Beneath the Surface

Nothing from Daiki’s files caught my attention. His military training exam scores were average at best. He hadn’t stood out in any activities or academics. At one glance, one would never tell that he was someone who had the guts to desert.

I looked away from my hologram display, fed up from reading Daiki’s statistics and failing to grasp anything worth noting. On my left, Shiba was fast asleep. He had claimed that he needed time for my request after complaining about my supposed privacy breach. That’s not something someone who had offered it in the beginning should say.

Shiba was an anomaly—an error in Bluefort's system. Shiba’s situation was equally intriguing as Hideo’s past.

My curiosity had won over my sense of justice. It was risky, but the risk was worth it. If I could point out Bluefort’s weaknesses, they might stop letting Bluefort make all decisions for humans and start taking them as suggestions, not orders. Bluefort’s opinions had been regarded as absolute for so long. No one doubted them. Like how they never questioned why I was a good choice for a Drifter Captor. Or why I passed only after a year of basic military training.

Enma had created this opportunity for me. I would be stupid to let it slip away. A scary thought struck me.

What if Enma is doing this on purpose?

Enma had insisted on getting me this Shiba Inu robot dog. Had she been aware of Shiba all along? How should I approach this situation? What did she actually want me to do with this abnormal system?

Hideo would return anytime from now. We had a specialized police training scheduled this afternoon. Aside from the basic military training we had graduated from, we still needed to learn how to apprehend deserters and such. There was also training for physical fitness and firearms skills. Endless tough training was one of the popular reasons why soldiers deserted.

Shiba rose from his sleep just when I began to wonder if he finished searching. “I don’t want to sound like I’m making excuses, but I have a problem accessing Private Yaku Hideo’s files. They’re classified—restricted only for the main system to access.”

That didn’t sound convincing. I needed to test Shiba further. “But other information is not? Check mine.”

“I’m surprised they let you pass only after a year with that awful combat score. What did the main system see in you?” Shiba walked to the wall and tapped his nose against it. High-definition videos of my pitiful attempt at the hand-to-hand combat exam surrounded me. Shiba sneered as the examiner broke through my pathetic defense pose and punched my chest in the video. “It seems I can access your files just fine.”

“I can see that,” I grumbled. Sharing my embarrassing moment with my robot dog companion was the last thing I wanted. “Then why are Hideo's files classified?”

What are they trying to hide?

Was this what Enma was trying to tell me? Was this what she wanted me to find out through Shiba?

Shiba said after he fiddled with the encrypted data for a few minutes, “I can try to decode the files. But I will need more time. Only the main system has access to these files. Highly classified. Is this person someone important?”

“Take as much time as you need. Just be careful. I thought he was just your regular bully in the army. I guess he’s not anymore.” Everyone had a secret, but if it concerned the whole military to the point they hid it, then it was a national secret. And if it was that important, I would not let it stay hidden. Someone else had to know.

Shiba pointed at the hologram display from my watch with his nose. “What about Private Fuji Daiki? Isn’t he supposedly your target? Why am I digging around about your partner instead?”

“Oh, right. Help me look for Daiki, too. You can detect him if he appears on any CCTV cameras in the streets right?”

“You’re overworking me. I’m going to file a complaint.”

“What? You can do that?”

“Officially? No. But I can still blackmail you. Not that I will, though. I’m just making sure you remember this fact.”

My heart dropped at the realization. I never thought that I would have a robot dog grab me by the throat. It was a mistake. I had been so tempted by his offer that I had been caught off guard. He had handed me that opportunity on a silver platter and against my better judgment, I had taken it. That was rash. I shouldn’t trust Shiba that easily. One word from him and I would be serving my sentence behind bars.

Kuma had set the bars too high. I had expected at least the same from Shiba. It only backfired. I could only hope that Shiba would keep his promise.

The clock struck four in the afternoon. It was time for training. Hideo didn’t return to the room, so he must have gone straight to the training ground. The idea of having him as my sparring partner was terrifying. But there were only four of us in this division. The possibility of Hideo and I pairing up as sparring partners was high. If only they would consider our huge difference in physiques.

“My deepest condolences,” Shiba said mockingly as I dragged myself away from my bed. “I can’t wait to watch you getting your ass kicked.”

“Thank you,” I said sarcastically. “I would appreciate it if you decode his files in the meantime.”

People stared at Shiba as we passed by on our way to the training facilities. As I expected, Shiba Inu was not a breed people usually saw as a K-9. Back in the lab, Shiba was the one of his kind. I guess that was why they found it odd.

The training ground was located in the field right in front of the barracks. A lot of soldiers were using the field to train. Towering steel climbing frames stood at one corner and rope courses swayed at the other. Some soldiers were running laps around the field, obstacle courses placed in between. There was a small section that was surrounded by razor-wire fences. Inside, Enma and Hideo were already waiting, alongside a bulky man I didn’t recognize. Kuma was there too, standing next to a German Shepherd robot dog who must be Hideo’s new companion.

I hadn’t expected to be beaten up out here in the open where every soldier could watch.

The instructor immediately asked Hideo and I to have a mock duel. He wanted to watch us fight first before deciding on our training menus. Without further ado, Hideo lunged at me and threw his fist toward my side. I barely had time to dodge it. As I scrambled backward, I lifted my leg to kick him, attempting to put some distance between us. It was a wrong move. He grabbed my leg and shoved me to the ground. Before I could regain my footing, he pinned me back down. I grabbed his collar to push him away, but I caught a glimpse of scars around his neck. Faint circular marks scattered across his skin.

They looked eerily like old cigarette burns.