BlazBlue:CT Material Collection Carl Short Story "Puppeteers"
The estate was completely deserted. It was a very handsome building which was apparently built to house 20-30 people. However, from within the western-styled house there was totally no signs of human life. Sensing a weird atmosphere, the team members exchanged nervous looks with one another.
“...Doctor Relius? ...Doctor Relius?”
The team leader directed his voice in the direction of the door. However, there was no response. The team members looked at each other once again, then started whispering amongst one another in subdued voices. Before long, they reached a conclusion, and and one of the group placed his hand on the doorknob. It seemed the door wasn't locked. Cautiously pushing it open, the musty and pungent smell of chemicals wafted through from inside.
“Doctor Relius Clover, we're from the Sector. If you're in here, please respond.”
The group members carefully entered one by one. The place was dark and gloomy. Dust had accumulated in every corner. Spreading out to divide the workload, they moved to search the entire estate, but they couldn't detect even a single person's presence.
“That's strange... why is there no one here? What happened to the people who were supposed to keep him under surveillance?”
Those people who had infiltrated the estate in order to keep an eye on him—— disguised as his subordinates—— there should have been 4 to 5 of them here. However, they were nowhere to be found.
“...Wh, what the hell... is this?!”
About an hour had passed since the search had started, when suddenly 1 of the group members raised his voice. The group members quickly headed towards the member who had shouted. It came from Relius's underground lab.
“What happened? Is the Doctor here?”
The member shook his head, and with his brow wrinkled deeply he pointed at the laboratory bench. Apparatus and chemicals were scattered all over the place, and on the surface it looked like the experiment was in a state of half-completion before someone was forced to abandon it. The crucial parts of the experiment subject were nowhere to be found. It was as if the entire Clover family had been spirited away entirely...
“Where did the doctor and “that thing” in his posession disappear to?
“Sis, you're tired are you? Is everything ok?”
The pale youth—— Carl Clover turned and gently asked his sister. Upon seeing her nod, a smile of relief broke upon Carl's face.
“That's good to hear. So from here on out... what should we do?”
“...”
Turning to his sister who had tilted her head, Carl smiled lonesomely.
“That's right, we should head to Uncle Francis's place. It's a bit far but if we walk all night we should be able to reach it. Don't worry, if it's uncle and aunt then I'm sure they'll be able to advice us on what to do next so...”
Carl's blue eyes lit up as he spoke, and with a happy expression his sister nodded deeply.
However, in reality the distance was much further than what Carl had imagined. His sister's pace was slow and cumbersome. Occasionally different people would give his sister strange looks and stare. Hiding his sister while traveling at a snail's pace was a undisputably unenjoyable trip. Eventually, 3 days after their departure, Carl and his sister finally reached their uncle's house in the dead of the night.
“Good evening, sorry for calling on you this late. Uncle Francis, it's Carl. Carl Clover.”
A haggard expression on his face, Carl knocked weakly on the brass doors with the knocker. Shortly, the thick doors opened, and the figure of Francis in his nightgown, with lamp in hand, appeared.
On his guard against a visitor this late at first, once he realised it was Carl he hurridly opened the gate with an astonished look on his face.
“Well if it isn't Carl?! What happened, for you to come this late?”
Carl weakly shook his head.
“What exactly happened... Furthermore, you're in uniform?”
With a worried look on his face he supported Carl's shoulder with his hands.
“In any case we shouldn't just be standing here talking, come in. Did you come alone?”
Once again Carl wordlessly shook his head, and with a thin finger pointed behind him. Francis shone his lamp in the direction of Carl's finger, and was struck speechless.
“Wh, what is this?”
“... My sister.”
“... Sister?”
Francis waited for an explanation, but with a lonely expression on his face Carl stopped talking. Guessing some sort of situation had happened Francis led Carl and “Carl's sister” into the house.
Only his aunt was in the living room. Once she recognised Carl's figure she drew close.
“Aunt Rosenne...”
“Carl, just what exactly happened? At this time of the night——“
The moment she started to speak, the figure of of Carl's sister following behind him came into view and without thinking she clasped her hand over her mouth. With a frightened expression she demanded an explanation from her husband, however a complicated expression just emerged on Francis's face.
“Carl, leaving aside your abrupt visit, what is that large thing you're carrying with you?”
“She's not a thing!”
His eyebrows shaped into a “V”, Carl shouted back.
“It's my sister, Ada. Ada Clover!”
“There's no way, you must be lying.”
“Well, wait a moment Rosenne. It seems some sort of incident has happened.”
Francis rebuked the bewildered Rosenne.
“Even if you say that... This thing is somehow Ada... No matter how you look at it...”
Rosenne hesistated to finish her reply. The expression in her eyes was like she had just seen a monster.
“The only thing you can see is that it is just a mere doll——“
After telling them the details, the weight that he had carrying up to now started to overflow, and finally, acting like a boy his age, Carl started to sob.
“So this is... really Ada...?”
Unable to hide her surprise, Rosenne looked at the “changed sister” standing next to Carl. What Carl called his sister, in reality was a metallic doll which was at least twice little Carl's height. The Ada that the 2 of them knew, was a beautiful girl with the same blue eys and blond hair as Carl. The Ada now was a doll with a strange expressionless face. Somehow or other it seemed to have a will of it's own, could walk by itself, and could respond to questions by nodding.
“What you told us is the really the God-honest truth right?”
“Yes. That's really... my sister. And my father... I don't know his whereabouts.”
While hiccuping Carl appealed to his uncle and aunt. The 2 of them met his gaze with serious faces. If that was the truth then the worse was yet to come.
“I understand. You can stay at our place for a while.”
“Dear...”
Carl wiped his tears off with his uniform's sleeve, and mumbled a “thank you very much” in response.
“Rosenne, go prepare the bed. Carl is probably exhausted too. We'll call it a day here.”
She understood, and nodded at Carl to follow her.
“However, from today onwards you' and your sister will sleep in seperate rooms. Is that fine?”
With tears in his swollen and red eyes, Carl stared at Francis.
“I don't know whether that sister is really your sister, but there's no denying she's different now. You understand right?”
“... It'll be fine. Up till now everything's been peaceful so there shouldn't be a problem.”
Francis tried his best to persuade Carl, but he firmly refused to yield. Before long, Francis realised persuasion was useless, and patted his head saying “If anything happens tell us immediately.”
Slipping into the prepared bed, his nervousness fading like a string that's been cut, fatigue rapidly overwhelmed Carl. Within the darkness of the room, Carl turned to face his sister who was standing next to the bed.
“What a relief. It really is a huge relief, sis.”
With a dull metallic sound his sister rose, and made a gesture that resembled someone tilting their head to the side. Carl looked at that gesture, then closed his eyes and went to sleep.
The silent Ada stood there, staring straight at the sleeping boy.
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