Living with Memory of Steel (Part 2)

by Masahiko Kimoto

  Reji heard Akari talk to herself through his helmet's communication system.

  "It's so strange how much effort everyone puts into things."

  "Is it?"

  "Yeah. They're always pushing themselves, using up their energy."

  "I think it's good to put in a lot effort, though..."

  Akari answered quietly, but in a clear voice.

  "No matter how much effort you put in, waste of power is merely waste."

  They didn't speak again until they reached the offices.

  Akari hopped off the motorbike, carried the shopping inside, then went back to her room.

  While Reji wondered whether to pursue her, Clare called out to him.

  "How was your date?"

  It's not only Reji's imagination that she looks like she is smiling.

  "Ahh, I might have flunked it."

  "What did you make her do?"

  "No I...we just ate then went to visit Akimichi-san's grave."

  "You went to Akimichi's grave? So it wasn't a date then."

  Reji didn't think that Akari's reaction on the motorbike had anything to do with visiting the grave. Instead, it felt as though Reji was made to see a fundamental difference between the way he and Akari think.

  "Don't worry about it. Even married people all over the world have different senses of the worth of things."

  Reji sat down on one of the stairs and looked up at Clare. She was definitely smirking at him.

  "Maybe mind and Akari-san's worlds are too different."

  "Hey. Pull yourself together. You need to look for a reason to live."

  Reji grumbled that looking for love wasn't his reason to live, and Clare responded by nudging him with her foot.

  "I don't think of boring things like that. Not thinking about stuff like that is one of my redeeming features."

  Clare nudged Reji again. This time, though, he twisted out of the way.

  He stood up, a cheeky smile on his face.

  *****

  The next day after lunch, Junrock announced their next strategy.

  "We're going to attack them as they move."

  According to the information Junrock had gathered, some research equipment from the LSL was being moved to Tsukuba due to continuing attacks from Earthlight. They were going to use the bay-line to relocate human test bodies for the Diversity Screenings. It seemed as though they planned to take the bay-line via Maihama to Makuhari, and from there travel a land route to Tsukuba.

  "We'll be carrying out the plan tonight."

  This time was also a combined operation with other cells. The plan was to attack the group at the ocean road, take what we could, and escape by the sea. A boat would be waiting for us, and we would load the stolen human test bodies onto it. Earthlight own a lot of basements from Shiodome to Tsukiji area. They also have many special ships.

  "This time Reji will take the advance."

  The LSL's transport unit was comprised of three special vehicle in the middle, and guard vehicles at either end. Earthlight's 3-2-Cell, as well as Reji's 3-3-Cell would assault the transport unit. If they could overthrow the guard carriages, then all that would be left behind in the special carriages would be the cargo and some researcher scientists. Dump the guard unit and researchers into the ocean. All we were after was the cargo from the special vehicles. Minus Akari, the cargo was the seven research subjects.

  "What's Akari-san going to do?"

  "She's going to provide logistics support, such as unlocking the special vehicles and hijacking the control for the guard unit. Without her privileged access, there are a lot of things in this operation that we couldn't do. If Akari can help us, the motivation of our organization will definitely increase."

  "Wait...wait a minute. Helping out is good and all, but is it really OK?"

  "What do you mean?"

  "I hadn't heard that the other human test subjects were inside the LSL. I heard that the test subjects were living out separate lives in different places."

  "The proof was in the information we checked together."

  "That might be the case, but don't you think it's a little weird? I mean, what if you're wrong?"

  "Well, then I guess we'll make a lot of noise. There's some worth in that."

  "What!? Isn't that irresponsible?"

  "We have reasons to do this. I hope you're going to help us."

  "Fine. Understood."

  Akari reluctantly nodded.

  9:00 PM.

  The ASIT broke into two large groups; those who quickly returned home at a regular time, and others who continued working until late at night everyday. Of course, the latter group were overwhelmingly less.

  As such, after most people went home, the ASIT building fell into a deep hush.

  Five vehicles departed from LSL's main reception area in the complex's Area A. After the vehicles exited the partitioning gates, they were tailed by a motorbike and car.

  The vehicles pulled out from a the area's private road, and merged with the bay-line.

  The five vehicles were each equipped with a short-range wireless mutual-control system. The device was usually modded for the use in civilian tours, but in this case the security had been bolstered. The vehicles drove on at a perfect pace with each other.

  Although the short-range wireless in the five vehicles was directional, the car tailing them could receive their messages. Junrock was decrypting the messages inside the car, and sending decrypted messages to Reji and 3-4-Cell on the boat. Akari was waiting on the boat.

  Junrock made contact with her.

  "Hijacking the linear controller would be the most reliable way of accessing the wireless, but they've got a privilege protection on it. Can you break it?"

  "Give me fifteen minutes."

  "There should be ten minutes if we continue at this speed. I can make the module momentarily dysfunctional if I can throw the jam traffic. Periodically send the jam traffic and I should be able to disrupt the linear conversion timing. Having said that, you'll only have twelve minutes."

  "I'll give it a go, but they'll detect the moment that I infiltrate their protection."

  "That's fine. After that, it's up to the work of the people back here to execute the job. Did you hear that, Reji?"

  "Yeah, loud and clear. Tell me when it's time to storm in."

  "Understood."

  The troupe of vehicles exited a landfill site and headed for the bay-line ocean road.

  They continued onto the ocean road bridge. The linear rhythm deepened.

  Junrock started counting down.

  "Ten more seconds...five more seconds..."

  Junrock heard Akari's voice.

  "Starting intrusion. Palagi has been dropped to all the modules. Sending signal to the security break. Three seconds until suspension of all vehicles. Two seconds. One."

  "Reji, go!"

  Reji's used his motorbike's linear booster recoil to leap over the guard vehicle. He hooked the motorbike onto the back of the special transport vehicle and braked. On the the back of the guard vehicle Clare attached her special customized wagon.

  Akari's voice piped into Reji's helmet.

  "I've unlocked the transport vehicle."

  Reji stepped off his motorbike and readied his custom machine gun. He slowly opened the sturdy back doors of the transport vehicle.

  Two points of light appeared in the dim interior of the vehicle.

  Two arms reached out from the points of light, clutched Reji's neck, and lifted him up. The moonlight streamed in, lighting the inside of the vehicle.

  Reji squeezed out some words.

  "It's the A-B-A-H-S! Get out! It's a trap!"

  At the same moment, a number of armed men jumped out from the guard vehicle.

  Clare pressed on the custom wagon's accelerator and slammed into the guard vehicle. The armed men broke formation. Using the window of opportunity, Clare backed up a few meters and changed direction. She took off at full speed.

  From behind her, Clare hea
rd the discharge of a gun. Junrock leaned out of a window, prepared a hand bazooka, and let off smoke bomb. Within a few seconds, the smoke from the bomb lifted.

  "Where's Reji?"

  "The beacon on his helmet is gone. Either his helmet had been broken, or..."

  "Akari! Stop them!"

  "I'm trying, but it seems as though they've changed the security key. Also, the security level suddenly went up. I can't penetrate it. Ah!"

  "What happened?"

  "Linear restarted. They can get out."

  "What about 3-2-Cell?"

  "Vehicles have been broken. Two of the members were thrown into the ocean. One was captured."

  Junrock bit his lip.

  The appearance of A-B-A-H-S wasn't anticipated. There's no way to win now with sheer strength alone. Reji was right. It was trap. But for what purpose? Junrock hadn't considered it, but now it seemed obvious. Their purpose was to capture Akari. If it were Reji or a member of Earthlight, there would be no need to deliberately set up a trap. But if they were planning on capturing Akari, there might be a chance that a trap would be necessary.

  "Ocean road squad, retreat! Protect Akari!"

  "But Reji is..."

  "We don't care. Get out. If Akari is with us, we should be able to do something."

  The boat circled, then headed back towards the Tokyo bay where it came from.

  Thirty minutes later, Clare and Junrock went back to the scene, but all that remained were Reji's motorbike and his broken helmet. Just to make sure, the next day a different task force searched the area around the bay, but they couldn't find any trace of Reji.

  *****

  Sekiba walked quickly down the corridor, threw open the door to his room, and not caring if he made a noise, slammed the door behind him.

  He get it. Yeah, He get it. Nakazato is following behind me. Nakazato is excited. Before he hear a word from her, he already know.

  Sekiba starts up his terminal, but he doesn't feel like using psy-connect. He activates the sound input/output, then suddenly hears Nakazato's voice.

  "Hey, what's going on?"

  Nakazato's voice got through, but it was too loud. Sekiba quickly calibrated the volume gain.

  "It's just like you can see. Today's catch is two little fish."

  "Who's side are you on? If you want to get into the Riot Police, how about you go over there!?"

  "Calm down, Nakazato. Any leaked communications are being listened to. I thought that Akari was helping them based on her own intentions."

  "And?"

  "If you were kidnapped by them, would you help them?"

  "No way!"

  "So, what does that mean?"

  "I wonder..."

  "It means that You and Akari are different people."

  Sekiba said resolutely.

  Their plans were disappearing into thin air.

  *****

  [[ MEMORY OF STEEL 4 ]]

  With the 3rd-G psy-connect still operational, I left my consciousness on the network. I thought about making contact with the outside world, but I thought I'd concentrate only on people that I can actually call my allies. I devoted myself entirely to gathering information. The news on the largest brutality incident in the country provides plenty information.

  After two months and three weeks, Sekiba returned to the research institute. I soon made contact with him.

  He was pleased that my consciousness was still remaining, but there was a reason.

  "Amazing! That was just before you lost consciousness. I decided that trying to save your body would be hopeless, so I stopped the disconnection process, changed to a slower mode and reopened the memory readout. That was more successful. Even your deepest memories are saved. It's fantastic!"

  My individual character could be completely restored. But to do it I'd need a body to transfer my memories and consciousness into. That body needed to be as exceedingly close to mine as possible.

  "Sannomiya is personally proceeding with the plan at the LSL."

  Sekiba said.

  "It's the Diversity Screenings. We can make a Daughter with the same abilities as You."

  I was over-the-moon. I asked for all of the details of the technology, as well as the possibility of bringing it to fruition.

  "It can be done, but it'll take time. Would you like a daughter?"

  Of course I did.

  "Even if that child was with me?"

  I consented. If I could get my hands on a new body, then I didn't want to hesitate about the finer details. I didn't feel any unpleasant feelings. Sekiba couldn't even hug me. I didn't have a body to feel anything.

  The impression on Sekiba's face at that time stayed with me. A face that was simultaneously happy and lonely. I thought his face was like a child who after scoring full marks on a test, gets a very expensive present from their adoring parent. Of course Sekiba was pleased, but it wasn't something he sought after. But then again, it was pointless to dwell on. Sekiba and I always got full stores at any tests in the childhood.

  And so with that our alliance was formed. Sekiba carefully extracted an ovum from my corpse and preserved it. Next, using his own sperm cells, he began the selection process for fertilizing the eggs.

  However, both a reason and funds were needed in the Diversity Screening research.

  Sekiba acquired the budget for the joint near-space exploration plan. Sekiba's proper job was to research the remote operation of robots for their use in the development of space exploration. From ages back Sekiba had said that he wanted to make robots for peace, and he'd welcomed the new space project. The project would need the 3rd-G of psy-connect to control the robots, and to that end, the DS was also needed. In the end, our chief motivator for the robot was turned on its head, and the development of the so-called "A-B-A-H-S" proceeded instead.

  Naturally I started to harbor doubts as to Sekiba's actual objectives. Was I being used for the development of A-B-A-H-S, or was A-B-A-H-S being used for me? One way or another I caught wind of Sekiba's plans. I also came to understand his feelings towards me.

  I didn't hesitate.

  Floating in the consciousness form made me realize how the self is defined by the body. I had to get my hands on a new body.

  Through the DS, the child between Sekiba and myself responded well to the growth-promotion program. Similar with the other test bodies, the child's growth proceeded naturally. Around the same time, using the 4th-G psy-connect, and as the child developed my memories were transferred into it. To protect against any identity confusion, the child, who was essentially me, was named Akari. The difference between her own self-consciousness and my memories were blurred and absorbed, and she was raised with my existence, Sekiba's existence, as well as her own future inside her.

  My very own daughter. And what a good daughter she was.

  Seven years passed, the A-B-A-H-S was completed, and Akari befittingly turned 18.

  All that remained was to assimilate my consciousness.

  A girl, Akari Nakazato would change to Dr. Akari Nakazato.

  Chapter 5

  That medicine complete different from the antidepressant or anti-anxiety tablets. It gives fear, anxiety and depression.

  People who are prescribed the medication crawl around with the incontrollable feeling of helplessness and anxiety. There is no need for others to suggest any negativity. They continuously yells out "I'm bad. I'm worthless. I want to die. This is stifling." The voice comes back to their mind with stronger emotions rather than releasing the frustration. Despite this, there isn't even will to take their lives. It'd be better to die, but they can't choose to die. Their flailing legs are not moving for a particular reason. They are only reacting to the stimulation from the brain. These bodies are not the ones of intelligent life. They are moving their bodies without thinking.

  What's in Reji's mind is deep dark, empty and forever.

  He feels the floor on his stomach, arms and legs directly. It's hard and cold. He hopes he can grab something and scratch
by his fingernails, but he can't feel anything.??

  He wants to say something. He wants to ask for help. He concentrates his powers on the below stomach and breathe out, but his throat is chocked up by the air.

  He grabs his throat and try to stretch it with his hands. He hits his stomach to press out the air.

  Meaningless. Even thins is meaningless.

  How long does this suffering last?

  "You, Reji Kogure. Come out."

  There is a deep voice from the above. Reji gets forced to stand up by the two men. They support his shoulders and drag him into the room.

  He doesn't know how long it has been and he doesn't even want to know. He can't imagine what's going to happen next, but He's not willing to resist whatever they do.

  Tablets are pushed into Reji's month and then a cup of water. He takes the water and the tablets.

  "Tranquilizers. They would calm you down."

  There are a lot of people at the place he gets taken out. Everyone looks relaxed with sky blue colored tracksuits. Japanese music with the Japanese harp, the shamisen and the traditional Japanese wind instrument is playing in the background.?That's the traditional Japanese music flood.

  "You're going to be a trainee here from today."

  They give a sky blue tracksuit.

  Reji takes the clothes. The tranquilizer has lessened the impatience.

  He has decided to accept this situation.

  That's a training school. Reji don't know what kind of training they provide, but he doesn't even want to know. His life wouldn't suffer from not knowing it. Living each day is the first priority. That's the only hope he has.

  The main facilities of the training school include bedrooms for four people each, the dining room and an open space. It seems like around 30 people are living in the place. Hemp incense is always burned inside the room. The particular smell is filling the room. The building is two story. He can see at least other three similar buildings from the window. Still it doesn't look like people are coming and going between the buildings. When people don't have any training, they sleep in their bedrooms or the open space. No one tries to go outside. It's the same for Reji. He doesn't have any will to do that. Lying down provides supreme bliss.