Goro Takemura x Reader

Thirty-Nine

"You are back.", there it was again, the calm and empathy empty voice of Mikoshi.

This was the program that would make you famous aorund the world. Your life's work. Sure, you had developed it with some help of others but only you knew every single code, how to change and fix whatever you desired.

It was the perfect kind of work.

You despised it more than anything. And a little yourself as well.

Everything about it made your skin crawl. You knew that this program was your brothers hangman. And yet you had bowed to your fathers orders and had created it with perfection in mind.

"I took a piece of you.", you said in an apologetic way and pulled up a window to sort out some codes that you had messed up to prevent the systems restore program. "Let me return it."

Curious, Mikoshi waited. No, that wasn't exactly right. Machines couldn't experience something like curiosity. It felt like it wanted to check it you stood true to your word.

"You said that my fathers model engram is ready for transfer.", you tried to sound as indifferent as possible but it still made vomit crawl up your throat.

"Shall I fetch the data?", Mikoshi asked.

"Yes. And please insert them on port 2."

Another window opened and code passed by. Letters merged with numbers and symbols. For a brief second a row of readable information popped up.

Saburo Arasaka, engram prototype 1.

Your shoulders clenched.

"Port 2 is unfit for experimenting.", Mikoshi said as the window closed and a finished data base appeared in front of your eyes.

Your eyes briefly wandered along the report that Mikoshi pushed right into your field of vision.

"I know.", you forced it shut again even though the program seemed to have a mind of its own and demanded to keep it up. "But in case of failure we won't loose a more suitable test subject. First we need to make sure if the base works."

For a moment all that filled your ears was the humming of codes and the machines that ran in the back of the room. A few steps sometimes echoed in the distance.

It was always weird to dive into Mikoshi. It felt like entering a whole new world yet there were remaining signs of reality.

The lines sometimes blurred, which was both scary and fascinating.

"I understand.", the program must have ran a risk analysis and had deemed your reasons logical.

A window opened, that showed multiple port that were connected to the system of Arasaka tower as well. You knew what they symbolised.

With each blinking button came a person, or rather, a test subject. All of these people had volunteered to this program without knowing what exactly it was, either because they had been offered large sums of money or a deal that they couldn't refuse.

You did know what they were to expect. You'd insert a copy of Saburo's engram on whoever's brain you decided to choose.

Depending on how well your work was up to now they'd develop Saburo's personality. Or rather, entirely turn into him. His will and demands would replace theirs until the body of a stranger fully belonged to Saburo Arasaka.

Obviously, this did not work very well with non-related subjects. The inserted engram would slowly take over the brain and once that was done would move on to the entire nerve system. It basically would destroy the host from the inside out.

Of your research and Hellman's recommendations were correct, this would not happen with a host who was genetically suitable since the DNA was close enough to the one of the original individual. The engram would stop once the psyche was entirely devoured.

But for now you needed to make sure if it even worked in the first place.

"The engram is uploaded and ready to be transferred.", Mikoshi informed, tearing your from your paralysed state of mind.

This was a game with the life of others.

How had Saburo managed to convince you to become his executioner?

"What does the risk analysis say?", you asked to find some comfort in numbers.

"13% chance of success."

This wasn't what you wanted to hear. But it would have to be enough.

"Initiate transfer.", you ordered and watched as a progress bar flashed up before your eyes.

All of a sudden you felt so cold. Almost as if the temperature had dropped. A strange thing, considering that bodies tended to heat up once they were under pressure, like yours was while being connected to a gigantic system.

Just to make sure you weren't going insane, you moved your fingers, one by one. They all felt so real that it was almost unreal. As if someone had increased reality by its max.

A warning opened before your eyes. It wasn't advised to move on.

With your brain power you called for the vitals of the test subject. A woman, not a very good basis to begin with since she was even further from Saburo's DNA than anyone could have been.

They didn't even share the same gender and her blood type was also unfit. A test subject of overall bad quality.

Your attention returned the the progress bar. Already at 13%. That was more than you had expected.

The number climbed up and for a brief second it seemed possible to you that the engram transfer could make it past the 20% mark.

Something tingled in the back of your head.

Was it Mikoshi?

No, you were used to the presence of the program even though you didn't like it. There was something else. Something that was of material nature.

19% showed on the progress bar. Your heart skipped a beat. It wasn't much but to reach roughly a fourth of progress on the first attempt was a pretty big success.

You would have been satisfied with this result but Mikoshi kept the process going.

A warning flashed before your eyes. The vitals were falling.

"We should end it for today.", you ordered the AI.

No answer.

Confused, you frowned.

"Mikoshi?"

It wasn't like it to not answer.

Though you had no time to look for an issue within the program. All of a sudden the room around you turned red.

Sirens sounded.

The vitals of the test subject all fell to zero.