Author's note: from here on out, each chapter will represent a class and the following prep time. And after classes, the final chapters will focus on after school activities and a return to the lab.
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HOMEROOM
Passing by a mirror in the hallway before reaching the homeroom for Class II-4, Sousuke stopped to make certain he was tidy and perfectly presentable.
Kaname's honor was at stake.
The figure looking back at him did not look like the high school students misrepresented in anime, wearing teal or blue skirts, along with white sailor shirts with teal or blue highlights, and a red bow. Those were middle school colors. Instead, that figure wore a beige jacket with red trim, a white top, and a light tan skirt, also with red trim. The tie too was red.
"It is sufficient," Sousuke announced.
"Finally… I have you!"
A pimple-faced boy from Souske's class was crouched over near a stairwell. An unwrapped box sat near his knees, bubble-wrap tossed sloppily aside, along with packing peanuts and the remnants of a cardboard-and-plastic blister pack. "The box number checks out." He had a small pocket reference book out. "Oooooo-oooo-ooo-oo-o. I can't believe it. My golden days have finally come."
The other students in the hallway steered clear of the boy, wondering if he was crazed, or had something that might be contagious. Sousuke looked to make certain there was nothing worrisome. The boy held up a five-inch figurine, something similar to an item Clouseau had made a big scene trying to hide from view once. What had it been called? 'Spider Girl' from 'Naked Star'. The boy was checking out the look of the small doll. When he thought no one was looking, he lifted up the skirt, chuckling.
"WHAT KIND OF SICK JOKE IS THIS…."
The boy struck a dramatic pose, one of agony and loss. Expecting to find a perfect scale representation of female genitalia, he found an overly huge male member. Such are the dangers of buying things through the Black Market.
Normally, Sousuke would have paid the attention no never mind. But, in his current condition, the discovery might have been a cruel joke to the distressed youth, but is also was a cruel reminder of his current… and hopefully not future… fate.
Eri Kagurazaka, the school English teacher and class advisor to Class II-4 was standing at the front of the class room when Sousuke walked in.
"Alright everybody… take your seats." Eri took out an attendance list and a pencil. She called off names and wrote down her findings. Next to Sousuke's name she wrote down 'medical excuse' in fine penmanship, followed after a slight pause by a hastily scribbled word: 'Again.' She saw a hand go up. "Yes, Miss Chidori."
"Teacher, the boy who sits in the third desk from the rear and second from the window…." Sousuke could not say 'I do not know his name'. Kaname would know it. She was class rep.
"Ryo Moroboshi?" The teacher asked.
"Affirm-… I mean, yes. That's him." He went on to mention that the boy was having a crisis. He felt like a traitor when he described the details. Students are not locked out of classes in Japanese schools. It is a national principle that all children were to have an equal access to education. But, unless a student was suffering a several psychological or physical dilemma, no one would see to their comfort or aid.
"Well… I'll leave his name blank, then." Eri said. "Thank you, Kaname." She then went on to tell the group that there was only one announcement for the day: the photographers were there for school pictures, and a sign-up sheet would be left on her desk after class. "Instead of more announcements and an analysis of Kaname Chidori's… excellent… speech this morning, the student council president will speak to you."
Atsunobu Hayashimizu stepped into the room, looking as dapper as usual. Light shone off of the third year student's spectacles as he stood just in front of the front row of desks. "After Kaname's exhilarating motivational speech, I thought it prudent to go over the nuts and bolts of things, even though most of you have heard a tit here or a tat there. Putting-"
"I've got all my nuts and bolts," a rather egotistical engineering club member quipped. "And I'd rather look at tits than listen to them." He would construct an even better joke. "But, I'm a good boy, so I'll save the tats until after I'm married."
Atsunobu was not discomforted one bit. He was even more clever than most people would guess. If he calculated correctly, no one would laugh or call out encouragement. Dead silence would hurt the boy more than any teacher's admonition would. He took a small box out of his pants pocket. It was his lucky cricket. Stridulation is the process and act of rubbing particular body parts, called stridulatory organs, together to produce a sound. That sound effect would be perfect here.
Chirrr-rup Chirrr-rup Chirrr-rup Chirrr-rup Chirrr-rup Chirrr-rup Chirrr-rup Chirrr-rup
If the classroom were a Western scene, there would be dead silence, and after a while a tumbleweed might roll by in the gusty wind.
"Putting it all together here… in this place… with you all together as one… might help you find new inspiration, to replace the numbing apathy and exhausting desperation."
A few students yawned. Most were politely attentive. One boy, wrinkled shirt half-tucked in, took a big dripping wad of chewing gum out of his mouth and tossed it over his shoulder. It hit the wall with a sudden 'splaaa-aa-at', just missing the rim of a tall black garbage receptacle.
Sousuke did something he had never really done before. He began looking at the room as it was, not as a security task or a safety risk. The furniture was Spartan at best, with the metal-legged desks and chairs having seats, back, and desktops made of dense pressed wood. The windows were of a size that let in plenty of natural light; he wasn't calculating the defenses needed to protect that much surface area. The yellow draped curtains contributed to a sunny look and a pleasant feeling he did not understand; he wasn't concerned whether or not an enemy adept at concealment could hide behind them. The clock looked like a refugee from the 60s; he didn't worry if it might be bugged, or if it could be hiding a small camera. The posters looked like they had been bought from some generic clearing house. The blackboard… green in color but strangely not called a greenboard… had positive chalk-printed kanji sayings that he had never paid attention to before.
The blackboard also displayed amateur art. There was a picture that had to be Sousuke, with Xs for eyes, being struck by a blue-haired oni with a spiked halisen. The identity of the comedian was not difficult to ascertain. Ono-D had handprints on his uniform slacks, made from colored chalk. Eri erased the art, staring at Ono-D, while at the same time Atsunobu stared at the slovenly boy, before continuing. He said nothing to a trio of boys who were talking amongst themselves.
"The ability to get into the high school of choice is where our nation's education system begins to reflect major differences in a student's ability and that student's socioeconomic background. I am certain you know… and if you don't, your parents certainly do… that the ranking of the high school that a student attends is closely related to future employment and career path. You should all consider yourselves very fortunate to be at this school."
Sousuke was behaving as if he had two separate minds. One was listening to His Excellency speak, trying to corral thoughts for later digestion and down-loading, or seeking similarities and differences with his own life. The other was concerned about his coming day, and how he would be able to rescue Kaname's school life, while doing his best to save face.
"Keep you eye on the ball…" Sousuke mumbled, inaudibly or so he thought. "Keep your eye on the ball…keep your eye on the ball…keep your eye on the ball…keep your eye on the ball…." He had to be Kaname Chidori, not Sousuke Sagara. In thought, word, and deed.
Atsunobu had mentioned good fortrune. Sousuke didn't actually feel fortunate, even though he eventually would be, should he somehow manage to finish his education and graduate with a degree. It would be beneficial to have something to fall back on, should an injury force him to retire, or should he grow tired of the military life.
Any degree that he might receive would be fabricated in a sense, given the way he entered the school without merit. And, though he worked hard, his grades were worse than average. He had no concern for expulsion. First, because students could not normally fail in Japanese schools, because of that equal opportunity thing again. And second, because the Mithril-money that paid for clean-up after his many mishaps also bought doctored grades.
"I am not being facetious, nor am I being patronizing." Atsunobu held his hands out, as if welcoming everyone. "I am being forthright when I say that we are all… potential… winners here. Think about that and feel confident going forwards. You have all made the first great step towards your future as we speak." He looked out of the corner of his eye. The vocal threesome had become a foursome. They were discussing school trips to the beach and to onsens. And white bikinis.
"That-" Sousuke hesitated before his next mantra. White bikinis had figured prominently in his life, both with Kaname and Tessa. No. That was neither here nor there. "Don't drop the ball…." Sousuke continued. "Don't drop the ball…don't drop the ball… don't drop the ball… don't drop the ball… don't drop the ball… don't drop the ball…." He wouldn't mess up. Not this time. Not with something so important on the line.
Urzu-7 felt his heart sink. He thought about Kaname. Angel, as Kurz Weber had christened her. She had been through so much in her life. She had tried to kill herself in America, when she was in school there. She was still thought of as an unapproachable idol by some here at Jindai High. She worked hard for her grades. If he were to remain Kaname Chidori, he would steal the results of that work from her, leaving her with fake grades and some consolation prize from Mithril. Maybe that would be safer for someone who was Whispered. But, that didn't seem like a win-win to him. A win-win would require Kaname joining the organization of her own accord some day. Today, sitting here, he was beginning to appreciate her burdens in a greater way than before.
"Did you realize this," Atsunobu began. "The ranking of high schools in any locality is as clear… if not clearer… to all citizens as is the ranking of universities on a national scale. At the local level, the high school that a person attends carries lifetime significance, and stereotypes of associated with each high school become an indelible part of any given student's identity." He paused looking at the chatterboxes and the gum-chewer. He gave a gimlet eye to a girl who was hiding a phone under her desk, texting. "For most students, the serious atmosphere of upper secondary school and the growing pressure of impending college entrance examinations makes high school a low point in their lives." He ignored a catcall. "On the other hand, the drive for good secondary school credentials and university admission provides most high school students with a clear sense of purpose and goal orientation during late adolescence." He smiled. "Isn't that true, miss Vice President?"
"Uhhh-" Sousuke snapped out of his revelry. "Sir! Yes sir!" He coughed. "I apologize for that response. Dealing with your… what have others called him…." He tried to remember what some other students that ran afoul of the subtle-yet-sly President had called him, Sousuke Sagara. "Yes… your henchman and attack dog… has caused me to come down with something." She put the same sound of disdain in his voice that Kaname usually had.
"Well, you know what they say," a class wiseacre said. "If you lie down with dogs, you get up with fleas." That was indeed a quote. But, in this instance, it was dripping with innuendo.
Sousuke fought the urge to walk over and bounce the boy's face off off of his desk. Multiple times. But, he was Kaname Chidori, not Sousuke Sagara. Fighting that impulse now taught him that he could fight it in the future, too. No doubt, improving his disposition and discretion would be something that would make Kaname happy, and bring more peace to her current school life.
"Some animals are cunning and evil-disposed, as the fox; others, as the dog, are fierce, friendly and fawning," Atsunobu remarked, quoting Aristotle. "Some are gentle and easily tamed, as the elephant; some are susceptible of shame, and watchful, as the goose. Some are jealous and fond of ornament, as the peacock." He took out a small paper fan, opened it like the tail of a peacock, closed it again and pointed at the would-be big shot. He said nothing more when the rest of the class turned to stare at the rude student. "Where was I? Ah yes. When high school students have a clear sense of purpose and goal orientation. It is good for the high school as well as the students. Keep that in mind. Just as the school has a great responsibility to you, you also have a great responsibility to your school." He did not dodge when he saw motion. He would not dignify anyone with such a response. He merely let a folded paper airplane strike him and fall purposelessly to the floor. "Miss Mikihara."
Ren Mikihara walked into the room. She had been waiting outside within earshot the entire time. "Yes, sir?"
"I will need you to take down some names." He told her the names of all of the transgressors. "It would be best that you do not let that list… or a growing list, should things evolve in that manner… fall into the hands of the absent Sagara." He deftly twirled his fan around one finger, then pointed like he was James Bond. "It might prove detrimental to some; especially anyone who might insult Miss Chidolri."
"Be the ball…." Sousuke resumed his mumbling. "Be the ball…be the ball…be the ball…be the ball…. be the ball…be the ball… That was a great quote from a ridiculous movie. A ridiculously funny movie. But Sousuke was not trying to be funny. He was dead serious. He would be Kaname Chidori. The way that she tossed her hair. The way that she swiveled ever so slightly whenever she walked. The utter savagery of her halisen strikes. "But-" He wasn't put off by his mixing up of sports. He suddenly felt that the use of 'ball' might prove ineffective. After all, girls do not have balls. No. Wait. He had heard a woman musician say 'girls have got balls. They're just a little higher up, that's all'.
Sousuke felt a rise in spirit after hearing Atsunobu's words His reputation as Sousuke Sagara could protect Kaname in an active manner, while he himself could protect her in a passive fashion. That was not a problem. He was very good at active. And he was very good at passive. The problem was, he sometimes chose the wrong method for the right occasion. But then, looking at things through different eyes literally and figuratively, he saw the responses of a number of students when his name was mentioned. Some looked frightened. Others annoyed or even bored. None showed any sign of respect that a specialist deserves. But, to high school students, board exams mattered, not specialists. In battle, these were not people he would go to war with. But in the school setting, Sousuke Sagara was not someone the students would go to battle with. For a moment, he felt a bit hollow inside. What did any of that matter? How long would he be here, anyway?
"Next, I will say something prompted by conversations I heard between students the other day." The student council President continued. "It is quite true that fewer than one in five high school students actually continue their education at a four-year university. Some would say it was worthless to worry so much about future entrance examinations. But I will quote Kaname Chidori by saying it is tough when you do everything right, but the results all seem so wrong. What will you decide to do? Give up? Throw in the towel? Or, will you fight back, even if the odds seemed stacked unfairly against you? Remember this above all. If you give up, you will never make it. You will never find out just how great you can be. You may have to suffer a little… or maybe even a great deal. But if you are persistent… if you have a burning desire to succeed… if you are willing to do whatever is necessary to win, you will come away victorious. If you are ready to fight."
"Don't screw up…." Sousuke was getting better at his mumbling. His classmates could see Kaname's mouth moving, but couldn't hear anything. "Don't screw up… don't screw up…don't screw up…don't screw up…don't screw up…don't screw up…." That's exactly what he used to tell himself in his earliest Mithril missions. Don't mess up. Don't get himself killed. Don't get his teammates killed. Try not to kill the innocent. All while killing the bad guy. Wait. Back the train up. He would not be killing anyone today. Everyone would be innocent. There would be no bad guys. He should try to refrain from his usual professional paranoia.
Sousuke felt a quick sting of pride when the older boy quoted his speech. That actually sounded pretty good. Well, it was good because it had been cobbled together from other people's good words, like an oratory Frankenstein's monster. But, he would take it. Good was good. If a planned shot missed the target, but ricocheted and got the job done, you wouldn't be any less safe walking away.
"It's just a fact of life that in both academic and vocational programs, the curriculum and pace of classroom instruction are geared towards covering the large amount of factual information that is likely to be tested on entrance examinations," Atsunobui noted. "Students in the university-bound academic track feel great pressure and understand the importance of studying hard for examinations long before they enter their senior year. I know you all understand that on a very personal level. I hope what I will say next will make you want to work harder, without feeling more pressure. Your efforts have more worth than students in other schools. Jindai High is one of the top twenty high schools, and those top twenty are the ones that send by far the largest number of entrants to the University of Tokyo. The Tokyo U. And in Japan, a person's university determines a person's prospects for the best careers and jobs. Every institution is informally ranked according to the success of their graduates in securing prestigious jobs. It is very difficult to obtain high status and secure white-collar employment with the government or a major firm unless one has graduated from a top-ranking university. So… unlike the hapless souls at lower level high schools, you truly can benefit greatly from great effort. In contrast, you will eternally wonder what you might have become, if you try less than your best and buy yourself a monotonous and meaningless life."
"Don't get screwed…." Sousuke mumbled and then mumbled some more. don't get screwed… don't get screwed… don't get screwed… don't get screwed…uhhh-hh-h…." He swallowed saliva the wrong way and began coughing. 'Don't get screwed'. He thought about the meaning of that term in the world of Weber and Mao. He then immediately pictured Commander Mardukas turning the screw. Jerking his hand, he knocked his pencil and paper on the floor. He hurried to pick things up and return to his seat as the speaker politely waited.
Sousuke wondered what Kaname's goals were. He suddenly felt very naked, or very stupid, sitting there, never having asked her that. Sure, he cared about her, but consciously he had treated her like a job, an assignment, trying not to fall into the trap that many operatives had fallen into min the past. Getting to know a client too well. Caring about a client too much. Should he follow that tried and true tenant? Or should he try to be like the most advanced operatives, those who can who adapt to every situation in a different way, skilled enough to get the job done even if they form an emotional attachment or two? It was certainly something to think about. Somehow, he felt it best not to question Tessa on that subject. For more than one reason.
"I'm not here to frighten you," Atsusnobu said. "Well, maybe a little. Fear is a great motivator in the short run. But fear over a long period of time can have a very detrimental effect on one's very existence. You see, my comrades, I don't want to wield the stick… I want to dangle the carrot. The things that I have already mentioned have been thrown at you before, by parents, guidance counselors, teachers, other students, maybe even the Lunch Lady." In most Japanese high schools, classes were all held in one room, and lunches were eaten there, too. In most cases school did not provide food, the students did. At Jindai, different rooms were used for different classes, and there was a cafeteria, should a student select to eat there or purchase meals there. "In our nation, university graduates have a lifetime advantage over those who do not have a university degree. Engrave that fact in your hearts and in your minds. The education credential…not the individual talent…determines initial employment with the more prestigious companies and remains a major consideration in any advancement that follows the initial acceptance. It is very rare for a non-university graduate to move ahead of a university graduate in any of the better firms."
"Do. Or do not. There is no try…." Sousuke had his eyes closed, almost as if he had entered a trance. "Do. Or do not. There is no try…do. Or do not. There is no try…do. Or do not. There is no try…do. Or do not. There is no try…." He wished that he could do the Jedi mind trick. If he could, instead of saying 'these are not the droids you want', he'd say 'Kaname Chidori is at school today,' and then head on back to the laboratory, job done. But, he wasn't so fortunate. He had to make certain his efforts ranked up there with the better moments in 'Star Wars', not the goofiest moments of 'Space Balls'. Balls, again. He missed his, but not in some sick way.
Soiusuke's figurative entry examination had been interfacing with the Lambda Driver. His job is being the only pilot of Arbalest. He rarely thought beyond the moment, or at best beyond the day. Why was that fact bothering him now? Was he trapped in a system even more restrictive than Japanese society? Did he want a future? With all that he had done in his life, did he deserve a future? "No… stop thinking… whatever good has thinking ever done for you?" He put a hand over his mouth. He came close to saying that out loud. When he took his hand away, he was smiling. Smiling for everyone to see, even though he had never really known true happiness. Was Kaname like that too? He had that opinion at times. Bright and shiny on the outside, but dark and scuffed up on the inside.
"So, what should you keep in mind?" Atunobu removed his glasses… blew on them… and returned them to their rightly place after polishing them. "With little chance to return to formal education after their first time through, every adolescent depends on doing well in school, first to enter a good high school and then to gain entry to a good university." He slapped his fan down hard on the first desk, waking a boy and a girl two seats over. A few bleary-eyed youths fought to regain focus. "Stay with me people. For those of you who have strayed, there is still time. More than any other single event, the university entrance examinations influence the orientation and life of most Japanese high school students, even for the large number who do not go on to post-secondary education. For university aspirants, it is literally the last major hurdle to leap over on the way to adulthood and to one's preferred employment. Can you guess what the most important thing is about getting into an elite university?"
"Better classes," one student proffered. "Teaching more things,"
"And better teachers." A second student offered what seemed an obvious answer. "Those who can teach those things in a more effective way."
"Perhaps not." Sousuke shocked himself. He had raised his hand. He never answered questions in class unless he was specifically called upon. He had never considered it his duty to do well in school, or to contribute to the education system in any way on a voluntary basis, or at least without sufficient triggers that set off his natural instincts. Maybe that had been a mistake. "I wonder…." He could do it. Firing off an idea could be just as simple as firing off a 57mm round from a Bofors ASG96-B smoothbore gun, right? "I suspect that is not primarily the specific coursework or other academic preparation which students receive at these institutions which is so highly valued by employers. Rather, it is the ability to learn what is taught, work hard, and persevere… with all of those things leading to success on the rigorous university entrance exam. I think I will stop now, before I wear out my welcome."
Soon after that, Atsunobu and Ren left the classroom."
"Hakuna matata…." Sousuke wasn't aware of what he was mumbling this time. "Hakuna matata… hakuna matata… hakuna matata…." Without knowing, he was mumbling in sing song fashion. "What a wonderful phrase…hakuna matata!... ain't no passing craze… it means no worries… for the rest of your days… it's our problem-free phil-os-o-pheeee-eee-ee-e…hakuna matata! Why, when he was a young warthog-" He froze. How had that nonsense taken over? He remembered a chopper flight out from the mainland, on an evening when he was exhausted beyond all measure. The Ensign sitting next to him had some child's movie playing on his iPad. He couldn't stop his mind. His mind had a mind of its own. The lyrics kept flowing inside his head: 'When I was a young wart-hoggg-gg-g!'…'Very nice!'…'Thanks!'… 'He found his aroma lacked a certain appeal'… 'He could clear the Savannah after every meal'… 'I'm a sensitive soul, though I seem thick-skinned'… 'And it hurt that my friends never stood down-winnnn-nnn-nn-nd.' Sousuke pinched his thigh. Hard. Very hard. That worked. It also drew blood.
The last point that the President made held true for Mithril as well. Sousuke had met many a pilot who had a background in advanced robotics who picked up piloting like genius, and many who were top-notch martial artists whose skilled translate remarkably well to piloting an Arm Slave. Few of them could end up beating Sousuke in a real-world scenario. It would take a man with far more down and dirty experience to win the day against him. Or someone with a substantially better machine.
"That would remain true," Sousuke mumbled. "Whether I am in this body or my own." He slapped himself in the face. He couldn't think that way, whether it was true or not. He could not be defeatist. "Oh… it was a fly…." He offered that explanation when everyone looked at him.
"Poor thing," Shiori said. "She's been talking to herself all morning."
"That must have been one good whack to the head." Maya commiserated.
"Oh, Kaname." Kyouko sighed.
The students were speaking amongst themselves now. Atsunobu's chat had opened their eyes. Thay had never thought of things that exact way before. Their lives would still be very difficult. The long, intense period of study followed by the stress of the examination was referred to as 'examination hell' for good reason. And a common and canonical slogan, '4 hours pass, 5 hours fail,' referred to the presumed relationship between the amount of time a student sleeps each night, and the prospect for success or failure on the examination.
If he was good at anything, the President was very good at reading a crowd. He cut his little talk short, seeing how Kaname Chidori's insight had them all looking at things in a new light. He had planned on talking about cram school industry, the yobiko.. Those sophisticated cram schools offer intense training for the entrance examinations, often tailored specifically to the requirements and examinations of individual institutions or groups of universities with common characteristics. Each year, there are about two hundred thousand ronin… students who have failed the exams for admission to the school of their first choice and who have elected to spend a full year preparing to take the examinations again. Many of the ronin enroll in a full-time examination-preparation programs at a yobiko. The number of students enrolled in those programs very nearly approximates the number of ronin. In addition, there are high school students who attend yobiko-sponsored programs after regular school hours and on weekends before they ever take the exam.
There was something that Sousuke did not know which Kaname did know.
Not many female high school students attend yobiko, and male ronin outnumber female ronin more than ten to one. That is not because girls are so much brighter or more dedicated than boys. Those participation patterns reflect the different institutional objectives of most girls in postsecondary education. Female students account for less than twenty-five percent of university enrollments. Their professional career opportunities are limited. And, having never considered the need for a cram school for obvious work-related issues, Sousuke was unaware that the cost of yobiko for a year's full-time study approximates that of the tuition and fees for some private universities, although most private universities cost more.
Sousuke did know that Kaname wasn't an attendee at any cram school. If she had been, he would be too.
Eri had looked at Kaname and Atsunobu with a sense of national pride before the older student left the room They were such fine students. And their tandem talks had been cleverly arranged, or so she believed. Kaname Chidori stoked the fire, and Atsunobu Hayashimizu tempered the steel. She also decided incorrectly that the misbehaving students must have been plants, a clever way to bring Sousuke Sagara's name into things, quieting anyone who might actually attempt to act out.
"I am a teacher. I hate to say this." Eri thought, sighing. "I am so glad that Sousuke wasn't here today."
Before leaving the classroom, the students had a few minutes left to talk quietly amongst themselves. People approached Sousuke to congratulate him on his correct assessment, and even more so to offer praise for his unorthodox but very effective speech earlier that morning. While they were speaking, he picked up small fragments of other conversations, which seemed innocent together, but when brought in close approximation to one another raised a red flag.
Someone had heard that the hallways would need to be cleared at a certain hour. Someone else had commented on a large group wearing crimson sashes. Another person was talking about something that was a family business, and that thing was putting other businesses out of business. He thought of yakusa. Then, in a sense of guilt and responsibility, he thought about those men in scarlet sashes that he injured and inconvenienced.
If that wasn't bad enough, he heard a disconcerting rumor about the fourth class of the day: Japanese History. One of the students did volunteer work after school in the printing room. She had seen something that had given her a big advantage, and her conscience had her blurt it out now.
There would be a pop quiz today.
Hearing that, Sosusuke felt all of his morale-boosting mumbling turn to dust, both of his thought centers shorting out. The shock was that great. Yes, there is a saying, 'of two minds'. But, in the scientific community, some have postulated that the human brain is actually composed of three parts: the reptilian brain, composed of the basal ganglia and brainstem, is involved with primitive drives related to thirst, hunger, sexuality, and territoriality, as well as habits; the paleomammalian or old mammal brain, including the hypothalamus, hippocampus, amygdala, and cingulate cortex, is the center of our motivation, emotions, and memory; and the neomammalian or new mammal brain, consisting of the neocortex, enables language, abstraction, reasoning, and planning.
That concept explains phenomena everybody experiences at one time or another. Automatic routines which, over time, we have learned do without thinking about them, are largely performed by our reptilian brain. So, when we are piloting a walking-tank half asleep, we may find that we have driven somewhere with no memory of how we did so. That's because the good ole lizard brain had taken the pilot's seat.
It's not a rare thing to have something we are not consciously aware of trigger a complex emotion for reasons we cannot understand. That can occur because the old mammal brain has processed the smell, retrieved a memory related to the smell, and triggered the emotion pertinent to that experience. Understanding only comes when the conscious mind notices the smell… actively thinks about the memory… and puts two and two together. For example, you may find that you are at the base cantina and suddenly feel a heavy sense of sadness that you cannot understand. It is only later that you realize that the soldier at the table across from you is wearing the same cologne as your former squad mate, who died last year.
One very important supposition of the theory is this: our new mammal brains govern our behavior, inhibiting the primitive drives from our reptilian brain when they are not socially or tactically appropriate. That means that all of us, soldiers and civilians alike, can make a choice. We can choose whether or not we are going to give into our primitive urges, or whether we will consciously control them. Sousuke had been laying the groundwork to make that big leap forward. But them, the bomb had dropped. The shock had stunned the control center, for an indeterminate period of time.
But, even so, there would normally be some hope that the middle brain could share the bulk of the burden, and keep things on an even keel. Normally. But, Sousuke was not normal. Not by any stretch of the imagination. First, his neomammalian brain was either severely underdeveloped, or terribly scarred. No one should be surprised, given the life that he had led. But second, and even more important, Sousuke didn't have a small cute lizard at the center of his brain, like the Geico gecko. He didn't even have a nasty beastie like something out of the 'Crocodile Hunter'. No. Sitting at the center of his brain was Gojira himself, his lizard brain having been mutated by forces even more powerful than atomic radiation.
Picture the monstrous reptile slumbering peacefully in some ocean grotto, only to be awakened by depth charges or some overwhelming disaster of man's making. When it rises slowly from the waves, eyes set on Tokyo, anger seething hotter than the radioactive flame churning in its belly, even the simplest of men can guess that things might go very bad.
The only question remaining would be which Godzilla script things would follow this day. Might there be an ending like the one in 'Shin Godzilla', where scientists found a way to freeze the big lizard solid. Or, would there be something more akin to 'Godzilla vs. Destoroyah', where Godzilla's heart, which acts as a nuclear reactor, underwent a nuclear meltdown as a result of Godzilla absorbing the energy released from a uranium deposit. The JSDF used freeze weapons in that film too; but, while successfully saving the earth, they were unable to prevent massive nuclear fallout from rendering Tokyo uninhabitable.
Of course, those movies and fictional, and they involve a monster of unimaginable size. How much trouble could one human-sized teenage boy cause?
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Note:
A great deal of wording was borrowed from the site ' h_javora' in a section about Japanese school grades 10-12. Also, from Psychology today, in a piece by Andrew E. Budson, MD.
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PREP TIME
Jim Morrison of The Doors had an alter ego he called 'The Lizard King'.
With apologies to the late Mr. Morrison, that tile now belonged to Sousuke Sagara.
The young Sergeant stumbled through the school hallway, his mind clouded and his heart racing. A pop quiz? In Japanese History?! A… pop… quiz. In… Japanese… History. His worst class. With his results going on Kaname's transcript forever.
The lyrics from the Doors album 'Stange Days' were fitting at that moment: 'Strange days have found us. And through their strange hours we linger alone. Bodies confused. Memories misused. As we run from the day to a strange night of stone.' The last part of that stretch of lyrics is mysterious, even ominous. Did it mean bad things were coming? Could it even refer to death?
There were long stretches of hallway where the walls were lined by student art. Some art was done by the Art Club. Their work looked professional. Some of their posters were grouped by Classes. Class II-4 had the faces from last year's student pictures Photo-shopped onto real world persons. The girls had their faces superimposed on recent female idols. Sousuke's face had been placed on the head of a dog.
Some of the pictures taped to the painted cinder block walls were the one that students had done themselves in Art Class. Sousuke's piece was entitled 'Night Explosion in Kabul.' It might best be entitled Impressionist; but, had Van Gogh seen it, he might have cut off his other ear. No, he would have plucked out his own eyes. By coincidence, Kaname's painting imitated the style of that famous painter, down to the feature of sunflowers in the background. The foreground portrayed her hamster, eating sunflower seeds. Sousuke was too far gone to question his hamster feeding choices from the night before.
One class of students had taken large plastic bottles and decorated them. Some were made up to look like animals. Some resembled historical figures. A large number were done up to be reality TV stars and anime heroines. There were those that were decorated as famous buildings and structures. The bottles were all lined up in rows, near an intersection four hallways. Sousuke plowed through them with his legs, leaving a path of destruction as if he were Godzilla, Gamera, or Gorgo.
"Hey! Look out you blue-haired big-busted bubble-brained klutz!"
Sousuke had no idea who said that. He made no effort to defend Kaname's honor by thrashing the poltroon to within an inch of unconsciousness. And, at that moment, he was a klutz. For some reason, he tripped. He caught himself with one hand pressed to the floor. His long shirt flopped over and covered his blouse. Had this been an anime, it would be the perfect panty shot.
"You there, girlie!" That was Oonuki Zenji, the school janitor, actually more accurately described as a groundskeeper. "If you see that scar-faced kid and the karate freak, let them know I'm still doing my best to obey the restraining order.
That comment made Sousuke feel even more uneasy; but, he didn't bother stopping to think why it did so. The same thing held true when he saw Mr. Mizohoshi the Art teacher arguing with Mr. Kogure the Gym teacher, both of whom Sousuke had a history with. When another school official saw the latter, he took off running. He wasn't allowed back on school grounds yet.
"Kaname!" A boy called out. Sousuke did not bother identifying that speaker either. "We're demonstrating the self-driving car from the Engineering Club. You're welcome to attend, if you like." The person trying to curry favor and more club funding probably would have had the same lack of success had Kaname's mind still been in her body.
When Sousuke reached the most-secluded place he could find on the way to class, he called the TDD-1. He asked for Lieutenant Kalinin, who picked up the receiver on his end after a few moments. The young soldier asked his superior if he could have permission to utilize specialized equipment he had secreted away in his school locker: a pair of contact lens cameras, and an earbud communicator. He explained how he could use those devices in conjunction with someone aboard the submarine or at Merida Base who had a good understanding Japanese History.
"That is a clever plan," the Russian said first, followed by his final word on the matter: "Denied." Communications were terminated on the DaDanaan end.
As soon as that conversation ended, the next one began. "Ah… Miss Chidori…." It was the Guidance Councilor. "Remember… you promised to stop by my office later. Right?"
"I-" Sousuke vaguely remembered the man asking him that earlier. "I… I promise."
He began walking quicker.
The world seemed to be closing in on him there in that narrow hall. Perhaps the larger classroom would help clear his head and give him an enhanced sense of security. Just as he began to pick up his pace, he slowed to a stop. He saw the graceful-appearing man from the Photo Crew again. Why did he look so sinister for an instant? He was asking questions of a number of students. Was that a bad thing? It didn't mean he was some nefarious character. Perhaps that's just the type of thing a photographer or photography shop manager did to set the mood, or to wordsmith some kind of blurb intended to accompany the photographs when they are printed.
"Chidori… wait up…." A third year boy flagged Sousuke down. "Have you seen Sagara today? He told me he would stop by our room today and look over our work." It was another member of the Engineering Club, someone who was working on a different school project. Sousuke said something noncommittal and continued on his way. He could see the classroom door now. Great. He should be able to regain his balance and bearings there. He would formulate a plan. He might come up with the answer that would best serve his needs. He dropped his stack of spiral bound notebooks outside of a noisy room. Bending to pick them up he heard a woman's voice.
"I'm glad you chose to show up," Miss Mainichi said. She called into the room. "Kaname Chidori is here. Move her to the front of the queue." She called that out to some unseen individual, her words giving the sense that she wanted to have Kaname do something before she changed her mind, not because she was giving the girl preferential treatment. To Sousuke she said: "Go right to the head of the left line."
There were two lines of students in the room. The longer on the left was almost entirely girls, all of whom had tinted hair or bright-colored natural hair. The line on the right had only a few students, all boys. Jindai High had given into pressure, when outside agencies strongly suggested that they follow suit when likened to other regional schools. An idea mostly forgotten had been unexpectedly resurrected. The sound of a whirring electric razor signaled the shaving of hair off of the heads of any student who had been caught cheating. The reason for the sound of spray cans was an even greater personal intrusion.
An old Japanese adage says that 'the nail that sticks up, soon gets hammered down'. Japan has a reputation as being a society that demands conformity. For example, all college graduates seeking jobs should wear dark suits to job interviews. Girls are expected to cover their mouths when laughing. Women have to pour the beer at company gatherings. Many undergraduate schools require students to wear the same uniforms and shoes and have haircuts that meet school regulations. In Kaname's and Sousuke's universe, there were a growing number of schools that also required that hair color be the standard Japanese black.
In our dimension, Osaka Prefectural Kaifukan High School in Habikino City actually forced a girl with natural brown hair to dye it black, at her own expense, every four days, despite the fact that she experienced damage to her scalp and hair…skin rashes… and mental anguish from the ridicule she suffered at the hands of her fellow students. That resulted in a lawsuit. And it wasn't the only school with that regulation. Some traditions take a long time to die out.
"Stand right over here," a tubby man said. The white smock that he wore had a large black-stained area in the center. His colored rubber gloves had black flecks of paint smudged this way and that. "Here, put this on." It was a large tan sheet with a hole cut out at the center. "Close your eyes."
Lizard brain in control, Sousuke did not bother questioning the circumstances. The woman was an adult. Adults at the school were in charge. Soldiers obey the orders of those who are in charge. He did not think to question what Kaname herself would have done in his place.
Sprrrt. Sprrrrrrrrrrrrrt. Sprrrt. Sprrrt. Sprrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrprrrrrrrt. Sprrrrrrrrrrt….
Sousuke stood still, as black dye was applied to his hair. Part of his thoughts faded backwards in time. He remembered standing in line at Mithril's secret training camp in the forests of Berutarube. While he and the other potential Mithril recruits had their heads sprayed down with de-lousing solution. Kurz had cried out, 'I was a model! I can't possibly have lice!' Mao had walked over, and asked 'Would you rather have me cut it all fucking off, pretty boy?' Only a few thought that she was referring to his hair. She had grinned like a ghoul when Kurz stammered 'nnn-nn-no' and she took the hose, stuffed it down inside his skivvies, and turned the spray on full. The solution was cold. Really cold. 'They're shriveling up like raisins' had been Kurz's anguished wail.
…Srrrrrrrrrt. Sprrrrrrrt. Sprrt. Sprrrt. Sprrt.
The spraying stopped. The man asked for the clothes cover back. Listless, Sousuke handed them over.
"Much better," Miss Mainichi remarked. "Much much better. You look like a proper girl, now." She gave Sousuke a gentle push towards the door. "Next."
Sousuke headed out into the hallway, unaware of the full impact of his decision, or lack of any decisive thought. But, sometimes it's better to be lucky that it is to be good at what you do.
"WHERE IS SHE? I KNOW SHE MUST BE HERE! LET ME AT HER. BRING HER OUT TO ME NOW. RIGHT THIS INSTANT. OR… THERE… WILL… BE… HELL…TO… PAY!"
Sounds of a commotion spread throughout the vicinity. Someone came barreling through the hallway, checking everyone over, leaving no face…and more precisely, no hair… unchecked.
It was Yoko Wakana.
The officer's face was swollen. Her uniform was in tatters. One eye was swollen shut. She was missing a shoe. He gun was in her hand. Not the pistol she had holstered… the military pump shot-gun she had nicknamed 'Bonta-Kill.' Her emotions could change on a dime. Before, she had grown to like Kaname Chidori. Now, she wanted her head over her mantle, next to all of her Safari victims; the big game animals had all met their end in Disney's Animal Kingdom, not a sanctioned Kenyan game preserve. There were still posters with her likeness hanging in Florida police stations, post offices, and grocery stores.
"Fuck off!"
That was Wakana'a response to Rebecca's request that they 'leave the nice school and nice students alone'
"I… am… the…law…" That was a pretty good Judge Dredd imitation. More Karl Urban than Sylvester Stallone. "You're just a worthless sidekick!" She took a minute to scrutinize Sousuke. "You seem somehow familiar… but no… no blue…" Before moving on to the next group of shivering students, she called out "Move your ass! Do you want me to drive that thing, too?" She was calling out again to Rebecca, who was being pushed in a wheelchair, her head and half of her face covered by two rolls of gauze.
The hallway was dead quiet. It wasn't because of the passage of the crazed police woman. Everyone was staring at Sousuke and his ravishing coal-colored hair.
"Ka-na-maaaaa-aaa-aa-y." Kyouko slid to a halt, camera flashing. "Why did you change your mind?"
"I didn't," Sousuke replied. "The machine did it… no… forget that…. there was no machine at the neurological hospital. There was no hospital." He coughed to clear his throat. "What are you talking about?"
"You said you were not going to give into a stupid rule, not until the Principal had finished her discussion with government officials. You told me things had not been demanded by national or prefectural authorities, only by municipal ones. You said you were given permission to skip."
"Uhhh-hh-h." Sousuke felt numb again. He had begun feeling signs of life, after the sight of Wakana had jolted him back to an earlier brain-setting. His old mammal brain had temporarily taken back command, and was reaching out the baton to the neocortex. Now, the lizard was back in control.
"Kaname?" Kyouko was nudged aside by a growing crowd of students who wanted to see if the rapidly-spreading rumor was true.
"I-" Sousuke tried to think of something that sounded good, something that Kaname might offer as a reason. "Well… you see… it's…" Well, she often prefaced things this way. "I am the student council Vice President. And, I am the class representative…." What else. Altruism. Kaname was very altruistic. "It would be unfair to my fellow students. I have to set an example about following rules. And, I wanted to stand with my fellow classmates who followed the current rules, no matter how unfair they may seem."
He had been forced to watch Looney Tunes at the Merida recreation room when Mao was in the mood. He could picture Bugs Bunny looking at him right this instant and saying 'What a maroon.' The famous rabbit had probably not been referencing to fugitive Black slaves in the West Indies in the 17th and 18th centuries, or the descendants of such slaves. It was probably a comical way of saying 'moron.'
"Well…." Kyouko took one last photo. "I wonder if Sousuke will like it."
"Uhhh." Sousuke froze. He blinked rapidly, before resuming his Kaname persona. "Who cares what that jerk thinks! What's done is done. It wasn't his choice."
But it had been his choice.
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For those who watch a lot of anime or read a lot of manga, there are a lot of tropes spread throughout the story, either up to this point, or yet to follow. Many of the tropes were used in one fashion or another in Full Metal Panic? Fumoffu.
Examples include, of course, the ubiquitous and eternal panty shot. Cute and Pyscho, like Wakana. Ditto, Axe Crazy. Magic Skirt. Anguished Declaration of Love. Pixelation. Clingy Jealous Girl. Pretty Blonde Reporter. The Hero Stole My \Bike. Funny background event, like the boy and his figurine. Cat smiles. Rousing Speeches. And of course, In Touch With His Feminine Side, literally. Not to mention The Thing That Goes 'Doink'.
Yet to come: From Nobody to Nightgmare, like with the rugby team before. Even Evil Has Loved Ones. Feud Episode. Boot Camp Episode. Cluster F-bombs. The Berserk Button, where a patient and kind person becomes just the opposite. Similarly, Beware Yhe Nice Ones. Accidental Pervert. Goofy Suits, like Bonta-Kun previously. Must Not Die a Virgin. Hostage Situation. Insult Backfire. Killer Rabbit ala 'Monty Python'. Self-fulfilling Prophecy. 'Psycho' Murder Scene Parody. Thanks For The Mammary. Clothes Off Fan Service. Torches And Pitchforks, figuratively speaking. Groin Attack. CPR.
You know the drill….