Chapter Text
My body has long forgotten what a headache feels like. I always made sure to at least somewhat look after my physical health. After all, I could not let something as trivial as an illness interrupt my research.
And yet, here I was, slowly regaining my consciousness, accompanied by a massive headache. I wanted to put my hand on the bridge of my nose to try and massage it to maybe alleviate the pain, but something was blocking my movement.
Restraints?
Up until this moment, I resisted opening my eyes. The headache plaguing me felt closer to a migraine, so I would rather avoid the bright lights of my lab so as to not overstimulate my senses further.
But the fact that I was restrained quickly told me that I was, not, in fact, in my lab. In this situation, opening my eyes was necessary in order to properly assess the situation I found myself in.
It took a few seconds for my eyes to adjust to the light level. Whoever built this room clearly had no idea about proper lighting. Speaking of the room layout, I tried analyzing every bit of it, although the fact that my movements were limited by the restraints didn’t make it any easier.
From my brief analysis, I could clearly tell it was a laboratory. Judging by the technology around me, although I hated to admit it, it might have been almost as advanced as mine. I couldn’t exactly tell what the field of science had been studied here. It seemed like a chaotic mess of all kinds of devices, meant to aid studies in vastly different things.
- Oh. You’re awake. - I heard a voice coming from behind me, followed by the sound of a rolling chair sliding across the floor. Soon enough, the chair finally rolled into my vision, along with the person whom the voice belonged to. White shirt, pink hair, glasses and the same deadpan expression as always.
- Professor Kokonoe, what a pleasant surprise. - I said, looking towards what seemed like the person responsible for my current predicament.
- It’s certainly not pleasant for me. - She scoffed back at me, her expression changing to that familiar disdain that she always expressed towards me. - Oh, and don’t even think about causing any phenomena interventions. See this? - She asked, placing her hand on a small, circular purple device with an orb of energy hovering right above it. - This little thing is something I call a Singularity Anchor. Basically, it stops any and all phenomena observations in the immediate area.
- And you went through all of this trouble just to make sure I wouldn’t escape? I’m flattered, really. It still doesn’t explain how, or why for that matter, did you drag me here?
- Well if you shut up for a second I could explain everything. - The Professor replied, adjusting herself on her seat. I merely looked at her, not changing my expression. The curiosity of her answer far outweighed my need to make a witty remark.
- Go on then.
- Firstly, the how. It was simple really. Your son gave us enough information about you to make catching you easy after severing your connection to Ignis. As for the why. - Finally, she stood up from her chair and took a few steps towards me. - Well it’s a bit more complicated. You see, Carl came to sector seven a while back, asking us for help in regards to his sister’s situation. By analyzing Ada’s soul within Nirvana, I was able to see that you moved it in such a way that prevented it from being transferred to a different vessel.
- Preventative measures. - I replied, dryly. - You wouldn’t want anybody else ruining your projects, now would you?
- Cooperating with Carl, - She continued, ignoring me - me and him were able to create a device that would be able to safely move both Ada’s and Ignis’s souls from the dolls you put them in without damaging them further. But, before we test it on either of them, we thought it would be better to test it on someone who wouldn’t be missed if anything went wrong. - She said with a snarky grin on her face. My expression remained neutral.
The professor said that trying to get under my skin. I’m certain it would annoy me, if not for the fact that it does not concern me what others think of me. I couldn't care less if others would “miss me”.
- But then the problem of what your soul could be used for arose. Until I remembered that, ever since Lambda moved on from sector seven to help Noel Vermillion in that church of hers, we are lacking a bit in manpower. So… - She crouched in front of me. - We are gonna transfer your soul into an imitation Murakumo unit, similar to Lambda, except with a different arsenal.
- So… you are telling me that my soul will be transferred into what is essentially a living weapon. - I replied. The absurdity of the entire situation elicited a small chuckle from me.
- You will be giving me a more durable body and access to weapons. Do you
want
me to escape?
- Oh, no. - The Professor replied, standing back up before sitting back down into her chair.
- We aren’t just going to transfer your soul. This body was specifically prepared for you. I am going to reshape both your soul and mind until you are no longer a threat. And who knows, you might even be of some use to us. - She said, taking her lollipop out of her mouth. She stared daggers at me. I thought she was expecting a reaction of some sort. I simply chuckled once again.
- And why exactly are you telling me this? Couldn’t you have performed the procedure while I was still unconscious? Wouldn’t that be smarter? Why go through the trouble of restraining me, just to tell me your plans? - I asked, looking back at Professor Kokonoe. Despite my ability to see souls, somehow I could not get a read on her right now. It may have been due to the aforementioned “Singularity Anchor” that she told me about earlier. Since it made phenomena interventions impossible, it may have also disturbed other things.
- No real reason. I just thought that information would be enough to at least faze you a bit. A broken mind is easier to reshape, after all. But you have just proved that it was a waste of time and I should have done it while you were asleep and saved myself the headache.
- You severely underestimate the capabilities of my mind, if you think you can rewrite it as you see fit. - I replied. At that moment, I could see a smile enter Professor Kokonoe’s face as she approached me once again and pressed a button on a panel near the device that was holding me. Soon after, I could feel my consciousness slowly as my body refused to listen to me and I couldn’t keep my eyes open any longer.
- We’ll see about that. - Was the last thing I heard professor Kokonoe say, before I finally fell unconscious.
*****
Waking up in a completely unfamiliar place wasn’t something that anybody could really get used to, and I had no choice but to endure it. This time, however, I was not restrained. At least not directly.
Opening my eyes, I found myself staring into the ceiling of a room. Instead of being forced into an uncomfortable position on my knees, I appeared to have been laid down on a rather comfortable bed, which was certainly a step up from before.
I sat up slowly to try and take in my surroundings once again, but something else caught my attention. A lock of bright blonde hair entered my vision which, normally, shouldn’t be possible, considering how my hair was usually styled. I gently grabbed the lock and pulled on it slightly. The pain coming from the skin on my head confirmed that this hair, in fact, belonged to me.
At that point, I remembered the last thing I was told before losing consciousness.
- New body, huh. - I said to myself, getting off of the bed I was sitting on and finally getting a good look at the place I was in. My voice sounded a lot higher and softer. It had a very feminine ring to it.
The room I was in was relatively small and had white walls. A similar color scheme as the lab I was in before, although this room looked like it was meant for someone to inhabit.
There was, of course, the bed that I just got up from, although it was closer to a cot, with a small nightstand next to it. Opposite of the bed was an empty table with a rolling chair next to it. On the other side of the room, there was a sink with a mirror next to it and a shower with doors made out of milk glass. Lastly, there was a simple looking cupboard.
- Definitely a living space. - I vocalized my thoughts, before approaching the mirror. If Kokonoe had truly placed me in an imitation Murakumo, I needed to examine my new body and its full capabilities.
The thing I saw in the mirror was definitely a surprising sight. The person looking back at me was someone so different from my own visage it was almost uncanny. It was a girl with a rather small frame, definitely quite a bit shorter than my previous body. Despite being an Imitation Murakumo, she did not resemble any of the other units. Her hair was a similar color to mine, but it was much longer, about shoulder length. Although I was surprised to see that it had retained some of the spiky quality that my hair used to have. Her eyes were bright blue. I wasn’t certain whether or not this was based on my own eye color, or if it was an aesthetic choice made by professor Kokonoe. I hadn’t seen my own eyes in a long time and the memory of their color has faded.
The most distinct characteristic of this body, however, was the thing floating above its head.It was a black, intricately-designed halo. I wasn’t sure of its purpose yet, but it certainly looked… interesting.
- You seem to be awake and somewhat aware. That means the transfer most likely went without a hitch. - I heard a disembodied voice, coming from somewhere within my room. A quick glance-over revealed a detail I had missed during my initial assessment: several cameras and speakers, mounted near the ceiling of my room.
- I assume it’s you, Professor Kokonoe? - I said, looking towards one of the cameras, which I assumed she was watching me through.
- Oh, good. Your memories seem to be undamaged too. - Kokonoe’s voice came from the speaker once more. - If you don’t mind, I’d like to run some tests to make sure that your soul was transferred in full and is undamaged.
- And what if I refuse?
- You won’t. You’re too worried about whether or not your mind is intact, and I am the only person who can help you check. - She said with a familiar smugness in her voice. As much as I hated to admit that, she was right to an extent. I couldn’t verify the integrity of my own mind without an objective third-party witness, and right now she was my only hope.
- Fine then. - I replied, sitting back down on my “bed” and looking towards one of the cameras. Only now, when I looked down on myself, did the difference between this body and my old one set in. I was a lot smaller than before, with a lot less defined muscle structure. My skin was definitely a lot more delicate, most likely since it was artificial.
What followed was a session of math questions that got progressively more complex. I assumed I was timed, it would make sense. I timed myself too, although It certainly wasn’t too precise considering I had to rely on my mind alone, but I was satisfied with the results regardless. So far, my soul appeared untouched, which meant that she hasn’t started reshaping it yet.
This little session of questions did not last long. After everything was said and done, the professor fell silent for a bit.
- How did I do, professor? - I asked, hoping that I would get an answer that confirms my own hypothesis.
- The results are rather satisfactory. I’m gonna leave you be for the day, let you get used to your new body. We’re gonna start testing your full capabilities first thing tomorrow morning. - And with that, I was left alone to do as I pleased, at least within the confines of this cell.
Looking around, I started pondering about any way that I could pass the time. As much as this was beneath me, I was thinking that perhaps I could ask the professor for some books to read in my spare time. I was sure that my reading wouldn’t be a security risk. In the meantime, however, I simply laid down on the bed. Perhaps some rest would do me good, considering how exerted my soul must have been.
*****
As the light on the console stopped glowing red, I leaned back in my chair and took the lollipop out of my mouth. I may have been a genius and a brilliant scientist with many achievements under my belt, but this was truly a breakthrough. Transferring a soul to a different vessel, completely undamaged.
- I outdid myself this time. - I chuckled, putting the lollipop back into my mouth and spinning around in my chair.
- Uhm…Professor Kokonoe? - I heard a voice from deeper within the room. Halting my spin halfway around I looked to the direction where the voice was coming from. The person standing before me was a young boy. Not too tall, with bridge blonde hair and glasses.
- Do… Do you really think that giving him the body of a Murakumo is okay? The other units are pretty strong. Someone like him with access to those weapons is… - Carl continued, with clear concern in his voice. I had to interrupt him but sliding over to him and putting a finger on his mouth. Dealing with him for the last couple months, I knew he’d likely go on a tangent. This was the one bad thing he’d gotten from his father.
- Don’t worry, Carl. - I reassured, trying to look as friendly as possible, although with my resting bitch face it was quite hard. - He can’t access his weapon without my permission. I made sure of that. And besides… - I slid back over to my desk and took a peek at the monitor. Xi was laying on the bed, looking absentmindedly at the ceiling.
- Soon enough, he’ll be of no threat to anybody…