Virus O:Utbreak

The next morning, Shinku stood at the door of an office, knocking.

“Cybersecurity Officer Shinku Hayate, sir,” Shinku announced, standing stiffly and saluting as the door creaked open.

“Come in,” a calm voice called.

Inside, Roton sat at a cluttered desk, his hands busy filing paperwork. He glanced up, his eyes softening. “Hello. Oh, and you brought someone with you."

Kirria, dressed in Shinku’s preppy clothing and standing eagerly. "Hello, Monitor Roton!"

Roton nodded. "I remember you, Shinku. How are things going?"

"They’re great," Shinku answered.

Roton questioned. "So, who’s your companion?”

Shinku gestured to Kirria. "This is Kirria. A human girl I met that’s gonna join us someday. She’s studying for the entrance test for when she turns 18. Could I take her on a few cases so she can see what it’s like?”

Roton paused. “Hm…you want her to shadow under you?”

Kirria pleaded. “Pleeaaaaseeee!! Officer Shinku is my big brother, he's super nice!!”

Roton answered. “While you’re new to the job, the girl seems enthused. I don’t mind. Just keep her safe.”

Shinku nodded. “I will! Don’t worry!”

Kirria exclaimed. “Thank you!!”

Roton chuckled. “Make sure that it's just petty cases so you can mitigate the risk.”

“Yes, sir,” Shinku affirmed.

Before returning to his paperwork, Roton’s expression brightened as though he’d remembered something. “Oh, young in’! I’ve recently learned how to make balloon animals. Would you like to see?”

Kirria blinked, caught off guard by the unexpected offer. “Uhhh… not really.”

Roton, undeterred, let out a hearty laugh. “Oh, you’re right! You’re a human! I sometimes forget our humor doesn’t always align.”

He chuckled. “You know, as a computer, we’re the same level of maturity our whole lives. But you humans—your humor changes, your perspectives shift, you evolve. It’s fascinating to watch.”

Kirria tilted her head, still a bit puzzled by the balloon animal comment, but quickly chuckled before they left. 

The ride-along had now started. Binar glanced occasionally at the rearview mirror where Kirria was seated, her face bright with excitement. Tackle was on her phone and Johe was in the middle of smoking.

"Who is this?" Binar inquired.

Before Shinku could respond, Kirria quickly spoke up, rushing to make a good impression. "It’s nice to meet you, Officer Binar! I’ve heard so much about you! I’m a student who’s been given permission to shadow you all."

Binar didn’t reply immediately, his eyes assessing the young girl.

Shinku sighed. "Roton gave verbal permission for her to come along on a few petty crime cases. We’re just getting her familiar with the work."

Binar nodded. "Hmm. Let’s get started then." His voice with no sign of objection.

Bontly interrupted with a nervous shout. "Oh, I think I picked something!" Holding the digi in his hands. "Sorry! Didn't mean to interrupt, but I picked something by accident!"

Binar said sternly. "Let’s get moving."

The group handled various petty crime cases. Each one they swiftly handled with precision. Throughout it all, Kirria remained observant, her eyes darting to each officer, absorbing everything. Every tidbit of information she learned seemed to excite her.

"Hey, big brother, don’t forget to check the system logs on that one, he could be a repeat offender so you’ll have to arrest him" Kirria suggested as they dealt with a suspicious thief.

Shinku approved. "Good catch, Kirria!"

Later, when Binar made a misstep during an arrest, Kirria couldn’t help but speak up. "Wait, Officer Binar! You forgot to put that into evidence!"

Binar turned to her. He wasn’t used to being corrected by someone so young, but he replied. "Noted."

With every case, Kirria impressed the officers. Her keen eye for detail based on computer law set her apart. As they dealt with criminals, Kirria’s thoughts kept returning to the virus outbreak in District 1.

They seized viruses from computers.

This is strange.

Then they seized viruses from hybrids.

Very strange.

And then they seized viruses from hybrids that were dead upon arrival.

“Hey, something’s definitely wrong here…” Kirria stood with a puzzled look. Upon arriving to a destroyed bakery, greeted by dead hybrids with viruses on their person. “About these viruses.”

Binar turned around as Bontly and Johe were rummaging through the hybrids’ pockets. “Hmph?”

“Huh, Kirria?” Tackle inquired.

Kirria’s eyes darted between the lifeless hybrids. “It all seems too… calculated,” Kirria started, her voice slow as she pieced her thoughts together. “Like it’s being manipulated somehow.”

The group waited for her to continue. Stopping to give her attention.

“If these drugs were truly widespread, it wouldn’t be so controlled, so… tightly knit. It’d be more chaotic, unpredictable. But what we’ve seen today feels deliberate. Like someone—or something—is pulling the strings.” Kirria focused.

Johe responded. “You’re saying it isn’t random?”

Kirria nodded. “Exactly. I’ve been paying attention to the rate of virus-related crimes all day on the digi. Doesn’t add up.”

Bontly tilted his head. “What?”

“Think about it,” Kirria said, pacing slightly. “This drug that’s supposed to be attractive to computers is being confiscated from a majority of hybrids. It’s disproportionate to what you would imagine this would do. You’d think pure computers would be affected just the same, a similar if not higher degree of usage since it doesn’t seem to risk killing them like it does for hybrids.”

Shinku smiled at Kirria’s deductions.

“Why’s it only hybrids? How come they’re connected to so many virus reports?”

Tackle questioned. “You alluding that someone’s targeting hybrids specifically?”

Kirria paused. “Yes. And not just someone random. It must be a group—or a person with ties to a group. Someone with a lot of power to keep it organized.”

Johe added. ”And who would that be?”

“Likely a politician or a cybersecurity officer with the means to control and distribute the viruses to hybrids.” Kirria replied. “For some reason.”

The room fell silent as her words sank in.

Bontly shouted, confusedly. “An officer?!”

“You really think so, Kirria?” Shinku asked. “It could just be unexplainable statistics.”

Tackle placed a hand on her hip. “Not bad, Kirria. You might just be onto something.”

Kirria grinned. “Thanks. Still, I’m not a hundred percent sure but I think it’s worth considering.”

“Bontly. Johe.” Binar ordered. “Finish retrieving the viruses and call for emergency responders to take them to the scrapyard. You can theorize later, every second counts.”

Bontly, Johe, Tackle, and Shinku all chipped in, assisting where needed as Kirria complemented in the crimes of the day. Her confidence grew as she worked alongside them, each shift she shadowed brought her closer to her goal of becoming an officer herself..

A few days later, as the grouped wrapped up another case, Binar suddenly stopped. He turned to Shinku with an unexpected question.

"That girl’s been calling you ‘big brother,'" Binar remarked, his tone accusatory. "That’s a human phrase. Is she a pure human?"

Shinku glanced at Kirria, still chatting with Tackle.. He couldn’t help but smile. "Yes, she’s a human. Is something wrong?"

Binar paused as he continued driving. "No, everything’s fine," he muttered. "Just curious."

The days passed and Shinku continued to walk Kirria home, ensuring her safety after the team had finished their shifts. Each night, Shinku found himself growing fond of the girl who had come to think of him as an older brother.

He often brought her and her mother small gifts: food, clothes, anything he thought would bring comfort to their difficult lives. Ukiri had grown used to these little gestures, but she never failed to express gratitude.

Another day at the office had begun, the group walked through the hallways. Suddenly, a voice called from behind.

"Officer Shinku."

Shinku turned around, surprised to see Supervisor Prog standing there, flanked by a few other officers. Prog’s head was shaped like a snake, with a scaled helmet that curved backward, giving him a distinctly serpentine appearance. His human face was visible beneath the helmet..

"Officer Prog," Shinku greeted respectfully. "I didn’t think you’d know my name."

Prog gave a small, calculating smile. "Officer will suffice," he said with a dismissive wave. "I’ve got something for you."

Shinku looked at him curiously as Prog handed him a small case file. "Take this," Prog instructed, his voice flat. "Binar keeps assigning my subordinates cases, so I’m giving you one. Blame Binar, not me."

Shinku hesitated, unsure of how to respond. "Uh, sure," he said, tucking the file under his arm.

Johe argued. "Is this shmuck giving us work?"

Kirria couldn’t contain her excitement. "Woah, Officer Prog!" her eyes wide with awe.

Prog’s reputation had always preceded him—he was one of the highest-ranking officers in the precinct, an invaluable asset to the force.

Prog nodded at Kirria, then turned back to Shinku. "Get to work," he said.

As Prog walked away with his entourage, Kirria turned to Shinku, her face full of excitement. "Prog assigned us a specific case! This is huge! What’s it about, brother?"

Shinku looked down at the case file, uncomfortable from the sudden assignment. "I’m not sure yet, let’s see."

The group huddled over the case file. As Tackle read. “Multiple reports have came from a property in the Spam Prefecture about a potential kidnapping. At the residence lives only a human but there’s been faint screams of a computer coming from the bedroom through the night. Possibility of torture.”

”So it’s a search warrant.” Johe shrugged.

Bontly spoke nervously. “Sounds pretty baaaaad.”

Kirria, who had been listening attentively, stood up straighter. "This is... this is terrible. I can’t believe someone would do that."

A possible case of computer cruelty. We’ll have to move fast.” Shinku said with a serious tone. “Let’s go, Kirria.”

Tackle wore an uneasy expression as the group departed.