Editing Toaru Majutsu no Index:RailgunSS2 Chapter8 (section)

=== Part 4 ===

Mikoto and Lessar entered one section of the international airport on the outskirts of the giant city known as the shopping mall.

It was a rocket launch facility.

In that city, space development may have been nothing more than another business through which to make money. However, Mikoto was not sure whether their service was to launch people or objects into space or to gather information from satellites that had been launched into space.

“Y’know…” Mikoto looked around the flat area as she ran. “This place reminds me of Academy City’s District 23. Why does everything have to be so damn huge when it comes to air and space!?”

“It seems there is more than one launch module.” Lessar showed no sign of fatigue as she ran alongside Mikoto. “There are 25 total. They’re laid out in a 5 x 5 pattern.”

“Do you know where the rocket with the core of Code EIC inside is?”

“According to what Bayloupe can see from atop the hotel, it’s the module in the fourth row and fourth column.”

“And where are we?”

“Row one column one.”

“We’re pretty much on the complete opposite side!! This is about the worst possible situation distance-wise!!”

As they spoke, the two girls dashed through the rocket launch area.

The launch modules were large circular holes opened in the ground. They were about 30 meters across and 30 meters deep. The edge of the holes had no railings, so they did not want to approach them. However, it seemed the rockets stood in the center of the circle and they were surrounded by crane-like devices that attached cables and tubes for data and fuel. The module Mikoto and Lessar circled around had all that minus the actual rocket itself.

Those giant modules were set up in a nice 5 x 5 layout.

Suddenly, Lessar realized something as she ran along and reached into her pocket.

It seemed she had received a transmission over that cell phone-like object made of cardboard.

“Hello, this is Floris. I’ve snuck into the center of the stock market center, and I found something interesting.”

“?”

“A part of the giant Code EIC computer has been removed like a piece of a jigsaw puzzle. The missing piece is…I guess about the size of a small refrigerator.”

“I guess that piece was brought to the rocket.”

“Yeah, and I doubt the rectangular box just grew legs and walked off on its own. Although, I’m sure some people would insist it was carried by people being manipulated by Code EIC.”

“You said your name is Floris, right?” Mikoto cut in speaking English. “Since you’re in the stock market center, could you try to bring the phone lines back online? It seems the city’s phone system is set up to head outside after going through there, so that would be the most likely place for something to be set up.”

“I’m not too knowledgeable about that kind of thing.”

“Just do what you can. All I want is to see if you can get it back online and connected to the outside. Even if we gather information here, it can’t be used to intercept the UAV if I can’t get it back to Academy City. So just do what you can.”

“Understood,” she said and ended the transmission.

And in the next instant, another transmission arrived.

This time, it was from a different worker at the occult convenience store.

“Hee hee.”

But Mikoto did not know them well enough to know who it was just from a laugh.

“Hee hee hee. Nyu ha ha. I-it ticklesh…Nyahh.”

“Hello, who is this playing around in the middle of an emergency?”

“Lancis. Thish is Lancish. Nyuhu. Uuh, I can’t stand it. Magic power really does…tickle…”

Lancis continued muttered nonsensical things, but she slowly forced herself to calm down.

“Heh…heh. I received some new information from that cabal.”

“I’m surprised they told you anything.”

“Not from the people…nyuhu…I gathered the information left behind in that giant wheel snake.”

“But the cabal is not who is truly behind all this.”

“It seems they were…hee hee…gathering information from all over the shopping mall to see if anyone was going to get in the way of their plan.”

“And you found some information on who you think might be behind this?”

“It seems a French Academy City cooperative institution is deeply involved in all of this. Nyuha. A man named Peter Wellgo was invited here to see the #3’s demonstration, but it seems he had connections to the shopping mall’s higher ups beyond that.”

“Peter Wellgo…?”

Mikoto frowned and activated the Semipublic AR on the ground. A window opened like a shadow at her feet. She used a few tricks to access the data meant for Misaka Mikoto while using a different account and accessed the data on the demonstration.

She found the same name there.

He was one of the people who had been invited to view the demonstration as a representative of a cooperative institution.

“A cooperative institution?” said Lessar glancing over at Mikoto as they ran.

Mikoto nodded.

“Assuming that information was not put in there to intentionally throw us off track, it seems he is the person behind this. Even if the plan came to light and Academy City and the shopping center destroyed each other, the French cooperative institution could benefit by establishing a business model using the scientific information they have.”

It started with the oranges filled with crimson long-legged army ants and continued with the Code EIC report, the attack by remote controlled snowplows, the uranium ornament, and the establishment of a business model. Many people had been involved in that single large plan. There had not been a single “incident” or “criminal” and the plan had eventually left the control of the shopping center higher ups who had created it in the first place.

A lot had happened.

But they had finally come to the last person manipulating things from the shadows.

Peter Wellgo.

It was clear he was trying to load the core of Code EIC onto a rocket and launch it into space.

He likely knew the nuclear detonation code and the flight path of the UAV.

In other words…

“If we can capture this Peter Wellgo and get the details of the plan to Academy City, they can almost certainly shoot down the UAV and prevent the Solntse from detonating.”

“Wellgo came to the shopping mall with…nee hee…a few bodyguards, but he is likely the only one involved in this plan. He would want to keep his connections to the shopping mall as secret as possible so that the odds of blame falling on the French cooperative institution would be as low as possible.”

Suddenly, a pillar of flames erupted up from a launch module directly to their side.

The huge explosion filled the entire 30 meter width and depth of the large hole. The brilliant red pillar of flames reached well above Mikoto and Lessar’s heads. After reaching 50 meters above ground, it finally stopped its ascent and started spreading out in all directions.

“Wha—!? What is that!?”

“The liquid fuel in the launch area must have exploded! I don’t know if it was liquid oxygen or hydrogen though!!”

The shock of the explosion caused Lessar to drop her cardboard cell phone, but she did not turn back for it.

The flames overhead had already surpassed Mikoto and Lessar’s location creating a “ceiling” of flames.

“But that module didn’t have a rocket in it!!”

“To create an explosion with the fuel, you just need the supply tanks and pipes. I’m betting someone set it to detonate remotely!”

“So nothing is being done directly by humans to the end. By using the tools and equipment here, he can make it look like Code EIC is doing this.”

The ceiling of flames wavered.

The far end of it dropped as if it had finally recalled the existence of gravity.

“Isn’t that right, Peter Wellgo!?”

As Mikoto shouted, the ceiling of flames collapsed.

It turned into countless masses of blazing heat and rained down on the launch area as Mikoto and Lessar ran through it.

Mikoto ran and Lessar leapt, but they were not quite going to make it in time. They rolled across the AR ground and the flames filled the area just behind them.

The danger did not end there.

The hard ground was smashed by the vibration. Mikoto covered her face with both arms to protect it against the fragments and she could see a dazzling light make its way between her arms.

It was coming from one of the fuel pipes that had been buried in the ground.

The thick steel pipe had been partially torn up and was spraying flames around like a flamethrower.

“There’s more!! Above!!” Lessar yelled.

A container larger than a tanker truck was spraying out flames and falling down above Mikoto like a long throw in baseball.

But this time Mikoto did not panic.

After all, the pipe that was writhing around on its own was…

“It’s made of steel, so I can handle it!!” she shouted and used magnetism to forcibly bring the pipe to a stop.

She pointed the flamethrower-like opening straight upward and smashed it against the giant tank that was sending flames down.

The high temperature flames quickly raised the internal temperature of the tank.

Only one portion had burst, so it was spewing flames, but the entire tank then lit.

As a result, it exploded.

The new explosion in the air blew away the remains of the ceiling of flames that was still collapsing and raining down.

During it all, Mikoto and Lessar ran as quickly as they could.

The Semipublic AR on the ground must have been damaged by the flames because complex static spread across it.

Many launch modules had pillars of flames erupt out of them, many supply pipes were ripped apart, and flaming tanks attacked them like missiles.

But none of it stopped their advance.

They knew that continuing forward was the best way of protecting themselves from the continual fiery attacks.

“There it is!! Row four, column four!! The core of Code EIC is there!!”

“And so is Peter Wellgo!!”

The launch area was filled with the orange of the flames and the static of the broken AR as Mikoto and Lessar ran through it.

Holding a spear-like object, Lessar asked a question.

“Do you know where the entrance to the rocket launch facility is?”

“Row four, column four!! Didn’t your companion on the hotel tell you that!?”

“No, not that! That’s where the rocket is launched from. The door people go in and out of has to be somewhere else!!”

“This is all we need.”

Mikoto smiled and ran across the gray surface.

A giant hole was opened in the ground ahead of her like some kind of strange crop circle.

“If we jump in there, we’ll be exactly where we want to be!!”

She jumped in without hesitating.

The giant hole was 30 meters across and 30 meters deep. A large pillar stood at the center giving the hole a donut-like impression. A few cranes stretched in from the side connected to the central pillar either to prevent the pillar from collapsing or to pass in cables for data transfer.

It was the rocket.

Mikoto focused magnetism on the bottoms of her feet, ignored gravity as she jumped, and stuck to the side of the rocket. She then moved vertically down the side like someone skiing down a steep slope.

Sparks flew from her bangs.

Above her, Lessar peered over the edge of the hole and frantically yelled down at her.

“Most of the rocket is filled with liquid fuel!! If you make a careless attack, it’ll all blow up!!”

(I know that.)

Mikoto had no intention of blowing herself up and pure destruction was not going to resolve the current situation. She had to retrieve the core of Code EIC from the rocket in a state where it could be analyzed.

Mikoto slid down the side of the rocket. On the side of the cylindrical hole were many thick windows used to observe the rocket. Through them, giant pieces of equipment one would not see at an electronics store could be seen. They were likely used for control either during or after launch. 

She saw a single figure amidst the equipment.

He was one of the people on the list of people who were to have viewed her demonstration.

He was Peter Wellgo.

It was her first time to see him, but Mikoto was naturally able to guess who he was.

And she did not hesitate.

“…!!”

She changed the flow of magnetism.

She pulled her body toward a steel door on the other side of the thick wall.

Her body flew horizontally.

A thick window made of reinforced glass stood in her way, but Mikoto ignored it and smashed through.

With a high-pitched shattering noise, she entered the facility.

The man within immediately tried to protect himself from the countless glass shards. As he covered his face with his hands and balled up, Mikoto “landed” directly on him. The shock had to have been more than from a simple body blow. She cut off her magnetism and knocked him to the floor so she was sitting atop him.

(He’s…?)

The man Mikoto had restrained seemed to be around 50. He was a tall white man. His pale blond hair had gray mixed in. He was wearing a high class custom suit, but he seemed to be using it to hide his muscles that were beginning to wither away with age.

“Checkmate, Peter Wellgo.”

Mikoto stuck her thumb toward the aging man’s throat and sent bluish-white sparks flying so that they almost reached his skin.

“I am here because I’ve seen through your plans. I know you are from a French cooperative institution. I know that you were supporting the shopping mall’s rebellion so that you could also benefit by establishing a business model using the scientific information you have. And I’m not stupid enough to think you’re really just being used by Code EIC.”

“…”

“You put the main portion of Code EIC on that rocket and are trying to launch it into space so that it can’t be investigated. But it’s all over. Now, stop the rocket. If you don’t, I’ll have to physically destroy you personally with a high voltage current.”

Mikoto felt it was finally over.

She did not think Peter could turn things around in that situation. From what she could see, no one else was hiding within the area, but she could still handle it if he did have subordinates hiding somewhere. It truly was checkmate. She would safely retrieve the computer core of Code EIC, get all the information from Peter, and get the information on the UAV heading toward Academy City. With everyone behind the plan gone, she could finally get a phone call through and tell Academy City the information they needed to destroy the UAV. A small craft that could be flying anywhere was one thing, but they would have no problem with a target that they knew the location of.

That was what Mikoto thought, but…

“…It wasn’t me…”

An odd sound reached her eardrums.

It took her a second to realize it was a voice because it was so far outside of what she had expected.

Peter Wellgo spoke once more from his location on the floor.

“It wasn’t me.”

A smile was affixed on his face.

The smile made it look like small bugs were wriggling about under his skin about to rip the skin apart with their movements.

Mikoto had a thought.

Ignoring logic and calculations, her pure thoughts arose from the depths of her heart and formed words.

''What is he saying? 

''Is he truly Peter Wellgo?

The aging man’s words and atmosphere were so odd that she started to grow unsure of the assumption she had made. That doubt was spurred on by the fact that the man had never actually confirmed that he was Peter Wellgo.

But she could not let herself be led astray.

The French cooperative institution he belonged to would gain nothing by him telling the truth there. Peter Wellgo would choose to either remain silent or lie.

After all, the plan to destroy Academy City was still ongoing. Once the Solntse was detonated and the core of Code EIC was dealt with, the French cooperative institution could sip on the wine of victory.

(How am I supposed to get him to talk?)

Mikoto felt a strange sweat on her cheek.

(And even if he does talk, how am I supposed to determine if he’s telling the truth!?)

At the same time, an explosive noise came through the shattered window.

It did not end with just one noise. The explosions continued on, one after another. The walls and ceiling vibrated violently since the soundproofed window had been lost. The din was much greater than that from road construction.

The rocket engine was beginning to ignite.

“…Stop it,” Mikoto said.

She had thought she had reached checkmate, but she was the one trembling.

How were you supposed to defeat an opponent that continued playing even after their king had been taken?

“Stop the rocket!! I broke the window! If the rocket launches now, the flames and scorching wind will fill this room. If that happens, neither of us will survive. We’ll die!! Sending Code EIC into space now will not lead to a victory for you!!”

Hearing those words, Peter’s smile grew even wider.

Mikoto shuddered at the mere fact that a smile wider than the previous one even existed.

“…It isn’t my fault.”

His words were like a spell.

His twisted sense of legitimacy meant he would not give in even when faced with one billion volts or 2000 degree flames.

“It was all the machine. I was just a tool. We were all just used, so I can’t stop this.”

That must have been how he wanted it to be.

No matter what, that was the “truth” he wanted the world to see.

(He wasn’t doing this for the sake of his own life or position…)

Finally, Mikoto glimpsed what the conditions were for him.

(He just wants to bring prosperity to the French cooperative institution he belongs to and to keep all blame from falling on them. That’s all he wants. That’s all!!)

What was the cooperative institution to France?

Was Peter Wellgo a leader of the institution or was he just in charge of that mission?

She did not know the answer to any of that.

And she had headed to the conclusion of the incident with all that information lacking.

The shaking within the facility grew. The rocket would launch before long. Once it did, the materials that could prove who was behind the incident would be sent outside the solar system. Mikoto and Peter would be enveloped by flames without passing along any information on the hydrogen bomb or the UAV. When the UAV arrived, the Solntse within Academy City would detonate allowing those behind the incident to profit by establishing their business model.

She had to stop it.

But randomly attacking the rocket would just cause an explosion. That held the danger of roasting Code EIC, preventing any information from being retrieved. And more importantly, the explosion would kill Mikoto and Peter. The result would be the same.

(What do I do…?)

While still restraining Peter, Mikoto looked around.

The many control devices were lined up within the room. She knew a lot about computers, but even she did not know what to do with such specialized equipment. The rocket would not necessarily stop if she just ended the program.

(What do I do!?)

The rocket was beginning to launch and the UAV was about to head into Academy City.

There was no longer any time to spare.

And…