_LOG9_

_LOG9/Entry_1:_ 0725hrs

The elevator begins its climb to Level 4, Anda's unit. Anda looks at Mase waiting to fill in the huge gaps in his memory that may offer clues if Anda is capable of carrying out the genocide on the top floor.

"As soon as the Rainmaker Protocol was initiated, I immediately flew out to your location, hoping somehow you'd survive the blasts. Sure enough you were barely clinging onto your last breath. I asked the medics to bring you safely onboard and we headed to Mase Tower to save you. I finally got through to your dad and he gave us the blessing to do anything humanly possible to save you."

"So the Augs saved me." Anda says as he scans himself.

"Yeah, the only organs that survived the blast were your brain, eyes and ears. We had you retrofitted with the latest prototypes at that time. But, what you have now…"

Mase oddly stops mid-sentence and scans Anda, then with disappointment written on his face continues:

"... HAD is over a century's worth of you engineering, modifying and perfecting your Augs."

"Alright and then what?"

A cold silence lingered in the air after Anda's words left his mouth. He could sense that the Mase that was so hospitable and respectful was no longer in front of him.

"Fuck you, Rin."

"Mase-san… what?"

"Drop the '-san' bullshit. Every fucking time I'm the one that has to save you!"

"Eo, my memory. It's all hazy—"

"Shut the fu… I know you've got everything backed-up on an off-world server. Shit!"

"Is that true? Rhona mentio—"

"What else have you got out there, huh!? NINETY FUCKING YEARS! Access the goddamn server, you punk. Celestial! Trevante!"

"That's from the article... Mase calm dow—"

In a blink Mase grabs Anda by the neck and pins him a few feet off the floor against the wall.

"YOU DON'T GET TO TELL ME TO CALM DOWN! I'm the fucking Zenith."

"Ma…se… "

Mase's grip on Anda's neck tightens until he almost loses consciousness.

_LOG9/Entry_2:_ 0728hrs

The elevator finally comes to a stop and Mase violently slides the gate open, ripping it off its rails then hurls Anda viciously onto the corridor floor.

"Rhona! Feed me the data from his off-world server!"

"Apologies, my Zenith. I have no access to the data. I can only establish a connection and only Anda can go through the gate."

"FUCK!!!"

Mase paces towards Anda and thrusts his hand into Anda's collar bone, piercing his skin. Anda wails in pain as he is dragged across the floor by his collar bone.

"Where is it, ha? Your REAL body? Is it in your junky lab?"

Anda desperately holds on the hand that is inflicting him this torture to relieve some pressure off his bone. They approach the carnage in the wall. Up close it looked like it imploded, the concrete crumbled, shattering the marble around the doorway. Anda can see inside the lab, its walls, floors and ceilings are padded with sound insulating material.

"I don't know, Mase!"

Mase sends a large electric shock through his arm electrocuting Anda. As soon as Anda loses his grip on Mase's wrist, Mase swings him around and hurls him like a cricket bowler into the lab. Anda flew into the dark room through the hole in the wall, crashing into the bunk bed that has what looks like a closet beneath it. Mase is just outside talking indistinctly on a secure transmission Anda can't listen in on.

"This was where it all started," Anda wonders.

The lights slowly illuminate and the room is some lab with cybernetic limbs with hydraulic parts, exposed gold wires, tools that you don't know which end is which. Next to it was the door to the lab crumpled like a discarded tissue. The other side of the room is a workbench that looks like a science lab with suspicious vials labelled with numbers and letters that look like it's jumbled together randomly.

Something small and flat on the floor among the rubble gives off a glint reflecting the lab's lights. It's the lighter that engaged his augmentations which tore the wall into pieces.

"Rhona, can I beat Mase?"

"Not even close, but if you do, there's his entourage outside you gotta deal with. He won't kill you yet, not till he gets what he needs. He's probably talking with Prime Monarch Tavo about extracting it from you. Take the lighter and if anything, I'll engage your synth;esthesia, give every fighting chance till I get you some support."

Mase finishes with his conversation and hangs his head with his hands on his waists. He notices his burnt sleeve and the dry blood on his hand that's not his. With his back still facing Anda, says:

"Pick yourself up. Living room. Now."

Anda hesitates as he notices the air around Mase is not so sinister any more. Mase walks off and his words echo from the corridor.

"Don't make me wait or I'll drag your ass."

Anda struggles to stand to his feet. On his way out, he picks up the lighter. He steps out through the hole and sees Mase enter another room at the end of the corridor. Anda looks to the left at the elevator and its mangled gate renders the elevator useless. He makes his way to the living room.

The room is lit by the rising sun that can be visibly seen through the huge window. The living room is vast, decked with minimalist furniture and a spacious balcony past the large window has a view of the never ending abstract-designed buildings that go on forever. Mase is sitting on the couch facing the window, wiping the dry blood on his hand off with a handkerchief and agitated at the sight of his seared clothes. Anda approaches the window, scanning the horizon.

His attention was entirely drawn to the window overlooking multiple levels of massive carriageways that look like it stretches into the sun. On either side are towering monoliths, they were like a crystal waterfall with its windows facing different directions reflecting the sun's rays. He hears Mase getting irritated and throwing his handkerchief to the floor. He them hears Mase saying:

"Bring some standard guards up here. The elevator's broken, use the jet and drop them off at the balcony. Get the Heavy to standby on the roof."

Anda's thoughts seem to have multiplied ten-folds. From the tension between him and Mase, and the massacre just above him, it all comes down to why his memory is wiped. The answer will ultimately reveal what happened on the top floor and what happened during the Celestial mission that grips Mase's obsession. All of it lies in Anda's top-secret Reverie simulation. Anda was just about to tell Mase he's going to finish the simulation until the silence in the room was finally broken.

"Why'd you have to show your fucking mug now, of all times, why did it have to be now, huh? You're like a fucking cancer, eating away at everything I do."

"Mase, I don't know what happened between us —"

"You fucking stop that ah! Using your memory as an excuse—"

"I know! That's why I'm gonna fix it. I'm gonna run the rest of my simulati—"

Mase stands furiously, just as that happens the room vibrates from the incoming Harrier jet.

"Don't you fucking dare! If you can run off with half of my lifetime's work and make the mess up there, there's no way in hell I'm gonna let you access your secret server unrestrained!"

The room and the windows begin to shake violently as the jet's shadow looms into the room. It hovers just past the balcony and its ramp opens up.

" 'Unrestrained?' You gonna lock me up, Eo?"

Mase's guards swiftly jump from the ramp to the balcony 2 of which are armed with iron sasumatas, another 2 with large electric prods and the remaining two have menacing looking kanabos. Anda takes notice of the potential of a pincer attack and tries to reason with Mase.

"Eo, I'll willingly go with you. So just stop this, please."

"I believe you, Tavo says she may know a way to get it out of you. But we'll just smash your limbs off for good measure" Mase says as he takes his blazer off and sits back down.

Anda quickly scans his back to see the guards are spreading out like a net. The jet's engines roar to a deafening pitch breaking every single window as it ascends. In-tow is the freakish giant Anda encountered in the sub-basement. The giant is staring straight at Anda with the same haunting expression stretching across its face as it heads to the roof.

"Engaging synth;esthesia, sir" Rhona whispers in Anda's ear as he takes the lighter out of his pocket.

Rhona releases controlled amounts of adrenaline, catecholamines and endorphins into Anda's blood stream. It gives Anda a far more superior reaction time, reflexes and motor functions - whatever edge he has to at least put up a fight.

"Fuck you, Mase-san" Anda says before sparking a flame from the lighter.

_LOG9/Entry_3:_ 0738hrs

Anda zips onto the balcony to disarm one of the guards. The chemical released into his system makes it seem to him like he's moving sluggishly but in reality none of the guards can keep up with his lightning speed. Anda's tactical augmentations highlight the best possible strategy for him to at least level the field and first thing on the agenda is arming himself with the heavy kanabo — a large iron rod with spikes.

He smashes his elbow into the face of the guard who's still winding up his overhead swing. The attack stuns the guard and loses grip of the heavy weapon. Anda catches it mid-air and swings it with one hand at the closest guard who's in the middle of thrusting his electric prod towards Anda. The kanabo crushes the guard's helmet and Anda quickly disarms the immobilized guard with his free hand. Two down.

Now armed with a heavy weapon in one hand and a paralyzing weapon in the other. He scans the area for the next tactical move. He targets the guard with a sasumata, a traditional weapon with a fork at the end of a pole designed to hold down its subjects. Anda hurls the kanabo like a javelin into the highlighted guard's face and blitz across to use the sasumata still in the guard's grip to redirect an incoming electric prod to the other guard with the remaining kanabo.

Just as Anda was gaining momentum in taking out four of the six guards, one of the last two guards manages to pin Anda's foot to the ground and Anda's HUD goes haywire with an incoming threat from above him. It's the giant on the roof with his arm fully extended in a sweeping motion like a pendulum about to swat Anda like a fly. The large open hand hits Anda like a truck and sends him flying across the balcony floor while one of the guards that was in the line of fire is catapulted off the balcony.

Anda now unarmed and dazed, looks up to the roof and the giant's grim face staring at him begins to feel more annoying more than anything. He looks in the living room and sees Mase lounging on the sofa with his legs crossed, unmoved by the dwindling numbers of his guards. The huge whack took a toll on Anda as his advantage seems to be wearing off and the pain around his collar bone is coming back. He sees the last two guards armed with a sasumata and kanabo approaching Anda menacingly.

Just as Anda, still flat on the ground, feels an end coming near, a large bang echoes across the sky taking out the guard with the heavy weapon. Anda traces the trajectory and it came from one of the sharpshooters he tagged in the building across. Another shot is heard immobilizing the remaining guard. Then a barrage of shots zip across the sky aimed at the giant on the roof. The bullets ricochet off his armored body like rubber pellets and push him back out of sight. Anda takes a glimpse at Mase still unfazed, mouthing a few words.

Shortly after seeing Mase probably giving another directive order, his entourage now commandeering the hovercrafts obstruct the sharpshooters line of sight. Giving the giant an opportunity to reach for Anda. As it reaches Anda, a hook clamping on the balcony railing catches everyone's attention. A zipping sound attached to the hook approaches at blistering speed towards the edge of the balcony and Anda could only catch a glimpse of whatever's coming as it propels into the sky unleashing a salvo of bullets into the giant. Anda's airborne savior lands on the roof keeping the giant's attention off Anda.

"Hey Rhona, you got any more tricks up your sleeve?" Anda thought as he picks himself up.

"It's making its way up the elevator shaft, sir. I suggest you head to the roof. You're out of chemical reserves, I'm diverting all your core energy to your legs to make the jump."

"Thank you."

"Happy hunting, sir."

Anda takes a last look at Mase who's attention focuses in the direction of the elevator. Anda feels his legs whipping and winding up for a huge jump. Anda's eyes finally meet Mase's scornful eyes as he looks towards the balcony. Anda then unleashes the energy in his legs to launch him over to the roof.

As Anda touches down on the roof, he sees the giant riddled with bullet holes now and its mangled face still cursed with the same sinister look. Across him is Detective Lau unleashing his many sidearms on the giant. As soon as the detective empties one of his six-shooter he loads it into a compartment in his thigh that reloads it for him in no time at all allowing the detective to maintain a barrage of volley fire into the giant.

The giant launches his massive body towards the detective with the intention to crush him. The detective quickly takes out a grappling gun with his free hand then zips across the roof in a flash. He evades the giant who crashes into the fragile roof immobilizing him for a moment. The detective notices Anda as he's holstering his loaded weapons and reloading the rest. He gestures to Anda what's he doing on the roof and Anda simply shrugs.

Big Daddy finally sets himself free and notices Anda but then he's distracted by something peeking out of the large hole in the roof. The giant investigates, coming closer to the hole and BOOM! The sound of an anti-aircraft rifle blows a hole in the giant's torso laying him flat on the roof's floor just next to the large opening. The large rifle is tossed onto the roof and a pair of mechanical arms is pulling itself up.

"Sorry, it took so long, sir. Who knew controlling limbs would be difficult" Rhona's voice is heard coming from the unmanned exo-suit.

As the mech clumsily climbs its way to the roof, Anda remembers the large rifle and the tag 'Car' pops up on his 'HUD'. Anda collapses and breathes a sigh of relief. Detective Lau stands next to him and offers him a hand.

"If anyone's taking you in, it'll be me, sir" he says as he pulls Anda up.

"You're not with Mase?"

"God, no. The sharpshooters and myself are representatives from the Northern Quadrant to contain the situation and bring you in for further interrogation. I've bugged your floor and since the Zenith had no intention to solve the murders below, we had the right to intervene—"

"INCOMING!" Rhona's voice from the approaching mech interrupts the detective.

Detective Lau notices the droning sound getting increasingly louder and deeper in pitch can mean only one thing; a free falling aircraft is hurtling towards them. He yanks Anda's arm to toss him in the direction of the mech. Rhona catches Anda and leaps off the edge of the roof. The detective then takes his grappling hook and sets it to the distance to the building across and propels in the same direction Rhona just leapt off from.

Rhona attempts to give Anda a boost to reach the detective's grasp and the detective with every fiber in his body, stretches his arm as far as possible to grab Anda. Their fingers come achingly close until Rhona and Anda begin plummeting towards the freeway below. The detective watches helplessly as Mase's Harrier jet crashes into the apartment and a huge fiery explosion erupts. Engulfing the apartment level by level. The tremor shatters the windows of the surrounding buildings, making it seem like it's raining glass to Anda.

Rhona cradles Anda with the mech to cushion as much impact from the fall as possible. In the last moments before Anda collides with the ground, the last thing he saw was Mase riding one of his entourage's hovercraft. Mase's eyes spelled remorse as Anda willingly accepts an end to his misery-ridden existence.

_LOG9/Entry3_:_ 0751hrs -<CONNECTION SEVERED>

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_LOG9/END:_ 0751hrs