Chapter 93: Neon Shadows

 

Tokyo, Japan. The Port of Yokohama. 11:00 PM. Heavy Rain.

A rusted cargo ship docked in the shadows of the massive cranes. Four figures slipped off the gangway, disappearing into the maze of shipping containers. They weren't tourists. They were ghosts.

Sebastian pulled up the collar of his coat. The rain here tasted like metal and ozone. He looked at the skyline across the bay. Tokyo wasn't just a city anymore. It was a circuit board. Towering holograms of Nakamura Corp danced in the sky—giant geishas holding microchips, dragons made of fiber optics.

"Welcome to the future," Jack spat, adjusting his backpack (filled with C4, not souvenirs). "I hate it."

"Keep your heads down," Sebastian warned, scanning the perimeter. "Takeshi Nakamura has turned this city into a panopticon. The Eye of Tokyo sees everything."

Harper adjusted her smart-glasses. "I'm picking up thermal scans every 30 seconds. Facial recognition drones are patrolling the highway." "If we step into the light, we are dead."

---

[The Dead Zone]

They stole a nondescript delivery van and drove into the city. But not to the shiny districts of Ginza or Roppongi. They headed to Sanya, an old slum district that had been left behind by the tech boom.

"Zero sent me coordinates before he went dark," Sebastian drove manually, disabling the van's GPS. "There is a 'Dead Zone' in the city. A place where the cameras don't work."

They arrived at a narrow alleyway crowded with old vending machines and ramen stalls. The neon signs here were broken, flickering buzzing pink and green. Steam rose from the sewers.

"This is it," Sebastian parked the car. "The blind spot of God."

---

[The Yakuza]

They walked into a small, smoky Izakaya (bar). It was quiet. A few old men were drinking sake. Behind the counter stood a man with no pinky finger on his left hand. He was cleaning a knife. Goro. An Old School Yakuza boss. One of the few who refused to work for the Syndicate.

Sebastian walked up to the bar. He placed a specific coin on the counter. A Sterling Corp commemorative coin.

Goro looked at the coin. Then at Sebastian. "You are supposed to be a ghost, Mr. Sterling."

"I'm looking for a ghost," Sebastian replied in fluent Japanese. "Kenji Nakamura."

Goro spat on the floor. "Takeshi's bastard son. The boy who hacked the Emperor." "He is in Fuchu Prison. Block Z. It is a hole in the ground for enemies of the state." "Takeshi is going to execute him tomorrow morning. To 'cleanse the family honor'."

"We know," Harper stepped forward. "That's why we need to get in tonight."

"Get in?" Goro laughed, a dry, raspy sound. "Fuchu is not a prison. It is a fortress. Automated turrets. A.I. guards. No humans go in or out." "Unless..."

"Unless what?"

"Unless you go as garbage."

---

[The Plan]

Goro laid out a map on the bar. It was a blueprint of the city's waste disposal system. "Nakamura Corp recycles everything. Even prisoners." "Every night at 3:00 AM, an automated sanitation drone truck enters the prison to collect 'biological waste'." "If you can hack the truck... you can ride it inside."

"Hacking a truck is easy," Dr. Braun said nervously. "But 'biological waste'? What does that mean?"

Goro looked at him grimly. "Failed experiments. Cyborg prototypes that didn't work." "You will be hiding among the bodies."

Jack groaned. "I miss the French sewers. At least they only smelled like poop."

---

[The Hunter]

Meanwhile. Nakamura Tower. The Penthouse.

Takeshi Nakamura sat in a lotus position, floating slightly above the floor on a magnetic field. He didn't look old. In fact, he didn't look entirely human. His skin was smooth, synthetic polymer. His eyes were camera lenses, glowing red. He was connected to the city by a thousand cables plugging into his spine.

[ ALERT: ANOMALY DETECTED IN SECTOR 4 (SANYA). ] [ PROBABILITY OF STERLING PRESENCE: 85%. ]

Takeshi opened his eyes. "So, the wolf has come to my den."

He stood up. The cables detached with a wet hiss. "Let him come." "I need his biological data to complete my ascension."

He activated his comms. "Deploy the Oni Unit." "And tell the Warden at Fuchu... prepare a cell for Mr. Sterling. Next to my disappointing son."

---

[The Infiltration]

2:45 AM. The Outskirts of Fuchu Prison.

The sanitation truck rumbled down the highway. It was massive, driverless, and black. Sebastian and Jack were clinging to the undercarriage, just inches above the asphalt. Inside the cargo hold, Harper and Braun were hiding in specialized body bags Goro had provided—lined with lead to block thermal scanners.

"Approaching the gate," Harper’s voice came through the comms. "Hold your breath."

HISSS. The truck stopped. Red laser grids scanned the vehicle. [ SCANNING... ] [ CARGO: ORGANIC WASTE. ] [ AUTHORIZED. ]

The massive steel gates groaned open. The truck rolled inside.

They were in. But they weren't safe. They were in the belly of the beast. And the beast was hungry.

(End of Chapter 93)