This is going to be a long few days, Santos sighed and slumped back in her chair.
#
Skinner caught Santos' movement in his lateral vision, but continued to observe the group as they neared the jet. The muscular Asian man at the back was clearly a bodyguard. His buzz cut hair and blocky build squeezed into an expensive suit certainly fit the mould. As Skinner peered through the wet snow drifting down, the bodyguard glided smoothly ahead of Tanaka while constantly scanning the empty hanger. Skinner watched with fascination as the man walked up the jet's stairs and onto the plane, his head quickly sweeping the plane fore and aft. The man exuded an air of controlled violence.
Skinner relaxed back in the luxurious seat and considered his Japanese billionaire host. He found Tanaka a fascinating man, intriguing - full of contradictions. His boyish enthusiasm and endless energy seemed a little at odds with his position as the CEO and driving force of one of the corporate world's cash generating titans. It was clear that Tanaka loved pushing the boundaries to create truly groundbreaking games which would entertain millions. Yet at the same time he was obsessed with ensuring these games recreated a stark reality - including the dark acts of the virtual criminals.
In fact, that search for realism was how Skinner got involved with Tanaka.
Two years earlier, Skinner's public profile had risen dramatically in the wake of a high profile, mysterious and extremely gruesome case he'd worked on in San Francisco. His stock had risen further after the University of Maryland announced Skinner as their youngest ever Chair of Criminology and Criminal Justice.
The week after the announcement, Skinner had arrived at his office in the university early - around 6am - as a torrential downpour took hold. Skinner grabbed his leather bag from the car and sprinted from his designated parking spot into the faculties main office. He stood in the dark tiled and oak-panelled hallway and, soaked to the skin, stripped off his jacket, his sand shoes and his jeans. Standing in white socks, boxer shorts and shirt, Skinner bent over and started flicking the water from his drenched strawberry blonde hair onto the century-old tiles. He muttered obscenities under his breath as a pool of water started forming under his feet.
Skinner slowly raised himself up, water still dripping from everywhere, his white shirt now transparent and hair rubbed and flicked into a punk-rock spike.
And for the first time he noticed four people - one very familiar - sitting on a row of cheap wooden chairs lined up against the wall. A row of faces gazing directly at the drenched professor. Impassive. Patient. As if seeing an eminent professor curse and strip was an everyday occurrence.
The familiar Asian man, slight, expensively dressed and all in black, cleared his throat and said quietly, "Good morning Professor. I understand it's a little early, but we are both busy men and I felt this was the best opportunity for us to talk."
Skinner stood in the dimly lit hall, soaking wet in his underwear as the name struck him. Tanaka. Kaito Tanaka. The iSight guy.
Just two years earlier, Tanaka was a new name. A man who had burst onto the global stage with the world's biggest grossing online game ever. The top five grossing movies of the year couldn't match the first year sales of iSight2. Tanaka's fame was exploding. He was the man in black who'd created a worldwide phenomenon. Fluent in several languages, the charismatic genius had captured the world's imagination. But it was the way he handled the tragic loss of his wife which had turned him from a much admired entrepreneur to a man loved by millions.
And here he was sitting in the University of Maryland's hallway before dawn, talking to a drenched Skinner in his underwear.
Skinner winced at the memory. Even now, two years and endless ribbing from Tanaka later, he still blushed whenever he thought of their first meeting. It didn't help that Santos brought it up at every opportunity. Skinner hoped it was because she liked the idea of him in his underwear - although he suspected it was simply that she loved embarrassing him.
"Professor Skinner. Doctor Santos. Mr Hill. I am so pleased you could all make it at such short notice. Take it from me - you will not regret it!"
Skinner looked up to see Kaito Tanaka announce his welcome while entering the luxurious plane. Hill almost sprinted down the aisle to meet him. "Mr Tanaka, it is always a pleasure to see you sir. Mr Miller and the board have all asked me to express their gratitude for accommodating their request."
Skinner noticed Tanaka's face cloud for an instant, before returning to his familiar sunny disposition and with an expansive wave addressed the group in typical Tanaka style. Another mini-speech. Another call to arms.
"My friends, I am delighted that you were able to join me in Sapporo to see first-hand the fruits of our labour. First, I'd like to introduce you to a good friend and the head of my security team, Mr Koji Itou. I have asked Mr Itou to join us on this, our last trip together, and he has kindly agreed."
Skinner and Santos exchanged quizzical glances. Neither had met Mr Itou before. In fact, neither knew he existed despite having travelled with Tanaka several times in the past.
Tanaka turned and bowed graciously at the stony faced man to his side. Itou returned Tanaka's bow, before turning back to face the group, his face betraying no emotion.
Tanaka continued. "In a few short days, thanks in part to your skill and expertise, the world will embrace iSight3. Indeed, I believe within months, over two billion people - that's one third of the planet - will play the game. In a few short hours, you my friends will see how much we have invested in security, in safety, how careful we have been to maintain control. You will see how ready we are to change the world!"
As Tanaka spoke, Andy Harper appeared behind him. Crouching slightly to allow his tall frame to cater for the low ceiling, Harper was looking very pleased with himself, as if Tanaka's compliments were directed at him. Skinner found the big man hard to like. Sure he was smart, confident and - from what Skinner could tell - knew what he was talking about. However, Andy Harper was also very impressed with Andy Harper - and the self-regard grated. Worst of all, Skinner suspected Santos was attracted to him. He had noticed the way Santos changed whenever Harper was around. Why wouldn't she? Skinner mused, he's handsome, rich and confident. Skinner's heart sank a little. How could he compete with that?
#
Over the North Pacific Ocean (Minus 16 Hours)
Hill looked up from his tablet computer to see Tanaka gesturing to join him. Hill let out an inaudible sigh. He knew he'd have to listen to the same sales pitch he'd heard dozens of times before. And look fascinated. That was the hard part.
Hill gathered himself, set his face to interested and walked up the cabin past Harper on his right and Skinner and Santos on his left, stopping beside Tanaka.
"Take a seat please Alex - there's so much to talk about."
Tanaka pointed to the thick padded leather chair opposite. Alex nodded politely and said "Thank you Mr Tanaka, I'm honoured that you'd find the time to talk during this very busy time."
Tanaka smiled. "Alex. Please. There's no need to be so formal. As I've said before, please call me Kaito."
As Hill settled into the deep leather chair, Tanaka launched into his big vision.
"We live in exciting times you and I. In less than a week, we reinvent entertainment." Tanaka paused to let his grand statement sweep over the young lawyer.
Tanaka continued, "When we released iSight almost five years ago, everyone told me the game would fail. The original investors were nervous. Some went as far as to demand their investment be returned. After all, they said, how many people would really pay to join an online game in which players could escape reality? A game which could only be experienced wearing iSight sunglasses and those crude wristbands. So ugly. So...inelegant!"
Tanaka scrunched his face as if disgusted by the thought.
"And yet Alex, they did. One quarter of a billion people did. Those investors - the very same men and women who'd panicked earlier - made fortunes.
And then, just over two years ago w
hen we released iSight 2, those same investors complained again. People will be unhappy buying new hardware, they said. We've saturated the market, they claimed.
"We introduced a new generation of gaming hardware. We replaced those terrible glasses with soft contact lenses, powered entirely by the act of blinking. Players could immerse themselves in the world's largest online game at any time - and no one knew. The wristbands remained - we couldn't quite get the system to recognise hand movement without them. And the game leapt forward. Our virtual characters evolved, some near human in features and behaviour. The iSight world expanded massively, and we were able to blend the real world with the game. For the first time, players could interact with game characters in their own living room, at the park, on the subway."
Having heard Tanaka's breathless sales pitch many times before, Hill simply smiled and nodded in agreement. He knew Tanaka wasn't looking for his input; all he wanted was an appreciative audience. Hill took care to look suitably impressed.
Tanaka's voice lifted.
"The impact? Every day, around the world, we have almost half a billion people playing iSight 2. They share their experiences and invite their social networks to join, the virtual characters grow and evolve as the game continues. The good, the bad and the ugly play out in a safe space where players can be heroes, cops, villains, adventurers and lovers. They can escape reality - and enter a better reality."
Hill could see Tanaka was on a roll now, and despite having seen this act many times before, Hill couldn't help but be impressed. Tanaka was charismatic, his enthusiasm was infectious. Most importantly - he was right. Others had said he would fail - and instead he'd created one of the world's great successes - as Hill's boss William Miller would crudely put it, a never-ending cash-vomiting playground for the deluded.
Tanaka was at his hand waving best now, and Hill was starting to enjoy the show.
"Which brings us to iSight 3. It launches in.." Hill frowned as Tanaka's eyes flickered several times, seemingly lost in another thought, "...six days, two hours and twenty three minutes from now."
Tanaka paused.
"Already, over 500 million people have taken delivery of the new iSight 3 soft contact lenses. Another billion are already in online stores and warehouses, supermarkets and corner shops. With these new lenses, players are freed from those awful wristbands. We can now track full body motion in real time. Players can drop in and out of games at any time, piggybacking on any available Internet connection. While the hardware is remarkable, it's the game that's revolutionary. Thanks to an unparalleled investment in research and development, and the guidance of thought leaders such as Dr Santos, Professor Skinner and Mr Harper...", Tanaka half stood up and nodded to the bemused guests relaxing in the cabin behind, "...we have met our goal. The virtual scenarios, and the characters that live within them are effectively indistinguishable from a human player.
The Gulfstream bumped slightly as it rose through cloud cover. Over Tanaka's shoulder, Hill noticed Santos jump slightly.
"Imagine Alex, iSight 3 is already populated with over five million artificially intelligent virtual personalities. Mums and dads, brothers and sisters. Taxi drivers, criminals, teachers, sportsmen and women, cops, dancers - you name it. A cross-section of life. Every one entirely unique in appearance and personality. Thanks to the work of Dr Santos and an army of psychologists, each person makes sense. They have agendas, flaws, are predictable - and unpredictable - just like we humans."
Tanaka jumped forward and thumped the coffee table separating the men. Out of the corner of his eye, Hill noticed Tanaka's bodyguard Itou - sitting opposite the two men - instantly tense, his eyes narrowing on the lawyer. Itou struck Hill as a pit bull straining at the leash. He had no doubt that should anyone be crazy enough to physically threaten Tanaka, the bodyguard would quickly make them regret it. Unnerved, Hill turned his head to avoid Itou's uninterrupted stare.
"Imagine Alex, a game completely immersive. Capable of being entered at any time, from anywhere - without anyone knowing. A game in which life's full range of social interactions can play out between any combination of real and virtual players. The more adventurous players can fight foes from the world of fantasy or grim reality. Role playing, strategy, crime, war, community building and falling in love. All possible at any time. In our research centres, we've had people of all ages test the game, and the reports are the same. Within minutes, it feels indistinguishable from real life. Even my thirteen year old daughter and ten year old son were amazed and delighted by the experience. And in a few short days, half a billion people will enjoy the experience. Mark my words, within a year two and a half billion people will be hooked on iSight 3. A third of the planet Alex.
A third of the planet."
Tanaka slumped back into the thick leather chair, triumphant. Satisfied. There was no doubt. No concerns. This was the way it would be because it had to be.
Hill mirrored Tanaka, slouching satisfied at what he had heard. "Mr Tanaka, sorry Kaito, I can only say once again that your vision, your passion and your drive is inspiring. I will be sure to report your words back to the investors when we arrive in Sapporo."
Tanaka nodded graciously, his attention already diverted by the tablet computer on his lap.
Hill looked out at the darkening night sky and recalled his first experiences with Tanaka, helping round up sceptical investors for a demonstration of an early prototype of 'iSight'.
One demonstration in particular stood out. Hill had managed, by trading favours, pleading and outright coercion, to gather together some of the firm's richest and most powerful clients for a demonstration by this eccentric Japanese genius. The firm's Managing Partner, William Miller had made it very clear to Hill that this would make or break him in the firm. If he embarrassed the firm, he was out. No questions asked.
The old men - for they were almost all old men - sat in the plush boardroom high up in the Transamerica building and waited impatiently for Tanaka to begin the pitch. Several had made it clear on arriving that they would give no more than ten minutes to this, and - ominously - that Hill better not be wasting their time.
Tanaka walked into the room and immediately began talking. He described a future in which the distinction between the real and virtual world blurred, and as he did so he walked around the room handing every second person a pair of lightly tinted sunglasses with ear plugs placed subtly on the arm of the glasses.
Tanaka then asked the bemused recipients to place the glasses on, while he pointed a pen-sized projector at the far wall. Tanaka explained that those without glasses would be witnesses to what the others were experiencing. The men watched in awe and amazement as an incredible, life-like world unfolded in front of them, and their typically staid and conservative colleagues quickly immersed themselves into the experience. Within minutes, those without sunglasses were begging for a pair to try while those with sunglasses were refusing to give them up.
Hill had always considered Tanaka's presentations to be deal closers. He could see the investors' concerns melt away as they watched Tanaka's remarkable new world come to life. Although there were invariably one or two who would complain of disorientation and a feeling of 'anxiety' after playing, the vast majority were sold right away. In fact, Hill grinned to himself, they raised $125 million from the people in that room. Every one spellbound by the technology, and hoping to exploit the world's twin insatiable appetites for online gaming and social media.
And they were right.
Tanaka had made these early investors more money than any other single investment in the gilded lives of those rich men.
And they wanted more.
To these investors, WhiteStar was their very own river of gold, and they didn't want anything to block that flow. That's why they'd demanded that Hill gather this group together and fly out to Japan in the middle of the worst storm in a decade.
Not because they were concerned it might have some risk.
But to ensure that no matter what, iS
ight 3 would be released to the world in just over six days time.
#
6pm Tuesday, London England (Minus 12 Hours)
Emma Dickson loved her life. She had moved to London from Manchester a year ago, and now at twenty years old she had her first big break. Sure, she was playing sexy brunette number 3 in the supporting cast of Burlesque, but it was a popular West End revival show and she was getting noticed. She was on her way.
The Sapporo Outbreak Page 8