FANFIC - Orbital Query

[sgamer82]

DETECTIVE CONAN
ORBITAL QUERY
By
Sgamer82

Late at night, in two different parts of Beika, Japan, two children laid in bed, wide awake despite it being well past the latest of the average bedtimes most children possess. However, they were not average children by any means. In fact, neither was really a child. Not in mind, anyway.

Conan Edogawa, in his futon at the Mouri detective agency, and Ai Haibara, in the bedroom shared with her guardian Dr. Hiroshi Agasa, had a choice to make. An important one that would decide their very lives from that day forward. It was a decision that, they both knew, might have to be made eventually. So they had agreed not to put anything off and decide things now. Choose their path sooner, rather than later.

The choice should be simple for both of them. Yet it was not.

----------

It had all started that morning.

"Ran-neechan, do we have to do this?" the little boy whined as the older girl he was with pushed him against a wall.

"Oh, hush now." the girl chided him, "It doesn't take more than a minute. Besides, aren't you curious?"

"No."

With a chuckle, the girl, Ran Mouri, took out a felt marking pen and drew a line just above the boy's head.

"Well, look at that, Conan-kun!" she cried happily, "You're grown over half a centimeter! Pretty soon, you'll be as tall in me!"

It took an act of pure willpower to keep Conan Edogawa (a.k.a. Shinichi Kudo) from reacting to that. On the outside, anyway.

Fate willing, Ran, that'll be more true that you realize... he thought, as Ran gave him a congratulatory pat on the head, Until then, I'm stuck putting up with this...

"Okay, you can go play now." Ran told him. The not-quite-a-little-boy grabbed headed out the door.

Go play, she says... Conan thought to himself glumly. Mostly due to the sad fact that that was exactly what he was headed out to do.

----------

Conan's day was normal. It was Saturday, and on that day he most often found himself joining his elementary school friends, the Detective Boys, for a day of play. Conan wound up being dragged into games of baseball, hide and seek, and even tag. As much as being stuck in a kid-sized body irked him, these moments of childish merriment had become something of a release. A way of relieving the stress and frustration that built up as the result of living the day-to-day life of a seven-year-old.

The same seemed to hold true for his fellow shrunken teenager, Ai Haibara. Though she went about things much more differently than Conan. It was noticeable not so much because she was having fun (if she was, she was doing a good job of hiding it), but in that she seemed to be making a special effort out of getting out her frustrations through physical activity. During baseball, she would hit every pitch thrown at her with surprising strength. In hide and seek she'd be the first of the four hiding to make a run for Home Base. As a result, she didn't wind up being "It" once. Tag she was giving her all, running until she was simply too exhausted to move anymore and had to rest.

As the kids got themselves a drink of water, Conan thought he noticed something odd. His mind started working while he watched Ayumi at a drinking fountain. Something was off, but he couldn't immediately spot what it was. With his eye for detail, though, and with what he and Ran had done that morning, he figured it out quickly enough.

"Ayumi-chan, have you grown?" Conan asked.

"Huh? Conan-kun, how'd you know?" Ayumi asked as she pulled her head away. Like Conan with Ran, Ayumi's mother had recently done a wall-lineup measurement. With a smile, Conan began explaining his deductions.

"I remember when I first met you, you needed to get on your tip-toes to get a drink from that fountain. But just now I realized you're standing normally."

"Hey!" Mitsuhiko exclaimed, mentally comparing Ayumi's height with his own, "He's right! You are bigger!"

"Wow, Conan-kun!" Ayumi said with a smile.

"Hmph..." Genta huffed, "I noticed, I just didn't think to say something."

Conan enjoyed the attention his deductions, even fairly minor ones, often received for a moment longer before taking his turn on the drinking fountain. Drinking from a bottle of water she'd brought with her, Haibara watched Conan while the other boys made far too big a deal of a few centimeter's growth, hoping to get Ayumi's attention on them.

Like Edogawa, Haibara had a nagging feeling that something was off. Something had been bothering her lately, but she hadn't quite put her finger on what. It was, in fact, part of the reason she had exerted herself so much today. Like Edogawa, Haibara had found that participating in the childrens' games to be a way to get out some stress and clear her head. A necessity when one was the type of person who preferred to not be distracted by idle thoughts. Unlike Edogawa, however, the problems on Haibara's mind were far more serious than simply releasing the frustrations life as a child presented to someone nearly two or three times her outer age.

The hunt for the cure to the APTX-4869 drug occupied much of her time. Without the exact recipe of the drug (something far too complex for even Haibara to remember fully), she had been working essentially from scratch. Her only guide half-remembered formulas and drug combinations. She'd made some progress with temporary cures, but more often than not the potential antidotes she concocted often proved useless in the testing and simulation stages.

Haibara sat on a bench, drinking her water, as Edogawa pushed himself onto his toes to get his own water.

Realization came with a shock so great that it made her spit out the water she had in her mouth. Assuming she was correct, Haibara now knew what was off. Worse yet, if it meant what she thought it did, she and Edogawa had a major problem.

----------

Back at the Mouri Detective Agency, Ran busied herself with some household chores. As was often the case, seeing as a portion of what she picked up off the floor were clothes or books belonging to him, her thoughts drifted to Conan. She thought about how the boy rarely cooperated when Ran made him participate him in what had become monthly ritual. Once every month, Ran would line Conan up on the wall and mark his height on it. It honestly surprised Ran how much Conan would resist sometimes. Like most kids, Conan was clearly eager to become an adult. In fact, Ran thought he was more eager than most. He also seemed to often seemed to dislike doing things most kids his age loved.

Which was probably why he resists so much... Ran thought with a smile, He thinks he's too mature for something so childish.

It was with that in mind that Ran gave a woeful look to the black line she'd just drawn on the wall. A line that was a full two and a half centimeters higher than the top of Conan's head.

How do you tell a boy that's so eager to become an adult that he hasn't grown so much as a half a centimeter in over a year?

[sgamer82]

DETECTIVE CONAN
ORBITAL QUERY
CHAPTER 2: ARE YOU RECEIVING ME CLEAR?
By
Sgamer82

As the sun began to sink down and the afternoon became dusk, the five children parted ways to each make the trip home. However, as they separated, Haibara grabbed Conan's wrist and kept him behind.

"You're coming with me." she told him, "When we get to Dr. Agasa's, call Mouri-san and tell her you'll be having dinner with us."

"Huh?" Conan asked, perplexed, "Haibara, wha-"

"I don't want to explain yet. It could be nothing at all, so I need to confirm something first. Otherwise both of us will worry without reason."

With his curiosity peaked by her vagueness, and a bit of fear peaked by her urgency, Conan followed along without comment. He tried to think of what it was that had alarmed her so. If he had to guess, it had to do with the reason for her spit-take earlier in the day. She had dismissed it simply as some of her water going down wrong, but everyone else had the suspicion something else bothered her. Though nobody said anything as she clearly didn't wan to talk of it. Not an uncommon occurrence with Ai Haibara.

Conan wondered what could have gone through the girl's mind at that moment. If it was something personal to her alone, trying to figure it out would likely be pointless. So Conan worked on the assumption that whatever it was that spooked Haibara was related to whatever they had been doing at the time. He mentally went step-by-step over everything that had been occurring immediately before.

We finished tag, then we got water. I realized Ayumi had grown a bit. Then I went and got my own water and suddenly Haibara's sputtering and coughing...

If her behavior had anything to do with what that Conan couldn't think of how...

----------

When the two arrived at Hiroshi Agasa's home, Haibara immediately made a beeline for Agasa's lab, asking Conan to stay put for a moment. Conan, still unsure of what was going on (and getting frustrating from not figuring it out) did as requested. In moments the two scientists, young and old, walked into the room, Conan didn't like the worried looks on both their faces.

"Shinichi," Agasa said, "I need to see you for a second."

"Hm? Sure."

Conan got up from the couch he'd been sitting on and went into the lab with Agasa and Haibara.

"Just what's going on here?" Conan asked, "Is something wrong?"

"Very." Haibara replied. Before Conan could ask what was going on, Agasa had him stand with his back to the wall while he pulled out a black marker.

"Not again?" Conan asked in annoyance.

"Again?!" Haibara asked. She sounded alarmed.

"Yeah, Ran does to me once a month..." Conan explained. If possible, Haibara's expression became more serious than it had just a moment ago.

"Just what is going on?!" Conan asked as Agasa used a marker to put a line right above Conan's head.

"Kudo-kun, would you say you've adjusted well to our current situation?" Haibara asked.

"Well, I suppose I have..." he answered as Dr. Agasa grabbed a strand of the tape measure used often by tailors.

"Enough so that you've grown used to having to climb or boost yourself up to get to objects out of reach without thinking much of it." Haibara continued.

"I suppose it has become somewhat automatic..." Conan asked.

"Would that include standing on your toes?"

With those words, Conan understood. He had been on his toes getting a drink of water when Haibara had her reaction. Shortly after he had realized Ayumi no longer had to...

"We haven't been growing, have we?!" It was Agasa who answered.

"No. You haven't. Not so much as a millimeter in over a year, Shinichi..."

"But, how is that possible?!"

"APTX-4869." Haibara answered matter-of-factly, "The drug that reversed our growth has, it seems, also halted it."

[sgamer82]

"And you're positive of this?!"

"We are." Agasa answered, "You remember when you first shrank? I gave you a complete physical to make sure there weren't any other serious effects of that drug. I did the same for Ai-kun soon after she came."

"And," Haibara continued, handing Conan some papers, "If you compare the Doctor's notes regarding our height to our size at this moment, you'll see there is no difference, whatsoever."

Conan scanned the papers, Dr. Agasa's notes and records of his check-ups on both Conan and Haibara. He saw the measuring tape Agasa held against the wall at the line he had drawn. Reading it, the distance from the floor to that line was exactly what he saw on the paper regarding his height one year ago. He saw another line on the wall, slightly above his own, and knew that it marked Haibara's height. That height was also the same on both the wall and the paper.

"How... how did this happen?! How did we not notice?!" Conan asked.

"APTX-4869 was intended as an untraceable killer." Haibara explained, "Made so that any traces of it that linger after its ingestion by the human body would not be found. Those traces remain in our bodies, even now, Kudo-kun. It seems that, as a result of that, a side-effect of whatever fluke shrank us rather than killing us is preventing us from experiencing physical growth of any kind."

"As to why you didn't notice," Agasa continued when Haibara finished, "It's simple, you're a seventeen-year-old in the body of a child."

"I think I get it..." Conan answered, "Because we shrank down like we did, Haibara and I had to get used to being so much shorter than most everything else around us. I got so used to needing to boost myself up that it never occurred to me that I might not need to while I was still a kid."

Indeed, thinking back, it was this fact that had kept Conan from realizing the reason for Haibara's sudden dismay at the park. Standing on his toes had become such a natural reflex for him at that fountain that it had never occurred to him that it might be a part of Haibara's anxiety until just now.

"So, what now?" Conan asked.

"I don't know what can be done..." Agasa told him.

"Whatever happens, we should figure it out soon." Haibara said. Conan and Dr. Agasa looked to her.

"The children around us grow just a little bit every day." she explained, "It's not a problem now. But sooner or later, someone will notice that we aren't growing with them. When that happens, suspicions will begin to develop. Kudo-kun, didn’t' t you say that Mouri-san measures you once a month?"

Conan suddenly understood why Haibara was worried.. She was right. There was no way Ran didn't know about this. But if she did, why hadn't she said something again. Why had she, in fact, made a point of letting Conan think he had gotten taller? Was she suspicious of his identity again? How would he hide this one? He looked to Haibara and knew that many of the same questions were in her head as well. As if reading their thoughts, Agasa tried to reassure them.

"Now let's not jump to conclusions. The fact is, we don't know if Ran-kun is suspicious of Shinichi because of this, or if she has some other reason for not saying anything."

He was right. There were any number of reasons Ran would lie to him like that. If she wasn't suspicious, most likely she thought she was sparing Conan's feelings by not letting him know he was as short as he ever was. Conan let out a small sigh of relief.

"Don't relax just yet." Haibara told him, "We don't know for sure what Mouri-san thinks one way or the other. Kudo-kun, you should make a point of finding out which it is and dealing with it."

Conan nodded. She was right. But that still didn't solve their problem, what did they do about this new development?

"For the moment," Agasa explained when Conan repeated this question, "I was thinking that I could add lifts to your shoes to make you look taller."

"Doctor," Haibara asked, looking down at their feet, "Just how would that help us indoors?"

Agasa blushed in embarrassment as he realized the fatal flaw in his plan. None of them were wearing shoes at that moment. Unless they could add those lifts to the house slippers of every single person in Japan they might potentially visit, that idea was out.

"How about in our socks?" Conan suggested, "We wear them almost everywhere, anyway. We would appear taller that way easily enough no matter where we went, so long as we didn't go barefoot."

"That could work." Haibara said in approval, Agasa nodded too, "However..."

"Yeah," Conan replied, "That's still only delaying the inevitable."

"No matter how tall we get, someone will still eventually realize the rest of our bodies aren't growing with our height." Haibara said.

"That means that now, more than ever before, the time we have to find a cure is limited." Conan surmised.

"About that..." Haibara said, suddenly pensive.

"Hm? Haibara?"

"Should worst come to worst, there is something that will prevent our exposure..."

"But...?" Conan asked, hearing the implication in Haibara's voice.

"But... while it would prevent our identities from being discovered, it would also likely prevent us from getting them back."

"Come again?"

"I think I know what she means, Shinichi." Dr. Agasa replied, "Early in our research to find your cure, we came across a possibility."

"One that, in the experimental stages, proved a failure at the time." Haibara commented.

"It was a drug that would cause your bodies to expel the APTX-4869 drug."

"Expel?"

"It would locate the traces of the drug without our bodies and force them out via bodily fluids, such as sweat and tears." Haibara explained, "However, it would have no effect on our bodies' size."

"Meaning it would cast out the drug, but it wouldn't restore our original sizes."

"Exactly." Haibara said, "Without APTX-4869 within our bodies, we would resume our growth. But only at a much slower pace. A pace fairly equivalent to the growth rate of the average Japanese child. For obvious reasons, I dismissed it as a failure. But, it's very possible that we may need it if we're to survive."

"In other words, if we run out of time, we'll have no choice but to give up in order to simply live?"

Haibara and the doctor were silent. Conan hit the nail right on the head.

[sgamer82]

DETECTIVE CONAN
ORBITAL QUERY
CHAPTER 3: NIGHT STARS ARE SHINING IN MY EYES
By
Sgamer82

For several very long minutes, nobody said a word. Finally, simply to break the silence, Conan spoke up.

"Haibara... you said that using this... other cure would make us lose the chance to get back to normal? Why is that?"

"When it comes to strategy, such as, for instance, a soccer play, which do you find easier? Creating a strategy, or countering one?"

Conan thought about the question for a moment.

"Countering, I suppose. When you create a strategy you have to consider all the different ways it can be countered and be ready for them. You have to anticipate as much as possible. To successfully counter a plan, you have to discover its most exploitable weakness and make use of it. Between the two, countering is relatively simpler.

"And that's what you're doing with APTX-4869." he said as realization dawned, "The antidote we want is a 'counter-attack' to what it is in the drug shrinking us?"

"Exactly." Haibara said with a nod, "Using the apotoxin as a base, I could hopefully develop a working cure and restore us to normal, even with our now limited time. But only so long as the drug remains in our bodies to be cured in the first place. Without it, I would essentially have to start from scratch in order to create a substance whose sole purpose would be to age us ten years. I would have to create a brand new drug instead of simply dealing with what's in front of us. By the time I managed that, we'd probably already be ten years older thanks to natural aging."

"Wonderful..." Conan muttered. Was there no other way?

Dr. Agasa cleared his throat to get the two shrunken teens' attention.

"Shinichi, Ai-kun. We have a serious matter on our hands, right now."

Neither could argue with him.

"If we can't figure something out for a cure, you two may need to make a choice regarding this option. Risk it all and remain as you are, or take the slow cure to keep yourselves safe. I think it's best if you think on it and decide now. As soon as possible."

Haibara and Conan looked at Agasa, confused.

"There's a very good chance that, sooner or later, this choice will have to be made. And if you wait until later, when you're forced to make it, you might make your decision in panic and do something you'll forever regret. Or, you might believe you're about to be exposed or threatened when nothing is wrong at all and make your choice hastily."

---------

The man had a point. They could act prematurely, and doom themselves to a second childhood unnecessarily. They could make some rash decision out of fear and do the same. Best they think on the matter immediately.

And suffer a sleepless night in the process... Conan thought to himself. Who had spent the last several hours after Ran sent him to bed tossing and turning on his futon.

Conan should already be asleep, content that he wasn't going to use this slow-acting cure anytime soon, if at all. To even concede the possibility of doing so would be giving up on the hope of being restored to normal. Something he couldn't allow!

The choice should be so simple. Yet, it wasn't...

The fact remained. If things got bad enough, the Fail-Safe might be their only salvation. Their only means of staying hidden from the Black Organization and, as a result, staying alive. But, would staying alive even be worth it if they had to resort to staying children? With a frustrated groan, Conan got to his feet and stepped out into the living room of the Mouri apartment. He thought better when he moved, and Ran and Kogoro were heavy enough sleepers they wouldn't hear him.

He paced around the room's furniture. Every so often, his eyes would wander to the door that led to Ran's bedroom. Ran. He couldn't just think only of how this dilemma affected himself. He had Ran to consider. She knew nothing of the Black Organization, of Conan and Haibara's real identities, of APTX-4869. Taking the slow cure meant giving her up completely. That wasn't something Conan was prepared to do.

But will I still feel that way if my life truly does depend on keeping my secret?

Conan wanted desperately to think he would. That no matter what, his desire to be with Ran as Shinichi and not Conan would be enough to risk everything for. He had rushed into danger for Ran before. But on those occasions, the threat had been apparent. Conan knew what would happen. With the idea of potential exposure looming over his head, the possible threats would be less obvious. Who would discover me first? What would they do if they knew? The fear such a situation caused might well make Conan seek self-preservation above all else.

It's surprising, He thought, Just how short-sighted you become when your only thought is to survive. Speaking of...

Conan looked to a set of horizontal lines marked on a wall. The lines Ran had drawn when she measured him. Lines, he now knew, she was putting well higher than they were supposed to be. Morbid curiosity tugged at him, he stood at the wall, putting his hand flat on his head and comparing the height to the lines. His hand was at only the lowest one. The first one Ran had made.

Conan jumped at the noise of a door opening. Ran walked into the living room, clad in a nightshirt and rubbing her eyes. Conan wondered what she was doing. Ran was an insanely heavy sleeper. He couldn't have woken her up. Without even looking at Conan, she mumbled to herself and stumbled into the bathroom.

Oh, that's all... Conan thought with a sigh of relief. He was about to hide in his room, to keep from being seen, and likely scolded, by Ran when she came out. But realized this was a good chance to take care of another matter that needed attending to.

He waited for Ran to finish up and come out. When she did, he waited until she was about to go back into her room before he called out her name quietly.

"Ran-neechan?"

"Huh?" said the still groggy Ran Mouri, "Conan-kun? What are you doing up?"

"I... I was having trouble sleeping." he said honestly, "Um... Ran-neechan... I... I just happened to notice something earlier today..." with that he gave a mournful look to the height lines. With a soft gasp, Ran knew immediately what he was referring to.

"Oh... Conan-kun... I'm sorry, I never meant to-"

"It's okay, Ran-neechan. I think I know why you didn't tell me. You just didn't want me to feel bad, right?"

"Yeah," she said as she kneeled down before Conan, "I didn't know how you'd take the news that you haven't grown at all. I don't even know what it means, myself. How could I make you worry, too?"

Conan was relieved. She wasn't suspicious. Not yet, anyway. Now, it was time to nip this problem in the bud before it got too big. Conan had already decided what to tell Ran.

"It's okay, really. There's nothing to worry about." he said, trying to sound not-too-cheerful.

"There isn't?"

"No, I called my mom right after I realized my height. She told me that my family has a lot of people like me. We don't grow very much at all for a while but then we have big growth spurts all at once."

God willing... Conan prayed silently.

"Really?" Ran said, she breathed a sigh of relief, "So most of those in your family are just late bloomers? That's so good to hear."

She gave Conan a hug. Conan enjoyed the close contact more than he probably should have.

"Let's get to sleep now, 'kay? I don't know about you, but I need to meet with Sonoko to study for our next English exam." she said. Conan agreed and went back to his room. He hadn't made any progress on the Fail-Safe dilemma, but he had taken care of one potential disaster, at least.

With a sigh, he cursed himself for the reminder of his other problem. He simply couldn't accept the idea of that slow cure. No matter how much he tried, it just felt too much like giving up. And neither Shinichi Kudo or Conan Edogawa were the type to give up easily.

He lay back down, he considered his options. He wondered if there wasn't some third choice he was neglecting. Something else that could be done if and when the worst-case scenario came to pass. Conan felt like he was in the middle of a test of his faith. His belief that all would work out, if he could only figure out how. There had to be some way to deal with this.

It came to him just as he fell into a restless slumber.#nosmileys

[sgamer82]

DETECTIVE CONAN
ORBITAL QUERY
CHAPTER 4: THERE IS OTHERS OUT HERE
By
Sgamer82

The night was no easier for Ai Haibara. She had spent the entire evening and early morning contemplating what she would do when (not if) that dreaded time came around. She was far more pessimistic than Kudo. Though she chose to see it as being realistic. Being the one most familiar with its current progress, she had far less hope for their odds at finding a cure. She knew anything she made without knowledge of the drug's formula was a crap-shoot at best. If it worked at all, it would likely be only temporary.

Despite also being tired from lack of sleep, she found herself restless for most of the following Sunday. When stumped with a problem of some kind, she would typically either coop herself up in her lab and drown herself in her work; or she would go out for a walk and visit the outside world. Which one she chose usually depended on which one was frustrating her most. So, as it was matters of science causing her stress, she went out for a walk in the hopes of clearing her head. She found herself in the park, near the very spot she'd had the realization that was causing them all this grief.

Maybe I should have just sealed myself in the lab... Haibara thought to herself. The reminder of this mess was not what she needed. Still, she wouldn't go home yet. While she couldn't fault Dr. Agasa for wanting them to avoid any potentially rash behavior, she was furious at him and didn't feel like being around him at the moment.

She was equally glad Kudo didn't seem to be around. She knew his choice would be easy. She knew he'd choose to hold out hope for as long as possible. Even if it meant death in the end. Haibara was more concerned with her own self-preservation than he was. Even if a true cure could be discovered, could she... no... would she take it?

The Black Organization knew she was alive. They knew she was around somewhere. They didn't know that she was in a child's body. The fact was, her current condition was the best disguise she could have asked for. As much as she wanted to be normal again, to be herself; if she returned to being Shiho Miyano once more, that near-perfect disguise would be lost to her forever. She'd have nothing to look forward to if she became normal again except a significantly higher chance of being found and killed.

Haibara groaned to herself. She hated these types of situations. Before all this, she hadn't had half the difficulty she did now. She'd had Akemi. Even if she didn't have any useful advice, her sister was always a good source of moral support. Something she'd needed more and more the deeper she became engrossed in the Black Organization's APTX-4869 project.

"And then they took her..." Haibara muttered lightly to herself, "Oneechan... what would you tell me... if you were here?"

"Ai-chan?"

Haibara jumped a bit at the sound of her name. She looked to the source of the voice and saw Ayumi Yoshida standing before her. Mitsuhiko and Genta were nowhere to be seen. Like Haibara, she was likely here on her own.

"Yoshida-san." Haibara said with a nod of greeting. She said nothing about the use of "Ai-chan." While it irked her coming from most, she understood Ayumi did it out of no greater desire than to make Haibara feel more included in the little band of friends she had formed with the boys. Out of respect, and even some appreciation, for that fact, she didn't discourage the "younger" girl from using it.

"Um... are you okay, Ai-chan?" Ayumi asked, a hint of concern in her voice, "You were grumbling and talking to yourself a bit just now."

[sgamer82]

Haibara hadn't fully realized she was acting out her frustrations until just then. She so often schooled her emotions to a nearly perfect cool exterior that it was first nature. She preferred to avoid instigating and, as a result, experiencing the concern of others

"I'm fine, Yoshida-san." she said, making a conscious effort to force down her conflicting emotions. Unfortunately, Ayumi proved difficult to fool. She looked at Haibara, the disbelief in her eyes clear.

"I said I'm fine." Haibara insisted, a bit of irritation creeping into her voice.

"Then why are you so upset?"

"What makes you think I'm upset!"

"Well, there's that you're talking to yourself! But what really shows you're troubled is that you're visiting the park and you're not even playing on anything!"

"I rarely go to any of the park's amenities." Haibara retorted, "You usually have to drag me along."

"True." Ayumi conceded, trying to match Haibara's more adult tone of voice, "But, even when we drag you along, you seem like you enjoy yourself a little. And you're sure not enjoying yourself right now!"

Haibara had no retort to that statement. She would admit (if only to herself) that her time with the grade schoolers provided an enjoyable distraction at times. But she found it hard to believe Ayumi had picked up on that fact. She silently cursed Shinichi Kudo for teaching these kids how to spot such details.

"Fine... if you must know, I'm concerned with a dilemma... one I don't feel like talking about!" she replied.

"A dilemma?" Ayumi asked.

"I just said, I don-"

"No, what's 'dilemma' mean?"

"Oh..." Haibara said. She often found it easier to talk to the Detective Boys like she would anybody else. She hated having to dumb herself down for others for any reason. Though, with the kids, it did occasionally cause these kinds of misunderstandings.

"A dilemma is a problem, a decision of some kind usually, where none of the available options are neither completely good, nor completely bad."

"Oh, okay." Ayumi replied.

"Not going to ask me what it is?" Haibara asked.

"You said you weren't gonna talk about it." Ayumi answered simply. Haibara was relieved. At least the other girl would respect her wishes. She knew Kudo would try and get her to talk.

"So, wanna play something?" Ayumi asked.

"No. I'd rather just walk for right now."

"Mind if I join you?"

Haibara neither agreed nor objected. They walked side by side for several minutes. Haibara smiled inwardly as it was clear Ayumi wanted to know what was troubling her, and trying badly to hide it. It touched her that Ayumi was concerned enough to worry and yet enough of a friend to leave Haibara alone if she wished it.

Haibara said nothing as they walked. Actually, she was wondering if a second opinion would help. Though, obviously, she couldn't tell the whole truth, she thought hard on a way of explaining this to her friend.

"I... I may have to move away soon..."

"What?!" Ayumi exclaimed, surprised by the sudden statement.

"However, the choice on whether or not to do so is completely mine to make. That's the dilemma..."

"Is the place you might move to somewhere you really want to go?"

"Yes. It's something I've looked forward to for a long time now. But, I may have to choose between going and staying her. And I'm not completely sure I should do it after all."

"Why not?"

"Well... it's mostly practical, I suppose. Considering what I can expect here and what I can there. Thinking of which would really be best."

True enough. As Shiho Miyano, her life expectancy would likely be cut very short. She also would have nowhere to go. She wouldn't dare remain at Dr. Agasa's if she returned to normal. It had never been her plan to endanger him so. Especially with all he had done for her.

That left Haibara wondering, Why even worry about changing back at all?

The answer was simple, if not very practical.

Because it's my body! I want to be myself again...

Unfortunately, that wish would surely get her killed.

As Ai Haibara, her safety was relatively more assured. She had others who were actually concerned with her well being. She looked to Ayumi, who had remained silent since Haibara had spoken up. It was, in practical terms, the choice she was better off making.

But am I better off? Could I truly give up my old self for being safe just a little longer?

The choice should be so simple. And yet...

"Ai-chan?"

"Yes?"

"Well, maybe, instead of thinking about what would be best, maybe you should think about what would make you happy."

Happy? Right... Haibara thought. She hadn't felt much to be happy about in the last year. Not much ever, really. Shiho Miyano's life hadn't been one of happiness. She had been put to work on her parents' pet project as early as was possible. The only truly happy memories she had were those shared with Akemi. The times the Miyano sisters could come together, even for a brief while, before "Sherry" would be sent back to the labs to work on the Black Organization's wonder drug.

Haibara stopped walking. Ayumi took a few steps before realizing her friend had stopped. Haibara looked at her, somewhat in wonder. Ayumi asked what was wrong.

"Nothing..." Haibara answered, "It's just... a moment ago, I was asking myself what my... what my oneechan would tell me, if she were here now. And, well, what you just said, that's probably not far off."

"Really?" Ayumi asked.

"Yeah. I think that, if I consulted her about such a choice, she'd tell me to do much the same thing. She wouldn't want me to choose something that might not be good for me just because I want it. Nor would she want me to decide based solely on what's most practical, regardless of whether I want it or not."

She looked to Ayumi, who seemed to be understanding what Haibara was saying.

"Like you, she'd suggest I go for what would make me happy..."

Ayumi smiled at what was clearly meant as a compliment towards her.

"Only now, I'm left to wonder what would make me happy."

She chuckled a bit. She'd mostly solved one dilemma, only to wind up with another one entirely.

"I think I'll head off, now." Haibara said as she turned to leave.

"Going home?" Ayumi asked as she watched her friend walk.

"Yes. I need to talk to Doctor Agasa about something."

"Did you figure out that dilemma thing?"

"Not completely. But, I think I'm on the way to figuring out a choice."

"That's good. Oh, Ai-chan...?"

"Yes?" Haibara asked, turning back to face the other girl.

"Well... that is... I know this is selfish an' all, but..."

"Hm?" Haibara raised an eyebrow in curiosity.

"Well, I hope you don't go anywhere." Ayumi said, "I don't want you to go."

Haibara smiled. A rare occurrence, but one that was warranted, in this case.

"Bye." Haibara said.

"Bye-bye." Ayumi said with a cheerful wave.

Yoshida-san... Haibara thought, Thanks. I think I might know what will make me happy now.

[sgamer82]

DETECTIVE CONAN
ORBITAL QUERY
CHAPTER 5: I, I'M NOT ALONE
By
Sgamer82

Haibara walked into her home. She hadn't been lying when she told Ayumi she had to talk to Dr. Agasa. She wasn't quite sure what to think when she saw him sewing something onto a pair of her socks.

"Ah, Ai-kun." Agasa said as he noticed the girl, "Just in time. I think I've got those lifts figured out. I just finished sewing some into these socks. Try them."

Haibara obliged, removing her socks for the ones Agasa handed her. Haibara felt something odd on the sock's sole. Obviously the lift that had just been added. It wasn't uncomfortable, but it would take some getting used to. Fortunately, they seemed to do their job. Haibara definitely felt a couple centimeters taller than she had a moment ago.

"They're adjustable, too." Agasa boasted, holding up a completed lift that hadn't been added to a sock yet. It was flat, black, and in the shape of a small human foot. Turning a dial on one end, he made the flat lift expand just a bit in size. To where Haibara knew she'd be much taller if she wore that one over the ones one her feet now.

"Very good." Haibara complimented, "These will definitely give us more time to work with. By the way, Doctor... there's something I wish to speak to you about."

"All right. Pick up some socks and help me sew while you do, though. You have a lot of them as it is. And I told Shinichi to bring some of his over too."

Haibara found a laundry basket filled with her socks, grabbed one and a lift, and began sewing them into the sole after a brief demonstration on the process by Dr. Agasa.

"So, is this about the other cure?" the Doctor asked.

Haibara nodded.

"Have you made a decision on the matter, already."

"Well... To be honest, I'm not completely sure, yet. But I think I know what I will do."

----------

"Do you have any idea how hard it is to sneak a bag of socks past Ran Mouri?" Conan Edogawa complained as he came into Dr. Agasa's home. The Doctor and Haibara were just finishing the last of the girl's lifts as he arrived.

"I'll say very, since you're asking the question in the first place." Haibara quipped.

"You'd be right, too." Conan replied, "I couldn't think up a single legitimate reason to be carrying a bag full of socks out of the house."

"So what did you tell her?"

"The truth actually. That Dr. Agasa would be putting lifts into my shoes."

Haibara and Agasa both stared at Conan.

"She and I talked last night. She doesn't suspect anything because of the growing, yet. I just told her I come from a family of late bloomers. She believed it, and I think it's why she wasn't surprised to hear I was getting you to do this. By the way, doctor, she wanted me to find out if anything special had to be done when she did laundry next time."

They seemed satisfied with Conan's explanation. He plopped down his own bag and, after a demo from Haibara and Dr. Agasa, began his own work.

"Doctor, Haibara, I have something to tell you." Conan said.

"A decision regarding our purging agent?" Haibara asked.

"Yeah. This whole problem made me realize something very important."

"Oh?" Agasa said.

"Our only thought so far has been to live long enough to get ourselves a cure to this drug and stop the Black Organization. But have we ever given anything as to how we could accomplish that?"

Neither Agasa nor Haibara had.

"We've been so focused on just surviving, that it's made us short-sighted. I want to become Shinichi again, and be with Ran. But, even if I'm back to normal, that won't happen with the Black Organization's shadow hanging over us. They won't just magically disappear so Ran and I can be happy together."

Neither Agasa nor Haibara could argue the point.

"First off, regarding the cures. I'm going to hold out for as long as possible."

"I'm not surprised." Haibara said, "Let me guess, you see the other cure as a way of giving up."

"That, and just because we won't be exposed doesn't mean we'll be safe. We'll still be looking over our shoulders as long as we live. No matter our size. We may have to face them eventually, no matter what. And I, for one, plan to do so as Shinichi Kudo."

"But what if time runs out? And you need to choose between cures?" Agasa asked.

"I've spent last night and this morning thinking about that. This was harder than I realized it would be. I could either keep myself safe or go all or nothing. Neither choice was completely acceptable. I thought there had to be another way. A third option. And, I think I've figured it out. If the time comes, there's no cure, and we're about to be exposed... I plan on revealing myself first."

His two companions looked at him as if he'd just lost his mind.

"Not to the Black Organization, of course. Nor even Ran. Not yet, anyway. That, I definitely want to do as Shinichi. If the time comes, I'm going to tell the truth to someone who might willingly accept the danger."

"The police?" Agasa asked, following Conan's line of thought.

"Right. I've been around a few of the officers there long enough that they know I'm unusually smart for a kid. Inspector Megure, specifically, knows me as both Conan and Shinichi. Ran's English teacher is an F.B.I. agent who knows something of the Organization. I think, if I have to, I can convince them of who I really am. The fact that you two, my parents, and Heiji Hattori can back up any claims I make can help me there."

"I see." Haibara said, "Instead of running and hiding, or embracing a losing battle, you will seek allies and form an organized resistance. But then, why not do so now?"

"I'd rather start the fight as Shinichi Kudo, not Conan Edogawa." Conan replied, momentarily forgetting his sewing, "If only because, as Shinichi, I can better defend myself and anyone else who might need it. Plus, while you work on a cure, I can begin to make more of a point of showing my stuff to the police and others during cases. Making my abilities clear rather than trying to hide them. To make them wonder just enough. That will make the eventual revelation less of a shock.

"Plus, I still need time to think of a clear plan of attack against the Organization. Also, I have to consider how best to protect those close to me when it all starts. The moment I become a serious enough threat to them, Ran and others could be in danger, regardless of how much or how little they know."

"True. As it is, the Organization isn't likely to kill anybody who knows nothing. If only for the fact that killing too many people, even by 'accident,' would attract unwanted attention, and cause the very thing they wished to prevent."

"So," Dr. Agasa said, "you're going to wait for a full cure and, in the meantime, set up for how to deal with the Black Organization?"

"Right." The group worked in silence for several minutes.

"So, Haibara, how about you? Come to any decision yet?"

"Not entirely..." she said truthfully, "I honestly don't share your optimism on how things will work out. If the time comes for it to be necessary, I'll be taking the purging agent."

"Can't say I'm surprised." Conan said as he concentrated on his sock, "I kind of thought that's what you'd do."

"Oh?" Haibara asked.

"Your little body is an effective disguise. If we had no other choice, I can see you using it. It's the more practical solution. You probably had an easy time with this."

"Odd, I thought you'd be the one to have an easy time. But you say you were up all night?"

"Yeah. What little sleep I got wasn't too restful, either." he said with a slight chuckle.

[sgamer82]

After an entire day of sewing, Conan, Agasa, and Haibara's hands were tired, sore, and, in a few cases, bleeding from needlepoint pricks. While they worked, Ayumi had called and told Haibara her parents were taking her to see a movie and, as she was still concerned for her friend's mood, invited her to come along. To Conan's surprise, Haibara agreed readily.

"You do realize that you're likely to see some family fare kiddy movie?" he asked as Dr. Agasa refolded all of Haibara's socks and set them into a laundry basket to be put back later.

"I do." Haibara replied, "But, if I'm to be a child all over again for good, I should probably get some practice in. Besides, a little distraction doesn't sound like a bad idea after the past day."

Conan just shrugged. Haibara left to change her clothes, taking the laundry basket with her. When she was out of the room, Conan looked to the older doctor and looked him right in the eyes.

"Haibara... she intends to take the other cure no matter what, doesn't she?"

The doctor was shocked, "Shinichi, how did you-"

"I didn't. I was guessing. She decided to use the other cure if things got to hairy. That I understand. She's so practical it would probably be the easy choice to make. But she had just as much trouble as I did. Why would that be unless she wasn't completely sure, one way or the other? And... why not tell me?"

Conan felt honestly hurt by Haibara's apparent lack of trust.

"She has a very good reason for that, Shinichi." Dr. Agasa said as he told Conan of the girl's return from the park.

----------

"So, is this about the other cure?" the Doctor asked.

Haibara nodded.

"Have you made a decision on the matter, already."

"Well... To be honest, I'm not completely sure, yet. But yes, I think I know what I will do. I think that, when the time comes, regardless of whether we find a complete cure or not... I will remain as I am."

"The other cure, then." Agasa said, not surprised entirely by that, however, "But... regardless of a real cure?"

"Yes." Haibara nodded, "I've given this some thought. And while I may yet change my mind, I believe I am better off remaining Ai Haibara. When you get right down to it, what does Shiho Miyano have to return to except a life on the run without friends or family?"

"I wouldn't say no friends." Agasa said as he finished another of Haibara's socks.

"I certainly couldn't stay here if I returned to normal. The Black Organization would realize you helped me. And Kudo-kun would be discovered almost instantly after. If I were to remain after becoming Shiho Miyano again, you wouldn't have a chance. Neither would I, for that matter."

Dr. Agasa didn't respond. She wasn't wrong.

"It may sound silly... even childish." she said with a chuckle, "But here, I have people who are actually concerned about my well being. Not a very familiar thought for me to have. As Shiho, the only person I really had was Oneechan."

"That's not silly at all." Dr. Agasa replied, "Knowing you're not alone is a powerful thing Ai-kun."

"Which reminds me..." Haibara said hesitantly, "Would you please not tell Kudo-kun what I've decided?"

"What?!" Agasa asked, so surprised he accidentally pricked his finger with a sewing needle.

"Why in the world not?" he said while trying to find a bandage for his finger.

"You just said it."

"Could you explain?" Agasa asked, slightly irritated by her being vague and his bleeding appendage.

"Kudo-kun once asked me if I found it embarrassing to be a child like this. To study and play with seven year olds. I told him that I did, but I could handle it. I could handle it because he was there. Going through everything I was. Feeling everything I felt.

"It's just as you said, Doctor. Knowing you're not alone is a powerful thing. That simple piece of knowledge can make even the most horrible of situations bearable. That's why he can't know yet. If we tell him that I'll remain this way no matter what, then he might see it as my abandoning him.

And... he would be right. Even though I fully intend to wait until a real cure for him can be found before using mine, I would be leaving him alone. I would move forward on my own path, while he's still trapped on his part of the road. He's done a lot for me since I came here. I can't do something like that to him."

Again, Dr. Agasa was unable to think of a suitable response.

"All right." he said after a moment, "I won't tell him. Your decision is entirely your own affair. Just as Shinichi's is his. I'll respect your wishes. Even though I don't entirely agree with your secrecy."

"Thank you, Doctor." Haibara told him.

----------

Conan was floored. Haibara was keeping her choice secret for his sake.

"Shinichi..."

"Doctor," Conan said, "Don't let Haibara know you told me."

"Ugh... you too...?" Agasa whined. Shinichi and Ai were supposed to be in this together. Not keep secrets like this from one another.

But Conan didn't want Haibara to know he knew the truth now. He didn't want her to feel unnecessary guilt over her decision if it could be avoided. She was going for something she wanted, and Conan couldn't begrudge her that. Or blame her, for that matter. Her worries that she might be leaving him alone had some validity, but knowing the truth he didn't feel alone.

He watched as Ai Haibara pulled on her shoes and jacket and went outside when Ayumi's parents came to pick her up. If he looked carefully, Conan thought she actually appeared to be looking forward to the coming picture. Chatting with Ayumi, who met her at the front gate.

The simple knowledge that you aren't alone can sometimes make all the difference. For Shinichi Kudo, knowing his fellow teenaged child intended to share his path with him, until their two roads forked, made Shinichi realize just what a friend he'd had in Haibara. The fact she wanted it kept secret for his sake, proved that. She just as easily could take her cure now and be done with it. But she would wait. Knowing that fact didn't make him feel alone. Quite the opposite. He would do all he could to return that friendship.

Whether it took weeks, months, or even years, when the day came; when Shinichi Kudo resumed his old life, and Ai Haibara began her new one, he'd do all he could to keep her safe. He would fight with all he had, so that she could actually live that new life. Live without having the syndicate's shadow looming over her.

So that nobody would ever have to live like that. Ever again.

[sgamer82]

The title "Orbital Query" is based on an old 80's song called "Dancing in Heaven (Orbital Be-Bop)" by Q-Feel. The chapter titles are all lyrics from the song itself. Obviously, the song itse,f has nothing to do with the plot. That in mind, you must be asking, why even use it at all? Because, among the lines of the song, are the following lyrics:

Slow, slow, quick quick, slow
Slow, slow, quick quick, slow

These lines continually popped into my head in the writing process because, when you get right down to it, that is what Haibara and Conan are deciding in this story. Whether or not to get the cure that will enable immediate growth, or to use one that will make them grow gradually. Slow? Slow? Quick? Quick? Slow?

Also, sorry if it's a bit cliffhanger-y, but actually I may use it as a foundation for another story down the line. One where Shinichi & co. confront the Black Organization at last. I've got what (I think) are some good ideas to work with to make it interesting. Though I have no intention of even starting anything with it until Ghostly Eyes (My Naruto fic) is finished.#nosmileys