Cyber Shogun Revolution

by Peter Tieryas

  “Probably not,” Bishop said. “But to hell with it.”

  Chief Engineer Higuchi met them on the ground. “Where’s Major Onishi?”

  “On the bridge,” Reiko replied.

  “I’ve got the adjustment to the Skaria she requested and the Melluso augment for the BPG, which should give your Skaria a big energy boost.”

  She hadn’t been aware of either upgrade. “How long to hook it up?”

  “Two hours.”

  Reiko noticed a stunning mural on the wall of crab mechas fighting a biomech, depicted in graphic detail.

  “That’s incredible,” she said.

  “It’s an original Ryuji. Paid a goddamn fortune for it, but it’s worth every yen.” Higuchi moved the cigar around in his mouth. “Is it true Bloody Mary’s forces have a ghost mecha?”

  “Not as far as I know. Why do you ask?”

  “Everyone’s been talking about it. My crew is convinced she has a supernatural monster mecha on her side.”

  “It’s not supernatural,” Reiko assured him. “Their mecha has access to technology that makes it super fast. Make sure you spread that. I don’t want people getting spooked.”

  Higuchi went to direct the crew that was replacing the Kamakiri’s arm.

  “Million bucks you’ll be hearing about ghost mechas for years on end now,” Bishop said.

  “Bloody Mary likes to play up the psychological warfare,” Reiko noted.

  “She’s good at it. I think that’s why she lets some of us live.”

  “Why’s that?”

  “So we can spread the terror for her.”

  “Someone somewhere must know more about Bloody Mary’s past,” Reiko said.

  “According to those files you gave me, she’s been at this for more than forty years.”

  “Forty years? How old would that make her?”

  “I don’t know. But all of her commanding officers are dead. Some, by accident, and others from natural causes,” Bishop replied.

  “Natural causes sounds unlikely.”

  “All the information related to them was sealed.”

  “So not only are they dead, but someone is covering up for her,” Reiko said in disbelief.

  “It’s hard to believe secrets can still exist in our age,” Bishop said.

  “Why’s that?”

  “Everyone is just a set of numbers that the government has access to. Humanity lies in the interpretation of those numbers.”

  “So you’re saying your real job is interpreter?”

  Bishop shook his head. “I have a filter that boils people down to whether they’re treasonous or not.”

  “How do you draw the line between a patriot who wants drastic change for the good of the empire, and a genuine traitor?”

  “Usually, my superiors make that call.”

  “Have they ever been wrong?”

  Bishop paused to think about it. “Yes,” he regretted to admit.

  “That’s scary. What happens if you disagree with your superiors?”

  Bishop shrugged. “Technically, I can’t disagree or else my ass gets put on the filtered list too.” He looked up at the mecha arm being moved into the empty socket. “The Stryder moves like a ghost. It’ll be hard to do anything against its acceleration module.”

  “A mecha is only as good as its pilot. Doesn’t matter the weaponry, the armaments. A good pilot will find a way to overcome.”

  “Tell that to the ancient soldiers with spears battling fighter jets,” Bishop said.

  “Or the rocket pack soldier who helped us take down a mecha,” Reiko retorted.

  “You’re surprisingly optimistic.”

  “Only so I can hide the fatalist inside me,” she replied back, and watched as the crews attached the arm. “I don’t want to fight Daniela.”

  “Then don’t,” Bishop said.

  “What do you mean?”

  “Don’t do anything you don’t feel comfortable with.”

  “But I have to face her,” Reiko said.

  “Why?” Bishop asked.

  “To protect the city.”

  “Leave it to someone else.”

  “There’s no other pilots.”

  “They’ll find some,” Bishop said. “Only do this if you want to.”

  “That’s not the way it works in the military,” Reiko replied.

  “That’s what I thought too. Look what happened to me at Texarkana.”

  “Aren’t you supposed to be making sure I always stay in line with orthodoxy?”

  “We’re in a revolution,” Bishop said. “Orthodoxy is changing by the minute.”

  The pilot called K approached them and asked, “Where’s Nori?”

  “Here,” Nori said as she descended the platform.

  “Where’s your regular crew?” K asked her.

  Nori’s face darkened. “General Pris Watanabe attacked us without warning.”

  “They’re all dead?” K asked, shocked.

  Nori nodded.

  “Sorry to hear that,” K said. “They were a good crew.”

  “The best.”

  “Your leg okay?”

  “Got busted up. I’m going to take a dip in a rejuvenation vat.” To Bishop, she said, “Your niece and her mother are safely registered at the Futaba Underground Shelter.”

  “Then they’re okay?”

  “It appears so,” Nori replied. “The opposing mechas stayed clear of the shelter. It’s not far if you want to visit.”

  “I do.”

  “I’m coming with you,” Reiko said.

  Bishop was about to object, but Nori said, “If you can return within the next ninety minutes, that would be ideal. Also, I believe Major Takamaki is there. Please bring her back with you.”

  “I can do that.”

  Nori looked at K. “Can you give them a lift?”

  “Why me?” K asked back. “I’m not a taxi.”

  “To ensure the safety of Captain Morikawa and Major Takamaki, both of whom will be essential to our next battle.”

  “Fine.”

  “What about me?” Bishop muttered.

  “You too,” Nori said with a laugh.

  * * *

  —

  K took them to the living space in the shoe of his mecha, where there were benches, tables, and a mini-fridge. There were also two samurai swords and a shotgun attached to the wall. Now that they saw K up close, they could see he was in his late thirties. Wiry, he had a pale face, mischievous eyes, and an unkempt beard. He controlled the Harinezumi II remotely from his portical while he took out a pack of sausages from the fridge.

  “Want some?” he asked Bishop and Reiko.

  Bishop politely declined, though Reiko accepted and took a chomp.

  “Not bad,” she said. “Got anything to drink with this?”

  “Prune juice and cranberry juice,” K replied. “I left the pineapple juice in the bridge, but you can help yourself to what’s there.”

  Reiko went to the fridge and grabbed some.

  “Bishop, you really should try these,” Reiko suggested.

  “I’ll pass,” Bishop replied. “So are you part of the mecha corps?”

  “Aw hells no,” K answered.

  “How do you have your own mecha?”

  “I built the Harinezumi II,” K replied. “Took me a few years, but everything about her is perfect.”

  “Wait, what?” Reiko asked. “You don’t mean by yourself?”

  “Yep.”

  “That’s impossible.”

  “It just takes a little longer, but it’s very possible.”

  “How do you know Nori?” Bishop asked.

  “We fought together a few times.”

  “When?”

  “He
re and there.” He took a big bite out of his sausage. “Why you ask so many questions?”

  “I’m just curious.”

  “How do you know Nori?” K asked back.

  Bishop explained how they’d just met and the battle that took place earlier, as well as what he knew about Bloody Mary and her revolution.

  “Bloody Mary? Operation Jiken? Ulfhednar?” he scoffed. “I step away for a couple years and it’s the same bullshit with weirder names and people still killing each other over weirder bullshit. Glad I got front-row seats to the show.”

  “You think this is entertaining?”

  “Can’t say yet ’cuz I haven’t seen the action, but I wouldn’t be here otherwise,” K said nonchalantly.

  The Futaba Shelter was not far from where they’d engaged Daniela Takemi. It’d been designed to provide protection against a nuclear attack and housed two thousand people. “You coming?” Bishop asked.

  “Have fun,” K said, opting to wait in the shoe while Reiko and Bishop went inside the shelter.

  They were greeted by the head facilitator, a Dr. Furutani, who was relieved to see them.

  “Is the situation contained yet?” he eagerly asked.

  Behind him, they saw a group of wounded police officers and soldiers. Many had bandages on them and were in tremendous pain.

  “Not yet,” Reiko replied. “How many people do you have here?”

  “We’re at max capacity, but only have a staff of fourteen,” Dr. Furutani replied. “So it’s been chaotic. There’s over three hundred and eighty-nine wounded, but we’re short on medical supplies, especially painkillers. We need to get them to Mitsuyasu Sakai Hospital,” which was the big hospital named after the famous playwright. “But we have no way of getting them over without some serious help. Do you have any ideas on how to transport them?”

  “Not at the moment,” Reiko replied just as one of the soldiers started screaming in agony.

  “I’m actually here to see a Maia and Lena Wakana,” Bishop stated.

  Dr. Furutani appeared confused. “Why?”

  “They’re my sister-in-law and niece,” Bishop replied.

  Dr. Furutani checked his portical. “They’re logged in here. We’ll announce them on the speakers.”

  A minute later, an automated voice said over the speakers, “Will Maia and Lena Wakana please come up to the top floor?”

  “We’re also looking for Major Rachel Takamaki,” Reiko added.

  “You’re not here to help us?” Dr. Furutani asked, his tone changing from welcoming to irritated.

  “We’ll send help later. But—”

  Before she could finish, the doctor snorted, “I don’t have time for this,” and departed.

  The injuries of the people within varied, from those with heavy bruising and blood loss to victims who’d lost body parts and were in critical condition. One of the portical charts on the wall indicated there were ninety-two body bags.

  “Is there anything we can do to help here?” Bishop asked Reiko.

  “We’ll have to ask Major Onishi,” Reiko replied. “But there’s over a hundred shelters in Los Angeles and they’re probably all packed.”

  “So basically, nothing aside from stopping Bloody Mary before she destroys the city?”

  “Pretty much.”

  A young girl appeared ahead of them. Her face was covered in soot, and her hair was disheveled. She looked scared until she saw Bishop. Her frown turned into a wide smile and she ran toward her uncle, jumping into his arms. He spun her around and was so happy to see her well and alive. She started crying and yelled, “Uncle Bishop! I knew you’d come! I told Mom you were coming!”

  Bishop held her tightly and said, “I’m sorry I took so long. Don’t cry.” He rubbed her tears away, but she couldn’t stop sobbing.

  “It was sooo scary,” she said. “A mecha was destroying all the buildings around us and it was so fast. I saw a family get stepped on. A girl was running across the street and a car fell on her. None of the police mechas could beat it.”

  “We’re going to beat it,” Bishop promised her.

  “Why are they attacking us?” Lena asked Bishop.

  “Because they’re evil.”

  “But aren’t mechas supposed to be on our side?”

  “These aren’t,” Bishop explained. “They’ve betrayed us.”

  “Why?”

  Reiko saw Bishop struggle to give an answer and empathized. Even though she was decades older than his niece, they both were asking the same question.

  Lena’s mom, Maia, was behind her. She was distraught and had a cast around her arm.

  “Are you okay?” Bishop asked her.

  “No, I’m not okay,” she angrily snapped. “Isn’t your job supposed to be to stop this kind of thing from ever happening?”

  “We tried. How did you get here?”

  “Some Tokko agents came and brought us here and told us we’d be safe,” Maia replied. Bishop was extremely grateful to Akiko-san. “Is it over yet?” Maia asked.

  “Not yet,” Bishop admitted.

  “Those mechas are still out there?” Maia questioned.

  “They are.”

  “What are you doing here, then?”

  “I wanted to make sure you two were okay first.”

  “We’ve survived this far without you. We’ll manage fine,” Maia said in a rude tone. “You need to get out there and do your job.”

  Reiko did not like her tone or how hostile she was being. “He just put his life on the line to defeat one of the mechas,” Reiko defended him.

  “And who are you?” Maia snapped in irritation.

  “Captain Reiko Morikawa and I—” she began.

  But Bishop raised his hand. “She’s right,” he said. “I should get out there and try to stop them. Let’s go back to Umegra.”

  “We need to grab Major Takamaki first.”

  Reiko went to try to flag down a staff member. She noticed Bishop talking to Lena about food, doing his best to comfort her further. “I want mango pizza, but no anchovies this time,” Lena said.

  “But I thought your little turtles loved anchovies,” Bishop replied.

  “Turtles don’t eat pizza,” Lena said, and giggled.

  Reiko found someone to page the major. Major Takamaki came up to meet them ten minutes later.

  Reiko explained Nori’s request, and the major agreed to help, exiting out to K’s mecha.

  “Let’s go,” Reiko said to Bishop.

  “You’re leaving?” Lena said.

  “I have to.”

  “I’m going too,” Lena said firmly.

  “Honey, it’s not safe out there,” Maia said. “Let your uncle—”

  “I’m going!” Lena yelled.

  “But—”

  “I don’t want to just stay here. I can help! I’m a Tokko agent in training. I can protect people from evil mechas.”

  Bishop smiled and said, “I know you can, and I want your help. But the people here need your help too, which is why I’m going to make you an honorary soldier for today. Okay?”

  “There’s no such thing as an honorary soldier. You’re just trying to get me to stay,” Lena precociously stated.

  Bishop nodded. “You’re right. But things are dangerous out there, and I can’t protect your mom and the city. That’s why you need to be here with her.”

  “Who’s going to protect you?” Lena asked pleadingly.

  “I will,” Reiko assured her.

  “You promise?” Lena asked.

  Reiko was about to give Lena her promise, but Maia cut in. “Soldiers never keep their promises. C’mon, Lena.” Despite Lena’s protests, Maia lifted her up and carried her away.

  Reiko noticed the pained expression on Bishop’s face.

  They exited the s
helter.

  “Nice sister-in-law you have,” Reiko commented as they got outside.

  “She’s had it hard,” Bishop said. “Don’t blame her. She was widowed shortly into their marriage. Raising a kid by yourself is tough.”

  “She doesn’t have to treat you that way.”

  Bishop shook his head. “I promised I’d keep my brother safe. I told Maia I’d make sure he came back in one piece. The night I had to tell them that he—he didn’t make it was one of the toughest in my life.”

  Reiko looked over at Bishop. “I’m sorry.”

  “Don’t be. They’re the only family I have left,” Bishop said.

  Reiko had no surviving family members. The closest thing to family she had were the Sons of War, and her closest connection to the Sons was the person she was going to have to face in combat soon.

  They got to the mecha’s shoe, where the major was eating a sausage with K.

  * * *

  —

  By the time they returned to Umegra, the repairs on the Kamakiri were completed. Reiko went aboard the bridge and performed a series of calisthenics for the mecha, stress-testing the arm’s strength to make sure the new parts were functional. Normally, this kind of testing would go on for at least a full month before deployment. But they didn’t have that kind of time, so they went through the quick version. The upgrade to the Kamakiri was also implemented and the Skaria magnet gun was working, able to magnetize four times more weight than the Inago.

  “How do the controls feel?” Chief Engineer Higuchi asked.

  “Good,” Reiko answered.

  “Try out the Skaria. It has modular parts for energy boosts, so I added a bunch. Your Major Onishi put me in contact with one of the engineers up in Berkeley, Nobusue-san. He confirmed your mecha should be able to handle the Skaria without major difficulties.”

  Captain Morikawa asked if they could test it one last time.

  “You worried it’s going to break?” Bishop asked from navigation.

  “Mechas are fine-tuned machines, where even a small imbalance can have a colossal impact during battle,” Reiko replied. “I’ve seen mechas break down over the wrong type of screw in an arm joint.”

  “Don’t let me stop you.”

  * * *

  —

  Thirty minutes later, she was ready to fight. Three other mechas met her. The Harinezumi II was piloted by K. The new mechas were piloted by Major Takamaki and Major Onishi. They were Bayonetta class from the looks of it, designed primarily for combat.