2.1 - Rank Evaluation
wdango
Storyteller
- Location
- Bali, Indonesia
Shinjuku City's W University. One of Japan's most prestigious universities, right in the heart of the Tokyo Metropolis. Its dismal acceptance rate is infamous, so it's often hard to believe that you even managed to get in, let alone that you're already at the end of your second year...
Outside your window, the towering skyscrapers are monuments of steel and concrete that blot out the sky. Two years spent alone in this tiny studio apartment, and after this... at least two more, all to get a shitty degree.
"What are you thinking, Shino?" DemiMeramon bobs in the air next to your face, trying to see what you're looking at.
It's almost been a week since you became a Hacker -- since you were Modulated. It almost feels like a dream, but the constant presence of DemiMeramon reminds you that it's anything but. That, and the surprising number of Hackers that mingle with the ordinary folk, accompanied by their partner Digimon, invisible to you until a week ago. Not to mention the Hackers that could be hidden in the crowd, their partners dematerialised and out of sight.
"I miss home," you say.
He tilts as he turns to look at you. "This isn't home?"
You shake your head. "I'm just here to study... I don't even have any friends here."
You're from Edogawa City, on the eastern edge of Tokyo. A suburban city of sprawling parks and beautiful waterways, where temples and old architecture exist in harmony with modern shopping malls, traditional teashops with quirky cafes, and izakayas with underground speakeasies. Your hometown lends itself to a leisurely pace of life, impossible to find anywhere else in Tokyo, but also all the convenience and flair you might find downtown.
You suppose it's not that much different here in Shinjuku, but... It's just a lot more hectic, and a lot more crowded.
"It's a lot less lonely, back home."
"But you have me, now." DemiMeramon grins. "And there's Yuki and ShadowGarurumon that we met last week."
DemiMeramon is... you hesitate. "...Yuki and ShadowGarurumon aren't friends."
"Oh."
After Yuki showed you how to return to the real world, he gave you his number, and then told you to contact him when you're ready.
You haven't talked to the two of them again since, and they haven't looked for you, either. You haven't fought any Digimon, activated your Digi-Beetle, or even entered the Digital Plane. You've mostly been pretending it never happened, because then you won't feel guilty that you haven't told Mom, yet.
You know that it's stupid, but you don't know how else you should cope with everything.
Your entire world has changed, but over the past week, it has also felt like nothing has really changed at all.
Truth be told, now that you have a way out, a big part of you wants to leave your old life behind. Just drop out, forget about graduating, and make a living as a Hacker.
But you're scared.
Even after the shock had subsided, the thought of how destructive Digimon could be still terrifies you. It's fine for buildings, since they're only destroyed in the Digital Plane, but if it were your life on the line...
Not to mention that you'd be plunging into a world you know nothing about. Throwing your entire life into disarray.
"Hey, Shino."
You look up at DemiMeramon. He's staring at you with a frown on his face.
"You're shaking," he says.
Oh. You clench your fists. Deep breaths.
Deep breaths.
"I'm okay. Don't worry."
Maybe it's time.
"Shino." The giant glass doors slide open with an audible hiss to Nobuyuki's smiling face. "I apologise for the inconvenience."
"Yuki. Thanks again for your help last time." You greet him with a deep bow. It's about half an hour's commute to Chiyoda City, but it's the first step to figuring out what you're supposed to do next, no matter what that is.
"Come in. I'm glad you decided to join us."
You shake your head, following him into the building. "I haven't actually decided to join the Japanese Hackers Association yet..."
"Hmm?" He glances at you. "Why are you hesitating? You know Japan's stance on Hackers, right?"
You nod in silence.
Unlike other countries, Japan has a very strong stance against private Hacker guilds and independent Hackers. There are those who try to escape overseas, of course, or pretend to be a normal person while secretly abusing their powers as rogue Hackers... But your only legal options as a Japanese Hacker are to either join the Association, or let them seal your Digi-Egg. You haven't actually heard of anyone choosing the latter option, though.
"Well, we already know who you are, so you're probably not planning on running away. Here, this way." Yuki sighs, then leads you down a fork in the corridor. "It's not pleasant to have your Digi-Egg sealed, you know? Trust me, if you're thinking of going back to your normal life... It's too late."
You shrug. How unpleasant can it be? "I'm not saying I won't join, also..."
"We're here." Yuki shakes his head as he slowly comes to a stop in front of a door. He opens it for you, revealing a waiting room with two rows of benches on each side of the room. "Officer Ayano will guide you through the rest."
"Thank you."
He peers at you thoughtfully, his tone turning gentle. "I know you must be traumatised from... your first experience with the rogue Hacker and the stray Digimon, but I assure you, there's no safer place for a Hacker than the Association. Everyone's got each others' backs, in here."
"I understand." You bow to him again. "I'll consider everything carefully."
"I hope you make the right choice."
"Hello. You must be Miss Asada." She's a sweet young woman dressed in the Association's uniform. Her hair is tied high into a pair of pigtails, and they wobble as she gives you a deep bow. "I'm Ayano Keiko, the Evaluation Officer of our Tokyo Branch. Please take care of me."
"Oh." You return her bow. "Yes, I'm Asada Shino. Please take care of me."
She smiles. "The Rank Evaluation procedure is a very simple one. I'll be measuring the digital mass of your Digi-Egg, which is an indicator of your aggregate abilities as a Hacker."
The waiting room is empty, so she leads you straight to the next room.
The first thing you notice is the quiet hum of machinery filling the air. In the centre of the room stands a pedestal about the height of your chest, connected to a set of thick cables that run towards the far side of the room. On its surface is a rounded hollow that's the perfect size to rest a small egg.
You're guessing that's where you're supposed to place your Digi-Egg.
"We usually schedule the evaluation once every week, but Captain Hiyama said that this time's an exception." She glances at you. "You must be something special. We have over a hundred evaluations every week, so there's usually quite a long wait for your turn."
You figured that Yuki must be quite a big shot... "Do I just put my Digi-Egg in here?"
Ayano nods. "Yes. Please put your Digi-Egg on the pedestal and wait."
She heads over to the far side of the room, moving to stand behind one of the many machines connected to the pedestal. After a series of taps on the large rectangular screen, the quiet buzz in the background intensifies into a louder whirring. She gestures towards you, and you materialise your Digi-Egg, placing it into the hole.
"Just one moment..."
Another quick series of taps later, and the whirring subsides.
"Woah." Ayano raises her eyebrows. "It looks like you're a high C-Rank, very nearly a B-Rank. Your Modulation was just a week ago, right?"
"Yes... Is something wrong?"
She shakes her head. "No, this is an amazingly high reading for a fresh Hacker. It probably won't take long before your partner unlocks its Adult-stage. The strays that were attracted must have been pretty strong..."
You suppose that Adult-stage strays aren't that common, then.
"There isn't anyone else in Evaluations today, so let me take you to Recruitment."
"Ah..."
It's time for you to decide what to do.
[x] Drop out and go home. You'd bet there are far less Hackers to deal with the Gateways and stray Digimon in Edogawa.
[x] Drop out, but stay in Shinjuku. Central Tokyo has the highest density of Digimon in the country, and needs more Hackers as well.
[x] Stay in school for now. You'll still have to undergo military training, but you'll just be a reservist after that.
[x] Seal your Digi-Egg and try to continue a normal life.
⇒ [x] Switch POV : Ryoutarou
⇒ [x] Switch POV : Suguha
[x] Write-in.
