Chapter 1 - The Video

The Video

It was a cloudy day in Tokyo. Rain had fallen a few hours ago so there many puddles on the streets and sidewalks. Atsushi kept walking  He kept walking in a daze through the clear puddles. He walked home from his job as a resource distributor for the Global Artificial Intelligence Protection Agency. 

"Another rainy day in Tokyo." Atsushi said to himself as he slowly kept walking. The help wanted posters laying on the grounds of Tokyo drew his attention more than constant rain puddles he was stepping in.

"Tokyo's population has gotten lower and lower has time goes on in this world. People are unwilling to honest jobs because it doesn't pay enough money. Instead they crowd into universities, that way they can take on higher paying jobs, unlike their parents." Atsushi remarked. "As a result, you only see big corporations succeeding and small businesses eventually falling. It's a doomed world we live in."

Atsushi kept walking for hours, stopping to look at the help wanted signs every now and then to check on their business. "Do I really that this new A.I is going to solve the issues we have? Hell no. The Global Artificial Intelligence Protection Agency is a puppet institution that are slaves to the governments needs. Instead of promoting blue collar jobs and small businesses, they'll stick their noses into the government with bribes of quick fortunes and a more intelligent population. What a joke. But who am I to oppose it. My place in society is to be obedient, and not defiant of the status quo. There's no need for me to rebel against my only way of a stable income. People would die to be in the position I'm at right now, but here I am bitching about the moral and ethics." Atsushi thought to himself yet again. These thoughts kept swirling around in his head for days even after he obtained his job, but he never acted upon his thoughts.

The Global Artificial Intelligence Protection Agency is a global agency that specializes in protection, creation, and distribution of A.I technology globally. The belief is that A.I will replace commonfolk jobs so that society can adapt and overcome and become a more smarter institution. The headquarters is located in Tokyo because of Japan's willingness to cooperate in the program. With a dwindling population and many of the youth in Japan wanting to exceed their parents. So the government signed an act that would allow the distribution of A.I robots to do the jobs needed in small business and other community places.

Atsushi arrived home later than usual, he checked the mailbox and he noticed that he had a package. "Weird. I didn't order anything. Must be a mistake." He took the package inside and proceeded to contact his neighbors about whether or not anyone ordered a package. To his shock, no one responded claiming it. Atsushi tossed it aside by his desk and proceeded to lay down on the couch when he received a call from his friend Seki Yoichi. "Hello?" Atsushi asked.

"Atsushi my man, why don't you come out to the bars with some people tonight." Yoichi responded bombastically

"Cmon Yoichi, you know I am not the type of person who likes going to bars." 

"You always have the same excuse for never going out and it's ridiculous! Why don't you come out with me for once and just talk? You're always so negative."

"Well when you lose your parents at the age of 11, life is not always happy and fun."

"Ugh, stop being so negative and come out! You can't just mope around in your house your whole life. Find something you love to do so you can feel energized. Seriously. If you can't do that, just come and talk to me."

"Fine, I'll come."

"Awesome, be there at 10pm." He hung up the phone and slouched in his chair. "When will he ever learn that I hate going to bars."  Atsushi got up from the couch and put on a pair of decent clothes to wear. When he was finished, he looked at the picture of his mom and dad and proceeded to touch it. "What I wouldn't do to see your smiling faces again," Atsushi said. He stepped outside and locked the door as he made another long walk to the bar.

-

"Hey waiter!!! Order this man 4 beers for this man, and make it 5 for me! And that's on me big man Atsushi" Yoichi shouted at the bar.

"I can pay for my own drinks Yoichi. Stop being a dumbass." Atsushi replies abruptly before paying for his drinks that Yoichi ordered.

"I work the same job as you for the same company. It's not like we make different amounts of money."

"I believe in self reliability."

"Phhhfttt. You're no fun man."

Atsushi looks around the bar to try to find some people to talk to. He couldn't deal anymore with the drunk ramblings of Yoichi. "Let me guess, Yoichi's drunk talking to you right?" asked Martin. Martin was another agent for the GAIPA. Usually shy, his physical build suggested otherwise. He was a buffed man with blonde hair from Los Angeles who never really talked, but was a compassionate co-worker who cared about everyone. He usually didn't come out to the bar, but just like Atsushi, today was an exception. "Yep, he's pretty drunk." Atsushi replied. 

"Wouldn't be surprised. He goes out to the bars almost every other day after work. When there's a day off work, he definitely gets drunk."

"Martin, I've known that for longer than you've known him. Say, you never come out to the bars. Why'd you come today?"

"I need to be more social. I need to branch out so I can get paid more." 

"You always look to up yourself in life. That's one thing I admire about you."

"You should try to do it yourself. With your intelligence, gun accuracy, and even your charisma, you could've been a CEO of some big company by now."

"Ehhh. I got no interest in it. I really don't have motivation." Atsushi orders a couple more beers for himself before continuing on with the conversation. "My life is a cycle. A repetitive cycle and I'm here to accept that. In fact, it's what's ideal for me. Every since losing my mom and dad at 11, I've always wanted to stick to the norm. Never go outside the boundaries. Excel in what I do and only in what I do. A normal life is not hard to ask for right?"

"I disagree with the way you think. I believe life is about chasing opportunities that come to you and making something out of them. If you believe in something that you want, you are more pleased in yourself when it's complete."

"Heh funny. My mom used to think the same way you did when I was young. I guess I lost all that youthful ambition. I had to be more responsible and live a whole different life. That would change a lot of people."

"Your right, but I guess that just comes from different experiences."

"That's right man, and I'm sure you will be successful in whatever adventures you try to make yourself wherever you go or decide to."

"Thanks man, cheers to that."

"Cheers." They clink their beers and start drinking. 

The bars clear out and pretty soon most of the bar is drunk. Atsushi look around in a daze. He knows the feeling of feeling drunk, yet he still is perspective of all his surroundings. The bar here has staff and are making a huge profit despite not being bought out. Their revenue has drastically increased with some of their policy they made. Atsushi can remember that, but he can't remember where he was sitting before. He looks around but can't find the spot. The world shakes around him when he accidentally ran into a lady. "Ohhh....I'm sorry 'bout that ma'am! Forgive me." Atsushi declared.

"Your all good," the women replied. "We all lose our coordination when we have a bit too much."

"I...I don't normally drink though...so..y'know...not THAT drunk often. What's...what's your name?"

"I'm Makino Kaoru. I'm originally from Nagoya, but I moved to Tokyo because I got into one of the top universities."

"Oh...that's pretty cool Ko...kao...kaoru. Hey have you seen a drunk bastard lying around here. Short puny runt?"

"Yeah he's by the dance floor."

"Thank you!" Atsushi rushed to the dance floor, only to see Yoichi dancing without a care and making of a fool of himself. He didn't say anything until Yoichi started to take off his shirt. Even while intoxicated, he still managed to take care of Yoichi. He grabbed him off the floor and pulled him off the side. "Drunk bastard!" Atsushi yells. "Why don't you stop...stop being an idiot before I take your dumbass back home."

"Eyy...lemme go 'n dance...'n when I dance, I don't wanna hear no fuckin' complain' when I bust a move you...you...you buzzkill."

"Shut up. I'm taking you home." Atsushi walked out with Yoichi and carried him to his apartment. Atsushi was too tired to walk back home and since he had off work the next day, he decided to go back to Yoichi's and stay the night.

When he arrived at his apartment, he laid out Yoichi on his bed and then spread himself out the couch and went to sleep. 

-

The next day he woke up early and decided to head on home so he could relax for the day and maybe catch a movie later on in the day. The walk back home was too far so he decided to call a taxi back, as being hungover and walking didn't boast well. Atsushi arrived at the apartment. He checked his mail and there was note that said, plug the hard drive in, it's for you. Atsushi was in a panic. "What the hell, what the hell. How did they find my address? What's in the hard drive? Oh lord." In a panic, Atsushi ran to his desk to open the hard drive and plug it in. "It's nothing. It's nothing serious. Seriously I'm getting myself overworked over nothing."  He was still paranoid though. He didn't want to open it up in hear that it would be something heinous, but also would die of curiosity if he didn't know was inside. "Don't get worked up, just do it damnit." When he plugged the hard drive in, a file appeared on the screen labelled 7/2/2011. "That's the same date as when my parents died. What the hell." Atsushi clicked the file to see a security footage video. He clicked the video, where he saw his mother and father on the screen sitting in chairs. "MOM! DAD!" screamed Atsushi as he continued watching the video. Suddenly two men appeared in front of them with guns in hand. Atsushi's eyes widened when the men said, "On behalf of GAIPA, you shall be executed for the excessive amounts of knowledge you know about our company and what are mission is. Because of that, you are sentenced to be executed. Do you have anything else to say Mr and Mrs. Kawahara," the men demanded. 

"If our son Atsushi ever sees this video, tell him that we love him no matter what. Also tell him  how we wish we could be by his side, tell him how we wish we could see his graduation. Please just spare us our lives until we see our son grow up!," Atsushi's mom said while sobbing. That's when the gunshots rang. Atsushi shook and stared at the screen in shock. "YOU DAMN BASTARDS!" Atsushi screamed! Atsushi went wild, throwing his books, his pencils, trashing the whole house. He started to sob and cry. "I could've saved you mom. Why? Why?." His sadness soon turned into anger. "Mark my words you filthy scum at GAIPA, I will take you down one by one if I have to. I now have a will to live. To kill the ones who killed my mother and father." Just then a crackle was heard and a voice came on the computer

"Greetings there Atsushi, I am the Leader of the Anti Artificial Intelligence Movement. You've seen the horrors of what GAIPA does and how they do it. Is that the society you desire to live in? They killed innocent people for the sake of their own brand and company. It's time we put them down a pedestal and show the the power of humanity. I know you have rage brewing inside of you and you have an ultimate goal of enacting revenge. So we would like to join us for our next meeting, which will be in 2 days. The location of the meeting is displayed in the hard drive as well, so you can put the right address in. I think we'll make a great team that GAIPA will fear, Mr. Kawanara. With your inside knowledge and my scheming, I believe we will be invincible and we both can get what we want if we negogiate. But please be present for this meeting. I've provided details for the meeting in some files once you finish the video and will send a note tomorrow regarding the meeting. God bless an A.I-less society, Atsushi."

Without hesitation, he printed the address out from the file sent and mummied to himself. 

"I now know what I live for. I live for my parents, and I will enact revenge for my parents."