Disclaimer: I own nothing. I have nothing. Get off my case.
Author's Notes: To my own Syaoran-kun, who is currently stuck babysitting his little cousins, this chapter goes out to you. Ai shiteru.
I've also decided to just drop the whole crossover thing with Gundam and just keep the story quite parallel to the series. I realized that including Heero, Duo, and Co. in the story would just complicate it more to the point of quandry. Besides, I don't need really need the Destructo Boys to obscure the plot even more. Hell, I'm already having too much of a hard time keeping Syaoran and Eriol in character.
CHAPTER FIVE: Operation RAGE: Fujitaka's Realization
In all the years I have spent studying archeology not only as a profession but as a passion, I would consider this discovery as the most precious yet most dangerous relic I and my excavation team had ever found.
I quickly thumbed through the documents that I had just received from Hamaki, my eyes widening as the whole truth behind the huge black metallic machine(1) that we had dug out was revealed in front of them. I couldn't believe it.
Operation RAGE.
In all my years as an archeology professor and excavationist, never in my entire career did my mind ever failed to accept and process the fact that what we have actually uncovered was one of Japan's most well-guarded secrets.
There was never really any public resource available pertaining to Operation RAGE. To find a specific name for our discovery took almost seven months of furious research through questionable government channels. The University of Tomoeda excavation team was merely lucky enough to have Hato Jiiro as a member. Aside from being a walking and talking archeological encyclopedia, the kid was an expert hacker. Through his unchartered and illegal channels we were able to find several pictures and facts describing in vague detail the whole essence of Operation RAGE. From the available resources, we found out that the operation was started 30 years ago by five extremely intellectual scientists hired by the government. It has been stated, though succintly, that the mecca would be used as a defense weapon against possible attacks. To what or from what, it didn't say. But the pictures of the operation in its completion was enough for all of us to conclude that whatever the robot's purpose was, it wasn't simply for 'defense'. Standing at almost 80 feet, the black machine fashioned a feast of several high-powered artillery enough to blow the whole of Tokyo with a single push of a button. One channel that Jiiro had hacked into contained the comment coming from the French emissary of negotiations Francois Gertrude that the operation was designed not to defend but to conquer. I was in doubt over that theory for several months, but after seeing the new documents that Hamaki has recently acquired from God knows where, I was slowly starting to come to the realization that what we had uncovered was actually Japan's version of a mass destructive force.
I idly leafed through the files again, my heart thudding with growing fear as bit by bit, the whole essence of the Operation becomes clear to me. It is no wonder, then, that members of my team are being assassinated one by one. It was obvious that the Japanese government did a lot of work keeping the operation confidential. And now that we had just uncovered--though by sheerest accident--the one thing that they had worked so hard to keep away from the press, they have all the right to do so.
Trust one of my supposedly innocent excavations to find out whether or not there really was an ancient Fujian civilization(2) buried under the thick ashes of the volcano turn out to be the candle wicks that would slowly count down my colleagues' lives.
My colleagues, and, soon, my life.
I picked a sheaf of papers out from the pile of documents and leaned back against my swivel chair, deciding to just immerse myself with work rather than mourn over the loss of my friends' lives. Noticing a short note in Hamaki's hand written on top of the document, I quickly made myself comfortable and read his note.
The document was hacked from the Japanese Bureau of Defense by Hamaki's German contract Batalli. How Batalli had gotten hold of such classified information was beyond me.
I read on, and after a few moments of tense silence and information digestion, the document fluttered t the floor when it slipped through my suddenly lax fingers.
Oh, God.
Hamaki's fax contained detailed information regarding the capabilities of RAGE. Made from a strong, unidentified metal alloy, RAGE was designed specifically to operate on solar power stored within the system. It's operating system was designed specifically to be run and operated by a single computer and was proved to be hack-proof. It has also been designed to function on stealth, and can fly over 3,000 square miles in thirty minutes. Aside from artillery, RAGE is also equipped with a beam cannon which can decimate anything within a fifty-mile expanse with a single blow, laser sabers capable of cutting through metals several miles thick, and an atomic bomb that would go off with a single push of a a key.
Kami-sama.
The scientists responsible for the conception of this tool for world domination, who were only known to the government as the ThinkTank group, were killed in a plane crash two days before the test flight. The cause of the crash is still unknown up to now, but the Secretary of Defense has the suspiscion that the Federation was behind the crash though no evidence against the organization has been found. Because of the scientists' untimely death, they had not been able to give a briefing to the Japanese Naval Force about the operation, therefore causing the government to abandon their project and dumping the robot at the mouth of Mount Fuji, away from the prying eyes of the Japanese.
It is just too bad for my team that we were the ones who smelled the stink that the government has tried with all its power to keep away from its people.
Leaning forward, I rested my elbows on my knees and cradled my head against my hands. What had I gotten myself into? It was bad enough that I have come across a highly-classified government project that I as a Japanese civilian should not know about. Now there is also a great possibility that I would soon have an assassin coming after my tail.
It was so obvious now. My colleagues were hunted down and killed because they--WE--knew too much. The question now isn't why we are being killed, but who is ordering us to be killed.
The government? That was a safe assumption. After Jiiro had shown me the mecca still half-buried under the mixture of soil and volcanic ash, I didn't hesitate to call the University and inform them about our finding. It was possible that our excavation has been kept under close scrutinity by several secret agents since we began.
I closed my eyes as a sudden wave of fear threatened to engulf me. One way or another, I have to face the music.
Operation RAGE would be the last discovery I would ever make.
TBC
FOOTNOTES:
1. I've always imagined Operation RAGE to resemble Gundam Heavyarms, but with Deathscythe's colors.
2. Has no factual nor historical basis. In short, completely of my own invention.
Author's Notes: To my own Syaoran-kun, who is currently stuck babysitting his little cousins, this chapter goes out to you. Ai shiteru.
I've also decided to just drop the whole crossover thing with Gundam and just keep the story quite parallel to the series. I realized that including Heero, Duo, and Co. in the story would just complicate it more to the point of quandry. Besides, I don't need really need the Destructo Boys to obscure the plot even more. Hell, I'm already having too much of a hard time keeping Syaoran and Eriol in character.
CHAPTER FIVE: Operation RAGE: Fujitaka's Realization
In all the years I have spent studying archeology not only as a profession but as a passion, I would consider this discovery as the most precious yet most dangerous relic I and my excavation team had ever found.
I quickly thumbed through the documents that I had just received from Hamaki, my eyes widening as the whole truth behind the huge black metallic machine(1) that we had dug out was revealed in front of them. I couldn't believe it.
Operation RAGE.
In all my years as an archeology professor and excavationist, never in my entire career did my mind ever failed to accept and process the fact that what we have actually uncovered was one of Japan's most well-guarded secrets.
There was never really any public resource available pertaining to Operation RAGE. To find a specific name for our discovery took almost seven months of furious research through questionable government channels. The University of Tomoeda excavation team was merely lucky enough to have Hato Jiiro as a member. Aside from being a walking and talking archeological encyclopedia, the kid was an expert hacker. Through his unchartered and illegal channels we were able to find several pictures and facts describing in vague detail the whole essence of Operation RAGE. From the available resources, we found out that the operation was started 30 years ago by five extremely intellectual scientists hired by the government. It has been stated, though succintly, that the mecca would be used as a defense weapon against possible attacks. To what or from what, it didn't say. But the pictures of the operation in its completion was enough for all of us to conclude that whatever the robot's purpose was, it wasn't simply for 'defense'. Standing at almost 80 feet, the black machine fashioned a feast of several high-powered artillery enough to blow the whole of Tokyo with a single push of a button. One channel that Jiiro had hacked into contained the comment coming from the French emissary of negotiations Francois Gertrude that the operation was designed not to defend but to conquer. I was in doubt over that theory for several months, but after seeing the new documents that Hamaki has recently acquired from God knows where, I was slowly starting to come to the realization that what we had uncovered was actually Japan's version of a mass destructive force.
I idly leafed through the files again, my heart thudding with growing fear as bit by bit, the whole essence of the Operation becomes clear to me. It is no wonder, then, that members of my team are being assassinated one by one. It was obvious that the Japanese government did a lot of work keeping the operation confidential. And now that we had just uncovered--though by sheerest accident--the one thing that they had worked so hard to keep away from the press, they have all the right to do so.
Trust one of my supposedly innocent excavations to find out whether or not there really was an ancient Fujian civilization(2) buried under the thick ashes of the volcano turn out to be the candle wicks that would slowly count down my colleagues' lives.
My colleagues, and, soon, my life.
I picked a sheaf of papers out from the pile of documents and leaned back against my swivel chair, deciding to just immerse myself with work rather than mourn over the loss of my friends' lives. Noticing a short note in Hamaki's hand written on top of the document, I quickly made myself comfortable and read his note.
The document was hacked from the Japanese Bureau of Defense by Hamaki's German contract Batalli. How Batalli had gotten hold of such classified information was beyond me.
I read on, and after a few moments of tense silence and information digestion, the document fluttered t the floor when it slipped through my suddenly lax fingers.
Oh, God.
Hamaki's fax contained detailed information regarding the capabilities of RAGE. Made from a strong, unidentified metal alloy, RAGE was designed specifically to operate on solar power stored within the system. It's operating system was designed specifically to be run and operated by a single computer and was proved to be hack-proof. It has also been designed to function on stealth, and can fly over 3,000 square miles in thirty minutes. Aside from artillery, RAGE is also equipped with a beam cannon which can decimate anything within a fifty-mile expanse with a single blow, laser sabers capable of cutting through metals several miles thick, and an atomic bomb that would go off with a single push of a a key.
Kami-sama.
The scientists responsible for the conception of this tool for world domination, who were only known to the government as the ThinkTank group, were killed in a plane crash two days before the test flight. The cause of the crash is still unknown up to now, but the Secretary of Defense has the suspiscion that the Federation was behind the crash though no evidence against the organization has been found. Because of the scientists' untimely death, they had not been able to give a briefing to the Japanese Naval Force about the operation, therefore causing the government to abandon their project and dumping the robot at the mouth of Mount Fuji, away from the prying eyes of the Japanese.
It is just too bad for my team that we were the ones who smelled the stink that the government has tried with all its power to keep away from its people.
Leaning forward, I rested my elbows on my knees and cradled my head against my hands. What had I gotten myself into? It was bad enough that I have come across a highly-classified government project that I as a Japanese civilian should not know about. Now there is also a great possibility that I would soon have an assassin coming after my tail.
It was so obvious now. My colleagues were hunted down and killed because they--WE--knew too much. The question now isn't why we are being killed, but who is ordering us to be killed.
The government? That was a safe assumption. After Jiiro had shown me the mecca still half-buried under the mixture of soil and volcanic ash, I didn't hesitate to call the University and inform them about our finding. It was possible that our excavation has been kept under close scrutinity by several secret agents since we began.
I closed my eyes as a sudden wave of fear threatened to engulf me. One way or another, I have to face the music.
Operation RAGE would be the last discovery I would ever make.
TBC
FOOTNOTES:
1. I've always imagined Operation RAGE to resemble Gundam Heavyarms, but with Deathscythe's colors.
2. Has no factual nor historical basis. In short, completely of my own invention.