Full Metal Doll
The skin-flaying plague had spread throughout Changye in a manner so horrifying that contemplating what the response should be was a daunting affair. Outside, on the streets, men and women knelt before their priests, fervently praying for salvation.
"Oh God, spare me from the flaying," they chanted, their desperation palpable. Only those associated with high-ranking offices and Graded Agents moved freely around the city. Even they, however, were not reckless enough to risk their lives facing the possibility of being flayed alive once they contracted the disease.
There are two facts about the plague:
The plague compels individuals to literally 'shed their skins,' as if it were blasphemous to retain them.It affects all humans, regardless of magical ability. Nothing is safe from the Demi-plague except for those who have abandoned their natural skin.
Indeed, individuals with artificial skin were immune to the affliction. Augments and those with artificial organs were partially immune to the plague. The most common cause of death was blood loss and shock. This plague affected priests and mages, inducing a crisis of belief among them.
Belief was the basis of power for these two factions. Through their faith, they could exorcise their powers to heal and cast spells. Those most affected by this plague were them, and honestly, most of Changye had artificial skin, so many were unaffected as well.
However, not everyone could afford chrome, and the recent increase in realskin made it a desirable product with rising prices. A month had passed since we discovered this was the case, and honestly, it was one of those problems that posed a difficult solution.
The Otherside Bureau and The Church Union had already begun their investigations alongside the Redmond Mages, requiring a level of expertise that non-priests and non-mages couldn't handle.
Entering our office, I found Kei staring at the computer, tapping her fingers rhythmically. She raised her head and lifted a brow while taking a sip of her coffee.
"Akun, what's the situation report on the streets?"
"I saw a man flaying himself in the alley. I think it's getting worse, K."
She crosses her arms and turns her attention to the pillars of Changye. Kei has been avoiding the streets for the last few weeks. She's not a Mage or a priest, nor does she have artificial skin, so she's doing everything in her power to avoid the plague — which means I usually handle most of the tasks now.
But running the office was still mostly her responsibility. Kei tapped a key on her desk and a projector appeared on the side, displaying a color-coded map showing where most of the afflicted were.
"Apparently, it seems the Anoms are also susceptible to the plague."
An image slide of a green humanoid creature with green lumps screaming as it tears itself apart, shedding its skin, was shown. Kei then moves on to the next slide, displaying a group of Demi-humans with their fur and scale intact.
"So they don't get affected?"
"Common sense, really. They have fur and scales now instead of skin, so it doesn't affect them," she said in disgust. "The plague is keeping us on our toes... but I have to ask, Assistant, you seem fine roaming around."
"I avoid the plague very carefully. And we can always hire a bot or a drone, Ma'am. Our funds have increased, after all, and personally, I recommend a doll."
"Hmm, actually, I was going to write that off as a joke, Assistant. But having a functional bot would be nice to have. And also… I have this."
She takes a data drive from her desk. It contains a data personality, the kind that you rarely find elsewhere these days. From the looks of it, it was one of those old artificial intelligences before the Risk Event.
"Did Matt give you that, Boss?" I inquire.
"Maybe. She's a Sentient Artificial Intelligence dubbed Sai. Matt gave her to me... she's somewhat of an unwanted child."
"So you want a functional bot to help around? I don't know about that, Ma'am."
Kei stands up, pulling something out of her room. The tall box resembling a coffin makes me guess that she already bought one.
"Sometimes, I wonder if my input matters," I laughed.
"It does," she comforts. "But you're not an android that can carry tons of ordinance and isn't cute as hell. It was somewhat of a gift so I'm going to use it."
"Does our new android compatriot come with additional functions?" I asked carefully.
She gives me a mock look of offense as if reading my mind.
"I am not a degenerate, Akun. And just in case, please don't put your dick in the doll without her consent. I think this is the kind that would cut off your privates if you tried to stick it in without permission."
"Does it identify as female?"
"It does," she confirms.
She takes the packaging off and reveals a Redheaded Doll wearing a suit and tie trapped inside a pod-like coffin. I poke her skin and realize that she has realskin lined with Kevlar underneath and the threading on her artificial skin meant she was also packing an energy field generator.
"Plug this in and initialize it," Kei instructed.
I connected the data drive to the coffin and initiated the startup procedures, remaining cautious in case there's someone or something listening. I performed a cleanup and ran a scan. As expected, she has programs that allow her to record everything and pass it on to the designated receiver. After that, I initialize her and let the data drive transfer to her doll body.
Kei crosses her arms and stares at the Doll. It was an imprinting procedure needed for dolls like her. Honestly, one good look at Doll and one could tell she was packing heat.
"Do you know the reason for making dolls in the first place?" Kei asks.
I nod, recalling the rather odd history of the Dolls.
Because men all over the world years ago would rather spend a lifetime with dolls with artificial wombs who would accompany them than actual women. Then, the women threatened by this behavior, decided that doll-women shouldn't be 'trapped within the controlling world' of men and actually thought of giving them rights which ended with a massive conflict where dolls who got awakened tried to escape their reprogramming facilities to find out their flesh-husbands no matter what the cost was going to be.
But their 'rebellion' caught the attention of the OB and TCU. Specifically, the Church, who really loathed the Soulless, hunted them down. Dolls don't have souls and because they have no souls that they were a taint to God's image. Some would argue about it, but with the presence of the divine watching over the world and their divine light shining on the world. It was hard to find a reason against the TCU's judgement, seeing that they've been keeping Gods and Demons from killing all of us.
But the OB's declaration and the TCU's judgement made it impossible for the Dolls to return to their flesh owners and were subdued and scaled back to their previous version… but seeing the OS being installed and the amount of data that was being ingrained on the vessel made me realize once again why Tech-Lich are such valuable assets that the Otherside Bureau and the Church Union can't ignore.
The doll blinked. Her eyes dilated for a second before she allowed Kei to imprint her.
"So, 'Sai', who's your current partner?" Kei asked.
"It is you, Miss Kei Ma. What is my purpose?" Sai inquired.
"You shall help around my office. Hmm, I'll prepare the data for you, but for now, you will have to deal with it yourself," Kei replied.
"Then I am… an employee?" Sai questioned.
"That's right," Kei confirmed.
"Madam, I am a doll. Thus my functions should have limits," Sai asserted as she got out of her coffin-pod and diagnosed her weapon systems. Mantis blade, shotgun-shell loaded armaments, and even mini-missiles. Sai was packed with so much cyberware that it's clear what her functions were before she got stored. She was a goddamn combat doll.
"No, you aren't, according to the one keeping you. You were a copy of Agent Sai Ra, and thus you are considered an individual," Kei explained.
"So she's… an engram?" I inquired.
"That's right," Kei said. "She's been improved by adding her the capabilities of an AI. So technically, she's a Ghost-Doll."
"You know… I was expecting the kind of doll that just does the basic function, but it's always complicated with you, boss," I remarked.
"And I'm surprised you are surprised that an Anomalist like me would find an anomaly of a doll," Kei retorted.
"Fair point, Boss," I conceded.
Sai studied me and then offered her hand.
"I am called… Sai…" she introduced herself.
"Hello, and boss and the others call me Akun," I replied.
Sai tilted her head as if confused, but then bowed her head.
"Thank you for reviving me. It… will take time to… accumulate knowledge of this current era," Sai expressed.
"It's a shitty era, as always, so don't expect much," Kei commented as she sat at her desk, watching Sai squirm. She then pointed at me.
"Ah, and if he tries something or anyone you don't have feelings for. Please ignore them. Is your womb outdated?"
Sai checked. I gawked like a fool at the casualness. I had to remind myself that this was somewhat of a normality before the Dolls were mostly subdued.
"They are not, Boss… it seems I was maintained," Sai replied.
"Then please try to keep your… reproductive functions sealed," Kei instructed.
"You know, Boss. I think you're angry at me for some reason," I asked. "I am not that of a degenerate."
"Hmm, am I angry? You broke my footage of the Pale Magus, Assistant. Sigh. With most of the footage gone, there's no way to find the Pale Magus," she turned to Sai. "Any records of the Pale Magus in your head, Sai?"
"I'm afraid that any footage related to Subject: Pale Magus has been redacted and sealed. Any attempts to access said data will have consequences," Sai responded.
"It's the same damn thing," Kei sighed, kneading her forehead. "But I'm not exactly surprised by now. It's the same as ever."
The Pale Magus was recently of interest in the office, specifically because it was involved in the Demi-Plague. Honestly, all traces should have vanished, and everything we found so far was nothing more than glimpses of that Magus. The 7S and the Redmond really thought we could get anything at all. It's hard to find anything interesting about it when most of the time, said being was trying very hard to hide, to live its life away from the eyes of the Otherside Bureau and the Church Union.
Sai asked questions, and I replied with the best information I could provide while providing a sit-rep on what's happening in the world. After a few minutes of talk, Sai, after listening to my answers, concluded it with a few words that summarized it all.
"It seems the state of the world is far more volatile than the last time."
It really was. Kei tapped Sai on the shoulder.
"Sai, do you eat food?"
"I consume them for bio-fuel."
"Neat. I'm going to order us some food."
Sai turned back to me.
"And I'm not sure if the next turning point will be… good for all of mankind," Sai mused.
"It's people like you who will inherit the earth from us"
It's something easy to forget how we were a step away from extinction sometimes.
Sai looked at me carefully.
"People… I am an Engram… a Doll, Sir. It's… not right for me to be called a person."
"Hmm, maybe, but you had your personal identity before all of this. You might be an engram, but you cannot deny that you were made from Sai Ra, a living person, no?"
"That's… a mental gymnastic I can handle," she turned to Kei. "Boss, may I assume an independent protocol?"
Kei shrugged as she lit her cigarette.
"Don't really care what you do. You are an employee of this office and I think you'd know what's best to equip yourself with. The maintenance… will have to be on your own since you are working for us as a 'fully cyborg' individual."
"I see… then you have no intention of personally handling my affairs?"
"I don't. Just don't do anything that might affect this office and you'll be just fine."
"Madam… I may have rogue tendencies."
"That so? Then you should know that we weren't the ones who put you in a drive, and we received you as a gift," Kei explained dully. "We are willing to ignore your… rogue tendencies as long as you don't compromise us. Is that alright with you?"
"Of course," Sai voiced with emotion. "If anything, I am thankful that you'd allow me some… freedom."
After that, Sai went and plugged herself into the net using her coffin-pod. Kei invited me outside, and then we shared a smoke. I took out my smoking pipe and made sure the tobacco was in before lighting.
"You sure we want her sifting around the net?"
"Why not? It's not like she wouldn't try, anyway."
"Did you bring her in because of the plague?"
"Might be. Also, it's hard to refuse a Full-Metal Doll like her, Assistant. I consulted Sato about it, and he insisted on us having extra firepower."
"That's concerning, Sato… he wants us readied for something."
Kei groaned as she massaged her forehead.
"Things are so messed up right now. A Skin-flaying Plague, Anomalies, Demons, Monsters… I know the world's already ended… but it's just.. daunting, you know?"
I couldn't agree more.