Oni BSB 34: Phoenix Rising (Destiny)

by Ragashingo , Official DBO Cryptarch, Monday, April 02, 2018, 13:46 (2232 days ago) @ Ragashingo

For two days after the incident at the TCTF Prison/Lab the world is peaceful, silent. Whatever tracking devices the TCTF had implanted in Mai’s body went silent when she immersed herself in acid. And, of course, there would be no body to recover.

For Commander Griffin, the loss of Mai would already have been bad news. He’s lost his ace in the hole, and Muro is still out there and just as unstoppable as ever. Except, Griffin doesn’t seem to believe Mai is dead. When given an update on the loss of signal from Mai’s trackers, Griffin is not at all relieved. Instead, he orders his team to keep scanning. Clearly, he is unsure of her demise.

And he has a right to be. Just moments after Griffin’s subordinate leaves, Mai drops in from the ceiling to confront him. She demands answers. He rebuffs her and activates a lockdown of the entire TCTF building. This includes his 13th story office descending down into a secure basement bunker!

For Mai, this must feel awfully familiar. It was only a couple of day prior that she’d risked her life battling the Syndicate floor by floor by floor to pry this building from the grip of their surprise attack. Now, Mai must fight her way from the top of the building to its basement. Fortunately, she knows this building and its security systems inside and out by now.

Along her descent, Mai must dodge the TCTF HQ’s formidable array of fixed security emplacements. Machine guns and wall mounted plasma turrets cover long lines of sight. And troopers try to engage her at every turn. But, by deactivating the security substations, just like the Syndicate did, she is able to bypass much of the building’s built in security.

Those paying attention will find multiple terminals relating to the TCTF HQ’s security situation.

Rogue agent Konoko:

SECURITY ALERT 19:35:06

Group: Security_12

Rogue agent Konoko has been identified as active and present in Sector 12 with probable motives of homicide and data theft.

Commander Griffin has relocated to security bunker Omega.

Escort all other non-tactical agents to their appropriate security bunkers.

DO NOT FORGET TO LOCK YOUR DATA STATIONS BEFORE LEAVING YOUR POST

Capt. D. Joost
TCTF Security & Facilities

So, right off the bat they are classifying Mai as a very serious threat. Sure, we already knew that from all the TCTF forces trying to kill her since the Atmospheric Processor… but still, presumably these people at the HQ are ones she worked with or at least received training from. Of course… entering the building by shooting out the glass on the roof may not have put her former coworkers in the best of moods…

Extraordinary Security Measures:

This message was sent with High Priority
To: Commander Griffin Cc: Comptroller P. Tamte
From: Capt. D. Joost
Subject: Re: Status of power substation repairs
All three internal security substations are now operational. However external building repairs will not be completed in time for system initialization. Until then, I suggest that we implement the following extraordinary security measures:

-Blast doors to remain engaged in locked state.

-Internal car park facilities closed. Traffic redirected to security kiosk A as per protocol Theta K12.

-External security patrols to remain in effect. Commander Griffin, I'm afraid we have to continue this program since the external surveillance equipment protecting your office and floor will not be ready by tomorrow as you requested.

I apologize for any inconvenience this repair process may cause you.

Capt. D. Joost
TCTF Security & Facilities

Well, that explains how Mai got up to the roof without anyone noticing…

Emergency Overrides:

This message was sent with Low Priority
To: Capt. D. Joost
From: P. Tamte, TCTF Comptroller
Subject: Re: Status of power substation repairs

I ran the numbers on the extra security measures you requested, and I'm afraid there's going to have to be some give and take.

Keep in mind that Security & Facilities is already way over-budget thanks to that remodel of Commander Griffin's office.

Not to beat a dead horse, but I always thought that elevator was a bit much.

In any event, I'll authorize the overtime to staff the additional sentries, etc.

We will, however, need to cut costs in something systemic; mainframe cycles, for example. I'll advise Operations to suspend a few low-level emergency overrides. Let's say Alpha0 to Omicron15.

With all the other security routines you're implementing, there's really very little chance of any of these being called, wouldn't you agree?

P. Tamte, TCTF Comptroller

Well, at least someone agrees that a glass roofed office that can descend some 13 stories into a secure bunker is a bit… excessive. Oh, and surely that page about disabling some security routines won’t ever come up again…

As Mai moves further and further down, she also comes across a fairly chilling console detailing the relationship between Shinatama and herself:

Shinatama/Konoko Relationship:

CLASSIFIED
<<Clearance Theta K12 and Above Only>>
TCTF32\sld\taL15 Shinatama/Konoko Relationship Analysis

Analysis of the remains of the Shinatama SLD gave us a new perspective on the bond between the android and the agent she was patterned after.

We have long suspected that SLDs might share some form of bond with their pattern donors: after analyzing Shinatama's engrammatic readouts we can now be sure.

TCTF32\sld\taL15 Shinatama/Konoko Relationship Analysis [cont]

State analysis suggests that Shinatama thought of Konoko as family, a sister.

Subconsciously Konoko might have realized this emotional connection and, as an orphan, fixated on this emotional bond.

In the last few days before she went offline Shinatama began falsifying her reports to Dr Kerr; downplaying the recession rate of the symbiote's latency.

TCTF32\sld\taL15 Shinatama/Konoko Relationship Analysis [cont]

This behavior alone is alarming in that it suggests an unprecedented degree of free will in the android, but it also portends something more chilling:

Konoko is closer to full transition than we ever suspected. Rough projections estimate that the Chrysalis will have infiltrated more than 80% of her body and will have replaced somewhere between 40 to 56% of her original organs.

We must hope that Konoko was destroyed when she fell into the biomatter disposal vats.

TCTF32\sld\taL15 Shinatama/Konoko Relationship Analysis [cont]

If not then she may be even closer to her final evolutionary stage: what form that might take, and what the presence of such a creature might portend for humanity we cannot know.

Given that Mai did survive the biomatter disposal vat, I think it’s pretty safe to assume that the rough estimate above is, at this point, inaccurate. We know that the TCTF had placed sub-dermal transmitters in Mai’s body to monitor the growth of her Chrysalis. Could it be possible that most of or all of Mai’s original body was destroyed in the vat? Or maybe just her skin and other outermost tissue was burned away before her Chrysalis could save her life? That would explain why the techs at TCTF HQ could no longer track her. The acid probably destroyed those sub-dermal transmitters.

This would also indicate that, at this point, Mai may in fact be all Chrysalis. But, as Kerr said, she is evolving into a more powerful version of herself.

Finally, as Mai nears Commander Griffin’s bunker, she finds one last console.

Omega Security Vault Retrofit:

CLASSIFIED
<<Clearance Gamma S16 and Above Only>>
TCTFdb88\sld\zZ1 Update: Omega Security Vault Retrofit

Most of the modifications Commander Griffin asked for have been made, but none have been tested.

That type of android was never designed to operate this kind of system and the condition of the unit also made it difficult to initialize many of the primary subroutines.

TCTFdb88\sld\zZ1 Update: Omega Security Vault Retrofit

The slaver nodes installed could be overloaded if they receive conflicting input from the assembled control modules. What the Omega Vault would do if that happened is anybody's guess.

That sounds suspiciously familiar… conflicting input… “ghost data”… from command consoles. Did Griffin have his team build a Deadly Brain like the one Mai fought at the Musashi Heavy Manufacturing Concern??

As Mai enters the vault, Griffin reveals that’s exactly what he did. But, instead of an anonymous human brain controlling the plasma turrets and screaming cannons… this setup is controlled by the badly damaged remains of Shinatama!

Griffin:

Shinatama was in constant contact with you through every stage of your development. No one knows you better. I have wired her to the control system of this assault pod. You haven't got a chance. You never did.

But maybe that was Griffin’s mistake as well? While true, nobody knew Mai better than Shinatama, perhaps nobody knew Shinatama better than Mai? During the battle, Mai darts from control console to control console inputting false data? Or could it be real memories or her time connected to Shinatama? That would explain why the screen on each console switches to an image of the SLD after Mai inputs some data.

In the end, Mai is able to disable this “Deadly Brain” much like she did the last one she encountered. But this time, the deadly brain does have feet! The badly battered remains of Shinatama disconnect from the control position and begin to advance on Griffin. Griffin shouts for the computer to activate an Alpha level emergency override… but remember, those overrides were disabled as a cost cutting measure! And so, left with no choice, Griffin fires on the android that Mai once considered her little sister. At last. Shinatama finds her final rest… and Mai uses that opportunity to disarm Griffin.

Here the story can split into two paths. And this may be my favorite part of the story. Mai can either choose to kill Griffin for the violent, unfeeling crimes he perpetrated on herself and Shinatama. If she does that you get this excellent line from Mai:

No, it was never up to me. YOU did this. YOU made my own uncle put this THING inside of me. YOU lied to me, betrayed me. You are a monster. And now I'll take care of Muro myself.

The emotion in those words, from a girl that was raised from age 7 as basically nothing more than a killing machine are heartfelt and profound. But not as profound as if you make what is, in my opinion, the correct choice:

I won't be the monster you thought I would be. Just remember what I am: the woman you betrayed because you weren't big enough to take responsibility for your actions.

From here, Mai goes to confront the Syndicate, unravel their master plan, and stop her brother Muro.

Previous: 33: Sins of the Father
Next: 35: Dawn of the Chrysalis