Sister Princess Fan Fiction / Tokimeki Memorial Fan Fiction / Bubblegum Crisis Fan Fiction ❯ The End of Innocence ❯ Chapter 1

[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]

Falling . . .

"Anri . . . "

Falling . . .

"Anri, why . . .?"

Eyes the shade of burning chestnut. Tears . . .

"Largo and I wanted to make a world for our kind . . . "

Falling away . . .

"But I didn't want to destroy the city, or kill people either."

Strong arms held her . . .

"Sylvie felt the same, I'm sure . . . "

She was still falling . . .

"Don't talk, Anri."

Dark. Darkness enclosing her . . .

"Priss, I beg you. Live. Live for me. And for Sylvie . . . "

Still falling . . .

"Priss. Thank you . . . "

Falling . . .

"You little idiot! If you die, what will Sylvie have died for?!"

Dark . . .

"Dead, eh?"

No more . . .

"Or rather, I imagine it would be more exact to say that it has ceased functioning."

No more.

"It IS a machine, after all!"

Megatokyo, nine kilometres south-east of Genom Tower, Sunday 17 April 2033, mid-afternoon . . .

A surprised gasp escaped her as Anri's eyes flew open. Blinding light instantly bombarded her retinas, causing her to squeeze her lids closed, a hand automatically snapping up to add extra cover from that radiance. Fresh, warm air filled her lungs as the sensations of a live body bombarded her brain. Legs, arms, abdomen, the chest, head, touch, hearing, smell, taste, sight. Definitely sight. Automatically, she concentrated, focussing her mind on her housekeeping computer, the innermost core of her synthetic brain, her artificial soul.

Silence responded.

Silence?

Was she malfunctioning . . .?

Why was there silence?

Slowly, the hand slid away from her face as her eyes hesitantly creaked open. The light pouring through that crack made her wince, and then the pain began to fade. Slowly. Agonisingly slower than what she was used to, but it was happening. Her breathing picked up as first confusion, then fear, began to grip her. Everything about her felt so familiar, yet it was so different too!

Different . . .

What had happened to her?

Where was she?

Was she . . .?

Dead?

Was this . . .?

What WAS this . . .?

"You're awake."

That measured, disciplined yet clearly female tone made Anri's eyes fly open all the way. She then gasped as her still-adjusting eyes reacted badly to the overhead light, her hand snapping up once more to her face to shield them from the glare.

A bemused titter. "Reduce light intensity thirty percent."

Anri paused as the glare suddenly faded, and then she pulled her hand away, her eyes opening once more. The reduced light allowed her to behold an intricately carved ceiling. The strangeness of the hieroglyph-like patterns hovering two metres -- Three? Four? It was so hard to tell now! -- before her held her attention for a while, and then her body tensed as footfalls from her left told her she wasn't alone.

"Better?"

Anri's eyes tilted left to gaze on a woman draped in solid white from head to toe. No. Not all white. Two red-and-black cross-like markings were imprinted on the cape at her shoulders. The hood was drawn over the woman's head, though it didn't plunge her face totally into shadow. A softly sculptured face, framed with dark purple hair flowing in long bangs from her ears. Deep royal blue eyes bracketed a well-sculptured nose that hinted at some non-Oriental ancestry. It was hard to tell for Anri. She had never met someone like this.

Anri's mouth opened and closed for a moment, and then she finally found her voice. "Yes. Thank you."

A slight nod tilted the stranger's head before she reached up to draw the hood back, adjusting her cape to fall behind her shoulders. Her hair was long, presently tied in a high bun at the back of her head, stray strands forming a corona of dark purple around it. Underneath the cape, Anri saw that the newcomer was wearing a black jacket, underlying plaid vest, white button shirt, red tie with a stylised white cross on it, dark grey ankle-length skirt and lace-up boots. Thinking of clothing made Anri glance down at herself. A white, sleeved lace gown draped her to her ankles. No undergarments, she noticed, not that their absence at this time really bothered her.

"You can move now," the stranger told her. "The adjustment from your original body to your new one is quite easy to adapt to."

Anri took that in, her eyes widening as the phrases "original body" and "new body" echoed deep in her mind. After a minute, she moved her arms away from her, allowing her elbows to bend so as to boost her head and upper body away from the hard table she had been lying on. Inwardly marvelling that she was moving around at this time with the same ease she once moved in her original body -- This was a NEW body? -- and to do so without her housekeeping wetware making its constant reports, she immediately sat up, swinging her legs away from the table.

Her mind quickly took in what was around her. A circular room about forty metres wide. White crystal walls. A polished wooden floor. One tube-like structure off to her right. An elevator shaft? A circular stairwell to her left to the floor above. No furniture save for the table she sat on. "What is this place?" she asked as she focussed again on the stranger, hoping her confusion and fear weren't echoing in her voice.

"Your new home," the stranger announced. "Windows open."

Anri started as the walls around her suddenly vanished, revealing a vast city spread out to all sides of her. Almost all sides, she quickly amended on noticing the large expanse of water beyond the stairwell. A bay dotted by small islands and crossed by a bridge-tunnel structure in the near distance. Closer to her, four thick, slanted tubes of glowing crystal flowed up from far below to the floors above. Each of these tubes was poised equidistantly to the other. Allowing her eyes to trail to the right from the stairwell, Anri soon found herself staring on a familiar cone-like structure surrounded by four hook-shaped office buildings. "Genom Tower . . . " she whispered as she shifted off the table, walking over to stare on the corporate headquarters of the company that had built her. "That's Genom Tower."

"Yes," the stranger confirmed.

Anri blinked. Even from this distance, she was looking DOWN at Genom Tower.

Down . . .

DOWN!

"Where am I?" she whispered, her fear not just seeping but FLOODING her voice.

"As I said, your new home," the stranger replied, walking over to stand beside Anri. "This is the Spiral."

"Spiral . . .?"

Anri shifted to gaze on the glowing tube closest to her. Noting it was poised fifty metres from the windows, she glanced down. The tube twisted away from her counter-clockwise, disappearing beyond her view many metres below. It was fixed to the tower -- Yes, she knew now that she was in a tower! -- via metal flying buttresses. Looking up, her eyes followed the tube until it disappeared clockwise away from her position. Taking time to stare at the other tubes surrounding this stranger tower -- If this was Megatokyo, why had she never noticed THIS tower before! -- Anri allowed the sheer scale of the place to sink in. She then turned to gaze on the stranger. "Aptly named," she quietly acknowledged her companion's word with a nod. Then, realising she couldn't avoid this question anymore, she asked, "What happened to me? Why am I here?" She paused, frightened tears welling in her eyes. "Why am I not dead?"

The stranger's lips twitched into a faint smile. "You aren't dead because, in all effect, you never really died in the first place, Anri," she began, crossing her arms. "Put simply, your very soul was recycled . . . "

"'RECYCLED?!'" Anri yelped, she staggering back from her host.

"Yes," the stranger replied. "The process that saved you was a gift bestowed on boomers by Katsuhito Stingray. Unfortunately -- or fortunately, depending on your viewpoint -- only certain boomers can make use of this. Thanks to one of the people involved in the project that created you and the other 33-S's, Stingray-hakase's process is automatic. Hence, you're alive instead of having your soul reunite with That Force from which we spring from at birth and return to at death when Largo struck you with his gravity-warp power."

Silence fell as the young magi allowed Anri the chance to fully absorb all that information. This was the first time she had dealt directly with a Janus beneficiary -- or "victim" if one looked at it THAT way. She could understand what such a person would pretty much feel like after experiencing THAT. To die, most often violently. Then awaken in a body that was so alien, yet made to feel so comfortable, so natural. And that didn't begin to factor in what would happen when the reborn boomer had to face whatever new life was given to her/him.

Anri gazed up at her host. "This was a process invented by Stingray-sama?" she timidly asked.

The other woman shook her head. "No. I said this was a gift *bestowed* on boomers by Stingray-hakase. As to the true origin of this process, well . . . " A faint smile crossed her face. "That's been the subject of some very intensive research since Janus' existence was first revealed sometime after Stingray-hakase was murdered eleven years ago. That shouldn't bother you right now, Anri. What must now concern you is what and how you will answer to what yours and Sylvie's presence in this city forced on a good number of her residents."

Anri's eyes went very wide on hearing one name. "Sylvie . . .?" she whispered, hope blooming in her heart. "She's alive . . .?"

"Yes. As are Megan, Louise and Namiko."

That revelation hit the green-haired woman like a torpedo. Fresh tears sprang in her eyes as she stumbled toward her host.

Alive . . .

Sylvie . . .

Meg . . .

Lou . . .

Nam . . .

Alive . . .

All alive.

Alive . . .

Sobs stole her voice as she sank into her host's embrace. "We're free . . . " Anri moaned. "We're free! Free . . . "

Gazing down at her, Hirosaki Chikage sighed. Not for long, Anri, she mentally disagreed as she drew her arms to provide the younger-looking woman with some sense of comfort. Not for long.

"So this tower was built as a functional memorial to the victims of the Second Kantou Earthquake?"

"Yes. How's the stir-fry?"

"Tasty," Anri replied with a grateful smile as she reached over with her chopsticks to refill her bowl of marinated beef. The two had shifted upstairs into Chikage's living quarters to enjoy Anri's first post-Janus rebirth meal. Unlike the meditation room where Anri had first woken, the upper level of Chikage's apartment is subdivided into a bedroom, bathing area, guest bedroom, kitchen/dining room and a living room. It also had access to the main elevator shaft running up and down the Spiral's three-kilometre height.

"This is much better food than what I'm used to, Chikage-san," Anri then added. She took some of the beef and fluffy rice -- the food was chosen to provide nutrition for her but, at the same time, not force her digestive system to confront hard substances at the start -- into her mouth, munching it slowly as the many flavours and textures danced over her taste buds. After swallowing it, she reached over to take a sip of spring water. "After what I've had in the past, this is a feast fit for a king!" she gushed, giving her host a grateful smile.

"Yes, I suspect bland gelatine food packs would get boring after a while," Chikage mused before sipping her wine. "Actually, I'm not too much of a cook. If the day comes that you meet Osamu Shirayuki, Tanenobu Karen or Mihama Chiyo, then you'll experience real cooking."

"Friends of yours?" Anri asked.

"Friends and sisters as well."

Anri paused as she took in that comment, and then she gazed curiously at Chikage. "Are you like me, Chikage-san?"

"A resurrected boomer, you mean?"

"Hai."

"No."

Anri's eyes narrowed, then as Chikage gazed on her, the green-haired woman's eyes bowed in deference. "Gomen nasai, Chikage-san. I didn't mean to sound ungrateful, but I am curious. You . . . " She paused for a moment. "Well, you do remind me in a way of . . . "

"Of other 33-S's you might've encountered in the past?"

"Of Largo."

Chikage's eyebrow arched. "Largo?"

Anri tensed. Had she said the wrong thing? "Well, n-not exactly Largo . . . " she sputtered.

"I should hope not. To compare me to a mass-murderer like him . . . "

Anri bowed her head. "Gomen nasai, Chikage-san."

"It's all right," Chikage assured her, making a dismissive wave with her hand. "I assume that what made you compare me to Largo was the sense of self-control and purpose I've projected to you since you woke up in my meditation room."

"I . . . ah . . .!" Anri stuttered for a moment, and then she nodded. "Hai."

"Well, that was necessary. Anri, no boomer given the gift of Janus is truly prepared for what happens to her when Janus is invoked. To physically die, then literally be reborn in a body that, even for a 33-S like yourself, is far different from what you're used to. It's frightening. It's disorientating. It's sometimes very painful. For the second-generation 33-S's -- are you aware of them?" she asked. On seeing Anri nod in confirmation, Chikage continued, "For them, Janus doesn't free them from the psychological after-effects the many problems their move-by-wire system forced on their very lives." The magi paused again. "To face the final release from life's pains, to expect the rest we all deserve at the conclusion of our time in this existence, Anri . . . " She shrugged. "Then to have that ultimate freedom ripped away without you expecting it, preparing for it . . .? Most boomers who face Janus are nearly driven comatose by all the changes. Fortunately, as a 33-S, you were close enough to human in your first 'life' that the full adjustment to your new 'life' isn't so disorientating."

"Am I still a boomer?"

Chikage sighed. "What IS a boomer, Anri?"

Anri returned her look, and then gazed on her plate of food. "Well, a boomer is . . . " she began before she stopped as a confused look crossed her face. "Well, boomers are devices . . . " she began again, and then she seemed to deflate in her chair. "I don't know, Chikage-san. No!" her voice picked up on saying that, and then she sighed. "I'm not really sure how to describe what a boomer is. And I was one until today."

"That's not so surprising," Chikage tittered before taking a deep breath. "Let me ask you this, then: Are you human?"

Anri's eyes snapped up to gaze once more on her host, and then a shudder quaked her body. "I don't know, Chikage-san."

Chikage nodded. "That's understandable. Even humans like your friend Priss have much trouble trying to understand what being 'human' is about." She made finger-quotes with one hand on saying the word "human." "And because so many humans have problems in that regard, their attitudes towards boomers are likewise affected." She pointed a finger at her guest. "To actually classify a 'machine' like yourself as 'human?'" Drawing her hand back, Chikage shook her head. "Too few people on this planet are that brave, Anri. And for those who are that brave to admit that to society as a large?" A rueful chuckle escaped her. "They don't get far."

"That's not fair!"

"No, Anri. It's not fair at all. But it IS the way things are these days on Earth."

Frightened tears appeared in Anri's eyes. "Are you saying it's wrong to try to seek freedom, Chikage-san?"

A tired sigh escaped her host. "What is freedom, Anri?"

"To live your life under your control!"

The magi nodded. "An excellent answer. Do all boomers have the right to seek freedom, then?"

"Yes!"

"And what happens if freed boomers interact with humans? What then?"

"I . . . " Anri stopped as the potential implications of Chikage's words sank in, and then she looked away. "I don't know, Chikage-san."

Chikage nodded again. "That's something you must learn, Anri."

Night fell. After finishing that wonderful dinner and helping Chikage clean up, Anri was allowed to relax in her host's guest bedroom, which gave her a very good view of the downtown sections of Megatokyo. Staring at the man-made imitation of Mount Fuji rising from the heart of what used to be called Shinjuku Ward -- Chikage had told her this -- the green-haired woman could only shudder as her mind began to absorb the numbing details of her last moments of life as a Bu-33S forty-eight hours ago and the first moments of her new life as a . . .

What did Chikage name her type of being again?

Cyber-bioroid. Cybernetically-enhanced bioroid.

Bioroid meaning "biological android."

Genetically no different from a pure-born organic human, but created in a laboratory.

The ultimate test-tube baby.

The intermediary "step" between naturally-born organic humans and cyberdroids.

Boomers.

Who, in Chikage's eyes, were human in spirit.

Ultimately, no different from people like Priss.

It was so confusing.

If she was truly human, then why had she been treated like a slave? A toy? A love doll?

If Chikage could see it, why didn't anyone else?

Why . . .?

"Lot of questions you're asking now, aren't you?"

Anri gasped, spinning around to see a man standing at the doorway to her room. Japanese-Oriental by birth, mid-to-late twenties, shaggy red-brown hair cut to a taper at the neck, eyes a similar shade to Priss', a friendly, almost mischievous smile on his face, dressed presentably but not eluding any profound wealth, a white rose in a vase in hand. Breathing out, she then exclaimed, "You startled me!"

A look of trepidation crossed his face. "Gomen! Gomen ne!" he apologised with a wave of his free hand. Odd. Why did his voice sound so familiar? Had she met this man before? "I didn't mean to shock you. I did knock, but you were pretty much out of it."

He indicated the door. Anri blinked, staring intently at her visitor, and then she sighed. He didn't seem to be lying. Then again, she believed the same of Largo. "I guess I was," she admitted, waving him to a chair close to her bed. "Are you a friend of Chikage-san's?"

He walked over, sinking himself into the chair. "You might say I'm Chikage-chan's creator, Anri-chan," he replied, waving to himself as he gave her an "aw, shucks!" shrug. "And in a way, I'm one of your creators. Let's see now . . . " His voice trailed off for a second before he pointed at her. "First generation 33-S, AA series, number 72, right?" he called out, an eyebrow arching.

Anri stared at him for a moment, and then she slowly nodded. "That's right. You were involved in the first generation 33-S project?"

"Actually, I was the only scientist involved in all THREE elements of the 33-S project. Firsts, seconds AND thirds," he admitted. "I was the man who helped create your basic wetware," he pointed to the side of his head, and then offered the rose to his host. "I'm Saotome Yoshio. It's a pleasure to meet you, Anri-chan. And while I won't say 'welcome to freedom,' I will say 'welcome BACK to humanity.'"

Anri shuddered as the information he just gave her sank in, then she reached over to take the rose. Giving it a sniff, she shuddered as the flower's fresh scent flooded her nostrils before staring once more at him. "Thank you very much, Saotome-sama . . . "

"Please!" he cut her off with a wave of his hand, keeping his voice calm so as to not appear to insult her. "Don't be that formal with me, Anri-chan. I don't ask it from anyone whose creation I might've been involved with. I'm not very comfortable with it."

"Gomen nasai, Saotome-hakase," she amended, bowing her head apologetically before placing the rose on her night stand. Seeing that her addressing him as "Professor Saotome" didn't bother him, she continued, "Still . . . "

"Never thought you'd meet anyone directly involved in your creation?"

She considered that for a moment before nodding. "Admittedly, yes."

"That's understandable," he acknowledged that with a nod. "For most of the people who worked on the first generation 33-S's, it was like working on any other marketable boomer model. Creating tools, servants, PRODUCTS for Genom to sell to those who could afford the four million nuyen price tag put on any of you. Oh, yeah, you had the perverts, the ones who got a kick in creating such beautiful girls, girls that would do anything asked of them. And you got the idiots who decided to shortcut the construction process by fitting you all with C-class parts. And yes, you got the people who realised what they were really creating." Here, he stopped, taking a deep breath as his gaze turned towards Genom Tower. "The first boomer model that, almost by design, matched everything Katsuhito wanted his creations to be." Yoshio turned to gaze back on Anri. "And in the end, Genom just couldn't afford to create a unit exactly like that. And that's why it was stopped at the end and you were all bundled off and sent into space in the first place. The whole thing with the C-class parts . . .?" A snort escaped him as he made a dismissive wave with his hand.

"It was just an excuse," Anri whispered.

"Yeah, it was just an excuse." Yoshio took a deep breath, and then he lightly smiled. "I believe -- No, excuse me, I KNOW! -- that the real reason your model was taken off the market was the simple fact that you were too human in the end, Anri-chan."

Anri nodded. "Chikage-san says I was human all along. All boomers are human."

"She's right," Yoshio replied. "And she's not alone in thinking that, Anri-chan. You may not know this -- I'm not really sure what Largo might've told you -- but there ARE people out there who do realise the truth about boomers like you. Who actually do their best to fight to give you some rights, give you some control over your destiny, a taste of having some freedom of choice in your life."

"Largo never told me about that," she admitted.

"Well, that's understandable," he noted with a chuckle. "You don't know too much about Largo, do you? REALLY know about him?"

Anri considered that for a moment, and then she shook her head. "Not really."

"Well, allow me to expand your education." Yoshio relaxed. "Largo's story began about a year ago with a man named Brian Mason. He was the special executive assistant to Chairman Quincy. The number two man in Genom. As a business executive, he was brilliant. Efficient with a capital 'E.' Quincy-shachou wanted it done, Brian did it, regardless of what had to happen to get it done. And he was damned good at covering his tracks, too. Anything that went over the line, he made sure it didn't reflect badly at Genom at all. He had loads of practice doing that, too." A rueful chuckle escaped him. "After all, it was Brian who killed Katsuhito eleven years ago."

Anri's eyes went wide. "He killed . . .?" she blurted out.

Yoshio silenced her with a raised hand. "Yes, he did. And maybe in a way, he did the right thing. But that's another big story I'll save for another time. Please bear with me, Anri-chan." He paused for a moment, and then he continued, "As I said, Brian Mason was the perfect Genom executive. But he had a problem. An obsession with a woman twelve years his junior. A woman named Sylia Stingray."

"Sylia?!" Anri's head tilted slightly. "I heard Largo speak of her . . . "

Yoshio chuckled. "No doubt. Sylia is Katsuhito's daughter. She's also the leader of the Knight Sabres. The white one."

Her jaw dropped. "She's . . . "

"Yes."

The room was still as Anri considered what had just been said. "Mason killed Stingray-sama," she whispered. A pause, and then, "Mason worked for Genom." Another pause, this one shorter. "The Sabres fight against Genom." She stared at Yoshio. "Revenge?"

"Partially," he admitted. "Partially, it's a way to put some controls over some of the more boneheaded things Genom does in this town. After all, there ARE a lot of good things Genom does. Space exploration, construction . . . " He waved out the window to indicate the glittering technopolis beyond the Spiral grounds. "Look around you, Anri-chan. Eleven years ago, this was the biggest natural disaster zone you could imagine. I know how bad it was, believe me. Now it's one of the most technologically advanced urban centres on the planet." He took a deep breath, clasping his hands in his lap. "It's not a perfect place to live in, even for natural-born, fully-organic humans. It's got many flaws. But there are people out there working to eliminate those flaws. Chikage-chan and the people who work in the Spiral are one such group."

"Do you work for a group like that, Saotome-hakase?"

"Hai, another group, Anri-chan. I'll explain about that later. Anyhow, back to Brian and Sylia." Yoshio pursed his lips, and then he sat back in his chair. "Brian was quick to suspect Sylia's involvement with the Sabres. On learning that, he saw a perfect chance to get rid of an annoying thorn in Genom's side. And, at the same time, he could bring Sylia under his control. He failed and paid for his failure with his life. But Sylia wasn't his only obsession. Immortality was the other one. Largo was created in response to that obsession."

Anri considered that for a moment. "So Largo is Mason."

"Largo was born of Brian's memories. Largo was not Brian," Yoshio corrected her. "Before his death, Brian allowed himself to have a meticulously detailed memory copy of him prepared to be downloaded into Largo's wetware on his death. Unfortunately, the man who created Largo, Yoshiro Andrews, did . . . " His voice then trailed off on seeing Anri's eyes brighten. "Ah! You've met Yoshiro, haven't you?"

"He's the one who helped eliminate my blood dependency," Anri confirmed.

"I figured as much," Yoshio acknowledged that with a nod. "Well, from what I know of Largo's basic design, Yoshiro really outdid himself. Did you know Yoshiro worked with Katsuhito back in Whiz Labs with the original boomer prototypes?" On Anri's shaking of her head, he continued, "Well, he made two very bad mistakes with Largo. One: he woke Largo up too quickly for someone possessing such complex wetware. Two: the data disks containing Brian's memories used with Largo were corrupted with data stemming from someone I think you might've heard of up on Genaros: Armstrong."

A chill warped through Anri. "I've overheard people on Genaros talk about him."

Yoshio nodded. "Yeah. So there you have Largo. Born of the memories of one of Genom's top executives -- and of the first post-Aijin boomer to achieve true sentience in Genom's history, albeit in a way that drove him totally insane. And that led him on a quest to get his hands on the OMS, which involved Sylvie, you and the others from Genaros, not to mention a whole host of other people. Atop that, Largo wanted to ensure that the one force that had stood up to Mason constantly was destroyed. And he also wanted Sylia."

"It wasn't his fault in the end!"

Yoshio didn't openly react to Anri's assertion for a few seconds. "Yeah, you could be right, Anri-chan," he then acknowledged her words with a nod. "Maybe in the end, this whole sordid episode is ultimately no one's fault. Bad things happened in a chain that resulted in the total destruction of three of Genom's major arcologies, GPCC and a few other places here in town. And in total, killed more than seventy thousand people world-wide." Ice then appeared in his voice as he fixed Anri with a stare. "But that's a cop out. And for certain parties in this city and beyond, an explanation like that will never wash. Everyone involved in this mess has some responsibility to help resolve it."

"Including me."

"Yeah. And including Sylvie. And to a lesser extent, Meg, Lou and Nam."

"He used us."

Yoshio nodded. "Yes, that's true. He used you perfectly. But you all had the potential to change your minds if you just took the chance to think it through." He pointed to the ceiling. "You could've all stayed up there on Genaros if you wanted to. Yeah, it was boring work you were engaged in, but what alternative did you really have? You knew what sort of risk you could've faced if you tried to escape. You took those risks. And because of that, Sylvie was forced to make a choice when you crash-landed outside of town. And she has to face the consequences of that choice, Anri-chan. As do you, too. You know you could've refused the blood she had to kill to obtain."

Anri squeezed her eyes shut. "I begged her to stop," she hissed, guilt creeping in her voice. "I didn't want to do it. But . . . "

Yoshio sighed. "I know. The urge to survive is a very powerful one. And it exists in you just as much as it exists in any human." He stood, walking over to sit on the bed beside her. "I'm not in the business of judging people, Anri-chan. I'm not here to point a finger and say 'It's your fault that fifty-six people were killed because you needed blood to survive.' Who am I to judge in the end, Anri-chan?"

"But it's still my responsibility. Is that what you're telling me, Saotome-hakase?"

"Yes," Yoshio replied, staring at her. "An hour before your shuttle crash-landed outside of town, you watched three people you loved dearly slaughtered before your eyes. Killed by Dobermans sent by human beings that looked on you as malfunctioning equipment, not as sentient beings with desires, dreams and hopes. Even if you had very little experience in expressing those desires, you still had them. At that time, whatever trust you might've had in humans was probably close to zero. Am I right?" Seeing Anri give him a guilty nod, he continued, "So maybe you didn't really feel so guilty when Sylvie went out with the DD to get blood for you. And in a way, you had a right to be angry at the whole world. I don't hold that against you. But now, you have to realise something. And I think you do realise it . . . "

"Those people Sylvie killed . . . "

Yoshio stayed silent as Anri hugged herself. "Those people Sylvie killed . . . " she hoarsely whispered, her whole body quaking. "Those people Largo killed. Here, in Berlin, in Chicago, in Sydney . . . " She pressed her fists into her eyes. "Priss . . . "

As sobs stole her voice, Yoshio reached over to draw her into a comforting embrace.

The Spiral, Monday 18 April . . .

A faint moan escaped Anri as the light of the new dawn shone through the picture windows. Grunting, she pulled the covers closer to her, rolling herself away from the intrusive radiance. She then jolted as something fell on the edge of the bed behind her.

Suddenly, the blankets were pulled away. Crying out, she spun to see a very handsome, large, beige-furred dog holding her blankets in his mouth, his tail wagging playfully. Standing beside the dog was a girl in her early teens, a breakfast tray in hand. Possessing dark brown eyes, she wore her auburn hair in twin tear-shaped ponytails behind her ears. She was in a T-shirt emblazoned with a picture of Genom Tower and cut off shorts. "Good morning, Anri-san," she cheerily announced, a too cute for words smile crossing her face. "Chikage-san told me you were staying with her." She gazed down on the tray, it holding a bowl of porridge and a pitcher of juice. "I made breakfast for you."

Blink. Blink. "Who are you?" Anri asked, unsure as to HOW to react to someone like this.

"I'm Mihama Chiyo," the girl replied as she placed the tray on the nightstand beside the bed. "I made some rice pudding for you. You need to eat soft foods for the first few days while your body gets used to digesting things properly."

Anri gazed on her visitor, and then she relaxed, remembering the name from her conversation with Chikage last night. "Thank you, Chiyo-san," she grunted, stretching herself to work the kinks out of her. The dog then trotted over to plop the blankets into her lap. "Um, thanks."

"Tadakichi-san!" Chiyo then giggled, walking over to stroke her pet's head fur. "I hope he didn't scare you."

"A bit," Anri admitted. "I've never met a dog before."

"No, I doubt you have," Chiyo confirmed, and then she perked as the bedroom door opened, revealing Anri's host. "Ah! Chikage-san!"

Anri quickly rose, bowing to the young magi. "Chikage-san, good morning."

Chikage stepped inside, clearly not bothered by Chiyo and Mr. Tadakichi's presence. "Good morning, Anri. Chiyo, is Ayumu up?"

"No, still asleep," Chiyo replied, exasperation entering her voice. "Honestly, that girl gets more sleep than hibernating animals!"

Chikage giggled. "Hard to try to establish a relationship with her, ne?"

"Oh, I gave up on Osaka-san a long time ago . . . "

"Chiyo . . . "

"WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!" a girl's wail nearly blew Anri, Chiyo, Mr. Tadakichi and Chikage out the windows. "Chiyo-chan called me 'Osaka' again! I HATE being called 'Osaka!' WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"

Anri spun around to see a girl a few years older than Chiyo standing at her doorway, her face soaked with tears. Possessing shoulder-length dark brown hair, she was draped in a button blouse and knee-length skirt. Quickly, Chiyo interposed herself before the newcomer, waving her hands frantically to calm her down. "Stop crying, Ayumu-san! Stop crying! I didn't mean it! I didn't mean it! Gomen nasai! Gomen nasai! Gomen nasaaaaaaaaaaaaai!" she wailed as Mr. Tadakichi trotted over to lick the weeping girl's hand.

Ignoring the frantically apologising Chiyo, the newcomer trudged over to face Chikage. "Ah, Chikage-chan! Why do people call me 'Osaka' all the time?!" she moaned. "People know I don't like being called 'Osaka!' Why do people call me 'Osaka' all the time?!"

Chiyo trailed her, waving her hands to make the newcomer stop crying. "They don't call you 'Osaka,' Ayumu-san!"

"Ano . . .!"

Everyone stopped, turning to gaze on Anri. Shocked that her attempted question had cut off Ayumu's tears with the speed of a falling guillotine blade, the green-haired woman gulped before hesitantly asking, "Um, is this really a bad time for me to stay here?"

"No," Chikage replied, a faint titter in her voice. "You've just met Mihama Chiyo and her pet, Tadakichi. This is Kasuga Ayumu." She indicated the newcomer with a wave of her hand. "Ayumu works here at the Spiral as an assistant magi. She and Chiyo were former classmates in high school. Currently, Chiyo is apprenticing with several scientists at Genom Tower in preparation to go to university."

Anri blinked as she took that in, and then she stared at Chiyo. "Um . . .!" she began, holding up a finger. "How old . . .?"

Chiyo giggled. "Everyone asks me that. I'm fourteen." She pointed to herself, a shy smile crossing her face. "Actually, I'm only physically fourteen years old. I was initially woken three years ago. Did Chikage-san tell you about the CC Project?"

Anri shook her head. "I know you're a cyber-bioroid like Chikage-san and me, but I don't know this 'CC Project.'"

"'CC' means 'Child Companion,'" Chikage spoke up, indicating herself, then her friends. "In effect, Ayumu, Chiyo, I and all the others constructed under the auspices of the Child Companion Project by Yoshio-papa and Rei-mama are 'replacement' daughters to those couples or widows/widowers who lost ALL their immediate relatives, especially their children, in the Second Kantou Earthquake."

Anri stared at her. "'Yoshio-papa?'" her voice rose in curiosity. "'Rei-mama?'"

"That's what we call the two people who created us," Chiyo answered.

"I see. I met Saotome-hakase last night. But who's 'Rei-mama?'"

"Ijuuin Rei-hakase," Chikage replied. "Currently, she's part-owner of Ijuuin Enterprises, one of Japan's largest private investment firms. She and her younger sister Mei volunteer their spare time for the CC Project."

"Wow!" Anri breathed out. "Do people talk a lot about this CC Project?"

Chiyo shook her head. "No. A lot of people just wouldn't understand why that sort of thing happens."

"Not to mention that there are, unfortunately, people out there who take much joy in trying to disrupt people's lives for the simple fact that something just doesn't chime perfectly with their aesthetic sense," Chikage added, crossing her arms. "In the meantime, Anri, why don't you have breakfast? I'll get some clothes for you, and then we'll give you the full tour of the place."

A creaking noise echoed from somewhere in Anri's tummy. "Well, I do seem to be hungry," she admitted, her cheeks flaming.

Chiyo giggled as she, Chikage and Mr. Tadakichi left the bedroom. Ayumu remained in place, focussing her nearly-pitch dark eyes on Anri. Anri blinked as she sensed the other woman's gaze, and then she turned to face her. "Um, is there something wrong, Ayumu-san . . .?"

A finger pointed at her. "Thirty-three-Es."

Anri jolted, a surge of panic coursing through her at Ayumu's flat statement. A second later, Chikage peeked back in. "Osaka, kindly remove yourself from Anri's room so she can have some breakfast in peace," the magi sternly ordered.

Another wail escaped the younger woman. "WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA! Now Chikage-chan's calling me 'Osaka!'"

A thudding pain began to arc through Anri's mind. Strange girl!

"She's schizophrenic?"

"Not necessarily," Chikage replied as she gently shovelled the dirt into the hole around the rose. She and Anri now stood in one of the flower gardens scattered around the Spiral grounds, a plot of land two square kilometres in size sitting on the shores of Tokyo Bay east of the Sumida River estuary. Around the walled perimeter of the memorial grounds were empty industrial warehouses, almost all of them built in the half-decade immediately after Second Kantou. Save for the groups of religious personnel who seemed to be permanent residents of the crystal-ringed tower, Anri had yet to see any other person outside of Saotome Yoshio or Mihama Chiyo. "The original Kasuga Ayumu was, put succinctly, incapable of consistently focussing herself on the here-and-now. People were amazed at all the strange things she could focus on without warning. Dust particles in the air, Chiyo's pigtails, scary ideas for class festival projects, bread eating races and the like."

"Sounds like a very interesting person," Anri mused.

"In her way, she was," Chikage confirmed as she picked up another rose to plant. "When she was constructed, our Ayumu was given all the memories of the original, but it was hoped that she would -- to quote her mother -- 'get it together' a lot better than the original."

"What happened?"

Chikage thumbed the tall tower behind them. "She allowed herself to be exposed to the Spiral's core."

"Where all the spirits of those who've died in Megatokyo since Second Kantou can interact with you and your co-workers."

"Exactly."

Anri winced. When she described the various elements of the Spiral during the tour, Chikage had been VERY specific about what could potentially happen to those people who entered the memorial tower's core without proper preparation. "Poor girl," she whispered.

"Fortunately, there were good things that came out of it," Chikage reported. "Power-wise, her overall potential rivals my own. When matters come down to the nitty-gritty, Ayumu can focus her attention enough to be of considerable assistance. You do NOT wish to be on her bad side, Anri." She gave the green-haired girl standing beside her a warning look. "Largo wouldn't last ten seconds against Ayumu."

Anri blinked. "Largo . . . " she whispered as memories of the fight between the omniboomer and Asagiri Priss replayed in her mind. To believe that a girl like Kasuga Ayumu, someone who'd seem totally harmless to most onlookers, had the power to destroy the likes of Largo and do it in such a short period of time. For Anri, used to the programmed world that ruled boomers from initial programming and activation to final deactivation, to confront something as scientifically improbable, as incomprehensible, as what Kasuga Ayumu or Hirosaki Chikage represented . . .!

Straightening herself, the former Sexaroid turned to gaze up to the Spiral's summit, now blanketed by banks of morning fog flowing in from Tokyo Bay. With the close presence of various heliports and other aerodromes scattered across Megatokyo, it stunned Anri that no one had ever smashed into the cloaked tower, a structure that had been finished to its initial height of 2400 metres -- that the Spiral could literally GROW like a tree was something Anri just couldn't START to believe! -- four years ago. How was that possible? The probability of avoiding something like this in a city like Megatokyo, even if it was hidden -- ESPECIALLY if it was hidden! -- was astronomical.

"Magic . . . " she whispered, then yelped as a hand fell on her shoulder. Spinning around to see who had touched her, she relaxed. "Chikage-san!" she breathed out. "You scared me!" She then noticed the magi holding up a hand shovel. "Eh?"

"Your turn," Chikage announced.

"So Chikage-chan had you planting roses, huh?"

"Hai," Anri breathed out, now relaxing with Ayumu in the latter's private apartment, several levels below Chikage's. Both were now enjoying some late-morning tea. "It was the first time I ever did anything like that."

"Don't they have flowers up on Genaros?"

"Hai, they do. There are four hydroponic gardens on the station. But none of us ever worked there."

"That's dumb," Ayumu concluded with a shake of her head. "Then again, everything about the 33-S's seems really dumb at times."

Anri jolted. "What do you mean?!" she demanded.

"Well, what were things like for you before the recall?"

Anri pointed to herself. "Me?!" she wondered, and then she lowered her hand. "I wasn't taken out of storage until the recall happened. They needed extra hands with the dock crews and I was selected to help out. I've never known a life on Earth until Sylvie and I escaped."

Ayumu nodded. "Yeah, that's pretty dumb. I mean, even if you never did experience life on Earth, you were programmed to live and work with humans here on Earth. Why did they send you up into space? That's not for any of you guys."

"You can say that again," Anri breathed out.

Confusion crossed her host's face. "Do you want me to say it again?"

Anri gagged, and then she waved Ayumu down. "No! No! No! It's okay! It's okay!"

Ayumu smiled, and then her face suddenly went blank for a second before she stood up. "C'mon."

"What?"

"Come with me."

Anri blinked, and then, setting her tea cup aside, she rose to follow Ayumu. Both stepped into the elevator, Ayumu pressing for one of the stops in the lower part of the Spiral. Anri gazed curiously on her host as the car descended, emerging at the 1500 metre level into the tower's "core," an empty chamber that extended nearly to ground level. Gazing on it through the elevator car windows, Anri shuddered. The core reminded her of some of Genaros' inner chambers by its sheer, vast emptiness. Here, the walls were composed of strips of solid metal divided by opaque crystal glass; Anri had yet to ask anyone about what exact materials had gone into the Spiral's construction.

The car stopped. Sensing that, Anri glanced through the windows towards the far wall. Seeing that she was now at the 1000 metre level -- the interior walls of the Spiral core were marked at ten metre intervals in columns at the cardinal points to allow people to gauge the height -- she turned to Ayumu. "Ano, why are we . . .?" she began, then jolted as the car doors opened onto an open platform extending about ten metres into the Spiral core. "Um, Ayumu-san . . .?" she began again, and then she gasped as Ayumu grabbed her hand, pulling her wordlessly out of the elevator. "Ayumu-san, wait!" she cried out, trying to yank her hand clear of that vize-like grip. "What are you . . .?"

Ayumu shifted herself to Anri's side, wrapping her arm tightly around her companion. With a bound of her feet, she stepped over the safety rail framing the platform. A terrorised, wordless scream escaped Anri as she suddenly found herself flying clear of the platform, a scream that picked up considerably as gravity seized them both, sending Anri and Ayumu plummeting towards the ground.

"Relax."

A hand reached down as a ball of energy appeared in the space between the fingers and the palm. Tendrils of power lashed out from it to strike the crystalline windows lining the core. Anri blinked, her fear overwhelmed by curiosity as she felt the relentless pull of gravity on her body start to fade. Null-gravity field?! she wondered as the rate of descent suddenly dropped to zero, she now floating at the 550-metre level above ground. At that moment, Ayumu's arm slipped away from Anri. She turned to see her host now floating beside her, the energy sphere she created still floating close to her palm. Taking a moment to catch her breath, she then began. "Why . . .?"

Ayumu closed her eyes. "Listen."

Anri blinked, and then she felt her eyes close as she concentrated . . .

Darkness.

Why am I here again?

A scream.

Who was that?

That . . .?

No . . .

A woman. A man. A car. A park.

A couple . . .?

Wait!

That's . . .

The DD!

Sylvie!

No, wait . . .

Sylvie, what are you . . .?

No . . .!

No!

NO!

Darkness again.

Where am I?

An alley.

Feel nauseated.

No.

Drunk.

I'm drunk.

Wait! I can't get drunk . . .

I'm . . .

An alley. Another man, also drunk. Where is this place?

Wait!

No . . .

No, please!

Wait!

WAIT!

"What is that girl doing, Chikage-san?!"

Chikage gazed impassively at the now-glowing walls of the Spiral core. "Exposing Anri to the truth," she explained with a sigh.

Her companion, one of the small cabal of Buddhist monks who worked full-time in this place, spun to stare at the young magi. "The child's not ready for that sort of thing, Chikage-san!" he asserted. "Do we really want to deal with another version of Ayumu-san?!"

Chikage returned his look. "Ayumu knows what she's doing," she evenly stated.

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! "

Hands gently seized the shivering girl, drawing her in so that she could lean against Ayumu. Anri's eyes seem ready to burst free of their sockets, the maddening images of the last moments of every person killed by Sylvie over a two-week period bombarding her from every quarter. Ayumu ignores her struggling, her face strangely neutral as Anri's ear-splitting scream echoed throughout the Spiral core.

Finally, the screams turned into hoarse sobs as the strength in Anri's body failed, she collapsing against Ayumu's arms. The latter's only reaction to that was to kick off against the still air of the core with her feet. That movement sent them towards a platform leading to an elevator platform. Landing on the steel deck, Ayumu dispersed the energy ball that she used to trigger the null-gravity field in the core. Boosting the moaning Anri into her arms, Ayumu shifted herself to press controls to summon the car. A moment later, it arrived, opening to reveal Chikage, arms crossed and a strangely impassive look on her face. The two gazed on each other, and then Ayumu smiled. "She'll make it."

"She'll make it," Chikage confirmed with a nod.

Ayumu stepped into the car as Chikage pressed for her apartment level.

"All those lives . . . "

Sylvie, how could you . . .?

No.

How could I have allowed it . . .?

How . . .?

"All those lives . . . "

I didn't know . . .

No!

I SHOULD have known!

I . . .

Forgive me . . .

Forgive me . . .

"All those lives . . . "

What do I do . . .?

What do I do . . .?

Anri's eyes opened.

Taking a deep breath, she sat up, stretching herself. Grunting as the faint cricks! of her bones adjusting to being shifted around echoed in her ears, she turned to gaze on her night stand, her nose twitching on smelling something VERY good to eat. Sure enough, there was another tray full of hot food awaiting her there, along with a small envelope. Her name -- to her surprise, Anri saw that her name had been depicted using the kanji for "gentle" and "crossroads" in lieu of katakana or Roomaji script -- was written on it. Taking that in hand, she opened it, drawing out a single sheet of paper. Opening that, she noted the name written into the letterhead, and then she began to read:

Anri-san,
I can't believe Osaka-san did that to you! Chikage-san told you about what happened to Osaka-san shortly after she was born, didn't she? Ooh, Osaka-san's such an idiot at times! She should've known better than to plunge someone right into the Spiral's core!
Anyhow, I made you dinner. You'll probably be hungry after what happened today.
Tadakichi-san and I'll visit after I get back from work.
Mihama Chiyo

"She called me 'Osaka' again, didn't she?!"

Anri screamed out, spinning around to see Ayumu standing beside her bed, tears streaming down her cheeks. Gasping for breath, the former patted her thundering heart as she glared at the latter. "What are you trying to do to me, Ayumu-san?!" she shrieked.

Wrong reaction. "WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA! Anri-chan yelled at me!" Ayumu sobbed.

Anri jammed her fists into her ears as tears welled in her eyes, the ear-splitting cries from her visitor nearly driving her to her knees. The poor woman's sense of time fled her soon enough as Ayumu continued to wail, moaning about everything from incidents in high school with girls named "Tomo" and "Yomi" to her inability to keep it together to things Anri just couldn't understand. Finally, the wailing stopped. Anri blinked as she took note of that, and then she hesitantly turned to stare at Ayumu. The other woman was gazing curiously at her. Hesitantly, Anri pulled her fists away from her ears, a lump appearing in her throat as she awaited her guest's next action.

It came soon enough: "Anri-chan, why did you cover your ears?"

Anri nearly collapsed on her face, and then she moved to yell at the other woman before she stopped on remembering how Ayumu reacted to her screams not moments before. A new voice then called out, "You best not try to do that, Anri-san. It won't change a thing."

Ayumu turned around, hand raised in greeting. "Ah, Kiyomi-chan! What are you doing here?"

Anri stared at the newcomer, an utterly stunning woman who, to her, seemed as tall as Largo. In her late teens, she possessed hip-length raven-black hair and dark grey eyes. Presently, she is dressed in a sweatshirt and jeans. "Um . . . " she sputtered, her cheeks now burning as the newcomer's sheer sensuality washed over her like an incoming morning tide. "It's a pleasure to m-meet you . . . "

"I'm Sakaki Kiyomi," the newcomer introduced herself, hand outstretched.

"Kiyomi-chan's a former classmate of Chiyo-chan's and mine," Ayumu added. "She never told us her given name while we were in school."

"Ayumu-chan, that was the original Kiyomi who did that," Kiyomi reminded her.

Ayumu stopped. "Oh. I didn't know that."

Anri was quick to hear an exasperated breath escape the newcomer. "I, um . . . " she stuttered, trying not to fix her stare on Kiyomi's pronounced bust as she gave her a shaky handshake. Was she a C-cup or a D-cup? "Well, I assume you m-must be l-like Chikage-san . . . "

"I am," Kiyomi confirmed, drawing her hand back, and then she held up a finger from her other hand. "By the way, Anri-san, if my lover was here . . . " She paused for dramatic effect, winking at the former Sexaroid. "She wouldn't take well to you staring at me like that."

Anri nearly froze in place for a moment before she stuttered, "GomennasaiKiyomisan! Ididn'tmeantostareatyoulikethat! Gomennasai!"

"It's all right, Anri-san," Ayumu assured her. "Kiyomi-chan and Michiko-chan have a very open relationship."

Anri stopped, staring quizzically at the Spiral assistant magi. "Eh?"

"Never mind," Kiyomi hissed out, waving off her former classmate's comments, and then she glanced behind her. "I brought someone here for you to see, Anri-san. Someone I think you'd want to see now that you've passed through Janus."

Anri turned to gaze at the door to her guest bedroom. "Eh?"

"Hi, Anri."

The green-haired woman's jaw dropped as a person she thought she'd NEVER see again walked in. "Nam . . . "

"'Nishihara Namiko?'"

"Hai, that's the name I was given when Toratotaka arranged for Nishihara-sensei to adopt me as his daughter."

Everyone relaxed in Chikage's living room enjoying late afternoon tea. Chiyo arrived from Genom Tower with Mr. Tadakichi minutes before; she was now busy in the kitchen preparing supper. Nam -- Namiko! Anri mentally amended, staring at her co-escapee from Genaros -- was busy stroking the large dog's fur. Kiyomi had brought her own pet, a lovely Iriomote mountain cat named Yamamaaya, to the meeting as well. The brown-furred feline now relaxed in Anri's lap, purring away. "Your adopted father is Nishihara Chisugi, isn't he, Namiko?" Chikage asked.

"Yes, he is," Namiko replied. "He's the dean of students for Tokyo University."

"Why were you adopted?" Anri asked before sipping her tea.

"It's standard policy for all boomers who're rescued by Toratotaka through Janus," Chikage explained.

Anri's eyebrows arch. "Toratotaka . . .?"

"Toratotaka International," the magi augmented. "The world's largest banking, credit, money exchange, stock, bond and investment conglomerate. Also, the world's largest and most invasive information trading firm and the primary organisation responsible for dealing with Janus-related problems. And it's the only major multinational outside Genom with its world headquarters located in Japan. Up the coast in a town named Oshika, just outside of Sendai. Yoshio-papa currently works as the House Patriarch for the company's Eastern Eurasian Division, which is headquartered here in Megatokyo. As a matter of fact, you can see the Megatokyo Toratotaka Tower right from here."

She pointed out the window. Anri and Namiko walked over to take their own look. "That large, white, circular complex with the obelisk tower way off in the distance, just to the left of Genom Tower?" the latter asked.

"That's the one," Chikage confirmed with a nod.

"Never really noticed it before," Anri stated.

Chikage and Kiyomi exchanged a knowing look. Ayumu was now engaged in a staring contest with Mr. Tadakichi, a lazy smile on the magi assistant's face. "Unlike Genom, Toratotaka doesn't try to advertise itself," Kiyomi explained.

"Why not?" Namiko asked.

Kiyomi shrugged. "Leaders in Toratotaka believe that it creates more problems than it could potentially solve. As Chikage-san just said, Toratotaka is the lead organisation that deals with the after-effects of what Janus could unleash on society as a large. Could either of you imagine what might happen if boomers come through Janus, then start appearing willy-nilly all over the place? Most pure-organic humans have enough insecurities when it comes to inducted sentients like us. If knowledge about Janus entered the public domain . . . " Her voice trailed off, a faint shudder running through her.

"Why would people react badly to it, Kiyomi-san?" Anri asked.

Namiko sighed, gazing on her beloved friend. "Anri, think! As boomers, we're slaves to pure-organic humans. We're property to them. If they ever found out that Stingray-sama actually provided us with the perfect escape through this Janus process, what would they do?"

Anri returned the other woman's look, and then she gazed on her tea. "They'd hate it," she whispered. "They'd want it for themselves."

"Unfortunately, yes." Chikage then sighed, a sage nod tilting her head. "Yoshio-papa told you last night about Brian Mason, didn't he?" On seeing Anri nod, the magi continued, "There are many other people out there who would do ANYTHING to seize control of something they'd believe would grant them immortality. Not that Janus gives people like you immortality, of course."

"Just a life that allows you to go forth and seek your own destiny without any of the programming constraints which ruled your lives when you were still boomers," Kiyomi added, and then she perked as Chiyo walked into room, a tray full of hot food in hand. "Ah, Chiyo-chan!"

"Everyone, dinner's ready!" the bouncy young teenager chimed.

Plates were handed out, and then everyone dug in. The four Child Companions watched with amusement as the two former Sexaroids excitedly chattered about the quality of Chiyo's cooking. "Chiyo-chan, if you keep this up, you'll have no choice but to open a restaurant," Kiyomi mused, allowing Yamamaaya to nibble on a strip of pork. "And if you do, you'll become a millionaire in the blink of the proverbial eye."

Chiyo giggled embarrassingly, waving Kiyomi's compliment off. "I'm not THAT good, Kiyomi-san! Shirayuki-san's way better than me!"

"I disagree!" Namiko declared blurrily, her mouth full of vegetable stir-fry. "This is worlds better than even Yue-chan's cooking!"

"Who's Yue?" Anri asked, staring at her friend.

"Nishihara Yue," Kiyomi answered on Namiko's behalf. "Namiko-san's adopted older sister. She's a professional fashion model."

Namiko gulped down the food. "And she wants me to model as well," she added before gazing on Kiyomi. "Kiyomi-san, do you model?"

"I've been offered several chances," the tall woman replied. "It really doesn't interest me."

"What do you do, Kiyomi-san?" Anri asked.

"I'm in my first year of studying at Kitasato University for my veterinary doctorate."

"Kiyomi-chan really, really, really likes cats," Ayumu spoke up for the first time.

"It's a pity they never really liked her. Until she met Yamamaaya," Chikage added.

"Unfortunately," Kiyomi breathed out.

"So have you heard anything from Lou or Meg?"

"Yeah," Namiko replied. It was just after sunset. Kiyomi would return to the Spiral in an hour to take Anri's friend back to her adopted family's residence; the Nishiharas lived in one of the vast metropolis' northern suburbs. Currently, she was doing some shopping in the Ginza for her and her lover, Kagura Michiko. "Meg's in England now, a city called Birmingham. Her new name's Margaret Megan Gibson. She was adopted by one of the senior executives of a big company there. Rolls Royce-Vickers; it's the biggest company in the whole of Great Britain even with Genom now there. And Lou's in America, in some city in Texas called El Paso. Her name's Louise Charlene Kaufman . . . "

"'KAUFMAN?!'" Anri gasped as images of her former supervisor on Genaros, Gregory Kaufman, flashed through her mind.

"No relation to ours, fortunately," Namiko declared, holding up a finger.

Both gazed on each other, and then they broke out in a peal of laughter. "So who's Lou with?" Anri wondered with a snicker.

"A rancher named Scott Kaufman. He's also a shareholder in an American company named Gulf and Bradley," Namiko said, and then she stopped, gazing at a point on the floor before she carried on, her voice lowered, "We've got so much to learn, Anri. So much . . . "

Anri stared at her friend, and then she nodded. "Hai, we do, don't we?"

"Well, at least with Saotome-hakase's company helping us out, we shouldn't have to worry about making wrong steps."

"Not to mention Chikage-san and her friends here at the Spiral," Anri added before she blinked. "Did you hear anything about Sylvie?"

Namiko shook her head. "Not much. Then again, according to Kiyomi-san, it takes about three weeks to get new identities established. And this whole Janus thing could've deposited Sylvie anywhere. Look at us. Meg in England, Lou in the States, you and I here . . . " Her voice trailed off, and then she stared on Anri. "Then again, Chikage-san directly stepped in to bring you here, didn't she?"

"I think so. But she had her reasons."

"All those people Sylvie had to kill to get blood for you?"

"Did Kiyomi-san tell you about that?"

"Hai."

Anri blinked, and then she reached up to wipe her eyes. "I never really thought about those people Sylvie went after, you know. Not until I came here. And not until Ayumu-san exposed me to the Spiral's core, let me actually experience what happened when Sylvie killed them . . . "

Namiko winced. "Ouch! That must've been awful!"

"Like you wouldn't believe." A shudder raced through Anri's body as those dark images warped through her mind. "'S funny, isn't it?"

"What?"

"We wanted freedom. Yet we never sat back and realised that if we were going to be free, we'd have to live alongside humans."

"Not to mention hide what we were from them," Namiko added. "To believe that bastard Largo tricked us . . . "

Anri's lips pressed together in a grim slash. "I know," she whispered. "I wonder what happened when Janus got him."

Namiko gazed on her friend. "DID Janus get him?"

Anri returned Namiko's look.

The Spiral, Tuesday 19 April . . .

"Largo's . . . dead?!"

"As you knew him, he is no more."

Anri and Chikage sat across from each other in the latter's living room after enjoying a quiet breakfast. "What happened, Chikage-san?" the former asked. "I mean, if a Janus circuit can only form in the mind of a fully sentient, self-aware boomer, Largo should've been saved when he was killed by the Knight Sabres. What do you mean when by saying that 'as you knew him, he is no more?!' I don't understand!"

The magi smiled. "At least you're learning to ask good questions," she mused, and then she sighed. "It turns out that there were certain parties who were very interested in Largo. Toratotaka isn't the only group that is able to manipulate the Janus process to their advantage. And unfortunately, no one is truly aware of how many parties CAN manipulate the Janus process. On the night Largo died, THREE such parties were able to reach into his mind, virtually at the same time. And in trying to save him, they literally tore his soul to shreds."

Anri paled, her heart thudding in her chest as her mind began to digest THAT ugly concept. "Masaka!" she breathed out, her hand squeezing into a fist over her heart. "Do you know who did it to him? Who was interested in him?"

"Not necessarily," Chikage admitted. "From what I was able to divine after watching what happened to him, two of the parties that were interested in him were both based somewhere in North America. The third party is a total mystery to me." She fell silent as she considered what else to say, and then she added, "I strongly believe, in fact, that third party might actually be alien in origin."

"Alien . . .?" Anri's voice trailed off, then her eyes widened. "As in . . . not from Earth?"

"Not from this very solar system, in fact," Chikage emphasised. "You won't know this, I suspect, but for three decades or so, the people of Earth were in close contact with many alien races from nearby solar systems. One of those races actually hailed from one of the small stellar clusters located outside our galaxy proper." She shook her head. "It all came to a stop about two decades ago. You won't find any real details about those other races in any public information databank, though. Over the years -- partially because of apathy, partially by deliberate action by various national governments and United Nations agencies -- that information has vanished. There are those who DO remember those times very well. If you're interested in researching this further, I can direct you to the right people."

"Why's it been erased?" Anri asked. "If there are alien races out there and if we did interact with them once, wouldn't it be wiser for everyone to know about it? I know from what I saw on Genaros that Genom and SDPC are pressing for extra-system exploration . . . "

"Anri, how long did it take to construct the Spiral?"

The green-haired woman blinked on hearing her host's question, then she frowned. "Two years. You told me that."

"And how was it possible for us to build this tower so quickly? To say anything of cloaking it from outside view?"

Anri's brow creased as she considered that, and then she looked at Chikage like a not-so-bright student having made a lucky guess. "Magic?"

"Magic," the magi echoed her, nodding. "You must understand the time period the Spiral was constructed in, Anri. It was just two years after Second Kantou. The whole city was levelled when the quake struck, Anri. More than a million people were killed in less than two days' time. And that figure doesn't count the follow-on casualties. Imagine how the survivors felt at the time, Anri. Many of them were devastated. Relatives dead. Everything of value in their eyes lost. Their whole society turned inside-out without warning. Some described it as the greatest social and cultural disaster to have hit Japan since World War Two." She snapped her fingers to emphasise the last two points. "In essence, Anri, the survivors' faith in themselves, their society and their future was thrown into very harsh question. Some saw it as the end of it all. That's why they were willing to latch onto Genom when they were willing to do so much to rebuild the city."

Anri considered that for a moment, and then she shook her head. "I still don't understand, Chikage-san."

"It's a hard concept to comprehend, Anri," Chikage stated before falling silent for a moment. "I want you to do something today. I'm going to ask a friend of mine to come down from Hakodate. Her name's Susumu Marie. She's a private information researcher. She does most of the same things Priss' friend Nene Romanova does for the Knight Sabres. Did Sylvie tell you about her?" she asked.

"Nene?" Anri trilled, then she nodded. "Yes. Sylvie met Priss' friends a couple days before she went to GPCC. I didn't know that Nene-san was one of the Knight Sabres, though. But . . . " She paused before breathing out, "What could Marie-san teach me, Chikage-san?"

"Many things, Anri. Many things."

West of Nene Romanova's apartment, before lunch . . .

"It's so different looking at it from this level, Marie-san."

"Yes, it is, isn't it?"

Susumu Marie was a woman appearing to be Chikage's age; like the magi, the private information specialist was a cyber-bioroid birthed as part of the Child Companion Project. Slender, almost anorexic, she had come to the Spiral dressed in a long skirt, blouse and home-knit sweater. She had long black hair tied in a French braid and dark blue eyes behind round-frame reading glasses. Seeing THOSE shocked Anri; she had NEVER met a boomer, even a 33-S, who required visual corrective devices. Then remembering that all of the Child Companions were cloned from the DNA of their late namesakes, Anri concluded that the original Susumu Marie had been born with defective vision.

"The view from atop Genom Tower can be disorientating to the people who work there full-time," Marie explained as their vehicle, an AI-controlled sports car called the Shironamiki Special Mark Six, wound its way through old Suginami Ward. Unlike the concrete canyons of the metropolis' downtown, this part of the city was composed of row on row of single family homes, multi-floor bungalows and small apartment blocks. Noting several construction sites as they drove along, Anri had been surprised to note the near-total absence of the ubiquitous Bu-10A construction (or "build") boomers. "From their position, living almost all the time over a kilometre-and-a-half in the sky in one of the most secure places on the planet, it's easy for them to think that they're above the mundane things that haunt everyone else's lives."

"Largo would've thought that way because of the memories he inherited from Mason," Anri mused.

"Exactly. Oh, look there. Louie, pull over, please?"

"Pulling over, Miss Marie," the car's onboard AI replied.

As the car slid out of traffic, Marie pointed to a Shinto shrine. Currently hard at work restoring the roof was a half-company of people in casual clothing. "Watch them," Marie ordered. "Tell me what you see."

Anri stared at the workers. As the two cyber-bioroids observed, several of the people working on ground level affixed new roofing tiles onto a wood frame. Once that was done, they lifted it as a group to friends on the roof itself to nail into place. With that, more roofing tiles were inserted in to close off the shrine's attic from the outside elements. Drawing on her knowledge of human interactions -- the database on THAT was one of the primary things all 33-S's were programmed with right from the start -- Anri soon began to nod. "They're enjoying this," she whispered. "To them, this is something that makes them feel very good about themselves, Marie-san."

Marie nodded. "Good. Now, would it be easier to have build boomers do this?"

An automatic nod. "Yes."

"How would the people now working on this shrine feel about that?"

Anri blinked as the meat of Marie's question sank in, and then she seemed to deflate. "Would they hate it?" she asked.

"You just said that the people working on this shrine feel good about their work. How would you answer that, Anri-san?"

The former Sexaroid considered that, and then she sighed. "They would consider it an intrusion?" she asked in return.

Marie smiled. "Yes. Now, let's exchange a group of build boomers with the powers the Spiral's creators used to build the Spiral. How would the people here react if they had something like THAT to call on?" She pointed to the shrine to emphasise her point.

It took Anri seconds to answer that: "They'd consider something like that an even greater intrusion."

"Right," Marie drawled, turning to relax in her chair. "Louie, let's get going."

"Next destination, Miss Marie?" Louie asked as the Mark Six's turbines turned over.

"Hai."

"We're off!"

The sports car slid effortlessly into traffic as Marie continued with her explanation, "Yes, build boomers make construction projects very easy to do. Efficient work, done in a short time period, considerable savings because you don't have to pay human crews a salary that allows them to live comfortably. End result: it's more profitable for businesses to turn to Genom Construction to have boomers do the jobs. And because of that, there are people here in Megatokyo who believe that boomers are taking away necessary jobs from humans. And because of THAT, Anri-san, many humans who came to this city to find work can't find them. What happens to those people, Anri-san?"

"They try to get jobs they can get," Anri answered. "There has to be more jobs available other than construction, Marie-san."

"What if they can't?"

"They should then return to where they came from."

"What if they can't do THAT, Anri-san?"

Anri blinked. "If they can't . . . " she began, and then she found herself staring nowhere in particular. "What do they do?"

"You're about to find out," Marie warned her.

The Fault . . .

"Sylvie and I stayed in this part of the city after we crash-landed." Anri pointed. "I recognise that building."

The Mark Six was now making its way along one of the roads flanking the northern side of the jagged scar that divided the southern parts of Megatokyo from the remainder of the metropolis. This part of the city, in what used to be known as Setagaya Ward, was where Largo had set up his primary base of operations after taking control of GPCC. "Did you take note of all the people living in the Fault?" Marie asked.

"Some of them . . . " Anri began, and then her eyes suddenly went wide, her breath catching in her throat. "No!"

"Louie, stop!" Marie barked. "Bio-scan Anri!"

"Increased respiration and heart rate, Miss Marie," Louie stated as the Mark Six pulled over. "Miss Anri's hyperventilating!"

Marie reached over to touch her companion's shoulder. "Anri . . .?!"

"NO!" Anri shrieked, then her voice crashed to a halt as she blinked several times. "No . . . " she moaned, squeezing her eyes shut.

"Anri . . .?"

"Her respiration's returning to normal. Heart rate is still very high," Louie reported.

"Anri?"

Anri slowly turned to gaze bleakly at Marie. "Down there . . . " She turned to point into the Fault. "The first people Sylvie killed . . . "

"Vagrants in the Fault?" Marie asked, her voice lowered.

"Yes," Anri moaned, and then she slumped forward, allowing her face to press against her hands. "Oh, Sylvie, why . . .?"

Marie reached over to draw her companion over into a comforting embrace. The two remained in place for several minutes as Anri wept for the two people whose deaths had heralded the start of the "vampire murders" that eventually stopped in another area of the Fault thanks to the Knight Sabres. As Anri started to regain some sense of composure, Louie then spoke up, "Miss Marie, we have a problem."

"What is it, Louie?"

"The Outriders."

Marie jolted, and then she looked at the rear-view mirror to see a small phalanx of young men on motorcycles racing their way. "Oh, this is just wonderful!" she spat out. "Let's go, Louie. Fastest route to one of the urban expressways. Activate all passive defences."

"Right away!"

The Mark Six raced off down the street. "Who are those guys?!" Anri wondered, glancing back to see three bikers now ten metres away.

"A local motorcycle gang called the Outriders," Marie explained as the Mark Six spun around a corner, racing down the street to an on-ramp leading to one of the elevated urban expressways criss-crossing Megatokyo. A glance at the rear-view mirror showed that the bikers were keeping pace with the sports car. "Pack of trouble-making idiots that virtually run some of the more run-down districts in the city."

"Can't somebody stop them?"

"No, not really. Though it wasn't too long ago that someone gave it one good try." Marie grimaced as the Mark Six wove its way into traffic. "Turns out that the Knight Sabres had to deal with the man who did that. Since then, the Outriders have been on a tear."

"Why?"

"Because as a result of what happened to many of their friends, they lost a lot of face with rival gangs. And unfortunately, the local law enforcement agencies don't have the manpower to keep firm control over them."

"Do they go after the people who're forced to live in the Fault?" Anri asked, looking back to see the Outriders falling back.

"Unfortunately, yes. Louie, take us towards the Tower."

"Right."

The Mark Six swerved into the turn-off lane for one of the newer expressways leading towards Genom Tower. Soon swerving into the mostly truck and flatbed traffic that was moving materiel from bay-side docks to the Tower, the sports car quickly cut into the fast lane. Anri watched as one Genom Sea Transport container truck was passed to her left, and then she looked back. "They're gone," she announced.

"Scan for them, Louie," Marie ordered.

"They didn't follow us, Miss Marie. Guess they must've thought you and Miss Anri were a pair of Genom suits."

Hearing that, both girls breathed out. "Marie-san, do Chikage-san and her friends deal with people in the Fault?" Anri asked.

"Yes, she does. And you'll be helping out in that regard, Anri-san."

"There's a security checkpoint just after the next exit, Miss Marie," Louie warned. "Do we get off?"

"Do so. Head for Nerima."

"Right away."

An hour later . . .

"I've never had this before."

"Wantan-men is very nice, isn't it?"

Anri grinned before using her chopsticks to lift one of the plump dumplings into her mouth. She and Marie had stopped by the Nerima Mall, the largest shopping centre in this part of the metropolis, to enjoy lunch at a family restaurant. Outside the windows, Anri could see the base of the Toratotaka Tower, located in a beautifully landscaped park to the Mall's north-west. Like the area around that shrine Marie had taken Anri to earlier, this part of Megatokyo was mostly composed of residential zones. And like that other part of the city, construction boomers were quite conspicuous by their absence. "Marie-san, are there humans who like boomers?" Anri asked.

"Oh, there are many of them all over the planet," Marie replied. "To better understand how humans come to like boomers, you have to divide the question to look at each general type of boomer. Now, from what you know, Anri-san, which would be the most popular type?"

Anri considered that for a moment. "That's easy. The Bu-21As -- the fire boomers."

"Yes, they do get the highest marks on most popularity charts." Marie chuckled. "When they came out in great numbers, the 21-As made such an impact that even the most brave 'fire jumpers' began to wonder how they could've done their jobs without them."

"'Fire jumpers?!'"

"Rescue specialists. The maniacs who actually charge into a fire to rescue people. From what I've learned, there are still a lot of people in rescue companies who're prepared to do that, even though a 21-A's survivability in such a situation is much better."

"Isn't there any resentment?"

Marie hummed. "A little bit. But the primary purpose of such units -- saving people's lives from fires -- tends to keep that highly suppressed. I think it'll be the same way when Genom gets around to putting out the Bu-57B paramedic boomer sometime next year. Paramedics have a lot of pride in doing their work. If a boomer took that away, resentment would build. But since paramedics have to sometimes perform emergency first aid to people before they could be transported to a hospital for long-term care . . . "

She gave her guest a knowing look. "Saving lives is more important," Anri finished.

"Exactly. You'll find, Anri-san, that all types of boomers have both their supporters and their detractors. The marine boomers can handle work at depths humans can't operate in, even with pressure suits. Yet there are people who believe that humans need to be down there to better expand the human experience in that realm of scientific study. There are police boomers now working for the normal police here in Megatokyo and elsewhere. They can withstand a lot more damage than human police officers, yet people believe that the introduction of boomer police officers would make things too impersonal, too inhuman, when it comes to law enforcement. You know now about build boomers and how they impact on construction jobs. Even boomers that operate in space have their detractors, even though they can get things done quickly, efficiently and with minimal risk to human lives. Combat boomers have the worst reputation, but there are those who see them as the perfect way to ensure that mothers would no longer have to weep over dead sons because of wars. And believe it or not . . . " Marie held up a hand as she winked.

"Even the 33-S's had their supporters," Anri quickly concluded.

"Yes, they did. Having boomers provide intimate companionship would prevent instances of rape, and if certain applications of the technology that went into your model were better used, instances of paedophilic behaviour could've been brought under better control." Marie paused for a moment, and then she sighed. "But as Yoshio-otousama no doubt told you when you met him, that you were too human in the long term . . . "

"Raised a lot of uncomfortable questions about slavery," Anri cut in.

"Yes. Ever since the 33-S projects were cancelled, Genom has gone out of its way to ensure the boomers they create don't develop such a high level of sentience and self-control. Unfortunately, it doesn't work all the time. And that's when Janus comes into play."

"What happens to other boomers when they go through Janus?"

"Well, first of all, you better understand that not ALL the boomers who do go through Janus are 'captured' by Toratotaka or those who are presently allied to Toratotaka," Marie explained as she lowered her voice. Fortunately for them, the restaurant was nearly empty; the only other customer was sitting on the other side of the room and the cashier was closer to him. "Those who're 'captured' by Toratotaka are given the necessary knowledge and training to help them survive pretty much on their own, then -- as you'll know from what happened to Namiko-san, Louise-san and Megan-san -- they're adopted into human families to give them some sense of 'history.' There ARE private investigators out there who work hard to ferret out people with false identities even if they're not hired by a company to do these sorts of background checks."

Anri frowned. "That would force Toratotaka to pick people who're remote and out of the way. People that don't attract notice."

"Yes. And that pretty much demands that those boomers who are helped by Toratotaka live very quiet lives from now on. Fortunately, since there are about seven billion people world-wide these days and since the numbers of boomers who experience Janus only range in the hundreds per month, the influx of new identities doesn't make any real impact at all. Spreading them out world-wide also helps."

"Would there be people who'd be interested in me?"

"The Knight Sabres for one, especially Asagiri-san and Stingray-san. Certain people in Genom, too, especially those people you worked alongside with as 'Millie Jackson.' Wayne Flint is pretty much out of the way right now, as is Greg Kaufman. But they could've told friends about you and Sylvie-san before they were removed from their positions, so . . . " Here, Marie shrugged, and then she gave Anri a curious look. "Is there anyone you might've met since you escaped from Genaros whom you'd want to see again, Anri-san? Anyone?"

Anri blinked. "Priss. I'd like to see her again. Apologise to her for what I did when Largo tricked me into believing that she was the one who killed Sylvie." She rapidly shook her head. "I mean, Priss killing Sylvie out of sheer spite, not because the DD's battle computer had gone out of control and the bomb on that thing had to be stopped no matter what. And . . . well . . . "

"I would strongly advise against that."

A flash of pain arced across Anri's blue eyes. "Why?"

"Two reasons. First of all, there's the need to keep the whole Janus process secret. Now, I'm sure that if we took her aside and explained everything about Janus to her, Asagiri-san would understand and accept it without question. However, in trying to confide this to her, there comes a bigger problem." Marie paused for a second before continuing, "Sylia Stingray has no idea about Janus' existence."

Silence.

Anri blinked. "She's doesn't know?"

"She doesn't know," Marie echoed her, shaking her head in emphasis. After taking another cautious look around the restaurant, she continued in an even lower voice, "Just before he died, Katsuhito Stingray created two special data disks. On them were nearly complete digital copies of his memories, and special knowledge he hoped could be used to act as a stopgap against Genom's abuse of what he created for them. One of them went to his daughter. She got the knowledge that allowed her to launch the Sabres. The person who got the other diskette was the one who learned of what Stingray-hakase had done concerning Janus. That person . . . " Here, she stopped again as a smile crossed her face.

Anri's eyes widened. "Saotome-hakase?"

Marie nodded. "Yes. And it was through Yoshio-otousama that Toratotaka got involved in the whole Janus matter. And ever since the quake, Yoshio-otousama has had to commit a lot of his time to ensuring that matters concerning Janus don't go out of control."

Anri nodded, and then she sat back in her chair as she considered that matter. "How old is Saotome-hakase, anyway?"

"He's twenty-six."

Anri's brow furrowed. "Then he would've been fifteen when Stingray-sama was killed. How . . .?"

Marie tittered. "He was Sylia-san's and Mackie-san's babysitter."

The other woman's jaw dropped. "Their BABYSITTER?!"

"Interesting choice, ne?"

Anri blinked, then she breathed out, "I guess so."

The Spiral, that evening . . .

"So how was your day?"

Anri smiled as she knelt beside Chikage's in the latter's meditation room. On the walls around them, various energy patterns swirled, they superimposed over what seemed to be an ultraviolet image of the surrounding city. "I have a lot to think about," she admitted.

"About?" the magi prodded her.

Anri breathed out, "About life. About the society I have to live in now. About trying to resolve what happened after Sylvie and I escaped from Genaros. Though . . . " She paused for a second. "Though I really can't try to conceive how I could help resolve what happened to all those people Sylvie killed. If . . . well, if . . . " Her hand clenched over her heart as tears streamed down her face.

Chikage stared at her. "Anri, if you could give up your life to give one of their lives back to them, would you do it?"

"Yes!" Anri blurted out. "Yes, I would! B-but . . . " her voice sputtered. "But which one, Chikage-san?"

"Yes, which one," the magi mused, her voice strangely tired. "That sort of choice need not plague you at this time, Anri. Even with the powers we who live in the Spiral are gifted with, once someone crosses that final line into the next life, there is no coming back. At least not in the same form they left this life in, of course. The Universe is an ever-constantly changing place, Anri."

"Humans are recycled too, you mean. 'Resurrected' as they call it."

"And those boomers who die without having been able to forge a Janus circuit in their mind," Chikage added, and then she crossed her arms. "When you look on things that way, Anri, questions about morals, what's right and what's wrong, all suddenly become quite insignificant."

Anri's eyes widen. "You're saying it doesn't matter, Chikage-san?"

"No, Anri, it does matter. And that is one of the many contradictions you will have to face as you adjust to your new life."

"In what way, Chikage-san?"

The magi stared at her guest for a moment, and then a light smile crossed her face. "Faith, Anri. It's all about faith."

"'Faith?'"

"Yes." Chikage paused for a moment. "Over the next while, you'll learn as much about this subject as I and my co-workers can teach you, but here is a very simplified explanation. Remember when I told you about That Force when you asked me why you hadn't died?"

"Yes. You said that it is from That Force that we emerge from at birth and return to at death."

"Exactly," Chikage replied. "That Force is given many names by people. Heaven, the Next Life, Eternity, whatever. But Its Power and Its Influence remains with us throughout our time in this existence. It affects our beliefs and thoughts dependant on how much we accept Its Existence and how we accept It. And in turn, It is influenced by our beliefs and thoughts, which remain with us when we return to It on our leaving this life. And because the energy from That Force is the same from person to person -- human or boomer, it doesn't matter -- when we return to It, our thoughts and beliefs intermingle with the thoughts and beliefs of those others who have also returned to It."

"So when people believe the same things about That Force in this life, when they die . . . "

"They carry those beliefs with them, which influences That Force in many ways, Anri. Now . . . " Chikage held up a finger. "Imagine what would happen if a large number of people in a confined geographic area suddenly die all at once. And all those deaths affect the survivors so adversely that they decide they don't wish to continue emulating those beliefs with the same passion their lost friends and relatives demonstrated. Or worse, what would happen if you also have a sudden influx of people into the subject area whose beliefs and personal viewpoints concerning their relationship with That Force grossly differs from the natives, both the living and the dead?"

Anri's gaze turned inward for a moment, and then her eyes widened. "That's why the Spiral exists. You told me that when the quake happened, many of the survivors looked on it as the end of the world as they knew it. Then you had all the people who came to the city from all around the world to help out with disaster relief and . . . " Her voice caught in her throat. "All the boomers, too . . . "

"Yes," Chikage confirmed, a smile turning her lips.

"What would've happened if the Spiral was never built?"

The magi took a deep breath. "According to my grandfather -- he's the Grand Magus of the Spiral -- you could've easily multiplied the incidents of boomer rampages and other violent crimes by a factor of FORTY. Then add on the attendant fatalities to innocent bystanders."

Anri winced. "No human could've accepted boomers in the wake of something like that!" she hissed.

"Yes."

The green-haired woman's brow furrowed as she considered what she had just learned. "So the need of something like the Spiral was so paramount, you couldn't depend on using build boomers to get it done in time before things went really out of control. But because people were looking for something new to believe in, to present the option of what power you used to create this place to the general public . . . "

Her voice trailed off as she stared questioningly at Chikage. "Would've created a situation much like what now exists in Megatokyo, but magnified to a degree that would've made what happened in the quake itself look quite trivial in comparison," the magi finished. "What we do here in the Spiral is create a spiritual balance between the various forces which exist in this city and its environs. And there are many more groups than what you know of at this time. You will learn about all of them, Anri. Every last one. You'll be exposed to things beyond your wildest imagination. Things that make what Genom creates, even entities as powerful as Largo, look frail and insignificant in comparison. You'll learn about many types of humanity that most people believe only exist in science fiction and horror stories. Your whole outlook on the universe will be twisted inside-out and turned upside-down before you can be considered ready to truly embrace your new life.

"And yes, you will meet up with other boomers who've undergone the Janus process, learn how they've come to accept their new lives and learn how to help them should they confront problems they'll have trouble overcoming. We've been looking for someone like you for some time now, Anri. That's why I ensured that you came here after you 'died' in Genom Tower. I believe you have the right empathy to fill that role. And after your experience with Largo, the mask of ignorance you once had has been ripped away from you. Yes, you have to fully resolve what happened because of you after you came here from Genaros, both for yourself and for those who died because of you. And you will do it."

Anri took that in with a nod, and then she looked up. "But what about Sylvie, Chikage-san?"

Chikage slowly breathed out, "What about Sylvie? What indeed?" She paused for a second before carrying on, "Well, she herself also has to resolve her own involvement in what happened to you two. But unlike you, Sylvie has a bit of a head start in that regard."

Anri stared at her host for a moment, and then her eyes widened. "By sacrificing herself when the DD went out of control."

"Yes," Chikage replied, smiling. "In Sylvie's case, she had, thanks to her friendship and relationship with Asagiri Priss, started to rediscover her faith and trust in pure-organic humans. Hence, that influenced her willingness to give up her life when the bomb on that thing was primed. It wasn't just for you that she was willing to give up her life, Anri. It was for Priss, too."

"I never experienced that," Anri announced, her eyes bowing. "Largo intervened before I could've formed something with Priss."

"Yes."

The Spiral, Wednesday 20 April, morning . . .

The grounds around the tower were landscaped to allow curved memorial walls, all built of white marble, to be mounted on the face of banks of sculpted earth. Viewed from above, the memorial walls formed a line of curved brackets to the north and south of the Spiral itself. Ten such walls were located on the south side of the Spiral with three more on the north, though there was room for new walls to be added.

On each of the two-by-one metre sized marble blocks used to compose the wall, names were etched in the rock. Each name was written in large enough script to be read from a distance. With kanji forming the majority of the victims' names, each of the marble blocks averaged twenty horizontal lines of script per block. All the entries were carefully carved into the stone using the native language of the deceased. The names of those who died during the morning of Saturday 1 March 2025 took up the outer eight complete rows between the Spiral itself and the southern boundary of the memorial park. After enjoying her first proper breakfast thanks to Mihama Chiyo, Anri had come out to look for two names she had learned about thanks to Sylvie and her spending time with a hard rock singer with eyes of liquid fire.

"Asagiri . . . " Anri whispered as her eyes trailed over the mixture of kanji, kana, Roomaji script, Korean han'geul, Cyrillic and the alphabets of a dozen other societies. "Asagiri. Where are you?" Her eyes then widened on recognising the kanji for "morning" and "mist." "Ah! Yatta!" she gushed, then read the names to make sure. "Asagiri Akita. Asagiri Lenore." A pause. "Priss' parents."

Her hand fell away from the marble as she stood to attention, and then she clasped her hands before her in prayer. She bowed her head and closed her eyes just as she had seen many transients on Genaros do whenever they visited the station's small chapel. Then, she simply just didn't understand why people did that. The concept pure-organic humans called "faith" was a totally alien thing to a boomer like Anri. Now thanks to the time she'd spent at the Spiral, she was starting to see how that concept factored into the lives of many people, even those she had interacted with on a daily basis in near-orbital space. To place themselves in a situation where they risked confronting potential death in nearly-airless space, even when scientists from Genom and SDPC had gone out of their way to make sure that things were safe . . .!

It must have seemed as heart-stopping to them as making that first step to freedom had been for Anri and her friends.

How had it been for Priss' parents that dark day eight years ago? To wake up, expecting a normal day at work or home. Then to have their lives violently ended when Mother Nature went totally insane, bringing whole buildings down on their heads so swiftly, their chances of escape were rendered nil. Priss herself had been lucky; she had been preparing to finish her second-to-last year of elementary school when the quake struck the Kantou basin, standing outside with her would-be classmates and teachers when tremors levelled the buildings around them. There, adults had been close by to protect the just-orphaned child, see to it she would eventually be sent to an orphanage for the couple years she would stay there until her own rebellious spirit sent her into the streets and onto the path that would eventually make her one of the Knight Sabres.

Do you pray for your parents, Priss? Anri thought as she turned her gaze up to look on the names written before her. Or is the pain still too great for you, even now with you living your own life? Have you gotten over it or does their passing still haunt you?

"Hello."

Anri started, and then she looked left to see a grandfather-like figure standing a metre away. Dressed presentably, he leaned on a cane similar to what Chairman Quincy used. He seemed a decade or so older than Genom's leader. "Good morning," Anri greeted him with a bow, inwardly grateful to have met someone else who didn't seem to work full-time at the Spiral. "Are you here to visit someone, Ojii-sama?"

"Yes, I am," he confirmed with a light smile. "You're the 33-S who just came here, aren't you? The one Chikage-chan scouted out?"

She nodded, indicating her heart with a hand. "Hai, Ojii-sama. I'm Anri. I'm very pleased to meet you."

"Pleased. I'm Senrei Tatsugi," he introduced himself, walking over to gently grip her hand. "I doubt you'd know someone who died back in 2025, Anri-chan. If I recall correctly, the first of the 33-S's didn't come out until three years later."

"I actually came here looking for the names of the parents of a friend," she explained, pointing to the names in question.

He looked, nodding. "Ah, I see. Someone you met before coming here?"

"Hai. Are your relatives listed here, Senrei-sama?"

"Yes, they are. Right over here."

He walked over to gaze on a section of marble three blocks over from where Priss' parents were listed. Anri was quick to pick out the names in question. Senrei Minami. Senrei Tatsuya. Senrei Junko. Senrei Ikuka. "My wife, son, daughter-in-law and daughter," Tatsugi explained on sensing the former Sexaroid's interest. "I was travelling abroad on business when the quake struck. It took me almost a whole year to learn what happened to them. We lived in Meguro Ward at the time. Tatsuya and Junko lived over in Oota Ward. My house collapsed right into the Fault when the quake struck. At least they were able to recover my wife's and daughter's bodies. As for my son and his wife . . . "

"I'm so sorry for your loss, Senrei-sama."

"Thank you. It must be hard for a boomer to comprehend how much it hurts. Though I think 33-S's might find it easier to understand."

"I can try, sir," Anri admitted. "May I ask how you know about the Spiral, Senrei-sama?"

"These days, I run a group of day-care centres scattered across Megatokyo and some of the northern suburbs," Tatsugi explained. "The group running things here give spiritual support to the children we care for. Chikage-chan and several others who work here, and their friends, help teach the kids various subjects when they gain some free time. I suspect you'll be given a chance to help out soon enough."

Anri perked on hearing what occupied the older man's time. "Day-care centres? How old are the children?"

"Oh, no older than five, actually. I doubt you'd have experience dealing with humans at that young an age."

"Not really," Anri admitted. "I was programmed to be able to deal with younger humans in many sorts of situations beyond what would be expected of someone like me. Unfortunately, children aren't allowed on Genaros and I never had any experience dealing with humans prior to the recall." She paused for a moment before adding, "I admit it would be interesting to see what such a place looks like."

Tatsugi stared at her, inwardly surprised by Anri's show of honesty and curiosity, and then he hummed. "Let's see if we can give you that chance, Anri-chan," he mused before turning his attention back to praying for the souls of his departed relatives.

"You wish to adopt Anri?"

Chikage stared quizzically at her guest as both enjoyed morning tea. Anri was currently helping Ayumu with planting new roses in the gardens around the Spiral. "She intrigues me," Tatsugi admitted before sipping his tea. "I don't possess the right sort of qualification to obtain a cyber-bioroid through the CC Project Toratotaka runs, Chikage-chan. But I do know that they arrange to allow other interested parties to adopt boomers who come through this whole Janus thing. Has someone been selected to adopt Anri-chan?"

"No, the search for her potential family has only begun," the magi mused, and then she closed her eyes as she considered the possibility.

Senrei Tatsugi was a widower with no surviving children, though he did have relatives thanks to a brother and cousins in different branches of his overall family. That, along with the fact that both his son and daughter had been fully-grown adults when Second Kantou struck Tokyo, disqualified him from becoming an active participant in the Child Companion Project. It wouldn't disqualify him from adopting a Janus beneficiary, though. Thanks to his age and experience, whatever fresh prejudices against inducted sentients he might possess could be smartly dealt with as long as he was approached properly. And since he did know of the Spiral, Tatsugi understood very well what keeping the REAL secrets in this city were about. At present, he lived in what used to be Katsushika Ward, running a successful day-care business that catered to a wide range of clients. Because Genom workers turned to Tatsugi's company to keep watch over their children, security wouldn't be a problem. And with a whispered word to the right people in Genom Special Services, those people who might try to draw a connection between first generation 33-S AA72A "Anri" and Senrei Anri, adopted daughter of Senrei Tatsugi, could be silenced right away.

Would interacting with children do Anri good in the long term?

One way to find out.

"May I propose that we give Anri a chance to experience what a day-care centre is all about before I submit your name to Yoshio-papa and his staff for consideration, Tatsugi-ojisan?" the young magi proposed. "Perhaps tomorrow at your facility near the Ebisu works?"

The older man gave his host a knowing look. "I'm right about this one, Chikage-chan."

"I'm sure about that, Oji-san, but it's always wise to make doubly sure in cases like this," Chikage returned.

"All right, then."

Near Leon McNichol's apartment, Thursday 21 April, late morning . . .

"Hello, Mrs. Chandra! Hi, Devin-kun! Did you bring your blanket?!"

"Hai!" young Devin Chandra, all of a precocious three, chimed as he held up his blanket.

The morning supervisor at the Hirai Children's Day-care Centre, Grace Hyatt, smiled as she moved to direct Devin to join the fifteen other children who'd be spending their day here. "All right then. Let's get it laid out on the floor, then it'll be time for a story."

"Okay, Onee-chan!"

Devin jogged over to place his blanket down on one of the futons that had been laid out in the centre's main classroom prior to the arrival of the first children. Along with Grace, there were two other people working at the Centre today. Anri was one of them. For work today, she had come to the Centre dressed in a simple blouse and ankle-length split skirt similar to what Chikage normally wore. The other was Tenhiro Haruka, one of the Child Companion cyber-bioroids whose adopted father was one of the chief scientists working for the Zone Corporation, a Genom subsidiary based in Chiba whose primary business concentrated on rebuilding and reprogramming older model boomers for those who couldn't afford brand-new units. Just graduated from high school, Haruka was taking a year to work at the Centre as well as progress her martial art studies in naginata-dou and kyuudou before going to Germany to attend university. On meeting Haruka at the Spiral an hour earlier, Anri had been struck by how formal the raven-haired, dark-eyed cyber-bioroid was. Chikage then confided to Anri before the latter left for work that Haruka had privately dedicated herself to emulating a traditional Japanese woman in her private life.

Thinking about that, Anri gave Haruka very good chances at success.

"Stranger!"

The green-haired woman jolted on hearing a girl say that, and then she looked around. Instantly, she noticed that one of the children, a four-year-old named Lana Hackett, was now pointing at her. Before Anri could say anything in response, Devin pointed at her. "Stranger!"

Within a moment, all the children were pointing at her, chanting "Stranger!" Anri started to sweat. She then blinked as Haruka moved to stand beside her, clapping her hands several times to gain the children's attention. "Now, now! Everyone, that's enough!" she called out. As the children lowered their arms and fell silent, all gazing on Haruka, the raven-haired woman continued, "That was good. Always be ready to point out any stranger who approaches you. Now, let's sit down in a circle so we can meet our new friend so she won't be a stranger to any of you anymore! Come along, everyone!" She made a circle motion with her hand to indicate where the children were to sit.

The children sat down soon enough as Grace came into a room, carrying two chairs with her. "Everyone, this is Anri," she moved to introduce the newcomer after setting the chairs down. "She's an orphan that Senrei-sensei wants to adopt as his daughter. She'll be working here occasionally, usually whenever Chikage-san, Ayumu-san or any of their friends come to visit. Everyone, say 'hello' to Anri-san."

"Hello!" the children chimed, many waving at her.

"Um . . . ah, h-hello!" Anri stuttered before she giggled, her cheeks reddening in embarrassment.

Haruka quickly moved to guide the newcomer to a chair. "You have to forgive Anri-san, everyone," she spoke. "This is the first time she's ever been with children your age. Do you all think you can become Anri-san's friends, everyone?"

"Hai!" the children chimed again.

Grace clapped her hands to take control of the class. "All right, then! What say we go read a story!"

The children cheered, many chanting "Story! Story!" Staring at them, Anri shook her head. This was going to be hard.

"I was right!"

"About what, Anri-san?" Haruka asked before sipping her tea.

"This WAS hard!" Anri stuttered.

Haruka and Grace laughed as the three women relaxed in the staff office sometime after the last child left for home. "Yeah, I felt the same way when I first started working here," the latter reminisced. "It comes with time, Anri-san. But when it does . . . "

"You'll wonder why you complained in the first place," Haruka finished for her co-worker.

Both laughed. Anri stared at Grace before taking a deep breath. "I hope you don't mind my asking, Grace-san, but . . . "

"Yes, I am," the green-eyed blonde, looking like she was from Los Angeles, answered before Anri could finish asking the question. "I was a Mark Six M-17 before Janus got me, then I woke up in the Tower over in Nerima. Unlike you, I was slotted into a 'cyber-nurse' position and worked for Toratotaka for a couple years before I could go freelance. Tatsugi-san hired me right away and I've been here ever since."

"You were a mannequin boomer?" Anri gaped before shaking her head. "I mean, you're practically . . .!"

"Ancient?"

Anri gagged, then her cheeks flamed. "Sorry."

Grace sniggered, making a dismissive wave with her hand. "Oh, don't worry about it!" She then sighed. "Compared to me, you're lucky, Anri-san. You were pretty well programmed to deal with almost all social situations when you were a boomer. When I first woke up in this body, it took me two months to be able to say anything more than 'May I help you, sir?'" she squeaked the quote in a high-pitched voice.

"She worked in a grocery store," Haruka added.

"What happened to you?" Anri asked.

A sad smile crossed Grace's face. "What happens to almost all of us when we're reborn via Janus, Anri-san. Certain circuits in my brain got crossed and I went crazy. It was enough to haze out the OMS' influence on me and allow the Janus circuit to properly form, but at the same time . . . " Here, she stopped, a grimace crossing her face. "I nearly killed my owner when I pitched him through a window. Thank the gods for AD Police. If they hadn't stopped me, who knows WHAT could've happened then." She blinked before looking down to see Anri holding her hand. "Thanks." Grace gave her a thankful squeeze before drawing her hand back. "I don't like talking about it a lot."

"Have you ever tried to see your old owner?" Anri asked.

Grace shook her head. "No. They advised me from the start not to do it. No sense in reopening old wounds and if he ever found out about Janus, what's to stop him from singing it out to everyone willing to listen? You probably understand how it is, don't you?" On seeing Anri nod understandingly, Grace shrugged. "It's not that I hate him, of course. He did take care of me when I was with him. I took his family name as my own when I crossed over. Hell, it really wasn't his fault in the end that maintaining me got too expensive for him."

"Is that normal for boomers who come across via Janus?"

"Pretty well normal," Haruka replied. "Except for your model thanks to Yoshio-otousama."

Anri stared at her tea cup. "I don't feel so special," she admitted before raising the hot liquid to her lips.

"I don't think Saotome-hakase ever meant to mark you out as special when he helped build the brains that went into all of you, Anri-san," Grace noted. "But when he looked at your design and saw how detailed your programming was meant to be . . .! Well, it didn't take him too long to realise that full sentience and self-will was practically guaranteed for those like yourself. And given what happened to you all . . . "

Haruka sighed, shaking her head. "Especially the second generation girls."

"Especially them," Grace concurred with a nod.

"I've never met any of them," Anri admitted.

"You probably might meet one sometime in the near future," Haruka warned. "Sakura Candice. 'Candy' to her friends. She works in a private night-club near the Toratotaka Tower. She was one of the first of the second gens to pass through Janus. After she emerged . . . "

"One very sick girl," Grace whispered, grimacing.

"How bad?" Anri asked. "Chikage-san warned me they suffer because of the move-by-wire system in their old bodies . . . "

"Grand mal epilepsy is the main problem," Grace explained. "Uncontrollable shakes, loss of control over certain bodily functions at the wrong time . . .!" She shook her head. "It's a wonder why Candy-san and others like her don't kill themselves just to stop suffering."

Anri winced. "Awful."

"But she perseveres," Grace then added. "One gutsy lady. Hell, they all are from what I've heard."

Silence fell as they drank the rest of their tea and finished with their snacks. "So how did I do?" Anri asked after a minute.

"Pretty good," Grace acknowledged with a nod. "It was hard for you at the start. Tatsugi-san warned me that you never had to deal with children before. But after you got to know all the kids, all the social interaction programming that was given to you just clicked back in." She snapped her fingers. "Matter of fact, I began to sense some relief from you as the day went on. It's the first time you dealt with a lot of pure-organic humans and you never once had to consider what sort of sexual knowledge you might have to employ. Am I right?"

"You are," Anri admitted, nodding vigorously.

"What was it like for you on Genaros, Anri-san?" Haruka asked. "I mean . . . "

"I never got as much of it as some of the other girls," Anri replied. "You had those like Sylvie, who pretty much 'belonged' to one specific lover. About a quarter of the girls up there were in that sort of situation. Some of the pure-organic humans treated their girls okay. The real lucky one's a girl named Soo-jin. She's the companion to Stanley Steinmetz, the deputy director of Genaros. He's a really nice guy. Always treated us with respect, even asked for our advice when it comes to certain things. And then, there was Nanase Yuu . . . "

Haruka perked. "Yuu-obasama?"

Anri stared at her. "You know her?"

"Of her," the raven-haired cyber-bioroid confirmed with a nod. "She's a very close friend of Yoshio-otousama."

"Oh."

"So what about girls like you?" Grace asked.

Anri sighed. "Well, we were open to anyone who was interested in us when we weren't working on the docks. I never really got much in the way of dates, though. I guess because I was built to look so young, a lot of the people on the station got a bit squeamish around me."

Grace gaped. "You mean guys up there AREN'T perverts?!"

A snort escaped the green-haired survivor from Genaros. "Depends on how you define the word 'pervert,' Grace-san."

Grace shook her head. "Good point," Haruka mused.

The Saint Regis Hotel, Monday 25 April, early evening . . .

"I feel so embarrassed being in this place!"

Tatsugi laughed before raising his glass to toast Anri. Both were relaxing in one of the finer restaurants on the top floors of the Saint Regis, a location that gave the elderly man and his future daughter a very fine view of downtown Megatokyo. Having become used to her guest room at the Spiral, looking at Megatokyo from the Saint Regis didn't impress Anri very much. She couldn't complain about the food, however. Much less the tastefully-designed sundress Tatsugi had purchased for her on Saturday. "You deserve to be pampered, Anri-chan," he declared, his eyes twinkling with mirth. "And I'm going to pamper you from today straight to Children's Day."

Anri's cheeks flamed even more as she turned her attention back to her wine. "Well . . . " she drawled impishly, then emitted an exaggerated hum. "From now until Children's Day, eh?" She crossed her arms in thoughtful contemplation for a moment, then breathed out, "Well, I suppose I've no choice but to put up to it." She raised her glass in a toast. "Thank you for taking a chance with me, Father."

"For you, child, it is nothing at all," he asserted, making a dismissive wave with his hand.

Anri sipped her wine, and then she took a deep breath before placing her glass down. "Though I would like to ask you something."

"Why adopt you as a daughter instead of seeking you out as a lover?"

"Hai."

He took a deep breath. "Two reasons. One: even now, I'm still loyal to my wife's memory to ever consider seeking out someone else. Being at the twilight of your life tends to alter your priorities when it comes to intimate companionship, I believe. And two . . . " He paused before lowering his voice. "You were raped many times before you crossed over, Anri-chan. I've no doubt in the world that whatever sexual experiences you could truthfully rate as 'enjoyable' could easily be counted on only one hand. And those times were with another 33-S on Genaros. Say your friend Sylvie or someone else." He gave her a concerned look. "Am I right?" he softly asked.

Anri blinked, sensing tears in her eyes, and then she nodded. "Hai, Father, you're right. For those people who did use me that way, I was just a receptacle for their lusts. And looking as young as I did, to get a 'normal date' was a very rare thing for me. At least when I was with another 33-S, they were understanding. Very understanding about it. It's the only really positive memory I have from up there."

"Then let's drink a little toast," Tatsugi proposed. "For the day to come swiftly that all your sisters up there have passed through Janus and be given lives to live that are truly under their control." He raised his glass. "Kampai!"

Anri echoed his action. "Kampai!"

They clinked their glasses together, then drank. "Perhaps you'll allow me to join you in that toast, Senrei-san," a strange voice spoke up from Anri's left, causing both of them to turn as a solidly-built man in his early sixties walked up.

Seeing him, a delighted smile crossed Tatsugi's face. "Tsuyoshi-kun! What are you doing here?!" he demanded.

The newcomer, who automatically reminded Anri of a younger version of Chikage's grandfather Hirosaki Ryuuji, gave Anri's would-be adopted father -- the official date of the adoption was set for the anniversary of Katsuhito Stingray's death, the second Wednesday from today -- a respectful bow. "I learned from friends of your incredible fortune, Senrei-san," he announced before gazing on Anri.

Anri returned his look before an understanding smile crossed her face. "You know about . . .?"

He raised a finger to stop her. "Anri-san, I strongly advise you to keep quiet about this," he warned in a lowered voice as his index finger made out the sign letter "J." "There are parts of this city where speaking of that particular process will do you no good."

"Sit down," Tatsugi invited the newcomer to relax in the empty chair to his right and Anri's left. "Anri-chan, this here is Kataki Tsuyoshi. He's a former senior Genom executive. He's retired now. As a matter of fact, he worked for Genom long before it actually became Genom." An amused chuckle escaped him. "These days, he volunteers his time to help manage my investments in Genom and its subsidiaries."

Anri bowed respectfully in her chair. "I'm pleased to meet you, Kataki-sama."

"The pleasure is mine, Anri-san," Tsuyoshi replied, bowing his head in acknowledgement before turning back to Tatsugi. "Forgive me for my surprising you like this, Senrei-san, but it seems that thanks to a former subordinate of mine, I'm now experiencing the same joy you're feeling. Though in my case, my joy is strongly tempered by the fact that my subordinate stepped way over his bounds in certain areas."

Tatsugi blinked. "Really?"

Anri gazed on the older men before her, and then her brow furrowed as the hidden message in Tsuyoshi's words came to her. "Is she like me?" she asked, making Tatsugi and Tsuyoshi stare at her. "Your daughter, Kataki-sama?" she lowered her voice even further.

Tsuyoshi blinked, and then he smiled. "She is. Her name is Mi-eun."

Tatsugi's eyes widened. "Mi-eun?" he hissed. "Gods, Tsuyoshi . . . "

Anri stared curiously at her adopted father. "It's true," Tsuyoshi confirmed, keeping his voice lowered. "As a matter of fact, my child came back to me as a consequence of the same matter your daughter was involved in not so long ago."

"I see," Tatsugi breathed out.

Anri blinked before she closed her eyes. "Largo," she whispered.

The Spiral, Tuesday 26 April, morning . . .

"'Kataki Mi-eun,'" Anri read the mixture of kanji and han'geul written on the marble wall before her. It would be a full day for her here on the memorial grounds today, working with Chikage to expand her understanding of the various magical and metaphysical elements the Spiral allowed its inhabitants to contact. Beside the name of Kataki Tsuyoshi's late daughter was written a name in full han'geul. "'Kim Soo-jin,'" Anri read, and then she blinked. "Soo-jin?" Considering that, she then shook her head. "No, it couldn't be her . . . "

"It is."

Anri froze in place before she turned left to see Chikage standing there. Relaxing herself -- it was still far too soon for her to have become completely used to the idea of the magi appearing and disappearing like that -- she stared at the name written on the memorial wall. "You mean to say that the Soo-jin on Genaros . . . " she began, and then she paused for a moment. "Before the recall, she was . . .?"

"Kataki Tsuyoshi's lover and companion, not to mention one of his primary field agents," Chikage finished for her, crossing her arms. "When the recall occurred, Tsuyoshi-san was tempted to shield Soo-jin, allow her to remain on Earth. He had the power and the influence to ensure her safety. But on noticing how others who had owned 33-S's were suffering from their removal, he felt it wasn't proper for him to continue to hold onto Soo-jin when others were denied the chance to hold onto their lovers. So he let her go."

Anri considered that for a moment, and then she stared at Mi-eun's name. "What about his daughter?"

"She was rendered brain-dead by the quake, though her body did survive and her heart kept beating," Chikage explained, waving the other woman with her. "Tsuyoshi-san didn't accept at first that she was dead. Thus, he had her placed on life support. No death certificate has ever been issued for her. Unfortunately, it didn't take him long to realise that she was lost to him. Still . . . "

"That poor man," Anri whispered.

"Indeed."

"So where did the new Mi-eun come from?"

"Tsuyoshi-san's assistant, Matsuoka Shingo," Chikage replied as they walked to the Spiral tower's main entrance. "He's the younger brother of one of Yoshio-papa's closer friends, Matsuoka Chie. He learned about Largo, then realised that something had to be done to counter him. To do that, he obtained a memory copy of Tsuyoshi-san, and dredged up whatever memories he could from Mi-eun's brain, then had one of my sisters, Hatoyama Rinrin, program all that into a third generation 33-S body. One that looked almost exactly like Mi-eun, by the way. And voila!" She made an exploding motion with her hand. "Kataki Mi-eun lives again."

"Kataki-sama would've preferred for that not to happen, you mean," Anri concluded.

"Exactly."

"He accepts her as his daughter?"

"He does." Chikage sighed as they stepped into the tower lobby, making their way to the elevator. "Mi-eun crossed over via Janus about a week after her initial awakening. It was a simple accident; nothing untoward happened to help it along." Pressing the controls to summon a car to the ground floor, she added, "To ensure she wasn't automatically snapped up by Toratotaka or one of the other groups right off the bat, Shingo-san resigned from working for Tsuyoshi-san, then went to work for one of Toratotaka's Janus-related projects directly."

Anri shuddered. Shortly after she met Namiko, Anri had been told by Chikage about what specifically happened to those 33-S's rescued by the Janus process. Since all of them would up in Toratotaka's possession thanks to what Saotome Yoshio had done before they were first built, the financial conglomerate had full control over their future lives. It was humanely done, of course; the fact that all of them were adopted by welcoming families spoke eloquently of that. However, sometime in the first ten years of a reborn Sexaroid's new life, she had to give at least four years continuous service to either Toratotaka or one of the groups affiliated with the conglomerate. Anri's presence at the Spiral would be her official "payback" service for enduring Janus and being helped by Toratotaka. Exceptions could be made, but those were VERY rare. And now, she realised substitutions could be made, normally by people who were aware of the Janus process. Being Kataki Tsuyoshi's assistant, Anri didn't doubt one bit that Matsuoka Shingo knew everything he had to about Janus and what it meant.

"What happened to Matsuoka-san, Chikage-san?" she asked as the elevator doors opened.

They stepped inside, Chikage pressing for her apartment level. "No doubt, he's in space now, helping out with one of the group terra-forming one of the planets in a nearby solar system for eventual human colonisation," the magi replied.

"When Genom gets around to developing an indigenous warp drive system."

"Or one of the other conglomerates heavily involved in space development."

"How long will it take to get a prototype developed?"

Chikage shook her head. "Hard to predict. That shouldn't bother you now, Anri."

Anri nodded. The car soon arrived at its destination, the doors opening to reveal Kasuga Ayumu. "What is it?" Chikage asked as she and Anri stepped out of the car, both quickly making note of the stern look on the assistant magi's face.

"We have a problem," Ayumu announced in an icy voice. "It concerns one of Anri-chan's friends, Chikage-chan."

Anri spun on her. "Who? Sylvie?"

Ayumu stared at her. "Priss."

Anri paled.

Six kilometres south-south-west of the Spiral, that moment . . .

"Thanks for the lift, Linna."

"Priss, are you sure you're going to be okay?"

"What do you think?" the singer spat out, gazing blearily at her team-mate.

Linna tried not to grimace too much on seeing how much Priss had aged over the last week and more. Very pale skin, bloodshot eyes, noticeable lack of proper nutrition . . .! Thinking of the latter point, Linna could only sigh. Hard liquor certainly wasn't the right sort of thing for Priss to consume. ESPECIALLY when she consumed it at the levels that saw her put in the tank at Tokyo Metropolice's main station last night after a drunken brawl at one of the many sake yatais that lined the Fault near Hot Lips.

"Priss . . .?"

"I'll be okay," Priss muttered, waving Linna off.

Linna blinked, and then she slowly nodded as the singer staggered into her trailer, the door slamming shut behind her. Taking a deep breath, she walked back to her car. Once inside, she drew out her NAVI, then, after coding in a signal scrambler Nene and Mackie had installed in the machine to ensure people couldn't eavesdrop on her conversations, dialled a number. Two rings later, the other end responded. "Moshi-moshi, Linna-san," Sylia announced as her face appeared on the palmtop's view screen. "How's Priss?"

"No change, Sylia-san," Linna reported as she sat back in her chair, a tired sigh escaping her. "It's a miracle that lawyer was able to get her off the hook. According to what he told me after getting Priss out of the tank, there won't be any follow-on procedures. That surprised me. I saw what happened at that yatai." She paused for a second before adding, "We're losing her, Sylia-san."

The Sabres' leader grimaced. "I know."

Linna closed her eyes. "If only we could've recovered Sylvie's or Anri's bodies . . . "

"I know," Sylia's voice cut her off.

From what Nene had told her, Sylvie's body had been cremated within twenty-four hours of her death in the Fault. Nene was trying to trace down what happened to the remains, though it was most likely that they'd be dumped with the rest of the wrecked boomers AD Police collected in some nameless landfill whenever they disposed of their non-threatening garbage. As to what happened to Anri's body, Sylia could only begin to guess; it had been left behind in Quincy's office. Cursing herself yet again for not considering how deep Priss' feelings for the two 33-S's had evolved in the very short time she had known Sylvie and Anri, the Sabres' leader stared at Linna. "We'll have to have a discussion about this very soon. Can you come by to visit the shop this afternoon, after Nene-san gets off work?"

"Hai, I'll be there," Linna replied with a nod.

"Oh, no! Chikage-san, what have I done . . .?"

Chikage's hand firmly landed on Anri's shoulder, she halting the latter from staggering towards the holographic images of Sylia Stingray and Yamazaki Linna; the magi, her new apprentice and Ayumu currently were standing in Chikage's meditation room. "It's not your fault, Anri," Chikage stated, gently drawing Anri back from the image. "You didn't know Priss well enough to have predicted something like this."

"But she's trying to kill herself!" Anri shrieked. "Look at her!"

She pointed to another hologram, this one showing the interior of Priss' trailer home. The singer was seated at her kitchen table, an unopened can of beer before her. The look of anguish on her face, trickles of tears flowing down her cheeks, her lips muttering either Sylvie's name or Anri's -- seeing how much Priss now grieved was viciously twisting Anri's heart inside-out. "I know," Chikage kept her voice even to provide some sense of emotional stability to her new apprentice. "But as I just said, it is NOT your fault, Anri."

Anri stopped as she considered her host's words, and then she stared at Chikage, her lips squeezed in a determined slash. "It's my responsibility."

They gazed on each other, and then Chikage nodded. "All right, then. Consider what you think you have to do. Remember, though . . . "

She fell silent on seeing Anri slowly nod. "Keep Janus a secret," the latter whispered, turning to gaze once more on Priss' image as the singer attempted once more to ease the pain with beer. "In other words, I have to remain dead to her."

The Hirai Children's Day-care Centre, Wednesday 27 April, early morning . . .

"Are you all right, Anri-san?"

Anri jolted on hearing Haruka's voice, and then she looked up to see the raven-haired kyuudou-ka gazing with concern at her. "Eh!"

"Oh, my! Your mind's a million kilometres away," Haruka breathed out as she sat down beside her co-worker. "What's wrong?"

Anri blinked as she considered what to say, and then she glanced at the closed door to the staff room. Grace Hyatt was currently setting up the main room for the children, who'd start arriving in an hour. Breathing out, she stared at Haruka. "Do you know Asagiri Priss?"

Haruka blinked. "Asagiri-san? Hai, I know of her. I don't really like her music, though."

"Do you know what she does on the side?" Anri asked.

Haruka gazed on Anri for a long moment before nodding. "Hai, I know. What about her, Anri-san?"

"She's trying to kill herself. Because of me. And because of Sylvie."

Silence fell as Haruka considered what her co-worker just told her, and then she took a deep breath, reaching over to firmly grasp Anri's hand. "Anri-san, you may not have much of an opportunity to help Asagiri-san even if you have the power of the Spiral behind you. And if she's really, truly determined to end her life, you definitely might not be there in time to save her. And in the end . . . "

Her voice trailed off, a shrug rolling her shoulders. "I have to help her, Haruka-san," Anri hissed. "I HAVE to!"

Haruka's other hand reached up to squeeze Anri's shoulder. "I know," the former asserted before she sat back in her chair. "If what I know about Asagiri-san is true, the only thing that might help her in an instance like this is a boomer rampage."

Anri's head snapped over, her eyes flashing with outrage. Haruka quickly drew her hands back as her co-worker's body quaked for a moment before she took a deep breath, the anger melting into a knowing melancholy. "Use her anger to force her to live, you mean."

"Yes. And yes, it's certainly not a healthy way for Asagiri-san to recover from what happened. But the only other answer . . . "

"Is to risk telling her about Janus," Anri completed. "And that could spell trouble for a lot of people. ESPECIALLY Priss."

Haruka nodded. "Yes."

The staff room door opened, revealing Grace. "Hey, you two! It's time to get to work!"

Anri and Haruka stared at her before they nodded. The former headed out to the main room right away. Grace watched her move to spread out the futons, and then she stared at Haruka. "What's going on?" she asked, lowering her voice to a bare whisper.

"I'll tell you later," Haruka promised.

Elsewhere . . .

"That is truly unfortunate."

The white bishop was shifted to counter the black knight. "It was to be expected given how the situation evolved."

"Indeed. Do you believe there might be a replacement available?"

One of the black rooks was moved right. "Not according to my data. And given the other problems associated with this matter . . . "

"I still have need of them." A pause. "This may be troublesome."

The white bishop was moved to the left. "Given the dynamics of this situation, there is one possible answer."

"Surprising that you would suggest something like that."

"There's no realistic way out that allows us to maintain security over the far more important matters, and keep a firm hand over elements that could still go out of control. At the same time, it will allow you to fully clean up what helped this affair along."

The black knight shifted to keep close to the white bishop. "The matter with the battlemover, you mean."

"And the smuggling of technology to the Chinese."

A chuckle. "I take it Wen-lai doesn't like it when his executives and scientists get lazy."

A white rook was moved to support its bishop. "I remind you that neither do you concerning yours, Quincy."

"True. I'll make arrangements, Megumi."

"Fair enough."

The Hirai Children's Day-care Centre, Friday 29 April, evening . . .

"Still thinking about your friend?"

"It's all I've been thinking about since I saw Priss in Chikage-san's meditation room."

Gazing at Anri, Sakaki Kiyomi frowned, wishing she could conceive of something, anything, which could help Anri with her current predicament. Like the other Child Companions, the tall woman understood the basic rule that governed the Spiral and how the people there interacted with mainstream Megatokyo. Only under EXTREME circumstances was the Spiral's power called on to assist in the life of a resident of the city it served. To use that power to help people under "controllable" circumstances -- in other words, when there were more open, conventional organisations to call on -- flew against the philosophy people like Hirosaki Chikage espoused. The leaders of the Spiral believed it would ultimately be to the spiritual benefit of everyone to allow THEM to determine the best way to resolve whatever problems came to plague the largest city on Earth. And if "extreme" circumstances DID come around -- it happened infrequently, Chikage explained to Anri -- discretion was the rule of the day. "A Prime Directive for us," the magi told her apprentice, using a much-favoured Star Trek analogy.

"And the only way out of it for Asagiri-san is to line up some boomers for her to wreck," Grace mused with a grunt as she lifted the pile of futons to store in a nearby linen closet. "And here we are, former boomers ourselves, actually WISHING this to happen!"

"Kiyomi-san, could Priss-san be brought into the fold?" Chiyo asked. The diminutive teenager had been able to come to the Centre since today was Green Day, the start of an extended Golden Week vacation, even for would-be Genom scientists.

"It'll be difficult," Kiyomi replied as she swept the floor. "If we had to make her disappear, Sylia-san and her friends would want to know what happened to her. Ditto with McNichol-kichou over at AD Police. And her band mates and friends will notice her absence, too."

"That's true," Chiyo mused.

"Plus there's official Genom interest in her as well," Kiyomi added.

"Surely Genom Special Services can be made to stay quiet about this, Kiyomi-san," Haruka noted.

Kiyomi shook her head. "Not GSS, Haruka-san. This concerns one of the Genro."

Everyone gazed on her. "The Genro?" Chiyo wondered. "The only one of them still alive here in Japan is Okami-sama."

"Exactly," Kiyomi confirmed with a nod.

"Priss' grandfather."

Eyes swung to Anri. "What are you talking about, Anri-san?" Grace asked.

Anri stared at Kiyomi. "You're speaking about Okami Devon, right?"

"Hai."

Anri sighed. "He's Priss' grandfather."

"How do you know that?" Haruka wondered.

"Because of Asagiri Lenore, Haruka-san. That's Priss' mother. Her maiden name is Okami Lenore. And according to the records I've seen on Priss' parents, the last time Okami-sama had any contact with Priss' mother was years before the quake."

The others considered what Anri just said, and then Chiyo blinked as something came to her. "Do you think Asagiri-san's mother didn't want Okami-sama to have any sort of influence over Asagiri-san?" she wondered, gazing quizzically at Anri.

"I don't know," Anri replied with a shrug. "I haven't really thought about th- . . . " Her voice was cut off when a blaring alarm echoed from the stairwell leading to the Centre's main doors; the business was located in the second floor of a six-floor office block just off one of the main streets in this part of Megatokyo. "What's that?!" Anri demanded.

"Boomer rampage alarm," Grace replied before she stared at her co-worker. "And it's only rung when it's a boomer AD Police can't control."

"Like a combat boomer," Haruka added.

Anri took that in, then paled. "Oh, no . . . "

"Looks like you just got your wish, Anri-san," Chiyo whispered.

It wasn't just one combat boomer. There were three.

And they weren't C-55 boomers. These were C-99 "super" boomers.

The first elements of AD Police -- one of the standing patrols of reconnaissance helicopters that swept the city constantly -- were on the scene within five minutes of the three boomers blasting free of the transport that had been carrying them to the Tower from some storage facility outside the city. Since neither chopper was properly armed, the lead pilot automatically put in a call for air support.

By then, a special delivery van for a lingerie shop located in old Shibuya Ward was making its way across town. The four women currently preparing themselves in its heavily modified cargo compartment had been alerted to potential trouble an hour before by a coded message sent by Lucien Fargo to Sylia Stingray. Supposedly, several factions within Genom, angered over the problems originating over a month ago on Genaros, were moving to publicly embarrass those few remaining supporters of Wayne Flint still in influential positions within the megacorp.

That Genom was willing to clean up its own house didn't bother Sylia too much, nor did it bother Priss. In the wake of the fight on Genom Tower against Largo, Sylia had briefed her team-mate on the people who had pretty much egged the whole DD/"vampire murder" affair along.

To Priss, it was fundamentally simple: They were, by proxy, going up against the people who had condemned Sylvie and Anri to die.

It was more than enough for her.

A half-dozen Hornets arrived on the scene minutes later, just as the first ground vehicles departed the hangars ten kilometres away. By then, the boomers had jet-boosted themselves onto the roof of an office building across the street from the Hirai Centre, one still partially filled with staff and customers. Immediately, the boomers' mouth cannons lit up, sending bolts of energy into the sky. Two of the Hornets were hit in the first volley. One's fuel tank exploded on impact, its fragments showering the ground below. The second one was able to stagger away from the combat zone as a wingman swept in to strafe the C-99 with a stream of machine gun fire. An ion bolt slammed into the third machine's cockpit in response, killing the gunner instantly. The pilot, now splattered with blood and gore that had seconds before been his friend and crew mate, tilted the damaged chopper away, quickly seeking out a place to land. The first machine followed.

As the still-intact Hornets reformed to begin a fresh attack, the C-99s turned as one to the south, bounding away.

"They're moving, Sylia-san," Nene reported. "Heading towards Ojima now."

"How soon will we be there, Mackie?" Sylia called over the intercom.

"Another five minutes, Nee-san!" Mackie replied.

Sylia nodded. "Okay, then. Ladies, let's suit up."

"Hai!" Linna and Nene chimed together.

As the others moved to slip into their hardsuits, Sylia glanced at Priss. The singer had remained silent ever since she joined the others at Lady's 633. Sensing her friend's concerned look, Priss glanced up, then she gave Sylia a light smile before rising.

"How many are dead?" Anri hoarsely demanded.

"Hard to estimate right now," Chiyo whispered. The girls in the Hirai Centre had the perfect front-row view of tonight's chaos.

Kiyomi shook her head. "One Hornet crew, possibly the gunner of that Hornet struck in the cockpit . . . "

"I don't think we need it spelt out, Kiyomi-san!" Grace muttered, and then she blinked, pointing. "Hey! Look there!"

The others looked. "The driver of that transport!" Haruka gasped. "He's still alive!"

"I'll get him," Kiyomi vowed before racing out of the room.

"Get him in here so he can talk to the police later!" Grace ordered.

"Hai!"

Breathing out, Grace reached up to rub her face, and then she stopped. "Anri-san?"

Chiyo and Haruka perked before their eyes scoured the room.

There was no sign of Anri.

Near Ebisu Mechatronics . . .

"WARN me before showing up like that, Ayumu-san!"

Ayumu remained impassive to Anri's shout, her eyes now fixed somewhere to the north. Both women now stood atop an office building overlooking the old Ojima subway station. "You implied you wanted to help Priss, didn't you?" the former asked.

Anri jolted, and then she nodded. "Yes!"

"Fine. Put this on."

"This" was a black cape the same size and styling as what Chikage normally wore. It even came complete with the Celtic crosses the magi liked so much. Anri quickly slipped it over her shoulders, then drew the hood over her head. Currently, Ayumu sported a simple knit shawl. "There!" she announced, her hand rising to point at something that Anri could barely make out even in early evening twilight.

"I see them." A fist of ice gripped Anri's heart as her eyes began to make out various details as the three cyberdroids closed the distance. C-99 super boomers. Virtually no different in overall performance and capability from the hyperboomers Largo had constructed in his plan to seize the OMS. Almost as frightening as the Dobermans. Coming right at her. "Will they see us, Ayumu-san?"

"No. The cape comes with a sensor cloak, virtually the same as what cloaks the Spiral itself. Not even Nene-chan's hardsuit sensor suite will be able to pick you up. Whatever you do, keep the cape on." A pause, and then Ayumu perked as she remembered something else. "Oh. Hold up your hands."

"Eh!" Anri blinked confusedly, though she was quick to obey.

Ayumu walked over, and then she pressed her middle fingers into the backs of Anri's hands, right on the tendons midway among the first knuckles of her own middle fingers and her wrists. A second later, the faint sensation of something moving across her skin registered somewhere in Anri's brain as she watched two oval-shaped crystals, both about the size of the old one-yen pieces, literally grow OUT of her skin. Staring closely at them, Anri was quick to realise that these crystals -- Why didn't Chikage-san tell me about THIS? she mentally thundered -- had the same consistency as the glistening material used in the Spiral's construction. "What . . .?" she began, gazing on Ayumu.

The dark-haired cyber-bioroid stared at her. "When the time comes, point your hand this way . . . " She raised her hand to point her palm at a nearby air-vent, with her middle and ring fingers folded in, her other fingers and thumb splayed. "And say 'Osculum Papilionis.'"

Anri blinked, though her head twitched in a nod. "What's that?!"

Ayumu winked before turning her head to the south-west. "You'll find out soon enough."

"KNIGHT SABRES, SANJOU!"

Thrusters cut in automatically as Sylia, Priss and Linna leapt off, soaring over several city blocks as they closed the distance on their targets. Nene did the same thing, though her course was more northerly, which would place her atop a convenient office building so she could use her hardsuit systems to scan the boomers and ensure they didn't come to the fight with some sort of support. Within seconds, the three Sabres landed on the office block right next to the Ebisu building, weapons charging. Nene assumed her place a moment later.

"There!" Linna pointed as the target boomers landed several buildings away and across the street.

"They're scanning you, One," Nene warned.

"Let's not give 'em a chance to learn anything!" Priss growled as she ignited her suit thrusters. "Left one's mine!"

"Two, wait!" Sylia barked as Priss charged off, and then she hissed, "Damn it!"

She and Linna boosted off to close the other C-99s as Priss slammed into the concrete roof in front of her target. Sensing his ion cannon light up, the blue Sabre immediately rolled left to safety. Before she could realise the danger, the boomer was right on her, his arms grabbing her in a bear hug. Priss screamed out as he lit up his own boosters, sending them both careening into a nearby propane tank.

"PRISS!" Anri screamed out as the resulting explosion shattered every window within five hundred metres.

"Huh!" Nene whispered as her audio sensors picked up a faint scream from nearby. "What was that?"

Priss howled as anger, fear and pain fought for control over her heart. The heat of the blast had nearly overwhelmed her suit's environmental defences, though the shock of the explosion had jarred her loose from her opponent's grasp. Rolling several times to ensure the non-metal parts of her suit weren't on fire, she quickly scrambled back to her feet. Another scream escaped her as the C-99 lunged out of the wall of fire, his fist drawn back to strike. She hit the deck as the boomer's punch whizzed overhead, then she cartwheeled to land an ankle bomber blow on his leg. The blast merely staggered the giant cyberdroid. Not to mention angering him enough to send a fist right for Priss' head. The singer's right hand came up at the same time, a railgun bolt lashing out to catch the punch square on.

The boomer howled as the magnetically-driven projectile lanced right through his wrist to slice up most of the systems in his lower arm. As he staggered back, Priss back-flipped onto her feet, and then she side-stepped right to place the boomer between herself and the still-burning propane tank. A quick glance left showed Sylia and Linna decisively engaged with their own targets. The one playing with the Sabres' leader was now missing most of his lower jaw thanks to Sylia's retractable vibro-knife. The one occupying Linna's attention was doing his best to get past her monomolecular cutting ribbons and close the range with her. With that, Priss turned back to her own target.

"Perfect," Anri hissed, crouching as she raised her right hand to point at the boomer's back.

Priss yelped as the boomer's ion cannon lit off, sending a stream of energy at the concrete roof under her feet. A quick boost with her thrusters got her clear in time and sent her flying right at her target, her ankle and knuckle bombers charged and ready.

"Osculum . . . " Anri whispered as the crystal on the back of her hand glowed, "Papilionis!"

From her position metres to Anri's north and west, Nene watched as Priss dive-bombed on her target, both feet and right arm out and drawn. The boomer's mouth distended as his ion cannon moved to discharge, but it was too late. Priss' legs made contact first, the charges located there going off against the C-99's lower chest as the knuckle bomber struck home just under the base of his neck. The rapid double blast was enough to stagger the giant cyberdroid, sending him stumbling right into the fire still burning from the wrecked propane tank.

Nene then screamed out in surprise as another explosion burst forth from that very spot, sparks and fire showering the scene as the concussion from the blow sent Priss tumbling away several metres. As the Sabres' communications specialist got her sight back, she looked to see the propane fire almost out. What was left of Priss' target had been sliced into a dozen pieces by the explosion. Turning to look to her other team-mates, Nene grinned on seeing Sylia's target down. Linna finally decapitated her own target a few seconds later.

Silence fell over the scene, and then Priss breathed out, "Everyone okay?"

"Fine here," Linna replied.

"Any signs of additional targets, Four?" Sylia asked.

"Wait, One." Nene quickly keyed in her suit's sensors, doing a detailed pass of everything up to a kilometre from her position. Sensing nothing there, she then keyed in on AD Police's tactical frequencies. Hearing the chatter between Ikusawa Naoko and Leon McNichol, she breathed out, "No targets in immediate range, One. ADP is sending people in pursuit of the original targets. One of the Hornets is coming in right now," she announced as the distant thunder of helicopter engines echoed from overhead and to the north.

Sylia chuckled. "Very well, then. Ladies, let's leave it to the constabulary."

"Hai!" the other Sabres chimed as they keyed in their thrusters.

Anri watched as the three Sabres leapt away from the battle scene, soaring off to the west and south, no doubt to meet up with their ground support and return back to their main base. Her eyes remained fixed on the figure in blue and red, she leading her friends back home. Sensing tears in her eyes, the Sexaroid-turned-Spiral magi apprentice blinked, then raised her fingers to her lips to blow a kiss towards her. "Priss, you did great!" she whispered, not noticing that the crystal on the back of her hand was still in the open.

Priss, you did great!

"Huh!" escaped Priss' lips as she began her descent arc towards the alley where the Silky Doll van awaited them.

"Two, you okay?" Linna asked.

The singer blinked, her body automatically adjusting as her thrusters ignited to break her descent. Landing on the ground, she quickly stood up, taking a moment to glance around her as the other Sabres touched down. "Anri?" flowed from her lips.

"What's wrong?" Sylia wondered, walking over to stand beside her friend.

Priss blinked several times, her mind rolling through what she had just heard, and then she reached up to slide up her helmet's face plate. Staring quizzically at her friend, she then whispered, "I thought I just heard Anri's voice, Sylia."

Sylia blinked, then raised her face plate in turn. "Anri?"

The singer jerkily nodded. "Yeah! She said . . . " Her voice trailed off for a second before she shook her head. "Never mind."

Sylia watched as her team-mate walked over to board the Silky Doll van, and then she turned to follow.

"You goofed a little bit, Anri-chan."

Ayumu's criticism didn't fully register with her companion; Anri was still staring in shock at the crystal at the back of her hand. "This is amazing!" she whispered, the exhilarating feeling she now experienced at actually HELPING the Knight Sabres -- helping Priss -- deal with rogue boomers flowing through her body like a raging tsunami. "I actually destroyed a boomer using some sort of . . .!" Her voice crashed to a halt as something came to her, and then she spun on Ayumu. "The Janus circuit!" she yelped. "Were any of them . . .?"

Ayumu's raised hand silenced her. "Relax, Anri-chan! None of them had the circuit formed inside their head."

Anri remained frozen in place as that information sank in, and then a shudder warped through her as tears spilled from her eyes. "No . . . "

A hand squeezed her shoulder. "It's okay," Ayumu assured her. "If they were sentient, I think they'd understand."

"Still . . . "

"It's okay, Anri-chan," Ayumu soothed, and then she blinked. "Ah, Chikage-chan!"

Anri jolted before she turned to see Chikage standing there, a paper bag with piping hot food in hand. "You did pretty well tonight, Anri," the magi announced, reaching into the bag to pull out a fresh taiyaki for her new apprentice. "Shall we head home?"

Anri took the offered fish-shaped cake in hand, and then she nibbled on it, a delighted grin crossing her face. "Hai!"

With that, Chikage whispered a spell to open a teleportation tube that would deliver Anri right into the former's meditation room back at the Spiral. Watching her vanish, Ayumu sighed before she stared at her friend. "You realised she made one little screw-up, Chikage-chan."

"Easily dealt with, Ayumu," Chikage dismissed that as she held out another taiyaki. "Have one!"

"Hai!" Ayumu chimed as she took the snack in hand, then started munching it as she and Chikage teleported home.

Priss stopped, a confused look crossing her face. "What's wrong, Priss?" Linna asked.

The singer blinked, then stared at her friends. "I dunno about you guys, but I'm going to hit a yatai after we're done."

"Hopefully not a sake bar," Sylia mused.

"Nah, not that! But all of a sudden, I've got this hankering for taiyaki."

Sylia, Linna and Nene stared at their friend.

The Spiral, Saturday 30 April, morning . . .

"So these crystals allow me to telepathically communicate with someone I care for?"

"That's one of their basic functions," Chikage answered as she and Anri rode the elevator to the lowermost floor of apartments, just right above the Spiral core. "I was hesitant on sending you out to help the Sabres because you didn't really know how to make use of your link-points. However, save for that small matter at the end of last night's exercise, you handled yourself very well. But . . . "

She held up a finger in warning. "Hai, I understand," Anri said. "Don't expect to do this TOO much from now on."

"Exactly. Ah, here we are."

The car came to a stop, the doors opening into a room plunged into total darkness. Chikage walked in without hesitation. Anri moved to follow, and then she stopped just beyond the doorway as a chorus of noisemakers and congratulatory balloons exploded around her. The lights came on a second later as a chorus of people leapt out of their hiding spaces. "SURPRISE! WELCOME HOME, ANRI!"

Anri gasped as she found herself in Chiyo's energetic embrace as others came up, presents in hand. "Oh, you guys . . .!" she murmured, sniffing back tears, and then her eyes quickly focussed on someone near the back of the room. "No . . . " she gasped as the other faced her.

"Welcome home, Anri."

Anri blinked, blinked again, and then she screamed out, "SYLVIE!"

The crowd around them cheered as the two survivors from Genaros fiercely embraced.

That afternoon . . .

"South Africa?! That's like . . .!"

"The other side of the planet." Sylvie ruefully chuckled as she and Anri relaxed in the latter's living room, which gave the young apprentice magi a grand view of downtown Megatokyo. At this level, Anri found herself staring pretty much AT the apex of Genom Tower nine kilometres away. "I'll be living in Johannesburg right now alongside Eric Terreblanche. He'll be acting as my older brother."

"What does Eric-san do?" Anri asked.

Sylvie smirked. "Nothing too much, actually. That's according to the Toratotaka people in Nairobi. His father, Wilhelm -- my father now, too -- is one of the shareholders in Terreblanche Enterprises. They mostly deal with natural mineral resources like gold and diamonds. Nothing that would really interest Genom at this time since they've got all those asteroids up in space to go mine, not to mention whatever they find on the Moon or Mars. The nearest Genom Tower's up in the Congo and the local leadership there's not worth the thermite to blow them up with." She closed her eyes. "That's part of my penitence, Anri. I may never see Priss again, even now."

Anri frowned. "I'm so sorry, Sylvie . . . "

Sylvie shook her head. "No, don't blame yourself for what I did," she whispered, tears flowing down her cheeks. "I have to answer for things I've done in my own time and way. I . . . " She paused for a moment, and then she breathed out, "I told the people in Toratotaka that I wanted to get whatever service I owed them over with as soon as possible. They said they'll get back to me right away. Probably after tomorrow since the first of May's a holiday for them." She then gazed on her friend. "There's one good thing about this, though."

"What's that?"

"You remember Yuka?"

Anri hummed, her brow furrowing as she quickly recalled the face with the name. "She helped out with the computer security people on Genaros before that shuttle accident . . . " Her voice trailed off as her eyes widened before she gasped. "Oh, I'm an idiot!" she cried out, her hand slapping the side of her forehead as Yuka's ultimate fate came to her. "What happened to her, Sylvie?"

"Well, she's now Okano Yuka," Sylvie explained. "She's lived in Kyoto with her adopted family since she crossed over. Emi, Kaho, Tina and Kotomi live in Japan, too. The Okanos run a private computer security business. And when she found out that I was coming across, she contacted Toratotaka and asked to do her time with them alongside me. So she'll be staying with me down in South Africa. And maybe . . . "

A hopeful smile crossed her face. Anri slowly nodded. "I'm glad for you," she said. "But what about Priss?"

Sylvie breathed out, staring nowhere in particular. "I don't know, Anri," she admitted. "I mean, if I could get together with Priss again, be friends with her -- or even more -- maybe . . . " Her voice stopped on that word, and then she bowed her eyes, shamed tears trickling down her cheeks. "But I'd have to fall on my knees before her and beg her forgiveness for not being open with her at the start . . . "

"It's all right, Sylvie."

"No, it's NOT all right, Anri!" Sylvie spat out, bolting to her feet. Pacing around the room a bit, she then hugged herself. "I came to care for her, Anri," she whispered. "I came to love her. I love her, Anri! And now I've lost her . . .!"

Anri rose, walking over to draw her arms around her friend. "Not forever, Sylvie. Not forever."

The two remained in place for a while.

EPILOGUE

Yokohama Cemetery, Friday 27 May 2033, late morning . . .

"So what's this all about? We visiting Irene?"

"No, over here, Priss," Linna replied as she directed Priss towards one part of the hilltop cemetery overlooking the entrance to Tokyo Bay. Behind them, Sylia, Mackie and Nene remained a respectful distance behind their friends as they passed between the rows of headstones.

"Oh, yeah! Irene's buried over there, I think," Priss acknowledged, pointing to a different part of the grounds. "So who's . . .?"

Her voice was suddenly cut off as Linna stopped before one particular marker. Standing beside her, Priss gazed on the headstone, her heart leaping into her throat on seeing the names etched there. "How . . .?" she gasped, turning to stare on Sylia.

"Nene was able to retrieve Sylvie's ashes before they were disposed of," the Sabres' leader explained.

"I just told Akamura-keibuho the truth. Well, most of it at least," Nene added. "I told her that you had been friends with Sylvie and that you were really badly hurt when she died. She was happy to hand them over to me. No one knows the truth."

"I doubt we'll be able to retrieve Anri's body," Sylia noted before emitting a tired sigh. "But at least, they'll be remembered."

Priss blinked, and then she nodded, her eyes misting over. "Thanks, guys."

With that, flowers brought by Mackie and Nene were laid by the headstone, then they prayed.

Ayumu sighed. "Kinda funny for them to visit a cemetery on Priss' birthday, isn't it?"

Three cloaked figures stood next to a tree some fifty metres away from where the Sabres currently stood. "Given the circumstances, it may be the best thing for Priss," Chikage mused, crossing her arms under her cape. "At least now, Priss has some sense of restitution, can go forth and seek out her own closure to this whole matter. And most likely, she'll be all the stronger for it."

"Do people in the city want her to be that way, Chikage-san?" Anri asked.

Chikage nodded. "Yes, they do. The Sabres serve a vital purpose for the people of Megatokyo." She turned away from the scene in the distance, and then she smiled. "They symbolise hope. They symbolise that there are those in this city that won't tolerate being treated as mere statistics. They symbolise a more free society. And sooner or later, those the Sabres fights will have to concede that point, one way or another. For to not do so, even if they manage to destroy the Sabres in the end, will elevate their status in the eyes of others."

Anri winced. "I think I need to pay better attention to your karma classes, Sensei."

"And speaking of which, it's time FOR classes, student," Chikage announced, her grin turning sadistic.

With that, she and Ayumu teleported back to the Spiral. Anri remained in place, and then she sighed. "Sensei's a meanie!" she muttered under her breath before she glanced once more at the Sabres. Raising her hand, she blew Priss another kiss before teleporting away herself.

"Remember your promise, Priss."

"I remember, Anri. For you and Sylvie."

The other Sabres gazed quizzically at Priss. Then, noting the content smile on her face, they returned to their own prayers.

1)Locations in Megatokyo:

The Spiral is located on the shoreline of Tokyo Bay in what today is referred to as Kootou-ku (Kootou Ward), between the estuaries of the Sumida and Ara Rivers. According to the Megatokyo Guide Map located on page 32 of the Bubblegum Crisis B-Club Special, the Spiral would be located on a direct line connecting Genom Tower (#2 on the Megatokyo Guide Map) to AD Police Headquarters (#3), then extended to Tokyo Bay. Linna's apartment (#16) is due east of the Spiral. Hot Legs (#5) is located south-west of the Spiral.

The Toratotaka Tower is located in Nerima-ku, due south of Toshima-en JR station. Extend the line from AD Police HQ to Genom Tower straight out for eight kilometres more, and then tilt left. The Tower is situated south of the Seibu Ikebukuro JR Line.

2)All names written in the narrative are arranged dependant on family name. If the family name is Oriental in origin, it comes first, i.e. Asagiri Priss, Hirosaki Chikage or Senrei Anri. If it is Occidental in origin, it comes last, i.e. Sylia Stingray, Katsuhito Stingray or Sylvie Terreblanche. In speech, names will be spoken as per the rules of the language used.

3)All dates given here are chosen by me since Moonlight Rambler and Red Eyes have no affixed dates attached to them beyond the year they occur in. Further, the exact day of the Second Kantou Earthquake was also chosen by me since it was not indicated in the OVAs. Katsuhito Stingray's death in 2022 was said to have occurred in May, but an exact day was not listed. The exact day was chosen by me. The calendar days were provided thanks to the Multi-Year Calendar site.

4)All information data on the 33-S's mentioned here, including the various generations of Sexaroids and their unit code numbers, is based on Shawn's evaluation of this particular model as introduced in NAAF and his RPG conversion for BGC based on Shadowrun.

5)The SisPri characters were not given family names in either the stories written about them or the anime. All those mentioned here are of my own creation. The given names for both Sakaki-san and Kagura-san from AzuDai are also of my creation. FYI, "Kiyomi" comes from the kanji meaning "pure beauty" and "Michiko" means "child of a thousand beauties."

6)A little Latin: Osculum Papilionis - Butterfly Kiss. It originally comes from Eric Hallstrom's excellent alt-Ranma 1/2 fanfic series Ranma and Akane - A Love Story. According to Eric, though it's been years since I last wrote to him, he got the idea from someone else.