When Leo finished the work on Django, he came into the trailer's living area where he joined Sei and the girls in the living area, where they huddled with Suzuki and Bando around Amy and her laptop.

Sei's phone rang. Amy nodded and Sei answered it. "Hello?"

"Hello, Sei," a feminine electronic voice answered. "Believe it or not, I'm glad to hear your voice again."

"I can't say the same."

"Well, I did sound different the last time you saw me."

"Really? Where did we meet again? It would help if I knew who I was dealing with."

"So you can keep me talking while Amy traces this call? No, Sei. I'm not going to make it that easy for you. I'm going to hang up and call you back on the untraceable emergency phone you keep in your safe. What I have to say is for your ears alone."

"I want proof that Kyohei Tachibana is alive or I won't bother negotiating with you."

"If you don't answer your emergency phone, you will never see him again."

The connection broke.

Sei headed for the cockpit.

Jo came up behind her and grabbed her shoulder. "Sei-"

"Back off!" Sei snapped.

Jo let go. Sei went through the hatch and hit the switch that closed the door to the living quarters. She went to a bulkhead and her fingers danced on a keyboard there. The small wall safe slid open. She reached in and yanked the emergency cell phone off its charger.

The phone rang.

Sei answered. "Yes?"

"Ah, Sei," the voice purred. "Punctual as always."

"I want proof of life."

"Oh, all right. Sending an image file…now."

Sei looked at the phone's holoscreen. It showed Kyo standing next to a glowing brain which floated on a platform that had tentacles hanging from it. The wall behind them was blank, nondescript. Kyo held a large tablet with a gun camera image of Django from the fight in the cyber market.

Sei brought the phone to her ear. "I want to talk to him."

"You're in no position to make demands, Sei."

Sei took a deep breath. "So why don't you tell me who you are? Or should I just call you Subject Zero?"

"Yeah, that is a stupid code name. I'll give you that, Sei. I rather liked Eriko. Sei's a pretty name, too. But to me, you will always be Tamiko."

"Tami…Who are you!?"

"Tell me, Tamiko: Why haven't you had Kyo bake brownies for you? You loved the ones I made, didn't you?"

Sei's jaw dropped as nine years faded away and the memories came flooding back…