RP: YSS Miharu Mission 5, Aftermath (5th day)

Yukari had repeated back to Kotori what she had learned in datafiles. She had no intrinsic knowledge that could give Kotori something to grab and use when it came to "mirroring."

She considered what it meant, but ran into problems of terminology, of the science of it. Kotori had displayed great power without seeming to reflect the psionics of someone else — reviving Miyoko came to mind — but at the time Melisson had been active, which meant power was available in gross without Kotori directly firing it back at its source.

That source of power was unavailable. Even if there was a legion of NH-17T within the fleet, it was unlikely they could match Melisson's former power. It still might be possible, but there was risk.

Kotori seemed to have no power of her own, but Melisson's words suggested otherwise. Could Kotori simply look back at herself and draw on whatever innate strength rested there?

Even if she could, Yukari had a suspicion.

"If Kotori could mirror her own power, what would happen to her at the end?" she asked. "Would she be exhausted, or would she rend herself apart, as she nearly did before?"

"Mm," Melisson tilted her head on one side thoughtfully. "The power of the mind doesn't just vanish because you change bodies. I figure body configuration does facilitate certain processes, but once someone masters how to perform true psionics, it doesn't just go away. Even if Yamataian teachings of psionics have been dumbed down, Kotori ought to know the basic psionic screech - even your grenade-0like devices can do that much."

Then, she smirked.

"But, the last time something tried to tap into her psyche, it was a machine trying to copy her mind. It fried. If Kotori tried to tap into the power of her own mind, I figure she'd equally fry."

Melisson's hands went down to loop around her ankles. "After all, I don't think Shinichiro would've engineered this monster without a few failsafes."

As expected, Yukari thought. Kotori tries to exit in an honorable fashion only to be foiled by the needs of many — needs that ultimately will kill her anyway.

The Signaler body simply was not meant to live a long life.

"We are capable of manufacturing more grenades," she said, not fully believing it was enough. "It might allow Kotori to live on."

"She's capable enough to shape the effect of such a device to her advantage, yes," Melisson nodded in agreement. "But for the purpose of your present aim? You'd be asking her to make changes to someone's mind within an eyeblink. Nekovalkyrja think fast, but not that fast - it'd be a miracle for me in such a span of time for just one person. But hundreds? Thousands?"

Melisson leaned back, balancing herself on her buttocks with her arm encircled legs as a weighted counterpoint against gravity.

"What inspired that chain of thought is a bit puzzling. Kotori starts claiming my abilities fueling hers wouldn't be sufficient to return all those people to normal. Then you argue about the peculiarily-obtained knowledge of the possible existence of three Eve-clones... and suddenly Kotori claims that Eve meant to do the feat alone, so with my help it should be possible."

Melisson arched an crimson eyebrow. "Am I the only one to see the contradiction here?"

Yukari nodded at the contradiction, but she kept her focus. She needed a solution, not more and more questions, especially ones she could not answer.

"Melisson," she said. "You are the knowledgeable one, not I. I know we are not your friends and do not expect such treatment, but I seek counsel all the same. I want Kotori to live as well as free these people from a life of mindless servitude. How can that be done? That is what I seek to know."

She dipped her head in a slight bow. "That is what I need to know."

Melisson stopped balancing. Her feet touched the floor again and she stood up.

"That is a tall feat. There is a much easier way to return safely home, if that fundamental goal is more important to you than the morality of the fleet's servitude. In fact, unconditioning service could be a boon to Kotori's cause in the coming years."

Melisson then eyed Nyton. "Ever since you learned of the true origin of the Elysian Plague, that was what your hope, your ambition at the end of having faced down Eve."

She shifted her attention back to Yukari. "The computers of this fleet represent the axe hovering over your necks. Simultaneously nipping them with telekinetics will allow you to take them down, have them fixed, and then restart them on blank slate."

"Telekinesis is beyond my capabilities, but Kotori has shown that she had proper understanding of both telekinesis and clairvoyance. Her reviving your mortally wounded friend proves that much. If I choose to fuel her abilities, this could be done."

Melisson paused and soon added: "If the high road is what you want, it is much more daunting. Surely you've noticed by now that Kotori is not exactly... well. You've had concerns about her sanity. What you've seen haunts you, because reality may reflect some of that. How much of that is premonition, you wonder. Then, you try to dismiss it, but you cannot help to be concerned. You know it goes farther than just the issue with Tom."

"As long as that issue is not resolved, Kotori will not have the capacity to meddle in the minds of others to set it aright. How could she when she is not certain of herself? This is the kind of thing she may not feel ready to face. She may always run from it - after all, as long as she ignores it, at least she can still pretend everything is fine."

"Your starting point into understanding that puzzle lies in the knowledge of Eve's three safehouses." Melisson scowled. "Those Empresses, do you understand how Shinichiro's monster destroyed them?"

Restarting and blanking the ships' computers did make sense. Hoshi too could assist with the reprogramming.

But that would not help Kotori.

"I do not," she said, Melisson's analysis pressing down on her shoulders. She was doing her best to not let the irony of Kotori's supposed mental state get to her — after all, Yukari thought she was the mad one for some time.

"I do not know which monsters you refer to, either. I know Eve is a dangerous psion the best Psionic Signal Controller could not resist for long."

Melisson's nose curled in disgust. "It's normal to consider that Shinichiro would have never let that prized creation, the first nekovalkyrja, ever quite escape his control. When Yui ascended to the Nodal Empress body manufactured in-house by the Ketsurui, he had contingencies."

"You must understand. A way to police such a powerful creature. A way to corner her and halt her functions."

"In that time, psionic power was much more prevalent, so it came in with features for that as well. The Elysians and their constructs also had psionics at their command. Even the Nepleslians experimented with those. If Yamataians ever strive to do anything, it is to not be outdone. Shinichiro was no different, even when what could threaten was Yui."

"You know the cover story for the Signaler body was that it was a NIWS variant that didn't quite work out; and you also know that it was Amaya that planted that asset and made it available to her blackmailed double-agent. but neither Amaya, nor anyone amongst the Daughters of Eve had the expertise to craft something that could threaten an Empress Nodal Nekovalkyrja."

"No one, but Eve's sponsor. Shinichiro Nobumoto." Melisson almost growled out the entire name, her loathing evident.

"I assume that what Kotori ended up with was a dumbed down version that was never meant to be able to hurt Eve's own NH-23 imitation - Shinichiro would've desired the full scope of those abilities to be his only. I assume that somehow, the template Amaya had been given had been altered to remove the limiters on it."

"Kotori is Shinichiro's monster." Melisson precised. "A creation that does deflects and reshape psionic potential, yes. More importantly, a creation that is in fact a false node that draws a PANTHEON mind to it, and assimilates it."

"That woman you stopped from killing herself is internalizing the minds of two defunct NH-23s. She may be part-Kotori, part-Eve, part-Yui."

Yukari's mind stalled on that.

Surprise was the culprit. Yukari remembered when Kotori said she stopped the NH-23 Kotori from finding a new home elsewhere, but the "how" was never explained. Perhaps Kotori did not even know. Eve's demise was on purpose, but that too was not explained.

Now there was an answer. But to what question, and could she even trust the answer? Yukari thought she could. Misdirection was well within Melisson's capability, but this rang of truth.

"Internalizing," she repeated, keying on it. "So she has not done it yet. We are seeing the process of her assimilating the two minds she has captured."

Lightning struck in her mind and she ran with it. "Two immensely powerful psionics who could provide great energy to the feat of freeing the fleet's crews. Kotori must look inside herself, find the Eve and Yui who exist within her, then harvest them for power. If they are destroyed in the process, it is no loss: not only will the fleet's crews be of their own minds again, but Kotori is well."

She felt her head tingle not with the vocalizing of the plan, but with the realization of how insane Nobumoto, the Father of the Nekovalkyrja race, truly was.

Eve is but a guard, she thought — and shivered.

The interpreter spit the nekovalkyrja brunette with a half-lidded look.

"Perhaps, if you hope things are this clear cut for your friend. With her own self being a third of what vies for her mind right now, it's a wonder she's still even clinging to sanity," Melisson returned. "It's doubtful they are - the NH-29 foundation is still one that I believe is analogous and mostly intuitive. Isn't your access to fine-tuning your OS now very limited?"

"One thing is certain," she continued. "For every NH-23 kill Kotori has had, her power has grown. She's been able to reproduce advanced manifestations. Think on it: when you fought Mefpralphra, she used precognition and guided your every movement so that you would emerge unscathed. This was as good as what Eve did. Perhaps even better since Eve could remotely only give Meni and Mani a short warning."

Yukari's eyes kept Melisson's gaze as long as they could.

She saw it in her mind's eye, and if Melisson saw it, she did not show she cared. Kotori was more — she had the original Kotori inside her as well, if what Melisson said held true. That meant Kotori had someone inside her, perhaps, who could help her, even if she did not know it.

Her next thought made her smile. Melisson knew the theory behind the NH-29, but Yukari did not start life that way. The "muscle memory" of manipulating her OS remained strong, and she was capable of doing more than a typical Neko. It only required the right frame of mind.

"If what you say is so, then Kotori needs only the right analogies to complete the task at hand, and the OS will interpret the rest. On that, I can assist my friend."

Nylon listened intently while Yukari debated with Melisson. The exchange had at least been an open one between the two but there was now uncertainty and he made his doubts obvious in his mind. "Shosa, please remain cautious. Remember how readily our own minds fed Melisson with the means to torment ourselves. She may simply be expanding on those fears to sway us. I also feel that she too readily offers us a name that we all loath. She does not need to lie just twist the truth enough for her own ends." Nylon cautioned.

"However if Kotori-dono can indeed absorb PANTHEON based minds would it be possible that such an ability could adapt to absorb non-PANTHEON minds? Perhaps when Kotori-dono dominated some of Melisson's minds she did not simply control them but absorbed them as well." he then theorized.

"I do not care if I am disproved but I want the facts."

Melisson snerked. Whatever she found amusing she kept to herself, though.

"A note of caution: sometimes, ignorance can be bliss. Not having the problem pointed to her may mean that she'll have time to subconsciously work her issues out. After seeing all she's accomplished, I wouldn't bet against her in that regard. Inner workings of a mind sometimes do need to stay 'inner' to have it keep functioning well."

"Pointing the problem out to her would make it more real. It would make it something that's not just private to her own mind. Bearing with her own pain seems something she takes in stride, after all. She might not be ready to be exposed. Meddling may not be healthy for her. Of course, however this resolves itself, it will require time. Time you may not have."

"So you may have to decide between the well being of your friend, or earning back the free will of people you do not know whom are presently perfectly content in their present situation."

Melisson sat back down. "Come back to me once you've decided. I'll consent to exert my mind for whatever you have planned."

Nylon remained dismissive. "She certainly presumes to be an expert on psychoanalyzing Kotori-dono. I believe we are done here Shosa."

Yukari felt locked between two very pushy personalities, but she maintained her balance. Nyton had his reasons to be suspicious.

"Thank you, Melisson," she said, genuine sincerity in her words. "I will return."

She stepped out with Nyton, and once the door was closed, she let out a slow breath, holding her hand to her chest, then leaned against the wall.

"I sense your analysis is negative, Taii-san. However ... I believe her." She kept her eyes at her feet. "The Taisa must know. And we must ensure she can survive the knowledge."

Nyton remained composed but his appearance spoke of his doubts. "Damn straight I don't trust her." he replied in a calm tone. "The way she deflected your questions and redirected us makes me think she is still planning something. Her acquisition of knowledge that should have been unknown to her is also unsettling. Granted she can pick up surface thoughts but how can she do that when we do not think them."

He then crossed his arms and frowned. "Then she presumes to shake our confidence in Kotori-dono by accusing her of becoming unhinged. I understand she is immensely distressed by what has happened to the members of the fleet. We have known her a long time and her willingness to sacrifice herself should be no surprise to either of us. Melisson continues to try to bend our fears and use them against us."

"I do not know anything about these psionic repercussions involving absorbing other minds. Even if it is true I believe that we can help Kotori-dono work through this. We both melded with her and know how isolated she feels. This whole approach that Melisson is using to make us doubt her smells of treachery." he stated before turning away from the door that led to the medical center.

"For now this encounter is over. We should go report to Kotori-dono like you said."

"Yes," Yukari said, lifting herself from the wall and bringing her eyes up. "Let us go speak to her."

The two officers made their way back to Kotori to deliver their report.

A query to the KAMI confirmed that Kotori could still be found in the garden they had met at earlier.

When Nyton and Yukari arrived there, they spied her still on kneeing under the pavilion. The short-table, the broken bottle and the sake spill were all gone. Kotori herself was kneeling, her eyes closed. Both swords were still lying on the wooden floor by her side.

"Taisa?" Yukari called as she and Nyton approached the pavilion. She glanced at him, expression a mix of worry and confusion, as they crossed the ground.

Kotori opened her eyes and raised her head. "Yes? What have you to report?" It seemed like she was fine.