Digital Devil Story - Chapter 6

The next day came. The lines of trees of Musashino, bathed in blazing light from the sun, flowed past in a sliding motion outside the Cadillac heading toward Jusho High.

"This is all the material you have on Nakajima Akemi?" Sitting in the plush back seat of the car, Feed spoke to the unshaven Detective Iwama sitting next to him.

"Yes. He's just an ordinary high school student, so there's not much more that we could find on him. But Dr. Feed, do you really think that Nakajima is the ringleader behind the whole incident?" Detective Iwama did not approve of this American, clearly some sort of scientist, interfering with his investigation.

"In a way, I imagine that he's actually a victim. But he certainly played a very large part in the incident."

"Do you have any evidence to prove that?" Iwama's voice barely concealed his irritation.

We investigated each one of the students ages ago. It's true that Nakajima Akemi appeared to be an unusual student, but there was no evidence of him having any violent tendicies. The teachers seemed to have a high opinion of him too.

But Feed was not paying any heed to Iwama's attitude, and instead was busily flipping through the materials in his hands.

"The records he left in the online database that I manage is the proof. The time that the incident at Jusho high took place was..."

"In Japanese time, it was July 13th, sometime between 10 and 12 AM," Narukawa, who was driving, interjected in an emotionless voice.

"At precisely that time, Nakajima was trying to talk to the AI, Craft, located on my servers in Arkham in Massachusetts."

"What!? If you had such critical information why didn't you tell us before...No, I'm sorry, pardon the outburst. I presume you will be releasing that information to us?"

"I'm here precisely because that information is not something that can be so easily released." Feed's voice was calm and composed.

"But this is an investigation..." As Iwama reflexively leaned ahead, the car suddenly slowed down, and he fell forward. The black Cadillac pulled in front of the gate of Jusho High.

Iwama entered the CAI room accompanied by Narukawa and Feed, grimaced at the heat and stench in the room, and explained the situation when the incident there had occurred.

"So then, you haven't been able to identify this matter yet?" Gathering some of the sticky substance sticking to some of the rubble into a petri dish with well-practiced movements, Feed questioned the detective.

"Unfortunately, not yet..." Iwama's face was sullen.

At that moment, a small sound from a transmitter rang from Narukawa's arm.

"Looks like I've got a message from HQ. Excuse me for a moment." As usual, Narukawa showed no waste in his movement. The face of the instructor in charge of the CAI room peered out from the machine room.

"I've readied the Host Computer. Please come this way." The air conditioner turned on, and cool air finally started blowing through the sauna-like room.

"Your machines are IBMs, I see." Feed started analyzing the contents of the programs on the host computer with the speed of one very familiar with their operation. As his bony fingers tapped the keys, a huge program list filled the screen.

"'MATHEMATICS 1.' That's not what I want!" A red mark was appended to the program he was analyzing.

Come to think of it, we probably should have checked the contents of the computer... While looking at Feed, absorbed in his work on the computer, with a sidelong glance, Iwama secretly regretted not having done so earlier.

"'ENGLISH READER 2.' That's not what I want either!"

Feed's eyes continued to dart through the program list like a hawk, until he finally lowered his shoulders with a sigh.

"Maybe the program I want to see isn't here. It may have been tacked onto the OS itself. Could I have a look at this system's operating manual?"

"If you need the manual, we keep it in the Teacher's Office..." The teacher in charge of the CAI room looked perplexed.

"Wait. Hold on a minute here..." Apparently discovering something he had overlooked, Feed cast an uneasy glance toward the teacher and Iwama.

"Nobody has touched this system since the incident, right?" Feed said in a skeptical tone.

"As a matter of proper police procedure, we have placed this room off-limits..." Not being able to directly answer Feed's question, Iwama looked at the teacher in an accusatory manner.

Right at that moment, Narukawa, who had come in at some point, handed Feed a memo.

"Nakajima has returned."

The moment his eyes read the scrap of paper, Feed's expression lit up.