2022-10-01: Missing Person
- Log: 2022-10-01: Missing Person
- Cast: The GGG Orbit Base Team
- Where: Orbit Base Main Order Room
- Date: U.C. 0096 10 01
- Summary: While Guy vanishes with Lamia on urgent business, the Order Room consults amongst each other regarding whether a friend has disappeared, or an enemy has revealed themselves.
"Wh - Guy, hell do you mean 'Business with Betterman!' Guy? Guy!?"
Shigeru Akamatsu, Chief of GGG Blue, thunders across Orbit Base's Main Order Room, but the line is already dead. The Order Room resounds with it. The stations are full, despite the chaos.
"One approximate-human-mass materialized on the station two minutes ago," notes Intelligence Operator Kamuy Pauvre-Saginomiya, his voice cool and analytical. "Thirteen seconds ago, an amount equalling the same mass plus Acting Chief Shishioh's plus the mass of his Ultimate Armor and its deployment case disappeared."
He looks over his shoulder toward the Chief and advisory team. "It appears he has indeed left, presumably with a Somnium."
"God Damn it, Guy Shishioh! We're in the MIDDLE of a CRISIS!!" Akamatsu bellows at the ceiling.
In that way that the intelligence operators seem to have a knack for, Kamuy takes this as an opportunity to reiterate the situation for the viewers:
"Alouette Pommier did not report for her shift at approximately 8 AM station time yesterday morning. Station mass analysis records for the last twelve hours have been wiped out so we cannot assess her means of departure, but current data - and the state of her quarters - suggests she and some number of personal effects have left Orbit Base."
He pulls up a visual on the screen, showing a series of locked out programs. GaoGaiGo and GaoFighGar Program Drive. Hammer Connect. The entire SympaRate Monitoring system. Both Wadatsumi and Yamatsumi's Mirror Catapults. "At approximately 7 AM, a software intrusion disabled numerous station monitoring systems and multiple core Mobile Unit programs. This intrusion was not noticed for over an hour due to an extremely careful effort to cover the tracks, but at this point Dr. Inubouzaki has determined it originated from Ms. Pommier's terminal, using her credentials."
There is an oppressive, fretful silence pressing down on the Main Order Room. Hana Hatsuno, once again GGG's sole Mobile Division Operator, bites her lip and fidgets her hands in deep worry. Not even her occasionally too-tremendous imagination is missing the implications here. "Alouette...."
"Manchurian Candidate," says Advisor Urchin Prickle, his face twisted bitterly. "A BioNet plant."
"We don't know that," Supervisor Yang Long-li says patiently, focused intently through his wide spectacles as he takes in the data.
Prickle spits. "Bullshit! What else does this look like!? We very conveniently find a supergenius we used to know who isn't supposed to still be one in what amounts to a bin with a bow on her, and welcome her with open arms!? She got unfettered access to our systems, pulled the trigger, and fled while we were distracted! A plant from minute one! I bet she was already turned back in 0090! What else is there!?"
A face flashes up on screen - it's sharp-faced Minoru Inubouzaki, one of 3G's Three Doctors and their computers specialist. He's flanked by the other two of the trio: Akiko Hirata and Tohru Nozaki. All three of them had been Zonderized at various points in the battles against Pasdar in the first leg of what became the Primeval War. Now, the three together serve as the heart of GGG's research and sciences division. Each has their own specialties, but in a crisis like this, all three will never fail to stand up and support each other. "If nothing else, I've ruled out this being an intrusion by somebody else stealing her credentials. Damage like this could only have been done by someone with total access to our entire backend. More than that, the backups appear to also be compromised, and the nature of the lockout is...quite ingenious. Whatever her reasons, I believe Miss Pommier did this with her own hands and full capabilities."
Shigeru, ever the firebrand, has his fists balled tight...but when he speaks, he releases a short breath beforehand, breathing out some of his strength. His words are practical. "How's repair work coming?"
"We've prioritized essentials. Dr. Nozaki got physical and station security back up last night, of course. Dr. Hirata is working with Mr. Ushiyama on assessing the life support, gravity control, and generator systems."
All eyes are briefly drawn to the empty Engineering Operator's seat. Operator Sueo Ushiyama is too busy with checking the station over to be in the Main Order Room right now. His replacement, his brother Tsuguo, won't be here for another day - coming up with his wife (and semi-retired Mobile Operator) Ayame, and their child Hajime. Given the circumstances, GGG Blue has had no choice but to ask the new parents to come off of leave to cover the gaps.
"And Mobile Divisions?" Yang prompts him.
"I've taken that task on myself," Inubouzaki says. "I expect to have the Mirror Catapults operational again today. The SympaRate system is complicated, and with NichiRyu and GetsuRyu's issues achieving full SympaRate, I can't be certain when we'll achieve system functionality capable of enabling Symmetrical Docking. Initial estimate is a week, but without solid testing data, full completion is indefinite."
"....and Program Drive?" Yang asks, glasses gleaming in what suddenly feels like a very cold light.
Inubouzaki grimaces. "GaoFighGar's is unsalvageable," he says, simply. "She wrote that code herself. She could make it do anything and I might never see it. GaoGaiGo's was based on it, but we have a better understanding of it. We should be ready for simulation testing within 3 weeks. The complexity of Program Drive means we should test it extensively in simulation before attempting real-life Final Fusion again. In the worst case, we could lose GaiGo, the GaoMachines, and the pilots from a critical accident, otherwise."
The silence lingers like the ringing of a funeral bell. Tears stream down Hana's face. This is...
"...Prickle," Shigeru says, quietly, clenching his arms with stress tight across his entire posture. Fire burns in his belly.
"We have no choice," Prickle advises, flatly. "We need her back or contained. I'll get in touch with Londo Bell and G-Hound and issue a warrant--"
"Not necessary," Yang says. He feels like he hasn't blinked in a year.
"How can you listen to the last five minutes and still say that?!" Prickle barks back, standing up.
"ENOUGH," Shigeru snaps. "Yang. What are you thinking?"
Yang turns a glance on Prickle. "...First. The likelihood she was a plant even in 0090 is low. That kind of programming shows much too many clear psychological scars on children. And although it is true very few of the people who knew her in 0090 are still here, some are. Dr. Takanohashi was an integral part of the GaoFighGar project and worked with her closely then, and has been up to see her now. He would have noticed behavioral discrepancies from replacement or traditional brainwashing."
Chief Akamatsu looks unconvinced. That last one is weak and even Yang knows it. He continues: "Moreover, consider the nature of the damage. If she were attempting to soften us up for BioNet, she would have disabled the Protect Shades. With her level of access she could have damaged the gravity systems, the life support. She could have set the generators to jettison. All she did was blunt our assessment ability and our force projection."
Akamatsu runs a thumb along his jaw. "Took our fangs, but didn't leave us for dead," he mutters.
Yang nods, and nudges his glasses up his nose, the light catching and gleaming on them. "Without Alouette in front of us, I agree we cannot be certain what she was thinking. I agree she must be found. But I cannot take these steps as the actions of an enemy and do not advise escalating to that standing."
Research Operator Hinoki Sai, sitting at the research desk in Main Order Room, finds herself biting her lip, uncomfortably. The words slip unguarded from her lip: "It feels...irrational."
Yang and Akamatsu both look at her. Akamatsu finds his hand around the Algernon Detector #26 hanging around his neck. Everyone here knows what an Algernon researcher means when they say that.
"...all the more reason to find her safely. And without provocation." Yang says, firm.