AUTHOR'S NOTE:

This repost is due to errors I made in the original document.
Only one spelling error, but several misplaced or wrong words
needed to be fixed.  As for content, I resisted the urge to do
any rewrites.

If you found it hard to read on the first go round, sorry for
my mistakes.  Enjoy!

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Bubblegum Circus 1: BREAKDOWN, part 1

by Shunsuke Ichikawa
shunsuke@mailcity.com
www.fortunecity.com/victorian/university/5/index.htm
www.fortunecity.com/victorian/university/5/a-fanfic.htm



PROLOGUE: MEGA-TOKYO 2036/02

Sometimes it feels like you're living on the edge of a knife.
You don't know which is worse: staying on and being cut in half,
or jumping off into the unknown.  If there was any one moment when
it felt like we were forced to choose, I'd have to say it was when
Mackie returned from Germany.  The unwelcome news he brought
became the push or incentive, depending on your point of view.

If you've got time, I'll tell it all to you.  I won't say I got all
the words as they were said then, but Nene-sweetums here won't sell
you a bill of goods.  Believe me, this was how it happened.

                  **********

It began with a relatively quiet night by Mega-Tokyo standards.
Cars speeding through the streets, lights in the buildings with
work going on 24 hours a day.  And Genom Tower, squatting dark and
oppressive like a volcano, waiting to erupt and destroy the city
around it, or to die quietly and be forgotten, only a landmark of
the danger it once was.

The guards in the stations either side of the gate were vigilant,
as usual; no one survives at Genom by being lax.  A man approached
the gate, making himself noticeable.  A walk-in visitor, at night?
Only cargo vehicles would arrive that late.  Another intruder, like
the first three?  Possible.  The guard on the right took no chances,
triggering a low-level alarm to let everyone know what was going on.

"This is Genom property, sir.  Please show valid identification or
leave the area.  You have ten seconds to comply."

"You have five seconds to live," replied the trespasser as it jumped
through the guard tower, killing the guard instantly.  Yes,
definitely an intruder.

The left side guard had pulled his gun and sounded the alarm as
soon as the attacker moved, but the guard died before he could fire,
either from the broken window glass in his neck, or from the hand of
his attacker going through his face; it didn't matter how, other
than it was quick.

It was only seconds before the full contingent of Boomer guards and
power suits arrived.  Ten may have been overkill, but this wasn't
the first attack on Genom by this type of boomer.  They knew what to
expect, and sent more than enough firepower to stop the intruder and
put it down.

The Genom security chief came outside to survey the damage.  No
doubt, the same model boomer that attacked three times before.  But
no improvements in firepower, armour, or AI?  That made no sense to
him. It finally made sense when the concealed bomb took him out.


=================================================================


CHAPTER 1: Cause and Defects

The nightclub called The Zoo was full.  Fans yelling, sweat
everywhere, and music pounding from the stage as Priss tore
through her set.  Song after song, the 2000 strong crowd roared,
until at the end they were still unsatisfied with one encore.  The
band left the stage, drenched in sweat, and Priss' manager greeted
them like conquering heroes.

"Great show, everybody!  You've never sounded better."  Taking
Priss aside, her manager said, "I was with the big label's suits,
and they were all impressed.  We're going to get our way,
international distribution, with total control of the music and the
independent label staying in our hands.  It's everything we've been
working for."

Priss knew this day would come.  She calmly gave a wicked smile,
and hugged her manager upon hearing this.

"Hey, don't sweat on my blazer!" Linna smiled.  (Oh!  Didn't I
say?  Ms. Moneybags found a new way to make money: off her friends.
A little capital from Sylia, insider info from me on radio pay-off
investigations, a lot of sweat from Priss...)

"Ok, ok, I'll buy you a new one!" Priss chuckled in reply.  The
band cooled down and changed, all the while the crowd out front
called for more.

"More, after one hundred forty minutes?" thought Priss.

A half hour later, everyone readied to leave the club.  As they
tried the door, a legion of fans were waiting.  Priss and Linna
were swamped while the rest of the band smiled to them as they got
out; Priss and Linna scowled playfully at them.

They struggled to pass the autograph seekers and those who wanted
to touch Priss.  After several minutes, our AD Police cruiser pulled
up, my partner stepping out, while I waited in the car.

Using the car's speaker, he called for the crowd to disperse, but
they ignored him, some even leaning against his car; one climbed on
the hood to scream at Priss.  He began to wade into the fray.

"All right, ladies, you're under arrest."  Leon McNicol, you are an
ass.  "Causing a disturbance, loitering, and unlawful assembly.
Tsk, tsk."  The crowd were not happy, yelling insults and shaking the
car with me in it, but causing no damage as Leon put our two pals in
the back.  I'm surprised he didn't try to cuff Priss.

The crowd tried to follow, but we sped off into the night.  A mile
away at a burger bar we stopped.

"So what should we do with them?  Lock them up for the night?" Leon
joked, looking to me as everyone got out.

"I can of something that will make you let us go," said Priss,
sidling up to Leon.  "Maybe spend the night with you?"  Hey, watch
where you're putting your hands, girl!

"Jeez are they at it again?" yawned Linna.  "I'm going inside; come
in when you've finished fooling around."  I just watched the two of
them fondle and kiss each other while I hid my howls of laughter.
Shall we add lewd conduct in public?

"Where were you going to take me tonight?"  Priss asked after their
kiss.

"Sorry, no plans other than the rescue.  Nene and I are off to a
boomer incident at corporate Genom HQ.  I just figured I'd get you
out of there."

"Another attack on Genom?"

"Yeah, boomer jumped the fence, killed some guards, and made a mess.
The Genom boomers trashed it, so no need for you and Nene to suit up.
Nene'll give you guys the details later.  Don't expect too much, it
looks like the last few times."

"Now how do I get home?  My bike's at the club!"

"We'll pay you back for the cab later!" I called out as Leon and I
drove off.  Priss looked unimpressed; she gave me grief later because
she didn't have any cash on hand.

Priss watched us go as Linna came out and gave her a burger.

"So what was that all about?" asked Linna.

"Boomer attack at corporate Genom."

"Yeah.  And probably another Genom cover up of what actually happened.
Something's going on; that's four attacks in three months."

"Well, girl, we'll just have to wait for Nene to feed us the details.
Now, if you have some money for a cab..."

                  **********

Leon and I headed to the scene without a word.  We enjoyed seeing the
others, but now we had on our business faces.

It was just over a year ago when Leon and I paired up.  It was mostly
due to Leon finally put the pieces together and figuring out I'm a
Knight Saber.  It was worrisome for a while, with pressure from Leon
and the job on one side, and my four cohorts on the other, especially
Sylia.  At least Priss understood, Leon knowing about her being a KS
since before their engagement.  He's still in the dark about the rest
of us, and he knows it's going to stay that way.

It's worked out well, though.  Leon needed a partner after his split
with Daley Wong, and I got someone to cover for me when I bail out to
do Knight Saber work.  It was an even bigger help for all concerned
when Genom was trying to shut down the AD Police...

Arriving at the Genom site, we were amazed at the wreckage.  This went
way beyond the first three attacks.  Several Genom guard boomers
trashed, a few dead guards, and no perpetrator.  The craters in the
ground were very impressive, too.  Talk about penis envy...

Leon went to one of the ADP on the scene, I checked out the wreckage.

"So what's up?  Genom's hiding this attacker too?"

"Dead on.  Nobody's gotten more than fifty feet inside the compound.
They even threatened to turn the guards on us.  Definitely not happy
about our presence,"  the officer spoke with a grin.  "Hey, if they
don't want to catch the perp - "

"They do, that's why we're not inside.  That doesn't mean we give up.
We all want to take Genom down, but we do it legally.  That means we
investigate, not just suck our thumbs.  Got that?"  Leon was hot.

"Right." came a mousy reply.

What I was able to get at, I checked but came up dry.  I put a small
ADP radio transmitter on the camera and monitor set in case something
got played through; even Genom slips up, at times.  With nothing else
to see, I checked back with Leon.

"Nothing so far, and we won't get time to find anything.  The bug is
in though; we might get something off that."

"Probably no more than the tapes our informant is passing us, but
it's worth the try.  Anyway, let's check with the surveillance team.
They might have something."

Surveillance team.  Leon's new code words for 'hurry up and wait'.
We went back to AD Police HQ to play cards until the shutterbugs
returned.

We didn't see him then, but we had been watched from the fourth floor
of Genom tower.  I don't think we were listened in on, but that may be
how our Genom informant was discovered.  We sometimes slip up too, you
know.

Our admirer glared down at us.  Murakawa Kappei, first rate bastard.
A guy who makes me wish Brian Mason was alive.

                  **********

Mackie was putting the finishing touches on the new Boomer Control
Mechanism, or BCM.  He and Sylia dreamed them up as an alternative
to AI for boomers.  If it's a human controlling the boomer, the
thinking goes, you only have to worry about unreliable people.

Sylia was in the control booth with Dr. Verhofen, waiting for Mackie
to finish and clear out.

Tests had gone well, and early models of BCMs were selling well.
More reliable than AI, low training costs for users, and less money
to spend on boomers.  Boy, did that tick off Genom.  Less money for
compensation from rampant boomer attacks, too.

Sylia was testing this new model BCM in production to allow multiple
boomers to be controlled.  With a person who has good reflexes, good
hand/eye coordination and a quick thinker, it might be possible to
control as many as six boomers at once.

"Alright, I'm out in ten seconds," called Mackie by microphone at he
left the testing room and locked the door.  "Security systems and
failsafes on, all systems go.  Anytime, Sis."

Dr. Verhofen turned on the monitors to check the results of this
test run.  Sylia started one boomer, and set it on its task before
activating the second boomer.  So far so good, the verbal commands
and hand controls working in unison and responding immediately.

Mackie entered the control room to watch the action.  Sylia smiled
to him as he sat, but focused on the task at hand.

"BCM outputs normal, boomer activity within parameters," announced
Dr. Verhofen.  "Well done, now go for three."

Sylia started the next boomer.  A slight fluctuation in readings,
but nothing abnormal.  Sylia was now very intent on the task at hand.
She began to sweat, both from exertion and the difficulty of what she
was doing.

One boomer slipped in its steps, and Sylia over-corrected herself,
making it worse.  Eventually she got it back in line.  Mackie and the
doctor followed this incident wordlessly, not watching Sylia.

She was starting to be dazed by the effort, and all three boomers
began to make mistakes.  The doctor knew it was time to shut the test
down, before any damage to the equipment happened.

His calm turned to panic as electric sparks began to shoot from the
control chair Sylia sat in.

Mackie was bursting to pull her out of the chair, but restrained
himself until the power was off.  Quickly both men carried her to the
medical room, getting the doctor in from the next wing of the test
facility.

                  **********

Later in the hospital, Sylia finally awoke, with both Mackie and Dr.
Verhofen looking extremely anxious and worried.  She tried to sit up
but the emergency surgeon put his hand on her shoulder.

"You were electrocuted.  I wouldn't advise getting up."

"For how long?" she asked.

"About two seconds at 80 to 100 volts, and about 40 amperes," said
Mackie.  "We shut off the power as soon as it started, but a residual
surge kept the power up for a second more.  Fortunately, the doc says
there's no permanent damage."

"Glad you still care about me," she faintly laughed before closing
her eyes and turning her head.

"There's no risk of further harm, but she should stay here for
several days before going home.  Don't let her drive, and call me
immediately if she gets nauseous."  The doctor then left the room.

"This is the first time anything like this has happened.  I don't
like it, and we're not going to try again until we test everything,
right down to the wires."  Verhofen was shaking as he talked; Mackie
told me later he couldn't tell if it was anger or fear.

"Okay, help yourself, but I'll stay here with Sis for now."

Mackie still held her hand as Sylia slept.  He'd gotten over the
sister fixation a while ago, but it didn't mean he stopped caring.

"That was too close, Sis.  As a kid, I could have learned to cope,
but not now; that hole in my life would be too big."  He stood up,
walking around the room, punching a wall, anything to hold it back
and avoid crying.

                  **********

Murakawa left Quincy's office the next morning after giving his
report on the incident.  The boss was ticked, to say the least.

Murakawa was puzzled over how the ADP arrived so quickly, more
worried about that than the source of the boomer attacks.

That kind of sums him up, really.  Just a power hungry,
bloodthirsty, over-worked megalomaniac who knows what he wants
(everything) and what he has to do to get it (anything).  We never
tied him to it, but the AD Police and Interpol knew he was directing
the illegal arms trade for the Indian and Chinese civil wars (the
Bride Wars, unofficially) and had ordered more than one political
assassination.  But, going after a guy willing to use Genom's
resources anyway possible (including destroying Genom to protect
himself) isn't the easiest thing.

He had spent a lot of time discrediting Genom, and planting weak-
willed cronies in key positions over a two-year period.  We (ADP, I
mean) pieced together later that his intent was to weaken Genom to
make it easier for him to depose of Quincy and take over.

No fool, he.  Why not let someone else take the damage and fallout?
As it turned out, Murakawa didn't need to bother.  He should have
just followed the trail of boomer parts to the source.

END CHAPTER 1

=================================================================

CHAPTER 2: Wet work and Wetware

The dub of the security camera tape from the Genom guard was lousy
for picture, but the sound was fine.  I kind of wish it hadn't been.

We ran through the tape to where the intruder attacked, mostly on
pause the first time trying to see what new illegal boomers Genom
was using.  We were oblivious to the important part that we heard
on the second time through.

During the attack, the guys in the K-14's were yelling at the
intruder to give up, and trying to get it to talk.  What we heard
shocked the hell out of us.

"I am Brian Mason, here to claim Genom as mine, or destroy it and
those who would use its influence."

Who the hell would pull this kind of stunt?  Everybody knew Mason's
last breath was of his own blood.  Leon and I bounced around ideas
of why someone would program a lone boomer with little weaponry to
attack Genom and pretend it was Mason.

Money?  None asked for.  Attacking Genom's credibility?  No need,
the company was on a shooting itself in the foot.  Revenge?  By
who?  This was one that was going to stick with us for weeks.

                  **********

At the late Dr. Raven's garage, my three fellow Knight Sabers were
waiting for me to arrive.  We bought the place after the good
doctor passed on, allowing us to continue having a safe place to
train and work from.  The Silky Doll building was getting a little
crowded, needing spaces for five hardsuits now.

I walked in as Linna was mediating yet another fight between Reika
and Priss.  I know artistes have tortured souls, but these two seem
to want to torture each other.  Give them blank charts and a piano
and they can crank out songs, every one a winner.  Take them away,
and they'll try to kill each other.  Probably just time before they
do.

"So what's the excuse this time, Nene?  Missed the exit on the
freeway?"  Does Priss ever let up?

"Yeah, but you would too.  I found out something today about the
Genom attacks you won't want to hear."

After telling them about the tape, Linna and Priss stared in stunned
silence.  Reika looked at them puzzled.

"I thought everyone said Mason was a boomer."

"Not Mason, Reika.  Largo.  Mason built Largo, in his own image,
before he died.  I should know Mason died, I saw Sylia kill him."

"So what do we do?" asked Priss.

Linna sat to think for a few minutes.  It was different with her as
leader instead of Sylia.  You'd think that because she's not as
visibly strong a person, she'd get less respect than Sylia, but we
argue less with Linna.  Weird.

"Nene, is there any time pattern to the attacks?"

"No, Linna, none we know of.  What are you thinking?"

"We need to capture the next attacker and examine it.  Something in
it will give us a clue as to who's doing this.  Is the AD Police
informant still inside?"  She continued with my agreement, "Have
him alert us as soon as the next attack begins.  As for us, one of
us will be in hardsuit at all times, another ready for Nightwing.
We'll have to slow up Genom before they destroy it while the rest of
us arrive.  But that does not mean solo action."

"You think the attacks will continue?"  added Reika.

"Whoever's doing it hasn't accomplished their goal.  I'd like to
know what it is."

We made plans for the next two weeks around this, the four of us and
Kou, our new support member.  Since the McLaren incident, Kou had
nothing to do and knew our secret, so why not?  Plus, he and Reika
were both able to get help from the Hou Bang from time to time.

Going our separate ways, we were all intrigued by the events of the
previous night.  I didn't sleep well at all, pacing around for hours.

Who could and would do this?  I knew I would have to talk to Leon
about our plans.  He'd definitely need to be in on this.  And it was
definitely time to call Sylia.

                  **********

Mackie and Dr. Verhofen had dismantled the control chair and all the
BCM equipment in the room.  Piece by piece they had gone over it for
four days and came up empty.  They started over again.

By now Sylia was better and had come in to visit.  Both were glad to
see her, but she didn't stay long.  She pulled Mackie aside for a
private chat about 'family matters', as she told the doctor.

"What!?  You're leaving?  What brought this on?"  Mackie was
exasperated.  Maybe I was wrong, he's not over his sister fixation.

"I got a call from MegaTokyo.  I'm sure you know about the attacks
on Genom corporate HQ?"

"Yes."

"Well, Linna told me about the last boomer from three nights ago
calling itself 'Brian Mason', and the Knight Sabers' plan to capture
the next one.  They probably could use another hardsuit for the fight."

"But you're can't be cleared for travel after what happened!  The
doctor said no exertion."

"I feel fine, and I'll feel better when you stop playing mother hen.
Now, when we catch the next boomer we'll ship it out to you to be
examined.  We need to know its origin and programming."

"Alright, but please avoid combat if you can, Sis.  In your years as
a Knight Saber you were always in danger, but in control; when you
were electrocuted, it was something you or I didn't expect, and I was
at fault for building it.  When something I do affects someone else
badly, I feel dirty for it."

Sylia looked at Mackie, concerned.

"What is it?"

"I...I thought I might have lost you the other day, like the car
accident when we were kids.  When dad came home without you, I was
worried because you weren't there.  He said you were okay, but there
was a quaver in his voice.  You were gone for weeks.  I thought it
was forever until you came home, only stubble from having your head
shaved bald.  The accident a few days ago brought it all back."  He
was looking at his feet, trying to hide his eyes.  "Just make sure
you come back."

Sylia stepped forward to hug him, arms wrapped around each other.

"You know I will.  Say goodbye to the doctor for me, ne?"

Mackie watched silently as she left, then went back to work.

                  **********

Murakawa stood in front of a metal chair.  Just normal closed iron
tubing, but solid enough for ropes.  The man in the chair had a lot
of difficulty moving.

"So, Kino, what do you want to talk about?"

"Screw off, I'm not giving up Quincy.  He'll kill me," spitting his
response with blood.

"Oh, come, come, you've been with Genom long enough to know about me.
If you fear the old goat more than I, you're very naive.  I'm
surprised you've lasted this long."

Before Wataru Kino could answer, a long surge of electric current was
pulsing through his fingertips.  I would imagine this is worse than a
full body electrocution, because you'd feel it only in the second-
most sensitive part of your body, the fingertips.  And Kino's most
sensitive parts were wired up, too.

After the charge was off, Kino was gasping for air, almost screaming
as he did it.  Then the iron bar to the shin, breaking the bone, made
him forget all about it.

"Are you learning yet?  Give me Quincy's route home, and you'll live.
I just need that much.  I'll even help you escape Japan to anywhere
you want."

"Wh - Where would I go?  And how could I run now?"  He was still
breathing furiously at this point, the pain clearly getting to him.

"It doesn't matter, you'll be well compensated.  Anyway, by the time
any of Quincy's men could find you, he'll be long dead.  No one will
want to look for you by then."

Kino sat quietly thinking, until his personal best were on fire from
the current.  That won his heart over.

"Alright.  I'll give it to you, after you untie me."

                  **********

After his release and exchange of Quincy's home address, Murakawa
gave Kino a case of cash, fake passport, and a plane ticket to
Taiwan.  Kino quickly counted the money: something like 80 million
Yen.

"Now get to the airport, leave, and be sure not to show yourself
again.   I'll give you a headstart," he said as he left the room.

"How much of a head start?" Kino replied as Murakawa was closing
the door.  "How much?"

"Oh, dear, I think you've used it up," changing his gaze from Kino to
what was behind the man.

Kino saw Murakawa's eyes look behind him, and Kino turned to see two
red eyes glowing in the now near-dark room.  Kino began to scream,
trying to run on a broken leg.  I don't think he got very far.

As Murakawa walked away, he smiled as he spoke to himself, "Who
would want to let a person get away with betraying the company
chairman?"

                  **********

Priss and Linna were on boomer watch at Raven's, discussing record
distribution details.  Not so much for clearing up details as to
kill time.

Both immediately forgot about it when the door opened and Sylia
stood before them.  Linna was wearing a big smile, and Priss a
smaller smile with a tear coming from her eye (so says Linna!).
Both ran to her, almost lifting Sylia as they hugged her.

"God, it's good to see you two.  It's been months."

"Months?  Try a year!" Linna grinned.

"So you've come to take over from this bungling fool, huh?" Priss
asked, pointing a thumb at Linna.  (So Priss says!)

"Oh, no, you've been working this long without me, I'm not going to
disrupt things.  Linna, this is your call.  Treat me like a team
member, not the leader."

Both looked shocked as Sylia spoke; for someone who can exude quiet
control over others, for her to back off like this was surprising.

"Okay, if that's what you want...anyway, I'll fill you in on the
details of the plan," Linna said as Priss offered and made tea.

After the briefing, Sylia spoke.

"When do you expect an attack?"

"We don't know, there's no pattern.  We cleaned up the videotape
and watched it over and over.  You should have a look, maybe a
fresh pair of eyes would help."

As Sylia watched the tape, she stared at it intently.  Something
about the incident bothered her, but she couldn't place it.  It
was something she had seen.  But where?  She watched repeatedly.

                  **********

"Sylia?"

"Hm?"

"How long are you going to do that?  You've been watching the same
five minutes of tape for two hours.  Are you okay?  Mackie told
us about what happened in the lab.  Do you need a doctor?"  Priss's
concern was clear on her face.

"Cluck, cluck," thought Sylia.  "No it's just something I can't put
my finger on," she said.  "Well, enough of that for tonight.  If you
two are on watch, I'm going home to sleep.  Oh, and be sure to give
me my shift schedule tomorrow."

"Sure, Sylia."  Priss looked at her sideways as Sylia left.  "Her,
flighty?  No way.  She must still be out of it,"  Priss thought.
She knew Linna wouldn't be asking Sylia to do any shifts yet.


END CHAPTER 2

=================================================================