machine room and placed it on Ohara's head.
It was a brainwave Modem Helmet. It digitized human brainwaves, and acted as an interface to directly communicate with the computer. Two long cables extended from the back of the helmet by the base of the head, one red and one black. The red cable connected to the host computer, and the black one connected to one of the terminals in the room. Nakajima entered a command on the terminal, and the magnetic tapes started to spin rapidly. Ohara's body started twitching slightly, as if her consciousness was already blending into someone inside the host. A pungent musky spell wafted up from somewhere, enveloping her. The faces of the three students watching over the ceremony with glazed-over, unfocused eyes, lit up with an expression like awe.
"Yod, Heh, Vav, Heh." The instant the low, rumbling voice sounded from the machine room, Ohara let out a cry and started twisting her body about. As she continued to scream intermittently, her eyes opened wide with fear, staring emptily into space. The legs of the sofa started to come off the floor as Ohara twisted her limbs as if trying to escape from something, stretching the cables connected to her helmet.
The leather straps binding her ground against her wrists, breaking the skin and staining the belts black with oozing blood. But the expression of panic on Ohara's face soon dissipated, her face became calm, and she closed her eyes. Her mouth turned up at the corners into a smile, even though her bottom lip was still bleeding from where she had bitten down on it.
"I see you've succeeded in taking in Ohara, Loki. Now, what are you going to do with her?" Nakajima looked into the display of the computer connected to the modem helmet.
The digital modem helmet had taken Ohara's thoughts and sensations, digitized them, and sent them into the world that virtual Loki had created in the host computer. One could say that her earlier pain had just been a temporary autonomous rejection reaction when her digitized nervous system initially came into contact with that of the demon.
Nakajima looked into the display of the computer, hoping to get a glimpse of the world that was currently being fed into Ohara's visual cortex. All of a sudden, Kerberos' angry roar echoed throughout the corridor outside. In reaction to Nakajima's gesture, the two stern students carrying swords started moving toward the door.
Shortly after Ohara had entered the CAI room, Yumiko moved from the rear of the schoolyard to the hallway that connected the outlying building with the rest of the school. She slowly walked along the corridor, using the reflected moonlight off the linoleum floor as a guide. From a crack in the blinds by the darkened window, a slight flickering light was visible, most likely from candlelight.
Stop this foolishness. Let's just go home, take a shower, and forget all this. Yumiko's normal instincts anxiously tried to persuade her. But tonight, there was another Yumiko pulling the strings.
What are you so afraid of? This is our chance to find out what's up with Nakajima! Like all other girls her age had done at least once or twice, Yumiko obeyed her more daring, curious voice. From the CAI room, she could hear the sound of a far-off cry, like sobbing. The instant Yumiko's heart started racing, something suddenly crawled out of the darkness right in front of her, before she had a chance to even react.
The moon broke through the clouds, illuminating the form of a terrible beast. Its body was larger than even a lion, and its huge mouth--which practically looked like it took up half its body--had two rows of long, sharp fangs. Its eyes glared at Yumiko, shining like a flame, and the metallic feelers growing out of its head near the ears moved around as if trying not to let a single tiny change in the area escape them. Its burly shoulders and thick body were striped like a tiger, and its heavy-looking tail was plated with snakelike scales.
It was the digital
Savannah Stuart, Katie Reus