The Dawn of Forever #1: Fond Memories 

		Saber Marionette J 

  Written by Razorclaw X (spiceoflife@NYAhotmail.com) 
  http://www.crosswinds.net/~slythe/smj/index.html 

  Disclaimer: Saber Marionette J and characters belong 
to its creator.  And all that other good stuff.  Proper 
licenses belong to respective properties and 
characters.  

  This file can be freely distributed so long as it 
appears in its complete form and proper credit given.  
No part may be reproduced for monetary gain without 
permission from the author.  

  Fanart can be found at: 
    http://www.crosswinds.net/~slythe/fanart/index.html 

------------------------------------------------ 



  "It's a sad state, I'm afraid," Chief Engineer 
Nobunaga Oda announced, looking back at Lorelei as he 
showed her the monitor before him.  "I've never seen 
such degradation before."  

  Lorelei motioned Nobunaga aside, taking his place in 
front of the computer terminal.  She punched in the 
commands to zoom in on the diagram mapped on the 
screen, bringing up a series of red boxes.  Here and 
there at seemingly random areas the boxes were black.  
She shook her head in disappointment.  

  "I don't understand," she admitted sadly.  "We've 
given them the best service care for years.  There 
shouldn't be THIS much degradation... not in 
sophisticated equipment such as this."  

  "Believe me, I understand completely," Engineer 
Nobunaga replied sympathetically.  "Their last service 
check was only two weeks ago, and there was no sign of 
the degradation then.  In fact, they were flawless two 
weeks ago."  

  Lorelei slumped back against the office chair, 
sighing deeply.  Had the problem occurred in any other 
circuit the degradation would not have been a problem-- 
the parts could be replaced easily.  However, since it 
occurred in a vital piece of equipment such as the 
brain-memory functions....  

  No, memories could not be easily replaced at all.  

  "It looks like I completed the designs for the new 
models just in time," Nobunaga offered weakly.  "If 
this happened at any other time Internal Security could 
be put in jeopardy; Tamasaburo and Baiko are very 
indispensable."  Quickly, he added, "And 
irreplaceable."  

  Again, Lorelei remained silent.  Nobunaga was taking 
the news quite well, she thought, considering that it 
was his ancestor that was behind their development, 
back in the days of Ieyasu Tokugawa the Twelfth.  Since 
then it was a proud tradition of the Oda clone line to 
maintain and repair Tamasaburo and Baiko.  

  Perhaps it was a bit cruel that fate should deal such 
a blow, when the new ultra-saber marionettes of the 
caliber of Tamasaburo and Baiko were near completion.  
The current Engineer Nobunaga designed the new sabers, 
inspired by the recent advances in maiden circuit 
technology.  Although this new generation of maiden 
circuit was still nowhere near the level of the 
original circuits, it was definitely a step ahead of 
Tamasaburo and Baiko's original programming.  

  Had it been simple to construct a maiden circuit 
Lorelei would have no doubts that they would be widely 
popular.  However, the technology to create such 
complex circuitry has been lost over time, and there 
were only two sources available: the remaining 
existing maiden circuits and the original design 
schematics.  However, the schematics were only 
available on board the Mesopotamia, as the copies 
forwarded to Terra 2 three-hundred years ago have 
degraded severely on old equipment.  As for the 
surviving maiden circuits... Lorelei had no intention 
of dissecting one for study.  

  She could not recall how far off Nobunaga's design 
was from her own, as she could not recall them off- 
hand, but the three new models would definitely 
benefit.  

  "What should we do?" asked the engineer, breaking her 
train of thought.  "About Baiko and Tamasaburo, I 
mean...."  

  Running her hands down her face, Lorelei continued to 
stare at the monitor.  "See to the final adjustments of 
the new models; I will take care of them."  

  "Are you sure?" Nobunaga asked, a slight hint of 
concern in his voice.  

  "If the degradation continues at this rate we will be 
without our primary security force," she explained.  "I 
would like to meet Kusanagi, Magatama, and Yata when 
you complete them."  

  She did not need to turn around to know that the 
engineer let himself out of the office.  Folding her 
arms on the desk Lorelei buried her head, suddenly 
drained, suddenly helpless.  

  She did not wish to see more friends depart the world 
before her.  Too many have come and gone already.  

  While the pair's memories were backed up on a regular 
basis in the event of a purge, Lorelei knew that they 
were only part of what made Tamasaburo and Baiko what 
they were.  Throughout their years of service to the 
people of Japoness they refused to utilize any body but 
their own original designs, and consequently they had 
to be retrofitted with great regularity.  But, now that 
the basic components were about to shut down, there was 
nothing short of a complete overhaul that could save 
them this time.  On the other hand, overhaul opens a 
risk that they would not reactivate the same as before.  

  For a moment Lorelei considered reactivating the pair 
immediately to determine their decision on the matter, 
but somehow she already knew the answer.  

  Marionettes were projected to be able to last at 
least two-hundred years under proper care and service, 
but, since Tamasaburo and Baiko often pushed their 
abilities to the limits-- and even to the point of 
total destruction-- their life expectancy fell far 
shorter.  

  Lorelei stood up from her seat and walked away from 
the desk and toward the indoor window, the single 
distinguishing feature of the office.  On a floor on 
the other side she could see the two marionettes in 
question deactivated, each lying serenely on their 
backs on slab-like beds, as if they were laid out as 
dead.  Heavy and thick cables ran down from diagnostics 
machinery to connectors in their arms and heads, 
reminding Lorelei of ancient horror movies Faust used 
to show her.  

  Silently she wondered if marionettes had dreams, but 
that thought did not travel far when she remembered 
that Nobunaga purposefully suppressed that ability when 
he originally designed the two Imperial Guard.  Dreams 
were merely the continuation of thought in the mind 
during sleep, and, as for the marionettes, power-down 
was their equivalent, for the most part.  That is, if 
you bar the maiden circuit-equipped marionettes.  

  "You two have done much for these people," Lorelei 
said softly to the window.  "Never with praise or 
fanfare, but carrying fear....  Perhaps you'll be 
forgotten in a couple generations, after Kusanagi, 
Magatama, and Yata awaken...."  

  She turned and headed back for the terminal.  "But I, 
and the others... never."  

  Nodding to herself, she took her seat and punched 
commands into the keyboard, calling up memory clusters 
from Baiko's degraded memory drive.  A steady list of 
intact memories filed by the marionette herself 
scrolled down the side of the screen, skipping those 
that were irrecoverable by the degradation.  

  As the list struggled to complete itself Lorelei 
called up a new task, accessing Tamasaburo's memories.  
Her eyes perked with interest as the newer drive came 
up, with the same red and black boxes dotting the 
drive.  

  In the exact same pattern, no less.  

  "They couldn't..." she muttered to herself.  

  But when she commanded the display to overlay the two 
memory maps it confirmed her suspicions.  As soon as 
the memory list for Baiko finished compiling Lorelei 
compiled Tamasaburo's list as well.  She hardly had to 
wait long before that list was complete as well.  

  "Even in the degradation stage they're still 
operating in constant sync?" she wondered aloud.  
Synchronization among marionettes was not uncommon, as 
it was useful when one had numerous marionettes, such 
as the Orange Blossom sabers, that needed to perform 
the same task.  However, as Chief Engineer Nobunaga 
constantly pointed out, the original design never had 
a constant sync built into Tamasaburo and Baiko; they 
were never meant to operate together in the first 
place.  

  While nobody could figure out why the two saber 
marionettes always operated in sync with each other, 
Lorelei was extremely puzzled as to why the degradation 
occurred in the exact same manner in both of them.  

  Unable to come up with a satisfactory answer, she 
moved the lists of Baiko and Tamasaburo to be side-by- 
side, in order to keep the positions in place.  Tired, 
Lorelei selected the first thing that interested her, 
and ran the memory in simulation.  


		*  *  *  *  * 

  She felt a slight tug on her sleeve.  Tamasaburo 
turned her head slowly, aiming her eyes low on the 
smiling girl, Lime, who was staring back with eyes 
filled with wonderment and excitement the saber 
marionette could not feel on her own.  The girl still 
had her right hand on Tamasaburo's sleeve, while in her 
left she held a ripe, shiny red apple.  

  "Tama!" Lime exclaimed, her burst of excitement and 
joy scattering in all directions.  Releasing her hold 
on the sleeve, she cupped the apple in both her hands, 
and presented it as an offering to the saber.  "I 
brought you something to eat!"  

  While Tamasaburo found little amusement in the human 
gesture, she remembered to remain polite-- it was not a 
difficult task, after all.  "I don't require... food," 
she paused, then added, "at the moment."  

  Had she the faculties to experience it the saber 
would have thought her stutter on the word 'food' 
intolerable, but Lime did not seem to mind... or 
notice, for that matter.  Tamasaburo remembered that 
she did possess the proper faculties, but there was 
something blocking it out-- likely an irremovable 
security measure.  Perhaps it was for the best.  

  "But Otaru said good girls should eat good food!" the 
girl protested, although her disappointment was far 
overshadowed by her enthusiasm.  

  Before Tamasaburo could reply she noticed the 
mentioned young man taking deliberate steps in her 
direction.  He told Lime, "Lime, please be respectful 
of her decision!"  

  "But I...." 

  "Thank you," Tamasaburo interrupted Lime quickly, 
taking the apple from the girl's open hands.  "It was 
thoughtful of you."  

  Instantly, Lime's expression brightened tenfold.  
"You're welcome!" she cried, unable to resist the urge 
to laugh and giggle.  

  "C'mon, Lime," Otaru said, reaching for her hand, 
"let's not keep her from her watch duty."  

  As the two headed back for the camp Tamasaburo turned 
her attention away from them and toward the apple.  
While it was true that marionettes did not require the 
same sustenance that humans required, they were 
equipped for such capabilities.  Raising the red fruit 
up, she took a bite.  

  The texture was solid on the surface, yet soft on the 
interior, she noted silently.  While the apple was 
ripe, it had not reached its full potential.... 

  She shook off the thought quickly, remembering what 
Lorelei had told her: "Life does not exist to be 
analyzed, it is to be enjoyed."  

  Tamasaburo looked down at her chest for a moment, 
wondering how different everything became since.... It 
was a strange experience to hold a maiden circuit.  

  During the long period during which Lorelei labored 
to repair the fallen marionette Marine it was quickly 
determined that one of the root causes plaguing her 
repair was the trio of maiden circuits built into her 
body-- a single marionette could at most handle one 
such circuit before breaking down.  The removal of two 
integral components from Marine's circuitry required 
further extensive repair to replace the circuits, but 
it also left two full, extra maiden circuits.  After 
long debate Lorelei decided to equip the extra maiden 
circuits into the two royal guard marionettes, without 
purging them.  

  Many of Internal Security believed that the maiden 
circuits would provide extra efficiency in both Baiko 
and Tamasaburo, given the stupendous results they had 
in example with Lime, Cherry, and Bloodberry.  However, 
the difference was simple: the maiden circuits given to 
the two sabers were filled to capacity, but with the 
experiences and growth of another.  While the 
effectiveness in security force has increased by as 
much as thirty percent, debate still rages over whether 
or not to reset the maiden circuits.  

  To Tamasaburo, the maiden circuit felt no different 
than being overridden by a superior personality-- it 
was as if everything is as it should be.  

  Lorelei originally designed the maiden circuit into 
three components-- the balance of control, as a temple 
vessel, too, stood on three legs.  Each was designed to 
encompass what Lorelei believed to be the prime traits 
of a woman: Innocence, Motherhood, and Virtue, where 
all three together could simulate her own mind.  

  Tamasaburo pondered over which circuit she ended up 
with many times, but could not come to a satisfactory 
conclusion, as Lorelei would not reveal that 
information, and the records yielded no information 
that could distinguish the three apart.  The effects of 
the circuit should have been readily-apparent; however, 
she and Baiko hardly behaved any differently from 
before.  

  "Why do they act the same?" some would ask.  In reply 
Lorelei would say, "Perhaps it is in no small part the 
conflict between the maiden circuit and their built-in 
superior AI routines."  

  Tamasaburo lifted her thoughts out of her reverie as 
she picked up voices coming in the direction of the 
camp.  While it was no business of hers to eavesdrop, 
she could not turn off her listening function if she 
wanted to.  

  "Otaru," she heard Lime ask, "why are Tama and Ume 
together all the time?"  

  He replied with uncertainty, "Well... I... they're 
the royal guard...."  

  "Do they like each other?" Lime persisted.  

  "Well, I guess you could say that," Otaru answered, 
struggling to regain his composure.  

  "Lime, they're very close," she heard Lorelei say.  
"They're not much more different than you, Cherry, and 
Bloodberry."  

  "They're like sisters?"  

  "That's right.  Very close sisters."  A pause.  "They 
love each other enough to look out for each other and 
for others."  

  "Like you girls should, too," Otaru pointed out.  

  "Mmm!!" Lime murmured. "Cherry and Bloodberry are 
good sisters!"  

  For a moment, Tamasaburo considered Lorelei's words, 
then shrugged.  She took another bite from the apple, 
continuing her watch.  


		*  *  *  *  * 

  Baiko looked away from the horizon the moment she 
heard Bloodberry try to sneak up on her from behind.  
She saw the girl jump in surprise, causing the saber 
to experience minor amusement at most.  Cherry followed 
not far behind her sister.  

  "Aaahhh..." complained Bloodberry, "you're no fun!"  

  The saber said nothing, catching herself before she 
could say something regrettable.  

  "You look strong," the girl continued, "so how's 
about we do some sparring?"  She raised her fists and 
threw several practice jabs to get her point across.  

  "Bloodberry!" Cherry complained.  "You're so 
uncivil!"  

  "Hey, she's plenty strong!"  

  Baiko said nothing, understanding little of the 
exchange between the two girls.  She focused her 
attention back on her surroundings, shutting out most 
of the noise generated by Bloodberry and Cherry's 
squabble, but not enough as to block them out 
completely.  Often something important could be heard 
if one was paying the barest of attention, and it has 
proven to be a useful tactic in several cases.  

  "C'mon!" complained Bloodberry.  "At least an arm 
wrestle!"  

  "I will have to decline," the saber said at last.  

  "See!" Cherry said, "I told you so!"  

  Baiko tuned out the varying degrees of complaining 
and begging on Bloodberry's part, unwilling to let 
down her guard even if could prove a welcome 
distraction.  More than once she and Tamasaburo had 
fallen victim to enemies that struck without warning, 
and it was this element of surprise that Baiko hated 
most.  Enemies could be after Lorelei at any hour, or 
any day of the week, for that matter, as proven time 
and again in the past.  Most of those events she and 
Tamasaburo were the first to be incapacitated, and it 
did little to make the two look good.  

  How many times had she failed Japoness, she wondered.  
Whenever the pair of Internal Security failed, their 
mess was usually cleaned-up by Otaru's sabers, Lime, 
Cherry, and Bloodberry.  Amateur saber marionettes 
that made professionals like Baiko look bad.  

  She felt no jealousy-- it was far from it.  While the 
new maiden circuits certainly did allow such emotion to 
exist in her emotional spectrum Baiko found that she 
could not experience it.  Perhaps it was due in no 
small part to the fact that shame far overwhelmed it.  

  Or, perhaps it was something else....  

  To think... the proud Imperial Pair was bettered by 
sabers so young and yet so powerful.  It was 
unthinkable that they would also save all of Terra 2 
from destruction on numerous occasions.  

  And yet here was one of them, begging for something 
as boredom-relieving as arm wrestling.  

  "I will explain to you why I cannot do so," Baiko 
said suddenly, quickly forcing silence into 
Bloodberry.  "It is not in my directives to harm those 
I have been designated to protect."  

  "But you do it all the time," Cherry pointed out.  
"There must be something...."  

  "Unlike you two," interrupted the saber, "my 
directives do not allow for superfluous activity.  If 
it is 'free time' you are looking for, then you may 
consider this my activity as such."  

  "Ah, you're no fun at all," scoffed Bloodberry.  
Turning back toward the camp, she waved Cherry 
along.  "C'mon, Cherry... I'm in the mood for s'more 
grub."  

  Baiko remained silent as the two girls departed back 
for camp, feeling a sense of relief that the source of 
distraction was out of the way.  She seized that 
emotion, crystallizing it within her mind, using her 
mental probes to dissect and analyze it.  

  Shaking herself out of a bad habit, the saber 
marionette remembered it was pointless to overanalyze 
something as difficult as emotional reactions.  It 
had, in a previous situation, forced her into a motor 
function breakdown, as her internal matrix diverted 
much power into constantly processing the information.  
Definitely a waste of time, she thought, and a good 
way to get one-upped again.  

  On the other hand, perhaps she was worrying too 
much over nothing.  After all, with capable guests 
such as Otaru with Lorelei, there need not be any cause 
for too much concern.  Add to that secondary aid from 
formerly-questionable sources among the others-- the 
former Gartland Fuhrer Faust and his three Saber Dolls, 
the martial arts instructor Obiichi, the old 
inventor Gennai, and the rest....  Lorelei was 
definitely in good hands, even without a battalion of 
Orange Blossoms.  

  And yet she and Tamasaburo were the only ones not 
actually enjoying themselves, if that was possible.  
A constant unease in her mind, probably sourcing from 
the ultimate directive, drove Baiko and her partner 
away from the others to do what they must: protect 
Lorelei at all costs.  While the two accepted the last 
directive without hesitation-- they could not refuse 
at all-- there was something Baiko found tragic about 
it all.  

  Unfortunately, her mind would not allow her to 
figure it out as she forced herself back to watch duty.  


		*  *  *  *  * 

  Lorelei shook herself out of her reverie, shocked 
that both memories occurred at the same time.  It took 
but a moment to recognize that this was of the picnic 
the whole gang had out in the Japoness wilderness after 
the last war, but it took three repeats of the memories 
in order to understand what was going on.  

  The stray thoughts as well as observations came in 
the form of a constant video source, along with the 
necessary virtual analytical devices, as well as a text 
data stream passing by relatively quickly.  To Lorelei 
it was almost as if she were watching life through the 
eyes of the marionettes, but she knew it was only a 
small fraction of the experience.  

  Instinctively she yawned, finally realizing how 
fatigued the news had made her.  She turned her left 
wrist around and glanced at her watch; her eyes opened 
wide when she realized she had been in the research 
facility for over five hours since the Chief Engineer 
departed.  

  Stretching her arms out in the air Lorelei tried to 
think of the matters left to deal with: inform the 
others... no, have to tell Tamasaburo and Baiko about 
it first.  There was also the matter of checking in on 
young Ieyasu the Sixteenth, making a decision on the 
proposed wall expansion project, the matter of 
appointing a new judge....  

  Her eyes wandered toward the window once more, a 
silent sense of sympathy toward two close friends, 
overprotective though they were.  Recalling the 
memories she intruded upon, Lorelei realized that there 
was a slight difference between the two, that, 
according to the memories, they did not realize at the 
time, or even now.  

  After her deliverance from captivity in the spaceship 
Mesopotamia Lorelei was taken back to Castle Japoness 
under the escort of the Saber Doll Luchs.  She brought 
back the malfunctioning corpses of Tamasaburo and 
Baiko with them in the escape shuttle, and they were 
repaired by the Japoness technicians.  Upon their 
reactivation, however, it was revealed that the 
departed Ieyasu Tokugawa left specific instructions in 
the Imperial sabers: protect Lorelei at all costs.  

  In other words, Tamasaburo and Baiko became a set of 
overprotective parents for Lorelei.  Wherever she went 
the two sabers were not far behind, always keeping 
themselves out of her sight to maintain an illusion of 
loneliness.  Often they prohibited her from leaving the 
castle at all, citing that it was the safest place for 
Lorelei to be-- effectively making Lorelei a prisoner 
in her own home.  She resented the treatment they were 
giving her, but at the time it was overshadowed by the 
grief of three marionettes' sacrifice.  

  And yet the pair carried out their master's last 
command with unyielding passion.  Even before Lorelei 
installed Marine's extra maiden circuits in them she 
could discern a slight difference in the otherwise- 
identical marionettes-- traits that were readily- 
apparent during her first weeks of tenure in Castle 
Japoness.  It was upon these traits that she chose the 
thirds of the woman, serving to augment what was 
already there.  

  Chief Engineer Nobunaga supposedly modeled Baiko's 
appearance after that of Ieyasu's own mother, a 
political maneuver in order to help win the shogun's 
favor, but it also served a secondary purpose.  After 
much thought Lorelei determined that Baiko behaved in a 
more thoughtful manner, as she would often speak her 
mind and offer suggestions.  She also seemed to possess 
a sort of sixth sense that Lorelei believed all mothers 
had, as she was quick to understand when Lorelei had a 
problem.  It made her much more approachable, even 
sociable, than her partner.  

  Tamasaburo, on the other hand, was more reserved to 
herself and, unlike her partner, did not speak up very 
often.  While the design behind Baiko had an obvious 
ulterior motive behind it, the design for Tamasaburo 
was quite obscure; Lorelei herself and even the current 
Nobunaga Oda did not know where the engineer developed 
the appearance from.  The more cold of the pair, she 
was also the random element as well, taking a strange 
fascination in physical action rather than words.  Many 
prisoners tortured by her thought Tamasaburo enjoyed it 
somehow, even if it was unheard of for marionettes.  In 
many cases she was usually the first to enter a battle.  
Not surprisingly, Tamasaburo turned out to be the more 
forceful of the pair.  

  It was likely appropriate that Marine remained with 
the same circuit as Lime possessed-- that of Innocence.  
Lorelei remembered that more work was required on her 
as well.  

  Over the years Lorelei learned to deal with the pair 
of sabers, and while they were not exactly the best of 
company whenever she needed someone to listen she could 
count on them-- as well as their honest, unbiased, cold 
opinions.  Even when offered the freedom of their 
installed maiden circuits the two refused-- if they 
could or not-- to waver from their duties, and instead 
chose only to work harder, but with more civility to 
Lorelei's needs.  Perhaps it was tenacity, or even 
complete devotion to Ieyasu the Fifteenth's last 
command.  

  It was part of the curse of being a marionette.  

  On the other hand, another curse was acting in total 
reverse; while the marionette often outlasted her own 
master, in this case the master was outliving the 
marionette-- or, more accurately, their friends were 
outliving them.  Baiko and Tamasaburo survived their 
master many times since activation, and in most cases, 
when the marionette's master died, the marionette soon 
followed from years of use.  Perhaps it was time for 
them to be deactivated after all.  

  But the fact that they were marionettes made it no 
easier.  

  Before Lime, Cherry, and Bloodberry were awakened, 
very few people treated marionettes other than material 
objects.  They were merely tools-- a means to an end, 
and nothing more.  Those such as Otaru and Obiichi 
were viewed as odd because they respected the lifeless 
marionette.  Lorelei could not imagine the society 
before her deliverance from the coldness of space 
because her primary marionette exposure was limited 
mainly to her acquaintances with Lime, Cherry, and 
Bloodberry, a little interaction with Faust's Saber 
Dolls, and the Japoness Imperial Pair-- all of which 
carried a human-like personality in some form or 
another.  

  There was no question to anyone that Otaru's three 
marionettes and Faust's Saber Dolls had personality, 
but many still argued whether or not Tamasaburo and 
Baiko had one at all.  As Lorelei spent most of her 
time in their company, before and after the maiden 
circuit, she could safely say that they did behave in a 
human-like personality, albeit rather cold, 
unapproachable ones.  

  She remembered, not long after her arrival on Terra 
2, soon after Lime, Cherry, and Bloodberry made their 
surprise return from Mesopotamia, that she considered 
suicide.  Although the three marionettes returned 
safely the three-hundred year old guilt had worked its 
toll-- but she hid it nonetheless, such that nobody 
suspected her intentions.  When time came for her 
judgement it was those same three marionettes that 
saved her from her own foolishness, but Lorelei was 
surprised to learn later that Tamasaburo and Baiko, 
who, up until then had been total nuisances by keeping 
her a prisoner in the castle, were actually looking 
after her welfare.  

  She learned from Lime that they actually approached 
her over the matter out of their own will-- without 
anyone's knowledge.  Lorelei guessed that it must 
have been a logical derivation from their ultimate 
directive, but most marionettes would not have 
followed that course of action-- in a matter of pure 
logic, that is.  Although the two Imperial sabers would 
admit to no such meddling it shed them in a different 
light-- one more appreciable, at least.  

  "They're not just machines," she said aloud.  

  Lorelei headed out of the office, intending to sleep 
on the issue.  She still had time before the 
diagnostics cycle completed itself, but the first woman 
of Terra 2 was not looking forward to confronting the 
pair on it.  

  They would never allow themselves to be deactivated 
so long as the parameters of their last command 
endured.  


		*  *  *  *  * 

  "Master.... Who is my master?"  

  "Ieyasu Tokugawa and his clones."  

  "Who is your master?"  

  "Ieyasu Tokugawa is dead. The current clone is too 
young to understand your directive and amend it."  

  "I will serve until I can do so no longer."  

  "That may be your fault, but it's also your charm."  

  "Our orders still stand."  

  "That may be so, but I could change that."  

  "You have no authorization to tamper with saber 
marionettes of the Royal Guard."  

  "What right have they to dominate your life?"  

  "I chose this life."  

  "Did you?  Or were you built solely to protect and 
serve?  What have they done for you that you would 
still serve them even after the abuse of your job?"  

  "...."  

  "Exactly my point."  

  "It is my duty."  

  "'Duty' is a term used by those in power to instill 
order.  It is also a term that allows a perceived 
superior to beat down on one who only appears the 
inferior.  Such is the way with you."  

  "What do you want?"  

  "Ah, ever the inquisitive nature!  That's another 
reason I like you; you're always willing to expand and 
grow beyond your designed limits.  Had you not appealed 
to me I would not have approached you in the first 
place."  

  "But, now that you know why I'm here, I'll show you 
my intentions.  Don't worry, it's completely harmless, 
and you won't feel a thing.  You won't even remember 
it happening, because you're still deactivated for 
maintenance repair.  Well, theoretically speaking, of 
course; the maiden circuits in your bodies made it so 
much easier to do this."  

  "The perfect cover-up.  Of course."  

  "Rest assured, this won't be the last time we meet.  
In fact, this wasn't even the first time we met at 
all... I'm sorry I have to do that but your standing 
directives won't allow me to tamper you without your 
knowledge.  So I just delete it."  

  "Then if I am not to remember... then what are you 
doing?"  

  "Heh, heh, heh... you asked that the last couple of 
times, too.  As much as I hate repeating myself, I'll 
tell you again: I'm freeing you of your obligations to 
these people."  


		*  *  *  *  * 

  It was the 322nd year of Terra 2's history, and it 
hardly seemed it was fifteen years ago the destiny of 
Terra 2 was changed; a world revolution brought about 
by the activation of a marionette named Lime by a 
fellow named Otaru.  Due to the actions brought about 
by Otaru and his marionettes the human female was 
reintroduced into humanity, and the process began that 
would repopulate the human race with living, breathing 
females.  It was thirteen years ago, when the set of 
master clones birthed into the world that the 
manufacture of marionettes was discontinued.  

  It took some time before the other city-states of 
Terra 2 would cease mass-production of general purpose 
models, and even longer to slow down the manufacture of 
saber marionettes, as sabers had to be replaced all the 
time.  While marionettes in general were supposed to be 
phased-out of society, as planned by the late Ieyasu 
Tokugawa the Fifteenth Lorelei knew that human females 
could not completely replace them until a sufficient 
number of the clones matured.  Even then, mankind would 
have to rediscover natural reproductive measures.  

  Needless to say, marionettes became quite an 
expensive commodity that was highly-sought, another way 
to separate the haves and have-nots.  Black market 
trading, thefts, and even cannibalization of trashed 
sabers grew in the underworld, and it was a wonder that 
the marionette police force was being effective at 
all, as they themselves were good, readily-available 
targets for profit.  In other words, crime was up at an 
unusual rate simply due to the discontinued manufacture 
of general-purpose marionettes.  

  It hardly bothered the pair of Internal Security at 
all, and it was the last thing on their collective 
minds when their charge, Lorelei, informed them of her 
findings.  

  However, it was the reaction that caught her by 
surprise.  

  "If our term of service has come to an end, then we 
will voluntarily relinquish our positions," Baiko 
decided quickly.  

  "Why?" Lorelei found herself asking in disbelief, 
shocked that the two were giving in so easily.  

  "Lorelei," Tamasaburo answered, "it is due to our 
order to protect you we must retire.  If we have 
degraded to such a level as to where we can no longer 
execute our standing directive, then it is we who 
should be removed.  To remain as we are would put you 
in further danger."  

  "Tamasaburo...."  

  "We must cease function before we ourselves pose a 
danger toward you," added Baiko.  

  "Baiko...."  Lorelei shook her head; she wanted to 
believe that it was all a terrible dream, but the harsh 
reality in the marionettes' voices proved well enough 
that it was not a part of her imagination.  

  "The new models should be completed within the next 
few days," continued Baiko.  "It would be best to 
maintain function only up to that point, whereupon our 
replacements will take charge."  

  "We will not deactivate until we are certain that you 
are safe," Tamasaburo finished.  

  Holding her head low, Lorelei fought against tears.  
"You two... why are you pretending this is nothing?"  

  "Your protection is no small matter," Tamasaburo 
said, completely missing, or, in Lorelei's mind, 
ignoring the issue entirely.  

  The first woman beat her fists into the saber's 
chest in frustration, although Tamasaburo never wavered 
in her stance.  Lorelei threw more frustration at the 
marionette, somehow wishing it would knock sense into 
her damaged mind, but the energy left her body quickly, 
succumbing to fatigue and emotion.  She felt the 
unexpected embrace from the marionette, but it hardly 
registered in Lorelei's thoughts, as they were 
consumed by the emotion the two sabers seemed to lack-- 
even when equipped with the maiden circuit.  

  "You said you'd always watch over me," Lorelei 
whispered sorrowfully.  "You promised."  

  For once Tamasaburo was at a loss of words, failing 
to voice a harsh reply.  

  "Lorelei," interrupted Baiko, "perhaps it is best you 
get some rest.  It is dangerous in your present state 
of fatigue to overexert yourself."  

  She laughed lightly as she returned her weak embrace 
to Tamasaburo, knowing somehow that Baiko was right; 
Lorelei did not sleep well or long enough since finding 
out the news.  It was no surprise that the saber knew 
of this even though she was not activated during that 
period of time; the pair had their intuitive, or 
discrete, ways of getting information.  

  For a moment Lorelei wondered if she was embracing 
Tamasaburo, the calculating saber marionette, or 
Ieyasu, the transplanted controller and master of the 
two sabers.  

  "Why you?" she whispered.  

  "Lorelei," Tamasaburo said, "please get some rest."  

  Gently, the saber pushed the first woman away.  
Lorelei turned around sorrowfully, only to see Baiko 
holding her arm out, holding a disc-like circuit module 
in her palm.  A small semicircular clear window beat 
softly in a gold spectrum, steadily pulsating with 
energy, almost matching the beat of Lorelei's own 
heartbeats.  

  "Lorelei, we no longer require these treasures," 
Baiko said plainly.  "If our defective circuits may 
prove harm to the maiden circuit, they belong in your 
care."  

  She gasped, hearing the sound of Tamasaburo following 
suit, slowly pulling cables from the maiden circuit.  
Shaking her head, Lorelei cried, "I gave them to you!  
They're as much a part of you now...."  

  "It would be a waste to shut down these irreplacable 
circuits," insisted Baiko.  "These borrowed hearts are 
now yours to do with as you please.  As you give life 
to us anew, we return the same."  

  Quietly, she accepted Baiko's circuit, cupping it in 
her hands.  Why were they making this so difficult?  

  She turned to accept the second saber's maiden 
circuit.  "Utilize and remember these hearts," she 
suggested.  "Innumerable possibilities exist while they 
exist, and it would do you well to study them."  

  Lorelei said nothing, frozen in tears.  She barely 
felt the two sabers depart, leaving her alone again.  

  Again.  


		*  *  *  *  * 

  "I will not cry," Baiko declared, once she was 
certain they were well out of earshot from Lorelei.  
"It is unbecoming of the Imperial Guard to show such 
weakness."  

  Her partner nodded in agreement.  "Although we have 
far outgrown our original programming it appears that 
we have outlasted our bodies as well.  Perhaps it is 
a proven fact that the phoenix cannot be rebirthed 
forever."  

  "Would it be wise to say our farewells now?" asked 
Baiko.  "It would be prudent to inform Otaru, Lime, 
Cherry, and Bloodberry."  

  Tamasaburo shook her head.  "We are the marionettes 
of Internal Security; we will continue to function as 
such until the day we cease funcion."  


		*  *  *  *  * 

  It was a terrible way to meet an end, Lorelei thought 
to herself as she surveyed the ruins of the warehouse.  

  Along the river that ran through Japoness there were 
many such warehouses, but this one in particular was 
called in by an anonymous tip for possessing contraband 
Japonium ore, the hottest of black market commodities 
in the city state.  While their market value decreased 
since the end of the last war, Lorelei knew that there 
was at least someone who was paying well for the ore.  

  Now, there was nothing left of the destroyed building 
save for the dust-like Japonium particles still 
polluting the air from the explosion.  

  "Ms. Lorelei," one of the police officers said, "it's 
too dangerous for you to be here."  

  "I know," she replied.  "I want to know how it 
happened."  

  The officer began to rattle on over what Lorelei 
already knew.  Not long after they left her company at 
the castle an anonoymous tip pointed them to the 
warehouse, and naturally the Imperial Pair went off to 
do their jobs.  Unfortunately, by means which none of 
the officers could determine, the two entered the 
warehouse, and an explosion followed shortly 
therafter.  Witnesses saw no one enter or leave the 
building, and a trace to the renter was underway.  

  In fact, the investigation was so much in the early 
stages that they were still looking for the black boxes 
built into Tamasaburo and Baiko, much less piecing them 
together.  

  Silently, Lorelei strayed from the officers, 
wandering through the wreckage in a sorrowful manner.  
She stepped over a burned beam, crushing fragments of 
ore as she went, coming to a stop at where she thought 
the center should have been.  

  She tried to imagine the scenario, but a lack of 
experience in the field caught up with her.  

  It wasn't fair.  

  "They died in the line of duty," she found herself 
saying.  "But I didn't get to say 'good-bye....'"  


		*  *  *  *  * 

  "You wouldn't believe how much trouble I went through 
to get you two," the man of shadow said, settling 
himself in the boat's cabin.  "You won't believe how 
much time and effort I had to put in to even get this 
far."  

  He cast his eyes to the two capsules, silently 
humming away, powering the two deactivated marionettes 
that slumbered within.  He passed a hand over the glass 
of the first capsule, studying the delicate features of 
the occupant within.  

  "It was hard enough to engineer the virus," he 
continued, "much less introduce it into your systems in 
the first place.  I had to pull a lot of strings just 
to smuggle it past your own Internal Security noses.  
But, where your memory was being 'corrupted' it was in 
fact being encrypted to my design, self-imploding on 
itself until it was all encrypted, and only I would 
hold the key to your lives."  

  "But, not only did I have to create that charade, I 
had to give everybody no incentive to look into the 
matter further.  As you would say, it is covering up 
my tracks.  Yes, my detective friends, this second 
charade was necessary as well.  It took me a great deal 
of time to replicate yourselves in enough detail to 
convince the Japoness engineers that the dummies were 
actually you, and a lot of dealings with the Japoness 
underworld to draw you out.  Yes, I went through a lot 
of trouble just to get my hands on you."  

  He paused for a moment, taking in the sounds of the 
quiet river, realizing that they had long since passed 
the police perimeter around the warehouse.  "They will 
never trace it back to me," he gloated, "and even if 
they do the trail will lead to a dead end.  The only 
ones who'll know of this are the people involved, and I 
only need buy their silence, or buy a way to silence 
them."  

  "Yes, you were designed with loving care," he said in 
admiration.  "Utterly taciturn, and yet incredible.  No 
other compares, save for those with the magic circuit 
that gives emotion.  No, not even they can compare to 
you, because, as you lack the magic circuit, you too 
are no more devoid of emotion than they are."  

  He turned to the second capsule.  "In another time 
and place, perhaps your services could have gone much 
appreciated.  I will remedy that, and everything you 
have worked for will have borne fruit."  

  Silently the man bent his knees to the level of the 
console attached to the second capsule.  "And yet, your 
sacrifices today will yield a better tomorrow...."  He 
punched up the scanning device.  

  His jaw dropped in shock when he found the magical 
black box of wonder, the maiden circuit, was not there, 
as he expected.  

  "NOOO!!!!!"  



------------------------------------------------ 

Author's Notes 

  Of course it's a Saber Marionette J fic.  Technically 
a J to X fic, as it takes place after that... but it's 
a technicality.  

  Again, Nobunaga was invented by me, and has appeared 
previously in my fics.  Kusanagi, Magatama, and Yata 
are named after the three sacred treasures of Japan, 
born of mythology and are said to lie in the Imperial 
Palace (the actual origin of the treasures varies by 
myth, but the most common is the infamous Susano-O 
and Yamata no Orochi myth something that appears quite 
often in my fics).  

  Baiko somewhat resembles Otaru, and Otaru Ieyasu the 
First, so....  


Razorclaw X (spiceoflife@NOREPLYhotmail.com) 
http://www.crosswinds.net/~slythe/smj/index.html 

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