ANOMALY: E.K | BOOK 1 OF THE ANOMALY SAGA

CHAPTER 27: Constellations.

[Time: 18:00. Location: Outside Shirikayo Medical Institute, Care Facility, Asahikawa, Japan.]

"I'm sorry sir, I can't let you in without recommendation." The head nurse bowed her head, and left a frustrated Ryū standing in the clean hallways before being escorted out by security.

"Shit..."

They blew a raspberry behind the guard's back and made their way to a nearby bench, wiping the snow off it before sitting down.

They were running out of options, and H.O.L.D.E.N wasn't one of them.

After the sudden hack last night, the A.I was turned off for maintenance until all the bugs and vocal functions were restored, which would take days. They searched through their backpack, stopping to pop nicotine gum into their mouth before taking out a transparent tablet.

"Okay... time to look for one of you that does have access..." Ryū muttered, hands on autopilot as they searched, looking up to check they weren't being watched. I mean, it's November and snow wasn't expected this early, and Ryū was decked out in all black winter-wear with a snug beanie and mask to keep them warm.

"Bingo! Yamada Hitoshi, Head psychologist of the Long-term Instensive Care unit. I'm sorry, but looks like I'm stealing your identity... not like you stand out anyways." Ryū smiled, studying his facial structure and information, facing away from any cameras in their direction before plugging the tablet to an ID printer in their bag and waiting for it to print, adjusting their beanie so Hitoshi's brown hair stuck out and uncomfortably scratched the uneven stubble on their chin.

"Oh, Hitoshi-san!"

With haste, the tablet was shoved into their bag and they slipped on a pair of glasses, looking up at the person... who was the head nurse that denied Ryū entry into the intensive care unit.

"I thought you went home for today?" She asked, suspicions were rising quickly.

"Ah... I had left some files in my office and thought I'd check in on a patient while I'm at it. He was a bit restless earlier and was worried." Ryū cleared their throat, sneaking a glance at their bag. The nurse let out a nod of understanding a bid them a farewell, heading back inside after finishing her cigarette.

A series of beeps let the assassin know that the ID is ready, prompting them to head inside and stop by the reception as they clipped the ID to their coat. The only problem was they couldn't forge a security card in enough time with such short notice.

"Good evening! Did you forget something Dr. Yamada?"

"Yes... would you mind signing me in? I seem to have forgotten my security pass in the car, and the snow is getting quite heavy." Ryū easily lied, a sleepy smile on their face and gave her the forged ID as the receptionist pitied them, handing a temporary security card.

"Here you go, don't forget anything this time."

"Is Mr. Kurokawa-san still in the same room?" They asked, making the receptionist raise an eyebrow.

"Huh? Yes, he's still in the VIP room? Why do you ask?"

Ryū only laughed awkwardly, and rather than explaining, they just ran up to the lift and stepped in with a sigh of relief after successfully getting past the receptionist.

"You have arrived on: 3rd Floor."

'I need to find him. There's too many to search. Fuck, I need H.O.L.D.E.N-' They spat in their head, pulling into the men's bathroom to pull up their interface and manually search for Haruki with a bioscan. Since H.O.L.D.E.N was disabled, so was their external spine. The most they could do while this fatigued was a bioscan, thermal scan and other stuff with their mutation. The walls were incredibly thick, and the building was recently renovated so there wasn't any up-to-date floor plans.