Chapter 96

After Taro finished towing the ship he’d rescued from the Enzio Alliance back to Katsushika, he decided to ping the EAP for orders. Deciding what to do with defectors wasn’t exactly within his pay grade, and simply cutting them loose was a total non-starter.

"Since the Katsushika Star System is under your jurisdiction, Teiro-san, we’re happy to leave the final call to you. However, if you happen to dig up any juicy intel, we’d appreciate it if you could pass it our way."

Lin’s voice crackled through the comms.

"I mean, you say it’s my call, but... I took a peek at their hull registry, and nothing stood out as particularly shady. They look like run-of-the-mill defectors. Well, except for the part where they claimed it was a 'civilian ship.' That was a fat lie. It’s a straight-up military vessel."

Taro recalled the data he’d scraped when he seized the ship, looking up at the ceiling as he spoke. On the screen, Lin’s youthful face tightened as she let out a heavy sigh.

"To be honest, we’ve had a sudden surge of defectors over the last few days. Including your case, there have been seven reports already. It feels like something big is brewing."

"Yeah, well, I guess I’ll keep my guard up just in case. Right, got it. I'll handle things on this end."

"Thank you, and sorry for the trouble. If they become too much of a handful, feel free to dump them on us. Until next time—good luck out there."

Lin touched a finger to her forehead in a sharp salute. Taro waved back with a casual "Gotcha" before cutting the feed. He stood there for a moment, wondering what his next move should be.

Hmm, I guess I’ll have to consult Alan and Phantom. Digging for info and interrogating people? Yeah, that’s a hard pass for me.

He had the military theory shoved into his head, sure, but unlike piloting a ship, dealing with people was messy. He didn't think he could pull it off just by fumbling through a manual.

"Well, that’s probably for the best. The defectors seem cooperative enough, so I doubt anything too terrible will happen," Marl said with a shrug.

Taro was idly daydreaming about the defectors' eventual fate when a notification flashed across his BISHOP interface, snapping him back to reality.

[EMERGENCY INCOMING CALL]

"What now? Alan? What’s up?"

Taro shouted toward the comms. A moment later, Alan’s face appeared on the screen. Behind him, the company office was a hive of chaotic activity.

"Teiro, those bastards finally moved. The border with the Enzio Alliance Territory is a complete mess. We’re expecting a massive hit any minute now."

As he spoke, various data packets flooded the ship’s computer. The reports showed the Alliance Forces pushing into star systems they’d never even sniffed at before, ratcheting up the pressure with aggressive maneuvers.

"Looks like the long vacation is officially over. President, we need a sit-down with the Union’s heavy hitters ASAP. If this turns into a Hot War, the company needs to pivot to a Wartime Stance."

"Long vacation, huh? Everyone loves their time off; I was hoping this peace would last forever... Actually, now that I think about it, I can’t remember the last time I had a proper day off."

"Haha, my condolences. But hey, other people always get to decide when your break ends. Whether you’re the President or the low man on the totem pole, that never changes. Let’s just hope things get peaceful again soon."

Taro shrugged at Alan’s grim humor and let out an exhausted sigh.

"Sister! Oh, Sister, look! It’s the Rising Sun’s Teiro! We’re going to be subjected to a degrading interrogation too scandalous for words! What are we going to do?!"

The girl huddled in the corner, clutching her arms and shaking her head frantically. Her curly, pale orange hair bounced with every tremor.

"No, no, we’re not. Taro-chan is a total chicken when it comes to that stuff," Taro muttered.

"Then what are you going to do, you scoundrel?! You pervert!! Or what, is 'neglect' your thing?! If you’re going to do this, do it properly!!"

"Whoa, hey! Scary! Also, if I neglect you, that kind of defeats the purpose of an interrogation, doesn't it? ...By the way, who are you talking to? Are you... one of those people?"

Taro glanced around the high-security private room in the Katsushika Station Office, turning his gaze toward the other defector—the captain of the Mary Ann.

"Uh, she’s... well... she’s a bit 'special.' Hahaha..."

The captain let out a dry, rattling laugh. His smile was twitching, and beads of cold sweat were forming on his brow.

"I am not demanding your life story. If there are facts you wish to keep private, so be it. There is no need for clumsy pretenses. This is a questioning, not an interrogation," Phantom said pleasantly, standing with his back to the door.

The captain let out a shaky sigh of relief, but the words that followed made him break out in a fresh layer of sweat.

"However, I will not tolerate lies. If you do not wish to speak, simply say so. I consider a lie to be a hostile act, and if you push me, the scenario you’re currently imagining will become the best-case version of your day. You don't have an Imperial Census Registration, do you?"

Phantom’s voice dropped to a low, menacing rumble. Mentioning the census was his way of saying, I can do whatever I want to you and nobody will care. Three iron balls, each about five centimeters wide, rolled slitheringly between his fingers, reflecting the overhead lights with a dull, oily sheen.

"Let’s confirm one more time. To summarize: the Alliance intends to establish a sovereign nation within those territories and throw off the yoke of the Empire. You’re claiming the decades of internal warfare within the Alliance were nothing more than a giant smokescreen?"

The captain nodded frantically at Phantom’s question.

"Yes! Enzio didn't lose anything in that war! If anything, the military strength they were pooling in the central systems has been skyrocketing. The civilians don't know, of course—they think the war was real. Only the top brass knows the truth."

Phantom went quiet, looking thoughtful. Taro looked over at him.

"Does it hold water? I always wondered why two sides that had been at each other's throats for years would suddenly play nice."

"It does," Phantom agreed, glancing at Taro. "But there’s a catch. This plan only became viable because of the collapse of the Old Neural Network. It should have been impossible to predict that back when the 'war' started, right?"

Taro nodded. Good point. Now that the galaxy-spanning Neural Network was gone, the Empire’s reach was crippled. Imperial access was now restricted to the network nodes around the Alpha Star System. Star systems that used to be easy transit routes had essentially become invisible walls.

"I... I don't know that much! The top brass might, but I was just a non-commissioned officer... But everything else I said is true! All the officers were briefed on the general plan, and anyone who had a problem with it was purged!"

Taro winced at the word 'purged.'

"That’s nasty... Is that just the outlaw way? Dingo was the same, but you guys really love killing your own, don't you?"

"Depends on the person," Phantom replied smoothly. "For better or worse, the Outer Space is shaped by the individual."

Phantom stood up and walked slowly toward the captain. He leaned in close, though his eyes remained fixed on the girl in the corner.

"That girl. She’s been tampered with, hasn’t she?"

His voice was like a resonance from the bottom of a grave, dripping with pure disgust. Taro felt a chill race up his spine and silently thanked whatever gods were listening that he wasn't the one being stared down.

"I don't know what you’re—AAAGH!!"

The captain screamed, clutching his palm. Taro looked over and saw that one of the iron balls Phantom had been holding was now deeply embedded in the man’s hand.

"You lied," Phantom said.

His voice was a total void, devoid of any human emotion. Distorted by pain and swallowed by sheer terror, the captain finally cracked.

"O-Okay! I’ll talk! She’s a Biological Weapon... an Experimental Subject! I thought she might be a useful tool for our escape!"

The captain’s voice was thick with tears. Phantom retrieved the iron ball from the man’s hand with a wet pop, snorted, and sat back down.

"As I said: no lies. Next time, I use two balls. Now, you said you were using her. What’s her specialty?"

"Y-Yes! She’s been optimized as an Electromagnetic Receptor. She can analyze sensor scans with terrifying precision."

"A Sonarman? How retro," Phantom spat, suddenly standing up again. "I’m an Enhanced Human too. A Cyborg, specifically. Alan, take over. I’m not the right fit for the girl’s questioning. I’ve gone and felt a spark of sympathy for her."

Phantom glanced at Taro and moved to the door. Alan stepped in immediately, wearing a wry, knowing smile.

"I feel a spark of sympathy for the poor bastard you just 'questioned.' I’ll take over, but Teiro, what’s the plan? Anything else you want out of them?"

Taro shook his head. "No, that’s plenty." He called for an employee to take the captain to the med-bay. "I honestly don't know if I should be telling you that was 'too much.' I mean, one piece of info we squeeze out of them might save a thousand of our people, right?"

Phantom looked at Taro with a hint of surprise.

"Hoh? It seems our commander is more of an adult than I gave him credit for. I fully expected a lecture on morality."

Taro let out a dry laugh. "Hey, I still have limits, okay?"

"Naturally. I know where they are. Still... what are we going to do with the girl?"

Phantom rubbed his chin, looking down at the girl still curled up on the floor.

"You said 'Enhanced Human.' What exactly does that entail?" Taro asked.

"Exactly what it sounds like. They tinker with the brain to boost BISHOP control or enhance specific senses. Usually, it’s software-based, but sometimes they install hardware. For example, in my case..."

Phantom tapped his forehead.

"I have a thermal sensor and a BISHOP auxiliary node optimized for ballistic calculations inside my skull. That’s why I can track every single bullet if someone sprays a machine gun at me. Combined with BISHOP’s future-sight, dodging them isn’t actually that hard. In her case..."

Phantom’s eyes drifted back to the girl.

"...it’s likely her skull, or maybe even her hair. They’ve turned them into receptors for electromagnetic waves and Drive Particles. There’s a chance it’s her whole body, but nobody outside the Imperial Military has the tech to pull that off. Either way, the success rate for the procedure is abysmal, so it’s rarely done these days. Both she and I are, essentially, rare specimens."