Tsubaki closed her eyes, and when she opened them again the world unfolded before her in a spray of shining blue hexagons—her own little material reality washing over the blank spaces of her mind. The ground at her feet solidified, smooth and metallic, and above her and all about was a vast grey nothingness that stretched on for eternity. She stood patiently, her hands behind her back, until a moment later indistinct pixels manifested from empty space and took on the form of Takashi Kumagai. This space was Tsubaki’s own virtual reality server, unique to her and linked to Takashi and no one else. She could do anything with this quiet little world of hers, but she often kept it empty, void of anything unnecessary.
“You were right about Khaganate Labs, sir. Doctor Harry Valentino did in fact infiltrate Epsilon-12 in the North-West region and he recovered data concerning something called Project ARES. The specifics of the data file are now unknown to me, I’m afraid. What was Tokyo Robotica working on all the way out there, sir? What is Project ARES?”
“Your inquisitiveness is valuable to me but not when it is directed at matters that do not concern your mission at this time,” Takashi answered grimly. “But you have done your job well. From here I can deduce Vulcan’s next play. Did you find anything else at site Epsilon?”
Tsubaki thought about the rogue android that tried to kill her, and then shook her head. “Nothing of significance, sir.”
“Very well. You will now move to the next stage of your assignment. Khaganate has two androids in their possession are akin to yourself in design. Their emotional/cognitive abilities far exceed anything in production today—not to mention they are very much in violation of the 2029 AI Security Accord. If we do not obtain this technology first, other government parties will come for it soon enough.”
“Are you saying that these androids are sentient, sir?”
“There is no such thing as a sentient android,” Takashi snapped. “They are particularly advanced machines, nothing more.”
“What is the plan?” Tsubaki asked, ignoring Takashi’s sudden outburst.
“We will have no time for subtlety. Assemble two units and prepare to strike them at their facility. Be quick and clean. Find Harry Valentino and Shannon Murphy and arrest them, then collect the two androids and bring them to me. We can’t let the news of these two androids get out. If you cannot contain them, have them destroyed.”
“I’ll get it done.”
“See that you do.”
Takashi’s image flickered like TV static and then vanished. Tsubaki ended the simulation and one by one the hexagonal tiles folded back in on themselves until the space ceased to exist and Tsubaki opened her eyes in a helicopter bound for Khaganate Labs. She collected the tablet sitting by her side and used it to select the two units she wanted to deploy for the mission. By the time she landed at the rendezvous point outside the city the two units were waiting for her—two black SUVs, an armoured truck, and a dozen troops. Tsubaki briefed them on the mission parameters and then they set off. She rode in the passenger seat of the lead car.
The assault on Vulcan Dynamics was carried out like a quiet storm. Tsubaki’s car sped into the main entrance while the other circled around to the other side. They had ascertained the locations of all targets and were ready to move. The car stopped and Tsubaki felt the inertia of it lurch her forwards. Everyone stepped out, there was a storm of boots on pavement as the troops stacked up at the main door. Tsubaki directed for a small detonating charge to be placed on the door. He stuck it on, they back away. Shock, debris, and smoke, as the door was blasted open.
“Go! Go! Go!” announced the unit captain. They flooded the doorway, stepping into a wide hallway with doors on either side and a stairway at the end. Again, they knew which room Harry Valentino was hiding in, and they swept towards it. Tsubaki remained at the back of the unit as she was unarmoured and distinct from her team. She was merely overseeing the operation and had no need to get her hands dirty.
“We have captured Harry Valentino,” one of the troops reported.
Tsubaki witnessed her agent drag Harry into the hallway and pin him against the wall before slipping a pair of handcuffs around his wrists.
“Moving to secondary target: K4-R1.”
“We’ve captured Shannon Murphy,” reported a member of the other unit.
Quick and clean.
Harry and Shannon were not what Tsubaki had expected when her agents brought them out to her. For supposedly reclusive scientists these two had a fire in them, a weird energy, heat directed not so much at Tsubaki but at each other. And here, Tsubaki realised, the old rivalry continued to flare. Harry, though wearing a cold expression on his face, did not resist his capture as Tsubaki suspected he would. Shannon, however, yanked at and struck furiously at the agents bringing her in, and yelled and screamed so loud that even Harry, in his uncharacteristically calm stoicism, winced at the sound of her voice.
“Enough, Shannon,” he cried.
“Why are you so calm? Do you suppose we should just let them get away with this?”
“Yes, actually.”
“They attacked us,” said Shannon, aghast. “They blew up our door. They took Jak.”
“I know. It’s Tokyo Robotica—I think.” He looked Tsubaki for confirmation but she gave him nothing. They’re seizing our assets before the anyone else can. See that woman in the black suit? Look at her eyes. I think she’s an android. Fingers crossed—we’ll be brought to whoever is in charge of this operation. You can yell and scream all you want then.”
“How are you so calm when you’re the one who got us into this mess?”
“Me?” Harry recoiled. “How is this my fault?”
“Your schemes! Your little secret missions for Myles. Yes, I know about that.”
“Listen, you don’t understand the whole story—”
“Because you never include me in anything! I mean how hard is it to say ‘hey Shannon, Myles and I are having a little catch up after work, might have a few drinks, commit a little corporate espionage, why don’t you come along?’”
“Don’t blame me, it was Myles who told me to keep it a secret, but I obviously didn’t do a good job.”
“No, you didn’t.”
“And besides, I always include you in stuff. It’s not my fault you always decide not to come.”
“When?”
“What?”
“When did you invite me out last? I want to know.”
“Is this what this is about? I don’t know—last Saturday, there was the work thing.”
“Work thing? Come on, Harry. Stephan used to—”
“Don’t you dare compare me to Stephan—”
“You used to be so fun. Remember when the three of us would go bowling? That was Stephan’s idea of friendship. All you can think of is work.”
“It’s all I have time for,” said Harry, flustered now. “Are you really complaining because I won’t take you out bowling? You weren’t even good at it. I beat you every time.”
“I’m not talking just about bowling, it’s the principle—and I’m not complaining,” Shannon interjected. “How does this sound like complaining?
Tsubaki snapped at both of them: “Shut up!”
Both Harry and Shannon quietened and looked up at her.
“You obviously know what’s going on here so I won’t explain it to you,” Tsubaki went on. “Come with me quietly. We’ll get some information from you and then you’ll be free to go.”
“What if we resist?” Shannon asked. “Just, you know, out of curiosity.”
Tsubaki knelt down and leaned close to Shannon. “I’ve been instructed not to torture you.” Her lips twitched into a subtle smile.
“Who made you?” Harry asked.
“No more questions.” Tsubaki turned to her agents, “Take them away. If they scream, gag them.”
“Ma’am, the two androids are causing trouble,” one of her troops reported. “They’ve taken down some of our agents.”
The report was followed by a distant commotion as the agents heaved Harry and Shannon to their feet. The din of heavy footsteps and yelling became louder, until Tsubaki stumbled upon a skinny android with frightened eyes. Tasers clicked and buzzed rapidly, their talons sinking into the android’s chest, and he collapsed to the ground. The other, the woman, soon followed.
When all targets had been taken away Tsubaki found Harry’s office and immediately began sifting through his things—books, documents, his computer—anything of value. There wasn’t much. Harry was a cautious man, and he had to be cautious given the nature of his work, with so many secrets and technology of such value. The kinds of secrets Tsubaki required were either not present or highly encrypted. She could crack them open given enough time, however it truly would take time. So, she instead spent her time looking at items that weren’t under lock and key, the kinds of things Harry wouldn’t bother to hide too well, because he didn’t think anyone would want to steal them. Almost anything could be of use to Tsubaki. And she was right. After a little bit of time and a relatively easy hack Tsubaki gained access to a bank statement indicating that Harry was regularly sending money to an account based in downtown Kakushin. She did not know who the account belonged to but she did find an address and that was something she could follow up on. Was this a valuable lead? Probably not. But it was a start. What she really needed was intel regarding PROMETHEUS and if she was lucky this would point her in the right direction.
There came a knock on the door and Tsubaki looked up to see one of her agents wearing a troubled expression.
“I don’t know how, maybe they had help, but the androids have escaped.”
“Of course, they have.”
“What’s our play?”
“Leave them be.” Tsubaki looked at the bank statement on the computer screen. “I’ll find them.”
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