A/N: This is it. I think this should be the last chapter before the start of the teambuilding exercises arc. Enjoy!
Chapter 34
The following day saw Ichika and the girls meeting in the bath once more to discuss the events of the previous day. Ichika had finally gotten around to installing a holo-projector in the room that took advantage of the mist that normally filled the room. Right now, it was displaying a series of reports surrounding the action of the previous night along with similar information on subsequent related operations.
"Now that we've all had a chance to read through these, let's begin. As you all already know, the operation yesterday was a resounding success in that we were able to both determine evidence of foul play on the part of Edelberg and capture multiple hostile combatants. I am sure that the question on all of your minds is whether or not Phantom Task was involved, correct?" Tatenashi began, and the rest of the room nodded.
"The answer, as far as we are aware, is no. There is no evidence of direct or indirect participation of Phantom Task in this attack." Tatenashi replied.
"But how much do we know about Edelberg? Can we safely make that conclusion?" Cecilia asked.
"As a matter of fact, we happen to know a lot. We had AIs posted within easy cyberspace access of Edelberg's company servers for over a week now, and as soon as the attack occurred they all went in. We were able to make off with pretty much everything from employee clock in and out times to the minutes of secret meetings between the company's higher-ups where they discussed what to do with you." Tatenashi replied, gesturing to Ichika.
"So what were they planning, out of curiosity?" Ichika asked.
"From what I've read, they wanted to run some rather invasive experiments to figure out how you could pilot the IS for them to exploit and make a fortune off of. Of course, even if they'd somehow succeeded in pulling this off, several of the conspiracy members were already passing information to the FBI, and judging by the emails we'd pulled, there was going to be some sort of operation happening within the week." Tatenashi replied.
"Good to know I would have only been in there for a week." Ichika shuddered.
"Ha! We wouldn't have let them keep you for even a minute." Laura replied.
"What about the people we captured?" Charlotte asked.
"The truck driver wasn't able to tell us much outside of the basics, but what little he did tell us was confirmed via our AI raid. He has since been memory wiped, dunked in an alcohol bath, and dropped off on the curb near some bar. As far as he's concerned, the mission was a complete failure and he spent the rest of the night drinking. As for the two IS pilots, that's where things get a bit more interesting. Apparently they had hired themselves out as mercenaries to Edelberg in the hopes of earning a rather significant payout, enough for a small house and a comfortable lifestyle. At least, that's what they planned on spending it on." Tatenashi explained.
"So the mercenary life wasn't working out for them?" Rin asked.
"Evidently not. They'd graduated from IS Academy just two years ago, decided to try and earn money as mercenaries only to realize that demand for relatively unskilled IS pilots with no IS suit or other equipment is actually pretty damn low. Apparently even Phantom Task didn't want them as they at one point unknowingly attempted to approach one of their PMC fronts only to be turned down." Tatenashi replied.
"So what did we do with them?" Ichika asked.
"We hired them." Tatenashi replied.
"Wait, what?" The entire room exclaimed in response.
"The Organization has the opposite problem. We can produce IS suits far faster than we can produce pilots for them. That's why we're trying to expand into IS Academy." Tatenashi explained.
"But... They just tried to attack us!" Rin shouted.
"It makes sense from a manpower perspective, but can we really trust them?" Laura asked.
"Whether or not we trust them doesn't matter. Apparently the higher-ups think they are good enough for the job." Kanzashi replied.
"Wait, why does the Organization have problems with crewing IS suits? Can't they just automate them with AI? I know Aki was able to control Akatsubaki when we fought the Gospel." Houki asked.
"I'm afraid that has its own problems preventing large scale deployment. An automated IS counterpart to the Phantom Task Golems was actually in development, but all work was halted in the aftermath of the cyberattack on WSI following the Gospel Incident. Your sister's AIs were able to enter what we believed to be an impregnable network en masse by exploiting the channels that were used for rapid AI mobility between WSI tower and our headquarters. These channels have since been closed, but now AIs have to be physically transported to headquarters and back. These same channels would be necessary for an AI combat unit to communicate, meaning that any AI-only combat unit could not only be completely disabled by a single cyberattack launch platform, but could even be turned against us with a suitably overwhelming attack... Come to think of it, I believe this is why Phantom Task still uses organic pilot organisms for their Golems despite clearly possessing AI technology." Ori replied, a scaled up version of her avatar shimmering into being beside the projector.
"I... I am also somewhat ashamed to admit that I was barely able to control the Akatsubaki, much less engage in combat with it when you blacked out, Houki-sama. I am unsure if this is something that I can improve with training or..." Aki added, her own avatar coming into view.
"It's nothing to be ashamed about. It is difficult to operate machinery bound by the constraints of the physical world... I suppose I have a huge advantage in that regard as I can practice to my heart's content in the Infinite Arsenal's foundry space." Ori replied, her avatar patting Aki's on the back in a show of comfort.
"So getting back on track, are the two pilots that attacked us just going to join the Organization's forces immediately?" Charlotte asked. Tatenashi shook her head in response.
"They won't go straight to field duty, that's for sure. I'm not sure how exactly they will be deployed, but they do have to be sent into training first. After that, my best guess is that they will be placed into reserve at headquarters." She replied.
"Fair enough, I guess." Charlotte sighed.
"What about Edelberg itself? What will we do about them?" Cecilia asked.
"As strange as it sounds, we don't need to do anything. We have Houki's sister to thank for that." Tatenashi replied.
"What do you mean?" Houki asked.
"Shortly after our own AIs entered the Edelberg network, a huge wave of AIs that we identified as Tabane's breached the network and ransacked the company's servers. They were led by a human who somehow has entered cyberspace, who was identified as the same one who attacked the WSI building. Thankfully she was more amicable this time around, and agreed to share huge volumes of Edelberg data with us. We made off with enough data to effectively steal the company out from under its owners, and I am not exaggerating in the slightest when I say this. With that said, there isn't much to steal anymore. Edelberg's stock is in freefall, employees are already leaving en masse at all levels, the CEO has resigned without a replacement, and the company will effectively be destroyed within a week." Tatenashi explained.
"I see... They must have made Tabane quite angry." Kanzashi stated the obvious.
"But... What about all the employees who just lost their livelihoods?" Charlotte asked.
"I honestly don't know, but Tabane probably isn't going to provide any meaningful assistance to them." Tatenashi replied.
"And what about us?" Charlotte asked.
"I don't know." Tatenashi repeated.
"Tabane's almost certainly intending to make an example out of Edelberg. Destroy one company, and all the others with similar plans will fall in line." Laura pointed out.
"That's what our analysts concluded as well, and I am inclined to agree with them." Tatenashi replied.
All the while Ichika's attention was on Houki who had called up, and was now staring at a long list of names and their positions. Finally she looked up, meeting his eyes.
"Ichika, do you remember that one month when my sister joined in on our kendo sessions?" She asked.
"Yes. As I recall it, she quickly outdid all of us, got bored and stopped coming after a few weeks." Ichika replied.
"Yes... I just remembered something she said back then, when I asked her how she was so good." Houki continued.
"What did she say?" Rin asked.
"That before every move she made, she calculated every possible outcome, its positives and negatives, and then chose the optimal path forward. Back then I thought she was just referring to Kendo, but now..." Houki trailed off, eyes going back down to the list.
"If she simply wanted to punish the ones directly responsible for this, she could have done so without destroying the rest of the company." Charlotte noted.
"Then that begs the question of what would she gain by destroying the company in such a manner?" Cecilia added. The room was silent for a moment. It was Laura who replied first.
"By attacking so indiscriminately, she shows that she doesn't care about collateral damage, and the larger the scale of the effort, the more will be at risk. Scale things up high enough, and we'd arrive at her completely destroying entire nations because their leaders were involved in a conspiracy targeting IS Academy. That would, at least in theory, discourage action much more effectively than a precision strike." She said.
"But it would also make her a bigger threat." Charlotte pointed out.
"It would, but behind closed doors she is already public enemy number one. Officially she's already wanted for questioning regarding the White Knight incident and her involvement with the White Knight's deployment. Unofficially, she's a nuclear terrorist with unknown goals that needs to be stopped sooner rather than later." Tatenashi replied.
"She's also my sister." Houki muttered.
"Sisters do seem to be a source of a lot of our problems lately, don't they?" Charlotte quipped.
"Come to think of it, they are. Ichika has one sister who is an IS-stealing terrorist who just won't leave us alone and another who seems to have a backstory straight out of a comic book, Houki's sister is probably the most dangerous person in the world..." Cecilia trailed off, glancing at Tatenashi and Kanzashi.
"You two wouldn't happen to have a third sister lying around somewhere plotting world domination, do you?" She asked. The two blue haired girls exchanged glances.
"Not as far as I know..." Tatenashi replied.
"Not to ruin your point or anything, but I have thirty seven brothers and sisters from my cloning program, with eight of them being genetically related to me in some way... Although one of them is MIA and she was a near identical clone of me so... Well, as far as I'm aware she hasn't done anything newsworthy aside from somehow escaping the base and disappearing." Laura replied.
"Wait, what?" Rin, Cecilia and Houki exclaimed.
"Did I forget to tell you all that?" Laura asked.
"Yes... I suppose you never revealed it to everyone, did you?" Charlotte replied.
"I guess I didn't. Still, since my bride was willing to reveal his own family's dark history, it is only fair that I do the same." Laura replied.
"I thought you were done calling me your bride..." Ichika muttered.
"Only in public, my dear." Laura replied, her deadpan voice contrasting with the smirk on her face.
"Anyway, without going into classified details, I was one of the products of a program testing whether or not it was possible to quickly grow, train and otherwise prepare an army of clone super-soldiers. An experimental production run of one hundred individuals was planned, but the project was cancelled after the first fifty accelerated maturation subjects all failed pre-infancy. The rest of us developing subjects were transferred over to another department and treated more conventionally. We were then all born over the next few years, provided the ones tinkering with our genetics under the previous project didn't make some mistake that caused pre-infancy failure. Of course, that was about when the army realized that it had thirty eight supersoldiers of ages between infant and toddler on its hands and didn't know what to do with them." Laura paused, her smile somewhat at odds with the expressions on the faces of the other girls, which ranged from concerned frowns from Charlotte and Tatenashi to Ceclia and Houki's completely aghast expressions.
"Pre-infancy failure? Where did... Where did the-" Cecilia began.
"Ah, right. We were grown from donated sperm and egg samples from pre-selected men and women. We weren't really born, per-se." Laura shrugged.
"And you see nothing wrong with that?" Rin exclaimed.
"I mean, I suppose there could be something wrong with it from a moral standpoint, but I don't see it. The ones that failed pre-infancy would never have survived in the first place. They never lived, therefore they never died. I see it less as thirty eight babies surviving out of a hundred and more as just thirty eight of us being born through an experimental process." Laura replied.
"But back to the point at hand. Back when we were first born, they didn't know just how effective the enhancement process had been, which prevented them from just releasing us into foster care. It wouldn't have been very good to suddenly dump a bunch of toddlers capable of snapping their compatriots' spines with a negligent punch into the public schools after all, so they decided to raise us within the military instead." She continued.
"So... Can you?" Cecilia asked, and Laura laughed.
"No, as it turned out, the more extreme enhancements failed to take. We all turned out a good one or two standard deviations above the mean in terms of physical characteristics for our respective genders, but nothing truly superhuman that can't be matched by anyone else. Back then they weren't sure if the enhancements would just manifest later on though, so they still kept us around. Eventually, one of the scientists involved with the enhancement program proposed letting us in on some basic military training exercises to see how we would match up. Of course, enhanced or not, we were still a bunch of five to eight year olds, and thus underperformed. Looking back, we were more unit mascots than actual trainees back then... I still have a photo of five year old me me sitting on a tank commander's shoulders on top of a Leopard 2." Laura smiled nostalgically.
"Then, when I was six, the IS was revealed to the world and suddenly the military had a use for us. My sisters and I were immediately shifted over into the crash-started IS program and formed what would eventually become the core of the Schwarzer Hase. Our training intensified then, primarily with regards to marksmanship but I remember one particularly memorable period where one of the officers in charge had somehow manage to convince his higher ups to let us learn to fly jets and helicopters. We needed specially modified seats to see out of the cockpits, but somehow we all managed to not crash until our superiors regained their senses... Anyway, Chloe and I proved to be the best IS pilots of the bunch, and I ended up being elevated, first as a sort of assistant teacher, and eventually became the leader of the training unit. Chloe though..." Laura trailed off, frowning.
"Chloe?" Tatenashi asked.
"She was my twin sister in almost every sense of the word, with me being number ninety nine and her being one hundred. Our genetic donors were the same, our enhancements were supposed to be the same, and we were born at the same time. We even looked the same, and back when we were young we used to pretend to be each other to drive our caretakers crazy. However, Chloe had some... Issues stemming from her enhancements. Apparently, some of them actually ended up working, specifically with regards to stamina and brain power, but her metabolism couldn't match them. She was always tired and hungry, and was prone to fainting during periods of particularly strenuous activity. Despite eating far more than I did, she showed signs of malnutrition as her body just couldn't process enough nutrients to keep itself functioning. Our assigned caretaker at the start of the IS program didn't help, as he saw us more as soldiers than as children. He didn't abuse us or anything like that, but still..." Laura sighed.
"Was she the one who escaped?" Houki asked.
"Yes. I still don't know how she managed to do it, but she was somehow able to run away from the base, evade search parties, and then practically vanish into thin air... I hope she's alright, wherever she is right now." Laura replied.
"Could she be dead?" Cecilia asked hesitantly, and Laura shook her head.
"No. They never found a body matching her description. Near the base or otherwise, and she isn't exactly someone who would blend in with the crowd." She replied.
"I see..." The room was silent for a long while. Then Ori spoke up, her voice hesitant.
"Laura... Does she look like this?" She asked, and her avatar shifted from its usual appearance into that of a slender teenage girl with long silver hair and golden eyes. She wore a long skirt and carried a cane in her hand. The German girl choked at the sight.
"That's... No, her eyes were red like mine. Everything else though... And the Odin implants..." She gasped, reaching up for her eyepatch and removing it. Looking down into the water she too saw what the rest of the room already did, namely that her golden eye was identical to those of the hologram in front of her.
"Where did you see this?" She demanded.
"The cyberattack on WSI was led by a human jacked into cyberspace via an unknown invention of Tabane's. She singlehandedly killed several AIs and very nearly killed me before I figured out how to cut her connection. This was the avatar she used, which was identical to the person in the body camera footage that our security personnel took when they attempted to engage her in the real world shortly afterwards. Aside from the eyes, which still match your artificial one in appearance, she looked identical to you." Ori replied.
It took the German girl several moments to process this revelation. Finally, she turned to Houki.
"Houki, do you have any method of contacting your sister?" She said, her voice calm and measured.
"Laura, what-" Ichika began just as Houki nodded.
"Can you use it now?" Laura demanded.
"I can..." Houki trailed off as Laura walked over to her.
"I need to speak with her. Now."
"Laura, wait! This is Tabane we're talking about!" Moira exclaimed, her avatar shivering into being between the two girls.
"Houki, do you consider me a friend?" Laura asked.
"Yes..."
"Would it hurt you if something happened to me?" The German girl continued.
"Yes, but-"
"Laura, listen to yourself!" Charlotte exclaimed.
"Then I am safe. Let me talk to her. All I want to do is ask one question." Laura replied.
"Laura, don't do it!" Ichika shouted. At that, the silver haired girl paused before turning to him.
"Ichika, you were in my footsteps just two days ago. This is my sister we're talking about, and this may be the only way I can find out what happened to her. When you found out about Madoka, did you not do the same?" She demanded.
"I sought out Chifuyu for answers. You are about to do the equivalent of me calling her superior officer in Phantom Task!" Ichika replied.
"Tabane, in this case, is a safe source for answers. She would not do anything to me in front of both you and Houki." Laura insisted.
"There is still a vast difference between Chifuyu, whom I'd trust with my life and doesn't potentially support Phantom Task under the table, and Tabane, the woman who has held a nuclear gun to the world's head!" Ichika replied.
"Ichika, let her do it." Houki interjected.
"Why?" He asked simply, turning to her.
"Because... I can guarantee Laura's safety and I have a question of my own." She replied. Her hand was already in her bag, reaching for her phone.
"I agree. I can't think of any better opportunity to question Tabane than this, and it could give us an insight as to her operational methods. So far we have been assuming she has been acting alone, with only AIs for aid. If it turns out that she is instead at the head of another clandestine organization, everything could change." Kanzashi added.
"Kanzashi! This could put all of us at risk!" Tatenashi exclaimed.
"We're already at risk. Best to do this now, in a controlled environment, than wait for the two of them to contact Tabane on their own, without any preparations." Kanzashi countered.
"Ichika, please... If it were Madoka, you would do the same." Laura added. It was a low blow, but as much as he hated to admit it, she was right. After a long moment, he sighed.
"Ori, are there any preparations that can be made to secure things from a cyberwarfare perspective?" He asked.
"Aside from praying? The best we could do is shut down our network to try and isolate ourselves physically, but even then Tabane might have a way in via Akatsubaki or whatever other method of contact she has. If it can communicate with our IS, it can potentially be hacked and used to brute force her way inside." The AI replied.
"Ichika, you can't seriously be thinking of going through with this!" Cecilia exclaimed.
"Kanzashi is right. It's now, or at a worse time in the future. Ori, make the preparations." Ichika replied.
"Done." The AI replied a moment later. The sentiment was echoed by all the other AIs in the room, Aki included. Ichika took a deep breath before turning to Houki.
"Make the call."
Hesitantly, Houki pulled her phone out of the bag and, taking a deep breath of her own, dialed a number.
"Hello? Onee-san? ... Yes, it's me. I... We have some questions for you." While Tabane's responses were inaudible, Houki did hand the phone to Laura. The German girl took it, and spoke without preamble.
"Where is my sister?" There was silence on the other end of the phone.
"She's-" Aki began, and Akatsubaki's helmet flashed into being on Houki's head. A moment later, all the lights in the room went out and the holo-projector switched off before turning on again to display a towering hologram of Tabane.
"That was quite rude of you." She said, her avatar looking Laura in the eye. Then, with a pointed glance at Houki, she continued.
"But, all things considered I suppose it couldn't be helped. You're forgiven."
"Where is Chloe?" Laura repeated, staring the immense hologram in the eye.
"With me. Where she belongs." Tabane replied.
"So you did take her." Laura replied.
"I did not take her. I rescued her." The hologram replied.
"From whom?" Laura demanded.
"From your own bumbling incompetence. Had she been left in the hands of her superiors, she would have died a slow, painful death within two years. She was quite fortunate, really. Had I not been on the trail of a Phantom Task agent at the time, I would never have noticed her." Tabane answered.
"What agent?" Laura asked.
"Nothing for you to concern yourself with." Tabane replied.
"Where is she now?" Ichika asked. The hologram turned to him.
"Finishing up some business with our mutual acquaintances in Edelberg... I suppose I could let her speak with you for a bit." She replied.
"Can you please?" Ichika asked, holding up a hand before Laura could speak.
"For you? Of course." Tabane replied, and her hologram disappeared. A few moments later, a normally-sized hologram of Chloe took its place.
"Huh? Who... Laura? Is that you?" She asked, turning to face her sister.
"Chloe? I..." Laura's features hardened.
"What did I say to you when you first flew in the Tornado?" She asked.
"That the flight instructor was a jerk and that I should pretend to faint at the controls. It's me, Laura." Chloe replied, smiling. Her hologram walked over, laying an immaterial hand on her sister's cheek.
"It's good to see you again, Laura." She continued.
"Likewise... Chloe, what happened to you?" Laura asked.
"I..." The other girl looked away, almost ashamed.
"When I... Ran away I... Tabane had already been talking to me for a few weeks. She... She told me about my condition and I... I was scared, terrified... I didn't want to die, not like that." She said.
"And you didn't tell me about any of this?" Laura asked, stepping back.
"I..." Chloe began.
"I could have helped you! I swore I would, even! I was your sister, and you didn't even say goodbye? I thought you were dead!" Laura shouted.
"I..." Though her avatar was holographic, Ichika saw tears forming on the other girl's face.
"And with Tabane of all people? Even back then, you knew who she was! You knew what she did! You just ran off to join her?"
"No!" Chloe's choked response brought Laura's tirade to a halt.
"No what?" She asked.
"Tabane is not like that!" Chloe exclaimed.
"She nearly triggered World War Three for a publicity stunt. She uses terror to enforce her will on the nations of the world. She gave Phantom Task the key to the IS Core! She's not the person described to us on base, she's a hundred times worse!" Ichika saw Houki take a step forward at that.
"That is how the world sees her because they do not understand! Everything she has done is for the sake of the future, lesser but necessary evils committed for a greater good-" Laura's subsequent slap passed through her holographic head.
"Whose greater good? Her own? Listen to yourself, Chloe! Do you honestly think that her actions benefit anyone but her?" She demanded.
"I... I thought you of all people would understand..." Chloe's voice was sad rather than angry.
"I understand perfectly. I only pray that you realize what you've done before it's too late." Laura replied coldly, turning away from her sister and storming out of the room, tears already running down her face. Charlotte followed her out a few seconds later.
Chloe watched them leave, her eyes somehow following them through the hologram. Then, her avatar winked out of view, being replaced by Tabane once more.
"She made Kuu-chan cry... Were she anyone else I wouldn't have forgiven her but sometimes sisters have to quarrel. Isn't that right, Houki-chan?" She asked, turning to her own sister.
"Onee-san... Why? Why would you do all this?" Houki asked.
"Everything Kuu-chan said was true. All that I do is for your sake, the sake of those you hold dear and will hold dear one day, and their own happiness. All of you, remember that. Goodbye." With that, Tabane's avatar flickered out of existence, the lights switched back on, and the Edelberg data readouts flickered back into being.
"She's gone." Ori and Aki reported simultaneously.
"How was she able to access the holo-projector? It was a part of the Infinite Arsenal, was it not?" Tuman demanded.
"She connected to Akatsubaki through Houki's phone and subdued me, then used Akatsubaki's own equipment to hijack the projector." Aki reported.
"That is correct. Fortunately, the rest of the Infinite Arsenal was isolated. She didn't access my data storage, only the holo-projector." Ori replied.
"That's at least one piece of good news from all this..." Tatenashi sighed.
"What do you mean?" Rin asked.
"Neither Chloe nor Tabane denied giving the IS core to Phantom Task. Up until now that was just a theory but... That all but confirms it." The blue-haired girl sighed.
"No..." Houki breathed.
"I'm afraid so. Either your sister is in league with Phantom Task, or she's trying to pull its strings." Tatenashi replied.
"That's... That's impossible! She would never..." Houki was pacing rapidly now.
"Come to think of it, that explains why Phantom Task has attacked IS Academy so brazenly. They don't have to fear retribution from her." Kanzashi added.
"Why would she..." Houki muttered, and before Ichika could walk over to comfort her, she followed Charlotte and Laura out of the room.
For a long moment the room was silent.
"I have never before been more glad to be an only child." Rin muttered. Nobody laughed.
"Tuman, compile a report for headquarters about the incident. Run it by me before you send it." Tatenashi sighed, standing up and turning to leave the room as well.
"Understood." The AI replied as Ichika too stood. The meeting ended shortly afterwards.
With some help from Ori and Aki, Ichika found Houki alone in her room.
"Houki? It's me." He said as he came up behind her.
"I thought you'd come..." Houki replied, her voice thick. Evidently, she was trying not to cry. The tear tracks on her face showed that she wasn't successful. Ichika didn't reply, instead sitting down beside her, waiting for her to speak.
"How do you deal with it? With Tabane?" Houki finally asked.
"What do you mean?" Ichika asked, already suspecting the answer. Houki was silent for a while before responding.
"I... Whenever we bring up Tabane, I inevitably want to defend her. Even as you accuse her of the most horrible things I can imagine I want to stand up for her, but every time I can't say anything! I have nothing to answer with, and all evidence points to those accusations being true! How... How do you deal with the same girl who used to build toys for us to play with and tell us stories when we shared a bed at home being some sort of evil monster?" She asked.
"I..." Ichika paused, unsure.
"It all feels like one second she was that older sister I loved, and the next we were being sent down into the basement of our school as the missiles were coming in..." Houki continued.
"Did you see her later that day?" Ichika asked. Houki sighed and nodded.
"Yes, but... I just saw her gather her things and leave. She didn't even say goodbye... A few hours later the police arrived, looking for her. What about you? I remember her saying that she was going to go over to meet with your sister that morning." She replied.
"Yes, I..." He began, thinking back to that fateful day. Then he trailed off.
"I... I don't remember." He said, surprised.
"What do you mean?" Houki asked.
"Tabane arrived shortly after I came home. I think this was after she left you, but I'm not sure. I... I remember that she had an argument with Chifuyu. I remember shouting, but not what they were actually saying... That's all. Everything else is..." He muttered.
"Did... Could you have repressed the memory?" Houki asked.
"I'm not sure that's how it works." Ichika replied.
"But there was an argument between Onee- Tabane and Chifuyu, right? You remember that much?" Houki pressed.
"Yes. I assume that they argued about the White Knight incident. At least, that falls in line with what Chifuyu told me earlier. I remember them arguing, and while I don't remember hearing them fight, Chifuyu said that this was when it happened." He replied.
"Strange, that sounds like it would have been very... Memorable." Houki mused.
"I thought so as well, but I clearly don't remember it." Ichika replied.
"Perhaps there was foul play involved? We know that the Organization has access to long-lasting memory suppressant drugs capable of erasing entire days of a person's life. What's to say Tabane didn't have access to the same?" Ori interjected.
"You're saying that my sister drugged him?" Houki exclaimed.
"It's a possibility. I'm not sure, as the symptoms and recollections are different. Our drugs just flat out erase the time, to a certain extent. The volunteers it was tested on describe it as being similar to a complete blackout. They remember normally up to a certain point, then nothing, then they awaken. It's all very precise, and with the right equipment the blackout can be timed down to within a second. If Ichika had been dosed with our drug, he wouldn't have remembered any argument." Ori replied.
"Then... Ichika, have you ever asked your sister about this?" Houki asked, thoughtful.
"I did. She either dodged the question or, when I asked her during the tournament, just said that she fought with Tabane for the first time and that their friendship ended there." He replied.
"Do you think she would tell you now?" Ori asked.
"I... I don't think there has been a better time to ask." He finally replied.
"Then what are we waiting for?" Houki exclaimed, jumping up from her seat.
"You want to ask her now?" Ichika asked, also standing.
"I want answers." His childhood friend replied simply.
"About Tabane?" Ichika asked, following her to the door.
"I want to know what she's kept from me. If... If I am to be her enemy, I... I need to know what she wants." Houki replied as she reached the door,
The walk to Chifuyu's office was spent in silence, in full knowledge of the many ears that would be better off not hearing anything. Finally they arrived at their destination.
"Ichika? Houki? What is it?" Chifuyu greeted them as they walked in, the door closing behind them. Houki looked at him, and Chifuyu's eyes narrowed.
"More questions? About Tabane this time, I presume?" She asked, jerking her head in Houki's direction.
"Yes." Houki replied, then glanced at Ichika who, after a moment's thought, spoke in turn.
"Chifuyu-nee, what happened on the evening after the White Knight incident? I remember that you and Tabane argued, but nothing else." He asked.
"That is a question I've been trying to answer for years now." Chifuyu replied.
"What do you mean? Do you not remember either?" Houki asked.
"Unfortunately not. My memories last about as far as the start of our fight. I remember confronting her about the White Knight incident. I remember her response, that it was necessary that I be kept in the dark about it, and I remember punching and breaking her nose. Past that point it all grows fuzzy. From what I remember of the aftermath, I concluded that she was able to overpower me and dose me with some sort of memory suppressor. She said as much in the apology letter she left me... She must have gotten to you as well, Ichika, because when I came to you were still fast asleep, and wouldn't wake up for almost a whole day." Chifuyu replied.
"Oh... Is there anything you remember? Anything at all?" Houki pressed.
"No. All I have is my own hypothesis of what happened." Chifuyu replied.
"What do you think happened?" Ichika asked.
"My best guess is that either during our fight or after it, she told me of her plan and when I refused, she decided I couldn't be allowed to interfere with it. She then did her best to cover her tracks to prevent me from remembering." His sister answered.
"I see... That makes sense." Ichika replied.
"What brought this on?" Chifuyu asked.
"I... We spoke with my sister just now." Houki replied.
"And she left you with more questions than answers? I find that is how Tabane tends to be." Chifuyu replied, Houki nodding as she spoke.
"So, is there anything else? Preferably something that I can easily answer, like what's for lunch in the cafeteria?" Chifuyu continued.
"No." Ichika replied.
"Thank you, Orimura-sensei." Houki said.
"I helped babysit you when you were in diapers. You can call me Chifuyu in private." Chifuyu replied, smiling.
"Thank you, Chifuyu-nee." Ichika added. His sister paused for a moment, before continuing.
"Be careful, both of you. Regardless of how she acts, she is not the Tabane you once knew."
"I... I know." Houki murmured as she turned to leave.
"If you need anything else Ichika, please come to me."
"I will." Ichika said.
As soon as the door had closed behind them, Ori spoke up.
"Maya wants the us to meet her in Engineering, Room B12. She... She didn't sound happy." The AI reported.
"Did she find out about-" Ichika began.
"I think she did. We should hurry." Ori interrupted.
"I see. Let's go then." He replied, before breaking into a sprint down the hall. Houki kept pace with him easily as they rushed to the meeting area.
Just as Ori had said, the green haired instructor was not happy to see them in the least. Giorgi stood behind her, frowning at the rest of the girls who were already sitting.
"Secure the room." Maya ordered simply as the door shut behind her. A moment later, an unfamiliar AI shimmered into view beside her.
"Done." It said as Ichika and Houki took a seat in the two remaining open seats. Maya stared down at them from a raised podium for a few long moments before speaking. Taking a deep breath, she opened her mouth.
"If I may ask, what the FUCK were the lot of you thinking?" She demanded, her fist slamming home into the podium as she spoke.
"In the span of a single minute, the eight of you decided to not just risk your own lives, but risk the continued existence of the entire Organization!" She exclaimed, standing down from the podium.
"And for what? What could have possibly motivated such a risk?" She continued, now pacing in front of them before coming to a stop in front of Laura. The silver haired girl tried and failed to meet her glare.
"IT WAS BECAUSE SOMEONE DECIDED THAT A PERSONAL AFFAIR WAS WORTH JEOPARDIZING EVERYTHING WE HAVE WORKED FOR!" The green haired teacher shouted.
"YOU RISKED EVERYTHING TO LEARN NOTHING!"
"We learned that Tabane provided the IS core to-" The German girl protested.
"AN ASSUMPTION WE WERE ALREADY OPERATING UNDER! THIS CHANGED NOTHING, AND DON'T THINK THAT YOU CAN TRY TO MAKE THE END JUSTIFY THE MEANS!"
"I EXPECTED MORE OF SOMEONE LIKE YOU! AT THE VERY LEAST, I EXPECTED YOU TO NOT HIDE BEHIND YOUR OWN SQUADMATE, AND YET THERE YOU WERE, HIDING BEHIND SHINONONO LIKE SHE WAS A FUCKING MEAT SHIELD!"
She then rounded on Ichika.
"And you... I gave you unprecedented freedom. I trusted your judgement! I gave you orders and I trusted you to see them carried out! I argued on your behalf when your hot head got you into trouble! AND THIS IS HOW YOU REPAY ME?" She demanded.
"YOU WERE THE MAN IN CHARGE! YOUR ONLY FUCKING JOB WAS TO STOP HAREBRAINED SCHEMES LIKE THIS! AND ALL IT TOOK WAS A FEW WORDS FROM HER TO GET YOU ONBOARD?" Ichika looked away, unable to look her in the eye.
Maya took a deep breath before continuing.
"And as for you, Ori White... You are the oldest, most experienced AI in the Organization's possession. You were the first rock we ever taught to think for itself, and yet that capability seemed seemed COMPLETELY ABSENT in that room! YOU ARE THE GODDAMN ROLE MODEL FOR OUR ENTIRE AI ROSTER, AND THIS IS THE EXAMPLE YOU SET? WE MADE YOUR KIND SO THAT YOU COULD THINK, DAMMIT!" She then turned back to Laura.
"THAT GOES FOR YOU TOO, MOIRA! ONE OF THE MEMBERS OF THE AI DISCIPLINE UNIT ACTUALLY VOTED FOR YOUR DECOMMISSIONING! YOUR CONDUCT, AND THE CONDUCT OF ALL YOU OTHER AI, WAS NOTHING SHORT OF DISGRACEFUL! MOST OF YOU DIDN'T EVEN TRY TO STOP THIS!" She shouted.
"Effective immediately, you are to do anything and everything in your power to prevent any further attempts by these students to contact Tabane or any other individual deemed a threat without prior approval from myself or a superior officer. This is an order directly from high command, authorization Lambda-zero-zero-one-A."
"Yes ma'am!" Eight AI chorused in unison. Maya took another deep breath before rounding back onto Ichika.
"I don't know what the hell was running through your head at the time, but I cannot and will not shield you from the consequences of your actions any longer. From here on out, I am to attend every one of your meetings in person. I will be overseeing them from here on out, reporting to headquarters, and if any of you so much as think of doing something like this again..." She reached into her pocket and pulled out and extendable baton. Ichika heard it buzz as it snapped open.
"I am authorized to use everything short of lethal force to ensure you do not do ANYTHING like this ever again. Do you understand?" She hissed, swinging the shock baton with practiced ease.
"Do you understand?" Ichika nodded.
"I said, DO YOU FUCKING UNDERSTAND? ANSWER ME!" She shouted.
"Understood!" Ichika choked out, trying his best to remain stoic.
"I can't fucking hear you!" Maya hissed, swinging the shock baton dangerously close.
"Maya, enough!" Giorgi spoke for the first time, stepping forward and grabbing her wrist. He quickly disarmed her, snapped the baton shut, and handed it back to her. The green haired woman took it without a word and stepped back.
"I am extremely disappointed in all of you. You especially, Ichika. I taught you better than this for god's sake!" He said, before surveying the room.
"Effective immediately, any pay you may be receiving is suspended indefinitely. Ichika, you are hereby demoted from the position of commander of STS-01. Tatenashi, a similar demotion has been handed down from your superiors in Intel. The rest of you are not demoted, only because there is no rank to demote you to. Notes have instead been made in your files. STS-01 will now be placed under joint command from Maya and myself until such time that you display the temperament needed to regain your former ranks. Understood?" He asked.
"Yes... I understand." Somehow, Giorgi's soft words hurt far more than Maya's apoplectic shouting, and he tried desperately to look away and hide the tears gathering in his eyes.
"I hope you do, for your own sake. That is all. Dismissed." Without looking back, the man strode out of the room, Maya following close behind.
There was a dead silence in the room for a few short moments once the door closed behind them. Then, Laura broke down, sobbing.
"I'm so sorry!" She choked out, collapsing out of her chair. Charlotte and Tatenashi caught her before she could hit the ground, letting her down gently and kneeling down on either side of her.
"I'm so, so sorry!" Laura continued as Ichika rushed over, kneeling down in front of her. Tears were running freely down one side of her face, and she weakly tried to push his hand away as he wiped some off with his sleeve.
"It's not your fault, Laura!" Charlotte murmured.
"Don't lie to me! Of course it's my fault!" Laura choked out.
"She is not lying." Ichika replied.
"How can it not be my fault? I had the idea! I convinced you to go along by appealing to emotion and not logic! I-" Ichika placed a finger to her lips, cutting her off.
"And it was my fault for caving in. It was my fault for giving the order allowing it." He replied.
"Just like it was mine for not preventing the call, or actually doing anything to dissuade you." Moira intervened. If the AI was shaken by the threat of decommissioning, she did not show it.
"I was the one who made the call. It... The blame falls on me." Houki spoke up.
"I was the one who made no move to prevent the call from going through, despite knowing the risk it posed to you, Houki-sama. I am the one at fault here." Aki added.
"I sat by and did nothing, and I wasn't the only one. We had the means to prevent this, and we did not use them." Cecilia chimed in.
"What happened today was no single person's fault, Laura. Every single one of us fucked up. The fault is ours, Laura, not yours alone." Ichika said, staring her in the eye.
"But you were the one who was hurt the most by it! You and Tatenashi both lost your ranks!"
"I don't know what Tatenashi did to get hers, but I never earned mine. It was a formality to streamline the integration of STS-01 into the Organization command structure and to give me some necessary clearances. All that this has done is given me the chance to truly earn it." Ichika replied, trying to make his voice sound more confident than he was. A mere formality it may have been, but that rank was still a gesture of immense trust. The realization that he had so completely trampled on said trust was painful indeed.
"But-"
"Laura, the last I've checked, we're still one unit. Regardless of who is in charge we are all in this together, and we must trust each other to ensure we make the right decisions. We all failed in that today in some way. Either through poor decision making or inaction, all of us are responsible." He replied, cupping her chin with his hand and keeping her gaze on him.
"We failed as a unit, and we will prove ourselves as a unit. Not individually." He said gently, and Laura gave him a faint smile.
"You... You sounded just like the instructors back in basic..." She whispered.
"Then perhaps they were on to something." Tatenashi interjected.
"... Thank you. I needed to hear that." Laura replied after a long moment.
It was a while before any of them left the room. Eventually though, Laura stood up and pulled Houki aside, saying that she wanted to speak with her in private. With the two of them leaving, the rest of the group headed off as well until only Ichika and Tatenashi were left.
"Well... There go our security clearances." The blue haired girl said as she began walking to the door.
"What does that mean for you?" Ichika asked, following behind her.
"I'm not sure. On one hand, any information I see from now on will likely be a bit out of date at least until I get my clearance back. On the other hand, I got my clearance because I came in already knowing things classified up to a certain level and they can't exactly drug those out of my mind without setting me back a good decade or so." Tatenashi said.
"What sort of things?" Ichika asked. Tatenashi paused for a moment.
"Believe me when I say that I really want to tell you everything. Unfortunately, even pre-demotion your clearance wasn't high enough and I'd rather avoid saying something that would make things even worse than they are now." She sighed.
"Then I won't pry." Ichika said, disappointed.
"Under different circumstances I might have recommended requesting a higher clearance given what your sister told you, but right now?" Tatenashi gave a short laugh.
"I understand... Wait, are you saying that what my sister told me is classified information?" Ichika asked.
"Yes. Not quite as high up as some of the things I know, but detailed information on their internal politics, genetic engineering and history? That's definitely a cut above your old level."
"Noted." Ichika replied.
"Anyway, I guess I'll have to wait and see what happens with regards to security. I'll let you know as soon as I find out."
"Alright."
They walked in silence for a while before Tatenashi spoke up again.
"Say Ichika, your weapon shop opens up tomorrow, right?" She asked.
"Huh? Oh, right! Honestly, I'd almost forgot." He replied.
"I guess I shouldn't be surprised, what with all that's been going on. Any preparations you still need to make?"
"I told my squadron that I wouldn't be able to do anything today or yesterday. They said everything would be ready in time... Should I drop in for a surprise inspection?" Ichika asked.
"As fun as that sounds... Honestly I just want to rest. It's been a long day. I'll see it all tomorrow." Tatenashi replied as they approached their shared room.
"Then I'll see you there." Ichika said as they entered.
"Ichika, are you alright? You seem pretty stressed out." Theresa asked the following morning, a few minutes before the shop was scheduled to open.
"It's nothing." He replied absentmindedly, glancing around the room. The weapons hadn't shifted from their mountings, but it was an excuse to avoid his squadmate's gaze.
"Does it have to do with that battle two nights ago?" Theresa asked.
"What makes you think that?" He replied.
"What do you mean? You and Charlotte head out one night, we hear gunfire from the other side of the bay, see tracers flying, and then you avoid us for the next day." Theresa replied.
"Charlotte was definitely involved. I know what I heard, and it sounded just like her rotary cannons. That means you were there as well." Rei added.
Ichika said nothing, instead glancing at the clock that slowly ticked down to the opening time.
"Do... Do you want to talk about it?" Rei asked after a few moments.
"No." Ichika replied.
"Wha... Ichika, what happened out there?" Theresa asked, concern now plain in her voice.
"Nothing that you need to concern yourselves with." He replied, hoping that it would be enough to stop the questioning.
"This isn't like you, Ichika..." Rei said, taking a step back.
"What happened? Did someone die? Did-" Ichika raised a hand, cutting her off.
"I'm fine. Nothing bad happened, I can't talk to you about it for other reasons." He said.
"What do you mean? We can keep a secret!" Theresa pressed.
"As much as I would also like to know what happened that night, it's about time we open." Ayane interjected, pointing at the clock.
"We'll continue this later." Theresa said as Sakura threw open the door.
What followed was a dizzying rush of orders as the first students poured in. The counter was swamped, and soon an immense line had formed, running all the way out the door. Gazing out, Ichika mentally bid farewell to any free time he may have had for the rest of the day.
It was very quickly obvious that the five of them were nowhere near enough to cope with the immense demand, and even with the restaurant club members pitching in to perform various tasks, progress down the line was slow.
"Yes, ammunition is free courtesy of IS Academy. However, you must fill out this form and submit it at least one day in advance in order to give us time to get it ready." He heard Theresa explain for the umpteenth time. Already, he felt exhausted. The stream of students never ended, progress down the line being glacial while still giving him no time to rest.
Tatenashi had joined in by now, and was doing her best to help with processing orders. They had been unable to say more than one or two words to each other, and most of that was Tatenashi asking where a particular weapon's equalizer was.
It was about five hours later that they began to run out of stock. What Ichika had thought would be enough to last a week was now depleted, and with the line still having no end in sight he gave in to temptation.
Giving his next customer her order, a pair of Vipers, he turned to Theresa.
"We're down to three Viper grenade launchers, and only have one Bear heavy autocannon. I think we might need to close early." He said.
"What? We're out already?" Theresa looked over from her makeshift till to inspect the stock. Her eyes widened at the nearly empty bins.
"Holy... Alright. Attention all customers! Due to demand far outstripping available supply, the Fox-Four Barmory will be closing for the day! I repeat, the weapon shop is closing for the day!"
The subsequent sound of disappointment was music to Ichika's ears, as it meant that the rush was finally at an end. The students that had yet to be served turned and walked out, and the line outside slowly dispersed.
For a few long moments there was blessed quiet in the room as its remaining occupants caught their breath.
"Whew... That... That was something..." Sakura exclaimed, slumping down into a nearby seat at the bar. Said bar was piled high with used dishes and had been closed within an hour, unable to cope with the sheer amount of customers. One of the girls quickly began clearing said dishes off, before pulling out a few clean ones and setting them out.
"I didn't realize this would be so... so..." Ayane mumbled.
"I've worked during rushes before, but this? This beat them all!" Konoko Asagi, the head of the restaurant club, exclaimed as she plopped herself down beside Sakura. Ichika ended up taking a seat beside Tatenashi, relishing the thought of a nice hot meal. Said meal arrived a few minutes later, and they all dug in.
"So, we still planning to keep it open every day?" Sakura asked after a few moments. Theresa replied with something between a sob and a laugh.
"No. If we do this every day, we won't be able to keep up with coursework. I refuse." Ayane replied.
"That and I'll need more time to replace what we've already sold." Ichika added.
"And then there's the fact that we can't just work all the time. We need rest!" Sakura added.
"So... We definitely won't be able to open tomorrow. About how long for more Equalizers to arrive?" Theresa asked.
"I can get them ready tomorrow with some luck. Time is not an issue." Ichika replied.
"So fast? It took you a few days to do it last time." Theresa replied.
"The Infinite Arsenal's production capability is continuously expanding. I can produce more in the same timeframe now." Ichika explained.
"That's good to hear, at least... Still, I think taking tomorrow off would be great." Theresa sighed.
"Yeah, and then the school week begins so we won't be able to keep it open then." Rei added.
"So we just open it on Saturday?" Ayane asked.
"Until demand decreases, yeah. It shouldn't be like this forever, as once everyone is equipped they will only be coming back for ammunition." Theresa replied.
"Alright, that I can do." Ayane replied.
"I'll see about convincing some of my squadron to come and help next time. I'm sure they won't mind, provided they get compensated." Tatenashi added.
"That sounds good." Theresa replied, smiling. That smile didn't stay on her face for long though.
"Ichika... About the docks..." Ichika and Tatenashi paused, their sandwiches halfway to their mouths as they looked over.
"Wait... Tatenashi, you... You weren't-"
"What happened at the docks two nights ago is not something that is to be disclosed to the general public. That includes you." The student council president replied, her voice firm.
"What the hell is that supposed to mean? He clearly told you!" Theresa exclaimed. It looked like she was about to continue, but she was cut off by Rei's raised hand.
"Who else is involved? If it was just Phantom Task attacking you and Charlotte while they were on their date, you could tell us with no problem. Am I correct in assuming this?" Rei asked.
"You are." Tatenashi replied after a few moments. Rei paused for a few moments to think before replying.
"Is there anything you can tell us?" She asked.
"Only that if there was something you needed to know, we would tell you." Tatenashi replied.
"What does that mean?" Theresa interjected.
"It means that I will do my best to keep you all safe, even if I can't tell you everything." Ichika replied.
"Safe from what?" Sakura exclaimed.
"Phantom Task, among other things." Theresa looked like she wanted to respond, but her words died before they left her mouth.
"What-" Theresa's protest was cut off by Rei's raised hand.
"You heard them. Let's let the topic rest." She said.
"Are you serious? What-"
"Is your opinion of our squadron leader so low that you lose all trust over a single secret?" Ayane exclaimed.
"Exactly! You heard him, it is not a case of him not wanting to tell us, it is that he is unable to do so out of concern. Do you really want to force his hand?" Rei finished.
Theresa looked like she was about to growl out a reply before shaking her head and, with a loud exhale of breath, took what was left of her sandwich and stormed out of the room.
"For what it's worth, I'm sorry for keeping secrets..." Ichika said as the door closed behind her.
"I-I'm sorry! I should have-" Rei stammered out, her implacable front melting away now that the object of her ire had left.
Ichika's hand on her shoulder caused her to stop, take a few deep breaths, and finally continue.
"I... I should talk with her. Theresa... I was out of line. She was worried sick when you didn't meet with us as planned yesterday..." She said.
"Yeah. She wouldn't stop looking out the window towards the docks." Sakura added.
The table was silent for a long while after that.
"What... What just happened?" One of the restaurant club members finally exclaimed.
A/N: Alright, this chapter did not go anywhere near as I had originally planned. Originally, I envisioned a short debriefing on the Edelberg situation, followed by the weapons shop scene, and then perhaps a Lily or Madoka scene depending on available space. However, one thing led to another and the debriefing grew into a discussion of Laura's backstory, and that in turn logically led to a revelation of Chloe to Laura, and the events that followed.
Laura's backstory has underwent some minor revisions in the time since the last time I really touched on it, way back in the aftermath of the Valkyrie Trace incident. No outright retcons, but originally the Bodewig Clone program was supposed to be a success rather than a failure. The original plan was for the plan to have been a success, resulting in thirty eight artificially grown super-soldiers that ended up being folded into the IS Force once the time came. However, the more I looked at it, the less sense it made for this. It just did not make sense for a military to waste fifteen years raising and training tube-grown girls produced with a staggering 62% failure rate, when they could just recruit and train a hundred regular soldiers and enhance them with available technology over the course of a year. Thus, I ended up deeming the Bodewig Program a failure, leaving Germany with thirty eight orphan girls and boys that couldn't be released into society due to them possibly possessing enhancements that could emerge later in life.
Of course, that explanation would naturally lead to a mention of Chloe, which would in turn lead to Ori, who has already met her, revealing that she is alive and active. From there on out, I believe that Laura would immediately attempt to investigate, consequences be damned. Of course, said consequences ended up being far more than she bargained with, and rightly so! Tabane was in a position to do a lot of damage if she wished, and it is only by her grace that nothing bad happened to the Organization itself.
That in turn led to STS-01 being dressed down and punished by Maya and Giorgi, and I think I did a good job there. Maya in particular would feel somewhat betrayed, as Ichika has previously been given a lot of leeway thanks in part to her covering for him. Now, all her effort and risk was repaid with him flat-out calling up one of the Organization's most powerful rivals for a chat. I hope I was able to get her and Giorgi's reactions down well enough, as well as Laura's subsequent breakdown.
Next up, the shop scene... Originally, the plan was to just have a relaxed scene where Ichika chats with some customers, sells some stuff, and has a relaxed day working. Then I actually got a job in a somewhat related field and realized that, when you consider the demand for his weaponry, the resulting rush would leave him with barely enough time to sell things, and that holding a conversation with a customer is just plain off the table. With that in mind, I cut out the planned conversations with customers and instead tied it into the rest of this chapter's events. I am glad I did, as before then it just came off as tacked-on and somewhat jarring due to being completely unrelated to the serious events taking place across the rest of the chapter.
With all that said, I hope you all enjoyed the chapter. I apologize for the delay. Next up, I believe the teambuilding exercises arc will begin.