“What do you think you’re doing, Red?”
“Towing you back.”
Green chuckled. “You’re going to tow me through the streets of Taiko City?”
“I am.”
“I can’t let you do that.”
“Don’t be silly,” she replied. “I see tows all the time.”
“Circumstances are different tonight. There’s too much at stake.”
“We can go back and regroup,” Reiko stated.
“They can only regroup if there isn’t anyone to hold them back.”
“They’re going to need as many people tonight as they can gather.”
Green paused and took a long sniff. “I’m wounded.”
“They have medics.”
“Think this through, Red. Dragging me along will endanger the cause.”
“The cause might be over tonight,” Reiko stated angrily.
“Each of us knew what was at risk. Have faith.”
“In what?” she asked. She hated that word.
“That the Sons of War will prevail.”
“If they capture you here, they’ll torture you,” Reiko reminded him.
“Then I have to make sure they don’t take me captive.”
“That’s why I’m taking you with me.”
“I appreciate the thought, but I can’t let you do that,” Green firmly stated.
The communication cut out. Reiko tried to contact him, but he refused to answer.
Green’s Katamari exploded.
At first, Reiko thought that the Anubis had somehow destroyed him from below, or that another Anubis was approaching. But her scans showed everything was clear.
Green had used the self-destruct.
She took a frustrated breath, upset at the waste of life. She honored the selflessness in his decision, but they could have found a way. She used her electromagnetic gun and pushed the three Katamaris into the water. Three lives gone, and for what? They’d failed. Did their families know? If not, they’d be finding out soon enough when the secret police, the Tokko, came to investigate them. If they didn’t provide satisfactory answers (actually, even if they did), they’d be carted away.
Reiko raced back to their meeting point, wondering if imperial mechas would be there waiting to arrest her. If so, would she make Green’s choice? There was no hope if she were imprisoned. The Tokko would torture her until she betrayed everyone around her. Reiko knew too much about their ways to believe she could actually resist. Would she fight anyone who tried to arrest her? If the plot of the Sons of War was uncovered, it would mean the governor’s position would become even more solidified. The idea of leaving the country in the hands of a Nazi collaborator sickened her. Her only option was to see this through to the end. Fight until the governor was assassinated, or die trying. Think, Reiko, think! The rendezvous spot would most likely be compromised. Her only chance was to find out where the governor was.
But just as she was pondering her next steps, scans warned of multiple mechas approaching. She checked their signals. There were four mechas heading her way. They’d anticipated her. She knew she had little chance, but she had to fight. She checked her armaments. Armor-piercing shells were down to 58 percent and her magnet gun would need a recharge soon. She checked the surrounding environments to find the best place to defend herself.
“Power down your mecha,” the opposing pilot ordered her.
“And if I say no?” Reiko asked.
“We will destroy you.”
“You can try,” Reiko replied.
Sixteen arms attacked her at once. They tore out huge chunks of her armor and destroyed her magnetic gun. Reiko checked the external scans and saw that her mecha would not survive another attack. She grinned defiantly and prepared the self-destruct.
“Once again, we will give you a chance to power down and—”
“Not happening.” Reiko cut them off. The Anubises prepared to strike attack again. Reiko activated the self-destruct, but nothing happened. The circuitry must have been destroyed. “Dammit,” she cursed.
She prepared herself to go down fighting when suddenly the Anubis across from her exploded. Reiko was confused until she spotted a new mecha approaching. It resembled a bipedal bug, lankier than the others, but had horns protruding from its face like a stag beetle. The segmented limbs gave it the ability to have a snake-like attack, with its arms moving similar to a whip. It was Daniela Takemi’s mecha, Stryder.
“Reiko!” Daniela called on an encrypted line.
Reiko was stunned to see Daniela on her communicator. “What’s going on?”
“I came as soon as I saw your message. Can you move?”
“Barely.”
“Get yourself to a safe distance.”
Reiko did her best.
The Stryder fired streams of boomerangs which weren’t just the typical flat airfoils that would fly back to the thrower. Instead, after they reached their target, they exploded, causing a slicing line of fire to slash through her foes.
Major damage was inflicted on the Anubises, who fell into disarray. The Stryder sprinted toward them and used her boomerangs like daggers. Within seconds, Daniela had slashed through the combatants, sundering them into slices of mecha sashimi.
“I can’t tell you how glad I am to see you,” Reiko said. “I thought I was done.”
“Not if I can help it,” Daniela replied. “We’re going to get through this.”
“But we failed our mission.”
“If we fail doing the right thing, it’s not failure,” Daniela replied firmly.
Reiko saw her tactical map light up. “There’s some heavy fighting north of here.”
“Can you move?”
“With auxiliary power. Give me a second to reroute the generators,” Reiko said as she tried to get her Katamari moving again.
A minute later, they zipped past buildings and stores to reach a twisted freeway. A series of explosions set off just as they arrived. The fire became a mountain that towered over them.
“What the hell’s going on?” Reiko asked as emergency alerts blared at her. Twelve Anubis mechas were approaching them.
“Looks like an ambush. The—wait . . . Someone’s coming out from the fire.”
A lone figure emerged from the destruction of the freeway wearing an armored suit and helmet. Whoever it was, they were holding a head.
Both Daniela and Reiko targeted their weapons on the individual when someone in the Anubis contacted them. It was Vice Minister Toyoda, second-in-command of the Sons of War. “Easy on the weapons. We’ve succeeded,” he informed them.
“What do you mean, ‘succeeded’?”
“After your report, we found where the governor really was. We dispatched our top agent to get him and as you can see, she’s succeeded.”
“Top agent?” Reiko asked as she looked back down at the agent.
“Her code name is Bloody Mary.”
“The legendary Nazi killer is with us?” Daniela asked, impressed.
“She is.”
Reiko had not known Bloody Mary was part of the Sons of War, even though it should not have been a surprise to learn it. Everyone knew the stories of how ruthless Bloody Mary was to the Nazis.
“What happened to the other pilots who were with you?” Toyoda asked.
Reiko shook her head, upset to know that Green had sacrificed himself in futility. There was no reason for his death, even though she was touched by his conviction and his willingness to sacrifice himself for the cause. “They were killed.”
“That’s unfortunate.”
Daniela was more somber. “I’m very sorry.”
“So am I,” Reiko said.
Reiko wasn’t sure if she felt relief or disappointment that the battle was over in this manner, but she was glad Daniela was there. Her
eyes went back to Bloody Mary, who waited for Toyoda’s Anubis to pick her up. Governor Tamura was dead thanks to her. But Reiko had an ominous feeling that something was wrong. She just had no idea what.
II.
“—have decided that General Noboru Yamaoka will be the new interim governor until further investigations can be carried out. In this turbulent time, we have faith that the general will lead the nation and determine who carried out this craven attack.”
The press conference held by the prime minister had been playing on repeat over all the major portical channels for the past week, carefully monitored by the censorship office.
Governor Yamaoka carried out an investigation that led to evidence of the previous governor’s collusion with the Nazis. This included private bank statements and tax reports that had, until now, all been hidden. There was a huge uproar among the public, shocked by the implications. At the same time, inexplicable acts began to make sense, like why the governor had ordered Yamaoka to cease his attack on Texarkana Fortress. The media was working around the clock to connect the dots, some true, some nebulous but within the realm of possibility, with “unnamed sources” providing tenuously plausible links. All of the governor’s cronies were arrested. Reiko knew it would not take long for the Tokko to break them down. Reports were announced of a massive conspiracy by the former governor, who had received payment from the Nazis and worked with them to secure his position.
On the kikkai, orbits like SOCIAL were full of effusive praise for Governor Yamaoka, expressing joy and relief at his appointment. There was a clean sweep of the former government, and all the important positions were given to members of the Sons of War. Reiko was asked multiple times what type of role she would like. But even she wasn’t sure.
The weeks were a busy blur for Reiko. She met thousands of officials and spent many of her evenings meeting new members of the Sons of War. It was common to see generals and officials from Tokyo Command visit. All of them had been caught off guard by the assassination, which was blamed on American terrorists.
She was relieved when Daniela invited her for a night out in Berkeley.
“I can’t take any more meetings,” Reiko said.
“Me neither,” Daniela replied. “That’s why I want to show you the new Cyber Bubble lounge.”
“What’s that?”
“You ever been to the moon?”
“Remember back at Berkeley, I got so drunk, I jumped in a swimming pool and swore I reached the moon when I swam into its reflection?” Reiko said.
“I remember we had to clean all five pools for a month after you threw up in them. I thought we were getting kicked out of Berkeley for sure.”
“Oh yeah. Did I ever apologize for that?”
“No.”
“Good,” Reiko said with a laugh which made Daniela laugh as well.
The lounge was called Apocalypse Tomorrow. There were pods laid out like coffins in long rows. A pimply teenager with enormous goggles over his eyes asked them, “For two?”
“Yep.”
They got into the pods and a gel filled the inside. All of a sudden Reiko was floating in outer space. It was cold and totally quiet. Daniela was next to her.
“This feels so real,” Reiko said, but no sound came out.
Daniela adjusted the settings so they could hear each other.
“This is better than any virtual reality set I’ve seen,” Reiko stated.
“Oh yeah, this puts it to shame. C’mon, race you down to the surface.”
“How?”
“Swim toward the moon,” Daniela teased.
They descended rapidly, but Daniela was faster than her. They jumped from crater to crater and marveled at the lunar topography. The Earth was beautiful from this distance.
“There’s all sorts of other experiences we can do,” Daniela said. “I love the moon and surfing the Banzai Pipeline in Oahu.”
“Let’s go surfing!”
* * *
—
After the Cyber Bubble, the two went to grab drinks on Telegraph.
“That was a trip,” Reiko said. “How’d you find out about the place?”
“I go there often to relieve stress.”
“Meetings stress you out that much?”
Daniela stared at her drink. “What do you think about all the changes Governor Yamaoka is implementing?”
“They’re great. He’s overturning Tamura’s corruption and fixing a lot of the wrongs.”
Daniela had a sad smile on her face. She was about to say something when they heard a jeering sound. Reiko looked out the window, wondering what it was. More than thirty people were being escorted by the police, handcuffed and walking in a shuffle. People were throwing food at them, mocking them.
“Who are they?” Reiko asked a waiter.
“Traitors from the old regime,” he replied.
Reiko recognized the ex-mayor of Berkeley, who’d been convicted of mass tax fraud and bribery shortly after Yamaoka had taken over.
“Oh my god,” Daniela said. “That’s Watanabe-san.”
“Who?” Reiko inquired.
“Pris Watanabe’s dad.”
“General Pris Watanabe?” Reiko clarified. The general was one of the top officers in the mecha corps.
“Yes. Don’t you recognize him?”
Reiko had to look more carefully. He used to teach a class on logic at Berkeley and was one of their favorite professors.
Watanabe-san’s face was badly bruised with sunken eyes and he was limping forward without saying a word. Someone slapped him hard in the face and another spat at him.
Reiko saw Daniela’s frown and clenched fist, and could tell she was about to step out to fight the protesters. Reiko stopped her. She knew it wouldn’t look good for Daniela to publicly defend a traitor, especially during this political climate.
“Let’s get out of here,” Reiko suggested.
Daniela looked like she was going to protest, but fortunately didn’t.
They walked up Channing Way to an isolated spot. Daniela asked Reiko, “Why did you stop me?”
“You know why.”
“This is a political arrest, since Watanabe-san didn’t openly oppose Governor Tamura by joining the Sons of War.”
“Maybe. But there must be a good reason for it,” Reiko said, even though she wasn’t sure if she believed it.
“To shore up power for Governor Yamaoka. You know how many people he’s had arrested and executed?”
Reiko was alarmed by her tone. “I don’t.”
“Or you don’t care,” Daniela said. To Reiko’s shame, she could not deny it. “This is not what I signed up for.”
“Change takes time,” Reiko said. “You told me that when you recruited me for the Sons of War.”
“I’m wondering if that was a mistake.”
“Don’t be ridiculous.” Reiko leaned in. “We did the right thing with Tamura. Now the old guard has to be pushed aside.”
Daniela glared intently at a new mob that was passing down Telegraph. “Pushed aside is one thing. This circus is another. Watanabe was part of the mecha corps like us. He deserves better.”
“You’re right,” Reiko stated, remembering how Watanabe incorporated philosophy and logic into mecha combat. “But getting out in front of that mob isn’t the way to do it. Let’s go through the right channels.”
“You and your channels,” Daniela said. “What happens when the channels break down?”
“We’ll deal with it then.”
“I hope so.” Daniela sighed.
* * *
—
A few days later, Reiko was surprised when she received an invitation to meet the new governor in Los Angeles. She flew in from Berkeley and went to City Hall in downtown. Governor Yamaoka was in a meeting with a business council, mi
nisters and representatives from Ordnance, Armaments, Economics, Production, Steel, Metalworks, Bradlium, Atomics, and more. Twenty-three men in suits left. She entered the governor’s office.
“They’re worried about the new five-year economic plan,” Yamaoka said. “I needed to reassure them that things will move smoothly and their pockets aren’t in danger of getting any lighter.”
“Yes, sir.”
“Greed can be a powerful tool to control an empire.”
“Greed can destroy empires,” Reiko pointed out. “Especially if the officials put their own self-interest above all else.”
“Empires have hefty price tags to keep running. Sometimes a little greed is a price worth paying, at least in the interim.”
“Understood, sir. I assume their oaths of loyalty to you are as unwavering as they were to the former governor?”
Governor Yamaoka laughed. “You have a sharp tongue.”
“I’ve always been told it’s dull and round. Though I do have a sharp bite.”
“What would you do in my shoes?”
Reiko glanced at his shoes and said, “I’d buy cheaper, more comfortable ones than those. Italian leather is nice, but can wear down your toes.”
He took off his shoes and tossed them in the trash can.
“Best piece of advice I’ve gotten all day,” he declared. He sat back down and said, “I heard you were with Major Kinoshita in his last moments.”
“I’m sorry, sir. I don’t know a Major Kinoshita.”
“I believe his code name was Green.”
Reiko was startled that the governor was willing to talk openly about that night. “I don’t know what you’re referring to, sir, but I do associate the color green with tremendous honor and sacrifice.”
The governor nodded. “That’s good to know and I appreciate your discretion.” From the way he expressed his approval, she wondered if he’d been testing her reaction. “I like you, Lieutenant Morikawa, and your service to the Empire is commendable. You’ll be receiving an official promotion to the rank of captain, effective immediately. I also want to transfer you into the Education Department.”
Cyber Shogun Revolution Page 3
