SW10/HCC: Superhuman World 2004: Big Business #2 of 2: Yamashita's Gold

[Scott Eiler]

Part 2.  Yamashita's Gold.

August 2004.

Yes, I'm supposed to be changing the world, but I've been diverted - and 
then I diverted myself again. I've been sent to the Philippines! I 
considered calling this story "Indiana Ferg and the Gold of Yamashita", 
because I'm on a hunt for legendary treasure. You see...

The Japanese moved a lot of plunder through their Greater East Asia 
Co-Prosperity Sphere during World War II. And due to naval hostilities 
at the time, some of it got stuck in the Philippines. The Japanese 
General Yamashita is supposed to have buried it there, in between 
dodging the American counter-invaders. An Internet company is actually 
hunting this gold.

I'm hunting the gold now. Julie Wolcott knows I can hunt things, because 
I hunted her once.

-   Well, actually, my car (I call it "Tater") hunted her. It has my 
tracking power now. So she's arranged to have it shipped to the 
Philippines, with some suitable modifications for the terrain. Or so she 
says.

-   I still have some equipment that flies. (My trenchcoat and my hiking 
sticks.) So, Julie's strongly recommended I join a hunt there.

This story involves:

-   A kidnapped American damsel. Best guess is, cultists took her. And I 
find it hard to concentrate on money, when women might need my help. So, 
I diverted myself.

-   Rival militias from America, Japan, and Germany. Each country's 
nationals in dangerous foreign countries are banding together for mutual 
aid nowadays. Americans are hunting the damsel, Japanese are hunting the 
gold, and who knows what the Germans want. But they're all converging on 
the same place, so it seems I'm still on track for finding gold.

-   Superhumans from the Patriotic Homeland Squadron. Lots of countries 
have these people, ever since the white South Africans introduced the 
concept last year.  The force is led by a guy named Rupert Mafekinger. 
He's reportedly not superhuman himself, he just pulls the strings.

       - It seems any superhuman in the world is eligible for this 
force, as long as he wholeheartedly supports his homeland ahead of the 
world. With the United Nations assuming real power nowadays, this 
concept is becoming more popular.

       - There's some technical support for this force; it comes with a 
command infrastructure which some nations find useful. It also comes 
with brainwashing techniques, including an implanted receiver which 
whispers motivational slogans in the soldiers' ears. I've said it 
before, and I'll say it again: How do they find these people?

       - Naturally, America, Japan and Germany are keeping up their 
membership in this force. And they're trying to use the international 
militias for national gain. Can you say, 1936?

-   Cultists, caves and tunnels. The Philippine Islands are a Christian 
land, enough so to have a significant lunatic fringe. A while back, 
cultists used to wait for the millennium in caves; now they're 
comfortable there. And isn't Yamashita's gold supposed to be in one of 
these caves? It seems the damsel is too. But the cave is on Luzon, the 
capital city island, so I can drive there... now that my car has finally 
arrived.

-   An earthquake. The Philippines lie on a fault line. Too bad for 
cultists in caves. And for most of Yamashita's gold by now, too, though 
the earthquake briefly reveals some gold before it all came tumbling down.

I did snag the damsel - and one old document, because I needed some 
proof I was there. But then I had to escape.

-   It seems I'd just gone on a mission against the Taliban; they were 
among these cultists!

-   I'm an honorary mercenary now! My old co-conspirator Yon Schmidt, 
Scheiss Hauptmann, had been hired to lead a commando team to liberate 
the hostage. He says he's the world's leading hunter of superhumans. I'm 
not superhuman, but he recognized me anyway, and sent people to rope me 
in to his own scheme.

-   The mission almost blew up, when one of Yon's team made a Jewish 
joke. (Apparently he'd hung out with the U.N. hero "SuperJew" too much.) 
But then we decoyed an enemy plane into a mountain, and got away to our 
vehicles. I get there first!

-   But then one of our operatives, who looks kind of like the TV-show 
Diana Prince but older, got captured by two pilots who look like the 
some preacher friends of mine.

-   This led to an exciting chase by hovercraft across Lingayen Gulf 
into Lingayen City. And I was part of this... because thanks to recent 
modifications, my car is now a hovercraft! That must be why Tater 
arrived with instructions saying, "Fuel with premium gas, or with jet 
fuel if possible."

-   I rode shotgun... literally! They had to talk me out of blasting my 
own windshield, but then I talked them out of me shooting my weapon 
toward the hostage.

-   Naturally, the hostage was able to take care of herself, because she 
was part of a team of superhuman mercenaries. She calls herself 
"Target", because she can make people attack her at just the right 
time... and then shock them unconscious. And so she did with her 
pilots... after they were on the ground.

Afterward, we regrouped at an Indian hostel in Lingayen. I guess 
technically the rooms have private baths, but they're all in the same 
chamber.

-   It turns out, the document I grabbed is one of General Yamashita's 
general orders - an original copy from his scribe's own Kanji 
typewriter! It may not be gold, but it's a worthwhile antique.

-   The American woman is an heiress - of ice cream! It seems she's one 
Cindy Baskin, from the Baskin-Robbins families.

       - As part of my reward, I got to go visit the flagship 
Baskin-Robbins store and make my own ice cream cakes! And I make it 
death's-head-shaped. Cool!

       - The FERG might actually make some money on that! It seems 
Baskin-Robbins is interested in marketing my cakes in Mexico for Dia De 
Los Muertos this year. And I get the same bonus they give their own 
designers. Cool!

Bossy Ms. Wolcott wanted more. For one thing, she thinks I should have 
copyrighted the concept of death's-head ice cream cakes, before 
revealing it to Baskin-Robbins. But still, as adventures go, I'll take 
it. (19, 20, 21, 24, 27 August 2004)
-- 
(signed) Scott Eiler  8{D> -------- http://www.eilertech.com/ ---------

When you *are* the leader... whatever goes wrong... whether you did it
or not... *you* are held responsible. - Barack Obama

I know. - Archie Andrews

- from Archie #617, March 2011, scripted by Alex Simmons.