Oni2 talk:Caged Birds

Talk page talk

Sorry, but I don't know where else to put this since you are using the talk page already for the below content. A few points:

• Talk pages don't get categorized -- they don't even show up in the list of uncategorized pages. Therefore anything placed here will not show up in the Site Map even if a category is applied. If you're just using this as a planning page for what will eventually go at the real, non-Talk page, that's okay.
• The category would be Oni 2 -- read the description on that cat. page for a reminder of what is supposed to go there. Oni 2 projects of course also get listed by their authors on Oni 2 to make them easier to find.
• In any case, the title "Oni Zero" was already taken by me, albeit for an extremely perfunctory page.
• You're also supposed to place Oni 2 projects under the Oni 2 namespace, e.g. "Oni2:Cage Birds".
• I think you mean to say "Caged Birds". "Caged" is the verb/adjective being applied to "Birds".
• Feel free to erase this message once you've read it, in order to get it out of your way.

--Iritscen (talk) 06:27, 4 January 2017 (CET)

Google hits:

"Caged birds" 519k

"Cage birds" 386k

Because of the high hit count I assumed the second term is also ok. So I took Cage Birds as it also sounds more normal to my German ears. We use a lot merged nouns.

But if you say I should use the other term, ok.

Actually I had Oni0:CageBirds as name space in mind to keep it consistent with other possible titles like Oni1:Remakes, Oni3:FurtherSequels. But you if say 'just put everything under Oni2', also okay. --paradox-01 (talk) 16:21, 4 January 2017 (CET)

If you look at the actual results for "cage birds" though, they're not usually even using that phrase; Google seems to remove the quotes and just show all results for "cage" + "bird". A "caged bird" is a bird that lives in a cage, or a figuratively caged-in person (see the title of Maya Angelou's book "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings"). Technically "cage birds" is also acceptable English, and would refer to birds that can be kept in a cage (because of being more domesticated, or maybe some bird species are just more accepting of cages). But most native English speakers will see "Cage Birds" as a grammatical mistake. Just wanted to let you know. As far as namespaces go, we actually don't allow users to just create new namespaces willy-nilly :-) Creating a new namespace also requires the settings of the wiki to be adjusted in several places. But yes, Oni2: is the proper namespace for all fan material about Oni. --Iritscen (talk) 17:46, 4 January 2017 (CET)

Could you please rename the page? You know I cannot do that without leaving a redirect. --paradox-01 (talk) 11:55, 5 January 2017 (CET)

Okay, done. --Iritscen (talk) 18:08, 5 January 2017 (CET)

General notes

A potential prequel to Oni - or just a set of many notes. We will see.

The non-talk page is meant for the final notes or writings.

We know little about Muro's and Mai's personality and habits. What kind of "humans" are they really? How does the Daodan alter them?

Also, there is Shinatama, Ryu and Daya whose background story should also be developed at some point.

Caged Birds is supposed to answer open questions and provide the foundation of the actual sequel RS. If CB is going to be a full story, it is not the final name, just a working title, as the children don't remain kept but go to war.

By the way, what category should this page have? [[Category:Oni 0]]?

Story notes in chronologic order

Where do Jamie Kerr and Momuto Hasegawa meet? Why do they fall in love?

How is Jamie's and Hasegawa's daily life?

Jamie dies...

Her corpse is examined in CDC's biosafety level 5 lab. It's the first time the BSL-5 was used.

Instead of tubes and cables, the suits were running with energy and O2 capsules. Near the entry was smaller opening to receive new capsules.

The exchange happens during the exposure of cold plasma killing possible pathogens.

When they unzipped the body bag, they stood in a moment of shock and horror.

Jamie has demineralized bones (they break easily now), liquefied organs, melted skin.

The eyes were missing as well. Her mouth was wide open.

She appeared to scream silently.

"From now on we will triple-check our suits before we enter this room."

"When we know how to deal with it send a sample to BSL-4 in Marburg."

"We also have two dead rangers. How did the husband survive?"

"Maybe only direct contact with blood is contagious. He said he had his gloves on when he applied the hypos. After the head shot he has kept distance. - The ranger rummaged the backpack. It was stained with blood. Probably it happened when she looked for dressing material."

Hanna: "Enough talk. Laser, TH and CT scan were all done in our absence by the automatic. Time to look what's really inside. I going to open her with a T cut."

"No. Wait!"

The decomposing body has built up gases. Sprays of liquids splashed over the crew's suits. An alarm went off. Hanna dropped backwards.

[...]

Jeff: "This time we will use the exosuits. Every movement will be transferred to our robot avatars. Are you familiar with the procedure."

Curtis: "Yes." -- "How is Hanna doing?"

Jeff entered the exosuit and pulled down the visor. Metal fixations snapped. "Still in quarantine. She was brought her stuff. There's definitive an infection."

Curtis: "How is that possible? The interior of her suit showed no damage."

Hanna's quarantine room was in a white gray. It almost looked like one of TCTF's maximum security prison cells. Hanna sat in the corner on her bed, the back leaning against the wall. The legs drawn to the chest. She hold a pen-shaped device in left hand. A beam of blue light flowed of the other hand. It looked all red and dry, interrupted by yellow patches. (+ red, glassy eyes ...)

Final analysis: It was stress-enhanced MRSA outbreak. The infection probably had spread while Hanna was visiting her terminally ill mother in the Russell Medical, Alabama.

Treatment: full body (skin) disinfection by means of cold plasma and phage therapy in combination of CRISPR-CAS inhibitors.

The usage of a molecular printer is not noted in her medical file as the device is under TCTF's high-tech restriction act, allowing research but not medical purposes. Her team leader K. Walker defended measure as justified as they also used the inhibitors on Jamie's environment, in case that the pathogens were resistant to the CP standard treatment.

Hanna's MRSA is persisting but asymptomatic, reminding her and everyone in her team that they still need better substitutes for antibiotics.

Hasegawa ask Mukade for a sample. The Shinobi steals it from the lab in Marburg. It turns out that the sample degraded tot much.

As reaction to the security breach in the BSL-4, TCTF bio treat committee decrees Jamie's relocation to GV which is secured by WCG military.

To continue research Hanna applies for a transfer to Green Village and Walker gives her a letter of recommendation.

The CDC official report doesn't clarifies Jamie's death cause. They suspect the mycorrhiza but can't say so without more evidences and by not causing political disturbance.

Mukade gets in contact with a BlueMountain worker at the construction site. Together they plan a route to retrieve a fresh sample. They are manipulating shift plans and concrete mixtures. The BlueMountains protoype of smart concrete (Another bioc precursor?) will allow them to slip through walls. For the actual coup Mukade remote controls the worker. (He was paralyzed and received artificial nerves to bypass the damaged tissue. Mukade caused that accident so that the worker could be modified by the doctors (Syndicate technicians). Mukade: "Now that you have cybernetics why don't we take that as an advantage? You can inherit my skills.") All in all, the planing, preparations, rehab and body modifications took half a year. Mukade Everything that enters or leaves GV is extensively scanned. To avoid discovery they hide the capsule in a still liquid bed of concrete. (The capsule's components are distributed on two repair sets inside the truck.) A piece that is later declared as mechanical unstable. The capsule has a x-ray cloak and remains undetected. Hasegawa verifies the sample. Short after that Mukade meets that worker again to offer him a second job. As soon as he agrees Mukade kills via remote control. A perfectly faked suicide. While his death remains a mystery, BlueMountain and BGI detect the irregularities caused by the worker and begin to investigate. (Is Sarai in charge of that case. Paperwork bores her to death.)

Hasegawa needs the mycorrhiza sample to test it against his Daodan prototype. A positive result would give him the certainty that Jamie's death hasn't been in vain.

Griffin tells one of his black ops fellows to form a task force, Z482.

They are supposed to find and kill Muro. Griffin isn't authorized to do that which îs why the group is supported by (GATC) Blackstars resources.

Griffin and Blackstars have always made business together. In return for the support Griffin shares all TCTF techologies with Blackstars, the Daodan is no exception. He trusts them blindly because he was a member of them. In fact, Griffin and Blackstars helped the TCTF to form their black ops division. The steady flow of information allows GATC and Blackstars to keep under WCG radar.

Even if Griffin wouldn't tell GATC about the Daodan they would find it out themselves and acquire the data. Instead he coops with them from the start to foster their relationship.

Z: "What if Konoko teams up with her brother?"

Griffin pierces him with grim eyes. "Do whatever you think is necessary."

Z: "Okay."

As Muro grows the task force is also meant to kill any children of Muro. He did already so much damage and was only one super soldier.

The team gets eradicated by Muro when they thought they had a good chance to engage. That's why Griffin has to fly to the mountain complex himself

On the hand you could construct a connection to the different game scenarios.

If Mai kills Griffin, another (weaker) blackstars teams might be compelled to attack Muro (because they are still in range) which drives him once more into Imago mode.

If Mai doesn't kill Griffin, the Commander is forced to use his own black ops at TCTF.

Konoko

Konoko is treated as a project

Griffin to Kerr: "Konoko is as much your creature as she is mine."

And as a black "project" Konoko has no rights. Everything she owns need Griffin's approval.

[...]

Konoko is going to be a woman one day. That means she can get pregnant.

After reading Kerr's notes Griffin decides that her ovaries should be removed before Daodan implantation.

The sci staff tries to appease Kerr telling him that the procedure is an standard option for women in the WCG military and high-profit companies. [So that they can concentrate on her career first.] The ovaries can be re-transplanted or used for an in vitro fertilization after generating matured eggs [via 2050 tech]. It also avoids the risk that Konoko can't give birth anymore if the Daodan alters their DNA. Kerr believes in Avatara's competence and dismiss their worries as nonsense. Eventually the sci staff changes opinions. [He made some friends who are willing in supporting him in at least this matter.]

They fake the operation and Griffin is not controlling it as he gets a sudden appointment, an distraction Maria invented.

Maria: "The true abuse of technology begins and end with the TCTF." [She could be the one who wrote the TCTF history in the manual...]

At the end of Caged Birds she and some sci staff guys get fired after Griffin finds out. They can't operate now anymore.

The first real problem was to convince Griffin that the Daodan was not contagious.

Griffin: "You told me that this thing can withstand all biological and chemical threats."

Kerr: "Yes, that's the purpose."

Griffin: And for that it needs to grow. That makes it no different from the green goo out there. - Those whitecoats thought it would remain in its defined area. But it didn't. Hundreds of them were wrong. How can you tell you know it better?"

Kerr: "Just let me make the test and I will show-"

Griffin: "They too made tests, doctor! And it was for nothing. - How did they call it? - An unplanned occurrence of horizontal gene transfer. What the hell."

Kerr: "I promise you. I will show you that the Daodan does not take over cells of other people."

Griffin: "Well, doctor, try it..."

Maria: "If she is so dangerous to the general public how do plan to make use of her abilities?"

Griffin: "We lock her up. Train her in VR and android interaction. The tech says they are already working on something. - As far as the interaction with the Syndicate goes, we only plan her to fight Muro. We will provide a special suit to minimize decontamination."

Maria: "Who's is Muro."

Kerr: "Her brother."

Maria: "Oh dear Lord! Tell me this is not true."

Griffin: "He has the other Daodan."

Kerr: "You will probably see Muro in action here and there. - I can't possibly convince you with my own tests. But when you screen the people and places where Muro was, you won't see contagious cell remnants."

Griffin: "That's just one more theory."

Kerr: "Why don't you listen-"

Griffin: "Doctor! I will consider it."

Griffin doesn't really trust Maria's methods to keep Mai doing the sci tests.

In springtime Maria and the tech team found a solution that seems to be compromise to everyone.

Shinatama is introduced to Mai.

Due to biosafety concerns Mai in not allowed to have physical contact with other people which of course also minimizes social interactions.

However, for a healthy developments Maria proposes that Mai makes more friends. A "machine" doesn't really count for her.

Maria: "What if she rebels against you, and rejects order in a critical moment because she never learned how to properly interact with others."

Griffin: "I know you use this as an excuse. -- But you are right."

Maria: "Why did you changed your mind?

Griffin: "I heard Jack and Konoko already met each other ... somehow. So. It wasn't a catastrophe? Fine. I will call it an followup experiment of yours."

Maria: "You would allow it if it isn't for greater use ... to you."

Griffin: "We will emotionally bind her to him. - Should she elope one day we have the means to get her back."

Maria: "..."

Griffin: "That or a bullet."

---

Gap filler:

• Commander Griffin, Regional Commander of the TCTF, is your mentor, boss, and even father figure.
• 14_54_20 Civilian: You were one of us. Griffin treated you like a daughter. You should be ashamed of yourself!

How did that happen?

When Maria's plan with Jack failed she tried again: she wants Griffin to feel compassion for Mai. Naturally she tries to come up with some excuses and Griffin looks right through it.

[Add other events here.]

Griffin and Mai spent the holidays together up in the north, Finland. At these latitudes the strong coldness protected nature from the Mycorrhiza so far, though there are also toxins. They hunt wild reindeer. Griffin needs anti-toxin injections to digest the meat. When Mai gets stomachaches he gives her also an injection - her Daodan is still too weak to develop adaptions in an instant.

Griffin's Finland lesson: "Don't be afraid of it. We kill to survive (or to keep nature(/system) in balance)." (Just an excuse to train her.)

---

Mai and Kerr live in a TCTF-secured research facility (a.k.a. science prison) as he has worked for the Syndicate on dangerous technology and she has an unclear status of bio-safety.

Since her Daodan implantation she is living in a sterile room. Sci staff, and anyone else, only get near her in a full-body suit, or she wears one. Shinatama is introduced to her to prevent - as Maria puts it - mental disorders. The android is also used for edutainment and all kind of monitoring. At some points the “kids” actually have fun together which strength their relationship. For Maria the android is only a temporary solution.

One of the higher-ranked TCTFs brings his son Jack frequently to the facility. His wife works there too. Everyday they bring the kid themselves to and from school. They live in constant fear that he could be kidnapped or shot on the way. Many TCTF members are in the same situation. Maria arrange things so that Mai and Jack met.

Griffin is a close friend of that officer. One evening he gets attacked by a hitman by survives by sheer luck. One month later Griffin set an end to this. He lures the five most influential Syndicate bosses of his region into a rigged place (maybe a cargo terminal of Tokyo) and persuades them to agree on some substantial terms.

Griffin: “The assassination of police officers and the kidnapping has come to a stop.”

“Who do you think you are?”

[... ?]

Griffin: “I am the law.”

Boss spits to the ground.

Griffin: “And if don’t want me to be judge and executioner we will make a deal tonight!”

He presses his gun onto the boss’ left side of head. His head is now on table, hands still lifted signaling Griffin not to shot.

Griffin looks through the angry round.

Actually it's a standoff with their and his armed men around. But he seems to be more deadly.

“If you can’t play along things will get ugly. You can trust me on that one.”

He snips with his fingers. A hijacked BGI mech breaks out of his container and stomps one of the limousines.

“Property can be replaced. Lives can not.”

He puts a mobile projector on the table. It throws a live stream onto the wall. Certain family members are taken hostage. The environment looks expansive. Obviously those are the homes of the Syndicate bosses. The black ops are all Blackstars personal.

This makes clear Griffin has a strong sense for family and the TCTF alike.

From that day on Griffin lives at the HQ. He probably is now the most wanted man in his region. He got divorced and leaves his ex-wife in the believe he is just obsessed with his work – which is also true. Unwillingly he has become a symbol for the now cold war between Syndicate and TCTF.

It takes some years before Konoko is consider fully noncontagious. The screening of Muro’s visited places helped her out too. After that she can receive regular training at TCTF locations. Like Kerr she’s also escorted most of the time but without the need of wearing a helmet anymore. In fact she enjoys driving her motorcycle without a helmet to feel the wind in her face that she had to miss for so many years.

In the following an example how Konoko’s private life was manipulated.

Konoko is taken to some open, dusty space together with other special agents. In an accelerated course they learn how to drive and fly every vehicle the TCTF has to offer. At first she learns how to ride a motorcycle. But also stunts. In the process she wrecks many models. Alex repairs those. He is accepted as another friend. But the roll of a boyfriend is designated to Jack.

Griffin strongly prefers Konoko’s companion to be a TCTF who’s loyalty he believes to be out of question. Maria senses a chance to expose Griffin’s tendency to ignore the protocol. [Issue with cop partnership?] But the other staff members don’t care much. They are on the Commander’s side for various reasons.

However, in the end Jack refuses in finding Konoko or to appeal her. Griffin froth at the mouth and places him under house arrest.

When Griffin finds Konoko, Jack is given one last chance. “Let’s get her back, Jack. It’s also your last chance to show me that I can trust you. If you don’t enter that helicopter I will boot you out of black ops, out of TCTF. You will never work for any police again.”

[Thanks to Griffin’s support Jack got all promotions as soon as possible. He is the youngest member of the black ops since TCTF was founded.]

A few years earlier.

When Jack’s father got doubts about his son’s neath to the Daodan project and his well-being. The Griffin reminds him why they all can sleep calmly at nights again and that he as Commander has to pay the final price one day. Griffin expects him to also make a sacrifice.

“Let’s hear want he thinks about it.” Griffin tabs his smart watch. “Call Jack, audio only.”

“Hello Sir? How can I help you?”

“I just wanted to ask you if you still enjoy the work at the TCTF. Do your colleagues treat you well?”

“Sir?”

“I know the work in not always easy, actually pretty rough from time to time.”

“I know when to dodge the bullets – and when not to.” [He remembers the recent bodyguard lesson. - That was an idea of the staff to strengthen the emotional bond. As a countermeasure Maria tells Konoko be strong and independent. Ironically, in many tactical simulations Konoko is the only survivor of her strike team. Further focus is put on single missions where she has to decide on their own under extreme pressure. – That’s the reason why she doesn’t choose to disable but to destroy the Sturmänderung transmitter and blasting the ACCs. “She was wired to cause it.” A fact that GATC tries to sweep under the rug when the man-hunt is on.]

[Add talk of loyalty here.]

Jack’s Father: “You wired him to like her. That’s not a fair decision.” “Life is not fair. Sometimes we have to give more than others do. I thought you would understand that as a police officer.” “Should my son die because of this ... freak girl ... we won’t be friends anymore.” “Fair enough.” Griffin exits the department. He can hear how the bottle that they emptied that evening is thrown against the wall. A short look to the door, then exhales. With sinking head he goes down the stairs. At the parking lot you see how his colleagues [security] gather to drive him back to HQ.

One day Alex ask Konoko out. An officer is sent in civil to rebuke him.

Churi: “If you can’t play your roll, we will find replacement.”

Alex: “Don’t you have any terrorists to hunt?”

“If you keep up that attitude you will never see her again and we will withdraw all your privileges. Cancel that appointment.”

“It’s a date.”

“You will not meet her. Is that clear.”

“Why don’t you tell her this?”

Churi turns to the door. “No, you will. Because you started it.”

Alex don’t listen and drives to the appointed bar. It’s most of the time occupied by police and TCTF. The “Sledgehammer” is famous for his equally named drink that can be ordered on special demand. Most who tried it were sent to dreamland. It’s considered a dare.

Just one more block. He turns right and the white neonlights comes into sight.

Another car speeds backwards out of the byroad and forces him stop. Too late, they crash.

Alex: “Fuck. Are you insane? Out of my way!”

It’s Churi. He exits and reveals gun with a silencer. He shots once in the front window, and then into the wheels at the driver side. “No means no.”

Churi drives back into the byroad.

Alex peeks over his steering wheel. Throws quick glaces left, right and backside.

Board computer: “I’ve detected two damaged wheels. Do you want me to call the police.”

“Call them. – No. Wait. Wait! Cancel call.”

Alex hits his forehead against the steering wheel.

“Just call the wreckers.”

“Call you please repeat that?”

“Call a fucking recovery service you piece of shit.”

“Please speech in calmly and clear.”

“Arrrrrrrr.” Alex jolts the wheel in anger.

The airbag goes off and presses him back into the seat.

5 minutes later Alex arrives at Sledgehammer and attempts to pass the security.

Security: “Today, cops only.”

Alex: “I’m expected.”

Security: “Hm. Give your ID card.”

He scans it.

Security: “Nope. You are not on the list.”

Alex: “Just ask that purple-head inside.” He points at Konoko who sits with her back to the window.

Security: “I won’t ask her. If you aren’t on the list, you aren’t -.”

They hear hoots from behind. They turn around. At the other side of the street they see Churi. He points to Alex, then to his eyes and makes an OK sign.

Alex answers with the middle finger.

The security laughs. “I see you two must be close friends.“

Alex: “Hm. He owns me a car.”

This part is told by Konoko. Shinatama listens with high interest and admiration for her big sister…

[Add details of their conversion here and how Konoko wonders weather that’s normal. Alex is out of sorts but cannot risk to mention Churi’s involvement.]

She tells her how Alex flips out when he got another call by Churi. [Obviously he tries to sabotage the date and puts it to an end. Not in the cleverest way.]

Soon after Churi entered the bar, he orders three Sledgehammer, one for each.

Alex is knocked out immediately and greets the table with his face.

Churi followed.

Konoko dropped from the sheer.

The room is filled with laughs. But Konoko managed to get back on her feet.

As Churi gains back consciousness she is hailed. “Survivor!” “Survivor!” “Survivor!”

She is lifted in the air. Her head spins even more.

“Get me down! Get me down!”

Churi: “Fly hour is over. Let the little hawk land...”

Konoko numb: “What did you do to me. - Churiiiiii”

She starts for a punch but the experienced agent manage to dodge somehow. Instead she hits Alex and sends him flying. The crowds goes rampage.

Alex’ mind comes back clear and is instantly reminded of his headaches.

Something is strange. He feels it with his tongue. He grabs it with the fingers. One moment later he holds a bloody tooth. “Crazy TCTF bastards.”

The next morning the watchdogs stand before Griffin’s office. Churi has put his sunglasses on.

The Commander passes the lined up group. Churi is the last one. Griffin stops, turns around and stares at the glasses covering the red-through-booze eyes. Griffin searches for any movement in Churi’s face. Nothing. The Commander turns around again. He continues without a word.

The agents are lined up again, in front of Griffin’s desk.

He has pictures of that evening and scrolls through them using the whole desk as screen.

“What exactly was that? Hm? - Are you really elites?”

Slowly he draws a circle, then an X. “Files deleted.”

“How could you allow her to be there? She is a secret project - seeeccrreet - and that building is watched… Oh, is it just that you felt secure?” He turns in his sheer and looks out of the window for a moment.

Griffin: “Damocles. What district has currently the biggest monthly count of casualties?” “Haneda.”

“You will help out the local police. Three month roadside checks in Haneda. - Maybe that will sharpen your senses again. - Dismissed.”

Nobody opposed.

Alex works now at a different car repair shop. His former boss had to choose between him and the TCTF as exclusive customer. The choice quickly made.

When Alex recognize Churi on patrols, he tells his thugs fellows that the cop is actually a high ranked TCTF. The information makes it way up to a Syndicate boss. They decide to setup an ambush and turn him into a double agent(/flatline zombie?) through his cyber implants. Eventually Mukade notice that they possess such a valuable source. Too valuable. He changes the password of Churi’s transmissions.

This solves the question from where Muro knows about Konoko as new active TCTF agent - but not know that it is his sister. Muro to Babaras: “There may be someone with them, an exceptional agent...”

Konoko is supposed to be a weapon.

File:Konoko by Craig Mullins after Lorraine 1024x768.jpg

Is this an innocent-looking Mai?

After the official TCTF training Konoko is send to a GATC location where she receives further training.

Griffin: "I want her to function in every situation. The hunt for Muro isn't a job for a rookie. He has killed hundred of men by now. Teach her to kill. Let her kill. Then she is ready. The test in December is just for the WCG fools." After that she is sent to investigate the Syndicate warehouse. Her additional training is the reason why she reacts so calm when she finds dead agent Chung.

Also, in the nightmare she calls herself a murderer because obviously she is one.

Beside that Konoko appears relative normal. She would have to deal with the real world one day so she must had have some regular education too. The sci staff around Kerr was possibly extended with an child psychologist, Maria. That woman and Kerr tried their best to protect Mai from Griffin.

Muro

[...]

Life in the Camp.

Rivalry with Ryu.

[...]

Missions with Traton.

Alliance with BGI.

Death of Hasegawa.

Exil of Traton.

Sturmanderung.

War against BGI.

Peace treaty with BGI.

Where did the furies come from?

"The Valkyries are Muro's personal aides and bodyguards. Their presence always indicates his personal involvement in an operation."

Initial story to be placed here.

[...]

The Amazons
Wikipedia: Members of this bodyguard were allowed privileges such as dressing in Western-style fatigues and wearing makeup, or displaying Western hair styles and high heels.

Muro's reasoning, by chronologic order:

• Soldier's advice: make the most out of your life because tomorrow a bullet might kill you. Party and sex after dangerous Network missions.
• Mukade tells him that in company of women a man can hide more effectively in urban or "social" terrain. And since also women are part of the Network/Syndicate they should get combat training.
• According to Joseph T. Stanik, Gaddafi reportedly employed a cadre of female bodyguards because he believed that an Arab gunman would have difficulty firing at women.

Muro suffers under his shortening telomeres. He knows that he is not unkillable, so he need bodyguards. Gaddafi should be named as reference because it is so obvious similar.

However a "single" valid answer should not be given, the reasoning is multi-causal.

Foreshadowing... Avatara: "Ter Hasegawa is the son of a prostitute and a maniac. No wonder he has complexes."

Shinatama: "When you don't take care of humans they will just help themselves. But that's something you won't like either." (Remembering man-hunt of Mai.)

Shinatama

She felt everything Mai felt. By measuring nerve activities and the level of stress hormones pain gets (more) objective. But why did Shinatama had to actually feel it? Maybe it deepens the emotional bond but the goal probably was to mirror the pain, translating the numbers so that the other operators had a more clear perception in what condition Mai is. Making someone "feel" is not subjective here as that someone is an android. To the TCTF, it was simulated pain, not "real". Their mistake was to not know that the simulation is perfect, so that pain like all other inputs leaves traces within a system, it not just learns by these influences, it gets shaped, it gets defined. Did Maria influenced Shinatama to become more emphatic? Maria wouldn't stay forever but Shinatama would.

Did Shinatama spy on Mai's friends via surveillance of their internet traffic and telecommunication? She was connected to Damocles after all.

Damocles is the house AI of TCTF. It is programmed to record all communication of personal that is in duty but also off-duty. TCTF employees are also under surveillance at their own homes. This makes it impossible that a blackmailed/compromised officer/agent can act against the state organ. This procedure was established when TCTF and Network became arch enemies.

Ryu

[...]

Daya

[...]

---

Beyond Dragons

Phyllion's Gaia choose Daya to manage the pain of its hive mind due to her experience in enduring and surviving high levels of it.

Gaia wants to cultivate the HM with her.

---

Nature's Decision

Nomen est omen. (In the early story Daya was standing for another idea but now it means "compassion".)

Her position is put to a test after she gets to know that Mai is still around...