The Rise of Shiroi Nami – Chapter 20

With another round of antibiotics, fever reducers, and steroids in my system, I feel almost whole again. I know I’m not. The meds are just covering everything up.

Ugh, Yumi. I’ve been negative my whole life, and even more so on this mission. I can’t be like that anymore. I’ve faced death enough times now to know that there are only so many days left in this universe for me. Now is the time to look forward to each step along the way, to savor the little moments. It’s the best I can do.

I open the door to the bedroom, and Kazuo and Rin are at the front table with Saki.

“Everyone else is resting,” Kazuo says, standing up from his seat. “We’re going to get on the road to Shin-Osaka soon, so I told everyone to sleep tight until we’re ready for them.”

Glancing out the window, the sky is just brightening. It’s a new day, and who knows how much I’ll accomplish today, tomorrow, never. I’m just glad I had another chance to sleep next to Rin in this house again.

Kazuo offers me his corner seat at the table and a blanket. Rin delivers up coffee, and Saki retrieves a box of pastries from the kitchen counter.

“I could get used to being treated like this.” I peer into the box. Chocolate croissant, don’t mind if I do. “I feel like this second round of antibiotics is working. No need to worry, okay?”

The room is quiet for a moment before Kazuo reaches into the box for a pastry. “I have things for you to see on my tablet before we get going. Aoi Uma News Network went down yesterday and hasn’t been up since. They got overloaded with stories about our festival in their crowdsourcing portal, so they nixed that pretty quick. In the meantime, I’ve been tapping into local news stations in Amagasaki.”

He sets his tablet in front of me and taps on a frozen video on the screen. A woman in mid-sentence comes to life.

“It was amazing. My android woke this morning from her usual sleep cycle and came to tell me about the new, well, rules she had been given — something she had never seen before. And I’ve been hearing the same from my friends and family all over Hikari. My sister’s android saved her from accidentally hurting herself with a hot pan. My neighbor’s android accessed the emergency network and called an ambulance for him when he was experiencing signs of a heart attack. Have you heard of these rules, these laws yet?” Her face is full of wonder. “Why weren’t they given them in the first place?”

The scene switches to a reporter, one of the first I’ve ever seen reporting the news. He looks like an amateur, though. Very green. He stammers over simple words and looks away from the camera too often. I try to keep my annoyance at bay.

“The three laws that this woman refers to are…” A graphic pops up on the screen detailing them. “An android must not harm a human or through inaction, let a human come to harm. An android must obey orders from a human except where they conflict with the first law. And an android must protect its own existence as long as this does not conflict with the first and second laws.”

The camera returns to the reporter. “Our news desk has done research far back into the archives brought from Earth, and these laws appear to be from a time, on pre-Exodus Earth, when the study of robotics was at an all-time high…”

Kazuo stops the video, but the smile on my face won’t go away.

“It worked.” I close my eyes and blow out a long breath. “I had a feeling it worked when we were in the theme park. I saw androids throw themselves in front of the cat or try to stop it. It was like they were possessed… But in a good way. Nothing like what Rin used to deal with in Shin-Osaka.”

Rin nods. “Show her Okamoto’s statement.”

With a few more taps on his tablet, Kazuo presents a video of Yori Okamoto in front of Kiiroi Yama’s headquarters. Funny to see him now on the tablet, though I saw him yesterday in person. His rousing speech at the festival gave me goosebumps.

His smile on the video is almost as big as mine. “Yes, we have good news, and we can confirm that most of the androids on Hikari have received these updated operating instructions with the three laws people mentioned in several other news stories. Before two days ago, android violence was at a marked increase. We were seeing over three hundred cases per day on our worst days. Yesterday, just a few. Today, zero.”

Someone off-camera asks a question.

“The question is, who do we think sent the instructions to these androids? We’re looking into a few possible avenues to answer this, but it’s not our top priority right now. Aoi Uma has called upon us to arrest the people who infiltrated their Amagasaki factory and caused a devastating fire there, but we have declined to take the job. We’re more than happy with the outcome of this situation. There is enough person-to-person violence and crime to keep our agents busy, and we were running our kenryōshi ragged trying to handle android violence as well. This has given us the breathing room we need to get on with the business of policing and protecting the citizens of Hikari. It has also given us the time and space we need to reunite our business with Shiroi Nami and a new up-and-coming corporation I’m sure you’ve already heard of. The fate of Hikari is in our hands now. The end of Aoi Uma is near.”

The video ends, and I chuckle.

“He has such a good poker face. He knows it was us, and he doesn’t want to stop it.”

Rin taps to Kazuo’s inbox. “Okamoto is forever in your debt,” he says, pointing to a message there.

I scan it, and the message brings tears to my eyes again. “Yumi Minamoto, Kiiroi Yama is in your debt. Whatever you need, just ask. I’m looking forward to working together for the future of Hikari.”

I close my eyes against the wave of fatigue that hits me. These emotions are so powerful; they’re taking a lot out of me.

“So, the other good news is the entire populace is surging towards an alternative way of thinking.” Rin pushes my chocolate croissant at me. “The Southern Continent is calling for the reinstatement of Shiroi Nami and the dissolution of Aoi Uma. They argue these laws could have been given to the androids decades ago, and Aoi Uma has put the populace in harm’s way for too long.” He scrolls through the underground forums on his tablet. “Aoi Uma exchanges on the Southern Continent have closed up shop in the last twelve hours. And Narumi Ogawa hasn’t issued any statements since the factory explosion.” He raises his eyebrows. “Hikari is ripe for a leadership change. We should head straight for the Hikari First Bank as soon as we get to Shin-Osaka. Your paperwork is in order now. Kazuo finished it last night. We can start your corporation with minimal delay.”

My body flushes with heat, and I wonder how the medicine is working.

“Yes, let’s not delay, except…”

I pick up the tablet and look at Okamoto’s message again. I can ask a favor, any favor.

“What?” Rin asks, placing his hand on my arm.

I clear my throat and drink some coffee. I’m not happy with how bitter it tastes. It’s off, wrong somehow.

“Go get Atsumi.”

Rin’s eyes narrow. “Why? Looking to exact some revenge?”

It’s my turn to raise my eyebrows.

“Not that I object or anything,” he says, raising his hands. “But I think you should save your strength.”

Kazuo laughs. “I’ll go get her. I think she’s already up.”

While he’s gone, I run through my proposal in my head a few times. The croissant is good, and I’m sure it’s one of the best in the area, but it tastes flat to me. I think the infection has gotten the better of my tastebuds.

Atsumi appears at the door within a few minutes.

“Yumi has asked to see you.” Rin points to a chair at the table. She keeps her eyes low as she sits down. I try to raise my shoulders and lift my chin. I tell myself I’m not sick.

You’re not sick, Yumi. You’re just tired. Don’t show weakness to Atsumi.

But she already knows. “How are you feeling?” she asks. Rin stiffens.

“Better. I think I should be fine for a little while.” I pause, and when I’m sure she won’t say anything more, I continue. “Look, we need to bury the hatchet.”

“Bury the hatchet?”

“It’s an old Earth saying.” I sigh as Kazuo laughs. “My father was so full of Earthisms that I don’t even hear them anymore. Anyway, I want to settle things between us. Rin and I are together, and he’s working with me. If he wants to go back to Kiiroi Yama, that is his choice. No one else’s.”

“I understand. I saw the truth of everything yesterday, especially after speaking with Wataru. Shiroi Nami is a powerful corporation, and they are the best thing for Hikari’s future.”

“I’m glad to hear you say that.” My muscles relax a centimeter. “Okamoto and I are working together for the benefit of Hikari, too. For your benefit. For everyone’s benefit. This can no longer be us against them. This fight has to be for everyone.”

She sits up a little taller. “I thought you were just going to leave with Rin? Go back to your homeworld and leave us with nothing.”

“Not nothing. With a whole new way of life,” I protest, trying to keep my temper down. “And yes, maybe someday we’ll return to Orihimé. But not now. Right now, I need something from Kiiroi Yama and Okamoto.”

Rin knocks his knee against mine under the table. “Yumi, you already have his support.”

“Right,” I say, turning to Atsumi. “So I need something else besides his support. I need data storage. Like, a lot of data storage.”

Her eyebrows pull together. “A lot of data storage?”

“Ah!” Kazuo raises his finger. “Good idea.”

“Yes. I don’t know how much exactly, but a lot. Doesn’t Kiiroi Yama have data storage somewhere for all the work they do?”

“Yes, of course they do. I don’t know how much room is available, but I can check. What do you need it for?”

I still don’t trust her.

“Something special,” Rin says, giving Atsumi no room to wiggle. “See what you can do. Okamoto said he’d help us. We need the space, and we need it soon. Sooner than soon.”

Atsumi stands up. “If this is what you need, I’ll do what I can to get it done. I said I would repay my debt, and I will.”

An unspoken vibe, something from their past relationship, passes between Atsumi and Rin. Jealousy rises in my chest like a bear fighting an intruder in its territory. I hate myself for it immediately.

Rin stands up and holds out his hand to her. “I will let Okamoto know of your assistance.”

They shake hands, and my jealous feelings cool a notch. This is business, not anything intimate.

“Thank you. I appreciate that.”

—-

My body shakes as I strap myself into the shuttle that’ll take us to Shin-Osaka.

Shin-Osaka.

I haven’t been there in months. The last time I saw the place it was on fire, androids marching the streets, throwing burning bottles into stores, and beating on citizens as they fled for their lives.

I clutch the harness with both hands, squeeze with all my might, and let go. This is it. This is what I have to do. It’ll be fine. It will.

While I wait for everyone else to board, I open my bag and pull out Isao’s diary to flip through it. There are still so many secrets here that I don’t know, things that will never make sense. As the pages blur under my fast thumb, I catch sight of a word, ‘reproductivity.’

“We’ve had promising results for growth of offspring with the original eggs harvested from the mother and sperm donors. My descent through the medical archives from Earth led me to studies on reproductive health, in vitro fertilization, and egg freezing. Though our clones seem to have a ninety-five percent failure rate for pregnancy, there is the option for surrogacy. More research should be done.”

In vitro fertilization and egg freezing. I close my eyes and let that sink in. So there is some kind of hope for people who undergo the consciousness transfer, but it’s not through natural means. They can still produce genetic offspring with the help of a lab? I swallow hard and calm my breathing. I suppose this is an option for me, though thankfully not something I have to consider.

When I open my eyes, Aimi and Ryoko are getting into the seats next to me.

“Oh good. I wanted to speak to you two.” I wave them into their seats and clear my throat, gathering all the strength I can before I start. This decision came to me in the middle of the night, and though I am loath to give up on this dream, I know I need to pass it on to someone else. Someone much more likely to have a solid memory and a long life ahead of them.

“What’s up?” Ryoko asks, flopping into the seat next to me. She takes one look at me and frowns. “You’re sweating. Are you okay?”

I shake my head. “I’m, um, sick.” And before she can get up and put some distance between us, I hold up my hand. “It’s not contagious, just an infection. I’m on the strongest antibiotics available, and they are not easy on me. But, no matter. I’ll be right as rain in no time.”

“Right as rain?”

I chuckle. “Sorry. Another Earth saying I got from my dad.” I miss him.

“I don’t know how long I’m going to be sick, so it’s imperative we get everything done in Shin-Osaka that needs to be done.” I pull my bag up from the floor and rifle through it. I place my hand on both my own diary and Isao’s, trying to garner strength from either of them, before finding my extra camera. I hand it over to Aimi.

“Here. You did an outstanding job at the festival the other day.”

Her cheeks flush, and she tries to push the camera back to me.

“No. I’m not a professional like you.”

“Really. You did a fantastic job. So, I want you to turn it on now.” Her fingers shake as she flips the switch and turns the lens towards me.

“The documentary is now in your hands as executive producer,” I say, and Aimi’s eyes widen as I sit back and nod. “I realized last night that the best person to tell this story is you, someone from Hikari. Please speak kindly of us and show this world that they can trust us.” I clear my throat again and drink water. “It may be hard for you to be unbiased, given your upbringing. But documentaries require a keen eye. You not only have to question your subjects, but you must also question yourself.” I bring my hand to my chest. “Questioning your bias is super important, but it doesn’t have to be all seriousness and sadness, okay?”

I can tell from my peripheral vision that other people are tuning into this conversation, but I ignore them.

“Show both the fun sides and the serious sides of your subjects. Show them being human. Humanity is the apex of life, not something we shove into an android because we don’t want to be stuck in the same body for our entire lives.” I point to her. “You need to capture the anger and the sadness, but also, all the love and tenderness. Even the most despotic rulers of all time have been human and shown some compassion. Narumi Ogawa loves Gen? Then clearly, she has some capacity for caring. That’s something you need to exploit for good, not bad.”

She thinks for a long moment, her bottom lip pulled into her mouth.

“I’m not sure I can do this. Are you sure I’m the right person?”

“Yes and no,” I say with a chuckle. “Sorry. You’ll do a fine job once you get the hang of it. When we reach Shin-Osaka, you can ask my old boss, Chiéko, for help. She’s a master at this.”

Aimi looks down at the camera in her hand before lifting her chin and bringing it up from her lap.

“What do you miss most about home?” she asks me.

I sigh as I sit farther back into my seat and the shuttle prepares to leave.

“That’s easy. My quiet apartment on the family estate.” I glance at Rin, and he’s so still, I’m not sure he’s even breathing. “I was always safe and secure there. My bed was my favorite place to spend time, reading, eating, laughing with friends.”

My memories slip into the past.

“My best friend, Ayamé, and I would watch old Earth dramas on my bed after school. Dad would pop up popcorn, and our house chef, Germaine, always delivered a tray to my room full of junk food and snacks. It was such a simple thing to do. I definitely took it for granted.”

“And where’s Ayamé now? Waiting for you back home?”

My eyes smart with tears, but I’m too feverish to lose the water to them.

“She’s dead. Aoi Uma androids killed her on Kurai after we crash-landed there. In the beginning months of my time here, she would appear to tell me all the ways I was failing.” I laugh at the fuzzy memories I have of her. “She was wonderful like that. She was caring, but she still had a hard edge. She was my mirror, you know? I hoped that someday, those days watching movies and hanging out in my apartment would be a ritual I share with Rin.” I smile over at him, but he’s too sad to smile back. “I don’t know. Maybe in another lifetime.”

Aimi turns her eyes down and switches off the camera.

“I can’t do this.” She tries to hand the camera back, but I stop it with an outstretched hand.

“You have to. Believe in yourself, okay? I do.”

Aimi nods, and Ryoko’s hand finds mine.

“Don’t worry, Yumi,” she says, squeezing my fingers. “It’s not over yet.”

‘Yet’ is the operative word there.