by Satoshi Hase
The black micro-bus had been stopped, as if by magic.
“I will pull the car around in front of the target and let you off,” Lacia said. “The HOO members will definitely pick you up, so please go make contact with the mercenaries inside the van.” Lacia spoke as if she could already see it happening in the future.
“Okay,” Arato said. “If that’ll help Kengo, then I’ll do it.” The thought that he might end up with a gun pointed at him again sent a shudder through him, but this was no time to chicken out.
They proceeded to the spot just past where the PMC van had stopped, and Lacia handed Arato a glow stick and had him get out. When he bent the straw-like cylinder, the chemical fluid inside it mixed, causing it to give off a yellow glow. Arato stood, waving the light on the side of the road, waiting for the black micro-bus to drive by. And, just three minutes later, the vehicle full of trained civilian mercenaries pulled up next to him.
It was just as Lacia had predicted; as soon as the bus stopped, one of the side doors immediately opened. A woman with red hair, dressed in a military uniform with urban camo coloring, stepped out of the vehicle. “Arato Endo,” she said. “Lacia’s owner, right? I see. So that’s how this is going to go. Well, first of all, why don’t you get in?”
Arato noticed that there was suddenly a very muscular black man standing behind him, and felt something hard press into his back. “Don’t make any sudden moves,” the man ordered. “Get in.”
After he was patted-down roughly and his pocket terminal was confiscated, Arato was shoved into the back of the micro-bus, which was void of any seating. Or so Arato had thought at first; then, he saw some long seats that used the sides of the bus as back-rests, but were currently folded up. There were six men and women inside that looked like military types. At the very back of the bus there was a single folding chair, on which sat a blindfolded man.
Arato could hardly breathe through the smell of sweat and the heavy scent of violence in the air. Someone ordered him to sit, so he started to do so while still keeping his hands in the air. The van suddenly accelerated, throwing him off balance and planting him on his butt.
Another black man, even more muscular than the one who had pointed the gun at Arato’s back, walked over. He had to bend his head down to keep from hitting it on the roof of the bus. “I’m Sest Ackerman of HOO. I take it you’re Arato Endo,” he said.
“That’s right,” Arato said.
There was a gun rack in the van, with several small firearms hung on it. Seeing that, Arato came face-to-face with the concept that the inside of that van was a place far removed from the world and rules he had known up to that point.
Sest fixed Arato with a steady gaze, as if testing him. “Why did you make contact with us?” he asked.
“I was hoping to learn something about the Antibody Network,” Arato said. “I thought I could learn something about the center of the Network by speaking with that man you all have tied up over there.” He was talking with an odd politeness he didn’t usually have, possibly because of the terror that gripped him.
Sest looked away. Then, after a moment, he took a step back. “Major Lemaire will speak with you,” he said.
The lights in the bus went dark, and an image was projected onto one of the walls. It showed a platinum blonde female officer with a patch over her right eye.
“Uh, nice to meet you,” Arato said. “I’m Arato Endo.”
〈I am Collidenne Lemaire, 1st Squadron Captain of the 1st Land Unit of HOO,〉 the woman said. 〈As Lacia’s owner, it’s very helpful of you to come to us like this.〉 Her voice over the speakers was deep, and she spoke with a calm manner.
As Arato listened to her solemn tone, he couldn’t help but recall that this was the unit that had shot down Kouka. He had just thrown himself willingly into the arms of the group of specialists powerful enough to destroy Kouka. When he had that thought, every muscle in his body seemed to go stiff. He had to act quickly and pursue his goal before he ran out of courage to act.
“I want to save my friend,” he said. “Please let me speak to the man you have over there.”
〈Allow us to ask you some questions first,〉 the major replied.
Arato swallowed nervously, and nodded. He figured that if the conversation got too dangerous, Lacia would jump in.
〈An hIE with the same name as your Lacia escaped from a certain company,〉 the major began. 〈From the information we received, she has the same face as Lacia, and carries a similar device. Could your Lacia be the same as the one we heard about?〉
“I haven’t heard anything about that,” Arato replied.
〈But you have encountered units similar to Lacia, correct? Why don’t you tell us what you know about the other units,〉 Collidenne pressed.
At the major’s question, there was a numb sensation in Arato’s right ear. Lacia was transmitting to him. 〈Tell her you’re only aware of Kouka,〉 Lacia instructed.
“I’m only aware of Kouka,” Arato said, parroting Lacia’s words.
“Listen you little punk! Don’t screw around with us!” the red-haired female soldier from earlier yelled, her voice echoing around the van as she shoved a gun in Arato’s face. “C’mon major, let me rough him up,” she went on. “This little shit is lyin’ with a straight face.”
Lacia’s voice reverberated through Arato’s skull again. 〈Allow me to explain, so you can better understand the group you are dealing with. In a well-disciplined military organization, individual soldiers cannot make decisions with large impact without the approval of their superior. This high level of control doesn’t give the soldiers any room for acting on instinct in situations like these. As long as you do not do anything to actively threaten the soldiers in that van, you will not be in any danger,〉 she said. Even though her voice was soothing, her words couldn’t exactly erase the irrational terror caused by the muzzle right in his face.
〈Sergeant Mallory,〉 Collidenne said, clearly ordering the soldier to stand down.
Still, Sergeant Mallory didn’t stop twisting the barrel of the gun against Arato’s temple. There was a harried look in her eyes that had him trembling uncontrollably. “Sorry, Major, but I don’t think I can follow that order,” Mallory said. “Did you forget how many of our guys that red box killed today?”
Lacia’s voice resounded in his head again and, though she wasn’t actually there with him, he clung to that sound for comfort. 〈Major Lemaire keeps her organization disciplined. They will not make any important decisions without her. The group that has you now are well-trained soldiers with a strict leader. I realize that the situation seems dangerous, but I assure you it is not as bad as it looks,〉 Lacia said, but then added, 〈Though, if you show any sign that you know they’re bluffing, they may judge the situation abnormal and shoot you. Please be careful.〉
The major spoke to Arato through the screen. 〈On the morning of April 20th, we observed a diffusion of light determined to be caused by a laser of similar output to that used by Kouka,〉 the major said. 〈Our combat support AI was able to calculate the positioning of that shot, and we found the person who would have been there, at the other end of that shot.〉
Arato remembered that day. It had been the horrible day that had started this panic he was still caught up in.
〈Sest, remove the blindfold from that man,〉 the major ordered. The soldier she had called Sest carefully removed the black blindfold wrapped around the head of the man in the folding chair. Under the blindfold, Arato saw a face he would never be able to forget.
“You!” the man yelled, as soon as he saw Arato’s face. It was the man who had kidnapped Lacia. Kicking his feet against the floor of the van, the man struggled wildly. “This is the guy who carried off my Lacia. It’s your fault I got caught up in this!” he yelled.
Arato felt all the blood drain from his face. This was the one man who was a clear witness to Arato and Kouka’s meeting. Lacia should have been aware of what was going on, through the microphone. The m
an was lashing out wildly with his feet, trying to kick Arato. “This is the boy! This punk stole my Lacia away!” the man continued screaming. Arato could feel the anger of the soldiers in the van rising, and his breathing became quick and shallow. He was sure that Major Lemaire was about to give the order to kill him.
〈We know that you were there when the laser was shot,〉 the major continued, ignoring the ruckus caused by the kidnapper. 〈Who was Kouka pointing her laser at?〉
Lacia was silent. Mallory, still pressing her heavy gun to his head, put her finger on the trigger. All emotion had gone from her eyes. Arato was absolutely certain he was going to be shot. His entire body went stiff. Had Lacia decided to get rid of him?
〈Arato Endo, we lost ten good soldiers in the fight against Kouka this evening,〉 the major said. 〈As security contractors for MemeFrame, we may be sent to fight the other Lacia-class units. One of the soldiers in the bus with you right now may be the next to die. Do you understand that?〉
Arato felt like his living or dying rested on the answer he gave to that question. He couldn’t think; his mind was completely blank. He offered up the only answer he had. “I do understand, but I still want to save my friend,” he said.
Mallory’s gun didn’t move from his head.
Arato’s eyes met those of the kidnapper in the chair. It suddenly occurred to Arato that the man was an obvious choice for questioning, once Kengo was arrested. Then, when he realized why the kidnapper would be caught up in all this, several pieces clicked into place in his head. He managed to see clearly through his panic, thanks to his faith that Lacia would never have sent him into that danger without a purpose.
“I get it,” Arato said. “You used the Antibody Network’s system for your own ends when you wanted to kidnap Lacia, just like Kengo did. Then the Network punished you by forcing you to play cameraman for their lynchings. Otherwise, who would volunteer for a job that’s basically selling out your own comrades?”
Arato realized that both he and the kidnapper had been placed in a situation where neither of them could hide the truth from each other. Lacia must have known it was all going to happen, before she told him to get on the HOO micro-bus. The kidnapper would only be focusing on saving his own life, which would mean he’d be willing to answer honestly.
“Hey, kid, we’re the ones asking the questions,” Mallory said.
But Arato had his proof that Lacia was right. The soldiers wouldn’t attack him. After having been pushed to the very limits of terror, to suddenly have that lifted was an immense, freeing feeling of relief to Arato. His face, which had been pale with fear, was suddenly flushed with color. His mind was euphoric, as if he was enjoying a pleasant drug trip.
He looked down at the kidnapper, handcuffed to the folding chair. “Who told you to go filming the hIEs being destroyed?” Arato asked. “If the guys busting up the hIEs caught you filming them, you’d get jumped, too. It must have been someone pretty threatening that made you do it, if you’re more afraid of the penalty than making the other Network members angry.”
As more and more pieces fell into place, it felt like his mind was getting clearer with each word he spoke. “They wouldn’t have left threatening you to a volunteer that might betray their secret, so it must have been done by a professional,” he continued, gaining confidence. “But where would a volunteer group like the Antibody Network find the resources and connections to hire someone like that? Doesn’t that strike you as strange?”
Someone must have appeared to Kengo, to make it clear he couldn’t refuse to participate in the attack on the Oi Industry Promotion Center. Whoever that had been, they probably played the same role as whoever had approached the kidnapper.
“That person—whoever is going around threatening members into doing what they want—they’re the opening in the web of volunteers. If we can find them, whoever this professional is, they should be closely connected to the center of the Network. It’s the center that’s providing the power and resources to bring professionals like that in,” he said. It was like he was seeing the world in a whole different light. The kidnapper had never shown a level of loyalty to the Antibody Network that made Arato think he would agree to go to do one of the most dangerous jobs in the group without a good reason.
“A man came to my apartment!” the kidnapper blurted. “Even though I never told anyone my real name or address.”
The kidnapper hadn’t seen through the soldiers’ bluff. He yelled out answers as if pleading for his life. Arato figured he could probably get the guy to answer anything he asked, so he threw out some questions.
“When?” he asked.
“None of your business,” the kidnapper shot back.
“When was it?” This time, it was Sest who asked.
The kidnapper responded instantly. “It was at the end of April! I... I think it was the 27th. Two days before the attack on that place in Oi!”
Arato really had found a lead that would point him to the center of the Antibody Network. It seemed that Lacia could manipulate humans just as easily as she took control of other hIEs. It was impressive but, at the same time, it also sent an icy chill stabbing into Arato’s heart.
Using the man’s response, Lacia would be able to find the kidnapper’s apartment, then find a security camera feed or something that would allow her to see exactly who had visited the man on that day. With that person’s identity, she would reveal the true nature of the Antibody Network to Arato. The next step would be for him to go and encounter the center of the Network. Everything he did fit right in to Lacia’s plans.
Suddenly, Arato heard someone clapping. Looking around to see who was doing it, he saw that it was Major Lemaire, clapping on her video feed. 〈Youssef, copy that man’s statement and any other data on that boy’s terminal over,〉 she said.
The gun pointed at Arato’s temple swung up to point at the roof of the bus. “Major, are you saying we’re going to let him go?” Mallory asked. “If we keep this guy under wraps, we can ensure that at least one Lacia-class is neutralized.”
The micro-bus suddenly stopped. It happened so suddenly that Arato’s body was rocked forward. The bus had been quickly starting and stopping for a while.
〈Things aren’t as simple as that,〉 the major said. 〈Antibody Network volunteers are currently recording the movements of our vehicle. Someone, or something, has improved the system they’re using and is starting to manipulate the members of the Network.〉
A small window in the metal barrier separating the front of the bus from the back slid open, and a skinny man looked through. “The auto-pilot system is down,” he said. “Should I switch it to manual?”
Arato could see tension running through each of the mercenaries as they received this information. With practiced, precise movements, each of them got into ready positions.
〈Lacia is quite the puzzle,〉 the major mused. 〈She’s doing her best to ensure that you and acquaintances of your little group of three never come to harm. Yet, outside of your circle, there have already been plenty of sacrifices. Like the soldiers in my unit.〉
Arato remembered Kouka, and how she had come to save him and Lacia multiple times. He didn’t want to think of her as a killer, but that was reality. Sacrifices were being made, even if he himself didn’t know about them. Thinking of that made him want to do something more. He no longer wanted to be content with meeting people and then losing sight of them as soon as they parted ways. “You said our acquaintances are being protected,” he finally said. “But I’d say I’ve gotten acquainted with all of you, now.”
A moment of silence passed between them, then Collidenne narrowed her eyes. 〈You’re quite different from Ryo Kaidai, aren’t you?〉 she said. 〈Though, I can’t decide which is better.〉
Arato flinched at being compared to Ryo. It was fair, though, since he hadn’t bothered to see how much danger Kengo was in. That appeared to be the end of it, though, as soon after that the bus pulled over to let Arato off.
〈I’d prefer not to go picking fights with electric demons,〉 Major Lemaire said, silencing the protests of her soldiers. Then she looked at Arato and gave him some advice in parting. 〈This thing you’re caught up in is too big for a school kid like you. The police and Japanese army are moving on it, and soon the IAIA is going to send a representative over here, as well. Keep that in mind when you think of how to respond,〉 she said.
Then, the soldiers hurried him out of the bus like they were kicking him out. The night-dark city around him seemed so much more massive and wider to him than it had before.
And there were people there. So many people.
Up to that point, Arato had only been thinking of himself. But Lacia and her sisters were influencing a much larger range, and catching up countless innocents in their struggle. And Arato owned one of those sisters.
“Well done,” Lacia congratulated him, Arato had ridden in the micro-bus for what seemed like quite some distance, and yet she was right there, already waiting for him. Again, Arato felt a thrill run through his body—a feeling of omnipotence. The experience of being relied on and fulfilling someone’s expectations was intoxicating.
But, one somber thought remained among the euphoria. It was that Lacia knew a lot more than Arato had originally assumed, and had her hands in many more things than he’d previously thought. Major Lemaire and her people had been able to trace Kouka’s laser attack to pin down the existence of the kidnapper, yet they only had the vaguest information about Arato and Lacia. Clearly, Lacia had covered their tracks.
With this thought, Arato began to see his own memories in a new light. They had been able to track Lacia during the kidnapping using her unit number. But, if the kidnapper was using the hIE-lynching know-how of the Antibody Network, he should have known some measures to prevent owners from tracking their hIEs in exactly the same way. Having seen a little more of the background, he found it dubious that they had been able to trace Lacia’s position so easily.