Chapter — 2
In the end, Ichiro didn't show up. Miyo had gotten a call from him, her cybernetic eyes glowing silver as she subvocalized with a fresh scowl marring her features.
As the silver faded from her irises and they returned to emerald green, she sighed heavily, looking exhausted.
"Ichiro still has work to do and won't be coming. Apparently, some goons made a fuss, and now he and his friends have to go and settle matters." Miyo said, sounding frustrated.
Rei didn't mind it so much since, from what she remembered, her elder brother could be a bit of a prick and was mostly absent from their lives after they had gained a stable footing in the Cyber Fang gang. She was exhausted by this day's ordeal and could use some time to think.
That, apparently, was not going to happen in the hospital.
Dr. Holson cleared his throat and looked at Miyo, "If no one else is coming, perhaps we should settle the patient's discharge fees and paperwork? Or would you prefer to do this another day when Mr. Takeda is free?"
Miyo looked from the doctor to Rei, her eyes uncertain.
Dr. Holson, seeing her uncertainty, struck like a viper, "The costs of keeping her in the hospital now that she's awake aren't insignificant, but we can add that to the tally when she's eventually discharged if you have the capital for it." He looked at Miyo with barely hidden disdain under the placid mask.
Rei saw her elder sister let out an almost silent sigh before nodding, "I'll take care of it today," she looked back at Rei, "Ichiro can visit us at the apartment when he's free."
Rei could only nod, not knowing what to say. She had vague memories of her and Miyo's financial situation, and though it hadn't been the best, it had at least been stable.
How much has it cost them to keep me in the hospital? Are we utterly broke?
Miyo left with the doctor to settle the digital paperwork and payments, and Rei was left in her room to brood over matters. She'd prefer to get back to sleep, feeling utterly exhausted by everything, but needing to stay awake, her mind couldn't help but whirl.
***
After Miyo had returned alone with a flimsy-looking wheelchair, she'd helped Rei into it with little effort, commenting on how thin and light she felt.
Rei was less concerned about her physical state and honestly surprised to see any muscle left on her bones. Even though she felt weaker than a kitten — her limbs more noodles than working appendages — she'd been expecting to look like a skeleton after such a lengthy coma and whatever process the nanites had put her through.
The pros of future medicine, I suppose. Perhaps I even helped create some of it as an AI. Or at least the precursor medical technology.
It was an interesting thought that Rei pondered over as she was moved out of the recovery room.
As Miyo wheeled her through the vast hospital, the drowsy, now discharged Rei couldn't help but gawk at all the people and technology on display.
It was the little things that tugged on her tired mind the most: Pristine and worn cybernetic implants with different textures and colors replacing appendages; exposed panels of gleaming or muted metal in various colors and patterns showing beneath unfamiliar clothing fashions; eyes, their vibrant colors flashing a swirling silver and gold intermittently as they took on a vacant expression.
It all left a big impression on Rei.
Sure, she'd seen Miyo's and the doctor's implants. Through her few newly gained memories, she'd caught glimpses of the wonders transhumanism had brought to the world. But it wasn't until she saw it fully for herself, wheeled by her elder sister through the throngs of people of varying ethnicities, cleanliness, and health, that it truly sank in.
I want that. I want it all.
The thought struck her like a bell, and she couldn't help but grin as she pondered it. Rei had thought she'd already traveled the road to transhumanism to its limit when she'd been digitized and become an AI with unfathomable mental prowess.
But that was only one side of the coin, wasn't it? Nearly unlimited mental abilities but no physical capabilities to speak of. Now though...
With the transfer of her digital consciousness into a biological housing, her mental faculties had sadly been severely restricted to what a human brain could support. There was no helping it for the moment, though, and Rei was neither sad nor angry at the loss. Instead, she was excited about what the future could bring.
Even if my mind never reaches the nearly god-like capability of the past, I can make my body a machine. A machine of equal parts purpose and function, of beauty. I can strive for perfection.
The thought accompanied her for the rest of the trip through the vast hospital.
***
Sitting in the backseat next to Miyo, Rei gazed upon the world with fascination as the driverless, autonomous cab sped along a skyway — one of the many highways that crossed between skyscrapers far above ground level — through Tokyo.
She remembered how Tokyo had looked in 2040 through videos on the internet, even though she'd never been there in person as Agnes. The future was much different.
The cab they'd taken directly from the hospital's indoor garage hadn't moved through the streets before taking to the skyway, instead driving up a ramp set directly into the side of Megabuilding G3 on the hospital's level. It had left Rei with no clear sight of what the seemingly busy streets looked like from up close, but from what she could remember and see from above, the cultural landscape had utterly transformed.
The typical Japanese aspects of Tokyo she would have expected seemed mostly absent, and the forest of futuristic skyscrapers made from glass and steel blocked vision further than a few kilometers in every direction.
The city was covered in holographic billboards and advertisements — all displayed in English. She hadn't noticed it in the hospital, but, thinking back, she remembered that everything there was also written in English.
I know English was the most widespread language in 2040, even if it didn't have the most native speakers. But why has it completely overtaken a country with such a firm cultural identity as Japan?
Rei was honestly confused. Not much in her more recent fragmented memories explained why this was, only that it was. She nearly asked Miyo about it but thought better of it as she caught Miyo looking at her with a slight smile curling her lips.
There's no need to make her worry about my partial amnesia any more than she has to. I bet I can find whatever answers I need from browsing the net.
She went back to looking out over the city, amazed that despite the incredible speed of every vehicle on the skyway, the lines of skyscrapers seemed never-ending. Between the towering pillars of civilization, she spotted flying vehicles. Some looked like they were made for luxury, while others looked like either personnel or cargo transports.
She also spotted what looked like a futuristic tram hanging from a rail as it passed over the skyway just ahead of them, the tram and its rail snaking away between the megacity's buildings.
It was not night yet, but the approaching dusk, coupled with the less-than-stellar air quality, made the contrast between the hologram-filled upper reaches of the skyline and below quite stark. Circling the skyscrapers were advertisements, corporate logos, and more aesthetic-focused holograms in subdued yet elegant color schemes, while below was a riot of neon.
She couldn't quite see what lay below that created such a spectacle. Tidbits gleaned from memories and what her imagination conjured up suggested bars, restaurants, markets, gunshops, and casinos. She wasn't sure how accurate that description was, but it excited her to see for herself.
After no more than a quarter-hour, the sleek and futuristic cab of gleaming chrome with no apparent windows — as viewed from the outside — gently moved onto a descending ramp before decelerating. Rei had been confused about how the interior seemed to have windows nonetheless but chalked it up to cameras and displays. It seemed the most logical answer.
"Have we already arrived?" Rei had been too mesmerized by the view and stuck in her thoughts to recognize the passage of time.
Miyo nodded before shaking her head lightly, "It's not far now. Perhaps five minutes until we reach the apartment." Moving her gaze from Rei, she spoke to thin air, "Cab, how long until arrival?"
A feminine and smooth voice Rei had heard when Miyo set their destination spoke up from seemingly all around: "Approximately four minutes and thirty seconds until arrival at Zone 8 AC #2032, dear customer."
I remember it mentioning Zone 8. Is that just an area of Tokyo or something? And 'AC' feels like an acronym for apartment complex. Are there really over two thousand apartment complexes in just Zone 8? Isn't that a bit crazy?
"There you go," Miyo said, looking back at Rei. Her slight, seemingly perpetual smile faded, "You really don't remember, do you, Imouto?"
The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.
The Japanese forms of address felt somewhat odd when confronted by the vastly different Tokyo, but Rei didn't feel uncomfortable with it. She wasn't sure if she would be using them herself, though, as they didn't come as naturally to her as they did in her memories.
Refocusing, she tried to remember as she answered, "No, not really. I can remember what the apartment looks like, somewhat, but the area around it, especially the maze of roads and streets, is too fuzzy."
Seeing Miyo's downcast expression, she hastily added, "It might come back with time, though!"
Miyo nodded and tried to force a smile. It didn't look genuine at all.
***
The tiny black-furred cat with yellow eyes glared suspiciously at Rei as Miyo wheeled her into their apartment's living room. It sat on the long couch next to the coffee table and holographic display that served as the room's centerpiece. It had evidently been snoozing before their sudden and — in the felines' eyes — rude intrusion.
"That's Sally," Miyo said from behind Rei. "Sally, you know Rei already. Don't look at her so suspiciously," her tone was rife with exasperation.
Rei, though, barely heard a word of it as a single thought repeated in her mind like a broken record.
She's so tiny!
The cat, Sally, hissed at Rei as if she could read her thoughts before slinking into a side room like a shadow, not missing the chance to knock an empty paper cup to the floor from the coffee table in her passing.
"YOU!" Miyo growled at the retreating shadow before sighing.
Now bereft of the vision of the adorable, kitten-sized cat, Rei woke up from her stupor at the outburst. She looked around at the rest of the apartment with curiosity as Miyo wheeled her further in. Behind them, the door into the claustrophobic and trash-littered corridors slid sideways before closing with a beep and a click.
The apartment had the futuristic vibe she'd come to expect from her scattered memories. Faux-wood flooring, matte-gray polished plasteel walls, glass tables, and faux-leather chairs — all with lots of metal embellishments framing the different materials and somewhat bringing them together.
There were also some typical Japanese-style pieces, like a paper and faux-wood divider hiding a kitchenette in one of the corners of the living room. Or, the three cushions on the floor surrounding what had to be the glass dining table where someone was obviously meant to sit on their knees to partake.
There were more decorations, such as vases and a few paintings of what looked like branches or rivers depicted artistically, though none seemed especially fancy. It was more likely that they were mass-produced ornaments rather than handcrafted masterpieces.
I'd gathered that we're not that well off currently when it comes to credits, but all the same...
Rei couldn't help but be slightly impressed by how homely and warm the living room felt. It may just have been bleed-through from the garbled memories, giving it a rose-taint sheen. She was nonetheless impressed that the mostly sterile base of the apartment didn't feel like a prison cell or hospital room — even if the walls weren't white.
Perhaps it isn't just the decorations that make it feel the way it does.
She'd noticed the numerous smudges, dints, dents, nicks, and grooves marring the materials throughout the apartment.
It could very well just be that all the tiny imperfections make it feel lived in.
"Anyway!" Miyo chirped, snapping Rei back from her introspections, "Welcome home, Imouto. Did it jog your memory, perhaps? Is that why you've been staring around with such interest?"
Rei thought about lying and telling Miyo what she obviously wanted to hear for a split second before ignoring the impulse. It might have temporarily made her elder sister feel better, but eventually, it would just come back to bite her. Instead, she shook her head slightly.
"No, not really. I mean, some of it feels familiar, and some doesn't. I can't remember that plant, for example," Rei pointed to one of the vases with a blue motif, where a few green stalks with leaves shot up from behind the brim.
It was one of the many things that felt unfamiliar to her, but she picked one randomly to make her point. To her surprise, though, Miyo smiled — perhaps a little sadly.
"That isn't strange. I got it for Sally a couple of months after, well, you know..." She looked away from Rei, her eyes drifting toward the room where the cat had disappeared, "It's supposed to be catnip, at least from what the vendor told me, but I think I might have been scammed because Sally has no interest in it. I planted it in the vase after that."
"I can't believe someone would scam people with fake catnip. That sounds ridiculous." Rei eyed her with a tiny bit of incredulity.
Miyo smiled and shrugged, "Perhaps I wasn't scammed, and it's just Sally who's up to her usual weirdness. You know what she's like."
At Rei's slightly confused look, Miyo's expression fell once again before she hid her emotions — not swiftly enough for Rei to miss, though.
Rei felt tired from the day's events and the mental navigation needed to keep up with Miyo's rapid mood swings, so she unconsciously yawned. She tried to cover her mouth but failed, her arm barely getting halfway to her mouth while trembling.
Fuck, I'm weak.
"Oh! Sorry, Imouto. I completely forgot how tired you must be. I'll help you get to bed, and we can talk more tomorrow. How does that sound?"
Rei merely nodded, feeling her eyelids already drooping at the mention of a bed.
Miyo needed no more prodding from her younger sibling and swiftly but gently wheeled her toward the door opposite where Sally had disappeared. After opening and moving them through the door, Rei witnessed what she guessed was her own room.
Immediately, Rei's head burst with a headache so intense that she nearly let out a groan. No matter where she looked, be it the black single bed in the corner, the desk littered with disassembled electronics, the wardrobe at the wall facing the bed, or the various cybernetics advertisements that hung like posters, it all made countless fragments of incomprehensible memories flash like static in her mind's eye.
It was too much, and she was too tired. She closed her eyes and breathed, trying to hide her reaction from Miyo as she wheeled her closer to the bed.
Then, without looking at anything in particular, she let herself be moved from the flimsy wheelchair onto the bed, murmuring a quiet thanks.
"It's no problem, Imouto," Miyo said confidently, "Just call on me if you need anything."
After saying good night and planting a kiss on Rei's forehead, Miyo left. She closed the door behind her but left a small gap that let in a ray of light from the living room.
Rei lay there on her back, staring at the unfamiliar and, at the same time, familiar ceiling. She'd never been able to sleep comfortably on her back like some lunatics could; therefore, after a lot of strenuous shuffling, she managed to shift herself to lie sideways.
While doing so, she came face to face with something that made her mind go blank. It was so familiar to her that no matter how damaged her memories were, there was no way she'd forget about it.
It was a small, worn, red panda plush, a gift from her parents when she was too young to speak. Its glossy, albeit scratched, eyes stared innocently, and the adorable mouth held that familiar tiny smile that Rei always thought was so cute.
"Mr. Nibbles," Rei murmured, her frail arms snaking around the soft animal as she brought it close to her chest in as crushing a grip as her weak body could manage.
As the comfort brought by the familiar feeling of hugging her best friend to her chest lulled her to sleep, she didn't even notice the sudden intrusion into her consciousness — too far gone into dreamland in too short a time.
「Sleep and save your current progress?
(Ye-{ERROR})」
「Samurai System:
Reconfiguring…
Reconfiguration Complete」
「Would you like to sleep?
(Yes / No)」
***
Fragmented memory flashback
"Give. Him. Back." Rei stated coldly, her eyes deadly serious.
The leader of the three older boys — or thugs, really — smirked as he tossed Mr. Nibbles up and down with one hand, his cronies snickering in petty delight. None of them seemed to care that they were bullying a younger girl after having cornered her in a reclusive corner of an often abandoned alleyway.
And the only witnesses took off as soon as they jumped me, the cowards. At least squeaks know what's good for them, unlike me.
Rei had been minding her own business on her way home to their temporary shelter after a day of unsuccessful food scavenging. Like most days, she'd only managed to find enough to fill her own belly, with a little extra tucked away in her pockets.
Splitting up to scavenge was a lot less safe, but the truth was that they'd starve without covering more ground in their search — something they'd come to realize after their first month in the dark and filthy back alleys of Tokyo.
Miyo had initially been firmly against splitting up for scavenging, but Ichiro's arguments and their rumbling stomachs quickly put aside all other concerns.
Rei hadn't wanted to drag her siblings down. She was still afraid of going alone and had hence taken Mr. Nibbles with her on each outing. She took strength from her silent but stoic best friend. He didn't even need any of the food she found, making him an excellent partner in the operation.
And now, almost a year later, it had all come back to bite her.
Living like rats on the street had forced the young girl to grow up quickly, and as tragic and disgusting as it was, Rei knew more or less what the looks in the trio's eyes meant for her immediate future. She'd seen it before, but luckily, neither she nor her siblings had suffered that fate yet.
The sisters' starved, dirty, and ragged appearances had kept most predators at bay, and they'd knowingly kept themselves as disheveled as possible, as per Ichiro's suggestion. He himself had his gun to rely on, so there was less need for such worries.
After all this time, Rei was quite adept at running away from other street rats. They often sought to steal her scavenged food, and she thought she could slip away from this encounter as well had it not been for one major issue.
I can't let them have Mr. Nibbles. I refuse!
She knew there was no point in arguing or pleading as the boys grew closer, but she also knew she couldn't just run away. It wasn't logical. It was, in fact, both stupid and incredibly foolish. But there was nothing for it. She was not willing to give up her favorite and only remaining keepsake from her loving parents — a comfort from a life that, by that point, felt more like a pleasant dream than a real memory.
Especially not to these... Scum.
The boys were practically breathing down her neck by this point, and as her eyes hardened, she whipped out her pocket knife and stabbed the lead boy right in the stomach, just below the navel. Her strength was meager, but the boy's thin, ragged cloth tunic tore as easily as paper. His skin and tissue fared no better, the knife sinking to its hilt into the shocked boy's flesh.
His two cronies seemed too stupefied to even react as their leader staggered backward, his hands missing the falling plushie as he instinctively grabbed at the knife where blood had already started to spread. Rei, barely fazed by her actions or the violence, took advantage.
Before the lead thug could even start to scream or his accomplices began to turn back to the prey they'd cornered, Rei was already sprinting past. Held tight to her chest was her most precious belonging, and she didn't slow her pace — not when the screaming began, not when she heard the thugs shouting profanities and threats, not when she'd finally outrun them by navigating paths too cumbersome for their larger frames.
Not until she'd reached home.
As she ran into their shelter of stacked debris, she immediately found her sister sitting with her back against one of their makeshift walls and made a beeline for her. She didn't even notice the tears streaming silently down her own face, only her Onee-chan's shocked and worried expression as she lunged into her hastily outstretched arms.
I'm never taking Mr. Nibbles into danger again. Never.
***
In an apartment not that different from the several hundreds of others making up apartment complex #2032, Rei woke with a sudden jolt, tears staining the pillow and the small plushie clutched between white fingers.
She didn't notice that it was already early morning or the alien intrusion of ignored notifications in her mind. She only clutched her reunited best friend tighter as she fell fitfully back to sleep — this time, thankfully, without the horrifying recollections of a past that was now part of her.