Psycho Pass: Drift!

Chapter 1

A morning breeze rolled in off the Pacific Ocean and brought a momentary reprieve from the heat. Shinya Kogami stared off into the hazy horizon and tried to forget how miserable he was in the sweltering temperatures. Standing in the shade of three large palm trees, he leaned back against the sinewy trunk and closed his eyes in frustration.

Although he was surrounded by the serenity of soothing sounds—wind moving through palm tree leaves and the gentle current of the ocean—it was all lost to him, drowned out in the throaty roar of revving car engines, screeching tires, and cheering crowds of spectators. The acrid smell of exhaust and spent rubber was as intoxicating as it was annoying to him and served only to irritate the back of his throat.

It was his third day of observation with the Los Angeles Police department, and he found himself downtown on a security detail that was tasked with crowd control at the Los Angeles Public Speed Park. The venue was a recreational race track that catered to the car enthusiasts in the greater county area. For early morning, the weather was unusually hot, getting hotter, and that was just in the shade. Kogami tugged at his already loose tie and his sweat-dampened shirt, which was clinging to his chest.

"How do Royce and Rodriguez operate in this weather? And in full uniform, too?" Akane Tsunemori fanned herself with her hand. It did little good. The air was stifling, and she appeared as if she were wilting away in the oppressive heat. She retreated into what little shade remained as the sun managed to penetrate the canopy of the palm trees above them.

"They're used it. We're not," Kogami replied. "This is the kind of work that cymatic scanners and drones handle back home."

"It's no different than a heightened area stress alert, I guess. Only the Inspectors and Enforcers would just now be arriving on the scene." Wiping the back of her hand across her forehead, she sighed and leaned back on another tree beside him. "Back home, there certainly would have been an alert by now. With all this excitement—racing cars, fierce competition, and rivalries—I can't imagine that someone's psycho pass wouldn't have exceeded regulation value."

"At least that would be interesting. I'm getting bored." Kogami reached into his coat pocket and retrieved a pack of cigarettes. Tapping one from the packet, he put it to his lips and lit it.

"Kogami, it's your fault that we were put on this security detail in the first place!"

"How's that, Inspector?"

"In less than 24 hours on the job, Rodriguez and you cost the LAPD $1.1 million dollars by blowing up that oil tank."

"That wasn't our fault. The perpetrator drove into it."

"Because you shot out the tires!"

"I didn't fire one shot."

"You held the steering wheel while Rodriguez shot out the tires."

"That perp got what he deserved. He robbed a bank and put the lives of 20 people in jeopardy, including two little kids. Besides, Rodriguez and I made up for it the next day with that black tar heroin bust. Net worth $3 million dollars of drugs off the street. That was a good case."

"You broke seven of the dealer's fingers!"

Hands in his pockets, Kogami shrugged his shoulders. "He fell down the stairs."

"Three times!"

"Twice. There were two flights."

"Kogami, that's not helping matters. If you keep this up, Rodriguez is going to end up being suspended, or worse, and we're going to be deported. Chief Tomb was very clear about that!" She balled her hands into tiny fists of anger and stomped a foot as she yelled at him above the racing engines. "Are you even listening to me? You can be so selfish at times."