Location: Unknown

Part 1

The screen starts off black, while a familiar purple haze swirls over the blackness

Voice: (Growls) REMEMBER...

We see Kouki standing amongst the almost complete darkness, himself illuminated by an unknown light source

KOUKI: Tell me, why? Why do I need to remember?
Voice: ...... YOU MUST, YOU ALONE KNOW THE SECRET TO THEIR CREATION...
KOUKI: Secret? Creation? Who's creation?
Voice: ...
KOUKI: Well?
Voice: ...... THE EVILS...
KOUKI: Evils?
Voice: ...... THEY HAVE BEEN RESTORED. THEY ARE FLESH ONCE AGAIN. YOU CAN FEEL IT IN YOUR HEART; THE DARKNESS RETURNS TO ENSLAVE ALL WHO LIVE...
KOUKI: 'Flesh once again'? I take it you're talking about the demon that Lisha's doing dealings with?
Voice: ... NO
KOUKI: No? Then wh-
Voice: -HE IS MERELY A SPAWN OF THE EVILS...
KOUKI: Hmm... Well here's a question; if what's coming is as powerful as you make it out to be, how the hell am I gonna fight it on my own? I've got enough on my plate just dealing with Lisha
Voice: ... RESTORE YOUR BRETHREN TO FLESH... RESTORE YOURSELF... RESTORE YOUR TRUE NAME, YOUR TRUE DESTINY
KOUKI: Slow down there, why don't you just tell me who I am, straight up?
Voice: ... I CANNOT
KOUKI: What!? Why!?
Voice: ... I CANNOT BECAUSE YOU CANNOT.
KOUKI: What?
Voice: ... I AM NO MORE THAN A FRAGMENTED MEMORY... A BROKEN SOUL... I AM YOU

Kouki's phone suddenly shouts out into the abyss...

Voice: ANSWER IT...

Part 2

Kouki's eyes spring open to the sound of his phone ringing out from the bedside table. Still lying down on the bed, dazed, he slowly takes up his phone and puts it to his ear.

KOUKI: Hello?
TERRANCE: Hey there, this is your wake up call!
KOUKI: (Groaning and rubbing his face with his spare hand) Oh... Wait, what time is it?
TERRANCE: It's well past mid-day. I keep telling you to buy a damn alarm clock
KOUKI: I must keep forgetting...
TERRANCE: Well, you better not forget about your appointment in about half an hour's time!
KOUKI: (Sitting up) Oh, great!
TERRANCE: Don't worry; I'm outside on my bike. I'll give you a lift up there; just get your stuff together
KOUKI: Thanks
TERRANCE: Don't mention it...

Ending the call, Kouki jumps out of his bed and pulls the drawer out from underneath it...

Part 3

Outside of the building, we see Terrance, now wearing a helmet with the visor up, sitting atop a large, Ducati-style sports-bike; its engine purring. As Terrance looks down at his watch, we see Kouki exit from the main door to the building, looking slightly worse for wear.

TERRANCE: (Tossing him a helmet) God, how long does it take for you to get ready?
KOUKI: (Smiling, putting on his helmet) Well, I've had a long night...
TERRANCE: Yeah, how did that go, by the way?
KOUKI: (Climbing on the back of the bike) better than expected. You?
TERRANCE: It went okay. Teresa won't shut up about her new 'relic'. Mind you, I don't think I would either if I paid that much for it
KOUKI: Well, you've both got money to burn...
TERRANCE: True... Right, we're gonna have to shift it if you're gonna get there on time; you'd better hold on for dear life! (Pulls his visor down)
KOUKI: Gotcha... (Pulling his visor down and holding Terrance's waist)

The bike's engine roars into life as it crawls towards the roadside. With a screeching of tyres, the bike kicks into action as the pair hurtles down the road

Part 4

The shot cuts to the skyline of the city as the camera descends onto the entrance of a large tower block. We see the bike crawl into the shot as Terrance pulls up by the roadside and pulls up his visor. Kouki carefully dismounts the bike as he takes of his helmet and hands it back to Terrance.

KOUKI: Thanks a lot
TERRANCE: No problem!

As Terrance goes to put the spare helmet away, he notices that Kouki is carrying his sword; strapped to the back of his trench-coat

TERRANCE: (Nodding towards Kouki's shoulder), you expecting trouble?
KOUKI: (Smiles and nods), all the time
TERRANCE: Yeah... Well I've gotta be off; Teresa'll need a lift soon. I feel like a damn taxi driver today
KOUKI: Hehe... I'll see you soon then...
TERRANCE: Right... Good luck with the memory stuff... (Pulls his visor back down)

As Terrance hammers off down the road, Kouki wanders over to the door of the tower block and presses a button on the intercom next to it.

Intercom: Err, hello?
KOUKI: Hi, is that Spencer?
Intercom: Yeah, who is it?
KOUKI: It's Kouki, I have an appointment
Intercom: Ah, yes! Here you go... (Door clicks) it's on the top floor
KOUKI: Cheers...

The shot changes to inside the lobby of the building as Kouki shuffles in and heads towards the lift. A few moments after calling the lift, its door slides open and Kouki steps inside. Looking at the lift panel, he presses number 13 and pauses as the door obediently slides shut. As the lift creaks into motion, Kouki slouches against the rust-covered back wall of the lift as he stares at the shifting numbers on the floor counter above the door. All of a sudden, the word HELL appears on the counter as the lift violently halts and blacks out, plunging Kouki into darkness. The now barely visible Kouki slides his hand inside the lining of his coat as two giant, crimson eyes stare out at him from the door-side of the lift

MERCILESS: So, man with no name; we meet again...
KOUKI: (Reaching for his blade with his other hand) I was expecting a visit from you eventually...
MERCILESS: (Chuckles) ahh, ready to put up a fight!? Don't even bother using those pathetic weapons on me. From what I have heard, you lack the skills to wield them anyway.
KOUKI: (Holding his stance) that may be, but I've still beaten a fair few who shared that opinion...
MERCILESS: (Chuckles again) your luck and resilience may hold out against other humans and weakling hybrids, but not against the power of a true demon
KOUKI: (Putting his arms by his sides) so, what are you waiting for? For me to walk past you and out of the door? Again?
MERCILESS: (Sneers) insolence... My full power has returned to me now, but it will not be I that will use it against you
KOUKI: Let me guess, Lisha wants me alive
MERCILESS: With my power, she will make you surrender with ease. You should thank her for it; that when humanity falls, you will be spared as her slave
KOUKI: I will never be a slave
MERCILESS: (Sniggers) Even if by some miracle you still escape our grasp, it will do you no good. The world is plunging back into darkness. You will have nowhere to run to
KOUKI: Well, I'm not running from now on... I'm going to fight
MERCILESS: HAHAHAHAHAHA!!... Fine, make your own defeat easier if you want...

The pair of eyes disappears into the darkness as the lift shakes into motion. The lights flicker back on as Kouki looks up at the number on the floor counter; now showing that he is nearing floor 13.
The shot changes to outside the lift as we see the doors slide open and Kouki slowly shuffle out. He glances around for a second, before moving over to one of the doors to the left of him. Kouki is about to knock on the door when it swings half-open, and we see a young man with spectacles peering out from behind it.

SPENCER: Kouki, right?
KOUKI: (Nods) that's me
SPENCER: (Gesturing) come in! I hope the lift wasn't playing up again; they really should fix that thing...
KOUKI: (Entering the flat) hmm...

Kouki follows Spencer through the cluttered hallway and into the lounge. The walls are clad with posters, and surrounded by various computer terminals and machines. Spencer sits down at one of the terminals and starts typing into a keypad by the side of it with his one hand while typing into the keyboard in front of him with his other hand

SPENCER: (Nodding to the chair next to him) go ahead, take a seat! I'll have to do this quickly though...
KOUKI: (Moving towards the chair) so, about the new implant...
SPENCER: Ah, yes! (Looking around) I've got an upgraded one somewhere. It's the same size, but'll hold twice the data; it means instead of a fourth implant, you'll only need the two inside you
KOUKI: (Sitting down) sounds good
SPENCER: Yeah, but we'll need to go into CyberScape to get the contents of your current implants uploaded into the main databank. That way, I can just download them straight into your replacements
KOUKI: CyberScape?
SPENCER: Yeah! You’ve been there befo- (realising) -oh, right! Good thing you didn't leave this any later! (Hands Kouki a headset), here, put this on, it's like being in a V.R game, except it's more of a worldwide community thing. I've got some other business in the Scape to deal with as well, you don't mind, do you?
KOUKI: (Putting it on and lowering the visor) not at all...
SPENCER: (Puts his own headset on) right! Here we go... (Types into keypad)

Part 5

The screen goes black as a white light shines out from its centre. Multi-couloured streams fan out from the light as the whiteness in the middle grows bigger until it envelopes the whole screen. We see the figures of Spencer and Kouki fade into view as huge, glowing structures appear around them. Kouki looks at Spencer; whose body now appears to be covered in glowing streams of electricity.

KOUKI: Whoa!
SPENCER: Take a look at yourself...

Kouki stretches his arm outwards and looks down at it. Reams of energy cascade along the length of it and around his fingertips. He moves his other hand over the top of his arm and realises that he can actually see through himself.

KOUKI: (Amazed) cool...
SPENCER: You think that's cool, take a look around!

Lowering his arms, Kouki slowly looks up and gasps. A maze of roads and skyscrapers, all made up of glowing beams of multi-coloured light, litter the surroundings. The Scape appears to be even more crowded than the city, as scattered groups of chattering, ghost-like people and strange, translucent, hovering vehicles buzz around in all directions. Huge, flickering screens are mounted upon the walls of the buildings, showing news reports and displaying advertisements

SPENCER: The next generation of the internet... Pretty soon, phones and e-mails will be made obsolete. Here, you can trade, chat and interact with people who are thousands of miles away...
KOUKI: (Gob-smacked, looking around) ... Wow... I've never seen anything like it!
SPENCER: Sure you have, you've been here before! You must have forgotten... (Calling out to a wall) Terminal 96, activate, voice I.D; Fielding, Security Administrator

A small, flat screen appears from nowhere, floating at Spencer's side. Spencer turns towards the screen and starts jabbing out at it with his fingers

SPENCER: (Muttering while typing) let me see... Yes, enable mobile terminal, err... Activate main databank clearance... Allow access to external devices... (Calling) Ah, copy R-7 automatic transport and paste it into sector 11, main entrance
Computer Voice: Please select a destination...
SPENCER: Err, sector 42, main databank terminal
Computer Voice: Thank you, and have a nice journey...
SPENCER: Close terminal 96

As the terminal fades away, Spencer turns towards the roadside as a large, see-through, open-topped vehicle materialises in the middle of the road.

SPENCER: To Kouki, go ahead, get in!
KOUKI: ... (Climbs into the vehicle)
SPENCER: (Jumping into seat next to him) all a bit weird to you, eh?
KOUKI: Believe me, weird seems to describe my life...
SPENCER: (Chuckles) Well, we better get going. (To vehicle) Begin journey... (Back to Kouki) I hope you don't get air-sickness!

The vehicle emits a humming sound as it lifts off high into the air and starts to twist through the dense mesh of bridges and roads. The car's altitude climbs ever higher as it soars above the Scape, bobbing and weaving amongst the skyscrapers.
A small panel on Spencer's side of the vehicle starts to flash red

Computer Voice: You have one incoming call...
SPENCER: Caller I.D?
Computer Voice: Teresa Lascari
SPENCER: Ah, yes... Activate mobile terminal and redirect the call to it

A flat screen appears suspended above Spencer's side of the vehicle. As it flickers to life, we see the face of Teresa, beaming out of the screen

SPENCER: Hi Teresa!
TERESA: Hey there! (Sees Kouki) oh! Hi Kouki!
KOUKI: Hiya
SPENCER: So, did you get that thing in the end?
TERESA: (Smiling) yeah! I don't know what to make of it though... I've even tried getting the opinions of the others in the museum, but they know even less about it than I do. All I've made out so far is that it's meant to be some kind of weapon
SPENCER: Who did you get it off?
TERESA: Damn, (muttering to herself) what’s his name...
KOUKI: Grift...
SPENCER: Grift? Bill Grifton?
TERESA: Err... (Suspicious) why? Is there something wrong?
SPENCER: No, it's just we had to ban him from the Scape for selling illegal goods... Still, if you got it of him, it should be the genuine article.
TERESA: Well, at least that's something... He says he's got another one; I'm meeting up with him near that old occult shop on the edge of the red light district.
KOUKI: Why there?
TERESA: Well, it'll save time; I'm going to the shop anyway to get this one checked out
KOUKI: What time are you meeting him?
TERESA: About four, why?
KOUKI: I'd better come along; it’s not as safe around there as it was
TERESA: Okay, if you're sure!
SPENCER: Hey, I'll tag along too; I'd like to see what these artefacts look like
TERESA: (Cheery) okay, sure! I'll see you there then. Bye!
SPENCER: Bye... (Monitor goes blank) close terminal (terminal disappears)

The vehicle starts to slow down as it descends onto a large open area. There, in the centre atop a large set of steps sits a huge, glowing temple-like building. The vehicle gently lowers itself to the ground at the foot of the steps.

Computer Voice: You have reached your destination, have a nice day!
SPENCER: (Climbing out) Ah, we're here. This shouldn't take any time at all to do...
KOUKI: (Jumping out) that's fine by me...

The pair walk up the steps and towards a giant terminal, mounted on the face of the temple. Spencer approaches the huge screen and types something into it

SPENCER: Right... Activate mobile terminal (Terminal appears) okay.. (To Kouki) this might hurt a bit
KOUKI: Go right ahead...
SPENCER: (Typing in mobile terminal) scan and copy contents of memory implants: Delta 4,6, and 7
Computer Voice: Scanning files...
KOUKI: ...
Computer Voice: Scan complete
SPENCER: (To Kouki) well, that was easy! (Types in both terminals simultaneously) ... And upload copied contents into main databank...
Computer Voice: Upload commencing
KOUKI: Why copy them? Why not just put them straight in?
SPENCER: That'd be too dangerous. The last time I did that, I screwed up someone's head
KOUKI: Oh...
Computer Voice: Upload complete
SPENCER: Ahh, see? All done! (To mobile terminal) close te-
Computer Voice: -you have one urgent incoming call
SPENCER: Oh! That's right... Answer call in mobile terminal
Computer Voice: Warning; this call is on a secure military channel. Please state your security clearance...
SPENCER: Voice I.D. Spencer Fielding, Civilian Mech Systems Advisor...
Computer Voice: Connecting call...

The computer screen fizzles to life as we see a young woman with short, cropped blond hair. Half of her face seems to be covered in metal plating.

SPENCER: Oh, Jenni! Hi there
JENNI: Hi Spencer. I would ask this call to be private, but the events of yesterday are hardly classified...
SPENCER: Yeah, I've been hearing rumours. Is there something wrong with the mech units?
JENNI: I'll say! Our division’s main super-computer got bombarded with viruses from within CyberScape again. One of them managed to evade our defences and infected nearly all of A squadron's WASP mecha.
SPENCER: What!? That's impossible!
JENNI: Well, it gets worse... The virus somehow re-programmed the units and brought them online. Eleven were infected in all; eight of them managed to break out of A squadron's hangar and nearly wiped out a whole woodland settlement. We had to send in D squadron to stop them from causing any more damage...
SPENCER : (Speechless) ... Wh-...
JENNI: ... Two of the infected are still missing. Somehow they'd managed to remove their own in-built tracking systems
SPENCER: But what about the separated fail-safe system? If it reads any abnormal behaviour in their A.I, it's supposed to go off and fry their circuit boards!
JENNI: We've been examining the wreckage of the infected mechs. Before re-programming them, the virus copied itself into the fail safe's scanners and disabled the explosive charges. It's as if the virus knew what it was doing; this can't be the work of a random hacker, this has to be an inside job.
SPENCER: Have you managed to trace the source?
JENNI: No, that's the strangest thing; whatever's creating the viruses is coming from inside CyberScape, but it’s not plugged into any devices. It has no I.P address or I.D code. When running a trace all we manage to come up with is a single name.
SPENCER: Name? What name?
JENNI: It just keeps calling itself Invidia over and over again...
SPENCER: Invidia?
KOUKI: (To himself) that name... It rings a bell...
SPENCER: Right... I'll run my own checks on the main databank and see if I can come up with anything

Suddenly, a man's voice can be heard on Jenni's side of the conversation

Voice: Oh my God! Jenni, quick! The news report...
JENNI: (Looking to the side, shocked) no! God, no! (Hurriedly to Spencer) I've gotta go...(Screen goes blank)
Computer Voice: Call terminated

Spencer and Kouki look at each other, puzzled.

SPENCER: Terminal, replay the most recent news report from the beginning

The screen flickers to life as we see a news announcer, sitting at a desk

Announcer: Breaking news! The mutilated body of a man was discovered near the city commercial district today by police. Detectives have identified the man as former Special Forces Sergeant James Morgan...

A photograph of James in his military uniform comes on the screen as the announcer's speech becomes inaudible. Spencer and Kouki stare at the screen in surprise

KOUKI: (To himself) damn you Lisha...
SPENCER: (Shocked) Oh, no... That's Jenni's dad
KOUKI: (Eyes spring open) James... Had kids!?
SPENCER: (Transfixed on the screen) ... Just Jenni... Man, I hope she's okay...
KOUKI: (Looking down)...
SPENCER: ... You know him?
KOUKI: Yeah, I hired him often... I know who killed him too
SPENCER: What!? Who?
KOUKI: We'll probably see her later today. No one goes near the red light district without her hearing about it...
SPENCER: We should set out now then... Close terminal (Terminal disappears)

As the two near the bottom of the steps, screaming can be heard as several people are seen, running from the area in panic. A huge, bulky creature, made up of reams of black and red electricity, leaps from the top of a nearby building and crashes to the ground before the two men. Spencer's terminal suddenly springs to life all on its own.

Computer Voice: Warning; virus detected in sector 42
KOUKI: (looking at the size of the creature) that's a virus?
SPENCER: Yeah, that's what they look like in CyberScape. (Types in terminal) Copy antivirus program L-04 and paste it into sector 42, main steps.

A white flash appears in the skies as a sleek and shiny metallic creature descends and elegantly lands next to Spencer. The virus roars and charges towards the two men.

SPENCER: Begin attack sequence

As the virus launches its body into the air towards Spencer in a pounce, The metallic creature springs up towards the virus at lightning-fast speed, crashing into the centre of it's body in mid-air and sending it flying backwards into a nearby building; collapsing the structure on top of the virus in the process. The anti-virus silently lands on its long, thin legs and squats down into a ready stance.

KOUKI: That thing kicks ass!
SPENCER: Yeah, I designed it myself. (Types into terminal) Copy two class-5 anti-virus weapons and paste them into sector 42, main steps

Two gigantic gun-type weapons fizzle into view next to Spencer as we see the virus pound through the wreckage in a burst of electricity. The anti-virus sprints at the virus and once again leaps at it; the two creatures crashing together in a deadly embrace, slashing out at each other with claw-like weapons. Spencer takes up one of the guns and throws it to Kouki

KOUKI: (Catching it) Wow, this thing doesn't weigh anything!
SPENCER: (Taking up the other gun) of course, it's a program! Ready to finish this thing off?
KOUKI: (Looking through the gun sight) you bet...

The anti-virus manages to break free of the virus's grasp and slams it hard into the ground. All of a sudden, the centre of the virus starts to bubble with energy as it splits down the middle into two halves

SPENCER: Damn it; it's duplicating!

Each of the halves now grows in size, forming into two separate creatures, both identical to the original virus. The anti-virus charges into one of the viruses as Spencer and Kouki fire their weapons at the other, unleashing great bolts of energy that swallows the creature in a huge, blinding explosion. The blast fades away, revealing that every trace of the virus has been disintegrated.

KOUKI: (To himself) a pity they don't have guns like these in the real world

The second Virus pounds at the anti-virus with a devastating blow, knocking it flying towards the wall of a skyscraper. The anti-virus kicks its legs out at the wall on impact, springing off the face of the building and straight back at the virus, hammering into it and sending it sliding along the ground.

SPENCER: (Looking at a display panel on the side of the gun) right, the gun's ready to go!
KOUKI: (Aiming) gotcha...

As the virus hauls itself up, two searing bolts of energy impact with it, engulfing the virus in a bright, white blast. The vapour from the blast fades away into nothing, taking the virus with it.

SPENCER: Well, I'd say the virus has been successfully deleted...
KOUKI: (Smiles) just a little...
SPENCER: Right, (Moving back to his terminal) we'd better get out of the Scape so I can change your implants
KOUKI: (Looking at the anti-virus) you leaving that here?
SPENCER: (Looking up) oh, I'll switch it to sentry mode...
KOUKI: The car's still here, don't we have to go the same way back?
SPENCER: (Typing) once a virus attacks, all emergency exits open up. Besides, I'm an Admin!
KOUKI: Oh...
SPENCER: Right, here we go...

The screen fades into white, soon after, streams of multicoloured light start to draw in from the edges of the screen as the whiteness recedes back into the centre. As the white light shrinks into nothing, the streams disappear into it; leaving nothing but darkness...