Noise of the everlasting summer nights

Repeat 563

The Devil is in the Details

by Synaps

"Why are you here?"

I sat alone in my room, trying to reason with and understand the entity which I had decided to call Ko. After all, we were both logical beings, reason is the way to get a point across.

"Because I will always exist as long as you do, silly." A cryptic answer, still somewhat unlike what the real Asakura Ryoko would give me. Hence my decision to not call her that.

However, I had a feeling I might be wrong. In every way that really mattered, this Ryoko gave off the same frequency as the old one. In every way that mattered, but not in the details. The little things gave her away.

This ruled out a few possibilities. It was not a memory manifesting itself as a hallucination, in that case it would be perfect. Neither was it the real Asakura Ryoko… unless she had for some reason drastically changes. People did that sometimes, Interfaces… not so much.

"What is your goal?"

"Right now, the same as yours." It showed signs of understanding diplomacy, that needed to be noted. "To get out of this endless summer. To achieve change."

"I-I haven't proven already that it is not my goal?" I said, voice getting caught on the words. It had been a long time since I had talked this much. My throat had become dry. She seemed to interpret it as a sign of hesitation.

"You have tried, but I know what you really want."

"That is incorrect."

"You are more human than you think."

Changing my previous statement seems to be in place, Ko is not at all logical. "Of course not, because I am not human at all."

"Then why do you feel? Don't lie, I can tell that you are becoming aggravated. I have programming to interpret human emotions."

'A reference to being an Interface? Better to not read to much into it.'

"I'm still not human." Said I, getting irritated with her attitude.

"Still, one of us needs to do something about this situation. We need to influence Haruhi somehow."

"My mission is clear, I am not allowed to do that."

"You already have. Merely by existing you affect things. The way of the Overmind is irrelevant because of that. You cannot determine both the speed and location of a particle, because you alter one while observing the other."

"However, they are not particles."

"The point is that observation will affect the observed object. You know this."

"Yet you claim this to be a static object that there is no point in observing. You are contradicting yourself. The measured affects of the observation is just another data to analyse."

"If you won't act, I will."

-l-

I was sitting by the pool. We had been dragged there by Suzumiya Haruhi again. I didn't own a bading suit, so I fashioned one using data manipulation. Every loop I had created a different one. It was beginning to become a small game. Though I could not phantom why everyone else in the SOS Brigade also seemed to change swimwear. Did they buy them in the beginning of the loop? For the loop to affect it that would have to be the case. Yet no one had mentioned it. Kyon would have been sure to complain about how this forced him to spend money on it.

It is a mystery, but it is one of the few mysteries left.

-l-

I have been considering the reasons for Ko to appear in my head. I have a few hypothesises, each and everyone seemingly incorrect.

Firstly, the idea that this is somehow Asakura Ryoko's work. Though I do not think it was within her abilities, it is not impossible for her to have downloaded a virus into me during our fight. I had used much of my offensive data and was therefore somewhat more vulnerable than usual. However, this would have become obvious when I searched myself for foreign substances. Unless she also infiltrated the Data Overmind…

Secondly… I have somehow malfunctioned. If my programming has broken down it is entirely possible for this to manifest as incorrectly relayed information regarding audio and video. That is, as close as I could get to insanity. I had almost decided to run a full diagnostics when I realised, what if I have malfunctioned? What would the Overmind do about it? The easiest way would be to delete me. I am not an asset if I cannot function properly. If they can't easily fix the problem, they will fix the problem. As I'm not keen on dying, I need to find a way to fix this myself. Without risking exposure. Therefore I need to create a complete diagnostic program on my own, without accessing the Overmind database. Such actions are too easily traceable.

I'm not sure that is possible for me.

Guess I don't need to look for a hobby anymore. Though I was kind of looking forward to it.

Honestly though, I'm afraid. If the Overmind discovers my predicament… if I cannot complete the program… There are so many "ifs" and I can't surely tell the answer to any of them. Something is wrong with me. I know that much. I just don't know… anything else. This may be the first time I have stood completely without answers. If I could just use the Overmind's database… but I won't. Not really because of Ko, but because of me. Something have changed with me. Perchance it is like she says, that I'm becoming more human. I don't know. I have never felt like this before. Not these exact feelings, nor as strongly. Sure, this has been building up for a while. However, before I could handle it. Now it feels like… like if I don't do something soon I will explode.

Above everything else: my mind being invaded, Asakura Ryoko possibly being still alive… I need to keep this a secret. Because if I don't, I will be deleted.

Author's note: I really wanted to update, as to not keep you waiting any longer. As such it is a bit shorter than I intended. However, this is where the story really begins. The next chapter will be a turning point, though I guess this chapter also contained one.

Also, if you noticed it or not doesn't really matter… but time took a great jump with this chapter. This is because Nagato's emotions needed some time to build up. During the skipped time the same happened, over and over again. Nothing of importance.