Confession/ Suddenly (Reprise)

New Nantan Layer Two, District 15- June 18th 2233

2:56am

When Ichijo arrived at the apartment the lights were out. He only got in thanks to the unlock code Jaelynn had provided him. Joseph idled in his car until Ichijo had made it inside then drove away. Though, Ichijo was sure he was staked out someplace very close.

Ichijo went to the kitchen first and found a pair of pajamas draped over the bar alongside a hand-written letter that read: “for Kaiya.” He sighed and buried his face in the soft fabric, fresh out of the wash. He glanced up to see his new roommate passed out on the couch in the common area. You didn’t have to go that far.

After filling his stomach, he stepped into the shower. The water was like a salve to his sore skin. The day’s stresses and frustrations melted off him in the wash. He emerged in his new clothes a completely different person than he had been a few hours ago. The lingering trauma from his latest run-in with Jaelynn nearly forgotten.

As he crossed the threshold to the master bedroom, he saw his roommate stir on the couch. She turned over, trying to bring her feet up so they didn’t sit on the armrest but didn’t push her off the seat itself.

“You know, your bed is big enough for two.” He blurted out without thinking. As soon as the words left his lips, he felt embarrassed. He sounded like some schoolkid asking a crush on a date. Idiot, this is nothing like that. He realized. You’re too full of yourself.

“That’s how she gets to you, you know.” Sakura sat up, her bedhead giving her face an even softer look than before.

“I don’t.” Ichijo declared, narrowing his eyes.

“She wants you to get attached, to this place, to me. It’s just another thing for her to toy with you over. I imagine she knew your type and acted accordingly. That’s partly why she sent you to work under me.” Sakura turned over on the couch, revealing a pulled-up pajama top. Her well-toned stomach bathed in the soft light was like a fresh loaf of bread. He wanted to take a bite.

“Is that your tip for the day? Don’t get attracted? Too late. Your fault for being cute!” He said, blasting her with his finger guns.

“You don’t get it. She killed Hiro for us not for you. She gets you attached to something then she takes it away just when you think she’s done messing with you.” Ichijo thought back, the hunger in Jaelynn’s eyes sprang to the forefront. “It’s all a game to that sadist. She knows people care about things and that’s the perfect tool to break them over. This isn’t advice, this is important. Don’t get attached. Not even a little bit. Despise your time here, find some way to hate it or you won’t be able to get out one day.” She sat back and looked up at the ceiling sighing softly.

Ichijo pushed his urges down to the dirt and walked off. He went straight to the room and climbed on the woman’s bed. Out of spite not an intent to follow his roommate’s advice he gulped down his feelings and forced himself to sleep as quickly as he could.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

8:15am

He woke up sore, still angry that she had even said something like that. The morning progressed well enough. Ichijo made terrible eggs and the pink haired woman wolfed them down without gagging too many times. They exchanged notes on the 56-page dossier the organization had demanded they use for their next assignments.

Both agreed there were too many items to handle for two people. But perhaps that was the point. More failures meant more pinch-points for Jaelynn to exploit. First there was the organization’s recommendation for Haruto Minazuki. He had not planned any further public appearances for the next week and so the new plan was to take the next two weeks to infiltrate his inner circle via Kaiya Arakawa.

Kaiya Arakawa already had an extensive work-history complete with work references and the like. From any of the organization plants throughout the cybernetics industry she could get enough kudos to gain a number of jobs. But Hasha dynamics was a tough nut to crack.

Not only did the company tout the largest market share of intellectual property related to cybernetics; the company itself was practically incestuous. Few if any competent employees left the company which had led to it being nicknamed “the Iron Company.” That added to the amount of legacy employees whose children were employed at the same place the company was practically a people unto itself. The new blood that was hired at Hasha was mostly women, that was good. Though they were often hired at a lesser salary and for more menial positions than at others. Hasha had a reputation for being a frat house where any competent career-woman worth her salt would turn down if given the chance. Someone like Kaiya might easily qualify but without some clever manipulation she would wind up in a department where she would have zero access to Haruto.

To ensure the hiring process went well Ichijo would need to work directly with a current employee of Hasha. The mystery contact’s name had not been specified. The other major operation for the coming week was to hack into a major databank in New Kyoto that hosted servers for Hasha. It was not specified if this mission was also related to the plan to infiltrate Hasha or if it was another crude attempt at espionage.

The pink haired woman sat back at the kotatsu her eyes milling about as she stared at data sets invisible to all but her. “This doesn’t make sense.” She expressed.

“Just figured out that we have no idea who our inside contact is?”

“No. I don’t understand the subroutine we’re supposed to insert into this data center. I can’t decrypt it or read it.”

“I can. And it’s not very good so we won’t be using it.” Ichijo insisted. Sakura glared at him with contempt.

“I feel like a broken record at this point, but you do understand that your best course of action should be to follow the organization’s orders even if you think they’ll get you killed, right?”

“I understand.”

“Then why are you still trying to do things your own way?”

“Because if I don’t then I’m dead. If I don’t this plan won’t succeed.” Sakura fell flat on the tatami, breathing deeply and trying to calm down to some degree.

“Fine. Do what you want. I won’t be responsible if you get yourself killed.” She unplugged herself from the terminal, stood up, and walked into the master bedroom.

“Take your own advice Ms. Sakura. I won’t be around for long.” Ichijo assured her as she slid the bedroom door shut.

Ichijo unplugged for a few minutes and stretched, glad to have some space from the net. As the net had grown in form as well as function people the world over had petitioned for ways to keep the net from overtaking their everyday lives. This had led to major computing tasks being relegated back to a central household object, the terminal. Portable terminals existed sure, but they were highly regulated and difficult to maintain these days since there was so little demand for it. Human nature had assured mankind a future by making them repulsed to the small screens and integrated technology of the past. But that also meant that the net as it currently existed was in a more potent form than before.

Every time Ichijo plugged in, he felt the pull, the urge to dive deep and swim for hours or even days. The real danger of the net as it existed in the 23rd century was the fear that augmenting one’s body to live longer and requiring less upkeep would allow one to delve into the net for months at a time. “Pilots” or “wire jockeys” as they were known on the net were humans in name only. What remained of their bodies was plugged into the net as the entirety of the places where they lived were filled with wires and tubes. Pilots maintained themselves by hiring technicians to debug their “systems” which had once been their bodies. They performed lucrative tasks and managed thousands of important servers. Though, these days becoming a “pilot” was discouraged heavily by local laws, customs, and practical limitations as well. If by some error a landlord tripped a switch and shut off the power to the room of one such person, they would die permanently.

The life of a “wire jockey” had at some stages become a tempting concept to Joben Gima, but he ultimately rejected the idea in favor of his “noble goal” had he not… well, Joben Gima would have died in a power outage or some such thing and been forgotten and Ichijo wouldn’t be here, let alone Kaiya.

He plugged back in and heard the telling jingle of an incoming private message. As had been specified in the document, the message coming from a “_broken_System56_” was his inside operative at Hasha. They said very little, only providing a string of numbers that required a cipher. So much extra work, the message was already encrypted so this level of precaution was unnecessary. He plugged the string of numbers into the library of languages he’d had installed and found the message to contain the address of a small park that was under construction. He memorized the address then sent a message to Joseph to start up the vehicle.

“Time to pay our friend a visit.” He decided. There was no sense in waiting for all the dominoes to fall into place. If he didn’t crack this Hasha task, he couldn’t even consider getting a leg up on the organization. He flicked his eyes through the map again and saw something else. The park was very near a certain convenience store.

Ichijo reached under the kotatsu and pulled a chord underneath until his new terminal key revealed itself. Phase 2 was a go as well.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Freedom and Peace Park, New Kyoto- June 18th 2233

4:00pm

The black vehicle pulled into place just beyond the construction site. From the back emerged Kaiya Arakawa and Sakura Taira dressed in heavy overcoats and long pants that hid much of their curves and distinguishing features. Each had been given a scarf that, when spoken through modulated their voices to different frequencies than before.

The park was a tangle of trees and chain-link barriers. Within had once been a well-planned monument to both American and Japanese accomplishments, a rare fusion of the two cultures. When the construction of certain monuments began to be marred by protests the state of the park fell into uncertainty. Some years later and the land had defaulted to the bank where it now lay practically abandoned. Recent efforts had been made to revive the project but it was essentially owned by the organization now. It would only move forward if such an action would help further the organization’s goals no doubt.

The two snuck through a broken gate and made their way along a gravel path to a metal park bench in the center of a clearing. With a great view of upturned dirt and construction equipment Ichijo sat down to wait for their contact to arrive. Behind him, in the thick of some trees, Sakura hid in case things went south. Though, he wondered what help she would be all things considered.

After many silent minutes watching nothing a small pair of footsteps approached from the east. She was a stately woman in a modest business suit wearing her blonde hair in a bun behind her head and a small pair of orange tinted sunglasses. She noticed Ichijo and her pace quickened a bit, her heels giving her a bit of a gallop to her step as she sat down next to him.

“Good afternoon.” The woman said with excitement.

“Good evening.” Ichijo corrected, his voice coming across gravely and rough. He pulled out a small microphone and clicking a button. “Please state your name for a record. This will serve as insurance for us as well as assurance that we are speaking to who we have been told you are.”

“I see.” The woman looked down at the ground for a second then turned back to him with a stern expression. “My name is Clarisse Vermillion Montague, I am 27 years old, and I am the fiancé of Haruto Minazuki.”

Ichijo was shocked by the information. Her? The woman from the party? He felt stupid for not recognizing her immediately. While she had been wearing next to nothing some nights ago, her face was unmissably perfect. Calm down, ask the questions and get the information, that’s what matters…

“Where does Haruto Minazuki spend the majority of his time?” He asked.

“Right into it, huh? I was hoping this could be more of a conversation.” She trailed off. “I guess he spends the majority of his time in his apartment. Though, that’s just my assumption because I’ve never been there.”

“Why did he disappear from the public for six years?”

“That was his father.” Clarisse noted, tilting her head to look at him closer. “Anyone would hide away after what he did to him.”

“What did he-“ Ichijo shifted back on the bench as she got close, sticking her nose in his face.

“It’s you, isn’t it?” She snatched the hat off Ichijo’s head in the blink of an eye. His scarf fell down as she did, revealing his face. “You’re the girl that took my dress!” She said excitedly, releasing a small chuckle at the coincidence. “Aww, that makes sense! I was a little worried at first who was offering to get information on him! It’s my replacement after all!”

Her laugh was disarmingly cute, and her mannerisms, far more relaxed than at the party. Ichijo loosened his disguise and sat back on the bench completely floored. All the pride and arrogance he had built up around her was gone. For this moment she was a regular girl.

The tears gave way to light sobbing, Then, after a moment she was openly crying, globs of before perfect makeup leaving black streaks down her cheek. Ichijo looked around, half-expecting someone to come help. When none came he scooted closer and patted her gently on the back.

“I’m sorry. I’m really not here to replace you, though.” He confessed.

“Oh sure. Yeah. No one can replace me! I’ve got so much to show for all the work I’ve done! I’m high-value! That’s what dad used to say…” The girl relaxed her posture, bending her spine back over the bench and throwing her head upwards. “You know what’s the worst part about this? I’m too old now. I’m basically locked into this marriage agreement whether I like it or not because if I break it off there’s no one waiting to catch me.” She punched the air. “28. That’s the cutoff point. Once I reach that I’m no good anymore…” She scoffed and sniffled.

Ichijo cleared his throat, trying to recall the questions. He looked back at Clarisse who seemed just as real as Sakura, as real as Elizabeth and Eiko. He tossed his duty to the side and loosened up. He’d get the information he needed his way.

“How did you two meet?”

“We were neighbors. I would’ve believed it was a coincidence, but I learned quickly there isn’t anything in this world adults don’t plan for.”

“So, you were childhood friends?”

“More like mutual captives. Mom and Dad kept insisting that we spend time together because they knew the kind of man his father was. Kept grooming me to be his perfect little bride. I never saw the light outside of that cage. I don’t know, maybe I should have done something everyone else I know had some fling. I was too scared to try.” She sighed deeply, pulling the sunglasses off her face and pocketing them. “I feel like such an idiot. You know his reputation don’t you?”

“I’m afraid not.”

“He’ll screw anything not nailed down. Been like that since he turned 18, not that he’ll say so in my presence. I hear about it on the news, or from acquaintances. The more I hear the more frustrated I get. He’s never made a pass at me but he’s plenty happy keeping up our marriage arrangement. Hell, I’m surprised he hasn’t banged one out with you. You’re the reason he ditched me the other night after all.”

“We talked.” Ichijo admitted. “But I felt he was being overly cautious. He gave me his private line, but he hasn’t called me back yet.”

“That tracks. He’s probably doing someone else. Once he’s bored with her he’ll get to you. Just wait your turn. I’m last in line, apparently.”

“Back to what you were saying earlier, about his father. What did Mr. Minazuki do to him?”

“Rewired his brain, I think. Again, he doesn’t talk to me much about it. It was; gosh, was it 4 years ago? We went out to dinner, and he sounded strange. He had some metalflesh on the side of his head, I tried to ask him about it, but he dodged the question. I know Mr. Minazuki was trying to get him off the bottle and he basically swore off it after that. Not that it slowed down his sexual appetite. That was the period we were least in contact, I think. But I’m sure his father messed with him somehow to try and keep him in the company. All his other kids left after all.” She trailed off. “Sorry, I’m rambling.”

“That’s actually good information. I couldn’t find any of that.” Ichijo admitted. “So, what would you say his interests are if you could pin them down?”

“Cybernetic security. He’s paranoid since the incident with dear dad, and I think he did everything he could to ensure something like that never happens again.” Ichijo thought back to the way his connection with Jaelynn went on the fritz after running into him, how he was able to tell whether or not he was lying.

“Seems like he goes above and beyond. So, are there any other things I should know about? Any vulnerabilities I should search for?”

“Your face, he’s weak to a good-looking face.” She remarked. And Ichijo could tell she wasn’t interested in continuing. One last push… Ichijo asked a few more probing questions. They talked about Hasha, the work environment, the kind of things he could expect there and so on. She answered them all, with a bit more information than perhaps he had any time for, then let him stew.

“Well, I think that’s about as much as I can handle. Thank you.” Ichijo remarked.

“I must’ve spent my whole life trying to get into his better graces. You know what my dad said to me when I was six? ‘Be nice to him or you won’t eat dinner with us anymore.’ Really! He said that! Anyways. If you see him, don’t tell him I said hi.” She said, replacing her sunglasses and standing. “And one more thing, Kaiya. Do what you gotta do, get as much out of him as you can then get far away. He’s not worth it.”

“He seems worth it to you.” Ichijo teased.

“I’m a special case, don’t worry about me. I’ll make it to happiness somehow.” She finished, then marched out of the park in a strong gait. Sakura emerged from the trees and walked towards the car without a word. Ichijo followed. Once they had begun driving Ichijo paid close attention to the streets. As soon as they reached a certain intersection he sprang up.

“I need to use the bathroom!” He told Joseph.

“Hold it in!” He barked back.

Ichijo pulled the door handle and stepped out as the vehicle rounded a corner. HE heard Joseph yell at Sakura to follow but he had already crossed the street to his old place of employment, the 7-Fifty-Seven.

He walked inside, half expecting some kind of welcome. The store was pristine, as usual, somewhere behind a thick pane of glass some poor soul was sitting and watching. He scanned for the bathroom and made his way into the ladies’ room. Once there he locked the door and carefully pulled out the terminal key. He climbed into the corner by standing on the toilet and lifted a ceiling panel to place the key inside. That task done, he flushed the toiled like a real customer then left the bathroom, nearly knocking over Sakura as he did.

What greeted him froze him in his tracks. Towering above him and pulling a can from the fridge was the honeybee. Their lanky arms froze as their eyes spied him. They followed as he walked out of the store, uncomfortably. As he made his way back to the car he glanced back. Those yellow eyes peered at him as he entered the SUV. The head turned, and for a moment he wondered… Did they recognize me?