Chapter 30

DianeJoplinwonderedhowshehademergedfromthemyriaddepthsofShinjukuStationinonepiece.Shefiguredshewouldn’thavemadeitoutoftherewithoutthehelpoftheARunit,whichsuperimposedinstructionsontotheglassestellingherexactlywhichexitstotake.ShehadboughttheARonawhimandnowitwasprovingitselftobeworthalotmorethanthemoneyshehadshelledoutforit.Dianestoodstillonthepavementoutsidetheexittryingtogetherbearingsasanon-stopcolumnofJapanesehumanityoozedoutofthestationallaroundher.TheARhadsuperimposedadetailedmapovertheintersectionwithblinkingarrowsindicatingthewaytotheKeioPlazaHotel,whichwaslocatedtothenorthjustafewminuteswalkaway.

ThesnowhadstoppedfallingandthecoldShinjukuairwassurprisinglyrefreshingeventhoughDianefounditdifficulttogetusedtothenumerousflickeringimagesofgiantoutdoorscreensandtheblaringsoundofadvertising.ThiswasexactlyhowshehadimaginedJapanbutactuallybeingherewasaltogetheratotallydifferentexperience.Allaroundherpeoplemovedtoandfro,Goths,uniformlydark-suitedsalarymen,fashionably-cladofficegirls,elaboratelydressedgeishainshimmeringkimonos,andyoungpeopleofvariousdescriptionsintermingledastheymovedontounknowndestinations.Dianenoticedmakeupandhairstylesthatwouldhavehadherdadcringinginhorror.Girlswithdeathly-whitefoundation,blackedouteyesandhairstylesdesignedtoresembledragons,phoenixesandevencartooncharactersmilledaround.EveryonewaschatteringawayinJapanese,whichshefoundverypleasingtotheear,orsimplywalkingwiththatintrospectivelookthatwassoquintessentiallyJapanese.Atleast,that’showshethoughtaboutthem.Ontheasphaltlanesbetweentheteemingmasses,lozenge-shapedcarsofvariousshapesandsizesglidedpast,theiroccupantsmovingswiftlythroughtheconfusionofShinjuku,shieldedfromitscontrolledchaos.

AndthenDianestartedtomovewiththecrowdsfollowingtheAR’sarrowstowardstheKeioPlazaHotel,whichshehopedwouldproviderefugefromallthis.Shewasexhaustedfromthementalandphysicalactivityofthelastfewhoursandwantednothingbetterthantosoakinahotbathandrecollectherwits.ThedinofShinjukuwasnotdoingthatmuchtohelpwiththatsoshestoicallymovedthroughthecrowds,craninghernecktotakeacloserlookwhensomeimpossibly-dressedorcoiffedindividualwalkedpasther.

ItseemedthatJapanwasnotsomuchwelingherasinjectingitsDNAintoherverybeingwithallthisnoise,thisunrelentingvisualstimulation.Walkingpastazilliondepartmentstores,impossibly-shapedbuildings,mostofwhichwerecalledShinjukusomethingorother.Andthesmellonthestreet,onethatwastotallyJapanese.Itwastheunlikelysmellofelectronicsandyakitorifusingwithexpensiveperfumesanddampconcrete.Itwasamodernsmellthatassaultedyoursensesandjustkeptonassaulting.

AndthenshesawtheKeioPlazaHotel,justbeforetheaugmentedrealityreadingsaidshewasveryclosenow.Thetwotowersofthehotelweresandwichedbetweenbuildingsthatweresotallthattheirtopfloorsdisappearedintotheoppressivecloudsabove,activitywithinsignaledonlybymutedlightsoakingthroughtheclouds,interlacedwithwhateversunlightmanagedtoseepthrough.TheKeioPlazatowerswerecrawlingwithblackcrab-likeobjectswhichDianerecognizedasbuildingrepairrobotsfromsometechnologyTVprogram.TheywereprobablymakingrepairstotheagingouterwallstomakeitlookbrandnewandifyoulookedcloseenoughyoucouldseethatthebottomofthehotelbuildingwasmuchnewerthanthetopwhichDianethoughtwasimpossiblesincebuildingswerebuiltfromthegroundup.

DianewalkedthroughtherevolvingdoorsoftheKeioPlazaHotelintoatastefullydecoratedmarblelobby.Highupintheceiling,dirigiblesdehumidifiedtheairanddispenseddelicatemistsofairfreshener.Dianethoughttheysmelledofcherryblossomsbutthatcouldjustbehermindbecauseshedidn’tactuallyknowwhatcherryblossomssmelledlike.Allthisheightenedbythevisualspectacleofthetraditionalikebanaflowerarrangementsdottedaroundthelobbyandtheimpressivechandelierssethighupontheceiling.Luggagerobotsmovedbackandforthalongthepristinemarblefloorsasguestscheckedinorout.

Dianemovedtowardsthecheck-incounter,thewheelsofherSamsonitesqueakingreassuringlybehindher.

“Ihaveareservation.DianeJoplin,”shesaid,handingherpassportandcreditchipsovertooneoftheattendants,aprettygirlwithskinthecoloroffreshly-madetofuandlargepensiveeyescrownedbyverylongfakeeyelashes.Dianethoughtshesawsomethingflashacrossthegirl’seyesandhergazeshifttowardsthesittingareatotheleft.Nothingbutalonesalarymandressedinsomberblackthreadslookingexpectantlyinthedirectionoftheliftsasthoughwaitingforaprospectivedate.Andwhenthesalarymanstartedspeakingonaphonemountedonhisleftear,Dianeturnedherattentiontotheattendantwhowaspunchinginherroomchip,somethingtuggingatherluggage.Sheturnedroundtoseeoneoftheluggagerobots.

“It’sOK,luggagerobot,”explainedtheattendant,smiling,andDianereluctantlyreleasedthehandleofthesuitcasewhichtherobotdeftlyliftedwithsomethingthatlookedlikethefrontofaforklifttruckandplacedgentlyonitsridgedrubbersurface.Thegirlhandedbackherchips,theroom’selectronickeyandamapofShinjukuwithlittlegeometricshapesrepresentingTokyolandmarks.

“Thanks.”

“WeletotheKeioPlazaInter-ContinentalHotel.Pleaseenjoyyourstay.”Theattendantsmiledwithperfectlyalignedwhiteteeth,herdoe-likeblackeyeswillingDianetofeelwele.

Shemovedofffollowingtherobotasitheadedtowardstheelevators.Inside,Dianelookedatthechipandsawthatherroomwasonthe34thflooroftheSouthTowerwheretheExecutiveServiceCenterwaslocated,whichmadeherwonderwhetherthehotel’sputerhadlinkedthecreditchiptoherfather’sbusinessaccounts.Shelikedheightsanywaysoshewasn’ttoobotheredtobeonthetopflooralthoughsherememberedreadingontheplanethattherewasahelipadupthereontheroofoftheSouthTower.Beforeshecouldreachouttopressthirty-fouronthelift,thebuttonwasilluminatedautomatically.Itappearedthattheluggagerobothadreadtheroomchipandwirelesslyactivatedthecorrectelevatorbutton.Ortheelevatoritselfhadreadtheroomnumber,whichwasamorescarypossibilitybecauseitmeanthermovementscouldprobablybetrackedelsewhereinthehotel.

Theroomdooralsoopenedautomatically,whichmeanttheluggagerobotwasbehindallthistechnologicalstuff.ShewatcheditmoveintotheroomanddepositherSamsoniteatapreciserightangletothemirroredwardrobe.Therobotmovedtowardsthecurtains,whichslidasidesilentlyrevealingadensearrayofskyscrapersthroughwhichfieldsofneonglared.Oneofthebuildings,anothertwin-towerskyscraper,hadasignthatreadTokyoMetropolitanGovernmentOfficesandDianerealizedthatthegovernmentbuildingwasmuchcloserthanshehadanticipated.TherobotwithdrewfromtheroomandDianelockedthedoorandwalkedintothesizeablebathroomwhichhadanelaborateputer-controlledtoiletandalargebathtubandshower.Theusualitemsyou’dexpecttofindinagoodhotel:razors,slippers,anelaboratekimonoandvariouskindsofscentedsoap.Afterafewminutesofreadingtheinstructionsonthewallshestartedrunningabathandwalkedbackintheroomtounpack.Shebalkedatplacingherclothesinthewardrobe,preferringtobeabletogetmovinginaslittletimeaspossible.RemovingXybofromthesuitcase,sheswitcheditonanditmovedofftogetitsbearings,thescannersinitsbodybuildingadigitalmapoftheroomanditscontents.

Afewminuteslater,Dianelaysoakinginalavenderfoambathtryingnottothinkofherfather.Butthatwasimpossiblesoshegaveupandlethertearsfallfreely,mixingwiththesoapywater.Whatwasshegoingtodo?TherewasaMitsubishicyberspaceterminalonthedeskintheroomandapairofunderstatedglovesandcyberspacegoggles.SheneededtospendsometimeontherefiguringoutwherethisKenzoYamamoto’sheadquarterswerelocated.Thenshe’dgooutandwalkthestreetsandtrytogetherbearingswiththehelpoftheAR.TomorrowshewouldmakeatriptothisbuildingandlookforKenzoYamamoto.She’dgettothebottomofherfather’sdeathandhopefullythatwouldbringherpeace.Yet,sheknewshewasdealingwiththeYakuzaandthatwasadangerousgamebutshecouldn’tjustsitaroundanddonothing.

Feelingmuchmorerelaxedshesteppedoutofthebathandputonthehotel’splementarywhiteterryclothrobe.Shewalkedintotheroomandswitchedontheconsoleandtheflat-screenmonitor.Xybotrundledawkwardlyuptoherwiththesensoronitsnoseblinking.Itstillwasn’tusedtotheunevensurfaceofthethickcarpetbutitwasgettingbetter.Dianesatintheroom’sjet-blackdesignerchairandchoseEnglishfromthelanguagemenu.ShepickedupXyboandstrokedhimgently.Hewasallshehadintheworld.

“WewillsoongettothebottomofthisXybo,”shewhisperedtotherobotdogassheheadedoutintocyberspace.Thedoginclineditsheadandfixedherwithartificialeyesperfectlyapproximatingsympathy.