Their words pierced him deeply and struck a nerve. He knew they weren't wrong, and that they said what they said because they cared. But what the twins said had also frustrated him because he knew no matter what, he couldn’t abandon that nagging feeling in his heart to uncover the mysteries of his past. To stray from the path that had been laid out for him represented a betrayal of his need to remember. He couldn’t abort his mission in favor of theirs, not yet; not until he found the answers. The nano codec, the nanocells, Wizard, Knight-1, Amiko, Zonos; somewhere, in middle of all those things, was an answer that would help him.
He dried his eyes, took a deep breath, and recalled the meetings he overheard between the familiar man, and Chimera and ZOBE. There’s no doubt they were up to something. Assassinations? ZOBE? Chimera? Everyone knows Zonos does backdoor dealings with Chimera on a regular basis. I should do a reverse image search on the Hybrid man from the negotiation tents and see what I can find out about him. And maybe I should pay Prime Minister Honda an early visit. Something about him had been bothering me, Caiden thought to himself. Turning his computer’s holo-screen on, he switched it to TV mode, and the first thing that popped up was the end of a short press conference with Shino Honda, live on air. I wonder what this is about? Caiden wondered as he tuned in.
CHAPTER 29
---usr/systems/server-x/PRESS CONFERENCE---
“Thank you, all. Now I’ll open the floor for questions. You there, sir,” Shino pointed to a reporter.
“Thank you, Prime Minister Honda. Kano Greene here for the ND Daily. I’ve been receiving hundreds of calls every month since you apparently ceased your attempts at ameliorating the Psi-Corp Military Police Force. What exactly caused those efforts to cease? The police force in recent times has become harsher in their dealings with citizens and nothing seems to have been done about this. Can you comment on this?” reporter, Kano Green asked.
Shino looked down at his notes. “The Psi-Corp Military Police force has done an outstanding job protecting the citizens of this great city-state from both internal and international threats for many years. Given the uptick in crime in the city, it’s only natural that our forces find better ways of dealing with the increased violence and drug trade. We are currently working on a bill that will give the force the ability to better combat these threats. Next?”
“But Mr. Prime Minister, that didn’t answer the question. You were once a huge proponent of reform among police force ranks, and then suddenly you stopped…” Kano was cut off.
“Next, please. You there, yes?” Shino was eager to change the topic.
“Eva Young here for Q1 News. There’s been whispers of possible human clones being cultivated and developed specifically for the police force. First, is there any validity to these rumors? And secondly, if so, would this contribute to the force’s uptick in violent incidents toward the regular citizens of our city-state?” Eva Young asked.
Shino chuckled. “Of course, not. There is no such thing as a clone police force here. All of our brave men and women in the force are tax paying residents of Neon District who are normal citizens just like everyone else,” he replied.
“Sir…” Eva began.
“Next question, please?”
“Hello, sir. Terrin Jeffers, Liberty Port Exclusives. It’s my understanding that Representative Ren Krong is a valued leader of the people in this great city. Both he and you shared similar political views up until, well, up until you decided to, uh, ‘alter’ your stance. What’s your take on Representative Krong?” Terrin inquired.
“Firstly, welcome to our great city. It must’ve been quite the trip from Liberty Port. Representative Ren Krong is an excellent and well-respected politician within our ranks in government. He is an absolute champion for social justice and working, and middle-class families. Though our stances on certain matters may differ, he continues to be a beacon of hope here and I hope to work with him someday soon on future legislation,” Shino stated.
Eva wasn’t finished with her questioning. “Sir, is it true that Zonos is involved in the practice of voter suppression? There have been many rumors regarding your government’s increasingly oppressive ways. I heard of a bill that's going to make this legal. Can you confirm this? Also, is it true that your government participated in unfair housing practices regarding Hybrids? I also wanted your take on the recent boom of the android population in the city-state.”
An assistant rushed over to the Prime Minister after Eva’s onslaught of questions and whispered in his ear. “Unfortunately, I’ve just been informed that we are out of time. No more questions for the night. I will take my leave. Have a great night,” Shino said.
“But, sir!” The reporters tried to attract Prime Minister Honda’s attention.
The prime minister receded from the podium and exited the room. That was a shit show. He was clearly irked by those questions. Something has him rattled. It’s definitely time to pay him a visit, Caiden thought to himself.
CHAPTER 30
---usr/systems/server-x/UNEXPECTED MEETING---
Caiden woke up the next day after an unusually long sleep. It was already close to six p.m. Despite giving each other space, the quiet standoff between Caiden and the twins continued. There was an emotional silence. He was confused about what he should do and how to approach the twins after the previous night’s outburst. The girls were a little afraid and were unsure of how to break the ice. Caiden spent the night locked in his lab space.
The twins heard the door’s air locks unfasten as Caiden silently made his way to the shower in his bedroom. After several minutes, a fully clothed Caiden emerged from the room and returned downstairs to his lab space
