The Fate of Shin-Osaka – Chapter 6

I am alive.

My palms sweat, and my heart races. I’m nervous and hungry and scared, and I think I have to pee. It’s so many emotions at once that my head swirls. I have to stop and press my hand to the wall to steady myself.

I’ve been gone two weeks with only a brief note to Kazuo that I wouldn’t return as Saki. I’m also no longer Yumi. She will have her real body in due time. Now, I’m Kara, and I’m going to separate myself into Yumi and Kara in order to get the work done.

If Yumi could sit down and interview Kara, she would find a competent woman who has work to do and won’t rest until it’s done. She has no hobbies, no family. Only work. Kara has a singular focus, and that’s running missions for Yumi. Despite the emotions rolling through her, Kara is logical and driven. She can be kind when need be, and cunning when called for. She is everything Yumi has always wanted to be. She is the chance for Yumi to start over.

Yeah. Yeah, I like that. Many people in crisis situations divide their personality, compartmentalize to get things done. This is the android version. I’m so compartmentalized that I have a different appearance. Well, I certainly like to do things to the extreme, don’t I?

I pull my hand away from the alley wall and approach the restaurant. The warm night air caresses my skin, and the breeze blows my hair back. The restaurant has a wooden sign over the door with an illustration of a chicken and the words “Miyamoto’s” written in calligraphy. The alleyway is lined with the blue and white light of an old fluorescent streetlight. It’s late, and everyone has already eaten, but I planned it this way. Rin, Kazuo, and Shintaro are all drinking beers, smiling, and talking. It’s hard not to feel left out, but I’m just glad I feel something.

Opening the door, the scent of food hangs in the air, smells of yakitori chicken and rice washing over me. My stomach grumbles. Another thing Yoshi fixed. It’s criminal that Saki had to live in this broken body for so long. The Fukusha Model Sevens were only ever a testing ground, a sandbox, and they never got full autonomy like the Model Eights.

I sidle up to the table and hover over the empty spot.

“Hi, guys. Can I have a seat?”

Their conversation grinds to a jarring halt.

“Who are you, and what do you want?” Rin asks, his eyes widening.

I smile and chuckle, remembering how I feared him the first time I saw him. He nearly drowned me, and I still fell in love with him.

Or, Yumi did.

“Hi,” I say, lifting my hand to wave. “I’m here on Yumi’s behalf. My name is Kara. I was hoping we could talk… and I could use your second bedroom for a few weeks.”

Kazuo’s mouth opens a few times, and nothing comes out. Shintaro’s face pales. Rin’s eyes follow the length of me from my head to my feet.

Yoshi did an excellent job. I’m taller than Yumi was, and I have more muscle and more curves. I’ve braided my long hair over my shoulder, and I’m wearing a casual t-shirt, black pants, and flats. I went shopping this afternoon, and my bag has at least four more outfits and plenty of skin and hair products to make me fit in. I have Yumi’s heart-shaped face but Shintaro’s eyes and smile. It was a little strange at first, but I like it now.

“Yumi?” Rin asks, but I smile and shake my head.

“No. Kara. I’m… Think of me as a cousin. A cousin who is here to help. Can I sit?”

Kazuo and Shintaro exchange a glance, and Shintaro’s heart rate increases as his eyes take in my face. He sees something of himself here.

Rin thinks on this for a minute, considering me carefully, watching my hands as they grip the bag strap on my shoulder. His eyes flick up to my face, then back to my hands. After a moment, he pulls out the chair and waits silently for me to take a seat.

“Thank you,” I say, sitting next to him.

I see nothing has changed in the weeks I was gone. The guys are still in one piece, still spending time together, even in my absence. I’m happy to know they will go on, even if I’m dead, though I wish the universe would stop when I’m dead.

Doesn’t everyone yearn for the same?

I slide my bag onto the floor under my feet and wave to the waiter. He jogs up with an amiable smile.

“Beer, please.”

I’m determined to fit in this time since my tastebuds and digestive tract are working. Another of Yoshi’s miracles. He deserves the three hundred thousand credits I paid him.

“I’m sorry for the late arrival. I couldn’t stay where I was for much longer, and it was time to put my plans into motion.”

The beer arrives at the table, and I take a sip. The bubbles explode over my tongue and tickle the entire way down to my ersatz stomach. Bitter hops and wheat. Wow. I forgot how much I loved that. Tipping the glass back, I chug half of it and quash a quiet belch. Ahhhh.

“Okay, I like this one,” Shintaro says, leaning back from the table. “And cousin, for sure. We look alike.”

“That was on purpose.” I set the glass down and wish I could have another one right away, but I know there are limits to my stomach capacity. And though I can taste the beer and enjoy it, it won’t give me energy or make me drunk. Those metabolizations are beyond my body’s framework. “I intend to haunt Gen from the grave.”

“Yumi,” Kazuo says with a relieved sigh. “It’s good to have you back.”

I raise my hand and stop him. “Please. It’s Kara. You need to think of Yumi as dead for now. She will return with her real body in a short time. Everyone must remember her as dead, so Gen suspects nothing is different. He’s relaxed and vulnerable now because he’s killed his enemy. We should take advantage of that.”

Rin’s eyes are locked on my face. “Shit, you look a lot like her, but…”

I relax. “I have Shintaro’s eyes and smile. I planned it that way.”

“Kara…” He rolls the name around his tongue like he’s tasting a fine wine. “Why this name?”

I shake my head. “I don’t know. It just popped up, and I claimed it.”

Maybe it’s because of Kazuo’s name, pulling from his first syllable like many people do for their kids. I love my parents, but Kazuo has always been my father figure.

“Regardless of the name or how I’m here, it’s time to get business done. We need to retrieve Yumi’s body and then devise a plan to take over the CEO and principal position on Hikari.”

“Well…” Shintaro starts, but I hold up my hand. “Wait now. You haven’t been around for several weeks. Things have changed.”

“No, they haven’t. My mission remains the same. I’ve been keeping tabs on things while I’ve been out, and I don’t need to change anything.”

“Yu —” Kazuo starts, but I stare him down. “Kara, Aoi Uma has advanced in the last week. They’ve taken over most of Kadoma Ward, and the Kiiroi Yama building is next.”

I sip my beer and consider this. “They’re holding everything with their android army?”

Kazuo nods. “It’s thinned out considerably, but yes. Fukusha Model Nines and Tens. Off the update grid, and none of them have The Three Laws Updates.”

I sit back in my chair and cross my arms over my chest. “We all knew this day would come, right? The Three Laws Update was just a stop-gap measure. A way to buy time until we could do something more drastic.”

“And that time never came,” Shintaro grumbles.

“Because Yumi died,” I point out, “and she never got her corporation off the ground. But now…” I clap my hands together and rub them in a slow, circular motion. “Now, we have four billion credits and the determination to right all wrongs.”

“That’s not your four billion credits to use,” Kazuo says, pointing his finger at me.

“It is mine. I’m just going to use it differently than the bank intended. Yumi signed everything over to me.”

“Because you are her,” Rin insists.

“No. I’m Kara. Get used to it.” I wave my hand. “Anyway, it’s a technicality.”

Kazuo leans over to Shintaro. “Well, this is news I hadn’t expected to hear today.”

“This is news I hadn’t expected to hear ever,” Shintaro grumbles. “I figured we’d be scraping by for a few more months until the rescue ships showed up, and then we’d leave this mess behind.”

I wince and freeze for a moment, parlaying the movement into reaching for my beer. I should tell them. I really should.

Murmuring rises in the restaurant, and people pull out tablets or turn to the wallscreens.

“What’s going on?” Kazuo asks as he turns to face the nearest wallscreen.

“VICTORY FOR AOI UMA” is plastered over the news feed, panning over the smoking ruins of a Kiiroi Yama building.

“We have breaking news. Just ten minutes ago, Aoi Uma’s forward team breached the blockade at the border of Zone One in Matsubara Ward.”

Someone gasps and my body cools. A man at the next table jumps up from his chair and runs from the restaurant.

“Aoi Uma employees have secured the building, and troops are moving into Zone One now. Aoi Uma expects a full surrender of Zone One within two to three hours.”

“Shit,” I mutter, calling up the maps of Matsubara Ward. Zone One is right on the border of Kadoma Ward, which means they are still a few kilometers from us. But overpowering a Kiiroi Yama stronghold is not good. We’re losing by a thousand cuts every single day. Eventually, we’ll bleed out and die.

“Well, whatever we’re going to do, we have to start now.” Kazuo leans to the side to grab his bag from under the table. “We’ve been making plans, but this situation complicates things. Let’s move to a secure location to talk.”

—-

We reconvene at Rin’s apartment.

I see nothing has changed in the weeks I was gone. The living room is still spare, though the blanket on the couch tells me Rin’s been sleeping there instead of in bed. He used to do this on occasion when we lived together in Shin-Osaka, and I was late coming home.

Home. I never considered that place home until I couldn’t go back there anymore.

This place is not home, either. The room smells of dust and stale sweat. It’s quiet here, the only outside noise coming through the windows. The furniture and carpeting are made of synthetic materials that have always looked a little too new to me. I’d gotten used to them, but my time away only made me hate them more.

I slide my bag onto the floor next to the couch and turn to peek into the kitchen. It’s clean and tidy, as always. Rin has done his best with this place.

Everyone is right behind me. Rin leaves his sword near the front door, and a modicum of relief relaxes my shoulders. It’s good to know he doesn’t fear me in this body. Also, thank goodness for Yoshi because it’s nice to feel almost human again.

“Let’s get Okamoto on the line,” Kazuo says, waving at the wallscreen. Within a few moments, his face is staring out at us from a darkened office.

“You’ve heard the news.” It’s not even a question. He’s sure we’re all aware of the situation. He sighs. “It’s not unexpected. We suspected a few days ago that one of our employees was an android, but we couldn’t prove it. Everyone passed the Doshisha Test.” He hangs his head for a moment. “It’s safe to say that Ogawa’s newest androids no longer have any safeguards and are as good as, if not better than, humans.”

The room cools as people take in this new information.

“We stopped supplying Aoi Uma and their employees with weapons, ships, and vehicles a few months ago, but as of today, we are closing up ranks. We have recalled and disabled many of the items we leased to them, but they are getting around many safeguards. I have to consider if going to war against them is the right decision or not.”

I suck in a quick breath. Kiiroi Yama rarely gets involved except to supply weapons and lease out their employees. This is a big deal.

“We have already pulled back on policing the city.”

“That sounds like a horrible idea,” I declare. “Who will help the people in trouble?”

Okamoto’s eyebrows pull together. “Who are you?”

“Hello,” I say, bowing. “My name is Kara Minamoto. I’m a distant cousin of Yumi’s. Before she died, she put me in charge of her corporation. And I intend to take down Aoi Uma in any way possible.”

The room quiets as everyone draws a breath and holds it. It’s the first I’ve said it out loud.

“How come this is the first I’m hearing of this?” Okamoto bristles. As CEO of Kiiroi Yama, I’m sure he’s used to having all the information before anyone else.

I smile. “It’s a developing situation, much like this attack on your exchange.” I straighten my shoulders, feeling the power of the android muscles in my arms and back. “I was en route to help when Yumi passed away. So, now I have access to all the funds and Yumi’s mission statement. It’s time to safeguard and protect the citizens here. I hope you’ll reconsider your options. There’s no reason why anyone should watch their home being torn apart.”

“What did you have in mind?” Rin asks, leaning against the wall between the kitchen and the hallway.

I press my fingers to my lips for a moment as I consider the breadth of this plan I’ve had cooking on the back burner for a few weeks.

“First, we need an army of our own, but not people we send into the streets to their deaths. Aoi Uma can manufacture their army, and every time they’re stretched thin, they just make more androids. The rest of us should focus on all the little ways we can defeat them, be a thorn in their sides, and deny them goods and services. Granted, many citizens are happy to keep going and let the war rage around them. They can block it out if it’s not happening in their ward or neighborhood. But eventually, Aoi Uma will come for us all.”

I wait while everyone nods their heads.

“We’ll need to work together as a community, convince all the smaller corporations that we’re stronger together than apart.”

“And how will you do that?” Okamoto asks, his eyebrows drawn together.

“We’ll use the budget to help them. Pay for anything Aoi Uma is buying. Bring them under our umbrella. Keep their books in the black.”

“And you think that’s going to stop an android army?” Kazuo raises his eyebrows.

“No. But economic sanctions work. And let’s face it, Aoi Uma wants money, too, not just power. Anyone who doesn’t want to fight will leave. For security, we’ll ask the people in Matsubara Ward and their androids to help spread out through the city and keep watch. This is a lower-class ward, working hard for very little. With my corporate funds, we can give everyone a basic salary and put them to use, shoring up defenses. We’ll borrow their androids to provide surveillance and muscle when necessary.”

“You’ll have a hard time getting around the Three Laws,” Kazuo points out. “That’s why we programmed them in the first place.”

I raise my finger. “The Second Law prevents harm from coming to humans. They can defend, but they cannot initiate harm. Let’s get Isao on the payroll to explain it better.”

“What about Shiroi Nami? Will they help?” Okamoto asks. He glances off to the side as someone hands him a tablet.

“They are returning to their base in the south. If we call for them, I’m sure they’ll come. I’m confident Aoi Uma will eventually retreat to save what’s left of the city and regain their suppliers. The city will be worthless without people here and corporations who are willing to do business.”

Okamoto thinks for a moment before sighing. “It’s as good a plan as any. Let us know what you need from us. I can’t guarantee Kiiroi Yama’s next steps, but we’ll be watching.”

I hold back my sigh of relief. If Okamoto hadn’t gone for it, I don’t know what Plan B would have been. I never got that far in my thoughts.

His expression turns serious. “But even if you wound Aoi Uma and get them to retreat, you still have no plan as Kazenoho Corporation, and that’s your real sticking point.”

I hold back a wince.

Okamoto continues, “Every corporation on Hikari offers something of value to the people. Right now, I see nothing from Kazenoho about the business they will be once they’re the ruling corporation.”

I nod once as my stomach clenches. “I hear you, and I promise Kazenoho will be valuable to the people of Hikari. We will have an offering. I just need to firm up some more details first.”

Lies. Complete and utter lies. I have no idea what kind of product or service Kazenoho will offer if we can execute a hostile takeover. But I have to believe something will come to me, eventually. I just need to wait for divine inspiration.

Please, gods, give me something!

“I’m looking forward to hearing what that will be,” he says, sporting a grim smile. “We have a lot of work to do here at Kiiroi Yama if we’re going to survive this war. I don’t know how much help we’ll be, but we’ll try. We’ll all talk again soon,” he says before the wallscreen shifts to black.

Rin, Kazuo, and Shintaro are all silent and staring at me when I turn around. I guess I faked the call well enough.

“Okay, this is what we do.” I rub my hands together. “Rin, you contact everyone you know locally — Atsumi, Riki, anyone from Kiiroi Yama who you think would be good at the groundwork of door-to-door recruitment. Anyone who doesn’t want to help, we have to convince them to leave.”

Rin blinks in surprise. “You want them to abandon their homes?”

“Yes. The more people that leave, the better. Aoi Uma will go bankrupt if there’s no one here to sell their upgraded androids to. Talk with your Kiiroi Yama contacts about opening up humanitarian corridors, safe from Aoi Uma. Then we’ll need refugee camps to the north and south. Shintaro, come up with a budget. You are now my Chief Financial Officer.”

“Me?” He presses a hand to his chest. “I’m more of a genes-and-lab-work kind of guy.”

“You can handle a spreadsheet. You’re my man. Your budget is five hundred million credits.” He blinks and pulls back. “If you think you need more, come see me.”

Shintaro looks at Kazuo. “This is crazy. There’s no way this will work. You should save the money for whatever you’re going to manufacture.”

“That will come later,” I say, waving away his concerns.

Kazuo shrugs. “No one here really likes Aoi Uma, and plenty of people would rather flee than fight. I think it could work.”

“Great! I’m glad you agree.” I nod at Kazuo. “It’ll be your job to see the next step ahead because I don’t. Not yet.” I sigh as I sit on the couch. “I only know that we must defend ourselves and avoid Aoi Uma until we can hit the next phase.”

Kazuo rubs at the stubble on his chin. “Ultimately, we need to ascend to CEO of Hikari. Be on the throne. That’s the endgame.” He shrugs. “How we get there is another story. But if we’re going to hand things over to Koichi Itami when he comes here, we’ll need to be in charge.”

Hearing the empress’s son’s name on Kazuo’s lips reminds me of a horrifying truth. I groan and close my eyes. Right. We got interrupted at the restaurant. I press my hands to my face before I meet his gaze.

“What?” Kazuo asks, his lips dropping into a frown.

“What are you not telling us?” Shintaro’s voice carries a heavy warning. I’ve heard this tone before, and it always made me roll my eyes. Not today.

“I had Saki archived while Kara was… coming into being. During the process, she could finally access her memories of Gen’s last words to Yumi.” I shake my head. “The rescue mission isn’t coming.”

Disappointment settles over the room like a shroud. The faces of the men standing before me go blank, their features falling like stones in a pond. It’s so quiet I can hear a gentle breeze through the window, an insect buzzing. No one speaks for several heartbeats.

“The emergency beacon never made it out of the system,” I continue quietly, “and the backup ship, the Shōnagon, was years from completion. They don’t know we’re in trouble, and even if they did, they couldn’t do anything about it.”

“That’s not true,” Kazuo insists, his hand closing to a fist. “The Shōnagon was only a year from completion.”

I shake my head. “I don’t think so. Maybe something happened to it? All I know is that I believed… and Yumi believed Gen was right. We’re on our own.”

“Fucking hell.” Shintaro’s face reddens in anger. He turns and walks out of the apartment. Kazuo moves to go after him, but I jump off the couch and grab his arm, careful not to squeeze too hard.

“Let him go. I think he misses Takéji finally.” It took a long time for Shintaro to admit he misses his boyfriend at home, but now, he’s ready to return to him and their life together.

“It’s time to move on,” I insist, pulling Kazuo around to face me. “Yumi has a body waiting for her, but I don’t want to throw her into a war. Let’s finish this and get on with our lives.”

Kazuo stares out the window at the darkened streets of Matsubara Ward, the lit-up signs and flying vehicles zipping past. It takes a few breaths, but he nods. I squeeze his arm once and let go.

“Rin,” I say, addressing him. He pops back to the present; his mind had been off wandering, much like Kazuo’s. “You’re my right-hand man now. Before you get moving with your tasks, I need Aimi and Ryoko.” I pick up my bag from beside the couch. “Have them here in the morning.”

Without asking for permission, I leave the room and head to the bedroom I know is mine but I’ve never slept in. Time to be Kara. Yumi can wait.