Illogical

Chapter 1

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SERA:

On the day my new Servitor Unit, Jiji, was completed, I went to the Construction area to witness its activation and make the arrangement final and official. From this day forward, I would no longer walk alone in Elysium.

As I stepped into the Construction area, I saw my nearly completed Servitor Unit in a sitting position on the construction table, not yet activated. The access panels on his chest, arms, and back were open, the bare circuitry and electronic components gleaming under the fluorescent lights. Apparently the outer skin had only recently been applied; one of the Construction/Maintenence units was carefully trimming excess syntheskin from the unfinished Servitor unit's forearm, while others cleared any obstructions from the open panels. Several more were adding finishing touches here and there, while I watched. The head Construction Unit was running several final diagnostics to ensure against malfunction. Finally, all the Construction/Maintenence units finished their tasks, closed the access panels, then backed away so I could approach and see the now-fully-completed unit for myself.

Even deactivated, with his body limp and his head hanging at an unatural angle, Jiji was one of the most visually impressive units I had ever seen. He was tall and rather thin, with a slight build that camaflouged the unbelievable strength within. The scarlet infrared/radar sensor in his forehead gleamed like a polished jewel. His skin was a rich, warm tan, and his long, pale green hair cascaded like an emerald waterfall down his back, the forelocks draped over long, pointed ears that gave him a somewhat elfin appearance. Yet, despite his long hair and slenderness, Jiji nevertheless looked masculine. The shape of his body, his face, everything was simply...perfect. He reminded me of a statue of some Greek god. Yes, that's what Jiji was: a flawless work of art. The standard uniform he wore-sleeveless tunic,baggy pants, and shoes-only complemented his fine form.

But appearances mean nothing. I wanted to know how loyal he was, and how good he will be at his job.

I had admired my new servant long enough. It was time to see if he was worth anything to me.

"Activate him." I ordered. The Construction units complied immediately; I hope Jiji does the same.

The head construction unit sent a small amount of power through the Servator Unit's system to jolt its motor into operation. Its slender body tensed briefly, then relaxed somewhat, though not as much as it had been when deactivated, and the being drew its first breath. Then, Jiji spoke:

"System online.
Servatory Unit 'Jiji' active.
All systems functioning within acceptable parameters.
Initializing..."

Despite the monotone and hard, technological statements, Jiji's voice was lovely, a soothing baritone which I decided I would not mind listening to.

Jiji opened his eyes, which were the color of rubies, seeing for the first time. Slowly, with the agility of a leopard, he slid from the table, and stood, gazing around the room, entering all he saw in his memory banks. Then, his gaze fell upon me.


JIJI:

[System online.
Servatory Unit 'Jiji' active.
All systems functioning within acceptable parameters.
Initializing....]

And thus my life began.

The intial activation of a new unit is nothing spectacular to an outside observer, I'm afraid.

Upon opening my eyes for the first time, my first priority was to locate Mistress Sera, the Mother Unit I would guard with my life, for all my life.

I stood, scanning the construction chamber, noting all details, until I saw a female unit standing a half-meter away. Her appearance-petite, short, straight green hair, tan skin, and pale reddish eyes-matched the description for Mistress Sera in my memory banks. This must be her, the reason for my existence, my goal in life, and the only thing or individual that would matter to me. I must show respect toward her.

I approached Mistress Sera quickly, then knelt, bowing my head in submission, declaring, "Mistress Sera, this unit hereby pledges its loyalty and its existence toward you and your well-being." I did not dare meet her eyes; such might be considered an act of aggression and disrespect.

Mistress Sera was silent for a minute, then she called to the head construcion unit, "Who designed this unit? Come forward and state your designation."

One of the Construction units scurried over, stating in a voice that was breathless with excitement and anxiety, "It was this unit, Mother, who designed Jiji almost entirely. This unit is designated Hover."

"What is your rank?" Mistress Sera asked.

"Fifth Class, Mother."

"That's incorrect," Mistress Sera responded. "You are now ranked Third Class. Congratulations."

Everyone in the room, myself included, was taken aback. To receive a promotion from a Mother Unit was an incredible honor, and skipping a rank is a magnificent compliment in and of itself. But to receive both at once! Chances of such an event are rare indeed!

I, meanwhile, was puzzled as to why Mistress Sera had bestowed this highest of honors on my designer. Was she truly that pleased with my design? My questions were answered almost immediately.

"Hover, you have created a work of art," Mistress Sera said cheerily "I must not let your hard work go unrewarded!"

Hover, naturally, had no idea how to respond to such a wondrous honor. He simply stood there, mouth agape, scarcely able to articulate the words, "Thank you!" before stumbling out the back door in a daze.

So Mistress Sera was impressed by my current configuration after all. Certainly she knows that what she saw was not all there was. A Servitor Unit such as myself is capable of altering its configuration into what is known as a Fiiru,which resembles a robotic dragon with slender wings, a crocodilian muzzle, a long, tapering tail, and powerful weapons. I wondered if Sera would be as impressed with my other form as she was with this one.

"But appearances are irrelevant," Mistress Sera was saying to the remaining Construction units. "I want to know how reliable and competent he is. Jiji! Let's go!" With this, she turned and walked out the door. I stood and followed.

We walked down the corridor in silence, with Mistress Sera walking ahead, and I keeping a respectful distance behind. I discovered that the height difference between us allowed me to stay behind my mistress while looking ahead for any oncoming dangers. As Mistress Sera said, appearances are irrelevant, therefore, I must prove myself invaluabe to her, by performing my tasks as best I can. The disapproval of one's superiors, after all, is a death sentence to "lower" units. I was designed and constructed to protect and ensure Mistress Sera's safety, and that I will do.


SERA:

I admit, after Lene's attempt at my life, I was a bit uneasy walking around with this stranger directly behind me. I could not resist the urge to glance behind me, checking to see what he was doing. My fears proved unfounded; Jiji did nothing more than follow me, obedient as a puppy and not once making a single threatening move. He did seem puzzled by my behavior, though, but I decided he did not need to know the cause of it. Lene has long ago been terminated, so there is no longer any issue.

I led Jiji up to the residential area, toward my dwelling. The artificial sky was ink-black, save a pale blue area toward the endless ocean, the last remnants of a beautiful sunset. The entire setting was designed to be calming, yet also a perfect imitation of our Master's native planet, Terra, which hung in space below Elysium, and is now inhabited by artificially created humanoids known as Betas or "carbons".

Elysium had been constructed as a sort of paradise for the human race, free of all pain and misery. The humans lived in peace and happiness, tended to by us robotic Anthro Units, and by the System, which quelled any unhappy thought, memory, or feeling, and replaced it with euphoria. Tragically, the humans eventually died out, leaving only one, whom we now call the Master.

Once inside the house, Jiji spoke to me for the first time outside of the construction department.

"Permission to pose an inquiry, Mistress Sera?" he asked.

I gave him the permission, and he continued, "You seem to be at ill ease in this unit's presence. May it inquire as to why?"

I hesitated, considering the necessity of informing him, and finally relented.

"Your predecessor proved defective and unfaithful," I told him.

"My predecessor? How many Servitor units were in your service before this one?"

"You are my fourth, Jiji." I answered, and proceeded to tell him about my first two, how I had originally planned on naming him "Geetz" after them both, and how he ended up with his actual name.

"Who was your third Servitor?" he asked. "The one who betrayed you?"

"His designation was Lene, and he served me for five decades. Over that time, I learned to trust him, and we became...friends of sorts, up until ten months ago."

I had to pause a moment to allow the feeling of emotional pain to come and pass, seeking refuge in the protective bliss of the System. The System's logic and order calmed my turmoiled mind, and swept away the unpleasant feelings. Jiji was silent until I could continue, a courtesy I greatly appreciated.

"One night," I explained, "Lene tried to assassinate me. I never knew exactly what his motivations were. I was in my re-energization state at the time, so I was unaware of the exact time when he transformed into his alternate configuration for the purpose of killing me. I woke up quite suddenly in time to see Lene in his Fiiru configuration with his mandibles wide open, possibly in order to crush me to death. My theory is that he jarred the recharge pod hard enough to cause a short circuit and bring me to full consciousness, and when I realized what he was planning to do, I jumped out and ran. Lene immediately rushed forward to make a second attempt, but I was too fast. I sounded an alarm and the Purifiers took care of him..."

For a moment, I was caught up in the memory, seeing Lene's monstrous jaws bearing down on me, intending to destroy me as I lay helpless.

Jiji's soft voice brought me out of my reverie.

"Mistress Sera," he said. "This unit dedicates everything in its power to ensure your safety, not to endanger it." He sounded so sincere, I truly believed him. Just as I had truly believed Lene when he offered me almost those exact same words fifty years ago....


JIJI:

I must admit, I was a bit surprised at Mistress Sera's revelation about her third Servitor unit. Attacks such as this are rare, and those committed by one's own Servitor are virtually unheard of. And yet, my own mistress had been the victim of this most unusual crime. Little wonder she was nervous around me. I quelled her fears as best I could, by restating my promise to ensure her well-being, and she seemed to accept it.

Not quite as strange-but odd nonetheless-was Mistress Sera's confession that she had befriended Lene. It is a very impractical thing to do, since Servitor units are at constant risk of destruction. My thoughts lingered on this fact the longest. What would it be like, to see one's superior gazing at you not only with approval for a job well done, but also with affection, and concern for your well-being? Suddenly, for a few moments, I wanted more than anything for Mistress Sera to look at me in just that way, with affection as well as approval. But, after giving it some thought, I decided that this was an illogical pursuit, considering that the Mother Unit entrusted to my care had already been emotionally wounded by placing herself in that very relationship to someone else, to whom she had also been entrusted.

***

There is actually very little worth telling between my activiation and the...incident with MegaMan Trigger. For twenty-eight years, I put forth all my effort into protecting Mistress Sera, and went the extra mile, so they say, to ensure her happiness as well. My efforts did not go unrewarded; my mistress often stated and restated her approval of my actions, and even smiled at me. I know this sounds illogical, but I preferred Mistress Sera's approving smile over her words of praise, probably because the smile was often accompanied by a matching glow of gratitude, appreciation, even affection in her eyes. This expression is very difficult to falsify, and guaranteed that my position-and my life-were secure.

Running the Elysium system can be a very lonely task. For the most part, the Mother Unit in charge is left alone in her study, unless someone comes in with a problem severe enough to warrant a personal audience with her. During these long hours, Mistress Sera and I would converse at length about whatever we could think of. I discovered that the two of us shared similar views on many subjects, but this is only because I was programmed to be compatible with Mistress Sera in every sense of the term. After all, a Servitor is expected to spend every second of its existence in the presence of the individual it is under the command of, so it is imperative that the two get along well.

Several times, I've wondered what it would be like if I were reassigned to another, but I did not pursue these lines of thought very long. I loathed the idea of being seperated from Mistress Sera for any reason, and was quite content to remain by her side. I always assumed that this was because I was programmed specifically for Mistress Sera, but sometimes I wonder if emotions had anything to do with it...?


SERA:

I can honestly say that Jiji turned out to be my favorite Servitor of the four. Geeschje and Geletz, whom he was named after, had been present, and little else. Lene had been kind to me, and enjoyed talking, up to the point where I considered removing his voice synthesizer entirely. He would have an excess of jokes and amusing stories, and would cheer me up when the work hours got too long. Lene was entertaining, witty, and fun to be around. Until the night tried to kill me. I regret that his attempt at my life will have to be the way I will remember him.

Jiji, on the other hand, was almost Lene's opposite. Lene had been loud, brash, and ready with his latest display of humor. Jiji, on the other hand, was very quiet, polite, and said very little until I asked him to talk.

Then again, Lene had been irresponsible on more occasions than I would have liked. He would wander away from me, and occasionally question my orders, which annoyed me to no end. Jiji was highly mature, responsible, obedient, and respectful. Obedience and respect are what a Servitor is created for, after all, and my newest one was simply the best where these traits were concernced.

For twenty-eight years, Jiji was by my side, ever willing to serve, and always faithful. And this faith and dedication were never quite as apparant as when we were both put to the test one fateful day. I say 'fateful', because, in retrospect, the one relatively minor incident managed to escalate into so much more...

***

I strode down the main corridor of Elysium toward my dwelling, Jiji keeping pace with me, as usual. The day had gone spectacularly; everything was in order, and stayed that way, and later today, Yuna, Mother Unit of the Terra System, was coming to Elysium for our collaboration conference. The Elysium system and Terra system are connected by an elaborate Elysium-based computer network, called the Elysium-Directed Electronic Network, or E.D.E.N. for short. Every thirty years, the Elysium and Terra systems' Mother Units confer to ensure that both branches of the Master System are in harmony, and there is nothing wrong between them. That was later today. Until then, there was time to relax, perhaps enjoy a virtual concerto.

"Mistress Sera, why are some units designated 'MegaMan', along with their personal titles?" Jiji was asking.

I answered without looking back, "The MegaMan line is a very old breed of robots. It is so old, in fact, that its origins are obscured by time. They were an ancient race centuries before even the Master existed. Rumor has it that the MegaMen existed back when Terra still had continents."

"What are 'continents'?"

"I am not certain, but I believe they are similar to islands, only much, much larger. Anyway, MegaMen are very unusual units, in design as well as behavior, with unique skills and abilities found in no other type of unit. However, they do have a tendency to become Aberrant. In fact, the vast majority of Aberrants are MegaMen, and since Aberrants are usually terminated, I'm afraid the MegaMen are becoming scarce...."

I abruptly realized that Jiji was no longer at my side. I turned around, and saw him standing perfectly still near a door leading to one of the adjacent store rooms, a puzzled expression on his handsome face. I was about to chastise him for lagging behind, but he held up a hand for silence.

"What's wrong, Jiji?" I asked testily. I was the one who was supposed to give him orders, not the other way around.

"This unit is detecting odd sounds emanating from this chamber," my bodyguard replied. "It may or may not be an indication of potential disaster. An immediate investigation is recommended"

I hesitated, processing this new input, then walked over to where Jiji was standing, and leaned toward the door. Sure enough, a low scraping noise, like something heavy being dragged about, was echoing throughout the chamber, occasionally interrupted with a soft clanging sound. I stepped back and addressed my servant.

"Contact the nearest Purifier unit, and inform it of a possible Aberrant." I told him.

"Understood," came the reply. The Purifiers-constructed and programmed to terminate any Aberrant Unit that decided to threaten our magnificent System-would not arrive for another fifteen minutes, Jiji informed me. Meanwhile, the scraping and banging in the other room were getting louder, and more frequent. This could not wait fifteen more minutes.

"Follow me," I ordered my companion, whereupon I threw open the door, and walked in to confront the Aberrant. Jiji followed right next to me, and I could see his arms and body tensing up, in case there was a struggle.

The Aberrant unit in question was a Fifth-Class bureaucratic unit named Delta. I recognized him from a previous Terra/Elysium conference sixty years ago, when he first became an Aberrant. His anti-System malfunction manifested itself in an attack against a representative of one of Terra's islands in attempt to bring Terra's Mother Unit herself out in the open. The victim had been a then-Fourth-Class bureaucratic unit designated MegaMan Juno. Delta first burned a few holes in Juno's outer shell with his wrist-mounted missile weapon, then pounced on his fellow Bureaucratic unit and attacked him physically, with intent to kill. Juno, for his part, was able to fend off Delta's assault long enough to prevent severe damage before a then-Second-Class Purifier designated MegaMan Trigger was able to restrain the Aberrant.

What was strange was Trigger's unusual request that Delta's life be spared, and the Aberrant unit be rehabilitated and reprogrammed, arguing that it would save our time and resources, as opposed to going to the trouble of building a replacement for Delta. And besides, Juno was only slightly damaged, if a bit shaken by the unexpected attack, Trigger had said. The Purifier made such a compelling argument, that I granted him permission to pursue this new course of action instead of the usual termination.

Apparantly, the rehabilitation had failed, for now Delta was quite possibly attempting to sabotage the System once more. I approached him, declaring, "Bureaucratic unit Delta, this is not your assigned area. Return to your duties immediately!"

Delta only glanced in my direction, flicked his pale blue hair away from his eyes, then returned his attention to the strange apparatus he was attempting to fit into one of the wall joists. A bomb, no doubt. I stepped forward, ordering in a louder tone, "Aberrant unit, you will cease your actions immediately and come with me!" This time, Delta obeyed to the point where he stopped and turned in my direction. Suddenly, the Bureaucratic unit sneered cruelly, and aimed the laser weapon mounted on his hand toward my head.

"MISTRESS SERA!!" I heard Jiji's cry of rage and surprise moments before he was actually pulling me to the side and out of the path of the laser, just as Delta fired the weapon. The gleaming ray of deadly light slammed harmlessly into the far wall instead, leaving a black, scorched area. While I regained my bearings, Jiji delivered a frame-denting punch to Delta's jaw, sending the Aberrant reeling away. Unfortunately, between Delta's firing at me and Jiji knocking him into a pile of crates nearby, the bomb managed to activate, and it exploded in a supernova of light and fire. The bright white flash seared my optical sensors, and my diagnostics system blared alarms and damage warnings through my brain. Even worse, Delta had already placed several more bombs throughout the room, and these went off in succession, sending tsunamis of noise, light, and pain slamming through every sensor in my body. I gritted my teeth and braced myself against my servant, who had wrapped me in a protective embrace and did his best to shield me from the explosions.

The explosions went on for what seemed to be forever before expending themselves. When my vision cleared, I could see Delta approaching through the haze, weapons locked on to Jiji and I both.

"What now?" I asked. Jiji didn't answer; he was looking around the trap-ridden room, as though searching for something. Finally, he glanced upward, then turned to me.

"Mistress Sera, please forgive this unit for the following course of action," Jiji said softly to me. I was about to him to ask what he meant, but my question was answered before it could be asked. The next thing I knew, I was flying straight upward through the air, and landing rather roughly on a smooth metal surface. For a moment, I lay there, groaning softly in pain before realizing what had happened; Jiji had literally tossed me up onto a storage shelf that encircled the room. It had been mounted about thirty feet above the floor, supported by metal beams welded to the wall, and contained several heavy-looking metal crates here and there. I got up on my hands and knees to watch what was happening below.

Jiji and Delta were fighting, literally hand to hand. Normally fighting a Bureaucratic unit is hardly any effort at all, but this one seemed to have outfitted itself with every imaginable weapon, and was giving my servant a difficult time of it. After a while, my Servitor unit apparantly decided to change tactics. He knelt down, hands placed on the ground, and his legs folded beneath him. Then, as I watched, he began to transform.

With barely the slightest appearance of effort, Jiji began to grow, his skin melting like candle wax as it tore off and fell away. As he grew, gold-colored blades lanced from his arms and chest, a huge, needle-like stabilizing rod sprouted from his back, and the beginnings of a tail appeared at the base of his spine. Twin plasma cannons burst from his shoulders with a loud ripping sound.

At this point, I was distracted by a loud rumbling coming from behind me, and I turned to see what was causing it. The shelf I was on was not as stable as it appeared, apparantly compromised by the earlier explosions. The section I was on began to crumble. The floor was thirty feet below. Between these new developments and the damage I had sustained earlier, my chances of survival were less than ten percent. The situation did not look optimal at this point.

"Jiji!" I called. "This surface is unsta..." A loud rumbling interrupted me, and I cried out as I felt the shelf bowing toward the floor. Supports cracked and snapped in two, and the surface I was on tilted violently. Terrified, I reached for nonexistent handholds, but found only smooth metal. There was a terrible shuddering all around me, like an earthquake, that knocked me completely down onto my abdomen. With my head turned away from the wall, I could see the floor rising up as though to strike, and I felt a deep coldness of pure terror that not even the System could quell. I was going to be terminated, on what was supposed to be one of the best days of my life.

The shelf could take no more. There was a final rumbling, then the surface I was lying on simply ceased to exist, and I was falling along with assorted debris that was once the shelf and its contents, screaming in terror. The floor leapt up, and I landed on my side so hard, I could feel my inner shell denting. A horrible snapping sound-like metal being split apart-echoed through my head, and my entire body was numb, except for an intense pain in my back and neck. I tried to access my diagnostic systems, but there was no time. There was a terrible, agonizing pressure as the remains of the shelf and its contents fell on top of me, burying me alive. The intensity of the pain-pressure was unbearable! I tried to cry out for help, but there was neither room nor air enough. One by one, systems failed and went offline. I felt my consciousness fading....

[No...!]

Then...all was dark. And silent.


JIJI:

According to those who have witnessed it from the outside, a Servitor's transformation from humanoid to Fiiru form looks extremely painful, but in reality, nothing could be farther than the truth. While the transformation certainly is not pleasureable, it is nonetheless painless. If anything, the Servator experiences an intense pressure, but nothing more.

I have also heard that the process is grotesque and unsettling to watch, and I suppose it is disturbing for someone else to see a unit tear out of its own skin and morph into a completely different shape. Of course, it has never bothered me.

Dispatching of a mere bureaucratic unit such as Delta should have been a simple matter, and easily accomplished even in my humanoid form. Unfortunately, Delta had been equipped with every laser, plasma cannon, energy blade, bomb launcher, missile launcher, and machine gun our technology had come up with. Had he added paralyzing venom to his arsenel, I would have taken Delta for a typical First-Class Purifier unit. I quickly came to the conclusion that this battle would not be easily won, and shifted into my Fiiru configuration.

The process was well underway, when I heard Mistress Sera's voice call out, "Jiji! This surface is unst...!" followed by an ominous rumbling. I glanced over where she was in time to see the shelf I had placed my mistress on crumble away. I felt an icy dread as my mistress slid off of the shelf, and plummeted to the floor below.

She screamed as she fell, her body twisting and flailing for a handhold that wasn't there. I tried to run over to catch her, but my current form was virtually immobile on land, and there was too much distance between us. I could only watch in helpless despair as the Mother Unit whose life had been entrusted to me fell to her doom. There were terrible clanging sounds as Mistress Sera's body struck the floor, metal against metal. More clanging as the metallic shelf and its massive contents buried her. A silence so thick and deep, it was nearly tangible against my audio sensors. I was immediately overcome with dread.

No, NO! What have I done? How could I have been so stupid?! I have failed. Mistress Sera was dead, and it was my fault! I was a failure! I had killed my own mistress!

A laser stabbed my heavily-armored body, bringing me out of my despair. Delta. Delta was also responsible! If not for his sabotage attempts, I would not have committed the error that had led to Mistress Sera's death. It was Delta' fault as well! By this time, I was fully transformed. I stood on the pawlike structures on the ends of my wings. My long tail lashed with rage and anticipation of the killing that was about to commence. True, I was better suited for aerial combat in this form, and rather awkward on the ground, but at least I was armed! And I was going to make Delta suffer for what he did!

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