Shora

Shora held Vyvani’s head in her lap, cradling the girl’s head so as to provide as much comfort as she might while Muzgal sped through the lanes towards Handata College Hospital. Vyvani’s skin was burning with fever and damp to the touch. Shora dabbed at her forehead with the damp cloth she had hastily made with the torn sleeve of her shirt and a bottle of water she had found inside the hovercar.

“How much longer?” Shora asked urgently.

“Ten minutes at most, Councilor," Muzgal replied.

Shora glanced nervously at Vyvani’s wound. The damnable traitor had chosen the green beamShot to spray them with, of all the choices available to him. Initially, Shora had called for a mediCar; but upon seeing the sort of trauma inflicted upon Vyvani, she realized she did not have the time to wait even those few minutes.

The radiation corruption was spreading slowly through Vyvani’s body; the entirety of her stomach was now splotched and cracked and reddened, like the floor of a parched desert. Blood rose from ruptures in the skin, forming new webs of red. The wound had grown in all directions—above, below, and to the sides of the original shot, and Shora did not dare look where else the toxic injury had branched to.

Vyvani moaned and mumbled as the hovercar climbed in altitude. Her lips were blue and oxygen deprived. Shora felt her heart drop.

“Muzgal,” she pleaded. “Hurry.”

Her driver grunted in reply, and she felt herself pushed back from the force of renewed speed.

“I should have listened to you,” Shora mumbled. “I should have left Vyvani in my office.” She wasn’t sure if Muzgal had heard, but perhaps she was not actually speaking to him. Perhaps she just needed to talk, to make sense of the events that had happened, as if speaking of what path she should have chosen vindicated her somehow. Or, perhaps, she was in that strange place where it was necessary to convince herself that she was liable for the events which had transpired, so that the weight of accountability would motivate her further.

“Shit,” Shora said quietly. “It was my fault.”

“It wasn’t, Councilor,” Muzgal said suddenly. “Remember what you told Vyvani that night at Indato. You cannot hold yourself responsible for the actions of bad players.”

Shora expelled a short spell of air in her surprise. “Right.” She looked down at Vyvani and stroked her clumped hair, drenched in perspiration. “It’s not over yet. It’s only just begun. Get better, and we'll burn the entire fucking city. Cleanse it of its filth.”

Shora had taken quite the liking to her newly hired intern. The girl was intelligent, savvy, and despite what she thought of herself, was in Shora’s opinion, fearless as well. Her brashness and ability to tighten her belt and forge on without complaint were characteristics which Shora held invaluable. Vyvani had appeared, from their many conversations, to hold a keen knowledge in corporate affairs as well, and Shora had believed she had herself a protégé in Vyvani, someone who could join her in her never-ending hunt against corporate meddling in the affairs of state. When all of this was finished, however, it was Commissioner Akato who Shora would first see dragged down from his pedestal.

“We’re here, Councilor,” Muzgal said, swerving into the loading bay on the top floor of the hospital. There were already teams of doctors and surgeons waiting—Shora was, for the most part, hesitant to use her influence in such ways, but tonight she had placed a few calls for preferential treatment.

A torrential rain had begun, drenching the neon city and painting the air a blur of countless brilliant colors.

The doctors hurriedly placed Vyvani onto the stretcher and pressed the buttons to lift it into hover mode. Immediately, the doctors began speeding into the hospital, checking Vyvani’s vitals as they did so.

“Explain the situation to me, Councilor,” said the leading doctor, beckoning for Shora to follow. He was an old friend of hers, having grown up in the same neighborhood since they were children.

“Doctor Anzano,” Shora replied. “It’s a beamShot wound, of the green kind.”

“How long ago?”

“Twenty, maybe thirty minutes.”

Doctor Anzano gave Shora a brief glance, and Shora did not miss it.

“It’s bad, then,” Shora said, fighting to keep her voice calm.

“Not good, definitely,” Anzano answered. “On a limb, an amputation would be unavoidable, but still lifesaving. But on the torso…How did this happen? Was she caught in a firefight?”

Shora grimaced, wondering whether she should reveal Akato's attack to Anzano. She decided to wait. For now. “A random, crazed attack by a street goon,” she said half-heartedly.

The doctor slowed his step. Taking Shora by the arm, he led her to the corner of a hallway devoid of potential eavesdroppers.

“You know that’s a lie,” Anzano asked, his voice taut with concern. “It’s impossible for civilians to mod their photonBlasters to fire green beamShot. Only the Joryoku have the ability to hack into the weapons to achieve that effect.”

“You really don’t miss anything, do you, Anzano?” Shora found herself more vexed than thankful at the present.

“It’s my job, Shora,” Anzano said, crossing his arms. “Was it Joryoku or law enforcement?”

“Are you asking this as a friend or a doctor?”

Anzano frowned. “Does it matter? Let’s say friend, then. Is your life in danger, Shora? Should I be alerting hospital security? Should I be telling them to be vigilant for anyone in particular? Do you have a clan on your tail?”

Shora shook her head. “It really was a random attack, Anzano. But it wasn’t Joryoku.”

Anzano’s eyes widened. “You’re kidding. The Constabulary? Do you have an unsanctioned hit out on you? Who have you exposed?”

“Anzano, I am sorry, but I am not in the mood to answer your questions right now. I would like to accompany my intern.”

Anzano’s look softened. “Alright, Shora. Later, then.”

Shora followed Anzano to the surgery prep chamber. The doctors had cut Vyvani’s clothes from her body and were inspecting the beamShot wound. From the heavy atmosphere, Shora understood that any news she would be receiving was not of the good kind.

An assistant doctor glanced up as they entered, and an unspoken message was exchanged between Anzano and her. As Anzano turned to Shora, Shora spoke first, as if doing so would lessen the blow.

“She’s not going to make it, is she.”

“No.”

Shora turned away from Doctor Anzano and gazed into the corner of the room, attempting to avert the doctor’s gaze from the tears pooling at her eyes.

“Shora, come with me,” Anzano said, taking her gently by the arm. Shora followed willingly, almost blindly, nearly oblivious to her surroundings. She needed time to consider things, perhaps think of a solution that the doctors had not thought of themselves.

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Anzano turned through the glossy white corridors until they reached a room which Shora assumed was his office. When they were both inside and Anzano had seated her before his desk, he shut the door quietly. He dropped into a chair across the table from Shora and steepled his hands.

“Did I not get here fast enough?” Shora asked.

Anzano shook his head. “This has nothing to do with you, Shora. She was shot too close to the vitals. In fact, you got here so quickly that we were still able to detect her beating heart. You did everything you could, but green beamShot is lethal in most cases.”

“Transplant an artificial heart.”

“We can’t do that either, Shora.” Anzano rubbed at his temples. “The radiation has destroyed most of her organs already, and it’s even entered her bloodstream. It’ll soon affect her brain tissue as well.”

Shora sat back, in denial and incredulous. She was unable to think clearly. Her faculties were deadened, and she felt as if all the blood in her body had rushed out onto the floor, leaving her disoriented and unfit.

Doctor Anzano stood and walked to his refrigerator. He placed a bottle of water in front of her.

“Here, Shora. You’re pale.”

Shora took the bottle in her hands but lingered before lifting it to her lips. Was there really nothing she could do? Suddenly, a thought entered her mind, but she couldn’t. No, not now, not ever.

“I know what you’re thinking, Shora,” Anzano said.

“Do you?” Shora answered, more hostilely than she had intended.

“The Crystalline Towers,” Anzano said carefully.

“No.” Shora said. Even as she spoke, she hated herself for it. Was she truly the principled and priggish pig that Akato had made her out to be? If she turned back on her decision now, what would that mean for the Moyashino boy, Kashniro’s son? Had she condemned him to death because he was not dear enough to her heart?

“It’s the only way,” Anzano urged. “There’s someone there that I know, who you might trust.” He waited for Shora’s response; but when it was not forthcoming, he continued speaking. “Dr. Sabina Son.”

The mention of that name struck Shora like a bolt of lightning. “There’s no way.”

Anzano nodded slowly. “Dr. Sabina Son has recently joined the Towers.”

“Why?” Shora asked.

“She believed that it would be better if someone like her were present to steer the course of the project, rather than allowing it to veer into destinations unknown by undesirable entities.”

A glimmer of hope flickered within Shora’s heart. “I want to be there if it happens. Along with her parents.” Suddenly, Shora remembered that in the midst of all the confusion, she had neglected to alert Vyvani’s parents to what had happened. Another obstacle loomed before her, she realized.

Anzano shook his head. “If it’s going to happen, it has to happen without anyone present. Dr. Sabina Son is extremely particular about who she meets with. She doesn’t want there to be even the slightest implications that she might be under the influence of a politician or corporation.”

“This isn’t my decision to make,” Shora said, making to stand. “We have to call her parents.”

“Shora, my team can only keep her artificially alive for so long. We don’t have the time. It’s now or never.”

Shora dropped back into her seat. She sat there deep in thought for a long moment, weighing the decision which she knew was not hers to make. “Alright. But when it’s finished, I want you to be there with me when we break the news to her parents. Your expertise would, in my hopes, help at least a little bit when we explain why we had to go the way we did.”

“Then one request from me as well,” Anzano refuted. “We can’t let the parents know until after everything’s done. If the girl dies during the surgery, it’s better to inform the parents that their daughter died from a beamShot rather than an experimental procedure.”

“That’s unethical,” Shora said, grimacing.

“So is saving her life in this way, many people would say, if they knew,” Anzano said. “Including you, maybe not even an hour ago.” Anzano sighed. “I’m not endorsing it, Shora. I’m merely informing you of the girl’s options. And you, of all people, are aware of the top-secret nature of the Towers. We can't have them know of what goes on there." He walked over and laid a hand on her shoulder. It was meant to be comforting, but it only added to Shora’s burdens. “If we are successful, we’ll think of how to incorporate the parents then.”

Shora hung her head and buried her face in her hands. She truly was balancing herself on knife’s edge. She was weak, she now realized. All it took was a pinch of feelings and a dash of the personal before she so willingly abandoned everything she had believed and stood for until this moment. Her morals and beliefs, which she had believed stone pillars, were foundations of sand and dirt, and the flood had arrived.

“Okay,” Shora whispered, so that the world would not hear her betraying herself.

“Okay,” Anzano said. “You made the right call. She’ll thank you for it later.”

“I hope so,” Shora said softly.

“Go home, get some rest,” Anzano urged. “I’ll call you as soon as the procedure is finished.”

“How long do you think that will be?” Shora asked.

“I’ll have to make some calls, and get in touch with Dr. Son, but it should be over before the end of the day tomorrow.”

Shora nodded and stood from her seat, using Anzano as a crutch. He walked her into the hallway, and back to where Vyvani lay in the surgical chamber.

“I’d like to have a moment alone,” Shora said.

“Sorry, Shora, we can’t do that,” Anzano said apologetically. “We have to go through the preliminary procedures immediately.”

Shora nodded sadly. She stepped out of the room, gazing at Vyvani’s pale face until the very last moment. When the door was shut, she turned and leaned against the wall, exhausted and weary in both body and mind.

Muzgal approached her slowly. “Are you alright, Councilor?”

Shora shook her head. “I don’t think so.”

“Will she live, Councilor?”

Shora swallowed the distaste she felt for herself before she spoke the words. “I’ve sent her off to the Crystalline Towers.”

Muzgal said nothing, and his expression did not falter. There was not even a raised brow, a quiet sigh, nothing. He merely nodded, and for that Shora was grateful.

“You did what was best, Councilor.”

Shora sighed. “Good that at least one of us thinks so. Take me home, please, Muzgal.”

Slowly, her driver escorted her down the hallway. All through that long walk, Shora continued to look back, towards the room past the doors of which Vyvani would be lying, surrounded by doctors and nurses, knives cutting through her skin and sawing her bones to separate her brain and body.

Before Shora stepped out onto the loading bay, she stole one last look at Vyvani’s room. “Good luck, Vyvani,” she whispered. The door was shut. The two would never meet again.