This has the usual warnings of The Nano Age, it's not meant for the faint of heart.
This is only a third part because I couldn't fit it anywhere else.
Jyu
Narishima narrows her eyes, looking at the dark clouds covering the horizon as far as she can see. “Pretty foggy today. Thank god radar still works or we might crash into the coast.” Laila says, leaning over the radar. Tactical officer Notomara looks up at Laila, “You’re butting into my space, ma’am.” Narishima looks at the two, “We are pulling into the port of Otaru soon.” “Bear with me for like, an hour longer and I’ll hopefully be out of your sight for the rest of the war.” Narishima looks both glad and disappointed. “Right.” “Welp,” Laila claps her hands together, “I’ve got a call to make.” Narishima nods, “Of course, Political Officer Watanabe.” “Sometimes I feel like you call me that because you have an attraction to long words.” “Er- Yeah.” Narishima sighs. Laila sighs as well, but with different reasons. “Let’s hope I still have my ears after this.” Narishima laughs, “Good luck with the King.” “I’ll need it.” Laila says as she trots off.
As Laila walks into the conference room on the flag deck, the call is already going off, and it’s close to being missed. She rushes to accept the call, almost dropping her glasses from her face as she does so. “Your Highness!” “Ah, my Laila, how are you after the Jyu’s maiden voyage. I assume everything went well, other then the friction with Captain Reiko?” “Yes sir. I can report minimal damage to the ship and no pursuit from your ordered attack.” “Excellent, look at the new toy I have.” The camera pans to an Ainu business-esque woman, in handcuffs and a gag, “This is that traitor, Kannari Matsu.” He smiles slightly, “What do you think, Laila.” “Uhhh… Hi?” Laila waves awkwardly. She struggles a little, her eyes filled with panic, “Ignore her panic, she’ll get everything she deserves for helping the Isles limit our power as an SGP.” “Can I perhaps get a chance to talk to her before you bestow her rightfully deserved punishment?” Matsu looks at Laila in fear. “Of course, Laila! After this I have a mission for you, to prove you are the best assassin in the world.” “Of course, your highness. But before-hand, can I perhaps exchange a personal favour towards you?” “Yes?” “Could Narishima and I get a day of vacation, set tomorrow?” “Of course.” “Thank you, your graceful-ness.” “You’re welcome, I’ll send Kannari to the Jyu for you to speak with.” “Thank you, your highness.” “Report to me with Captain Reiko and Kannari after your questioning.” “Very well, your highness.”
Thirty minutes later, Narishima walks up to where Laila has been lurking, “You got a ‘package’, Laila.” “Don’t say that.” She follows Narishima. “It’s another woman.” She raises her eyebrows, “Someone for you to kill or something?” “Maybe I just like being around women.” Laila sticks her tongue out and shuts the door. “Well, here she is, some random Ainu woman.” She sets Marsu on the ground. “Thank you.” Laila smiles. “SO! Miss Matsu. Can we offer you anything?” Her eyes flash down to her gag then back at Laila. “Right.” Laila carefully removes the piece of cloth. “I can’t imagine that doing wonders for the jaw.” Her voice, soft sort of like a poet’s, responds, drily, “No, it does not.” “Well, you seem to be in quite the situation here, aren’t you?” “My own nation turned on me because my ex’s son is an egotistical megalomaniac that wants to kill half the people on Honshu. Tell me it’s not strange.” “One could write a movie under that premise. That being said, I believe I can help you out here. For a price.” “What is it?” “Well, I can give you the King’s personal recommendation to keep you around his royal court - IF you can convince me that you can be useful.” “I- uhhh, I- I’m a poet, like my namesake!” Laila thinks for a second. “Anything more useful? Like, you good at making deals or something?” There is an audible click. “I was able to negotiate the old constitution of the Ainu Kingdom and give the Ainu a chance to make the very ship we stand one.” Laila waits for a few seconds for… something. The click rings once again before she speaks up. “Right then. Narishima, can you please release her cuffs? We got a call to the King to make and our guest should at least look semi-presentable.” Narishima undoes her cuffs and hands Matsu a brush. “Oh, and Narishima?” “Yes?” “You and me got a date tomorrow. I got us both a day of vacation. I need you to understand what we talked about.” Narishima blushes, “A date?” “Yes, a-” Laila thinks for a second. “I… We will meet up tomorrow. That’s what I mean.” Slightly red, Laila rushes out of the room. Matsu whistles and Narishima gently slaps her. “Jeez, I need to get my head in the game. Focus, Reiko, don’t act like a stupid teenager.” Matsu chuckles, “Jyu’s a jerk, just telling you, I knew him when he was a kiddo, and boy, was he ever the most annoying imbecilic jerk I’ve met. He’s worse now, too.”
Meanwhile Laila was exploring the ship, trying to clear her head. She makes her way further and further into the back of the giant ship, not taking notes on where she’s going or where she came from, only mumbling “Why’d I say date?” After a while she finally realises that she is, in fact, incredibly lost. She frantically searches around for a sign on her current location and eventually finds a label on a door titled ‘Engine Room’. The hum of the 10 nuclear reactors is constant and quite loud. She says out loud “Well, I obviously shouldn’t be here.” before looking around and swiftly entering. Inside she finds a large line of nuclear fusion reactors and a set of stairs with a slightly rusting door at the top. A sign at the top clearly states “Do not Enter!” but Laila’s curiosity had been peaked and a simple sign could not stop her. As she opened the door, a room supposedly as large as the engine room below her was shown to her, the room dark. Rows upon rows of computer banks stretched into the dark; but it was silent, no fans, no computer sounds, nothing. “I don’t remember this in the floor system.” She sees a desktop connected to the closest databank, the screen on but idle. She starts pressing random buttons. [Activation needs Level 5 Access code. Individuals with Level 5: Reiko Narishima, Jyu (bleeep), Laila Watanabe, Omori Warishi] “That seems like a security risk.” [Laila Watanabe recognized, Activate?] “Waitwaitwaitwaitwait, nonononono!” Laila is slightly panicking, [Understood, Activating.] Laila screams, but allas, nobody came. The databanks turned on, the fans all turning on and the lights flicker on one by one. On the bridge, Narishima notices a small flicker of the lights as electricity is rerouted. “Huh.” Back at the Computer Room, the boot-up process ended. Laila is sitting in the corner of the room, still panicking. [Boot-up complete, TT-06 Self-Aware Strong AI Zeta-0101 Activated.] Laila looks up in shock, fear coursing through her body and bones. This… changes everything.
