Ark 15 Episode 14: Who's who?

What a Morning…
She stood aloof to the right of the stage that right smack dab in middle of the over 1000ft square lot that made it the endless buildings of Sky Chrome’s illustrious new state of the art assembly line plant with clipboard in hand. From there she could hear the endlessly sounds of people talking, children laughing as they tugged their parents (the plant’s new hires) off in the various directions towards the rides and sights around them, the sounds of press in attendance setting up their various pieces of equipment to get ready for their live broadcasts, and lastly the music being played from the band in the orchestra pit that stood next to the stage. Today was indeed an exciting day for all those gathered here on the grounds and despite only having 2 hours of sleep before getting up again to begin the morning interviews with Xiao for possible staff for the Academy.

So far they’d successfully hired almost 50 well qualified teachers for both day and night classes (martial arts classes), and providing if they all survived the background check and such needed by the city’s board of Education. She and Xiao would continue with the rest after the weekend was over. From there it was a quick cat nap in the limo and change into a white two piece pants suit and a pair of 4 inch white heels in between the openings of Joker’s Wild which by now was in full swing filled to the brim with gamblers, bookies, celebrities, and staff as it was already packed when she and Claymore left the scene for their current location. ~We barely got out of that one alive.~ She mused smiling softly waving her left hand to several onlookers who’d recognized her face from the previous press coverage of the Coco Bongo Club opening two month prior. And so far things were looking up with out a cloud in the sky despite the forecast being stated that it was gonna rain, now if she could just make it through this without crawling under the bleacher for a noon day siesta it would be all good as she lowered the lids of her violet blue eyes with a bit of reluctance. The sound of a stage hand calling her name suddenly snaps her out of her gaze forcing her eyes to open again as she responded, “Hai!?”

“Claymore wants you to proceed with the final sound check now, while they prepare to rally everyone together near the stage.” The hand would tell her passing a wireless mic with headset before clipping its broadcaster to the right hip of her pants. “Alright then, anything else?” she’d ask taking it from his hand raising the ear piece up to her left ear, inserting it into the channels of her it cannel allowing the sounds of the studio crew inside of the plant to fill her ear adjusting the mic itself perfectly before saying, “Mic check 0 1 2 3.” Her voice coming in clear as day through the large speakers on the stage as she spoke, the hands on stage giving her a clear thumbs up at distance before she smiled to one near her thanking him making her way towards the stage where she greeting by Claymore and Amy both dressed sharp to a ‘T’. “Hello Claymore-kaicho, I’m so glad to see you could make it today Amy,” she says smiling at the pink haired woman moving towards her to give her a hug. “And miss this not on your life Tomoko, you’ve worked your ass tirelessly for it Keyth most certainly would be proud, which reminds me I hear congratulations are in order. How’s about we head out to the club tonight and celebrate huh?” Amy asked extending her arm before wrapping them about her neck.

She shook her head as say no “Sorry hun from here it’s to New Times Square to meet some very important people for the next phase of my promotion and then back home for a long over due nap.” “Long day?” Amy asked as the announcer took to the podium in front of the stage on Claymore signal. “You have no ideal.” Was her only remark back before his voice filled the speakers on stage as well as those through out the grounds.

“Ladies and Gentleman, those of the Press, and Fellow Employees of Sky Chrome we will be starting the celebration in 5 minutes!! Please make your way towards the main lot near to the front of the stage!”

~And so it begins.~ she’d think herself as the bustling crowds ceased their actions to join everyone else up near the stage along side the press and other esteemed guest while she herself stepped onto the platform making her way towards the podium once the crowds had completely gathered to make one of the many presentations for this grand occasion.

The Exhibition
From demonstrations of the cars speeds, comfort, and ease to show rooms of Rolls Royces, Cadillacs, Impalas, and many other classic cars styles from the 21st century. the crowd was taken through a hands on and eyes seen of everything that is and will be about the sister company of Imagery from the inside out by Claymore, his secretary, and members of their teams stopping to both ask questions of the people whose families they provide for as well prospective buyers and members of the press. All of which were astonished and astounded by the sights and visuals before them while moving from each part of the factory. Upon completion of the entire facility everyone was then escorted into a private viewing room for a lunch on a grand scale level where upon completion of the male the show stopper of the two newest members of the current line was unveiled to the public, 1976 pearl white Monte Carlo and a 1964 black Chevy Impala both built from the ground up boasting the top of the line of everything one might need to drive in style in a 22nd century automobile include air brakes, and fully patented air suspension and hydraulic system giving them both the durability of both on the road and in the air driving all in a single vehicle.

Immediately the cameras from both citizens and the press alike as the last round of questions pour in like a title wave across the sand Claymore and his team push back from the tables standing up to answer as many as they could before the head of security begins to indicate that it was time for all to be leaving.

Quickly taking center stage between the two gorgeous classic and the lovely models that where also beside them Claymore cleared his voice gathering their silence before proceeding to speak for the final time “Ladies and Gentleman this has truly been a momentous day, I hope that everyone has enjoyed themselves as much as I did and I look forward to seeing each and everyone of our new staff members faces here at the plant upon my visits. Also would like to thank the media in their support to cover our endeavors from the Coco Bongo to here and look forward to doing it again real soon.” He’d close moving with the rest of his team towards the exits followed by the rest of the crowd.

It was on the way out that one of the reporters from the channel 6 news would call out, “Claymore, Ms. Asakura after seeing all of this over course of the past few months what other ideals does Imagery Corps have in store for people of Kasaihana? And what would late Chairman Keyth Tasanagi if he were hear have to say about what you all have successfully managed to pull off here in the wake of his death??”

“If Tasanagi-san were still here I believed he’d say and i do quote, “Kasaihana you ain’t seen shit yet” and what’s next for Imagery is a development for a taste of higher learning.” Claymore would hear his secretary say behind him hinting to the grand opening of their next venture of Tasanagi Academy of the Academics and the Martial Arts on the site that was once The Iron Grip Dojo, an endeavor in which all of the Arasumaru hoped would be attended by Keyth’s girlfriend Michiko and his children, as the buildings on campus were being named in honor of them before joining the others to make their exit the awaiting limo outside.

The Real McCoy??
Tomoko sat at her desk quietly going over several folders filled with paper work that had been sent to her via email from the investors shortly after she’d left meeting with them and members of her new elite staff with a cup of strong coffee on the right side of the desk when she heard the door upstairs suddenly open then close again with a loud bang causing her to shift her eyes up towards the entrance of her bedroom just briefly to see the origins of it finally enter her bedroom walking towards the large Oakwood bed covered dark blue sheets before taking a seat on the lounge that sat at the end of it. It was L.I.S.A. (L.ogistical I.nteractive S.ymbiotic A. ssistant) a fully functional temporal clone of herself she’d created with Claymore’s assistance ( Ark 13 Episode 36: Tomoko's job < ---reference this to understand)) to get her out of tight jams while on missions. Although then only a prototype when Tomoko went out into the field for the first time she used her down time over the past few month to work on it and perfect it, hammering out the bugs and kinks to every last detail until at last she had a fully digitized clone of herself that was completely real to the touch in all ways imaginable not just emotionally but physically too.

“So how did everything go?” Tomoko asked reaching in the general direction of the coffee cup that was nearby to pick up it as she sits the paper work with thje deed regarding the building which was picked out for her on the desk before getting up going over to her ‘carbon copy’ with a dark blue compact in hand to retrieve the data she’d picked up during her venture out on her own from her visual and audio data banks by running a quick scan. Lisa replied, “All went according to plan, no one suspected in the least that I wasn’t the really you not even Claymore-san.” As Moko got up and began to surf through all of the information that she’d collected front today’s events. “You’re friends they seem nice.” She’d got on to say referring to Amy Hinamori. Tomoko could help but smile as saw just who it was that Lisa was speaking about through the visual screen of her compact still receiving her download which was currently at 55 percent. “Yeah Amy-chan is cool though I wonder at times if I’m nothing more than a pain in the ass to her especially since Jin and I don’t really see eye to eye at times.”

“The Oyabun’s word is law; you programmed me to know this Miss. Asakura.”

“Hai I know but it’s kinda hard to follow one who isn’t about most of the time you know, but either way he has my respect he managed to still stand in the face of the Arasumaru loosing Keyth while I just hide out here crying my eyes out” Tomoko chuckles briefly to herself watching each image go by on the screen as the download was getting closer to finally being completed then letting off a soft ringing noise once it was fully done. “Got it.”

“Ahh will you be needed my services again soon Miss Asakura?” Lisa asks standing upright once more stretching her arms outright to the sides as Tomoko begin to press several high access security codes on the compact to begin the de-digitizing process for her program which would destabilize her symbiotic physical form and allow her to return back to being just pure data again within the foundations of the compact that her creator held in her right hand, starting with her feet first and working its way up. “Quite possibly yes Lisa as these are times of change and usually those who helped to make it so become targets of prey for those who are still in favor of the old.” Moko answered honestly, watching her slowly fade from her physical status back into pure pixilated information bit by bit it was during this that she heard Lisa’s digital voice state, “Miss Asakura I do not understand.”

Tomoko gives Lisa a kind hearted smile as the process now was up to her chin “Let’s hope for neither of our sakes that you never have to Lisa.” The last bit of the process running itself to completion before returning to her desk to catch on first on everything she missed from being in the bed most of the day.