- "So you do not remember anything? Well, that's...".
Doctor Kitagawa looked at the guards cautiously as if expecting something. One of the guard looked the CCTV camera and, having received instructions over the mic in his helmet, nodded at Kitagawa.
Usually upbeat Kitagawa now looked morose and pale. With a slightly trembling voice, the doctor continued:
- "I a-a-a-am sad, that you do not remember anything, S-sinon-san. You a-are an agent of the KOI, the intelligence of the House of Kusari. You do remember what Kusari is, right? You were on an important mission to Tohoku when you were ambushed b-by the Blood Dragons. Your ship was destroyed but you managed to escape pre-emptively in a pod. This encounter did not go unnoticed for your body, however: you have sustained concussion resulting in memory loss."
Kitagawa paused and looked at the guard again. He silently responded with a nod.
- "In fact, your name is not Yuki Sinon. That was your alias when you worked in the House of Liberty for the benefit of the KOI. Your actual name is Ohtani Momo. You are 24, you are from Kyushu. Your family was farmers employed by the Samura corporations. Unfortunately, they died in a GC terrorist attack when you were twelve. You were raised in an orphanage for talented children under the auspices of the Kusari Imperial Army. You graduated the school and subsequent military service with excellence and were recruited for your Libertarian language knowledge and excellent combat skills by the KOI. You have been working for them since then. Now you are undergoing treatment in one of their specialised wards in Hokkaido.
It was not the first time Kitagawa had to lie to the patients with amnesia about their new fake identities. Yet it was the first time she had to do it for the "Ganriki" project. The details of this new hush-hush project of the KOI were a mystery to her but apparently the Intelligence Office was looking for people with psionic potential. As far as Kitagawa knew, the project takes roots from the early days following the fall of Tekagi and the nomad war. Apparently, the KOI believe that her recent exposure to nomad's mind flaying could potentially amplify Yuki's, now Momo's, psionic abilities while the new alias could potentially make her more obedient to the KOI as her "bosses". Whether newly forged person will believe all of these lies was yet to be seen, however. Kitagawa was more afraid, however, that the experimental substance designed to awaken Yuki's psionic potential would suddenly kick in and that Yuki would unleash her psionic fury on everyone inside the room. Hence, Kitagawa had her thumb on a button administering a horse dose of tranquilisers to the patient in case the latter remembers and to "try again". It was inhumane but she had no saying in this.
As she was telling Yuki that she became Momo, Kitagawa could hear one of the guards whispering in the radio:
- "Contact Lord Speaker Shimamori. Tell him that Sinon has lost her mind after the experimental treatment she had personally agreed to and that she is transferred to a specialised restricted ward for mentally disabled after nomad encounters and that he can no longer visit her. Prepare CGI videos showing her in a mental ward as a proof. He is a politician, not a spy - he should buy it."
Kitagawa knew she could not count on investigation by the Lord Speaker, the KOI will weave a web of complicated lies to prevent him from doing this. Besides, he was a busy man in the top echelons of Kusarian politics. Sinon's father, however, used to be in the KOI himself and the KOI operatives mentioned briefly during the lunch that the old man can still be kicking. Can he possibly influence all of this? Could Sinon recognise her own father after all of these lies and manipulations? Or maybe her father is yet another Kusarian supremacist who would condone anything for the sake of an edge of the Empire over the others, even if his daughter's identity is at stake? There were so many questions and so many hypothetical solutions running through Kitagawa's mind, yet the doctor perfectly knew she was but a grain in this larger scheme of imperial ambitions of gaining psionic operatives. She shook her head, shrugging off the worrisome thoughts and continued:
- "So, Ohtani-san, how do you feel? We did our best to patch you up. Do you by chance feel differently, as if, say, feeling the emotions of the people present in this room? This was part of your training to do so, remember? If you are in a good shape, you will be soon sent back to Liberty to continue your intelligence operation. Your boss is currently watching you over CCTV but we do not want you to feel the pressure - if you need more time recovering, then you shall have it."
Fort Wakkanai
The woman was confused. Earlier, Kitagawa called the woman Sinon but she called her differently. Instead of Sinon Yuki, she said that her real name was Ohtani Momo. She looked at the doctor, her eyes were sceptical. ''Earlier, you called me Sinon-san. And now, you say that my real name is... Ohtani Momo? It's hard to believe that. The woman looked again at the ceiling. ''Your face expressed something else than someone who is certain...''
Minutes passed and she did nothing more than trying to think to something. She asked herself several questions but each one of them had no answer.
''Whoever you are, doctor, can I leave this place? It's not being here I will feel better.'' She said after Kitagawa asked how she felt.
- "Lietenant Major Hirayama, yoroshiku onegaishimasu. The doctor has learnt of your true identity only today, Ohtani-san. Doctor Kitagawa still does not know everything - given your list of service, knowledge of your "accomplishments" in the past would get the doctor in trouble, and we do not want that, right?".
The guard sat in the chair. His facial expression was impenetrable, his eyes concealed by the visor.
- "Your condition, Ohtani-san, is basically normal. Perhaps, a few more days are needed for you to get back on track after spending so much time in bed without physical activity and after being fed via parenteral infusions. Otherwise, the matter of your leaving is up to us, the KOI. We cannot let you go given the knowledge you still might have, therefore we are still interested in what you remember before deciding whether to let you go or not. We also extend you the opportunity to work for the KOI if you fancy the idea... The higher-ups are convinced you have great potential...".
Fort Wakkanai
After the guard stepped forward and said to Sinon Yuki, that the doctor just learnt her true identity today. It made the woman confused. She did not remeber who she was and it scared her. But her fate would be sealed if she accepts this new identity and yet, she was not certain. Only real proof would clarify this mystery. The guard cotinued to talk and she listened to him.
After he had finished to talk, the woman took a moment to think. After her mind set up, she opened her mouth: ''You are telling me that is only you who decides when I can leave? Sorry but I will leave this place with your agreement or not. Not only that but do you even have a proof that my name is Ohtani Momo? Words in the void mean nothing.'' She was a bit irritated. ''Until I have a real proof of what you say, I will probably believe you. In other words, you are better to have this proof on you or when you will come again.'' She paused and sighed. Then, she looked away to not look at the guard.
Before he could say something, Sinon broke the silence. ''I want to be alone.''
Lieutenant Major did not react in any way to the hesitation of Ohtani to accept her new identity and simply took a small item from his sidebag. He gave it a short glace confirming the contents and stretched his hand holding the item to Ohtani:
- "Here, have a look at this. This is your ID. This might look like something trivial to you but this is your face in the eyes of the law in Kusari. Your taxes, healthcare, employment... All is linked to this ID. You can try contacting banks or schools to verify that this ID is in their database".
While Momo was studying the ID Hirayama added:
- "If that is not enough, we can bring more documents of yours. List of service, piloting licence, tax declarations, you name it. Although, it is a waste of time if you ask me. You have some work to be done, Sergeant, and I would rather see you out there serving the Empire".
Fort Wakkanai
The identity card shocked the woman. A shock that completely destroyed her past identity. She asked a proof and here it is. The photo on it was her and the name was written as well. Forced to acknowledge her new identity, she had no other choice to accept the 'fake' truth told by the lieutenant major.
She sighed and finally nodded. Until she, by chance, recover her memory somehow, the woman will need to live under the name of Othani Momo. The only ones who could probably stop this machination would be her father but he was not there. He was busy somewhere else in Kusari or maybe outside or probably other people sha had met in the past.
''Alright...'' She said after a while. ''So... what are your requirements toward me?'' But again, in her voice, there was a little hesitation.
- "Straight to the point. That's what I like to hear, soldier. You will undergo a few basic tests to confirm your ability to go about by yourself and you are basically free to go. You have a special "talent", let's put it this way, so I would also suggest visiting either this facility or better Kansai Research Institute in Honshu for training - you will need to remember how to use these abilities".
Lieutenant Major again raised his head to the CCTV camera, seeking either instructions or approval. After a quiet buzz in his helmet, the officer nodded and turned back to Ohtani.
- "Your experience with Liberty is of great value to us yet at the moment major developments are taking place in Bretonia. The Empire is putting a lot of resources in thus diplomatic overture. We expect not everyone within Bretonian officials will like what is going on, some might even try to interfere with the plans of our Bretonian colleagues and the Imperial Kusari Government. As soon as you are ready after your medical check-up, you are to go to the Taus and our bordering systems of Kyushu and Saga (//Tau-29). Monitor the possible activity of the Bretonians, especially around planet Harris in Tau-31. Keep your profile low and remain civil unless they overstep their boundaries. Further detailed directives will be received upon your return to the duties."
Fort Wakkanai
Weeks have passed since Hirayama came to visit 'Othani Momo'. She was now ready to leave the hospital. The woman was allowed to leave her room and to get her clothes already prepared. Her uniform was the same as she used previously while she was working for Shimamori but this one was a pure black. Once 'Othani' changed herself, she headed for the hangar. Her ship of service was the same as she used, a stinger.
Entered in the ship and sat at her seat, a note was in front of her. She read it and it was saying to make some change on the callsign of the ship. Instead showing her identity, it needed to be show as followed: Tsuki-01. After some manipulations on the consol, the callsign changed and everything was ready for launch.