As the sun was setting over the horizon at West Genetics, a gentleman of world renown stared out over the skyline of campus from his penthouse office, located at the top floor of the school’s administrative building, at a height of more than thirty floors…mind you, that’s thirty floors able to accommodate Pandoras with room to spare, so really, it was more of a height of around sixty floors by non-Pandora standards.

The white-haired gentleman - wearing a simple white dress shirt (top two buttons unbuttoned) with pressed black slacks, matching black belt, and shiny black dress shoes - was standing at the one-way window (tinted black on the outside so nobody could look in) and looking out over his proverbial ‘kingdom’ as he brought a drinking glass up to his lips and sipped.  In said glass was a single malt scotch with a few ice cubes floating gently in it.  The man let the liquor linger in his mouth for a few seconds, wanting to savor the taste as much as possible before swallowing with a resounding gulp and exhaling a moment later.

Though he was Japanese, Gengo Aoi had developed a taste for other alcoholic beverages outside of sake.  In his later years, he had come to appreciate bourbon and scotch the most (in moderation, for the most part), though he was familiar enough with other drinks like brandy, gin, vermouth, and even absinthe (when he was in the mood).  He wasn’t particularly big into tequila or rum, not for taste-related reasons, just because they tended not to agree with his stomach or his head so much the morning after compared to other spirits.

In any case, he was sipping away at his drink and basking in the glow of the evening sun when the door to his office slid open and a series of footfalls made their way closer and closer to his desk, which was currently standing as a bulwark between him and the visitor.  The desk itself (made of finely crafted mahogany) stood a solid six feet in height, so that Gengo could sit at his desk and look at any Pandora-sized visitors on an even level instead of craning his neck to look up at them.  The seat behind his desk had advanced hover technology which activated via a biometric scanner attuned specifically to Gengo’s own DNA, meaning that the chair wouldn’t hover or float for anyone other than Gengo personally.

One of the perks of being the de-facto king of the world (largely behind the scenes, of course) is that you get to have customized accessories in your office or pretty much anywhere you work or live with almost no objections or reservations.  Given that he was perceived as the genius inventor who helped save humanity from practically certain destruction, the title of “king” or even “emperor” wasn’t a far cry for a man of Gengo Aoi’s standing, though he personally abhorred the idea of having such titles being associated with him.  He believed that those who threw their titles in the faces of others tended to be rather pompous and narcissistic by their very nature.

“Come in, Su-Na,” said Gengo without so much as turning around, knowing who was entering his office.  “Please, take a seat.  Would you like a drink?”

The Pandora who Gengo called out stood at an 11 feet even in height, 22 years old, with dark blue hair (bordering on black) and reddish-brown eyes.  Her hair went down to just below her shoulders, with long sidebangs reaching down to her collarbone, while the rest of it flowed freely down her back in a semi-wavy pattern.  Her complexion was light, incidicating - like her name - that she was of East Asian heritage (Korean, to be specific).  Her outfit consisted of a humble deep blue dress shirt with the sleeves ending midway down her forearms and the topmost buttons undone, revealing both the white sundress she wore underneath it and her substantial bosom underneath (D-cup by Pandora standards).  The rest of her outfit was the sundress mentioned earlier going all the way down her slim but toned figure, ending at just below the knees and revealing her supple calves and dainty feet, ending in perfectly manicured toes.  Her choice of footwear was a set of designer sandals with a modest heel (around two inches by human standards if she weren’t a Pandora).  Overall, she looked rather dignified and poised even if she wasn’t wearing official Chevalier-brand clothing, but then such was the natural charm of women who became Pandora…they had this frightening habit of looking good in damn near ANYTHING (and even more so in nothing at all).

“No thank you, sir,” stated Su-Na in a very businesslike tone of voice.

“Are you sure?” inquired Gengo.  “I really don’t mind fixing one up for you.”

The young woman paused for a moment to reconsider Gengo’s offer before replying.

“If you have any sherry, that would be lovely, sir.  Otherwise, no need to bother.”

“But of course, my dear,” said Gengo as he put his glass down on a nearby table before making his way over to a very well-stocked liquor cabinet.  Imagine a very large wooden cabinet with broad glass paneling so as to look inside of it, then imagine a plethora of fine wines and spirits from around the world in said cabinet.  Anything you can think of in the wide world of alcohol and booze and it was in it (short of beer; Gengo wasn’t much of a beer-drinker, aside from the occasional porter, stout, or high-end craft brews he partook of from time to time).

After reaching for a bottle of sherry and a fresh glass (by Pandora standards, which made it easily a handful in Gengo’s palm as he carried it), he proceeded to pour a generous amount of liquid into it before returning the bottle to the case and handing the glass to the young woman, who in turn bent the knee and waistline to accept said glass from the older gentleman, and giving a teasing view of her cleavage in the process (whether this was intentional or not would be anybody’s guess).

“Please,” instructed Gengo as he gestured to a Pandora-sized seat before his desk, “take a seat.  Make yourself comfortable.  Stay a while.”  The tone in Gengo’s voice was equal parts sincere and perhaps just a little teasing, such was his nature (at least to those he kept close relations with anyway).

The Pandora known as Su-Na Lee did just that, bringing herself to a relaxed position as she resisted her back against the rather plush lining of the armchair which was offered to her as she took a sip from her drink, sniffing it briefly to take in the aroma before putting the glass to her luscious lips and drinking.

“So then,” began Gengo Aoi once more as he took his own seat (his chair quietly levitating as he came to Su-Na’s level and placed his scotch off to the side.  “How are things progressing?”

“From what I’ve gathered, it would seem that Kazuya Aoi is settling into his position as a Limiter about as well as we’ve expected.  While it’s too early to tell at this point, I would predict that he should be very attentive in his studies as well as his training in his capacity as a Limiter.  We’ll have a better understanding once he starts engaging in practical applications after a few weeks.” stated Su-Na as if she was divulging a military-style status report.  The young woman had a generally “no-nonsense, all business” vibe about her character, which made socializing somewhat difficult for her aside from a few people she was generally close with.

“That’s all well and good,” replied Gengo.  “I know that Kazuya will take his studies seriously, but what I’m more interested in is how he is getting along with his partners.  As you say, it’s too early to confirm right now, but it’s my hope that he’ll form deep bonds with each and every one of them as the school year carries on.”

Of course, Gengo Aoi had personally done an extensive background check on each and every single candidate who was put up for consideration when it came to pairing up with his grandson.  Family history, psychological evaluations, potential character flaws, anything that might have raised a red flag among the Pandoras who he considered to become bonded with Kazuya.  If there was the slightest inkling that any one of them was a manipulative schemer who was after Kazuya simply because of his last name or who wished to play with his heartstrings for a while before unceremoniously ‘dumping’ him as some refer to the ending of a relationship, then she would be barred outright from pairing up with him as one of his Pandoras.

Gengo knew his grandson’s personality well enough that if Kazuya was going to pair up with somebody, he wanted it to be out of love and not merely out of duty or necessity.  In a sense, Gengo had decided to play matchmaker when it came to Kazuya’s prospective partners.  After all, given that several pair-ups between Pandoras and their shared Limiters tended to end in marriage once their time at Genetics facilities and their tours of duty in Chevalier were done, Gengo was thinking long-term on who he was going to have his grandson end up marrying in the years to come.

Honestly, from Gengo’s viewpoint, academic studies were of a secondary concern to him with regards to Kazuya.  Aside from fulfilling his duties as a Limiter whenever the next Nova Clash ended up occurring, the main thing Gengo was concerned with was strengthening the bonds between his grandson and his grandson’s prospective “wives to be.”  While the idea of arranged marriages was a somewhat dated concept in the world of the mid-21st century, Gengo saw it as paramount for both Kazuya’s emotional well-being as well as for the good of the human race, given the role Kazuya was to play in the years to come (even if the young man wasn’t made aware of it just yet).

“From what we have gathered so far,” continued Su-Na, “the young man seems to be bonding well enough with the candidates you have paired him up with.  Though he does seem to show some degree of reluctance, especially with the notion of having multiple…comrades by his side.”

“You mean multiple lovers, more accurately?” inquired Gengo with a subtle grin in response, knowing that Su-Na was being diplomatic with her choice of words.  The young woman was rather withdrawn when it came to matters of romance and intimacy.

Su-Na merely blushed lightly in response and took another sip from her drink before continuing.

“We can resume on Kazuya’s status in a little bit,” Gengo continued.  “How are things regarding both the E-Pandora project and Project Valkyrie?”

“Both projects show promise,” replied Su-Na.  “In my opinion, Project Valkyrie is the more preferable of the two, but Dr. O’hara has delivered results, even if they are slower than the higher-ups at Chevalier would desire.”

“Scarlett always was known for her ambition,” Gengo replied with a grin.  “I’d say that she has even more drive in her than I do at times.  With both projects showing promise, what would you say is the projected rate of compatibility among women becoming Pandoras or Valkyries in the near future?”

“I’m hesitant to make an outright prediction,” answered Su-Na.  “Each project has only been around for a little over two years, so they’re still in their infancy compared to the traditional method of finding compatible females to become Pandora.  From the data that the research teams have gathered, the estimates as they stand are potential compatibility among all females on the planet becoming either Pandoras or Valkyries at anywhere between two-thirds to three-fourths.  Though some of the more optimistic researchers among both projects are confident enough that they can maximize optimization so that upwards of ninety percent of women become compatible when you add all three projects together.”

“I see,” Gengo thought aloud quietly.  While it was a bit too soon to celebrate, the notion of nine out of every ten women on the globe potentially becoming towering amazons in the near future brought a tingle of hope mixed with elation that bordered on semi-erotic.  Perhaps in a generation, that number could get closer to literally 100 percent of women globally, though that was more dream than reality as things stood.  Still, it certainly was a bump up from roughly half of all women being compatible in previous years.

After all, in Gengo’s opinion, he had practically no qualms of living in a world where women were the dominant power between the sexes.  The way he perceived things historically, most males of the human species were simple-minded brutes who only respected (and thus utilized) brute force to get their way.  The assumption was that since men were naturally stronger than women (on average), that the sheerest accident of biology dictated that men take command and control, and put women “in their place” as the most misogynistic of men would happily believe to be part of the natural order.  It was a viewpoint that Gengo perceived as favored among the lowest common denominator of the human species, and one which he loathed them for embracing.

Once Gengo Aoi had turned that very viewpoint in reverse with the creation of the Pandoras, he believed that mankind was on the more just path in history.  Now that more and more women had more physical power in their beings than men could ever hope to have, society was shifting so that women had more of a real say over their male counterparts.  Of course, there would be bad apples among Pandoras just as there was within any distinct group of people, period.  But in Gengo Aoi’s viewpoint, it was a net positive that women were becoming the borderline demigods (or demigoddesses, more accurately) that Pandorification had transformed them into.  After all, raw physical strength was the bedrock on which power and authority rested in the opinions of most males.  Things like political power, social influence, economic power, career advancement, and family prestige were so closely tied to male power more so than female power in large segments of human society all over the planet.  Now that all of that had been turned upside down in less than a century with the arrival of the Nova, the human species could continue to advance in the right direction, at least as far as Gengo was concerned.

“How are things with regards to Limiters?” Gengo inquired further.  “Any updates on the rate of compatibility among males?”

“I’m afraid you’ll have to have a somewhat more sobering outlook on that front, Mr. Chairman,” answered Su-Na.

“Please, Su-Na,” said Gengo.  “When it’s just the two of us, or when we’re in private company, feel free to simply refer to me by name rather than title.”

“I’ll…try to work on that, sir,” replied Su-Na with a tone of embarrassment in her voice.  Clearly, socialization and opening up to others was not exactly her strong suit.  “But as to your question, the rate of compatibility among males has increased modestly from where it was since the formation of Chevalier.  As things stand, with the humble gains and alterations made over the last decade or so, the projected estimate is around ten percent of all males globally are capable of becoming Limiters.”

“Doubling the percentage is a minor victory in and of itself,” commented Gengo, trying to see the positivity where he could.

“Assuming we’re all still here and the Nova haven’t wiped us all out in the near future,” continued Su-Na, “the top specialists at R&D within Chevalier believe they might be able to get synchronization among males up to 12% within the next five years or so…maybe 15% in the most optimistic outlook.”

‘Perhaps in a way it’s for the best,’ pondered Gengo.  The way he saw it, if more and more men could become Limiters at a rate closer to that of women becoming Pandoras, then a sizable percentage of men might try to use their powers to keep Pandoras in line and force them into submission. No doubt this would be done to try and return all aspects of everyday life to a more patriarchal society so things could be “like the good ole days” as more close-minded traditionalists among the male species desired so adamantly.  But if there were only so many Limiters per Pandora, then men around the world would know that they could only push their luck so far amongst their larger female counterparts, especially if they were vastly outnumbered.

“Well then,” continued Gengo, “these projections are a step in the right direction overall, I would say.  I propose a toast.”  By this point, Gengo had raised his glass up and towards Su-Na.

“To the progress of the human species, and to the advancements we have made during our struggles against the Nova.  May we continue to prosper and evolve towards an evermore perfect form of existence, both for the human species in its totality and between the sexes.”  Gengo finished by holding his glass up and out towards Su-Na, gesturing for her to return the toast.

The young woman held out her glass towards Gengo until hers made the distinct ‘clink’ of glass on glass.  With that, the two of them took a sip from each of their respective drinks and basked in a momentary quiet upon the disclosure of the relatively good news on the status of the war between humans and the Nova.

“Sir?…I mean, Gengo?” began Su-Na once more, trying to ‘open up’ more in terms of socializing as Gengo requested.

“Yes, Su-Na?” he asked in turn.

“Permission to enquire about one thing in particular?” she asked, as if addressing a drill sergeant.

“By all means, Miss Lee!” replied Gengo in a rather cordial manner.

“With regards to your grandson…” began Su-Na once more, pausing as she considered how to word her question appropriately.  “Are you certain that it’s a good idea to pair him up with so many Pandoras so quickly?”

“Interesting question,” replied Gengo Aoi, wondering what Su-Na was getting at.  “Please elaborate on that, Miss Lee.”

“Well, I mean normally a Limiter starts out with a smaller number of Pandoras to partner up with, around two or three in most cases.  Once there is satisfactory unit cohesion amongst members of the group, there could be additional partners brought into the fold.  Normally a Limiter might end up with as many as ten or so Pandoras by the time he graduates, with members either entering or leaving the arrangement for any number of reasons, of course.  But in Kazuya’s case, you already have more than ten Pandoras partnered up with him, and his freshman year has only just begun.”

“Not to be crass in my response, Miss Lee,” replied Gengo, “but is there a question somewhere in there by chance?”

“Aren’t you worried that you might be overwhelming Kazuya with so many partners right from the beginning?  Given his personality and the pressure he might feel in such a large group relationship, the young man could end up feeling rather overwhelmed trying to be a supporting…what’s the word?”  Su-Na was trying to find a way to say the obvious, for which Gengo decided to be his usual blunt self in response.

“A supporting lover, Miss Lee?” asked the older gentleman with a wry grin.

Su-Na couldn’t help but blush in response, given how innocent she was when it came to matters of intimacy, passion, and true love.  Though she was the top-ranked Pandora of her class during her student years and among the deadliest and most powerful members of Chevalier’s soldiers in terms of raw combat power, she was quite the virgin maiden when it came to matters of romance and deep, meaningful relationships.

“To answer your question, my dear Su-Na,” Gengo continued, “with regards to Kazuya, I believe he will rise to the occasion.  Given his nature, Kazuya doesn’t see women as trophies to simply be collected and shown as some men might be with their wives or partners.  I know that he’ll feel overwhelmed in trying to be a loving, heartfelt companion who tries to satisfy his partners in a myriad of ways, whether that’s in the bedroom or simply going about their lives as students, as soldiers, and as teenagers finding their way in the world.  But Kazuya is special, in more ways than one.”

“What do you mean by that, sir?” inquired a curious Su-Na.

“Well, I don’t want to give too much away as to the finer points of my grandson,” continued Gengo, “but aside from his genetic background and his capabilities as a Limiter - which are quite phenomenal, I assure you - his personality makes it so that he’s afraid of being vain or shallow when it comes to matters of love and romance.  When it comes to pairing up, Kazuya yearns to make his partners happy and be a worthy partner on their behalf.  In a way, you could say that he’s something of a casanova who fears his own natural charm.  He’s a playboy with a genuine heart of gold.  It’s partly the reason as to WHY I’m giving him such a large number of partners to pair up with, and why there will be more of them to follow once he has cemented meaningful bonds with his harem as it currently stands.”

“You’re actually considering having him team up with even MORE women!?” asked a somewhat flabbergasted Su-Na in response.  “How many more, exactly?”

“Well, I don’t want to give too much away, dear Su-Na,” answered Gengo, “so I’ll tell you this much.  As things stand, I have five other Pandoras who have already been notified of pairing up with Kazuya, to which all of them have agreed to the arrangement, knowing that they would have to share my grandson with an already sizable contingent of other lovers.  They should be arriving here at West Genetics within the next few days.  But there are others whom I have in consideration to add on top of that.”  Gengo finished with a rather assured grin on his face as he took another sip from his drink.

‘This man really is serious,’ pondered Su-Na Lee as she stared at him in mild bewilderment.  In a way, she somewhat sympathized for Kazuya, knowing that he was going to be surrounded by at LEAST sixteen women who would vie for his affection and attention as his partners, both in the sense of soldiers on the battlefield and as lovers in more intimate settings.  The poor guy would almost certainly come off as a rather henpecked husband in the future, being pulled from multiple sides by his future wives, with all of them competing between one another as to who would be his number one wife, assuming he ended up being married to ALL of his partners (both current and future), which Gengo almost assuredly had in mind.

“Sir, a follow-up question if I may?” asked Su-Na once more.

“Please, ask away, my dear Su-Na!” answered Gengo with rather jovial enthusiasm.

“By chance…just to clarify on something,” began Su-Na as she pondered whether to actually ask the question or to keep it to herself, somewhat afraid of knowing what Gengo’s answer might end up being, “these…future partners you have in mind for Kazuya…the ones beyond the five add-ons you just mentioned…”  Su-Na paused in her line of questioning, to which Gengo couldn’t help but speak up in turn.

“Yes, Miss Lee?” asked Gengo with subdued anticipation.

“Am…am…I…” At this point, Su-Na was speaking at just a hair over a whisper, too nervous to outright ask the question at normal volume.  Gengo couldn’t help but find the blush on her cheeks rather adorable.

“Are you one of the candidates I have up for consideration to be paired with my grandson?” asked Gengo.

Su-Na’s cheeks just lit up with a more intense shade of crimson as her eyes widened, though she couldn’t help but stare down into her lap, too nervous to keep eye contact with Gengo as he popped the question (on behalf of his unknowing grandson, not himself of course).  Her reaction said enough, so Gengo continued.

“If I said that you are, would that make you happy or upset, Miss Lee?” asked Gengo as a follow-up.

Su-Na’s eyes blinked rapidly as she processed what he just said.  It was now clear that Gengo Aoi had plans to pair her up with his grandson.  And while Kazuya Aoi certainly didn’t come off as undesirable (from what data she gathered off of him), she was uncertain as to whether or not she would want to be paired up with him.  Frankly speaking, Su-Na Lee wasn’t particularly close to her own partnered Limiter back during her student days.  She was simply too withdrawn socially and emotionally to have a relationship that went beyond strictly professional with her Limiter, always turning away any chance of romantic intimacy forming between her and her partner back in those days.  Yet here was Gengo Aoi effectively telling her that he planned on pairing her up with his grandson as both a comrade in arms and as a future husband.  After all, if Gengo was the one doing the pairing up on behalf of his grandson, it was almost assuredly with the intention of having Kazuya married off to ALL of his Pandoras, given Gengo’s proclivities of playing the well-meaning (if a little overbearing) matchmaker.

“Honestly, sir,” replied Su-Na, “I’m not exactly sure how to process such information.  While your grandson certainly appears to be a well-meaning and good-hearted young man, I’m not sure I would be a suitable companion for him, aside from something akin to that of a bodyguard perhaps.  I don’t know if I could provide him the type of companionship you would expect, given that this is YOUR grandson we’re talking about here, Mr. Aoi.  After all, some have referred to me as being rather ‘anti-social’ as they would put it, so having me become one of Kazuya’s…partners, might not be as ideal a situation as you might believe, with all due respect, sir.”

“I understand your concerns, Su-Na,” replied Gengo calmly.  “No need to beat around the bush on the topic.  There are those who found you to be rather cold and withdrawn, given how you yourself believe what is considered ideal behavior for a Pandora.  You believe that you are a weapon and little else, am I right?”  Su-na paused in consideration before responding.

“A Pandora is a soldier…I would say more accurately that she is a weapon to be used in defense of the human species.  And for her to be an effective weapon, she must not hesitate in fighting with the same ferocity that the Nova act with when they attack us.  The ideal Pandora is required to fight with a machine-like calculus when engaging in combat.  She needs to be cold - even brutal I would say - in order to attain victory with minimal allied casualties.  If she shows hesitance or weakness, then that jeopardizes the mission when combating the Nova and puts more lives at risk.  Therefore, things like emotion, tenderness, and compassion are potential weaknesses that can weaken a Pandora’s overall fighting capabilities…at least in my opinion, sir.”

“Do you truly believe that you are unworthy of love or affection, Su-Na?” asked Gengo in response.  “I know that you experienced very little of it during your childhood years, since you grew up without parents to watch over you and provide nurturing care and tenderness.  For that, I am deeply sorry you had to suffer such indignity and injustice.  But even so, does that mean you need to lock away your heart from others and deny yourself the joy of companionship and of being in love?  I’ll say from my own experience that being in love is quite a wondrous thing, and I’d find it sad that a lovely young woman such as yourself be barred from getting to experience such a thing.”

“Again, I’m not quite sure how to respond to that, Mr. Aoi,” replied Su-Na.  “I suppose that if you ordered me to pair up with Kazuya, then I would do the best to my abilities to be a worthy partner on the battlefield at the very least.  Though I feel that is all that I could do for him with my current mindset.  I’m a weapon first and woman second, sir.”  Those last three words saddened Gengo somewhat to hear, though he masked his reaction rather well and simply took another sip in response.

“I’ll tell you what, Miss Lee,” began Gengo.  “I won’t force the issue for now, nor will I order you to become paired up with Kazuya.  I believe that partnerships should ideally be made voluntarily between Pandoras and Limiters, otherwise it becomes a relationship that lacks warmth and genuine tenderness between the two groups.  It would be effectively ‘a match made in hell,’ to put it rather succinctly.  So for now, we’ll shelve this topic of conversation for a later time and focus our efforts on other things for the time being.  Just know that I only want for you to get to experience genuine happiness during these blossoming years of yours, Su-Na.  You’re a fine young woman and I would hate to see you live a life devoid of genuine love and companionship, that’s all.”  Gengo paused in his declaration before changing the topic.  “Would you care for a refill?”

“...No thank you, sir.  I’ve had plenty as it is.” replied Su-Na.  In truth, she could easily take another glassful of sherry and knock it back without much of a kick to her head or stomach.  She just wasn’t in the mood for any more drink for that evening, after delving into topics such as intimacy and romance, especially since she was now being factored into such talks.

“Well then, is there anything else you wish to be updated on, sir?” asked Su-Na, somewhat desperate to change the conversation to a topic less intimate.

“There is one more thing,” replied Gengo.  “I’ve heard that there was a scuffle between a group of Pandoras and a Limiter here on campus earlier today.  Is that accurate?”

“Yes sir,” answered Su-Na.  “From what we’ve gathered, Kazuya Aoi’s group had a momentary confrontation with the aggressors before Instructors Yu-Mi Kim and Elize Schmitz intercepted and ended the altercation outright.  The Limiter was escorted to the medical wing where he is expected to make a full recovery within the next few days.  Though from what I understand, he’ll have a rather sore neck for the time being.”

“Do you have an incident report of the event by chance?” inquired Gengo.

“Right here, sir,” answered Su-Na as she slid the document she was carrying on her way to Gengo’s office onto his desk for him to peruse.  After skimming through the report quietly for a few minutes, Gengo resumed speaking.

“These three Pandoras: Petty Layner, Isabella Lucas, and Jessica Edwin…they are all repeated flunkies, correct?”

“Correct, sir,” answered Su-Na.  “All three have repeated both their freshman and sophomore years due to repeatedly shirking off their studies as well as notable incidents of violence they have engaged in over the past five years.  I can give you a more detailed file on each of them if you like, Mr. Aoi.  The short version of it all is that they’re-”

“They’re all violent psychopaths.”  Gengo stated bluntly, finishing Su-Na’s sentence.

“Yes, sir.” replied Su-Na.

“Has a punishment been doled out to them yet by chance?” asked Gengo.

“Given the offense they committed and the fact that they’re all repeated offenders who have been transferred from other Genetics academies for their excessively violent tendencies, the administrative staff recommended at least two weeks in the brig and twenty-five lashes over their backs.”  Gengo paused upon hearing this, took another sip from his drink, then spoke once more.

“Was Layner the one who was choking the Limiter, this McCall fellow?” inquired Gengo.

“According to witness testimony, yes.  She was the main culprit with the other two defending her.” answered Miss Lee.

“A minor adjustment I’d like to make, if I may?” asked Gengo.

“Sir?” asked Su-Na with a raised eyebrow.

“Please extend Miss Layner’s sentence to three weeks in the brig, and give her twenty-five lashes…everyday of her sentence, with a rusted chain if possible.”  Gengo finished with a good long swig of his drink, emptying the glass as he did so.

“Understood, sir,” replied Su-Na with the slightest twitch of a grin.  “If you’d like, I could personally remove her stigmata without anesthetics or any kind of numbing agent, just so she can appreciate the gravity of her actions.”  At this point, Su-Na was daydreaming about the possibility of pulling out the aggressor Pandora’s stigmata one-by-one, as slowly as possible in order to maximize her suffering to the fullest extent.  Perhaps adding a full frontal lobotomy would be in order as well, given that Miss Layner seemed to only understand and respect violence.

Or perhaps save everyone some trouble and simply decapitate the animal and place her head in a jar full of embalming fluid as a little keepsake or memento…just to remember what a monster looks like.

“While your willingness to resolve the situation more permanently is certainly appreciated, Miss Lee, that won’t be necessary…at least not for the time being anyway.” replied Gengo as he poured himself another drink.  “Just the recommendations I stipulated will suffice for now.  We’ll see if Miss Layner will take this lesson to heart or whether she is indeed as thick-headed and stubborn as she may very well be.  If the latter comes to it, I’ll consider letting you have the ultimate say in what to do about her.”

‘Either that, or let Chiffon have a go at her,’ thought Gengo in quiet reflection.  It would certainly be a sight for the psychopath Pandora to have some one-on-one time with “The Unmatched Smiling Monster of West Genetics,” just so she can appreciate what a REAL monster was capable of.

‘I imagine that if Chiffon went all out on her, she’d be nothing but a red smear on the wall when all is said and done,’ pondered Gengo as he tried to visualize just what Chiffon would do to Petty if given the go-ahead.  ‘I’d just have to remind Chiffon to spare Miss Layner’s stigmata in the process; wouldn’t want those to go to waste after all.’

“Very good then, sir,” replied Su-Na as she rose from her seat and was getting ready to take her leave.  “If that’ll be all then, I’ll notify the proper authorities post haste then.”

“You may, Miss Lee,” answered Gengo.  “Just think about what I said earlier.  Give it some time for consideration.  You’re not a monster like Petty and the others.  You know when to hold back.”

Again, Su-Na felt genuine awkwardness at the uplifting talk that was being thrown her way once more.  Whenever conversation involved intimacy and anything involving emotional vulnerability, Su-Na Lee felt like a fish out of water, totally out of her element.  She was always more in-tune whenever the topic was about things like military application, combat training, or interrogation techniques.  She felt more in command when the matter involved something using force or adaptability, not when it involved companionship, friendship, or anything heartfelt.

“Very well, sir,” replied Su-Na as she bowed and turned to take her leave.  “Have a good night then, Mr. Chairman.”

And with that, she walked out the door.

Gengo sighed as Su-Na took her leave.  The young woman was clearly devoted to him, even though she had only known him personally for little over three years now.  Gengo was pretty damn sure that if he asked her to sleep with him, she would do so with no reservations, despite the gap in age between the two of them.  However, it wouldn’t be out of a desire for genuine love and intimate vulnerability between lovers, but out of sheer obedient loyalty.

And besides, there was only one woman who Gengo Aoi truly loved romantically from the bottom of his heart.  To be with another woman in such a way was simply inconceivable to him at this point in his life.

Funny enough, at that moment, there was ringing from the phone on his desk just as this thought crossed his mind.  Turning to face it and check the caller ID, Gengo sighed a breath of relief as he grinned and proceeded to answer it.

“Darling, are you still at the office?” asked the heavenly voice on the other end.

“Sorry, dear,” replied Gengo in turn.  “Busy working the night shift.  Just going over some files and lost track of time.”

“I see,” replied the voice before continuing further, “I don’t wish to alarm you, but I’m having a bit of a problem at the moment.”

“What is that, dear?” asked a curious Gengo.

“Right now, I’m looking at this big comfy bed here in the bedroom, but it’s missing my darling husband at the moment.  Anything you could do to help resolve that?”

Gengo snorted with a grin before responding.

“I think I can help remedy the situation.  I’ll be there in twenty minutes.  Feel free to get in bed if you like.  I wouldn’t want you to get chilly on my account.” Gengo replied.

“I can wait,” said the voice.  “I want to get into bed alongside my husband.  It’s only right that we do so together.  Just know that if you aren’t here by then, I’m coming to the office to see what the holdup is.”

Gengo both inwardly chuckled and sighed upon hearing that, knowing it wasn’t a joke or a bluff.  The speaker on the other end was very serious when it came to getting her way and she wasn’t the type to be said “no” to, even more than people would expect of Gengo Aoi.

“Alright then, well I’ll get a move-on then,” stated Gengo.  “Please don’t cause a scene on my account.  I promise I’ll be there in the next twenty minutes.  Twenty-five tops.”

“Okay then,” replied the voice.  “Get home soon, Darling.  I love you.”

Gengo cracked a grin before replying as he prepared to leave his office.

“I love you too, Maria.”