Crimson Azure
Chapter 12
PREVIOUSLY... Morpheus Azure has made the shocking discovery that his robot secretary, Aphrodite, has fallen in love with him and seeks a personal, intimate relationship with him. Meanwhile Richard Crimson has called him over to discuss strategies against Lincolns army.
- CRIMSON:
Okay, so we know a couple of our enemies are skilled swordsmen. One of them’s a fencer, the other’s a samurai. How do we go about this?
- ROSENROT:
Well, there are several things to consider... One would be their manner of approach. One-on-one, it shouldn’t be too bad, but my guess is they will be accompanied by several troops.
- SUSANO:
But knowing the names on the list, They will try to fight honorably. Or at least, that’s what they want us to believe.
- MAROON:
What do you mean by that, Mr. Aka?
- ROSENROT:
In spite of what they want you to think, the Midori clan has no honor, and they do not deserve the title of samurai. They cheat, bribe, steal, and lie their way to claiming the upper hand. They’re like Lex Luthor from your Superman comics. They may seem good-willed and just, but on the inside, they’re nothing more than a bunch of cold-hearted cowards who disregard even the most basic morals.
- SUSANO:
...The Midori clan were the ones who killed my wife. Jubei is the last of the clan, and I won’t rest easy until he is dead.
- CRIMSON:
Hello? Oh, Morpheus! What’s up? You’re waiting in the lobby? Alright, gimme a second, I’ll send Vanessa right down. Alright... Talk to you in a minute.
- CRIMSON:
Morpheus! Glad you could make it. I’d like you to meet one of our most loyal clients. This is Mister Susano Aka. His children are patients of mine, supervised my Mister Rose.
- AZURE:
Ah, so desu ka? Ohayoo gozaimasu.
- SUSANO:
Ah, Nihongo ga dekimasu ka?
- AZURE:
A little bit. I only really know that phrase and “Konnichi wa,” thanks to my computer programmer.
- SUSANO:
Ah, he knows Japanese?
- AZURE:
Yes, he does. If I remember right, he was born in California, though.
- SUSANO:
Ah. Silicon Valley? Fitting enough he works in your company, then.
- AZURE:
Yeah, and he’s damn good at his job, I’ll have to admit. I’m kind of surprised he gets along so well with the head of my mechanics department. Angus can be such a hothead, but Makoto takes it easy and somehow, they work together and get things done.
- SUSANO:
Sounds like things are quite hectic in the robotics industry.
- AZURE:
You have no idea.
- AZURE:
Anyway, you called me here for something?
- CRIMSON:
Ah, yes, we’ve been doing some recon and it turns out Lincoln may be a bigger threat than we realize. Jason, would you mind showing him the list?
- MAROON:
These are the names that we’ve gathered so far, of people who are working with Lincoln. The two names circled in red pen are the major ones to watch out for.
- AZURE:
Errr, yeah... Jean-Pierre Emeralde and Jubei Midori... I’ve heard of their fighting skills... This could be a major problem.
- CRIMSON:
How’s that Hayabusa Project of yours coming along?
- AZURE:
We’ve already produced a couple hundred of them, but now, Angus and Makoto are in the middle of designing the remote control interface needed to bypass the First Law. I’ve put out want ads for hiring people who would be able to use it, but nobody seems to be interested yet.
- CRIMSON:
You sure you’re up for it, Jim?
- AZURE:
Dragon Warriors?
- CRIMSON:
It’s his favorite video game. Jim Burgundy here is a video game wizard. His parents passed away when he was little, and his godfather abused him, so he only had video games to make himself feel like he was worth something. Shame, really... He’s scored over 300 on our IQ test, and he’s only 16 years old.
- AZURE:
...I see.
- AZURE:
Tell you what... Jim, is it? I’ll make you a deal... I will give you the chance to help us out and test this system. What you do after that is entirely up to you. Whether you want to bail out or keep going, that is entirely your decision, and yours alone. All I ask is that you do the best you can. In the meantime, we’ll support you as much as possible.
- AZURE:
Before we do anything else, I want you to know that this could be very dangerous. We don’t know for sure if it’ll work.
- JIM:
Mister Azure, I will do whatever it takes to protect everyone. If there’s anything Mr. Crimson has helped me understand, it’s that I should give one hundred and ten percent. This is my home. The Syndicate is my family... I’m willing to do whatever it takes to protect it.
- AZURE:
...All right. That’s settled, then. We’ll let you know when it’s ready for testing. The prototype should be done within the week.
- JIM:
Thank you, Mister Azure.
- CRIMSON:
Hmmm... Lunch hour’s almost up. You better head back to your room, Jimmy. You know Siegfried worries when you’re late.
- JIM:
Right. Thank you, Mister Crimson.
- CRIMSON:
Well... I have a feeling he might be a big help when we face Lincoln.
- AZURE:
Yeah, I think so too.
- MAROON:
Should I check for others with similar talents, Mister Crimson?
- CRIMSON:
Yeah, that sounds like a good idea. Get as many as you can. We’re gonna need all the help we can get.