Judgement Day

Medical Bay, Interpol Unit 7 HQ  //  Itami Airport, Osaka

Mika awakens to a soft pillow beneath her head once again. She jolts upright with her heart pounding frantically until she takes in her surroundings: proper hospital bed, an IV dripping steadily into her wrist, and Ray sitting beside her bed, peeling an apple with a small knife.

“Don’t worry. You’re on the jet.”

He slices the apple onto a plate. Mika reaches for a piece, but Ray plucks it up first and pops it in his mouth with a faint smirk. She gives him an annoyed look.

“Want one?” He holds out another slice. Mika snatches it and takes a bite before he can change his mind.

“You took quite a beating. Your wound even ruptured again. I honestly don’t know how you’re moving right now.”

“I've always recovered fast,” she dismissed his concern with hand wave. “How long was I out?”

“Couple days.”

Her mind races, the urgency of the situation flooding back. “Icarus has the chip. That means his plan will...”

“We reversed the tracker on the chip and have been monitoring it,” Ray interrupts. “Last ping was in Osaka, which is where we are now.”

Mika glances out the jet's portholes to the very familiar sight of Itami Airport's apron.

“Icarus is planning something big, Mika. Something bad,” Ray adds grimly.

“I know. Caleb told me.”

Ray's eyes widen slightly. “What?”

“When I was taken captive. Caleb. It was Caleb. He was Icarus all along.”

Ray furrows his brows in disbelief. “So Icarus was a Geneva researcher.”

“It makes sense, but I don't want to believe it. That someone I knew became the leader of dissidents.”

“I'm sorry, Mika. Do you need a moment?”

She shook her head. “The Caleb I knew is long gone. But there's one thing I don't get—Icarus said his identity was completely erased.”

“That's strange. Even dissidents have a record.”

Ray lets the words hang. He speaks up again with regret in his voice.

“I’m sorry. I let them take you.”

Mika studies him with concern. "Why does it always have to be on you, Ray?"

A brief flicker of pain crosses Ray's face. "I don’t know. Maybe I’m just following the footsteps of my mentor."

Their conversation cuts short as Tomomi bursts into the infirmary. “Mika! I thought you'd never wake up!” he rushes to the bedside with tears streaming down her face and throws her a big hug.

Mika strokes her head gently. “I'm a lot tougher than that.”

Jade and Dell follow close behind, relief evident on their faces at seeing their comrade conscious.

“The Sleeping Beauty is finally awake,” Jade quips with a grin.

“Good to see you up, Mika,” Dell rumbles warmly.

“You all were worried about me?”

“Of course,” Jade replies, “You're our squadmate.”

“Squadmate?” She looks to Ray.

Ray nods. “You took the hit for me.”

That was it. She's in. A knowing smile plays at her lips.

Bradshaw enters the medical bay, his weathered face betraying a hint of satisfaction at seeing Mika recovered. “Shinkawa. Glad to see you're looking spry. When you're ready, head to the conference room.”

“What is it? Another meeting?”

“The Madame wants to speak with you directly.”

...

Bradshaw leads Mika into the jet's conference room. As the door slides shut behind them, he taps a code into the keypad. The doors beep as they lock with a heavy thunk.

“You'll want to sit for this.” He pulls out the chair at the head of the table and gestures for her to take it. Mika sits, her posture stiff with anticipation.

He retrieves a sleek headset from a hidden compartment in the wall. “Put this on.”

Mika examines the device with curiosity before adjusting the band to fit her skull. She pulls the bulky interface over her eyes, the cushioned padding squishing against her face.

The visor immediately activates, projecting a translucent overlay of the conference room. Then the room begins to dissolve around her, pixels fragmenting into darkness, quickly enveloping her into a void. Even though she is seated, she feels herself falling through empty space, stomach lurching with unease.

She feels her feet land on solid ground in the pure black, with a single spotlight illuminating her. Another beam reveals the back of a high leather chair in the middle of the darkness.

“I hope you don’t mind the lack of décor. Due to… certain circumstances, I’m unable to meet you in person.” The husky, faintly artificial voice cuts through the total silence.

The chair rotates slowly revealing a woman of refined elegance sitting perfectly poised, draped in a flowing silk dress. Her features are ageless, yet carry an air of endless wisdom. Every detail of her appearance seems to transcend ordinary sophistication. She studies Mika with measured amusement with her brilliant, icy blue eyes.

“You're—”

“You may call me Madame.” Her voice carries a calm air of authority. “When Ray first brought you into this investigation, I had my doubts. But you've proven to be quite remarkable.”

“You’ve been watching me?”

“It is only natural when you are tasked with gathering as much intelligence as possible.”

“Why are you meeting with me?” Mika’s voice shakes slightly, yet terse.

“Straight to the point? Very well.” She crosses her legs with grace. “You have an interesting relationship with Icarus... Or should I say, Caleb Ferris. I believe you deserve an explanation.” Before Mika can respond, Madame continues: “You want to know why Caleb's identity was erased.”

“How did you—”

“The most predictable question to ask. It's written all over your face.”

“Then you must already know about his new invention.”

“Yes. His 'firearm,' as he calls it. A weapon that would fundamentally alter the nature of warfare,” Madame’s loses some composure as a hint of fear colors her voice. “The Council has suppressed this knowledge for centuries, controlling research and ensuring only 'appropriate' innovations reach the world at large.

“Caleb Ferris frightened the Council so much that cast him out of society. They believed this extremely short-sighted decision would protect the world from dangerous knowledge. Instead, they created something far worse: a brilliant mind with nothing left to lose.”

“So the Council is really responsible for all this?”

“Unfortunately, yes. I apologize on their behalf; their handling was inexcusably sloppy. They thought because Caleb lacked any family or social ties, that he would simply disappear. If they had consulted me begin with instead of doing what they please...”

Madame sighs. “Well, what's done is done. Now they've tasked me with cleaning up their mess.”

“Why tell me all this?” Mika’s eyes narrowed.

“Because I've calculated every variable except one: you. You are the wildcard that could derail Icarus's plans, or help it along.” Madame leans in, resting her head in her hand. “I need to know where your true loyalties lie. What do you believe?”

Mika falters, unsure what response to give. What did Madame want to hear? A calculated answer? Her mind is paralyzed from Madame’s piercing gaze.

In the end, she can only speak the truth: “I have my issues with the current system, but I believe in changing it from within. Giving Icarus and his faction that kind of destructive power, letting them tear everything down... they will kill thousands, or millions, just from their weapon in the wrong hands.”

A small grin creeps on Madame’s face. “Then you and I are in agreement.”

Satisfied, Madame waves her hand, conjuring a holographic report before Mika. “I have laid out Unit 7’s next move. Since you play a crucial role, I want to make sure there is no miscommunication.”

She studies every line of the plan with scrutiny, her eyes widening in disbelief as she digs into the details.

“This is...”

“I've formulated multiple scenarios for stopping Icarus. However, all have a low probability of a desired outcome. With that conclusion, you may deal with Icarus with how you see fit.”

“You're leaving it to me?”

Madame softens her expression. “This is not an order. It's a request.”

The statement hangs in the air between them.

“I leave it to your judgement, Miss Shinkawa. Do what you believe is right.”