Safety…the comforting word that gives many of us hope. Only through working
together can a group accomplish a greater goal. Is there such a thing as
a safe passageway? Only if we settle our differences first. This is the simple
truth one must learn to face.
Robin had slept peacefully that night—except, of course, for the hour she
was robbed of when she woke up suddenly upon hearing strange noises and felt
movements on the mattress. She rubbed her eyes in a tired manner and slowly
peered over to the side.
The sight she saw did not lift any of her worried thoughts away. “Amon?”
He was tossing around slightly and uttering ineligible phrases. His expression
did not ease her mind, either. It was a face of a deeply rooted despair.
Robin tried to sit up in order to attempt to comfort him, but something was
holding her back. She looked down, and realized suddenly that Amon had covered
her necklace with his fingers in a tight grip. He uttered something again.
“Amon!” Robin cried. “Wake up, Amon!” She shook him gently.
His entire body cringed one last time before he abruptly woke up. After a
moment or two of heavy gasps, Amon turned to look at her. She met his gaze
with concerned eyes. “Amon? Are you awake now? You were mumbling some things
loudly just now…”
He didn’t answer immediately. Robin felt him look down to his hand, where
he was holding her necklace. She saw his eyes widen, but it was gone almost
immediately. Instead, he sat up and rubbed his forehead. “…How long have
you been awake?”
“I’ve been watching you for about five to ten minutes. Were you…” She hesitated
a little. “Were you dreaming?”
“I…” Amon stared out the nearby window with an emotionless expression. “…I
don’t know.” Robin waited for him to give a more detailed answer, but he
stood up and walked closer to the window. She sighed a little.
She decided to mention something else instead. “You were holding my necklace…”
“Yes.” He whispered quietly. It was a blank statement that somehow gave rise
to many more questions.
Robin’s eyes faded into sadness. Was he going back into his protective shell?
She didn’t want him to hide his emotions from her anymore. Robin knew that
just wasn’t him. “You…you can tell me, Amon…”
His gaze turned slowly from the window and back to her. “Just a few moments
ago, I saw my mother.” Upon hearing this, Robin stiffened a little—it was
only for a moment, but he caught this, and raised an eyebrow at her questioningly.
She knew that he had undoubtedly perceived her reaction. Amon quickly strode
over to the bed and sat down on the edge. He looked at her with an intense
expression that could bend even the strongest vows of secrecy.
“Tell me all that you know about her.”
Robin knew at once what had happened to him during sleep—he had seen what
she had experienced as well—an event of his mother’s past. ‘No wonder he
was tossing and turning so much…’ Yes, that explained it, then. But what
did Amon see exactly?
She nodded. “I’m afraid I don’t know much. In fact, everything may be completely
inaccurate, because I saw it in a dream.” Robin thought for a moment. “…Is
that what you saw just now, Amon?”
“It was more than a dream.” Amon briefly explained what he saw and the purpose
of the necklace she wore. Robin noticed that, with each word he spoke, Amon’s
face had little by little reverted back to the cold, protective mask he wore.
She touched his hand gently, and to her relief, some of the warmth came back.
But it wasn’t enough. “Now tell me what you saw.” He said to her.
“Oh, well…” She paused to remember it correctly. “It must’ve been years ago,
because you were a lot younger, Amon…your mother answered the door, and people
from the STN-J were-”
“-That’s enough.” He interrupted. “I remember now.”
“…Oh, okay.” Robin said quietly. “So…that’s why we saw those past events?
Because of the necklace and your mother’s craft?”
“Yes. As she mentioned when I was listening to her, she had the ability to
mold memories as she saw fit—sometimes into material objects.”
“But…but I don’t understand, why was she hunted? Her craft doesn’t seem to
be powerful enough to pose any real threat. It would be different if she
could levitate things or any other craft, but…”
“…Her craft was more complicated than that. If my mother were to, for example,
encounter an enemy, then she would automatically filter through all the memories
of the person and pull out the bad ones. The enemy would struggle against
his or her own conscious and could actually go insane from seeing the bad
memories so many times. My mother was a good person, however, and didn’t
want to fight that way. However, it got to the point where she simply couldn’t
help using this mental attack—she lost all control of her craft. The STN-J
soon realized this and was quick to hunt my mother down.”
Before Robin could say anything, Amon added, “It’s okay Robin, I don’t want
any sympathy. After all these years, I’ve gotten over the fact that she’s
gone. Besides…I know your mother was captured as well. So I suppose…we’re
the same in that aspect.”
“My…mother…” She stood up suddenly with her back facing him. “Would you like
me to make us some coffee?”
She could sense him glance at the clock. “It’s still early enough for you
to go back to sleep. Are you sure?”
“Yes, it’s…fine.” Robin walked out of the room solemnly and began taking
out the materials needed to make coffee.
~~~***~~~
“Here you go, Amon. It’s finished, but still a little too hot.” She slid
a cup of the coffee over to him, which he caught and took a slow sip despite
her warning.
After a few moments, Amon told her casually, “When I saw my mother’s memory…I
managed to see a few papers with the title of ‘Memory Reconstruction’ on
them. That’s the same project as the one in the notebook you found, isn’t
it?”
Robin nodded. “Yes, that’s right. I suppose you probably want to take a look
at that notebook again?”
“Yeah. Maybe…she’s mentioned in there.”
“Okay.” She stood up and walked over to the door of his apartment, where
she had put it. After retrieving the notebook, Robin went back to Amon and
opened it up. “Is there some sort of index somewhere? Or is it in no particular
order?”
“I imagine that the experiments are listed in the order of their number…but
I don’t know what number she was.” He began to leaf through it quickly in
hope of finding the right person.
“There.” Robin laid a finger towards the beginning of it. “There’s a brief
glossary here. Maybe we should use this.” Together they silently read down
the page of all that was there:
Project: Memory Reconstruction
Experiment Trial B
Introduction: A Brief Explanation…………………………………………………………………Dr. Solomon
Hypothesis One: Waves…………………………………………………………………………...Dr. Black
Hypothesis Two: Telepathy………………………………………………………………………..Dr. Tamura
Hypothesis Three: Hypnosis………………………………………………………………………Dr. Higoshi
Hypothesis Four: Inner Communication…………………………………………………………..Dr. Miller
Hypothesis Five: Energy Channels………………………………………………………………..Dr. Kato
Experiments 0030 – 0059
Trial B1: Experiments 0030 – 0034 (Orbo: 1%)
Trial B2: Experiments 0035 – 0039 (Orbo: 4%)
Trial B3: Experiments 0040 – 0044 (Orbo: 7%)
Trial B4: Experiments 0045 – 0049 (Orbo: 10%)
Trial B5: Experiments 0050 – 0054 (Orbo: 13%)
Trial B6: Experiments 0055 – 0059 (Orbo: 16%)
B1 Craft Explained: Sight of the Past……………………………………………………………..Dr. Higoshi
B2 Craft Explained: Sight of the Future…………………………………………………………..Dr. Miller
B3 Craft Explained: Mind Reading……………………………………………………………….Dr. Tamura
B4 Craft Explained: Mental Tracing and Scanning………………………………………………Dr. Black
B5 Craft Explained: Control of Mind Waves……………………………………………………..Dr. Kato
B6 Craft Explained: Communication between Dimensions………………………………………Dr. Solomon
Overall Results of Trial B
Conclusion
“…What IS all of this?” She whispered after reading it fully. “And what does
it mean?”
Robin looked over at Amon, and saw that he was thinking deeply. Finally,
he said, “I did not know that there was a ‘Solomon,’ the person…whoever it
is, he wrote the introduction. He was probably the one who led the whole
project…very interesting…”
She peered down at the name mentioned twice of the paper. Yes, it WAS very
interesting…it was too much of a coincidence to have the same last name.
“Does this mean the ‘Dr. Solomon’ on this page is the same person who runs
the company?”
“Probably.” Amon took another sip of his coffee. “I wonder where he’s been
this whole time…he must live in seclusion somewhere.”
Robin smiled faintly. “Perhaps. Or, the power of his enemies might’ve been
too much…he could be dead.”
He nodded as he continued to flip through the pages. “I’m not quite sure
which category my mother would be under…she never talked about her power
much to me, or describe it in detail…”
She bit her lip hesitantly. “Amon…does…um, does this mean there might be
a chance that you’ve inherited her craft?”
Amon closed his eyes solemnly and sat very rigidly. “…I don’t know. I really
don’t know.”
Robin sighed inwardly. The last thing in the world she wanted was Amon to
be hunted down just like his mother.
“I would like to borrow this, Robin.” Amon closed the notebook suddenly and
looked up at her. “Perhaps after reading through more if it, I’ll be able
to find out what happened to her during the experiment.”
She thought for a moment or two. “Well, I don’t know…Sakaki might call for
another meeting at any given time, and he wants us to bring everything we
found in the Factory to him…” She smiled. “…But I suppose you can have it
for a few days.”
His eyes widened. “You mean, you’re actually going to go back into the Factory!?”
But before she could reply, they heard a loud noise suddenly in another room
that sounded like a ‘thump.’
“…What was that!?” Robin was completely startled.
“I don’t know.” He replied. Amon grabbed his gun from a nearby drawer, and
closed it again.
Another noise was heard. She jumped a little. “Do you…do you think…the Factory?”
“Hopefully not.” Amon began to inch little by little closer to the next room
where the noise was coming from. “Stay behind me.” He ordered. “Just in case
it really IS the Factory…” Robin nodded and stood behind him. He swung open
the door quickly and together they peered inside.
There was no one in the room.
“It was someone…I know it…” Amon began to move to the nearby closet
in order to search it.
“Y-You mean…?” Robin looked out the window. There were no suspicious cars,
as far as she could tell. ‘Why would the Factory send only one person to
capture me? Unless…a craft user?’ Suddenly, something dawned onto her and
Robin bent down to look under a table that was low to the ground. She saw
him looking back at her with a frightened look. Robin smiled at him and stood
up. “I’ve found the culprit, Amon…” She chuckled and pointed under the low
table. “Look under there…”
Curiously Amon bent down and reached under the table to pull him out. An
unhappy Osuin emerged from within and meowed. Robin petted him delicately
and he gradually became less and less frightened.
“I forgot to let him go outside at night for the first time since he’s been
here.” Amon mumbled. “So it was only him…” She saw relief wash over
his face.
Robin giggled. “I guess so.” Osuin purred softly in her arms. She stood up
and opened a window to let him out on the floor of the fire escape. He gave
her a thankful look and darted down.
“…Do you want me to drive you to the STN-J?” Amon asked her once she returned.
She smiled. “Thank you Amon, but no. We can’t risk anyone seeing us, and
besides, I need to do a few things back at my home. My grandfather expects
me to make breakfast, after all.”
“I see. You will walk back then?”
She nodded. “Yes. It’s not far.”
“I won’t allow it.” He said sternly. “Don’t forget that the Factory may yet
be waiting for an opportunity to find you alone…I will drop you off at your
house instead, Robin.”
She laughed, and extended her neck to give him a small kiss on the cheek.
He looked back at her with surprised eyes. “…Okay.” Robin whispered. “You
win.” With that, she left him to find her dress, smiling. She was sure
that more of the protective shell had washed away once again.
~~~***~~~
After Amon dropped her off and she was done getting ready for the day, Robin
had ridden to the STN-J very nervously. Everyone that she passed in the streets
looked like a suspicious person, secretly working for the Factory. Somehow
she had managed to swallow her fears and braved the streets of Japan. Eventually,
Robin found her way to the STN-J, where she parked and hurried inside.
Once she reached Amon’s classroom, she immediately noticed that he wasn’t
there. ‘Don’t worry Robin, I bet he’s in a meeting with Zaizen and the other
staff about what happened last night.’ She thought to reassure herself.
Still, that didn’t prevent her from worrying any less.
“Robin! Over here!” Yuma called to her happily.
She waved back and ran over to them. “Hi you guys! Good to see you three
again!” After lowering her voice a little, Robin asked, “What’s the status
of everything so far with the Factory?”
Kazuko frowned. “It doesn’t look good. Somehow Sakaki managed to find out
that they don’t know who we are specifically, but they DO know that there
was a bunch of craft users amongst our party.”
“The two guards that let us in were fired.” Tsutomu mumbled. “Our only way
in had been blocked.”
Robin shrugged. “I’m sure Doujima and Sakaki will think of something.”
“But that’s not all.” Yuma continued. “Zaizen wants to put us hunters to
the test, and for our first task as official STN-J craft users, we are to
find the ones responsible and…kill them. The other half of the class that
is loyal to Zaizen will be very eager to prove themselves to him.”
“I see.” She mumbled. “Maybe…if we explain things to them?”
“Don’t you remember what Sakaki said, Robin? He chose to tell us because
we’re the ones that can be trusted. We can’t say the same for the rest of
them, I’m afraid…” Kazuko sighed wearily.
“Oh…yes, I suppose I see your point. Well then, when will we meet again with
Sakaki and Doujima?”
They all shrugged. “We really don’t know.” Yuma said. “In all probability,
a meeting will be put off for a little bit until things die down and it will
be safe for us again to discuss what happened.”
At that moment, Amon walked in. Robin was disheartened by the expression
on his face—she could tell that the morning meeting had not been pleasant
for him to sit through and listen.
He cast a weary eye at the students before him, traitors and loyalists alike.
On the outside, she knew, they were not all that different. Who was who…the
question on everyone’s mind.
“Everyone,” Amon said suddenly, “must stop talking and get back to work with
training. Final exams will arrive her faster than you may think.” After giving
this order he looked directly at Robin suddenly with an impassive face, but
she knew what he was thinking and smiled. She nodded and went back to her
equipment to begin her training.
“I wonder if Zaizen told him what happened.” Yuma whispered.
Robin smiled a little wider. “Somehow, I think Amon already knew about it…”
Yuma gave her a curious look, but said nothing.
~~~***~~~