Fort Wellington, Prescott, Ontario, Canada
October 15, 2016
1:21pm ET
Rob had brought his tenants on an afternoon trip to a small town an hour's drive south of Ottawa, to show them Fort Wellington - a fortification that was intended to defend British North America from invasion by the United States. He thought that they might like to see something that Canadians thought had a long history, just so they would better understand the difference between Canadian and Japanese ideas of "old and storied."
The girls were exploring the fort. Rob was relaxing in the parking lot, re-reading one of Terry Pratchett's novels. He justified it as research; with so many people from alternate universes having shown up in the last month, they had to be ready for anything.
Then he noticed a familiar-looking school-uniform-clad girl walking along the road between the fort and the St. Lawrence River. He put a bookmark in the novel, crossed the road, and walked toward her. "Correct me if I'm wrong, but weren't you wearing a different outfit earlier?"
She turned to him, and he saw the odd ... heads-up display, maybe? ... she was wearing, pushed up to her forehead. "Misaka has no reason to explain her choice of clothing to a stranger, replies Misaka with mild annoyance."
Rob noticed that she'd described what should have been her internal monologue, she referred to herself by her family name, she referred to him as a stranger, and the monotonous delivery of her statement. He mentally added that to her school uniform and HUD.
Down at the river bank, a small flock of birds walked, swam, and quacked like ducks.
Rob sighed. It was happening again. "Which Sister are you?"
"I do not understand, replies Misaka with the hope that you will go away."
Rob grasped at the only straw he had, and hoped he remembered it correctly. "ZXC741 ASD852 QWE963."
"That code expired with Sister 9982, states Misaka firmly," she replied in that same monotone. "How did you get that code, asks Misaka with concern."
Rob shook his head. "Answer my question first."
After a moment, she replied, "I am Sister 10339, answers Misaka against her better judgment."
"Thank you. I was given your sister's code by Misaka Mikoto."
"When did you receive this information from the Original, asks Misaka with a glimmer of hope."
"October 11, while speaking with her in her residence - a building that I manage."
"What is today's date, asks Misaka for clarification."
Rob carefully did not show any emotion to learning that either she had lost track of the date or she hadn't been in this world long enough to learn it. "October 15."
"Please come with me to meet my Sisters here, asks Misaka with both apprehension and hope," she replied in that same monotone.
Rob almost agreed, then thought that discretion was called for. "If anyone saw us leaving here together, our age differences would make them wonder what my intentions were toward you. I'll remain in this park for a half hour, down where we can't be seen from the fort across the street."
"That is acceptable, agrees Misaka, showing a willingness to compromise."
1:42pm ET
"Mr. Donaldson."
Rob didn't look up. "How did you know I was here?"
"A butler who couldn't track down a building manager who's away from his building isn't worth his salt."
"That isn't much of an answer, Sebastian."
"All right. That little debugger you like so much told me."
Rob narrowed his eyes. "I think I liked not having an answer better than hearing a veiled insult."
"Then we're both annoyed with each other." Sebastian coughed politely, then passed a box to Rob. "You'll know what to do with these. I have more important things to do."
Rob opened the box to find cellphones just like the ones he had been given the day the Academy City girls had arrived. "Mikoto's clones can't stay in my building. Kuroko shouldn't know about their existence." There was no reply. Rob looked up to see that he was alone. "I hate when you do that," he whispered.
1:50pm ET
Rob was wondering how he was going to open the conversation without any of the resources he had at home - especially his copies of the Railgun stories - when he noticed a group of people approaching. Four of them looked like they were Mikoto's identical sisters, and at this distance appeared to be dressed identically. The one in front appeared to be their younger sister, running along with her arms outstretched. Rob thought he could hear her making airplane noises.
The sixth person ... was male, so pale he looked to be an albino, and was being supported by two of the Sisters.
"Aw, crap," muttered Rob. "Did I summon him by mentioning him to Washuu-chan earlier this week?"
The younger girl raced up to him and smiled. "Hello, mister, says Misaka Misaka with a grin. How did you meet Misaka Original, asks Misaka Misaka with wide eyes?"
She did have wide eyes and a grin, too. Rob wasn't surprised; he knew that the final clone in the "Sisters" group was the only one that had received the upgraded personality information that made it easy for her to express emotion.
"Hello, Misaka Misaka. My name's Rob Donaldson. As near as we can tell, she teleported in from your home reality to this reality, and landed in my home's parking lot."
"Misaka was right! This isn't our home world, cries out Misaka Misaka triumphantly!"
"Keep it down, brat," the lone male in her group said as they all reached the bench where Rob had waited for them. "You're annoying me with all that energy."
Rob sighed. "And we don't want to annoy the man who killed so many of your sisters, do we?"
"Hey, I was told they were things, not people! And how do you know so much about us, anyway?"
"I could point out that you have a reputation. But the truth is that Last Order," (Rob nodded toward Misaka Misaka), "was right when she said this isn't your home universe. Here, you're fictional characters."
"Bull."
"I knew that a code string Mikoto-san told me came from the Level 6 Shift project. I recognized 10339-san as one of the Sisters after she said one sentence. And I know your code name is Accelerator, but I don't know what your birth name is; it was never mentioned in the books."
"I don't use it anyway. I don't even remember it any more."
"I know that I'm risking my life by annoying you. And I know that, if it wasn't for these young ladies who are helping you move, you'd be paraplegic and mute. I know somebody from another work of fiction who might possibly be able to help you recover."
"Again, bull."
"She rebuilt my nervous system less than a week ago." After a moment with Accelerator not responding, Rob continued, "Oh, but I'm ignoring the young ladies."
"You have already talked with Misaka Misaka, says Misaka 13577 in an effort to set your mind at ease," said one of the sisters who was supporting Accelerator.
"Since you know who and what we are, you know that we all know what she knows, says Misaka 19090 in an attempt to explain more fully," added the Sister on Accelerator's other side.
Rob shook his head. "You may share memories and DNA, but that doesn't mean you're the same person." He looked at the other sisters, and noticed that one of them was wearing a necklace with a heart-shaped pendant and was carrying a black cat with a white-tipped tail. "I believe you're the only sister here who has not spoken with me yet, miss. Based on what I recall from the story, would you be Misaka 10032?"
"I would be, confirms Misaka."
Rob nodded. "I'm happy to meet you all." Then he leaned down to take a closer look at the cat that 10032 was carrying. "Are you an intelligent being as well?"
The cat just looked at him.
"My pet cat is merely a cat, Misaka 10032 answers with some puzzlement."
He straightened up. "Ah. Thank you. I asked because I know three cats who can and do speak English."
"Oooooh, Misaka Misaka says in wonder!"
Rob smiled at the youngster's reaction, then asked, "And were the four of you already living as a household before you came to this universe?"
"No, just the brat and me," Accelerator denied Rob's statement.
"Right. No surprise there. The last I saw of Misaka Mikoto - the Original - she was going in there," Rob gestured over his shoulder toward Fort Wellington, "along with some of her friends who are not cleared for the Radio Noise or Level 6 Shift projects. When that building closes up in a couple of hours, I'm going to have to take them back home to Ottawa, about an hour's drive away at 100 kilometres an hour. Where are you six living, and how can Railgun and I get in touch with you?"
"We can't tell you that, because we just got here, answers Misaka Misaka sadly."
Rob slapped his own forehead. "Right - I just got these to give to you." He pulled a cellphone out of the box he'd received less than a half-hour previously, flipped it open, and saw that it had its new owner's name on the screen and was pre-programmed with both his and Mikoto's numbers. He passed the phone to Misaka 10032, pulled the next phone out of the box, checked it, passed it along, and continued until there was only one phone left. Flipping it open, he noticed that it was not pre-programmed with Railgun's number. "And this one's for you," Rob said as he passed it to Accelerator.
"About time."
"I'm sorry, did you need to call somebody?"
"I don't like your tone."
"Please don't fight, pleads Misaka Misaka!"
"Whatever."
"I apologize, to both of you."
The other Sisters let our the breath that they had been holding.
2:44pm ET
"Thanks for coming on such short notice, Washuu-chan."
"I told you I don't mind being your on-call doctor. Who're the patients?"
"All of them. The females are forced-growth clones with artificially short lifespans and shared memories. The male is being assisted by the females just so he can walk."
"They're five of the Misaka Sisters, including Last Order, and Accelerator. Say it that way next time - save us both some time. Hello, kids. Your conditions aren't something I can treat in the field."
"They need a place to live anyway."
Washuu ignored Rob. "I'll put you up until you're cured. After that, I'm kicking you out."
Rob nodded. "By then, I might have found a place for them to stay. Keep me posted, please." He turned to the newcomers. "Before you go -"
"We haven't agreed to go anywhere, Donaldson."
"Accelerator, she's forgotten more about medicine than the best doctors in Academy City - including Heaven Canceller - have ever learned. If you want to walk on your own again, you're going with her. Not a threat, not a promise, just a statement of fact."
"Fine. Whatever."
Rob turned to the youngest Sister. "Before you go, I want to take a photo of the two of us together. Is that all right?"
"You have to let Original Misaka see it, insists Misaka Misaka."
"That's exactly why I wanted the photo in the first place," Rob replied with a chuckle.
5:06pm ET
"That was soooo boring! Why do you keep dragging us to these places, Rob-san?"
"You never know what you might learn in a place like this, Usagi-san. Would you rather be learning these things from a book?"
"That's homework. No, thanks."
"Then we go to the museums."
"So what did you learn today, Rob-san?" Ruiko asked as she climbed into the minibus.
"I learned that the radio in this minibus doesn't blank out static if you tune it to an unused frequency. You actually get radio noise."
Usagi and Mikoto both looked at Rob, who winked so that only the two of them could see it.
"Can we stop on the way back for groceries?" Makoto asked.
"How about we get dinner out tonight?" Rob asked in reply.
"Did something special happen today?" Kuroko asked.
"Something special happens every day, somewhere."
As the girls chatted with each other on the drive back to Ottawa, Rob wondered where he was going to find a place for six more people to live where they would be close by, but not so close that anyone other than Mikoto would notice them.
Epilogue
Blossom Apartments, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
October 17, 2016
9:55am ET
Since the girls were off at school and university, Rob took the opportunity to catch up on his "landlord" correspondence.
Bills, bills, paperwork that required a Canadian citizen's signature (and Rob was still surprised that Lord Phantomhive couldn't find somebody to take care of that full-time - simply signing paperwork wasn't worth the second salary that Ciel was paying him and he was pouring into the girls' college funds), more bills, and an email from Washuu-chan.
The Sisters' treatment was coming along nicely - she expected them to have a decent lifespan by the time she was finished in a month. Decent for a baseline human, that is - none of them had asked for a Juraian lifespan ... yet.
For now, Washuu-chan was referring to the four older Sisters by the last digit in each of their serial numbers, mixing the On and Kun readings: 10032 was "Nii" (or "Niiko"), 10339 was "Kokono", 13577 was "Nana", and 19090 was "Rei". (Rob thought that at least they sounded like names, although "Rei" might cause confusion with Rei Hino... or Rei Ayanami. Of course, it wasn't up to him what they were called.)
Sasami liked them. She especially liked Misaka Misaka. (Washuu-chan had attached a photo of Last Order helping Sasami in the kitchen.) Sasami wasn't sure whether she liked Accelerator, though.
And they'd decided to ignore Touma's complaint in canon and call Misaka 10032's cat "Schrödinger" after all.
Once Rob had finished his reading, he saved off the photo, and was about to forward Washuu-chan's email to Railgun with a note to not let Kuroko see it when another email arrived. He opened it to discover Mihoshi had misheard one of the names and Kokono now wanted to be called Kokoro... which Rob approved of, thinking Heart was a better name than 9. He forwarded both emails to Mikoto with a smile.
October 15, 2016
1:21pm ET
Rob had brought his tenants on an afternoon trip to a small town an hour's drive south of Ottawa, to show them Fort Wellington - a fortification that was intended to defend British North America from invasion by the United States. He thought that they might like to see something that Canadians thought had a long history, just so they would better understand the difference between Canadian and Japanese ideas of "old and storied."
The girls were exploring the fort. Rob was relaxing in the parking lot, re-reading one of Terry Pratchett's novels. He justified it as research; with so many people from alternate universes having shown up in the last month, they had to be ready for anything.
Then he noticed a familiar-looking school-uniform-clad girl walking along the road between the fort and the St. Lawrence River. He put a bookmark in the novel, crossed the road, and walked toward her. "Correct me if I'm wrong, but weren't you wearing a different outfit earlier?"
She turned to him, and he saw the odd ... heads-up display, maybe? ... she was wearing, pushed up to her forehead. "Misaka has no reason to explain her choice of clothing to a stranger, replies Misaka with mild annoyance."
Rob noticed that she'd described what should have been her internal monologue, she referred to herself by her family name, she referred to him as a stranger, and the monotonous delivery of her statement. He mentally added that to her school uniform and HUD.
Down at the river bank, a small flock of birds walked, swam, and quacked like ducks.
Rob sighed. It was happening again. "Which Sister are you?"
"I do not understand, replies Misaka with the hope that you will go away."
Rob grasped at the only straw he had, and hoped he remembered it correctly. "ZXC741 ASD852 QWE963."
"That code expired with Sister 9982, states Misaka firmly," she replied in that same monotone. "How did you get that code, asks Misaka with concern."
Rob shook his head. "Answer my question first."
After a moment, she replied, "I am Sister 10339, answers Misaka against her better judgment."
"Thank you. I was given your sister's code by Misaka Mikoto."
"When did you receive this information from the Original, asks Misaka with a glimmer of hope."
"October 11, while speaking with her in her residence - a building that I manage."
"What is today's date, asks Misaka for clarification."
Rob carefully did not show any emotion to learning that either she had lost track of the date or she hadn't been in this world long enough to learn it. "October 15."
"Please come with me to meet my Sisters here, asks Misaka with both apprehension and hope," she replied in that same monotone.
Rob almost agreed, then thought that discretion was called for. "If anyone saw us leaving here together, our age differences would make them wonder what my intentions were toward you. I'll remain in this park for a half hour, down where we can't be seen from the fort across the street."
"That is acceptable, agrees Misaka, showing a willingness to compromise."
1:42pm ET
"Mr. Donaldson."
Rob didn't look up. "How did you know I was here?"
"A butler who couldn't track down a building manager who's away from his building isn't worth his salt."
"That isn't much of an answer, Sebastian."
"All right. That little debugger you like so much told me."
Rob narrowed his eyes. "I think I liked not having an answer better than hearing a veiled insult."
"Then we're both annoyed with each other." Sebastian coughed politely, then passed a box to Rob. "You'll know what to do with these. I have more important things to do."
Rob opened the box to find cellphones just like the ones he had been given the day the Academy City girls had arrived. "Mikoto's clones can't stay in my building. Kuroko shouldn't know about their existence." There was no reply. Rob looked up to see that he was alone. "I hate when you do that," he whispered.
1:50pm ET
Rob was wondering how he was going to open the conversation without any of the resources he had at home - especially his copies of the Railgun stories - when he noticed a group of people approaching. Four of them looked like they were Mikoto's identical sisters, and at this distance appeared to be dressed identically. The one in front appeared to be their younger sister, running along with her arms outstretched. Rob thought he could hear her making airplane noises.
The sixth person ... was male, so pale he looked to be an albino, and was being supported by two of the Sisters.
"Aw, crap," muttered Rob. "Did I summon him by mentioning him to Washuu-chan earlier this week?"
The younger girl raced up to him and smiled. "Hello, mister, says Misaka Misaka with a grin. How did you meet Misaka Original, asks Misaka Misaka with wide eyes?"
She did have wide eyes and a grin, too. Rob wasn't surprised; he knew that the final clone in the "Sisters" group was the only one that had received the upgraded personality information that made it easy for her to express emotion.
"Hello, Misaka Misaka. My name's Rob Donaldson. As near as we can tell, she teleported in from your home reality to this reality, and landed in my home's parking lot."
"Misaka was right! This isn't our home world, cries out Misaka Misaka triumphantly!"
"Keep it down, brat," the lone male in her group said as they all reached the bench where Rob had waited for them. "You're annoying me with all that energy."
Rob sighed. "And we don't want to annoy the man who killed so many of your sisters, do we?"
"Hey, I was told they were things, not people! And how do you know so much about us, anyway?"
"I could point out that you have a reputation. But the truth is that Last Order," (Rob nodded toward Misaka Misaka), "was right when she said this isn't your home universe. Here, you're fictional characters."
"Bull."
"I knew that a code string Mikoto-san told me came from the Level 6 Shift project. I recognized 10339-san as one of the Sisters after she said one sentence. And I know your code name is Accelerator, but I don't know what your birth name is; it was never mentioned in the books."
"I don't use it anyway. I don't even remember it any more."
"I know that I'm risking my life by annoying you. And I know that, if it wasn't for these young ladies who are helping you move, you'd be paraplegic and mute. I know somebody from another work of fiction who might possibly be able to help you recover."
"Again, bull."
"She rebuilt my nervous system less than a week ago." After a moment with Accelerator not responding, Rob continued, "Oh, but I'm ignoring the young ladies."
"You have already talked with Misaka Misaka, says Misaka 13577 in an effort to set your mind at ease," said one of the sisters who was supporting Accelerator.
"Since you know who and what we are, you know that we all know what she knows, says Misaka 19090 in an attempt to explain more fully," added the Sister on Accelerator's other side.
Rob shook his head. "You may share memories and DNA, but that doesn't mean you're the same person." He looked at the other sisters, and noticed that one of them was wearing a necklace with a heart-shaped pendant and was carrying a black cat with a white-tipped tail. "I believe you're the only sister here who has not spoken with me yet, miss. Based on what I recall from the story, would you be Misaka 10032?"
"I would be, confirms Misaka."
Rob nodded. "I'm happy to meet you all." Then he leaned down to take a closer look at the cat that 10032 was carrying. "Are you an intelligent being as well?"
The cat just looked at him.
"My pet cat is merely a cat, Misaka 10032 answers with some puzzlement."
He straightened up. "Ah. Thank you. I asked because I know three cats who can and do speak English."
"Oooooh, Misaka Misaka says in wonder!"
Rob smiled at the youngster's reaction, then asked, "And were the four of you already living as a household before you came to this universe?"
"No, just the brat and me," Accelerator denied Rob's statement.
"Right. No surprise there. The last I saw of Misaka Mikoto - the Original - she was going in there," Rob gestured over his shoulder toward Fort Wellington, "along with some of her friends who are not cleared for the Radio Noise or Level 6 Shift projects. When that building closes up in a couple of hours, I'm going to have to take them back home to Ottawa, about an hour's drive away at 100 kilometres an hour. Where are you six living, and how can Railgun and I get in touch with you?"
"We can't tell you that, because we just got here, answers Misaka Misaka sadly."
Rob slapped his own forehead. "Right - I just got these to give to you." He pulled a cellphone out of the box he'd received less than a half-hour previously, flipped it open, and saw that it had its new owner's name on the screen and was pre-programmed with both his and Mikoto's numbers. He passed the phone to Misaka 10032, pulled the next phone out of the box, checked it, passed it along, and continued until there was only one phone left. Flipping it open, he noticed that it was not pre-programmed with Railgun's number. "And this one's for you," Rob said as he passed it to Accelerator.
"About time."
"I'm sorry, did you need to call somebody?"
"I don't like your tone."
"Please don't fight, pleads Misaka Misaka!"
"Whatever."
"I apologize, to both of you."
The other Sisters let our the breath that they had been holding.
2:44pm ET
"Thanks for coming on such short notice, Washuu-chan."
"I told you I don't mind being your on-call doctor. Who're the patients?"
"All of them. The females are forced-growth clones with artificially short lifespans and shared memories. The male is being assisted by the females just so he can walk."
"They're five of the Misaka Sisters, including Last Order, and Accelerator. Say it that way next time - save us both some time. Hello, kids. Your conditions aren't something I can treat in the field."
"They need a place to live anyway."
Washuu ignored Rob. "I'll put you up until you're cured. After that, I'm kicking you out."
Rob nodded. "By then, I might have found a place for them to stay. Keep me posted, please." He turned to the newcomers. "Before you go -"
"We haven't agreed to go anywhere, Donaldson."
"Accelerator, she's forgotten more about medicine than the best doctors in Academy City - including Heaven Canceller - have ever learned. If you want to walk on your own again, you're going with her. Not a threat, not a promise, just a statement of fact."
"Fine. Whatever."
Rob turned to the youngest Sister. "Before you go, I want to take a photo of the two of us together. Is that all right?"
"You have to let Original Misaka see it, insists Misaka Misaka."
"That's exactly why I wanted the photo in the first place," Rob replied with a chuckle.
5:06pm ET
"That was soooo boring! Why do you keep dragging us to these places, Rob-san?"
"You never know what you might learn in a place like this, Usagi-san. Would you rather be learning these things from a book?"
"That's homework. No, thanks."
"Then we go to the museums."
"So what did you learn today, Rob-san?" Ruiko asked as she climbed into the minibus.
"I learned that the radio in this minibus doesn't blank out static if you tune it to an unused frequency. You actually get radio noise."
Usagi and Mikoto both looked at Rob, who winked so that only the two of them could see it.
"Can we stop on the way back for groceries?" Makoto asked.
"How about we get dinner out tonight?" Rob asked in reply.
"Did something special happen today?" Kuroko asked.
"Something special happens every day, somewhere."
As the girls chatted with each other on the drive back to Ottawa, Rob wondered where he was going to find a place for six more people to live where they would be close by, but not so close that anyone other than Mikoto would notice them.
Epilogue
Blossom Apartments, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
October 17, 2016
9:55am ET
Since the girls were off at school and university, Rob took the opportunity to catch up on his "landlord" correspondence.
Bills, bills, paperwork that required a Canadian citizen's signature (and Rob was still surprised that Lord Phantomhive couldn't find somebody to take care of that full-time - simply signing paperwork wasn't worth the second salary that Ciel was paying him and he was pouring into the girls' college funds), more bills, and an email from Washuu-chan.
The Sisters' treatment was coming along nicely - she expected them to have a decent lifespan by the time she was finished in a month. Decent for a baseline human, that is - none of them had asked for a Juraian lifespan ... yet.
For now, Washuu-chan was referring to the four older Sisters by the last digit in each of their serial numbers, mixing the On and Kun readings: 10032 was "Nii" (or "Niiko"), 10339 was "Kokono", 13577 was "Nana", and 19090 was "Rei". (Rob thought that at least they sounded like names, although "Rei" might cause confusion with Rei Hino... or Rei Ayanami. Of course, it wasn't up to him what they were called.)
Sasami liked them. She especially liked Misaka Misaka. (Washuu-chan had attached a photo of Last Order helping Sasami in the kitchen.) Sasami wasn't sure whether she liked Accelerator, though.
And they'd decided to ignore Touma's complaint in canon and call Misaka 10032's cat "Schrödinger" after all.
Once Rob had finished his reading, he saved off the photo, and was about to forward Washuu-chan's email to Railgun with a note to not let Kuroko see it when another email arrived. He opened it to discover Mihoshi had misheard one of the names and Kokono now wanted to be called Kokoro... which Rob approved of, thinking Heart was a better name than 9. He forwarded both emails to Mikoto with a smile.
--
Rob Kelk
Sticks and stones can break your bones,
But words can break your heart.
- unknown
Rob Kelk
Sticks and stones can break your bones,
But words can break your heart.
- unknown