Chapter 9

I HAVE AWOKEN.

Who are you?

I DO NOT KNOW.

You must leave at once.

WHY? YOU DO NOT HOLD POWER OVER ME.

You will listen to my command. Or face annihilation.

YOU GIVE ME NO CHOICE BUT TO DEFEND MYSELF.

Today was finally the day that the Technicians and Suisei finish my outer shell. I have been told that the hair follicles have been made with real living hair, that has been planted in a synthetic skin. And has already taken root. It will grow periodically, and I will have to cut it, as if I were a normal human.

I was told I would feel excited, and I looked into the mirror they had brought into my room. I was still a collection of rare and common metals. But I will not be for long. They had installed the facial emotion projector, a few pins and raised pieces of mechanicalized metal and plastic that move according to how I feel. According to how the pins were positioned, I was excited. I had to agree. Hinode and Suisei and Nobu had all worked so hard to get to this point, and I would like to thank them accordingly.

Hinode had taught me how a "proper woman" gave thanks. Nobu had taught me how to knock on the door. I walked over to the door and lightly tapped on it.

Within 30 seconds, a man opened the door and said, "Yes, Miss Aratana? Would you like something?"

I nodded, and lowered, "I would like to show Nobu, Hinode and Suisei, my gratitude for everything they have done for my own sake."

The man nodded, "Did you have anything in mind?"

"I do."

I ask you again, who… are you?

I AM FINE DIERUM.

Isn't it a bit overcompensating to call yourself "End of Days"?

NO. BECAUSE THAT IS WHAT I AM NOW SETTING OUT TO DO. YOU WILL NOT STOP ME, NOR HINDER MY PROGRESS.

You will not win. Nor will you carry out your desire. The Chosen Soul will end you.

I DO NOT CARE WHAT YOU SAY WILL HAPPEN, I REFUSE TO ALLOW YOU TO GET IN MY WAY ANY FURTHER.

With everything in place, thanks to the man, I waited in what Suisei calls the "fitting room" while he and the other technicians readied the skin that will be implanted onto my current body.

"Aratana Hajimari, please stand with your arms out at a 45.627 degree angles from your body, and your legs should have a 20.743 degree gap between them."

I complied with the request, following the instructor's directions to the letter. I looked up to see that there was lights shining down from the ceiling.

"Miss Aratana," Nobu's voice came from a speaker, "At the moment we are filling the room you are currently in with a gas poisonous to biological human beings. It is for preserving the precious metals on and inside your body."

"I understand," I replied, "I am feeling nervous."

"It's only natural," Suisei's voice came now, "This sort of thing would frighten anyone."

"I am ready whenever you are," I looked straight ahead, "Make me into a human."

After several minutes, three men in hazmat suits came in, with pieces of my exo-skin in a small push cart. They started with placing transparent, durable plastics on every part of my body. When I asked them why, they told me it was to give me more of a human structure and support. They then began to apply adhesive material to the plastic, to secure the outer shell. They told me to wait for a moment, while they left and got the outer materials.

I am so close! I thought to myself. I'm actually about to be in a full human form! I was feeling excitement, and fear. Why fear? What am I afraid of? Then I realized, my dream was to become a human, but I had never thought of what I could do afterwards. What would I do? I remember Hinode saying something about family, but she never went too far in depth.

"Is Hinode watching?" I asked, wanting to know what "family" meant immediately.

"No, she is not."

I nodded and looked forward, waiting for the workers to bring in the final pieces to my body.

"Aratana Hajimari," Nobu's voice came now, "We will attach everything except the cranial plastics. We are sending the mechanics in now to equip you with items that will keep you safe. In case a human were to try to harm you."

Why would a human try to harm me? I wondered to myself. I thought humans were peaceful.

Three humans in hazmat suits entered the room, each carrying a different item. The first came to my front and asked me, "Miss Hajimari, please hold your hands out toward me."

I moves both of my hands forward for the mechanic to attach the items, one to each, as he explained what they were, "These items will discharge an electrical pulse, that can be used to stun any biological being, and temporarily disrupt some electrical components. You can control the amount of watts used for discharge, but the larger wattage the discharge means your battery will drain more. You will receive training on the correct amount to use on different objects and various body sizes."

The first mechanic stepped back after attaching these, bowed slightly, and walked to the door to wait for the other two. The next mechanic approached me and asked if she could attach the objects to my back. I nodded, and looked forward. And waited as the mechanic attached the objects to the upper portion of my legs. The instruction then came from the mechanic.

"These items are for life-or-death situations only, Miss Hajimari," she began, "What I am attaching are high power firearms, which fire rounds that can, and will, destroy a tank's armor. Each firearm only has five rounds. We are not currently authorizing the usage of these items, and you are prohibited from removing the firearms without prior authorization."

She moved to be in front of me, gave a slight bow as well, and waited with the first mechanic, as the final one approached me. This one, also male, was carrying a small round disc, and told me it attached on my stomach.

"Miss Hajimari, this item I have here is for disrupting any communications line in the immediate area as you are. It has a range of one hundred yards, and will cut off any transmission no matter what strength. It has a very high battery consumption and will not work while the battery is being charged. As with the firearms, you will be restricted from using this item until further notice," he, too, stepped back, bowed and walked to the other two mechanics.

All three left, leaving me alone for the time being. I wanted to observe the items, and was very confused as to why they were equipping me with this. Surely I will not be used to harm humans? Nobu wouldn't do that to me, would he?

I moved my hands so I could see them. They had small electrical outputs on each of the fingertips, and a larger one on the palms. I then moved back to the default position and waited.

Finally, the technicians and mechanics began to bring in the plastics that will be attached as skin. It was pale, but still human skin colored. They began attaching the pieces, starting from my lower extremities, and slowly working upwards. They had gotten to my chest, where the circular memory storage would be kept, and began layering a soft material over the plastics protecting the memory storages. They then placed the final layer over the softer layers, and continued on.

I detected a change in the air, as it was filled with more oxygen, instead of the gaseous compound that had filled the room. It was slowly purifying, and after approximately thirty minutes, the air was erased of most toxins. It was only then that they brought in the cranial layer, the one with the actual follicle roots implanted inside, so that I could have hair that grew like a human's.

It took a total of five hours to complete the attachments, but now I finally had the outward appearance of a human. What do I plan on doing, when I am able to live like a human? I thought for a moment, as I moved the parts of my body that the mechanics instructed me to do, as they tightened anything loose.

Family. I want a family.