Last Night on Earth

I came to in some kind of makeshift cell. Everything was hurting. I might have broken my left arm in that last fall. Ayasa was there, leaning against me. Seeing that I had awoken, she leaned over. A pained smile crossed her face.

“What happened?”

“We got to the South.”

I became a little more aware of my surroundings. My old uniform jacket was off. I had been bandaged up in my sleep. We were in some kind of large tent.

“Where are we?”

“The Americans found us. They brought us here. I don’t know more than that myself.”

Did that mean we were in the clear?

No, it certainly didn’t. I had left behind a mess when I decided to sneak back into the North. Consequences were surely coming. My father would learn, and it would be all over. No excuse would cover being caught in a border incident.

“I guess that means you’re safe.”

“I’m okay. You took most of the fall yourself.”

“See? I told you I’d protect you.”

That was the adrenaline talking, no doubt. Ayasa’s smile grew wider, but I could still see she wasn’t quite certain of it. We were still in a jail cell, after all- for what reason, I couldn’t say.

“Why did they stick us in here?”

“They didn’t say anything. Well, not anything I could understand…”

Ayasa nodded towards the others in the tent. American soldiers. They were talking in English. I couldn’t understand any of it- there was no chance Ayasa could, either.

“Sorry.”

Ayasa tilted her head?

“For what?”

“I didn’t think this through.”

“Do you ever?”

“I hope to, someday.”

She laughed, softly.

“No, It’s more than that.”

“Hmm?”

“If I’d been a bit smarter, I wouldn’t have rocked the boat. That’s why you had to go back, wasn’t it?”

The smile drained away from her face.

“No, that’s not really it. They found me quickly. After that…going back was certain. It was only a matter of time.”

“They were listening to you, weren’t they? In Shinji’s apartment- we found something…”

The pain was coming on stronger now.

“I told them a little lie. I told them you were working with another agency- someone trying to blackmail my father. That gave me a bit more time.”

“You…sold me out?”

I tried to play it off as a joke.

“I wasn’t sure, back then. You seemed too good to be true. I was suspicious- but I wanted to be right.”

“Why?”

“If I was right, the Redeyes wouldn’t have taken me home. They would have waited until they were sure of you.”

“Sorry… I wasn’t a spy.”

“Just an idiot.”

She said it with a faint smile.

“Yeah.”

A long time passed. The pain was keeping me up. Ayasa rested her head on my shoulder. I wasn’t sure if she had fallen asleep. It didn’t matter- there would be time later. That was what I hoped in that fleeting moment.

It must have been three in the morning- or sometime around then. Someone entered the tent. Someone I knew- my father.

I expected a lecture to start that minute, the riot act to end all riot acts. I was in it good, this time. This was a lot more than trouble- this was an international incident. My life as a free man was over. My father would just take one look at me, and with a stony face, he would say, “I’m so disappointed in you, Touma Nishizawa.” That would be it, exactly.

But that was not what happened.

My father was not wearing the sullen expression of a man who had just learned his son had betrayed him. No, it was far worse than that.

He was smiling.

“Well, well, well. Twenty-five years of playing this game with old Four-eyes and the queen just falls right into my lap.”

“What?”

“Ah, Touma. You’re awake.”

“Uh, yes…”

“We’ll have to have a long talk when we get home, but there’s no time for that now. Remember to apologize to your friend- that Saijou girl. She did a great job covering for you.”

“Covering for… wait, you’re… not mad?”

“Touma, I am furious. I have more important things to worry about right now. Like I said- we’ll have a long talk when we get home. Is your arm alright?”

It wasn’t.

“I think…so.”

“Good.”

What? What? This was all wrong. Your son nearly gets himself killed- and you’re celebrating?

The old man turned to Ayasa, who had been roused from her apparent slumber.

“Miss Okazaki, I presume?”

Ayasa’s eyes went wide. She couldn’t speak.

“How do you know her?”

My father kept his eyes on Ayasa but answered me.

“The real question, Touma, is how do you know her? Miss Okazaki here is the daughter of Natsume Okazaki, executive officer of the Military Police for State Security of the Japanese People’s Republic. She’s practically royalty in the Communist party.”

No, no, this was all wrong. How would my father know this much? He was a low level bureaucrat for the city government-

Unless he wasn’t.

“You…know all this?”

My father turned back to me.

“Yes, I do. I’ll explain later. There’s no time now. The handoff is in fifteen minutes.”

“Handoff?”
Ayasa could only spit out a single word.

“Yes, Miss Okazaki. I’m afraid you’re the last bargaining chip I needed to make this all work out. It was a stroke of luck- or maybe divine providence- that you two showed up when you did. We need to wrap this up as soon as possible.”

No, that couldn’t be true. Ayasa was just a bargaining chip now?

“You’re handing her back?! They’ll kill her!”

“No, they won’t. She won’t be harmed.”

“How can you say that?”

My father wheeled around and looked me in the eye.

“Touma, I have known old four-eyes for far longer than you have. His daughter is very precious to him. He will go to any lengths to protect her. As I said, she’s like royalty. They won’t harm her.”

“Who are you? Why are you acting like this?”

“I’ve been in this game for longer than you’ve been alive, Touma. I’ve kept you out of it for your own safety. I didn’t expect you’d get into it yourself. I guess it’s true what they say. Like father, like son.”

My father pulled something out of his pocket. K-1104. The data disc.

“How did you get that?”

“You got it, Touma. I’d like to know how, but we can have that chat later.”

“You need to destroy it!”

“Destroy it? I’m going to give it back. That’s the best way of resolving this crisis. I never expect trump cards to just fall into my lap, but today I have two. That’ll get your friend back, too.”

“My…friend?”

Oh no.

“I’m afraid the Reds have Shinji. I think we can come to a fair trade.”

With that, my father left through the flap in the tent. I slumped back. It was too much. Ayasa looked over at me, looking for some kind of kind word or reassurance. I didn’t have any to give.

It was over.