TROJAN
Chapter 8: "Aggression"
A Sailor Moon fanfic
By Bill K.
Queen Serenity sat in the Royal Receiving Room, chatting with a woman in her early fifties. It was her daily ritual of meeting and greeting with the public, a ritual she was as loathe to miss as dinner or greeting her adopted children as they arrived home from school. Sailor Venus stood to her right, shifting from foot to foot and trying not to be bored. While this did wonders for the Queen, it was a sometimes tedious duty for her. Their problems were often trivial, Serenity never knew when to end a conversation and had to be nudged, and there often wasn't a good looking guy in the room.
If it weren't for the fact that they had been warned of a potential attack on Serenity by a credible source - - Rei - - Venus would have conned Mercury or Jupiter to be here.
"Well, I'll see you again, Serenity," the woman, Ko Sakajima by name, smiled and turned to leave - - after Venus had given Serenity a warning nudge that Sakajima's allotted time had expired.
"Please take care, Sakajima-Okasan," Serenity responded, "and give my love to your two daughters."
Sakajima turned back and bowed. Venus leaned in to Serenity.
"She kind of looks familiar," Venus observed.
"Sakajima-San is getting to be a regular," Serenity said. "This is her seventh visit in three months. She no sooner gets home then signs up for another one. Honestly, I would think she had more important things to do than to talk to me. But it seems to make her happy."
"Four o'clock would make me happy," mumbled Venus, glancing at the clock. It read three eleven.
"Hello!" beamed Serenity as the next guest stepped forward. He was a man in his fifties with the stooped fatigue of a career salaryman. Venus noticed a slight resemblance to her father in his glasses, suit and gait.
Then she noticed the glassy stare in his eyes. Too late, though, as the man suddenly lunged at Queen Serenity and locked his meaty hands around her throat.
"GET THIS ROOM CLEARED!" Venus bellowed to the security guards at the door.
As they began herding startled visitors out of the room, Venus hooked her arm across his chest and under his arms, then tried to pull him away. Though middle aged, the man demonstrated more resistance than Venus expected. Serenity choked out a gurgled plea that sounded like "why"?
"Hope I remember this right," Venus thought.
She brought her arm up sharply against the man's elbows, trying to use a karate move Jupiter once demonstrated to her. The man's arms flinched, but didn't get him to release his grip on Serenity. Knowing time was growing short, Venus did the only thing she could think of.
"Crescent Beam!" she shouted after jamming her right hand into his face. The golden energy exploded into the man's face and he tumbled backwards onto the floor. Venus straddled him and was ready to give him another.
"Don't hurt him," Serenity croaked out in a raspy voice. Venus scowled.
"Venus Love-Me Chain!" she said. The golden heart-shaped links wrapped around the fallen assailant in seconds, holding him prisoner on the floor. Venus noted that he still had the same glassy-eyed look. "I think we can thank Awanishi for this."
"That's," rasped Serenity, "terrible."
She pulled herself off of the chair she'd been on and knelt down next to her assailant. He strained toward her, held back by the chains around him. Venus glanced at the door and saw Endymion staring wide-eyed at the scene.
Serenity reached out and touched the man on his forehead.
"Going to cure him?" Venus asked.
"I know what to look for now," Serenity replied. As Endymion hovered over her, Serenity's hand flashed silver. Her assailant sagged, no longer struggling against the chain. "You can take that off now, Venus."
"Are you . . ." Endymion began.
"I'm fine," Serenity assured him. "A little shook up, maybe."
"Where am I?" the man asked. "How did I get here?"
"You're at a puppet show," Venus said, kneeling next to him, "and you were the puppet."
"What?"
"Try to find out if he's experienced anything unusual recently," Endymion told Venus. "Apparently this is more wide-spread than we suspected."
"And Awanishi is getting tired of us coming after him," Venus added as she helped the salaryman up.
"I wish I knew how these people were getting implanted," Endymion frowned. "He used audio stimulation before. Could it be coming through the phone? Or through television?"
"Why don't we ask Ami-Chan," Serenity suggested. "She's been working on this. I'm sure she's found something. You know Ami-Chan."
"I'll see what I can get out of him," Venus said, escorting the salaryman out.
"W-Why am I being held?" he protested.
"That's what generally happens when you try to strangle the Queen," Venus dead-panned.
"WHAT?"
On the way to Ami's quarters, the King and Queen were met by Ami. Makoto was with her.
"Hon', are you OK?" Makoto gasped.
"Yes, I'm fine," she said, waving them off. "Wait, how did you find out?"
"Are you kidding? It's all over the palace!"
"Oh, no," Serenity fretted. "The children are going to be so worried." She glanced at her senshi communicator. "And it's almost four!"
"First things first," Endymion interjected. He turned to Ami. "Have you learned anything new about all of this?"
"No," Ami replied, her tone frustrated and defeated. "I was at it until Hayami forced me to go to sleep, but I found nothing. Awanishi-San is very clever about hiding his methods of operation. Was the attacker being controlled by Awanishi-San?"
"Yes, that poor man," Serenity lamented. "I was able to remove the suggestion from his mind, but now he's going to have to live with something he wasn't even responsible for."
"Do you remember what the suggestion was?" Ami asked.
"It was just one word I could actually make out: obey," Serenity told them.
Ami's eyes began to glaze over.
"Does that mean something to you?" Endymion inquired.
"No," Ami said distantly. "I thought it did, but . . . no."
"Maybe the cats found something?" suggested Makoto.
"It's worth asking, at the very least," nodded Ami.
The four entered the office the cats used. Immediately Luna was at Serenity's feet.
"Your Majesty, I'm ever so relieved to see you're all right!" the black cat exclaimed. "Do they have the assailant in custody?"
"Venus is questioning him now," Serenity assured her.
"Poor guy," mumbled Artemis.
"Have either of you found anything in Awanishi-San's hard drive or portable media?" Ami asked.
"Not a lot," Artemis sighed with fatigue. "And not for lack of trying. I bet I've spent half the night just breaking through his fire walls and file encryptions. This guy could give the CIA a run for its money!"
"We have learned that these thumb drives contain banking information and a list of IP addresses for several hundred government and private business finance departments," Luna informed them. "Apparently this rotter has been conducting his embezzlement operation for several years."
"And he hasn't retired?" Makoto asked. "How much money does one person need?"
"We also found some real estate purchases," Luna continued. "Two of them were the sites the senshi already visited. I'm trying to run down the rest. There are also records of purchases from various tech suppliers. I've no idea what he purchased, but the transactions were quite expensive."
"Probably building his mind control tech," Artemis commented as he tapped his keyboard. "Wish I knew how he was delivering it."
"The phone? Television?" suggested Endymion.
"I thought of that," Artemis replied. "I checked Watanabe-San's phone calls. The log doesn't show her receiving any unusual calls. And there was nothing unusual about either her work phone or her cell phone. If there's a connection between her TV viewing habits and that of the guy who attacked Serenity, I'll check further." The white cat stopped with a thought. "You know, it could be her computer."
"I'll check that," Ami spoke up.
"You're not too tired?" Serenity asked timidly.
"Hayami made certain I got enough rest, Serenity," Ami responded. "Thank you for your concern."
"Well, I have to meet the children downstairs," Serenity announced.
"I'll go with you," Makoto said. Serenity scowled at her. "Hey, you never know if Awanishi has another pre-programmed assassin out there. Besides, I've got a kid to meet, too."
"Oh, and I was hoping to let Setsuko-chan do it," smirked Serenity.
"Will you let them grow up first!" fumed Makoto as they exited the room.
"I don't have to tell you all," Endymion said to those remaining, "that this has gotten a lot more important. I'll get the security staff's cyber-forensics department to run a cyber-autopsy on the parts you two have already checked. Maybe they can find something. Ami, I'll be waiting for your report on Watanabe-San's computers."
"I'll get right on it," Ami nodded.
In a hotel room in Touessrak, Goro Awanishi studied the wall as he listened to someone on a cell phone. As he studied, his mouth began to harden. It was not good news.
"I'm not concerned about the attack on Queen Serenity failing," he replied. "I can send others and keep sending them until one succeeds. I'm more concerned about this hacker that the palace is employing. He's good - - too good. Are you familiar with him?"
"Yes," Ami replied blankly. "His name is Artemis."
"Just Artemis? Is that a message board name he goes by?"
"No."
"What type of person is he?"
"He is a white cat."
"A CAT?"
"Artemis is a reincarnated alien life form from the extinct planet Mau," Ami replied distantly.
"Next you'll tell me he talks."
"He does."
Awanishi grunted in frustration.
"Whatever," Awanishi replied over the phone. "This Artemis has been a thorn in my side since the 'Universe Phone' days. He's getting too close. And he's bound to get closer."
Ami didn't reply. She just stared at the wall blankly, waiting for instructions.
"Well, he needs to be dealt with," Awanishi declared. "And he needs to be dealt with in a subtle manner. Do not confront him directly if others are present. Use your Senshi powers. And be discreet. No one must find out you're under my control. You're still too valuable to me. Do you understand?"
"Yes."
Awanishi ended the call. Putting the phone on the desk, he brought up a program on his lap top and began typing. He couldn't stay in this hotel forever. He needed to set up and stock another getaway home so he could go back to enjoying his life and his money.
At the entrance to the palace parking facility, Serenity found eighteen very worried children. But her innate empathy allowed her to home in on the one that seemed most upset first. She came up to seventeen year old Yuri. Despite his age and the fact that he dwarfed the diminutive queen, she could see the fears from past traumas dancing in his blue eyes.
"Yuri," she said, cupping his cheeks with both hands, "I'm all right. Sailor Venus was there to protect me."
"You think it will happen again?" he asked.
"It might. I won't lie," Serenity told him. She instantly felt him tense up. "Yuri, remember what Ded Moroz promised you. Please don't worry."
"Yeah," the young man chuckled. Once he had believed in the children's fairy tale of Ded Moroz, before he'd become a man. Now he knew his adoptive mother had conjured him up that night, somehow, to reassure his fears. "Just . . . be careful, huh?"
"I will," Serenity smiled warmly.
"Mama?" whimpered eight year old Yua, a petite girl with similar fears of abandonment. Serenity bent down and hugged the girl with the shoulder length black hair.
"I promised Yuri-kun and I promise you: I'm not going anywhere."
She straightened up and addressed the entire gaggle of children.
"This may happen again," she said. "There's a man we're trying to catch, and he's targeted me to try to stop us. But I have your father and four very wonderful guardians and nothing will happen to me." She thought a moment. "Um, but until further notice, maybe you all should avoid your phones and computers - - just in case."
As one, the children groaned.
"I'm sorry!" Serenity wailed.
"That's telling 'em, Serenity," Makoto chuckled to herself.
"What's going on, Mom?" asked Ichiro. "Are you and the Senshi under threat again?"
"Afraid so, Champ," she sighed. Glancing at her son, she saw his expected anxiety. "I'll be careful. I promise."
Ichiro, unfortunately, knew better.
A meeting was called for all of the Senshi to plan their next move. Surprisingly, Venus called the meeting. She hated meetings, but acted in the name of being proactive rather than reactive. While Endymion had affairs of state to deal with, Serenity was there, as were Luna, Makoto and Minako. Everyone was surprised when Rei walked in to the office of the cats.
"Rei!" Minako exclaimed. "You back among the living?"
"I'm still a little fuzzy and slightly off my game," Rei responded.
"Rei-Chan, are you sure you should be here?" Serenity asked with concern. "Please don't push yourself on my account!"
"You're being threatened, so I'm here."
"Rei-Chan . . ."
"Don't - argue," Rei glared.
Serenity's mouth screwed up. "You know, I could always just teleport you back to the infirmary!"
"And I could put a curse on you that would give you facial warts!" Rei snapped back.
"YOU WOULDN'T!" Serenity gasped. Makoto and Minako struggled to not break up laughing.
"Must I intervene AGAIN?" Luna rumbled. Everyone quieted. "First we must set up a schedule for guarding Her Majesty."
"Lunaaaaa. . ." Serenity glared. She got a return glare from the cat.
"When HER MAJESTY is in the company of His Majesty," Luna continued, glancing disdainfully at the fuming Queen, "I'm quite certain that he can tend to protecting her. Still, you all need to be on stand-by in case you're needed."
"Well, there goes that private life," sighed Minako.
"You don't have . . ." Serenity began.
"It's all right. I already cancelled that meeting with that producer. I figured I'd have to anyway when all of this came up." She shrugged. "Maybe he won't be able to find anyone else and my price can go up."
"Gee, Blondie, you're all heart," chuckled Makoto.
"A-HEM!" Luna scowled. "When His Majesty is off tending to the government, one of you must be with Her Majesty at all other times."
"I'll take the first watch," volunteered Rei. "It's about time I did something constructive around here." Suddenly Rei looked around. "Hey, where's Ami?"
"Hard at work checking computer systems to see if they're a port of entry for this mind control program, I assume," Makoto replied. "I passed Minako's summons along."
"I hope she found something and isn't just cuddling with Mr. Boring," Minako sighed.
"That's not something Ami would do," Rei responded. "That's something you would do."
"Look, I like Mr. Boring, but not THAT well," Minako quipped.
"LADIES!" Luna roared. "THIS IS SERIOUS!"
"I know," frowned Minako. "That's why I called this meeting. Have you or fuzzy come up with anything?"
"We've eliminated the possibility that the mind control, well, prompt for lack of a better term, isn't transmitted by either television or radio," Luna reported. "I'm beginning to feel that Artemis's idea of it being transmitted via computer is sound."
"Well if it is, Ami will find it," nodded Makoto. "Nothing gets past her."
"I don't know, she has been a little sloppy lately," Minako observed. "I hope she hasn't run across the answer and was too tired to notice."
Everyone looked at each other anxiously.
"Maybe we should check on how she's doing?" Rei ventured.
Moments later, Queen Serenity, her friends and Luna were at the door of the Fujihara quarters. Serenity pressed the buzzer. Moments later, Hayami answered.
"Oh! Serenity. Are you all here to see Ami?" he asked.
"Yes, please," Serenity responded. "I really hate to interrupt her while she's working, but we need to speak with her."
"Actually, she's not here."
"She's not? Where is she?"
"I don't know. Ami left a little after I got home from the library and I haven't seen her since."
CONTINUED IN CHAPTER 9