PSYCHO-PASS : Paradigm Shift

Chapter 4 : Born, or Made?

PART - Born, or Made?

"Don't beat yourself over it so much," Kogami said, looking at strands of her hair in front of him.

Shizuka was lying on his arm, and he was hugging her from behind. She enjoyed the familiar sense of his warmth, the strong heartbeat against her torso. She was playing with his fingers, thinking how this felt entirely like she's at home. He was her home. Her family. And yet... she was restless. The sentiment lingered underneath, waiting to be resolved.

"I should have looked better. If I only stood closer..."

"You would if you could. We will get him somehow. Types like those... never lay low for too long."

He was reassuring himself as he was trying to reassure her.

"There's still something I can do," she figured, rising up. Kogami looked at her, wondering what she had in mind.

"No," he figured. And he didn't like it. "It's too risky, Shizuka."

"It may be worth the try," she said.

"You don't..."

"No, Shinya... I must."

She already made up her mind. Kogami rushed to put some clothes on, annoyed by how stubborn she could sometimes be.

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City was glimmering in multi-colored neon lights, per usual. Night time was truly a wonderful time to observe the urban landscapes. How the technology has developed. How well it has progressed. Ironically, the humanity seemed to regress with it. It deteriorated, relying heavily on the machines, AI and other technical advances that made the life pleasing. Easier. With each passing generation, humanity seemed to get more and more rotten, more disappointing... relying on the pre-defined choices rather than making choices of their own. Comfort had a price. Where has the free will disappeared? Could they still count themselves as humans? Instead of evolving, they awfully devolved. Such a depressing thought.

"It was risky to meet up in the open," Choe Gu Song interrupted the silence along with Makishima's thoughts. "What are you going to do if she manages to identify you?"

Makishima smiled at this curiosity. It was almost as if he wanted Akibara to identify him.

"We were standing too far for her to get a clear visual. Of that... I made sure," he softly responded to his friend. There were a lot of smoke effects in that club. A lot of people, and some of them even had white hair. That aside... the girl wasn't exactly the most reliable witness, being an escapist.

"Were you that intrigued that you had to risk it, though?" Choe Gu Song wanted to know. He took a seat next to Makishima, who closed the book he was holding.

"Weren't you as well? Akibara Shizuka is one of those types that Sibyl can't categorize. She is neither criminally asymptomatic... nor is she a regular citizen. Which makes her quite interesting to both Sibyl... and me."

"It's rather strange, this... escapism. Was it inherited... or induced by her father?" Choe wondered. "According to data... the criminal psychologist had really high propensity for violence. He did some unethical things during his 'treatments'. And he treated not only his patients, but also his family, for various reasons."

"Sure, the father could have been the cause due to which her escapism originated from. He was violent, which probably enabled her defense mechanism, but as far as we know... the mother might be the cause too. If not the cause, then a relevant factor. Most certainly," Makishima was thinking.

"Mother, huh? Interesting theory."

"Akibara Hana. Treated at their home, by Akibara Ayumu himself. With Akibara sisters around. Surely, we can ask 'why' and 'how' Inspector's escapism started. But maybe 'when' is the answer to both."