The Rising Sea (NUMA Files 15)

“The Americans are on their way here now. They arrive in Tokyo tonight. Once they meet up with Fujihara, destroy them all.”

6

KURT WOKE UP aboard the NUMA jet. After lying with his eyes closed for a few extra minutes, he sat up and looked around. They were already descending toward Tokyo. “May I never complain about the NUMA travel department again,” he said.

Joe, Paul and Gamay were in the seats around him. They were wide awake but talking softly and, from the sound of it, had been awake for most of the flight. Something Kurt knew they would regret sooner or later.

Kurt found it easy to sleep on planes. The soft wall of noise given off by the engines and the quiet, dim cabin were more effective than any sleeping pill ever devised. And after several months of living in tents and ramshackle huts out on the ice, the sleeper seat felt like a mattress fit for a king.

“Ten hours straight,” Joe said, checking his watch. “Must be some kind of record.”

“Not even close,” Kurt said. He put a hand to his cleanly shaven face, silently amazed at the odd feeling of having smooth skin once again.

A flight attendant walked the cabin, offering hot towels scented with eucalyptus. Kurt gladly accepted and after rubbing it across his face and neck, he was wide awake.

He looked out the window at the lights of Tokyo. Because the wind was blowing in from the sea, the plane flew a descent profile that took it across the bay and out over the city before turning back toward Haneda Airport and the artificial island it had been built on.

It was nighttime in Japan and Tokyo did not disappoint. The place was lit up like a neon maze, with the reddish spike of Tokyo Tower at the center.

They descended toward the runway, landed with a bump and taxied to the gate.

Kurt walked off the plane feeling as if it was early morning, but with the long flight and the time change, they’d lost a day crossing the international date line and it was nearly ten p.m.

As they left the customs booth and made their way through baggage claim, Joe asked the question on everyone’s mind. “Any chance you’ve heard from your technologically challenged friend?”

“No,” Paul said. “But I wasn’t expecting to. I’ll send him a telegram as soon as we check into the hotel. And if that fails, we can try the Pony Express.”

“I don’t think you’ll have to,” Gamay said, pointing across the terminal.

Standing near the building’s automatic doors was a young woman in white slacks and a colorful silk top that had a classic geisha pattern to it. She had a backpack over her shoulders and held a sign in her hand that read AMERICAN PAUL.

“I’m guessing that would be you,” Gamay added.

“Not exactly the Beatles hitting New York in ’sixty-five,” Paul said, “but I’ll take it.”

“Go say hello,” Kurt suggested, taking the suitcase from Paul’s hand. “We’re right behind you.”

Paul walked over to the young woman and bowed.

“You are the American geologist who wishes to meet with Master Kenzo?”

“I am,” Paul said. “These are my colleagues.”

“My name is Akiko,” the young woman said. “I am one of Master Kenzo’s students. He will meet with you at the lakeside retreat. It is very pleasant there. Please, follow me.”

Without another word, she led them outside and on a long hike down the terminal sidewalk. Cars, shuttle buses and taxicabs jockeyed for position on the road outside the terminal, but none of them stopped for the group of five.

Paul and Gamay were up front, Kurt and Joe trailing behind.

“I hope we’re not walking to this lakeside retreat,” Joe whispered.

“Could be a horse and buggy,” Kurt said, “Amish-style.”

“That would be something,” Joe said, “considering they’re against technology . . .”

“We are not against technology,” Akiko said, picking out Joe’s words from the background noise. “Only electronic intrusion into humanity’s essence. Unlike more primitive mechanical machines, electronic computing devices are not subject to human decision making. Every minute of every day, your computers, phones and other devices talk to one another, update and change their own programs, even record your whereabouts and activities. They also pass this information along to other devices, servers and programs that study your every move and respond with methods of influencing you, primarily to buy products you do not need. But we believe there are other more sinister effects occurring also.”

“Such as?”