Project: Karma

51 | Partners in Crime

<Nagisa>
So this is the place huh? I scoped around the residence of Naoko and found myself standing in front of a massive white mansion. Really beautiful. The aligned plants in white vases and the fancy lamps hanging. He must be racking in dough...not like I really care though.

I pressed the doorbell. It took a few seconds before someone actually answered. Naoko was in a regular white tee and jeans. As it emphasized his rather thin body.

"Good morning, thanks for inviting me."

"Glad you could make it." Naoko shook my hand and opened the door wider for me to enter.

I passed the grand stairwell and we opened the room to his study. Numerous books and folders packed into the shelves, color coded. The black desk that was off to the side in front of the giant window.

"You're killing me here." I sighed in amazement. It's not like I'm broke or anything it's just that I wouldn't spend my money like this. Just seeing this makes me want to now. Get a house and-
No Nagisa! That's not why you're here! Focus!

"You've brought the papers right?" Naoko sat down at the desk and reacted positivity to my recent comment.

I gave him the documents of Karma Project that I still had possessed. Plus, some of my research for the past few months.

"This is brilliant!" He soared with glow. "With both our brains, we can definitely attain his memories in no time. Possibly a few weeks!"

"W-what?" I grew happily confused.

"There's firewalls that hinder the access of Karma's programmings. We don't need to tear them down but to compromise it. With your research, it has voids that I can fill in. With the voids I have, your information can sub in." He explained.

"Like a puzzle." A lightbulb went off.

"Exactly." He nodded.

"But doesn't this sound too easy?" I asked.

"Easy? Nagisa, I've heard word from other superiors that you're simply not a normal being. I just happen to be the same." He chuckled. "Both monsters in science."

I crossed my arms and leaned against the book shelf. The same thing popped into my head from the last meeting. One that I still can't shake off or believe.

"Naoko, I understand that there are a lot of benefits for me in this plan. What are yours?"

He looked up from his computer and gazed around for an answer.

"A topic for my research paper for class?" He teased.
He's hiding something from me. I just know it. Humans are selfish no matter how you perceive it. There must be hidden motives.

"Naoko." My voice came off stern and harsh.

"F-fine. You don't have to glare at me." He sighed and pushed away from his desk. Naoko walked over to the shelf and took out what appeared to be a photo collection book.

"This is my younger sister." He handed me a photo of a small cute little girl, she had pink hair. Just like Project Ritsu.

"S-she's..."

"I've done my research and yes and I know what you're about to say. It wasn't until last year that I came across the information that she was detained here. Not to think that she was in this kind of state."

I handed him back the photo.

"We lost her when she was 6 years old, do you know how many years it's been since I've found her? I want to get her memories back too." He confessed.

"W-wait but couldn't you just-"

"I don't know if my calculations could be right or not. That's why-"

"You're using Karma as a crash dummy aren't you!?" I bolted out of my seat. "You're just using him just so you can see what happens when you insert that microchip." I exposed him.

Naoko didn't deny it. None of it.

"So is everything about the likelihood of him successfully regaining his memories all just a lie?" I angrily fused. I wasn't ready to hear the answer either.

"N-no, it's true. It's just that there's so many things to take into account. I promise you that he will get his memories back." He looked me seriously in the eye.

"Then what about your sister?" I crossed my arms. "What will you do when you save her?"

Naoko scratched his head and looked outside the wide windows.
"I'm going to take her home."
••••••
<Irina>
I stared at Death's alteration reports and notice something out of the ordinary. The signatures from the board were printed rather than an actually pen ink.
I called the Board and asked if they changed their method of signing papers. Then they contacted the MD administration.

"So I've been looking at recent alterations that the Board had sent us through via letter and-"

"For what project?" He interrupted.

"Project Death." I replied.

"Hold on a second, I think you made a mistake." The man sent me a link on my computer. "For the past 3 week, we never signed off on any alterations for Project Death. Are you sure you're not talking about another Project?" He asked.

What? How could that be? I just got a letter in the mail this morning for Death's alterations.

"Okay, I'm not following. Didn't you send us alterations this morning?"

"I'm apologize Ms. Jelvic, like I said before, we haven't sent you any forms of alterations in the past 3 weeks." He repeated.

"Alright then, thank you."

I hung up the phone and stared into the black dome. I cautiously looked over the control panel to see if the speaker was on. Thank goodness it wasn't. I darkened the dome because, I felt like his eyes were on me.

Could all this time Death had been tapping into our computers and making alteration proposals for himself? M-maybe I'm losing it-

No, that has to be it. If they didn't send the alteration forms, then who did?

I took out my phone and started to call Koro-sensei. After the three times that I was sent to his voice mail, he finally answered.

"What is it Irina? I'm in a meeting."
My fingers felt cold all of a sudden. Like Death was hungry for my innocence and I could sense it.

"We have to close down Project Death." I spoke. "It's not safe anymore."