Justice at Delphi - The Fall of Sibyl

Chapter 16

It is double pleasure to deceive the deceiver.

-Machiavelli

Mika Shimotsuki glared at Akane's empty desk. A petulant expression on her face. Tsunemori did not belong at the MWPSB. She was too naive and trusting. Her relationship with enforcers was problematic. Enforcers were nothing more than tools to be used to get the job done. Nothing more. Nothing less. She ignored the pang of guilt when her eyes slid to Kunizuka. The enforcer was busily compiling a report from Shion's lab. Her eyes were cool. Her gaze focused. Yayoi was different. Mika told herself. She wasn't like the others. It was only in her presence that Mika felt truly herself. She could let down her guard and relax. 

She quickly looked away when Yayoi caught her staring. Mika felt her cheeks burn with embarrassment. Not wanting to analyze her feelings, she redirected her attention to the enormous amount of paperwork  that had piled up due to Tsunemori's absence.  The senior inspector handled most of the paperwork. With her gone, Mika had to step in. She flexed her hands. A cramp had started.

Mika's wrist unit rang, breaking into her thoughts. It was the chief. Or more accurately, Sibyl was calling. The seeds of dread sprouted in her stomach. It happened every time Sibyl summoned her. Before those seeds could take root, Mika ruthlessly squashed them. She couldn't afford to allow it to affect her psycho-pass. Despite the clarity of her hue, Mika felt unsettled in the presence of a being so incredibly inhuman. 

"I'll be back." She tossed carelessly over her shoulder. She ignored the looks of curiosity from the other enforcers. 

What could Sibyl want this time?

Mika had been expecting a call from Sibyl after Inspector Tsunemori went on leave. However, she hadn't expected it to take so long. The senior inspector was due back in a few days. Questions swirled in her mind. She was well aware Sibyl used Tsunemori when it was convenient. However, she had often run contrary to Sibyl's desires. That naïve idealism. It had no place in their modern world. Sibyl made their lives easier, safer. What more did Tsunemori want? 

If you want paradise, you have to be prepared to make sacrifices.

It was a harsh reality, but it was reality nonetheless.

Mika's heels echoed down the empty corridor. The shift change was close and it seemed more than one person had decided to duck out early. She pursed her lips as she headed to the elevator. What a bunch of slackers. While she disapproved of her colleague's work ethic, Mika was grateful to have the elevator to herself. Her thoughts were too distracting to carry on a conversation with someone else.

Was Sibyl finally done with Inspector Tsunemori? Had she finally worn out her usefulness? 

Mika smirked at the thought. If only. Sibyl had plenty of opportunities to cut Tsunemori loose and had yet to do so. It seemed like the Sibyl thought of the inspector as a case study. In a way, the entirety of Japan was their case study. A curious clinical entity absorbing as much information as possible. The byproduct was peace. Or relative peace.

The elevator doors whooshed open quietly. 

Mika found the chief patiently waiting behind her large desk. Chief Kasei wore a faintly patronizing expression on her face. It was the same expression she wore when Mika was summoned. She'd come to realize that was Sibyl's relaxed expression. In front of others who were not in on the secret, Chief Kasei accurately mimicked humanity. It was hard to believe the chief was a cyborg. 

"Good evening, Chief Kasei."

"How are things in Division 1?" The Chief's voice was cold and disinterested. 

Inspector Shimotsuki smothered a bitter laugh, disguising it as a cough. "We're a little short-handed with Inspector Tsunemori gone, but the division has been operating smoothly in her absence."

The Chief nodded. "I see."

"Is there something I should know?"

The Chief sighed. "It seems that the time has come to eliminate Inspector Akane Tsunemori."

"Eliminate?" Mika was taken aback. Sibyl only kept around those who proved themselves useful. However, there was something very final about Chief Kasei's words.

"Yes. We've reason to believe Inspector Tsunemori is no longer a loyal asset to the Sibyl System." With a flick of her hand, an array of photos appeared on the wall screen behind her. Each photo was a glimpse into Akane's life. Akane shopping. Akane eating. Akane laughing.

Mika felt a cold chill run up her spine. How long had the Sibyl System been watching Akane? It felt wrong to examine someone's life under a microscope. "What do you mean, no longer loyal?" Mika heard herself ask.

"We've been observing Akane for some time. Her relationship with enforcers and latent criminals has proven interesting. Unlike other inspectors, she has not had her psycho-pass clouded. Naturally, we thought further study was necessary. Like all humans, Akane is a creature of habit. However, her habits seem...too decided. It's as if she's hiding something."

Mika didn't like to praise Akane, but she had to admit the inspector was resourceful. Old fashioned in a way the Sibyl System couldn't predict. "What do you think she's hiding?"

Chief Kasei's smug expression tensed into frustration. "We don't know. She's proven to be clever enough to stay out of our sight." A recording of Akane, collar turned to the rain, vanished between cymatic scanners played behind the chief. She was there in the crowd on one street and then gone the next. With so many umbrellas obstructing street cams, it was next to impossible to find her.

"This behavior is highly suggestive that the inspector doesn't want us to know about what she's doing. Since her crime coefficient has not risen, we cannot touch her. We need to keep her under observation until we can gather enough proof."

"Of course, chief." Mika murmured. The words had a sour taste in her mouth.

"Which is why you will keep tabs on her when she returns."

"What?! You can't be serious!" Mika blurted.

Chief Kasei narrowed her eyes. "Deadly serious. Akane knows too much about Sibyl. If she cannot be trusted...if her silence cannot be guaranteed, we must eliminate her."

Mika nodded, ignoring the cold sweat drenching her shirt under her blazer.

"Keep a close eye on her. Get close to her if necessary. When you have proof of her disloyalty, report to me."

"And then?"

Chief Kasei smiled coldly. "And then, we'll take care of her."

***

Mika studied her distorted reflection in the elevator. Her eyes, blank and hollow, stared back at her. She had no love for Inspector Tsunemori. She was even a little pleased the chief no longer favored her. However, the nagging dread had returned. Sibyl had been watching Akane well before they had become suspicious of her behavior. It begged the question.

How many other people was Sibyl "keeping tabs" on?

Did Sibyl have a similar file on her buried in a server deep inside the ministry?

Would she be cast aside when she too had outlived her usefulness?

It was the last question that terrified her the most. The ding of the elevator made her jump. Heart pounding, she exited the elevator. Her shift was now over, but she felt no relief. There would be no relaxation when she returned home. She would have to start planning on how she was going to spy on Akane.

She grit her teeth and stomped down the hall. Anger chasing away some of the fear. If Akane had been more competent in handling Sibyl during the Kamui case, she wouldn't have been dragged into this nightmare. In a way, Akane was really to blame for everything. It all stemmed from that damned idealism.