“A ghost program…” Chase scratched his scruffy beard as him and Kou stared at the resting Ivory.

Kou looked down and then to Chase. “Like an old protocol? I thought the BIN Codes were changed to stop those sort of functions from happening.”

“The rules are a bit different here, she’s a self sustaining cyborg, able to think and make decisions. Her old program, though deleted, seems to have remained in her mental processor…I didn’t think it was possible but it looks like your father proved me wrong….”

A sigh from Kou interrupted him. “Why did she have feelings in the first place…I mean she was only a weapon to begin with…so why would you try an alternate program and give her a mind...?”

Chase gave him a side glance and continued, “Think of it as a trial and error phase, though she processed the qualities to be a perfect weapon, it didn’t go over well in the lab, especially after she killed two of the production staff. The feelings you described to me about being hated, seems to be bred from that. After that incident most of the workers wanted her scrapped as a failure, with good reason of course. Even I at times thought it but your father thought he could make her just like…”

Chase stopped himself. Kou didn’t need to know the next part. It would only make it more difficult for him and Chase didn’t want to handle it. They were short one sympathizer and it seemed no one else would fit that description.

Kou looked at him puzzled. “Like who?”

Chase just flicked his finished cigarette into Kou’s forward. “After thought Kid…where’s that Slave friend of yours?”

Kou snorted and rubbed his forehead. “Where else would he be, sulking on the roof…I don’t think now would be the time to have a chat with him…especially because he doesn’t like you.” Kou paused for a minute. “Now that I think about it I don’t think he likes anyone…well accept for…” Kou choked and stopped. “Anyways you get my point…”

Chase lit another cigarette. “You going to be alright?”

“Ya…I guess…I’m just glad Rai isn’t contagious…he stabbed me pretty hard…”

Chase laughed and turned away waving his hand. “Alright…I’ll talk to him…”

Kou sighed and shook his head. He was beginning to think no one would ever listen to him.

* * *

Rai dug his bone blade into the roof of the building. He was sitting on top of an air duct, which protruded from the building’s top. The dark sky seemed to loom over the great Shield of the N.A.S. Colony in the distance. To Rai it was another indications of N.A.S.Q.A.’s vile nature; only darkness would be drawn there.

He looked to his infected arm and cringed. This thing had ruined his life. It had almost taken away everything that kept his human side alive and with the presence of Dr. Cytenberg’s robot it mutated to the point where he could no longer control himself. He had hurt the only one he cared about, the only person that saved him from the darkness.

His thought was broken by a sudden swoosh of something lading beside him. Rai turned his head to see a katana laying on the ground and then the smell of smoke fill his only good nostril.

“Leave me alone…”

“Oh…. I wasn’t here to chat…I just wanted to see if you wanted to cut your arm off…go ahead. I give you permission to use it if it makes you feel better.”

Rai turned to look at Chase and then back to the blade. “Are you trying to mock me?”

“No actually I’m being serious. I would probably slice it off if I got the chance but you see I have morals and it ain’t my arm we’re talking about here.”

“Cutting off my arm wouldn’t stop the infection it would just find a new place to metastasize. I read the file of my strain of the virus back then...in the old NRA building twelve months ago…”

“But those were all just theories…what if the virus only accumulated on your skin? If it used the skin cells as energy it may not need to fiercely eat away at its host like the common strand. It could be a self-sustaining organism that only affects the host when it senses danger or frustration. Only attacking the host if it felt threatened by an exterior source…by let's say...by let's say... a high magnetic force…?”

Rai tilted his infected face towards Chase. “Explain this part then…”

“Well the amount of virus nanomyte you have on your body may need that much skin to be sustainable. It only infected what it needed. Unfortunately half your face paid that price. I don’t believe it’s melded to your body though…I think it may just live on you…”

Rai looked away and over the horizon. His red eye glared out over the horizon spotting Creepers roaming the rubble of the labs near by town.

Chase stepped forward. “There may be more hope out there than you realized. You’re just not looking in the right place right now. I’m not a philosopher but I think you should follow your feelings rather than your actions. You should go see her…you shouldn’t be up here.”

Rai stood up his head bowed to the floor. “Shut up old man….” Rai past him and headed towards the elevator shaft.

Chase smiled and picked up his katana. He reached into his side pocket and pulled out his box of cigarettes. He pulled out a brown cigar and raised it to a small patch of white clouds in the dark sky. “I told you I’d smoke this when I believed you Dr. Martaga. The world has a hope and isn’t it ironic I’m around to see it…” Chase laughed as he lit it in his mouth. “…And that N.A.S.Q.A.’s biggest failure will probably fulfill it…”