Harem Hero

The Quick and the Cloned - Part 2

Motoko certainly put you through your paces.

You must have run the simulation two dozen times. Every time you messed up, she sent you back to the beginning with a harsh lecture on what you did wrong and how it might affect the people around you. You tried your best to take everything in, but it's a lot. Motoko maintains her frosty, business-minded demeanour the entire time.

After another failed attempt at clearing the course you groan and lean back against the wall. It's a good thing you've been training your body recently, or you'd be completely wiped out already. Motoko walks back down from the metal walkway that criss-crosses the training space for observers to use.

"You're getting better."

"I don't feel like I'm getting better."

"Hm. That's the right attitude to have. People who think that they've learnt everything tend to get discharged for misconduct after a few months on the job."

You fiddle with your hands to try and limber them up again. Motoko watching a harem anime is a deeply humorous image to you, so you try to break the ice and learn a little more; "I guess even a serious person like you enjoys something silly from time to time."

She glares at you, "Silly?" The chill in the air makes you shiver. There was such a strong implication of threat in the way that she said that. It feels like there's already a gun being held to your head.

You roll your hands over each other, "...You know, the anime we're from."

Motoko allows the tense silence to hang for eight seconds exactly – before her mouth can no longer hold back, "Actually, Harem Hero is a critically acclaimed exploration of societies attitudes towards sex and romance-"

Motoko stops herself and covers her eyes with her forearm. She just exposed her power level to you, big time.

"Uh, Major?"

"I know what you're trying to do, but I'm not going to be coaxed into bed that easily – playboy."

"I was just making conversation."

"You don't have time to make conversation. There are real lives at stake, and it's your responsibility to go out there and make sure that nobody gets hurt, or at least to contain the damage they cause. The last thing you need to be worrying about is getting us into bed, even if that is the central conceit of the story."

It was frostier of a welcome than you'd received from the others. That was very much in line with what you expected though. Motoko had a warmer side, but it usually only showed itself when business had been taken care of. If you want to progress this relationship, you're going to have to show her that you can handle yourself in a fight.

"I get it. No funny business."

To belabour the point she continues, "And don't mistake my consumption of the series as a doe-eyed declaration of love for you. I don't know if you're half of the person that you were in that."

"Hopefully I'll prove that I'm... 100 percent of that version of me!"

That sounded a lot better in your head.

"Okay, enough small-talk, there's still more to learn. Let's clear some corners and avoid shooting the civilians this time."

"Alright."

Several more hours passed until Motoko was finally happy that you were competent enough to fire the gun without killing a score of innocent bystanders in the process. But competent and proficient were very far apart in her own words. She wasn't impressed, it was the bare minimum.