the United States of America, or USA for short. It imagines a world where the Americans won the war and tries to teach them how to win now through a simulator in the program. Preposterous on every level. Have you heard of it?”
“Yes.”
“Why didn’t you report it?”
“I did in one of my roundups, but I didn’t know its name when I found out about it.”
“So you know what it’s about?”
“I have a basic idea. I agree, it’s preposterous. How do you know the general developed it?”
“Like I said, we’ve been tracking him,” Agent Tsukino said. “The game has all his marks on it. I hear you were once a good designer yourself.”
“I was OK.”
“You served in War Games with Mutsuraga.”
Ben recalled his service in San Diego and took a few breaths to ease himself.
“Tell your department to spend the rest of the day focusing on tracking anyone related to Mutsuraga’s family,” Agent Tsukino ordered.
“No problem.”
“I also want you to accompany me to Claire Mutsuraga’s apartment.”
“Me?” he asked, surprised. “Why?”
“Because her father is correct. Claire Mutsuraga committed jigai yesterday afternoon.”
Jigai – ritual suicide by knife to her neck. An image of her with a blade in her throat caused Ben to blanch. “Did she leave a letter?”
“No,” Tsukino said. “The matter is still under investigation. We’d been tracking her for some time, but hadn’t made a move, hoping she would lead us to her father. I need someone to look over her portical now that she’s dead.”
Ben had a hard time forming words and regained his composure only after seeing Akiko’s impatient glare. “When should we go?”
“As soon as you relay your orders to your department.”
Beniko pushed a few buttons on his portical, and wrote out the new directives. “Done.”
“Do you have your gun?”
“Will I need it?” he asked. “I actually don’t know if it’s at the office. I haven’t carried my gun in ages.”
“Find it.”
9:38AM
Agent Akiko Tsukino’s car was triangular and compact, like most of the electric cars on the road. As the doors were transparent, from certain angles it looked as though they were floating on air. Ben had expected special surveillance gear inside the vehicle, but there was nothing worth noting, not even decorations or memorabilia to give him a hint of her proclivities. She drove at a steady 40km/h and hundreds of cars to either side were going at the same speed. The huge signs on the skyscrapers appeared dead without neon. He fidgeted on his seat, looked right, and saw a big visual display about the new German art gallery.
“I’ve always wondered why the Germans drive on the wrong side of the road,” Ben said.
Akiko shrugged. “They like doing things opposite of everyone else.”
“Why don’t you use your portical to drive?”
“I like having full control,” she said, gripping the wheel tighter.
“But the portical can calculate speeds and angles perfectly for every permutation and–”
“I won’t put my life in the hands of a portical,” Akiko cut him off. “How long have you been at Taiyo?”
“Eight years now.”
“Is it normal for a man to remain at the rank of captain so long? Just by natural progression, you should be a major or colonel.”
Ben was about to agree, but knew he should be cautious. “Depends.”
“On?”
“Maybe politics?” Ben guessed. “I thought I was getting promoted last night. A few friends said I would, but I wasn’t. I don’t know why and I don’t question too deeply. I’m happy in my role and will serve, whether it’s as a captain or a warrant officer. What about you? How long have you been in the Tokko?”
She turned her head. “Five years.”
He wondered how old she was, but thought better of asking.
“You attended the Berkeley Military Academy for Game Studies,” she stated.
“Almost twenty years ago.
“Yes.”
“Why didn’t you report it?”
“I did in one of my roundups, but I didn’t know its name when I found out about it.”
“So you know what it’s about?”
“I have a basic idea. I agree, it’s preposterous. How do you know the general developed it?”
“Like I said, we’ve been tracking him,” Agent Tsukino said. “The game has all his marks on it. I hear you were once a good designer yourself.”
“I was OK.”
“You served in War Games with Mutsuraga.”
Ben recalled his service in San Diego and took a few breaths to ease himself.
“Tell your department to spend the rest of the day focusing on tracking anyone related to Mutsuraga’s family,” Agent Tsukino ordered.
“No problem.”
“I also want you to accompany me to Claire Mutsuraga’s apartment.”
“Me?” he asked, surprised. “Why?”
“Because her father is correct. Claire Mutsuraga committed jigai yesterday afternoon.”
Jigai – ritual suicide by knife to her neck. An image of her with a blade in her throat caused Ben to blanch. “Did she leave a letter?”
“No,” Tsukino said. “The matter is still under investigation. We’d been tracking her for some time, but hadn’t made a move, hoping she would lead us to her father. I need someone to look over her portical now that she’s dead.”
Ben had a hard time forming words and regained his composure only after seeing Akiko’s impatient glare. “When should we go?”
“As soon as you relay your orders to your department.”
Beniko pushed a few buttons on his portical, and wrote out the new directives. “Done.”
“Do you have your gun?”
“Will I need it?” he asked. “I actually don’t know if it’s at the office. I haven’t carried my gun in ages.”
“Find it.”
9:38AM
Agent Akiko Tsukino’s car was triangular and compact, like most of the electric cars on the road. As the doors were transparent, from certain angles it looked as though they were floating on air. Ben had expected special surveillance gear inside the vehicle, but there was nothing worth noting, not even decorations or memorabilia to give him a hint of her proclivities. She drove at a steady 40km/h and hundreds of cars to either side were going at the same speed. The huge signs on the skyscrapers appeared dead without neon. He fidgeted on his seat, looked right, and saw a big visual display about the new German art gallery.
“I’ve always wondered why the Germans drive on the wrong side of the road,” Ben said.
Akiko shrugged. “They like doing things opposite of everyone else.”
“Why don’t you use your portical to drive?”
“I like having full control,” she said, gripping the wheel tighter.
“But the portical can calculate speeds and angles perfectly for every permutation and–”
“I won’t put my life in the hands of a portical,” Akiko cut him off. “How long have you been at Taiyo?”
“Eight years now.”
“Is it normal for a man to remain at the rank of captain so long? Just by natural progression, you should be a major or colonel.”
Ben was about to agree, but knew he should be cautious. “Depends.”
“On?”
“Maybe politics?” Ben guessed. “I thought I was getting promoted last night. A few friends said I would, but I wasn’t. I don’t know why and I don’t question too deeply. I’m happy in my role and will serve, whether it’s as a captain or a warrant officer. What about you? How long have you been in the Tokko?”
She turned her head. “Five years.”
He wondered how old she was, but thought better of asking.
“You attended the Berkeley Military Academy for Game Studies,” she stated.
“Almost twenty years ago.
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