CHAPTER TWO
<9:12 AM>
The tanks rumbled down the street, in formation around the 'paddy
wagon' containing their suspect. Leona used the time to update Habana
and Shinozaki on her encounter with Annapuma's 'mother'.
"...then Anna climbed on her back, and she *jumped* up to rooftop
level. That's the last I saw of them."
["So, she's obviously an android,"] Shinozaki noted.
"Yeah, but I can't figure out why Anna'd call her 'Mom'. Androids
can't be programmed with the skills to build other androids - there are
laws against that sort of thing, just in case. We don't want a race of
immortal, super-strong, self-perpetuating beings around, do we?"
["Maybe it's because of who *she* is."]
Asada's voice sounded puzzled. ["What do you mean, sir?"]
"You know who she is, Habana?"
["Yeah, and you of all people should too."] Leona could visualize him
raising a finger, as he always did when making a point. ["Nuku Nuku
Natsume was the first android ever created, about one hundred years
ago."]
"Huh. So, why should I know that?"
["Because if it weren't for her, there may never have been a Tank
Police. You see..."]
The squad listened as Habana briefly explained the circumstances behind
Nuku Nuku's construction. Finally Leona interrupted. "Hold it, hold
it! You're saying that she was created because of a, a custody battle?"
["'Battle' is the right word. Remember, the kid's mother was the head
of a major military hardware manufacturer, and she was kind of unhinged
on the subject of getting him back. But Nuku Nuku was beyond state of
the art, and she was stronger than even the androids of today. So, when
her first attempts to recover her son were decidedly trashed, Akiko
devoted a whole bunch of Mishima's resources to the project. In one
year, R&D funding was tripled, and production on several lucrative items
was halted in order to build prototypes to use against Nuku Nuku. It
hurt Mishima in the short term... but in the long run, it put them at
the forefront of the industry. The advances they made formed the basis
of modern technology - the planes used by the Osaka Air Police,
sandships, the heavy tanks we use... all of 'em owe their existence to
that one short period."]
There was silence for a moment, as the squad digested that prolonged
bit of exposition.
"I don't believe a word of it."
["Suit yourself. It's in the history books, if you know where to
look."]
"I mean, yeah, she's strong, but able to rip tanks apart with her bare
hands? It doesn't bear thinking abo--"
She was interrupted as the transport wagon was suddenly hit by a
massive explosion.
<9:31 AM>
"T-31 to T-32 and T-33! Report!"
["T-32, roger! We're okay."]
["T-33 reporting! Only minor damage!"]
"Switch to fire supressant rounds and put that blaze out!" Leona was
already wheeling her Bonaparte around to the side of the wagon and
thumbing the selector switch on her main cannon. She aimed at the
ground next to the burning vehicle and fired - the shell impacted, then
exploded into an upward spray of white foam. Two similar sprays told
her that her squad had done the same, and the fire was already nearly
out.
That taken care of, Leona quickly scanned the surrounding rooftops -
anything that could hit the wgaon with that much firepower should be
easy to track...
Nothing.
"T-31 to NPC! We have a 713 in progress at 29th and Maple! Repeat, a
sniper situation! Send reinforcements immediately!"
["Roger, T-31. Backup units and SWAT team en route."]
Leona switched to a local frequency. "Ito, take shelter behind the
wagon, but get out of there if it's attacked again." A pair of coughing
figures dragging themselves out of the cab of the wagon caught her eye.
"Habana, let's give the drivers some cover until the backup gets here."
["T-33, roger!"]
["T-32, understood."]
Maneuvering her Bonaparte between the collapsed driver and the probable
point of attack, Leona kept an eye on her scanners for any sign of
movement. She suspected, however, that the sniper's work was done.
"Damn it!" she muttered. "Not again..."
<10:25 AM>
Her expression was grim as she climbed out of her minitank and took off
her helmet. This had happened to her three times in the past week -
whenever she arrested someone with a Tankbuster, some unknown force made
sure they never reached the police station alive.
Someone wanted to keep her from finding out who was supplying the
weapons.
That was obvious, and she could understand that. What eluded her was
how they knew about the arrests almost as they were being made, and
where to strike as the prisoner was brought back to the station.
*A leak? Not in my squad... Habana, Asada, and Shinozaki are all
solid... Ito maybe, but she's too chicken-hearted to take a bribe. I
can't even blame Anna - she wouldn't have known the route we were taking
back.*
A familiar whirring sound approached her from behind, and she absently
moved aside for Habana's chair. He slowed as he passed her until they
were moving side by side, then turned his mostly-bald skull toward her.
"It wasn't your fault, you know," he told her.
"Yeah, I know that. You know me - one scumbag more or less isn't going
to make me lose any sleep."
"Yeah. Sure. So, what's the problem?"
She sighed. "The problem is we may be looking at an inside job here."
He raised an eyebrow. "You think so?"
"I don't know how else they'd be getting so much information."
"Good point. Maybe we should go talk to the boys in Dispatch, find out
if..."
His sentence trailed off, and she followed his gaze... then gaped in
astonishment.
Nuku Nuku was sitting on Annapuma's desk, and was carefully running a
small brush through Anna's long blonde hair. Anna had resumed her
normal size, so the sight of the smaller woman gently but firmly pushing
the imposing Puma sister's head this way and that was somewhat surreal.
Uni was sitting nearby, smiling happily - her hair had apparently
already been attended to, for it definitely wasn't as wild and spiky as
usual.
Anna, on the other hand, wasn't quite as thrilled with the procedure.
"Aw, moooooom! There're, like, people watchin'!"
Nuku Nuku never stopped in her brushing, deftly unsnarling the many
tangles in her daughter's hair. "You want to look nice, don't you? You
were made with such pretty hair, but you don't take care of it." She
carefully avoided Anna's ball-and-chain earring as she brushed around
her ears. "And if your fur is all smooth and shiny, you'll be able to
find a nice, handsome tomcat."
"Aw, mom..."
Leona sat at her desk, still a bit mesmerized by the scene before her.
*Okay, so maybe Habana was right... she sure acts like she has a cat's
brain. But the Pumas aren't acting really respectful or anything, so I
don't think they call her 'Mother' just because she's the first
android. It's more than that.*
Fortunately, the rest of her squad had arrived at that time, and Asada
asked that question for her. "Wow, so you're really their mother?"
Nuku Nuku beamed and nodded. "Hai. It's been a long time since I
helped make them, and we haven't talked much lately, so I decided to
drop by and see my kittens."
"'Kittens'?" Leona was incredulous. "You call those gangling things
'kittens'?"
Anna stuck her tongue out. "You're just jealous 'cuz you're such a
shrimp."
The sergeant had to resist the urge to go for her subrifle - shooting
Anna probably wouldn't be a wise move at this point. "I thought
androids weren't allowed to make other androids. In fact, it's
illegal."
"Oh, I didn't make them all by myself," Nuku Nuku assured her. "I just
decided what I wanted them to look like, and helped program them to be
like me - part cat and part human. Some friends of mine did the rest."
*Friends that would make a couple of billion-yen androids for her...
I'd like to have friends like that.* Aloud, Leona said absently, "Part
cat... well, I guess that explains why they're so greedy..." Anna and
Uni's glares made her realize what she was saying, and she blushed in
embarrassment. "Um... I mean..."
Nuku Nuku only nodded innocently. "No, you're right... I think maybe I
made them *too* human."
"Uh, yeah." Leona tried to ignore Asada's giggling.
Habana rolled a bit forward. "You must be the one who gave them the
ability to shrink down, right?" Leona blinked - she hadn't thought of
that.
"Hai!" Nuku Nuku finally finished the epic task of brushing Anna's
hair and stowed the brush in a knapsack she carried. "Kittens need lots
of love and hugs and comfort when they're young, but they need to grow
up and be independent, too."
Unipuma nodded. "That's, like, why we never did it while we were
with..." She stopped, and glanced at her mother. "I mean, before we
joined the cops. We're big girls now."
Anna giggled. "That's also why Uni, like, totally freaked out when she
saw me when I was all tiny."
"I did not freak out!"
"You did so! You got all bug-eyed and you got sharkteeth like bosslady
does when she gets pissed and everything!"
"You lying bimbo! That ain't true and you know it!"
"Is so! Is so! Nyeaah!"
"I'm gonna..."
Right as Leona was about to draw her gun, regardless of the
consequences, Nuku Nuku defused the catfight with three little words.
"Who wants presents?"
"Presents! Presents!"
"Yahoo! Give 'em to pretty Anna first, 'cuz you love me better!"
"Me! I want 'em!"
"No! I called �em first! Mine!"
Leona put her head in her hands as Nuku Nuku doled out brightly-wrapped
packages to her daughters. *Jeez... I'm just glad there's no inspection
today. Or any reporters around - I'm sure this scene wouldn't help our
reputation much. I'd ask who let her in, but then I'd have to wonder
who'd stop her...*
She checked her watch, then turned to the other members of her squad.
"Okay, it's now 10:40 - you guys can take care of whatever you need to,
but I want you back here at eleven o'clock sharp for a squad meeting."
Shinozaki saluted smartly. "Yes, sir, Squad Leader."
Habana nodded. "You got it."
"Yes, sir," Asada chimed in.
"Twenty minutes?" That was the newest squad member, Rerika Ito,
formerly of the traffic patrol. "That's barely enough time to fix my
makeup, check the gossip boards, read my e-mail..."
Leona glared at her until she ground to a halt. "Twenty minutes."
"Uh... yes, sir."
The sergeant raised her voice. "You got that, Anna?"
"Yeah, yeah..."
Nuku Nuku stood up suddenly. "Good! That should be just enough
time." She grabbed each of her daughters by the arm, and dragged them
effortlessly to an open window. She bowed to Leona, even as Anna and
Uni struggled in her grasp. "I have to speak to my daughters in
private. If you'll excuse us..."
Leona blinked. "Um..."
And then, for the second time that day, Nuku Nuku abruptly vanished.
Leona hurried over to the window, just in time to see her bound onto the
roof of the adjacent building. The squad leader scratched her head. "I
wonder why she's in such a hurry?"
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