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Rideback: Fire and Water

Chapter 8

Kiefer's Malicious Intent

A couple months later Okakura is in his office nearing completion of the new OS. Looking at the screen on his laptop he made a few final touches to the acs matrix and said "That should about do it. All expect for the filter."

Okakura sighed and looked at the date at the bottom corner of his laptop screen. "I still have no clue how I can prevent these from being used as weapons. I can't just filter out aggression. That would make them useless in competition. Aggression by it's self is not a bad thing. Tamayo's a perfect example of that. She's as aggressive as they come. No, I have to filter out malicious intent specifically. And how do I do that? I don't have the slightest clue what malicious intent looks like to a rideback's sensors... Keifer. Of course. I have to get a look at Kiefer's Black Knight's sensor logs. That'll be about the clearest picture of malicious intent I could ever hope to see. Now, how to find him."

Okakura pulled out his cellphone. "I guess it's time to call in a few favors."

~RB~

A couple days later Okakura, with his hands clasped behind his head, was being escorted by two armed guards into an office in some abandoned warehouse somewhere. "We didn't find any weapons on him sir. He's clean." one of the guards said.

"Whoa Goblin. You always did have balls of steel. Walking in here unarmed. How did you find me by the way." said Kiefer.

"I have friends in low places." said Okakura.

"Don't we all." said Kiefer rhetorically. "So to what do I owe this honor?" he asked.

"I want you to let me take a look at your black knights sensor logs." said Okakura.

"Mine?" Kiefers eyes narrowed in suspicion. "What are you looking for Goblin?"

"Specifically, I want to see what your black knight sees in you every time you kill?" said Okakura.

"Sounds interesting so far. Why?"

"I'm writing a new version of the OS and I need a filter that will prevent them from being used as weapons."

"Why Goblin. It almost sounds like your going soft."

"And if I am now would be a good time to strike." said Okakura almost daring him to try.

"So let's say I let you look at my black knight. What do I get out of it?"

"What do you want out of it?"

"Rin Ogata" said Kiefer without hesitation.

"You know she's not mine to give."

"Than no deal."

"What exactly do you want her for? To be another soldier on one of your black knights? Or is it something else?" asked Okakura.

"What's it to you?"

"You've got a point. It's nothing to me. What ever you want her for if you want her you'll just have to approach her yourself but you already know she won't go with you, don't you? You were hoping maybe I had more influence? Well, I don't and to be honest I don't think I't try if I did. She deserves a better life than you're offering."

"Well, we may have our differences but at least you never betrayed me. I'l let you look at the sensor logs."

Kiefer pulled out his cellphone and dialed a number. "This is Kiefer. I'm sending Goblin over. Give him full access to my black knight. Is that understood?"

Kiefer then put his phone away and turned his attention back to Okakura and said " It's down in the garage with the others. You can't miss it. It's the only one that's actually black."

~RB~

A few days later Rin, Shoko and Tamayo are all on Fuego, Balon and Agua respectively dancing around outside the garage. Well, Rin and Tamayo are dancing anyway."

"Hey no fair! How come I can't get Balon to do that?" complained Shouko.

"Oh Shouko. Trust me it's not you. It's the software. Balon doesn't have the custom OS that Fuego and Agua have." said Tamayo.

Just then Okakura rode up on his rideback. "Hey Chief. How's it goin?" said Haruki.

"Tamayo, Rin, Have you two made a decision yet?" asked Okakura.

Tamayo and Rin both froze. "Does that mean what I think it means?" asked Tamayo.

"It's ready." said Okakura.

Rin and tamayo both looked down at their ridebacks as if mourning lost loved ones.

"It's not surprising you've grown attached to them." Okakura thought for a moment and then said, "I'll tell you what. As a test I can instal this on Balon and the RB-Z and we can see if the new OS will accept you two before we risk wiping the memories of Fuego and Agua but that's the best I can do."

"No no no. Bad idea. We need to have at least two race legal ridebacks." Tamayo then looked at Rin and Shouko and then her RB-Z and then at Agua and said "Shouko after the install I want you to try Agua first."

"Oh wow, Tamayo. Are you sure?" said Shouko.

"Yeah, It really should be you and Rin doing that exhibition and I'm better off with a race legal RB-Z anyway." said Tamayo.

"Didn't I tell you she was a good friend?" said Rin.

"Okay then. I'll need about an hour to do the job." said Okakura.

"Why don't we all go to the cafeteria and grab some lunch while Okakura works." said Haruki.

"Awesome idea. I'm starving." said Dota.

"You're always starving." said Tamayo.

~RB~

An hour later they arrived back at the rideback club's garage and Okakura had Fuego and Agua outside ready to go.

"So, Are you ready for the moment of truth?" said Okakura.

"Yeah, I guess." said Rin.

"Well the keys are in them so when ever you're ready." said Okakura.

"Lets go at the same time." said Shouko.

Tamayo got on her RB-Z and started it up just to be ready to ride with them should all go well.

Rin then climbed on Fuego and took hold of her key and waited for Shouko to do the same.

Shouko climbed on Agua and just admired the paint job for a moment before finally taking hold of the key.

"Okay, On 3. ready? One... Two... Three." said Rin and with that they both turned their keys and started their engines. The screens came to life with and light up doing their usual memory checks on boot up and both ridebacks sat purring like kittens.

Rin was the first to give it some gas and try to move a little. She pulled out and just rode it in a small circle and not getting any resistance in the handlebars she said, "So far so good. What do you say, Once around the water tower and back?"

Shouko placed one hand on Agua's deep blue fuel tank and closed her eyes as if to pray. "Agua, Please forgive any nervousness you may be detecting right now. This is just really really important to me. I need to be able to ride with Rin. No, I need to be able to dance with Rin. So please please trust me Agua. I know we can work well together." She thought and then began to slowly roll forward but straight forward almost afraid to turn for fear she'd feel some resistance.

"Shouko you have to turn to find out anything." said Tamayo.

"I know." she said and slowly began to turn Agua towards the Rin and Tamayo. After the turn Shouko looked up with a big smile on her face then she goosed the throttle and zipping past Tamayo and Rin yelled, "Last one to the water tower buys the beer!"

"Oh no she did not just..." said Tamayo taking off after her with out even finishing her sentence.

Rin followed Tamayo laughing out loud as she rode off.

A few minutes later Tamayo is the first one back with Rin right behind her.

"Okay, your title is still safe for the moment." said Rin after removing her helmet.

And last Shoko who had been happy to lose. "Wow, That was awesome. I really thought it was gonna reject me. Beers on me everybody!" She hollered.

Okakura looked kind of puzzled and thought "hmmm I actually thought it would reject her too." "So neither of you felt any resistance?" he asked. To which both just shook their heads. "Okay then, I have work to do back in my office so get using them and keep me posted. Let me know if any problems crop up."

"Yeah let's get back out there. It's early yet. We can hit the beers later." said Shouko and with that the three of them headed right back out and spent the next few hours getting acquainted with their new rides.