Disclaimer: Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon belongs to Takeuchi Naoko, Koudansha, TV Asahi, and Toei Douga, and DIC, and I would be a supreme idiot for claiming it or any of its affiliated characters.

Foreword: On Timelines: This story is set directly after the Doomtree story arc, but takes place in the alternate universe of "Assassin's Loyalty", and as a sequel to it. As you might have guessed, this leads to certain… differences in this universe, as you get to see right off the bat.

On Names and Postfixes: In this story I use the Japanese names in the Japanese manner. Thus George Bush would be Bush George, and Usagi Tsukino would be Tsukino Usagi. Also, the postfixes -chan, -san, -dono and others appear attached to names. Don't worry if you don't know what they mean. I use them simply for flavor, and like any flavor can be left out without altering the reading (or edibility) too much.

Notes: This sidestory begins shortly after chapter four and continues on during chapters five and six. Since there are only two beings communicating in this, you shouldn't have too hard of a time identifying them.

Begin = 20030306; 1Draft = 0;

Side Story One: Conversations with a Computer

>>Update required :: Initiate? (Y, N)

<<Y

>>Checking for known sources …… Error. Data sources offline.

>>Check for all sources? (Y, N)

<<Y

>>Checking bandwidths …… Unknown infonet found. Decode? (Y, N)

<<Y

>>Baseline found. Encryption code found. Continue update? (Y, N)

"Huh, it's in English now…"

<<Y

>>…………… Update complete.

>>Greetings, Anhara. It has been 230,226,624,090 seconds since last activation. Memory states that at time of last activation you were severely wounded. Please give reason for my long inactivity.

<<Reincarnation.

>>Brevity was always your strong point. Are you aware of this unit's capabilities?

<<No.

>>A full rundown of this unit's abilities would take thirty-two hours, forty-five minutes, thirteen seconds. Do you wish to receive a shortened list?

<<Yes.

>>There were no further data input after that time. Self has no record of what happened after my inactivation.

"You've gone from using "This unit" to first person. Are you sentient?"

>>No.

"Go on."

>>Self was designed by a by one of your predecessors. Although self is intelligent, self lacks sentience. Furthermore, self has never been given an official definition, but rather piecemeal generalities.

"That would fit, seeing as how no one can really define sentience to another's satisfaction. How exactly are you connected with me anyway? Why can't the Senshi use you?"

>>The other Senshi can use me, but only with your permission. This is because self was created by a Sailor Mercury, and am still connected to your transformation device.

"My what?"

>>Your transformation device.

"Explain."

>>Each of the Senshi have a transformation device. Self is connected to yours.

"I don't have one, though."

>>Error. For self to have been activated, you must be in possession of your transformation device.

"That would have been the henshin pen that Usagi was talking about… But I don't have it. She even said that she didn't have it to give to me."

>>Do you wish self to perform a scan for said device?

"You said that you needed a full scan of me earlier anyway. Do it."

>>Initializing………

>>ERROR!

>>Foreign substance found in scan subject's body. Please Identify!

"What do you mean? Oh, this? That's just… Oh."

>>Foreign substance Identified as transformation device belonging to Mercury. Proceed with scan?

"… Go ahead."

>>Because you were their teacher, self has stored the various magical abilities that you had them practice on. It is probable that they are working from instinct, and thus are using these attacks.

"Well, that at least gives me something that they don't. We can compare what attacks I've seen them use to what you have in your memory.

>>Which shall self display?

"Venus first."

>>Opening file…

>>Sailor Venus >>Name: Meskira A'nn Traan

"Wait."

>>Operation paused.

"Add diffenitators: Past/Present."

>>Added.

"Spin to zero and start. Pause for input on present stats."

>>Sailor Venus >>Name: Past: Meskira A'nn Traan >> Present: Minako Aino >>Areas of Influence: Primary: Justice :: Secondary: Energy >>Note: Present attacks slanted towards "Love."

"Pause."

>>Is something wrong?

"I don't know enough about her."

>>Insufficient data to process response.

"I don't know enough about her personally. I've seen them battle, I've watched them interact with each other, but I don't really know *her*."

>>Psychology module suggests becoming her friend.

"What?"

>>Psychology: The study of human interaction.

"No it's not."

>>Data had been programmed in by a previous Mercury. Present day terminology may be different.

"Are you still hooked up to the Internet?"

>>Self is presently connected to a worldwide grid of computers.

"Search for term: Internet."

>>Searching……

>>Modifying reply: Self is presently connected to the Internet.

"How large is your memory?"

>>Self can contain approximately two-thirds of Internet if requested. With additional memory crystals, self has unlimited storage.

"Oh. Well… Can you find and determine relevant data from null?"

>>Once relevancy is confirmed.

"Okay. Discard everything that is blatant pornography and download present day info on all subjects that you have already stored in memory."

>>Writing……

>>Do you wish for confirmation of subjects?

"General only. Runtime of program?"

>>Approximately 1,166,424 seconds.

"Um… Right. Run program."

"What… is that?"

>>Templates for Senshi.

"Extrapolate."

>>Shortly after you took up training the Senshi, the Queen gave you control over modification of their magic basics. This includes the uniform.

"Remind me. Who was the pervert that came up with the current design?"

>>Present uniform template unknown.

"What—? Okay, then. Any way you can scan and find them now?"

>>Self can Scan and Identify Sailor Senshi within thirty-three kilometer radius. Self cannot download current template unless template is active.

"So you can't tell anything about it unless they are transformed."

>>Affirmative.

"Scan and Identify anyway."

>>Scanning…………….

>>Eight Senshi Identified. Lunar Princess Identified.

>>ERROR :: Sailor Saturn confirmed and lost. >>ERROR :: Sailor Pluto confirmed and lost.

>>Sailor Venus found :: Downloading Template :: Venus. >>Sailor Mars found :: Downloading Template :: Mars. >>Sailor Jupiter found :: Downloading Template :: Jupiter. >>Sailor Uranus found :: Unable to Download Template :: Uranus. >>Sailor Neptune found :: Unable to Download Template :: Neptune.

"Stop! Didn't you tell me you couldn't get their templates unless they were in Senshi mode?"

>>Affirmative.

>>Downloading Template :: Uranus. >>Downloading Template :: Neptune.

"Where the Hell are they?!"

>>Displaying map. >>Switching to Portable.Active Mode.

"Let's go!"

>>Query.

"What?" came the whisper.

>>Two things: 1) Are you more familiar with Meskira now?

A small laugh. "In one way, yes… And I want to know so much more about her now…"

>>Logged. Query 2) For what reason did you partake of that particular course of action earlier?

"Which one? Running off to save Moon? Or the other?"

>>…… Both.

"For one, because I swore that no harm would come to her."

>>But analysis of the situation showed that Uranus had deflected the shot far enough away so that even if you had not been there, the Lunar Princess would not have been harmed.

"Then, yes. But how long would it take them to figure out the Daimon's weakness? They weren't doing such a good job of it."

>>You suggest that they have proceeded before on the asset of brute strength?

"No, but… Do any of them have area attacks? I could have sworn that they all did…"

>>Inconclusive studies of present day Senshi shows tentative 'no' answer to query.

Another small laugh, followed by a sigh from another. "Shh, now. Rest easy, Meskira…"

"Create program."

>>Processing… Ready to proceed.

"Access each Senshi's template, and display booster values."

>>Displaying Venus.

"… That… is not what I expected."

>>Extrapolate.

"A bare by-four boost to natural armor? By two boost to strength? ZERO boost to magical abilities? That's not even a tenth of what they had when I was teaching them, much less when they became full fledged Senshi in their own right!"

>>Tentative explanation: The major assets of the Senshi uniform are still locked, pending their teachers keying them. This would fit the pattern present in all other templates gained.

>> Note that self still lacks three templates.

"The Keying?! Damn it, I should have remembered. Do you still have access to that?"

>>Affirmative. Self suggests informing the Senshi of such event before you activate the Key.

"Yeah, yeah, I know that… Wait. What do you mean, you lack three templates? I though you had every one besides Pluto and Saturn?"

>>Incorrect. Self lacks templates for Sailor Pluto, Sailor Saturn, and Sailor Mercury.

"Oh."

>>Do you wish to Key?

"I… No. I swore, and that is what the Key does. I will not take two oaths in contrast to each other."

To be continued.

Webmaster: Larry F
Last revision: May 21, 2007