Thankfully, it doesn't take long for you to decide on the next set of candidates. While having Kurara on the payroll might help short-term, you're not sure how many magical girl you'll be able to recruit. Dr. Sessyoin is an easy pick as well, even before you saw the projected costs it would require to get the mysterious Dr. 21 to join up. It's a toss-up between Odessa and Alves, but eventually, you come down on the side of the wolf-lady. She's JSDF and even if that membership is nominal it might curry some favor with them.
The day after your meeting with Geta-Pi-Theta, you report to Nelson with your decisions. Nelson, for his part, is unhappy with matters as they stand.
(You get the feeling that he's not happy with the way the UN is handling this whole 'special base' idea.) You reassure him that you've got things under control.
By the way, can he spot you for a plane ticket to London?
* * *
You're in London for about two days before Falter Silk contacts you. He doesn't e-mail you or phone you. Rather, a postcard is slipped under your hotel room's door. The address scrawled on it is to a pub in Soho. Apparently, Falter wants you to come to him.
It's mid-afternoon once you get to the pub in question. You pause briefly as you step over the threshold; you feel a faint 'pop' in your ears like the air pressure just shifted around you. You grimace, then push on through as you let the door swing shut behind you. Despite the time of day, the pub is mostly empty, save for the waitstaff and a man seat at a corner booth. You approach cautiously, navigating around the dark wooden tables and chairs before sliding into the booth across from the man you sought.
Falter Silk is about your age, with long, glossy black hair, dark skin, and an oval face. His eyes are dark behind the half-moon glasses he's wearing, though his bushy eyebrows do ruin the intense stare just a little. He's dressed in an unadorned green coat and slacks with a button-up shirt underneath, and a black umbrella rests beside him in the booth's seat. You do notice a distinctive scar zig-zagging down from the right side of his forehead. He lounges in his seat, not seeming to care about his posture.
(He does seem a bit on edge and alert, however.)
"Should've expected that I'd meet an English wizard in a pub," you quip, eliciting a snort from Falter.
"It is a bit stereotypical, I must admit." He replies in Japanese. He smiles slightly as you glance around. "Don't worry, we have our privacy here. Unlike Japanese magical girls, we English wizards strive for some small degree of subtlety."
"I appreciate it." The fact that you're conversing with a bona fide wizard doesn't rank in the top ten of strange things that've happened this week. "So, shall we get down to talking business?"
"Quite. Though I'm not sure what there is to talk about." Falter shifts in his seat, leaning forward to rest his chin on an upraised palm. "U.N.S.E.A.T. already has my requests. And if you're talking to me, you clearly already made up your mind about taking me on."
"If I'm going to be working with someone, I like to get to know them face-to-face. See if I can trust them."
"Smart."
"Paranoid," you reply.
"You're only paranoid if someone isn't out to get you. A feeling I know too well."
You quirk an eyebrow at that. "I was under the impression that you were a well-respected wizard. One of England's finest."
"More the latter than the former," Falter sighs. "I'm not well-liked among my peers at Her Majesty's Hidden College for certain, very obvious reasons."
"Too good?"
"Too
brown," he replies, gesturing to his face.
(Despite his composure, you can almost feel the irritation radiating from him.) "Proper English magical society is mostly made of the wealthy and the blue-blooded, especially in the circles I'm accustomed to. They don't like having peers with blood ties to their former colonies. I'm getting rather tired of it, personally. So, I'm taking a sabbatical. Expanding my horizons. Pursuing new lines of research."
"Getting out of the country before you vaporize someone?"
He lets out a sound that's half-laugh, half-snort. "Please. I'm a British academic. The best I can manage is sarcasm and the occasional harshly-worded letter."
"Well, I hear Japan is lovely this time of year. Maybe you should come visit before everything's up and running at the base."
Falter shrugs. "I still have to resolve a few matters here, but I may take you up on that. Are you planning on doing any sightseeing here in London before you head back to Japan?"
"Not really. I've never been much of a tourist."
"Pity. Though I do appreciate your focus." Falter slides out of his seat and extends a hand to you. "I look forward to working with you, Miss Hongo."
You clasp his hand and shake. "Same to you, Mr. Silk. Also… 'Falter Silk?' Really?"
He rolled his eyes. "I picked it when I was twelve."
"And yet you've kept it."
"I consider it a reminder of my youthful immaturity. It's never wise to forget such things." He reached over and pulled his umbrella free from the booth. "Good day, Miss Hongo."
/DATASHEET ADDED – FALTER SILK\
* * *
The flight back to Japan is long and draining. By the time you land back in Tokyo you've begun to develop a dislike for airports. At least now you have a chance to collapse into your own bed and get a good night's rest.
The next day, you head out to see a familiar face.
Dr. Kara Sessyoin's offices were in a large building in the Chiyoda ward, just outside the Hibiya neighborhood. Most people who didn't know about her actual capabilities would attribute the oddly calming nature of her office to the aesthetics; the soft, muted colors of the décor, the faint scent of incense in the air and the comfortable chairs in the waiting room. You, however, know better.
You're lucky enough that you've managed to catch Dr. Sessyoin between sessions. Her secretary waves you through and you step into her office.
"Ah!" Dr. Sessyoin rises to greet you. "Hongo-san! It's so nice to see you."
Dr. Sessyoin is in her late forties, but it doesn't really show. She wears her dark brown hair long and unadorned, almost down to her waist. She possesses an almost willowy build, the sort that would look better in a kimono or the garb of a Heian noblewoman than the turtleneck blouse and skirt she's wearing. She walks lightly, her footsteps soft as she takes your hands and draws you further into her office.
"It's good to see you too, doctor," you reply sincerely. You're actually fond of Dr. Sessyoin, which really isn't all that odd considering how much of her you've seen.
"Please, you don't need to be so formal. Come, come, sit. Would you care for some tea?"
"Thank you, but no." You raise a hand as she pours herself a cup of green tea, stirring a bit of honey into it as she goes.
"Normally I'd ask you how you're doing, but I don't think you're here for a session." Dr. Sessyoin takes a seat on the couch beside you.
"About the same, in case you're wondering," you admit.
She frowns. "Any nightmares?"
"No. No nightmares. At least, none like I had after the… you know." You shake your head. "But that's not what I'm here about. I just wanted to let you know about the whole U.N.S.E.A.T recruitment thing before you officially got the message."
"You're a little late for that," she smiles over her cup. "I received the e-mail last night. I'm surprised you chose me of all people. I'm hardly the sort of person that's meant to be in charge of-"
"Dr. Sessyoin, if it weren't for your intervention I'd have gone crazy a long time ago. I couldn't-"
"That's unimportant," she says, gently cutting you off. She takes a sip of her tea and turns to face you. "I understand your intentions, and I'm flattered. But can you honestly tell me that I'm the ideal candidate for this position? You of all people should be aware of such things as personal bias."
You sigh. "This isn't an issue of personal bias. If I'm going to be dealing with extraordinary circumstances, I'm going to need extraordinary people. And I'm pretty sure a trained psychiatrist who also happens to be a skilled telepath ranks as 'extraordinary' by any metric."
You decide to not mention the other candidate. Or how much he wanted in exchange for being hired. So many zeroes…
Dr. Sessyoin looks at you for a few moments, then nods. "Very well. I'm a bit loathe to send my patients to other clinics, but such is the nature of the beast…"
"Thank you." You exhale in relief.
"Just remember," Dr. Sessyoin says as she clasps your hands, "I'll be available if you ever want to talk."
/DATASHEET ADDED – DR. KARA SESSYOIN\
* * *
The last stop on your whirlwind recruitment tour isn't, to your surprise, one of the JSDF bases located near or within Tokyo. That would have made sense, after all; Camp Asaka was the obvious choice. No, your destination was a boxing gym in Setagaya.
The gym is mostly empty when you arrive, though there are a few guys doing bag work or shadowboxing. You approach one of them to inquire about Odessa, only to be told that she and a couple of other guys are out running.
"They should be back soon," one of the boxers says as he thumps the heavy bag. "Don't worry; it doesn't take long for Odessa-chan to get done with them."
You start to ask what he means when the front door of the gym slams open. "Come on you assholes, move it! Move it! Don't let me catch you slacking off!"
About a half dozen very exhausted-looking men in sweats stagger through the door, followed by the bitch who's very clearly in charge. She's only slightly taller than you, dressed in a short tank top and gray sweatpants. Her hair is short, mixed gray and white and almost bristly in texture, and her skin is well-tanned. She's also built, with strong legs and a six-pack you could probably grate meat on. Of course, there's also certain… other features. A pair of white-furred canine ears poke out of her hair, a long lupine tail swishes through a slit cut in the seat of her pants. White fur sprouts from her forearms and underarms and her eyes are lupine gold. There's a distinct scent in the air; more canine than human.
"Captain Misato Odessa?" You ask, drawing the woman's immediate attention. Instinctively, your heart jumps a beat at the intensity of her glare.
"Who wants to know?" She glares at you, her ears folded back and her tail bristling.
(She's immediately on the defensive. Probably not wise to use titles with her.)
"I'm Makoto Hongo. I'm with U.N.S.E.A.T. now. It's nice to meet you."
You extend a hand. Odessa gives you a look-over, her nostrils flaring slightly as she sniffs before taking your hand.
"Let's step outside," she says, pointing over her shoulder with her thumb. "Don't want these meatheads listening in. And as for you lot, as soon as you catch your breath I want you back to work! Got it!?"
There's a chorus of groaned affirmatives as you and Odessa step outside. The wolf-girl grabs a towel and a bottle of water as she goes, opening it and taking a swig before ruffling the towel through her hair.
"So," you say as you watch her dry off, "do you always work out with all that hanging out?"
"Hanging ou- Oh. Right. This." She reaches up and tugs one of her ears.
(She doesn't seem the least bit concerned about your staring.) "Eh, everyone in the neighborhood already knows what I am. Don't really see much need in hiding it."
"That's surprising." You lean against the side of the building. "I figured you'd be on one of the JSDF bases."
"You're assuming the JSDF knows what to do with me. After the whole therianthrope scandal got blown out of the water about eight years ago, the JSDF figured it'd be better if it just let us do whatever, so long as we don't kick up a fuss." Odessa slings the towel over her shoulders and grins. You can see how sharp her fangs are. "I still technically have my rank, but I'm not exactly active duty right now. Probably why I got offered up to U.N.S.E.A.T. It's their way of saying 'your problem now, not ours.'"
"So I'm guessing that you're going to accept?"
"Getting put in a command position? Fuck yeah. Kicking these idiots around is satisfying, but I need some structure in my life. Sign me the hell up to this evil-punching brigade or whatever it is."
You smirk. "Good to know. I didn't know if I was going to have to bribe you with a chew toy."
"Ha, ha, ha," she says sarcastically, though she's still grinning. Her tail is wagging. "Oh, that's hilarious. Never heard that one before. Ha, ha. Go fuck yourself."
/DATASHEET ADDED – MISATO ODESSA\
* * *
Time passes. You remain in contact with U.N.S.E.A.T. and the various individuals that have been recruited for your base. As the year passes on, you begin receiving updates about the base itself. The base is located just outside of Tokyo, and is well into the construction phase. From what you're allowed to see of the schematics, the base is mostly underground, with the various sectors laid out in a hexagonal shape around the central administrative hub. The plans, unimaginatively, refer to your base as 'HEXAGON ALPHA.'
You've started reading up on all the documents that Nelson is sending you. Best to be prepared, after all.
<MECHANICAL HINT!>
Hexagon Alpha is your base of operations. It's your job to manage it and make sure everything is able to run efficiently. Needless to say, if your base falls, it's game over.
Your base is equipped with a wide variety of facilities that allow you to perform a variety of actions that will help you fight the Forces of Evil. While doing so, you have to keep an eye on four STATS that represent how well you and your base are functioning.
FAVOR represents your overall standing in the eyes of the public and the organizations you work with. High Favor will let you get away with things or draw in additional support. Low Favor means that people are unhappy with how you're doing your business. Hitting negative Favor means you risk getting shut down.
MORALE represents the overall feelings of your support staff and personnel. High Morale often leads to bonuses or more favorable outcomes. Low Morale will likely lead to people being unhappy and working poorly. Hitting negative Morale means people might start deserting.
PERSONNEL is an abstraction of the amount of people working for your base, both in the various sectors and as strike teams. The more Personnel you have, the more people you can put out in the field or to work. Low Personnel means you won't be able to field strike teams or may have to shut down Sectors due to lack of people. Running out of Personnel is, naturally, really bad.
RESOURCES is an abstracted estimate of the raw materials, funds and supplies you have after paying for upkeep in your base. Resources are used for building equipment, repairing items and structures, or even paying people directly if necessary. Resources doesn't have any negative effects if it gets low, but if it hits the negatives you'll be forced to make some hard decisions to make up the debt. Unlike the other Stats, Resources naturally recover on their own.
These Stats will fluctuate during the game based on actions and events that transpire. You can also take Actions to increase your Stats as well.
<END MECHANICAL HINT!>
>MECHANICAL CODEX UPDATED – BASE STATISTICS<
As you work through the paperwork, you notice that there are a few earmarked items that you could probably convince Nelson to let you have access to. You won't be able to get everything you want without massively overstretching the budget, but you should be able to swing a few.
SELECT TWO OPTIONS. HIGHEST TWO OPTIONS VOTED ON WILL BE ADDED TO THE BASE AT THE START.
[ ] ENHANCED BARRACKS – If the Heroes you're going to be recruiting are going to be putting their lives on the line, they might as well have a nice place to rest in between battles. (Provides passive Stress restoration and additional space for recruiting Heroes.)
[ ] ENHANCED SECURITY – If your base gets attacked, you want to make it as hard as possible to take it. Automated gun turrets, physical checkpoints and armored airlocks will make it harder for the Forces of Evil to take your stronghold. (Provides additional defenses against invasion.)
[ ] EXPANDED MOTORPOOL – Sector II serves as the base's motor pool, but it should be a cinch to expand it. That way, you'd be able to field a wider variety of vehicles and, possibly, giant robots. (Increases available vehicles and provides launch site for advanced machinery)
[ ] HAZARD CONTAINMENT – The last thing you need is some weird alien virus or magical critter escaping and wreaking havoc on your staff. By implementing additional hazard containment systems throughout the base, you should be able to isolate problems before they spread. (Makes it harder for hazards to spread and allows sectors to be isolated.)
[ ] NETWORK ENHANCEMENT – These days, just about everything is run by computers. By making sure everything is as secure as possible, it'll be hard for enemy hackers to gain purchase on your base's computer systems. (Provides additional defenses against computer intrusion and electronic warfare.)
[ ] SELF-POWERED – Solar panels, geothermal generators and efficient wiring will make it so that you won't have to rely on Tokyo's power grid for electricity. More secure AND you'll be saving on the budget. (Provides power independence and increases monthly Resources available.)
Voting ends in 24 hours.
