The Sapporo Outbreak

by Craighead, Brian

  Santos turned back to Tait.

  "Mr Tait, we heard from Doctor Becker that the characters inserted into the game matched perfectly the diversity of everyday life."

  "That's correct. The iSight 2 world is extremely realistic, and yet I think even the most loyal players would agree there's something that makes it feel like a game. With iSight 3 this doesn't happen. Players feel it is another world. One of the reasons is not just the realism of the world and the people in it, but their diversity. We ensure our world is a 'real-world' mix of age, ethnicity and personality, which varies depending on where in the world you're playing the game. In effect we've created a perfect distribution for a healthy biological population."

  "But doesn't that only work in the real world? ISight isn't real - it's a controlled environment - there are real people mixing with your virtual characters, and you have no idea how they think and react. Surely it's impossible to control things, to have any sort of "normal" biological population?"

  Skinner watched Tait's eyes narrow and his face flush slightly. Skinner recognised the signs. Tait was lying, something wasn't right.

  The awkward tension between Tait and Santos was broken by Sakura, as she stepped ahead of Tait and announced, "I'm sure there are many questions you'd like to ask Doctor Tait, but I'm afraid we have run out of time." Skinner glanced quickly to his side and saw Santos glare at their tiny hostess, annoyed at the interruption."

  Sakura continued, "We must let the doctor get back to work, while we move on to the immersion labs on levels 2 and 3. You are all familiar with these labs from your past visits to some or our other WhiteStar centres around the world." Sakura smiled serenely at the group, ignoring completely Santos' angry stare. "Well, today you're going to see something very different. Not only are the immersion labs here the largest of all our centres, they are also the most sophisticated. Forty labs spread over two floors record volunteers reactions as they immerse themselves in different elements of the game. In the last few weeks, we've flown volunteers into Sapporo from around the world to join our Japanese testers, to simulate a global audience."

  Hill interrupted, "Excuse me ..."

  Sakura ignored the lawyer, and hurriedly continued.

  "You will see players from many different cultures all engaged in elements of the iSight 3 world and, for the first time, you will each get to experience the final version of the game. The one the world will soon experience. And I can assure you all that it will be an experience you will never forget."

  Spinning on her heels, Sakura turned to Tait. His attention had already drifted back to a technician's monitor over his left shoulder.

  "Thank you for your time Mr Tait."

  Tait didn't look up - instead waving a hand in the air, mumbling a reply that the group couldn't hear and Sakura didn't wait for. Instead she marched swiftly past the group and out toward the exit. Hill trailed behind, his past anxiety returning as he nervously adjusted his jacket. Beside him loped Andy Harper, staring off into the distance. Santos and Skinner trailed a few steps behind.

  Without warning Skinner stopped and wheeled 180 degrees to face Tait, who was watching the video wall while muttering instructions to the young technician sitting nearest to Skinner.

  "You said you can hear what they hear, see what they see?"

  Tait rose slowly and stared back at Skinner, his face betraying no emotion as the professor looked on expectantly. An awkward moment of silence passed, before Tait turned away, bent over and continued his whispered discussion with one of the technicians.

  Skinner turned and started walking briskly toward Sakura and the group as they exited the NOC. Santos struggled to keep up. "Ben, what is it?"

  "I need to talk to Steve Clark again Eva. And I need to take these damn lenses out without anyone noticing."

  Santos stared at Skinner. His jaw clenched, hard resolve on his face, like a man steeling himself for battle.

  #

  2pm Thursday, Tanaka's Quarters, Sapporo (Minus 60 Minutes)

  Koji Itou, WhiteStar Corp's Head of Security, marched toward the seated Tanaka, stopping directly opposite the billionaire.

  "I am sorry to be so late sir, it is my fault entirely. As this is a sensitive issue ..." Tanaka smiled at Itou's understatement, "... I instructed all materials be hand-delivered to me, and that I be briefed in person. In the last two hours the blizzard has worsened significantly. The roads are almost impassible, and visibility is almost zero. Our team were forced to drive the consultant at a snail's pace from the airport. He arrived ten minutes ago, and I have now been informed that the snowstorm is now so bad the city is effectively in lockdown.

  "I understand completely Koji. You have never let me down, and I am quite sure you have addressed this as quickly as possible. I'm afraid that even you, my good friend, can't beat nature."

  Itou bowed his shaved head at Tanaka's words, his shirt straining at his thick muscular neck.

  Tanaka continued. "Now, please take a seat and tell me what you have learned."

  Itou bowed again, then lowered his bulk into the thick leather seat opposite Tanaka.

  As Itou rolled open his tablet computer, Tanaka considered the circumstances and twists of fate that had made this iron man his most trusted friend and ally. Tanaka had always been careful with who he trusted. He was a friendly man, yet had few real friends. He kept people at arms' length - he found it easier that way. That was, until three years ago, when he met Itou.

  With the success of iSight, and the imminent launch of iSight 2, WhiteStar's value had skyrocketed, and Tanaka had become a very wealthy man. On a business trip through Brazil accompanied by his wife and daughter, Tanaka was made aware of a plot to kidnap his wife and daughter. He was initially horrified, but true to his nature, quickly responded.

  Twenty four hours later, in a penthouse suite outside Rio, he first met Koji Itou.

  At the time Itou was the founder and CEO of a corporate security firm based in Tokyo. A tight knit group of extremely intimidating men, mostly retired special forces soldiers, the firm specialised in providing security for Japan's wealthiest businessmen. Itou had come very highly recommended, and Tanaka had spared no expense to have the man fly to Brazil at short notice.

  During their first meeting, Tanaka was fascinated by Itou. His low-key, unfailingly polite nature was at complete odds with his background. A trained killer, Itou was considered a legend among his special forces colleagues past and present, and yet Tanaka's immediate impression was to wonder whether Itou really was the man he was looking for. That all changed as soon as Tanaka explained the threats made against his family. Itou leaned forward, drilling Tanaka with questions about the threats and his existing security arrangements, his eyes fixed on Tanaka. Itou made it clear he would only work with his own team, and therefore every existing member of Tanaka's security team would have to go, and anyone else close to Tanaka would be checked by Itou. Tanaka had objected to some of the changes. Itou's voice turned to steel and he left Tanaka in no doubt that he would keep him safe, but only if things were handled his way.

  On a handshake, Tanaka had agreed to Itou's terms, and within days Itou had made sweeping changes designed to tighten protection around Tanaka and his family. Tanaka had never felt safer. Within months, Tanaka offered to acquire Itou's company in return for Itou personally dedicating himself to Tanaka's security. The deal was agreed in minutes, Itou dropped all other clients and since that day had committed himself to Tanaka. Months later, Itou would prove his worth during the darkest time in Tanaka's life.

  Tanaka's thoughts were interrupted by Itou as he cleared his throat, making it clear he was ready to begin.

  Tanaka nodded, encouraging his friend to continue.

  "Sir, it appears that we have had further incidents involving iSight 3 volunteers. In addition to the incident here two nights ago, we've also found attacks in Palo Alto and Berlin that fit the profile. We don't yet have enough information about the Berlin incident to be certain, but the signs are th
at too is related. Perhaps of most concern are the New York and London events. They are more ... sophisticated ... in nature."

  Tanaka grimaced. This was worse - much worse - than he'd feared.

  "Sophisticated? In what way?"

  "It's difficult to be sure sir. Most of what we have is security footage, conflicting eye witness reports and the police reports. However, it appears in New York and London that the players attacked as a pack."

  "As a pack?" Tanaka groaned. "Are we are certain the attackers had played iSight 3?"

  "Yes sir. I'm afraid so. In all cases, the attackers had taken part in simulations at one of our immersion labs. We've reviewed their playing pattern, and as with the others we see them adopting more violent personality traits within minutes of playing. There's no outward sign of aggression, and all players left the building still wearing the lenses. However, as in past cases, at some point prior to the attack the players would remove the lenses - often with force."

  Tanaka run his hands through his hair and sighed in frustration. This made no sense at all.

  Psychosis in players had first appeared prior to the launch of iSight 2 but, other than in Hong Kong, it was incredibly rare and invariably by people with a past history of instability. The game exploded so quickly that the few incidents that did occur were lost in the hundreds of millions of players who played safely. No one connected the game with the attacks, or at least no one with real credibility. Tanaka had worked hard to ensure these incidents were never tied to iSight 2. Sakura had done a remarkable job misdirecting media coverage, while Itou had - in ways Tanaka never really understood - ensured that no evidence which would connect the attacks to each other or the game ever emerged.

  Itou remained impassive as fear and frustration washed over Tanaka.

  "Sir, we now have the security footage from the attack two nights ago here in Sapporo. It's quite graphic - are you sure you want to review it?"

  Tanaka didn't hesitate.

  "Yes, I want to see what's happening." Tanaka paused for a second before adding quietly, "Besides my friend, I've seen it all before."

  Itou lowered his head at Tanaka's words, and for a brief moment neither man moved, both caught in reflection.

  Snapping back to the present, Itou pulled a rolled up plastic sheet from his suit pocket, rolled it out flat onto the coffee table separating the men and pressed a fat finger on the surface. The flexible tablet computer erupted in colour and a video sprang to life.

  Tanaka leaned forward, steeling himself for what was to come.

  The video showed a burly young maintenance worker roughly ten feet from the camera's position in one of the third floor's east/west corridors branching from the main north/south corridor. He was standing on a steel A-frame ladder, a screwdriver in his left hand and a light fitting in his right. Peering up at the exposed wiring, he appeared to be addressing some issue with the LED lighting. With the main ceiling lights off, only the ambient glow from the main corridor and a torch propped up on the top stair of the ladder lit the area. Around the man, the corridor quickly merged into inky darkness.

  Suddenly, from the darkness of the corridor, a slight, sallow young woman, her long black hair draped over her eyes, shuffled into view. She was staring into the distance, her head and arms jerking unnaturally, her eyes blood red. Catching the movement, the man turned to see the girl lurch toward him. Startled, he stumbled from his ladder, falling backwards onto his metal toolbox with a loud crack and screaming in agony.

  Tanaka winced at the noise. Itou watched on showing no reaction.

  In an instant, the tiny-framed Gothic apparition sprang onto the young man, tearing and biting at his face and neck. She grabbed the fallen screwdriver from the floor, and stabbed him again and again in the side and chest. His back broken, the man was powerless and within seconds was slumped lifeless across the toolbox.

  The girl continued to tear at the man's body, until out of frame one of Itou's men appeared. She lunged toward him, the man stepped quickly to the side, grabbed her wrist and twisted until she was locked face down on the floor. Her tiny frame bucked as she spat and tore up at the guard.

  Itou's thick finger pressed the tablet computer and the video froze with the girl's snarling face looking up from the floor, her face and hair matted in the blood of the dead young man beside her.

  Itou looked up at Tanaka. His face was ashen, his hands shaking.

  A few seconds passed before Tanaka quietly asked, "What happened to the woman Itou?"

  Betraying no emotion, Itou responded matter-of-factly.

  "Three hours after this incident, she was recovered from a car accident, with most of the body destroyed by the fire. The police forensic tests will reveal the girl was over twice the legal limit. An eye witness has described the girl appearing drunk prior to the accident. The family are fighting the early findings, but the evidence will be overwhelming, and I have been assured that the finding will be death by misadventure."

  #

  As Itou spoke, he examined his friend Tanaka closely. He looked pale, shaken. The ugly incidents of the last few weeks had taken a heavy toll on the man. So much had happened in the three years since Itou had met Tanaka that it often felt like a dream. When he'd first met Tanaka, he saw him as another in a long line of wealthy businessmen, smart and charismatic but divorced from the harsh reality of life. A strong man in the boardroom, but a weak man in life.

  He had been wrong.

  Time and again, Itou had marvelled at the man's drive, his persistence, his ability to bounce back from the cruelest of blows. However, more than anything, Itou was struck by Tanaka's fierce loyalty to his family and the small circle of trusted advisors he had around him. More than once, Tanaka had used his power and influence to protect and reward Itou, something the bull-necked ex-special forces Captain would never forget. Itou was determined to repay Tanaka's faith in him by protecting him from others - and sometimes from himself.

  Itou was bemused by the world's addiction to iSight. He could see - in a way - the fun and excitement of connecting with friends and family as if they were in the same room, of accessing information with the blink of an eye or the wave of a hand. But a great many didn't join iSight just to extend reality or improve their social network. Instead, they sought an escape from reality, an opportunity to immerse themselves in great battles, to fight, stab, shoot and kill in a virtual world. To enjoy violence as entertainment.

  Since his days as a troubled young man on the streets of Tokyo, Itou's world had been a violent one. He was a natural fighter, who'd sharpened his skills with the best in the world. He'd seen and done things that most people would recoil in horror from. The teenage kids and businessmen, the housewives and middle managers, the people that put on a pair of glasses or contact lenses to glory in safe violence - they sickened Itou. He was a professional; his first instinct was to avoid any confrontation, to find a peaceful way forward. He only traded in violence when the circumstances demanded it.

  And in the last few weeks, circumstances had demanded it.

  Tanaka's soft voice, breaking a little, interrupted the big man's thoughts.

  "Thank you Itou. I'm sure we will soon resolve these ... issues ... but until then I appreciate your loyalty and discretion old friend. Now, if you'll excuse me its time for me to talk to Shou. As always, she asks that I pass on her love to you."

  Itou pushed up from the thick leather armchair, smiled and bowed deeply as he said, "Sir, please pass my best wishes to Shou and tell her I look forward to seeing her very soon."

  The burly head of security turned on his heels and strode out of the cavernous apartment.

  Tanaka waited until the doors glided shut behind Itou. He nestled back into the chair and his eyes flickered while whispering a few short commands. A brief moment passed before a broad smile washed over the billionaire's face.

  "Shou, my sweet darling, I've been looking forward to talking to you all day. Tell me, what new adventures did you get up to today?"
r />   #

  2:30pm Thursday, Level 5 NOC, Sapporo (Minus 30 Mins)