A Hand Of the Clock Turns

Fights are never won easily. Especially when the folks you are fighting had means and plans to do what they wanted. Japan itself probably never thought that there was going to be a problem such as this.

Many of the cities were lost. Those who survived that blast, managed to pull out, and came back later to put down their comrades. The rest of the cities of Japan became infested with monsters. The only choice was to wipe them out. Some opted to poison them while the rest had sent heavy armor to wipe cities. Burning the biomass entities and biomass towers surrounding the cities was made top priority.

Towns and villages who are far from the cities fared better. There was a great mourning all over the country. Mourning for the dead heroes who fought madly and bravely to rescue the cities. The whole of Japan was not lost.

The whole cult of Sitra Ahra. They vanished. The rest who couldn’t leave were simply butchered and gunned down by the citizens of Japan who found them villainous. They couldn’t be blamed after what had happened.

As for Gaston, he found himself looking at the grave of Miss Ayumi. Although they haven’t talked much or spent time together. He thought of her as a decent woman. A woman who despite knowing that it will kill her. Stayed true to her duties.

The least she could do was pay respect to that. And that Shibetsu was far away from the chaos in the center. The cemetery was a quiet place. No noise other than the wind brushing against the trees.

He stood in front of her grave. Not far from Gaston was Janna who wore a business suit paired with black slacks. She tied her hair to a bun. Her eyes quietly looked around.

“Are you done?”

She walked next to Gaston. She eyed Ayumi’s grave before nodding solemnly.

“Kinda. Your wounds aren’t aching?”

“It’s alright. We took turns shielding ourselves. Kinda liked that Yumina girl. She’s kind.”

She showed her phone. It looks like she had been talking with Yumina a lot. They got along well after Janna pulled her out of the way. The girl looked at Janna as if she was her big sister. And Janna enjoyed the thought of it.

“Glad that you liked someone in that squad.”

“They are alright. Good people. You do have a knack of meeting good folks. I wish I’d meet her as well.”

She eyed the grave. Gaston stared quietly at the grave.

“Odd ain’t it? All the people that died. She’s the one I’d rather visit. Maybe because I saved her once that made me feel responsible. Oh, I’m not that guilty for not helping here. This isn’t my first rodeo. Just feel like it ain’t fair.”

She put her phone away and wiped the leaves on her grave. Janna studied the characters written on the grave.

“Twice as bright, burns half as long, they say.”

“You got us out of debt?”

Gaston asked.

“Oh, she wouldn’t refuse. We’re still tagging along because of the money. You did retrieve her body and got the access keys. The Prime Minister isn’t so happy about our performance. But what right do they have now that everything went shit? Hilda Valeria and Jakob took down that BEHEMOTH. They got that bitch shoot Mathews down. The Babaika Lions did their job. The scale was simply unheard. Not to mention that Mr. Ibarra was in cahoots with the Cult. You really didn’t notice anything?”

“I only saw him once. There wasn’t simply time to allow me to read. You do realize that when I got into the city. I got called to a fight immediately. No way to identify him. If anything I’m surprised someone identified him as one.”

“He made a misstep. He forgot to disable his tracks and he got tagged by the agents sent by the ministry. The SAT ID’d him and he got away. From the looks of it, his relatives became a part of the cult. Probably away by now.”

The two left the grave and walked slowly out. Gaston gave a nod at Ms. Ayumi’s grave before leaving with Janna.

“So are they going to hit Mathews labs?”

“Everyone wants to tear him a new one. Every associate. Every friend. Every acquaintance are being stripped of any information. Media is all over him. The amount of damage that the Cult did made him the Dear Fuhrer of this generation. It won’t take long before they get every info on him out.”

“So you aren’t going to go in with that?”

She looked at Gaston as if he had lost his mind.

“I wasn’t hired to save the world. You’re out of contract and with Lady Romanov personally requesting you to act as her Adjutant and the UEDF, AETF, and even ORI wanting you to converse with them. I say that you got a lot of attention. Then again these bastards are just doing what they like now. Not that you’d ever answer them.”

“How did you do it?”

They got out of the cemetery. They walked down the road.

“What else can they do about it? I did my job. I even fought and did go beyond my usual work. Not to mention that the bonus for the access keys was enough to keep me off my debt. It’s sad. How little it was to pay it off. And I wouldn’t be free. Not if I don’t want to eat. Well, I could just do those affiliate things. Quit my job and become a useless guy leeching off a woman.”

“You make it sound like it’s your dream. Gosh, do you get off that? Get away from me, if you do.”

“Like I’d stay still. Maybe if we reach Mars? At this point I don’t know what to think. About all of this trouble that they brought to this world.”

“Not all trouble. You saw it. How reliance on ichor could truly turn everyone into mutates. It isn’t some speculation now. There is video proof of it and the people of the world know it by now. The ichor is turning them into monsters. Reliance on it will one day keep it. Even the others had issues with their bioshield generators and they felt tingle in their skins. They have taken another shot of what they are having to calm that tingle. Thing is, Gato, I didn’t feel any of that shit. Both of us didn’t.”

“I got a gist that we don’t. Golden Gate had me thinking that our natural physique made it so. But resistance doesn’t mean being immune to it. Don’t even want to try. Not after this mess.”

“You think that they are going to leave?”

“Maybe. At least I don’t see the Company staying in the Center. Not after a fuckup like this. I heard that we are moving to Okinawa. At least moving to one of those islands that got recently raised.”

“Heard a lot about that place. Strange that they are allowing foreigners to take the spot. Artificial Island and all of that.”

“Kaminari Island, wasn’t it?”

Gaston looked it up. It was an artificial island sitting on top of a newly raised ground. Artificial sewers and a sea wall that could withstand waves and storm surges. It was close to Taiwan and was quite populated with Breakers and other interesting individuals.

“That reminds me. Did they disclose where the Prime Minister is? The Cabinet?”

“Somewhere, I guess. How would I know? Not that it matters to us.”

The two continued walking until they reached the outskirts of the town near Shibetsu. They got into this ramen restaurant. Gaston ordered a mini pork bowl while Janna got the miso ramen. There were four people inside the shop. Gaston thought that the chairs could be bigger, but then again he cared more about the food than the chair.

After they paid they left for Shibetsu Station. They took a ticket to Sapporo’s Soya Line and stayed in the train. It was a quick ride. Along the way Gaston rested quietly while browsing with his phone.

After twenty minutes or so. They exited the train and went to the hotel room they rented in Sapporo. After entering the hotel room. Janna took the space of the bed and went to sleep. Gaston opened his work laptop and accessed his keys. Entering his identification code and logging in his credentials.

With his credentials entered. Gaston leaned back and thought of what he should report to his client in AETF. He scrolled down the files he had attached and started.

“The incident that happened across Japan has resulted in tragedy. I will not further elaborate in this regard and you can refer to the previous report that I sent after the battle,” he started. “I’ve managed to gather data from the HELICARRIER. I am confident in the fact that they know that someone is snooping on their systems. The SPYWARE that I have delivered through the use of Ms. Hijiri, who was keen on making use of her skills. I have offered her a substantial amount in exchange for software and hardware access.”

Gaston stopped. He walked to the side of the bed and placed Janna’s jacket on the side. She grabbed hold of his wrist for a second before letting go.

“Type quietly,” she demanded.

Gaston returned to his laptop.

“From the reports that I submitted. There was no substantial evidence of the alliance between the breaker companies. As for their opinion in regards to the concord. Katey Smith stressed the importance of safeguarding classified information and sensitive information from the general public and wanted a written agreement between contractors.

“I sorted the data that I gathered. It should be on my third written report. I have included the timestamp. I also attached the datamines that I received from the anonymous intel officers who contacted me through blackbox.

“Lady Romanov is secretive. She has intelligence officers and some of them have recently tried to crack the secured channels provided.

“I have no grave injuries. Janna Forster has been helping me alleviate the burdens of our investigation to a degree that her presence somewhat steels me. I have done a self-conducted analysis and I am fit to continue the work.

“I have concerns regarding their demands. I am not employed nor paid to do a Breaker’s work. The recent tragedies have forced my hand, but I assure with confidence that this will not happen again. In regards to the cooperation done by the Babaika Lions. I have concluded that they are loyal to the Agreement settled four months back. Lady Romanov and her associates are focused on earning more than ambition at the moment. Their recent gains here in Japan will uplift them in regards to their monthly cost. Although they have somewhat failed in regards to the defense of the Capital and there are legal actions against the Company. The operations of the Babaika Company shall continue and the flow of Ichorium should not be suspended.”

“In the future,” he typed in his report. “Please refer to the Agent's dossier for further contact and information. I have received the payment. I will be filing this under the completed section. For further questions please contact the profile links attached to this report.”

Gaston sent the report. After a few minutes of waiting. He got the reply from the client and his contact with said client was blocked immediately. Then he looked at his mobile and saw a wire transfer from a Finnish bank.

Then he got a new anonymous client. After checking up the message he linked up with his client and found it to be the same. Gaston rejected the new client and closed his laptop. At the moment he’d rather not conspire against the Babaika Lions. Although it had been a few days. He couldn’t forget that feeling. That terrifying sense of dread that everyone felt.

If there was something he’d learn about this. That the enemy was prepared and even fools like him could get involved. Without a debt, Gaston thought that he could finally lift some of the weights pressing him down.

Still, he’d rather not take on other jobs at the moment. The cult’s rampage. The Babaika Lions. And that sweet ticket to another planet was still waiting for them. Not to mention that with the Earthside Consortium paying him to remain as an Adjutant. Why would he work so hard to do other jobs?

Not to mention that the recent events caused by the cult’s action will surely bring forth changes in Earthside.

Arc 1 End