fmp short stories 2 eng

○顔○掌 Translations

"People die when they are killed"

-presents-

Full Metal Panic!

Short Stories

Volume 2

- A Damned Lethal Weapon

- Golden Days with Captain Amigo

Translated with the blessings of the Goddesses of Wheat and the Universe, and KRAUSER-SAN!!

○顔○掌 Translations FMP! SS vol.2 Mister V (A.N.), 2009

②

[A Damned Lethal Weapon]

On a plain, austere bed, an impressive assortment of small arms of all shapes and sizes was neatly laid

out. There were at least fifty guns at first glance, ranging from a tiny palm sized pistol to a 58-

kilogramme heavy machine gun1. This entire collection belonged to Sagara Sousuke.

His face somewhat sullen as always, Sousuke was dismantling them and performing routine

maintenance. Even he seldom cleaned all of his guns, since most of them never saw action. Some were

mementos from old comrades; some he had bought himself, but was dissatisfied with their

performance; others had too much destructive power to be used on this mission. However, that didn't

matter today - they all had to be properly cleaned. Why today of all days? It was New Year's Eve, after all.

The end of the year was an important moment in life, so everything around oneself had to be put in

order. Even for Sousuke, brought up on the battlefield, this much at least was evident.

While he was busy arranging the weapons, his cellphone rang. Sousuke immediately answered.

- Yes.

- Hello? Sagara-kun? It's me, Tokiwa...

The voice at the other end of the line beloged to none other than Tokiwa Kyouko, Sousuke's classmate

from Jindai High.

- Tokiwa. What is it?

- Eh, listen, are you busy right now? Or not?

- I'm not exactly free, but I will listen, - answered Sousuke holding the phone between his shoulder and

cheek, his hands busily working on the weapons.

- Ahah, 'aight! Good. Look, there's something I wanted to ask. Without Sagara-hun2, it might be

impossible. So, eh, the thing I'm talking about - only girlsh here, issa problem. Help... Yeah, I'd like you to

help me...

- What do you mean?..

Kyouko sounded somewhat strange. His hands, polishing the world's most powerful .454 Casull3 revolver,

stopped abruptly.

1 Clearly a Browning M2HB with tripod. 2 "-kun" - Kyouko is sort of mumbling, hence the distorted speech here and onwards.


③

- Something happened, Tokiwa?

- Nah... Kind of... Ha-ha-ha. Uh, well, a boy could do something about it I guess... So, that's why I called.

Yep. That's what it is.

- ...I don't really understand what's going on, but...

- Mm! So, come help, please! 's alright, it'll be quick. I'll give you lots of sweets. Please, Sousuke! Come...

*sniff* Ha-ha...

- To-... Tokiwa?

He sat there in bewilderment, listening to her voice, which suddenly became full of tears:

- Look... Uh... *sniff* I'm sorry... but I can rely only on Sousuke-kun. So come help... Well, see you...

please come.

- Oi, Tokiwa...

- It's the Arahaba shrine. Arahaba hill... Come... Sousuke-kun. - he heard a click followed by a hangup

tone.

"A shrine?.."

His classmate, who was clearly acting strange, just begged him to go and help her at some unknown

shrine. The details were unclear, but she did say she "could only rely on Sousuke-kun".

Something that required him, who mastered many weapons and survived many battlefields, to be there

personally - what could it be?

"This is no ordinary situation."

In Sousuke's mind was a picture of Kyouko held prisoner in an evil, heretical temple. Her mind addled by

drugs, the girl was surrounded by hundreds of insane cultists intent on performing an atrocious

sacrificial rite...

"Unacceptable."

He produced a map of the city from one of the table drawers. The weapon maintenance can be finished

later. First comes the rescue of Kyouko from the evil cult.

* * *

3 A very powerful handgun cartridge type. But you know that, right? He could have an original Freedom Arms model 83 revolver there, it would fit the "memento" description.


④

Humming a carefree song, Chidori Kaname was sweeping the pavement with a bamboo broom. The

place was on a hill, inside the city, but surrounded by groves. There, among tall elm trees was hidden a

small shrine.

The spotless, blue sky and clear air appeased the heart.

Kaname was wearing the outfit of a shrine maiden, - a red hakama over a white kimono, waist-length

black hair tied in a ponytail. This was the Arahaba shrine, and she was working there, helping with

cleaning and rituals during the busy New Year's holiday season.

- Ok, that's done...

Having collected and thrown away fallen leaves and trash, Kaname went back to the shrine office. Inside,

in one of the rooms she saw none other than Tokiwa Kyouko, lying under a kotatsu4. The girl's large

glasses and braided hair clashed with the shrine maiden outfit she was also wearing.

- Kyouko, you're still out of it?

- Uhh... I'm not drinking anymore of this... - mumbled Kyoko.

- Sheesh. Do you usually get so drunk after one shot of sake? Or maybe you had more after dumping all

the work on me?

- Nu-uhh... I'm really sorry... really sorry, so...

Kyoko slowly raised her hand and pointed at the phone lying on top of the kotatsu.

- I've called someone to help...

- Help?

- Yeah. Heeelp... Asked him to come... He's probably comin' soon.

- Oi, what did you say? Whom did you call?

- Eehh...

- Whom?

- Eeheheh. Kana-chan's fa-avourite...

- Wha-a? What are you...

BANG! - came the deafening roar of an explosion, and without warning, the wall behind Kaname was

blown off. Wood splinters flew in all directions and smoke filled the room.

4 Low table with a heater (nowadays usually electric), typically Japanese.


⑤

- Aaah!!

Kaname fell forward, knocking over Kyouko together with the kotatsu. A moment later, a black

silhouette materialised in the opening created by the blast.

- Get down on the floor! Now! - shouted the figure sharply, brandishing a shotgun.

As soon as she heard that voice, Kaname's fright gave way to rage, she jumped up from the floor and

charged the man.

- Didn't you hear?! Get down no-

Bam! - the shrine maiden's punch connected, the intruder spun through the air and crashed to the floor.

- You!.. I knew it couldn't be anyone else, since I haven't told you about this job...

-...Chidori?..

Sagara Sousuke, dressed in full black urban combat attire, got up heavily. Kaname's fists were shaking

menacingly.

- You can't be too quiet around New Year, can you?! What's wrong with you?!

- But using the door in case of forced entry should be avoided - it is only sensible to use shaped charges

to create an opening in the wall...

The shrine maiden's kick sent Sousuke flying back to the tatami floor.

- That's no explanation!!

- Like I said, especially in this case, when the possibility of the evil cult using Tokiwa as bait to lure me in

couldn't be discounted...

- Y- You!!..

The shrine maiden came at Sousuke like a typhoon and struck him with an inhuman force. He flew and

crashed through the window, landing outside of the shrine office.

* * *

In front of Hikawa Yoshikatsu, the priest of the Arahaba shrine, Kaname was bowing deeply.

- ...I'm really, really sorry! Come on, you too, apologise!


⑥

She grabbed the defiant-looking Sousuke, who was standing near her, by the scruff of the neck, and

made him bow.

- Sorry.

- Show some respect!

- I am sorry.

That statement was clearly lacking in sincerity, but the priest Hikawa chuckled merrily and shook his

head.

- Oh, no, no, if you were worried about your friend, it's alright, forget about it.

Hikawa was a short man in his fourties, completely bald, with short limbs and an impressive belly. In his

perfectly fitting hakama he looked like a stereotypical Japanese man.

Kaname was very surprised at the priest's leniency.

- Ah... Really?

- Oh, don't worry. The most important thing is that no one got injured.

- Ah, thank you very much!

- ... however, if possible I'd like to ask this young man to help us at the shrine. Considering Tokiwa-san's

condition, I suppose we're really short on hands...

- Ah. Sousuke, would you?..

- Hmm. I guess...

Kaname thought quickly. Judging by previous experience, she'd better find a good way to get rid of

Sousuke, and quickly.

- Oh, no, of course it would be logical, but... I wouldn't recommend it. I can work for two, so it'd be

better if you let this idiot go home...

- No, I will help, - sharply answered Sousuke, ruining Kaname's efforts to contain the situation.

- Ah, good, thank you! Well then, please follow Chidori-san's instructions. Is that all right, Chidori-san?

- Bu- But...

- Aha, well then. Sagara-kun, was it? As I've already told Chidori-san, under no circumstances must you

enter the inner sanctuary... Eh?..

Hearing the phone ringing in the shrine office, Hikawa hurried back.


⑦

Kaname had no choice but to use Sousuke as her assistant, since Kyouko was sleeping soundly in the

shrine office, behind a red-and-white curtain covering the destroyed wall.

* * *

In any shrine the purification rites had to be performed before noon, and now they were in the middle

of the preparations for the New Year's festivities. However, because this wasn't a big shrine, there

wasn't that much work. Burning the old hamaya5, putting in order the new omikuji6, preparing some

sweets and ritual sake for the worshippers - and so on.

Strictly speaking, some chores that were meant to be finished by yesterday, like cleaning the main

building, still remained. It was somewhat irresponsible, but at this small, local shrine nobody seemed to

mind.

Kaname and Sousuke were walking in the direction of the main shrine, carrying buckets of icy water. She

was eyeing him suspiciously.

- ...What are you trying to do?

- What do you mean?

- Well, I don't think you saying you wanted to help was bad, but - are you up to something?

- No, nothing. It's just that something's fishy about this shrine. I thought it would be dangerous to leave

you and Kyouko alone.

- I already explained it to you, didn't I? Kyouko was just drunk, there's no trouble here.

- I understood that part. There is another problem. This place has too much security for an ordinary

temple.

- Huh?

- I came here through the grove in the back, avoiding the front door, but... that way was full of traps. It

was made so that an ordinary person wouldn't be able to sneak in.

- A trap? Look, you...

Kaname looked around, a look of shock on her face. The shrine grounds seemed quiet and peaceful.

Naturally, she couldn't feel anything like what Sousuke described.

- No way. It's just your imagination.

5 A ceremonial arrow that is usually burned in New Year's bonfires.

6 Strips of paper with random fortunes written on them. A fortune cookie without the cookie. If it predicts bad luck, the Japanese just tie it to a pine tree near the shrine, supposedly warding off that bad luck.


⑧

- I wouldn't lie. Because the security is so tight, I surmised that Tokiwa was being held captive. This

temple is definitely strange.

Kaname frowned at Sousuke's words. Though it was a part-time job, she was conscious of her position

as a shrine maiden, and so tried to persuade him.

- Sousuke. This isn't a temple, it's a shrine.

- Same thing, isn't it.

- Nope. You know, inside a shrine, you shouldn't speak of nasty things. This is a place where gods come

to rest, don't say "it's strange", or you'll incur divine punishment.

- Divine punishment, is it.

- Yep. Especially since this shrine is dedicated to Susanoo, a god of battle. You never know when your

luck will run out.

- If it runs out because of that, I won't rely on it from the start.

- ...Jeez, whatever I say, you always have a comeback ready. Anyway, please just be quiet. If you stir up

trouble again, I'll be fired!

- But the traps were really...

- God, you're so stubborn! The priest here is a wonderful person! And unlike you, he's not a psycho who

sets traps everywhere!

...At that exact moment, a man's scream came from the grove, followed by the rustle of falling leaves.

Among the trees they saw a young man in a leather jacket, who was just pulled up to the height of

around three metres by a rough rope around the ankle. It was a clever trap, concealed in the thicket.

- See. That's what I was talking about, - remarked Sousuke, calm as ever. The man was screaming and

thrashing about like some sort of crazed pendulum.

A dumbfounded Kaname was struggling for words.

- Ah... it's your doing, isn't it?!

- Not at all. Those were installed some time ago.

- No way... and who the hell is that?

- No idea.

- That is my son, - said the priest Hikawa, who had come up behind them without anyone noticing. - I

thought he'd inherit the title of priest here, he was even admitted to the Shinto studies program in the


⑨

Kokugakuin, but... he got mixed up with the wrong sort and sort of let himself go. Ran away from home,

dropped out of the university... now he sometimes comes back to steal something of value.

- Ah...

- No matter how many times I tried to reason with him, he wouldn't listen. I really don't know what to

do anymore...

- So... that's what the traps are for? - said Kaname in a gloomy voice.

- Yes... Strange, isn't it...

- No... no, it's quite normal, isn't it, - she tried her best to answer casually.

- Goddamit! You old bastard! - Hikawa's prodigal son was shouting obscenities at them. - Let me down!

Don't stand there, looking full of yourself! Didn't you hear me, you bastard?!

Hikawa was calmly ignoring his son's cries.

- Katsuhiko. Haven't you had enough of this already? How many times have you tried to steal this

shrine's treasure and failed? Even if you do succeed, you'll definitely be punished by the Gods. That's

right, just like now.

- That's your trap!..

- Shut up. Since it's New Year, this is a good opportunity. You can reflect upon your actions and welcome

the New Year there.

- What?!

- If by tomorrow morning your soul becomes pure, I'll let you down.

- O... Oi!

Hikawa turned around and began to walk away, leaving his son hanging in midair.

- Um, Hikawa-san... are you going to leave your son like that?

- Why not. By the way, no matter what he says, please don't help him.

- But it gets really cold at night...

- That'll teach him a lesson. Although if something like this could solve the problem, it would've been

over a long time ago, - said the ageing priest with a note of sadness in his voice. - No matter, don't worry

about it and do your job. I've already said this many times, but please remember that you mustn't enter

the shrine sanctuary. If you do, even a good girl like you would be in trouble.


⑩

The priest's last words sounded unusually grave. She didn't understand why he was so concerned about

the sanctuary - was the shrine's treasure so important? Despite being a little curious, she was taken

aback by Hikawa's manner and only answered: "Ah. I understand."

Leaving the prodigal son, Hikawa Katsuhiko, hanging from the tree, Kaname and Sousuke went back to

their chores.

* * *

- I wonder, - mused Sousuke.

- What?

- The thing Mr. Hikawa was talking about, the main shrine... where is that?

- Right in front of you. This one, - Kaname jerked her thumb in the direction of a plain wooden building

with a gabled roof that was somewhat bigger than a normal house.

Sousuke nodded in understanding.

- I see. So, inside it is the shrine's treasure, right?

- I suppose so... why?

- If you look closely, there are a lot of security devices installed. And they're much more advanced than

those in the grove - electronically controlled sensors linked to multiple traps. They're not the latest

models, but someone who isn't a professional wouldn't know what to do with them.

- Here? That kind of stuff?

Kaname glanced at the main shrine doubtfully. It looked like any other building, but Sousuke seemed to

think otherwise.

- If they're really there, you must be some kind of esper to see them...

- I'm simply trained to be observant. However, what kind of treasure could they keep there under such

heavy security? It worries me a lot. Even its value can't explain it, - I wonder if it's not something more

dangerous.

Hearing Sousuke's remark, she folded her arms.

- Hmm... Well, it's kinda bothering me, too. But it's not such a big deal, is it? Probably some old mirror,

or a sword.

- A sword. Weapons. Yes, that's possible.


⑪

- Eh, weapons, you're exaggerating...

- When I was fighting in Cambodia, the guerrilla would often hide ammunition in temples. If you

consider that there might be powerful weapons stored here, the strict security would be quite

understandable.

- As if here..!

- Compact and highly efficient weapons of mass destruction... it has to be chemical weapons. Probably

tanks with VX gas7, their last resort in case of emergency.

- Do you think that in Japan shrines are used to store poisonous gas? - muttered Kaname, but Sousuke,

oblivious to her reaction, continued in a very serious tone:

- I definitely have to take a look inside. If my guess is correct, I must call an evacuation unit from Mithril's

Merida island base and forcibly remove it.

- Wa-...

- That's right. There's nothing more dangerous than religious fanatics with chemical weapons.

- Isn't what you're proposing also dangerous?..

Kaname broke out in a cold sweat, but Sousuke ignored her and began warily observing the main shrine.

He seemed serious about going in.

- Oi! Wait! - Kaname regained her wits and stopped Sousuke.

- What is it, Chidori?

- We were told not to enter, so don't! Besides, what are the odds of there being poisonous gas here?!

- But...

- I said no!

Seeing Kaname's glare, Sousuke reluctantly nodded.

- ...If you say so.

- Wonderful. Now, stop imagining stupid things and get back to work, alright?

* * *

7 One of the most toxic substances ever produced, a dangerous chemical weapon, and actually a liquid that can be

distributed as an aerosol. The work on this type of chemical weapons (V-series) was started in the 1950s both in the US and USSR, the VX being made in the US. Everybody has watched 'The Rock' at least once, right?


⑫

After Kaname left, Sousuke started cleaning the grounds as he had been told. First, the stone monument

near the main shrine. After thoroughly scrubbing it...

- Hey, you! - the voice of Hikawa Katsuhiko, still hanging upside down, reached Sousuke. - Lemme down,

huh? My leg's hurtin' like it's tearin' off. Oi, please!

Sousuke ignored it and concentrated on cleaning.

- Oi! Don't just ignore me!!

Silence was his answer.

- You're hired, so you're doing everything my dad says, huh? Well you're an idiot then. The old bastard's

a real cheapskate. You'll get paid less than in the local shop! He could pay you more, but he's too cheap.

Hey, are you listenin'?

Sousuke heard it all, but didn't bother to answer and explain that he wasn't working here by choice.

- The house, the car - they're fallin' apart, the TV's a second-hand 20-year-old piece of junk! The idiot...

He'd be able to make a better living if he sold the treasure in the shrine. So don't listen to that

cheapskate...

Sousuke turned his head and looked up at Katsuhiko, still hanging from the tree.

- O, you get it now?

- No. You just said something about a treasure in the shrine. Do you know what's inside?

Katsuhiko's hopeful face clouded for a moment, but he quickly thought of something.

- A- Yes, yea, I do!

- So what's this treasure?

- Hey... First you lemme down, then we talk, heh-heh.

Sousuke made a swift gesture with his right hand. A knife cut through the air and then the rope that

Katsuhiko was hanging from, and his body fell to the ground.

- E-- Eeeh! Ow!

Sousuke came closer to Katsuhiko, who looked like he hit his back pretty badly, and was lying spread-

eagled on the ground. Rubbing his hurting backside, the latter got up.

- Woah - awesome moves, dude!

- I let you down. Speak.


⑬

- Eh, the treasure... Well, it's sure not cheap. How much I dun' really know, but dad would always say,

"won't sell".

- "Uran"8... "uran"?! - Sousuke's face became stern.

- Yea... "won't sell", that's what he said. You think it's weird, too?

- What shape is it? Did you get a look at the contents?

Sousuke grabbed his shoulder, and Katsuhiko, somewhat bewildered at his reaction, said:

- Some time ago, yea... saw it just for a moment, so... uh, it's like in some sort of pot or barrel... wrapped

in a solid bag. Pretty big... like this, I guess, - he gestured to show an object the size of two soccer balls.

Sousuke stiffened and a shiver ran down his spine.

- ...SADM9.

- Eh? Wha?

- Something like an atomic demolition charge or mine. A remotely detonated, ultra-compact nuclear

weapon that weighs only about twenty kilogrammes. However, its explosive power is around four to five

kilotonnes, which is approximately half of that of the bomb used over Hiroshima, - Sousuke sounded like

he was talking more to himself than anyone else.

- Wha?.. What're you talkin'bout?

- Back in the eighties, the US Army secretly buried thirty-eight of those in East Germany, but it is

rumoured that a number was lost during the operation. To think that one, after passing through many

hands, ended up in the possession of that priest... This is...

- Oi. Are you ok? - Katsuhiko waved a hand in front of Sousuke's eyes.

Ignoring it, Sousuke fixed the shrine sanctuary with a hard stare.

- Do you know the inside of the main shrine building?

- Uh, a bit. But pa installed wicked security gadgets, so it's dangerous to come close.

- I can get past them. Guide me, - hearing that, Katsuhiko suddenly cheered up.

8 A simple wordplay. Sousuke confuses the shortened negative form of the verb "to sell" [売る -> 売らん,

pronounced "uran"] with the word "uranium". 9 Special Atomic Demolition Munition (around 300 of those were fielded by the US Army until 1989). Like Sousuke

explains, it is effectively a demolition charge, which was supposed to be dropped with a team of two paratroopers to set it up near the target (key infrastructure). In reality it weighed a little less than 70 kg and had a yield of 1 kiloton maximum, while Little Boy, dropped on Hiroshima, had an estimated yield of up to 18 kt - but hey, everything's more powerful in FMP!


⑭

- O-oh. I see. Together we'll be unbeatable! Hey, if we sell the treasure, how about splitting the money

seven to three?

Sousuke was going to say that selling is out of the question, but thought better of it and stopped mid-

sentence. He'd better agree for now, and persuade him after confirming the presence of the nuclear

charge.

- All right. Wait here.

Sousuke left for a minute and returned from the shrine office with a backpack loaded with an impressive

variety of equipment. From it he produced multifunctional goggles with a satellite datalink and put them

on.

- Let's go.

- Uh, yea!

They both took a deep breath and climbed over the fence of the main shrine.

* * *

- Hikawa-san, when would you like to eat? - asked Kaname, entering a room of the shrine office filled

with bookshelves. There sat the priest Hikawa, writing worshippers' names on talismans.

- Oh, a little earlier would be good, I suppose. Something simple is fine.

- Got it. Oh and, what should I make for your son?

- Don't bother.

- But...

Seeing Kaname's hesitation, Hikawa smiled.

- I am grateful for your concern, but it's alright. Please set the table for four people10.

- I... yes...

Expressly polite, Kaname looked at the picture frame on the desk. An elegant woman in her fourties

smiled back at her from an old black and white photo.

- Mr. Hikawa's spouse, is it?

10 He literally says something like: "four sets of chopsticks will be enough".


⑮

- Yes. It's been fifteen years. She had cancer, - said Hikawa in a voice that did not betray any emotion. -

Since then we've been living like this in this shrine - one parent, one child... Honestly speaking, I couldn't

replace his mother... I only knew how to scold him.

- I see...

- The way my son is now - it's my retribution... Guarding the shrine's treasure? What am I thinking? - the

priest sighed deeply, continuing to write with his brush.

- What about that? Are there really traps inside the sanctuary?

- Chidori-san, I think I've already told you it's forbidden to go there, - said Hikawa, fixing his eyes on her.

The intensity of his gaze made Kaname catch her breath.

- Ah, I didn't try to... It's just that... Sousuke-kun said so, like if they're there, we should be really careful...

- There are some security devices, that is true, but it's absolutely forbidden to get close to the sanctuary

- for your own sake. Do you understand?

At the seriousness of his tone the girl nodded hurriedly.

- O-... Of course. Well then, I'll go prepare dinner. Excuse me, - she said and quickly left the room,

pretending not to notice the piercing stare that followed her.

"It really is strange", thought Kaname. "The usually gentle Hikawa-san suddenly becomes a different

person when the main shrine is mentioned. If someone were to enter without permission, he wouldn't

only fire him..."

Thinking about it, she remembered Sousuke and her heart sank. Busy with different chores, she left him

alone for about an hour. Kaname realised that it was about time to check on him and left the shrine

office.

* * *

The shrine sanctuary turned out to be chock-full of security equipment, which looked like it was set up

by a commissioned specialist. A web of laser beams, invisible to the naked eye, pressure sensors in the

floor, vibration sensors and highly sensitive microphones were installed there, along with tasers,

netguns and tear gas dispensers to incapacitate intruders. All those defense systems were enough to

make anyone come to the same conclusion.

"As I thought, something's not right here..."

Sousuke went through the trouble of disabling the sensors one by one, circumventing them where

possible. After that he marked the spots where it was safe to step for Katsuhiko, who was waiting

farther back.


⑯

- Do not step anywhere I haven't marked.

- Ah, yea, got it.

Now that the wiring of the alarm system was removed, the floor and walls of the shrine sanctuary were

full of small holes.

He initially thought of asking the priest directly - "do you have a nuclear weapon here?" - but then

decided it was too dangerous. If the man felt cornered, he might just activate the remote detonator of

the SADM, and then... "That would be the end of us all", he thought - himself, Kaname and Kyouko

would be instantly disintegrated into atoms, and instead of the shrine and the hill there would only be a

large crater.

To prevent this from happening, he had to disable the detonator.

Sousuke followed Katsuhiko, who was gingerly stepping from one marked spot to another, and finally

came to the central area of the shrine. In the centre of the cold room stood two plain boxes. One was

approximately the height of a child, the one near it was much smaller.

- Woooah... this is the first time I could get here!

- Quiet. Hold your breath and turn towards the door.

- Eh, why?

- There's another sensor behind the boxes. It detects carbon dioxide emitted when you breathe.

- ... that old bastard. Is he completely nuts?

Sousuke tugged at the shocked Katsuhiko's sleeve.

- Which one is the treasure?

- There are only rocks inside the big 'un. Eh, I think it might be the other box...

- Let's start with that one then, - Sousuke said, straddling a laser beam that passed at knee height.

Katsuhiko followed, slowly getting over the beam, but at that moment...

- Sousuke!! What are you doing?!

Kaname suddenly appeared behind them, evidently ready to give them hell. She was standing in the

doorway and glaring at them furiously.

- Chidori!..

- Eeeeh!

The startled Katsuhiko lost his balance and his right leg hit the beam.


⑰

- Oh, shi...

In the blink of an eye a black taser barrel appeared from the ceiling with a loud clink. For a moment a

spark danced on the muzzle electrodes - and a dazzling electric discharge shot at Sousuke and Katsuhiko.

- Aaargh!

Katsuhiko's hair stood on end and he fainted. Sousuke jumped back reflexively and avoided the lightning,

but doing so activated another sensor. A net shot from a small hatch - this time he couldn't avoid it, and

was pinned to the opposite wall.

The alarms went off all at once and the wail of their sirens echoed in the compound.

- See! That's why you were told not to enter! What do you think you're doing?! I'll get fired for this! Why

did you do this?! - shouted Kaname, aghast at the dangerous traps.

In that situation Sousuke could only reply:

- There was a reason for this...

- A reason?! What reason could...

- What's happening?! - came Hikawa's voice from outside. They heard his footsteps crunch the gravel as

he came closer to the main shrine.

- Damn...

If Hikawa saw that they came here, he could very well go mad and press the detonator switch - before

this happened, the nuclear charge had to be disabled at any cost!

Sousuke made a decision. Still hanging in an uncomfortable position, he reached for a grenade and took

out the pin.

- Chidori, I'm going to blow up the SADM! Take Tokiwa and get as far away as you can!

- Huh?..

- If I destroy the container, there won't be a chain reaction, however, the compound will be

contaminated by radiation. Just run!

- Err. I don't really see what you're saying...

- This is goodbye. I'm glad to have met you.

- Me too... eh, I mean, what?!

At that moment, Hikawa appeared in the doorway. His face, now ghostly pale, could no longer conceal

his extreme anxiety.


⑱

- Run!! - shouted Sousuke and threw the grenade, aiming for the two boxes in the centre of the room.

- Wait! What are you...

Kaname's face turned pale, Hikawa gasped-

BANG! - the grenade exploded, and the wooden box was split in half. The "nuclear charge" inside was

destroyed.

Ready for a wave of radiation, Sousuke immediately closed his eyes. After being surrounded by death

and destruction his entire life, he was glad that his last act would be to stop a nuclear explosion.

* * *

Lying with his eyes shut for some time, Sousuke was quietly waiting to die, when-

- Oi!!

Kaname slapped Sousuke, who was still hanging there. All security devices were silent, and Mr. Hikawa

was helping his son up.

- Why don't you run away? If you remain here, the radiation from the charge w-

Kaname hit him again.

- Nuclear charge? Radiation?! Where do you see those?! You just blew up a shrine treasure, stop talking

rubbish! - Kaname sternly pointed to the wrecked box. The remains of a nuclear charge were nowhere

to be seen. Inside lay several albums that were now partially scorched and full of holes. - So, that's the

treasure.

- Ah... huh?

Kaname lowered her head, inspecting the contents, then picked up one of the albums. Sousuke soon

freed himself from the net, came closer and glanced at the album over Kaname's shoulder.

The album photos showed young men with pompadour-style hair, sporting aloha shirts and sunglasses.

After looking closer, one of them, who was smiling at the camera, definitely seemed familiar. They were

leaning out of the windows of a sports car, beating a vending machine with iron pipes, urinating in front

of a "Urinating is prohibited" sign.

- Dad... what is this? - asked Katsuhiko, who regained consciousness without anyone noticing and was

looking at the album from one side.

The ageing priest looked very embarrassed.


⑲

- Eh... since I've been found out, I suppose I'll tell you... These are photos from my young days... It's been

more thirty years already.

- This... is Hikawa-san?! - mumbled an astonished Kaname.

- Yes... I was also young and stupid once. Rebelled against my father, got mixed up with the wrong

crowd... Couldn't do anything else, so I was a hoodlum, but then I met my wife, and she gave birth to

you, Katsuhiko. I decided then to lead an honest life.

Katsuhiko opened his eyes wide in shock.

- Surprised, son? I wasn't a priest from the start. But I couldn't live like that forever. People age, their

time is limited... The truth is that the most important things aren't money or a wealthy life... I wanted to

show you this album when you understood that.

- D- Dad...

- Can you understand me, even a little?

- Yea... I didn't know anything about that...

- Hm, hm.

He gently pat Katsuhiko on the shoulder, and for a moment a warm feeling passed between the father

and the son.

...But.

- Wait a second, - muttered Kaname.

- What is it, Chidori-san?

- Well... I'm sorry to disrupt your happy family reunion, but... what, are the albums inside the box the

treasure? Where's the real thing?

- Ahem. The original treasure was a hand drum, handed down from the Muromachi era...

- Was, but..?

Mr. Hikawa looked away.

- We needed money, so we sold it.

Kaname collapsed into the pile of tattered albums.

- Ah... eh... but... ah...

- Those security systems were originally installed to protect the treasure, however... we kind of went

overboard with it. Later they charged us a preposterous amount of money, so...


⑳

Sousuke was nodding, as if he could understand the situation very well.

- I had no choice but to sell the drum. And since the box was now empty, I just put in another thing that I

wouldn't show to people anyway... That security system sure cost me a lot.

- Hi-... Hikawa-san. Have you ever heard of the expression "putting the cart before the horse"?

- Of course. What of it?

She was speechless at his reaction.

Sousuke patted a despairing Kaname on the shoulder.

- It's all right, Chidori. There was no SADM, I feel relieved, too.

- Yea... thanks to you, I made up with dad.

- I feel like a weight has been lifted off my shoulders. Strange, isn't it.

The young and old Hikawa cheerfully smiled, and Sousuke was nodding approvingly. It looked like all

three agreed, in their own way.

- You... damn you all...

Kaname's shoulders sagged and began to shake, her face showing a mixture of anger and utter despair.

[The end of A Damned Lethal Weapon]


21

[Golden Days with Captain Amigo]

It was a Thursday before a long weekend.

After the end of the sixth period, Sagara Sousuke hurried out of school and to the nearby Choufu airport.

Making use of the services of a small, sufficiently discreet and tight-lipped airline company, Sousuke

boarded a Cessna11, that was already waiting for him, and immediately took off.

The Cessna took a southern heading, and soon entered the airspace over the Pacific Ocean.

After only two hours, it landed at a small airport on the island of Hachijou. Why would an always silent

and sullen high school student regularly use the airport on Hachijou - the elderly pilot never asked.

Sousuke never bothered to explain either.

As a matter of fact, there was no reason for Sousuke to use that particular airport. It was only a stop to

change to another small plane, that was ready to taxi to the runway.

The pilot of the second machine casually saluted Sousuke and said:

- Nice day today, eh, sergeant? The sky's clear, almost no wind.

- Aha. Take it up, - answered Sousuke, changing his clothes in the cabin from his school uniform to

something more appropriate. This twin-engine King Air12 looked very old at first glance, it could have

easily been built more than two decades ago. However, the interior was completely different. The

engine and avionics were entirely replaced with the newest models, increasing its cruising speed to

more than 500 kilometres an hour. It was also shielded against storms.

Dusk set in as they took off from the airport, heading further south. They flew for around three hours

and a half, and Sousuke used that time to do his maths homework in the cabin. Overhead was a clear,

starry sky, and below them stretched the infinite blackness of the ocean.

They were more than two thousand kilometres south of Tokyo, at the farthest ends of Japanese

territorial waters. Even Iwo Jima and the Okinotori atoll were hundreds of kilometres away, no aircraft

or ships ever passed nearby. One couldn't hope to be rescued from a crash here.

- We will be landing shortly, - informed him the pilot, and in the pitch black sea he could already make

out a small speck that was in fact a solitary island. Its crescent shape seemed to lazily float on the waves.

It was small, probably not more than 10 kilometres from one end to another.

11

One of the most popular civil aircraft ever produced. 12 Hawker Beechcraft King Air series, a small twin-engine passenger aircraft with both civlian and military modifications. Japan's SDF uses both King Airs (B100 series) and Super King Airs (B200 and B300), which are basically a larger version, for reconnaissance and communications purposes. Their top speed really is around 500 km/h. Gotoh-sensei, why not use one of Japanese-made Mitsubishi Mu-2's, since they're even faster?


22

The pilot requested permission to land, and after a brief exchange of words, the voice at the other end

confirmed:

- Permission granted, Gabo Three-Oh. Welcome home.

As soon as he said that, on the island, engulfed in total darkness, something strange began to happen.

On the west side, completely covered by a dense forest, tree crones were parting to reveal the lights of

a single landing strip, which ran for about 2000 metres right in the middle of the dark forest. They were

slowly floating down towards it.

- Right, then...

The pilot licked his lips, then prepared the plane for landing, lowering the flaps and throttling down, and

the machine started gliding down effortlessly, then gently set down on the jungle runway.

"Finally," thought Sousuke and stretched, relaxing his stiff shoulders. On the GPS display above the

console, the coordinates read 40 degrees 50 minutes north, 140 degrees 31 minutes east. This island

wasn't marked on any ordinary map. Sousuke and the pilot, both knew this island as "Merida".

Merida. From the air it looked like an ordinary uninhabited island. However, underground was a ton of

advanced equipment, weapon and ammunition depots, as well as accomodations and training facilities

for combat personnel. It was also the home port of a high-tech marvel - the amphibious assault

submarine13 "Tuatha De Danaan", - constructed right inside Merida island. This was the home of the

secret mercenary force of "Mithril", their Western Pacific base.

* * *

- That's why I'm asking, what's this water doing here?! - shouted sergeant Kurz Weber, coffee cup in

hand, kicking a bucket with rain water out of the way.

He was wearing an olive-coloured uniform with a "Mithril" ID badge on the chest. His shoulder-length

blonde hair, deep blue eyes and chiselled features could make anyone mistake him for a movie star, - if

he didn’t open his mouth, that is. However, right now he was far from silent.

- You call this the most advanced secret base ever? Cutting-edge techonology, huh? So what's this rain

water doing here?? It's all over my desk now, see? Before spending all the money on that monster sub,

maybe they should've thought about patching up the roof! - shouted Kurz, pacing around a quiet office.

Water was dripping from a crack in the plaster ceiling.

13

Think it's a myth? Think again. The Soviet Union actually had almost built a nuclear-powered transport submarine, the Project 748, in development in the end of the 1960's. It would have been able to carry an entire battalion of marines, supported by several light tanks and armored troop transporters. No, it didn't have mecha launch capabilities, but I'm sure that if mecha existed then, they would've definitely included them. How cool is that.


23

There were plain desks for ten people, computers and documents cases, as well as a mess of maps and

photocopies. One of the walls was occupied by a large LCD panel, on which was displayed a big map of

the Western Pacific and a schedule table. This was the office of the Special Response Team in this

underground base. Even members of the SRT on active duty still had paperwork to handle: operation

reports, requests for delivery of new equipment, tactical and strategic situation assessments, and, of

course, the supremely important detailed expenditure sheets.

- The food's awful. There's no sake. The shower takes too long to warm up. The water in the drain smells

like some kind of oil. You can hear the din from the hangar from the barracks. The elevator's always "out

of order" and the stairs are, like, a hundred steps long. This is no way to treat a young gentleman like me,

I say- Hah? - Kurz was continuing to grumble as sergeant major Melissa Mao, who was sitting behind her

desk under an umbrella and working, threw an eraser at him. - Ouch! What?

- Just shut up, you..! If you don't have anything to do, get lost!

Mao was a Chinese American woman with very short black hair and large cat-like eyes. On her black

tank top was a similar ID badge.

- "Get lost", eh... you're only making this worse...

- Who don't you try the recreation room? I think I saw Roger loafing around there some time ago.

- Not a chance. That place only has ping-pong and tetris. It's like some godforsaken hot springs hotel in

the countryside.

- What about the bar? There's a billiard table, isn't there?

- That's been taken by the heli pilots. Since the other day they say they don't want anything to do with

me.

- Children... all of you, - sighed Mao and went back to work.

Kurz paid no attention to her and continued complaining to himself.

- We don't even fire guns anymore, it's just boring practice and manoeuvres... Ah, I want to go back to

the city, but the leave's a long ways off... Sousuke, that bastard - I'm so jealous of him...

- What about me? - answered Sousuke, who had come in unnoticed. His face stern as always, clad in a

field uniform but with his school bag still in hand, he saluted Mao and passed by Kurz.

- Eh? When did you get back?

- Just now. So, - said Sousuke, looking around the damp office, - why is there a mess on my desk?

He pointed to his working place, hidden under a mountain of trash, document files, journals and

magazines, - incidentally, it was also next to Weber's desk. Obviously, it had been moved over the


24

partition that separated his own desk from that of the person known to base personnel as the "Clutter-

man".

- Every time something happens, my desk gets it all.

- Hey, don't worry, you won't be using it anyway, - laughed Kurz, patting his colleague on the shoulder.

Sousuke frowned deeply and pushed his baggage under the table.

- Hm. Does today's exercise start at 2300 hours, as planned?

- Ah... About that, well, - Mao's chair creaked as she turned to Sousuke. She tapped her temple with the

digital pen she was using, - I don't think we can do it tonight... The M9, you see... I asked to replace the

master package of the hip joints, for safety reasons, but they're way behind schedule. I wanted to

contact you, Sousuke, but by then you had already left Hachijou island, so...

The M9 "Gernsback", Mithril's main Arm Slave model, that they were supposed to use for the exercise

was undergoing large-scale maintenance, that was also delayed. There were, of course, reserve M9's

standing by for emergency operations, but they couldn't be used for this, so they wouldn't be able to go

through with the exercise today. Which meant that his two and a half thousand kilometre trip after

school was a wasted effort.

- I'm sorry! I completely forgot about it! - Mao clasped her hands together apologetically. Strangely, he

thought that he got used to this thoroughly un-American gesture, and wondered where did she pick it

up.

- No, it's all right... I suppose it can't be helped.

Seeing Sousuke's shoulders drop a little, Kurz made a curious face.

- Eh, weirdo. Do you always care that much about a missed exercise?

- No. But I had to refuse an invitation to dinner for this...

- An invitation from whom?

- Kaname and Kyouko. It would've been a chance to try hashed beef for the first time in my life.

Hearing Sousuke's explanation, Mao gave a sly smile. Kurz just snorted indifferently:

- A-ah, I see. Well, it's a pity. Let's go to the pub then and get a drink!

Pushing Sousuke in the back, he led him out of the office.

- I don't drink alcohol.

- He-ey! Don't be a stiff bore. We've got this evening off anyway!


25

- Alcohol destroys brain cells. If you want to have a long career here...

- Pub it is then! Let's go.

They left the office, continuing to argue among themselves. Mao, left alone, turned back to her desk and

cocked her head in puzzlement - surely it'd be better to read a book if you have free time? The two

friends didn't have anything to do anymore and went away, complaining and arguing loudly, and she

suddenly thought that if they came back, it would cheer her up.

- ...Really, they're like children, - muttered Mao to herself and resumed her work.

* * *

In the pub, at least, there were no roof leaks.

Under an amber light, soldiers from all around the base, their daily work finished, were relaxing. People

from different areas gathered here and talked about everything and nothing in tipsy, agitated voices.

Naturally, conscious of their special status, junior officers of the SRT, like Sousuke and Kurz, felt

somewhat uncomfortable here. They were a very small group, a hand-picked elite, so they kept their

distance from the rest of the base personnel. The SRT members were generally more reserved, their

manner always somewhat cautious. Even when they seemed to be taking a break from duty, there was a

constant, almost imperceptible feeling of tension in the air around them. Though people as unsociable

as Sousuke were rare, there weren't many as open-natured as Kurz, either, and even fewer regular

drinkers.

This is why Sousuke and Kurz quietly sat in the far corner of the bar.

- I have never been here before, - said Sousuke, holding a glass of orange juice.

- Eh, really?

- Yes. This place is obviously bad for your health. Too much tobacco smoke.

- Hah. Soldiers don't have to worry about health. With this kind of life, poor eating habits and stress are

just another everyday danger. What, are you worried about your skin or something? - Kurz laughed

scornfully, tossing off a shot of whisky. The glass was empty, so he ordered another one, and a small sigh

escaped his lips. - But yeah... If I had money... I'd quit this dangerous business, and start a liquor shop

somewhere.

Sousuke doubtfully looked at his grumbling friend's face.


26

- The money you're earning should be enough. We get a lot of hazard bonuses on top of the base pay.

The compensation for your wound at Sunan14 alone should've been enough.

It was true. Mithril valued their specialists. The annual pay of an SRT member was comparable to a pro

league center fielder's income. It was, after all, a constantly dangerous job that an ordinary person

couldn't handle.

- Bah... So what. I was in a bad debt from the start. No matter how much I work, I can't save anything for

myself.

- That's something I haven't heard before.

- Well, it's just between you and me... that's the reason, so... that's why I have to bear with the crappy

food here, for now. Eh, it would be good to get into an M9 now...

Kurz stopped talking about his problems, and glanced at Sousuke.

- You must have saved up a lot, eh? - he sounded somewhat hopeful.

- Savings, hm. That was the case, however... they've been dwindling rapidly. The recent expenses were...

somewhat extreme.

- Expenses? What are you using it for?

- Compensation for damage to the school. Two weeks after I've settled down in Tokyo the accountant

for our unit told me that he won't pay the reparations any more, and that I had to do it myself.

- ...did you really cause that much damage?

- I don't like it myself, but it was for the sake of security, - Sousuke was calmly sipping his orange juice

beside an amazed Kurz. - Besides, it felt wrong to use Mithril's money. The base has roof leaks, and yet

they've got plenty of weapon purchase expenses to cover. Last week only, at the test firing, I shot four

missiles each worth twenty thousand dollars, and yet here I am, worrying about ordering a snack worth

two dollars. This is wrong...

- Putting anti-tank missiles and a peanut snack on the same level - there's something wrong with your

head, that's what I think.

- Hearing that from you offends me on a different level...

- I was just pointing out that military materiel is something else entirely...

- You really are argumentative. Kaname wouldn't have patience for you.

- No, she would hit me, screaming "Shut up!" or "Quiet!!"

14 Pyongyang International Airport. We can only imagine what they were doing there.


27

- So change your tone.

This sour conversation sluggishly continued for some time, until the bartender approached them.

He was an ageing man with a strong physique, though his gait was peculiar, as he dragged his right foot

a little. With his round red face and grey hair, he was the splitting image of the late Ernest Borgnine15.

He was also a mercenary a long time ago, and his strange gait was the consequence of an old war

wound... or so Kurz heard. "In Congo, or was it Rhodesia? Some bastard got him," - so people said,

although Kurz didn't even know where Congo was, not to mention Rhodesia.

- Eh, why are two nice young lads sittin' in my bar with gloomy faces like that, - he said in a hoarse voice.

- Gah, leave us alone. We're really not in the mood, - answered Kurz thoughtlessly.

That was their only greeting to him.

The bartender took a bottle of 12-year-old "Wild Turkey" out of the counter and filled a glass, then

settled down near them.

- What, 'you going to offer me one?

- As if. Just my drink, - the bartender drank up the rich bourbon in one shot before Weber's eyes. - Fffh...

I've been listenin' to yer for a while...

- Nobody asked you to, - murmured Kurz, but the bartender turned a deaf ear.

- ...and you've been doin' nothin' but money-talk. Don' you yourselves think it's pitiable? These days,

young lads who fight for their dream...

- We're not listening, - murmured Sousuke, but the bartender paid no heed to him.

- ... don' exist no more? Rely too much on fancy high-tech weapons, they do, tha's why they become like

that. We don' need those guided missiles and goofy-lookin' robots, if I do say so myself. To kill an enemy

you only need one bullet, and if there are many, a bullet each. Got it? Na-ah, I see you don't get it.

- I'm a sniper, and you're telling that to me, grandpa? - Kurz shrugged, but the elderly man looked at him

sternly.

- Nonsense. I'm talkin'bout your heart! The will to pursue your dream, the wish that becomes the

essence of your life - I'm talkin'bout bein' romantic. That's somethin' you lads lack completely. That's

why you're so draggy. Of course you can't be enjoying your time now, you didn't even order peanuts and

salami.

15

Don't just kill him like that, Gatoh-sensei! Did the Soviets get him in the FMP! world?.. Anyhow, the real Ernest Borgnine is a respected actor with a career that spans more than fifty years, and is still alive and acting (despite being 92 years old).


28

- I really don't get what you're trying to say.

- I presume you're trying to get us to order something else.

Said Kurz and Sousuke together. The old man rolled his eyes, said something that sounded like "Gah...",

and answered:

- Nonsense. All I'm tryin' to say is, when you're drinking, at least make a happier face!

- Nice try, - said Sousuke, his expression remaining sullen. Kurz looked at the ceiling and sighed.

- Even if you say that... If you don't have money, it can't be helped. You can't clearly see what's ahead of

you. No matter how many you kill, terrorists pop up again. No chance to get a good woman, no reason

to enjoy sake, romance be damned...

The bartender was watching him carefully. As he squinted at Kurz, his head shook a little, and his jaw

slightly moved to and fro, as if the old man was contemplating a course of action.

Before long he nodded and said:

- Hm. If you'd like, I could teach you what romance means...

- Eh? What are you talking about, oi?

The old man turned away without answering and went back to the kitchen.

- Eh, what's up with him?

- Don't know. There are no signs of a wound to the head, but it certainly looks like it...

After that they chatted aimlessly for an hour or so. They almost forgot about the bartender's talk, but

when one of them said that it was time to go...

- Nonsense. Where do you think you're going? - the old man reappeared, dragging one leg.

- Where else, the barracks. Thanks for the drinks.

- Nonsense. Did I keep you waiting?

- ... Sheesh, you and your "nonsense", 'sound like a driving instructor. Get a grip, - the two were going to

stand up and leave, but he quickly stretched out a hand to stop them. The hand, rough and bony, held a

piece of old parchment.

- Hold there, lads. It's about the romance thin'.

- Eh, what's this? - Kurz scowled at him, but the old man smiled lightly.

- On this map is the location of a treasure on Merida island. It's the treasure of Captain Amigo, a pirate

of the high seas back in the fifteenth century.


29

Kurz and Sousuke fell silent for a while, but seeing the seriousness in the bartender's eyes, they both

muttered something like "should we call the doc?"

* * *

The next morning.

Kurz was thinking out loud:

- Amigo, is it... Amigo... sounds like a wrestler, no? This isn't just fishy, it's on a whole different level!

Sousuke nodded in agreement and said:

- Sounds very weak for a pirate. Even if he did exist, I doubt that he'd be able to do any real looting.

- Exactly. If there's a treasure chest, it's probably full of gifts from friends and stuff. Like a graduate's

time capsule.

- Possibly. At any rate, probably nothing worthy of our attention.

- Looks like that old man completely lost it. It's nearly the twenty-first century, and he talks about

"pirate treasure"? Who would believe this nonsense anyway?

- If you don't, - Sousuke paused abruptly, - then why are we going there?

They were in the middle of the damp, humid jungle. The trees, as high as four-story buildings, blocked

the sky from view. A tiny bit of sunlight was filtering through the trees, birds were chirping, and on the

nearest tree trunk rested some kind of large moth. They were around three kilometres from Mithril's

underground base, in the part of Merida that was covered by a dense forest. This area was only used as

a reconnaissance operations training ground. Sousuke and Kurz wore their field uniforms with jungle

boots and bush hats, lighter equipment and knives. There couldn't be any enemies around, so they only

had revolvers.

- Ah... Well, think of it as a picnic, - answered Kurz, holding the treasure map in one hand.

It really was like a picnic for those two - if they weren't trained for reconnaissance in jungle conditions,

they'd be like lost children, and would surely die somewhere on the way. There were no roads, the

visibility was near zero. Since ancient times there were almost no man-made structures, - it was one of

the last unexplored regions on Earth.

- Besides, you know - maybe there is a chance there really is something here.


30

- The chance is zero. This is a waste of time.

- Hey, it's all right, we've got the day off, anyway. Won't be any trouble if you return by Monday, right?

- Yes, I'm supposed to return then, but... - Sousuke replied reluctantly. He was planning to go fishing on

the cape near the base, something he hadn't done in a while. The exercise was postponed anyway, since

in the middle of repairs another problem was discovered on the M9, this time with electronic systems.

Seeing Sousuke's look, Kurz began to persuade him enthusiastically.

- Hey... what if... you know? Even if it's something not really valuable, surely you'll at least cheer up

when we find it, that's what I think.

- Is that so.

- Yeah, it has nothing to do with the monetary value. It's the fact that you're enjoying your life that

matters, not money. If we can pawn it and get ourselves a good meal, it'll be fine. Got it? Even if there's

no treasure, it isn't that important. After all, it's all about the process, not the result. Same as with your

fishing.

- Fishing, huh.

- Yeah. Besides, another reason is what the old man was talking about - romance. In our job, where we

play with fate every day, it's important to see a dream sometimes. Don't you think so?

- Hmm, - Sousuke didn't understand the concept of romance very well, but the fishing metaphor was

quite clear. Instead of casting a line, he was walking the jungle, and if they were lucky, they would find a

pirate treasure, instead of fish. That's how it was.

- However, do you really think we can rely on this old map?

- Eh? Prolly. If we could just link it to the surroundings...

- Let me, - Sousuke took the parchment, and started carefully comparing it with the newest, detailed

map, made by Mithril specialists. The so-called Captain Amigo's map was woefully inaccurate, to the

point where both the island coastline and the position of the mountain were incorrect. On the part of

the map that showed the sea a whale, spouting water, and a playful-looking sea dragon were drawn -

this was getting more suspicious by the minute. The treasure was supposedly located in the south-

eastern part of the island, and near a distinctively marked mountain stream and a rock, instructions in

old Spanish were written here and there. Sousuke, who could only speak a few words in Spanish,

couldn't make out most of what was written.

- What is this - Mount Señorita? - it looked like someone was making fun of them. Was the one who

drew this really a fifteenth century Spaniard? Or maybe a Japanese who wasn't entirely of sound mind?

- Ah, that is near the target practice range in square D3. There's a low mountain on the west side of it,

right?


31

- This isn't the problem. What I'm trying to say is, - can we really trust this map?

- Huh?... Gosh, give it here, - Kurz took back the two maps and began to explain, moving his fingertip

across the map. - This map is vague all right, but you can match the landmark locations. Look here. The

little brook running from E8 to E9. Even if we assume that it could have shifted its position over

centuries, there are no other streams in the area... then, here, at F8 - a low cliff. It's on Amigo's map, too.

East of that, this rock...

After finishing a long explanation, Kurz folded the map.

- ... so, that's about it. The treasure is in a cave, with a boulder blocking the entrance. When we get to

the place, we'll see it for ourselves.

Even so, Sousuke's face remained clouded.

- I'm still suspicious of the origins of this map...

- You think that old man drew it, don't you? But this map really is old, - Kurz waved the crude, decaying

parchment.

- Hm...

- Get it now? Well, let's go then! - without waiting for an answer, Kurz started to move forward, cutting

through the thicket with his machete.

"If conditions are favourable, it wouldn't be impossible to find the landmarks from the map..." Thinking

that, Sousuke went on behind him.

For special forces soldiers, navigation on land was one of the most basic techniques. Considering their

skill, this wasn't an unexplored, secluded region, but just another tropical forest. Be that as it may, once

they almost fell off a particularly steep slope, then nearly rolled down into a bog, got attacked by

hornets - they faced obstacles like these at every step. Once, a large wild pig, screeching, came at them

from the thicket, almost injuring them gravely.

Having knocked them over, the pig tried to escape, but then came the loud crack of a shot, - Sousuke,

nearest to the black boar, was holding a smoking revolver, - the pig let out a last shriek and died.

- You always kill anything that moves? - said Kurz as Sousuke slung the dead pig over his shoulder.

- Didn't you read the HQ directive? "Upon detection of a pig above ground, eliminate if possible, or

capture" - this resolution was posted on the notice board.

- What's that all about?

- The preservation of the ecosystem. A long time ago, these pigs were introduced here by Europeans.

Looking for larvae, their food, they dig up tree roots, which destroys the forest. Rain water will

eventually gather in the holes left by dead trees, and that in turn will be a breeding ground for a large


32

number of mosquitoes. Mosquitoes carry malaria. This malaria will then lead to the extinction of this

island's native species. That's how I understood it, at any rate, - knowledgeably answered Sousuke,

without a hint of hesitation.

- You're a soldier, and you're worrying about ecology...?

- The goal is to preserve our manoeuvring ground.

- Myeah. Though I sort of feel pity... for the pig, too, - Kurz poked the carcass.

- There's no reason to exterminate them, just reduce their numbers, if possible.

- Hmm... D'you think we should have it for lunch? The poor little thing.

- Why not.

They promptly lit a fire and roasted the pig on it, draining its blood first, then quickly ate. They took the

leftover meat with them. These kinds of skills were indispensable for soldiers like them. And, in the end,

the pig did taste pretty good.

* * *

Contrary to their expectations, they quickly found the landmarks they were looking for. In the south-

eastern part of the island, in the forest, a low cliff stretched out, with a small stream beside it. And at

the foot of that cliff lay an enormous boulder nearly 5 metres in diameter.

- That one. On the other side of that rock, - said Kurz, holding the two maps side-by-side.

- That simple, is it?

- That's what Amigo says. If we can move that rock, there'll be a cave... inside is the treasure chest, -

seeing the massive boulder, Kurz faltered. - Hey, how are we supposed to move that thing?

- That's what I thought.

Judging by the map, there was a horizontal cave going through this cliff, and that rock was blocking the

way in.

- I see. Well, this is no riddle, they just used brute force to protect this cache.

- Most likely dropped the rock from the top of the cliff to close the cave.

The rock was the size of an average house, and no matter how long they looked, they couldn't find a

single opening that they could use to get inside.

- Hmm... Blow it up, I guess, no other way.


33

- We'd better not, - said Sousuke, gently brushing the side of the rock that was leaning against the cliff.

- What now?..

- The rock itself aside, the geological structure is a problem. If you look closely, it has become

surprisingly brittle. It would, of course, be possible to set up enough explosives to remove the rock, but

the explosive blast may well cause a cave-in.

- Myea... I guess...

Sousuke was more knowledgeable in demolitions and handling of explosives, so Kurz did not question

his partner's judgement and his face became troubled.

- Damn it. Maybe borrow a bulldozer..? Nah, impossible to get it here, through these mountains...

- It would be possible to transport it here by helicopter.

- Are you kidding me? It's impossible to get anything from the pilots. Besides, they'd just laugh in our

faces, I'm sure of it.

- Then give up, you've got no choice...

- ...Shit! - swore Kurz and kicked the boulder with his boot. Not satisfied, he kicked it again and again,

but the rock, large as it was, didn't move an inch.

Sousuke was watching his frustration with a doubtful face.

- Why does it bother you so? "The process is what's important, not the result" - you said so yourself.

- Wha- oh shut up! So what if I did, I can't accept this kind of result! And more importantly - yes, more

importantly! - treasure hunting's supposed to be dramatic, isn't it? Like the threat of savage natives, the

love of a mysterious beauty - and on this deserted island the only natives are the pigs, and if a

mysterious beauty came here, she'd be a squadron commander, always working inside the base!

- Is that so.

- Yes it is! "We just went for a walk around the manoeuvring ground, killed a pig and ate it. Treasure?

Naah, give up" - is that all you can think of?! Where, oh where is the romance?! - he lifted his hands to

the sky in mock despair.

- Again that "romance". I don't quite understand it, - Sousuke folded his arms.

Kurz finally stopped and stood there, panting.

- Pff... it's no use. Dream's over. No place for that in this world. Tomorrow there will be boring exercises,

pointless repetition of tactics... and I'll still be paying off my debt when some silly accident will end my

life... or maybe not?


34

He opened his eyes wide, as if suddenly remembering something.

- What is it?

- Ah... I must be an idiot. Yes, ye-es. Hahahaha! What am I thinking? This was staring me in the face all

the time, and I didn't think of it - no, I really am an idiot!

- So, what is it?

- Shut up, idiot number two. Let's go back to the base for a moment, - said Kurz, turned on his heels and

quickly walked away.

* * *

Later in the evening.

Both of them returned, covered in mud from head to toe, and leaving their luggage and the rest of the

boar meat in the barracks went towards Hangar 12. Meeting Mao on the way, they didn't say anything

about Captain Amigo's treasure.

- We went on a boar hunt. That's all.

- Affirmative, a boar hunt, sir.

- Eh?.. Really? - Mao frowned, but didn't press further. She was already busy enough because of the

training schedule delays and the maintenance problems.

For a while they were walking in a corridor with bare concrete walls, which led them into a deserted

hangar. There stood Arm Slaves, three along each wall. These eight-metre-tall giants, with weapons of

various sizes fitted on them, because of their extraordinary mobility, were the most powerful land-

based forces of the present day. Both knees on the ground, these Bushnell-type Arm Slaves looked as if

they were bowing silently.

They belonged to an older generation of AS that came before the M9 Gernsbacks that Sousuke and his

comrades in arms ordinarily used. Despite being inferior in performance to the M9's, up until now they

were the frontline mainstay of most armed forces of the western countries, with many variants being

manufactured.

Their frames were short with thick limbs, as if they were wearing extra down jackets. Their curved

armour plating was covered with minute gashes and scratches.

- Heh-heh. This guy's strength is unbeatable, - said Kurz, folding his arms and looking up in admiration at

the first machine.


35

- Are we really going to use them? We don't have clearance, you know. They might be old, but they are

expensive machines, about ten million dollars each in fact, - said Sousuke grimly.

- Hey, don't worry. They're only gathering dust here anyway, seeing as they're old. If someone asks later,

we'll think of some answer, like "we were reappraising the special qualities of the second generation AS

types".

- But-...

- We'll only borrow it for a short while. If we clean it when we get back, nobody's gonna complain.

- Hmm...

- You also want to see what the treasure really is, right? - Kurz looked like he was already half-convinced

that something was really hidden behind that boulder.

* * *

The distance they covered in three hours on foot was only a thirty minute trip for the AS. Its powerful,

heavy footsteps and the howl of the gas turbine engine resounded through the jungle. Crushing the

thicket, easily traversing ravines and ridges, it came to a halt below the cliff where they came earlier. It

wasn't on par with an M9, but it also had extraordinary mobility.

The day was already coming to an end.

The M6, carrying Kurz in its left hand, stopped in front of the boulder in question. Illuminated by the

powerful projectors mounted on the head and the shoulders of the AS, the rock stood, as if staring

defiantly at the machine, as if it was saying: "Ha, tin man. If you think you can move me, go on, try".

Kurz jumped from the M6's arm lightly and said:

- Good, now, - if you please, Sagara-kun?

<Certainly> - answered Sousuke, who was piloting the machine, through the external speakers.

The M6 grabbed the rock with its right hand, and planted itself firmly in the ground. The rock, huge as it

was, looked smallish compared to the M6, but its weight could've been fifty-sixty tonnes. The M6, on

the other hand, weighed twenty-two tonnes. At human scale, it would be like trying to push a large bike

with brakes engaged.

<Let's go.>

He raised the engine output. The whine of the turbine and the growling of the rear exhaust ports

suddenly became louder. The enormous electric power from the generator was pumped into all the


36

artificial muscles, made from a special shape memory polymer. The rock suddenly trembled, small

pebbles and moss shaken from its surface were falling down.

- Okay, go! Come on! Move!

The M6's feet sank into the ground. They were already planted there, and trying to move the rock added

pressure. The knee joints stiffened and the armoured skeleton of the machine made creaking noises.

The rock was half buried in the ground, and looked like it wouldn't move at all, but-...

-O!

The strength of the AS really was tremendous. The rock shook, lurched forward, and came out of the

ground for a couple dozen centimetres-... and, as if giving up this duel, crashed to the opposite side with

a tremendous rumble. A cloud of sand, smoke and dust rose into the air and engulfed the area.

- Yes!!

<Look, Kurz.>

The cloud of dust slowly settled down, and in the light of the M6's projectors he saw the entrance of a

cave.

- O-oh... It really was there!

The entrance was a bit less than 5 metres wide. Small pebbles were falling down from the ceiling, but

one could spot larger rocks, the size of a fist, also ready to fall down. Removing the rock probably

weakened the cliff's base.

<It looks like it's about to collapse. Pretty dangerous.>

- We came all the way here, are you saying we should just leave without going in?

<In any case, should I try to hold it with the AS for now?>

- I guess, yeah.

The M6, operated by Sousuke, bent, and placed itself in the entrance of the cave, supporting the ceiling

with its back, like a bracing beam. Locking the knee joints, Sousuke opened the cockpit hatch and

jumped down from the frame. The pitch dark cave was gently sloping downwards. The two of them,

switching on their Maglites, went in.

The cave was surprisingly short. After about fifty meters it became a dead end. There was a large puddle

of water, and near it, on top of the highest rock, in plain sight stood a rusted chest.

- Oh. That was easy.

- Is it normal that it's this easy..? It's like waiting to be looted, - sweat was pouring off Sousuke's brow.


37

- Maybe he was a kind pirate...

- What if the pirate part is a lie, and the bartender fabricated it all? I think he tricked us-...

- Can you imagine anyone thinking up such an elaborate joke?

Advancing carefully, just in case there were traps, the two crossed the puddle and stopped before the

chest. Breaking the lock with a gun, they put their hands on the lid.

- So, what do you think is in there?

- Rotten books or a pot of pepper, something like that.

- Or embarrassing love letters, addressed to a woman he was in love with... eh?

- Either way, nothing interesting.

- Heh. Well, I'm opening it, - said Kurz and lifted the lid of the treasure chest.

Their Maglites' beams illuminated the treasure's contents - and seeing it, the two became speechless.

That is, it was something they weren't expecting. It was almost impossible, so they thought. The

contents were beyond anything they could've imagined, and Sousuke and Kurz were standing there for

some time, unable to move.

- ...Oi.

The treasure really was a treasure. A countless number of gold coins were glittering in the light. Jewelry.

A magnificient dagger, inlaid with diamonds. Silverware with beautifully engraved intricate designs.

Having realised this - Kurz stretched his shaking hands to touch the gold coins. They were real, there

could be no mistake.

- Oi... This might be worth one or two million dollars, all of this... - said Kurz slowly, as if he was in a

dream. His voice showed no excitement. He wasn't able to fully grasp what had happened yet.

- Captain Amigo... who the hell was he?

- I don't know. This world is full of riddles, - answered Sousuke, his face pale.

* * *

First, they had to carry out the treasure chest. The cave ceiling looked very fragile, like it was about to

collapse. The two of them were waddling towards the cave entrance, carrying the chest in their arms.

Step by step they were advancing forward, and a feeling began to well up inside them - a joyous feeling,

making them want to jump in excitement. First, bewilderment. Then, their imagination started drawing

a new, hopeful prospect of life.


38

- What do we do, eh? We're filthy rich now...

- I suppose... This is probably worth probably around ten million dollars, isn't it.

- Fifty-fifty means five each. No, no, let's also give a part to the old man...

Beside an excited Kurz, Sousuke looked very pensive.

- I can't think of anything to do with it.

- What are you talking about! A gorgeous yacht, a really expensive villa. You'll be able to enjoy yourself

and fish every day. Cool, isn't it. And of course, we'd wave goodbye to this job.

- I'm not particularly interested in the yacht or the villa, but fishing sounds nice, - saying that, Sousuke

somehow imagined his silent, grim figure, sitting on a yacht with a fishing rod. The sea was gentle, and

the skies a brilliant blue. For some reason, Chidori Kaname was also on the yacht, preparing the fish that

he caught.

- Wouldn't be bad.

- Hah, "woulbn't be bad", he says. It'd be awesome! - Kurz was sounding more excited by the minute. -

Up until now I've only had bad luck in my life. All of that ends here and now. I thought there was no God,

but here you are. He does exist, no mistake about it.

- Perhaps, - sincerely agreed Sousuke.

The two were coming to around the middle of the cave, and at that moment, only two metres away, a

rock the size of a human head fell on the floor with a crash. And another one, in the back. And another,

right in front of them. Smaller stones began to rain down from the ceiling.

- It's collapsing.

- Oh damn!

Staggering under the weight of the chest, the two quickened their pace, keeping an eye on the exit. The

cave was beginning to collapse all around them. With a deep rumble, a mass of earth and rocks

collapsed behind them. If they ran now, they'd be able to save themselves, but carrying this kind of

heavy luggage-...

- Let's drop it. It's dangerous!

- What are you talking about? Are you crazy?

- What is more important to you, money or your life?

- Both! Hurry!!


39

Sousuke meant to drop the chest and escape alone... but seeing his partner's frantic expression, he

shoved that thought aside. This wasn't going to become a double suicide together with a treasure chest.

The danger was indeed great, but together they'd somehow be able to run out...

Stones were raining down on them, their legs were leaden, their hands, holding the chest, seemed to be

tearing off...

- Just a little further!!

With a superhuman effort, they went even faster, their feet were thumping on the ground as they ran

up the slope, between the legs of the M6, and almost rolled out of the cave.

The next second, behind them came a thunderous roar, - earth and sand, rocks and pebbles crushed the

cave where they just were, missing them by a hair's breadth.

Sousuke and Kurz put some distance between them and the cliff, and were finally able to catch their

breath.

- A-ah... that was close. I thought we'd die for sure.

- We almost committed a double suicide! - gasped Sousuke, dripping with sweat.

Kurz sat down on the chest and laughed.

- Hah, don't get mad at me. At least like this we have the treasure, safe and sound. It's the result that

counts!

- This morning you said the exact opposite...

- Oh, don't fuss over it. No matter what, we're rich people now! Is ten million dollars that bad? Just think

about it, oi!

- Ten million, hm... - realising how enormous the sum was, Sousuke shivered. His life up until now was

that of another small cog in this world, but he had a feeling that it would turn in a different direction

now. A different life. He felt that he had been waiting for something like this.

- First, we've got to think of a way to turn this into cash - discreetly. Anyway, let's get back to the base.

- Hmm....?

At that moment they saw it - the M6 Bushnell was still in the entrance of the cave, crushed under

hundreds of tonnes of earth and rock. Its twisted limbs protruded at odd angles. White smoke was

starting to pour of the partially exposed torso-...

- Ah.

The explosion sent earth and sand flying in all directions, and the M6 was blown to atoms. Red flames

vividly illuminated the dark jungle.


40

The two were standing there, dumbfounded. After a while, Kurz murmured:

- The M6... how much did it cost again?

- About ten million dollars...

* * *

--------------

<Income:>

<Captain's Amigo's treasure - 10315500 USD (Mithril expert opinion)>

<One pig - no monetary value>

<Expenses:>

<M6A2 Bushnell - 10315500 USD (Mithril expert opinion)>

-------------

- ...how can idiocy like this even exist? - said Kurz, sitting down on a chair in the corner of the bar

counter, a glass of cheap whiskey in hand. - Entirely confiscated. Is one old M6 really worth as much as a

real pirate treasure?.. Romance and dreams de damned. Gah, this is awful...

- The headquarters' office cut the estimate a little, in return for overlooking this incident, I think, - said

Sousuke, holding a glass of grape juice in one hand.

- Well... if I learned that there was a treasure like that lying in my own back yard... I'd also be sheepish

about this. We just made fools out of everyone.

- In the first place, properly speaking, we should be in the detention barracks. Apparently we should be

thanking the captain for pleading for us.

- Hmph... Good girl. She'd be even better if she cut the price of the M6 a bit, and give us the difference...

- You're asking for too much.

The conversation continued in the same dull, gloomy mood, until the bartender, dragging his foot as

always, came to them.


41

- Eh, I heard that, lads. Looks like you had a pretty fun time, eh? - said the barkeep in a hoarse voice, the

usual satisfied smile on his red face.

- What, is this your idea of fun?..

- Nonsense. You should be glad you came back unharmed, - said the old mad and poured himself

another shot of bourbon. Kurz snorted in disgust and looked away, but Sousuke, sitting beside him,

raised a hand.

- I'm curious, mister... did you know that the map was genuine?

- No, didn'. Tha's why I didn' look for it.

Sousuke gave him a puzzled look.

- I won that map from an old war buddy in a poker game. It looks like a copy made by someone in the

nineteenth century. With a name like Captain Amigo, it sure sounded fake.

- However, the treasure was genuine.

- That surprised me, too. It's a mystery, a real mystery, - the old man, drinking his bourbon, looked like

he was thoroughly enjoying himself. - Listen, lads... this world is full of strange and wondrous things. So

what if you had bad luck this one time? Just enjoy yourselves, there's no reason to be angry or moan

about it. If you think like that, you'll cheer up in no time, eh?

- It's easy for you to say, oi, - answered Kurz in a sullen voice.

The bartender didn't answer him, but instead took two gold coins out of his pocket and tossed them on

the counter. The coins made a small clinking noise as they danced on the counter's surface. These coins

were part of the treasure they had found.

Sousuke and Kurz stared at them blankly.

- Those..?

- Your superior, that Russian - he asked me to share them. One's mine. The other two are for you, - the

old man waved the third one in front of them, - go on, take them. This - this is a part of the romance.

Once you put this in your pocket, it'll give you an invisible strength, a strength to live, and continue to

smile, no matter what happens. If some time later you lose your way, and hesitate - this coin will

become your friend.

- Eh...

- You understand that? Nah, you don't. But - here, take it.

The two young soldiers both took the coins and stared at them like they were some kind of food they'd

never tried before.


42

- I will keep it. Thank you, - said Sousuke very sincerely.

- Meh... It'll be a souvenir of me doing something stupid to kill time, - said Kurz with a strained laugh,

though, in truth, his grinning face didn't show any signs of bitterness.

The old man gave them a broad, satisfied smile, filled his own glass with bourbon again, and put it in

front of them.

- Let's drink, then - to the memory of the weird pirate's gold!

- Cheers!

- Cheers.

The three clang their glasses, and for a while continued to enjoy their time together.

[End of Golden Days with Captain Amigo]

General translator notes:


43

The translator isn't a Humanoid Interface, a professional linguist or literary genius (or even a native

English speaker), - I really don't have the right to say "Supeshalisuto da!", like Sousuke. Therefore, I'm

aware of the fact that there may be mistakes, especially stylistic. Keep in mind that I had to find a

balance between a text that is pleasant to read, and the original content. I can't go rewriting everything,

so some things may well sound awkward. For improvements, refer to Disclaimer para II.

The stylised parts of dialogue (in this case, Katsuhiko's and the old bartender's, as well as Sousuke's

more formal way of speaking) are there by choice, obviously, and here's why. When I translate, my

imagination draws the episode for me. I rely on that to make the dialogue sound as if you were watching

an episode; that stylisation is meant to evoke a picture of an old man or young hoodlum. Whether it is

successful is debatable, even though I think it doesn't look bad. Is it going to be in all my translations?

That will be based on feedback, see Disclaimer para II.

[Disclaimer]

I. This translation is made by fans, for fans. It is also made for educational purposes - yes, you heard me

right. it is first and foremost an exercise in translation for me, which happens to be a light novel from a

series that I like. Therefore, it is definitely not for sale, rent or auction, and will remain free.

II. Any negative feedback - or, better, constructive criticism, - will definitely be considered, and a v2 is a

definite possibility. I don't mind going over it again and adding a layer of polish. Mondai nai. Although

new and/or ongoing translations do have priority.

III. Pictures were not added for two reasons, the first and most obvious one being copyright nitpickers.

You're not missing much though (and that is the second reason) - seriously, sometimes Kaname looks

like a cosplaying Konata. I'm not saying they're bad, but the anime art is ten times better.

IV. If you want to show your support for Gatoh-sensei and KyoAni - buy the books and DVDs.

V. This content is published a "right to copy" license, 2009. Spread it around! However, if you want to

use the translation as a basis for another translation (in your native language, for example), please

contact me first at: emperor3261 (at) gmail.com ; that is to say, I'm definitely going to allow and

encourage it, I'd just like to keep track of its usage, so please do.

VI. Finally, by reading this, you will agree to wait impatiently for the next season of Full Metal Panic! and

share the goodness of the existing FMP material with others.


44

Thanks to:

Gatoh Shoji - for creating one of the most attractive alternative worlds out there;

Gonzo, and (especially) KyoAni - for bringing it to life;

lazy-otaku - the quality scans;

My friend T. - editing and important advice;

And You! yes, I mean you! - for reading it, which proves that the time I spent on this wasn't wasted.

General thanks to:

The people who share - whether it's files, or your time and knowledge - you make the world a better

place.

Please look forward to our next releases!

Quote of the day:

"They're talking to the balls..."

fmp short stories 2 eng

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