PART ONE: THE REGULATOR
And so I found myself all alone again. In the first fourteen years of my life, I learned the meaning of loneliness time and time again. But… there are some pains you never get used to, no matter how often you experience them. In the end, my meeting with Mahoro just made me more… miserable.
I thought that I would completely seal away the sights and sounds of that time. My friends, our hopes and dreams, and that precious memory itself. And I decided never to return to Japan. To that town where Mahoro no longer was…
SECOND CHANCES
Walk this way
Put one foot in front of the other
Walk this way
Take pride in your trust in another
I see peace in your soul even when there is none
Hurt in your heart that cannot be undone
Know there is nothing that you can't achieve
So long as you choose to believe
In second chances
Don't throw away this life
No matter how much it hurts
You only have one to give
So trust in yourself
I'll be there forever
Because everyone deserves
Second chances
Walk this way
Put one foot in front of the other
Walk this way
Take pride in your trust in another
I see fight in your eyes where there used to be trust
Hatred will grind all those memories to dust
Give yourself something that you can't deny
No matter how high you must fly
This is what it means
Second chances
– ONE –
I don't know exactly how far away it is, but if you follow the shoreline south you should come to a port town called Campeche. Let's meet there.
From the bow of a Vesper hovercraft called the Swift Rapier, Suguru Misato put a cigar to his lips and stared out at the impressive New York City skyline. Clear as the sunny sky and windless day, Mahoro's words were etched on a stone tablet in his mind. He even remembered the calm of her tone as she met his gaze, knowing she was about to break his heart.
Meet me there. Promise me.
Yes… of course I'll be there.
It was the last promise she had ever broken in a string of promises that apparently meant less to her than the scum she had spent her entire life combating. As a combat android or a simple maid… take your pick. Really, scum was all the same anyway. In the four years since Mahoro's life on this Earth had come to an end, Suguru had grown tall and strong, but his soul had died just the same, on that day she breathed her last breath. Apparently, he must be scum too.
"You're sure this guy is Management?"
"Former Management," Frank Bennett said quietly. The American held out a lighter and lit Suguru's cigar for him. Toxic heat filled his lungs, and the satisfying stream of white smoke fled his lips when he exhaled in silent ecstasy. Suguru let the sweet toxin soothe him as he searched the skyline for the tower in question.
"Scum of the Earth?" he asked.
"I suppose you could say that, but really, I don't think Matthew Roman is that bad a guy at all." Frank smiled as he lit his own cigar. "Just misguided."
"That so?" Suguru's tone assured his companion that he was unconvinced. That was nothing out of the ordinary. Suguru refused to take anyone at his word. Not anymore. "Look, you just let me do my job. I'll talk to the man and make that determination on my own, got it?"
"Well sure. I wouldn't have it any other way, Suguru," Frank replied. "But you gotta take into consideration that this guy left Management on his own years before the war broke out. Even before your grandfather."
That was true enough. He'd learned much the same from Hayato Daimon before leaving Vesper to investigate Matthew Roman for himself. But Suguru had come here for his own purposes, and not because Vesper wished it. He had learned a long time ago that there was only one person on this Earth he could trust.
In the end, he'd used Vesper only to learn what he needed to know.
He would use Frank Bennett and then Matthew Roman in much the same way before it was all said and done. That was the plan, anyway.
He lifted the cigar from his lips and blew a puff of smoke out toward the harbor. Roman was a powerful man. Everyone Suguru had spoke to during his initial investigation had said as much, and it was more than apparent that Roman was a man of great wealth. But as powerful as he was, it was also said that he was a good man, willing to use the power he had for the betterment of mankind. Suguru wasn't so sure. Roman said all the right things, but so did all politicians, usually as a guise to their true intentions. Suguru could take nothing for granted. For all intents and purposes, he might very well be walking into the lion's den.
"Best of luck, then," Frank Bennett said quietly as he flicked the ashes from the end of his cigar, out into the calm waters of the harbor below. "Vesper will be watching, Suguru Misato."
♠ ♣ ♥ ♦
Vesper was always watching, of course. He didn't much care. The world that Suguru saw before him, through the eyes of the betrayed, was a lonely and desolate place, a wasteland of lies. Standing amidst the vast and crowded crevasse of the manmade canyon known as New York City, the Roman Family Tower was an imposing mountain of steel girders and concrete walls, built in the past decade through funds undoubtedly originated through Management.
Matthew Roman had built his empire through technology Vesper had long ago confirmed to be Saint in origin. Suguru considered it a hypocritical notion, to have worked for an organization determined to keep Earth isolated from alien influence, and yet use alien technology in order to pocket trillions of dollars. Hayato thought perhaps, assuming the basics behind Matthew Roman's fallout with Management, that the technological tycoon had had a change of heart regarding Saint. Whatever the truth may be, his resignation from Management had certainly proved profitable, thanks to Saint technology.
The young woman at the desk did not seem surprised to see a man in black standing before her on a beautiful October day, asking to see her wealthy employer, despite the lack of an appointment. Suguru thought that strange enough, but when she bowed her pretty blonde head and greeted him politely, and that she would be with him in a moment, he was genuinely surprised. She didn't even ask his name. She simply picked up the phone and dialed the main suite on the top floor of the Roman Family Tower.
"Mr. Roman, the man from Vesper is here to see you."
And now Suguru Misato was troubled, as well as surprised. How could this man, Matthew Roman, possibly know that he had come? The only possible explanation was that Vesper agents had contacted him ahead of time, to warn him. Suguru didn't see how that was at all possible. Vesper didn't know much about Roman's intentions, and was every bit as curious as Suguru to see what was truly going on behind closed doors. On top of that, only a few within the Vesper organization knew Suguru was in New York.
"Yes, Mr. Roman. I will send him right up. Thank you very much, sir."
With a soft click, the blonde set the receiver back on the cradle. Suguru was stunned; the entire conversation had lasted all of about ten seconds. "All right, Mr. Misato." Icy dread worked its way up Suguru's spine. They knew his name. "Mr. Roman's waiting for you. Step onto the elevator at the end of the primary corridor. It will take you straight up to his private offices."
There were three corridors, two set perpendicular along the perimeter of the building, and a primary hallway leading deep into the heart of the building. It was wide and white… sparkling white, like a hospital corridor. He's never seen a place as spotless. Strangely enough, there were no doors on either side, only an occasional portrait of some company figurehead. He recognized most from Vesper intelligence files. Near the end of the hall, just before a massive elevator with golden doors, was the portrait of a pudgy old man with full, white beard, an amiable smile, and rosy red cheeks.
Put him in a big red suit and he could pass for Santa Claus, Suguru mused. Matthew Roman, the man who had established Roman Enterprises, was said to be a pleasant enough man. He certainly looked the part.
The door of the elevator swished open, and when Suguru stepped on, they swished shut behind him. He turned, looking for the control panel, but saw only an LCD screen displaying the floor he was on. Ground level. On its own, the elevator rose up, taking Suguru toward the roof of Roman Family Tower.
"A little too friendly, Mr. Roman," Suguru grumbled under his breath.
♠ ♣ ♥ ♦
"A little too friendly, Mr. Roman."
The Regulator watched the young face on the monitor in silence, listened to the soft buzz as the corresponding voice grumbled into the darkness, only to be filtered crystal clear through high-quality speakers. He could feel Kaede standing over his shoulder, watching Suguru Misato with genuine interest.
The boy had a handsome enough face. The scar under his left eye seemed fitting, as if it revealed a level of maturity beyond his years. From his bio, the Regulator knew he was only eighteen, and had lived a life of pain and sorrow. Sad, how he had so much taken away from him over the years, because of a war that was no fault of his own.
The past four years, he had lived a life on the run, keeping contact with Vesper though he held no trust for anyone. Vesper had let a powerful ally slip through their fingers. Of course, they knew as much.
They should have let him in the loop years ago, instead of sending V1046 R Mahoro to him as a housekeeper, a damn maid, and letting him get attached. The fools had really fucked up, and the kid had suffered dearly for their lack of insight.
"This is the one you spoke of?" Kaede asked gently as she leaned over her master's shoulder.
"Yes," the Regulator confirmed. "I knew he would come to me eventually, though I didn't expect it to be under such extreme circumstances. The informant was right, as usual. He hasn't come here because Vesper sent him. He's here for his own purposes."
"Yet you let him come freely." Kaede looked down on him with big, brown eyes and hooked a strand of raven hair behind an ear. "Master, are you not at all concerned? This man is unpredictable. He hates Saint and Management equally, and he has no love in his heart for Vesper either."
"Read that from his file, did you?"
"Well, between the lines. I can't say that I blame him, considering his past."
"Nor can I, Kaede. I have no doubt he intends to settle whatever old debts he might feel I owe him. Well, settle them we will. I'm not hiding in the shadows this time, because for once, I too am a part of the problem."
She smiled a little smile of respect. "Really? Master, I…" The smile melted as she considered what it was she had to say. "I know you intend to see him, and there is nothing within my power capable of changing your mind, so I won't make an attempt to do so. Just be careful. And I will be close, should things go sour."
He reached up and gave her arm a gentle pat. "You're a good girl, Kaede. Yes, I know you'll be there for me. You always are." He looked up to the monitor and smiled sadly. "There is something I need you to do, however."
♠ ♣ ♥ ♦
The door swished open, and Suguru stepped into a room where there were no visible walls, only a border of shadows ten to twenty paces ahead of him. He looked one way, and then the other, and started forward. He slipped a hand into his trench coat pocket, caressing the cool metal there.
"You're taller than I thought you would be."
Suguru turned an ear to a voice in the shadows. Of course, it made all the sense in the world that the Regulator would not show his face. He had just stepped off the elevator, and already he was being greeted, even before he had a chance to look the other in the eye. Although he could not see the man behind the voice, he recognized it instantly. There was an advantage to be gained in the darkness, even if only to better study your enemy while he remained blind to his surroundings. Matthew Roman understood this tactic quite well it seemed.
Suguru was less than impressed. Really, he'd expected as much.
"Did you have trouble finding the place?"
"Roman Family Tower is one of the most recognizable buildings in the world, sir," Suguru said quietly. "Even without an American guide, I could have found the place pretty easily."
"Vesper has solid ties in New York. I gather Commander Daimon would have seen to it you received all the help you might need to get your feet on solid ground here." Matthew stepped forward, not entirely out of the shadows, but enough so that Suguru could see his heavyset frame appear in the darkness, the silhouette of one of the most powerful men in the world. He was silent for several moments, seeming to take in Suguru as a butcher might inspect a cut of meat. "You have your grandfather's eyes," he mused. "I understand his iron will, as well. It is my honor to finally make your acquaintance, Suguru Misato."
He wished his host would step completely from the shadows, and even the playing field… but then, hadn't Suguru himself sought the upper hand in intending to walk in unannounced? He supposed turnabout was fair play.
"You knew him well then?"
"Hell, son, I recruited man."
It made sense. Matthew Roman was a few years older than his grandfather had been, so Suguru had no reason to doubt the truth of that. Both men had served Management, after all. Suguru had seen enough evidence to know the truth of that during his time investigating the past. Hayato Daimon had never shared that tidbit, but it was entirely possible he had never even known. Suguru knew all too well how the truth could be obscured somewhere along the line, as even in Vesper there was often internal strife as men jockeyed for power. Good people dedicated to teamwork were hard to come by, probably the main reason Suguru intended never to work for the organization his grandfather had helped to establish.
"I was sorry to hear about his death." The man sounded earnest, at least.
Suguru gave a nod and slipped his hand free of the folds of the pocket of his trench coat. "Remorse is the first step to atonement, I suppose." He lifted his hand and took careful aim at the man in the shadows. He held the gun with practiced grace. "That's what they say, anyway."
Matthew gazed at the gun for a long, quiet moment, and then spoke softly. "Yes, that is true."
"I assure you, I don't need any help to make a splash anywhere in this Godforsaken world, Regulator. Vesper, Management, Saint… it really doesn't mean shit to me. I make my own breaks, my own rules. If I really wanted to, I could take you out of the equation right now. I pull the trigger, and leave one less fool in a hierarchy of fools to decide the fate of the masses."
Matthew Roman chuckled. "How bold. I like that, Mr. Misato. Really, I do. But you need to understand something, before you make a decision you may regret. You see, it was never my intention to decide the fate of the masses. I'm a businessman, plain and simple. I served Management because at one point in my life, I saw great potential in an organization that could lead an entire world down a path of peace and prosperity. And for a while, we seemed to be on the right track. With President Kennedy, there was indeed considerable promise."
Suguru frowned. "But then Saint showed up."
"Yes, indeed. Saint showed up. For all intents and purposes, that sealed our fate in many ways. After the Kennedy assassination, I realized that Management was doomed to suffer severe consequences for its idealistic prejudices. Some in the organization believed Saint would taint the human race. I saw potential from the beginning, but I could not harvest that potential from behind a desk at some Management office, so I resigned my commission in order to pursue my own ambitions. The result is here before you, in Roman Enterprises." The Regulator paused. Suguru knew the man was looking for a sign that he would relax his aim, but he didn't. "The rest of this vast potential between our two races, Saint and humankind, is invested in human emotion. Saint sees humanity as something truly strange and wonderful in the repertoire of knowledge they have accumulated during their journey through the stars, something truly worthy of their exploration, and so they made the conscious decision to make first contact. The result would be both grand and horrible, and at the same time, something more beautiful."
Something more beautiful.
It's the sunset, when you watch it with someone you love.
Suguru felt his hand holding the gun tremble slightly.
"Strike a chord, did I, Mr. Misato?" the Regulator asked. "Believe me, there is great profit to be made in the advancement of human emotion. Vesper was founded on the basis of a potential alliance between humanity and Saint. This alliance would not be possible if not for emotion. It is why so many from Saint seek an existence here, hiding among us on Earth. They wish to be a part of the human experience."
Suguru started to lower his sidearm, eyeing Matthew's silhouette with a look of surprise. "But… you mean Roman Enterprises…" He gave an abrupt shake of his head as he put a few more pieces of a complicated puzzle together. "You established Roman Enterprises with the sole intention of profiting from the war?"
Matthew snorted at the thought. "The war is mere peanuts in comparison to what is truly profitable, my dear Suguru. I only hope I live long enough to see the end of this infernal bloodshed. Peace with Saint means intergalactic trade, space exploration, colonization, technological advancement beyond your wildest dreams. The possibilities are endless. I only wish to show the people the way."
"In the meantime you continue to profit on the war."
"Money is always relevant, Mr. Misato. Especially in times of war."
Suguru lowered his eyes. He certainly couldn't argue with that. "It's a sad truth," he said, his voice very soft.
"On that sentiment, I'd say we're in complete agreement."
Yet the man called the Regulator didn't so much as hesitate to make his fortune. Suguru filed that away for further contemplation. A world of heartache surrounded everything this man had touched throughout the course of his lifetime, in one way or another.
The arm holding the gun hung limp at Suguru's side as he considered all that he'd been told. "But… why let me come here?"
"Come now, Suguru. We are practically family, don't you think?"
"You actually believe that?"
"Son, your grandfather and I were closer than brothers. In some ways." Matthew stepped completely out into the light. The man was not tall, perhaps about Suguru's height when he'd been fourteen, before he'd hit his growth spurt at fifteen. He wore a fancy white tuxedo. He had an unruly mop of wavy, white hair, and small, near-nonexistent frames set on the bridge of his nose. His thick beard matched his hair. "It's true. If you choose not to believe me I would not blame you, but I do have a good deal of proof that will confirm a very comfortable relationship between us. Even long after we parted ways with each other and with Management, we got together every couple of years to fish… and to discuss the current events of the time, current events one could not see by simply turning on the TV for the six o'clock news."
Suguru gave a shake of his head, trying to clear his thoughts. "Wait. That doesn't make any sense at all." He closed his eyes, tilting his head back as if to stare at the ceiling. "Vesper considers the Regulator to be a Management informant. You're supposed to be responsible for the technology that allows for the advancement of cybernetic components so that they can build superhuman soldiers that are supposed to be able to hold their own against combat androids."
"I'm afraid the truth is a tad bit more complicated than that, Mr. Misato."
"I'm afraid I don't believe you." Suguru smiled as he opened his eyes and stared into the pitch-black nothingness overhead.
"That's a shame, Suguru, but I suppose it is to be expected."
"Don't take this personal, Regulator. I decided a long time ago that those responsible for taking from me all that I hold dear had to pay for their crimes against my heart. So, if you understand why I'm here, I want you know I'll try very hard to hold no ill wishes against you in the afterlife."
Suguru turned his eyes down to the Regulator's and took aim once more.
The Regulator actually smiled. "Suguru, I hold no ill wishes against you either. And I want you to know that you bring this upon yourself. When this is over and I am dead, I ask only one favor."
Suguru frowned. "A favor?"
"Trust me."
"What do you mean old man?"
"Just, trust me."
Suguru shook his head. "Man, you are a crazy old fart, aren't you?"
"Pull the trigger and find out."
A long silence followed. Suguru stared at the old man's sparkling blue eyes, the sight to his gun between them. They were bright and unafraid. Waiting to die, unashamed of the life he had lived and the path to death that lie ahead. It could only mean one of two things: the man was crazy, or the man was sincere in his good will, and in being sincere was simply ready to die for his righteous cause.
Well, dead was dead. This man had directly or indirectly, one way or another, been responsible for the void left in Suguru's heart.
He squeezed the trigger.
Matthew Roman, a.k.a. the Regulator, smiled, waiting.
A shot rang out…
…and in that instant, a cloak of pitch-black shadow consumed the entirety of the room. Suguru couldn't see his hand in front of his face. Gritting his teeth, he slipped back in the darkness until he felt the cool door of the elevator press behind him. He shifted his gaze this way and that, searching for a light to see that did not exist, but he could hear movement all around him as something changed.
Suguru held his gun at the ready. In that moment, the lights of the room came on. Suguru gasped in shock at the row of machines stood before. There were four them, each about his height, shaped like humans but nothing more than a titanium endoskeleton, similar to androids but lacking the sophistication.
Not nearly so subtle, either.
Four robotic arms each aimed their weapons at him.
"Combat drones!" Suguru knew that he was beat. He had nowhere to go as the four machines rolled toward him. He held his ground, weapon raised and his finger on the trigger. "I thought your government declared these things illegal when Saint conducted first contact!"
"That is true, my dear Suguru." The Regulator's voice drifted down to him from somewhere in the ceiling… confirming what Suguru had expected: that he could still hear him, and more importantly, that he was being monitored. "To some degree. I want to apologize for the aggressive nature of my defense, but you must understand that you left me little choice."
"If these things are illegal, what the hell are you doing with them?"
"You must accept the fact that there will be some things you will not understand just yet. It's a simple matter of timing, to tell you the truth. According to the doctrine that declared such war machines illegal, these particular drones do not exist." Suguru narrowed his eyes, trying to contemplate the meaning behind the man's words. The man was some kind of crazy, and this only confirmed it. "You see, the United States government issued a secret doctrine in 1983 that no government agency should continue the research and development of war machines that operated on a self-learning data processor.
"The idea was to allow the war between Vesper and Saint to play out, without undue technological advancements. Of course, Management continued its cybernetic program using data collected from my own research. Management always considered itself above any government organization, after all."
Suguru shifted his gaze from one drone to the next. Each had a single, red optic in the center of its cylindrical, steel cranium. "None of that explains what you are doing with combat drones of your own."
The Regulator chuckled. "I prefer to think of them as security drones. They were not built for wartime purposes."
"That doesn't change what they are."
"True enough. But Suguru, you have to understand, I've done nothing illegal here. Now since you likely will not believe the truth of that, allow me to explain. The '83 doctrine was issued to stop the research and development of such war machines during the early eighties. These drones have been my personal protection since 1978."
Suguru frowned. "Seventy-eight? You're kidding."
"Not even a little bit. Like I said, I have the evidence of all that I tell you today. But something tells me that you aren't here to listen to reason. A show of force may be necessary to knock some sense into that thick skull of yours." There was a silent moment before the Regulator chuckled once again. "Something you inherited from that damned grandfather of yours. I think he would be proud, to tell you the truth."
"Show of force? So now you're threatening me? I think I'm going to enjoy putting a bullet between your eyes, Roman."
Another long pause followed, but this one was not broken by the sound of laughter. "You are going to have to recognize the difference between a robot and a flesh and blood human being, Suguru. Take care to watch where you aim that damn gun of yours, because a bullet is one thing in this existence that you are never able to take back."
Suguru drew a breath, and chose his path. He took aim at the second drone on the right and fired. The shot echoed through the entire floor of the tower. The ruby face of the optic burst apart as the bullet passed through, and then exploded in a burst of sparks out of the side of the cylindrical head.
The drone fizzled and sputtered briefly before going offline.
Suguru was taking aim at the next drone in his sights, but in that moment the remaining machines opened fire on him instead. He felt the rain of bullets knock him back. His head slammed violently against the door of the elevator. His shoulders felt heavy, pinned to the wall as he slid down to sit on the floor.
The heavy cloud between sleep and consciousness muddied his vision. He could still see four drones before him. Only three were moving. But there was something else slipping into his line of sight, flowing like water as it moved. Suguru blinked as he tried to understand what he was seeing.
Grace and power combined as the mysterious figure struck out in a fluid and precise dance. A head from one of the machines tumbled to the floor with a satisfying clank. A lightning bolt followed as a second machine was toppled with ease. If the third machine fell as quickly, Suguru never knew.
Inky blackness consumed him again.
But not before he saw her face in his vision, if only for a fleeting moment.
Her name came to his lips, but he could scarcely let it out before consciousness finally abandoned him.