2024-01-19: Akaigawa Aftermath

• Cutscene: Akaigawa Aftermath
• Cast: Naoko Suzuki
• Where: Interrogation Room, Ra Mari II
• Date: Early March 0098
• Summary: Naoko has a talk with an individual strongly involved with the mysterious goings-on within her hometown of Akaigawa, taken into custody following the events of Operation Akaigawa. At long last, some of her questions are answered... though the most important answer still eludes her.

---

Naoko Suzuki places her hand on the wall beside the metal door, taking a moment to compose herself. This is crazy. She can't be the only one who hadn't even begun to consider that she'd ever be in a position like this, nor should she be. Sure, the same could be said about her piloting a robot, but that was at least something she'd fantasized about. But interrogating a prisoner? Not something she'd ever volunteer for. And why would anyone ever ask her to?

Okay, she does know why, that part's not a mystery. She knows this particular prisoner better than anyone else on this ship. Despite not having seen them for a very long time, and only having been passingly acquainted, that still puts her at the top of the list of people best suited to have this conversation. Even putting aside the fact that this matter concerns her personally.

Of course, in the end, it had been her decision. Nobody made her do this. And she'd be lying if she claimed it wasn't true that, on some level, she wanted to be the one to have this conversation. It's just... thinking of it like an interrogation that's making it weird. 'Try not to focus on that part,' is what her friends' advice boiled down to. Easier said than done.

Inhaling and exhaling deeply, she does her best to push her concerns to the back of her mind, straightens up, puts on a business-like expression... and presses the door lock release.

Given the sterile nature of rooms like this, it's natural for its sole other occupant to immediately catch one's eye. She's never been entirely sure of the age of the man before her, but at a glance, he feels significantly older than the last time she saw him. His hair isn't very different - there's always been little of it and it hasn't notably greyed - and his skin only features a few extra wrinkles, but... he just looks so tired. So defeated. Nothing like the proud, inspiring figure that she remembers.

Eyes cast down to the table, the man only looks at her once she's seated across the table from him. It's difficult to read anything behind that neutral gaze, but he's clearly waiting for her to open the conversation. The first step is a greeting, she supposes.

"Mister Mayor," she addresses the man in the only way she'd ever heard anyone address him in the past. That earns her a short chuckle. She can guess why. What she just said isn't true anymore, is it? And the one ultimately to blame for that is probably...

"Naoko Suzuki." The older man folds his hands as he rests them on the table. "I understand that it's your rash actions that have led to this outcome. Tell me. Are you proud of yourself?"

Naoko frowns. Once upon a time, words such as those would have gotten her to second-guess herself and start feeling guilty. But not now, not this time. Trying to deflect the blame to her, after all that happened? She's not having it.

"Are you?"

The subtle widening of the man's eyes shows his surprise. She's unsure whether it's because he would never have expected backtalk from the likes of her, or not having expected her to as informed as that simple response implies.

The man in charge of the group who was arrested in Akaigawa, sporting the clearly fake 'Nakayama' nametag, had initially refused to give up any information. Only once Cathedra got involved did he suddenly become exceptionally cooperative, quick to volunteer exchanging information regarding his employers in return for leniency. His true identity, or as close to true as anyone could confirm, was that of Vilmos Lakatos, a mercenary of Hungarian descent with no loyalty except to himself. The way it was explained to Naoko was that he is someone who 'knows how the game is played', never ending up in prison for very long.

It is very upsetting, to consider that this Vilmos person could end up with a light sentence, after what he'd done to Touwa. Under no circumstances should anyone be allowed to get off easy after aggravated kidnapping, even if they were only a pawn in a greater scheme. Her childhood friend had suffered because she got him involved. In the absence of justice, all she has is guilt.

She won't let it have been in vain. She'll use the information she has for all it's worth, starting with the man before her, unafraid to stare him down.

"You know as well as I do why you're in here, mister Ma-- I'm sorry. Ex-mayor Takahashi. Honestly, backroom deals with BioNet? And you think you can lecture me on what I have done?"

Now it's Takahashi's turn to frown, unfolding his hands to grip the end of the table in aggravation.

"You don't have the slightest idea what you're talking about, girl. I had no choice in the matter. What do you think would have happened if I'd said no, hmm? I'd have been removed, and replaced with a more willing puppet of their choosing. At least...!"

He pauses, a pained look in his eyes before he averts them. "...At least this way, the figurehead would be one who cared for Akaigawa and its people."

In spite of everything, Naoko does feel some measure of sympathy. It's not hard to believe feeling like you have no choice in that sort of situation. But she can't possibly agree with how this was handled.

"Is that how you show you care for the people you were in charge of? By letting criminals roam free as they please?"

Takahashi shakes his head. "You have it backwards. By acquiescing to their demands, they left Akaigawa be. The money was a small price to pay to keep us safe from global affairs."

Naoko, unable to contain her indigence, slams her hands down on the table. "Safe?! It's no different than paying protection money to the Yakuza! While you were making these excuses to yourself, Akaigawa was under BioNet's thumb for fifteen years!"

The ex-mayor, for his part, remains perfectly calm. "I'm not making excuses. I made a decision, and I stand by it. All I had to do was follow their instructions, and just like they promised, not a single resident ever came to harm."

How... can he just sit there and say that so calmly? Naoko can't understand. She's just about ready to leap from her chair in anger, just barely able to contain herself. There is, after all, one obvious and very personal thing that statement is completely disregarding.

"You-- then what about Touwa?! Don't you dare say that he doesn't count because he wasn't living in Akaigawa anymore!"

That didn't fail to hit the mark. Takahashi grimaces, and shrinks back a little in his chair. It takes a moment for him to reply, but for whatever it may be worth, he sounds genuinely sincere when he does so.

"I... regret what happened with Chiba-kun. These men, they were... different. There weren't interested in my words, they simply... pushed me aside and told me to stay out of the way. It didn't used to be like this..."

Okay. Calm down, Naoko. Stay focused. You're here to learn the answers to the questions you're still left with. This is the time to ask. Leaning back in her chair, she does her best to return to a more conversational tone.

"Tell me then, about when things changed. Why people were claiming me and my parents never lived here. Why my house is gone. Was it when those men got involved?"

Takahashi sighs, turning his eyes to ceiling. "They said that... the Suzukis had to be erased from the public consciousness, or there would be dire consequences." His eyes return to focus on Naoko's. "What choice did I have? I made a public statement to the residents, explaining that the Suzuki family had been involved with major criminal activity, and we as a community had to disavow any and all knowledge and remove all evidence of their presence to avoid getting swept up in an international incident."

Naoko can only stare in disbelief. She can't muster a verbal response, but what she wants to say is clear in her perplexed expression. That's it? That's all it takes for an entire town to start pretending you were never there?

Seeing this, the ex-mayor continues, "This is the power of rhetoric. I was able to retain my position as mayor for so long because I impressed upon the people that I was solely responsible for negotiating their personal safety from outside influences. It wasn't particularly difficult to maneuver your family into the position of undesirable outsiders, given your... eccentricities."

Naoko's gaze lowers. It's not pleasant to hear, but she can't say she never noticed it. It's not as if they ever fit in, nor really made any effort to. She can only imagine the things that were said behind her back. But dwelling on that would be... less than helpful. Instead, she rests her hands in her lap, and looks back towards the former mayor.

"And those 'eccentricities', as you call them. Was that why I was personally targeted? I have my suspicions regarding how it's all connected, but I want to hear it from you. So tell me. Why do you think those men were after me?"

Takahashi strokes his stubbled chin, needing a moment to think about this. "...I don't know the details, but. I'm fairly certain that it's something to do with your parents. To be frank, my claims to the residents were not based in fiction. I know that, at some point, they were... involved, with BioNet, until their relationship soured. Your capture could have been used as leverage for their cooperation. Or perhaps it was a matter of revenge."

Naoko's expression shows no surprise, because there is none. Too much about her parents' resources didn't add up for the freelancers they'd claimed to be. They had to be backed by someone. Considering all the secrecy, she'd have been more surprised if it hadn't been something shady. As soon as she'd learned of BioNet's involvement with Akaigawa, the pieces started falling into place.

The ex-mayor's guess seems fair, but in her estimation, not entirely on the mark. Her mother's warning specified an interest in 'the machine'. If nothing else, they were after Sukeban, perhaps aware of its more advanced features. Maybe even aware that she was the one who developed them.

But if that's the case... it's strange. Why suddenly take such overt action after all this time, using a group that was clearly not made up out of BioNet loyalists, and woefully uninformed regarding who they were up against? Something doesn't add up about all this. Of course, this man doesn't need to know about that, so she keeps her reply curt and to the point.

"I see. That tracks with my information. And that brings me to my final question." The one which should be expected at this point. She leans slightly forward, trying to impress with her gaze that she'll take poorly to any lies about this one, before she finally asks.

"Where are my parents now?"

She can already guess the answer when Takahashi lowers his head. "...I'm sorry. Please believe me when I say that I have no idea where they could be now."

That too is not unexpected... but it's more difficult to keep the disappointment out of her eyes. She has to assume that they aren't in any immediate danger. The most probable scenario is that they're being coerced into cooperation. One day... one day, she'll find out where they are. But for now... Naoko rises from her chair, and turns about.

"Then I guess we're done here. Thank you for your cooperation."

As she starts heading for the exit, she hears Takahashi's desperate voice from behind. "Wait! What about me, what happens now?"

Naoko can only be bothered with a slight shrug as she places her hand on the door. "Dunno. Guessing they'll probably turn you over to the cops."

Takahashi's angry response is heard as the door slides open. "Why you-- that indifferent attitude, after everything you've done...! Curse you, Suzuki!"

Naoko is already out the door by this point, but briefly pokes her head back in to respond. She looks entirely unrepentant in her indifference, as she uses the exact same words that the ex-mayor had instructed the townspeople to use when asked about her family.

"You'll have to be more specific. Suzuki is a very common name, after all."