Chapter 14_The Truth

Tomiko was unsure of what to do. She convinced herself to go to school. As it was apparent Chimon was no longer interested in school. There was a chance he would return so he could update his listing on the quest board. Tomiko hadn't kept up with its location, so she wouldn't know where to avoid if it had changed spots.

All things considered, she felt safer going to school than staying home. It wasn't worth upsetting Aio again.

Tomiko was very attentive to her surroundings on her way to school. She checked down every side street as she passed. She checked everyone's face who was around his height.

It was taking a lot of energy out of her. By the time she got to school she was exhausted from the stress. She resigned herself to the idea that if something was to happen, at least there would be plenty of witnesses.

After the hyper attentiveness went away, Tomiko became more aware of the pit which formed in her stomach. Or, more so a hole had formed within her, as she felt more empty inside. It took her until practice to realize it was the emotion of loss. What was a large part of her life was now missing. She wasn't looking forward to anything else in her day after practice. The income loss didn't strike her as much as the change in schedule. Her routine was altered, and she had to cope with it.

She just had to ignore it.

Tomiko had plenty of things she could do instead. She could study. Her grades would appreciate some attention. There was also gaming. It was a hobby she was still in the process of picking up. But neither of those felt like what she should be doing.

For a few hours after finishing up practice, Tomiko just sat at her desk and looked down at her books. Frozen with indecision.

This went on for three days.

Tomiko couldn't take it anymore. She was wasting time and she knew the stress was affecting her health. More than normal.

She didn't feel like bringing it up to anyone. She didn't want to burden anyone with her problems. But something had to be done.

She needed to confront her stress at the source. That’s what her abrasive nature was for.

Thursday seemed like a good day to do it. That way if she went missing, more people would notice faster.

Tomiko entered the alley like she had many times before. Except it didn't feel the same. The once familiar and safe walls felt imposing and foreign. It was similar to when she had first come to the alley. However, she had history here. This used to be a place where she felt she belonged. It had turned on her. This was more dangerous to her than when she first arrived.

She made the decision on a whim, well, it was the eventual caving in of too much pressure. But it was unplanned. If she would have known she would be confronting Chimon ahead of time like this, she would have brought her Katana along, just like she had done before.

It was quiet once she rounded the corner. The white noise of the city street fading out as she focused her attention on what was in front of her. She could hear the faint sound of tapping. It was easy to find because she knew what she was looking for. The sound was coming from the dumpster. Just like it always had.

Tomiko approached. Her steps were slow and light.

She looked in. Just as she was expecting, Chimon was inside, surrounded by used chip and candy bags. She wasn't sure what else she expected to see.

Chimon’s head lulled slowly over to the side to look at her. Even as he faced her directly, his expression didn't seem to register Tomiko was there. He looked very tired. Bags were under his eyes and his hair glistened with grease.

In addition, his eyes looked redder. It was clear to Tomiko he had been crying recently, or was staring at his console for way too long. She assumed the former.

Chimon blinked a few times. Then color slowly returned to his face. In addition to getting more red, his features started to scrunch up. He then began to cry.

“You-Huk… you came back” Chimon stifled out.

“I’ve… come back to hear what you have to say. If I don’t like what I hear, I’m leaving.”

She said that, but with his pathetic display, she was having a difficult time seeing him do anything wrong. Maybe she was in the wrong for doubting him.

No, she had every right to be suspicious after what happened. But the thought still lingered.

“Give me… just give me a moment. I’m… really happy you came back.” Chimon said as he tried to get his emotions out. While he did, he climbed out of the bin and sat against the outside.

He spent about a minute calming himself. Wiping away tears.

Then, Chimon spoke up, his voice a bit hoarse and shaky.

“I… I should have told you this a lot sooner. I was afraid if you knew, you wouldn’t want to help, just like the ones before you. But I guess it ended up happening anyway.”

Tomiko shuffled uncomfortably in place a little as he paused. He continued.

“You see… I’m actually looking for… a person.”

Tomiko glanced over at the exit just to make sure it was still there. Chimon didn't notice as his head was still down. He was having a difficult time making eye contact.

“It’s my friend. They're stuck in the world. And it’s all my fault!” Chimon said as he broke into tears again.

Tomiko tried wrapping her head around how that could have happened while Chimon tried to get his composure back.

“Sorry. This isn’t easy for me to admit… but I got my best friend stuck in this portal. I should have seen it coming, but I wasn’t thinking.”

Chimon looked up at Tomiko.

“It wasn’t long after the rips appeared. We had managed to get our hands on the first model tags. We were so excited to explore the portals since it was finally approved. After months of testing… they said it was safe!”

He took a moment to cool off after shouting. Then he continued.

“We… We were both very shy. So we wanted to be in a portal all to ourselves. Even when we had to share with one person, it was… not fun. So we decided to test out all the high ranked portals in the area. If we died, we would just get spat back out into the real world. There seemed to be no risk. And if we found one no one else could enter, we would have it all to ourselves.”

“And you found one.” Tomiko interjected.

Chimon nodded. He was displaying an expression Tomiko wasn't used to seeing from him. It was the look of regret.

“Eventually, we found this one.” He pointed in the direction of the portal. “Apparently, the people testing the portals never bothered to try having two people enter at a time. That’s why it was so highly rated in danger level, and why we were still able to go in. It was… perfect.”

More tears ran down Chimon’s face, but it lightened up, like he was pulling out some good memories.

“It was our own world. We could do whatever we wanted, whenever we wanted. We spent so much time exploring, fighting, collecting, and building. We wanted to learn everything there was to learn about our private world. But something went wrong”

The faint smile that had been growing on Chimon’s face disappeared.

“You see, we were still using the old model of tags, and there is a very important feature they have included in the new ones. The eject feature.”

Tomiko could feel she had just been given a large clue to his predicament, but still couldn't see the full picture. She continued to listen.

“You used to bring tags in with you during dives. There didn’t seem to be a reason not to. But now other people can eject people from outside the portal.”

“Why is that important?” Tomiko interrupted, “I thought it was the limitation. It can be kinda annoying when strangers pull your tag out as a prank.”

“Well, what if you’re not able to eject yourself?”

“But it’s so easy to. All you gotta do is think about it and you’re able to maneuver the menu.”

“Right, tags were designed to be as easy to use as possible, so it could be operated even if you found yourself in a world without arms.”

“Okay” Tomiko agreed, failing to see the point he was trying to make.

“But, what if you find yourself in a position where you are not conscious?” Chimon pointed out.

Tomiko gasped.

“That’s true! You can’t think about it if you're asleep” She paused for a moment to put some pieces together. “You did mention sleep was a status effect someone can be afflicted with.”

“I did.” Chimon replied. He saw she was starting to understand.

“But wait, over time… wouldn’t you starve of hunger, or something? That would cause the person to die and then be ejected?”

“It would. But… What if someone was immune to effect damage? Something that would prevent them from dying. A… ring… perhaps.”

The realization hit Tomiko all at once. The ring. The one that she had found and Chimon was so against her using. Chimon’s friend must be under the sleep effect, which is not lethal, and the ring is keeping them alive. So they can’t leave the portal!

“So…” Tomiko said weakly, “You were trying to protect me.”

Chimon’s face blushed.

“Yeah. Well… No. We have newer tag models, so it was never really a threat to you. I just… My feelings got the better of me.”

Chimon lowered his head. Tomiko wasn't sure if it was in shame or embarrassment. Maybe a bit of both. But it was humility for what he was about to say.

“Please. I really need your help. We were so close.” His voice got weak again. “I’ve been trying for so long. It’s been so long since I’ve seen them, since I let them get trapped. It’s all my fault. No one has helped me get this far before. I know you were interested in the money, and you have no reason to trust me anymore knowing I could mess up and let something else bad happen. But I’m begging for your help.”

Tomiko was taken aback by his plea. It took her a moment to fully register just how desperate, and just how much pride he was willing to throw away for what he wanted. His vulnerability scared Tomiko at first. But, then she saw its value.

Tomiko sighed.

“Your story sounds possible. So I may be willing to help you.”

Chimon shot up from where he was sitting.

“Really!” He said optimistically.

“One thing needs to happen first though” Tomiko said as she held out one finger.

“Um, sure. Anything!”

“I need to confirm with my friend that how you described early tag mechanics is true. I don’t know enough about tags to verify your story, so I need to double check.”

“Oh, that makes sense.” Chimon said. His expression didn't change, as he seemed to be confident Tomiko would get information corroborating what he explained.

Tomiko was looking for that expression from Chimon, but still intended to double check his story's feasibility.

“If I like what I hear, then I will be back on Monday.”

#

Tomiko was fairly convinced Chimon was telling the truth. She thought about asking Aio about the tag mechanic, but decided against asking her to avoid having Aio ask questions of her own.

Instead she had another contact in mind, and it was the reason it had to wait until the weekend.

Tomiko would ask the trader.

The trader wasn't someone Tomiko trusted per se, at least not on a personal level. She couldn't even tell if they were a boy or girl after so many transactions, let alone their name. But Tomiko had a different reason to trust the trader, one she was more familiar with and willing to accept. It was simply because Tomiko knew the trader would have no incentive to lie to her. Tomiko was a paying customer after all. In addition to the exchange fee, Tomiko had also found herself splurging on a few unique items at the stand.

It would be foolish for the trader to misguide Tomiko if it had nothing to do with a sale. Repeat business is important, and sharing such knowledge would be seen as good customer service. That’s the perspective Tomiko had. It was a little naive, but accurate for this situation at least.

Tomiko also had no doubt the trader would know the answer. Someone who has dealings with divers as a full time job would have to know what she was looking for.

So the combination of the knowledge, assurance, and disinterest in why she would want to know made the trader the best person to verify Chimon’s story.

It was Saturday morning. Tomiko was on her way to the park. She realized on the way she had no reason outside of asking her question for her to have business with the trader. She had very little currency to exchange from not diving during the week. It could end up making the trader less likely to be interested in answering. She would just have to buy something and hope it was enough, or not a problem in the first place. She could be overthinking the situation, but the thought kept nagging at her.

“Oh. Hello.” The trader said as Tomiko walked up. “Did you take a break from diving?”

Tomiko wasn't sure how to respond.

“Uh… yeah…. I wasn’t feeling so good so I took a break.” Tomiko said. She was trying her best to think of something to say but immediately regretted telling a lie.

What Tomiko said wasn't entirely untrue, but her doubt in herself was definitely showing.

“I see.” Said the trader. “In that case I’m glad to see you are doing better.”

Tomiko couldn't see the trader’s face from underneath their hood, even in daylight, but she could still tell they were giving her a smile.

Flustered, Tomiko frantically looked around at what they had for sale. There were more odd items on display that she hadn't seen before. She saw a few character plushies, some suspicious baked goods, and almost a full line of kitchen utensils.

Tomiko was curious about the latter.

“What’s with all the cooking supplies?” She asked.

She knew it could only be one of two things, and she wasn't really interested in knowing which one it was. Tomiko was stalling for time until she could figure out what she wanted to buy.

“Ah, I suppose the sudden sprawl is new.” The trader said calm and slow, yet with a hint of playfulness. They probably knew the reason why Tomiko asked. “You see, a portal just became popular that is entirely focussed on extreme and unique cuisine. Divers are enjoying the out-of-this-world flavors it has to offer. Dragon steak, slime slushies, and Basilisk sushi are some of the many great dishes it offers that divers can make for themselves. But what really made the portal popular was the recent competitions it is holding. All judged by real accredited chefs. I recommend giving it a try. I’m afraid I can only rent out these items though, since they are in such high demand. I’m sure you understand.”

“Yeah, I appreciate the sales pitch.” Tomiko said a little more snarky than she intended.

Normally she wouldn't worry about making such a harsh remark, but she needed something from them and wanted to be on their good side.

“No, wait. I didn’t mean it like that.” Tomiko said while waving her hands in an ‘I’m sorry’ gesture.

It felt strange though. Tomiko wasn't used to doubling back on what she said. She would normally make an excuse or blame the listener for taking it the wrong way. Why was she changing now?

“Oh, no offense taken.” The trader said, no less calm than they had been the entire time. “I do have a vested interest in you wanting to try new portals so you will be more likely to rent.”

Tomiko found it a bit odd they would so openly admit a business tactic so casually. Then again, Tomiko always viewed this person as a bit ‘odd’.

“Um. Anyway, I don’t have money to exchange today. But I would like to buy that plushie you have on the far left.” Tomiko said.

She recognized one of the characters from the game she had been playing, as though it could make a good gift for Aio if the situation ever came up. Or maybe Tomiko could just be nice for a change and give it to Aio unprompted. Either way, Aio saved Tomiko by making it easier to move on from the conversation.

“Ah. This one?” The trader pointed to the plush Tomiko recognized.

“Yes. How much?”

“Three thousand yen. Or if you like you can pay in portal currency.”

Tomiko knew it was most likely more than what she could find it for in stores, but it was worth it if it could more easily help in transitioning to the topic she wanted to discuss. She just had to be smooth during the exchange.

“I’ll pay in cash,” Tomiko said as she got out her coin purse.

The trader took down the plush from the shelf and handed it over to Tomiko as she handed them the money. Now was the time.

“Here you go. By the way, I had a question about tags that I thought you may know.”

“Oh.” Said the trader. Tomiko couldn't tell, but anyone else listening in would have been able to tell the trader was only pretending not to know Tomiko had some other reason for being there.

Tomiko continued, feeling she had pivoted expertly.

“Yeah. I was wondering if you knew anything about old tags and the features they had.”

“Well, it depends on the model, and what features you're talking about. Modded or un-modded. Legal or illegal. Adult or child. The government likes to pretend they are all the same, but I have a feeling that’s not what you were talking about.”

“R-right…” Tomiko stumbled with her words, feeling she had learned something she wasn't supposed to. “I wanted to know if old tags didn’t have the eject feature. You know, the one that allows others to pull you out.”

“Ah. That one. Yes, the first publicly released tag didn’t have a surface bobber function, so divers had to keep it with them while diving. It was a working system… for a while.”

“What do you mean?” Tomiko asked, wondering if this was going where she thought it would.

“Well, an incident happened that caused them to be recalled and fixed. Rumor has it a child got stuck in a portal and couldn’t eject themselves due to being incapable somehow. The incident was highly speculated in the media for a week, then suddenly dropped by all major news networks. Many conspiracy boards online suggest it was covered up, since all tags released were suddenly deactivated really close to the time of a missing child report. The government made a strange national report saying two issues were unrelated and ‘fixed’ all tags to have the bobber function shortly after.”

“What ever happened to the child?” Tomiko asked, but having a strong feeling she already knew the answer.

“The child was reported to be found, but no follow up was ever done. Many interviews were promised but never released. All information about where the child was and what happened conflicted with the original reportings.”

“I-I see.” Tomiko was shaken that Chimon’s exact story was known, famous even, but nothing was done to help.

“Um… Thanks.” Tomiko said, realizing she wasn't saying anything.

“No problem. And by the way, the currency you’ve been trading in, the portal ID matches up with the original missing persons report.”

Tomiko froze. She jolted her head to look away, not wanting to make eye contact. She wasn't sure why. She was just scared of what the trader was going to say next.

She waited, but they didn't say anything. Tomiko found the courage to slowly turn her head back at them.

The trader gave Tomiko a smile.

“Rumor has it he refuses to leave the portals' side, because the day he does, well, lets just say people have a way of making things disappear.”

Tomiko left feeling more frightened than when she started. Informed sure. But the information was more than she expected to get.

Was that why Chimon refused to tell her the whole story, because it was part of a much larger cover up.

Tomiko’s head swirled with questions. But none of them changed the resolve she had found. It was something bigger than herself.

She was going to help Chimon get his friend back.

Everything else could be put on hold. This was important to her.