Dinner begins, and the topic of discussion becomes UFOs. It might look like nothing happens, but don't get bored. There's important foreshadowing here.
Dinner begins, and the topic of discussion becomes UFOs.
It might look like nothing happens, but don't get bored.
There's important foreshadowing here.
He left the bags and coats in the parlor and went to the dining room. Kazuo had left the stove on, so the room was warm enough. Not that anyone had said thanks...
“Ms. Kusabuki, right this way, please.”
Iwagishi spread his shiny, greasy face in a grin and brought Akane into the room. The rectangular table had ten chairs around it – three to each of the long sides and two on each of the short.
“Please, sit here.”
Iwagishi sat Akane down on one of the two seats near the window, the one closer to the game room. Then he sat down next to her.
“I wanna sit next to Mr. Hoshizono!”
The chubby girl spoke in a sweet voice and took his arm.
“Ah, Yumi, that's not fair! I wanna sit next to him, too!”
Not willing to be outdone, the tall girl had also snuggled up against Hoshizono. The man in question, suddenly finding himself with a flower in both hands, was perfectly relaxed, a lazy smile on his face.
“Ahahahaha, you girls are causing Mr. Hoshizono trouble! Come, you three sit together over here.”
Iwagishi, looking happy as a clam sitting next to Akane, pointed to the three chairs on the window side. So the three of them also happily took their seats, Hoshizono in the middle, the tall, smartly-dressed girl in the back, and the chubby girl with long hair to the front.
The small woman with short hair suddenly sat herself in the corner seat directly next to Akane. Sagashima casually sat down next to her. He sat with his back to the frosted glass door.
Zaino, expressionless, suddenly appeared and sat with his back to the kitchen. Kazuo, who had wound up running late, took the seat next to him. He had his back to the printed wood grain door, and felt like he'd been given the lowliest seat. Across from him, Akane was half-asleep, her eyes wandering across the surface of the table.
“Well then, let's eat!”
Once everyone had settled in, Iwagishi spoke up.
“Well, I'm sure all our guests know each other by face and name already, but it appears most of them are meeting for the first time, so I'd like to make some introductions,” he said pompously.
“First of all, the woman next to me is Ms. Akane Kusabuki.”
The girls to either side of Hoshizono burst into applause. They both looked at the female author with admiration.
“Of course, you all already know that Ms. Kusabuki is the leading and best-selling author in her genre – her name even appeared in this year's ranking of top taxpayers among cultural figures.”
Iwagishi spoke as proudly as though these accomplishments involved him in any way, and the girls clapped again. Akane appeared to have nothing to say.
“I'm Kusabuki. It's nice to meet you.”
She bowed her head in a melancholy gesture.
“Now, then, the exceptionally handsome man currently surrounded by ladies is Mr. Shiro Hoshizono.”
The girls cheered and clapped – both their applause and their gazes a bit more passionate than for Akane.
“As you know, he's a popular cultural figure who is – forgive my pun – quite the rising star.”
When Iwagishi said this, Hoshizono stood up and addressed the group.
“I am Hoshizono, a Star Watcher. Please take care of me.”
With a slow bow and a strange pose, he gave of the air that he was about to pull a live pigeon from his breast pocket. The girls still hadn't stopped clapping.
“Well then, that man there is UFO researcher Kazuteru Sagashima.”
That made them stop.
“Mr. Sagashima is a well-know researcher who is active overseas, and he often appears on UFO programs on television.”
Iwagishi declared this loud and proud, but the audience gave him no response. The shabby, middle-aged researcher wasn't a hit with the young women, though if there had been any geeky students in the group, it might have been a different story.
As all this was going on, the men dressed as chefs kept coming and going, arranging the table. White plates and polished silverware were lined up one after the other. It was surreal, seeing the men who'd been hurling abuse at each other not long ago silently working with innocent faces, but the wood grain door behind Kazuo opened and closed every time they entered or exited, so he had to watch his back. He felt cold. After all, he was in the lower class seating. Kazuo regretted not taking the empty seat next to Sagashima.
“Well, that's the talents introduced, now on to the others...”
Iwagishi continued with the introductions.
“This is Ms. Kusabuki's secretary.”
Just as he was about to say more, the short-haired woman stood up.
“I'm Asako Hayasawa, and I'm Ms. Kusabuki's secretary. Thank you very much for having us.”
She bowed politely. Her tone was friendly; she was clearly used to speaking to people. So she was the secretary to a best selling author, huh? Kazuo was a bit impressed. Her movements were sharp and she exuded competence. As it happened, Kazuo was weak to women who looked to have their wits about them. Her likability went up another point.
“Also, these young ladies happen to be casual acquaintances of mine, and when I told them about the talents I was having over, they insisted I bring them along until I finally gave in, hahaha – girls, introduce yourselves.”
“'Kay~!”
The petite one stood up.
“I'm Yumi Kodaira. I heard I could meet Mr. Hoshizono and Ms. Kusabuki, so I had the president bring me. Thanks a lot!”
She said in a sickly sweet voice and bowed her head, making her long, straight hair fall over her face. The way she fixed it with one hand felt flirty, like she was conscious of the men watching her. Kazuo thought she looked self-conscious.
Next, the tall one sitting on Hoshizono's other side stood up.
“Well, I'm Mikiko Ohinata, and I'm super grateful for the chance to have met so many famous people today. Thanks a bundle!”
She said that with a big smile on her face, which was covered in so much makeup it must have taken her two hours to prepare. Iwagishi took back over.
“Well, today is for work, so I considered not bringing them along, but they just kept asking me, so I thought 'Well, we need young women's opinions on the project anyway! They're representatives of our consumer base'! They're a pair of struggling students working nights while attending university, so I'd like to ask for their cooperation.”
Of all the unbelievable – Kazuo almost burst out laughing. What sort of 'struggling student' wore clothes like that? Kazuo could tell at a glance that they were both wearing Italian luxury brands. Their 'night jobs' must have been at the sort of bar where men like Iwagishi paid top dollar for a chance to brag about how successful they were.
“And I've already introduced you all to our company's greatest financial asset.”
Zaino instantly stood and silently bowed.
“...And the person next to Zaino is Mr. Hoshizono's attendant.”
He said it so breezily that Kazuo had to hurry to stand up.
“I'm Sugishita.”
He expected to be silenced quickly. This was the sort of day where everyone treated him coldly.
“Well, now that the introductions are out of the way, a toast!”
As Iwagishi said that, he started worrying over Akane, who had started choking on her cigarette smoke.
“However, I only have beer, wine, and whiskey up here. What would you like, Ms. Kusabuki?”
“None for me. I was up all night, so I'm afraid I'll fall asleep if I stay for dinner,” Akane's answer came instantly.
“Ah, I see. That's a shame. How about the rest of you, beer or wine?” Iwagishi shouted.
“Well, I can't drink.”
“Me neither.”
Yumi and Mikiko both said that, and in the end everyone made their toast with oolong tea, except Iwagishi and his beer. Kazuo also wanted a beer, but since his “boss” didn't drink, he refrained. It looked like dinner would be a boring affair.
The men in white coats handed out everyone's drinks, and Iwagishi once more seized the reins of conversation.
“Whatever the case, please spend the night relaxing and absorbing the atmosphere here. For tonight, let's all put aside our busy work schedules... I'm excited to meet such great talents, too, after all. We have a great opportunity, so let's all have fun!”
Iwagishi looked at Akane with a vulgar grin. It seemed the old man's motives weren't that different from the girls'. It seemed he was a common man after all.
Even as the meal started, Iwagishi kept talking as he ate.
“The name of this campground, Togaridake Lodge Village, lacks elegance. It's not like this is a government-funded housing initiative, so we should give it a new name.”
“It really isn't cool. 'Lodge Village' makes it sound so... country,” Yumi chimed in.
“I knew it wouldn't appeal to the youth. And it's not good from a structural perspective, either – have you all seen how much space there is between the lodges?”
“Eh? No, I haven't.”
That was Mikiko.
“Ah, it was already dark when you girls arrived.”
“I saw it,” said Hoshizono.
“Even though it's spacious, the lodges being so far apart makes it feel a bit lonely.”
“You're right,” said Iwagishi.
“It seems they built it that way so there would be room to park RVs. They were built in diagonal lines to make it easier for the cars to fit in.”
That made sense. He hadn't noticed because it was snowing, but if the snow hadn't been piled up, the design would make it easy to drive next to a lodge. Kazuo was convinced.
“But you know, rich people who can afford RVs don't come to places like this. The best families who come out here can do is a van and a barbecue grill – their business planning was too lax.”
Iwagishi took a long sip of his beer.
“But what about the outdoors?”
It was Hoshizono, flashing his signature “finger to the sky” pose.
“Isn't that popular right now? It's a place where you can enjoy the great outdoors for not a lot of money. If that's the pitch, people will come.”
“Yeah, it's super popular,” said Mikiko. “I have friends who go camping.”
Iwagishi shook his wide head.
“No, no, even if you say that, city folk nowadays don't want to experience the real outdoors. Even when it comes to outdoor activities, there are people who go to campgrounds and ask 'where are the outlets?'. They don't want to go to the trouble of building fires. They just want to feel like they're outdoors, get the atmosphere.”
He gulped down another beer.
“I guess you're right. Even if you call it camping, I don't wanna get dirty,” Yumi nodded.
Plates of food were brought out one after the other. They were arranged in a disorderly manner that spoke to the enthusiasm of their servers to get this over with as quickly as possible and go home. It was presented as a course meal, but in truth, it was the sort of food you'd get at a wedding reception: Cold consommé, shriveled salads, shrimp gratin containing ingredients you didn't remember, steak so tough you couldn't identify the meat... with no respect for the pace at which they ate, dishes were shoved in front of them again and again. In an instant, the entire table was covered in plates. However, Iwagishi didn't care about any of that and kept talking, enjoying the sound of his own voice.
“That's why there's no way normal marketing techniques could attract customers to such an inconvenient location. If it snows at the beginning of December, this place isn't even qualified to be called a campground. There's no electricity, running water, or phone service out here in the mountains. Who would want to come here?”
“Eh? But the lights are on.”
Mikiko looked up at the fluorescent lights on the ceiling.
“No, that's local electricity. There's a generator in the basement. It's dark down there. Want me to give you a private tour?”
“Oh, Mr. President, you're so naughty!”
Yumi burst out laughing.
“What about the water supply?”
Hoshizono asked, and Iwagishi answered with a grin.
“It's spring water. Apparently, there's an underground reservoir near here, so they purify the water and use it. Of course, the gas is propane.”
“I see, so we're on our own out here.”
Hoshizono nodded in understanding, and Iwagishi continued.
“As you'd expect, the phone company won't run a cable out here for one building. Well, even in a place like this, the autumn leaves are spectacular. I originally bought this place two months ago... I think it was in October. Zaino?”
Zaino, who had been moving his fork in silence for a while, raised his expressionless face and spoke.
“Yes, we came here once in October and once in November. The weather was pleasant on both occasions, and I thought this wouldn't be a bad place for a leisure facility.”
“That was before Old Man Winter came a'knockin'...” said Iwagishi with a frown.
“Managing a leisure facility is difficult; you have to establish something to differentiate yourself from the competition. The previous owner inherited a mountain in the area and became a mountain lover, so he built something like this. There's no way an amateur could run it like that.”
“Now that you mention it, this place is built just like a mountain hut,” said Mikiko, looking around.
“Yes, it seems the target audience was mountain climbers – but there's no way such a half-baked plan would work, this place is nowhere near any mountain climbing routes. As a result, it was deserted from the moment it opened. The local businessman who built it came crying to me, so I bought it, but since my company runs facilities in Hayama, Zushi, and Nasu, so I have the know-how to make it work.”
Iwagishi spoke proudly.
“I think only a businessman of my caliber, someone who thinks about the stock market 24 hours a day, can survive in the leisure industry. I always travel by train because cars take too long to navigate Tokyo traffic... I'm saying that's the kind of person you have to be.”
As Iwagishi went on in a voice that sounded like a cracked bell, Akane, who had been silent all this time, suddenly spoke up.
“Girl, note.”
“Ma'am.”
Without a moment's pause, Asako pulled out a pen and notepad from somewhere. It was like a magic show. Akane looked off into space for a moment, then:
“In the Misaki series, the boyfriend's superior, a boastful, obnoxious old man, can't read a room, oblivious to those around him.”
“What was that?”
Iwagishi's square face hung open.
“Ah, pardon me all of a sudden.”
Akane gave a charming look.
“It's an idea for a novel.”
“Ah, so it's a novel.”
“Yes, I have to write down my ideas as soon as I think of them, even if they're just little things – Can't risk losing the ideas.”
“Haha, I see,” said Iwagishi.
He was deeply impressed and totally oblivious to the irony.
“Best-selling artists are different from normal folk, after all.”
“No, I'm just forgetful. I'm always making my editors and secretary take care of me.”
“I don't think that's the case. Well, maybe you aren't different from other elites. It might seem presumptuous, but I've had similar experiences. Whenever I think of something, I call someone about it right away – my ideas come even when I'm in the bath or on the can!”
In the end, it was just more boasting. Akane gave an exhausted look off to the side. Yumi hung her head to hide her giggles.
“So, this is where you all come in!”
Iwagishi clapped his hands. It seemed he'd forgotten all he'd said about leaving work behind.
“To simplify, my plan is to transform this place into a weekend getaway for young women, and I'd like you all to help with that. It's relatively close to Tokyo, there's room to get up by car or even a minibus... How's this for a concept: 'Home of stars, romance, and UFOs'? Mr. Sagashima?”
“Sure.”
Sagashima, who hadn't said a word this whole time and poked at his plate without ever looking up, gave that indifferent reply. Iwagishi didn't seem to notice the other man's reaction.
“Forget the city for a while and immerse yourself in a romantic mood that washes your troubles away! But don't go too far from the city, it gets lonely out there! Fortunately, the city is right beneath you! Look down, and see the city of Chichibu, look up, see the stars and wait for a UFO! How's all that sound?”
Iwagishi was getting louder and louder, probably in time with his drunkenness.
“Hmm, so are you planning to sell this place with the image of Mr. Hoshizono?”
Yumi asked with genuine interest. Iwagishi was satisfied with his work.
“Of course, I'll have them write up an ad brochure with lots of photos and his letter of recommendation. Oh, why not do something like this? The second floor of this place is empty; apparently the owner's family used to live there. Why not make that space into an observation room, a natural planetarium? We'll play a recording of Mr. Hoshizono explaining the constellations as we all come together to admire the heavens.”
“Wow... It'd be like Mr. Hoshizono was right there talking to me...”
Yumi's voice was dreamy. Iwagishi slapped his knee.
“Oh, that's great! What do you think, Mr. Hoshizono, how about offering the guests guided tours for a fee?”
“I don't know, I'd have to come out here all the time.”
“No, no, just on weekends! If that's not possible, we can just make it a special offer once a month.”
“It really depends on my schedule whether or not I'd be able to come...”
As Hoshizono mumbled his non-refusal refusal, Iwagishi kept going.
“Haha, you're so busy, Mr. Hoshizono! Well, we'll hammer out the specifics later, so please think it over.”
“Ah, yes...”
Hoshizono gave a vague nod. Yumi, next to him, spoke up.
“Incredible, if I came here, I could hear Mr. Hoshizono live just for an accommodation fee.”
“I don't know about that. I'm sure Mr. Iwagishi has his own thoughts.”
“Of course I do.”
Iwagishi grinned.
“And that idea is making the fee quite expensive.”
“Eh? That's so sneaky...”
Yumi looked down. Mikiko suddenly spoke up.
“Hey, hey, Mr. Hoshizono, the whole reason I came here today was to meet you.”
She held her hands out flat.
“Here, take a look at my nails.”
“Your nails?”
Hoshizono airily crossed his legs and looked at her. The others – with the exception of Sagashima, who didn't seem to care – leaned in as one.
“Look. Beautiful, aren't they?” Mikiko asked with a flutter of her hands.
Her nails were black and unusually long. On their enamel-like surface were the shapes of crescent moons and stars, shining gold.
“They're fake nails, nail art. They come in dozens of different colors and patterns, but today I picked a special one for you, Mr. Hoshizono.”
Mikiko chattered happily. Speaking of, her earrings were also star shaped. Yumi spoke from the other side.
“Miki, you're so sneaky! It must be nice, being able to skip it all like that. I can't get those, it'll hurt too much.”
Looking, Yumi's nails were even longer than Mikiko's fake nails. Two centimeters long, they made her look like a Thai folk dancer. Worse, her pure pink nail polish had an artificial sheen and looked somehow unsanitary. Kazuo glanced over at Asako, and saw that her nails looked like fresh cut cherry blossoms as she picked up her oolong tea, which made him feel a bit better.
“Hahaha, young people certainly have unique ideas.”
Iwagishi grabbed Mikiko's hand and looked at it intensely.
“It never even occurred to me that nails could be a part of fashion.”
Rather than looking, it seemed like he was looking for an excuse to touch her with his sticky hands. Mikiko looked uncomfortable as the greasy man felt her hand all over.
“Girl, note.”
Akane suddenly spoke up. Asako quickly pulled out her notes and got ready. Mikiko took the chance to yank away from Iwagishi's arm as hard as she could.
“Hinako's rival, female college student, love rival, nail art, bold fashion sense.”
Akane spoke slowly, and Asako quickly ran her pen over the page.
“Eh? Ms. Kusabuki, does that mean I'm going to be a model for a character?”
Mikiko's mouth hung open as wide as it could go.
“Uwah, no way, that's so cool!” said Yumi.
“Well, it isn't guaranteed yet.”
Akane smiled and lit a cigarette, using her other hand to scratch her head in a slow, lazy motion.
“I just made a note of it. Whether I decide to use it or not depends on how I feel. For now, it's just an idea.”
“But still, I can't believe this! If I ever show up somewhere, I'll tell everyone I know!”
Mikiko was excited.
“Hey, Ms. Kusabuki, there's something else I want to ask you.”
Yumi interjected, apparently feeling the other girl was a rival.
“What's going to happen in the next book of Sharon's series? Will Koji and Mika really break up? I'm so curious.”
Seeing her eyes sparkle, Akane struck a sexy pose as she blew cigarette smoke.
“I haven't really thought about it. I'm busy with other things.”
“Eh, really?”
“Yeah, I don't really think about serialized works until their deadline is coming up.”
“That's amazing! You can write such interesting stories so quickly, you're a genius!”
Yumi's voice was heavy with emotion.
“Oh yes, speaking of novels...”
Iwagishi forcefully turned his upper body towards her.
“If you don't mind, I'd like to ask you to write a novel set here.”
“Here?”
Predictably, Akane blanched a bit.
“Yes, a story set right here, about a love burning in a lodge in the mountains under a beautiful starry sky.”
“I think that would be difficult.”
Akane frowned at the brazen request, while the ever-modest Asako said:
“Um, we'll have to consult with our editors about the contents... If it's an advertisement for a specific place, publication might be a bit-”
“Ah, I see. Well, we'll discuss it another time,” Iwagishi shamelessly declared.
“I think it'd be good, y'know, a romantic story unfolding in a lodge in the middle of the mountains like this... and a UFO shows up, too... Hey, Mr. Sagashima, there are UFOs here, right?”
“Yeah.”
Sagashima said it at once, raising his simian face.
“There's a UFO base deep in the mountains of Chichibu. Of course they'd have to pass here to get to it.”
It was a bold, decisive declaration.
His firm tone, as casual as if he were making small talk with a gas station attendant, took everyone by surprise. The room went silent for a moment.
Yumi intervened.
“Hey, hey, Mr. Hoshizono~, what do you think? Do you believe in UFOs?”
“Hmm, I wonder...”
Hoshizono placed a finger on his chin in the exaggerated gesture of a stage actor.
“Unfortunately, and with many apologies to Mr. Sagashima, I'm afraid I don't. I think it's a bit unrealistic, aliens coming down from outer space. I think the romance and dreams that come from looking up at the starry sky, and knowing that, somewhere out there, there might be another human looking at the same stars, is more important. When you are enraptured in the romance of the mysteries of the cosmos, the wings of your imagination can fly forever across a starry sky. The moment when the beauty of the night sky is etched in your heart and shakes your soul, that is when we can reclaim our own hearts and feel truly free.”
He'd shifted completely into work mode.
“Wa~ah! Amazing! Mr. Hoshizono is a man with so many dreams!”
Yumi cried out as she looked up at Hoshizono's marble sculpture profile.
“But Mr. Hoshizono, as I said earlier, there are many witnesses.”
Sagashima spoke with the same gloomy expression. The atmosphere died in an instant, and Yumi glared at him with a terrifying rage, but Sagashima didn't notice.
“There are 200 billion fixed stars in our galaxy alone. It's estimated there are 100 billion galaxies in the universe... 200 billion times 100 billion. What do you think? That's the number of stars in existence, and each is orbited by multiple planets. You could say it's a number approaching infinity.”
Mikiko side-eyed him like he was a creepy bug that had suddenly learned to talk.
“Hey, Mr. Hoshizono, what's a 'fixed star'?”
“Ah, the fixed stars?”
Hoshizono was still perfectly relaxed.
“The fixed stars are objects that emit their own light and heat, like our sun. Planets, like Earth, Venus, and Mars, orbit them. Almost all of the objects we can see in the night sky are fixed stars, and because they shine on their own, they can be seen even at great distances.”
“Hmm, so there are lots of stars like the sun?”
When Mikiko appeared satisfied, Sagashima continued.
“Yes, among the uncountable number of planets, there must be many that contain the elements necessary for life, like carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, and nitrogen, planets like Earth. The current wisdom within the astronomical community is that there's a high probability that intelligent life with science and civilization exists on other planets.”
He mumbled with an undercurrent of hatred.
“Such intelligent lifeforms must have an inquisitive spirit, just like us humans. Believing in the possibility of life on other planets, we loaded Voyager with a copper disk of messages. And we've tried to receive transmissions from outer space with the radio telescope in Mauna Kea. Just as we've tried to contact extraterrestrial life, the other side must also be watching Earth. If they were scientifically advanced life forms, they'd definitely come to observe us using UFOs.”
“But, Mr. Sagashima...”
Hoshizono pointed a finger to the ceiling.
“I believe there was a scientific theory about this. I've heard that the possibility of primitive life forming from ancient ocean proteins is close to zero.”
“Ah, Gardner's rate of primitive life,” said Sagashima with his usual dark eyes.
“The theory says that the odds of primitive life emerging from a sea of primordial soup is one in 10^-40.”
“Yes, that's correct. If you say 1/10th to the power of -40, that's close to zero. Therefore, no matter how much you say there are planets with conditions similar to Earth, it's almost impossible for life to emerge on them. That's why I believe the Earth is unique, a miracle planet. Life arose from near-zero possibility, evolved, filled this fertile world with intelligent life... It's a mindbogglingly unlikely chance, but I believe that's what romance is all about.”
When Hoshizono said that, Sagashima's eyes fell.
“That's nothing more than theoretical probabilities. In fact, there are unknown flying objects over the Earth, so it's impossible to deny the existence of extraterrestrial life. For example... did you know there are fragments of an enormous UFO mothership scattered in orbit?”
“Oh? I hadn't heard that,” said Hoshizono.
“What? There's a broken UFO? Where?” asked Mikiko, suddenly interested.
“It's floating high above the planet. It was discovered in 1967 by the Russian astrophysicist Professor Sergei Boshich. Ten artificial objects are orbiting the Earth. Of course, they aren't fragments of man-made satellites or rockets. NASA, NORAD, and the former Soviet Union's Academy of Sciences all tracked all such objects that originate from Earth. It's clear the artifacts weren't launched from anywhere on Earth. As a result of calculating their orbits, Professor Boshich made a surprising discovery: He calculated that the ten fragments were originally one huge object that exploded into pieces in December 1955. Of course, you all already know that the first man-made object in space was Sputnik I, which was launched in October of 1957. They had already been in orbit around the Earth for over a year before then. Moreover, the size of the object before it exploded was approximately 30 meters by 60 meters, the size of a five story building. Can you explain what such a large artificial object was doing in the sky above Earth? There's no conclusion to draw other than that it was a UFO. Perhaps the UFO mothership that was monitoring the Earth exploded into ten pieces due to some kind of accident. Isn't that it? That's what I think. What other possibility is there? It happened at a time when the Earth didn't yet have artificial satellite technology.”
Sagashima said all this confidently, but Yumi just made fun of him.
“Eh, but I've never heard of anything like that. I've never seen it on TV or in the papers.”
“Of course, that's because it's being hidden from the public.”
“Who would hide something like that?”
“The MIB – the Men in Black. They're a secret organization.”
“A secret organization?”
“Yes, they're also called the Silencers. They're an unknown underground organization. They threaten people who have witnessed UFOs, trying to intimidate them into not disclosing what they've seen. They usually dress in weird outfits like what you'd see in old gangster movies, all black with fedoras, and they suddenly appear before witnesses with threats and warnings. They-”
“Hey, just who are these people?” asked Mikiko.
“Their true identity is unknown. No one knows who they are or what their purpose is. The only thing we can say for sure is that they're hiding the existence of UFOs from the public.”
“That's kinda suspicious.”
Yumi said without much thought. Of course, she probably thought the whole story was nonsense, but Sagashima didn't seem to think so.
“It is suspicious. We don't know who wants to hide the existence of UFOs or why. But they're a powerful group. There are even theories stating their involvement in the Kennedy assassination.”
“The Kennedy assassination – Isn't that a huge deal!?”
Iwagishi was predictably shocked, but Sagashima had no reaction.
“Yes, Kennedy was a U.S. president who strongly supported the Apollo program in opposition to the Soviet Union. They probably weren't happy about humans going to the moon, so they tried to get rid of him. There's a UFO base on the moon, so they were probably trying to hide that.”
He casually added that last part as though it were common knowledge. The atmosphere in the dining room grew even heavier. When Iwagishi had been monopolizing the conversation, everyone had just been upset with him, but Sagashima they were worried about. Was this guy okay?
“Well, what about you, Ms. Kusabuki?”
Iwagishi spoke in a particularly loud voice, as though he were trying to scare off their nerves.
“Do you believe in UFOs?”
“I'm sorry, but I don't believe in them, either.”
Akane answered with a slow exhale of her cigarette.
“It just doesn't seem realistic. I can't believe that life forms evolved in a whole other star system would develop into intelligent life like humans. They'd grow in completely different environments. Therefore, it would be more normal to believe they'd evolved into creatures completely different from humanity that Earthlings couldn't even comprehend. At the extreme ends, they might become non-material lifeforms, existing as gaseous or information-based life forms – Ah, but once you start saying things like that, you're in the realm of science fiction. That's why I don't believe in things like UFOs or ghosts.”
“Oh, I remember reading one of your essays where you said that!”
Mikiko chose that moment to interject.
“Ms. Kusabuki, you said you don't believe in things like ghosts, spiritual phenomenon, or UFOs... Um, where did I read it...?”
“I've written things like that in plenty of places by now. Most people who say they've seen things like that must be lying. Adamski's story is particularly absurd, claiming he met handsome blonde aliens on Venus. What a laugh!”
Akane sounded like she was deliberately provoking Sagashima. It seemed like she was too tired to be polite, and was taking clear amusement from teasing him.
“The same goes for all the other stories I've heard. Little green men, tall humans... They're all the sorts of stories people with no imagination would tell.”
“Gray aliens and Nordic aliens.”
Sagashima looked annoyed.
“However, there have also been sightings of races believed to have evolved from reptiles, such as the Reptilians. In addition, in January 1990, at a UFO roundtable discussion sponsored by the Information Agency Novosti in the former Soviet Union, Marc Mirkhel, director of the Center for Research on Celestial Floating Objects, declared that there were four forms of life in the universe, three of them being non-protein based plasma life forms. It isn't just the humanoids that bother you so much, Ms. Kusabuki.”
“And I'm sure it's just a coincidence that most eyewitness accounts involve silver-skinned dwarfs and glowing humanoids and things like that.”
Akane took a melancholy drag of her cigarette.
“If anything, I think the psychology of those who claim to witness UFOs is more interesting. The desire to stand out, even if you have to lie...”
“Are you saying all contactees are liars?”
Sagashima seemed to be getting uncomfortable, but Akane brushed him off.
“Oh, not all of them, but you can't deny that people have been caught selling fake UFO photos to magazines, and there are people who fake sightings for free because they think the resulting uproar is funny – You know, like Nessie.”
“It's true that some people give false testimony,” said Sagashima with a frown.
“But there are plenty of credible witnesses out there. At Kirtland Air Force Base in 1980, a U.S. Air Force pilot in flight saw a UFO. This is well documented in Air Force records. And in 1969, the crew of Apollo 10 captured a UFO on 16mm film near the moon's surface.”
“Oh? I've certainly never seen a video like that.”
“NASA is hiding it, so it isn't available to the public. But they've admitted to having it in storage. There's no way all sightings can be written off as lies.”
“But even the ones that aren't lies are full of mistakes.”
Akane put her elbows on the table. Hoshizono spoke up.
“It seems there are many cases where people have mistaken the lights of cars reflecting off of low hanging clouds, airplanes, or the flames of meteorites or artificial satellites burning up in the atmosphere for UFOs. Depending on the weather conditions, the moon and Venus can also give off strange lights.”
“What I find hardest to believe is that UFOs come from other planets. It's the most basic part of the story, but it makes me shake my head.”
As if to demonstrate, Akane actually shook her head before continuing.
“The closest star to our solar system is Alpha Centauri, and if I recall correctly, it's about 4.3 light years away. Sirius is 8.6 light years away, and Vega in the Lyra constellation is 25 light years away. Betelgeuse in Orion is about 500 light years away.”
Inwardly, Kazuo rolled his eyes at Akane's smooth recitation. He wondered if all writers had this sort of knowledge crammed into their heads. That level of memory was unimaginable for an ordinary working man.
“The speed of light is 300,000 kilometers per second, and one light year is the time it takes to travel in 365 days – 300,000 times 60 times 60 times 24. 365 times that is...”
Akane paused. Asako came up beside her.
“Um, nine hundred billion – no, nine trillion? About nine trillion and four hundred billion kilometers.”
It seemed the secretary was good at mental math, too.
“Really, that long? Even one light year is 9.4 trillion kilometers... That's an incredible distance. Even the closest star, Alpha Centauri, is 4.3 light years away – ah, it's fine, girl, you don't need to calculate that – anyway, it's an incomprehensible distance. I find it a bit unbelievable that a life form could come flying from somewhere so far away on a disk-shaped UFO.”
“No, that's why they first come on a mothership. And the UFO's propulsion system is-”
Iwagishi interrupted.
“Well, this is surprising. Even though Ms. Kusabuki writes such romantic novels, she's a surprisingly devout realist.”
“It's a mistake to judge a person by their works,” Akane said curtly.
“What about you two? Do you think the truth is out there?”
Iwagishi directed the question to Yumi and Mikiko.
“I don't know... I believed in it, but...”
Yumi squirmed in her seat.
“If both Mr. Hoshizono and Ms. Kusabuki say they don't exist, then I feel like they probably don't exist.”
“I agree,” said Mikiko.
As if to cover for himself, Sagashima said:
“It isn't a matter of 'does it exist', it DOES exist. Even the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory is investigating UFOs.”
He kept talking, but Iwagishi cut him off.
“Well, I'll have them write that in the publicity pamphlets. Well, whether they exist or not, the value of Mr. Sagashima's name won't change, so it'll at least be good publicity!”
He grinned at them. Sagashima shut his mouth in disgust. That was when the coffee arrived. Thanks to the enthusiasm of the men in chefs' uniforms, their plates had mostly been cleared.
“Now, let's all head out.”
Iwagishi emptied his beer glass as though he were afraid to miss a drop.
“Tonight, everyone will be staying in their own private lodges... I'm sure you'll be able to figure the rest out for yourselves.”
“I instructed the Saitama office to clean the buildings, stoves, and bedding ahead of us,” said Zaino.
“Hmm, I wouldn't count on them, though... Well, if you have any trouble, tell Zaino about it. Also, there's a kitchen and toilet outside the back door, but they're frozen right now, so we can't use them. Please, if you need to use the toilet, use the one in the administration building, even if it's a hassle. Summer campgrounds are so inconvenient...”
As Iwagishi spoke, the middle-aged man in the chef's uniform appeared.
“We're done, so we're going home.”
“Ah, thank you for all your hard work.”
Iwagishi suddenly declared in a voice loud enough to make the chef grimace.
“I will be taking my bath now.”
Zaino suddenly stood up without making a sound.
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