Déjà Vu

Chapter 7: The Odour Of Shirts

***

Once again, he’d spent the entire early hours of the morning tapping away at a computer station, staring blankly at the screen; getting work done. Though, at least for the last few hours, he was unable to concentrate properly. His sensitised earlobe was stinging with the cold. The only reason it was buzzing so much was the fact that the rest of his body was literally numb to the temperatures. It was quite uncomfortable, to be entirely truthful.

Still, he managed to stay on task and ignore the distraction. From the others in the lab he’d discovered how much it would cost to fund a complete upgraded nervous system...and choked as the figures came out. Even the Mishima Zaibatsu would think twice about spending that much...on one person! By now he’d accepted his fate as a very partially sensitised being.

He’d been convinced partially, however, that there may be a cheaper way to make use of the new technology. Better materials were always the answer for that – and more economical procedures. That’s what he and almost all of the others were now researching.

As he helped prepare for a test simulation, he found his current position quite ironic; in the past, he’d always been the one in charge, controlling the situation. He’d backed away from doing it himself, especially in the realms of science. Then again, here he was, former CEO of the world’s largest company, former richest man in the world...sitting in a high-tech lab, wearing the cliché white coat, tapping at a keyboard. He wasn’t even high on the hierarchy! He was just one of the others in a team of scientific minds. To him, it was a complete and utter role reversal.

In the background, he could clearly hear the sounds of people tapping on keyboards, clicking mice, chattering, walking about...even breathing. His hearing was that sensitive. Still, through all its accuracy and sensitivity, there was still room for human error – such as negligence and lack of attention to the detail offered. For example; he was actually surprised when he learned the person approaching him, who he sensed subconsciously, was actually Hanii...who greeted him by tugging on his left earlobe gently from behind him. He almost jumped out of his skin, as a matter of fact...the people around him noticed him flinching visibly and looking up at the young Japanese woman with definite surprise and just a little conviction. Most took it as just a friendly hello, what with this new feature he now owned...very few, if any at all, would know her true feelings for the older man...feelings which were developing faster and faster...faster than she would have liked.

After grinning at him cheekily, she finally pulled away and sat down at her computer console next to his. Frowning, he returned to his computer screen, subconsciously tugging at the offended appendage. Her hands were incredibly cold this morning, but it appeared his weren’t. Nevertheless, he didn’t let the minor distraction keep him off task for long...he resumed work a moment later, after casting her another condemning glance – this one in slightly better nature.

The next two hours involved actually running the tests for bionic operators – what the team was currently researching. For now, it was a simple elbow joint. The tests involved perfecting the pathways involved within the mechanics, perfecting the ‘precision’ system – how much pressure to be applied when – and the nervous connections within a biological organism, and their compatibility. There was relative success within the two hour’s trials, since the ‘nervous system’, so to speak, in operation wasn’t that which was involved in sensory tissue; it was basic commands and movement controllers being used and tested.

The most difficult part was connecting the biological commands to the mechanical joint...it took many electrodes connected to many people, one after another, to perfect the technique and technology...but finally, after two hours of stress and concentration, success was the result.

After another few hours of work, lunch arrived. Whilst everyone else raced down to the cafeteria – which was the most used place in the entire building besides the many labs – Kazuya retreated to the roof garden, and sat beneath his favourite tree; a large oak in the middle of the roof. It was always so peaceful; these science types seemed to be almost allergic to good healthy sunlight, and only came up there if they absolutely had to. With that knowledge and opportunity, Kazuya had spent many a break up there, relaxing, unwinding, and thinking to himself.

As usual the traffic below was horrendous, but the building was so far above the city that it was nothing but a distant hum. The sky was cloudless, and the haze had been swept away by a light wind. It was a world at peace – even birds, normally not found at altitudes over a hundred floors in the air, nested in the trees on the rooftop garden – chirping happily as they went about their daily business.

It was almost ironic, in Kazuya’s mind, how he’d made such a distinct change from old to new in this last year. Previously, though he inherently enjoyed the sunlight to a great extent, he’d avoided it in favour of the icy candour of the workplace, the computer screens, the office. He’d never been a fan of nature, even when Jun Kazama had forced him to become so; he respected it, but never loved it as she had. Another renowned attribute of his was the ability to command and control with brutal efficiency in any situation. He would have been a brilliant leader in any profession; his happened to be battle and business likewise.

Now, here he was, a mere face in the crowd of scientists and researchers, striving for a common goal. He could often be seen working with low-ranking equals, in the same garb, in the same room...he retreated to nature in his free time. Nature was what he lacked, he reasoned...and he felt the need to stay in touch with it, lest he lose his humanity to cold, sterile technology. After all, he’d only recently realised his own humanity, his ‘soul’...he wasn’t about to sacrifice it again. Something else he had found himself prone to doing lately was actually agreeing with someone else’s decisions. It was a strange feeling...almost like taking orders – though no one dared to give him such a thing.

There was of course the issue of his changed appearance. In the past, he’d looked old; thus felt old. He could never look himself straight in the mirror and not feel ill. He’d hated himself with almost as much passion as he hated his father. Speaking of which...he ought to pay the old bastard a visit. Nowadays was a different story to his dark, self-hating past. Hanii had pointed out how many women (she dared not mention the men that had done so as well) had stared him up and down since he’d had that appearance change...with that floating on the tip of his mind, he no longer minded looking at himself in the mirror. Though of course, he still didn’t consider himself to be attractive – just not as hideous as he used to be.

The sun was shining down on the left side of his face...the other was in shadow from the oak tree above. As he lay there beneath the dense foliage, he felt that familiar burn against the flesh. It reminded him of a few months ago when he’d tried so valiantly to recall the sensation. Now, he was glad he did...it made the feeling so much more worth it now.

As he tucked his arms under his head, he heard the elevator arrive at the top story. He knew this time that it was Hanii, though he couldn’t hear her breathing over the sound of outside as he might have within the confines of the laboratory. A few moments later, she stood above him, smiling down at him, petting a large thermos of coffee.

Kazuya smirked somewhat at her. “You know, you’re giving me an interesting view...”

With a squeak and a blush, she sat down, brushing the short business skirt beneath her bottom, and placed her coffee down. “Well, I’m sure you don’t mind...”

It was his turn to blush. “No, no not at all...”

Cheekily, she leaned over and grasped his sensitised earlobe between her finger and thumb, and gently stroked it as she sat beside his head. Immediately, he tensed...but relaxed a moment later, drifting into somewhat of an almost stupefied expression. It had always felt so good...why did she have to find the easiest way to torment him? In certain moods, it would have a completely different effect on him – but for now, it made him feel almost...warm and fuzzy inside...and most definitely very relaxed and comfortable.

He gave a soft moan of content after a minute or so, then looked up at her dazedly. “Why do you have to be so efficient at finding my weak spots?”

The soft, deep voice snapped her out of her trance; she had previously been staring at his godly chest like there was no tomorrow. Though he was wearing a shirt – medium blue, long-sleeved – and dark slacks, his white lab coat open and sprawled beneath him, she could still imagine that beautiful body of his beneath it. Not that she’d admit it to him, not that he didn’t know – but she’d seen, and felt him, naked. After all, she was on the team that put that new layer of skin on him. She would also avoid letting him on to the fact that she wanted to do it again...this time, with him very much awake and ready to enjoy it.

In response to his question, she just smiled. “Your ears are a weak spot?” She feigned innocence perfectly.

He blinked, and looked up at the sky equally as innocently. “No...”

For the moment, she decided to leave him alone; there were more important things to attend to. Such as her coffee, which she took a swig off after opening the cap of her thermos. As she did, he sat up beside her, running his hands through his thick dark hair with a sigh. “You know...I really miss my morning coffee...”

Hanii slurped at some of her own once more before capping the dark liquid, and setting the cup aside. “Then why don’t you go down to the cafeteria in the mornings and snag some?”

After giving her one of his well-known ‘you idiot’ looks, he smirked. “Because I can’t smell it, I can’t taste it, I get no effect from the caffeine, and it does my body no good nor bad...it’s a pointless exercise.”

She rolled her eyes and sat back. Typical sarcastic, sardonic Kazuya Mishima classic remark. Yawning almost to the point of dislocating her jaw, Hanii found herself squeezing the upper half of her cup...and realised too late. The top popped off, splattering coffee about the place, and sending the little round black object flying. With a squeak, she put her cup down and reached after the flying cap. In doing so, she found herself lying over Kazuya’s chest...he looked down at her, vaguely stunned.

As she grabbed the cap, she gave the centre of his chest a light nuzzle with the tip of her nose. Smirking, he prepared to push her off...but she paused, frowning in thought. He arched a brow. “What?”

“Are you wearing cologne?” She asked after a moment’s hesitation.

“No, why?”

She leaned down and took a deeper sniff of the fabric of his shirt. She couldn’t put her finger on it...she could definitely smell something; the faint hint of sweat, but more clearly a masculine scent. Whatever it was, it was making her feel rather intrigued...and excited. She could feel the reaction down below.

“I don’t know...I can smell something on you.”

He sat up after a second or so. “You must be imagining it...I’m not wearing anything. Either that or it’s my shirt...but I don’t see how...”

She cut him off after a moment, and climbed to her feet, dragging him up by the wrist in the process. “This is a really wild guess, but...”

***

As Kazuya sat on the table once more, he couldn’t help but wonder what was happening this time. As soon as they got down into the previously unoccupied G-Corporation laboratory, she’d been rushing around madly, taking test samples from him here and there, tapping furiously at her computer...and he had no idea what for.

When she finally came to a conclusion, he was sitting cross-legged, staring at the opposite wall with half-lidded eyes. His chin was propped up heavily on his palm; his elbow rested against his knee. When she came bounding over, he glanced up at her with little enthusiasm.

“You won’t believe what I’ve found...”

“Oh, won’t I now?” His tone was laced with sarcasm, as usual.

Rolling her eyes, she sat up beside him. “You know that nanite technology we’ve got working in the tank with your original body, patching over the damage at a molecular level...”

He blinked. “Uh, no...But go on...”

She ignored him. “Anyway, we’d used modified nanites in your systems; the coolant system to be exact. They act as white blood cells might, as well as platelets...they’re like mobile repair vehicles. They’re tiny too – about three times the size of a human leukocyte.”

“Alright...what about them?”

She looked over a printout, then back at him. “Well it seems they’ve taken on a few extra tasks. After all, along with many other upgrades, something else we added to you is a copy of your very own DNA, stored within the subconscious of your memory banks. It seems they’ve accessed it in passing, and have begun to use it for its true purpose; a blueprint of what you’re supposed to be. They’ve begun to now reconstruct missing parts in their own ways.”

Without knowing, he reached up to tug on his earlobe...and got quite a start when he did. After all, he still wasn’t used to the sudden sensitivity of the little organ. “And what might they be?”

Hanii flipped over the printouts again, and sighed. “Not much as of yet...but it seems they’ve been using the few resources they have in your system to expand what we’ve installed in your ear. They’ve imitated the fibres that act as nerve fibres, and have created three more of their own so far...it doesn’t seem like a lot, but don’t forget...part of your body has just reconstructed something that wasn’t there. The other thing they’ve done is a little more complex. You see, with this skin upgrade, we’d also added a gland system throughout your body...the most widespread being sweat glands over all of your skin. The nanites have modified the ones around your chest so far, to emit the same scent as depicted on your DNA.”

After all this time working with science, he didn’t need an explanation. “So basically I’ll stink like I used to from now on.”

She chuckled, and put the papers aside. “Actually, I think you smell very sexy...”

Kazuya rolled his eyes and leaned back. “Sure, whatever you say.”

“No, I’m serious...you want to put your hands down my pants and see how excited I’ve become from smelling you?”

He almost choked with those words, and went bright red across the cheeks. “Okay okay, I’ll take your word for it...” When she said nothing more, merely pressed her nose to his chest again, he couldn’t help but wonder...this sudden ability to change, to grow...it most definitely wasn’t part of his original design. And in every sense of the word, it was a form of immediate evolution within one organism. Interesting.

“You know, fundamentally, I’ve just acquired the ability to evolve...”

When she realised that, she smiled somewhat, and sat back up. Her head was spinning a little from the intoxicating masculine smell that still filled her nostrils...oh how sexy he was. It wasn’t fair; he was so old he probably thought of her as nothing but an annoying child; Hell, she was around the same age as his son! He would probably never allow her to get as close to him as she wanted to. “I have a theory...if we allow the nanites to continue their progress, and give them supplies they need to do so, they may be able to generate an entire nervous system. That is, if we supply them with the proper markers throughout your system...like we did with your earlobe.”

It sounded like an interesting theory; it could almost work. He shrugged. “Works for me. I’m happy to sit back and let those little things do as they please...as long as they don’t do anything silly.”

He slipped down off the table, and prepared to get back to work...even though it was the lunch hour. Before he could sit down, Hanii grabbed him again. “One more sniff...” She proceeded to bury her nose in his shirt, taking a deep breath through her nose. Her arms, for a while, were locked around his slender waist, her body pressed against his...she was, for a few seconds, in heaven.

Feeling his glare against her, she finally pulled away, smiled bashfully, and skittered out of the room to the bathroom to ‘neaten up’. “I’ll see you after lunch, Kazuya...”

After she was gone, she straightened out his shirt and sat back down to work. Though most of him wanted to forget that happened, and get on with business, a small part of him...that newly discovered ‘soul’...wished he could have felt that sexy embrace.

Thankfully, he didn’t have time to dwell over the situation, since people had begun to arrive early after the lunch hour, to resume work on their so far successful research. The noise was a welcome distraction, and Kazuya gladly embedded himself within it.