Forager - the Complete Six Book Series (A Post Apocalyptic/Dystopian Series)

by Peter R Stone

  "So basically, apart from the Koreans, the rest of us are expendable."

  "That's it in a nutshell," she confirmed.

  "How did you learn all these things?"

  "I've picked up a lot of it from the Custodians when spying on them, the rest I've gleaned from the councillors themselves," she replied. "Now, I didn't ask you to meet me here to discuss the town's history. I have news for you. The Custodians are planning to launch a cruise missile containing their second and last nuclear warhead at Hamamachi soon."

  The floor fell out of my world - they had a cruise missile? How on earth were we going to prevent them from launching that? "Why didn't they use the missile the first time, why send King to deliver the bomb in person?"

  "Because the missile wasn't ready - and it still isn't. They had two cruise missiles, but neither worked. They've managed to make one functional by cannibalising the parts from the other, and they've just completed repairing the guidance program. But so far they've been unable to integrate the detonator with it."

  "Do you know where the missile is?" I asked, my mind going frantically through scenario after scenario on how to deal with this problem.

  "It's in the primary automotive factory. The Custodians took it over after you lot got back from Hamamachi," she replied. She suddenly lifted her head and met my gaze. "What will you do about it?"

  "I have no idea. I'll get together with my friends and see what we can come up with."

  "Whatever you do, get out of town as soon as you've done it," she said sternly.

  "And how are we going to do that?"

  "You're resourceful, Ethan, I'm sure you will think of something," she assured me. "Now, you'd better go before the head cleaner comes looking for me."

  "Sure - and Bhagya, thank you."

  "You're welcome."

  But before I left, I grabbed the mop she was trying to fix and quickly straightened the bent parts of the folding mechanism and restored the mop to working condition.

  * * *

  I rushed home after talking to Consultant Bhagya Singhe. I knew something was wrong when Nanako didn’t greet me at the door, and all thoughts of cruise missiles and nukes instantly fled my mind, replaced by concern for my wife.

  Several plastic bags filled with fresh vegetables lay on the kitchen bench and carrot, cabbage, daikon, and onion were on the chopping board, in various stages of being chopped up. Boiling water was bubbling away in a saucepan on the stove, though nothing had been placed in it. Yet no sign of Nanako.

  Worry threatened to blossom into panic as I turned off the stove and took several more step into the flat, wondering where she could be. But then I spotted her in the bathroom, squatting down, facing the wall, with arms around her knees and her head on her arms. Her heartbeat was elevated and she was breathing too quickly. She was in the early stages of an anxiety attack - I hoped she hadn't been like this all day.

  I sat beside her and laid a hand on her shoulder. "What's wrong, Nana-chan?"

  She didn't respond.

  "Come on, you have to tell me what's bothering you," I said as I brushed her hair back so I could see the side of her face.

  "I can't get this thought out of my head."

  "What thought?"

  Her eyes turned towards me. "Tamura was telling the truth about where he found the bodies of your teammates, right, so what if he was telling the truth about you attempting suicide too?"

  "We already discussed this, remember? He said that just to distract us," I said gently.

  She knelt and turned around to face me, a tortured expression on her face.

  "What if you had been overcome with remorse after killing your own team, even if it was in self defence?"

  "Tamura was lying, Nanako."

  "But what if he wasn't? Because if you did try to kill yourself, it means I wasn't as important to you as I thought I was. I mean, if you had loved me like I loved you, you would have never tried to kill yourself."

  Chapter Thirty-One

  I looked at her, aghast. "You can't go leaping to conclusions like that."

  "But if you did try to kill yourself, it's true, isn't it?"

  "Look, I still haven't remembered anything about how I got shot, but there is something I know, and that is that I love you, and I love you more than anything. I wouldn't do anything to hurt you, and I'd never leave you for any reason whatsoever," I lifted her chin so that our eyes met. "You said I haven't changed, that I'm the same as I was before I got shot. That means I loved you back then the same as I do now."

  She was still torn by doubts.

  I grabbed her shoulders, "You have to believe that, okay? Don't go tearing yourself apart by listening to those 'what if' doubts. You have to let them go."

  "I want to, but..."

  "Promise me you'll try."

  "Okay."

  I took her hand and pulled her to her feet. "Come on, I'll help you make dinner."

  We set about preparing the dinner, though our normal light hearted teasing and banter was noticeably absent. Every now and then, Nanako would fall still and stare blankly at the wall as her mind slipped back into a fearful rut. Each time it happened, I encouraged her with a hug, a touch on her hand, or a kind word.

  But the fact was, I was disturbed by the same fears and doubts that assailed her. Had I really attempted suicide? Had things really become so bleak, so hopeless, that I had done the unthinkable, even willing to abandon my young wife?

  If I could only retrieve my missing memories we could be done with all this guesswork and worry!

  * * *

  We'd just finished the most nutritious meal we'd had for a week, thanks to the market re-opening today, when I heard the sound of two familiar pairs of runners tramping towards our flat.

  A moment later there was a knock at the door. I opened it to reveal David and Shorty.

  "Not interrupting something, are we?" David asked politely.

  "Doesn't matter if we are, we got intel," Shorty said, smiling from ear to ear.

  "No, in fact, I was about to ring you both and invite you over," I said as I led them to the dining room table. I grabbed two weathered plastic chairs from the balcony so Nanako and I could join them. Nanako went off to get tea while the rest of us sat.

  "So what's this intel?" I prompted.

  "The Recycling-Works re-opened today, as you know," David began, "And we got a special order from the primary automotive factory."

  "And?"

  "You should have seen the security involved in makin' the delivery!" Shorty said.

  "Apparently, the factory was taken over by Custodians the day after we got back from Hamamachi," David explained. "I don't know what they're doing in there, but it's locked as tight as Fort Knox, with Custodians guarding the building twenty-four seven."

  "What'd ya reckon they're doing in there, Jones?" Shorty asked.

  Nanako brought over a tray laden with cups of tea. She handed them out and joined us, though she didn't appear to have heard anything we'd said so far.

  "The Custodians are preparing a cruise missile with a nuclear warhead to fire at Hamamachi," I replied matter-of-factly.

  Nanako dropped her cup with a loud gasp, spilling burning hot tea all over her saucer and the aluminium dining table. "What?" she gasped.

  "How do you know this, Jones, or are you just guessing?" David demanded.

  "I was given this information by a reliable source this afternoon. The Custodians had two cruise missiles - you know, from the sub - but they've had to cannibalise one to fix the other," I said.

  "This is terrible - we have to do something immediately!" Nanako said, tripping over her words in her haste to speak.

  "I agree, but what?" I said, feeling helpless.

  "What if we steal the nuke and hide it somewhere?" Shorty suggested.

  "It weighs over 250kg. Presuming we can sneak into the factory, how are we gonna get it past the Custodians?" I asked.

  "What if you dismantle or destroy the detonator like you did in Ha
mamachi?" Nanako asked.

  I had no idea, so I looked at David for the answer, but he was avoiding eye contact and appeared overly anxious for some reason. "David?"

  "Yeah?" he practically gasped. "Oh, sorry, no, they'll just build another one."

  "Can you destroy the nuke itself?" Shorty asked.

  Again nothing from David - what was with him tonight? "David?" I prompted.

  "Eh? Sorry, no, not without proper equipment and I seriously doubt such equipment exists in Newhome."

  "I know - let's ask the Custodians very politely not to use it?" Shorty suggested.

  "Now why didn't I think of that?" I said, chuckling. "You got any ideas, David?"

  "Well, this is only a temporary solution, but we could destroy the cruise missiles," he answered.

  "Won't they just build another one?" Nanako asked.

  "They don't have the knowledge or the necessary components - that'd be why they've had to cannibalise one to fix the other," David explained.

  "We have to do this tonight, then," Nanako asserted, her dark brown eyes wide with worry.

  "No!" David practically squeaked. "I mean, we can't do it tonight - a mission like this requires meticulous planning, right?"

  "But..." Nanako objected.

  "David's right," I interrupted, "Before we go rushing off half-cocked, we need to have a getaway plan in place, for we can't stay in Newhome if we blow up these missiles. The Custodians'll turn over every stone in Newhome trying to find us afterwards."

  "But if we sneak in and out, they won't know it was us who did it," Shorty said.

  "We have to assume they'll work it out," I said. "So we need to escape from Newhome as soon as we've done the deed. Any ideas as to how we can do that?"

  "The secret entrances have magnetic locks. Give me a day and I'll make a key that can open them," David suggested.

  "And if Custodians are guarding the gates?" Nanako asked.

  "We get Jones to pop 'em," Shorty said gleefully.

  "Absolutely not!" I exclaimed.

  "So we just walk up to them and ask if we can leave the town?"

  "We'll have to cross that bridge when we get to it, Shorty," I replied. Perhaps we could sneak up on the Custodians guarding the gate and overpower them.

  "So if we can't do it tonight, when will we do it?" Nanako asked.

  "Tomorrow night," I replied, my heart racing as the enormity of what we were planning began to hit home. "Let's meet out the back of my apartment at 2am."

  "We won't be going up against any Hamamachi Rangers, right?" Shorty asked suddenly. "'Cause if we are, you can count me out."

  "Nope, just Custodians, if even them," I said.

  After that, we fell to discussing the nitty gritty aspects of our assault on the primary automotive factory and subsequent escape from the town. I noticed Nanako zoned out immediately, staring into space with a troubled expression framing her face as her mind fell prey once again to entertaining the fear that I hadn't loved her as much as she thought I had back in 2120.

  That Nanako was in such a state when we were going to attempt to destroy the two cruise missiles was unbelievably bad timing. And Nanako wasn't the only one who concerned me; David was exceptionally jittery tonight and seemed anxious to leave. I wondered what was going on with him.

  * * *

  Nanako was even worse the next morning, but she still dragged herself out of bed to make breakfast, though when we sat down to eat, she just picked at her bread and yogurt salad.

  I wanted to stay home and help her get through this by going for walks and gardening together, mostly because I couldn't bear to see her like this, but also because she needed to be in top form for our mission tonight. If she slipped up on the mission because she couldn't concentrate, she'd put her life - all of our lives - at risk. However, with the burden thrown on my shoulders to train Delta Company so they could take on the Skel, there was no way I’d be allowed to stay home today.

  I tried to persuade her to go to my mother’s place so she wouldn’t be alone today, but she didn’t reply. In the end, I had to rush off to work, but felt like an absolute heel for leaving her alone in such a condition.

  * * *

  When I got home at six, anger coursed through me when I saw anti-Japanese vitriolic graffiti scrawled all over our front door. Vowing I'd take a day off soon so I could catch Sienna and her helpers in the act, I tore my eyes from the graffiti and fitted my key to the door, hoping to find Nanako in better condition than she'd been in this morning - psyched and ready to go on the mission to save Hamamachi.

  But my hopes were dashed the moment I entered the flat and found it plunged in semi-darkness, for no lights were on and the curtains were drawn shut. Nanako’s untouched breakfast was still on the dining room table.

  My first thought was that she could be at my parents, but then I heard her sobbing. Rushing further inside, I found her on the bed, curled up in a foetal position and rocking from side to side as she cried.

  I sat on the bed and pulled her into my arms. "Oh Nana-chan, how long have you been like this? You should've called me."

  She lay back against my chest and rested her head on my shoulder, but she didn't answer.

  "Please forget what Tamura told you," I begged. "And you’ve got to stop going back through your memories and re-evaluating them through this fearful perspective that I may not have loved as much as you thought I did. You’re tearing yourself apart."

  Figuring she hadn’t eaten or drunken anything today, I laid her back on the bed and fetched a glass of soy milk.

  "Here, you have to drink this otherwise you’re gonna get dehydrated," I said gently. As expected, she didn’t respond, so I helped her sit and placed the glass to her lips, but she just buried her face in my neck. I put down the glass and held her, wondering what to do. There was no way she could go on the mission tonight unless I could help her out of this depressed state and get a healthy meal into her.

  So thinking, I decided to try and get her to do some physical activity to get her mind of her woes. I helped her off the bed and then got her to help me prepare the dinner, do the dishes, and even scrub down the linoleum floor in the kitchen. But in each case she kept stopping and staring blankly at the wall, or squatting down and hugging her knees.

  I ate the dinner we cooked together, but she just sat opposite me and didn't even make an attempt to eat. It tore me apart to see her in such a melancholic state, since she was usually so vibrant.

  In the end I gave up trying to pull her out of it and let her return to bed, where I gave her the best leg massage ever, but even that didn't help. I had never seen her this ill before and it was breaking my heart. I guess this kind of behaviour was what Councillor Okada referred to when he said she wasn’t as tough as she seemed.

  She fell asleep as night was settling in. I sat on the bed beside her and wondered what I should do, since she clearly couldn't go on the mission while in this condition. Should David, Shorty, and I go ahead with it without her, or should we postpone it until she was feeling better. On the other hand, how could I leave Nanako alone when she was so ill? Surely I should call off the mission for her sake. But what if we delayed too long and the Custodians fired the missile and wiped Hamamachi and its inhabitants off the map?

  My thoughts were so preoccupied with Nanako and the enormity of whatever decision I'd make tonight that I almost didn't notice that someone was tapping frantically on the balcony door's glass window.

  Thinking it must be 2am already, I glanced at the clock, which it revealed it to be just on midnight.

  I darted to the door and opened it, and was surprised to see Shorty standing there, panting as he tried to regain his breath. He had climbed up the back of the building to get to my balcony.

  "David's gone and done something stupid again," he said, panting for breath.

  "Oh, no, what's he done this time?" I asked, a sinking feeling in my gut. Last time David did something stupid, Leigh was put in prison and his girlfriend was executed
.

  "He's gone to the western secret door to let a squad of Hamamachi Rangers into town," he explained hurriedly.

  Chapter Thirty-Two

  "He's done what?"

  "He's letting a squad of Rangers into town," he repeated.

  "But why would he do that?" I asked angrily.

  "All I know is that it's got something to do with Leigh," he replied. "When it got dark last night, David grabbed a torch and was going to go up to the roof, but he wouldn't let me go with him. And when I got to work this morning, he'd already been there since six, working frantically on making that magnetic key you asked him to make. And then he was acting weird all evening, muttering about how he was gonna be 'free' after tonight. And twenty minutes ago he said he had to go and meet someone, and took his torch and the magnetic key he'd made. I tried to follow him, but when he finally admitted he had to let a squad of Rangers into town via the western wall's secret door or they'd kill Leigh, I figured I'd better come get you."

  I ran my hands through my hair in exasperation. "You did good, Shorty. Seems the Rangers have been in communication with David at night, probably by Morse code. But how did they get in touch with him? When did this start?"

  "He hasn't been himself ever since we got back from Hamamachi," Shorty said.

  "Yeah, I noticed that too. They must have gotten to him when we were in Hamamachi."

  "The question is, why do the Ranger's want to enter the town?" Shorty asked.

  "The nuke," I said, "They've gotta be after the nuke."

  "So what do we do?"

  I looked at Shorty and then turned and studied Nanako's still form, and I was torn in two. I wanted to stay with her, to comfort and watch over her till dawn. But if I didn't do something about David and these blasted Rangers, we may not see the dawn - any of us.