Note: I am but an avid fan of Rumiko Takahashi and I'm honoring her by way of this story.

YOUKAI SENSO

CHAPTER 3

UNDERGROUND

"Do not believe in anything simply because you have heard it. Do not believe in anything simply because it is spoken and rumored by many. Do not believe in anything simply because it is found written in your religious books. Do not believe in anything merely on the authority of your teachers and elders. Do not believe in traditions because they have been handed down for many generations. But after observation and analysis, when you find that anything agrees with reason and is conducive to the good and benefit of one and all, then accept it and live up to it.

- Buddha

"Hey, you're back!" The cheerful voice was lost in a cloud of steam. The door creaked mightily. "Tsk! It's creaking again? I just oiled that yesterday! That door drinks oil like a drunk!" Pots and pans clanged on a metal surface.

"Hey, Rin." My nose twitched at the smells coming from our tiny kitchen just beside the shower area.

"Where have you been? I've been looking for you the whole day! I hope you're hungry. I made a lot of food! Isn't this great? Kohaku was here a while ago. He said it's from his sister." Rin giggled. "I think he's trying to get me into bed with food bribe." Rin had two large metal bowls in both hands while navigating the scattered vegetables and some kind of big yellow produce on the floor. I kicked that weird veggie away from her path thus averting a huge disaster.

"Thanks." I did not try to find out what is in the steaming bowl. But it was some kind of brown stew and noodles. Not good, not bad. No choice. "That Kohaku sure is persistent. So, what's stopping you from living with him?" I asked Rin as I removed my boots hands free from under the table. Oh, that feels good! I flexed my toes and heard the click of joints. Heaven.

"Live with him? No way! When that happens I might not get regularized." Rin said through a mouthful of food. "I want to get to at least command level. Oh, I forgot the meat!" Rin stood up and grabbed another metal bowl.

"Good for you. Bed the guy but your career comes first." Both of us dipped the boiled meat in spicy soy. We clicked chopsticks together in agreement.

"So where did you go the whole day?" Rin asked after a few minutes of eating in silence, full of concern on her face.

I shrugged. I'm so tired I don't know where to start. My mind is as tired as my body.

As I was mulling where to go this morning I slowly wandered around the neighborhood trying to get my bearings again. I realized with a shock how things have changed much on the first day the physician discharged me. I went out intending to see old friends and comrades especially the ones who were in my band. I got lost after an hour. No, I did not get lost. I realized that. I couldn't find my friends. Either they have moved to another sector or they have been shifted around with other bands. Most disconcerting.

I saw a six-month old announcement saying the council decided to 'relocate' some areas for 'security reasons.' I stepped back. I don't understand what that meant. I couldn't find my old comrades and when I made inquiries about their whereabouts I was told that there was a fire at the records department and it burned to the ground. I made appropriate noises of distress and thanked the old records keeper and went my way.

As I was walking on my way back to Central I noticed a lot of startling scenes for the first time in my life. But even as I look around I do not understand what made it seem different.

And then I knew.

I looked up and saw darkness. But instead of the darkness that served as a beautiful background for millions of twinkling stars I beheld a ceiling of hard earth and stone high above me.

Welcome to the underground city of the humans.

I was born underground as well as my parents and others before them. Sadly, I never get to know my parents nor did I ever saw them ever again until I was told that they perished during one of the battles when I was ten years old. Siblings were allowed to live together but my brother Souta decided to live with one of his band mates when he turned twelve and I let him. Good thing another orphan, Rin, was looking for a room mate and we hit it off quite well.

Children grow up fast in the underground. No time for sentiments, friends, love or even families. Battle is fierce and sudden. Everyone encounters death on a daily basis.

As soon as a child could read and write they were given light responsibilities. I remember being a courier; 'you take this package and give it to this person' kind of job. Easy. Water the trees (more like small bushes), feed someone's pet (the older kids were allowed to keep small ones), etc. In return you get treats like books and holo use credits.

A group of older children, ages about ten to twelve, were carrying cans of fuel that they fill the streetlights with. We dare not use electricity for it would alert our enemies. Hydrothermal power was used for heating and powering our communication system only. I look on as the kids seriously do their jobs under the supervision of a teenager. I'm sure that as soon as that teen hits the age of sixteen he will be carted off to boot camp, ready or not. I saw myself in them. Been there, done that. It kind of brought back some fond memories, as fond as life out here could make it.

The image took me back to my purpose. My band. I need to find out where they all are. Next stop, the database section. I returned the salute the kids gave me. I am a senior. A survivor. Sadly, I don't know why I don't feel that way.

After four hours and three blocks away I stopped at a dirty alley trying to gather my thoughts. Hidden in the shadows, I made myself as concealed as possible. I did not know how long I stayed in the dark. I did not stir when a drunken couple wandered in the alley and began to have noisy sex. I sneered at the pathetic attempt of the man to please his partner as he slammed into her again and again but to no avail. In the end the woman shoved him away, infuriated at his failure. She slapped him for good measure before exiting the alley in a huff but not before grabbing a fistful of credits from his pockets. Smart woman.

When the alley was quiet once more I went back to the process of analyzing the events that happened before I vanished. But my mind was as feeble and futile as that man's tool and after a few more minutes when a stray ginger kitten began to croon at my feet I decided to leave the alley to find more answers.

"Uh, Rin. I have a question." I swallowed the now tepid noodles. "Um, what happened to my band? I can't seem to find them."

"Hm? I'm not sure. I heard they were relocated."

"Where?" I continued to eat. "Didn't they even tell you?"

"No…" Rin shrugged. "I got busy and after you disappeared…." She cleared her throat. "Sorry…"

"Sorry for what?" I put down my eating utensil. "Why is everyone always saying sorry?"

"Well, we don't want to upset you."

"Upset me? About?" I shook my head. "This." I pointed at the situation. "This is upsetting. People keep saying sorry to me as if I lost my head or something!" I stopped short of banging my fist on the table.

"Kagome…you were out there for more than a year and then…" Rin stood up as well but the buzzer went off.

"What?" I pointed at the door. "You expecting Kohaku?" I cranked the lock open. "Hey, Kohaku…" I called out as the door protested all the way. "Commander…." I backed away as my commander and four military guards crowded our small apartment. "This is a surprise…"

"Higurashi, Kagome…come with these men."

"Why?"

"You are found guilty of accessing Level 3 government files." The men flanked me left to right, back and front. No escape. No resistance. "The punishment is protracted incarceration up to ten years. Arrest her."

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