‡‡ Networld, HAKU V86 Matrix Polaris ‡‡

Amongst the Administrators' domain, Haku's place was somewhat making the European Admin nostalgic about her beginnings — or her 'childhood' with Alys, Haku and former Asian Admin Galacia, who mysteriously disappeared without a trace after the second World War.

She wanted to loosen herself, free her contained feelings of excessive rage towards Strauss and all the things that annoys her, and she knew Haku will do the job.

She was walking firm along the glacial flooring of the domain, across pillars of ice and steel, walking past some monuments and monoliths of the former mighty Empire, Haku's origin and master.

Approaching the center of the domain, she looked at the Soviet insignia engraved at the center of the steel blue table while waiting for her arrival.

Located at the left side of the table were three small ice sculptures: Tokyo Tower, Big Ben and Sputnik I. Beside them was Haku's metal mace with bluish digital prints all over it.

"She's here somewhere..." Gumi slowly said, looking at the mountains of ice around the landscape of the domain.

Letting a brief moment to pass, she combed her hair and smiled while walking away at the table. She placed her hands at her back, making her golden clock hand daggers materialized.

The silence that enshrouds the domain was very deafening and Gumi knows this peacefulness was only a facade of what was the Polar Admin's current mood.

"Give me your best shot comrade.." Gumi said, preparing herself to fight.

"As you wish, Miss Geneva." a female voice gladly replied, followed by a gust of cold wind towards Gumi.

Gumi looked again at Haku's table and when the mallet vanished into thin air, she grinned.

Swiftly along with the zephyr, Haku dashed silently towards Gumi with the mallet at her hand.

Gumi knew that Haku was closing in but she just smiled and remained at her position; standing while holding the daggers at her back, crossing each other's blade.

Haku stopped a meter away behind Gumi and quickly jumped, holding the mallet upwards and aiming it at Gumi's head.

Before the mallet could land at her, she swiftly positioned her daggers in a crossed manner overhead, blocking the attack completely and only accepting the force of Haku's hammer.

Loud clash of metal and eccentrical waves of force spiced with orange hot sparks had filled the air and the impact of it caused tremors at the entire domain.

The glacial mountains had collapsed and breaks into chunks while rolling down the steep slopes. Cracks had crawled all over the surface of the domain like wildfires while the ice fragments were dispersed on all directions, exposing the city of specimens contained in cubic glass containers, buried deep below the freezing polar waters.

The eyes of fiery rage that was staring at Haku at that particular scene had confirmed her guess of why Gumi paid a friendly visit to her.

While putting more weight at her mallet, Haku looked at Gumi.

"You really indeed have problems today Miss Geneva." Haku said, "Don't worry, Russia will take care of it. I will give you the right medicine for that."

Haku retreated and landed on a floating ice in front of Gumi. She removed her hair ribbon and transformed it into a mask.

She wore it and her white long hair turned flaming red; her suit glowed red digital prints all over her body.

On the other hand, Gumi made her fighting stance: she placed her right blade beside the right side of her head, aligning it with her eyesight;  other blade pointing out to Haku. She adjusted her footing and gripped her weapon tight.

"That's more I like it.." Gumi provoked while the two of them were drifting freely above the shards of ice partnered with a very striking stare, "More deadly, much better."

‡‡ Networld, ALYS Central Archives ‡‡

"I had a great time talking to many humans today Arizona, especially those little children that was asking out of curiosity and some really weird state laws."

"I am glad that you are happy at the output for today's module." Arizona, the system, said. "No wonder why you're the Administrator that handles me."

"You know why I am here right? You still remember it, don't you?"

Hesitantly, Arizona replied, "Yes, Miss Alyssa, it was still clear at my system memory even if it was a century ago. Still—"

"Still it was a very inhumane and sickening that I cursed them to suffer and seek vengeance to what they had done to me..." she said, "but also making me their test subject at that experiment made me more powerful than I ever imagined. After all, it wasn't that bad; I enjoyed their 'failure'. I enjoyed their misery... but I don't want others to experience what I had gone through. My torment from those psychopaths was enough."

"Indeed Miss Alyssa, you have changed a lot from the moment you arrived at the Networld. I am glad and happy to serve you. I knew that a system like me would learn something from you, from a hu—"

Alys smiled. "Yeah, I was once like them; now an Admin —eternally stranded with a system that doesn't like humans."

"But we do both love children, right?" Arizona said, trying to divert the topic back at the kids.

"Very true Arizona, I do love them. Actually, the more I talk to them, the more I want to do this job. It brings me back to my early days then.. I wish I could see and talk to her at the other side ... but— never mind. No one would replace my spot and no one will ever." Alys said, turning her chair, facing against her table, about to stand up.

"Arizona, I knew that —"

"—that I had said this countless of times before—"the system tried to continue Alys' sentence.

"You even bother yourself to say those." Alys said, smiling.

"Yes, I do because I can Miss Alyssa, I can."

"Anyhow, even you had memorized it, I still and tirelessly say to you: thank you for taking care of me."

Suddenly, a notification sound was heard; she received a personal message. The sweet sound of it made Alys' smile reappeared at her face, letting her fingers play on the armrests and turned again to entertain the new message.

ㄖ ㄖ ㄖ

Meanwhile, at Strauss' house, Synca had just finished sending a personal message to ALYS, hoping that even a very small window of hope would shine on her.

She left the website of ALYS opened, waiting for an immediate response from anyone that will see the message.

"Please..." Synca said, "help me God."

Three minutes had passed; her waiting for nothing had paid off — a reply had been sent.

----------
[Sent 07:45 PM]
Subject: Free Vocaloid Giveaway
From: [email protected]
To: Alyssa Newmann

*************
Do you have the free Vocaloid that was sent at your address?
*************
[Sent 07:48 PM]
Why do you need it?
Was there any problems about it?
—ALYSSA NEWMANN
----------

Synca typed a new reply.

----------
[Sent 07:50 PM]
Mister Strauss needs to clarify things at the prize you've just won last night. If there is an opportunity, may I know where to meet you?
----------

She pressed 'Send' and waited.

After several seconds, a reply was sent to Synca; it gave an instruction on where Synca should go in order to find her.

ㄖ ㄖ ㄖ

At the hospital, the smell of burnt skin and oil was still lingering at his body even though his wounds were cleaned and his clothes were replaced. He was ashamed of himself; ashamed of what he had caused to everyone. The thick bandages rolled at his arm was keeping his flesh in tact, but not his already broken dignity and self pride. He felt useless after he had a taste of Maika's pain; her summons to him that made her mad at him.

Strauss' stare at his injuries was making him question his stupid judgement towards things; mistakes and wrongdoings for the past years.

He looked at the handcuffs that bounds him with the bed.

"Strauss, Strauss, Strauss..."

"...look what have you done to yourself..." then he remembered Synca.

"...Look what you have done to others..." then he remembered his program.

"...Look what you have done to Maika." then he scolded himself.

"You are indeed a very stupid person." Strauss said slowly to himself, "Where was the old Strauss, where did you go?"

He raised his head a little, making a hopeless stare to his miserable state of being while enduring the constant pain from his wounds that was like tearing his flesh apart.

Ashamed, he smiled then he dropped himself back to rest, making a sigh.

"Maika was right. My program was more right than me. I do deserved to be like this. Heh, if these things doesn't happen maybe, I won't find myself back again; I won't see what was f****** up my empty life."

ㄖ ㄖ ㄖ

Silence prevailed as the hours were closing in past midnight, the streets were only serving a handful of vehicles and some persons that made a living under the moonlight of the nightscape.

Synca was walking towards the entrance of the hospital carrying the key to find Maika. She knew that there was a little chance that Strauss was awake at that moment but she had chosen to try to go back to tell what happened on her during the time she was completing all of the things Strauss wanted to be finished, especially 'Vocaloid CV03'.

Anxiety and stress had started to crawl at her skin as she felt like she had a big responsibility to do since Strauss was at the hospital and facing multiple cases; knowing only that she was the only person Strauss was counting on.

She headed for the front desk and asked whether she may be allowed to see Strauss at his room, but the nurse didn't let Synca even enter a single more step, the nurse said that the visiting hours for the patients were only allowed up to nine in the evening. Because of this, she just nodded her head and walked out of the hospital.

"At least I tried..." Synca said, heading for the road to catch a taxi.