Ch. 3
Takato disliked school he was going to be tormented by his teacher and others in his school. His classmates that weren't his friend avoided him. But he had to go. His parents, well mother, said, "I am not raising an idiot. You are going to do well! we can't afford a cram school!" He was wondering what terrors his teacher would unleash on him and his class. What would the terror of Class 5-2 do? He had to steel himself for whatever onslaughts she would throw today. The whole class always had to be ready for whatever, not caring she would throw at them.
Takato saw Jeri. she walked up to him, "Woof! Arf! What's up?" she tilted her puppet's head.
"I did my homework but Asaji will probably give me a bad mark on it. The last thing I need is to be grounded. Mom and Dad would ground me and put me in a little cage."
Jeri laughed, "I doubt that."
"When have you known me to be that lucky with our teacher?" Takato sighed.
"Hey, stranger things have happened." The puppet went in front of Takato's face. "Arf! She could be nice! Woof!"
Takato, Kenta, Kazu and the rest of the class had to prepare for the arrival of their teacher.
"She must have had a night out..." one boy murmured. " My dad acts like that some weekends.."
They all got quiet as the door slid open. The students stood up out of reflex.
What would enter was beyond explanation...
"Welcome to Paradise Burger! Are you interested in the "Clogger Supreme"? Or would you like to try our teriyaki burger?" the teen fast food worker smiled at Tally. Since Yamaki was away for a few days the staff was taking it easy. Also didn't hurt Yamaki locked the dome room. She was here with her date, Junishiro who was out of his guard.
The shy guard smiled. "I would like a Clogger Supreme, with a tall Coke and the Jumbo black pepper fries." Junishiro smiled at Tally. "What do you want?" Tally laughed "I am starved. A Clogger Supreme, A diet Manta, and the Mega-jumbo fries."
"That comes to ¥2165.84."
Junishiro paid and the food was delivered a few minutes later.
"A day off? Odd for the boss ain't it?" Junishiro asked his date.
"Yeah but the rumor mill says he is on the way out. He did not please the politicians and bureaucrats in Nagatcho. They'll probably shut us down or put us under the Americans. At least the rumor mills are saying as much." Tally shrugged. "I have no idea of what will be next for us."
"Perhaps we can be more serious?" Junishiro said lowly.
"You mean to move in together?" a shocked Tally replied.
"Well yeah." Junishiro slurped his soda. "Is that a problem?"
"I am still sharing an apartment with Riley out of convenience she still pays rent. You know that."
Junishiro nodded. "But I think this is a good step forward."
"Well, I don't know."
Junishiro lowered his head, he lifted it up after a minute. "Okay, I get it. It is a big choice. You can sit on it a while."
"Yeah..." Talley replied slowly. Her face betrayed the fact she was having mixed feelings. On one side, Riley was a good friend of the other Junishiro and her were moving in a more serious direction.
"I mean come on it is not like it is the end of everything." Junishiro noticed how poorly Tally had taken his suggestion
"I just need to think about it," Tally told Junishiro.
Then Tally in a very unladylike manner devoured her Clogger Supreme. She made loud the loud eating sounds more out of nervousness, this was not a noodle shop where such behavior was accepted. But Tally at least was eating food that made her feel better.
Across the city, Yamaki was driving his car around the city. His Toyota Cecilia Supra (A60), was doing only a hundred kilometers but the traffic today was very light, so he went a little over, two to three kilometers in the highway would not prompt a Tokyo police officer to give pursuit.
It was a shame he could not open up his engine up but Japan had a strict rule, no car travel above 100 KPH on National Expressways. He was warming the engines so he could get some joy today as the looming demon of his failure and unemployment were over the horizon. Yamaki needed to drive alone. He had problems he had to work on. The biggest was going to an onsen in Hakone with Riley via Romancecar train.
He had to put on the brave face like society demanded. However, that did not mean he could not feel right now. That stoicism Japan was famous for was good in public but bad in private. Mitsuo Yamaki was terrible at hiding his emotions, often when he entered a room he was the smartest one in the room, he knew he had to be careful on his arrogance but how could he show respect for men he had been around for most of his life? It was hard to hide his contempt for the social hierarchy of Japanese political society. Sure when he went to school he was taught to save face but it was very hard when Mitsuo's bosses were incompetents.
Yamaki knew the real reason Prime Minister Kuroki died of a stroke, he was in flagrante delicto, he was at a golf resort at the time taking a rest, he just had the stroke with help of his mistress. It was not as reported, he had a stroke that hit him while he sat down, rest from a game of golf. Yamaki snarled, he hated the political crap he had to put up with. He was the only thing giving Japan a fair chance to compete in the digital arms race and those spineless politicians were going to give it all away to the Americans.
Gods did he hate the Americans sometimes. Sure they were great at a lot of things but did they ever quietly influence and even blackmail their allies. President Lawrence was a big idiot. He was going to have a pointless competition with the Russians over Pakistan and Iran. It did not help that Iran was an "Axis of Evil" nation. It was not like Japan or America did not and was not selling things to Iran that they weren't supposed to (Japan was selling cars and the rights to make said cars, America was selling printers, computers, and cell phones). But Russia sells a few cyclotrons to Iran it suddenly a whole mess begins and now the two idiots, Lawrence and Sharapov, would discuss and probably avert war. Lawrence what a spineless leader. He had to leap into action on 9/11, didn't he?
Yamaki had to shake the thought from his head. He looked for any tails on him and his beauty. He saw what looked to be the keystone cops, looks like it was China's turn to spy on him. At least if two spy groups appeared both broke off pursuit or surveillance to avoid creating an incident. No need to repeat the Barcelona Spy Pileup of 1996.
After his drive, Yamaki got off the expressway and was sitting at an intersection with a scramble crossing. It was very busy for the time of day. He was sitting at the front of the queue of cars. Pedestrians were walking by, pushing bikes, carrying bags or briefcases. Yamaki really wasn't watching them as he looked at the indicators on the street.
Sitting at the crossing a man stopped in front of Yamaki's car. He turned to face Yamaki. He was dressed in that Ivy League style JFK made popular in the 1960's. The man was a Panama hat styled trilby, a red sweater, tan chinos, and loafers. He looked at Yamaki in the eyes. The man was either American or European, about the same age as him. He seemed to be dressed for a different time. His stare really disturbed Yamaki. The man was staring at Yamaki almost as if into his soul.
The man moved his lips, Yamaki heard it as if the man whispered it right into his ear. "I know you, and you will know me, we've met just not in a way you are used to." The stare broke into a smile, the man took off his hat, in a bow and then walked away from Yamaki's car.
Needless to say, Yamaki was disturbed by what had just happened. He drove to the car park, an automated parking system that he paid a lot of money for. He entered his apartment and prepared for his trip with Riley to Hakone.
"Wong I need those G-15 reports on for the finical software on the MetroCapital Bank." the supervisor told Janyu Wong as he typed it in.
"I will get it to you in fifteen minutes boss," Janyu replied looking his monitor as he typed out the code for the software for the major American bank. Janyu typed up the necessary coding for the American mega-bank. This job was not sexy but it paid the bills. Janyu remembered his youth at Stanford making an AI program that his kids now play with.
He met with leaders of the industry before they were huge, like Robert Fielding of Massivesoft when Massivesoft was still operating out of a strip mall near Seattle doing software for Pineapple computers. He made a program with Professor Rob McCoy and several other students. The program was financed by American corporate giant Apexi, banking giant Northeast Capital (before it merged with another banking giant Metropolitan Bank of Manhattan, which also a financed the project) several Japanese companies, including a major toy company supported the program. Oddly Janyu remembered a man in a suit that was called General by the dean at Stanford.
Janyu had better finish this coding for MetroCapital or else he'd be in trouble.
Later on, Janyu sent the code to his boss.
He was walking to the restroom when he swore he saw something, a man in a black ball cap, green coat, and tan pants. Janyu paced faster as he looked for the man, he saw the man disappear into a stairwell and he followed. But upon entering all Janyu heard was silence. Janyu shook his head. "I must be tired."
Janyu went to the bathroom and after a few minutes returned to his workstation to work. It was there he noticed a postcard on his desk. It was an older style postcard hand drawn a picture of a beach with boats and a green hill in the back. In big bold gold letters it said "Fiji" on the back there was no postage, no post markings from Fiji or Japan or even an address just a to Janyu Wong. All that was written on it was bizarre and unusual.
It was brief and to the point. The writer of the postcard had written the following:
"Project Palisades. Project Mosaic. McAdams Institute. Foothold."
Janyu would pocket the postcard and try and figure out the meaning of this mystery later. Today was definitely weird.
(-)
The class of 5-2 was amazed when their teacher had walked in earlier today. Her hair was more blonde and she seemed o be different.
"Now students I will help those of that need some help. with your homework and I will be a bit lenient on your assignments today." To the boys and the girls, their teacher had undergone a transformation from a grumpy, plain looking woman to a happy, That did not mean she could not put the fear of god into them.
When Kazu scoffed, "Who are you and what have you done with Miss Asaji? Are you a pod person?"
Nami Asaji put a smile on her face and simply said. "I have had a revelation that I was not the best teacher possible. Now I think my new spirituality will put you in your place because if you ask me that question again Kazu, I will make you write an essay on the greatest poems of old Japan. Which I expect to be properly cited."
Asaji's voice dripped venom. It was as though she was a great dragon of myth, telling off the kids for stealing her gold. Every student shivered at the tone she used.
When lunch came around Miss Asaji went to the teacher's offices and ate food the staff noticed her hair change. The lanky Mr. Mori approached her. "M-m-miss Asaji, I-I-I-I like what you did to your hair." he nervously said.
She noticed him and smiled, "Oh thank you. You know Mori I would not mind you coming over and talking about how we can help the kids."
Mr. Mori promptly fainted.
Back in Class 5-2, the students were gossiping galore. From the mundane to the bizarre.
"I bet you Miss Asaji joined a cult. My parents talk about Neurotology so perhaps she joined that Cult." Ayeka Itou told Jeri and Miki Nakajima.
"Yeah doesn't explain the hair color change though." Miki told Ayeka, "I mean I dye mine blonde but Miss Asaji does not strike me a woman who would dye her hair."
"I don't know guys something is just off..." Jeri told her friends, they both nodded. They agreed something was off but neither Jeri or her friends could place it.
Kazu, Kenta, and other boys, (Takato was with them on the outer parts of the group.) had a radically different theory. "It's like that movie where people are replaced with plant copies from giant zucchinis. I bet you that is a copy of our teacher and she has been destroyed." Kazu said emphatically. Takato rolled his eyes while Kenta half heatedly nodded.
"She was replaced by a zucchini plant!" Tazou Aoyama nodded in agreement. "It has to be aliens!"
"She has been replaced by an alien so the can take over our schools!" Tadashi, the slightly chubby student said aloud.
Takato had to say something. "Come on guys she changes her hair and you folks think she's been replaced by an alien horde. Kazu you know it is gonna not end well for you if you keep up these rumors."
"Come on Gogglebrain! She's been replaced by an alien! She would not become so nicely so quickly." Kazu retorted.
"Yeah!" Kenta agreed with his friend.
"Are you sure this isn't some prank?" Takato questioned at Kazu's ludicrous claims.
"Well, what do you think it is?" Kazu jabbed back at Takato.
"I don't know." Takato shrugged and sighed, out of frustration, "But she is not an alien!"
The Hypnos auxiliary control center was a backup control room if the primary, the dome room, failed for some reason. This room was more like a military control center than the center which was in Tokyo City Hall while this one was in an office building a couple of blocks away. The control center had consoles, a big board, a mapping table, the threat board, and T.V.s. All of which made up the military branch of Hypnos's operations center. It looked like the old CAPCOM in Houston Texas for NASA. This existed because Yamaki was not completely trusted by the bureaucrats in Nagatcho.
Sitting in his office Major Mifune was looking at the threat board. It was divided into the following treat events: Digimon, crime, terrorism, state action, international affairs, corporate affairs and other (religious incidents fell under other often as did scientific events) his office had windows to look upon his subordinates.
Mifune sighed at the threat board that had current threats around the globe listed.
(-)
DIGIMON:
Last event 2 hours ago. Minor incident resolved.
CRIME:
Kobe Yakuza likely to make a trade with North Korean gun runners.
Shizuoka Slasher still eluding searches
Two officials murdered in Hokkaido, likely connected to the corruption case.
Ten Representatives likely to be named in major newspaper investigation being connected to organized crime.
TERRORISM:
Iraqi Revolutionary Guard barracks destroyed in Mosul by Kurdish rebels
US base in Kandahar attacked by mortars
Tel Aviv bus bombed by a suicide bomber.
Ten Colombian soldiers killed in a guerrilla ambush.
Basque bomber wounds Spanish Deputy.
STATE ACTION:
JSDF to hold war games in two days time.
PM to remain overseas for an indefinite period. Chief Cabinet Secretary to act as PM if needed.
Diet not in Session.
Emperor to celebrate his birthday soon. There is a Security threat to Emperor, minimal.
INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS:
Lucerne summit underway. Security heightened in Switzerland
US and Russia on alert, standing by if Lucerne fails.
President Teng in North Korea.
Protests in Bern over Lucerne meeting
Massive Neo-Nazi Rally in Munich.
A failed coup in Fiji
US Senate to investigate VP Laboratories
CORPORATE AFFAIRS:
Obelisk Bancorp concerned about hacking after erroneous counting error.
AREX Group security forcibly removed protesters in Yokohama
Tantamount Studio files complaint with Chinese Embassy over piracy of movies.
Brisley Pharmaceuticals Lab in Calgary destroyed in a fire.
OTHER:
Pope John XXIV has a bad cold.
Omura's Whale still excites marine biologists
(-)
Mifune removed everything from the list on his computer except for the VP Labs thing, the Brisley thing and the last incident involving Digimon.
Mifune picked up the phone and dialed for Doctor Izo.
"Moshi-Moshie Izo here." came the answer.
"Izo this is Mifune. Any incidents?" asked the bored Major.
There was a pregnant pause, " You're kidding, right? The system has been buggy las few hours. False readings, false alarms that sort of thing."
"When was that?" asked Mifune confusedly.
"Last few hours we've had about twenty false alarms. Why aren't you getting any?" Izo asked
"No. The last one we got is two hours old." Mifune stood up looking at the big board in front of him.
"That is when it started," Izo told Mifune over the phone. An alarm rang in the background.
"Another?" Mifune asked.
"Yes, well three." Then the alarm ended. "And they're gone."
Mifune looked at the auxiliary. "That bastard. He has kept us in the dark. Izo if and when you can spare a minute I'll need you to come oversee if we can fix this problem as it appears Yamaki wanted to keep us in the dark." Mifune was enraged, this would be going into his report to Nagatcho later. Mifune hung up and then redialed again.
"Oyama here." came the reply of the head of ground operations for Hypnos's military division.
"Oyama I need you in my office NOW." Mifune angrily spat.
"Yes, sir." A minute later a man in a security guard captain's uniform (in actuality a JGSDF officer.) came to, the door, he promptly entered. There was a salute between the men.
"Oyama. Do you think Yamaki lies to us and our superiors?" the major asked the Captain.
The Captain with military haircut thought about it for a second. "Probably, I am sure he does but I have no proof and I cannot look at his tech with him flying into a rage." The Captain looked at the big board. "Why? Is the big board wrong?"
Mifune looked at it out from the windows of his office. "Yes, there have been incidents for a few hours now according to Izo from the nerd herd. False alarms and false positives, that sort of thing."
The captain looked at his commanding officer.
"Well sir, then what do we do?" Oyama saw Mifune turn, a wicked smile on his face. "We get devious captain. We don't play by his rules but ours." Mifune's grin was one an insane person would give after explaining how Three's Company was used to mind control the population. Truly the moniker Mad Man Mifune was starting to show.
Kagurazaka Girls' Academy, the school that shaped women of a high class in the current elite of Japan in Shinjuku. And by the gods did Rika hate it. The poor Mr. Gleason he was going to manipulated by the Ami's, and if he wasn't well their fathers would get Gleason kicked out of Japan.
"Now girls lets start with the more complex phrase." Please Let me go to the mall."
Rika struggled with English but she really didn't care for this class she was not going to be a model like her mother. At least she hoped not.
"Remember. Puh-leeze." Gleason told the girls. Gleason, of course, wanted to throw the Amis from the roof. Spoiled brats.
After class Mr. Gleason saw Rike leaving the school, his class was at the end of the day. "Ah Miss Nonaka!"
Rika sighed. "Gleason Sensei. What do you want?" she was crabby. He was keeping her from stacking her card decks.
"Look I think you're smarter than the Ami's but I know their fathers are well connected just remember, people like us shine through the crap. Look I know in the end those idiot kids will get their comeuppance. So keep strong Miss Nonaka." he said walking away. "And work on your English!"
Rika grumbled. At least a teacher cared. As Gleason was walking away as he felt a chill. it was sudden but he assumed it must have been a wind of some sort.
Renamon appeared behind a tree, "Home?" She asked.
"Home." Replied Rika as she walked off.
(-)
Henry was walking back from his school it was a bland normal day in his class he did his report on the news and the teacher was very happy. Henry hoped home would be dull tonight. He liked these quiet days. They were rarer now so he better enjoy them. If he knew his family it would be "Trapdoors" or "Embarrassment" on TV tonight. At least his homework was easy.
(-)
As she returned home Nami Asaji felt off. Her upper back hurt a lot. She felt awful. She must have gotten a cold from the kids at the school but it happened in public education kids were walking disease factories, even if they were wonderful. But she had to lie down maybe some Micheal McDonald would make her feel better.
Asaji put on her Michael McDonald CD and headphones she had done the homework early and was now beat. She couldn't figure out why her back hurt so much. It befuddled her she decided she needed a little help sleeping she got out her brandy and to a swig. ,"Ah Sweet Freedom."
As she dozed off two little points on her back moved independently of her shoulder blades.
(-)
In his den, Guilmon awoke from a good dream about peanut butter. He was awakened by something that seemed like it could be a Digimon but wasn't. it was spiking back and forth. It was unusual, the young Digimon did not understand what was going on. He felt it get stronger, stronger, stronger and then suddenly nothing, it was gone.
"I just wanted a dream about peanut butter." the dinosaur rookie Digimon tiredly groaned. He rolled onto his side and tried to go to sleep. Guilmon had a lot of trouble going to sleep for a good hour. Finally, he thought about getting up. That seemed to put him into a deep sleep.
(-)
Takato in his bed dreaming of being a Digimon Tamer. He wanted to be like Tai or Davis from the show. He wanted to be the best Digimon master in the world but a part of him knew he was too emotional. He got into trouble for being too emotional which was a no-no in Japan but Takato was not one who his emotions well. He wondered if he could help Guilmon progress along his evolution track and make him into a giant WarGrowlmon. He was constantly creating new Digimon ideas. He had the idea for WarGrowlmon recently. He had hoped the D-Power scanned his ideas properly.
But in his dreams Takato dreamed of attacking rogue Digimon himself he was tired of being on the sideline perhaps he should leap into the battle and attack the Digimon himself. It would make him and Guilmon better partners if they could both fight the bad Digimon together. He smiled at the thought.