[FIC] First Impressions (part 8)

[dd]

The only sound was the noises that the waves made, washing against the sea wall.

In most wharfs this size, there would be activity night round, as ships of various sizes discharged their cargo and customs agents did what they were trained to do. But, not here.

Not in this city.

Sousuke flashed a small light in a precise pattern, waited, and then saw a counter signal a few moments later. The sweeper team had passed through the area a number of times, finding nothing of note outside of the various buildings or hidden in the manicured vegetation.

Of course, none of that meant that there wasn’t trouble waiting inside of the darkened structures. More importantly, there was no way to tell whether or not Kaname was here, or had everbeen here.

“Kaname.”

The young Mithril agent ran his hand over the XM109 that rested butt-first against the cement walkway. After he gave Arbalest a comprehensive set of instructions, he and the other soldiers would move in on the primary warehouse. Stealth would be key, but might make little difference when all was said and done.

Someone was probably expecting them. Who could say just what advantages lay with the other side? In a tactical sense, this was foolish. Not only was he risking his own life, but he was also putting his fellow soldiers in harm‘s way.

Sousuke checked his watch. Not much time left to wait. He had been at his present location for fifteen minutes, crouched in the blackness near a large freighter. An hour earlier, he, Sgt. Verwilghen, and the other Mithril troops had met near a large statue of a Raccoon-Dog. The sculpture had been championed by the monks of the local Shojo-ji Temple, who hoped to cash in on the legend of an injured tanuki that was healed by their ancient ancestors. But, the 10 million yen raised by the local industry hadn’t done much for a city stuck in economic doldrums.

A signal came in through his earpiece. The ARX-7’s A.I. informed him that the Arm Slave was perched on top of a large lifting crane, not far from the target warehouse. The ECS functioning perfectly.

“Good.” Sousuke went on to detail various possible scenarios, each with a different set of responsibilities for Arbalest. “I will keep a link open so that you can hear everything that I hear. Access your data base, referencing the code phrases that we agreed on.”

As he sat back on his haunches, the young soldier felt another stirring of guilt. Things along the waterfront seemed peaceful now, but could erupt into a serious firefight at any moment. If a need for the A.S. arose, the level of damage done could escalate enormously.

That was the last thing that Isarazu needed.

Sgt. Verwilghen had explained why the city was in such dire straits. The city had worked to construct the Tokyo Bay Aqualine, a road project which took 31 years of study and construction and required the driving of the world's largest underwater road tunnel, not to mention the creation of two man-made islands at a total cost of 1.44 trillion yen It turned out to be a complete waste of resources.

While the highway had been heralded as a money-spinning lifeline for the city, the sky-high tolls on the road continued to keep visitors away. In actuality, the project ended up drawing business away from the city, since local shoppers were now only a 30-minutes away from the department stores and boutiques of central Tokyo, thanks to the expressway.

As a result, Kisarazu was notorious throughout Japan for its ghost town-like shattaa dori, after many of the local businesses had gone bankrupt.

No doubt, that had made it easy for Amalgam… or some new group… to purchase whatever they needed, gaining a foothold with few questions asked and scant monitoring of their activities.

Sousuke checked his watch. It was time for the first group of soldiers to move in. Arbalest would maintain external surveillance, while he and the others carefully probed the building. Uncharacteristically, he began to sweat. He had a bad feeling about all this.

If Kaname’s main value was as bait, the enemy would have little need to keep her alive.

Avoiding the few well-lit spaced along the wharf side, he made his way from a large tarp-covered container over to a number of empty fuel drums. From there, he crawled along a low stretch of hedge until he could stand again, taking cover behind a large dumpster. Holding his breath, he pressed hard against the cold metal, taking cover when a small three-wheeled Port Security vehicle puttered past noisily, the inebriated and singing security guard totally distracted by a popular radio station.

When the three-wheeler passed from view, Sousuke headed over towards his chosen point of entry, a small unchained door. Suddenly, a number of large lights went on surrounding the warehouse building. A speaker crackled to life, amplified a strange electronically distorted voice.

“SERGEANT SAGARA…… WHAT KIND OF MANNERS DO YOU HAVE…… SKULKING AROUND IN THE DARK. ALL YOU NEED TO DO IS KNOCK.”

The words were accompanied by laughter. Sousuke, however, found nothing to be amused by. The enemy knew they were there. They also knew who he was.

But, that wasn’t totally surprising, was it?

He remained still. The person speaking may indeed know that Mithril had agents in the area, but might not be aware of their exact placement. There was no sense giving away his position just yet. How did the enemy want to play this? Was there any way for him and his team to gain the upper hand?

There were two conflicting priorities. He had to rescue Kaname. But, as much as he cared about her, he could not do anything that compromised Mithril’s safety as a whole, or put innocent lives at risk.

“COME, COME SERGEANT…… MAY I CALL YOU SOUSUKE…… WE CAN WAIT ALL NIGHT. BUT, MISS CHIDORI MIGHT NOT LAST THAT LONG.”

The laughter continued longer this time. It had Sousuke concerned, since his dealing with Gauron taught him how difficult it could be to deal with men walking the border between sanity and insanity. The only saving grace was the fact that people with too much faith in their own power often made foolish mistakes.

He signaled Marc and the other soldiers, telling them to stay put. They would listen on through the same link Arbalest would use. They would have access to the video feed coming from the small cameras he wore at his collar and belt.

“In case we find anything catastrophic, I have already radioed Mithril with a confirmation of the warehouse’s precise coordinates. If need be, they have cruise missiles ready for launch. Sagara out.” Hopefully there wouldn’t be something that dangerous on mainline Japan.

The political ramifications would be astronomical, if the organization was forced to launch.

“WELL…… ARE YOU COMING… OR AREN’T YOU…… I BEGIN TO THINK THAT YOU DON’T CARE FOR THE GIRL. YOU ARE RIGHT TO SUSPECT A TRAP. BUT, THERE MAY BE A BARGAIN THAT WE CAN STRIKE. IT DOESN‘T HURT TO TALK, DOES IT?”

Sousuke stood up. As he did so, a number of containers surrounding the building broke open. A dozen Aratsols stepped out, scant light reflecting off of their smooth metal and composite exteriors. Swiftly, the robots lined up on either side of the main door..

“Will you give your word that the girl won’t be hurt if I enter the building? You see, I would rather live for something rather than die for nothing.” His use of a famous military quote sent a message to Arbalest. “It would appear to me that you have all of the advantages.”

The laughter rang out again, carrying across the quiet waterfront.

“YOU MAY KEEP YOUR WEAPON. HOW’S THAT? SOLDIERS LOVE TO HAVE WEAPONS……DON’T THEY? YOU NEED NOT FEAR THE ROBOTS. THEY WILL PLAY NO ROLE IN OUR NEGOTIATIONS.”

Sousuke scowled. He knew there was nothing he could do to make a wise man give up his advantages; but, it never hurt to try.

“I see. I am expected to be brave, while you are allowed to act the coward. That doesn’t speak well of any negotiations we might have. Why don’t you step outside where I can see you, and you can see me?”

An angry hissing noise preceded the next words.

“DON’T TOY WITH ME. YOU COULD JUST HAVE ABANDONED THE GIRL TO US. BECAUSE YOU DID NOT, WE ALREADY HAVE THE EDGE IN BARGAINING. YOU HAVE ONE MINUTE TO ENTER THE BUILDING. IF YOU DO NOT, THE SOUND OF GUNFIRE YOU HEAR WILL MARK THE GIRL’S RATHER…MESSY… DEATH.”

Sousuke cursed under his breath. He could simply order Arbalest into action, demolishing the building. But, even though the voice came out of nearby speakers, the man saying those words could be miles away, if not continents away.

The same could be said for Kaname.

If the enemy was here, and Kaname was with him, bringing everything down would ensure a hollow victory for Mithril. However, if the overall threat was serious, that might be preferable to defeat. His superiors were well aware of that, and had OK’d this operation.

That was the difference between his group and groups like Amalgam.

He could also order the other soldiers to advance… but aside from setting up a nasty confrontation with Arastols, the action might well get Kaname killed. No. The only chance Sousuke had was to enter the building alone. He could still call Arbalest into action if necessary. His life was the only true variable in this equation.

He was willing to risk it for the woman he loved.

In a way, Sousuke was grateful for the pressure tactics his foeman had chosen to use.. Now he simply had to decide, and then act. The bargaining would be a formality in this case. What it would come down to was fortune, resources, and execution.

“Whosoever desires constant success must change his conduct with the times.” Another predetermined quotation. An additional nodal point in the decision algorithm for Arbalest. Knowing that he had no chance to stop all of the Arostols at once… should the robots be sent at him… the young soldier slung the heavy rifle over his shoulder.

If the enemy was wise, they would have the robots follow him inside, unless there were plenty of combat assets inside already. A clever adversary would also have human snipers or automatic sentry gun positions set-up at strategic points within the warehouse building. While his own weaponry might mean little against all that, it didn’t hurt to be prepared. For that reason, the light pouch he carried held grenades, C4, and night vision goggles.

Walking towards the storage facility, Sousuke paid no attention to the flat robotic faces that swiveled to track his every step. Looking straight ahead, he took little notice of the red glowing sensor slits and the limbs with weapons exposed.

As he passed into the poorly lit structure, he took note of a small number of human soldiers smoking cigarettes off to one side, the glowing ends of the cigarettes giving away their position even better than their hushed conversations.

“Follow the robot holding the lantern.”

The disembodied electronic voice returned, without excessive amplification. Sure enough, an Arastol stepped out in front of Sousuke, having left its hiding place between huge stacks of crates. There was no way to tell just how many places of concealment might be spread about the room, or how many enemies might be making use of them.

A glowing lantern… taken from the supplies stored in the warehouse… swung this way and that as the robot pointed, and then motioned for Sousuke to follow. The mechanical warrior began making its way through the maze-like corridors formed by the haphazard rows of boxes and shipping containers.

The meager light allowed Sousuke a chance to read the markings on some of the crates.Electrical generators. Extension cords. Sleeping mats. Collapsible water tanks. Blankets. Carpentry sets. And so forth and so on. It would appear that the building was used to store the kind of supplies that might prove necessary in a local emergency, or that could be shipped anywhere in the world to assist nations faced with tsunami and other natural disasters.

So far, he saw no evidence of ammunition stores or fuel barrels, the kind of things that might act as a wild card if a fire fight broke out inside the building.

“Young love is such a wonderful thing. I must commend you for your bravery, Sgt. Sagara. Then again, we have ample evidence of that, do we not? I am a bit disappointed to see that you are throwing your life away for someone of little consequence. We will make certain that our own soldiers do not suffer from such failings.”

Sousuke frowned. He did not care what anyone thought or said about him personally; but, the comment about Kaname set his teeth on edge.

He wondered just who he was dealing with. The members of Amalgam had never been this melodramatic in the past. That group had always gathered whatever intelligence it needed, obtained cutting edge equipment, and moved when the moment was right, calling little or no attention to itself, with a few notable exceptions.

“It would appear that the ranks of Amalgam have grown quite thin,” Sousuke called out. “Either that, or someone is trying to copy their technology, but not their skill.” That kind of statement was dangerous, but would give him some indication about the person he was dealing with. “I don’t remember any of them hiding behind a fake voice.”

There was an irritating screeching noise as the volume on the speaker system was turned up. Sousuke had obviously struck a nerve.

“YOU ARE IN NO POSITION TO JUDGE US! AND, IT WOULD BE FOOLISH FOR YOUR AND MITHRIL TO TAKE US LIGHTLY.”

The spaces between rows of boxes were growing substantially wider as they walked along. Sosuke correctly guessed that he was approaching an open area. He hoped that Kaname would be there, so he could verify whether or not she was alive. It was also important that she remain near him, when he set things in motion.

Passing by groups of enemy mercenaries, the robot led Sousuke over to a small spot of light on the floor. After that, the Arastol backed away into the darkness, its machinegun arm aimed at his chest.

Placing his night vision goggles on, Sousuke made a sweeping check of the open area. He only saw the one robot. Switching over to infrared, he picked up a single source. It was the proper size and shape to indicate a human body.

Waiting there in silence, he wondered if the enemy was foolish enough to think that they could affect him psychologically. No. More likely than not, they were trying to determine just how many Mithril troops were outside, and whether or not any Arm Slaves were in the vicinity. Taking the XM109 down off of his back, he cradled the gun in his arms.

“You will place that weapon on the floor and kick it away from you. I may have been a bit too generous before. I understand how soldiers feel emasculated without their nasty toys, but this is for your own good. You wouldn’t wish to shoot the wrong person by accident, would you?”

After the distorted voice had faded, a bank of fluorescent lights turned on overhead. Sousuke could see the entirety of the open area, but had no idea what waited beyond that. For all he knew, he could be in the sights of a number of crack snipers. All it would take is one. He placed the rifle on the ground, as he had been instructed.

The heat source he had located turned out to be Kaname. She stood bound to a support pole, blindfolded and gagged. As he watched, an Arastol walked out of the darkness behind her. Holding up its arm, a blade flipped out, held at the ready. Then, with surgical precision, it cut through the ropes and retreated.

Kaname seemed somewhat wobbly, but managed to remove the thick cloth that had been wrapped around her eyes and mouth. She spat out some material that had become stuck in between her teeth.

“Kaname.” Not having been told to remain still, Sousuke took a number of steps towards his girlfriend.

“Sousuke?” Kaname bit her lip, then clenched her fists. “You big idiot! How could you just walk in here like that? You know it’s a trap, don’t you?”

“Affirmative; but…” Sousuke was interrupted.

“BUT NOTHING, YOU BIG JERK!” Kaname stamped her foot!

“I just…” The young agent hadn’t expected this kind of response.

“YOU KNOW THEY WON’T LET ME GO, NO MATTER WHAT. NOW THEY HAVE YOU TOO. MORON!” She stuck out her lower lip.

“But, Kaname…” The Mithril agent was taken aback.

“I TOLD YOU, NO ‘BUTS’, RIGHT?” Kaname began walking towards Sousuke, her face a study in anguish.

“Yes, you did. However…” He watched as his girlfriend came to a halt.

“DO I HAVE TO DO ALL OF YOUR THINKING FOR YOU!

“No, I…” Sousuke swallowed hard when Kaname abruptly started running and threw herself against him.

“Stupid… stupid… stupid… stupid…” She struck him lightly with her fists. Being who she was, her spirit was by no means suppressed by the situation or the knock-out drugs that had been administrated earlier. “This kind of thing will not impress Daddy, you know!”

“I see,” Sousuke put his chin down on the top of Kaname’s head. “There goes my whole plan.” He was nearly overcome by a rush of emotions, relieved that she was still alive.

“Jerk,” Kaname said, her voice muffled. “Big stupid head.” She began crying, the dam around her own pent up emotions giving way.

Their tender moment was by no means private. Sure enough, the disembodied voice spoke from each of the speakers spread throughout the complex.

“I hate to interrupt such a touching moment, especially when none of us had the foresight to bring tissues along. I should say that Miss Chidori is incorrect, however. There are indeed circumstances under which we would happily let her leave unharmed.”

“Sousuke won’t do that!” Kaname shouted, looking up at nothing in particular. “You know he won’t!” She turned to look at Sousuke. “It’s not Amalagam, Sousuke. It’s some losers trying to benefit from the hit that Amalgam took. They want you to join them. That, or turn Arbalest over to them.”

“I would suggest that you convince the girl to speak more respectfully than that! Our generosity can be pushed only so far. We know that the ARX-7 has landed in the general area. Obviously you are not available to pilot the machine, as you chose to come and chat instead. All of the cards are in our favor.”

“I’m getting really tired of that mmbbrrbbll grrpph rrbbll” Kaname’s voice was garbled after Sousuke placed his hand over her mouth. He was pleasantly surprised when she did not bite him.

That final statements by the unseen enemy provided him with the first true ray of hope. Obviously, his adversary was under the misconception that Arbalest needed a pilot like other Arm Slaves. He was somewhat surprised that their unique partnership and abilities were not more widely known. Then again, it was doubtful that anyone had seen how the A.S. had fought the Arastols aboard the deck of the Pacific Christmas, as he and Kaname had been running for their lives.

“Very good. Even a woman as forceful and opinionated as Kaname Chidori needs to be put in her place. You might have been served better by simply abandoning her, but we all make mistakes. It would be wise to consider what we have to offer you. For example, if we extract the knowledge that the girl has, she will no longer be a target for other groups. You and she could also profit greatly, by becoming members of our organization. Furthermore, if you like, we shall provide more suitable female companionship.”

Kaname was in no mood to be silent, no matter how clever that course of action might be. Sliding away from Sousuke, she put her hands on her hips, a rather confrontational look on her face. “

“That freak!” She clenched her fists, angered by what the man had said. “You can’t trust anythingthis loony says. I had to listen to him talk about platinum. It was just like suffering through one of your otaku fits.” Kaname tossed her hair, and then bumped up against Sousuke. “I mean, Geez! He wants to name his group Alchemy in one language or another, spouting all this….”

The sound of machinegun fire drowned out Kaname’s voice. She ducked at bullets ripped into the crates behind her, raining sawdust and bits of canned food down on her head. Sousuke remained still, unflinching, his eyes on the Aratsol that had been directed to express the unseen terrorist’s displeasure.

“WE STILL GAIN A GREAT DEAL IF WE MERELY KILL YOU BOTH! ”

The angry voice echoed throughout the enclosure, volume turned up to the max. Kaname still looked defiant, as she tried to scrape provisions out of her hair. Sousuke put a hand on her shoulder and squeezed.

“When we get out of here, I’ll let you curse him all you like.” Sousuke knocked some clumps of food off of her blouse. “But, if you continue to interrupt him, we will never get through this.” He tried a different tack. “You look like you could use a shower. Maybe two.” He ran his fingers over some of the displaced food, wondering just what it was supposed to be. He had eaten better-looking stuff as a street waif in Afghanistan.

“I can curse you too, you know.” Kaname flicked some of the food over at Sousuke, making a face at him. Letting out a deep breath she reigned in her temper, knowing that her boyfriend was right.

“Your years of hardship have served you well. Few men would be able to put up with a harpy like that, unless they had already suffered more than any one person deserves to. In any case, that is the last time that I will allow her to interrupt our negotiations. You will not need much time to think. Your and your kind are prone to act on your initial thoughts, are you not?”

There was an undercurrent of contempt in the voice. The speaker obviously had some kind of grudge against Sousuke, or soldiers in general.

The Arastol aimed its arm rifle at Sousuke. The sound of plodding footsteps in the surrounding darkness suggested that additional robots had moved up close to their position. The characteristic sound of a bolt action rifle was faint, but audible, somewhere very high and off to the left.

“If I remember correctly, the earliest alchemists were sincere practitioners,” Sousuke said, speaking evenly. “But, what was once a respected filed of study devolved into mysticism and outright charlatanism. Your choice of names might indeed prove apt. How can I be certain that your offer is anything more than a trick or sleight of hand?”

The sound of chuckling echoed throughout the warehouse.

“You can’t. But, common sense should sway you, I should think. You and your magnificent machine could be our Philosopher Stone, the means to transform our organization from something commonplace into something magnificent. Naturally, we would benefit most from your voluntary assistance. It might be impossible to learn as much about the machine as we want to, otherwise. It only makes sense that we would wish to keep you as happy as possible.”

“I see. There is indeed a convincing logic to that point.” Sousuke put his chin in his hand, trying to look as if her were considering the offer. “There is a saying that makes sense. If you must break the law, do to seize power. In all other cases observe it.” That quotation was meant to send Arbalest into action. He could only hope that the A.I could assess the situation quickly and successfully, acting in the necessary fashion. “I’ve been nothing but a pawn for so long.”

“Sousuke… you can’t mean… there is no way that…” Kaname was shocked by Sousuke’s subsequent shout.

“QUIET!”

Sousuke pushed Kaname in between one row of boxes, out of the line of fire of the nearest Arastol. “He’s right! This is a time for men to talk! This is not school. Lives are at stake. My future should matter to you, should it not?.” He pushed her hard to the floor. Hearing a low frequency droning noise in his earplug, he knew that the ARX-7 was poised at the outer wall of the building closest to his position. “You have no say in the matter.”

“Sousuke….” Kaname sat on her derrière, hand at her mouth.

The chuckling noise returned, accompanied by what could have been the amplified sound of clapping hands.

“There is a problem that will stand in the way of this deal,” Sousuke called out, walking away from Kaname, causing the visible robot to pivot in his direction. Step by step he closed the distance between himself and the discarded XM109, without actually walking in the direction of the rifle. “Mithril has the means to prompt Arbalest to self-destruct, without my input.” He ran his hand through his hair, trying to keep from looking tense. “I doubt that I could disengage that failsafe unless I was seated in the pilot’s chair. That would mean that you would have to trust me.”

Before the enemy mouthpiece had an opportunity to respond, Sousuke took a quick step and then slid along the floor over to the weapon. Bullets flowed in his wake, as the Arastol reacted inhumanly fast. Cement chips stung his cheek as he wrapped his fingers around the gun and rolled to one side.

“Kaname, run to the front of the building. Go. Now!”

As Sousuke shouted, all hell broke loose.