"How is our patient now Doctor?" Dr Shan, The Wind Master, studied the medical machines and their readouts carefully. A Doctor in his own right, the elderly Chinese man had a good understanding of what the readings indicated but his specialty lay in another field.
A white coated Doctor, Chinese, as was everyone in the facility and in the Wind Master's service, shook his head negatively, "The damage her body has suffered is great, the entire left side of her body will be paralysed- most likely permanently even with constant rehabilitation. However, it is the damage caused to her brain from the pressure of the explosion that is the most worrying. I fear that in a short time she will lose all cognitive ability and memory."
"A bleak estimate."
"Yes. That she is alive is a miracle."
No doubt to Dr Stingray's daughter's capabilities. His Engineers were looking over the pair of hardsuits left behind, Sylia's and this girl's, and preliminary reports were astounding.
"Sir..."
"Yes Doctor?"
The Doctor gripped his clipboard tightly in both hands, his request serious, considered over many hours with the implications that would go along with it if approved, "I see only one way to save her life, in any meaningful form, and ask your permission to prepare."
Dr Shan sighed. One could never escape from the past. This action had been to pay some of that terrible debt off, but again the Sins of the Father reared its terrible head.
"I am an old haunted man,"
"Sir?" the Doctor asked with concern.
"Unable to escape. Doing this to her," he pointed weakly, "may give her her life back. But is she ever found out would she be able to survive? The human mind is a fragile thing Doctor. It can only take so much stress before collapsing in on its self."
"I understand Sir. It is a hard decision and one I have not considered lightly. However, it is the only way."
"Proceed." the words came out heavily. The Doctor nodded and straight away began issuing commands.
The Wind Master retired outside to the corridor and stood their contemplating. It must be my fate to disturb the natural balance for the sake of progress.
+++===+++
Dr Shan assured Sylia that the best possible care and treatment would be given to the critical casualty, Linna Yamazaki.
"I'll forward you the files I have on her Dr Shan." Sylia rested on her crutch.
"I am sorry we had to meet again under such terrible circumstances. When her condition improves I shall contact you. And, if you need any more help I will assist you."
Dr Shan watched Sylia and her companions depart. A terrible thing History. Bound I am, to repeat it.
+++===+++
Soft clouds high in a azure sky.
Rays of light flicking through the canopy of the tree, the shadows of the leaves dancing over her face.
Warmness of the air relaxing her body. Making her want to close her eyes and rest.
Sleep in the light.
"I hope there is land like this in England." Akane, her friend, beside her.
"I've heard that it rains a lot." her own voice.
"Then I guess I'll fit in. Depressed to be away from my friends."
Akane's hand stroked her face. With her own she held the hand to her skin.
"You will take the Sunshine with you."
A musical laugh, images of the spring festival dancing in her mind.
"Oh Linna. You should become a poet."
+++===+++
Her eyes were closed yet light filled them. Orange streaked with yellow.
She breathed in the smell of freshly cut flowers.
Home, the smell reminded her. Of her dreams.
She stirred as one does from a long rest, stretching one's muscles and emitting a long satisfying moan.
"Ah, you are awake." an accented voice. A woman's.
Linna opened one eye. The orange light turned to white. At first all she could see was a blur, fuzzy shapes. She blinked both eyes and slowly the images coalesced into solid forms.
At the foot of her bed a woman in an emerald green dress, patterned elaborately in a darker green thread was writing something on a digital tablet. The woman's hair was jet black and shone with luster. Her eyes were very sharp. The stylus she held was a grey-yellow colour and tied to the tablet by a twisted cord of plastic. The fingers holding the pen were long and the nails plain and neatly trimmed.
"Where ... am I?" Linna asked. The room, she looked around, did not look like one in Sylia's building. It certainly wasn't her own, or Nene's.
The Nurse? Linna wondered if that was right. It felt right to think of the woman as a Nurse. She didn't have any memories of going to a hospital however.
"Would you like something to eat or drink?" the Nurse asked, ignoring Linna's question.
"Yes." the words prompted a need in her body, coming as if on command to the Nurse's word.
"I shall see if the Doctor is available. He will answer your questions." and she left.
Where am I? What am I doing here? Where are the others?
Linna thought back. Priss, the fight. She moved on. Boomers. Hardsuit. Knight Sabres. She was a Knight Sabre. Standing outside her apartment building, after work. Working in an office. Someone there, Misei. A bit fuzzy. In front of her building, a car crash. People shooting. She knew one of them. They had something. Sylia wanted it. Entering a warehouse to get it. Being shot at. She remembered being shot at. Then a white burst, a roar.
A roar like the force of the sea crashing down on a shore. Waxing and waning. Different to the rumble and boom of a storm. The waves hitting rocks, spray in the air.
The roar growing louder and louder with each strike, never fully residing, a constant.
Faces near hers, shouting, yelling but no sound. Drowned out in the roar of the sea.
+++===+++
The removal vans had left with Akane's family's belongings days before. This day Akane and her family would follow and forever be gone from Linna's life.
The party had been held a few hours before and well attended. Now only relatives and close friends remained at the empty house.
"Well, this is it." Akane looked about her, "All packed. All ready."
Linna did not say anything. She just shrugged. She didn't feel like talking now. The fun of the party had worn off to the growing realisation of what this day actually meant.
"Don't be so glum Linna. We'll keep in touch, forever friends, right?"
Linna nodded.
"Sooo," whenever Akane started speaking that way, she was up to something mischievous, "when you went out with Taro did you kiss?"
"What?!" Linna's eyes opened wide.
"You can tell me Linna," Akane winked, "afterall, who am I going to tell?"
Sighing, "No, we didn't. It was pretty boring actually."
"So you still haven't had your first kiss yet?"
"No..." blushing.
The unexpected, but desired happened.
Moist, soft lips connected.
Linna's eyes locked onto Akane's.
The smell of each other. Warm breath of the other in their mouth.
All the strength in Linna's body evaporated and she leaned on Akane.
The kiss broke with the sound of approaching footsteps on the wood floor.
They eye contain remained.
"I should have done that a long time ago." Akane smiling.
Outside, be the road. A minivan ready to take the family all the way to the airport. A luxury expense to let them take in the home and country they were leaving.
Akane and Linna hugged each other tightly before Akane pulled away, "Don't cry until you can't see me ok?"
"I'll try." Linna's throat was sore already.
"Forever friends."
"Forever friends."
+++===+++
A Doctor pulled a cord and plug out from behind the patients ear. Standing up he addressed his findings to the others in the room.
"I've fixed the problem, a fault with the synaptic conversion was causing a large amount of static. I expect a few such incidents for the first week she is active."
"There was no permanent damage done?"
"I do not think so. A more detailed scan would be required to be absolutely sure but I believe that can wait until the first Check. Nurse, note my comments so the test will be performed."
"Yes Doctor."
"Anything else?"
"No. She is fine and should be awake again shortly."
"Doctor?" the Nurse.
"Yes?"
"She had some questions before..."
"I will be in the Garden. Let her find me there." The Wind Master nodded his thanks to the Doctor and retired from the room.
+++===+++
Soft sounds, scrapping. Shuffling.
Her eyes opened.
Green.
The Nurse.
"I must have fallen asleep,"
"Yes. You still need much rest."
"Did I speak then? I was only thinking..."
The Nurse placed a tray of food on the table by the bed, "Let me sit you up so you can eat."
"Thanks..."
Additional pillows supported her back and the tray was settled into her lap. A cool snack meal.
Linna ate it quickly, suddenly ravenous. The Nurse took the tray away.
Linna took the time to study her surroundings.
Small room, no windows. Just the one door that she couldn't see out of from where she was. The bed she was in. Table beside it, empty. An octagonal mirror opposite the open door way. The paint a pale blue. Nothing on the floor that she could see. The room was fairly empty.
She turned her attention to herself. She was in a hospital, or something like that, which meant she was hurt.
I don't feel hurt. The warehouse. I was being shot at. Then a flash. Then Priss holding me. She was plenty upset. I guess that's what happened.
How badly was I hurt? How long have I been here?
So many questions she needed answering.
The Nurse came back and Linna immediately began her barrage.
"I don't know, I can't answer. The Doctor is outside in the garden, you can ask him."
"Thank you. Um, can I walk?"
"Yes. You might feel a little stiff but shouldn't have any problem."
Linna checked to see that she was dressed. She was. The gown a bit surprising.
She slipped out of bed so she could fully look at it.
A gown, peach in colour, with a complicated thread pattern like the Nurse had, the accent of her thread a pink contrast to the darker colour.
"Wow, this is beautiful." she ran her hands along the material, smooth. Silk.
Just where am I? she asked herself again.
"I'll show you out, slippers are by the door."
Linna followed, the stiffness in her legs apparent. Her whole body felt the same way, seizing up a little just by getting out of bed, having to support its own weight.
The room was joined to a short corridor, the Nurse leading her past another two doors, Linna thought that they were rooms like hers, to come to a door on the other side of the corridor. She opened it and indicated for Linna to go through it.
I guess it leads to the garden.
She turned to the doorway and stepped back in surprise.
Linna, being from the country had spent holidays and school trips at Shinto and Buddhist Shrines and one excursion to a bonsai garden so she was no stranger to traditional Japanese culture. However, the sight that appeared before her eyes was breathtaking.
Right in front of her, just outside the doorway was a small verandah with some shoes and slippers- presumably for walking in the garden because the level of delicacy she saw in the grass would suffer no firm surface on it. There was no trail leading from the verandah, the grass began immediately. A white washed wall topped with charcoal slates ran along the left side of the verandah for about five meters before stopping or becoming a corner. On the right side and in front were trees and bushes. No fallen leaves, or twigs or a stray branch could be seen. From just the beginning it could be seen that the garden was immaculately kept.
Linna slid her feet into the slippers, soft worn cotton and used her finger to put her heels in.
Everything here ... it must be all Chinese. From the slippers to the gown, the wall and the trees. I couldn't be in China could I?
Her feet began walking the grass.
Her hands reaching out to touch the leaves and branches. How long had it been when she had done that? Walked in nature.
Overhead was a clear sky. Slightly greasy looking. Buildings were around her but not towering ones. Their shadows cast in another direction.
Another shadow. She was still in Tokyo. The skyhook.
Walking on the grass felt comfortable. Such a difference to the hard city surfaces that seemed to resent being used as mere footpaths when all about were walls reaching to the sky. Grass was natural, accepting. Supporting.
She turned left as the corner of the white wall, walked passed a stone bench and towards a grove.
A pebble-bed stream, barely a foot wide twisted out of it. A steady stream of crystal water running along it.
Walking around the grove she could find no entrance. If one could get in then they would have to go between two trees. Where else could the Doctor be? He did not seem to be anywhere else in the garden.
Hands out in front Linna stepped up to the edge of the grove and moved branches out of her way.
She stumbled out of the tree line, a branch caught on her gown. Cursing she snapped the twigs and stepped clear dusting herself off.
Linna then became aware of the eyes watching her. Slowly with a hint of embarrassment she looked over at them, two men.
One old, grey hair and rotund wearing a cap. The other moving into middle age, face with some pockmarks, short straight black hair. The old one wearing an embroidered robe of red, the other in a plain black suit, the jacket Chinese and done up.
"Oh, If I'm disturbing anything..."
The old man smiled, "No no my dear. I have been expecting you."
"Oh" again.
"Please come over Miss Yamazaki. I am glad that you have recovered and am sure have a thousand questions to ask."
Linna joined the pair. The old man's eyes were warm if guarded, the other's calculating.
"Yes. I have many questions."
"Let me pre-empt you. I am Dr Shan, one of Sylia's old associates. She asked me for assistance when you, and herself were wounded,"
Sylia had been hurt as well?
"Is she all right?"
"Yes. She and the others have returned home. Something I am sure you wish to do as soon as you can.
"And, onto other questions you are still in Tokyo and staying at one of my healthcare centres. It has been almost three days since you were wounded."
"Three days? But I feel fine." she looked at her hands.
"Yes. The damage you suffered was mainly concussive. A few cuts and bruises that we were able to repair quite quickly and easily. You only woke today."
So I was knocked out. For three days. That would make today...
She counted forward the days, Monday when she was knocked out. Tuesday, Wednesday and then today Thursday.
"Well, thank you for taking care of me. I'm sure Sylia and the others are eager to find out how I am."
"Yes yes. I'm time. First you need some rehabilitation. I noticed that you look quite stiff."
She bent some limbs, flexed her fingers.
"My whole body. Stiff and heavy. It's funny, it even feels a little unfamiliar."
"That will pass with the rehabilitation, which, I forgot to introduce you earlier, Mr Gou will assist you with."
Awkwardly Linna bowed, unsure of Gou's standing and wondering what kind of rehabilitation she would have to do.
Gou simply nodded his head.
Linna frowned. A typical man then. Instantly discounting me because I'm a female and a patient.
"I'm sure you will find Mr Gou's exercises interesting and applicable to your secondary vocation."
Linna was about to question when she figured out what he meant. Being a Knight Sabre.
Dr Shan clapped his hands together, "And now is an excellent time to start. I will leave you in the capable hands on Mr Gou."
He walked away and Linna's good-bye fell dead before she spoke it when he stepped into the tree line and vanished.
+++===+++
The Wind Master opened a video connection to the laboratory where the Knight Sabre's hardsuits had been taken to for analysis. An age-lined face came up to the screen.
"Wind Master." the Engineer bowed.
"Tell me what have you found?"
The Engineer let his frustration show, "Very little. We have been able to reactivate both suits and a test subject to move in one but only in a very limited capability.
"Additionally, the green suit was heavily damaged, the helmet is destroyed and nothing can be salvaged from it. We have undertaken superficial repairs to the body damage it suffered just to see if we could.
"As to the white suit, the medical team had to cut an arm and leg from the rest of the suit. This has provided us with the greatest amount of information, but it is still of little use. What we do know is that the suits are incredibly complex and the structure concentrated. It was like something much larger had been shrunk to the current size and shape.
"The helmet of the white suit is intact and looks to contain a full suite of sensor and communications gear, but we can not start it. I believe there is somekind of biosecurity mechanism to prevent full use.
"One positive is that the suits are battery powered. The power source is not sophisticated and can easily be replicated."
The Wind Master stroked his chin, "How soon do you think you could have a single suit ready?"
"What do you mean by ready? If you mean being able to use it without a trained pilot then I cannot say. One suit is almost intact, missing a helmet which comes from the other so if both can be combined then the suit could be ready soon. Again, we would not know until..."
"Yes I see." he had a trained pilot though didn't he? Continuing, "Weapons systems?"
"A retractable sword for the white. No other visible weapons for both the white and green. They all seem to be for close combat. The arms and legs of the suits are quite strong."
Only for close combat? Little surprise then of the casualties the Knight Sabres had taken when fighting against Genom's soldiers. They had carried guns.
"Could it be armed? Given a rifle?"
The Engineer scratched his head, "Yes. But a custom weapon would be required for efficient use. The glove mechanism is of course over sized so the fingers cumbersome on a normal rifle. Small weapons would not work at all."
"Get something together, I would like to see tomorrow."
"Yes Sir."
The screen snapped to black as he cut the connection.
+++===+++
It was not the exercise that was tiring her, it was the mental commitment required to follow what she was being taught, which looked like some kind of Martial Art. Gou had said that he would teach her a few basics only.
Linna hadn't really done any fighting training. She went to the gym often keep her level of fitness and did some boxercise/tai-bo lessons but that was a lot of jumping around and cardiovascular work rather than really learning how to fight properly. Well, the clientele of the gym she went to was like herself, office workers who would not have dared to get into a fight. She fought boomers but that was inside a tough shell of armour and with power to back it up. She imagined that hitting a person while inside her suit would inflict a lot of pain and could kill.
I don't even want to go there...
Gou had her breathing first, long deep breaths that were meant to travel somewhere about her womb. She couldn't really get the hang of it.
Next was something very strange. It didn't look like a fighting technique at all.
The Chinese must do things different to here.
Her town had a few clubs. She'd been to a few, to look with friends, or in their words, 'to perve' at the boys and see who was good. There had been a lot of shouting and people getting thrown about. It sure didn't look like fun.
What Gou showed her did not have shouting and was slow.
They stood opposite feet facing, arms touching at the wrist. Gou pushed with a little pressure and her came back towards her body. He shook his head and grabbed her arm with his other hand and pushed again and directed her arm where it should go, in a circling motion that led to her pushing back.
The motion continued for a few circuits and it felt quite strange. Her arm moving in a way that it didn't look like it was doing anything.
"Now, forget your arm. This is not about your arm. Instead of moving your arm, move your body."
Linna was perplexed and it showed.
Gou showed her, talking as he moved, "Your arm is static, it does not move closer or further from your body. Instead your body moves, swaying backwards and forwards in response to the movement of the opponent. Backwards if they move forward, forward if they move backward but never in a straight line. Always circling." his body rocked.
They joined wrists again and Linna tried what Gou had said, swaying her body.
"Relax, do not stiffen your arm because I said it is not to move. Relax your whole body. There is no need to exaggerate your movements..." and so on making corrections as they swayed in time.
Linna felt she was beginning to get the hang of it when she felt a slight change in the direction and pressure of Gou's movement. Then a fist was right before her face.
Her eyes opened wide.
"What I have shown you is the very beginning of a long road. This technique teaches you to be aware of your opponent's motion, to detect any changes by feeling the flow of his chi. As you learn you will know how to respond."
"I did feel something, like a little current jumping away."
Gou looked at her, studying. Trying to ascertain whether she was saying this simply to appear knowledgeable. He knew what she was however. So it could be possible.
"I will show you some more exercises that are for warming up the body and accelerating the heart."
+++===+++
Linna returned to her room. Just as plain as it was before. Outside it had grown dark. Her brain throbbed from the all the details it had had to input.
She did feel a little less stiff and more relaxed however. And it was something new.
If I keep it up I'll really be able to kick boomer ass. Even Sylia in her fancy suit won't compare to me.
She smiled. Looked around for a chair to sit on. None. So it was back to the bed. Nothing to read either.
She noticed a small intercom on the table. Pressed the button.
"Yes?" the voice of the Nurse.
"Uh. I'm hungry."
"I will bring a meal shortly."
"And I want something to read, or a TV." Linna added.
"As you wish."
She moved into some space, practiced a few of the exercises. She was excited to be learning something like this. And with own personal trainer! There would be no way in the world she could afford that at a regular gym. Hopefully she could continue the tuition when she got out.
Whenever that would be. The Doctor hadn't said. She reminded herself to ask that next time they met.
When she heard footsteps she quickly got into the bed, sitting up ready to again demolish whatever was brought to her.
+++===+++
As soon as Linna had closed her eyes she was fast asleep. No dreams came and the Nurse woke her with a shake on the shoulder. It was breakfast. Although there was no clock in the room so she didn't really know what the time was.
She felt well rested, a rejuvenated energy that she had not experienced in a long time.
The breakfast was quite different to her usual. Not that they would know what that was. It wasn't even a Japanese breakfast.
The food here too is all Chinese?
This didn't look so. So she asked, "What is this?" poking at it.
"A high protein meal. Your body needs a higher energy intake than before ... to help you recover that is."
As before her hunger overrode any questions about the food and the breakfast was deposited into her stomach without a trace left on the tray.
She then asked for the bathroom and was shown to it, where she could also bathe. She shut the door behind her, it didn't have a lock, took the gown off- she'd have to ask for a fresh one later, and turned the shower taps on.
Hot water hissed down.
She turned away to look at the mirror. Looking at herself. Eyes searching for any bruises or scars, anything that showed where she had been hurt the days before.
She could find nothing. Not a blemish. Perfect skin, smooth and taut.
Do I look different? The tips of her fingers running over her skin.
As she concentrated on herself it was like her eyes suddenly zoomed in on the focal point. The skin expanded out to reveal every pore and hair.
What was that!? she shook her head. Closed her eyes, opened them again. Everything back to normal.
Steam from the shower began to fog up the mirror.
She added cold water, using her hand to test the temperature until it felt right and she stepped in letting the rain cover her with its barrage.
She soaped, washed her hair and then stood directly under the stream to rinse. The water concentrated on the top of her head. The warmth seeping into her skull.
Eyes closed standing. Allowing herself the moments of relaxation. Her mind clear, free. Arms limp at her side, the water tributaries gathering together at her fingers to fall in larger streams.
Today. Today I will see them again.
She finished the shower and stepped out groping in the steam for the towel. Her foot stubbed on something on the floor.
Bending down, it was a weighing machine. The towel on the basin Linna stepped onto the machine. To read the dial she had to kneel down.
"What?" she shrieked.
That can't be possible. It says I'm ten kilograms heavier. She frowned. It must be broken.
Stepped off.
Dried her hair, body, wrapped the towel about her and went back to her room.
There were new clothes. Not a gown this time, a jacket and pant combination with the same kind of thread pattern. This time in shades of grey, the pattern being the darker.
Silk again. It felt so comfortable against her skin.
A knock on the door frame, edge furthest away.
Linna spun around suddenly tense. She relaxed a little when she saw that it was Gou. Again in his black suit.
"The Nurse told me you were up." his voice was quite melodic. No gruff or heaviness in it at all. Light. Like the way he moved. He was so fluid.
"Did you...?"
Gou raised his hands palm outwards, "No."
That was satisfactory enough.
"How are you feeling?" he asked, "Do you think you remember what I showed yesterday?"
"I think so."
He smiled. Lips pressed together.
"Good. Let's go outside and continue."
"Now?"
"Is there a problem?"
"No, I guess not."
+++===+++
Dr Shan put the handset down.
The news he had just been given was very troubling. He quickly dialed a number and the line was answered immediately, "I want the Third Medical shut down right away, completely empty the premises and transfer the staff." he didn't wait for a response.
He pressed a buzzer. The door at the other end of the room opened and a lanky man walked in.
"Bring Mr Gou and the girl to the Red Lab."
The man bowed and left.
Dr Shan settled back into his chair, hands pressed together at the fingertips.
+++===+++
Linna had no idea where she was being taken. The limousines windows, the vehicle had to be a limo because the back seat area was large, were opaque and couldn't be controlled from where she was.
Gou sat beside her, face unreadable as usual. Another man, the one that had requested their presence sitting opposite playing with the ring tones of his cell phone.
The chirping noise was really beginning to irritate her.
"Do you mind?"
The man regarded her for a second then went back to his phone.
Gou's arm flashed out and snatched the phone from the stunned man.
The man said something in Chinese and gestured for the phone. 'Give that back' most likely.
'Screw you' seemed to be what Gou replied. The man tried a lunge but Gou easily pushed him back with his foot. The man stopped when Gou crushed the phone with the one hand.
Linna was amazed. A person of his size shouldn't be able to do that.
Gou smiled his tight smile again. Obviously very pleased with himself.
+++===+++
They arrived at whatever destination. The doors opened and they were already inside, an underground or internal garage. Quickly ushered into the building proper.
Through a warren of corridors and rooms. Linna was thoughourly lost.
At last a pair of double doors opened wide revealing a large room. In the middle was a bench, and on it a hardsuit.
Linna immediately recognised its shape. It was hers. But the colour. Not green. A flat black. A helmet, also black lay next to it. But it wasn't hers.
There were quite a few lab coated men in the room. Standing around consoles, holding tablets. Poking at pieces of this and that.
The Dr Shan was also there. He saw their arrival and came over to them. His face was grave.
"It is good that you arrived so quickly. I have some bad news."
Linna's heart shuddered with a chill.
"Your friend Sylia. She has been captured by Genom."
"What? How is that possible? They never knew where we were..."
"I do not know how they have found out. I had sent one of my men to inform her personally of your recovery. He saw her being escorted from her residence by one of Genom's men." Brian Mason, he did not add. The girl would not know who he was.
"Do you know where she's being taken?"
"No." Dr Shan shook his head, "Genom has many facilities. Even if she was taken to their headquarters- we could do nothing."
Linna's eyes turned to her hardsuit. Narrowed.
"I'll rescue her."
A hand came to rest on her shoulder.
"That is admirable. But foolish. You are alone. To attack Genom would be suicide."
"So I do nothing then?"
"Wu wei." Gou spoke, "Doing nothing can be the best thing to do. The situation will change so action becomes possible."
"I don't believe that! I have to do something. Priss, the others. Do you know about them?"
"We do not know where they are."
Frustrated, and helpless she stormed the short distance to the table where her hardsuit lay.
Black. It had some appeal.
"Does it work?" she asked.
"It is functioning, but none of us know how it works."
Her hands ran along the cold surface of the hardsuit.
An Engineer stood opposite her, "The suit is used in close combat?"
"Huh? Yes." her suit.
"Forgive us Ms Yamazaki, we have taken the liberty to conduct some tests based on your recent battle, and the enemies you are likely to face in the future."
"I don't understand?"
Dr Shan came to stand beside her, "We have tested to see if the hardsuit is compatible with guns."
"Guns?"
What does a hardsuit need a gun for? Only Nene had one and it didn't work too well. To kills a boomer you had to destroy its core and that was best accomplished with a hand.
"Your enemies are no longer boomers. They have guns. They shot you and your friend Sylia. They will do so again."
Bullets impacting all over her. Knocking her this way and that.
"I... I can't use a gun. I won't use a gun. I don't want to hurt anybody."
"Then how will you get Sylia? How will you survive?"
"I don't know..."
"It is a hard choice. One of the hardest a person might have to make," but not harder than his own, nor the consequences as worse as to the choice he made, "but it is best to be prepared."
"What are you asking of me?"
The Sins never cease.
"We want you to test with guns. In the suit. We need to see it fully functioning for the tests to be accurate."
Linna's hands were balled, her head hanging. This isn't what a Knight Sabre is. I'm not a killer. Not a murderer. I couldn't hurt anyone. Sylia. Priss. Nene. They could all be in trouble. It's my duty to help them.
"All right."
+++===+++
There was no suit for Linna to change into. She ordered the hardsuit carried to a room empty of people and monitors.
"Will it even work without the suit? The body hugging material. Probably another of Sylia's little tricks.
She removed her clothes and slid into the hardsuit, shivering. It felt a lot cooler, and closer. Her skin in direct contact with the cushioning layer.
The hardsuit whirred to life and snapped into place comfortably over her body. Her body grew accustomed to its coolness.
She flexed her hands, bent the knees. Joints creaking. Everything seemed in working order.
She returned to the main room.
All eyes focused on her.
She felt both a little uncomfortable, and superior at the attention.
Here she was, a Knight Sabre.
They took her to a firing range.
An Engineer handed over a pistol. It was fairly big in his hands but as soon as Linna took it it looked pathetic. She gripped it and tried to put her finger through the trigger guard. Wouldn't fit. She handed the pistol back.
They handed over a larger weapon. They called it a submachine gun. It was weapon like those used against her. High rate of fire, compact so it could be used in urban terrain.
The jargon made her head spin.
She gripped the barrel and handle. Her finger fit this time. Someone showed her how to hold it, stock in the shoulder to take the recoil. Probably wouldn't matte with her hardsuit but it was easiest way and best for aiming.
A target appeared down the range.
She pulled the trigger. Nothing happened.
"It is loaded?"
"The safety is on. This is it. On. Off" she was shown.
One eye closed she tilted her head so it was over the length of the gun, eye in line with the barrel.
Her body was sideways on, feet planted apart. Again, with the hardsuit probably not necessary but best to learn the correct way.
She squeezed her finger just a little.
Flame erupted from the mouth of the weapon. It jolted a little in her arms before she put resistance and it stopped moving all together. The sound it made was a loud spluttering or coughing.
Down the range the target danced.
The firing ended when the magazine was empty.
The target was brought down. It had holes all over it.
Linna felt embarrassed. "I've never even seen a real gun before."
"They destroy the purity of the Martial Spirit." Gou commented. The engineer's turned their attention away from him.
"This is how you reload."
"This is how you change how many bullets you fire with each press of the trigger."
"You have to be mindful of how much pressure you put on the trigger. Remember you are in a hardsuit so you strength is magnified. What you might think is a little is translated into a greater amount. Remember that when friends are around, you don't want to accidentally shoot them."
"No I wouldn't." she laughed nervously.
Linna concentrated on her target. Firing magazine after magazine. Short bursts. Single shots. Her marksmanship showing noticeable improvement over the hours.
Different weapons. Shotguns. Assault Rifles. Who ever Dr Shan was, medicine wasn't his only profession. He had quite an armoury and probably a lot more.
How did Sylia know him? He must be a criminal, whatever the Chinese version of the Yakuza was.
Do I really want to be involved with these people?
But they can help me. Get back Sylia. The others. I have to trust Sylia. She wouldn't involve herself with dangerous criminals.
A target exploded into scraps as she fired two quick shotgun shells into it.
+++===+++
The picture wasn't too clear but The Wind Master could make out enough features to recognise the other two Knight Sabres.
He was watching a live feed from one his surveillance teams at the Stingray residence.
"Do you know how long they have been there?"
"No Sir. I was checking the perimeter when I saw them in the alley. What do you want me to do?"
"Nothing. Stay where you are and monitor them. If they move let us know."
"Yes Sir."
The image vanished.
Intriguing. The remaining Knight Sabres with some bikers were watching their headquarters, occupied by Genom. His own men were watching the building and now the bikers. No one was watching his men.
They know of Sylia's capture. Do they know she has already gone? What was their plan?
The Wind Master had the patience to wait and see. He was only a supporting player in this story, at the moment. Brought in by chance. Chance. Upon its wings opportunity was carried.
"Bring her up here."
+++===+++
Linna looked at the feed. There was no mistaking Nene.
"Are we going to contact them?" she asked, eager to join her friends again.
"They are waiting for something. I suggest we wait too. Genom does not know they are there and contact may spoil that. I don't want to intrude on their plans."
"But what if something goes wrong?"
"Then we will help."
Good. Linna wanted to show off her gun to Priss, sure that her friend would be jealous. 'Don't have to get my hands messy now with this!'
They waited. Linna still in her hardsuit. The battery was replaced when it got low. The replaced one put into a recharger. That was useful. They only had two, the ones from her own and Sylia's hardsuit.
She wanted to bite her fingernails as the tension grew with the waiting. Instead the drummed on a surface.
This is what cops do all the time. How could they handle it? How could Priss handle it? Or Nene, she must be going mad.
Something started to happen. All attention turned to the amateur feed.
"That's the Mobile Pit." the van turned a corner off screen with the bikers a distance behind.
"Follow both groups." came the order.
The image was gone. Instead the drivers of the tailing cars told them what was going on.
"Turning onto... Koizumi..."
"Traffic is light, keeping my distance."
"No one else tailing."
"Wait... yes, here they go!" the driver got excited, "... swarming around the van, wait. It crashed. The van crashed."
Linna's tapping replaced with tension filled fists.
"Two have gone into the van, the rest are leaving." long silence, "One has come back, about to- no. Holy... it's the Knight Sabres. The two women that went into the van are the Knight Sabres. Or they're dead and the Knight Sabres are in the van. No. It's them. One's leaving on jets. The biker and the other Knight Sabre are getting onto bikes. Uh Oh. The Police have found them, a copter. They're off, copter pursuing..."
"I have to do something!" Linna shot upright.
"Genom will go after then. And find them with the Police's help." Gou.
"They're my friends, I'm not going to sit here and.. and listen!"
Dr Shan nodded.
Grimly smiling Linna went over to the bench, grabbed the black helmet and put it on.
To everyone else but her a problem was obvious. The helmet did not cover the neck at all leaving her skin exposed.
"Take off your helmet, there is a problem."
Gou searched around, grabbed an Engineer and got him to remove his shirt. Tore it to protest. He wrapped the strips of cloth, dark blue, around Linna's neck.
"Thank you."
The thin smile.
"Okay, how do I get out of here and to where they are?" Linna, Knight Sabre, shouted.
+++===+++
Coming up with a title for this chapter was really hard and at first I didn't think Always Together Now fit- it was just a Passengers song (Brian Eno / U2) that I liked (HEAT soundtrack) but when I remembered the small parts where Linna remembered Akane the title did feel appropriate, 'forever friends'. And Linna's loyalty to her friends makes the fit nicer as well so while not glaringly obvious I think it was a reasonable choice. My biggest part, also. I guess I just wanted to keep all the Linna events into a single chapter.