The elevator arrived and they both stepped inside. Hiro asked for the executive level and Erika’s fears grew. That could only mean that they were going up to speak to the general. She still recalled her one and only meeting with Hojo at the welcome party and how uncomfortable he’d made her feel.
She decided to finally take a chance and speak first. “Where are we going?”
“General Hojo would like an update about the Miyata investigation,” said Hiro.
Just as she feared.
“Is that common?” she asked.
“No,” said Hiro. “But it’s his prerogative. And this is a pretty sensitive issue given Yoshida’s relationship with the government.”
“It’s strange to hear you talk about your family’s company as if you’re completely disconnected.”
She felt his eyes boring into her. With a hint of sheepishness, she met his gaze and then looked down.
“Sorry. It’s not my place.”
“Kuroki, I want you to know something about me,” said Hiro. “I’m not my family nor my company. My father actually couldn’t have been angrier when I told him I was going into military service. He wanted to groom me as his successor but I felt I had a duty to serve the state.”
“Again, sorry,” said Erika.
“Don’t apologize,” said Hiro. “I just want you to know that I’m not here because of my father’s connections. I got to where I am all on my own.”
The elevator slowed to a stop and the doors opened. Hiro emerged first and led her down the hall towards the double-doors with the characters for Hojo’s name on a plaque just to the side of them. He pushed the button below the plaque and the doors slid open.
The office was fairly spacious with a small seating area. Two leather chairs on either side of a low table. The large window gave a view of the Tokyo skyline. Portraits were mounted on the walls of various military and political leaders.
The desk’s size matched the room. The high-backed executive chair was turned towards the window, and a haze of smoke hung in the air. The chair turned and she saw the aged face of General Hojo, a cigarette clamped in the lips beneath his silver mustache.
Hiro bowed once Hojo turned to face them and Erika followed suit. Hojo remained still, his hard eyes taking in Erika. That same uncomfortable feeling from the welcome party had returned in full force.
“Agent Kuroki,” said Hojo, addressing her as if it were the first time he’d ever spoken to her. “Agent Yoshida tells me you’ve been investigating the disappearance of Kenjiro Miyata, correct?”
“Yessir,” she said.
“Please inform me of what you’ve learned.”
Erika cleared her throat. She’d rehearsed this several times, but she never expected to give the update to Hojo personally. Her heart was pounding and it felt like her stomach was about to drop.
“Unfortunately, I haven’t learned much,” she said. “When Agent Yoshida tasked me with this mission, I began by consulting with cyberterrorism to identify his tracer. But he had somehow managed to disable it, and Section Chief Adachi suggested the possibility of black market implants. I also investigated Miyata’s last-known residence, where I found photographs of a woman named Keiko Izumi and two foreign-born girls. Yet records show Izumi is dead and as of yet we’ve found no information on the children.”
Hojo drew on his cigarette, the embers glowing bright as they consumed more of the rolled paper. He took the cigarette from his mouth and clouds of smoke were propelled through his nostrils.
“Did you consult with Yoshida Technologies?”
She nodded. “I did. I visited their main office in Shibuya and spoke with Gardner Takasu. He was able to provide me with redacted files regarding projects Miyata had worked on, but had no further information for me.”
“And in those files?”
Erika shook her head. “I’m still working through them, but as of yet, I haven’t found anything noteworthy.”
“I see,” said Hojo. “What of the two who attacked you and this drive they were seeking?”
“I have suspicions Miyata may have hired them, but he did everything through encrypted channels. I attempted to set up a rendezvous, yet unfortunately he never showed.”
Hojo’s eyes moved from Erika and now targeted Hiro. “Agent Yoshida, is there anything you have to add?”
Yoshida stood still, hands grasped behind his back. He shook his head and said, “I have reviewed all of Agent Kuroki’s progress reports. She’s been operating as efficiently as possible but I believe Miyata is simply too good at what he does to be found.”
“So it would seem,” said Hojo. “Quite a pity, I’m afraid. Not only losing a man of his skill, but the information he possesses could make him a very dangerous man.”
“Sir, I’m more than willing to continue the search if that is what the General wishes,” Erika added.
Hojo took the cigarette from his lips again and waved the hand dismissively, leaving wisps of smoke trails in his wake.
“No, I don’t think that will be necessary. Thank you for your report, Agent Kuroki. Please return to your station, you are dismissed.”
Erika bowed and glanced at Hiro, who did the same. But as they both turned to leave, Hojo called out once more.
“Agent Yoshida, just a moment, if you don’t mind,” he said. “I would like to discuss something with you.”
Hiro nodded for Erika to go on ahead and then turned to once more face the general. Erika left the office and made her way back to the elvator alone. While waiting for the elevator, she wondered what exactly it could be that the general wished to discuss with Hiro. It seemed she was out of the woods for now, but they could have been trying to trap her.
This was what Masao dealt with every single day. She wondered just how he did it.
The rest of the day fortunately passed without incident. Hiro had eventually returned from his private meeting with Hojo, though he said nothing of what they discussed. His demeanor was completely normal when he returned, so Erika believed herself to be in the clear for the time being.
Later, after she returned home, she received an encrypted message asking her to return to Himiko’s place. Erika had waited until midnight just as she had the first time, then made the trek out to Roppongi under the cover of night.
When she arrived, she found Himiko standing behind the bar and Masao sat on a stool in front of it. The two old friends were sharing a drink and laughing together. Erika slowly approached them, and after they finished their conversation, they finally acknowledged her presence.
“What’s going on?” asked Erika. “What happened to the people?”
“The people are quite all right, Agent Kuroki.” That fourth voice came from the darkness in the former club. Miyata emerged from the shadows, with a warm smile on his face. “Thanks to you, that is.”
“Don’t thank me too much. I wasn’t able to save that guy they butchered,” said Erika.
“No one could have. He was too far gone,” said Miyata.
“What will happen to the ones we got out?” asked Erika.
“Our people are setting them up with forged identities, tryin’ to get them into the system,” said Himiko. “It’ll take time, but there are some communities we can get them into. They won’t all be together, but they’ll be alive.”
“It’s all ’cause of you, Kuroki,” said Masao. “I don’t know if I would’ve had the will to go against Himiko if not for what you said. I might’ve just stuck with the mission.”
“Don’t think I’m not still pissed at both of you for that,” said Himiko before taking a sip of her drink. “But you did good nonetheless.”
“And what about the mission? Did you get what you needed?” asked Erika.
“Yeah, we got it,” said Himiko. “We’re flooding social media. The government’s censorbots are working overtime trying to take it down, but so far we’re staying a step ahead.”
“That’s something, I suppose,” said Erika. She was glad the mission
was a success and that those people would manage to have some kind of a life after all this. Though her thoughts still lingered on that cyborg she had to kill.
“You don’t seem too happy,” said Masao. “Want a drink?”
Erika sighed and shook her head. “I just can’t stop thinking about that guy.”
“It’s tragic, I know,” said Miyata. “Though I suspect he won’t be the last we run across.”
“Why is Yoshida doing all this?” asked Erika. “A process like that wouldn’t do the Tokkei any good.”
“Tokkei’s just one division. You guys aren’t who they’re worried about,” said Himiko. “They’re thinkin’ bigger than that.”
“That’s what I’m afraid of,” said Miyata. “An underclass of people without a voice or any advocates. Butchered and maimed. They’re strong and they can be controlled, used in overseas conflicts.”
“That’s what you think the government is up to?” asked Erika.
“I believe so,” said Miyata. “The work we do here, it’s just one cog in a larger machine. A resistance. But we can’t do it alone. Even with Masao’s help, I’m afraid it won’t be enough.”
“You’re asking me to join up with you, aren’t you?” asked Erika.
“We could do a lot of good with you on our side,” said Miyata. “Take a real stand against the government.”
Erika sighed. “I don’t think that’s possible. I helped you out, but I don’t think I can be part of this.”
“Those people weren’t the only ones in danger,” said Himiko. “You heard what he said, Yoshida’s not going to stop.”
“I know,” said Erika. “But we stopped just one machine, and it will probably start up again. How can we fight against something that powerful? Odds that impossible?”
Miyata went over to the bar and sat on the stool. He took a breath before speaking, not addressing anyone in particular. “Do you know the story of The Forty-Seven Ronin?”
“They made us read it in the Jietai,” said Erika. “It’s a story about honor and devotion to one’s master.”
“Yes, that’s true. Though I think there’s another message in the story, one that’s often overlooked by those who use it to encourage unflinching loyalty to the government,” said Miyata. “The court official, Kira, was corrupt and felt that the daimyo, Asano, would not offer him the bribes he wanted. After numerous offenses, Asano had reached his limit and attacked Kira. He failed to kill Kira and was sentenced to commit seppuku.
“After his ritual suicide, Asano’s lands and possessions were confiscated by the government, his family was to be left ruined, and his retainers would become masterless. Of the over three hundred men Asano had commanded, forty-seven refused to allow Kira’s deeds to go unpunished. Even though revenge had been prohibited by the shogunate, they still pursued justice.
“So while the military may use this story to teach about loyalty, I see something different in it,” Miyata concluded. “I see this as a story of heroes seeking justice against corrupt leadership. In fact, I see it as a statement that it is our duty to fight for justice in such instances.”
Erika thought about the story Miyata had told. Of all the times she had been made to read accounts of The Forty-Seven Ronin, she had never viewed it in that light. Indeed, she doubted few had ever seen it the way Miyata had. And his rendition made a compelling case.
“The ronin in the story,” she began, “in the end, they turned themselves in and were sentenced to death.”
“I’m not saying it’s a perfect comparison,” said Miyata. “But it gives you something to think about. When faced with the sinister acts of our leaders, can we really just stand by and do nothing?”
“So we’d become modern-day ronin, eh?” asked Masao. “I gotta admit, Erika, I kinda like the sound of that.”
“There is a lot of good the four of us can do together,” said Miyata. “What do you say, Agent Kuroki? Are you ready to make a difference in this world?”
“I…” Erika paused.
Everything he told her made so much sense. And she wondered if she could truly just go back to being a simple Tokkei agent after what she’d witnessed. Ultimately, she had to reach the conclusion that such a thing was not possible.
“When do we start?” she asked.
Epilogue
General Hojo stood in the open-air section of the Andaz Rooftop Bar in Toranomon. He held a glass of shochu in one hand and a cigar in the other, alternating between the two as he waited for his guest. While he waited, he admired the view of Tokyo from this vantage.
He didn’t like the notion of meeting with his contact tonight. Hojo didn’t trust the man as far as he could throw him. But the company trusted him and as a result, Hojo had no choice other than to play nice. So when he heard the man’s slightly accented Japanese greeting, he tried his best to hide his contempt.
“Good evening, General. Thank you for meeting me tonight.” Gardner Takasu had a good command of the language and he was properly respectful and deferential, but it wasn’t enough for Hojo.
“Mr. Takasu,” said the general before puffing on the cigar. “I appreciate everything you’ve done for us, but I have to question just exactly why you wanted to meet in the open like this.”
“If you came to my office or I to yours, there would be logs of our meeting,” said Gardner. “Here, however, no one is keeping any logs.”
“And it’s public, so if I don’t like what you have to say, I couldn’t kill you,” said Hojo. “That’s your real calculation, isn’t it?”
Gardner’s plastic smile remained fixed on his face. Instead of addressing Hojo’s question, he continued on with business.
“The reason I wanted to meet is because of the attack on the Hachijo facility.”
“Have you found out who the culprit was?”
“We have an image.” Gardner reached inside his suit jacket and took a physical photograph. The image was a person clad in armor reminiscent of that worn by Tokkei agents in the field—however the color was different. “I was able to break in on their frequency, but the voice was disguised so I couldn’t tell who it was. All I know is that whoever the pilot of this armor is, they’re quite good at their job. They dispatched one of our cyborgs.”
Hojo examined the photograph and then returned it to Gardner. “What are you telling me, Takasu? That this whole thing is my fault?”
“It certainly seems like Tokkei armor, doesn’t it?”
“Armor manufactured by your company. And correct me if I’m wrong, but wasn’t Kenjiro Miyata the architect of that armor?”
Gardner’s lips tightened. Hojo had made him uncomfortable and that pleased the old general. He took a sip from his shochu while maintaining a fixed gaze on the foreign-born executive.
“Perhaps the real issue here is you,” said Hojo. “After all, you’re not truly one of us, are you? You can speak our language, you know our customs, and maybe you have Old Man Yoshida fooled, but nothing changes what you really are. One could argue that you have more sympathy for those wretches than with our mission.”
Gardner held his tongue for some time after Hojo finished his rant. He took a deep breath before he answered the general’s thinly veiled accusations.
“I understand your anger, General. Your suspicions are not unwarranted. However, I should remind you that despite my birthplace, I was raised here. I have worked hard my entire life to get to where I am. And I have proven my dedication to our mission. I have no sympathy for those invaders, that I can promise you. And as this program falls under my purview, I am the one who will end up on the chopping block should it go south. So I would appreciate the benefit of the doubt.”
Hojo hated the young man, but he couldn’t deny that he managed to make a convincing argument. He finished the shochu, leaving the ice clinking in the glass and took a few more puffs on the cigar before he continued.
“Very well,” said Hojo. “So perhaps you can tell me what your suspicions are? Is this a Tokkei agent or just s
omeone wearing a suit?”
“Truthfully, we don’t know at the moment,” said Gardner. “The data we obtained from the cyborg before the facility was destroyed was corrupted and we’re trying to piece it back together. The suits are equipped with sophisticated failsafes, so if it were countermanded, that would take quite a bit of effort.”
“So would building a replica, correct?”
“In theory, yes. Unless someone had the resources to do so,” said Gardner. “Regardless of what the truth is, I think we can both be certain that Miyata is involved. This happening so soon after his disappearance seems far too coincidental, wouldn’t you agree?”
“You’re right,” said Hojo. “But we haven’t managed to find him. His disappearing act was planned for some time and he managed to pull it off right under all our noses.”
“I suggest keeping a watchful eye on your people. We don’t know if one of them is involved with Miyata, but we can’t rule out the possibility.”
“What about the son?” asked Hojo. “He’s never been on the best of terms with his father.”
“Hiro Yoshida is certainly someone who should be closely watched,” said Gardner. “You’re absolutely right, we can’t rule him out. But we also can’t risk accusing him of anything without evidence. Despite their chilly relationship, the old man still hopes his son will return to the fold. And if we do anything to jeopardize that without having anything solid, it would mean both our heads.”
“I’ll see what my people can find,” said Hojo. “What about your part?”
Gardner smiled. “Our engineers are already hard at work at something. Something that I believe will be a game-changer and might just mean the end of this interloper.”
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Afterword
The story of Ronin’s creation was an interesting one that dates back several years. I was in my third year living in Japan and beginning to study Japanese history, in particular the postwar era. I was also getting pretty heavily involved in the New Pulp movement at that time, and I started thinking about potential new characters.
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