Clockwork Planet: Volume 1

by Yuu Kamiya

  Limmons said, “That’s just fine. In that case, dispose of the corpse as is. A written report is unnecessary. The story will be that Marie Bell Breguet was caught up in the city’s collapse and has been missing since then.”

  “...Are you sure you’re fine with that?”

  “It’ll be a serious problem if it becomes known that the daughter of the Breguets was killed by someone working for the Vacherons. Besides, this city is going to sink in a few hours anyway.”

  “Understood.”

  And with that, the call ended.

  Limmons quietly put down the receiver—then flipped the entire table over.

  He glared and ground his teeth as he raved, “Idiots! Those incompetent fools...!!”

  Having her die was a problem.

  Marie Bell Breguet was supposed to be forced to take the responsibility for the purge hereafter and drown in censure for it, consequently dampening the Breguet family’s influence.

  But that could only happen if she was alive.

  A dead person couldn’t be made to take responsibility, and the Breguets, their daughter having been killed, would naturally take a hard line. That would go against the script of the Vacheron head house.

  “That wretched bitch! Disgracing me even in death...!”

  —But above all,

  He couldn’t humiliate her if she died so easily. Limmons wanted to ruin Marie Bell Breguet. He couldn’t contain his desire to have been able to see how her face would have distorted after she’d lost both her pride and her reputation.

  If he had baited her with promises of restoring her position, or leniency at the hearing, perhaps that haughty girl would have serviced him like a prostitute and cried all the while—a future like that might have been possible, too.

  But even a vulgar desire like that was meaningless if the girl was dead. He was full of spite.

  Still, there was nothing he could do. He wanted to at least be able to kick her corpse once, but there was no time left for even that at this point. The gravitational anomaly was growing faster and faster, and the time limit until the purge was pressing closer even now.

  While spewing foul curses, Limmons headed towards the helipad on the rooftop in haste.

  ●

  —Click.

  “...And stop. Are you sure this is what you wanted?” Halter asked as he flicked the recording device’s switch, turning it off.

  Marie nodded happily while grinning from ear to ear. “Yes. ‘The daughter of the Breguets was killed by the Vacherons.’ —We were able to catch that on tape without a hitch.”

  “To be honest, I think this plan is full of holes...” Halter groaned as he stroked his chin.

  “Don’t worry. This voice recording will become the truth. Whatever those pet soldiers of ours say afterwards will only be seen as an attempted cover-up without any credibility whatsoever.”

  “If you die, their plan almost completely falls apart... Well, that’d be the case in theory. Still, feigning your own death was quite an idea...” Sighing, Halter discreetly turned his head and glanced at what was behind him: a heap of scraps RyuZU made when she’d deftly dismantled the mobile suits.

  Fishing through the wreckage, the boy—Naoto—muttered while looking bored, “This is the feature product of the illustrious Vacherons, one of the Five Great Enterprises...? There isn’t even a hint of artistry.”

  Standing beside him, the girl—RyuZU—rebuked Naoto in a whisper.

  “Yes. However, Master Naoto—even if it were simply trash, if a child did his best to make something out of building blocks, you would have to praise him, like this: ‘I see that you put a lot of effort into this.’”

  While gazing at those two, Halter grumbled, “...Two human soldiers, a lightly armed automaton, a mobile suit, and a communications officer. It was all just like Naoto heard with his ears, wasn’t it? —Still, I thought that the mobile suit had to be a mistake...”

  “If it becomes known that the Goliath Stealth the Vacherons are so proud of was seen through so easily, I wonder what their arms development department would think. —Kekekeh, serves them super right♪.”

  “You sure look happy...” Halter tossed away the communicator, stood up, and sighed. “As an ex-soldier, I still don’t want to believe it even after a demonstration like that. Just how did he catch even the sounds of dampened mechanisms that were underground?”

  “It’s not like there’s any room to doubt him after this though, right? He’s—the real deal.” Marie narrowed her eyes.

  —It wasn’t actually impossible in theory.

  For example, the animals that were known as “elephants” discerned sounds not with their ears but with their feet.

  By stamping their feet, they could sense vibrations in the ground and communicate with faraway comrades. Whether in the earth, the floor, or the air, vibrations are all the same—‘sound’ is essentially vibration, and vibrations interact with anything and everything they touch, causing resonance.

  It’s true that the sound of the footsteps—in other words, the vibrations in the air—wouldn’t reach above ground. However, the air would cause resonance in the walls, and the walls would transmit the vibration to the rest of the building.

  Based on that principle, animals that can even perceive a coin being dropped several kilometers away definitely exist. Radar and sonar are technologies that were invented by applying those very principles.

  However—

  Marie threw Naoto a scrutinizing glance.

  —Naoto Miura.

  He’s “human.” That shouldn’t be the case.

  It would make sense that he was still able to hold a conversation even while wearing noise-canceling headphones if he was using his entire body. For example, if he was using his bones to conduct the micro-vibrations of speech to his ears, the logic would check out.

  But how was Marie supposed to grasp the fact that someone who could do that not only really existed, but could put it to such good use? There was no way one could dismiss something like this as just someone’s “special talent.”

  If Marie were to give a name to something like this based on all the knowledge she had been able to acquire, it would be—a “superpower.”

  In this world where everything was composed of gears, this ability and the value it held implied consequences far too heavy for it to be dismissed as just someone’s personal makeup—

  “Marie?”

  “—Ugh.” Having her name called brought Marie back from the vortex of her thoughts. “Wh... What?”

  “Well, you were spacing out, so I was wondering if something was wrong. We need to hurry, right?” Naoto asked as he tilted his head, studying Marie.

  “—Yes, you’re right. I’m sorry,” Marie apologized quietly and set her interrupted contemplation in a corner of her mind.

  It’s fine for now.

  What’s important at the current moment is the fact that this boy Naoto is as just as RyuZU said—an existence worth putting our hopes in. And also...

  “...Now then. Are you ready, princess?”

  “Yes, Halter, if you would.”

  Marie tore off the chrono-compass by her coat’s chest pocket. That was the proof of being a Meister. It was a medal a girl called Marie Bell Breguet had once obtained.

  With a grunt, Marie flung it up into the air.

  At the same time, Halter raised his gun and fired. The shot was on target, piercing through the chrono-compass.

  “——”

  Destroyed by the bullet, the chrono-compass smashed into countless gears as it fell.

  “That’s right—Being a Meister? Who cares about that,” Marie muttered like she was finally spitting something unpleasant out of her mouth.

  The incredibly intricate timepiece with nine clock faces big and small, broken into bits and pieces. The proof of being one of the very best clocksmiths in the world. There were clocksmiths who devoted their entire lives to earning one.

  Excellent character, outstanding talent,
and unremitting training—just as in the past, the present world continued to overflow with despairing clocksmiths who had all those areas covered yet still couldn’t become a Meister. Even Marie, who had been called the Breguets’ greatest treasure, had only obtained it after herculean efforts.

  “——”

  However, Marie didn’t care about that at all.

  If it was no help to her in accomplishing her current goal, if it was only going to get in the way of the ideals she was trying to protect—then it was absolutely worthless.

  “From here on, I’ll be doing as I please.” Marie lifted her head and surveyed everyone’s faces.

  She clenched her hand into a fist before continuing emphatically, “I want to save this city. I don’t care about what happens after, and things that are of no use to me are the same as shit. I don’t care who you are, if you’re gonna get in my way, I’ll crush you and force my will through. Got a problem with that?!”

  Halter answered Marie’s bold declaration with suppressed laughter. While covering his smile with his hands, he gazed at her tenderly and said, “Well, I don’t have a problem with that, Dr. Marie, but I do think it’s questionable for a lady to say ‘shit.’“

  “Shut it, iiidiot.” Marie replied in a vulgar tone as she placed her hands on her hips. “The Meister Marie Bell Breguet no longer exists. I’m just Marie. A brat with no obligations or responsibilities whatsoever.” She smiled. Her eyes were full of fighting spirit.

  She turned towards Naoto and RyuZU. “With this, we’re on equal terms now, for better or worse. I’ll be working you to the bone without any qualms, so you’d best prepare yourself.”

  “Ah—, well—...Right, I’ll try my best, ma’am.” Naoto nodded as he drew backwards slightly.

  As they had been talking, Halter quickly checked whether there had been any explosives or traps planted in the car. Confirming that there weren’t any, he unlocked the doors before cheerfully saying, “Come on, get in. I’ll take you guys on the ride of your lives.”

  ●

  Marie took the front passenger seat, while Naoto and RyuZU sat in back. Once everyone had buckled up, Halter stepped on the gas, a ferocious smile on his face.

  After explosively speeding up the underground parking lot’s ramp, Halter turned the steering wheel sharply. The car drifted as its tail violently veered to the right, causing Naoto to grab the assist grip on the ceiling in a panic. The gravitational engine roared as the car accelerated.

  “—How horrible,” Marie groaned, pained by the sight outside. Even if one were to put things mildly, it was total hell in downtown Kyoto right now.

  Dark clouds covered the skies as thunder boomed. In the distance, several tornadoes could be seen ravaging the city as if it wasn’t even worth their time. The things that were caught in the gravitational anomaly and funneled up into the air included houses, junk—and people. With things as they were, it looked like the anomaly would only grow more powerful.

  The intense view looked just like a scene from a disaster film. Those were the kind of streets the car Halter was driving bolted through.

  They were headed towards the center of the city—the giant core tower that pierced both the heaven and earth. It was the vast nucleus of the city that governed all of its weather and other natural phenomena.

  “Hurry, Halter!”

  “Right!” Halter responded.

  The main road they were on had accidents everywhere, but Halter managed to weave through the gaps by turning the steering wheel left and right as he continued to accelerate.

  Naoto had taken off his headphones and was listening attentively. He quietly mentioned, “Ah—If you already noticed then I might be giving unwanted help, but—there seem to be two cars with menacing vibes approaching from the left.”

  “Whaaat? Is it the military?!” Marie exclaimed.

  “No!—I don’t think so?” Halter answered.

  Naoto nodded, and just then, two gray cars leaped out from the cross street behind them. They were autonomous vehicles with machine guns installed on top of their flat bodies. The two vehicles drifted as they changed their directions and chased after the car Halter was driving at a fierce speed.

  “—Warning! Warning! Pull over at once!” the jagged sound of a robotic voice rang out from one of them.

  “These aren’t pursuers from the military. They’re unmanned patrol cars that the police use. They’re something like a vehicle-type of automata, and it seems like they’re chasing after us at their own discretion.”

  “Haah? Why are the police chasing us?!” Marie yelled.

  After thinking a bit, Naoto suggested, “—Isn’t it probably because this car is going way over the speed limit?”

  “You’ve gotta be kidding me!” Marie shouted angrily, kicking the dashboard. “Trying to catch someone for speeding at a time like this, are the Japanese idiots?!” Turning to face Halter in the driver’s seat, Marie inquired, “Can you shake them off?”

  “Looks difficult. They’re a little faster than us. It’d be troublesome if they continue to hinder us like this.”

  “Got it.” Marie unfastened her seatbelt and bent to the side, pulling the lever to raise her seat. “Naoto, just to confirm, they’re unmanned, right?”

  “Yeah, no mistake, but what do you plan to do?”

  “Lower your head and grab on to something.”

  “—Huh?”

  “Master Naoto, lean towards me.” RyuZU pulled Naoto towards herself so she could cover him. Hearing the sound of the patrol cars that were chasing after them getting closer, Naoto stiffened.

  Marie opened the car’s sunroof and popped out up to her waist. In her hand was an object that looked to be about twenty-five centimeters tall...

  “Wha—?!”

  It was a submachine gun.

  Ignoring Naoto’s gasp, Marie fired at the car on the right. A full-auto volley of bullets showered the unmanned patrol car. However, the sprayed shots merely scratched the car’s armored exterior as they were deflected.

  “...Bulletproof armor? How cheeky for a measly patrol car.” Marie clicked her tongue.

  Naoto spoke up. “Umm, I don’t know if it’s appropriate for me, who would be playing ‘Ordinary City Resident A’ if this were an action movie, to say this, but...”

  “What?”

  “The car you just shot at has two-wheel drive. The right front wheel seems to be unstable, so if you aim there, then probably—”

  Before Naoto could finish and, Marie rotated the submachine gun one revolution with the flick of her wrist, causing it to swiftly transform.

  —Coil Spear.

  Using the weapon, which had transformed into a small rifle, Marie aimed and fired in a flash. The bullet ricocheted off the asphalt and up into the suspension of the right front wheel—which immediately popped off. The patrol car shook violently.

  It began to spin, and the other patrol car collided with it from behind, making them both roll over before smashing into the guardrails and landing on their sides.

  “...Your ears sure are handy, aren’t they.” A sigh of admiration escaped Marie’s lips as she refastened her seatbelt.

  “Are you seriously required to know how to snipe like that to become a Meister...?”

  “Don’t base your assumptions off this princess.” Halter laughed as he turned the steering wheel sharply.

  Their car drifted a great deal as it turned at the wide intersection, then began to race forward at an even more ferocious speed. They had entered the administrative district and were on a broad boulevard that traced a straight line and was surrounded by high-rises. If they just continued right to the end of this road, they’d arrive at the entrance to the core tower.

  “...Everything’s gone well so far, even though I figured there’d be an inspection point along the way somewhere as well,” Marie said uneasily.

  “Sealing the city off requires forces too, after all. They might have actually pulled out already,” Halter answered.

&
nbsp; Right after Halter finished speaking, Naoto felt a chill run down his spine. But before he could tell the others about it—

  “Excuse me, Master Naoto.”

  RyuZU, who had been sitting quietly until then, began to move. She pulled Naoto towards herself forcefully, embracing him tightly.

  “Mph—hmphngh?!” Naoto’s voice was muffled as his face was buried into RyuZU’s soft chest.

  “? What’re y—” Marie turned around and began to ask, but was so shocked she stopped mid-speech.

  That was because RyuZU’s skirt had fluttered slightly. As someone who had a grasp on RyuZU’s construction, Marie knew what the sign she’d just seen meant.

  The one weapon RyuZU was armed with—the black scythe extending out from under her skirt—had been swung down at a speed so fast that even Halter, a cyborg, couldn’t perceive it. Immediately after, there was a crack as the car was cleaved cleanly in two down the middle, like a gag in a cartoon.

  The two halves drifted apart and started to lean outward and away from each other, tracing a straight line as they continued to move forward in accordance to the law of inertia.

  “What the hell do you think you’re d—?!”

  As Marie and Halter cried out, a deafening boom ran right past them. Something sharp and heavy pierced the air right between the two halves of the car.

  —Even Naoto’s super-hearing couldn’t capture that “thing,” which had bolted past faster than the speed of sound.

  The blast that sounded behind them afterwards, however, revealed its identity. It had been a shell—a high-explosive projectile with overwhelming firepower—that had fallen from the air and hit the ground.

  The blast of air from the explosion caused the halves of the car to fall onto their exteriors. Sparks scattered everywhere as the metal grated against the asphalt. Carrying Naoto in her arms, RyuZU escaped from her half of the car with a skip.

  While bearing another person’s weight, RyuZU danced down from the skies. She continued falling like so before landing gracefully.

  RyuZU looked down at the bewildered Naoto, whose eyes were darting about between her breasts.

  “Master Naoto, were you injured anywhere?”