From high above the man and woman watched the scene playing out in the
room beneath them. The room was a soft gray color and completely coated with a
special metallic alloy. Both the room and the alloy coating it had been specially
designed and developed for the very tests the two scientists were observing.
Down up on the floor a young man waited. He was crouched with a
gloved hand near his feet. His clothing was a snug-fitting white jumpsuit. The
visor covering his eyes was a light purple color, and it seemed to be generated by
yet not connected to the silver metallic bolts completely covering the young man's
ears. Black wing-shaped pieces jutted from the bolts, like those upon the helmet
of Mercury.
Across the room, hovering a few feet above the ground was another figure.
It was beautiful but androgynous, with long gray hair and heavy-lashed blue eyes.
Green triangles marked its cheeks and it was dressed in black formless uniform.
It regarded the wall across from it with a look of casual indifference, an eerie
blankness in its eyes.
The young man stood. Touching a finger to the large silver bracelet
around his left wrist, the image of the being before him appeared projected in the
palm of his hand. A series of numbers and data appeared around the image, and
one began to flash. Nodding, the young man dashed at the hovering figure.
The floating figure's eyes suddenly snapped into focus. They registered
the young man's speed of approach and countered, sending a series of powerful
energy blasts. The young man dodged them and leapt up. A rod of shimmering
energy appeared in the young man's hand and he slid it into the being's back. A
ball of crackling energy surrounded the hovering figure, who then shrank and
reformed into a pulsating orange sphere. Dropping to the ground, the young man
turned towards the dark rectangle in the upper corner of the room. He held up the
sphere and waited for some signal of what would come next.
Within the viewing room, the two observers turned to look at each other.
"I'd say it works," the woman remarked.
The man nodded. "I'll set the press conference for two weeks from now,"
he replied. "That should give us time to do some more tests." He stood. "I'll go
and tell Karu that's all for tonight."
"Kirameki-san?" the woman asked, rising as well.
Kirameki turned, looking back at his partner. "What is it, Kobe-san?"
"You do realize that once the Kira Kira System becomes public
knowledge," Kobe began, hesitantly, "it's only a matter of time before someone
discovers the truth concerning 'Karu'."
Kirameki lingered in the doorway, then he simply pushed up his glasses.
"I suppose that is a possibility, but not a great one. Not even Karu himself
knows." He turned to leave. "There are many things to think about in the coming
two weeks. Good night, Kobe-san."
*
Twilight Meanderings Presents:
Kira*Kira Karu!
Mad Season 1: You Wouldn't Like Her When She's Angry
by: Chandra Rooney
http://www.geocities.com/tsuki-chan/avalon.html
hikaru@twinkletwinkle.co.uk
*
A beautiful nearly summer morning waited outside the kitchen window of
the Kirameki household. Already, the many uniforms of the resident
schoolchildren were drifting down the narrow street towards the train station on
foot or by bicycle. Cars expertly maneuvered the crowds, driving along close but
never hitting. The rooftops reached out in all directions, broken up by the taller
apartment or office buildings and sprinkled with small green parks here and there.
Within the kitchen of the Kirameki's small, but still considerably large for
the region, home the toaster popped up two pieces of lightly browned bread. The
slender woman with the long brown braid and pale pink apron lifted the toast to a
plate and then took it to the table. "Daisuke, breakfast is ready," she called,
cupping a hand to her mouth. "Hurry downstairs, or you won't have time to eat!"
The sound of footsteps on the stairs, and a young man came into the
kitchen pulling on the jacket of his school uniform with his school case handle
held between his jaws. The woman looked at him, sighed and then began
smoothing his black hair with one hand. With the other she took his school case
from him. "Daisuke," she began, "school starts at the same time each morning.
Why is Daisuke always so slow? Daisuke makes Kaasan worry that he'll be late."
"Sorry, Kaasan," Daisuke apologized. His gray eyes met hers from
beneath his bangs. She said nothing, simply straightened the collar on his white
shirt, adjusted his tie and fixed his jacket. "Kaasan," Daisuke began, "I can dress
myself--"
"Yes, but Daisuke doesn't do a very good job," Kaasan smiled. "Kaasan
has to make Daisuke presentable."
"Good morning!" a cheerful female voice called from the entryway to the
house. "Are you ready to go, Kirameki-kun?"
"It's Kobe-sempai!" Daisuke exclaimed, grabbing his school case in one
hand and a piece of toast in the other. "Gotta go, Kaasan. See you after school,
thanks for the breakfast!"
Kaasan watched as the young man flew from the kitchen, and soon after
she heard the front door open and close. She frowned. "Daisuke is a difficult
child," she remarked, "but Kaasan will persevere." She nodded. "Kaasan must
make Kirameki-sensei proud!" Her resolve once again firm, Kaasan began
cleaning up the kitchen.
*
Kobe Asako hopped off the back of the bike and straightened her fuku.
"You overslept _again_, Kirameki-kun," she remarked, waggling the finger of
shame.
Kirameki Daisuke finished placing his bike in the bike parking and
secured the back brake lock with his key. "I can't help it, Kobe-sempai," he told
her, rising and putting his key back into his pocket. "I was up late last night
helping my dad with something. It made it really hard to get out of bed this
morning."
"Sure, sure," Asako replied, waving her hand. "I bet you're just lazy." She
turned, her small brown ponytails bouncing. "Oh, hello, Yoshida-san and Suzuki-
san." She smiled and waved at two boys, who smiled and waved back. Turning
back to Daisuke with an annoyed look in her golden-brown eyes, she placed her
hands on her hips. "Well, come on, Kirameki-kun," she told him, "we'll miss
registration for the field trip. Nakada-sensei has already started role call." She
turned on her heel and began walking off towards where a large group of similarly
clad students waited by a bus.
"Yes, Kobe-sempai," Daisuke replied, grabbing his school case from his
bike basket and hurrying after her.
"Honestly, if your father is anything like you," Asako continued, once he'd
caught up, "it's a good thing he works with my mother. Mom's always on top of
things. Nothing ever gets by her." She paused and smiled cutely. "I guess that's
where I get it from."
"Yes, Kobe-sempai," Daisuke nodded. He'd learned long ago to just agree
with whatever Asako said; it was a lot less painful that way.
They took their place in line and Asako tugged on Daisuke's arm, leaning
in close to whisper. "Look ahead of us, it's some foreigner. He must be an
exchange student in one of the other classes."
Daisuke peeked ahead at the boy in front of them. His white shirt was
hanging over his navy trousers, and it appeared he'd mistaken his black tie for a
bandanna and wound it around his head. His red hair was even messier than
Daisuke's, and the foreigner had a toothpick hanging out of his mouth.
"Crazy foreigners," Asako muttered. "There should be tougher restrictions
on who they allow into the country." She paused. "Look at him, he's a bigger
mess than you are, Kirameki-kun."
Daisuke nodded. "Kirameki Daisuke?" Nakada-sensei called from the
head of the line called. Daisuke raised his hand. She smiled and checked his
name off the list. "Kobe Asako?" Asako raised her hand. Nakada-sensei smiled
again, and moved onto the next name. "Ko-ro-su Ra-fai-e-ru?" she read, with
great difficulty. The foreigner raised his hand. Forcing a smile, she continued
down the list.
"Weird name," Asako muttered.
The foreigner turned around. "She's not saying it correctly," he replied,
pulling the toothpick out of his mouth. "It's 'Cross. Raphael Cross'." He paused.
"But call me 'Rafu' since it seems easier for you all to say."
<"My name is Daisuke Kirameki,"> Daisuke told him, in clear and
correctly pronounced English. <"How do you do?">
<"I get by,"> Raphael replied, shaking Daisuke's extended hand.
"You're such a show-off, Kirameki-kun," Asako muttered.
<"This is Asako Kobe,"> Daisuke continued, indicating Asako. <"Her
English is very poor.">
"What did you say about me?" Asako demanded, grabbing Daisuke by the
collar.
<"She's also a little violent,"> Daisuke told Raphael.
<"I noticed."> Raphael smiled. "I think she's just my type," he continued,
in Japanese. "I like them feisty."
"Pervert!" Asako yelled, preparing to beat him down with her school case.
Raphael caught it and smiled at her.
"Yeah, just my type," he repeated.
Asako made a noise of dismay. "Let go of my bag, Creepy Foreigner!"
"Creepy Foreigner," Raphael repeated. "You know, when you say it,
Asako-chan, it sounds like a good thing."
"Attention, everyone," Nakada-sensei called, interrupting the look of death
that Asako was giving Raphael. "Please proceed on the bus in your assigned
pairs. We'll be departing for Konstruct Industries Laboratory as soon as everyone
is onboard."
Daisuke and Asako followed Raphael onto the bus, sitting in their
assigned seats. Raphael sat down next to a girl Daisuke hadn't seen before and
then leaned across the aisle. "I'm psyched for this," he told Daisuke. "I can't wait
to sit in on the doctor's press conference. I wonder what it's all about."
"Well, don't ask me," Daisuke said, smiling and rubbing his neck. "I can't
tell you what the big secret is."
Asako leaned over. "That's right, Daisuke never pays any attention to
what he's doing, so it's no wonder he has less of clue as to what's going on than
the rest of us."
"I bet you know what the low down is, don't you Asako-chan?" Raphael
asked.
Asako growled. "Don't call me 'Asako-chan'," she snapped. "Rude
foreigner."
Raphael leered at her, then turned back to Daisuke. "A real Konstruct
development lab."
"You must have Konstructs in Canada," Daisuke remarked.
"How did you know I was Canadian?" Raphael asked.
Daisuke faltered. "I guessed," he replied, sheepishly grinning.
Raphael regarded the other boy for a moment then just shrugged. "Sure,
we've got Konstructs back home. The export models that are two or three years
behind what the average Kenji's got here. I imagine the stuff we're about to see is
going to be state of the art, cutting edge." He paused. "Hey, have either of you
ever been in the lab before?"
"Of course we have," Asako replied, rolling her eyes. "My mother is head
of development there."
"Really?" Raphael asked. "I thought Kirameki Shingo was the head of
development."
Asako coughed. "Well, if you want to get technical," she began,
"Kirameki-kun's father has the fancy title-- but my Mother is the one who's really
in charge."
"Kirameki-kun?" Raphael looked back at Daisuke. "He's Dr. Kirameki's
son?" Daisuke nodded. Raphael scratched his head. "He doesn't look anything
like what I thought he would. He looks almost normal."
"Well, I am normal," Daisuke replied, with a smile. Asako hit him. "Ite,
Kobe-sempai, what was that for?" he asked.
"Because the weird foreigner was talking to me, not you," Asako replied.
"But he was talking about me," Daisuke protested.
"I see she takes after her mother," Raphael remarked.
"Kobe-sempai was just saying that earlier today," Daisuke added.
"Kirameki-kun, Kobe-senpai," Raphael repeated, shaking his head. "Why
don't the two of you just call each other 'Asako' and 'Daisuke'?"
Daisuke blushed. "We couldn't do that," he protested. "It's much too
personal."
"But you're friends, aren't you?"
Daisuke nodded. "I've known Kobe-sempai since I was five years old."
"Yet you still can't call her 'Asako'?" Raphael looked at them. "Now,
that's just strange."
"It's not something anyone expects a foreigner to understand," Asako
snapped.
"You know, Asako, if you keep this up I might get the impression that you
don't care for me."
"You really stupid," she snapped, "even for a foreigner."
*
Konstruct Industries Laboratory rose into the sky, a mesh of glass and
marble woven into something resembling a modern architectural masterpiece.
Some said it resembled the old Kyoto station-- every surface glossy and black.
Those less fond of the lab said it looked like something spat out of the depths of
Hell. Of course, one could find people to say the same thing about just about
every building in the country.
The bus pulled into an assigned tour group parking space and the
schoolchildren obediently followed their teacher into the lobby of the building.
"Now, I want you all to remain in your assigned pairs," Nakada-sensei told them.
"Stay with the group and don't wander off alone. I trust you will all represent
your school with honor and dignity. Do your best, everyone!"
"Yes, we will," the students chorused back.
"Then, let's go to the presentation room, class." Nakada-sensei smiled and
the students began walking towards the indicated direction. "Kirameki-san,
Kobe-san," she said, catching the eye of Asako. "Please wait behind for a
moment."
Asako and Daisuke nodded, but exchanged a confused look as two by two
the rest of the student quit the lobby for the presentation room. Rafu lingered as
long as he could, looking curious, but his partner finally got tired and started
walking without him. Hurrying to catch up, he cast one last look back at Asako
and Daisuke. Asako glared at him.
"Kirameki-san, Kobe-san," Nakada-sensei clapped her hands together.
"We are all very excited to hear the announcement your honorable parents are
going to make today."
"Yes, Nakada-sensei," Daisuke and Asako replied.
"Kirameki-san," Nakada-sensei turned to Daisuke, "your honorable father,
Kirameki-sensei, has asked that you report to him before you proceed to the
presentation room." She turned to Asako. "Kobe-san, please accompany
Kirameki-san."
"Did my mother ask me to come see her?" Asako asked.
Nakada-sensei blinked. "Well... no, Kobe-san, she didn't-- but I couldn't
send Kirameki-san off on his own." She leaned in close and lowered her voice.
"You know how he is. He'd likely end up in the manufacturing department."
"Or the underground staff parking," Asako added, nodding.
"Please meet with the class in the presentation room when you are done,"
Nakada-sensei replied, returning to her normal volume. She smiled at Daisuke--
he really was a good student, one of the top in the school, and she _did_ honestly
like him. She just wished he would be a little more conscious of the world around
him. Most of the time, he acted like he was from another planet!
Daisuke was inspecting the map, seeming to be off in his own little world.
Asako grit her teeth and whapped him across the back of the head with her school
case. "Kirameki-kun! Didn't you hear Nakada-sensei? Your father wants you to
speak with him. Stop daydreaming," she scolded. "You'll make the presentation
start late!" She turned and began walking towards the development and research
laboratories.
Daisuke rubbed the back of his head. "Yes, Kobe-sempai." He left the
map and hurried to catch up with Asako. In the shadows of the hallway,
something moved from pillar to pillar, following behind the two students.
*
Asako waited impatiently outside while Daisuke entered his father's
personal office and closed the door. She tapped her school case against her leg,
wondering again why she continued to put up with his antics. Sure, Daisuke was
kinda cute, in that hopeless little brother sort of way-- but the way he walked
around with his head in the clouds was so aggravating! He certainly couldn't get
it from his father. As much as she liked to say otherwise, Asako knew that Dr.
Kirameki was one of the most alert and collected men in the country. He was
never late or caught staring off into space, and he didn't walk around hanging his
head and meekly going 'Yes, Kobe-san' whenever her mother said something to
him. Asako sighed. Sometimes Daisuke acted more like a Konstruct than his
'Kaasan'.
"If I hadn't seen him grow over the years," Asako remarked, out loud, "I'd
swear that Kirameki-kun was a robot of some kind." She laughed a little at the
thought, and turned her attention elsewhere. Daisuke had certainly been friendly
with that annoying foreigner, hadn't he? Chatting away in English, saying who
knew what about her-- Well, it wasn't like she thought Daisuke had the backbone
to say anything disrespectful about her, even if it was in another language he
knew was her worst subject. She checked her watch. What was taking him so
long?
"Hello, Kobe-sempai!" Daisuke chirped, practically bouncing out of the
office. He shut the door behind him, gave her a smile that made her teeth start to
ache and almost skipped to her side. "Are you ready to go see the presentation,
Kobe-sempai?" he asked, in the same irritatingly enthusiastic tone.
"Well, it's about time," Asako replied. "Let's go."
"Yes, Kobe-sempai!"
She looked back at him. He was still grinning that goofy little smile.
"Where's your school case, Kirameki-kun?" she asked. "Did you forget it on the
bus?"
Daisuke blinked, looking completely confused. "School case?" he
repeated.
The door opened behind him. A man with stern gray eyes and dark hair
stepped outside into the hallway. His white labcoat and black trousers were neat,
looking freshly pressed. His black shoes gleamed as glossy as his hair beneath
the hallway lights. "Daisuke," he said, sounding firm.
"Yes, Father?" Daisuke asked, twirling around.
Kirameki Shingo smiled. "You forgot this," he replied, extending
Daisuke's school case towards him. "You might be in need of what's inside later."
"Ohhhh," Daisuke replied, and then nodded enthusiastically. "Yes, I
understand, Father. Thank you!"
"Don't forget what we talked about," Kirameki-sensei told his son. "It's
very important."
"I remember," Daisuke replied. "I'll do my best, Father!"
"I'm sure you will," Kirameki-sensei nodded. "You go to the presentation
room now and join your class, Daisuke."
"Yes, Father!" Daisuke replied, happily bounding off with his schoolcase.
"Thank you for watching over him, Asako-san," Kirameki-sensei told
Asako.
Asako cast a look at Daisuke and then back at his father. "Is my mother in
her office, Kirameki-sensei?"
"Kobe-san?" He blinked. "Why, no, Asako-san, I believe she's already
gone ahead to the presentation room to prepare. Is there something you would
like me to tell her for you?"
"Er... no thank you, Kirameki-sensei," Asako replied. She bowed politely
and turned after Daisuke. "Kirameki-kun! Wait a moment! You're going the wr-
-" Asako stopped, looking down the hallwayy. Daisuke had obediently paused,
waiting for her. She hurried to catch up. "You're going the right way," she said,
amazed.
"Yes, Kobe-sempai!" Daisuke smiled. "We have to hurry now, so we're
not late." He started off down the hallway again.
Shaking off her bewilderment, Asako hurried to catch up to him.
"Kirameki-kun," she began, "you never go the right way. You always get lost."
"But if I get lost, Kobe-sempai, we can't go to the presentation," Daisuke
said, his eyes going wide. "You don't want to miss it, do you? It's going to be
very exciting!"
"Did your father tell you what it was all about?" Asako asked. "Is that
what he talked about?"
"Oh, no, but I'm just excited anyway," Daisuke replied, practically
skipping through the lobby. "I can't tell you what Father told me, because it's a
secret."
Asako growled and backhanded Daisuke with her school case. "And I'm
not trustworthy enough to hear your secret?" she demanded, making a fist. "I hate
it when people keep secrets from me. So you'd better spill it, or I'll--"
"Hey, go easy on him," someone said from behind them. "He's just a little
guy."
Asako turned to see the strangest-looking fellow standing behind her. His
hair was cut similar to Daisuke's, but his style had two long pieces hung on either
side of his neck. The young man-- probably a senior or university student-- was
wearing a blue jumpsuit that covered everything from his neck to his fingertips
and boot tops. Over the jumpsuit he wore a white cloak, a shorter part covering
his arms, the longer part hanging down past his knees. A silver bracelet hung on
one of his wrists, and silver bolt-like coverings obscured his ears. Between the
bolts, a light purple energy visor shimmered. Attached to the bolts, jutting out
from his head, were small shiny black wings.
"I'm okay," Daisuke replied, and Asako turned back to see that he was
holding her school case in his hands. "I caught it." He smiled. Asako blinked.
Daisuke had never done that before-- she didn't think he was actually ever
coherent enough to think of blocking or dodging her swings.
"You must be Kobe Erika's daughter," the strange man continued, smiling
at Asako. "You wear the same sour look as she does. You shouldn't-- it ruins a
pretty face." Asako grit her teeth. "Cho-chotto!" he protested, as he raised his
hands. "That was a compliment!"
"It wasn't a very good one," Asako declared, swinging her school case at
him. He dodged, leaping easily to one side. It was a good thing, because Daisuke
had been drug along with the swung, as he's stubbornly refused to let go of the
bag. "Kirameki-kun," Asako growled, "why are you _still_ holding on? Let go!"
"But you shouldn't hit people," Daisuke protested. "It's mean, Kobe-
sempai!"
"He's right," the older boy added, nodding sagely. "Especially when I
haven't done anything to you."
"You insulted my mother," Asako told him.
"Then let her come and hit me, Asako-chan." He smiled.
"Don't call me 'Asako-chan'," Asako snarled. "No one calls me 'Asako-
chan'!" She dropped her hold on her school case and jumped at him. The boy
laughed, blocking or dodging all the moves she tried to employ against him.
He ducked a uppercut an blocking a donkey kick. "Asako-chan," he
began, holding her ankle. "You shouldn't kick so high in such a short skirt."
Asako turned a vivid shade of red. The boy lowered her foot, and smoothed his
cloak.
"Karu, we're waiting to begin the demonstration," a brisk female voice
barked. Asako and the young man turned to see a tall woman with wavy red-
brown hair standing in the shadows of the hallway. Her lab coat was buttoned,
concealing her beneath like some sort of gift wrapped in tissue paper. Upon her
feet, she was wearing a pair of elegant but impractical purple stilettos. Her eyes
were concealed behind a pair of dark-tinted glasses. She had a black hat pulled
down over her head.
"Mother," Asako smiled. "I had hoped to see you. I wanted to wish you
good luck with your presentation."
"Karu," Kobe Erika ignored her daughter. "Your tardiness reflects poorly
upon us all. Not to mention this inappropriate behavior towards this civilian."
"Mother?" Asako repeated. "Is everything all right?"
Daisuke suddenly latched onto Asako's arm. "Ne, ne, Kobe-sempai," he
began, sounding a little shaky, "let's go to the presentation room now, okay?"
Asako looked back at him. His gray eyes were wide and the expression on his
face was one of pure fright. "Please, Kobe-sempai?" he tugged on her sleeve.
What was going on? Sure, Daisuke made a point of acting strange-- but
this was too strange for even him. He looked scared to death.
"That would probably be for the best," Karu said, quietly. "After you,
Kobe-sensei."
Dr. Kobe scowled, but turned on her heel and began walking down the
hallway. Karu turned back around, smiling. "If we need a volunteer from the
audience, I'll be sure to ask for you, Asako-chan," he waved and then bounded off
after Dr. Kobe.
Great, Asako scowled. Now she had another creepy guy after her. She
shook her arm, trying to get Daisuke to loosen his deathgrip. "Kirameki-kun," she
hissed, "let go of my arm."
"I'm sorry, Kobe-sempai!" Daisuke wailed, letting go. "Please don't be
mad at me!"
Asako's snappy reply died on her lips. He looked so terribly hurt, more so
than usual, like a puppy that had been kicked. She just sighed. "Come on,
Kirameki-kun," she said, gentler than usual, "let's go to the presentation."'
*
The presentation room was disappointingly empty. Raphael looked
around at the small room where the rest of the students sat. "I don't get it," he
remarked, folding his arms. "Where's the cameras? The reporters filled with
questions? Heck, there isn't anyone else here."
"The broadcast is transmitted to all the media outlets and other interested
parties," the girl beside him said, in a clipped voice. "In Japan there is no need for
Canadian-style press conferences."
"Thank you so much, Halo," he muttered. "How come you know more
than I do?"
"My memory is larger than yours."
"Ah, that would do it."
Raphael scratched his chin. "So, why do you think of Asako and
Daisuke?"
"Daisuke Kirameki disappoints me," Halo replied, in the same clipped
tone. "Asako Kobe may be a threat to national security."
"She is charming, isn't she?" Raphael grinned.
"You are a strange being, Mr. Cross," Halo noted. "I do not advise you to
pursue any relations with Asako Kobe."
"And when exactly did I start taking your advice?" he joked. "You worry
too much, Halo. Asako just needs to warm up to me. Once she sees what a great
guy I am--" He broke off as Asako and Daisuke came into the presentation room.
"Hey, Asako, Daisuke," he waved at them. "Over here, I saved you guys seats!"
Daisuke bounded over and was about to sit down, but then stopped.
"Kobe-sempai," he began, turning to Asako. "Do you want to sit beside Rafu?"
Asako glared at him. "Of course not," she snapped, sitting next to Halo.
Daisuke shrugged and planted himself in the chair next to Raphael. "Did
we miss anything?"
"How could we miss anything?" Asako demanded. "You held your father
up so they couldn't start until after we left."
"I'm sorry, Kobe-sempai," Daisuke replied. "But I wanted to be sure. I'd
hate it if we missed anything."
"Hey, you sound more excited about this," Raphael remarked. "Did your
dad tell you what it was going to be about?"
"Nope," Daisuke shook his head. "I'm just excited!"
"Yes, we noticed." Raphael leaned across Halo to leer at Asako. "What
about you, Asako-chan, are you excited?"
"Tell your creepy boyfriend to leave me alone," Asako said to Halo.
"He's not my boyfriend," Halo replied in her clipped tone.
Daisuke looked over at Halo. "Oh, Rafu-san, when did you get a--"
"If I may have your attention," Kirameki-sensi's voice boomed from the
front of the room, cutting Daisuke off. All taking ceased as the gathered students
turned as one to focus their eyes forward.
Kirameki-sensei stood at the front of the presentation room, before a large
video monitor. "Welcome to Konstruct Industries Laboratory," he announced.
"We're very pleased that you all could be here for our special presentation. I
know you're all very eager to see this development that your funding has led to."
"Who's he talking to?" Daisuke asked, looking around the room.
"The clients watching over the cable feed, you idiot," Asako hissed.
"As you're all aware," Kirameki-sensei continued, "our society has
become increasingly dependent on Konstructs in recent years. We use them for
everything from teaching our children to repairing our vehicles. They provide
cheap, efficient labor and are low maintenance.
"However," he paused, "researchers and developers have grown
increasingly worried about the amount of 'free will' that today's Konstructs are
being given. These groups raise alarming concerns, questions of what would
happen if a Konstruct ever turned renegade and refused to obey its owner. After
all, they are highly advanced robotics and capable of causing great destruction
unless regulated. You all will remember previous government attempts to harness
the power of the Enerobes for military purposes."
Kirameki-sensei paused again, letting this all be absorbed by his unseen
audience. "I have the answer," he announced. "For the past three years Kobe-
sensei and I have been developing a Konstruct retain and disable unit. If you'll
turn your attention to the screen behind me, please."
The screen behind Kirameki-sensei flickered to life. It showed a white-
walled room in which a young man stood. He was dressed in a blue jumpsuit that
completely concealed him from neck to fingertips to boots. Over the jumpsuit he
wore a white cloak, his sleeves showing beneath the shorter waist-length top
piece. Upon one of his wrists he had a large silver bracelet, and silver metal bolts
completely covered his ears. The bolts seemed to be generating the purple energy
visor that covered his eyes. Jutting out from the backs of the bolts were black
wing-shaped pieces.
"Hey," Asako began, "it's that weird guy from the hallway."
"Ladies and Gentleman," Kirameki-sensei smiled. "I present to you the
Kira Kira System."
"The 'Kira Kira' System?" Raphael repeated, groaning. "That's not going
to translate well."
"Wai!" Daisuke wai-ed, applauding with the rest of the class. Halo said
nothing.
"The Kira Kira System is composed of two main units," Kirameki-sensei
continued. "In the Spec Bracelet is the most extensive and complete database of
all registered-- and quite a few illegal-- Konstruct specs, including the complete
files of each of their programs and previous Konstruct placements. This spec
bracelet is capable of identifying a Konstruct and pointing out its weak structural
points. This way, the Konstruct can be disabled quickly with as minimal damage
to it as possible."
"A database of all the known Konstructs in the world?" Raphael whistled.
"That's got to be some micro computer he'd loaded into that spec bracelet. A
pricey little gadget, indeed."
"The spec bracelet works in collaboration with the energy visor to visually
project the design of a Konstruct over it," Kirameki-sensei continued. "The
second component of the Kira Kira System is the neurological-interface."
Raphael sat up straighter. "He's talking about mind messing," he
muttered. "He's going to get himself lynched."
"The Neurological Interface allows the wearer of the Kira Kira System
instant access to the bracelet's database, as well as heightens their senses, reflexes,
and physical strength to the point that they can match the speed, agility and power
of the Konstruct they are assigned to capture."
"He's talking super soldiers," Raphael muttered, looking increasingly
uncomfortable.
"It would be interesting to know who exactly has been financing this little
experiment," Halo remarked, although her usual flat tone seemed to suggest that
she didn't feel it was all that interesting.
"Forget the financiers," Asako jumped in. "Where do you find anyone
stupid enough to put those bolts on their heads?"
"Hey, this is your mother's work, too," Raphael told her. "Shouldn't you
be more supportive?"
"She didn't mention she was reprogramming someone's brain to make it
possible," Asako retorted, glaring.
"Clearly they found a volunteer," Halo remarked, calmly interceding, "or
the young male on the screen wouldn't have the neuro-interface on."
"I'm sure it's perfectly safe," Daisuke remarked, brightly. "There's
probably many safeguards and firewalls to protect his brain from being overload."
"Sure, and if it does melt his cerebrum, those bolts will keep his gray
matter from leaking out his ears." Raphael rolled his eyes. "Daisuke, this is
serious business. There are UN laws against this sort of thing."
"As Karu will demonstrate," Kirameki-sensei was saying. "My colleague,
Dr. Kobe Erika will continue the presentation." He nodded at Asako's mother and
then stepped down from the platform. "I will be monitoring from the observation
room," he told her, as he hurried out a door behind the platform.
Kobe-sensei stepped up to the screen. "Yes," she began, licking her lips.
"The neurological interface is quite the ingenious device. Did you know that by a
subtle reconfiguring of its settings, it allows for the human brain to serve as an
organic Konstruct?"
Kirameki-sensei looked awkward. "Er, Kobe-san--"
"Should a Konstruct upraising every occur," Kobe-sensei continued,
ignoring him, "the Kira Kira System could compromise the safety of the entire
human race."
Raphael and Halo exchanged worried looks. Asako seemed too stunned to
remember how much she loathed the foreigner, as she quickly reached over Halo
to poke Raphael in the knee. "Why is she announcing this?" she demanded.
"She'll have the project shut down!"
Raphael gave Asako a confused look. "Weren't you just complaining to
me about how unethical it was?" he asked. "As I see it, your mother is doing her
duty as a scientist to have this thing stopped while it's still in the developmental
stages. I mean, she probably couldn't overrule Kirameki because he's the project
head, so maybe this is the only option she has."
"I'm confused," Daisuk whispered, trying to join in the conversation. "Is
Kobe-sensei the good guy here or the bad guy doing a good thing to confuse the
good guys?"
"What?" Raphael and Asako asked, blinking in unison.
"That is dependant on how you view the Kira Kira System," Halo
answered Daisuke. "If you support it, despite its questionable methods, then you
would feel Erika Kobe is sabotaging the project. If you do not support the Kira
Kira System, or feel the ethics of its programming should be questioned, then you
would support what Erika Kobe is doing."
Daisuke blinked. "Oh. Well then she is a very bad guy," he announced,
nodding. "Because the Kira Kira System is a good thing."
"You think that because you were told to," Halo replied. "I have been
instructed to consider the System with more suspicion."
"Shhhhhhh!" Nakada-sensei hissed at them, turning in her seat. "You are
being very disrespectful, children. Please listen more carefully to the important
things the honorable Kobe-sensei is saying."
Raphael ignored her. "Look, Daisuke, this is very simple. There are
international laws about the sort of experiments that can be conducted using
humans. It's to protect human rights."
"There is?" Daisuke asked. "Are there ones for Konstructs?"
"Well... no not really," Raphael scratched his cheek. "I suppose there are
standard guidelines about what you can do, but there isn't really anyway to police
them--"
"Which was one of the reasons for the creation of the Kira Kira System,"
Asako interrupted. "It was something that my mother felt was very important to
address."
"Right--"
"Why aren't there laws?" Daisuke asked. "Konstructs should have rights."
Raphael sighed. "That is opening a whole new can of worms."
"Worms come in cans?" Daisuke looked thoroughly confused now.
"No, it's just an ex--"
"Well, what do canned worms have to do with Konstructs?"
"As you can see," Kobe-sensei was saying, "these Konstruct Hackers
create a very dire problem. A skilled hacker could hack into any Konstruct and
reprogram the central command unit." She paused. "Allow me to demonstrate
how simple such an atrocious crime is to perpetrate. Nakada-sensei 31-12-10,
please stand up."
Nakada-sensei got to her feet.
"Nakada-sensei is a Konstruct?" Daisuke asked, stunned.
"No," Asako replied. "She's not..."
"Today, this class' teacher was replaced with a Konstruct duplicate,"
Kobe-sensei explained. "Not only did Nakada-sensei's own students not suspect,
but her family also were unaware of any abnormalities. Do you begin to see the
danger? A well-crafted Konstruct could take the place of a human, and no one
would notice. So how could anyone anticipate the Konstruct's dangerous actions
if it was to be hacked?" She began typing at a keyboard. "Observe how simply it
is done."
"What the hell is she doing?" Raphael exclaimed, jumping to his feet.
"Hey, lady, you can't set a hacked Konstruct loose on a bunch of school kids!"
"Please take your seat," Kobe-sensei replied. "I assure this is all a
carefully controlled demonstration."
"Oh, yeah, that makes me feel a whole lot better," Raphael muttered.
<"Halo,"> he switched to English, <"prepare to initiate counter-hack measures.
This does not sit well with me.">
<"Agreed."> Halo nodded.
Daisuke reached for his school case. "Is something bad going to happen?"
he asked Raphael.
"Hopefully not," Raphael replied.
Daisuke opened up the school case and pulled out a small rectangular
object. "Father was worried that something bad might happen," he announced.
Nakada-sensei turned, violently lurching towards Daisuke. "Traitor!" she
cried, as her hands became metallic claws. Raphael grabbed Asako and pulled
her away as Nakada-sensei's claws crashed into the chairs where they had been
sitting seconds before. Students screamed and began running for the doors.
Shouts of "Nakad-sensei's gone crazy!" and "She's gonna kill us all!" echoed
behind them.
"Kirameki-kun!" Asako shrieked. "Run!"
Daisuke looked at Nakada-sensei with a strangely vacant expression as the
Konstruct raised its claws before him. Panicked shouts came from the other
students. "We're locked in!" someone cried.
"Mother!" Asako cried, turning back to look at Kobe-sensei. "Shut it
down! Kirameki-kun will get hurt." Kobe-sensei said nothing, nor did she touch
the keyboard before her. "Mother!" Asako cried again.
"Halo, the counter-hack," Raphael commanded. "Now!"
"Initiating--" Halo stopped. "Access denied. Konstruct system under
locked program protection."
"Unlock it," Raphael snapped.
"I am afraid I cannot," she said, faintly. "The enerobe has the highest
level of encryption that I have ever come across. I would need additional system
space and hours to crack it."
"Kirameki-kun!" Asako screamed again. "Why are you just standing
there?"
Daisuke made no response. Raphael frowned. "Halo, scratch that
counter-hack on the teacher 'struct," he snapped. "Get those doors open!"
Halo nodded. Within seconds the doors pushed open and the throng of
students could push their way out into the hallways.
"You fool!" Kobe-sensei cried from the platform. "The Konstruct will be
able to leave the room now!"
"I'm not the one who turned a shorted military 'struct onto a bunch of
kids," Raphael snapped.
"It would have been a poor demonstration of the Kira Kira System's
abilities if I had not used a dangerous model," Kobe-sensei replied, adjusting her
hat.
Nakada-sensei knocked Daisuke backwards. The small boy was thrown
into the wall with a crash. He fell to the ground without once showing any
expression.
"Damnit," Raphael hissed, pointing a finger of shame at Kobe-sensei.
"Look, lady, that is a rather pricey little toy you happen to have your 'struct
tossing around."
"Kirameki-kun!" Asako cried, now free of Raphael's hold. She ran
towards where Daisuke lay, only to have Nakada-sensei leap down in her path.
"Asako!" Raphael cried, taking a step forward, but Halo held him back.
Asako froze like a deer in the headlights, as the crazed Konstruct of
Nakada-sensei rose above her, brandishing its claws. She raised her arms up over
her face in a futile attempt to brace for the worst. "Someone, help me!"
*
Mimikku's Fun Happy Filler End Scene!
[A young girl with little devil wings and a devil tail appears on the screen. She is
wearing a red leotard with red high heels and gloves. A little red bowtie is around
her neck. Her hair is pink and her eyes are big and red.]
Mimikku: [waving enthusiastically] Hi, everyone! My name is Mimikku. Oh
boy, Asako sure is in trouble! That mean old Nakada-sensei Konstruct is
going to cut her up into little nasty Asako pieces if someone doesn't do
something fast. KOWAI DA YO! [she puts her hands to cheeks with an
expression of horror on her face] To take your mind off this scary, scary
turn of events, let's have a look at something fun!
[An image of Asako flashes on the screen. She is dressed in her school uniform
and holding her school case.]
Mimikku: [offscreen] Many of you were admiring Asako-chan's lovely kaban.
So let's take a closer look at it!
[A white circle appears around the school case. A little blinking arrow points to
it.]
Mimikku: [offscreen] Asako-chan's kaban is titanium plated, and that makes it
super-super strong! In fact, it might even be indestructible. Wow!
[Circle appears around the handle]
Mimikku: [offscreen] This kaban is so cutting-edge that it even has a biological
imprinting system. That's a big fancy security feature that means no one
but Asako-chan can open it up! Such a cool case is perfect for keeping
your personal computer and school supplies safe and secure from noisy
family members or beating creepy guys like Rafu-san!
Raphael: [offscreen] Hey!
Mimikku: [Offscreen] However, I still prefer the old-fashioned way!
[Image vanishes to show Mimikku smiling cutely as she mallets an approaching
Raphael]
Raphael: @_@!!
Mimikku: ^o^!! That's all for this episode of Kira Kira Karu, but make sure you
tune in next time to see how it all ends up! Kira Kira Karu: Mad Season
2: Off With Their Heads!
[End]
*
Merry Christmas Folks!
Blame Katy for reminding me that I had started this. True, it has nothing to do
with Christmas, but it is some nice fun 'n' easy reading for the winter break. If I
was truly ambitious I would have turned this into the manga that I wanted it to be.
However, I think it's best to wait and see if I can actually get enough of a story to
make it worth reading.
'Kira Kira' means 'sparkly/twinkling/glittering'
'Karu' is the present informal verb tense of 'hunt'
'Kirameki' means 'twinkling'
'Mimikku' is the katakana spelling for 'mimic'
'Rafu' is the katakana spelling for 'rough'.
'Kaasan' means 'mother'
*
draft completed @ 3.02 pm -- 12.6.01
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