Gumi opened an eye, motioning with a finger to get T.O.P. to bend towards her. "You're lucky I'm asleep," she said from the chaise lounge in the disco. "Otherwise you'd be dead."

T.O.P. blinked upon hearing Gumi's words, his macaroon smile showing concern. "Yes, well there's always time for that. I've been looking all over for you. I'm surprised to find you… "

Gumi cut T.O.P. off in mid-sentence by grabbing a fistful of the silk ruffles on his shirt. She pulled his face to within an inch of hers.

"I was looking for you half the night," she snarled.

Using T.O.P.'s ruffles as leverage, Gumi hoisted herself to her feet. She released him upon realizing her other hand held the bottle of cream liquor. It seemed much lighter now than it did the night before.

Gumi gave the bottle to T.O.P. and headed to the deejay booth with him tagging along. After retrieving the training helmet, she presented it to him.

"What's this doing here?" she asked in disgust.

T.O.P.'s smile grew until the steel in his eyes forced it to stop. "Uh… well, that's a bit of an embarrassment."

Gumi grit her teeth, pursing what little of her lips she had left. In her mind, she began a count to ten, intent on cracking T.O.P. in the face with the helmet upon completion.

"It's a training helmet, or at least it used to be," T.O.P. said with obviousness. "It was used to teach people how to winnow. Now it's just a toy."

Rather than clonking T.O.P. with the helmet, Gumi stuffed it into his chest, forcing him to take it. As he did, she took back the bottle.

"I know what it is," Gumi whispered, looking into the bottle with an eye, to see if any booze was left. "What's it doing on your shit boat?"

She contemplated taking a swig before the rotten taste in her mouth suggested she do otherwise. Instead, she put the bottle on the counter of the deejay booth. Turning to face her kidnapper, she reached up and poked the ruffles covering his throat with a finger.

"Now you're lucky I'm starving."

Again T.O.P. blinked. This time his smile showed confusion. "I am?"

Gumi exited the discotheque. "Feed me before I kill you," she said to him as she passed.

T.O.P. led Gumi to the cafeteria, setting her in a booth within full view of the short order kitchen behind the counter. With an ease that spoke of familiarity, T.O.P entered the kitchen and began whipping up a feast.

"Rather than asking you what you want," he said as he flew about, "I'm just going to make everything." He paused to ponder the look of hate Gumi had on her rotted face. "Then the rest of the crew can pick at what's left," he added.

It was futile for Gumi to attempt a conversation with T.O.P. as he banged about in the kitchen. Her throat was sore enough from speaking to him the night before, and from drinking, dancing and singing while playing with the training helmet. Upon catching a whiff of something familiar, she rose from her booth and approached the counter. Leaning as far forward as she could, she got T.O.P. to stop and stare.

"I want tea," she said in a garbled whisper. "English breakfast. Black."

The color of T.O.P.'s lips made his smile look good enough to eat. "I can do that," he said, happy to be of service..

"Now," Gumi added. "Two bags. Leave them in the cup."

T.O.P. nodded, returning to his work. "I'll bring you extra water, too."

"Thank you," Gumi muttered to herself as she returned to her seat. Why does this horse ass have to be so pretty?

T.O.P. sat across from Gumi in the booth, sipping tea of his own while watching her eat. His smile seemed oblivious to the weaning piglet sounds she had to make to feed herself.

She paused to stare and talk. "Tell me why I'm here."

He fiddled with a piece of Texas toast, dipping it in marmalade. "You're here to let me help you."

"Bullshit," Gumi said, returning to her breakfast. She looked out the windows of the cafeteria, noticing the open sea in all directions.

"Where are we going?"

"We're heading north through the Sea of Japan, to Okhotsk through the Soya Straits."

Gumi's glare indicated to T.O.P. that he should continue talking.

"From there, we'll circle between the forty-eighth and fiftieth parallel, near the Kuril Islands."

Gumi gurgled while drinking her tea. "Why?"

"The cold air and clear skies will help your skin. You'll feel better."

"Russia owns Okhotsk."

Gumi couldn't help but look up, knowing one of T.O.P.'s never-ending, gorgeous smiles was growing on his face. "We have an understanding," he said. "They'll leave us alone."

Gumi stuffed sweet potatoes with bok choy and miso in her mouth before menacing T.O.P. with her fork. "You have a training helmet on board. You know about The Winnowing."

"Yes?" T.O.P. said into the pause Gumi used to chew and swallow.

"You were looking for me at Kocchi Muite. You want me to do something."

The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.

This time Gumi's eyes were on T.O.P. because she'd never seen him without a smile. He sighed to compose himself.

"It's not a good world we live in these days. This is not the end goal of The Winnowing Project."

"No shit," Gumi said, lowering her eyes before her cheeks flushed, embarassed by her failure to have faithfully served The Project.

T.O.P. tried a new tack. "Do you know who I am, Gumi? Who I truly am?"

Gumi shook her head. "I know I want to snap your neck."

"Do you know what TOP is? The Online Project?"

Again Gumi shook her head, this time with concern. She knew of The Winnowing Project, but The Online Project was a new term.

"It was a Navy endeavor initially, meant to allow ships at sea access the Web anonymously. As I expanded its scope, I made it available to governments worldwide."

"For a price," Gumi guessed.

"That's right. A price to ensure its perpetuity and its universal access. Now no person—no government, no business, no hacker nor spy or thief—has the ability to snoop on anyone using the Web. I have server networks throughout the world, more than enough for everyone. And no one," T.O.P. leaned towards Gumi for emphasis, "spies on anyone who uses my servers."

"Except you," Gumi guessed again. She cursed herself internally, finding it impossible to chew while being mesmerized over watching T.O.P.'s smile grow.

He also shook his head. "Iie iie, Gumi-sama. Not even I can spy on my servers."

"So why me?" Gumi asked.

"Needless to say, The Winnowing Project took a great interest in The Oniline Project. Without it, The Winnowing Project couldn't exist. Secrecy is tantamount to its continued success."

Gumi's stare told T.O.P. she wanted him to keep talking. "Still, word of The Winnowing began to leak. I mean, if I found out about it, who else also did?"

"We're sworn to secrecy." Gumi said, realizing how foolish that sounded nowadays.

"As am I. Remember, I created TOP. But others—you know. Loose lips."

VioLinja Gumi thought, not needing to guess.

T.O.P. continued. "Now the whole world knows about The Winnowing Project. Its creators, its benefactors, its agents—everyone involved in it is a target for obliteration."

T.O.P. paused to let the obvious sink in to Gumi. "You are a target for obliteration," he said after that.

Gumi lost her appetite. It was one thing to accept her dilemma internally, but quite another to hear it expressed through the words of a stranger.

"Legal issues on land with The Winnowing Project made it wiser for research to continue on the open sea. Safety and security are increased as well. The project is in shambles, with VioLinja rampaging at her free will. However, it is still Mankind's best path towards salvation. More so now than ever."

T.O.P. lowered his voice to add seriousness to his next words. His smile was nowhere to be found. "No one knows this ship exists. No one knows you're with me. No one even knows I exist. They don't know who I am. By using a moniker that's synonymous with The Online Project, any information a hacker or spy might find about me will make them think they found a reference to TOP, and not to an actual person.

"Gumi," T.O.P. said as his smile returned. "We're going to win this war."

"I'm not a soldier," she muttered to her food.

"You're a winnower. The best there ever was, and one of very few who are still left."

T.O.P. performed a three-breath bow of respect, as close to saikeirei as he could while seated at a table. "Evil must die, Gumi-sama," he said as he bowed. "You must allow me to serve you."

Evil must die, Gumi thought reflexively. It was the precept of a winnower, drilled in every day during training.

"I've been searching for you ever since a hint of hope existed, indicating you might be alive. Now that I know you are… "

A few of the meager crew on board began drifting into the cafeteria, picking through the food T.O.P. had left for them in the kitchen. Almost all of them stared at the woman T.O.P. was having breakfast with, most of them knowing who she was.

When Gumi recognized one of the crew herself, she pounced on him like a lioness. In an instant, she had his thumb splayed at the wrist, pressing it tight and painful into the small of his back. Without saying a word as he yelped in protest, Gumi hurried him down the passageway towards the stairs.

T.O.P. caught up a few seconds later, surprised at how fast she could move. "What are you doing?" he asked, his voice as silken as his shirt.

"Back off," Gumi hissed, "or I'll break this off and beat you with it."

"He's one of our most senior scientists."

"Yeah. I know."

"Please don't hurt him. We need him very much."

"I need him, too," Gumi said, hurrying the man below decks.

"What's going on?" the scientist protested. "Let go of my arm!"

"Gumi…" T.O.P. began.

Gumi spun the man about, ramming his body into T.O.P. to make everyone stop in their tracks. She took note of the crewmen trailing along behind the owner of the ship upon which they served.

The scientist squeaked with pain. "I'm done with you," Gumi said to T.O.P., crumbs and spit flying from her rotted mouth. "I saw this guy in the lab last night." She continued propelling the man down the hall. "He's the one I want."

"Open it," Gumi said upon reaching the locked door of the lab, causing the man further pain to make him comply.

Fumbling for his keycard, the man did as he was told. Gumi shoved him into the room, hard enough to make him stumble forward several meters before splatting on the floor. Whirling on her heels, she used a hu zhua move on T.O.P., sending him tottering to one side by pulling down on his wrist while shoving the palm of her other hand hard against his chin. Snarling at those still trailing her, she used the hideousness of her necrosis to scare them into staying in the passageway. After the lab door clicked shut, she worked the internal keypad to lock out those who weren't inside.

"How do you know how to do that?" the scientist asked, rising from the floor to rub his sore wrist.

"How did you find this place?" T.O.P. asked simultaneously.

"What's going on?" the bravest of those already in the lab asked, approaching the fracas.

Without a word, Gumi headed for the rack of Les Paul guitars, removing her red hoodie jacket as she approached. Choosing her favorite, the one made of cherrywood, she plugged it into her tattoo interfaces. In silence and in a bikini, Gumi faced the room. When no one challenged her, she swung the Les Paul onto her back and plucked a blue one off the rack next. This one she stripped of its cords, brandishing it by the neck as if it were a weapon. She swung it like a battle axe at those standing closest to her before addressing the crowd.

"Pay attention," she whispered as loud as she could. "I talk quietly."

One of the technicians moved towards the lab door keypad, to undo the override Gumi had keyed in. Swinging the blue guitar so as to part the crowd, Gumi was on him in a flash. Once between him and the keypad, Gumi thumped him in the chest with the guitar, sending him to his rump on the floor.

"Pay attention," Gumi whispered again, directly to her latest victim.

T.O.P. held out his hand as a signal to comply. The room quieted down. "Gumi," he said with authority. "These people worship you."

She snorted on a grotesque smile. "Yeah," she said. "We'll see."

Gumi pressed the guitar she was using as a weapon into the chest of the scientist she had forced out of the cafeteria. She steered him towards the clean room containing vats of the Powder of God.

"Open it," she said, her face turning sadistic.

"I… I can't," the man said.

He was a lousy liar. Silken words came from T.O.P.

"Gumi… what are you doing?"

She pointed her guitar-axe at him. "Shut up, Smooth Guy."

She then swung the guitar in a powerful arc, smashing it into the mouth of the scientist who had lied, hard enough to knock him off his feet. Grabbing his right wrist as he began to crumple, she pressed it to the palm print keypad of the clean room before his legs turned to jelly. As the door slid open, she dragged him halfway into the room, using his semi-unconscious body to keep the door from closing.

With cat-like quickness, Gumi opened the biggest container of Powder of God she could find, sticking her head into it so fast and so far that some of it poured over her shoulders. In unison, the whole room gasped. A second technician raced for the keypad Gumi had locked, to begin unlocking it. Gumi grabbed a vocalizer from the room, scooping powder into it as if it were a backhoe.

Hopping over the injured man laying at her feet, she re-entered the main lab.

"Well…" she boomed through her vocalizer, sending an obliteration blast at those moving too slow to escape her wrath.

"It's show time."