Revelations

Czyvek poured over the few records they had been able to recover so far from the Relic's Point excavation. He was amazed that anything had survived the destruction. He himself had barely escaped as he carried Dr. Shirai from the base. He had, at the time, been investigating, and had confirmed, rumors that Guyot had found more within the living relic than he was letting on. He had discreetly copied a great number of files on the Unit Remover for his Lord. In fact, it had been Lord Purgstall's idea to incorporate the device into a Zoanoid.

A name caught his eye, and he stopped short.

Murakami Kenji

What the hell?

He pulled up the badly corrupted file. A scratchy view of a precessing tank appeared. Inside was a child, a boy, of about six or seven years of age.

Czyvek was struck by a wave of nausea, and had to look away, pale and shaking.

Guyot had processed a child.

A child named Murakami.

Had this happened while he was watching Shirai mumbling to himself in the subbasement? Dear God, had he been there when this had happened?

It began to rain.

After he composed himself Czyvek stood up.

"Ishi."

"Yes, sir?"

"You . . . Have the day off. Please, enjoy yourself."

"Sir, are you alright?" Czyvek was a generous man, and holidays were not unusual in themselves, but Ishi noted something strange in his demeanor. He was pale, haunted. "If there's anything I can do to help."

"I'll be fine." He said softly, "And thank you."

It was not that he did not trust Ishi, it was the fact that any Zoalord could reach into his mind and find whatever he knew about this boy. The less he knew, the better it was for everyone.

When Ishi had left, Czyvek quickly typed the name Murakami Kenji into the CHRONOS Data Files.

Nothing.

Not surprising, Guyot would not have submitted such a crime to the Council's scrutiny.

He cross-referenced birth records.

Nothing.

Death certificates.

Nothing.

Someone did not want this boy found. Was Mirabilis hiding him from further CHRONOS atrocities, or was CHRONOS hiding the child from Mirabilis? Was he even still alive, or had he died when Relic's Point was destroyed? If he found him, would he be saving him or leading him into terrible danger?

He could not confide in anyone until he understood what was going on.

Imakarum Mirabilis had given strict orders that if anyone began searching for the name 'Murakami Kenji' online, especially in CHRONOS' own files, he be alerted at once. He had dreaded this moment since the nightmare began.

Why was he not surprised that it was Czyvek?

School records. Census. Nothing hit. Nothing at all. The connection was obvious in his mind. Murakami Kenji, Murakami Masaki. He searched for Masaki's last known address before he went into hiding.

It was raining steadily when Zoalord Mirabilis reached Cloud Gate. Czyvek wasn't there. According to his staff, he'd sent his PA home and left about an hour later. He reached out and touched the mind of Daigoro Ishimaru, Czyvek's Personal Assistant. He was open and cooperative, if confused. He had been told nothing and assumed Czyvek was still at Cloud Gate.

He could not find Czyvek's mind. He had been shielded from Zoalord detection to allow him to spy on traitors like Guyot. He had no idea how Czyvek had learned of Kenji's existence. Czyvek. Imakarum Mirabilis knew where he was. It was the only place he could go, other than himself, to find out about Kenji.

"Yes, I remember Kenji. A sweet boy. Very polite." The old woman shook her head, "It was a tragedy, the fire, I mean. Poor woman died, you know. People came then, too. Asking questions. They were very rude. Young people these days have no manners."

Czyvek felt a jolt of mental energy. He was here, in Japan. And near enough to touch his shielded mind.

The woman looked at Czyvek, "Are you alright, young man? You look a little pale."

"I - I'm alright. Thank you." He rose and bowed respectfully. "I'm afraid I have to leave now. Please, forgive my intrusion."

Imakarum Mirabilis was standing in the burnt husk of his old home, a haunted look on his surprisingly pale face. "Cloud Gate. Your office. Now."

Mirabilis didn't waste time with pleasantries. "Why are you doing this? Why are you searching for Kenji?" He demanded.

"I found a file in the ruins . . ." Czyvek began.

"Did it not occur to you that I did not want him found? Why else would I have deleted all information about his existence?"

"Yes. I-I thought . . . But if he . . ."

"Then you should have stayed out off it!" Mirabilis shouted. He was silent for a moment, his cat's eyes gleaming. When he spoke again, it was far more softly, "I know you meant well. You're worried about him. You want to know if he is alive, if he is well. He is. Leave it there."

A sudden weariness overtook him. Imakarum Mirabilis sank into Ishi's chair and cradled his head in his hands. The memories were still there, even if Masaki Murakami was dead, his memories still lived. His pain. "He took him from me. Guyot took him and he made him into a Zoalord. My son is nine years old and has the body of a twenty-five year old man." He looked up, tears flowing down his face, "His childhood has been stolen! His life has been stolen!"

"I'm so sorry." The sight of a man like Imakarum Mirabilis moved to tears was shocking, but a father is a father, and no matter how cold he might seem, it was clear that this was a man who deeply loved his son. Czyvek had no children, he knew it would be both a lie and an insult to say he knew what Mirabilis was going through. There was nothing he could say.

"We are keeping him hidden for his own safety. If Makashima were to find out I have a son . . ." He paused, no further explanation was needed, "As soon as his mind is able to comprehend what has happened to him, to cope, he will be introduced to the Council as a full Zoalord. Ingraim Mirabilis. Not before. Not until I say so. You will speak of this to no one." There was both threat and pain in his voice.

"Of course." A tear rolled down Czyvek's cheek as well. "I swear by the name and memory of Lord Friedrich von Purgstall that I will not betray you, or Kenji."

Mirabilis knew that Czyvek would die sooner than break a vow made in his beloved Lord's name. His secret was safe.

"How did you find out?"

"A damaged file found in the ruins of Relic's Point. It's on my desk. I made no copies and will destroy it at once."

"I want to . . . See it, first."

"Are you certain . . .?"

"Yes. Does anyone else know? "

"No, I didn't want to involve anyone else."

"A wise decision."

Imakarum Mirabilis stood and straightened himself, forcing back his emotions.

"Mikhail." He turned slightly

"Yes?"

"Thank you, for caring."

Later, aboard The Ark:

Ingraim Mirabilis looked up from the book Edward had given him as his father entered his room. He looked sad. "Are you alright, daddy?"

"Yes. I'm just . . . Tired." Imakarum walked over to the man his son had become. He reached out and gently stroked his cheek, "I love you, Kenji."

"I love you too, daddy."

The End.

Murakami Kenji/Ingraim Mirabilis belongs to CybladeSilver.