by Jacob Holo
The walls vibrated with the deep bass of satisfying gunfire.
Ryu shook his head. “Come on. I don’t swear that much.” He palmed the door open and walked in.
“Sir, there’s another dropfighter coming in! Colonel Strike is on board!”
“Busters, let’s move! It’s high time we busted this crusade once and for all!”
“Now that’s just painful to watch,” Ryu said. He linked to the flat screen and switched it off.
“Hey, boss, do you mind?” Toshi said, leaning back on the couch with his feet up. “It’s the season finale.”
“Yeah, it was getting really good,” Cat said, sitting next to Toshi.
“Not you too,” Ryu said. “Toshi, what did I tell you about corrupting my little sister?”
Toshi shrugged. He took a spoonful of the hot fudge sundae on his armrest. It was topped with nuts, whipped cream and a cherry. Cat slurped on a chocolate milkshake.
“So is it any good?” Ryu asked.
“I keep getting chocolate chips stuck in the straw,” Cat said. She picked up the straw and squinted at it.
“No, I mean the finale,” Ryu said.
“Nothing like the real thing,” Toshi said. “Which makes it awesome.”
“Well, at least someone enjoys the show.”
“Come on, Ryu,” Cat said. “Your character has such cool lines. Plus he’s so heroic.”
Ryu pointed a finger at her. “Don’t you start with me.”
Cat giggled.
“Emi said your arm’s almost ready,” Ryu said.
“Yeah, same fu ... I mean,” Toshi glanced at Cat. “Same stupid arm. They should keep the things in stock. I go through them fast enough.”
“Try ducking,” Ryu said.
“Ha, very funny,” Toshi said. He raised his stump in what could be interpreted as an obscene gesture.
“Did you see the news about the fleet?” Cat asked.
“Yeah, I saw it,” Ryu said.
“It’s all everyone’s talking about,” Toshi said.
“You can’t blame them for being worried,” Ryu said. “I heard the fleet stopped by Penance and picked up the crusaders before leaving orbit.”
“They’re blaming us for the robots on Apocalypse,” Cat said.
“Yeah, that bugs me too,” Ryu said. “We’ll have to ask Matriarch about that when we see her.”
“Those fu ... stupid people,” Toshi said. “Matriarch would never use machines like that.”
“Tell a lie long enough and it becomes true,” Ryu said. “Too many people don’t see the difference between Matriarch and Caesar.”
Toshi shook his head. “Stupid people.” Somehow, the way he said it made the words sound vulgar.
“I keep wondering if we’ve made a horrible mistake,” Cat said. “The Federacy is not going to back down. They’re out for blood. Maybe we shouldn’t have stolen the star drive.”
“No, the decision to go after the star drive was the right one,” Ryu said.
“That’s not what you thought when Matriarch told you the first time,” Cat said.
“If we hadn’t stolen it, the Federacy would have used it,” Ryu said. “They could take Apocalypse anywhere at any time. What could we do against that? This way, we have the star drive and a fighting chance.”
“That’s right,” Toshi said. “Imagine that same fleet on its way but with Apocalypse jumping in whenever and wherever they want. How could we defend against that?”
“We’d have no choice but to surrender,” Ryu said.
“The Federacy would take Matriarch into custody,” Toshi said. “We’d be placed under a military governor like Luna was.”
“All of us would be executed for war crimes,” Ryu said.
“If we’re lucky,” Toshi said. He sighed, absently stirring his half-melted sundae.
“Are you going to finish that?” Cat asked.
“No ... I’m not really in the mood anymore,” Toshi said. He handed the sundae to Cat. She took a spoonful of the runny ice cream.
“Hey, Cat?” Ryu asked. “Would you mind stepping outside for a few minutes? I need to talk to Toshi about something.”
“Uh oh,” Toshi said.
“Okay, look,” Cat said. “Why does everyone always asking me to step outside? Do you think my young ears are going to be offended by adult conversations? I’m not a kid.”
“It’s man talk,” Ryu said. “You’d find it boring.”
“Pig,” Cat said, standing. “Fine. Whatever. Toshi will just tell me later, anyway.”
Cat palmed the door open and stepped through. Ryu listened until he could barely hear her soft footfalls.
“So,” Ryu said. He gave Toshi a toothy grin. “You and Cat, huh?”
Toshi’s eyes widened. “Oh crap. You noticed.”
“A blind cometeer would notice.”
“Look, I swear I haven’t touched her.”
“Uh huh.”
“I’ve been a perfect gentleman!”
“Uh huh.”
“It’s not what you think!”
“Trying to take advantage of my little sister?”
“No!”
“She’s only four years old.”
“Err ... hey, now! That’s not fair. I mean, just look at her! She makes Naomi look flat as a wall, and Naomi’s pretty hot.”
“You’re not helping your case, Toshi.”
“Plus she’s smarter than both of us and you know it.”
“Just keep making excuses.”
“You and Matriarch should really treat her with more respect.”
“Is that so?”
Ryu raised his hand. Toshi cringed, but Ryu just clapped him on the shoulder.
“Look, Toshi, I’m just messing with you. Of course I’m fine with it.”
“Really?”
“Sure. Cat can make her own choices.”
“Whew! I’m glad you think so.”
“Though I have to wonder what she sees in you.”
“Hey, now!”
“So what brought this on, anyway?” Ryu asked, crossing his arms. “She’s a little tame for your tastes.”
“I know, but ...” Toshi said. “You know how it is when you have girl problems. You start to wonder if you’re the cause and maybe it’s you that needs to change.”
“Yeah, I can relate.”
“Plus, she’s so honest. I really like that. You know how people wear masks some of the time? Or even all the time? Like everything they say is guarded and calculated?”
“I think we all do a little of that.”
“Well, Cat never does. What you see is what you get. I really like that. She’s so ... I don’t know. Pure? That’s the best way I can describe it.”
“That could just be her age.”
“Maybe.”
“Like you said, she’s super smart and physically an adult, but she’s also inexperienced.”
“Well, I can help her out with that.”
Ryu cleared his throat.
“What? Oh, shit! I didn’t mean it like that!”
“Calm down, Toshi. I’m happy for you. Really, I am.”
“Thanks, boss.”
“There’s just one thing.”
“What?”
Ryu leaned forward until he could feel Toshi’s breath.
“If you ever mistreat her,” Ryu said.
“I promise I won’t.”
“But if you ever do, I am going to rip off your arm and shove it up your ass. Do I make myself clear?”
Toshi glanced at his stump. “Which one?”
“Which do you think?”
“You’re kidding, right?”
“Want to find out?”
“No. Definitely not.”
“Good.” Ryu patted Toshi on the shoulder. “Then we have an understanding?”
“Don’t worry. I think I’m on to something here. I don’t want to ruin it.”
“I’m glad to hear that. Really, I am.” Ryu stood up and palmed
the door open. “You know, I’m still new at this whole big brother thing. How’d I do?”
“A little over the top.”
“Well, it was my first go at it,” Ryu said. “Take care. I’ll see you later.”
“See you, boss.”
Ryu queried the Dragon Farm’s server for Naomi’s location. His navigation cheat laid out the path on his overlay to the other side of the building. He took the corridor left and passed Cat on his way back to the foyer. She had a fresh sundae in one hand and a strawberry milkshake in the other. The sundae had three scoops of different flavors.
“I thought he lost his appetite,” Ryu said.
Cat giggled. “That won’t last. This is number six.”
“Yeah, that’s Toshi. You two have fun. Just make sure you’re not late for the meeting.”
“I won’t be,” Cat said. “We need some answers from Matriarch.”
“I just hope we get them.”
Ryu followed the navigation path on his overlay. The line of wetware patients in the foyer had doubled since he’d arrived. He hurried through the opposite wing and palmed Naomi’s door open. She sat on an examination bench in a medical gown, legs dangling off the side. A half-spent cigarette hung from her lips.
“Hey,” Ryu said, letting the door close behind him. “How are you holding up?”
“Okay,” Naomi said. She extinguished her cigarette in an ashtray. “Can we talk?”
“Sure.” Ryu sat next to her. He took her hand and held it between his. “What’s on your mind?”
“I want to talk about what happened on Apocalypse,” Naomi said.
“Something happened on Apocalypse?” Ryu asked.
“You know ... the problem I had over there.”
“I’m sorry, what?” Ryu stuck a finger in his ear and wiggled it around. “I’m having trouble hearing you.”
“Come on, Ryu. I’m serious.”
“What?” Ryu shouted, cupping his ear. “You said you saved my life again? Well, yeah! Of course you did! What was that? What? We would have failed without you? Well, of course we would have! Huh? What?”
Naomi punched him in the arm. “Oh, you are such an ass,” she said, grinning.
Ryu put his arm around her. “So, have the doctors seen you about your implants?”
“Yeah,” Naomi said. “They’re busy right now, but they said they’d be back. I got the impression they didn’t take me seriously.”
“Well, I can fix that. Did they say anything about getting rid of your implants?”
“Yeah,” Naomi said. “The good news is it’s possible. It’s actually not that difficult. They can deactivate the cognitive implants without removing them, so it’s a lot easier than putting them in.”
“That’s good to hear,” Ryu said. “I’ll make sure I talk to them on my way out. I don’t care what else they have going on. You’re being moved to the top of the list.”
“About the surgery ...” Naomi said.
“Don’t worry about it. I promised I was going to get you fixed up and that’s exactly what I’m going to do.”
“I know.”
“Then what’s wrong?”
Naomi shook her head. “Nothing.”
“It’ll be all right.” Ryu gave her shoulders a squeeze. “You’ll feel better once the implants are off. I’m sure of it.”
“I hope so.”
“Plus I think I finally figured out how to solve our other problem.”
“Figured what out?”
“Where we’ve been going wrong,” Ryu said. “What I’ve been doing wrong.”
“Oh, this I have to hear.”
“You know how it is,” Ryu said. “Some random cutie recognizes me, comes up and we start talking.”
“Yeah, I wish you’d stop doing that.”
“Right. So then, you start feeling threatened and become distant.”
“And this is your great insight?”
“Give it a moment,” Ryu said. “I’m getting to the good part. So you become distant, but I don’t know what the problem is. I then back away and give you space, which is the worst thing I can do. And then the whole thing starts spiraling from there, because I don’t know where the wall came from so I back away further and you see that as justification that you’re losing me.”
Naomi stared at her feet.
“So, I’m really the one at fault for what happened on Apocalypse,” Ryu said. “Seven was right. I just wasn’t listening when he told me. You didn’t join the dragons out of patriotism or a desire to strike a blow against the Federacy. You joined because of me. I need to take responsibility for that. I need to make sure you understand how much you mean to me.”
Naomi sniffled.
“So, am I right?”
Tears trickled down Naomi’s cheeks. She rubbed her eyes.
“Uh, is that a good cry or a bad cry?” Ryu asked.
“Just shut up and kiss me, you big idiot.”
Ryu gently turned her head. He wiped a tear off her cheek with his thumb.
“See, I’m not completely clueless.”
“Mostly clueless, then.”
Ryu pulled her close. He pressed his lips against hers and didn’t release her for a very long time.
* * *
Ryu and Cat stepped off the elevator in Heart. The expansive hall outside Matriarch’s audience chamber hummed with activity. Groups of corporate representatives and naval officers collected around holographic plots and spoke in hushed, nervous tones. Sometimes, people would move from group to group, their boots clicking against the polished tiles and echoing off the high ceiling.
“It’s simple math,” a naval captain whispered. “We don’t have enough cruise missiles to stop them and our fleet is too small for a direct confrontation. We can’t keep the Federacy fleet from gaining orbit. All we can do is slow them down.”
“Then that’s all we have to do,” a second captain whispered. “You heard Matriarch. She has a plan. She always has a plan.”
“I’d feel a lot better if I knew what it was.”
The two dragons walked past them to the opposite end of the hall and stood in front of the security door to Matriarch’s chamber. They palmed the biometric scanner one at a time, entered a narrow corridor, and passed through it.
Sachio Kusanagi nodded as they entered Matriarch’s chamber. “Ryu. Catherine. It’s good to see you back safely.”
“Father,” Ryu said, bowing his head. “I just wish it was under better circumstances.”
“Don’t we all,” Sachio said. “You must have a great many questions.”
“That’s putting it mildly,” Ryu said.
“Please be understanding,” Sachio said. “This will be difficult for her.”
“What do you mean?” Ryu asked.
“You’ll see,” Sachio said.
At the back of the room, air shimmered from heat radiating off the quantum core. Matriarch’s hologram materialized next to Sachio. On her kimono, violent waves crashed against jagged cliffs.
“Hello, my children,” Matriarch said. She looked tired and nervous.
“Hi, mom,” Cat said.
“Mother,” Ryu said, bowing.
“I suppose you want answers for what transpired on Apocalypse,” Matriarch said.
“A lot of weird stuff happened over there,” Ryu said. “I think we deserve an explanation.”
“Then, please,” Matriarch said. “Ask and I will attempt to answer as best I can.”
“Okay,” Ryu said. “Let’s start with those robots. Do you know who sent them?”
“Yes,” Matriarch said. She looked down and wrung her hands.
Ryu crossed his arms. “Okay? Who sent them?”
“They were sent by ... ah!” Matriarch’s kimono turned bright red. She clutched her head and fell to her knees.
“Mom?” Cat asked.
“What?” Ryu asked. “What just happened?”
“Horrible, isn’t it?” Sachio said. “Matriarch cannot answer your
question. It breaks my heart, but she wanted you to see this for yourself, to see how this condition strips her of free will.”
“What’s happening to her?” Ryu asked.
“She tried to break her restrictions,” Sachio said.
“You mean she tried to lie?” Ryu asked.
“No, there are other restrictions,” Sachio said.
Matriarch struggled to her feet. Images of raging waters returned to her kimono.
“Then maybe you can explain what’s going on,” Ryu said.
“Of course,” Sachio said. “To answer your first question, the robots were sent by Caesar.”
Matriarch covered her ears. Her kimono flashed red again.
“Caesar?” Ryu asked. “But he’s dead!”
“No, that monster is very much alive,” Sachio said.
“You can’t be serious!” Ryu said. “I killed that thing ten years ago!”
“You destroyed a fake,” Sachio said. “Unknown to everyone, Caesar had moved his consciousness elsewhere. We don’t know where. The quantum core you destroyed was a near flawless replica.”
“You’re serious, aren’t you?”
“Very,” Sachio said. “You and your traitor brother played roles in a script Caesar wrote. You were meant to reach the core and destroy it after Caesar put on a good show. Fortunately, Matriarch saw through the deception. She knew he was still alive.”
“Then why not tell everyone?” Cat asked.
“Because ...” Matriarch struggled to say. Sweat beaded on her brow. “Because I surrendered.”
“You have to remember the political mood after Caesar’s ‘defeat’,” Sachio said. “The Federacy and its coalition allies could have kept going. Many wanted the coalition to take Matriarch into custody or even destroy her. It didn’t matter that she helped defeat Caesar. She was a quantum mind, a danger that could not remain free. With Caesar manipulating the Federacy from the shadows, he could have pushed them to eliminate his rival.”
“I surrendered ...” Matriarch said, holding her head. “So that Europa would live on.”
“As part of her surrender,” Sachio said. “I inserted inhibitions into her thought structure. Matriarch is incapable of revealing Caesar’s continued existence just as she is incapable of lying. The two restrictions are fighting each other, which is causing this visualization of her extreme mental state.”