Yuba's Touch

"In other words, you feel you belong here." Yuba scratched at his beard in thought. "I dont' suppose I can argue with that. It's been a long time since I felt that way myself. But, you do realize that the war you were built for is long over? The people who fought it destroyed themselves and everything they knew. Do you really choose to retain your allegiance to them?"

"You still don't understand," Ifurita replied with an audible note of irritation. "It's not a matter of choice or feeling. I obey he who holds the PowerKey Staff, and the dictates of my latent programming."

Yuba gave her a sidelong glance.

"'He who holds the PowerKey Staff', eh? I guess, technically, that would be me," he remarked lightly. "Listen, it's obvious I'm not a threat. I don't have any intention of tempering with the Trigger, and I don't have the key necessary to activate it anyway. I only ask to be allowed to stay. The machinery here is the only chance I have that might enable me to return home. If you don't believe me, I could share my memory with you, just as I saw into yours."

Yuba reached out to touch Ifurita's staff, but she quickly withdrew.

"Do as you wish," she said tersely, lifting off the ground in a blast of hot air. With mute amazement, Yuba watched her rise several feet before flying further back into the garden.

* * *

The best Yuba could describe the situation was an undeclared truce. For the first few days, he barely saw her at all, and then only at a distance. Staking his claim in a couple of rooms inside the shrine, he set up a temporary home. Having learned to survive in much harsher environments than this, the garden was a virtual paradise. He could gather fruit and capture small animals for food, and the deeper regions of the shrine offered up more material goods. In a short space of time, he figured he could even create a rough working lab. After having lived as a nomad for the last few years, it felt very strange to be tying himself to this one place.

As for Ifurita, Yuba could only assume she had no need for rest or shelter, and remained wandering the garden day and night. He got the impression she was watching him, and it was inevitable that whenever he ventured outside he would catch sight of her through the trees. Of course, though he wasn't consciously aware of it at first, he was always watching out for her too. It was impossible not to be curious. Yuba would have loved to have the chance to talk to her again, to find out more about her and how she worked. But, that was simply out of the question. She remained distant and aloof.

Roughly a month and a half later, things changed.

The early evening hour found Yuba in his self appointed lab, making notes as he poured over his sketched maps of the shrine's underground areas. It had proven to be far larger than he originally thought, and he was excited by the possibilities. All the machinery and conduits he'd discovered so far were essentially dead, no doubt part of this inert Trigger of Destruction. But surely there must be some power source keeping the garden alive and shielded from view; a power source that had run for thousands of years without exhaustion or failure. A dimensional engine must be at work, a Spring of Life that would enable him to return home.

Ruminating on all these things, he was suddenly jolted by the realization he wasn't alone. Whirling around in his chair, he found Ifurita standing in the doorway, watching him with her usual inscrutable expression.

"You gave me a start, " Yuba said nervously. "I didn't hear you come in. What can I do for you, Ifurita?"

She paused before stepping into the room, a trace of a

frown on her lips. This apparent reticence only intrigued Yuba all the more.

"Ifurita?" he prompted, rising from his seat.

"I.. I need you to do something for me."

"Yes?"

Ifurita extended her arm, holding out the PowerKey Staff towards him.

"I need you... to wind me."

"What, really?" Yuba gingerly took hold of the offered staff, looking into Ifurita's clear blue eyes. She appeared to be entirely in earnest. It never occurred to him that she would need to be rewound after activation. "Certainly, I'll do it."

Ifurita lowered her head as Yuba walked around to her backside. He wondered what could be going through her mind at this moment. It might be a false impression, since she was a machine after all, but he thought of her as being such a proud and independent person. To come to him like this, head bowed in humility...

Yuba laid a reassuring hand on her shoulder, then stepped back, PowerKey Staff raised high. Carefully lining it up with the discreet opening of her keyhole, he jammed the tip firmly insider her lower back. He could feel her flinch from the sudden contact.

"You're alright?"

"I'm fine," Ifurita said, "please, continue."

With that, Yuba began to turn the key.

An electric tingle ran up his arms as he restored Ifurita's power. In his minds eye, he had a vision of the tightly meshed network of systems that lay beneath her skin. The metallic gold framework centered around a sphere, from which a truncated shaft extended to connect with the keyhole, and that to the staff. And within that sphere...

"Don't," Ifurita said, asking rather than demanding.

"Sorry." Yuba was hardly conscious that he'd been slipping back 'inside' her.

When the key could no longer be turned, Yuba breathed a sigh of relief, pulling it free of it's mooring.

"Thank you," Ifurita said, taking back her staff.

"Anytime. Really."

A look of anxiety flashed across Yuba's face as Ifurita made for the exit, obviously intending to leave without a further word. After all this time, he couldn't let things remain as they were before.

"Wait!"

As if on cue, Ifurita froze in her tracks in the doorway.

"Stay and talk," he pleaded. "You can have a seat over here."

He waved towards the bed on the other side of the room. To Yuba's mild surprise, Ifurita quietly followed his suggestion and seated herself primly on the bedside, staff across her knees.

"I'm glad you decided to stay. I..." Yuba paused, glancing from the doorway back to Ifurita. "Um, can I ask you something? Just now, did you stop because you decided to, or because I told you to?"

"I already explained," she replied flatly, "I am bound to obey he...."

"Ok, ok, I got it."

Yuba frowned, scratching the back of his head. The implications of this somewhat disturbed him. The people who built her had basically made her a slave. It made a certain sense; if one was to build an immensely powerful war machine, you'd want to retain as much control over it as possible. Even the notion of her 'winding down' seemed like an intentional flaw, designed to keep her dependent on the staff.

Pulling up his chair, Yuba sat across from the DemonGod, who watched him with those clear blue eyes of hers. He tried putting on a smile, but the whole situation felt too awkward.

"Listen, I didn't mean to order you to stay," he told her, "I really wish it was something you'd decided of your own free will."

"Why should it matter?"

"Well..." This was tricky. Now that he thought about it, he could probably make her do anything he wanted to. As long as she was convinced he was no threat to activate the Trigger, he was in effect her master. He could order her to gather his food every morning, clean the shrine, cook his meals, strip naked...

Yuba mentally shook his head. He didn't think he could really abuse the situation like that. In Creteria, he was more used to taking orders than giving them. The last thing he wanted was for her to feel the same sort of resentment he felt back then. But how could he best express that to her?

"Is there nothing else you wanted to discuss," she said, rising to leave.

"Sit!"

She responded immediately, the bed creaking with the sudden impact of her weight.

"There, see." Yuba gave her an apologetic smile. "I can't imagine that could be very much fun for you. That's why it matters to me. Given the choice, I'd rather see you free and happy than obedient and sullen."

"I don't understand you," Ifurita murmured, averting her eyes.

"Sorry," Yuba laughed nervously. "Guess I'm not very good when it comes to tackling the 'big' issues. Always been more of a hands-on, tinker and cuss sort of person. That's how I got into engineering in the first place. Listen, I only wanted to chat for a bit, no big deal. I've been alone for an awfully long time, it's nice just to see another face. Don't you ever feel lonely wandering around out there as you do?"

"I... I don't know how to answer that," she shrugged. "I know of no other mode of existence. My 'wandering', as you call it, is only part of my duty to oversee the garden."

"Yeah, you're out there all the time," Yuba nodded. "It gets so cold at nights sometimes I'm surprised you don't freeze over. You really should come inside -hell., this place is more yours than mine. I'm the stranger here. This is your home."

Ifurita's expression was as inscrutable as ever, but he had the feeling he'd gotten through to her a little bit. If nothing else, the ice had broken.

"Well, I won't keep you any longer," Yuba said, "but, I did want to make you an offer first. One similarity I noticed between the customs here in El-Hazard and Creteria, is the evening meal. Back in the caravans, we'd all gather 'round the fire and share our meals together. I realize you probably don't or can't eat, but I'd like you to come by anyway. It will all be very friendly, I promise, and you have nothing to lose."

"Alright," Ifurita conceded, getting to her feet. "I'll return tomorrow evening."

* * *

Although she was her usual reclusive self during the day, Yuba planned for the best, and was surprised and delighted to find Ifurita was true to her word.

Sitting at opposite ends of the table (which was actually his desk, cleaned of debris and moved out into the 'living room'), he'd set plates for them both, though he had no way of knowing if Ifurita would partake. It took all of his meager resources and humble cooking skills to put this miniature fest together. Even if she couldn't appreciate it, it wouldn't have felt right not to make an effort.

"I'm particularly proud of the tea," Yuba was saying, "it took me a long while to find a plant with the right sort of leaves. I think it's a rather unique flavour. You should try some."

Ifurita looked dubiously at the ceramic cup before her. "Tea?"

"Yes, exactly," Yuba nodded. "I, um, I suppose I should ask if you can even drink for a start. Would it harm you to ingest liquid?"

"No, not at all."

"Then, please, have some."

Ifurita picked up the gently steaming cup, and while Yuba watched intently, she downed it all in a single gulp.

"Most people prefer to take sips," Yuba laughed, "but I guess if it was that good, who am I to complain? How was it?"

"It was warm," she replied, replacing the cup on the table.

"You sure know how to put a guy in his place," Yuba grinned, feeling inexplicably giddy. "Can I ask, what happens after you've drunk it?"

"I'll simply expel it later."

"Really? How," he asked, full of curiosity, realizing a moment too late what a potentially rude question that was.

Leaning forward, Ifurita opened her mouth. Suddenly the hot tan coloured fluid poured out back into the cup in a thick stream. Sitting up, she matter of factly patted her lips dry with a napkin.

"That's.... something," Yuba said, both amazed and horrified. "You know, I remember seeing a street performer do almost exactly the same thing. He'd swallow various objects, then regurgitate them later, just like you did."

"Just like me," she replied, puzzled. "You mean, he was also a Demon, or a Doll?"

"Wha... No, no, he was human being. It's a sort of skill, you see. You'll find that a lot of people can overcome the physical limitations of the body. It's only a matter of applying your will. I imagine the same is true for machines."

"I see."

Ifurita appeared to consider this for a while.

"I kinda feel a little duplicitous about this evening," Yuba admitted.

"Why is that?"

"Well, I did tell you that communal eating is a social habit," he explained, "but, it's also true that when a man asks a woman to dinner, it has a different connotation. It's what we would probably call a date."

"Date," Ifurita repeated, plainly confused, "a particular moment in time."

"Ah, no." Yuba smiled. "More like, an occasion when a young man and woman will get together to know each other better, to form a deeper relationship with each other. It's a romantic gesture."

"But, that's..." Ifurita shook her head. "I don't understand you at all."

Nevertheless, this awkward beginning led to more time spent together. No longer skulking on the fringes, Ifurita came into the shrine much more often, and had even begun to take a passive interest in his studies. At the same time, he learned a bit more about her, and the era she came from. Her database (as she called it) was very limited on this point, but she was able to educate him somewhat on her construction, and the others of her kind.

First were the Dolls or Marionettes; machines given human form and an intelligence to match. Their development was soon put to military purposes, and the result were Demons. Ifurita had no insight in into the political realm of this ancient world, or what led to that fateful war, but in those dark times finally came the DemonGods, of which she was the last kind; a machine of potentially unlimited power, and the ability to adopt and adapt any attack used against her.

In turn, he tried to tell her as much about his world as he could, and of his travels in El-Hazard. He wasn't usually the talkative type, but with Ifurita it felt that much easier, almost as if he were a storyteller and she an attentive child, eager to learn. Well, perhaps 'eager' would be the wrong word; her demeanor never changed all that much, but she always listened and would sometimes ask questions.

It was a few weeks after their first dinner together that things changed yet again.

* * *

It was shortly after sunset that Yuba wandered out to the front of the shrine, and the wide stone stairway that led up to the entrance. Ifurita was here already, standing at the top of those steps, staring up at the sky. Something must have caught her attention. Coming up beside her, Yuba couldn't understand what it was until he saw the brief streak of white light high over the horizon.

"Oh, a shooting star," he remarked, then saw another one appear quickly after that. "Must be a meteor shower. Once the twilight passes, we're really going to be in for a show. Have you seen anything like this before?"

Ifurita shook her head.

"It's an amazing sight," Yuba said, "especially when you're out in the desert. That's the one thing that really struck me when I first came to El-Hazard. Back home, it's usually so overcast, and with the smog and electric lights, it's hard to see very many stars at all. But here, the sky is so clear, and the stars -I couldn't believe how many there were. If I ever do leave this world, that's one of the things I'll miss the most; the night sky."

Moving further out from the shrine's overhanging roof, Yuba took a seat on one of the wide flat steps.

"Come, join me," he offered, patting the space beside him. The lack of hesitation with which she did so made him think she'd mistaken his invitation for a command. Well, be that as it may, he couldn't deny it was nice having her next to him like this.

For a while, neither said anything more, simply watching the darkening sky.

"You know, there's a superstition about making a wish on a falling star," he said, glancing over at her. "I dare say, they'll be so many tonight, there's a good chance of at least one of those wishes coming true. If you could wish for anything, Ifurita, what would it be?"

Ifurita frowned to herself in thought.

"I'm not certain. Does it serve a purpose to wish for something that cannot come true?"

"Wow, you sure do ask the tough questions," Yuba sighed, leaning back to look at the slowly appearing stars. "I suppose you could say that all those wishes, hopes and dreams are how we define our lives, even when they can't always come true. Our pursuit of those things can often provide rewards we hadn't originally expected. For instance, ever since I'd arrived here in El-Hazard, it's been my purpose to try and find a way home. That may not be possible, but it was that quest that led me to this place, and to meet you. If I'd given up, or not allowed myself to have that dream, then none of this would have ever happened. So, I think wishes are very valuable indeed."

"Then, that is your wish," Ifurita said, her tone solemn, "to return home."

"Well, you might be surprised. Very often the best wishes are the ones we have for others. If I were to have a wish granted, I think it would be for you."

"For me?" Ifurita shifted to face him, "what could you wish for me?"

"Hmm, another good question." Yuba paused before continuing, unsure how much to confess at this moment. "I've thought about this a lot. If it's not too embarrassing to say, I actually think about you every night as I lay in my bed to sleep."

"I... see." Ifurita looked back up at the sky, Yuba mentally berating himself for his slip of the tongue.

"I only meant, I've been trying to work out exactly who and what you are," he explained. "Until I awakened you, I'd never imagined it was possible for a machine to move and talk on it's own, to be intelligent and express itself. I've synchronized with you, saw into your memory and internal structure. There's no denying what you are -but, I didn't know how to reconcile it. I thought how much better it would be if you were human. Then I realized how arrogant that was. Why should it be better being human? Being dependent on the PowerKey Staff is no different than my need for food and water. Having a body of synthetics and metal is not a terrible thing compared to flesh and blood, and you can do things no human could. Being a DemonGod is part of who you are -if you didn't have that, then you wouldn't really be Ifurita."

"Then, you don't wish that I were human," Ifurita's voice suggesting a certain mild surprise.

"Nope," Yuba nodded. "If I had one wish for you, than it would be for you to have free will."

"That... may not be possible."

"I disagree," Yuba said, laying a hand over Ifurita's. "I believe you can. You were built with potentially unlimited power -but, I don't think that power is limited to what you can do in combat. I think you have the potential to be anything you want."

For Ifurita's silence he thought for a panicked moment he'd said too much, or made a histrionic fool of himself. But from her demeanor he could tell she was simply thinking in that quiet way of hers, and she let him hold her hand without a trace of complaint. He had done it without thought, but it suddenly occurred to him that this was the first time he'd really touched her in anything other than a brief or fleeting manner.

Glancing down to where his hand lay on top of hers over her knee, he noticed how she was wearing her usual long black gloves. Although they looked like highly polished leather, they felt slick and much softer, obviously composed of some synthetic material. He couldn't ever remember her not wearing them. Presumably she only had the one set of clothing, but it was yet another little detail he was curious about.

"Ifurita, you don't mind if I ask an odd question, do you," he said carefully. "It's just, about your gloves. They do come off, don't they? I only ask because I noticed before that your headband isn't really a headband."

"Yes, they do come off," she explained, "it's necessary, as part of my regular self maintenance, to cleanse both myself and my clothes on a regular basis."