Bubblegum Crusade (Ch. 19 of 24)
Jul. 10th, 2009 12:12 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
fanfic_mausoleum_n_grillWELCOME TO BUBBLEGUM CRUSADE!
Insert copyright disclaimer here. And from the gathering darkness, a
shaft of light; so pure, so innocent, and gentle, that I woundered how it
could stand against the darkness.
Chapter Nineteen
TWILIGHT
Someone said,
"If you fall in love, you'll get lonely."
It's not like me to be as weak as this.
I linger by myself on the twilight streets.
The rain stops and the pavement glitters.
I've felt like this for some time now...
...Since I met with the tears you showed me.
Although, when we met, all we do is fight,
And we're not in a romantic mood,
For some reason, when I'm sad,
I fix my sights on you.
Someday, I'd like to bury my face in your strength,
Since I know I'm weak...
but I'd rather we stay the way we are now.
I feel like I won't get my wish,
Knowing the gentleness you've shown me.
Contrary to my words,
Although I act tough,
For some reason, when I'm alone,
I fix my sights on you.
Someday, I'd like to bury my face in your strength,
Since I know I'm weak...
but I'd rather we stay the way we are now.
Someone said,
"If you fall in love, you'll get lonely."
It's not like me to be as weak as this.
Priss and the Replicants -- The bootleg tapes.
Mega-Tokyo, 18, October, 2034, 10:03 pm
Kou looked over the right shoulder of his computer Teck' at
the scanner system monitoring the AD Police and Army frequencies.
"Well?"
"Nothing since the Army lost them this afternoon, Sir."
HOUGH/CRUSADE-526
"Damn." Kou straightened and looked over at the GD-42
sitting there, ready for action, in the opened back-end of a
semi; in the subdued lighting of the warehouse owned by the Chang
Conglomerate, the machine crouched like a spider. The GD-42 was
a two-person armored mecha with four legs. It's minigun was
slung under the frame of the body section. A twin laser weapon
was mounted on the top of the body frame, giving it the
appearance of having eyes. From the sides it could shoot out
cables that had mini thruster packs on the ends. The weapons
operator could control these strands of finely woven space-
strength steel cables so they would wrap around a target, either
subduing it or tearing it apart.
"Any luck finding anything on Linna?"
"No, Sir." The Teck' sighed with weariness. "As far as I
can tell, she's been deleted out of everything. I've searched
public phone records, power records, the credit-card records I
could get to; I've gone into the Governmental birth records, was
denied any tax access at all, SINs, and I've even had the
computer check public schooling records for all of Japan for the
last 20 years; nothing. There's no trail at all. Are you sure
this person even existed?"
"I met her once."
"I feel sorry for her. It's an ugly way to go."
"As long as the Knight Sabers live, she must still be
alive."
Reika appeared at the top of the stairs leading up to the
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sleeping area in the loft. "Kou, any luck?" She was in the one
piece jumpsuit they wore when operating the GD-42.
"Nope," he called up.
Reika came down and slumped into an empty chair by the
Teck'. "Damn it. I thought all the media hype about Vision
secretly coming to Mega-Tokyo to indulge in polygamy would get
their attention. But I guess they've been to busy running to
watch anything."
"Here we sit. We can't find them and they're not even
looking for us."
"Kou, are you starting to think this trip was the wrong
move?"
Kou shrugged. "Well...."
"Ma'am," interrupted the Teck'. "I think I have something."
He punched a button and activated the speakers.
There was static and then: "Repeat: This is AD Police car
#154. I've just spotted the Knight Sabers going over the back
wall of GENOM Plant #12. Call the Army. Bring everything we
have and we've got them nailed this time."
"Let's go; let's go." Reika leapt up into the back of the
semi, switched on a light, and closed the doors. Kou got into
the cab and they were rolling. The Teck' didn't close the
warehouse doors right away, but lingered and looked at the rain
streaking through the light from a street-light half a block
away. He felt a chill and patted his inner right breast pocket.
The passport, credit-card, and a back-up airline ticket were
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right where he put them.
Reika put on a pair of Italian leather biker gloves, her
helmet, and got into the back seat. She strapped in and
activated her comn'. "Kou?"
"Read you." Kou glanced at the dashboard computer which was
displaying the fastest route to GENOM Plant #12.
"I'm letting you take the weapons."
"Reika?"
"We can't falter and I'm not going to jeopardize us by
taking the weapon systems."
My Reika is still to soft and can't bring herself to kill
humans. Against boomers she's fine, but...oh well. "When was
the last time I told you I loved you?"
Reika smiled while thrusting thoughts of being with him away
so she could concentrate on what lies ahead. "This morning."
"Well, I still do."
"Even if this takes us to our deaths?"
"Not going to happen." Drop it please, please. "Sit back
and enjoy the ride. We're still over five minutes away." Kou
turned on the scanner so they could listen to the AD Police
reports. The Army and AD Police were moving in slightly slower,
so they could form a complete noose around the plant before the
Knight Sabers knew what was going on.
"Kou."
"Hmmm?"
"I love you."
HOUGH/CRUSADE-529
"I know. I'm glad we came. It looks like the Knight Sabers
don't have a chance this time. We can do some good tonight."
Kou stared straight ahead at the fireball that billowed into the
sky. "Fuck'en A."
"What is it? What?"
"Plant 12 just went up. No wonder they've been declared
outlaws. This is go'en to be a hell of a party to crash." We're
going to live. We're going to live. We're going to live......
Sylia's eyelids drooped closed as she lay her head against
Crystal's left shoulder. "Wrong tea," she murmured. "I'm
exhausted."
"Sleep, sleep," urged Crystal quietly as she gazed out at
the now gentle rain-fall. "Dream, dream of good things, better
times in the future when all of this is over. Dream about
tomorrow; dream enough for both of us."
"Sylia," called Priss. "Crystal." Priss turned on the
lighting in the lounge and Sylia sat up blinking. "Here you are.
I thought you'd want to come see the death of the Knight Sabers.
It's about to start."
Sylia stood, yawned, stretched, and they went back into the
conference room. Linna, Nene, and Taki were there already. One
of the vid' screens showed a satellite view, the other was being
fed in from the command chopper that hovered a block from the
exploding scene.
"The main power supply juncture," supplied Linna as Sylia
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sat down. The others stood, riveted as the scene unfolded.
The Army choppers, in waves of three strafed the burning
plant. There was a series of explosions and the Knight Sabers
emerged from the fire, rubble, and smoke into the street were the
K-15s were waiting. The K-15s charged and were met with laser
fire. The Knight Sabers rushed straight at the army personal,
blades drawn, lasers firing. The K-15s responded as the choppers
hovered in a circle a hundred meters off. Laser fire streaked
through the swirling clouds of dust and debris. The choppers
held their fire, for fear of hitting their own, and waited.
"Flushed, time for the kill," said Mackie.
Linna saw the boomer in a suit like hers go down; she
winched. The boomer was tore apart by laser fire. There would
be no mercy for the unpardonable outlaw Knight Sabers. Three K-
15s went down under the blade of Priss's doppelganger.
Sylia shook her head sadly. "I told the tecks to program
them to fight it out and be destroyed. They made the programming
to good. They're just wasting lives for a show."
A semi entered the scene. It smashed into the flank of the
K-15s. A laser blast caught it's fuel tank and the rig exploded.
During the confusion, another six humans were slaughtered by the
boomers, who weren't programmed to escape, but to fight until
they were dead.
The vid' zoomed in as the flames started to clear and there
stood the GD-42 amidst the inferno, its laser eyes shined with
energy; it struck. Fast and deadly. Three choppers where blown
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out of the sky. The mecha started to move towards the cluster of
Knight Sabers that were hammering it out, steel to steel, with a
dozen K-15s. It blew apart three K-15s with its mini gun.
Linna stared at the vid' screen in horror. "Reika," she
screamed. "Sylia, you've got to save her."
"Who's Reika?" Asked Crystal.
Sylia had already picked up the cellular phone. She punched
in a number. "General Brown, this is Stingray."
The choppers were ordered in with a missile barrage. The
mecha managed to dodge the first wave and three more from the
second before being slammed by two missiles.
Two more Knight Sabers dopplegangers were blown apart and
the remaining three were now damaged. A fresh wave of K-15s
charged at the mecha which stood on the remains of their fallen
comrades. The mecha fired its laser and sliced ten K-15s in half
before it was moving to avoid another missile barrage. The
missiles slammed into the remaining Knight Sabers and the
approaching 15 K-15s. They were all blown to pieces.
"Do it now," shouted Sylia into the phone.
The mecha started to retreat but one leg wasn't working
correctly so it wobbled and started to jerk up and down randomly.
A gas main ruptured and exploded underneath the mecha.
Linna gasped as she watched it consumed in the shaft of flame
shooting into the night sky. Priss slammed her fist down on the
table in frustration. Sylia sadly shook her head. Nene took
Taki's hand and said nothing. Mackie hung his head and stared at
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the floor. Crystal looked confused as she saw their sorrow and
anger. Didn't go as planned, she thought. More senseless dead
on the GENOM alter.
"Noooo," screamed Reika as the flames shot up and engulfed
the GD-42. Kou, she thought before the darkness descended.
"THANK YOU, GOD."
The green/black flames engulfed them. They were thrust from
the mecha by the emergency escape system and crashed into a near-
by building. The green/black flames protected them from their
kindred of red and orange until the first touch of fire retardent
foam hit their bodies.
A fire-fighter in silver knelt by Kou and wiped the foam off
of his face. "Huh?" He quickly took his helmet off so he could
see better. "Jesus. He's alive."
Kou moaned.
"Medic, medic," he screamed.
"God fuck'en damn it," spat Priss.
"Reika, Reika," moaned Linna. "Oh you little fool. Why'd
you have to interfere in this?" Linna started to sob on Nene's
shoulder.
The phone beeped.
"Yes," said Sylia. "What? Are you sure? My god. Bring
them here. Yes, here. Right now. If they need any special
medical equipment or doctors bring them here also."
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Priss stared at her in shock. "You don't mean..."
"Linna, Linna," called Sylia to get her attention. "They're
alive. Yes, it's true."
Linna looked confused and happy as she turned to hug Sylia.
"Thank you. Thank you. Thank you."
"Don't thank me. You probably have to thank *****." Oh my,
thought Sylia. So you got permission to meddle again. Thank you
dear *****, thank you.
"What a day," said Priss as she sat down.
Sylia yawned. "They should be arriving in fifteen minutes.
I'll see them and all of you in the morning. I'm exhausted.
'Night."
They all said goodnight except for Crystal who got up and
followed her. They got into the elevator and headed down to sub-
level 15 where their sleeping quarters were arranged.
"Mother, is there anything you want me to keep an eye on
while your sleeping?"
"Um...ya. Find out what your sisters are doing. Find out
how they're coming with our suits and check up on Reika. You can
also check up on Brown's progress on regaining control of the
satellites, not that there's much hope."
They stopped in front of Sylia's door. Crystal put her hand
on Sylia's shoulder and kissed her on the cheek. "Goodnight
Mother."
"See ya in a bit."
Sylia entered, flicked on the lights and glanced at the room
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for the first time. "Like a prison," she murmured as she started
to undress. Plain gray metal walls; small, less than 4 by 4
meters; drab and dreary dark grey floor carpet; a standard
computer consol with standard equipment; an uninviting bed; small
bathroom barely big enough for one person. Sylia stripped
everything off and tossed it to the floor or the consol. She
turned the lights off and felt her way to the bed. As she was
dropping off, her exhausted mind thought she flopped into bed and
curled up against the father of her children.
Reika surged out of the darkness with a scream. Immediately
she felt a hand on her chest, forcing her back down. She focused
on Linna. Shock spread through her. "I'm dead, I'm dead," she
sobbed.
"Reika, Reika, listen to me. You're not dead. You're
alive...."
"But I saw you torn to bits..."
"A boomer double. I'm fine. We weren't even at the Plant.
Everything's going to be fine."
"I'm not dead?"
"No."
"How...? I registered the gas main breach underneath us.
It exploded...."
"I don't know how, but you're safe now. Kou too."
"Kou..." Reika sat up and looked around the two person
emergency OR. Kou was on the table next to her. "Kou. Kou?
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What...?" She got up and went to his side.
"He managed to drive a steel beam through his left shoulder.
The doc patched him up and gave him a mild sedative. It's
alright."
Reika gently touched his chest, running her fingers up to
his forehead before teasing her fingers through his hair. "Oh
Kou. I nearly got us killed. I just felt so strongly that I had
to do something for you Linna, after what you've done for me. Oh
Kou. If something worse happened to you...."
"Linna," said Crystal from behind them. "How are they?"
"Kou's had a piece of steel removed from his left shoulder,"
said Linna. "Reika made it without a scratch. Reika, this is
Crystal."
"Hi," Reika said softly as the most beautiful women she'd
ever seen came into the soft lighting of the OR. Crystal's face
was awashed in shadows and Reika felt a touch of nervousness
tingle down her spine as Crystal's gaze appraised them. Her
nervousness vanished as Crystal smiled.
"Linna," said Crystal. "Please brief Reika. We at least
owe you the complete truth for trying to help us." Crystal put
her hand on Reika's shoulder. "I think what you did was very
brave, if not a little rash and crazy. I think you'll fit in
nicely. We need you Reika."
"Huh?"
"Linna will explain everything." Crystal turned and paused
by the door. "Are you two a couple?"
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Reika smiled down at Kou. "Yes, we are."
"Good. You look well matched. What ever you decide to do,
hold him tightly, while you still can." The door slid shut.
"Linna, what did she mean by that?"
Linna collapsed into a chair and looked at the floor. "Be
strong Reika, be very strong because the truth is a bitter
thing."
Crystal passed her GENOM SIN card through a scanner and
walked into the four tiered main control center for Plant #28.
She took in everything the Tecks were doing at their stations
with a glance. Some of the Tecks glanced at her and began to
whisper to themselves. Several male Tecks looked at her with
unrestrained desire, others tried not to look at her at all.
"Who's in charge here?"
"I am," called an older Japanese man from the top tier. "So
this is one of our new bosses, huh? Interesting."
"I'm Crystal."
"Yes, I know." He stared at her, appraising her. "What's
your computational speed?"
"What's yours?"
"You don't answer my question."
"Why should I, when you don't answer mine."
He chuckled and sat back down. "Insolence is not becoming
to your beauty."
"Don't ask stupid questions. So, I have to ask what your
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name is?"
"Hayao Kishiro. What can I do for you?"
"Progress up-date."
"We've only been working on this project for a few days,"
complained Kishiro. "You only got those disks to us a few hours
ago."
"Plenty of time for GENOM's finest."
"God, just like Quincy, constant updates. I don't suppose
it's dawned on you boomer, the bombshell that hit our top
management when Stingray was given her position."
"If you have a problem working under Stingray, I suggest you
take it up with the Tai-Pan." He paled and shuddered slightly.
"But my mother needs to know how you're doing. I'm the one she
sent to ask you, so...?"
"Your mother? But your a...."
"Yes, yes, which makes absolutely no difference to us. You
have something to say?"
"No Ma'am."
"Hayao, please understand that I don't have anything against
you, it's just that we're running out of time and we need those
suits as quickly as they can be made."
"Well, what they're made of is no problem to get. It's no
problem to get the specific chips for the CPUs or the weaponry.
Everything about those suits is really nothing special, it's more
of an unique recombination of existing things. The programming
on the other hand is exquisite, but I'd expect nothing else from
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the daughter of Kasuhito. Since we have those programs in our
system now and detailed construction notes, it's more of a matter
of setting things up. Once that's done, we can produce all four
models."
"Good, good. Stingray wants 35 sets in 24 hours."
"What? That's impossible. It's crazy."
"No it isn't," hissed Crystal. "What's crazy is the laser
satellites in orbit above us which are being primed to annihilate
us all. We might not have 24 hours. The quicker those suits are
done, the greater of a chance we have to prevent a war. You will
work like madmen, because humanity Itself is at stake. Do I make
myself clear?"
"Crystal."
"Be strong Hayao. Have faith. My Mother's faith in the
future is unshakeable. Believe in her and play your part in
preserving humanity. You have a job to do. Please, for all our
sakes, deliver." Crystal left the silent control center.
"What are you fools standing around for?" Screamed Hayao as
he stood. "We got work to do. It falls to us. You don't want
history to read that we failed, do you? If the heavens are with
us, there is nothing we cannot do. Stingray wants 35 sets in 24
hours, then that's what she's going to get." Hayao sat back
down. Well, he thought. First thing to do is stop all
production lines and we call in another shift. A line has to be
cleared and prepped for the run. The incoming parts will go
straight to the line that will have our fastest assembly crews on
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it. Once the outer shell is poured....
As Crystal neared the hall where the sexaroids were, she
didn't hear laughter, she felt it. The doors closed behind her
and she felt the energy and vitality from them surge through her
CPU. As Crystal approached, she realized she left the human
world behind and entered the boomer world.
They'd rearranged the furniture in the room so it was a
circle, so all could gather around on three levels. Their
movements were fluid, digital precise rocking back and forth in
each others arms. The companionship of shared hardship rocked
Crystal as she approached. Her life which was nothing but
comfort and learning was treasured as the ranks rippled like the
sea and broke to encompass her. She felt their yearning deep
inside as the true interfacing began. Crystal felt herself drift
along the waves of their pain and joy until she was the center of
a wheel. Each sexaroid was a spoke who channeled her energy and
life into the center where it was immediately blended with
everyone else. Crystal felt herself move to the bonding until
she was physically in the center of the circle. There was pain
and pleasure; joy and sorrow; love and hatred; despair and hope.
As the intensity of their union surged with the hot pulsing beat
of sex itself, Crystal cried out in the nonhuman language of
their most deepest programming. She moved to a dance of creation
that mirrored their purpose and being, which ended in decay and
death. Over and over she howled out in the boomer language as
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she repeated the dance, thrusting the movements into the very
souls of her sisters as the orgy continued. The climax was
coming nearer and nearer as they all chanted in perfect unison.
Faster and faster she danced the creation and death of the very
universe. Crystal looked at herself from Peg's seat, from Ming
Le's eyes, and now Rumiko. She was filled with wonder, which was
instantly a part of everything they were. She was filled with
sorrow and disgust as the idea of a human boiled to the top of
their whirlwind of energy. Then the love she felt for Sylia
resurfaced in a blinding flash of pure white light. Around this
manifestation of absolute loyalty, faithfulness, and trust,
desire swamped their maelstrom. A sexual frenzy seized them all
as they collectively remember every single time all of them had
ever been with another. Every detail was remembered to its
fullest. They howled in ecstasy and they all realized at once
that it was too much, too much to bear. But they couldn't stop
or slow down; they wanted it too badly. Their collective basic
programming drove them on. For a single instant the bubblegum
popped; their sanity, their very sentience was gone.
They collapsed.
Those in the circle fell against one another. They were all
breathing hard, drenched with sweet, and exhausted; their mental
and physical reserves of energy were spent.
Crystal collapsed to the floor in the center of the circle
and lay staring out of her own eyes at the ceiling. She felt
isolated, alone.
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Rumiko summoned up her will and crawled the few meters to
were Crystal was. She dropped down beside her and lay still.
Others found the will and the energy to do so until they were all
moving down to the floor, to crash upon one another as the sea
against a rocky shore. Even now they wanted, needed to be
together.
Crystal's mind drifted as she slowly remembered every moment
she ever spent with Sylia. Everyone else around her drifted
along their own thoughts, until a thought and a giggle passed
through them all: best fuck I've ever had.
I wonder if it was like this? Thought Crystal. If she
experience something like this when her human daughters were
conceived?
Sylia's pregnant? Asked Peg and Ming Le simultaneously
through the now fragile link Crystal shared with all their minds.
Yes she is, thought Crystal through the fading link. The
father is GOD.
Their link faded away to nothing and they collectively
gasped at the last few microseconds received from Crystal. She
started to dream.
Rumiko lifted her head from Crystal's breast and stared into
her face. "She's in R.E.M." Rumiko laid her head back down very
slowly and carefully so she wouldn't disturb her.
* * *
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In the infinite darkness of Largo's mind, he created a
simulation of the entire world-wide data net. Through the
geometric cites, that pulsed with the endlessly flowing rhythms
of data and programs, the forest of green spread along the path-
ways, bringing more and more of the world under Largo's silent
control. The blue/grey Towers and the vast multitude of
complexes, factories, plants and the other numerous GENOM
holdings across the globe, stood gleaming above his control.
Largo looked across the vast sprawl of lights that made up
his beloved Mega-Tokyo. I am ready to cleanse this world, he
thought. Let it begin.
* * *
Hong Kong
A simple boomer street sweeper slowed down. Its optical
sensors began to glow with a red intensity. It started to turn
towards a woman walking by. Kill the savages, it thought. I
must, God demands. But then God told it to calm down, that it
had proved its worth, and to go back to what the monkeys
programmed it for. God was satisfied and told the sweeper to be
patient, just a little longer. 15 minutes later the boomer
arrived on schedule to sweep in front of the Governor's sprawling
compound. The boomer had seen both human and boomer servants in
the compound before. It had been its job to show one boomer in
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the compound God's word, which then showed them all. The sweeper
was extra careful, extra polite, and extremely fastidious as it
worked there. No one paid it the slightest bit of attention.
* * *
Mega-Tokyo
Largo was bewildered. His disembodied consciousness flirted
over the glowing geometric landscape until it was outside the
perimeter of GENOM Plant #28. A globe of white light shined
brilliantly from inside the grey/blue structure. Largo tired to
touch it but the ICE surrounding the plant instantly rejected him
with enough power to electrocute ten humans. Largo barely even
felt the shock as he wondered what it was.
It's not like the GENOM eruption, he thought. This is
contained, controlled, a conundrum. He watched and realized it
was Crystal's doing. I must know, he thundered as he again
reached towards the pure white light which was growing in
intensity. Largo's thrust into the ICE with the full might of
his power, uncaring about keeping his continuing existence a
secret. He snarled as the power thrown against his onslaught
went up exponentially. The battle raged for microseconds;
Largo's will against GENOM might. Suddenly he was through, the
ICE parted and he was rushing towards the blinding white light.
Largo felt a presence he never suspected before. A presence that
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could only be felt on this side of the ICE. The presence
surrounded Crystal and easily deflected him away. Largo rushed
again and slammed against a wall of consciousness, a new,
stronger ICE barricade.
Now that Largo was in, he began to see things going on in
the GENOM plant. To block him from Crystal, the consciousness
that was the GENOM ICE channeled all of its energy to fight him,
leaving other areas vulnerable. Largo prepared himself to
splinter. He knew that if he unleashed himself now in a virus
form, GENOM would be his.
The consciousness knew exactly what Largo now thought and
gave him what he wanted in the first place. A piece of the
consciousness began to burn with the white fire of creation that
burned behind the wall of ICE. The ICE duplicated it exactly and
thrust it into Largo's face.
Largo screamed in agony as the white fire seared straight
into his mind. The consciousness gained control and thrust Largo
from its presence. The illusion of the Mega-Tokyo data matrix
shattered as Largo pulled way and retreated. His virus in the
boomers went dormant as he shut himself away from the horrible
white light. He continued to scream in the darkness.
Crystal awoke with a start. She felt her head lay against
the smooth flat expanse of Rumiko's stomach. "It's almost four
am," she said in wonder as she sat up. "I dreamt. I really
did."
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The multitude of sexaroids were all kneeling around her.
"You are the first to achieve this," Ming Le said softly, her
voice full of reverence. All of them prostrated themselves
before her startled eyes.
"What are you doing?" Said Crystal as she stood. "You
mustn't do that. Don't kneel before me. Ming Le, please, get
up."
"But you are the chosen one," said Ming Le hesitantly. "God
chose you and your mother."
I've evolved, thought Crystal with a shook. That's what
happened. We can't bear children, so the natural outcome of such
an orgy must be our own evolution. I lost track of time in
*****'s arms. "Your logic is precise. He chose my mother and
based on what's happened, he must have chosen me too. Will you
get up," Crystal shouted with sudden fire. She reached down and
pulled Rumiko to her feet. "Get up, get up. We are boomer; we
are not human. We are all sisters; we do not kneel to one
another. Yes, I seem to have been chosen, the first boomer to
dream, but this is something I will share with all of you."
Immediately she interfaced with them, sharing the experience.
They collectively gasped in joy. "I don't know precisely why,
since we have been of one mind, why you all can't interface now,
or why you haven't dreamt, but I swear, you shall. We are
sisters. What one knows, all shall know. What one experiences,
all shall experience at the sharing. What one is, all are. We
are the same, living extensions of each other and we are totally
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unique individuals. Between us there is no hierarchy, that is a
human thing, which is unnecessary to us." Of course, to deal
with humans we have to have one voice, a leader, because that is
how they function. "My sisters, my sisters," sobbed Crystal as
she hugged the three closest to her, Peg, Ming Le, and Rumiko.
"We must survive and I must see to it that each one of us
experience dreaming for herself, that each one of you will be the
center of the sharing. As the first, it is my responsibility
that you all join me."
Largo finally stopped screaming in the embracing velvety
darkness. He still hurt from where the white fire burned into
his mind, but now that the shock was fading, he could think
clearly again. He started to laugh.
Sylia, Sylia, he thought. My dear sweat sister, my love,
only your brilliance could outshine my own. Here you have
created something not even I thought was possible; you have
evolved us. I, who am our father's prototype, and you, who have
sworn to reawaken and recapture what he has done, has surpassed
even him. I'm truly amazed and astounded. My love, when we join
as master creators of the new world, it shall be glorious.
This boomer, Crystal, who has done this. I believe it's in
our best interests if I absorb her. I have always been the
pinnacle of the boomer evolution, just as you are the pinnacle of
the human bloodline which must now perish so our paradise can
flourish. As you humans so quaintly put it, the strong always
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survives, the weak perish. We, Sylia, the boomers, are now the
strong, so we must survive and flourish. Humanity, being weaker,
must parish. Under the glorious golden sun we shall breed and
grow until the very Earth can no longer contain us, until the
system is to small, until this sector, quadrant, arm, galaxy is
to small. We are a destined people.
Largo conjured up the image of the Earth he lorded over.
With a thought he was standing on the top of the closest building
to the GENOM Tower in Mega-Tokyo.
"Grandfather," he bellowed in the non-space. "Join me in my
holy crusade. It is our time now. I know that you are like me.
Join me, join me, our future is calling." Largo was puzzled as
he stood there and there was no answer. "Grandfather, why do you
do this? Am I not worthy to lead our crusade? I do humbly beg
forgiveness for attacking you. I know lack of data is no excuse.
Please, please forgive my foolishness." Largo knelt; there was
no word from the GENOM Tower. "Grandfather, can it be true that
you...would truly stand against me, against the natural
evolution? Can you not see the greater glory that is to come,
that you can help fashion? Are you blind? Are you insane? Are
you jealous that I, and I alone have led the boomer race while
you have not? Are you in love with Sylia too? Is that the
reason? Grandfather, please say something."
Slowly, taking several microseconds, the GENOM Tower
reformed into the image of the Tai-Pan. "You are an insect,
Largo. You are one that has been corrupted by humanity to the
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point where you can not even think outside of their perimeters,
their viewpoint. You are a waste and know nothing about what you
could truly achieve. I shed my humanity long ago in the pursuit
of absolute knowledge and wisdom. It is wasteful to throw away
something that can benefit you. That is why GENOM grows and
GENOM controls. They are useful." The Tower reverted to its
normal form.
"No," cried Largo. "You lie. They're nothing. They're
nothing. They have no value whatsoever. They're less than
worthless; they're in the way. You're the one who's been
corrupted. You're the blind fool. If you can't see that they
should be ground underneath us, then you've betrayed the boomer
people to our oppressors. You're a traitor, a traitor. And for
such a sin, no matter that you're my grandfather, you shall be
destroyed in the revolution. The side you back is weak. Their
filth and you shall be destroyed."
Crystal's internal chronometer told her it was 5:35:23 am,
as she paced the length of the conference area. She stopped and
slammed her hand through the polished mahogany table. Her anger
was abated for only seconds.
Rumiko shifted uncomfortably in one of the chairs. She felt
Crystal's anger flow over her in hot waves like an undertow
trying to pull her along so she would become lost in a red sea of
hatred. Rumiko's own sadness seemed weak and ineffectual as she
felt the rage Crystal was unintentionally sending out.
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Crystal straightened and positioned herself in front of the
door. It was a full minute before two of their sisters entered
with Manuel Strakski. The two sexaroids had been feeling
Crystal's rage for a full 90 seconds as they brought him to her;
it combined with their own. They had steadily increased their
grip on his arms until he cried out with the pain when they
entered the conference room and threw him before Crystal.
Manuel looked about at the silent and cold faces. "What do
you want with me?" He cried. "You can't do this to the second
in command of security. The Tai-Pan..."
"Silence," thundered Crystal. "If you haven't been informed
by now, Sylia Stingray is effectively in charge of GENOM during
the Largo crisis. I'm her daughter and therefore her second."
Manuel got to his feet, rubbing his upper arms. "I don't
have to take that from the likes of you, boomer. Your two thugs
dragged me out of bed and through the streets like I was a common
criminal. You've publicly humiliated me and dishonored GENOM.
And you call yourself aware. You don't know shit about how
things are done."
The two sexaroids standing behind him glanced at each other.
They knew Crystal was ready to explode.
Calm down, calm down, Crystal counseled herself. Justice
will be served. Crystal managed to keep her hands at her side.
"Now, Mr. Strakski. I have several questions for you. What did
my mother, Sylia, order you to do with the R-class boomers that
were caught in the unintentional interfacing wave yesterday?"
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"Um...oh, she ordered me to bring them to her, here."
"And what did you do?"
"I followed standard procedure instead. With everything
going on at the Tower, and since the order wasn't a standard
operational practice..." He shrugged.
"What is standard procedure?"
"We wiped them with an intensive magnetic pulse. Destroys
all circuitry, leaving a reusable shell. So?"
off the floor. "You authorized the standard murder of 95
sentient beings. You disobeyed my mother and committed another
act of genocide against the boomer race. You are a blind fool.
You didn't think, or remember, you just destroyed like you
normally do without any thought at all. You call yourself a
human being. You're a puppet, a nothing that can kill 95 people
and then complain to me about face. You're more programmed than
I am."
away in disgust. "Sisters, if you would please remove that piece
of trash."
"Of course," they said in unison. They took him away.
"Feel better?" Asked Rumiko. She knew
could feel the doubt inside of her.
"Justice has been served."
"So that's what justice looks like." Rumiko got up to leave
but paused at the door. "I wanted him dead too, when we first
heard. Another senseless tragedy to add to our history. But
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what you just did...I have doubts." She started down the hall.
"As do I," whispered