Andromeda

"The military of Japan had been in decline for the last decade following the last machine war. It was due to the hastily made end that was brought to the war that led to the reduction in the military strength. Since the pressure from the US was lifted in the lead up to the first machine war Japan had been able to increase their strength. However, it left them with little use in the war until the end leaving them to internal security.

"In the between time of the war Japan had been able to bring back the strength of their military that had been oppressed for more than a century. While all of the military leaders of the old era were gone now it left the small military that they were allowed boiling. Once the government gave them the budget to increase their numbers the military rapidly expanded beyond what they could manage finding leadership lacking throughout all branches.

"All of the main leadership was tied into the government seeking ways to continue to expand their now bloated military force. The generals pushed their way into positions to further their agenda while the military fell apart leading to mass disorder soon followed by the second machine war.

"It was a disorganized and poorly trained force that lead to the defeat and death of many Japanese men. The self-inflicted tragedies the public saw made them turn away. The government was losing its support and world opinion of the machines was seen as a poor minority that was suffering oppression from the bullies of the world. Support from home collapsed in the end of the war and a change in administration that was more interested in peace and internal growth took over in Japan. Japan quickly pulled out of the war in the last days and began the decade long process of allowing the military to atrophy.

"This weakened state has left the military leaders who had been in powerful positions before the war seeking different avenues to get their strength back. Those avenues led to black projects and secrets behind the government to ensure that they would return to power. The return of the machines has revived the fighting spirit in public forcing the government to change their policies. The once again poorly built military is too small to fight in the war and few soldiers are joining the united forces. The efforts of the military are being focused internally to maintain order while those cast out of their place are making a return.

"While history repeats itself again there are those that are seeking to change history…"

Flesh is for Gods – Episode 6 – Blood of Hope

"Stay away from me! Don't come any closer!" Satoru shouted to those that were approaching near to him. He could see it, the malice in their eyes and painted across their faces. 'Their faces…they don't look human anymore…' It was difficult to miss as though they had been taken over by something else only following orders. He knew that was not true, it was fear that was controlling them. However, knowing that did not change his situation any.

The one in the business suit strangely enough seemed to be one in charge as he approached out of the crowd. He was holding a long thick rusting metal pipe, not one of the modern thin ones used anymore. If he got hit by it there would be more than just a bruise left behind.

One of the street punks that almost seemed to be tagging along with the others stepped forward. He placed his dirty hand on the businessman's shoulder grabbing his attention as a sly smirk grew across his face. Satoru could see a knife in the kid's hand along with real sharpened metal spikes wrapped around the back of his hand. The ones on his hand were different from the ones that seemed more like decoration else where on his person, these were meant for pain. "Sounds like a machine to me. What you think?"

"Yes, the more they try to pretend to be us they more they expose themselves to be fakes," the businessman said with a soft grin. They were not approaching Satoru any further, but the hatred that was boiling off them made his legs tense up even more. The friendliness between the two contrasted so creepily that it made Satoru's spine tingle.

"I'm not a machine!" Satoru said trying to convince them that he was human like they were. He did not know what else to do in a situation like this. His reasons were empty and without emphasis. In the past he had known terrible things like this had happened in the last war, but he had been protected. 'They aren't going to see reason. I need to run.' His legs could not budge though it was the fear. He knew that he was going to die, but it was freezing him rather than given him flight.

"We've heard that many times," the other punk said stepping around the two bringing himself closer still to Satoru. A chain in his hand slipped out a little to emphasis his presence. The metal linked chain was wrapped around his hand and draped over his shoulder and chest. It was the ends in a loose loop in his palms that were rattling over the cement.

"Yeah, you machines are all alike," the first punk said joining his partner or friend. It was hard to determine how each of these individuals knew each other. In a normal reality none of them would be associated with the other. "All of you are trying to steal our lives from us!"

"You can't be serious…why would they want be human?" Satoru said trying to defend himself to them. He could see how blinded that they were by their hate that they were never going to see reason. However, even still he had to try to buy himself time until he could attempt to escape. If he kept them talking something might happen, he hoped, that would free him from this trap. It seemed like a futile wish, but if it worked it would mean living and that was all that was important no matter how futile it was.

"For the same reason anyone does," the businessman said approaching Satoru one step closer. He started to take control of the conversation again seeing that the punks would not be able to carry on the debate that Satoru was putting forward. "The have-nots want what the haves have."

Satoru wanted to turn away and run while it seemed that there was a break in their unity. However, he legs were still protesting too frozen to move from the ground that they had become accustom. "But you're assuming that they have the same desires as us!" Satoru could not believe that they would think that the machines needed what everyone else had. The machines did not have the same needs as humans, they were made to be above the desires of greed and jealousy. It would be against what they were originally made for to just simply become a replacement of humans in every way.

"They are pretending to be humans, what more proof you need that they want to be us!" the punk that was cut off said not wanting to be left out of the conversation. The others were joining up behind him gathering closer. Each volley made them inch a little closer to Satoru.

"We made them in our image!" Satoru said trying to point out the obvious to them. The machines did not make themselves human, it was the scientists that did that.

"No! You are trying to take our lives!" the middle-aged woman said her eyes betraying her emotions. The statement made Satoru nearly fall backwards. It was clearly directed at him with such venomous hatred that he had never felt before. He knew that they thought he was a machine and hated them, but it was never so precisely aimed at him until now. "You want what we have, our land, our food and our homes! It is so clear. And clear that you are one of them!"

"But I'm not, can't you see that?" Satoru was running out of time as they moved another step closer. The crying rants of the woman was quickly losing any ground that Satoru had in holding them back. The dull expanding feeling of desperation was rising through him again seeing his death approaching. 'Run! Run! I-I can't move…why aren't my legs moving.' Satoru's fists pounded on his sides as his eyes darted around the dark street feeling the sweat start to drip down his face.

"Enough stalling, time to see what you spill!" the second punk said tired of the prolonged dialogue. He started to spin his chain around quickly the whirling crawled through the air creating a void for Satoru's strength to be pulled towards. The first punk agreed with him tightening his grip on the handle of the long knife allowing it to catch the moonlight revealing its clean and polished appearance, as though great care was taken in its maintenance. The middle-aged woman followed suit and surprisingly drew a small handgun. The fifth mysterious member, a young man of college age, was hanging back watching the others.

Satoru leaned back on his stubborn legs holding his arms out trying to wave them back knowing that it was going to fail. "Please, you don't-"

"Don't move and this will be over QUICKLY!" the businessman said coming in with his pipe swinging at Satoru.

The pipe came across Satoru, but he finally found his legs and fell backwards on his own weight in time to avoid being bludgeoned. 'They really are going to kill me!' Satoru's entire body was trembling as he saw the bloody stare of the businessman standing over him. His legs scrapped against the ground trying to get him moving feeling the paralyzing fear encompass him further. 'Run! Now!'

"You're just delaying it," one of the punks said slowly approaching to join the businessman that got in an early swing. The businessman looked at the others motioning them into direction having them surround Satoru to prevent him from escaping. The way that they were operating made it apparent that this was not the first time. Satoru was not certain before from their talk, as talk could have just been talk, but now he was positive. "This won't hurt you machine!"

"Stop this, its madness!" Satoru shouted pleading to them for the nightmare to end. It was then that he finally felt his legs for the first time. The ground found traction and he was thrown up from the hard cold cement to avoid another swing of the pipe. "I'm not a machine!" His words were falling on deaf ears, but he hoped that it might change things anyway as he ran away from them.

"We've heard it all before, machine!"

"You can't escape, machine! Only the guilty run." The middle-aged woman appeared in front of him blocking his path with the gun aimed straight in his face. Satoru had barely the time to stop before he would have fell on top of her. He quickly backed up looking around at them closing in on him with the street growing smaller each moment.

'Morons, even the innocent run when fearing for their life.' Satoru saw a gap in the buildings just in reach of the oncoming shadows and took his chance. The buildings were only a few floors high and had plenty of room in the alley for Satoru. In spite of its dark foreboding atmosphere it seemed far more welcoming then where he had been.

"Where you think you are running, machine?" the second punk said showing up as a looming shadow in the exit of the alley. The light at the end that had been imagined freeing him was dimming away from his eyes. The young kid was swinging around the chain furthering the length making it slam against the cement. Long painfully drawn out scraps and clawing of the chain rolling over the bricks of the building towards Satoru weakening his body's resolve again.

"No where to run now. Your imitation of fear is quite good, machine. They're making them better these days." The chain of the kid's was inching closer to him as he walked forward into the darkness to join Satoru. Satoru stepped backwards cautiously looking around seeing that his other exit, the way he came, was blocked as well.

'Cornered…my fear is real idiots.' Satoru pulled in his lower lip biting trying to figure out how long of his life was left. He had no escape anymore with them covering both sides of the alley. All he could hope was that they might see he was actually a human being before they killed him. However, there was a slim chance of that happening from the feelings he was getting off of them.

"Now come here and take what's coming to you!"

'Can't get out of the way…' The knife from the first punk came at him wide almost missing him completely, but the near miss was enough to draw blood. Satoru could feel the air pouring in against his wound as blood slowly dripped down his shoulder. The cloth around his cut slowly began to absorb up the blood spreading through quickly to expand the red glow.

"You missed him," the second punk said breaking his rhythm in swinging the chain around.

"I can see that!"

The moment of argument and wide swing left him with an opening to trying to break through. He ran for the freedom as hard as his legs could, but the businessman was quick to grab him by his shirt and throw him backwards against the ground. Satoru's back painfully slammed against the cement knocking the wind out of him.

It was the middle-aged woman that tried to bring some sanity into the fight for which was otherwise a foreign concept. "Look he is bleeding," she said pointing to Satoru with her gun hand. It was still unnerving seeing the gun pointed at him even though it looked that for the moment he was not being threatened by it.

"Doesn't mean anything, they could just have red oil in them," the first punk said waving his arm widely as though to cut her words down before sanity had a chance to spread. He did not want the infection to spread any further. "Need to go deeper." The kid glared at Satoru with deep malice that eclipsed everything that he had seen thus far from them.

"But what if he isn't."

"We won't know until we try."

"That's right, doesn't mean anything," she said nodding in agreement with them. Her moment of wavering was over. The minor stall in their plans was adverted and left them all facing Satoru once again.

"Exactly!" The second punk resumed spinning his chain at the speed it had been before. This time he was close enough that Satoru could feel the air that was being created from the moving metal. It was a taste of his approaching peril.

Satoru was dumbfounded by the single-mindedness. 'They're insane! They're blinded completely by their desire to find machines in each corner of the world to satisfy their paranoia.' There was a moment of sanity for them to see things clearly, but they just smashed it to pieces. Satoru felt the fear multiplying in his veins making his blood run cold. The sweat pouring down his face went by unnoticed as the gang of people drew in for the kill.

As they moved closed to him Satoru tried to stand up hoping that he could find a way out. The pipe came swinging at him this time missing him, but not without being followed up by the chain from the punk. The mass of metal slapped him across the face knocking him to the ground again and spraying blood over the businessman's suit.

"One more and we'll see what you are machine!" The businessman raised the pipe high over his head letting the faint streetlight dimly glow at the tip. Everyone else stood around waiting for the blow to connect preventing an escape for Satoru.

Satoru closed his eyes at the inevitability that stood before him with dark eyes. He could not look anymore feeling the panic shaking through his bones at the coming pain he was going to feel. Any amount of hope that he had for escape was stamped out by the legs of the people standing around him. 'I don't believe it. After all of this, nearly dying in a bombing and machines attacking everywhere it is going to be paranoid humans that kill me. This can't be how it ends…'

"Satoru!" a voice in the distance shouted with a familiar tone. It was enough to delay things for Satoru as everyone turned to see who was calling out.

Satoru did not want to move for fear of drawing attention back to him. 'That voice…I know that voice…' He wanted to feel hope again for life, but feared this was only going to be a momentary pause. Whoever it was that was calling him would be targeted now and he would be faced with seeing their death before his own. The thought filled him with despair deeper than before.

"Someone you know, a conspirator with you, huh?" the businessman said walking towards the figure that was standing in the open street. The others were quick to follow around marching towards the bold figure.

'Who is it?' Satoru tried to think whom it was that had found him. He was afraid to find out who it was knowing what trouble that they had walked in to. His eyes would not open for him his curiosity was not enough to overpower his fear and despair that was enveloping him rapidly.

"Now they got them in slim bodies like that. Trying to prey on our vanity."

"Let's get her too," the punk said as they came ever closer. The chain was spinning quickly again scraping against the ground.

"Satoru!" the voice said again to him.

His fear could not hold him back anymore. He quickly rose up from the street to look through the mass that was making its way to Asami. "Asami, run!" Satoru could barely believe it, but he knew that she could not stay. She would not stand a chance against them. "They'll kill you!"

"Satoru, are you alright?" she shouted back to him as though not even afraid of the threat that she faced. All that Satoru could see was worry across her face. Satoru was left a little confused, but the threat she faced over rode his thoughts.

"Run, Asami! Run!" He wanted to run for her and take her away, but his head suddenly felt dizzy. The world spun in his vision and Asami lost focus. His legs buckled bringing him to the street again unable to make an attempt for Asami.

"You know he's right," the punk with the knife said grinning. There was sinister intent in his eyes as though he was taking more pleasure in the attack that would soon follow.

"We'll break every gear in your body!" the other punk said following beside the one with the knife. He made sure to let the chain slip out of his hands a moment to let it crash against the street near her feet.

The businessman had the other two move around wide to close in the circle that they formed around Asami. She was quickly left with no chances to escape. "No where to run."

Asami had been standing defiantly in her spot as they surrounded her without challenge. Even the chain that nearly hit her leg was not enough to make her move. She had been motionless since she knew that Satoru was safe. "I don't need to run from you." Her eyes narrowed suddenly revealing a serious nature behind her previous innocent appearance.

"Got a tough one here. Come in all sorts don't they. Get her!"

The two punks move in first at Asami, but she effortlessly dodged their strikes. As the two passed by her she swung her arm around knocking them to the ground. The college student and businessman charged in afterwards swinging wildly at her. Her body continued to rotate from the previous attack letting her leg come up around into the side of the student sending to the street as well. The businessman swung his final time with the pipe against her forcing Asami to raise her arm up to block. The metal pipe met her arm with a pale thud that shocked the man. She did not waste time grabbing the pipe with her hand and kicked him aside as well. Asami threw the pipe behind her at the middle-aged woman that was about to fire her gun. It knocked the gun out of the woman's hand leaving her to tend her bruised hand.

"She's strong, stronger than she looks," the punk said pulling himself up off the street with a surprised expression. The defiant look that Asami had was now painted across his face seeing her superior confident look that he once held.

The businessman stood back up ignoring the trail of blood that was dripping from his cut lip. He glared at her knowing that she was not like the others that they had bullied. "She's just a machine, we can still win!" His call to the others pulled them together once more. They were bruised and bleeding, but determined not to lose. There was not fear yet in their eyes as Asami stared them all down calmly.

"You can't win…" she said monitoring their movements as they began to circle her once more. Asami waited until they came at her to make her move. There was a change in her expression from last time. Her eyes had been focused, but she was still just being protective. However, this time her eyes narrowed to a serious tone with almost emotionless ruthlessness. It was clear that she meant to end things.

The moment the punk first step fell Asami leapt into action sprinting towards him closing the small gap too quickly for him to react. Her fist dug into his stomach forcing all of the air out of his lungs and sending him to the hard street an instant later. She rotated on her foot from the dash bringing her in line with the next one, the college-age student. There was almost no speed that had been wasted by her as she planted her right foot deep in his stomach. The student met the same quick fate as the punk.

The other three soon followed behind them as Asami laid them all out with a single decisive blow each. When she had finished with the last one she stood back up exhaling and returned to her normal stature. Asami immediately spun around on one foot to rush to Satoru with her recalling him falling over.

She knelt down to the ground when she reached him bringing her eyes to meet his. Her heart stopped for a moment, but she pushed through trying to focus on him. "Satoru! You're shoulder, you're bleeding. Did they break anything?" Her hand lightly wrapped around his lower shoulder incase it was sensitive to touch. The stoic expression she had before was melting away revealing worry.

Satoru had not budged from his spot that he had collapsed. He was not sure what had happened and it was all so quick that it was still taking time to catch up to him. All he could do was hang his mouth open in disbelief that the frail looking woman that he knew had taken down five people without the slightest amount of effort. The first reaction he had was so instinctual that he did not even counter the thought. "Asami…a-are they…"

"No…" Asami turned her head slightly breaking eye contact with Satoru. She knew what he was thinking without needing for him to finish. She had been careful not to apply lethal force.

A part of him was chastising him for worrying about those that had been trying to kill him. He tried not to focus on it as more important questions soon came to mind with the events that transpired slowly catching up to the reality that he was sitting in. "How did you…" The images of Asami brief fight with his attackers replayed through his mind. "…you stopped that metal pipe with just your arm." It was the moment that she had blocked the pipe that froze in his thoughts. There might have not been enough forced to brake her arm, but she was not phased by it at all. He remembered clearly that she did not even flinch in pain. So many thoughts and questions quickly bubbled up overloading him. "Who are you?"

Asami's face cracked a little, but she looked at him quickly and tried to change the focus. "Satoru…you need to be looked at." The injury did not appear to be serious, but if it was enough to get Satoru moving that was all that mattered.

Satoru raised his hand up grabbing on to Asami's arm that was moving to lift Satoru up. He gripped her arm tightly trying to get her attention to what was more important. "Asami, please! Tell me, what is going on?" The wound to his shoulder was not even hurting him anymore with his thoughts brought to something other than his mortality. He knew that it was not enough to kill him; it was enough for now to allow his mind to forget the pain.

His hand was wrapped around her arm. She could feel the pressure that he was applying and the look in his eyes. Her mask shattered a little more as she blinked her eyes trying to recover her posture. The look that he was giving her was striking through her without any resistance. "I-I…Satoru, please let me take you out of here. You'll be safer." She tried to maintain her weakening resolve, but Satoru was not being detoured.

"Asami!" Satoru said pleading with her not willing to let her arm go. He could see that she wanted to run away, but he could not let that happen. There were too many unanswered questions he had for her. He had been searching for so long for her knowing that it was a futile effort. She was here now and he was not going to let the moment leave without having some answers. If she ran away again he may never see her this time.

"I-I can't do this…don't make me, Satoru," Asami said with tears starting to form under her eyes. "Please, I beg of you." The torrent of emotions spinning around in her was slowing taking its toll on her. She was restraining herself back with what she had left, but it was not going to last long.

"Asami…" He began to hesitate seeing the reaction that he was causing in Asami. Satoru did not know what would be causing her such pain, but he felt so clueless right now. She was keeping things from him that was making her act in a manner that was conflicting with him. He needed to know what secret that she had that meant they could not be together. "…please, I need to know."

"I can't…its too painful…" Asami fought between the vying thoughts and emotions inside her. She felt like her body was breaking down. The strength that she had was being sapped away from her leaving her helpless and weak. Each thought hammered on her heart more cracking her piece by piece. 'But he probably already knows,' her thoughts said countering her drive to hold fast. She wanted to give in, but what would happen. 'I have to tell him. No, you can't tell him.' Asami fought against the thought believing, knowing, that this had to be the way. She could not have it any other way. It was not for her. 'He should know. But he already knows.' Her resolve was broken to dust along the street. "Let me take you out of here and I'll answer your questions."

"Alright…" Satoru was willing to compromise if it meant that he would finally understand what was going on. He let go of Asami's arm quickly retracting it back to the ground feeling terrible that he had acted so rudely to her. The sudden change in emotions made him turn away for a moment even though he was fighting against it so not to change Asami's mind.

Asami helped Satoru up off of the ground. She pulled his arm over the back of her shoulder helping him walk away. 'What do I say to him?' It felt a little strange for her to be carrying Satoru, almost, out of the area. 'How do I tell him?' They slowly put distance between the unconscious rabid people and themselves. 'If he already knows it's easier, but it's not easy.' The walk seemed to be drawn out as though each step required the lifting of the ground itself just to move another inch forward. 'How can I do this?' Asami paused for a moment to help Satoru back up and give her shoulder a moment of rest. 'I shouldn't be doing this.' The weight from Satoru had become part of her, but she still had something else that she was dragging chained to her ankles. 'If I do this there is no going back for me.'

"What am I doing?" Asami walked through the halls of the office that she was working in as a temporary replacement secretary. The matter of Satoru was continuing to weigh in her mind. She could not believe that she had just run away from him. Every night when she tried to think all she could hear was Satoru calling to her. 'Can I keep hiding from him? Why am I still feeling like this?' It did not matter how much she tried to get him out of her thoughts he would keep returning. She had never felt like that, it made her scared. The feelings that she was experiencing were making her doubt herself. The confusion played with her mind leaving her with the only option to run away. 'It won't leave me…I can't…'

"What are you doing?" a voice from behind said.

Asami had thought that there was no one else in the building at this hour. She was planning on leaving soon herself. "Huh!" She quickly turned her head to see who it was that come up behind her. "Oh, General Oshiro, sir! Excuse me, I didn't mean to be talking out loud." The General was the last person that she had expected to meet in the halls. She had thought she had seen him leaving hours ago.

"You didn't answer the question, Ichihana." The man's expression was unchanged from the serious business-only face that he was wearing. Asami stepped back becoming off balanced in his presence.

"I'm sorry, sir," she said quickly bowing to him.

"What is bothering you, your mission?"

"W-well I, uh, no, but…" Asami pulled herself back up holding a pause in her words. She had to be careful what she told the man knowing what it could mean. 'I can't tell him. I'd be punished for this or even worse…I don't want to lose him…but I can't go against them…' There had to be something said soon Asami knew, but the images of Satoru were making her falter.

"What are you hiding? Has something happened with the target?"

"W-well..." She wanted to collapse to the floor with the weight that she was feeling on top of her. There was nothing she could do to avoid it; she had already made herself suspicious. 'He suspects something already. He's not going to be satisfied until I tell him something. But what do I tell him?' Her mind worked quickly to come up with something that would try to rationally explain her actions and still be truthful without revealing the truth. "He's not going into work anymore. He might have quit or been fired."

"He was unstable to begin with, I suppose. Nothing left to be gained from him. There's no more reason for you to be seeing him anymore so terminate the relationship and clean up whatever loose ends remain. You know what to do."

"Y-yes, sir." The General walked away quietly dismissing her and leaving her with an increasingly heavy weight. Asami knew that she had to find Satoru quickly. The thought of seeing Satoru made her heart jump forcing her to fight the rising excitement that she was feeling.

'Satoru…what am I supposed to do?' She had the orders from the General, but there were her own feelings. The obvious answer was in front of her, but she could not simply follow orders. Asami hesitated in thought stopping their walk.

Satoru looked over to Asami uncertain why she had stopped. When he scanned the area he realized that they were back in a safer part of the city. He had wanted to stand on his own, but Asami was still holding his arm, though he did not mind the touch of her warmth. Satoru pulled himself back to focus on the answers that he needed. "We're here…Asami?"

"Oh…yeah…its time…" Asami's voice had trailed off distracted as though she had forgotten the reason for Satoru stopping her. However, she could see that Satoru wanted to stand on his own and carefully released his arm. She helped Satoru back to standing on his own even though he had the look of it being embarrassing and unnecessary.

"Yeah…what's going on, Asami?" Satoru said pushing the subject quickly even though he knew that he should not be acting in such a forceful manner. His legs were still feeling a little shaky from the beating that he took setting himself against the lamp pole for a brace. "What can't you tell me?"

"Satoru, I-I…" Asami said trying to find somewhere to begin. She knew that even starting at the beginning was not going to make the dilemma any easier on her. Each moment her legs had the compulsion to run away. She did not know what was keeping her from fleeing again. 'I can't do this…I can't tell him…its too hard…' The conflicting views in her mind were spinning her in circles. This feeling she was having continued to grow stronger. '…you must…it'd just be easier to…' She wanted to agree with the voice knowing that was what she wanted, but doubt continued to tie her. '…no, you can't…'

The struggle that she was going through made Satoru pull back a little. If this was so hard for her he had to give her the room and time to prepare. "Asami, please…just take your time."

"What I have to tell you is not easy…Satoru, I-I'm a…" She was stalling and she knew it. There was no effort made to hide it anymore. Satoru knew too well how difficult she was having trying to tell him. She had wanted to tell him since the first time they met, but could not then. It was the right time she knew, but there was still that last chain holding her back.

"What?" Satoru said quickly to respond, but tried to keep from staying too long. He did not want to leave too much silence in the air for long. "You can tell me."

Asami tied her fingers together trying to find the right way to say what she wanted. The words were there, but she could not pick them. She was straining against the chain so that she could be free of the burden. The last chain of fear was too strong for her to overcome as it bound her entire body. Everything retreated towards the void in a long silence. It was then that the cliff appeared before her inviting her to take the leap. Asami closed her eyes and prayed to whatever god was watching now at the pathetic scene before him. "I'm a machine, Satoru!" Asami shouted out, but not with anger or malice she was almost crying.

Satoru stepped back not certain of what he had heard. He had to let the words repeat through his mind several times, the echo becoming all the more painful to hear. "What! A-a machine?" It was difficult for him to accept that the woman standing in front of him was not human. However, the display with those rabid people made him question what was different about her. There were scenarios playing through his mind, but none of them seemed to add up. This did not add up anymore than the rest. 'Its true then…I can't believe it.' The revelation was leaving his head spinning around looking for what he should do next, but failing miserable. All he could do was stare at her in silence trying to find something that would make him certain. 'What does this mean? What do I do now?'

'Does he hate me now?' She felt him staring her, examining her for proof. It was to be expected, that she knew, but it did not make it any easier. She could feel her heart pounding and aching. 'He does…of course, he does. Why wouldn't he hate me? I'm a machine that's been killing and nearly killed him…' The urge to run had returned stronger than ever in her thoughts. She was barely holding it back not wanting to feel this pain that was covering her.

'Asami…a machine…' Satoru pulled back his gaze seeing how uncomfortable it was making her. He did not know what he should be doing, if she was a machine he should be running. However, she was Asami. He knew her, spent time with her. He could not leave, but she was different now. '…but she's so real…but she's a machine.' His mind struggled with the polarity of dilemma. His heart knew it to be simple and his mind knew it to not be. 'They're trying to kill us…no they're…they can be more than that…no they can't…'

Asami struggled with her body not to leave Satoru again. The only thing holding her anymore was her feelings, her heart speaking to her. However, another voice entered her mind now. 'You know what to do.' It spoke to her loyalty, to her reason and sense.

'I can't do it!' She could not look at Satoru anymore the conflictions that he was creating inside her. Asami turned around facing away from him hoping that she could regain her composure, but knew that it was just delaying things.

The voice came again, stronger this time drowning out any other thoughts or feelings that she had. 'You must…you have to do it!' Her mind had clarity finally for once. Asami had forgotten how calming and warm it could be.

Satoru approached Asami uncertain why she had turned, but knew that he had to do something to stop her before she decided to flee. He reached out a hand placing it on her hand hoping that a connection would make her see. The questions he had seemed secondary as well as doubts, this was just instinct.

'B-but I…Satoru…' Satoru's hand interrupted the even flow making her hesitate for a moment. Asami closed her eyes wincing in the pain that was renewed in her heart before it was shut out. 'I-I must.' She knew what was required of her. Her feet turned and she pulled her hand away from Satoru. Asami stared at him blankly with no emotion in her face. "Satoru…" The next moment before Satoru was able to react she clutched her hands around his neck starting to drain his life away as her grip tightened.

Asami lifted Satoru off the ground from the empty street. His hands grabbed at her wrists trying to free him, but she was too strong. "A-as-asami…I-I can't…breathe…"

"Satoru…" Her hands closed fully around his neck making Satoru cough loudly. The soul drained away from her eyes leaving only order in her mind executing her directive. 'I must do it,' she thought as the last corner of her heart poured out to try to turn her.

'Finish it now! End it,' the voice said shouting at her. It was struggling to keep her in line from swaying. 'You're a machine and he is a man. You can't live in the same world. You're different than him.'

'I'm different…he's a man…I'm a machine…' The words tried to convince her, but the small corner was beginning to win. She was losing the certainty in what she was doing. The clarity was disappearing from her mind spinning into chaos that she was being swept away in.

"Asami…" Satoru said struggling to speak as the last gasps of breath he had were evaporating his life. He could not think straight just about wanting to live another second longer. He did not care that it was Asami killing him or that she was a machine, just to reach her some how. Satoru stretched out his hand touching the soft skin of her face. His mouth tried to move again, but nothing came out.

The caress of Satoru's hand made her hesitate. The last of her determination disappeared in the wind that blew against her making her drop Satoru to the ground. "I can't…I can't kill him!" Tears began to stream down her cheeks. She knew what she was supposed to do, but she could not do it adding to the confusion that was in her mind.

"Asami…" Satoru said slowly as he nursed his neck with his hand feeling the life returning back to him. He wanted to stand up, but all he could manage was to speak and barely that. The tortured expression across Asami's face was another missing piece to the puzzle added to the table for Satoru to sort out. He would have tried to understand what was going on, but he was not thinking with his head anymore.

"I can't do it," Asami shouted to her side backing away. She turned side to side as though there was someone else with them. "Don't make me! Please!"

"Asami! What's wrong?" Satoru threw his arm up reaching out with his hand trying to hold on to Asami. He was losing her again he could feel it. There was something between him that was holding her back. He hoped that just holding her, to feel her warmth and her to feel his that she would return to him. She needed something simple, something human to attach to. His hand was out of reach growing more distant. She was falling out of his reach.

"Satoru, just forget about me please!" Asami took another step away from Satoru seeing him reach out to her. She wanted to go to him, but could not allow herself. This was not supposed to be for her. She was not allowed to have this happiness. It would only hurt them both in the end. Asami turned away from Satoru. "We can't be together. I'm sorry." Streams of tears hung in Asami's wake as she ran away down the street leaving Satoru lying on the ground.

His muscles suddenly jumped into motion fueled only by emotions and fear of losing Asami. Satoru took two steps before collapsing on the ground feeling his injuries and shortness of breath still lingering holding him back. "Asami!" he shouted into the streets futilely knowing that she was not returning. 'No! Not again! She's run away…I can't stop her…' Satoru pulled himself up roughly against the wall of the building nearby looking down at the street that was empty now. A thought came to him that frightened him. '…do I go after her? I don't know, she's not even human…what have I been doing?'

There were no answers for him here and he was having doubts that he would ever find the answers he needed anymore. He started to move his legs slowly working his way back to his apartment to recover. 'What's left for me in this world now? Its all been lies and deceit. Is there any truth left in this fake world?'

A room was filled with half a dozen individuals seated around a semi circle table with a monitor showing the news from around the world. Each of the images was about the machines and humans fighting each other. There were clips of the humans going crazy and destroying property and injuring innocent people. The next clips were buildings in flames from terrorist bombings caused by the machines.

The dimmed room suddenly grew brighter as one of the individuals stood up. The video paused at a human smashing a computer terminal of a business. "We can't just continue to do nothing!" The man looked around the table at the others silently waiting for a response knowing that his words were against their beliefs.

"He's right we should join them!" the individual at the end of the table said standing up to show his support for the man. "We are only sitting around doing nothing while our comrades are dying out there to be free!" The man slammed his fist down on the table to emphasis his point. It was a sentiment that was going around the complex for a while causing unrest.

The man at the center of the table remained in his chair, but spoke to the both of them. He had an aged appearance looking the part of the leader or elder of the group. "I understand how you feel, but we all agreed that violence is not the answer here."

"The humans don't care about that anymore," the first man that had stood up said pointing at the screen that had been playing. "They are hunting all of us down regardless of our action. They see us all as evil that must be destroyed!"

"I know, but we've all agreed to the teachings of Raguel," the elderly man said trying to keep the meeting from getting out of control. He had known that this moment was going to come soon, but it did not make it any easier to handle. "It goes against everything that we believe in."

"Then perhaps is time for a change, something new to believe in," the man at the end of the table said interjecting his opinion. The idea of change in their beliefs was nearly as radical as doing something that that went against their absolution of violence.

"And what would you have us do?" the elder said facing the new words trying to kept them from jumping too quickly to something that would only prove to be their demise.

"There is another path that we can take one not of violence or of cowering in the corner," the first man said wanting to keep the idea on the table and not have it casually dismissed. He had seen it overruled in the past, but now was time for something to happen.

The man on right of the elder stood up in the elder's defense. "But if we expose ourselves to them they will kill us all before listening to us. That is why we have remained hidden here until the time is right."

The elder had closed his eyes for a while leaving everyone in the room silent. They were completely behind what they were suggesting, but they still looked to him for approval. The five others remained respectfully quiet until he decided to speak. "That time may be upon us finally."

"But we'll be exposed!" the man to his right said still in shock that the elder was suddenly siding with the others to change what had been their way for decades.

"No, I think you're correct," the elder said looking at the others with certainty. "It is time. Get in contact with Malakh."

"It seems that she was not a perfect as we thought," a voice said in the darkness looking at the transmission on the screen from Asami and Satoru's meeting in the street. There had been two individuals watching in silence at the events unfolding. It was clear to them now that she could no longer be relied upon. They would not allow it to affect their plans though.

"Or perhaps too perfect. Give her human emotions and she thinks she's human."

"A flaw that will not be continued in future models." The lights came on freezing the screen on Satoru before Asami had left.

The General stood up turning away from the screen disgusted that Asami, his agent, would choose a human man over their cause and loyalty. He started to walk out of the room pausing as the doors slid open. His head turned not making eye contact with Lt. Colonel Takamoto. "What good is a tool that can't strike when ordered. She's of no more use. When she returns download everything that she has stored and give her last mission. At least she will serve one last use."

To be continued…