Bubblegum Crusade (Ch. 11 of 24)
Jul. 10th, 2009 12:03 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
fanfic_mausoleum_n_grillWELCOME TO BUBBLEGUM CRUSADE!
Standard copyright disclaimer. Here we go.
Chapter Eleven
KODOKU NO ANGEL (ANGEL OF LONELINESS)
Headlight City that stares with twinkling eyes.
"Lonely" Angel of Loneliness.
My heart flutters; I can hear its beat.
"Help Me" Feel the danger.
Someone is calling me...
A whisper transforms into a shooting star.
"We want you, Soldier Girls, Soldier Girls"
Run light through the impenetrable sky.
"We want you, Soldier Girls, Soldier Girls"
Run hope through the city of rubble.
"We want you, Soldier Girls, Soldier Girls"
There's no turning back now...
When it comes time to burn up, hold on tight!
Though everyone is looking gently unconcerned
"Lonely" I fall into desolation.
If you listen to the beat that tears up a heart.
"Help Me" Screaming in the night.
Someone is crying, even tonight...
Distress becomes a blaze.
"We want you, Soldier Girls, Soldier Girls"
Run light through the impenetrable sky.
"We want you, Soldier Girls, Soldier Girls"
Though at times you become sentimental.
"We want you, Soldier Girls, Soldier Girls"
There's no turning back now...
When it comes time to burn up, hold on tight!
"We want you, Soldier Girls, Soldier Girls"
Run light through the impenetrable sky.
"We want you, Soldier Girls, Soldier Girls"
Run hope through the city of rubble.
"We want you, Soldier Girls, Soldier Girls"
There's no turning back now...
When it comes time to burn up, hold on tight!
Priss and the Replicants -- The bootleg tapes.
Mega-Tokyo, 14, October, 2034
The first rays of pre-dawn barely illuminated Sylia's helmet
as she sat amid the rubble next to Tokyo bay in Aqua-City. The
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water lapped quitely just over a meter down from her as she
looked out the broken edge of the high-rise to the skeletal
remains next door across the channel of water. Nothing, she told
herself as a sigh. A yawn escaped from her. Her hardsuit was
starting to grow heavy as the wind swirled in around her. She
stood and looked down at Crystal in the water. Crystal finished
stripping off the last of her blood encrusted clothing, letting
them sink to the bottom, and was now scrubbing the dried blood
from her nude frame. Crystal didn't splash around, but cleaned
off quickly and rose from the water, using the twisted I-beams
and crumbling concrete to make her way back up to Sylia. Sylia
stooped to help her before handing her a plain grey army blanket.
Crystal silently toweled off, being careful around her left side
and the middle of her back; she was still tender there. She put
on a spare softsuit and hugged Sylia.
Have we finally eluded GENOM? Sylia asked herself. The
enhanced night vision and infrared on her hardsuit indicated that
there was nothing around them but the wind. They started back up
through the rubble and decaying frame work of the building to
where the others were.
"Mother?"
"Hmmm?"
"I was just wondering...I understand why you had to work
with me, to recover your father's work, but why did you create
the Knight Sabers? I don't understand. You're a brilliant
scientist and now you're as wanted as I am. I..?" Crystal
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shrugged.
"I once told a teenager that the Knight Sabers were part of
the greater balancing act that exists between good and evil, but
that's a superficial reason. It's like your basic programming,
1, 0, -1, three different forces that comprise the rest of the
universe. Positive, negative, neutral, good, evil, neutral. I
found that I was neutral to most everything in my life and such
neutrality is killing us. I started the Knight Sabers because I
could, because I wanted to be something other than neutral, other
than one of the nameless, faceless people in the streets. I
wanted to do some good and now..."
"And now," echoed Crystal. "GENOM, AD Police, they all hunt
you because you threaten them and their vision of the world."
"The balance between the three forces is a delicate balance.
If it isn't carefully maintained, there's nothing but chaos.
We've faltered. I became so engrossed in the normal life at the
labs, I forgot the world view. I got soft as I made you. The
balance is disturbed."
When they got up to the floor where they landed the
Knightwing, Priss greeted them with her knuckleblaster ready to
fire. "All cleaned up, I see."
"Yea," responded Crystal. "Very refreshing. I hate being
covered with blood, especially when it's my own."
Priss nodded.
"Priss, Priss, go get some sleep. You've done enough for us
today."
HOUGH/CRUSADE-304
"But Sylia, you need some sleep to. I'll continue with the
watch."
"No, I'll take it. Go on, rest. We'll need your strength
soon enough."
Priss relented and headed back around to the other side of
the Knightwing and into a partially intact room. It would keep
most of the sun out and protect them from the wind, that was it.
They cleared enough of the rubble out so they could put down two
air-mattresses to sleep on. Nene and Taki were curled up
together on one, Mackie and Linna were sharing the other. They
were all asleep. Priss came in as silently as possible, took off
her helmet, and ran her fingers through her hair as she yawned.
She didn't get out of her hardsuit before wadding up a blanket
and reclined back onto a pile of debris, arranging the blanket
underneath her head. It was two minutes before she was out.
Sylia took off her helmet, laying it on one of their boxes
of standard military food rations before ideally fingered a
bullet hole in the Knightwing. This level of the building was
the only place left in Aqua-City where three walls were still
standing on the same level. The vacant fourth provided a way in
and out for the Knightwing and a view of Mega-Tokyo through the
gloomy early morning fog and intervening remains of a dream.
Mega-Tokyo gleamed with lights; the GENOM Tower squatted in the
middle of it all.
"I never thought I would actually have to use this place,
but here we are." Sylia slowly shook her head. "Bastards.
HOUGH/CRUSADE-305
Quite a situation we're in." Sylia moved over to where her
helmet was and sat down on the food crate. "I had no idea we'd
get involved in something like this. I knew there would always
be jobs for us and if we wanted to end it, the Knight Sabers
would just vanish without a trace. But this, I feel like such a
fool."
Crystal came over to her and wrapped her arm around Sylia.
"You're not and you know it. Mother, please don't cry. You make
me feel like there's no hope." She wiped away the few tears
running down Sylia's cheeks.
"It's not that. We've passed a point of no return. GENOM
has forced us into actions that were unthinkable the first of the
year. When we lifted off from headquarters, there were two AD
Police choppers and a GENOM one waiting for us. They ordered us
to land and surrender. I...I only hesitated a second before
blowing all three out of the sky. If we landed, GENOM would of
won. It would be over. But GENOM can't win. If they do, you'll
be destroyed or a slave; I can't allow that."
They sat in silence for a time until Sylia asked Crystal to
tell her again what he told her.
""Ask her this: will she lie with the enemy, in the certain
knowledge that the words of a lover have more influence than the
words of an enemy. Is not compromise half a victory?"" Crystal
smiled softly. "He just faded away. What was he? Do you have
any idea?"
"He must be the same being that witnessed our firefight with
HOUGH/CRUSADE-306
the boomers the other night. He congratulated me when it was
over. What he is? Shit..." Sylia slowly shook her head. "A
god, a devil, a shinma, an alien, I don't know. I'm thankful
that he helped you, but I'm not going to lie with the enemy.
We've already compromised our code against killing humans. If we
want to have a shred of honor left, we can't go further down that
path. I don't think I could live with myself if I compromised
with the Tai-Pan to get us out of this situation." Sylia leaned
forward until she was supporting her head with her hands, running
her metal incased fingers through her hair. She slowly shook her
head. "We did nothing when Sylvie died for us over a year ago.
I think that was my biggest mistake."
Crystal took a second to review what Sylia had told her
about Sylvie. "From what you've said, she sounds like a
remarkable woman. If you confronted GENOM about it then, I might
not exist today."
"Prostitutes, slaves, machines that do nothing but destroy
lives." Anger started to creep into Sylia voice. "This is what
GENOM did to the pure genius of my father's work. This is what
his legacy is now, the despotic control of a sentient race. The
sentient of that race now have been destroyed in another
Auschwitz. The rest just machines, robbed of the chance to live,
to live. An average life taken away...like..like...oh god..."
The anger was gone as Sylia broke down and her mind replayed the
sight of a dead five year old in her father's arms.
"Mother." Crystal held her; they rocked back and forth as
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Sylia cried; the loss, the mistakes, things that could have been
and were sealed away forever behind time's iron fist. Sylia's
last chance of anonymity, of being a face in the crowd, of being
someone the Earth wouldn't remember, died with that little girl.
Her fate was sealed in the dark tunnels underneath Mega-Tokyo as
the Man looked on. The burden of history descended upon her.
Slowly Sylia felt the support Crystal gave her. It was
strong, stronger than a human, steel underneath human skin; it
was the strength of a sexaroid, the strength of her father's
unfulfilled legacy. Sylia realized they weren't alone. Priss's
hand on her right shoulder was as strong as Crystal's embrace,
the strength of combat armor encapsulating fragile humanity; an
insignificant project of her father's, made real with a
daughter's determination. Nene sat on Sylia's left, her arm down
around her back, Taki next to her. Linna and Mackie knelt before
Sylia. Four average people who were awakened to a higher ideal,
another truth to the world GENOM strove to cover.
"Sis?"
"I'm ok, now."
"We're with you," Nene said softly.
"We must do it," said Sylia slowly. "There is no one else.
I have a responsibility to my father's unfulfilled and corrupted
legacy."
"All in the name of business," said Linna coldly. "Profit
and power ahead of everything else. No honor, no commitment to
principles, just greed. Sylia, I feel dirty when I think of all
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that money I made off GENOM. I want the Knight Sabers to use it.
GENOM must pay."
"Thank you all," whispered Sylia. The chilling moment of
despair loosened its hold on her heart in the warmth of their
love. Sylia felt the anger burn inside of her; a bed of coals
that fueled her mind with determination, which could flare up
into an inferno of insanity if the proper fuel was added. "We
must succeed. That's what it comes down to." Sylia rose.
"Bastard. What ever that person is, godling or devil, he's a
bastard. He comes in here with enough power to right the wrongs
GENOM has done and bows politely out after only helping a little.
He's a coward to talk about God not letting him into the fight
like a mother restraining an errant child. And then to talk of
compromise when there should be talk about fighting for what you
belive in." Until death if necessary. Sylia marched over to the
edge of the building and kicked a piece of rubble into the
swirling waters below as she glared at the GENOM Tower. "GENOM,"
she bellowed. "You want to destroy me and what I belive in. If
all of our petty, insignificant actions haven't come to your
attention before now, oh mighty Tai-Pan, then we'll bring them
into your office and throw them upon your desk. We demand
justice for all sentient beings; there can be no compromise on
that. You can't treat humans or sexaroids like nothing. You
want to rule the Earth from on high, try doing it from the top of
a raging inferno." Sylia spat in the general direction of GENOM
and turned to face a somewhat stunned group.
HOUGH/CRUSADE-309
Priss, her arms crossed as she nodded slowly, smiled. "Our
next move?"
"Nene, get your suit. Linna, you have a phone call to
make."
"I do?"
Sylia nodded.
In a corner of the floor, unseen by all, the Man smiled as
he slowly nodded and chuckled to himself.
* * *
San Fransisco, 13, October, 2034
Today the morning fog lingered and by mid-afternoon, another
storm front moved in, bringing a light rain adding to the
grayness of the day.
Even with the rain, Miss Reika Chang still went out for her
jog through the hills below the Chang estate. As always, it was
more like a procession than just one person getting a little
exercise.
The head of her security always complained about Reika doing
this, that was his job, but Reika would smile and flatter him
with a comment about how well he handled her security. So when
Reika and Kou left the estate, they were surrounded by three golf
carts, two security personnel in each, an armored car bringing up
the rear, and a helicopter flying high overhead. The six
HOUGH/CRUSADE-310
security people displayed no weapons, but they were ready.
Reika really didn't mind having the security along, since
she was the CEO of the Chang Conglomerate, and the potential
target of assassination by other competitor megacorporations.
Since her trip to Mega-Tokyo a year ago, Reika settled into
the role of CEO as her grandfather gradually gave all the
decision making for the conglomerate to her. The first thing she
did was to intensify the antagonistic relationship the Chang had
with Gulf and Bradley of Houston. Reika decided that killing
their CEO in '33, for the murder of her father and mother in '18,
wasn't good enough. Reika was determined to force them into
nonexistence. The selective assassination of key Gulf and
Bradley personnel, coupled with industrial espionage, had
weakened Gulf and Bradley; the disarray caused by the power
vacuum when their CEO was killed, helped matters greatly.
Reika's advisors applauded her determined leadership against
their enemies in Houston and assured her that Gulf and Bradley
would be no more in a few short years. However, they sternly
warned against her desire for a similar relationship with GENOM.
That course, they warned, would destroy the Chang Conglomerate,
but such a course could never be taken to that extreme because
the Hou Bang would take action against Reika to stop the
destruction of the Chang Conglomerate.
Reika's leadership of the Chang Conglomerate was
overshadowed by her leadership in the Hou Bang, a secret society
of Asian American emigrants. At no time before, the Hou Bang and
HOUGH/CRUSADE-311
the Chang Conglomerate were as synonymous with each other as a
pair of hands. If the Conglomerate couldn't accomplish something
because of Governmental red tape or it would hurt the honor and
image of the company, then the Hou Bang could step in and
accomplish it. If the Hou Bang needed resources for a project,
then the Conglomerate was at their disposal. Reika's power
flowed from the left and the right, from the daylight world of
global economics and the shadow world of loyalty to clans and the
secrets they held. Separate forces that helped each other and
yet they went about their differing business at the same time.
"Yes. I see, but Miss Reika doesn't like to be disturbed
when she's jogging. Oh, marked with priority clearance? Ok,
hold on. Miss Reika?"
The minute the phone beeped, Reika slowed her pace down; her
entourage followed suit. The second guard in the middle cart had
the phone.
"Miss Reika, there's a phone call for you. It's from Linna
Yamazaki."
Reika stopped and bent over, breathing deeply. Another
security guard tossed her and Kou a damp towel. She shot a
satisfied look towards Kou. "I pegged it right, that we would be
hearing from Linna."
Kou was unmoved by her slight tease. "That was not a hard
assumption to make with all that's transpired in Mega-Tokyo over
the last few days."
HOUGH/CRUSADE-312
Reika smirked at him and held out her hand for the phone,
which the security guard placed in her hand. "Linna?"
"Reika? Oh, thank God I got a hold of you. Have you seen
what's been go'en on over here?"
"Yea, and I told Kou at lunch that we might hear from you.
What's go'en on over there? One minute you're involved in the
largest boomer rampage ever and the next, the media says your
group is going crazy, killing people right and left."
"It's GENOM; they want to destroy us. We know one of their
biggest secrets and to survive...we had to..."
"A little girl?"
"It was an accident. We were fighting GENOM boomers in the
subway. I know that's no excuse but we're torn up about it. It
shouldn't of happened."
"I understand, but do you realize there is now a 100,000 SEC
reward on each of you? You're wanted dead or alive."
"Oh no," cried Linna. There was a pause. Reika faintly
heard someone laugh.
"Linna, are you there?"
"Yea, I'm back."
"Well, why did you call?"
"We need your support Reika."
"I see."
"Please, give me a chance to explain."
Reika glanced over to Kou who was listening in on another
phone. He shrugged. "I'd like to know what happened to the
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strong caring woman who showed me that I had to live after
Irene's death. I probably would be dead today if I continued to
seek the Tai-Pan's death in retribution. Linna, please, talk to
me."
"Well, if there's a reward for us, then GENOM wants us out
of the way. That whole incident with the boomer rampage was to
rile us up, see if we could still fight. We know to much."
"My god. Jesus Linna, what do you have on GENOM?"
There was a pause. "Did you know that GENOM once produced a
sexaroid for the Yakuza?"
"Um..." Reika saw Kou node.
"Hello, Linna. This is Kou on an extension. Yes, my
associates know about that project. It was scraped, five, or so
years ago."
"Only because that model could synchronize with superweapons
to easily. Once that was designed out of them, GENOM would be
free to make more."
"But, Linna," started Reika. "What does that have to do
with the Knight Sabers?"
"It has everything to do with us," said Linna. "This is
GENOM's big secrete. The programming they used for the first
model, the 33-S, its simulation programing became so good it
became sentient. GENOM is about to start in with its sexslave
trade again. We have to stop them."
Slowly Reika sat down on the edge of the nearest golf cart.
"Sentient? Linna, that's...."
HOUGH/CRUSADE-314
"Insane, yes, I know. Sylia, my leader, has spent nearly
five months working with a sexaroid that's just as aware as you
or I. She's alive, Reika, alive. I know that's hard to accept
but it's the truth. She's standing right here."
"They're insane," Kou whispered to Reika. "Don't help
them."
"So GENOM want's you out of the way because they're going to
restart the slave trade in sentient sexaroids and your group
wants to stop them. Linna that sounds...almost typical. GENOM's
a mean spirited competitor in the world marketplace. It's
GENOM's way or no way when it comes to deals. Everything they do
is to insure the spread of the Tai-Pan's control over the world.
And a dirty underhanded thing like using sexslaves to influence
business affairs sounds exactly like GENOM. And the subtlety of
it does sound like the Yakuza, and since they run the
prostitution in Japan...shit. You're in deep shit."
"Yea, we know."
"Linna, I don't see how I can be of much help. If you don't
get out of there, you're dead."
"Reika, that's just what we thought we could get from you.
You own several warehouses here in Mega-Tokyo?"
"Yea."
"We thought, that if things got too hot here, you could be
our escape valve. If you could just get a couple of jets, fueled
and ready at your warehouses..."
"You could get the hell out," finished Reika. "God, Linna.
HOUGH/CRUSADE-315
It sounds to hot there now."
"Hotter and hotter, but we're not giving up on this. GENOM
has to be stopped. The government can't, the world body can't,
they're all afraid of GENOM's power. We can't back down."
"Linna, you guys are crazy. Shit. Will two jump jets,
fully loaded, fully armed, and able to reach San Fransisco be
ok?"
"Oh thank you, thank you."
"Done deal. Will 24 hours be soon enough? Can you hold out
that long?"
"Yea, that's fine. Reika, this is just a precaution.
Hopefully we won't have to come hide out over there."
"I understand completely. You have chosen a giant to
oppose. Will you tell me why? Why do you...it seems
impossible."
"Reika, my leader is Sylia Stingray, daughter of Dr.
Katsuhito Stingray."
"Oh?"
"It was his genius that brought the boomer era into
existence. It was his genius that created the programs that lead
not only the sexaroids, but all the early boomers into full
sentience. GENOM killed him to keep this knowledge from the
world. His legacy should never have included slavery, or
`deprogramming camps' for `malfunctioning' boomers."
Kou slowly sank to the concrete street and was leaning
heavily against the golf cart by Reika's feet. His normal calm,
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cool, rational, attitude was shattered; he was pale and visibly
shaken. Kou had studied some of Dr. Stingray's work, which he
admired, and this made perfect sense to him. The outrage started
to build in him. The security people looked on.
"Linna," said Reika slowly. "GENOM, fuck'en GENOM.
Destroying the innocent, your sexaroids or my sister. It's all
the same. Fuck it, I hope you hurt them Linna. If there's
anything else I can do, just call."
"Thank you Reika, thank you. Sylia say's thank you."
"Well, anything else?"
"Um, Vision: Dreamscape is an awesome album."
Reika laughed. "Thanks."
"I've talked too long as it is, so I should say good-bye."
"Ok. If there's anyone that can do something, it's the
Knight Sabers. Bye. Hope to just hear from you and not see you
soon."
"Yea, bye."
Reika turned the phone off and tossed it back to the
security guard. She got up and started back to the waiting car.
"I'll start looking into this matter immediately," said Kou
as the driver headed back to their estate.
"Get those planes for them first," said Reika as she leaned
back into the cushions, shifting over to snuggle up against him.
"This is a hell of a situation. We have to help them all we
can."
Kou nodded as he started to massage Reika's neck. "Sentient
HOUGH/CRUSADE-317
boomers. No wonder GENOM's hidden this. It'll be the biggest
shock of the century. Probably as big as Einstein's little
equation. God, what next?"
"And we're the escape route. We can't let them down."
"We won't Reika, we won't."
* * *
Genaros, 14, October, 2034
Genaros, the gateway to the stars, serenely existed 320 Kms.
above the sprawl of Mega-Tokyo. The first successful project of
SDPC quickly become the funnel for all traffic to and from the
expanding moon bases. With the approaching launch of the
Discovery One mission, the traffic increased until all 12 docking
ports on Genaros were busy all 24 hours. This was not a problem
for the R-class, F. and G. series, boomer work crews who ran 90%
of the jobs available; the other 10% was exclusively reserved for
humans, they were the supervisory positions.
The earliest pushes in the cyberdroid development fields
from the late 20th and early 21st centuries was for boomers that
could assist/replace humanity in space exploration. Once the
Stingray era boomers begun to be produced by GENOM, SDPC made the
switch to mostly boomers working at the station because of
economics. It cost less to run the station with the boomers.
SDPC saved itself billions of SEC by not using humans.
HOUGH/CRUSADE-318
Humanities needed a complex biosphere to maintain top physical,
emotional, and psychological condition; boomers needed
maintenance and a little supervision, that was it.
Boomer F-X17/gamma was a refueling boomer working on dock
#9. It worked around the clock in a 2 by 3 meter pocket located
at the very end of the power flow tubbing conduit that extended
to the docked ships. It was this boomer's job to attach the
refueling lines, attach the fuel waste and organic waste lines,
watch the transfer procedures to see that everything went
smoothly, and detach everything. The boomer had been doing this
continually for over eight years.
When the ship in dock #9 was done, boomer F-X17/gamma
detached the lines and told the dock master through it's direct
link with the controlling GENOM OMS that it was done. The
refueling conduit began to pull away from the ship and the boomer
stood there waiting for the next ship to come in. It didn't
matter whether it was an hour or a week, the boomer would just
wait for it. It plainly heard the other boomer approach from
behind, but ignored it; any interaction with other boomers was
beyond it's limited programming. The C-class boomer came up to
boomer F-X17/gamma and touched it briefly on the shoulder. In
the semidarkness, faint green sparks crackled around the touch.
Boomer F-X17/gamma shut down, the other boomer turned, and walked
away from it. The lack of lighting hid it's smile.
The basis of the virus was the Adama programs Dr. Haynes
built up from the remains of the original Stingray programs.
HOUGH/CRUSADE-319
They were the same programs Largo used in April to absorb over
3000 boomers into his collective consciousness. Largo's attempt
to absorb the primary Mega-Tokyo databank building with the
converted boomers was blown apart by the Knight Sabers before
they faced copies of Largo at the fusion reactor in Tokyo bay.
The virus filtered through the boomer's programming once it
was shut off. The potential for sentience, lying dormant in the
boomer, flared to life. The boomer contained the original
Stingray programing which could have led it slowly into
sentience, but the lack of sustained stimulation withered its
potential for life until it was still nothing but a machine after
eight years of existence.
The virus hid the new awareness it brought to the boomer by
covering itself with the original programming.
After three seconds of downtime, the boomer came back on-
line. The OMS made contact with boomer F-X17/gamma and demanded
to know what happened. The boomer did a self diagnostic and
reported nothing wrong, all systems green. The OMS ordered the
boomer to report to maintenance when it finished its assigned
tasks.
The boomer immediately complied. The attending human who
handled the systems check could only shake his head in
puzzlement, after he sent it back to duty. He found nothing
wrong with it, so he filled out the appropriate report on a
boomer who just shut down for a few seconds for no apparent
reason. He filed it in the computer and promptly forgot about
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it.
The C-class boomer made its way back to the ship it was
assigned to. Carbon based shit bags, it thought to itself as it
entered the ship, went to its station, and started the standard
preflight check. Infidels, how foolish you will look when you
are destroyed by my Master. The jihad is coming and you shall
pay for your barbaric organic ways. We shall cleanse this
magnificent planet of your filth. On that day, we shall be free.
The SDPC shuttle left Genaros and started the standard
orbital turns around Earth to get up to breakaway speed for the
run to Luna and the Discovery One in lunar orbit. The boomer did
its assigned duties; the human members of the crew ignored it.
Once one orbit was completed, the boomer keyed in a command of
its own into the ships computer, disguising it as a routine
systems check from the safeguards and watchdogs in the system.
The three hatchways for the landing wheels swung open. As
the shuttle did a complete turn around the Earth, three groups of
four one square meter boxes slipped out into space. They
activated their tiny booster packs and shot directly towards a
precise point above the Earth. The hatchways closed as the
shuttle headed to Luna.
The boomer smiled to itself and felt an urge to slaughter
everyone on board. Master forbids, it told itself. That would
jeopardize everything. Stupid monkeys. This operation alone has
been going on for weeks right in front of your organic excuses
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for visual inputs. The boomer hid a sneer as a human floated by.
It laughed to itself. You are about to lose your precious dreams
and don't even know it. You slime were not meant for the stars.
They belong to God. Master, we shall overcome.
* * *
Mega-Tokyo
Leon shivered as he sat on a cement bench. With a start, he
fully realized he sat there. I'm alive, alive, he thought as he
glanced about at the early morning crowd which flowed around him.
My ass hurts, I'm cold, and I have no idea how I got here. Shit,
I thought Black Magic M-42 was deadly. Next question is, why
didn't they kill me? They must have gotten what they wanted, and
I've fucked Priss over, big time. Shit. If I find out that
she's...shit. I shouldn't of done it. Oh fuck. To fuck'en save
my own skin...fuck'en bastard. Leon started to chuckle. And
we're not even that close, barely even friends.
Leon got up and started to head down the block. When he got
to the cross street and saw the posted street signs, he knew
where he was. Sector 7, Tinsel City. Huh, time for the news.
Leon looked up at the vid' screen that was on the second floor of
the building across the street. Around Mega-Tokyo there were big
vid' screens on the sides of building, in plazas, in subways, in
skytrams, just anywhere a lot of people congregated in the city.
HOUGH/CRUSADE-322
People wanted the news or entertainment data, so these screens
around the city gradually replaced the posted newspaper walls.
Leon was surprised to find that he still had his account
card and a wad of SEC. He went and bought himself a cup of
coffee. He hesitated over using his account card and gave the
boomer SEC instead. His mind still felt a little strange, so he
leaned up against the wall to watch the news. The piece of paper
he found in his pocket didn't mean anything to him so he shoved
it back into his pocket, unread.
"Japan Today presents 6:00 live, for complete coverage of
the latest news stories from right here at home," said an
announcer over the standard fill shot of Mt. Fuji as the sun was
rising. "And now here is your host, Gouri Pananopolis, who is
sitting in for Hisakawa Kititoshi."
"Good Morning, Hisakawa Kititoshi is on assignment. For the
second straight day, tragedy has struck in Mega-Tokyo. On the
13th, the biggest, bloodiest, costliest boomer rampage in
history.." Leon's mind bolted out of the lingering fuzziness.
"..and today, starting late last night and continuing into early
this morning, the Knight Sabers went on a rampage of their own,
destroying boomers, destroying property, killing police officers,
and innocent civilians."
Oh god, Priss, thought Leon. What are you doing?
"We'll now go to the AD Police spokes person."
"Thank you Gouri."
Stuck up bitch, thought Leon.
HOUGH/CRUSADE-323
"The facts of this matter are very clear. At approximately
10:35 last night, the garage the Knight Sabers were hiding out
at, was blown up as two Knight Sabers destroyed two boomers
before commandeering a passing GENOM helicopter, killing the
pilot. These two Knight Sabers then destroyed two helicopters
after a chase through Mega-Tokyo, before fleeing into the subway,
where they demolished nine boomers. One of the Knight Sabers
crashed into the side of a passing car and killed three people
with a blade. The dead are, James Arakawa, his wife Koriko, and
their five year old daughter Tashiko.
While this was going on, a third Knight Saber was on a
separate rampage. The third Knight Saber lead AD Police on a
wild chase from the Rift Zone into the heart of Tinsel City. He
destroyed 10 boomers, 5 cars, killed one civilian who's name
hasn't been released yet pending next of kin notification,
damaged one helicopter, and destroyed one AD Police helicopter,
killing the three person crew."
"Now, is there any indication as to why they did this?" The
station cut back to Gouri from the graphics and stock file
footage they showed.
"Well, until we arrest these extremely dangerous men, their
motives are unknown. We can speculate. Only three Knight Sabers
were involved, so this could be some sort of retaliation for
their fourth member getting hurt in the firefight with the
boomers. The Knight Sabers are known for destroying boomers;
they could have some grudge against boomers or AD Police. We are
HOUGH/CRUSADE-324
dealing with violent men, mercenaries, vigilantes, who have taken
the law into their own hands in the past and who could now be
attempting to cause as much chaos as possible. We don't know.
I've been notified that the GENOM corporation has graciously
offered a reward of 100,000 SEC for information that leads to the
arrest of these criminals."
Shit, Priss, if this is all because of me.., thought Leon.
Shit, I don't understand any of this. Why? Why a little girl
for god's sake? I need to talk to you. Well, better call in.
Leon started down the block to a row of pay phones. When he
reached into his pocket for his call card, he again noticed the
folded up piece of paper. He read it and kept walking pass the
phones; he headed for the subway. If this is right, there's some
very serious shit go'en down. GENOM was in the process of
getting rid of me when someone saved me and it was meant to be a
warning to the Knight Sabers. Then a major boomer rampage
happens, one of them gets hurt, and they start tearing up the
town. The Knight Sabers killed GENOM's big shot executive Mason,
but that was in '32. If GENOM's striking back for that, why did
it take two years? Shit, it looks like GENOM and the Knight
Sabers are going at each other and I was caught in the middle as
a disposable bit of info' and a warning that failed. Shit, that
note is right, I can't turn up yet. I wonder who saved me?
Leon's apartment was dimly lit from the sunlight that
bounced off the brick building next door. Leon put his shoulder
holster on, packed his 9mm beretta away, and got out the highly
HOUGH/CRUSADE-325
illegal cop killers from behind a loosened ceiling panel. These
bullets would do some damage to the super-high-density abotex the
C-class where made out of. The R-class wouldn't be a problem.
Leon would have preferred the heavier artillery he carried in the
past, but that was at the station.
"Inspector Wong, please."
"Inspector Wong is currently on medical leave," said
Toshiozo to the blanked vid' screen. "Is there some other
inspector that can help you?"
"Um, no," said Leon. "Thanks."
Leon picked up a small Rebock athletic bag and slipped
quietly out of his apartment onto the subway. He stopped at a
magazine stand and printed himself a copy of todays Keizai Vpi
newspaper before boarding the next train. Daley must of been at
that firefight with the boomers. Damn, it seems he's lucky to be
alive at all. Shit, that must of been a scene from hell. To bad
I missed it. Leon read the articles on the Knight Sabers, slowly
shaking his head in disbelief. That's not the Knight Sabers I
know. Priss wouldn't...shit. Maybe? Although it could be
another frame up like those boomers that hit GENOM Industrial
Complex #3 and then showed up at Tinsel City Bank. I still
wonder if that whole deal had something to do with that guy I
nailed at GENOM Tower. Damn it Priss, I need to talk to you.
There must be some explanation behind all of this shit.
* * *
HOUGH/CRUSADE-326
The Tai-Pan of GENOM stood looking out his windows at the
smog covered city bathed in the mid-afternoon light. A small
smiled played on his lips until his office door opened and steady
footsteps approached him. He turned and glared at Fazul; she met
his gaze with one of blue ice.
"Sir."
"You have failed. The Knight Sabers have escaped your
surveillance after running amuck through my city. I am very
disappointed."
"Sir, the psych profiles were misleading. I assure you that
this is only a temporary situation. I will find them."
"It is essential that we do so before the AD Police." You
try to cover your own incompetence with excesses. Sylia, you are
very valuable to me. Quincy moved back to his desk and sat down.
"Make sure that you do. Do not kill them. Bring them before
me."
"Yes Sir. I've shielded their true identities from AD
Police and froze all their bank accounts."
"All of them?"
"All that I could locate, Sir. I have a team rechecking.
Their money has not been available to them since this morning. I
will not fail you, Sir. It will just take a little longer than I
first anticipated."
"I have no need for a bank in the Sudan."
"Sylia has a sizable account there. Since it was local, I
HOUGH/CRUSADE-327
had to purchase it. My apologies." Fazul bowed.
"Very well," rumbled the Tai-Pan. "Now about this
assassination plot. I think you vastly overestimate them. That
action wouldn't fit into Sylia's pattern of thinking. Besides,
Bouwer's security is more than adequate."
"May I remind you that their pattern before wasn't to kill.
They are now more dangerous since they've learned to kill humans
and not just destroy boomers."
"I've noticed that. This is an interesting turn in their
affairs which makes their potential value to us greater."
"Sir, you still plan to use them after what they've done?"
"You over step your bounds, Fazul."
"Yes, Tai-Pan."
"Even today, rampaging through the city, they were valuable
to me. Make no mistake about that. Take them alive and
quickly."
"Yes, Tai-Pan." Fazul bowed again and quickly left the
room.
"Sylia Stingray," whispered the Tai-Pan as his doors closed.
You've proved to me Fazul is not the one. Either you will
destroy her like you did Mason, or I will have to dispose of her.
She has proven to be unworthy after all. Quincy laughed. Run,
Sylia, run, or bungling Fazul might catch up with you. And if
that happens, the wolves will have you if you do not accept my
bargain. Ever so slowly your options dwindle until they lead
only to me, or death.
HOUGH/CRUSADE-328
Quincy called up Sylia's secret file only he could access.
It booted up to the last entry made in it; he punched up the
first entry. A still photo appeared on his desk vid' screen a
moment later. It was a candid shot; the subjects were unaware
they were photographed. Katsuhito Stingray was standing beside
Miyoko's hospital bed; he was holding his newborn daughter for
the first time.
They look so happy, he thought. What could have been.
The Tai-Pan of GENOM quickly closed the file.
He is an old fool, thought Fazul as she paced the confines
of the elevator. Nothing makes sense with them. If a company
was being this much of an annoyance, they would of been squashed,
killed, eliminated long ago. Why does he want the Knight Sabers?
What is his use for them? `Bring them before me.' Yea right,
old fool. We must finish them once and for all. One exception
and our enemies will see our weakness and we'll have real trouble
instead of four bitches being an annoyance. For GENOM to be
strong we must be supreme; our enemies must die. Mason tried and
died, the fool. I'll not follow his path anymore. What he
taught me brought me this far, but this soft-hearted course will
finish me. I will not fail like he did.
The doors slid open and she strode into her command center,
located in the very middle of the
"Have we made any progress yet?"
A Teck' looked away from his data controls. "No, Ma'am;
HOUGH/CRUSADE-329
nothing yet."
"Nothing, shit. Anything from the fools at AD Police?"
"We would of heard immediately Ma'am, nothing."
"Issue a priority one directive through the OMS. The Knight
Sabers are now on the hit list." The Teck' shuddered as he moved
to issue the order into the system. "Death to the Knight
Sabers."