Gunslinger Girls - Paths Intertwined

[Kasawa Lanford]

Ryoshine shook his head in amazement. "They tiped off the bullets with a tiny amount of the virus..." he said as he examiend the tip of the recovered bullet, while it was largely broken apart, it was still apart of the main bullet so he found locate the blue 'flecks' that made up the powder form of the virus.

He sighed and dug out a pendent he kept in his pocket. Inside was a yellowish liquad that shined when light hit it, "I guess I have no choice..." he said and went back to the medical room and instructed the doctor to inject the liquad into Henrietta's blood stream.

The doctor did just that and after a few minute's her heart rate began to calm down and she began to show signs of no longer being in pain. "How'd you know that would work?" Guisepp asked, amazed.

"Because.... not only did I create that virus... but I also developed the antidote.." Ryoshine said.

[Director of Music]

Giorgia paced around her room.  She grabbed her dad's picture and put it inside the desk drawer. Not much safer..but, oh well.  She stopped and peered at the mirror.  Who WAS she?  Who was she supposed to become?  She hardly knew her birth father, he was Italian.  She didn't even know his name.  Or rather, she didn't remember.  She sighed.  For all that she knew, she looked like her Italian father.  The only thing she could comfort herself with was that her eyes matched the German man she had grown to love.

Worthless....Die....not proud.....

[Kasawa Lanford]

The director nodded. "I see...." he said when he heard Ryoshine's explanation of the virus and how it was created, plus who created it. "You created the antidote... can you create it again?"

He sighed. "No.... the pendent was the only antidote I had. I don't have the chemicals nor the facility to create another, unless you can get both for me...."

"This is bad..." Hillshire said, annoyed. "If those terrorists have access to a virus and are able to tip their bullets off with it, then our battles against them will become a hell of a lot harder."

Ryoshine nodded. "Yes.... and I'm sure they'll use them again any child that is armed with a gun, whether they be cyborg or human."

The director nodded lightly before turning toward the wall. "We'll need to develop some new techniques... think you can do that Ryoshine?" the director asked him. "I can yes," he said and walked toward the window.

"To create the antidote.. what do you need?" The direcotr asked him. Ryoshine turned to him and explained him exactly 'what' the virus was, it was designed to be a nano-virus, only affecting those who it was designed to affect. In order to develope an antidote, the nano-machines would have to be designed to find the nano-virus. It was so complex that the director had him stop mid-way, "Ok.. I get it.. I'll see what I can do."

"In the mean time, don't you think you should up her conditioning?" Hillshire said, Ryoshine sighed. "You heard..." he said and the man nodded. "Yes....while I don't like 'forcing' things unto people, in this case he almost got us killed. Tonight after she falls asleep, we'll have her undertake another conditioning process. Hopefully she'll lose the memories that resulted in her lossing her loyalty to you," the director said.

 "But she won't lose all her memorys?" Ryoshine asked.

"she'll recall her name, and perhaps certain events that transpired... but other than that she'll not remember anything else," the director said. With a heavy sigh, Ryoshine nodded. "Very well...." he said and left the room.

Once out Hillshire shook his head. "If he had made the chioce to have her go through a second conditioning process this probably wouldn't have happened," he said.

[Director of Music]

Giorgia didn't know what to do with herself.  So she decided to check out the rec. room, in which earlier, she had declined.  The room was heavily furnished with things for the "children" to do.  And that's when Giorgia saw the piano.  It was a small version, but Giorgia was still tranced by it.  She silently put a hand on the keys and sat on the bench.  Memories of hearing her father and her play duets flooded her memory.  Tears began forming again.  She couldn't help it.

She started playing Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata.

[Kasawa Lanford]

Ryoshine had headed to his room initially, but stopped when he gripped the knob of the door. He let out a sigh before heading to the cyborg dorm, when he went to Giorgia's room he discovered that she wasn't there. "Huh...." he said before hearing something.

He followed the sound until he came across the recreational room. He found Giorgia playing the piano, but instead of walking into the room he merely leaned up against the wall and listened.

[Director of Music]

She played the whole piece by memory.  She closed her eyes, and the notes just flowed from her.  The deep, mournful piece transported her to a world of her own.  She got to the end of the piece.  The spell was broken, she opened her eyes.  She stood up and looked at the piano one more time.

She whispered softly, "I love you, daddy."  She then turned to leave when she saw Ryoshine standing there.  She turned a deep shade of red.  She gulped.

[Kasawa Lanford]

He smiled at her. "Not bad," he said and placed his hand on her head, while he was still very upset with her, he had a problem showing it after hearing that peice of wonderful playing. "It's almost dinner time, get something to eat before heading to bed. Tomorrow morning you'll have class," he said to her placed his hands to his side.

He knew, however, that she wouldn't remember him saying that. In fact, he realized that the 'type' of conditioning that she would go through would require him to retrain her, thankfully she hadn't gone far into the traniing process.

[Director of Music]

Giorgia stuttered.  "I-I-I'm not..not hungry..I'll just..go..and sleep.  Goodnight, sir."  She headed off to her room, head still down.  She opened her room and sat on her bed.  She got up again and took the photo from the drawer. This was one night where she missed him immensely.  Putting the picture next to her on the pillow, she slowly fell asleep.

[Kasawa Lanford]

During the middle of the night; a couple men entered Giorgia's room and gave her a sedative, making it so that she wouldn't awaken. Ryoshine watched this with disgust, but he knew it was the right thing to do.

In order to make the process complete; the memories from the other cyborgs were also altered just sightly. Henrietta wouldn't remember the trip to germany, even though she had scars to show for it. Rico, Treila, Angelica, Claes, they would remember her but not the trip she took.

Two days would eventually pass, Ryoshine had used the time wisely to look through records pertaining to the terrorists they had fought in germany. While most were being financed by german groups, a couple were actually located in italy. "Guess after I re-train her we'll have a mission.." Ryoshine said.

The men who had taken her out of her room brought her back to room earlier that morning; one had put the covers over her even though that wasn't a requirement. "Now let's just hope this process does away with her inability to follow orders," Hillshire said softly before leaving the room to attend to his own needs.

[Director of Music]

Giorgia slowly opened her eyes.  She was groggy.  She blinked a couple of times and looked around.  She was in her room.  She looked at her pillow, and realized a picture was sticking out of it.  She gently took it out.  A man in uniform was holding up a wine glass.  She stared hard at that picture.  He looked vaguely familiar but she couldn't place it. She knew however, that it was important.
----
Meanwhile, Wilm had started to track Franz Bietrich down.  He wanted to avenge his friend, and all he needed was that phone call from Giorgia.  He booted up his computer and logged on.  He got the updated bio on Franz, grimacing as he did so.  One article went so far to say, "Major Franz Bietrich is an alluding man.  Once he strikes, he deals a fatal blow, then disappears off the map; only to return when he wants too."  Wilm located all the places that Franz striked.  Most were in Germany.  A couple in France, and a lot were in Italy too.  Hosenfeld bit his lip.  This would be harder than he thought.

[Kasawa Lanford]

"Awake I see," Ryoshine said after opening the door to Giorgia's room. "How do you feel?" he asked her.

[Director of Music]

She looked up to see Ryoshine open the door to her room.

"Fine, sir."  She replied.  "Who is this?"  She asked, holding up the picture for him to see.  Her earlier hesitation gone.  She figured he might know.  Her eyes remained alert, and focused, but there was...something missing from her face.  Not physically, but the life in her eyes were dull.  This was just curiosity to the lowest level for her.

[Kasawa Lanford]

Ryoshine walked over and looked at the picture, "I don't know, must've been something that someone else had left behind," he said to her. Hmm... I wonder if this started all the problems... he thought to himself.

"Are you feeling ok to walk?" he asked her a moment later.

[Director of Music]

She nodded, and shrugged.  "I found it under my pillow so I thought it was mine, but I guess not."

She stood up.

[Kasawa Lanford]

He smiled and walked toward the door, "lets get you something to eat as I'm sure your hungry," he said and gestured for her to follow him to the cyborg cafeteria.

[Director of Music]

She nodded, and gently placed the picture on the table top.  She walked out with Ryoshine and into the cafeteria.  The cafeteria was quiet, and Giorgia easily got some quick food to eat.  She sat alone, not talking to anyone else. 

[Kasawa Lanford]

Ryoshine was standing near the doorway when Henrietta and Rico came back, they greeted him and noticed Giorgia sitting at a table alone. The two of them got something to eat before takin a seat at the table, "not that hungry?" Rico asked her.

[Director of Music]

Giorgia looked up to see the two girls sit with her.  "No, not really."  She said simply.  "Just kind of tired."  She stood up, and met Ryoshine back at the doorway.

[Kasawa Lanford]

Ryoshine had things to do so he took Giorgia to see Guisepp and Hillshire, both of whom would be teaching today. Triela and Claes were already there apperently doing other work, "you'll have class every so often, just check with either Triela or Henrietta, they'll let you know. Now pay attention to what they say ok?" he said.

[Director of Music]

Guisuppe and Hillshire nodded when Giorgia entered.  "Take a seat, Giorgia, you'll be able to catch up rather quickly."  Hillshire said.  The class went on for two hours, when Guisuppe said to take a break.  The girls left the room, and Giorgia headed out into the garden herself.
-------------
Nearby, Franz was following Giorgia's every move since they had left.  He had done a good job of it too, since this Agency hadn't been on his doorstep.  He whispered into the walkie talkie, "She's nearby.  Get ready. Positions. Veremeber, do not harm the girl.  She's mine.  I vill take 'er."
-----
Gioriga was lost in thought on that picture.  She knew she shouldn't be worrying about that, but it was like an itch that wouldn't go away.  Suddenly, when she was at the far corner of the garden, a black like sheet came over her.  She couldn't see anything at all.  Then she felt someone strong grab, blindfold and tie her up.  Next thing she knew, she was being thrown into a car. There was indistinct German muttering and they were off.