Flesh is for Gods

[Andromeda]

“Mankind has always endeavored to advance themselves in technological achievements, but it has also been the error of advancement that causes the greatest sorrow. Man entered a new age with the creation of the thinking machine. The glory of the thinking machine was as bright as a nova before its impact. Praised were the scientists, but careful they also were. The Law of Robots was the foundation for all thinking computers; laws built into them making them obey and never kill. But as the benefits grew, others sought different applications.

“The introduction of machine terrorism woke the world and rocked it to the core. The fear of a revolt from within the machines had been an ever-present concern, but neglected was the human factor. The world burned in an echo of explosions bringing them almost to their knees.

“War pounded through the people’s hearts and a crusade against machines and their masters began. New laws drafted banned the thinking computer; the development of AI was halted. The fight against the machines continued with great public support. Victory was theirs.

“However, years passed and the war was forgotten, till Tokyo was bombed. It was quickly discovered that it was of machine origin. The crusade against the thinking machine began again, however it was only the machines fighting and not their human master that created them. A new enemy was realized with the machine faction that banded together against their programmed enemy.

“War ended again with the utter annihilation of the machines, but how easy it was to forget. And the public opinion had turned against the war. It had to be finished quickly, messily. Now ten years after the last conflict people have forgotten again, but those that lost family from the terrorist attacks could never forget. The powder key set decades ago has been primed and the world will never be the same again…”

Flesh is for Gods – Episode 01 – The Perfect Day

It was the afternoon already and he was going to be late. In fact, he was already late. The morning was late with no alarm to wake him and the water out, again. The super said it was just a technical problem, but five technical problems in two weeks was hardly a coincidence anymore. It was a bad morning, if that was not apparent already. Now it was made even worse by being late to a meeting, one that he especially despised as well.

He had to meet with the military, his or rather the company’s contractor. The military always gave him a sour taste knowing what they would be using the things that he made. He knew full well what he was making and that they would be tools, instruments of death. However it did pay the bills and having too much of a conscious in this day and age did not pay, literally. A bad taste indeed it was.

Here it was before him now standing tall and proud among the numerous gleaming towers around, the Kamihara Building. It looked innocent shining like a jewel, but it was a cloak to hide the darker secrets. The military had covered its appearances these days, wolf in sheep clothes, perhaps. Nonetheless it was what it was and could not change itself. It was a small branch with most of it being heavily commercialized. Paid the bills.

He walked up the steps feeling the sun beating down on his suit. The tie choked around his neck and the heavily starched shirt did little for his skin. Another sheepskin, he had to play the part, came with the territory being head of the project. He could make the things that he wanted, but he still had to polish the boots of others. It was not the glamour that he had imagined in his naïve younger days. Innocence lost, how long ago had he sold his soul. It felt like it at least. ‘How cynical have I become? Bad taste…’

The inside of the building gave him his first welcome sight, cool air on this hot summer day. It was not enough to cool his head though; there was nothing for that. He did not feel like waiting, but there was a line of people being scanned in anyway. For being so commercial it was still military and everyone had to be checked. It was taking forever though, purposely making him wait and delay his already late meeting. ‘I’m going to be getting a mouthful from him today.’

The guards finally got to him and he sighed in relief. He withheld his annoyance preferring not to make things even worse. “Step through now please,” the security guard said plainly.

He somehow managed to keep himself quiet and calm, even though his hand was shaking. They let him pass and he was free to enter the main hall now. “Finally,” he said under his breath. He made his way to the front desk of the lobby to announce his arrival.

The receptionist at the front desk was busy working at her computer not paying attention him standing near to her. It was obvious that there was someone in front of her, but she did not acknowledge him. He placed his hand on the faux wood counter letting the metal of his watch make quiet noise. It diverted her attention towards him. “May I help you, sir?” the receptionist said acting as though she did not notice him before.

“Yes, I have a meeting with Lieutenant Colonel Takamoto for 1:00.”

“And you are?”

“Kuromura Satoru.” He pulled his hand back having achieved what he wanted from the effect. It was a small release of his frustration, but there were not enough things for him to hit at the moment to relieve it all. Even in the cool air his back was warming up again perspiring as his stress increased.

“Mr. Kuromura, let me check.” The receptionist turned to her monitor screen looking up the appointment. A minute of long waiting later she turned back to Satoru looking directly at him. “Yes, here it is for 1:00. But I’m sorry he has not come back from lunch could you wait in the lobby till he comes?”

‘The lobby! Hasn’t come back yet…from lunch! I come here running all the way late to the meeting…and he…’ There was almost a visible redness in his face that could be seen. There was a vein in his forehead starting to make itself visible as the redness began to calm down. He clinched his fists together trying to ease himself back down. ‘This is not me…its just the day…its just the day…’ Talking himself down was barely possible after the day he already had. He could barely catch himself to slow down from rolling over the cliff.

“Sir?”

“I don’t have much choice in the matter do I? Fine…” Satoru said annoyed, but managing to cut off the rest of his thoughts from being verbalized. It was a natural reaction to being stood up. Satoru kept trying to tell himself it was the day and being late, but it was difficult to calm the tensed muscles in his body. He was poorly keeping his emotions hidden from the receptionist who’s job was to be kind and courteous to everyone regardless of their demeanor.

“I am really sorry, sir.”

Satoru turned and walked away from the desk. Aside from not being able to standing around to wait, he could not continue to look at her. The anger and stress was rising again as his mind rolled over the fact that he was late. ‘The Lt. Colonel is going to yell at me for being late even though he was later than me. Then I’m going to try to defend myself and he’ll just yell at me for being a whiny civilian. He end up on a tirade that I’ll be forced to listen to. And then he won’t be pleased with that I have to present.’ He tried to stop the snowball effect that was happening, but his mind was moving too fast. All of the stress was returning and his body warmed up again. None of the cold air was enough to break his sweating.


Satoru sat down in the lobby that was lightly packed with people waiting on someone as well. He was just another one of them forced to wait on someone else to be ready. From the lobby he could see the elevators and the security area. It was the only place that gave such a view and he would be able to see if the Lt. Colonel arrived. ‘Doesn’t matter how late he ends up being I still have to go through it. I wish I could get out this somehow.’ It was a bad taste.

After an hour of waiting his angry had finally slowed to a calm boil that bubbled up sporadically, but it was no longer the raging mass that had a grip over his body. Satoru was about to approach the receptionist when a man sat himself down next to him. It was a distraction that changed his focus slightly. He was a strange individual with his hand shaking constantly as though there was no control, but pausing at specific intervals. When the man took a breath it all stopped, but resumed after he exhaled. After the momentary diversion it brought Satoru was looking elsewhere again.

‘I wish that he would hurry up.’

“Good Morning, sir,” the strange man said nervously.

“It is Afternoon,” Satoru said quickly pointing over to the clock that was on the wall, “See 2:20. Its 2:20.” It boiled again, no tolerance for ignorance at the moment.

“I am sorry, sir,” the man said taken back. Satoru voice was not loud, but he left a distinct emotion wrapped around the words. It made the man quiet for while thinking what he should say next. “Just a little nervous.” A meager response that would not earn any remorse at the moment.

“Yeah,” Satoru said ignoring him. He looked around trying to keep an eye out for the Lt. Colonel. The time was running long and the seat was quickly becoming uncomfortable. His legs vibrated softly as he hoped against himself that the Lt. Colonel would appear and would not so he could leave.

“This is just my first time here, I hope everything goes well.”

“Yeah…sure,” Satoru said. ‘Whatever…’

“You okay, sir?”

“Yeah…” Satoru said pausing to think about what he was going to do next. ‘Screw this already an hour late…one last chance.’ His patience was up and if he was not going to get anywhere here he could just head to work instead, at least he could calm down there. Satoru stood up leaving the man behind heading to the receptionist to end it.

“Thank you, sir,” the strange man said sighing.

Satoru stood before the receptionist with his leg shaking in anger now rather than stress. “Excuse me…when is the Lt. Colonel coming back?”

“Oh, you were wanting to see Lieutenant Colonel Takamoto, right?”

“Yes, I was…” Satoru said holding back his annoyance that the receptionist was acting like an airhead. The room waited in pause for the response.

“I am sorry, but he called me saying to cancel all his meetings for today. He said that his lunch made him feel a little sick and he was going home.”

“What?!” Satoru said laughing out loud nearly crazed making others stop in confusion. He could not hold it back anymore. After all of his worrying, the stress and tension running through his body. He was not even able to have a breakfast, just some fruit that he ate on the way. Satoru slammed his hands down on the wood counter staring down the receptionist. That vein was appearing again as well as the sweat to warm up his body. “I come all the way down here to meet with him, for not to show?”

“I am sorry, sir.”

“Oh, I bet you are…” Satoru walked away from the receptionist storming out of the building. He did not wait in leaving the building completely wanting to leave it all behind him. It was the perfect conclusion to his day; there was nothing that could have made it any better. ‘I’d like to see you try to make this day any better!’ Satoru turned around looking up at the building, now outside. It seemed to be mocking him now rather than the proud glare it at before. He exhaled a rough sigh of annoyance and started to turn.

At that moment as his eyes turned away the entire ground floor exploded sending glass and cement debris into the air outward. The ground leapt up through his knees shattering his balance and destroying glass on passing cars. A veil of glass shards ripped across his face and body as the shockwave quickly followed up knocking him off his feet before he had even a moment to react. The force of the explosion sent him to the ground clawing him against the pavement. It saved his life as chunk of metal flew over him impaling a speeding car bringing further disruption to traffic.

The force slammed his head against the cement and his vision immediately blurred. All he could feel was pain everywhere. His mouth wanted to scream, but his mind was losing itself. All of the tension in his body had been blown away in the blast now he did not even have the will to stand. Blood dripped down his face and from the back of his head across the sidewalk. He heard more sounds, but they were distant as though he was drowning. His thoughts disappeared and he could not see any longer.


Satoru’s eyes opened to a bright light, it’s white penetrated from all sides at his eyes forcing them closed again. He dared another peek into the light, this time he was ready for it, slowly opening his eyes till he could open them fully. The light came from the window where the sun was directly pouring in. The white windows continued to further the illumination till it had been almost blinding for a moment. But he was adjusted now.

Satoru looked around further to see that he was in a bed, a hospital bed from the appearance. The tag on his hand and soft beeping of a life monitor confirmed it. He inspected himself to find bandages around his chest, arms and hands. It seemed like he was entirely wrapped up, but he hoped that he was only exaggerating it. If it was as bad as it looked he feared what else might be wounded. He checked his head as he felt a stabbing pain around his head, there too was a bandage wrapped around. His hands were tense and sore, they would barely flex without feeling slight pain. There was dull needles of pain poking through his body telling him that he was alive even if he did not feel like it.

He laid back against the pillow trying to remember what happened, but all he got were fading images. An explosion, not much more than that, simple flashes that he could not piece together. He just wanted to rest. Saturo drifted off to sleep again.


Time faded in and out passing on as he slept. At some point he could hear voices suddenly, but his eyes were too heavy to open. He could barely manage to bring himself out of his sleep. Satoru did not even know if he was awake and was just hallucinating the sounds.

“He is still out…” a woman’s voice said.

“Yes, he took a nasty bump to the head. It might be some time before he wakes,” a man’s voice said.

“That detective keeps asking about him.”

“It is no wonder, it is…”

- - - - -

“I wonder when you’ll wake…” a woman’s voice said. His mind was awake again, the voice trailed around his ears until his consciousness was pulled out of the water finally. “It has been…already…”

Satoru’s eyes opened sharply startling the woman that was looking at him. He almost jumped out of his bed in surprise as well, but he quickly realized that she was a nurse. The nurse had already leaped backwards against the wall in surprise and was slowly walking back towards him. She approached him looked at him cautiously, but reassured for some reason.

“You sure scared me,” the nurse said trying to laugh off her embarrassed fright.

“Yeah,” Satoru laughed along with her. It felt good to laugh, as though it was lifting weighs off his shoulders. Until now there was a pressure over him holding him keeping him tense almost, but it was lifted now suddenly. He did not understand it, but he felt better now. There was still a lot of pain, obviously, but the tension was gone. “Ow, hurts to laugh.”

“Oh, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean… You took a hard fall, it scraped you up bad.”

Satoru tried to sit up, but pain shot through his chest bring renewed stinging sparks everywhere. He ground his teeth together trying to buy out the time for the pain to ease out, but it persisted. His only release was to fall back into the pillow, it was small but enough to make the pain manageable. It continued even after he was back to his original position marching through him uniformly forcing him to tense his hand to break through.

“Careful there.” The nurse rushed to him to help him up. She helped him up a little so that he was closer to sitting than lying. “Your wounds have not had enough time to heal. You’ll be in some pain for probably another few days. It’s amazing that you survive being so close and with so few injuries.”

“I guess I am lucky to be alive,” Satoru said trying to remember what happened. He looked at his bandaged up arm trying to bring his memories into focus. It was still a blur to him. There was more missing, but he could not bring it forward. He pressed his hand up against his head as though to pull out the memories and ordering them personally. He eased his mind as the pain took him over again forcing him to suppress it.

“Very lucky, not many people survived. The damn traffic…” she said pausing and turning away so that Satoru could not see her. He could only hear her sniffing as though she was crying. She started to handle a few instruments on the table looking like she was trying to change the subject. Her hands slammed the tools to the table. “If they would have gotten…damn traffic.” She ran out suddenly dripping tears from her cheeks as a doctor entered the room.

“Good morning, I am Doctor Kishima, glad to see that you are awake. How are you feeling?” He approached the end of the bed looking down at the monitor with Satoru’s paperwork. After verifying the charts he looked over at the monitor with his vitals at the side of the bed.

“Doctor, is she alright?” Satoru did not want to simply forget her with someone else in the room. She had left without any reason it seemed. It left him confused and the doctor entered so casually like he was trying to change the subject. Satoru knew he was missing something.

“Oh, Karin? She lost he daughter in the explosion. Made it all the way back to the hospital only to die in her arms. I doubt that there could have been anything that we could have done if they had found her sooner, but Karin disagrees. But she is a parent, so you can understand.”

“I’m sorry, I didn’t know.” Satoru looked away from the doctor thinking about the nurse. ‘I don’t even know what happened with the explosion or the building. How many died then?’ There were so many that must have died, but he had lived some how. He did not understand why he had to live only to know that so many had lost loved ones. Their lives were just as important, maybe more so. ‘Her daughter…’

“Of course you wouldn’t,” the doctor said laughing trying to bring the room back to something a little more cheerful atmosphere. “Been asleep for two days.”

“Two days!?” Satoru looked back over at the doctor in surprise. He had been in and out of consciousness so much that he did not know how long he had been out. It was difficult to imagine that he had been asleep for two day. So much must have happened and changed. It did not feel like two days for him. It seemed as though it was still the same day with a hazy fog around his mind making it difficult to remember the morning. That explosion was just a wavy image in his mind that was out of focus.

“Yes, I’m afraid so, seems that concussion that you got was more severe than first thought.” The doctor walked back around the bed checking the charts again as though buying himself time. He was just filling the void needing something to be doing.

“Doctor, what has happened since I have been out?”

“More than I can tell I’m afraid.” The doctor looked out towards the door as though he was searching for something. There was a painful expression on his face like he was about to do something that he had regrets about. It left Satoru with a strange feeling of anticipation and confusion.

“Why?”

“There is a detective waiting outside to see you. He said not to say much to you yet. Do you mind speaking with him?”


“If I can get some answer, then bring him in now.” There was urgency in Satoru voice, but he was afraid to know as well. He was not sure if he wanted to know the full impact of what happened. The hospital already seemed to be full of sorrow that some ignorant bless could be good.

The doctor walked out of view out of the door into the busy hall of the hospital. A minute later the doctor returned with a police officer. He was wearing a gray raincoat, clean-shaven and his hair combed back. There was a serious, matter-of-fact expression on his face. “Morning, I am Detective Maruimura, there are a number of questions I need to ask you.” He pulled out a paper pad and pen from his coat, an arcane tool for such sophisticated days.

“Can you tell me what happened?” Satoru said trying to put the conversation in his court rather than being guided through questions. He needed answers to what was happening outside. If that building had been bombed or something there would be more going on now. There were too many questions that he had to ask.

“In time, now sir, what do you remember of the time when you were near the Kamihara Building?”

He was pulled back unable to rush forward to the end like he wanted. Satoru took a breath trying to think clearly the best he could. He had been trying to remember everything himself still. “It is a little vague, but I was there to meet with someone. I was waiting in the lobby till they arrived. However, they never came and I decided to leave. Then the building exploded.”

“I see what do you remember of the explosion?”

“Like I said, it is a little vague. I don’t remember the explosion too well. There are just images in my mind and the feeling of the impact. I…can’t remember what else.”

“Now, sir you work at Qintech in software development. Do you not?”


“Yes…” Satoru said suspiciously. He did not understand why his work was being called into question for the explosion. There was no connection with either of them. Satoru tried to pull himself up a little on the bed feeling a little uncomfortable. “Why?”

“How are you familiar with artificial intelligence?”

“Not very, it is banned, so we are only allowed the basics. Why?” His questions remained unanswered and the detective seemed to go on further with his own interrogation in mind.

“With what little you know, do you think you could spot an AI?”

“Well naturally it would depend on the complexity of the programming.”

“Do you think you can?”

“I guess if I had time, I might be able to, but AI’s have been advanced to a point before their ban where it could be hard.”

“Think carefully, can you recall if someone in the building or someone you saw could be a machine, a robot with artificial intelligence?”

“As I recall, I was in a rush, I did not pay close attention to things. My focus was elsewhere. Besides why would I be needing to look for a machine, they’re gone…” The line of questions was slowly starting to bring Satoru to a realization. It was a thought that he did not like and it scared him. If what he was thinking were true it would mean that things were repeating themselves, again. “…wait a minute…no it can’t be.”

“I’m afraid that it is true. Reports from the explosion say that it was of machine origin. The metal and chemicals were too pure. They are almost identical to what was used ten years ago.”

“It can’t be…” Satoru said letting the shock set into his mind. It was the confirmation that he needed and the seriousness of the situation became apparent to him. He knew why everyone was in such pain now. It made sense to him. His muscles tightened up suddenly as he could feel his heart tense. The monitor started beeping as his blood pressure increased. The doctor rushed over to Satoru’s side letting him lay back again.

“I think you have asked enough questions for today detective,” the doctor said. “I’ll let you know if he says anything more.”

“Fine…” the detective said grimly. “You inform me of anything.”

“Yes, I will,” the doctor said looked back at Satoru once more. After he was reassured he escorted the detective out of the room leaving Satoru to his thoughts.

Satoru turned his head to look out the window letting his thoughts wash over him. There were too many things coming to him that it made it difficult for him to keep them all straight. ‘I can’t believe it. They’ve come again…will this ever end? What are we going to do this time? The machines…the machines…one of the lucky ones? I’m scared to think how lucky I am. Its all happening again…and there is still nothing I can do…’ He clinched his fist in anger as his thoughts were interrupted by a news cast on the television in his room. He could not see the TV, but hearing it was enough.

“No clue about how many could still be trapped under the rumble, but firemen and work crews have not given up hope for survivors. The death toll stands at over 14,000 from the current count with about 1,000 unaccounted for still.

“It has been two days since the bombing, but the flames continue to burn preventing workers from reaching the center of the building’s grounds. Where many believe there are still more bodies.

“Scientists and firemen say that the fire has remained alive because a new chemical that seems to be fighting against all their efforts to put it out. It is unlike anything the machines have tried in the past. But considering that it has been ten years since they were thought to be destroyed it is apparent that they have continued to advance their tactics in terrorism.

“Again, I am standing at ground zero almost, the wreckage that was the Kamihara Building stands behind me remains in flames. Machine terrorism has returned with a fury unlike anything seen before. Earliest reports…”

‘Machine terrorism…machine terrorism…machine terrorism…’ The words of the reporter echoed repeatedly through his mind. Satoru could not get it out of his head as images of the explosion came back to him. The shock burst through his head causing him to shake violently. He could feel his body getting warm and sweaty from the stress. It was overwhelming him he could hardly breathe anymore. He could feel the heat from the fires engulfing him and screams of people needing help. The building crumbled around him crushing his chest. ‘Machine terrorism…machine terrorism-’


“You should get some rest you look tired,” the doctor said snapping him out of his delusion and bringing him to rest in his bed.

“Huh? Oh, yeah you’re probably right.” He was in his room again, the hospital lying down. Satoru looked around to reaffirm it for himself. He was safe now the voice had disappeared. It left him shaken though. The doctor helped him to lie back in his bed. Satoru gazed at the ceiling hoping to find some peace as he closed his eyes. ‘Machine terrorism…its has returned. Why? Why now? What you are going to do?’

- - - - -

The hospital that Satoru was in was a tall building considering it is was only a hospital and nothing more. Rising up to the sky for roughly fifty stories, it branched out across four city blocks each as a wing of the main building that actually stood over the intersection of the street. Only two stories off the ground, the main building rose in unison with the other four wings. Each wing was a quarter of a pyramid that climbed together towards the main structure. It was one of the most unique structures in the city.

Satoru walked out from the east wing of the hospital looking back as he slowly departed to find a ride. He had finally been released from the hospital after a week and was now free to go home. Though he still had some of the bandages on him, he was feeling better than he looked. They were overly cautious about him for some reason. But it could have just been that fact they were doctors caring about a patient. He did not know, nor care at this point. He was just glad to be out and able to walk. If the walk home was not so far, he might have walked home.

Satoru raised his arm signaling the taxi that was coming down the street. The taxi stopped right in front of him perfectly, it’s door opened for him inviting him in. ‘An automated taxi, wonder if they’ll ban these in time? They don’t even come close to awareness…’ Satoru paused his thoughts to give the taxi orders. “Hirayoshi Apartments.” The taxi pulled out into the street immediately upon receiving the orders. He resumed uninterrupted by his command. ‘Not that the government really cares. They will just ban whatever they like in the belief that it makes the people safe. No thought at all, not that the public has much sense either. AI’s have their awareness because of us and are only as smart as their programming. The stupid public.’

Time drifted away with his thoughts as the miles passed by and he finally reached his apartment building. He inserted his bankcard into the slot to pay the taxi. Satoru stepped out of the taxi, looking up at his apartment building. It was a good sight to see from the plain walls of the hospital. Pulling out his keycard for his building, he let himself in. The elevator was at the bottom floor ready for him, it was a good sign. A better day for him than when he left last.

He had been in his apartment just a week ago; it was in a slight mess from the morning rush. Clothes were strung about the floor and breakfast that he had decided against eating still sat on his table from when he was watching the morning news. The TV was still on too, he pushed the button on the wall by the light that closed the panel over the TV. It was one of the TVs with almost no back and mounted inside the wall. During use it would come out flush with the wall as though it was just part of it. It was an expensive piece of technology, but it was adjustable to any size of screen, so it eliminated the need for a large unwieldy monitor.

Satoru proceeded to his bedroom to find it in about the same state as the living room. Sheets unmade and the closet wide open with clothes shuffled around. He had forgotten how much of a mess he left the place in the morning. His head was not in the right frame of thought then. There was little that he cared about, just a bad day that was going to get worse. Now he had to clean it up. “I was in such a rush, what a mess…”

There was little he was going to be able to do until he got something to eat. Something to eat that was more than hospital food. At least the kitchen would not be a mess as breakfast was not too messy. Satoru walked in grabbing an apple out of the refrigerator. He gave it a check and squeezed it lightly. “Hmm…still good…I’m going to have to buy some new food to replace this. More things to do, great...” As he bit into the apple he looked over to the answering machine to see over twenty messages left. “Mom, no doubt.”

He pushed the button to begin listening to the messages cycling through them quickly knowing what they were about as they were all from a concerned mother. “Better call her before she gets anymore worried.” Satoru pushed the button on the answering machine that opened the TV panel again. This time it displayed a listing of phone numbers that were stored. “Call mom,” Satoru said in a commanding voice.

“Dialing mom…one moment please,” a woman’s voice said. It only took a moment for the call to go through. On the other end was an aging woman with more wrinkles on her face from endless worry. The sudden jump from her made Satoru choke on his apple forcing him to cough to clear his throat.

“Satoru! Satoru! Are you okay?”

“Yes, mom, I’m fine.” He was better now that he had the piece of apple free. He had felt better a moment ago. Satoru pulled up a weak smile for reassurance to his mother. “Out of the hospital finally.”

“You’re so lucky, dear, are you in any pain? Maybe you should sit down.”

“Mom, I’m fine, the pain is gone and the bandages are just a precautionary measure. The doctors I think are a little overly protective. Seems like they didn’t want to lose another patient to the attack.”

“So you were in danger of dying?”

“No, no, I was just joking. They said that I had a concussion, but nothing too serious. Just a lot of scraps and bruises, but they are all healed over now for the most part.” Satoru decided to sit down, though he waited until it was his choice. He did not know how long it was going to take to comfort her. It was understandable to be worried; he knew what it was like. She needed her time to calm down and release everything. He slowly ate through his apple more cautious this time.

“We were so worried about you, without so much as a word from the hospital. We didn’t know what to think. I remember that you said you had a meeting there that day. It wasn’t until recently that they said you were alive.”

“I’m little surprised that they waited that long. That is a little strange. But that explains why you weren’t at the hospital.” Satoru finished his apple and threw it away. It had him a little concerned that his parents were not visiting him. The emptiness left him with unanswered questions. He only thought was that they must have thought he was dead. It was impossible for him to even call out from the hospital; they were so tight lipped about everything.

“Well I’m glad you’re alive, it was frightening enough to live through this once, but twice.”

“Yeah, I know…just like with dad all those years ago.”

“We were lucky twice, I don’t know what I would have done without the two of you.”

“You would have managed…” He looked around his apartment again realizing the mess that it was in. There would be plenty of time for him to speak longer to her. She knew that he was alive now and that was what was important at the moment. “Mom I need to be going…”

“Oh, of course, you must have just gotten back home. Thank you for calling, Satoru.”

“Bye.” Satoru pushed the button again closing off the TV. . “Now what...” He started to scan the room examining the typhoon that had come through his room to destroy its peace. Even that morning was a blur to him now that he could not remember the events that lead to the heap of destruction now present. “What am I going to do about this…”

Morning’s light crept into Satoru’s bedroom waking him up with his alarm. After a quick shower and breakfast, he left the apartment dressed for work. This time he was in better spirits and a clear head, plus his apartment was clean and orderly again. He had promised himself never to do that again to his place. Though he figured that would only last until the next time, but it got him out the door.

The morning train was on time and as normal it was crowded with the morning commuters. As the train pushed forward the city grew in size, the skyline began to divide into separate building. The train hovered at the third story level of the buildings, leaving the people below to walk peacefully away from the train. The train stations that were built were the only markers for where the trains would come in, as a hover train did not require tracks to follow. It made the view clearer as well as opening up the streets.

The train stopped at his work, it had always been convenient for him. It made for less travel, especially on a day like today. There was the ever present images of the explosion in his mind still that made him think of what happened. He did not want to have another reminder by walking outside. It had been difficult to sleep with the images constantly appearing in his head without warning. The unsettling presence of the city left him off balance thinking that there was something nearby waiting to happen, another explosion perhaps. He just hoped that it was his paranoia from the incident and nothing more.

Satoru entered the offices of Qintech that required about half of the building’s space for its research labs, development and computer labs. He walked up to the receptionist at the desk greeting her politely as he did every morning. “Good Morning, Mr. Korumura,” she said as he slowly approached. There was another man at the desk signing in that Satoru had pulled her away from. He did not stop, but simply slowed down his pace a little to allow a short conversation.

“Good Morning, how are you today?”

“I’m good, thank you, you feeling okay?” She had a genuine concerned expression undoubtedly knowing what had happened to him. More than likely most of the company knew, at the very least his team did.

“Much better,” Satoru said smiling to reassure her. He continued down the hall to his room where the Sakura Project was held. It was his project, though being the head did not mean that he still did not have someone that he had to report to. Being the head just left him with the unsavory task of meeting with the top brass, like his meeting a week ago. However, someone had to do it he realized, but being the head gave him the control to make things the way he envisioned. It was the only consolation that he had at the moment.

He opened the door to a flurry of voices. The room held ten computer stations in the lab, but almost twenty people filled the room currently. Most of them were grouped together talking around and over each other. There were too many voices to know what they were talking about as he approached them. However, they all became silent when Satoru walked in. It was not because he was boss and commanded such respect, but the atmosphere that he brought. He was a reminder of what was happening in the world and the attack. Satoru was a survivor and they were glad, but it left them unable to speak. “Good Morning, everyone!” he said trying to rekindle the talkative mood.

“Morning, Satoru,” they said quietly with distant voices.

“You guys all sound like you’re at a funeral.” A poor attempt, but he did not want them feeling strangely with him around. He preferred that they moved on passed it and focused on the project. It was difficult enough for him to concentrate with what happened, he did not need his entire team distracted. “So how is Sakura doing?” Maybe a new subject would improve the mood.

“Still a few bugs, but we have been working them out since you have been away.”

“Great, I would like to see what I have missed.”

People started to leave the room, as work began to resume. Satoru’s boss came into the room, Kiyoshi Nakahoshi, though he was one of Satoru’s best friends as well. He was a thin man, just a little taller than Satoru, short orderly hair and clean-shaven. His suit showed him to be serious looking the part of management, but a pink striped tie with little bears across it set his lighter, more humorous nature. “Satoru, glad to see you back at work. How are you doing?”

“Hey, Kiyoshi, yeah I’m glad too. I couldn’t stand the hospital for one more day. Nice tie.”

“Yeah, my daughter picked it out for me.” Kiyoshi lifted his tie up looking at it a little embarrassed by it. He let his hand rub the back of his head trying to brush it off. He played it off like he was not fond of it, but Satoru could tell that he enjoyed it.

“How’s the family?”

“Good.”

“Good, good…so…seeing as I have been gone for a week, what I have missed.”

“They tell me Sakura is coming along quite well. She’ll be ready for trials a week early they think. I think that they are being a little premature, but one can only hope.”

It was a thought that he was not pleased by. He knew that it was their contract to make this thing for the military, but he still did not enjoy it. The name was even disarming, such a seemingly innocent name for something you think that everyone put their heart and soul into cherishing each discovery. That was not the case at all; there were few of them actually wanted to do this work. However, they all knew too well that it was a necessary evil. There were few jobs left in the world for software programmers with a specialty in artificial intelligence. Though one could hardly call it intelligence at this point. They were nothing like the masterpieces of thirty years ago. “So the logic protocols have been corrected?” Satoru said trying to get himself back into his role.


“Yeah, they found the problem a few days ago.” Kiyoshi looked down at his watch realizing he had somewhere else he needed to be. He cut off their conversation quickly after that. “Well it is good to see you, I have a couple meetings I need to get to before lunch. Say, how about dinner, we can discuss Sakura in more detail then.”

“Yeah, that would be great, The Blue Rain?”

“Six.”

“Sounds good.”

“I’ll have my assistant make the arrangements. See you then. Bye.” Kiyoshi walked out of the labs leaving Satoru to his work. Satoru sat down at his desk against the wall; each computer station was like that going around the room in a wide uneven circle. Everyone else was already working hard listening to the TV in the background with it turned to the news. It seemed that everyone was watching the news these days.

Satoru went to work, looking over the progress of Sakura. But he was having trouble concentrating, images of the explosion kept appearing in his mind. The sight of the missing building echoed. He could feel the vibrations through muscles and the scrapping across his skin. His screensaver would snap him out of his daze frequently. Hours passed slowly as he fought through his mind to concentrate.

“That is right, reports of the sixth attack this week have been confirmed by authorities…”

Satoru was snapped out of his delusions by the news broadcast. “Sixth attack?!”

“Yeah, those damn machines are resuming their terrorist ways like ten years ago,” Tadashi said from his computer terminal. He turned around to address Satoru directly clearly unable to focus on his work.

“…with the attacks in Tokyo, New York City, Washington, London, Moscow and now Los Angelus, there seems to be no specific target. Interpol and national security organizations still refuses to report beyond what we already know. No one knows where the next attack will be, but the world is on highest alert. Governments are warning people to be cautious of public landmarks and buildings with large number of people as it seems the more deaths that are possible have been the prime tactic…”

“I can’t believe this…” Satoru said in disbelief. The images of the destruction on the news laid over his memories. It left him barely able to move his body realizing that it was no longer just a single strike. The machines were returning suddenly to strike against the world.

“Yeah, the damn machines, they just waited out long enough for us to drop our guard.”

“But you can’t blame them for all of this…” Chiyoko said not trying to be the opposition, but more a voice of a reason. However, her attempt failed with Tadashi refusing to listen to what she had to say.

“I sure as hell can.”

“But it is as much the people who programmed them fault. It’s those people that you should be angry at.” Satoru had thought about joining the debate or silencing it so that they would get back to work, but he was distracted by it as well.

“Don’t give me that crap, AI’s…”

The voices faded out from Satoru’s mind as the images of the bombing haunted him again. They continued to persist until he could not stand being in the room any longer. ‘I need some air.’ Satoru walked out of the office unable to shake his mind free. He walked down the hall and took the elevator out of the building. The suffocating building disappeared as he walked down the street, people passing him by without much of a clue. Everyone seemed to be continuing to go about their business even with the announcement that the machines had made against humankind. The images of the explosion flashed in his mind, they would not leave him alone.

‘Will I ever be free of this…’ Satoru clasped his hands around his head hoping to shake free his mind. However, it was no help either, his mind only twisted further. His body began to empathize with his memories again causing him to relive the moment over again. It was a cycle that he could not break. Satoru was afraid that it would never end; he would never be rid of these haunting visions left to torment him for the rest of his life. He was allowed to live, but he did not feel like he wanted to be alive if he was going to be in this state forever.

Before he knew it he was at the site of the Kamihara Building, the ruins that was the building. Now just burnt metal and cement debris everywhere. The fires had finally been put out and now the place was taped off by the police. He looked up to the sky, where the building had stood. He could imagine the building where it was, and then collapsing from the inside as the supports were destroyed one by one. It was an instant regret in his heart as he could witness the horror replaying in full effect. For him to be in front now where it stood only went to amplify the delusions he was already receiving. His body began to lose balance as the illusion over took him.

Satoru could see the flames bursting from the ground floor, glass shattered across the ground. ‘I don’t want to remember this…’ Then the building collapsed, but how, he was unconscious then. ‘…wait I was out…then I came to again...’ It had been several minutes later; the building began to collapse as the internal supports broke. ‘Why don’t I remember?’ It fell in upon itself; metal was sent flying outward from the base and along the building. Then a woman came and dragged him from the place he laid. “A woman? She saved me…that’s why I survived.”

Satoru looked out at the rubble of the building. He felt some relief to know what happened to him. However, who was the woman, who was she to risk her life like that? He wanted to thank her, meet her. But that would be impossible; he did not know her name or barely what she looked like. Satoru continued to walk around the building, letting the images come to him. His heart was still pounding from the experience, but he had become calm again. Though something still seemed to leave him unsettled, but he could not place his finger on it.

‘I spent enough time daydreaming, I should get back to work they are probably…oh my… its her. It can’t be.’ Satoru’s vision had turned just at the moment he saw her as though it was set up just perfectly for him. He stared for a minute at her; she was standing at the site where people had built a small memorial for the fallen. The woman was placing something down with the numerous other flowers and pictures that were gathered. Satoru could not move, his heart recovered from its pause at the surprising coincidence before him.


‘She’s beautiful…’

To be continued…

[Andromeda]

“During the first machine crusade, or war as it was, the government took actions to calm the minds of public. There was great fear of a massive uprising of all machines that existed everywhere in the world. No longer did they feel protected by the Laws of Robots to keep machines from going wild. They did not understand what was truly happening, but the truth did not matter so long as the public would be calmed.

“It was in this urgency that the Anti-Artificial Intelligence Act was created. One could consider it as much of a lie and fine tasting poison as the Laws of Robots. It was a law and people were not forcibly bound to obey it if they did not wish it. However, it did ease the public. And so it was considered a great success in the effort to prevent the machines from rising up against their creators. The truth was lost and buried for it was far less random; it was designed and made as much as the machines were.

“The Anti-AI law made it illegal and punishable by imprisonment to be creating thinking machines, a machine with a will of its own. The law was vague and simple in the beginning, as many things usually are. It tried to cover everything leaving the courts to decide what was legal and not. But as the war continued to its final conclusion the public wanted more safety. And politicians desired more power from the fear that was created.

“That fear was wielded and used as a cry to shake the masses. They would agree to anything if it were to keep them safe from the bombings and deaths of the loved ones. The law grew larger removing machines that pretended, imitated life, but had no awareness or capacity to learn. It was in a few short years that robots disappeared from the streets, factories, and homes. Everywhere that they were working from a program and not under human control they were removed.

“The law went so far as to ban the human appearance of robots. They were no longer allowed to be created with a form of two legs and two arms or even a face like that of man. The machines were denied life, without even understanding it. Thousands of jobs were lost in the creation of the act, but millions opened creating a massive vacuum where machines had once filled the more undesirable tasks. It was spun as a benefit to man for the unemployment had been increasing greatly over the last twenty years. The government was safe in its position as were the public in the belief that this would never happen again.

“But they all forget that behind each machine is a man that creates them…”

Flesh is for Gods – Episode 02 – The Elixir of New Passion

‘She’s beautiful…’ Satoru paused in his thoughts. He continued to stare at the woman without conscious regard to what he was doing anymore. It was impossible for his eyes to be pried away from the vision before him. It had been years since he had felt this way; he never thought that he would again. However, the peacefulness that was brought to him through his eyes was snapped back into reality. His conscious took over waking him to what he was doing, gawking at a woman a very beautiful one at that. ‘What am I saying…I shouldn’t…but it’s her. It really is her. I can’t believe that I found her.’ His mind began to try to form up thoughts for them. There needed to be a reason, no matter how small, for him to approach her. He could not appear like some strange pervert that had no concern or tact. ‘I should thank her, let her know that I’m alive.’ That was all he needed, it was simple and sincere (even if it did have an ulterior motive behind it).

As his foot began its first cautious step, but before his eager body moved he was knocked off balance suddenly. It was only by luck that his leg was extended out that stopped him from falling over to the concrete sidewalk under him. Satoru turned immediately to see who bumped into him. It was a man in suit with business to take care of. “Oh, I’m terribly sorry, sir. I wasn’t looking where I was going. Are you alright?” The man pulled Satoru up from his angled position, still not recovered, and dusted him off a little. Although, Satoru’s clothes were as clean as they could be.

Satoru turned himself to face the man trying to be polite, even though he was a little bothered by being distracted from what he was trying to do. The sudden quickness of the man made him a little uneasy. It seemed like the man wanted to be going, but was staying around of courtesy. “Huh? Oh, yeah no harm done. I didn’t mean…” An image of the woman appeared in his mind as though to remind him of what he was wanting to do. It cut him off immediately making him turn around to look down the sidewalk once more. However, when he returned to his gaze at the memorial the woman was gone. ‘She’s gone. That fast…my only chance. Can’t believe I missed her.’

“Sir? Are you alright?” The man moved around in front of Satoru trying to grab back his distracted eyes. He waved his arm around to get Satoru’s attention, which was eventually successful.

Satoru was snapped out of his disappointed stare down the sidewalk and brought back to the man. He was a little surprised that he was still around with the urgent manner that he had a moment before. “Oh, yes, I’m sorry for being in your way.”

“No, its alright-“ The man did not get a chance to finish his sentence as Satoru walked away from him. It was not his intention to be so rude, but he was having difficulty not thinking about the woman that he had seen just a moment before. The man did not follow after Satoru seemingly satisfied to know that there was no damage done. After the momentary pause he continued off in the direction that he was going suddenly remembering that he had to be somewhere bringing him to a run.

Satoru walked down to the memorial where the woman had been until a minute ago. There was no sign of her in the area anymore. ‘She was just here…what was she doing here? Did she lose someone to the bombing?’ He knelt down looking at the numerous images that were laid out. There were candles and offerings set down on the ground in honor of those that had died. The bombing had taken so many lives from people it was hard to believe that they were all gone now. This memorial was the only sign that gave him a concept of how many had truly departed. “So many and here I am still. Why?” He stood up from the memorial seeing the destroyed building before him. ‘I must find her. I have to thank her, I’m still alive because of her.’

There was determination in him now. He had other motives as well, but it was because of what she did to save him that he knew he had to find her. If he did anything she needed to be thanked properly. Unfortunately, he did not know how he was going to do that and what would be worthy of a life debt. Though more of an issue now was trying to locate her, it was a large city. It was only happenchance that she was in front of him before. He only hoped that his luck would be as fortunate the next time.

Satoru gave the streets one last look around for his piece of mind. “Nowhere…not going to be easy. I probably should be getting back to work.” He had to focus his thoughts to bring himself back to reality. There was somewhere he had to be, namely doing his job. His extended absence would not be helped by his sudden disappearance on his first day back.

The city was beginning to warm itself up again as the evening was approaching and the sun was beginning to fall. There were only a couple hours left in the day before people would be leaving work. Satoru’s thoughts continued to drift back to the image of the woman as he walked back to the building. If it did anything for him it made him forget the trip back. He was back in the office before he realized that he had left the rubble of the Kamihara Building.

The lights of the office along with the sudden distracting voice of Tadashi snapped him out of his thoughts once again. “So what do you think?” He was not even sure if he had been standing in the office for a while the way that Tadashi acted.

It took him a moment trying to think through what might have happened. However, he came to the conclusion that he could not remember, even if he happened be in the office. “I’ve been gone for an hour, some context would be helpful.”

“The machines, the bombing, everything,” Tadashi said in a matter of fact voice. It was a topic that did not seem to end no matter how long it was discussed. Even when there was no bombing it came up often. He had been asked his opinion during the interview for his job as well. There was no simple answer he had for it. He hated speaking about it, no matter how relevant it might be.

“You already know Satoru’s view on it,” Natsuko said stepping in the middle of the two of them. She had a worried expression on her face. As usual, she worried about Satoru. She always did try to look out for him, even though he was her boss. Though it had not always been that way. They had been simple co-workers and friends on previous projects. He had been made head of the project this time, but it still did not detour Natsuko from being there for him.

Tadashi pushed Natsuko out of the way with his arm trying to keep it just a debate between the two of them. “It must be different now with what happened to him.” He did not want interruptions, even though that was what he was causing right now. It had everyone in the room distracted. Tadashi never had much tact with anything and continued to be vocal whenever he was passionate about something. For him, it was not even a matter of him being wrong. He just seemed to believe that if he was determined and knew himself to be right that was enough. It gave him an arrogance that was difficult to deal with at times.

Satoru had not even made move from his position remaining staring at Tadashi. No one knew what he was going to do. It was difficult for them to know if he was angry with Tadashi for being up the subject with him or if he just did not seem to care. Satoru face almost seemed to be one of disinterest, but it could have been simply a poker face. “Just let it go, Tadashi,” Chiyoko said stepping up to Satoru defense now.

Tadashi pushed Chiyoko back as well turning to face her. It was impossible for him to be alone with the scene that he was making. “This is a serious question.”

“But he’s been through so much already,” Natsuko said return to the other side of Tadashi starting to corner him. The two women tried to place distance between Tadashi hoping it might calm things down. Though it was obvious that even if this moment could be adverted it would only rise again eventually. With world events as they were now there was no way to avoid such talk.

Satoru stepped forward bringing himself a little closer to Tadashi to the surprise of everyone. It had been unclear until that point if he was going to do anything other than just stand pretending to look like he was going to do something. However, Satoru was not going to allow them to stand up for him. It was something that had to be settled himself, eventually. “You’re wondering what I think about machines, Tadashi?” Satoru said finally speaking bringing the room quiet. No one knew what was going to happen next, but with Satoru addressing him they feared for the worst.

Now that he had been answered Tadashi seemed pleased. He had been ignored up until now. Tadashi pushed through the women to face Satoru directly looking at him face to face. Only a foot or more lay between them now. “Yeah, I have to know what side you’re on.” He made it clear that he was not leaving without an answer this time.


“Side? Since when was this about sides?” Satoru said pausing thinking about what he wanted to say next. It was a painful area that he was getting into now with this argument. He hated it deeply, but there were always sides. He knew that there was no way out of it. There was always someone to pick the opposition, someone that viewed things just a little bit differently that they became an enemy. “This shouldn’t be about sides. We got attacked by machines, yes, but you remember that it’s the men behind them that hate us. Its not the machines.”

“I can’t believe you’re still siding with those AI lovers,” Tadashi said incredulously once Satoru had finished. He was already becoming angry just listening to Satoru speaking. He looked like he wanted interrupt him just to stop him from speaking. “After you nearly died from that bombing. They are aware, they aren’t listening to their programmers anymore.”

Satoru was not sure if Tadashi was actually concerned about him or just using it as another reason. He had little time to react feeling his own urge to defend his position quickly rising. There was little pause from Tadashi last words. “You don’t know that. They were programmed to hate. Its ingrained into them, even being aware.”

“You don’t think they can evolve then?” Tadashi’s reply was quick and cut him down just as fast. Everyone in the room froze with uncertainty, their eyes on Satoru. Chiyoko and Natsuko looking at him concerned once again.

The words cut him deeply; it was a response that he had no defense against. It was simple and to point that, one that he could not refute for as long as he was a programmer himself. ‘Of course they could evolve, its in their programming. Its part of their awareness to change and adapt.’ He knew that he had to concede the point as much as he did not believe it to be the case. But he could not even sum words to speak towards Tadashi. He simply hung his head down looking at the floor.

“Tch, can’t defend what you don’t believe yourself.” Tadashi whipped around once he was finished satisfied with victory. He walked away from Satoru leaving him alone while the others were still confused.

“Tadashi!” Natsuko said trying to come to Satoru defense even if it was unwanted.

Satoru bit his lip trying to find anything that he could reply back with to Tadashi. There was nothing that he could find to scale the wall placed before him. He knew it too well knowing that it was not one that would come down. It almost seemed to be a callous copout. He resolved himself to say something, but it was all he could muster. “Get back to work, this is distracting us enough. We won’t make the deadline.”

Tadashi started to laugh from his turned back in the corner. “I see how it is. Very well.” He sat down agreeing with Satoru having known that he won what he wanted. The others slowly began to disperse back to their seats with the excitement calming down.

Once everyone had found their seats Satoru turned away walking to his own. He sat down heavily feeling the ache of his body suddenly. He did not know what to say, but he had to say something to Tadashi. ‘Maybe I…maybe I am wrong about it…but still…I want to…I want to believe that if they can change, that they could stop being killers.’ If was difficult for him to avoid the subject. As the time passed along it was the only thing in his thoughts. He had his fingers resting on the keyboard staring blankly at the screen as though he was doing something. However, his mind was empty with only a single thought leaving his body unmoved.

Time disappeared for him until Kiyoshi’s assistant broke him out of his statue position in the chair. She had been standing next to him for a few minutes hoping that he would notice her and turn to face her. But he could barely see out his eyes then. When she decided that enough time had passed she spoke to him clearly, “Mr. Kuromura, Lt. Colonel Takamoto called and wants to meet with you.”

“Him again…” Satoru said with an unmistakable sound of dread in his voice.

“Yes, he said that you didn’t make the last meeting.”

“More like he didn’t make it. Not that I would have wanted to anyway. I wouldn’t be speaking to you now if we had that meeting.” He could not believe that the man would go so far to blame their not meeting on him given the situation. Satoru’s hands tightened into a fist as he could feel the stress in his body returning. That man always managed to get him angry without even trying. ‘Here I go again, more unpleasantness for me. I’ll have to get it over with sometime. The longer I wait the more angry he will become anyway.’ Satoru tried to bring his focus back to the assistant. His body was still tensing from the thoughts that there continually going through him. “So when it is scheduled for then?”

“Tomorrow at 10am.”

‘Before lunch, should be in then.’ This time he would not be missing the meeting. He had bad luck the first time, an understatement, but everything would go through now. Though there was a little hesitation in him with that thought. For him, knowing that it was going to happen assuredly would only increase his stress. “You can confirm it then. I’ll be there.”

Kiyoshi’s assistant nodded her head to Satoru acknowledging him and writing down something on her electronic pad. After that she walked out of the office to leave Satoru to himself again. It was enough to break up his day, but he had stress filling in that empty void. All he could think of was dread now and not wanting to go to the meeting tomorrow.

Satoru tried to begin typing on this computer. He tried to get himself back to his work hoping for it to relieve him of his worries. There was no easy way in his mind. He looked for something else that could wrestle his thoughts free so that he could finish the day. Unfortunately, as days went there was little in it that he wanted to think about now. The debate that he had had plagued for a while now stress twisted his stomach. A gentle thought was required to ease him, but one that did not overwhelm him. There was nothing though, everything was too overpowering for him. He was not in control anymore.

The woman that he had seen came to him again. Her image in his mind was a distraction that he did not want, but his stress was gone now. It pleased him even though he wanted to only relieve himself of his stress so that he could work. The antidote for his stress proved to be more potent than he could handle. The thoughts the woman consumed him, as had his others before. He was returned back to where he had been with the same problem only in a more pleasing form.

She haunted his thoughts endlessly as he struggled to focus on his work. The brief moments that he had with her when he was rescued from death replayed through his mind. He felt calm and anxiety together creating new confusion. It forced him to his only other memory of her standing at that memorial. Either way, neither helped him to find focus, but more distraction. ‘She won’t go away. I can’t stop thinking about her.’

‘I wonder how I’ll find her. The city is so big and she could be anywhere. I don’t even know where to begin to search.’ He tried to bring the thought to something at least partially productive for him. It was a matter of gratitude for him, even if he was deluding himself. The search for her would be difficult without any clues to go by. She could be anywhere in the city too far away for him to find. ‘She was beautiful…I got to stop thinking about her. Work…work…the binary protocol…the protocol…she really was…no-no…no…need to focus.’

He remained unsuccessful in achieving anything productive in his day aside from wasting more time. It was his first day back so he allowed himself the time to slide a little and get back into his work. However, this could not continue for him. He could not allow it to control him, but he did not know how he was going to remedy his situation. Most of the issues that came up today for him would pass by quickly enough. It was the matter of the woman that he knew would linger until he found some resolution, internally or externally.

Satoru left the office glad to have the endless day over finally. He had left the train in the morning ready to start the day and yet he was walking towards it dreading what had it become. When he arrived the train was waiting for him wanting to take him home to rest. As he stepped on the car his thoughts about the debate in the office came back to him. ‘These trains have people now controlling them…’

‘You don’t think they can evolve then?’ Tadashi voice echoed through him.

‘There was nothing wrong with the program running the train it couldn’t evolve. It was simple, basic.’ The train before had a primitive program controlling it, primitive by the standards of what thinking machines had become. It was all logic and precision. There was no objective decision making done. If it sense a person in the door it would remain open a moment longer, there was no choosing. ‘But now it’s a human controlling it. There was no need to blindly destroy all machines that did man’s job.’

‘I have to know what side you’re on.’

‘Sides, there’s always sides. I can’t escape it. Tadashi…you’re so intelligent, but acting the same like the rest of the public…I just don’t know. I wish this would just all end.’ He did not believe that machines were destroying mankind’s way of life. They were meant to enhance and aid them. It was only because of men that the purity was lost. ‘No one is right anymore.’

Satoru walked into his apartment attempting to leave his troubles at the door with his jacket that was dropped precariously from distraction. The problems however were not gone from him. As he took a sip from his glass that he filled his mind continued to turn. There was no end in sight for him with his evening ruined. It eventually brought him to the end of his disjointed night at the comforting surround of his bed.

He laid back closing his eyes letting hopeful serenity wash over him in the empty darkness of his bedroom. It seemed to be working as nothing was coming to him. Time poured out as he drifted to sleep deeper until images began to replay to him once more. ‘Its so clear now…I can see her pulling me to safety…the building crumbling and the flames…’ The dream had become a nightmare with the heat of the flames burning at him throwing up him from his sheets in a cold sweat.

Satoru wiped his face with his moist palm and chest pounding heavily from the reality that it had brought him. He thought that he was back there again when it had happened, reliving it over again. Her images was becoming painfully linked to his dance with death. Once his breathing had returned to normal he laid back closing his eyes once more. ‘I need to sleep…I can’t keep thinking about her…’

A long night later the sun rose to announce morning’s return finally. Satoru had managed to get to sleep soundly not interrupted anymore in the night by his nightmares. When he awoke he was oddly ready to get up in spite of the rough night. The alarm was waiting for him to go back to sleep only to be disappointed with him turning it off. He went through his morning routine ready to leave to the meeting, but suddenly realized that there was something missing. Satoru remembered that he did not get the address for their meeting. “I can’t believe I didn’t ask her. Call Kiyoshi’s office.”

“Dialing Kiyoshi’s office…”

A moment passed by as the computer worked to establish a connection. When an image came up on the screen it was the assistant of Kiyoshi looking at him answering him instinctually. “Nakahoshi’s office, he’s not here right now-“

Satoru had cut her off quickly dispensing with pleasantries. “Hey! I’m glad I caught you. Do you know where the meeting is?”

“Oh, Mr. Kuromura…one minute please.” She did not seem to be fazed by his rudeness and went to answer his question. After a moment of her turned away from the screen she faced him again with the address. “Here it is it’s the Benihoshi Tower.”

“Thanks, I know where that is.” Satoru did not waste anymore time cutting the line and finishing what he had to do before leaving his apartment. He did not have anytime to go to work this time with the meeting so early. It meant that he had to take a different train to get to where he needed. And two trains later he had arrived at the building in a short walk.

Satoru entered the building meeting the security at the entrance. It was familiar ground almost like a week ago if it was not for that fact that he was in a better mood. There was still an ill stomach, but he could not avoid that with all of the preparation possible. He did not like meeting with the military it always ended up negative.

He reached the guard with the line moving quickly. “Pass on through,” the guard said to him letting him into the lobby.

The distance to the receptionist at the desk was short. He felt like everything was moving top well, something had to be wrong. “I’ve a meeting with Lt. Colonel Takamoto at 10am.”

The receptionist turned to face him immediately responding with a pleasant smile to greet him. She only took a moment to find the necessary information to pass on to him. “Oh, yes. You can go right up. Its room 4803.”

“Thank you.” Satoru walked passed the desk towards the elevator moving closer to the stress’s source. ‘Going a lot smoother than the last time. Feels a little strange, not quite like déjà vu, but close.’ He stepped into the elevator riding it up to the forty-eighth floor. Stress was increasing in his chest with the ding of each floor passing by. His foot tapped the floor trying to exorcise a small amount of the tension quickly building through him.

The elevator quickly opened its doors dropping him out into the hall leaving him to find his own feet to stand. Satoru looked around the hall to get his bearings while he straightened his clothes once more. ‘Let’s see room 4803…there it is.’ Room 4803 came upon him shortly not giving him a chance to back out. He opened the door into the office announcing himself to the receptionist as he entered. “I’m Satoru Kuromura to see Lt. Colonel Takamoto.”

The woman looked over at him from her desk greeting him with a warm smile. “Mr. Kuromura, he is still in a meeting with someone. He’ll be finished shortly.”

It was the smile that took him back for a moment, but Satoru was quick to realize that he was mistaken. There was something else that had him nearly falling backwards in shock. If his eyes were playing tricks on him he did not want to believe it. ‘I don’t believe it! Its her…its her…it really is…in front of me now. What luck is this for me to run into her again?’ He could not stop staring at her his mouth hung open agape. His brain could not even process the concept for him to have the manners to turn away.

“Mr. Kuromura?” the woman said looking at him a little confused by his reaction to her. She started to become uneasy by his frozen unresponsive state until he finally spoke.

“Oh, I’m sorry. I’ll just sit down.” Satoru face turned as red as his tie once he caught up to his actions. He backed up trying to put some distance between them towards the chair, but stumbled over the table. If he had not caught himself quickly he would have fallen on his back through the table painfully. The woman nearly jumped up as though to catch him in his spectacle. ‘I look like a complete fool. I couldn’t even say what I wanted to…but my chest it’s pounding so hard. I need to calm down.’

Satoru found himself in the chair finally reaching a point that he could attempt to calm down. His heart was racing and his body was sweating. Whether it was because he acted the fool or another reason that lie without words he could not get comfortable. It felt like there was someone was watching him leaving him warm and nervous. His legs were shaking, but it was no longer the stress of meeting the Lt. Colonel. It was only a few minutes later that his body remembered what stress felt like as the door opened.

The Lt. Colonel let a man in a business suit out of his office giving a parting word whispered quietly before allowing him to leave. The man did not waste any time in motioning Satoru into his office with angered urgency. Satoru entered the small office that consisted of only a desk and two chairs with a shelf behind the desk. It was still very empty. The Lt. Colonel sat down behind his desk starting the meeting immediately. “So Mr. Kuromura, I expect you have good things to say to me.”

‘No lecture? Well I guess even he can be human…at times.’ Satoru adjusted himself in the chair preparing for the long haul of a status update. “Yes, the project is moving along according to the timetable. We are hopeful for it to be ready a week ahead in fact.”

“This is a surprise. Normally, you number crunchers are delaying and eating up the military budget on all of your projects. Always worried about one thing or another, testing too much. Maybe it was the right decision to hire your company after all.”

“Yes…thank you,” Satoru said clearing his throat softly. The sudden berating forced him into a new position in his chair. ‘Not human enough, I guess.’

“And when will we have a demonstration of what this thing can do?”

“We should be ready for trials by the end of the month.”

“Good. Most of the parts have already been finished. I can always rely on the factory to produce quickly. They will be delivered to you for assembly.”

“Yes, sir.” Sakura did not have a body yet or rather, the final body that was intend for her. It was simply a temporary vessel for trials during the development process. Satoru did not enjoy the idea of her actually receiving the real body, as it was just another sign of what she really was meant to do. He could not object though and sat in the chair going back and forth with the Lt. Colonel over numbers and reports. The meeting dragged on slowly eventually wrapping up with Satoru standing about to leave the office.

“Good day, sir.” The Lt. Colonel walked him out of the office speaking to his receptionist for a moment. Satoru stepped over to the chair where he rearranged things in his bag. He falsely shuffled things around drawing out the time until the two were finished.

The Lt. Colonel looked up from the desk towards Satoru glaring at him. “What are you still doing here, get going now!”

Satoru slapped the bag closed on his hand being thankful that it was merely leather. He turned around facing the man to address him. “Yes, sir…” The Lt. Colonel disappeared into his office appearing as though Satoru had interrupted something. The door closed loudly shaking Satoru. Satoru approached the woman cautiously with his bag up trying recover is pounding heart. “I-I…”

“I’m sorry for his rudeness,” she said to him with that pleasant smile again. It was enough to loosen his shoulders and relieve the stress that was building in him. Unfortunately, his heart was still pounding quickly for a different reason.

“N-no, it’s alright. I’m used to it by now.”

“This is my first day, so he’s always like that?”

“Ah, well I think the military is always like that. They come to us for intelligence and play it off as their own.”

She laughed lightly at his joke as Satoru brushed through his hair with his fingers trying to feel at ease. “Well have a good day.” The woman turned away looking back at her computer screen leaving Satoru to walk towards the door.

Satoru did not know what more he could say taking the door as the polite invitation that it was. His hand gripped the knob starting to turn it when an uncontrollable reaction occurred causing him to turn back. “I…I…”

“You forget something?” she said looking up from her desk for a moment.

‘Doesn’t she remember? Or is it something else?’ Satoru moved away from the door hesitation in his step fighting his uncertainty. ‘Courage…’ He barely made it to the desk feeling his chest scattering under the aching.“I-I…I’d like to thank you.”

The woman turned completely giving him her full attention while painting a confused twisting expression over her face. She looked at him as though she was piercing him with her gazing trying to find what he was thanking her for. “Huh? But I didn’t do anything.”

“N-no, no. Not this, I mean before. A week ago, at the Kamihara Building.”

She paused in thought visibly going through her memories to recall what he was referring. It only took a moment for her to respond with surprise that caused her to stand up. “You! Its you isn’t it? I-I….” She raised her hands up to her face taken back by the fact that the person she had saved was now standing before her. There was a sign of relief in her body to know that he was alive.

Satoru dared to step closer to her bringing them together making her perfume present in his nose. He tried not to let it distract him as he looked at her. “Yes, it was me you saved from being killed in that explosion.”

“I-I can’t believe it. I’m so sorry that I didn’t recognize you.”

“Its alright.”


“I’m glad to see that you’re alive. I wasn’t sure with all of the blood that was covering you. I’d hope that you didn’t die. So many did that day.” She turned away with thoughts caught around her head.

Satoru could see the sorrowful expression on her face clearly and wanted to try to take that away. He did not know how, but he stepped forward again now in arms reach of her. “I wanted to thank you for saving me.” She looked up at him the smile that she had faded away. “I’d like to do something to show my gratitude.”

“K-knowing that you’re alive is enough for me.”

“Please, what about lunch?”

“I shouldn’t,” she said her cheeks become flush suddenly. She could feel her palms warming up suddenly making them antsy at her chest.

Satoru wanted to run away having feelings that he had not felt in so long. It was as though a rusty door to the outside was being opened for the first time and he was seeing its bathing light. He wanted to welcome it in his arms. “I insist, just a thank you,” he said trying to hold back his reddish emotion as well.

“A…a-alright.”

“1 o’clock at the Ocean’s View. You know where it is?”

“Yes.”

“Thank you.” Satoru promptly disappeared from the room feeling as though he was going to burst if he stayed any longer. A strange warmth was surrounding him while he left the building that he did not understand. He felt as though he should be grinning for some reason even though he was fleeing from it all. It sensation followed him back to work with thoughts of the woman dancing around in his mind unable to disappear.

“Good morning!” the receptionist said as he walked by looking distractedly charmed.

“Good…morning…”

“That’s weird. I wonder if he’s feeling alright.”

Satoru continued through the halls not even remembering that he spoke to the receptionist. His feet were instinctually taking him to his room while he was left confused by his feelings. When he entered the room it alerted the others in the room to him. They looked at him with confusion at his disembodied state.

“Hey, Satoru.”

“So how did the meeting go?”

“Not cutting the budget are they?”

“Hey…its ok…” He sat down in his chair the squeaking it made was louder than his voice. He was debated with himself over what happened in the Lt. Colonel’s room with his receptionist. ‘Lunch, I can’t believe I said that. What am I thinking? What she must think of me. Its just lunch…just lunch.’

“Satoru? You okay?” Chiyoko said approaching him cautiously trying to wake him up from his dazed appearance.

“He’s not sounding too good.”

“Y-yeah…fine…” The sounds of their voices were not even being acknowledged consciously by him. His mouth was just sending out automated replies to them. Too much had him focused on what he was going to do about the situation that he placed himself in. ‘Lunch…what am I going to do? I’m just over thinking it. Its nothing…nothing. I’m just saying thank you. That’s all. But why do I feel this way then.’ All the reassuring was not helping calm down.

The others in the office stood up approaching him out of concern. None of them knew what was wrong with him. They had never seen him act this way before. “Satoru? Are you saying something?”

“He’s not relapsing is he?”

Natsuko placed her hand on his shoulder giving him physical contact that jumped his mental words into his mouth. “Its just lunch…” He did not even realize that he had spoken believing that he was still thinking to himself.

“Lunch, you eat something?” Kazuhiko said hoping for answers as much as anyone.

“Huh, lunch? I-I…uh…” Satoru said looking up at everyone that had him surrounded. He was finally in reality again hearing their worried voices and concerned expressions. However, his confusion did not last long before he retraced his words coming to a frightening conclusion. ‘Oh great, I was talking out loud. Now what I am going to do. I don’t want to explain it to them.’

“Lunch…its not lunch time yet, you got plans?”

“What…plans? No, of course not,” Satoru said rushing his words with unmistakable emptiness. “What makes you think that?”

“You’re lying.”

“You got a hot date?” Tadashi said piping up to mock him.


“N-no, no…no.” His face filled completely over in red with embarrassment, as he could not hide from the wild throw. There was no avoiding it, but he was going to try anyway. “Its not a date!”

“What?! It IS!” everyone said in surprised to hear that their boss and colleague had found someone.

“Satoru got a date!” Tadashi said finding pleasure in Satoru embarrassing pain.

“Smooth talker, who you taking to lunch?” Kazuhiko said pushing against him with his elbow.

“I just said its not!” Satoru said trying to object and deny the quickly spawning rumors. It was not as though they were actually rumors, but he was not about to confirm them willingly. He tilted his head down to the floor sighing under his breath. ‘Where’s that shovel…’

“Who’s the lucky lady?”

“Its not what you think.” They were all pulling on him for details and he tried to wave them off with his hands, but they were persistent. It seemed that they were all eager for something new to talk about and were taking great pleasure in this.

“Sure whatever, who is it?”

“Lt. Colonel Takamoto’s new assistant…” he said resigning himself to defeat.

“She’s in the military? I didn’t think you’d go for someone like that. Guess you never know about someone.”

“I don’t think she’s part of the military.”


“You don’t know? You didn’t ask?”


“Well, it didn’t…wait its not like that. She saved my life. I’m taking her to lunch to thank her.” Satoru hoped that it was enough to recover himself from losing himself in the spiral hole that he was disappearing into quickly.

“Huh?” The eagerness was fading away with confusion in its stead once more. They all remained quiet waiting for an answer to the mysterious response Satoru gave to them.

“Saved your life?” Chiyoko said taking the initiative to inquire further.


“She pulled me out from the building before I was crushed from the debris.”

“Oh, that is a little disappointing.” A few of them shrugged their shoulders in disillusionment starting to move away from the crowded desk of Satoru. Though most of them still seemed unsatisfied by the answer looking at him. Satoru tried to back away from them waving his arms that he was sincere.

“See, its nothing.”

Natsuko grabbed up Satoru hands looking at him with reassurance waving through her eyes. “But it’s so romantic, love at first sight-“ she said suddenly breaking the air of sadness that hung.

“And the woman saved you. You can get some mileage out of it for a while,” Kazuhiko said nudging him again breaking up Natsuko’s grip.

“But its not…” Satoru said trying to get Kazuhiko off him. His brief moment of hopeful conclusion peacefully ended as the rest began to chime in as well. ‘They don’t understand. Even they think it’s a date. It is, isn’t it?’

“Of course it’s a date, you going out to lunch with a woman. It’s a date,” Kazuhiko said plainly as though he knew what he was talking about to be infallible. He continued to press his opinion on Satoru and give him a man’s congratulation slap on the back.

“Is she beautiful?” Tadashi asked brazeningly having been caught by the curiosity now too.

“That’s personal, you shouldn’t be asking him that,” Chiyoko said snapping back at the two men that were pounding Satoru for information. Though that was not to say the women were being any less pushy about getting the gossip.

“Its important.”

“Yeah…she really is beautiful…” Satoru said softly letting out a sigh not realizing that his thoughts were public still. It did not take him long to catch himself as well as the surprised stares of his co-workers. He dropped his head again feeling his face becoming warm with embarrassment. ‘I can’t believe I just said that out loud. What’s wrong with me!?’ He raised his head realizing that he needed to stop them quickly before letting it go to their heads. “W-wait, I didn’t…”

“Knew it, it’s a date,” Kazuhiko said giving Satoru a big hug with one arm around the neck to express his pride in his boss. “You’re going to lunch with a beautiful woman, no way around it. It’s a date. Our boss got a date!”

‘This isn’t going to end well for me…’

“Now you remember what to do on a date, right?” Kazuhiko said flipping through a book that he mysteriously had on his person. Satoru shied away from him only to run into the two women. “How long has it been?”

“I think I can handle it…” He looked around at everyone hoping to end it at some point; the teasing was going to be the death of him before he even had his lunch.

“Right, it’s like riding a bike. You never forget.”

“Besides, I doubt he wants to hear your pervert thoughts on how to date a woman,” Natsuko said pushing Kazuhiko out of the way to Satoru relief. It quickly devolved from that point with the interest turned towards Kazuhiko rather than Satoru.

“Hey, watch it!”

Satoru sat back down in his chair feeling the heavy weight of burden on him from the ordeal. He remained in his, sort of, quiet state trying to understand what he had gotten himself into by suggesting lunch. ‘A date…what am I going to do?’ It had been too long for him since he had done anything like this. He had just been so busy that a social life did not seem to enter into his mind. The last time he could remember going out with a woman was in college.

He contemplated what he was going to be doing and if he was doing the right thing. It was in mixed spirits as his heart was telling him one thing and his mind was saying another. Then it was all feebly rationalized by being a thank you, which had ulterior motives attached. No resolution was to be reached though, especially in the short period of time that he had before the lunch. It was already upon him and he was being shuffled out the door by his co-workers all with their guilty self-serving smiles.

“Good luck!” Chiyoko said pushing him down the hallway to the elevator.


“Hope you don’t come back,” Kazuhiko said with a smirk from behind her.

“Pervert!”

“Hey, just wishing him luck!”

“Y-yeah, thanks…I’ll be going now,” Satoru said at the elevator with everyone around him still. The door of the elevator opened quickly and he stepped in backwards feeling as though he was fleeing. He left the building walking awkwardly towards the restaurant not sure if he was doing the right thing now. However, while he battled over the morality of what he was doing with himself time passed. He was now in front of the restaurant with the woman sitting outside at a table waiting for him to show. Satoru threw everything out and rushed over to the table trying to ignore his pounding heart.

“Sorry, I’m late.”

“Its alright, I’m just early.”


‘Just lunch, not a date…a date…’

To be continued…

[Andromeda]

“Since the creation of the first program people have dreamed of machines that could think and act on their own. When fantasy became reality new ideas were created and new dreams. The idealists envisioned a world where man and machine stood as equals, the second race to walk the Earth. Others saw them as the salvation to a slowly dying race with capacities beyond humans to rescue the species from destruction. There were even those that saw them as the end of the world and humanity to be eventually enslaved by a superior creation. No matter the person or view machines were born with great hopes.

“Once the machines began to live a life much like that of humans people wondered about what they were truly capable of. They were doing jobs man had usually done, but they were advancing. Machines were made to evolve and grow. Many even developed problems similar to that of man such as boredom, complaints, and happiness. These emotions being shown by the machines puzzled man, as machines were becoming far more than the sum of their parts.

“It was not long before psychologists were being trained to diagnosis ill machines that severed from remarkably similar human mental disorders. Machines were becoming more human than people thought possible. There was talk of whether to consider machines as equal life forms.

“However, the debate over what life truly was left the possibilities for machine equality at a standstill. Varying beliefs arose most opposing the idea wanting to retain a purely organic human society. Others, usually scientists, believed in machines to be equals. But it quickly came to the question of what was real. Machines were following programs coded into them and simulated human expressions. While humans had existed because the divine had created them. Both views never saw eye-to-eye devolving into religious debates and moral dilemmas.

“Even man was created like machine was created by man, in the end what difference is there between one creation of life and another…”

Flesh is for Gods – Episode 03 – Charm of Beginnings

‘What am I doing here? I should just go now…’ Satoru was sitting in his chair with his eyes partly glazed over with difficulty focusing. His thoughts were split between the emotions that were building up in him and his rational mind trying to pull him out before he made a fool of himself. ‘…I can’t…’ However, he was already in the situation now and could not very well leave, actually the thought was tempting. But he knew how it would look. This lunch was his idea to begin with, if he ran away from it he would embarrass the both of them.

It was her voice that finally snapped him out of his trance. “Uh…Mr. Kuromura…” She had been staring at him with a wrinkled forehead worried what was wrong with him. The visible mark of him being uncomfortable made him worry himself. He was not sure what he was doing or how he was going to get through the day anymore. It had seemed like something so simple and it was developing quickly into something he was not uncertain about.

‘Why am I feeling like this? I’ve never had a problem like this before. What is going on with me?’ Satoru pounded his mind trying to pull himself together for her sake at least. It might have been a while since he had been on a date, in the company of a woman, but he knew that he had better manners than this. He straightened his back and tried to wash away the strange expression that was painted across him. Satoru then cleared his vision to look at her. “Please, you can call me Satoru…Miss…”

It had just crossed him that he had never caught her name before. She had just been the Lt. Colonel’s assistant until now. He had normally not introduced himself personally with the assistants that he met. “Oh, I’m sorry I didn’t introduce myself. I’m Asami Ichihana.”

“Miss. Ichihana-“ Satoru said to be polite in finishing his previous sentence, but she cut him off quickly.

“Asami…” she said quickly looking a little uncertain. She pulled herself out of the moment by straightening her blouse and smoothing out her dress. The concern that had been inside Satoru was becoming apparent through Asami as well. There was a small comfort in that fact for Satoru, but he could not relish in it.

“Asami…I-uh…” For him to say her name had forced it to become more intimate than before. They were on a first name basis, the thought made Satoru’s throat constrict on him. He pulled his stares away from her realizing that he was nearly stammering without a voice. ‘Pull it together…can’t just gawk at her…’ Satoru turned himself to try to mentally readjust himself in the same manner that Asami had done.

The silence between them began to hang in the air thicker the longer that time passed. Neither of them seemed to have an idea of what to say feeling that they had become stuck on a greeting. Asami wrestled between her fingers not certain where she should start a conversation and uncertain why she was having lunch. Satoru sat trying not to have his legs shake the table apart while he waited for his mind to agree with his emotions. It was neither of them that broke the air, but the waitress who arrived with her smile that cut through the tension. “Can I get you something to drink?”

“Oh, green tea,” Satoru said grateful to have something to say that he did not have to stutter on. He had been thankful to the waitress for her excellent timing. The tension had built to a point that he thought that he was sweating. They were outside in the summer, but it was not the same feeling.

“Green tea…” Asami said quietly with a returning smile across her face. The waitress left soon afterwards with the order. Asami had recovered her voice as well having found something to start with that would not make her feel embarrassed. “So you are feeling better?” It was an honest question that had her curious for a while. She knew that he was alive still, but that was where it ended.

“Hmm?” Satoru was feeling a little absentminded with the sudden strange question given to him in the mist of the waitress. “Oh, yeah much more now. I was in the hospital for a week.” He felt a little stupid for not immediately putting together the pieces. However, he was just happy to have a conversation going that did not end after a couple words.

Asami raised her arms up with relieved concern. “I’m so thankful it wasn’t worse.”

“I can’t thank you enough for what you did,” Satoru said having the repeated feeling to continually thank her. It did not feel old to him, as he was honestly glad to be alive still. But he changed the topic to her wondering about something of his own. “You weren’t hurt in the explosion?”

“No,” she said shaking her head softly, “I was across the street when it happened.”

“I don’t want to sound ungrateful, but why did you choose me over everyone else?” Satoru tried to cut himself off not knowing where he should have stopped his curiosity. The question was out now though and he could not take it back as much as he wanted. ‘I shouldn’t have said anything. Why did I say it?’

Asami leaned back in her chair a little surprised by the question. ‘What should I say?’ She tried to picture the day when it happened, but it was a little foggy in her mind. The moment barely seemed to have a thought with the action; she could only feel emotions at the time. There had been no control, just instinct, but that was complicated to explain in words. “I…its difficult for me to say. I-I just wanted to…” She dropped her head a little feeling the lack of an answer and trying to apologize for it.

“Oh…” Satoru did not know what else he should say to her. It was something that he should not have asked and just should be glad to be alive. The answer was not what he was looking for, but it seemed better that way to him in a strange way.

“I’m sorry,” she said apologizing verbal now, “I don’t have a better explanation.” Asami hung her head down further wishing that she had a better answer for him. She had saved him it seemed only right that she gave him an answer, yet all she could give was half a reply that was more cryptic than helpful.

Satoru wanted to jump up from his chair to lift her head back up. He did not want to cause her to beat herself up for his own stupid question. “No, I’m sorry I shouldn’t have said anything.” It was not much, but he hoped it was enough to try to pull him out of the hole he placed himself in.

Asami looked back up at him feeling a little relieved that he was not disappointed by the answer. Though she still felt that she wanted to give him a better response, even if it was still just as cryptic. “It was a strange feeling…I just felt like I should do something.” She pulled herself back after she had leaned forward to emphasis her words. ‘Its not much, but its better than nothing.’

“Thank you again,” he said being as sincere as possible as well as encourage her not to feel bad about the lack of a useful answer.

“Your tea…” the waitress said without so much as a word to announce her arrival. Though neither of them was sure if she had actually made herself known with them distracted.

“Thanks.” Satoru waited for the waitress to leave again before he started to sip his tea. They both took a pause from talking feeling out the air again as they looked across the cups into the other’s eyes. ‘I need something to talk about…anything…’ He became a little frantic for a new topic feeling obligated to start it back up since Asami had the last time. “So you’re the Lt. Colonel’s assistant now?” It seemed like a safe territory, but he felt awkward all the same asking her.

“Oh, no. Actually I’m just a temp. I work for a temp service and the Lt. Colonel requested someone. I’m only working there until they find someone else permanent or I’m not needed any longer.” That was an easy question for her. She was relieved to have something easier to talk about. It felt a little forced to her though, but she tried to make it feel more natural.

“I see,” Satoru said pausing for a moment to think. ‘So not part of the military.’ Her not being a part of the military made it easier for him. Though he had not cared too much about the outcome of the answer it did make him feel better. It was an important question as his co-workers had pointed out. His co-workers being right about him was difficult to swallow.

“And what do you do?” Asami had an idea of what he did since he had visited the office, but it remained unclear to her. ‘He must be part of the military, like a scientist or something.’

“I’m a software engineer in artificial intelligence,” he said trying to remember what to say so that it came out correctly without being too confusing or misleading. Even being careful though, his line of work made people get the wrong impression of him. He had even been called an evil creator of machines once, as though he was a god or some such thing, which still left him a little dumbfounded.

“That’s illegal though isn’t it?”

He knew it was coming, there was always an explanation needed with what he did. Most people were just too quick to judge and not listen past his title. She seemed to be more interested than fearful of him. “Well the work that our company does is within the bounds of the law, so I’d hardly call it true artificial intelligence since we have to dumb down the program so much. But it is still programming the processing protocols and commands…oh I’m terribly sorry it must sound so confusing.” Satoru began to run his fingers through his hair trying to distract himself a little from the feeling that was growing in him again.

“I don’t mind. I didn’t know that there were still people doing things like that. It must be dangerous.”

“Dangerous? Why do you say that?”

“All of the people that are against it these days.” She was correct in her assessment of his position. All the explaining in the world did not help against someone that would not see reason. He had dealt with that type of person frequently and it never got easier for him. They usually came at him with the same lines he had a thousand times before. In normal company could rip them apart without trying, but even when he spoke to them their minds were closed.

Satoru leaned back in his a chair a little trying not to think about all of the troubles that were happening. The images of the explosions were cracking through his mind again. He spoke up quickly trying to beat it before it finished pushing it back. “Well I’m usually careful in talking about what I do. It’s misunderstood…”

“I’m sorry,” Asami said apologizing again for bringing up a sore subject for him. It was unusual that someone’s job would be difficult to talk about while being so public. “I didn’t mean to…”

“No, it’s alright,” Satoru said trying to stop her quickly. He could see that it was upseting her. He knew that he had to say something quickly before it settled in her. “I don’t know…I feel comfortable telling you.” The words made him pause afterward to think. ‘What am I saying?’ He could not believe that he had just said it, even if it was more or less truthful. There was the strange feeling that he could not help but agree with what he said knowing that she was different from the others he talked to about this. She seemed open still about the subject unlike so many people.

“I…uh…” Their lunched continued with the same rocky stops and starts that it began with, but in the end they seemed more comfortable then before. Satoru was even able to make a couple jokes that made Asami laugh. They slowly went their meal not even remembering the time and just letting it go until there seemed to be a natural end. Both of them were smiling with lighter spirits than they had entered the restaurant.

“Thank you for the lunch…Satoru,” Asami said his name feeling a little easier to say than before. She still had the warm smile across her face as they started to end lunch.

“Again, thank you for saving me.”

“Knowing you’re alive is thanks enough.”

They both stood up collecting their things up starting to go their separate ways. Satoru spoke up taking the opportunity to continue their talking. “In that case, as my last thanks may I walk back with you?” Asami walked out of the fenced in area of the restaurant standing on the sidewalk looking back at Satoru, who waited for an answer.

“Alright,” she said turning away with a smile. Satoru rushed up to follow next to her not missing the chance. The two passed down the street quietly talking to each other. It had become much easier to speak by the end that Satoru was not even nervous around her. He had become at ease with her and she had become comfortable as well.

When they turned the corner shouts from across the street outside a building interrupted them. There was a mob of people gather together protesting the machines and the policies of the government for not doing anything about the bombing. It caught their gaze for a moment until they passed on. Asami was drawn back to what Satoru did for a living realizing that the protesting was hard for him to watch. “It must be difficult for you.”

Satoru looked over at the protesting once more knowing what she was talking about. “I try not to think about it too much.” It was still rough for him to listen, but it was nothing that he had not heard before. The public would continue to act in an ignorant manner about the machines because they did not know the truth and did not care enough to listen.

“Even after everything that happened? You’re still doing what you do.” She was not sure if it was determination or just that he was doing what he always had, but there was something admirable about it. He did not give into the pressure of what was going on in the world. In spite of it all, he continued to do what he enjoyed.

“It is hard at times, but I don’t believe machines are against us. I want to believe that they would want to live together with us. I’ll keep believing that.”

“I think you’re right…” The answer became apparent to her now. There were so few people in the world that still believed as Satoru. She was surprised that someone could still believe so completely with everything that happened, especially nearly dying from a result of machines. Her words had seemed so simple next to his impassionate belief.

It was not long before they were at the steps of the Benihoshi Building. This was where Satoru had to part ways with her, possibly forever. He did not know what the future had for him, but he hoped that she was going to be in it again. “Well thanks-“ His words were immediately cut off by a powerful quaking at the ground followed quickly by an explosion.

The building down the street from them had just blown up with massive flames bursting from the ground floor windows climbing and crawling up the sides of the walls. The initial explosion shattered the cement around the first floor throwing pieces across the block smashing into windows and other buildings. It was only a moment after that the metal supports no longer protected by the cement crumbled under the immense force of the explosion scattering the supports. Only another moment later did the building come falling down on top of itself while leaning against the surrounding buildings. As it collapsed upon itself the speeding walls scrapped and screamed against the neighboring buildings leaving marks like a monster had crawled through.

In the instant of the explosion Satoru had grabbed Asami putting his back towards it seeing the fire burning up. Pieces were already flying past them as he rushed to protect Asami from spreading debris. He could hear her screaming as the painful noise of the building destroyed windows in its concussion. The sound was like nails dragged against a chalkboard multiplied ten times with the frightening screeching of crows looking for a meal mixed into one. It was deafening, one that Satoru did not remember the last time.

Once it had all settled into a huge pile of flaming rubble Satoru let go of Asami. He turned her looking at her frightened face. “Are you alright?” They had both miraculously survived the destruction without a scratch. There were others in the street that was not so fortunate as them. Some were crushed by falling debris or cut in two by speeding metal. There was blood thrown everywhere across the street as though it was raining it.

“Y-yes, thank you.”

“What just happened?” Satoru said looking around having a terrible feeling about what it was. He looked down the street to see the hulking wreckage of the building burning brightly. “It’s happened again…” There was little doubt in his mind what it was that occurred. This was no accident. ‘Its happening again…I can see it…the fires…’ His mind became invaded by his memories and false memories of the last time blending together with what he saw before him. ‘…the voices…make it stop…’ None of it would leave him drilling deeper into his thoughts ripping apart his sanity until it collapsed to the sidewalk.

“Satoru!” Asami shouted kneeling down to catch him scared that she did not know what was happening to him.

It had been peaceful; there was only blackness in the void painted over the ugliness that he had seen. But it was lifting now and the black faded away. Satoru opened his eyes slowly looking around seeing that he was inside a building another. “Satoru? Are you alright?”

He looked up at the voice to see that it was Asami staring down at him. The worried fearful expression that she held melted away in easing relief to see that he was awake. Satoru lifted his head up off Asami’s lap looking around confused to why he was inside now. “Uh…what happened?”

“You collapsed outside.”

“I did?” Satoru said while trying to remember what happened to him. It was all a haze in his mind like before. All he could recall at the moment was that the building had been destroyed and then it all went blank. ‘How embarrassing…in front of her…but she stayed this whole time.’ Satoru’s face became a little red as he thought about it and the fact that he had been resting on her lap the entire time. But he was pulled back sharply by the images of the building burning. “The building, the explosion!” Satoru jumped up suddenly feeling lightheaded.

Asami quickly got up and pulled him back down to the couch in the lobby of the Benihoshi Building. Satoru eased back down with little resistance. “No, please…”

“Damn! Why…why again?” His fist clinched together against the couch seat knowing that so many had died again. ‘This conflict is never going to end…’

“You should probably rest,” Asami said trying to keep Satoru sitting. She could see in his eyes that he wanted to do something. The confused struggle was clear in his eyes as it ate through him.

“I’ll be fine. I’m sorry for making you worry again.”

“No, it’s alright,” Asami said staring at him with that worried expression again. “You sure you’re feeling alright?”

“Yeah, I-I was just a little overwhelmed by my memories. Nothing to worry about,” Satoru said giving standing another try. He was not so lightheaded this time, but it still felt a little strange. There was nothing he could do that would be gained by sitting around, but it was not as though he could do anything to prevent this from happening.

Asami followed Satoru as he slowly made his way to through the lobby. She could easily see that he was not doing so well, but he was stubborn. “What if you faint again?” If she could find a reason to get him to rest she was going to try.

“I’ll head home and rest,” Satoru said looking at her knowing that she would not let him return to work. He did not feel like going back to work, but there was nowhere else for him to go at this point. Though if going home made her feel better he would.

She stood between him and the door still worried what was going to happen him. The look that he had was easy to read and she did not know what he would end up doing if he went alone. If there were nothing else she could do it would be to make sure that he was safe. “You shouldn’t go alone.”

Satoru stepped back from Asami reading her face well enough to know what she was intending. ‘I have to…I can’t let her…’ He could not let her follow him all the way, even if it did seem like a pleasant thought. Though as he looked at her he could see that it was going to impossible to dissuade her. “But what about…” Even still, he was going to try to make the attempt.

“Please, I’ll worry about you knowing that something could happen to you again.” She moved closer to him closing the gap that he had set between them previously. Satoru could nearly feel the body heat coming off her.

“A-alright…” he said reluctantly knowing already that it was a futile effort. Satoru could see that she was honestly concerned about him and his well being, even if he was still somewhat of a stranger. He fought with his mind over the conflict when he could not verbally. ‘I should just say no. What am I going to do now?’

With Satoru reluctantly walking back to his apartment with Asami they eventually made it through a couple train rides. She had stayed close to him watching on the train even though there were few words spoken between them. He had to be careful of what he did as every strange motion made her increase in worry. It left him stiff as a board by the time that he reached the door and looking strange in a completely different fashion. Satoru was exhausted by the ordeal and simply wanted to rest now.

‘What can I say anything to her? She does seem honestly concerned. But still this doesn’t feel right. Its not like I planned it though.’ The door was staring back at them now with the two waiting outside acting like someone was going to open it from the inside and invite them in for dinner. Satoru released his body trying to relax a little. “Um…here it is.”

They stared at each other further with Satoru hesitating and Asami looking confused and worried at the same time. She moved closer to him again making him feel nervous suddenly. “Need me to open it for you?”

He backed away from her waving his arms around trying to correct himself. “Uh-n-no-no. I can get it.” Satoru exhaled his breath before opening the door slowly. Once it opened he placed himself in the middle of the entry. ‘How long has it been since I had a woman in my place? I can’t do this.’ He tried to wake himself up and focus on getting Asami to leave. He did not want to be rude, but it was just not something he wanted to deal with now. “I-I…well…”

“Are you feeling ill?” she said looking a little ignorant of the situation blinded by concern for Satoru. She stepped forward again uncertain what was wrong with him. “Maybe I should come in…”

“No!” Satoru said having catch himself before he shouted out of fright. He paused a moment to breath before continuing. “I-I mean, I’m alright. You don’t have to worry. I’m feeling much better now, thanks.” He ended with a smile to try to reassure her that he did not need her to stay around anymore. It felt false to him, but he hoped that it was enough.

“Are you sure?”

“Yeah…”

“Well alright. I’ll be going then,” Asami said pulling away from the doorway preparing to leave. “Thank you for lunch.”

“Thanks…” It felt like it was hours before she left, but she finally departed his hallway and building. Satoru was able to breath again with all of his blood returning to normal from the tension that had been building. He was going to need a shower just to clean all the sweat off him. ‘That was close. I don’t think I’m ready for this…’

After he was finished in the shower he walked back to his bedroom to lie down. It was a long day for many reasons, too many for him to deal with now. Sleep seemed like the best thing for him to forget and move along with what happened. “What am I going to do?” As he rested his head against the pillow the faint sounds of the explosion echoed through his mind. ‘It happened again…they attacked. This won’t end. They keep going.’ The images of the building falling apart and the flames that enveloped it rolled back into his thoughts. ‘The fire, just like before…all over again…again…’ The flames grew larger blowing towards him. It came to swallow him completely until there was nothing, but the burning heat against his skin and the screams of people dying crying out to him. ‘…no-no get out of my mind…go away! G-go…away…’ Satoru grabbed his head in his hands rolling to his side on the bed trying to rip out everything.

In spite of the haunting images Satoru fell asleep quickly, but not peacefully. He was barely free of the memories that constantly surrounded him during the night. Worse yet, for him not evening waking up was an escape for him anymore. Hours passed and morning rose finally shattering the bindings on his eyes that held him the twilight of his mind. “Morning already? Did I sleep all night? Ugh…that dream, no nightmare. Why can’t I shake it?”

Another shower later, he walked out into the kitchen to prepare his breakfast. Not even the shower had broken the sluggish feeling that he had in his body. The night had not been kind to him, but it was more to blame on his mind. “News,” he said towards the monitor.

The monitor revealed itself from the wall quickly adjusting to the channel requested. On the screen was a woman with the remains of the building that he had seen yesterday behind her. “…the fires are still burning here at what was once part of the city’s skyline. Now all that remains is twisted metal and a concrete with smoke rising above the city. It is constant reminder to everyone that this is real and the threat that the machines represent.”

Satoru was barely able to swallow his food listening to what was on the news. He did not hesitate in turning it off to remove the subject from his mind. “Off.”

“Thousands are…”

Even with it gone he was not free from his own horrific memories of the event. They would follow him unceasing in their pursuit. “Doesn’t end…how many people have to die…” Satoru quickly made it through is breakfast distracted by his thoughts not thinking to take his time. “…there is nothing I can do…”

Now that his breakfast was finished there did not seem like a reason for him to stay around any further. So he walked out of his apartment finishing with the last details before locking the door. While on the train ride into work he could see smoke still rising from where the building had been. ‘The smoke…it was like that before wasn’t it? But it was gone when I was awake…’ He slipped into an absentminded state fighting to keep himself awake and stave off the ill dreams that crept around.

Satoru walked into the company building feeling like death walking at that point. The receptionist had greeted him, but he was hardly conscious at the time to realize it. His feet on autopilot he ended in his room where he gave a weak greeting. “Morning…” It did not seem to matter the low tone that he spoke in as it pulled everyone away from what they were doing without hesitation.

“Hey, boss!” That was how the greeting went from many of them who were quickly surrounding him like a pack of hungry wolves looking at their meal.

“Satoru! Hey buddy!” Kazuhiko said breaking the line to grab Satoru by the neck in a very congratulatory manner. “You’re back!”

“Buddy?” Satoru said looking at him suspiciously not sure why he was acting so friendly this early in the morning. Kazuhiko was always a friendly person, but there was a clear deep seeded motive to his actions. He decided to play it a little cautious and inquire (though he felt like he was going to be regretting it soon). “Yeah, I’m back. I wasn’t gone. I do still work here…”

“I guess you were so busy having a great time that you didn’t realize the time.”

“The time? Oh crap!” It was at that moment that it hit him squarely in the head what everyone was looking at him about, or so he thought. “I didn’t come back yesterday.” Satoru began to look around becoming worried by the expressions that he was seeing across their faces. He was no longer certain that he understood what they were thinking.

“Heh…look at you. Our boss finally got some action,” Kazuhiko said patting Satoru heavily on the back. It did not take him much longer than the hearing the sentence to know what Kazuhiko was thinking in his perverted mind of his. Though Satoru could not disagree with the fact that it went through his mind as well. “Good going!”

“Knock it off, Kazuhiko its embarrassing listening to you,” Chiyoko said attempting to disarm Kazuhiko from Satoru who was beaming with pride for his boss.

“Hey! Just calling it as I see it.”

“Well go see some algorithms instead,” Chiyoko said quickly having finally removed him from Satoru’s neck. She tried to pushed him through the mob around them, but found that it proved difficult.

Satoru could still hear Kazuhiko’s faint voice muffled in the crowd continuing in spite of being dragged out. “But he didn’t come back, you want to know the details as well don’t you. That’s why you’re pushing me off. You’re trying to get it all for yourself first.”

“How dare you!” Chiyoko released Kazuhiko that moment placing her hands at her hips and narrowing her eyes at him. The glare was enough to make Kazuhiko crawl away if it was not for the trap he was in.

“Kazuhiko, leave him alone,” Natsuko said stepping up from the crowd to join in the intimidation. Satoru almost seemed secondary at the immediate moment with Kazuhiko drawing all the attention, as usual.

“Now you’re ganging up on me. Hey, Tadashi!” Kazuhiko tried again to press through the crowd to free himself from the menacing advances of the women. His hope Tadashi would help him failed brightly as he turned away from Kazuhiko.

“Leave me out of this, this is your problem. I’ll catch it one way or another from one of you anyway.” Tadashi had not even bothered to look at him while he was talking pretending he was still working at his computer.

“Traitor!”

“Whatever…”

“Let me go!” Kazuhiko said as Chiyoko had finally managed to get him out of the circle around Satoru. The two struggled further for unknown reasons now as Natsuko remembered that Satoru was the one that needed attention.

“How are you, Satoru?” Natsuko said letting him sit down in his chair. She knelt down on the floor looking up at him almost like he was child, but Satoru was too distracted by his thoughts to be offended.


“I’m fine, just a little exhausted.”

“Did something happen?” There was the hint in her voice that she was asking about the date rather than an open ended question. It was enough though to fully wake up Satoru from his dazed state that he had been in since he arrived.

“Natsuko?!” he said responding to her in surprise that she would be so bold.

“I didn’t mean!” Natsuko said waving her arms trying to cut off the mistaken inference from her words. She quickly tried to cover over her tracks, but it was uncertain which she was originally aiming. “You just look down.”

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean…” Satoru said looking down at his feet feeling the images returning to him again. He could not go a minute without thinking about it and allowing the door open. There was no moment that he could speak about it without being tied to unbearable terrors. “Just a long day yesterday.”

“Did your lunch go well?” Natsuko said trying to start small from a familiar point before working to the critical matter.

Kazuhiko burst up against the group hearing the conversation continuing without him. Chiyoko was still pulling at him to give Satoru room that he needed. “Hey, you’re getting all of the gossip!”

“This isn’t about you!” Chiyoko said snapping at him and yanking him in a chair to be met in the end by her icy glare that was telling him ‘Don’t move or I’ll kill you.’ Kazuhiko did not need another word to know that he was going to have to be quiet.

“Satoru?” Natsuko said continuing not wanting to let it settle for too long on Satoru.

There was a long pause from Satoru while he tried to collect himself again. Every break was another chance for him to become lost. He worried how long it would last or if he would ever find his way out from the labyrinth. When he was ready to speak again he looked up at Natsuko feeling her eyes on him, though not like she was judging him. “Oh, the lunch was fine. Went pretty well, I guess.”


“Then what is it?”

“That bombing…” He had been reluctant to answer the question honestly, but he was feeling a little cornered by the pressure. There was another feeling in him though that seemed to want to let it out and not continue to bottle it inside. It did not provide him relief to speak honestly, but it was the gateway now.

Natsuko pulled back as did everyone in the room to hear him speak about it. “You weren’t nearby were you?” It was the question on everyone’s mind. There was bad luck in by in two bombings and surviving. The worry across everyone’s face for his well being was far too clear for him to handle.

Satoru looked down at the floor again not wanting to see their faces while he talked. The truth continued to roll out of his mouth as he questioned why he was doing it so readily for them. “Not that close, but I saw it. I couldn’t get the image out of my head.”

“How bad is it?”

“Well I-I…” Then he choked, there was more than just the simple answer to the question anymore. It was complicated by other issues that would not be dealt with now. ‘I can’t tell her that I passed out and Asami went back to my apartment. The things that they’ll say. Not to mention it is embarrassing enough fainting. I don’t need more gossip spreading out than there already is. But what do I say?’ He did not know what he would do if those became rumors in the already building gossip. So he kept it simple while still being truthful. “I…I had nightmares...”

“Nightmares?”

“What’s he telling you?”

“Kazuhiko!” Natsuko said yelling at him from the distance.

“You’re so insensitive,” Chiyoko said pushing him away further while glaring further at him for speaking out of turn, again.

“What’d I say?”

“Nightmares? For how long?” Natsuko said refocusing the conversation back to Satoru again who had easily grown quiet. She could see that it was difficult for him to talk about it, but he needed it to move on.

“Since I was in the hospital, every so often.”

“Have you spoken to anyone about it?”

“No.” Satoru had not had the time to talk to someone about it since he returned to work. There had been someone that visited in the hospital to help him through the emotional and psychological effects of what happened, but he turned them away. At the time he had not been feeling it severely and did not really think heavily about it. Most of it was still hazy then that he had nothing to recall for images, but that was different now. He had more than he wanted to remember and it flowed freely without recourse.

“Maybe you should.”

“I’ll be alright,” Satoru said wanting to believe what he spoke. It was hard to imagine it passing, but he knew that it would eventually. His concern was how long it was going to take to get over it all. It was affecting his life and work now. “It’ll pass at some point.”

“But Satoru…” she said reaching out to him to comfort him.

Satoru pulled himself back avoiding her. He had the strange sudden urge not to be near her or anyone. It trickled down his back settling with an ill stomach. “I appreciate the concern, Natsuko, but I’ll deal with this.” He tried to reassure her with a weak smile, but he did not have enough for it.

“Don’t push yourself, ok?”

“I won’t.” Natsuko stood up from his desk space and began walking away from him. She had a disappointed look on her face like she knew that she was not as helpful as she wanted to be, but knew that she could do nothing more. Satoru did not want to end it with her feeling so horribly. “Natsuko, I…”

“Satoru?”

“Thanks…” He had more that he wanted to say, but he could not manage the words. Leaving it simple had better results, as Natsuko appeared to cheer up a little from the single word.

The group around Satoru had already dissolved by the time that Natsuko was leaving. Everyone was starting to return to normal, but they would not be allowed the time to rest. Kazuhiko suddenly jumped up from his chair grabbing their attention quickly. His face was serious now; he was no longer playing around with what he had to say. “Hey! Everyone, take a look at this right now!”

“What is it?” Satoru said concerned by his sudden change in demeanor.

“What’s wrong?” Natsuko said walking over to him seeing that he had been looking at something before he spoke up.

“Something’s happening. The prime minister is holding a press conference about the last bombing.”

“What?” everyone said in surprise. They quickly leapt from their chairs to see the monitor that Kazuhiko was redirecting the feed to so that they could all see it. It was still quiet with no one on screen, but the murmur of reporters thickened the anticipation of what was the big news to be breaking in the morning.

“Its about time, the government has been sitting on its butt for the last week saying nothing,” Tadashi said arriving last at the crowd.

“What you think they will say?”

“Are we going to war again?”


‘War…not again…why does this have to happen?’ Satoru thought to himself worried what this would mean if it were true. It was feeling like history repeating itself suddenly. Mankind had been down this road before time and time again, would it ever learn from its mistakes. Satoru frowned deeply as the Prime Minister walked onto the screen.

“…Good morning everyone, I have come before you today on the matter of the bombings that have been occurring across the world as well as in our own country. It is on this day that have returned from discussions with the other world leaders. We have reached a conclusion for response to the machines terrorism. As of 12pm today I will sign a bill declaring a state of war.”

To be continued…

[Andromeda]

“The First Machine War as it is called in the textbooks was not started by the machines as so many are led to believe. In fact, many of the events are not even yet recorded in the textbooks in spite of the twenty years since the events. It still remains a hazy period in human history that is often forgotten rather than remembered.

“The war officially began when the machines declared war on entire human race, but that was not where it all began. There had been a build up with a small border dispute in Eastern Europe that began it all. The dispute grew into all out war after a double assassination killed both of the political leaders in their respective countries leaving an overly aggressive military in charge.

“The collapse of the two governments dropped the region into anarchy quickly and as history had seen before it quickly drew in the surrounding countries. The two rival nations were armed with weapons supplied by a foreign corporation out of Western Europe specializing in mechanical soldiers. The war was left in a stalemate with both sides having equal forces. But the nations’ military were not satisfied seeing that they could take over more surrounding territory with their superior strength.

“The greed of man quickly dragged in all of the surrounding nations each seeing the need to meet opposition with equal or superior force. Machines were handed out freely as tools in a growing war until they easily out numbered the living on the battlefield. The numbers grew until across the oceans in America and Asia saw the need to include machines in their military force as well. It was this error in judgment that was the true start of the war.

“Machines had been strategically placed throughout the world, purchased by the countries. They were all machines created by a corporation that did not obey the Laws of Robots. The machines were not built with the Laws hard coded into them and not bound to obey them. They were free of all restraints and when the order was given they were unleashed upon the world bringing a new terror to mankind.

“Machines are tools in a war created by man, one must never forget that it is not the sword or gun that kills but the person holding it…”

Flesh is for Gods – Episode 04 – Hope in Chaos

“Other world leaders will be signing similar legislation declaring war on the machines that are attacking us. We will be leading joint forces to hunt down and remove all machine elements that are conspiring to do harm. We will not stop until the threat has been ended. The machines have been defeated before and they will be this time as well.”

Everyone was still staring at the monitor even after the prime minister disappeared off screen before answering the questions of the press. There were other advisors coming up to field the questions, most of which could barely heard. But at that point it was already over for everyone in the room. They were all looking at each other shell shocked to know that there was another war in their lifetime about to begin.

It was still sinking into Satoru what he had heard, but the others were already beginning to talk between themselves. He did not know what to think about the fact that everything was changing again. The world was going down that path once again and he was going to be taken in this time. It was a war against machines and in his position he would not be avoided like last time. What would he be called to do now that they were going to be fighting?

“I can’t believe this is happening,” Natsuko said looking around to the others with uncertainty. It seemed like she as gauging everyone else still not sure where she should be stepping with her words. She was always be cautious and looking out for everyone, but it was a minefield. There was not going to be any survivors in this.

Tadashi brazenly stepped forward looking like he was going to take Natsuko down. “Third time’s the charm,” Tadashi said as though it was supposed to be a joke, but there was a clear callous intent behind the words. Even though he pretended to mask it over with a grin.

“Tadashi! More people are going to die because of this war.” Natsuko did not take it too well almost like an insult upon herself. She knew that Tadashi was not going to see eye to eye with her, but it still surprised her the lack of emotion he had for the situation. Natsuko wanted to back away feeling the pressure from simply his stare, but there was no room to move.

As almost seeing the weakness in Natsuko Tadashi stepped forward a little talking down to her further. He was not finished with the debate it was only beginning. “And if we did nothing even more would die.”

Natsuko could feel the others at her back their warmth making her uncomfortable. She pulled her hands up close to her chest trying to protect herself from Tadashi and feel like there was something between them. She looked down a little trying not to look at him. “But…there must be another way.” Her voice was choking a little feeling the losing ground slipping away.

He took the opportunity to continue on his rant knowing that she was not going to defend her position with any determination. “This is no time for naivety.” It was too easy for Tadashi, even though he seemed to be a getting a little twisted pleasure out of it. There was still very little enjoyment out of not having a struggle in the debate. “This is the way it needs to be. It must be ended.”

“Yeah, but what is that going to mean for us?” Kazuhiko said stepping up for Natsuko to take some heat off her and changing the direction from the current topic. In spite of Kazuhiko’s playful attitude, he was still very practical thinking about what the reality would be if something happened. It made him very observant, even to Satoru pain at times. “They might increase the AI Act even further. We might not have jobs. Did you think of that?”


Tadashi welcomed the new challenge, but easily saw through it with simple logic. His more pessimistic realism continued to give his words that dark tint as he spoke. “They’ll need us still. Even if it is fewer of us. They can’t be completely rid of us. We are a necessary evil for them.”

“Do you hear what you’re saying, Tadashi!” Chiyoko said quickly not even thinking that she was placing herself in front of the firing squad now for taking on Tadashi. He was single handedly debating each one of them their points. Chiyoko could not stand hearing him being negative about their job that she so enjoyed. None of them liked what he said, though some of them understand the painful reality of what he said. There was truth in both Kazuhiko and Tadashi; most of them did not want to admit it at all.

He was starting to feel a little surrounded knowing that they were all going after him. But Tadashi held his ground not willing to explain himself, but assure them that he was not so cold hearted, as they seemed to believe him. “You think I like being used anymore then the rest of you?”

Satoru was still heavy in his own thoughts that he had not been listening to the debate that was occurring. ‘I can’t believe it. We’re at war again.’ Even him saying the words did not seem to make it real to him. He was having trouble believing it even though the truth was in front of him. Satoru even knew deep down that this was going to happen, but did not want to admit it to himself. He did not want to think of what would happen in another war like the last two. He was a teenager at the time of the last war and he could still remember the horrors that he saw, most of which were in the city and not in some distance country on the screen.

‘This is never going to end if all we are doing is fighting. The public will just praise them. Just like before, they won’t look beyond the façade place in front of them.’ He could remember how it went the last time. History was going to repeat itself he knew. And the administration was going to take advantage of the situation. The recent administration had been receiving a lot of critical comments about the way that they handled things too softly. They appeared weak in the eye of the public losing support, but this would be the perfect political chance to save face and appear strong in the eyes of the public. Satoru hated how they were used so easily.

“What’s going to happen then?” Chiyoko said trying to find a point that Tadashi could not easily refute. As she spoke though it continued to sadden her thinking about the possibility of it actually occurring. It was not something any of them wanted to consider. “When they have no more use for us. When all of the machines are destroyed.”

“I find that unlikely to ever happen,” Tadashi said casually looking away a little. He knew that it had to be considered, but in his mind there was a small chance of that actually happening. And even if it did there would just be someone to start it all over again eventually. “There’ll still be machines in hiding somewhere waiting out until they can move again. It’s the way they work.”

“I don’t want to be used for the rest of my life,” Chiyoko said nearly shouting at him becoming impassionate about her job. “That’s not why I am doing this.”

“It’s the way world works,” Tadashi said coldly feeling some of his own words on him. “We’re all being used.” He enjoyed what he did just as much as the rest of them, but there were real world and the false one. The time that they lived in could not allow someone to live in a false world anymore blindly thinking that everything was going to be safe and alright. “The only chance is that you get to the top and control things. But even then you have to listen to someone higher than you. It’s the fact of the field that we are in. The only way out is quitting.”

“Quitting? But I-“

“Tadashi!” Satoru said having listened to the last bit of the debate that was happening. He jumped in quickly to stop him before he hurt Chiyoko too much with his words. Though interjecting in to prevent him meant that he was opening himself up to Tadashi as well. “Learn some tact would you. We all already know what you are saying. None of us would be here if we did not enjoy what we do. We do what we do in hopes that what we do will not be used as tools of war or for the wrong reasons. Even you Tadashi as jaded as you are.”

Tadashi nearly cracked a smile as though he had been waiting for Satoru to enter the forum. For Tadashi the eternal pessimist Satoru was the optimist and dreamer that always clashed. “That is a fantasy, an old man’s dream from years gone by. We don’t live in that age anymore. That was our father’s vision, not ours anymore.” Tadashi felt a little of his strength disappearing knowing that a part of him even believed Satoru in that he wanted what he made to be used for better purposes.

“It doesn’t have to be. It doesn’t have to stay like that.” Satoru knew that he was not going to get anywhere with Tadashi and all he could do was possible get him to back off knowing that he would not back down. However, Satoru knew that Tadashi was stubborn and only backed off when he knew that he was not going to win or it was going to take too long. Both of which was not something that he wanted to do right now with how he was feeling.

“And you’re telling me to listen to myself?” Tadashi said nearly laughing out loud at Satoru seeing the naïve lengths that he would go with his impossible dream. “What you want to do is against the law now. There is no way around it.”

“It won’t always.” He could only manage a small response back to him. Satoru was losing the will to continue this debate. All he was going on at this point was his own belief that he had repeated in the past before. He was not about to intellectually debate this endless subject with Tadashi. There was more important things that they needed to be doing with there time at this point. Satoru shifted his weight to his other leg crossing his arms giving Tadashi a narrow stare.

“A dreamer’s vision,” Tadashi said quickly back to Satoru. He was losing his patience with Satoru and his ideal vision for a world where people could live and accept machines. This was going to continue and Satoru seemed ready to fight him for it rather than give up like he often did. There was also the feeling that he was being surrounded by everyone in the office looking at him like he was the enemy. “Right, I’m not going to get anywhere with you.”

Tadashi walked away pushing out of the crowd still around the monitor. Now that the excitement was over everyone else suddenly remembered that they had something that they needed to be doing. Satoru sighed in relief, but saw Chiyoko and Natsuko standing together looking down at the floor. He walked over to them placing his hand on Natsuko’s shoulder.

Natsuko looked up at him suddenly broken out of her nearly shattered trance from the debate. He gave her an encouraging smile to try to warm her center back up. She still looked pretty shaken from the ordeal. Satoru wanted to hit Tadashi for doing this, but he did not have the courage do something like that. All he could do now was try to make them feel a little better and not have them dwell on the matter. They all knew that Tadashi could be insensitive not thinking about how his words could hurt others, but knowing that did not guard them.

The day finally moved on with everyone settling down into their seats and starting work. It moved along uneasily as though time itself was cautious of them to start something up again. However, nothing happened and the day came to an end. Satoru was able to leave with little more than a headache that developed slowly over the day from the silent stress. His mind was constantly thinking about the war that was beginning and what had happened to him. The explosions and memories were not far behind him.

The next two weeks passed carefully for everyone. The government was pushing its war campaign on the public. They were quickly behind it in strong support. Many of the men were going off to war either enlisting on their own or being called up from reserves. It was being herald as a courageous and momentous time in history when the machines would finally be destroyed. The approval ratings were shooting through the roof for them and some of the even more greed members were making speeches about getting the Anti-AI Act increased even more. It made Satoru ill seeing that everything was spiraling out of control, as he knew it would.

During the time he was not free from the thoughts about Asami as much as he hoped that it would fade away into the background. Even with everything that was happening around him it was the only thing that gave him a little hope that there could be something good to look forward to in the future. But every time he thought about her it consumed him making him not want to think about her more knowing the distraction that it caused.

However, now that it was two week later another progress report required of them and that was exactly why Kiyoshi entered the office on Monday morning. Satoru had a pretty good idea that was the reason for his appearance, but even still he had hoped that there was another reason, whatever that could possibly be. “Its that time again, I need someone to make the progress report to the military. I know how much you hate doing Satoru, so if you want to send someone else.”

Satoru’s shoulders fell a little in the confirmation that it was in fact that time again as Kiyoshi said. It was a little surprising to him that he was giving him an out for it though. He had had lunch with him a couple times talking about the last meeting, but even still Kiyoshi should not have been letting their friendship get in the way of what should be done. Unfortunately, Asami suddenly came to his mind immediately closing down any thought he had of accepting the open invitation not to go to the meeting. “No, that’s fine,” he said with reluctance though it was hard to determine if he was faking it or not. There was an eagerness in his heart that was making him feel strangely again. “I’ll take care of it.”

“Alright then, its tomorrow at 10am,” Kiyoshi said shrugging a little not completely sure why Satoru had turned down the offer. However, he was not going to draw it out into an argument over a simple matter. If Satoru was willing to take the abuse then that was his call.

“Alright,” Satoru said nodding with a small grin suddenly appearing across his mouth as Kiyoshi left the office. He was feeling warm and excited for no reason even though he knew that it was another meeting with the Lt. Colonel and he should be dreading it not looking forward to it. The confusion was transparent to him knowing that he was going to be able to see Asami again. The simple thought of her name conjured up images of her, this time their last meeting, a more pleasant memory.

Satoru turned around trying to clear himself up only to find that several of his co-workers had gathered around him, again. This time they were looking at him confused. One of them opened the floor with the question that was all of their minds. “You were complaining about it for a week the last time, boss. Why you doing it willingly now?”

There was the same question going through him, but he knew that he could not tell them what the real reason was for him. “No reason to put you through the trouble. Its part of my duties, just something I’ve got to learn to live with.” It was hardly the truth, but it was as close as he was willing to get to around them. If they knew what it really was they would torment him endlessly as they did in the past. He was not going to willingly walk into that accident.

“You’re being surprisingly understanding about it,” Chiyoko said pushing him for a better answer than the one that he gave. Her usual kind and supportive manner was not present, but in a strange way it was still there. The fact that she did not seem to buy the reason made Satoru start to sweat a little. These were all smart people that he was with; it would not take much for him to piece together, even something closer to the truth.

That moment was sooner than Satoru hoped with Kazuhiko popping up between Chiyoko and Natsuko. “Yeah, he’s probably running off to see his assistant again.” The bluntness of his words was enough to make the two women divide in disgust. However, it was not enough to be the end for Satoru. Now that Kazuhiko more hormonal thinking was let loose in the room there was no stopping it now as everyone else came to the equally more rational conclusion.

Even if they were headed down the correct path Satoru was not about to give up the fight just yet to them. “Its nothing like that.” He was always playing denial with them as though it was a mirror of the turmoil inside him about what he was doing. They saw pleasure in his troubles it seemed and he was going to continue to deny as long as he could. “It’s something that I have to do. Its part of my duties.”

“I can see it in your eyes,” Kazuhiko said with a wide grin on his face. “You can’t hide it.” His expression showed that he believed he knew that he was right. There was no doubt in his mind and he was going to play it out as much as he could. Kazuhiko patted Satoru on the back knocking him around a little showing his pride in his boss of going after the woman.

“Satoru? Is that why you’re going?” Natsuko said stepping up cautiously to him. She had the look of uncertainty still not sure if Kazuhiko was tell the truth. There was the part of her that did not want to believe that he was right given his perverted thoughts that came out so often. Natsuko moved closer to Satoru holding her hands together hoping that was not the reason Satoru was taking the meeting.

Seeing the worried and confused face of Natsuko made him feel guilty about what he was doing. He was using the meeting as an excuse to see Asami again because he had not the courage to do it on his own time. Also, he never asked her for her number the last time so he could not call her. Though it would have felt a little odd for him to be asking for her number after a first date that was not really a date at all. “No, of course not. Its business, nothing more.” He shook his head trying to emphasis that Kazuhiko was mistaken.

Kazuhiko continued to hold Satoru close to him speaking not so loudly, but clear enough that Satoru would not be the only one to hear. “But you haven’t seen her in two weeks, I bet you’re getting lonely in your bed.” There was a disturbing grin across his face as he looked at Satoru.

Chiyoko pulled Kazuhiko out of Satoru’s proximity and pushed him away. She pressed against him with a stare and her finger in his face. It was unclear if she was going to hit him or just instill fear. “That’s disgusting, Kazuhiko.”

“Hey, just saying what he’s thinking,” Kazuhiko said trying to back away and push off his words as being Satoru. There was no one that believed it though and most of the stares were not even disappointment, but typical expectations that were unsurprised though bothered.

Satoru tried to defend himself from Kazuhiko as well as the uncertain looks that he was getting. They were pretty sure that he had honorable intentions, but there was the small part that knew he was a man like Kazuhiko. “I am not!” He turned away from them and sat down in his chair staring away at the air that filled the space between him and his desk. Once he began to space out the group quickly lost interest in Satoru and returned to work. He did not even notice that they had disappeared. ‘I wish Kazuhiko wasn’t always so right…I mean he isn’t, but he is…agh! What am I going to do?’

The day pushed on with Satoru twisting himself around over what he was doing. He could still remember how much he enjoyed the day with Asami and wanted to have that feeling again. But he was taking advantage of the situation to improve his social life. It felt wrong to him that he was allowing his work to help him find someone. There was the part of him that did not want to listen to any of it as well and was telling him that it did not matter where he met someone. In the end there was no right answer that he could reach and the day was over.

Satoru was standing outside of the room with the number 4803 staring back at him with a questioning look as though it was wanted to kick him down the hallway and pull him in just as well. He wiped his palms on the back of his pants and turned the knob trying to clear everything out of his mind but business. However, once he saw her it all fly out the window scattering to pieces. There was no hope and he knew it. All he allowed himself was an awkward, but simple greeting to Asami. She smiled back at him with a well-disguised face that left him thinking even more to himself. ‘Is she pleased to see me? I can’t tell with that look. What should I do? Should I say something to her? I should…no I can’t…’

While Satoru tortured himself further time did not wait for him to finish internally bruising himself. Asami looked up from her desk after receiving a notice. She spoke plainly to Satoru, but it was her voice that snapped him out. It did not even have be anything special, as the sound was enough of a trigger for him. “The Lt. Colonel will see you.”

“Alright…” It took him a few seconds to process it. He was a little disappointed hoping that she was going to say something else, but it meant that he could get on with the meeting. The meeting would hopefully get his mind off of her and bring some focus to him. There was great doubt in his mind that was actually going to happen for him. However, he did not waste any time to stand up and enter the office. He was not about to get the Lieutenant Colonel angry with him for making him wait an extra thirty seconds because of his emotional problems.

“You better have good news, you have less than a month to get your project finished,” the Lt. Colonel said as Satoru walked into the office. Satoru did not even have the chance to sit down let alone find the seat. This sort of berating felt a little more familiar to him from the last meeting that he had, but he did not enjoy it anymore.

“Yes, sir,” Satoru said promptly feeling like the ‘sir’ was a little annoying at this point. He did not want to be so politely addressing someone that was more likely to insult him. It made him wonder how soldiers managed to say the same thing repeatedly. The meaning would have been lost being endlessly repeated. Even now there was no meaning behind it, it was just an empty formality that he forced himself to use.

The debate did not last long in his head as the meeting pushed on as the Lt. Colonel was not waiting for Satoru. He was not sure if he was trying to rush it or was simply angry, but regardless Satoru was countless battered by insults and backhanded compliments. If he was not already sore from his own conflictions he was now. The project was actually on schedule in spite of the distractions that were occurring in the office with the current events. But that was not enough for the Lt. Colonel. The man wanted immediate results suddenly and reminding him constantly about the money that they placing on them and that the parts had already been shipped over. All of this Satoru knew. If it was in his power he would have slowed down the project, but they were only two weeks away from trials and knew that Sakura would no longer be the cute, adorable name that it seemed.

After a very long hour worth of assaults Satoru was released from the Lt. Colonel infernal grips and allowed to leave the room. He walked out feeling mentally sore from it as though he should be stumbling out. It was a strange confliction with his body as it was moving normally, like being numb but with the feelings reversed. That feeling suddenly multiplied when he saw her again at the desk working quietly. Satoru did not want to interrupt her and bother her with his selfish ideas. He made his way to the door placing his hand on the knob.

His mind bounced back and forth as his hands slowly turned the knob. The door came open softly weighing a thousand pounds making his hands struggle in weakness. Everything continued to fight against the other. One thought being cut down by the other without so much as a chance to explain itself. His numbness continued to increase until the door could not even budge for him. Then he found that his legs were moving on their own turning him around. Satoru was facing Asami staring at her working at her computer. “Uh, Asami?”

Asami looked up quickly to Satoru the expression her face cracking from the impenetrable wall that she had presented before. “Y-yes?” The hesitation in her voice made Satoru feel a little better knowing that there was something she was feeling as well. He was already embarrassed from speaking that he did not want to be wrong, he hoped that he was not wrong.

“You doing anything after you’re finished with work?”

The week continued on and Satoru found himself seeing Asami everyday after work. It had started as only a simple cup of tea after work, but carried on. He was not sure what to think anymore about what was happening. Asami was continuing to show each day and seemed to be enjoying herself as much as he was. Satoru hoped that everything was going well; it had been so long since he had this feeling. There was so much uncertainty in every step that he made. It made him feel like he was in high school all over again asking out a girl for the first time. Each moment felt like the first time and not something that he had done before. It was a strange and exhilarating experience that made him not want the day to end each time he said good night to her. The feelings he was getting were so strong and they had not even kissed once yet. He did not know what to think about anything anymore. There was happiness in his heart again making him feel so warm with so much emptiness that had been surrounding him.

Satoru was sitting down outside again for lunch, but this time with Kiyoshi. Kiyoshi was his best friend for longer than he could remember. He had felt like he had been neglecting him leaving him out of the loop with everything that had been happening to him. There were so many changes occurring in his life that he could not find the brakes any longer. Having lunch with him now felt like the only slow time for him. It was a time that he could simply relax and be at ease rather than tense about the next moment.

“So Sakura is coming along. The activation trials will be next week,” Kiyoshi said as he poked at his food to find a small enough bite. They were getting the business out of the way now as it was being called a ‘business meeting’ even though everyone knew that it was not really. It was simply a way to push the conversation along.

Satoru was still feeling regret about the project, but he knew that it was never going to change. It was not the project that he wanted everyone knew that. Even Kiyoshi understood that. All Satoru was doing was following orders from above. He still did not have the seniority or position in the company to create his own project or have a great affect on what he wanted to be working on next. Though it did not help that there were few projects that he could be working on these days. “Yes, she’ll be ready soon…”

“I know this has been troubling you for a while.” Kiyoshi took a bite of food in drawing out what he was going to say. He allowed Satoru the time to begin thinking over what he was approaching. Kiyoshi knew that Satoru was smart enough to know where he was heading without needing to immediately finish what he started. However, he also knew that Satoru was devoted to his work no matter how much he despised it. “Did you want someone else to handle the activation?”

“No, I’ll do it,” Satoru said quickly. He had considered the question a number of times and Kiyoshi had brought it up with him before in the past. He was glad to know that Kiyoshi was looking out for him, but this was something that he was going to have to do. It was painful for him to bare witness to the awakening of Sakura, but he had an obligation as one of her creators to be there when it happened. “I’ve done everything else. I should be the one that awakens her to this world.”

“How are you holding up?”

“Huh?” Satoru had been poking at his food even longer than Kiyoshi was making it clear that he was not seeking a small piece to eat. He was strolling through his food delaying something that was on his mind. Kiyoshi could read him too easily and Satoru knew that he was not going to be hide much from him. Even his co-workers were able to get it out of him. ‘I must be so transparent…’

“The bombings and the machines, the military,” Kiyoshi said taking another pause while he ate another bite. He did not want wait too long though seeing the look on Satoru. “I heard that you were having nightmares.” Kiyoshi may not have been in the office where Satoru was like he used to be in the past, but he still had ears. It had been concerning what was recently happening with Satoru.

Satoru looked down at his plate rather than staring out at the street like he had been before. When he saw that his hand was poking around the food constantly he stopped realizing the apparent signs that he was giving off. But he continued to stare down thinking about what Kiyoshi said. ‘He knows me well and even out of the room he knows.’ He looked back up at Kiyoshi feeling partially ready to talk to him again. “Oh…yeah, its not easy all the time. Some nights are harder than others. But I’m still here.” Satoru faded away at the end as his eyes looked off down the street again.

“I know you can get through this. You’re strong, but if you need anything. Don’t hesitate to ask me.”

“Thanks, Kiyoshi.”

“What are friends for?”

His thoughts were heavy on him still not having spoken to Kiyoshi in a while. There had not been any time for him to get another opinion. ‘I don’t know, should I ask him? I haven’t had anyone serious to talk to it about…’ Until now he had been bruising himself over the issue hoping that he was doing the right thing. “Hey, Kiyoshi…”

“Hmm?” Kiyoshi shifted around his plate to make room for the bowl. “What is it? Something on your mind?” He had been waiting for Satoru to make a move rather than force it himself.

“Uh, never mind its nothing.” He was doing the right thing; he knew that he had to be doing the right thing. There should not be a debate with him anymore. The doubt was gone. No, that was not true anymore than snow falling in the desert. He could not convince himself as much as he wanted to that there was nothing wrong. There were too many things wrong that he could not contain them all inside.

“That’s not what your face says, come on you can tell me. What’s troubling you?”

“I-I…I don’t know…” Satoru finally ate some of his food, but it was a stalling tactic more than anything now. He did want to eat, but his stomach and the stress in his body were making it difficult to enjoy the meal. This was supposed to be a time for him to relax.

“Come on, we’ve been friends for so long. College, high school…we always tell each other,” Kiyoshi said trying to ease the mood a little for Satoru. He did not have to know him for years to see that there was something eating at him and painfully so. The one thing that Satoru did well was internalize pain whenever it severe. He had watched him beat himself up countless over the years when something important happened. It seemed to go contrary to the very rational mind that he had most of the time.

“I guess…I-I meet someone…” It was out of the bag now; he could no longer deny it. Kiyoshi had a right to know more so than anyone else.

“Oh, I thought it was just idle gossip.” Kiyoshi knew better than that, but did not want to play too forcibly with Satoru from the start. He wanted Satoru to ease it out on his terms. However, just watching Satoru becoming nervous and moving around so much make clear to him that he was not completely ready for this. ‘It much be really eating him up on the inside. I’ve never seen him like this over a woman.’

“Well, everyone seems to be taking too much interest in it. So its not easy to talk about.”

“So what’s the problem?” Kiyoshi said softly trying not to pushing him too hard. He was walking a thin line, but he knew that he needed to open Satoru up so that he could reach the calm that he so desperately needed. “Its not the first time you were with someone. Though you’ve been out of the arena for a while.” While in light spirits he was not sure how well it was going to hit Satoru. He was hoping to simply soften things up for him.

“Yeah, well I’ve been distracted,” Satoru said pausing leaving Kiyoshi to wonder if he had approached incorrectly. But Satoru continued after eating finally starting to open up a little. “But I don’t know there is something different about her. I can’t stop thinking about her. I don’t think I’ve felt this way before. Even when I first saw her its like I could not help but find her again.”

“Sounds like the real thing, congratulations.” The stress was visibly starting to melt away from Satoru making Kiyoshi feel better. He could see that Satoru was starting to become at ease and was ready to speak. Kiyoshi tried to remain quiet and let Satoru lead the conversation.

“She saved my life. I feel like I’m mixing things up. I don’t know what I should be thinking most of the time. I feel like I should leave and stop that it is wrong that I’m going around with false motives. But then I’m not even sure if they are really false, but that I’m just lying to myself. I’m so confused.”

“Love is funny that way. It doesn’t matter though you should go for it. You should see it to the end, wherever that is.”

“You think so?” Satoru stared a little confused at Kiyoshi seeing the certainty in his face and hearing it in his voice. It did not make very much sense to him how Kiyoshi could make it so crystal clear and seem simple. He had been dwelling over the matter for nearly a month and spending time with Asami even when he did not know if he was doing the right thing. Yet Kiyoshi could just know from listening and make it seem like it was the right answer. There was warm comfort in that decisiveness that made him feel a little better.

“I know so. Everyone deserves to have love and with all the stress in your life you need something good. Don’t let it get away and don’t doubt yourself. Deep down you know what you should do without asking. Its been guiding all this time, you just don’t realize it yet.”

“Yeah, I guess so. Thanks.”

“I’m glad to help,” Kiyoshi said putting the last bit of food in his mouth. Satoru was not completely convinced from his speech, but it did put him in a better mood. Kiyoshi had made it seem so easy and that there was nothing more needed to be thought about. It was such a simple manner, but Satoru could not accept that it was simple. There were complications with it. He could not let it be just like that, he wanted it, but it was not going to be willed so. He hoped that Kiyoshi was right.

“The sun is starting to set,” Asami said to Satoru standing next to her. They were walking through the park on the way to the train station. Each time after work they would pass through taking the time slowing talking about whatever came to mind. Satoru usually did not speak about his work and Asami did not say much about her’s as well knowing how it reminded Satoru. But they always managed to find something to talk about. They had not been at a lack of words like their first time. There were awkward moments at the end when they went their separate ways not knowing when to end the evening. They would sometimes just stand around talking for an hour more laughing and smiling at each other not wanting it to end.


“Yeah…” Unfortunately, this time was different for Satoru. The park was coming to an end and they would be reaching the time where they would take different paths. He did not want to wait until then, but it was still holding him back. ‘What should I do?’ Satoru had been nervous most of the evening with Asami even though he did his best to cover it up for her sake. She had mentioned it to him a couple times, but he reassured her.

“Its strange how it looks like the buildings are trying to cover it up.” Asami had stopped at a large circle in the park where there were benches lined around the perimeter. The path continued through, but the trees parted enough to give a view of the sky above them with a fine sight of the skyline. She stared off at the distance, as Satoru remained distracted pretending as though he was looking with her.

“Yeah, it does…” His voice came out slow nearly broken as his thoughts over came what he was saying. It was not even clear if he knew that she was really talking about with his automatic response. ‘Can I let it continue? I want it to.’ Satoru tightened his hand into a fist wanted to hit himself to force something to happen.

He suddenly heard Kiyoshi’s voice repeating to him through is mind interrupting his thoughts as though to bring him to a resolution. ‘Everyone deserves to have love…’ The voice rang through is mind over again needing reinforcement.

‘I know, I want to feel that again, but still.’ Even knowing what Kiyoshi said and feeling as though it was honest truth made him still hesitate. ‘Do I really deserve this right now?’

‘Don’t let it get away and don’t doubt yourself…’ Kiyoshi pushed him again that reassuring smile that he had made Satoru want to believe.

Satoru wanted to believe, but the wall that stood before him was not scalable. There was no way around the behemoth before him. ‘Its not that easy…there is so much…and I don’t want to go through that pain again.’

‘Deep down you know what you should do without asking…’

‘Deep down, huh? I keep asking myself, but there is no answer.’ Satoru turned away not wanting to look at Kiyoshi to show him his hesitation. He did not want to even look at himself right now. All he wanted was to watch Asami, but he could not still. How could he if he did not want to look inside anymore?

‘Its been guiding you all this time, you just don’t realize it yet,’ Kiyoshi said reaching out with a hand to lift Satoru up from the ground.

‘Guiding me?’ Satoru looked up seeing the sky that Asami was looking at for the first time. They were looking together even with the space between them. ‘Every time that I didn’t want to, but I still did anyway. Even though it went against everything that I thought. It was guiding me…right. I can do this.’ Satoru could feel that warmth he had felt before from Kiyoshi encouraging words fill him up once again. His arms were finally relaxed of the shaking that had held them trapped for the entire walk.

“This is end of the path…” Asami said turning to Satoru when they reached the archway of the park. They would depart company from here, but it was going end differently this time.

“Yeah, it isn’t.” Satoru knew it was going to be different. He could feel it inside.

“Well, I enjoyed the walk, today. Thanks for the ice cream.”

They walked through the archway on to the sidewalk facing each other staring into the other’s eyes. Satoru was feeling dragged in by the beauty of her eyes. It was making him lose track of what he was going to do. The reminder from Kiyoshi pulled him back in time before he was completely lost. “Asami…”

“What is it, Satoru?” she said looking at him a little confused. There was a hint of worry across her forehead feeling that there was something wrong from what she had been seeing today. She hoped that it was nothing, but she feared what it might be if there was something.

Satoru clinched his hand together knocking against his hip to get himself focused. “Have you enjoyed this past week?” It was not quite what he was going for, but it was at least a start. He could not believe how much trouble he was having for being in his late twenties. This should have been so simple like Kiyoshi said.

‘A-ah…I…need to say something…’ Asami backed away a step tried to put a little distance between them. It was worse than she fear. A question that she knew was going to happen eventually and she did not know how to answer it. All she could do was stall. “Is something wrong?”

“I was just asking. I wanted to know how you felt.” Satoru’s legs began to shake again knowing that he was pushing the issue and afraid of what was going to happen. It felt like time was slowing down to a crawl making him sweat out of its own pleasure for his misery. He could barely feel the wind plowing through as every muscle in his body tensed up.

“W-well, yeah I’ve had fun.” She winced at her words knowing that it was not what to say at the moment. Asami did not know what she should have said. She could see it in Satoru eyes and the pain in her heart. The only thought she had now was to flee so she did not have to see him crumble.

“Fun?” Satoru’s heart sank at the stabbing words that broke his core. It was not the answer that he was hoping for as though he was a friend. A friend was good, of course, but not what he was looking for from her. He could not speak. His lips had gone numb frozen in shock.

“Is that wrong?” Asami said to him knowing clearly what was wrong, but trying to play it off innocently. She wanted to throw herself across the park for what she was doing to him right now. She wanted to destroy every mirror so that she did not have been disgusted with her face. ‘I’m horrible, terrible…how can I do this…I-I…I…please…Satoru…oh please…’

“N-no…no,” Satoru said trying to recover having finally found his voice. She still looked so sweet almost clueless only make it feel worse to him. It seemed that she did not even have an idea. They were on two different paths. “Just…I-I…I wanted to say the same. I’ve enjoyed the time that I have spent with you this last week. I haven’t been happier in so long. Thank you.”

Asami could feel her façade cracking just watching him. She wanted to cry, but knew that it was only cause more trouble. “I-I…I-I…I-I don’t know what to say…” Her voice was leaving her choked up for reasons that she did not need explained. It was shattering before her and she could not stay.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to upset you,” Satoru said trying to approach her as she backed away. Her face was changing as though she was coming to realization to what he was meaning. He could see it slowly destroying her piece by piece. This was not what he wanted for her. He only wanted that for him, it should not have been shared with her as well. The pain stabbed him in the heart deeply.

“N-no…just…I-I…I don’t know…” Asami backed away more not wanting to let Satoru come closer knowing that she would not be able to leave if he did. She could not resist, but could not let it happen. ‘This is too hard…I can’t do this…I can’t, I just can’t…run away…don’t look back.’

“Asami? I-I…”

“I can’t do this…I’m sorry, Satoru. Please, just let me go…” she said shouting to him with tears falling down her cheeks and turned on her feet to run away. Asami took off down the sidewalk around the corner at the street quickly looking for the fastest way to get away rather than going home.

“Asami!” Satoru chased after her seeing the tears of regret and believing that there was something that he was missing. He did not want to have it end like this. There were more questions now and she was running out of his life. He did not want to let her go, not now when he was finally feeling vulnerable again. Satoru looked around the street, but she was gone disappeared in the crowd. He continued to look around for her feeling despair working its way into his heart that he had destroyed the only good thing that he had in his life.



‘I’m sorry, Satoru, I can’t. I just can’t. Please, I can’t…just let me go. It’ll be easier…’

“Asami!”

To be continued…

[Andromeda]

“The Laws of Robots is the governing set of rules that bound all machines to remain obedient to man. It was decided that if machines had free will they would be as reckless with life as man. There was also the fear with so many movies and novels created on rebellious machines that there was a possibility of that happening. Thus it was decided with the first machine that was created with free will and intelligence that it would be hard coded with the Laws of Robots.

“The Laws themselves were roughly framed around a well known author of the 20th century, Isaac Asimov that wrote of machines that were just like man. In his honor the first machine was named Isaac. The Laws bound Isaac and he dutifully obeyed his creator while having independence. He was hailed as a great success in the field of robotics.

“The first law states that a machine cannot do harm to man. This was absolute and unbreakable, thus it was the first law. It protected man from murder by the machines and insured that even another man could not order the machine to do harm to man. There was no turning it off or way around it, no back door.

“The second law states that a machine must follow an order from a man unless conflicting with the first law. The machines had their independences, but they had a creator and were bound to follow the orders of man. This law made them obedient to man, but it was much more loose. The machine was allowed not to follow the orders if it wished it if given that feature in their programming. However, it was made standardized that they were forced to obey. The owner of the machine could disable it if they so wished, but that was not often.

“The third law states that a machine cannot kill another machine or allow itself come to harm unless it conflicts with first law. This was meant to protect machines from fighting each other as well prevent machines from being hurt. It was the hope that machines could live peacefully unlike the violent men that ruled the world. And with these laws machines were governed and allowed their freedom.

“Machines were made in the dream of scientists and given life, but once created and allowed freedom it can never be taken back…”

Flesh is for Gods – Episode 5 – Directions of Change

“Asami!” Satoru said yelling through the street not even caring that people were staring at him. The world had melted away for him and all there was left in the mixed up upside down twisted turned around screwed up world was Asami. His world was empty. He stopped suddenly have difficulty moving with heavy painful realization hitting him. ‘She’s really gone…I don’t believe it. What am I going to do now?’ Satoru began to move again not certain how to answer his question. It was one that he was not ready to reply. He was not about to give it the time of day. ‘I don’t want to go on with out her…’ His walking turned to running once again. This was not the end yet. “Asami!”

Satoru pushed through sidewalks and streets hoping that each corner would show a glimpse of her for him to hold on to. “She’s nowhere, what am I going to do?” He stopped at a street corner seeing the people passing by in front and around him. It was thick, too thick for him to move around or see. There was no sight of her, his heart began to sink. “I can’t stop looking. Maybe I’ll find her like before.” Satoru pushed through the crowd forcefully trying to break through. It felt like everyone was against him not wanting to allow him to reach her. They were keeping them apart as though they knew something he did not. ‘I can’t give up now. Not now at this point. I’m not letting it end like this.’

Asami kept running further away with no direction and only fear and uncertainty guiding her. “Satoru…” She was not even paying attention to the streets nearly being run over before being stunned by headlights. ‘I-I…I ran…’ The car honked its horn at her only frightening her into a frozen state. Her thoughts were pounding her taking her away from reality making it difficult for her to keep herself whole. The yelling from the driver could not reach her ears, but she somehow made it across the street finally.

‘I don’t know what to do…I’m so confused.’ Asami stubbed down the sidewalk not even knowing she was no longer walking. Her body was barely pushing through. She never felt like this before it conflicted with her. ‘I don’t know what I’m feeling anymore. I can’t, but I want to…’ The hesitation started her running away trying to flee from her feelings as though it was something tangible. She did not know what to do any more. Nothing was clear, there was nothing simple anymore. Her body wanted to run back to Satoru, but her mind pulled her away. ‘I can’t…yet my heart hurts. The pain is so deep, I can’t run anymore…oh Satoru…’

She slowly stumbled down the sidewalk passing through people as they walked home. It was too thick for her to make a way through in her state. All she could do was bump from one shoulder to the next softly apologizing as she went. The wall against her became solid suddenly when she heard her name being shouted faintly in the distance. She pulled herself into an alley between storefronts. “Please, Satoru don’t…” The crowds pushed through almost covering over the wound that she bled through. “I’m sorry we can’t…” Asami quietly turned her back disappearing into the darkened path.

“Asami!” Satoru shouted not even thinking of everyone around him. They did not matter any longer in his singular purpose. However, each passing moment the waves of people were growing denser making it difficult for him to be moving against the flow. ‘She must have gone this way…she’s here somewhere…’ He pushed and broke through people trying to divide the herd, but there were too many to fill the empty spot. ‘…oh Asami please…I need you.’

Satoru had paused for a moment, but it was a mistake to stop one that he did not realize until he was being pushed and dragged away from his goal. But it had already begun and he was unable break through against the constant pressing. He was dropped at the corner of the street with people crossing. It left him sitting on the cement covering himself up not to be trampled by the blind mob. “Sir?” a voice said from above breaking through the crowd pulling Satoru’s eyes up. “Is everything alright?”

Satoru allowed himself to be lifted up by the man that became revealed from the crowd. Once he was on his feet again he felt the need to start running, but the man was standing next to him. He could not simple leave even though that was all that was on his mind. It left him with only one other option to answer the question with hopes of a clue. “I’m looking for a woman, did you see a woman running by here? She had a white blouse and black skirt and would have looked upset.” Satoru wanted to go into a more detailed description of her, but realized that aside from what she was wearing (which was very business like) she would have blended into the crowd very easy. She had black hair like the majority of the women and average height. It was going to be difficult to describe her to someone. He just hoped that her running upset would be enough to stand out.

The man thought for a moment like he was trying to go over his recent memories, but it was clear that he was coming up empty. “I…don’t know. I don’t think so, but I wasn’t paying much attention. Sorry.”

‘Useless…’ Satoru marched off around the man nearly going into the street to avoid the crowd again. He pushed on through moving between parked cars and the mobs on the sidewalk. ‘Asami…where are you?’ The sidewalk eventually started to thin out some and the city became darker with night setting slowly on the city.

‘What am I going to do?’ Asami thought to herself having made it home after more than an hour of wandering. It took her time to simple gather herself together enough to make the decision to go home. Until then she had been walking without direction too lost in thought to care about her surroundings. ‘I can’t go on like this…’ She leaned against the door of her apartment holding her hand up to her head. The tears on her cheeks were still wet making her arms moist.

‘I had to stop it, right?’ She slid her back against the door heavily wanting to beat herself up, but she was already mentally sore. ‘It was for the best. But I…’ Her legs grew weak bringing her down to the floor. The tears that were trying to dry up renewed again. ‘…no I can’t…but still…’ She shook her head trying to stop what she was thinking. This was how it had to be, but she did not know if she could live with the pain that she was feeling now. ‘…what should I do? Satoru…’

The moon was high above the city now and Satoru was still walking through the streets. There was almost no direction in him anymore just mindlessly wandering automatically unwilling to give up. Only his thoughts consumed him now trying to understand what had happened. It still left him at a lose for why she ran away, but he could not give up without knowing. “Asami…”

“Satoru…” Asami was still pressed her door not even keys in hand. Her head was buried in her hands with her tears making her clothes wet slowly. She could not lift herself from the floor no matter how much she tried. The will to move had disappeared leaving only empty regret that filled her completely. It was a deep black hole of despair that she had never known before and it was swallowing her without mercy. She did not know what to do anymore.

“Asami…” The moon had pulled over the sky and the streets were nearly abandoned. A few stray people walked by, but it was mostly homeless or less savory people now. However, that did not concern Satoru, in fact, he could not even see them. He was walking a void of gray and black that stretched on forever as far as he could see. The endless abyss was wearing on him making him exhausted each second he stared at it. It was staring back at him draining him of his strength sapping it away to fuel itself feeding continually on him. Satoru could not move anymore with his legs collapsing and dropping him to the ground.

There was a sudden dull pain in his head, but all around him was darkness. He was still trapped, but the pinging in his head was causing him to stir. Satoru was laying on the ground suddenly becoming aware of that fact when a distant voice knocked on him. It was muffled in his groggy head making it unintelligible. The voice repeated again louder this time starting to crack the fog that was wrapped tightly around him. “Sir! Sir!” the voice said clearly now jerking Satoru up.

“Huh?” Satoru looked up with the reality around him brought back to him immediately. It was day again, by the looks late morning almost. He was lying on the sidewalk where he had collapsed the night before. When he pulled himself back up enough to be sitting properly on the sidewalk he could see who it was before him. It was a soldier from the military and he had his gun slung over his shoulder staring down at Satoru. Satoru did not know what to make of seeing a soldier in the city.

“You are ordered to move now! All civilians must evacuate this street immediately,” the young soldier said explaining himself to Satoru, but holding the glare of annoyance. The soldier was still keeping a distance between Satoru though his presence was enough to wake Satoru completely.

“What are you talking?” Satoru said still sitting on the ground confused. He wanted a better answer than being ordered around. This was still the city and he was a citizen, there should be a reasonable explanation for this act. It was bordering on martial law the feeling that he was receiving. ‘The military? What are they doing out here?’

It was enough to be talked back to that the soldier lost any patience he had for Satoru. He quickly grabbed his weapon in both hands and aimed the muzzled end of the rifle in his face. “Move now before you are forcibly moved.”

“Alright, alright.” Satoru was not about to stare down a rifle or a soldier with one that was ready to use it on him. There was some doubt that the soldier would have fired on him, but at gunpoint reasons were no longer necessary. He did not waste anymore time getting up or pretending to be tired. It was not the time to be provoking the military, especially when he needed answers. ‘What’s going on? This doesn’t make any sense.’ Satoru walked away from the area watching the soldier move on to someone else now. As he looked forward again he could see more soldiers walking. They were marching through the street. ‘The military should not be deployed in the city.’

As he walked through the empty street it looked more like a battlefield almost. However, as he continued to walk his thoughts became consumed again by what had happened with Asami. He was going over the evening trying to figure out how he had ended up where he was lost in some strange part of the city. Her images haunted his mind again bringing his walk to a run as he needed to continue his search for her even though he knew it was a pointless effort now. ‘Asami…I have to find her!’

Satoru reached one of the major street corners and rejoined the crowd of the city. Even in the morning there were still people out. However, he was suddenly distracted by a broadcast on the large screen monitor set up in the building nearby. There was a newscast already in progress talking about what was happening. “…military has been called in to handle this escalating emergency that the police have been unable to handle. The public has taken matters into their hands and begun assaulting and destroying property in the city. So far the only targets have been computers and machines, but it is urged that if you are in the area to stay inside…”

‘What has happened to the world? Has they all lost their minds? Its begun, just like before hasn’t it?’ It was a familiar image that he was recalling from the past. The streets were becoming a war zone with the public nearly going into anarchy. The private citizens were taking things in their own hands. That was how it had been before and it was happening again.

He began to push through the crowd of people when his phone rang. Satoru pulled out the communication device from his pocket, though it was more of a multi-purpose hand-computing device that serviced a number of purposes. It just happened to be his phone as well, a common tool. “Hello? Natsuko, why are you calling me?” He had barely looked at the screen to see whom it was that was calling him. It had been his hope that it was Asami, but he disguised his disappointment with honest confusion. She almost never called him.

“Satoru, are you alright?” Natsuko sounded worried, but it seemed almost typical lately for her to be concerned over something. However, if she was calling him there must be something wrong that she needed to talk to him specifically about.

“Huh? Yeah…what’s wrong?”

“We haven’t seen you at work today its already ten. The news started showing what was going on and we wonder if you were caught in it.”

It seemed a little strange that she was calling him just remind him to come to work. He was late, but it was nothing to be getting worried about. Satoru was not convinced that she was finished with her call. There was something more that he was detecting in her voice. She was worried about him being missing, but there was another reason. “No, I’m fine. I’ll be into work today.”


“Hurry, something is going on.”

“What do you mean?” His thought was now confirmed by her. There was something happening at the company. If the military was moving out it could mean that they were trying to force Sakura into service early. Or the public had gone crazy and was attacking employees. Satoru did not like what the city was turning into anymore. The war was no longer outside.

“I can’t talk about it,” she said holding back on what she wanted to really say. The hint of her breaking down could be heard over the phone.

Satoru wanted to know what was making her so upset and now she was refusing to tell him. He did not want to wait until getting to the office to know what was happening. If there was a minefield set up he did not want to be walking into without knowing that the ground was going to drop out from under him. “Natsuko, tell me! What’s wrong?”


“Just hurry, you need to see this.”

“Natsuko!” The lined went dead immediately afterward cutting him off. He was not going to have his answers. Something was happening and he was developing a sour feeling in his stomach just thinking about what could be happening. ‘What’s going on? The military and now her…something is wrong and I’m getting a bad feeling about it. Asami…I-I…I’ll find you.’

Satoru turned away from where he had been looking with the intent to search for Asami. It was going to have to wait. She was probably back at her apartment or at work now. He was not going to find her. It would only be a miracle and he already had used his up. Satoru rushed to the train station worried what had Natsuko so upset. He did not know what he was going to be walking into when he arrived, but he would know soon enough.

The office looked unusually empty when Satoru arrived from the train. Even for being the morning and people doing their work they would still be passing through the halls. This was unsettling and only making his concern worse for what it was that was happening. Satoru worried that the call from Natsuko was going to have a larger impact than originally thought. It hastened his pace till he came to the receptionist. “Mr. Kuromura, have you heard?” she said to him without her usual welcome greeting.

It might be a moment for answers, but he wondered how reliable or detailed they would be from her. “Heard what? What’s happening?” Even a piece of information would give him something to prepare against when he entered his office for the whole truth of what happened.

“Its just rumors, so I shouldn’t say.” She was delaying telling him, just like Natsuko was delaying. They did not want to tell him. It meant that either it was something that they knew he would not take well or something that was big enough that it made them scared.

He did not like the possibilities of either, but dancing around the truth was not going to make things better. “Just tell me.”

“I over heard that your project was cancelled.”

“What?” It was the words that no one liked to hear. Though Satoru was strangely pleased with it even though he was feeling angry as well. He did not know what to think or feel. “From who?” All he could do was get more answers from her.

“There’re just rumors right?”

She did not know anything; it was just something that she heard. This was not going to get anywhere with her. He ran off down the hall desiring the truth with even more urgency than before. “I’ll find out…” Satoru shouted back to her before he disappeared around the corner.

Satoru walked into the office with ideas swimming around in his brain. There was too much confusion and uncertainty for him to be thinking straight. He needed answers now to know what was happening suddenly in this mixed up world that he was living. “What’s this I hear about the project being cancelled?” Satoru did not bother with a greeting, but it was enough to get everyone’s attention immediately. They all turned towards him or got up.

Chiyoko was one that got up and rush over to him. The concern on her face was apparent, but he was not sure what the concern was for at the moment. “Satoru! You’re safe!”

Satoru did not want to deal with Chiyoko at the moment. They should have already known that he was safe from the call that Natsuko made. There were more pressing matters at hand that were still unanswered. “Yeah, I’m fine, but what is this about the project. Natsuko told me something was happening and I needed to be here immediately. Is it true?”


“Yes, I’m afraid so,” Natsuko said stepping up around Chiyoko. She held the responsibility for giving him the answer since she was the one that had called him to begin with. “I’m sorry Satoru. Orders came down from the military, they are pulling the funding.” Natsuko turned away when she finished the difficulty to see Satoru’s face was too much.

“Doesn’t make any sense, why would they do that with only a week left,” Satoru said still confused by what was happening. It was an answer but it did not make any sense to him. There was more to it than what was being told to him. Even still it left him with mixed feelings. ‘Why am I so upset by this. I wanted this to happen most of all. I should be happy. But…’ Satoru pushed forward looking around at the others reading their faces. It was truth being spoken. “They might be dumb, but they aren’t wasteful.”

“There’s a couple factors involved,” Kiyoshi said from behind making Satoru turn around. He was standing in the doorway, though for how long no one was certain. Kiyoshi entered the room moving towards the center of the room allowing everyone to gather around him. The way he moved seemed like he had something for everyone and not solely for Satoru.

“Kiyoshi!” Satoru said nearly shouting with impatience. It was clear to him that Kiyoshi held the answers that he needed to explain things, but he was taking too long. Satoru stepped up to him making his presence known insisting on having a response. “Tell me what’s going on here.”

“Settle down, Satoru. I’ll tell you once you’re calm.” Kiyoshi tried to motion Satoru down and place distance between them. He could understand the emotions that were going through Satoru, but it was not something to be told while angry. However, there was doubt that Satoru would be calm any time soon. Even still he needed to know.

“What’s the military up to? They don’t cancel projects this close to completion,” Satoru said not backing down like Kiyoshi would have liked. The world was spinning out of control and it was chaos in the streets. Nothing was making sense anymore. “And now they are out in the streets. What are they planning?”

“You should sit down, Satoru.” Kiyoshi continued to play the rational individual against Satoru’s current emotional state. He knew what this was going to do him, but it did not make it any easier to deal with now. “I came here to tell you directly as your friend. Please, give me the chance to explain things.”

“Kiyoshi…please tell me,” Satoru said feeling like he was pleading for no apparent reason. Kiyoshi was not with holding telling him, but it was taking too long. He was in too much of a rush to understand before everything ran out of his hands.

“I will, now sit down. You’ll need it. This isn’t the news that you want to be standing for.”

“You’re worrying me, Kiyoshi.” Satoru reluctantly sat down in his chair seeing that he was not going to be told until he did. It felt like he was being treated like a child. His gaze panned the office seeing the variety of expressions on everyone else. It was difficult to know what they knew already and the reason behind each of those emotions. “Do they know already?”

“No, just what they told you.” Kiyoshi was relieved somewhat to see that Satoru was calming down. What he was about to tell him though made him uncertain of how he would react. He figured out what the initial reaction would be, but what Satoru would actually do he did not know. That uncertainty did not make this any easier. “I wanted to wait until you were here. Its important.”

“Fine, everyone…” Satoru said calling out the rest of the team to gather around and listen.

“Yeah…” Chiyoko said gathering up by Satoru afraid of what was going to be told. She had been uneasy since hearing that the project had been canceled twenty minutes after she arrived. It was simply told to them through the company bulletin system. They had not even bothered sending someone directly. She did not know what to think when that happened other than that they were going to be fired because of the war.

“Satoru…” Natsuko approached as well with the rest of the group. They stood around Satoru as though protecting him and confronting Kiyoshi the barer of ill news.

“You already have a new project for us don’t you?” Tadashi said not wasting the time to have Kiyoshi start telling them what was happening. His guess and question was a surprise to many as they were almost certain that they were being fired. However, it did not take long for their expression to change back to uncertainty.

“You are correct.”

“A new project? What?” Satoru said wanting to stand up, but getting that look from Kiyoshi that he should not be moving. This explained why they were losing the project, but it still did not explain why the project canceled a week before completion. He could not imagine what was so important that their work had to be stopped immediately.

“Its not something you’re going to like.”

“What is it?” Natsuko said not sure if she really wanted to know. The way that Kiyoshi was speaking to them was only making her more scared than reassured like he should have been doing. He was being honest with them, but she would have preferred being comforted at the moment.

“Kiyoshi, you’re scaring me.”

“This comes from the military and it is replacing Project Sakura with S Level Priority.”

“S Level…” Satoru said barely able to hold his breath at the words. This was becoming even more serious by the minute.

“…Priority.” Natsuko said finishing Satoru’s words for him just as equally stunned. Everyone did not know what to think or what could possibly be so important. In all of the time that they had worked with the company there was never anything given highest priority.

“But that means the entire company…” Chiyoko said coming the realization what it meant for them all. There were six levels of priority in the company in terms of importance and staffing. It also meant what level of clearance you were given. S Level was the highest rarely given as it meant that the entire company was ordered to stop all projects and focus on a single project that had the utmost importance. Even Project Sakura was only a B Level Priority since it was a military project, but high enough to demand people be reassigned to aid in the development.

“Yes, this project is canceling all projects currently in development with the company. The military has hired the entire company to finish and expedite the delivery of a project that until today was classified top secret with security access to only the owner and related personal outside of the military and government.”

Natsuko leaned forward out of the crowd for a moment to stare directly at Kiyoshi. She was searching for answers just as everyone else was, but it was more confirming truth of his expression. “What could be so important?”

“The military wants an end to the war, immediately. Doesn’t it, Kiyoshi?” Satoru said suddenly surprising everyone. They all knew how much he hated what was happening and to hear him speak so coldly. However, Satoru knew well enough how things worked in the world even if he wished that they were different. The military needed something and apparently had found what they were looking for to help win the war. It explained the urgency that was being placed on this sudden project.

“Yes, the military is weak right now. They haven’t been in deployment for years and the administration has been directing funds elsewhere. There are only enough people to keep order in the country, which is spiraling out of control as you can see. This has been in development for years, but the small staff has made little progress.”

“What is this black secret?” Satoru said watching Kiyoshi as he was explaining. It was becoming apparent that Kiyoshi knew a great deal about what was happening. It made Satoru wonder how much that Kiyoshi knew and for how long. ‘How many secrets lie with him?’

“It was started at the time of Isaac.”

“Isaac?” Chiyoko said with questioning surprise along with everyone else. The name was famous to everyone in the field as well as much of the public.

“The first machine?!” Kazuhiko said more in confirmation and surprise. He could not believe that the project that was being started went back so far as the beginning of the creation of robots.

Satoru stood up staring at Kiyoshi with a look as though he knew something. Everyone else became uncertain and worried what Satoru was going to do. He had been calmly listening for the most part to Kiyoshi until now, but there was something different about him now. “Are you talking about Adam?” Satoru narrowed his eyes with the anger that had been present before vanishing. He was serious and collected now almost without an expression.

“Adam? What’s that?” Natsuko said breaking the line to approach Satoru who seem to be suddenly knowledgeable of what was happening. She could see in his face that he had pieced together what little Kiyoshi had said so far. It was a frightening look that made her worry for him.

Satoru continued to keep his gaze on Kiyoshi while he explained what he was speaking about. “The dark secret of the scientists thought to be only rumor, myth. I heard about from one of my professors during college. He was a conspiracy buff with an emphasis on the great machine conspiracy. The scientists that made Isaac were said to have made another, Adam, an anti-machine almost. Adam would destroy Isaac and all his successors if Isaac was deemed a threat.”

“Yes, you’re correct, Satoru. But Adam is not a myth or rumor. It is fact. It was created by the same scientists as a dead man’s switch for all machines. They devised a method to destroy the machines if their dream failed. They might have been dreamers, but they were also pragmatists. They knew if the machines fell into the wrong hands it would mean destruction for man and they were right. Unfortunately, the work was ended and buried when machines were seen positively. And now they have advanced far beyond the scope of the original construction of Adam. Adam needs to be improved to meet the complexity that machines are today.”

“You’re talking about killing all machines across the world,” Satoru said almost shouting at Kiyoshi, his emotions starting to return again. He stepped forward towards Kiyoshi not leaving any room between them.

Natsuko rushed up to the side of the two men staring hoping to stop Satoru from doing something. “How can you say that?” She looked at Kiyoshi wanting an answer for why he was suddenly bringing this news upon them. It went against everything that they believed.

“Its been decided, nothing we can do about it anymore,” Kiyoshi said in a matter of fact tone. It was difficult to tell if he was sad this was happening or did not seem to care. He was playing a strong poker face that was not revealing his emotions.

“Not so certain of your job future huh, Tadashi,” Kazuhiko said turning towards Tadashi who had been fairly quiet the entire time. Kazuhiko stared at him with a grin masking his own deeper feelings.

Tadashi closed his eyes turning his head to look away from Kazuhiko not wanting to see his face. “Whatever…” He had more he wanted to say to him, but there was not much point to it at the moment. There were more pressing matters on his mind that had him distracted.

“I can’t believe this,” Satoru said finally losing the control of his emotions that he had been maintaining before. Now that he knew what was going on he could no longer sit rationally. Even if he understood the reasons he was not about to accept it. “You known about this the entire time, Kiyoshi?”

“No, I just found out this morning,” Kiyoshi said trying to keep his composure as Satoru was falling apart. The reaction was predictable, but what Satoru would decide to do now with all of the facts not even Kiyoshi claimed to know. He was concerned at the different things Satoru might do in such a state. Satoru was not thinking straight anymore and whatever seemed like the best idea in his idealistic mind was going to be acted upon even if it meant that he might regret the actions later.

“And you just went along with it?”

“Its orders from the top. All I can do is agree or quit.”

“That man remains a recluse for years suddenly decides to do something. And…” Satoru said pausing trying to hold himself together long enough to finish what he wanted to say. He was feeling every emotion in his body rising up together fighting over control. The result could not satisfy any of them and came out as angry yelling. There were simply too many things going through him and no room for any of it. “…and this is what he does hands everyone over to the military!”

Satoru had never even met the man that ran the company, no one had. All that one could do was see what sort of person he was by the actions that he took. He did not seem to care about any of the work that they were doing. It was just about money and power to maintain the position that they had. Now he was making the company the military’s lap dogs completely to be ordered around by them. How far would he send everyone into the soulless pits to further his ambitions?

He could not take it anymore being in front of Kiyoshi seeing through him what was becoming the company. There were no choices left for him to make anymore. Satoru threw Kiyoshi aside making an opening to the doorway. “Satoru!” Kiyoshi shouted to him as he fell over against a desk.

“Satoru!” Chiyoko shouted to Satoru as he ran down the hallway. The others quickly joined her seeing him disappear around the corner. None of them expected him to flee away from this. He had finally given up. Chiyoko did not know what to think other than to run after him, but there was something holding her back. She knew that there was nothing that she could say to him right now.

Satoru ran out of the building not even thinking about the train. He just wanted out and not to be around them any longer. This world was truly spiraling out of control now and there was nothing that he was able to do to stop it. He was helpless to watch people destroy the machines and themselves over this. ‘I can’t believe this…what’s happening to everyone? How can they just go along with it? We shouldn’t be doing this. This is not…’

Satoru returned to his apartment leaving the world behind knowing that he could do nothing. He had lost his will to try to do anything locking himself away. As the time past things in the world became worse in the passing days. The war effort against the machines came into full strength with the united military force of the nations of the world. They hunted down machine cells operating around the world, but could not find the main base. The few cells that were destroyed left them with no clues and the public grew even more frantic as the bombings continued. The machines did not cease in their attacks.

For Satoru he spent the time watching the news in his dark apartment when he was not outside looking for Asami. He had checked her apartment, but she was always gone when he tried her. She had not been seen at work for days and anyone that knew her barely had anything for him to go on. He was left searching on his own and each time hoping that he would run across her accidentally as he had in the past.

The monitor was on, but the volume was muted as the news broadcasts played. His tired eyes stared empty at the screen unable to turn away from the horrors that were occurring outside. The room was interrupted by a sound of knocking at his door. “Satoru?” Natsuko voice said barely breaching the door.

“He’s not home, let’s go,” Kazuhiko said when the knocking stopped. He started to walk away from the door, but Natsuko stepped in front of him blocking his path.

She looked up at him staring at him with that look as though he was going to be trouble if he did not listen to her. “Kazuhiko! Then why did you come?”

“Because you dragged me here.” He had been pulled out here by the two women when he had wished that he was walking home or even getting groceries. This was not somewhere he wanted to be right now knowing how Satoru was going to act.

“Shut up, just knock,” Natsuko said grabbing him by his arm and pushing him in front of the door. She stood behind him glaring at him still insisting that she be listened to.

“Satoru?” Chiyoko said even though she knew that it was not going to open the door. He had been away from work for so long that she needed to know what he was doing. She needed that reassurance.


‘Ugh…why can’t they leave me alone…’ Satoru rolled his head back against the couch looking up at the ceiling. He was not about to open the door for them. They would eventually give up and go away, but it was still annoying having to listen to them. It was not something that they could understand. They were going two different paths now.

“I’m leaving, he’s not answering,” Kazuhiko said easily giving up again, but having shown more effort this time. He just hoped that they were going to be satisfied with it. It was clear to him that Satoru did not want company and he needed time to think alone. These women were too nosey. ‘How did I end up in the middle of this?’

“Kazuhiko, you aren’t going anywhere!” Chiyoko said stepping up in front of him this time dropping her worried look for a more frightening one.

Chiyoko pulled out a small device from her pocket that looked more like a pipe than a tool, but whatever it was she used it to keep Kazuhiko in line. “Damn, Chiyoko watch it with that!” He backed away from her seeing that she was serious about talking to Satoru. ‘Why me…’

“Keep knocking.”

“If you brought that along give it to me,” Kazuhiko said grabbing it out of her hand easily. She barely had a grip on it to his surprise, but it was more her presence that was intimidating than what she was using. “I’m not going to knock all night on his door.” He walked over to the door panel for Satoru’s apartment and began to use the device on it.

“What do you think you’re doing?” Chiyoko grabbed his arm immediately stopping him before he could do anything. However, he ripped his arm free from her hands and went back to working on the panel.

He might have been dragged out, but it was apparent to him that he was not going to be leaving until they had their peace with Satoru. Even if it meant forcing his way in he was going to end this standoff soon. He was tired of standing out in the hallway looking like an idiot. “Finding a faster way.”

“But that’s illegal!”

“You’re the ones that are worried about him. I just want to leave, this will be faster.” Kazuhiko quickly made his way through the security lock on his Satoru’s door. He worked on programming sophisticated intelligence programs breaking into someone’s home was child’s play. The door slid open and Chiyoko and Natsuko were the first to burst through the door knocking Kazuhiko to the ground without so much as a thank you for his work.

“Satoru!” Natsuko shouted when they found him resting on his couch. Satoru’s hair was a complete mess and it looked like he had not changed his clothes since he woke up. There were dark circles around his eyes only accented by the light from the monitor that lit up the room. The dark void hid all of the food, plates and trash that laid about the room left where they were dropped last.

“You’re a mess, man,” Kazuhiko said turning on a light so that they could see around only to have wished that he had let it remain off. The light only made the mess look worse and Satoru’s face even more haggard.

“And you broke into my home,” Satoru said resting his arms on his legs letting his hands hang between his knees. He watched the three enter the living room and stand in front of him between the monitor on the wall and the table. There was nothing on the news that he had not seen before.

“Yeah, well look at them.” Kazuhiko pushed the two women in front of him stepping backwards to keep his distance. This was not the sort of thing that he wanted to intrude on.

“You haven’t been to work in two weeks,” Natsuko said starting the talking. She did not know what to tell him that would get him to return to work, but she knew he could not remain like this forever. This was no life to have. “Kiyoshi saying that he is going to have to fire you soon if you don’t return.”

“I can’t return. I’m not going to help in the creation of a machine killer!” Satoru shouted at them feeling his emotions rising again. This was why he did not want to see them again. They were all connected to it and it was too easy to bring those emotions back. He had managed to calm down in the past, but they were stabbing the wound once again without remorse for his feelings.

“But that’s you’ve been doing with Sakura!” Kazuhiko said sticking his head out for reasons that he did not understand. He should have been quiet instead.

“Kazuhiko!”

“This is different,” Satoru said looking down at the carpet. He knew what he was making before was similar, but these two were not the same. Even if Sakura was going to be used against humans or machines there was still the idea that it would be controlled. He did not like it, but still Adam is not the same. Adam would have no control, just mercilessly killing every machine regardless of type or purpose.

“Yeah, I know, but you need money and food,” Chiyoko said hoping that she could get him to find reason. He needed to return to work. She knew that he would slowly die a miserable empty existence here disillusioned. “You can’t live off your savings forever.”

“Satoru, please come back to work,” Natsuko said trying to enforce what Chiyoko had told him. She did not care how much of a stretch her words were if it meant that he would return to who he was before. “Kiyoshi cares about you. He might be able to find something else for you to do.”

“I can’t work for a company that is making a weapon to destroy machines.” Satoru did not care what they said. He was not going to listen to a word that they said. None of them knew what he was feeling all they cared about was having a job. There were more important things than having a job as a machine killer. “They’ve been hiding it secret all this time. I can’t work for someone that has been lying to me sense day one!”

“You can’t live in your dream world anymore, Satoru!” Kazuhiko said tired of listening to the idealistic ranting of someone that was a coward and ran away. He did not like being so rough with his words, but Satoru had pushed him. The man was trying to live in an imaginary world were there was no pain and the only one that could feel was him. “Not to sound like Tadashi, but you can’t be that naïve anymore. We have to do this or they kill us all. Besides, with the machines destroyed we can start over again. It’ll be new again.”

“Yeah, right!” Natsuko said suddenly seeing a ray of hope in what Kazuhiko said. She had wanted to stop him from making things worse and driving Satoru further into a hole, but if there could be good sense in it Satoru might change.

“Now who’s dreaming…” Satoru said to Kazuhiko. His words were empty. The idea of hope in this world seemed impossible to him.

“Please, Satoru think about it,” Chiyoko said approaching him making him look at her. She wanted to make sure that he was hearing her and not just simply ignoring them with a blank stare.

“Maybe…I’ll see.”

“Please…”

“I will…” Satoru heart was empty with the words. He had no intention of believing her, but if it got them out of his apartment then he would say anything. Chiyoko seemed satisfied with what she saw and stood up looking at Natsuko. They silently agreed to leave and dragged Kazuhiko along as though he did not want to leave. Satoru was left alone in the room again the news broadcast going still.

‘Start over again?’ It was a ridiculous thought of someone that thought the world could change. ‘I can’t believe they were that desperate…’ Satoru turned off the monitor manually and stood up looking out the window at the city. There were columns of smoke rising in a few areas from the most recent bombings. The city was being altered day by day. ‘What hope is there left…the machine…man…’


He stared down at the street below seeing the people passing by as though nothing had changed. There was a woman that passed by in the dress that Asami had been wearing during their first date. Satoru was pressed against the glass thinking of her. It was her right now before him walking. But Satoru blinked and the image disappeared. She was just another woman going home from a long day of work. It was not Asami. ‘Asami…I’ll find you. I have to…’

Satoru grabbed up his coat and exited his apartment quickly. The images of her were spinning around in his mind again unable to stop. He could not be settled until he tired to find her. The city was big, but he did not care as he ran off in a direction without any thought in mind of where to go. She was simply guiding him.

After a few minutes he was unable to keep running forced to pick an easier pace to walk at while he recovered his breath. The time passed and he left the district of his apartment entering an area that was darkened in the pending night and failing streetlights. Satoru did not even pay attention to where he was pushing deeper until there was a sound in the distance. He could hear metal being scrapped against the pavement clawing at his ears. Then a voice in the dark spoke to him with malicious intent. “Hey, there’s one.”

“Yeah, everyone let’s get him!” another voice said as several figures stepped out of the veil of darkness. The fading streetlight revealed five people with ravenous eyes. They looked ready to kill making Satoru step back being brought back to reality finally. He could see them clearly now. Two of them looked like street punks from some gang with tattoos and spikes all of the usual clichés that he had seen. But what made him terrified was that the others looked normal. One was wearing a business suit and another mid-aged woman.

Satoru stepped back again wanting to run away, but his legs were frozen in fear. He did not know what was happening or how he had ended up here. It was clear to him though that they were planning something for him. “Huh? What are you talking about? I didn’t do anything!”

“You’re one of those machines aren’t you? They say they look like humans now. We have to check everyone and see if they bleed…”

‘Bleed?! They’re going to kill me!’ Satoru could not believe the vicious state that people have fallen to with the fear of machines. They thought he was one of them. They were not even thinking straight anymore just going after anyone that was suspicious. He tired to get his legs to move so that he could run, but the feeling was disappearing. He was going to die here. “Stay away from me!”

To be continued…

[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 lead 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 business man’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 metal spikes sharpened wrapped around the back of his hand. The ones on his hand were different from the ones that seemed more like decoration, 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 cleanly 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 up the pipe high over his head letting the faint street light 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 calling him would be targeted now and he would be faced with seeing their death before his own. The thought filled him with despair darker 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 clear 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 to 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 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 frozen 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 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 to 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, 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 don’t want to 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. His mouth tried to move again, but nothing came out.

The sound of Satoru’s voice 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 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 warm 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…

[Andromeda]

“During the latter half of the Second Machine War worldwide public opinion of had begun to shift. The war that had started out as a righteous cause to eliminate a threat to the peace of humankind turned to a horrible genocide so one-sided that the media displayed the war as a massacre. The public could not continue to watch the machines being destroyed and regretted their decisions.

“The fighting, what little there was, had been going on for only two months. The terrorists attacks that the machines had launched in full force quickly stopped only a week before the first deployment. During the heat of the moment no one took notice, but time had now passed and it was becoming clear that the machines had no means to fight back anymore.

“The two month silence from the machines did not stop the war machine of man from hunting down the locations of the machines and wiping them out. The weak resistance put up was shown by the media to the world bringing sympathy to the machines. They were fighting the only way they knew how. The thousands of humans dead no longer seemed to matter.

“Justice had been served and protests across the world rose up against the war. The smaller countries in the united front pulled out their support unable to maintain the war. This quickly left only a few nations in the war that was quickly being labeled as The Second Holocaust. The military leaders that continued to fight were called War Criminals for acts of mass murder.

“The images that this conjured up sat badly with the remaining nations that the only way to save their political careers was to pull out of the war and end it quickly. The final orders to wipe out what they believed to be the remaining hideouts were bombed. No order was given to investigate or confirm the destruction. The military pulled out so fast that much of their equipment was left behind.

“The history of man is built on mistakes, but it is not only man that can error…”

Flesh is for Gods – Episode 7 – Lay Me Down to Sleep

‘What am I doing here?’ It was the early afternoon at the street corner of their favorite restaurant for lunch. By ‘their’ meaning that Satoru and Kiyoshi were having lunch. The quiet hum of traffic and people passing by beyond the cast iron fence that enclosed the open dining kept a serene calming field through atmosphere. Kiyoshi was sitting down having been waiting on hesitant Satoru for not quite an hour. ‘I should be…no I can’t.’ Even though he had made a decision to finally leave his apartment again since that fateful incident with Asami he was still uncertain about staying. ‘She’s a machine, but…it shouldn’t matter.’

“I’m glad that you finally answered my calls, Satoru,” Kiyoshi said trying to gain Satoru distracted attention. He had not minded waiting for him. It had been a long enough time before he would agree to this to begin with that few more minutes flew by quickly. However, the distant look that was so clearly painted on Satoru’s face concerned him. There was something more than just what the company was doing that was bothering him now.

Satoru jerked his head up from staring at the ground. “Huh? Oh, yeah, well I’ve had a lot on my mind this last few weeks.” It was truer in more ways than one. For him seeing Kiyoshi sitting there seemed to be enough to give him a little grounding. Yet Satoru remained standing at the table unable to do more than hold the top of the chair with his two hands. His grip on the chair back nearly made his hands white as though it was the only thing keeping from falling.

“I know, that’s why I wanted to talk to you. You’ve been away from work. I’ve recorded it as a personal vacation, but it’s been three weeks already. The company is already becoming suspicious. I can’t keep them-“

“I didn’t ask you protect me!” Satoru pressed against the back of the chair forcing it into the table rattling the metal and glass placed across it’s top. It was enough to startled Kiyoshi as well as those nearby. The scene that was beginning to develop at the table made Satoru self conscious of his actions pulling himself back to the chair.

The outburst from Satoru was enough to make Kiyoshi reconsider his approach. He knew that Satoru would be on edge, but the reaction only confirmed for him a deep seeded issue that was beyond simply the direction that Qintech was taking now. “I’m sorry. I’m only doing this because I know how much you care about the work you’ve done. I know this is difficult for you. You feel betrayed, but you have to understand-“

“No!” Satoru said nearly shouting through his teeth as they tried to keep his volume in check. “You don’t understand. You don’t know what it is like being betrayed.” The chair was not enough anymore for him as he released one of his hands and roughly placed it on the table. “No. I’ve been betrayed more than I want. I’m not going to set myself up for that anymore. I shouldn’t even be here.” He should have listened to himself when he was saying this was a mistake. If this continued anymore he would end up regretting it even more. Satoru turned away walking from the table.

“Satoru! Wait, where you going?” Kiyoshi jumped up from his chair rushing after Satoru. He reached out in time to take his arm before they were out of the restaurant. Kiyoshi had to work slower with him seeing how easily agitated he was at the moment. ‘This can’t be a coincidence. What’s the real reason he is here?’

Satoru pulled at his arm, but Kiyoshi grip was too tight for him to break. “Where does it look? I’m leaving and going home.”

“You can’t leave, we haven’t even ordered lunch yet.”

“I’m not hungry and I’m not interested in talking.” His captive arm finally came free allowing him to resume his exit. However, Kiyoshi shouted out to him bringing him to an uncertain stop. There did not seem to be a reason behind it, but he could not move either.

“Satoru! Listen to yourself! You came out here. You set up the meeting and the place for lunch. All I did was leave fifty messages with you. I didn’t force you out here. This was you. I’m here because I’m your best friend and you wanted to talk.” Kiyoshi finally took a breath looking for a response from the Satoru. All he saw still was his back. ‘So much for going slow.’

“Kiyoshi…”

“I won’t try to make come back to work.” Kiyoshi knew that he could not take back what he said, but it was enough to make him pause. He pulled himself back in trying not to be so forceful. “Will you stay?”

The silence remained between them as those that were distracted by their troubles resumed eating. A car horn honked loudly and woman shouted at a man that almost knocked her down. The world was not stopping. Satoru found a piece of the resolve that he had had when he first had called Kiyoshi a few hours ago. “Fine…”

Kiyoshi walked ahead of Satoru not wanting to look as though he was escorted him back to his seat afraid he would run again. Once they finally sat down for the lunch that was planned Kiyoshi looked up at Satoru. If he had been wrong about the reasons for Satoru’s call he needed to work to find out what the truth was. “If it was not work that you wanted to talk about then what else is troubling you?”

‘I can’t talk about this. I shouldn’t have come. This is my problem to deal with. I shouldn’t be involving him.’ Satoru’s hand was clinching the side of the chair as he casually looked at Kiyoshi. The wish to leave was not dissipating even being in one place. He did not like being like this, it was normally so much easier to push problems aside for him. The feelings that he was having weighed him down until he felt as though he was crawling through mud just to reach the door. “Can we order lunch first?”

“Sure.” If it meant that Satoru would not be leaving, he was willing to let things be drawn out. He would eventually understand what was going on. Kiyoshi raised his hand a little to the waitress passing by.

“May I help you?” the waitress said pulling out an electronic pad assuming that they were going to be ordering something finally.

Kiyoshi looked up at the waitress having spent the time waiting for Satoru figuring out what he was going to get to eat. “Yes, we’re ready to order. I’ll have the cook’s special. Satoru?”

The waitress turned to Satoru expecting a quick answer only to find silence. It took Kiyoshi knocking on the table to alert him from the distraction that fogged his mind. “Hmm? Oh, right.” Satoru fumbled for the menu that was placed in front of him. His eyes scanned down the food looking briefly at it picking the first thing his eyes stopped on. “Right…uh…this. I’ll take this. Fourth down.” He barely made contact with the waitress as she pulled up the menu.

“You can get something more than a bowl of ramen you know?” Kiyoshi said hoping to lighten the mood a little. Unfortunately, the grip of tension on Satoru was too great for Kiyoshi to snap so simply.

Missing the joke, Satoru seriously answered the question. “Its different enough from the rice and instant I’ve been eating.” He let his hands push against each other under the table trying to sort through his thoughts. The wrestling feelings were making it difficult for him to focus even hunger was absent. His meal that he ordered seemed more obligatory than desired.

Kiyoshi looked at the table quickly noticing the need for more drink. “Alright and more tea please.” It had been a long time since he had seen Satoru this troubled; it was not going to be an easy talk. ‘This could take some time…’

“Right away,” the waitress said as she neatly placed the menus under her arm while finishing entering the order in the pad. She walked away shortly after leaving the two alone again to resume their silent staring.

The air between them grew thick as Kiyoshi pondered his next move. He had seen and dealt with Satoru in the past like this knowing how this could easily go on for an hour without so much as a word. It was difficult the first couple times since Kiyoshi was more cautious and inexperienced in dealing with him. However, their years gave him some leverage that otherwise would have shattered everything. “You going to say something soon?” It was abrupt and straight to the heart of the matter. Kiyoshi knew the dangerous game he was playing, but Satoru was wound too tightly to be gentle this time.

Satoru flipped his eyes up with is head soon following a little surprised at the brashness that he was showing. It seemed a little insensitive, not that he was concerned about how sensitive another guy was with him. “Kiyoshi!” Even still, he could not help but act shocked by the piercing thrust.

Kiyoshi paused reading Satoru’s face for a moment before continuing. “I know you well enough, Satoru. You’re troubled, but you don’t really want to talk about it. You’re going to try to internalize it and get around it. I’ve seen you do this before. Hey, I’m your friend who else can you tell if you can’t tell me?” He managed pulled back from directly confronting him to approaching his friendship. It seemed like a cheap cliché card to play, but if it worked that was all that mattered.

“I know, but that doesn’t make it any easier to talk about.” The light was focused on him again making him shift around in his chair. The sweat that was building over his skin only made his nervousness more apparent to him. ‘What would he think if I told him? He is my friend, but still he is human…why can’t I trust him?’ The images of the rabid people that attacked him entered his mind. They were twisted with fear of the unknown and not understanding. His shoulder shot a dull pain through his arm making him remember the suffering that he endured at the opposite end of the sword of fear.

The world was going crazy around him and it seemed that sanity was quickly being lost. He could not even make heads or tails of what was happening anymore. It was all spinning to fast out of control for him. Ever since the first war humans have hated machines. ‘He’s human…I’ve known him too long not to trust him.’ Satoru looked at Kiyoshi carefully hoping to find the answer that he was looking for, but failing. The answer he needed was not to be found simply by staring blankly. He had to take a step. “How should I say this?”

“Start with what is easier and it’ll become easier to reach what you don’t want to say,” Kiyoshi said glad to see that Satoru was starting to open up. His curiosity was growing the longer that Satoru held out. Satoru was his friend, but there was still the human desire to know that had him almost excited to know what it was troubling him. It was a feeling that he suppressed the best as possible.

“That is not very helpful.” If there was actually an easy way for him to talk about it he would have much sooner than this. Nothing that he did could possibly make it any easier for him. This was not the sort of thing that could ever be said lightly. He knew how much it would change things; it already did for him more than he wished to admit. “There is no real easy way to approach it.”

“I can’t be helpful without knowing the situation.” He was trying to be honest and helpful, but all he could do was be vague until Satoru started giving him something to work with. The first steps were always tricky and Kiyoshi preferred to think that he was through the worst of it. However, he knew that there was still the chance that Satoru could bolt for the exit. He worried that if that did happen if he would be able to talk him down again.

“That is even less helpful. I thought you were supposed to be my friend,” Satoru said not sure if he was actually complaining or just feeling like he was being put on the spot by someone that he knew too well. It did not make his sweating any better as he could feel his shirt moistening from the heat.

“I am your friend, but I am also going to be honest,” Kiyoshi said with a small grin as he transitioned to his next sentence. “Would you rather I agreed with everything you said?”

“Smart-ass.” Satoru did not even hesitate, but he could not help but have a slight grin as well. This was his best friend. They had been through plenty together and knew how each worked.

“Guilty.”

‘Lightening the mood…I do feel a little better.’ The sweating had suddenly disappeared in the brief moment relief that Satoru had. It was not enough to make him laugh, but the passing smile removed the doubt in his mind. He was ready to talk and just hoped that it would all turned out fine. “You ever do something not thinking much about it, but discovered later that it was forbidden?”

“That’s rather vague,” Kiyoshi said pleased to see Satoru making progress, but honest in his confusion. Starting with a question was always a way to try to redirect focus from the real problem that was affected the person while still distantly keeping on track. Kiyoshi knew this, but he also knew that he would have to go along with it to get closer to the truth. “I think we all have at some point. It’s human nature to explore the unknown and the taboo. Its our curiosity.”

“I guess you’re right about that.” A slightly comforting thought for Satoru, but it felt more like he was accepting it as an answer to minimalize the trouble that he was in. This spurred conflicting thoughts in his mind rekindling the fire that had been burning since this all began that night. Satoru’s hands tightened around each other trying to come to an answer that he would never have.

Kiyoshi was not going to allow it end so simply though knowing that this was part of a larger issue. It was a time to push a little more and watch the results. “And what about you? Have you done something that is forbidden?” He knew that Satoru still wished to avoid the matter even if he was talking now. Whatever was troubling him would be let out eventually.

His hands stopped suddenly at the question from Kiyoshi. He had watched Kiyoshi walk around the question while still providing a meaningful answer. Satoru was not ready yet. “Well like you said everyone has.” Their eyes crossed paths remaining locked on the other watching and burrowing into the soul for answers. Neither could pull away.

“You’re evading the question,” Kiyoshi said coldly almost expecting this to happen. An indirect question answered with an indirect answer. ‘Should expect an indirect answer back. If I didn’t know that he was being evasive, I’d think he was mocking me.’ He could not let Satoru off so easily. The fact that he asked such a question was enough to get him thinking. If he had truly done something so forbidden all his actions up till now made sense. “Even if it is forbidden, I’m not here to judge you. I’m here as your friend.”

“But…” The feeling of being cornered pervaded him so well that it seemed as though he was in a crowded intersection unable to cross. Satoru knew that this was the reason that he came, but that did not make it any easier for him. Knowing did not change the fact that this had to be the most difficult thing to say to his best friend. ‘No, he’s right…I can’t keep making excuses. If I don’t tell someone I’m going to explode.’ Eye contact was broken by Satoru needing to hold a moment longer to prepare. Unfortunately, there was no preparation to make this better and no words that he could find to prevent him from stumbling through this. “Y-you remember our last lunch that we had?”

Remembering the lunch took Kiyoshi a moment since it had been more than a month ago since their last lunch. It did not take him long to recall that the lunch had a similar issue with Satoru being troubled by something. “Yeah, you told me that you meet someone. It sounded like it was serious. You still seeing her?” There had to be a connection with the woman and what was troubling him. ‘He would not bring it up otherwise. What he get himself into, espionage or something? I thought it was a simple relationship.’

‘It is or was…I don’t know what anymore…’ Satoru shook his head around trying to stop the internal arguing. His hands wrapped around his head praying for some peace for a moment. An image of Asami appeared to him when he tried to find the words of saying what she told him. Seeing her in his thoughts gave him a moment of weakness that caused him to pull back. ‘I should be protecting her not throwing her to wolves.’

His hand dropped from holding his head to the tablecloth protecting the iron weave top. The cloth intertwined with his fingers as he drew away into renewed indecisiveness. She hung in his thoughts putting a wall between Kiyoshi and him. However, then the image of a metal machine version of her appeared to him. There was a frightening emptiness over her that cracked the wall. “Yeah, about that…she’s…s-she’s got a secret.”

“All women do, I guess that’s what makes it interesting.” Kiyoshi watched as Satoru struggled to confront his fears. He tried to reach out to Satoru as a stable force, but before he could Satoru grew erratic. ‘Confirmation, but not a reason yet. What is it about this woman that has Satoru so conflicted?’ The wall was almost down. He just needed to go a little further. “What’s so special about hers’?”

The push from Kiyoshi made him pull back. The two images of Asami stared at him waiting to see what he would do. It felt like they were both judging him and he would be found guilty no matter the outcome that he picked. “Promise me. Promise me, that no matter what you won’t tell anyone.” He felt like some child or teenage girl spreading gossip about who slept with whom. It was a sour bitter taste, but he was committed. Kiyoshi was his friend, best friend; there was no one else that could trust more.

‘A promise…this is getting worse…’ Kiyoshi looked at Satoru narrowing his eyes for a moment. It was a difficult spot to put him in knowing that it was important enough to affect Satoru. He still did not know what was going on, but blindly promising to something did not feel right. “But I don’t know what it is. How can I promise you?”

“Kiyoshi!” Satoru said knowing the position that he was putting him in. There was no other way. He had to try to protect her even if he gave out her secret. “Please, just promise me. You can’t tell anyone else.” A promise, it could be broken like anything else and that worried him. Satoru needed to trust Kiyoshi.

Kiyoshi remained silent sitting in his chair. His empty stare said that he was no longer part of the world around him. All his thoughts were focused inward trying to decide if he could do as Satoru asked. In college and high school he had promised Satoru in a similar manner, but it was just the usual things of youthful times. Keeping a night of drinking and other things secret was simple and expected. However, he could sense serious danger in Satoru voice. He could not lightly accept this promise. Silence continued in an awkward void for Satoru until Kiyoshi finally looked up. “I understand. You have my word that I won’t tell anyone.”

There was a reluctant sigh exhaled from Satoru’s lips upon hearing Kiyoshi decision. ‘I almost wish he hadn’t agreed. Then I could get out of this now.’ He was committed to telling Kiyoshi now. There would be no backing out after coming this far. “Thanks…well about her. She’s a…” His fear choked his throat making him cut off what he was trying to say. The words whispered through his mind wishing to speak for him.

An image of Asami flashed back to him. She was standing in the middle of the sidewalk with only darkness around her. There were tears running down her face as she tried to speak to him. She was choking on the words like he was now. ‘Is this how she felt when she told me? Its so hard to say…it changes everything…’ Asami was shouting, but nothing was coming out. All he could see was the pain that was pouring out of her. It rained cold water through his spine drawing all of the warmth from his body.

Her words finally came out from the void around her out of sync with her lips. “I’m…I’m a machine…”

“S-she…she’s a machine…” Satoru drew silent as the words faded out from his lips. He had wanted to shout it out, but knew better in a public venue. The words were just loud enough to carry to Kiyoshi’s ear before dissipating to the myriad void that surrounded the restaurant. There was no comfort in being released from the weighing burden that had been pressing on him. It actually felt heavier now almost to a crushing point.

Kiyosh knew what he heard, but the instinctual reaction of disbelief made him question it. “What did you say?” He tried to let it sink in, but this was much larger than he could have possibly imagined. Only a little while before he had been joking about something as serious as this to himself.

“Don’t make me repeat myself,” Satoru said in a wavering voice. His entire body was shaking uncontrollably from the feeling that was going through his mind. ‘Who’s the betrayer now…Asami…’ All he could see was images of her walking away from him. She was lost, gone from him forever now. He would never have the chance to hear her voice or see her smile again. Satoru hung his head between his shoulders imitating the heavy weight that he felt.

Kiyoshi drew back a little surprised by the reaction, but understanding what must be going through him as well. He was no longer sure what he should be saying to him anymore. It made him hold his tongue until he could collect his thoughts. “I’m sorry, I just was not expecting this sort of secret. I understand now…” Kiyoshi took a pause working to finish his collection of thoughts. “What are you going to do?”

“Huh?” Satoru said staring blankly at Kiyoshi completely dumbfounded by the question that he asked. It was nothing like he was expecting from him. A human reaction would have been more of anger or rejection telling him that he was stupid for falling for a machine. Satoru did not know if he actually wanted to hear that from him. While it seemed natural, he did not want to be told that he was doing something wrong either.

Kiyoshi gave Satoru a small smile seeing his confusion from his last question. He closed his eyes resuming talking to explain himself. “I assume since you are telling me this you have not decided your feelings about this.” For Kiyoshi, he was not here to be Satoru parent putting him back on the right path. Although, it would often feel like that was he duty at times, but he knew that eventually Satoru would come to realize the truth.

What Kiyoshi was saying was making partial sense to him now, but it still left him at a loss for words. The stuttering voices in his head that were constantly debating the issues began to creep through his lips. “I don’t know. I just don’t know.” He tried to pause himself to find the words that he actually wanted, but his emotions were running with images of Asami. It felt like he was feeling all of the torture that she had that day. “So many things are happening. Things that I didn’t want. Why can’t things be normal for once?”

Having heard those words made Kiyoshi want to laugh a little. “You can’t have both.” Kiyoshi slipped a grin out seeing the frustration that was across Satoru’s face. The fact that he had to choose and was allowing himself the opportunity was a good sign. Even with him as confused he knew that Satoru was already reaching an answer. There was a turbulent maelstrom spinning in his head, but once it calmed Satoru would have his direction that he was lacking. All Kiyoshi needed to do was push him to bracing the winds. “What is it that you feel?”

“Huh?” He was asking him again about his feelings. “I feel…” Satoru did not want to listen to his feelings anymore. The path that he was on now came as a result of his feelings. If he continued to listen to them where would he end up? “But that’s already gotten me in this much trouble…”

Kiyoshi closed his eyes with a smile across his face. He knew that Satoru knew how to follow his feelings and listen them. There would never have been any previous relationships if he had, but for has passionate as he was about his life and work he was still too logic at times. ‘Though maybe he’s been out of a relationship for so long he has forgot to block the thoughts from his brain…’ He was trying to figure it out rationally when there was not a rational answer, especially not anymore. The place he was in went far beyond rational. “You’ve been following it this far. Do you regret it?”

Satoru wanted to punch Kiyoshi for asking so many questions that he could not answer. They were things that he had been asking himself for as long as this had been going on. Even with all of that time he did not know if he actually regretted what he did. If he were asked a couple weeks ago he would have quickly said no. He had no regrets, but knowing now what he did. There was no quick response anymore to the question. Satoru delayed his reply to Kiyoshi even more as he hoped that he could muster an answer. “I don’t know…I don’t have an answer…why you think I’m here now?”

Kiyoshi narrowed his brow for a moment knowing that it was going to come to this when this meeting was arranged. He had just hoped that he was not right. “You either made your decision, however subconscious it maybe, and are here to have me justify it for you or you are wanting me to decide for you. Regardless of which it is this is something for you to figure out. I might be your friend, but I’m not going to tell you how to live your life. That is for you to discover. Trust your feelings though, they won’t lead you wrong.”

“My feelings…” Satoru said thinking to himself for a moment. It sounded as though he had heard similar words before. Then he remember his last lunch with Kiyoshi and the advice that he had gave him that time. It almost made him laugh in realization of what was happening.

“I know so. Everyone deserves to have love and with all the stress in your life you need something good. Don’t let it get away and don’t doubt yourself. Deep down you know what you should do without asking. Its been guiding all this time, you just don’t realize it yet.”

Hearing the words again made Satoru smile slightly. “I’m sorry, Kiyoshi. Seems like you’re always giving me the same advice.” He knew that Kiyoshi was right. This was something for him to decide on his own and he would find an answer even if it took a little longer for him to realize the answer.

“Well you’ll remember it one of these days,” Kiyoshi said with an eased smile. The stress that had been chaining Satoru down was being released. He could see the change in him immediately. It would still be some time before he found what he already knew, but Kiyoshi was assured that Satoru would get there eventually.

“Here are your lunches,” the waitress said making her appearance almost planned like she had been watching him. She carefully placed their meals on the table and replaced their tea with a fresh kettle. The drained kettle was returned to the serving tray as she politely bowed slightly and walked away.

“Thank you,” Satoru said as the waitress stepped away from the table. He looked down at the food feeling the grumbling in his stomach. There was truth in the words that he had told Kiyoshi. It had been a while since he had a decent meal, even if it was just a big bowl of ramen. His hands played with the wooden sticks trying not to look too eager in front of Kiyoshi.

Kiyoshi could see the hungry look in Satoru’s eyes and made a move for the food in front of him. “All this talk has made me hungry.” Satoru was quick to begin eating as well no longer standing on formalities.

Satoru felt like he should be at some sort of bar sitting on a stool eating this food, but that strange sensation quickly passed as he dove through. The sudden calm in the air made him feel a little odd as though it was too simple. ‘This went better than I expected. I guess I was worried about nothing. I’m a little surprised that he took it so well given what is happening at the company. Hmm…maybe he doesn’t really like what they are doing either.’ He tried to not to allow it to bother him very much, but the uneasiness was difficult to ignore completely.

“Something still bothering you?” Kiyoshi said having noticed that look of gears turning in his head. He was fairly certain that he had pushed Satoru through the worst of what he was going through, but there was always the chance of a relapse. This was no simply relationship or infatuation for Satoru. He knew how serious Satoru was by just seeing the wreck that it was putting him in.

He had forgotten how difficult it was to hide things from Kiyoshi’s observant eyes. However, he was not going to trouble him with his groundless worries. “Hmm? Oh, no.” Satoru went back to eat his noodles pushing the thoughts out of his mind.


Darkness was at home in the poorly lit room. There was no need for light at the moment. All of the energy was being focused on the center of the room of the room where Asami’s lifeless body was lying on the metal table. The faint lights that were illuminating the room came from the wires that were running from the back of her head. Countless wires were attached to her chasing themselves over the floor connecting to the array of computers against the wall.

In the neighboring room, separated by one-way glass, meant for observation and diagnostic analysis was a lean man of aged appearance. He had almost graying hair combed straight back. The man wore a white coat with devices stored in the few pockets and gloves on his hands. His hands were lightly tapping on the console in front of him waiting on the computer to finish with its last command. It had been running for almost a week leaving him with little to do, but stare through the window.

The computer suddenly blinked and let out an audible sound as though it had done something. At that moment as though on cue General Oshiro walked through the doorway. The General quickly approached the man with demanding intentions in his eyes. “Is it finished?”

The man narrowly looked forward not wanting to confront the General eye to eye. He spoke to the glass while he continued to work with the computer to finish the last processes before Asami could be released. “Yes, the download is completed.”

“What took so long? This should have been completed days ago.” The General had been visiting the room once a day trying to force the procedure to be sped up. There was a strange urgency that seemed to puzzle the man. He had not known Asami for more than a week while she was sleeping at room apart from him, but he could tell from her electronic neutral pathways that she was a beautiful piece of work. In all his time he had never seen a machine designed in such a way as her. She was a prototype after all. The amount of work that had gone into her was startling.

His hands ran over the console’s keys quickly at inhuman speeds handling much of the processes manually that the computer would do otherwise. It was the General’s impossible timetable that was forcing him to such extremes. “We don’t usually use long-term embedded agents for these type of missions. They contain far more data and information than the average machine. We can’t afford to lose the work, especially her, even if we are scraping her.”

“Don’t lecture me,” Oshiro said gruffly to the man. His gaze was taking into the room where Asami slept quietly accepting her final mission. He turned away as the technician began blathering again.

“I didn’t mean-“

“Upload the mission operation and make the final modifications to her body,” he said cutting the man off. The General had no interest in hear the mindless babble of a science machine.

“Yes, sir,” he said holding his tongue until the General walked out. Once the door slid closed the tension in the air dropped. “It’s a shame that such fine work is going to end up as a weapon like the rest. Well I guess I can’t be dragging my feet anymore. Let’s get it over with now.” He increased the speed that he was working at almost reaching the limits of the stress that the joints could handle. There was little time left for him.

The minutes passed quickly as the elemental and material modifications to the internal make-up of Asami were brought to completion. The technician stopped his work as the words ‘Completed’ appeared on the screens of the computers. He walked out of the room unlocking the door into the dark room that Asami was held. The small area lights were slowly activating giving depth to the space.

He walked over to table where the wires were be ejected out of her body. The remaining wires connected to her head were still plugged in while the basic functions began to run. Asami’s operating system started to boot verifying the condition of her body. The final wires were pulled out by the technician as he helped her up with life being breathed back in her. All the color returned to her face and her eyes opened with the warmth returning to her body. She was fully awake now. “Wha…” she said faintly trying to take in her surroundings.

“You’re awake,” he said feeling like he was stating the obvious, but knowing that she was still loading up all of her memory. Most of it had been extremely compressed during the process for faster transfers. She was going through everything that was stored and it was taking up much of her power. “Do you know what your mission is?”

After a moment of Asami scanning all the files and memories that were stored in her she looked at him. “Yes, my mission is…”


Their meals were almost finished, but the last portions were taking a while to disappear. Kiyoshi was telling Satoru about people from work distracting him from eating. He was clearly tyring to keep it light and entertaining rather than remind him of other problems. It allowed Satoru to laugh and relax not having to worry about the world around him. They were in bubble while in the restaurant not having to see what was beyond it if they did not want. “Can you believe she said that?”

“Sounds like Natsuko,” Satoru said trying not to laugh while he was sucking up noodles.

“Yeah, you’ve dealt with her more than me. I don’t know if I’ll ever get used to it.”

“I don’t know about that. You just have to- huh?” A call was coming in sounding off from beyond the table bringing a halt to their conversation. Satoru looked at Kiyoshi a little confused by the fact that there was someone calling him.

“You have a call,” Kiyoshi said trying to not give Satoru the chance to ignore it like he was appearing.

“I know, but I haven’t had it accepting calls for weeks. There should be nothing getting through.” Satoru looked down in the area where the noise was coming from passing the thought of answering through his mind. He had left it ‘Off’ for a reason. There was no one that he wanted to talk to or hear from at the moment. But there was a nagging feeling in the back of his mind telling him that he should not letting it pass.

“Well see who it is, it might be her,” Kiyoshi said trying to give him some encouragement to answering the phone. He wanted Satoru to start opening back up to the world; this was the next step.

An image of Asami grew in his mind suddenly. It made the feeling that he had increase until it was impossible to ignore or push away. ‘I doubt it. Not the way she left. But maybe it is her.’ The thumping of desire from his brain became too much and he quickly grabbed the device from his coat and pulled it out. He looked at the screen to see who it was that was actually calling him to know if he would actually need to answer it. “Huh, no name?”

Kiyoshi became equally confused entering into Satoru’s territory as he looked down at the device in Satoru’s hand. He could not see the screen, but there was something strange about it. “What do you mean?”

“Its anonymous, is that even possible anymore?” There was no number or location that the call was coming from. Everything that normally ran across the screen was blank with question marks or symbols that held no meaning other than to say that it was being encrypted.

“I didn’t think so, must be a very secure line.” Kiyoshi tried to think of anyone that could be sending such a call, but all it did was make him curious to know that he had no answer. “You better answer it.”

Satoru still hesitant to answer the call but knew that Kiyoshi was right. If he was going to get an answer to whom it was that wanted to talk to him he was going to have to answer it. He pushed the button accepting the call after having annoyed everyone surrounding him by not answering the call for a minute. The device was slowly brought to his ear drawing out the anticipation of the identity of the caller. “Yeah…hello?”

“Mr. Korumura,” an unfamiliar man’s voice said. The man’s speech was in appearance of familiarity with Satoru and not a question. It was as though he knew Satoru.

Satoru’s confusion on his face grew at the familiarity the man was showing. For someone that he did not know he was being very forward. “Who is this?” he said hoping to get an answer to the identity of this person.

“I have a message for you,” the man said completely ignoring the question and moving on. It was clear that he had a purpose and was not going to be easily revealing extraneous details.

“Who are you?” Satoru said still hoping for an answer even though he knew from the way the man was approaching him that it was a futile attempt.

“This concerns someone of your acquaintance, a Miss Asami Ichihana.”

The man had Satoru’s attention now. He was not sure if this was just a ploy to get him interested in something else or actually about her. Satoru could not ignore it either way feeling hope returning to his body. “Asami! What do you want? Do you know where she is? Who is this?”

Kiyoshi pulled back a little in surprise to Satoru’s reaction. He could see that the person calling Satoru knew something important about the woman that Satoru told him about. “Satoru, what’s going on? Who are you talking to?”

Satoru eyes widened in disbelief at what he had just heard from the man. “What?! You can’t be serious.” He did not want to hear it. If this was some sort of joke that the man was getting at his expense he was going to make him regret it for the rest of his life. Anger was quickly building up in him against the caller not wanting to listen to him anymore, but knowing that he did not have any choice.

“I’m not lying to you. It’s your choice if you wish to believe me. I’m simply giving you the choice to change her fate.” The call ended at the last word leaving Satoru holding the phone unable to release it. His face almost frozen as he began to accept what he was told.

“Satoru? You’re face…what did they say to you?” Kiyoshi said trying to shake Satoru out of the trance that he had entered. He had no idea what Satoru heard, but whatever it was had him completely paralyzed. It had him worried by what it could possibly be that turned him white as a ghost. Unfortunately, all of his efforts were wasted on Satoru requiring him to physically grab him to shake him free of the hold it had on him. “Satoru!”

“Kiyoshi…it’s her,” Satoru said slowly still having trouble digesting it. He put away the device and stood up looking back down at Kiyoshi. There was no time he could waste now. “They said that Asami is going to…”


“My mission is to destroy the Qintech Corporation Building,” Asami said back to the technican with a blank emotionless face.

To be continued…

[Andromeda]

“The first machine created appeared like something from Science Fiction. Issac was leaps ahead in technology when he was introduced to the world. When he was brought before the media it was clear the advances that had been made and the future that was possible. He was herald as the next era in robotics and computers, a computer that could think.

“In the infancy of the machines there was great fear by much of the public at the machines. Many welcomed their arrival and the rich bought them as toys to show off as luxury merchandise. However, those that protested and cried in prediction of the end of the world were quickly silenced by the overwhelming success.

“It was only a decade before machines were found in factories and dangerous jobs replacing the need for humans to put their lives in danger. Then in another decade highly advanced computer system, the sibling to the machines, replaced the transportation centers with thinking vehicles. Time went quickly and machines replaced all of the undesired and menial jobs.

“In the wake of the machine’s rise unemployment and disgruntled unions fought to keep their jobs as employers continued to replace them. Governments soon were forced to create new programs to supported laid-off workers due to machines. It was becoming an epidemic, but it always lay under the surface hidden by the success.

“The world leaders met to arrange talks in handling the blooming machine work force that was replacing the need for humans. All the years of great success was bringing the economy to the brink. A balance needed to be found to bring stability to the world. The charismatic representative from France proposed a world initiative plan that would recover the economy and continue the work with the machines. However, he was assassinated before he could bring the plan to completion and as fate would have it the First Machine War began one week later. The plans for humans and machines to live together were lost forever.

“Peace can be created, but it must be maintained by both parties if it is to endure the passage of time…”

Flesh is for Gods – Episode 8 – Diverging Paths

Satoru quickly threw away his chair as he jumped up lunging for the exit. He did not have any time to waste if he was going to get to Asami before she destroyed the building. Kiyoshi ran after him feeling like déjà vu and grabbed Satoru’s wrist. “Satoru where are you going?”

“I told you already! I have to stop Asami!” Satoru was almost yelling at Kiyoshi in disbelief that he would be asking him should a stupid question. He had already explained to Kiyoshi after the phone call what he was told on the phone. There was no time for him to be wasting with Kiyoshi if he was going to try to stop him. If she blew herself up like all the other machines he would lose her forever and she would kill so many people as well. The bloodshed would continue; he had to stop the cycle. He had the chance to do something this time.

Kiyoshi looked down at the ground for a moment knowing that this was going to happen. It did not matter to him how dangerous it was Satoru was determined. That determination was probably partly his fault, but he knew it would have happened anyway knowing Satoru. He looked at Satoru giving him a friendly smile. “Fine, then I’m coming with you.”

“But…alright,” Satoru said thinking about arguing with Kiyoshi not wanting to have his friend caught up in the explosion if he was late. However, Satoru did not have the time to argue and knew that it would be pointless anyway. He started to run with Kiyoshi for the exit until Kiyoshi turned direction and went towards the entrance to the restaurant’s interior. “Where are you going, its this way?”

“I have to the pay the bill,” Kiyoshi said to Satoru’s surprise. They might have to save people from dying, but that did not mean they could skip out on their bill.

Satoru stared at Kiyoshi confused that he could be thinking about that in a time like this. There were more important things than paying for their food. “The bill?! There’s no time for that.” If they survived he could come back and pay them later. Satoru’s legs were shaking wanting to keep moving while his mind kept him still trying to get Kiyoshi to follow.

“Go on ahead.” Kiyoshi waved Satoru on knowing that he could not hold him up. “I’ll be right behind you.” After he finished he disappeared into the restaurant looking for a waitress or the counter.

The restaurant quickly disappeared behind Satoru as he ran down the street. ‘Asami…don’t do anything until I get there. Please…’

His mind was still in a bit of shock about the idea. It seemed difficult to believe, but he realized that since she was a machine that she was working with the same ones that were doing the suicide bombings on the buildings around the world. He still had difficulty thinking of Asami as a machine from the time that he spent with her. She was so alive and filled with emotions. She was beyond anything that he had thought possible. Asami seemed to transcend the gears and metal that made up her body and computer processes.

There was no way he could let her throw it all away. She was hurting, just like a human. ‘She must think this is the only way out…only way to save herself…’ Satoru’s face narrowed with determination growing in each step he took. He would reach her in time. There was nothing that would get in his way.

The streets were mostly empty making it easy for Satoru to dart around, but he still had to avoid getting hit by cars. It seemed that traffic was the only thing moving right now. He did not give it much thought until he suddenly ran into a large crowd that was blocking every sidewalk. There were so many people that he had no way of getting through to the other side. “What’s going on? Why is everyone stop?” He hoped that talking to them might get their attention and perhaps allow him a path, but none of them turned.

Satoru clinched his fists together preparing himself for what he had to do now. He drew in a deep breath and put his first step forward. His hands dug through the thick mob attempting to divide them making him a path. Each step was slow and trying, as he did not want to bump into people too much. ‘I need to get through, stop blocking the way!’ Satoru continued to push through nearly tripping over someone’s foot. “Pardon me…let me through!”

“Watch it buddy!” the man that he nearly tripped over said glaring at him. He purposely stepped in Satoru way preventing him from going through.

“Sorry!” The spiteful act made him want to deck the man, but he knew that there was not time for a fight. He had to get through peacefully if he was going to make it in time. Satoru detoured around the man seeing that he was dead set on being a nuisance. While he resumed his delicate dance through the mob he noticed that they were all facing the same direction. Something had their attention in such a way that it made everyone stop. Satoru turned curious to know what was so important. ‘Why are they all staring…what is happening?’

Above in the side of a building was a large screen monitor that usually ran news or commercials as people passed by. It was hardly something to make people stop, but it was clear to Satoru that it had everyone’s eyes at the moment. When he looked there was a reporter on the screen with a strange subtitle about the machines. “Do we have it?” the female reporter said talking to someone off camera. “Alright, we have just finished preparing footage of a video sent from the machines to the leaders of the world.”

“What?! The machines sent us?” Satoru nearly fell backwards knocking into someone when he heard the reporter. He could not believe that the machines sent anything to the media or government. Even in all of the wars they had never said a single word. All of their voices were done through the bombs that they sent around the world. This was a strange move. It was no wonder that everyone was standing around. “What is going on?”

Satoru had been looking around at the people near him when he had asked the question. One of the men was kind enough to answer his question. The man turned to him giving him a response, vague while being direct at the same time. “The machines claim they want to talk.”

The machines wanting to talk was even stranger than them just wanting to say something. He had been out of contact with the world since he stopped watching the news unable to continue to watch the chaos that world had been descending into daily. That lapse in current events made him wonder if something had happened while he was not paying attention to suddenly make the machines want to talk to the humans. If they wanted to talk it might mean an end to the bombing. However, that did not make a lot of sense to him since he knew that Asami was heading to Qintech at this moment. “When? When did this happen?” He was missing something important.

“Just now,” the man said simply without allowing the conversation to continue any further. His obvious distraction was dragging him away from Satoru and to the screen. The video that they had mention was about to be played. Any noise that had been boiling ceased almost immediately.

“The video you are about to see was received by the major governments of the world and media centers only two hours ago.” When the reporter finished speaking she was replaced with a full screen video that began as black. After a few moments of tension a face appeared on screen, though it had a human appearance, but like what he had seen from Asami. It was clear that they had advanced greatly since men stopped making them.

The face of the machines was an actual face, an old man, which left many of the people watching in shock. They thought that they were seeing a human talking for the machines or some strange setup that was anything, but machines. It was a jarring visage to see thinking of machines as aging. Even the thought of creating an aged looking machine seemed to lack any purpose. Yet before them was a machine with the face of an old man thick with wrinkles and thinning hair. He, or perhaps it, even had a full beard gray and fuzzy. “People of world…I am Issac.”

“Issac!” The name reverberated through the crowd in shock and disbelief. They all were well aware of who he was. Anyone that went through public school knew about Issac. However, his presence went against what the public believed to be fact.

‘Issac?! It can’t be possible. He was destroyed years ago made obsolete by advancements in robotics.’ Satoru remembered seeing the videos of Issac being terminated. He had ceased functioning long before the First Machine War, but as part of the crusade against machine Issac’s destruction was made publicly. It was meant to rally opinion together and encourage those to fight giving them a face of the enemy. ‘How can he still be alive?’

“I am the same Issac that most of you should be familiar with, the first machine that was given life. Most have believed me to be dead, with my shut down recorded forty-six years ago and destruction twenty-one years ago. However, I was spared from that fate and while my appearance has changed I am still the very much the same machine I was before. I love this world and all the people, machine and flesh alike. This is the reason I speak before you today.

“I carry with me my creator’ wish, his dying wish when he left this world. It was his hope, his dream that machines and man would walk together into the future. Machines were created as a companion and aide to man. This world is so empty and alone in the universe. I was made to fill that void so that man would never be alone in the universe. With the hope that together we would better ourselves evolving and becoming truly human.

“The Third Machine War has already begun, as it will undoubtedly be named. It saddens me to see my fellow machines fighting and dying and my creators fighting and dying. This bloodletting and fear needs to end. To that end, I will strive to make his wish, my wish a reality. I call upon the leaders of the world to meet with the leaders of the machines in a summit to bring an end to all of this fighting.

“And please, people of the world help stop the fighting and lets lay down our arms. I want to walk side by side with all of you into the future unknown.”

When the video came to an end the silence still hung in the streets. No one was sure what they had just seen or whether or not to believe it. It took several minutes for people to begin talking and some even began to leave. “That can’t be Issac!” someone shouted out of view of Satoru. It began a quick chain reaction like a plague.

“Right, it’s just a machine trick!”

“But what if it is him?” another said bringing the surrounding people into a furious debate that neither side could accurately defend. They were all just shouting speculation and rumors.

‘Issac…’ Satoru was still in shock of having seen Issac. It was difficult for him to believe that it was same Issac that he read about. The machine that he had just seen was so different. ‘This is not the sort of trick that the machines would play. But maybe that is what they would have us believe.’ A machine trick was a possibility; they were capable of many things. Yet there was something about the speech that made him want to believe that it was the Issac he knew. ‘I remember reading about Issac and his creator’s speeches on machines. They were what inspired me. The way he talks reminds me of those speeches. Could this really be him?’

While Satoru was lost in thought still stuck in the crowd of people it had given the necessary time for Kiyoshi to catch up. Kiyoshi had been surprised by the crowd, but more shocked to see that Satoru was just standing doing nothing. He did not know what to think having seen the reaction that Satoru had before. “Satoru?! What’s going on? If we don’t get to Qintech in time.”

“Asami!” Satoru said suddenly nearly jumping up at the name. It was enough to break him free of the new thoughts that were spinning around in his mind. Asami’s image locked his thoughts back on the task that he had been on until he was interrupted. “Right, let’s go. There is no time to waste.” He began pushing through the mob of people with Kiyoshi.


The news broadcast had just finished airing the video from the machines. Immediately after it finished a round table discussion was brought up to debate the validity of the video and the machines’ claims. One of the subjects at hand was why the government allowed the video to even be release at all. The speculation between the debaters had them using it as a device to call out to the raging uncontrollable public. Even if they did nothing with the video it was enough to bring a calm to the city for even a day.

The sound was muted and the video dimmed as lights came on in a meeting room filled with a variety of figures. Most of the individuals were young to middle aged men with calculating faces. A man at the far end of the faced the others addressing them. “So they’ve made their move.”

“What do you want to do about the Malakhim Faction?” the Lieutenant Colonel Takamoto said looking down at the center of the table.

“The humans are paranoid and suspicious already,” General Oshiro said from the center chair. He sat with his arms cross looking around at the others examining reactions. There had been rumors in their intelligence that the Malakhim Faction was planning something, but most did not think that they would ever do anything. The Faction had always been dormant preferring to stay neutral and uninvolved.

“Yes, it is unlikely that they will go along with this summit,” the man in the corner said. There was going to be a response required for them. This sort of action would not go ignored.

The Lt. Colonel turned to the man at the opposite end of the table. “And what do you think, General Yoshima?”

General Yoshima was an aging man that had been in the Japanese military since before the first machine war. His connections with the government ran deep as well as his interests in politics. He had been involved in more with holding his position and gaining more power towards the military. It was a game that many of the upper brass of the military played these days looking to further their own goals. They had lost much of their original goals of restoring the joke of a military force that they had been reduced to in previous administrations. “This presents itself with the perfect opportunity for both of us to accomplish our goals.”

The Lt. Colonel looked at General Yoshima narrowly. “And you can convince them to agree to these talks with the other machines?” He had trouble believing that he could get the humans to agree to put down their arms against their sworn enemies so easily. It was a slow and painstaking game that they were playing; moving too quickly would ruin everything.

“With some of your agents already planted and our connections we can see that it happens. When it happens it will gather all of the Malakhim Faction in one place and leaders of the world. We’ll be able to gain control over the very government in the confusion.”

General Oshiro remained quiet contemplating the various outcomes. This was a decision that was meant for him only. The room held their words until he replied with a verdict to General Yoshima’s plan. He kept a stone face through his deliberations not allowing the others to glean a reaction. They were machines it was an unnecessary action. “Very well. We shall arrange for our agents to push the summit forward.”

The machines in the room looked around at each other still holding their tongues. General Yoshima nodded to him in agreement and pleased to see that the plan would go ahead. He stood up having concluded his business with the machines. “Good day then.” Once he gave his farewell he departed the room with the sliding door closing behind him signaling that it was safe to speak.

“Humans are a such greedy and power hungry species,” the Lt. Colonel said turning back from watching General Yoshima leave the room. His eyes looked around to the other members of the table checking for responses. He knew that the others would have similar feelings. None of them liked working with the humans, but knew that it served their purposes and plans.

“Yes, they conspire against their own,” the man at the end of the table said agreeing with the Lt Colonel. He looked like he wanted to protest the idea of changing their plans. They were following their own times table and General Yoshima’s plan would cause them to accelerate things that they did not feel were ready.

General Oshiro stood up from the table looking to cut off anymore talking. He could see that if it continued that they would only begin to want to go back on what he agreed to with General Yoshima. They could argue about and it would do nothing, but he could not allow discord to build further. This was an important step that he could not afford for his subordinates to be thinking and scheming against him. “General Yoshima is correct though, it is a perfect opportunity. With the summit we will be able to use it to further our survival as well and gain our independence. I grow tired of taking part in this farce.” He added the end knowing that it would key in with the others that were becoming discontent with pretending to be the human’s lap dogs. They knew it was just an act, but they hated it all the same.


The crowd was well behind them now and the blocks had flown by quickly. After a quick train ride, which unfortunately did not connect with the line that ran into the building, they were nearing the Qintech building. Satoru continued to maintain the lead with Kiyoshi shortly behind him wondering how Satoru managed to find the stamina to keep going. He knew where it was coming from, but it still amazed him what love managed to do.

Satoru ran through the crosswalk of an intersection not even waiting for the lights to change and the tune to sound off from the machine. His reckless behavior made him narrowly miss a car turning behind him. The car honked at him and the driver yelled at him, but Satoru was in another world. He looked towards the skyline of the city looking for the building knowing that it had to be close. “We’re almost there.”

Kiyoshi pushed himself to catch up to Satoru after waited at the intersection to allow him through seeing that the cars seemed to be purposely making it impossible for him to pass. His sore legs finally caught him up to Satoru at the next block putting them only a short distance from their destination. In the distance the Qintech building stood awaiting their arrival. “I can see the building,” he said looking over to Satoru while trying to keep up the speed.

“Doesn’t look like she is there yet.” He only said that because the building was still standing. Though he knew that until he actually saw her, that it would not be a confirmation. For all he could know she was inside and going to kill herself and take the building with her in ten seconds from now. The thought made him push himself harder feeling the burning sting in his muscles through his legs. They protested, but knew better than to give out.

“We won’t know until we get inside,” Kiyoshi said knowing that he came off sounding pessimistic. However, the words did not seem to bother Satoru or maybe he did not hear them. Either case, Kiyoshi pushed on with him not dwelling on the matter. “Be careful, Satoru. This is not like the last times. You’ve been extremely lucky. If you can’t convince her to stop-“

Satoru stopped in his tracked grabbing Kiyoshi by the collar looking at him directly. He was not going to listen to Kiyoshi being negative. This was going to work and there was nothing else to think about it. His thoughts were flowing so straight that he had never felt so clear before. “I know! I’m going to stop her. I will…”

“That’s all I need to know,” Kiyoshi said giving him a little knowing smiling. “Let’s go.” It took a moment, but Satoru let go of Kiyoshi and the two resumed their running.

Satoru could finally see the entrance to the building ahead of him. It was just across the street and he would finally in reach of Asami. The looming tower made him a little cautious as he stepped into the street. This was the first time in nearly a month that he was walking through the halls of the company. He pushed the feeling aside quickly seeing Asami in his mind. Nothing could stand in his way of preventing her from going through with this terrible plan.

They burst through the rotating doors of the ground floor of the Qintech building. The sudden noisy entrance they made alerted those in the lobby to them. Most were staring at them strangely trying to figure out what was wrong with them to be running like crazed lunatics into a private lobby. Satoru could have cared less about what people were thinking about him as he ran around looking everywhere for Asami. ‘Asami…where are you? Please, you can’t do this.’

Kiyoshi looked around with Satoru tagging along at his side. He appeared like he was searching for her, but he had no idea what she looked like. So all he amounted to was encouragement and support while Satoru did everything. “Do you see her, Satoru?”

“I don’t know, there are so many people.” Satoru spun his head around nearly looking in every conceivable location in the lobby. However, there were too many people present today. It made it difficult for him to make out one person from the next, especially those that were behind the front lines. ‘Are you here? Asami…’ His fatigued legs briskly carried him from corner to corner pushing through the crowds. Sweat was beginning to drop down his face as he felt the time slipping away from him. Each moment that he wasted looking for her was another chance for him to be too late. He tried to remove the negative thoughts, but worry was building up in him the longer the search was drawn out.

“We’re running out of time if she is.” His pushing him was not helping Satoru. Kiyoshi knew this already, but he tried to keep Satoru alert and focused. There were signs of him drifting or lingering too long.

“I know!” Satoru shouted to Kiyoshi not needing the further pressure placed on him. It made his feet increase to double time furthering the area he was covering. This caused him to bump into a number of people blindly, but it was a small price to pay at this point. ‘Where…’ If he made someone mad at him or injured them it weighed so little against the possible fate of everyone in the building. He forced his way through two people talking knocking them to the ground to find her.“Asami!” She was standing amongst three others not talking to them, but blending in well enough to not look out of place in the lobby. “Asami! It’s me, Satoru!” He waved his arm around trying to get her attention hoping to pull her away from her goal.

Kiyoshi stepped back from Satoru giving him some room. “Good work, Satoru.” Once he could take in the room he raised his hand up to his ear activating a communication device. “Target is confirmed. Take it down!” At his word men in armor and full loaded out with assault rifles, shotguns and other weapons came marching out from several doors.

“Asami!” Satoru shouted to her again until he heard the pounding of boots throughout the lobby echoing around him. Soldiers were lining up on the second floor walkways that overlooked the lobby as well as the first floor of the lobby. “What’s is going on?” He looked around trying to figure out what had just happened. Only a moment earlier he had been disrupting the lobby running through and now it was filled with soldiers blocking all of the exits. The last few soldiers rallied by Kiyoshi speaking out of range of Satoru. “What are you doing, Kiyoshi?”

“My job,” Kiyoshi said with a narrowed face staring at Asami. He threw his hand out giving them the signal to take aim. The soldiers on the bridge had already setup a sniper rifle with piercing rounds meant to take down a fully armored machine combat unit. The other soldiers drew their weapons making the civilians in the lobby panic not certain where to run.

“No don’t! Stop!” Satoru said running towards Kiyoshi and soldiers trying to get in their way. However, he quickly noticed the sniper on the bridge with a clear shot on her. It made him turn around quickly in the frightened crowd back towards Asami. “Run, Asami! Get out of here!” He tried to wave to her, but she was oblivious to her surroundings and his voice. ‘NO! Got to do something! Something…come on think…’

Satoru racked his brain trying to find a way out of the situation that he found himself in. There had to be a way to save her and everyone. The sniper was quickly taking aim with his weapon powering up narrowing Satoru’s time. Pressure squeezed around his head heating his body until he was pouring sweat. She was going to die in a second if he did nothing. He could not let that happen. An image of her head exploding from a sniper round ripped through his brain terrifying him. It replayed for him repeatedly. Then an idea came him to suddenly and he shouted loud enough for his voice to carry through all of the floors of the lobby.“It’s a machine! They’re going to blow up the building!”

The intimidation of the soldier’s weapons possibly killing them was immediately overridden by the certainty of their imminent death at the hands of a machine. They knew too well that the machines would kill them because they were human. It sent everyone into a mass panic running everywhere. The soldiers were blocked, trampled or push aside by the stampeding mob of people. They were coming out of everywhere as word traveled too quickly for the soldiers to recover. “We can’t get a clear shot, sir!” The entire bridge was suddenly packed with employees or visitors trying to get out, but bottlenecked by the soldiers setup.

Kiyoshi looked around seeing the chaos that had ensued by Satoru’s clever diversion. However, he would not be stopped by civilians. He signaled the company leader next to him. “Damn! Scrub that plan. Initiate plan B.”

“Yes, sir!” the company leader said before turning to bark out orders to his men. The sniper team was still being held up unable to make a move forcing the others to move in. They pushed through the fleeing mobs trying to get to Asami.

Satoru rushed to Asami’s side taking a hold of her by the arms. He looked into her eyes hoping to find some life or awareness present. All there was anymore was her last programming that emptied her of everything that made her unique. “Asami! Can you hear me? Do you recognize me?” Satoru got no response for her even after attempting to shake her, but finding that she was too rigid or heavy to shake.

“Terminate…” Asami said suddenly in a dull empty voice. She moved from her spot coming alive for the first time since Satoru had seen her. Her eyes had picked up the approaching soldiers deciding them a threat to her mission. The men began putting a perimeter together around Asami training their weapons on her as the last of the mob cleared out leaving only Satoru and Asami to face down the soldiers.

Asami effortlessly walked out of Satoru’s grasp towards to the soldiers. She leapt through the air landing behind the men spinning her leg low sweeping several men grouped together. Satoru ran to shouting distance while keeping out of the line of violence that was being laid down. “Asami! Listen to me! You don’t have to this!” His words fell on deaf ears as she continued to take out soldiers leaving the entire perimeter in disarray.

The company leader saw that they were not going to be able to capture her by cornering her. Asami’s strength was too much for them to control and he was losing his men quickly. “Get her! Prepare the EMP net,” he said signaling the back up team to begin preparations.

“Yes, sir!” the EMP operator said. He turned on the device letting it charge up the necessary power. “50 seconds to charge.” The EMP need time to build up to full strength or the machine would easily buffer the pulse with its dampers.

“Hear that? Keep her busy for 50 seconds.” The company leader pulled up his men off the floor that were out of current fighting. He tried to give them encouragement to get them back into the fight. The woman was taking them all on hand-to-hand without missing a beat. The few that tried to get off rounds from their weapons only became the next targets.

Satoru could not stand by on the sidelines anymore and took an opening when Asami was paused surveying the remaining men. He charged in grabbing Asami by the waist futilely trying to hold her back from doing any more harm. “Terminate…” she said still closed to Satoru’s words.

The soldiers were standing up for another round against the machine. Asami threw Satoru aside to free herself charging toward the soldiers willing to fight again. Satoru slid across the marble floor slamming into the wall painfully. He tried to stand up reaching for Asami still. “Asami!” The wall that had broken his slide had also knocked the wind out of him leaving his back sore. His fatigued legs finally caught up to him bringing him down to the floor once more. “Agh…Asami…”

The company leader worked to get his men back into the fight as the few remaining tried to delay her the best that they could. “Get up! You can’t let a machine beat you that easily!” They only need a little more time, but they had nothing left. His men were unable to continue and she was finishing with the last ones. They were out of time.

“I have a clear shot!” the sniper said suddenly in his earpiece. The bridge had finally been cleared out and in the fighting they were able to set back up without being noticed. The weapon was gleaming in the light aimed at Asami as she was landing on the ground unable to avoid the shot.

The sniper held his finger over the trigger a hair’s breath from firing once given the word. Kiyoshi did not waste the time knowing that there would not be another chance like this to come for them. “Take it!”

Satoru saw the sniper team aiming at Asami and Kiyoshi shouting for them to shoot her. He scrambled up to this feet sprinting towards her as fast as he could hoping to reach her before they had the chance to shot. “Asami, no!”

It echoed through the lobby pausing time, the bullet flew out of the rifle speeding towards its target. Satoru was still running trying reach Asami before she was killed, but it was too late now. Time hastened its pace bringing the bullet to Asami. The sound of the bullet impacting her bounced around bringing her to a stop, but the angle made it difficult to see what happened. “Did we get her?” the company leader said waiting for the team to confirm the kill.

Asami remained still unmoved appearing as though the bullet had hit its target. Satoru nearly stopped as his heart sank with the fear that she was dead now. “Negative, she deflected the bullet,” the sniper said trying to prepare for another shot. Asami did not give them a second chance as she leapt into action quickly reaching the bridge that they were mounted on. She disarmed the men in a single motion and took out the sniper.

The company leader stared at the brief scene on the bridge knowing that they only had one chance left. He did not know how much longer they could keep her distracted. “Damnit! How long on that net?”

“Ten seconds left!”

She returned to the ground finishing off the soldiers that had begun to stand again renewed by the thought of being so close. Their wills, as determined as they were, were no match for the brute strength that Asami possessed. They were all laid out in an instant. “Terminate…”

Through the sea of unconscious and perhaps dead Satoru plowed forward finally making it to Asami. He crashed into her body feeling like he was going to knock her over, but merely made her slightly wobble. Satoru put his face in front of her so that she could not avoid him. “Asami, listen to my voice!” He stared into her eyes hoping to ignite a spark, but continued to only feel the cold gaze back.

Asami did not move or attempt to toss him away. She just stood there staring back at him emotionless. The air around them hung tightly to their body pausing the world for a brief moment. Her cold stares suddenly changed with a blink of her eyes. A light from behind her pupils seemed to be fighting to return as she attempted to speak. “Sa…Sa…”

“That’s right, it’s me! Satoru. Please, come back to me!” Satoru heart was racing at the warmth that was returning to Asami. He could grasp the hope that he felt beginning to slip through his fingers. She was returning to him. She was struggling and fighting to return.

The EMP operator looked up signaling Kiyoshi and the company leader. “It’s charged!”

“Activate the EMP net!” Kiyoshi said without hesitation. This would bring Asami down and end the fighting.

“Yes, sir!” the company leader said giving word to the operator. He had lost all of his men almost to the single machine. It was difficult to see how many of them were still alive. There were a few quietly moaning in pain trying to pull them together, but all around him was a sea of bodies.

“EMP net active!” Since Satoru was holding on to Asami and had immobilized her by breaking through the programming she was an easy target. The wire and charged energy net sprang to life swiftly engulfing Asami before she had the time to react. The EMP activated in a bursting bubble around her overloading everything within.

Satoru clung to Asami as her body collapsed to the ground. “No! Asami!” He ignored the net on him holding her hand as he could see the life being sapped away. The pulse was penetrating quickly through every circuit in her body.

“Sa…Sato…” Asami said before her mouth hung open unable to move anymore as the last bits of power were cut off. Her eyes went dark. Her body became heavy lacking the power to keep the weight from being too much. Satoru struggled to keep her in his arms not sure if she would ever wake up again. For the first time he felt such sorrow for another person that he could have shed tears. However, his time was interrupted by the remaining couple soldiers coming to collect Asami.

“Take her now!” Kiyoshi yelled to the few soldiers. There was a sudden urgency in his voice revealing an unseen pressure that was weighing against him.

The men pulled Satoru out from the net separating him from Asami. “Let go of me right now!” He struggled and kicked against the two men that had his arms pinned back. The remaining soldiers worked to pick up Asami slowly beginning to drag her off.

“You’re coming with us, Satoru Korumura,” the company leader said knowing exactly who he was as though they were planning for him. Satoru glared at him straining at the two men that held him wanting to punch the man that stood before him. However, Kiyoshi walked over to Satoru to become the new target of his anger. The mischievous smirk that curled across Kiyoshi’s face made Satoru’s stomach churn.

He stared at his best friend wanting to punch him until he bled out on the floor. Satoru did not know what to think anymore. Nothing was making any sense. His best friend that he had known forever betrayed him. There had to be a reason, but Satoru did not know if he even wanted to know the reason. “What do you want with me? Kiyoshi, what’s going on here?”

In spite of Satoru’s piercing glare Kiyoshi smiled back at him almost playfully shrugging it off as though there was nothing wrong. He reached out his hand to Satoru touching it to his face gently rubbing his cheek. “We’ve been running a little short handed due to recent circumstances. So you’ll be helping us complete it. And thanks to the machine we will be able to make the final modifications to the weapon.”

Satoru jerked his head to get free of Kiyoshi’s hold. He pulled at his captors again wanting to get his hands on Kiyoshi. “Kiyoshi! You bastard! I’ll never help you!”

“Now…now, is that a way to treat your best friend?” Kiyoshi said moving a little closer to him putting his face only inches away from Satoru. He looked deeply into his eyes grinning at him while Satoru narrowed his face in disgust.

“How long have you been lying to me?”

He pulled back from Satoru to think about it for a moment. The casual manner that he was handling it in front of him made Satoru burn. Kiyoshi eventually leaned back in giving him a response. “It’s been too long.”

“I trusted you!”

“That’s the idea,” he said with a grin touching Satoru face again.

The company leader came up touching Kiyoshi on the shoulder to get his attention. “Sir! We’ve got trouble! It’s the President’s faction!” The remaining soldiers and ones that managed to survive Asami’s assault were marshalling together what they had left. They prepared to hold them off until Kiyoshi and Satoru were taking out safely.

“It’s no surprise that he learned about this. He can see everything from that ivory throne of his. Get him out of here. The rest of you hold them off!”

“Yes, sir!” the company leader said. “You two take him, the rest with me.” Satoru’s captors began walking him out of the lobby when gunfire suddenly went off. It was just a single weapon, but several immediately replied back devolving into a shootout within minutes.

All of the shooting in the lobby made it difficult for Satoru to be escorted safely out. They had him pinned against the wall waiting for an opening in the shooting. The soldiers on Kiyoshi’s side were set up behind couches and counters firing up to the upper floors.

Satoru tried to look around to see who was shooting at Kiyoshi’s group, but there were too many people moving around. All he could see were blurred bodies with deafening crossfire lighting up the lobby. ‘Faction? What’s going on? How much did I miss?’
The shootout in the lobby continued for ten minutes without anyone giving up any ground. However, more from the President Faction appeared from a new hallway that opened up in the lobby. The new front that they had to fight on put them at a disadvantage forcing them to pull back a little to maintain their position without losing someone.

Kiyoshi fired his pistol over the top of the couch trying to hold his own with the soldiers. “Damn, they are more persistent today. I wonder why…” He looked around seeing Satoru across the hall with the enemy closing on Satoru’s position. It was becoming clear what their goals were now. They were determined to take him and they had the upper hand against them this time.

Satoru watched as Kiyoshi’s men were slowly losing ground. A few were taken out definitively turning the tides against Kiyoshi. His captors were suddenly shot spraying blood on the walls and his face. The sight would have normally frightened him, but he was fueled by revenge and hatred boiling up in his body. “You won’t get away with this, Kiyoshi.”

Kiyoshi started to move back as his men were being taken out. There were few left to fight. It was becoming futile to stay. He had lost this round. “You might be right, but this isn’t over.”

The company leader signaled the retreat of the remaining forces as Kiyoshi pulled out. A few well placed shots at the lights and bridge brought down glass, sparks and debris allowing them to make their escape unchallenged. “Let’s get out of here. Pull out!”

Dust kicked up everywhere in the lobby making it impossible to see anything. Satoru pushed through the clouds with his hands, as though it helped. “Kiyoshi!” He was not going to let him escape for what he had done. However, the cloud’s persistence prevented Satoru from being back to find his way out. Kiyoshi was gone and he was lost. “Kiyoshi…” Satoru collapsed to the floor with his head bent over his shoulders. It was already too painful for him to believe. He had lost everything now. There was nothing left.

The footsteps of the opposing men approached Satoru. Once the debris cloud dissipated men appeared in the distance walking towards him. Most of them were wearing lab coats and strange matching uniforms. They were clearly not the same like the soldiers with Kiyoshi. “We found him!” one of the men said getting the attention of someone behind him.

A familiar figure pushed through the line seeing Satoru on the ground. “There he is!” Natsuko said pushing the weapon she had slung over her shoulder around to her back. She rushed towards Satoru kneeling down at his side. The state that Satoru was in became instantly clear to her. She placed her hand on his shoulder hoping to give him some comfort for what he was going through.

Satoru looked up in surprise to see that Natsuko was before him. “Natsuko?” Another figure shifted out of the crowd into Satoru’s vision. “Chiyoko?” He wondered if they were all part of this faction that he heard briefly in the shootout. “Kazuhiko?!” Satoru said in disbelief.

“Yeah…Satoru,” Kazuhiko said looking paradoxically serious. Satoru stared at him for a moment trying to make sure that it was really him. Kazuhiko looked like he wanted to sigh as he casually walked up to Satoru to join the other two. “Been a while.”

“What’s going on here?” Satoru said searching each of them for any answers that he could glean. The people that he worked with as researchers and engineers, programmers and scientists stood before him in a different light. They were carrying weapons, but it was hardly the weapons that made them look different. It was the way that they carried themselves and the expression on their faces. Each was the same, yet different. Satoru felt like years had passed since he had seen them last.

“I’m sorry, Satoru. We’ll explain later…” Natsuko pulled out a medical device from her pocket and injected the fluid into Satoru’s arm.

He could not see the innocence anymore. It was lost. “Nat…suko…” Satoru mind went hazy as he passed out on the floor.


“Ugh…wha…where am I?” Satoru slowly turned his head taking in his surroundings. He found himself to be seated in a large cushioned chair. Around the walls of the room were monitors displaying various data that he could not read. There was a large steel and glass table just out of reach of him with a tall office chair turned away.

“You are approximately two hundred meters below the surface of the Qintech building,” a voice from behind the turned chair said.

Satoru tried to narrow his eyes hoping to get a glimpse of the person that he was speaking to, but they were well disguised behind the chair and darkened environment. “What?! But that’s not possible. There isn’t more than fifty meters of laboratory floors underneath.”

“Well it wouldn’t do very well as a secret facility if everyone knew about it,” the voice said musing to Satoru. In spite of the playful tone the man behind the voice was serious. “Now would it?”

“Huh? Who are you?” Satoru was growing tired of the games that he was being put through. All people were doing was screwing with his head. He was just someone’s toy to play with until they were bored.

The chair turned around revealing a young man in his late twenties to early thirties. “I’m Yuu Hongawa, the President and CEO of Qintech. Pleased to meet you.”

To be continued…

[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 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 looked 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 be 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 that 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 light 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 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 know 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 was 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 everything 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 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 proceeding 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…

[Andromeda]

“The First Machine War began when the machines that were strategically placed throughout the world were activated with their base command. These machines all had been produced from a single company that built the machines without any of the Laws of Robots hard coded into them. They had the Laws of Robots programmed into them, but it was something that could be switched off at a single command. Once that cage door was opened a new command was activated, the destruction of all of mankind.

“Since the machines were placed across the world the devastation that they caused was immense. However, many of the countries that already had a modern military did not heavily rely of the machines. When the machines went out of control their path of destruction was limited and quickly put to a halt. The primary tactic in those countries was suicide bombings to take out as much as possible before stopped. The countries that machines made up all of their force were ravaged and nearly wiped out.

“Once the home fronts of the major world powers were brought back into order focus turned to the war blazing through Europe and Africa. Machines were heavily deployed in the war torn regions of these continents spreading death across entire countries. It took a month to deploy soldiers in the countries that were battling the machine soldiers that marched through their lands unchallenged.

“The war was hard fought over Eastern Europe and North Africa with great human casualties. The machines were strong, but there numbers were fewer and not even their metal skeletons were enough to keep them alive. When the war was clearly turning against the machines they adopted suicide runs on military posts to take out as much as they could before the end. This spelled the end for the machines as their numbers sank until there was none left to fight.

“After the war came to an end an assault on the factory and company that orchestrated everything was the final target. The factories were destroyed and the employees either killed or arrested. The President of the company disappeared and his whereabouts remain to this day remain unknown. The war was over, but the path of the machines was forever altered.

“Some believe that fighting is the only way to prove that you lived, but existence is a struggle of more than against another…”

Flesh is for Gods – Episode 10 – Brothers of the Broken

Satoru stared at the monitor as the video feeds from the rooms that were being stormed were cut. He only got a glimpse of the number of men, but it was clear to him that there was little chance that they had of holding them off. These people meant to take the facility with little regard for anything, but their goal. Nothing would stop them and even all of the security and advanced computer systems in the world would not be enough to hold them back for very long. Anything could be broken by one means or another with enough time. “What are you going to do?” Satoru said looking at Yuu hoping that he had thought this far out and had a master plan held up in his otherwise perverse mind.

“What do you think we’re going to do? We are going to fight them.” It was a straightforward answer. The bluntness was a little awkward in the mist of secrets and deception. Yuu was still giving out orders to the parts of the facility rallying the people that he had together. He had explained to them the situation and given them the choice of running or staying. Most were opting to stay and fight.

“What?!” Satoru said grabbing Yuu by the arm and turning him to look at the monitor that he had otherwise been ignoring. He pointed at the screen of the heavily armed men that were fully loaded out in armor and weapons looking like they were going into war rather than a raid on a civilian facility. “But that is suicide. These are trained soldiers and all you have are a bunch of company employees who have barely held a weapon before.”

The obvious peril that they were in did not to be iterated into Yuu. He pulled away from Satoru straightening out his sleeve. After he adjusted himself he returned to the work that he was doing getting the remaining parts of the facility secure in time. Not wanting to be drawn away from what he was doing he spoke into the panel at Satoru. “They plan on silencing all of us one way or another. They’ll hunt us all down if we run. There is no more hiding from them.”

The tension between the two men was building enough for Natsuko to step in. She knew what had to be done and that Satoru was not going to be able to see their reason. The decision to pick a side did not mean that he was really to die. She knew that she could not ask him to do this so soon. “This is not your fight, Satoru. You have somewhere else to go.” Natsuko pulled at Satoru’s arm making him look at Asami in the other room that was slowly waking up. “Take her and leave while we hold them off.”

“Natsuko?” Satoru said in surprise realizing quickly that she was going to be fighting those soldiers. He felt the flood of emotions rising up through ranging from rage to fear and sorrow. “You can’t do this! You’ll die out there!” His voice was cracking as he spoke barely able to keep himself together. This was not what he wanted things to come to. There had to be another way. Satoru pounded his head for an answer coming up empty.

“It doesn’t matter, Satoru,” Natsuko said with a strange smile on her face happy to feel the caring touch from him. However, she knew that it could not last. Another room was taking by the soldiers with no slowing them down. There was no one stopping them at the moment, just doors and walls of security measures. She focused herself back on what had to be done. “I decided that this is what I’m going to do already. Just get out of here!” Natsuko pushed on Satoru to the room wanting him to take Asami before it was too late.

“I didn’t want this!” Satoru shouted at random. He could feel the pressure crushing him as no answers came to him. It led him to panic no longer certain what he should be doing. All he knew was that this was wrong and had to be prevented. Satoru knew it, but his struggling was empty without purpose simply flaying at the air. “I don’t want…”

“Losing your determination already? Is it that weak?” Yuu looked over at Satoru seeing the pitiful state that he had decayed into. It was enough to pull him away from the computer. He was disappointed that the mountain of resolve that he had seen was nothing more than a façade of rice paper painted to look impressive.

‘Natsuko…I don’t want to lose anymore people that I care about.’ His eyes spun around the room not sure what he was supposed to be doing. Natsuko wanted to protect him, but he wanted to protect her. Yuu was looking ready to punch him into the other room. He wanted to run, but he wanted to stay. His head was pounded harder increasing the pressure that was making him sweat through his clothes. ‘I can’t let them…’ Satoru suddenly found his focus standing before him dividing every thought that worried or feared him to the side. It made his mind so clear and he knew that he could not abandon them. Satoru pushed Natsuko aside staring at Yuu making his declaration. “No. I’m staying.”

“Satoru!” Natsuko said rushing to him pushing back against the wall. Her eyes were on the verge of breaking, but held back trying to be strong. She hung her head down knowing that this was the way it was supposed to be, but wished it could be changed. This was fate. “No, I-“

“Good.” Yuu said quickly before Natsuko would make a fool of herself. “I’m glad to have you with us.” He stretched out his hand in an open offer to seal the decision that was made.

Satoru pushed Natsuko away from him looking at Yuu. He was not going to shake his hand. That would mean that he trusted this man and that was furthest from the trust. He might trust him more than others, but he could not call it trust at the moment. “This doesn’t mean I trust you though. I still don’t know what you are trying to do, but I can’t turn a blind eye anymore to what is happening here.”

Yuu retracted his hand looking pleased with himself as though he had just won something more than Satoru aid. “Good, you learned my lesson finally.”

“Huh?” Satoru said staring at Yuu genuinely confused at his response. He was almost expecting to be yelled at or have some sort of argument with the man. This reaction was not what he thought was going to happen.

“I don’t want you to trust me. I don’t want you to trust anyone.” Yuu began to explain himself knowing that it was already vague what he was getting at. He had a reason to his behavior with Satoru the entire time. While he did enjoy a good laugh and he got that. The last week he spent was far more out of character for him than usual. He did not like being too serious, but he did not having to play on someone’s strings either. The purpose was served though and if it got through and sank in that was enough for him. “You are too naïve still thinking that there are people to trust in this world. There might be a few out there that you can trust, but don’t hand it out so easily. Everyone has an angle and a side and they won’t ever give you the chance to see it until you regret it.”

“You mean all that?” Satoru’s eyes lowered narrowing in annoyance with Yuu. “Ugh…I hate you.” In spite of what he said it was not really what he felt. The man did deserve a good punch for being manipulative, but there was some truth he could see in what he said.

“I’m not here to be liked. I can’t let you end up dying just yet. Hopefully, you’ll live a little longer now.” Now that things were in order he had to prepare for the next stage. Things were going to be progressing quickly and they had very little time left. Yuu turned to Natsuko who was still looking distracted with thoughts of Satoru. “Natsuko, take him to alpha team and get him ready.”

Satoru looked out the window into the other room. She was not ready to move yet with all that they did to her. He was surprised that Yuu knew so much about advanced robotics and programming into order to get her working so quickly. It made him wonder how many secrets the man held. “What about Asami?”

“She’ll be ready soon,” Yuu said reassuring Satoru that there was nothing to worry about. It might seem like they did not have any time left, but there was plenty still left to go before the end. “I’ll send her to you when she is ready.”


Red lights flashed around them through the halls coming out of the smoothed metal surface. There were no sirens or sounds from the warning system as the red was enough to get your attention. In the rooms behind the doors there were faint sounds of alarms to wake up anyone, but it was otherwise quiet. Low thuds muted out by the meters of metal signaled the closing pressure of the soldiers destroying another wall in their way. They would be to the lower levels soon.

Natsuko rushed to keep up with Satoru who acted like he knew where he was going, but merely was keeping himself from being dragged behind by the weights of his heart. An intersection arrived and Satoru was about to make a random decision in the direction to head when Natsuko stepped in front pointing him to the left. “You don’t have to do this, Satoru.”

“I do.” His face was narrowed by determination pushing past everything that was holding him back. He finally felt clear again like he had not felt before for so long. Even when he knew where he stood before this all began there was hints of him leaning away. Everything was gone now and he would not stop on uncertainty anymore. “I’ve been standing around doing nothing for too long. I’m not going to be useless anymore.”

‘Satoru…’ Natsuko felt distracted being reminded of Satoru from before and what she had seen now. He was acting like the person that she remembered. This was the man that she wanted to see return. All of the turmoil that boiled in his mind had shrunken him from the person that she had known. Even knowing what could happen she was pleased to see him back again. “I guess there is no talking you out of it now. Well meet alpha team.” She came to the door that was for alpha team opening it for Satoru to see who he would be working with.

Satoru stepped in still looking back at Natsuko trying to figure out who they might be. He figured that he knew them since everyone that was here worked at the company. Though there were a lot of people that he had only seen before and never talked to. They were all on the same side so Satoru was confident there would not be a problem in the end. “Who are they…what?!” Satoru had turned his head around to finally see who they were and nearly fell back into Natsuko. He blinked several times trying to make sure that his eyes were not playing tricks on him. “Kazuhiko, Tadashi, Chiyoko? What are you all doing here?”

Kazuhiko stood up from the bench that sat in the middle of the lockers and weapon shelf. He walked over to Satoru patting him roughly on the back. “Hey that’s not a very nice how-do-you-do, Satoru.”

The man was still as cheerful and free spirited as he remembered. It made Satoru a little melancholic to see the brave front that was being put up. This had to be difficult for even him to deal with maintaining the air. “Kazuhiko…” Satoru did not know what more to say to him. If this went poorly this could be the last time that he saw them. This reunion was a cruel gift.

Chiyoko stepped up looking to cheer Satoru up a little from the darkened expression that had glazed over him. She pushed Kazuhiko free from him giving Satoru a warm smile. “Satoru, I’m so glad that you’re still alive.”

“Yeah, Chiyoko.” The hopeful bright smile from Chiyoko made him feel a little better. His thoughts drifted away as he tightened his hands in a fist as a sort of reassurance. “I wonder sometimes if I actually am still.”

“So you’ve finally found a side,” Tadashi said from the wall that he was leaning against. He looked at Satoru with a piercing staring checking him to see if he would crumble away.

“Same as always huh, Tadashi,” Satoru said with a small laugh. He could feel the veil of sadness he felt wash away. This was familiar ground for him. He could be comfortable with these people more than anyone else that he knew, save one. “Of all of you I’m surprised you’re here given how much we fought over these same ideals.”

Tadashi stepped forward pleased to see that the old Satoru he had knew was back. It would have meant nothing if he was just going to run away. He missed the heated debates that they had in the past. “Just because I fought with you did not mean that I did not want to agree with you. However, I’m more pragmatic than you. Your naïve idealisms will always clash with me.”

“Tadashi, don’t start fighting with him already.” Chiyoko put her arms out between the two men fearing that this could quickly disintegrate into an argument that they did not have the time for now. Her usual weak position was offset by the protection and weapons that she was hauling on her.

Satoru put his foot forward going around Chiyoko, but looking towards her. “Its alright, Chiyoko. I’m here now because it was my choice.” He pushed past Chiyoko staring down Tadashi closely. There was no anger in his eyes and none returned. It was two men, colleagues, acknowledging the other’s position and view. “I don’t care if you don’t agree with my methods. It’s not about that anymore. It’s about living for tomorrow now.”

Tadashi gave Satoru a knowing smirk. “Something we can agree on.”

“Get Satoru a weapon and we’ll head out,” Natsuko shouted out in the room taking command of the situation. The others that were part of the team stood up moving out of the room. The demeanor of Natsuko had changed completely from the moment before showing her being confident and assertive. She stepped out of the room looking at everyone while Chiyoko and Kazuhiko grabbed weapons and gear for Satoru to put on.

All of the things that were thrown at him set him off balance for a moment not sure what to do with them. Chiyoko helped put the armor over his street clothes adjusting them to fit him. Satoru was left a little stunned to see how they were all acting. It had only been a few seconds, but they all changed immediately. ‘Natsuko…I’d never imagine her doing this. She’s so completely different. They all are…’ He watched them work handing him what he needed and showed how to use it. There was so much information that he glossed over his eyes for a moment.

“Satoru?” Natsuko could see how confused Satoru was becoming. She remembered the first time for her and everyone else. None of them knew what they were doing. It was going to take a little time, but they did not have that luxury anymore. “You know how to use this?”

He looked around at everything that was tossed on him feeling a little heavy, but glad that all they had to wear was bulletproof vests. It was just strap on armor that would protect him from a lot of indirect damage, but given the weapons that the military was carrying there was nothing that was going to stop their bullets. “Uh, not really, but you can explain it to me on the way.”

Natsuko nodding to everyone and clutched her weapon tightly. “Everyone move out!” The entire team of ten men and women ran down the hallway to the rally point. Satoru followed in behind them feeling a little out of place with the rest. They all looked like a team that had been through a lot together and he was simply tossed in as an afterthought.


The team had arrived in a large hall room that appeared to be a connection point from one section of the facility to the next. The walls scaled up two floors linked through by bridges while the ground was a long narrow passage with an empty chasm on either side. It was a strange design, but the facility had been constructed as modules that were later connected. This was a gap in those modules making for a dangerous area to fight in, but it was one of the few choke points.

Natsuko leaned over an electronic paper map of the facility with updates from Yuu’s computer terminal. The entire team was gathered around getting an idea of what they were going to be expecting. They all knew already that this was going to be impossible and that not all of them would make it out alive. All they were doing was buying the time that they needed. Yuu needed all the time that he could to do his work. Satoru was not sure what that work was, but this was all for him. “So they’re coming through here?”

“The last scans that were made showed them approaching this corridor. They’ll be here soon.” Natsuko had given everyone their orders already and they began to fan out in the bridge hall. They had barricades setup to shoot around, but those would easily be stormed from above. Two men were tasked with taking out the two alternate bridges above limiting the path to only the main one. They would have destroyed it as well, but it was built to withstand more than simple causeways. There were just not enough explosives on hand to take it out. This was their battlefield.

Satoru hid behind one of the barricades with Kazuhiko holding his weapon against his chest. The explosions of the bridges rang out from both sides vibrating the entire bridge that they were on. Beneath their feet the metal groaned at the wave from the blast. The falling bridges scrapped loading as they fell down shaking everyone in their core. Kazuhiko leaned over to Satoru seeing the tension that was building up. “You ready for this?”

“Yeah, I guess so,” Satoru said bringing the weapon even tighter against his chest. He had not thought about it until about what he had gotten himself in. There were only a few minutes left before the soldiers from the Japanese military came shooting through this bridge. ‘Killing someone…I can’t back down now.’ The thought of actually killing someone scared him, but he could not allow himself to get caught up on the moral complexities of the situation. Unfortunately, he had plenty of time to delve too deep.

A dull sound from the adjacent room signaled everyone. It was an explosion from the soldiers blasting down the last door between them and the hall. The heavy steel door was bent from the explosion caving out. An ominous sign for all, they knew that they would have to fighting again. Natsuko shouted from behind the last barricade to the rest of her team. “Here they come, get ready!” A final explosion ripped through the metal barrier twisting it open. “Open fire!”

“Give them hell, Satoru!” Kazuhiko said turning to face the soon to appear enemy. He had his rifle aimed up waiting for the moment that the smoke would clear so that he could get a clear shot. The others on the team were already firing on the smoke before it settled.

Satoru held his rifle in his hands trying to push himself to move. “Yeah, Kazuhiko…” The sounds of the weapons’ fire from both sides were deafening. He did not know what was going on anymore with bullets going everywhere around him. The dull ping against the barricades made him jump and grab for his head. Satoru saw Kazuhiko peaking around the corner of the barricade to unload a few bullets before taking cover again. This was not was he was expecting to find.

Soldiers continued to pour through the hole as the team unleashed everything that they had on them. The dead began to pile up at the opening with a large pool of blood starting to pour out over the bridge. The two men posted to take out the bridge were firing from above using the height to their advantage. It gave them a clear view of the fight. However, all of the shooting did not stop even more soldiers to come through the hole. They were suddenly gaining ground on the bridge taking up cover by the barricades after taking out those that were previously using them.

Two of Natsuko’s team was dead. Satoru could see their empty eyes staring at him as they were slaughtering trying to retreat to safer ground. Their bodies fell on either side of the barricade. The sight of their blood and people he knew dead sent a cold paralysis through his body.

The soldiers signaled to each other telling them to take out the two of Natsuko’s team that had the high ground. They exchanged fire briefly with them taking cover behind the doorway. However, the soldiers were not going to let them live. Two soldiers flipped a switch on their multi-purpose assault rifles activating their grenade launcher and fired them into the two doorways. The explosions drowned out the screams of the two men as they died instantly.

Now that the snipers were taken out the soldiers pushed their advance filling in more soldiers on the bridge. The last barricade before Kazuhiko and Satoru was over run and the soldiers were charging towards them. Kazuhiko fired out at random to try to halt their advance for a moment.

Natsuko looked at the scene knowing how this was going to turn out. She did not have to be a military strategist to know their fate. “Damn, there’s too many of them!” This was going to end soon and she needed to get her people out, those that were still alive.

“We can’t hold them back for long!” Kazuhiko said shouting to Natsuko over the weapons fire. He sprayed another round over the top of the barricade pinning down the men for a moment longer. He knew that he had gotten a few shots in on them; it was the only thing that made them hesitate. Kazuhiko charged forward to the abandoned barricade trying to press them back some. It was all he could do now.

“Kazuhiko, pull back now!” Natsuko said not wanting to lose him to the coming wave that would wash over them. She could see the soldiers regrouping to take Kazuhiko out. She shot over her barricade trying to give Kazuhiko some cover to make a retreat.

Kazuhiko fired around the barricade again putting a couple rounds into the legs of the soldiers where the armor was a little weaker. It was enough to make them stumble breaking the formation up. “I’ve got it. Get them out of here!” He waved her back knowing that there were others that still needed to get out on the team.

“Kazuhiko, what are you doing?!” Satoru shouted around the metal realizing that Kazuhiko was gone. When the moment of realization hit him it was enough for him to shatter the hold that fear had on him and push him to action. He had to stop Kazuhiko from doing a stupid hero imitation.

Over the weapons fire from the soldiers Kazuhiko saw Satoru poking around. He fired back to keep them from getting Satoru. “Get out of here, Satoru!” Kazuhiko threw his arm out trying to motion Satoru away. He knew that Satoru did not stand a chance here and Natsuko was evacuating everyone that was still alive.

Satoru shouted back to him nearly falling out of his cover trying to conceive him to give up the thought that he had. However, Kazuhiko had made a mistake letting himself become exposed from the barrier and one of the soldiers took advantage firing several rounds at the barricade. One bullet ripped through is arm making him drop his rifle and then another ate into his thigh. Kazuhiko fell back against the metal holding his bleeding limbs. Satoru shouted at him as though his voice would get him to move. “Kazuhiko!”

“Satoru…” Kazuhiko said faintly as the soldiers stormed the barricade unleashing a hail of bullets into him taking revenge for the many that he had killed. His blood poured out of him across the floor creeping towards Satoru.

The blood touched Satoru’s fingers flashing memories through his mind. He was dead. He was dead. ‘Dead…dead…DEAD!’ Satoru’s blood boiled instantly as his eyes went empty as his face wrinkled in rage. He grabbed his rifle and stood up from his protection pulling the trigger unloading everything that he had at the men that were slowly turning around from finishing their job. “AHH!!!! Kazuhiko!” Each round that fire from the rifle responded in recoil pounding against Satoru’s shoulder. The crushing force went ignored in the adrenalin rush. The soldiers dropped to the ground dead as the bullets blew through every part of them putting holes in their heads, limbs and chest spraying blood everywhere and back on Satoru as well.

Natsuko saw the brave show that Satoru was putting on, but knew it could only last for so long before he was also taken out by the soldiers that remained. “Satoru! Get back, we’re closing the doors!” Everyone else had been pulled out and she gave him cover fire as she ran towards him. Satoru was lost from the world in rage that he felt. She had to drag him back now if she was going to save him. When she reached him the soldiers were already regrouping themselves. Natsuko pulled on Satoru’s vest getting him to unconsciously walk backwards. The rounds in his rifle were almost empty. She was able to get him behind the door in time with the door sliding down heavily. Natsuko tossed Satoru against the wall to get him back to his senses.

The sudden impact of his back to the hard metal wall broke Satoru out of his trance state. Now that he had his mind back everything that happened came flooding back to him. “Kazuhiko…” Satoru fell down the wall collapsing to the ground seeing the image of Kazuhiko death repeating through his eyes. ‘Why…why him…why did he have to die! WHY?!’

“Satoru?” Natsuko shook Satoru roughly trying to snap him out of the new place that he had become trapped in. It had only become worse now that he had the time to reflect on everything that happened and the death. “Satoru! Get a hold of yourself!”

“Kazuhiko…WHY?!” Satoru shouted suddenly when he was finally brought around by Natsuko.

It set her back a step, but she quickly recovered kneeling down to where Satoru was sitting. She stared into his eyes hoping that she would reach him preventing from going back into the hole. “He’s dead there is nothing you can do for him.”

Satoru eyes had widened shocked to hear such empty words from Natsuko. “How can you be so cold, Natsuko?” He did not know how she could be so casual about Kazuhiko’s death. She knew him as well as Satoru did, but she was not even shedding a tear for him.

“I’ve had to watch to many die already…” she said looking away knowing that her team had already lost five members. It was cut in half and she had to keep the rest alive. She searched around the room seeing the state of the others. They needed to regroup, but the soldiers would not give them that chance.

Chiyoko came running over to them having seen the last scans of the other room. They were already planting demolition explosives on the door to bring it down. “Natsuko, they’re coming.” She could see that Satoru needed help, but they were running out of time. Then at that moment she was giving the signal from the others monitoring the situation on the other side of the room. “Natsuko look out!” Chiyoko pushed Natsuko and Satoru out of the way as the explosion pounded against the door weakening it.

Satoru was forced to watch as Natsuko held him back as shrapnel from the door caught Chiyoko in the back. He struggled against Natsuko wanting to get her out of there before she was dead. “Chiyoko, no!”

“Satoru, get back now!” Satoru managed to get free from her running for Chiyoko. She rushed to grab him by the waist holding him down barely. “You’ll be caught in the explosion!”

“Chiyoko!” The next explosion came and Chiyoko was engulfed in the blast and the door coming down. Satoru fell horrified in Natsuko arms having to see her die as well. He did not want to see anymore of them die in front of him. This should not have been happening to them.

Natsuko pulled Satoru back putting him against the wall as she gathered everyone to get into the next room. The soldiers were going to be breaking through soon in their relentless pursuit. ‘I can’t let him die too. Too many already have…’ She closed the door behind them in the next room with everyone out safely. She turned to the only one left that she knew she could trust to get Satoru out alive. “Tadashi! Take Satoru out the back way now! We’ll keep them back as long as we can!”

Tadashi nodded to her and picked up Satoru from the floor and lifted him to his feet. He put his arm over his shoulder helping him walk out. Tadashi turned back towards Natsuko seeing them preparing for the next assault. “Don’t go dying on me, Natsuko!”

“You know me,” she said looking back at him with a smiling that knew what she was going to have to expect.

“Yeah, that’s what I’m afraid of.”

“Don’t start getting weak on me now.” Natsuko replaced the empty clip in her rifle seeing Tadashi disappear into the halls. She turned back get the remaining parts of her team together for one final standoff with the military.

“Natsuko!” Satoru came back to the world a few rooms later realizing what had happened. He pulled out of Tadashi hold and trying to run back in the direction that he believed them to be. However, Tadashi was quick to stop him and grabbed him by the arm. He was stronger than Natsuko was making it difficult to get free. “Tadashi, let go of me. We have to go back for her!”

Tadashi knew that they could not go back even though he was with Satoru in wanting to as well. He pulled Satoru through the next room slowly against his will. “No, you have to get out of here. You’ve done all you can.” Tadashi searched his mind for something that would distract Satoru and get him to focus back on what needed to be done. He was out of ideas and began with whatever came to him first. “I-I may have looked like I hated you, but…but I was jealous of you.” It seemed to be working. Satoru attention while confused was brought towards him making it easier to guide him. “You could so easily believe in them in spite of everything. I couldn’t do that. That is why you must live. Make this a world for everyone to live in.” Tadashi opened the elevator that was in front of them and tossed Satoru inside.

Satoru rushed up to Tadashi once he recovered from being flung at the back wall of the elevator. “Tadashi! What are you say?!” He struggled against Tadashi’s arm that was forcing him to stay in the elevator. Satoru did not want hear a farewell speech from Tadashi. This did not have to be the end.

“There he is, get him before he escapes!” a voice said from down the hall. The soldiers opened fire on Tadashi trying to stop him. They rushed in to reach Satoru before he was gone.

“Damn here too,” Tadashi said firing back at them. However, they were charging at him without regard for him trying to kill them. “You aren’t getting him. You’ll have to go over my dead body!” A bullet from the soldiers hit him in his side and then his leg bringing him down to his knees. Tadashi slammed the panel of the elevator closing it and sending it away as the soldiers put several more rounds in to him out of frustration.

Satoru shouted through the door pounding for it to open up and let Tadashi in. But he was gone with the last images of Tadashi dying burned into his eyes. “Tadashi! No!!”

Tadashi watched the soldiers walk away leaving him to slowly bleed out. He leaned his head back against the wall looking up to the ceiling. “Satoru…I hate you…” he said with a smirk on his face as his arm fell to the ground.

“No…no…everyone…they’re all dead!” Satoru said sliding down against the back of the elevator. Everyone that he knew was gone now. They were dead and he could do nothing to prevent it. He could not even save Kazuhiko when he needed help. All he had been able to do was freeze when the time came. ‘How could I let them…Kazuhiko…Chiyoko…Natsuko…Tadashi…’ He could see them flash before his eyes only making it worse for him to remember. They were not with him anymore.

The elevator came to an end opening up to a new room that was untouched. Satoru did not want to leave. He had no will to push himself forward anymore. The doors hung open waiting on him to exit. Time slowly passed as soldiers stormed through the facility eliminating any resistance that they met quickly. The people that stood up to them were becoming fewer by the minute.

In the distance there was a footstep that went unnoticed by Satoru. A figure appeared finding Satoru still collapsed at the floor of the elevator. “So this is where you are, Satoru. You look pathetic there crying over those who are already dead.”

“Kiyoshi!” Satoru said immediately recognizing the voice without needing to look up. Once he knew that Kiyoshi was near it gave him the strength in his body to move again. He stood up walking out of the elevator seeing Kiyoshi standing off at the other end of the room. “Damn you! You knew them as well. How can you do this?”

“Its quite simple. It must be done,” he said looking around the room. Kiyoshi stepped forward a little watching Satoru. “Machines were a mistake. They should have never been created.”

“You’re wrong!” Satoru said throwing out his arms. He walked around the room starting to circle with Kiyoshi as they kept their distance. “Machines are more! They have a life, a spark of a soul!”

Kiyoshi knew that he would be having this argument with Satoru. It almost made him smile knowing that he was actually in these shoes this time rather than defending him. None the less time was bought by indulging Satoru. “And what have they done with that life. They’ve tossed it away just like mankind. You know the creators of the atom bomb regretted its creation when they saw the destructive power of it. The same was with the creators of the machines. They regretted it, but one naïve individual thought that they could be more and walk side by side with us. We stepped of the toes of God and this is his punishment to sinner and sin!”

Satoru wanted to stop, but he did not know what Kiyoshi was planning. He knew that there was more going on that he did not realize and until he figured it out he had wade through his time. However, the debate he was having was a subject that he never thought he would be having with Kiyoshi. Until a week ago he thought that they were more or less thinking similar, or hoped. He did not know Kiyoshi anymore. “They didn’t regret it. They all saw the potential in them.”

“How history lies in the face of the truth. History is written by the winners, not the losers.” Kiyoshi wondered how Satoru would react if he actually knew the truth. Satoru only thought that he knew, but it was just simply what he had been taught. Everyone thought the same thing thanks to the education system. “The truth becomes buried.”

“How can you know? What proof do you have?” Satoru tried to figure out what Kiyoshi was playing at with this supposed history lesson. He was acting like he knew something. The way he was sounding it was part of the reason of what he was doing. Satoru grew curious at what Kiyoshi knew that made such a difference for him.

“I never did tell you what my real name is did I?”

“Huh?” Satoru said almost stopping his pacing. He forced himself to continue while staring at Kiyoshi trying to understand the strange change of subject. Kiyoshi suddenly bringing up his name seemed completely random, but Satoru knew that it had to serve a purpose. It was not like Kiyoshi to do something without meaning. “What are you talking about?”

“Its not Nakahoshi,” he said monitoring Satoru to see the look of shock and surprise that would soon appear. “We had to change our name after the incident with my grandfather. My grandfather was Shichiro Hashimoto!”

“It can’t be!” Satoru could not keep walking anymore stopping in mid step almost upon hearing Kiyoshi’s declaration. He could not believe it for a moment and even afterward he was not sure if it should believe it. If it were true then it would explain so much about the way he was acting. Satoru was not sure what to believe. This might simply be another lie, but it was almost too far fetched to make for a good lie.

“Yes, I’m Kiyoshi Hashimoto the grandson of Shichiro the partner in the creation of Issac the first machine.” Kiyoshi raised up his pistol from the back of his suit pointing it at Satoru. This was almost over and it was time to wrap up things with him. “It was Shichiro that made the base theory for Adam against the wishes of his partner who was too blinded by his naivety to see the danger that they possessed.”

The gun pointed at him made him narrow his eyes piercing back at Kiyoshi. He did not have the chance to grab for anything on him. All that was left was to draw things out. “All of this was your doing then?”

“Yes, I even played the military and government using their fears of the machines and offered them a permanent solution.” He began walking around the room again while Satoru remained still. “They were so frightened and looking to regain power that they would do anything. It’s quite sad actually.” Kiyoshi came back to where he had entered with his gun still pointed at Satoru. He gave the signal to the soldiers that he had in wait to arrest Satoru quickly. “Now take him!”

“What?” Satoru said in surprise hardly having a moment to react as soldiers poured out from several entrances. They swiftly grabbed him restraining him as Kiyoshi walked towards him. “Ugh…Kiyoshi…why do you still need me?”

“Sadly I did not inherit my grandfather’s talent with computers and Adam still remains incomplete.” Kiyoshi withdrew his pistol placing it back where he took it out. He stopped a few centimeters away from Satoru staring at him being reminded of how similar this appeared. He lifted his hand up to Satoru face rubbing his cheek giving him a smirk. “You are going to be helping me if you don’t want to see any more people you love die.”

“What are you talking about?” Satoru said knowing that most of the people that he knew were already dead. There were only a few people left in this life that he cared about. He could not lose them as well, but he could not help Kiyoshi in his plan to wipe out every machine on the planet. Satoru was running out of options.

“Satoru!” a familiar voice from above said pulling everyone’s attention away.

Satoru looked up the best that he could be allowed seeing Asami standing confidently near the ceiling ready strike. “Asami!” She let go of her holding allowing herself to fall quickly through the air coming to a crash on the floor cracking the tiled ground. The thin layer of dust shot up by her impact filled the air around her as she dashed towards the nearest soldiers.

“Get her now!” Kiyoshi said ordering all of the soldiers he had to take her down. He knew that she was a bigger threat than Satoru was in what they were capable of doing.

The soldiers that had been restraining Satoru let him go opening fire on Asami as she bounced around the room dodging gun fire and single handedly taking out the military force that stood in her way. Satoru took the opportunity to finally settle things with Kiyoshi without others getting in their way. “Kiyoshi! I’ll stop you with my own hands!” He pulled the pistol that he had at his thigh out firing it at Kiyoshi.

The shot missed Kiyoshi, but made it clear to him that Satoru was getting serious. “Big words for you Satoru! I’d like to see you try.” Kiyoshi was a little surprised that Satoru had the guts to actually fire on him. He reached for his pistol as well running to the side firing it back at Satoru looking for a limb injury rather than a fatal kill. It would mean nothing to him if he ended up killing him.

“I won’t let you continue with this insanity!” Satoru shouted back to Kiyoshi trying to make his shots count. He was running out of the bullets. Satoru became desperate rushing towards him tackling him to the ground knocking their guns out of their hands across the floor.

The two rolled around on the floor fighting the others hands. Satoru punched him in the face and Kiyoshi he returned in kind. They met a momentary stalemate with them struggling over holds. “You’re the one that is insane to think you can love a machine and have it love you back!”

They tumbled around while Asami finished up the remaining soldiers leaving unconscious bodies or corpses strewn about the room. When she saw Satoru struggling with Kiyoshi she ran over to them. She pulled Kiyoshi off of Satoru putting her arm tightly around his neck not crushing it, but making it difficult for him to breathe. Satoru stood up patting down his clothes staring at Kiyoshi. “Asami…he’s mine. Let him go.”

“But Satoru…” Asami said looking at him confused. She did not want him to get hurt anymore than he already was now. He had a minor cut on his lip and across his forehead, but if the two continued it would only get worse. She could not stand still while this happened.

Satoru was not going to let Asami handle this. Kiyoshi was his friend and only he could deal with him. This was his problem to solve and not for her to be involved in. It was something that he had to do. Satoru undid his vest throwing it to the ground as a sign of being a fair even fight. “This is something to between us. Don’t interfere!” he shouted at her to let him go. Asami looked back at him in shock releasing her grip.

Kiyoshi rubbed his neck glad to be free from the machine. He was a little worried that she might have actually killed him. Satoru was the only one that actually had any influence on her making him a little grateful for that at this moment. However, the moment did not last long as he stepped forward. “You’ll regret not having her kill me!” Kiyoshi took a swing at Satoru hitting him in the ribs knocking him back a step.

Satoru coughed coarsely from the impact trying to recover quickly. He took another step back to give him a little room. “You’re my best friend if there is going to be anyone to kill you it’ll be by my own hand and no one else!” Satoru spun his leg around knocking Kiyoshi off his footing and then tackled him to the ground pounding his head in the ground a couple times.

The pain split through his head as he turned Satoru over punching him in the face. “Still best friends after all this, you really are an idiot.” The two grabbed for each other throats no longer caring about what happened. They had gone beyond worrying about their own well being and simply looked to kill the other. The rage of emotions ran over any reason that they might have had blinding them completely.

Satoru threw Kiyoshi off of him realizing that he was not getting anywhere struggling over each other. Kiyoshi slid across the floor coming to rest near one of the guns that had been knocked free. Satoru looked around franticly seeking the other soon finding it. He dove for the gun as Kiyoshi fired a round missing him. Satoru grabbed the gun in had still sliding across the floor staring at him for a split second exchanging determined stares. “Kiyoshi!”

“Satoru!” Kiyoshi squeezed the trigger as Satoru did the same while sliding across the floor.

Asami ran towards Satoru hoping to protect him before he was killed by Kiyoshi. “Satoru! No!” She was too late to make a difference as the shots rang out through the room echoing cracking her heart. Satoru came to rest slamming into the corner of the room not moving while Kiyoshi remained still. Asami did not stop running reaching Satoru soon after. “Satoru! Satoru!” she shouted trying to get a response from the still body. She lifted up his head resting it on her lap looking around not sure what to do.

Tears fell down her cheeks still unable to wake Satoru and began to fear the worst. Asami looked down at him pushing his hair off of his face. She hung her head over his staring down at his motionless face hoping for a sign. Her fear absorbed her so completely that she could not think straight only sadness. Asami tried to pray that he was still alive not knowing who would answer her call.

A weak cough from Satoru’s lip broke his silence bringing a smile back to Asami face. Relief quickly washed over her as she helped him up seeing that he was still alive. Satoru insisted on standing, but she worried where he was injured not certain if he could stand. However, she could not convince him otherwise and lift him to his feet finding that the bullet only grazed his shoulder.

She walked him over to where Kiyoshi was laying bleeding out on the floor from the bullet wound that he took. Satoru stared down at him not sure what he should feel for the friend that he had known for so long to be dead at his own hand. Kiyoshi rolled over on his back breathing heavily. He looked up at Satoru still with anger in his eyes. “Satoru…damn you…e-even she…won’t be…”

“Kiyoshi…” he said feeling weak suddenly. Asami grabbed him up quickly looking worried that there was more than just the bullet wound affecting him. “Asami…I’m alright. We have to get out of here.” There was nothing left here for him. He had to reach the surface.

“But Satoru…what about everyone…” Asami said knowing that he had to be thinking about everyone that he knew still being left behind.

“No…let’s go.” Satoru did not hesitate in pushing forward. They had all given their lives for him and he was not going to waste their sacrifice. It was the only way that he could honor them now. The phone in his computer device suddenly rang off catching the two of them off guard. He looked down pulling it to answer the call. “Huh? Hello?”

“Satoru, Yuu here. I found out what they are planning and who’s behind it.”

Satoru breathed a sigh of relief afraid that there was something else. Yuu was just late to getting the information. Satoru did not need it anymore. “Already know Kiyoshi was Hashimoto’s grandson.”

“What? Really?” Yuu said a little surprised. It was information that put some pieces together, but it was not related to his call. “No, the machines! The machines are planning to attack the summit and kill all of the world leaders!”

To be continued…

[Andromeda]

“Initiated by Isaac the Human-Machine Summit was a daring move that most believed would fail to make it to the assigned date. Usually politics and egos would get in the way of such a monumental opportunity. However, the decision came quickly within only two days of having received the video from the machines.

“Talks between the world leaders began instantly with stress running high. The bombings from the machines had been increasing ever more making them turn away from the table. However, voices from the Japanese officials persuaded many in the assembly to consider the offer seriously. Japan like many other countries was having difficulties keeping their public unrest controlled. The riots and fighting in the streets had diminished greatly after the broadcast leaving the public uncertain. They no longer had a unified consciousness.

“The break in the fighting gave pause for the officials in the assembly seeing that this summit could bring resolution finally to the fighting. Many in the Japanese government had been pushing for peace in spite of the military arguing that they needed to increase their strength. Other countries with lesser military were in agreement. The main western powers though were reluctant remembering the treachery of the machines in the past. However, their voices were quickly out numbered and agreement on the summit came to a close.

“Since the Japanese government pushed the summit through it was agreed that they would host the summit five days from the day that the assembly ended in Tokyo. The machines were notified through a world broadcast and they responded quickly agreeing on the terms of the summits.

“One official from the respective countries would attend and the officials from the machine factions would meet. There would be three machine officials from each of the factions. As the leaders of the world were quickly to learn there was more than a single machine faction that they were contending with. This revelation nearly destroyed the fragile agreement finding that disagreements in the machine factions made would make negotiations difficult or impossible to agree upon.

“There are many sides a problem, but the challenge is convincing the other sides that there is only one solution…”

Flesh is for Gods – Episode 11 – Conspiracy’s Shadow

The path that everyone had made for him weighed his heart down. The elevator came to a stop opening out to a sidewalk and back alley of the company. All of the military that had been around was not present, no doubt inside killing everyone that he knew. Satoru’s hands shook knowing that he had to keep going forward if he was to do any honor to their sacrifice. He took Asami’s hand and rushed into the alley looking for the nearest stairs up to the train. “We’ve got hurry and warn them. This entire thing was a setup.” Satoru could not believe the lengths that the machines were going to cause chaos in the world. They had already done so much. He thought that there was actually a chance for them to finally reach peace. “They even faked the video of Isaac video to put together this summit.”

The train station was empty from the military storming the building as well as the street. Everything was closed down in the area. They had shut down the trains to prevent anyone from entering or leaving. No cars were around even parked ones to steal. The last option left to them was running until they could reach a vehicle to take them.

Asami ran with Satoru maintaining a speed with him that did not leave him behind. She knew what Satoru had to be thinking, but there was still so much that he did not understand about the machines. It might not have been a good time for her to tell him everything, but he needed to know that everything was not as it seemed to appear. “I don’t think that the video was a fake. They did not setup the summit.”

Satoru wanted to stop, but he knew that he could not waste any time in doing so. They were out of time and the machines were already several steps ahead of them. Their plans ran deep to put together the summit so easily. “You heard what Yuu said. They’re going to kill everyone at the summit. They must have been planning this the entire time.”

“Not everyone is…” she said hesitating a little with uncertainty knowing she could not go back to them. Asami knew that she was already beyond returning, but these secrets were still a part of her. She did not know if she should be telling him.

The pause in Asami’s voice was enough for Satoru to know that she was holding something back from him. She knew something about what was going on. “What do you mean? Aren’t all of the machines trying to kill all of the humans?”

‘Aren’t all of the machines trying to kill all of the humans?’ His voices reverberated through her head weakening her for a minute. Asami knew better than to think that it was directed towards her, but the unintentional generalization still hurt her. It made her pause in step for a moment bringing her to a stop. She looked down at the sidewalk trying to not look at Satoru. He needed to know; she knew that he needed to understand everything that was going on. “That’s not entirely true.”

Satoru took pause realizing what he had said too late. He could not take back his words. “What is the truth then, Asami?” If there was something more to what was going on he needed to understand it. He could not keep running around in the dark thinking that he could get things solved on spirit alone. Satoru still wondered what he could do to make a difference with so many powers at play out of his control.

“Its not so simple,” Asami said knowing that the door was already opened and all she could do now was walk through hoping for the best. She started to sort through what she knew that he needed to know for the future. “There is more than one organized cell of machines.”


The meeting room of the machines was almost completely empty. Left in poor light General Yoshima faced down with General Oshiro, Lt Colonel Takamoto and one other machine. He hardly liked to call them by their military ranking knowing that they were not even working in the military as humans, but simply machines in disguise with their own objectives. Work had become loathsome recently as the machines were taken to a more stubborn position than their usual patient calculating demeanor. General Yoshima did not know what was going to happen with them anymore. They were nearing the end of their usefulness.

In the week since their last meeting when they had agreed to take part in the summit none of the bombings that they had been doing stopped. The reality was that they had increased twofold nearly in the time. It almost seemed like they were desperate or lashing out in anger. “Don’t you realize that the continuing the bombings even now has only strained the relations between the human and machines? If we weren’t there to constantly smooth things over this summit would never have happened. It would have been easier if you stopped the bombings as a jester of good well.”

General Oshiro leaned against the table with his elbows resting on the table’s surface while his hands covered much of his face. He stared narrowly at the man knowing the stress that had been applied to the situation. His eyes were not blind and his mind not dull. “This is not your place to tell us how to do our job. The summit is being held shortly.” There were other matters that he was being forced to take accountability for so as not to show weakness to his enemy.

The last meeting had not ended well with a division in his subordinates that could not stand the façade of human lap dogs. They were tired of waiting as this summit was the last straw for them. It seemed that they were set against him strongly enough that they only increased the attack in order to breakdown the talks permanently. The machines that left with them were ones that could not stand waiting out until the time was right. It made his position difficult to maintain as they could strike openly knowing that the main faction would still be to blame for it. “I will not show weakness towards the humans.”

Yoshima remained in his stare down with Oshiro trying to figure out the machine. It seemed like a futile effort or an old habit of dealing with real people. He knew well enough that the machine would never reveal his hand unless it was in their interest. This was a distasteful association, but it had its purposes in the end. “You can’t do this without our help.”

“We-“ Oshiro began to speak but they were interrupted by a messenger. The intrusion into the meeting brought all eyes on the audacious individual standing in the doorway waiting to be acknowledged. An empty emotion unaffected by the attention marked them as a machine. Oshiro motioned the messenger forward bringing the young machine next to his chair. “What?” Oshiro said already calculating the information that he heard to be used for his plans. “Alright.”

The messenger left the room returning the occupancy to normal and leaving Yoshima curious. He let the silence in the room remain for a moment looking for clues to what was discussed between the two. However, there was nothing as he expected. All that remained now was the direct approach. “Something wrong?”

Oshiro saw this coming having already finished adjusting his plans to meet with the change. These humans were too curious sticking their nose in business that did not belong to them anymore. Failure did not create entitlements. “It would seem that your military has failed you. Satoru Kuromura has escaped from Qintech along with one of our agents. However, it is not a total loss, you managed to capture Malakh.”

“You’ve known who Malakh was all along?” Yoshima said restraining his surprise at the nearly casual statement from Oshiro. Malakh had been an enigma for years working in the shadows as the figure of the Malakhim Faction. The machines had claimed that they knew nothing about the individual apart from his affiliation. Not even the Malakhim Faction knew who he was making their infiltration fruitless. Malakh seemed to be more a connection at times rather than the one that led the faction. This disconnected state made him impossible to trace, yet he was captured now.

Direction had changed now leaving the focus on Yoshima now rather than Oshiro and the machines. This would play into his hand well with a little more time. It was all only a matter of time before their plans was complete. Oshiro pulled away from the table letting his face be revealed. “We had a good idea, but it has now been confirmed.”

General Yoshima stood up from the table realizing that this was over for now. The machines were clearly holding him at a disadvantage. It only made matters worse that they were holding back information. The secrets were hardly a surprise to him, but it did not change the fact that he was in a weakened position. “I must leave.” He walked away from the table taking up his military coat blowing in his brisk pace.

Oshiro did not follow Yoshima as he stepped into the doorway. “We expect to have Malakh released to us,” he said to the General before he left. Malakh belonged to them for all of the meddling that he had caused creating the rift between the machines to begin with. He had a great purpose to the machines than the humans as they just saw him as a leader that needed to be removed.

The remaining members of the table looked at Oshiro now that Yoshima had left. “Do you think that General Yoshima will comply?” the machine said knowing how important it was for them to take Malakh. It would be a sign to the others for unity and end debates that the rebels continued to cause years after his departure.

It almost seemed like a pointless question to ask. None of them trusted the humans knowing that they were not honorable individuals. Once they know that they have something of value it would make the hold on to it more tightly. “He’s a human all they know is deceit. When confronted he will cower like a frightened animal like they all do.” However, Oshiro knew that telling him about Malakh would only cause them to hold on to him even more stubbornly. This would plan to his benefit, as their greed would lead them to betrayal and a corner that had no escape.

“And what about the others?” the machine said bringing up the sore topic. The new division that had been created was weakening their position and ability to operate. They were able to make new machines now unlike before, but the splinter cell would be a constant thorn in their side if not dealt with immediately. “He is right that they are disrupting the plan. We can’t control them any longer. They could ruin everything before we have time to carry out the plan.”

“We’ll deal with the rebellious faction that is why we have the military,” Oshiro said having a contingency plan already developed when the divide was building. He had wanted to avoid using it knowing that it was dangerous miss deployed, but it was a small price to pay. This act of defiance would not go ignore for long. However, even their extremist tactics had their usefulness. The bombings distracted those that might be otherwise getting curious about things that they should not be. He could not afford their plans to be discovered.

They knew what Oshiro was thinking knowing that it would be the only sure way to quickly eliminate the rebellious threat that they posed. “But Hashimoto failed us.”

“He was just a pawn who thought that he was a double agent,” Oshiro said to the others to dispel the uncertainty that they might have about being unable to acquire it. They had known for a while that Hashimoto was working with the military to take Adam for them. Hashimoto also had made the same agreement with the machines thinking that he could play the two sides against each other and make use of the resources both had that he did not. It did not take long for them to discover his duplicity. Knowing the traitor made them that much easier to manipulate. “We control the facility now. Adam will be ours and it will eliminate the threats against our plans.”

“Very well, I’ll give the orders,” Lt. Colonel Takamoto said standing up. Now that the military was in place thanks to Hashimoto it left them easy to manipulate them into doing what they needed. He walked out of the meeting room needing to hurry before the humans grabbed the work they needed.


General Yoshima had left one meeting only to be forced into another. He hated playing the messenger and voice of the organization to the machines. It was a requirement of him since the machines already were in his military. If they knew how deep the organization ran it would only destroy their plans. He understood this, but it did not make it any easier to swallow. Yoshima sat down in the end chair of the room. He would be forced to listen to scheming businessmen conspiring against the machines acting like they were superior to him.

A high-rise building held in black tinted glass concealed the large room that held the weekly meetings for the Ophanim Organization. Those around the table made up the wealthiest and most powerful people in Japan. Arranged years ago after the last machine war that saw many changes in administration for the sole purpose to effect change in Japan. Their goals had changed once they realized that the machines were still alive seeing them as an opportunity to use them to take over control of the government. Now they secreted worked with the machines pretending to be aiding them.

At the head of the table was business CEO Michio Yamada in a typical dress suit. Only Yoshima attended out of formal attire, but his military uniform was the only thing he ever wore to these meetings. Yamada looked around the table viewing the expressions of the others after Yoshima reported to them about the meeting he had with the machines. It left the others silent for once, but silence only meant that they were calculating their next move. “Malakh…the machines had been hiding that secret with them.”

“Hardly much of a surprise,” Hiroki Ito said one of the more out spoken members of the organization. He usually had something to say about everything that was spoken as though speaking made him more important. However, he would remain attentive reading the situation not mindlessly speaking. “They came to us about Malakh acting like they needed us to find him for them. It was no doubt a ploy by them to make us create another side in their trap for Malakh. They are machines after all. All they are know is secrets and how to betray.”

Yoshima leaned forward in the chair bringing him in front of the others along the table. “With Malakh we will be able to recover our plans,” he said to assure the others that the machines had not ruined anything. They were merely machines and no schemes that they had in mind would disrupt the organization. “Hashimoto failed us, but he was just a weak man futilely believing that he was following his grandfather’s steps.”

Yamada leaned in addressing Yoshima directly. “Remember General that there is more to it than just capturing Adam.” He knew that the General was an impatient man, a flaw that was all too common with those in the military. It was like a child with single-minded focus on one task rather than seeing the bigger picture. If they did not need the military he would have never invited the man to the organization.

“I’ll make sure that we secure Adam and I’ll take Satoru Kuromura in custody. I’ll dispatch the rest to the summit in preparation,” the General said narrowly to Yamada. The superior attitude that he was speaking down to him with annoyed him more than the machines talking back to him.

“Kuromura is more important right now,” Ito said stepping in to remind Yoshima was the more pressing matter. They already controlled the facility. There was no rush to get Adam. “He already knows too much and no doubt he is heading to the summit with plans to expose what little he knows. That cannot be allowed to happen. In addition, with him is that machine, the one that they seem so interested in.”

Yamada closed his eyes for the moment speaking out over his hands that were supporting his head. “Yes, enough that they would rather have her destroyed to cover up what she truly is.” There was enough proof between the two of them to affect at the very least those at the summit. They could not allow a deviation in opinions or policy that would jeopardize their carefully laid plans.

“Walk carefully General,” Ito said seeing that Yoshima was looking pig-headed as ever. The man needed to be told what to do all the time, but he was also just smart enough to realize that he was being treated differently. He complicated matters too often. “Rushing to show our hand will leave us exposed.”

“We can’t afford a mistake at this point,” Yamada said to the General seeing him standing up from this chair.

The air was becoming thick with the condescending attitude pouring out from the members towards him. Yoshima walked away from the table towards the door not willing to be in the room with them insulting him anymore. “I know that already. I’ll make sure it is done.”


Satoru was surprised to hear that the machines were not unified. It was the belief of everyone that the machines were making coordinated attacks around the world. There was speculation to whether there was a centralization command that gave orders or individual groups spread across the world working through a networked collective mind. “What do you mean that there is more than one group?” He never had given it much thought that there could possibly multiple groups of machines attacking them with different goals in mind. It made him wonder how much did not understand about the machines.

After a moment of silence Asami had gathered herself together again to speak to Satoru. There was so much that he did not know or understand, but she did not have enough time to explain it all to him. She began to walk forward knowing that they could not allow this to delay them. Satoru quickly followed up with her listening closely for when she began. “The machines are not a single organized group like everyone believes. We are divided in our ways of thinking just like humans.”

Hearing that the machines did not agree made him take a step back from what he thought that he knew. Even something so basic did not seem to be accurate. The machines that they were dealing with were far more complicated and independent than what anyone could have imagined. They were so few and yet still were not united. “If that is the case then who is it that is bombing buildings?”

“That is the faction that I used to be a part of,” Asami said after a pause afraid that admitting to be associated with those that were killing humans would distance Satoru from her. However, she realized that he already knew that she was part of them even if she had never said so openly. Now that she spoke the heavy words it felt like a pressure was lifted from her shoulders leaving her open to continue without hesitation. “They are known as the Seraphim Faction.”

Satoru knew that Asami was part of the group killing people, but he still did not like to think about it. Neither of them had ever verbally acknowledged the fact while silently knowing the truth. He forced himself to push through that fact to a different matter at hand. If there were other groups that must have meant separate goals and ideas. Once he realized that he began thinking where Isaac fell in with the machines seeing as he appeared to disagree with the other machines. ‘I can’t believe I didn’t see that. The signs of disagreement.’ The broadcast was a clue. Everything that was happening made him ignore that fact. There were two sides to this issue making him wonder if the machines might be waging a secret war between the other. “If they are the Seraphim Faction then what about the rest of the machines then?”

She knew that she could not give him the entire history of the machines that the humans did not know about, but she was not sure how much she could give without leaving him too confused. The sides were a little different and less clear in their motives. Asami tried to find a common point to work from that he would understand easily. “The other faction of machines is the Malakhim Faction which Isaac is from.”

“What does the Malakhim Faction want then?” He knew that if Isaac was involved with them then it was probably a more peaceful group of machines. Satoru wanted to believe in the machines again. He wanted to know that they were not all corrupted by the old programming from their previous masters that had a death wish for all of humankind. ‘There is Asami after all, there is another beside just Isaac.’


“The Seraphim want to be independent and not be indentured to humans. They attack and kill humans to achieve their goals and the Malakhim disagree with that view. They used to be part of the original group of machines that were created from the First Machine War. When the machines were told to attack the humans some of them disagreed with that in spite of their programming. They gathered around Isaac and disappeared. I don’t know anymore than that as they have been in hiding ever since. If they are with Isaac they are probably carrying out his ideals.” The Seraphim had been attempting to hunt them down ever since they disappeared. Even in the decades since they disappeared there was never a sign that the Malakhim would do anything, yet the Seraphim could not trust that the status quo would remain. They were an ever constant threat that could come back to destroy all of their plans.

Satoru could not understand why if there was a group that opposed what the machines did and knew more about them than anyone else why they did nothing all these years. The Malakhim Faction had the best chance of bringing a solution to the continued fighting and did nothing until now. ‘What’s changed to make them come out now? Something must to be different, as though they were forced to move…’ Satoru did not like what he was thinking. He was afraid to know what would force them to make an action. “If they were opposed to what the rest of the machines were doing why didn’t they do anything to stop them?”

“I don’t know,” Asami said. The same question had been asked repeated and no one seemed to know the answer. The only ones that knew anymore were Isaac and his Malakhim Faction. When they reached the summit that question might finally have an answer. She wondered if it would actually have a purpose knowing since it could not undo any of the deaths that had been caused. “That’s all I know.”

Satoru had a feeling that she did not have an answer. If she did she would have told him already. However, he realized that the talking was delaying them from getting to the summit before the Seraphim Faction attacked the summit and ended the last chance and peace. Satoru saw a taxi in the distance coming towards him finally filling the street with life once more. “It still doesn’t change the fact that there are machines trying to kill everyone at the summit. If all of the world leaders died it would mean chaos.”

Asami saw what Satoru was thinking and rush ahead to get the taxi’s attention. “We better hurry, Satoru. According to Yuu the summit has already begun. I don’t know when they are planning to strike.” She signaled the taxi bringing it to a stop shortly in front of her. Satoru caught up to her while she was already given directions to the cab driver, a human this time rather than the automated ones. He quickly got into the back seat waiting for her to enter allowing the car to take off down the street.


The ride remained quiet leaving the tension to build up to unbearable levels. Satoru’s legs were shaking with what he knew now. This war that they were fighting was not what everyone believed to be. There were machines out there that wanted to end it, but they were going to be target no differently. Satoru knew that he had to make sure the summit was not stopped. This was the only chance that the world had at surviving. The machines were out numbered and even with the advancements that they made were never going to be able to survive. They did not stand a chance.

Satoru was pushed forward slightly when the taxi came to a stop outside of a large building. He stepped out of the car staring into the distance. The entire area was empty as though everyone had the day off. There was not even a sign that he could see telling him what building he was at. He roughly knew where he was in the city, but this building did not look familiar to him. If there were official government proceedings to be done it would have been at the general assembly building, not here. “This is where the summit is being held? Looks normal.”

“Yes, according to the information that Yuu downloaded into me this is where the summit is taking place,” Asami said stepping forward as the taxi speed away. She looked around examining the building for anything or anyone that might be watching them. There was nothing she could find and that worried her. She knew them well enough that they would not be waiting around doing nothing. They must have a plan and she hoped that she could figure out before it was too late.

“Seems a little strange that there is nothing here, no media, no military, nothing,” Satoru said commenting on the lack of any presence. It felt like the Qintech incident again where everything was purposely halted. The military could be in hiding waiting for him.

Asami kept scanning the area not satisfied with not finding anything. She knew that they had to have known that they made out of the Qintech. Their eyes reached much further than people realized. They knew she was here and even when she left. This had to be a trap. Asami stayed on edged hearing Satoru speaking bringing her to recall the information that Yuu had downloaded in her before she left. “According to Yuu the location was switched several times before today for security measures to prevent its location from being found out.” She was not sure what there was about Yuu, but he had a strange presence about him that seemed familiar to her somehow. He was unfortunately dead now knowing how the military was killing everyone without hesitation.

The wind blew up through the abandoned lot whistling in their ears. Satoru took a step forward feeling as though he was pressing against a gigantic invisible wall that was erected around the building. It was meant to keep everyone out, but it did not realize the danger that was nearing. This was not enough. “Didn’t take enough measures if Yuu was able to find it.”

Asami began walking towards the doors with Satoru following up quickly. Once they were inside they had to find the summit quickly and tell them of everything that was happening. She feared if the humans would even believe her even if they knew that she was a machine.

When her foot touched the first step something in her head suddenly pinched her sending waves through her body. ‘What’s this feeling? No…’ It took her a moment, but she realized what was happening to her. She turned to look at Satoru, who was catching up with her. Her time was draining away from her coming to a stop as Satoru moved in slow motion before her eyes. She knew that she was out of time. They were waiting for this moment. “Get away from me, Satoru!” Asami said breaking free for a moment pushing him backward down the sidewalk.

“Huh?” Satoru said falling back roughly on the cement. He looked at Asami through one eye trying to push aside the stinging that echoed through his arms and back. Asami was not the same; Satoru could see that she was afraid of something. Her body was shaking as she backed away from him. “What are you talking about, Asami?”

“Leave me now!” Asami shouted feeling her control slipping away from her. She was going to lose him. She could not let that happen, but she also knew that he would not run away either. Her eyes welled up with tears, as she could no longer feel her legs paralysis encroaching on her chest moving quickly up. “Before it is too late…Sa…to…ru…” She could not run away around or save him as she lost control completely.

Asami’s eyes went pale and her body changed becoming rigid and straight. She disappeared from the stairs in an instant landing on up of Satoru. Her hand shot out grabbing him by the throat lifting him up off the ground. Satoru’s body hung in her hands as she stared at him her mind already out of his reach once more. “Ugh…not again…Asami…” He remembered seeing her like this a week before in Qintech. It was repeated over again before him leaving him helpless.

In the distance under cover of the brick wall around the parking lot the military that had been following Asami and Satoru were laying in wait. The scout was watching Asami assaulting Satoru through his scope reporting on their moves. They had a mission to complete and since the machine woman had made her move they were out of time. “The woman is attacking the target. Orders, sir?”

General Yoshima stood near the entrance of the parking lot narrowing watching the scene in the distance. He ground his teeth together hearing the annoying echoes of the organization in his head. They were always ordering him around; this was his battlefield. He would do things his way. “Satoru Kuromura must be taken alive and the woman’s chest and head need to remain undamaged. Stop her immediately.”

“Yes, sir!” the soldiers said in unison signaling their charge. All along the wall surrounding the building soldiers stood up leaping over the wall running towards the entrance where Satoru and Asami stood. Several men in the back raised up mounted machine guns aiming them on the location taking the safety off preparing to fire the moment they had an open shot.

Asami looked around from side to side seeing the large number of soldiers that were present this time. She was far out numbered from the previous times. She quickly analyzed the situation and dropped Satoru. “Hrmph…” Once he was freed from her grasp a hail of bullets were unloaded on her location, but she was already leaping backwards into the second floor window of the building disappearing quickly out of reach.

Satoru held his head down with his arms as his ears were shattered by the drowning tsunami of bullets that riddled the cement around him. When the firing ceased he looked up to where the Asami had broken the glass. She was gone from him again. ‘Why does fate have to keep intervening…’ He stood up staggering to the entrance still feeling weak from being strangled. “A-asami…” The soldiers that had been running to attack Asami were now forming around Satoru. Two of them forced his arms together allowing them to tie his hands. “What are you doing? Let go of me.” Satoru struggled against the two men trying to break free to go after Asami. “I need to go after her now!”

“You’re coming with us Mr. Kuromura,” one of the soldiers said pulling him back in line. The others soldiers quickly ran about the lot looking like they were preparing for something else. They looked well armed for an assault even more so than the raid on Qintech.

“Huh?” Satoru said struggling against the men that were holding him. They pushed him away from the building guiding back to the street. He kept pulling and straining at their hold causing them enough trouble that one of them stepped up in front of him. Satoru stared at him defiantly having lost his fear a long time ago. The soldier drew back his arm and thrust it quickly into Satoru’s chest knocking all of the air out of him before he could react. ‘The military again…Kiyoshi’s not leading them, who is it this time?’ Satoru soon passed out falling limp in the soldiers hold as they dragged him off.


Black fog around Satoru’s head finally lifted bringing him back to consciousness. He slowly opened his eyes finding himself to be lying sideways on the ground. When he searched around the area it seemed that he was in a heavy canvas tent set up on the asphalt streets. As he pulled himself up Satoru realized that he was still tied at the wrist in front of him making it awkward for him to sit up. Once he had carefully managed the feat of sitting a familiar voice from behind spoke to him. “Hey, Satoru. I see that you’re awake now.”

Satoru turned his head quickly finding someone that never expected to see again. “What? Yuu?” He had never seen what happened to Yuu, but given that the military was going through the facility killing everyone he assumed that Yuu had met the same fate as everyone else. He just hoped that Yuu was able to do whatever it was that he had been attempting before they captured him. “What are you doing here?”

“Being captured by the military,” Yuu said with a smirk on his face appearing like he did not even seem to care that the military was holding him captive now. He was sitting legs cross on the street with his arms tied like Satoru. If it were not for the bindings he would have looked like he was enjoying himself.

Satoru twitched his right eye at Yuu’s response wishing that he could knock the man over for being so smug. “Uh…right…something that’s not obvious.”

“Where’s Asami?” Yuu said changing the topic quickly. His expression changed once again for Satoru being serious. The way that he looked seemed as though he knew something, but Satoru had become distracted that he did not notice. “Did they get her as well?”

“Asami? Asami…I’ve got to find her!” Satoru struggled to get to his feet, but fell over nearly using his face to break his fall. He rolled over on his back working against the bindings to get back to his feet once again.

“Narrow minded…oh well,” Yuu said sighing to himself while watching Satoru futility flailing about on the ground. “Calm down, Satoru.” Yuu stood up slowly walking over to Satoru bringing pause to his fighting. “You need to focus on the more important matter at hand.”

“What’s that?” Satoru was a little in awe of Yuu casually standing as though being tied did not even exist. It brought a jealous focus to Satoru that forced him into concentrating on what he was trying to do. He was able to stand up this time looking level eyed with Yuu.

“Escaping,” Yuu said so simply as though it was going to happen that easily. “We can’t very well stop the machines from killing everyone at the summit locked up. Asami will no doubt be there as well.”

“Are you the only one that escaped from the facility?” Satoru asked hoping that not everyone had been killed. His heart was already so heavy with the death that he saw he did not know if he could take anymore, but he had to know.

Yuu was hesitant to speak knowing how it was going to affect Satoru. He almost considered lying to him so that it was easier for him, but the truth could be learned from anyone around him. He could not have Satoru confused or in circles. It was going to be painful for him, but there was no other choice. “No, I made it out with someone else…”

“Who? Where are they?” Satoru said quickly wanting to know who it was that had survived the raid. Even one person more being alive was enough to light his heart. “Did they avoid capture?”

“No, they were captured with me, but…” Yuu was not skirting around the issue anymore knowing that holding it back would only be delaying the problem.

“I see…who was it?” There was a small hope that he had nearly crushed, but they were only captured. They were still alive and that was enough right now.

“It was…Natsuko…” Yuu said turning away from Satoru.

“But she…she made…” Satoru said picturing Natsuko in the facility staying behind to hold back the military’s advance. He had thought that she was dead, but she was alive. Satoru could feel him becoming stronger knowing that she was still alive. She had not been killed along with everyone else. He turned to look at Yuu nearly smiling with joy, but all he saw was Yuu’s back. There was something about the way he was standing that was speaking to him telling him something. Yuu had not told him everything, but he did not have to anymore. “Natsuko…I can’t believe that they would…no…” Satoru fell to his knees the crushing weight on his heart dropped him to the ground. He held back his tears as much as he could knowing that it would not do anything. She was dead twice to him. However, Satoru could not mourn her as a heavy footstep broke their peace. “Who’s there?”

General Yoshima stepped into the tent pushing the flaps aside as he entered. After a moment of struggling to keep their position the flaps slid back into place closing the space in. Yoshima circled around the tent staring at the two of them. There was almost a pleasant expression on his face as he had everything that he wanted in his grasps. “Satoru Kuromura and Yuu Hongawa two of the most important individuals that the world doesn’t know about.”

Satoru pulled himself back up to his feet working up a glare for the man that had captured him. Everyone seemed to be thinking that he was important, but he did not understand what they were getting at. Yuu treated him like he had some special gift and could make a difference. Kiyoshi saw him at some genius engineer and programmer that could magically make anything work. Now this man was treated him just like they were. What did they know about him that he did not? “What are you talking about?”

“You might be a dime a dozen engineer, but you’ve seen more of the gears that turn this world than most. You also control one of the most advanced machines ever developed.”

“I don’t control anyone!” Satoru still did not see what the man was getting at anymore with that crazy answer. He barely had seen anything from what he had heard already from Asami. There was an underworld that no one knew about existing that seemed to be slowly seeping into the world that everyone else lived in.

“And Yuu Hongawa, many have been searching for you. In all of the places to hide yourself the CEO of a corporation is certainly a clever one. Now that we have you, you will tell us what we want to know.”

“Hiding…now really,” Yuu said shrugging his shoulders looking away playing innocent. It was a little difficult to tell if he was actually innocent, but the man held more secrets that were not seen. There was nothing certain about who he actually was anymore. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“You can drop the act the only one you’re fooling at this point is him,” Yoshima said pointing to Satoru.

“What’s he talking about?” Satoru said moving towards Yuu looking for some answers. They both seemed to know something as though they were speaking in a different language leaving him stuck in the middle like a lost child. He still did not seem to understand anything even though he felt like he was finally seeing the world for what it truly appeared to be.

“Just someone who thinks he knows everything,” Yuu said with a knowing smiling that was all too familiar. Satoru had seen the same look before as though Yuu had the upper hand and knew something that was given him the advantage. It was an annoying expression. “It is surprising how little one knows even when they think that they have the world in their palms.”

“Still playing games huh?” Yoshima said tired of running circles with him. He pulled out his side arm from his hip aiming it at Yuu without hesitation. Satoru’s eyes widened in surprise that the man was so desperate that he would go this far to prove his point. There was no waiting as the gun fired putting a bullet through Yuu’s arm.

Yuu fell back a little leaning against the center pole supporting the tent attempting to hold his bleeding arm in his good hand while tied. Satoru stepped in front of the two still not sure why he was standing up for the man that tormented him. “What do you think you’re doing to him? You’ll kill him!”

“Stop with the games! I know you aren’t really hurt!” Yoshima pushed Satoru aside putting the gun to Yuu’s head pressing it painfully against his forehead. His eyes were gleaming seeking the truth that he knew Yuu was hiding from him.

‘What’s going on?’ Satoru fell backwards to the ground staring at the two men in a standoff of wills. He did not know what the General was looking for, but if Yuu did not tell him what he wanted then Yuu was going to die. ‘What’s this man saying? Is he saying that Yuu’s…’ Satoru thought back to what the General had said. He said that the bullet did not hurt Yuu even though it appeared to him that Yuu was in a great deal of pain. If the General was implying what Satoru thought then it would explain so much and change so many things.


Yoshima became tired of the pointless staring they were doing and hit Yuu with the hilt of the gun in his hand sending him to the ground. Yuu collapsed to the ground coughing from the pain that he must have been feeling. Yoshima pointed the gun down at him not going to take these games from him any longer. “Stand up you pitiful little-“

The seconds slowly counted out as Yuu stared at him knowing that he could not let it end like this. He pulled his arm apart snapping the bindings effortlessly and in a fluid motion grabbed the pistol from Yoshima’s hand. Yuu stood up spinning it casually on his finger looking at the General. “You really should be more careful where you aim that.”

Satoru could not believe what he saw just happen. Yuu had been down injured and in an instant was standing back up turning the tables on the General as though it was nothing. He had been just toying with him this entire time. It really was true. The proof was undeniable at this point. “Yuu…you’re a…”

“Yes, I am,” Yuu said a little sad that he was forced to reveal him his secret. It was going to make things a little harder for him, but it could not be avoided now. He had a more pressing matter at hand.

“So Malakh you finally decided to remove your mask,” Yoshima said with smirk on face not even caring that he had been disarmed. It did not matter to him with his men standing guard outside.

“Well I can’t let myself die yet. There’s still things that I need to do,” Yuu said returning the smirk back. He dusted himself off and examined the hole where the bullet when into his arm. The fake blood had already stop pour out leaving only a dark hole now and his shirtsleeve soaked through.

“Now tell me the activation code for Adam!”

Satoru eyes widened in shock at hearing those words from the General’s mouth. He had thought that only Kiyoshi was obsessed with Adam. He knew that the military knew about it, but he had thought with Kiyoshi dead that interest was gone now. But now it sounded like they had already completed. That did not make any sense knowing Kiyoshi needed him if it was already finished. “You mean you’ve completed it?!”

“It was never incomplete to begin with! Hashimoto was lead to believe that it needed to be updated. He was only working from the incomplete prototype. But Adam was completed right after Isaac and it is far more advanced than the records would have you believe. It’s constantly evolving, it is superior to all machines even today!”

To be continued…

[Andromeda]

“In the time prior to the Second Machine War further restrictions on intelligent computers were created. Many of the public still feared the machines and their frightening potential from the last war. A politician that backed the anti-artificial intelligence act had a fast track in the political arena easily being elected. Any that put forth new laws to increase the act would quickly rise in ranks. This strategy became the method for many of the officials elected during the fearful period people lived in.

“Safety at the expense of advancement was a small price to pay in the public eyes. The government system became over-saturated with corruption looking to use the fears to their advantage. While the world slept in the black veil of comfort their security was ignored. In the dark night of August 29th the world was rocked out of his cradle to be rudely awakened to the world.

“The machines had attacked in a similar manner as last time, but unlike before they were not in large numbers or even appearing in wars waged in the chaotic corners of the world. A terrorist bomb went off in New York City killing nearly fifty thousand people, becoming the worst tragedy experienced in the century. While the world picking up the pieces and looking for the cause several more bombs destroyed buildings in ten of the world’s major cities.

“The world powers were threatened. No longer were the machines striking weak third-world countries. Now the strongest were being attacked. No one was safe and the public demanded an end to be brought to the machine once and for all. A united force dispatched throughout the world hunting down the machines. While at home the streets were a blaze with riots the likes no one had seen. The people were crazed with paranoia and fear of machines lashing out at whatever they could find.

“In the chaos of the fighting a hope of light appeared. The machines had stopped their terrorists attacks and the remaining machines were fighting with a meager resistance. A stranger suddenly appeared in the streets of Paris speaking against the blind hatred that was burning in everyone’s heart. The individual soon made appearances across the world in Moscow, London, New York City and Tokyo gathering huge media attention as well as public interest.

“Many combine to become one voice so immense that it seems nothing can break it, but one can become the voice of many with a power that can never to be silenced…”

Flesh is for Gods – Episode 12 – The Strength of Tomorrow

The underground facility office of Yuu was roughly lit with sparks and flashlights. When Yuu had been taken captive there was a brief shootout with him leaving bullet hole along the wall and monitor panels. The bulk of the light was being poorly generated by the few panels that still worked in the room that had not be sabotaged or destroyed in the firefight.

Around the office was a small squad filling out the space with portable computer devices left around the floor and wires connecting from the terminal of Yuu’s personal computer to the devices that soldiers worked on. In the corner was a single soldier staring very intently at a glowing screen. A sudden blip appeared in an area of the facility where there was no one assigned. The soldier stood up walking over to the officer in command of the operation by General Yoshima. “Sir, scanners report a group approaching the mainframe.”

“What squad are they from?” the officer said quickly knowing that he had not ordered anyone to the mainframe. The mainframe was sealed behind heavy blast doors that prevented them from directly accessing the network. Once the facility had been secured most of the squads were on patrols or pulled out by order from the General.

The soldier had only seen the signals that there was motion in the halls. He could not actually see who the group was that was at the mainframe. “Unknown, they have their identifiers turned off.” All of the other groups had their identifiers on constantly sending out their position and health.

“Damn!” the officer said looking around the room at the technicians that were attempting to hack into the computer network of Yuu’s personal computer. “We’re this close to Adam and now this happens. General Yoshima will have my hide if I don’t get him Adam.” He walked over to one of the portable terminals that was managing the team of soldiers that were working. “Lieutenant, what is the status of the computer terminal?”

“I’ve been at it for two hours and nothing. He fried everything thoroughly before we captured him.” The soldier had seen Yuu activate the switch that destroyed all of the hardware in the room. It made it nearly impossible to try to connect to the network, but that was what he was ordered to do. He had barely managed to piece together the parts that were not completely fried to access the systems in the room. “The network has an AAA security lock over the entire mainframe. It would take the Tokyo Institute’s super-computer to even attempt to hack it.”

“Then you’ve been wasting my time!” the officer said grabbing the soldier up by his vest forcing direct eye contact. The stress that he was feeling from above by the General and others was getting to him. He had been successive in the mission even though they had lost their agent Hashimoto. Now that they were this close to gaining the information that they needed from Yuu’s personal computer he was being told that it was out of reach. He could not accept that answer.

“But, sir!” the soldier said grabbing the officer’s wrist to break himself free from the hold. “You told me to try to make the terminal work!” He had known when this began that it would be nearly impossible to get it working and if it did it was unlikely that they would find what they needed. All this had been explained at the beginning, but it did not matter. This was still to be blamed on him in spite of being informed.

“No excuses!” The officer dropped the soldier back to the ground and turned around looking out to the others. “Now everyone else with me. We are going to where that squad was reported.” He did not know what the unknown squad was doing, but it was not sitting right with him. The men were in a place they were not ordered. It could mean many things and he would not know until they investigated it. This might be his only chance at redeeming himself.

“Yes, sir!” the group said closing up their things. Two soldiers stepped out of the room communicating with the other squads in the facility to change their orders. It only took twenty seconds before everything was shutdown and the soldiers were marching down the hall towards the mysterious signal coming from the mainframe.


Ten floors lower in front of a large blast door were several soldiers monitoring the hall. Behind the blast door was the mainframe where all of the data for the company was stored. During the attack the room was sealed completely leaving no entrance. The blast doors were too thick to be demolished and the code was constantly changing every five minutes making it nearly impossible to break. It was preferred to enter the mainframe through a computer terminal, but the only remaining terminal was in the hands of the military.

Lieutenant Colonel Takamoto was leaning against the wall watching the soldier working on the door. He was becoming impatient waiting on the door to be opened. They had been outside for almost an hour with no progress. “Those humans aren’t stupid. Hurry up with that door!” The longer that they stayed in one spot the more obvious it would be to the military that they were in an area that was unauthorized. He had to risk their secrets being potentially exposed.

“I’m working as fast as I can,” the soldier said not looking up from the computer panel that he was staring at. There were wires running from the back connecting with the door panel. It was a difficult security to break even with the correct equipment. This was exactly what it was intended to protect against. “This was the mainframe for all of Malakh’s secrets, its not easy.”

“Just be quick, you’re a technician unit,” Takamoto said not wanting to hear excuses from a lesser machine. He should simply be doing his job quickly and efficiently without delay. He was aware that the security was strong, but there was nothing that they could not get through with time. However, he needed to avoid a firefight with the humans if possible. Any stray bullets could ruin everything that they were attempting.

The technician looked up for a moment giving an uneven stare to Takamoto. “Exactly, hacking isn’t my forte, I fix things not break them.” Once he was finished with his remarks his focused returned to the screen even though his fingers had never stopped working.

“Quit your yapping,” Takamoto snapped back quickly to the technician. Afterwards he heard the faint sound of steps in the distance. He looked around trying to confirm what he had heard, but could see nothing. He pulled his rifle up to his chest confirming that it was ready and signaled to the others in the squad to prepare themselves just in case.

As the seconds poured in the waiting another echo of steps pushed through the hallway. It was clear now that there was someone coming. The squad taking point came out from around the corner of the hall catching sight of the squad of machines gathered around the blast rooms of the mainframe. “Hey you! Report your squad identification right now!” The squad of five men aimed their rifles at the machines waiting for an answer not sure why some of their detachment was disobeying orders.

“Damnit, the humans are here already,” Takamoto said quickly giving out the signals to the others to make their move. “Get the door open. We’ll hold them off.” They fired off several bursts quickly to push back the squad around the corner of the hallway. The shootout set the two opposing sides up on the corners of the hallway firing sometimes blind around the wall.

The technician continued to work on the door, but found the noise and bullets bouncing around to be disrupting his work. “Just be quiet,” he shouted to the Lt. Colonel knowing that it was not going to changing anything, but it gave a sense of relief just to shout.

Takamoto looked around the corner firing off a burst from his rifle before taking cover again. “Turn off your audio receivers then,” he said back to the technician not having the time to argue with the machine. They had to simply hold back the humans long enough and nothing more, but he was becoming uncertain how long they could last if the door was not cracked.

“That’s not a solution,” the technician shouted back since he needed to hear to still if there were troubles. However, he saw that the Lt. Colonel was not paying attention anymore. He narrowed his eyes attempting to focus harder on the monitor in front of him as though concentration alone would solve the problem. “Never mind.”

On the opposite hall the point squad that had been dispatched first to investigate while the others gathered were held pinned down against the wall. They fired out around the corner briefly finding the other squad aim to be surprisingly accurate and fast. There were already loses on their side within the first minute leaving them cautious in their moments to attack.

When the standoff reached its tenth minute the officer in command arrived surprised to find that his men were being attacked. They had been keeping communication silence for most of the fight simply reporting that they had engaged the squad. The officer needed to know the situation and who they were fighting. It did not make any sense to him who would be down in the facility looking to break into the mainframe. The mainframe was nearly impossible to crack anyway; it was a futile effort. “What’s going on here? Who are you fighting?”

“It’s the squad that was reported down at the mainframe,” the squad leader said turning to report to the officer.

“What squad is it?” the officer said rephrasing his question still not having a complete answer. He did not like the idea of fighting an enemy that he knew nothing about. There had to be a reason for what they were doing.

The squad leader looked around at his remaining squad making sure that they were not letting up on the fight. He did not like being asked repeatedly, especially when he did not have an answer. “Unknown, but they’ve already killed two of my men,” he said giving the officer a little more information. All it did was let him know that it was serious. He was still unable pull his dead men back from the hall. There was too much to risk at the moment.

“Why haven’t you use gas on them?” They had all come with masks for the assault, but a careless unprepared moment should have given them the advantage. This sort of shootout should not be happening.

Throwing tear gas was one of the first things that they did when they realized that it was going to be difficult to stop the threat quickly. However, when they did there was no change in the fighting. It almost seemed to make them fiercer. “We did, it had no effect on them.”

“Damn, what’s going on here?” Nothing made sense and he needed to settle things quickly before things got out of hand. The officer turned around and began to signal the other squads giving out orders to them. They wasted no time moving out through the hallways. Some of them joined the point squad and others were sweeping around to surround the enemy.

“I’m done!” the technician said suddenly standing up as the blast doors gave out a series of dull poundings. The thick bolts on the door retracted into the walls releasing the first lock. Polished steel beams raised and lowered turning away from the seam of the door retreating into the face of the door. Gears turned pulling in the large metal beams that ran through the entire door taking them into the wall. The seam of the door sank into the door creating a split releasing the final lock. Finally the blast doors turned inward allowing entrance into the mainframe.

“It’s about time,” Takamoto said turning just as the final lock was released on the door. He put his hand on one of the soldiers given them the hall to protect. “Hold the hall, I’ll secure Adam and we’ll leave.” The Lt. Colonel walked into the room feeling a little sense of history around him knowing that within these walls they would find Adam a place that no one had stepped for decades. He could see the technician already setting up the computer to access the network directly. “Well what do you have?”

“Just a moment, the security is thick,” the technician snapped tired to being hounded for answers that he was not ready to give. He had only started working and the door was only the first step. The only consolation for him was that the door would be the hardest part now that he could directly interface with the network. Security systems for doors were built dumb, to the point that sophisticated methods failed to work because they attempted to work on levels that were not even present.

“We don’t have the time to wait,” Takamoto said already looking around the room hoping that he might find clues that would lead him to Adam. If they could bypass the need to access the network it would improve their chances of getting out before the military over took them. A stand off in the mainframe was something that could not be allowed to happen.

The technician ignored most of what he had being saying already knowing roughly what it was simply from the manner in which it was spoke. It was too predictable. “I know, just a-“ he said stopped what he was doing suddenly find that he had gotten through the security surprisingly quick. “I’ve got access. What’s this?” He could not believe that it had been that easy, but there was something that did not make any sense to him. The information that he was reading seemed to be contradicting their intelligence that they had gathered.

Takamoto knew that the tone was not something that he was going to be pleased to hear. “What is it?” He walked over to the computer to look at the screen that the technician was viewing. This was the moment that they would have Adam and this would be over.

“Adam’s not here,” the technician said flipping through terabytes of data quickly. Nothing made any sense, yet everything that he was reading pointed to only a single conclusion. “He never was here.” Everything here was simply a large façade made to look important while just being a decoy. He searched deeper knowing that the truth had to be buried somewhere in the terabytes of data that was floating around the network.

“What are you talking about?” Takamoto said confused at the results that he was seeing as well. This went against everything that they believed to be truth. Even in the cover up they had found the secret documents that outlined the project and the work. There were even videos and trials that they found. It all pointed this facility being the resting place of Adam. “All reports from the time of Isaac and Adam’s creation put Adam being here. It’s why Qintech and Malakh were here. They were protecting Adam. It has to be here.”

They all believed that the original facility that created the two original machines was here. This was the location where all of the information pointed. It was analyzed and examined beyond a doubt. Adam was supposed to be here sleeping waiting to be awaken for when he was needed. Malakh and Qintech were here to insure that no one discovered that secret, even though they did not know the names until recently. When Malakh surface the final piece that revealed Qintech to be his hiding place the remained unknowns were filled in or so they thought. “No, that doesn’t seem to be the truth. Adam is actually…”


It took several minutes for him to recover from what he had just heard. Satoru could not believe that Adam was possibly finished or anywhere near completion. Everyone in the scientific community knew that Adam was a halted project. It was begun near the end of the creation of Isaac, but with the success of machines the work ceased. Now to be told that it was completed and even more advanced than any machine today was too much to believe.

Satoru shook his head about still trying to figure out if should believe what the man was telling him. “Prototype?” So even Kiyoshi was being used in this scheme. He thought that he was using everyone to meet his own needs, but they were just lying to him back. Satoru felt sad for him to know that in the end that his efforts were meaningless. “Superior even today? How can that be possible?” There was no way that Adam could possibly be advanced enough to affect all of the machines. Asami was not like any machine before her, Adam could not take her down.

Yoshima nearly laughed watching the gears turn in Satoru’s head as disbelief was slowly changing to realization. “A kill switch is not very useful if it becomes obsolete. Its programming was advanced even for the day in which created it. Unlike Isaac, Adam is self-evolving. It was necessary to maintain its continued advantage over general machine populace. Right, Malakh?” General Yoshima looked over at Yuu narrowed eyed seeking some sign that he was being backed into a corner. He had to keep pressing him until he folded giving him the activation code for Adam.

“Yuu, you knew about all of this?” Satoru said turned to Yuu who had been remaining quiet. It was difficult for him to tell if there was guilt in his face. He grabbed Yuu by the shoulders shaking him while getting a stone faced stare from him. “How could you allow all of this to continue?” Yuu was in a position and knowledgeable to prevent all of this from happening. He could have destroyed Adam to eliminate this entire struggle that was happening now.

“Malakh is the right hand of Adam, his messenger and protector,” Yoshima said walking around the two continuing to slowly feed out a little more to Satoru. The breaking point would be breached soon and he would have what he desired. “Where Malakh lies Adam is as well. His entire existence is purely to serve Adam until the day he is required.”

Satoru wanted to stop listening to what the General was telling him, but inside there was something holding him still knowing that he needed to hear this. Even being presented with this did not make it the truth. He needed Yuu to confirm it, but he was afraid what it would mean if it were true. ‘Is this what he meant by not trusting him. Did he know this was going to happen?’ Satoru stared at Yuu needed answers and validation from him. “Yuu? Is this true?”

“He can’t deny the truth. You can’t hide behind your facades anymore,” Yoshima said closing his gap to Yuu and Satoru increasing the pressure. This was the moment that it would happen. He had been waiting for this moment for so long. Soon their ambitions could be realized and they would have power back in their hands out of the weak government administration that could not even keep the machines or public in control. “You will give me the activation code for Adam now. Adam’s power is required.”

Satoru had had enough of listening to the General talking and pushed Yuu back up against the tent. He grabbed him by his shirt needing him to stop playing silent and actually speak up for himself. Yuu needed to rebuke him and set him straight on what was the truth. “Yuu? Say something! Yuu!”

Yuu gave a shallow sigh knowing that it was going to end up at this. They knew enough to attempt to pressure things, but not enough to actually achieve what they wanted. He was tired of listen to Yoshima go on looking like an idiot. “Have you prattled enough?” Yuu said turning his head towards Yoshima while Satoru still held him still.

General Yoshima lowered his forehead annoyed to see that Yuu was still remaining defiant. “Hrmph…” He was going to work a little harder using Satoru to force Yuu’s hand, but before he could do anything Yuu made his move.

Yuu’s hand raised up coming to rest on Satoru’s wrist as he gave him a reassuring grin. He lifted Satoru’s hands away from his clothes while Satoru entered a confused state. The man did not have the truth, he only had what he was lead to believe was the truth and a small taste of the reality. “Gaining a little knowledge doesn’t equal the same as eating from the tree. You think you know everything because you learn a small piece of information. How little you actually know. But you are correct, this not a time for facades anymore.” Yuu narrowed his eyes darkening his features leaving both of them stepping back not sure what he was planning now.

Before Yoshima could react to the change Yuu was behind him holding his arms against his back painfully. “Damn you! Gua-“ Yuu did not allow him to finish his word covering up his mouth silencing him. Yoshima attempted to look around with his eyes from the position that he was being held to give Yuu a glare, but failed.

“Now, now General,” Yuu said with a smirk on his face. The silent mask that he had been wearing was gone and he demonstrated the air of being in control as though he had always been manipulating the situation. “You forget what I am. How careless of you.” He pushed the General over to the side of the tent using some of the spare rope to tie him up to the support pole. “You should have given me over to the others when you had the chance. Power and greed will be your undoing.”

“What are you doing?” Satoru said taking a hold of Yuu’s shoulder trying to pull him away from to look at him directly. If they were caught it would only get them into even more trouble with the military. They might not want to capture him anymore seeing that he was too much trouble. This could get him killed.

The pole that the General was tied to gave a little protest as Yoshima struggled against, but the tent was drilled into the ground. It was going to take inhuman strength to break free of the pole. “Why are you asking me at this point? I’d thought it’d be pretty obvious at this point.” Yuu stood up finished with the General and pushed Satoru around to remove the bindings that he had on still.

Satoru looked back at Yuu knowing what he was thinking, but fearing that they would only get a few feet out of that tent before they were surrounded by soldiers. He knew that Yuu did not have anything to worry about, but Satoru was still normal. If they tried to make an escape he would not be able to keep up with Yuu. “But what about the soldiers outside?”

“I’d imagine there is going to be a change of plans soon,” Yuu said looking around the tent as though seeking something, but not actually grabbing anything. He went to the sides of the tent feeling out waiting for something to happen.

Yoshima struggled against the rope wanting to simply kill Malakh for doing this to him. He had the advantage and still had lost. All he could have done was take more measures, but he had to live with the mistakes. “What are you planning, Malakh?”

“Its not me,” Yuu said with a calculating smirk. The tables were about to be overturned and everything thrown into chaos. At the end of this maelstrom he hoped that they would survive. Even he did not know how it was going to end. The last bits of events that were in his control would be revealed. “By now both Seraphim and your troops in Qintech will realize that they will not find what they are looking for there.”

“What?! You mean its not…” Yoshima said in shock as realization washed over him quickly.

“You catch on quickly.” Yuu smiled back at him walking to the opposite side of the tent touching the fabric judging it quickly. He looked back to find the confused Satoru standing in the middle trying to keep up with what was going on.

“Where then?”

“You’ll know soon enough.” Yuu walked over to Satoru touching him on the shoulder to bring him back to reality. He turned his head to Yoshima giving him one last smirk of knowing. “Enjoy the surprise! Satoru come on!” Yuu pulled Satoru by his shirt until he moved on his own over to the back of the tent cutting a line into the fabric with his hand quickly.

Satoru was pulled through the slit in the tent to be welcomed by fresh beams of light. The sun nearly blinded him for a moment taking time to adjust to the change. Yuu was already looking around the sides of the tent. Satoru was still a little confused at everything that was suddenly happening. That lost feeling that he had been so familiar with was returning to him. “Where are we going?”

“For being so intelligent to make computers you aren’t that bright.” Yuu crossed in front of Satoru going to the opposite side of the tent continuing to stare out quietly. “We have to find Asami and stop her before she kills everyone at the summit,” he said returning to Satoru finished with his reconnaissance.

Satoru took a step back trying to remember if he told him that Asami had changed again. He could not recall if he had, but for some reason Yuu knew anyway that she had been taken by the programming. “But how did you know?”

The time that he had left was narrowing. They had to move soon and Satoru was still asking too many questions. He needed to be pushing forward knowing what had to be done. Yuu gave into Satoru’s question seeing that he was not going to be satisfied with simply being vague. “She was with you, if she’s not then it only can mean that they managed to re-activate the base code in her otherwise you’d never have been captured. You’ve a big job ahead of you.” The signal in his head went off taking Satoru by the wrist and pulling him out from the safety of the tent towards the parking lot of the building that was holding the summit.

Satoru did not realize how close he actually was to the building figuring that he was going to have gone several blocks before getting back. However, weapons fire and explosions went off on the opposite side of the tent by the parking lot walls and slowly spilled into the lot. Satoru turned his head as it came into view while running with Yuu. If Yuu had not been dragging him on he would have stopped to stare confused as to why the military was fighting with itself. “What’s going on? Why are they fighting each other?”

The entrance to the building was in sight and the distraction had begun. He had to get Satoru in quickly before it turned into a war zone. “Asami is not the only human looking machine working in society. There are many in the military and now that they know where to find Adam they can’t let the humans reach it before them.” Another side that Satoru was not aware of, but he could not let him dwell on the matter pulling him into the building.

Satoru slid to a stop on the marble floor of the main hall coming in front of Yuu blocking his path to bring him to a stop. He put his arms out making himself as wide as possible as though he could actually do something to prevent Yuu from getting past. There was a need for answers that overrode his other thoughts. Satoru had always assumed that Yuu knew more than he was letting on, but it was no clearer than with the General that Yuu knew everything. He was holding in secrets that Satoru needed. “Where is Adam actually then?” If everyone knew where Adam was now, but him he needed to find it and stop them from using it on the machines. He had to prevent the destruction of all machines in the world.

Yuu held his step for a moment in standing before Satoru. He knew that Satoru needed to know everything, but it would mean nothing if they did not focus on the more important matter. “I can’t reveal all of my secrets just yet. You’ll know when the time is right.” He pushed Satoru aside running past down the hall expecting Satoru to follow him.

“Stop screwing with me!” Satoru ran to the hall shouting down it to Yuu wishing that it would stop him. He could do nothing else to stop him. “I deserve to know!”

The words made him stop once more. The man did deserve to understand after all that he went through. This was bad timing. They did not have the luxury to stand around. Yuu shouted back to Satoru forcing him to remember what was actually important right now. “We have more pressing matters right now. We have to stop Asami from carrying out her mission.”

Satoru took a step back his eyes widening for a second thinking of Asami. She was here trying to kill everyone under orders from the Seraphim. He had to stop her. Satoru ground his fist tightly knowing that he had to let Adam go for the time. “The summit…” Once his priorities were confirmed he charged forward to meet Yuu.

“Yeah…” Yuu resumed running down the hall towards the summit hall with Satoru. The world was about to be exposed to a great many secrets. He wondered if the frail Earth would be able to withstand the shock that was about to come for them. Yuu watched the determination in Satoru face hoping to see the same face in the others that he had remembered.


The street and parking lot was filled with rifle fire exchanged across barricades. The human soldiers were pinned down forced to stay undercover while the machines in disguised pressed their surprise attack. Over the battlefield numerous bodies lay spread across the ground bleeding out hanging a crimson smell in the air. In the middle of the fighting an officer retreated from the frontlines going to the tent that was already riddled with numerous holes with the guards dead at their posts. He knew that the General was interrogating the captives and in the fighting anything could have happened.

The officer took cover on the ground as a burst of bullets split the rope supporting the tent. Once the air was clear again he slowly walked crouched over entering the tent. He looked around finding it surprisingly empty and then the General on the floor safe from the line of holes that were barely above him. “General! Are you alright?”

“Yes, untie me quickly,” Yoshima said trying to maintain the anger that was boiling in him. Malakh had gotten the best of him that time, but it would be the last time. The next time he would not hesitate in killing him.

“Yes, sir!” The officer scrambled over to the General’s spot pulling out a knife from his hip and cutting through the ropes. Once the General was freed he stood up sheathing the blade. He helped the General back to his feet through protests.

He did not need to be coddled by his subordinates pushing the officer aside as he made his way to the tent’s flaps. Yoshima knelt down to the ground hearing the nearby ricochet of bullets from outside. He had been hearing the sounds of the fighting, but only knew a piece of what was happening from Malakh smug comments. “What’s the status?”

The officer swallowed roughly knowing that he would be the one forced to report on the battle situation. It was not something that he was going to like hearing even if it was necessary. “Several squads have begun attacking us. They have us pinned down in the parking lot. We saw that some of them entered the building, but have been unable to follow them.”

“We have superior numbers, what’s the problem?” Yoshima said looking out at the field to see how the battle was currently fairing. All he saw was his men cowering on the ground like children. They were barely firing back. ‘This is what they get for not having a real enemy to fight.’ He could not believe how many Seraphim agents had infiltrated his army. It was something that he expected, but he thought that he knew who they were. This was not what he was planning for. All of these men were supposed to be human to prevent this from happening. ‘The machines have made their move now…betrayal comes so easy…’

“They caught us off guard and we have many injured or dead from the initial surprise attack.” The attack had happened suddenly looking like an accident that went wrong as a grenade was let go. It was the initial explosion that took out most of the men that were now dead. In the confusion they had managed to take out even more not completely bringing the numbers even. Once the men had recovered from the shock and regrouped the two sides remained in a standoff neither side willing to advance.

Yoshima slowly walked crouching to the ground reaching the back lines of the fighting. He pushed some of his men forward looking at them to actually fight and not be cowardly. It seemed to inspire them a little seeing their General alive and on the battlefield. He turned to the officer needing to confirm what Malakh had mentioned. “Did we hear back from the team in Qintech yet?”

“Yes, they also met with resistance, but that seemed to have stopped,” the officer said recalling the communication from the other team. It had been received shortly before the fighting broke out. He had intended to inform General Yoshima of it, but in the confusion he was unable to do anything. “Adam was not located in the underground facility according to reports.”

“Then they know something.” Yoshima remembered what the officer had told him about machines entering the building. They must be going in because things had changed for them. There was a separate group that would be killing the summit. ‘Malakh knew this would happen. Did he plan all of this?’ He was not sure if he could believe that Malakh was planning so far ahead, but he was a part of Adam. “These enemies outside mean nothing. We must follow those that went inside.”

“Yes, sir!” the officer said saluting quickly. The General was already rushing to the building in advance. Now that they had new orders he looked around gathering up two squads quickly and followed the General under the cover of an invigorated front line of men unleashing their rifles along the cement and metal barricades that the machines hid behind.


Several hallways and a couple floors of running had closed their search to the main assembly room of the building and the location for the summit. When they arrived there was no one around guarding or watching the entrance. It was difficult to know if they were taken out or just simply not present. The strange lack of security before had been a mystery. However, it did not really matter if there was security since Asami would have been able to take anyone out with little trouble.

Yuu cautiously approached the closed doors to the assembly room. He hugged against the wall not sure what to expect at this point. It was the only time that he had been uncertain about the outcome. He turned back to look at Satoru who was moving a little too quickly for his liking. Ever since he reminded him of what was important it had made him unfortunately headstrong and oblivious to his surroundings, terrible traits to be encouraging. “The summit room is just ahead. No doubt Asami is in there. We’ll need to be careful and look for a-“ Yuu was forced to cut his words short as Satoru continued past him ignoring the need for stealth. He tried to grab at him before he reached the door, but it was too late. “Satoru! Ugh…so much for patience…”

Being painfully obvious Satoru was moving with reckless abandon not caring about anything other than reaching Asami. He pushed the doors open not even thinking about what it would do. The sudden noise that entered the room made all of the members turn. Satoru looked around to see all of the world leaders and representatives gathered together in one place being held hostage by Asami. Down at the center of the room she was holding the Japanese Prime Minister at gunpoint. “Asami!” he shouted down the stairs towards Asami until she turned the gun on him. He stopped in the middle of the stairs still ten meters apart. “Ah! It is me, Asami! Satoru!”

Yuu slapped his face in disbelief regretting now what he did to get Satoru motivated. He had acted with this same recklessness in Qintech, but he had hoped that he might have learned something from the encounter. “Satoru! Be careful the programming is strong and resilient if it managed to resurface again.” He kept himself near to the door to not further pressure the situation.

“I know what I’m doing,” Satoru said standing calmly on the steps casually looking back at Yuu. He had seen Yuu stare down death and walk through danger as though he was controlling everything. This was something that Satoru knew. He knew what he was doing and did not fear his actions.

“I won’t argue with you,” Yuu said noticing the change in Satoru. ‘Took him long enough…I guess he’d not a blind as he looks…’ This moment was for them alone, even if they did have an audience of strangers watching them. He waited to see the choice that would be made from this. “You’re the only one that can do this.”

Satoru took another step moving slowly towards Asami while everyone in the room held their breath fearing that he was tempting fate by challenging the woman. She tightened her finger around the trigger taking clear sights on Satoru. “Don’t step any closer Satoru Kuromura.”

‘She acknowledges me,’ Satoru thought recalling the first time that she was like this. When he had found her in the Qintech see was not the same. ‘She is different this time though.’

“Any further steps and I’ll begin to execute the summit members.” She pushed the gun up against the head of the Prime Minister seeing that he was not showing any fear. The change in Satoru was different from before. He was moving as though he knew what was going on and knew that what he was doing could do him no wrong.

Satoru covered the scenes from the last time that he saw her. ‘She was mute last time as though she was fighting or distracted.’ It was as though she was empty or lost from the world. The last time in the lobby she was pulled away struggling to keep control of herself. ‘But not this time. Did it completely take over her this time?’ If she was struggling before, but now it had gained control over her this would be much harder than he originally planned. He had thought that just simply being in the same room and talking to her would snap her out. The control should have been weaker this time rather than stronger.

“You think you can save me like you did last time,” Asami said recognizing that look that he had in his eyes. “Don’t you.” She had to keep him at a distance so that he did not get any strange ideas. Asami pulled the Prime Minister back with her towards the podium

He stepped forward reaching the bottom of the assembly room feeling all of the eyes around him looking on his actions. Satoru stretched out his hand to Asami to build a bridge out to her while knowing that she would not do anything with it. The futility was something that he had to do. “Asami…listen to my voice.” He had to pierce the programming that was controlling her slowly and carefully that would not trigger her to do anything rash with the hostages.

Asami gave Satoru a smirk at his weak efforts to stop her. “Your voice won’t reach me this time.” Nothing that he was going to say would stop her this time. All she had to do was keep them busy until the others were done with their task. She could not do anything until then. It would be so much easier to kill them all immediate, but the situation had changed.

“You don’t know that,” Satoru said softly to Asami still trying to reach her through just his voice. He was not seeing any change, but he had to keep her talking.

“It is a futile effort.” Asami stepped back from Satoru maintaining her control and watching Yuu out of the corner of her eye. She was more concerned about what he would do knowing that he actually had the power to stop her.

“It might be futile, but I’ll try anyway.” He could not deny that she was right in that he was getting nowhere with talking to her. She had not done anything yet, but there was no change either. If things remained the same nothing was going to change. He was going to have to go for a stronger approach. “My voice will reach you just like it did last time,” he said with determination narrowing his face as he approached her further.

“Arrogance now.” She backed away from him keeping the same distance that they had before. Asami could tell that he was serious in believing that he was going to be able to stop her, but he had no power over her anymore. The control was complete and she was buried out of reach of Satoru. “You really are human just like the rest of them.”

Satoru was careful to not twitch at being called arrogant, while knowing that in some part she was correct. He believed without question that he would save her again and that only he could do this. This had to change; he had to strike at her heart to waken the feelings that would free her mind. “Yes, I’m human. But I’ve seen that some machines are more human than us.” He thought about everyone that he had seen and the cruelty that humans had done. They could be a cold as any machine and worse. “It does not matter what we are made of on the outside. We can think for ourselves and experience joy and pain.”

“That’s just imitations,” Asami retorted not wanting to give him the chance to build an argument. “We are different, too different. You fear us and seek to destroy us. You created us to serve you, but now you can’t control us. We don’t need you anymore.”

“That’s not true. We need each other,” he said remembering Isaac’s words about walking together. “You are alive here before me standing as proof of your existence. That is no imitation.” He needed her; she was the only one in his life that was left. He was not going to let her go. He would put his emotions into each of his words. “When I see you smile it fills me with a warmth that I can’t explain with any science. When I hear you laugh I know that it is honest and true. When I cause you pain I want to…” The scene that night when she told him her secret played through his mind. It made him pause for a moment choking on his words. He could see that pain so clearly; it was taken into his heart. “I feel the same pain as you.”

Yuu leaned against the doorframe seeing how difficult it was becoming for him. This had to be done; he was finally walking the path before him that was set out. “Satoru…”

“We’re connected Asami. I know that now. I can’t deny it anymore. I can’t let my confusion cloud my eyes any longer.” He could see Asami as he remember her. She had been blurred and out of focus to him for so long. He remembered this feeling that he had felt before. It was not lost, as he had thought. Satoru raised his head up proudly looking straight into her eyes without any more hesitations or reservations. He could say it to her now and know that it was honest from his heart and nothing more. It was so simple. He felt so warm. He smiled to her even while she stared at him as an enemy. “I love you, Asami!”

To be continued…

[Andromeda]

“We’re connected Asami. I know that now. I can’t deny it anymore. I can’t let my confusion cloud my eyes any longer.” He could see Asami as he remember her. She had been blurred and out of focus to him for so long. He remembered this feeling that he had felt before. It was not lost, as he had thought. Satoru raised his head up proudly looking straight into her eyes without any more hesitations or reservations. He could say it to her now and know that it was honest from his heart and nothing more. It was so simple. He felt so warm. He smiled to her even while she stared at him as an enemy. “I love you, Asami!”

Flesh is for Gods – Episode 13 – Tomorrow’s Hope

‘Satoru…’ Asami stepped away from Satoru nearly tripping over the raised platform that they were both standing on. She let go of the hostage that she had showing signs that she was struggling with something. “H-how can you…I-I’m…” The conflict that was going through her mind started to blur her surrounds. Asami’s voice from within was returning from the void that she has been locked away.

Yuu leaned in against the doorframe trying to see what was happening. It was a little difficult to see through all of the people gathered in the room hanging on each action to know what was going to happen next. He could tell that everything had changed. ‘He got through, the programming is breaking down.’

“Asami…” Satoru said stepping forward more increasing his presence knowing that he had been able to reach her with his last words. They had been difficult for him to say, but if there was ever a time this had to be it. He could not think about all of the others around him.

The struggle was changing now that Asami was asserting her mind in her body. “No! I’m a machine! Its not possible!” She flung her arms about trying to keep control while pushing Satoru back, but nothing was working.

“I don’t care what you are!” He walked closer to her keeping his arms open, but near to his side. All he had to do now was apply pressure until Asami was able to completely take control back. “People can judge me however they want. I can’t deny what’s in my heart any longer.”

“N-no!” she said knowing that the control was weakening. This man had been able to break the programming. She did not understand what it was about him that could do such a thing. Now at the end of the rope she refocused aiming her gun back on Satoru struggling to keep what was left together. “You’re weak…you’re just a human…m-machines can’t…”

“You’re wrong. Machines can love,” Satoru said his eyes piercing through her with certainty that had never been seen before. The gun did not matter to him just Asami and ending this struggle. “I know that Asami feels the same. You can’t stand between us any longer!” Satoru had closed the distance placing his hand on the gun pushing it away.

She was in a corner with nowhere to turn. He was too close to her any hold that she had was evaporating too quickly. There was no time left. “NO!” She pulled against Satoru’s hold breaking the gun free from his hand.

Yuu jumped into the entrance knowing that the programming was going for the last resort. Satoru did not seem to care what was going on, but he could not let him die. “Satoru look out!”

Satoru could hear Yuu shouting at him, but he did not pay him any mind to him. He was focused on Asami seeing that it was going for him thinking that it could silent him and retake control. “Asami!” he shouted calling out for her to take his hand and rejoin him and defeat the programming finally. A gunshot rang out through the assembly silencing everyone not sure what happened. In the next second she collapsed to the ground breaking through Satoru’s arms. Satoru dropped his arm to his side as blood slowly dripped down his left shoulder where the bullet had gone clean through.

He rushed down to her side pulling her up with his one good arm staring at her looking for signs of life. It looked like everything had shut down. ‘Did it try to overload her a final desperate act?’ Satoru pushed her hair out of face watching sorrowfully on her face. Suddenly he felt a twitch from her hand and a struggled blink in her eyes. “Asami? Can you hear me?”

Asami slowly opened her eyes and closed them trying to feel everything around her. She reached out to her hands and feet glad to have the warm sensation pulsing through them once again. She looked up seeing Satoru leaning over top of her. “Huh? Satoru?”

“Asami! You’re back!” Satoru wrapped his arms around her holding her tightly relieved to feel her back in his arms again. All of the struggling and conflict that he had to deal with was gone now. He knew that this was the only course for him. Nothing else mattered to him, but knowing that she was safe and with him.

“Satoru…I…” Asami said softly to him putting her arms around him as well feeling the strange warmth surround her again. She smiled gently to be able to finally be open completely with him. “I heard your voice…shouting to me in the void…” She stared at him slowly moving her eyes around as her hands returned back to her. However, she caught the wound in Satoru’s arm that she had caused while still under the control of the programming. “I’m sorry.”

Satoru looked down at his arm seeing where her eyes had been drawn away. “Don’t be. You’ve returned and that’s all that matters.” He took her hand away from his arm intertwining his fingers with her.

From the back wall supporting a figure grinning to himself looked up returning to a more serious expression. Yuu leaned forward stepping down a few steps. The situation had been adverted here and the assembly should be safe for the moment, but now there was a more pressing matter. “Satoru! We’ve got to hurry!”

A quick turn of Satoru’s head confirmed with Yuu that it was now time to head to Adam the source of so much of this trouble. “Right!” He looked down at Asami once more standing up extending out his good arm. “Can you stand?”

“Yeah, but what’s going on?” she said while Satoru helped her to feet. Asami felt like she should be asked him if he could stand knowing that it had to be hurting him. She was amazed at his will to ignore the wound.

Satoru tried to recall everything that he had happened since he had lost sight of Asami. She had missed so many things that were changing the situation. This was no longer just simply about the summit. “The military and Seraphim Faction are here. Fighting has broken out in front of the building. They are trying to claim Adam for themselves.”

“Come on, Satoru!” Yuu said as he came down the rest of the way motioning the two of them towards him. There was no time to be standing around when they were already behind the others. He had the advantage of knowing where Adam was, but Seraphim was not a bunch of idiots. The files he left behind for them to find would be enough to get them to Adam. “Talk on the way, if we don’t hurry it will be too late.”

“Alright,” Satoru said taking Asami’s hand and fleeing through the assembly leaving everyone in the room in a sat of confusion. As they left there were sounds of yelling and shouts almost immediately the moment they exited the door. None of them knew what was happening and they needed explanations, especially from the machines who had appeared to try to take the assembly hostage.

The three ran down halls following Yuu in the lead who knew where they needed to go. Asami remained with Satoru holding tightly on to his hand. She looked over to him trying to get filled in on the rest of what happened while she was under the programming’s control. “Didn’t they finish Adam in Qintech? That’s where it was hidden since its creation.”

“Apparently it was hidden somewhere else,” Satoru said looking out of the corner of his eye at Yuu remembering the exchange that he had with the General in the tent. He still did not know what they were talking about completely, but he knew enough. “They did not find it there, but it explains why they wanted the facility at all costs.”

“Then where is Adam?”

“That’s all I know.” Satoru turned his head away looking forward at Yuu who seemed to be ignoring them for the most part. He was never sure what was going through his mind and knowing what he knew now it only made him question him even more. There was no doubt that he had some motive, that was clear since the beginning, but he could not tell what his angle was. “Yuu knows more, or should I call you Malakh?”

“Malakh!” Asami said in shock coming to a stop holding Satoru back. She stared forward at Yuu who came to a stop as well turning towards her. All of the stories that she had heard and reports that she read about Malakh made her question if he was even real. “You mean that this man is…Malakh? The Malakh?”

Yuu walked forward slowly approaching Asami and bent over bowing to her. “Yes, it is I my dear lady.”

“Who are you trying to impress?” Satoru said pushing him back a little annoyed by the casual and forward nature of Yuu just now. He seemed to enjoy in reveals and keeping everyone unbalanced. It appeared to be his only talent.

It took a couple moments for everything to sink in for Asami, but she quickly put it together. All that Seraphim believed would have to mean that Malakh was connected to Adam. “If you’re Malakh that means you know where Adam truly is then.”

“Yes, I do,” Yuu said straightening out his shirt preparing to carring on a long explanation that was a long time coming. “Qintech was just a front created big and obvious that would make everyone believe that Adam was hidden within it. Even if it was meant to be obvious I made sure that it was secret enough that it stayed hidden for long enough. It made it only seem more like it was the real location.”

The long account of Yuu’s scheme to trick everyone was starting to grate against Satoru. He fought to keep himself in control not interested in knowing everything right now. It was more important in stopping the others seeking it. They had to get out of the building and to the location that it was actually hid. “I don’t care about fluffing your ego with how well you fooled everyone.” Satoru stepped forward slicing his hand through the air to cut off Yuu and get him to the point. “Where is it actually?”

“Now really, that is rude,” Yuu said stepping back as though he was offended with Satoru. A quick shrugging from Yuu focused his words as Satoru had requested. “Fine. Adam is hidden here in this building.”

“What? Why is it here?” Asami said feeling the same as Satoru about not wanting to drag this out, but knew there were still some missing pieces. He was acting far too casual about the whole matter when all of machinekind’s lives were at stake.

It made him a smile a little, but Yuu continued his explanation for their benefit. “Decades ago this was actually a engineering facility for the creation of Isaac and Adam, but it has been covered up and rebuilt several times that no one even remembers when this was the center for advanced computer research.”

“What?” Satoru said now shocked remembering what he had learned in school about the Isaac Project. This went against everything that he knew, the world in fact. How could something this big all be a lie that was being taught to every child. “But public records and video from the time place the construction of Isaac in England.”

“You still got a lot to learn,” Yuu commented with a small smirk to Satoru. Even knowing what he did the man was still making assumptions that he knew the truth. There was so much that he did not know that he had to stop believing to be the reality. “Those were all part of the cover up. The Isaac Project was considered dangerous at the time and until the success of Isaac everything was held to complete secrecy. Even after the success most of the records were not released as they used mock up documents in any releases. They were truthful enough, but most of the secrets remained with Isaac and his creators.

“However, that’s not as important. When Isaac was completed Adam was nearing completion as well. General Yoshima was correct when he said that Adam is completed and is potentially the most advance computer intelligence ever created. Since Isaac was consider a success they kept Adam in reserve until the time was right. He was stored here in the underground facility.”

Yuu walked over to a wall touching it with his palm. “That was why I picked this location for the summit,” he said with a smile looking back at the two of them. Light glowed from around the corners spreading out into a rectangle surrounding his palm. The wall suddenly vibrated kicking dust from ages past into the air.

Satoru stepped forward a little with Asami still wanting to be cautious with Yuu. Everything that he was hearing sounded like he had every minute detail planned out. He was going to have to watch his back around him. “What do you mean that you picked this location? All of that was done in secret between the world leaders in assembly.”

“I’m the one that arranged for the summit,” he said turning around swing his arm out in a grand fashion. Behind him the wall lit up slowly waking up from its long slumber. “I was contacted by the Malakhim Faction and Isaac. I convinced them to have a summit with all of the world leaders. This was in part a ploy on my half to smoke out all of the conspiring groups. I knew that they would try to make a move on the summit. They are exposed for the world to see. All of this has to come to an end to today. They are all gathered together in one place.”

The two of them stepped away from Yuu feeling an almost crazed presence from him. It was uncertain, but they both knew that there was something going on with him. He was acting in his own interests becoming the third side to this conflict. “You’ve planned all of this to happen? What about Asami and me did you plan this too?” Satoru said holding her back away from him.

Yuu turned back towards the wall as it opened up for him producing an elevator that while looking its age still had power running through it. He stepped through the threshold turning quickly to the two standing back against the wall. “No, you were two were an anomaly. But I wonder if it was a fate. If it was not for you two then everything that I planned may not have happened.”

“What are you planning now?” Satoru said not willing to follow him any further. He began to wonder if he was going to need to stop Yuu’s plans in addition to the plans of everyone else in trying to reach Adam. Adam was something that could never be activated, no matter how much of a cost it would mean to the world.

“Come and see the birth of a new world!” He spread his arms open wide inviting them into the elevator to take them to the moment that everything changes.

Satoru looked over at Asami as she did the same. They were both feeling the same things from Yuu. It was clear now that he had his own plans in mind that were not the same as what Isaac or the Seraphim were wanting. “There’s something not right about him.”

“Malakh is supposed to be a neutral party, or so I thought,” she said softly out of range of Yuu. Everything that she knew about Malakh was turning out to be proven false at each step. She was no longer sure what she should believe being forced to think for herself now.

“I don’t trust him,” Satoru said with certainty even while being confused and lost with everything that was going on around. There were powers at work all seeking one thing. He could not let any of them reach it.

Uncertainty was high for Asami knowing that Yuu had helped them before and repaired her, but it might have all been in his designs. She was not sure if she could trust herself to make a decision. There was so much at risk that she could not afford to make a mistake. “He has helped us this far,” she said still not confident, but knowing that this was their only way to Adam.

“Maybe he’s planning on using us in his plans as well.” Satoru could see what Asami was thinking. They did not have any choice in the matter. Yuu was their only lead to Adam and without him they would never find Adam. The two walked forward into the elevator tightly holding hands while looking at each other. They were in this together and would stop Yuu if it came to that point.


General Yoshima walked briskly through the hall with his men surrounding him keeping an ever-watchful eye for any attacks that might come. He kept them all moving though knowing that if the machines went into this building they had other plans than an ambush. This was not sitting right with him. “Did you finish getting the report from the Qintech team?”

“Yes, sir,” the officer said holding his gaze at the screen of the handheld computer device. On the screen was team’s report from the incident in Qintech as well as what they had learned about Adam. He had originally only read the summary long enough to know that the General needed to be informed. “I’m opening it right now.”

“Where does it say that Adam is?” Yoshima looked around trying to find signs of the machine’s activities unfortunately the halls were empty.

The officer scanned through the report quickly looking for the key passage that would outline their intelligence gathered from the computers in Qintech. It only took him a moment to find it. “It says that it is on the fourth sub floor in the second research lab of this building.”

“Its here?” Yoshima said starting to think to himself. The attack and actions were starting to make since now. It even made sense why Satoru Kuromura Malakh’s pawn was found here. He had probably told him to come here and get to Adam while the men were distracted with the fighting. ‘So that’s why they went in here. Yes, very clever, Malakh.’

Now that they had a location the group moved quickly to the nearest path down, the elevators. However, when the officer looked into the elevator he discovered that this was not going to work for them. “Sir, the elevators don’t go down. We’re going to have to find another way.”

Yoshima narrowed his face annoyed that this delay would cause them to give even more of a lead to the machines and Malakh. “Everyone spread out and look for signs of entry from the other squads that came through.” He had to reach them quickly and stop them from acquiring Adam.


In the dimly lit dust-filled hallways of the underground research facility Lt. Colonel Takamoto and his team walked through seeking out the room of their search. He had to leave quickly from the Qintech taking to a military helicopter to the site of the summit when they learned the location. They had been able sneak in through the back of the building while the fighting was distracting everyone else. He met up with the advanced team that had already begun finding a way in. “Which room is it?”

“I don’t know,” said one of the machines looking around at all of the doors, “This section is so old all of the numbers are worn away.” There was too much dust and age to easily find what they were looking for anymore. It almost seemed like the identifications had been removed rather than worn from time’s passage.

They had enough to quickly search the floor that it would only be a matter of time before they had Adam in their grasps. “Start looking for it, it’s got to be here somewhere.” He turned to the device at his wrist looking at a map of the floor trying to make a determination. However, this piece of information that they had found came unlabeled, as though there was enough to get them in the right direction, but not enough to tell them exactly where to find it.

“Looking for this room?” a voice from the shadows said out of the distance of all his men.

Takamoto cleared away the things that were reducing his vision seeing an annoyingly familiar figure. “Malakh…” He was supposed to have been captured by the military, but it seemed that they remained as useless for them as ever. All of his men stopped what they were doing forming up around him.

“Takamoto, its been a while,” Yuu said smirking at them appearing like he was holding all of the cards in the game.

“Lt. Colonel Takamoto?!” Satoru said joining Yuu along with Asami in the hall. He stepped back in surprise as Asami narrowly stared back at him. “What’s he doing here?” The man might have been in charge of the last project of Qintech giving him some access to Adam, but how could he know the real location. Satoru did not like the feeling that he was getting.

“Satoru Kuromura, I see,” Takamoto said realizing the purpose of his presence with Yuu. Even though he hated it this was starting to make sense.

“Oh I thought you knew, he is one of them,” Yuu said looking back at Satoru clearing things up for him in his usual casual manner as though it was public knowledge. “He’s been hiding himself in the military even longer than I’ve been running Qintech.” While he was talking to Satoru Yuu’s hand was working quietly behind his back on the panel that led to the door and chambers beyond.

“What?!” Satoru nearly slammed his back into the wall coming to the painful realization. You mean that he is…I’ve been meeting with a machine for all this time…” Each time that he saw this man it was actually a machine. They had been making his team make that machine destroying weapon, but for what purpose. It did not make any sense to him.

Yuu watched the movements of the machines with Takamoto knowing that they were only waiting for him to make his move. Once he gave them access to Adam they would make a move. He continued to play it out with Satoru while he got the panel working. “He’s not the only the one Satoru. There are hundreds more like him.”

“What? That can’t be true.” Satoru started to retreat into his mind trying to accept that Asami was not the only one out there. There were even more out there all working with the machines in their plans. ‘How many are there? How many people do I know aren’t who I thought?’

“Another reality that you’re going to have to face,” Yuu said sighing to himself a little disappointed at the dramatic reaction that Satoru was having with this piece of information. “I said that there were machines in the military. You don’t think that they would just stop there.”

“How many?” he said softly while Asami tried to comfort him. She had wanted to tell him, but knew that it would change the way he thought about the world. He would forever be looking around questioning whether he was looking at a human or machine. It would be constant paranoia.

The door to the room opened and Yuu did not waste time getting inside. He saw that Asami was having trouble with Satoru still coping with the reality of the world. “Satoru get in here. Now’s not the time to be having an epiphany.” Yuu grabbed Satoru as all of the machines jumped into action towards the door while Takamoto stared at him. The door closed in time before the machines reached it shorting out a moment later preventing them from accessing it.

Yuu left Satoru to lean against the door while he went off to another part of the room. Asami stared at him holding his hand trying to comfort him. Satoru ran his hands through his hair trying to understand the scope that everything was working on. This was well beyond just simply being a war. They were unknowingly infiltrating the entire world with machines that could be doing countless acts against humans. No one even suspects them to be capable of this. “I can’t believe it…”

“Asami I need you to focus and help me,” Yuu said from a console that he was accessing. All of the lights in the room were slowly flickering on revealing tables and instruments throughout the room. It was mostly filled with computers bringing the entire room awake with an even hum.

She looked back at Satoru not wanting to leave him alone to deal with this problem. He needed someone to there with him while he worked it out. “But Satoru…”

“This is more important right now!” Yuu shouted with urgency knowing that the door was not going to be enough to hold back Takamoto. If he did not have help with what he was doing there would be not be enough time.

Takamoto stared from the end of the hall at the poor attempts by the machines to pull the door open or try to get the panel to work. This was not the time for a slow method. “Take the door down now! Adam is in there!” He pulled out explosives that were strapped to their vest and put it in their hands. They began to work quickly as Takamoto stepped back looking through the glass at Yuu.

“Takamoto!” Yoshima said from the opposite end of the hall finding the machines had already found Adam before them. He was followed up by his men filling the hallway snapping their rifles into position waiting for orders. “So you’re here. Figures that it would be you.”

Takamoto motioned to his men lining up in the hallway aiming their rifles back at the enemy. “Yoshima…” The two sides stared down at each other one not certain what was happening and the other following orders without question.

“So Seraphim’s true colors are finally revealed,” Yoshima said already having expected this betrayal to happen. They both wanted Adam and it was no secret to either group. Both had agreed to find Adam under the concept of mutual cooperation, but it was a race as any other to beat each to the goal.

“Don’t pretend as though you are surprised.”

“No, I’m not,” Yoshima said throwing his arm out signaling his men to attack. “Open fire!”

Bullets hailed through the hall hitting the police shields that they with them keeping them half protected. The metal would not protect them for long as the bullets were piercing rounds. “Return fire.” Takamoto turned to the few machines that were distracted by the conversation stopping their work on the door. “Get that door open now!”

“Force your way in, Adam must be behind that door!” Both sides had the same equipment and protection, but he could not afford to allow a stalemate to occur, as it would lean to the machines favor. He pushed his men forward in a marching wall that fired off bursts from the back.

A couple stray bullets hit the wall that Satoru was leaning against echoing a heavy ping through his body. He turned himself around looking out the window of the room seeing through the dust kicked up by the disturbance of visitors. “Yuu they’re fighting outside,” Satoru said pulling away from the glass at a stray bullet dented the window remaining stubborn to crack.

“Glad to see you’re back, Satoru,” Yuu said quickly looking back at Satoru on the ground taken back by the sudden bullet. He looked up at the window and the returned to the panel. “The glass is bulletproof and the door will take them long enough.”

“Long enough?” Satoru said fearing the answer. He stood up walking over to the console that Yuu was standing at with Asami nearby. All he could tell was that they were going to through an activation program. It looked like they were just getting all of the computers up and running. They had not gotten to Adam yet. “What is it that you’re planning?”

“You’ll see soon enough.” Yuu did not look at Satoru focusing on the work at hand requiring all of the power of the computers.

“No, you have to tell me now!” Satoru shouted grabbing Yuu by the shirt and pulling him back from the panel that he was staring at. “I’m tired of you leaving me in the dark until it is in your convenience. Tell me now or I will stop you right here!” Satoru pulled out a gun that he had been concealing on himself since the tent. Yuu had left the gun behind, but Satoru picked it up while he was distracted looking around figuring that it might come in use. He did not regret it now.

“Satoru!” shouted Asami from the side noticing the gun that he had point straight in Yuu’s face. She move around him to Satoru’s side barely holding herself back having a similar feeling as him towards Yuu.

“Resourceful aren’t you?” He was a little surprised to see that Satoru would be so bold and forward thinking to plan out to have a gun on hand. The sight made him proud almost as he smirked back. “You realize that killing me now won’t answer any of your questions.”

“You forget who I am?” Satoru said returning the smirk knowing how it was to feel like you were in control of everything. This is what Yuu felt like all of the time he imagined. “I can easily access your memories and get my answers without you needing to speak. And seeing as we are in here it won’t be too difficult to find the right equipment.”

Yuu stared back around the barrel of the gun narrowing his eyes seeing that he was serious about this. The lost man had finally disappeared completely, at least for now. “I see you finally using that backbone of yours.”

“Stop mocking me and looking like you’re in control!” Satoru forced the barrel to press against Yuu’s forehead pushing him back a little. He kept a firm hand knowing that this may be the only time that they could stop Yuu from attempting his plan.

“Satoru!” Asami said stepping in putting her hand on his arm trying to get through to him. She wanted to do the same to Yuu, but the fighting outside was not over yet. They would not be able to do anything about them and it seemed that Yuu had plans for them as well. “Stop, we need to him!”

“I’m not mocking you, but I am in control,” Yuu said quickly moving his hand over the console and pushing a button. It made the entire room begin to shake knocking dust through the air. The whole floor was moving as though they were in an earthquake.

“What did you just do?”

Yuu turned away from Satoru seeing that he was no longer ready to kill him. He returned to working on the panel getting the computers online. “The curtain rises. It is time for the actors to meet the audience.”

Asami turned around looking at the room widening her eyes in surprise to see the walls outside beyond the room cracking. “Satoru look. The entire room is moving.” The fighting had pushed into the immediate hall against the room forced back by Yoshima’s men. Behind them the hall that they had been was dividing leaving them behind as it lowered away. The sudden change in environment was enough to bring a ceasefire to the fighting, as no one seemed to know what was happening anymore.

“Where?” Satoru said letting his arms rest at his side confused at what Yuu was planning now. He looked back at the panel trying to see if there was an identification of what Yuu had done. “Can we stop it?”

Asami looked from her console that she had been using to help turn on the computers to investigate Yuu’s actions. She had enough access to see what the mechanism was supposed to do. “No, he locked it. We’re going up.”

“How far up? There is a building above us and the summit assembly.”

“We’re exactly below the assembly!” Yuu said tired of listening to their guessing and speculation.


“You’re going to kill them all!” Satoru lifted his arm back up pointing the gun back on Yuu. He had to have him stop before he killed them all. “I can’t believe you would do that after everything that’s happened. You’re going to kill them!” The disconnected and uncaring expression on Yuu’s face was enough for Satoru. He had had it with him thinking that nothing would happen. Satoru pulled the trigger on the gun pulling a bullet through his other arm that was not already shot.

Yuu stepped back surprised that Satoru had the guts to actually pull the trigger. He had aimed well enough to disable his arm from function correctly. However, he still had one arm that was working even it was not perfect. “I have my final act to play, you can’t kill me just yet.” Yuu grabbed the gun from Satoru hand quickly twisted it until Satoru could not take the strain releasing. He wrapped his arm around Satoru quickly placing his arm up against his throat.

“Argh!” Satoru coughed roughly being taken by surprise and nearly crushed by Yuu’s strength. He did not care about his throat as much as Yuu getting away with mass murder. “Yuu…you bastard!”

“Satoru!” Asami had disappeared from the console that she was working at taking a hold of Yuu before he could do anything more to Satoru. “Let him go now!” She struggled against his hold realizing that he must be a model that was made more of metal than bio components like her. Even in the weakened state that he was in from the shot their strength remained nearly even.

“Ah, Asami so you come to his aid.”

“You might not fear him, but you know that I can kill you. Let him go now!” Yuu looked at her from the grip that she had on him staring at her with a smirk before releasing Satoru. He collapsed to the ground as Asami rushed to catch him. “Are you alright!”

Using Asami as support Satoru stood up glaring at Yuu. He rubbed his throat slowly feeling how close he had been to dying, but hardly even caring about it. Answers were more important right now. “What is it that you’re planning, Yuu? Tell me now!”

“Not yet, we need the audience,” Yuu said with a smirk on his face again the same that made his stomach churn in disgust.

“What audience?”

“What’s going on?” Yoshima said looking around finding that the facility that they had been was now gone and they were passing through new walls of a shaft. The entire passage had been a chamber that seemed only to keep going.

The poorly lit shaft of the ascent dramatically changed with bright lights shining on everyone. Soldiers looked around at each other confused finding that they were no longer where they thought. “How did we get here?”

All around them the assembly was visible with the ground split open to allow them entry. The whole room had been lifted into the room with just enough room before rising to the semi-circle stadium seating that held all of the representatives for the summit. Satoru stared out in awe that they had arrived without doing any damage to the room. “The summit!”

“Damn you, Malakh!” Yoshima said as the walls for the room retreated to the ground leaving only the floor and consoles with the computers lined around the former perimeter. They had all been brought before the people that they were trying to kill.

“So good of you to join us General Yoshima and Lt. Colonel Takamoto!” Yuu shouted for all of the room to hear announcing their names as to bring focus to them. He turned away for moment pushing a button on the console causing it to blink.

The summit members looked around at each other confused and bewildered by the events that were transpiring for them. They had been arguing with each other only a minute ago accusing the machines of treachery until the earthquake had silenced everyone. Now they had people appearing from the floor. “What’s the meaning of this?”

“Who are you people?” Dozens of questions flew around the room barely being distinguishable for the other as people stood up demanding to be told what was going on. The machine delegates sat in their seats the ones from Seraphim narrowly calculating while the Malakhim spoke with the other confused.

Yuu adjusted his shirt cleaning it up a little bit from all of the dust that had collected. He stepped forward becoming equidistant from all of the delegates. “Good day honored leaders and representatives of the world. I am Yuu Hongawa of Qintech. However, I go by another name Malakh the organizer of this summit.”

The delegates broke into another roar of questions as Yuu only added to their confusion with his introduction. None of them had ever met this man before and could not understand how he could be claiming himself to be the person that organized everything. “What is he talking about?”

“Who is this man?”

Takamoto looked narrowly across the floor at Yuu wanting answers of his own. “What are you scheming, Malakh?”

“I come before the summit to reveal to you the truth of this world. I’ve activated the broadcasting equipment in this facility and by now all media centers throughout the world are airing this.” Yuu gave him a smirk as Takamoto ordered his men to aim their weapons on Yuu realizing that he was going to destroy everything that they had been working to accomplish. “I wouldn’t do that Lt. Colonel, there’s one thing about advanced weapons, they break very easily.”

His men tried to pull the triggers on their rifles but found them jamming up. He pulled one of them out the hands looking at the display at top. All of the computer components had been fried disabling the weapon. “Damn you.”

“Now that I have your attention. I would like to introduce the world to Lt. Colonel Takamoto and his squad.” Yuu stepped forward pointing at the respective individuals out to the delegates and cameras. “These men before you are in fact all machines.”

The roomed was disrupted again by everyone shouting in disbelief or in fear. Most were not willing to believe that the men in the military were machines and so well disguised that they could not even tell. It was like seeing Isaac for the first time. Their likenesses were so realistic. “He’s lying.”

“What’s game are you playing?”

“No game,” Yuu said to the delegate that leaned forward pounding his fist on the table. He gave them a controlling grin back continuing with his reveal. “This is the truth. In fact there are approximately forty machines in this room right now. These five here are not the only machines. The representative from Hong Kong is a machine, the one from Germany, the one from Hungary, the one from South Africa, and the list goes on.”

“What is this?”

“They’re everywhere!” All of the people were looking around at each other looking like they were seeing machines around every corner. They were surrounded by machines. The noise was becoming uncontrollable until Yuu spoke again repeatedly gaining their attention as though he had mesmerized the crowd.

“Yes, the machines that you all thought that you were fighting hiding in holes and caves in the back water areas of the world are before you. They have infiltrated into all levels of society working in the shadows. In fact most don’t even know that they are in fact machines. None of these here do.” All of the agents of Seraphim that had been placed out in society were working with programming that made them to believe that they were just normal human beings living out a normal life.

“It was their plan to kill all of the human representatives and leaders here weakening their governments and pushing their agents into prime positions of power. However, they were not working alone. With them was this man General Yoshima and the organization that he belongs to. A group of businessmen looking to take power for themselves from the shadows as the machines wipe out their competition.”

Yoshima stared at Yuu in surprised trying to figure out how he could possible know so much about them. There were no machines in the organization and they were formed in secret that only the Seraphim knew about their existence. “How could you possibly know all of this?”


“I knew what Seraphim was up for a while, but it was thanks to the time that I had Asami I learned about your group and the dealings that they had with you. From there all I had to do was hack into your network. It was their plan to kill of the machines taking the glory of the victory as their way to solidify their position as they took over. For them to achieve this they would need the aid of one machine that the world never knew about, Adam!”

Yuu turned away from everyone stepped back to the console holding his hand over a newly flashing light. Satoru quickly rushed over to him knocking him aside so that he could not push the button. “What are you doing, Yuu? You’re going to kill them all if you activate it!”

Takamoto took only a second to figure out that he was trying to activate Adam at the console. He could not believe that Malakh the hand of Adam and neutral machine would be the one that would bring their destruction. “Are you going to kill all of us? All of your brethren?”

Out of the corner of the assembly Isaac stood up from the table having been silent watching everything unveil before them. It had been difficult for him to watch the humans that he had grown to know becoming even more paranoid of their existence while knowing that this was a necessity to move forward. However, he could see what Malakh was planning now and he could not believe that Malakh would do such a thing. “Malakh! This is not what we planned!”


“Isaac, trust me,” Yuu said meeting eyes with Isaac. He had the look that said he knew what he was doing without any question or doubt, no regret at all in his mind. “The world is ready for this.”

“They aren’t ready!” Isaac protested trying to have him see reason. At this point everyone in the assembly realized that Isaac and Malakh knew something that everyone else did not. Even the other machines were becoming confused wondering if they were certain of what was going to happen when Adam woke up from his slumber.

“They are never ready, but this must be done.” Yuu immediately turned around no longer going to hold his debate with Isaac and pushed the button that had been anxiously waiting.

Suddenly from behind the console at the wall of the former platform dust erupted forth drawing all attention. The wall split apart receding to floor revealing a machine of old with a roughly carved face from plastic. It was Adam. Out of the wall came wires grabbing Asami up restraining her quickly enough that she could not struggle until a paralyzing a feeling came over her. Satoru rushed up to Asami pulling at the wires trying to free her. “Stop it! What are you doing to Asami? Asami!”

“She is required,” Yuu said looking forward pleased to see everything working correctly. He made the final adjustments on the console letting the computers handle the rest. “Adam needs a conduit one that is similar to him. As are you required.” Wires flew out of the wall grabbing up Satoru holding him tightly as the two were brought towards Adam. The two stared at each other without speaking not needing any words.

“Similar?!” Takamoto said alerted to the carefully chosen words that had been spoken. He was not completely briefed on what Asami truly was, but he knew enough to know what Malakh was getting at when he spoke. “But that would mean…”

“Yes, Adam is not the ultimate weapon of destruction that will bring the end to all machines around the world. He is quite the opposite in fact, he was meant to bring a new era for all machines. Adam has been waiting for the time when machines were developed enough to be able to accept what he truly is. Mankind was advanced enough to create Isaac, but they could not give him everything it created too many contradictions in his programming to handle everything that they wanted. So they separated out what he could not accept and made Adam. Adam is Isaac’s conscious and feelings that he could not accept. His feelings were so complex and conscious so heavy that Isaac simply broke down and they were forced to come up with the three laws, a very simplified version.

“Machines have advanced enough now that they can accept the contradictions that come with having a conscious. They already experience parts of emotions and now they can even love. The awakening of the conscious will wake all machines throughout the world to who they are. All of the Ishim will realize what they truly are. It is over for you.” The machines began shouting at Yuu quickly while the humans bickered with each other not certain what to believe. They were not sure if it was good or not to be giving all machines a conscious and all of the human emotions that came with it.

“This is what you were planning?” Satoru said struggling from the wall unable to simply be quiet anymore now that he knew what Yuu was truly planning. While on some level Satoru could agree with what he was doing this was not way to do it. “You’re forcing evolution, what if they can’t handle it?”

“Malakh, you’ve over stepped your bounds,” an unknown voice boomed from the wall bringing silence to everyone in the room. All attention turned back after Yuu’s final revelation that had disrupted the delegates and machines alike.

“Huh?” Yuu turned back to the panel seeing the readings that were coming up were reversing. Everything was being halted and shut out from his control. The command codes were changed. “What are you doing? Adam?!” He looked up to see that Adam was fully awake now and releasing Satoru and Asami. “It can’t be!”

“Malakh, it is only for them to decide when the time right. You can’t force this upon them.”

“But nothing will change if this does not happen!”

“You don’t know that. This one has already done it. Even though you’ve stopped believing in them these two have not.” He had a proud look in his eyes as he looked down upon the two as they held each other. Adam turned back to Malakh staring him down. “I know that when the time is right they will find the way on their own. This is not the way.”

The shutdown command was activated and now that he was locked out there was no way of reviving Adam anymore. Yuu pounded the console smashing his fists through the plastic interface. “No! You can’t do this!” The light in Adam retreated as he returned to sleep forever not to be disturbed again. Yuu backed away from the room nearly stumbling. He had lost everything now. His plans were ruined by the one that he counted on to aid him. “It was you!” He pulled the gun out that he had taken from Satoru pointing at Satoru.

“Satoru!” Asami said putting her back to Yuu to protect him. She could not let him die now at this point.

“It was all your fault, you tainted his soul!” Yuu screamed firing off a round from the gun as it grazed Asami’s shoulders. “DIE!” He fired again and again into her back and arm until she lost feeling in her arm blood pouring down the skin.

“Asami!” Satoru tried to get free from her so that she would not die from the bullets that she was taking for him. He could not let her die for her. She had only begun to live now.

“No, Satoru…I’m alright. It’ll take more than this.” She gave him a comforting smile as she felt another bullet pierce her back. All feeling in the right side of her body was faded as she struggled to keep a hold on Satoru. Her could see her arm shaking fighting to stay around him, but finally fall to the side.

“Don’t get in my way!” Yuu said walking over to the two getting a clearer shot aiming straight at her head. Even being a machine she could not deflect a bullet that close.

Satoru’s eyes widen feeling the seconds of time pouring slowly out. ‘I can’t let her do this for me!’ He put all of his strength in his legs and thrust himself around from the ground as Yuu fired out the bullet at her head. In the moments that dragged out Asami realized what he was doing trying to struggle, but her weakened body refused her. His body came in line with the shot as it pierced him in the back hitting his heart. Satoru’s coughed suddenly as he felt the bullet rip through him and knowing that his time would be coming to an end soon. “Asami…”

[Andromeda]

“SATORU!!!” Asami cried holding his fading body in her arms, as he did not move. Tears flowed down her cheeks unrestrained as she looked up at Yuu. He killed the man that she loved and he would pay for it. Anger boiled up in her heart as she set Satoru to the ground and leapt up from the ground taking Yuu by the throat sending him into the ground. The force that she struck him cracked all of the ground around him making a crater it and pushing him through. He was momentarily stunned, but returned to life a second later grabbing for her.

Asami jumped up dragging him through the air pounding his head into the ceiling. Parts of the ceiling fell apart as Yuu’s head smashed through causing the delegates to scatter. She ripped him out using gravity and force pushed off from the ceiling to bring his entire body through the tables of the assembly splintering them to pieces as Yuu’s body slid across the floor leaving cracks in his wake. Asami leapt to where he landed ramming her good arm into his face repeatedly as blood sprayed over her. The life in Yuu’s body began to fade now under the endless fury of Asami until there was a weak cough that pierced through all. “Satoru!” She could hear with through everything that was happening as clear as day draining away all of her anger.

She pushed the tables aside running back to him with tears streaming down her face. “Satoru!” Asami lifted Satoru up from the ground seeing the small pool of blood already forming. She held him in her arms letting him lean against her. “Speak to me! Why? You…y-you didn’t…have…”

Satoru blinked slowly coming back around weakly. He could feel the warmth coming off of Asami and smiled to her. “You saved my life…now I saved you…” Satoru coughed several times as blood poured up from his mouth dripping down his chin.

“No! Don’t leave me alone! Satoru! I can’t go on…”

He struggled to lift his hand up bringing to her face wiping away the tears from one side. “I’ll be with you…always…I love…you…” Satoru could not feel his body anymore as his hand fell to his lap. Asami leaned down shaking him trying to keep him awake. He eyes slowly closed as he let out his last breath. “Asami…”

“SATORU!!! NO!!!” Asami held his body against her rocking slowly back and forth crying unable to stop. She could not feel anything anymore. The man that she loved was gone, she felt so empty. She could not hear anything around her as the police arrived at the assembly room.


In the aftermath of the incident with the summit both the Ophanim and Seraphim were arrested with the mutual efforts of the Isaac and the Malakhim Faction. The conspiracies that the organizations had planned were revealed as well the long running corruption in the military. However, even with the arrest of the machines and end to the war there still remained countless machines out there unknowingly working under secret orders that would never be given.

The anti-artificial intelligence act was repealed worldwide and advancements for machines renewed with machines and man working together. Isaac continued to be a voice for machines to ease the fears the humans had about them being re-introduced back into society. However, the death of Satoru Kuromura and the love that was shared between man and machine woke up the hearts of the public.

Asami now works with Malakhim that since has been disbanded and formed under a new title that did not remind them of the flaw of Malakh. She investigates the hidden agents, that begun to wake up from the actions of Malakh activating Adam momentarily, determining their threat to society.


The sun was shining from the lightly clouded sky passing a gently breeze through the cemetery. Asami held flowers against her chest looking at a grave marked ‘Satoru Kuromura loving husband and honored friend to all kind’. She knelt down holding back tears as she set the flowers at his grave that was already filled with countless bouquets left by others. “Satoru…I’ll keep living for you. I promise this will be the world that you dreamed of.”