Finding His Sister

A voice came from the elevator’s speakers that sounded like nails on a chalkboard.

“So, someone has broken in to cause trouble.” He sighed and made an exasperated sigh. “It just shows to go how much of a mess the systems we have in place are. I will need to hold a rapid improvement event after we end you.”

“What are you? The big boss?”

“Big boss? What are you a child? Children should stay out of adult matters. Now let’s see if we have a file for you. My word, it seems you have been remarkably busy.” The man sighed. “I tell my employees time and time again, if there is an issue raise it fast and make it ugly. You are just a nothing child who could have been killed easily day one. Everyone said they should do something, but no one was willing to go above and beyond. I hate to say, but I might need to do some layoffs after you are taken care of.”

“Young master, there seems to be something wrong with this man.”

“You didn’t have types like him back in your day, I’ll explain when there is time.”

His voice, it sounds like… that advisor, Abe, you saw in my memory. He must be a descendent.

“Let’s see, it seems we have your sister employed here, that would explain why you chose to go to floor 16 then.” The man laughed. “Well then, by all means stop there.”

The elevator went quiet save for only the hum as it climbed the floors. It dinged with a large sixteen on the display and the door slid open. Mamoru and Mako stepped out, and the high school boy’s eyes went wide.

The floor was not one lined with computers but looked like a multi-tier datacenter with large towers consisting of pods that upon closer inspection had humans locked inside.

Mamoru banged on the glass, trying to get the attention of some thin guy, but he was out cold. The only way to tell he was alive was the slight movement in his chest, and the flow of liquids in tubes that went in and out of his body. Even sealed in the machine, with all sorts of wires and devices attached to him, he smiled softly.

“Young master, I have found a grunt!” Mamoru turned to the fox, who held a short, fat fellow up against on the pods. He struggled to break free, but the ancient girl’s strength was far more powerful.

“You!” Mamoru stomped forward, sword ready in hand. “What is all this?”

“Ah, ah, don’t hurt me. I’m just a technician.”

Mamoru punched the pod the man was pressed against right next to his head. He gulped and wet himself.

“Calm down sir. Calm down. I’ll explain. I’ll explain!”

“Then start.”

“Thou are a fierce one, young master.”

You should kick the pod too, for added effect!

“You see, this is our data center, for Subarashii’s AI programs.”

“Why are their people inside.” Mamoru did as Hikari suggested and kicked the pod. The man jumped and stammered a moment before he could speak up again.

“Y- y- you see, it’s the next stage of biocomputing. Instead of building computers out of human cells, we thought, why not use a complete biological processer instead. So, we found willing participants compatible with our proprietary ‘dream blend’ to loan processing power.”

Mamoru pressed the blade to the man’s neck. He squealed in fear. Hikari’s ghostly form glowed red a moment, as she eagerly began to softly chant ‘kill’ but then she stopped. The ghost girl pulled her arms close to her and shook her head.

No, Mamoru, calm down. You… you can’t… kill… him.

The bloodbath of Hikari’s past flashed back to Mamoru’s mind, and he took a deep breath. His grip on the blade loosened and he lowered it away from the man’s neck. The man was still stammering on.

“But never fear, they don’t feel any pain or anything! We have found a method to induce a dreamlike state, they could be living happy lives they never were able to fulfill or be off on an adventure in some other world! Whatever makes them happy!”

Mamoru slapped the man.

“There is a woman named Mae Takeda. I want her location.”

Mamoru looked at the rows of pods. He hadn’t expected all of this. Now that he knew, could he really just save Mae? The others would be left abandoned, but he wasn’t sure he could even get his sister out, let alone hundreds of other people who would surely be too weak to walk.

It’s sick. Hikari said. She looked at him with a fierce expression. We can’t do anything now, but we will come back from them. No one should have their body get used like a tool.

The princess was correct. They would save Mae for now and come back for the others once they could. His sister would surely have valuable information for rescuing everyone else, or at the very least show them what they needed to do in order to nurse this many people back to health. It made him sick, but he would have to do it.

“Oh, you can look up anyone on a console. There is one just over there, I can show you-”

“Mako, find an empty pod and stuff him in for now.”

“Very well, young master.”

“Wait, you can’t do that. They won’t realize I am not supposed to be in the network! I’m a technician, I’m too important to be a processer! I’m too impor-” The man went quiet as the pod shut on him. He banged on the glass as machine bits started to rise from the back and creep toward him.

Mamoru went to the console and typed his sister’s name in. Mako leaned over his shoulder, her tail swaying, as she curiously watched him navigate the Suba UI.

He found her pod and clicked a button. At once, the room came alive and the pods began to move on a fixed path until the one with his sister stopped behind them.

She looked far too thin, and far too pale, but it was her. Mamoru cracked on the keyboard as he turned off the system, and initiated the release program. Much as he just wanted to yank her out, it would probably be best to keep up with the Suba system shutdown for just this once.

The pod hissed and sputtered. Things inside decoupled from her body. Mamoru watched with stiff shoulders, and Mako with a fascinated expression.

Then the lid shuddered before opening with a whine. Mamoru rushed forward, his sister groaned. Her eyes flicked open, and she looked around the room, staring blankly at even the fox girl before locking eyes on her brother.

“Mamoru?” she said weakly.

He couldn’t hide the joy in his voice, his eyes getting slightly watery at realizing he finally found her.

“Yes, Mae. I’ve come to get you out of here!”

“Out? Out? No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no….” Her voice grew frantic and she began to squirm. Mae started to scream. “Put me back! Put me back! Why did you come to torture me? Put me back now!”

Mamoru tried to gently hold his sister still as she flailed in the pod.

“Mae. Mae. It’s okay now, they can’t hurt you.”

She screamed, “the only one hurting me is you!”

His elder sister tried to shake free but then grew quieter and less active. Her breath was heavy, and her eyes began to shut, and exhaustion took over her.

Mamoru fell to his knees and just stared at the ground. Mako put a gentle hand on his shoulder and said something, but he didn’t hear it.

All this time he spent thinking about saving her, and she didn’t even want to see his face. Would the others act just the same if he freed them? Did they just want to stay trapped in these pods? Was he in the wrong trying to break them out?

A voice cut in through his thoughts. A song. Hikari was singing something he didn’t know, perhaps something from her childhood, but it was a beautiful song. The type which could calm a person when they needed it most. Something that could even rival Mirai.

Gee, thanks for that last thought. Hikari sighed.

“Sorry,” Mamoru said out loud before adding a soft, “thanks.”

We still have things to do; I couldn’t leave you to be all mopey.

Mamoru smiled softly and nodded his head.