A ray of sunshine, breaking through the curtains, woke Daiki. He stretched, yawned sweetly, and sat up in bed. The new surroundings made themselves known with a slight weariness, but feeling safe and comfortable in the hotel room, Daiki felt quite good.
He got up, stretched again, and headed for the bathroom. The washing and shaving procedures passed quickly and without a hitch. Dressed in a fresh shirt and trousers, he left the room. The hotel breakfast—a buffet—was quite good. Daiki, as usual, satisfied his hunger with a moderate portion, but enjoyed a delicious and aromatic cup of coffee.
Leaving the hotel, Daiki headed for work. The morning was cool, but sunny. Moscow, despite the fact that its official name had been changed to "Moscovien," still reminded Daiki of the city he had seen in old photographs. However, instead of gloomy grayness and desolation, it now looked much more… warlike.
Huge posters depicting Hitler and Goering, installed on the walls of buildings, clearly hinted that the past was not forgotten here. Daiki pondered the fate of this city, remembering that it was here, in Moscow, that the treaty was signed that ended World War II.
Walking down the street, Daiki noticed an unusual movement. A motorcade of SS "Powerful" soldiers—an elite unit renowned for its brutality and ruthlessness—passed through Gimmmler Avenue, as it was now called. Their armored personnel carrier, with a roar and a roar of the engine, drove through the cobblestone streets, inspiring respect and fear.
"Wow," Daiki whispered to himself, involuntarily quickening his pace.
Before he knew it, helicopters appeared in the sky. Their menacing roar drowned out the noise of the city bustle, and people on the streets involuntarily froze, gazing at the sky. Soon the helicopters disappeared from sight, leaving behind a gloomy premonition of something bad.
"Something is wrong," Daiki thought, already approaching the Kairosu Group building.
And immediately his fears were confirmed. He heard noise and loud conversations in the office lobby. It turned out that in the northern part of Moscovien, in the Western Administrative Okrug, on Vernadsky Avenue, there had been a riot. The insurgents, as they were called, had attacked German patrols and attempted to seize several buildings. The situation was tense, and the German army immediately sent additional troops to the riot area, as well as deploying helicopters.
Daiki, like all other Kairosu Group employees, was shocked. A riot? In Moscovien? How is that possible?
"How can that be?" Daiki whispered, not believing his ears.
He felt a chill run down his spine, and an unpleasant premonition gnawed at his stomach. It all sounded like the beginning of a war, and Daiki didn't want to participate in it. He wanted to go back to Tokyo, to his quiet apartment, to his work at a desk. He wanted to rest and dream about his forgotten trip to Okinawa.
Daiki spent the rest of the day intensely focused on his work. News of the rebellion kept pouring in, and the atmosphere in the office was tense.
In the evening, as he walked back to his hotel, Daiki saw a large poster on the square in front of the Opera House, depicting a man in an SS uniform. Beneath it was the inscription, "Hero of the Reich, Defender of Order – Sturmbannführer Wolfgang Himmler."
Daiki grimaced. This Himmler was not only a hero now, but had even had a street named after him. Victory, it seemed, was not just about winning the war, but conquering your own conscience.
Back in his room, Daiki turned on the television. It was broadcasting a report about the public executions of the rebellion's leaders. Daiki felt a wave of nausea. It was too brutal, too inhuman.
He felt powerless and vulnerable in this horrific world. He yearned to return to Tokyo, to his small apartment, and forget all this. But he knew he couldn't escape reality. He was here, and he had to deal with it.
He switched on the lights and went to the bathroom. He wanted to wash, to cleanse himself of these terrible images and thoughts. But the water didn't help. He saw them all: the rebels, the soldiers, and the main protagonist, Wolfgang Himmler, with his chilling gaze.
Daiki closed his eyes and tried to clear his mind. He didn't want to die in this awful world. He wanted to go back to Tokyo, he wanted to see Okinawa. He wanted to live.