The Cage of Zeus (11 page)

“Spoken like a Monaural. You’re covering for them.”

“As their commander, I have an obligation to find out the truth.”

“Have you heard about Commander Harding?” Fortia asked.

“What about him?”

“He is the reason why we’ve confined ourselves inside the special district. He disrupted the order on this station. I don’t want your team to repeat his mistakes.”

“What happened with Harding?”

“He very nearly killed one of my colleagues.”

Shirosaki knitted his brows. Nearly killed a Round? Harding? Surely Captain Hasukawa would have mentioned it in the report if anything that serious had happened.

Fortia’s face was ashen and tense.

Something terrible had apparently befallen one of the Rounds for some complicated reason.

“We’re here to protect you,” Shirosaki said. “Regardless of what happened here in the past, my team and I don’t want any trouble, I assure you.”

“It’s too late for that. Since the doctor was also involved, I’ll let you people off with a warning, but if we have another incident like this again, there will be a severe penalty.”

“I’ll talk to the doctor. I need to find out what exactly happened.”

After ending the transmission, Shirosaki sat on the edge of the bed.

Damn it.
They were here on a critical mission to stop a terrorist attack. Who the hell had pulled a stunt like this?

After mulling over his next move, Shirosaki threw on his uniform and left his quarters.

The infirmary, located in the residential district, was where doctors oversaw the physical conditions of all the staff and Rounds in shifts. Inside the busy station, the doctors were responsible not just for medical care, but had other duties as well. When the four doctors on staff were not seeing patients, they were involved with conducting generation and growth experiments on various organisms.

Shirosaki waited until Tei would be going on call to pay a visit to the infirmary.

There was no one in the room other than Tei.

Shirosaki said hello and stepped inside. “I received a transmission from Fortia,” he began. “I understand some of my people put you in a difficult spot.”

“It’s all right,” Tei answered. “It was my choice to take them.”

“Fortia wasn’t all too pleased.”

“That’s the way Fortia is—imposing order is all ey has in eir head. Isn’t ey a bore?”

“I’m afraid my staff only wanted to visit the special district out of curiosity. If you’d known that I doubt you would have complied.”

“Yes, I was quite aware. I am a man and a woman, after all.”

Tei offered Shirosaki a seat.

Shirosaki sat down on one of the patient stools. “You act as an intermediary between the Round and Monaural communities. Why are you defying Fortia?”

“On the contrary. It’s because I’m an intermediary that I refuse to take sides.” Seeing Shirosaki furrow his brow, Tei continued. “This station is a cage.”

“A cage?”

“A cage built for the purpose of imprisoning the Rounds. To separate and keep us at a distance, to appease the Monaurals with the illusion that we do not exist. While we were born out of the will and aspirations of Monaurals, conservative Monaurals regarded us as deviants from the moment we were born. Like we were dangerous animals. For the Rounds, Jupiter-I is indeed the cage of Zeus.”

A cage guarded by the eye of Zeus.

The words of his colleague who’d been possessed by Jupiter’s Great Red Spot floated across Shirosaki’s mind.

“What about you?” Tei asked. “Do you hate us like Commander Harding does?”

“My feelings have nothing to do with my mission here.”

“If there is a fight with the terrorists, you may very well die trying to protect us. Are you prepared to die for a group for whom you have no feelings? Do you even believe we’re worth protecting?” Tei asked.

“Worth has nothing to do with it. We’re here on a special security assignment. We’re bound by our duty to ensure your safety.”

“Don’t you have the right to refuse an order that goes against your will?”

“As hard as it may be for you to understand living here, our society is complicated.”

Tei stared at Shirosaki as if ey were looking at a complete oddity.

“I understand a Round got into some trouble with Harding’s team,” said Shirosaki.

“Where did you hear that?”

“From Fortia. Something about Harding nearly killing em.”

“It was an unfortunate incident. But I don’t believe that was the commander’s intention.”

“But Fortia indicated that Harding had almost killed em.”

“Fortia is prone to exaggeration.”

“This isn’t something to joke about. Please tell me what happened.”

“It isn’t for me to say. You’re better off asking Commander Harding directly.”

“He’s liable to deck me if I do,” Shirosaki said.

“I’d think a problem such as this would best be resolved among Monaural men.”

“Surely you can’t be serious. If you are, you’ve got the men in our society all wrong.”

“How do you mean?” Tei asked.

“Harding is a proud man. He would never willingly reveal his own weaknesses. I can’t possibly ask him knowing that, and as a matter of decency.”

“What strange values you have. Are all Monaural men that way?”

“Not all, but that’s the type of man Harding is,” Shirosaki said.

“I have a feeling Commander Harding was the one who was hurt most by that incident. But you’re the only ones who are capable of understanding that. I may not be able to read the delicate workings of his mind, but perhaps you can.” Tei looked at Shirosaki with tranquil eyes. “I’m a doctor. I’m also a qualified counselor. I know what sedatives will calm a patient down. But some people can’t be saved by that kind of care alone.”

“Did Harding seek treatment?”

“He refused from the start. He wouldn’t even let me take his pulse, simply because I’m a Round. Didn’t speak to any of the other doctors either. He was leery of anyone trying to figure out what was going on in his head on the pretense of treatment.” Smiling, Tei said gently, “Sometimes, he’s like child.”

“Fortia said any contact between the Rounds and Monaurals is strictly prohibited. That nothing good will come of it. Why do you defy em?”

“Because it’s unnatural to eschew contact. We were created by Monaurals, yet we know nothing about you. Could anything be stranger?”

“Having been born on this station, you were raised knowing little of anything other than what’s here. Maybe you’re just curious about us.”

“Perhaps you’re right. But isn’t that reason enough? There are other Rounds who feel the same way but say nothing because they don’t want to stir up trouble with Fortia. My job as an intermediary is to speak for those who don’t have a voice.”

“Harding aside, I hope you’ll at least tell me the names of the security staff you took inside.”

“Please don’t punish them,” Tei said. “They wouldn’t have gone if I hadn’t agreed to take them.”

“Sorry, but they’re going to get a grilling for what they’ve done.”

“So you’re like Fortia.”

“We share similar responsibilities. You ought to have a little more consideration for Fortia’s feelings.”

Shirosaki got up from the stool.

“Do you think what I’m doing is a mistake?” Tei asked.

“That’s not for me to decide,” answered Shirosaki. “Or anyone else for that matter. It’s up to you, Doctor.”

Shirosaki summoned Arino to his room to question him.

“You are the sub-commander of this unit. What were you thinking by taking Shiohara and Ogata to the special district?”

“I’m sorry. It was stupid of me, I know,” Arino said.

“The special district was ordered off-limits. What possessed you to disobey those orders?”

“I was curious, sir.”

“Your reason stinks, you know that?”

“Yes, but...” Arino looked up and said, “I couldn’t control these feelings.”

“What are you talking about?

“You don’t feel it, Commander?”

“Feel what?”

“The feeling of complete loss when you lay eyes on a Round? That desire to know more about them, to have an accurate understanding of who they are?”

Shirosaki shot him a pitying look.

“I’m sorry.” Arino hung his head.

“What do you think we’re doing here, Arino?”

“We’re here on a security detail, sir.”

“That’s right. In a few days, the first cargo vessels will arrive. The terrorists may be on one of them. You think you’re going to be of any use to me the way you are now?” Shirosaki said.

“No, sir.”

“Look,” said Shirosaki with a sigh. “I get why you want to know more about the Rounds. I get why you’re curious. But this isn’t some pleasure trip we’re on. What do you hope to accomplish by getting friendly with them? We’ll be going back to Mars in a year, and the Rounds will eventually head to the front lines of known space. Their job is to leave the solar system. They’re on a completely opposite path from where we’re headed. All you’ll feel is sad for having gotten too close to them. Just as the Rounds have their own society, you have a place to get back to. You have a wife and kid waiting for you at home, am I right?”

Arino nodded.

“I understand what you’re telling me. But I can’t have my sub-commander acting this way.”

“Yes, sir.”

“We’re in a situation here, so I can’t afford to suspend you,” Shirosaki said. “You get three months no pay. Now go back to your quarters.”

4

LATER THAT EVENING
, Arino went to the mess alone. He took some bread and a pack of stew from the heated case, dropped them on the tray, and sat down at a table.

On a rational level, he understood what Shirosaki was telling him. In fact, Arino knew it from the start. And yet, there was nothing he could do to resist.

Arino knew where this fervent obsession with the Rounds was coming from.

The feeling was something akin to homesickness.

As Arino wiped the rest of the stew off his plate with a piece of bread, Eiko Shiohara came by and sat down next to him.

“I thought three months was a little harsh,” Shiohara said. “I figured on a month and a half at most.”

Arino stuffed the bread into his mouth. “Serves me right for listening to you and Ogata.”

“Don’t blame us. You were just as eager about going as we were,” said Shiohara. “Too bad you couldn’t see Veritas.”

“Yeah.”

“It would have been nice to talk to her—you know, to help her get over her fears.”

“I wonder what went wrong.” Arino peeled off the seal of the coffee pack. “Maybe someone on Harding’s team harassed her.”

“About that.” Shiohara switched from English to Japanese and lowered her voice. “I’ve heard rumors.”

“Yeah?”

“About a Round getting hurt not too long after Harding’s team arrived on Jupiter-I.”

“What, like an accident or something?”

“The details are pretty sketchy,” Shiohara said. “But the Rounds blame the Monaurals for what happened.”

“And Veritas was the Round that was hurt?”

“Apparently so. The special district wasn’t closed off from the rest of the station until recently. People used to come and go freely between the two areas. That all ended with the incident involving Veritas.”

“Something must have happened between the Rounds and Harding’s team,” Arino said.

“Seeing how everyone involved is still here, we may be able to find out what if we do a little digging—”

Suddenly, a fist slammed against the table.

Shiohara nearly jumped out of her seat.

Harding was standing next to them.

“Playing detective so soon after your arrival?” said Harding, his Japanese fluent.

“We were just talking,” Arino answered in Japanese. “There’s still so much to learn about this place. All part of the job.”

“Including talking shit about my team?”

“That isn’t what we were doing,” Arino said.

“Shirosaki let you talk back to him like that?”

“You’re not my commander,” Shiohara shot back in English. “Besides, I don’t recall saying anything I have to be sorry about.”

“What did you say?” Harding menaced, his face growing redder by the second.

“You’re the one who caused this falling-out with the Rounds, aren’t you? You despise the Rounds. For all we know, maybe you’re the one who did something to Veritas.”

Pursing his lips, Harding slowly walked around to the other side of the table toward Shiohara.

Shiohara held her ground and glared up at Harding from where she sat. Arino stood up.

Having sensed the ominous mood from one corner of the mess, Miles rushed in and grabbed Harding’s arm from behind to stop his advance. “That’s enough!”

Harding smacked Arino aside with one swing of his free hand, sending him crashing into the security personnel sitting behind them.

The mood inside the room froze. The eyes of the diners turned toward Harding and Shiohara.

Shiohara got up from her chair. With both hands on her hips, she dug in her heels and thrust out her chest like a mother scolding a child.

Looking down at her, Harding said, “I wouldn’t go flapping your mouth based on speculation.”

“All’s fair in love and war.”

Harding reached out to grab her. Miles intervened, wrapping his arms around Harding’s torso. “Don’t be stupid!” he cried. “You’re a commander on this station.” Then he yelled at Arino, “Hey, don’t just stand there! Hold her back!”

Snapping out of his stupor, Arino sprang up and grabbed Shiohara by the back of her uniform.

“Let me go!” she cried.

“Miles is right,” Arino yelled in Shiohara’s ear. “Think of who you’re up against!”

Harding twisted around, trying to shake Miles off him. Unable to get free, he clasped both hands, raised them above his head, and dropped an elbow down on the back of Miles’s neck.

Miles did not loosen his grip around Harding’s middle despite the pain. Harding cursed and swung wildly, punching Miles in the ribs. Still Miles refused to let go.

“Get the hell off me!” Harding roared.

Harding twisted his body hard in one direction and flung Miles against the edge of the table.

Miles let out a groan and let go, falling against the table on both arms. Just as he looked up, gasping for air, Harding punched him in the face. Losing his balance, Miles fell on his back.