Chartreuse || ONC 2022

▪︎ Digi Log 6 ▪︎

The Night Mare Hotel
Micro-Tokyo, Neo-York
04:31

Saito and Ava-1 were awake when Mina returned to the Night Mare. Though more alive than she, neither of her comrades ever required more than four hours of sleep.

When Mina opened the door to their room, Ava-1 was massaging her joints with a liquidless salve, and Saito was polishing his beloved swords: Kaji (火事) and Masayoshi (正義) — which, when translated from the ancient language of his homeland, meant "fire" and "justice" respectfully.

"Welcome back," Saito said without glancing up from his blades.

"Did you miss me?" Mina asked.

"No," Saito said. He smiled ever so slightly. "You weren't gone long enough to be missed."

Mina sniffed. "Saito, you really are the absolute aficionado of the backhanded compliment."

Saito chuckled, pleased by this. "Arigatou. Did anyone see you?"

"One guard," Mina confirmed. "Human, fortunately. I glamored him; he won't remember a thing."

"Good," Saito said. "Did he seem devoted?"

"Very," Mina confirmed. She retrieved the camera from her pocket. "And he had a surgically implanted com device." She scanned through the images she'd taken until she found the close-up of the guard. Turning the screen, she showed it to Ava-1.

"It's a body mod," Ava-1 said as she studied the guard's com. "I bet all of Big Sister's minions have an implanted com like this."

"It seems she's altering those in her employ," Mina remarked. "Not that I'm surprised."

"Always on the To Do list of an evil dictator," Ava-1 agreed. "What about the grounds? Find anything interesting?"

"I did, as a matter of fact," Mina replied. "Big Sister has barricaded herself inside quite the fortress. See for yourself." She returned the camera to her cyborg comrade.

Ava-1 connected the camera to a hologram projector and displayed the images Mina had captured on the wall. "Security is tight," she observed as she studied the various angles. "The building itself could repel an eight kilo explosive. By the looks of these control panels, entrance to the palace is restricted to code-only access. Maybe fingerprints. They have backups for their backups... Good Google, Big Sister is prepared for an all-out war."

"Those who possess power most fear the loss of it," Mina said. "I'm sure she lives each day under the suspicion that she will be challenged for her throne. Therefore, she has taken every precaution."

"These guards at the entrances," Saito said, pointing to an image. "Androids?"

Mina nodded. "Yes. Thirty posted at each door."

"I can handle thirty," Saito said.

"See the blinking red lights on their temples?" Ava-1 asked. She enlarged the image and zoomed in on a single synthetic guard. "These driods are operating on a shared frequency. Directly tethered to the chip in Big Sister's hand, I bet."

"Translation, please," Mina said.

"It's 'hive mind' programming," Ava-1 explained. "A singular artificial consciousness. If I can gain access to the mainframe of just one driod, I can shut them all down simultaneously."

"How intriguing," Mina mused. "Could you, rather than shut them down, assign them to a new objective?"

"As in, get the androids to work for us instead of against us?" Ava-1 clarified.

Mina nodded.

"Theoretically, yes," Ava-1 said. "It depends on how they're manufactured and programmed. They may have a built-in failsafe to prevent exactly that. But it's definitely possible."

Saito returned his swords to their sheaths with a muted snap-snap. "It seems we have the fledgling of a plan," he said. He turned to Ava-1. "Hypothetically, if you were unable to override the androids' programming, could you provide access to the palace entrance if Mina and I keep the guards occupied?"

"Based on these images..." Ava-1 trailed off as she inspected a close-up of the panel. "Yes, absolutely. Either with a hack job or a short-circuit surge."

"Good," Saito said. "You hack, I'll fight. A horde of machines will never triumph over the Way of the Warrior."

"Proud Samurai blood making a mess of things," Mina murmured, but her tone was not demeaning. "We still know nothing of Big Sister's closest allies. According to Nova, they are sure to be by her side. Should they prove to be more capable than anticipated, I, being the fastest, will go after Big Sister, lest she attempt to flee. Agreed?"

"Agreed," Saito and Ava-1 said in unison.

They sat in amicable silence for several seconds, each occupied with their own thoughts.

Finally, Mina said, "There are still a couple of hours until sunrise. Should we have a look around before we go to meet our interviewees?"

Saito and Ava-1 both nodded their consent.

"Can we stop for breakfast?" Ava-1 asked. "My stomach can break down complex carbohydrates now, and I'm hungry."

Saito nodded in agreement. "I have a craving for Onigiri. We should be able to procure some in Micro-Tokyo."

"Are you thirsty?" Ava-1 asked Mina.

"Not as such," Mina replied. Her lips curled up with the hint of a smile. "I had a spot of breakfast on my way."

"Anyone who will be missed?" Saito deadpanned.

"Just Phoon," Mina replied.

"Phoon, as in bogus-hair front-desk-Phoon?" Ava-1 cried.

"Yes," Mina said with a dainty shrug. "He asked if there was anything I needed. I told him there was."

"Just his pulse, right? No big deal!"

"Astroids, no!" Mina cried with feigned indignation. "Don't be such an alarmist, Ava. My self-control is impeccable, thank you ever so much. I only took half a pint. Less, even. Then I glamored the absolute living shite out of him. He'll be light-headed for an hour or so, but no worse for wear. In all honesty, it may improve his customer service skills."

Ava-1 pulled a face. "Gross. If you say so."

"His blood tasted like watered-down grape juice," Mina sighed. She wrinkled her nose in distaste. "Proof he has a good heart beneath all that ridiculous pomp and bluster. So unsatisfying. Give me a villainous sot with grand ambitions and nefarious intent any day. Absolutely decadent by comparison."

"Double-plus-gross!" Ava-1 declared.

Saito chuckled to himself. "Your antics never cease to entertain, Mina-san. But let us be on our way, my friends. It is a new day, and Neo-York awaits."

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