Chapter 5: Chart Map
[07/19/4517]
Kenichi tied his sneakers in the hospital room. His breathing was back to normal and he felt energized. Clouds gathered outside the window. The sound of thunder got his attention. The window reminded him of the windshield. He could hear Daigo over the radio before the lights appeared. His son called out to him before the water filled up the cab.
“Satoshi… Ichigo… please be safe.”
There was a knock on the door. “Who is it?”
“Doctor Lorin and Detective Maddox.” The door opened and they entered inside.
“Morning everyone.”
“Good Morning Mr. Yamamura.”
“Morning Yamamura.”
Kenichi bowed before Sarina. “I apologize for causing trouble.”
Sarina waved her hands. “It’s not necessary.”
“Apology accepted.” Maddox said opening the door wider. “Let’s get moving. There is something I want to get from your truck.”
“What is it?” Kenichi said walking past Maddox.
“The case.”
Kenichi stopped, looking outside at the two guards standing by the doors. He looked back at Maddox and nodded.
Sarina tilted her head. “The case?”
Kenichi and Maddox lowered their heads forgetting Sarina was present. Kenichi leaned closer to Maddox. He whispered. “Why is she here?”
“You owed her a proper apology. Also, the ambassador wants to keep her on the team to watch over your health until your medication arrives next week.”
“Ah.” Kenichi faced Sarina and bowed again. “Thank you for your trouble.”
Sarina waved her hands. “Please stop bowing, it’s embarrassing.”
“Yamamura this is excessive.”
“Please understand Maddox, I should be dead after what happened on Earth. Instead… I am alive. Why? I don’t know. All I know is that I am frustrated with everything happening and I just wanted a moment of normalcy. Repairing the doctor’s office was the least I could do.”
“Mr. Yamamura.” Sarina smiled. “Thank you.”
Maddox rubbed the back of his head. “I get it. I get it. It’s been tough for you going through all of this.”
Sarina approached Kenichi. “Since you have to walk around as your focus of exercise, is there anywhere you would like to go to?”
“Well… I wanted to look at maps of this world and some of the countries on this continent.”
“Maps?”
Kenichi looked out at the opened door. “I have to travel around and I need to know where I am going.”
“That makes sense.” Sarina clapped her hands. “I’ll take you to the library.”
Maddox nodded. “Very well, let’s go.”
***
Kenichi, Maddox, and Sarina arrived at the warehouse. It was heavily guarded. People at the ferry waiting for the boat to arrived stared at the burnt broken wall piling up by the edge of the dock. Kenichi stood at the yellow tape wrapped around the poles forming a barrier. “Well this feels like home.”
“Come on Yamamura.” Maddox lifted the tape for Kenichi and Sarina. He signaled the guards with his badge. The guards approached him to inspect his credentials.
Kenichi looked out at the ocean. It was blue in the distance. Up close, it was clear like glass. He could see the fishes swimming below eating the barnacles attached to the wood. “Amazing.”
“Beautiful.” Sarina said pointing her staff out into the ocean. “No matter where you go in the ocean, you will always see under the surface clearly like this.”
“I’ve never seen water this clean before.” Kenichi looked around at the docks and realized what he saw. “This place is way too clean.”
Maddox approached them. “Places like this have to be clean at all cost to protect resources like food from getting diseases.”
As Maddox led Kenichi and Sarina to the main entrance, he spoke. “You have no idea what we learned about Earthworld thanks to the Spanish Empire and Kyoto.”
“Ooh…” Kenichi said. “What have you learned?”
“We had a plague happening in the continent of Amea 1000 years ago. We didn’t know what the source was back then.” Maddox opened the door and everyone entered inside.
“When the Spanish Empire arrived, we discovered that the rats they brought had a bug called a flea. So our doctors checked this vermin from Amea called a gith and found in their fur, a little bug called tethite. Like the flea, it spread diseases. We never would have guessed that.”
Sarina spoke. “Over the years both the rats and gith mated with each other and became the large creature you saw the other day. Now, for some reason, if they bite you, you get a new disease that merged from the flea and the tethite.”
“So that’s why you both were ready to attack.”
“Always. We have to defend ourselves when they show up.”
Maddox spoke. “Their aggressive, the most effective way to kill them is with fire. The problem is that fire spreads as fast as lightning.”
Kenichi thought about the fire on the warehouse. It was just a few sparks but it consumed the wall fast. “I’ll keep that in mind.”
Everyone stopped before the truck. It was surrounded by guards. There were contractors with harnesses wrapping rope around the wheels and the fender. They tried to lift the truck up. Kenichi’s hair rose. “Stop! STOP!”
Kenichi ran over and grabbed the rope. “Stop it!”
“Hey!” One of the contractors spoke. “Who are you?”
“Yamamura.” Maddox hurried to Kenichi. “It’s okay, they’re here to help.”
“It’s not that.” Kenichi held the rope to Maddox. “They’re tying the rope in the wrong areas.”
“Huh?” The contractor stepped back as Kenichi pointed at the wheels.
“You’re tying up on the axle. You’re going rip the wheels off when you pull.”
Everyone went silent as Kenichi turned to Maddox. “What is going on?”
“We’re moving the truck to the embassy. Since the embassy is Ironguard territory, anyone who enters to steal it will be facing Ironguard law.”
“I see.” Kenichi looked at the rope in his hands and turned to Sarina. “It looks like the library will have to wait.”
The contractor spoke. “Sir, how do we move this to the embassy if we can’t pull it?”
Kenichi looked at Maddox and the detective spoke. “Don’t even think about Yamamura.”
“It’s the fastest way.”
“It makes a lot of noise.”
“We have plenty of guards and we can it at night.”
“You’ll wake the neighbors.”
“You want all these men to pull the truck to the embassy?”
“Yes. Quietly.”
“Well they can’t move it without me.”
The contractors looked at each other confused as Maddox tilted his head.
“Parking brake.”
Everyone stood quietly as Kenichi smiled with his hands on his hips.
One of the contractors spoke. “What the hell is a parking brake?!”
Kenichi used his keys to open the door and climbed inside. The contractors awed at what he did and they started to gather around.
Maddox spoke. “Hey! Don’t look in there!”
The contractors stepped back and Maddox climbed the steps of the truck. The detective looked inside. He watched Kenichi tap at a large yellow stick attached to the dashboard. “Parking brake?”
“Yep.” Kenichi reached over to the glove compartment. Inside were papers, sunglasses, and a case. He took the case. After closing the compartment, he turned to Maddox. Before he handed it over he leaned closer to the detective. “Let me drive to the embassy tonight. We can have the guards walk with us. Besides, your streets are small. These contractors can help me turn the corners.”
When Kenichi mentioned the size of the streets, he stepped down, and looked at the size and length of the truck. “I didn’t think of that.”
“Good.” Kenichi tossed the case to Maddox. After the detective caught it, Kenichi climbed down. He closed the door and with press of a button, there were two beeps. Everyone around him stepped back scared. “Eh?”
Maddox spoke. “What was that?”
“I set the alarm.” Kenichi approached Sarina leaving Maddox behind. “Doctor, it looks we will go the library after all.”
“That’s great Mr. Yamamura.”
Maddox tightened his grip on the case. “Yamamura.”
***
At the Grand Library of Nirico, Kenichi stood before the receptionist desk staring at the glass ceiling above. The clouds outside built up. He scanned the floors above and watched students, doctors, and readers walking about collecting books. They would enter into the aisles like vanishing into a forest. He saw Maddox and Sarina receive a paper slip from the receptionist, a bear woman. He approached the detective as Sarina smiled.
“Here you go Yamamura.” Maddox handed the slip to Kenichi. “The map room is on the third floor.”
“All right. Let’s go.” Kenichi hurried along and Sarina reached out to him.
“Slow down, your breathing condition.”
“Yamamura.” Maddox hurried after Sarina as they tried to keep up with Kenichi jogging up the stairs.
When Kenichi reached the top, he scanned the area. As he read the slip, a young woman passed him. He spoke while he looked in her direction. “Excuse me. Maybe you could tell me where… the…”
The young woman turned around and revealed to be Emma. “You?”
“You little brat.” Kenichi approached her. “Give me back my knuckles.”
As Maddox and Sarina arrived, Emma reached into her pocket. Her hand shivered violently. She struggled to stretch her fingers out. “It hurts.”
“Emma, show me your hand.” Sarina rushed passed Kenichi.
Maddox noticed Emma’s hair stood up like a ball. “What happened to you?”
“I know what your weapons are made of.” Emma winced as Sarina stretched out her fingers and messaged them.
“The muscles are numb. I’ll need you to sit down.”
Kenichi walked past everyone. “Let’s go to the map room. Now where is it?”
Emma spoke. “I’ll show you. I’ve been here all day.”
Emma guided everyone across the floor and into a hallway. Just before you would turn the corner to continue through the hallway, there was a door at the end that read ‘map room’. The room had a large flat table in the middle. There were scroll shelves to the left and right side of the room. Kenichi approached the far wall with eyes wide open. On the wall was a map of the world. The altar below it had a globe and atlas. His eyes scanned across the drawn landscape with the names of the countries and cities labeled throughout. He took a long deep breath as it finally occurred to him that was in an alien world. “I don’t belong here.”
Kenichi felt a pat on the back. He turned around and there was Maddox.
“It’s all right Yamamura. I know it’s hard. Let’s find a map.”
Kenichi nodded and noticed Sarina was busy tending to Emma’s injury. He walked along the shelves looking at a set of numbers imprinted on metal. Ignoring the number he pulled out a map. He unrolled it and it was a country called Zerunde. Looking along the shelves, he realized it was a lot of maps. “This is going to take all day.”
Emma spoke. “Which map are you looking for?”
“This continent.”
“The continents are on this side. Top shelf. Don’t expect to find all the countries of the world here. This is focused on Teshia.”
Kenichi walked to the other side as Maddox grabbed a chair and sat next Emma. “Where’s the Earthtech you took from Yamamura?”
“In my pocket.”
“Give it to me.”
Kenichi took out a scroll. He unrolled it over the table and struggled to keep it unrolled.
Emma spoke. “Use the clips attached to the table to hold the map. Be careful, maps are not easy to make.”
Emma reached into her pocket and took out the brass knuckles. She handed it to Maddox as Sarina shifted to the side to check on the left arm in the sling.
“Have you felt any pain in your left arm? It’s never going to heal if you hurt yourself.”
“I haven’t felt anything since I used the brass knuckles.”
Kenichi grabbed a chair and reached into his pocket for his smartphone.
“Yamamura!” Maddox said as everyone watched him hold the smartphone his hand.
“I think we’re past the secrecy game.” Kenichi pressed on the lock icon and the screen turned on. “Red… Chartmap.”
“Chartmap on.”
Emma and Sarina looked around and Maddox spoke. “It’s his Earthtech.”
Sarina spoke. “There’s a person inside the Earthtech?”
Kenichi chuckled as he stood on the chair shocking everyone. “No, that’s just the A.I. Her name is Red.”
“You’re going to fall Mr. Yamamura.”
“What are you doing?” Emma said standing up and stepping away.
“I’m taking a picture. The map is too big so I need some room.”
“A picture?” Emma planted her right hand on her hip. “You’re like my father.”
“I’ll take that as a compliment.”
“Wait a minute.” Sarina said. “That little thing can take pictures?”
“It sure does, as well as other things like play music, record videos, read books, and so on.” Kenichi took a picture and looked at the screen. “There we go. The map of Teshia.”
“May I see?” Sarina walked around the table.
“Of course.” Kenichi climbed down and showed her the screen. There was an icon asking if he would like to save it, and he selected ‘Yes’. “Now what Chartmap is going to do is go through a process where it will recreate the map exactly as it was drawn including names of buildings, streets and locations.”
The photograph turned into a digitized map. He used his fingers to zoom out showing all of Teshia.
“Wow.” Sarina took the smartphone. Her finger touched the surface and it moved the map a little. She giggled. “This is so amazing. Where’s Kales?”
“Just slide your finger around and you’ll find your country.”
Sarina started at Nirico. She slid the map westward past the country of Denia and its Giri Desert until she reached Ironguard and the Catanga Mountains. After Ironguard was Eiberia. She stopped there and slid her finger south past the city-state of Valencia and the country of Lyria until she reached the southern edge of the continent. There was Kales on the shore of the Zerin Ocean. “Here is Kales Mr. Yamamura. This is where I live.”
Kenichi took smartphone and looked at how far away Kales is from Nirico. “This is a big continent.”
Emma spoke. “This is second largest continent. The largest one is Imya. It borders with the continent of Orneo.”
“Reminds me of Europe and Asia.” Kenichi resumed looking through the shelves trying to figure out which map is which. “Now which map is Nirico?”
Emma pointed to the other shelf. “It’s the fourth scroll on the third shelf.”
“How did you know?”
“I know the Dewmont Decimal System.”
Sarina’s eyes grew wide. “Are you a librarian?”
Emma checked her fingers on her right hand. They were moving again. As Maddox and Sarina waited for her answer, she noticed Kenichi took out the map of Nirico. Emma reached into her back pocket. She tossed it to Maddox while Kenichi took a picture of Nirico. As Maddox opened the wallet Emma spoke. “I was sent with my senpai, Koba Komani, to retrieve a book written in Alurian.”
Hearing the name Alurian caught Maddox and Sarina’s attention.
Kenichi spoke as he placed the map of Nirico in the shelf. “What’s Alurian?”
“The old language of magic before it was replaced by Spanish. Finding anything written in Alurian is extremely rare.”
“It’s a relic Yamamura.” Maddox approached Emma and returned the wallet. “This is why you couldn’t tell us you were with the Librarian Guild.”
“Yes.” Emma took the wallet and placed into her back pocket. “This was my first on the field training. All Koba and I had to do was retrieve the book and go back to the Library of Alexandria. No fighting and no trouble. It was to give me a basic lesson on how to interact with members of the guild from other countries and what to look out for.”
Maddox crossed his arms. “So that was when you both were attacked?”
“Yes. He was kidnapped and they broke my arm. That’s why I thought you two might have been them.” Emma closed her eyes and took a deep breath. “I’m sorry I tried to kill you Mr. Yamamura.”
Kenichi pulled out a map of the country of Ironguard. “Finally.”
“Yamamura.” Maddox got Kenichi’s attention. “Ms. Rosado is apologizing.”
Kenichi laid the map out to take another picture. “Apology accepted.”
“Ms. Rosado, please continue.”
“The reason we are trying to get the book is because we believe it may have information on the Spanish Empire. We would like to know what is written about them. Understand why we are here. Maybe even how we got here.”
“I see.” Maddox nodded. “So why did you steal Yamamura’s brass knuckles?”
“Because of what it did when Mr. Yamamura fought the bandit. I did research and tried to cast spells on it. It can enhance spells, but it injured my hand. Besides, this metal doesn’t exist in this world.”
Kenichi stopped. “Titanium exists in your world. Your scientists just haven’t realized its right in front of you when you dig.”
Maddox and Sarina spoke. “Titanium.”
Emma spoke. “So it is called that.”
Kenichi leaned on the table. “It’s the strongest metal on Earth. You should really check the Periodic Table of Elements.”
Everyone spoke. “The what?”
Kenichi stared at them. “You have Japanese scientists and none of them know about the Periodic Table of Elements?”
Everyone shook their head no.
Kenichi placed the smartphone on the table. “Red… Periodic Table of Elements.”
“Searching…” Everyone leaned over the table as they watched a line move in a circle. “Found… Periodic Table of Elements.”
The screen showed the table. Kenichi touched the screen to zoom closer. He pointed out a few elements since it was in Earth language. “This is oxygen, carbon, and over here is iron and titanium.”
He looked at everyone standing over the table like statues. “What?”
Sarina looked up at him. “You have this many elements on Earthworld?”
“Teora should have all of these as well as Merlinion and Arthurium. How could you not have them?”
Emma stepped back. “You cannot show this Mr. Yamamura.”
Maddox nodded. “She’s right. We haven’t discovered most of these yet. This could change the entire world so fast.”
Kenichi saw the fear in their eyes and he thought of what he saw in the market. One of the stands had Arthurium produce cold energy to cool the fish that was on sale. The wastebasket that destroyed garbage with a single chant. The lights. The lack of technology in this world. “You stagnated.”
Sarina spoke. “What do you mean?”
Maddox picked up the smartphone. “We are too dependent on magic to advance technology. This is where Earthworld is at now, and we’re still on horses and carriages.”
Emma spoke. “This also means that not all elements are compatible with the Alchemides.”
“We don’t know that Ms. Rosado. The scientists and magicians will have to investigate this if someone discovers titanium.” Maddox handed the smartphone back to Kenichi. “Yamamura…”
“I know. Don’t show this to anyone.”
“Good.” Maddox turned to Emma. “Ms. Rosado, after Yamamura and I take of our business, I will help you find your friend.”
“Thank you.”
Kenichi looked at Maddox and nodded. He walked around the table to where Emma was. He grabbed a chair and sat next to her. “Red… map of Nirico.”
“Accessing map of Nirico.” The screen showed Chartmap startup screen and the map of Nirico appeared. “Show Maddox where you both were attacked and I’ll mark it.”
“Señor Yamamura.” Emma looked him in the eyes. They were cold as ice, but she could tell his anger is towards her was genuine. She let out a smile to counter it. “Thank you.”
To Be Continued....
