***Divergence Point (A)***
The man known as Lord Djibril had had better days.
"...Loyalty conditioning. Loyalty conditioning? Have you gone insane? Have you already forgotten what happened the last time you said this time we've gotten it right, sir?"
The small balding man in a white coat shrugged, sighing. Oh, yes. That.
"Our research team does say, this time..."
"...No. Just - No."
"Very well, sir. You're the boss."
Yes I am, and you should know it by now, really. Djibril sighed. Boys would be boys and Mad Scientists would be Mad Scientists, but at times like this...
"But we do have to keep the - Subject227 under control, do we not?"
"I know that. Just use a memory overlay, and leave the underlying personality structures alone, then. I don't want to risk twisting his mind past repair - He'll be only half as useful if we can't use him as a Command Unit, after all."
"...Hmmm, I suppose so."
The man in the coat started to take notes.
" A proper and detailed memory overlay, but nothing too fancy, mind. We want him to think any gaps and such are because of his head injuries, after all. Hmm, wait..."
Now where was that analysis...
"Fairly strong protective urges, is it? Alright, then. Add a subconsious suggestion to "bond" with his Extendeds, then. Emotionally, I mean."
The balding man blinked.
"...I thought we were trying to prevent things like that as much as possible?"
Djibril looked at him, and sneered.
"In most cases, yes, but not this one. We want him to be willing to do almost anything at all, to prevent his "charges" being thrown out in the scrap heap."
"...Oh, right. That might work. Hmmmph...A substitute parent - child relationship...No, not that. What about a substitute elder brother - younger sibs relationship, then? We could probably program in that much, though we can't be a 100 percent sure it'll take, of course..."
Djibril shrugged.
"That sounds about right. Keep me informed, all right?"
"Very well."
The balding man shook himself and turned to go.
Djibril waited to he was out before turning, stretching, and reaching behind his sofa.
"There, there, you idiot cat...You don't have to avoid that one, you know that..."
The only answer to that was a soft sleepy meow.
Half a year later, Djibril was looking with no small sense of satisfaction at the Masked Man before him. "Neo Roanorkke" would be very useful indeed. If things worked out, that is.
And now to introduce him to his..."charges".
***Divergence Point (B)***
The man known as Lord Djibril had had better days.
"...Loyalty conditioning. Loyalty conditioning? Have you gone insane? Have you already forgotten what happened the last time you said this time we've gotten it right, sir?"
The small balding man in a white coat shrugged, sighing. Oh, yes. That.
"Our research team does say, this time..."
"That they've worked the bugs out?"
"That's what they say, sir."
Djibril risked taking a peek out of his window, then. No orange hair in the vicinity, right.
Not that that really meant anything...
"...I'll consider it. ...Show me more."
Even though there was something cold going down his spine, that is. Even the small snores of his cat, coming from behind the sofa, was failing to banish the balanced-on-a-very-high-place feeling. But no risk, no gain was true too, sometimes at least...
Half a year later, a very rattled, dusty and grimy Djibril was looking at two of his supposed "subordinates" grinning like loons.
He's known. He'd known something like this might happen and he'd done it anyway...
Painkillers. Please.
Not that that was likely to stop his twitching...
"Special Agent Kleinwald, Colonel Roannorke...Will you tell me just why the two of you thought blasting though the LOGOS Chairman's birthday party was a good idea?"
***Divergence Point (C)***
The man known as Lord Djibril had had better days.
"...Loyalty conditioning. Loyalty conditioning? Have you gone insane? Have you already forgotten what happened the last time you said this time we've gotten it right, sir?"
The small balding man in a white coat shrugged, sighing. Oh, yes. That.
"Our research team does say, this time..."
Djibril paused, stopped...and just at that moment, chose to look out of his window.
Awk. Aaaaawk.
No, too, late, no place to run, behind the sofa had been taken up by his cat already, not that he could really fit there any more...
The balding man in a white coat looked as well - and turned almost as white as his lab-coat.
"Ah, I, I'll be - "
No you won't. Why should you get away when I can't damnit!
"Yo-yo-yo-yo, Bossieeee!!"
Orange hair, skimpy costume in spite of the cold weather - Crazy Excel in the flesh.
Hello there Special Agent Kleinwald, what can I do for you today to not destroy my office and not put your grimy shoes right on my priceless antique table, thank you very much?
"...Special Agent Kleinwald."
"In the flesh, sir!"
"...Yes, I can see that. Just where have you bee..."
No, wait a minute, did he actually really want to know that?
"Good to see you still in the land of the living, SA Kleinwald. Though your extreme...tardyness is a problemetic factor, as usual. Rejoin your team and write a report."
It wasn't like he didn't have to know, sooner or later...But who the hell wanted more brain-breakeage at this time of day?
"Aww, Bossie...Can't I just give you a verble one?"
"Not today, Excel. A written report. ...By tommorow morning, all right?"
Maybe she'd get one of her teammates to write it for her. It might even make some kind of sense, then...
Maybe.
"But Bossie? Excel hears you gotten... something interesting."
Uh, oh.
"Excel hears stuff, y'know!"
Oh, he knew that. How he knew that...
"And Excel has a couple of interesting ideas, about some stuff..."
...Well, all right, then.
Her ideas were sometimes, just sometimes, worth listening to.
Every once in a while.
Six months later, Djibril spent a quiet day doing routine work and taking care of his cat.
Everything was going well.
...Well. Mostly, that is...
***Divergence Point (D)***
The man known as Lord Djibril had had better days.
"...Loyalty conditioning. Loyalty conditioning? Have you gone insane? Have you already forgotten what happened the last time you said this time we've gotten it right, sir?"
The small balding man in a white coat shrugged, sighing. Oh, yes. That.
"Our research team does say, this time..."
"...No. Just - No. I'm considering...something else, now."
"...Hmmmm? I'd like to hear of it, sir?"
Six month later, Djibril watched his monitor quietly, stroking his cat. A scarred man was hugging a woman with marigold eyes...
"Oh, Mwu, Mwu... I never thought I'd see you again..."
And Lord Djibril smiled.
***Divergence Point (E)***
The man known as Lord Djibril had had better days.
"...Loyalty conditioning. Loyalty conditioning? Have you gone insane? Have you already forgotten what happened the last time you said this time we've gotten it right, sir?"
The small balding man in a white coat shrugged, sighing. Oh, yes. That.
"Our research team does say, this time..."
Djibril sighed. What to do?
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(Posted Fri, 27 Jan 2006 15:30)
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