Chapter two

Note: Now you can review this chapter.

Yes, yes, yes I know damn well that jeans are first invented around 1950 and I'm not sure if you would get peanuts or sparkling mineral water in a Japanese bar in the upcoming 20th century... But I told you! This is called artistic freedom!

He leaves the C-area of the Shanghai HQ for the harbour when it's still night out there. The first light of dawn submerges at the horizon as the ship casts off. The ocean is calm a gentle salty breeze blows from southeast. It would take around five days if the weather stayed that way and they had no problems with the ship.

The soft swaying swell calms him, he's tired mental and physical. As he walks along the bow and watches the receding Shanghai in the morning sun he feels even more hollow and exhausted. He returns to his cabin and lays down on the bed staring at the ceiling. Slowly he falls asleep.

Outside the porthole everything is dark, still somehow tired he opens his eyes. He shots a glance out into the darkness; maybe they're in a storm, or... He looks at his watch.

"How long did I...?" Disbelieving he shakes his head, it's nine o' clock in the evening, obviously he really had needed some sleep.

But it's not only the hour, there are indeed alarming black storm clouds covering the sky. He walks out again across the slippery deck, the wind whipping into his face and the rain drenching his clothes. But the cold water somehow revives his animus, though the whole ship reminds him at something again... --- …You're a funny fellow, aren't you? ---

"At this times... I probably was..." He says looking up into the clouds squinting as the raindrops hit his retina. This boat is quite more comfortable than the smuggler's boat but even that rotten, cursed little nutshell had been a paradise with her. And there is someone else he remembers, someone beloved, too...

"I wonder how Alice and Yuri are doing? He had always been stronger than me... In my situation he would have saved his love..." He looks onto the greyish water with its white lathery crowns, still blaming himself for what had happened... He knows that life goes on, that the world will not stop simply because one or two people went by board.

It's just that he can't find a motivation to carry on. Everything seems to be so meaningless especially Ishimura's efforts to achieve the invasion of the mainland. Oh yes, he knows about the Minister's little plan... She gave him the hints on the smuggler boat and it wasn't very difficult to catch the rest of it.

Suddenly he sneezes, he hadn't noticed how cold it is there actually with the water and the whistling wind. And he's soaked to the bone, so slowly he begins to shiver. Someone calls for him.

"Lt. Colonel Kato? Shouldn't... Shouldn't you come in? You're going to catch your death of cold..."

He turns round to the young rookie and nods. As he enters the meeting-room a towel is given to him by the same young rookie with an obeying look.

"Thanks. What's your name, recruit?" Kato towels his face and hair but as he's totally drenched it doesn't improve his condition very much.

"Usagi Ueda hand-to-hand combatant in training, Sir!" The young soldier salutes while Kato is slightly astonished.

"Oh... You're a... woman, I didn't notice. Your hair's very short." She's not angered, she just grins at him disregarding for a short moment that she's his subordinate.

"The cause explained the reason. I wanna be treated like all the others, no matter that I'm a woman, Sir!" Again she salutes and he nods accepting her request very easily, he wouldn't accept her in the army if she'd wanted to be treated softer because of her gender.

"Ok, then get your ass into your cabin and polish your boots! Never seen such filth!" He shouts at her. She startles for a second but salutes then and tears off.

"YES, SIR, LT. COLONEL KATO!" He smiles; these people here have no idea of what military is really like. They will find out when they're having to kill their first human...

He decides to change his clothes before he's getting a real cold and returns to his cabin. When he's wearing some dry stuff, he catches a book of ten, he bought in one of the most noxious quarters of Shanghai and in one of the most leading special shops for scientific literature... He begins to read. They are all of different special fields but the main topic is the same, death and resuscitation.

He had started with the ones about magic, but after the third he had to recognize that none of the described rituals would really work, even if one believed in magic like in no other thing. But in all these books he found hints about something interesting. They all corresponded in one opinion, that there had been a mysterious document written in which the most powerful spells were sealed. It would be the only thing of which an actual effort in a ritual was described. It was called the émigré-manuscript. But the books didn't say a word about its whereabouts.

So he had put that away after the third book and skipped to the scientific corner. These books had been recently released, about genetics, damn expensive and fairly hard to get. As there were a lot of scientific terms he had his dictionary ready all the time, but when he at last understood the basics the rest went actually easier.

There were some speculations about genetics-technology, they described the theoretical method but as far as he read until now, those techniques were still in their beginnings. And there had not even been an experiment with animals, so this was no real chance either. But as he still has two books to read he keeps on hoping, though he's pretty sure that he can never afford the required equipment even if he'd knew were to buy it.

So he keeps on reading because it is ten p.m. he's not tired in the slightest way anymore and he has nothing better to do...

o-

"Hey Sergeant Kato?" The sun is beaming over the court and desiccating the yellow grass.

"Err... Yes Lt. Colonel?" He stands still now hands at his aching side.

"Hey! Did I tell you to stop? Run on!" He sighs and continues, though kind of hobbling.

"Actually Kato... How old are you?" She's squatting on a wooden bank watching him running.

"It's in... my file... Why d' you want to... know that...?"He shouts from the other side of the court to her.

"Well, I considered inviting you on a drink, but then I thought infants are not allowed to drink alcohol!" She shrugs as he stumbles and nearly hits the dust.

"I... I'm twenty-one Lt. Colonel! I'm an adult!" He shouts back trying to use his deep voice to express it.

"Certainly, but the thing is... I'm just twenty years old, so still only allowed to enter a bar in company of an adult." She looks at him curiously as he runs over to her.

"Twenty years? And already a Lieutenant Colonel? Whom did you have to sleep with to get that job? Oh and hey, does he like males to?" He grins at her, she jumps down from the bank and CLAP it echoes over the whole court.

"Ow! I did deserve it, didn't I?" He rubs his red cheek on which the shape of her hand is to be seen clearly.

"You're sure that you are twenty-one? You seem to be still in puberty!" He sits down in the grass now, recovering from the chasing.

"Touché! So, why did you tell me that, Lt. Colonel?" He looks up to her, rather confused.

"I want you to invite me into a bar, Sergeant, so I can drink! Isn't that obvious!" He shakes his head and gets up.

"No it isn't... why do you want to drink?" She sighs annoyed, as if it would be clear.

"I... don't know, I just want to try it. C'mon Kato! I don't ask you to, that's an order!" He laughs at her with a total lack of respect.

"And if I'll disobey? What are you going to do? Get me to court martial?" He smiles as she does but there's something strange in her eyes.

"No of course not... But I'll make a damn hell out of your life!" The way she says it and the way she's looking at him, bring him to the decision that he indeed should take her serious.

"Ok... but only one drink and we're gone!" She nods happily and he sighs.

"Oh and Kato, could you wear something less military? Like jeans for example?" He looks at her somehow puzzled by this request.

"Err... hum... ok... I'll try to find something... What time shall I fetch you up Lt. Colonel Kawashima?"

"Whahahaha! How are you looking, Kato?" He's standing there waiting for her to get her coat and kicking pebbles with his shoes.

"Dunno what you mean, Lt. Colonel Kawashima..." He blushing looks down, he feels quite ridiculous.

"Those jeans aren't they... well... a bit too tight?" Not that she'd have a problem with it actually, it just looks unhealthy.

"It's the only pair I had!" He snarls at her. At least they're big enough to have him stick his hands into his pockets.

"Well, I like your black shirt though and the leather coat."

several hours later that evening-

"Hey Kaddo..."Both are sitting at the bar counter, a bowl of peanuts between them. He sighs.

"Sixty-three. Yes Lt. Colonel?" She stares at him with her big wonderful eyes, making him feel quite uncomfortable.

"Kaddo... why aren't ya drinkin somethin?" Bored he tries to flick a peanut into an ashtray.

"Sixty-four. Well at least someone has to be sober enough to bring you home." She's getting angry and pokes him into the side.

"Are ya sayin I'm screwed or what Kaddo?" He has to grab her as she nearly fell from her footstool.

"Sixty-five. Why! Yes I suppose I am!" In his opinion he should be the one to be pissed off, she's already far beyond one glass, if someone should find out he'll be in big problems.

"Hey, Kaddo! What d'hell are ya countin all da time?" He sighs and lets a peanut rotate on the counter.

"Sixty-six. I'm counting how often you pronounced my name wrong. But it's actually astonishing that you've said it about sixty times in the last..."He looks at his watch. "In the last two hours."

"Don't flatter on it! Hey Kaddo... what's ya name?" She pushes her footstool closer to him.

"Huh? Kaddo… I mean Kato! Gosh! Sixty-eight... You're so infuriating!" He lets a peanut crack between his molars.

"Wha? No I mean, what's ya first name?" He looks at her, she's always again surprising him.

"Err... Seiji... Why d' you want to know it?" She giggles and spins around on the footstool, veering dangerously.

"Thaaaaaaaat's stupid! What a batty name! Dun y' have another?" He's slightly sulky and this time lets her fall onto the floor, as if he hadn't noticed.

"Sorry, but that's my name, Lt. Colonel Kawashima!" With some problems she climbs up onto her footstool again.

"Ouch! C'mon Kaddo! Dun y' have a second forename or somewhat? Ah! C'mon tell me! Even ifts a gal's name!" She tries to lay an arm around his shoulder; he can smell the alcohol in her breath, and pangs of conscience creep up inside him.

"... Masaji... Sixty-nine. "Her eyes sparkle in pleasure, it makes him feel even more bad. How could he give into this daft idea!

"Uhhhh that's lovely! Know what? From nowon I call ya Masaji! Not that nuts Seamy-Gee!" She pokes him into his side again, but this time much more friendly.

"It's Seiji! Could you please stop acting so inane! May I remember you? You are a Lieutenant Colonel, I'm a little Sergeant!" She shrugs; obviously she has a lot of fun this evening.

"Hey Seamy-Gee!" She is celebrating on the fact that he's annoyed by that moniker.

"What!" He grinds his teeth, his voice with an obviously bugged undertone.

"Would ya like to..." She slips closer to him.

"I'm listening." He takes a swig of his mineral water.

"Would ya like to... touch my tits?" He nearly chokes by coughing the water out.

"W...koff What! Ok! That's enough! koff!" He bangs his glass onto the counter and jumps up.

"You're totally drunk! I'll get you to the barrack right now!" He grabs her arm and drags her out of the bar.

She falls onto her bed like a stone; he assures himself that she's asleep... For a diminutive moment he hesitates... She actually invited him to do it... Didn't she? So why not seize the opportunity?...

Two minutes later he finds himself under an ice cold shower!

A soldier dashes into the lobby obviously he has some important news, or he wouldn't already shout from the door.

"Lt. Colonel Kawashima! Lt. Colonel Kawashima! We have an urgent wire from Minister Ishimura!" He stops barely two steps before crashing into her but keeps on shouting.

"He has an agreement with your father, I mean..." She grabs the paper from him with an annoyed look.

"Why do you have to shout that way, Officer Murata!" She massages her temples with her right hand while reading the wire.

"Can I go, Lt. Colonel Kawashima or do you want to answer it immediately?" Murata has to repeat his sentence for she hadn't listened to him.

"What? Can't you be a bit quieter? I'm standing directly in front of you!" The officer is confused; actually his volume appears normal to him.

"You can go! I have to think about it..." Murata runs out of the lobby, Kawashima is wondering whether his soles are made of iron. As he leaves the lobby Officer Murata passes a black haired sergeant leaning against the doorframe, and watching Kawashima with his hands in his pockets.

Now Kato pushes himself away from the wood and slowly strolls towards the Lt. Colonel.

"Terrible little bastards, these hangovers, aren't they?" He whispers smirking at her. She angrily stares at him.

"Don't harp upon it!" But her tune becomes gentler instantly as she knows he indeed has a cause to rebuke her.

"Thanks for whispering, though... And for taking care of me... Maybe I was a bit to boisterous." He smiling nods. He still tries to substitute that he had to keep her upright while she was puking onto his shoes...

"Well just a slight bit." She raises an eyebrow, looking up to him.

"I may have a hangover, but I have no blackouts, Seamy-Gee!" He winces for he hoped she'd have forgotten that terrible nickname.

"Between us two, Masaji... I appreciate that you in fact did not exploit my, well... condition. And the more I would appreciate it, if none of us would loose a word about what happened yesterday, ok?" He feels she shouldn't thank him as he was fighting very hard against his desire to...

"Agreed... Apropos speaking of agreements... Why are you looking so afflicted, Lt. Colonel?" She knows that she cannot talk to him like to any other soldier anymore because he has seen her in her most miserable state.

"My father made an agreement with Ishimura to send me to a special unit." She passes the telegram over to him. He scans it fast.

"Investigation of abnormal occurrences? What does that mean?" She sighs and takes back the wire.

"That means as much as that I'm out of business. There are no abnormal occurrences happening in China or Nippon, beside of old women seeing dead celebrities talking to them through their pets!" He scratches the back of his head, pondering deeply.

"Well but it says in two years! Who knows what happens until then? And if you get bored... well some bottles of wine and you're happy!" She kicks against his shin, making him howl.

"Don't skit Seamy-Gee!" He growls at her, holding his aching leg.

"Ouch! I told you, please. It's Seiji, Lt. Colonel Kawashima!" His ouch was quite a bit to loud for her migraine and she already regrets to have him kicked as he has done many favours to her by now.

"Ok, I won't call you Seamy-Gee again, under the stipulation that you will never use that other name when I'm in the room, you know, the one I think to be batty! And if you'll use it, I'm allowed to slap you!" He sighs, a rather pleasurable condition to get rid of that idiotic moniker.

"You really don't like my name, do you? Ok, Masaji from now on..."

o-

KNOCK KNOCK

"Lieutenant Colonel Kato, are you in there?" The voice of the young rookie sounds through Kato's cabin door.

"Yes, of course. Enter, Recruit Ueda." He closes the book and rubs his eyes; they're burning slightly for he had read a lot in the last few days.

"Lt. Colonel, I just wanted to inform you, that land is in sight. We should arrive the port in about twelve hours." Kato nods and a smile flashes over his face. Home sweet home. He thinks but rather in a sarcastic way.

"Thank you, Ueda. Call me when a ship of the coastguard appears." He skims over his nape; it's fairly stiff from the reading.

The young woman salutes. "Aye, Sir!"

She's already out the door when he calls for her again. She plugs her head into the room.

"You've called me, Lt. Colonel Kato?" He isn't quite sure why, but yes he did. He nods and a disgusting cracking noise sounds through his spine.

"Uh... ow...Damn! Ok, err. Tell me, where's you're unit ordered to?" She takes a step inside as he still grinds his teeth because of the soreness.

"Sir, my unit is still in Shanghai, Sir! I was ordered back because of my abilities. My order will be to play the bodyguard for a scientist in the Hojo research lab, Lt. Colonel Kato." She salutes and regards him thoughtful.

"May I suggest something Lt. Colonel?" He looks at her, nods and regrets this movement immediately.

"If you'd lay a hot towel onto your nape the aching will soon improve, Sir." Astonished he looks at her. She's very attentive... well it was hard to miss... though it's kind of her.

"Thanks for the good advice, Ueda. You may leave now."

Actually it's damn hot, but she was right. Kato sighs in relief and vows to himself to never read or write that long without an intermission, again.

He chooses to lay down and give a little rest to his neck. What a terrible way to start a new job.

o-

"Sergeant Seiji M. Kato?" There's a man with a clipboard standing in front of several soldiers.

"Here, Sir!" One of them takes a step forward and salutes.

"Very well! You are ordered to a special unit in Shanghai, Sergeant. Investigation of abnormal occurrences, you will be leaded by Lieutenant Colonel Kawashima. Ship to Shanghai leaves the port at 18 hundred. You will receive further instructions in the Shanghai headquarter. Break the ranks." The man looks for the next on his list, but the sergeant still stands there.

Lt. Colonel... Lt. Colonel Kawashima... Yoshiko? He thinks and wonders.

"Sir, am I allowed to ask a question?" The man looks up from his clipboard to the soldier.

"No, Sergeant Kato, I do not know why they have chosen a milksop like you! Or can you tell me at least one ability of yours that would predestine you for it?" Well... he does know something, but... that is not even known by the military, so he shakes his head and leaves the group.

Kato is waiting in front of an office door for his new superior is in a meeting. Then a cowardly looking man leaves the room. Shortly afterwards a woman's voice, that sounds familiar in Kato's ears, calls out.

"... Somebody! At once!" Two riflemen run to her passing Kato, he decides to join them.

"Yes, Lt. Colonel!" A large, well-lit office with a wooden desk and two Japanese flags at its sides. The three of them salute in front of their Lt. Colonel. She hasn't changed very much, he detects.

"Hmm? I've never seen you before. Are you new?" It hits him like lightning inside his heart. She doesn't recognise him. She doesn't remember him! In his mind a whole world is collapsing. He hardly tries not to show it.

"I... I'm Sergeant Kato, ma'am! Reporting from Tokyo for my new post! My... my expertise is..." She's interrupting him roughly.

"I'm sorry, but could you leave the self-introductions for later? We don't have time for this now." She turns to the two riflemen and instructs them.

"I want you two to dispose of the man who just left this room. Make it look like a traffic accident." The soldiers salute with a "Yes, Lt. Colonel" and both leave the office.

Kato just gapes after them.

"Wh... Wha..." Kawashima ignores his unbelieving, slightly reproachful look.

"Sergeant Kato, you're coming to Dalian with me. Get a boat ready." He closes his mouth and realises that she has spoken to him.

"A... boat, ma'am?" She just shrugs, while he still is disenchanted by the fact that she does not remember him.

"I don't care what kind. Any old thing will do. Do you understand? If so, we leave now. Follow me!" She indeed leaves the room, letting him stand there absent-minded.

"Ah! Lt. Colonel! Please, wait!" He runs after her.

They have barely left the headquarter when CLAP, he has some sort of déjà-vu. Perplexed he looks at her.

"Ow... Lt. Colonel, sorry, but... How did I deserve that?" He rubs his burning cheek, yes he had that moment once already.

"I thought you introduced yourself as Sergeant Seiji Kato." He resolutely shakes his head to deny it.

"I didn't... I would never..."She slightly blushes because of her mistake, though he still doesn't know why she slapped him.

"Sorry, than I owe you something, Seamy-Gee!" She walks on, he follows her but suddenly he stops. Understanding arises in his eyes.

"Wait a moment..." She notices that he's not following and turns round.

"What?" He closes his eyes and smiling opens them again.

"You DO remember me!" Kawashima starts laughing and walks back to him.

"I never forget people whom I vomited at, even though you're the first one." He isn't quite sure whether he should take it as a compliment or not.

"It's been a long time, about seven years and you barely have changed, Lt. Colonel." He's happy now, she did remember him! If this is no sign, what else could be one?

"The same for you beside of those hair-strands you seemed to have cut down. Good old Kato!" He's skimming his hair back and ponders about the last ten minutes, something there's worrying him.

"But then, why have you been so... so... You know what I mean!" She gestures him to follow her and explains the situation.

"You probably didn't notice, but these two soldiers had been killers! The second thing is, as you've said yourself, Masaji, I'm a Lt. Colonel, you are a little Sergeant. We should finally keep the formality. Where's our military going to, when high officers have a close friendship with little sergeants?" She walks on, very fast now as if she wants to avoid a comprehensive discussion.

"..." Kato plugs his hands into his pockets and follows her. Still wondering what to think about this reaction.

A large, well-lit office with a wooden desk and two Japanese flags at its sides. The three of them salute in front of their Lt. Colonel. She hasn't changed very much, he detects.

o-

"Welcome back in Nippon, Lt. Colonel Kato. I will bring you directly to Minister Ishimura now." Kato raises his hand to stop him, he's looking for someone.

"Lt. Colonel Kato! Lt. Colonel Kato!" The young rookie runs to him and stops breathless in front of him.

"Recruit Ueda? What do you want?" He looks down at the young woman with the reddened face.

"I just wanted to... gosh... say good-bye to you, Sir. And maybe wish you a more interesting job than mine." Something's stinging slightly inside him as she smiles at the tall black-haired man.

"Well, good-bye, Recruit. Oh before I'll forget it. Let me give you an advices now. If you want to be a good soldier, calm yourself down a bit!" He smiles faintly and follows the other man to the car.

Ueda meanwhile shoulders her backpack and heads for the other direction, the Hojo research lab, hoping that she will meet her idol once again some day.

end of chapter two -

to be continued-


Note: Now you can review this chapter. I wonder if you'll try to hit me for the drunken Kawashima...?

Note2: I'm still searching for a better Japanese girl's forename starting with U. If someone could help me please?

Oh and all of you can take a guess why I used "write" in this sentence though he did not write something: "Kato sighs in relief and vows to himself to never read or write that long without an intermission, again." '