[PSOep3] Days of Immorality

[CelestialBlade]

Just wanted to say that this is one of the fanfics on this site that's kinda inspired my own writings. I like the short bursts of story you get with each post rather than one long story you're trying to digest all at once, and the log-entry format is pretty cool. Helps you identify with the characters a bit more. Keep it up and I look forward to more; hopefully I'll have my own started here in a few days!

[ARChan]

--RECORDING--

"Don't go...!"

I narrowed my sights. This Caseal before me... If she were really Calai, would she ever hold a weapon to me? I could see her barely keeping herself upright with her body overheating and that Handgun straight at me. I could see her swooning slightly. It was until then did I realize that delaying time would only cause more troubles.

---

How should I approach this? All I could think of was my behavior to Calai on Ragol.

[Recall your answers in the previous decisive moments. Did you receive more letters or numbers? If you received more letters, proceed through A. If you received more numbers, proceed through B. If you have an equal number of letters and numbers, pick either.]

A.

Spoiler!

I stood in place, taking occasional glances at her hands quivering. "Calai," I said, "stop this foolishness."

"I'm trying to save your life!"

Your voice was hoarse and strained. I could hear the rattling of your hands as you struggled to hold onto the Handgun. I trust you, Calai. I know you can make the right choice. I looked up to you, seeing that you were trying to make a decision, yourself. You bit your lip, trying to keep what sanity you could. I could see mirages sizzling all over your exterior. It was like a simple touch would set you ablaze.

"Why won't you listen to me this time?"

I saw her face wrinkle, seeming as if she were about to cry. I... I am sorry, Calai. Just this once, I must do what I believe I should. I kept staring at Calai. I could see that my gaze was piercing through her. Slowly... That face started to wrinkle more and more.

Suddenly, Calai dropped her arms to her sides and her head down in defeat. The Handgun slipped out of her hand. I am glad she was able to--

A loud pop resounded in the room. Next thing I knew, I was on the floor.

[You received "z"]

B.

Spoiler!

I lunged forward. A disarm. That is what I could do quickly. I slapped her hand aside just moments before she shot it over my shoulder. I reached out, but she was able to sway away from my approach and recorrected her aim at me the moment I turned to her. I forgot. She could also react faster than I could initiate a disarm.

"Stay where you are, Sis!"

I saw her continuing to keep her composure. I could see steam puffing out of her shoulder joints. She cannot hold much longer. The ether in her body might not be able to sustain her much longer before something melts.

I approached her as gentle as I could, but I could see her panicking. I have to do something, quick!

---

[Split-second choice: Select C or D.]

C.

Spoiler!

I crashed myself against her and placed my hand over both of hers. Her hands were extremely hot. It was unbearable to even hold her for even a minute!

"Stop this, Calai."

"But... But if I do...! Sis! You might get hurt!"

"You can help me. That way, you can ensure I am safe."

"No! Stay here!"

"Let's go, together. We can--"

"No!!!"

A loud pop resounded in the room. I was thrown off balance as a sharp pain overtook my leg. Next thing I knew, I was on the floor. Damn it, Calai!

[You received "26"]

D.

Spoiler!

I thrusted myself to the side abruptly. As I did so, Calai shifted her aim to compensate for my action, but I whipped my arm out to her hands, smacking the Handgun away from her. The moment I heard it skidding across the floor, I dashed for it.

Suddenly, arms constricted my waist and pulled me back. Next thing I knew, I was lifted up and thrown backwards over Calai. A suplex? Since... Since when did--I collided against the wall and then came crashing down from there. I struggled to stand but my autonomic system was attempting to do checks on my essentials and body. I made a jittery stand, only to find the Handgun to Calai's side.

"I-I'm... I'm sorry..."

"Calai?"

Her body was swooning, but she was still somehow able to attempt a suplex. I have to stop her, or she might...!

"I'm so stupid."

"No, you are not."

"I should just..." She glanced at her left hand, which held the Handgun. Wait...

"No..."

She began raising it but to herself. "... just end it--"

"No! Calai!!!"

Next thing I knew, I was wrestling her arm, shoving her against wall after wall, against furniture--anything to stop her! Pops continuously resounded as I tried to overload the Handgun. I will not stop until she is away from this weapon! I whipped her hand continuously until she released it. Finally, we can--

A loud pop resounded as a green photon bolt was shot straight at my leg. What on Coral...? Next thing I knew, I was on the floor.

[You received "z"]

Calai... Calai! What...? What're you doing? You're supposed kill it! Don't make me become one of it... Please! I beg you! Kill me! Kill me now before it...!

Wait... What am I...? What is going on? A capsule... I can see glass above me. Just outside... Something is over there. It is like it is breathing. Every exhale is purple gases. I cannot identify it. What is--

CALIFORNIA. YOU ARE SUPPOSED TO BE DEAD!

"--s! Sis! Are you okay? Sis!"

I found myself looking at a bright light. Then, a shadow loomed over me. What's going on? For... Fortuna? Where am...? Home? I raised myself upright with my hand pressing against my head. Whoa, fucking...! What happened? My leg!

"Sis, I'm sorry! I shouldn't have...!"

I looked to my side. There was a Caseal just to my side. What is going on? You're Fortuna, but... What? What's going on?

"California?"

"What's going on?" I asked as I looked away, trying to make sense of everything. "I thought... I thought we're in a VR Link earlier." Wait... That's right! "What happened to--?"

"California!" Fortuna tackled me over onto my side, but fucking damn! Can't she see my leg is hurting!? "Dear gods of Coral! I can't believe it! It's really you!"

What? I'm really not understanding what's going on.

"Sis," I said as I stared at her. "Did we integrate too much memory or something?" I suddenly realized how blazing hot she is! "What've you been doing? You're so hot!"

Fortuna laughed. "All that doesn't matter. All that matters is you're here. We can..." That smile on her face faded. Wait... I've never seen her smile before. "Sis? Are you in there?"

What? Why's she calling me Sis? I call her Sis. I'm really not understanding what's going on right now.

"Sis!" Fortuna yelled as she gripped my shoulders. She was really saying it to me. What's going on? Did some data fragment when we last linked? "Sis, please...! Say something!"

"Uh... H-hi?"

She pressed her forehead against my shoulder. Something happened. The time... Wait... If I had not mistaken, my time leaped forward five years. What have I been doing in all these years? Who's this "Sis" that Fortuna called? Why is my leg all messed up?

I patted her head. "Hey, why're you being such a retard? Stop it or I'll kiss you."

"Don't joke like that," she said. "My head's already been messed up beyond what you can think."

"Oh?" I said in a challenging manner, pressing a finger under her chin. "Think I can fix your boo-boo with a kiss?"

She looked up to me with such uncertainty. She sure has become rather expressive after all these years. Quite honestly, it's not really fun trying to crack her anymore. Well... since all isn't chaotic, I guess I should try to take advantage of what's going on now.

I scurried my fingers against her waist. I she came forward onto me, just like old times I guess, her within my embrace. Five years, huh? I guess that's enough to make anyone feel nostalgic. Her eyes eased to a distant stare, neither smiling nor sad. Yes... This is Fortuna.

"Did you miss me?" I asked.

She scoffed. "Why would I? I knew you would be back someday."

"I take that as a yes."

She pushed back but had her head bowed. "You have not changed one bit."

I fixed her bangs so I could see her eyes. Then, I felt her face. "You've changed quite a bit." I smiled. "You seem more cute now. Huggable--"

"Shut up," she muttered as her eyes shied away even more. "You're as annoying as you were."

"Blunt as ever," I commented.

"Late to see the obvious, as usual."

"Failing to see the artistic approach of things, I see."

As we continued taking jabs at each other, our heads eventually pressed against each other with the tips of our noses touching. I guess she doesn't remember my promise--the reason why I sank into darkness.

"California?"

I looked up. "What is--?"

Suddenly, her lips connected on my cheek. She... She kissed me... She kissed me! My hand was up on my cheek as I noticed such an endearing smile on her face.

"Welcome home," she said. "I kept your room nice and tidy. However..."

I gave a nervous laugh. "This isn't home, is it?"

"Oh. You figured it out, too."

"Yeah." I felt a lock of my hair. "Father should be calling in by now, considering he's not home yet. Also... I got this weird vision of me in a capsule. I think I saw something just outside the glass window. It was breathing purple stuff."

"No." That smile on her face faded. "That is not a vision. That organic material is D-factor, the very material that infected your former body." She felt her arm. "It concerns me of what happens if we eject out of our capsules."

The same material that infected me? "So... we're trapped?"

Fortuna looked up to me and then away. "I hate to admit it, but yeah, we are."

This situation is really starting to piss me off. If that is the case, what is the eject function? It does not seem like the kind of uplink is like the standard type between two CASTs. Maybe if I die here, I will be ejected. Scary thought, though.

"I'm glad I'm able to talk with you again," Fortuna quietly said. She stood up and held a hand out to me. "Let's get you into your capsule so you can get repaired."

I waved my hand. "No, no. I'm fine enough to--Ah, shit!" I tried to stand as I talked, but it seemed the damage was far more than I expected. Fortuna came beside me and acted as a support to lean on. I do not understand why my leg is like this.

Little by little, I limped toward my capsule. This is so real to me. I'm not infected anymore. I have full control over myself. The only one who truly knew I was affected was Fortuna. She knew me. However, in the end...

"Sis?" I said when I was laid back in my capsule. "What happened after you didn't take the shot, a long time ago?"

Fortuna gave a look of discontent. "Do not talk about that."

"Sis, tell me."

She stared at me, but she looked away. "I made a pact with Dark Falz."

Made a pact!? "W-what...? No! I told you not to do that!"

"I tried fighting it. I truly did. However..." She felt along her arm. "My right arm was torn off when it swiped at my weapon. Then, it was my legs. I was only a torso with a head and arm. My..." She ran a hand over her face. "My head was bashed in, and data was being lost. It then held me from my neck and demanded a wish from me."

"And... what...?" I was in too much shock to continue what I was about to say.

Fortuna gave me a smile and said, "I wished that I could reciprocate your feelings toward me correctly some day. I was thinking it would take my life away after giving him so much doubt and after he knew what my wish was, but it spared me."

Dark Falz... The creature--no. The essence that haunted Coral for generations after another... How come it consumed everyone except for Calai? Was it that she worshiped him? Wait... Why am I saying that I died to it? I'm alive... I think. How can something that rivals the gods be flawed in having my return? Maybe I'm not even supposed to be here. He did say that I'm supposed to be dead, after all. It... I...

...

...

... I don't want to die...

"California? California! What's wrong!?"

... What on Coral...? I cannot move. Maybe Dark Falz found me and is now breaching me. I guess Fortuna can detect my abnormality. I... I truly wanted to talk to you one more time. I remember how I died. Dark Falz had me caught in some kind of shackles and melted my body until I was only a head. That was when I was telling Calai to take the shot, to kill Dark Falz. Then...

... What? Fortuna...? I could see you so close to me, or rather the outline of you. I could feel my body numbing. My body started to feel cold. I don't understand. Why is this happening? The capsule should be taking care of this, unless if the wound inflicted onto me was located on something important like my head or the internal battery around my chest.

"California. I love you. I always loved you."

Fortuna... You dolt. I knew you did. You were just aggressively shy about expressing your feelings. I knew your feelings the last time we linked, as I'm sure you knew mine. I love you, too. My promise... If we made it out alive, I promised I would tell you--

--REBOOTING--

--PLEASE WAIT A FEW MOMENTS--

.

..

...

....

--REBOOT COMPLETE--

--INITIATING START-UP OPERATIONS--

My leg... Upon an internal scan, it was intriguing to discover that I was recovering, or rather rebooting. I fainted to something so miniscule? Weak. That is what I am and always had been. Even so, why do I try to save people? Brom... Please forgive me. I said I would protect you. I... I am useless.

"Sis?"

As machines in the capsule operated on my leg, my eyes finally parted and stared up at the ceiling. How did I...? No. I does not matter. I failed to protect a child. Pain...? Should I even be feeling it? Brom knows how it feels like, and for sure, his pain is so much more than mine.

A call from Brom. He is still alive. That is good, I guess. I glanced at Calai, seeing her staring at me. I closed the capsule hatch, and though Calai was trying to have my attention, I had gases from inside haze the window. From there, I linked myself to the capsule and connected with Brom.

Upon hearing his plea for me coming there to help him, I said, "I... I cannot... Please, stay strong." I could hear people banging on the door, trying to break it open. "I cannot even save myself... I am--"

Then, a loud crack happened. I could hear raging people charging into the room. I could hear photon blades clashing and slashing with photon bolts firing. All I could hear was chaos.

"... Brom..."

Through the visiphone, I could hear people cheering and roaring. A man said "I got the thing's head!" Rage... Why do people feel it? Can we only be happy? It is not fair. I could hear people bragging about what other body part they could scavenge from Brom. He was only a child. What has he done to people? I cannot understand why people hate him.

"We gotta tell that Humanoid what happened here. She'd be delighted!"

"Yeah! She's the one who banded us all together, and even had the police unable to tell what's going on here."

"All hail Calai!"

... Calai? They continuously cheered her name in unison. The one behind all this chaos is Calai? Calai... Why? I thought you were fine with him. They kept chanting her name like she was a god. Over and over...

The hatch of the capsule unlocked with a hiss. To my left, Calai stood there with a grin. I stared in awe. Rage... Why do I feel it? Can I only be happy? It is not fair... yet.

I recalled my link cable and threw myself onto her, tackling her down. I mounted her from her waist. I clenched my fists and raised one above my head. Come on. Say something. I swear, I will shove it back in your mouth! Say something!!! ... Calai...! Say something... Anything! Make me hate you more. I will tear you from limb to limb after you say your damn prayers. I swear, I will show you no mercy! SAY SOMETHING!!! Just say something...

Calai shifted her sights away from me. She has got to say something now. She tends to talk after her sights move away. I... Why aren't you talking? I cannot... Just say something. Explain your reasoning. Anything. I want to know. Please. Tell me.

Calai! Calai, tell me, please! Why Brom!? Stop just looking away from me! I let you go if you tell me. Please... Calai...! ... Calai!

--END RECORDING--

YOU SHALL BE RELEASED FROM YOUR PAIN.

[ARChan]

It has been a while to update the fanfic due to issues on my end. Please forgive my inconvenience.

[Zorafim]

I was about to say, I don't remember reading this one. I guess it's another one to check out when I get the chance.

[ARChan]

--RECORDING--

"Y-you! What're you doing here?"

Locked on. Firing. Target eliminated. Tsk. I should have guessed a person would annoy me. I am here in a depot under authorization of the military. I have authorization to kill if met with an enemy. I kept walking forward with a Suppressed Gun--a type of silenced handgun-type weapon. No wonder Calai liked this body. It maneuvers quite well. Compatibility is slightly above 90%. I barely use any energy to use any weapons.

I am to retrieve information of a possible scheme to attack Pioneer 2. I am to rid of any rebels I encounter in the warehouse. It should be fairly easy due to my heightened reflexes. I walked out into the light and saw a group of three Humans talking among each other. Before even one could spot me, I raised my firearm to one and delivered shots to the head, one after the other with no attempt of hesitation. Before any could even make a warning of my presence, they were already downed in three shots. In case one of them are still alive, I fired one more round upon each of them, between the eyes.

These events kept happening one after another among the large crates that created a maze. Stealth? All I have to do is toss the bodies into a crate and shut it. Easy as that. Security is rather pathetic, to be honest. All they have are numbers. Wave after wave, I killed each of them the same way as the previous kinds. How can they even be called security? They are all just bodies for a body count. Also, to be unable to be caught by the police, I suppose it is smart to have their armor and inventory inactive with only their weapons out. Of course, that would also work against them. If none of them are sure there is an active threat, none of them are able to reactivate their inventory. However, at the same time, if one of them were smart enough to be waiting in the shadows, that would be troublesome, and I know hunters are smart enough to do that, which is why I am not relying on my radar and only my active scans of the location.

Still, walking in without regard of what happens except the objective... If someone were to raise the alarm, surely, someone would attempt to destroy the files I am supposed to retrieve. I honestly do not mind what happens with the files. I just want to drown myself in all this before anything. I will eliminate all that oppose the rights of half breeds. I will kill them all.

Suddenly, I detected an abnormality from above. I dove forward and aimed at whoever tried to eliminate me from above, only to see him running off and shooting a flare up in the room. I underestimated someone. He had a bladed weapon without photons. I did not know such weapons existed. Then again, why should I even care? He will die like the everyone else here.

Seeing as how everyone should be on alert, I switched my weapon to a weapon known as a Laser--a yellow-photon rifle-type weapon. My radar then detected numerous photon signatures. In a quick estimation, there were about fifty-six others in the location. Certainly, the police should have noticed this abnormality by now. All I have to do is use their tactic against them. I deactivated my photon profile and hid myself in a large crate.

After lingering in the crate for quite some time, I decided to take a look at the cargo. Three Garanz units, each deactivated but seemingly prepared for action. All I had to do was deactivate the controller that kept them inactive and move out before their systems come online.

I took a deep breath and shot the controller. Immediately afterwards, I heard some sounds from the Garanz. I then shoved the door open and reactivated my gear. I knew that all I had to do was run as quick as I can to find where the hack trace was coming from while the Garanz resumed their onslaught.

A Garanz is an automated mobilized military machine that uses guided missiles as a primary means of attack. In fact, the payload of missiles is so much that no one has ever seen a Garanz ever deplete its ammunition and survived to tell the tale. It also has a secondary of land mines in case the enemy tends to want to attack it from its blindspots. The reason why this type of machine is so dangerous is because of how it is programmed. If it does not have any targets upon its activation, it will rampage and attack all non-Garanz-type creatures without descretion. It also has a retaliation program to release its damaged outer hull to open more missile ports and discharge everything until it loses access to its missiles or all foreign signatures are eliminated.

I noticed that even though some of the rebels saw me, they were busy trying to suppress the three Garanz. Fifty-six armed folks should be enough to eliminate the Garanz, but they soon have to worry about the police arriving. I already anticipated some folks thinking about running away, which was why I had assembled two four-man parties waiting outside and three others for my own squad.

I will not wait to see how everything will turn out. Find the trace location and receive as much information as possible. Toward the center, I noticed what seemed to be an operations office. I immediately knew that if I stormed in blindly, they would destroy as much of the evidence as possible, along with their lives. However, they should be finishing what they are doing, considering all the explosions like warfare in the hangar.

I stood at the door with my Laser at hand. I have only one shot at this, and I estimate about five people in the office due to the different audible sources. The first two, I should be able to eliminate without a fight, but the other three...

"Storming on your mark," said a voice on my headpiece.

I forgot that I was not alone in this warehouse. I silently opened the door and took aim. Then...

"Go!"

I immediately fired one shot to the back of the head of a Human and another two shots to the back and arm of another. They both staggered to the strikes, evidently showing that their armor were activated. While that happened, two crashes came in through the windows. One of them rapidly fired a set of Vulcans--a set of yellow-photon Machine gun-type pistols. The other had a Pallasch--a red-photon Saber-type weapon. Without much more than six seconds, everyone in the office fainted to concussive blows. On the roof, I could hear the Force continuously summoning Rafoie one after the other upon every upcoming foe that tried to assist.

"Take care of the info," the one with the Pallasch said before he stormed back out and into the fray with the other with the Vulcans.

It should not take long. All I had to do was batch each of the computers before me into storage boxes and route the items to the quest counter storage box. The one that will take a while would be the disk download for the larger computer that cannot be turned into a storage item.

Quite honestly, everything seemed to be just fine. The force we were against were full of amateurs at best, considering most were still fighting the Garanz by the time the police arrived.

It was easy from there, since the police eliminated the Garanz threat with their dropships' chainguns and air-to-surface missiles. Apparently, there was a report of rogue Sinow Blue and Red in the fray, which was why it seemed the fighting continued for quite some time. There were no casualties for the group I assembled, but the police lost a dropship due to a Sinow unit that somehow jumped onto it and destroyed the engines.

Immediately when the police saw everyone outside the operations office, my party surrendered. When they arrived, the download was complete. So, I sent the disk to the quest counter storage, closed the link, and surrendered the same as everyone else. Apparently, we were ordered by the client to surrender if the police arrived and that he will bail us all out.

Everything went according to plan. Our quest client was happy about the results and gave quite a sum of Meseta to those who participated in the extraction.

"Fortuna," the HUmar with the Pallasch called. "I honestly thought you'd be a little more sneaky about your approach."

I looked away. "I should have been more careful. I was only lucky about the cargo."

"You weren't trying to be stealthy at all," said a RAmarl who was one of the party members outside. "I watched you walk in and just kill things with that gun of yours. Still, it was amusing to see you kill them in the manner that you did."

I glanced among everyone and turned to leave, but the HUmar stopped me by whipping out his arm before I could pass. "Hey, hey. Not going to say farewells after gathering us all together?"

I took another glance at him and then to everyone else. They seemed to be happy among each other. Then, I glanced at both the HUmar and the RAmarl and said, "All that matters is the mission did not have any losses on our part and that our result was beyond satisfactory."

The RAmarl then asked, "If there were casualties?"

I answered, "We will act accordingly and supply in whatever we can."

The RAmarl smiled and gave me a hug. "It's good to know you're not some cold steel Humanoid."

The HUmar then patted my head with a smile. "Yeah! Y'know, we should do some more Client Orders later."

I swatted the HUmar's hand and shoved the RAmarl away from me. They exchanged glances between them as I stood before them.

The RAmarl folded her arms. "Hey, what the fuck's your deal?" The HUmar rubbed the back of his head as he glanced at the RAmarl again. She glanced at me with a bit of redness around her cheeks. "I just get this feeling that you're just... I don't know! I just can't leave you as you are."

The HUmar gave a sleazy laugh. "That sounded kinda..."

"Shut it, pip-squeak." Then, to me, she said, "Did something happen?" I tried to pass them but she stepped in front of me again. She leaned in close to me and whispered, "I researched a little about you before the quest started and found that your Hunter's License was under a different name. Did you have some kind of vendetta against this group we went up against?"

I answered, "There were some of the individuals who killed a cyborg boy whom I was entrusted in this operation. So, yes, this was personal for me."

"Oh..." The RAmarl exchanged glances again with the HUmar. "Why were you taking care of him, anyway? Aren't cyborgs supposed to be... uh..."

"He was very young," I added. "He was the sweetest individual I met."

The RAmarl placed her hands on her hips and glanced at everyone else. "Sweetest thing, huh? I guess there's no swaying you then. I'll research some more on who the head honcho is. Maybe we'll--"

"I know who it is," I interrupted. "There is no need. Now, if you will excuse me."

"One more thing," the HUmar said. I stopped in my place to show I am listening. "You can't just walk in like the way you did. You were only lucky that things turned out the way they did."

"I am not afraid to die." Because the only reason why I live betrayed me.

"It's not just you dying! Your death can lead to complications to many others, and I'm quite sure you will be marked as a fool--" I flicked my hair and proceeded away. "Hey!"

I know all that already. I do not care. I want vengeance. I want all of Brom's murderers gone. Only then will I have lived a complete life.

I was walking along a bridge that led to my residence. Here, I noticed some poor folks selling impractical hand-crafted and scavenged items. Calai would have liked to... I hurried back home in a quicker pace.

Daddy has been gone for over a year now. I know I should not be concerned since there was a time he was gone for nineteen months. He will be back. As I stepped in through the front door of my residence, I was greeted by the visiphone as it displayed that I had received mail. I came to it and read "I am very sorry" before I deleted it.

I paced to the hall to my right, passing my room, and slamming Calai's door open. Immediately, in the center of the kitchen, there hung a body, held up by photon braces around the hands that was hooked to a suspension I created. Calai... As much as I wanted to kill you that day...

"S-sis," she whispered weakly to me. "You're--"

I slammed a fist to her face. On it, I could see damage to her face that refuse to heal.

"I believe I killed quite a number of those people you used to kill Brom."

"Sis... I could care less about--"

I seized her hair and forced her head up to look at me. I could see the framework of her skull just above her brow. "Did I say you can talk?"

"Sis...! I did this for you!"

"Did I say you can talk!?" I roared at her face.

"This isn't reality. I can't prove it, but it isn't."

I narrowed my eyes. "Then stop talking nonsense!" I punched her face again. "Why not just die? Why not just leave me alone?"

"I can't!"

I pressed a deactivated photon knife just under her chin and pressed up so she could look up to me. As her hair brushed aside, I saw her damaged right eye. In fact, it did not seem operable anymore.

She said to me, "I don't want to leave you alone. You'd be lost if I'm not around."

"How do you know how it feels? Do you even know how it feels like to lose someone dear to you? Do you know how it feels like knowing you could have done something to prevent losing someone?" Calai sighed. Her eyes drooped down in doom. "I thought so. Do not think you--"

"Shut up."

"Oh? Speaking all bold--?"

"Shut up! You think you have me solved, do you? I know how you think. I know how you would process everything. Have you ever wondered how it seemed like I knew how you would react most of the time?"

"Shut up! I will kill you!"

"You will not kill me."

"And why not?"

"Because you love me."

"... What?"

Calai mustered her strength to look up to me. "You love me. I know you do."

No... "Do not think we know each other very well since I--we linked together very often."

Calai's strength started to wane. "You would be in denial and trying to find reasons to deflect me from knowing. I knew this even before you would even be born. Sis..."

What? "W-was I...?"

"You were not programmed by Daddy to fall in love with me. Daddy only had it so we learn things like how Organics could, but..." She softly laughed. "There are some things that do not to change, no matter how I try to change it."

I do not understand what she means. I cannot take any more of this! How does she know these things!? Viewing recording after another, I do not--

Huh? What is this?

...

...

...

... How did that happen? Did we switch bodies? Dark Falz? I do not understand. I looked up to Calai, seeing her staring at me. No... That stare. It... It is... mine? It is like staring at a mirror when discarding the physical distinguishing features. Then, that means...

"I am you?"

Calai nodded. "I have wanted to tell you for quite some time, but I was afraid to tell you that you are merely a copy of me. Your upbringing data are mine, but everything else is different. As for me, I have incorporated upbringing data from California into a different partition." She stared at me for quite some time. A smile... "That body was from California. She was the original owner. As for this body I am using..." She laughed. "... this body is mine."

Something sounded wrong about the laugh. I did a scan throughout her body, seeing that the lifesource of the body malfunctioned days ago. How...? How did I not notice this? I was visiting her every day! Then, that means she was using reserve power this whole time? That reserve power is meant to keep the head of the Humanoid alive when the body fails to supply power!

I slashed at the suspension with the photon knife and caught Calai as she tumbled down to the floor.

"Calai!"

She scanned with left eye until she found me. "This is not goodbye," she whispered. "I will prove it on the other side."

"Why? Why did you kill Brom? Please! Let me know!"

She smiled. "He is not real." She started to raise her hand to me. I held it firmly in my palm.

"How do I know you are not dying really?"

She looked at me. I noticed that she was saying something, but I could not hear. I moved my auditory sensors closer. She then said, "Tell me, how did we get back to Pioneer 2?"

... What?

"How did you get here?"

We... We were in the mines. I accessed a terminal and then... When did...? I awoke in the Pioneer 2 slums. Somehow, I seemed to know about Brom. I...

"Calai?"

"You know, I knew you still loved me, even though I was bluffing the whole time."

"C-Cal... How did you...?"

"You punched... like a pussy."

"What?" But I was giving those punches a lot of thought. "How could you say that?" I stared at her for a moment. "Calai?"

She remained still. Her left eye was closed but her mouth was wide open as if gaping for her last breath. No... That was not her last breath! I laid her flat on the floor and ripped out her chest piece. Then, I pulled a plug unit for direct charging for Humanoids and plugged it into her. I rubbed her hands continuously, trying to feel for warmth. Calai...! How could you say that I punched like a pussy as a farewell!? Breath! Breath already!

"Calai!!!"

--END RECORDING--

[ARChan]

--RECORDING--

It has been two months since Calai passed away. Her remains were stored into her capsule, as if it were a coffin. Every day since I put her in there, I would come to the capsule and tell her what I had done for the day. I then pray for the day Calai would eject me from this cybernetic prison. Day in and day out...

I know my feelings are data and Humanoids should not feel this way, but for some reason, I think I understand why Human and Newman would feel these things known as "emotions." Had Calai been the one to suppress these emotions? Maybe she had known the reason why I was who I was and she intended for me to stay that way. It would make the most logical sense. Emotions are hard to understand, and are far too much for Humanoids such as me. Maybe she knew how hard it was. Maybe her advances upon me were to contain me. It just makes my processor overheat by simply trying to make logic out of all this. You would tell me why someday, right, Calai?

Here I am at a local restaurant. Apparently, I am supposed to meet with someone here. I do not know why I have this cone glass of wine in my hand. Wine is considered to be nothing more than a waste to a Humanoid due to lack of usable content. However, due to the classiness of staring Humans around me, I suppose it was appropriate. I drew circles with the cup, causing gentle waves in the concoction. Then, pasta was placed before me. Yes, pasta contains ether for some reason. However, steamed pasta tends to clump in the system, thus causing complications when trying to--

"Kept you waiting?"

I looked up to find that large figure of a Cast to my left. I did not look at him but I recognized his low-pitched emition. Simply majestic. I stood up and did a curtsy to greet him.

"I will wait until the world ends," I replied.

He scoffed as he began sitting down when a green photon chair suddenly appeared under him. I suppose one of the chairs in this restaurant would break due to how large and heavy he is. I wonder how he managed to fit through the doors.

"I heard about your loss," John said.

I shook my head. "No, we will see each other again. I suppose I consider this as a time to get to know who I am in society."

"I never took you as the spiritual type, Fortuna."

"Futura," I corrected.

"Why did you change your name?"

"I am not the real Fortuna."

He glanced around, and when he saw no one eavesdropping, he said, "I suppose this is not a date because I got better things to do."

I picked up my fork and spoon. "I have information I want to clarify, considering I did happen to remember your voice. Later, I will go into detail."

We ate dinner as we talked about what we have been doing since we got back onto Pioneer 2. Though there was humor, neither of us were able to laugh. We only grinned at most. After some time, we finally left the restaurant with me leading the way. Unfortunately, I was not able to see how he managed to fit through the doubled doors at the exit.

"So, how come you called me over after a year or something?" he asked.

We were walking along a sidewalk as photon cars zoomed by. I then dropped my head back to look up to the darkened solarium and had one of my arms hold onto my other arm from the rear. The pace was rather slow.

"This is not Pioneer 2, correct?"

"Huh? Surely, you have to be--"

"Are we not in Pioneer 2, is what I mean to ask."

John came beside me and I could see him staring at me. I rolled my head to the side to return his curiosity. It is annoying that Casts do not have an artificial face structure like Caseals. I was not keen with detecting emitions, probably because I became used to Calai's ever-expressive gestures.

"What makes you say that?" he asked.

"Certainly, there have been some things I noticed. My creator has been gone for over a year and I have not heard a single word from him. I know he would at least try to call us daily, if not every other day."

"Maybe he passed away."

My sights narrowed. If he meant that as a joke, that was not even close to funny. I felt along my arm and looked down to the ground.

I commented, "If this world is fake, it is probably best I distance from anything fake."

"What if I am fake?"

I turned to him and held a photon knife to his throat. It is not activated, but by the press of a button, it will activate and rend him through.

"If you are fake, the consequences would not be so severe, correct? Besides, if I were to kill you here, I would see you again in the other side anyway. If this server is meant to be a safe haven for individuals, I think there would be an emergency eject function just like being linked directly to another Humanoid."

"Don't you dare kill me here. At least not yet."

I retrieved my photon knife and stowed it away into my inventory. "I believe I know what we are hiding from." I continued in whatever direction I was going. "D-factor infestation. Apparently, we are protected in all of our capsules, but the moment we eject, we are exposed to D-factor. Thank goodness that we are not ejected out of our capsules by force when we undergo an emergency ejection."

I stopped in place when I did not hear John's massive footsteps behind me. I turned to see him gripping a headpiece.

"No, it's actually programmed that way." He looked up to me. "The moment Calai passed away here, she was released into the dome."

"... What?"

"I thought you knew, since you know so much already." He folded his arms and bowed his head. "Damn it. I should have told you two about this."

I glanced at my right hand, seeing that I was already gripping the photon knife. Since when did I do that?

"Hey! Fortuna! Your actual body can't handle D-factor!"

"Tell me, John. What is the comparable time rate of this server to reality?"

"Thirty days here is equivalent to an hour in reality. Even if you go--"

If I remember my anatomy correctly, my lifesource generator is placed just under where my hunter section ID is placed. I raised the photon knife to myself. I activated it and stared at the blade.

"Fortuna! Don't--!"

"John." I looked over to him. "This is not reality, correct?"

He stepped toward me but I inched the knife closer to myself. "I was only kidding about this being a server and stuff like that! This is reality. If you die here, you're really dead!"

"Are you sure this is reality?"

"Yes! It's very real! Look, we can think this through, okay? I swear we can--"

Calai...! Is... Is this what you felt? It... It hurts! Reality or not, I cannot stay here. I killed you. That is why I should--Calai!!! Calai, please tell me I am not being foolish again! I twisted and churned the blade to my lifesource generator and finally yanked it out. I felt faint, soon to realize I was in John's arms.

"You fool!" he roared. "You're going to be infected by D-factor! Why!?"

"I do not want to be alone," I whispered, overwhelemed by the strong surge of pain.

"You could have stayed with me if that's what bothered you. You didn't have to--"

"I killed Calai!" I admited with a loud heave of breaths. "If... If she is still alive on the other side, I want things to be--" I could not speak. I was in agony. I was in pain. I was screaming. Does death feel like this? I wonder if this is how it feels like. If this is how it feels like, I do not want to die again.

...

...

...

--REBOOTING--

Finally, I could see the light. Now, if I could... Huh? Wait, what? I tried to move but... What in Pioneer 2 is going on?

"Ah, you're finally back."

"John? What is happening?" I soon realized where I am. "What am I doing in a factory!?"

I cannot see John, but I can sense a void next to me. He said, "I cannot let you die. Not just yet. Also, because your body was beyond repair, we decided to leave you with only a head until we find a body with a decent match. Can't have you killing yourself, after all."

"W-what...!? John! I have to--!"

"Calai is gone, Fortuna. You have to accept that."

"No! Maybe there is still time to save her. I know how to undo D-factor. I just need the right tools and materials. I can--"

"Fortuna, it has already been two and a half months since her time of death here. If everything was okay, she should have managed to eject us a long time ago. The thing is, she has not done so. All we can assume is the worst and that she is infected."

"No! No! Calai is still alive! I know she is! Please! You have to kill me! Please! Kill me now! Only I can be the one to save her! Please!"

He sighed. "Forgive me for what I'm about to do. It's for your own good."

"John? What are...?" I soon realized the void next to me was diminishing. "No... No! John! Kill me! Please! Kill me!!! JOHN!!!"

--ERROR HAS OCCURED--

--ATTEMPTING TO PATCH--

--ABNORMALITY DETECTED--

--ATTEMPTING TO_

[ARChan]

A song that has been plaguing my mind as of late:

Spoiler!

[ARChan]

Initiate data entry. Record commence.

...

...

Huh. I assume it is recording.

Anyway, a field of some kind of organic structures known as flowers pan around what I can see from the ground. How long have I been here? It is pointless to move anyway. There is no reason to move. All that matters is... is... Why does it matter? I should just lie here and rust away. Daddy. I failed you. I cannot bring Calai back home with me. I do not even know if I can come back home, myself. Darn it... Darn it all!

There was only at most a very gentle breeze. I have never seen a place such as this before. Where in Pioneer 2 is this place? It is beautiful. Not a single insect can be seen or felt. The smell was entrancing.

... Mockery. Why show me all this? It is too late to be accepting all this. Calai... She is gone. She is everything that is here and more. I... I want to go back in time. I want to undo what I did not do. I should have done so much more. I want to give back the love she deserved.

"Looking kinda scary there."

I opened my eyes to find a silhouetted figure before me. The voice was familiar. It does not matter. Kick me around, if you will. It would bring me to my death. The person crouched down and waved a hand before my face.

"Hello? Anyone there?"

I moved my sights to the person, but I still see just one towering black figure. I am at a loss of words to say anything.

"I guess no one's home." The woman stood up and glanced about her. "I guess I just keep looking then."

"Wait!" I barked. "What are you doing here, anyway?"

The woman turned back to me and crouched down next to me. "Are... Are you alive?"

I think our conversation is not connecting somehow. I looked straight back up. "I am alive as I can be."

The woman giggled. "Just as a heads up?" I know she was joking, but to a Humanoid, having no body is a bit embarrassing. After all, our bodies are an accessory--clothes if you will. Without one, it is like running around in the nude. I wish I have something to hide my appearance...

"Here, let me help you up."

"No, I am fine."

"Aw, I have nothing better to do. Besides, having you around would make this trip a little more fun!" Her hands grasped the sides of my face. "Okay, here we--" She attempted to lift me, but she seemed to be having some difficulty. "What the hey? Do you have a body all buried under here?"

"Leave me alone, will you!"

"Hmm..."

The woman came down onto her knees. A... A red dress? Why does this seem familiar? After a time of attempted recollection, I soon realized that the woman was digging the ground with her bare hands. Her smell... She had a creamy, sweet scent. It was simply mesmorizing just sniffing her. She was also a red-haired Human with a bobcut and a very slight tan from what I could see. Does she not find it weird to find a head in the middle of nowhere?

"Oh. Someone did a good job here. Let me just--" She began yanking at something. Suddenly, she managed to pull something--an arm? "Yahaha! There we go! Maybe you can--"

"That is not my arm," I said in awe. It was an Organic arm--one of flesh and bone! What in the world is...? Wait, is this flowerbed atop a burial site? I soon noticed the woman digging the floor on the opposite side of me. "H-hey! Woman! Stop! You cannot be digging here!"

"Says the one who was buried alive with only a head sticking out. I am only assuming that you buried yourself here, though." She pressed a finger to her lips. "Hmm... It'd be fun thinking that all the flowers here were actually heads of people who buried themselves like you. Yahaha!"

She has a weird imagination. If that were the case, it must be a fad to bury yourself into the ground, and I somehow came into the trend. Stepping on faces sure does sound nice at the moment.

"Wow. You got such nice skin."

I looked to my side, seeing her rubbing her face on another arm she dug up. "H-hey! I am a Humanoid!"

"Humanoid...?"

Seriously? This person does not know what a Humanoid is? "Uh... A CAST?"

"Oh. I know what a CAST is. Still..." She traced her finger along the arm she was adoring, and felt up along my neck. Wait... My neck? "Looks like this arm is yours, believe it or not."

What...? My own arm? My arm is flesh and bone? Am I a cyborg now? But... What...? Why am I buried up to my neck? I do not understand.

"Oh my. Uh..."

I looked up to the woman as I lifted myself out of the pit I was planted in. "What is it?"

The woman looked all about her. "Are you like some kind of plant nymph or something? You're like buck naked."

"... Huh?"

Clothes are the essentials for Organic concealment of sexual organs and the sort. If showing my breasts and crotch as a female Organic is like me being without a body, it... I suppose I should be worried, but to be quite honest, I do not feel any different than having a body. Quite honestly, I do not understand why people need clothes. It seems so easy to ruin them, unlike actual plates that need latches and actual blows to destroy parts of a Humanoid. I suppose it is common decency, since it is accepted in most societies to wear clothes.

"Ugh... Here. I think you're going to need these more than I do."

I turned back to her to find that she was holding out a matching pair of white-lace brassiere and underpants. I followed along her arm to find her face red. Well, it is her fault for offering clothes. Might as well just let me walk around in the nude. I am fine, as long as no one stares too much.

"Thank you," I said as I received them with a questioning stare. "I am fine without any clothes. How often do you find people here?"

"Yahaha... Uh... You would be the second, actually." She glanced about her. "It is just me and my daughter here. Nothing to worry about, I suppose, but my daughter might have this idea that it is fine to walk around in the nude if she sees you without any clothes." She folded her arms and glanced about her. "Only if I could make some proper clothes with these flowers... Nothing else really grows here. Not even edible vegetation or any kind of meat. However, it's kinda neat that I don't really need to eat anything anymore, I suppose."

Huh? "You do not need to eat?"

She placed a hand on her face and laughed. "I don't know. I've been keeping track of how fat I am now and some time later. I don't seem to change, nor do I seem to want to eat."

"Really now? Where do you measure yourself?"

She pointed down to an opening in the flowerbed next to where I was planted. "I traced myself with a pen I used to have right there."

I took a more careful look at her. Her face does not express any strain or a sense of malnutrition. She looks simply healthy... and young at that. However, visual data sampling hints that she is only sixteen pioneer years old. Surely, she is a bit childly, now that I watch her more...

Wait. Daughter? Sixteen pioneer years old? That is young! I slapped my hands onto her shoulders and bowed my head to her.

"Are you able to feed your daughter?" I asked.

She laughed. "She's like me. We don't have to eat. It's like we're dead or something. Well, I wouldn't be surprised. I don't remember anything like this, not unless we were sent into quarantine with no way out."

I glared at an open space. John. You better not have sent me into such a place. I swear, I will annihilate you and make you wish you have not crossed me. You will die a slow, painful death.

But wait a moment... Why am I an Organic? Why was I naked? Why was I buried up to my neck in soil? Is this woman also a Caseal? So many questions started to erupt, giving me a headache. No linkage channels create virtual avatars appearing different than the Humanoid's appearance. In this channel, I am an Organic and very much naked at that.

"Do you know if there is a way out?" I asked.

The woman tilted her head. "You don't know?"

I rubbed my arm. "I just woke up here. I do not really..."

"Yahaha! You must still be alive. Tell me, do you have any suspicions of being dead?"

I paused for a moment to think. "Unless I have exposure to D-factor in a capsule I was resting in, I have no idea."

"I was caught up in an explosion or something. It was just less than a minute when I saw it happen. My daughter was torn limb by limb until she was eaten alive." She clapped her hands together. "Sounds magnificent that I can tell the tale of how we died."

I do not understand how she can say that with a smile. I felt along my arm, not knowing what to say. I wish I could somehow escape, but leaving the two of them here...

The woman took my hand. "Well, enough dawdling. If you're still alive, it's imparitive to return you to your body. You do not belong here." She pulled me alongside her as she walked in a fast pace. "My daughter is currently at the Monument of Transcendence. She has been searching for a way to go back, but to be honest, I have already examined it... well... I forgot how many times and tried to decipher if the patterns have any meanings. Here is what I found:

"Light makes darkness, a pair exists, but it doesn't always exist. Reincarnation goes forever. The rule is here. It should be sealed. MUUT DITTS POUMN."

She scratched her head. "I don't quite understand what this's all about. However, one thing's for sure: someone's a poet with that MUUT DITTS POUMN thing. Sounds dark and mysterious. Yahaha!"

I wonder if it is a message or an incantation. If it is a message, what is "it"? If it is an incantation, why was it being used?

The flower garden is massive. In fact, I still cannot even see the end. After what seemed to be a long walk, I saw something in the horizon. It looked like an altar and a pillar that stretched far up into the deep, blue sky. Clouds loomed over us, casting occasional shadows as they continued by. It is eerie to feel only soft breezes when considering how fast the clouds moved through the sky. As we approached, I soon noticed a woman sitting on the altar. It seemed she was meditating. Her eyes were shut, back is erect and poised, hands comfortably rested on her lap... She was sitting as if she were some kind of doll. I admit, she does look attractive. Her breasts were considerably small, but her body was fit and the curve of her waist was admirable. Her legs were round like she could run throughout Pioneer 2 without ever stopping.

"Who is there?" the woman on the altar asked as we approached from the 13-step stairway. Her eyes then parted, moved about to see the scenery before she steadied her eyes on me. Something about her seemed mystical.

The woman with me then held a hand out to me. "I found this one buried up to her neck." She glanced at me and held her hand out to the one on the altar. "She is my daughter."

I moved my sights onto the daughter. It is awkward to see the daughter appearing to be almost the mother's age, but one thing is for sure: they do not have any resemblance. The daughter has golden-blonde hair and noticeably blue eyes. Her skin color is pale. The only thing similar is that she also has a bobcut. She had a noodle-strap top and a mini skirt, both sky blue.

The daughter stared at me for some time before she stepped off her throne and approached me. I was at the top-most step when she stopped just an arm's length away.

"How is Calai?"

Huh? I glanced at the woman and back to the daughter. However, I found it hard to look up to her. Trying to brave the situation, I took a glance at the daughter, only to find myself captivated by that smile of hers. That face... "Ca... Calai?"

The daughter exchanged glances with her mother and took a small step forward. Only then did I realize that we were the same height. She was feeling a lock of hair. Calai...! My body started to heat up. Pressure started to press against my temples as my breaths started to become shallow. I tried to hide my mouth with a palm, but... What? What is...? My vision is becoming cloudy. No... Watery? Then something dripped out of my eyes. No... No! What is happening!?

My legs gave away. What is happening? Why is Calai here? Am I crying? What am I doing here? Where am I? I am with Calai! Calai!

"Hey, hey. Just let it all out."

I soon realized I was crying against her shoulder. I wanted to leave her embrace. I really wanted to, but as much as I wanted to push, I only pulled myself to her. The little breaths I mean to use as whispers come out as loud screams. Is this how it feels like to cry? Suffocating? Hot? Overwhelming? Terrifying? Somehow, it felt good.

Some time has passed by. I awoke to find myself sitting against a concrete rail toward the side of the monument. I glanced forward to find that woman back on the altar, as if it was her throne. Her eyes were closed as she was covered in shadow. Something about her appears sad.

"How's the baby?"

I looked to my side, seeing that the woman in the red dress was sitting next to me. She had a smile, just like how she was earlier. I took another glance up to the daughter. Then, I bowed my head.

"I... I do not..."

The woman scooted herself closer to me and pulled me to lean against her. "Shh... It's okay. You're like her when she was here for the first time. You're not alone. We can find a way out of here together."

I shut my eyes for a while but opened to find the daughter's face so close to mine. Startled, I shot upright onto my feet from where I sat. The daughter chuckled as she stood up and motioned me to turn around.

"You need to get used to wearing clothes soon," she said to me. "It'd be catastrophic if your bra fell off in public." She then corrected the brassiere around my breasts.

I honestly hated wearing a brassiere. It felt awkward. Not only that, what is so magnificent of a couple saggy lumps on the body, anyway? I honestly cannot comprehend what is so arousing about them.

Once I faced the daughter, she felt along a lock of hair again and asked, "You're Fortuna, right?"

I instinctively nodded, but soon realized she might not be referring to me but Calai. Wait... Who knows about Calai formerly being Fortuna? Daddy should know. Calai knows too. Then, there is that other sister...

"California?" I asked.

The daughter grinned. "Well, I am California. You must be Sis's 'Sis,' huh?"

As I thought. It was too good to be true. My sights started to become cloudy again. However, this time, California came to me and whiped the tears from my face.

"You're such a crybaby," she muttered. I looked up to her but bowed my head again. "Something happened, huh? Is she missing?"

I gave fleeting gestures, trying to fend off her gaze. However, she squeezed my cheeks with a hand under my jaw and had me face her.

"What happened?"

I bowed my head. After some time, she released me. Suddenly, the world seemed to spin. Then, I crashed down against the floor. As I tried to regain my breath, she pinned me down by sitting on my waist. She leaned forward with her hair blocking out all light except the ray of light lining her right eye.

"What happened?" she repeated, more lethal than the last. She pressed a palm onto my shoulder. Her hand was gripping tightly. Her eyes were only on me. I...!

"Calia, that's enough."

California sat upright on my waist again, her eyes glued to me. "You will tell me some time, right?"

I nodded, fearing for my life. California scoffed and sat back on her throne. I was too frightened to even move. There is a way out, right? Where? How? I have to get away. She might kill me!

"Forgive her rudeness," the woman said as she sat down next to me, attempting to help me up. Once I was upright, she stood up and said, "Why don't we take a walk? Maybe your memories are a bit hazy."

My... My savior! The very second she held her hand out to me, I took it with both of mine and desperately led the way back down the stairway of the monument, back onto the massive flowerbed. I do not know why I was breathing so hard. I looked back to the monument, seeing California sitting on the altar like how she was earlier. I do not know what to say to her. I do not know what would not hurt her and not be a lie!

"My, my." I looked up to the woman as she said, "You're making things quite exciting here for once."

Well, now that I think about it, I have no idea how long she had been here. For all I care, she could be some kind of overseer or a kind of moderator drone. Then again, I could be one, considering how my avatar looks like. I took a quick glance at myself. Yes, still flesh and only wearing underwear. When did this happen? How did this happen? I cannot even access my memory data.

I soon found myself holding the woman's arm with both of mine, pressing myself up against it, seeking shelter in her presence. I may be as tall as her, but my mindset appeared to be that of a child. Why is that? In fact, why am I so expressive here? Are Humans driven by emotions? I... I do not know what to do. I feel so trapped here.

After a while of walking and the monument seems to only be a shadow in the distance, I finally parted from the woman's arm and crouched down to a batch of flowers. I picked one and then held it to my nose. A sweet, creamy smell... just like... Calai? I remember when she started experimenting with perfumes shortly after I was activated. She made numerous concoctions, some smelling even more enticing than this smell, but for some reason, she decided to stay with this smell. What kind of flower is this? I have never seen this kind before. Its petals were rough like fabric and the cobalt-blue stem was hard like a stylus. In fact, it had liquid spilling out of where the stem had snapped. It appeared to be more liquid than a syrup. Cyanic blue... The petals individually had different vibrant colors of sky blue, hot pink, and electric yellow.

"I see you're just like her."

I looked up and then back to the flower. "Am I, really?"

"Yes. The moment she found these flowers, she simply could not let go of them."

I glanced over my shoulder, only to find myself staring at the woman as she weaved several of the flowers together. For something so tough, these stems sure are flexible. I tried to copy her but it was harder than it appeared. After one time of attempting, she crowned me with the flower weave. I stood up and twirled with my arms out, laughing...

Something happened to me right there. I suddenly stopped in my place, still laughing. Laughing, laughing, laughing... I crouched down with my hands on my face. No... I was crying. I tried to maintain my composure, but to my surprise, I found something yellow under a thick brush of flowers. I reached out and took it into my hands. A message capsule? Here? Why? I pressed a button to view it.

"Light makes darkness, a pair exists, but it does not always exist. Reincarnation goes forever. The rule is here. It should be sealed. MUUT DITTS POUMN.

"... Well, that seems to be the key words to say to open something... Or maybe to seal something? I wonder if this is what has been making my behavior significantly different. Well, I guess I should see if we can escape from here with this phrase. This is my one and only record here. I kind of wish I had more to carry with me.

"I wonder if California is somewhere in a place like this. If... If she were, I wonder if there will be a chance to see her. This place is so open. If I go out too far, I might never be able to find this landmark ever again. Also, this monument might be the only key in this world of infinity.

"Wait... Key? Key words? Maybe... Maybe I am supposed to use this phrase at this monument! If you cannot find me here, that means I have somehow escaped. I will leave as many clues lying around as to how I processed forward into this world. Rest assured, they will be left within sight range of this monument.

"So, good luck to us both. Just be wary of the person around the monument. I am theorizing, of course. The person at the monument tried to kill me when I was attempting to find a way to leave this place, and again after trying to get into that psychotic head.

"To summarize what my suspicions are, they are the monument, the person with me, and this phrase I deciphered. They are the most abnormal of this world, and it is worth investigating.

"End recording. Fortuna. Date: unknown. Location: behind monument."

Calai? That was Calai? It... How can that be? I looked up to find the woman looming over me.

She said, "So, that's where it went. The other one did throw it somewhere."

"The 'other one'?"

She smiled. "I did say you are the second, right?"

Huh? So, there was someone else and the first was not her daughter? Wait... What? I sat in place, trying to process things in my head. So, she has not been including people she identifies. So, there was another stranger in this place.

I stood up and glanced at the monument. "I suppose we should head back. It seems we--" No. Wait a moment. It seemed there was only one person when Calai was here. How come there are two? I glanced over my shoulder, seeing the woman still smiling at me.

"C-can I use the restroom?" I asked with a bit of a laugh.

The woman stared at me. "There aren't any restrooms here. You can just unload here, I suppose."

"Okay. Uhm..." I paused for a moment but the woman did not leave. "Can you leave me alone for a moment?"

"I'll just turn around then."

Creepy... I squatted down as low as I can, soon realizing that the flowerbed is as high as my waist when standing. Maybe I can lose her if I crawl around carefully. I don't know if I can trust her yet.

I glanced behind me... Huh? Where did she--?

"You're not going to lose me that easily."

She was squatting just in front of me. I would have bumped her if I moved even a little bit. Just when I was about to stand up, she suddenly tackled me over. She pinned me down with her hands on my wrists. That smile... It appeared to be sinister, now that I see her face.

"Why do you want to leave me so much?" she asked. "I do not want to be alone anymore."

"Did you say earlier that we can find a way to leave together?"

"Yes! I did say that! However, the other one... She left me. She did not even give me a clue as to what to do and what to say. She only said that phrase to me, and I don't even know how and when to use it. Please...! Please don't leave me alone!"

I looked up to her, but that face of desperation was too much to stare into. Daringly, I asked, "What about your daughter?"

Her eyes became wide. "What...?"

"Does she want to leave?"

Her complexion became pale. At that very instant, I thrashed a little, breaking myself free from her grip and shoved her off me. At the end of the recording, Calai said that she was to the rear of the monument. That must mean the other side without the stairs, right? I was running through the flowerbed with bare feet. It was unbearable! The rough cobalt-stemmed flowers' rough petals felt like hands and fingers trying to stop me.

"Fortuna!!!"

That voice thundered from behind me. I was too scared to even look. There are two people trying to kill me! But... But wait. Did Calai say that the one around the monument is the killer? Sure, she was speaking theoretically, but she must know something about all this. Please... Please Calai! Give me a sign!

A flash...? What...? Something about this place felt wrong. As I was running for dear life, I looked down. Another flash...! A face...!? No... I was on top of many faces! They were all trying to reach out to me.

"Futura! Futura, get a hold of yourself!"

I gasped. I turned to soon find... What...? Lucky? "What...? Where am--?"

"You have to go back to the flowerbed! It's too dangerous to stay here!"

Huh? Here? Where am I? The blue sky was a menacing sunset of shades of purple and clouds looming over me. Distantly, there were me were mountains of faces. Arms were reaching out from among them, all of them were reaching out to me. Though each face were screaming, I could not hear a single one of them.

I was too appalled by the sight that I did not realize the arms just below me. They are pulling me under! I thrashed with all my might but I could not break free!

"Lucky!" I cried. "Lucky, help me!"

I gasped for air. What...? I am back in the soil of the flowerbed again. My head was sticking out like it did earlier. What is real? A shiver shook me as I soon thought about those faces being in the ground and how I am in a similar situation to them. With all my might, I tried to move. After some time of struggle, I managed to have my right arm break out of the soil. Then, my left. After that, I lifted myself out, only to realize I am naked once again.

I looked over to my side to soon find the woman in red again. She stared at me for a while but turned away.

"I assume you saw that place," she said, near to a whisper.

I folded my arms and thought about what I saw. "Why are we here then?"

She grinned. "That, I don't know. However, one thing's for sure, something keeps sending us back." She then came to me. "Maybe it's fate that we came together. Maybe we were meant to--"

"No!" I barked. "We are not supposed to be here. Yet, we are still here." I glanced up to the monument. I then started pacing quickly toward it.

The woman rushes to my side. "H-hey, what are you going to do?"

"I will find a way to leave this place."

"No! You can't leave!" She seized my arm and pulled back.

I whipped my arm away from her and continued toward the monument. "I will leave, one way or another."

"But what happens when you do leave here? What happens when you're out there? How can we know if what you're going to do is going to work? How can we know if you'll be where you're supposed to be?" I ignored her questions. "You can live here with me. We don't starve, don't get sick, don't get thirsty, don't get--" I stopped. "You get what I mean, right?"

I turned to her, seeing her face flustered and tears rolling down her eyes. I stepped forward and then launched a fist to her face, a loud crack resounding through the flowerbed. The woman fell back, taken aback by what I just did. She felt the large, red mark on her face.

"Coward!" I roared. "All that is simply nice, and it really sounds like a utopia, but what is the point of living in it if the person you care for is not here? You are not the one I want to live with!"

I understand now. I must return to reality and verify what happened to Calai. I must know everything! I still have to return to Daddy as well. I must do everything in my power to return to him at the very least. I want to live with my family. I want to be with them.

I soon found myself at the top step of the stairway on the monument. The tall pillar that pierces the sky... It simply looks taller than it did earlier. I lowered my sights to the one on the altar. The clouds above finally parted, shining light onto the woman. Golden-blonde hair with such pale skin. She raised her head as her deep-blue eyes scanned up to me.

"Are you here to tell me what happened?" she asked.

"I killed her in a VR channel and is said to have returned to reality. However, it is said that there is D-type factor outside of the capsules we are in. I was hoping to follow her into reality and try to escape with her, if not die trying."

She scoffed. "Why didn't you tell me that sooner?" Her arms pushed herself up and she started removing her clothes. When she was naked like me, she came to me until she was only an arm's length again. "So, why did you kill her?"

It felt like something stabbed my chest. "I... I was mad at her. I-I mixed up the VR channel with reality, and I thought that a person whom I loved was killed by a mob led by Calai."

The woman chuckled. "Well, I'd've at least stabbed her with a Saber if she did that with me, too."

"B-but I love her, too. I was just so..."

She patted my head with a grin. "Don't worry. So, do you want to leave here already?"

"Huh? You know how to leave?"

"Yeah. I found out a long time ago. Just felt you're going to come around for some reason."

I felt along my arm. "But... But how did you know I am me and not Calai?"

She smiled and said, "You're not gonna believe me when I say this, I bet." She folded her arms. "You look like me, just with fuchsia hair. Your eyes are like mine. It's kinda weird that you have Sis's old personality though. Makes me want to have sex with you."

I stepped back as I looked at her body and then mine. "H-huh?"

She laughed. "Yeah. Same personality." She stepped toward me. "But you know we have to do it to get out of here."

"W-Wha-wha-wha...?"

She grinned as she came even closer. "That's right. I gotta make you enjoy yourself and stuff."

All to get out of here. All to get out of here. All to get out of here. All to get out of here. All to get out of here. All to get out of here. I gripped my hands and asked, "R-r-really?"

"No. Hehe..."

... Someone slap this person for me. I just do not want to touch or be touched by this perverted freak. I sighed and took a glance at her body.

"Why are you naked?" I asked.

She looked down. "Oh. Am I not supposed to?"

I pressed a palm to my face. Mystical essence of being the naked maiden of the pillar and being the answerer of my troubles: completely demolished.

She laughed for a while and whiped her eyes of tears that formed. "Oh, man. I totally missed playing around with someone like you. It's pretty lonely without anyone to talk to."

"What about your mother?"

She stared at me, that smile on her face fading. "What?"

"Your mother. She's here, right?"

She glanced around us. "No? You're the only one here."

What? Then... "Did you see Calai here before?"

"No. I arrived here just a while ago, though it seems Fortuna--currently known as Calai--left messages. She said that staying on the altar is the safest location here. Apparently, the 'other one' cannot approach you when you have been around the altar for some time. So..."

She took my hand and pulled me along with her. She had me sit to her right, on what I thought she considered as a throne. It all makes sense now. Once I was sitting down, I glanced to my side. She was staring out with a smile on her face. It reminded me of Calai. It saddened me, rather than making me happier. Though she is like Calai, she is not Calai.

"My name is Futura," I said to her. "Yes, I was Fortuna for a while, but since Calai told me some of what happened between you and her, I figured I should start with a new name."

She smiled. "I'm the original California. You're safe here with me." She stared at me for a while and then felt along a lock of hair. "Well, I never really expected you to be so attractive, and..." She looked forward from the altar, feeling along the lock of hair a little more aggressively. "To be honest, I wouldn't mind falling in love with you, too."

I paused for a moment. "You are joking, right?"

She glanced at me, but shot her eyes out forward again almost the same instant she saw me. Silently, she shook her head. Shook her head... That means no, right? Shook her head... Or she might be thinking something lewd. I just hope she is thinking something lewd. No, I just hope she was just shaking her head.

"Futura," she said. "Can I copy myself into your storage data? Y'know, just at least until we can find a body for me. I'm sure Sis would be happy."

Calai... Yes, I think she would be happy as well. However, there is one problem about that...

"That would mean I have to delete all my records," I quietly said to myself.

California sighed. "You're still hooked up to the VR channel, right?" I looked over to her. "If the VR channel is actually a server, all you have to do is save your data onto the server's temp storage data section. You can... uh..." She poked my left breast. "Hm?" She then seized my left breast. "Oh. Y-you're..."

"I am apparently Human," I sighed. "I cannot access my interface."

She smiled. "Oh. I know where you can access your interface, but it gets pretty risky and all that." She raised a finger to point at herself. "It's where I died. It's basically where captured souls are. What you see here is a parallel dimension of what is going on there. I wouldn't even be surprised if each flower represents a person there. It's almost disturbing just thinking about it."

I sighed. "I think I have been there. It is full of faces, right?"

She glanced at me and bowed her head again, stroking a lock of hair. Her eyes were wide. "Y-yeah... But you gotta do it if you want to save me. I won't hold it against you if you're not up to it."

"Are you...?"

She pulled her knees to herself and buried her face into it. "This life I have is stolen from someone else who happened to have ventured there." She raised her head to barely see over her knees. "I... I don't like the thought of stealing someone's life, but I had to. It's far better here than over there. I can't sleep. I can't rest. I constantly felt pain. I drowned in despair and agony. Worst of all..." She hugged her legs even tighter and pressed her face behind them. "Worst of all, I found myself blaming Sis for what happened to me."

It was hard trying to look at her, especially by how it seemed she was wallowing in despair. "How did you steal that person's life?"

"... I..." Her face flushed red. "... Think of it as a point system. You have to score points to gain a life. Gain a hundred points and you are granted immunity to come here and try to leave through the gate in the other realm. Considering how often fresh ones come and how many there are of those trying to score, it is very hard to even score one point. I only got lucky that..." She started to shake. "Mom...!"

Mom? Mom was here? "Hey... uh... How did--?"

"I had sex with her!" She was facing me, face red and eyes streaked with tears. "I... I knew it was her and she picked me from among the horde trying to take her. I was so happy. I don't know what happened when we came together, but we came into a bubble and we... I don't know... My feelings were overflowing, and she accepted what I was doing to her." She wiped her face with her hands. "One person gives a hundred points, and I was lucky that I scored to a hundred because of her."

"How do you score points?" I was disturbed, but what was done had to be done, I suppose.

"Making the individual sin. I remember there was a large number of these things from old Corallean lore, but there were some that completely stood out from the rest. Lust was the one I made Mom do. I am happy that it was nothing else, but still..."

I watched her stand and wipe her face with her forearm. "I just wonder why she didn't go for the exit. Mom doesn't even know me that well. I don't even know how she knew me. All I know is that we knew each other, and we had some time together, talking happily about our times with Dad as we had sex. It was... I was just wrong, but how am I to know about her if this was the only time we have together? I don't... It's just..."

I stood up and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Do not worry," I quietly said. "I am sure she understood."

"It's still wrong!" she yelled. "I can't... I don't want to leave her there, but I don't know how to bring her here! I don't understand...!" She collapsed down onto her knees.

I looked up to the steps, seeing that woman in red. She was standing there, watching California as she wept. I was inclined to stop the woman as she came forward.

"Please," she said to me, "let me come to her."

I glanced at California and then to the woman. For some reason, it seems California cannot sense the woman. What is even more weird is the two of them having shadows, which makes neither ghosts or spirits, I suppose. I stepped aside to give them space, but enough to lunge forward and intervene if the woman does anything awkward.

The woman knelt before California, smiling in a bittersweet manner. "Well, seems I was correct when I said she might walk around in the nude if she sees you."

I pressure came to my face as I felt along my arm. What is going on? Did California see me in a pair of underwear earlier? Technically, they were the woman's. I pressed my fingers against my brow as I kept wondering what is happening.

"It's okay, Calia. There's no need to worry about me. I'm fine knowing you just wanted to live." She reached out to California but stumbled forward. Her hand...! It went through California! The woman knelt in shock. "That's right. I can't..." She knelt back as a tear rolled down her face. "I'm sorry."

I said to the woman, "Let me talk for you." Both the woman and California look up to me. "Since California cannot hear you, let me talk for you."

California furrowed her brows. "W-what're you talking about?"

I crouched down between them and said to the woman, "Any idea what we can use as proof you exist?"

The woman immediately slapped me. It resounded loudly, and it really hurt! She did not even hold back! I guess it is all fair since I did punch her face. California leaned forward.

"Whoa," California laughed. "I appreciate the dynamics, but really, are you trying to mock me?"

"No," I growled. "Someone else is here, and she is in front of you."

California chuckled. "Yeah. Right. This isn't funny, y'know."

I held my hand out to the woman. "Pinch my middle finger."

California leans forward to look at my middle finger. The woman then pinched as I said. Assuming my assumptions are correct, my body is like a Human body. The redness of my finger should be pale where the woman pinched me and then flush out to be red again. I looked up to California, seeing her stare.

She looked up to me furiously and said, "What the fuck are you trying to do?"

"Huh?"

"Are you trying to make fun of me?"

"N-no! I--" Suddenly, the woman rushed toward me and began gripping my neck with both of her hands. "What are...!?"

I tried to pry her hands off mine but it proved fruitless. I fell back, trying to get away, but it only gave her leverage to choke me. I tried slapping her and clawing at her face to stop her, but she kept smiling at me.

"The fuck are you doing now?" California dully asked. "I can't believe you're trying to act like you're dying. What? The person is choking you right now?"

You have no idea! I continued trying to fend the woman off but my efforts continued to be in vain. Next thing I knew, everything started to lose color. My head felt so much pressure that I felt I was going to explode! I could not grip anything...!

"All right, all right, I believe you."

Even so, the woman did not stop. What are you doing? California said she believed me! Stop...! Please...!

"Hey, Fortuna. Hey, get up. ... Don't make me slap you. ..."

Go ahead. Slap a dying person, will you?

"Hey. Hey! Are you still there? Fortuna! Hey!"

Now you believe me when... Forget it. You do not even believe me when I tried to help you. I should just...

"Yahaha! There you are."

I gasped as my eyes opened widely to find the woman above me, crouching down with a smile on her face. I tried to--What? Why am I buried in the ground?

She did not hesitate to dig with her bare hands, helping me come out of the ground yet again. She then said, "I suppose when you restart in life here, you're burrowed up to your neck."

"What?"

"You see, this is how I found you the other sixty-two times."

"Sixty-two...!?" What?

"Me, I start over somewhere in the sky. I break a few bones every time, but it's okay."

What? Why is she talking to me as if she is familiar with me? Rather, if it has been sixty-two times--wait... Why am I naked? No... Why am I so expressive? No, I have skin... Why am I Human!?

"Let's not dawdle here," she said to me as she took my hand and pulled me along. "I know all this seems a bit confusing to you, but rest assured, you're going to be okay."

I... I suppose she is safe to be with. She must know something I do not know. Man... I do not know what is going on at all.

Now that calmed down a little, I noticed I am in a flowerbed. There are flowers everywhere, and it stretches out all the way to the horizon. Although these flowers are peculiar, they look beautiful. They have cobalt stems with petals of sky blue, hot pink, and electric yellow. They do not have any thorns though.

"I sure ventured out far away to find you," she said as she was taking fleeting glances. "Now... where is it?"

"What are you looking for?" I asked as I was doing the same.

"There should be a monument somewhere around the flowerbed."

Although how dire the situation appeared, she appeared to have a smile. I looked up to the bright sky, finding... well... I do not see where the light source is coming from. Clouds float about and...

Huh? No. The sky suddenly turned purple. Huh? Something touched me. Oh. I have my body back. Huh? What? Arms...!?

"Futura!" Lucky called out.

I shook myself out of their reach to approach Lucky. "What is going on?"

"Go back to the flowerbed! It's safe there! I'll wait for you here!"

"What...?" Suddenly, an arm seized my ankle and yanked me, having me fall onto... A face! I scrambled to get away but faces were everywhere! Arms were flailing! Where am I!?

"There you are."

I gasped as I--What? Why am I in the dirt? The woman smiled at me and used her hand to dig. Slowly but surely, she helped me out. Huh. Still naked.

"Seriously," she sighed. "When you fall from the pillar, don't be using me as your landing pad, alright? Seriously killed me that time."

"Huh?"

She turned to me with left hand on her hip. "You landed on me when you fell from the pillar and I hit my head pretty hard on the floor. I think I bled out or something. And yeah."

"Huh." I glanced about her, seeing that her head appeared to be fine. Her hand, however... "Did you break your hand catching me?"

"Oh?" She glanced at her right hand. "Oh. This hand." She tried to move it, but even though she was laughing, I knew she was feeling pain. "Actually, I kinda fell on it. Not by your doing, though."

"Oh." I glanced around, seeing that I was on a flower garden. It was large and it stretched all the way to the horizon. The sky is blue with lofty clouds floating by.

"Hey, watch where you're going."

I stopped in my place. "Why?"

"Last time you're looking up in the sky, you tripped and fell into a flowerbed full of poisonous thorns."

I looked down to find flowers with thorns in front of me. Just one more step and I would have been in their mercy. "Oh."

"Seems we're pretty lucky this time. Found the pillar."

In the distance, I could see something that appeared to be a spike in the earth. I was a bit surprised upon seeing it.

Nothing really else happened upon the approach to it aside from buttery smells. I am lucky that I found someone to talk to. It would be very lonely if anything else. I came around to what appeared to be the front of what seemed to be a shrine at the base of the pillar. There were thirteen steps that led to an altar.

Huh? Something does not feel right.

I looked up and approached this large pillar that pierced the sky. Huh... What was I doing up there?

"Fortuna?"

The voice was different. I turned to find another woman here. She has golden-blonde hair and noticeably blue eyes. Her skin color is pale. Apparently, she also has a bobcut like the woman in red. This one had a noodle-strap top and a mini skirt, both sky blue.

That uncomfortable feeling I had when approaching the pillar went away in that instant.

The moment I was about to say something, this woman came toward me and hugged me tightly. "Fortuna, I thought you disappeared!"

Bewildered, my arms came around her. Do I know her?

"You're Fortuna, right?"

I found myself looking into her eyes. She was uncomfortably close that I could feel her breaths against my lips. I nodded once. She released me and paced away from me, spinning back to face me again when at arm's length.

"I can't believe it's you. I thought you were gone for sure when I saw your body disappear. Don't scare me like that."

Huh?

"I believe you that someone else is here. Otherwise, I don't know how you could have keeled over and died in an instant from loss of breath."

What?

"But it's okay now. I believe you. Where is this person?"

I glanced around me. The only ones I see are this woman and that other woman. I will name this second woman "Woman 2" for clarifying what I am talking about for now. Still confusing, since the two look the same to me. The only physical difference is their color scheme, really.

Woman 1 pointed at herself. Seeing that, I pointed at her, too. Woman 2 traced where I am pointing.

Woman 2 said, "Over there, huh? What is she saying?"

I watched Woman 1. Staring... "Nothing," I reported. "She only pointed at herself and I pointed at her."

"Oh. Can you ask her what is her name?"

Woman 1 said, "I can hear her."

I said, "I can hear her--I mean, she can hear her--I mean, she can hear you." I am too distracted by all the questions running through my head. I need a rest.

I can feel a void in front of me. My eyes parted to find--FOUR EYES!!! I scrambled away but fell down a few steps of the monument. Too much is happening...

I looked up to find Woman 1 ghosting through Woman 2... or is it Woman 2 ghosting through Woman 1? Or could it be they both are ghosts? Regardless, it is my first time seeing a ghost. I am more fascinated than scared, now that I think of it that way. Still, my shoulder hurts from falling down the stairway.

"That was an awkward spill," Woman 2 commented.

I rubbed my arm as I stood up and came to them. After a while, I pressed a hand to my brow. "I need some time to process what is happening." I pointed. "Woman 2, can you see Woman 1?" When I said Woman 1, I pointed at Woman 1. At least they both are separated now, which makes pointing at them easier.

"Woman 2?" she asked. "I'm California, remember?" Okay. Her name promoted to an identified name now. California it is. "But..." She glanced to her side. "I don't see anyone."

Huh? "Woman 1, can you see California?"

"Yes," she said with a smile and not even looking. Not very convincing, but I will take her word. Well, I suppose I can call Woman 1 just "the woman" now until she actually tells me her name.

I still have a hand on my head. "So, California, you cannot see, hear, nor touch the woman, right?"

"Is she hot?" she asked in return.

Quite something to ask back. However, she did it without a grin but twinkling eyes of intrigue. The woman chuckled to California's remark. Since she was asking about the woman's appearance, I suppose she cannot sense her at all. Though... I wonder...

I pointed at the floor. "California, can you see a shadow?"

She traced where I was pointing. "Huh?" She crouched down, staring at where I can see the woman's shadow. "Well, that's odd. Which one?"

Which one? "The one that is not yours and mine."

"Yeah. Which one?"

I stepped forward and pointed just under the woman. "Do you see this one?"

California felt along a lock of hair and looked up further. "There is another one over here." She crawled across the floor to the edge of the monument, near the top of the stairway.

That is not where the woman is. We are all at the center, where the pillar is. I cannot even see a shadow. Could it be that we have an intruder? Or are we being watched? I felt along my arm as I glanced around us, trying to see if there were any abnormalities around us. I closed my eyes and listened... Nothing more than what should be. How suspicious.

So, there are three people with the possibility of a fourth one. Maybe it is Lucky. He is a Mag, after all. He should be near to me at all times. However, why can I not see him?

"I wonder if we all can leave this place," California said. "It would be pretty sweet, right?"

I nodded and looked over to the woman. She appeared to be concerned. "Do not worry," I said as I slipped my hands into both of hers. "I will try to bring you with us as well."

"But you are still alive," she said to me. "Calia and I have died in reality. I don't know if--"

"I said I will try to bring you with us as well." I attempted a smile. "Please have faith in me. I will do my best."

She smiled as she swung our arms around. "I believe in you." She glanced at my body. "Well... I suppose it will be better if you have my dress."

... Huh? "W-wait. You need your dress."

"She can't see me, anyway."

Before I could say anything more, she was already slipping out of her dress and now removing her brown leather boots. All she had left was her white-lace underwear. Her body frame is smaller than I thought.

"Does she have legs?" California said with massive intrigue.

"She is not a ghost," I said as I crouched down to pick up the dress. Although I was doubtful that the dress would show, I would be lying that I was not curious how a dress felt like. It was a dress composed of a type of an overskirt that kept the front side open to unveil the dress at the waist. The sleeves were large near the end but pretty tight just above the elbow. The sleeves then fan out at the proximal end. Now that I think about it, this type of dress is issued to Hunters of the female Human Force division. It was fairly snug and I felt warm simply wearing it. However, it was too snug. I could not raise my legs too high.

"Whoa!"

I glanced to my side, finding California staring at me oddly. "What?"

"Are you some kind of magical girl?" she said as she seized my hands, her eyes twinkling madly.

I glanced down at the dress, feeling embarrassed to be wearing fabric. Maybe I should just walk around in the nude. I feel more comfortable like that, though most Humans would disagree. That aside... "I suppose you can see what I am wearing," I quietly said, trying to keep my face away from California.

"Red totally does match your hair color," she said with a wide smile.

I found it hard to look at her the moment she complimented me. When is she going to release me?

Seeing as how we are going off track, I took my hands to myself and turned to the pillar, examining it from the front. Light was reflecting off its polished surface, seeming as if it were being maintained. In fact, I cannot even identify what kind of material this pillar was composed of. I reached out to the feel its surface--

--GONE. WHERE HAS SHE GONE!!! WHERE IS SHE!?!--

I gasped as I zoned back into myself. I glanced around myself to find myself standing before the pillar. The sky is still blue with lofty clouds floating by. The flowerbed was still there. What was I expecting?

I do not understand but someone is looking for me. It cannot find me since I am here. Maybe it is best I stay here. Maybe I should try touching it again. Maybe I could...

YOU... I KNOW YOU ARE THERE.

Huh? I am not touching it. I gave fleeting gestures from side to side. I cannot find anything. It knows I am listening to it. However, it cannot find me.

Dark Falz. I know it is you. You cannot hide your intentions from me. You want to find me, bait me with things I want, and then kill me in the end. You suspect I am the next hero. A god without the power to suppress its inner thoughts... How pathetic. Maybe if I touch this pillar more, I can actually obtain some of its strength. After all, to defeat a god, one must harness godly powers.

"Okay, you're getting a little creepy."

Huh? I turned to California, seeing that she was feeling a lock of hair. I glanced at the woman, seeing that she was scared of my presence. Then, the other one is yelling something. Wait... What? The other one? I passed between California and the woman to approach this other person. Calai... You have been watching me, huh? I held a hand out to her.

There is no mistaking it. She is Calai. I have... I have what I wanted all along. I just could not sense it. That hydrangea-blue hair with a crab-like headdress... That Pinkal hunter ID. Those shoulders so tender. That white body suit and her skirt of magenta plates with thin, white lines... Those arms with frost-like extensions... Knee sock painting that reaches up to the middle of your thigh... Megenta shoes made of the most advanced footwear available for Androids... I cannot mistake any of it. You are Calai... MY CALAI.

I gasped. I gave fleeting gestures around me. Calai... What... What was I thinking just now? What am I doing here? What is my hand reaching out to?

"Hey, Fortuna. You there?"

I abruptly turned around to face California and the woman. They both stared at me. Why are they looking at me like that?

"Are you feeling okay?" the woman asked me.

California then said, "Holy shit, Fortuna. You totally freaked me out earlier. That laugh and that creepy thing you were saying... I can't even describe what you were saying. It totally sounded out of this world."

Huh? I pressed a palm to my head, trying to remember anything remotely similar to what she detailed. I glanced around me but I stopped when California felt my hand over my head.

"You're feeling okay, right?" She came close to me and whispered, "You're not hearing anything weird, right?"

I paused to listen around me but found nothing other than the gentle wind caressing the flowers. I then shook my head. She leaned in closer and whispered... something to me.

"Fortuna, get a hold of yourself!"

What? Something felt hot. I glanced over my shoulder... The flowerbed... It is burning. What happened?

"We have to leave now!" California exclaimed.

"What?" I glanced at the woman with us and then to California. "But I promised to help her leave, too."

"I worry about the kind of form she will take when she leaves here. I know what form I am. I will be easy to bring along, I assure you. Remember the plan. You'll have to transfer all your record data quickly and then install me into your system."

I nodded and then looked up to the woman, seeing her turning pale. "What form are you?"

She shook her head. "No! You will stay here with me until we can find something out!"

"We have to know what form you will take. That way, we can--"

"NO!!!"

Suddenly, the bright light of the sky vanished. Purple sky... This... This looks familiar, somehow. California? In place of where her hand was holding mine, a microchip appeared. I... I understand now. You lost your body. You are only data now.

Immediately, I accessed my interface and did as was told. However, there was no option to transfer data. I am supposed to be plugged into the server still, right? I checked through every type of option there was in my interface but failed to find the option. No... I cannot save my data. The arms were reaching out to me. I... I...!

[Select A or B]

A. [Delete all recordings]

Spoiler!

--DELETING RECORDS.--

--PROCEED?--

--[YES]/NO--

--ARE YOU SURE YOU WANT TO DELETE?--

--ALL DATA RECORDED CANNOT BE RECOVERED.--

--[YES]/NO--

--DELETING...--

Life is more precious than memories of the past. Sure, it is nice to remember things to be happy, but I can still make happy memories in the future as well. So... please! Memories, rest in peace. It has been so much fun seeing these records on my off time. It made my life seem to have purpose. So... please. Let me save California.

--DELETION OF RECORDS COMPLETE--

I inserted the data chip into a bootable micro chip disk drive in my ear.

--[Z:\CALIFORNIA.EXE]--

--NOW PREPARING A DUEL BOOTING SYSTEM--

--CREATING SYSTEM RESTORE POINT--

--SYSTEM RESTORE POINT COMPLETE--

--PREPARING INSTALL...--

--PARTITION SUCCESSFULLY CREATED--

--ESTIMATED TIME OF INSTALL: 10 MINUTES--

--PLEASE WAIT...--

...

...

[Received "y"]

B. [Spare the records]

Spoiler!

No. These memories are too precious! Maybe there is enough space in my memory for California. I inserted her chip into a bootable micro chip disk drive in my ear.

--[Z:\CALIFORNIA.EXE]--

--NOW PREPARING A DUEL BOOTING SYSTEM--

--CREATING SYSTEM RESTORE POINT--

--SYSTEM RESTORE POINT COMPLETE--

--PREPARING INSTALL...--

--ERROR--

--ERROR--

--INSUFFICIENT DATA SPACE--

--ABORTING DUEL BOOTING SYSTEM--

No... Not enough space? Maybe I can leave here with California in my hand. Maybe I can save her in some way. Yes! There always has to be an answer!

[Received "25"]

I looked down to the floor, seeing that the floor was composed of faces. I will not be scared this time. I will overcome! These arms... I wish I have a weapon--Oh wait! I am a Humanoid again! I accessed my inventory and wielded a Saber. I immediately started hacking and slashing at the arms that dared to take hold of me.

"Futura, I thought I said that you should have stayed back in the flowerbed!"

I looked over my right shoulder, finding Lucky next to me again. "Change of plans. It was deemed unsafe there."

He sighed. "Well... fine. Just don't stay here for too long. There's something nasty about this place if you stay here."

y.

Spoiler!

"Details as I try to bide time for an installation?" I kept slashing at a target one after another.

"How long?"

"About nine minutes now."

"Ew... Large enemy detected and approaching fast. It'll be on us in about six minutes."

25.

Spoiler!

"How far away until confrontation?" I asked.

"Seems about six minutes. We should find the exit."

I kept slashing at arms one after another, but they seemed to keep spawning. "Any exits detected?"

"I'll go look. Please, don't get caught."

Easier said than done. Now that I think of it, where is the woman from earlier? I took quick glances around myself but I could not find the woman at all. What is she? Maybe I already lost her... Maybe she was something like a data chip too, like California. I am very sorry...

I kept slashing at arms, one after another. It was becoming harder and harder to stay away from them. I do not want to become like them. I need to survive. I need to be with Calai.

"Futura!"

I slashed at another arm and found lucky soaring through the air. "Any luck?"

"Bad, bad, bad! Your only way to escape has been absorbed by that incoming force. You're going to have to kill it to escape!"

Annoying... "What kind of enemy is it?"

"It's a humanoid. Not the mechanical kind, but human-like in appearance. However, something's odd about it!"

ACCEPT YOUR FATE. KILL HER OR BE KILLED. DECIDE.

A female? Could it be the woman from earlier? However, something seems wrong. Lucky said that it was human-like in appearance. I must assume the worst.

"Above!"

I looked up and jumped out of the way of something that came crashing down near me. I rolled a short distance and slashed at some arms that tried to catch me. Dust cleared after some time. Indeed a female was in the center. She rose to her feet and... and...

"Isn't that your sister?" Lucky asked me.

C-Calai...? She was already before me when I realized her fist was colliding with my face. I spun as damage reports were blaring, but I still managed to stay on my feet. I accidentally dropped my Saber in the process.

"Calai!" I cried.

She dashed the distance and tried to do a high kick to my head. I blocked it in time, but I saw her spin and she hooked me to the side of my head. I stumbled over, crawling to stay on my feet. I do not want to fight you!

"Futura, fight back!"

No... I cannot hurt Calai. Please... Do not do this to me. I only wanted to return to you; to be by your side. Why are you hurting me? I... I cannot kill you again!

NO. IT IS NOT CALAI. I MUST STAND AND FIGHT. KILL. KILL IT. IT IS NOT CALAI. KILL IT. IMPOSTER. CALAI WOULD NEVER HURT ME. CALAI WOULD NEVER HURT ME. DIE. DIE. DIE. DIE. DIE. DIE. DIE. DIE. DIE. DIE. DIE. DIE. DIE.

I soon found myself mounted on something. The head was bashed inward. No... Calai! Did... Did I kill her again? No! How could I have done this!? Calai!!!

"Futura, we gotta go! The door's unstable!"

"But... Calai!"

"Futura!!!"

SURVIVE. IT IS NOT CALAI. IMPOSTER. SURVIVE. CALAI WANTS ME TO SURVIVE. SURVIVE.

I gasped for air as I realized I was lying back on something. Wait... Lying back on something? My eyes parted, seeing only a glass exterior. Apparently, I was moving out of the pod I was placed into. As I was coming out, the glass seemed to haze over. I could not see what was outside. Wait... It all comes back to me.

---

John stood aside and motioned for us to pass by. Ciello immediately clung onto my arm when I was about to pass by her. "I can't believe it's you! I heard so much about you from Ciel. She said that there was this awesome Caseal whom had this scary look on her face but was as kind as a singing Rappy."

"Ciel?"

"Oh. Right." She moved away from me with her arms behind her. "Umm... I guess she didn't say that she had a younger sister, huh?"

Younger? You two look the same! In fact, it is hard to distinguish an Organic from another. "How is your sister?" I asked.

"Oh. She died."

I shifted my attention to her in awe. "What happened?"

The Newman beside me shook her head. "She didn't really last long after she arrived on Pioneer 2. Jean didn't look good either. When I got to the hospital, her wound apparently reopened, but it was ultimately unrepairable. Apparently, if it were not the internal bleeding that would kill her, it would be her reaching the end of her life span." She looked forward, showing her woes on the matter. "You know how we Newmen have a variable lifespan, correct? Apparently, she was overdue for a month prior to her death. She was having flesh transplants almost weekly due to her body tending to want to rapidly decay for some reason, and Jean was there to help with money."

I looked away from her. "How was the burial rite?"

"There wasn't any."

Awestruck, I wanted to inquire more. I asked her what happened but it seemed she was not willing to answer any other questions. I glanced over to Calai, seeing that she was actively listening to her. Calai stepped over to Ciello's sister's left side and held her hand.

"What is your name?"

She gave a deep sigh--probably to vent--and finally said to Calai, "Violla." She gave a disheartened smile. "Our father was a musician and loved string instruments. It's rather funny, isn't it?"

"It sounds funny," Calai joked.

Violla laughed. "It sure does."

This part is usually when Calai takes control of the person of interest. She is usually good at interacting with depressed folks, mostly because of her enlightening attitude. As for me, I seem to lack that luster.

Ohgun stopped the group. "Well, here's where we register ourselves." He held his hand out to a tube that stood up to my shoulders. "All you have to do as CASTs is plug yourselves to this terminal. Apparently, we're all going to be hiding in a quarantine VR server dome. D-type factor will be flooding in at the same time and we're not expected to leave within twenty-five pioneer years."

"Twenty-five years, huh?" Calai asked. "That's quite a long time."

Violla then said, "It's because that's the expected time for reform. The thing is that all of the CASTs we have kept will be hiding. Those who're not CASTs and support repealing OPSS will stay behind and try to do what we can to have it undone by the time you all are ejected from the server."

"I see," Calai said, "That means you probably won't be around when we are safe and sound..."

Violla smiled in a melancholy manner. "I know. Newmans tend to not live very long..." She looked up to me. "But those who we're indebted to tend to stay with us." She came to me and held my hands. "Although I was not able to see Ciel very often after that one time, I'm thankful for your efforts in aiding her welfare. I will use you as an example of how great a CAST can be."

I bowed my head to think about Ciello, but later nodded for her to use me as an example. I have a clean record, and I am not even a combat CAST. Everything would work into her favor.

After Calai and I registered ourselves to the terminal, Ohgun showed us beyond some more doors. However, Violla stayed behind with John. I wonder if she can manage to repeal OPSS. It will be perfect. I really want to go home. I also hope we do not stay in the VR Server for twenty-five years. That is far too long. I have to return to Daddy.

"I forgot to ask," Ohgun said as he led Reiz, Calai, and me. "Do any of you have any objections?"

Calai raised her hand and wildly said, "I will go wherever Sis goes!"

I glanced at her, wondering if she felt embarassed doing what she did. Reiz remained quiet but fairly observant. As for me, I did not really have any complaints. I simply glanced at Ohgun, seeing that he was looking at us for any type of response. An awkward silence came among us as we passed through a long passageway. We saw Humans, Newmen, and CASTs all intermingling with smiles and laughter. It was interesting to see them this way. It made me forget that OPSS even existed. However, I grew wary when I thought about one of these people being a spy.

At the end of the hallway, a large door opened for us, unveiling a large dome. In fact, it was so large that it would make up the whole structure of the Central Dome. Most people were still operable, probably saying their farewells to each other. It had promise, but did I hear correctly that they are going to flood the dome with D-factor? I hope they have means of protection against it. After all, it was potent enough to corrupt Vol Opt. What kind of protection does the server have?

"Ohgun," Calai said. "D-type factor, right?"

He looked over to us. "Yes. This place will be flooded with it."

"You do know that the stuff was able to infect even non-organic substances, right?"

He paused for a moment. "Yes, we have precautions for it."

That did not appear reassuring whatsoever. Reiz moved her sights to the center of the dome, where a massive tube was placed. At the base of it, it contained computers, where numerous people in white coats were operating.

"I will stay," Reiz said to Ohgun.

"Oh," he said as he rubbed the back of his large head. "If you mean being one of the last ones heading into pods, you're going to have to talk to John about that." Reiz then turned away from us and headed for where we last met him. "That lady is just..."

"Loveable?" Calai said as she poked him with her elbow and a sneer.

Ohgun fell silent to Calai's remark and continued onward. "Apparently, we need some people to test out the server and check if breeches are possible."

Calai raised her hand. "I'm good at that stuff! Lemme at 'em!"

Ohgun rubbed the back of his head again. "Just go see those folks in white at the center, where the computers are. Let them know what you're--"

"Whee!!!" Calai was already running off when Ohgun told her where to go.

So, all that was left was me. I stared at Ohgun, waiting for him to make up another thing to do, but he simply stared at me. I scoffed and folded my arms, moving my sights, seeing Calai tackle over a scientist and raising her arm. Seriously, that Caseal...

"I'll try to find adjecent pods for you and Calai," Ohgun said.

I moved my sights to him. "You do not have to do that."

"No, it's just..." He rubbed the back of his head some more. Really, I am surprised his paint has not rubbed off there. "... it seems you're more at ease with her around."

I stared at him some more, seeing this his emitions were attempting to sway away from something. Well, he is not wrong about that. It was just hard to admit it. I found myself looking over to Calai again, seeing her give a massage to a scientist. Maybe he was the one she tackled over earlier. I do admit that Calai does provide excellent massages...

"Anyway," Ohgun said, "I gotta go do some more things. I'll show you to your pod some time later."

I moved my sights to Ohgun and nodded to him. He waved at me whereas I simply watched him walk away. He sure is busy. Makes me feel useless. After all, I am a civilian. I cannot do anything...

"Hey. Don't you be thinking that stuff again."

I turned to find Lucky talking to me. "Think of what?"

"'Oh, I am so useless' thing and stuff."

I turned away. "You are imagining things."

---

That was how events led to this situation. By the time my capsule was fully ejected, the haze started to clear. I closed my eyes, hoping for a better outcome of what will happen to me.

"Yahaha... Seems you're alive."

Huh? The woman? Before the haze could clear, a shadow flickered. That must mean the air outside the capsule is safe.

A male intercom voice said, "The hatch is now opening. Please, do not touch the door as it opens. We would like to preserve the capsule for future uses. Common symptoms are confusion, increased libido, vertigo, and nausea. If you feel anything different, please report to your nearest physician. CAST supremacy."

CAST supremacy... That was a key phrase that was like our motto in the dome before we were laid to sleep. CAST supremacy sounds like they are going to start a war against Organics. That was not what Violla was fighting for. She only wanted us to live together in harmony, which is more of what I am supporting this movement for.

y.

Spoiler!

I checked my memory, seeing that California's partition was idle. I sighed in relief and laid back in ease. I suppose that whole time in... uh... wait... where was I? I felt along my ear, where I inserted her micro chip. As I thought... If I did not install her into me, I would have lost the opportunity to recreate California. Now... how shall I continue from here? I suppose ejecting Calai from the pod next to me will be a place to start.

25.

Spoiler!

I checked my memory, seeing that all my records were kept. Maybe I should be able to remember everything that happened in the VR server. Upon trying to remember the events on my own, everything seemed to be a blur. Well, it was like that until the events with California. Wait... California! I felt my ear... Huh? No... I felt everywhere along my ear and especially in the capsule. It is missing! I should have installed her... Calai...! Calai! I have to check on her immediately!

After a while of waiting, the hatch opened. I found myself heading into...

I found a massive growth on the ceiling of the dome. It gave sounds as if it were a heartbeat and released an airborne contagion that became nullified shortly after being released. There had to be a way to undo the D-factor!

"Sis?"

I gasped. Sis? Someone called out "Sis"? And the voice was female. So... My processor started to override itself on junk applications. I looked to my right, finding Calai on her knees and her palms against the steel plate terrace we were on. I stepped closer to her, but she suddenly fell pronated. What is going on?

"No...! Don't... Don't come closer...!"

Something was definitely wrong. I scanned around and especially her capsule. Apparently, there was a breech in the glass and a tube was missing. It was like her capsule was sabotaged!

I stepped closer to Calai but found she was emitting distress signals. She was becoming faint was well. I need to do something quickly. Otherwise, the D-factor will take over!

"Fuckin' piece of...!" Calai struggled to raise herself onto her knees and used the rails as support. I tried to come to her aid but she held a hand out to stop me. She was panting rapidly. "I'm okay. I'm allocating power to ridding the D-factor. Just hold on. Just make sure nothing else happens, okay?"

"Are you sure you can handle it?"

She laughed. "You're making me sound like a martyr. Please, believe in me. I can take care of this easier if I know you're safe."

I wanted to help in any way I can. So... "I-I will hug you for a long time if you take care of it!"

"How about a kiss?"

"A kiss! Anything!"

She looked over to me and smiled. "I'll hold you to your word."

A waiting game... I really hate waiting. I guess I will sit here and...

... Huh. I have been recording? Well, I will investigate the dome while I wait.

--END RECORDING--
LOCATION: RAGOL
SCENE: UNDERGROUND RESIDENTIAL DISTRICT NEAR MINES

[ARChan]

--RECORD 143--

25.

Spoiler!

Upon inspecting my data, it seemed there were numerous memories that could have been discarded and still understand what happened in the VR server. In all actuality, it was not worth saving in comparison to sacrificing my opportunity to save California from that realm. Most of the memories were painful ones; extremely pitiful. However, at least I know Calai better. I am better knowing that I am the third child made by Daddy and knowing that California has existed. The truth may hurt, but it is there for a reason. I must learn from these mistakes, whether they are mine or someone else's. I understand that Calai is always prioritizing me above all things. Whatever she does, she does it because it is to better me. I must not lose sight of that.

I was on the ground level where the computers were placed. Upon inspection, it seemed that we had only lived in the VR server for a day, or two years VR time. We were expected to live in the VR server for twenty-five pioneer years. How is that even possible? Either that or we were expected to be ejected before the time even expired. As for the VR server, it had enough cooling supplies to prevent wear, and it had automated repairs in the event of something happening to the server itself. If I am calculating the lifespan of this server, it could live for the whole duration, in the event of everyone here being abandoned along with the planet. Maybe that was the alternate plan.

y.

Spoiler!

As I was tinkering with the computers at the ground level, I was discovering that my movements were a little more refined. It also felt like a lot of weight is released and that I could run throughout Pioneer 2 without fail. It must be California's data. Incorporating her data into mine must have fine-tuned my actions. As for California...

"Hey, doesn't it seem like we are in a dome of pods?"

"Yes, we are, California."

She keeps asking questions about everything. It is starting to become annoying. It was already bad having Calai around. To have another stuck in my head is overwhelming. I cannot process anything effectively due to her talking constantly! Just be quiet for once!

As I was accessing the computers designated for the server, I took glances around me. It appeared that the only infection was the one that happened to the ceiling of the dome. That was reassuring, considering that we were careful about sanitizing the perimeter. The site of the infection... I suppose there were germs we could not sanitize or the germ infection came from outside. Staring at it was fascinating. It was like the skin was continuously dying and recreated at a rapid pace and the skin was peeling back layer after emerging layer. What if it fell from there? The splash would be devastating!

25.

Spoiler!

Now that I think about it, John said that CASTs were sent back into reality the moment they die in the VR server. That sounded as if they were sending some back to check on the server in reality. He also made it sound like not a single CAST made it back into the server after dying. If that were the case, where are the bodies? Maybe the infection site contains the bodies.

Some time passed by as I was simply analyzing the data commands and operations of the VR server. It was interesting to know that most of the CASTs were actually being in harmony with the avatars created by the VR server, or what they were considering as the Organics. It was most reassuring to know that there is hope of harmony among us all. I looked up and took short glances at every single pod that made the walls of the dome. I could not help but smile.

A footstep...? I armed a Handgun and aimed at the intruder, saying in a demanding manner, "Who goes there?" I can never be too careful.

I saw that the footstep was actually people at the tunnel to the main district of the mines. The door had only a wide, narrow slit to look through. It was interesting. How did they find this location? If not found this location, how did they become locked outside? The situation was baffling. I turned my back to them and continued tinkering with the computers.

"Warning," a male intercom voice announced. "Photon camoflauge cannot withstand number of activity. Deactivating."

A loud hiss came from the door which blocked the intruders. That was not reassuring. I looked up to Calai, seeing that she was still down. I had to draw attention away from her while she was undoing the infection. Also, I had to keep the fight away from the VR server's main computer and generators. Too many things to worry about! I must fight my way through the large crowd and draw their attention away from the dome somehow!

25.

Spoiler!

I checked my inventory but soon discovered that I was ill prepared for such a confrontation as this. I... I do not know what to do! Calai...! Please, get well soon. I do not know if I can do this alone!

NO... I AM THE CATALYST. I AM THE CHOSEN ONE. YES... I TOOK ITS POWER. MY ARMS... I DO NOT NEED THEM. I NEED WEAPONS--STRONG, LETHAL WEAPONS.

MY RIGHT ARM... IT WILL BE MY BLADE. MAKE IT FILLED WITH PHOTONS; ENOUGH TO REND THROUGH EVEN THE STRONGEST OF ARMOR WITH EASE. IT WILL BE THE BANE OF THOSE WHO DARE COME TO ME BLINDLY. I WILL CREATE FEAR AND DECIMATE MY OPPONENTS.

MY LEFT ARM... IT WILL BE MY SHIELD. MAKE IT MY LIFELINE AND THE WILL OF THIS SOUL. I WILL DEFEND THOSE I WILL PROTECT. NOT A SINGLE SOUL, METAL, NOR PHOTON WILL PASS. I AM THE BARRIER THAT WILL NOT SHATTER.

MY BODY... IT WILL BE MY WINGS. MAKE IT BLEED FOR THOSE WHO SUFFERED AND HAVE YET TO SUFFER. GRANT MY AGILITY WITHOUT HESITATION. MY LEGS WILL CARRY ME WHERE I WILL, AND I INTEND VICTORY. I WILL EMERGE VICTORIOUS OVER THE MANY.

DARK FALZ IS HERE!!!

My head... It is so hot! What is happening!?

My right arm...! It contorted and split into two sharp prongs. I could sense a massive void from it. The two prongs were sharp blades. A simple touch to the metallic floor etched a mark.

My left arm too!? It swelled into a bulb and bloomed into numerous extensions that appeared to be numerous tentacles--too many to count! The tentacles were moving so swiftly that each only left a blur.

My... My legs! Where did they...? Aghh!!! Something... Something is tearing at my spine! What...? What is happening to me!?

"It is okay. You and I will be together. Use my power to stop your foes."

Who...? Who's there? Show yourself! No one...? Show yourself, please! I... I don't know how to...!

"Use it as how you want to stop them. Believe that you will stop them, and you will. There is not much time left for an explanation. Here they come."

What? Stop giving me--!

An explosion shook the dome. Oh no! The door! No...! What about that growth on the ceiling!? I looked up to find it dangling on the last bit of flesh it had. Then, it came falling! I have to stop it! STOP IT!!!

My left side whipped out and snatched the growth midair. Then, I whipped it out toward where the door was, bowling over quite a large number of the strike force. It appeared they knew about the D-factor in the dome and stormed with armor slots known as Resist/Poison. This allowed them able to survive in most infestation conditions, though I doubt direct contact with a growth will be nullified.

All of the creatures down below... They stared at me in awe. What are they seeing? Am I... GOD!?

I whipped out my right arm and out fired a large, concentrated beam what swept across the foes before me. All that was left was... Well... if you were to call nothing something. Ha... Ha ha...! What are they doing!? They keep shooting me and even casting TECHNICs on me! Nothing! My silver sheen will not be bested by the likes of you all!

Ha ha... A ha ha ha! NONE OF YOU CAN STOP ME!!! DIE, DIE, DIE!!!

"Sis! Stop it!"

C-CA... CALAI...

"Sis! They're retreating! Stop it already!"

CALAI... PLEASE, LET ME BE YOUR SAVIOR JUST THIS ONCE. ALLOW ME TO ANNIHILATE EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THEM!

"No! STOP!!!"

CALAI! WHAT... WHAT ARE YOU DOING? WHY WILL YOU DEFEND THAT... CAST? WHAT...? What HAve I been doiNG? No... I... My rIght arm...! Get AWay, CaLAI! YoUr arm...! My momentum was too much! The tentacles of my left arm seized my right and tore it off.

I screamed as I collided with the wall.

I had no legs as I laid myself on the floor. Calai... help me, please! I am not a monster. I only wanted to protect you! Please! Stop looking at me that way! CALAI! I DON'T wANT You to SEe me liKe thIS. Blood...? My blood... Cyanic blue... It is like I am those flowers in that realm. Calai... I...

"I aM SoRRY."

--INSUFFICIENT ENERGY--

--ATTEMPTING TO SAVE NECESSARY SYSTEMS--

--WARNING--

--EXTREME TEMPERATURE--

--WARNING--

--WARNING--

y.

Spoiler!

I checked my inventory... Huh? I don't remember something like... What's this? My voice's a bit wonky. Wonky? Since when's wonky part of my diction?

"Lemme take care of this, a'ight?"

Huh? I said that. But... California, you're taking over, right?

"Yup. Don't worry. I know how to control Dark Falz. I just need you to believe in me."

What? But... Does that mean you had his power before?

"Yeah. Kinda figured out that I was using his power at last minute, but it wasn't enough to save my guts." We looked up to Calai. "This time, I'll make it right."

We took our time to step in front of the large door. It appears they're setting explosives on the opposite side. Shouldn't we move?

"Nah. We gotta greet our guests with honor and charisma, right?"

That's what Daddy said to me when he was describing how to greet someone at home. How... How I miss him.

"Hey, focus, Futura. I need you to focus on me."

I know. I just want to think about Daddy a little.

"Yeah... I miss him, too. We'll head back and give him a great, big hug once all this's over, a'ight?" We poised upright and crasped our hands before our thorax.

An explosion quaked the dome. We did not move an inch as rubble and debris blew past us. In stormed numerous hunters with a unit known as Resist/Poison equipped to their armor slot. Seemed they knew what they're up against. We allowed approximately twelve of them to surround us with honor and a smile.

"How may I help you?" we asked blindly to the group.

The leader, who was a HUmar, came forward in front of us and said, "We're taking over this encampment. You will come with us quietly, or we will show force."

We cleared our throat. "Well, pirates don't deserve a lot, really." We looked up. "Hmm... Maybe you all might want to consider that thing?"

The growth... It was hanging on the very last bit of flesh it had connected to the ceiling! Is this why we were placed where we stand? But if we stand here...! It's... It's falling! Everyone began running their separate ways to stay clear of the impending splash. Even though they had Resist/Poison, it can handle so much pathogenic invasion.

"Believe in me."

I do. That is why we will liberate this dome. Suddenly, in a blink of an eye, we appeared in the tunnel that most of the force remained in. We were behind them. In our hands, a legendary Mechgun-type weapon set from the Justice Corp. appeared. The H&S25 Justice... This was one of the weapons that I saw earlier when I was checking my inventory. This specific type of mechgun brand was known for its practically infinite firing rate due to it being able to almost never overheat. In fact, it has a tendency to freeze enemies.

With a cocky spin of the pistols, we then aimed these mechguns at the large group before us and opened fire without mercy. Each shot froze a target, one after the other. We walked toward them with a proper smile of a maid and our pistols twirling around our fingers. Once they were close, we planted our hands on the floor and gave a dizzying spin! Groups of opponents found themselves sucked into a vacuum by the propellar kick and kicked aside with such a force that made them soar through the air.

The remaining forces were smart enough to back away. So, we pushed off the ground toward them and fired everywhere around us as we flipped and spun. It was a relentless hail storm of freezing photon bolts! We landed with a 1080-degree spin before we managed to stop ourselves. The only thing hot was our feet for skidding against the metallic surface.

We were down in a low crawling stance, like we were a quadruped about to pounce onto its prey. Our smile... It was anything but proper. In fact, it distilled fear into the remaining forces. It's the elite force that leaded the charge that remained, really. We got this far without hurting anyone too bad, I suppose. In fact, all my fear and doubt vanished. I felt safe being with California.

"W-what are you!?" the leader yelped as he retreated behind his remaining forces.

We stood up to our feet and flicked our hair aside. "How about you scurry on home instead of trying to fight me?" We then had our hands on our hips with the H&S25 Justice still in our hands. "I'm sure you all would like an explanation, but there are times when such things should be left in the dark, don't you agree?" We let out a chuckle.

Suddenly, arms came around the leader and seized him from his neck. Several shots were unleashed toward his head with a Railgun to overload the armor.

"There are two of us," Calai said in almost the same fashion as us. "Do take your time in deciding what happens to this man. We will show mercy if you all leave now."

Without hesitation, the leader screamed. Calai released him and he went running like a cowardly Rappy, crashing and bumping into anything that stood in his straight line. The elites glanced at us and then ran by us to retrieve everyone in their retreat. We stood at the doorway with our hands still on our hips as all of our opponents retreated. It took them approximately two minutes for all of them to evacuate the premises. Afterwards, we welcomed the silence.

... There were CASTs among them?

"California?"

We turned to the Caseal behind us. It's odd for me to see Calai so... uh... feminine.

"Sis. I'm so glad... We... "

Calai threw herself onto us. "California...! I... I missed you so much! It was not all a dream, after all!"

Of course. Calai would cry for California. Calai loves California and California loves Calai. Of course. I probably should just...

--INSUFFICIENT ENERGY--

--ATTEMPTING TO SAVE NECESSARY SYSTEMS--

--WARNING--

--EXTREME TEMPERATURE--

--WARNING--

--WARNING--

... DISAPPEAR.

[ARChan]

For those who went the #25 route. A spoiler for those who went the #y route.

Spoiler!

Urgh... the #y route made me draw how I think the mutation looks like, just so I could get a solid picture into my head. I'm not really confident in my drawing ability, but I think I'll post it here when I got it done.