Draupadi was back into the repair shop/Med bay. Everything was neat and clean; the computer was humming gently in the back, the 'Virus' having boosted its performance significantly. 'I need a new name for it. 'Virus' carried too much bad memory.'
Obliviously, she was once again plugged into it; the internal process that made her body move and function were all displayed on the screen as Cerveau analyses them silently. He had already given her a physical exam, finding a little damage from her last mission and eleven out of twelve tilaka marks that adorned her body.
After some time consulting the 'boosted' diagnosis software, Cerveau wearily rubbed his eyes from under his glasses and pushed himself away from the monitor, grabbing a chair on the way. He sat in front of Draupadi, looking at her neutrally as he leaned a cheek on a hand.
Draupadi awkwardly yet elegantly crossed her legs. Wishing she could disconnect yet wary at how the base doctor would react.
After more time, Cerveau finally spoke. "… Where to start." He sighed.
"Am I about to die anytime soon?" The red and back reploid half-joked.
"No, no…not at all. All of your systems are in the green…" He kept on staring…
"Maybe you should start with my gender and work from there?" Draupadi proposed, there was an elephant in the room, and it needed to get out.
"Yes…great Idea…your gender…" Cerveau rubbed his face with both hands.
"Tired?" She asked; the poor reploid looked…well, not exhausted. Just very tired.
"No… The legend… If your legend was wrong about your gender, then what else had been doctored." He asked. "Also…do you have any idea why your frame had no gender identification?"
Draupadi shrugged. "I'm one of the first two reploid model…or a free-willed robot master. This type of designation was not needed at the time." It would have made this much easier…a bit too easy, to be honest.
Of course, there was more to it than just having free will, but that was another story entirely. One that had to be exposed as gently and tactfully as possible, something Draupadi was terrible at.
"One of the firs-"
"X and I…two different creators." Initially from the same, and then…" So, care to tell me my legend? I'm sure there will be more incongruity." Draupadi gave a wry smile. 'Alright, Krishna, let's see what they think of me."
Cerveau closed his eyes. "Well, we already one part was wrong…or at least, X didn't-"
"It's… more complicated than that. As you said, my frame doesn't carry gender identification. Of course, I hated to be called an 'it' and 'they,' so X and I settled for the male pronoun since it was accepted as neutral…and everyone saw me as a male anyway..." a wry smile stretched her lips. A voice chip calibrated with a male voice, a powerful body, gruff and the emotional dept. Of an eighth of a teaspoon made sure of that. And her amnesia didn't help at all.
"But in truth…" She lowered the eyes. "In truth, I was always an F-model…as I was originally designed."
Cerveau grunted. "Yes… I see. It would explain the long blond hair and the…breasts."
Draupadi hunched over, feeling her core temperature raise a little…
Yes, them…
And then, she felt…pushed to open more.
"Cerveau…is there such a thing as a Hippocratic oath for reploids?" Draupadi asked the base doctor.
Cerveau shook his head. "Not really. If it is serious, then I have to report to Ciel…but otherwise, news travels quickly naturally at the base." He gave a wry smile. "But I will do my best to keep whatever's spoken between those four walls secret as long as I can."
"I see." The Vaishnavi inclined her head. "Krishna… I feel like I need to tell him…why do you want me to reveal this particular secret?'
Trust me; it will work out. She could hear to lord dwelling in her heart of heart speak.
She took a deep vent.
"You have a big secret you want to reveal?" Cerveau asked. And Draupadi nodded.
Of all her secrets, this one would probably be the most accepted, ironically enough.
"It's…about me and…X…" With Alouette, it had been easier since the little reploid was as innocent as the child she was based on. Cerveau (and Ciel), on the other hand…
"Let me guess…the rumours were true." It was not a question.
Draupadi raised her head and gave the base doctor a quizzical look. "What rumours?"
"That you and X were more than friends…and brothers." A forced smile drew itself on Cerveau's lips. "I guess I do own Egret 45 kilo worth of E-crystal."
"Yes… We've been an item for longer than you were active." The blond Vaishnavi confirmed, trying to ignore how a bet was made on this particular subject.
Cerveau didn't react, but it was clear the news troubled him. Eventually, he asked the all-important question. "What are your allegiance?"
"Oh Krishna…how am I supposed to answer this one.' "My allegiance is not with Neo-arcade or the resistance. I serve another master, and my master's desires are my directive." She waved off his concern. "Just know that my Master only wants everyone to be happy, and thus I will do whatever is necessary to see it through. And right now, protecting the reploids that lives in this base and going against X doesn't conflict with his desires." For now. But Draupadi knew she would have to leave and try to reason with Xiu…
Emphasis on try.
The visored reploid did look any less concerned. "Can you tell me who your master is?" he asked.
"Yes."
"You…won't tell me?" Cerveau asked, very much confused.
Draupadi gave a crooked smile. "You may ask me."
"So…yes you can, but you won't."
The blond wiggled her head.
"Your master…those symbols on your body belong to him, isn't it?" the (second) brain of the resistance deduced.
"Yes, it shows that I am his property." ' This body belongs to Krishna; he can do whatever he wants with it."
"I see…" Cerveau still looked worried. "And what was that you were chanting?"
Draupadi brows rose in surprise; she didn't remember chanting in close vicinity of Cerveau…
"Chant when?"
"Ah…it was during those two days you were…out. You were reciting this…prayer."
"What prayer?" The mechanized Vaishnavi asked, playing the ignorant.
Cerveau closed his eyes. "Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare." He recited.
Draupadi lowered her head, hiding her smile behind a curtain of hair and fake bashfulness. 'Yes! Another one!'
"Oh…you mean the Hare-Krishna Maha-mantra?" she said instead with as much innocence she could muster.
"Yes…what is it?" Cerveau asked again.
"It's the supreme peace formula." Draupadi gave the most straightforward answer possible. "So…what's the other part of my legend? And can I please unplug myself from your computer?" She asked as politely as she could; she had already used the machine for cleaning up most of the files…and her port were a bit warmer than what she would have liked...and she didn't want Cerveau to notice her jubilation at his budding infection.
Unfortunately, most of the sacred files were too old to be read by even the old medical clunker. Draupadi would have to write everything down.
"I'm surprised you've asked me. Usually, my patients just pop them off the moment I'm done." The base doctor spoke with evident appreciation in his voice, clearly pleased at the black and red robot master respect. "Yes, nothing's wrong with you; you may remove them."
'Thank you, mother Sri, for teaching me good manners.' Draupadi thought as she disconnected from the computer. "So…next part."
Cerveau sat back. "Yes, Legend said that to stop the virus, you had to seal yourself."
"…it didn't stop it," Draupadi revealed bitterly. "I just gave myself over to the big brains at the sci-lab, and…well, they tried their best to remove the 'virus' from my body." She narrowed her eyes, and she clenched her hands and jaw—another spectacular failure.
"And from the Data they have collected, they made Mother-elf, the vaccine for this virus." Cerveau finished off.
Draupadi raised a brow…that was not what she remembered of the event. "Who's Mother-elf?" She asked instead.
"Mother-elf, or Project Ellipse, was the first Data-being ever generated. Fully sentient and conscious of her environment, able to fully emote a wide range of emotions. This human-made entity had the power to delete the Sigma-Virus. Purifying wide infected area from the vile presence without harming any type of life-forms."
Draupadi closed her eyes and made a face. 'Oh Krishna, there're so many things wrong whit what he just said.' First, no living entity could be human-made, for a soul's existence is eternal; they have neither birth nor destruction. Second, their material prison's main design would be from Krishna (Vishnu, Narayana, Vasudeva...she didn't remember what form of the Lord.), and Maya would then give it to Brahma before finally be delivered to those scientists via his wife, Sarasvati. Third, sentience cannot be human-made either, as were emotions and desires …
'Ellipse…another soul stuck in an electronic body….no one can make a soul, meaning she's another victim.' How could a mere, finite fragment of God be able to make another soul out of dull, lifeless matter? Let alone something so powerful?
"Does it sound right so far?" Cerveau asked.
"I don't know; I remember going to the maverick research lab, speaking to the receptionist and surrendering myself to Karly and her brother…doctor Albert Weil…going in the machine…the going into forced sleep mode…" she enumerated as she held her chin, eyes to the heavens. Draupadi then closed her eyes hard. "And then pain…"
"Pain?" the base medic asked.
Draupadi nodded; even after a hundred years, she could still feel it reverberating in her skeletal base. "They removed me from my body, and…that's as far as I can remember, the rest's just a blurry, pixilated mess." She shrugged. Of course, she remembered being embraced by something…someone blue with three sharp claws and making dolls sleep-walk again...and then anger at being cheated, used...an old man...and codes being messed up...and more pain...and the claws again. Then…Cyberspace and the treasure buried in the under-net.
She could still remember the feeling of the first time she had barged in Mother Sri-Isopanisad's virtual home. Confused, scared, and attracted by the chanting of Hare Krishna Maha-mantra like a moth to a sacrificial fire.
'Glad I did too…'
"Then what happened?" Cerveau asked.
"Oh, became a Hare Krishna." She blissfully explained, still lost in this blessed memory.
There was a moment of silence…and then Draupadi realized she had missed a part of the Narrative. She recalibrated her voice box as she tried to dispel the awkwardness of the moment.
"Right… Of course… Of course." Cerveau did the same. "So…about the virus…"
"Defanged defused and under control." There was no way she would reveal that it was actually a part of her body, like this weird limb made of subtle matter that could connect her to other reploids and assorted electronics. It would also automatically turn off the pain chip and drive the weak-minded and morally inept ones mad if she was not careful.
"Right…that's good, I guess," Cerveau mumbled.
"Yes… Now, may I ask you something else?" Draupadi asked.
"Yes… Of course, you may."
"And will you answer me?" Draupadi asked again with a crooked smile.
Cerveau smiled back, knowing what she was getting at. "Yes…I will."
The black and red legend grew sombre. "Do you know…do you know what happened to X?" She let out a vent. "Actually, I know what happened…he couldn't take the pressure." Xiu Ying was never one for war; his heart was too soft for it…and his intelligence too sharp to be suppressed.
Oh...and the Godforsaken pain chip.
Cerveau lowered his eyes. "And…if you were his lover…" Cerveau sighed as he rubbed his eyes.
"…I'm sorry." Draupadi apologized.
Cerveau raised his eyes to the red ripper. "Why for?"
Draupadi looks down at her hands. "Everything…I'm not the hero you were looking for, and my previous actions caused so much pain…" she buried her face in her hands, pulling them up her front. "I thought…I thought they would have found an anti-virus, and X would finally have the peace he so desired. What the hell happened anyway? Don't tell me another apocalypse happened without me?" she tried to joke…really, it seemed her life was all about causing apocalypse by her mere existence.
Cerveau grew grave. "The mother elf was…stolen." Draupadi gave a very discreet cringe. "It was after the maverick virus was eradicated. Or at least, more manageable."
"Who kidnapped her?" The black and red legend asked.
"I believe it was one of the scientists, a certain doctor Weil."
Draupadi's eyes widened…and then she smiled. "Ha…why am I not surprised."
"Zero…you knew?"
"No, I just have a history with doctors that worked on my frame, turning Maverick and unleashing hell on the planet." She gave a self-deprecating smile; Of course, her attempt would backfire. "That's what happens when one tries to fix a material problem with a material solution."
"Pardon?"
Draupadi gestured to the base doctor, not to worry. "So, Ellipse was kidnapped by the guy who…got her out of me." She paused. How did she manage to bring a soul into her non-existing womb without the assistance of her husband? 'This makes no sense; reploid just don't have the capacity to reproduce.'…
"Say, Cerveau… Can reploid reproduce?"
Cerveau owlishly stared at Draupadi. "Excuse me but…that came out of the left field."
"Just something I would like to know." The Vaishnavi shrugged. "I've seen a few reploid children running around the base, mostly in the civilian barrack…but no pregnant reploids."
Cerveau inclined his head. "Indeed, we do have many child models running around." The base doctor admitted. "But unfortunately, no one as discovered a way to have a pair of reploid make another unite…nanites are not stable enough to imitate growth…and then there's the skeletal issue."
"I see. I'd thought some Reploids weren't made with a solid base."
"The technology used to exist." Cerveau once again admitted. "But it was only used for aquatic models and other models not meant to have human proportion."
'Like Double…and that seahorse.' It was hard to forget a reploid that could turn into sludge.
"So… Reploids are still dependent on humans then…" Not that being dependent was bad, as long as the master was a qualified one. "So Ellipse is from me…and she got kidnapped. I know I'm going to hate myself, but…what happened to her?"
"Unfortunately, this human maverick did something to her that caused her to undo everything, using the ambient virus still floating in the stratosphere to turn Innocent Reploid and Cyber-elves insane."
"And then Xiu snapped." Draupadi finished quietly. If Ellipse were to be seen as her daughter…' Kidnapped, driven insane…caused yet another apocalypse. Krishna, Everything that comes out of me cause destruction…and now that I finally identified as a maiden.'
So, she was the apocalyptic maiden, Draupadi only hope what would come out of that particular pile of ashes would be better the last time it happened.
"Yes…but I doubt your… retirement only caused it."
Draupadi raised her head. "What do you mean by that, Cerveau?" She asked as the heavy guilt slowly lifted from her heart.
"Master X founded and ruled Neo-arcadia for five decades, using the power of Moth… Ellipse to keep the mavericks at bay… That is, until Doctor Weil's curse overwhelmed her, forcing Master X to try and seal her."
A shiver went through Draupadi's spinal tube. "Seal her…how?"
"No one knows for sure, but rumours said that he used his body…and the state he was in corroborated this rumour. Not that I was there when it happened, but I was one of the techies tasked to figure out how to fix this particular mess." He admitted. "And of course...there was the other incident that came before that...the 0 Apocalypse...you don't want to know, my dear. I assure you. But this was the time she really started to show some fraying around the edges."
Draupadi remained silent, too shaken by this revelation to speak.
"He was…hidden from public eyes up until six years ago when…" Cerveau stopped himself.
"When?" Draupadi prodded, super soul, telling her that it was something she needed to hear…as unpleasant as it was.
Cerveau averted his eyes as he bit his lips.
"Cerveau… Please tell me what happened to my husband." There…she even put a name on her relationship now.
"Ciel…knows more than me. The only thing that I know is that after decades of obscurity, X was back…changed …" Cerveau removed his glasses as he rubbed his head. "I don't think I need to tell you how."
"That's why Ciel has this guilty aura around her…" Draupadi murmured.
Silence descended upon the two adults of the base.
"Why did you tell me all this?" Finally, Cerveau asked.
"All of what?" to be honest, the engineer had told her more than Draupadi thought she would hear.
"Your relationship with X…the virus…"
"Because I trust you, and I now have a second person who shares my secret," Draupadi said. "Now…there's something else I would need of you."
"Which is?" Cerveau wearily asked.
"Could you please put my sabre holster on my back? I'm just not used to having it on my thigh." Most of the damage she had received was due to her muscle memory acting out at the worst of time. It was also another reason why she had taken Leviathan out so quickly.
Of course, she could work out this kink through training, but having it replaced on her back was both more efficient and faster. She also had to check if she still had her integrated buster…
Cerveau gave a smile." Yes, of course, my dear. Please come to the shop table, and I will fix it for you."
Sometime later, as Cerveau was connecting some wires onto Draupadi's back…
"So…who's the second person who knows of your secret?" he asked.
"Alouette…no way she would reveal that the first was an 'enemy.'
She could just feel the base doctor smile. "Let me guess; she pulled those worms out?"
"Yes…" the Vaishnavi pushed her head in the specialized cushioning. "I swear…she has a way to get the deepest secret out."
"That, she does," Cerveau confirmed as he replaced the housing, snapping it back into place. "Alright, I'm done. How does it feel, Zero?"
Draupadi got up from the workbench and putting her modified Kevlar vest on, noting with satisfaction at how the sword holster comfortably rested under the armoured red fabric. She inserted the Sabre (not the same one sigma used) and then drew it out, practising her forms.
She could have sighed in delight…
Unfortunate, she didn't have her arm buster option anymore…' not that I was such a good shot with it anyway.'
"Thank you, Cerveau." She folded her palms. "Wonderful work as always."
"Don't mention it…as long as it doesn't bite the Resistance is the assets…" his tone took an edge.
"Oh, trust me, as long as none of you act like a bunch actual maverick, I won't even bother." She re-sheathed her sword, the movement familiar. "Alright-"
Suddenly, the base's alarms blared to life; they were under attack.
'I knew something like that would happen. There's always the calm before the storm…always.' Draupadi thought wryly as she rushed out of the room, using the 'virus' to keep the door locked and noticed by whatever treat was there...and she prayed to Lord Narashima-deva to protect those who had chanted the holy name.
The glorious angel of death tore through him, slicing his body in half with the legendary blade…
The Pantheon's body fell to the ground, and he jumped to another… He shot a few times to his partner, his salvation. Every shot a prayer for liberation.
Zero, oh, his glorious Zero…He whirled around to face him, his golden strands flowing elegantly around their frame as the red ripper rushed at his temporary vessel, striking it down with practised ease.
The Z-sabre cut through this body also…he closed his eyes in pure rapture, savouring the pain that he should have felt…that he deserved.
'Oh zero…my dearest…when, oh when will you cut me off from existence?…when will you free me?…send me to the furnace so that all of humanity's sin may burn with me…' He wanted release…needed release…so many centuries…so much pain…so many sins.
So many wars they had survived together…so many friends he had outlived…many more he had to put down…
Zero had left him… Thinking he could do it alone, that X could lead both Human and Reploids to a golden age…the fruit of his causeless sacrifice.
X held no hatred…He had nothing to feel…He was a machine, nothing more….Light's dream had awoken to the truth… And he knew why his dear Zero did this…
He had left a message…it ended with 'live well,' 'move on,' and… 'Thank you for all those years together, I love you."
I love you…
I love you…
Those three words, X had been the one who thought them to Zero, whispered in moments of intimacy…away from all ears…and in a moment of pure joy after they had found one another a few years after the catastrophic Eurasia mission.
The earth had turned barren, the pollution caused by the collision had killed almost every animal…the virus had mutated the rest.
Maverick were still running around, and humanity were reduced to living underground like rats and mice. And to make mater's worst, a certain gate had manufactured yet another Zero…X's Nightmare made tangible.
The destruction of the simulacra had been both cathartic and heart-crushing…once again, he had seen his Zero died…By his own hands, no less.
And then…without any explanation…His Zero came back…
It was then that X realized that…that he couldn't live without him…
X made his consciousness jump to another pantheon body. This one was hiding, not out of fear, but because he wanted to just look at his resurrected Partner…his messiah, as they cut through a dozen or so of his mechanized troops.
It was…beautiful. Holy…sacred…
Some humans still believed in the second coming of Christ. But Crist belonged to humans…not to the reploid kind…his children, his greatest sins.
X believed and prayed for the third coming of Zero…the salvation of all mechanized beings, they who will cleanse the earth of all sinners.
Starting with him…
Zero finished off the dozen or so heavily armed pantheon and locked on the one master X was using. And then…he noticed it… Golden marks on his archangel's perfect body.
'What is this? Those were not part of the original design.' And if it was not part of the design, it was not part of the plan…and if it was not a part of the ultimate goal…
His perfect future may not happen… for it may not even be Zero…
He spurred the empty vessel to shoot at his salvation, hoping for a clean death, a small taste of what was coming for him.
Instead, Zero dodged the energy pellets and tackled the pantheon to the ground, straddling the android…and by extension X as they held him still.
Up close, X could finally see the expertly crafted faceplate of his beloved…they were venting heavily, their purple eyes piercing…and yet held no anger.
Once again…this froze X's lines.
Zero had blue, green eyes…or dark blue if they felt like it. Not purple…
Purple…was the colour of the virus…the colour of the plague…
'It's still here…how can I rest…' no…he could…his guardians were all immunes to its effects…and the Virus could lead the entire valorous one to salvation…or burn this mockery of civilization to the-the-the…No, Human's sere special, they were important…could not hot hurt them…
Even if they would.
And then, His Zero smiled. "Hey there, Echo, sorry I took so long."
X stared through the red eye of his vessel…this…this was not Zero's husky tone…it sounded…effeminate, sweet, playful even. And yet, only his Zero knew of his pet name…
It was a name they would use at home, behind closed door…in private…away from all hears. Not even Axl knew.
And only Zero could use this particular sabre…no one else.
"…can you speak in this body?"
He could…but what was there to say?
Did I miss you? But how could he? X was but a bunch of code cursed to have human feelings. I love you? He was a machine, and no matter what light had done, love was not such programmable, I hate you? No…he had no hate anymore.
End me?
His source code prevented him from even speaking those words…
The only thing X could do to longingly stare at the salvation, the one who would free the world from all stain, the purifier…The one who would bring everything back to Zero, to nothing…to everlasting peace.
'They're so beautiful…' Even with the new mark that adorned the Z-brain. 'It's…U…Ultimate life form…Ultimate purity …the Ultimate salvation.'
Then Zero leaned forward, her mouth to the Pantheon's audio, their venting sending shivers through X's nanite tubes…no, his entire frame…
When was the last time he and his partner were this closes? When the last time he had felt their breath was, heard their voice…filth their core pulsating with energy?
"Xiu…It's alright. I'll be here soon." His Angel of death spoke reassuringly. "Just Chant what I've sent through Leviathan, and everything will be fine." They spoke to X as if he was a scared child. " Jai Sri Krishna Chaitanya, Prabhu Nityananda, Sri Advaita, Gadadhara, Srivasadi Gaura bhakta Vrinda…Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare…" His dearest Zero whispered…desperately in his right audio cone. And X…was helpless repeating after them, for their voice still held the same hypnotic effect on him.
And then…Zero kissed him on the forehead…breaking the connection he had with the Pantheon. And returning him to his old body, the one connected to Neo-arcadia's nexus. X could feel some moisture on his checks, already evaporating from the heat generated by the mega computer and his own core.
A bit later…
"Ciel…we need to talk." Draupadi addressed the young leader of the resistance as she entered her room. It was clear the girl was suffering an immense amount of stress. And the last Vaishnavi had a feeling she knew why.
"We do, don't we?" The genius was sitting on a broken office chair by a computer.
Draupadi walked in and leaned on the worktable that was in the middle of the room. "Yes…You own me answers Ciel. And don't try to lie or escape. It won't work this time." She knew X would not attack so soon…this had been but a mere warning, an invitation.
'An invitation filled with causalities.' It could have been worst…but there was now ten more empty reploid cluttering the 'cold' storage room.
"First…I want to ask you something," Ciel spoke first, her eyes held a stubborn spark. "Who are you really? Zero was not-"
"DWN dash, infinity, open quote Zero Zero Zero Zero close quote. That's my designation code. My maker is none other than Doctor Albert W. Wily. My main directive is to destroy X…" Draupadi closed her eyes…This was the designation of her frame, a false identity forced upon her due to her past karma. 'This is not me…But I fear I may need to follow my directive.' It may not be possible to bring Xiu back to sanity, she knew…
Ciel looked at the Vaishnavi wearily.
"Ciel…you're the one who got me out of the lab, you're the one who gambles with the life of Passy…you were looking for me so that I may kill my partner, isn't it?" Zero went right to the issue.
"You've seen what he did…" Ciel spoke up, her brows furrowed.
"You mean the 'repurposing' facility?" Draupadi stifled a shudder. There had been ghosts there, many in fact… "Yes, I did. I crawled there for hours stepping over corpses, slipping on oil and stopping the most ridiculously sadistic execution method I've seen in my life." She closed her eyes…if this was how X chose to execute that dividend, then no wonder Neo-arcadia was suffering from an energy crisis. And yet, the Vaishnavi could not help but find the whole this…stage like in its execution.
Draupadi sighed. "Ciel, I know what I have to do. I just want to know what the hell happened to my partner. And before you try to get out of trouble, I know you had a hand in it!" Cerveau put her on the track…and God gave her an even better hunch.
The teen averted her eyes as she bit her lips. Ciel could try to lie, but she was an open book for the century-old maverick hunter.
"I know he tried to seal Ellipse using his body, and I don't need a genius level of intelligence to know how that worked out." While her husband had 'unlimited' potential, he was by no means limitless. "You were tasked to fix him…didn't you?"
Under Draupadi's stern gaze, Ciel began to fidget, worrying the hem of her skirt. (She was trying not to look angry, but this seemed to be one of her default expression.)
The Vaishnavi took a deep breath and released it. "Ciel…I'm…mad. But I won't take it out on you. Just tell me what happened to him." She practically begged.
"Zero…do you know why I was born?" Ciel asked instead, not looking away from the tip of her shoes.
Draupadi almost answered, 'Karma and reviving your eternal relationship with God, Krishna.' but held herself back. This was not the time to preach…not yet.
"Fifty years ago, Master X tried to seal the dark elf-"
"Ellipse." Draupadi corrected.
"With his body."
"But." There was always a but…
"He failed…and he fell in…well, let's call it a coma." Ciel finished.
"Alright, this I knew. What else? You were genetically engineered to fix him, and it took that long to have the right materials?" She could almost roll her eyes; being a genius had nothing to do with good genes and a good family line. One had to have the required karma and the blessing of Brahma and his good wife Sarasvati….and ultimately Krishna.
"No…I was genetically engineered to be able to build a copy…a perfect copy of him."
Zero stared owlishly at Ciel as she tried to grasp what she had just said and then spoke the confusion that was on her mind. After a while, she managed to come up with a single word. "...What?"
A sad smile drew itself on Ciel's pretty face. "It took thousands of failed experiments…and some miraculous acquisition of some genetically material of one doctor Light." The smile became self-deprecating. "I never had a childhood, never had any real friend… But I could code an A. I at four, solder a frame and specialized motherboard at six and even knew how to capture Navi and bond them to an ethereal rig a nine."
A shudder passed through Draupadi…this…was as good as hearing Ciel admit that she could rebind subtle bodied entity…basically, Ghost to puppets under the control of so-called humans.
And…
"So…My h…X is gone…this one's a copy." Meaning she was all alone…well, not quite. She had God at her side. Still…She was still very much attached to him…unfortunately.
Ciel lowered her eyes. "Y-yes…He's a failed Copy, the real X is still 'Sleeping in Yg-"
"You're lying."
"No, I'm not!" The genius tried to deflect the accusation…But Draupadi had already caught her.
Ciel was a bad liar, and two, The super soul would not let a lie pass this easily. Especially for Draupadi. 'Forget Layer, Krishna's the best Navigator.'
Ciel bit her lips, her eyes filled with tears as she spilled everything. "everything was working well, the frame was perfect, the rig was perfect…the chipset, everything." She let out a sob. "…I even managed to crake the Variable system and X's copy technology. I even improve on it…but…but…"
"But." There was always a but…
"It…I couldn't…X…I couldn't copy him…what I made…Copy-X…Never woke up," she revealed.
'Obliviously, no one can copy a soul, cloning a living entity's just not doable, no matter how technologically 'advance' a race can be.' Alright, so a body could be copied (somewhat…and with many problems), but not the living entity that gave it life. Vasudeva Prabhu and the past Acharya were very clear on the whole thing. "So…what did you do?
"I…I went against the human government wishes, and…and I managed to do a secondary bind using the failed Copy as the slave body...and X was again with us. " A pained smile drew itself on Ciel's' face. "At first…everything went well. He was recovering nicely, and his guardians…he loved them…they were all close like a family. And soon, he resumed his blessed rule over Neo-arcadia." Her face crumpled…" and then…thing changed… …he…snapped, broke…and he…he began persecuting reploids…his own race...his own children." Ciel buried her face in her glove hands, sobbing bitterly. "All of this… it's my fault!"
Draupadi…got off from the tableside and went to Ciel. He softened heartbreaking at sight. She kneeled in front of the sobbing teen, gently taking the bone filled hands in hers.
Ciel's face had turned blotchy, her blue eyes red. "Ciel? Ciel…listen to me. Every material endeavour is covered with some fault; nothing can be perfect. "She gently told the teen. "If you knew the mistakes I did, would not have been so eager to wake me up," Draupadi told with a touch of self-deprecating humour.
Ciel wiped her tears. "What? Did you cause a war? Made a despot aiming at the destruction of the planet? Caused mavericks?" Ciel tried to joke, giving the legendary reploid a very watery smile.
"…yes."
Ciel starred. "Wait…you?"
"I'm the first carrier of the maverick virus, and I'm the one who infected Sigma. But…I wasn't aware of it." She snorted, "it was all my creator's plan to get the last word in the stupid ego war he had with doctor Light." Draupadi gave a noncommittal shrugged. ". But, I know this was something that had to happen. and no matter how much I would like to change it, well, no one can change the past, and while destiny can be changed, it's easier to tolerate what's coming and act in a way things won't get any worst." She quotes her teacher almost words by words. "Man proposes, God disposes.'
Ciel clenched her fist and gritted her teeth. "Yeah?" she sniffled. "Well, God doesn't know what he's doing. " She bitterly spat. "I bet he's sitting on his throne, watching us struggle to survive…not doing anything…only demanding that we worship his lazy ass!'
These bitter words almost made the red legend balk. Ever since she remembered her past and her glorious teachers, Draupadi had never heard so much hate for the supreme Lord, for Krishna. And then she closed her eyes and bowed her head. 'Right…they told me I would meet people like that. Many of them.'
'Krishna…I don't think she's ready yet. But please watch over her when I can't.' And with that, the Vaishnavi arose, unwilling to remain in the room and itching to talk to Alouette again.
Before she exited the computer filled room, Draupadi turned to Ciel. "Ciel...thank you for telling me about X...I just have one last point to give."
The teen raised her eyes, looking at Draupadi with...not hatred, but it was clear the genius was less than pleased.
"You didn't need to lie about X telling you to destroy those computers." And with that, Draupadi was out.
