TROJAN
Chapter 5: "Progression"
A Sailor Moon fanfic
By Bill K.
Rei sat on the edge of her bed and rubbed her forehead with her hand. Her head pounded and it was difficult to think. She knew she should be doing something. She just couldn't remember what.
"Was it dinner?" she whispered absently. Instantly her lips puckered. "No. The thought of eating makes me nauseous."
With growing frustration, the priest tried to think. She'd just had the thought a few moments ago and already it was gone. That irritated her and not being able to recall it irritated her more. But try as she might, the thought wouldn't come. It was like someone had wrapped her brain in linen and stuffed it back into her skull.
And then there was a knock on the door. Rei looked up, trying to sense who it was. But again, nothing would come. Pushing off of the bed, she moved toward the door and then stopped just as quickly. Her senses swam for a moment and she swallowed hard to get them back under control. Her hand gripped the door to her chambers in the shrine inside of the Crystal Palace and she slid it open.
"Serenity?" Rei exclaimed softly. Of all the people in the universe, how could she have not sensed the massive aura that Serenity possessed?
"Are you OK, Rei-Chan?" the Queen ventured.
"Sensed it, did you?" Rei replied, glancing away uncomfortably. "I thought I was. But ever since we got back from Palau, I haven't been able to focus on anything. I can't connect with my sight. It's like I've been disconnected from part of my brain."
"Sounds like me," Serenity offered limply. Rei didn't take the bait. "You suppose it's a delayed affect of that explosion?"
"It's worth checking, I guess," sighed the priest. "I'll give Ami a buzz."
"I-I wish you wouldn't," whimpered Serenity. Rei looked at her curiously. "Well, it's just that Ami-Chan is so tired and stressed out by everything she does around here that she needs her rest."
"Yeah, that makes sense," Rei nodded after taking a few seconds to process what Serenity had said. "Ami deserves her rest."
"I can try fixing you up," her friend offered.
"Oh, no. I'm not letting you rummage around in my head again," Rei declared.
"I SAID I WAS SORRY FOR THAT!" Serenity roared.
"Don't - - shout!" grimaced Rei.
"Sorry," the Queen squeaked. "But if you don't trust me to do it, Rei-Chan, go see a doctor. Don't be your usual stubborn self and hope it will just go away!"
"OK, I'll go up to the infirmary and talk to one of them."
"Good! I'll walk you up there!"
"I can still walk, Serenity," bristled Rei.
"You might faint in the middle of the hall!" Serenity huffed. "Besides, we can talk about Ami-Chan. Or Awanishi-san. Or . . ."
"OK, OK," Rei surrendered.
"Fine. Just lean on me."
"Serenity, I CAN WALK!" Rei snapped. Then she clutched at her head in pain.
"You see," Serenity pouted. So, with Rei's arm over the Queen's shoulder and her arm around Rei's waist, the pair headed for the palace infirmary.
In the quarters Makoto shared with her husband and sixteen year old son, the erstwhile Sailor Jupiter was in her civilian form, doing what she did best: work magic over a stove and fume that dinner would be late because of her senshi business. Fortunately Ichiro was at school helping with festival and Sanjuro had a late maintenance call in the palace. But it didn't stop Makoto from watching the clock to make sure everything would be perfect at the appointed hour.
Just then the door to the quarters slid open. In walked nineteen year old Akiko, a bulging bag under her arm.
"Hi, Hon'," Makoto smiled. Then she noticed the bag. "Borrowing the washer again?"
"Laundromats are expensive," Akiko grinned, her amazon frame paused by the door. "I'm a struggling college student who has to watch her expenditures, you know."
"Uh huh," smirked Makoto. "You know where the washer is." Then she noticed something else. "You didn't bring any laundry soap."
"Laundry soap is expensive," Akiko grinned again. "I'm a struggling . . ."
"All right, all right," Makoto sighed. "Stay for dinner?"
"I've got to get back. Kimiko's making something."
"Oh," Makoto replied, trying not to sound disappointed or territorial. "And how is - - Kimiko?"
"She's doing - - fine," Akiko replied as a challenge, imitating the pause Makoto had made.
"Kiddo, I don't want to fight," Makoto sighed. "Maybe you're right. Maybe getting married at nineteen will work out. I'm not certain about it, but I'm hoping I'm wrong."
Akiko headed for the laundry room. Makoto concentrated on her beef.
"Dinner's kind of late, isn't it?" Akiko said, emerging from the laundry room. "Dad working late again?"
"Yes," Makoto replied. "And I was held up, too."
"By Senshi business?" Akiko exclaimed. Makoto saw the same light of eagerness in her daughter's eyes that had been there at five. "What happened? Did you kick their butt?"
"That mouth," sighed Makoto. "We went to catch some guy skimming money by some computer program down in Palau. But he got away."
"Bummer," her daughter frowned. "Going after him again?"
"As soon as we can find him."
"Wish I could go, too. I love watching you work."
"I doubt your class work could spare you," Makoto gently chided her. "While you're waiting for the laundry cycle, come around here and chop this radish."
"I thought you didn't like the way I chopped radishes," Akiko said curiously as she came around the counter. "I thought you didn't like the way ANYBODY chopped radishes."
"You're not too big to spank, Missy," Makoto replied. But she couldn't keep the ends of her mouth from turning up.
Rei sat in an infirmary room in low light and stared. Low light helped. Though she was bored out of her mind, she had been diagnosed with a concussion and was forced to stay. The doctors insisted. Serenity really insisted. After a restless night of sleep, the priest was awake and silently wondering how long she'd have to stay. The fact that her head still hurt wasn't encouraging.
At once, Ami buzzed into the room. Not finding the patient in bed, she looked around until she found Rei sitting in a chair.
"I only just found out, Rei," Ami alibied. "Please forgive me for not being there to help you."
"It's OK," Rei replied quietly, with a grimace. "Actually, Serenity begged me not to call you last night. She didn't want to interrupt your night off." Though her headache prevented Rei from using her "sight", she could still tell Ami was feeling guilty. "Did you get a chance to relax?"
"Yes," Ami admitted. She bent in to Rei and, with a penlight, examined the reflexes of Rei's eyes. "Hayami was very distracting, particularly when it looked like I was going to drift back into working on the Awanishi problem."
"He's a good man," Rei nodded.
"Still having headaches?" Rei nodded again. "At least you were able to walk from the bed to the chair. Does it help to sit up?"
"No, I was just bored," sighed the priest. "How long is this going to last? Besides my head hurting, not having my sight is bringing up bad memories of 2016."
"Concussions don't have a set pattern for healing, unlike a broken bone or respiratory infection," Ami said. "Symptoms can last as little as a few hours and as long as a week. And, I'll be honest because I know you'd demand it, there are some severe cases that can last for months."
"Months?" Rei tensed.
"These are worst case scenarios, so please don't begin worrying until factors indicate otherwise," Ami cautioned.
"So what can we do?"
"Judging by your chart, Dr. Tanaka has already done all he can. Your observation period should last for at least until, say, four p.m. and if there are no further symptoms, we can release you to home. But the only thing that is going to cure this condition is rest. You have a bruise on your brain and until it heals, you'll feel like this. That's why I recommend you not do anything strenuous or hazardous. And if the Senshi are called, you're going to have to stay behind."
Rei looked like she wanted to protest. Then she sagged and nodded her head.
"Do you have some favorite music or entertainment that will help you to relax and pass the time?" Ami inquired. "I can have it sent up." She noticed Rei flush.
"Um," Rei began, "don't tell anyone this. I have - - the Three Lights - - box set. I play it when I'm working alone at the shrine."
"I think I can program the room's sound system for that," Ami smiled. "And I can secure a pair of headphones so you can listen in private."
"Thank you, Ami," Rei said softly.
"Doctor/patient confidentiality," Ami said, then touched Rei on the shoulder. "And I didn't need the box set. I still have all of the CDs."
Ami exited the room. Rei didn't notice. She was too busy concentrating on the fleeting impression she got when Ami touched her. Her "sight" was still too garbled to decipher the impression clearly, but one thing was clear: Ami wasn't quite herself and a night off hadn't helped.
Luna stopped by the office she shared with Artemis. There she found the white cat at his laptop, intently studying the screen. She hopped up onto the desk and padded over to him.
"Artemis, have you been at that computer all day? You were puttering around on it last evening," Luna asked.
"Pretty much all night," Artemis mumbled.
"Whatever for?"
"First I had to trace some names for Minako so she could try to get a lead on Awanishi," he replied. "Then I've been trying to trace where Awanishi stashed all of the money he stole."
"I thought your program retrieved the stolen money."
"Most of it. But the accounts are still there."
"Where are they?"
"One in the Cayman Islands, one in Switzerland and one in Mauritius. He would wire transfer funds to a Palau checking account as needed and pay by debit card." Artenis glanced at Luna. "I figure that he'll have to contact the accounts to wire transfer funds to a new account wherever he settles, and I can trace back to his new location from there. Or I can try to track the debit card."
"Jolly good!"
"Cross your paws," Artemis exhaled. "Awanishi is cagey. I had to go through about a dozen proxies just to find out this much." The white cat grew a determined look. "But if I get enough time, I'll get him."
"I'm certain you will," Luna said and rubbed her chin against his. "But you mustn't neglect your health due to your pursuit of this rogue. I imagine you're quite hungry and not a little bit sleepy and just haven't noticed yet."
"Now that you mention it, I wouldn't mind a bite," Artemis responded. "Care to join me?"
"The palace seems to be currently running smoothly," Luna smiled. "I'd be delighted to join you."
"Great! Just let me set the tracing program to automatic."
The two cats bounded to the floor and out the door. The laptop worked on silently, its screen flashing new information and logging it.
A week had passed since the incursion into Palau. Endymion and Serenity, as well as their brood of eighteen adoptees, were in the midst of dinner. As usual, eighteen children of various ages didn't eat dinner quietly.
"Reo, don't play with your food," Endymion remarked casually. The boy, thirteen and beginning to emerge from childhood, glanced over at him and for a second seemed to want to challenge the admonishment.
"What's the matter? Don't you like it?" Serenity asked. "I think it's very good."
"Imagine that," mumbled Hiroki between bites.
"Usagi-mama has a healthy appetite," Yuri told his adoptive brother, going into "big brother" mode. "My first father always told me that a healthy appetite was always a sign of a hard worker. It was an old saying in Russia."
"And it's not like she ever gains any weight," sighed seventeen year old Akari.
"Then being queen must be a real workout," chuckled Hiroki.
Before anyone else could reply, there was a buzz at the door. Knowing Luna would get it, the Royal Couple continued to eat. Moments later, Luna entered the room.
"Your Majesty," the black cat said to Endymion, "Watanabe-san from the Treasury wishes to speak with you. It seems quite urgent."
"You sure I just can't go back to modeling?" Endymion asked Serenity as he rose from the table.
"It's all right with me," Serenity smirked. "I always liked the way you wore clothes."
Entering the room and closing the door behind him, Endymion found Yuriko Watanabe waiting. She seemed very upset and anxious and she held some print-outs in her hand.
"I apologize for this intrusion, Your Majesty," Yuriko said, "but I thought you should be the first to know. The treasury has been broken into."
"What?" gasped Endymion as Luna looked on in shock. "How much was lost?"
"Two billion, one hundred and twenty-two thousand yen," she replied. "Roughly."
"How?" Luna demanded.
"It was a series of wire transfers, initiated by a computer transaction," Yuriko informed them. "It would have been more, but the transfer kept hitting programmed limits and was finally cut off automatically by our system. I've contacted Palace Security. Hopefully they can trace the IP of the computer that initiated the transactions."
"I'd like to know how they breached the system's firewall," Endymion commented. "I'll touch base with Palace Security."
"Your Majesty," Luna began. "Do you suppose that Goro Awanishi bounder is up to his old tricks again?"
"Breaching an upgraded firewall sounds like something he's capable of," nodded Endymion. "Maybe you should let Artemis know about this, too."
"I'll do so immediately," Luna replied and was off.
"Endymion?" they heard and turned. Serenity was standing in the doorway. "That's a lot of money!"
"It's going to impact government services short term," Endymion told her, "but we're far from bankrupt. Minister Watanabe, have you contacted anyone else about this?"
"No, Your Majesty," she said.
"Contact as many other governments and private firms as you can and warn them about this and to check their accounts," he said. "But under no circumstances talk to the press. I don't want to cause a run on banks."
"Yes, Your Majesty," she nodded. Handing him the print-outs, she hurried off. Endymion looked at the bad news, printed in four colors.
"I hope this isn't the opening salvo of a cyber-war," Endymion said. Serenity looked at him sympathetically.
CONTINUED IN CHAPTER 6