Science
A Soldiers and Fools Story
January AC202
by LoneWolf ( kodoku na okami )
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18 had to admit he had been taken by surprise five times in one day. It had happened on 26 June 201. 39 had
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determined that 27 and his lover had left Tokyo. That was the first surprise.
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The second was an hour later when he and 32 were discussing "The 27 Dilemma", as they had come to call it.
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18 was loathe to seek advice from the best source they had. That one had done nothing to endear itself to him in
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the days since 29's death. Not that 18 would have recognized endearment if it had tried.
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32 had offered the rather unorthodox suggestion that they might better understand 27 if they did what he and
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his lover did. It had taken 18 a moment to process that. If only 32 didn't have that compassion nexus in his brain
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he would be top field material.
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"And which of the--" He had paused and ignored the number that popped into his head. "-- Rejects do you
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propose should…" It was with considerable effort that he finished the repulsive thought. "Do that with… that
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one?"
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The third time had been eight seconds later. 32 had thought for that long, then said, "I was thinking you
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should be part of the experiment because you are the lead on this part of the mission. But if you won't try it with
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the Duo clone, perhaps you would with me. I would be willing if you think it will help accomplish the mission."
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His surprise had been as much from 32's commitment to the mission as from the suggestion. He had seen the
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psychological profiles on 27 and doubted even their enemy brother had the same level of dedication.
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The fourth time had come twenty minutes later. 32 had his face buried in the pillow to muffle the noises he was
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making when the sensations 18 had been feeling suddenly exploded through him and almost broke his self-
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control. He came frighteningly close to crying out. 18 didn't think he wanted the others to hear and investigate
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what was happening, though he couldn't explain why.
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The fifth and final surprise had been fifteen minutes later as they lay together and 18 had heard himself say,
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"27 and his lover have done this frequently for many years. I doubt we can discover the full effects in a single
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attempt. We will need to continue these experiments on a regular basis." 32 had simply nodded.
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They were continuing their experiments now. 32, as always, face in the pillow. 18 behind him running two
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counters in his head at once.
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The doorknob turned once. The door was locked.
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The doorknob turned four times. Followed by five loud knocks.
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"Oi. 18-chan."
Reluctantly, though he could never tell 32 that, 18 aborted the experiment. 32 whimpered softly.
18 climbed down the four rungs from the top bunk, pulled on a pair of shorts -- one leg, then the other -- and walked three steps to the door. He glanced back at 32 and motioned him to face the wall. He wasn't sure what "that look" meant, but he knew he didn't want that one to see it. He suspected that one might know what it meant.
He unlocked the door and opened it fifteen centimeters -- wide enough to see the one he wanted so desperately to kill. He didn't understand why the sight of it pushed him to the limits of his self-control, only that it did.
"18-chan." It grinned at him for a second, then its face became serious again. "39 is dead. Apparently no one asked me and he used the postcard trick again. I could've told you they'd be on the lookout for it the second time. They nailed him in Santiago."
18 glared at it. "I will have 32 send 38--" He paused, and looked into it's eyes. "-- to L1."
"Huh? Why L1?"
"Because, they'll be looking for Dr. J." He didn't tell it that he had just realized that. It didn't need to know. He wasn't sure where the idea had come from, but it was clearly the result of a significant shift in his thinking. Perhaps the experiments with 32 were finally producing results.
"Fine. I'll go with 38--" It held up a finger to stop his protest. "I'll make sure he doesn't do something stupid like 39 did. Besides, I just get in your way here. I'll be more effective in the field. And you have trained me for it."
18 weighed its proposal carefully. He was reluctant to let this one out of their direct control, but 38 was good. 38 was the closest they had to a pure copy of 27. 38 would be able to handle this one. "Aa." And it would mean he wouldn't have to deal with that one for several weeks. He never should have been so insistent that they create it.
It glanced up at 32, who was feigning sleep on the top bunk and said, "Good old 32. Your trusty aide. Y'know what he needs? A good fucking." 18 blinked, heard a faint rustle of sheet behind him. He knew what the word meant, but he'd never connected it with their experiments, until now. "Yep. He needs someone to gag him so he won't moan too loud, lay him on his back, throw his legs over their shoulders and pound his ass long and hard until he comes. Bet it'd do him a world of good."
18 saw it looking at him with utter sincerity. He had learned not to trust that look. "I suggest you prepare for your trip to L1 and not think about the perverse things you would like to do to us."
"Who said *I* wanted to do 32, 18-chan?" It grinned at him and scampered down the hall.
18 closed the door, locked it and walked three steps to the bed, wondering if that one suspected what he and 32 had been doing. If so, it was better that it was going with 38. It always had trouble keeping its mouth shut. He took off his shorts, stepping out of them, left foot, then the right, reached for the ladder to the top bunk and found 32 had turned over and was looking at him with "that look" again. "What is wrong, 32?"
"Just… I hate it when we stop. And you were so close."
"Nani?"
"301. You always achieve climax 301 seconds after you establish the rhythm."
So, 32 had noticed.
Maybe he should quit trying to discover the neural structure that caused 32 to feel compassion and just accept that it was part of how 32 was. True, it made him too unstable to put in the field. There was no telling when it might override his training and render him unable to complete the mission, but that was the only negative effect 18 could attribute to it. A part of him regretted that they had failed with 32 -- that they had found it necessary to create the other -- but that was the only real regret 18 had about the situation.
If he was honest with himself, he was pleased that 32 was as he was. If he was honest with himself, he had begun to suspect that the complex tangle of memories they had implanted in 32 were the true root of the compassion nexus, not some physiological defect in 32's brain.
18 looked at 32. It wasn't important. 32 was as he was, and they had research to complete. "We will resume the experiment." If he hadn't known it was impossible, 18 would have sworn 32 smiled for the briefest fraction of a second. "Do you think its suggestion has merit?"
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Later, as they lay together, 32 said, "327."
"Aa." 18 was remembering 32's face and the interesting ways the muscles had twisted and twitched beneath his skin as they moved and how the convulsions had spread across his whole body as they reached 308. He was glad 32 had been gagged. The shouts, begging 18 to continue when he had faltered for fear he had caused brain damage, would have been quite loud without it.
"So the other way is better," 32 said, sighing softly.
"Faster," 18 said. "Not better. Do you think 27 and his lover try this alternate… position?"
32 ran his hand up and down 18's side. 18 had long ago given up trying to understand why he always hoped 32 wouldn't stop. "Knowing what we do about Duo's personality," 32 said softly, "I can't believe he wouldn't encourage 27 to try a variety of positions?"
"Variety? How many are there?"
This time, 18 was certain 32 was smiling at him, if only with his eyes. "I'm aware of a dozen basic positions, each with an average of four significant variations, not counting possible role changes. But I only did a cursory search of the literature on the subject."
18 frowned faintly, then nodded approval. 32 had been doing research to further their experiments so they could better understand 27 and his lover. "Aa. In the future you will demonstrate these other positions." And maybe he should try the passive role occasionally. He had been reluctant because 32 was technically his subordinate, but their intelligence suggested 27 and his lover didn't have fixed roles in their relationship.
He nodded. Changing roles occasionaly would be necessary if their experiments were to be valid. "Show me another now."
As his count reached 122, no longer running the second count because it had proved invalid, it occurred to him that some people might say he and 32 were lovers. His movements slowed for all of three seconds as he analyzed the thought, then he resumed his previous pace. And realized that the change in rhythm had briefly intensified the sensations he was feeling.
He stopped counting and decided to try it again.
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