"Miss
Sato," Dr. Nagura looked at the young woman
standing in front of him. He was impressed by what he
saw - a short and fragile frame, with long black hair
(dyed brown, with obvious black roots), put up into a
failed and messy attempt at a 'bun'. Individual
strands of hair fell across the woman's face and down
her back. She smiled enthusiastically, happy merely
to be in the presence of her idol - the bonus fact
that she would soon be working with him was what made
her bounce up and down.
Nagura Ian
"Ikku" was impressed with what he saw as
well, but not in the same way as his father. He could
tell that his father saw Sato Kiko as something more
than just a talented underling and member of his
team; he was more than twice her age, but Ikku knew
he would make a move if he ever got the chance. But
Ikku saw Kiko as a potential friend, someone who
could help him to better understand the bright red
jumpsuit he wore but also, as someone close to his
own age, a companion with whom he could discuss
things that his father - or the constantly aloof Sei
- would not understand.
"Miss
Sato," Dr. Nagura repeated. "Allow me to
introdue you... to Dr. Smith."
Kiko turned around
and saw a man approaching the chamber. He wore a
white lab coat and carried a black clipboard. He was
older than anyone else present, and had plenty of
evidence of that fact - white hair, a weathered,
wrinkly face and a minor stoop to his posture.
Ikku had never liked
Dr. Smith. He was just plain creepy - like
'The Hunchback of Notre Dame: The Golden Years.'
Dr. Smith came to an
abrupt stop precisely one foot in front of Kiko. He
did not offer any sort of welcoming gesture; no
smile, no handshake, not even a nod of
acknowledgment. Instead he stood as upright as he
could and peered at her with stern eyes.
"You must be
Sato," he said. He spoke perfect Japanese, but
Kiko could tell from his features and accent that it
was not his native language. "I was wondering
when you would arrive. You are early. That is better
than being late, but do not expect me to entertain
you. You will arrive on time, for as long as
you work for me. Not early, not late. Do you
understand?"
Kiko looked from Dr.
Smith to Dr. Nagura and back again. She swallowed
loudly before speaking. "Y-yes, sir," she
stammered.
"Good."
Dr. Smith turned
with exceptional precision and walked in a perfectly
straight line to a nearby computer terminal. He
placed his clipboard beside it - its edges aligned
parallel to those of the computer - and began to
examine the data it displayed.
"Sei has failed
again," he said simply.
"We did not...
expect him to... henshin today," Dr. Nagura told
him. "He has still displayed... exceptional
control... over phase one."
"We should have
completed phase one weeks ago," Dr. Smith said
without turning away from the computer. "If Ian
had simply - " He paused for a moment. "We
should have finished our analysis of phase one. We should
be focussing all of our attention on the
henshin."
Kiko glanced at Ikku
for a moment and saw him staring at the ground. It
was not the first time she had heard him criticised
by staff at Blizzard Base Zero, and she could not
help but wonder why.
"Excuse
me," she said. "I know I don't know much
about the project - "
"That is
correct," Dr. Smith interrupted.
" - but,"
Kiko continued, "if the suit relies on an
interface between the robotics components and human
biology, the 'henshin' process would be different for
every user, wouldn't it? Maybe if I could
see Ikku attempt it alongside Sei, I might - "
Dr. Smith rose
suddenly. His face was bright red with rage, and as
he whirled to face Kiko every ounce of the precision
that had marked his behaviour since arriving in the
chamber was gone. "You might what? Find
something that my men and I have missed?"
Kiko's eyes narrowed
as she stared back at the doctor. She leaned forward,
just a few inches, but neither Dr. Nagura nor Ikku
missed the gesture and the subtle aggression that
prompted it.
"I wouldn't
have put it like that," Kiko said, "but yes.
Maybe a fresh pair of eyes wouldn't hurt."
"You insolent
little - !"
Dr. Nagura quickly
stepped between them and raised his right hand.
"If I may...
speak?" he smiled. "Dr. Smith is a very...
experienced... scientist, Miss Sato. You would do
well... to listen to him." He paused for a
moment. "Still... perhaps experience can...
close and open mind... just a little. I agree... with
Miss Sato... but Ian is not ready... for phase
two."
"I - "
Ikku began.
"No, Ian,"
Dr. Nagura told him. "I will not... allow
it." He faced Kiko directly. "Miss Sato...
would you like to meet... Sei?"
Several
kilometers outside of Blizzard Base Zero
"Are they
prepared?"
The heavily armed
American soldier turned to his deputy. Behind them
stood dozens of armed soldiers, each clad in thick
armour designed more to keep them warm as they
crossed the Antarctic wasteland than to protect them
from attack. With any luck, their target would be
defenceless by the time they arrived, but just in
case, the battalion was supported by heavy artillery
in the form of tanks specially-equipped for crossing
the icy terrain.
The deputy nodded,
and the American looked at his men. They represented
the best soldiers of the nations governed by the
Earth Leadership/Defence Directorate and had been
gathered for the sole purpose of protecting the EDD's
interests around the world. At the slightest hint of
danger or betrayal, the Black Battalion, based on the
futuristic Science Island, was called in - and the
upcoming assault on Blizzard Base Zero was their
second mission in as many days.
His mind wandered
back to their last mission, which had seemed simple
enough at the time: Sorceress Miko, a woman who
claimed to possess magickal abilities had threatened
Science Island directly. If they did not evacuate and
scuttle the artificial island, she said, she would
destroy EDD bases around the world. Aside from a
distaste for technology in general, Miko had claimed
that there were forces within the EDD focussed not on
protecting and enriching life, but on controlling it.
The Black Battalion
had been sent out to bring her in. It was not a
full-scale assault by any means - only five of the
battalion's greatest, the 'best of the best'.
Equipped with their standard tranquiliser gas,
handguns and rifles, they tracked Miko down to an
abandoned apartment building in New Orleans and
easily ambushed her.
After trying to
break through a wall, sending plaster dust scattering
over the men, Miko surrendered. Several hours later
she was handed over to the Science Island security
forces - and the Black Battalion did not know or care
what happened to their targets after that. They
simply waited for their next mission.
"Okay,
guys!" he addressed his forces. "Arm up -
we're moving out!"
Blizzard
Base Zero
The 'pit' beneath
the chamber's viewing bay seemed a lot bigger to Kiko
once she actually stood inside it. In the centre of
the room, Sei stood at attention, waiting to be
addressed by Dr. Nagura. He did not speak or move as
Kiko, Ikku, Dr. Nagura and Dr. Smith approached - and
that disturbed Kiko more than she wanted to admit.
"Sei..."
Dr. Nagura said. "You may stand... down."
Sei's pose did not
change, but his facial features seemed to relax as he
did as he was told. He turned and bowed slightly to
each of the men, then offered a hand to Kiko, which
she took. His grip was firm and even, almost the
complete opposite of Ikku's energetic shaking earlier
that day.
"This is...
Miss Sato," Dr. Nagura told him. "She will
be... joining Dr. Smith's team."
Sei nodded. "It
is nice to meet you."
Kiko smiled back at
him.
"I was watching
you before. You were amazing! It's a pity phase two
didn't work!"
Sei bowed his head
again. "The interface system rejects my
physiology. My technique is perfect, but henshin will
remain untenable until the interface design is
completed."
"Excuse me?
Could you explain that again?"
Dr. Nagura smiled.
"Sei has dedicated... a lot of time... to
understanding the project."
Sei smiled, and Kiko
took a step back. She had not noticed until he showed
his teeth, but Sei's features were almost perfectly
symmetrical. His eyes were the same size and evenly
spaced; his eyebrows, too, seemed like mirror images.
His nose was unnaturally straight, and his teeth were
aligned so well that they could have been
individually measured.
Kiko caught herself
staring and could not keep herself from blushing -
but the redness in her cheeks went unnoticed as
bright red flights flashed around the pit and a
woman's voice spoke loudly through speakers in the
walls:
"Blizzard Base
Zero is under attack," the voice said calmly.
"Initiating automatic defence systems...
initialisation failed. Manually deploying guards...
guards deployed. Securing internal systems - "
Kiko cringed as the
voice continued to coolly outline what it was doing
to keep the base safe. Its emotionless voice did
nothing to keep Kiko calm - and the whole
'initialisation failed' comment did exactly the
opposite. She turned to Dr. Nagura, but he did not
speak.
"Should we be
hiding? Or at least doing something?"
she asked.
"No,
no..." Dr. Nagura replied. "This chamber is
the... most secure area... of the base. The guards
will... take care of things..."
"Can I - "
Ikku began to ask.
"The suit...
does not leave... the chamber," Dr. Nagura said.
"But - "
Ikku looked at the
ground. He did not want to disobey his father, but at
the same time he knew he could make a difference if
he tried to help the base guards. He examined the
other faces around him: Dr. Smith looked at his black
clipboard, seemingly oblivious to the chaos around
him; Sei stood still, waiting for further orders from
Dr. Nagura; and Kiko looked worried and almost
frightened.
Kiko was more than a
little surprised when Ikku took her hand in his and
stared directly into her eyes.
"Don't worry,
Miss Sato!" he said, grinning. "I will make
sure you're safe!"
He dropped her hand
and ran out of the pit. Through the transparent
window of the viewing bay he could be seen rushing
out of the chamber.
"Ian - !"
Dr. Nagura called after him, but Ikku was long gone.
He raced along the
upward-spiralling corridor and through the main areas
of the base. He was not surprised that many of the
doors he passed were locked shut, and those that
could be opened did so with ease as the guards that
normally protected them rushed outside to protect
whatever threat the base was facing.
What did surprise
him were the easily-recognisable Black Battalion
forces firing at and incapacitating the base guards
at the entrance to the complex. Ikku picked up a
dropped rifle and rushed to the side of one of the
guards trying to defend the base.
"Black
Battalion?" he asked the guard. "Here? Why?"
"Don't
know!" the guard growled back as he ducked
gunfire from a Battalion soldier. "They haven't
said a word! But it looks like they're opening their
mouths now, though!"
The guard was right.
As Ikku watched, the Silver Battalion stopped moving
and formed into straight rows. They dropped their
weapons, the the base guards stopped firing as they
stared in astonishment. Slowly, all at once, the
Black Battalion's jaws dropped and their face began
to twist and contort in ways that, Ikku guessed, had
to be painful.
Suddenly, they
dropped to the ground - and floating above each
soldier, precisely where his head had been, was a
six-inch tall female figure. Each was wearing a
pink-and-white skintight jumpsuit and had four
translucent wings attached to their backs. They
looked at one another then, in unison, flew directly
at the base.
The sides of the
robot head rippled as the figures passed through
them, and Ikku froze. If they could pass through the
outer walls, they could pass through the inner walls.
They could reach the chamber. They could
reach his father.
He gripped his rifle
tightly, turned, and ran back inside the base.
The Chamber
"I
g-guess," Kiko said, trying but failing to
imitate the calm demeanour of the men around her,
"if we're waiting, I m-may as well ask some
questions."
"Good...
idea," Dr. Nagura said.
I'll learn, Kiko
thought, and you won't have to worry about your
son. Works well, doesn't it?
"What is 'phase
one'?" she asked.
"Ah," Dr.
Nagura rubbed his chin. He had worked on the project
for so long that everything seemed like common sense
to him, and he had to think hard to find a way to
explain it to someone new to the base. "You know
that... Project: Roboman... is designed to
synthesise... robotics and human biology?"
Kiko nodded.
"The suit Sei
wears," Dr. Nagura explained, and Kiko noticed
that he did not mention Ian, "contains
circuitry... which embeds itself... beneath the
skin... and sends impulses into... the user's system.
This allows... for greater strength and agility.
You... have already seen... Sei demonstrate
this."
Kiko nodded again.
"That is...
phase one. Phase two... involves deploying mechanical
armour... across the body... for increased endurance
and... power manipulation."
"Power
manipulation?" Kiko asked.
"In good
time... Miss Sato..." he said. "That is...
top-secret, for now."
Kiko opened her
mouth to ask another question, but was distracted by
the sight of Ikku rushing back into the chamber.
Behind him were dozens of swarming, insect-like
creatures passed through all the walls and barriers
in their way - but somehow, possibly thanks to the
suit he wore, Ikku managed to keep just a few inches
ahead of them.
"Dr.
Nagura!" he shouted as he entered the pit.
"Our defences are broken!"
"Impossible!"
Dr. Smith snapped. "The automated defence system
would have reported an intrusion!"
"Can't you see
them?" Ikku asked. He gestured at the
rapidly-approaching winged women.
"They must be
an illusion," Dr. Smith said.
Dr. Nagura shook his
head. "Sei... force-field."
Sei nodded and
clapped his hands together. A field of green energy
expanded from his wrists and stretched to every
surface of the pit, enclosing it in a
semi-transparent green barrier. The flying figures,
which had been able to penetrate thick steel, pressed
against it but could not pass through.
Kiko fell to her
knees.
This is too
much, she thought.
"This is too
much!" Dr. Smith yelled. Kiko turned her head
and saw the doctor had produced a small handgun,
which he pointed directly at Dr. Nagura's head.
"Sei, remove this force-field."
The field flickered
momentarily, but remained. Sei's eyes fell closed and
his features tightened, as if he was concentrating...
or confused.
"Put down the
gun!" Ikku shouted. He had raised his rifle, and
pointed it at Smith's chest.
"No," Dr.
Smith replied. "I have the upperhand. They know
the frequency of the force-field. They will soon
nullify its energy."
"They know...
the... oh," Dr. Nagura said. "You
have... betrayed us."
"Wrong
again," Smith responded. "I was never loyal
to you to begin with."
Dr. Smith was right.
Dozens of the winged creatures had pressed themselves
against the force-field, and it was clearly
weakeningly. Eventually, small openings formed - and
although they resealed themselves quickly, there was
enough of a delay for one creature to get through at
a time. They entered so slowly that Ikku had no
problem shooting them down... but soon, they entered
in pairs... then three-at-a-time...
"Miss
Sato," Dr. Nagura said. "Behind me... in
the wall..."
"Stop
speaking!" Dr. Smith said. "Do not move,
Sato!"
Kiko returned to her
feet and began to cross the room.
"Sato!"
Smith shouted.
"Shoot at
me," Kiko said, "but the second you aim
away from Dr. Nagura, you know Ikku will take you
down." She kept walking. On the wall behind Dr.
Nagura was a small, almost invisible panel. She felt
it for any sign of a crease or opening as Ikku
continued to fire on the intruders.
Finally, a single
creature made its way past Ikku and landed on Dr.
Nagura's shoulder. Ikku whirled and readied his
rifle, but he was not fast enough. The white-garbed
woman emitted a brief blue glow and it, Dr. Nagura
and Dr. Smith seemed to dissolve into a blue mist and
vanish.
Ikku fired, and his
blast struck where the creature had been a moment
before - and kept moving. It narrowly missed Kiko and
hit the small panel she had been examining, causing
it to fall away from the wall.
"You almost
shot me!" Kiko shouted.
Ikku shrugged and
turned his attention back to the flying women while
Kiko examined the area behind the panel and found
that it contained a small box. She pulled it free and
opened it, and what she found caused her to gasp in
shock.
Inside the box was a
suit identical to those worn by Ikku and Sei, only
yellow and much larger. She realised, slowly, that
the suit must have been intended for a third member
of the project - perhaps even Dr. Nagura himself.
Okay, what now? she
thought. If I can wear this, then maybe, with
Sei's help, I can help get us out of here. But it is
too big...!
She decided to try
anyway, and after making sure the boys' attention was
directed elsewhere, she quickly removed her clothes.
She gently slipped into the one-piece bodysuit, which
seemed to stretch to allow her to enter most easily.
Once inside, it began to contract and tightly grip
her body. She felt an unusual tingling sensation as
something penetrated her skin, and she remembered
what Dr. Nagura had told her - the suit's circuitry
embeds itself beneath the skin. The suit had
interfaced with her.
Kiko hurried back to
stand beside Sei and asked him what she could do to
help.
"You are not an
active specimen of the project," he told her.
"I cannot assist you in the operation of the
robosuit."
Kiko sighed.
"Ikku?"
"Yeah?"
Ikkue replied.
"Do you know
how to do any of this weird energy stuff?"
"No."
"Do you have
much ammunition left?"
"No."
Kiko sighed again.
"Then I think you know what we have to do."
Ikku grinned. He
dropped his rifle and stood beside Kiko.
Simultaneously, as the winged women flooded the
inside of the energy dome, they stuck their arms out
to the side, raised them above their heads, and
shouted: "Let's go,
Robo!"
NEXT: Roboman!
