“Are you done?” she asked.
“Yep.”
Akiko held up the picture of Claire’s friend that seemed ubiquitous. “Command just informed me that the woman in the pictures is her friend, Jenna Fujimori, and is suspected of working with the Americans. They’re tracking her location at the moment. She was the one who was speaking in the communication with Claire when they mocked the Emperor. We hope she can tell us more about Mutsuraga’s current plans.”
“What’ll happen when you catch the general?”
“What do you think?”
“Are there any theories on why Claire…” He glanced involuntarily towards the bathroom.
“Perhaps she couldn’t bear the dishonor of her father’s sedition.”
As they went to the elevator, Akiko checked her portical again. There were no updates. “I need to eat,” she said.
“There’s a great tempura burger place nearby,” he offered.
“Let’s go.”
11:31AM
“Oh great, we beat the lunch rush,” Ben said. “I recommend the classic tempura burger. They dip their buns in honey and pecan sauce and it’s amazing. You can get vegetable or pork tempura. I personally like the shrimp. They catch it fresh and–”
“Order as you please,” she said. “I’ll leave my lunch choices to you.”
The interior of the restaurant was painted in a colorful mix of curry yellow and braised brown hues that made it resemble a fried crustacean. Statues of their mascot, Shrimp Boy, smiled at them from every corner. There was a playground in the middle of the restaurant and the walls were huge portical display screens showing both adult and children versions of the Shrimp Boy drama and cartoon series. Waiters and waitresses dressed in pink shrimp costumes bowed and welcomed them in Japanese: “Good afternoon, officers.”
They were escorted to a private room blocked off by shoji screens.
“It’s cheap, has great service, and the food is amazing,” Ben said excitedly. They took off their shoes and sat on the tatami mats. “The only place I like better for lunch is a chicken and waffle place on Pico that’s fantastic, though I’m really digging the Cajun sauce and boiling crab at this seafood place on Wilshire.”
Akiko took out her portical and started reading files.
Ben said, “I have a rule. No business during lunch.”
“Why not?” Akiko asked.
“Everyone needs a rest now and then.”
“The enemies of the Empire do not rest. Neither should we.”
Her eyes went back to her portical.
“What’s so interesting?” he asked.
“What are you seeking? An exchange of useless information?” She put her portical down. “What would you like to know?”
“A little bit about who you are.”
“I work seven days a week, my brother was killed by American terrorists, and I hate people who waste my time.”
“What do you like to do for fun?” Ben asked.
“Hunt traitors,” she snapped. “Anything else?”
The burgers came a few minutes later. Ben savored each bite, relishing the mix of the shrimp and the honey. Akiko chewed without a word. She only ate a quarter before commenting, “It’s too sweet,” then put it aside.
“The eggplant fries are pretty good,” Ben said.
She took a bite and spat it out. “They’re too salty.”
Ben was about halfway through his burger when she asked, “How much longer are you going to eat?”
“Just give me another minute.”
She sighed before looking at her portical again. A ring went off and she immediately picked up. “Hello, General,” she greeted.
“Any progress on the case?” the general asked.
“A little bit, sir. We’ve found evidence that Claire Mutsuraga had the game on her portical. It was a tricky connection, but I was able to figure out the best methodology of breaking through. I’m going through her files this very minute.”
“Excellent. Our first tangible connection. Well done.”
“Thank you, sir. I’ll be following up with her friend, Jenna Fujimori.”
“We’ve tracked Fujimori to the Compton Opera House where she is taking part in rehearsals. Head there and interrogate her. Report to me immediately once you learn anything new. Command has taken a direct interest in this and wants continual updates. You understand the revised orders that were sent earlier?”
To Ben’s surprise, Akiko seemed uncomfortable replying. “I do, sir. Is there any room for–”
“No,” the voice cut her off and the communication ended.
When Akiko looked up at Ben, he said, “I’m done,” even though he had a third left.
She looked away, clearly preoccupied by a troubling thought.
12:11PM
The Compton Opera House (known to everyone as the COH) was a favorite spot for first dates because of their beautiful gardens and an all-night zoo that was tailored for nature outings. The government had rebuilt Compton after massive riots destroyed it a few decades back. It was now one of the richest, most exclusive neighborhoods in Los Angeles. The COH was shaped in the dragon mask of the Emperor, a massive conglomerate of crimson eyes, a commanding nose, and snarling lips. Adjacent buildings included the Tojo Theater House and the Wachi Tea Gardens. Statues of the three treasures, the Kusanagi sword, the jewel Yakani no Magatama, and the mirror, Yata no Kagami, were the source of huge water fountains.
The pair went through the lobby of the opera house into the actual performance hall. The COH had converted the interior for a new show called the Water Geisha and a massive water tank half the size of the building was built inside. Ben had heard about the show, a thousand coordinated swimmers performing a dazzling water spectacle commemorating the Japanese victory in the Pacific during the Holy War. None of them were wearing their costumes yet, but submarines, aircraft carriers, and gunboats were each going to be personified in a tense drama set to music. The smell of chlorine pervaded and the temperature was warm enough to cause him to sweat under his uniform.
“That’s pretty amazing,” Ben said, marveling at the height of the tank.
Agent Tsukino approached one of the attendants, showed her badge, and said, “We need to see Jenna Fujimori.”
The carpet that usually lined the aisles had been stripped out in favor of cement. Performers were walking past them, many of them naked aside from a tiny oxygen mask for their breath. They were of different ethnicities and wore colored contact lenses that doubled as shielding for their eyes underwater. Hundreds of naked men and women swam within the tank and the lights swayed in a dance of their own, pirouetting and spinning in a resplendent swirl. A flurry of bubbles somehow turned into the shape of torpedoes that blew up upon contact with the live performers. A small group of gaudily dressed men and women were at the base outside of the tank, barking directions into their microphones. Many of the swimmers were short, stout, and muscular. The woman approaching them had arms that were twice the size of Ben’s own, though she looked to be under five feet tall. Her brunette hair was tied into a wet knot and she was wiping the water from her green eyes. She had the tattoo of a bat on her right shoulder and though she was stark naked, she didn’t seem embarrassed in the least bit. She also didn’t seem that pleased to see them. “What’s going on? I’m very busy and–”
Akiko showed her badge. “We need to talk with you. You should put some clothes on.”
“I have a skin suit on,” she said, referring to the transparent layer around her body. “The–”
“What’s going on here?” a man with green hair and a yellow swim suit demanded, as he approached them from the aisle. “I need her for the show.” He saw Akiko’s badge. “This show is for the celebration in four days. This is for the honor of the USJ. She doesn’t have time to waste with questions! I need her now!”
“Forgive me, Hideki-san,” Akiko said, though she did not bow. “We have some important questions regarding Imperial security.”
/> “I am going to file a complaint with the Ministry of Defense! How can I run a show without my performers?”
“Surely you can do without one for a short time.”
“For you, it’s just a short time. For me, it’s a ripple effect putting us behind by days we don’t have!” He started moaning in pain and there was even a tear in his eye. “None of you military types understand the arts. The only art you know is paranoia. Governor Ogasawa is personally attending opening night. The performance must be flawless.”
“Why don’t you have a replacement take her place?” Akiko suggested.
“You are taking her away from us?” he inquired, scandalized by the suggestion.
“I am.”
The man started hitting his head with his open palm and screeching. His assistants fanned him and did their best to console him, as he seemed about to swoon.
Akiko seized Jenna by the arm and, when she hesitated, eyed Ben. He grabbed Jenna by her other arm and helped escort her out.
“I thought you were just asking a few questions,” Jenna said.
“You won’t be returning tonight,” Akiko informed her.
“What did I do?”
“The question isn’t, what did you do wrong? What you’re really wondering is, what did you get caught doing?”
“I didn’t do anything.”
“We’ll see about that.”
They exited the opera house.
“Who was that man?” Ben asked Jenna.
“Director Hideki Inouye,” she replied.
The only non-ethnic Japanese person to direct a national ballet. Ben hadn’t recognized him with his green hair. Then again, Inouye usually had some outlandish hair style.
“You must play a really important part,” Ben said to her.
“I’m the Panay, one of fifty Western boats that got blown up during the Holy War,” Jenna answered. “I’m pretty much just an extra.”
12:54PM
Adjacent to the COH, a gray truck was parked. It was lugging a trailer that Ben presumed to be an interrogation room. The back was open, a ramp sticking out. They led Jenna up and, after they entered the truck, two men in black suits closed the door behind them. Along the walls were panels and porticals that were manned by various personnel. Two guards seized Jenna, tied her arms and legs together, then forcibly thrust her onto a chair. The surrounding lights dimmed and a spotlight beamed straight into her face.
“Jenna Fujimori,” Agent Tsukino began, “how would you like it if I broke both your legs and fractured your spine so you could never swim again?”
Ben felt a chill in his body. He wondered why they’d snatched her up in broad daylight at her place of work. If they really meant to break her legs, they could have grabbed her in the middle of the night so that no one would notice. This was meant to be a public arrest.
“That would not be good,” Jenna replied.
“If you cooperate with us, we may let you perform in future shows.”
“What about the Water Geisha?”
“Impossible,” Akiko said. “You are not a true patriot.”
“What do you mean?”
Akiko lifted up her index finger. From the speakers, a recording of Jenna’s voice played.
“What about Tim?” Jenna was asking.
“She’s worried he can’t have babies,” another voice asked. Ben recognized Claire’s voice
“I heard even the Emperor can’t have babies anymore,” Jenna replied. There were a few ribald jokes followed by giggles that seemed silly and childish, not by any means malicious. The recording came to an end.
“We were just joking around,” Jenna tried to defend herself.
“At the expense of the Almighty and Gracious Emperor. He has given you life! All you foreigners! He freed America from the tyranny of the slave drivers. And you think it’s funny to ridicule his ability to procreate? By extension, you are also mocking every one of his sons and daughters, and their sons and daughters, the whole royal line.”
“That wasn’t my intention.”
Akiko slapped Jenna across the face. “You are insolent in the face of obvious guilt! You don’t show an ounce of penitence!”
Jenna glowered back with angry eyes.
“You have something you want to say?” Akiko challenged her.
“I’m sorry about what I said.”
“You don’t sound sorry.”
“I am.”
“You should have had honor like your friend Claire.”
“What are you talking about?”
“She committed jigai to atone for her insolence.”
“What? When?”
Akiko slapped her again; this time blood dotted Jenna’s lip. “I’ve checked your financial records, the shows you’ve watched, and the game decisions you’ve made.” Akiko started listing her transactions and choices. By themselves, they might have been harmless. But in conjunction, manipulated and funneled into a verdict, Jenna’s guilt seemed beyond question. “Every action you’ve taken indicates a treasonous state of mind. Do you know what the punishment is for thought-treason?”
Jenna shook her head.
“Fifty years in a labor camp. How would you like to go to the labor camp at Catalina?”
“I would not.”
“When was the last time you saw Claire Mutsuraga?”
“I talked to her by portical two weeks ago, but I’ve mostly been busy with the sho–”
Akiko kicked her in the shin. “I have your portical records! You talked a week ago!”
“I don’t remember. It’s all mixed up and it’s been so hectic the last few days.”
“Did she talk about suicide?” Akiko asked.
“No, of course not.”
“You’re certain?”
“Yes!”
“Where is her father?”
“I don’t know.”
“You don’t know?”
“I swear I don’t know,” Jenna replied in a panic. “I’ve only talked to him a handful of times.”
“About what?”
“Nothing important. Just stuff, you know?”
Akiko took out her silver gun. “There’s an old American religion that said if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off. If your tongue, cut that out too.”
“I really don’t know anything.”
“This gun will rewrite the history of your blood. If I shoot you with this, in a minute you won’t be recognizable. In four, you will suffer untold agony. In seven minutes, you will die the worst death known in the Empire. I will only ask you once again. Where is Claire’s father?”
“I really don’t know!”
Akiko took the gun and fired into her neck. It took thirty seconds before Jenna started screaming.
“W-what’s happening?”
“Where is General Mutsuraga?” Akiko asked.
“I don’t know I don’t know I don’t know! Please-please d-don’t-don’t.”
Jenna vomited and the whole contour of her back transformed, muscles pressing against her flesh, causing it to bulge. Her breaths were feral, desperate, and lonely. Viruses were raiding her entire immune system, pillaging, sacking, and devouring. Nature never hesitated. The smell of her blood and shit filled the air. She’d released her bowels and her shrill cry continued. Ben turned his head away, but could hear her retching and struggling against her seat. He looked to Akiko. She noticed his gaze. He went to the back of the trailer and hit the door.
“Let me out,” he ordered. “Let me out!”
A guard complied. He rushed out and gasped. He’d seen executions, knew about torture methods from San Diego. But the way Jenna’s biochemistry mutated and the smell that followed was more repulsive than anything he’d been prepared for. It was never a good thing to betray yourself emotionally in that way. But he couldn’t help himself.
“I know it’s hard to see,” he heard Akiko say from behind him. “You handled it pretty well for the first time.”
“How many times have you d
one this?” he asked her.
“This was my thirteenth,” she replied. “She was guilty of collaborating in a terrorist act that resulted in the death of seventeen of our soldiers last year in Palos Verdes.”
“How do you know that?”
“We found the information on Claire’s portical after you cracked it open.”
“You didn’t ask her anything about it.”
“We’ll extract the memories from her brain.”
“What?” he said, startled because he didn’t know that was even possible.
“Biologics have asked for fresh subjects to test.”
“What if it doesn’t work?”
Ben saw Akiko’s face express the troubled look he’d seen earlier. It hardened when she noticed his attention. “Those were my orders,” she stated, with a harshness that seemed to compensate rather than affirm.
Ben involuntarily touched the side of his throat. “Why did you bring me along for this?”
“Because I don’t think you take your job seriously,” she said. “You’ve been reported multiple times by colleagues and subordinates. I think you are barely competent, a man who is too comfortable with what he views as a stable job. Why do you think you got passed over last night for a promotion? I want to remind you of the repercussions of your reports, to realize that what you see, what you censor, is taken very seriously. We must maintain constant vigilance against the enemies of the Empire.”
“You did this as a favor to me?”
“An interdepartmental reminder for an alumnus.”
“What is it about this game that has you so worried?”
“The fact that you have to ask that question means you haven’t learned your lesson yet.”
“You forget I graduated almost last in my class?”
“I never forget.”
“Do you need me for anything else?”
“Yes. But you’re free for the rest of the night. Go have your pointless fun at the kyotei races.” He was about to leave when she called him. “Captain Ishimura.”
“Yes?”
“Salute your superior officer before leaving.”
He saluted her. She dismissed him and went back into the interrogation trailer.
United States of Japan Page 7