Sakura Wars: The 21st Century
By Steve Edward
Chapter 9
Sunday, May 29th, 1927 – Shouwa 1 – Imperial Theater – 1900 hours
The talk for the weekend had been the dance between Admiral John Long and Leni Milchstrase. Even Count Aritsune Hanakouji had heard the news. With the orchestra playing, someone had come in from the street thinking by mistake that a play was in progress. That person an entertainment reporter for a Tokyo news paper had asked the name of the dancers. Thankfully John's persona Herbert Robert Long was given by a quick thinking Yuri who had tried to keep the nosey reporter out. An article written by the reporter, describing in glowing terms how fantastic the movements, intricate and delicate had been carried out.
When asked when the dancing program would take place, Yuri could only say sometime in June. Thinking back now, the Admiral began to wonder if the dance idea had been a good idea in the first place. Leni at first could not put feeling into the music, she danced almost mechanically. Then it dawned on John the realization of what he was observing. Leni was a beat counter, it was the only why at this point she could express and show the emotion.
Stopping the music and discussing what he wanted with the conductor and Orihime; he had the music restarted. Soon gliding as one; the individual inflections the moments at where tension of the dancers had to be parlayed, it came together by simply changing the beat and timing of the music. For the first time that anyone could recall; Leni had cried, as they completed an orbit around Orihime the uninvited reporter stood mesmerized as John lifted Leni to a climatic yet so delicate conclusion; timing it to the fading of the lights.
Now the stage curtain was closed, he could hear the personnel of the Flower Division, Wind Division and Dream Division gathering in the theater proper. John had already hand picked the sole member of the Moon Division, Captain Yuichi Kayama though he too was in the audience he had been given a thorough briefing and had accepted.
"Raise the curtain," John called out; the rich and vibrant red fabric silently parted or rose from view.
Introducing himself, John began "For some you already know me, others do not. My name is John Long; I am 56 years old and was born on November 15, 1954. I am an Admiral in the United States Navy from the year 2010. For those trying to figure out the number of years, that is about 83 years from now. I am in command of Navy Task Group Rose which has it headquarters while at sea onboard the U.S. Navy Battleship U.S.S. Wisconsin pennant number 64.
John began the presentation describing what his world in the year 2010 was now facing, showing photographs in full color. The sea wraith which is what he called them, made the Kouma seem tame in comparison. He mentioned his own battle with the Sea Wraith off of New York; General Yoneda quietly asked "Was that your demon Admiral?" to which he replied, "Yes it was more than I could have imagined it being sir."
Replaying in the still photo's the destruction of the U.S.S. Doyle FFG-39; John described his actions that day. The dead silence from his audience had not given much indication of how they felt or even if they believed him.
"Well I guess it is time for the trump card", John thought. And with resignation he reached into the steamer trunk and withdrew two devices. Each would be used to mark the limits of the width of the doorway.
Next was the trans-dimensional signaling and communications device. Inputting the activation code and pressing the green condition normal button at the two devices on the floor, John walked to the edge of the stage and told the audience to wait a few moments, while discreetly slipping a communications device into his ear.
Friday, January 15th 2010 – Area 51 – 1055 hours –
"Warning, Trans-Dimensional Doorway Activation! Warning, Trans-Dimensional Doorway Activation," intoned the speaker as the two Long sisters rather lazily turned their chairs as one to view the portal. The 5 minute time delay in place to allow security personnel to get into place.
Doctor Mary Long tapped the button authorizing the doorway opening and sending an acknowledgment signal through the time stream a small relay speaker now activated with-in the steamer trunk; the Imperial Flower Division, Wind Division and Dream Division soon hear a voice 83 years into the future.
"DAMN IT JOHN!" as Dr. Mary Long exaggerated her concern, her sister's voice Julie replied as well, "She lost the bet," smiling he turned around to see none other than Staff Sergeant Teresa Bloomberg looking at him in shock.
"How long have I been gone according to your clocks there Mary?" as John waved at Teresa and she waved back; "According to the clock precisely 83 hours from the moment we received your activation signal." Chuckling, John asked; "How much was the bet?" Julie replied that she was twenty dollars richer.
"Admiral, this is Staff Sergeant Bloomberg; Sir you look like you have been through hell sir. Turning around to look, "Yes you could say that since being here I have been shot, nearly trampled by a Koubu and have been dancing like mad with some rather pretty young women."
Three separate voices ringing out, "You got Shot!" his right ear nearly began to rang. Nodding his head that he had been indeed shot, he asked Mary how long the door could stay open. "For all practical purposes it is stable but we are pushing the envelope no more than 30 minutes for this chat."
Sunday, May 29th, 1927 – Shouwa 1 – Imperial Theater – 1915 hours
Then he made a decision that sealed the deal to bring the Flower Division and the others back with him, he ordered Staff Sergeant Teresa Bloomberg to step through the door. Dr.'s Julie and Mary Long, tried to voice their dissent on Staff Sergeant Bloomberg's stroll through the door but she was now already standing on the stage of the Imperial Theater and dressed to the nine's in 21st century combat gear right down to the sleek and deadly P-90.
In the audience, Maria Tachibana and Kanna Kirishima both stood as one and headed towards the stage. Turning towards the two women nearly equal in her height and stature Teresa sized up two possible threats, behind her additional security personnel on the other side of the doorway stood ready as well. Maria had reached Teresa first. Circling warily she turned to the Admiral; "Is this some kind of trick?" John looking around Maria as Teresa steps up behind her; "Hardly a cheap trick Maria, as she is for real. The weapons are real and she is going to tap you on the shoulder right about now."
Feeling the tap, and trying to spin away she had no place to go and backed into John rather hard. Alarmed, Teresa side-stepped towards the Admiral trying to get to him.
"AT EASE! PLEASE." The roar of the order coming from John startled everyone in the Theater.
John speaking, "Ok we don't have much time for saying hello and greeting everybody. Teresa shake hands with Maria and Maria shake hands with Teresa then Kanna then Teresa. Ok good, lets do that and be done. We will have plenty of time for a question and answer session later, but for now no one is going to 2010 tonight except Staff Sergeant Teresa Bloomberg so relax."
Realizing what John had done and accomplished, Count Aritsune Hanakouji quickly made his way to the stage. Seeing him approach, Staff Sergeant Bloomberg called out a warning. The Count approached Teresa and without a word held out his hand and bowed. Teresa returned the handshake and after bowing and stepped back. "5 minute warning," chimed the loud speaker Dr. Mary Long speaking those words calmly 83 years into the future.
The Count approached the Admiral and gave his approval by turning over the roster of personnel going back with him. Fifty in the Dream Division? He looked up the Count who was smiling nodded. "Those are copies to be taken now, I have more if needed;" continued the Count. Hurriedly, John grabbed the day to day diary that he had kept, placing it in the backpack that Teresa had with her along with his roster decisions. Briefly clasping hands with Teresa, she saluted him and stepped back through the doorway. One minute and 30 seconds later the dimensional doorway closed.
Friday, January 15th 2010 – Area 51 – 1330 hours –
Professor Lenny Jerome Walters, read with glee the diary of Admiral John Long. The highly detailed report of his day to day activities from the moment he had arrived was incredible. Trying to cross reference incidents that had occurred later proved futile, the shooting of the Admiral was indeed reported as that of a body guard being shot, the deaths in the boarding house raid not even mentioned. An obvious cover up.
Professor Walters had noted that the hand writing had briefly changed with a gap of several days. The shooting had been worse than the Admiral had previously admitted in person. Professor Walters found a detailed medical report carefully folded within the diary; included was a diagram of the human body and clear indications of where the Admiral had been wounded. The writer now identified as Tsubaki Takamura wrote that she had been present during the kidnapping attempt and had witnessed the shooting. Describing in graphic detail, the aftermath of the shooting itself, she proceeded to tell of the operation and other small details that the Admiral himself could not have seen nor heard.
Then there was the mention of Project Wachstum yet again, and this time the Admiral did indeed confirm the existence of it, which supposedly had been dismantled in Germany was in fact trying to be reactivated in 1927 Japan. The attempted kidnapping was tied into it.
He chuckled with what he read next, the behavior of the Koubu; as it activated and walked after him, to the rehabilitation dances that the Admiral did inside the Theater. Curious he walked to a nearby cabinet and opened it to locate the play schedule for the Imperial Theater that were held in 1927.
Shocked at what he read he sat. "Waltz's of the World" sometime in June of 1927, included in the listed cast none other the Herbert Robert Long, a guest entertainer from San Francisco, California; wondering how he could have missed that tidbit of information, Professor Walters got up and walked towards the briefing room to pick Staff Sergeant Bloomberg's mind for further details he could just imagine the reaction of the Long sisters when they see the program.
Friday, January 15th 2010 – U.S.S. Wisconsin BB-64 – Panama Canal – 1500 hours local –
Having begun the transit of the Panama Canal, Captain Sammy Hollister eyed the closeness of the walls as the ship, now under tow through the locks passed by. Not an easy process for a ship of its size there was the occasional shouts from the Deck Division Petty Officers directing their men to move the rope fenders to protect the sides of the ship. Still there would have to be some painting done.
The Radioman stepped onto the bridge with a message from Captain Orkney; reading it she gave a sigh of relief; as Captain Orkney was reporting that the Admiral had made contact. The brief synopsis caused her to crack a smile, turning to her Executive Officer Commander Chris Tyler; "The Admiral is doing well it seems. Also he has been doing quit a bit of dancing with the ladies." Commander Tyler looking back at her quizzically, "Dancing Ma'm?"
Friday, January 15th 2010 – Area 51 – 1500 hours –
Turning in his chair to those who had gathered in the room, Professor Walters finished up his analysis of the mission so far. Both Doctor Julie and Mary Long, when shown the information of the play and dance program put on in June of 1927 with the name of Herbert Robert Long as guest entertainer; as one they both laughed out loud. Even Teresa, who had briefly seen some of the Imperial Flower Division personnel herself, wondered just what the Admiral had been up to.
Making contact with two of the key personnel and even shaking their hands had left an impression. Maria Tachibana and Kanna Kirishima both coming to the stage of the theater and briefly making contact with her had her pondering just what kind of spiritual energy and other skills that they had within them.
Looking at the list of personnel that were to be coming through along with their equipment, Professor Walters gave pause to the number of young women in the Dream Division, "Well the Admiral certainly knows when to go big," as he slid the roster across to the table to Dr. Mary Long, who noted the projected number of personnel. "Yes, that he does," she replied.
Dr. Julie Long eyeing the list as well, "He seems particularly concerned with Iris Chateaubriand and Leni Milchstrase. Leni was the subject of certain experiments."
With some distaste evident, Professor Walters turned to Captain Frank Orkney who had so far remained silent; "The program was called Project Wachstum a German scientific experiment in the early 1920's. An attempt to artificially stimulate the spiritual powers of a person; to bring out powers that were considered paranormal, but vital in the operation of the Koubu and the Esienkleid which were used to combat the demonic outbreak. The side effect was complete and near total loss of emotion. The creatures were horrors unto themselves and the Germans desperate to get personnel to utilize the machines tried to bring forth the spiritual strength to override the emotion of fear; only they went too far and erased the emotional feelings of those experimented on. Only one is known to have survived and that was Leni Milchstrase."
Continuing, as he stood up and walked to a picture on a display board nearby, tapping the likeness of Iris, "Then there is Iris Chateaubriand, a young girl born in France to a wealthy family. The girl who had been born with incredible powers that had eventually caused her to be institutionalized by her parents out of fear for their lives." Walking back to the table and shifting through till he found what he was looking for, "The Admiral while apparently on his way to the Imperial Theater had encountered Iris and another girl named Tsubaki Takamura. While apparently talking to Iris, he breaks up a kidnap attempt and while doing so he is shot."
Reading from the diary Professor Walters continued, "Tsubaki describes the events in rather vivid and graphic detail; she had taken to writing in the diary for the Admiral till he had recovered. Tsubaki stated that the Admiral began to theorize that the kidnapping attempt was no random act, but a deliberately planned and executed but by chance or fate he was there when the attempt was made to kidnap Iris. The Admiral now writing for himself again goes further and theorizes that Iris is the link to provide the powers needed to bring out spiritually enhanced warriors."
Captain Orkney speaking up after digesting what has been said, "But for what purpose besides fighting the demon outbreak; as there has been no mention of the Admiral encountering a demon so far in that time line." Good point, the Professor continued, "The Admiral believes that a man named Haruyoshi Tanuma may be attempting to overthrow the then current government of Japan. Since that is what he may be trying to do; he may be trying to build his own army of warriors, and would utilize Iris in that role. I should note that there is no record of such attempt in historical records and searching for records relating to Tanuma has been unsuccessful."
Staff Sergeant Bloomberg responded, "Having read the diary entry made by Tsubaki, she related the comments of Maria Tachibana voicing the concern over Iris's attempted kidnapping, without her the Flower Division would be a hollow entity a mere empty shell.. It strikes me as odd that they would take her and not Leni but she has something Leni does not have a lot of and that is emotional output. The emotional output by Iris could conceivably counter the effects of the Wachstum process. If that is so, then Tanuma's goal to create a large enough group of warriors to do his bidding is conceivable and the Admiral along with the Imperial Flower Division is facing unknown outside forces."
Professor Wilkins, turned to another page in the roster of personnel; "The Admiral pointed out another individual, Lachette Altair. She was listed as being a French citizen, but had come from the United States after being in New York City as an actress. But there is no record of her being in New York City at any time but again records from that time period are fragmentary. The Admiral is at best working on the fly so to speak; I believe he has the trust of Maria and Kanna both. It is his view of Lachette that troubles him."
Turning to the diary entry of his dances with the Flower Division Members the Professor continues; "He wrote of descriptions of each individual's interaction during a particular dance routine; Sakura Shinguji who's physical ability and grace when translated to a battlefield setting are extraordinary, Orihime Soletta an Italian citizen the energy exhibited by her, intense yet not hurried; calculated. Iris's interaction with the Admiral was powerful and a sense of not being what she is; but what she will become. And then Lachette's performance, unlike the others she tried to force the lead at times; almost to the point of taking complete control yet in a graceful fashion."
Dr. Julie Long turned the page of the diary reflecting, "John was and is a strong lead dancer, and the dance at his wedding with Claire how they moved about the floor of the ballroom celebrating, there was that light in his eyes and that of Claire too." Her eye's watering, "Swept away in each others arms, nary a care in the world for both; that was John's happiest moment." Captain Orkney interjected, "Yes it was, and the light in those eyes went dim later." The mention of Claire's and Matthew's deaths quieted the group.
Professor Wilkins changing the subject, "Perhaps there is something in here that the Admiral was trying to convey about Ms. Altair. He mentioned her attempts to take control of the dance routine, and I believe he is conveying that she is also military." Captain Orkney looking at the diary entry again mused, "Perhaps his assumption is correct. She was or is a member of the U.S. Military." Captain Orkney guessed the United States Army and he was indeed correct.
Sunday, May 29th, 1927 – Shouwa 1 – Imperial Theater – 2000 hours –
The Flower Division and its respective support divisions had sat back down in the gallery after Staff Sergeant Bloomberg's departure. Maria Tachibana, who had briefly left the stage to confer with General Yoneda and Deputy Commander Kaede Fujieda; walked unhurriedly back. Entering the stage, she turned to face the audience.
"We have all been told what may happen in the future. Our own future is currently in doubt, with calls for the Imperial Flower Troupe to be dismantled." With a wave of her hand she points to Admiral John Long still standing on the stage.
"That man, whom we have all been introduced to; has indeed apparently come back from the future to take us to the year 2010, a decision must be made by us tonight as a group. Do you stay here and hope to continue a life that might be restricted and less fulfilling or do you go with Admiral Long? If you have decided to come; please mount the stage and stand behind me."
At first in ones and two's then in a long stream the Imperial Flower Combat Division and its support personnel came to stand behind Maria. There they stood awaiting their orders from their future commanding officer, the commanding officer of Task Group Rose.
Admiral Long walked the rows of the personnel who had come to the stage. There were no others in the gallery except General Yoneda and Count Hanakouji, whom he turned and bowed to accepting the responsibility for the well being of the Imperial Flower Combat Troupe.
Turning to Maria, "Dismiss the troops; reiterate that there must be no idle chatter or other discussion. Please join me in General Yoneda's office after this is complete." After a curt acknowledgement, the orders were carried out.