have, all over again. Some government organization or another. Horribly inefficient. But I would like to know the answers before any of that, using my own resources, and with people I trust.”
Reiko couldn’t understand how his final statement could include her, but he smiled at her again in a warm, reassuring way. His eyes wandered to the cages, and for a moment they became cloudy and distant, as if his soul had left them. He came back, to say, “If you wouldn’t mind grabbing one of those cages, and following me.” While he said it, he picked up one himself. “This is the room for working, not observing. Yours will be down the hall.”
He walked out of the room, and waited in the hallway for her to come out so he could shut the door behind her. He then walked back towards the lobby, turning into the last door on their right before the hallway ended. She followed closely behind.
It was a bright room, with a window facing the morning sun in the distance. There were fourteen other cages, all with their own singular inhabitant, and then a larger cage that housed another ten or so, all arranged on tables that bordered the entire room. The center, although not very spacious, was only occupied by two rolling chairs. He placed the cage he was carrying in an empty space along the far wall, next to the window. She set hers directly next to it.
He said, “And as you can see around you, here are some normal rats. For contrast, if you needed it.” He hadn’t shut the door behind them when they entered, and he went back to stand in the threshold before continuing, “I’ll leave you alone with them now, to give you the chance to become acquainted.”
He had already turned around, but before he completely shut the door Reiko said, “You are really considering putting these things into humans?”
A complex expression crossed his face. He opened the door slightly to allow conversation around it. After a moment, he said, “When I was young, I always thought that a deep connection could be made between two people merely from words, and a true willingness to make the connection. And maybe for some people, that’s true. But not for me. I love everybody, but always at a distance, and with my poor eyesight a distance is more than I can afford. Now that I’m no longer young, I don’t have much time to search for the fault in myself, so I’m trying new methodologies. Maybe I can get around my fault with a few machines, right? That’s what they’re for, machines. But I’m more of an entrepreneur than a scientist, so I can only bring together the right people, and hope.”
He seemed to wait for a response, but she didn’t know what to say, so she just stood silently with her head bowed. Taking that as a sign his response was sufficient, he closed the door, leaving her alone with the rats.
She looked around her at all of the small, timid animals, locked in their cages. “Let’s begin,” she said to herself. A thought then occurred to her, and she looked around the room. “I have nothing to write with.”
Ronin 2
Invasion of America
Matthew Perry sat quietly in his seat, listening to the conversations around him, as the maglev train hurtled along the vacuum tube that connected New York City to Tokyo. An hour had passed, and four remained until he would be standing in the Japanese metropolis for the first time in his life. There were no windows, so the only indication that he would soon be underwater was a digital map at the front of the cabin that monitored the train’s position. Classical music drifted diffusely from hidden speakers, some baroque piece that he couldn’t quite identify. He had only taken a passing interest in music throughout his educational career.
Half of the people on the train were of obvious Japanese nationality. He could hear the trilling language being spoken on either side of him, providing a counter-melody to the anonymous music all around. The seats were arranged like a
Reiko couldn’t understand how his final statement could include her, but he smiled at her again in a warm, reassuring way. His eyes wandered to the cages, and for a moment they became cloudy and distant, as if his soul had left them. He came back, to say, “If you wouldn’t mind grabbing one of those cages, and following me.” While he said it, he picked up one himself. “This is the room for working, not observing. Yours will be down the hall.”
He walked out of the room, and waited in the hallway for her to come out so he could shut the door behind her. He then walked back towards the lobby, turning into the last door on their right before the hallway ended. She followed closely behind.
It was a bright room, with a window facing the morning sun in the distance. There were fourteen other cages, all with their own singular inhabitant, and then a larger cage that housed another ten or so, all arranged on tables that bordered the entire room. The center, although not very spacious, was only occupied by two rolling chairs. He placed the cage he was carrying in an empty space along the far wall, next to the window. She set hers directly next to it.
He said, “And as you can see around you, here are some normal rats. For contrast, if you needed it.” He hadn’t shut the door behind them when they entered, and he went back to stand in the threshold before continuing, “I’ll leave you alone with them now, to give you the chance to become acquainted.”
He had already turned around, but before he completely shut the door Reiko said, “You are really considering putting these things into humans?”
A complex expression crossed his face. He opened the door slightly to allow conversation around it. After a moment, he said, “When I was young, I always thought that a deep connection could be made between two people merely from words, and a true willingness to make the connection. And maybe for some people, that’s true. But not for me. I love everybody, but always at a distance, and with my poor eyesight a distance is more than I can afford. Now that I’m no longer young, I don’t have much time to search for the fault in myself, so I’m trying new methodologies. Maybe I can get around my fault with a few machines, right? That’s what they’re for, machines. But I’m more of an entrepreneur than a scientist, so I can only bring together the right people, and hope.”
He seemed to wait for a response, but she didn’t know what to say, so she just stood silently with her head bowed. Taking that as a sign his response was sufficient, he closed the door, leaving her alone with the rats.
She looked around her at all of the small, timid animals, locked in their cages. “Let’s begin,” she said to herself. A thought then occurred to her, and she looked around the room. “I have nothing to write with.”
Ronin 2
Invasion of America
Matthew Perry sat quietly in his seat, listening to the conversations around him, as the maglev train hurtled along the vacuum tube that connected New York City to Tokyo. An hour had passed, and four remained until he would be standing in the Japanese metropolis for the first time in his life. There were no windows, so the only indication that he would soon be underwater was a digital map at the front of the cabin that monitored the train’s position. Classical music drifted diffusely from hidden speakers, some baroque piece that he couldn’t quite identify. He had only taken a passing interest in music throughout his educational career.
Half of the people on the train were of obvious Japanese nationality. He could hear the trilling language being spoken on either side of him, providing a counter-melody to the anonymous music all around. The seats were arranged like a
Similar Books
