Ghostbusters: Japan Quest
LAST TIME ON GHOSTBUSTERS JAPAN:
Kicked out of University, his house, and blacklisted, because of his ethics and big mouth Harutora Daisuke was at the end of his rope and last can of beer. Then a chance meeting with his childhood friend Sato Fumihito put his life on a new course.
One busted ghost, and mild case of strangulation later...he's now the newest member of Ghostbusters: Japan.
That's a good thing...right?
-
"So this is the YOMI-1." Marunishi Akira says as he leads you out of the SongBird Karaoke Parlor.
You see a white utility van that looked like it drove through a hardware store covered in glue. It's covered with...things, and wires, and a big headlight and loudspeakers. On the side is a giant Ghostbusters decal.
"She's a beauty, isn't she?" Akira says. "My finest stallion...well...second finest. Built this baby with my own hands." He kicks the tires with his cowboy boots. "Only Central has better steeds."
"Try to ignore the groady smell inside." Kawasagi Sakura says. (Though she prefers you call her 'Star' and not tell her than the 80s ended.) "You can take the van out from the pasture, but part of the pasture never leaves the fan. No matter HOW much we try." She runs a hand through her poofy, neon-colored hair.
"Ah, but as the Ancients say," Sato Fumihito says. "When One Carries Home With You, You Always Know Where You Are.' Or something like that."
These are your new co-workers. Dr. Kylie Griffin gives you a sympathetic look.
"So," Akira Asks you. "Before we head back to Base, any place we need to go to first, pick up anything?"
(Back to yesterday to retrieve my sanity?) You think to yourself.
"Well, my duffle bag has all that I have so...no not really" You say.
"Alright!" Akira slaps you on the back, hard. "On we go then!"
Your drive through the city of Tokyo is one you'll never forget. Akira drives like a lunatic wo seems to operate on simple principles. '1) Get there as quickly as possible. 2) Don't hit anything.' all other things like laws, traffic flow, buildings, streets, and possibly even the laws of physics don't apply.
Also, apparently Star controls the radio, and this whole trip is done to the tune of Oingo Boingo's 'Dead Man's Party'
Finally, you arrive and you stumble out the van, legs shaking.
"Welcome to the 'Great For Happiness Dumplings' Factory!" Sato says. "Your new home and our base of operations."
"What's that smell?" You ask.
"That would be the horse." Sato says. "Long story, you'll meet her later."
You go inside, the place is...well...you're starting to recognize the 'exploded electronic' look of GB tech. This time it's merged with a mass-production dumpling factory.
"Our dorms are on the second floor." Akira says. "You and Sato have your own room."
"Oh." A voice says. "You're back.
A woman with long black hair, glasses, a green t-shirt, jeans and strappy sandals, is sitting behind a desk that's been placed near the front of the factory. You know she's got jeans and sandals on because she has her feet up on the desk and is watching a daytime drama on her laptop.
"This is Tamotsu Sana!" Sato says. "Our secr-"
"Operations Manager." The woman in glasses and long black hair said, not looking away from the tv show. "So... you got a death wish, stupid, or both?"
"I thought you had a callback today?" Akira asks.
"Found out that one of my competition is fucking the casting director." She says. "Figured 'why bother,' I got another audition coming up. No big."
"Sana's trying to be an actress." Sato says.
"Anyway," Akira says. "We have some forms for you to sign. Just legal stuff. It's no big deal."
'No big deal' turns out to be the LONGEST group of liability/non-disclosure/employee health insurance forms you've ever seen in your life.
Apparently being a Ghostbuster gives you great benefits, even dental.
Although from the list of things that the liability form says that could happen to you...you think that may be out of necessity rather than generosity.
There's also some rather insulting forms detailing your membership into something called P-COC. It looks like a lot of protocol...but the Ghostbusters have been Grandfathered past a lot of the more restrictive red tape.
You slowly read through the entire documents. There's not many red flags, save two,
The Non-Disclosure Agreement is a little weird. You can't talk to others about your work especially 'anything that may cause memetic damage to society, or could cause distress due to actions taken by ambulatory beings that take the image of known formerly alive individuals.' Also, if you tell anyone how to unlock or access and ESPECIALLY 'shut down,' the Containment Field. (Whatever that is) You are SO fired.' It's really weird. Some tech you're actively encouraged to talk about, others you have to keep your mouth SHUT.
The P-COC, or Paranormal Control Oversight Coalition also has some weird stuff. Basically, whenever your local representative arrives at your place, you have to follow his 'suggestions and efficiency recommendations' or else they'll throw your ass in jail, or an asylum. Ghostbusters get more leeway than others, but this seems less like an consultant or oversight committee and more like a collection of dickless assholes.
Also, your pay isn't that great. I mean, it's good, but there's equipment fees, maintenance costs, your power bill is ABSURD, health insurance costs, and Union Dues...which is strange because the only members of the Union of Paranormal Cleansers and Managers are the Ghostbusters and their franchises.
Still, lots of tax write offs...which are written to the American Tax Code. You have no idea what that means for you specifically, but you think jack shit.
Still, no real red flags. Just imminent death and dismemberment, and while you can ask Central for technical help, NEVER ask them for money and you aren't seeing yen one for any merchandising, but are expected to report any store that selling bootleg goods.
You sign the last form and look at Sato. "So, how about that drink you owe me?"
"Sure. There's the cafe run by this nice couple, or a convenience store run by a sweet family." Sato says. "They're walking distance away, both serve beer."
The store is a block away. You notice that the neighborhood is a little...unique as compared to the usual places in Tokyo you've seen. There's a bit more decoration here and there, and a little less cleanliness in places you've come to expect.
"They call it the Reject Zone." Sato says, apparently picking up on what you're picking up. "It's where the dross of Tokyo ends up. A lot of refugees, hikikomori who got kicked out, lowest class workers, people who are a bit too out of place." He shrugs. "The cafe's run by a lovely homosexual couple. Nicest guys you'll ever meet but..." He shrugs. "Well, people can be stupid."
The store is a small corner convenience store, with food, diapers, snacks, batteries, and beer. Sato buys a couple cases from the nice Koreans that run the place.
You walk back. "We're kind of the biggest thing to happen to this part of town since...ever." He shrugs. "We just thought it was a cheap building."
"So," You crack open a beer and take a drink. "Tell me about the Ghostbusters. Is what happened earlier today all that they do?"
"Kinda." Sato says. "We're considered to be a specialized pest control business. With a little bit of Apocalypse Averting on the side." He grins. "But that's Central's stuff."
"Central, that's the ones in New York who were on the news back in the 80s?"
"The very same." He nods.
"They've got franchises now?"
"A couple in America, one in England, one in South Africa, and us." Sato says.
"South Africa?"
"Yeah, someone who worked for Central for a little bit had family, and when they heard that they had PKE issues, they moved there and opened up shop." Sato says. "The guy was a heavy hitter, took out a Class X called Dumazu."
"Class X?" You ask. "I thought the manual had them by numbers?"
"Yeah, don't ask." Sato shakes his head. "If we ever fight a Class X, YOU'LL KNOW."
"Okay, so what's the business plan and why is there an arrow in our door?" You ask.
"Aww fuck, again?" He yanks it out. "She just doesn't give up, does she...and she can HURT people!"
You see a note attached to the arrow. You take it off and read it aloud. "False prophets of unholy science, know that you bolster your ranks fruitlessly. Soon your lies will be exposed. You will know the TRUE power of the world beyond, and I well see you sent to HELL!" You blink. "Who wrote this?"
"Our neighbor." Sato points across the street. You see that there's a rather decent sized temple on the top of a flight of stairs.
"Is...is that the reason why the sign is filled with arrows?" You ask.
"Yeah," Sato sighs. "Turns out some mikos have hair trigger tempers and good aim." He shakes his head. "Sachiko's a piece of work. If she's a proper priestess, then Ishtar had a slight temper. She's been extorting these poor people for years. Offering good luck charms and exorcisms to these people, and charging them for 'spiritual protection.' Ugh." He shakes his head.
"I guess she sees us as competition." Sato says. "We're back!" He announces as he enters the room. "We brought carbs and alcohol!"
There's a general cheer and soon you're sitting around a table, eating microwave pork buns, and drinking beer with your new 'co-workers' it's nice. Reminds you of your friends back in college before they turned on you.
Akira and Sana are talking about their respective work. Dr. Griffin and Star are talking in English about something.
"You know," Sato says. "It's really sad that she's so against us. It furthers that nasty science vs. mysticism stereotype. It says in the handbook that all Ghostbusters are to defer to spiritual authorities, and to view all rituals with deference and respect." He nods. "I mean, we're not SO different from the classic Shaman role, just with different methodology."
"So," You ask as you open another beer. "What's this P-COC thing?"
The table groans.
"Dickless bastards." Star grumbles.
"THEY are the bad stereotype of the modern world trying to smash out mysticism." Sato says. "You know they've already come down like a bag of bricks on three different exorcist groups, and totally shut down a school?"
"They are enforcing their force so that they may be forceful and hurt others because they cannot hurt us, they are complete roosters who feed upon each other." Dr. Griffin says...you think...her Japanese isn't very good.
"Daisuke," Akira says. "P-COC are the people who watch us, and they make sure that we are unable to help people."
"Do be fair, they helped Central that ONE time." Star says.
"1) That was someone from Miskatonic who worked for P-COC who recognized the signs and saw the ads for the Play. 2) His bosses dismissed his claims so he went behind their back to tell Central. 3) They STILL took credit for it! Fuck. Them."
"Half of them can't even see PKE entities." Sato says. "Cushy government job, be an asshole, and you don't even have to believe...I know plenty of members of the Diet who should be in there."
"Why CAN we see ghosts?" You ask. "Thought only special people could."
"I got this." Star smiles. "You go into the woods, and you don't see anything. You walk through it, and suddenly you see a snake right in front of you, one more step and you'd have stepped on it.
"Next time you enter the woods, your brain is working overtime, looking at the foliage, making sure that you don't miss seeing the snake. Dr. Spengler hypothesizes that it's the same thing. People don't see PKE entities because they don't recognize the threat or feel threatened. If a PKE Entity attacks, THEN they see it, unless the Entity is applying energy to be unnoticed. However, WE'RE constantly looking out for the things, so our brains are geared towards seeing them. It's fight/flight."
"That or the GB Tech has warped us." Dr. Griffin says.
"But you did not hear that from me and should not repeat it." She says.
"So...this is the 'Reject Zone' then?" You ask.
The other two natives look at Sato. He shrugs. "What? I should lie?"
"No, but not use that bogus nickname!" Star huffs. "It's lame, lame, LAME!" She fumes. "This place is NOT a 'reject!' Okay?"
"This dumpling factory belonged to Star's uncle." Akira says, putting a hand on Star's shoulder. "He was a very good man, and heh...very imaginative. Then the bubble burst." He gestures to the large empty factory. "Now this is it."
"Some Men Fall, They Rise, Some Men Fall, They Break." Sato says. "Or something like that."
Star sniffs. "I loved him a lot, and he tried he really really tried to come back...but...but we do not live in a country that tolerates failure. Japan told him that he was a loser and a failure, and there was only one way to salvage his family name." She sighs. "So, one day there was a train incident."
There's a long pause. You stare at the beer in your hand. Maybe you've had enough for today.
The phone rings, and Sana gets up to answer it.
"Ghostbusters..." She asks. "Really? How bad? What do you mean by fatal crockery? Oh, has anyone been killed? Because Ghostbusters doesn't...okay...okay...well for a home visitation, an evening visit, and you're asking for a full-on inspection, cleansing, AND...heh alright, if YOU don't want to haggle...we'll also need you to sign the proper liability and property waiv...alright but a rush job will cost you extra, cause we ARE putting you on the front of the line. Okay...thank you." She hands up. "We got one!" She says.
"YEEE-HAW!" Akira says.
"I'll go get the packs!" Star says.
"I am very engaged to be here and happy to be present as well tomatoes!" Dr. Griffin says.
"Dai..." Sato says. "You know you don't have to come, you've had a fuck of a morning, no need to add more tonight."
You finish your beer. "Eh, I'm in."
"How many of those have you had?" Sato asks as you and he suit up.
You shrug. "My tolerance these days is really high."
"I bet." Sato pauses and looks at you. "Keio University...was it that test score thing?"
You give him a look. "Show me how to work these neutro-whatever wands."
"Neutrino." Sato says, catching the hint. "Yeah, sure."
You get a very good crash course in the car, which once again is filled with Akira's driving madness and Star's pick of 'Weird Science.'
Once the training is over, you get a conference call with Sana.
"Okay, so I looked up what I heard. And I think I found something similar to what you guys have."
"Did you find it in Tobin's or Spengler's?"
"My niece's storybook that she gave me when she heard I was working in this madhouse." She says. "Sounds like Okiku."
"The plate ghost?" Sato says.
"Yeah." Sana says. "But it's weird. There's no well in this property, and there's been no stated incidents of counting."
"Not to mention Okiku has never been recorded as being a hostile ghost, much less PKE-Induced Telekinetic Forces." Sato says. "But, if it is Okiku, or a PKE Entity that's taken on her Aspect, then...guess we could try out the simple method."
"What's the easy method?" You ask.
"Finish helping her count to ten." Sato says. "Short version of one version of the tale. Okiku was a maid in a noble's household. Noble had the hots for her. Wife finds out. Wife breaks one of the 10 precious heirloom plates. Okiku is blamed, executed, and dumped down an empty well. Her ghost then mournfully counts to ten every night, or tries to, at Nine she breaks down weeping. If someone says 'Ten' at the right spot, she is satisfied and Moves On."
"But that's not exactly what's happening here."
"Well, when crockery is involved, people go to Okiku first." Sato says.
"Kind of a dumb tale." Akira says. "Not that I'm knocking it. But, I'm a bigger fan of Sugawara no Michizane, or Yuki-Onna...or Oiwa."
"Yeah, well...let's see if this is Okiku, a Shade of her, or just someone acting like her." Star says. "Could just be a Class 3 Poltergeist."
That was weird. Star's tape skipped when Akira mentioned those other tales.
Well...that's certainly not ominous.
Either way, you arrive at the place. It's an actual house. Looks like a nice one too.
You suit up and put the pack on your back.
"Wish Dr. Griffin could come along." Sato says.
"She's getting our containment field right." Akira says. "I don't want anything to go wrong with THAT."
"Agreed."
Akira knocks on the door and a very upset man opens the door and stammers out something half-intelligible.
Akira smiles and takes him outside to calm him down, and to fill out the forms and pay the fees.
"Okay," Sato says. "Standard procedure for residential haunting, everyone take a room, constant radio contact, first sign of trouble signal for support, and remember we MUST do the proper protocol greeting." He waves his handbook. "This is by the book folks."
"Alright, we know. Don't got mental on me." Star says.
"Which room you want?"
"I'll take the Kitchen." You say.
Sato looks disappointed, Star looks relieved. You split up and take out your PKE meter.
You have your Spectra-Goggles on and are waving the PKE meter around. Nothing.
Well, that's not true. You're picking up a lot of residue, and this place has a lovely light patina of Negatively Charged Spectral Residue on every heavily used surface.
This is something the manual says that you'd expect more at a hospice, or a mental health facility. A private residence is...unusual.
Still no active signatures.
You head out into the main room. Star is there, checking things out.
"Hey." She says. "Any luck?"
"Nah, kitchen's clean...sorta. Hey, this place is pretty heavily coated in slime." You say.
"Yeah." Star says. "This is actually not that bad. Average for a Tokyo household. We've seen apartments with worse."
"Shouldn't we do something about it?" You ask.
"Only if they offer to pay for a cleansing." Star says. "We tried doing a gratis spraying. It didn't end well...a small fire, and Sato ended up getting hurled through a wall."
"Huh." You help her scan the whole room.
"You know, I know what you did." Starr says. "I think you did the right thing. I don't know if I would have the courage. So...HOW many people have been fired?"
"Last count was 12." You say. "I don't like talking about it."
"Okay." Star says.
Your PKE meters suddenly spike red.
You see the large wall clock, family pictures, wall scroll, and anything else on the wall start to shake and rattle.
"ONE!" A female voice howls.
"SATO GET IN HERE!" Star yells.
There's a THOK! As all the sliding doors to the room slam closed.
"TWO!"
You hear Sato charge down and then a THUNK sound. "DAMNIT!" You hear him yell. The hell?! That's just a normal screen door, Sato should have blasted right through it!
"THREE!"
Your companions and you are struggling because of the noise.
"FOUR!"
"FUCK! Could she BE any quieter?!" Star shouts to you.
"FIVE!"
"JUST HANG ON!" You say. "WE'LL WAIT IT OUT!"
"SIX!"
"WHAT?!"
"SEVEN!"
"WHAT?!"
"EIGHT!"
"YOU SAID SOMETHING?"
"NINE!"
"TEN!" You shout. "TEN! FOR THE LOVE OF ALL THAT'S HOLY, THERE'S TEN!"
A pause, and the rattling and the shouting stops. There's a moment of quiet.
"LIAR!"
All the items from the wall rip free and float in the air.
"I can't see her! She's hiding or invisible! Specs on!" Star shouts.
"DIE!" Okiku screams.
"DUCK!" A family photo comes at you, spinning sideways like a very large, nostalgia-filled, shuriken.
There's a BOOM and you see a huge hole in the door, and Akira and Sato standing there.
"Told you a double boson dart would override almost damn anything!" Sato says. "And I didn't burn my eyebrows off this time!"
You duck out to the side and the picture embeds itself in the wall.
"Everyone scan the walls, look for a concentration of black slime, and NAIL it." Akira says. "Handbook says it could be as small as a saucer plate."
"Don't see it!" "Nothing" "Sorry!"
Damn, you don't see it yet.
The wall scroll rolls itself up with a snap and hurls itself at Akira.
Akira grabs the scroll out of mid-air and tosses it aside.
"You're fighting the quickest gun in the East girl!" He crows. "You'll have to do better than that!"
"DON'T. BAIT. THEM!" Star snaps. "Everyone keep looking!"
The 'Quickest Gun In The East' gets nailed in the back of the head with a ceramic cow. He hits the floor like a sack of potatoes.
"THERE!" You shout and point out at a spot above the blasted door, a dense throbbing boil of black slime.
You sense a 'Time Flies' joke as the wall clock comes hurling at Sato.
CRACK!
"UH!" Sato snaps his head back and it comes back with a bloody mouth. He spits out a mass of blood and a tooth on the ground. "Fuck! ANOTHER one? Blessed be our dental plan! SLIME THE BITCH!"
The smile boil bursts with a flare of light and a hissing noise. A woman in...well you're not sure what you would call that.
It looks like someone from the feudal era was told to make a uniform for a Maid Cafe, specifically a classic 'French maid' costume, but not given the best description.
There's black slime all over her body, and dripping from her skirt, her sleeves, and she has no legs and is slightly transparent.
There's a mass of black slime around her neck, and oozing out from her tear ducts, and nose.
"Ten...ten...there's ten...please...help...meeee..." She croaks out.
Suddenly there's a glow of red from within her, and the black slime all gets sucked back up within her and you hear that sizzling sound. Her eyes flash red and she snarls at you.
She ten floats down to the kotatsu, and with a blast of heat it lifts off of the ground, actual fire licking from under the blanket. It looks like a ridiculous, lethal, skirt.
"DIE!" She screams.
You unleash a stasis stream at Okiku...or THE Okiku...or the Maid Gho...whatever, you blast the bitch before she can cook Akira on the ground. The fire instantly begins to develop stasis crystals as it reverts back to inert PKE.
"Good one man. Blast her!" Star says.
The other two GBs unleash with stasis blasts of their own.
She dodges the other two, but you nail her.
She tries to break through the stasis crystals and hurl the kotatsu at you.
She just barely misses you and your jumpsuit gets singed. She does break free of the stasis crystals though.
Both miss, mostly because they're dragging the cowboy out of the way. Throwing the trap and going capture beam is option as well.
Well, there's a bunch of nifty new stasis crystals gracing this place's walls. But sadly, none on the ghost.
At all.
She tries to hit you with the spinning kotatsu of doom.
You go flying through the outer wall of the house and land hard in the small garden that these people have.
You really really hope that's squashed tomatoes...and...nope...nope that's too black. That's your blood. Yeah, you just got stabbed in the side by a sweetpea-fence. Great. And now you know why your health coverage is so good and comprehensive. That's REALLY going to hurt when the adrenaline wears off.
The other two try and blast her, as you try and get up and untangled.
Sato's misses, and worse, his pack has overheated and caused a dead charge. He's got to vent and swap in a new energy pack.
Star hits.
Okiku tries to hit Sato as he's recharging.
Sato ducks and rolls out of the way. Star blasts again.
You drag your bleeding self, back up into the room to see Sato prime his pack back up, and see Star nail the bitch again.
Okiku pauses in her assault. The flames die down to just underneath the kotatsu and her head droops.
You toss the trap and the other two unleash capture beams.
She tries to pull away but a third pops up. It's Akira from the ground. "How'd YOU like sucker punches?"
You're the fourth beam. Okiku wails and screams, you see the red light in her eyes and that black slime flare up.
The trap opens, and that white light leaks out. She thrashes and shifts, but it's going to take an unholy miracle for her to break free.
NOPE! With a shriek she's sucked down inside and the trap SNAPS closed.
All is well.
Save your bleeding side-wound, Akira's concussion, Sato's 1st degree burns, the two broken doors, the damaged walls and the total destruction of everything no nailed down in this room and a TOTALED kotatsu.
But all that's covered in the liability agreement, as Star explains to the homeowner as you all limp back to YOMI-1 and go to the emergency room.
Nurse Reika, an angel in white and a possessor of ample...bandages...sighs as the three of you limp into her sight. "There's another one of you now?"
She bandages you up, (and she gives you a wink) and you head back to the van. Star finishes her Oingo Boing mix-tape on the way home with 'Stay' and Akira's driving only violates 4 traffic laws.
You have gotten used to this shit WAY too fast.
"So..." Sana asks as you all stagger back into the Factory pushing open the arrow filled door. "How'd it go?"
"Sana," You say as you stagger over to the assembly line. "I felt safer when I got death threats."
"Oh." Sana says. "So...I guess you're quitting like the others, huh?"
She looks at you with nice looking grey-ish eyes behind a pair of glasses that work for her and she nervously tugs at a bit of hair. She's cute when she isn't snarking.
You smile at her. "Safer, but...heavens help me, I'm...happier here. With the craziness, danger, copious need for medical attention, and you."
She blushes.
"And the other idiots, does Star have any other tapes other than Oingo Boingo."
"Don't ask or we'll have Devo Week again." Sana says.
"Good...now...I'm gonna pass out...right here." You lie down on the assembly line.
"Good Night Daisuke." Sana says. "Sleep well."
"How many people have joined and quit this job anyway?" You ask.
Sana smiles. "You're number Ten."