E: Considering the Project

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Dear Whatever the Heck You Are,

Well ... my master wanted me to record my observations in this little metal thingie, so I will. It's been scavenged from one of Rezo's design specs, some sort of "Hand Held Mini-Recorder". Whatever that is. Oh well ...

Lina and her little group let me into their confidences relatively easily and through them I am now tracking down and systematically destroying the Claire Bible, the "now" term for the ancient documents of lore. Documents which hold the secrets and instructions to man's oldest weapons. Technological machines, the "step up" from magic. Zelgadis, as it now calls itself, is one such machine, designed by Rezo to both challenge his skills and replace the family he found dead.

The destruction of these documents is vital. Both to keep Z.E.L. from ever realizing what he is and to keep these potential weapons out of the hands of humans ... and other Mazoku. My master is the sole owner of the Z.E.L. A.I.'s designs and schematics, stolen by me on the night before Rezo was taken over by Shabrinigdo-sama.

Oop! Time to get back. Ja!

Xellos Metallium

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Dear Hunk of Junk,

The damn machine has a crush on Lina Inverse! It should not be capable of such emotions! But then again ... it doesn't register any emotions to me. It is completely dead to me, a cold, blank being. Just as it was when I first encountered it and like it has been since. It can only facsimile emotions that have been programmed into it. This "crush" is most likely the flaw once again showing it's ugly head.

Xellos Metallium

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Dear Thingie O' Doom,

The flaw has become quickly annoying. Not only can Z.E.L. not be swayed from courting my Lina, but it cannot be turned from it's quest to cure it's "curse". It's trying to reverse phase two of it's development, unknowing that if it were to succeed it would revert back to it's pre-adolescent form! Which is most definitely not in the plan. I must find a way to induce the third stage, the Demonatrix, before it's time. I just hope the flaw won't grow and evolve as well.

Xellos Metallium

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Dear Pain In My Ass

All my attempts to induce the third phase have met with failure and faux-anger from the A.I. Juu-ou-sama will not be pleased. What I find interesting is that even Rezo himself was not able to explain the Demonatrix to me that night. What is the Demonatrix? None of the schematics give even the slightest hint to the third evolution of the nanos.

The self same schematics have proved to be invaluable to finding the weaknesses and strengths of the Z.E.L. I have tested these finds subtlety, setting the group in perilous situation after perilous situation, from cave ins to Mazoku attacks. In all, the Z.E.L. is both the least affected and the most easily adjusted while keeping within the programmed humanoid parameters. Unfortunately, such experimental tests have caused Lina and friends to distrust me. Damn. And I was just going to ask the lovely Lina out too.

Xellos Metallium

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Dear Beeping Thing That Has Plagued My Days, Die, DIE I SAY!

The A.I. beat me at my own game! It asked Lina out to dinner! This little farce has gone far enough. It's time for a well placed leak.

Xellos Metallium

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Dear Diary,

Life's normal. Blow up some bandits, steal their treasure, and eat to my heart's content. Life is good. There is one odd thing though, Xellos has been showing unusual interest in Zelgadis lately, he's always watching him. Which makes me wonder if the crazy Mazoku is gay. Oh well ...

Lina Inverse

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Dear Diary,

Today was interesting. Zel asked me out to dinner, which I accepted. It was wonderful and not only that, Zel was actually pretty happy and lively. Xellos freaked when he found out. Well, freaked for him, his eyes kinda got all bug eyed and he tried to find something to say and couldn't. I finally told him to close his mouth and get lost while I dressed.

Lina

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Dear Diary,

I know I've already written in you today, but something happened. Something big. Something I can't tell anyone about, not Gourry, or Firia, or Amelia, especially not Amelia. When I told Xellos to get lost he did. But he must have forgotten he'd taken off his satchel, because he left it on my bed. I admit it, I was curious. Ok, really curious. So I looked through it.

And that's when I found this.

PROJECT: ZERINIAN ELEMENTAL LIFE-MATE
Z.E.L

PURPOSE:

  1. To create a substitute for Rezo's deceased family.
  2. To test the pre Kouma War experimental nano technology mixed with magic.

CREATORS: Akahoushi Rezo and Eris Iranirie

PLACE OF CREATION: Rezo's Laboratory, Sairaage

AGE TO DATE: 13 years

APPEARANCE UPON CREATION: Resembled a five year old human male possessing blue eyes, indigo hair, and skin pigmentation labeled as pale. Approximately 3 feet tall and very slender.

APPEARANCE TO DATE: Resembles a eighteen year old human male, approximately five feet tall, possessing blue eyes, lavender hair, and blue skin dotted with dark blue stones. Physical form appears as a human/demon/golem chimera.

KNOWN GROWTH PHASES:

  1. Phase 1 - Nano Conscience: "Birth" of Z.E.L., nano successfully control motive, vocal, and reactive responses in accord to pre programmed directions and commands.
  2. Phase 2 - Chimera: Adolescent form, evolution of nanos to second level and superior defensive/offensive form, evolution of nano ability to recreate magic and judge high speeds as well as change molecular density.
  3. Phase 3 - Demonatrix: Adult form, further information unknown.

GROWTH PHASES SUCCESSFULLY PASSED:

  1. Phase 1 - Nano Conscience
  2. Phase 2 - Chimera

ESTIMATED TIME TO SECOND GROWTH PHASE: 5 years

FORM: Formed mainly of pre Kouma War human technology, including nano, holographic, radio, laser, and sensor technology. Base frame formed of adamantium. Brought to Phase 1 by magic.

  • EYES: Created from a pair flawless sapphires allowing both data flow and passage of molecular signals. Capable of heat radar, depth perception, laser, data absorption, measurement, infrared, pixillation, auto photo, prem scan, and color/light perception.
  • EARS: Capable of sonic, echolocation, sonar, and voice recognition. Formation unknown.
  • VOICE: Formed of four recog chips and nano chords. Capable of full range of sound, from Mazoku to Ryuzoku to humanoid to animal, including subsonic and supersonic. Typed voice is that of a smooth, low, whispering male voice. Also capable of sonic warfare and location recognition.

EMOTIVE CAPACITY: None as registered by Mazoku or emotion sensing being. Capable of appearing to show human emotional responses as programmed.

REPRODUCTION: Unknown if nanos can reproduce only as cellular/molecular entities or as a singular being. Success rate judged to be 25%.

Z.E.L. CONSCIENCE RECOGNITION OF FORM: None.

FLAWS (IF ANY): Only one is known: A small glitch/flaw in the original programming, causing the A.I. to consider itself weak. This flaw has evolved beyond the beginning glitch to change to A.I.'s "personality" from docile to aggressive and introverted. This flaw shows itself in the A.I.'s continued attempts to find a "cure" to it's second phase of development and in the manifestation of a "crush" on Lina Inverse.

SIGNED: Xellos Metallium

Clipped to that report was a picture of Zelgadis as he is now and as he was when he was a kid (he was a cute then) as well as the remains of Rezo's journal and a set of schematics and diagrams. Judging from the shape and form of the papers, they're diagrams of Zel.

I feel nothing now ... and I don't know if that's good or bad. Did Xellos make this up and leave it here for me to find? Is it possibly true? Can Zelgadis really be a machine? Is this just a trick? Do I want to find out? And more importantly, does it matter?

Lina Inverse

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