LIVING A LIFE FORETOLD
Chapter 5: "First Move"
A Sailor Moon fanfic
By Bill K.
Dr. Nishimoto finished applying the final chip to the complex board and locked it away in the metal housing designed to carry it. With that he sighed with relief, temporarily fogging the visor on his sterile suit. His hands were aching and he was eager to leave the cold room, but he was even more eager to see if his latest creation worked. Gingerly he picked up the device and hurried out of the room.
Sequestered back in his lab, Dr. Nishimoto willed himself to work calmly. He carefully wired the metal housing containing the central processor into the chassis of a metal drone. It was one meter long, phallicly cylindrical with two tail wings and two rudders at the base. Mounted in the nose was a state-of-the-art sensor array of his own design. Its propulsion system was an experimental energy conversion engine that used available sources of energy, whether radiant, kinetic, audio or magnetic. Since the entire device only weighed around 500 grams, most of its energy was used for guidance propulsion.
Nishimoto smiled, admiring the device as he glided his hand over it. It was a remarkable device, a testament as much to his persistence as to his inventiveness. And it was just a step to a greater triumph. And then Ashitaki Nishimoto would no longer be admired only for the wealth he could bring to other people.
As he walked down the hall toward the back lot of the Kujawa Heavy Industries research and development lab, Nishimoto was joined by another. Consumed with the test of his device, Nishimoto didn't acknowledge him.
"Is that the probe?" Hikaru Ishii asked. Nishimoto nodded impatiently. "Your industriousness does you credit, Nishimoto-San. I wasn't expecting you to finish for a few weeks yet."
"You never dawdle when you're working towards something you want," Nishimoto replied.
"But I thought we agreed not to produce any hardware until our funding was secured," Ishii reminded him.
"It's just a working model," Nishimoto told him. "It's easier to get petty details like this done beforehand. That way we can concentrate our full efforts on production - - when the funding comes through."
The pair ventured out into the back lot behind the research center. It was a wasteland of bare cement, black top and trash dumpsters. Ishii glanced at the engineer and saw him fish out a remote unit from his left lab coat pocket. He held the probe up in the air with his right.
"You're not going to launch from the ground?" Ishii asked.
"Why waste propulsion energy with a ground lift-off?" Nishimoto replied, his tone suggesting he was surprised by the question. Without another response, the engineer flung the probe into the air like it was a balsa wood glider. The probe rode the air currents for a few seconds while it gained enough solar energy to spark the probe into life. Immediately it was circling the lot waiting for a command from Nishimoto's remote.
"Very good," Ishii remarked. "It seems to be functioning just as planned. You say it doesn't use any solid fuel energy source at all?"
"Yes," Nishimoto smiled, his confidence growing. "You see I'm holding up my end of the project." He glanced over at his benefactor. "So what happened with the Prime Minister? Is there going to be interference from the government or that 'favorable attitude' you were talking about?"
"Too soon to tell," Ishii replied with a champion poker face. "That terrible business is still reverberating through the halls of power. I can't say what effect it's had on Arashi. I will say that such unfortunate tragedies do work to our advantage. Munitions do sell better in a climate of anxiety and an attempt on those who govern us does tend to create climates of anxiety."
"Do you think there will be another attempt?" Nishimoto ventured as he guided his drone off into the heart of Tokyo, the device flying about fifteen feet off of the ground.
"That's hard to know," Ishii replied. "I certainly hope not, for the good of our great nation. But if there is, it could only improve the favorable climate."
"How so?"
"One attempt is the work of a crazed loner," Ishii explained. "Two or more is clearly a conspiracy by unknown agents to collapse the government of Japan from within." Ishii smiled. "A conspiracy we would, of course, have to guard against with all the resources we can muster."
Nishimoto returned his attention to his remote control. The probe's visual and sensory telemetry were all coming in fine. Now the only thing to do was comb the city of Tokyo until the probe found the resonant energy signal it was searching for. That signal would lead to the single greatest energy source in existence on the planet, the energy source that would make his mobile suit the most powerful ever known.
"Hey, guys," Makoto beamed as she entered the "senshi meeting room" at Hikawa Shrine. She had her daughter over her shoulder. "Hope you don't mind me bringing Akiko along. San-San's at work and there's no one to sit with her."
"You bring that absolutely adorable little thing here anytime you want!" Rei smiled. She approached them both, Minako over her shoulder wearing a similar grin. "How's my precious little bundle?" Akiko gurgled happily at the priest.
"Not as little as she used to be," Makoto grinned, handing the baby over to Rei.
"Oh, you're right! She has gotten heavy!" marveled Rei.
"Well what do you expect?" gasped Minako. "Her parents are Hercules and The Amazon Queen! She'll probably qualify for the Pro Wrestling Circuit before she qualifies for first grade." Then Minako boosted up on Rei's shoulder and smirked at the baby. "Isn't dat wight, little precious precious? Yes it is!"
"Minako, stop talking to her like she's an idiot," Rei scowled. "She doesn't like it."
"How do you know?" Minako protested. Rei merely raised an eyebrow. "Oh yeah. The 'reading' thing." She peered down at Akiko. "For real?"
Akiko reached up with a pudgy hand and squeezed Minako's nose. This elicited chuckles from the other two women.
"Gee, Blondie, looks like you've met your intellectual match," Makoto laughed.
"OK, button nose, you got me," Minako smirked. Then she leaned in and rubbed noses with the child. "But that only means you have to suffer my terrible revenge later." Akiko gurgled happily.
"Terrible revenge?" Rei glanced at her with a sly grin. "You're going to make her watch one of your movies? Minako, she's only an infant!"
Minako pulled down her eyelid, then grinned back. "Personally I think she'd really like 'Bloodbath At Bikini Beach', don't you?"
"Remind me never to ask you to babysit," Makoto needled.
"Hello, everyone," Ami called out as she entered the room. "I'm sorry I'm late. I wanted to tie up a few loose ends in the ER."
"Four minutes is late?" Minako asked, checking her watch.
"It is for her," Makoto smiled knowingly.
"Actually it's fortunate you called this meeting, Rei," Ami continued. "I've got some news that will interest you all, both on a personal basis and in a fashion that might necessitate the intervention of the senshi."
"Really?" Minako asked, suddenly all business. Ami hesitated. "So spill."
"Shouldn't we wait for Usagi?"
"We all know Usagi's not going to be here for at least another half hour," Rei sighed. "Go ahead. I'll fill her in when she finally manages to get here." Ami nodded reluctantly.
"First, you'll be happy to know that Ryo - - um, Urawa-kun regained consciousness this morning."
"That's good! Is he out of danger?" Makoto exclaimed.
"Not yet," Ami frowned. "But he was lucid enough to tell me that he didn't attempt to stab the Prime Minister. He was trying to stop someone else from doing it."
"Uh huh," Minako nodded.
"You don't believe him?" Ami asked, slightly defensive.
"I'd like to," Minako explained. "But if a guy's capable of stabbing another human being, he is capable of lying about it, too. We can't assume what he says is true right off the bat just because it's Urawa."
"No, I don't think he's lying," Rei interjected. "That's why I called this meeting. I got some information - - from a credible source - - that said Urawa didn't do it. That it was a conspiracy to assassinate Prime Minister Arashi."
"That changes things," Minako responded, turning things over in her head.
"This source happen to say anything about who might have done it?" Makoto asked.
"No," Rei shook her head. "But I think we need to look into it, to clear Urawa if for no other reason. They've practically got him tried and convicted in the media and nobody seems to be leaping to his defense. That's not right."
"So what was Urawa doing there?" Makoto asked. "Was he just in the wrong place at the wrong time?"
"No," Ami answered. "He foresaw what was going to happen. He was trying to stop it. That's what he told me."
"Urawa can still see the future?" Rei asked. The others seemed surprised by the revelation.
"Yes," Ami admitted. "Apparently it's an inborn ability and not connected with being a Rainbow Warrior host."
"Makes sense," Rei nodded. "Grandpa still had his sight even after that - - that thing was expelled from him."
"That could be useful," Minako mused. She caught Ami looking at her aghast. "Hey, we need information if we're going to put a stop to this. We have to know who to fight. And if we can get a gauge on their strengths and weaknesses, that'll only make the fight shorter."
"Everything you say is perfectly logical," nodded Ami. "Yet I hate pressing him. He's still very weak. Telling me what he did before severely taxed him. And," and Ami looked away, grimacing, "it was never an ability he particularly enjoyed. And I get the impression that feeling hasn't changed."
Makoto reached out and put her free hand on Ami's shoulder. "I sympathize, Ames. But you got to look at the big picture here. Urawa may be the key to getting these guys. Even if he only tells us what he saw before, that's something more than we knew. And it's not just Urawa who's depending on us to crack this. It might be all of Japan."
"You're right, of course," Ami surrendered.
"Fine, that's settled," Minako proclaimed. "You try to get as much out of Urawa as you safely can. Rei?"
"Fire Reading," the priest nodded. "I'm on it."
"I'll get with Artemis and see if we can turn up anything suspicious," Minako added.
"What about me?" Makoto asked.
"See if you can arrange some place to drop Akiko at a moment's notice in case we need you," Minako said. Then she smiled at a private joke.
"What, Blondie?" Makoto prodded.
"I just had a mental image of Sailor Jupiter fighting bad guys with Akiko strapped to her chest in one of those baby harnesses," Minako chuckled. The comment drew reluctant laughs from Ami and Rei.
"Keep dreaming, goof-ball," Makoto snickered. "No way that's happening."
"Hey, it would solve your sitter problem," Minako offered. Then her eyes narrowed slyly. "And I figure you ought to be used to carrying heavy weights chest high by now."
And then she ducked Makoto's playful swing.
"Oh, Rei is just going to KILL me!" Usagi muttered to herself as she hurried down the busy street.
It had been one thing after another this morning. First she burned breakfast. Then she had to take a call from Baishaku-San discussing the plot for the new manga the publisher was coming out with titled "Secret Agent Angel". Usagi was going to get to pencil now and the woman was bursting to tell someone. So after the call from Baishaku-San, she called Naru. And naturally she had to hear how Naru was doing, since Naru was due to have her baby in three to four weeks. So of course one thing led to another and by the time she realized she was late the bus was already gone. And Mamoru couldn't drive her because he was sleeping and she absolutely refused to wake him. Anyone could see that none of it was her fault. She was a victim of circumstance.
"It's not going to stop Rei, though," Usagi scowled. Several admiring glances from men she passed by on the street went unnoticed. Several more curious glances from others wondering what she was scowling and muttering about went unnoticed as well.
"Hey, Dumpling!" bellowed a husky voice over the traffic. Usagi stopped. She wasn't certain she'd heard correctly, because she was on the east end of the business district and traffic was both loud and heavy. "Dumpling!" came again and Usagi turned to the voice.
"HARUKA!" Usagi squealed and clopped over on her highly impractical - - but very cute - - platform clogs to the royal blue Fiat sportscar idling nearby. Haruka was alone in the car, dressed casually in dark slacks and a man's sportshirt with the sleeves rolled up. Her sandy blonde hair dangled into her eyes belligerently as she flashed the woman a warm, affectionate grin. "It's so nice to see you! It seems like I never see you and Michiru anymore!"
"That's the life of a Formula-1 driver," Haruka shrugged. "I only just got back from Paris a couple of days ago. And Michiru's getting ready to tour again, and she insists I play piano for her whenever I can." She shrugged. "Gotta keep the little woman happy." Then she leered playfully at Usagi. "Married life treating you good? Because if it's not, I know a little hotel . . ."
"You stop that!" Usagi snapped, screwing up her mouth with mock indignation. "I'll tell Michiru on you."
"Can't blame a girl for trying," Haruka smirked. "So where are you off to?"
"The shrine. Rei needs to talk to me about something," Usagi said. Then her eyes lit up. "Oh, Haruka, could you drive me over there? I'm already late! You'd be saving my life - - literally!"
"Um," Haruka hesitated, then glanced around warily, "Dumpling - - you haven't noticed anything - - odd, have you?"
"What do you mean?"
"Feelings? Premonitions? Stuff like that?"
"No. But maybe Rei has. That might be what she wants to talk to me about. The others are going to be there, too. You can sit in if you want. You're a . . ."
Suddenly Haruka's head turned to a voice only she heard. Usagi noted the slight puff of a breeze lift her skirt slightly. Then Haruka's hand clamped onto her wrist.
"Get down," Haruka whispered urgently. Ever slow to act, Usagi only gaped at her.
Then the office front across the street from them exploded out into the busy business section. Flames licked out from the gutted business amid plumes of thick, acrid black smoke. Razor shards of glass shot out, propelled by the explosion, slicing and impaling any unfortunate nearby. Usagi huddled reflexively against the car, her hands over her head. She felt the sidewalk shudder beneath her from the force of the blast. Only when a second blast didn't immediately follow did she rise from her crouch.
Haruka was already out of the car, already transformed into Sailor Uranus and racing across the street through stopped traffic. Cursing herself for her slow reactions, Usagi stuck her hand into the air and transformed into Sailor Moon amid the panic and chaos in the streets. Once the transformation took hold, she stumbled through the stalled cars and debris to Sailor Uranus' side.
"What happened?" Sailor Moon gasped. She and Uranus were looking into the burning remains of what had once been a small investment brokerage office. "What could have caused this?"
"I don't know precisely," Uranus replied, "but it was no accident."
"What?" the senshi cried in shock.
"That's why I was here," Uranus explained. "The wind gave me a premonition that something bad was going to happen here today. And the wind doesn't warn me about accidents or natural disasters. But I didn't see this happening until it was too late. Must have been distracted." She surveyed the burning wreckage with poorly concealed frustration. "I wish Neptune was here. Her power could deal with this fire."
Uranus glanced around and found Sailor Moon standing over twelve pedestrians who had been caught in the blast. Some were burned. Others had shards of glass sticking out of them. The ones who weren't lucky enough to be unconscious writhed on the pavement in agony. Sailor Moon stuck out her right hand and the Moon Tier appeared.
"Silver Moon Crystal Power Kiss," she called out meekly, supplicantly, as if begging the Silver Crystal within her to help.
Silver energy radiated out and blanketed the fallen victims. Forced to squint from the brilliance, Uranus saw some of the burns begin to lighten. More significantly, she saw the agony that the victims all felt quell under the soothing influence of the Moon Tier. The admiration for Sailor Moon that she felt deep down and hid so tenaciously welled up in her once more. Sailor Moon was so much greater than she was. Sailor Moon's power could heal, while all she could do was destroy.
Then Sailor Moon sank to her knees. Instantly Uranus realized that the Princess was trying to do too much, to go beyond what her limits prescribed. Still, doggedly, silver energy radiated out from the Moon Tier and continued to ease the suffering of the blast victims.
"Stop it!" Uranus snapped, snatching the Moon Tier away from the weakened Sailor Moon. Sailor Moon's head drooped and she braced herself with her arms against the sidewalk.
"Please give it back," Sailor Moon whimpered. "They're still hurting."
"You can't help them by injuring yourself," Uranus growled. "You've done all you can for them - - all that anyone can expect of you."
"But they're still hurting," Sailor Moon sobbed. Sailor Uranus knelt down next to her and, in an unusual gesture for the gruff, remote senshi, gathered Sailor Moon in and comforted her as the wail of sirens approached them.
And twenty meters above them, the observation drone of Ashitaki Nishimoto recorded everything.
Continued in Chapter 6