Vol 1 Chapter 3.2 (1/2)
[Novel] NO. 6 - Vol 1 Ch 3 (b)
This is a continuation of PART A.
Certain words are annotated on mouse-over.
He was right. Don't panic. Calm down. Be of sound mind. He had to buy more time. s.h.i.+on relented.
”Please don't use any violence on me.”
”We won't, of course. As long as you co-operate with us.”
”It wouldn't be any use to retaliate anyway, would it?”
”Is it your policy not to take useless action? There's a good lad, he knows what he's talking about. It's a waste, really.”
”A waste? What is?”
”For you.”
”I don't understand what you're talking about.”
”You'll know in good time. You've always been smart and quick to understand, like you were four years ago.”
Flanked by two Bureau officials, s.h.i.+on climbed into the car. Above them was an expanse of clear, blue autumn sky. The sun was bright. The birds were chirping. A gentle breeze blew past them. Times of peace and tranquility they were.
The car glided forward.
”Nice weather today,” commented Ras.h.i.+ from the pa.s.senger seat, without turning around. The official sitting on s.h.i.+on's right side nodded in response. ”It looks like we've been having more warmer days than usual lately.”
Ras.h.i.+ turned to s.h.i.+on and smiled.
”And yourself? Do you have a car?”
”No. I usually take my bike or walk.”
”That's a good thing. Young people like you need to move their bodies more. By the way, what we're riding right now is a battery-operated car. Quite comfortable, don't you think?”
”Excellent I would think, if it wasn't for the situation I'm in right now,” s.h.i.+on replied sarcastically. In means of retaliation, it was the best he could muster. Ras.h.i.+ shrugged lightly.
”As I was saying, this car runs on fuel-cell batteries. Any idea how they work? We aren't too well-versed on the scientific side of things, I'm afraid.”
”I don't know much either.”
”What sort of things do you know about it?”
”Not much... I mean, I don't really have a lot of scientific knowledge.”
The officials on both sides of him moved at once. He was grabbed firmly by the arms. Ras.h.i.+'s tone changed to that of an interrogator.
”Then just tell us what you do know.”
”Like I said, what I know― it's all just general knowledge.”
”Such as?”
The conversation was short, clipped and void of frivolity, but s.h.i.+on felt a sort of strangling heaviness about it. He felt like someone was choking him slowly with a soft, damp piece of cloth. He felt nauseous.
”So... through electrolysis, alcohol is separated into oxygen and hydrogen, and by fusing them together again, energy is―”
”Energy is what?”
”Where are we going?” s.h.i.+on asked suddenly. He rose, but was yanked back and shoved into his seat.
”Aren't we going to the Security Bureau? This isn't the way.” The Bureau was located beside City Hall. From the Park Administration Office, one only had to cut through the park to get there. By car, it was a few minutes' distance. But the scenery out the window showed him the car was heading in the opposite direction.
”Where do you think we're going?”
”That's what I'm asking you right now,” said s.h.i.+on testily.
”You're not ent.i.tled to ask any questions.”
”What―how could you―why―”
”Haven't I told you? You're a top suspect in this case.”
”What case?”
”The death that happened today, and the other one from yesterday. You're on suspicion of murder.”
s.h.i.+on had lost his voice. He could hear the rush of blood in his ears as it receded from his face.
”You're a dangerous suspect. You have extensive knowledge and an intelligent brain to put it to use. I could tell just from our conversation. And to top it off, you're dissatisfied with your situation and feel a strong resistance against the City. Superior ability and hostility toward the City. Take either one, and they aren't of concern by themselves. But you have both. Dangerous, indeed.”
”Those are false accusations.”
”False? I beg to differ.” Ras.h.i.+'s hand extended to a silver b.u.t.ton beside the steering wheel. s.h.i.+on's and Yamase's voice began to play from the speakers.
'Yamase-san, why does the Bureau have to lie about it? And isn't it strange that they can't seem to find a cause of death?'
'Yeah... this incident is full of unanswered questions.'
s.h.i.+on closed his eyes. It was the conversation they'd had only minutes ago. They were being tapped the whole time. Had a microphone been hidden in the control panel? But for what purpose?
'Yamase-san, are you saying that the Bureau is manipulating information?'
's.h.i.+on!'
Ras.h.i.+ pressed the b.u.t.ton lightly again. The voices were cut off. For a moment, a cold silence fell in the car as if the very air had frozen over.
”Care to hear a little more?”
”Please... stop... I can't believe this.”
”Can't you?”
”I didn't kill anyone,” said s.h.i.+on flatly.
”So you're saying that this bee that you were talking about is the real murderer?”
”Yes.”
”Preposterous. A rather contrived story for someone of your intelligence.”
”What reason do I have to kill Yamase-san?”
”That's what we're going to figure out. My guess is that you wanted to start a commotion.”
”―Huh?”
”A commotion. You wanted to start a huge one, enough to shake the very roots of the city, and bask in its glory. You must have regarded yourself as some kind of genius fallen upon ill fortune, haven't you? So you loathed the City for not favouring you as you deserved, and felt hatred toward its citizens. You believed you deserved more attention, so you thought of this method of murder, this unnatural death, to take society by storm. You had the medical and biological knowledge to do it. It was very well possible that you used some kind of special chemical to commit murder.”
s.h.i.+on sank deeply into the car seat. All energy had left his body. He realized it was a trap. He had walked right into its cunning grasp. He licked his lips. They were parched and dry.
”I see,” he said coolly. ”So it's all been scripted already. Rather contrivedstory yourself, maybe even more than mine.”
”We'll see how contrived it is once we get through questioning you.” There was a metallic clang. The official on s.h.i.+on's left had handcuffed him.
”There's a transmitter on those, and it lets us know where you are. When we get there, you'll get to take them off.” Ras.h.i.+'s words gave s.h.i.+on an idea of where he was going. The West Block. The Correctional Facility. If he was undergoing investigation there, he was sure to be locked up right afterwards as a convict. In exchange for removing his handcuffs, he would have a V-chip implanted into him.
―Nezumi, it's too late. I can't get away.
He closed his eyes, and took a deep breath.
”There's a good lad. Keep quiet.”
s.h.i.+on remained slumped, and bit his dry bottom lip.
I'm coming to help you. Nezumi's voice echoed in his ears. His heart grew calm. His legs trembled, though not from despair or fear, but rage. Rage at the people who had tricked him. Nezumi's voice kept that rage afloat. The car entered Lost Town.
―Mom.
”Are you worried about your mother?”
”My mother―what―what'll happen to her?”
”Happen? Nothing. She won't be stripped of her citizens.h.i.+p just because her son is a convict.” Ras.h.i.+ whispered something to the driver. The car veered to the right. A familiar scenery of the streets came into view. The car stopped silently at the curb.
”Look.”
Ras.h.i.+ pointed. Karan was in the midst of handing a small girl a wrapped loaf of bread. She said something to her, and the girl nodded. Both Karan and the girl were smiling. Enveloped in the amber light of autumn, the two looked as if they were part of a painting, or a scene from a drama. s.h.i.+on leaned forward.
”Your mother looks like a gentle lady. Get a good look at her while you can.” Ras.h.i.+ motioned with his chin, and the car began to move. ”You may never see her again.”
Ras.h.i.+ chuckled with his back to s.h.i.+on.
”It's nothing to be so troubled about. Sure, at first your mother will be shocked, and she'll feel sad. But she'll get over it. That's how life is. Well, it's not like anything would come of you worrying about her anyway. Soon you'll find you'll have things more serious to worry about.”
Ras.h.i.+'s words sliced at s.h.i.+on's heart. His breath caught in his throat. The rage and rebellion simmering inside him slowly began to dissipate. He would never be able to return to his his normal life again. He had been separated from it forever. Seeing his mother etched the feeling of despair deeper into him.
They had calculated it all. They didn't stop the car near s.h.i.+on's house out of pity for him. They had done it to deal him the final blow, the blow that knocked him down and told him, give up, lose hope, you're never going back again. It was a cunning and cruel trick to make him lose the will to retaliate.
”I'm coming to help you. I'm coming to help you.”
s.h.i.+on opened his mouth and repeated the words to himself.
I'm coming to help you. Just a short sentence. But Nezumi's voice had been steady with confidence.
What did he look like again? He wondered, and tried to visualize Nezumi's face. He could only remember a pair of light grey eyes.
―Will I see you soon, Nezumi?
”What's that?” Ras.h.i.+ turned around, and furrowed his brow.
”Are you smiling?”
”Smiling? Of course not,” s.h.i.+on replied. ”I don't have the courage to smile in this kind of situation.”
”In this situation, huh... you seem rather calm about it. I hope you do understand exactly what kind of situation you're in right now.”
”Almost too well.”
”Aren't you calm and collected in spite of that.”
”I'm a natural.”
”A what?”
”A natural,” s.h.i.+on repeated. ”I've been told that by someone once. That I'm a natural at not getting it.”
Ras.h.i.+ stared at s.h.i.+on in silence. The car was exiting Lost Town and approaching the western border. It was s.h.i.+on's first time here, because regular citizens were not allowed to enter into this area. No. 6 was a citadel― a wall made of special alloy circled the city and enclosed it. In most parts if the city, the wall was camouflaged well with trees, but in the West Block it stood bare. The car bypa.s.sed the Access Control Office.
”Aren't you going to enter the West Block from here?”
”There are two gates. That one was for entering and exiting the city. The other one is especially for entering the Correctional Facility, it leads directly into it. The Correctional Facility is a special kind of facility, even in the West Block. We keep it completely isolated from all general citizens. I bet you didn't know that.”
”No, I didn't.”
”You'll find out even more soon enough.”
The path narrowed. An increasing number of trees blocked the sunlight.
”Once we're through the woods, there will be nothing but wastelands. Past the gates it'll be the same. It'll probably be the last time you see any greenery, so I advise you engrave it into your memory well.”
The car stopped.
”What's the matter?” Ras.h.i.+ asked.
”Ah, it's just...” The driver pointed to something in front of them. A silver-coloured lump was laying across the middle of the road. Slowly, it raised itself.
”Sampo?” s.h.i.+on swallowed.
”What's this? What's a cleaning robot doing here?”
”Maybe it has orders to clean the forest area?”
”I haven't heard anything about it.”
Sampo was scooping up fallen leaves with his metal arms.
”Keep an eye on the suspect.” Ras.h.i.+ ordered the officials, and got out of the car. He approached Sampo. Sampo swayed, its arms grabbing ahold of Ras.h.i.+. Clinging to him, it fell forward.
Ras.h.i.+ gave a short cry, and was dragged by Sampo to the ground amongst the trees.
”Ah!” The driver raised his own voice in surprise, and opened the door to lean forward. The next moment, two small shadows darted into the car. They were two grey mice. In a flash, they each latched onto the throat of a Bureau official.
”Don't move,” a low voice commanded. A person slid into the pa.s.senger seat. A grey cloth covered his head and was wrapped around his shoulders. From them, a brown mouse sprang onto the base of the driver's neck.
”These guys have small bombs planted in their bodies. Try anything funny, and you can count on your heads being blown off.”
The driver whimpered in terror.
”Take his handcuffs off. And the three of you, get out of the car.”
No one moved.
”Quickly!” he ordered sharply. ”I'm impatient. Do you want me to set them off?” There was a metallic sound from the mice that were latched onto each throat. Click. Click. Click. The handcuffs fell from s.h.i.+on's wrists. The three men tumbled out of the car, bleeding at the neck.
”Nezumi!”
”Greetings later.” Nezumi gripped the steering wheel. The car spun around in a U-turn, and hurtled down the road at full speed.
”Nezumi, are you really going to make them explode?”
”Idiot. You think I would plant bombs into my faithful friends? That was just to scare them.”
”Were those robot mice? They looked just like the real thing. And with Sampo, how did you―”
”Shut up,” Nezumi growled. He yanked the cloth off his head, and threw it to the backseat. ”Wrap that over your head and stay curled up.”
”Is this superfibre? Why do I have to wrap up in this?”
”Because I'm going to crash it.”
”Crash what?”
”The car.”
”What!? Why―”
Nezumi's fist pounded the steering wheel.
”Just shut up, alright? Is asking questions all you're good for?”
”But we can just escape with the car.”
”I was planning to, but―”
”But what?”
”It went too well.” They were approaching the wall that separated the West Block from No. 6. The car showed no signs of slowing down. ”It shouldn't have been this easy to rescue you.”