Andromeda

"The first machines were made of metal and plastic. They were given the form of man, but it was a rough approximation imitating that of their creator. Due to it only being an imitation it was necessary to improve the process. For people fear that which is different and machines appeared like walking corpses in the shape of man. This need to bring machines closer to man brought about many changes.

"One of the first advancements in the cosmetics of machines came in giving them the appearance of being alive. They no longer had soulless eyes or a rigid walk. This made them look more human, but it was still obvious that they were not human from the plastic skin that they were molded in. It was the next thing to be changed.

"Plastic was replaced with a polymer that simulated skin. The advancements would have continued by man if it were not for the war. However, the machines did not stop improving themselves. There shining achievement was the creation of the bio-machine. It was the ultimate creation in imitation of human life.

"A bio-machine would almost be considered a human if it was not for the metal and electronic circuits that make of the core of the being. Apart from the brain and power source a bio-machine is made of organic parts. The organic parts of the machine however all conduct electric signals similar to that of circuits and wires allowing for transference of data and connecting to terminals. While the organs are strengthened and altered for the machine's physiology they remain tissue. All is living tissues from the skin that wraps around them to the muscles attached to the bones and even the blood in their veins.

"If a bio-machine were cut they would bleed and touched there would be warmth. However, all aspects of the body's attributes are significantly increased due to the engineering and alterations made. While a bio-machine is certainly stronger than a normal human, they are weaker than their older machine counterparts. This is due to the fact that the bio-machines do not contain the mechanical parts that the standard machines do.

"The bio-machines may be weaker than their brethren, but weakness is not always a negative quality…"

Flesh is for Gods – Episode 9 – The Weakness of Heart

Satoru's eyes widened in disbelief that he was actually looking at the man that ran the entire company. "W-wha-wha-what?!" He nearly fell back in his chair, but it held firm against his shaken body. Words were barely able to form for Satoru as he looked at the man. "Y-y-y-your…"

"Wow, that a much better than reaction than I could have expected," Yuu said with a wide playful grin across his face. He let out a small laugh enjoying how much of an impact his reveal had on Satoru.

"Y-y-y-you can't be," Satoru said still not wanting to believe that this was the one that had made all of those decisions. He was having difficulty keeping his composure so that he could get to matters that were more important. It had been his wish to actually speak to Yuu Hongawa face-to-face so that he could get answers from the man. Yet now that he looked at him all he saw was a man that was getting his amusement from surprising him.

Yuu leaned back in his chair scratching his head as though he was thinking, but the simple expression that belayed his face spoke against any serious consideration. "Is it that difficult to believe?" He knew that he was somewhat of a recluse, but it never seemed to have gotten so bad. Maybe, he was not thinking from the right perspective though. Yuu tilted his head to the right with his eyes wondering around with empty thoughts swirling around.

Satoru finally regained himself and stood up looking down across the desk at Yuu. "No one in the entire company has seen your face ever. You've never left your office in the ten years since you've taken over the company. Most don't even think you're real and the rest think you're dead." In spite of what Satoru said sounding like an exaggeration, it was the unfortunate truth. No one knew anything about the President, most just figured that the company was being ran by the board of directors and they just made up the President.

The room remained quiet for a moment after Satoru finished his indirect tirade. Satoru awkwardly sat back down in his chair seeing the curious stare from Yuu piercing him. It made him feel weird as though he had actually offended the man. "Is it really that bad, Natsuko?" Yuu said turning around in his chair looking back at Natsuko who had suddenly appeared in the doorway oblivious to everyone but Yuu. If he had been offended by Satoru's words he did not show it as the child-like expression surfaced again.

Natsuko had been silently standing in the doorway of the room not wanting to interrupt the two men was suddenly given the spotlight. She did not know what to say without openly agreeing with Satoru. It was the truth as much as she would have liked to deny it. "Well…I…uh…"

"Natsuko?!" Satoru said standing up again. He just remembered that he had seen her before he blacked out. Now she was here with the President and they seemed to know each other. Satoru was at a lose for words again feeling like he was still so in the dark after everything that had happened.

"Has it really been ten years?" he said still looking at Natsuko. After he saw that she was confirming what Satoru said even through her silence he turned back towards Satoru. "Huh, could have sworn it has only been nine years. Hmm…I guess I should have gotten out more." Yuu walked over to Satoru extending his arm around behind him pointed at the door. "How about a walk, Satoru?"

"Wha?!" Satoru said looking with a tilted head at Yuu. He was not sure if he was being serious or just playing with him still. The man made him uncertain about anything that he thought he knew about the supposed person that ran Qintech. All of the preconceived ideas were being shattered piece by piece. Satoru did not know what to think anymore about the man.

Natsuko stepped up quickly getting between Satoru and Yuu. "Sir! You can't leave the safety of the facility!" The over-protective stare of Natsuko coursed over Yuu. Yuu backed away a step only letting out a small grin and a laugh.

Satoru moved to put himself between the two wanting some answers. "Natsuko? What's going on, Natsuko? Why are you here and how to you do know him?" He was almost jealous for some unknown reason that Natsuko was suddenly defending and protecting Yuu now. It did not make sense. 'Things could not have changed this much in the time that I've been away, could it?'

"It's complicated," Natsuko said not giving a clear answer to Satoru. She looked away from him as wrinkles pushed together over her forehead. Natsuko knew that there were many things that Satoru needed to know eventually, but she did not know when was the right time. She did not want overwhelm him. He was already dealing with so many difficult and sensitive problems.

As Natsuko tried to walk away Yuu stepped up to confront Satoru. "Oh come on, Natsuko you can tell him. No?" Yuu looked to get approval from Natsuko, but only found her back. He let out a soft sigh and faced Satoru to give him an answer. "Alright, she's my sister," Yuu said proudly grabbing Natsuko a little roughly in a familial manner looking with a strange sort of brotherly love glowing in his eyes.

"Sir!" Natsuko said protesting Yuu's declaration. She was helpless taken off guard that Yuu would go and so casually say that to Satoru.

Satoru stepped backward finding his expression of disbelief returning to his face as he stared at the two. "Sis….sis-wait a minute. You don't even have the same last name!" It took Satoru a moment for the state of shock to wear off for him to think rationally and put things together correctly. He had to remember that Yuu was not the man that he thought he was. Satoru would have thought that the President of the company would have been a little more serious, especially given the nature of what was happening.

"Adopted?" Yuu said trying to recover realizing that he had made a rather obvious mistake.

"Huh?" The lengths that Yuu was going to left Satoru unbalanced. As he struggled to get his footing back Natsuko was fighting off Yuu to bring order back.

"Sir, please stop joking around!" she said sounding like she was scolding a child.

Yuu backed off from Natsuko straightening out his shirt a little. "Ugh! You're no fun, Natsuko." He walked back to his chair sitting down leaning back completely looking very pleased with himself. "Well at least his reaction was priceless. That's payment enough for me."

Now that the room had settled down once more Satoru felt like he could think for once. There had been questions that he wanted answered, but it seemed that every moment he was close to it the man misdirected him. 'Who is this man? He can't really be the president of the company. He isn't even being serious.' The way that Yuu was looking now seemed like he was ready for Satoru to begin getting to the heart of the matter. There was no longer a smile on the man's face replaced with a dark contrast to what he had seen before. "What's going on here? Someone tell me what I'm doing here?"

It was the question that he had been waiting for, but ignoring until now. Yuu leaned in to his desk placing his hands against his face with the elbows resting on the desk's top. His eyes pierced through Satoru with a narrow expression. "I need you, Satoru. You're necessary for my plans." The way that Yuu sounded almost sinister as though the joking was just a ploy for Satoru to soften him up before the strike.

Satoru looked down at the chair he was sitting in trying not to allow the rage burn through him completely. "Necessary? So you plan on using me too? Is that all I'm good for? I'm just someone's tool to further your own egomaniacal ends." The shaking in his legs and arms became too much for him to contain forcing him to stand up looking straight at Yuu nearly yelling. "Well if that's the case I'm not going to help you. I'm no one's pawn."

An almost indignant looked washed over Yuu's face as he looked at Satoru. He blinked once still not saying anything back to him waiting for Satoru to breathe for a moment. "Damn…someone can't take a joke." The irksome smile of Yuu's had returned to his face destroying the seriousness that he had managed to maintain for Satoru.

Unbalanced in his knees again, Satoru's emotions cracked and flowed out of him as he stared puzzled at Yuu. "Huh?" All of the anger he had just evaporated on him mysteriously. He was beginning to feel like he was a yo-yo in Yuu's hands.

Yuu leaned back in his chair once again looking over his kicked up feet at Satoru. "You're too stiff. You need to loosen up. I'm barely older than you and you're already looking like an old man with all that depression. You need to learn to live your life and not trudge through it."

"Who are you to lecture me about how to live my life?" Satoru threw his arm in an arch at Yuu as he stepped forward. He was not about to have some stranger tell him how to live his own life. This man might be a joker and not take anything seriously, but that did not give him the right to pretend to know what Satoru had to deal with. "Do you have any idea the things that I've had to deal with? You couldn't possibly know what my life's been like for me. Its my life not yours."

"Well its good to see you've got more a backbone now. At least that's improved."

"How dare you!" Satoru said slamming both hands on Yuu's desk leaning in towards him. He was moments away from leaping over the desk to punch to him to the ground. "What right do have!?"

When Satoru pressed in there was a sudden change in Yuu reminiscent of the look that he had previously. The center monitor behind the desk went black in an instant removing the majority of the light that filled the room. A second later a picture of Satoru appeared on screen with a list of information both business and personal. The light from the monitor cast a heavy light on Yuu as he stood up to face Satoru. "Satoru Kuromura. Last day you reported for work was June 23th. You were born in Osaka, Japan. During the second machine war your father was injured in the Tokyo riots and was unable to work due to the injuries. Your mother works six days a week to make enough to keep their house. The money you make goes back to your family with just enough for you to live on.

"You graduated from Tokyo Technical School of Computers with high honors at the age of 22. Six months later you joined Qintech as an assistant. You got your high school friend Kiyoshi Nakahoshi a job at Qintech one month after. You were promoted to project lead at the age of 25 on the Sakura Project. June 5th you were outside the Kamihara Building when it was destroyed saved by Asami Ichihana before the debris could kill you.

"You left this company when it decided to change the direction of the company on June 23th. On July 9th you were attacked by five assailants mistaking you for being a machine. Asami Ichihana rescued and you learned her true identity. And today you were betrayed by your best friend Kiyoshi Nakahoshi."

Satoru stared at the images that flashed before him as Yuu ran down a long list. He saw personal family photos mixed in as well as videos captured from several different times. There was even video of the explosion at the Kamihara Building. All of the memories that Yuu brought back for Satoru only made him angrier. This time the man was being serious; there was no joking. Satoru marched towards him ready to lay him out with his fists. "Why you…"

Yuu could see that he hit a nerve with Satoru. It was to be expected, but he had to get through all of the layers quickly if he was going to have any chance in getting through to him. "I know your personal life very well. I know all the pain and suffering you've had to deal with in your life. Betrayal after betrayal, death and love. However, its time for you to make a decision."

"Decision?" Satoru said holding himself back for a second. The change in direction left him lost at where Yuu was going with him now. He was quickly moving topics and not providing him the information. "What are you talking about?"

"Will you live and change fate or die and crawl up in a shell? Your answer will mean life or death for this world." Yuu spoke clearly and direct, but it remained ever vague without a meaning. However, Yuu stood there expecting an answer from Satoru.

Now Satoru was completely confused with Yuu suddenly placing the entire world on his shoulders. There had to be a mistake. Satoru knew that he was not so important as to be able to affect the world. "Me? The world?"

"Just kidding!" Yuu said roughly slapping Satoru's shoulder.

Natsuko jumped up to try to reel Yuu back in so that he did not end up doing something that they all would regret. "Sir!"

"I couldn't help it."

"Damn you!" Satoru was tired of being yanked around by this fool of man. He grabbed Yuu by his shirt pull him in ready to punch him. "I'm going to kill you!" His fist tightened behind him pressing against the urge to resist. Any self-control that he might have had was evaporating with this man. He took nothing seriously only playing with others lives.

Natsuko ran up behind Satoru holding his arm so that he could not move it. Yuu released himself from Satoru grip putting him distance between them. He dusted off his shirt pushing out the wrinkles. "No sense of humor. We'll have to work on that. But in all seriousness."

Satoru glared at the man not believing that he was actually going to be serious for longer than a second. He struggled with Natsuko for a moment finding her to be stronger than he thought. Resigned to being forced to listen to the man Satoru loosened up his body. 'Now you're going to be serious? How many times has he pretended to be serious only to change his tune? I can't tell when this man is actually serious and joking.'

Yuu walked around his desk placing it between the two of them. "I was partially correct when I said that I needed you. I do need you, but it's not for some evil purpose. Will you follow me?" He stood in the doorway now where Natsuko had been when this had started. His arms were out welcoming Satoru to leave the confinement that he was currently in.

There seemed to be no ulterior motive, but Satoru was suspicious of anything that the man did at this point. He stared at Yuu with an obvious expression that he did not believe a word from Yuu's mouth. 'What's this man's angle this time?'

"What don't trust me?" Yuu said pretending to look wounded. However, he was not surprised. This actually pleased him more than anything else.

Natsuko stepped in front of Satoru looking at him. "Satoru, please. You can trust him." She knew if there were anyone that could convince Satoru at this point it would be her. Though she feared that there was too much damage done for her to repair quickly enough.

"That remains to be seen," Satoru said quietly still deciding what he was going to do. There were not many options available to him being at the mercy of the President and whatever plans he actually did have that he was not revealing yet.

"Then come with me and see with your own eyes." Yuu walked out of the room as though knowing that he would be soon followed by Satoru. They walked down the hallway with Natsuko following behind them. The design of the halls was completely different from the main building that Satoru knew. White walls and polished metal lined most of the main building. There were lights evenly spaced embedded into the ceilings to mold with it as though they were built as one rather than inserted. This hall was black and plastic with electronic panels holding all of the light. It was uninviting and intimidating as though it was ready to swallow up whoever was foolish enough to trespass.

The unwelcome feeling sank deep into Satoru, as he was being lead somewhere. It was so dark and labyrinthine that he could not maintain his sense of direction. The way the halls were built it even made distance difficult to gauge accurately. Satoru did not know how long he had walked. He just knew that they had arrived at their destination since Yuu had stopped in front of a wall.

Yuu placed his hand on the wall causing a light to bleed around the rectangular cracks of a panel. The soft chime from the wall cleared them for entry. The wall opened granting them passage into a small room. "What is this?" Satoru attempted to look around to see what he was brought to see, but it was too difficult. 'Its so dark, I can't see anything…' Every inch and corner of the room was empty, a void with only the three of them inside.

The wall closed in behind them cutting out any traces of light that might have slipped through. Yuu stepped forward placing his palm on a panel that suddenly lit up the entire room. Lights from the electronics in the room spread out in a river flowing over the walls. In front was a black monitor switched off and glass panels looking out into a room equally as empty as the one they used to be in.

Yuu moved his fingers over the panel starting up several systems that breathed life into the room with a low hum. The sounds of computers had an almost calming effect on Satoru. Once everything was running lights began to click on in the room connected to them. Yuu brought up an image of the room on the monitor for Satoru. "This is your decision. What will you do?"

Satoru had been looking into the room trying to see what it was that Yuu wanted him to see. Near the center of the room there seemed to be a person, but it was too difficult for him to see at the range he was at. When the monitor turned on it became immediately clear to Satoru who was in that room. He could see her face and recognize it in a heartbeat. "Asami! Asami!" His shouts went in vain as he could see that she was not wake and his voice would not carry through the walls. "What are doing to her?"

"Nothing right now. It's up to you what you want to do. She has sustained minor physical damage, but is unable to self-repair." The camera in the room projected its images back on the monitor for Satoru to see. It revealed the areas that were damaged on her body. Satoru could see where the bullet from the sniper hit her arm. The bullet had dug through her arm, but the angle that it hit at was enough to deflect it away rather than going through. The EMP net had shorted everything out with the areas where things overloaded charring the skin underneath. "I can fix her, but if I do fix her. What will you do, Satoru?"

Satoru looked at Yuu not sure what he was asking him. "What do you mean?" His immediate thoughts were to go to her side, but it conflicted with his thoughts as well. He could not agree with his heart. Both mind and soul were divided in what should be done.

"Do I have to spell it out?" Yuu said slacking his shoulders in disappointment. He did not want to have to explain himself to Satoru. "Do you love her? Do you love her, even though she is a machine?" It was as clear as he could get. There was no subtext or dancing around the subject.

'The same question that I have…' Satoru looked down at the floor saddened that he could still not answer the question. He had been ramming his head into the wall for days trying to come to an answer. All he had figured out was that it was not an answer that he could easily find. It was embarrassing for him. Fear and confusion mixed its vile blend in his mind leaving him constantly twisting into the maelstrom to know which direction he faced. "Asami…I-I…"

"She was given a life and emotions, but she is a machine." He did not know how much longer he could stand beating this into Satoru. It was tiring for him to have to deal with someone that could not even make up his mind. Unfortunately, nothing else could start until there was a resolution made. "When you touch her she is warm and when you hurt her she cries. She is not of the same flesh and bone, but metal and circuits. What do you see when you look at her? Is it a machine that will kill you? Is she a lover that will hold you? This is your decision, Satoru. Do you love her?" It felt like he was talking to some child of his rather than an adult. 'I guess adults have these problems as well…it makes us all children again.'

Satoru could hear Yuu's voice echoing through his head pounding around for an answer. The deafening howls were unbearable for him. All it did was just increase the conflict that he had in his mind. He knew all of the sides, but knowing it did not solve anything. 'I just don't know…Asami…she's a machine…' Satoru felt a pain in his head instinctively bringing his arms to try to ease it. The pounding was only getting worse wanting to break free from skull.

"Satoru…" Natsuko rushed to Satoru side to give him support to pull through the turmoil. She knew how much it was hurting him. Every time that she had seen him it was clear on his face. It was only magnified now knowing that she was a machine. "You can't make him decide right now. Look at what you're doing to him."

Yuu gave out a disappointed sigh of defeat knowing that playing the villain was not an enviable role that he wanted. He had done enough to set things in motion for the time being. The rest would move itself in time. "Very well. It'll take time for me to make the repairs to her. You have until then to come to a decision."

"You're going to fix her?" Satoru said looking up in surprise at Yuu. He was expecting that he would have to wait until giving him an answer before Asami would be fixed. It still gave him a deadline. Satoru did not feel much better knowing that fact, even if it did relieve most of the momentary stress.

"Well of course," Yuu said as though Satoru was being stupid for not assuming that Asami was going to be fixed. He gave Satoru that annoying smile of his as though it was supposed to be some sort of reassurance. "Just because I haven't done anything yet doesn't mean I wasn't going to do it. Spend the time deciding what you'll do. Things are starting to come to a head in the world. You need to figure out which side you are on." His words had turned serious at the end bringing back the importance of finally deciding. Yuu walked out of the room with Natsuko leaving Satoru alone with Asami.

Satoru opened the door to the large room that held Asami. He walked over to the metal table that solely populated the space. On top of the table Asami lay quiet. Her eyes were closed and all of the life seemed to have been drained out of her. There was no color in her face or anywhere on her skin. She looked like she was dead. 'You need to figure out which side you are on,' Yuu's voice said to him through his mind.

'Sides…always sides…' He placed his hand on Asami's face hoping to feel something back. Nothing, she was empty right now. It was worse than when she was possessed by her programming in the lobby. Even though she was distant and there did not seem to be anything but cold logic Satoru had felt something. Now he could find nothing. 'Asami, what should I do?'

The days had passed for Satoru quickly. He had watched Asami being worked on hoping that he would find some answer from staring at her. In all the endless hours all he found was tired eyes and empty returns. He felt like he was going to explode. Each day that passed made the stress that was building up in him worse. It had all been in him before, but there was never the sense that he was being forced to make a decision until now. They were waiting for him and he kept walking around the subject.

Satoru could not stand being in the room anymore and had left. He had finally begun to figure out the system that the underground was laid out in. Though he looked like he was wandering there was purpose to where he was heading. When the door opened it revealed a green park complete with a blue sky and chirping birds in the distant. It was a false room built to give the illusion of being on the surface for those that stayed away too long. An illusion felt good to him in the moment where everything was being revealed to him in ugly truths. He did not want to see anymore. A dream was a welcome peace.

The small park circled around itself leading to some stairs up to a balcony. Another entrance to the park was attached to the balcony, but Satoru had come for the view. It gave him a better perspective of the dream that he stood in. Unfortunately, it was just a dream and his reality was coming back to him. He was no closer to a decision than he was three days ago. "Asami…what should I do? I don't just know what I'm supposed to do any more. I don't have anyone left."

"I guess he is right," a voice from behind him said out of nowhere. The voice soon became a shadowed figure and then Natsuko. She stood in the middle of the entrance staring out at Satoru.

"Huh? Natsuko?" Satoru leaned back against the railing of the balcony a little surprised to find that she was listening to him talking to himself. "How long have you been there?"

She walked out of the entrance from the hallway taking up a position next to him. Even though she was leaning on the railing next to Satoru she did not look at him. "Long enough. You need to quit hiding behind people and stand on your own." She was feeling like Yuu suddenly the way that she was talking to Satoru. So often when they talk she was protecting him or trying to be comforting rather than putting him back together. It was a strange feeling for her.

"That's easier said than done." Satoru turned back looking out at the park with Natsuko. He did not have to see her face to know what she was saying. "Nothing makes any sense anymore. The woman that I thought I loved is a machine and my best friend betrayed me. The company I worked for goes against everything that I believed in. There are machines out there trying to kill us and those that want to make peace with us. I just don't know who is who anymore."

Natsuko watched the birds fly around the park in the background. She did not have anything rehearsed for Satoru. It was not really even her plan to be here, she just happened to be walking by when she saw Satoru go into the park. Since she had seen him she hoped to be able to talk to him, but ended up playing the role of bothersome friend. "In the end does it really matter who we are? Doesn't it matter who you are?"

Satoru could not understand how Natsuko could say something like that. It was more important to know who the people around him were so that he knew what he was getting into. He needed to know them so he knew whom he could trust and whom he needed to watch out for when his back was turned. Unfortunately, there seemed to be no one in the world anymore that he could leave his back unguarded against. "But how can I trust anyone that I know. How can I trust you or the president? Everyone's betrayed and lied to me!"

Hearing Satoru tell her that he could not trust her pained her to hear, but she understood what he was going through. He was filled with so much betrayal and lies that it was difficult to want to trust anyone now. She wished that she could simply wash it away so that he would not have to suffer anymore. "Satoru…its human nature. What about yourself, can you trust yourself?"

"Myself?" It felt like everyone was telling him the same thing. He did not want to believe them. Everything that was happening was because of what he had become involved in. If he continued down the path he was afraid that he would even up making a mistake that would destroy what little piece he had left of himself. He had to avoid the abyss that constantly threatened to take him whole. All there was to protect him from himself was the fragile will that he was left in him. He could not give that up and risk everything.

"You need to trust your feelings," Natsuko said knowing that she was going to sound like she was repeating herself. She was not sure if Satoru had not thought about or just did not want to consider the thought. Natsuko believe it to be closer to the latter seeing the way that he was reacting. However that made her job more difficult if he was just pushing it aside or ignoring it. It would mean that she had to convince him to change his mind and she knew that it was difficult to do that with Satoru. When he was dead set on something he was not going to change.

He left the company when they changed their policy and work without so much as a regret or second thought. Even after all of the efforts to get him back it was only because he came after Asami that he did return. It had nothing to do with the company and wanting to work. If he only knew what was really happening she knew that he would change his mind. Yet she was not allowed to talk to him about it. "If you can't trust anyone else in the world all that leaves is yourself. Trust yourself."

"But what if what I'm doing is wrong?" Satoru could not so easily accept what he was doing was right. It was not as though he did not want to accept it. If he could actually accept it his life would be much easier on him. However, it was the vying thoughts that he was going against what the public and everyone thinks to be right and following his heart. Following his heart could mean betraying everyone in the world and becoming its enemy. He wondered sometimes why he had such a trouble with betraying everyone since he was already betrayed countless times. But it continually fell to him trying to see himself as an enemy of the world. "What sort of justification is that?"

"Does it really matter if you got the world against you if you know you've followed your heart?" She knew what he was thinking about it well enough. It was thoughts that she had everyday. Even now she wondered if she were doing the right thing knowing that if they failed or things changes dramatically history would see them as betrayers, traitors of humanity. The idea sat like lead in her stomach turning everything sour. All she could do was believe and know it was right even if the world did not agree.

Satoru wanted to stare at Natsuko to try to see the expression on her face to read what she was saying, but he kept looking forward. It was a silent agreement between them that they were not going to face each other. He was not even sure why he had agreed. The reason did not matter at this point. All he needed was someone to speak to hoping that it would bring him to a clear resolution or even just remove some of the conflict. The advice was all too familiar for him. "How can you make it sound so easy?"

Natsuko closed her eyes for a moment having an image come to her in her mind. It made her smile warmly thinking about it. "Because I'm following what my heart says right now. It may make me the enemy of many people, but I'm doing what I believe to be the right path. You know what path you should follow. I believe that. You just have to allow yourself to take that step and no longer be afraid of the choices."

There was a strange subtext to what she had said that Satoru was not sure that he was interpreting correctly. "Natsuko…" he said turning to look at her hoping to see her face to get an idea of what it was that he was supposed to have heard. However, she walked away from the balcony exiting from the park disappeared into the hall. Satoru stood with his back against the balcony trying to understand what he had just heard. It felt as though she was saying one thing and meaning something completely different while still meaning what she was saying. The paradox left him confused and allowed him to escape from his troubles for a moment.

"Following your heart, Natsuko? You sure you want him to do that?" There was a figure in the shadows of the hallway that had been eavesdropping on their conversation for at least the last part. When Natsuko passed by the figure stopping with her back turned the light in the hall slowly faded on. It was Yuu leaning against the wall looking surprisingly serious for the moment.

"He's already made his choice a long time ago," she said looking down with her head pressing against her shoulders. It was the sad truth that she had faced already. She knew that there was nothing that she could, but pushing him in the direction that he was already going. There was no pulling away. "I know that, but I'll stand at his side knowing that my feelings will never be returned. He deserves to be happy. We all do, right?"

"Yes, we do," he said answering quickly. It was a simply answer, but even in this world of despair and violence it still was something everyone should have. Yuu looked down the hallway at the entrance to the park. "Perhaps he will be the one to show us to that future."

"I believe in him…"

Uncertainty had been the chef's special for Satoru and he was growing tired of the taste. He was not sure if he should really be looking for advice from Yuu, but the man also had answers to other questions. If for nothing else it might make the picture clearer for him. The thought of something clearer right now seemed like a fantasy, but he could hope. "Excuse me. I wanted to ask you something."

Yuu looked up from his desk looking as though he was working when he in fact had seen Satoru coming down the hall. He leaned back in his chair having a pretty good idea what he was here to talk about. "If you're hear for advice about what you should do then you don't need waste you breathe. I'm not going to saying that you probably haven't heard anyway from people you know better."

'Figures…I guess I'll move on.' Satoru walked into the office even though it looked like Yuu wanted him to leave. The man had screwed with him enough that he did not care what he wanted. Satoru wanted some answers. "Fine, but there is still one other thing I want to know about. What's going on here?"

"What do you mean?" Yuu said leaning further back in his chair pretending like he did not know what Satoru was getting at. It was not something that he wanted to address until a decision had been made.

Satoru sat down in the chair that he had originally woken up in. "You know what I mean, don't play dumb with me." He gave Yuu some time to respond on his own while he adjusted in to the chair. The long awkward delay unfortunately did not do what he had hoped leaving it up to Satoru to press the vague into the obvious. "This faction stuff. I remember hearing something about a President Faction. There is some internal company fighting or something. What happened since I've been away?"

The chair rolled around facing Yuu towards the monitors along the wall. On the screens were placed images and videos of what appeared to be fighting between two groups of people in an unknown location. It took Satoru a moment to realize that it was in the Qintech building and that they were employees. What he saw looked like some war zone out of a movie. "These are images and recordings from cameras in the building. Some of these are actually happening right now, though thankfully most are old."

"Why is there fighting in the company and why hasn't the government done anything to stop it?" Satoru wanted to stand up, but he chose to lean forward trying to keep his composure. This sort of violence would never have gone ignored by the government and police. They would have stepped in quickly; it should have been on the news. 'But I guess I haven't watched the news in a while…'

"That's because the government is involved. They are part of the reason this is happening."

"What!? You can't be serious. The government would never do something like this on its own citizens!" He could not sit down anymore and listen to Yuu. Satoru marched over to Yuu staring at him trying to see more of what he was saying.

Yuu changed the monitors to a singe view showing a room where there was a mass of people grouped together shouting about something. Satoru could not tell what it was about without audio, but it is certain that they were angry or protesting something. "A week ago employees became feed up with what they were working on. Between the long hours that they were being forced to work and the distaste for the work itself they protested. A large percentage of the employees gathered in the main meeting hall and locked themselves in on protest.

"It was then that the divide began and those that agreed with the work took up one side and those that disagreed the other. Most of the people being technicians, programmers, researchers and engineers they did not really do much more than debate and argue. But since the military was invested in the project being completed quickly sent an ultimatum. Return to work or be so under force. That was enough to sway the weaker that opposed, but many still disagreed. I have you to thank for that." Yuu pulled up videos of Natsuko rallying people together in the room of those that remained. Satoru could see others in his team nearby with her trying to keep people from collapsing under the pressure.

"Well the military had had it and was not going to negotiate considering this a war time situation and military project. They stormed the building two days ago with the help of many of the employees that sided with them. The primary figure was Kiyoshi, your friend. He took charge of those that was on their side and ended up killing many of those that opposed. Natsuko and those that resisted barricaded themselves in the meeting room. Being skilled with computers they were able to hold off the military for while by locking them out."

Satoru could not stand listening to him so casually go through what happened. He had to interject before he blew up. "And where were you in all this?" It was obvious from what he had seen that Natsuko made it out and was working with the President, thus the President Faction name. But how could he have let this all happen to begin with?

"I was unfortunately not in the office for the last month on business. When I heard what was going on I rushed back. I found out that in my absence someone had taken advantage of me not being in direct control and made certain changes. Namely, the canceling of all projects and the activation of the dead Adam Project. All that information was held privately. Someone hacked my computer and obtained the information no doubt with the military's help. I still haven't figured out who was behind it. I was late in arriving, but I was able to take control of the building's systems and rescue Natsuko and her group before the military was able to kill them. Since then they have hid in here running small hit-and-run strikes on facilities in the building that the military has been trying to use."

"I can't believe it. Has everyone gone mad?" Satoru could not stand watching the monitors anymore turning away. He had seen enough to see what was happening. It was disturbing to know that the military would be so obsessed with getting the project finished that they would kill civilians that were peacefully protesting. 'The world really has gone insane now…'

"Asami…" Satoru was wandering the halls with the hours closing down till he had to make a decision. Today was the day; he would get a call eventually letting him know that everything was finished. After everything that he had seen and heard he started getting a clearer picture of what was really happening. 'I used to see things so clearly. I knew where I stood firmly without backing down. Now it's no longer an academic debate of ideologies and philosophies. It all affects and means something to each person. I can't stand on the sidelines any longer thinking I can survive being neutral. I'm already involved…'

There was a vibration at the side of his leg. It was the signal that he had been waiting for. They were ready for him. Satoru rushed down the hall with thoughts of Asami running through his mind. He tried to fight it and keep his focus it, but they were too strong breaking his concentration. When he arrived at the room Natsuko was already in the room waiting next to Yuu.

"Well the work is finished," Yuu said stating the obvious. He looked narrowly at Satoru wanting an answer before preceding any further. Yuu turned away from the console completely crossing his arms. "Have you made a decision?"

"I know that machines are something more. I've always believed that, though recently I guess I was too afraid to admit that anymore knowing that with everything happening in the city and world that I was alone. Being alone scared me, but I know now that even if I am going to be alone I know this is the right path." He knew that he did not like where the world was going. The light needed to be shown to them again and he would stand with the few people willing that were trying to hold together everything before all was lost. He did not know what he could do to change people's minds, but he would try.

"Very well. We don't have much time then." Yuu returned to the console activating the panel. Satoru could see in the distance of the other room that it was the wake up command. Asami would be awake again.

Satoru could sense the urgency in Yuu's voice that there was something going on. He was rushing to get through all of the commands as though his life depended on it. "Why is that? What's going on?"

Yuu pulled up a news feed on a smaller monitor showing current break news. Satoru could not believe what was happening. "The summit with the machines was agreed upon." In the matter of a week the governments of the world have made the decision to hear out the machines request for talks. There were severe tensions though as the bombings seemed to be increasing in activity leading up to the summit. Many wanted to back out of the talks, but Japan seemed to be holding everyone together to push them forward. "They will be meeting today. All of the machines and leaders of the world be there."

"What's that got to do with me?" Satoru said trying to figure out why a summit would have any meaning to him. It was an important step for the world if they could actually come to a peace arrangement.

Natsuko jumped up interrupting their conversation when the security feed popped up on one of the monitors. "Sir! There is a security breach!" There were soldiers storming the building again, but this time they seemed to be headed towards the underground facility.

"What? Damn, Kiyoshi is more resourceful and determined than I imagined." Yuu could see that their position had been compromised. They were going to be forced into a final confrontation with Kiyoshi and the military. He began racing over the panel with his fingers trying to get as much information about the strike force.

"What's going on?" Satoru had thought that this was an unknown facility. He did not know about it and he doubted that very many people did. Yet that did not change the fact that they were coming now.

"Kiyoshi has found this location and he's brought the real military with him this time."

Satoru was a little confused by what he meant by saying real military. The last time that he had seen them a week ago they looked like the military then. If they were not the actual military he feared what it was going to be like this time around. "Then what did he have last time?"

"That was the self defense force," Yuu said as he relayed orders out to those that were in the facility. Some of them were escaping, but most were staying to fight it out. This was going to be different from last time. The self defense force was differently trained and equipped. It was all that Kiyoshi had managed to gather on short notice with the city in chaos. "This is the primary military. He means to take the two of you at all costs."

"Kiyoshi…" Satoru said as he saw Kiyoshi appear on the security monitor before it was shot out. He was coming and they would have to face each other again.

To be continued…