Sakura Wars: The 21st Century

By Steve Edward

Chapter 5

Tokyo – May 1st 1927 – Shouwa 1- 0830 hours local

John who had arrived exactly where promised; the voice of Staff Sergeant Bloomberg giving a final farewell faded in the communications device as the doorway closed, he turned quickly briefly seeing her as it shutdown.

Removing the device and carefully stowing it within the compartment that held it on the steamer trunk; John listened briefly for any indication that an alarm had been raised concerning his arrival. Mary had been adamant that the opening of the doorway was silent and therefore not noticeable.

He maneuvered the cart from the back of the cargo warehouse and emerged on the opposite side from where the Steamship San Francisco Star now lay docked. Appearing to initially be lost to any casual observations he tugged the cart back through the warehouse and there it was he encountered his first Japanese. The porter seeing him apparently come from the other side offered to help him go the right direction.

Acknowledging in Japanese at the surprised man, he turned the cart over to him and the porter briskly pushed it towards the end of the dock. In the background would be the first test of his documents; the customs processing station. Remembering that he still had the Colt in its holster he could not now stow it in the trunk so he anticipated that he would have some explaining to do.

Surprisingly the customs inspection went rather well. His cover as an architect and that of being an established traveler helped smooth the question of the Colt. The inspection officer politely returned his documents, making a notation that John Robert Long a United States Citizen was returning to Japan on business had nothing to declare. As John pondered what had occurred just then; realizing just how much the world had indeed changed where in 2010; had he done the same thing he would have likely ended up on the floor with bullet in his gut.

After leaving customs, he reclaimed the porter who had waited nearby and had him take the cart to the exit area where he could get transportation. A mixture of transportation vehicles awaited passengers and he chose not a steam powered vehicle but a gasoline powered Ford Model T Victoria Sedan as his transport. Though only a two door, it was easy to get into and out of the vehicle and since it did have a large luggage rack on the back it could hold the steamer truck.

Paying off the porter; who took the luggage cart away, John directed the driver to the Shinwa motel, which was near the Imperial Theater. Complying rather briskly the driver began heading to the destination.

Observing the coming and goings of travelers in and around the passenger terminal Yuichi Kayama a member of the Moon Division at first thought he had been mistaken when the American he had seen coming from the terminal was someone he had known. With curiosity aroused, he briskly walked to the Customs Office and after briefly reading the recent arrivals; without explanation sprinted outside in hopes of being able to catch sight of John's cab. By then the cab had already blended in with the other vehicles streaming from the terminal.

John unaware that he had been observed, asked the cab driver to go by the Imperial Theater on the way to the motel. As the cab passed the remarkably western influenced design he was a bit startled when he observed several members of the Imperial Flower Combat Troupe, obviously in civilian clothes headed somewhere possibly out on a day on the town.

With the cab stopping briefly at a traffic signal, John's gaze took in Maria Tachibana; the second in command who in company of Kanna Kirishima and Iris Chateaubriand walked without concern down the street. Maria sensing someone was watching them searched discreetly her senses heightened.

She focused on the cab nearly directly in front of her and the man in the rear seat; his intense blue eyes focused on them all; she felt that he was not a direct threat, but one merely curious. Before she could get any closer, the cab roared away its driver wanting to get his fare to where it needed to go. Kanna who stopped and looked at Maria, who had paused while gazing at the cab as it disappeared down the street, "Something wrong Maria?" as she retraced her steps, the feeling that she had was not of discomfort but of well being. Iris, who had stopped at the corner, was looking at the cab as it drove away her voice ringing out, "That man in the car he is good; He here to help all of us;" in a matter of fact tone. Her prophetic statement would indeed turn out to be true in more ways that even Maria or Kanna realized

Maria looking down at Iris, asking "Did you feel something from that man like I did?" as Kanna now trying to look at the cab that had long disappeared turned to Maria, "What are you guys talking about?", now herself wondering at what is going on.

Shinwa Motel – May 1st, 1927 – 1100 hours – Room 201

After arriving at the Shinwa Motel, the clerk who seemed to be trying to remember him and even going so far as to ask had they met before; John simply stated that he did not believe so and the clerk left it at. The hotel porter took his luggage up the elevator, a gilded iron cage there was not enough room within so John took the stairs.

Waiting for the porter to join him, he noted a small veranda accessible by the public.

Walking out to the veranda he observed the flow of street traffic and pedestrians as they came and went. Neither hurried nor in a hurry the people of this city were out for relaxation and or enjoying the company of friends. The porter's discreet cough got John's attention and as he turned to leave the veranda; he observed more members of the Imperial Flower Combat Troupe strolling down the opposite side of the street. Sakura Shinguji and Orihime Soletta who were walking with Leni Milchstrase; the photographs that he had looked at one last time while still at Area 51 did not do their individual beauties justice.

Dismissing the porter who had offered to unpack the steamer trunk, but tipping well for his efforts, John closed the door and finally let out a silent sigh of relief. The total number of hours he had actually been up he had not kept track of; tired he looked at the comfortable looking bed and decided it was time for a catnap. It was now 1130 hours. By the time he finally woke up it was 0500 hours Monday May 2nd, 1927.

Shinwa Motel – May 2nd, 1927 – 0500 hours – Room 201

His head fuzzy and his mouth feeling like it was full of cotton; John who had originally wanted to take a catnap awoke to an entirely new day. The sounds of the city stirring as it citizens began moving about to do another day of work was heard in the distance. The happy and gay sound of a trolley's bell inviting people to come on board as it passed, mingled with that of the morning sounds of a city still growing. Its citizens unconcerned for now what the day would bring them. John looking out from the veranda could smell the different aromas of food being cooked. Western and Asian foods being cooked, a clash of cultures yet it seemed a normal.

Returning from the shared water closet; his attempt to shave with the antique safety razor did turn out well. Having practiced with it, it had been down right difficult in locating an antique razor of that type to use in the first place. The needed item with original case had been located on E-Bay as well. Razor blades were another commodity that were in short supply, so he decided that he would just go buy some when he got to Tokyo.

How odd to have to have a shopping list that needs to be filled already he thought as he finished dressing. Behind him the mirror had reflected his back, crisscrossed with scars of his previous injuries suffered during Vietnam and when the U.S.S. Doyle FFG-39 exploded.

Obviously with no Waffle House in this time period, John stopped by and asked the desk clerk for a recommendation. Directed to a restaurant that the clerk said was in walking distance, he followed the directions.

It was when he could see the Imperial Theater when he finally found the eatery, which was just opening. Since there were tables outside, the waiter took his order there. Having picked up a paper on the way, he scanned world events and then the local.

Nearby across the street, a man walking down the opposite side of the street glances over and every so casually appears to tighten a loose shoe string.

Yuichi Kayama, who had thought he had seen a ghost at the passenger terminal just yesterday; was looking at that ghost again. "Herbert Robert Long, just what are you doing here old friend?"

Without any sense of urgency, Kayama strolls away turning a corner. When he is sure he is no longer visible; he sprints through the back alley's that he has come to know so well his destination the Imperial Theater.

Enjoying his meal of sunny side up eggs and a side of bacon and toast; he is absorbed in thought, not particularly noticing anything unusual around him. But he is getting the feeling he is now being watched, no not watched more like scrutinized and close at that. Scanning the street he notices no one stopped or in a position to be observing him directly. Looking down the street towards the Imperial Theater its massive windows reflective of the rising sun could easily hide an army of watchers.

Sighing, John reflected that the game was already up; he had been made somehow. Perhaps he should return to the hotel and leave the city. But that could entail a lot of running, something he wanted to avoid. So calling to the waiter that he wanted to settle his bill; paying he got up and walked. Not to the hotel but towards the Imperial Theater. He decided that if the game is up, at least he might as well take a look at the place.

General Ikki Yoneda, who had just gotten out of bed, was hard pressed to believe what he had just heard. "Kayama are you sure? Hebert Robert Long is here again in Tokyo?"

Yuichi Kayama who had come through the back entrance did not waste further time but instead ushered the General to a window that had a view of the small eatery. "There see for yourself, he is the only one at the table reading a paper."

Yoneda peering through the proffered binoculars his eyes widening at the view as Herbert Robert Long, seemed unconcerned almost nonchalant. Then he saw Herbert's eyes turn toward the Theater his characteristically shockingly deep blue eyes now suddenly staring back at him.

Below the Theater in a sub-basement Kohran Ri conducting some equipment tests turns to the "spirit measurement device", and observes an odd event. Capable of measuring the spiritual energy within any member of the Imperial Flower Combat Troupe, it also had the disconcerting ability to record "stray" spiritual energy.

The readout just before it shorted out and exploded read an incredible burst of energy and it had reached maximum recordable levels just as John read the builders plate attached near the entrance to the Imperial Theater.

John had just read who was the designer of the Imperial Theater, turned and walked back to the hotel; his observers wondering just what he was doing; below Kohran brushing herself off looked at the wreckage and the smoke that was wafting towards the ceiling.

Herbert Robert Long, the builder's plate said. John realized that his grandfather had indeed been involved in something spectacular here in Tokyo. Why not mention the Imperial Theater in the diary, as he strolled back to the hotel.