Ghost in the Shell:
A Ghost in the Android
Disclaimer:
Ghost in the shell and all there characters are not mine. Though some things about the GITS characters may seem different from what you would have expected, I still try to keep that as original as possible.
I own my OC 'Kyle' and 'Marian'
Chronology:
This story is set behind the second season of GITS, but with a slightly modified ending.
The nuke was never launched by the American empire thru an unexpected delay.
The Tachikoma's never crashed there satellite.
Other then these minor changes, the rest of the setting are the same.
Legend:
"sp" spoken dialog.
"(sp)" spoken dialog thru cyber link.
" sp " Spoken dialog in a foreign language.
'sp' dialog in thought.
Chapter 2
Date: Monday 06-29-2032
Location: Kyle's (and Marian's) privet quarters
"Here take this." Kyle offered Marian a small shopping bag. "Go and put that on."
Marian took hold of the bag, lifting the content out of it. It revealed a secretary's suit. With skirt and everything, way different from the normal costume Marian would wear. Until now the only thing that made her appear different was her hair style and sometimes the same costume she would always wear but with a different color.
"It's beautiful" Marian noted.
Kyle rummaged thru an old suitcase of his. And he took out an old fashioned CD with a CD player. He put the CD into the player and he linked with it, Reading the data that was contained within the plastic medium.
"What are you doing?" Marian asked as she watched Kyle at work.
"Making a program." He answered. "There done." He took the link cable out of the CD player. "I have just made a program for you so that you're eyes will look and respond more human like."
Marian looked up with her normal stare. "What do you mean?" she wondered.
Kyle held a mirror beside his face as he looked at her. "See the difference?" he asked.
Marian looked closely to spot the difference, and she understood what Kyle was getting at. When she looked her eyes where always wide open, also appearing like it had the stare of a dead person.
"This program will instruct you on how to use you're eyes to seem more human like. It will help to blink in different interval's also to look at something more easily instead of shifting you're eyes with amazing speed." Kyle explained holding out his connection wire.
Marian took it and plugged it in. "right… lowering barrier." She answered putting the plug in.
"Ok transferring." Kyle Copied the eye file onto her. After being done she took the plug out again.
"Right…" she nodded enabling the program. Her eyes began to move out of control now. And she moaned lightly from strange occurrence. She began to wobble slightly; Kyle embraced her to keep Marian from falling over.
Her eyes stopped moving. And she closed them, then opening them again in a different manner. She was moving them more relaxed, not on a fast pace like a machine normally would. Also here stare was gone, as she looked around with her eyes only opened as far as she needed to be able to see.
"It worked." Kyle noted as he held the mirror out to her.
Marian grabbed it to admire her new facial expression. Yet she did not really feel comfortable with her eyes moving so slowly and also her eyelids moving the whole time was strange too as she could not control them to stay open. "This way of looking feels strange…" she commented.
"Yeah I know." Kyle agreed. "But you need to get used to looking like that and using you're eyes. After all a human only opens its eyes as far as it needs to see to protect the rest of the eye its self with the eyelids."
Kyle moved behind Marian as he started working with her hair. This time he just let it hang loose, with a ribbon half way down her hair too give her more of a decent and pretty look while keeping her hair from blocking her view. Marian turned around after Kyle was done and she embraced him. "Thank you."
"You're welcome." Kyle answered and they kissed.
The door opened. "If you two lovebirds are done, I would like to get going."
"Yes Chief Aramaki." Marian answered.
Aramaki eyed out Marian, Taking note of her clothing and hair style and overall appeal. "Tell me Kyle." He started. "Are you into fashion designing and hair care by any chance?"
"No not really." He answered. "Why do you ask?"
"Well judging from how well you selected that outfit and did her hair, I would have suspected that to be true."
"Well no, in the war I was stationed around a lot of small villages. Every where there are kids, and the best way to the people is thru the there children. So I spend a lot of time doing there hair, making clothing, dressing them up and the list just goes on."
"So you're an able tailor?" Aramaki wondered.
Kyle grinned. "You could say that, though I never had any lessons. I am able to make a suit out of raw materials."
"Well I never would have guessed that an army veteran such as you is able to wield a needle and wire."
"My mother always used to say that only real men can handle a needle and wire with out jabbing them self in the finger." Kyle smiled broadly. "Then again my mother was even a bigger feminist then the Major."
"(I heard that.)"
"(Only a matter of opinion Major.)" Kyle answered.
"(Really? Then why don't you get some materials and make me a dress?)"
Kyle looked at the chief who razed his eyebrow. "(Do I sense a challenge?)"
"(I dare you to make me a dress in the Tachikoma Bay where every one can see you. If you manage to pull thru the comments then I'll wear that dress a whole week while inside of the HQ.)"
"(Oh no… that's too easy, Lets make it that you will have the wear that Dress when you're not working, Meaning that you can only take it off for a mission.)"
No response came.
"(are you sure that you are not a feminist?)" Kyle teased.
"(Alright, it's a deal.)"
"(What design and colors?)"
"(Surprise me.)"
"Oh boy, this just keeps getting better and better." Kyle laughed.
"I hope that this Dress that you're going to make won't be too revealing." Aramaki asked.
"Don't worry Chief." Kyle answered. "Shall we go then?"
Aramaki nodded and started walking. Kyle and Marian followed, closing the door of there shared room.
They entered the garage; Kyle went to sit in the driver's seat of a 4 person sports wagon that Kyle had gotten as his privet vehicle while Aramaki and Marian got in the back.
They started driving to the Diplomatic embassy where the Dutch embassy office was located.
"So I understand that you two are also sharing that little room are you?" Aramaki started talking in general.
"Yes." Marian answered.
Aramaki huffed. As he crossed his arms and looked down. "How far is the relationship between the two of you?" he wondered.
Kyle razed his right and made a fist sticking his thumb in between is index and middle finger, showing it like that to his boss.
Aramaki sighed in response. "Are you that close?"
"Yes, we even sleep together in the same bed." Kyle answered.
"It really is quite enjoyable to spend time like that." Marian added. "Also the warm feel of his chest I enjoy the most. His heat is enough to recharge my power supply over night."
"Wait, did you say enjoy?" Aramaki looked upon the android that was Marian with looks of confusion.
"Yes." Kyle started. "That day when you told me to get some rest as she took me to my quarters. We swapped body fluids, and we spend the time close together. Talked about different things and such, that's when her AI program began to stagnate and malfunction." Kyle paused to concentrate on something that happened on the road up ahead. "After the malfunction her functions stopped. I jacked in with a dummy barrier to look inside her programming and the code was heavily altered while still going thru alterations. Then she came online again with out warning, her barrier got razed and fried the dummy barrier that I had. Which was the start of her more self aware behavior and it's been getting stronger ever since with every day."
"Do you believe that there is any risk here?"
"If I may chief Aramaki" Marian stared. "My internals are perfectly fine, only a slight deviation from normal AI programming but nothing out of the ordinary."
"What kind of deviation?"
"The deviation is due to a new program that was installed 2 hours ago."
Aramaki now looked worried at Kyle. "Don't worry." Kyle assured his boss. "It's only a program that will tell her how to use her eyes to mimic a more human fashion of using them."
"How far are you planning on taking this relationship of yours?" the chief asked.
Marian looked intensely at Kyle, not knowing what to say and wondering what his take on it would be.
"As far as marriage, and even raze our own family if it were possible."
"You do realize that marrying legally will be impossible right, also officially Marian is property of section 9." Aramaki commented.
"I realize that, but I have no problem with paying for her if that's what it takes to make her mine." Kyle answered. "I want to spend my life with her, and I'll do anything for that."
"Very well, I was originally planning on sending her off for testing to see what caused this."
"But sir." Marian interrupted. "You can't possibly…"
"Hold on Marian" Kyle commanded. "Let him finish."
"Thank you Kyle, I was going to say that I'll just have you replaced while turning you over to Kyle as legal owner, that way there will be no risk of getting problems with the fact that she is a government robot." Aramaki explained. "Even though Androids don't have paying jobs we might well be able to let her assist you as you're partner, leaving out the fact that she is an android."
"Thank you kindly sir." Marian answered "Thanks Chief." Kyle agreed.
Kyle pulled into the parking lot at the embassy.
"Now Kyle, as you are aware these guys often like to speak there native language to talk behind our backs. I want you to translate what there saying and relay it to me via coded Cyber com."
"Understood sir." Kyle answered.
"What should I do?" Marian asked.
"Here." Kyle answered holding out an old secretary's digital notebook "just act like you're his assistant/secretary."
Marian took the notebook and nodded. "What will you be then?" she asked.
Kyle pulled out his Bull Pup Pistol. Checking that the magazine is loaded and he cocks the weapon switching the safety on. "I'll just play personal bodyguard I guess."
"Did you have to bring that thing along?" Aramaki asked as he got out of the car.
Marian and Kyle also exited the car. "Well I would rather have my pistol with me and not need it, then needing it and not having one." Kyle explained. "But don't worry, my BPP is deadly accurate, the Major, Bato and Togusa can vouch for me."
"BPP?" the chief wondered.
"BPP or Bull Pup Pistol if you would, the Bull Pup design is known for its superior accuracy and recoil handling" Marian explained. "It's his design and craft."
Location: Dutch embassy, central embassy building.
"Do you have an appointment?" the secretary android at the door asked.
"Yes." Kyle answered. "We are from special section 9."
"Ah yes, the ambassador will see you now" the doors opened and they walked in.
Aramaki sat down on the couch with Marian next to him. Kyle was standing behind his chief with this hand folded in front of his crutch, standing tall and proud like a body guard.
The Dutch ambassador entered the room. And Kyle recognized him on the spot.
"(Chief, better watch you're self.)"
"(Why do you say that?)"
"(I know this guy. Believe me, he is a slime ball of the worst kind imaginable.)"
"(Right thanks for the heads up.)"
"Hello, my name is Bernard De Fries."
"This is Chief Daisuke Aramaki from special section 9." Kyle gestured to Marian. "This is his assistant and secretary Marian Van Dam, and I am Kyle Katarn."
"(Katarn? That's a catchy name.)"
"(If I would answer with The Brown, they would know who I am as I often just use the English version of my last name.)"
"(Right.)"
"Ambassador De fries." Aramaki started "I would like to discuss the strange occurrences of people wanting to defect to Holland."
"(Here he becomes a lying bastard, better watch you're self sir, also his last name can be translated into The Frost.)"
"I would have to call my assistant in if you don't mind." The Ambassador answered.
"Very well." Aramaki agreed.
An android walked in shortly after that like it has been waiting. And it opened a note giving it to Aramaki.
"Heb je het gedaan zoals ik je vroeg?" the ambassador started talking in his own native tong.
"(he is asking her if she did like he requested.)"
"Ja meneer." The android answered.
"(She said; Yes.)"
"(are you sure that it's what she is saying? The words seem longer that what you translate.)"
"(Well she answered with; Yes Sir, but I left that out to make it easier.)"
"Ambassador, this note does not have any meaning. I would like an explanation why the Dutch embassy is accepting people that would want to defect; this completely undermines the agreement we had between our countries."
"I am sorry but I am not aware of anything like that." The ambassador answered.
"Meneer we hebben het bewijs nog niet vernietiged, het staat nog op papier in het argief." The android answered.
"(She is pointing out that they did not yet destroy evidence of sorts, saying that its still on paper in an archive somewhere.)"
"Is there something wrong ambassador?"
"No not at all." He answered nervously. "ga er heen en vernietig het nu meteen."
"(He is ordering to have the evidence destroyed Right now.)"
"(It's as I feared, Major!)"
"(Already done, I raided the archive just a moment ago. But we need some more time to complete the scanning of all the documents, and the place is a mess so it will be sometime.)"
"(Ok so we need to stall them, how?)"
"(I know something.)" Kyle plugged himself into Marian.
"(Marian, I want you to act like you have to go the bath room. Ask if his secretary can lead you there just to buy some time for the major, when you can try talking to her about emotions and such just to keep her with you and away from that archive.)"
"(Kyle, this request is strange.)"
"(I know, but her boss just ordered her to destroy the evidence that we need, Motoko is already on it but she needs time to grab the goods and bring it back before its destroyed. You will have to stall her from destroying it.)"
"(Understood.)" She turned to the assistant. "I need to use the bathroom; could you please show me the way?"
"Of course ma'am, right this way." Marian followed the android leaving the room.
"(What was that?)" Aramaki wondered.
"(I told her to buy the major sometime. She will keep that android busy as she does not yet realize that Marian is an android as well.)"
"(Slick move there Kyle.)"
"(Thanks Major. I guess my skills of tailoring really do come in handy coupled with the program I wrote to make her eye responses more human like. By the way Major, do you like Pink or Purple?)"
"(Would you mind doing you're job?)" Motoko countered
Aramaki chuckled lightly. "(Make it Pink; I would want to see how she looks in that color.)"
"Is something the matter?" The ambassador asked.
"Oh no, just some thoughts that entered my mind that I found funny."
"(You know I agree, Pink it is.)" Kyle agreed.
"(Now just wait a minute here!)"
"(What for Major?)" Kyle teased. "(After all, you're the one that told me to surprise you.)"
"(Kyle is right, you made a deal and you can't back out of it now.)"
"(Ok I have the data, we are done here.)"
"(Major, would you be so kind as to Tag there login screen with some text for me?)"
"(Depends.)"
"(I want to spook them, write; as I walk thru the streets of Amsterdam, I discharge my weapon upon the bastards that made my line of work a living hell.)"
"(And old torment?)" Aramaki wondered.
"(Call it poetic justice.)"
"(I'll do it under one condition.)"
"(What is that?)"
"(No Pink but purple.)"
"(Well bargained and done.)"
"I fear that I have more pressing matters to attend to." Aramaki stood up.
"Right, I regret not being able to tell you more." The ambassador answered.
"It's been a pleasure." Kyle answered even though he would rather punch him in the face to make the pleasure all his.
They left the building after finding Marian with the assistant android.
Location: Section 9 HQ.
It was late in the evening. Every one was relaxing after a hard day work, some even spent there time with the Tachikoma's.
"Hey where is that new guy Kyle at anyway?" Togusa asked.
"I don't give a rat's ass about that guy; I just want to relax for a change."
"Well lucky for you that a Rat's his ass is small or he would just have made you as flat as a pancake." Kyle answered.
"It's Mister Kyle." One of the Tachikoma's announced.
"Hey Tachikoma, what have you been doing?"
"Nothing, just hanging around I guess."
"Pretty boring isn't it?"
"Yeah." It answered. "What are you going to do?"
"I am going use my tailoring skills to make the Major a dress."
"Tailoring skills?" Togusa wondered.
"Making the Major a dress?" Bato alarmed.
A second after that they both started laughing as hard as they could. It took a full 10 minutes for the laughing to died down again. "Oh boy." Togusa started. "A guy tailoring a Dress now that's rich."
"Yeah and it being for the Major even, now that is funny as hell." Bato chuckled loudly. "I mean the only type of dress she will wear is an officer's skirt and shirt. You have a snowballs chance in hell of her putting it on."
"I would not be so sure if I were you." Kyle answered. "I made a deal with her, if I would make it here with every one around, that she would wear it for a week when not going for a mission."
"So you mean to say that if she is not on a mission, that she will walk around in the dress that you made?"
"Yep, even when she is going outside she will wear it, unless she is going out for a mission."
"Make her something elegant." Togusa suggested. "And Sexy." Bato added.
"Sorry guys, I already have a design in mind. No chance in hell to alter it."
"Well I would like to see it when it's done."
"Sure Togusa." Kyle moved close to Togusa his ear. "I already made arrangements for the major to be off duty the whole week with Aramaki, we both found it a good chance to teach her what it is like to be figured for a perfect lady."
"You're a bastard you know that?" Togusa answered as he chuckled. "Still I am really going to enjoy this."
"Oh yeah, I can't wait to see her all pretty in a formal dress of sorts." Bato agreed.
"Well I best get to work." Kyle said as he sat down. Marian put a suitcase next to Kyle.
When Marian opened it all kinds of tools and things that were used for tailoring were revealed. Kyle took out a drawing and held it out to Bato. "Here, the design that I have in mind."
Bato Grinned and a slight amount of blood came out of his nose. "Now that will look good on her." He chuckled.
Togusa was getting curious so he took a look as well. "Oh man, I would love to have my wife in that."
"Sorry Togusa, I am only going to create three of them. No room for a fourth."
"What do you mean with three?" Bato wondered.
"That's easy, so she can't get away with making one dirty and changing into her normal's. So she can wash one and wear the other."
"What about the third?" Togusa asked.
"The third will be made from white fabric, for some one special to me." Kyle answered as he wrapped his arm around Marian.
"Right." Togusa sounded disappointed.
"Well I could always design another one for you're wife, but it's better to do that when I have seen her face and body build." Kyle offered. "But I think after creating these 3 I will probably be tired of tailoring for a while so I can't really do it now."
"Just get working already; I can't wait to see the Major wearing that." Bato chuckled.
Kyle started his work right after that.
3 hours later
"Ok there we go." Kyle announced as he stretched his arms.
3 dresses were suspended on a coat hanger, 2 purple and one white. Kyle yawned and scratched the back of his head a few times, admiring the work that he had completed.
Marian came walking in holding a tray. She saw the dress's hanging on the coat hanger and she put down the tray on the bench that Kyle was using to sit on. She walked to the coat hanger and looked at the white Dress.
"It's pretty and so carefully made." She commented
"I know." Kyle agreed.
"Now to wait for the major" Bato grinned. "I can't wait to see the look on her face."
"(Major?)"
"(what is it Kyle?)"
"(Would you please come to the Tachikoma bay? I got something for you.)" Kyle said in a teasing tone.
"(What would that be?)" Motoko asked, pretending to not know of anything.
"(just get over here, you will find out soon enough.)"
Bato almost fell over from laughing. "Man that is rich, she knows what's going to happen but still she acts like she is clueless." He could not believe that this was actually happening.
"(Chief, its show time in the Tachikoma bay.)"
"(I'll be right there.)" He answered.
"What the old ape him self is in on it too?" Bato wondered. "Just like Togusa said, you really are a bastard."
"Why thank you." Kyle snickered. "I really enjoy being a bastard in order for her to learn not to listen in on privet conversations."
"What are you talking about?"
"It's a long story." Aramaki answered as he walked in. "So these are the dresses that you made?" he asked
"Yeah, he did a pretty amazing job I'll admit that much."
"Why Bato, is that a complement that escaped from you just now?" Kyle wondered teasingly.
"Ok what do you have for me?" Motoko asked as she walked in.
"Have a look at these." Kyle gestured toward the suspended dresses, While Marian was admiring hers.
The design was very attractive, very formal and luxurious yet sexy.
"You can't be serious…" the major answered with full amazement.
"He is Major; he made those here on the spot." Bato answered as he grinned.
"Never challenge a Dutch guy." Kyle chuckled as he picked up the 2 dresses and held them out to Motoko. "Now go and change per our agreement."
She sighed as she took the dresses from Kyle and she walked off.
Aramaki smiled lightly at Kyle as the Major walked away. "You know, I never expected you to actually go thru with it."
"Oh I was planning on making a dress for Marian anyway, so why not make a few as part of a challenge while I am at it?"
"Well I must agree that the dress looks lovely." Marian answered. "I'll go and try mine on right now."
"Sure." Kyle nodded.
"(Kyle…This cyber COM is coded so no one will hear this but you.)"
"(What is it Major?)"
"(Well I must commend you on the design.)"
"(Sorry? From what I saw you where quite pissed off just now for loosing.)"
"(Oh no it's just that…)"
"(Listen Major, I don't know what you're trying to say or do. But if you don't want to spill the beans, then you won't have too.)"
"(I just want to say; thank you for the dress. No one actually made me something like that, so it gives me a pretty good feeling to get something like this.)"
"(Hmm… well you can enjoy it for a whole week.)" Kyle stretched his arms. "Well I think I'll call it a day."
"Going to sleep already?" Aramaki wandered. "Its only 9 in the evening."
"Yeah I know that chief but I am really tired right now." Kyle answered as he yawned slightly.
"All right then; good night Tailor boy." Bato teased.
"Uh? Oh bite me."
"Good night mister Kyle." The Tachikoma waved.
"Oh yeah I almost forgot that I promised to give you something for helping me put my weapon together a while back." Kyle looked thru his Tailoring box, taking out a few left over materials from the dresses he made.
He started taking measurements from the Tachikoma's left claw. Then he started working.
He made a sort of glove for the Tachikoma's claw. "Here have this." He said as he put it on the claw.
The Tachikoma looked at it and moved its claw around. "Thank you Mister Kyle."
"You're welcome." Kyle closed the box and picked it up. "Now I am really tired of using a needle and wire for a while, Goodnight everyone." He waved and left.
Bato and Aramaki looked at him walking away.
"You know, it's a bit freaky that an android gains partial self awareness." Bato muttered.
"Yes" Aramaki nodded. "But still with some one who has seen so much war, its good to see that he finally found someone to spend the rest of his life with."
"Yeah, you're right." Bato agreed.
"So when are you going to get a girlfriend?" Motoko asked as she walked in wearing the purple dress.
Bato and Aramaki almost had a heart attack if it was not for there prosthetic hearts. "Major…" they both exclaimed.
"Well?" she insisted.
"I am too old for that kind of thing." Aramaki admitted.
"Bato?"
"If I look at you, I would say that you're a fine first choice." He suggested.
"Really?" She answered razing an eyebrow. "Well if you mean that, why not accompany me tomorrow when I go out to eat at a fancy restaurant?"
Bato's mouth dropped wide open, not believing what he just heard. "Man did he place some sort of air born data virus in that dress of yours or something?" he wondered "your not acting as you're self."
"What's wrong with taking it easy for a change?"
"Major it's not like you." Aramaki noted. "I wonder as to why you changed out of the blue like that."
"Just call me jealous I suppose." She answered shyly.
"Right." Bato said as he got up. "Where and when should I pick you up?"
Location: Kyle (and Marians) quarters.
It was late midnight; Kyle woke up due to a nightmare. But it felt so surreal, like the stuff that nightmares are always made of. But this one was a nightmare from his past.
Kyle looked to his side to see the android that he has come to love as Marian lay still beside him. She had deactivated herself for the rest of the night and won't boot up unless something bad happens or until its 8 in the morning which was when her and Kyle's shift started.
Kyle sat up on the edge of the bed; he grabbed hold of his pistol and slowly switching the safety off and cocking it.
He felt insecure at the time, maybe he was getting paranoid. But he did felt like something was wrong. "It's quiet…" he whispered but he knew this kind of silence. And there was a tense feeling in the air as well. "It's too quiet." This feeling he knew all to well, and he hated it. The feeling you get right before an attack.
He closed his eyes and listened carefully. He heard silent foot steps becoming slightly louder with every step.
He slowly moved toward Marian shaking her shoulder lightly to wake her up.
It took a few seconds but she did boot up and opened her eyes. "Morn…" Kyle muffled her mouth as he shushed her by placing his finger in front of his own mouth. He took a wire and plugged into her.
"(Stay silent.)" He commanded.
"(Kyle…what is going on?)"
"(I don't know.)" He looked toward the door. "(something just feels so terribly wrong, reminds me of my days during the war, right before we were attacked at our base camp.)"
"(Is that bad?)" Marian wondered.
"(Yeah, stay here and lock the door…)" Kyle took the wire out and walked to the door still in his underwear.
He placed his ear against the door. And he heard someone that was reloading a heavy weapon of sorts. Kyle took a deep breath and he cleared his mind, switching his BPP on full auto just in case as it was a close quarter combat situation should the guy on the other side a hostile. He opened the door abruptly aid aimed toward where the sound was coming from.
"WOW Easy it's me" Bato announced as he held his hands in the air. On his left was a heavy belt feed light machine gun, the other he held a chain of ammo.
"What are you doing here with that thing?" Kyle asked as he looked around checking his left and right flank.
"What are you doing with that gun of yours?" Bato shot back.
"I got a strange feeling..." Kyle admitted.
"The feeling right before you get attacked uh?" Bato asked.
"Yeah."
Not even after that a bomb exploded.
"What the hell?" Kyle exclaimed. "Is it me or did that come from the Android recharge room?"
"Sure sounded that way." Bato agreed.
"Marian; you stay in our room and lock it tight and don't open it until I am back." Kyle shouted as he grabbed a night robe to cover his body partially. "Bato are you coming with me?"
Bato smiled with a dirty grin. "Sure, I can't wait to kill the guy who is wrecking our place."
Kyle started running with his pistol at the ready with Bato following behind him. They passed several rooms but no one was in sight.
"(Bato, Kyle, Where are you?)"
"(Making our way to the location of where the bomb went off.)" Bato reported.
"(Be very careful, they laid booby traps all over the place...)"
Kyle quickly yanked Bato back. He fell backwards onto the ground
"Hey what's the big idea?" Bato said angry.
Kyle kneeled as he stuck his finger out running it toward the wall, and he pulled out an anti-personnel mine from the air duct. "Anti personnel trip mine. If I did not stop you we would both be going air mail now."
"(Major, I found a trap already. There using old Anti-personnel wired trip mines.)" Bato reported.
"(Yeah if I had not stopped Bato here, he would be air mail right now.)"
"(This is bad, if they had the time to place booby traps. Then that means that they have been here for a while)"
"(I agree major. But there is something strange about these mines.)"
"(Such as?)"
"(Since when do these things have Dutch writing on them?)"
"(That is strange…)"
"(Kyle what the hell is going on?)"
"(Calm down Bato, he has done nothing wrong.)"
"(I don't know my self what is going on. but it seems that there out to get me from the looks of it.)"
Gun fire erupted in the corridor that Bato and Kyle were standing in. Kyle did not have a chance as 3 bullets nailed him on his back and he fell over.
Bato was lucky to duck for cover just in time. "Kyle!" he exclaimed on seeing his wounded body lay on the floor.
"(Major, we have a man down.)"
"(Are you alright?)"
"(yes but I am pinned down and I can't get to Kyle, He seems to be in bad shape. looks like he got hit with High velocity ammo)"
Shots where fired again, but this time it was not from Bato or the enemy who shot Kyle. "Area cleared." The shooter answered.
Bato looked around the corner and saw an android standing there wielding a small and old SMG. It was Marian, and she ran over to Kyle his body. "Kyle!" she exclaimed. "Are you ok Kyle!? Talk to me!" she got on her knees beside Kyle shaking him lightly as she did to wake him in the morning.
Bato got out from cover and crouched down next to her and Kyle. He jacked into Kyle his Cyber brain.
Marian looked tensely as she awaited the response on Kyle's status.
"His Body is badly torn up. he needs emergency repairs." Bato reported. "By the way, were did you get that weapon from?"
"Kyle had it under my pillow." She answered. "He taught me how to use it."
"Impressive." He said out of amazement. "(Major, I am clear again.)"
"(What about Kyle?)"
"(Bad, really bad; He needs Repair ASAP or he will die.)"
"(Get him back to the Tachikoma bay; we can treat him there as best we can until this siege is over. Should we send someone over?)"
"(No need Major; I got someone to help me out already who is quite the shooter.)"
"(Who might that be?)"
"(The android that has a crush on a certain cyborg we know.)" Bato Held out Kyle's pistol to Marian. "Here use this, its better then what you got."
Marian took hold of it and checked the magazine. Bato Picked up Kyle and threw him over his left shoulder. With his machine gun in his right he started walking with Marian following him.
Location: Tachikoma bay.
"I dearly hope he is going to make it or else we might have a depressed or even suicidal android on our hands." Togusa murmured.
"Well I dearly hope he is ok, I forgot to thank him in person for the dress he made me." Motoko answered.
"Ok were ready for him as soon as he gets here, I just hope that we have what we need to sustain him with his injuries." Boma commented
"Does anyone have an idea who these guys are anyway?"
"I might have one Major." Ishikawa answered. "From the way they started the attack and with the booby traps with Dutch writing, I can only say that this might just be the work of a Dutch mercenary group."
"So that's the only thing that we got then?" Saito wondered
"It might just be a Dutch assassin for all we know. Maybe they found out about Kyle defecting." Pazu suggested
"Either way we need to clear this threat." Aramaki interrupted.
"Tachikoma's you will defend the bay, cover all entrances and exits. The rest will spit up and search for contact, Work in pairs." The Major started commanding her troops. "Togusa and Ishikawa, Boma and Pazu, Seito your with me, every one keep an open cyber com incase something happens."
Every one nodded and they checked there weapons and moved out.
Halfway out of the bay they saw Marian and Bato who was carrying Kyle on his shoulder running toward them.
A few medical androids were waiting for there arrival and wasted no time to get to work on saving Kyle's life. Marian could only stand there to watch as she saw the man that she wanted more then anything in the world, get opened up by other androids to make emergency repairs to sustain him. Marian felt angry at her self and jealous at the same time. She was angry because she was powerless to try and prevent Kyle from getting hurt and jealous at the androids that could have there way with Kyle. And she kept close watch on the androids to make sure that they would not go near Kyle his privet parts that she claimed as hers even before they had fallen in love with each other.
"Are you alright?" Aramaki asked as he stood next to Marian.
"I can't really say… I feel… angry at my self."
"Angry you say?" Aramaki wondered. "Would you care to talk about it perhaps?"
"Gladly" she started. "I really do love Kyle like any other couple would, but I feel angry as I was powerless to protect him and keep this from happening."
"That is a normal response from people that are in love." Aramaki complemented.
"But still he went off and left me behind in the safety of his room to protect me. But instead he got hurt because of it, and right now I feel very powerless as I can only watch him fight for his life." Marian shed a tear of sadness.
Aramaki looked at her face as if a miracle had happened. He gave her a handkerchief to wipe her tears away; she took it and did just that with out any explanation what so ever.
"Marian." He started. "I would like you're permission to look into you're AI programming."
"Why would you want that?" She wondered.
"Your reactions and everything are curious to say the least, I wonder what is going on with you're programming." He started. "You are the first case of a normal android that picks up a weapon and fight out of there own free will to protect someone as it goes against the programming that was originally in side of you."
"I am not sure sir…" she hesitated.
"I promise that I will only have a look, I won't change or do anything. Looking at your code is the only objective that I have to find out what is going on with you're programming."
She nodded exposing her port in the back of her neck. "Very well." She agreed.
Aramaki put a dummy barrier around his neck and jacked in.
The programming code was strange, and it was a bazaar experience for him. Digging deep into the code he found very surprising things there.
A type of construct was active deep inside her AI. The type of Construct Aramaki knew all to well. It was an age old signs of a Ghost being present with in a cyber brain.
Yet this Ghost was primitive, like that of a child at the age of 6 to 9 years old. That's the age when there final personality gets decided on. With every passing second the construct became a little bit more advanced.
Aramaki had seen enough to understand what caused her behavior. And he stopped looking at the code and jacked out. "I understand now." He answered. "Marian I must congratulate you."
Marian looked up at her boss and former owner in a confused manner.
"You have a construct inside your AI programming, a construct that is the same as the Ghost of a 7 to 9 years old child." Aramaki answered. "This means that you might have more rights in this world, as a ghost classes you as human. Though the base of the Ghost is that of an AI by nature, it still is very much a ghost all the same. And personally I wont be able to tell if it's made up of an AI's programming or that of an actually person. Only you're chassis tells the truth about the matter."
The medical androids stopped working, and one of them came to Marian to bring her the news. "We are done; his prosthetic body took quite some damage, but we managed to save his life. A replacement prosthetic body will be needed as soon as possible as it is too heavily damaged; we managed to repair the life support functions and his ability to hear and talk with others, but other then that he is completely immobile and blind."
"Thank you." Marian bowed. "Can I go see him?" she asked.
"Certainly, just remember that too much stress could make his situation worse."
Marian nodded and she walked in while the medical androids left.
"Kyle? Can you hear me?"
"Marian? Is that you?"
"Yes I am here right beside you."
"I am sorry Marian; I went out to try and keep you save, instead I got hit with HV ammo." Kyle apologized.
"It's ok." Marian answered as she bent over and kissed Kyle. "It's ok, things like that can happen to the best of soldiers."
Kyle chuckled. "I guess you're right."
Marian sat down on a nearby chair, still holding Kyle's BPP in her hand. She took the magazine out and emptied the camber of the weapon by pulling back the slide. Then she put the ejected round back into the magazine and she loaded the BPP again for firing and she started all over again.
"What are you doing?" Kyle wondered as he heard the same sounds time and time again.
Marian stopped and looked at her hands. "Sorry, I guess that I am nervous."
"Nervous? What are you nervous for?" Kyle wondered.
"This attacker… I wonder what he is after; I just can't help but think that something is terribly wrong."
"Well they certainly know how to lay traps, that's for sure."
"Don't worry." Marian said cocking the BPP again. "I will keep you save."
"Thanks Marian." Kyle answered.
It was a little known fact that Kyle always had the fend for him self, even when part of the army it was make or break every time that he entered the battle field. Get hurt and you're on your own just like the foreign legion of France some 100 years back.
But this time someone cared about him and was willing to protect him, it was an odd feeling that he was glad to experience. Would his body function like it should, he would probably shed tears of happiness right now.
End Chapter 2
Notes:
There are a few lines that you might not be able to understand. The reason being is that it is actual Dutch.
Even though the some of the Characters can understand it and have translated it for the others. I felt the need to include a One-On-One Translation of it anyways.
Translations:
"Heb je het gedaan zoals ik je vroeg?" "Have you done like I asked you?"
"Ja meneer." "Yes sir."
"Meneer we hebben het bewijs nog niet vernietiged, het staat nog op papier in het argief." "Sir we did not destroy the evidences yet, it is still on paper in the archive."
"ga er heen en vernietig het nu meteen." "Go there and destroy it right now."