1.1 --- /dev/null	Thu Jan 01 00:00:00 1970 +0000
     1.2 +++ b/old/stories/xeno-picnic.txt	Fri Feb 19 20:53:12 2010 -0500
     1.3 @@ -0,0 +1,712 @@
     1.4 +The Shion+KOS-MOS paring is the most debated in the Xenosaga fandom.
     1.5 +I think they were made for each other. No pun intended. 
     1.6 +
     1.7 +The events of this stroy take place betwenn Xenosaga Episode One and
     1.8 +Two. There will be some spoilers for the end of Episode One, and
     1.9 +those who haven't complete that game might be a bit lost in later
    1.10 +chapters. 
    1.11 +
    1.12 +I dont own Xenosaga. I only wish i did. 
    1.13 +
    1.14 +Gerad Dalton is my creation, however. Steal him and die. 
    1.15 +
    1.16 +
    1.17 +Chapter One 
    1.18 +Picnic for Two
    1.19 +By Silvercry
    1.20 +silvercry2000@yahoo.com 
    1.21 +
    1.22 +
    1.23 +...my spirit sleeping somewhere cold, 
    1.24 +until you find it there and lead it back 
    1.25 +home.... 
    1.26 +Bring Me to Life - Evanescence 
    1.27 +
    1.28 +
    1.29 +Allen had his head stuck in the refrigerator in the Elsa's kitchen,
    1.30 +looking for an early morning snack. All he was able to find was
    1.31 +freeze-dried this, frozen that, dehydrated something else. 
    1.32 +
    1.33 +"Aw, man," Allen whined. Don't they have anything quick and easy?
    1.34 +The service bots haven't woke up yet, and I'm hungry now. He heard
    1.35 +the door open behind him, but paid it no mind. 
    1.36 +
    1.37 +"Good morning, Allen," he heard Shion say cheerfully as she entered
    1.38 +the room. 
    1.39 +
    1.40 +"Hey, Chief," Allen replied, his head still buried in the fridge.
    1.41 +"If you're looking for food," he went on, "you're out of luck till
    1.42 +the bots are activated." 
    1.43 +
    1.44 +"Yes, I know," Shion replied. It sounded like she was trying to
    1.45 +suppress a little laugh as she spoke. 
    1.46 +
    1.47 +Wow, she has a cute little laugh, Allen thought. She really should
    1.48 +laugh more often. 
    1.49 +
    1.50 +"Allen," Shion went on, "would you let everyone know that KOS-MOS
    1.51 +and I will be gone for the day?" Her voice was moving through the
    1.52 +room, stopping by the door leading to the main part of the ship. 
    1.53 +
    1.54 +Allen finally pulled his head from the fridge and looked up. "Sure
    1.55 +thing, Chief. Where are you two -- WHOA!" 
    1.56 +
    1.57 +Allen's sudden yell startled Shion, and she nearly dropped the
    1.58 +whicker basket she was carrying. "Allen, be quiet!" Shion said
    1.59 +sharply. "Are you trying to wake the whole ship?" There was a silence
    1.60 +in the kitchen as Allen stared open mouthed at Shion in shock. "You
    1.61 +know, Allen," Shion politely informed him, "It's not nice to stare." 
    1.62 +
    1.63 +Not nice to stare! Allen thought. How could I not? 
    1.64 +
    1.65 +In all the time Allen and Shion had spent working together, he had
    1.66 +only seen he out of uniform a handful of times. Shion was never one
    1.67 +for casual social events; she spent almost all of her time working on
    1.68 +KOS-MOS. She wasn't exactly anti-social, just focused on her project
    1.69 +to the point of neglecting some other aspects of life. She was well
    1.70 +liked though, by her fellow KOS-MOS Project team members and, more
    1.71 +recently, by the unique party they were now apart of. The last time
    1.72 +he saw her out of her uniform was at the private beech at the
    1.73 +Foundation (he nearly had a heart attack when he saw her little black
    1.74 +bikini, he recalled). 
    1.75 +
    1.76 +But there was definitely something different about the way she was
    1.77 +dressed this morning. 
    1.78 +
    1.79 +Her hair was free of its typical braid, framing her face nicely. And
    1.80 +since when did the chief wear make up? Allen thought. A hint of
    1.81 +blush, a touch of lipstick and eye shadow...just what was going on
    1.82 +here? She was wearing a long, light-purple sundress that fell to mid-
    1.83 +calf length. The hem of the dress was purposely uneven, longer in
    1.84 +front and in back than on the sides, where it only reached her knees.
    1.85 +She was wearing a pair of matching sandals, and (much to Allen's
    1.86 +surprise) was even wearing nail polish. She carried a large whicker
    1.87 +picnic basket on one arm. 
    1.88 +
    1.89 +"Allen, my face is up here," Shion reminded him. 
    1.90 +
    1.91 +Allen snapped his head and neck back up so fast, Shion briefly
    1.92 +wondered if there would be any permanent damage. 
    1.93 +
    1.94 +Say something clever, yet indifferent! Allen thought to himself
    1.95 +frantically. He opened his mouth, but all he could manage was, "D-Did
    1.96 +you say something, Chief?" 
    1.97 +
    1.98 +"Honestly, Allen, you act like you've never seen me out of uniform
    1.99 +before," she replied. 
   1.100 +
   1.101 +"Only five or six times," Allen confessed. 
   1.102 +
   1.103 +A small smile crossed Shion's face. "So, you've been keeping count?"
   1.104 +she asked. 
   1.105 +
   1.106 +Allen shook a his head and hands furiously. "NO! I mean, not really.
   1.107 +I mean --what I mean is --" How can I get out of this one? "Um,
   1.108 +wasn't their a message you wanted me to give everyone?" 
   1.109 +
   1.110 +"Yes. KOS-MOS and I will be -- unavailable today. Just let everyone
   1.111 +know if they ask, alright?" Shion repeated. She turned to leave. 
   1.112 +
   1.113 +"Oh, right," Allen remembered, grateful for the change of subject.
   1.114 +"Where are you two headed? Our report to Vector HQ isn't due for
   1.115 +another two weeks." 
   1.116 +
   1.117 +Shion hesitated. "Out," she replied after a moment. "I have this new
   1.118 +EVS I want to load up and --" she stopped abruptly, then simply
   1.119 +repeated: "Out." 
   1.120 +
   1.121 +"Out?" Allen asked, puzzled. 
   1.122 +
   1.123 +"Out," Shion confirmed. She turned sharply, her dress flaring out
   1.124 +around her legs. The door opened, she walked through, and it shut
   1.125 +behind her, leaving Allen to wonder what the heck had just happened. 
   1.126 +
   1.127 +Shion quickly headed to for the elevator, not wanting to bump into
   1.128 +anyone else. When the door shut behind her, and it began to descend,
   1.129 +she released a breath she hadn't realized she was holding. She
   1.130 +glanced at her reflection in the glass of the door before her. Even
   1.131 +though she had spent a lot more time than usual on picking and
   1.132 +dressing in this particular outfit, she was a little surprised by
   1.133 +just how good she looked. A fact, she noted, which was definitely not
   1.134 +lost on Allen. She smiled. She was not what you would call a vain
   1.135 +person, but it was nice to be noticed as a woman once in a while. 
   1.136 +
   1.137 +Problem was, she was noticed by the wrong person. 
   1.138 +
   1.139 +Shion shook her head to clear it as the lift reached its
   1.140 +destination. She exited the lift and proceeded towards her
   1.141 +destination, her mood improving with every step. Past the cargo
   1.142 +elevator, down to the catapult level, and through the AGWS hangar. At
   1.143 +one point she noticed she was skipping, and stopped it immediately.
   1.144 +Get a grip, Shion Uzuki! she scolded herself as she reached the door
   1.145 +to KOS-MOS's room. You're acting like this is a -- 
   1.146 +
   1.147 +The door slid open, and Shion pushed the thought aside, and stepped
   1.148 +into the room. It was a simple room, not much to look at. That is, of
   1.149 +course, if one was to over look the single object in the center.
   1.150 +Shion walked up to and around the black maintenance bed for KOS-MOS,
   1.151 +to see the battle android still 'asleep' with in it. 
   1.152 +
   1.153 +Her regeneration cycle will be over in a few moments, Shion thought
   1.154 +to herself. Guess I'm a little early. She set the basket down near
   1.155 +the foot of the pod, and took a seat on the side of it herself, never
   1.156 +taking her eyes off the sleeping angel inside. An angel of death,
   1.157 +maybe, she thought, recalling all the times she had seen KOS-MOS in
   1.158 +action over the course off the last few days. On the heels of those
   1.159 +memories came images of the several times KOS-MOS had put herself on
   1.160 +the line to defend the Elsa...and Shion specifically. Ok, Shion
   1.161 +thought. Maybe she's a guardian angel. Another memory came to her
   1.162 +then -- a much older one. A thunderstorm, an attack by unknown men,
   1.163 +the premature activation of the original KOS-MOS, and the massacre
   1.164 +that followed. Or perhaps, she added sadly, a fallen angel. 
   1.165 +
   1.166 +KOS-MOS slept on, blissfully unaware for the moment. 
   1.167 +
   1.168 +"Sometimes I wish you could sleep forever," Shion whispered to the
   1.169 +sleeping android. "And others, I can't wait to see you wake up. I
   1.170 +wonder what would you say about that?" She tried to mimic KOS-MOS's
   1.171 +voice and tone then said, "'Shion, your current line of thought is
   1.172 +paradoxical in nature and serves no purpose.' Or something like
   1.173 +that." Shion sighed. "Don't you think I know that?" she whispered. 
   1.174 +
   1.175 +There was no reply from KOS-MOS. Shion continued to stare at the
   1.176 +android's face, waiting patiently for her eyes to open. After a few
   1.177 +moments, her gaze drifted down from her eyes to her mouth. And an
   1.178 +idea suddenly formed in her mind. A crazy idea. 
   1.179 +
   1.180 +What am I thinking? Shion asked herself silently. I can't do that!
   1.181 +But the more she stared at KOS-MOS's lips, the greater the desire
   1.182 +became. Just this one time, she tried to rationalize. She never has
   1.183 +to know! 
   1.184 +
   1.185 +"If I stole one kiss, would you hold it against me?" Shion asked in
   1.186 +a voice to soft to even be called a whisper. It certainly wasn't the
   1.187 +first time she thought about giving her mechanical angel a kiss, but
   1.188 +in the days since the incident at Proto Merkabah, the desire had
   1.189 +grown stronger and stronger. She had come so close to losing her that
   1.190 +day. Twice in fact. Sitting in her cabin that evening, she came to a
   1.191 +startling revelation. 
   1.192 +
   1.193 +She was in love with KOS-MOS. 
   1.194 +
   1.195 +"That's right, KOS-MOS," Shion told the sleeping angel. "I love you.
   1.196 +This is some fix I've got myself in, huh?" she laughed wearily.
   1.197 +"Wonder what everyone would say if they knew? I wonder what Kevin
   1.198 +would say? I wonder what you will say? Would you even understand?" 
   1.199 +
   1.200 +Her lips still looked so inviting, but Shion just couldn't bring
   1.201 +herself to kiss them. If that's going to happen, she decided, it will
   1.202 +happen when she's awake, and only if she's ready -- if she can ever
   1.203 +be ready. Instead, Shion leaned over KOS-MOS's body, her hair
   1.204 +cascading over her shoulders, and gave the woman who had taken her
   1.205 +heart without even trying, a quick, but heartfelt, kiss on the cheek. 
   1.206 +
   1.207 +In a corner of KOS-MOS's mind, a corner so far removed that she
   1.208 +wasn't even aware of its existence, something began to stir. To vague
   1.209 +to be called emotion, to faint to be called a sub-conscious desire.
   1.210 +Not yet important enough to trigger and internal diagnostic scan. But
   1.211 +something was there, was brought to life by a kiss that wasn't
   1.212 +supposed to happen -- yet. And it began to grow. 
   1.213 +
   1.214 +Shion pulled back with a gasp as she felt a twitch of movement from
   1.215 +KOS-MOS's face. Her face was mere inches away when her red eyes
   1.216 +slowly opened and locked with her own. 
   1.217 +
   1.218 +"Good morning, Shion." KOS-MOS greeted her in her even, precise
   1.219 +voice. She took note of Shion's close proximity, and misunderstood
   1.220 +the reason behind it. "My internal chronometer reads 0700 hours,
   1.221 +which was the assigned activation time. Do you require additional
   1.222 +offline time to finish my maintenance checks?" 
   1.223 +
   1.224 +Shion quickly puller her self back up to a sitting position on the
   1.225 +side of the maintenance bed, and turned her head to hide her growing
   1.226 +blush. "That wont be necessary KOS-MOS," she said quickly. "I - um -
   1.227 +had just finished." 
   1.228 +
   1.229 +"Very well," KOS-MOS stated simply, and sat up. She ran her usual
   1.230 +series of start-up diagnostics. Aside from and unexpected minor error
   1.231 +in an otherwise blank section of her OS, all the internal quires came
   1.232 +back green. 
   1.233 +
   1.234 +"All systems are operating within normal parameters," she informed
   1.235 +Shion. 
   1.236 +
   1.237 +Still facing away from her, Shion nodded. "Very good KOS-MOS," she
   1.238 +said carefully, her nerve failing. There was a brief rustle behind
   1.239 +her, followed by the soft *click* of high heels as KOS-MOS landed on
   1.240 +her feet outside the maintenance bed. Shion stood up then and the
   1.241 +upper hatch of the bed lowered and secured itself in place. As she
   1.242 +stood, she faced the battle android, who was staring at her intently.
   1.243 +Shion knew perfectly well that KOS-MOS stared at everything intently,
   1.244 +but today, she found the androids fixed gaze unnerving, and lowered
   1.245 +her gaze to the floor. 
   1.246 +
   1.247 +What was I thinking? Shion scolded herself. This was a bad idea; I
   1.248 +never should have -- 
   1.249 +
   1.250 +"Shion, I am curious as to why I was set to be activated at this
   1.251 +time," KOS-MOS stated. "Judging from your attire and the basket you
   1.252 +have with you, you seem to have plans for some time of leisure
   1.253 +activity, which does not include myself at this time." 
   1.254 +
   1.255 +Shion looked up, meeting her creation's eyes once more. That's as
   1.256 +close to a compliment on my dress as I'm going to get, she realized.
   1.257 +Feeling some of her bravery return, she said, "That's not entirely
   1.258 +true, KOS-MOS. I was actually hoping you would join me for a picnic." 
   1.259 +
   1.260 +KOS-MOS experienced an unexpected data surge from the part of her
   1.261 +Operating System was she had discovered the error this upon waking.
   1.262 +Before she could isolate the problem, the spike was gone. She added
   1.263 +to her error log for later review. 
   1.264 +
   1.265 +"Very well, Shion. I will accompany you," she replied. She turned
   1.266 +and headed for the door, her heels making a very rhythmic click-click
   1.267 +sound on the floor. She was already through the door before Shion
   1.268 +snapped out of her surprise. She picked up the basket, and headed out
   1.269 +the door as well. 
   1.270 +
   1.271 +------------------------------------------ 
   1.272 +
   1.273 +As much as the Federation likes to believe the opposite, there are
   1.274 +parts of known space where they have no power. This was good news for
   1.275 +Gerad Dalton. 
   1.276 +
   1.277 +As he welded the final components of his terminal together, he felt
   1.278 +the urge to cackle like one of those mad-scientist types he often saw
   1.279 +in horror sci-fi holos. He kept the urge in check. Who actually
   1.280 +laughs like that anyway? Besides, he wasn't mad. Furious maybe, but
   1.281 +not mad. 
   1.282 +
   1.283 +It wasn't too long ago that Gerad was a respected and up-incoming
   1.284 +researcher at Vector Industries. He knew the men up top (maybe even
   1.285 +Wilhelm himself!) had their eyes on him as he began to explore more
   1.286 +applications for the UMN, taking what was thought to be an
   1.287 +established, immutable science, and pushing it further. Some even
   1.288 +went as far as to call him a genius. 
   1.289 +
   1.290 +His own personal research was second in priority only to his desire
   1.291 +to rid the universe of the Gnosis. When the KOS-MOS project was
   1.292 +announced, he called in every favor he could to make sure he got the
   1.293 +number two slot, right after project head Kevin. With his reputation
   1.294 +and seniority in the company, he was the obvious choice. 
   1.295 +
   1.296 +Except Kevin chose a complete unknown: an nineteen-year-old named
   1.297 +Shion Uzuki. 
   1.298 +
   1.299 +Gerad wanted to cruse, wanted to scream, wanted to pound his fists
   1.300 +into the wall, but once again, held himself in check. The tiny, one
   1.301 +bedroom shack he lived in on a God-forsaken moon was covered wall to
   1.302 +wall with computer equipment; throwing a tantrum would only damage
   1.303 +something. Crudely wired and looking rather thrown together, a casual
   1.304 +observer would dismiss the mess as trash. It had taken several long
   1.305 +years to assemble, however, and its true power could not be seen by
   1.306 +the naked eye. 
   1.307 +
   1.308 +He called it the Jolly Roger. It was his life's work, nearly
   1.309 +destroyed by her. 
   1.310 +
   1.311 +When Kevin passed him over for that four-eyed wench, he was
   1.312 +devastated. It defied logic, defied reason. By choosing Shion over
   1.313 +him, he basically told him he wasn't good enough. 
   1.314 +
   1.315 +He wasn't good enough? Him, the genius Gerad Dalton?? 
   1.316 +
   1.317 +The Jolly Roger would show him, show her, show Vector, show the
   1.318 +whole damn universe! 
   1.319 +
   1.320 +He was so close the last time, two years ago. His research into the
   1.321 +UMN, combined with Vector's resources, made the Jolly Roger a
   1.322 +reality. His goal: the complete and total control over the entire
   1.323 +Unus Mundus Network. Lets see Shion Uzuki do that. 
   1.324 +
   1.325 +As it turned out, she did one better: she discovered what he was
   1.326 +doing, and reported him before he had the chance to bring the Jolly
   1.327 +Roger on-line. 
   1.328 +
   1.329 +Gerad removed the goggles he had been wearing. His face was tight
   1.330 +and worn, marked with many wrinkles. He was a mere 40 standard years
   1.331 +old, but his run from Federation law and his harsh life on a moon of
   1.332 +the ice planet Vladek has caused him to age horribly. His once neat
   1.333 +black hair was now long and unruly, peppered by streaks of gray. As
   1.334 +he closed of the final section of his super computer, he gave a sigh
   1.335 +of relief, and allowed himself a smile. 
   1.336 +
   1.337 +It was time to hack the entire UMN. 
   1.338 +
   1.339 +Once that was accomplished, he would see about handing out some
   1.340 +payback. 
   1.341 +
   1.342 +------------------------------------------ 
   1.343 +
   1.344 +KOS-MOS eyes darted from Shion's face to the strawberry she was
   1.345 +offering between her thumb and index finger, then back to her face.
   1.346 +She blinked once, then repeated the action. 
   1.347 +
   1.348 +She is so cute when she's confused, Shion thought. 
   1.349 +
   1.350 +"I do not see the point to this action," KOS-MOS informed her
   1.351 +finally. "I do not require foodstuffs to function." 
   1.352 +
   1.353 +"Just try it this once," Shion replied. "I think you might like it." 
   1.354 +
   1.355 +The two women were sitting on a red and white checkered sheet, in
   1.356 +the shade of a large (and probably extinct, Shion thought) tree. This
   1.357 +tree stood in the middle of a large expanse of grass and rolling
   1.358 +hills, extending as far as the eyes could see in any direction. They
   1.359 +sky was a perfect clear blue, with only the occasional whisper of a
   1.360 +cloud here and there. All in all it was the perfect time and place
   1.361 +for a picnic. Not even the red and blue EVS exit portal spinning
   1.362 +silently nearby could shatter the illusion. There was slight breeze
   1.363 +just then, blowing KOS-MOS pale blue hair across her face slightly.
   1.364 +Shion worried about it getting in her eyes for about a second, until
   1.365 +she remembered just who she was sitting with. 
   1.366 +
   1.367 +"Upon swallowing this item," KOS-MOS tried to explain. "It would be
   1.368 +broken down to its basic elements, and consumed by my internal
   1.369 +generator. I would draw no benefit from it. It would be better if you
   1.370 +were to eat it. I insist." 
   1.371 +
   1.372 +Shion felt touched by this comment, even though she knew it was
   1.373 +basic on cold logic and not genuine caring. She'd take what she could
   1.374 +get for now. 
   1.375 +
   1.376 +"KOS-MOS, don't argue." Shion instructed. "Open your mouth." 
   1.377 +
   1.378 +KOS-MOS's lips parted slowly, and Shion felt a slight blush fill her
   1.379 +cheeks. She slowly placed the strawberry in her friends mouth, and
   1.380 +forced herself to tear her eyes away as KOS-MOS bit into it and began
   1.381 +to chew. She quickly activated her Connection Gear that she had been
   1.382 +holding in the other hand, and accessed a program that she had spent
   1.383 +most of the last few weeks working on. Once the screen came up, she
   1.384 +hit the 'Upload Now' option. 
   1.385 +
   1.386 +The data transfer was so fast that even KOS-MOS almost missed it. In
   1.387 +no time at all a new OS sub-routine was downloaded, taking up the
   1.388 +same space where the unknown bug had been detected earlier. That was
   1.389 +the first thing she noticed. 
   1.390 +
   1.391 +The second was an explosion of sensations in her mouth. She had been
   1.392 +chewing the strawberry as instructed, but now she could taste it! It
   1.393 +was sweet and soft and juicy and -- and -- 
   1.394 +
   1.395 +KOS-MOS swallowed. Though her facial expression changed only
   1.396 +slightly, it was a difference Shion was able to notice. 
   1.397 +
   1.398 +"Wow," KOS-MOS said at last. 
   1.399 +
   1.400 +Shion was stunned. "Did you just say 'wow?'" she asked. 
   1.401 +
   1.402 +The moment soon passed, and KOS-MOS was in control again. "I believe
   1.403 +I did," she replied. "Perhaps my linguistic programs are
   1.404 +malfunctioning." 
   1.405 +
   1.406 +Shion sighed and rolled her eyes. "Well, how did you like it?" she
   1.407 +asked. 
   1.408 +
   1.409 +KOS-MOS opened her mouth to respond, then closed it again. After a
   1.410 +few seconds she spoke. "While I do not see how this program will
   1.411 +enhance my abilities as an Anti-Gnosis weapon system, it is a welcome
   1.412 +addition to my operating system." 
   1.413 +
   1.414 +"I meant the strawberry," Shion clarified. 
   1.415 +
   1.416 +"I see," KOS-MOS replied. "I find that I rather enjoyed it. Thank
   1.417 +you for sharing it with me." 
   1.418 +
   1.419 +Shion felt her heart beat just a little faster, and a new blush
   1.420 +spread across her cheeks. What am I, fourteen? she thought. She was
   1.421 +just being polite, stop reading into it! 
   1.422 +
   1.423 +"Shion, in the last several hours, I have noticed several abrupt and
   1.424 +dramatic changes in your heartbeat, respiration rate, and body
   1.425 +temperature," KOS-MOS informed her. "I am concerned about your
   1.426 +health. Perhaps you should consult a physician." 
   1.427 +
   1.428 +"How every perceptive of you, KOS-MOS," Shion said with a little
   1.429 +laugh. "I'll be alright, though. It's nothing." 
   1.430 +
   1.431 +"Are you certain?" KOS-MOS asked. 
   1.432 +
   1.433 +Shion looked away, staring off into the sky for a moment. She
   1.434 +sighed. "If I didn't know better," she said quietly, "I would think
   1.435 +you actually cared." 
   1.436 +
   1.437 +KOS-MOS turned her own gaze upward, scanning for whatever Shion was
   1.438 +looking at. "I do not wish for you to be unwell," she said 
   1.439 +
   1.440 +"Of course not," Shion said sadly. "After all, I'm your Primary
   1.441 +Directive." 
   1.442 +
   1.443 +KOS-MOS identified the tone of Shion's voice as what one might sound
   1.444 +like if the were unhappy or distressed. Unsure of how to respond to
   1.445 +such a situation, she decided to merely relate the facts of the
   1.446 +matter. It was what she did best after all. 
   1.447 +
   1.448 +"The Primary Directive of which you speak directs my action in time
   1.449 +of crisis. In such situations, I am to safeguard all Vector
   1.450 +personnel, especially you," she explained. "My current desire to
   1.451 +ensure you are well is --," she paused here, momentarily surprised by
   1.452 +what she was about to say. " - my own," she finished. "I -- just want
   1.453 +you to be alright." 
   1.454 +
   1.455 +Shion turned her head to look at the android, who was still staring
   1.456 +into the sky. She hadn't been expecting that response. She wasn't
   1.457 +sure what to say. 
   1.458 +
   1.459 +"Would you like another strawberry?" she asked awkwardly. Where did
   1.460 +that come from, Uzuki? she thought. KOS-MOS just performed the
   1.461 +android equivalent of pouring her heart out, and all you can do is
   1.462 +ask if she wants another strawberry?? 
   1.463 +
   1.464 +"I would like that very much, Shion," she replied, still staring off
   1.465 +into the sky. 
   1.466 +
   1.467 +--------------------------------- 
   1.468 +
   1.469 +On board the Elsa, MOMO watched the scene transpire on the UMN
   1.470 +screen near the bridge. In her hurry, Shion had neglected to activate
   1.471 +a privacy screen, and MOMO just happened upon it while on her way to
   1.472 +the UMN store terminal. 
   1.473 +
   1.474 +"Wow, Shion is so pretty in that dress!" she said to herself as she
   1.475 +watched them converse on the screen. Of course KOS-MOS is pretty
   1.476 +too...I wonder if she ever gets tired of wearing the same outfit? she
   1.477 +added silently. Then she remembered just who she was taking about and
   1.478 +decided that the android probably never gave it a second thought. 
   1.479 +
   1.480 +As she watched, Shion reached out with her foot, snagged the picnic
   1.481 +basket, and pulled it towards them. KOS-MOS watched her do this, and
   1.482 +said something to her. There was no sound , but it was easy enough
   1.483 +for MOMO to read their lips. 
   1.484 +
   1.485 +"It would have been easier to use your hands, Shion," KOS-MOS was
   1.486 +saying. 
   1.487 +
   1.488 +"But not as much fun!" Shion replied. MOMO giggled at that; she had
   1.489 +a point there. 
   1.490 +
   1.491 +"Fun is a wasted use of resources." KOS-MOS informed her creator. 
   1.492 +
   1.493 +Shion surprised MOMO by sticking her tongue out at KOS-MOS,
   1.494 +effectively teasing a machine capable of destroying a planet some
   1.495 +day. 
   1.496 +
   1.497 +"You still want these strawberries or not?" Shion asked. KOS-MOS
   1.498 +nodded. "All right, then," Shion stated. She reached into the basket,
   1.499 +and pulled out one strawberries. She held it between her thumb and
   1.500 +index figure, and guided it to KOS-MOS's mouth. The android slowly
   1.501 +opened her mouth and bit into the fruit carefully. She closed her
   1.502 +eyes as the taste of the simple piece of fruit washed over her. 
   1.503 +
   1.504 +MOMO noticed the blush in Shion's cheeks. 
   1.505 +
   1.506 +She also noticed the serene expression of genuine enjoyment on KOS-
   1.507 +MOS's face. 
   1.508 +
   1.509 +She started to feel a little awkward herself. Just what is happening
   1.510 +here? she wondered. What are they doing? She was beginning to think
   1.511 +she should quit watching, when Fate decided the matter for her. 
   1.512 +
   1.513 +The Elsa, which had been cruising through hyperspace at an even
   1.514 +clip, was suddenly thrown violently back into real space so abruptly
   1.515 +that she fell to the floor with a small yelp of surprise. She banged
   1.516 +her head against the UMN terminal, and saw stars for a few moments
   1.517 +before rising to her feet and heading for the bridge. She took a few
   1.518 +steps, then remembered that her friends were still in the EVS, and
   1.519 +hit communication button on the terminal to let them know what was
   1.520 +going on. 
   1.521 +
   1.522 +"Hey, Shion, KOS-MOS, I think you better get back. Something seems
   1.523 +to be --" 
   1.524 +
   1.525 +MOMO stopped speaking when she noticed that neither of the two women
   1.526 +could hear her. They continued their meal, oblivious to what was
   1.527 +going on in the real world. She quickly keyed in a few more commands
   1.528 +to the computer to discover the problem when the screen went blank
   1.529 +suddenly. After a few moments, it winked back on. 
   1.530 +
   1.531 +MOMO took one look at it. "Uh-oh," she said. Then she turned and ran
   1.532 +to the bridge. 
   1.533 +
   1.534 +On the UMN screen, there was a rotating gray and black image of the
   1.535 +skull and crossbones. 
   1.536 +
   1.537 +--------------------------------- 
   1.538 +
   1.539 +After feeding KOS-MOS nearly every piece of fruit that she had
   1.540 +brought with her (and having quite a bit of food herself) Shion began
   1.541 +to feel a little better, and very, very tired. 
   1.542 +
   1.543 +"Perhaps we should return now," KOS-MOS suggested. 
   1.544 +
   1.545 +"Not yet," Shion sighed wistfully. Once again, they sat side by
   1.546 +side, backs against the tree, staring out over the horizon. Shion
   1.547 +tapped a few commands into her computer, and suddenly it was sunset.
   1.548 +The bright oranges, reds and yellows slowly receding away from the
   1.549 +backdrop of twilight was breathtaking. 
   1.550 +
   1.551 +"It's beautiful, don't you think, KOS-MOS?" Shion asked, even though
   1.552 +she new the android thought no such thing. 
   1.553 +
   1.554 +"It is a unique sight for one who has spent their entire existence
   1.555 +in space," KOS-MOS agreed. 
   1.556 +
   1.557 +Shion leaned her head on the friend's shoulder. This really has been
   1.558 +a perfect day, Shion thought. Pleasant conversation, opening her mind
   1.559 +to new experiences, and just being together without having to worry
   1.560 +about the Zohar or the Gnosis or Albedo. I should really end it on
   1.561 +this note. 
   1.562 +
   1.563 +"What do think of me, KOS-MOS?" The question was out of her mouth
   1.564 +before she could stop it. 
   1.565 +
   1.566 +"You are Shion Uzuki, head of Vector Industries First R&D Division's
   1.567 +KOS-MOS project. You designed me," KOS-MOS replied. 
   1.568 +
   1.569 +"Forget I asked," Shion said quickly. 
   1.570 +
   1.571 +There was a pause of several minutes as the sun continued to set on
   1.572 +the two women. Shion felt her self grow more and more drowsy. She
   1.573 +felt so relaxed where she was, so safe, so happy. For the next few
   1.574 +minutes, she decided, I'm not going to think. Just be here with KOS-
   1.575 +MOS. I'll worry about what that means later. 
   1.576 +
   1.577 +KOS-MOS's mind, on the other hand, was spinning. Things seemed to
   1.578 +fall into place for her all of sudden. Every moment she had ever
   1.579 +spent with Shion since she was activated came back to her in an
   1.580 +instant. When she was upset with her, when she spoke with her, when
   1.581 +she tried to keep her from doing things she had to do. Lastly, the
   1.582 +utter terror and desperation in her voice aboard Proto Merkabah. 
   1.583 +
   1.584 +("You'd better come back, KOS-MOS! You'd better!) 
   1.585 +
   1.586 +Realization dawned on the android at once. The area of her mind now
   1.587 +occupied by the new taste program cheered silently at this
   1.588 +realization...but it was still to faint to be noticed. For now. 
   1.589 +
   1.590 +"Shion," KOS-MOS spoke suddenly, startling the young scientist. "I
   1.591 +believe I have come to a realization." 
   1.592 +
   1.593 +"What is it, KOS-MOS?" Shion asked. She felt her eyelids growing
   1.594 +heavy, and she was looking forward to falling asleep right where she
   1.595 +was. 
   1.596 +
   1.597 +"You are in love with me," KOS-MOS stated simply. 
   1.598 +
   1.599 +Shion was suddenly wide awake. She sat up quickly just as KOS-MOS
   1.600 +turned her head to face her. 
   1.601 +
   1.602 +"Do not deny it, Shion," KOS-MOS went on. "Careful examination of
   1.603 +your actions since the time of my activation proves this fact. What
   1.604 +we must now do is discuss what we shall do about it." 
   1.605 +
   1.606 +"You make it sound like this a problem to be 'dealt with' and
   1.607 +disposed off," Shion said, a little angrily. Not at KOS-MOS, but at
   1.608 +herself for being so obvious when she had thought she was keeping it
   1.609 +to herself. "Emotions are more complicated than that." 
   1.610 +
   1.611 +"I am aware of this, even if I do not understand them completely,"
   1.612 +KOS-MOS responded. "If you follow that fact to its logical
   1.613 +conclusion, you realize that I can never fully understand your
   1.614 +feelings for me, and therefore can never return them. This may be
   1.615 +acceptable for you now, as this 'date' indicates --" 
   1.616 +
   1.617 +"This is not a date!" Shion insisted, but her protest sounded hollow
   1.618 +even to her own ears. 
   1.619 +
   1.620 +" -- but eventually I will become a cause of great emotional stress
   1.621 +and pain for you." The android stood up. Without looking at Shion,
   1.622 +she continued. "The best course of action would be for me to remove
   1.623 +myself from your life as soon as possible." Shion began to protest,
   1.624 +but KOS-MOS talked over her. "I realize that my sudden departure will
   1.625 +hurt you, but I believe that it will be far better if I hurt you a
   1.626 +small amount now, compared to the great amount I will harm you later
   1.627 +by staying. In addition, the time has come for me to be turned over
   1.628 +to the Second Division, and begin mass production and field testing.
   1.629 +Good bye, Shion." She began to walk to the exit portal. 
   1.630 +
   1.631 +"Just you wait a minute, KOS-MOS!" Shion called after her. She
   1.632 +jumped to her feet as well. "You can't just leave like this!" 
   1.633 +
   1.634 +KOS-MOS continued walking. "That is precisely what I am doing. After
   1.635 +careful consideration, I have decided this will be the best course of
   1.636 +action." 
   1.637 +
   1.638 +Shion forced herself not to panic, even though she could feel the
   1.639 +same sense of dread fill her chest that she felt at Proto Merkabah.
   1.640 +She tried to keep her voice even (and failed) as she spoke. "Don't
   1.641 +leave me," she said quietly. 
   1.642 +
   1.643 +KOS-MOS stopped walking. She turned her head slightly to one side.
   1.644 +Shion could almost make out the profile of her face. She was looking
   1.645 +toward the ground. In that pose, as her ruby-red eyes blinked slowly
   1.646 +twice, she almost looked -- sad. 
   1.647 +
   1.648 +"I do not wish to hurt you, Shion. If I remain with you, I will do
   1.649 +so more than if I were to leave now," she said. 
   1.650 +
   1.651 +"Is that really what you want, KOS-MOS?" Shion asked her. 
   1.652 +
   1.653 +KOS-MOS opened her mouth to say 'affirmative', but found she
   1.654 +couldn't. She was experiencing an error in her verbal skill
   1.655 +programming. She quickly ran an internal diagnostic, to find the
   1.656 +error source was coming from the same place as before. 
   1.657 +
   1.658 +"No," she found herself saying. 
   1.659 +
   1.660 +Shion held her hand out to the android. "Then don't go," she said. 
   1.661 +
   1.662 +"Are you two serious?" a new voice called suddenly from the upper
   1.663 +branches of the tree. "Kevin passed me up for you? A child, little
   1.664 +girl who's so foolish that she'd fall in love with a weapon?" 
   1.665 +
   1.666 +Startled, Shion spun around and looked up. In an instant, KOS-MOS
   1.667 +was beside her, her right hand hovering over her holster. "Identify
   1.668 +yourself!" KOS-MOS demanded. This was only the second time in her
   1.669 +life that someone was able to sneak up on her, and she wasn't happy
   1.670 +about it. It didn't occur to her just then the fact she was angry
   1.671 +should have been impossible. 
   1.672 +
   1.673 +Standing quite easily on a tree branch which was actually thinner
   1.674 +than his feet, stood a man in a black and gray Vector uniform. Over
   1.675 +his right breast pocket however, was the image of the skull and
   1.676 +crossbones. 
   1.677 +
   1.678 +Shion noticed this, and her eyes went wide. "Dalton?" she asked. 
   1.679 +
   1.680 +"Ah, Ms. Uzuki!" Gerad replied. He brought both hands over his heart
   1.681 +in a gesture of mock happiness. "You remember me! I can't help but be
   1.682 +touched!" The smile vanished from his face, and his tone became as
   1.683 +serious as a heart attack. "I, of course, remember you." 
   1.684 +
   1.685 +"You know this person, Shion?" KOS-MOS asked. She attempted to use
   1.686 +her internal UMN link to access Vector personnel files for a Gerad
   1.687 +Dalton, but was unable to log on. Another internal error? she
   1.688 +wondered. 
   1.689 +
   1.690 +"I don't know how you got here, Gerad, but you can rest assured once
   1.691 +we get back, I'll be sure to report you! The Federation has been
   1.692 +looking for you for a long time!" 
   1.693 +
   1.694 +" 'We?' " Gerad asked. "What, do you have a mouse in your pocket?" 
   1.695 +
   1.696 +"Just what is that supposed to mean, Gerad?" Shion yelled back. "I
   1.697 +was talking about myself and KOS-MOS!" 
   1.698 +
   1.699 +"Oh yes, the weapon," Gerad said as though he was noticing the
   1.700 +battle android for the first time. "It could pose a problem. Lets
   1.701 +take care of that now, shall we?" 
   1.702 +
   1.703 +Gerad quickly pointed toward the two women. At the same time, KOS-
   1.704 +MOS detected a sudden energy surge coming from his body, and drew her
   1.705 +blaster. A jagged bolt of blue-white energy sprang from his
   1.706 +fingertips. Simultaneously, KOS-MOS shoved Shion down out of the way
   1.707 +with her left hand and fired with her right. 
   1.708 +
   1.709 +The two blasts met in mid-air and exploded, the force of the
   1.710 +explosion pushing Shion along the ground about five feet, and
   1.711 +flooding the artificial evening with light. When her vision cleared,
   1.712 +she noticed neither Gerad nor KOS-MOS had budged an inch. 
   1.713 +
   1.714 +"Well, well, well," Gerad said with honest surprise. "This should be
   1.715 +fun."
   1.716 \ No newline at end of file