The flying car continued it's flight, cruising smoothly over the city. Inside, there were a total of 10 individuals – Kazu, Hiroshi, and the 8 members of Kazu's team. Of these 8, 7 were men and 1 was a female, all comfortably seated inside the spacious interior.
As they continued their flight, the mood inside the flying car was relatively stagnant. Most of the team appeared bored, gazing out the windows or checking their devices. Kazu and the female member of the team were engaged in a soft conversation, passing the time with soft talk.
Hiroshi's eyes wandered to the front seat, specifically to the driver's seat which lay vacant. He knew that all vehicles these days came quipped with advanced autopilot systems, reducing the occurrence of accidents and fatalities caused by human error. The car smoothly navigated through the air, its autopilot system handling the driving effortlessly. With the advancements in technology, the need for human drivers was obsolete.
But still, although most vehicles in modern Japan were equipped with autopilot systems, some older police cars still had the option for manual human-driven operation. This was a holdover from previous generations, but it still proved to be useful in certain cases where a human was required.
Hiroshi, feeling the weariness of the evening setting in, decided to enter "do not disturb" mode using the neuro-chip implanted in his brain. This feature allowed him to enter a deeply relaxed yet semi-awake state, perfect for resting without losing awareness entirely.
As the chip activated, Hiroshi's body slackened, and his breathing slowed, entering a tranquil doze-like state. Despite his relaxed appearance, he remained partially aware of his surroundings, ready to awaken at a moment's notice.
•
Kazu's attention was fully focused on the lone female member of his team, with whom he was having a light-hearted conversation. There was a subtle affection in his eyes when he looked at her, a clear indication of his soft spot for her. He genuinely cared about her and enjoyed her company.
Her given name was Sachiko Kobayashi. At just 19 years old, she was the youngest member of Kazu's team. She was a petite woman, standing at an average height for Japanese standards, with shoulder-length black hair and soft, brown eyes. Despite her seemingly delicate appearance, she was good at sniping, so it didn't really even matter much. As the only female member of Kazu's team, it was a bit awkward at times.
There were a few instances when Sachiko's presence brought an awkward vibe to the team. For example, in the team's earlier days, some of the male members would occasionally make inappropriate comments or gestures, not quite used to having a female around. Kazu, sensing her discomfort, would quickly put a stop to it. This was how Kazu and her had bonded at first.
Kazu talked to Sachiko, a subtle smile on his lips. "You know, you've gotten really good at sniping lately," he praised her.
Sachiko chuckled modestly, her cheeks reddening slightly at the compliment. "Thanks, Kazu. I've been practicing a lot."
Kazu nodded thoughtfully before adding, "Yeah, I can tell. Your precision has improved significantly.
Kazu's smile faded slightly as he shifted the topic. "Oh, by the way, there's something I need to tell you," he said, a serious tone in his voice. Sachiko looked at him quizzically, her intuition telling her that the conversation was about to take a more somber turn. "When we arrive in Yokohama," Kazu began, looking directly at her, "you'll probably have to kill a few people."
Kazu was deliberately being gentle with Sachiko since she was the youngest and least experienced member of the team. Normally, he would not mince words, but he wanted to lessen the mental and emotional impact on her. He didn't want her to get cold feet or hesitate when the situation demanded action. The last thing he wanted was for her to freeze up or make a mistake due to inexperience, which could lead to disastrous consequences for the entire team.
She nodded, She smiled slightly, albeit a bit nervously, and replied, "Yeah, it's fine. It's our job, after all. I'll do my part, don't worry."
"Just remember, your actions reflect on the entire team," he reminded her, his tone firm. "Be careful, but don't hesitate if you need to take someone out."
Sachiko nodded and then Kazu looked over at Hiroshi, he saw that the latter seemed to be resting. He was tempted to speak with him about something, but he decided against disturbing him and let him rest instead. Kazu turned back to Sachiko and resumed their previous conversation, discussing various topics to pass the time until they arrived at their destination.
•
In just a few minutes they had arrived at their destination. The flying car touched down gently on the rooftop of the train station, its hover engines quieting to a low hum. As it landed on a parking lot reserved for flying vehicles. One by one, the members of the team exited the flying car, stepping out onto the rooftop of the train station. The night air was quite cold, being around 8°C inside the city due to heaters being present all over the city. It was fully empty and this was because Hiroshi's company had gone the extra mile to ensure their mission's success. He had arranged for the entire train station to be privately rented out for an hour, eliminating the possibility of any disturbances or interference from pedestrians. As they stepped out, Hiroshi's eyes scanned the surroundings, and then they got ready.
Hiroshi, Kazu, and the rest of the team walked over to the far right side of the parking lot, where an elevator was located. This elevator would take them directly from the rooftop level down to the train station below. As they approached the elevator, Kazu led the way, pressing the call button. The doors slid open with a soft sound, revealing the well-lit interior of the lift.
One by one, they entered the elevator, the space feeling rather cramped with so many people inside. However, the elevator was quite roomy, having been specially designed to accommodate more people than usual.
Once everyone was inside, Kazu pressed the button for the level they wanted to go to. The elevator hummed as it began its descent. And in less than 20 seconds they were down there.
The elevator came to a halt, the doors sliding open again to reveal the expansive main lobby of the train station. A vast and open space with numerous shops, restaurants and other services available on both sides. There was hardly anyone here, as Hiroshi company had booked the whole place for them.
As the team made their way down to the ground floor, the few guards stationed there merely nodded in acknowledgment upon seeing them, already informed about their identities and mission. They proceeded further, heading towards the basement level where the trains were located.
The team stepped onto a escalator leading to the basement level of the train station. As they descended, they entered the actual train station, where bright lights illuminated the entire place. There were several seating areas available, each accompanied by a sign indicating a 150¥ fee. In front of them, a transparent, circular tube housed the train.
The train was rather small in comparison to conventional trains, made entirely of sleek, silver metal without any windows or windows. On the lower level of the train, below the tracks several air cushions were placed. Seats were placed in pairs of two facing the front providing space for up to 100 passengers at once. Passengers traveled in pairs, with their luggage accommodated in designated storage areas at the front or rear of the individual capsules. The design ensured that acceleration was always below 0.5g, prioritizing passenger comfort and safety.
Kazu and Hiroshi approached the transparent capsule, which slid open automatically to the side of the train, revealing the passenger cabin. The train's door, which opened upwards, opened as well, revealing the entrance to the sleek interior. Once the doors of the train and capsule were fully open, Kazu and Hiroshi stepped onto the train, followed by the other team members one by one. The interior of the train was compact yet comfortable with two seats facing the front.
As everyone entered and took their respective seats, The doors slid shut and locked into position, securing the passengers. With everyone comfortable and the train properly engaged with the tube it was in, there was a soft ding, signaling that they were ready to depart. The train jerked gently as it began to move forward, picking up speed rapidly as it accelerated.
Within a mere 2 minutes, the train had accelerated to its max speed of 1220 km/h, just shy of breaking the sound barrier. Inside the capsule, the passengers could feel the slight acceleration as the train smoothly navigated the tracks at a significant pace.
Inside the train, the team settled into their seats. Some team members opted to pass the time by watching movies or programs through their eye lenses, while others were resting. Hiroshi and Kazu were among the latter, taking this time to relax.
•
After a smooth 23-minute ride, the train arrived at Saitama Train Station. The capsule slowly decelerated as it came to a stop, coming to a standstill by a underground platform of the station.
As the train came to a halt, the doors of both the train itself and the capsule slid open, allowing the team to exit to the platform. They gathered together, looking around briefly as the train station was empty. The platform was well-lit, but eerily quiet and deserted at the moment. The only people present were a few security officers patrolling the area.
One of the officer's who was assigned to guide them came over to them, he was a tall, lean man with a sharp jaw line and a somewhat tired expression. He had dark circles under his eyes and his uniform looked a bit too big for him. His black hair was unkempt and looked overdue for a haircut.
The officer approached the group and greeted them by bowing slightly. "Good evening, my name is Akira Kato," he said in a slightly raspy voice. "Follow me, I'll guide you to your car."
The officer, Akira, gestured for the team to follow him as he began to lead them to the exit, presumably their car was waiting for them somewhere outside. They walked through the empty hallway, their footsteps echoing off the walls, the only other sound being the buzz of the lights. Then, the hallway came to an end and opened up into a massive underground parking lot.
The expansive underground parking lot was deserted, with only one vehicle visible – an black armoured truck. It was the only vehicle present in the whole area.
The black truck was a heavy-duty vehicle, modified for security and protection. Its exterior was reinforced with armour plating, adding to its imposing appearance. The windows were made of bulletproof glass, darkly tinted, and the tyres were wide and chunky, suitable for off-road driving.
The truck's front had a formidable bullbar attached and There were various security cameras mounted on the exterior of the vehicle from multiple angles, their blinking red lights the only sign that they were active.
Hiroshi studied the armoured truck, his expression showing a hint of disdain. From his perspective, it appeared slow and excessive for the situation at hand. After all, except for passing through the slums of Neo-Tokyo, there was little cause for concern. He sighed silently, recognizing that he had no say in the matter as the security officer had already arranged this transportation.
Hiroshi gave a subtle look at Kazu, who showed no signs of objection. As everyone climbed into the armoured truck, Hiroshi was taken aback to see it was a manual vehicle. He hadn't anticipated this and was silently questioning why they had chosen a manual truck.
As the team gathered in the back of the armoured truck, Hiroshi observed Kazu and Sachiko both in the driver's and passenger's seats respectively. Feeling a tinge of envy, he sat among the rest of Kazu's team members in the rear of the truck.
From his spot in the back of the truck, Hiroshi called out to Kazu. "Hey, what's the top speed of this thing?" he inquired, his voice slightly raised to be heard over the din in the back.
Kazu, who was seated in the driver's seat, heard Hiroshi's question and responded. "This truck's top speed is around 140 km/h," he replied, glancing back momentarily.
Hiroshi nodded in acknowledgement, taking note of the speed. "Not bad," he mused to himself. 140 km/h should be enough, considering from Saitama to Yokohama through Tokyo was only 75km so they should be there in 23-24 minutes.
The truck started up with a rumble and set off, accelerating out of the parking lot and onto the road, heading towards Tokyo.