading to or from the Inn, the grounds were well tended, and there was even a koi pond with an antique looking wooden bridge over it where a dirt path used to stand. Kohta could see instantly why the place had become so popular, especially with the older generation. It had become a place that seemed to defy the modern change that caused everyone to be in one big damn hurry all the time.

As Kohta entered the front doors he was instantly greeted with the sight of a familiar face. "Mayu, it is good to see you!"

Mayu looked up from her record books and immediately rushed to Kohta and Yuka. "Hey, we haven't seen you two here in almost a year!" exclaimed Mayu as she rushed to hug her family. "And is this can't be little Kanae and Nyu! My goodness but look how big you're getting!"

"Aunt Mayu," cried Kanae joyously as she was lifted into the air. Mayu had certainly changed herself as well over the years. At twenty years old she no longer looked like the frightened teenager that Kohta had first rescued. She looked older, more mature, more self assured, and frankly, a lot prettier than Kohta could remember.

"And how is little Nyu," asked Mayu as she bent down to eye level with Nyu and gave her the biggest smile possible. Nyu scooted behind Yuka's skirt and peered out at Mayu timidly. "She still doesn't interact with people very well, does she?"

"No, she's always been a little shy," said Yuka. "Hey, where's Nana and Lucy? I want to say hello to them as well."

"Nana is in the kitchens supervising the chefs," replied Mayu. "Lucy…is having a little talk with one of the junior staff outside. It was something kind of serious."

As Yuka, Kanae, and Nyu went to say hello to Nana, Kohta made his way to the back to see Lucy. Even before could open the doors he could hear two people arguing in the rear common area. He quickly exited the Inn to see what was going on.

"Come on Miss Lucy, I don't see why I'm getting in trouble for this!" a young woman who looked to be about sixteen and dressed as one of the staff was gesturing wildly as a very familiar figure stood with her arms folded, watching almost impassively.

"You're getting in trouble because you keep breaking the rules," said Lucy calmly. "When you were hired you signed a contact agreeing to your terms of employment. Two of those terms were that you would only take your breaks during your authorized schedule, and the other was that there was to be no smoking on the grounds. This is twice I have caught you not only taking an unauthorized break, but that I have also caught you smoking cigarettes. The rest of the staff has been complaining about someone leaving cigarette butts all over the place and I think I have my culprit."

The young staff member just glared at Lucy. "What are you going to do about it? You can't fire me; you're way too busy and you need everyone you can get!"

"I wasn't planning on firing you," said Lucy, "but you are getting a written warning that's going into your files."

"A piece of paper that may never see the light of day again…is that supposed to intimidate me?"

Lucy pursed her lips and frowned. "No I suppose that would not intimidate you into obeying the rules. However, your mother seems to think that you are a perfect little angel and it would be a shame if I had to call your parents and inform them of your tobacco habit."

That threat hit home. "You wouldn't dare?!"

'Try me."

The staff member held up her hands in a gesture of surrender. "Alright, alright, I'll stop smoking on the grounds!"

"Good. Now, you still have to finish your work before your shift is over, and this little chat ate up quite a bit of your time, so I suggest you get back to work immediately."

As the junior staff member brushed past Kohta he could distinctly hear the words 'fascist bitch' being muttered under her breath.

Lucy shook her head in disgust. "I've had more problems with her than the rest of the staff put together," she said as she moved to greet Kohta.

"It's nice to see you too, Lucy," said Kohta as he embraced his friend. "I can't believe what you've done with the place!"

"It really fixed up well, once we got started," Lucy looked suspiciously at Kohta for a moment. "But you really came here to talk to me about the current silpelit crisis, didn't you?"

Kohta just stared in shock. "How did you…?"

"Kanae overheard you and Yuka before you left home this morning. She told me on the way over. Kohta, we have a lot to discuss."

…

Because they had devoted almost the entire Inn over to their business, Lucy Nana and Mayu no longer lived at Kaede House. Instead Lucy had rented a modest sized apartment only a few blocks away and the three of them lived there. Lucy walked with Kohta and did her best to quiet his fears. For almost an hour they visited some of the places that had come to mean the most to them.

"I'm sure you are wondering what is going to happen to humanity if this keeps up," said Lucy. "I wonder myself."

"Lucy, you're connected to all their minds; surely the populace must know something about how they all came to be."

Lucy halted in her tracks and shuddered. "They are growing restless Kohta. They know that their parents are wondering why the world is suddenly only giving birth to diclonius children. They know your kind is afraid and that is making a lot of them feel empowered." Lucy rubbed her arms and stared at the sidewalk "I have been trying to quiet them, to convince them they have nothing to fear. They listen to me, but they don't agree with me. I found out a while ago that I can make them decide what they want to do, impose my will over their own. They can function normally without my mind being connected to theirs, but what they want to do depends on what I want. They've accepted my will, but they are fighting against it. I suspect that if their true queen were to emerge and take control of their minds I would be powerless to stop them."

"Powerless to stop them from doing what Lucy?" asked Kohta.

"From killing their parent species," Lucy replied. She stopped dead in her tracks and Kohta felt his heart sink into his stomach.

"Why would they want to kill us?" gasped Kohta.

"I don't know. Someone introduced the idea into the Mind that they are going to rescue the humans from themselves by killing them all. The thoughts they share with one another are random, incoherent, and paranoid. Some of them feel completely insane, and their voices seem to be spreading the fastest. Anger, fear, jealousy, paranoia…these emotions that they share seem to be getting out of control."

"I…I had no idea," stammered Kohta. "Are…are all the diclonius that emotionally unstable?"

"Without question," said Lucy. "I myself should be included in that category. You've seen firsthand what happens when we let our emotions get out of control."

He and Lucy just stood there in silence until Kohta's cell phone rang. With a shout of surprise he pulled it from is belt and fumbled to get it open.

It was Yuka. "Kohta, you have to get to the apartment right now! There is a news report that you and Lucy have to see!"

"I heard what she said," said Lucy. "Come on our place is only about five minutes from here." As the two friends rushed to the apartment Lucy could not help but wonder why Nyu had not informed her of what was going on.

…

Kohta and Lucy burst into the apartment and immediately scrambled to the TV set. "Nana should be along any minute," gasped Lucy, slightly out of breath. "I told her to come home almost immediately."

"Shhh, this is important!" hissed Yuka.

"And we can now confirm that in the last month there have been no non-diclonius children born in the country of Japan," continued the anchorman on the evening news. "The latest surveys from hospitals all over the world have suggested that non-diclonius humans now only account for one in every million births. Scientists and reproduction specialists have come to the agreement that if some means of getting humans to give birth to humans is not found, the world could be entirely replaced by diclonius within the next generation.

"While many of the worlds countries are trying to find voluntary ways to ensure the continuing survival of the human race, Japan itself is now considering forcing mandatory population control measures to combat this crisis. Parliament will decide on the best course of action to…"

"They can't do that, can they?" asked Yuka, a note of panic in her voice. "They can't force the citizens of Japan submit to all sorts of tests and experiments!"

"Given the fact that there are no more human children being born, they may have no other choice," said Lucy. She gritted her teeth and gripped her head as a moan of agony escaped her lips. She fell over on the ground and curled into a fetal position as Kohta and Yuka rushed to her side.

"Lucy, what is it? What's wrong?"

"It's the hive mind," seethed Lucy through clenched teeth. "They saw the report and the older ones think they are going to be rounded up and exterminated. They are calling for the heads of the parent generation. It's taking everything I have to stop them."

The door to the apartment burst open and Nana stumbled in rubbing her skull. "Lucy, I wish you would find a more gentle way to tell me you are in distress. That seriously hurt!"

Lucy propped herself up on her hands and knees and began shaking like a sick dog. "We have to leave Japan. We can't stay in this country."

"Why? What's going on Lucy?"

"Something horrible is looming on the horizon. The hive mind here in Japan is fighting back against me. They say they are going to strike as soon as they get their orders from their true queen."

"My family has a few contacts in the United States," said Yuka. "I think it's best to put an ocean between us and Japan right now."

"Do you really think leaving Japan is going to be necessary?" asked Nana, a tone of pleading in her voice.

Lucy shuddered as another wave of anger and the desire to kill that was not hers washed over her. "Yes, we have to leave," said Lucy firmly. "When the storm hits, I suspect it's going to hit hardest here…"