The television comes to life with an electrical surge that makes the dust on its surface stand on end. It shows only static, until the videotape is inserted into the slot and begins to play.
For a moment the screen is blank, and then the video begins.
A gray-haired boy of about 18 with black eyes sits, arranged comfortably with his legs crossed and his hands in his lap, comes into focus. The video displays his body down to his shins, the chair he sits in, and nothing else.
A disembodied voice comes from the speakers built into the sides of the television. "So. Atsuki Saijo. You know why you're here?"
The boy nodded. "I am undergoing a routine post-mission psychological examination cum debriefing." His voice is soft and dry and dimly familiar, like a red ribbon in a girl's hair on a cloudy day, like the hands of someone you've known for a long time but never really understood. It appears he was making eye contact with the examiner, as his gaze is focused somewhere to the right of the camera.
"That is correct." There was a scratching sound as something was noted. "Could you give me a brief synopsis of what your mission was in Kisaragi City?"
He paused momentarily before clearing his throat and beginning. "According to our intelligence at the time, it was believed that the man involved in the Shanghai Incident was infected in Kisaragi City. I was assigned tto go undercover as a high-school student at the local school to investigate the situation in the city."
A page turned somewhere out of sight. "All right then, let's move on to persons of interest. How about we start with Nami Kamishiro?"
//Nami Kamishiro//, Atsuki thought.
(Her eyes glinted mischeviously and she held a finger up to her lips. "It's our secret, Atsuki," she whispered. "You can't tell anyone.")
"She possesses the ability to communicate directly with animals, as clearly as I am speaking with you now. However, she only used it for the betterment of herself and those around her. She is not a threat to anyone at all; in fact, she is probably something like the guardian angel of Kisaragi's animals."
The inteviewer scribbled furiously, turned a page, wrote something else, and then sighed audibly. "How about Rui Yamase?"
("You can make us forget, but you can never, ever take away our memories.")
Atsuki pursed his lips and narrowed his eyes. "Rui Yamase is a telepath with the ability to read someone's past and/or future by making physical contact with them. She runs a small fortune-telling business. At one point during the investigation she came very close to learning about my past, but she only saw a flash of what happened so I made up a story to mislead her, which she bought. No threat."
"What of Hibiki Kiryu?"
"After his... battle... with Liu Yee, the majority of his telepathic ability was gone. I doubt he will be able to use any sort of advanced telepathy for the remainder of his days. I would be more worried about the threat whatever enemies he may have made while with PHALANX may pose to his safety than him being a threat to FORT."
"All right, uh... Shinji- Shinji Na-roo-see?"
"Naruse. He is a fledgeling hacker; no telepathy of any sort beyond a normal level. But it may be a good idea to keep tabs on him. He will probably get a lot better at hacking. He may even become a serious threat sometime in the future, but for now, nothing."
"Meilin Fu."
The boy leaned back and rearranged his legs. "A strong telepath, but if she knows anything, she's not telling. No threat."
"Ryo Unami?"
"Civilian. Runs a bookstore. No threat."
"Akira Mido?"
"No threat."
"Mika Nozaki."
"She's an investigative journalist, and she works with Shinji Naruse sometimes. Keep an eye out for her. At the moment, though, she poses no threat."
"Sayuri Makino."
"No threat."
"...Ah- This may be a typographical error, but... Yuzi?"
"No, that's correct." He smiled softly. "He operates a local business previously owned by his parents, the type of which changes every few months. It's an internet cafe at the moment. No threat."
"Honoka Hino."
"High school counselor, and legal guardian of Hibiki Kiryu. No threat."
"Yayoi Kamishiro."
"No threat."
"Yui Yamase?"
"She's a bit nosy, but she won't get far. No threat."
"Aoi Matsumura."
"Absolutely no threat."
"Arthur Mays."
"No threat."
"Takuya Inoue?"
"No threat."
"And lastly, Shigeru Enokida?"
"A tad eccentric, but no threat."
There was a momentary pause as the interviewer took one final note and then snapped their notebook closed. "All right. That is all. Thank you for your cooperation." Both the boy and the interviewer rose, and they shook hands.
The boy spared the camera one last glance before walking out of the frame and leaving the room.
The videotape continues to show the empty chair for a few seconds before the tape ends and the screen flickers to blue.
Slender, pale fingers adorned with an elaborate lion ring reach up and shut off the television.
And all is still.