Mardock Scramble

by Ubukata, Tow

  “Oeufcoque said that?”

  –No, the girl.

  Tweedledee seemed amazed.

  Then Balot planted a kiss on the outside of the water tank. Softly, carefully. Then she came away from the tank and walked back toward the Doctor.

  –He says he’s going to sleep for a while.

  Balot raised her eyebrows, scowling.

  –Will he be okay?

  She knew that if she stopped scowling she’d start crying.

  “It’s my job to make sure he will be.” The Doctor spoke with a serious face, pushing his glasses up again, when Tweedledee tapped his arm.

  –Hey, can I take her down to the pool? She’s scheduled to go there soon, isn’t she?

  The Doctor’s face hardened somewhat. “She’s not using that until I’ve gone over a few things with her. She’s owed an explanation. She’s going to be leaving the facility soon. Along with us.”

  –I get it. You don’t want Eve to accidentally taste the forbidden fruit, right? I get it. As long as she doesn’t have temptation placed right before her eyes, she’ll be able to resist.

  03

  –I don’t have to breathe, ever.

  Tweedledee spoke as a school student might boast about what a fine home he came from.

  –According to the doctors, I’m a Complete Individual. That’s my thing.

  –A Complete Individual?

  –Means I’m not dependent on my environment. That my core is even tougher than my shell—I’m completely hard-boiled.

  Clopping along in her slippers, Balot considered the meaning of these words.

  Everywhere in the building seemed to be divided by glass panes. It was like being in a giant box—all the slopes were covered in iron and concrete and glass.

  Grinning, Tweedledee told Balot all about the facility and himself. Balot felt a bit like a transfer student. As if she were supposed to be here, and indeed, were destined to stay here from now on.

  –I don’t have to breathe. And I barely eat. Even when I do eat, all I have is a bit of light. And I don’t even really need that.

  –You don’t eat?

  Balot seemed surprised again, much to Tweedledee’s obvious delight.

  –My body needs to change its fluids every once in a while. The challenge is to make that exchange as simple as possible, apparently.

  –Can you taste things?

  –Sure, I can taste. I can even feel hungry if I want to. By snarcing my insides, of course. But most of the time I don’t feel anything. Back then, I thought I might taste coffee again, as it’s been a while, and I tried to remember what it was like to feel thirsty, but then you said you didn’t want any.

  –Sorry.

  She didn’t actually feel particularly apologetic—she just didn’t know what else to say.

  –No worries. It’s not as if I actually needed to drink anything. I have thousands of little hard drives embedded inside my head, so I can bring up lots of senses or tastes anytime I want.

  –So it’s like you have a library inside your head?

  Tweedledee made a funny face.

  Then, he seemed to understand. Balot realized in that instant that Tweedledee had looked something up in the dictionary inside his mind. What a library was.

  –That’s right. There are lots of books and dictionaries in here. And I can replay audio and visuals too. More or less any stimulus that can be processed by the five senses, in fact. But I try not to cram too much in. My snarc abilities seem to suit me better. It’s different with other people, of course—some people find that the more information they’re weighed down with, the more they want to acquire additional information… What about you? Do you want to store something inside yourself?

  –No, it’s okay. When I need to use a library, I’ll go to a library.

  –I wonder if you’ll be able to stop yourself from becoming like us.

  –I’m not sure. I don’t really know what “like us” means.

  –Complete Individuals, that’s what I’m talking about, Tweedledee said, as if that phrase explained everything.

  Eventually the glass-clad corridor came to a dead end. A sturdy electronic lock was on the door, and Tweedledee had to submit to retina and fingerprint scans to get it to open.

  The thick doors slid apart.

  –Welcome to the Inner Courtyard. The heart of Paradise.

  Balot stared out into an expanse of tropical rainforest. Colorful flowers and fruit spread out before her, as far as the eye could see. She looked up and saw all sorts of trees stretching up to a high ceiling and sensed that there was another ceiling above it, replete with an artificial lighting rig. The light felt just like real sunlight, and there was a certain mellowness in the air. A warm breeze drifted all around, caressing her face and clothes, making her feel extremely comfortable.

  –Amazing… Balot spoke her true feelings this time. She was genuinely moved.

  –It’s nice here. Tweedledee’s voice was proud, triumphant even, and he snarced the doors so that they closed shut behind him.

  A path made out of plastic divided the foliage, and Tweedledee walked down it, heading deep into the undergrowth. Balot followed after him.

  Here and there was a clearing. It looked exactly like the sort of conservation area that Balot had seen on television and in magazines. The only difference was that there were big umbrellas in the clearing, a bit like beach parasols, and underneath them were tables and chairs, or in some cases complicated-looking equipment.

  They came across the trio of old people that they had bumped into earlier. The man with the hat and the woman with sunglasses lounged back on what looked like deck chairs and were engaged in what seemed like a lively debate with the man in the wheelchair.

  They soon passed the group, and Balot followed Tweedledee deeper into the undergrowth. This really was some room. It may have indeed been airtight, but it was such a vast space that it was a struggle for Balot to think of it as such.

  Balot suddenly realized that the path was sloping downward. They seemed to be heading underground. But there was no trace of the damp and dark that one usually associated with the underground—this still felt like a lush and beautiful park.

  Balot noticed a number of people scattered around, lying under the bowers of the trees, all wearing similar clothes to Tweedledee. They all had unusually pale skin, and some of them were in wheelchairs. They all seemed content to stare up into the sky in silence.

  Balot sensed something going back and forth between them, and she realized that they were all deep in conversation.

  It was a strange sight. With eyes half closed, barely even twitching, they were engaged in vigorous conversation.

  –People who’ve stopped moving, Tweedledee explained.

  –Just as I forget to breathe, these people forget to move. Some of them do still want to move about occasionally, so they use wheelchairs.

  –They can’t walk anymore?

  –Oh, I’m sure they could, if it came down to it. They just don’t really need to.

  –So why are you walking about, then?

  –The doctors seem to think it’s due to differing motivations. I wasn’t able to move when I was born, so I must be delighted with the fact that I can move now, or something like that. Still, in time, I might forget to walk as well.

  –Are there no others here who walk?

  –Oh, there are. Shall I introduce you to some of them?

  –No, you’re quite enough.

  She hadn’t meant it in a particularly complimentary way, but Tweedledee seemed pleased.

  –Okay, well, how about I introduce you to just one other. My lover. Balot was surprised.

  –Your lover?

  –Yup. That’s the term I use, anyway. And vice versa. It seems a fitting term. Whenever we’re together, we feel like sweethearts.

  Tweedledee’s footsteps sped up. Balot did her best to keep pace.

  Curiously, she didn’t sweat at all. It was as if the air were gently wiping her bo
dy down. Air designed to give people a calm, pleasant feeling all over. To the extent that you never wanted to move again.

  –Can you swim?

  Tweedledee asked, and Balot nodded.

  –Then let’s go for a swim together. It should be good for your muscles too; it’ll help get them back to normal.

  Suddenly she understood what he was talking about.

  The trees opened up, and in the clearing was a giant pool carved into the greenery, an impressive oblong pool; she could barely see the opposite shore, and the water seemed very deep.

  There were no people in the vicinity of the pool, but rather lots of animals—monkeys, and a type of rodent that Balot couldn’t quite identify—that were swimming or splashing about.

  Balot knelt down to put her hand to the water. She noticed some ripples coming toward her. She realized that they were generated to keep the water circulating. Without warning the ripples changed to waves. The next moment a smooth blue object flew up into the air, scattering light all around. It landed back into the water with a huge splash, spraying water all around.

  Balot was soaked through. She saw the thing that had just jumped stick its snout forward.

  –Who’s this, Tweedledee? Never seen it before. You brought it, did you?

  The snouty-thing’s voice echoed in Balot’s earphones, much to her surprise.

  –That’s right. She’s called Rune-Balot.

  Tweedledee jumped into the pool. He had taken his clothes off without Balot noticing and was now naked. There was a splash when he hit the water, spraying Balot again as she stood there.

  Tweedledee swam up to the snouty-thing, gave it a big hug, and planted a kiss on its head.

  –She’s Oeufcoque’s lover. I brought her here because I wanted to introduce you.

  Balot hadn’t quite expected Tweedledee to introduce her in this way.

  –Hey, baby. I’m Tweedledum, the thing said to her. It seemed to have nothing to hide, anyway.

  –I know my name’s similar to his, but mine’s the original. After all, some of my brain cells were transplanted into his brain.

  It thrust its body out of the water and prodded her face with its pointy snout.

  –So, little lady, how about a ride on my back? I’ll take you to heaven and back, baby.

  Balot was a little bewildered. It was the first time she’d ever been propositioned by a dolphin.

  –Hey, I’m the original! Part of my brain is transplanted in you too, don’t forget. And let’s not forget that your linguistic consciousness is based on my language skills… Tweedledee tried to interject, but Tweedledum hadn’t finished yet.

  –Shut it, you slag! There’s no contest. You’re the one who toddles around based on my mobility consciousness. You wouldn’t be walking without me.

  –And you wouldn’t be talking without me.

  Then the two turned to Balot. What do you think? Talk about being put on the spot.

  Balot felt a little funny in the head, but it wasn’t the worst feeling in the world.

  Above all, Tweedledee was probably the only person in the world who would introduce Oeufcoque as her lover.

  –Tweedledum, are you a girl?

  Balot spoke to change the subject. Tweedledum snorted spume from his nostrils.

  –Hey, you’re a human, right? Don’t be so narrow-minded—you’ll end up a slave to convention. I’m male, and this guy’s brother, and lover, and homosexual partner. We even do it all the time.

  He spoke rather triumphantly, and it was hard to tell how much was true and how much was Tweedledum’s fevered imagination.

  –What are those eyes?

  Not particularly wanting to pursue her line of inquiry any further, Balot changed the subject to the metal objects that covered the space between Tweedledum’s brow and cheeks. They looked like giant dolphin sunglasses.

  –They’re neat, huh? Wanna try on a pair yourself, babe? Tweedledum answered, rather unhelpfully, but Tweedledee shrugged his shoulders and answered Balot’s question properly.

  –They’re for access—an auxiliary function. They can act as visual organs too, but we don’t really need to rely on our sense of sight in the first place.

  –Access?

  –This pool is a giant computer terminal.

  –What do you mean?

  –Why don’t you come for a swim too? Then you’ll see for yourself. Balot seemed to have fallen into a pattern of doing whatever the two wanted. She thought about it for a second, then sat down at the edge of the pool. She lowered her legs into the water and immediately felt convinced that she wouldn’t drown.

  Balot plunged into the water, as invited. It was wonderfully clean water—transparent and soft. It was a little bit on the chilly side, but even this felt like a good thing, appeasing the inflamed bruises that covered her body.

  She immersed her whole body in water, then bobbed around, sticking her head above the surface. Tweedledee looked at the emerging face of Balot with an odd expression.

  –The doctors get a bit fussy when we get our clothes wet, so best you take them off, you know.

  –I’m fine as I am. If I want to take them off, I’ll take them off.

  Suddenly Tweedledum was underneath her, lifting her up. It was the first time she had ever been on a dolphin’s back. Her body floated up and slid along the surface as if she were running.

  Her shoulders relaxed unconsciously. If her voice had worked, she’d be laughing loudly by now.

  –Hold on tight, baby. I’ll show you this pool’s true colors.

  Tweedledum was on a natural high.

  –Welcome to the other ocean!

  At this moment in time, Balot had no idea that before long this would lead directly on to the next stage of her case. All she was concerned about for the time being was closing her mouth. For Tweedledum had just plunged underwater. Tweedledee was by their side, swimming like a fish.

  Balot opened her eyes, but they could see only a small part of her surroundings, so she sensed them instead. They were indeed in some sort of computer terminal. Wireless communication equipment was growing out of one of the walls and the floor. And spread out before her was a vast, deep ocean. She realized that she was confronted with the gateway to a giant sea of electronic data.

  –Take me back up!

  She wasn’t sure how much longer her breath would last, and started to panic.

  –Right away, missy, brought to you in style! Tweedledum said with a flourish, starting the ascent in his own inimitable style. It wasn’t a sudden ascent, but rather a careful and steady climb that took Balot’s body into account. It could indeed have been described as a stylish ascent.

  They reached the surface, and Balot drew a deep breath, pushing her wet hair out of her face.

  –Scary, dark, and big. She voiced her first impressions of the pool.

  Tweedledum gave another great snort from his nostrils.

  –It’s like Spaceship Earth herself; mostly water, there to be experienced and lived in. This is the key to transmitting data to almost anywhere in the world. You can swim almost anywhere, as long as you have permission.

  Then Tweedledee emerged, floating face-up on the surface of the water.

  –Not that anyone’s been given permission over the last ten years, right, Tweedledum?

  –Still, we’re free to splash about in Paradise’s database as much as we like. Shall we head back down, babe?

  –I’m okay for now, thanks. I’m not sure my breath will hold up.

  Balot gently pushed away from Tweedledum, heading backward in the water.

  She tried to swim on her own but found herself tangled up in her clothes. She tried to take them off, turning around as she did so. Suddenly some air escaped from her mouth—her earphone was about to dislodge, and, flustered, she tried to hold its clasp in place. Tweedledum moved in swiftly to prop her body up, helping to keep her afloat. Balot stripped off her sodden clothes, and Tweedledee collected them, spreading them out neatly by the side of the
pool for her.

  Balot wasn’t wearing any underwear. Fully nude now, she entrusted her naked body to the water. It was as if all her aches and pains had dissolved into the pool. She felt no anxiety, no awkwardness. Neither of the other two made any effort to touch her body unnecessarily. They didn’t even seem particularly interested in it.

  Tweedledum appeared to be constantly accessing the database, picking up pieces of information and passing them on to Tweedledee, laughing, flirting, even.

  Both Tweedledee’s and Tweedledum’s bodies appeared to be covered in scars. Fragments of metal and plastic also seemed to be protruding from various parts of their bodies—chest and sides in particular. To the extent that you could say that their bodies were almost mangled. And yet neither of them seemed remotely self-conscious about these modfications—they didn’t seem to be bothered in the slightest.

  Balot watched the two of them frolicking about and thought about what Tweedledee had said.

  The Complete Individual, swimming though an electronic ocean. A complete world—like an egg. This jungle, in its airtight chamber, was designed to be detached, kept apart, from something. But what? She couldn’t tell.

  The duo’s laughter permeated the jungle. The laughter of those untroubled by the threat of the outside world—or of decay from within.

  To realize the dream of sunny side up—a life without trouble, without consequence—and to eventually arrive at a state of such tranquillity that you no longer needed to move. Balot wasn’t sure whether to be envious or scornful of such a lifestyle.

  All of a sudden she yearned to speak to Oeufcoque and the Doctor. She wanted them to tell her what she ought to do. But, as they weren’t here right now, she guessed that it would be up to her to work that out for herself.

  So, as she swam along, she tried to think as the Doctor and Oeufcoque would think.

  The Doctor and Oeufcoque would be brainstorming, thinking up various strategies as to how best to proceed. What would those strategies be, those threads of ideas? This was a competition, and a game. At one end of those threads was the man called Shell. Shell was trying to protect something, and that was why he’d had Boiled and the assassins pull on their end of the thread…

  Suddenly, it dawned on Balot—there was something she needed to find.