20) The Wild Bunch Reunited
"Dad? I wasn't expecting you'd still be here?", Jen asked as he entered the kitchen. Janyu was still there at the table, leisurely reading the paper. Usually, he was long gone by the time Jen woke up during the summer break.
"I work some place else now. My transfer finally came through", he explained.
"I see...", Jen began, not quite knowing what to make of this, as it was the first he'd heard about it. "Well, anyway, I'm going out".
"That's fine" Janyu replied.
"To be young again", he said to the empty kitchen, "playing: that's every kid's job".
The Matsuda Bakery
"Guilmon bread?", Takehero asked. "What ever are you talking about?", he asked.
"You know", Kazu explicated, "bread or rolls shaped like Guilmon. I bet it'd be a brisk seller!"
"I'd eat it every day!", Kenta added.
"So this Guilmon..."
Takato was just now arriving, realized to his horror, what his friends were telling his father.
"Ahhhhhh...", he cut them off. "We're going!", he said as he hustled these two big mouths out of the bakery.
"Hell're you doin?!", they asked.
"I'd appreciate it if you would shut up about that", Takato was explaining. "My 'rents don't know about Guilmon, and I'd like to keep it that way".
"You haven't told them?", Kenta asked.
"Now just how in the hell do you suppose I do that?', Takato replied. "How would you explain something like that? I took that cat home, and you should have seen how Mother freaked".
"That must be rough", Kazu said. "Hey! Take a look at this!", he announced to change the subject. "A Blue Card!", he announced as he produced the item from a pocket.
It wasn't really a Blue Card, just a drawing done on thin cardboard, colored in with a Sharpie.
"I made it myself. With more enemies coming, I figured you two could use all the help you can get. We want to join you in your fight... so... could you show us your digivice?", he asked.
"Uhhhh...", Takato started as he pulled it out.
"It's like how you described it, isn't it?", Kazu asked.
"Ehhhh...", Takato started, "that's pretty close", he lied.
"I knew it wouldn't be the same..."
That weird kid suddenly appeared from out of nowhere, making a grab for Takato's digivice.
"NO!", Takato called out, barely getting it beyond his reach in time.
He ran off, laughing maniacally.
"That asshole again", Kazu said.
"Yeah", Kenta agreed.
Hypnos
"We're genuinely sorry for keeping you waiting", some employee, a male secretary of some sort, was explaining to Janyu. "We were told he would be back soon, so if you wouldn't mind waiting a little longer? Can I bring you something? Tea? Soft drink?"
"I see", Janyu replied, "nothing". There was only so much soda and tea he could drink.
"Thank you", the employee apologized.
"Congratulations on the authorization", one of Yamaki's security personnel was saying.
"Even if they don't understand the theory, they had to admit we're making progress, getting results", Yamaki agreed. "By the way, has Shibumi been located yet?"
"All we know is that he's still in the country. Other than that, we haven't been able to find him. "I'm sorry. We're putting everything we have into the search. It's just a question of time"
"At least they serve good food", Janyu told himself as he surveyed the deserted lecture hall.
He wondered if this were some sort of test, and what sort was it? He stood to see if he could find anyone who could tell him anything. Did they expect him to wait, and if so, for how long? Was he expected to take the initiative? Had he already failed the test, or was he about to?
"It's strange", Janyu told himself as he stood in the hallway outside the lecture hall. "No one's coming".
That's when he saw a group of techs in white lab coats run past the hall. He went to investigate...
He followed, and found himself in a part of the facility packed with all sorts of strange equipment he wasn't expecting: "Huh? What is this place?", he asked himself.
"Don't worry", Yamaki stepped to his side. "This facility is owned by the government, though we lease the building from the city".
"All of you... what are you doing here?', Janyu asked.
"A kind of artificial life moves freely through the 'Net", Yamaki began his explanation. "We call them 'Wild Ones'. Some sort of mist appears when they begin materializing. The 'mist' is composed of particles, which are digital proteins.
"Following the Wild One's information, an electromagnetic field that covers the planet condenses these digital proteins, and the digimon attains a physical form".
Yamaki was explaining all of this as they were making their way to the subbasement.
"I never would have imagined it", Janyu said of the subbasement lab.
He was led into a smaller, adjoining lab.
"Tao!", came a greeting he hadn't heard in years.
"D... Dolphin?", Janyu asked.
"That's right".
"I'd hardly recognize you... you changed a lot".
"You haven't changed much, Tao", another said, as she stood into sight.
"Now he has some gray hairs, though".
"Yeah, that's true".
"Curley? Babel? Daisy?"
"So, haven't you kept us waiting long enough?", the thin woman with short, blond hair known as Daisy asked. "while I'm pleased the Wild Bunch is back together again..."
"What, exactly, is it that you want us to do?", Dolphin took over.
"And Shibumi?", Janyu asked.
"We haven't been able to locate him just yet", Yamaki answered. "I'll answer all your questions"
"It was Shibumi", Janyu explained. "Shibumi used to say that our digimon would one day appear in our world in fully physical form. It was his hope that, one day, they would replace mankind as a kinder, more benevolent higher intelligence. We all thought this materialization was impossible. That it was just a wild flight of fancy".
"You all had a big fantasy regarding artificial intelligence", Yamaki was explaining. "I doubt that even you could have imagined a situation like this one we're facing".
"So what kind of power?", Janyu asked.
"The digimons'... god, apparently", Yamaki replied.
"The digimons' god?"
"So it would seem"
"God? God? Technically, the digimon shouldn't be able to exist anywhere other than in the 'Net's application layer, just like any other program. In order for them to exist physically, there has to be some great power at work... Is that their God?"
"I don't know"
"Could it be... God?"
"Now you're going all philosophical on me. That's not what I need of you. You're here to solve a technical problem, nothing more, you understand?"
"Yes, but you still haven't explained..."
"You innocently created monsters, I won't hold you to blame for that", Yamaki began his speech. "I need you to help me destroy any artificial life that could pose a threat to out world. That person who was part of your team holds the key. You created them, and it is only fitting that the hand which created them should be the same one that puts them to rest, once and for all".
Guilmon's Shed
"You old man's working for who?", Koichi asked.
"He said he got a transfer, and a promotion", Jen explained. "He was transferred to Hypnos, and is working with all his old college friends who used to call themselves the Wild Bunch".
"This doesn't look good", Koichi said. "This Wild Bunch, they were your father's friends from the time he studied at UC Berkley? And they come from America, India and Pakistan? It must be costing Hypnos a fortune to relocate them here.
"Didn't you tell him what as asshole Yamaki is? Didn't you tell him about the time he attacked you because he was pissed his project fucked up?"
"I didn't think it was important at the time... should I?"
"Too late now. Would your father even believe you now? It would look too much like sour grapes, like you're trying to interfere. We need to find out what he's up to, and that means I need Calumon. He's the only one who can get in there".
"We don't know where he lives", Takato said. "He won't say, and he just sort of shows up".
"If you have to bring him to me bound and gagged..."
"I don't think he'll let us".
"All I have to say is he'd better show up and the sooner the better. I don't trust that guy Yamaki any farther than I can throw him, and we need intel".
"I could try asking my Dad", Jen offered.
"Would he tell you? He's already expressed a certain reticence about discussing his work with you, and he's gonna want to know why you're asking. I wouldn't try discussing it with him, especially if he's going to just report everything right back to Yamaki.
"Our partners", Takato said, "he already tried deleting Guilmon. If it hadn't been for Mihirimon, we would've lost all our partners".
"That's why we need to get in there, and that's why I need Calumon. The sooner we figure what he's up to, what plans he has for the Wild Bunch, the better".
"We'll do our best to locate him".