Disclaimer: I don't own Nadesico or any of the characters appearing in the television anime series or manga. This fanfiction is meant purely to entertain. So please don't sue me, I'm not worth it. I openly admit that I don't own Nadesico, and I'm not trying to pass this off as a completely original story. Also, I don't own Golden Boy or Transformers, but I do use a few lines from both and a lot of mecha from Transformers, but I do own the characters Finn Saotome, Yumi Yoshino, Sanoske/Sakura Hashima, Mr. Noda, Mrs. Noda, and I think that's about it. If you want pictures of the mecha, don't hesitate to e-mail me at soundwave100@hotmail.com Thanks!
Act 10
The Game Begins
Finn held the sleeve of his shirt over his face, but the dust passed right through the thin filter of cloth. Several days had now passed and they had found another makeshift shelter at the northern edge of the colony, which hadn't faired any better.
"Find anything?" Akito asked, not too far behind him.
"I don't know," Finn coughed back and continued to search through the dark room. He swept his light around through the thick clouds of dust and over the ruined pieces of furniture. There were desks buried under heaps of wreckage that used to be the police station. He found his desk snapped in half like a toothpick, which was better than most others, which had been crushed into tiny splinters. Fighting his way through the debris, he made it across the room to one of the walls that still remained upright. He could see sections of the floor below him and had to balance himself precariously on the remaining wooden beams and pieces of unstable floor, which began to crumble beneath his feet. The darkness and the dust blinded him and made it difficult to breath, but he pressed forward. Just a little further and he would have reached his destination. He carefully placed his foot on a section of flooring that seemed to be in one piece and tested it. Adding a little pressure to the section at a time, Finn gradually eased his weight onto it and moved forward another step. However, while all his weight was concentrated on that one piece of unbroken floor, it decided to give away, and sent Finn tumbling to the floor below in a cloud of dust and a thunderous crash.
"You alright?" Akito called, taking a few steps into the room.
"Yes, perfectly alright!" Finn retorted, hanging from the wooden beams by one hand and holding onto the flashlight with the other. A piece of the ceiling above broke away and beaned him in the head. "Ow," little waterfalls fell from his eyes.
Finn stuffed the flashlight in his pocket, swung his legs over the beam, and hauled himself up. However, during this maneuver, the flashlight slipped from his pocket and fell to the ground below, breaking into a collection of useless pieces. "Perfect," he muttered and proceeded to feel his way along. Akito provided what light he could from his position in the doorway with his flashlight, but it was of little use, and it was too much to risk one of the few flashlights they had by tossing it over to Finn, who continued to stumble and trip his way across the broken second floor of the police station.
Finally, he reached his destination. Pushing and kicking debris away from the door, he managed to slip inside a dark room. It was pitch black and Finn hoped he knew it well enough to get by without his light.
"Come on, where are you?" he mumbled to himself, feeling along any shelves inside the room that were still upright. Finally, he felt what he was looking for and quickly removed his backpack. He stuffed anything that he thought might be useful into the bag until he struggled to hold it up. However, he did not find the one object in particular that he was looking for. He continued to feel up and down any shelves and cabinets that were still upright. The room was surprisingly sturdy and the floor was completely intact. Being an interior room that did not have any outside walls, the force of the explosion had left it standing. It was equally fortunate that the police station had been built with bomb threats in mind, and while the structure was not designed to weather the explosion that leveled the colony, it still left most of the structure itself whole.
Akito watched the door Finn had disappeared through with some anxiety. He knew the building was built solid and sturdy, he the pieces that fell from the ceilings worried him. To add to his worries, Finn had been gone for some time, and he occasionally heard faint crashes coming from that direction. He shifted his weight from one foot to the other, glass crunching and grinding beneath his feet. There was a low rumbling sound, which grew louder and louder by the second. More and more pieces fell from the ceiling and the floor beneath Akito's feet began to crumble away.
"Time to go," Finn said as he zipped the backpack up and hoisted it onto his back. He too heard the rumbling and was growing increasingly uneasy inside the tiny room, which he felt had a good chance of falling in on him. However, has he felt his way to the door, he felt something collide with his head and he crashed to the floor. He could feel his eyelids growing heavy and his mind slipping into unconsciousness. "Not…tired…not…tired," he said, struggling to maintain his hold on consciousness. "Didn't get a bedtime story…or water…or," however, his hold on reality slipped away as the darkness that had engulfed his body, now engulfed his mind, and the world around him faded away.
Outside in the dim light of the main room, Akito was growing more concerned by the second. Pieces now came down in steady streams, and what was left of the floor was crumbling and buckling before it began to sag and crash to the floor below. He made a move to follow the path Finn had taken, but as soon as he put his weight on the beams, they gave away under him. There was no way for him to get across the large room to the small closet Finn had disappeared into. Even if Akito had been able to bridge the gap, it would have made little difference, for he saw the room break away from its supports and fall to the ground floor. A cloud of dust and debris consumed Akito and he was only able to look away when sharp pieces from the ceiling rained down on him. He took a last look at the wreckage below before he scrambled away, out the window, down the tree, which had been stripped of its leaves, that grew just outside the building, and away to safety.
"What happened?!" some of the others outside asked when they saw Akito fly down the tree and away from the crumbling building. "Where's Saotome? Is he alright? Where is he?"
"Er…" Akito looked at the rubble.
"There goes another one," someone added.
"Nah, he'll be back," the wall that ran along the front side of the building collapsed in a plume of dust.
"And I have a jaw made of solid gold," the guy said. Akito sweatdropped.
"Maybe we'd better give him and hand," he added. The central support column collapsed.
"He's a dead man," the guy said, everyone else nodded in agreement.
"Uh huh," they said in unison.
They all waited until the building had stopped crumbling and the dust settled.
"I told you he was a corpse."
A large slab of concrete shook slightly and everyone glanced in its direction. There was a collective " ? "
"Human…hydraulic…Soatome!" the slab slowly rose off the ground, with a struggling Finn underneath.
"What the?"
"Told you so," Akito said, arms crossed.
"I live!" Finn said, but the slab began to weigh down on him. "Adrenalin…wearing off…oh boy…" he fell into the rubble in a small cloud of dust. "Little help?" came a muffled voice. With great effort, they hauled the slab off him. Beneath the half tonne chunk of concrete lay a swirly eyed Finn.
"Find anything we can use?" Akito asked when the returned to the rec-centre.
Finn dumped the bag's contents onto the blanket that served as his bed and began to sift through them. Most of the stuff had been damaged, if not destroyed, during the cave in. "We've got… six radios, a transponder, a couple of cell phones, and two laptops," he picked up one of the computers, which fell to pieces in his hands. "One laptop," he dug around in the bag and pulled more stuff out of the bowels of the nylon chasm and retrieved a few rolled up sheets of paper. "And these."
"What are they for?"
"Research," Finn took various cords and pieces of equipment and began to piece them together. "Akito, can you get me the phone from the office? Cord an all?"
"Sure," Akito left to retrieve the item and returned a few minutes later. "Here."
"Thanks," Finn took the phone and pulled off the outer casing and sifted through the piles of junk he had brought back from the station. "And…there," he said when he completed his confounding computer creation.
"What is it?" Akito asked, looking at the mess of wires and various computer parts pieced together. Finn pushed the on button on the laptop, which was at the heart of the monstrosity. The screen blinked and the systems began to boot up.
"It's alive!" Finn laughed in an overly exaggerated mad scientist kind of voice. "This, my friend, is going to tell us what the rest of the planet looks like."
"Clever," Ruri said, coming out of nowhere. "You've adapted the computer's internet ports and routed them into the cell phone's send/receive systems."
"I see…" Akito blinked, his brain slowly, but surely, deciphering the language Finn and Ruri were speaking.
"What are you going to use as a transmitter?" Ruri asked. "There are no transmission towers still standing (the author wanted to use a different word there, but realised that it might be interpreted in the wrong way) anywhere close to us," A thousand tonne weight fell on Finn's head.
"I forgot that," he squeaked, anyone who was listening in on the conversation, granted there weren't many, facefaulted. "Alright little brain cells, time to get to work," he pressed his fingers against his temples and massaged his brain. The sound of rusty gears turning became audible.
"Idiot," Ruri muttered and looked at Akito. "I thought you said he was some kind of renowned detective in this reality?"
"He is," Akito replied. "He just takes his work in a very…unique direction."
"We're screwed," Ruri said.
"And………..there," Finn opened his eyes. "We can use the radio transponder to transmit our signal directly to the satellites and totally bypass the whole transmission tower problem!"
"But they aren't compatible, are they?" asked Akito.
"Not right now," Finn handed the transponder to Ruri. "Once she's done converting the signal wavelength decoder to receive the cell phone's signal, we can use the transponder to connect to the satellites," Ruri blinked. "You do remember that stuff, right?"
"Give it here," she grabbed it from him, sat down, and began to pull the transponder apart.
Finn continued to fiddle with the computer. Actually, he played pinball, but he pretended to work.
"There," Ruri dropped the transponder at his feet.
"Perfect," he said, examining the piece of equipment.
"What was your high score?" Ruri asked, looking at the back of the computer screen.
"Er…" Finn refused to meet her gaze. "Hey Tenkawa!" he said as Akito passed by. "I need you to run this up to the roof."
"But the stairs were blown out in the explosion," Akito protested. "How am I going to get up there?"
Finn looked at Ruri and Ruri looked at Finn. They both nodded.
"Aww jeez, what am I doing up here?" Akito asked himself as he clung to the side of the building. He had the transponder tucked in a backpack strapped to his back. A long extension cord was tied around his waist, not for his safety, but so that the device could be powered by the generator below. The building had been made of blocks of granite, which had not been entirely worn down to a completely smooth wall. There were many tiny hand and footholds for Akito to cling to. He pulled himself up to the next foothold and looked down to the ground far below him. " 'Go on up, Akito. You'll be fine,' they said."
"I can't make it up there with this leg," he remembered Finn saying. "And Ruri's not strong enough to climb up that far."
"You seemed perfectly fine when we went to the police station," Akito grumbled and hit the button on the radio they had strapped onto his shoulder. "Beaver one to base camp, beaver one to base camp. I'm on my final assault, over."
"Beaver one, this is base camp, we read you loud and clear, over." Finn's voice came through the radio. He could also hear snickers coming from the other end as people listened in on the end.
"Look, I don't mean to complain here, but you owe me for this, pal," Akito said, grabbing onto the edge of the building's roof and pulling himself up. "There, I'm up."
"Don't worry, Beaver one," there were more unsuccessfully stifled laughs. "I'll make you a steak dinner if we ever get back to some kind of civilization, over."
"With your cooking? Is that a reward or a punishment?" Akito placed the transponder at the roof's centre and plugged the cord into it. "Alright, it's in,"
"Good, stay up there until we've got everything up and running," Finn said. "What's it look like up there?"
"Reminds me of Fourth War pictures in my grade eight textbook," he replied, looking out from his vantage point at the damage. He could see the smoke from fires that were still burning and the ruined remains of what had once been a populated city.
Meanwhile, back inside the shelter, Finn plugged cables into the computer and was hitting switch after switch on the small command centre he had built.
"Here goes," he said to himself as he began to connect to the internet through their makeshift telephone signal. "Gah, I can't believe dialup is even around."
"Just be thankful that it is," Ruri said.
""Hey Akito," Finn said into the radio. "Are you sure it's plugged in? I'm not getting any signal."
"It's plugged in," Akito said. "Oh wait, I forgot to turn it on." Everyone around them facefaulted. "Ok, it's on, try it now." Finn tried to dial in again, but to no avail.
"Still nothing," he said, puzzled. Ruri got up and kicked the computer. "What…what are you doing?!" she pointed at the screen, which showed the computer connecting flawlessly. "Oh, right, I forgot, the universal screw driver. 'When in doubt, kick it and shout'," he turned back to the screen and began his work. He started by typing in the URL for his own precinct's website and logging in through the laptop's id codes.
"What are you doing?" a man asked, looking over Finn's shoulder.
"Fortunately the server's at HQ in Iacon," Finn mumbled. "I'm trying to…damn! My password's not being accepted. The military must have changed it after the Antarctic base was destroyed."
"I see what you're doing," Ruri said, looking at the screen. "You intend use the observation satellites to get a surface scan of the planet, and find out just how extensive the damage is, correct?"
"Exactly. I know Iacon's still standing because the server's still up. Only problem is," there was a brief cause followed by a rapid series of mouse clicks and typing. "They used to let police use to satellites to get a bird's eye view of the cities, but my password's being denied."
"Let me see," Ruri nudged Finn out of the way and sat down at the computer. She rapidly input commands and window after window appeared on the screen. "I've hacked my way in and have found a surface scan of the planet taken two hours ago. Shall I compare it with scans taken two weeks ago?"
"Do it," Finn said and Ruri clicked away and a revolving image appeared on the screen. "It looks like only that Antarctic base and the Utopia Colony were destroyed, I guess that's one piece of good news."
"But they've still got more," Ruri reminded him. "65grams, and we have no idea where they're going to strike next."
"I wouldn't go that far," Finn said with a devious smile and took over control of the computer.
"Um…hello?" came a voice from the other side of the radio. Several hours had now passed and the crowd had dispersed and left Finn in, more or less, peace.
"Hmm?" Finn picked up the device.
"Can I get down now?" Akito asked. "It's starting to get dark."
"Woops," Finn sweatdropped.
The next few minutes? Hours? Days? Finn really didn't have any clue how long he'd been sitting there, plugging in countless calculations and information into the profiling software on the lapop.
"Mr. Saotome?" said a voice, disturbing the peaceful rest Finn had slipped into. "Wake up."
"Wha? Yumi? 'zat you?" Finn mumbled and lifted his head off the keyboard.
"Saotome, wake up."
"It's too early for this," he yawned and rubbed his eyes. When he opened them, he found himself surrounded by darkness; the only light came from the computer screen. "What time is it, Yumi?"
"Idiot," Ruri said.
"Oh, hey Ruri," he yawned again and stretched. "What's the time?"
"It's almost 3 in the morning," Ruri informed him. Finn fell onto his back.
"Wake me up in another five hours," he said.
"This is important," Ruri said, giving him a soft kick to the ribs.
"It can wait," Finn tapped the laptop's screen with his foot, causing it to close and go into sleep mode.
"She's waking up."
Finn's eyes shot open.
There was a small lantern on beside Ryoko's blanket, but few were actually awake to take comfort in its steady glow. There were a few nurses replacing bandages or cleaning cuts and scrapes; more people had poured in that day and were still being treated. However, only a few people hovered around Ryoko. To her left sat Finn and Ruri, and to her right stood the doctor. Her face was disturbed, but she made slight movements with her head and her hands. She was covered in a light blanket and the smell of burn lotion was heavy in the air.
"How is she?" Finn asked after they had been in silence for a few minutes.
"She has multiple fractures up here, here, and here, must have collided with something, you said you came from the Pole, is that right?" the doctor asked.
"That's right. We were outside when the base blew. I was pushed into the snow, but she was still exposed. I found her quite a ways from there," Finn explained.
"I see. She also has severe burns over most of her body, lacerations by the dozens, and more bruises than I can count. It's a miracle she even survived being exposed to the blast, let alone the journey here," the doctor put down the clipboard and sat down. "What I don't understand is how you came out of it with only minor injuries."
"Call it the devil's luck," Finn muttered.
"I believe I can answer that question," Ruri said. "Mr. Saotome says that he was pushed into an impression in the snow. When the base exploded, the shockwave travelled along the surface of the ground. Because he was technically below the surface, the shockwave passed right over him and left him relatively unscathed, in comparison to Miss Subaru anyway. However, you did not escape completely unharmed," she slapped Finn's back.
"Erk!" he squeaked. "That stings," he added, his teeth clenched and his eyes wide.
"Take off your shirt," the doctor said, looking at Finn, who, after a few minutes of being in some kind of some pain induced coma, complied. His upper body didn't look much better than Ryoko. "How could you have been this mobile for so long without noticing?"
"Beats me," Finn shrugged and glanced at Ryoko. Her hand twitched slightly, as though looking for something. Finn took it in his, but he glanced over at the blanked behind him, which held a small boy with a broken arm. He could still see Yumi laying there, and it tore his heart in two to even think about it. But when he looked at Ryoko, he saw the truth, something real.
"I didn't know you were a pilot," the doctor said, noticing Finn's hand. "Tell me, when did you get your implant?"
"Just after the explosion, I needed it to pilot the aestivalis," Finn replied.
"That would explain it," the doctor said, Finn looked puzzled. "The IFS dulls your sensory receptors for the first few days after the implant is administered. You sustained severe burns, but you didn't notice it because the implant acted as an anaesthetic."
Ryoko called out in her half sleep and they all turned their attention back to her.
"Will she be in any pain when she wakes up?" Finn asked.
"It should be moderate. We've treated her as best we could, but we've got painkillers standing by if it's too much for her," Ryoko's eyes fluttered and silence descended over them. Slowly, her eyes opened slightly and she took a brief look around her surroundings. Suddenly, she burst upright. The doctor grabbed her by the shoulders and tried to keep her pinned to the blanket. "Keep her down."
"What's going on?" asked Finn as he took one of Ryoko's arms and held it to the floor.
"It's a 'flight-or-fight' response. She still thinks she's in danger and is trying to get away. We have to hold her down until it passes," the doctor said, struggling to keep Ryoko, a fully trained soldier, down.
"How long does that take?"
"Sometimes a few seconds, sometimes a few days," the doctor replied. "Miss. Tenkawa, keep her legs pinned," Ruri complied and the three of them, more or less, kept Ryoko pinned to the blanket.
Finally, after a few minutes had passed, Ryoko quietened and relaxed. She opened her eyes again and looked at the people staring back at her. Her eyes met Finn's and she couldn't help but crack a slight smile, even though she wasn't quite sure why. However, before either of them could say anything, the doctor shone a light in her eye.
"How are you feeling, Miss. Subaru?" he asked. "Are you in any pain?" she shook her head slightly.
"Where am I?" she asked in the faintest of voices.
"You're in the Utopia Colony," the doctor replied, taking her pulse. "Do you remember what happened to you?" she shook her head again. "Well, Mr. Saotome could…" he glanced over his shoulder to find Finn missing. "Miss. Tenkawa, do you know where Mr. Saotome went?"
"He was just here a second ago," Ruri said.
"Hmm, well, he can fill you in on the details later," the doctor pressed a glass of water to her lips. "Take a drink, have something to eat, and then you can go back to sleep. You need to keep your strength up after all that's happened."
"Thanks," she whispered and took a few sips of water. She rested her head back down on the blanket and slipped back into a light sleep. But her dreams were not as restful as they may have seemed from the outside, for they were filled with the burning heat and blinding light of the blaze someone had carried her through.
"Excuse me," Ruri said quietly and left, feeling her way across the floor. She found Finn outside, laying on his back again and staring at the stars. "Saotome."
"I can't take it," Finn said in a quiet voice. "I can't stand to see her like that. She looks like she's in so much pain, I just can't stand to see her like that."
"You're loosing your grip on reality," Ruri said cautiously. "I suggest you pull yourself together. Subaru…Ryoko will be fine, and if you're worried about the way she looks, there is surgery…
"It's not about that, Ruri," Finn as he pulled himself up off the ground. He began walking slowly away from the building heading south.
"Where are you going?" Ruri called after him.
"I'll be right back," Finn called back. "Just going for a walk. I'll be back, I promise," he said all this without looking back and continued on his path.
Remembrance
"I can't believe he'd run off," Yurika fumed. "Little coward."
"He's had a pretty bad shock though," Akito said. "I can understand."
"So you're going to run away with him?"
"I didn't say that. It's just, I think I understand."
"What do you mean?" Yurika asked, still furious at the news of Finn's departure.
"Remember the time we were stuck in the aestivalis out in space? You, Megumi, and me? We said the only plan was to drop someone off and go back for them later. It's not like I wanted to kick you out of the aesti and leave you floating there in space, but…" he trailed off.
"But what?" Yurika demanded. "Megumi was more important?"
"I didn't say that either. I guess it's just something you have to live through to understand. I'm not even sure I understand it. Just promise you won't tell Ryoko about any of this. Let Saotome tell her when he comes back."
"If he comes back," Yurika muttered.
"He'll be back," Ruri said, appearing out of nowhere behind them. "Saotome has yet to break a promise; he'll be back."
Over a week had passed, and still, there was no sign of Finn. Everyone alive in the southern end of the Utopia Colony had been brought to the shelter, and no one at the northern shelter had seen anyone matching his description. But Akito still kept the front doors open and a light on out front, waiting for his friend to return. However, when another week had passed, and then another, he began to loose faith. Over a month had passed now. By this time, Ryoko was able to walk and most of her burns had, more or less, healed to a tolerable level. She still bore marks of the inferno she had lived through, but after staying motionless in a crowded rec centre was driving her crazy. Most of the survivors had recovered from bruises and scraps, and only those with broken bones still lay about the shelter. Many of them were still shaken, though, having seen their loved ones carried off and buried in the field behind the shelter. Those who were mobile were beginning the process of digging out their homes. In the colony of what was once just over a million people, only two thousand remained.
"Yurika! Come here, quickly!" Akito called as he shovelled rubble of what had once been his house into the back of one of the few pickup trucks still working.
"What is it?" Yurika asked, wiping her sweaty forehead on the sleeve of her shirt.
"Remember this? Akito said, pulling a dusty, and slightly burnt, picture out of the ruins. It was of himself, Yurika, and Finn, taken a long time ago when the three of them had graduated from high school and had gone to the Great Martian Sea for a day at the beach.
"I was wondering," Yurika said, taking the picture, but she struggled with the words she was trying to say. "Is this even real?"
"Ow!" Akito hopped on one foot after a large chunk of concrete rolled out the back of the truck and onto his foot. "It's real enough for me."
"It's just that…"
However, before Yurika could finish, she was interrupted by a shout from one of the others.
"Hey, Tenkawa!" one of them called. "We're heading back now," the sun was beginning to set and a damp, cool air was descending on them.
"I guess that's all for today," Akito said, hopping along after them. Yurika tucked the picture into her pocket and joined them in the back of the truck for the ride to the dump sight and then back to the shelter.
Ryoko was teaching some kids kendo, using snapped branches of trees as their swords when Akito, Yurika, and the rest returned.
"Too soft!" Ryoko said, ducking one of the children's swing and tapping him on the head with hers. She was wearing a sweatshirt and a pair of track pants retrieved from what had once been a clothing store and it was obvious that the baggy attire was slowing her down. "In combat you have no room for error. It's kill or be killed."
"Yeah, she's changed a whole lot," Akito sweatdropped when he saw Ryoko knock another kid's stick out of his hands and bringing her weapon level with his throat.
"Hey, Tenkawa," Ryoko called over to Akito, who had been decided as the unofficial leader of their little tribe. "When the hell is the military going to get off it's ass and finally send in some relief?"
"How should I know?" he shrugged.
"At least send someone to one of the other colonies, for crying out loud! I need to get out of this scrap yard, it's driving me crazy."
"It's not really that simple," Akito said. "We only have four working vehicles, and none of them can make it to the nearest colony, which is almost 600 kilometres away."
"So you're saying we're stuck here," Ryoko concluded.
"Basically. Until Sao…one of our scouts gets back on foot, then we'll have some news of the outside world."
"So you're willing to risk someone going on foot but won't let anyone drive there?" Ryoko smirked. "What kind of leader are you? Why not just use the comp to e-mail for help?"
"Fi…er…the guy who got that up and running put it into sleep mode before we lost him, and only he knows the password," Akito explained.
"Great," Ryoko said with deliberate sarcasm. "Alright troops!" she said, turning back to the kids. "Come at me! Give it everything you've got this time!"
Ryoko woke out of her uneasy sleep. It was very dark; the generator had been shut down for the night, but by now she knew her way around in the dark and slipped outside into the night air. Both moons lit the outside, which was silent and cool. She heard something crash not too far away and moved around to investigate. Her broken collarbone still ached slightly, but she shrugged it off. Practicing kendo with the kids with her good side probably didn't help, but she couldn't stand the inactivity anymore.
She walked along the side of the building and followed the sounds she heard, which lead her around the back of the shelter. There was someone there, sitting with his back to her and tossing small stones against a pile of rubble. She couldn't see the stranger's face clearly, but could tell it was a man. He continued picking up small pebbles and bouncing them off the pile of crumbling concrete, while Ryoko watched with a mix of suspicion and fascination.
"You can come out now," the man said without turning his head to look in her direction. Ryoko slipped behind the corner wondering whether or not he had been referring to her. Perhaps someone had been standing at the back door? But this possibility didn't seem too likely. "Ryoko," still, she did not utter a reply. She did not recognize the voice to belong to anyone in the shelter. Granted, she didn't know half of them, but anyone who seemed to know her should at least have a familiar voice to her. She looked around the corner again; the stranger still sat with his back to her, the faint noise of stones bouncing off the concrete was still clear in the night air. However, he was not entirely a stranger to her, there was something about his voice that she seemed to recognize, but couldn't fit a name, face, or even a time or place to it.
"Who are you?" she asked, stepping out from behind the shadow cast by the fractured wall and into the moonlight. The stranger stopped throwing the pebbles and his shoulders slumped slightly.
"Sit," he said, motioning to a small patch of grass opposite him, but Ryoko still eyed him with suspicion.
"You can hold onto the brick if you want, and you can bash my brains in if I try anything," he said, his face still concealed in the shadow cast by his hair, which drooped over his eyes and hid his face from the light of the moons high above. Ryoko sat down and looked at him. The moons were behind the stranger, and his face was still hidden from her, even at this angle. She noticed that what she had thought as his shoes where actually tattered and bloodstained rags tied to his lacerated and raw feet. His clothes were torn and dusty and there seemed to be an aura of weariness about him.
"Who are you?" she demanded again. Her question caused the stranger's shoulders to slump even more.
"Who am I?" he asked. "I thought I knew, up until a little while ago."
"What the hell are you babbling about?" Ryoko said irritably. The stranger lifted his face up, exposing it to the moonlight. "You…"
"Uh huh," Finn said. "You really don't remember me, do you?"
"Tenkawa told me that someone had brought me back here from the Antarctic base, but had disappeared, I presumed dead," she said in a quiet voice. "I guess I have you to thank for my life."
"You really don't remember," Finn said again, rolling a stone around in his hand. He kept starting to throw it towards her, but stopped each time. He thought that maybe it was better for Ryoko to remain ignorant, and that maybe it was better for her not to know. "I went through hell and back to find you again," he said to himself, but just loud enough for Ryoko to hear.
"If you're the one who dragged my sorry ass here, why did you leave?" she asked. "What kind of coward are you? Afraid they might blow the colony up again?"
"No, I don't think it's that," Finn replied. "I just needed a little while, that's all."
"So who are you anyway?" Ryoko asked. "And what do you mean by 'I just needed a little while'?"
"You're looking a lot better than the last time I saw you," Finn said, seemingly disregarding her question.
"I'm getting mad, pal. Start talking sense or I'll take you up on your offer and crush that pretty little skull of yours."
"And after all this you still don't remember," he shook his head and heaved a sigh. Neither of them spoke for until a while had passed.
"Ok, I'm outta here," Ryoko got up and began to make her way to the back door of the shelter.
"I won't let you go like this, not because of him!" Finn said suddenly, Ryoko stopped dead in her tracks.
"What…how did…?" Ryoko fumbled for words.
"In one reality," Finn said in a quiet voice. "Those were the last words you heard." He rose and stood behind her. "Ryoko." He placed a hand on her shoulder.
"Don't touch me!" she wheeled around and socked him one in the face. Finn recoiled from the blow, but stood his ground. Ryoko fell to her knees and hugged herself, as though she had suddenly become very cold, even though the air was warm.
"Ryoko," Finn said again, still standing behind her. "I never wanted to cause you pain."
"Then just go away!" she shouted. "Just leave me alone!"
"I'll leave you alone if you want," he tossed the stone in the air and caught it. "But I'll give you a choice."
"Just go away," Ryoko said shivering.
"Like I said, I'll leave you alone. But I'm going to give you a choice first. If you want, I'll go away; leave and never come back, if that's what you want. But if I leave now, you'll never know the truth," Finn continued to roll the stone in his hand. "So I'm giving you the choice. You can know the truth, and if you still want me to leave, I will."
"What do you mean, 'the truth'?" Ryoko asked. Finn tossed the stone to her, which landed at her feet, shimmering in the moonlight.
"You'll just have to see for yourself," he said. "I leave the choice up to you."
Ryoko shuffled around and looked at the glistening stone. She reached a trembling hand out to touch it, but stopped before her fingers could feel the smooth stone. Looking up, she saw Finn's gaze fixed on her. She seemed to search for an answer from him, but he remained still, his face fixed, and she found nothing. There was a kind of aura surrounding the stone, and the memories of sights and sounds, tastes, smells, and textures all flashed before her mind. Quickly, she scooped the stone up off the ground and held it in her hand.
She opened her eyes and looked around her in alarm. She stood on the edge of a cliff, overlooking the ocean. When she saw a blonde haired woman behind her, she didn't know whether to feel relieved that she had company or alarmed that she had been brought to this place.
"What is this place?" she tried to say, but no words escaped her throat. The wind blew through her hair and she noticed she was wearing a yellow sundress. The blonde haired woman motioned further down along the cliff's edge. There were two people clinging to the wall of the cliff, while a girl stood at the edge and looked down at them. She burst into a run towards them, but stopped suddenly when she saw the girl was herself. She looked back at the blonde haired woman, who merely shook her head and motioned for her to watch.
Hanging onto a piece of exposed rock were two people. One she recognized as Finn, but the other couldn't put a name to. They seemed to be fighting, trying climb up while knocking the other down. Finally, the other man kicked at Finn's hands, causing him to loose his grip and begin to tumble helplessly down into the dark blue abyss of the ocean below. The other Ryoko began to kick at the other man, but he continued to pull himself further and further up the cliff, until he finally climbed over the edge and onto the grass. The other her began to beat the man, kicking him in the ribs and knocking him down. She kicked him again and again with fury and rage until he finally stopped moving. There was another blonde haired woman standing by the other Ryoko. They were speaking, but the wind blew the words away from the spectator's ears. There was an expression of unimaginable anguish on her face and she could see tears streaming from her eyes.
Suddenly, the other Ryoko threw herself over the edge of the cliff and the ground beneath Ryoko's feet began to shake and give away. She tried to grab onto any solid ledge of rock, but it all crumbled beneath her hands and she began to fall. The blue abyss turned blacker and blacker with each passing second. Suddenly, everything turned black as she was swallowed up by the blackness and tossed into a place she did not recognize, but felt all-too familiar with it.
Not too far away, the other Ryoko looked around. But in all her gazing around the strange place they both found themselves trapped in, she did not seem to see Ryoko, who looked on in terrified curiosity. A small vidwindow appeared in front of the other Ryoko, who began to speak, but she could not hear the words.
Without warning, a vidwindow appeared in front of Ryoko.
"Those unforgettable days…for them I live," it read. Ryoko tried to speak but, still, no sound escaped her throat. "Those unforgettable days…for them I live," the window printed again.
"I don't understand!" she tried to scream. "But is it you want from me?"
"Those unforgettable days…for them I live," the window read again. "Continue? Y/N," the window floated before Ryoko and blinked again. "Those unforgettable days…for them I live. Continue? Y/N," the window became slightly transparent, but the text was still floated in the air. Ryoko looked up and saw herself on the other side of the window. It was like looking in a mirror, only this reflection was herself. The reflection stared at the window, not seeming to notice Ryoko on the other side. The window blinked and the message appeared again. Shakily, Ryoko reached out to touch it, but hesitated when she saw the reflection continue to stare at the window.
They both reached out to touch the option the window had given them. When Ryoko's hand touched the floating image, she could feel a surge of senses flood into her mind. The 'yes' icon she touched blinked and a small hourglass appeared. Images flashed before her eyes. Quickly, she withdrew her hand, but found she couldn't. Her hand was sinking into the window, as though being pulled through from the other side. The more she tried to pull her hand out of the window, the stronger its hold became. Suddenly, she noticed that the same thing was happening to the Ryoko on the other side. Their hands had touched the window at the same point, and their hands began to pass through one another. She could feel herself not passing through, but merging with her reflection. Gradually, their forms joined, like a lost spirit returning home. There was another surge of senses in her mind, memories, sounds, sights, everything flashed before her eyes.
Ryoko opened her eyes slowly. It was dim, but not dark. Lifting her head out of the sand, she noticed the sun slowly slipping into the sea. She looked around and found herself on a beach, waves gently lapping at the shore and a breeze softly weaving itself through her hair. Sitting on the sand, she noticed someone on a beach chair gazing at the bright, red sun as it dipped further and further into the horizon. Ryoko rose to her feet and took a few steps towards the figure. A smile crept onto her face when she saw the figure's face and she burst into a run, tackling Finn and sending them both crashing into the sand.
Ryoko took a sharp breath and her vision cleared. She looked around and saw a brightly moonlit night. Around her were piles of rubble and small patches of grass, with the shelter behind her. When she looked before her, she noticed Finn still standing there, his eyes fixed on her. He said nothing and continued to stare at her. She closed the stone around her fist and took a few steps forward. They stood face to face, but Finn's expression did not change and he stood waiting for her response. Quickly, she swung her arm back and drove her fist into the side of his face, sending him crashing to the ground.
"That was more keeping me waiting so long," she said when he had brought himself somewhat upright again. She tackled him and threw her arms around him.
"Welcome back, Ryoko," Finn smiled, taking her in his arms and they both fell onto the grass, locked in each other's arms.
The New Threat
Yurika yawned as she walked down the shelter's steps. The sun had already risen, but very few people were up. When she passed Ryoko's blanket, she found it vacant, and assumed she was up early practicing her kendo. However, the fact that she did not see her out front worried her.
"Where's Ryoko?" Akito asked with a yawn, coming up behind her. He rubbed his eyes and yawned again. "She's usually out here by now."
Yurika went back inside to see if Ryoko was anywhere to be found, while Akito scouted around outside. He had a quite a surprise when he ventured around to the back of the shelter. There, Ryoko and Finn lay asleep in each other's arms. To Akito, it was one of those about-time moments. However, he cringed slightly when he saw the condition of Finn's feet, which were wrapped in rags, stained with blood. He was about to wake them when he heard a car pull up in front of the shelter and honked its horn.
The sudden noise roused the pair from their sleep just in time to catch Akito disappearing behind the corner. Parked out front was a black van. The windows were tinted and there were no distinguishing marks, aside from a circular blue logo painted onto the side. The side door slid open and two men in black suits appeared, followed by a long-haired man in a navy blue suit.
"Akatsuki," Akito glared at the sight they approached.
"Are you Mr. Finn Saotome?" one of the men wearing a black suit asked.
"No, I'm not him. What do you want?" Akito demanded, not at all intimidated by the two towering giants that stood before him.
"Please, we're not here to pick any fights," the man in the blue suit said. "I'm looking for someone, a Detective Saotome, is he here?"
"Who wants to know?" Akito asked, knowing full well whom he was addressing.
"Nagare Akatsuki," he said. "At your service. Is Detective Saotome here?"
"What do you want from him?"
"That's between him and I," Akatsuki said. "I take it he's here then?"
"Could be," Akito said.
Akatsuki cleared his throat and one of the men grabbed Akito by the collar and lifted him off the ground. "Now, tell me again, is Detective Saotome here?"
"I'd have to ask around," Akito lied, trying to free himself from the giant's grasp. Akatsuki cleared his throat again, but before he could say anything, the man dropped Akito to the ground and held his face. A small stone rolled to Akatsuki's feet, after ricocheting off the man's face.
"Alright, Akatsuki," Finn said, emerging from behind the corner of the outside of the shelter and into view. "What do you want?"
"Ah, Detective Saotome, I trust?" Akatsuki asked; Finn nodded. "We've been looking for you for some time,"
"Gee, don't I feel special," Finn muttered. "I don't have all day, so whatever bullshit you've got, make it quick."
"Very well," Akatsuki said. "I trust you are familiar with the events of the past month?"
"Enlighten me," Finn said.
"You know perfectly well that the Antarctic base and Utopia Colony were levelled, and that these attacks are a result of terrorist groups descended from people who were banished from Earth well over a century ago. But rumour has it you have information regarding these attacks, information that could be quite valuable in the counter-force group the UF has assigned to deal with the problem." Finn smirked at this remark. "What's so funny?"
"I didn't even know the UF was doing something about it," replied Finn. "Get to the point."
"My point is that you're the only survivor of the Antarctic attack and you had access to certain UF files you were using in your investigation, most of which were destroyed. The UF would very much like to see your work continue and would appreciate any assistance you are capable of providing. You must understand that speed is of the essence and that new attacks could be underway even as we speak."
"That's not likely," Finn said. "They don't have enough detonators to blow another colony, not that I'm aware of anyway. If any attacks were planned, they would have been carried out by now."
"So, you're saying you won't assist in the recovery of the remaining…substance in question?"
"I'm saying that the time constraint is not as pressing as you make it out to be. There haven't been any raids on UF bases or supply warehouses in the past month, have there?"
"No, none that I'm aware of," Akatsuki replied.
"Which means that these people whose ancestors were exiled from Earth don't have any more detonation equipment."
"You're reputation doesn't do you justice, Detective," Akatsuki mused. "But I'm afraid I don't have much time. Will you help us, or not?"
"What's it going to be?" a man in a black suit asked when Finn did not reply.
"Fine," Finn said with heavy reluctance.
"Then please, come with us," Akatsuki said and he slid open the door to the van. Finn shuffled toward.
"I'm going too," Ryoko said. "Saotome here wasn't the only survivor."
"Who are you?" one of the men demanded.
"Pilot Subaru," Ryoko said, glaring at the man, as if to say 'what's it to you?' Akatsuki looked at her, then back at Finn.
"I'll explain later," Finn added, his hands in his pockets. "Oh, wait a sec," he said as he was about to climb into the van. "Tenkawa," Akito stepped forward. Finn withdrew his hands from his pockets and extended his hand, which Akito took. "Make sure the place is still standing when we get back, alright? And remember to feed the armadillo at dawn."
"Right," Akito nodded, shaking hands.
"Let's go then," Finn said, climbing into the van and taking a seat. Ryoko climbed in and sat down beside him. Opposite of them sat Akatsuki and a short haired woman wearing a white Nergal uniform. The giants took the seats along the far side of the van and stared forward behind their dark sunglasses and they were soon on their way to destination unknown.
"First, let me introduce my private secretary, Erina Won. Her job is to assist you in your investigation and act as a liaison between your team and myself. I will fill the UF in on what you find," Akatsuki said.
"Since when does Nergal get involved with military matters?" Ryoko asked, knowing full well what the true answer was.
"We've been developing technology using the novalite samples as a base power source," Akatsuki explained. "Much of that technology was destroyed when the Antarctic base was destroyed and some was stolen from labs prior to the Utopia Colony's unfortunate fate. We feel that since the rebels are using Nergal technology that we have an obligation to see it returned and the culprits brought to justice."
'That was a perfect bullshit answer,' Finn thought. "And I take it since I'm the only surviving investigator that I would have information in regard to who we're dealing with and their capabilities."
"Precisely," Erina said. "You were the lead investigator in your section at the Antarctic base, were you not?" however, before Finn could even nod, she continued, not seeming to draw in breath, not like the undead snake woman needed oxygen. "We also feel you might be more…how should I put this? Personally motivated to see the rebels brought to justice, since they did destroy your home, and your fiancé if I'm not mistaken." These words stung; the scabs ripped off, exposing the open wounds, and pouring salt into them.
"From our records, you took a sample of novalite from the evidence room at the Pole shortly before the explosion. I trust you still have it?" Akatsuki asked.
"It was lost during the explosion," Finn lied.
"Didn't you try and find it?"
"All things considered, I had more important things to worry about than some rock," he looked at Ryoko for a split second. "Tell me something, where did you come from? One of the other colonies?"
"We've been at the Utopia Colony since just before the disaster. Fortunately, the house I own is outside the colony itself, in the hills, and wasn't effected much by the blast," Akatsuki said. "We would have contacted you sooner, but your recent absence made such contact impossible."
"Uh huh, so where are we going now?"
"To our Mars headquarters in Iacon. I have contacted them and have let them know that you are to be expected. Every resource Nergal can provide will be at your disposal."
"Do any of the other colonies know what's happened? Surely they must have thought something was wrong when an entire colony disappeared off the face of the planet," Finn asked.
"The military has classified this top secret and has closed off the Utopia Colony and the Pole. They don't want to start a panic."
"So they're not sending any aid," Ryoko concluded.
"Probably trying to safe their own hides," Finn muttered. "Has the UF pulled its forced off the planet?"
"I couldn't say," Akatsuki said. "But in any case, our first priority should be to do something about you two. You're not exactly in the best of shape," he eyed Finn's raw feet and Ryoko's slumped posture, which took the strain off her broken collarbone. Her face still bore some marks from her ordeal, but it was mild in comparison to what she had looked like a month previous.
They soon arrived at Akatsuki's villa, which was nestled at the base of the foothills that surrounded the colony, and were moved to a helicopter, which was to take them to the Iacon Colony. They arrived at their destination several hours later and were transported to Nergal headquarters, which resembled more of a military installation than a civilian corporate office. Armed guards met them at every entrance, as well as security checkpoints every few minutes. Finn and Ryoko were taken first to the office's own sickbay, where their injuries were treated. Finn's feet were cleaned and bandaged and Ryoko's bones were set. It was discovered that she actually had pre-fracture damage to almost every bone in her body and it was a miracle that she was even mobile, let alone in condition to practice kendo.
When they had been patched up, Finn was taken to the secret labs of the building, deep underground, where the more sensitive work Nergal conducted was carried out. Ryoko was forced to remain in a residence quarters, for 'security reasons', even though she had insisted on going, which meant she threatened to beat the crap out of anyone who dared to stand in her way. Unfortunately, with her injuries, she couldn't see her threats through.
She knocked on the door of his assigned quarters later. It was well past midnight and most of the building's staff hat left for the day. Only the security and critical research personnel were kept on-site, again, for 'security reasons'. There was no answer when she knocked, so she tried to door to see if it was locked. Surprisingly enough, it opened and she looked into the dimly lit room, which consisted of a bunk, a desk with a computer, and a small bathroom, which was pretty much the same set up she had down the hall. She found Finn laying face down in his bunk, books scattered about him, and papers strewn all over the floor.
"Finn?" she asked in a quiet voice. "You awake?" in response, she heard a click from a small device in his hand.
"Saotome isn't available to return to consciousness right now," it said. "Please leave a message after the tone."
"That's not good enough, Saotome," Ryoko said, crossing her arms. There was another click from the device.
"Unless of course it is Ryoko Subaru calling, in which case, give him five minutes and try your call again."
Ryoko sat down at the computer and waited. When five minutes had passed, she poked him. "Wake up," no response. "Damnit, Saotome! Wake up!"
"Sleepy time," Finn groaned and lifted his head off the bunk. A book stuck to his face and he looked sleepily at his surroundings.
"Man," the author yawned. "All this talk about sleep…" the sound of the author's face hitting the keyboard followed.
"I've got a few questions for you," Ryoko said from her seat. She turned on the light above the computer and shone it in his direction.
"I didn't break the computer, Chief, it was like that when I got it," his head hit the bunk again. Ryoko had one of two options. On the one hand, she could say something in a really seductive voice and bring Finn back into reality through the ever-present drive within all human beings. Or, she could grab a glass from the bathroom and pour cold water over his face. Naturally, and to many readers' disappointment, she opted for the latter of the two. However, before she could dump the water on him, his hand shot up and grabbed her wrist.
"Nu uh," Finn said as he took the glass. "I don't need a shower," he pulled himself upright and downed the water. "You said you had a question for me?" he asked groggily.
"Yes," Ryoko sat back down in her chair. " 'Fiancé'?"
"Hmm?" Finn blinked.
"Are you trying to play dumb?"
"No, I'm playing tired," however, Ryoko didn't seem to find the humour in that one. "Sorry. I've been working non-stop for the last fourteen hours on an a few cookies I grabbed from the mess hall and a can of pop and, therefore, am depleted of energy and am suffering from strenuous lack of mental rest and revitalization," Ryoko blinked. "I'm tired as hell."
"Alright, I will repeat the question. 'Fiancé'?"
"Direct hit!" the workers inside Finn's head sounded the alarm. "Activate the stallometer while the explanation circuits are booted up!" Finn looked seriously at Ryoko.
"Well?" she pressed. It was difficult for Finn to tell what kind of mood she was in. Her voice was not curious, but not angry or accusing either. He couldn't put his finger on just what exactly she was feeling. The question also caught him off guard and he found himself at a loss for words. He searched her eyes and was able to infer just one thing.
"Ryoko," he said as he rose and motioned for her to make way at the computer. She got up and stood with her back leaning against the wall as Finn sat down and began to work at the computer terminal. She was about to say something after a minute had passed, but Finn motioned for her to give him a minute before she was able to speak. "Look here," he said, pointing at the screen. Ryoko stood beside him and found a picture of a young woman, her personal information printed beside it. "This is…was Yumi Yoshino," Finn said in a quiet but serious voice. "She and I were engaged to be married a couple of months from now, but she died a month ago; injuries from the explosion in the Utopia Colony. I was, and still am, I guess, a forensic investigator for the Utopia Colony Police. I met her a few years ago while she was directing traffic away from a crime scene. Eventually we found ourselves involved with one another," he continued. "Then, six weeks and three days ago, I woke up, and something was wrong. It was like I had led my entire life up until that point in some kind of a dream. I didn't know who I was, who she was, or what in the world I was doing in the apartment we share…shared. Gradually, I came to my senses and carried on, thinking I had probably had some weird dream or something. While Yumi and I were walking back home after having lunch, we were pushed over by some guy carrying a small box, with an angry man chasing him. Being a policeman, I assisted in the box's recovery, which ended up in my possession by an act of accident and negligence. When I touched the box's contents, a small stone, it was a key that unlocked myself. You remember, you touched it," it was at this time that he rose and walked over to the sliding door of the small bathroom. When Ryoko looked at him, he nudged his head in the direction a camera mounted above the computer. She nodded and joined him in the small, tiled room. Finn pulled the mirror back and removed a small transmitter device from inside and crushed it beneath his foot before turning the shower on. "Do you remember what happened? Back inside Fort Mag, with Akatsuki?" he said over the noise of the shower. Ryoko shook her head.
"I remember fighting him, but then it was like I fell asleep," she said.
"That's because," Finn still spoke in a serious tone of voice. "You were dead," he continued before Ryoko could reply. "When you were gone and Zero was gaining ground, that was it. I decided that I would undo everything. I overloaded the PT engine inside Jetstream and blew the jump computer, along with myself and Akatsuki," he looked her in the eyes now. "I decided that letting you live…I had to do it, even if it meant never having met you. I couldn't live with myself knowing I hadn't seized the only chance I had of bringing you back." In the noise of the shower in the background, Ryoko had to read Finn's lips more than listen to him.
"And this is the result. This is the world that would have existed had the jump computer, boson jumping, PT engines, had they never existed in the first place," he paused. "But, something went wrong. Our memories, yours, mine, even Tenkawa, Ruri, and the Captain's, were all kept intact. They were hidden away from us; locked up. And the novalite was the key. I don't know why, but when we came into contact with a piece of a CC, novalite, whatever, it unlocked those memories. It might have something to do with our nanomachines, I really don't know. But the fact is that when we touched that stone, the parts of us repressed by the reality flux emerged and we became ourselves again. This world, this reality we're in, it's not ours," he reached over and turned the shower off. "Keep that little tidbit to yourself." Ryoko nodded. Who knew what kind of destruction Akatsuki could cause if he ever remembered?
They emerged from the bathroom and sat down on the edge of the bunk. "But I guess I'm straying too far from the point," he looked at the picture of Yumi still on the screen, the word 'deceased' printed in big red letters under it. "If you're going to ask me whether I loved her or not, the answer is yes, I loved her. It kills me to even think that she's gone. But…" he trailed off for a moment before continuing. "But it wasn't real. It just wasn't real. I look back at it, and it wasn't really me that lived with her," he looked at Ryoko now. "But you…you are real."
The Usual Stuff
Finn stood at the before a large conference table, which held various executives of Nergal, including Akatsuki. Ryoko had also been allowed to sit in on the meeting. There was a large screen behind him and a remote in his hand. Someone's leather chair squeaked and they all lurched forward a little, all eyes on Finn.
"Ahem," he cleared his throat, picked up a glass, and filled it with water from a small pitcher, not because he was thirsty but because he really enjoyed grating Akatsuki's nerves by making him wait. "Alright, as you know…" he went on to tell them everything that had happened previous to the meeting. "Now onto the good stuff." He took another sip of water and looked at Akatsuki's twitching eye out of the corner of his. "By studying the past activities of the opposing organization I, along with my team, have been able to learn a great deal about them, how they move, and what their objectives are. First off, the name of the organization is known as Shokaract. It is composed of the descendents of an extremist religious group banished from Earth about 120 years ago. These extremists themselves call themselves the Successors. Twenty years after their banishment from Earth, the UF bombarded Mars with nuclear warheads, destroyed the Successors' colonies, yadda yadda yadda. The goal of Shokaract and the Successors is to re-establish their colonies and seeking revenge on the Earth, the UF, and the current human population brought to Mars during the official Martian colonization programme. In short, we've got a bunch of pissed off nutbars who want to kill us all as an act of revenge and regain control of Mars."
"And interesting tale, Detective," one of the men said. "What facts do you have to backup your theory?"
"There is little documentation regarding the Successors' banishment from Earth and the destruction of their colonies. However, we managed to steal…er…borrow some information from the UF file servers on Earth," Finn replied.
"What do you mean 'borrow'?"
"We kind of…er…snuck in without them knowing," Finn said, but continued before anyone could protest to the largest breach of security since the last largest breach of security, which coninsidentally had been the time Finn 'borrowed' some information on a UF soldier arrested for a murder. "So there is documented evidence of the Successor banishment, as well as video logs from Mars surveyor satellites of the assault. Naturally, the UF thought that by targeting unsuspecting colonies with nuclear weapons they would have wiped out most of the Successor population that lived on Mars, but it seems that a small group survived and has taken upon itself to exact revenge."
"You didn't answer my question. How do you prove that the terrorists we're dealing with are these Successors?"
"When the UF began construction at the South Pole for a scientific military installation, they made a discovery. They found a crude underground laboratory, which contained core samples from beneath the ice sheet. These samples had traces of novalite, which means the Successors were researching the properties of the substance. There's not really much alternative as to who built the abandoned facility," Finn answered.
"What have you found out about their knowledge of novalite?" asked Akatsuki.
"The Successors were in the very early stages of their study of novalite, but they knew enough that had potential as two things. The first was a source of nearly perpetual energy, which could be used as a propellant or a very powerful explosive. The second was a form of spatial translocation. But you guys already know what it's capable of, so I don't think any further explanation is necessary."
"And how exactly do you know the details of Shokaract and the Successors' current activity?" another one of them asked.
"The UF records all basic radio transmissions made on Mars. Every radio tower is fitted with recording equipment and all transmissions are monitored for any suspicious communications, but they're not very good at it. I had all transmissions around the Utopia and South Pole areas rechecked, and discovered an unusual pattern of words, which have been decoded. They outline where the epicentre of both explosions should be and at what time they were supposed to go off."
"Have you made any discoveries on UFOs and alien abductions?" one of them said, and they all laughed, with exception of Akatsuki. Finn scribbled something on a pad of paper. He tore the sheet off, folded it into a paper airplane, and sent it flying in the man's direction. When it landed right in front of its intended target, the man unfolded it and read what Finn had written. 'Try that again and I'll mention how you were a bed wetter until you were twelve,' it read. "No further questions," he mumbled and tore the piece of paper up.
"How did Shokaract get the bombs inside the Antarctic station?" another one asked. "Did they have someone on the inside smuggle them in?"
"That's not necessary for novalite based explosives. They can be translocated, or 'jumped' into any location the sender wants. So they could just jump the novalite explosives into the heart of the Antarctic station without having to put any of their own men at risk," Finn explained. "Chances are that they did the same for the Utopia Colony."
"What are the chances of them striking again?"
"Close to 100%."
"What do you mean 'close'?"
"Well, an asteroid could collide with the planet, split it in two, and destroy all life. I think that might prevent a future attack," there was silence. "They'll strike again," he added. "The only question is where."
"I don't suppose you know where that would be," one of the men concluded.
"Actually," Finn hit the button on the remote he held and the screen came to life, showing a map of Mars and its colonies. "I've been looking at the pattern in which they've been operating. The Antarctic station was destroyed about forty three seconds before the Utopia Colony was. Now, we can logically assume that they won't strike the same place twice. I mean, who would blow up a crater? So, that leaves Iacon, New Wellington, Cliffjump, Convoy, South Point, and the North Pole station, and the six UF bases. New Wellington and Cliffjump are ruled out because their population isn't large enough. Convoy has a large population, but no real industry, they're more of a tourist colony, so we can count them out. The North Pole station has no real significance in comparison to the South Pole; it's more of a research facility. South Point an industrial site, but the manufacturing that takes place there serves no real military significance. So that leaves the six bases and Iacon as probable targets. Now, we can rule out four of the bases, shown here," several X's appeared over four of the marked military bases. "because they're only for security reasons, they don't have much firepower. They're there as a kind of national guard in case of emergencies, not like that helps much. Anyway, this leaves bases two and three as targets, along with Iacon, again."
"Why target these two bases?" asked Akatsuki.
"Because they are the primary stations from with the UF operates its Mars fleet. With all those ships, troops, and weapons in such close proximity, it's just asking to be taken out," answered Finn.
"But the UF has sent most of its troops into orbit and the lunar station," one of the men said.
"Which is why out of the three remaining targets, the bases are the least probable. Shokaract might know that the UF's abandoned Mars. So that only leaves one logical place for them to strike."
"Iacon," Akatsuki concluded.
"The most populated city and the headquarters for the Martian government branch of the UF," Finn added.
"If this is the case, what would you suggest we do, Detective?" one of the men asked.
"It all comes down to the little guy, doesn't it?" Finn said to himself. "Well, I'd avoid making any public statements, you don't want to start a panic. Besides, it Iacon were to become deserted, it would just mean the other colonies would be targeted. My suggestion is to try and prevent the novalite explosives from being jumped into the city in the first place."
"The question remains, why haven't they destroyed the city yet?"
"They don't have any more detonators left," Finn said simply. "In order to set a novalite fragment off, you need a specific laser intensity. Too little and nothing will happen, too much and it'll just melt. Problem is that these detonators are, or were I should say, in the early stages of development and the few prototypes in existence were stolen prior to the attacks. And since they used the only two they had, they need to find more of them, or find any records explaining how to make them."
"Thank you for your report, Detective," Akatsuki said.
"Just one more thing," Finn added. "If and when they blow Iacon, don't expect anything to be left."
"What do you mean?" one of the men asked.
"They've got 65 grams left. They used 23 to blow the Utopia Colony, and it had the same effect as a hurricane. With 65, we're talking about a smouldering crater where the city used to be," Finn said as he began to walk away. "So I wouldn't think you're safe in your underground bunkers."
"Just one second, Saotome," Akatsuki said. "If they have so much explosive left, why not divide it up and strike more than one colony?"
"Given the fact the detonators are hard to find and even harder to build, I don't think they'd go to the trouble. Besides, what could be more devastating than killing every single person in Mars' largest city?" Finn replied as he walked through the door.
Ryoko got up from her seat at the far end of the table, off at the very end of the room, and followed Finn. She found him sitting on a bench beside some vending machines and a can of pop in his hand, Sprite for those readers who'd like to know.
"That could have gone better," she said as she sat down beside him.
"I'm exhausted," Finn said, slowly sinking down the seat.
"Like you've had much of a break since we got here," Ryoko said, taking the can from him having a sip.
"Not like that," he said with his hand over his eyes. "I'm sick of all this. I thought when I blew the box that everything would be fine, but it's all gone to shit again."
"Yeah," Ryoko said in agreement.
"At least Tenkawa, the Cap…Yurika, and Ruri are alright. I doubt anyone would want to blow up a pile of rubble," he said and they sat in silence and listened to the hum of the vending machines.
"Just one question," Ryoko ventured to pose this question: "Where are the Jovians in all this? How do they fit in?"
"I'm not entirely sure about that one, that's why I didn't mention it. But my best guess is that they were integrated into Successor society. The history's all screwed up in this world, nothing happened the way it should have."
"Detective," Akatsuki said, coming up to Finn and Ryoko in the cafeteria. Several days had now passed from their previous meeting and Finn was coming closer and closer to a possible location for where the Successors were based. "I trust you haven't made any progress?"
Finn took a long sip of his iced tea and tried to keep his face from falling into the sukiyaki he had in front of him. He was very tempted to douse Akatsuki's head in miso soup, but restrained himself. "Not yet," he yawned. "But I'm coming closer."
"Anyway, I'd like to introduce you to someone," Akatsuki stepped aside and Finn could see a woman standing behind him. She wasn't exactly young, she looked to be in her 40s and kind of reminded Finn of Inez, only with brownish red hair and a softer face. "This is Doctor Tenkawa."
Finn dropped his sticks. "Come again?"
"I am Miyuki Tenkawa," the woman said. "I believe you know my son, Akito. He's told me an awful lot about you and your work at the police station. I'm very sorry about what happened."
"Er…Detective Saotome," Finn clumsily introduced himself. "And this is Pilot Subaru."
"Dr. Tenkawa is well aware of the events that have taken place and has been fully briefed on the progress you've made," Akatsuki said.
"Yes, I'm only glad that you, Akito, and his family are alright," Miyuki said. "I heard that your fiancé was killed, I'm very sorry for your loss."
"Ouch," Finn's brain said. He looked at Akatsuki with a slightly puzzled expression.
"Her job is to assist you in interpreting any scientific data you find," Akatsuki said, reading Finn's face. "I reassigned her from novalite research development to your investigative team. I'll leave you to get to know one another now. I have more pressing matters to attend to," and he left.
"I'm glad I'm finally off that research team," Miyuki said, taking a seat beside Ryoko, who sat opposite of Finn. "You wouldn't believe how boring studying pieces of rock is."
Finn, again, dropped his sticks. "You mean Nergal has samples of novalite?"
"That's right," Miyuki said. Just before the Antarctic base was destroyed, the military sent us some."
"What kind of science is your speciality?" asked Ryoko, reading Finn's mind.
"Everything really," Miyuki replied. "I was supervising director the novalite team, so I had to be qualified in almost every aspect of related science."
"Just like Inez," Finn said to himself. "Tell me, Doctor, do you know anything about spatial anomalies in relation to dimensional and reality fluctuations?" Miyuki blinked. "Never mind," he turned back to his sukiyaki. "I'll explain later."
Time Bomb
"I've got a question for you," Ryoko said. Both she and Finn were in a dimly lit computer lab. Finn was going over data while Ryoko did some calculations for him. It was very late at night and most of the facility's personnel had gone home for the night.
Finn looked up. "What's that?"
"If Dr. Tenkawa's been studying the novalite, why hasn't she recovered her memories?"
"What memories?" Miyuki asked as she came into the room, a stack of binders and folders in her arms. However, before either Finn or Ryoko could begin coming up with a reply, there was a loud crash just outside the lab in the hallway.
Finn thanked God that He'd sent something to bail him out of that situation and they all rushed out into the hall to investigate the cause of the disturbance. They found a large metal box sitting in the middle of the hallway. It was about the size of a suitcase and looked as though it had been hastily deposited there.
"What is it, do you suppose?" Miyuki asked. "Who would leave this thing laying around here?"
Finn looked at Ryoko and Ryoko looked at Finn. He bent down and examined the box. It was locked tight and was made of very heavy steel. After trying a few random combinations on the computer lock, he turned things over to Ryoko, who smashed her foot as hard as she could into the thing, sending small bits and pieces of the computer flying into the air. He pulled a small penknife from his pocket and slid between the two halves of the box. Before long, he popped it open. "That's just prime," he said, looking at the sophisticated network of wires, computer parts, and mechanical pieces inside. There was a small screen with a timer counting down from five minutes. "It looks like the Successors have sent us their last present."
"Can you disarm it?" Ryoko asked.
Finn looked at the complicated labyrinth of wires inside the box and then looked at Ryoko. "I guess I can try, I suppose it's better than the alternative."
"Do you need anything? Wire clippers? Screw driver?"
"Just a sponge and a towel," Finn said under his breath as he began tracing one of the hundreds of wires strung throughout the box.
"What is it?" asked Miyuki. Finn and Ryoko facefaulted.
"I'm going to ignore that," he said. "Gah! There's too much stuff in here. I can't find the main detonator power cord," he said after a minute had passed.
"And we can't chuck it anywhere," Ryoko added as she tried to pick the box up, managing to lift it about the width of a hair off the floor. "And even if we could…"
"It would still replace the city with a smouldering hole in the ground," Finn finished. He searched the far recesses of his brain for…well; he didn't know what he was looking for. The author suggests that it was something to do with disarming the bomb, but he supposes that he might have been regretting the curry he had for lunch.
"Snap out of it, Saotome," Ryoko kicked him in the stomach. "Two minutes and 19 seconds left. If you're going to pull a plan out of your ass, I suggest you stand up."
A light bulb went off above Finn's head. "Dr. Tenkawa, you said you were working on novalite research, right?"
"That's right. Specifically on it's being used as a power source," Miyuki replied.
"And Nergal has samples of it?"
"Correct,"
"Ryoko?"
"Gotcha," Ryoko grabbed Miyuki's arm and took off down the corridor. "Where was your lab?"
"Where are you taking me?" Miyuki cried. The author suddenly realizes how hard it is to type Miyuki with any degree of speed.
"You guys try typing a name like that fast! Stop picking on me!" anime tears fall from the author's eyes. "The letters all on the same part of the keyboard! I've been working on this fic for months! Give me a break! Ahem, I apologize for that that brief laps of sanity, concentration, or whatever you want to call it. The author would like to thank his sponsors…the people at * reads the cheque * the 1/800000000000000th of a cent cheque from…Elves'R'Us?" The author is then swallowed by a giant Puchuu. "Not again…oh look! Ryoko's about to say something!"
"Where's your lab?" Ryoko asked.
"I worked in the east wing of the research facility," Miyuki answered.
"How do you we get there?"
"It's in the restricted area in sub-level 16," Miyuki said. "You need to take the security elevator to sub-level 3, move down through corridor 12, pass the security clearance, and then you have to go through section 6 and access the security door where the main lab is housed."
"In plain English?!"
"Go right!" Miyuki was now being dragged as Ryoko bolted down the corridors. "But we'll never make it in time!"
"Never say die!"
Finn stared at the mess that lay in front of him. No wires had been cut, no commands had been put into the small computer build into the inside of the bomb, which had only been partially damaged by Ryoko's excellent lock picking abilities. "Only 30 seconds left. They'll never make it." The clock hit 25 seconds. "Oh boy…"
"Halt!" an armed guard stood in Ryoko's way. "This is a restricted area, where's your security card?"
"No time for that, G.I. Joe," Ryoko said as she pushed by him.
"It's alright, she's with me!" Miyuki said as they flew by.
"I don't have to put up with this," the guard said as he took out his radio. "I've got two unauthorized units heading towards sub-level 16," he said into it. "Permission to use force is requested."
"Permission granted," came a voice on the other end and the guard raised his gun. However, before he could fire a shot a hand grabbed his arm.
"Not yet," came a voice.
"But sir!" the guard protested.
"I said let them go."
"Yes, sir," the guard returned his gun to its holster.
"Is he following us?" Ryoko asked.
"No, I don't think so," Miyuki said.
"Great. So where to next?"
"We're almost there, keep going straight until you see a heavy security door with red lights above it," Suddenly, Ryoko skidded to a stop and dove behind a vending machine. "What are you doimgph!"
"Don't say anything," Ryoko had her hand over Miyuki's mouth.
"They're over there, behind the vending machines!" came a voice.
"Damnit," Ryoko cursed and pressed herself as far behind the corner as the limits of space and would allow.
"Come out and we will guarantee your safety!" the voice called as shots were fired.
"I'll talk to them," Miyuki said.
"You nuts? Do you know what they'll do if they get a clear shot?"
"I'll just…"
"Watch," Ryoko grabbed an empty can from the recycling bin and tossed it out into the corridor. Within seconds it was turned into shreds of tin foil as the loud roar of machinegun fire ripped through the air. Ryoko felt for her gun, but was sadly disappointed when she remembered what universe she was in now. When the gunfire stopped, they heard footsteps coming closer along. Ryoko braced one foot against and both her hands on the edge of the machine and with great effort pushed it over, sending it falling into the corridor. They could hear shouts as the machine hit the floor with a great thud and pop cans rolled in every direction. Quickly, Ryoko scooped up a few and hurled them at the faces of the confused security team. Holding Miyuki's wrist with one hand, she burst into the clear and grabbed one of the guards by the arm and twisted it until he dropped his gun. She then picked up the gun and delivered a swift blow to the back of the neck, sending the man into a daze on the floor. All of this she did in the split second before anyone even realized what was happening. However, before they could get away, Ryoko heard the click of a rifle being armed and the pressure of its barrel in her back.
"Drop it," the man wielding the weapon said. Usually in this sort of situation, Ryoko would have ducked, grabbed his gun, and opened fire. Unfortunately, she had someone else to worry about instead of just herself. She reluctantly complied and dropped the gun on the floor. Most of the guards were trying to free themselves from under the weight of the toppled vending machine, but there were enough still upright to take her down. "Put your hands up, both of you," they, again, complied. "Do you know what kind of shit you two are in? We should just kill you both for the trouble. Just look at what you've done!" it was pretty obvious what he was referring to.
"Oh, please, we don't have much time," Miyuki protested.
"Quiet," he grabbed his radio and clicked it on. "We've got them, you can stand down security alert," he now turned to his fallen comrades. "You guys alright?" there was a collective groan in response. "I can't believe you're in such bad shape that just one chick was able to get the best of you."
Their hands were cuffed and they were led off to some secret part of the facility. They were sat down at a table in a dark room with only a single light bulb hanging above them providing illumination. The guards stood around them and their commander sat on the edge of the table.
"What were you trying to accomplish?" bad cop asked. "Who sent you?"
"I'm trying to tell you…"
"Just answer the question," he interrupted Miyuki.
"I can't believe this is happening," Ryoko muttered, shaking her head.
"If you cooperate, we can be lenient," good cop put his hand on Ryoko's shoulder.
"Take it off," she said looking at his hand from the corner of her eye. "Or I'll break it off."
"You're in no position to demand anything," bad cop said.
"Look, if we're going to play good cop bad cop can I talk to Scully not Mulder?" she asked. Too bad Finn wasn't there; he would have really enjoyed that one. Unfortunately for Ryoko, she didn't recall just what kind of reaction such smartass comments had.
"If you'll look in my pocket, you'll find…"
"A bomb, most likely," bad cop finished for her.
Ryoko heaved a sigh of frustration. "Look, if you guys will just shut up and listen to us for a sec…"
"You will not dictate my actions," bad cop interrupted again.
'I'm going to kill him. I'm going to kill him. I'm going to kill him,' Ryoko's brain repeated over and over, but her hands were chained to the back of the chair, and there was little chance of her killing the most annoying character to have appeared in this fic. Bad cop stood behind her; a light bulb went off above her head. She quickly rose, lifting the chair off the floor before sitting back down, crushing the annoying interrogator's foot beneath the leg of the chair. Needless to say, he didn't find it as amusing for as satisfying as Ryoko did.
"Miss Subaru," Miyuki said in protest.
"You little bitch," he said, grabbing Ryoko by the collar, who looked at him with a slight smirk as if to say 'Go ahead, try it.'
"Futama, calm down," good cop said.
"Hmph," bad cop, Futama for those who didn't clue in there, threw Ryoko back down into her seat.
"If you're trying to prove your innocence, pulling stunts such as these isn't the best way to go," good cop said.
"Then will you at least listen to us?" Miyuki asked, finally able to complete a sentence.
"Just kill them," Futama muttered, still nursing his foot.
"We're not going to do that," good cop said. "Please, continue."
"We came here to get a few chunks of novalite from the research facility," Miyuki explained.
"For what reason?"
"We need it because…well…I don't know why. Miss Subaru, why did Detective Saotome need the novalite?"
"You wouldn't believe me if I told you," Ryoko said. "And please stop calling me 'Miss'."
"See? They said it themselves, they're here to steal Nergal's novalite," Futama said.
"Want me to break your other foot? No? Then shut up," Ryoko snapped. "Damnit, where's Saotome when you really need him?"
"You're after Detective Saotome?" good cop asked.
"For booting up cold! Are you guys morons or something? DO – YOU – UNDERSTAND – THE – WORDS – THAT – ARE – COMING – OUT – OF – MY – MOUTH?!"
"Miss…sorry. Ryoko, please. This isn't helping," Miyuki said. "Look, all you need to do is…"
"I know exactly what needs to be done," Ryoko interrupted. "This little ---CENSORED--- needs his face rearranged and I'm just the one to do it!"
"Please, continue," good cop said to Miyuki.
"If you look in my coat pocket you'll find my wallet. You'll see that this is just a big misunderstanding," Miyuki finished. The other guards looked at good cop, who nodded, and one of them searched through the pockets of Miyuki's white lab coat. A few moments later he produced a small wallet and handed it to his superiors. "Look inside."
"Member of the 'I Like Squirrels Foundation'?" good cop asked as he flipped it open.
"Look behind that one," Miyuki said.
"I'm going to choose to ignore that one," Ryoko said quietly.
"Dr. Tenkawa: Nergal Research Team. Security clearance level 5…" good cop looked at Futama. "Woops."
How Much Time Left?
"Saotome!" Ryoko shouted as she ran down the corridor towards the spot they had left him earlier. "We've got some!" she rounded the corner and skidded to a stop. There was nothing there. No Finn, no box, nothing but bare, dim hallway. "Dr. Tenkawa, this is the right hallway, right?"
"That's right," Miyuki said as she caught up to Ryoko.
"What's the matter?" good cop asked when he caught up, his team behind him, with exception to Futama who sat icing the foot Ryoko had crushed.
Just then something occurred to her. "Good cop, how long were we under interrogation?"
"About twenty minutes," good cop answered. "Why do you ask?"
"Hold still for a sec," Ryoko said as she turned around and socked good cop in the face.
"Subaru!" Miyuki said in surprise and confused horror.
"Nope, I'm not dreaming," Ryoko said to herself as she massaged her knuckles. "Sorry about that."
"Augh," was the sound good cop made as he peeled himself out of the impression in the wall. He stooped down to pick up his hat and quickly placed it back on his head, its rim once again shading his eyes. "Can I ask what that was for?"
"What the hell is going on?" Ryoko asked herself as she moved further down the corridor to the spot the box had been. There were a few bits and pieces of computer parts and small ends of wires laying about where the box had been, but no sign of the box itself. She looked at the clock on the wall above them. It read just past two in the morning, but it had read half past one when the box first appeared.
Ryoko stood right where Finn had knelt to examine the box. She paid little attention to the crunch of something beneath her feet as she looked around. It was possible that Finn had disarmed the device, but she found the room in which they had been working empty and the lights were out in the other rooms down the hall. It would have been impossible for Finn to have dragged it off somewhere; there would have been scratches in the floor, which was still shiny and almost spotless. "If this is a surprise party, he's a dead man."
"Where did Detective Saotome go? I wonder," Miyuki broke the silence. Had she been anyone other than Akito's mother, Ryoko would have said something. She found the elder Tenkawa's naivety both mind boggling and incredibly irritating at the same time.
"You tell me," she answered.
"Calm blue ocean, calm blue ocean," chibi Ryoko said, standing on Ryoko's shoulder.
They all stood around scratching their heads, with exception to Ryoko, who stood with her arms crossed and her back against the wall in wait.
"Aren't you the least bit worried?" asked Miyuki. It was at this time that a bright flash of light burst before them as some object was hurled out of subspace down the corridor.
"WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!" came Finn's voice as he was blown out of the air, flying down the corridor, and finally stopping when he flew face first into a filing cabinet, which toppled over and crushed him beneath it.
Everyone made their way to the crash site, where papers were strewn everywhere and metal shards tinked as they hit the cold floor. They could see a pair of legs protruding from beneath the heavy file cabinet, twitching occasionally.
"At least he's still alive," Ryoko said to herself. "Hey, Saotome, you breathing in there?" she kicked the remains of the file cabinet.
"I think I impaled myself with my pen," came a squeak from inside.
Ryoko and the security team hauled the broken storage unit aside and dug through the mound of papers to find Finn laying there swirly eyed. "Don't die on me now," Ryoko said as she hauled him up and dragged him back to the lab where she tossed him into a chair. His mouth hung slightly open and his eyes were still swirly.
"Is he alright? Should we call a doctor?" Miyuki asked.
"He'll be fine," Ryoko said as she took a seat. It didn't take a rocket scientist to figure out what had happened, even though they had one if it did. "So you managed to boson jump the bomb away somewhere?" Finn's head made some kind of a nodding motion.
"What's boson jumping?" good cop asked.
"I'm guessing it's some kind of transdimensional fold," Miyuki said. It was moments such as these that she truly earned the degree hanging in her office. As to why Finn was actually alive, only Ryoko knew the answer to that.
"How'd you manage to get back?" Finn's head continued nodding. "I guess it's understandable," she said to herself, shaking her head, and turning to the computer. "Yo, good cop, c'mere for a sec. Man, the author really needs to give you a name."
"I've been busy!" the author cried. "You'll see why he doesn't have a name yet. Just be patient. Good reader," the author throws the reader a bone.
"Can you access any security files from this thing?" she asked
"Yes, but…"
"Do it," Ryoko vacated the seat for good cop, who sat down and began working away. After a few minutes of keys clacking and the mouse clicking he managed to bring up the security camera's view of the area just outside of the lab, where the box had been jumped. "Go forward a bit, up until the part Dr. Tenkawa and I leave," they all crowded around and watched as Ryoko took off, dragging Miyuki behind her. Finn sat and sifted through the box and pulled a few wires. He then stared at the device, more specifically the timer, and seemed to be quiet worried. He mumbled to himself, they could see his lips move, but since the camera had no audio it was impossible to hear what he was saying. After a while passed in a few seconds, Finn quickly began ripping and tearing wires out, seemingly at random. It was pretty obvious to everyone he wasn't concerned about setting the device off, since it was going to blow anyway. However, there did appear to be a method to his madness, for he pulled a small container out of the box. Wasting no time, he took his knife and tried to take the thing apart. There was still a long cord attaching the container to the box, but it looked to be coated in a steel skin, to which Finn's knife was no match. He tried everything that immediately jumped to mind; throwing it against the ground, slamming it in the door, and so on. Finally in desperation he hauled the larger metal box off the ground, with great effort, and slammed it down against the smaller box. Nothing. He tried it again, but still nothing. He continued bashing the box against the container again and again, but did little more than cause a few dents in it. They couldn't tell what the timer was at, but they could make out the word 'shit' as he sat back down and examined the container. Even though they knew the final outcome, the small audience still held its breath, with exception to Ryoko, who had seen Finn pull victory out of a hat from situations that seemed even more hopeless than this. In frustration, he tossed the container aside and sent it skidding across the floor for as far as its cord would allow it. Surprisingly enough, a piece of the container's fell off. Finn stared at this for a moment before retrieving the thing and looking through it. It was difficult to say what he found inside, the camera being mounted across the hall, but he did produce a small object from inside. It was small, no bigger than a pebble, but had a larger attachment connected to it. To everyone's surprise, Finn ignored it and, to add to the surprise, he placed the pebble on the floor and bashed the box against it. He stopped when the pebble split into several pieces. Quickly, he scooped up two of the larger ones. It was at this time that the camera became grainy and it was impossible to see what was happening. Then, all of a sudden, the screen cleared and neither Finn nor the box were anywhere to be found. They then saw themselves on the walking around outside the door to the lab looking around only a few moments ago.
"Ugh," Finn groaned.
"I don't get it," good cop said. "I don't understand why the video file crapped out on us. Where'd he go?"
"He boson jumped," Ryoko said offhandedly, more to herself than to anyone else.
"It's quite possible that the rapid discharge of subspace particles caused a temporary failure in the camera's electrical components," Miyuki explained, everyone looked at her. "You don't earn a degree in theoretical physics for nothing."
"Alright Saotome, we've given you enough of a nap time, wake up," Ryoko said, lifting Finn's head up, but he stared off into space. "Hey," she said in good cop's direction. "You work with people, why don't you take a shot at it?"
"I can try," good cop said, rising from his seat and moving over to where Finn sat partially comatose. He grabbed a small flashlight from his belt and shone it in Finn's eyes. "Are you sure he's not dead?"
"I'm sure. Just wake him up."
Good cop poked Finn with his pen, shone the light in his eyes, dumped water on his head, even fired his gun into the floor, which made Miyuki jump like a caffeine high chipmunk, but still, nothing seemed to bring him out of it. "I'm out of ideas."
"I really didn't want to have to resort to this," Ryoko said as she broke one of the legs off one of the few wooden chairs in the room. "Here," she handed it to Miyuki.
"What am I supposed to do with this?" asked Miyuki in her usual naïve way.
"Take a shot at him," Ryoko said simply.
"I couldn't," Miyuki backed up a few steps.
"Don't worry, you'll be fine."
"I'm more worried about him," Miyuki said, glancing in Finn's direction.
"Don't worry about it," Ryoko said again.
"Why not him?" implying good cop, "Or you?"
"He'd probably kill good cop here and he wouldn't even make a move to stop me, so that leaves you. Come on, hurry up."
"I really don't…"
"Do it," Ryoko said sternly.
"Here goes," Miyuki walked up tentatively up to Finn and struck him lightly on the side of the head.
"Put some muscle behind it," Ryoko said. "Come on, don't wuss out on us now."
"I'll try," Miyuki said, but looked uncertain. She looked at Ryoko, who nodded, and then at the drooling Finn. "I'm sorry," she said to him as she took a baseball stance. She hesitated for a moment before swinging the piece of wood into the side of Finn's face. However, the wood never touched its intended target area.
"See what I mean?" Ryoko asked when Finn caught the wood and opened his eyes. "Hey Saotome, welcome back to the world of moving parts."
"I'm getting kind of tired of saving the world all the time," Finn groaned. There were cuts all over his body, his clothes were torn, and he looked like he had been beaten with a hockey stick. "At least it's done now. No more novalite, neomite, CCs, whatever you want to call it, they don't have any more. Maybe I can finally get some sleep," he added with a yawn.
"Looks like you were cutting it close there. Jump the second after the thing blew?" Ryoko asked, sitting on the edge of the desk beside Finn.
"You mean he actually boson jumped?" Miyuki cried. How is that possible? All jump experiments have proven fatal for the test subject. This is incredible; I can't wait to tell Mr. Akatsuki!"
"Please don't make me kill you," Finn hung his head and shook it.
"Who cares about him," Ryoko said. "Where'd you jump to anyway?"
"The only place I could think of where it wouldn't do much damage," Finn replied.
"What do you mean 'jump'?" good cop asked. "What are you people talking about,"
Finn lifted his head up and looked at the bewildered security officer. "Hey, Aoi, what's the good word?"
"Aoi?" Ryoko asked. She quickly grabbed good cop's hat and tossed it into a corner and, sure enough, there was a confused looking Jun beneath it. "Oh…my…" she didn't finish.
"What are you people talking about?" he asked again.
Finn opened his mouth to speak, but closed it. "You know what? You don't want to know. Just forget it,"
Checkmate
"So where'd you jump to?" Ryoko asked as she and Finn walked down the dark, empty corridor in the direction of their quarters. They had left Miyuki and Jun under strict instructions not to let anyone know of the night's events, especially Akatsuki.
"That's the last thing we need," Finn had explained. "Aoi, delete the video logs from tonight. Dr. Tenkawa, you can tell Mr. Akatsuki that we've disposed of the remaining novalite, that there's nothing to worry about," although, Miyuki seemed to excited by Finn's successful boson jump that he wouldn't put it passed her to forget his instructions. She kept pestering him with questions, which he tried his best to dodge. He did have to admit that his arrival back to the hallway outside the lab was due to the time delay created by the flux of bose particles.
"Like I said, the only place where it wouldn't a lot of damage," Finn replied.
"And where might that be?"
"The pole. So instead of a small crater in place of the Antarctic station used to be, there's a big crater."
"So it's over," Ryoko said. "There's no more novalite left for the Successors and the mining facility at the Antarctic base's been destroyed,"
"Not quiet," Finn said quietly, but Ryoko didn't seem to hear.
They continued on in silence in the dim light. They heard it before they saw it, the sound of someone clapping his hands in a slow, rhythmic beat. They pressed forward and the sound grew louder. Finally, they saw the source, a shadowy figure leaning against the wall. It didn't take a rocket scientist to figure out who the black silhouette belonged to.
"Bravo!" came the all-too familiar voice. "Well done, Detective, well done."
"It's over, Mr. Akatsuki," Finn said. "The novalite's gone, Iacon's in no danger."
"A job well done, Detective," Akatsuki praised, which made Finn's skin crawl. "You too, Subaru. I commend you both for your efforts."
"If you don't mind, we're both kind of tired," Finn said. "It's past my bedtime anyway."
"Rest you deserve and rest you shall have, my friend," Akatsuki grinned and Finn suddenly felt a sharp pain in the back of his head. He noticed Ryoko fall to the floor and he quickly swung around to face whatever new threat lay behind him. A small group of security officers had formed behind them, some holding batons, some holding guns.
"It's going to take a whack on the head to take me down," Finn shook his head, grabbing a baton away from the closest guard. However, they all came at him at once and quickly overpowered him.
"Put him to sleep," Akatsuki said, standing over Finn, who was held to the floor by six men. One of the guards held and instrument to Finn's neck and pulled the trigger. Finn all of a sudden felt a wave of exhaustion fall over him. His eyes began to droop, but he still struggled, though it was in vain.
"You show remarkable concentration, Lieutenant," Akatsuki grinned. "I really didn't want to have to drug you, but you've left me no choice."
"Not tired…" Finn fought to stay awake. "Didn't get a bedtime story…or water…or…" but it was too much. He slipped into the uneasy shadow of sleep and saw the world go black around him.
Finn's eyes slowly opened. His head pounded and his vision was blurry. He tried to move, but found himself either restrained or too tired to lift his limbs, or a combination of both. Slowly, his vision cleared and he surveyed his surroundings. He was seated in the narrow confines of a chair. When he tried to move, he found mobility and impossibility, for his arms, legs, hands, feet, and even neck were restrained tightly against the seat. However, much to his surprise and disappointment, no one was there to greet his return to the world of consciousness. He tried to get a better look at his surroundings, but found that the restraint against his neck prevented him from doing so. There was no one that he could see present, and the only noise was the constant roar of the helicopter engine.
It was some time later, minutes, perhaps hours, that Finn felt the craft touch down and heard the sound rotor begin to die. There were other sounds now, the sounds of people moving around, and he could see them move towards the front of the helicopter from the corner of his eye. However, no one seemed to be particularly interested in Finn.
Finally, a few people crowded around him and he felt the seat being raised off the floor and carried outside, which blasted him with a burst of warm air. The light outside was dim and the mix of warm and cold wind bit his exposed face. It was a strange sensation, for he felt small wisps of warm air brush against his face. His seat was carried for a few minutes before it was finally set down, and Finn opened his eyes. There was a curious mixture of black and white and the dim light crept over the horizon.
"Have a nice rest?" came a voice that he knew all-too well. "Please forgive the restraints. Knowing you, Saotome, chains simply wouldn't be enough."
"Why didn't you just kill me?" Finn answered. "Then I wouldn't have to see your pretty-boy face anymore."
"Haven't changed a bit," Akatsuki grinned.
"Where are we anyway?"
"You should know this place well enough," Akatsuki looked around him. "This used to be the south-Martian icecap."
"What do you mean 'used' to be?"
"Look around you, Saotome!"
"I'm not in the mood for your games," Finn said angrily.
"The miles of ice that once covered this land have been melted away," Akatsuki continued. "All those millions of tonnes of ice, gone, melted away," he tossed a small stone in the air, a stone that Finn didn't have to guess where it came from. "The ice that once blocked my way is gone now. While it was still here, it would have taken months to retrieve even the smallest of samples. But that's all irrelevant now. And to think I have you to thank!"
The realization of what Finn's actions had caused struck him like bullet.
"Face it, Saotome," Akatsuki laughed. "You were careless. You played right into my hands and were the perfect pawn. I needed you to jump the last bomb here as an 'act of courage' to melt the ice and prove boson jumping is still possible."
"So why not kill me and spare me your babblings?" Finn asked.
"Unfortunate as it is, I still need you."
Finn smirked. "What makes you think I'm going to help you?" it came to no surprise when a chair carrying a restrained Ryoko was placed beside Akatsuki. There was a band of tape across her mouth and a large purple spot above her right cheek.
"Let me guess, 'why not come up with something more original?'"
"That comes to mind," Finn muttered. "So what's the deal? I cooperate and Ryoko lives? I don't cooperate and she dies?"
"You have a far too jaded view of the world, my friend," Akatsuki shook his head. "You and I know very well that if I kill her, you won't cooperate, and that gets us nowhere. No no, my friend. You will cooperate and Miss Subaru here will be quite safe from any physical harm."
"And if I refuse? You know as well as I do that it's going to take a lot more than a few bruises to phase her."
Akatsuki walked over and rested his elbow on Finn's seat. "Well, you see, I employ first-rate soldiers, for obvious reasons. They are well trained, disciplined, and very well paid. Trouble is that they work long hours and don't have much time to socialize."
"Get to the point."
"These soldiers don't have the privilege of regular female company that you and I do, which leads to certain problems with moral," Akatsuki continued. "You see where I'm going, don't you?"
"You son of a bitch," Finn tried to tear Akatsuki's throat from his neck, but found himself unable to do so, surprise surprise.
"And here I always thought you were against killing, but I'm glad you understand," Akatsuki grinned. "But, of course, you can avoid such an unfortunate scenario if you want to. It's up to you."
"And what exactly do you want me to do?"
"Unfortunate as it may seem, you, Saotome, are the only one who has actually managed to successfully boson jump and return alive, in this reality anyway. You also seem to have quite a bit of knowledge regarding CCs and their properties. Even Dr. Tenkawa was surprised, and she was the one who spearheaded our research! So killing you would simply be a waste." Finn remained silent. "Yes, it was for nothing," Akatsuki said, reading Finn's mind. "By destroying the original jump computer you've only helped further my ambitions."
"How much are they paying you?"
"What do you mean?"
"You know what I'm talking about. How much are the Successors paying you? Let's see, enough novalite to blow the Utopia Colony, the Antarctic base, and melt the remaining icecap near the pole. My guess is that it doesn't come cheap."
Akatsuki didn't seem all that surprised by Finn's intuitiveness. "Nothing, actually. I'm not being paid with money. It can only go so far before people become suspicious. Besides, what would I need with money? I already have enough to buy Mars five times over. Besides, they're not the ones paying. Nergal has had, how shall I put this, certain financial ties with Shokaract? I'm after a far greater prize."
"Power," Finn concluded.
"Exactly! Well done, Lieutenant, still as sharp as ever. The Successors are remarkable businessmen and there's quite a lot in store for me when their takeover of Mars is successful."
"Still the same old stupid Akatsuki," Finn muttered. "World domination eh? Good luck. So what does this have to do with me, anyway?"
"Simply put, I need you to activate the novalite deposits. You know that it's as useless as sand if it's not active. Why not activate it myself, you ask? The detonators used to ignite the novalite could also be used for other bose particle-based reactions. Unfortunately, the last one was destroyed earlier this morning and the Successors inadvertently destroyed their plans when they destroyed the Utopia Colony. It's very difficult and time consuming to research and make new ones. Why would I when I can have you do it for me?"
"And how do you propose I do that? It wasn't exactly easy activating enough to jump here. How am I supposed to activate a frickin' continent of it?"
Akatsuki motioned to someone behind Finn and a large truck was moved around and parked on the exposed novalite. Men hopped out of the back carrying jackhammerlike devices and began pounding away at the rock. The truck's trailer unfolded, revealing a portable laboratory. At the centre of this construct was a cube encased in Plexiglas. A single cord protruded from the cube, which connected to the computers inside the lab.
"The jump computer," Finn ground his teeth.
"Remarkable, isn't it? Primitive in comparison the original, but since you destroyed that reality, this will have to do."
It was at this time that someone placed a metal collar around Finn's neck. Too add to his surprise, he was freed from the restraints. His initial instinct was to make a run for Ryoko, but before he could do so his head seared with pain and his vision turned red.
"Wonderful," Akatsuki said, standing over him. The collar sparked and hummed as Finn rolled on the ground in agony. "I suggest you start working. My men can be somewhat impatient at times, and we wouldn't want to see anything happen to Miss…Pilot, I should say, Subaru," he kicked Finn in the stomach. "Come on, time to get to work."
Finn brought himself to his knees and, finally, to his feet. He was led over to the lab and pushed into a seat in front of a computer. Akatsuki stood behind him, holding a small remote device, which was obviously used to activate the collar, and watched.
It was pretty clear to Finn what needed to be done. In order for the novalite to be of any use, it needed a catalyst to activate it. And only Finn knew well enough how novalite worked to do so. A few techies scurried about, but most of the attention was focused at Finn.
"Tell me," he asked. "Is this system integrated into the net?"
"Why do you ask?" Akatsuki asked suspiciously.
"This system doesn't have enough capacity to process the novalite activation programme. With what we've got here, it would take years to activate all of this; we could only do it about two kilos at a time."
"Is that true?" Akatsuki asked one of the techies.
"I'm not sure, sir," the techie replied. "This is all untested equipment, but he could be right, we might not have enough processing power to do this all at once."
"And what is your suggestion, Soatome?"
"My suggestion is to use the global satellite network and borrow processing power from any computers currently available, such as file servers, networks, blah blah blah."
Akatsuki hit the button on the remote and sent Finn to the floor in agony. "And now?"
"Same as before," Finn choked, Akatsuki hit the button again.
"Now?"
"Same," Finn wheezed.
Akatsuki looked at the writhing Finn, from whom smoke rose. "Very well. Doctor," he said, referring to the techie. "Give him access, but watch him." He hit the button again. "Closely."
After a few minutes Finn was able to pull his smoking body from the cold floor of the lab and back into his chair. For the South Pole it was unusually warm. Nobody around was dressed in heavy coats, but rather standard military issue. Finn concluded that the blast from the novalite earlier had melted the ice and heated the ground and that heat was now radiating out around them. However, Finn's heat came from the electrifying shocks delivered by the collar. There was no time to think about that though, he had work to do, whether he liked it or not.
The techie who was known only as Doctor hovered behind Finn and watched as he rapidly put commands into the computer. Windows popped up by the second and the text imputed flashed across the screen faster than could be read. Doctor swallowed slightly as he began to fall behind, unable to keep up with Finn's pace. Finn grinned slightly as he noticed this, but kept one eye on the screen and the other on Ryoko, who remained retrained and surrounded by soldiers. There was no doubt in his mind that Akatsuki would follow through with his threats.
"Damnit!" he said, slamming his hands down on the keyboard in frustration.
"What's the problem?" Akatsuki asked.
"The novalite's too cold for the computer to tap into its structural matrix. We need to heat it up so the signal won't be distorted by the cold,"
"Doctor?" Akatsuki turned to him. "Is that correct? It seems pretty warm out here to me."
"Y…yes sir," he answered. He didn't really know whether Finn was being truthful or not, he had lost track with what he had been doing and was hopelessly confused, but feared to voice his failure for fear of loosing his job, or worse. "He's quite right. Even with the heat from the blast, the subsurface minerals are too cold."
Akatsuki seemed to turn the possibilities around in his head for a few moments. "What do you need to get the novalite sufficiently warmed?"
"The whole area doesn't have to be heated, only a small section of about ten or twelve cubic metres," Finn noticed Akatsuki's thumb move in the direction of the button. "And you can torture me as much as you want; my answer won't change." This seemed to perturb Akatsuki, but only for a moment. He sent Finn to the floor again, sparks leaping from the fallen soldier's body.
"I'm not up to any of your tricks, Lieutenant," he said. "Watch him," he ordered Doctor and the guards. "Make sure he doesn't try anything."
"Let's go," one of the guards said as he hauled Finn off the floor. "What do you need?"
"Some aloe and an ice pack for starters," Finn coughed. "Yo, Doc, what do you have in terms of laser optics and energy converters?"
An Hour Later
"Alright," Finn said as he plugged some cables into the computer. "We're ready," he placed a large device on the desk. It was about the size of a watermelon and looked like the result of some kind of horrible scrap yard accident.
"What is it?" Akatsuki asked.
"It's a laser energy converter," Doctor explained, trying to prove that he was not a total dumbass. "It will transmit enough heat energy into the ground to warm the novalite up to a suitable temperature for activation. It uses a laser…"
"Will it work? I trust that you oversaw its construction down to the last screw? I wouldn't want any unforeseen explosions."
"I assure you, there is nothing dangerous about it," Doctor beamed and Finn picked up the heavy construct and held it under one arm.
"Hold it, Saotome," Akatsuki said and he looked at one of the guards. "Take it and put it where it needs to go."
"Yes, sir," the guard said and he grabbed the converter from Finn, and fell to his knees.
"What's the matter?"
"This…this thing weighs a tonne!" the guard grunted as struggled to lift it. With great effort he hauled it off the floor and set it down on the exposed novalite.
"Hurry up, Saotome. Destiny awaits me," Akatsuki looked at Finn. "What are you doing?"
"Just got something in my eye," he answered. "Anyway, it's all ready. Shall I start?"
"Yes, hurry up," Akatsuki snapped.
"Yes, sir," Finn said, rubbing his eyes. He hit the icon on the computer and the converter activated. It began with a low hiss, which began to grow in pitch and intensity. There was a loud crack and a blinding light exploded from the device. The light vanished a split second later, but was followed by another crack and another flash of light, this one more powerful than the last.
"What are you doing, Saotome?!" Akatsuki shouted, still blinded by the first burst of light, holding his hands over his eyes.
"Don't worry," Finn replied, his hands still covering his eyes. "This is all part of the sequence." It was too risky to make a dive for the remote with ever brightening flashes of blinding intensity exploding from the ground. He could run the risk of blinding himself in such an attempt. Thankfully, Ryoko had noticed Finn covering his eyes and had shut hers tight.
The converter let out another ear splitting crack followed by an even more intense eruption of light. This time, however, it shot a thick beam of light into the sky, which immediately began to flicker in a series of rapid flashes.
"Is it over?" Akatsuki asked when the converter seemed to go quiet.
"That's about it," Finn eyed the remote, but the risk of the converter starting up again was still a possibility. He didn't have the time to perfect the 'bugs' he had worked into the device. Akatsuki held the remote in one hand while he rubbed his burning eyes with the other. This was his chance. Quickly, he leapt out of his seat and dove at Akatsuki, tackling him down to the floor. However, the device still hung within Akatsuki's grasp. There was a small cord around his wrist that tied the remote to him that Finn had failed to see. Quickly, Akatsuki slammed his thumb down on the button reduced Finn to a twitching ball of smoking flesh. It was as though the shocks were doubled in intensity each time and it was getting closer and closer to Finn's breaking point.
"Not smart," Akatsuki said as he hit the button again. Finn felt as though he was on fire, on both the inside and out. He could hear the searing in his ears from the energy that shot through his body. This continued for several minutes. Each time Finn recovered from one shock, Akatsuki would deliver another, more painful one. "Well, what have you got to say for yourself now?" He kicked Finn in the ribs. "Hmm? Nothing to say?" He kicked him again and hauled him up by his neck. "I should have known better than to place even the smallest degree of trust in you. Well guess what? Now you've gone and pissed me off. Guards!" he said into his radio. "Do whatever you wish with her, I don't care anymore. Kill her if you like, but make sure you have some fun with her first."
"Wait," Finn wheezed.
"Why
should I?" Akatsuki demanded. "Why should I give a rodent like you another
chance?"
"The novalite…" he wheezed
again. "The novalite's active, but still in an unstable form," he paused and
weakly took in a few quick breaths of air. "Without a counter programme, it'll…
"Will? Will what?"
"It'll blow, taking this whole planet with it," he choked. "Novalite needs to be activated and then put into a stable form so that it won't chain-react and detonate at random."
"Why should I trust you? You've already tested my patience as far as it can go."
"Sir, come here, quickly. You've got to see this," Doctor said, looking at the computer screen.
"Is something wrong, Doctor?"
"Yes, sir. You have to see this!"
"See? I told you," Finn wheezed.
"Sir!"
"Will you be quiet!?" Akatsuki shouted at Doctor. "I already know what's going on, you don't have to tell me what I already know." He turned back to Finn. "Why should I trust you?"
"Do you think I'd let Ryoko come to that kind of harm?" Finn said weakly.
"That's so cute," Akatsuki smirked. "But how do I know this is nothing more than a transparent ploy to save your own hide?"
"Why would I want the planet to blow up? You heard it yourself, the good Doctor said something was wrong," Finn said.
"Is that true, Doctor? Is there something wrong here?"
"Yes sir, but…"
"How serious?"
"Very serious, you have to come and take a look," Doctor said urgently.
"How much time would you give us?"
"Ten minutes at the most, we have to stop it! They're…"
"Quite!" Akatsuki boomed. "I still fail to see why I should trust you."
"Is that a gamble you're willing to take?" Finn countered. Akatsuki searched Finn's half closed eyes.
"Eight minutes, sir!" Doctor said frantically. "After that, it'll be too late!"
"What's it going to be? I know I'm dead no matter which way you slice it, so why don't you do something decent for once in your life and spare those millions," Finn wheezed, almost at the level of a whisper. From the corner of his eye he saw Ryoko and, to his relief, the guards had paused when they heard his weak plea for a moment.
"Do it," Akatsuki dropped Finn in the chair in front of the computer. "How much time?"
"Only six minutes," Doctor said. "I can't stop it!"
"Move aside," Finn pushed Doctor out of the way and began furiously typing and clicking away with a reserve of energy he didn't even know he had.
"But sir, you don't understand," he said.
"Be quiet," Akatsuki ordered.
"It's no good," Finn shook his head. "The computers can't keep up with the fluctuation energy parameters. This thing's useless," he smashed the keyboard with his fist. The monitor fizzled out and died, but the computer continued to run.
"What does this mean? We're all doomed?"
"I didn't say that," Finn said, starring at the broken keyboard in front of him. "I can do it manually."
"How?" Akatsuki demanded with unhindered frustration and urgency in his voice.
Finn held up his right fist. "With this."
"Four minutes left," Doctor said in a panic.
"Do it."
Finn leapt from the chair, over the side of the lab and onto the novalite plain. He ran in the direction of one of the massive jackhammers that had pounded its way into the rock earlier.
"Stop!" came a voice and a shot was fired. Finn fell to the ground, blood exploding out his back. "Sir, he just tried to escape, I took him down."
Ryoko tried desperately to crane her neck around to see what happened, but could see nothing in the direction the shot had been fired.
"Looks like your boyfriend's not going to be around to see this," one of the guards snickered.
"You idiot!" Akatsuki furiously struck the guard who had fired, knocking him to the ground. "Doctor," he seized the snivelling man by the collar and hoisted him off the ground. "Can anything be done?"
"It's too late, sir, by now they'll have…"
"Damnit!" he threw the pitiful man to the ground and kicked the guard in the stomach ferociously. When the guard's pitiful whimpers for mercy finally died, Akatsuki walked over to where Finn's body had fallen.
There were spatters of blood around the novalite behind him and a thick pool oozed out from beneath his body. Akatsuki used his foot and rolled Finn over onto his back. The hole in his chest seeped with blood and his eyes stared blankly into the sky.
Akatsuki sank to the ground and stared at the limp body that lay before him. Time seemed to stop all together. He could feel the cool breeze of the air and the warmth radiating from the stone beneath him. Then, like a madman, he burst into a fit of laughter. A cluster of guards and techies drifted over and formed a half circle around him, all staring in confused panic. "I'll take him down with me!" he said in hysterical laughter. "I'll take him down with me! He'll actually stay dead this time! There's no going back, I've finally got you! Even if it meant destroying myself in the process, I finally got you," he nudged Finn's body with his foot. "Nothing to say for yourself now?" his nudge became a kick. "No smartass remarks? No stupid jokes? Nothing?"
"Sir…" one of the guards stepped forward.
"I don't care about the CCs anymore!" Akatsuki said, grabbing the guard by the throat. "I don't care about that, this…this is almost better. You could shoot, poison, stab, slice, beat, or blow him up as much as you wanted, but the roach kept on crawling away. Scurrying away into his dark little corners. I could step on him as much as I wanted and still see his tiny legs twitching away, but now! Oh, look at him now!" he paused for a moment, laughing to himself as he looked at the body. "My good Doctor, how much time have we left?"
"Two minutes, sir," Doctor replied.
"And nothing can be done?"
"No sir, he's destroyed the monitor and the controls. We have no way of getting back into the system before the…" he stopped short when Akatsuki burst out in another fit of mad laughter.
He pushed his way past the crowd that had formed and spun Ryoko's seat around. "Stand aside!" he said insanely joyful. He ripped the tape from Ryoko's mouth and undid the strap pinning her neck back. "I suppose you can guess who this idiot," he kicked the guard, who lay beside the chair. "who this idiot fired at?"
"Doesn't take a rocket scientist," Ryoko spat at him.
Akatsuki brought his face level with hers. "I don't really know what he saw in you," he said, brushing Ryoko's hair back before he planted his lips on hers. Ryoko said nothing, but wrenched her head back before slamming it back into his skull, sending him stumbling back in a daze. "Lively little bitch, isn't she?" he laughed. "Doctor, how far does the clock wind down?"
…to be continued in Act 11
End of Act 10
