12 Conifer Village / In the Wake of Destruction

Previously, on Usagi Days: The leader of the cult group and the Professor have a discussion in the inn. They are interrupted when a warehouse worker rushes in and shouts that the warehouse is on fire.

- 12.1 - The SOLA9in3 is Destroyed -

By the time the village finally managed to put the fire out, over half of the SOLA9in3 had been consumed by the blazing inferno that had engulfed it.

What was left of the machine remained either blackened and charred, or covered in mud, the result of the dirt and water used to extinguish the flames.

Even the roof of the warehouse had partially collapsed, the solar collector array barely intact.

The entire village had helped in the firefighting efforts, and everyone was exhausted.

Thick black smoke hung over the village as the last light of the day faded away.

- 12.2 - Usagis Recover at the Inn -

The Usagis, who had helped with the efforts, fetching as well as passing down buckets of water had collapsed on the tatami floor of Violet's room as soon as they got back. Their clothes were covered in soot and ash. They smelled like smoke.

Ivy: "My arms. I can't move my arms."

Violet: "My entire body is screaming in agony. I don't think I'm ever getting back up again. Just leave me here. This is where I belong now."

Ruby, staring up at the ceiling: "I'm just glad nobody got hurt."

Ivy: "Except for the person who did it. I saw her arms, when they were hauling her off to jail."

Violet: "This place has a jail?"

Ivy: "Yeah, there's some holding cells in the basement of the town hall."

Violet: "This place has a town hall?"

Ivy, too tired to play the tsukkomi: "Yes."

Ruby: "The person who did it … She was part of the Order, wasn't she?"

Ivy: "Yeah, but from what I heard, she acted alone. Outside of Delia's wishes."

Violet: "Do you believe that?"

Ivy: "I dunno. Just telling you what I heard."

The girls were silent for a bit. Eyes closed. Crickets chirping in the night.

Anemone: "… I watched her face, you know."

Ruby: "Annie?"

Anemone: "The professor. She never showed the slightest expression during the whole ordeal. Even as she watched her life's work turn to ash."

- 12.3 - Prof K and the Arsonist in the Village Jail -

Professor Kay paced back and forth outside the cell where the arsonist was being kept.

She recalled Delia's words earlier, right before she and the remaining Order members left Conifer Village.

Delia, earlier: "Professor, I'm shocked that you feel the need to make such baseless accusations. First of all, it is against the Order's founding principles to resort to such tactics. We have never enforced our beliefs through coercion or violence, and we have no interest in starting now. Our aim is only to educate and inform."

(Professor Kay could have sworn that she saw the slightest, thinnest smile playing the corner of Delia's lips then.)

Prof K: "Yeah? You sure inviting me for tea wasn't just a big distraction? Because it all seems awfully convenient. Have one of your cronies sneak off while we weren't paying attention?"

Delia: "We do not condone the actions of a rogue member acting alone, against the Order's wishes. And we certainly do not take responsibility for this … unfortunate event.

"And if you will allow me to be perfectly frank, Professor—if my, as you put it, 'crony' was able to penetrate your defenses so effortlessly … well, it's hardly the Order's fault that your security was so easily circumvented, now is it?

"In any case. If you will not take us at our word, then perhaps our actions will convince you." Delia waved a hand in the air. "Effective immediately, the individual is no longer recognized as a member of the Order of Lunar Schismatics. She is hereby excommunicated from the Order. Do with her what you will."

And then she and her followers had left the Village.

Now, in the basement of the town hall, the Professor watched the prisoner.

Prof K: "Delia put you up to this, didn't she? Admit it."

The prisoner looked up, eyes wide. Her pupils were tiny black dots. Her mouth contorted in a manic grin.

Arsonist: "I did it for the Order. I did it for the salvation of mankind, you see. Excommunication is a small price to pay for the cleansing of all our souls. You'll come to understand. One day. And you'll thank the Order."

The Professor said nothing. She turned around, and began walking back up to the main floor.

Before she reached the first step, she turned back around, and in a barely audible mutter, she said, "'Small price to pay'? Believe me, you haven't even begun to pay for what you did."

And then she climbed the stairs, and was gone.

- 12.4 - Anemone Visits Prof K in the Warehouse -

Anemone knocked on the door to the Professor's office, on the second floor of the warehouse.

The room was tucked in the corner, and had been far enough from the fire that it remained untouched.

"Yes, Misa? What is it?" came a voice from inside, muffled by the door.

Anemone: "No, it's um … it's me, Professor. Anemone."

Silence. The light from Anemone's oil lantern danced across the dark walls. The smell of soot and ash everywhere.

Then, in a low, almost icy, tone, the response came: "Come in."

Anemone opened the door, and entered.

She had never been inside before. She did a quick scan of the room. Loose papers scattered all over. Formulas and mathematical symbols scrawled all over the walls. A messy single futon in the corner.

The Professor was sitting behind her desk. Delia's papers in front of her, next to an empty bottle of acrebrew. Her eyes bloodshot. The only light a single candle flickering in the gloom.

Anemone: "… Professor."

Prof K: "You shouldn't be out this late."

Anemone: "I came to see how you were."

Prof K: "I'm peachy. Can't you tell?"

Anemone: "I'm glad you're okay."

Prof K just stared.

Anemone: "Is that … girl okay?"

Prof K: "What? Who?"

Anemone: "Your assistant. Not Misa, the other one."

Prof K, on realizing who Anemone was talking about: "Oh. yeah—she's … she's fine."

An awkward silence followed.

Prof K: "Look, did you need something? I'm very busy, as you can probably imagine."

Anemone: "Yeah. Right. Of course. I just … I just had a few questions about the SOLA9in3."

Prof K: "Can it wait? This really isn't the best time."

Anemone: "I understand, I just … I won't be long, I swear. It's just that—well, I've been thinking about what that lady said. From the Order."

Prof K: "… Okay?"

Anemone: "And I've been trying to wrap my head around how the SOLA9in3 worked. Works. I mean—"

The Professor's lips were pursed. Anemone thought she could hear the grinding of teeth.

Anemone: "The display, for example."

Prof K: "This again? Haven't I explained this to you? Reflector pixels. Angles of light. The color changes depending on—"

Anemone: "I understand that. Really, I do. I understand the concepts behind the mechanisms, I just … I can't piece them together, you know?

"A-and memory! I heard what Delia said. I may not understand the principles of computers, so the details might be lost on me—but the way I understood it, we need a way to store and retrieve bits, isn't that right? The 1s and the 0s don't do anything if we can't store them temporarily. How does the SOLA9in3 do that with beams of sunlight?"

Prof K pinched her forehead, unable to suppress the irritation in her voice. "That's a complicated subject, Anemone. It would take me weeks to explain the details to a layperson such as yourself."

The Professor rubbed her eyes, and then placed her palms down firmly on the desk.

Prof K: "Where are you going with all this, Anemone? You seem to be hinting towards something, so why don't you save us all the time and say it outright?"

Anemone looked at the Professor. The air between them cold, heavy.

Finally, she spoke.

Anemone: "The computer … There's Orc technology in there, isn't there? Isn't that right, Professor Kay?"

Professor Kay stared at Anemone for a long time.

Then, she burst out in laughter.