Psycho Pass: Way of the Wolf

Day 12

 "Chief Tarkinson's orders were fairly simple," Akane said. "The sniper rifle is broken up into seven pieces. Using geocaching, we're to find the parts, assemble it, and proceed to the mission objective area."

"Where we're supposed to take out a target." Kogami drove his hands into his pockets and arced his back to temporarily alleviate the weight of the rucksack on his back. "Like I said, a scavenger hunt."

"We have to be careful, Mr. Kogami. Geocaching will lead us to the area, but there might be other rifle parts hidden there. He specifically said that we have to find the parts of the rifle that have been assigned to me, the senior officer. Otherwise we forfeit the exercise."

"That's what the compass is for," Kogami said. Craving a cigarette, he snatched a swaying stalk of grass from the ground. He absently rolled it between his fingers and then tucked it into the corner of his mouth. "GPS gets us to the general location. Compass will pinpoint the component. That's how we save time." He looked up the side of a steep, rocky slope. Except for various natural geographic features, it was nearly vertical. "Let's go."

"Can you fly now, Mr. Kogami?"

"No, left my cape in Japan."

"Then just how do we get up that rock wall safely?"

Kogami snorted. "How's your rock climbing, Inspector?" He pointed to the coils of rope and carabiners hanging from the side of the precipice.

Akane stared at him in disbelief.

"This isn't just a scavenger hunt. It's a test of time management, how to effectively use resources, and team work. If we rely too heavily on one thing or another, we'll never make the allotted time."

"How much time do we have? I must have zoned out this morning when Tarkinson was explaining the objectives."

"Six hours."

"I don't know the first thing about rock climbing, Mr. Kogami."

"Then I'll teach you."

"There's a perfectly good trail right here on the map."

"Why do you think we've been doing all these endurance tests? Alone, we struggle and possibly fail, but together, we're smarter and stronger. Just like we are on an investigation."

"That would make sense, wouldn't it?" She reluctantly allowed him to cover her hands in chalk. "Promise you won't let me fall?"

He grinned despite himself. "That's a promise I can definitely keep."

"Then lead on, Mr. Kogami."

After a successful rock climb, with no other incident than a broken nail, Kogami and Akane made their way along a series of winding paths. Led by their GPS device, a compass, and their wits, they followed the clues on trail and off. Unlike previous tests, the geocaching mission proved to be far more relaxing than the usual calisthenics and endurance drills.

"So, Mr. Kogami, what do you think of our fellow law enforcement peers and their psycho passes? I find it interesting that these men would be considered latent criminals back home."

"Their crime coefficients just prove the importance of Enforcers," Kogami replied. "To do what these guys do, in cities like Washington, D.C., New York City, and Los Angeles, their crime coefficients have to be high. How else can they work against the criminals out there looking to circumvent and undermine the law." He jumped onto a rock formation and took in the view of the forested valley below them. "Just goes to show that a society is better off letting the hounds do what they do best, keeping people safe."