Kaiser's Foreword
-----------------
Hey there! Kaiser here. I've been absent from the game a while, but this
'little' fic right here should make up for it. I'll come out and say
this fiction is heavily inspired by Bubblegum Crisis Tokyo 2040,
Gasaraki, and to a lesser extent, Gundam Wing. As you can imagine it's a
mecha/sci-fi fiction, which is something I don't do very often. But I
really enjoyed writing this, and in the end it turned out to be the
longest original I have ever written (60,000+ words, longer than Rival
Rage 1). This fic is pretty detailed and lengthy compaired to my other
workings so if you plan on reading through it all at once, I suggest you
go grab a coffee first ^_^.
Here are some notes that you may want to know before we get started.
CMB Data: Cardio-Muscular-Brainwave Data
AG: Asuka Group
BP Levels: Blood Pressure Levels
ST Link: Space Time Link
AGIST: Asuka Group Industrial Skyscraper Tower
SU: System unit
CFL: Cybernetic Feedback Link
Anyways, sit, enjoy, and if you have any comments, mail me.
************
When I look out into the sky,
What do I see?
Clouds and storms, birds and bees,
What does it all mean to me?
When I look into myself,
What do I see?
Heartbreak and agony, jealousy and monotony,
What does it all mean to me?
How real could it be?
It's a steel heart and an iron soul,
It's just a thing that I've been told,
I don't think, I don't see,
I'm just a puppet with no sense of reality,
It's a steel heart and an iron soul,
A dead life in a world gone cold,
I don't think, I don't see,
If I could feel it I'd call it misery!
So when I look at the sky and say I'm on a roll,
Just remember my iron soul!
**********
STAGE 1: Tokyo Blossom
**********
"Oh dammit! My power cell is losing energy! You got a take on this,
Ryoko?"
"Calm down! I gave the power cell a recharge this morning, but it is
still damaged, like I told you! Just find the parts room and get the
fresh one! If everything goes to plan, you won't need your weapons so
don't worry about losing a little energy."
Tokyo Blossom sighed miserably. Her Mobile Shell seemed to be giving
more trouble than it was worth these days. This had to be the second
time in the current month that she had snuck into one of the Asuka
Group's warehouses to steal a spare part or appliance that Ryoko
couldn't get a hold of. Maintaining this thing was a mission in itself.
Without moving her legs, Tokyo Blossom nodded forwards and looked around
the wall she was hiding behind. There were no security guards or
policing Marionette shells for her to worry about. At least she didn't
have to worry about what her power cell might do if she had to fight
someone off.
Tokyo Blossom peered to stare at the other side, through the dark blue
glass of her head visor. No guards in that route either. But just before
she proceeded to run through the passageway to the parts room, she
looked upwards at the white painted ceiling. There were security cameras
every ten metres, either side of the corridor.
Thank god Ryoko had the floor plans for the warehouse. Tokyo Blossom
pressed the small button under the long slanted ear of her cyber helmet,
with the metallic fingers of her cyber gauntlet. Luckily this shell had
a radio frequency link, allowing her to make contact with Ryoko even
with miles of distance between them.
"Ryoko!" Tokyo Blossom began. "There's a security camera unit here! What
should I do? Should I blow 'um up or what?"
"Hold it. Just calm yourself and think for a second. If you do that
you'll alert the Asuka Group's security team of your presence."
"Well duh!" Tokyo Blossom said blankly. "So what the heck should I do?
Get my ass caught or risk running by, miss smarty-ass!?"
"... I'm going to ignore that, for your sake. Now settle down and think
about what you are doing. Are there any wires or cables close to the
cameras?"
Tokyo Blossom observed the hallway's security cameras. Of each camera
there were three wires connecting them to the wall, and the same applied
for the ones doing down in the opposite direction.
"There's three wires for each of the cameras, one green, one brown and
the other red. What should I do? Should I disconnect each camera by
cutting the wires?"
"Now you're using your brain." Ryoko said jokingly. "Disconnect the red
and green cables by going into combat mode and using your palm blasters.
That will cut the connection without triggering the alarm. But rest
assured that there will be someone going down there to check out the
problem, so you must be as quick as you can be while securing the power
cell."
"Gotcha."
Tokyo Blossom cut the COM link between herself and Ryoko, and geared up
for action. Mumbling the words 'combat mode initiate' the Mobile Shell
entered its battle frame. The gauntlets at her wrists extended and
linked with the surrounding armour of the arms, the visor over her eyes
sloping down to obscure her mouth from view. Each circuit of her armour
was now working at its peak efficiency, the perfect set-up for battling
anything that the Asuka Group could send at her. Tokyo Blossom extended
her wrist, aiming it upwards, so that it aligned with the camera closest
to her. Within the metal of her gauntlets palm, nestled in the centre,
was a small red orb that harnessed the power of her battery cell. With
the virtual crosshairs being emitted by her visor, Tokyo Blossom aimed
her palm at the camera and growled femininely as she fired. The orb shot
out a blast of red-hot energy, powerful and precise enough to cut
through the wire without alerting the security via the alarm system.
Tokyo Blossom repeated that process over and over again, until every
camera had been disabled, then gripped her fist and lowered her arm in
success. "Oh yeah! That's the aim of the Tokyo Blossom, baby! Now I
better get that power cell before Ryoko start complaining again..."
The Tokyo Blossom ran down the freshly safe corridor, unworried by the
security system. Like Ryoko had said, the warehouse had quite a few
passages, so Tokyo Blossom had to dodge and dart through all of them, as
stealthy and as quiet as she could do. After at least ten minutes of
searching, Tokyo Blossom exited the warehouse corridors and entered the
warehouse's storage area. The year may have been 2057, but the odd
Japanese warehouse didn't look any different than it had done sixty
years ago. At least from what TB had learned from classic information
discs. Dozens of crates were stacked on top of each other, the floors
were cracked and dusty, and filthy, un-cleaned windows at the top of the
room barely allowed moonlight to peer through from the night sky. Tokyo
Blossom eyed the whole room as best she could. Unlike the corridors,
there were sentries posted at certain locations around the large hall,
the most prominent being the three positioned around a halo-beam
surrounding some of the Asuka Group's three-year power cells.
In a flash, Tokyo Blossom resumed contact with Ryoko. "Ryoko!" She
whispered. "I made it to the holding chamber, but I think these Asuka
bastards have beefed up their security since last time."
"What are you up against? What are they and how many of them are there?"
Tokyo Blossom scanned the room again. "I'd say there is about fifteen of
the suckers. They're all level three combat Marionette Shells. A couple
of them are armed with laser hand cannons."
"Is there anyway you can get to one of the power cells without revealing
yourself?" Ryoko asked.
"I don't think so..."
"Then you are going to have to fight them. I know it's risky, because
your power cell was so damaged in the last fight but you have to do
this. How much energy do you think you have left?"
Tokyo Blossom observed the data readings on her visor. "The suit says it
has about 3% of its energy left."
"Damn!" Ryoko cursed. "Even though I recharged your current power cell,
its energy level still dropped by 22%. This is bad, but it gives you
about fifty minutes of full activity left. You have to destroy as many
marionettes as you can, then get out of there with the new power cell."
Tokyo B prepared herself. "Is there anyway I can reduce the amount of
energy I use in the fight?"
"Try dropping the suit's BP levels to 37%, and turn off AG coolant
system. It may get a little cold in that thing, but it's better than
dying."
"Right." Tokyo Blossom made the necessary adjustments to her Mobile
Shell, just as Ryoko asked. She pulled up her wrist, and the rectangular
indent of it opened up to reveal a small video-screen and miniature
keypad. Tokyo B tapped in a certain code, and then closed down the
mini-computer, locking it back in her gauntlet. The moment she made the
changes, she began to feel the effect on her body. The suit was a part
of her, ever since she made the ST-link with it. But there was no time
to think about that choice in her life.
Tokyo Blossom looked over through the room once more. The part she
needed, the power cell, was just a short distance away, only twenty
metres. If she made a dash for it, grabbed the thing, and then just blew
the hell out of there, then the plan might work. The only problem was
the marionette units that were covering the room. Those things may not
have been equipped with Army-standard SU's, but they weren't short on
simple sensory sight. They would detect her in no time at all.
"If only I had a diversion." Tokyo B mused quietly. "If only something
could... wait a minute..."
Though her visor masked it, there was a smile underneath Tokyo B's
headgear. The woman gave a brief chuckle as a brilliant plan came to her
mind. Bringing her arm up again, the Mobile Shell wearer aimed her palm
blasters at the sprinkler system on the ceiling of the warehouse. Level
3's were not waterproof!
In one second, Tokyo B shot at the twist cap along the pipes of upper
sprinkler system. Though the marionettes turned to stare at the point of
which the blast was fired, they could do nothing about it. Water poured
free from the ceiling as Tokyo Blossom triggered the sprinkler system,
some of that classic H2O running free on the unsuspecting robotic
sentries below. The metal soldiers, shaped as Mobile Shells, released
one after another of their robotic screams, collapsing as the water
shorted out their systems. Tokyo B grinned triumphantly.
"Take that you jerks!" Tokyo Blossom yelled.
Now free to act with the belief that she was in the clear, Tokyo Blossom
ran out in warehouse storage area. Her Mobile Shell was made of a
metallic alloy that was virtually waterproof. Japanese miners had dug
under into a reserve of the metal in the town of Kuji, shortly after the
2069 quake. After learning its incredible properties, scientists named
this substance 'kowarenai' or for short, Kowa-steel. However, Tokyo B's
plan didn't quite work out that way.
"What the hell?!"
Tokyo Blossom dove to the side to avoid the energy blasts that fired at
her from the front, the sound of compressed energy ringing in her ears.
She looked up and in front, and saw that two of the marionette shells
were still active. Even though their armour was being blasted under the
downpour of the sprinkler systems.
"That can't be!" Tokyo Blossom said. "Those two aren't standard
marionettes... if they can resist water like that... but they look
exactly like the rest... so how is it possible?"
Tokyo B didn't wait long to debate the issue, not that she had the
opportunity. The wearer of the Mobile Shell ran to her left with all the
swiftness her suit could muster, dodging the next chain of blasts that
the marionettes were firing at her. They were right in front of the
power cell that Tokyo B needed, there was absolutely no way she could
avoid fighting them. Tokyo Blossom leapt up into the air, the feet of
her armour were still as agile and as powerful as ever, and effortlessly
propelled her upwards. Tokyo B screamed fiercely as she descended toward
the marionette units from above, reaching her hand behind her back to
draw...
"Oh crap!" Tokyo Blossom sweat dropped. "I forgot that I left my sword
at Ryoko's place for her to repair too! Oh man, who came up with this
half-assed plan, anyway?!"
Tokyo Blossom veered away from the marionette she was landing near, and
cart wheeled to her right side, avoiding the third chain of energy
blasts freed from the laser guns. She continued to roll out of the way
of the blasts, dodging and diving until she rolled behind a
steel-sorting machine.
"Ryoko!" Tokyo B demanded. "You better have my sword ready when I get
back! Your plan sucks!"
"If you don't want the White Orchid Mobile Shell to get so damaged then
you should be more careful when you use it. Now stop complaining and
just concentrate on the task at hand. You still have the palm blasters
and your suit has lost none of its super-strength."
Tokyo B peered her head around the machine. The two marionette units
were closing in. "I wish I could just blow them all away with a Hyper
Blast, but I guess the armour doesn't have enough energy for that,
right?"
"Correct." Ryoko confirmed. "Just do what you can and get that power
cell."
"Geez! I am so gonna kick your ass when I get back, Ryoko!" Tokyo B
snapped playfully. She then looked back at the advancing marionette
unit. There had to be a way of fighting them without using the weapons
of her armour. Then her eyes picked up on what the marionettes were
holding.
"Those blasters!" Tokyo B thought. "I bet I could use those against the
enemy!"
With a new plan in mind, Tokyo Blossom dove away from the sorting
machine she was hiding behind, narrowly dodging the laser fire from the
attacking marionette units. One of those blasters could finish off the
enemy in no time, Tokyo Blossom was sure of it. The armour-donning
warrior ran past all the blasts that were being fired at her, growling
in irritation as their fire chased her around the room.
"Man, for a bunch of brainless robots, they sure have a lot of spunk!"
But there was no more need to run. Tokyo Blossom sighed with relief as
she reached one of the marionette units that had been disabled by the
sprinkler water, which was still coming down around her. The girl
kneeled down and ripped one of the blasters free from the grip of the
downed marionette unit, and placed her own grip on it with both of her
metal-covered hands. One of the fingers of said hand squeezed at the
trigger, and fired wave after wave of laser shots at the marionette
units that were chasing after her. Both went down, laser fire piercing
their metal body plates and destroying the sensitive wires and circuits
inside.
"Well..." Tokyo B began, dropping the gun. "That was a blast. Now I
better get the power cell and get the hell outta here."
Tokyo Blossom dashed back over to the power cell, noticing that the
speed of her running was decreasing by the minute. The power cell was
stacked on a stone podium, while an energy ring passed up and down the
podium at breakneck speed. It was a modern style of item protection, but
still had one fatal flaw...
Tokyo B kicked the cable that plugged it into the wall. "These things
are still new after all."
With a grin of triumph under her visor, Tokyo B grabbed the small power
cell in hand and ran back the way she came, through the passages that
led down into the sewers of Shinjuku. But, though she had not noticed, a
figure was watching her from the shadows. A figure that was clad in a
Mobile Shell.
"Very interesting." He said. "The White Orchid suit is still active...
and obviously has a new pilot. But if that pilot thinks that they can
steal from and defy the Asuka Group, they have another thing coming. I
will see you again..." The dark figure gripped the spear at his side
even tighter. "... Be sure of it..."
**********
"Man... what a roller coaster of a week..."
Akari collapsed onto her violet-coloured bed with a thump. Though she
had just woken up about three hours ago, she still felt tired. Her
muscles felt sore, her eyes felt even heavier, and she could barely move
a muscle without one big old bout of effort. Not that Akari was
overstressing herself or anything, it just seemed like her body wasn't
quite cut out for all the work she had been doing. For her 'legitimate'
work, it was even worse. Serving fast food customers while half-asleep
wasn't doing her any favours. That wasn't to say that Akari hated her
job or anything, well... actually she did, but hey, it paid well, and
that's the *real* reason most people like their jobs, right?
For Akari, such a job had to pay well. The indignation of having to work
at a fast food place was beyond belief. Stinking of grease and being a
'happy helper of Tokyo Burger's well oiled machine' was not the kind of
job that she was willing to deal with. Least of all right now. But fast
food joints had been springing up faster than cherry blossom trees in
autumn, ever since the 1990's. That boom seemed to be at its xenon right
now, especially in places like Roppongi, a district that attracted a lot
of foreign attention. It was probably like experiencing a slice of home
for them, and Akari could understand that much. Due to the growing
popularity of these fast food franchises, people were jumping like jack
rabbits to hop on the bandwagon. Akari was one of those people fortunate
enough to get a job with the biggest fast food joint in town, Tokyo
Burger.
Akari sighed, running a hand through her shoulder-long locks of snow
white hair. She remembered that today was Friday. She'd have to go in a
little later for a midday shift. Another day of serving greasy food and
drink to masses of hopeless gaijin and gaijin-wannabes. If it weren't
for the fact that the girls over at Tokyo Burger were so cute, Akari
would have dropped the job months ago.
Just at that moment, the light and beeping siren of Akari's doorbell
system went off. "Someone's here? At this hour? Geez man. It's only
5.30 in the morning."
Akari pushed herself off the bed with both arms and strode over the
intercom box hanging beside her bedroom door. Every room in her
apartment was fitted with one, just so that she knew who was at her door
at all times. And although she was dressed only in a very large
sweatshirt that barely ran passed her thighs, Akari didn't mind
answering the door. If there was one thing Akari Minako was proud of, it
was her body.
The white-haired girl pressed the button of her intercom box, speaking
towards it. "Hello?"
"Akari? It's me, Ryoko."
"I should have known." Akari said. "Come on up, Ryoko."
Akari stepped away from the intercom box, after switching the button
that allowed Ryoko entry into her apartment. As she walked back to the
bed, her bare feet narrowly stalked through the piles of panties, used
wrappers and CD cases. Her place was a mess, in great fashion, but Akari
had done nothing about it. She was not much of that 1950's 'home-keeper'
type of Japanese woman. The year was 2057, and a messy apartment was
considered fashionable to a certain extent. Of course, Akari's place
went right past that extent and didn't look back. Not that she cared
much, she was just comfortable living the way she was, even though Ryoko
may have regarded her as a 'slob' for it.
Speaking of Ryoko, the 23-year-old worker just happened to walk in
through Akari's bedroom door, at the same time that Akari fell back onto
her bed.
"Akari?" Ryoko said questioningly.
Akari just nuzzled her head into her pillow, not even bothering to look
at her friend. "I'm tired, Ryoko. Do you know what time it is? It's half
past five in the morning. It was just seven hours ago that you sent me
on that screwed up mission, to grab that power cell. So if I'm a little
sleepy, then you can understand why, right?"
"Is this all getting too much for you?" Ryoko asked.
"All what?"
"Working a daytime job and being Tokyo Blossom at the same time?"
Akari sighed once more. "I don't have much of a choice, do I? The
ST-Link is on me right now. Unless I die, no one else can pilot the
White Orchid like I can. Besides... I have to stop those Asuka Group
bastards if it's the last thing I do."
Ryoko crossed her arms. "Which is why I put you to such lengths to get a
new power cell. The White Orchid Mobile Shell can't run without power,
Akari. Now that we have a new power cell, we don't have to worry about
missions like that."
"Yeah, until the next time you need a rare spark plug for my robot's
chasse."
"Stop complaining." Ryoko said. "Everything turned out fine didn't it?
You are alive, we have the new power cell, and I'm already starting work
on the Mobile Shell for you. Your weapons should be restored soon,
including your sword."
Akari softened her hostility a bit. This was just as hard on Ryoko as it
was on her. And to be fair, Akari couldn't do this without Ryoko. Ryoko
Zabuya was a member of the Asuka Group, working in one of their many
accounting departments at the AG's main building. But at night, she was
the one mechanic that could tangle with a system as complex and as
demanding as the White Orchid. And considering the fact that there were
only six Mobile Shells in the world, including the White Orchid, Ryoko
was doing a pretty good job. The younger girl pulled herself up into a
sitting position and smiled sweetly at the older Ryoko.
"I'm sorry, Ryoko." Akari said in earnest. "I guess we really are acting
like a pair of ex-girlfriends, huh? You're always nagging at me, I'm
always driving you crazy, guess you and I are up there with the best of
'um."
Ryoko blushed for thinking of that. She and Akari were best friends now,
but it had been much more than that last year. Ryoko recalled leaving a
class late and going to Tokyo Burger for a quick meal before heading
home. While queuing up behind the other consumers, she noticed that one
of the waitresses kept staring at her from behind. While she kept her
calm, Ryoko had to admit the flattery she felt. Then after buying what
she wanted, Ryoko was about to leave, until she bumped into a student
who spilled a milkshake all over her. Naturally Ryoko was about as
embarrassed as you can imagine, but the flirtatious waitress took her
around to the back and helped her get cleaned up. While they were doing
that, the two of them got talking and that was how they met each other.
Though things had moved fast, later on that night, even before that
trademark cup of coffee, Ryoko slept with Akari. It was the beginning of
a healthy relationship though, for the both of them. But, like all
relationships, it didn't last, and Ryoko and Akari split up in December.
They had agreed to stay friends, which was successful, and their battles
with the Asuka Group had never been effected either. Still, there was a
little tension there. They asked each other's permission before seeing
someone else, and Ryoko could not mistake the slight jealousy she felt
from seeing Akari with other women. Even now, when Akari's 19th birthday
was coming up, Ryoko was still debating about what kind of present she
was going to get for the girl. She didn't want it to seem like she still
had... feelings for Akari, even if she did, which was making her wary of
just what kind of message she might send out if she gave Akari something
expensive.
But hey, that was the friendship of Akari and Ryoko, halfway between
lovers and friends, abrupt lust and simple liking. Through all of their
battles with the evil of the Asuka Group, that crazy ride of a
connection they had was not weakening, and was showing no future signs
of it either, no matter how much they argued with each other.
"For sure, Akari." Ryoko said. "That's just the way we are with each
other I suppose. Now, yesterday when you came back to my place, you said
something about an irregularity in the marionette units that you faced?"
"Yeah... it was weird. I turned on the sprinkler system of the warehouse
to disable them, and most of the suckers went down, but the two guarding
the power cell weren't fazed. They looked *exactly* like standard level
three combat models, but their armour was waterproof."
"Really?" Ryoko said in disbelief.
Akari just nodded. "Yup."
"Hmm..." Mused Ryoko, holding a hand to her chin. "It looks like the
Asuka Group is cracking on to us. Up until now, we've kept your Mobile
Shell from the government as well as the public, but I guess that
slip-up in Shibuya really killed your cover."
"You're kidding, right? It blew my cover right out the window. I even
saw a picture of myself in the Mobile Shell in last week's Tokyo News
CD. Everyone knows about Tokyo Blossom now. I'm becoming a cult legend.
So the Asuka Group will be doing all they can to track me down... but I
won't let them stop me. Not after what they did..."
"We can't give up. Not until we make the world see just what the Asuka
Group is like. But it's going to be so hard. They already have a
foothold in parliament. What's more, they supply this city with so much
electrical goods that they could bring us to a standstill if they
stopped providing it. Tokyo relies so much on machinery these days...
companies like the Asuka Group will have no problems in manipulating
that weakness for their own gain."
Akari narrowed her eyes. "That won't ever happen. Not as long as I have
my Mobile Shell."
**********
Shigure bowed down from the waist downwards, tilting his head as low as
it would possibly go in order to present his respect. And as he looked
upon his leader with dark, calculating eyes, he found himself in awe
once more. No matter how many times his marble orbs glanced at Queen
Sagi, Shigure could never replace that insanely large feeling of wonder,
of enchantment. That thrilling notion of watching the future of humanity
so neatly rolled into one woman.
Even in this room, the largest and highest room in the entire complex of
the Asuka Group Industrial Skyscraper Tower (The AGIST), Queen Sagi
seemed like something out of an ancient prophecy, an unholy-angel
descending from the clouds of heaven and ascending from the flames of
hell. The formally dressed man looked across the room at his empress,
standing poised in the middle of the darkly decorated room. Queen Sagi
stood with blank emerald eyes, her arms hanging loosely at her sides.
Her body wrapped with nothing the molecules of air surrounding her,
completely naked, though her demeanour possessed no shame, embarrassment
or fear. Her dark black hair, so extensive and so elongated, spilled off
her shoulders and down into the ground, which then trailed along the
floor in different streaks, reaching the far wall. Those thick tresses
were attached to sockets and openings in the walls, each of those gave
Queen Sagi connections to the computer terminals in the building, her
mind was in link with the entire computer system of the building.
Shigure still could only blink. Queen Sagi was such a sight to behold.
Her physical development ended as she reached the age of 18, so her body
was so youthful and innocent. But her mind and voice possessed the
maturity of an adult female, the knowledge and power flowing through her
mind and cells were merely a crown on this queen's head. The combination
of a young woman's beauty and a commanding adult's mind made Queen Sagi
something... beyond purity. Beyond any notion such as final or ultimate,
perfect and flawless. That was Queen Sagi, leader and unchallenged ruler
of the Asuka Group.
Before long, Queen Sagi's blank eyes became bright with passion and
intensity, gazing at her subordinate with a powerful superiority.
"Shigure..." Her beautiful voice spoke. "What have you to report to me?"
Shigure rose to his feet. "My queen, I bring you news of the Mobile
Shell that was lost those three years ago. The Mobile Shell known as the
White Orchid."
"Speak on."
"Yes, my queen." Shigure continued. "The White Orchid was spotted
attacking one of our warehouses in Shibuya. As you know, we have had
many attacks on warehouses by rogues to our authority, but we have now
determined that the current wielder of White Orchid brought this along.
Whoever has been using it now is aware that only the Asuka Group has
created the necessary parts and chips that the Mobile Shells run on, not
least of which, the power cells that the operating systems need to
function at peak efficiency. We cannot allow this rogue to attack us in
such a way anymore. For if information about MS unit reached the wrong
hands..."
"The mass media are already aware of the existence of the White Orchid."
Queen Sagi chided. "Though they know nothing of its true origin. They
know not that the Asuka Group manufactured them... the MS units were my
father's dream... we possess five... the final one must be secured. It
will be a detriment to our efforts if it is not."
"I know this, my queen. Which is way I have devised a plan to lure out
the possessor of the White Orchid. Once we find out the identity of the
pilot, I shall kill them, thereby breaking the ST-Link and making the
White Orchid Mobile Shell free to use."
Queen Sagi glared at Shigure. "As pilot of the Omega Mobile Shell, you
have the power to do that, Shigure Kagami. But do not underestimate your
opponent. The White Orchid is... a formidable tool for destruction. You
must do all in your power to reclaim the White Orchid before the
government discovers the Asuka Group's involvement in its creation."
"I understand." Shigure replied.
It was then that Queen Sagi crossed over into more important matters,
ones that she was a little more concerned about. "Now... I must ask
you... how has the Origin Scheme gone to plan? I have not the power to
foresee its fruition."
"It is underway. Test Sample 000..." Shigure shuffled slightly when he
saw that magnificent look of irritation in Sagi's eyes. "I mean...
Kagome, is ready for transportation to the AGIST. She is not... quite
ready for contact with Neganas, but in due time..."
"Make sure she is ready soon." Queen Sagi shut her eyes for a second,
then merged her mind with one of the video cameras perched on the AGIST
rooftop, observing the bright night sky that was about to fall into the
morning sun. "The hour is fast approaching. When the stars are in
alignment, and the sky turns bright with glee... that is when I shall
rear my children... to rear humanity's destiny..."
"I look forward to that time too, my Queen." Shigure said.
Queen Sagi stretched a smile. "I know. You have been so loyal to me,
Shigure Kagami. That is why I wish you to be careful on the battlefield.
Please adorn your efforts with as many of attack corps as you please."
"The Attack Corps?" Shigure gasped. "But those units are only used for
special missions and oversees affairs. Even now, the second division is
in the Middle East, refining oil suppositories from outlanders on the
border. Besides, where will we stage the fight in secrecy? Land Golem
mechs and Earth Crabs are armaments that were created by the Asuka Group
for ground level military use... I fear the Japanese Regular Army may
learn the nature of the Attack Corps's origin."
"Do you not think I know that?" Queen Sagi asked rhetorically. "I can
read your mind... your soul, Shigure Kagami. You cannot stage the battle
in this city. The media would detect any damage or fallout with speed
the likes of which you have never seen. Take the fight outside of Tokyo,
use three of the Attack Corps's Land Golems, and decide on how many
marionette units will be used. You must capture the White Orchid before
it causes any more annoyances for the Asuka Group. I am counting you, my
knight."
Shigure nodded with a small smile, walking backwards towards the door of
the room. "I will do all that is in my power to serve and defend you,
Queen Sagi."
Within a few seconds, Shigure was gone. The automatic doors slid closed
as he exited the room, leaving behind only Queen Sagi, the great leader
of the Asuka Group. Sagi's smile left her face as Shigure left the hall.
That fallen smile was replaced by a frown, and Queen Sagi's bright
emerald eyes looked downwards, her heart suddenly heavy. Images of a
person, a woman appeared in the back of her vast mind, a picture of a
young girl, bright and cheerful, dancing in the wind, on a grassy plain.
An image of Asuka, her Asuka.
"Asuka..." Queen Sagi said gently, her voice slow and drawn. "If only
you would have stayed loyal to me, my love... I would not have to
eliminate your daughter... she would have been our daughter... and you
would still be here... with me."
***********
"Cruising down to Osaka! Passing time away! She's calling me a baka!
It's just another day! In Osaka, in Osaka! Living it up with friends,
going back to my old ends, they call it new trends, where I live it all
depends, on Osaka, on Osaka!"
Akari sung along to the Neo Gentatsu Boys song (Osaka!). She always felt
like this on a fresh morning. The sun was shining, the radio was
booming, and brand new possibilities were on the horizon. It had been
two days after that mission to retrieve a power cell from an Asuka Group
warehouse. Everything had been going well since then. There was a flood
at the branch of Tokyo Burger she worked at, something about at broken
pipe. Luckily, Akari hadn't had to go into work because of that leak,
now she could just lean back and enjoy being paid for doing nothing for
the next three weeks. Ryoko had asked her about signing in for a late
course in a university to occupy more of her time, but Akari just
refused. She had left academics straight after high school, something
that she had to do. As soon as Akari hit 18, she wasn't eligible for
financial support anymore, regardless of the fact that she had no
family. So that was the major reason for getting a job. Thankfully,
Akari was pleased that she hadn't continued with her studies into
further education. School was not her strong point, work was. It was
better for everyone in the long run.
The white-haired girl continued to flick through the magazine on her lap
and munch down on one of the egg rolls she had left over from last
night. Re-heated food never tastes as good, but it was better than
nothing. Between bites, Akari began singing again, till the Neo Gentatsu
Boys song ended on the radio station.
"That was this week's No.2 hit, Osaka! by the Neo Gentatsu Boys, I hope
you all enjoyed it! Now, before we play a few more rocking tunes, lets
get hit with a fresh news report by our resident anchor, Yoko Zaibashi!"
"Thanks, Nobosaki." Yoko said over the radio. "In a fresh breaking
report, the Korean government and its leader Kyoung Sunh Jun has
released their response to the UN's call for peace talks between the
rebel Korean Guerrilla forces and the Japanese Special Forces. With a
great determination, Sunh Jun has claimed no connection to the
simultaneous terrorist attacks on the cities of Matsue, Shimonoseki and
Fukuoka. In addition, he has denied that the Korean Army have use of any
weaponry that was used so ruthlessly in the attacks, not least of which
being the experimental marionette battle androids that the Japanese
government had released details of in the wake of last year's failed
disarmament pledge. Kyoung Sunh Jun has expressed his sorrow for the
loss of life in the three attacked cities, but will hold no
responsibility for the actions of the 'White Blade' terrorist force. It
is yet unknown how he will help in mediating the conflict between Japan
and the post-war rebels, but he has assured the press of his role in
future developments of this issue and of his dedication in supporting
the Japanese government in subduing the White Blade terrorists. On
lighter news..."
Akari sighed. Things kept boiling over and over with that issue. Not
that she cared much, but then she was not indifferent, either. Back in
2037, Korea (under the leadership of its former leader, Minh Kou)
assumed the position of a military state and had begun to alter laws in
such a way that they had more or less reaffirmed a dictator's position
of power with legal means. It had been only until Korea (in 2047)
launched a missile-testing programme in the islands outside of the
Korean straits that Japan began to realize that they were the next focus
in Minh Kou's bid for power. The Japanese responded to this illegal
testing with a plea to the UN to place a stern form of tariff on major
Korean imports until Minh Kou agreed to leave islands, which had
belonged, by right, to the state of Japan. The UN refused to impose
tariffs on Minh Kou, further angering the Japanese parliament. It was
the general belief in Japan that America had denied the tariffs out of
spite, due to the 'Second Cold War' that had formed between Japan and
the US over the marionette debate. So when Minh Kou, with some glee,
continued to test his missile programme on the islands outside of the
Korean straits, the Japanese responded with a brutal attack on November
21st 2047. Minh Kou and the Korean army knew full well that they could
use propaganda to twist that into a declaration of war, and by December
of that year, the Korean army had done just that.
The Korean-Japanese war of 2048 was no joke by any standard. It
stretched out for almost eight years until the Korean government had
surrendered due to exhaustion of resources. That was the war that saw
the first official military use of the marionette units as a standard
weapon. The robotic dolls, shaped like Mobile Shells but running on a
prototype form of battle-based AI. Those ruthless killing machines had
stolen so many lives during the war that Korea had no choice but to
surrender. Once the Korean government was restored in 2056 (last year)
Minh Kou was executed amid cheers and tears of the people who had
suffered his subjugation for over 19 years. But the world had become
suspicious of Japan and the use of the marionette units. Even though
countries such as America, Germany, Russia and Britain had begun their
own manufacturing of marionettes, no country in the world had
technological superiority over the Japanese models. Thusly, in the
current year, Japan had gotten into a sort of arms race with both
America and Russia, all three countries building up levels of marionette
units so numerous that it seemed like the world was on the dawn of a new
age of warfare and destruction.
The current threat to the world could be solely placed on one faction,
the financial company that had manufactured and designed the marionette
units, their original creators. The Asuka Group.
All of the current madness was down to Asuka Group, Akari was sure of
that much. They had single-handedly isolated Japan from the rest of the
world, and put the country into disfavour with the United Nations. And
what was worse, the Asuka Group had not stopped manufacturing these
marionette units for use in warfare. The current terrorist attacks by
the Korean Post-war separatists (the White Blade) were a simple reminder
of the discontent that the earth felt with Japan. But they also served
another purpose. By presenting another threat to the security of the
Japanese state, the White Blade was giving the government the perfect
excuse for using the new, more modern marionette units on the field of
battle.
It was another of the many reasons why Akari was so determined to stop
the Asuka Group. They were jeopardising the security of Japan in all
ways possible. And more than that, they were creating a new threat to
mankind. The marionette unit... though it acted and fought like a human,
it was still just a machine. Now the whole world was arming themselves
with such weapons. But they weren't really 'weapons' anymore. The world
was creating mechanical soldiers, to fight the fights they were too
cowardly to fight and had recklessly started. Cliché as it sounded, the
Asuka Group, and the world for that matter, were cheapening the meaning
of being a soldier, and the value of straightforward human labours.
"Damn Asuka Group." Akari said scornfully. "Making machines fight like
human beings. What's the point of a war if the people don't fight it?
It's like children playing with plastic swords... nothing but a game.
And it's always the children behind the swords who regret their actions
when one gets fucked up by the other... so... so why do they keep doing
it... why do we keep doing this to each other?"
Just as Akari thought that statement over, her videophone went off.
Akari took one last bite of her egg roll, munching it down, then putting
aside her magazine. The young girl, dressed only in her oversized
Tokyo-Zappers (current champs of the national baseball league)
sweatshirt, plopped over to the ringing videophone, tapped a few keys on
the keypad, bringing up the image of the caller on the screen. Ryoko.
"Morning, sunshine." Ryoko said beaming.
Akari rubbed her eyes a bit. "Did you hear the news? Kyoung Sunh Jun
says he ain't part of the White Blade. I guess this will put a hold on
the plans for those Asuka Group guys, huh?"
"Not quite." Responded Ryoko. "The testing of the new marionettes may
not be taken on the White Blade. It looks like the Asuka Group has
convinced the government to play it safe. I think that the Asuka Group
are going to test them outside of real combat. On you."
Akari blinked. "You're kidding!? You think those marionettes that I
fought a couple days ago are part of the new line that the Asuka Group
has been commissioned to make by the Army?"
"It wouldn't surprise me. Think about it. It explains why two of the
marionettes you faced didn't malfunction when you doused them with water
in the warehouse."
"But that warehouse was smack bang in the middle of Shibuya!" Akari
said. "They wouldn't actually test those things on me when we're inside
Tokyo would they?"
Ryoko shut her eyes. "Remember who we are dealing with, Akari. The Asuka
Group is ruthless. We have to be prepared for anything that they send at
you. As soon as the government finds out what the Asuka Group is really
like, they can be stopped. But until then, we have to keep them from
unveiling the new line of marionettes. Those things can cause more
damage than we ever believed."
"Tell me what I need to do!" Pleaded Akari. "As long as the White Orchid
Mobile Shell stays true to me, Tokyo Blossom can handle anything."
"Good. I have information on something that could help us. Since the new
line of marionettes will be revealed in three weeks time, we have to be
fast. The marionettes run on a chip that is linked to the same satellite
that houses the space cannon (World Slayer), the NOA3. Without this
chip, marionette units cannot operate to their fullest potential. But it
is a one of a kind make, so they can only be copied right now, not
remade. At least not without some great effort."
Akari sighed. "Okay... and exactly what has this got to do with
anything?"
"The chip that is being copied is called the CFL, Cybernetic Feedback
Link. A train is transporting it to Yokohama tonight. If you can sneak
onto that train and destroy the chip, the Asuka Group's plans will be
delayed for months. The train is leaving from Shinjuku ni station at
8.00 tonight. Just get yourself on it and you should have no problems."
"How am supposed to get back to Tokyo without being caught out?"
Ryoko scratched the back of her head. "Well... I haven't really... come
up with a solution to that just yet so, you'll have to bare with me, I
guess..."
"Are you out of you're mind?!" Akari yelled. "How am I gonna get home?"
"Just destroy the thing as early as you can. Yokohama is only about
twenty miles away from the nearest checkpoint. If you finish the job by
then..."
Akari's bright eyes rolled. "I suppose I don't have much choice."
**********
7.53, Shinjuku ni station. Tokyo Blossom leaned against the wall of the
alley leading up the nearest train platform. It was going to be pretty
easy to get on the train, but extremely difficult to keep from getting
discovered. Armed guards of the Asuka Group constantly patrolled the
stone platform leading up to the automatic opening ports of the train.
Tokyo Blossom's anger was with the machinery of the Asuka Group, not its
human operatives, but there was no way she could let her feelings stand
in the way of seizing the CFL chip. Human or not, she had to complete
her mission as given to her by Ryoko.
The armoured girl leaned her head toward the gap of the alleyway, and
studied the armaments on one of the soldiers at the platform. Her x-ray
scanners eyed the man over, going beyond his clothing, flesh and blood
and probed all that he could possible be holding. Aside from the large
laser blaster in his hands, there was a knife at his leg, a revolver at
the other leg, and a set of spare bullets around the man's waist.
"Looks like the Asuka Group mean business." Tokyo B said. And with good
reason. The guard was armed to the teeth with weapons. Though none of
them stood a chance against Tokyo B's arsenal, any normal person could
prove to be a problem for them as well. Just goes to show how forward
thinking humans can be. Tokyo Blossom switched off the x-ray sensors of
the White Orchid suit and returned to normal vision. There were only
three guards on this side of the platform. If she snuck past them, as
quickly as the Mobile Shell would allow, maybe she could reach one of
those entry ports undetected.
Tokyo B decided that was the only possible way, and went for it. The
armoured girl steeled her will to succeed, let the necessary juices flow
and dashed out of the alleyway and across the platform. None of the
guards noticed the quick flash of white and blue, and with some glee,
Tokyo B ran into one of the entry ports of the train. She stopped
running as she entered the train's third cart, the third of the total
ten. Ryoko's sources had told her that the chip was in the second cart,
just one ahead.
"Alright!" Tokyo Blossom whispered. "Maybe I can destroy the chip
without even leaving the station!"
The confident armour girl slowly began to amble to the door linking cart
3 with cart 2, treading as carefully as she possibly could. Though this
train didn't quite seem as advanced as others of this day and age,
weight sensors could have been installed under the steel of the floor.
With the weight of the White Orchid, she would have been easily detected
if that were the case. Tokyo Blossom continued to idly walk down the
path to the door, past the crates of goods and parts that the Asuka
Group would be transporting to Yokohama. Eventually, Tokyo B came to the
door. Her sensors had already picked up on the system lock keeping that
thick door closed. Still, it was no problem for the White Orchid, when
it had contact with Ryoko.
"Ryoko?" Tokyo Blossom whispered. "Can you hear me?"
"Yup. Speak on."
"I need the codes for the system lock on the door to the second cart of
the train."
"No problem." Ryoko answered. "The code is 00912740."
Tokyo B memorized the code, and tapped it into the keypad hung next to
the door. After the metallic fingers of her power gauntlet finished
their jobs, the voice response of the system lock spoke out.
"CODE VERIFIED." It said. "ACCESS APPROVED."
The door slid to one side, allowing Tokyo B access into the second cart
of the train, She ran in without a qualm in the world, but stopped and
looked on in utter shock when she realized that...
"There's nothing here!" She barked. "What the hell is this?"
Tokyo Blossom studied the place over. There was absolutely nothing in
the entire cart. Not even a crate or bag or something. However, she was
unprepared for the next revelation that was about to unfold. Each of the
doors, one on either side of the cart, locked down straight away,
sealing up the cart. Before Tokyo B even knew what was happening, more
began to unfold. The windows that allowed partial view of the outside
suddenly closed up by metal plates, each one blocking out whatever light
that could possibly reach inwards. Aside from the locks on both doors,
there was nothing in that cart except for Tokyo Blossom. And she herself
couldn't understand what was happening.
That was until a voice called out to her from a hidden intercom. "Ha,
ha, ha, ha! I knew that by spreading false rumours about the CFL chip
that you would come here. Such a fatal mistake for the wielder of White
Orchid to make."
Tokyo B growled. "Shit. It was a damn set-up..."
"Correct!" The voice jabbed. "A trap you yourself have walked straight
into. You see, we in the Asuka Group cannot have a loose cannon running
about in that suit you wear. The White Orchid rightfully belongs to us.
By using it against us, you've dug your own grave."
"Damn you!" Tokyo B cursed.
The voice spoke back in surprise. "What is the matter? Have you no
brilliant plan to escape? No clever plan of freedom? No? I thought so.
Did you honestly believe that we would allow the most important tool for
our ambitions to be carried to and fro on a rickety train such as this?"
Tokyo Blossom managed to smile. "The thought had crossed my mind."
"Then more fool you. You shall pay for your arrogance. But I suppose
you've done us a great debt anyway. Thanks to you, we now have evidence
that there is a spy or traitor in the Asuka Group. We will find the
person who gave you the information... and deal with them."
"If you hurt a hair on her head, I'll destroy you!"
"So it's a woman?" The voice responded. "You just make this easier and
easier."
Tokyo Blossom blinked hard. She couldn't believe this. And now, Ryoko
might be in danger from the Asuka Group. If they found out that she had
been the one supplying Tokyo B with that information, then they would
surely kill her. The armoured girl had to find a distraction from this.
"Tell me where the real CFL chip is!" Tokyo B demanded.
The voice chuckled under his breath. "I'm offended that you still
believe that you can escape. But, I am a fair person, I shall make a
deal with you. If you somehow survive what I have planned for you, and
we someday face each other in combat, and you manage to defeat me, I'll
tell you its location. I think that's fair... heh, heh, heh, heh..."
Defeat him? "Are... are you a pilot of one of... the six Mobile Shells?"
"Yes I am. I will not ask for your name, since I doubt greatly that you
are foolish enough to give it to me, but I will tell you about me. I am
known as Shigure Kagami. I am the pilot of the Omega Mobile Shell and
captain of Asuka Group's personal marionette guard. I live only to bring
about the wishes and desires of our leader and benefactor."
"...Your leader...?" Tokyo Blossom questioned. "Who... is that?"
Shigure laughed once more. "You are not worthy to speak the name of our
queen. And this little chat is over. Prepare yourself, Tokyo Blossom.
You shall taste the fury of the Attack Corps!"
**********
A strong wind blew into the campsite. Blades of grass and branches of
trees were ripped apart by the ferocity of the winds passing into
Yokohama. Being that this was the middle of the night, no one had
expected to face such a wind. But then, plans that go to a direct
schedule will suffer from the risk of overlooked problems, one of them
being climate. Some of the armed guards stationed around the three large
tents hugged themselves to get over the coldness of the breeze. But at
least none of the artillery was being damaged. Both the four Land Golems
and the Ground Crab were armed and ready to roll. The mecha stood
proudly around the campsite, as if they were totally unaffected by the
strong winds that were making life miserable for the soldiers of the
Attack Corps.
Land Golems were a frightening site. Huge armoured beasts armed with a
shell cannon around two and a half metres in length. They were clunking,
large war weapons, like huge tanks forged into a humanoid form. Though
the Land Golems were painted with a sandy dark yellow, the arms and legs
of them were also painted over with combat stripes, the traditional
brown, black and green. It was in no way a form of camouflage, these
machines were unsuited to guerrilla warfare, but the colours stood as a
symbol of its place as a war weapon, for what it truly was. Land Golems
were considered to be to modern warfare, what the stealth jet was to the
20th century. The only reason that they had been neglected to use as of
late was because of the rising popularity of the marionette units. But
the Asuka Group, being the no.1 weapons manufacturer in the world, had
designed their Golems to the perfect level of power and durability. The
only drawback was the speed of them. Land Golems averaged at a speed of
about 0.5 mph, and at maximum speed (which made the contemporary
targeting system very hard to use) about 1.2 mph. They were completely
unsuited to stealth missions, but during that age-old battle of
attrition, the Land Golems were perfect for ground level combat.
The Ground Crab on the other hand, was very different to the Land Golem.
Ground Crabs were built for ground battle too, but that was where the
similarities ended. It stood at a height of twelve metres, most of this
height being given by the two pairs of eleven-metre long steel legs.
Those four legs allowed the Ground Crab to traverse lands at up to 3
mph, nearly three times faster than top speed of the Land Golems. Though
this wasn't exactly fast either, it was just right for isolated battles.
The interior of the Ground Crab was about one metre high and two and a
half metres long. Just large enough for a seated person to man it for
extended periods of time. The mounted cannon on the helm was the most
alluring part of the Ground Crab's charm, however. The cannon fired a
very powerful shell called the 'Valkyrie' that could smash through stone
and iron like so much butter. But like all weapons, the Ground Crab too
had its weaknesses. For one thing, the piloting system was very
complicated, so only highly experienced pilots could operate them.
Second of all was the cannon itself. Though large and very destructive,
the time it took to aim was unbearably slow. This meant that to get an
accurate shot, one had to rely on the positioning of the Ground Crab in
such a way that the shot was in the right direction. This in turn made
the need for a capable pilot essential.
The Land Golems and the Ground Crabs were a perfect match for each other
on the battlefield. A Ground Crab could destroy a Land Golem in one
shot, but a Land Golem would easily be able to take down a Ground Crab
before that shot was ever made, a common rivalry.
Those weapons stood ready for the challenge, ready for use against
whatever enemy that Shigure had lined up for the Attack Corps. Though
this was only a small portion of the AC's strength, the operatives
assigned to this mission were some of the best in the business.
Ex-soldiers that had fought in the Korean-Japanese war, and a commander
who had led missions against the rebels in Eastern Europe, during the
Middle Eastern oil shortage riots of 2018. But, the main focus that
should be taken here was on the youngster that was waiting within the
confines of those temporary combat tents. This girl was young, looking
about 17 years in age; her youthful emerald eyes slipped shut and her
long legs poised diagonally as she sat. But she was not asleep. A
metallic helmet was attached to her head, resting over her long tresses
of dark brown hair. The helmet itself was linked up with a mesh of wires
that trailed over to a computer system. A person manning the computer,
tapped in code after code, his face glowing with the light from the
screen.
"This is amazing!" He said. "Your CMB data is flawless! How is it that
such a young girl could carry such readings? It's almost as if you're
not human. Hmph! Regardless, your readings do prove your superiority. I
have no idea why Commander Kagami wanted you to keep you from use on the
battlefield, though. Your CMB data is too radical to be wasted like
this... but I suppose that's why you were transported to Yokohama with
such urgency, wasn't it? That journey from Kyoto that we undertook was
so heavily guarded, it was unbelievable and it is all down to you."
The man looked over at the girl. "So you shall be enjoying the wonders
of Tokyo, all too soon. I can tell that a lot of our ambitions hinge on
you... Kagome."
Kagome's bright green eyes fluttered open. "W-Where... am I?"
"Heh, heh, heh!" The man laughed. "You've no need to awaken. For this
test, we need your mind at the most tranquil level possible. Yes... you
are the perfect test sample for the Marionette Operating System
Prototype..."
Kagome blinked, still studying her surroundings. "The Marionette
Operating System Prototype? What are you talking about? Where... who..."
The man sighed. "It seems as if your memory implant as not been
installed yet. I can understand that. Your suspension was far more
damaging to your memory than the Asuka Group would believe. Still, the
tests must run without fail! I only wish I were there to see it...
regardless... Commander Kagami has ordered our powers to be used. I will
use you in my own test in the coming battle. So... I need you to be
asleep, little girl."
"W-What? But I need to know..." Too late. Kagome's right hand was
connected to a thin, long cable attached to a glass cylinder. The liquid
in the cylinder began to move and shake, as that substance was slowly
injected into Kagome's blood stream. Her eyes became heavy in the
following seconds, and before long she was asleep again. The grinning
man laughed once more, just before calling in two soldiers. They seemed
to know instantly want he wanted so walked over to Kagome's sleeping
form. They lifted the helmet from her head, and unattached the wires and
cables around her wrists, then pulled her up from the chair. She was
dressed in Asuka Group combat uniform, a bomber jacket and mesh jeans in
their traditional colours of black and gold, so she was not very hard to
carry. One of the soldiers slung the girl over his arms, Kagome's own
arms dangling down as she continued to sleep, then walked out of the
tent with the other soldier. Striding past the armed guards around the
camp, they made their way to one of the Land Golems that had already
been optimised and were ready to go.
The soldier holding Kagome stood back, while the other resisted the wind
and tapped a small button at the joint of the Land Golem's right leg.
With a lean puff of a sound, the back of the Golem disjointed from the
body, and swung back slowly, giving entry to the cockpit. The soldier
carrying Kagome grunted, then stood on the newly created platform,
sliding Kagome into the Golem's interior. He slipped her hands into
sensor-activated gauntlets, the sensory leg openings, and then pulled
out the headgear hanging off the Land Golem's outer armour. He strapped
it onto Kagome's head then jumped off, stepping off the back of the Land
Golem. The back of the walking tank slowly moved back into place,
sealing Kagome inside it. She was now ready for the test to begin, for
her mind to be tested.
One of the soldiers took out a receiver from his pocket. "Tell the
doctor that Test Sample 000 is ready to begin."
**********
"Dah, dah, dah, DAH!!!!"
Tokyo B thrust punch after punch at the walls of the sealed off train,
but the steel knuckles of her armour could do nothing to break them. She
could not believe how easily she had walked into this trap. And now,
Ryoko was probably in danger. As soon as Shigure launched an
investigation into who was leaking out Asuka Group information, they
would eventually trace it down to Ryoko and whoever had been helping
her. Tokyo Blossom had to get out and get back to Tokyo so she could
protect Ryoko. The only problem was this train. It hadn't stopped moving
for the past hour. And considering how old it was, the thing seemed to
be moving pretty fast. Tokyo Blossom just hoped that the destination was
still Yokohama. She had been there before, so it would be easy to find
her way back. As soon as she dealt with whatever Shigure had in store
for her, that is.
"Dammit." Said Tokyo Blossom irately. "I've gotta get out of here."
Then, all of a sudden, the train came to a stop. Tokyo looked around to
see if there was anything coming. The entire cart was still sealed off.
That was, until, the four walls came crashing down. One after the other,
each of the blocked off steel walls went down, revealing the location of
the train. The train had taken Tokyo B to the outer grasslands
surrounding the Greater Tokyo district. Tokyo itself was miles away, as
was Yokohama. But that wasn't what caught Tokyo Blossom's full
attention. What grabbed her attention the most was the reception waiting
for her. The metal of the train did not block Tokyo B's scanners
anymore, so she could clearly see everything that was going on around
her. Circling the train, were some of the Asuka Group's most severe
mechanics, four Land Golem mechas, and a Ground Crab, all armed and
ready to take down their target. Tokyo B sneered behind the glassy
plastic of her visor. Shigure really had set her up good, but there was
no way she was going to die here. Least not while Ryoko needed
protecting. One of the Land Golems, to Tokyo B's left, aimed the cannon
in its arms toward Tokyo B's position on the deck of the newly revealed
train. Without qualm it fired, shooting a huge shell at Tokyo Blossom.
The armoured girl's computer sensors picked up on this, and she dove out
of the way, the shot blowing up the train cart in a furious explosion of
flame, dust, metal and grass. A roaring flame surged up from the charred
base of the blasted train cart, behind the alert Tokyo B, giving some
new light to the black coldness of the Japanese grasslands.
"At least my armour is working at full power this time around." Tokyo B
supplied. "That tips the scales in a different angle this time."
Tokyo B laughed deviously as her metal-swathed arm went to the back of
her suit, to the hilt of her beaming sword. The steel of the blade had
been polished and re-sharpened by the efforts of Ryoko, using the finest
precision of acids and micro-lasers. The edge of the blade was at most
no thicker than one thousandth of a millimetre. Which meant that it
could literally cut through anything, even through metals as tough and
durable as titanium. Tokyo Blossom withdrew the gleaming blade from its
confines on her back, pulling it free into the air, the light of the
blade a blinding sight in this great darkness.
The armour girl ran forward, towards the Land Golem that had shot at
her, holding the sword of her armour downwards, gripping at the hilt
with the skill of a seasoned swordfighter. The attacking Land Golem
began to slowly move over to the right, firing another of its shells
while the remaining Golems re-positioned themselves. Tokyo B approached
the Land Golem with no fear, and jumped over the shell that had been
fired at her. She somersaulted midair, her armour strong but light,
descending near the back of the Land Golem. Tokyo B knew Land Golems
well, they were piloted and most vulnerable from behind, so drew back
her sword, positioned it, and then thrust it into the rear of the mecha.
Tokyo B ignored the death cry of the man inside as he was impaled on her
sword, and then jumped away as the clunking mecha crashed to the ground,
no longer able to stand without a living pilot.
"Sakukachi is dead!" One of the other Land Golem pilots said. "Kill that
Mobile Shell's pilot!"
The three active Land Golems fired all at once at Tokyo Blossom. The
Mobile Shell girl was as watchful as ever she had been, and ran around
the trail of the blasts, her ample feet dodging each and every shot. As
she ran around the line of fire, Tokyo Blossom sheathed her blade, then
brought up her arms to fire at the Land Golem furthest right from her.
The red gem at her wrist gathered power, like a magnet attracting metal,
and as it had done before, it began to glow with a potent bright crimson
light. Tokyo B growled as she shot an energy bolt from it, the blast
careening into the cockpit of the Land Golem. It exploded in an instant,
whipping up a wave of dust, which blew across to the other Land Golems,
the perfect cover for Tokyo B. The woman lowered her firing arm and ran
forwards, chasing down the Golems in the dust, then jumped up into the
air a second time. Her sensors were advanced enough to see through this
misty dust with no effort, so her abilities were not hindered by the
distraction. Tokyo Blossom grabbed the head of the Land Golem and she
flipped over it, dragging the metal goliath downwards with her. Just
before it came crashing to the ground, Tokyo Blossom thrust her fist
against the metal plates of the Land Golem's rear, breaking through the
armour till it reached the interior. The pilot screamed as Tokyo B's
fist knocked the wind right out of him, and then the girl herself pulled
out her fist and leapt away.
The Land Golem smashed into the grassy ground, the suit catching fire
due to Tokyo B's gauntlet running through its power unit. But Tokyo B
was less concerned with that, and more concerned with the Ground Crab.
It seemed to have disappeared from sight, but not for long. The Crab was
right behind Tokyo B!
The Ground Crab's mounted cannon fired a huge blast at Tokyo Blossom,
the sound of the firing echoing through nightly scene of destruction.
Tokyo B screamed as she was tossed high into the air by the impact, the
shell narrowly missing her. She was flung around with the shards of
blasted dirt and grass, until she rolled along the ground from landing.
"Uh, man..." Tokyo Blossom groaned. "What the heck are those things
packing?"
As soon as she heard the click of that Ground Crab's cannon again, Tokyo
B leapt to her feet. That thing's artillery had to be army-level. There
was no way a blast like that could have been created by a standard issue
shell. Tokyo B withdrew her sword again, and then put her focus on the
Ground Crab's legs.
"That thing's too tall to take down from the cockpit." Tokyo Blossom
said. "But those legs are just as vulnerable..."
Tokyo B ran towards the Ground Crab, its aiming system was too slow to
keep up with her movements. The armoured girl took no notice of the
pilot's trouble however, and readied her sword to strike. In one clean
slice, Tokyo B hacked off the two right legs of the Ground Crab,
destroying whatever balance it thought that it had. Then as it tilted to
the side with its fall, Tokyo B jumped up and thrust her sword into the
cockpit, skewering the pilot like hot meat on a kebab. She ripped the
now bloody sword from the core of the Ground Crab, and then leapt back
from the machine.
"Not good enough, Shigure." Tokyo Blossom said. "Not good enough."
But there was one last thing to take care of; the last Land Golem needed
destroying. But strangely, that Land Golem had not made much of an
assault on her. Regardless, Tokyo B ran over to the remaining Land
Golem, her sword in hand; looking to finish off the job, then get back
to Tokyo to protect Ryoko. The woman brought up her sword; a little
confused by the way the Land Golem would not attack her, then sliced at
the front of the mecha in a circular motion. The sleek steel of the
sword did rend the armour with ease, and it revealed the pilot of the
Land Golem in all her glory. Just as easily as Tokyo B was driven to
attack, that instinct fell into nothing, as her eyes gazed upon the
beautiful brown haired girl, lying asleep in the cockpit.
There was no way for Tokyo Blossom to know that her own cheeks were
flowering with an innocent and unexpected blush. "W-Who... is she...?"
Back to Tokyo Iron Child Akari Index - Back to Original Fiction Shoujo-Ai Fanfiction