TROJAN
Chapter 7: "Opposition"
A Sailor Moon fanfic
By Bill K.
Sailor Venus ran through thick jungle foliage for the abandoned beach cottage owned by Goro Awanishi, her worst fears flooding into her brain. Behind her, she could hear the brush parting violently as Sailor Jupiter raced for the same objective. The explosion had rocked the area and Venus feared that Sailor Moon, in her haste, had triggered the booby traps laid by Awanishi.
Exiting the forest, though, Venus saw the cottage intact and unharmed. Looking up, she spotted Sailor Moon levitating thirty yards above her. The Senshi smiled sweetly upon seeing Venus and lowered herself to the ground. Jupiter crashed out of the forest and incredulously skidded to a stop as a dainty red boot touched Earth.
"Hon', we thought you tripped one of the booby traps!" gasped Jupiter.
"I did," she shrugged innocently. "But since I didn't know what they looked like, I just told the crystal to find anything that could explode and draw them all into the air away from everything and everybody, and then blew them up so they wouldn't hurt anyone." She frowned. "I scared those poor birds, though."
"Scared the birds?" Venus barked.
"Hon', you just took ten years off of my life!" Jupiter complained.
"I'm sorry," Sailor Moon said contritely. Then she perked up. "But now we can go in there safely. And maybe we'll find something that'll help us find this man before he hurts anyone else!"
Sailor Moon turned and scampered up to the back door. Venus and Jupiter exchanged glances and then followed her.
"Jupe, how about you hit that lock with a bolt so we can get in," Venus suggested.
"That's not necessary," Sailor Moon told them. Using the crystal, she passed herself though the door like a wraith. Moments later, the knob jiggled and the door opened. "It was already open."
The three Senshi moved into the cottage. Venus headed for the alcove that operated as Awanishi's computer room and office, while Jupiter investigated the bedroom and Sailor Moon lingered in the kitchen.
"Now I really wish Mercury was here," muttered Venus. "I don't know which of these discs and thumb drives are valuable and which aren't." Finding a bag, she scooped them all in. "My luck, it'll be a porn stash - - of me." She looked around, then turned back to the computer. "Better take this, too. Maybe Artemis can find something on his hard drive," and she unplugged the computer.
"Bedroom's still got all of his stuff," Jupiter announced. "Guy didn't have time to pack anything."
"Good," Venus said. "Maybe he left his passport here, too."
"Gotta figure he's smart enough to have spares stashed," Jupiter cautioned.
"Don't jinx it," Venus shot back.
Just then, Sailor Moon entered, nibbling on a mango. She stopped when she noticed the other two staring at her.
"What?" she demanded. "I was hungry!"
"At least it's fruit and not candy," chuckled Jupiter.
"Don't lecture me! Luna does that enough as it is!"
"Well, unless you've got a way to track Awanishi by using the crystal, we should get this stuff back to the palace and let Artemis look it over," Venus suggested. Immediately Sailor Moon began hurrying to finish her snack.
"Don't gobble. You'll choke," admonished Jupiter. Then she noticed Venus headed for the kitchen. "Where are you going?"
"That mango looks pretty good," Venus smirked.
When they arrived back in Tokyo, the three Senshi found Ami waiting for them. She was in the cats' office, conferring with Luna and Artemis.
"You bring me a present?" Artemis asked as Venus sat the computer on the desk, then sat the bag of magnetic media next to it.
"Yeah. Awanishi's computer and storage," Venus replied. "Maybe you'll find something we can use on it."
"Well, there goes my evening," sighed the white cat. "Meanwhile, Ami's found something."
"From the surveillance videos I reviewed, I've determined that Watanabe-San was being controlled remotely by someone, likely Awanishi, and had no control or knowledge of what she was doing," Ami related.
"That's terrible!" gasped Sailor Moon as she shifted back to Serenity.
"You know how?" Jupiter asked.
"No," Ami replied. "I've discovered an anomalous brain wave pattern in the subject that could be the controlling factor, but so far I've been unable to decipher exactly how it works or how it was implanted in the first place. I can find no implants, so given Awanishi's previous work in electronic stimulation of behavior patterns, it must be some artificial thought or memory implanted in the mind and triggered by an external stimulus."
"This just got a whole lot creepier," Venus muttered.
"So what do we do?" Jupiter asked.
"Without knowing how the implant is introduced, I can't begin to hypothesize how to prevent further contamination," Ami replied.
"You mean there may be more of these implants running around than just her?"
"We must assume so," Luna advised. "If this Awanishi person was able to infect Watanabe-San, he may have done so to others in the palace, the city or the country in order to execute some other form of his bidding."
"Maybe I could, well, sift it out of Watanabe-San's mind," Serenity offered. "So she can't be forced to be a puppet again."
"As long as it's with her express permission," cautioned Ami. "At the moment, I know of no other way to eradicate the, well, 'command prompt', for lack of a better term. But you must be careful, Serenity."
"I will. Don't worry," Serenity nodded solemnly and everyone couldn't help but believe her.
"Guess I'll throw this hard drive and see what's on it," Artemis spoke up, plugging a cord into a bus. "Maybe I'll find his whole scheme. Luna, could you leaf through those thumb drives and see what's on them?"
"Of course, Artemis," Luna nodded.
"Good detective work, Ames," Jupiter said, reverting to Makoto as everyone left the cats to their work. "We'll get this guy yet."
"I hope so," Ami said, frowning introspectively. "I can't help feeling that I'm missing something, though."
In the hall, Minako hurried to catch up to Serenity. She saw the Queen was headed for the infirmary.
"I thought you were going to go cure Watanabe-San," Minako inquired.
"I will, but I wanted to check in on Rei-Chan first," Serenity replied.
"I hope she's all right. We could use her on this case," Minako nodded. "And I miss messing with her."
"You really shouldn't do that, Mina-Chan," Serenity admonished gently.
"Ah, keeps her humble," grinned Minako. "And she keeps me humble." Serenity gave her a sidelong look. "Well, humanity can only do so much."
Entering the infirmary, the pair glanced around to see if Ami was there.
"Hmm, Ami must be working on that mind-control thing," Minako observed.
"I hope she doesn't work too hard at it," Serenity mused. They entered Rei's room and found her sitting on the edge of the bed.
"Making a break for it?" quipped Minako.
"Just what I need," Rei said with an arched eyebrow. "The palace's answer to Ken Shimura."
"How are you feeling, Rei-Chan?" Serenity asked. "You're not trying to do too much, are you?"
"No, the dizziness is pretty much gone," Rei told her. "I'd be right as rain if this headache would just go away."
"So you're still on the bench?" Minako asked.
"For now. Did you all have another run-in with Awanishi?"
"Yeah," sighed Minako. "Bad guy two, Senshi nothing. We could have used you."
"How does he keep doing it?"
"I don't know. It's like he's listening in on our planning sessions." Minako thought. "Maybe he is. Suppose you could have Endymion sweep the place for bugs?"
"Ew," scowled Serenity.
"Or maybe his zombie soldier ratted us out!"
"Zombie?" Rei asked.
"Awanishi-San can control people's minds," Serenity explained. "Make them do things without them knowing it."
Rei silently took that in.
"Give me your hand," she asked Serenity.
"Why?" Serenity asked doubtfully.
"Because the last time I was having trouble with my sight, contact with you cleared it up temporarily," Rei explained. "Why, did you think I was going to ask you on a date?"
"Were you?" Minako asked.
"Shut up!"
"OK, Rei-Chan, calm down," Serenity said, then stuck out her hand. "Here."
Taking the dainty hand in hers, Rei closed her eyes. She began silently chanting. Her guests could see her lips move, but couldn't hear what she was saying.
"I always expect something to jump out when she does this," Minako said.
"SHHHH!" Rei bristled.
The process resumed. Moments stretched out with the priest softly chanting and her two friends watching her expectantly. As time dragged on, it seemed like nothing else would happen.
Then Rei's eyes snapped open, wide and staring as if she'd witnessed the mouth of Hell itself.
"What? What did you see?" Minako gasped.
"Serenity's life is in danger," Rei replied with eerie conviction.
"How?"
"I," and Rei scowled with frustration, "couldn't see how. My sight's still too clouded. I saw Serenity, smiling and happy one moment. Then she froze, turned to dust and blew away. It's not what will actually happen. It's a metaphor for her death."
"I'm sorry you had to see that, Rei-Chan," Serenity said.
"Do you know if it's Awanishi who's threatening her?" Minako asked.
"Not directly," Rei sighed, rubbing her temple, "but he's the likely person behind the threat."
"We need to let Endymion know so he and security can be alert," nodded Minako.
"I'll call him on my way to Watanabe-San's home," Serenity suggested.
"Wait a minute! Didn't you hear Rei? Awanishi is gunning for you and he's probably going to use his little robot zombie to do it!"
"All the more reason to cure her," Serenity replied calmly. "So she can't be used against her will again."
"That actually does make sense," muttered Minako. Then her henshin stick appeared. "OK, but I'm going with you."
Serenity nodded and the pair headed out of the room.
"The gods protect you," Rei whispered after them.
When six year old Kiko Watanabe answered the door, the last person in the universe she expected to find was Queen Serenity and Sailor Venus at the door. The little girl with the bob cut of black hair stared up at the Queen, her eyes as wide as saucers. But, smiling charitably, Serenity knelt down to the girl and began to put the child under her spell.
"Hello," Serenity cooed. "Do you live here?"
Kiko nodded mechanically.
"With your mommy?"
Again a nod.
"Can I speak to her? You know who I am, don't you?"
"OKA-SAN!" the child yelled, not moving from the spot.
"Oh, you're just so cute!" Serenity gushed. By that point, Yuriko Watanabe had entered the hall. Upon seeing Serenity and Venus, the woman rushed up to her daughter and held the child to her, kneeling behind little Kiko.
"Q-Queen Serenity," Watanabe choked out. "I-Is there more trouble?"
"No, but it does concern what you've been accused of," Serenity replied kindly and gently. "May we come in, please?"
Watanabe noticed immediately that the Queen stood and waited to be invited in. Shaking herself, she ushered the pair into the home, then shooed Kiko away. They took seats in the living room. While Serenity was as open and sincere as Watanabe remembered her, she couldn't help noticing the wary look on Sailor Venus.
"Watanabe-San," Serenity began, "I first wanted to tell you that you're no longer being held responsible for the theft from the Treasury."
"But the surveillance video . . .?"
"We've discovered," she began. 'Oh, how to put this; a man managed to implant something in your mind that, well, allowed him to control you. And he forced you to do it."
"Implant?" whispered Watanabe. "Implant how? Is it still there?"
"We don't know how, yet," Venus chimed in. "But we think it's still there."
"So this could happen again?"
"That's why I'm here," Serenity smiled. "The implant isn't physical. It's a, well, a thought planted in your mind that gives control to - - this criminal. I can try to remove it, if you want me to."
"Yes! Please!"
"I have to warn you," Serenity continued. "I'll be sifting through your thoughts. It won't hurt, I promise you. But - - I might - - see something I shouldn't. And even then, I might not be able to sift this foreign thought out if I do try."
"Is there a chance that this criminal could use me again?" Watanabe asked.
"Yeah," Venus replied. "He might even be listening in right now."
Watanabe's hands went to her throat.
"Do it," she said.
"You're sure?" Serenity asked.
"If I have to choose between trusting you and trusting some faceless criminal who used me like a puppet to commit crimes," Watanabe declared, "I'll choose you."
Serenity's face lit up. "Thank you, Watanabe-San."
The Queen rose and glided over to her host. As she held her hands over the woman's head, she noticed Kiko and an older boy resembling her peering at her from a doorway.
"I promise I won't hurt your Mom," Serenity said sweetly.
Her eyes closed. Venus watched her stand motionless over Watanabe. Gradually her right hand drifted down and gently touched the woman's forehead. Watanabe's eyes closed. The Senshi's gaze locked on Watanabe again, looking for any sign of malicious intent. Moments passed. The children stared. Serenity remained still. Venus stared.
Finally the Queen relaxed and opened her eyes. Watanabe did as well.
"Did you get it?" Watanabe asked as her children ran in.
"I think so," smiled Serenity. She knelt down to the ankle monitor and materialized it in her hand. "You won't be needing this now."
"Thank you," Watanabe said gratefully.
"Until we find out how this infected you, maybe you better lay low here," suggested Venus. "Don't use the computer, let your calls go to voice mail and stuff, until we can give you the all clear."
"I-I will. Thank you again."
With that, the boy turned to Sailor Venus.
"Are you really Minako Aino?" he gasped in amazement.
"Nobody else could be," Venus grinned.
"You were great in Princess Of Space!" he exclaimed. "I've got the poster in my bedroom!"
"Want me to autograph it?" Venus grinned, lapping up the adulation.
And the boy went starry-eyed.
Ami lifted her glasses up and rubbed her eyes. Sifting through an e-mail address log had been tedious enough. Now searching for IP addresses connected with the e-mails and connecting them to users was putting a strain on her concentration. She was tired. If it wasn't so important, she would have put the task off until morning and joined Hayami in bed.
"Wait a moment," Ami whispered, stopping the search and focusing on one IP address. "That proxy string looks familiar." Several keystrokes brought up a file. "Yes! That's one of the addresses Awanishi-San uses! Why would he e-mail Watanabe-San? Was he sending her commands?"
Several more keystrokes broke the e-mail down into code. Ami read the code with growing concern.
"This is a transmission pattern inside a trojan," she thought. "This transmits to a lap top via wi-fi connection and implants the trojan on the computer. And that code would theoretically transmit a suggestion into a person's brain via strobe flashes of light." She sat back in her chair. "Awanishi-San could have infected billions of people by now!"
And then Ami's face went blank. She stared at the screen without seeing it. Minutes passed.
"Ami?" Hayami ventured, standing at the door to her office at home. "Come to bed. Whatever that is will keep until morning." He got no response. "Ami?"
"Yes?" Ami replied, reanimating like she was waking from a deep sleep.
"Are you all right?" Hayami asked.
"Yes, I'm just tired," Ami said, closing the files on her computer.
"What were you working on?"
"I - - can't really remember," Ami told him. "It couldn't have been that important."
Continued in Chapter 8