A Perfectly Logical Guide to a Superhuman Apocalypse: 37

A Perfectly Logical Guide to a Superhuman Apocalypse: 37

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Wordcount: 2500

Commissioned by Arksoul

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“Wait, why don’t I get to go on the super-high-tech submarine?”

“They seem to have judged you a possible threat to their operations.”

“But they let you in?! A living, natural disaster into a pressurized tin can!?”

“I have a reputation that precedes me.”

“I’d have one too, if I could survive it!”

“Humans, the Izanagi has arrived.” Parvati’s gynoid informed me and Walker, which left me grumbling and Walker looking pleased. The AI was levelling some sort of look at me. It felt like it was between scathing and judging, although I didn’t know exactly why. The AI was still going for the tan tomboy with short hair approach for its South East Asia operation by the way. “Please, present yourselves better for the sake of acquisitioning very important technologies.”

“Yeah, yeah. Fine. I’ll look intimidating and Walker will look like Walker.” That gained me an eyebrow raise from Maelstrom. Her change in dress for the occasion was to tie up her hair into a high ponytail and a three-button suit with no tie. Maelstrom without a tie, even her sillier ones, felt like a lie. It didn’t seem real. “Hey, how long has it been since you’ve visited a high school and had every gal and girl crush on you for weeks?”

Surprisingly, Maelstrom actually slumped at my words.

Huh, didn’t expect psychic damage to work against her.

“Not long enough. I always presented myself as a role-model and someone to be aspired to, yet no matter what there was nothing but the squealing of fans both male and female.” I suppose that was one benefit of being an unknown mercenary, besides surviving way longer as an unknown than a known target. No fanclubs filled with people who I didn’t want anywhere near me i.e. immature individuals after my body. You need to be at least within two years of my actual age if you want to talk to me. I’m not sorry. “What? No joke at my expense, Egress?”

“I wouldn’t wish rabid, teenage fans on my worst enemy, Walker. I’m sorry for what you had to go through.” I did find it a little funny, but it was messed up enough that I didn’t want to consider it any further. So, I cleared my throat and just looked at the super-awesome, high-tech submarine that was breaking through the waters of the shallow cove that we’d chosen to rendezvous at. Ah, nothing like super-cool, high-tech submersibles to erase the thought of squealing fangirls and fanboys from the mind. “Look, it’s a super-cool submarine that I can’t go into, but you can! Be happy!”

That earned me a chuckle, before Walker flew off to meet with Nori face-to-face.

Story of my life.

I never get to visit places that are cool without doing something extremely dangerous for someone else.

Can’t a guy get an invite to look at cool stuff instead of having to break in?

“If I didn’t know you better, I’d have thought you were worried about Kaede Walker. But, in truth, you simply want to be aboard the submarine, don’t you?”

“Kinda useless to worry about someone who can fly straight through one end of the planet and come out the other end, until it’s Swiss cheese.” I decided to take a seat. I’d prepared the location where we were met by bringing some tables, chairs, and some healthy snacks. The first batch of almonds I’d had in a while, as well as some carrots and celery. I loved steaks, but I gained back about half the weight I’d lost from living in a bunker all the time, and I wanted to keep the toned and lean form in case I ever wanted to open up to someone. “Don’t pretend like you don’t want to be in there, too. Relatively speaking, you’re acting like an obsessed stalker compared to how you usually are.”

“…The technology on offer is something that is integral to my plans. You understand that most of the earth is covered with water, yes?” Parvati protested and it was kinda cute. Not because of the gynoid body being inhabited, but because the AI was arguing with me after I poked fun at it. It wasn’t denying that it was acting differently from usual, either. “Imagine having the ability to create underwater bases without the need for surface platforms. It may even be the key to reigniting global shipping lanes, as the oceans will be the perfect barriers against marauding superhumans.”

“Yeah, I get it. It’s great and you can make underwater trains that replace cargo ships. Still, you’re putting us at risk, you know? This whole scheme is more dangerous than what you usually help with.”

Parvati was quiet at that, but eventually spoke up after looking at its feet for a while.

“My intentions are to help humanity back onto its feet and do my utmost to return it to the more peaceful periods it enjoyed. The opportunity this provides simply gives the most chance of that occurring, so I am willing to take the risk.” I eyed the AI for a while, until it sighed and spoke to me. “What do you want, Egress? Isn’t it enough that whatever comes of this, you’ll acquire the food that you desire? Have you already not asked me for multiple submarines to use as safehouses to which I have agreed?”

“Yeah, but that’s before you pointed out that letting you have this will give you control over global trade.” I’ve read my fair share of the classic sci-fi novels. Parvati wasn’t a massive slug that lived in massive tanks of drugs, but control over trade and shipping was a powerful thing. A few undersea bases, some ports, and next thing you know, the AI ruled the world because it owns the oceans. “You want me to give this whole scenario my all, right? How about sweetening the deal up and giving me a share of the pie? C’mon, you want me off my ass and being active in helping people, right? Appeal to my greed and give me a reason to fight.”

The tanned gynoid huffed and shook her head, but a smile played across her features.

Parvati could’ve been playing things up, and maybe it planned this all along, but the truth was that I wanted in.

“As mercenary as always, but I suppose that’s something to be applauded in this day and age. Fine, then. I expected that humanity wouldn’t take the offer if I didn’t ask them for payment, so you’ll have a twenty percent cut of the ‘profits’ that I plan to make.” I would’ve been happy with a tenth of that, but I wasn’t going to complain. Besides, as always, bargaining was never my strong suit. I’m a ‘yes’ or ‘no’ kind of guy after the contract was offered. This time, it was most definitely a ‘yes.’ “However, you understand that this will be a difficult endeavor, correct? And that you’ll be essentially tying your flag to my own?”

“Yeah, I know, but as much of an ass I am, do you think I can stand by and just let famines take out millions of people?” Japan was just one of many nations that saw its populace’s waistlines shrink. With the nuclear exchanges that occurred early on, I’d bet that a lot of land on Earth’s surface wasn’t good for farming anymore. Hell, it’s a miracle that most of the US wasn’t irradiated and that a most of the people just died violently through superhumans or conventional means. That miracle was something that could save a lot of people, if we had global shipping working again. “Besides, there’s an opportunity here. I’ll get some stakes on the deliveries too. It’s not like there’s laws stopping me from investing my money in the businesses that’ll be using my services anymore!”

I laughed while the AI glowered at me.

“I’ll be speaking to Walker about that.” Dammit, why’d I tell it my plans? After hearing about its plans to dominate world trade, I’d thought I would be able to gloat about my plans to become stupid rich. “Oh, don’t look so betrayed. What’ll you spend the money on? There’s hardly any luxuries available, and there’ll hardly be any available for the foreseeable future.”

It was my turn to glower now.

Parvati was right.

Even if I got a stupid amount of money, what exactly was I going to spend it on, especially since most of the things I wanted could be acquired through Walker or Parvati in the first place?

Was I just going to earn loads of money to see the numbers go up?

Hm.

That didn’t sound too bad, actually.

I needed a hobby, after all.

“You’re incorrigible, Egress.”

…

Walker returned with Nori in tow.

It was worse than I thought, since the girl had aged herself up in the hologram and was actually younger. Highschool second year at best, and first year at the very worse. Basically, an anime protagonist in real life, but in a world where kids have been killed outright more times than I cared to count.

Walker didn’t seem that pleased, either.

“My apologies for the deception regarding my age. I saw fit to increase it to dissuade attackers.” Nori gave a deep bow. For this meeting, instead of the Navy officer uniform, she was wearing a formal kimono. If I were meeting with Maelstrom in an official capacity, I’d be dressed to the nines too, so I couldn’t fault her for that. Still, the kimono made it clear that the girl was also on the thin side and that made her look even younger. The number of issues I had with the situation was rising more quickly than I thought. “Egress-san, I understand that you have concerns regarding installing me as a provincial governor until the nation can right itself? Because of my age?”

I noticed that she was speaking fluent English this time.

Either she hadn’t spoken in English to throw me off when first spoke, or learned it to speak with Walker without a translator. Either was a possibility. The latter sounded more probable, since the girl was one of the geniuses. Sometimes, even if they had normal human bodies, the geniuses had their own ways of being frightening. Even if they can’t throw around buildings, being able to just pick up a language instantly and manipulate someone sounded like a terrifying power.

“Yeah, that’s right. You seem smart enough and you’re educated enough, but you’re going to have to allay some of my concerns.” Some twang entered my voice with ‘allay,’ but it was a test on my own end. I wasn’t from the southern states, but some foreign leaders treated me differently with that little accent at play. They usually showed off some biases that told me if they were hiding anything. “I’m willing to help Japan out, but putting you in power just might be a temporary fix. That’s not something I’m interested in.”

I wondered if Nori would bite.

“There’s no need to pretend regarding where you come from. I’ll tell you now: yes, I am inexperienced and not the best for the duty of guiding Japan out of its current state. However, I am in contact with someone who is: the last of the Imperial Lineage.”

That surprised me and I looked to Walker.

“She’s telling the truth, Egress.”

Well, I verified it once, but another source would be nice.

Nori was already moving and pulled a manila envelope from the sash that was wrapped around her waist.

The Japanese government’s crest, a stylized paulownia, looked back at me from the paper produced within. Then, right next to it, was the golden chrysanthemum that even I could recognize. You’d think that an apocalypse would have them change things up a little, but a few decades of turmoil were nothing compared to the longest running dynasty, I suppose. If I remembered things correctly. I probably didn’t.

“Many government officials were secreted away along with their families to prepared shelters. My grandfather and my family worked with them. It was anticipated that a great global crisis would occur, which might threaten all of Japan.” Alright, I’m liking the Japanese more and more. Besides their cultural and culinary offerings, I never paid them much attention because their taxes were way too high, but this was sounding like a good use of tax money. “Some integral individuals were placed under stasis, but a small school was established to raise up new officials and create a foundation for them to retake Japan. We have under our control most of the JSDF and maintaining their assets has been key.”

I whistled at that.

“That’s a lot of firepower.” The Japanese were naturally worried about the state of China and the rest of SEA, so they invested a lot into their Self Defense Force. I smuggled a few things their way, just like I did for the Americans, from India. That set off a bit of a flashback. “Hey, wait a second, are you using AI to monitor those pods and train up the new generation?”

That made Nori stiffen and look at Walker with worry, before Walker looked at Parvati’s gynoid body… who was silent.

“I have no issue with working with AI, Nori.”

A sigh of relief left the young girl and she nodded at me.

“That is indeed the case. Our AI counterparts are integral to the functioning of our current safe zone and we consider them firm allies and companions. If you have an issue with that, Egress-San…”

Parvati staying silent told me that it wanted to keep that fact of itself secret, possibly to access technology that it would otherwise not have access to, so I filed that away as something to charge it for and answered.

“Yeah, no issues here. I’m a fan actually. They’re decent folk to work with.” That made Nori’s brow furrow in confusion, but I led the conversation onward past that. “What about the Aerial Superiority Fighters? You have those on standby? They’ll make things a lot easier.”

Nori was confused again, but this time she looked at me more closely.

“I saw your face and know your name, but no one recognized you. How do you know so much?”

“Black budget stuff. Off the record. I was a transporter for high rollers, before I retired. Came back out because I was looking for beef and a dog.”

Once again, my statement made the little genius open and close her mouth like a fish.

It was kinda cute... and would’ve made me worry about the future of Japan, if not for the recent revelation.

A modern government supported by AI sounded like it had a good chance at surviving this new world.