"Here we are," Rin announced as she led me into a dimly lit room.
I toggled my helmet's low light vision and had a look around. It was quite spacious for a basement. It was also well-furnished, with several bookshelves, lockers, a desk, some chairs, and sofa in the corner. The room was connected to several other doorways, perhaps storage areas, not unlike a Vault. What caught my eye was a weakly glowing apparatus with a stone suspended in the air above it. The stone was inscribed with a strange pattern, and its structure reminded me of the stones floating above Sanctum Tower.
Atop the desk was one of those flimsy Kivotos terminals. It was decidedly not of RobCo make, much to my chagrin. I assumed this was the terminal Rin needed me to access.
We descended the steps leading into the basement. Rin opened a drawer and started rummaging through it. I took a seat at the terminal desk, wondering where to start.
This terminal doesn't even look like it's powered. Hell, this whole room looks like it has no electricity, except that weird stone thing.
"Here you are, Sensei." Rin found what she was looking for, and handed me some kind of thin, flat screen. The piece of technology was barely larger than my hand.
"What's this?"
"This is the terminal we need you to access. The Shittim Chest."
No way. This was the terminal?
This thing is even tinier than the other terminals! How ludicrously small are their computers going to get?
A more juvenile part of me found some crass humor in the name. Shittim Chest.
"This tablet was left behind by the General Student Council president. Its manufacturer is unknown, as are the details pertaining to its OS and materials involved in its construction."
"So why can't you gain access?"
"It is password protected, infuriatingly enough. Even our best hackers were unable to circumvent the verification process," Rin remarked with a frown.
This did not bode well. If it was password protected, my first action would have been to attempt to hack it. But if Kivotos' best hackers could not gain access…
I had an expertise on computer hacking that bordered on unparalleled – in the Wasteland, that is. Kivotos' computers were fairly alien to me from the get-go. I had no illusions about how I'd likely compare against one of their hackers in terms of proficiency.
"Well then, I will leave you to it. Feel free to call out for me if there are any issues. I will be right outside," Rin said before ascending the steps leading out of the basement.
"Sure thing," I replied, doing my utmost to hide my nervousness. I heard the door shut behind her.
Perhaps I should have learned more about this assignment before promising the entire city on camera that I would fix this mess. Well, at least I still had the Big Mountain Transportalponder if I needed to make a quick getaway.
If the Transportalponder didn't work, however, I would have to take my chances with the bulletproof angry mob. Fantastic.
Well, before I begin formally panicking, I should at least take a look at it… who knows? Maybe Kivotos' hackers are all a bunch of chumps.
I set the Shittim Chest down on the table and examined it.
No keyboard to access, nor knobs or switches… so the only thing to do is…
I pressed the button on the bottom. The device powered up.
…
Connecting to the Shittim Chest…
Please enter the system password.
A holographic keyboard manifested in front of me. Fancy.
No Termlink protocol, but maybe I'd get lucky. Time to try it the Wasteland way.
SET TERMINAL/INQUIRE
I typed into the keyboard. I pressed enter.
Access denied.
SET FILE/PROTECTION=OWNER:RWED ACCOUNTS.F
SET HALT RESTART/MAINT
Access denied.
RUN DEBUG/ACCOUNTS.F
Access denied.
Dammit.
A few seconds in and I'd already hit a roadblock. Termlink was the program that allowed for one savvy enough to exploit a security loophole in RobCo computer systems. No Termlink protocol meant that my ability to hack terminals was effectively null. If all computers here were like this, I'd have to relearn hacking from scratch.
It didn't specify a login attempt limit, so I figured I may as well try out some very common passwords and pray that I chanced upon it. It was a better idea than giving up and telling Rin that I failed.
I moved my hands to type "123456".
We thirst for the seven wailings.
We bear the Koan of Jericho.
Wait, what? When did I…
I don't know how it happened, but it was as if something compelled my fingers to type that phrase on their own.
A sudden pain to my skull flared up, causing me to wince and grab my head. When the feeling subsided, all I was left with was a faint sense of déjà vu. To my astonishment, the eerie phrase was accepted as the password.
Welcome to the Shittim Chest, Six Sensei.
Converting to operating system ARONA for biological verification and generation of verification certificate.
A white light blinded my vision. I shielded my eyes with my hands, which had no effect. I was forced to shut my eyes.
When I opened them, initially all I saw was blue.
I was overlooking an ocean that seemed to stretch languidly into the horizon, meeting a bright daytime sky. Around me was a classroom, its floor filled with a few inches of clear water. It looked like the classrooms I was used to – destroyed, empty, with desks carelessly piled atop one another outside the crumbled wall.
An uncomfortable sensation of wet shoes brought my attention downward. I did a double take upon finding out that I was currently wearing the Vault 21 jumpsuit that Doc Mitchell had given me all those years back. My helmet was nowhere to be found. My back was free of the burdensome weight that I usually lugged around, and upon further inspection I had no belongings on me other than my old 9mm pistol, a few magazines of ammunition, and a couple of stimpaks. I was wearing my Pip-Boy but it seemed to be dead, even though its microfission battery should have been good for another handful of centuries.
I felt… naked. Exposed. Weak.
And yet, despite myself, I smiled in slight nostalgia. This was all I had on me when I walked away from death what seemed like a lifetime ago. I didn't appreciate my situation one bit back then, but looking back on it now, those were much simpler times.
Was I in a dream?
A sound of soft snoring reached my ears, and I turned to the source. It was a small girl with bright blue and pink hair, wearing a blue school uniform, white bow, and a skirt. Her uniform shimmered, with triangular shapes shifting seemingly inside the material. She sat on a desk as she snoozed away, her head resting in her arms. Leaning on the desk to her side was a gun… or was it an umbrella? She also had a blue halo hovering over her head, which I found somewhat strange; I thought students didn't have halos while they were unconscious.
"Mmm… eh…? No, pineapple doesn't belong on pizza, silly…" Apparently, she was also prone to sleeptalking.
Wait. Pineapple? On pizza? I'd only had pizza a few times on the Strip, and I barely had passing knowledge of what a pineapple even is, but a combination of the two sounded positively horrid.
My boots splashed in the shallow water as I walked to her. I grabbed her gunbrella and placed it slightly away from her, just in case she tried to draw her weapon upon waking. After all, I wasn't confident in my odds of successfully subduing a student with only a 9mm and my bare fists while unarmored.
I nudged her shoulder gently.
"…When I got this assignment, I was hoping there'd be more chocolate…" she muttered.
I gave her an incredulous look. Food-centric dreams aside, that had to have been a coincidence, right?
I nudged her again. This time, she visibly stirred. Her blue eyes slowly opened. She yawned loudly and slowly stretched her arms over the desk, then finally noticed my existence.
"Howdy," I drawled, wishing I had a hat to tip.
She groggily stared at me, uncomprehending, then blinked her eyes a few times. Realization seemed to set in.
"Huh? Eh? Ehhhh?!" she rapidly got out of the desk and stood up. She studied my features, then my clothing.
Interestingly, her halo changed color and shape when she was surprised.
"I don't suppose you know where we are, do you? I have a habit of finding myself in strange places," I said casually.
Her eyes widened. "Wait… You're here, so that must mean… Six Sensei?"
"That's what people like to call me nowadays."
Her apprehension dissipated as quickly as it came. She gave a little hop and smiled, putting her hands behind her back. "It's good to finally meet you, Sensei! My name is Arona! I'm the system manager of the Shittim Chest."
"I'm sorry, have we met?" I asked Arona. Something was incredibly familiar about the girl, but I just couldn't place it.
"Hmm…" Arona placed a finger to her chin. "I don't think so. Perhaps you've mistaken me for somebody else?"
Not likely. I knew exactly zero people with blue hair before I came to Kivotos. I pushed aside the feeling of déjà vu for now.
"So… Where are we?" I asked, looking around.
"This is the virtual interior of the Shittim Chest, Sensei. I serve this place's administrator as well as its OS, so you can also think of me as your trusty secretary whenever you have need of more virtual services!"
Trusty, eh? I'd have to be the judge of that. Rarely did AIs have such pure intentions in reality. Trust wouldn't be much of an issue if she was simply a virtual intelligence and thus not truly sentient, but judging by her mannerisms that was unlikely to be the case.
She paused.
"Actually… that reminds me…"
"Yes?"
"How are you inside the Shittim Chest, Sensei?" Arona asked, tilting her head in confusion.
I raised an eyebrow. "Is this not normal?"
"No, not really. Normally the user would interact with the Shittim Chest via a touch-screen interface," Arona said while absently fiddling with her uniform.
She shot me an indecipherable look as she scrutinized me. "You wouldn't happen to be part AI… would you?"
I considered her words. Supposedly I was meant to operate the system physically, yet I found myself inside its virtual space.
Could the cybernetic parts of my brain be interfacing with the Shittim Chest?
I glanced briefly at my equipment. So this wasn't my physical body, but a mental projection? If that was the case, then why did I appear as I did when I left Doc Mitchell's house?
"I've got some… prosthetics, so to speak," I answered honestly. No use lying to an AI that I'd probably be in close contact with for a while.
"I see…" Arona murmured thoughtfully, before waving her hands frantically. "Ah, not that I'm suspicious of you or anything, Sensei! I just thought…well…"
"…never mind," Arona said after some deliberation.
She's hiding something, I thought to myself as I eyed her downcast expression.
"Ah, before I forget," Arona started, her face immediately brightening. "Let's complete your biological authentication."
"Is there a point to this if I'm the only one who can access the Shittim Chest?"
"Well, this OS was not designed to have users sync directly to it. Biological authentication is basically just for verifying that those who interact with the Shittim Chest from the outside are authorized users."
I nodded. "Makes sense."
She stuck her index finger out, smiling. "Now that you're here, we can do this in person rather than through a screen!"
I tilted my head at her, confused.
She pouted. "Geez, Sensei, haven't you ever made a promise before?"
"With a finger? Can't say I have."
"Just place the tip of your index finger against mine."
I tentatively did so. Her skin was soft, but otherwise felt unremarkable.
"Hmm…" Arona seemed to marvel at the sensation of physical touch, then, as if realizing something was amiss, looked down ponderingly.
"Something wrong?" I asked.
"Must be my imagination," she said, shrugging it off.
She withdrew her hand. "Verification complete! I can now guarantee, with utmost certainty, that you are the one with the sole authority to access the Shittim Chest!" Arona proudly proclaimed, putting her hands on her hips.
I rolled my eyes. "Good to know it wasn't the other guy with a number six for a name."
"Hush. No sarcasm is tolerated in this household, young man," Arona chided playfully while waggling a finger, before turning serious. "So the fact that you've accessed the Shittim Chest means that something has happened, hasn't it?"
"You want the short version or the long version?"
"Uh…short?"
"President is missing, GSC running around like headless chickens, city on fire, the usual. I'm here to fix it."
Arona winced a little at the imagery, then nodded knowingly. "If the president is missing, then the GSC wouldn't be able to easily fill her shoes without the proper authorization."
"Speaking of the president, what do you know about her? Do you know why she chose me?" I asked. Perhaps Arona could fill me in.
"I don't. I'm sorry, Sensei," Arona said apologetically. "For some reason my databanks are scarce on the topic of the President herself. Strange, since I have data on most things in Kivotos…"
Strange, indeed. I found the whole thing reeking of conspiracy. An assassin who sought power would have everything to gain by deposing the president. It would only then be a matter of coercing the one who inherited the authority to relinquish it to them.
Or, alternatively, the president's disappearance was orchestrated by herself. After all, who else could have accessed the Shittim Chest to wipe specific data pertaining to the president?
Either way, I'd just been pulled into a mess that I wanted no part of. I had just finished resolving the complicated situation that was securing New Vegas' independence, for crying out loud.
Now that I was here, however, I would make sure the job got done right.
"…But I can definitely help you with the Sanctum Tower," Arona finished, gazing up at me.
"Do you need me to do anything?"
"Nope! Now that you've successfully activated me, I can take control remotely," Arona blithely answered.
"Convenient," I commented.
"Right? Just give me one moment…" Arona trailed off, looking like she was deep in thought. After a few seconds, she nodded animatedly.
"Permissions acquired. We've successfully brought Sanctum Tower under our control!"
That easily?
"I don't notice anything different," I said, glancing around the eerie classroom.
Now it was Arona's turn to roll her eyes. "You won't notice anything different in the Shittim Chest, Sensei. But now, with all permissions granted to you…"
The AI paused for dramatic effect.
"That means all of Kivotos is now in the palm of your hand!"
"…"
"…"
"…Oh."
Arona was apparently unsatisfied with my reaction. "'Oh'? What do you mean, 'oh'? You act like you've spontaneously taken control of an entire city before."
I chuckled at that, further confounding the AI. "Don't worry about it."
It seemed that no matter where I went, I was destined to carry the keys to the city. Be it the Platinum Chip or Shittim Chest.
Arona briefly puffed up her cheeks in annoyance before reluctantly changing the subject. "Fiiiine. Now that we've successfully linked with Sanctum Tower, would you like for me to transfer control of the Sanctum Tower to the General Student Council?"
"No."
"Come again?" Arona responded, taken aback.
"No. Not at the moment. I want to meet with the vice president before we go shifting authority around."
"What are you planning on doing?" Arona asked in concern.
"Let's just say that I'm going to barter with her a bit."
"Well, if you say so, Sensei…" Arona said pensively.
I looked around. How exactly was I supposed to get out of here? There were no doors in the classroom…
"Though… it's pretty lonely here in the Shittim Chest, isn't it?" Arona continued, her expression turning mischievous. "I might just keep you here forever… eheheh~"
I was thoroughly unamused. "Arona, if you don't let me go, I'm going to start screaming. Very loudly. And since this body is virtual, I'll never stop."
"Uwah!" Arona began shaking her head rapidly and raised her palms in surrender. "Sensei, it was just a joke. A joke!"
"That being said…" The AI said quietly, putting her hands behind her back. "You'll visit sometimes, right?"
I guess she wasn't joking about the lonely part. Just how long has she been in here, anyway?
I was a hardened Wastelander who had witnessed truly amazing and horrifying things. But I found that even I couldn't resist the puppy-dog eyes that Arona was giving me. She was even better at it than Rex!
I sighed and hunched down a bit to be more at Arona's eye level. I held out my hand, extending my index finger.
"I'll make sure to visit," I said reassuringly.
She beamed and put her index finger against mine. Her smile was contagious. "It's a promise, then!"
With our transaction completed, I stood up to full height and nodded at Arona. "Alright. Send me back, I'm ready."
"U-um…"
"What's wrong?"
"Well…you see, the thing is…" Arona trailed off, suddenly looking very nervous, with sweat forming at her brow.
"...You don't actually know how to send me back, do you?"
"W-what?! Nuh-uh! That's not it!" Arona claimed defensively.
"That's definitely it," I deadpanned.
A blush appeared on her cheeks as she crossed her arms indignantly. "Grrr…It's not my fault that the OS wasn't designed to interface directly with users!"
We were getting nowhere, very fast. "Look. You're administrator, right? Can't you just kick somebody off your server?"
Arona calmed down and looked contemplative. "Theoretically, but the system's virtual space was not meant to be accessible to anyone but me in the first place. I'd have to treat it like I would a hacking attempt."
"Give it a shot then."
"Are you sure, Sensei? I don't wanna end up accidentally lobotomizing you or anything like that." Arona was aghast at the implications.
I waved my hand dismissively. "Meh, I've already been lobotomized. I got better."
Arona gave me a flat look. "That's not funny."
I blinked. Did she think I was joking?
Arona sighed and pitter-pattered closer to me. "Okay. I'm going to try and make this as gentle as possible. If not, we can try other ways."
I nodded.
Arona tiptoed and held out her hand in front of my face. Slowly, deliberately, she flicked me on the nose.
I experienced a sensation similar to being hit by a freight train.
I inhaled sharply. When I opened my eyes, I was back in Schale's basement, still seated at the desk. The basement was now lit brightly, and several electronic screens on the walls flickered with activity. The terminal in front of me was now powered on; it was apparently in the midst of rebooting. To my immense relief, I was back in all of my gear.
"Sensei! It worked!" Arona exclaimed excitedly from the Shittim Chest. I grabbed the tablet and held it in front of me. Arona and the uncanny classroom I was just in greeted me through the screen.
"Not exactly what I'd call gentle," I remarked, recalling the jarring sensation. "But good work, Arona."
"Eheh…" Arona giggled, eyes gleaming at the praise. "Here, Sensei. I'll leave you with the option to transfer control to the GSC in case you need it."
"Thanks."
The AI gave me a jovial wave and the screen blackened. The only thing that remained on the screen was a slider.
I took a deep breath and exhaled.
Let's get this show on the road.
"Rin," I called out, raising my voice.
The door slid open and Rin entered the room promptly. "Sensei? I trust everything has gone according to plan?" The vice president asked me, fixing her glasses.
"Swimmingly. I've successfully synced with Sanctum Tower."
Rin looked like a load had been taken off her shoulders. She descended the stairs and stood in front of the desk. "That is tremendous news. Now, if you don't mind transferring control to the Council so we may begin restarting vital infrastructure…"
"Hold your horses, Rin. I want to discuss some things first," I interrupted, holding up a hand.
"If this is about the questions you had earlier, I'm sure they can wait until the crisis has been resolved," the vice president insisted impatiently.
"Oh, on the contrary, Miss Acting President, I think the crisis can wait for a little conversation. After all, I just witnessed a student take a direct blast from a tank and not die. No lives are at stake." I gestured at an empty seat in front of the desk. "Kindly indulge me, would you?"
Now is the best time to ask. While I still have leverage.
The acting president in question glanced at the seat and back at me, then clicked her tongue in irritation. "Very well. Be quick," she said as she took a seat.
"How do I get back home?" I immediately asked, wasting no time.
"If you require transport, we can provide it freely between districts."
"Not between districts. To New Vegas. The Mojave. Nevada." I noted her expression became increasingly bewildered with each name I mentioned. Not a good sign.
"I'm afraid I've never heard of these places you mentioned," Rin replied. I couldn't detect any trace of deception in her words.
If this place was just Japan, it would only have been a matter of contacting Big Mountain to get them to send me a transport vehicle. But of course it wouldn't be that simple. And I hadn't tested the functionality of the Big Mountain Transportalponder outside of Nevada, which meant that whether it would even work in Kivotos was anyone's guess.
I had the option of setting off on my own to find a way back home, but then I realized – if everyone in this city was as durable and well-armed as the thugs from earlier, venturing out on my own may prove fatal. As far as I knew, it was only a matter of time before I encountered an organized, hostile faction.
I didn't have nearly enough ammo on me to take on a bulletproof army the size of the NCR.
There was the possibility of keeping total control of Kivotos for myself, but I immediately dismissed the idea as foolish. Running New Vegas was one thing – I knew the city like the back of my hand, and I had a loyal sycophant with an army of murder-happy robots at my disposal. Here, I had no allies, limited resources, and scant knowledge of the city. Even if I were to take Sanctum Tower and the Schale building for myself, it was only a matter of time before both were laid to siege.
I was left with little choice but to acquiesce to the role of advisor to Schale for the time being.
On the bright side, I was being handed a position of power right off the bat, as opposed to having to climb through the ranks.
"Never mind," I sighed. "Tell me about Schale's responsibilities."
"As the club was created just prior to the president's disappearance, its true purpose is unknown, even to us," Rin explained. "However, thanks to the extrajudicial powers granted to Schale, you may use the club to resolve conflicts and confront nefarious parties wherever they may arise. And as an advisor, you will also be in charge of providing students with anything ranging from guidance counseling to supplemental instruction."
Schale's purpose was fairly straightforward. I had ample experience in acting outside of the law on behalf of NCR whenever formalities prevented them from accomplishing their tasks.
But supplemental instruction? What exactly was I supposed to teach, anyway? How to skin and grill a giant gecko?
I wasn't Arcade. I had limited experience in teaching, some instances being when I shaped up the Misfits at Camp Golf and that time I taught the Great Khans to make medicine. Useful skills to be sure, but in a place as plentiful in resources as Kivotos, I had to question whether they'd actually be applicable.
Then there were the people I was supposedly going to work with – the General Student Council.
"What are the goals of the General Student Council?" I asked evenly.
"As I mentioned before, we are concerned with the governance of Kivotos as a whole. The GSC is partitioned into several departments dedicated to a specific function. For instance, I am head of the Supervisory Office. There are several others, such as the Defense, Financial, and Arbitration Offices," Rin listed.
"And there is truly no-one who could serve in lieu of the president? No line of succession?"
The vice president shook her head. "No. The procedure of appointing a new president does exist, but it relies on control of the Sanctum Tower and several complicated criteria that we're frankly not equipped to deal with right now. Thus, we judged that the most important action we could take was to search for her while awaiting your arrival."
I shook my head in astonishment. The idea gave me secondhand discomfort. Kivotos really had no clear-cut chain-of-command in case their leadership was taken out.
That sounded incredibly shortsighted. Even I had a contingency for Vegas in the event of my disappearance or death. Given a week or two, Yes Man would probably enact it and begin searching for me.
"One last question." I held up a finger.
"If I must."
"…Why schools?"
Rin tilted her head at me. "I'm afraid I don't understand the question."
"As in, why do a bunch of schools run the city?"
The vice president looked at me as if I were simple. "Who else would run the Academy City, if not the academies themselves?"
"..."
It wasn't the first time I'd questioned my sanity upon arriving here, and I knew it wouldn't be the last time. It seemed that a bunch of teenagers controlling everything in society was just a fact of life here, as sure as bottle caps being currency was a fact of life in the Wasteland.
I had heard of a civilization called Little Lamplight in the ruins of DC that was run exclusively by children. To think that I dismissed the rumor back then, under the assumption that such a model was unsustainable.
Nevertheless, I'd heard enough for the time being. Now for the fun part.
"I will accede control of the Sanctum Tower to the General Student Council…"
"I'm glad we could come to an understanding-" she began.
"…on two conditions."
Rin was infuriated. She suddenly stood up and slammed a palm on the table. My hand subconsciously reached toward my shotgun.
"Conditions?! We didn't summon you here so you could help us with strings attached!" She raised her voice as she loomed over me. I was unintimidated.
"But you did summon me. And since you can't unsummon me, you'd best hear what I have to say before you do anything rash," I warned slowly, meeting her baleful gaze.
She gritted her teeth and closed her eyes as she forcefully suppressed her anger. After a few seconds, she sat back down.
"Why…" Rin enunciated, still seething. "…would you impose conditions on our agreement?"
"For one, I didn't agree on anything. I just said I would help you," I corrected, predictably not doing any favors for Rin's foul mood. "And to begin answering your question, it's because your president specifically chose me, out of all the people in the Mojave or in Kivotos, to come and fix this city's problems. The longer I'm here, the more convinced I am that she chose me for a reason."
"And that is?" Rin asked, some of her anger giving way to mild interest.
I smiled. "Because I'm the most qualified. I may not look it, but I've run a city almost single-handedly before. Probably longer than any of you GSC officials have, too."
Rin scowled but said nothing. I continued.
"I've seen every trick in the book, every manner of flattery, deception, coercion, extortion, violence…and I've come out on top, every time. I'm also a neutral party - an unbiased mediator, in Kivotos' perspective; who else would be more appropriate for the position of advisor?"
I grasped the Shittim Chest and pretended to admire its contours. "I'll admit I'm not happy about your president's timing, but I don't think she could have chosen a better option. Which leads me to my conditions."
"…Say your piece, then."
"I want veto power in major GSC summit decisions."
Rin's brow furrowed. "Explain your reasoning."
I leaned back into my seat. Comfy. "You said it yourself, Rin. As the last club created by the president, Schale effectively carries her authority. The club will merely be assuming one facet of her original power. Don't you think that Schale should have more say in the affairs it will be meddling in?"
Granted, my condition carried the assumption that the GSC president had veto power to begin with, like the US presidents of old, but given that the president was basically an absolute authority in Kivotos it wasn't a farfetched assumption to make. Judging by Rin's response, it seemed I was right.
"Do you really think you, as an outsider, can make good decisions on behalf of the city?"
"No. I'm not so arrogant to believe I can easily run a city that I haven't even spent a full day in." I turned to face her. "But I know a bad decision when I see one. And I can recognize selfish ones, as well as signs of embezzlement and other corruption."
Rin's eyes finally lit up in realization. "You don't trust us."
"Bingo was his name-o!" I quipped, snapping my fingers. "You're quick on the uptake."
"Pray tell, what has the GSC done to warrant your mistrust?" Rin asked, unsure if she should be offended.
"Absolutely nothing."
"So then, why-"
"Rin, I'm sure you're a real nice gal once you dig through all the stress and paperwork, but I can't say the same for your coworkers. I haven't met them. And given the current situation, there's really no time for me to personally vet each and every one of them. Even if you were to vouch for them, I can't take your word for it, no matter how much I want to."
My face darkened. "Plus, I can't rule out the possibility of one or more of the GSC being responsible for her disappearance."
Rin was stupefied that I would make such a brazen and macabre remark. "Why would you say that?"
"Your president is an absolute authority. The GSC is next in terms of rank. Do the math."
"If we go by your logic, then even you would be a prime suspect for her disappearance!" Rin exclaimed.
"That's right, I would be." I nodded in agreement. "But the fact I'm handing down the president's authority at all rather than keeping it for myself kinda pokes holes in that theory. I'd be just as surprised as you if I'm responsible for her disappearance, considering my first waking moments in this city were in your office. And if you still need proof, why not check your security cameras? I recall seeing some on the way to your office."
That seemed to mollify Rin somewhat. "So you just want us to entertain your paranoia?"
"Heh, maybe it is paranoia. I hope it is, anyway. But if that's the case, then you don't lose anything by accepting my condition, right?"
"...Fine," Rin finally conceded. "What of the second condition?"
I was pleased she accepted so cordially. I was expecting more shouting and gunfire.
"This one's not so much a condition as it is a disclaimer," I said. "I reserve the right to abdicate my position as advisor at any time."
Rin raised an eyebrow. "After making such a show of ensuring the GSC is held in check? Why? You contradict yourself."
I chuckled lightly. "Of course, I don't mean that I'm liable to one day drop all my responsibilities and run for the hills. I promise you; I will stay here until Kivotos is completely stabilized and once I'm positive you all can run things smoothly on your own. But once that happens?"
I slowly stood up and faced Rin, who reciprocated. "While I did say that I've run a city before, it's not like I ever stopped. Your president brought me here to help and that's fine and dandy, but I still have a responsibility to return to my own city."
Assuming I can find a way back, I thought pessimistically.
"I see… New Vegas, was it?" Rin recalled.
"That's right. That's partly why I want to make sure that your president's city is in good hands. I have my pride as a leader and as a courier."
Rin's eyes crinkled in amusement. "I fail to see what being a courier has to do with it."
"Don't underestimate couriers, Rin. I, and many others, learned that the hard way," I half-joked. I extended a hand to the vice president. "Do I have your word?"
She took one look at my outstretched arm and accepted the handshake. "Yes. I will inform the rest of the GSC so we can discuss the finer details of your…conditions in the future."
I nodded. Good enough for me.
I held up the Shittim Chest and ran my index finger across the slider on the screen. A notice popped up, asking me to confirm that I wanted to transfer control to the GSC. I pressed yes.
For a moment, nothing happened. Then several shrill noises blared from Rin's cell phone. Upon checking the device, Rin audibly sighed in relief.
"Sensei. You have my thanks for helping us resolve the situation…"
"Ah, don't mention it-"
"…even if you were incredibly obtuse and combative the whole time."
"Geez, okay. Point taken."
Rin gave a tired smile. "However, the GSC's work is only just beginning. Normally, I'd give you a tour around the Schale building so you can get acclimated, but we're so behind on work that I think it would be best if I got started right away."
"That's fine, I was planning on exploring the place myself anyway," I casually waved a hand.
"You can find your office on the fourth floor. We'll have a representative send you your first assignments first thing tomorrow morning." Rin ascended the steps leading out of the basement. "You must be exhausted after participating in the previous battles, so you may take the evening off in the lounge if you wish."
"Sure, sure." I was still raring to go, so in all likelihood I wouldn't be taking the evening off. But more free time meant more time to explore, so I had no complaints.
"Well then, I bid you good day." Rin bowed and hurriedly exited the room. She must have had her work cut out for her.
"Adios," I called after her.
The door shut, leaving me alone with the Shittim Chest and my thoughts.
This tablet was an enigma, even to the current administration of this place. I had to wonder about its connection to the Sanctum Tower.
And just how did I know the password to the Shittim Chest? When I typed it, it came to me automatically, like muscle memory.
I shook my head. Though it was agonizing leaving so many mysteries up in the air, dwelling on them at this point would get me nowhere, especially while the president was still missing. Best to focus on the present.
With that, I set out to explore the building I would be working at for the foreseeable future.
The door to Angel 24 made a chiming sound as it slid open automatically. I walked in, taking notice of a small blonde girl with tiny white wings protruding from her back. She tiptoed on a stepstool as she arranged merchandise on the top shelf, her back to me.
"W-welcome! I'll be with you in just a moment…" she greeted without turning around. She struggled as she grasped an item at the very back of the shelf. She looked at a label on the back of the item then placed it back on the shelf, recording something on a clipboard.
I didn't respond, electing instead to browse the store's wares.
So this is what pre-war convenience stores looked like in their heyday, I thought. Everything was so clean and new, with not an aesthetic blemish in sight. I recognized several products that looked similar to items I had looted in pre-war gas stations in the past, such as snacks, beverages, and magazines.
What I saw that was definitely not commonly sold in pre-war convenience stores were various guns, ammunition, explosives, and bits of technology. I felt like a kid in a proverbial candy store as I inspected the weaponry on display. Very high-quality guns, which was consistent with what I had seen students wielding so far. Their selection of explosives, while not exhaustive, was nevertheless broad in its variety. I even saw missiles and rockets!
Gun Runners? Pfft, who's that? I only know of Angel 24.
No energy or melee weapons, though. Perhaps their energy weapons were not advanced enough to commonly use as weaponry. And I got the impression that melee weapons were just not in style in this city. A shame.
A small section of the store caught my interest - electronics. Apparently they also sold cell phones here. The prospect of disassembling one greatly interested me. There was one small hiccup, however…
I grabbed a nearby bag of chips and read the price tag: Y280. I glowered at the unfamiliar currency label. Was Y280 for a bag of chips a reasonable price? Or ludicrously expensive? I had no way of knowing.
My heart sank as I realized I likely didn't have a single cap to my name here.
As I pondered my descent from casino tycoon to abject poverty, I heard a loud gasp to my side. The store worker had descended from the stepstool and dropped an item upon seeing me, then scrambled to pick it back up.
"H-h-hello, Sensei! N-nice day we're having, huh?" the girl stammered.
"You can say that again, Sora," I replied, putting the bag of chips back in its place. She knew who I was, eh? Word here must travel fast.
"…How do you know my name?" Sora asked, now sounding absolutely horrified. I didn't think it was possible for someone to look so pale.
"You have a name tag," I pointed out.
"Ah…" the store worker sheepishly replied.
I turned and took a good look at the worker. Blue eyes, blue halo, and a huge forehead. She looked even younger than any of the students I had seen so far, which prompted me to ask. "Hey, kid. They let you work a store like this at your age?"
The horrified look returned. "N-no! I mean, yes! This store was one of the only ones that'd let a middle schooler work part-time. I assure you, it's one hundred percent legal! No laws being broken here! No sir!" Sora squeaked out, shaking and sweating buckets.
I frowned. This was getting annoying. "Alright, kid. What's your deal?"
"I-I don't know what you mean…" Sora stuttered out, her eyes anywhere but on me.
"You're scared witless," I began, toning down the profanity for the kid's sake. "Like I just threatened you or your family or something."
"W-well…" Sora looked down, suddenly finding her shoes extremely interesting. "It's because…"
I motioned for her to continue with a hand.
"There's been…rumors…" Sora trailed off, the last word barely audible.
"Rumors?" I raised an eyebrow in interest. "What kind of rumors?"
The poor store worker looked like she wanted to disappear off the face of Kivotos. "T-they say, that, a h-halo-less teacher is going around, p-punishing bad students…and that anyone who, um, causes t-trouble is next…"
Ah. That explained Sora's apprehension around me. But what I didn't understand…
"The 'punishing' stuff aside, how are there rumors already? The fighting was just a few hours ago," I asked incredulously.
The rumors couldn't have arisen from when I addressed the crowd in the GSC headquarters. That just didn't make sense. It had to have been when we fought the helmeted gangsters. But for the information to spread that quickly?
"Um…it's all over social media…" Sora quietly said.
"What's social media?" I asked, scratching my head at the term.
"You…don't know what social media is?" Sora asked, dumbstruck. "Aren't you a teacher?"
"Call me old-fashioned. So, social media?"
Sora looked like she couldn't find any words to say. She began rummaging around in her apron and pulled out her cell phone, evidently finding it easier to show me than explain it. She rapidly typed into into a long rectangular box and confirmed.
The first result led to something called KivoTube. She pressed it and a box on the screen enlarged. A video?
'SENSEI VS TERRORISTS! MUST WATCH!'
The page was titled. Sora muttered something about "clickbait" before she pressed what I guessed was the play button, and the box enveloped the entire screen.
Sora tentatively handed the cell phone to me, and I accepted, carefully cradling the tiny device in my hands.
The video began, and surely enough, it was a playback of our group's encounter with the helmeted gangsters from what seemed to be the view of a security camera. The video was in color and boasted much higher resolution compared to pre-war security cameras. I watched as a familiar armored individual first dispatched the snipers one-by-one, followed by blowing up the remaining forces, and finally whittled down the reinforcements with the help of the team.
Once the playback was concluded, the video box shrank to its original size.
"…This is social media?" I asked breathlessly.
"Just one of the websites…usually they're just places where people upload, share, and comment on content," Sora explained. She looked much more comfortable when explaining concepts she was familiar with.
I shook my head in amazement. And this page says the video has been viewed two hundred thousand times within the few hours it had been uploaded?!
The implications for information dissemination and espionage were limitless. This was the pinnacle of what the Followers of the Apocalypse hoped to achieve. And it could be accessed from such an unassuming, fragile little device.
My eyes were drawn to a section labeled 'comments'.
"Can I view the comments?" I asked curiously.
"Just press the arrow at the bottom…"
I pressed the arrow. Several usernames with their associated comments dropped down the screen.
M79 Enjoyer: AAAA Sensei is so cool!
Isami_Kaede: Isn't he afraid of getting shot?
Throwaway14958: Brb applying to Schale rn
Peach_Fighter1337: He looks like a video game protag lol
ClubSmoochie67: I want Sensei to correct me too…
xxBigRedxx: Is that Miss 100kg from Seminar? wwwww
I found I didn't understand a good number of these comments. And a few of them were somewhat creepy.
"They don't sound afraid like you said," I told Sora.
The part-timer shifted uncomfortably. "KivoTube comments are always kinda weird…"
"I see… Thank you for showing me," I said, handing the device back to Sora. "And if it makes you feel any better, I really am just here to browse, not punish or whatever."
"Oh, um. Okay," Sora replied, relaxing a little. "S-sorry if I'm on edge a bit… I was supposed to start working here yesterday but the whole thing with the terrorists happened."
What a place this is, where your biggest concerns with terrorists is that they'll make you miss work.
"Don't worry about it," I responded lightly. "By the way, I don't suppose you accept caps as currency here, do you?"
"Caps? What are those?"
I wanted to curl up somewhere and die. My wealth...
"Never mind. I should get going," I despondently replied. I deemed it better for my mental wellbeing to leave rather than browse wares I couldn't actually afford. I didn't have many nonessential things to barter with in lieu of caps. My gold bars were still locked up nice and tight in the Sink.
"F-feel free to come back anytime! We're open 24/7!" Sora called after me, as if sensing my change in mood.
24/7? Now that's convenient. Where to acquire money in the shortest time possible…
I hoped against hope that teachers made a decent wage here.
Before I knew it, it was dark outside. I had finished exploring a majority of the facility. Most of Schale's staff had re-entered the building after Schale had been secured by the Prefect Team. As a result, I ran into a fair amount of staff members, though a few seemed to give me a wide berth. Fine by me.
"Sensei," Arona's voice spoke from inside my knapsack. I reached into it and pulled out the Shittim Chest. The AI's face peered at me from the screen.
"What's up?"
"I've drafted your schedule for tomorrow. Would you like to hear it now?"
"Go ahead."
"First thing in the morning, you'll receive your workload from Rin. It'll probably take up most of the day. But since you've received a request for supplementary instruction, I've devoted a time slot in the afternoon for that."
"A request for supplementary instruction? Already?" I inquired, surprised.
"Mm-hm. From a Valkyrie student. Maybe it's one of the students you rescued?"
"That'd certainly make the most sense."
Arona nodded. "There's that, and then there's the Schale applications for you to go over." She pulled out a blue folder containing what I presumed were the recruitment forms.
"That's part of the process for recruiting students from different academies, isn't it?"
"Yup! We can actually approve them right now if you'd like. Although…" Arona smirked and gave me a knowing expression. "…something tells me you wouldn't want to do that, right?"
I smirked back. "Contact the applicants. Let them know that they're free to come in whenever they like so they can get approved in-person."
"Okay." Arona looked like she was going to leave the topic be, but then joked, "That's our paranoid Sensei."
Using the tip of my index finger, I ruffled Arona's hair through the screen, laughing amidst her complaints.
In the meantime, I sought out a place to hunker down for the night. Tomorrow would be a very long day.