[NOTICE]
This chapter contains two languages. If the text is in bold lettering, the character is speaking in English. If the text is not in bold, the character is speaking in Japanese.
Akio rested in his chair with a mask over his eyes as if he were asleep, only feeling the sensation of the environment around him. He felt the leather of the seat he had been sitting in for hours, the hum of the twin sets of engines made the interior vibrate in a way that wouldn't go unnoticed—yet not to a degree where it'd be distracting. He felt the gravity around himself lessen more and more, his body weight getting lighter and lighter. All until finally the wheels hit the ground, and he would feel that "bounce" before they'd all be slowing down to a halt. The plane had landed and arrived at it's destination.
A hand would pull Akio's eye mask away from his face, it being Satomi sitting at the aisle seat right next to him. "Wake up Shinohara! We've arrived!"
"I don't think he was even asleep..." Taira added, sitting at the window seat on Akio's other side.
The passengers aboard the plane unloaded all of their lightweight luggage and disembarked from the plane, the class leaving through the doorway and through the terminal. They traveled to New York City for a field trip, New York having a close relationship with Tokyo when it came to labors and labor development. The class stayed close together at the airport as there were an insurmountable amount of people coming into the city and leaving, it would be easy to get lost if you didn't pay attention. The area would be filled with the dissonance of several hundred different conversations happening at once, the footsteps of travelers, and the sound of the PA system sounding every now and then. Around the terminals one could see all the different planes at their gates getting ready to take off, some already rolling full speed down the runway. It wasn't uncommon to hear the cries of the engines as the giant hunks of metal were able to gracefully take flight.
As they all continued through the airport, Mochizuki ran up to Akio and threw his arm around him. "So how does it feel to be on the other side of the planet? This is the farthest we've ever been from home!"
"I know we're pretty far but it doesn't feel like it, but it also does feel like it. It's kind of insane to think about how big the Earth is though." Akio responded.
Taira joined them in the conversation, "It's also a testament to how much technology has progressed too! Even though the entire trip took several hours, that's still insanely fast for how big the planet is. Imagine trying to travel from Japan to New York without air travel, it'd take several days to travel around the world by land and sea."
"I'd much rather stay home at that point, week long excursions sound like they can get pretty tiring."
"Well, they always say it's more about the journey than the destination, you'd probably see a lot of interesting stuff in the time it'd take to get there." Mochizuki added.
"Hey, you three! Try and keep pace!" Mr. Hayashi said, leading the group. He along with Ms. Soratani and unexpectedly Haruki would be the ones managing the field trip, selecting the locations they'd visit on their stay in the big city. All the students would collect the rest of their belongings from the luggage pickup, making sure everyone's items safely arrived. Outside of the airport they'd get a glimpse of the city for the first time, the skyscrapers piercing the sky in the denser areas of the city. All while surrounded by seemingly hundreds of buildings with thousands of cars and people moving in between them.
"It's a whole lot bigger than it is on TV..." Sakamoto said.
"There's our ride." Mr. Hayashi pointed at a bus that had parked itself near the entrance of the airport, all the students quickly moving to find a seat.
The disorderly nature of everyone piling inside made Ms. Soratani try to keep order amongst the students, "One at a time everyone! One at a time!"
"Okay before we depart, let's make sure everyone's here." Mr. Hayashi took a look at the names of all the students who were attending. "First up, Kawamura."
"Here."
"Kobayashi."
"Here."
"Mochizuki."
"Here!"
"Shinohara."
"Here!"
"Shinshi."
"Present."
"Sakamoto."
"Here!"
"Yamaguchi."
"I'm here."
"Yamamoto."
"At your service!"
"I believe that's everyone...! Alright, first stop; the hotel!" Mr. Hayashi said while the bus driver pulled out of the parking lot and onto the road.
There were many cars on the open road, a lot more cars than there were in Japan. It wouldn't be long before the class found themselves in the expanse of the city, still taking in the size of the entire city along with it's neighboring cities not too far from it. They were able to catch a glimpse of a landmark of the United States of America, the Statue of Liberty, which stood proudly on it's platform in the harbor. Before long they'd be surrounded on all sides by buildings of varying sizes, the road, the vehicles on it, and the people beside it would all be reflected on some of the glass of the buildings they'd pass by. The bus would turn into a parking lot and in front of the suite where they'd be staying, Haruki and Ms. Soratani getting off first to sort things out with the staff. Haruki could speak English adequately, which allowed him to communicate with the front desk and get them their rooms. Afterwards Mr. Hayashi would state their room numbers and roommates before bringing them into the lobby.
"Alright, we got the rooms sorted out based on your requests from before we got here. If you didn't have a specific requested bunk mate then we assigned you a mate based on our judgment. First up, Shinohara and Kobayashi."
The two of them gave each other a fist bump in response.
"Next, Sakamoto and Yamamoto."
"Aw what? Lame." Mochizuki said.
"Sorry Mochizuki... It was a really tough decision I promise!" Sakamoto said.
"Next, Kawamura and Yamaguchi. Since Shinshi is our only female student here, she'll be bunking with Ms. Soratani."
"I suppose it's for the best." Satomi responded.
"We're a little disproportionate, so why not bunk with me Mochizuki?"
"I guess.."
Everyone entered into the hotel room and placed their luggage onto the carrier, pouring into the two elevators to go to the assigned floor. Down the hallway would be the assigned rooms given to them, Mr. Hayashi handing off the key cards to each student that corresponded to their assigned room. Rooms 400 to 405 would be reserved for the class, Akio and Taira unlocking the door to their room and seeing where they'd be staying for the next few days. Two beds with a night stand between them sat near the back of the room in front of the windows, there would also be a TV along with a couch as well. Finally there would be a closet and bathroom, making up for all their well needed necessities. It wasn't quite the same as the hotels in Japan, but it wouldn't be difficult to adjust. They rummaged through their luggage before setting it aside.
"You bring yours?" Akio said, pulling out a walkie talkie.
"You bet!" Taira responded, pulling out his own.
Mr. Hayashi would then knock on the door, "Don't get too comfortable! We've still gotta do some sightseeing!"
"We'll be out in a minute!" Akio said, shoving the device in his back pocket.
The class traveled to several locations in the first day of their stay in New York City, the first visiting one of the more iconic locations, Time Square. All the people of many different sizes, ages, and backgrounds made a melting pot of diversity that flowed through the middle. Large buildings with flashing neon signs and digital billboards would look down on them, showcasing a plethora of goods and services all at once. It almost resembled Shibuya Scramble crossing the way the streets were littered with people and advertising, a subtle reminder of home. It was also apparent how often the common folk preferred public transit opposed to driving on their own, using taxi services, buses, and even a subway transit. Granted it wasn't as clean or well kept as the trains in Japan, but it was sufficient in getting from point to point. It wouldn't be too long after they'd then visit Central Park, a large expanse of greenery full of trees, shrubbery, grass, and lakes. There were pathways that led through the thicket that took you to different areas of the park, and many things to do during your visit. Many were granted the opportunity to conduct recreational activities within the park area, like boat rides across the lakes that one could paddle on their own. Then there would also be a group of people partaking in what looked to be some sort of yoga and fitness class, in the middle of their daily routines. Not too far from the yoga class people would be playing basketball in a caged area, the basketball itself could be heard being dribbled on the ground before being launched at the goal. It hit the backboard and made that recognizable "swish" sound as it went through the net. The next sight they'd see in Central Park would be very familiar to them, that being the cherry blossom trees in Cherry Hill. They'd sway slowly and gracefully over the lake they stood over, the clear water reflecting the sky, the people, and the trees that looked down on it. The park was rather beautiful, it's natural setting giving everyone a break from the dense urban nature of New York City, and would most definitely leave a lasting impression. The last location they would visit for the first day would be a museum based solely on the history and development of labors, chosen to fit in with the theme of the class. The museum had a large surface area and was a two story building, meaning it was pretty large on the inside.
"Alright, so we're going to let everyone free roam around the museum for a bit, but try to be back here at the entrance in an hour thirty." Ms. Soratani said.
"Yes ma'am!" The class said in unison.
"Alright, go ahead and have fun!" Mr. Hayashi said, prompting them to explore the museum on their own.
As Akio went his own way in the museum he'd see many different exhibits featuring all sorts of different mechanical components of labors, along with older looking labors that seemed to have been well maintained despite their age. Many people toured the building along with him, stopping to read the placard that went along with each exhibit. One of the exhibits was a very old looking labor and some of the internal components could be seen through the shell, the internals themselves looked nearly archaic in comparison to modern labor design and technology. Akio didn't even need to read the placard to know which labor it was, as it was none other than the first ever commercialized labor; the "SIR-90 Labor 90." It was created by his father's company and given the title of the first ever commercially produced labor. While it was barely able to keep up with construction equipment of the time, it along with other labors were given a second chance amidst the great Tokyo earthquake. Down the hall there would be another exhibit, however it wasn't exactly a labor. Akio looked at the placard and did his best to read out the name.
"Wa-ru-king Tu-ra-ku."
As it's name would imply, it was a large vehicular shaped machine that seemed to operate purely on human input. Created by General Electric; the walking truck had four legs attached and they moved according to which leg the person operating moved their own, one could argue that this was the first "labor" purely in concept. More exhibits lined down the path featuring different labors which have had their own breakthroughs in technology and impact on the future of development. Akio would be at the corridor to view a labor that immediately would catch his attention, it'd be no surprise as it was the AV-98 Ingram in all it's glory. He wasn't sure if it was a real Shinohara manufactured Ingram or simply a replica created for educational purposes, regardless it was still just as important of labor to showcase in the museum. After he marveled at the labor he'd then take notice of another person, a woman, looking at the labor as well. Her hair was dark and messy, skin tanned, and wore baggy clothes. Her facial expression seemed tired yet there was a notable light in her eyes when she looked at the Ingram, it was as if she had some kind of fondness for it. Akio considered his own ties to the Ingram and thought about connecting with the woman, though not sure if the possible language barrier would provide. Still, he made an attempt to say something at the very least.
"Ah... Hello." His accent was still on the thicker side, no matter how much English he knew his Japanese tongue would still be identifiable. The woman turned her head slightly in an attempt to see if that hello was meant for her or someone else, spying Akio looking at her but quickly looking back at the Ingram in embarrassment.
"Um.. Hi...?" She responded.
He wasn't sure how to continue the conversation from there on, it was more nerve racking to interact with someone who wasn't natively Japanese. His imperfect English could hinder whatever message he'd want to convey, but by this point he was in too deep. He had to say something or be put at risk of the even more embarrassing situation of getting someone's attention and proceeding to end the conversation before it began. He swallowed his pride and tried to continue the conversation the best he could.
"The Ingram... It Is cool." He said as he pointed at the labor.
"I guess, yeah." She responded.
Her response confused Akio, he wasn't sure if she agreed with him or not. From how the last word she used sounded, he assumed it was something like a "yes" and went with it.
"Yes."
A rejoinder of epic proportion.
"Do you speak Japanese?"
This caught Akio off guard, "You speak Japanese!?"
"I speak a little Japanese."
"That's great! I really thought I was gonna have to speak English this entire time, I know some of it but I'm not sure if I could keep a conversatio-"
"Hey! Wait! Calm down!" She said, putting up her hands. "If you talk like that, I won't catch everything you say."
"Eh, sorry- sorry! Ah... I am excited, sorry...!"
"It is alright. You were talking about the Ingram, correct?"
"Yeah! It's one of my favorite labors ever! I wish I was born a lot sooner to see it in action."
"I have never seen the Ingram in person, so you and I aren't too dissimilar."
"I guess you like labors a lot too?"
"What did you say?"
"You... Like labors?"
"Yes... I suppose I do like them."
"I like them a lot because my Mom pilots labors and my Dad..." For a moment, Akio realized the orthodox nature of the field trip. A lot of them had ties to big companies, with him having a direct connection to the President of Shinohara Heavy Industries. If word got out about the president's son being out and about in America, it'd potentially hinder how smoothly the trip is going for everyone. "...And my Dad works on them."
"That's nice. I had never come to know my parents. They haven't been in my life long enough to understand them beyond 'Mother' and 'Father.'"
"...Ah, that sucks... I'm sorry..."
"Don't apologize. That part of my past is over. Now I just want to live a life where I can work with labors and nothing else."
"What's stopping you?"
"I'm stuck working for a job I don't like, and I'm not sure if it'd be wise to just leave for another haphazardly."
"There are lots of places that are looking for pilots in America I bet!"
"That isn't the issue, unfortunately. I have to go anyway, our talk was short but it was fun." The woman turned and began walking down the hallway, but before she was out of earshot Akio called out to her.
"Hey! Wait! If it isn't much trouble, then maybe we can talk some other time? Maybe tomorrow?"
"...I'm not sure what we'd talk about but-"
"It could be in the same place! Here, in front of the Ingram!"
The woman looked back up at the Ingram on display, "..Yeah sure, why not."
Akio and Taira both sat on their beds that night, both in their sleepwear after they each took their showers. Akio had the remote and was flipping from channel to channel to find them something to watch while he talked to his friend.
"So that's when she sent 'tell your teacher that Yuriko is glad she was able to spend time with him.'"
"You think that's the name of the person who was messaging you?" Taira asked.
"Maybe, Mr. Hayashi knew this person, and maybe it could've been. Either way I never heard from them again."
"That's honestly crazy, you witnessed some kind of corporate assassination in real time."
"It's kinda scary thinking about it now, but they said there'd be no reason to go after me so."
"Maybe not yet." Taira joked.
"Dude."
"Hey, go back to that last channel, I like that anime!" Taira said, pointing to the TV.
"This one? With the super heroes?"
"Yeah, it's made in America but sometimes the opening is in Japanese."
"Huh, neat. Anyways, I also met another person today at the museum, it was a woman."
"Really? Imagine what Satomi would think of you talking to other girls." A pillow hit Taira square in the face just as he said that.
"She liked labors too and she looked really interested in the Ingram they had there, I think she's been through some rough times."
"What if that was the person you were talking to over the internet?"
"Couldn't be, if it was that person then she'd recognize me. No one really takes notice of the president's son being in Japan, something I probably should be thankful for. I asked if we could meet tomorrow but I don't know if I'd get there in time- Crap, I didn't even specify a time or catch her name either...!"
"That's assuming you'd get away with going back to the museum tomorrow, high chance we'd be going somewhere else. I don't think you should worry about it, it's not like we're trying to make friends on this trip anyway. You should just relax and enjoy yourself like everyone else!"
"Yeah..."