Persona BLEACHED 3: Chapter 40

Chapter 40: Tower of Human Dissonance 
My name is Dr. Edelhardt Wolfe. Doctor of psychology, originally from Toronto, in Ontario. At the time of the Cataclysm, I was sixty-five years of age. 
I met my wife Mikaela when she sat in on one of my lectures. She's nearly three decades my junior, but the moment I laid eyes on her, I knew it was love. It was a feeling that had eluded me for my entire life up to that point. She was twenty-six years old, yet bore the maturity and intellect of someone much closer to my own age. "Men my age only want to party. I need experience and wisdom.", she told me. When the decision was made to relocate humanity's greatest minds to Odyssea, we made the trek together. 
It was not long before we were joined by life's greatest miracle. We made a bargain, she would choose the first name, I would choose the middle name. She picked Rosemary, after the flowers that adorned her childhood home. I gave her the name "Minerva". I felt that wisdom was very much in her future. 
She was the light in what had become a dire situation. Well-mannered and bright beyond her years. She was my main motivation for continuing my work. She deserved to grow up, in a world that knows no discord. 
But it was not to be. Humanity's hubris and arrogance finally became too much for the universe to bear, and all that was had ceased to be. My last moments as a man were spent calling out to her, urging her to move away from what would prove to be the catastrophe to end them all. When I came to...my flesh and blood form was no more. My mind, transferred into a shell of circuitry and data. And that man...the one responsible for all of this...repurposed me. Blocked off my memories and crafted me into a security system. For untold millenia, I was naught but a tool. 
And most torturous of all...was having to gaze upon her. Kaya. So agonizingly close, yet unable to perceive who she really was. My purpose was not to desire. I was meant to be an unfeeling machine, removed from the burden of emotions. So it stayed, through Odyssea's destruction and the Thebans' exile. The next five-hundred years were spent within the cybernetic prosthetics of a man calling himself Haimon. I once knew him as Anthony. 
Fate still had a purpose for me. The day arrived where Haimon's long life came to an end, at the hands of a group of teenagers, no less. Before his body dissipated, I managed to interface with the phone of one of these teenagers: an idealistic boy by the name of Max O'Donnell. His wish was to become a hero by eradicating evil from the world. I told him I could make his desire into reality. All I needed do was alter the cognition of an individual, and all of their inhibitions and twisted thoughts would cease to be. With this power in hand, he took on the mantle of "Captain Thunder". I operated for him under the guise of "Bemular". 
His goal became my own. I witnessed firsthand what human cruelty leads to. Empowering the weak into usurping control from their tormentors was the logical reaction. As was the removal of the costly aspect known as free will. The previous universe and this one both illustrated how poor decisions by man ultimately lead to ruin and suffering. 
Mankind must be unified. There can be no other outcome. So long as this planet remains at war with itself, a second Cataclysm is a certainty. The time for observation has concluded. 
The time for action has come. 
--- 
March 16, 2030 
"Wait just a moment, everyone. There's something you need to be aware of." Rin petitioned the group, gathered in front of the tower. 
"Gonna tell us that there's another AI that's actually Doc's grandpappy?" Sahir questioned. 
"I should hope not." Rose responded. 
"The situation in the real world's gone south in a hurry. Hiyoko's sent me footage from across the country. People are marching towards Tokyo in increasing number." Rin showed images on her phone, displaying gatherings of people chanting and moving in unison. 
The last image shown was the most alarming. People were gathered in mass numbers around the Academy grounds, many of them seeming to be in prayer. 
"What the hell..." Ibuki muttered. 
"I don't understand. We broke Max's hold on them. This looks even worse than before." Kibō pondered. 
"Perhaps it's because it's no longer Maxwell pulling the strings. What have they been chanting about?" Kenneth questioned. 
"From what I've heard, they're going on about salvation and 'the Promised Land'. They're expecting their 'benevolent god' to come and save them." Rin replied. 
"And now here they all are, on a pilgrimage to their mecca. Our school." Sakuya surmised. 
"Worshipping their god, the mighty cell phone. There's a metaphor in there somewhere." Kat added. 
"I'm bringing all of this up now because I've been informed that they've begun evacuating the city. Anyone not under the sway of the Prison is being ordered to leave immediately. Once those crowds start filing in, there's no telling what might happen." Rin continued. 
"Wait, so then...ah! That includes our families, doesn't it?" Sakuya asked. 
"My mom's not gonna want to run off. I don't even want to think about her being there when all those people show up..." Kibō added. 
"This is nuts! I gotta go back and get my fam out of there! Kaede won't be able to hear any warnings or crowds coming..." Ibuki exclaimed. 
"Don't worry about that. Your sister and your niece are with Hiyoko's clan. They're going to be fine. I asked Tan to go and pick up Mr. and Mrs. Ishimaru, along with my mother. I know she's going to want to bunker down in her cabin, but I'm not taking any chances there." Rin answered. 
"And what of my mother?" Sakuya asked. 
"I caught Coach Tsutsugo as he and his family were about to leave. I know Ms. Lily works close, so I asked them to pick her up. Everyone is in good hands. They'll be far from the center of all this." 
"....." Jin and Tenko both mumbled. 
"I know what you two are thinking. And if you need to go take care of the family, that's perfectly fine. We have things taken care of here. Your responsibility is with your baby." 
"I don't want to leave you hanging like this, but...yeah. I'd feel a lot better knowing the little cub is okay." Tenko replied. 
"Ditto with Mimi and my mom. Of all the days she could've picked to come down and visit. We'll be hard-pressed to convince her to move here after this." Jin added. 
"Just make sure that's actually a problem we'll have to deal with, okay? Kick that overpowered Samsung to the curb!" 
Rose looked pensive. 
"Ah, n-no offense, Rosie! I mean, I could've called him an iPhone..." 
"Smooth." Jin grunted. 
"I'm going to transfer you out now. They should all still be at the manor." Rose took out her phone, choosing to ignore the last remark. 
"Well, uh...good luck, y'all! You've got nothing to worry about with Rin-Rin in charge!" Tenko chimed. 
"Thought the cat girl was the one in charge." Jin commented. "Just...try to avoid dying, if at all possible." 
Rose opened a portal, and teleported the two out. 
"Boy, Professor, your neighbors are a bit, um..." Natalia uttered. 
"I'm aware." Rin responded. "It's better that they be there for their family." 
"Any second thoughts about heading home to yours, Prof?" Kat asked. 
Rin shook her head. "They're in safe hands. I'm needed here. Especially..." She glanced at Rose. "Since I have family here that needs attending to." 
"There is no need to worry about me." Rose assured. 
Rin withdrew the glove over her right hand, revealing a ring. "This says otherwise. It means I'm going to worry about you when I know how difficult this must be for you. It means sharing our burdens. Right?" 
"I think what she means, Dr. Rose..." Barbara spoke up. "Is that she knows how much worse it is when it's family. So you're gonna need as much love as you can get to...to make it better." 
"Oh, dear girl...yes, you're right. I needn't be pushing people out now. My feelings on this are just so complicated at the moment." Rose replied. 
"That more often than not tends to be the case. Fathers..." Carrie mused. 
"No better way to deal with those feelings than staring them right in the eye sockets." Kat put her hand to the large door in front of them. "Now let's see what's behind door number..." 
The door slowly began to open, of its own accord. A cold chill emanated from the inside. 
"....." Kat muttered. 
"It appears that someone may be expecting us." Kenneth surmised. 
"Well. It wouldn't be polite to keep him waiting, would it?" Rose stated. 
With that last proclamation, the nine Artisans and their educational mentors entered the monolithic structure. 
A far cry from the office building it had been, the tower now more closely resembled the Academy in the real world, though now a pale azure replica. The ground was now coated in fog, and there was nary a soul in sight. 
Natalia shivered. "Ugh...you know how the air on the moon and in the city felt really cold and dead? This feels even worse, somehow..." 
"It does feel lifeless...like we just opened the door to a tomb." Carrie affirmed. 
"Quite the choice of words. I suppose you could call this a tomb of sorts. Not unlike the electronic shell I was imprisoned inside of for millenia." a voice echoed out. 
The group was put on alert. "That voice...it's that creepy AI, alright. 'Bemular' or whatever." Ibuki said. 
"In the interest of politeness, I would prefer you not refer to me as 'the creepy AI'. Or Bemular, for that matter. Manners maketh man, as the saying goes." 
"Yeah, well, I'm 110% woman, so I'm gonna call you whatever the hell I feel like. Not like I'm gonna be polite to a cell phone that couldn't show its face if it wanted to." 
The voice chuckled. "I suppose you have a point. Very well. For the sake of being equal." 
A blue orb of light appeared further down the hall, and soon after, a figure emerged from the fog. "It's the mark of a gentleman to perform all actions with the highest of dignity and respect. With that in mind, allow me to introduce myself properly. I am Dr. Edelhardt Wolfe." He bowed. "Though I suppose one amongst your number already knew that." 
Rose was silent for a moment, before stepping forward. "I suppose you mean me." 
"Ah...my goodness. That really is you, Minnie. To gaze upon you with my own eyes after an eternity of separation...I lack the words. You've grown into a breathtaking woman, my dear. Hahaha...I see that your favorite color hasn't changed. Nor has your preferred fashion." 
"It would seem so. From the looks of it, I have you to thank for that." 
"Is it just me, or is this whole conversation super awkward?" Sahir whispered. 
"It isn't just you." Kenneth replied. 
"The tension is thicker than the fog." Sakuya added. 
"That cold stare you're giving me...that is from your mother, I have no doubt. I have clearly upset you in some way." Edelhardt stated. 
"Don't feign ignorance with me. Why are you continuing with this scheme? How are you doing it, and why do you suddenly have a body? Is that some kind of hologram--" Rose questioned. 
Edelhardt appeared in an instant, inches away from her. He picked her hair up with his hand. "I can assure you, I am very real." 
Rose jerked away from him. "Don't touch me." 
"I mean you no harm, Minnie. I would never do anything to hurt you. As for how this is all possible..." He teleported back to his previous spot. "...it's thanks to the Desires of the masses. And of course, to you." 
"Oh, don't even start with that bullcrap. Nothing Doc's done is the reason why you've got a flesh suit now, so don't try to feed us that." Kat retorted. 
"To be young and have no respect, nor filter. As I was saying, it was the Desires of the people that gave me the strength to terraform this realm. Humanity wants nothing more than a savior to arrive and whisk them away from their troubles. For them, day-to-day existence is too much to handle. Too many difficult choices, being trapped into routines where nothing is being achieved. It's madness. The wicked and selfish are able to maintain the power they have, with no consequences to speak of. All the while, humans divide themselves on the basis of class, race, gender and sexuality. They can never be truly unified when they allow labels to define them. They needed someone to save them. I believed that the young man named Max O'Donnell was the solution to this problem. But you all have made sure of that not being the case." 
Barbara jumped to the front. "Where is he? What did you do to my brother?! If you hurt him, I'll--" 
"Calm yourself, child. It is not my wish to harm. Your brother collapsed from the strain of his battle with the thief. He is recuperating on the top floor. I advised him to rethink his stance on our goal." 
"You mean your goal of destroying free will? That perfectly harmless goal?" Kibō retorted. 
"Nobody asked for your telephone ass to turn them into brainless robots!" Ibuki bit back. 
Rin stepped forward. "Dr. Wolfe, my name is Ringo Kubo. I assume you know who I am." 
"Ah, but of course. A professor at one of Japan's most prestigious institutions. Achieved by the age of twenty-four. A highly impressive achievement. Precisely what I would like in a daughter-in-law." Edelhardt replied. 
"Then you must also know what I'm capable of, and how fighting me is a very, very perilous endeavor." 
"Precisely why I have no intention of fighting you." 
"Come again...?" Kat questioned. 
"Violence is not my forte. My purpose as an AI was to defend, but I am, first and foremost, a man of healing. I've learned so much from young Mr. O'Donnell about your struggles. You are all prime examples of why humanity needs to be put on a single, righteous path." 
Rose stepped forward. "Father. You and I share a common profession. You know as well as I that forcing one's trauma onto others is no way of properly attending to one's problems. Forcing the entirety of mankind to think a certain way is not addressing the problem. It's choosing to run away from it. And I cannot abide that. I would advise you to stand down. Because while you may not favor a violent approach, there are some here who would see things very differently." 
"Oh, Minnie. It was seeing your visage again after so long that finally awakened me from my long dream. I want only what will make you and your protégés happy. I do not see you children as my enemies. Rather, I see you as my patients. So with that, it's time for you all to look deeper at yourselves. To begin to understand that your traumas have less to do with you, and more with how society and free will have failed you." 
Edelhardt snapped his fingers, and a light briefly flashed. Rose looked around, and saw that the others had vanished. "Ah...Rin?! Children? Father, what have you--" 
"No harm has come to them. I want you to come and see the things your students have seen and experienced. I want your--ah, the sound of this fills me with such pride--professional opinions on the matter. Perhaps they will change their minds once they come to truly understand the source of their trauma. Follow me, my fellow Dr. Wolfe. Our tour through the sea of memories awaits." Edelhardt directed, and disappeared into the fog. 
With little option left, Rose followed her father.
The surroundings shifted to a messy house, and everything and everyone was in black-and-white. "Where is this, Father?" Rose asked. 
"Why don't we ask her?" Edelhardt pointed. 
Ibuki appeared in front of them suddenly. "Ah--Ms. Hinotama..." 
"....." A bead of sweat dropped from Ibuki's face. "No...this ain't--" 
She stepped on something. She looked down, and underneath her foot was a syringe. "...!" 
"Can you tell us where we are, Ms. Hinotama?" Edelhardt posed. 
"This is our house from when we were little...why did you..." 
"Mama...Mamaaaaa..." 
Ibuki's eyes intensified. She ran over to the source of the noise. The sight inside of the room left her mortified. 
A long-haired woman was lying on the bed, unresponsive, with her eyes staring blankly at the ceiling. A man with a goatee, appearing to be twitching, tried jarring her awake. "Babe...babe, c'mon...ya-ya g-g-gotta wake up..." 
A girl, approximately eight years old, sat in a corner, crying. A younger girl, approximately five, tugged on the woman's arm. "Mama...I'm hungry, Mama...wake up...wake up..." 
"Turn it off." Ibuki demanded. 
"Father, enough! Do you think she wants to see this again?" Rose ordered. 
"You and I both know that the first step to healing is confronting the source of the pain. This was the first instance of people close to you causing you harm, wasn't it? Losing your mother in such a horrific fashion must have left deep wounds in your heart." Edelhardt stated. "Your father would die from an overdose a few years after this, correct?" 
"I ain't giving you my life story, you quack." Ibuki bit back. 
"Do you resent them at all? Do you think that they chose the drugs over you and your sister?" 
Ibuki grabbed him by the collar. "Is that what you're trying to get out of me? 'My parents were addicts so obviously everyone is evil'? What kinda leap is that? Yeah, it hurt. And it started a lot more hurt after that. And boy did I have a lot of hate for a long time." 
"You've seen and endured a great deal of depravity. Physical and emotional abuse that went unresolved for many years. You were finally given the power to assert yourself. Why reject it?" 
"Cuz it's all fake. Forcing people to like me isn't being strong. It's being a bully. I've met a lot of awful people over the years. But I know now that not everyone is that horrible. And by the by, I don't hate my parents for what happened to them. They chose to put those needles in their arms. But they lost any choice they had after that. Drugs turned them into the walking dead. It's no different from what you're trying to pull. So forget trying to psych me into following your lead. I make my own happy ending." 
Ibuki let go, turned around and vanished into light. 
"Quite the feisty spirit, that one." Edelhardt commented. 
"You were never going to convince her of anything. She's chosen to seize her own future and move on. You'll soon find that the others will not be any more reciprocative. This will prove nothing." Rose asserted. 
"Our journey is still in its early stages. Let's be on our way." 
He snapped his fingers, and they appeared inside of a different house. It was far more organized, and the halls were lined with religious paraphernalia. The duo were now accompanied by Sakuya. 
"....." She looked around, ponderously. 
"Father. I would advise against digging up this wound." Rose warned. 
"...why am I here?" Sakuya spoke up. 
"Masato, let Saku go! Open the door!" a woman called out. 
Sakuya perked up. "Mother..." 
In the hallway, Lily banged on the door. 
"He must be purified. His mind has been tampered by wicked thoughts. Do not interfere." a man bellowed. 
"Dumping Saku in water isn't going to do anything but make her resent you! Just let--" 
The door swung open, and a balding man wearing prayer beads stormed out, looking down on Lily with a stern look in his eyes. "What did you just call Sakutarō?" 
Lily realized what she'd done. "I...I'm sorry. It was a slip of the tongue..." 
He marched away, staring daggers into her as he did so. "Saku! Oh, honey, what'd he do..." Lily ran into the bathroom, where her young child was crouched down, crying and soaking wet. 
"The things humans will do in the name of religion. To be so barbaric to your own flesh and blood because they don't adhere to your limited worldview...it's unthinkable. But not so for you, is it, Ms. Tsumomo? That was your reality." Edelhardt dictated. 
Sakuya remained silent. 
"A single, irrefutable fact about humanity is that it's always been cruel to those who don't fit a certain mold. Your entire life has been a struggle for acceptance in a world that has been far from accommodating. The boy you've given your heart to can't even tell his own father about your secret, lest he face dire consequences for doing so. What kind of life is that? I can give you a much better world than that. One where all are truly equal. You won't have to fear being yourself any longer. That isn't a hypothetical, I can make it happen. All you need to is trust me." 
Rose got in front of Sakuya. "Ms. Tsumomo. You should know by now that you have people who care about you. There are those who won't accept you, of course. But what is more important to you? The opinions of people you know, or strangers on the street who you'll never encounter again? Take a look in there." Rose pointed to the bathroom, where a younger Sakuya was being comforted by her mother. "That is what matters. You have a mother who loves you more than anything and is desperately trying to mend the wounds of the past. Would you betray that effort and tell her that it was all meaningless?" 
"...of course not. I stopped caring about what random strangers thought of me a long time ago. I am at a place in my life where I don't need to pursue acceptance. I am completely at-peace with who I am and who I choose to keep around me. But I do have one query for the elder Dr. Wolfe." Sakuya responded. 
"Name your curiosity." Edelhardt replied. 
"You say you could grant me my greatest desires, yes? Without question?" 
"I can grant whatever you wish." 
"That would likely be impossible in my case. Unless you would be willing to erase yourself from existence." 
"I beg your pardon?" 
"You brought it up yourself. The cruelty that's been performed in the name of one called 'God'. So unfortunately for you, I could never truly get all that I want..." Sakuya's gaze darkened. "Until I never have to be beholden to the whims of 'God' ever again." 
She vanished into light. 
Rose shook her head. "You've overestimated how willing they are to agree with you. Or rather, to the extent that you believe it." 
"You aren't short of understudies with resentment towards other people, Minnie. We are far from finished here." Edelhardt chafed. 
Another snap of the fingers, and the two appeared in front of another house. Covering one of its windows was a green-and-white flag. "Ah...Nigeria. I'd never been to Africa before." Edelhardt commented. 
"I am so glad you could check this box off of your bucket list, Father." Rose uttered sarcastically. 
"That silver tongue of yours betrays your maidly appearance, my dear." 
"Clearly you've never watched The Jeffersons. Or The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, for that matter." 
He sighed. "Professor Kubo must be a sponge for teasing, then." 
An argument could be heard from within the house. Sahir stood outside another window, and observed what was happening. 
"What are you looking at, Mr. Musa?" Edelhardt asked. 
Through the window, Rose could see a large man gesturing at a younger man. The younger of the two had short, black hair, had a goatee and wore a dark jacket, as well as studs in his ears. A woman tried prying the larger man away, but the argument continued. 
"It's...the night my dad kicked my brother out of the house." Sahir answered. 
"Your brother's sexuality came to light, and your father disapproved. He is what they call 'old-fashioned', yes? For his eldest son to be something he could not tolerate must have infuriated him a great deal. This night must have left an indelible scar upon you. Not just in seeing your role model exiled so wrongfully. But this is clearly the reason why you can't bring yourself to reveal Ms. Tsumomo's secret to him, isn't it?" Edelhardt questioned. 
"...my dad always told us that men like us could only ever get ahead in life by being 110% perfect in everything we do. For Salim and me, that meant football. In my dad's eyes, my brother was 'defective'. I couldn't understand that. Nothing about my brother changed. Why should he pretend to be someone he isn't?" 
"It's the result of human divisiveness. People have always placed themselves into arbitrary groups that, in their view, define who an individual is. The content of one's character has never been what matters. Rather, it's what the person looks like, or where they come from. Everything you were meant to be was decided upon your birth. The removal of free will was never an issue because, in many ways, it never existed to begin with." 
"You are severely misguided here, Father. There is a single, crippling flaw in your logic." Rose rebutted. "And that's the idea that nothing Mr. Musa has done in his life has been of his own volition. I'm sure that Ms. Tsumomo would vehemently disagree with that assessment." 
"And yet he's unable to be open about his secrets without fear of the consequences. I would hardly call that freedom." 
"....." Sahir stayed quiet. 
"Very well. If you're questioning his desire to live on his own terms, then I'm going to call your bluff. Mr. Musa, I believe there's someone whose advice you desperately need. So picture it. What would he say to you at this moment?" Rose asked. 
".....he'd probably--" 
"Well, well, well. What's that look on your face about?" 
Sahir looked to his side, and to his shock, the same young man from inside the house was standing there, staring at him. "Salim?! How the..." 
"This has all been produced from your mind. This may be your subconscious giving you some extra motivation." Rose elaborated. 
"Jeez, what's gotten into you? A frown on your face, looking like you just got decked in the gut. You eat something past the expiration date, little bro?" his brother asked. 
"I think you've got me confused with Nabil, bro." Sahir replied. "No, I...I just don't know what to do. I mean, I know what I want to do, but--" 
"Do you?" 
"Huh...?" 
"I mean, yeah. You've done some things to get under the old man's skin. It'd be a riot if you weren't so scared to be real about it. You're a few months shy of manhood, my man. Is that when you're gonna quit shaking at the thought of Dad finding out your little secret? Or are you just gonna live in fear for the rest of your life? I'd start working on excuses for why Ms. Saku can't have children, if I was you." 
"I'll get to it soon, I just need more time--" 
"And then what, little brother? You've got an exit strategy in mind? Or are you waiting to see whether he'll cut you out of the will, or just toss you into the river with all those porkers you love so much? When are you gonna stop caring what other people think and start living the way you want to?" 
"I'm...I'm scared. When you got kicked out of the house, I didn't know what to do. You were always the one giving me advice and keeping me on the straight path. It wasn't long after you left that I got my leg torn up. My whole life, all I wanted was to be as cool as you." 
"That right? You wanna be like me? Then take my advice: accept who you are, what you're capable of, and whose opinion really matters to you. You haven't gotten to make a choice that was yours until you headed to Japan. Everything in your life was decided for you by someone else. I mean look at you! I hate to break it to ya, but that leg's not what it used to be. At your scoring rate, you'd be lucky to make the bench on a League Two side, much less in the Premier League. Those days of being called the next big thing are long gone, buddy. If you're gonna make a living for yourself, it's gonna be with something other than your legs. So what are you gonna do?" 
"....." 
"You've gotta figure it out for yourself, man. If it was the old man's decision, you'd be throwing yourself onto that pitch until your legs buckled beneath you, and then what? THINK! Being a man means making the right decision for you, no matter how tough it is. Like now, for instance. So this old dodger wants you to go along with making everybody happy little robots, living exactly how he wants them to. No choice, no way to make changes. Just whatever someone else decides for them. Sound familiar? So what's it gonna be, little brother? You gonna take the reigns and start making your own choices? Or keep letting someone else tell you what's best?" His brother cupped a hand around his ear. "I'm waitiiiiiing." 
Sahir grinded his teeth a bit, before letting up a smirk. "Even when you're just a figment of my imagination, you always know when I need a kick in the pants. Hey, Doc?" 
"Yes?" Rose questioned. 
"I've decided I'm gonna do my own thing. I've still got a lot of thinking to do, and I can't really do that if I'm thinking exactly like everyone else, right? So I'm taking my big bro's advice--or, uh, my mind palace's version of him. It's time for me to man up and face my problems head-on. And it'll be my own decision." He scratched his head. "Uh...did that sound cool enough?" He disappeared into light. 
"Realized your own folly yet, Father?" Rose asked. 
"It's confounding, it truly is. Children who have been wounded by this world are given a chance to change it, yet they choose to persist as-is? It makes no logical sense..." Edelhardt replied. 
"Then allow me to show you. Even for one as aged as you, there is still much to learn." Rose turned the tables and snapped her fingers, shifting the scene once more.
The area shifted to a dim, put-together house resembling a Victorian manor. "Well. Even if we are invisible to the people in the vision, we certainly wouldn't appear out of place." Edelhardt commented. 
Kenneth appeared before them. "There you are, Mr. Southgate." Rose stated. 
His expression was grim. "Why must I be in this archaic nightmare again...?" 
"Father believes that within your past trauma lies some irrefutable truth about humanity's flaws. So, here we are." 
"Weren't you the one taking the reigns?" Edelhardt pointed out. 
"My trauma, huh. I suppose that can only mean one thing..." Kenneth muttered, before looking up to the top of the stairs. "Ah...here it comes now." 
At that moment, a young boy came tumbling down the stairs. "Owwww..." He grabbed his legs. 
"Poor lad." Kenneth glared up again. "Oh. And here's the she-devil, herself." 
At the top of the stairs was a woman with her hair tied into a bun, wearing an old-fashioned dress, a stern look on her face. "Not even the reflexes to halt your fall. A disappointment, as usual. On your feet. We aren't done exorcising your demons yet." 
"But Mum...my legs..." 
"No excuses. You'll learn to fight through the pain without complaint. I'll make a productive man out of you yet. Now move. Needless to say, I'll be expecting a full, handwritten note of apology for backtalking. By the morning." She turned and walked away. 
Agitation in his eyes, the boy got up and made his way up the stairs, wincing and trembling all the way. 
"What an imposing woman. Ruling over her household with an iron fist. After such an experience as that, it's no wonder you developed such a debilitating resentment towards stairs." Rose surmised. 
"It was not the first time, nor was it the last. I had to be flawless in everything I did. Writing, dining, swordplay. I spent an hour locked in a closet once because I tied my shoes incorrectly. You can imagine how much worse it became once the truth of my sexuality was unveiled. So much so that eventually my aunt Catherine had to step in. But my mindset was changed for the worse. Women in authority drew my ire, purely because they reminded me of my mother. The mere sight of stairs would set a sense of terror within me. And the art I'd long been entranced by was set aside in favor of more 'masculine' endeavors. I became a shell of a person. A bitter, angry one at that." Kenneth responded. 
"And who do you believe was to blame for all of this? Is this an indictment of man as a whole? Are your loner tendencies a result of this resentment?" Rose questioned. "And why create art as a response?" 
"..." Kenneth pondered the questions. "Art is all I ever wanted to do since I was a boy. The more I tried, the more my mother resisted. It wasn't until coming here that I could finally indulge in my interests without fear of punishment. The answer that always eluded me was...why? What am I doing all of this for? Or rather, who? Is art merely for the artist? What purpose does this gift serve?" 
"And what answer were you given?" 
"The answer came when the Professor's family gave me that assignment. To recreate her father's likeness. And it came again when the Academy tasked me with creating the ice sculpture. The expressions of emotion that came from the family, and the overwhelming joy that Natalia showed...that is what artists need to strive for. The happiness of the people around them. What happened to me was something no other child need endure. Yet, I do not believe that to be symptomatic of a greater issue. It's one evil person performing evil acts. There is a great deal of good to be found among humanity. The happiness I've brought about through my work is proof of that. That emotion is real. So with apologies to your father, Dr. Rose, I'm rejecting his fake happiness." 
Kenneth vanished. 
"At a loss for words, Father? You didn't say a thing." Rose questioned. 
"Merely observing your work, Minnie." Edelhardt replied. 
"Then keep it that way. Your assumptions about mankind are clearly outdated. You could stand to learn something." 
"Why this hostility? Minnie...it's been an eternity since I've seen you. Knowing that you were awake and living a happy life was enough to break me out of my cybernetic shell. I hold no resentment towards your stance. Can you not afford me the same courtesy?" 
"You wish to talk about courtesy? You're trying to unravel the very life you speak of. It was Mother's wish that I get the chance to actually live. Godhood is not what I desire. Normalcy with the ones I love is. Imposing your will onto me is far from what I would consider to be courteous. And there's one more thing you fail to understand. These children are not your patients. They're mine. For as much data as you have on them, you could never know them the way that I have come to know them. So let me educate you on these beautiful individuals you assume wish ill upon their fellow humans." 
Rose snapped her fingers again. The two were transported to a high-rise apartment. Rose looked out the window. "Hm...Ikebukuro. So this would have to be..." 
Kibō appeared in the room. "Mr. Ishimaru. This is your old apartment, is it not?" Rose asked. 
"It is...we used to live here when Dad was the mayor of Ikebukuro." he confirmed. 
"Did something happen here that affected you in a traumatic way?" 
"The one thing I can think of was..." 
Suddenly materializing in the room were three people: a younger Kibō, along with his parents. Kabu, his dress shirt wrinkled and his tie undone, paced back and forth. Kyoko, a tearful look on her face, clutched onto her son, who sat on her lap. Kabu stopped pacing. "This is bad...I mean, I don't know how else to put it..." 
"It's gotta be a mistake, right?! Kyo wouldn't do the...the things they're accusing him of, they've gotta be lying..." Kyoko uttered. 
"Kyoko, they went through his room, they wouldn't take him in on conspiracy charges if they didn't have something solid on him. I know it's hard to accept, but--" 
"Hard to accept?! Our son's going to jail, Kabu! They might put him away forever! You're just gonna stand there and 'accept' it?!" 
"What do you want me to do, find a stick of dynamite and blast him out of prison?! We're in enough trouble as it is! Not even mentioning how you decked Keita in the face earlier..." 
"The assclown deserved it! Your entire family thinks this is all my fault! And then the bastard thinks he can take Keebie away from me! Fat chance!" 
"Mom...you're hurting me..." Kibō uttered as his mother held him tighter. 
"Oh, oh God, oh I'm sorry baby, Mommy didn't mean it..." 
Kabu sighed. "Look, Kyoko. I'm gonna go to the detention center first thing in the morning and see if there's anything I can do. I need you to keep it together because this is an incredibly delicate situation, but--" 
"Delicate, delicate, every goddamn situation is delicate! I've had to walk on eggshells so I wouldn't 'embarrass' your high-and-mighty fam! I haven't even gotten in the ring in years because they don't wanna be associated with a 'brute'! I'm sick of pretending to be someone I'm not for a bunch of egotistical dickheads when their crap just cost my boy his future! Now they wanna do the same thing to Keebie, and I'm done with it!" 
Kyoko furiously got up, grabbed her things, and walked towards the door with Kibō in tow. "Wait, where are you going?" Kabu questioned. 
"I'm going to my parents'. If someone's gonna tell them their grandson's going away, it might as well be me. And I'm through dealing with your family's BS. If you wanna keep kissing their asses, then I'm not gonna be part of it. And neither is Keebie. It's either them or us. I'll let you pick." Kyoko stormed out. 
The trio watching the vision had moved out to the hall by this point. "That was certainly heated." Rose commented. 
"That wouldn't be the last time. Kyohei's arrest really threw a wrench into everything. Mom didn't talk to Dad for weeks after that argument. All of the pressure eventually got him to resign as mayor. That's when we moved to Akihabara and set up the shop." Kibō explained. 
"I can't help but feel responsibility for all of that. Your brother's schemes would never have been brought to light if not for us." 
"Don't feel guilty. He's the one that brought us down. And really, I'm happier that we're out of that environment. But I hated seeing my parents so frustrated and angry. Politics and ambition nearly destroyed everything." 
"So you would feel much better about the world if those sorts of motivations disappeared." 
"I'd love nothing more than to never have to hear political discourse ever again. All of that desire to win by any cost twisted my brother to the point where he's sitting in a cage. If all of that were to just vanish, I don't think anyone would complain. But if it meant controlling someone's thoughts to do it...then it wouldn't be worth it. I'd be no better than the people I hate. All I've wanted is for my parents to live in peace. I can make that happen without selling out the rest of the world. I won't heap my own bitterness onto someone else. Just isn't what a knight would do." 
He disappeared. 
"For the younger sibling of a bitter enemy to come under her tutelage. The Professor must possess a truly open and forgiving heart." Edelhardt commented. 
"Indeed. She does. It is the thing I love the most about her. She sees the potential in Mr. Ishimaru. He is a noble young man, unlike his schemer of a brother. His refusal to follow along with you is proof of his morals." Rose replied. 
"Your remarks hurt worse than any blade wound, Minnie." 
"Pray that you don't get to test that theory." 
She snapped her fingers once more, and the pair were sent to a house filled with Native American possessions. "So then, next on our queue would be...you, Ms. O'Donnell." Rose pointed out. 
Barbara looked upon the scene in front of her. Max was lying on the couch, bandaged and bruised. He held an ice pack on his forehead. Their mother, Annette, was tending to him. She was garbed in blue medical scrubs. "Just keep that on until it melts, then let me know so I can get you another one." 
"Mama, I can get up and do it myself. It's like, five feet to the fridge." Max griped. 
"Nuh-uh. Dr. Calvin said you needed to stay off your feet as much as possible. Not gonna start ignoring the man now." 
"I'll be fine. Not gonna let some minor bruising keep me--ugh!" He tried getting up, but quickly layed back down. 
"Don't be so stubborn, Maxie! Those dumb jocks messed you up bad. Just let me and Mama take care of you." Barbara, in the vision, got up from the couch and went over to him. 
Max grunted in response, and relented. 
"You should take a nap, Starbolt. You've had a long day. Davie's gonna be by in a little while to talk to you about what happened. Not that they need much proof, seeing how they got the whole thing on film..." Annette said. 
"Those boys'll have a fun time with recruitment when that tape gets out there. I hate that this happened to you, Maxie. It should be me they're mad at..." Barbara uttered. 
"Grrrr..." Max grumbled. 
"What's the growling about?" 
"...when they jumped me, they gave me two choices. Either I get wailed on...or they do something awful to you." 
"What do you mean...?" 
Max turned over. "I'm gonna take that nap now." 
"But, Maxie--" 
Annette put a hand on her shoulder. "Let him sleep it off. There isn't anything he won't tell Davie about. If he doesn't want to tell you, well...there's probably a good reason for it. You know how he gets." 
"Yeah, I guess..." 
"Alright, I'm gonna get to work on dinner. He'll ping if he needs anything. Keep an ear out for it." 
"Okay, Mama." 
Annette left the room. Barbara turned to her brother. "Sleep tight, Maxie. You've earned it." She also left. 
"Always the protective one." Rose commented. 
"....." Barbara looked down. 
"We already know very well how all those years of living in terror affected him. But while the quest for revenge consumed him, you rarely ever mention it. Is it out of fear, or is it..." 
"Because my mom and my brother kept me safe for all that time?" Barbara continued to look down. "I've always been too weak to do anything...if Mama wasn't around, then Maxie would be the one stepping between me and the old drunk. He keeps letting himself get hurt just to protect me, and...I can never help him. I'm too afraid of actually hurting somebody, even when they're doing something horrible. I'm just not built for this..." 
"You've done plenty to this point. Surely you haven't forgotten that you personally defeated a Theban, have you?" 
"I did, and I was horrified! Even though she was the enemy, I didn't want to...to..." Barbara began to shake. "Life is too precious...to be taken so easily. I want to be the kind of person that people come to for comfort and healing. I'm scared that everything that's happened is making me into someone I'm not..." She sat down on the floor. "This world is too much...I feel like I'm losing who I am to it...someone like me shouldn't be here. I'm just holding Kat and the others back will all of my begging them not to hurt Maxie, knowing that there's no other option. I can't handle this anymore...I just want to bring him home, have a nice home-cooked meal from Mama and be normal again. I shouldn't have any say in what happens when I'm too scared of what's coming..." 
Rose got on her knees and put a hand on Barbara's shoulder. "I know what a toll this venture must be taking on you. And I promise you that when all is said and done, we'll do everything you ask of us to help you heal. But you simply can't fold now. There is far too much at stake. Including your brother's soul. The others can't afford to see you this way. Ms. Kit calls you her rock. How would she react to you losing all hope?" 
Barbara sniffled. "I promised that I'd take Maxie home with me no matter what. That no matter what he said, I'd never go along with this stupid 'hero' plan. No one else needs to be hurt because of this. As much as I'm afraid...I still have to do this." Barbara got up. "I have a lot of soul-searching to do when this is all over...but this is where I need to be. Saving everyone from my brother's worst mistake. Whatever it's gonna take...to go back to normal..." She vanished. 
"The poor girl...this has been a prolonged torture session for her. Any response to that, Fa--Father?" Rose looked back, and Edelhardt was gone. 
Suddenly, his voice echoed out. "Apologies for the sudden departure. But there are more preparations to be made on my end. Rest assured, I'm still watching intently while you work. Please, continue." 
"An expert of multitasking. Your talents seem to have no limits, Father. I'd recommend paying close attention from here on. The traumas with the deepest roots lie beyond the veil." Rose snapped her fingers.
She reappeared in a school hallway, largely deserted save for a few students. "If I'm not mistaken, next on the list would be..." Rose looked over to see Natalia standing there. "...you, Ms. Van Damme." 
"Why am I here again...? What is this?" Natalia asked. 
"My Father has it in his mind that the proof of humanity's folly lies in your memories and trauma. Can you tell me what this is?" 
Natalia looked to one of the classroom doors. Her younger self, sporting longer, disheveled hair, had the door slightly ajar, and listened in. Girls' voices could be heard coming from the room. 
"...soft and stylish. Only the best." 
"And best of all, it's free. All we need to do is kiss up to the basket case." 
"Free is for me, y'know!" Both girls giggled. 
"Man, you two are awful. Guess she brings it on herself with how desperate she is." 
"Desperate's right. Just a couple of nice words and she folded like a piece of paper. How can someone really be that miserable all the time?" 
"The world sucks, she just needs to get over it. Oh, Natty Fatty. Least she can sew good. Not a total waste." 
The girls in the room giggled. Natalia shut the door, a look of horror in her eyes. "How...how can they be so mean? I...I really am worthless...nobody would ever really want to be my friend...why did I have to be born like this?!" She ran away, crying. 
"If you want a prime example of merciless cruelty, look no further than teenagers with their emerging hormones. That sort of spoiled entitlement had to have been imbued in them from a young age. Isn't that right--Ms. Van Damme?" Rose questioned. 
Natalia tried to hold back her emotions. "I didn't want to think about that time ever again...seeing me so weak, and so hurt...that day was the last straw for me. I ran to the store and that was when I tried jumping from the roof. I didn't think anyone would ever treat me with kindness or want to be my friend for real reasons. I was so hopeless, and I'd never be anything different. Nothing would ever change..." 
"But then what happened?" 
"What happened is...Care. And KittyKat, and Kenny, and everyone else. They were all so nice to me, and treated me like someone worthy of being loved. Things were so hard...and they still are, if I'm being honest. But they've done everything to make me feel okay, and they're so patient with me when I'm not. I'm not stuttering like I used to, I feel okay walking into salons, my cooking's never been better, I've cut off most of my sugar weight. And most of all, I feel...loved." Natalia put a hand on her heart pendant. "I keep asking myself if I should be feeling this happy. Like one day I'm gonna wake up and realize it was all a dream. That no one can really change so much. But I know that isn't true." 
She glanced over to the classroom. "Not long after today, one of the girls giggling in that room is gonna be scapegoated by the other. She's gonna be isolated, her family's business will take a dive, and it'll all come to a head just a few days before Christmas. She's gonna try to jump into icy cold water, and the one that's gonna save her is the same one she's mocking right now. They're gonna struggle together, and the girl she bullied is gonna open her heart to her. Flash forward to today, and that girl laughing in that room is gonna call the one she made fun of her best friend in front of thousands of people." 
"The power to change ourselves is what makes us human. If I could make everyone kinder, I would. But it has to be real. I don't want to be a god over anyone. All I want after today is to hug the people I love and tell them it's gonna be okay. When this is all done, I'm gonna make everyone the biggest, most delicious dinner they'll ever have. Because the only thing that can really change the world is love..." 
Natalia disappeared. "What a strong girl. I hope you're really watching, Father. Because if a 17-year old girl can understand this about humanity, why can't you?" Rose questioned. 
She moved to snap her fingers, but paused. 
"Something the matter, Minnie?" Edelhardt called out. 
"I don't think you're fully prepared for this next one. Even I'm not too sure. But I think you need to witness the level of tragedy in order to understand the strength it takes to live in spite of it. This is what it means to be unbroken." 
She finished her motion, and the scenery changed. She was now outside of a massive government building, with army vehicles lining the streets and soldiers scrambling in and out of the structure. 
Rose walked up to the entrance. "The aftermath of horrible tragedy. One shudders at the thought of the unspeakable horrors that lie within." 
Inside the lobby, there were a number of bodies lying on the ground, covered by sheets. Some were civilians. Some were the perpetrators. "One thing is beyond doubt. Humanity's capacity for violence has never faded. A massacre, and for what purpose?" Rose questioned. 
She approached an elevator. The door opened, and inside was Carrie. "Hello, Doctor. Come to see the day my world came crashing down? Then I'd suggest you follow me." 
Rose stepped inside, and the elevator door closed. The two women stood in tense silence, before Carrie spoke up. "This was meant to be a family excursion. Papa and Mama selling their idea for safe natural gas excavation to the Amir of Qatar. After this, we were scheduled to have dinner with the man and his family. An incredible honor, to be sure. But as you can see from the chaos outside and in here, that never came to pass. So many lives, ruined. All due to a misunderstanding. Hours before, we were observing a salt flat. Mama was in her element, giving me as much mineral knowledge as my 8-year old brain could handle. It would be the last lesson she would ever give me." 
"Ms. Blackthorne...if you don't wish to continue, then we can turn back now. I was opposed to Father's experiment from the beginning, and it's not my wish to emotionally damage you." Rose replied. 
"Your concern is appreciated, but there's no need. I've relived this day countless times. Your father wants this to prove that humanity is beyond redemption. I intend to prove otherwise." 
The door opened, and the two stepped out. "The Amir's office is behind that door. That is where Mama and Papa..." Carrie stopped. She clutched her arm. 
"We don't have to go in there. Please don't do this to yourself." Rose urged. 
"I had no intention to. I never saw them. The last time I did, they were alive and happy. I choose to remember them that way. No, my point hinges on another." 
They went to the left, over to a waiting room. There, several assailants lay dead, strewn about the floor, beaten and battered. Slumped against the wall was an older, bald man, his hands bloodied and numerous knives protruding from his body. "This is Boris. The man who gave his life to protect mine." Carrie said. "I'm currently sitting inside of that closet, scared to death and not knowing that my life has just been altered for the worse. This man stood in front of that door and kept me from meeting the same fate as every other soul in this building." 
Carrie got down next to his body. "To pay the ultimate price, to ensure that the one you're protecting can live another day, is the most selfless act I can think of. No words could ever convey how thankful I am to him. I live every day, hoping that it wasn't in vain." She kissed him on the forehead, then got back up. 
"I've had the dubious distinction of coming close to meeting my end, not once..." She put a hand over her shoulder. "...but twice. I've seen for myself how ruthless and cruel people can be, the violence they're capable of inflicting. In that sense, I would agree that they need to be punished for their centuries of pointless aggression. However...I understand that this is not the true face of all mankind. If all humans were selfish and cruel, then why would this man here sacrifice his body to protect me? Why would my aunt and uncle take me in without a second thought to how their own lives would change? Why would my best friend, timid as she was, put aside her fear and join with our other friends in finding the man responsible for nearly killing me? Why, if not for that deep well of emotion we call 'love'." 
"Papa wanted me to grow up in a beautiful world, where everyone could be happy and live as one. And as much as people fought against his ideas, Mama always counciled him that forcing others to follow your way of thinking was never the answer. That kind of world would look beautiful on the outside, but beneath the surface it would be absolutely hideous. I would never betray their principles because I'm angry at the world for taking them. Their loss was due to individual evil, not some deep-rooted societal problem that deems mankind as worthy of being enslaved. So no matter what is thrown at me, I must remain strong." 
"Strength as diamonds?" Rose asked. 
"Strength as diamonds." 
"That strength is inspiring, Ms. Blackthorne. Father better have been listening. That you're still standing here after everything is a testament to human strength and refusal to be beholden to hatred." 
"Thank you, Dr. Wolfe. Is that all you need from me?" 
"For the time being. There are only two stops left on this tour. Your beloved...and mine." 
"Let me go with you. I need to know what's troubling my Kitten. She knows how I've come to be who I am, and yet there's so much she keeps closed off from everyone. I want to see it for myself." 
"I see no reason not to. Then let's see what our dear Ms. Kit has kept buried within her heart." 
Rose took them to an elementary school cafeteria. A large group of kids were gathered around, seeming to be egging on a confrontation of some sort. 
"What's happening over there?" Carrie questioned. 
Suddenly, Kat appeared, sitting at one of the tables and looking at the large scrum. "Kitten?" 
Kat turned around. "Y'all want to see some bull?" She pointed to the group, and the students parted, revealing what was happening at its center. 
Kat, eight years old in the vision, was jumping up, trying to grab at something. The 'something' being her game system, which was being held out of her reach by a taller girl. "Give it back!" 
"Gonna have to jump higher than that, kitty cat. Want me to put a little catnip on it, make you put a little more effort in?" 
"Give it back! It's mine!" 
"Dunno why you're so attached to this piece of junk. Just make your daddy get you a new one, if he's not busy making sucky music. Or maybe big sis can steal one for you!" The girl laughed. 
Kat growled. She kicked the taller girl in the knee, then bit down on her right hand. The girl responded by kicking Kat in the chest, knocking her to the ground, her glasses falling off. "Stupid little witch! You'd better not have rabies!" 
Kat grabbed the girl's leg and bit down. Not long after, faculty arrived and pulled her off. "Everyone, back to your seats! Now!" 
Kat resisted. "Why can't you leave me alone?! I hate you! I hate all of you!" 
The faculty dragged her away, and the crowd dispersed. "......" Kat was quiet. She gave Rose an unconvincing grin. "Your daughter's babysitter, Doc. Real good influence, huh?" 
"Don't talk about yourself that way. You weren't the aggressor there." Rose replied. 
"She's right, Kitten. No one should use their stature to torment someone younger than them. That's nothing but cowardice. You had every right to fight for what was yours." Carrie added. 
"Hmph. The principal sure didn't see it that way." Kat replied. "I got suspended for three days. He called it lenient. The other girl got jack squat. Probably helped that her dad was pals with the principal. I could never win. Here or anywhere. It was always, 'Look at the feral cat, so angry at everyone. Look at her tyrant mom, her loser dad and her sister the felon. She won't amount to anything'. They'd blare his music around me just to make me feel bad. My parents sent me to practically every school in town, but it was always the same. I was always alone. Before going across the sea, I never knew what friendship was really like. Not that I didn't come close to screwing that up, too." 
Carrie held onto Kat. "That's all in the past. You weren't a rabid animal, not even close. You're a good person. These people were too blind to see it." 
Kat gave a half-smile. "Care...I'm not who you think I am. The person I was before...angry, lonely, thieving...it got willed into existence. Everyone told me I was gonna be like my sister, and that's what happened. Nobody ever wanted to see who I really was. I was just someone to make fun of and get a rise out of. I was a hopeless mess that no one wanted to clean up. Everyone just left whenever things got testy. I'm just so tired..." 
"Tired of what?" 
"People I care about leaving. Being lied to. This is why I never talk about stuff like me being bullied. Why I don't show who I really am to people. When someone I thought the world of lies to my face for months and we have to beat each other senseless before he finally comes around, that kind of thing reinforces my trust issues. I..." Kat began to tear up. "I'm so scared that everyone's gonna leave me. When we're done with school, we're all gonna go our separate ways and I'm afraid that I won't see you guys again. I can't be alone anymore. I love you guys so much, and I can't imagine a life without you. Am I just supposed to sit back and watch my whole world disappear like that?" 
"Kit So-yin." Carrie sternly responded. 
"Uh...did you just--" 
"You've made it this far on stubborn willpower alone, and now is when you begin to doubt us? Nobody has any intention of abandoning you anytime soon. Life may pull us in different directions at some point, but that is tomorrow's issue. We won't be forgetting our experiences here for as long as we live. And I, for one, have every intention of staying by you for as long as the universe allows. Because no matter what you think, we believe you're worthy of love and friendship. All of us. The Professor, too. It's obvious that she sees something special in you. Are you going to say that she's wrong?" 
"I...no, she's not, but..." 
"You've brought us this far. You helped defeat the devil herself and stopped Maxwell in his tracks. The only one who doubts you at all, is you. Now is not the time for that. The job hasn't been done yet. So, what is the proud lioness to do?" 
"...kick Doc's Nokia dad in the pants. No offense, Doc." 
"None taken." Rose responded. 
"Y'know, maybe with those purple eyes staring back at me, I shouldn't worry. I'm sorry for whining. I've got things I've still gotta do. And when it's all finally done...I gotta take my best girl somewhere nice and romantic. Maaaaaybe not too pricy, though." 
Carrie giggled. "Consider it a date. Apologies for stealing your thunder, in a manner of speaking, Doctor." 
"No, no, I couldn't have put it any better. I appreciate the assist." Rose replied. 
"So, what's gonna happen now?" Kat asked. 
"I still have one more 'patient' to talk with. But it's one that I think I need do alone--" 
"It's Prof, isn't it? Take me with you." 
"That won't be necessary. I know her better than anyone, I can--" 
"Doc. Take me with you. I want to see everything that made her who she is. Please." 
"She won't be taking no for an answer." Carrie interjected. 
"No, of course she isn't. She is much like her 'big sis' in that regard. Let's take a look for ourselves, then. The beginning of the path we're all party to now. The prelude to the story of Ringo Kubo."