Chapter 10: A Modest Proposition

Tuesday, 6:32 AM

Inaba was awoken from a dreamless slumber by a gentle kiss on her lips. Her husband had tried not to awaken her, but she was a light sleeper. She smiled with her eyes still closed and returned the kiss. A minute later she heard the door to the suite open and close. He had told her the previous night that he would probably be working late. She went back to sleep.

Her own alarm clock was set for 8:00. At that time she intended to roust Aoki and set him out on his mission for the rest of the day.

Tuesday, 9:07 AM

Inaba was humming to herself as she folded down her copy of Asahi Shimbun. She had just finished an exquisite breakfast repast courtesy of the hotel's room service: miso soup, steamed rice, broiled fish, a tamagoyaki, and some tsukemono pickles.

Inaba's first job interview was scheduled in three hours. She had plenty of time.

She was sipping on her green tea when she heard a knock on the door. That can't be Aoki. It's too soon. There was no way that he could have returned from his mission yet.

She was still wearing her pink bathrobe with the yellow flowers. She opened the door.

She saw that it was Rina.

Inaba smiled at her visitor. "Well, this is a pleasant surprise. Hello, Rina."

The girl looked sullen. "Hello." She just stood there.

Inaba wasn't sure what to do. She decided to play hostess. "Please, come inside. If you are looking for your brother, I am afraid you missed him. He went to work bright and early."

Rina walked inside. Her shoulders were drooping a bit. She looked down and said nothing.

Inaba made a welcoming gesture with her hand. "Please, would you like something to eat? I am afraid there is not much left from breakfast, but I can order you room service if you like. Anything you want. Don't worry, my father is picking up the tab today."

Inaba moved off to the side to allow Rina to shuffle in. Inaba closed the door behind her.

Then Inaba grinned, "Are you checking up on us? Taichi told me you spotted my torn wedding dress and stopped by here on Saturday night. I assure you that I'm all right." She raised her arms and turned around, "Look, see? I'm perfectly fine. Fight over. We kissed and made up."

Rina finally looked up, staring straight ahead. "I am sure it was more than just a kiss."

That remark seemed a bit rude to Inaba, but she knew Rina could be rather possessive of her older brother. She understood. Humm, she looks depressed. She probably thinks I took away her brother. Poor girl. It made Inaba all the more determined to be a good hostess for Taichi's sister.

More silence. Inaba tried to make conversation. "Please, come and sit. I am afraid that I need to get dressed and leave fairly soon. Job interview. The hotel check-out time is noon. Look, I can leave the key with you, if you like. You stay here until then and explore. Have fun. There are lots of video games to play on the big screen TV. Does that sound fun?"

Then Rina turned to face Inaba directly. She had dead eyes. She finally spoke. "I am not here to play."

Inaba stopped and stared at her strange visitor. She finally recognized the facial expression. She took several steps backward. "It's you, isn't it? Dammit. Leave me alone."

Rina tilted her head. "Leave you alone? But we have never met before."

"Like hell. You're Heartseed."

Then Rina straightened up a bit and her eyes opened wider. Then she smiled.

It was a nasty smile.

A deadly smile.

"I am afraid that you are confused. I am not Heartseed."

Inaba looked at Rina's face closely. She could tell something on her expression was different. Heartseed never looked like this. As far as she remembered he never made a big smile. Granted, he sometimes gave her a small bemused smile or showed a tiny grin, particularly after Inaba said or did something that amused him, but he never sported a large toothy smile. Not like this.

Rina was showing her teeth. Just like a predator.

"What the hell do you want from me?"

Rina closed her smile. "You should relax, Himeko Yaegashi. You are perfectly safe. Unlike Heartseed, I am not here to harm you."

"You're.. you're not?"

"No. In fact, I am here to help you."

"Help me?" Somehow Inaba felt that this.. creature.. was just toying with her.

"Yes. I am here to grant you your wish."

"Which is?"

"To destroy Heartseed, of course."

That stopped Inaba in her tracks. Who was this person? Then she remembered how back in high school the StuCS had run into other creatures that were similar to Heartseed, others who were like him but who operated independently, sometimes without his knowledge.

"Wait, you are that Number Two, right?" Taichi had told her that Rina was possessed like this once before.

Rina tilted her head again. "Number Two? I suppose you can call me that. Others have called me Number Three*. I don't really care one way or the other."

"Whatever. Look, I asked you a question." Inaba was getting testy. "What the [bleep] do you want?"

"I already told you. I will help you destroy Heartseed.. if you give me something in return. A debt that I will collect later."

Inaba growled, "What, you want my soul or something? That is so cliché."

Rina's head turned quickly towards her. "Are you really offering that?"

That startled Inaba. "Huh? No, of course not!"

Rina replied, "I know that you do not believe in God."

Inaba shrugged, "Yeah, I'm an atheist. Big deal. So what?"

Rina tilted her head a third time. "Then why not offer me your soul, then? What harm is there in offering me something that you claim does not exist?"

Inaba wrapped her arms around herself. "Because.. no.. I've seen some pretty weird stuff that I can't explain. Things like Heartseed, like you."

"Well, nevermind then. It's not important. I apologize for the distraction. I want something else anyway."

"Wait, why?"

"Because I'm not particularly interested in your gracious offer."

Inaba felt offended by that remark. "Why not? Low quality or something?"

"Not particularly. Although I confess I don't understand why Heartseed seems to be so fascinated with you. I am interested in him, not in you. You're not that interesting in my opinion."

"I don't get it.."

"You said it yourself. Your offer is boring and predictable. I want something interesting. Don't you see? In some ways Heartseed and I are quite similar. We both like things that are interesting."

Inaba felt a chill run through her. She said quietly, "No. I don't see it.."

Rina gave a nasty smile and was about to respond with a devastating retort. Then she stopped and thought a moment. She frowned to herself. She looked somewhat disappointed. "Heartseed claims you are intelligent. I can see now that his faith in you might be misplaced." Rina sighed, then she waved her hand in aristocratic dismissal. "Well, no matter. Let's not get off track. There is something else I want from you if you want me to help you destroy Heartseed."

"Which is?"

"Only a small payment. As I said, I'll collect on that debt later. Now, let's get down to business. You will do anything to destroy Heartseed, true?"

Inaba clenched her fists. She admitted to herself that she would be willing to do almost anything to get back at that bastard. But there were limits. "Yes, but.."

Rina's eyes glittered. "Your answer is yes? Good, then I have a way. I will need your help to do it."

"Wait, my help? That's silly. What can I possibly do to him? Heartseed is literally untouchable." Inaba recalled how Heartseed had effortlessly defeated Yui when she tried to fight him with a martial arts move. He had easily dodged Yui's attack and had flipped her flat on the back in less than two seconds. And even if he could still be physically injured somehow, Heartseed could then simply release his mind-control of Mr. Gotou and watch the poor confused man call the police for help, and he would be quite justified in doing so.

Rina's smile grew. "You don't know him like I do. In some ways he is actually rather vulnerable. To you in particular. You just have to think laterally."

Inaba's eyes lit up like fire. "How? Tell me! Tell me how to defeat him!"

Rina flipped her hand in bored indifference. "Now now.. I'm not going to just give it away for free."

"Please.."

"Very well, I'll give you a hint. For some unfathomable reason he's fascinated with you. I really don't understand why. But it is a vulnerability that can be exploited."

"How?"

Rina smiled and said, "I will reveal it to you at the appropriate time."

Inaba harrumphed, "Bah."

"Oh my dear girl, timing is everything. Don't you know that? Everything happens at the appropriate time. Not sooner, not later, but exactly at the right moment, don't you see?"

"Whatever. At this 'right moment', this right time.. whenever it will be, you will tell me then? You promise?"

"Yes, I will."

"And I will destroy Heartseed?"

"Yes, you will. You will utterly destroy him, or at least you will hurt him quite severely. At minimum I can guarantee that he will never be able to perform any further 'tests' on you or your friends. You will all be safe."

Inaba crossed her arms again. "Good. That's all I want. But.."

"Very well, then we have an understanding." Rina bowed then turned to leave.

Inaba said, "But wait.. I'm not finished!"

Rina sighed and turned, with a look of mild annoyance. "Yes, now what?"

"I don't want to hurt anybody else. Promise me that our little.. arrangement.. does not involve Taichi or the others. That you won't hurt him or them when I do this."

Rina shrugged, "Very well, I can promise it does not involve them, and that neither you nor I will harm him, nor will I harm any of your friends whom Heartseed has tormented. The payment will come from you and only you. And I will not do anything to your mind, nor will I physically harm you.

Inaba knew that Heartseed was a deadly threat to all of them. He had to be stopped. And they had to be protected. And she was the only one who could do it. And wasn't that their mutual promise? The promise of the nakama? To protect each other?

"One more condition: After this is over, you won't harm any of them. Never."

Rina nodded. "Yes. All I will do is take a small payment from you, only one little thing, and then our business is finished. It's quite simple." Then her face changed. "However, if after I help you defeat Heartseed, if you should then later decide to change your mind and try to back out of our little agreement.."

Rina's eyes flashed red. Inaba stepped back as the possessed girl spoke in a low growl, ".. then I will take my unremitting revenge on you, and on them. And you will rue the day that you were ever born."

It was a real threat. Those inhuman red eyes unnerved Inaba. She was just about ready to nix the whole thing when Rina's eyes faded to brown and her face changed quickly back to a small smile. Then she soothingly added, "Just remember, this will prevent Heartseed from ever hurting you or your friends ever again."

Inaba felt that she had to be sure. "It will? You promise?"

"Yes, I do. All that I ask from you is a small favor in return, nothing more." Inaba knew that Rina would not be more specific than that.

"And you won't harm any of the others?"

"I promise I will not."

"And you won't physically harm me? You won't make me get hit by a car or fall off a bridge or something?"

"Unlike Heartseed, I will not."

"And you won't put me under any sort of mental compulsion, like plant suggestions in my head, or control my mind, or anything like that?"

"I will not." Rina then added, "However, I can't make any promises whether Taichi's feelings towards you might change after this is over.."

Inaba was relieved. Taichi was nothing if not steadfast. And she knew from last night's bedroom conversation that his love for her, for Inaba, for herself, was genuine. As real as anything gets. No, he would still love her no matter what.

".. nor your feelings towards him."

That shook her a bit. She searched her feelings. I love him. I know I do. I always have. Okay, I admit that my love for him is selfish, and I know I need to work on that. But I have no doubts about my heart connection with him. My love for him is real, and that will never change.

Inaba said defiantly, "Hah. Then you're making a mistake. Our feelings won't ever change. And we'll survive. We always do. We always have. Heartseed has done terrible things to my friends, far worse than you have. There is an old saying, 'Anything that does not kill you makes you stronger.' Unlike Heartseed you never tried to kill us or physically harm us, not like what that rotten bastard did to Yui, or when he made Iori jump off that bridge. Nothing you say will keep us apart."

Rina remained silent. Whatever thoughts she had she kept to herself. Instead she said, "Well spoken." Then she turned and said, "I am afraid that I must leave soon. Our time is limited. You have your job interview, and I need to return this body back to its owner before her parents or anybody else notices that she is missing." Then she bowed again extravagantly, "Good morning to you, Mrs. Himeko Yaegashi." She prepared to leave.

Then she paused and turned her head slightly, "Oh.. I should not have to warn you about this, but I will say it anyway: You must never mention our little tête-à-tête to Heartseed. It is a condition of our agreement. I would also advise you to not tell Taichi nor your friends, but I will leave that decision up to you."

"Why shouldn't I tell them?"

"For their protection, of course."

"Well, how thoughtful of you. Thank you so much for your kind consideration." Inaba's voice was dripping with sarcasm.

Rina tilted her head yet again. Inaba decided that it must be some kind of unconcious habit or tic that manifested itself whenever Number Two was thinking. She was right, for Number Two was re-evaluating her low opinion of Inaba. Rina returned and approached her closely, with her brown eyes searching deep into her own, just inches away. "Hmm.. I wonder.."

Rina then surreptitiously scanned Inaba's mind. What she found surprised her. "Ah. Hmm.. yes.. I see it now. Oh my." The appraisal made Inaba shiver.

She raised her hand to touch Inaba's cheek. "So that is why Heartseed is so interested in you. I do see it now. Of course. How did I miss this?"

Inaba slapped away her hand. "Don't touch me!"

Rina's eyes again flashed red in anger. "How dare you strike me!" Inaba stepped back in abject fear. Then Rina quietly caught herself and she smiled again. "My apologies. Hmm. Yes, please forgive me." She made a small perfunctory bow.

Inaba spit back, "Go to hell."

Rina chuckled, "Now you're throwing the same epithets at me that you threw at him. I am flattered. Next you will tell me to go [bleep] myself. Yes, I am flattered that you think I am worthy of your kind words."

She took a step towards Inaba, who again stepped back. "Honestly, I am really starting to like you, Inaba. In fact, you are becoming interesting to me. That is a high compliment coming from someone like me. And so as a reward I will grant you a favor."

"A favor?"

"Yes. Think of it as a gift. I will reveal to you a secret. Would you like to hear it?"

"As if I can stop you from telling me.."

Rina pouted. "Such insolence. It warms the cockles of my heart. Yes, I have decided that I will reveal it to you."

"Which is?"

"I think that Heartseed might secretly be in love with you."

Inaba felt truly disgusted. "Oh, that's just sick!"

Rina gave her a seductive smile. "Well, I think I do see why now. And you are so passionate with Taichi in bed.." Rina began to think about the intensity of Inaba's lovemaking with her husband as she replayed those scenes in her own mind. "My, my, I think I'm getting the vapors." She waved her hand in front of her face, as if she was fanning herself to dissipate the heat that she felt from that memory.

"Get out!"

"Oh yes.. I am definitely feeling warm.."

"Out! Out! I never want to see you again!"

Rina sighed and turned to leave. Then she turned back around. She was about to say one final remark, one clever and pointed retort with multiple meanings that Inaba would likely not pick up on until it was too late. But she held back. After all, it was best not to be too clever. Besides, she knew she had already won. Instead she merely said, "Au revoir." She whirled around and walked out briskly, with her hips swaying suggestively like a runway model showing off at a fashion show.

The door slammed shut behind Rina. From Inaba's angle it was clear that it was not touched by anybody. It made Inaba jump.

In the office building across the street from the hotel, Bakou lowered the 35mm digital SLR. He was a large man whose face always had a dead expression. From his viewing angle he did not see the door slam. He could tell that the action at the hotel was finished for the time being. So he quietly unscrewed the large telephoto lens and put it back in its foam-padded case. He then made some handwritten notes on his smartphone.

What Bakou was doing was unethical, but it was legal (mostly).

He drank his tea, then he idly took a big bite out of an egg-salad sandwich. As he continued to chew his food he raised the 7x50 binoculars to his face and continued to observe the honeymoon suite.

Then he pressed the 'stop' button on his smartphone's digital tape recorder app. That was blatanly illegal. His smartphone's app was connected by a triple-encrypted IPsec-NAT-T (IKEv2) Virtual Private Network connection that tied directly into the hotel's VOIP telephony server. Being the owner of the hotel, it was a simple matter for Inaba's wealthy father to arrange for the wiretap.

The latter was called 'level black' surveillance. It was ordered by Inaba's father on Saturday after the wedding disaster. Bakou had started the illegal wiretapping last night. It would have started earlier, but the IT administrator for the hotel chain had refused to allow Bakou to install the software patch into the hotel's VOIP phone system. The administrator had even foolishly threatened to call the police about it. It took a day for Bakou to bribe a female administrative employee that worked under the IT administrator to plant a hidden camera inside the maid's staff dressing room and then collect the photos and plant them on the IT administrator's office computer and backdate them. It took a second day for the camera to be 'discovered' by the same female administrator.**

The fact that she was quickly promoted as the new manager of the hotel chain's IT department, with a hefty raise over the previous IT admin's salary, and with an unbreakable ten year service contract - one that happened to match the statute of limitations expiration date for illegal wiretapping - was purely a coincidence.

And so the secret voice recordings did not start until late last night. Bakou had carefully saved the conversation between Inaba and Taichi regarding their reconciliation. Inaba's father would very much want to hear that.

Then Taichi had closed the curtains.

Bakou was a grown man with three children, but what he had heard next made his ears turn red.

He had then stopped the audio recording and pulled out his ear buds. He would later trim out the section from the .MP3 file that he had inadvertently recorded.

And if Taichi had failed to close those curtains, Bakou would have stopped taking photographs too.

After all, Bakou might be an illegal operative, but he was still a gentleman.

Inaba sighed and sat on the bed by herself. She dropped her head into her hands. She began to think about what had just happened. She pulled out her cellphone. She was tempted to call or text Taichi about it.

Then she stopped herself. This will only just upset him.. it will make him fret. There's nothing he can do about it, anyway. Between my stupid wedding antics, our big fight, and my father's anger, I already hurt him far too much. I need to protect him. I need to protect all of them.

Was this the right thing to do? She thought some more, then she stood up. She was resolute.

If this will finally get rid of Heartseed, once and for all...

Then some doubts crept in to her mind. Rina was obviously hiding something about the nature of the 'small payment' that she wanted. Still, if this would finally end Heartseed's attacks against those she loved, should knew that she would gladly pay the price to make that happen.

Inaba searched her motives. Why was she doing this? We she doing it just for herself? No, she felt that her motives were anything but selfish. It was because only she herself would pay the price, the cost, and no one else. To protect those she loved.

After all, Taichi had done the same thing once. He had kept the existence of Number Two secret himself that first time, during the age reversals. And he himself had suffered for it. It was because he didn't want those he loved to get hurt.

And if her little arrangement with Rina did not work out? Or if it affected her relationship with him somehow? What then?

Then she would confess to him everything. He'll understand. He always does.

Inaba looked at her watch and realized that she needed to get going if she wanted to get to her job interview on time. She got up and went to the bathroom to get ready.

First, she applied a light foundation on her face, just enough to create an even skin tone. Then she combed her unruly hair and set it with hairspray. She put on a matte lipstick that looked good with her somewhat pale complexion. She smacked her lips. She hated the taste.

She had her 'business killer' attire already picked out: a dark navy suitcoat over a white blouse with a wide Peter Pan collar that was paired with a just-below-the-knee dark skirt and nylons. The ensemble was tailor made and form-fitted to her figure, but it was not clinging. She knew exactly how to achieve the look she wanted. She had watched enough of her father's high-powered business meetings to know how to properly dress and comport herself in the world of business finance.

The interview was only for a mid-level financial analyst job. She didn't want to aim too high. Partly it was because she was coming right out of college with no real job experience. Partly it was because she wanted to observe, first-hand, the day-to-day operations of an actual working business from the inside, from a mid-level executive's point of view, one that she knew she would never see in her own father's empire.

She knew that no matter what position she took within her father's companies that all the other employees would probably dance attendance on her like a stupid princess no matter what lowly job title she held. No, she would never learn anything that way. It was a big reason why she felt that her first position had to be with a business firm that had no connection to her fathers' keiretsu. The other reason was that she wanted to pre-emptively quench any talk about nepotism by proving that she was a capable businesswoman who could succeed on her own.

She had butterflies in her stomach. She checked herself. Was she feeling nervous about the interview? No. The stakes were not that high. If she didn't get the job she could simply interview again elsewhere. In fact, her going on multiple interviews was probably a good idea anyway, especially when she knew that some future day she would be sitting on the opposite side of the management desk while interviewing nervous job candidates. Some of the mangers that she would meet would doubtless be quite bad at it, especially if they glossed over such an obviously qualified candidate as herself. She would learn to observe those mistakes and not repeat them.

Still, her stomach was upset. It was probably because she ate too much food at breakfast. She took an antacid tablet.

Now, earlier she had indeed been genuinely nervous regarding the upcoming job interview. But it was for a very different reason. It had happened when she had prepared a big speech to give to her father about why she felt that she needed to get a job outside of her father's keiretsu, to prove herself and her self-worth. To his credit, her father quickly raised his hand and stopped her when she tried to make her case. He simply gave her his blessing, and he said that he was proud of her.

Father, thank you for your understanding. I love you so.

She intended to meet with her father again very soon, as soon as she could pry Taichi away from work. Maybe tomorrow perhaps. She wanted her husband standing right beside her when she formally bowed and apologized to her father for her disgraceful actions on her wedding day. Then she would turn and immediately bow and apologize to her husband as well. She knew that she needed to formally apologize to both of them at the same time, and that both of them needed to see her do it.

She felt that it was the only way to heal the rift that she knew was growing in her father's heart against her new husband. She was confident that in such a situation he would forgive his daughter out of his love for her. And that way, she believed, she could resolve her father's suspicions about Taichi's motives and his misapprehension about the quality of Taichi's character.

Then she blinked her eyes. How long had she been staring into the mirror like this? She looked at her watch. Almost an hour had passed since Rina left. She cursed under her breath. She would have to hurry now to make it to the job interview in time.

Tuesday, 10:45 AM, JRCS Regional Headquarters

"Yaegashi, you have missionary syndrome."

"Excuse me, sir?"

Taichi's boss*** moved his motorized wheelchair closer.

"You think you can save the world. You can't. The field is vast but the workers are few. We have to be discerning with the use of our resources."

Taichi looked down. "I know. Contributions from our benefactors are down this year.."

Kurosawa interrupted him. "I don't mean financial. I mean human." He put his hand on Taichi's shoulder. "In our line of work people like you are a precious resource. I don't want to see you crash and burn. I've seen it before in young bright eager people like yourself. That's why I selected you to work directly with me."

The older man's eyes twinkled. His name was Akira Kurosawa (no relation to the film director). He had laugh lines around his eyes and a bald head that made it difficult to determine his age. On his sportcoat were two small brass cufflinks in the shape of two intersecting arcs of half-ellipses.

Taichi was now employed as a relief worker at the Japanese Red Cross Society, the Nippon Sekijujisha. His job didn't pay well, but he didn't mind. Indeed, he would have worked for nothing as a full time volunteer if he could. It was his passion and he loved doing it.

The JRCS had a long and distinguished history in Japan. It was supported by Japan's Imperial Family, going all the way back to the organization's foundation in 1887. By tradition, the honorary president of the JRCS is the Empress of Japan. The Crown Prince and Princess were honorary vice-presidents.

The JRCS had collected funds for the relief of San Francisco after the 1906 earthquake. It had also helped to ensure that prisoners of war were treated humanely, such as the Russian prisoners captured during the Russo-Japanese War (1904-5) and in World War I. The Tojo regime had suppressed the JRCS during WWII, but after the war it was reincorporated by US advisers and was operating ever since, working in close coordination with the American Red Cross and other international relief agencies. Today the JRCS is best known for its hospitals (92 in Japan) and its disaster relief work.

Taichi's superior was a kindly gentleman with mixed ancestry. Kurosawa's father was an American soldier in World War II, and he had never met him. His mother didn't even know his full name. Being half gaijin, Kurosawa often suffered the sometimes vicious discrimination and racism that was endemic to the country of his birth. His mother's death in a tragic bus accident had left him paralyzed since he was twelve. His relatives had refused to take him in. Some even spit upon him. So instead he grew up in an orphanage sponsored in part by the JRCS.

Eventually, through sheer determination, he worked his way through college on a hardship scholarship. Despite numerous obstacles both inside and out of college, he had managed to graduate with honors. Eventually he found his way into the JRCS. Partly it was out of gratitude for the organization that had saved him, and partly it was because he fervently believed in its mission. Over the decades he slowly rose up through the ranks. He was now a high-level manager for the local branch of the organization.

Nominally, Taichi's status as a newly hired straight-out-of-college lowly relief worker should not have had him reporting directly to someone like Kurosawa. But the wheelchair-bound man had established a mentoring program a few years back, and he had spotted something special in Taichi, and so he decided to become his mentor himself. He did this even though Taichi's current job description and modest pay grade would have customarily precluded it otherwise.

Kurosawa smiled, "Don't worry. I'll keep you pointed in the right direction. Just remember that the field is endless."

Indeed. Kurosawa's office was absolutely covered with maps and diagrams from the higashi nihon daishinsai. Even now, eight months after the monster tsunami had hit the shores off of Tohoku, some of the over one hundred-thousand destroyed buildings had still not yet been fully cleared of rubble. Human remains were still being found occasionally.

Kurosawa's section tended to focus on uniting lost children with their parents and in giving temporary housing for orphans before placing them with relatives. They also worked closely with several orphanages. The fact that his work reflected something of his own personal childhood experience was not regarded as a coincidence.

Of course during the immediate aftermath of any major national disaster it was all hands on deck, and everyone dove in with helmets and flashlights for emergency rescue and to give first-aid, medical treatment, temporary housing, blankets and food, and comfort to the survivors. And to gather the dead. Kurosawa's co-managers always dove in alongside the lower-level relief workers during any major earthquake. Given his physical condition he tended to fall into the role of emergency manager, and he had distinguished himself admirably in that role in the immediate aftermath of the great tsunami. His astute management skills were credited for saving many lives during the rescue operation, and the senior managers at the other facilities had learned to contact him for advice on planning for dealing with future large-scale disasters.

Kurosawa looked up from the maps. "Say, I'm going out to meet a colleague shortly. Would you like to join us for lunch?"

"Sure, I'd love to."

Tuesday, 11:07 AM, JRCS Regional Headquarters

Taichi was sitting in his tiny cubicle. He pulled out the JRCS handbook and continued to study it.

Then his cellphone buzzed. From the caller ID he saw that it was Aoki's prepaid cell. He quietly answered it.

Aoki spoke quickly, "Dude, I know I'm not supposed to call you at your new job.."

"It's okay. What is it?"

"I thought you needed to know right way. Inaba sent me out to find Iori."

Taichi replied quietly, "You found her?"

"Well, kind of.."

Taichi froze. "What do you mean 'kind of'..?"

"Dude, I'm so sorry. But you needed to know. I'm calling Inaba next. I'm not allowed to call Yui. You two will have to tell her the bad news."

Taichi gripped his cell tightly. "What.. what happened..?"

Aoki said, "I'm really sorry. She's in the hospital. Trauma ward."

"Have you seen her? What is her condition?"

"No idea. I can't get near her. There's a police guard outside and she's handcuffed to the bed."

Taichi looked down. He banged his fist in frustration on the small desk. The pencil jar tipped over. His co-workers glanced up at him.

Argh! I should have done something! I should have dragged her upstairs to the suite. I should have made Aoki sit on her ass if necessary to keep her there. But no.. instead of saving her, I simply let her walk out and go back to that bastard. Just so I could make amends with my wife and get laid.. Oh my god..

He tried to get a grip on himself. He whispered with a hoarse rasp, "Aoki, did you remember the name of the hospital she is at?"

"Uhm.. It's not the hospital that Yui was in. It was another big one.. one of the hospitals run by the Japanese Red Cross, I think."

"Which one!?" The JRCS operated 92 hospitals nationwide.

"Ugh.. uhm.. I don't remember.."

Taichi guessed it was probably the nearest one that had a trauma center.

And that meant..

The Tramua Center was 4 floors above his cubical farm.

He took off running to the stairwell as fast as he could.

A/N:

The chapter's title is a pun on Jonathan Swift's famous 1729 satirical essay, A Modest Proposal for Preventing Children of Poor People From Being a Burden to Their Parents or Country, and for Making Them Beneficial to the Publick. It was basically a plan to sell poor children as food. Written anonymously, Swift set up a ridiculous scheme complete with elaborate cooking recipes, written in a pompous supercilious style that was common in fashionable scholarly articles of the period that were being circulated by the educated upper class to deal with the 'problem of the poor'. Today, A Modest Proposal is still considered to be one of the best examples of sustained irony in the English language.

* For the record, Rina is actually Number Three (not Number Two). Number Two was an entity that was subordinate to Heartseed, while Heartseed actively fears Number Three.

** I saw something like this actually happen to the husband of a good friend of mine. (Not at a hotel.) During my forensic analysis of the HDD I had checked the NTFS MFT to dig up the raw 64-bit file time-stamps (which go down to 100 nanosecond resolution), and I was able to prove that the photos were definitely planted. Very few people know that Microsoft Windows has not three file timestamps but actually four, with the fourth one more-or-less completely undocumented.

The attorney was so impressed with me that he had wanted to hire me right on the spot as a permanent expert witness. He thought I would come off well with a jury, saying I was good at explaining technical concepts to laypersons. (I had frequently done presentations for congressional visitors and Pentagon VIPs at the national supercomputer center at funding time - a high stakes venue that was much more stressful than talking to a jury.) I declined the offer because, frankly, I didn't want to earn a living by giving forensic testimony to juries regarding computer images of children. The attorney offered me a lot of money to do it. He explained how hard it was for him to recruit experts in this sordid field. I could see why, and I kinda wondered why he did it himself. Then I noticed his Rolex and saw his Beemer in the lot.

Trust me on this: Never put bad stuff on your PC. Google for 'ILook forensics'. The authorities will find it, even if you encrypt it, delete it, or even reformat the disk. The forensics tools today are just too good. So don't do it. (The flip side is that if you do get framed by somebody, or get your PC used as a repeater by a Russian bot, it is pretty easy nowadays to prove your innocence.)

*** In my mind, Kurosawa looks and acts a lot like Lucas Garner in Larry Niven's Gil "The Arm" Hamilton stories. Like Garner, he is a high-ranking official in a large public service organization, is wheelchair bound, and is the protagonist's mentor.