Trembling Into the Blue

by Shouji Gatou

  Apparently the same did not apply to Tessa, though. Before Mardukas could open the data file to check, she whispered, “It means that chemical weapons are involved. That a storage facility has been attacked and occupied by an armed force of some kind.”

  Chemical weapons... sarin, tabun, VX gas, and other weapons of mass killing. Even after achieving independence, the Republic of Perio still played host to a few American bases. Mardukas remembered reading somewhere that this included a facility for disassembling and disposal of “special warheads.” A poison gas storehouse in the middle of a tropical paradise in tourist season, occupied by terrorists...

  “It’s a terrifying thought,” he concluded. “If that facility goes up...”

  “Yes,” she agreed. “All 20,000 people living in Perio... and tens of thousands of tourists, would suffer. The entire nation could even be wiped off the map.”

  “But the United States military will surely attempt a counterinsurgency,” Mardukas predicted. “They have people always ready for this kind of thing, and if they send their AS-equipped special forces, they should take it back easily enough.”

  “I hope you’re right. But if something goes wrong...” Tessa trailed off and glared at the screen ahead of her. “Then we’ll need to act. Back into the fray...”

  26 August, 1330 Hours (Japan Standard Time)

  Over Pacific Ocean, 200 Kilometers Southwest of Iwojima

  Sagara Sousuke was feeling uneasy.

  He was en route to Merida Island, Mithril’s base in the West Pacific, which lay 1500 kilometers south of Tokyo. The twin-engine turboprop aircraft vibrated in flight about 1000 meters over the ocean, and powerful sunlight streamed through the windows into the cabin where he was sitting.

  Chidori Kaname was seated across from him, and the backlighting made it impossible for him to read her expression. She seemed to be upset, but he couldn’t begin to guess why. It’s a total mystery... he thought.

  When he’d gone to her apartment that morning, she’d been in high spirits, greeting him with a beaming smile and a travel bag full of clothes.

  “Okay, let’s get rolling!” she’d said cheerfully.

  When he’d led her to Chofu Airport and explained that they’d be taking a chartered Cessna, she’d begun to marvel, saying things like, “Sousuke, are you super rich?!” in open astonishment.

  Then, as the Cessna took off for Hachijojima, she’d seemed beside herself with joy. He continued to receive comments like “I underestimated you” and “I didn’t know you were so resourceful” as she gazed out, enraptured, at the scenery below.

  It was after arriving in Hachijojima, when they’d changed to the twin-engine plane to Mithril, that the problems had started. Kaname had apparently thought they would be staying, and she’d been stunned when he’d told her they were just changing planes. At last, deciding it would be all right to tell her their destination, he’d said, “We’re going to Mithril’s West Pacific base. Colonel Testarossa wants to see you.”

  For some reason, she’d fallen silent after that. After a clipped response (“fine, then”), she hadn’t said another word for four hours.

  Strange. Have I overlooked something very important? Sousuke had been working the problem over in his mind all this time, and he still couldn’t figure it out. Once they passed 20 degrees north latitude, he cleared his throat and addressed her. “Chidori...”

  “Yes? Can I help you, Sergeant Sagara?” There it was, all of a sudden. An inscrutable malice came through in her words.

  “If I’ve upset you somehow, please tell me. I’ll do anything I can to make it right.”

  “Oh. Well, actually—” Kaname gave him the most sarcastic smile she could manage. “My problems are things you can’t possibly solve, so I should probably keep them to myself.” She left no room for discussion.

  He’d been thinking of taking Kaname somewhere, after her business with Colonel Teletha Testarossa was finished... But at this rate, it seemed he’d have to give up on that plan.

  As if to punctuate the fact that they had nothing further to talk about, Kaname turned and looked out the window. Her earring caught the light. Wait... does she usually wear earrings? he realized.

  Just then, the copilot poked his head into the cabin. “Sergeant Sagara. Message from Merida Island. It’s for you.”

  “I’m on my way... Chidori, I’ll be stepping away for a minute.”

  Kaname didn’t respond. With a grimace, Sousuke lowered his head and entered the cockpit, and took the headset from the copilot. “Sagara here.”

  “Hey, it’s me.” It was a fine baritone voice with a slight note of jocularity: Sousuke’s comrade, Sergeant Kurz Weber.

  “Kurz,” Sousuke acknowledged him. “What is it?”

  “We got a standby B order. It includes you. We need to board the de Danaan en route ASAP; we’ll be taking a helicopter there in a few minutes.”

  Sousuke wanted to let out a groan. A standby order, now of all times? Ground soldiers like him and Kurz weren’t required to be on the amphibious assault submarine, the Tuatha de Danaan, at all times. They remained on land for daily training and other missions, and they were only called to board and stand by when absolutely needed. There were a multitude of things that could happen after they came aboard: sometimes they ended up seeing combat; sometimes they waited for days and nothing happened.

  Since they’d gotten the order to board the de Danaan on maneuvers, Kurz and the others on Merida Island would be taking helicopters to the rendezvous. But Sousuke was still en route from Tokyo; there was no way he’d be able to join them on their flight.

  “They can only wait twenty minutes, tops,” Kurz told him. “Can you make it?”

  “Not a chance,” Sousuke told him grimly. “We’re at least two hours from Merida.”

  “Then you’ll have to take that way. Don’t catch cold. Of course, people like you never do...” Kurz laughed with a trace of mockery, referring to the old Japanese adage that “idiots don’t catch colds.”

  “That isn’t the problem,” Sousuke said. “It’s Kaname. What should I do with her?”

  “Ah, that’s right. Since Tessa’s underwater...”

  “Should I have Kaname wait on Merida Island, or send her back?” Just saying the words out loud brought a cold sweat to Sousuke’s forehead. Kaname was already in a bad mood, and now he’d have to say either, “something came up, please kill time at the base” or, “sorry, but please go back to Tokyo”... How was he going to do it? He was the one who’d invited her here.

  “Are you absolutely certain you need me on the board?” he asked anxiously. “I’m sure there are others who can take my place. If you just let me talk to the Colonel—”

  “Ah, hang on a second... Huh? Oh, it’s Big Sis.” He could hear Kurz holding a muttered conversation on the other end of the radio. Sousuke waited patiently, and soon Kurz returned. “Right. Got word about that at just the right time. Apparently Tessa says, ‘If Kaname-san wants to come, bring her on board.’ Nice, eh? The civilian gets to join us. Just bring her along.”

  “You expect me to put Kaname through that?” The method for boarding the de Danaan underwater was slightly... unusual.

  “She’s tough,” Kurz told him. “She can handle it.”

  “Hmm...” Of course, there would be a lot to worry about, with bringing her onto a warship on maneuvers. Then again, the cutting-edge de Danaan was also one of the safest places in the world. Maybe it wasn’t worth worrying about. “I’ll bring her, then,” Sousuke responded, and after a few more formalities, he ended the call.

  Back in the cabin, Kaname was stewing. Two days ago, when Sousuke had invited her, she’d started out hesitant. “Maybe we shouldn’t be alone together,” she’d thought. Not that she thought he’d try anything, but going on a trip together still felt like some kind of invisible line was being crossed.

  It wasn’t just a trip. For a normal 16-year-old girl, an overnight stay with a boy was a life-changing experience. It wasn’
t like going to an amusement park on a Sunday. And when that boy was Sousuke... that brought up other important, unresolved issues.

  The relationship they had—the way she scolded him every day at school, acted like his big sister, looked after him because “no one else would”—she couldn’t help but feel this trip would change that. Getting closer to him might throw them out of the comfortable rhythm they’d established. Those thoughts jumbled together inside of her and made her heart pound in her chest. Maybe I should call it off, she’d thought again and again.

  But when the night before arrived, she’d had a change of heart. She shoved a few changes of clothes and her bath set in her bag, and as she went about the work, she even realized she was humming. Well, it’ll go how it goes... she’d told herself. What’s the worst that could happen?

  And so, she’d found herself looking forward to the trip. Don’t worry so much; just enjoy your time with him. Eat all kinds of delicious things. Go with the flow. And if he asks for more... ah, what would I do then? No, I’m not that easy! Oh, but if the mood was right... No, I couldn’t! Oh, but could I? Hee hee hee... Such were the thoughts that consumed her. The feeling had carried over to that morning, too, and continued as they were heading out.

  Then, after so much wrestling with complicated, unfamiliar feelings, after so many emotional ups and downs... they’d arrived on Hachijojima, and he’d told her “We’re going to meet Colonel Testarossa,” and she’d been hit by an extreme feeling of deflation. Oh, so that’s what it was, she realized. It’s just another Mithril mission. We’re going to some weird island, because your dearest darling asked you to pack me up and take me there. I can’t believe I spent two days worrying and wondering and letting my emotions go crazy. I’m so stupid... She’d felt about two inches tall.

  In the cockpit, Sousuke was talking to someone on the radio. The plane was noisy, and they were speaking rapidly in English, so she couldn’t tell what they were saying. When he finally returned to the cabin and sat down, his face was ashen.

  “What is it?” she asked brusquely.

  With a timid glance at her, he said, “There’s been a change of plans.”

  “I see,” Kaname replied stonily.

  “The colonel has urgent business,” he told her, “and she’s not on Merida Island.”

  “And?”

  “If it’s all right with you, I’d like to take you along to our vessel.”

  “Hmm...” Kaname pondered briefly. Tessa had a ship, right? She felt like she’d heard about this at some point. The super-secret high-tech mercenary squad, Mithril, that Sousuke was involved with, had some kind of amphib... some kind of boat thing, and Tessa was the captain of it or something. It was true that she’d felt she needed to talk to Tessa for a while—the girl seemed to know something about the whole mystery surrounding Kaname—yet they’d only spoken together a few times over the phone since the chaos in Ariake.

  “Okay, fine... whatever,” Kaname responded indifferently.

  “I appreciate it. Please stand by,” Sousuke said, then returned to the cockpit.

  For a little while after that, Sousuke came and went occasionally between the cockpit and the cabin. He would retrieve a large bag from the cabin shelf, fiddle with the radio in the cockpit, discuss something with the pilot...

  About two hours after the decision to change destination, Sousuke asked her, “Did you bring a bathing suit?”

  “Huh?” Where did that come from? Kaname wondered. Are we going to the island after all? “Well... I brought one, sure.”

  “Put it on,” he told her. “You can use the back of the cabin.”

  “Where is this coming from?” she asked. “Hey...”

  “Hurry. There’s not much time.” Sousuke headed back for the cockpit, seeming strangely flustered about something.

  With no choice but to do as she was told, Kaname went to the bathroom in the back of the cabin and swiftly changed into her swimsuit. It was a one-piece with orange print; she’d also brought a white bikini, but she’d lost any desire to wear it in front of Sousuke.

  She came back to the cabin with a towel over her shoulders, and found Sousuke there in a wetsuit; it looked like he was wearing it over his clothes. She stared for a second. “What’s going on?”

  “I’m sorry,” he apologized. “We didn’t have a wetsuit in your size.”

  “Uh, that’s not what I—”

  “Put your luggage in this bag, please. All of it.” He quickly shoved an olive-colored bag at Kaname. “Once you’ve packed it in, zip it up. It’s double-layered, so make sure you get both. You should put that towel inside as well, and tie back your hair, if you can.”

  Kaname remained annoyed. “Hey, would you just tell me—”

  “Sarge!” The pilot called, and Sousuke ended up having to return to the cockpit. Confused, Kaname packed her things into the olive-colored bag.

  “Finished?” Sousuke returned right away.

  “Yeah,” she said. “But why did you make me do that?”

  “The bag is waterproof and impact-resistant.” With that non-answer given, Sousuke opened another bag and swiftly put on its contents; this was a strangely-shaped rucksack, attached to a rigging of sturdy-looking belts and metal buckles.

  “Um... hey, is that...”

  “Put this on,” he ordered. “Hurry... no, I’ll put it on. We don’t have time.”

  “Hey—” Kaname broke off, and suddenly let out a yelp. “What are you doing?!” She could only stand there in shock as Sousuke began fastening the belts and buckles around her body; his rubber-gloved hands ran all over her arms and shoulders, legs and backside. Turning scarlet, Kaname tried to object, but...

  “Sarge!” the pilot called. “One minute left!”

  “Got it!”

  “We’re running low on fuel, so we won’t get a second—”

  “I know!” Sousuke shouted back. “Don’t worry!”

  Intimidated by the strange tension in their interaction, Kaname found her objections dying in her throat. She winced in pain as Sousuke pulled at the buckles and belts he’d secured around her, testing their strength. “Hey, what are we—”

  “Thirty seconds!” the pilot cried.

  “Thanks a lot!” Sousuke responded. “See you another time!”

  “Huh?” Kaname said. “What do you mean ‘another time’? Hey, wait—” Sousuke got around behind her and attached his buckles to hers with a clink. They were latched together now, with him standing right behind her, arms linked under hers.

  “What? Hey...” she tried again, “what’s going on?” Sousuke, who was bearing all the equipment on his shoulders—including the bag with her luggage inside—strode quickly to the right side of the cabin, as if carrying her.

  “Huh? Huh?”

  The copilot, standing next to the hatch, cranked a lever in the wall. The sliding-style door flew open, and they were abruptly buffeted by the wind from outside.

  Kaname shrieked.

  Suddenly, the roar of the engine was much louder, and a cold gale was roaring around her. She could see where the sky met the sea, all in blue. It spanned out in its vastness, far below: ocean, as far as the eye could see. Tokyo Tower felt like nothing compared to the height they were at now.

  Sousuke tossed a smoking marker out the hatch and watched the direction of the wind outside. Then he gave the copilot a thumbs up, and he patted Kaname on the shoulder. “Right! Let’s go, Chidori!”

  “‘Let’s go,’ my butt!” she yelled back. “We’re still flying!”

  “We are,” he agreed.

  Kaname began to flail, struggling to get back into the plane, but because she was latched to Sousuke, it was hard for her to get traction. “What are you doing?! Hey, don’t tell me we’re going to jump—”

  “Affirmative.” With a shout, Sousuke propelled himself out of the plane, taking Kaname along with him.

  The floor vanished from below her feet, and a feeling surged over her, like her guts floating up inside her body
. She could tell that she was screaming, but the rushing wind around her drowned her voice out, so that she could barely even hear it. In the corner of her eye she could see the turboprop plane receding.

  Everything was blue. The crystal clear sky, the sparkling ocean... that, and the sun, were all that was left in existence.

  “Ah...” Kaname said tremulously. She and he, alone in that cerulean world. Just the two of them, together... How wonderful it would be, if not for the force dragging them down. In a corner of her mind, she began to think she could excuse almost everything he’d put her through up until now. Yes, even the fact that he’d dragged her out on his suicide plunge. But just as that realization occurred, she felt a hard impact, and her body was jerked upward. No—in fact, their parachute had opened.

  The world of pure blue vanished as an olive-green parachute came to comprise most of the view above her. The wind rushing past her near-naked body died to a gentle breeze that rustled her hair. Dangling from the parachute, they continued their downward drift.

  “We’re going to die...” Kaname whispered, as she gazed down at the ocean below. There was no sign of the ship Sousuke had talked about. They were approaching the surface of the water now.

  “Okay, Chidori,” Sousuke told her. “I’ll be cutting the parachute just before we hit the water. Take a deep breath.”

  “Why?” she found it in herself to ask.

  “So that we don’t drown,” he said. “Three... two...” They had already fallen the height of a skyscraper. She could make out the waves in detail now. “Cutting now.”

  Holding back the urge to cry, Kaname filled her lungs with air. The parachute flew free; they stiffened and plunged toward the ocean.

  She felt a final impact, and her body was engulfed in seawater and foam.

  The water wasn’t as cold as she’d prepared herself for.

  26 August, 0628 Hours (Greenwich Mean Time)

  Tuatha de Danaan, 30 Meter Depth, West Pacific Ocean

  “Con, sonar. Human-sized objects hitting the water on bearing 3-1-7. Distance... about 500 yards,” the sonar technician told Tessa.