Ai No Kusabi Fan Fiction ❯ New Dawn On Amoi ❯ The Final Judgement ( Chapter 4 )

An Ai no Kusabi fanfic.
Historical Fanfic - Jupiter's rise to power. This story is set approximately 400 years before Ai no Kusabi.
Based on the world created by Yoshihara Rieko.

Disclaimer: Amoi and Jupiter were both created by Yoshihara Rieko.
I am only borrowing them. I do not make any profit from this.

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"Damn it!" Hiroshi swore. Kaine looked over at him. The Doctor was glaring into the ruins of the Astrophysics Lab. It was the fifth lab ruined in the last few hours. First the Chemistry Lab on level five, then the Biology Lab, then the Biochem Lab that had been starting the second phase of the Genesis Experiment had been completely cleaned out, with all the samples stolen. Someone had set a second fire in one of the greenhouses. Now someone had wrecked this lab and still there was no sign of who had done it. Hiroshi's frustration was easily understandable.

What Kaine had not been able to understand was Jason's lack of concern. The boy had finally returned to the Dormitory about a half an hour after Kaine had arrived there. They had talked for a while, then Kaine had left to see what he could learn. He had unfortunately gotten dragged into helping the search and had been unable to return to the Dormitory. Kaine just couldn't escape the feeling that Jason knew more than he claimed to.

The sound of running feet drew his attention down the hallway. A young man wearing the black, half-armored uniform of a guard, ran to where Hiroshi stood and stopped, panting heavily. "Hiroshi-sama," he gasped, "Hiroshi-sama, the Jupiter Lab has been destroyed!"

Hiroshi grabbed the young man by the front of his shirt, pulling him upright. "What?!"

"The Lab on level 6, sir. All the terminals...everything..."

Hiroshi released the guard and started to run down the hall. Kaine was right on his heels along with the rest of the group that had been standing there. Hiroshi pounded on the buttons angrily, then flew onto the elevator, closing the doors before Kaine and the others could get on. Kaine waited impatiently for the next elevator.

The doors opened and he and several others crowded on. A couple of the guards were left out in the hallway, but Kaine found himself riding with with four other guards, plus the head Scientist of the Biology department, a short, round, middle aged man named Doctor Grey. No one spoke as the elevator quickly climbed to the 6th level.

As the doors opened and they piled out, Kaine could hear Hiroshi yelling from the elevator bay. He once again led the group as they ran around the corner and came to a sudden stop. Computer components were scattered out into the hall and a little smoke rolled out of the lab. Hiroshi had just pushed his way in through the crowded doorway, so Kaine ran ahead to follow him.

The inside of the Lab was a disaster. Sparks flew from where terminals had been torn out of the walls. The terminals themselves had been smashed into pieces and scattered about the room and into the hallway. A small fire had started. In the entire lab only one thing remained untouched. The chair where Jason usually sat remained upright and undamaged. Hiroshi stood in the middle of the wreckage, staring at it. Kaine could see the anger in Hiroshi's eyes, though to be honest he didn't care what the man was feeling. He crossed the room to Hiroshi, stepping carefully to avoid breaking anything that could be salvageable.

"Jason is the only one who can access Jupiter from here now. All of these other terminals are useless." Hiroshi growled. He turned to face Kaine. "Where is he?"

Kaine was tempted not to answer, but after a moment he shrugged. "He returned to the Dormitory." His voice was a trifle too flat when he answered but he didn't give a damn. Let Hiroshi read into it however he wanted to.

"When?" Hiroshi snapped, eyes narrowing as he studied the younger man.

"About four hours ago, I'd say." Kaine shrugged and pulled out a cigarette, resisting the desire to attack the older man only through a great test of will power. "Why?"

"Do you know where he is now?"

"No, how could I? I haven't been back to the Dormitory," Kaine inhaled and shrugged. "You don't think he did this?"

Hiroshi gave Kaine a long look. "Perhaps." He brushed past Kaine and headed for the hallway. Kaine watched him for a second then flicked his cigarette butt onto the floor, grinding it out with one foot.. "Asshole." he growled, as he headed after Hiroshi. "I'll be damned if I let him near Jason alone."

By the time Kaine caught up to Hiroshi again, the head scientist was in the Dormitory, calling Jason's name. However, it was not Jason who answered.

"Jason is not here." Kevin stood with Darien and a few others down the hall from the older man.

"Where did he go?" Hiroshi asked, his voice dangerously low. Kevin ignored the question, looking beyond Hiroshi to where Kaine was coming up the hall. Kaine hurried to stand behind Hiroshi. He leaned back against the wall on the opposite side of the hall from Hiroshi and lit another cigarette. "Where did he go? It is very important that we find him."

Kevin turned his attention from Hiroshi and smiled slightly at Kaine. "We are not sure, Kaine-sensei. Jason and Rand left about an hour after you did. They haven't come back." "Damn!" Hiroshi growled, "What time was it?"

Kevin gave Hiroshi a flat look, then looked back to Kaine. "Jason told us not to tell anyone anything unless you were present, Kaine-sensei. Strange orders, if you ask me." He shrugged. "They've been gone over two hours. Jason took a few things with him, but I did not see what." Hiroshi was beyond angry. Kaine could see it in the tense muscles of his shoulders, in the light in his eyes. He took a long slow drag on his cigarette, watching. It seemed that Jason had managed to push all of Hiroshi's buttons, just by giving one order. He wondered how long it would be before Hiroshi lost his composure.

After a tense moment, Hiroshi let out a deep breath. "Let's go." He turned and stormed out of the Dormitory. Kaine smiled at Kevin and turned to follow the enraged leader, but paused at the sound of Darien's voice.

"Sensei? Could you tell us what is happening?"

"I would, Darien, but I have to keep an eye on Hiroshi. I'll come back and fill you all in as soon as possible." Darien nodded, as did Kevin. Kaine shrugged and chased after Hiroshi again. This was getting old. If only something would happen.

Out in the hallway, Hiroshi was waiting for him. "Got them all eating out of your hand, don't you?" he sneered.

"Hardly. Jason trusts me." Kaine shrugged and kept walking, heading back to the destroyed Jupiter lab where they had left the rest of the Council waiting. Kaine was the youngest member of the Council, while Hiroshi was its leader and therefore the leader of all Amoi, a position Kaine was determined to see him removed from. He touched the disk in his pocket, reassuring himself that it was there. He'd forgotten to tell Jason about it, but he'd get a chance later, he was sure.

The elevator ride back to the lab had been tense. Neither of them had said a word, for which Kaine was profoundly thankful. The doors had opened to reveal the hallway to be full of guards and the other eight members of the Council. The Council was standing just outside the lab doors, talking heatedly among themselves as the guards worked, trying to clean up. Kaine followed Hiroshi to the Council. Grey was the first one to see them coming. "There you are, Hiroshi. We're trying to decide what to do. There is still no sign of these intruders." Grey said, as Hiroshi and Kaine arrived back on the scene of the wreckage. All signs of anger had vanished from Hiroshi's face and Kaine was amazed at the transition from the elevator to the hallway, but then Hiroshi was a master at hiding his true self.

Grey looked around. "Where's your protege?"

Hiroshi sighed. "Missing. We'll have to send the guards out to look for him. I want him found." He looked around at the carnage. The guards had managed to put out the fires and clean it up somewhat, but there was no hope for the lab. "We, on the other hand will be heading up to the Main office. I can still access Jupiter from the terminal there."

"So your little star has finally turned against you, Hiroshi." Doctor Abrahms, the head of Nuclear Physics, chuckled as Hiroshi feigned shock. "I warned you that Mind Link device was dangerous."

Hiroshi glared at the older man as Kaine hid a smile behind his hand. Kaine couldn't help but hope that Abrahms was right.

"I doubt that's the case. When we find him we will know for sure. I suggest, though, that we pay more attention to Jupiter right now. Everything in Tanagura is connected to it. If something happens to it, the whole city could be in jeopardy."

The Council members nodded in agreement. Hiroshi called over one of the Guard Captains and gave him order to search the entire complex until Jason was found. Kaine watched from his place by the wall, looking over the faces of the other Councilors. All of them showed some signs of discontent, but it was the smug expression on Abrahms face that interested him most of all. Apparently, not all of the Council was as firmly behind Hiroshi as Kaine had believed. They were even less likely to be once they learned what Kaine knew.

Jason stood on the roof of the Central Complex. The wind blew his long hair out behind him like a banner and rustled the silken cloak he wore as part of his formal uniform. Rand stood behind him, dressed as usual. The sky overhead was still dark, but dawn was coming soon. Jason breathed in the night air and exhaled. A slight smile hovered about his pale lips, and his blue eyes were icy.

Rand turned to lean against the railing. "I still can not believe this."

Jason's gaze flicked over to him before returning to the city below. Faintly, he could hear the alarm bells ringing in the complex, but he ignored them. Somewhere in the building Hiroshi and the others were probably trying to learn what was happening. Jason already knew. "Believe it. We have waited a long time for this, Rand. I admit, this is not exactly what I had hoped for, but it is even better. Jupiter knows what She is doing."

"I will agree with you on that, but are you sure we.. you especially.. are ready for this?" Rand shook his head slowly, his own hair blowing into his face. "This may not be the best possible course. There is bound to be resistance."

Jason shrugged, his gaze growing colder. "Let them try. Jupiter will not allow anything but obedience. She has been ready for this. I think I am as well. Whether others feel this way does not matter. I have grown tired of being nothing, a non-entity. This is a chance for all of us to be something more than experimental data. You all chose me as leader. I will not allow this opportunity to get away. We all deserve better."

Rand nodded slowly. "I know. We trust you, Jason. Of all of us, you are the only one fit for this role, but it will be a difficult one."

Jason smiled and turned, finally, to look at Rand, some warmth returning to his gaze. "You know I like a challenge. Don't worry about me. Nothing will happen today that Jupiter and I can not handle. Just be waiting for me. That's all I ask."

"We will be. I just wish I could go in with you."

"I would let you, but Jupiter wants you to report to Kevin and the others. I promise you'll hear from me as soon as possible."

"I know, Jason," Rand shrugged uncomfortably, obviously not happy.

Jason nodded once, understanding where Rand was coming from. Inside he was nervous, but his mind was clear and he felt ready. He turned back to gaze over the lights of the city below. Almost as if on cue, the city went dark, lit only by the light of the twin moons, moons that were setting as Jason watched. Everything in Tanagura had stopped, frozen in place by the will of the Supercomputer who controlled it all. "And so it has begun." Jason whispered, smiling coldly.

"Well, Gentlemen." Hiroshi looked the council over once slowly, eyes lingering for a moment on Kaine where he leaned against the wall smoking. Kaine returned the look flatly. After a second, Hiroshi looked away, barely veiling a look of contempt. He turned and began to walk towards the elevator bay at the far end of the hall. "Let's head upstairs and see if we can not discover what has been going on."

The Council began to move after him, Kaine bringing up the rear. They had gone no more than ten steps when everything went dark, leaving only the light from Kaine's cigarette visible.

"What the...?" Hiroshi's startled exclamation was lost in the surprised outcries from the council and cries from the guards behind them. With no power, the Central Complex was darker than the blackest night. Shouts of alarm and curses filled the air, echoing down the large hallways.

"This has to be your fault, Hiroshi!" Abrahms bellowed over the others. Kaine smiled in the darkness. "Your little protege is probably causing this." There were sounds of agreement from the Council. Kaine sighed. He didn't mind them blaming Hiroshi, but he wanted Jason left out of it. He was just about to speak up when the lights over head flickered and came back on partway.

Kaine glanced around, suddenly realizing that only the lights directly over the Council had come on. Then, in rapid succession, every light between them and the Elevator bay flicked on and off, until the light by the elevators came on. That one stayed on, revealing the elevator to be open and waiting, as the lights overhead flickered towards it once again. Kaine dropped his cigarette to the floor and looked around at the stunned Council.

"Not to point out the obvious," he said, "but I would say that is an invitation." Nonchalantly, he pulled out another cigarette and lit it as they all turned to stare at him. Kaine took a long drag and exhaled it slowly. "The question is, do we take it?"

"Damn right we do." Hiroshi growled. "I have had enough of this." He stormed off down the half-lit hallway. Kaine nodded and pushed through the rest of Council, following Hiroshi towards the elevators. After a second, he heard the rest of the Council coming along as well.

On the top floor, the group crowded out into the dimly lit office. The statues cast strange shadows in the room. Hiroshi immediately crossed to his desk, but Kaine was drawn to the windows on the far side of the large, marble pillared room. "Shit!" he swore, looking out at Tanagura.

"What is it?" Abrahms called from the center of the room, looking over to where Kaine stood.

"The entire city is dark. No lights anywhere." Kaine stared down below, cigarette forgotten in his hand. Abrahms and the others rushed over to where he stood. All of Tanagura was black, visible only by the light of the last slivers of the setting twin moons. The full darkness of predawn was fast approaching and the city would be barely visible under the feeble light of the stars. Abrams whistled beside him and then turned to back to face Hiroshi. "So what is your explanation for this?" he demanded.

Hiroshi had been standing at the terminal on his desk. He looked up, slowly. "As I have already pointed out, everything in Tanagura is connected to Jupiter. Someone must have infiltrated the Supercomputer and taken control of the power system. Jupiter would not have done it, even awake. Its programming prevents it from any such action. I made sure of that."

"And it seems to be working just fine, doesn't it?" Abrahms snapped.

Hiroshi slammed his hands down on the desk. "My program was perfect." he snarled.

"No one is questioning you, Hiroshi." Grey seemed slightly taken aback by the anger in their usually cool leader.

"I am." Abrahms said flatly. "What other explanation is there? Unless your little protege managed to do this."

"I rather doubt Jason could do this on his own, Abrahms." Kaine said, trying to redirect Abrahms from the idea. If only he knew where Jason was...

The Councilors all turned to look at Kaine in surprise. Kaine shrugged, "He doesn't have the capability to take over the entire system. It would take a team and everyone is accounted for but Jason and Rand."

"You keep saying it couldn't be Jason. What about the other?"

"Rand doesn't have the training. I rather doubt those two are the cause of all this."

"So who is it?" Hiroshi growled. "You know so much, tell us that. Otherwise stay out of this, Councilor Kaine."

"I can offer my opinion, Hiroshi. Be glad that is all I am offering!" Kaine snapped back at him.

"And just what do you mean by that?" Hiroshi's eyes narrowed dangerously, but Kaine didn't give a damn anymore. He was sick of chasing Hiroshi around.

"You know damn well what I mean. I know everything about you."

Hiroshi came around the desk and began to cross towards the young psychologist, while the stunned Council watched. He had only taken a few steps towards Kaine when the door to the side of the room opened, filling the room with a bright blue light. Hiroshi stopped moving towards Kaine, turning quickly towards the door. "Jupiter!" He half ran across the room followed by Kaine, Abrahms, Grey and the rest of the council, all of them trying to crowd through the door at once.

When Kaine finally got into the room, Hiroshi was standing only a few steps inside the door and the rest of the Council had spread out along the back wall. And they were not alone.

Farther into the room stood the glowing Hologram that was Jupiter's Main terminal. Around the room stood several silver-haired young men, each one dressed in the same black suit and nearly identical in appearance. Directly opposite Hiroshi, perhaps ten feet away, stood Jason, flanked by two more of the silver-haired men. Kaine ignored them all, his gaze frozen on Jason. The young man was wearing his formal uniform, complete with the white gloves and calf length white silk cloak. Kaine had only ever seen him in that outfit once before. A cold distant expression was on his perfect face as the young man stared back at Hiroshi.

Before Kaine or any of the others could say anything, Hiroshi strode forward until he towered over the younger man. He glared down at his Ward, then he backhanded the younger man, knocking him down. "You little bastard," Hiroshi growled.

Jason regarded him coldly for a moment, as some strange metallic sounds rang through the room. Jason gave a quiet laugh as he pulled himself back up and nonchalantly brushed his clothing off. His cheek was dark red where Hiroshi had hit him. Then he looked back at Hiroshi, eyes glacial. "That is the last time you will ever touch me. I hope you enjoyed it." He waved a hand at the two men standing behind him. "Take him." He ordered.

The two moved quickly, taking hold of Hiroshi and dragging him backwards. Hiroshi tried to push them away, but to no avail. They forced him to his knees in front of Jason.

Kaine watched in shocked amazement. Somewhere to his right, he heard one of the councilors whisper "My cyborgs" and he finally realized just what the silver-haired men were. He looked around at the stunned expressions of the other councilors before the movement of the glowing hologram at the back of the room caught his attention. The strange metallic sounds filled the air again as Kaine and all of the others stared back at Jupiter. Hiroshi was swearing audibly but froze in his captors' hands at the sounds. "Jupiter?"

Jason turned once to glance back at the glowing form. He gave a slight nod to it before turning to face the council. "I have a message for you." He said, his clear tenor voice filling the room. All eyes turned towards him. "Jupiter has taken control of the city." There were gasps and several curses. Jason waited.

"What do you mean?!" Hiroshi yelled from where he was pinned.

Jason regarded him coldly. "Exactly what I said. Jupiter now rules Tanagura. She controls every system in the city. No disobedience of Her authority will be permitted and nothing within the city will be allowed to function until the council accedes to Her demands." Jason allowed his gaze to travel over the council, pausing for a moment when he came to Kaine. Kaine could have sworn a slight smile crossed Jason's face when their eyes met, but it was gone before he could be sure.

There were cries of outrage from the council. "You are insane!" Hiroshi growled, "I'll never agree to that."

Jason looked down at Hiroshi, and a chilling smile crossed his face. "You are not being asked. As of this moment you are no longer the ruler of Amoi. You have no seat on this council and are pending trial for crimes against the citizens of Amoi."

"What!" Hiroshi and Abrahms shouted in unison.

Kaine covered his mouth, trying to hide the sudden smile. Finally, Jason had made his move. Behind him the rest of the council was in a uproar. The other silver-haired cyborgs, Kaine counted five, began to move towards the council, obviously intending to stop any one else from threatening Jason. Kaine just shook his head and walked over to lean by the wall to left. The cyborgs were ignoring him, so he was sure they knew where he stood. He listened to the shouts of anger and alarm that filled the room as the rest of the council realized the cyborgs' intent. Jason was standing calmly a few feet from the holographic image. Kaine watched both Jason and Jupiter, as he pulled out another cigarette and lit it. Smoke curled up around him as he leaned there, totally ignored by everyone else.

Finally, after several moments of shouting, Jupiter raised her arm and a loud angry sounding metallic note filled the air. The noise from the councilors died instantly and they all froze, staring at Jason through a ring of cyborgs. Hiroshi, too, was glaring at Jason, the fire in his eyes clearly visible.

"Gentlemen," Jason said flatly, "You are the Council, so act like it."

Hiroshi gave an angry laugh from where he knelt. "You have no authority over me or them. You are nothing, Jason."

Jason just shrugged, ignoring Hiroshi, and looked beyond the captive to the Council. "Any questions or will you agree to hear Jupiter's demands?"

Abrahms looked around at the other councilors, then spoke. "Just what does Jupiter want?" He finally asked.

"Jupiter will be the official ruler of Tanagura. All laws passed by the council are only valid with Her approval. Life on Amoi will remain much the same for now in order for the people to adapt to the change in leadership. Jupiter does have some changes she intends to implement at a later time. These will be discussed with the council at a later date and your opinions and suggestions will be welcomed. You will retain your current positions on the council, though there will be some changes in the Science departments. If any of you wish to resign, Jupiter will accept your official resignation in the morning. With the exception of Hiroshi, you have all done a decent job and Jupiter has no wish to replace any of you at this time."

The Council all stared at Jason. "So just why exactly is Jupiter bothering if she doesn't plan to change anything?" Grey asked, confusion evident in his voice. Several members of the council murmured in agreement.

Metallic noises filled the room again, and the holographic image lifted Her arm to point at the Council. Jason nodded, after evidently listening. "Jupiter is displeased with how things are being planned in the long run. She will outlast all of us and has determined that it would be best for the population of Amoi to have a leader who can maintain control for several centuries or longer. The council will act as her advisors, with the head of the council having direct access to Her."

"So, She rules it all." Abrahms stared at the image. "And just who will be the head of the Council? You obviously plan to remove Hiroshi."

"As the only one who can truly communicate with her, Jupiter has chosen me to take Hiroshi's place. " Jason nodded once. "I should think that was obvious."

"Damn You! You've taken control of my computer! That is what's happening here." Hiroshi bellowed, trying to stand up. The cyborgs pushed him back to his knees. "I can not believe you fools are actually listening to him!"

"Hiroshi, if I were you, I would not say another word. You are already damned." Kaine said, he dropped his now finished cigarette on the floor. "Besides, I don't see where we really have a choice in the matter. As you said earlier, Jupiter controls everything in this city. How can we stop Her? Would it not be better for the people if we worked with Her?" Kaine stood up away from the wall. "You, on the other hand have never had any real concern for the people of Amoi."

"You've sided with him, haven't you Kaine? I knew I should have gotten rid of you." Hiroshi hissed.

"It would not have made a difference, Hiroshi. Jupiter intends to see you punished appropriately for the crimes you have committed." Jason's cool voice drew everyone's attention back to him. "She has all the proof the Council will need to convict you."

"Just what is Hiroshi being held for anyway? He has always done a great job of leading," Grey pushed his way to the front of the group.

"What proof?" Hiroshi spat. " Do you think anyone here will care?"

"Jupiter does." Jason responded calmly. "But I was not speaking of your treatment of me, your ward. I was speaking of your crimes against the people of this planet. I know all about your dealings with the federation government. You've planned to sell out to them for a long time. All the experiments done here, all the work of your colleagues, done here since this planet was settled 50 years ago, was just so that you could be the ruler when you let the federation take over. That was your plan, wasn't it?"

There were gasps of surprise from the council. "What the hell?" Abrahms growled. "What proof do you have?"

"He has no proof." Hiroshi spat.

"On the contrary, Jupiter has already accessed and cleaned out your personal files, Hiroshi. Beyond that, Kaine also has a disk on him, with all the proof the council will need." Jason replied.

"So you really were in on this, weren't you Kaine?" Abrahms asked flicking his gaze over to Kaine.

"Honestly, I had no idea. I was trying to help Jason, yes, but not with this." Kaine shrugged, a surprised look on his face. "How did you know about that? I didn't tell anyone."

"Jupiter told me. She knew you hacked into Hiroshi's files."

Kaine stared at him then turned to look at Jupiter. The image nodded once. Behind him, the Council began talking another heated discussion, while Jason watched them, a slight smile playing about his lips.

Jason watched the council, patiently. He was not too worried about them now, but he was still tense. A strange ringing started in his head, then it began to grow louder, until it hurt. His eyes fell on Hiroshi. The doctor was watching him, eyes burning. Jason's vision grew blurry as the ringing grew even more intense and he gasped, raising one hand to his forehead. :: Jupiter-sama!:: he shouted at her mentally not sure if she would hear him. He could hear Hiroshi laughing and shouting something but he wasn't sure what. A flash of light grazed across his face, leaving behind a searing pain. Then Kaine plowed into him, knocking him out of the way.

After a few moments of listening to the other Councilors talking, Kaine noticed Hiroshi was doing something where he knelt, pushing buttons on the com-unit he wore on his wrist. No one else was looking at him, not even his guards. Seconds later, Jason gasped and put a hand to his forehead, reeling and obviously in pain. Hiroshi laughed, insanely. "I'll bet you didn't think I had prepared for this!" he yelled.

The Mind Link Device! Kaine began moving at the same moment that Hiroshi broke free of the two cyborgs, pushing them both over. Hiroshi surged to his feet, hand reaching into his pocket, and pulling out a small laser gun. Kaine saw the flash of light as Hiroshi brought the gun up, and dove towards Jason. In the span of those couple seconds, Hiroshi fired twice. Kaine crashed into Jason as searing pain ripped across both of his shoulders. They fell to the floor in a heap, while around them the air suddenly exploded with light.

Jason pushed himself up as much as he could with Kaine's weight on top of him. The screaming in his head had died suddenly. Lightning seemed to flicker all around him, as it streaked unerringly into the dancing puppet that was Hiroshi. The doctor stood alone in the middle of the room, held upright only by the power that was shooting into him. Finally the light grew too bright and Jason could see nothing, only hear Hiroshi's continued screams and the shouts of the councilors somewhere behind him.

Around him, he could hear the snap of electricity, terrified shouting, and someone was screaming, a high pitched, horrible scream that seemed torn from the depths of hell, deafening as it rose in pitch.

From where he lay, Kaine could see Jason's shocked face as the young man stared past him towards the brilliant light, blood running down his cheek where Hiroshi's first shot had just skimmed across. The light grew more intense, blinding him and then blackness rose up to claim him instead.

To Be Continued...

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