CLASSICAL JAPANESE HISTORY
As Sousuke walked into the classroom for Japanese History, he was surprised.
The girls in the room turned to face 'her' and began clapping their hands. Kyouko snapped off a number of pics. The boys looked at her, their looks inscrutable. Some looks might be admiration… some fear… and some maybe even resentment.
"Welcome to Japanese History, your majesty," Maya said, with a lopsided grin.
"You are the Queen, after all." Shiori curtseyed. "Queen of the Ball." She had a wicked look in her eye. "And the Queen of Balls." That sly remark went two ways. She had kicked the shit out of a bunch of pervy classmates who were possessed of balls. And, she had taken out an even pervier mascot, who had been dressed like a giant pair of balls.
One of the boys who had still been able to walk after the Fan Dance had fearfully entered school and blabbed about the emotional encounter. His comrades were awaiting the school nurse or a paramedic team, depending on how much damage Sousuke had done. He had been too enraged to pull any punches, even in a distaff body.
"No," Mayuko said. "The Queen of Spades!"
"She's got a tattoo?" one boy said. "And when she has sex… it's only with black men…?" It was odd that the boy knew that appellation. Among young, mostly white females, there is a growing subculture known as Queen of Spades. It typically involves women getting a permanent or temporary tattoo on their bodies of a queen of spades symbol with the letter Q on it. It is usually kept hidden but when exposed it basically means that those women are looking for sex exclusively with black men at that moment.
"What?" One girl stood over the boy's chair and gave him a dirty look. "Why is everything about sex with boys? Hmmm. Maybe you want to dance with the Queen, too." The way she said 'dance,' everyone knew that she was referring to the recent beat-down, not ballroom dancing. "She's already done a great job of culling the herd."
"Idiot!" Mayuko said to the boy. "The card! Not suit on a playing card. Queen of Spades people are the epitome of power and authority, embodying the innate ability to achieve. As a born leader, Kaname senses the need to rise to the top, and will experience deep fulfillment when she answers her call to greatness. Intelligent, well-spoken and independent, Queen of Spades people are naturals in positions of public speaking, education and writing."
"And kicking ass," Maya quipped. "On Peeping Toms, and pop quizzes." The other girls shushed her. It was a pop quiz. That meant it is supposed to be a surprise… which meant that no one should have the slightest inkling that it was coming.
"She probably won't do too well, if she's the Queen of Spades," Mizuki said, with a hopeful chuckle. "In card reading…." She had read a cheap book on cartomancy. "…The Queen of Spades evokes a treacherous woman who will try to harm you. On the emotional level, she could be attracted to the person you love. On the professional level, she could be your superior or your colleague, trying to get your position. In any case, you should be careful and put things into perspective. The Queen of Spades likes to tell lies and observe their consequences. She likes to put herself in the middle of situations that do not implicate her but, she always tries to bring attention to her. And in the game of Hearts, the Queen of Spades is usually considered the unlucky card."
"Hmmm," Tomomi rubbed her chin. "Sounds like someone is a Three of Clubs." She looked at Mizuki. "When their mental energy is unbridled, the Three of Clubs person can become distracted by fears and end up being ineffective. I guess that means with boys, too."
As the girls began taking their seats, Sousuke hurried to the back of the room while there were still a large number of standing students who would hide his activities. Taking a pilfered key out of his pocket, he unlooked two large windows. He opened them both, and pulled down the blinds to hide that fact.
Sitting down in his chair, Sousuke thought about cards. Mithril used to put the picture of wanted mercenaries and world leaders on playing cards, much the way that the U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency did, to help troops identify the most-wanted members of President Saddam Hussein's government, mostly high-ranking members of the Iraqi Regional Branch of the Arab Socialist Ba'ath Party or members of the Revolutionary Command Council. Sousuke had once told a crew chief to throw away a Guaron card, thinking the evil man to be dead by his hand years earlier.
Also, soon after he had begun piloting Arm Slaves, he would put an Ace of Spades on the side of his helmet, point up. The soldiers of the 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment of the American 101st Airborne Division were marked with the spades symbol painted on the sides of their helmet in the second World War. In that capacity, it was used to represent good luck, due to its fortunate connotations in card playing.
He felt a chill, thinking back to something else he had done with that same card out of habit, before some fellow soldiers helped him leave a very dark place inside him. American Soldiers during the Vietnam War believed that the Vietnamese held the symbolism of the spade to mean death and ill-fortune. So, in a bid to frighten and demoralize Viet Cong soldiers, it was common practice to mockingly leave an ace of spades on the bodies of killed Vietnamese, and even to litter the forested grounds and fields with the card. That custom was said to be so effective that the United States Playing Card Company was asked by Charlie Company, 2nd Battalion, 35th Infantry Regiment to supply crates of that single card in bulk. Sousuke had adopted a similar practice after first joining Mithril. He would toss a pack of Aces on the remains of any vehicle that he destroyed. Mao thought it cute. Lt. Commander Kalinin told him a true warrior wouldn't act that way. Kurz used the cards as targets, when Sousuke threw them away.
Running a hand through Kaname's hair, Sousuke thought about both cards and Arm Slaves again. During missions… when they were in long queue for launch, or waiting on station… Al would use the control screens for his own purposes. He was attempting to learn card games to play with his pilot. He had been very successful, learning every known game and creating a few of his own design. However, he had never been able to convince Sousuke to play. "Perhaps I should give it a try." The more time he spent as Kaname Chidori, the more that he saw just how closed off his own world was.
"Everybody please be seated," a tree-trunk of a man said. It was Mr. Watsugi, an ex-soldier and Japanese History teacher. "I hope you will keep your excitement in check, when I tell you that we have a pop quiz today." He took a stack of papers out of his briefcase and put the bag on his deck. He carried the test booklets from student to student. "You have the entire class period, if you need that much time. If you do not, please stay silent in your seat, until everyone has finished."
When a booklet was placed in front of him, Sousuke coughed, covering his mouth with one hand. The other hand made a quick movement over his test papers. No one could possibly have seen the small glass phial and its bamboo stopper.
"I see that a number of people are absent," the stocky teacher remarked. He was told that a number had suffered 'accidents.' "And… Mr. Sagara… will he be making it…?" When he was told that the boy had been hospitalized, he remarked "Then… his core on this test will be higher than usual…." Yes. A zero would be higher than Sousuke's customary minus-numbers.
No one snickered. Sousuke's issue with Classical Japanese History was well known. A sense of responsibility… of guilt before anything even happened… had him hesitating. He looked around the room, watching as other students used pencils to open the quiz booklets. He looked at the walls, seeing maps of different eras of Japan, along with large black-and-white pictures of Japanese historians, including Kanjun Higashionna and Amino Yoshihiko. He stared at the class clock for a moment, letting his breathing and heartbeat synchronize with the minute hand. He closed his eyes, and did a mental walk-through, just like he did before every catapult launch from DaDanaan.
He opened his eyes, and then the booklet. There were a large number of questions inside. He felt his innards quiver, reading the first few. This was no different than any previous Japanese History test. He knew enough to recognize many of the people and places, but he didn't know much more than that. If his plan failed, so would he. But, this time, it would actually be Kaname Chidori who failed. He doubted that Mithril would pay to clean up his mess under these circumstances, or if the school board would stoop to collusion when it came to an actual student. He read the first question more slowly this time:
A.According to legend, which Shinto Sun Goddess was the Great-Grandmother of Emperor Jimmu, the mythical founder of Japan and the Japanese Imperial family.
['I don't know,' Sousuke thought. 'No sense in really trying.' The thought of Arm Slaves was still fresh in mind. He knew what history he was going to write about. After he unconsciously sketched a symbolic spade, he began.]
The term 'Arm Slave' is the shortened form of 'Armored Mobile Master-Slave System'. The Arm Slave is a development of the Reagan Administration Strategic Defense Initiative's research into powered exoskeleton suits to increase the ground soldier's combat capability. Called the XM3, the first powered suit was nothing more than a powered exoskeleton sized around two meters tall. This proved to be of low combat effectiveness as it offered little advantage in protection in exchange for its limited mobility improvement. This early prototype was hampered by the lack of a suitable power source that did not burden the unit past its useful load.
The designers took an unorthodox approach in the development process at this point. While technology usually is refined to become smaller and more compact, the successor XM4 project took an opposite direction. By increasing the size of the suit from two meters standing to around eight meters, the designers were able to change the power source from an electrical battery system to internal combustion engine. The XM4 was the first true Arm Slave ever created.
Sousuke scribbled a picture of an XM4.
B. Prince Shōtoku (574-622) adopted models of rank and etiquette and and his xxxxxx prescribed ways to bring harmony to a society chaotic in Confucian terms.
The M6 Bushnell is a second generation Arm Slave operated mainly by the United States. It is the successor to the XM4. It was developed by the US in response to the Soviet's Savage. Predating palladium reactors, the M6 relies on a gas turbine engine, the significant acoustic signature of which precludes use of the initial model in missions requiring stealth. The M6 also lacks the high efficiency armor and muscle packages used in the subsequent M9. Hence, it is bulkier and significantly less maneuverable. However, its simpler control functions requires less rigorous pilot training. Maximum Operation Time: 220 hours. Top Speed: 138 km/h. Maximum Jump: 25 meters.
C. Victory at the the battle of Dan-no-ura in 1185, led to the xxxxxx clan establishing his military government ('bakufu') in its leaders becoming the Shogun (hereditary military dictator).
The M9E Gernsback is a third generation Arm Slave. It is primarily used by Mithril and is named after Hugo Gernsback, a pioneering science fiction author. The M9 Gernsback was developed with cooperation from the United States, where It is currently undergoing operational evaluation under the prototype designation of XM9. It is highly maneuverable and is very versatile in deployment and weapon configuration. The M9 comes equipped with an advanced ECS system which allows the use of optical camouflage. M9 Series Arm Slaves differ from the Previous Second Generation by using extensive use of various forms of Electroactive polymers rather than more conventional Hydraulic and Pneumatic found in older generations. This reduces weight, speeds reaction time, reduces noise, and increases power. This however can be taken advantage of. If an M9 is crushed beneath heavy weight, the system is unable to extricate itself.
Also, unlike the previous generation of Arm Slaves, the M9 is powered by a Palladium reactor, removing engine noise from potential issues. Maximum Operation Time: 150 Hours. Top Speed: 250 Kph. Maximum Jump: 45 Meters.
The M9D/A4-1 Falke is a third generation Arm Slave operated by Mithril. It is based on the M9E Gernsback. When Mithril was developing and testing the Lambda Driver, the first unit was installed in an M6 chassis; later though, with the success of the test, it was decided that the M9 would form the actual platform for the Lambda Driver. For that reason, two M9 chassis variants were made, one was the ARX-7 and the other became the M9D Falke.
However due to the suicide of the lead researcher Bani Morauta, the Falke never received a Lambda Driver.
The ARX-7 Arbalest is a third generation Arm Slave operated by Mithril. It is based on the M9E Gernsback and is equipped with the Lambda Driver.
[Sousuke scribbled over the last part and an earlier part whispering 'I never wrote anything about Arbalest'.]
D. With the rise of strong regional rulers ( daimyō ) and their victory in the xxxxxx (1467-77) left Kyoto devastated and effectively ended the national authority of the bakufu.The war initiated the Sengoku jidai, "the Warring States Period". This period was a long, drawn-out struggle for domination by individual daimyo.
The Cyclone is a Second-Generation Arm Slave used by Britain. Built using know-how from the nation's aircraft industry, it is a lightweight machine with exceptional mobility, but it is lightly-armored. Power Source: Gas turbine engine.
The Cyclone 2 is a Second-Generation AS used by the British military. It is a modified version of the earlier Cyclone with twin (coupled) gas turbine engines. Maximum Operation Time: 140 hours. Top Speed: 160km/h. Maximum Jump: 28 meters.
E. Japanese leaders began to see Catholicism as a destabilizing influence and foreign intentions in Japan with suspicion after conquest of the Philippines by the Spanish . Japanese leaders passed laws forbidding Japanese to leave Japan and Foreigners from entering, Christianity was banned. One window to the outside world remained at Dejima where the xxxxxx were allowed to trade. Japan remained secluded from the 1630s to 1858.
The Drache is Germany's 2nd-Generation AS. Because it was made with tank technology, it possesses a high defense. Its name is the German word for 'Dragon'."
The C3-5 Mistral II is a second generation Arm Slave operated mainly by France. The C3-5 Mistral II is unique in construction, unlike the M6 Bushnell, Rk-92 Savage and European counterparts like the Drache and Cyclone, the C3-5 is only vaguely humanoid, as it lacks a real 'head' and has an unusually shaped torso. While it has slightly better armor, the C3-5 is also below par of when compared to other Arm Slaves in terms of speed. Like the Rk-92 Savage, the Mistrall II has at times fallen into the hands of dictatorships and terrorists
Maximum Operation Time: 200 Hours. Top Speed: 110km/h. Maximum Jump: 15 Meters.
F. After the defeat of the forces of the Tokugawa Shogunate in the Boshin War (1868–1869) of the Meiji Restoration, a part of the former Shogun's navy led by Admiral Enomoto Takeaki former their own short-lived republic, the Republic of Ezo located in xxxxxx.
The Type 96 is the standard Arm Slave used by the Japanese Self-Defense Forces. It was modeled after the M6 and shares many similarities. The Type 96 has bulky armor plates, which limit its speed and mobility, but its simple design and controls makes it easier to maintain and repair. The Type 96 can be modified to accommodate two pilots. Maximum Operation Time: 140 hours. Top Speed: 125 Km/h. Maximum Jump: 18 meters.
[His mind drifted a bit. He sketched a futuristic looking A.S. and mumbled 'You look like a raven.' He stopped just short of smacking his face with both hands to regain his focus.]
G. Dogu are famous Japanese sculptures that bear resemblance to humans and animals that were made during which period of Japanese history when people living in Japan were still primitive hunters and gatherers?
The Rk-89 Shamrock is an early second-generation Arm Slave. After the United States introduced the M4, the Soviet Union introduced the Rk-89 Shamrock. The Rk-89 Shamrock was used against United States-backed resistance forces in Afghanistan. Following the introduction of the RK-92, the Rk-89 Shamrock was almost entirely phased out of service.
H. After the radical leaders of Satsuma and Chôshû had overthrown the Bakufu (Shôgunate), they set about turning Japan into a modern nation-state. But first, they had to deal with the rebellion of one of their own, a hero from Satsuma who was dismayed by the ongoing dispossession of the samurai. What was his name?
The Rk-91 Savage was the frontline AS of the Soviet Union, but the Rk-92 entered service shortly after it. Some pilots prefer the Rk-91 since its diesel piston engine is relatively quiet compared to the howling gas turbine engine of its successor.
I. The new Meiji government began the process of industrialization, supporting the great zaibatsu, who in return agreed to accept the government's direction. Although they no longer exist as zaibatsu, many of these companies are still operating today. Name a surviving Meiji era company?
The Rk-92 Riveni…Mithril name 'Savage'… is a second generation Arm Slave operated by the Soviet Union, the People's Liberation Committee, Amalgam, and various other terrorist organizations. Mithril uses it for OPFOR training.
The Rk-92 is the most ubiquitous AS model amongst modern communist nations and has also seen use by terrorist and crime organizations. The Savage has less armor than many European and United States Arm Slaves, but it does have increased maneuverability. The best features of the Savage are without a doubt its low cost and high availability relative to other AS models. Variants of the model and spare parts can almost always be found on the black markets. The Savage is a mass-produced unit used by the Eastern bloc. It has also been exported to other communist nations, including North Korea and North China
With the Rk-92 Savage growing old, the Soviet Union modified the body and installed new equipment to keep it in use. Like the Rk-92, the Rk-96 Savage II is a mass-produced Arm Slave and is popular with terrorist organizations. While the Rk-02 'Scepter' has entered service, the Rk-96 'Savage II' is more popular and far more common.
J. In the early years of Meiji, the government was dominated by the old Satsuma/Chôshû elite. However, popular demand for a constitution and parliamentary system was growing. They were finally granted in 1890. Who then became the first Prime Minister of Japan?
The Zy-98 'Shadow' is a third generation Arm Slave operated by Amalgam and the Soviet Union. Similar to the Rk-92 Savage, the Zy-98 lacks a Lambda Driver but serves as Amalgam's answer to the M9 Gernsback.
Zy99 variants have entered limited service for the Soviet army and will soon be offered on the Export market. In terms of weapons layout, the Shadow has no defined weapons payload. The Shadow utilizes Electronic Concealment Systems (ECS) similar to the M9 Gernsback.
The Plan-1056 Codarl is a third generation Arm Slave operated by Amalgam. Mithril codename 'Venom', the first Lambda Driver-equipped Arm Slave in Amalgam's arsenal. The Codarl series is based on the frame of the USSR's Zy-98 Shadow.
[Sousuke drew a tombstone and sketched the name 'Guaron' on it, thinking back to the first time he first piloted Arbalest. That bastard's death had come later, but dead is dead. He frowned. A person can live, even as his past self can perish. He drew another tombstone and whispered 'Kashim is dead.' He added that name to the second stone.]
The Plan-1058 Codarl-i is a third generation Arm Slave operated by Amalgam. It is based on the Plan-1056 Codarl and is equipped with the Lambda Driver. It has a similar appearance as the standard Codarl but with a red coloration and a different head with armor plates which retract to reveal additional sensors, it also has a major variation with the heat sink device, having a long fin to the back that deploys itself when using the lambda driver. That principal variation solves the principal problem of the original Codarl… a Lambda Driver with the unfortunate habit of overheating.
The Plan-1059 Codarl-m the mass-production version of the Plan-1056 Codarl.
There were more questions, giving Sousuke a chance to write about Plan-1065 Erigor and Plan-0601 Leviathan. After that, he switched topics, writing brief eulogies to men he had served with who had died far too young.
The hands on the clock slowly crept around its face. With each passing minute, another sweat drop formed at Kaname's body's temple. Test papers were dotted with small wet spots.
"Ten minutes left," Mr. Watsugi called out. He stood up from his desk, stretched, and cracked his neck and back, before methodically cracking each of his fingers. He limbered up some, getting ready to collect the test booklets.
"Shit!" Sousuke tensed up again. His mind began scrambling for new mental footing on slick emotional slopes. He would need a new plan. He would need a new plan quickly. What could he do? Wait! What was that? Could it be? Yes! Yes, it could!
Tre sound was very faint at first. Kaname's hearing was acute enough to pick it up, before anyone else did. Even the students who had finished writing their answers, and who had checked over those answers, heard nothing out of the ordinary. But, the noise grew louder and louder, and some students did begin looking outside through the windows.
"I wish they would shut up!" One girl was trying to finish up, but was increasingly distracted by the noise of dogs barking.
"Shhhh-hhh-hh-h!" A boy shushed her; but, he couldn't shush the barking, calling, and howling hounds.
"What the hell is happening," Another boy asked. "Did a meat truck crash into a bone truck?" That sounded like a large number of pooches.
"It almost sounds like they're headed in this direction," Mr. Watsuji said to no one in particular.
"Teacher… can we have extra time…." One girl was opportunistic. Sousuke's wish was granted when the teacher denied the request. Even acts of God would not add a minute to test time! That rule was about to be tested in the face of something of biblical proportions.
"Arf!" A brown blur flashed through one back window, knocking the blind up, before it fell back down. A dachshund, slid to a near stop, its feet fighting for grip on the floor, which was still somewhat moist post-deluge.
"Bark! Bark!" A golden flash followed the first, kicking the blind up once more. "Woof!" This time it was a golden retriever.
"A-roooo-ooo-oo-o!" A white streak jumped through the other open window, scrambling to pass through the blind. It was a rather animated toy poodle. "Rrrr Rrrr Rrrr Rrrr-rr-r."
Subsequent noises all mixed together into a gut-wrenching cacophony. Dog after dog after dog jumped through the windows, destroying the blinds in the process. The was a shiba inu… a papillon… a labrador retriever… a shih tzu… a yorkshire terrier… a pomeranian… a maltese… a miniature schnauzer… a pembroke welsh corgi… a pug… a jack russell terrier… a beagle… and a pekingese. Following just on their tails were a number of Japaneses breeds, including a Japanese chin… a shikoku… a kai ken… a kishu… and an akita.
Dog tags read Momo… Choko… Koko… Sakura… Sora… Maron… Nana… Kotarou… Hana… Reo… and numerous other names.
Tokyo Metropolitan Government Bureau of Social Welfare and Public Health had conducted a survey about dogs and cats and pets of all sorts. Based on the survey, the Government estimated there are 600,000 dogs in Tokyo. To the students, and the people dodging dogs on the street, there was the illusion that majority of that six figure number were there right now.
"What the fuck!" Ono_D's seat was in the just wrong place. Many of the dogs jumped off of his head or battered him with their feet and tails in passing.
"My favorite pencil!" Shinji looked close to tears. He still hadn't recovered from the loss of his digital camera or the wedgie that he had received at the hands of angry girls.
"You dogs! Out!" Mr. Watsuji wasn't thinking, obviously. That had been his initial knee-jerk response. Seeing the incredible sight, he wondered if he were asleep and dreaming, waiting for his three alarm clocks to go off. Like everyone else there, except for Sousuke of course, he had no idea how such a thing could come to pass.
Sousuke had sprinkled a hand-crafted solution over his test booklet. Earlier, after opening the windows, he had spread some along the windowsill and vegetation below.
A dog's nasal cavities are made up of over three hundred million olfactory receptors, a whopping forty times more than our human noses. The dog's uniquely shaped nose and nasal cavities also aid in smell by helping to mix new odors with the old when breathing, and to provide an area specifically for scent detection.
This means that when your dog sniffs the air, he is adding to the scent he's already caught, rather than washing it out with breathing like the human nose does. When inhaled air enters the dog's nose, it is split up in the nasal passageways, part of it heading to the lungs to provide oxygen from breathing, and part of it into the olfactory area of the nose located in the back of the nasal cavity.
This area then provides a greater ability to detect and process the smell as the receptors send signals to the brain about the smell, how strong it is, and where it may be located.
Dogs also have a special organ called the vomeronasal organ which is specialized in detecting hormones and pheromones in the body. This special detection center has its own area in the nose and connection to the brain, making it a useful addition to a dog's sense of smell.
Indeed. That organ was the star of the show.
"It's…" Sousuke was caught at the center of a furry maelstrom. "It's working too well!"
There was some Classical Japanese History that the stricken sergeant did know. Back in the day, ninjas lived in the deep mountains, where various type of plants grow. Ninjas lived a life unified with nature and had a deep knowledge of vegetation. So, it is quite natural that Ninjas utilized many wild vegetation for their diet and medical treatment. Ninjas conducted peddling of medicine and went all around Japan. The main reason was to gather information about other countries. It can be said that Ninjas were well informed about medicine even as much as doctors. It was very advantageous for ninjas that they could pretend to be doctors because doctors are someone that can get absolute credit from patients. In instances where the relatives of their enemies were sick, ninjas could approach them as doctors and easily elicit important information from them. Not only that, in a lucky case, ninjas could kill their targets with poison. Poison was very convenient because even weak people can kill someone strong easily. Also, poison can increase the killing power of weapons. For instance, if a ninja painted the essence of aconite on the arrowheads or edge of knives, enemies could be killed from only wounds from scratches made by those weapons.
The raw materials for the medicine and poison existed all around ninjas, so they could collect them easily. But, plants were not their only source of power and utility. Some groups of ninjas, secretive even amongst their own kind, experimented with pheromones, from insects and mammals. Their secrets, when added to discoveries in newer sciences, could produce remarkable results.
Some people are baffled, watching as a dog chows down on a pile of canine crap. The dog is eating feces as a means of gathering information. Detecting the chemical makeup with its vomeronasal organ, a dog can learn about which animal left the feces, their pheromones, and their diet among other information, including the other dog's place in the hierarchy of the hairy.
But, that only accounts for the hormones produced by a dog's anal glands, which can also serve another function, other than being an identification card of sorts. When particularly alarmed, a dog can excrete alarm pheromones from those glands.
There are other body sites that produce pheromones. Substance secreted from the vulvar, preputial, and urinary areas are produced for breeding purposes. Special glands between a dog's toes can be used to mark territory, or as another way to raise an alarm. Hormones produced by glands in the ears help bonding amongst pack mates. Pheromones secreted from the lips and mouth help in greetings. And, substances produced by a mother dog between her breasts provide a sense of calm, comfort, and well-being to nursing puppies. That last hormone is know as the Dog Appeasing Pheromone.
All pheromones are hormones, but not all hormones are pheromones. Ghrelin is a hormone that is produced and released mainly by the stomach in a number of mammals, humans included. Small amounts also released by the small intestine, pancreas and brain. Ghrelin has numerous functions. It is termed the 'hunger hormone' because it stimulates appetite, increases food intake and promotes fat storage. When administered to humans, ghrelin increases food intake by up to thirty percent. It circulates in the bloodstream and acts at the hypothalamus, an area of the brain crucial in the control of appetite. Ghrelin has also been shown to act on regions of the brain involved in reward processing, such as the amygdala. That hormone doesn't survive outside the body well enough for a modern day ninja's usage. But, the synthetic compound capromorelin works very much the same way.
Sousuke had previously made up a number of solutions for possible uses. The one he had used that morning was crafted with a high percentage of capromorelin, to get a targeted item eaten or swarmed over by numbers. For the initial attraction, there was also a large amount of sex pheromones. He had added the Dog Appeasing Pheromone as a set of brakes, a way to create calm after the storm. His calculations were obviously off. That, and he hadn't figured in the full set of natural hormones produced by such a great mass of dogs.
"I-" Sousuke looked like someone sinking into quicksand, his hand the only part of him viewed above a group of dogs which ran around him like a furry cyclone, each vying for the chance to eat the source of the hunger hormone, his test booklet. "This-" He would suffer this as need be. The idea was sound, in his estimation. He had remembered something that one of the scientists had said at the laboratory… something about the classic excuse of 'a dog ate my homework.'
"Yip! Yip! Yip!"
"Grrrrr-rrrr-rrr-rr-r!"
"Llll-ll-l Lll-ll-l Lll-ll-l Lll-l!"
In brief glimpses that Sousuke could get of his desk, he could tell that the test papers were gone in their entirety, beginning the process of digestion in any number of doggy stomachs. He sighed, anticipating relief, thinking that the storm of man's best friend would now reverse course and head back to their regular rover routines. He had been mistaken, yet again. The hunger hormones had gotten them there. Now, being there, the other pheromones had a chance to play out. When a male dog breaths in enough sex pheromones, he will try to mount the heck out of any perceived mate, even female dogs that had been spayed. Excited dogs are far worse than highschool lads.
"Stop that!"
"No! Down! Bad dog!"
"Not my leg, you flea-bitten freak!"
"Get your damn nose out of my skirt!"
Too many male dogs in one room. Too many male dogs on a pheromone high. Too damn many male dogs driven wild by scent, trying and spread their doggy seed. Boys and girls alike fought off dogs, pushing them away or holding them at bay.
"Help Kaname!" Shiori called out to Kaname's future date. "She needs help!" Dogs were not humping 'Sousuke.' They were licking him all over, still driven wild by the hunger hormone. Still, the overwhelming number of dogs were weighing down on 'his' chest, making it more and more difficult to breath.
"I-" The boy was far enough into a corner to be shielded from milling mutts. "It-" He looked stricken. "I can't-" He made no effort to wade into the throng.
"She's your date!" Maya fought valiantly to hold off the advantages of a tiny chihuaha. "You should be protecting her!"
"Fuck her!" Mizuki wasn't usually one for swearing. 'Help me!" She was fighting a losing battle against a gigantic Tosa Inu. It looked like her leg would no longer be a virgin. But, the tide of battle changed. Alarm pheromones would soon surge, overcoming the other scents for at least a little while.
"Obey my dog!" One boy felt the need to quote Mugato from Zoolander.
"Get… the… hell… off…." The one sports member who had made it to class, a soccer player, kicked hard to get a tenacious dog off of his leg. "He shoots… he scores…." A fluffy Pomeranian cartwheeled violently through the air, crossing the entire room, striking the class clock on the opposite wall. Dog and clock fell to the ground, both laying still. Time seemed to stop. Literally.
All of the dogs went still, moving only to sniff the air. They all turned to precisely zero in on the soccer boy. Ears went back. Mouths opened. Haunches grew tsnse, before all of the dogs sprung into action at the same moment.
ARRRRRR-RRRRR-RRRR-RRR-RR-R-OOOOO-OOOO-OOO-OO-O-O-O-O-O-O-O
Like so many bolts shot out of so many crossbows, the dogs rushed the boy. He saw doom coming his way… threw a couple of classmates towards the rushing dogs… hurdled a couple of desks before tripping over a third… and scrambled to climb out one of the open windows as the first sets of doggy teeth nipped him in the butt.
"Close the window after me!" The stricken athlete cried. "Pleeee-eee-ee-e-aaaa-aaa-aa-a-se!"
"Me, too!" Kaname's 'date' took the opportunity to jump out of the other window.
Shump! Shump! If the students had had time to think things through, they would have left those two boys to their own fate. But, having been raised in that country, they quickly closed both windows, watching as a number of enraged mongrels and pure-brads bounced off of the glass. But, raising their hands in expectation of a renewed assault, they were happy to see the enormous mass of dogs head out into the hallway, still moved by their animal anger and the after effects of the alarm hormones.
Shrieks and shouts were heard out in the hallway, as students and school personnel were bowled over by a tidal wave of hairy projectiles. The lack of a janitor would make itself known soon enough. No, the dogs did not stop to pee on anything; however, a number of students peed themselves. At least one teacher did, too.
"Well," Kyouko said, snapping shot after shot at one of the closed windows. "Will you look at that…." While many of the dogs were rushing about the hallways, uncertain of how to leave the school building, a large number had found a way out. They were on the street now, making a bee-line for the two streaking boys.
"This isn't going to end well," Tomomi said with a smile. "They will both get what they deserve." The dogs were sure to satisfy their desire for blood on both escapees.
"It will be better for them that way," Daidai remarked. "Poor Kaname… she did nothing wrong… and look at her…" Kaname's body was so covered with hair, that it looked like she was wearing a fur coat. The hair was plastered everywhere by sticky dog saliva.
"She looks like a yeti," Mari said. "But the abominable one was that jerk. He didn't lift a finger to help her."
"Are you still going to go out with a guy like that?" Kyouko extended a hand to help 'Kaname' up, after taking a few choice photos.
"Negative," Sousuke replied. That boy was not worthy. He was also not truthful. If he had truly courted death, all he had needed to do was stand still and let the dogs finish him. "He is like a girl pretending to be a boy!" That thought didn't unnerve him as it normally might. He was too angry, realizing what had happened. If the handle hasn't flown off, there is still time to put a pin back in a grenade. As far as Sousuke thought, the handle had flown clear. Kaname's honor was not at stake in this matter.
"I think that Mizuki found her date!" Laughing, Rumiko pointed at the other girl, who was still fighting off the only dog who had remained.
"Should we help?" Maya asked.
"No," Shiori said, chuckling. "I think he's doing well enough on his own." Many students were too shocked still, to laugh at that. Some did. Some of the boys were chivalrous enough to subdue the raging sack of hormones before it could have its way with the ashen girl.
Beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep
Mr. Watsuji's watch alarm went off. "That's time, people." The burly teacher cradled the stricken pomeranian in one arm, happy to see it begin to regain consciousness. "Time to hand in your booklets" He walked around to gather the completed test materials.
"Teacher!" Sousuke stood at attention. Here was the moment he had been planning for. "The dogs ate my test!"
Mr. Watsuji considered sending the Chidori girl and a spare test booklet to the Principal's office, where she could retake the quiz. But, seeing how good a student she was, he would simply average her other quizzes and give her the resultant number. Because he admired the girl's spunk, he would even round the number up one.
"It looks like you need a shower, Miss Chidori." The teacher said. "And maybe a distemper shot!"
"Shower first, please." Kyouko wrinkled her nose.
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A huge bit of material in verbatim was taken from Full Metal Panic! Wiki.
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LUNCH PERIOD
Sousuke used paper towels to clean up a mass of hair.
He had showered off, leaving enough dog hair on the shower stall floor to knit together a dog or three. It had caused the shower to back up some. Hew couldn't have that! He had already washed most of the hallways in the school.
Toweling off, he had no choice but to put on Kaname's sweaty gym clothing. There were no spares in the school, unless some girl had a shirt or skirt that she would lend out. There might also be something he could swipe from the embroidery club. It wouldn't be stealing if he really needed it, right? Moral issues addressed, he now needed to address Kaname's stomach.
"I didn't make first bell," Sousuke griped. First bell at the food stalls sounded when the big canopy doors slid open. Second bell marked the half-way point for the selling period. Third bell meant 'don't bother, we're closing up'. Most of the good food went in a minute or two after first bell. He was looking at the dregs, now. "It is not a problem." He liked the dregs. Few other people wanted the plain rolls.
"Yip yip yip!" A dog shot past him like an arrow.
"Badddd-dd-d Dogggg-ggg-gg-g!"
Someone further down the hallway scolded the approaching dog. It could be the food she was carrying. Or, it could be that the dog was still looking for a good time.
Sousuke slid along the wall for a short stretch, trying to keep hidden behind other milling students. A number of the boys he has severely chastised and traumatized were making their way back in school, needing to see Mr. Watsuji about a chance to take the pop quiz. They looked like MMA fighters after a series of bad losses.
"That bitch will pay!" A baseball player claimed, obviously referring to Kaname Chidori.
"No," the school nurse said. "I helieve that was a male dog."
"Here I come to the rescue." That was the Vice President. He had Mr. Ciocio's butterfly net and was a chasing a line of scooting dogs. He loved Marvel movies.
"I've got your six." Not far behind him, Miss Ushihama the school Librarian was running with the school sasumata. She fancied war flicks.
Through all the hubbub and rigamarole, Sousuke managed to make it to the food line. When it was finally his turn, the man apologized for being out of croquette sandwiches and custard filled pastries. Sousuke told the man it was alright, and bought a large bag of white rolls. As the relieved man began looking for butter and bean paste, Sousuke caught wind of a conversation.
"I'm telling you, they will be shutting down the hallways after the coming Prep Time." The girl sounded emphatic. "There should be an announcement of the intercom system any time now." She didn't know that things would be to the contrary. Too many school officials were dealing with the influx of dogs.
"I know that they will be noisy," a boy replied. "But… I still want to see them… it's just like out of the movies. I hear that they're real badasses. Three throwdowns in the past month. They were the only ones left standing.
"It helps that Sanja's family is supporting them," another girl said. "Nobody else has that kind of firepower."
Naturally, hearing firepower… family… left standing… throw downs… noisy… and shutting down the school hallways… Sousuke thought about an invading force. Most like yakusa. That immediately had him remembering his encounter with the yakusa while being chased by that crazed police woman. They must have traced him or her to this school. They were going to make everyone pay for his mistakes.
"Hey," a boy called out. "My parents helped, too. My father purchased the best material, and my mom sewed the famous sashes." The mention of sashes was another confirming point, as far as Sousuke was concerned. And, once again, he was very much mistaken.
"What-" Sousuke's memory was still working. Thought processing? Not so much. But, his memory was doing alright at the moment. In a bit of a haze at the time, he had heard one boy mention Kaname's name… the Engineering Club… and a self-driving car. He also recalled hearing another boy mentioning Sagara and another Engineering Club project. An idea began to form in his mind. He would need to get cracking: he only had the remainder of the Lunch Period, and the Prep Time that followed. After that, he would need to make his way to Home Economics.
""Wake from death and return to life," Sousuke said, calling out a Japanese idiom that was similar to 'Turn a bad or desperate situation into a success." He made his way into the Engineering Club section of the school, happy that club activities were held after school. He remembered now what project the one boy must have been referencing, since he had served as a consultant. And, taking large tarps off of a number or work benches, he quickly found the other project 'Kaname' had been invited to.
One tarp has covered a long and low tracked base, belonging to what was called a self-driving car, even though it had treads instead of wheels. The next bench had a number of advanced computer centers. The final two benches held 'his' baby; the main part and other smaller components belonged to a prototype home defense system. Both projects were autonomous. Both involved robotics. Each had an umbilical attached to a bank of small expensive PCs. He switched everything on, after running to the doors and sliding a broom handle through the upright handles. He could not afford to be discovered or interrupted.
"I can do this!" Sousuke wasn't an engineer; but, he didn't have to be. The engineering for each project had long been finished. Most of the construction work was done, too. The final downloads had been left pending, until the club members had decided what type of demonstration would please both the school officials and any possible funding companies. "The work of the big militaries paved the way for our projects."
Lethal autonomous weapons (LAWs) are a type of autonomous military robot that can independently search and engage targets based on programmed constraints and descriptions. LAWs may operate in the air, on land, on water, under water, or in space. The autonomy of current systems as of the current day[update] is restricted in the sense that a human gives the final command to attack… though there are exceptions with certain 'defensive' systems
The oldest automatically-triggered lethal weapon is the land mine, used since at least the 1600s, and naval mines, used since at least the 1700s. Some current examples of LAWs are automated 'hard kill' active protection systems, such as a radar-guided CIWS systems used to defend ships that have been in use since the 1970s. Such systems can autonomously identify and attack oncoming missiles, rockets, artillery fire, aircraft and surface vessels according to criteria set by the human operator. Similar systems exist for tanks, such as the Russian Arena, the Israeli Trophy, and the German AMAP-ADS. Several types of stationary sentry guns, which can fire at humans and vehicles, are used in South Korea and Israel. Many missile defense systems, such as Iron Dome, also have autonomous targeting capabilities
The main reason for not having a human in the loop in these systems is the need for rapid response. The devices have generally been used to protect personnel and installations against incoming projectiles. Systems with a higher degree of autonomy would include drones or unmanned combat aerial vehicles. Future Combat Air Systems will include jet-powered drones that can autonomously search, identify and locate enemies, but will only engage with a target when authorized by mission command. Upcoming applications of unmanned undersea vehicles might include mine clearance, mine-laying, anti-submarine sensor networking in contested waters, patrolling with active sonar, resupplying manned submarines, and becoming low-cost missile platforms. Russia is developing a new intercontinental, nuclear-armed, nuclear-powered, undersea autonomous torpedo named 'Status 6.' The Russian Federation is also actively developing artificially intelligent missiles, drones, unmanned vehicles, military robots and medic robots. Israel is developing military robots, including ones as small as flies. China is developing large autonomous submarines suitable for reconnaissance, mine placement, and suicide attacks against enemy vessels. The US Navy is developing unmanned 'ghost' fleets of ships.
"There is no time for a moral debate," Sousuke claimed as he made an active accounting of all available parts and tools. Several military experts and roboticists have argued that autonomous weapons systems should not only be regarded as morally acceptable, but also that they would in fact be ethically preferable to human fighters. The judgments of autonomous weapons systems will not be clouded by emotions such as fear or hysteria, and the systems will be able to process much more incoming sensory information than humans without discarding or distorting it to fit preconceived notions. Naturally, there are those on the opposite side of the fence, who base their opposition on moral grounds. The United Nations sends artificial intelligence (AI) experts to meet in Geneva routinely, to push ahead with efforts to restrict the development of lethal autonomous weapons systems. 'Artificial Intelligence has the potential to accelerate progress towards a dignified life, in peace and prosperity, for all people,' they are wont to say. Even in civilian life there are obstacles, including ethical issues which must be taken into account: cybersecurity… human rights…. privacy… and things of that ilk.
"Robots cannot feel anger or a desire to 'get even' by seeking retaliation for harm done to their compatriots." Sousuke said to himself. "I believe that people confuse machine autonomy with moral autonomy. Roomba vacuum cleaners are autonomous. So are Patriot missiles. No one has problems with household robots." He scratched Kaname's head. "There are no blueprints for my concept," he lamented. But, his spirits were still high. He had seen a CD cover. Kurz had been jamming to the 'Thundersteel' album by American power metal band Riot. The cover art depicted a humanoid torso and upper body built atop a tracked base. He had the base. He had the upper portion, too. The humanoid portion was unfinished, lacking legs at this point. He saw the basic structures laying on one work bench, but was not dismayed by their rudimentary construction. They would have proven to be less powerful, slower, and with a much lower run time than the self-driving unit he would make use of. "But, I need no guide plans. I will simply add part 'A' to part 'B'. There is a high likelihood of success, giving the work done before me."
Fully autonomous vehicles have been an international pursuit for many years, from endeavors in Japan, Germany, Italy, the European Union, the United States of America, and other countries. DARPA… Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency… funded the development of the first fully autonomous robot beginning in 1966. The first autonomous ground vehicle capable of driving on and off roads was developed by DARPA as part of the Strategic Computing Initiative beginning in 1984. The Grand Challenge was the first long distance competition for driverless cars in the world; other research efforts in the field of driverless cars take a more traditional commercial or academic approach. The U.S. Congress authorized DARPA to offer prize money of one million dollars for the first Grand Challenge to facilitate robotic development, with the ultimate goal of making one-third of ground military forces autonomous by 2015. Prize money was increased in subsequent Grand Challenges. The competition was open to teams and organizations from around the world, as long as there was at least one U.S. citizen on the roster. Teams have participated from high schools, universities, businesses and other organizations. More than one hundred teams registered in the first year, bringing a wide variety of technological skills to the race. In the second year, close to two hundred teams from thirty-six U.S. states and four foreign countries entered the race. In this, the third competition, the numbers had more than doubled. Jindai high school was teaming up with Tokyo University and several national business corporations.
That wasn't the only DARPA money at stake. The DARPA Robotics Challenge (DRC) was moving in new directions as well. Initially, the U.S. Department of Defense put together a strategic plan that called for innovation in human-supervised robotic technology for disaster-response operations, since some disasters, due to grave risks to the health and wellbeing of rescue and aid workers, prove too great in scale or scope for timely and effective human responses. The primary technical goal of the DRC was to develop human-supervised ground robots capable of executing complex tasks in dangerous, degraded, human-engineered environments. Competitors developed robots that can utilize standard tools and equipment commonly available in human environments, ranging from hand tools to vehicles. Competitors were tasked with advancing the state of the art of supervised autonomy, mounted and dismounted mobility, and platform dexterity, strength, and endurance. Initial requirements for all entries was the ability to drive a utility vehicle at the site; travel dismounted across rubble; remove debris blocking an entryway; open a door and enter a building; climb an industrial ladder and traverse an industrial walkway; use a tool to break through a concrete panel; locate and close a valve near a leaking pipe; and connect a fire hose to a standpipe and turn on a valve. Illustrations of those robots usually demonstrated humanoid layouts, bipedal with two arms. But other clever configurations were cobbled together, too.
The next competition after that had been one designed to create useful robot systems for the home environment, devices that could do yard work, pilot home vehicles to perform pick-ups and deliveries, and to provide non-lethal means of home security. The Jindai team had submitted an entry for the rescue challenge, and had taken lessons learned from that contest to build on for the home challenge. Sousuke had been integral to the later project, providing a wealth of knowledge and experience with the actual defense devices that had been incorporated into the humanoid machine.
"That will suffice," Sousuke said, examining the self-driving vehicle. Lithium batteries provided power for powerful electric engines, which powered the drivetrain, which in turn gave motive capacity to a robust pair of rubber tracks good off-road ability. Large lights were mounted at the front and rear of the device, and long whisker-like wires served as a means to operate in environments where visual seekers mounted near the lights could not function. A post on top held various sensors and mechanical manipulation elements, which Sousuke deftly removed with a set of spanner wrenches. "That will fit on top of that." 'That' was the incomplete humanoid project which the young operative struggled to heft into place.
"Perhaps this will one day form the basis of my next export." Sousuke said. He thought of Bonta-kun briefly. He could learn from his mistakes with that seminal product. A suitor who had turned down purchase of the small A.S. had complained about the ridiculous appearance. How many police forces wanted a pacification system that looked like a Japanese fun park mascot?
He shivered, thinking a dark thought. He remembered something that made his and prior efforts seem childish, and made him look at the equipment in the club room as if it were Legos and Super Glue. The Plan-1211 Alastor. The world's first miniature, fully functional A.S. A design. One that Leonard Testarossa created himself, intended to be to be a highly compact ground combat unit that could be easily deployed and used in anti-personal and anti-materiel roles.
"But… it would be overkill for my purposes." Sousuke thought back to the Pacific Chrysalis episode. Alastors were highly successful against soft targets, given their combination of high mobility, firepower and defensive capabilities. They had the capacity to annihilate infantry units with ease. "Their vulnerabilities are in the joints. They are not unstoppable." Larger caliber munitions, 0.50 BMG and higher, would do the trick. Hopefully the yakusa were not packing heat for big game. His construct would be far less robust than an Alastor.
It was humbling, thinking of the genius of Amalgam's Mister Silver. But, that was neither here nor there.
He could only use the tools at hand. He was adept at that.
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PREP TIME
"First, the pattern of patrolling." Sousuke needed to set the parameters for the vehicle's travel. He wanted the newly-formed hybrid to be able to keep the school hallways safe, and to be able to work outside the building if necessary. Rudimentary programming details for both of those capacities allowed the vehicle to drive itself outside, and to run various test courses that the Engineering Club members had set up on school grounds. "Good. I can work with this." Sousuke had no way to design neural networks, write code, or build data packets. He had no familiarity whatsoever with C++ languages or simultaneous localization and mapping. But, he could use a mouse to highlight available choices, swiftly clicking on things he wanted and removing things that he did not. He was essentially an intellectual rodent nibbling at the work of giants.
Finished with the base, which he was gratified to find fully charged, Sousuke moved onto the project that he was intimately familiar with. He pushed a number of keys on a computer keyboard and brought the humanoid machine to life. "Good morning, Jeeves."
"Good afternoon," the device corrected Sousuke in an eerie synthesized voice, one which would be changed to something identical to human speech when time permitted. "Would you like the hedges trimmed… a trench dug… the lawn cut… or the trash taken out?"
"Negative," Sousuke replied. "Switch from 'yard car'e to 'home defense'." He watched as different sets of lights began blinking on and off before going out. Panels slid downward, uncovering equipment that he had supplied the club members. "Status report, systems installed and fully operational." There were trade-offs in A.I., of course. The system in the project were far removed from those in Al. However, the lesser device lacked an inquisitive nature and the annoying capacity for unsolicited verbosity.
"Dazzler system installed and fully operational," the robotic voice replied. A dazzler is a non-lethal weapon which uses intense directed radiation to temporarily disable its target with flash blindness. Targets can include sensors or human vision. Dazzlers emit infrared or invisible light against various electronic sensors, and visible light against humans, when they are intended to cause no long-term damage to eyes. The emitters on the project include a diode-pumped solid-state laser operate in green areas of the electromagnetic spectrum. The specific device had been modelled after the Dazer Laser Guardian by Laser Energetics, Inc. "Grenade launcher installed, but still in testing protocol, and hence unloaded. ." The launcher could propel stun grenades, or copies of the Saber 203 Grenade Shell Laser Intruder Countermeasure System, which uses a 250 mW red laser diode mounted in a hard plastic capsule in the shape of a standard 40 mm grenade. "The Mini-Scream is installed and fully operational." Based on the larger vehicle-mounted Israeli 'The Scream,' the mini-version is sonic blaster that shoots repeated pulses of sound at targets, leaving them dizzy and nauseous. "Gas projector is installed, properly titrated, and operational." During the 2002 Moscow theater hostage crisis, Russian special forces used 3-methylfentanyl in an attempt to induce sleep in both hostages and terrorists. Many of the hostages and terrorists… including all of the suicide bombers…were anesthetized, but some terrorists donned gas masks and thus were able to avoid the effects of the gas. While seven hundred hostages were rescued, more than one hundred died from exposure to the gas, because medical professionals did not know which gas had been used, and the antidote to the opioid had not been available on hand. "Taser gun is installed, fully loaded, and operational." A pistol like device could fire 'taser bullets,' a human electro-muscular incapacity round that could stun a target for at least thirty seconds, and in most cases about three minutes duration. "The Strapper is installed, but is currently unloaded." That device utilized the extendable arms of the machine to apply large heavy-duty rubber capture bands specially produced by the Alliance Rubber Company."
"Good," Sousuke said, happy with the general load. Lifting tarpaulins, sifting through boxes, and checking large cabinets, he located the large spool of capture bands and clicked the massive cartridge in place on the machine. He began typing on the keyboard again. "Your numerical designation for this mission is ARX-1/2. Your code name is 'Al Junior.' Do you copy?"
"Affirmative, operator." The machine did not know the name of its controller, unless it was entered into the system for security purposes. Sousuke chose to leave things anonymous. He did not need to receive credit for saving the school.
"Autonomous mode is fully employed," Sousuke said. "I will set specific parameters." Sousuke began typing again, entering simplified criteria, seeing that he was slow at typing, and he wanted to send the hybrid creation on patrol as soon as possible. It would do little good if the yakusa struck while he was in this facility dithering about.
He spoke as he typed in the final entries: "Humanoid… H… U… M… A… N… O… I… D. Red Sashes. R… E… D… S… A… S… H… E…S." He brought up a pull-down screen based on a color chart present on Google, which he accessed through an internet connection on the computer system. He provides specific color shades as examples of 'red,' including Scarlet, Imperial red, Indian red, Spanish red, Carmine, Ruby, Crimson, Rusty red, Fire engine red, Cardinal red, Chili red, Cornel red, Fire brick, Madder, Redwood, Chopcolate cosmos, Dark red, Maroon, Barn red, Turkey red, Cinnabar, and Blood red. "Uhhhh-hhh-hh-h." He debated the final entry on the color chart. It was 'Lust red.' "After the day's events, it seems appropriate." Naked girls. Horny dogs. The pornographic magazine one boy had smuggled into homeroom. Rude comments he had heard throughout the morning.
"Are the instructions entered?" Sousuke asked.
"Affirmative, operator." The machine replied.
"Commence patrol." Sousuke pushed buttons to second the verbal command. He watched as the tracked base performed a series of perfunctory test movements, pulling forward and backward… moving in circles… rotating in place… and the walked over to the doors and removed the broom. He nodded in satisfaction as the hybrid creation used wireless transmissions to prompt the double doors to the room to open. He was amazed at how silent the machine was.
"Patrolling." The autonomous robot headed out into the hallway.
"I will send you some extra eyes," Sousuke said, typing in some activation codes. Sleek black forms took to the air, rising off of cabinet tops and large shelving units. The four-rotor plastic drones carried cameras, and optical scanners. They would be sent throughout the school, and out onto the high school grounds and surrounding neighborhoods.
Sousuke checked Kaname's wristwatch. There was still time to call in to Mithril, to report things that he had seen and done, and to receive any useful intelligence available about world events and local operations. He also noticed the ring once again.
It was orange. As time passed, orange would give way to yellow, and yellow to black. He remembered what the doctor had said about black.
"This is Sergeant Sousuke Sagara… Urzu-7… ID number B-3128…." Sousuke identified himself when he reached the communication console officer aboard the TDD-1. "Please patch me through to the highest ranking member of the Special Response Team." That should be Lieutenant Commander Kalinin. If he was not available, First Lieutenant Clouseau would suffice.
"It's good to hear from you Angel," a voice said, when the connection was made. It was Kurz. Why was he answering? Yang Jun-Kyu, as a corporal, was the only member of the SRT ranked lower than Kurz. "In Ka-nah-may's body, you must be super excited to hear from me!"
"Why you?!" Sousuke was not in the mood to deal with Kurz. "Where is-"
"The old man is in a meeting," Kurz said, happy to put his friend and fellow A.S. pilot on edge. His reference was to Kalinin. "Manga-boy is in with him." That was a reference to Clouseau. "Gail is still dead." That joke did not go over well with Sousuke. It still would have been inappropriate, even if Kurz had used the proper designation for death, 'on patrol'. "Our favorite Sergeant Major is taking a massive dump, after last night's burrito and taco-eating contest." That was Mao. "Hummer and Sandraptor are off base. We still have no replacement for Speck." He laughed. "Lucky you… you got me…."
"Shit!" Sousuke mood soured. He felt no urge to eat the plain rolls that he was toting with him.
"But… wait… I bet I know who you really called to talk with…." Kurz laughed. "The pretty little Captain. Am I right? I know why you want her." He burst into song, singing in an ear-hurting falsetto imitation of Dave Edmunds in his Rockpile days:
"There are some things you can't cover up
With lipstick and powder
Thought I heard you mention my name
Can't you talk any louder?
Don't come any closer
Don't come any nearer
My vision of you
Can't come any clearer
Oh I just want to hear GIRLS TALK
Got a loaded imagination
Bein' fired by girls talk
It's a more or less situation
Inspired by GIRLS TALK
But I can't say
The words you want to hear
I suppose you're gonna have to
Play it by ear, right here
And now, girls talk
And they want to know how GIRLS TALK
And they say it's not allowed, GIRLS TALK
If they say that it's so
Don't they think that I'd know by nowwwww-wwww-www-ww-w… OUCH!"
That last exclamation was not part of the 1979 hit song. That was a response to the pain that followed a swift kick betwixt wind and water. A higher-ranking member of the SRT had returned from her visit to the water closet.
"I have a couple of better songs in mind," Mao said, watching Kurz bend over and moan. "Pain." That was a song by Three days Grace. "And 'Broken Bones'." That was a tune by Kaleo. "Sousuke… is that you?" She had taken the com receiver from Kurz's twitching hand.
"Affirmative," Sousuke replied. After Mao told him that Tessa was visiting the laboratory at the Neurological hospital, he gave her a report on his daily activities up to that moment.
"That's great!" Mao's glee was not usually a good thing. "That's just fucking great. I'm sure that the higher ups will think so, too." She had no doubt that someone would blow a gasket or two. Kalaini wouldn't; that man was just too calm and professional for her liking.
As it turned out, the Lieutenant Commander had gotten word of Sousuke's call, and had headed over to the communications area after finishing up with his meeting. Clouseau had passed by too, giving Kurz a disgusted look as he headed off to some other part of Merida Base.
"I'll take over, Sergeant Major," Kalinin told Mao. He took the receiver. "I am interested in hearing your report, Sergeant. First, I need to inform you of certain happenings. A cloaked Arm Slave has come ashore in Tokyo. We suspect Amalgam, and further surmise it must be some Codarl derivative. At this time, we are only observing, as the insertion of such a unit must certainly be meant as a diversion. Japanese Self Defense forces are having no luck. They have attacked unsuccessfully, placing fire at sites of damaged or destroyed buildings. They have received no return fire, or aggressive action of any kind."
"I have a major concern," Sousuke said. He told his superior officer about the camera crew, and specifically their military tattoos. "Those men were asking after myself, and about Miss Chidori." He paused, remembering a first impression. "Their leader… he reminded me of Kurz. Not his inappropriate actions. His movements as a former model. And… well… it might seem odd and reflexive… but I almost wondered if that man too might be an A.S. pilot."
"I see," Kalinin responded. "I an sending you a secure e-mail with photo attachments…" He was silent for a while, completing that effort. "Look at the faces I sent over. See if any look familiar." The snapshots were Intelligence photos that Mithril had on known Amalgam pilots.
"This one!" Sousuke had recognized one face. "Miyamoto Bokuden… alias Humphry Magunesiumu… codename Mr. Magnesium."
"Good work, Sergeant," Kalinin said. "Seeing that the A.S. in the Chūō-ku ward has been on station for a mwhile now, Bokuden cannot be its pilot at this time, obviously. That does not mean that he cannot take over that position at any time, should he prove to be a more adept pilot, and should Amalagam's efforts require someone of his skill. Of course.. should it prove necessary, we will send Arbalest to you. The A.S. is already loaded in its transport missile."
Other Intelligence information was exchanged in both directions. Kalinin gave a set of instructions, and then showed off his dry sense of humor. "Sergeant Sagara… if you wish… I can place Sergeant Weber back on the line."
"Sir! No sir!" Sousuke's response was adamant and immediate. "I need to keep my wits about me. I cannot be distracted. My next mission may prove difficult."
"Next mission?" Kalinin didn't understand what his subordinate meant.
"Home Economics class," Sousuke reported. "I believe that today's briefing will involve chicken. But, I only know one recipe, and it is for duck." He told them of the cooking lesson he had received, buried amongst an onslaught of jokes, during his helicopter flight out from the Neurological Hospital.
"You can apply that recipe to chicken, if you like." Kalinin smiled, before his face tightened up some. He had been thinking of poultry dishes that his wife had cooked for him, or meals the two of them had worked on together. "Here's another one." He spoke the general recipe for Chicken Plov, a scrumptious chicken and rice casserole recipe from Uzbekistan, with lots of carrots, onions, herbs and delicious spices. "Bon appetit, Sergeant," he said by way of signing-off.
Sousuke felt relieved, when Kalain had suggested that the Home Ec teacher would supply any recipe necessary; but, as a specialist, he always wanted to be prepared for anything. What experience could he bring to a cooking class?
"Perhaps these shall prove useful." He held the bag of rolls aloft. "No!"
That last exclamation was meant for a couple of dogs who had run in through the door that had been left open after the robot's exit. Both jumped up and failed at attempts to snatch the food.
Maybe he should have programmed the robot to clear the school of canine intruders, too.
"Hey, girlie!" A mascot walked past the room, stopping to blow 'Kaname' a kiss. It was Meron Kuma, an ungodly merger of grizzly and melon and a representative of Hokkaido prefecture. "Wanna take me on a personal tour? Wink wink."
"Mascots, too." Sousuke mumbled.
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