The question ran through Riku's mind Maybe she was abandoned because of some malfunction in her memories? But do bio-androids even have that issue? If I remember right, they still have blood and bleed like humans. They're just… humans with engineered bodies.
Riku decided to approach her, reaching out to offer Titania a hand. He wanted to help her and see what he could do, convinced she was a Bio-Android and noticing her shocked state. "Hey… can you get up?"
The moment his hand reached her, a flash of memories surged through Titania's mind, the accident, the betrayal by her fellow knights, her king, her kingdom…
"Don't you dare touch me with your filthy hands!" Titania shouted, pushing herself up from the ground.
"Uh…" Riku was taken aback, momentarily silenced and confused.
"I don't trust you people anymore," she continued, her voice sharp with distrust. "I have no idea where I am, and I'm not about to get tricked again!"
"Calm down! I'm not a bad person!" Riku protested.
"You think I'd believe you? I've been through the worst times of my life. I may be confused right now, but it doesn't change my view of people like you, those who use, abuse, and force authority on others." Titania's voice was laced with fury.
"What… what are you talking about?" Riku asked, bewildered, as a thought crossed his mind, Is she out of her mind?
"What am I talking about?" Titania repeated, her voice faltering. "I was—" She stopped suddenly, a sharp pain shooting through her chest. Clutching it, she thought, What the heck… is going on?
As the pain continued, a familiar robotic female voice echoed in her mind:
[ADMIN: WARNING]
[ADMIN: YOU ARE LACKING IN FUEL BURST]
[ADMIN: WHAT ARE YOUR OPTIONS?]
Options? What options… do I just… what? she thought, and somehow her thoughts triggered a response from the voice.
[ADMIN: ANDROID 22-11, YOU ARE LACKING IN FUEL BURST. I REPEAT. YOU NEED TO CONSUME FUEL BURST AS IT'S YOUR MAIN ENERGY SOURCE]
What…? I'm so confused…
[ADMIN: UNFORTUNATELY, YOU HAVE RUN OUT OF TIME]
[ADMIN: DUE TO LACK OF FUEL, YOU ARE NOW LIMITED TO ONLY 30% OF YOUR ENERGY USAGE.]
[ADMIN: ETHER DEACTIVATED]
[ADMIN: ENHANCEMENT DEACTIVATED]
Titania's body felt suddenly heavier, her strength ebbing away as the words echoed in her mind. Her vision blurred slightly, and the sharpness she once felt seemed to drain out of her limbs.
"No… no, what's happening to me?" she murmured, clutching her chest as if to hold onto what little power she had left.
Riku, watching her with a mix of concern and confusion, took a hesitant step forward. "Are… are you okay? What's wrong?"
But Titania only glared at him, trying to mask her vulnerability even as she felt her systems shutting down piece by piece. I don't need help… not from him, she thought, refusing to show weakness.
Noticing her fatigue, Riku decided to lift Titania onto his back. Though he'd once hoped to have a bio-android assist him, he chose instead to help this one in her time of need. Aware of her pain and confusion, he set aside his questions and carried her away without hesitation.
Leaving the junkyard, he headed downtown to a repair shop called Bio Forge Inc, a company known for bio-android maintenance and enhancements.
The building was modest, a single-story structure with a utilitarian design. Its exterior was made of matte black metal, giving it an industrial, almost sterile look. A few small, reinforced windows provided limited glimpses inside, where high-tech machinery glowed faintly, casting cool, blue light across metallic surfaces.
The roof was flat and practical, fitted with discreet solar panels to power the building's systems, a nod to its efficiency. Above the automated sliding door, the Bio Forge Inc. logo glowed in a clean, minimalist font, matching the building's stark and functional aesthetic.
He finally entered the building and was promptly approached by an engineer named Takashi, commonly known as Dr. Takashi. Brown-haired and wearing sunglasses, he was dressed in a form-fitting black lab coat. His tall, fit build and confident demeanor suggested a wealth of experience in his field.
"Greetings, my name is Dr. Takashi. How may I assist you this late at night?" Dr. Takashi asked, hands in the pockets of his coat as he looked at Riku.
"Uhm…" Riku began, unsure of what to say. Dr. Takashi's gaze shifted to Riku's back, quickly noticing the Bio-Android in a fatigued, weakened state.
"Ah, I see. Is she your Agent, perhaps?" Dr. Takashi inquired.
"Uh… no," Riku responded softly.
"I see… then why are you carrying her?" Dr. Takashi asked, his curiosity evident.
"I just… wanted to help her. She seems confused, and I think something's malfunctioning," Riku explained.
Dr. Takashi gave a nod, a small smile forming. "I understand, young one. I'm glad it was you who brought this unfortunate android here. You've got a pure heart, kid."
Dr. Takashi was a renowned expert in bio-android technology, and to his surprise, a child had brought one in. He directed Riku to place the bio-android on a bed inside the building, then proceeded to attach wires and electrodes to her limbs, legs, and torso. The wires connected to Dr. Takashi's computer, where he analyzed the charts of fluctuating lines and numbers, quickly diagnosing the issue.
Riku stood nearby, still uneasy and unsure of what to do. All he could manage was to watch silently, his nervousness growing as he observed the engineer's expertise at work.
Dr. Takashi identified the problem, detached the wires from the bio-android's body, and handed her a packet drink labeled "Fuel Burst: Apple Flavor!" She was too fatigued to speak, her breathing heavy, so the engineer carefully helped her drink it. Moments later, she suddenly sat up as the robotic voice, Admin, echoed in her mind.
[ADMIN: FUEL BURST LEVEL RESTORED]
[ADMIN: SYSTEM CHECKING...]
[ADMIN: MENTAL CONDITION > STABLE]
[ADMIN: PHYSICAL CONDITION > STABLE]
I still don't understand what this strange noise is… she thought, regaining her senses. She sat up, looking down at her hands and legs, feeling her energy gradually returning.
Riku watched with a mix of happiness and relief, a wide smile forming on his face as he saw her recovering.
Titania, the bio-android Riku had saved, looked at him and said, "I didn't ask for your help… but since you did, I'll trust you for now. So, speak." Her tone was commanding, but before Riku could respond, Dr. Takashi intervened.
"Calm down, young lady. Let me speak with him first, all right?" Titania gave no visible reaction but seemed to accept his decision.
Dr. Takashi then led Riku to another room and began, "Child, may I know your name?"
"My name is Riku… Riku Kokuchi," he replied.
"Okay, Riku, there are a few things I'd like to ask before I explain everything. Would you mind cooperating?" Dr. Takashi asked. Riku nodded, signaling his willingness to answer, as long as the questions didn't seem too strict or intimidating.
"First, do you have any androids at home? I can tell from your uniform that you're a student at Wisterian Mage Monastic School, so I assumed you might," Dr. Takashi inquired, already convinced the answer would be no.
"No… unfortunately, I don't have an android," Riku replied, confirming Dr. Takashi's assumption.
"I see… a mage student without an Android Agent. Well, I suppose that's not too surprising," Dr. Takashi said with a laugh.
"First of all, that Bio-Android has likely experienced memory loss, or perhaps something happened to her. From what I can tell, she was definitely abandoned." As he spoke, Dr. Takashi took out a slip of paper containing her information.
"This is a printout from my computer with details about her, her model name, age, and other data." Dr. Takashi handed the paper to Riku, having extracted this information earlier when he connected the wiring to her body.
"What does this mean…? Dr. Takashi?" Riku asked, glancing between the paper and the engineer with confusion.
Dr. Takashi smirked, tapping his chin thoughtfully. "Well… don't you want her to be your Android? It seems to me like you do."
"Yeah, but this Android clearly has some problems and would be hard to maintain, you know!" Riku replied, recalling the challenges he'd already faced with her.
"And to begin with, you literally just told me she has memory loss. How does that make any sense? Isn't she incapable of learning now?" Riku questioned, his curiosity persistent.
"Don't be stubborn, child," Dr. Takashi replied, adopting a lecturing tone. "Yes, she has memory loss, but she isn't a regular human, she's engineered to be superior. She has a program called 'Admin' in her system that will guide her, and besides, she can speak. That alone will be more helpful than you think."
Riku fell silent, processing Dr. Takashi's words. He didn't want the responsibility of dealing with a troublesome bio-android, but he needed one if he wanted to become a wizard and avoid being bullied at school. Reluctantly, he accepted the situation. "Fine, I guess… but do you have any suggestions for working with her? How am I supposed to cooperate with her?" Riku asked, looking to Dr. Takashi for guidance.
"All right, the first thing I'll do is set up a contract called the Technical Pact for both of you," Dr. Takashi explained. "To make it official, I just need you and her to sign this document."
He pulled a piece of paper from his pocket, revealing the details of the contract.
"For her to become your Agent, she has to consent to it. that's the legal requirement here in Wisteria," he continued. "And remember, you can only have bio-androids as Agents if they're aged 14 or above!"
"Ehhh, are you kidding me… really?" Riku said in disappointment.
He realized that making a pact with the bio-android would be challenging, especially given her distrust, memory issues, and stubbornness. Still, he knew he had to try.
Dr. Takashi and Riku returned to the room where the bio-android was resting.
"What took you so long?" Titania asked, sounding irritated.
"Well… you say you trust me, right?" Riku asked softly.
"Yes… and what about it?" she replied, a hint of curiosity in her tone.
"I need you to sign this document to make a pact with me," he explained, clearly asking for a favor. Titania, however, looked skeptical.
"Why do we need to do this in the first place? What's this document even for?" she questioned.
"I'll explain everything later, I promise. But could you sign it… please?" Riku asked, his anxiety evident. Thankfully, Titania was just convinced enough and reluctantly signed. "There you go."
As she signed, Riku noticed her signature: Titania, written in an elegant stroke. "Titania? What does that mean…?" he mumbled, only to be overheard.
"That's my name, you idiot," she replied, rolling her eyes.
Dr. Takashi raised an eyebrow. "Huh… you have memory loss, but you know your own name?" he asked, surprised.
"Memory loss? I don't even know what you're talking about. Look, can we just get this over with and tell me what's going on?" Titania demanded.
"Okay, calm down," Riku said, and with that, he signed the document as well, sealing their pact.
Riku had finally earned his first Agent, his own android. Although he knew his situation was unusual and that he would undoubtedly face challenges with her, he couldn't help but feel a bit relieved.
After everything was finally settled, Riku and his new bio-android, Titania, prepared to leave the building. Just as they reached the door, Dr. Takashi called out with a final piece of advice.
"Oh, right… you, girl. I don't know what's happened to you, but it's probably best if you don't use the name you're using now. Let Riku give you a new one instead."
Hearing this, Titania looked over at Riku, a hint of curiosity in her eyes. So… this guy's name is Riku, she thought to herself.