[FIC] Class Act (part 19)
Posted: Sun Mar 28, 2004 3:35 am
The sound of the bus engine was a steady drone in the back of the bus. The central area was more quiet, filled with muted conversations, snoring, and the collective music escaping the headphones of drowsy students. In the front of the bus, the noise of the wiper blades was rhythmic: swipe THUMP swipe THUMP swipe THUMP. A light rain was falling, and it looked as if they were heading into worse weather ahead. Sousuke paid little attention to the wipers, or the patter of rain against his front and side windows. He was listening to the threat detector, content with the artificial heartbeat it gave off.
A message came in over the headset, a directive from the Mithril Intelligence Division. He was told to be on the look out for larger-sized vehicles behaving in peculiar fashion. A number of trucks had been stolen, including cargo haulers, flatbeds, and tanker trucks. There was a possible tie to a regional terrorist cell. With one hand on the wheel, Sousuke entered the new data into the A.I.
After that update ended, Sousuke was surprised to hear Lt. Cmdr. Kalinin’s voice. “No need to reply, Sergeant. We wouldn’t want people to think you were talking to yourself. By all accounts, it appears that you have had a rather interesting school outing. I look forward to a full report when you reach Tokyo. As for now, I wanted to inform you that two Arm Slaves have been loaded into the missile tubes of the Danaan. Sgt. Major Mao and Sgt. Weber are on Level 1 alert, ready to reach your position within ten minutes if necessary. We will launch on any primary or secondary Code Black signal from you, or any significant damage report from your onboard computer.”
There was a brief moment where the LT. Cmdr, could be heard speaking to someone else in a quiet voice. When he was finished, he turned his attention back to Sousuke. “The theoretical has become a reality, Sgt. Sagara. There is already one hostage situation underway in Nagoya. A bus full of high school students has been captured by New Rising Sun. Their demands will not be met, we expect. The situation is under too much scrutiny for us to move in on that one. But, it should serve as a wake-up call. The group has enough resources to strike at multiple sites throughout Japan. Be on a close look-out. Kalinin out.”
Brilliant light flashed across the sky. A thunderclap shook the bus. The rain fell heavier now, mixed with sleet. Not only would that make driving more tedious, it would reduce the effectiveness of the surveillance systems, and it would make missile insertion of Arm Slaves a dicey proposition. If he were a terrorist, he would be smiling. This kind of weather could be a godsend. Intent on the treacherous conditions, most motorists would be less likely to take notice of things that were out of the ordinary. And, helicopters and search planes would be severely hampered.
Sousuke hoped that all of the new equipment was more than just an expensive security blanket. But, it could only do so much. He remembered a famous line---’Like rich armor worn in the heat of day, that scalds with safety.’ The Second part of King Henry the Fourth, act IV, scene V. The bard had it right. Good armor WAS worth the price one had to pay to wear it. Sousuke felt that lack quite severely. The bus was little more than a glorified tin can on wheels. Another saying came to mind---‘The best defense is a good offense.’ That aphorism came from a famous American fighter of bygone days. It was all that Sousuke could put his hopes on. The problem was, it did not always translate to combat.
The big thing, even more important than getting the bus to Tokyo intact, was to keep certain things under wraps. NO ONE should know that the bus was a rolling armory. NO ONE should make any connection between Sousuke and extremely advanced---and highly illegal---weaponry. NO ONE should get any idea that they were in trouble, if the bus did indeed end up in the middle of a melee.
To those ends, Sousuke punched in a number of commands, stirring the A.I. to action. First, he began capturing video images for the Projected False Terrain system. The PFT was a wonder of modern technology, not unrelated to the ECS system on Arm Slaves. A myriad of tiny digital cameras recorded passing images, storing them on multiple discs. Computer-generated cars, buildings, and landmarks could be added if needed. Each and every window on the bus, with the exception of a small area on the driver’s part of the windscreen, was in essence a TV screen. False images playing, the world outside could be exploding in an Armageddon of erupting volcanoes, giant tidal waves, and super tsunamis, and no one on the bus would be any wiser for it.
A number of additional commands activated the rear camera systems. A flip up television would give Sousuke a good view of things happening behind the bus when necessary.
Sousuke checked the gas pressure in a number of small canisters. They each contained an ingredient for a highly effective and fast acting anesthetic gas. If the situation called for it, he would put on a respirator located under his seat, and then send everybody else into La La Land. That would be a great way to keep certain things secret. But, it would be the absolutely last thing to do if the bus caught fire, ran off road into water, or drove into any situation calling for emergency evacuation.
There was a simple device that might be worth its weight in goal. A pull down screen could separate the drivers area from the rest of the bus. If need be, Sousuke could speak out loud to the A.I., put the HUD on visual, or use hand weapons out through the driver’s side window. The systems engineers had done a bang up job.
Deciding he wanted to hear some music, Sousuke put on a CD of bagpipe and drum, performed by the 42nd Royal Highland Regiment. He cued in a number of pieces, including ’Army of The Nile,’ ’Lodgings On The Cold Cold Ground,’ ’Mechanized Infantry,’ ’Steadfast and True,’ and ’Tenth H.L.I. Crossing the Rhine.’ The sound wouldn’t carry back to far from the in-dash player. The recording would be something to help him pass the time. And, the material he was listening to would keep any but the most intrepid student from wandering too far towards the front of the bus.
************************************************************
When one’s tired, even a short stretch of highway can look like it goes on and on and on, ad infinitum. Images wavered in the early afternoon light, as warming vapors left tranquil waterways and the puddles left behind by the long stretch of storms. Driving towards Maebashi, Sousuke took note of the yellow day lilies carpeting the rolling hills and flatlands. Startled cranes took to the air, and sluggish turtles threw caution to the wind, leisurely crossing the road.
The threat detectors gentle thumping sound served as an appropriate counterpoint to the bagpipes. The music had done its job well, preventing Sousuke from falling asleep, and keeping curious students from seeing what he was up to. Most of the time.
Kaname had stopped up once, bringing him a soft drink and a few words of encouragement. She was actually smiling. Blushing, and moving her foot back and forth, she thanked him for saving her at the museum. Much of the tension of being the Class Representative during the school trip from Hell had ebbed away during the peaceful ride. She apologized for the bruises she gave him back at the Sumo estate. Moments later, she added to his collection---Rome wasn't built in a day.
“Sousuke, what is that HORRIBLE music?” She looked as if she had sucked long and hard on an especially sour lemon.
“Bagpipes, Kaname.”
“Let me tell you, I HATE bagpipes!” Kaname went on at length about her particular dislike of the instrument, bringing up grievance all the way back to her childhood. “I think my mother must have been frightened by a bagpipe when I was in the womb. There’s only one thing I hate worse than bagpipes. Mimes!!!”
“Yes, Kaname.” Those were the only words he repeated in answer to her harangue.
“Why do you have such a thing for those…those…those WIND BAGS?” She reached for the ‘off’ button on the CD player for the thirteenth time, only to have Sousuke slap her hand away again.
Sousuke looked at Kaname, opened and closed his mouth, then blushed.
“Well?” Kaname asked, hands on hips, puzzled by the look Sousuke had given her. Then it sank in. She had mentioned ‘wind bags.’ He had immediately looked at her. “So… I’m… a… windbag… am… I?” She drew her fist back.
“Uh…” Wrong answer.
“BAKU!!!” Sousuke tensed himself, expecting a blow. None ever came. Kaname simply made a face, lifted her nose up, and said ‘Hmmppff!’ before returning to her seat.
Sousuke shook his head. He would be glad when things got back to normal. Kaname had been rather high strung this trip. No, extremely high strung. But, at least she was back in her seat now. And she had refrained from striking him. He began breathing more relaxed, taking in the vista that was the Oze marshlands, a great green sea of skunk cabbage. Listening to the threat detector, he failed to catch Kaname’s approach.
“AND WHO TOLD YOU YOU COULD ‘HAVE SUCH A THING’ FOR ME! MORON!!!” Again, focusing intently on the sounds in his headset, he didn’t realize Kaname had walked back up until he heard her voice. There was good news and nad news. The good news was that she didn’t lay a finger on him. The bad news was that she poured his soda down his neck.
Sousuke rarely failed to learn from mistakes he made in battle. It was time for a paradigm shift. At least for the immediate future, he needed to think of his relationship with Kaname Chidori as a battle. Once again, she had walked up behind him undetected. “A.I.” Sousuke typed into the console. “PLEASE SET-UP THREAT DETECTORS INSIDE. ALERT FOR ANY APPROACH BY KANAME CHIDORI”
Hopefully the passenger area camera system would suffice. With any luck, the internal threat system would have fewer false alarms than the external mechanisms had. So far, on a number of occasions, Sousuke had avoided tragedy by less than a hair’s breadth:
Driving through Kobe, Sousuke had been looking to see if there was any visible evidence of the damage caused by the Hanshin earthquake of 1995. Not seeing any, he watched for the tsuzumi drum-shaped Port Tower---at 108 meters high, it should prove easy to spot. Passing by a plethora of Western-styled buildings and homes, he heard the detector signal jump from the ‘No Imminent Concern’ rhythm to the ‘Strong Likelihood’ pattern.
Projected a radar sweep on his HUD, Sousuke noted a single vehicle approaching at well over 160 kn/hr. Someone could be dashing in to attempt disabling the bus, leaving it crippled for slower moving cars or trucks. Hand on the fire control stick, he watched with relief as a silver birch Aston Martin DB-5 zoomed past, showing no intention of slowing down. He smiled. He was very fond of ‘Goldfinger.’ James Bond would have felt right at home on this bus.
He shook his head. He could see 007 walking towards Kaname’s seat. “The names Bond, James Bond.” He could hear Kaname’s response, “Great, another otaku! One Sousuke is more than enough!” There’s a flurry of action. The suave secret agent requires no ejector seat to exit the bus.
Speeding through Kyoto, the system caused his pulse to race once more. Watching the Maiko dancers performing a short distance away from the roadway, he took note of a tourism sign mentioning Nijo-jo Castle. He wished he could visit, but that would have to wait for another day. About to pass out of the 8th century capitol of Japan, leaving behind the wonderful 19th century latticework architecture, he jumped when a strident shriek sounded through his headset. The ‘Emergency’ signal.
The radar showed a large vehicle driving parallel and slightly behind the bus. The X-ray scanner detected a large number of metal objects, each in the hand of a male or female of average height and build. Weapons!. He activated the image function on the bus windows. Flicking back a rocker switch, he exposed the red button of the ‘Hub cap mine system.’
The other vehicle mad a move to pull up along side. Sousuke pushed the button. Small tubes of compressed air popped off the breakaway hub caps, send them rolling and bouncing towards the target. There would have been a series of massive explosions if Sousuke hadn’t looked in his side view mirror. He pushed the ‘disarm/abort’ button with a fraction of a second to spare. It was a school bus. As it passed by, he noted the members of a marching band. He doubted the tubas, trombones, trumpets, and tympani were any danger to him or any of his classmates.
The technicians had warned him that the system was new, untried, and may have a few bugs in it. They also made it a point to remark that they had calibrated it to be on the overly cautious side. ‘Better to be safe than sorry’ they had quipped. Yes. The bus would be safe. Everyone else would be sorry! Sousuke thought about toning things down a couple of notches, or shutting the system off all together. He didn’t. A couple of near catastrophes did not diminish the potential danger waiting ahead.
The same logic held true in Gifu, at the foot of the Hida Mountains. Driving by small antique houses rented by the fishermen that made such a hit with tourists, he took note of the pens housing the cormorants that were used to catch the fish. Heading into a heavily forested area, he heard the detector once more. It was a highly ambiguous signal. Apparently, the long distance camera pickup had provided images that confounded the A.I. The occupants in an approaching vehicle were making angry and threatening gestures as they approached. The car was picking up speed, and driving somewhat irregularly.
Terrorists in an explosive laden car? It couldn’t be discounted out of hand. Highway bandits, the advanced scouts of the larger terrorist cell? Not inconceivable. There were any number of possibilities.
Sousuke typed in ‘ACTIVATE AUTOMATED DEFENSES. LIMIT TO SHORT-RANGE MISSILES AND MINI-GUN. OTHER CLOSE-IN WEAPONS AS INDICATED. CHAFF DISPENSERS ON-LINE FOR DISTRACTION IF APPROPRIATE. FIRE AT MY VERBAL COMMAND, THE WORD OKAY.’ That would not give anybody reason to be suspicious. He said that every so often when he stretched out his arms, loosening tight muscles.
He pulled over, one lane further to the right. The car did the same, gaining ground quickly. He caught a flash of light. A weapon? No, just the reflection off of a metal side mirror.
‘READY’ the A.I. Announced in his ear.
Sousuke caught sight of the car. He recognized it. No doubt the occupants recognized the bus. It was a blue sedan. The door panel had the same lettering: JAPAN EVANGELICAL LUTHERAN TOKYO CHURCH. The women all gave Sousuke the finger this time.
“OK, ladies. I see you” was quickly followed by “CANCEL!!!” That was close. The port doors fror the mini-gun had snapped open, bringing a green light to life. The nozzles on the side mount flame throwers had been primed.
“Cancel what, Sousuke?” A wobbly Miss Okibasu asked, walking up to see how Sousuke was holding on.
“Uh…”
“Are you OK, Sousuke?” His teacher’s voice was very hoarse. Almost as deep as his own. The green light flashed on again. Quickly, Sousuke punched the ‘abort’ button. He was sweating now.
“Yes. I was day dreaming. Thank you. I will be fine.”
“Alright. As long as you are sure you’re OK….” Miss Okibasu moved slowly back to her seat, leaning on poles as she passed them by. Sousuke stabbed the ‘abort’ button again.
Sousuke typed in a command. ‘CANCEL VERBAL FIRE CUES. LINK ATTACKS TO BUTTON 5.’ That would be much safer. Not as responsive, but safer.
The women had made it a point to flick their cigarettes at the bus. One tossed out a full cup, vanilla milkshake streaming out behind it like the tail of a coment. Sousuke seriously considered pushing ‘Button 5.’ He hated litter.
The presence of the blue sedan had not gone unnoticed. Apparently, some sharp-eyed---and totally bored---student had enough energy left to be sight-seeing.
“Hey Sagara! That blue sedan’s back!” It was one of the wrestlers. His words brought the rear section of the bus to life, the buzz evoking memories of the pulsing drone of cicadas.
“Oh, God Lord. They’re back. THE CHURCH WOMEN!!! Whatever shall we do.” One of the rugby players cut loose with a loud laugh.
“Quick, everybody, UNDER YOUR SEATS!!!” Chortling, one boy did just that.
“We’re all going to die-ie-ie-ie-ie-ie-ie-ie-ie-ie!” One of the drama club members stood up, clutched his chest, and fell into the arms of the nearest unsuspecting girl. He did come close to dying.
“Mom-meeeeeeeeee!” Another rugby player chipped in.
“Boys….” Ryo sneered.
“Yeh…” Kyouko repled.
“Cant’ live with them…” Maya said, shaking her head.
“…And can’t live anywhere near them.” Mizuke added, eschewing the usual answer.
The blue sedans triggered memories that Kaname had no desire to deal with at the moment. Driving the bus. Sousuke on the roof of the bus. That crazy police woman Wakana pulling over the bus. She shivered. If she never saw that woman again, it would be too soon. There was something she better make sure of.
‘SAGT. SAGARA. BOGIE DETECTED, 6 O’CLOCK. HIGHEST THREAT LEVEL’ The A.I.’s sudden prompt caused Sousuke to turn on the rear camera system. ’APPROACHING QUICKLY, INTERNALLY.’ Kaname. He turned off the cameras.
“Sousuke. I just wanted to make certain that fertile otaku brain of yours wasn’t cooking up any nonsense. I know you saw that blue car go by. I don’t want any driving stunts. I certainly DO NOT want you to climb out of this bus again, Do I make myself clear, mister?” Sousuke caught his breath. Her hand. She held that whistle. Where had she found that?
“Yes, Kaname. There are church women in that car. It is not a problem.”
“Good. Hmmppff!” Kaname stopped, looking as if she wanted to say something. Obviously, by the expression on her face, it had slipped her mind. She walked back towards her seat.
‘THREAT ABATED.’
Kaname stopped, squared her shoulders, and marched quickly up front again. She smacked Sousuke in the back of the head.
“Ouch. Kaname, that hurt. Why did you hit me.” How had the A.I. Missed her return?
“NINJA GIRLS!” Kaname huffed.
“Uh….”
“I heard some boys bragging about their outing. ‘Plenty of skin, and plenty of sin‘ they said! You DID go too, didn‘t you Sousuke?”
“Yes…” He grimaced when Kaname hit him again. “You struck me once already.”
“It was worth two shots. You should be setting a good example for the other boys. Some of them look up to you. You should not be going to adult movies, showing up on girls’ balconies, leading peeping expeditions, OR seeing teachers naked.” Kaname’s voice rose up the octave scale.
“Yes, Kaname.” Sousuke seriously considered lowering the partition.
“Do I need to say anything about thongs, propellers, feathers, or bubbles?” Kaname didn’t really want to think about that.
“No, Kaname.” Sousuke had his own reasons to push those memories into the far reaches of his mind.
“Good. By the way, was the movie a double feature?” Kaname’s voice sounded sweet. Too sweet.
“Uh…” Kaname knew that translated into ‘Yes.’ But, Sousuke needed to show a little backbone.
“Sousuke?”
“Errr…” That meant ‘Yes, but I really don’t want to be hit again. I’m getting a headache.’
“SOUSUKE!” That ought to do it.
“Yes, Kaname. There were two movies.”
“And….” Kaname started tapping her foot.
“Kaname?”
“The title, Sousuke. Do I have to do all of your thinking for you?” Kaname put her hands on her hips.
“Uh. ‘Battlefield Babes.’”
“Ah. Of course. It figures.” Kaname just stood there, shaking her head.
Sousuke waited. Nothing happened. Kaname was still standing there. “Are you going to hit me again, Kaname?” he asked.
“Of course not, Sousuke.” Kaname smiled. It was having an effect after all. Maybe Sousuke was trainable after all. “Why would I do that? I simply came up here to make certain that you weren’t having any more delusions about terrorists. That’s probably the last thing we could possibly see on the trip home!” Regaining her equilibrium, she actually gave him a brief pat on the cheek, after making doubly certain that no one was watching. With a toss of her hair she turned and glided back to her seat, staying there.
Sousuke opened the console again. He typed in ‘A.I., SELF-DIAGNOSTIC, RUN NOW.’
‘SORRY, SGT. SAGARA’ the computer returned, before following the command.
Rubbing his hand through his hair, Sousuke thought about Kaname’s parting words. He hoped they were correct. Unfortunately, the next time the threat detector went off, there was no false alarm.
************************************************************
The first sign of true trouble came after the bus had crossed over the Tone River, passing by one of the silk mills at the fringes of Maebashi. Taking in the view of Mounts Akagi, Haruna, and Myohi, Souske contemplated pulling over to the side of the road. Some enterprising children were selling rather sizeable ‘Goblin Rocks,’ pieces of the hardened lava that had run down the sides of Mount Akagi, one of the active volcanoes dotting Japan.
The threat detector sounded a complex signal, indicating a single complicated concern, or multiple lesser warnings. The long range radar sweep picked up multiple small objects approaching at high speed, weaving back and forth in an inconsistent pattern. Rear cameras activated, Sousuke saw a number of brightly colored Street Racers roar into view. The nitro burning cars, all built from sporty subcompacts, ran up along both sides of the bus---the one driver had elected to drive along the uneven shoulder---then shot forward with reckless abandon, crossing and re-crossing the road, playing a dangerous game of brinkmanship with one another. Sousuke allowed himself a brief sigh of relief when they passed out of range of the detection equipment.
“What was that, Sousuke?” Intent on scanning for more significant threats, the A.I. Was not monitoring internally. Kaname had seen the cars drive by, noting with interest that all of the windows had been blacked out. Outrageous neon designs decorated every car, each pant job more dramatic than the one that came before.
“Young men, no doubt. Intent on celebrating their maleness. It is not a problem, Kaname.”
“Well, I’ve had plenty of opportunity lately to see young men in action, Sousuke. Those jokers were tame in comparison. In any case, we are all very lucky to have a mature and capable driver ourselves.” She gave Sousuke a startling smile. He did not know what to make of it. She revelled in his confusion. “Are you getting tired? Would you like me to take over for a while? I really don’t mind. Miss Okibasu is too sick to take the wheel.”
“Thank you, Kaname. I am fine. I seem to be getting a second wind. And…” He stopped, losing track of what he wanted to say. The long range thermal scanner had picked up an anomaly. The reading was too small for a forest fire and too large for a simple house or brush fire. In the distance, he saw what looked to be a rising black wall of haze. Smoke. There was some kind of fire ahead.
“Sousuke? What’s wrong?” Kaname had seen the change in Sousuke’s face. She looked out of the huge front windscreen. “Are those more storm clouds, Sousuke?”
“No, Kaname. It’s smoke. There is a fire ahead.” Sure enough, flickering orange forms could be seen in the distance. The closer the bus got, the larger and wilder the flames looked. There was an overturned fuel truck, its contents all over the road. The smoldering ruin lay just beyond a turn-off in the road.
“It’s a good thing it didn’t happen before the turn off, Sousuke.” Kaname kept a sharp eye out, looking to see if there were any people in need of help. There was no sign of ambulances or fire trucks yet.
“Yes, Kaname.” In actuality, Sousuke wondered if that was good fortune or not. That might well be a purposeful accident, placed to drive unsuspecting victims down the road of some terrorist group's choosing. No sign of traffic behind him, Sousuke stopped the bus and looked at his map. “It would be best to take your seat now, Kaname. The road may get exceedingly rough at times, but don’t let that alarm you. Reassure your classmates if they become worried. I will need you to step back a couple of paces.”
“Why, Sousuke?” Kaname sounded puzzled.
“I cannot afford a single distraction on the roads we will be traveling for the next half hour or so. I will be lowering a soundproof partition that comes down right where you are standing.” Sousuke tried hard to keep Kaname from seeing he was worried. According to the long range visual pick-up, plumes of smoke were rising far behind them, in an area they had already passed through. It looks as if someone was intent on isolating them, and keeping the authorities at bay.
“Sousuke, you’re not going to be doing any otaku stuff you don’t want me to know about, are you?” Kaname looked Sousuke straight in the eye, seeing if she could get him to flinch. No such luck.
“Kaname, we are in a bus? How can I do anything like that in a bus?” As secretly as possible, he hoped.
Sousuke started the bus rolling again, wondering what was coming. What. Where. And by whom. Kaname stood a moment longer, then let her posture relax. “OK, Sousuke. I’ll trust you this once. Don’t let me down, alright?” She squeezed his shoulder and returned to her seat.
Sousuke lowered the partition. He turned on the and additional active sound dampeners. He switched the HUD to ‘ready visual,’ and changed the A.I. and weapons systems over to ‘verbal command.’ For some reason, he felt the same mix of eagerness, anxiety, and determination he got whenever he strapped himself into his M9. There was little doubt that trouble was waiting, or on its way. He intended to teach them a lesson about surprise on the battlefield. They would regret their choice in targets, if they were fortunate enough to survive.
No sooner had the partition locked securely in its floor notch, than the radar picked up multiple blips moving towards the bus, from in front and behind. They had a familiar magneto-visual profile. It was the rice burners---the Street Racers. Sousuke put the forward lenses on high zoom. The cars in front were waeving back in forth in a meticulously timed pattern. This was no group of rank amateurs.
‘SCANNERS DETECT A MULTITUDE OF SMALL METALLIC OBJECTS IN THE ROAD. HIGH LIKELIHOOD OF CALTROPS. CLEAR ALLEYS ARE ANGLED FOR SMALL CARS, NOT A BUS. STEEL REINFORCED TIRES IN PLACE CANWITHSTAND MANY HITS, BUT NOT INFINITE.’
“A.I. Run an emergency topographical scan of the road shoulders.”
‘WORKING.’ A few moments later, a chime sounded. ‘SHOULDER IS CRUSHED PUMICE AND SAND. IT WILL NOT SUPPORT THE FULL BUS AT SPEED.’
“Lower ‘scrapers’ immediately, left deflection.” Sousuke was taking a calculated risk. Looking like mud flaps in front of the tires, the large rubber devices would sweep the road, scraping away any items posing a thread. The chance of one breaking off and lodging in a wheel well was low, but not as low as Sousuke might like. The devices would also cause a lot of bottom vibrations, transmitting them to the passenger compartment.
‘SCANNERS DETECT LARGE STRIPS OF ORGANIC MATERIAL BRISTLING WITH METAL BEING THROWN OUT OF THE FRONT CARS’
Those would be nasty. Some form of hedge hog trap, the wooden beams could potential drag around the scrapers and hit the tires. “A.I., engage automatic steering in the vicinity of the traps. Avoid the organic material at all costs.”
The rear cars were pacing the bus, waiting to see what happened. The front cars were coming up along both peripheries, forcing the bus to the middle. “OK, that works fine for me.” Sousuke said. “A.I., ready bilateral flame guns, high adhesive slurry. All attacks will be held until there is actually proof. Once there is unequivocal evidence, unleash Hell with the gatling gun and incendiary weapons. I will direct missiles and mines.”
Soon, it was to the point of any battle where a life time seems to take place in a few seconds.
The rear cars put on a burst of speed. The lead cars from the front did as well, keeping on course. The middle and rear cars pulled highspeed slides, slowing and picking up speed in the opposite direction, looking to slow down in front of the bus, intending to force a frightened driver to stop.
With a silent apology to any average passenger cars or frieght traffic that might drive over this road some time in the not too distant future, Sousuke decided to pull out all the stops.
'CALTROPS CONFIRMED. MACHINE GUN FIRE HITTING REAR DECK. ARMOR HOLDING.'
Sousuke paraphrased a line from The Fifth Element. "You want to play it soft, we play it soft. You want to play it hard, we play it hard!"
'FLAME GUNS ACTIVE.' The first two cars to pass by the bus had men leaning out of the windows, firing submachine guns at the bus' tires. The steel-reinforced combat tires took a licking and kept on ticking. The terrorists were not so fortunate. A napalm-like solution covering their skins and filling their lungs, they died a quick but agonizing death. With the windows open, their comrades inside shared a similar fate. The burning cars drove off the road, two pyres marking the final resting place of evil men.
'MULTI-BARREL CANNON ACCESSING PRIMARY AMMUNITION DRUM' The 47mm gatling gun fired in short bursts, making a sound like paper being torn into strips. One car was cut nearly in two down the midline. Spinning out of control, it rolled and flipped, causing a nearby car to swerve, fly off and embankment, and land upside down in the damp and deep murk of the roadside swamp. A flight of crows took to the wing. Frogs ceased their calls. Bubbles marked the demise of three more criminals.
With the A.I. using the weapons in the top mounted turret, Sousuke decided to use the entire bus as a weapon. The technicians had added two inches of armor plating to the front, lengthening the bus in a manner imperceptible to most people. Stomping on the accelerator, Sousuke caught three cars by surprise. Like their dead comrades, they had no reason to expect a Trojan Bus. "Pity," Sousuke growled, his eyes narrowed down to slits.
The bus impacted the trunk area of the center car, pushing it sideways directly in the path of one of the other two speedsters. All the speed in the world wouldn't help them at that moment. Colliding and spinning, the two cars were an easy target for the flame weapon on that side of the bus. Soon, there was another blazing endorsement of The Golden Rule.
The third car speed ahead, the driver reacting quickly and puching in a Nitro boost. The rear window detached and fell away by design, as two men leaned out to pour heavt machine gun fire at the front of the bus. Bullets ricocheted off of the bullet proof glass that had been added the night before. One headlight was broken into countless pieces, but that was alright. It was Mithril's bus now, and Sousuke didin't expect to be driving come nightfall.
"A.I., assuming aiming control of top turret." Sousuke moved a joystick, moving the 'luggage rack' to aim forward again. Moving one cursor on the HUD, he painted the car with a laser designator. Pulling a trigger on the joystick, he launched a new generation beam-riding missile. "Boom. Big Badda Boom!" Sousuke growled, watching the car explode into a bouncing mass of metal, rubber, glass, and flesh.
Now it was the moment of decision for the rear cars. The cat was out of the bag. This wasn't some toothless passenger wagon they were up against. Would they play it smart and pull back, assessing the situation and waiting for back-up? Or, would they ride a wave of bravado, expecting that they could succeed where others had failed?
"How about we negotiate?" Sousuke said in a flat voice, watching the rear camera view. The closest two cars were playing it smart, staying at the rear corners of the bus where they could target the tires, remaining flame-free.
Sousuke punched Button #5. The remaining hub caps jumped off the wheels, passing near the flanking automobiles. Magnetic sensors changed the angle of small moveable vanes, steering the caps as close to their targets as possible. The subsequent detonation scarred the front of one car, and tore the hood and right front wheel off of the other.
The surviving car gave ground, presenting Sousuke with a golden opportunity. Hitting Button #3, he released a quickly billowing cloud of dark oily smoke from the rear luggage rack. Waiting a sufficient amount of time, he pushed Button #1, causing the rear bumper to flip open. His caltrops poured out onto the road. Anyone driving through the smoke would discover a nasty surprise.
'A.I., activate rear thermal sensors."
The driver of the closest car had suspected some kind of trap. Sousuke approved of that train of thought. He had a reward ready. Bringing the turret around, he fired a radar guided missile. He never saw the impact. A large heat source on the thremal scan became a number of smaller and hotter sources.
Sousuke took a moment to drink long from a bottle of Spring Water. This was nice. Almost better than an M9 in some ways. Of course, the bus' cross-country ability was nil, and he could imagine Captain Testarossa's face if he asked her to devise some way to launch a bus off of the TDD-1.
Switching off of thermal, he patched back into radar. No more intrepid souls were on his tail. The fighter in Sousuke's sould wanted to pull the bus over, get out, and paint a number of kill marks on the side of the vehicle.
Accessing the damage control panel, he noted with some relief that the injuries were not too severe. Still, he would need to come up with some excuse to explain the obvious dings, dents, breaks, and losses. Maybe he should drive until dark.
The time for relaxation was over. The cars had called in one of their comrades. The new threat was coming from the air.
"Identify airborne enemy, A.I."
'HELICOPTER. SINGLE ROTOR. LARGE INDUSTRIAL MODEL. OPEN SIDE PANELS. SHORT WINGS ADDED. LARGE BOXES UNDER WING.'
No doubt the open panels allowed the mounting of low calibre cannon, gatling guns, or some kind of tripod-mounted weapon. The containers under the wing could contain rockets, guided missiles, or gun pods.
'SECOND HELICOPTER NOW IN RANGE. IDENTICAL CONFIGURATION'
"Arm ground-to-air missiles. Open vertical launch doors." Sousuke checked on the control console. A red light turned yellow. The yellow light turned green.
There was no time to waste. there would be no explaining a missile hit on the bus, supposing anyone survived the explosion. He needed to strike fast. He had to strike first.
"A.I., launch both missiles, ripple fire. One missile per target. Now." The moving icons on the console screen indicated a successful lauch with active tracking. "Target turret mounted missiles as contingency."
The rear pillars of the bus had been removed and replaced with reinforced titanium tubes, each housing a hypervelocity guided missile. Before they knew what was happening, two flaming aircraft fell heavy to the ground, their rotors in pieces and their fuselages trailing huge plumes of smoke.
So far so good. The problem would be numbers. If those were the only airborne threats he would face, Sousuke would be grateful. He was now out of ground-to-air ordinance. Ground-to-ground weapons might be effective, but they would be little more than a shot in the dark.
Threat detector back to baseline, Sousuke undertook an inventory check. The bus could not survive too many busy attacks like the ones he had just faced. But, what kind of attitude was that. He and his fellow students were alive. The bad guys no longer had to worry about the trials and tribulations that came with living.
Back on a good stretch of highway, it was time to check on his fellow students. When the partition began rising, Sousuke noted a pair of shoes. There were feet in them. Kaname's feet. Obviously she was waiting to speak with him.
"Yes, Kaname?"
"Sousuke, are you lost?" Sousuke breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing that.
"Lost, Kaname?"
"Yes, Sousuke, 'lost.' Not knowing where you are, Going around in circles. It seems like we've been driving around the base of the mountains for a while now. Haven't you found the way back onto the main roads yet?"
"No, Kaname. I am not lost. I simply have not found out where I am yet. It is not a problem." Sousuke cursed internally. The PFT must have gotten stuck in an endless loop. he'd have to fix that later. It didn't need to be 'on' any more any way. At least for now.
Kaname had a retort on the tip of her tongue but let the opportunity pass. "It's OK, Sousuke. Do the best you can. Most of the other kids are asleep. You hit some rough areas back there. Try to keep the comfort of your passengers in mind, alright? You should have the hang of driving this thing by now."
"You are correct, Kaname. I shall endeavor to improve. I will do my best."
"Can I get you something? A drink? Some snacks? A spot at the wheel while you use the restroom?" Kaname appreciated how difficult Sousuke's job must be, especially after the beating he took from her and the Sekiwake at the training camp earlier that morning.
"You can do something for US!" The rugby team was not asleep. "The bus has small TV screens over the seats. If we still don't have any movies, maybe you can act one out, Miss Class Representative."
"Yeh, how about 'Hot Teenage Ninja Girls in Trouble." One guy got a round of high fives from his buddies.
"Or 'Battlefield Babes!' Sagara wanted to stay and see that one again." One of the wrestlers joined in on the fun.
Kaname turned and looked at Sousuke. She raised one eyebrow. The young soldier took note.
"There were real German PzKw IV's in the movie, Kaname. The markings did not match the camoflauge pattern, and the side skirts were that of a later model. I belive the tanker uniforms were Russian, with Czech helmets, but things passed by too quickly. Ordinance was not the major focus of the movie." There was a definite sound of regret in his voice.
Kaname sighed and shook her head. "Don't worry, Sousuke. Yoy're not the one in trouble this time. I'll take care of it." She turned and headed towards the back of the bus.
Tweeeee eeeeeeeee eeeeeeeee eeeeeeeee eeeeeeeeee eeeeee eeeeee eeeeeeeee eeeeeeee!!!
Thump Thump Whack Smash Thump Thump Bang
Sousuke lowered the partition again.
************************************************************
Shinji walked up, shaking the sleep out of his head. “Sousuke. I had the strangest dream. I imagined I was in an Arm Slave, fighting terrorists. It was wonderful. I was kicking ass.” He definitely had a thing for mechas and military hardware. In his dreams, he was tall, strong, and powerful. He felt a need to speak to someone.
“I admit that I fantasized too.” Sousuke said, making conversation. “I imagined that I was not in an ordinary bus, but in an armored land cruiser, swatting enemies from the sky and ruling the road.”
Shinji was quiet for a moment, eyes wide. Then he smiled and shook his head. “You got it real bad, don’t you Sousuke. I would have thought that the museum, dance hall, and Sumo camp would have gotten it out of your system by now. Boy! Armored cruiser!” He was still chuckling on the way back to his seat, after spending a few minutes chatting.
"It costs nothing to dream." Sousuke stated. He thought to himself 'If only you knew, my friend....'
************************************************************
End of pt 19
A message came in over the headset, a directive from the Mithril Intelligence Division. He was told to be on the look out for larger-sized vehicles behaving in peculiar fashion. A number of trucks had been stolen, including cargo haulers, flatbeds, and tanker trucks. There was a possible tie to a regional terrorist cell. With one hand on the wheel, Sousuke entered the new data into the A.I.
After that update ended, Sousuke was surprised to hear Lt. Cmdr. Kalinin’s voice. “No need to reply, Sergeant. We wouldn’t want people to think you were talking to yourself. By all accounts, it appears that you have had a rather interesting school outing. I look forward to a full report when you reach Tokyo. As for now, I wanted to inform you that two Arm Slaves have been loaded into the missile tubes of the Danaan. Sgt. Major Mao and Sgt. Weber are on Level 1 alert, ready to reach your position within ten minutes if necessary. We will launch on any primary or secondary Code Black signal from you, or any significant damage report from your onboard computer.”
There was a brief moment where the LT. Cmdr, could be heard speaking to someone else in a quiet voice. When he was finished, he turned his attention back to Sousuke. “The theoretical has become a reality, Sgt. Sagara. There is already one hostage situation underway in Nagoya. A bus full of high school students has been captured by New Rising Sun. Their demands will not be met, we expect. The situation is under too much scrutiny for us to move in on that one. But, it should serve as a wake-up call. The group has enough resources to strike at multiple sites throughout Japan. Be on a close look-out. Kalinin out.”
Brilliant light flashed across the sky. A thunderclap shook the bus. The rain fell heavier now, mixed with sleet. Not only would that make driving more tedious, it would reduce the effectiveness of the surveillance systems, and it would make missile insertion of Arm Slaves a dicey proposition. If he were a terrorist, he would be smiling. This kind of weather could be a godsend. Intent on the treacherous conditions, most motorists would be less likely to take notice of things that were out of the ordinary. And, helicopters and search planes would be severely hampered.
Sousuke hoped that all of the new equipment was more than just an expensive security blanket. But, it could only do so much. He remembered a famous line---’Like rich armor worn in the heat of day, that scalds with safety.’ The Second part of King Henry the Fourth, act IV, scene V. The bard had it right. Good armor WAS worth the price one had to pay to wear it. Sousuke felt that lack quite severely. The bus was little more than a glorified tin can on wheels. Another saying came to mind---‘The best defense is a good offense.’ That aphorism came from a famous American fighter of bygone days. It was all that Sousuke could put his hopes on. The problem was, it did not always translate to combat.
The big thing, even more important than getting the bus to Tokyo intact, was to keep certain things under wraps. NO ONE should know that the bus was a rolling armory. NO ONE should make any connection between Sousuke and extremely advanced---and highly illegal---weaponry. NO ONE should get any idea that they were in trouble, if the bus did indeed end up in the middle of a melee.
To those ends, Sousuke punched in a number of commands, stirring the A.I. to action. First, he began capturing video images for the Projected False Terrain system. The PFT was a wonder of modern technology, not unrelated to the ECS system on Arm Slaves. A myriad of tiny digital cameras recorded passing images, storing them on multiple discs. Computer-generated cars, buildings, and landmarks could be added if needed. Each and every window on the bus, with the exception of a small area on the driver’s part of the windscreen, was in essence a TV screen. False images playing, the world outside could be exploding in an Armageddon of erupting volcanoes, giant tidal waves, and super tsunamis, and no one on the bus would be any wiser for it.
A number of additional commands activated the rear camera systems. A flip up television would give Sousuke a good view of things happening behind the bus when necessary.
Sousuke checked the gas pressure in a number of small canisters. They each contained an ingredient for a highly effective and fast acting anesthetic gas. If the situation called for it, he would put on a respirator located under his seat, and then send everybody else into La La Land. That would be a great way to keep certain things secret. But, it would be the absolutely last thing to do if the bus caught fire, ran off road into water, or drove into any situation calling for emergency evacuation.
There was a simple device that might be worth its weight in goal. A pull down screen could separate the drivers area from the rest of the bus. If need be, Sousuke could speak out loud to the A.I., put the HUD on visual, or use hand weapons out through the driver’s side window. The systems engineers had done a bang up job.
Deciding he wanted to hear some music, Sousuke put on a CD of bagpipe and drum, performed by the 42nd Royal Highland Regiment. He cued in a number of pieces, including ’Army of The Nile,’ ’Lodgings On The Cold Cold Ground,’ ’Mechanized Infantry,’ ’Steadfast and True,’ and ’Tenth H.L.I. Crossing the Rhine.’ The sound wouldn’t carry back to far from the in-dash player. The recording would be something to help him pass the time. And, the material he was listening to would keep any but the most intrepid student from wandering too far towards the front of the bus.
************************************************************
When one’s tired, even a short stretch of highway can look like it goes on and on and on, ad infinitum. Images wavered in the early afternoon light, as warming vapors left tranquil waterways and the puddles left behind by the long stretch of storms. Driving towards Maebashi, Sousuke took note of the yellow day lilies carpeting the rolling hills and flatlands. Startled cranes took to the air, and sluggish turtles threw caution to the wind, leisurely crossing the road.
The threat detectors gentle thumping sound served as an appropriate counterpoint to the bagpipes. The music had done its job well, preventing Sousuke from falling asleep, and keeping curious students from seeing what he was up to. Most of the time.
Kaname had stopped up once, bringing him a soft drink and a few words of encouragement. She was actually smiling. Blushing, and moving her foot back and forth, she thanked him for saving her at the museum. Much of the tension of being the Class Representative during the school trip from Hell had ebbed away during the peaceful ride. She apologized for the bruises she gave him back at the Sumo estate. Moments later, she added to his collection---Rome wasn't built in a day.
“Sousuke, what is that HORRIBLE music?” She looked as if she had sucked long and hard on an especially sour lemon.
“Bagpipes, Kaname.”
“Let me tell you, I HATE bagpipes!” Kaname went on at length about her particular dislike of the instrument, bringing up grievance all the way back to her childhood. “I think my mother must have been frightened by a bagpipe when I was in the womb. There’s only one thing I hate worse than bagpipes. Mimes!!!”
“Yes, Kaname.” Those were the only words he repeated in answer to her harangue.
“Why do you have such a thing for those…those…those WIND BAGS?” She reached for the ‘off’ button on the CD player for the thirteenth time, only to have Sousuke slap her hand away again.
Sousuke looked at Kaname, opened and closed his mouth, then blushed.
“Well?” Kaname asked, hands on hips, puzzled by the look Sousuke had given her. Then it sank in. She had mentioned ‘wind bags.’ He had immediately looked at her. “So… I’m… a… windbag… am… I?” She drew her fist back.
“Uh…” Wrong answer.
“BAKU!!!” Sousuke tensed himself, expecting a blow. None ever came. Kaname simply made a face, lifted her nose up, and said ‘Hmmppff!’ before returning to her seat.
Sousuke shook his head. He would be glad when things got back to normal. Kaname had been rather high strung this trip. No, extremely high strung. But, at least she was back in her seat now. And she had refrained from striking him. He began breathing more relaxed, taking in the vista that was the Oze marshlands, a great green sea of skunk cabbage. Listening to the threat detector, he failed to catch Kaname’s approach.
“AND WHO TOLD YOU YOU COULD ‘HAVE SUCH A THING’ FOR ME! MORON!!!” Again, focusing intently on the sounds in his headset, he didn’t realize Kaname had walked back up until he heard her voice. There was good news and nad news. The good news was that she didn’t lay a finger on him. The bad news was that she poured his soda down his neck.
Sousuke rarely failed to learn from mistakes he made in battle. It was time for a paradigm shift. At least for the immediate future, he needed to think of his relationship with Kaname Chidori as a battle. Once again, she had walked up behind him undetected. “A.I.” Sousuke typed into the console. “PLEASE SET-UP THREAT DETECTORS INSIDE. ALERT FOR ANY APPROACH BY KANAME CHIDORI”
Hopefully the passenger area camera system would suffice. With any luck, the internal threat system would have fewer false alarms than the external mechanisms had. So far, on a number of occasions, Sousuke had avoided tragedy by less than a hair’s breadth:
Driving through Kobe, Sousuke had been looking to see if there was any visible evidence of the damage caused by the Hanshin earthquake of 1995. Not seeing any, he watched for the tsuzumi drum-shaped Port Tower---at 108 meters high, it should prove easy to spot. Passing by a plethora of Western-styled buildings and homes, he heard the detector signal jump from the ‘No Imminent Concern’ rhythm to the ‘Strong Likelihood’ pattern.
Projected a radar sweep on his HUD, Sousuke noted a single vehicle approaching at well over 160 kn/hr. Someone could be dashing in to attempt disabling the bus, leaving it crippled for slower moving cars or trucks. Hand on the fire control stick, he watched with relief as a silver birch Aston Martin DB-5 zoomed past, showing no intention of slowing down. He smiled. He was very fond of ‘Goldfinger.’ James Bond would have felt right at home on this bus.
He shook his head. He could see 007 walking towards Kaname’s seat. “The names Bond, James Bond.” He could hear Kaname’s response, “Great, another otaku! One Sousuke is more than enough!” There’s a flurry of action. The suave secret agent requires no ejector seat to exit the bus.
Speeding through Kyoto, the system caused his pulse to race once more. Watching the Maiko dancers performing a short distance away from the roadway, he took note of a tourism sign mentioning Nijo-jo Castle. He wished he could visit, but that would have to wait for another day. About to pass out of the 8th century capitol of Japan, leaving behind the wonderful 19th century latticework architecture, he jumped when a strident shriek sounded through his headset. The ‘Emergency’ signal.
The radar showed a large vehicle driving parallel and slightly behind the bus. The X-ray scanner detected a large number of metal objects, each in the hand of a male or female of average height and build. Weapons!. He activated the image function on the bus windows. Flicking back a rocker switch, he exposed the red button of the ‘Hub cap mine system.’
The other vehicle mad a move to pull up along side. Sousuke pushed the button. Small tubes of compressed air popped off the breakaway hub caps, send them rolling and bouncing towards the target. There would have been a series of massive explosions if Sousuke hadn’t looked in his side view mirror. He pushed the ‘disarm/abort’ button with a fraction of a second to spare. It was a school bus. As it passed by, he noted the members of a marching band. He doubted the tubas, trombones, trumpets, and tympani were any danger to him or any of his classmates.
The technicians had warned him that the system was new, untried, and may have a few bugs in it. They also made it a point to remark that they had calibrated it to be on the overly cautious side. ‘Better to be safe than sorry’ they had quipped. Yes. The bus would be safe. Everyone else would be sorry! Sousuke thought about toning things down a couple of notches, or shutting the system off all together. He didn’t. A couple of near catastrophes did not diminish the potential danger waiting ahead.
The same logic held true in Gifu, at the foot of the Hida Mountains. Driving by small antique houses rented by the fishermen that made such a hit with tourists, he took note of the pens housing the cormorants that were used to catch the fish. Heading into a heavily forested area, he heard the detector once more. It was a highly ambiguous signal. Apparently, the long distance camera pickup had provided images that confounded the A.I. The occupants in an approaching vehicle were making angry and threatening gestures as they approached. The car was picking up speed, and driving somewhat irregularly.
Terrorists in an explosive laden car? It couldn’t be discounted out of hand. Highway bandits, the advanced scouts of the larger terrorist cell? Not inconceivable. There were any number of possibilities.
Sousuke typed in ‘ACTIVATE AUTOMATED DEFENSES. LIMIT TO SHORT-RANGE MISSILES AND MINI-GUN. OTHER CLOSE-IN WEAPONS AS INDICATED. CHAFF DISPENSERS ON-LINE FOR DISTRACTION IF APPROPRIATE. FIRE AT MY VERBAL COMMAND, THE WORD OKAY.’ That would not give anybody reason to be suspicious. He said that every so often when he stretched out his arms, loosening tight muscles.
He pulled over, one lane further to the right. The car did the same, gaining ground quickly. He caught a flash of light. A weapon? No, just the reflection off of a metal side mirror.
‘READY’ the A.I. Announced in his ear.
Sousuke caught sight of the car. He recognized it. No doubt the occupants recognized the bus. It was a blue sedan. The door panel had the same lettering: JAPAN EVANGELICAL LUTHERAN TOKYO CHURCH. The women all gave Sousuke the finger this time.
“OK, ladies. I see you” was quickly followed by “CANCEL!!!” That was close. The port doors fror the mini-gun had snapped open, bringing a green light to life. The nozzles on the side mount flame throwers had been primed.
“Cancel what, Sousuke?” A wobbly Miss Okibasu asked, walking up to see how Sousuke was holding on.
“Uh…”
“Are you OK, Sousuke?” His teacher’s voice was very hoarse. Almost as deep as his own. The green light flashed on again. Quickly, Sousuke punched the ‘abort’ button. He was sweating now.
“Yes. I was day dreaming. Thank you. I will be fine.”
“Alright. As long as you are sure you’re OK….” Miss Okibasu moved slowly back to her seat, leaning on poles as she passed them by. Sousuke stabbed the ‘abort’ button again.
Sousuke typed in a command. ‘CANCEL VERBAL FIRE CUES. LINK ATTACKS TO BUTTON 5.’ That would be much safer. Not as responsive, but safer.
The women had made it a point to flick their cigarettes at the bus. One tossed out a full cup, vanilla milkshake streaming out behind it like the tail of a coment. Sousuke seriously considered pushing ‘Button 5.’ He hated litter.
The presence of the blue sedan had not gone unnoticed. Apparently, some sharp-eyed---and totally bored---student had enough energy left to be sight-seeing.
“Hey Sagara! That blue sedan’s back!” It was one of the wrestlers. His words brought the rear section of the bus to life, the buzz evoking memories of the pulsing drone of cicadas.
“Oh, God Lord. They’re back. THE CHURCH WOMEN!!! Whatever shall we do.” One of the rugby players cut loose with a loud laugh.
“Quick, everybody, UNDER YOUR SEATS!!!” Chortling, one boy did just that.
“We’re all going to die-ie-ie-ie-ie-ie-ie-ie-ie-ie!” One of the drama club members stood up, clutched his chest, and fell into the arms of the nearest unsuspecting girl. He did come close to dying.
“Mom-meeeeeeeeee!” Another rugby player chipped in.
“Boys….” Ryo sneered.
“Yeh…” Kyouko repled.
“Cant’ live with them…” Maya said, shaking her head.
“…And can’t live anywhere near them.” Mizuke added, eschewing the usual answer.
The blue sedans triggered memories that Kaname had no desire to deal with at the moment. Driving the bus. Sousuke on the roof of the bus. That crazy police woman Wakana pulling over the bus. She shivered. If she never saw that woman again, it would be too soon. There was something she better make sure of.
‘SAGT. SAGARA. BOGIE DETECTED, 6 O’CLOCK. HIGHEST THREAT LEVEL’ The A.I.’s sudden prompt caused Sousuke to turn on the rear camera system. ’APPROACHING QUICKLY, INTERNALLY.’ Kaname. He turned off the cameras.
“Sousuke. I just wanted to make certain that fertile otaku brain of yours wasn’t cooking up any nonsense. I know you saw that blue car go by. I don’t want any driving stunts. I certainly DO NOT want you to climb out of this bus again, Do I make myself clear, mister?” Sousuke caught his breath. Her hand. She held that whistle. Where had she found that?
“Yes, Kaname. There are church women in that car. It is not a problem.”
“Good. Hmmppff!” Kaname stopped, looking as if she wanted to say something. Obviously, by the expression on her face, it had slipped her mind. She walked back towards her seat.
‘THREAT ABATED.’
Kaname stopped, squared her shoulders, and marched quickly up front again. She smacked Sousuke in the back of the head.
“Ouch. Kaname, that hurt. Why did you hit me.” How had the A.I. Missed her return?
“NINJA GIRLS!” Kaname huffed.
“Uh….”
“I heard some boys bragging about their outing. ‘Plenty of skin, and plenty of sin‘ they said! You DID go too, didn‘t you Sousuke?”
“Yes…” He grimaced when Kaname hit him again. “You struck me once already.”
“It was worth two shots. You should be setting a good example for the other boys. Some of them look up to you. You should not be going to adult movies, showing up on girls’ balconies, leading peeping expeditions, OR seeing teachers naked.” Kaname’s voice rose up the octave scale.
“Yes, Kaname.” Sousuke seriously considered lowering the partition.
“Do I need to say anything about thongs, propellers, feathers, or bubbles?” Kaname didn’t really want to think about that.
“No, Kaname.” Sousuke had his own reasons to push those memories into the far reaches of his mind.
“Good. By the way, was the movie a double feature?” Kaname’s voice sounded sweet. Too sweet.
“Uh…” Kaname knew that translated into ‘Yes.’ But, Sousuke needed to show a little backbone.
“Sousuke?”
“Errr…” That meant ‘Yes, but I really don’t want to be hit again. I’m getting a headache.’
“SOUSUKE!” That ought to do it.
“Yes, Kaname. There were two movies.”
“And….” Kaname started tapping her foot.
“Kaname?”
“The title, Sousuke. Do I have to do all of your thinking for you?” Kaname put her hands on her hips.
“Uh. ‘Battlefield Babes.’”
“Ah. Of course. It figures.” Kaname just stood there, shaking her head.
Sousuke waited. Nothing happened. Kaname was still standing there. “Are you going to hit me again, Kaname?” he asked.
“Of course not, Sousuke.” Kaname smiled. It was having an effect after all. Maybe Sousuke was trainable after all. “Why would I do that? I simply came up here to make certain that you weren’t having any more delusions about terrorists. That’s probably the last thing we could possibly see on the trip home!” Regaining her equilibrium, she actually gave him a brief pat on the cheek, after making doubly certain that no one was watching. With a toss of her hair she turned and glided back to her seat, staying there.
Sousuke opened the console again. He typed in ‘A.I., SELF-DIAGNOSTIC, RUN NOW.’
‘SORRY, SGT. SAGARA’ the computer returned, before following the command.
Rubbing his hand through his hair, Sousuke thought about Kaname’s parting words. He hoped they were correct. Unfortunately, the next time the threat detector went off, there was no false alarm.
************************************************************
The first sign of true trouble came after the bus had crossed over the Tone River, passing by one of the silk mills at the fringes of Maebashi. Taking in the view of Mounts Akagi, Haruna, and Myohi, Souske contemplated pulling over to the side of the road. Some enterprising children were selling rather sizeable ‘Goblin Rocks,’ pieces of the hardened lava that had run down the sides of Mount Akagi, one of the active volcanoes dotting Japan.
The threat detector sounded a complex signal, indicating a single complicated concern, or multiple lesser warnings. The long range radar sweep picked up multiple small objects approaching at high speed, weaving back and forth in an inconsistent pattern. Rear cameras activated, Sousuke saw a number of brightly colored Street Racers roar into view. The nitro burning cars, all built from sporty subcompacts, ran up along both sides of the bus---the one driver had elected to drive along the uneven shoulder---then shot forward with reckless abandon, crossing and re-crossing the road, playing a dangerous game of brinkmanship with one another. Sousuke allowed himself a brief sigh of relief when they passed out of range of the detection equipment.
“What was that, Sousuke?” Intent on scanning for more significant threats, the A.I. Was not monitoring internally. Kaname had seen the cars drive by, noting with interest that all of the windows had been blacked out. Outrageous neon designs decorated every car, each pant job more dramatic than the one that came before.
“Young men, no doubt. Intent on celebrating their maleness. It is not a problem, Kaname.”
“Well, I’ve had plenty of opportunity lately to see young men in action, Sousuke. Those jokers were tame in comparison. In any case, we are all very lucky to have a mature and capable driver ourselves.” She gave Sousuke a startling smile. He did not know what to make of it. She revelled in his confusion. “Are you getting tired? Would you like me to take over for a while? I really don’t mind. Miss Okibasu is too sick to take the wheel.”
“Thank you, Kaname. I am fine. I seem to be getting a second wind. And…” He stopped, losing track of what he wanted to say. The long range thermal scanner had picked up an anomaly. The reading was too small for a forest fire and too large for a simple house or brush fire. In the distance, he saw what looked to be a rising black wall of haze. Smoke. There was some kind of fire ahead.
“Sousuke? What’s wrong?” Kaname had seen the change in Sousuke’s face. She looked out of the huge front windscreen. “Are those more storm clouds, Sousuke?”
“No, Kaname. It’s smoke. There is a fire ahead.” Sure enough, flickering orange forms could be seen in the distance. The closer the bus got, the larger and wilder the flames looked. There was an overturned fuel truck, its contents all over the road. The smoldering ruin lay just beyond a turn-off in the road.
“It’s a good thing it didn’t happen before the turn off, Sousuke.” Kaname kept a sharp eye out, looking to see if there were any people in need of help. There was no sign of ambulances or fire trucks yet.
“Yes, Kaname.” In actuality, Sousuke wondered if that was good fortune or not. That might well be a purposeful accident, placed to drive unsuspecting victims down the road of some terrorist group's choosing. No sign of traffic behind him, Sousuke stopped the bus and looked at his map. “It would be best to take your seat now, Kaname. The road may get exceedingly rough at times, but don’t let that alarm you. Reassure your classmates if they become worried. I will need you to step back a couple of paces.”
“Why, Sousuke?” Kaname sounded puzzled.
“I cannot afford a single distraction on the roads we will be traveling for the next half hour or so. I will be lowering a soundproof partition that comes down right where you are standing.” Sousuke tried hard to keep Kaname from seeing he was worried. According to the long range visual pick-up, plumes of smoke were rising far behind them, in an area they had already passed through. It looks as if someone was intent on isolating them, and keeping the authorities at bay.
“Sousuke, you’re not going to be doing any otaku stuff you don’t want me to know about, are you?” Kaname looked Sousuke straight in the eye, seeing if she could get him to flinch. No such luck.
“Kaname, we are in a bus? How can I do anything like that in a bus?” As secretly as possible, he hoped.
Sousuke started the bus rolling again, wondering what was coming. What. Where. And by whom. Kaname stood a moment longer, then let her posture relax. “OK, Sousuke. I’ll trust you this once. Don’t let me down, alright?” She squeezed his shoulder and returned to her seat.
Sousuke lowered the partition. He turned on the and additional active sound dampeners. He switched the HUD to ‘ready visual,’ and changed the A.I. and weapons systems over to ‘verbal command.’ For some reason, he felt the same mix of eagerness, anxiety, and determination he got whenever he strapped himself into his M9. There was little doubt that trouble was waiting, or on its way. He intended to teach them a lesson about surprise on the battlefield. They would regret their choice in targets, if they were fortunate enough to survive.
No sooner had the partition locked securely in its floor notch, than the radar picked up multiple blips moving towards the bus, from in front and behind. They had a familiar magneto-visual profile. It was the rice burners---the Street Racers. Sousuke put the forward lenses on high zoom. The cars in front were waeving back in forth in a meticulously timed pattern. This was no group of rank amateurs.
‘SCANNERS DETECT A MULTITUDE OF SMALL METALLIC OBJECTS IN THE ROAD. HIGH LIKELIHOOD OF CALTROPS. CLEAR ALLEYS ARE ANGLED FOR SMALL CARS, NOT A BUS. STEEL REINFORCED TIRES IN PLACE CANWITHSTAND MANY HITS, BUT NOT INFINITE.’
“A.I. Run an emergency topographical scan of the road shoulders.”
‘WORKING.’ A few moments later, a chime sounded. ‘SHOULDER IS CRUSHED PUMICE AND SAND. IT WILL NOT SUPPORT THE FULL BUS AT SPEED.’
“Lower ‘scrapers’ immediately, left deflection.” Sousuke was taking a calculated risk. Looking like mud flaps in front of the tires, the large rubber devices would sweep the road, scraping away any items posing a thread. The chance of one breaking off and lodging in a wheel well was low, but not as low as Sousuke might like. The devices would also cause a lot of bottom vibrations, transmitting them to the passenger compartment.
‘SCANNERS DETECT LARGE STRIPS OF ORGANIC MATERIAL BRISTLING WITH METAL BEING THROWN OUT OF THE FRONT CARS’
Those would be nasty. Some form of hedge hog trap, the wooden beams could potential drag around the scrapers and hit the tires. “A.I., engage automatic steering in the vicinity of the traps. Avoid the organic material at all costs.”
The rear cars were pacing the bus, waiting to see what happened. The front cars were coming up along both peripheries, forcing the bus to the middle. “OK, that works fine for me.” Sousuke said. “A.I., ready bilateral flame guns, high adhesive slurry. All attacks will be held until there is actually proof. Once there is unequivocal evidence, unleash Hell with the gatling gun and incendiary weapons. I will direct missiles and mines.”
Soon, it was to the point of any battle where a life time seems to take place in a few seconds.
The rear cars put on a burst of speed. The lead cars from the front did as well, keeping on course. The middle and rear cars pulled highspeed slides, slowing and picking up speed in the opposite direction, looking to slow down in front of the bus, intending to force a frightened driver to stop.
With a silent apology to any average passenger cars or frieght traffic that might drive over this road some time in the not too distant future, Sousuke decided to pull out all the stops.
'CALTROPS CONFIRMED. MACHINE GUN FIRE HITTING REAR DECK. ARMOR HOLDING.'
Sousuke paraphrased a line from The Fifth Element. "You want to play it soft, we play it soft. You want to play it hard, we play it hard!"
'FLAME GUNS ACTIVE.' The first two cars to pass by the bus had men leaning out of the windows, firing submachine guns at the bus' tires. The steel-reinforced combat tires took a licking and kept on ticking. The terrorists were not so fortunate. A napalm-like solution covering their skins and filling their lungs, they died a quick but agonizing death. With the windows open, their comrades inside shared a similar fate. The burning cars drove off the road, two pyres marking the final resting place of evil men.
'MULTI-BARREL CANNON ACCESSING PRIMARY AMMUNITION DRUM' The 47mm gatling gun fired in short bursts, making a sound like paper being torn into strips. One car was cut nearly in two down the midline. Spinning out of control, it rolled and flipped, causing a nearby car to swerve, fly off and embankment, and land upside down in the damp and deep murk of the roadside swamp. A flight of crows took to the wing. Frogs ceased their calls. Bubbles marked the demise of three more criminals.
With the A.I. using the weapons in the top mounted turret, Sousuke decided to use the entire bus as a weapon. The technicians had added two inches of armor plating to the front, lengthening the bus in a manner imperceptible to most people. Stomping on the accelerator, Sousuke caught three cars by surprise. Like their dead comrades, they had no reason to expect a Trojan Bus. "Pity," Sousuke growled, his eyes narrowed down to slits.
The bus impacted the trunk area of the center car, pushing it sideways directly in the path of one of the other two speedsters. All the speed in the world wouldn't help them at that moment. Colliding and spinning, the two cars were an easy target for the flame weapon on that side of the bus. Soon, there was another blazing endorsement of The Golden Rule.
The third car speed ahead, the driver reacting quickly and puching in a Nitro boost. The rear window detached and fell away by design, as two men leaned out to pour heavt machine gun fire at the front of the bus. Bullets ricocheted off of the bullet proof glass that had been added the night before. One headlight was broken into countless pieces, but that was alright. It was Mithril's bus now, and Sousuke didin't expect to be driving come nightfall.
"A.I., assuming aiming control of top turret." Sousuke moved a joystick, moving the 'luggage rack' to aim forward again. Moving one cursor on the HUD, he painted the car with a laser designator. Pulling a trigger on the joystick, he launched a new generation beam-riding missile. "Boom. Big Badda Boom!" Sousuke growled, watching the car explode into a bouncing mass of metal, rubber, glass, and flesh.
Now it was the moment of decision for the rear cars. The cat was out of the bag. This wasn't some toothless passenger wagon they were up against. Would they play it smart and pull back, assessing the situation and waiting for back-up? Or, would they ride a wave of bravado, expecting that they could succeed where others had failed?
"How about we negotiate?" Sousuke said in a flat voice, watching the rear camera view. The closest two cars were playing it smart, staying at the rear corners of the bus where they could target the tires, remaining flame-free.
Sousuke punched Button #5. The remaining hub caps jumped off the wheels, passing near the flanking automobiles. Magnetic sensors changed the angle of small moveable vanes, steering the caps as close to their targets as possible. The subsequent detonation scarred the front of one car, and tore the hood and right front wheel off of the other.
The surviving car gave ground, presenting Sousuke with a golden opportunity. Hitting Button #3, he released a quickly billowing cloud of dark oily smoke from the rear luggage rack. Waiting a sufficient amount of time, he pushed Button #1, causing the rear bumper to flip open. His caltrops poured out onto the road. Anyone driving through the smoke would discover a nasty surprise.
'A.I., activate rear thermal sensors."
The driver of the closest car had suspected some kind of trap. Sousuke approved of that train of thought. He had a reward ready. Bringing the turret around, he fired a radar guided missile. He never saw the impact. A large heat source on the thremal scan became a number of smaller and hotter sources.
Sousuke took a moment to drink long from a bottle of Spring Water. This was nice. Almost better than an M9 in some ways. Of course, the bus' cross-country ability was nil, and he could imagine Captain Testarossa's face if he asked her to devise some way to launch a bus off of the TDD-1.
Switching off of thermal, he patched back into radar. No more intrepid souls were on his tail. The fighter in Sousuke's sould wanted to pull the bus over, get out, and paint a number of kill marks on the side of the vehicle.
Accessing the damage control panel, he noted with some relief that the injuries were not too severe. Still, he would need to come up with some excuse to explain the obvious dings, dents, breaks, and losses. Maybe he should drive until dark.
The time for relaxation was over. The cars had called in one of their comrades. The new threat was coming from the air.
"Identify airborne enemy, A.I."
'HELICOPTER. SINGLE ROTOR. LARGE INDUSTRIAL MODEL. OPEN SIDE PANELS. SHORT WINGS ADDED. LARGE BOXES UNDER WING.'
No doubt the open panels allowed the mounting of low calibre cannon, gatling guns, or some kind of tripod-mounted weapon. The containers under the wing could contain rockets, guided missiles, or gun pods.
'SECOND HELICOPTER NOW IN RANGE. IDENTICAL CONFIGURATION'
"Arm ground-to-air missiles. Open vertical launch doors." Sousuke checked on the control console. A red light turned yellow. The yellow light turned green.
There was no time to waste. there would be no explaining a missile hit on the bus, supposing anyone survived the explosion. He needed to strike fast. He had to strike first.
"A.I., launch both missiles, ripple fire. One missile per target. Now." The moving icons on the console screen indicated a successful lauch with active tracking. "Target turret mounted missiles as contingency."
The rear pillars of the bus had been removed and replaced with reinforced titanium tubes, each housing a hypervelocity guided missile. Before they knew what was happening, two flaming aircraft fell heavy to the ground, their rotors in pieces and their fuselages trailing huge plumes of smoke.
So far so good. The problem would be numbers. If those were the only airborne threats he would face, Sousuke would be grateful. He was now out of ground-to-air ordinance. Ground-to-ground weapons might be effective, but they would be little more than a shot in the dark.
Threat detector back to baseline, Sousuke undertook an inventory check. The bus could not survive too many busy attacks like the ones he had just faced. But, what kind of attitude was that. He and his fellow students were alive. The bad guys no longer had to worry about the trials and tribulations that came with living.
Back on a good stretch of highway, it was time to check on his fellow students. When the partition began rising, Sousuke noted a pair of shoes. There were feet in them. Kaname's feet. Obviously she was waiting to speak with him.
"Yes, Kaname?"
"Sousuke, are you lost?" Sousuke breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing that.
"Lost, Kaname?"
"Yes, Sousuke, 'lost.' Not knowing where you are, Going around in circles. It seems like we've been driving around the base of the mountains for a while now. Haven't you found the way back onto the main roads yet?"
"No, Kaname. I am not lost. I simply have not found out where I am yet. It is not a problem." Sousuke cursed internally. The PFT must have gotten stuck in an endless loop. he'd have to fix that later. It didn't need to be 'on' any more any way. At least for now.
Kaname had a retort on the tip of her tongue but let the opportunity pass. "It's OK, Sousuke. Do the best you can. Most of the other kids are asleep. You hit some rough areas back there. Try to keep the comfort of your passengers in mind, alright? You should have the hang of driving this thing by now."
"You are correct, Kaname. I shall endeavor to improve. I will do my best."
"Can I get you something? A drink? Some snacks? A spot at the wheel while you use the restroom?" Kaname appreciated how difficult Sousuke's job must be, especially after the beating he took from her and the Sekiwake at the training camp earlier that morning.
"You can do something for US!" The rugby team was not asleep. "The bus has small TV screens over the seats. If we still don't have any movies, maybe you can act one out, Miss Class Representative."
"Yeh, how about 'Hot Teenage Ninja Girls in Trouble." One guy got a round of high fives from his buddies.
"Or 'Battlefield Babes!' Sagara wanted to stay and see that one again." One of the wrestlers joined in on the fun.
Kaname turned and looked at Sousuke. She raised one eyebrow. The young soldier took note.
"There were real German PzKw IV's in the movie, Kaname. The markings did not match the camoflauge pattern, and the side skirts were that of a later model. I belive the tanker uniforms were Russian, with Czech helmets, but things passed by too quickly. Ordinance was not the major focus of the movie." There was a definite sound of regret in his voice.
Kaname sighed and shook her head. "Don't worry, Sousuke. Yoy're not the one in trouble this time. I'll take care of it." She turned and headed towards the back of the bus.
Tweeeee eeeeeeeee eeeeeeeee eeeeeeeee eeeeeeeeee eeeeee eeeeee eeeeeeeee eeeeeeee!!!
Thump Thump Whack Smash Thump Thump Bang
Sousuke lowered the partition again.
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Shinji walked up, shaking the sleep out of his head. “Sousuke. I had the strangest dream. I imagined I was in an Arm Slave, fighting terrorists. It was wonderful. I was kicking ass.” He definitely had a thing for mechas and military hardware. In his dreams, he was tall, strong, and powerful. He felt a need to speak to someone.
“I admit that I fantasized too.” Sousuke said, making conversation. “I imagined that I was not in an ordinary bus, but in an armored land cruiser, swatting enemies from the sky and ruling the road.”
Shinji was quiet for a moment, eyes wide. Then he smiled and shook his head. “You got it real bad, don’t you Sousuke. I would have thought that the museum, dance hall, and Sumo camp would have gotten it out of your system by now. Boy! Armored cruiser!” He was still chuckling on the way back to his seat, after spending a few minutes chatting.
"It costs nothing to dream." Sousuke stated. He thought to himself 'If only you knew, my friend....'
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End of pt 19
