Under the Rain [Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS]

S3-52✩ Karma

A luxurious cruise ship sailed away to the sea on that full moon night. At a glance, that ship looked just like any other ordinary vessel that had crossed the oceans, but its benefactor claimed it was distinctly different from them, as it was the first passenger ship that sailed with almost no human crew on board. Most of its crew were replaced with SOL Technologies' newest product: SOLtiS, androids with individual built-in AI, that the company mass-produced and sold to the public to cover the financial loss they suffered after they had to shut down LINK VRAINS following after Bohman's attack and compensate for all the people who got involved in that incident.

Left with so much debt, people expected SOL Technologies to go bankrupt soon but it didn't, thanks to Queen's efforts behind the scenes. Her quick-witted thinking and enormous wealth were more than enough to hold it together and convince the Kings--its three remaining primary stockholders after Bishop, Knight, and Rook left--to push the production and promotion of SOLtiS. Now because of its successful sales, Queen's career skyrocketed as well as her wealth; and thus, she didn't bat an eye when Zaizen was promoted to Executive Director, the second most influential person in the company, while she officially took over the company after the previous CEO in name only resigned out of responsibility.

That night, Queen was one of the VVIP passengers of that ship. She slept in its most expensive cabin, blissfully enjoying her 'well-earned vacation,' but not for too long as she was abruptly woken up by two sabotaged SOLtiS who broke into her cabin and took her consciousness with them to their private virtual space. The pair didn't bother hiding their true identities from her when she demanded their names, showing how arrogant they were, but any resentment that she held against them was overridden by dread right when the first SOLtiS told her their reason for showing up in front of her unannounced and challenged her to a duel upon arriving there. It wasn't the reason that made her tremble in fear, but the SOL Technologies' top secret project that he just casually mentioned to her beforehand.

"How did you manage to learn that? Only a select few scientists know of the initial plan, and all of them had already been cut off after that scandal 10 years ago..." Queen wobbled backwards, hiding her face behind her palm. She looked like she was in despair, but that SOLtiS knew better than to trust her sloppy acting, and just like he had expected, that woman shortly burst into maniacal laughter. Her sudden change of behavior creeped out the other SOLtiS, making him inch closer to his more mature companion and seek his comfort. "...and after abandoning it all these years, now we're planning to revive that project. Was that it, dear DARK Ignis?"

Queen put on a poisonous smile as her feline-like eyes glared cunningly from the gaps between her fingers. Her opponent, the DARK Ignis aka. Ai stood calmly across from her while watching her uncover her entire face and slowly clap her hands. "I guess it doesn't matter where you got that information from. Bravo. You've caught me red-handed... it's exactly like you've said: the SOLtiS are just the beginning of our grand plan. We are collecting data from the SOLtiS that had been sold to the public, and then, with those accumulated data combined with years of our research, we are going to give birth to our very own AI with free will: the perfect DIVINE-Attribute Ignis!"

As soon as Ai heard her confession, a wide amused smile quickly crept onto his lips. "What absurdity!" He squealed, with eyes wide open in ecstasy, "Divine means everything related to godhood; the ultimate higher entity that many humans worship, and to think you plan on giving that title to a mere AI! Does that mean you intend to make the whole world bow down to your creation? Is there no limit to your arrogance, Witch?"

"Look who's talking. Have you forgotten what you said to me right before this? You said you were here to prevent the DIVINE from being completed; well, in what way was that less arrogant than our--no, my plan? The project had already entered its final stage, thanks to the Ignis we decompiled. You think you can simply stop something that has been planned for years?" Queen chortled, mocking him. "You are just an AI... much less, the only remaining creation of Dr. Kogami, the man whose idea inspired this project."