Chapter 13

In which Delta explains to Carlos that he is a receiver, Diana finally recalls what Delta told her after Q-End 2, Junpei becomes attached to Sean, and Mira and Sean determine what paths they both must take.

"Dr. Klim?"

He looks up from his work, and spins in his office chair to face her. He looks pleased to see her, and it causes a small pause in the circuits in her chest — it would function as a makeshift heart, of sorts; though it is not necessary for her survival, she is grateful he has done whatever he can to make her feel like him, a human.

"Hello, Luna," he greets, a smile playing on his lips. "I'm glad you're here. I needed your input on something I've been thinking about installing for you."

There's a small strand of graying hair that falls over his forehead and Luna can't help but think how . . . how adorable — is that she can describe it as? — it is.

Luna tilts her head and smiles widely. "Yes, of course," she says sweetly in her soft voice. "Please, tell me, Dr. Klim."

He stands up from his seat, beginning to take small steps towards her as he speaks. "I know that I've programmed a scheduled sleep mode that you can control, so you can stimulate how humans experience sleep, but it seems I've been a bit unfair to you."

"N-No, no! Not at all, Doctor!" She has been nothing but grateful to him for bringing her into existence. There's nothing more she feels deserving enough to ask from him.

He smiles in appreciation, but shakes his head, his tall figure suddenly looming over her. "No, Luna. I forgot about a very essential aspect of sleeping humans experience, and that you deserve to experience, as well. So, I've decided to install something I call the 'Electric Sheep' function onto your hardware."

"Electric Sheep . . . ?"

.

Delta's eyes widen in recognition when he sees the man who aimed a gun at him a few days ago.

"Um, hello." Carlos greets the old woman awkwardly, wondering to himself who she is.

"Hello, there. I'd say it's a pleasure to meet you, but we've known each other for no longer than a minute. For all intents and purposes, I'm Phi's Gran. We will explain to you our real relationship later."

Carlos, taken aback, nods dumbly. She is direct and frank, just like Phi, he notes.

"How are you even here, right now, Carlos?"

"I dropped Maria, Junpei, Akane, her brother, Aoi, and their friend, Clover, at the motel — "

"Clover?" Phi interjects quizzically.

Sigma, too, is shocked. "She is here, too?!"

Carlos nods suspiciously. "You know her, too, huh? Small world. Anyway, I dropped them all off and then drove here."

Diana is seriously beginning to consider that Carlos is, in fact, a clairvoyant, of sorts. "How did you know to drive here?"

"Just went with my gut. We can figure out the details later." He turns to look at the 20-year-old man standing by himself on the side. "Who are you?" Perhaps, he is a relative of Diana or Phi. But with the way their stance is towards him, Carlos is inclined to believe that maybe he is not a favorite family member.

"Me?" His face is blank as he folds his arms. "I'm Zero . . . I'm Delta. How could you forget so easily, Carlos?"

Well, damn, Carlos wasn't far off the mark. "Zero!?" He narrows his eyes. "Are you fucking with me!? You SHIFTed to your younger years and transported here!?"

Delta stares back at him with blank eyes. "You are the one who shot me." His voice is almost accusatory, which bewilders Carlos.

"W-Well, yeah, of course, I did!" he replies defensively. "Isn't that what you wanted? So, you could SHIFT?"

Delta doesn't answer his question. Instead, he takes in Carlos's words as if he is listening to new pieces of information and then asks back, "Why did you shoot me, Carlos? Why would you do what I wanted if I am supposed to be the villain, here?"

"I don't know, okay? I already said that I just went with my gut!" he shouts back in exasperation.

"No, that's not quite true . . . I'll tell you what has been going on. You are one who can receive information across the morphogenetic field, Carlos. I've been transmitting information to you through the morphic fieldset. That is how you knew to shoot me. That is how you knew about the Grand Canyon, and that is why you're here in this research facility, at this very moment. Think of my actions as a form of one-sided telepathy."

"I'm . . . a receiver?"

Delta nods, pleased. "Exactly. Your teammate, Junpei Tenmyouji, is a receiver, as well, though he has once transmitted information to Akane Kurashiki, who had been transmitting information to him, to save her life. They both will be able to expand your knowledge on transmitter and receivers."

Sigma already knows this story, but this is new to Diana, Phi, and, especially, Carlos. "W-What? Junpei and Akane?"

Delta's eyes close as takes on a look of deep concentration, as if he is struggling to recall something, or is just trying to determine his next words very carefully. "Ask them about the Second Nonary Game . . . and ask Junpei Tenmyouji about how 'truth had gone.'"

The moment Diana hears him utters those last three words, she lets out a gasp. Suddenly, it feels as if everything has fallen into place.

"Truth had gone" if sine dihe — when I lied to Delta, of wry hog when wrenched. The memory of seeing the bloody red words on the wall of the lounge is so clear, as if it was never out of reach in the first place, just clouded in her mind.

"I remember! I remember!" Diana cries out, her eyes glazing over, as she recalls the timeline. Her fingers clutch tightly around Sigma's wrist. "I remember what happened in the timeline!"

"Diana?!"

"There are so still so many paradoxes that we don't know how they are solved, Sigma. A-And, and, the fanatic! Oh, we have to solve the final anagram!"

While Carlos, Sigma, and Phi attend to Diana, asking her what she recalls, Sophia, who is slightly confused, turns to look at her brother, knowing he has some hand in whatever is going on.

Delta finally opens his eyes as a small, but satisfied smile spreads across his face. "Then, I believe my work here is done. I shall take my leave."

Upon hearing his words, the others immediately go silent and silently stare at him.

"Where the fuck are you going, you bastard? I'm not through with you, yet!" Phi punches her fist to her palm threateningly, but Delta just shakes his head.

"You will have to save it for another time. For now, I have to track down that fanatic, and so do you all. This won't be the last time we meet," he assures, before exhaling dejectedly as he walks towards the old woman.

"Phi," he murmurs in parting. Silent tears stream down Sophia's cheeks when he leans down to kiss her on the forehead. She grips onto his biceps tightly, which infuriates Phi.

"Where will you go, Delta?" she asks in a low whisper.

His hand ruffles her wispy white hair. "Do not worry about that, sister."

Delta then steps away from her to take a few towards Phi, but his face immediately falls as he sees her move back, her face scrunched into an angry scowl. "Don't you fucking come near me," she snarls wrathfully, pointing her index finger towards him in warning.

He looks away from her with a frown, and then gives Diana, Carlos, and Sigma a lasting look before turning on his heels and strolling towards the exit.

.

"What are you doing?"

"Ah!" Sean jumps in his seat on the couch, startled by the voice. He twists his body to see his familiar black t-shirt and then looks up to meet his face. "Oh, hey, Junpei. When did you come?"

"Hey, Sean. Just not too long ago." He scratches the back of his neck awkwardly as he walks around the sofa to stand closer to Sean. "Um, Carlos dropped us off and, as we were getting our room keys, I saw you sitting here by yourself."

"Oh, yeah . . . I was just thinking."

Junpei raises an eyebrow. "Thinking? Not about if you're going with Sigma and Diana or Eric and Mira, are you?"

Sean nods, as Junpei takes a seat on the coffee table in front of him. "Actually, yeah, I am, but I guess I don't have to worry too much. I have another day or two until we go to the Grand Canyon . . . right?" He looks at Junpei, and though he has no face, Junpei can tell the look he is trying to give is questioning.

"Um, about that . . . Carlos said we may not be going to the Grand Canyon, anymore." He grimaces sheepishly, looking away from Sean.

"W-What?!" Sean exclaims, shifting anxiously in his seat. "Why?!"

Junpei sighs. "I don't know myself. All I know is that the bast — " He stops himself, his eyes sliding over to Sean's small frame. "Um, all I know is that the jerk hasn't returned, yet, from parking the car."

"No, no!" he cries out frantically, his hands flying to his helmet. "I haven't made my decision, yet! I . . . I need more time!"

"Hey, hey!" Junpei scoots up the table to get closer to the robot child, and places his hands on his small shoulders. "Sean, calm down! It's going to be okay, whatever you choose."

"But Junpei, I don't want to rush my decision!"

"You won't, Sean," he assures firmly, squeezing his shoulders gently, a strange, paternal feeling overcoming him as he comforts Sean. "All you need to do is to think about what is best for you, and the decision will come easily. And you don't have to worry about hurting anyone's feelings, so don't take that into account."

"W-What's . . . best for me?" His voice is hesitant, but he is also bemused.

Junpei nods. "Right. Go with the person that you feel will benefit you more. Who will benefit you more? Sigma, or Mira and Eric?"

Or me.

Junpei is stunned by the sudden thought that has popped into his mind. Where the hell did that come from? . . . Me taking in Sean? Would Akane even be okay with that? Hell, would I even be okay with that? Apparently, yes, since the thought did come in his mind.

Suddenly, he can't help but entertain the thought of Sean living with him and Akane. Sure, he barely knows Sean, and it would be awkward for the first few days, but there is this strange pull that draws Junpei to him, emotionally, that he knows would probably remove that awkwardness very quickly.

"The one who will benefit me more, huh . . . ?" Sean is lost deep in thought, but so is Junpei.

I can't fix him like Sigma can, but I can certainly take care of him . . .

"Hmm," he hums aloud as his eyebrows furrow in confusion, and wonders to himself.

"What's wrong?"

"Oh, um . . ." Junpei wracks his mind for some explanation, "you've been out in the lobby for a long while, but people haven't asked you about your helmet, yet."

Sean shakes said helmet in question. "Oh, I've been in the corner of the lounge area all this time. I think the guy at the front desk was the only one who saw me, but he probably thought he was too tired and was becoming delirious." He giggles to himself, and Junpei joins in with a quiet chuckle, his heart warming at the sound of Sean's childish laughter.

.

Indecisive is not a trait Mira has ever associated herself with. She has always preferred raspberry sorbet, her favorite color has always been red, and she never had an issue when choosing her next victim whose heart she wanted to touch. Even during the Decision Games, in whatever input she gave Sean for a decision, she stuck to her choice, unlike him or Eric. She has always been a direct, decisive person, and that was something she has always loved about herself.

But tonight, as she paces back and forth in front of her and Eric's bed, she wavers between decisions, unable to understand which decision would lead to the better outcome.

It is soon that she finds herself walking to the lobby. She ignores the soft, but weary greeting of the employee at the front desk, and immediately plops down on a sofa in the corner of the lounge area.

"Can't get any sleep?" she hears Sean's rasping voice asks from beside her.

Mira shrugs nonchalantly, unfazed by his sudden presence — or was he already there when she took a seat? She is quite not sure. "I can say the same for you."

"Yeah, but I'm physically incapable of being able to sleep. You can, though," he points out.

She frowns, folding her arms over her chest. "There are thoughts that keep me up at night — that don't let me sleep. Lately, my dreams haven't been too pleasant, either."

"Your dreams, huh? . . . How does it feel to dream? And what do you dream about, Mira?"

Mira sighs. "My dreams . . . my dreams are about things that happened and that may have happened in the Decision Game. I dream about killing Eric in the Study and feeling his heart and his love for me. I dream about all of these feelings that I don't understand and can't describe," she tells him honestly.

"It's hard for me to understand, since I'm not exactly sure how it feels to be human, but are dreams very lifelike?" he asks curiously, almost in the way a child would ask — though, for all intents and purposes, Sean is a robot child. "Some of these dreams stem from your subconscious, right? Maybe, that's why . . ." he trails off, her eyes meeting the camera lenses of his helmet briefly.

She shrugs. "Maybe." A few minutes pass by as they sit in silence, until Sean decides to tell her what has been on his mind.

"I need to tell you something important," he begins softly, but Mira's ears catch the hesitance in his croaky voice.

"So, tell me," she coaxes gently.

Sean looks at his socks, his fingers tracing around the power button design on one of them. "I'm scared to . . . ," he admits quietly, toying with his fingers nervously.

Mira genuinely frowns, probably for the first time ever (as, since leaving the Nevada Test Site, she hasn't had to fake any emotions once, which is exhilarating but also frightening to her); the sting of rejection is unfamiliar and evokes feelings of sadness. "Why? I won't hurt you or anything. Go on."

He shakes his spherical helmet. "I know that you won't hurt me. But you'll get angry."

She is beginning to feel impatient. She rolls her eyes as she assures, "Sean, I won't. Just tell me, please."

"Um, well, I think . . . I'm going to stay with Sigma after he outfits a new face on me."

"Oh." Mira lets out a slight sigh as her shoulders slump, a part of her chest suddenly beginning to feel hollow. "That's . . . good. You'll be able to learn about yourself if you stay with Sigma."

"I'm sorry, Mira." She shakes it off, urging him not to feel guilty, but he continues, "I'll visit as much as I can . . . and I'll call you guys."

Mira nods but stay silent. "Sean?" she then calls out.

He looks up at her. "Yeah, Mira?"

"You want to experience what it's like to be human, right?"

He nods eagerly.

"Then ask Sigma to read the book, Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?, by Phillip K. Dick." Her passion for reading the quirky, peculiar works has come in handy. "See that he installs some sort of sleep mode with a dreaming function in you. It will benefit you a lot, I'm certain."

There was that word again. Benefit. Junpei said it, and now Mira is saying it, too. Maybe there is something to the concept of benefit than Sean has thought.

"Mira . . ." Sean's voice is full of awe, and if he was physically capable of crying, he would.

"Don't forget about us, kid."

Mira suddenly is surprised to find herself engulfed in a tight hug. "M-M-Mira," Sean starts to sob into her stomach, "How did you think that I wouldn't remember you?!"

His large helmet feels slightly unnatural against her, but she doesn't care. She embraces him back with equal fervor, afraid to let go, afraid of the feelings that are surfacing — are these feelings the kind that her mother feels when it comes to Mira? The strange, not-exactly-maternal feelings aside, in just a couple of days, she has gotten surprisingly close to Sean. She wonders briefly if it's because he's heartless, but then banishes the thought. She still feels confused with her emotions regarding Eric, and his feelings towards her, but she does feel much closer to him than she did before the Decision Game.

Mira feels her throat suddenly tighten. Though she does not want to leave, she knows it has to be done for Sean's sake, and for hers and Eric's sakes.

Suddenly, the foggy clouds of indecision have cleared; Mira's and Sean's paths are now clear. They both know what decisions they must take now.

I know, I know, you're left confused and full of questions. You're supposed to be - it's part of the plan, don't worry. Unless you're willing to take it all upon yourself and try to guess and determine the meaning of that phrase, all will be answered soon enough, including some paradoxes. (I totally recommend an anagram decoder website if you do, though! I can't promise you'll be able to figure any of it out, but it was the website I used to make that awful, torturous phrase.) ;)

Also, a HUGE thank you to everyone for reading, leaving kudos, and/or commenting! It means the world to me that you all take time out of your day for my little fic and that you enjoy reading it! c: