Living with Memory of Steel (Part 1)

by Masahiko Kimoto

  "Junrock, it'd be best to chuck away the message."

  Junrock nods to Murase and taps the panel several times.

  --- They try to get a password by going through a rubbish bin or do things like that.

  Reji remembers what Akimichi said.

  The trash box of data started to recognize as the common area due to the fact that any kind of trashy information may have value and the culture of Earthlight that they are making a living by going through rubbish, so they should be general in others' rubbish rummaging.

  Reji operates a terminal to access the trash box area. The data itself is in pieces, connected to the end of the unused area. Some of the original data can be restored by digging up the pieces and the wrecked metadata.

  The salvaged data from the pile of scattered rubbish makes up only the half of the original file, but it is enough for Reji.

  *****

  ASIT --- Agency of Science, Industry and Technology consists of several research departments.

  The alternative human figure machine research center, LSL (Life Science Laboratory), and ITeL (Integrated Telecommunication Laboratory) have been working on the development of A-B-A-H-S in the communal near space development plan.

  Dr. Sekiba has some kind of position in every department. Still, he makes sure all of his roles are considered to be not that important for the public. This makes it easy for him to put his nose into the hole near space development plan without doing any extra petty work. He is becoming slowly more involved in the project. Although he has done his best to stay conspicuous as much as possible, but people have started to treat him as a go-to person about A-B-A-H-S. The chairman calls him up often on the project.

  However, he can't run away.

  This is a project that Sekiba has been working on for years. He doesn't have much interest in the space development itself, but believes that it should be him who develops A-B-A-H-S and manages the diversity development, which is to train the operators.

  This is why Sekiba has been collecting information from various departments.

  "It seems like some people are treating this as a political game or something. It bothers me."

  He is doing psy-connect at a chair in his room. His speed in going through continuously coming in messages and reply to them is amazingly fast.

  "The social training for DS(Diversity Screening) subject 1 to 8 is going well. These children are tad peculiar, but they are mostly doing well. We'll continue the observation."

  "We've finished the test of A-B-A-H-S with a sound device. I'm not sure when this function will be used, though. It's useless to be able to talk in space."

  "The transferring work to the DS subject 1 is going at the normal pace. We've already got a confirmation from Dr. Nakazato. Over."

  These kinds of instructions have been sent one after another. A lot of people send and receive messages at various locations in the research facility.

  A well-encrypted small message from a girl to the outside got buried in the memory, and no one took any notice of it, including Sekiba.

  *****

  The next mission of Earthlight is announced on Friday.

  The target is the same as last week, LSL and they will be also cooperating with other cells. The only difference is the cooperation with the diversionary tactics. 1-4-Cell will be making a big attack from the front and simultaneously 3-3-Cell will be invading from the back. Their goal is the underground research facility.

  According to the information that Junrock collected from the invasion investigation last time, the LSL has 6 stories above the ground and 2 story basements in the target area A. The room arrangement and the wiring diagram from the top to the first basement are nothing but normal. The problem is the second basement. They only have a map that has rough arrangement of the rooms.

  "Here you go."

  Junrock throws a map. Junrock and several others are on psy-connect. The rest of the members are using an old interface, which is the first psy-connect generation level. They can only operate objects on the screen through their head gears. Murase is more old-fashioned. He is just staring at the screen, cross armed with headphones on.

  The detailed arrangement map of the second ground floor and the access key to the building network are provided by Junrock.

  "These are sent by an anonymous cooperator."

  Murase nods greatly.

  "There has been a rumor that a big demonstration experiment for the Diversity Screening is on progress at LSL. We're guessing that the subjects are sheltered on the second basement."

  Diversity Screening is an improved version of genetic screening. At the moment, only the idea of the technique has been presented to the public. There is no report on the implemented examples even in the academic field. Since the cloning technique has been banned in the Kuala Lumpur treaty, any genetic manipulation has been officially abolished from the society. On the other hand, screening technique on the fertilized egg level such as selection of sex is openly used. The line between what can be ethically problematic or not depends on the previous issues and the social phenomenon.

  Diversity Screening selects artificially varied fertilized eggs, which makes it on the border line and has caused the delay of the implementation.

  This implementation might have been carried out at LSL.

  Their research involves organs for transportation using stem cells and life lengthening experiment of animals by adjusting the concentration rate of active oxygen. Their work result is outstanding worldwide. Earthlight cannot let the on-going research keep to the scientists.

  "The subjects are victims for science. We have to save her."

  Junrock sends the signal with his strong will. There are a lot of markers raised by the agreeing participants. This means he has gained the consent of the members at the meeting.

  The mission will start at 7:30 pm.

  Luckily no one noticed the work "her" that Junrock accidentally said.

  Junrock leaves from psy-connect and talks to Murase.

  "Would this information be enough?"

  Murase nods.

  "If this is her real intention, everything will go smoothly. This will improve the moral of Earthlight."

  Murase has decided that there would be no needs to tell everyone who the anonymous information provider is and what the message is for the moment.

  As Junrock stretches, something pops up in the head.

  "By the way, what are we going to do with the bulletproof?"

  "You mean, Reji? He isn't going to be in the mission, of course."

  "He can't even work as a bulletproof."

  "He's a minor, you know?"

  Clare stands up and disappears into the kitchen. After the meeting, she always makes tea.

  "Anyway....this mission is kidnapping or rather plundering."

  "Yeah. This is plundering. Think about it. Now science techniques are monopolized by a particular group of people, MoSE. In other words, they are plundering and monopolizing the benefits of science that used to belong to the people. There is nothing wrong with this mission."

  It sounds like a sophistry, but it doesn't seem too bad. Junrock gulps down the comment.

  *****

  It's 7:25 pm.

  Reji is at the entrance of Bay line.

  He picks up the message from the trash bin that says "help".

  It's from Akari Nakazato.

  Akari is a friend of Akimichi, in addition, she's out of league for Reji and might have caused the death of Akimichi.

  But, he cannot ignore Akari's help. If he contacts her, that might help him to find out the foggy feelings inside him.

  So, Reji decides to wait.

  *****

  The organization of Earthlight consists of the minimum unit called, cell. Each cell has several members who live together. The reason for the community living is mainly due to economic situation. A unit of several cells is called cluster. There is an upper level management that controls clusters in each district.

 
Earthlight is an official government organization. Their main activity is to conduct a demonstration. It's rare, but there are cases when they conflict with the riot police. In that situation, there is a combat group that steps up. It's Tokyo fist cluster.

  All the members from 1-1 to 1-5 Cells have well-built bodies. They look like they are wrestlers who have been eating only rare stake for three years. They seem to be lump of muscle. Their uniform is a no sleeve shirt.

  It's 7:27 pm.

  1-4-Cell's large customized wagon is waiting around 30 meters away from the gate of Agency of Science, Industry and Technology, Area A. The right side of the waiting car is Area A and the left side is Area B. They wait for the order to start the mission.

  The driver of the customized wagon is smoking the weeds in order to make the blood vessels of the brain shrink. His blood vessels are expanded with his nervousness. The thick smoke is getting sucked into the air conditioner with the maximum level.

  The normal seats in the rear area of the car got taken out. There are sand bags piled up at both sides for bullet proof and several devices are lined up in the middle.

  Earthlight consists of civilians who don't have any weapons.

  --- This is a public position. In fact, they have quite a lot of weapons.

  Their weapons are only the combination of linear impact drivers for industrial use and synthetic resin models, but they have enough lethal potential. The point is how to explain these tool. If they say these are industrial tools with the gun-shaped covers, they won't touch Swords and Firearms Control Law. These weapons are based on toy guns. Their styles vary. There are various styles of guns such as a pistol style, a rifle style and a bazooka style from different makers.

  The driver takes a quick look at the waiting members who sit down on sand bags in the rear seat. He stubs out his cigar and throw it into a dust box, then hears an alarm go off.

  It's 7: 30 pm. Now the time.

  The window on the back seat opens and one of the members leans out from the window and holds a linear bazooka.

  He fixates his body using the window frame and shoots twice in a row. The first one is a flare bullet and the second one is a smoke bullet. The light and the smoke explodes in the sky above Area B.

  3-3-Cell of Earthlight waits at the back of Area A.

  10 seconds past the scheduled time, they recognize the sound of explosion and the flash. It's the sign to start the mission. They start the invasion into the Life Science Laboratory.

  "They wouldn't be expecting us to attach the same target."

  "A-B-A-H-S might interrupt us again."

  "It doesn't matter if it comes. Our work is sitting in front of us."

  The three of them advance under the cover of night.

  *****

  The first commander of the fourth troops of the sixth Riot Police with Powered Exoskeleton, Morihara can't make any mistakes any more.

  His previous mission killed a civilian. To make things worse, the victim was MoSE.

  A-B-A-H-S mostly caused the case, but Morihara is responsible as one of the leaders at the side. Luckily, there isn't much criticism targeting the riot police, but he can't afford to make any more mishap.

  He waits in the armed vehicle.

  There are three squads under his team. Except for the leaders of each squad, these members are rubbish.

  They have gone through the fundamental physical training, but the way they use weapons is not professional. They also don't know any tactics. It seems like they are dolls who move as they are told.

  Yet, there is no use in complaining. That's the reality. The members at the bottom rank are treated as disposable dolls. Their weapons are tranquilizer bullets with the real shells. They can't cause fatal injuries. This is the policy of Riot Police w/ P.E..

  They can be used as bullet-proof or anything.

  The fight field of Riot Police is the only place where Morihara should be. He should do anything to avoid doing anything to get kicked out from here.

  There is a flask in the sky. The party starts their invasion. It's so rare and forward of them to start their attack, but it works well for the current situation of Morihara.

  He starts the motor of the armed vehicle and get ready for intercom to give orders to each quad.

  *****

  The building of Life Science Laboratory is situated in the closest spot to the Bay line in their area. There are not so many people on the back side of the building, which makes a perfect path to sneak in and out. However, this case only applies to the cases when there is a only small number of people in the group. The street is originally for an evacuation path. It's too narrow to escape in a troop. The plastic baskets, cardboards and mysterious glass tools are making it useless.

  "What would they do if there is a fire."

  "Researchers are ready to die with beakers, test tubes and what inside them."

  Junrock spits it out.

  Their laziness works better for invaders.

  Murase puts his hand on the emergency door knob. He turns it open slowly. There seems to be no need to unlock it. That's exactly what the information source said.

  "Hold on, please."

  A deep voice echoes. It's not a voice of Junrock.

  Murase's hand stops.

  Clare and Murase set their guns. Reji appears in the direction of the guns.

  "Why are you here?"

  "I'd like to see Akari-san."

  "It doesn't mean you can come with us."

  "I don't know any other ways. Akari-san is here, right?"

  A new report comes to the intercom of Murase. He nods several times to the report and finishes the call.

  "A-B-A-H-S is out."

  "Where is it?"

  "Don't worry. It's around the diversionary squad."

  "That must be toward the direction of the flash. A-B-H-A-S killed Akimichi-san..."

  Reji turns to head off to the direction only to find Junrock's muzzle pointing his chest.

  "You'd cause a trouble when you wander around like that."

  "I'm not trying to get in your way."

  Murase jumps in their conversation.

  "Our current mission is supposed to be confidential. A problem already arose when you found out about us. So, Reji, you should come with us."

  "I should be after A-B-A-H-S and Akari-san..."

  "There is no way you can fight against A-B-A-H-S. The space development is all rubbish. The monster is a fantastic weapon."

  ".... I know. What can I do?"

  "You can act as a bullet-proof and carry baggage. Follow us."

  The four of them including Reji open the emergency door and enter the building.

  A guy in white robe is on the back of Reji whose job is to carry luggage. The both of his arms are dangling in front of Reji's body. Even though the guy isn't aware of this, his entire body is on Reji's back. As soon as they entered a building, they caught a researcher who was going to leave the office.

  Junrock keeps on cracking open doors on the first floor.

  "Hey, they seem easy to open. Are you sure we need this guy?"

  "The locks on the basement floors are more strict. They require an identification tag of the authorities."

  "He's so heavy."

  "Stop complaining. The bulletproof applicant shouldn't be grumbling for things like this."

  "I wish this was a woman. My back is hurting."

  "Reji, that's sexual harassment."

  Reji fixes the position of the baggage on his back, encouraging himself.

  "Hey, Reji. Would you like to tell me the way to make it light?"

  "Yes, please."

  "The identification tag is embedded in his wrist. You can cut off his wrist and carry it around that way."

  "Hey, you shouldn't kill anyone."

  Murase yells out.

  "He can survive without a wrist, but you should cut it off by yourself, Reji. I don't want to do it."

  "OK, I'll take him with me."

  Several hallway
s are breaking into two paths. There are many rooms along with the wall. All the doors are closed and the lights look off over the glass.

  Four of them go underground floor using stairs. Junrock stops on the first basement. After investigating something for a while, he says "down".

  They get to the second basement which is at the bottom. This is the destination.

  Junrock connects the floor-network from the connector on the wall. The unlock key enables the database of level 4. The whole map of the floor and the partition walls become unveiled. They start checking if there is anywhere strange compared to the first floor of the basement. This is a special floor, but there wouldn't be any drastic difference from the above floor, considering the construction situation.

  "This is it."

  Junrock steps in.

  Junrock leads Reji, Clair, Murase through the dark corridor. It seems like Junrock has a goal, but the rest are just following. After turning so many corners, the other three have lost their sense of direction completely. Junrock stops in front of the door at the end of the corridor.

  "Compared to the map of the above floor, there is supposed to be only 50 cm's depth in the room. Doesn't it seem suspicious?"

  "Yes, it is."

  "Reji."

  Reji answers yes and puts down the guy in the white gown to the floor and raises his wrist. Junrock connects the connector of the wall.

  "Press the wrist to this sensor here. --- Yeah, that's right. It will open the rock. Three, two, one."

  There is a mechanical sound, and the door gets unlocked. Reji puts the researcher in the white gown on his back again.

  There is no light on the back of the room, but they can tell it's a straight corridor by the line of foot lamps for emergency. It seems like it's at least several meters long.

  Going straight the corridor, feeling the hard wall. Junrock stops the three of them. It's a door.