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:
- To create a substitute for Rezo's deceased family.
- 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:
- 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.
- 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.
- Phase 3 - Demonatrix: Adult form, further information unknown.
GROWTH PHASES SUCCESSFULLY PASSED:
- Phase 1 - Nano Conscience
- 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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