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Description
The tiny cell phone rang unusually loud that July's morning. Noriko, thanks to that sixth sense women have, knew almost immediately those were bad news. She then tried to activate her hands-free device but she realized almost immediately that it had ran out of power.

The phone shut up for a brief moment then started ringing again. Whoever was calling her knew she wasn't the kind of person that can do things fast. She had lost her left arm and left leg in the war.

The first thing she did was to place her crutch carefully on the sand at the same time she took at deep breath. She liked that live scent so typical at virgin beaches without the crowd and the contamination... without those annoying stares.

Then she. while keeping a perfect balance on her only leg, slowly opened her bag and with a nimble gesture of her only hand unfolded the tiny cellphone and pressed the Answer button.

But the phone had stopped ringing just before she could answer the call. She briefly looked at the phone screen and realized it was the army. She took a deep breath, this time longer, and slowly unfolded her beach towel. "If these are bad news like probably they are, I'd better relax and calm down before knowing what is going on" she tought while carefully sitting down on her towel.

She caressed her long brown hair and stared at the ocean for a brief time before she was interrupted by the phone ring. This time she answered, and the first thing she heard was the voice of Sarah, the Army's supercomputer.

"This is a encrypted channel Lieutenant. Please make sure no one can hear you then type your secret passnumber"

She did. Fortunately she was at one of the last virgin beaches on Japan. A truly nature wonder reserved for war heroes and condecorated veterans. She didn't have her left arm and leg anymore but she had received quite a lot of perks in exchange.

"First I sadly must inform you that Lt Watanable has died for the State" Noriko's eyes got a little wet and she felt a lump in her throat, but she did not cry. "Secondly, I, Sarah X98 in behalf of the President inform you that from this moment you are oficially back in active service"

"Me?" Sarah said. "I don't know if you know, but I only have one fucking arm and one fucking leg. How in Earth can I be back at active service. How am I supposed to fight? Thanks but no. I'm out"

"If you decline all the perks you have under the Veteran Act will be revoked along with your pension"

"So I don't have a choice. OK. I guess I'm in"

"Correct. If you accept you will be promoted and assigned to an elite force"

"But I am an amputee! To be back in the army is crazy, to be part of an elite commando is just insane"

"You will be assigned as test subject in the Cybernetic Research Lab. You have been chosen among other young amputee war veterans as test pilots of our first Mechanical Super Soldier: The Luke I "

The supercomputer made a brief pause as if waiting for Noriko's reply then continued.

"Please report to the 24th Train Station with your secret key and this cellphone, tomorrow at 7:00. A private train will take you to Tokio HQ. For the State!"

"Yeah.. yeah.. for the State again..." She hang up then stared at the ocean for hours while recalling all the old good days. Those precious moments she lived with Lt Watanabe, her first love"

Description
The tiny cell phone rang unusually loud that July's morning. Noriko, thanks to that sixth sense women have, knew almost immediately those were bad news. She then tried to activate her hands-free device but she realized almost immediately that it had ran out of power.

The phone shut up for a brief moment then started ringing again. Whoever was calling her knew she wasn't the kind of person that can do things fast. She had lost her left arm and left leg in the war.

The first thing she did was to place her crutch carefully on the sand at the same time she took at deep breath. She liked that live scent so typical at virgin beaches without the crowd and the contamination... without those annoying stares.

Then she. while keeping a perfect balance on her only leg, slowly opened her bag and with a nimble gesture of her only hand unfolded the tiny cellphone and pressed the Answer button.

But the phone had stopped ringing just before she could answer the call. She briefly looked at the phone screen and realized it was the army. She took a deep breath, this time longer, and slowly unfolded her beach towel. "If these are bad news like probably they are, I'd better relax and calm down before knowing what is going on" she tought while carefully sitting down on her towel.

She caressed her long brown hair and stared at the ocean for a brief time before she was interrupted by the phone ring. This time she answered, and the first thing she heard was the voice of Sarah, the Army's supercomputer.

"This is a encrypted channel Lieutenant. Please make sure no one can hear you then type your secret passnumber"

She did. Fortunately she was at one of the last virgin beaches on Japan. A truly nature wonder reserved for war heroes and condecorated veterans. She didn't have her left arm and leg anymore but she had received quite a lot of perks in exchange.

"First I sadly must inform you that Lt Watanable has died for the State" Noriko's eyes got a little wet and she felt a lump in her throat, but she did not cry. "Secondly, I, Sarah X98 in behalf of the President inform you that from this moment you are oficially back in active service"

"Me?" Sarah said. "I don't know if you know, but I only have one fucking arm and one fucking leg. How in Earth can I be back at active service. How am I supposed to fight? Thanks but no. I'm out"

"If you decline all the perks you have under the Veteran Act will be revoked along with your pension"

"So I don't have a choice. OK. I guess I'm in"

"Correct. If you accept you will be promoted and assigned to an elite force"

"But I am an amputee! To be back in the army is crazy, to be part of an elite commando is just insane"

"You will be assigned as test subject in the Cybernetic Research Lab. You have been chosen among other young amputee war veterans as test pilots of our first Mechanical Super Soldier: The Luke I "

The supercomputer made a brief pause as if waiting for Noriko's reply then continued.

"Please report to the 24th Train Station with your secret key and this cellphone, tomorrow at 7:00. A private train will take you to Tokio HQ. For the State!"

"Yeah.. yeah.. for the State again..." She hang up then stared at the ocean for hours while recalling all the old good days. Those precious moments she lived with Lt Watanabe, her first love"