RP: YSS Eucharis [Mission 10.3] Recovery And Reunion

ON: Sam's Island

Hanako had arrived a little early at the island-themed Sam's Grill and could be found seated in a quiet corner of Sam's Grill wearing a cream-colored ribbed sweater, one of her blue pleated skirts, and a pair of boots. She was looking down at the menu when Sune arrived.

Sune arrived at the restaurant a little before 7pm even with making a quick stop at the ship's post office. He spotted Hanako and walked over to join her. He was wearing a black pair of jeans, and a grey button up shirt. "Good evening Hanako-san." he said pulling out a chair and sitting.

Looking up from the menu, Hanako smiled warmly, but briefly. She made a bit of a confused face at the jeans. They were so...Nepleslian. "Ah, hello Sune-san," she greeted, giving him a respectful nod of her head. "Thank you for this. I have not been on a date in quite some time," she told him.

"Thank you for agreeing, it was my pleasure Hanako-san to invite you. I just wish that I had something a bit nicer to wear. I will have to see about ordering some more clothes while we are here. I did not bring much in the way of clothing with me when I joined the Eucharis. That sweater really brings out your eyes." he picked up the menu before him.

Embarrassed a little, the blue-haired captain admitted, "I am in the same situation. Thank you for the complement."

A waitress came to the table and introduced herself briefly and asked what the two would like to drink.

The waitress also gave Sune his menu and silverware in a cloth napkin.

Sune picked up the menu, scanned the drink section, "Thank you, I would like to try a bottle of Wolf White Frost wine please." he said to the waitress.

"It is our only bottle so far. You are a lucky man!" the waitress smiled.

"Do you want to share it?" Hanako asked Sune.

"Certainly, I was going to offer to share. " he replied with a smile.

"I would also like to order some Hanako's Original Red Wine," Hanako said. She looked to Sune. "I need to support my brand," she smiled. "It is very good, you know."

The waitress nodded and went off to get the wines and ice water.

"I have never tried it perhaps you will be so kind as to let me try a glass." Sune replied.

"Of course!"

"I think I will be going with the sauteed scallops, what about you Hanako-san?"

The waitress returned and poured both them both a glass of red, a glass of white, and a glass of ice water.

"Smoked Cedar Plank Salmon," Hanako told Sune and the waitress.

"Sauteed scallops," Sune said to the waitress, and handed her his menu. He picked up the glass of amber colored wine and took a sniff, the nutty fragrance was pleasant. He held his glass up, "To the Empress," he said.

The waitress nodded and headed off. "To the Empress." Hanako gently tapped the rim of her matching glass against Sune's and then pulled it to her lips, inhaling the aroma before giving it a sip.

Sune took a sip, relishing in the flavor before swallowing it. "What happened to that black dress you bought two years ago? The one you asked my opinion on when the crew went shopping?" he inquired.

"I think it was burnt up in a starship fire," Hanako said. "I barely remember it. We have been through a lot of battles and damage."

"That's a shame, it was that dress that first let me see you as a woman and not the legendary Hanako. While we we wait for our food, I have a small gift for you for Years End. I have second item to give you but that can wait until after dinner." he said, pulling out a small wrapped box.

"Oh! I have not got anything for anyone yet." She wondered what it could be.

"Have not purchased anything for the rest either, but I had been keeping this for an appropriate time."

Hanako eyed the box expectantly.

"It is a bottle of Kagayaki's Star Dust Silver. It is supposed to have a unique fragrance for every woman who wears it." Sune said.

"I do not understand," said Hanako, looking a little confused.

"The perfume reacts to the wearer's biochemistry. So the fragrance is unique to them. Since no two people have exactly the same biochemistry."

"So if you wear it, you could say that you are wearing Star Dust Hanako."

"Even Nekovalkyrja?" Hanako asked.

The waitress returned and set up a little wooden stand next to the table and then set down a large tray with their food on it. She set the salmon in front of Hanako and the scallops in front of Sune.

"That is what the company says, I can not say absolutely since I have not given it to anyone else before." he said to Hanako, he turned to the waitress, "Thank you that looks delicious."

"Do you have a girlfriend?" asked Hanako.

"No. On the Bouken there was only one single woman, my friend Raia. But she was engaged to another member of the crew before I could even consider such a relationship. After that it was to basic training, and then medical school. I never had time to develop a serious relationship after the Bouken." Sune answered.

"Is it possible they are still out there?" Hanako suggested. "What do we know of the Bouken's fate?"

"Raia is deceased, her body was recovered. The rest of the Bouken crew are officially listed as missing. Their ships were found boarded and looted. So it is possible some of the others are alive on some Mishhu world as slaves. Perhaps after this war is over I might be able to find some of the survivors." Sune replied, surprised that he could talk about the subject without the gut wrenching anguish he experienced before.

"I see," Hanako sighed. "So many of our soldiers have lost their connections to anyone outside military. Even for me, the last three years the Eucharis has been my home in it and I rarely see anyone but her crew, All we have is each other."

"Very true. I was going to wait until we finished our meals, but I think this is the proper time. I put in an order to have this made before our mission." He pulled out a small black box. "After our discussion in the fighter at Veritas, I wanted to give you a token of my friendship. So I contacted a jeweler who does custom work." he said sliding the box across the table.

Hanako blinked. Wait, was this...?

"Raia told me about friend ship rings, and that's what this is. A female, class style ring, made of 18kt Gold, YSS EUCHARIS around bottom of the gemstone, 1XF on left side of ring, Command symbol on right, the gemstone is Emerald with image of a Plumeria laser etched into it."

"I...I do not know what to say," Hanako stammered. She looked into his eyes. "Thank you."

"You are welcome." He lifted the glass of red wine Hanako had ordered, "To something rare and valuable... friendship." he said with a smile.

"To friendship," Hanako echoed, looking a little emotional in the eyes. Their glasses touched with a clink.

Sune took a sip of the wine, savored the flavor. "You were right, this is an excellent wine." he said putting his glass down and started eating his meal.

"Mmm." Hanako quietly ate her salmon, still showing that royal dining posture and form.

PAUSE

ON: Sam's Island, Ikoi Starbase

Sune ate his meal in silence, although he did look up from time to time to look a Hanako. In the time he had served with her he rarely saw her engage in conversation while eating. So he decided to wait until she was ready to talk again. He drank some more the ice wine, surprised at how well it complimented his seafood.

"One thing is certain;" Hanako eventually commented. "We will never be the same after this war."

Sune considered her comment, "I presume you are speaking about us as people. I have to agree with you. The atrocities we have seen have changed how I see things."

"I meant us as individuals. Personally, I feel like I have become so much less soft...at the expense of me being as pleasant or as good of a person."

Sune nodded his head in agreement, "This war has hardened all of us, we have passed through a crucible of flame, but ultimately we are still who we were. Just as tempering a blade makes it stronger, it is still steel. You are still the same person within, the needs of command dictate how you must behave. You have matured, but that is as much due to the passage of time as it is this war.

Personally I am now twice as old as when I joined the Eucharis, with tails of brave deeds blinding me to the reality. But I can see the same person I saw two years ago dancing on the beach."

"Sometimes I wonder what will become of me. Will I stay in the military after the war? Or go into government? Or maybe become a farmer and stay out of the spotlight? I just need to keep it together until the war ends. It might be a long time, though."

Sune smiled, "Some how I do not see you content with being a farmer. It seems a waste of potential. You have already had a hand in government, so perhaps someday you will take the same fire and tenacity to the realm of law and rule." He took a sip of his wine. "Hanako-san, what happened to your original family? Have you ever gone back to meet them?" he asked.

"I do not know much about them. I was told they were all wiped out in the Great Plague of YE 08 when I was only a year old. After that, I was adopted by PNUgen Corporation and put through slave training and experimental testing programs at a very young age. The only thing I can really remember about my mother was she was warm and she wore a steeple hat, and that my father was cold and...frightening."

"That does not sound like much of a childhood. At least not as I understand the concept having not had one myself. Though I believe that your mother would be very proud of what you have accomplished. What about a family of your own someday? Do you want one?"

"Well, maybe...I never really considered my Mishhu-born as my family."

"I can understand that. I was talking about a real family, with children conceived by choice." Sune imagined for a moment Hanako holding a child and talking the gibberish that parents do... a smile came across his face.

"I am not ready yet. I do not know when I will be."

"Of course not, I was just visualizing you with a child of your own... someday. So have you given any thought to what kind of gifts you plan to give for Years End?" He asked to change the subject.

"Oh! Yes! I have at least four items to give everyone and I plan to set up a tree."

"That sounds quite festive. I am still trying to decide what to give people. I am having a harder time this year."

"I figure we should party and be extravagant this year...next year the war may make resources more scarce."

"Sounds like a good plan. Celebration of life, and that we are still here, and still defending what we hold dear."

Sune put his utensils down. "Would you care for a walk in the park? A chance to feel something besides metal beneath your feet?"

"The park?" Hanako asked, looking a little confused.

"Yes, Hanako-san, there is a park in the uppermost portion of the Ikoi. I have never had the occasion to take advantage of it before."

"Okay. We can go." The blue-haired captain stood up, set a neatly folded pile of KS notes on the table, and waited for Sune to lead the way.

Sune stood and added to the pile of KS on the table, ensure that he paid for his meal and left a reasonable tip. He led the way out of the restaurant. He paused for a moment to get his bearing and walked at a casual pace towards the nearest lift. Hanako he realized was sometimes as much a contradiction as he was sometimes. She had been on the Ikoi many times before he was ever on the ship, and she was not aware of the park. He pressed the call button and waited. When the lift arrived, he held the door and waited for Hanako to enter.

"I would like to stand on Yamatai again soon," Hanako commented as she boarded the lift.

"Perhaps after our next mission we can take an extended leave there. Although, to be honest, I have not seen very much of Yamatai, except from orbit. After my arrival, debreifing, and enlistment other than training missions, I spent most of my time in and around Kyoto. At one time I was actually uncomfortable with being on a planet. It felt alien... foreign to me. Raia used to tease me about it, said I reminded her of a cat in a dog show." he said with a grin.

Sune stepped into the lift and pressed the button for the top level.

When the doors opened, the Taisa and Shoi were presented with a seemingly endless expanse of grass, flowers, and trees under a warm, glowing sun. The smell of recently-rained-on earth and plants filled their senses.

Sune stepped out of the lift, and waited for Hanako. "Impressive..." he murmured to himself. He extended his hand towards the blue haired woman.

PAUSE

Ikoi Deck

Takeyu overlooked the Eucharis, as the stations crew was at work, he still marvelled at the design work. Having just paid a store a visit, he bought himself a Computer Pad for use when he isn't near a terminal or when he just needs to do stuff without being around others.

"No other information," he stared at the Eucharis as he continued cross-referencing images with voices and then with the criminal database. Nothing came up, at least nothing he could see that would be of interest. "Perhaps my father was just as thorough as he claimed, but then again, 'someone' dropped the ball..." he said and just stood there staring.

ON: Ikoi Park

Hanako firmly clasped Sune's hand and took a deep breath. It looked like they had the whole park to themselves.

"It may not be Yamatai, but it would seem to be a fair representation. I recognize several of the plants as native to Yamatai." he said pointing to several of the plants.

Hanako tugged Sune out into grass, then knelt down to gently touch the leaves of a nearby bush. As she stood back up she felt a slight disorientation and realized she was a bit tipsy.

Sune put his arms on Hanako's waist to help steady her. "Careful Hanako-San, perhaps it would a good idea for us to find a place to sit and enjoy the view for a while."

Hanako couldn't help but feel some desire for her dashing XO. She thought about how it would feel to have him lay her down in the grass. She nodded compliantly to Sune, letting him lead the way. She felt a little sleepy. She missed the simple times when death wasn't constantly making appearances in her life.

Sune looked around and found what seemed to be a good spot, a small rise under a flowering tree. He lead Hanako to the hillock after circling around a number of flower beds. When they got there, he made sure the ground was dry. "This should do, from here we can see most of the park, and have a fairly clear view of the sky." Part of him wished that the park was synced to the station time. He could easily imagine Hanako sitting in the moonlight.

The woman took a seat in the grass and her glossy golden eyes stared out into the vegetation for a long moment before picking up a fallen flower. "The everyday people who can live in a place like this need our protection from harm."

Sune watched Hanako for a moment, and thought about what she had said, "Very true, the general public gets to live in relative safety and peace because there are those of us who draw a line against the darkness. But I think it is also important for us to take advantage of moments like this. The simple pleasures, to remind us why we do it."

Sune reclined on the grass so that he could look up at the sky through the tree's leaves and blossoms.

"I think I am falling asleep," Hanako softly admitted. She was finding herself longing for soft bedsheets.

"Then perhaps we should leave and get you back to your cabin then Hanako-san." Sune said sitting up. "This has been a very nice evening, but all good things must end."

Hanako stood up too, wobbling a little. She gave Sune a long, warm hug. After a minute, she stood up straight. "We will return to the ship."

"The allow me to see you safely to your cabin then, Hanako-San." He started making his way back to the lift.

END

ON
Location: Second Dock

After Sune had woken up in his temporary quarters on the Ikoi, he put on a clean uniform. He sent a message to Yaichiro.

To: Kage Yaichiro-Chusa, I am heading to the Eucharis medbay to check some of the data from the prisoners. If you are free please join me there and we can discuss your situation. Jalen Sune-Shoi

Click to expand...

. He then set off to return to the ship.

Yaichiro was already awake, and looking over several lines of code when he became aware of Sune's message. He promptly replied, as the code was not something time-critical.

To: Jalen Sune-Shoi From: Kage Yaichiro-Chusa I am indeed available. I will head down now, and I thank you for meeting with me like this.

Click to expand...

The male rose from his seat and headed to the Medbay, hoping for at least a treatment for the plum problem.

Location: Eucharis Medbay

Sune entered the medbay and looked around. The KFY personnel had cleaned the room, though he could swear that he could still smell the blood. He walked over to the desk and pulled up the medical scans of the NMX Prisoners, so that he could transfer them to his ICP.

Yaichiro quietly entered, waiting patiently since Sune seemed busy with something. Regardless of his rank, he seemed to dislike emphasizing his presence unless necessary.

As the data he was tranferring began, Sune noticed the arrival of the Yaichiro. He looked up, "Good morning Chusa, I was just downloading the medical data from our NMX prisoners for later research." he said as he stood and bowed. He crossed the room and secured the door. "That should ensure we are not disturbed during out discussion."

"Alright...I must apologize again for what happened in the showers. Usually I bathe at different times than others to lower the odds of such a thing."

It was obviously an uncomfortable topic for the Chusa, being a definite vulnerability.

"No need to apologize, as you already made clear to me. This affliction creates a state where you can be compromised. Exactly how badly is your judgment impaired? Is this something that could be used to influence you in a negative fashion?" Sune replied.

Yaichiro pondered. "It could easily render me unable to do my duties, honestly. Even WALKING is inhibited. Judgment is as well."

"I wouldn't be capable of combat or self defense, either, safe for perhaps firing a weapon."

"It's simply such a bizarre weakness and comes up so infrequently that it hasn't been worth getting a new body."

"Okay, so now we need to consider what options are available. Obviously the most expedient would be to create a new body and transfer you to it. But, we should consider other options. We could try using a retro-virus, to target the genetic defect. However, that will take longer to implement. First we have to identify the specific genes that need correcting, and then determine what changes you want to it. Then we would want to test it on a tissue sample before we go full scale."

"Well..." Yaichiro said, pondering. "My previous self is still alive. His genes are uncorrupted. Finding the differences between our genes would be a start, but I don't know if accessing his DNA is legal or not."

"Well, that gives us a third option. Get permission from him to access his genetic data, and patch your genome. Unless there are traits you wish to keep."

HOLD

YSS Eucharis -
Assigned Quarters of Yaichiro & Helen


There was a wondrous thing to not having an assigned post aboard a ship during time at port... it left an officer to go where they pleased for the most part while others weren't even necessarily aboard. With no obligations at the moment, Helen made her way to the quarters which she shared with Yaichiro, for the purpose of doing her true duty and assignment; snooping.

Once in the quarters, she began to investigate with a dual-method approach. First of which, she began to carefully sift through the belongings in the quarters. Careful to place things back just the way she found them as she looked in places, under places, and on places, her eyes peering about for anything that seemed 'off' or would seem to be a good hiding place. As she physically searched, she also politely nudged the ship's MEGAMI to indicate to her where the ship's sensors detected objects that corresponded to known data storage and processing mediums, while also indicating which of those devices were able to be pinged by the system. It was a matter of using a magnet to find a needle in a haystack.


There were no fewer than 25 such devices in the room. Most of them were located in the storage compartments as numerous datapads, though there were other things in the room...even a pair of Covert Operative Sunglasses. Where did he get THOSE?


A huff came from Helen as she monitored the result, twenty-five devices? That was a bit much really, but she had to start somewhere. She had the ship's MEGAMI tag each device simply as numbers one through twenty-five for tracking purposes. As her mind worked on the task of data management, she picked up the Covert Operative Sunglasses and quirked her brow. "Cheesy." She commented before she used the ambient nodal devices to detect the bit-by-bit placement of data within the computer within the sunglasses, in which she would have the MEGAMI interpret into usable data.

The reason for all of the datapads was soon evident. PANTHEON communications records would reveal that he purchased a bunch of viral datapads for cleaning and running data restoration on. It was a grab-bag of stuff, though he'd gone through and deleted various items. A few were partially disassembled, and did not count toward the total listed by MEGAMI since they couldn't connect in that state. Some files in the remaining ones were fragmented from the recovery process, but looked similar to each other. Another was a TET Game Buddy, which seemed to have its own media which could not be all read at once without being in the system. Some media were third party program cubes, though the hard drive had nothing strange. There was a blue communicator from before the Type 29 Communicator was standard, with a few encrypted files as well. There were some additional storage devices, not active or connected to anything.

All in all, the items which could contain data were not all interfacing to MEGAMI, and came closer to 32 items.


What resulted from the accumulation of data was a palm to Helen's face, she knew she did not have the time to sift through all thirty-two items in a manner of which would not get her caught... not at the moment at least. She still had to come up with cover as to why she was taking so long. So, she took the route of eliminating a few objects at a time. First, she dug up the blue communicator and looked it over, sure not to open a communication line. After that, came the TET Game Buddy... they were the seemingly least likely suspects to someone glancing around, but to a Nepleslian and a woman that was of the right age to be a mother... they were the most obvious.


There was indeed a file inside one of the game system's drives...a whole folder in fact. There was fairly heavy encryption, and the key seemed to be located on that Game Buddy's hard drive as an innocuous-looking file. Only that particular unit could access the folder on that program cube.


Helen quirked her brow, that was something alright, quite a something. She could try to review the data, she was sure she did have the time to delve into it. With the time, and the opportunity, she went about digging into the files as best she could without leaving a trace of her tampering, relying purely upon read-only retrieval. As her fingers and eyes did one task, her mind did another as she delved into Yaichiro's purchase history for the last few years, for anything that would be of importance or of interest.

After all... not only could she find incriminating data, she could also find out more about his personal likes.


She found a LOT of purchases. He had assorted ships and properties, even a Yui 5 that he purchased in YE 30 from the old depot. Mostly he purchased salvage and sold what he was legally required to back to the SAoY. However, there were several things that stood out. Six LAMIA had been requested for purchase form the Depot in YE 30, but the SAoY did not wish to give them up for payment...they wanted to own his research. He wound up purchasing them through other legal channels. Most notable, however, was the fact that he had obtained various Mishhu parts, most recently a pair each of damaged NMX Flagships and NMX Carriers. These had not been given to the Star Army...

Several of the files were to-do lists, various items and systems in need of research...it did not take long to find a list about the NMX craft.



"A vigilante patriot?" Helen mused out loud as she peered over the data. It was actually appealing news to know that someone who had influence in the private sector in the form of funds was serving to possibly assist the Empire in such a way. Though, she had to be sure, so of course she continued to browse the available data, and she also kept her eyes open for any clues or references to other sources of information. As she worked, she carefully went about encrypting and coding a 'letter to a friend', which of course was to be bounced along to SAINT when she would be done adding data to it.


Another note was attached, which was a bit more concerning. It seemed to detail concerns about SAINT, and actions to be taken.



Paydirt, genuine paydirt as Helen looked over the document, and found it to be a treasure-trove of leads. Sure, it was a moment of it seeming too good to be true, but that was what continued investigation was for. Though, there was the matter that Yaichiro was concerned with... SAINT or the 1st XF being compromised. Of course she knew she herself was not compromised, but the rest of the organization, she was unsure of. "Oh, well that is great...he raises a good point here." On that note, she began to review official logs and data related to the events mentioned in the document. As she continued her side research, she searched the TET for additional references to THOUGHT, BAD, testing of technology, and Nishitama.

BAD turned up nothing. Absolutely nothing. Nishitama turned up many things, many of them innocuous but several mentions to the need to hire pilots. THOUGHT, however, turned up some interesting snippets of data. There were references to LAMIAs being allocated to Project THOUGHT, indicating that it had been formed in YE 30...specifically in the shadow of the Ayame Layer project. Details were sketchy, but several of his recent technologies seemed to stem from whatever this was...as not suitable for the project's goals but useful in other capacities. Graviton Projector Arrays, Volumetric Windows, and the M11 CAMIE seemed to be included in the released technologies from this site, but there was more going on there. They were producing something there that needed pilots, and needed specific protection...Yaichiro had opted for a small research effort with minimum oversight from the Army, and stuck it under the Army's nose where no one would suspect it.

And had successfully kept it there and operating for almost three years.


Helen's mind began to poke at the tapestry which was the puzzle before her. What she saw, was that Yaichiro was working on a project... likely a ship, or a ship system. Just what was the nature of either one was unknown to her. Though, she knew it had to do with LAMIA technology, NMX technology, and it would most certainly be something considered to be a major breakthrough... why else would there be such an effort? At that point, Helen knew what needed to be done, and so she began to forge credentials in her record to indicate her status as an expert pilot, and she also accumulated the needed data downloads to teach her how to do such a thing. As she went about her preparation for trickery, she decided to move onto searching through a few of the datapads she had tagged. Of course, she only shifted her search after putting away the TET, in just the way she had found it.

While not specifically containing data, something noteworthy in
the search history was found in one of the datapads -- a website with notes on theoretical tactical release of new technologies in war. It discussed the benefits of using small development facilities versus large ones, as well as how to most quickly find and convince contractors to mass produce the design. It stated that a unit made available quickly and suddenly would surprise the enemy, but it had to be something that its intended user could quickly use, fix, and make parts for. Part of this was that even allies couldn't learn of the technology too soon, lest spies intercept critical information. Apparently, Yaichiro hoped to make some sort of logistical and technological blitzkrieg.

There was no indication that any schematics of technical specifications were on any of the devices she'd thus far scanned.


Helen was amused at that point, she had an elaborate picture set before her, that was blurred from being determined just as to what it was that was being held out before her. What she needed to do, was continue to investigate using her cover, in hopes of it providing further insight. For the moment though, she sent along a vague report to SAINT, simply indicating that her work will continue, and that her investigation has yielded some leads which needed to be followed up on before further reports would be made regarding specific details. On that note, Helen went about tucking away the last of what she had tampered with data-device wise, then went about rummaging through Yaichiro's personal belongings in hopes of finding anything of a 'personal' interest.



She found, near the comfort bed, a small end table with a false bottom. Inside were a few Flash-Bang titles, a scrapbook with pictures of Hanako and Yui, and some Kaserine pills. Given their proximity to the comfort bed, their purpose was obvious.


"Oh you naughty boy." Helen mumbled to herself as she saved a few still images to her internal memory of pictures from the scrapbook... though, she did flip through the scrapbook, and as she did, she checked behind each photo. It looked like he had not even assembled the scrapbook -- he'd never met Yui in person, and some of the photos preceded his existence...a tiny disk fell out though, simply labeled "Sakura Fun Times -- NSFW".

The bulk of his hobbies, however, seemed centered around the bed. Why else would he have Kaserine and no other aids typical of having the drug?


"Now that is a winner." Helen remarked as she eyed the disk in her hand, and went about using her capacity to manipulate the electromagnetic spectrum to read the data storage medium in her hands. As she reviewed what she had gathered off of the disk, she went about snooping about the comfort bed, just to see if there was anything different than the usual configuration of the apparatus that was on record.

It included assorted images, audiovisual data, and sensations...it seemed to have been copied from his memories as data for the Comfort Bed to play back or even make simulations from. The Comfort bed, at a glance, was normal...but there were marks on the screws on the panels indicating that it had been serviced.


Helen knew better, she knew that the Comfort Bed was built purely on Yamataian technology... technology that was well known to service itself most of the time, or to be repaired by the nodal system thus making the opening of any access panel moot. So, naturally, she went about removing the panels which had been tampered with.


This was VERY interesting. There were additional circuits and an actual physical switch, which seemed to activate additional functionality. Depending on how tech-savvy she was, she may see several components normally associated with a CIES...a CIES which could not be powered on without the switch being thrown, much less accessed or networked to by MEGAMI.


As Helen looked upon the technological trick before her, she looked over the wires, determining where they went, and what they did, as well as components which were interconnected. At that point, Helen gave a simple command to the ship's MEGAMI to isolate and block any messages that would be sent out by an unregistered device in the area of Yaichiro's quarters. With that safeguard in place, she flipped the switch on the bed and went about climbing into it so she could see just what the tweaked system would do.


It scanned her body's dimensions...and a password prompt came up. Luckily, it was not set to reject a user by their physical dimensions...maybe he planned to show someone else someday. But now she had to crack the password.


"How old fashioned..." Helen mumbled as she eyed the password prompt. It was an annoying matter, and her jaw clenched at the situation before she did the only thing that she could do; she quickly reviewed internal sensor data relating to whenever Yaichiro had been in his comfort bed for the duration of the presence of the apparatus aboard the ship. She checked for any uttered phrases, or detected transmissions of input.


There were no uttered phrases that were clear, only mumbles. Evidently he used the bed's ability to filter out noise. It was made to conceal the loudest Neko moans, after all...if only it was written down somewhere...and of course it wouldn't transmit its own password.

It was time for "Plan B" and "Plan C" to take effect as Helen got out of the comfort bed, and began to rummage again, and this time, she went about checking through the disk that she had found, along with the Flash-Bang titles which she found in the hidden compartment. As she looked at those, she tried to see if there was any nodal distortions which were detected during Yaichiro's uses of the machine, which could possibly correspond to sound-waves of an uttered password traveling through the air within the comfort bed... she hoped that such distortions could possibly be interpreted into sounds.


All that Charisma could tell was that the words he said ended with four clearly stated and non-connected syllables. The rest was muffled.


That settled it, as Helen climbed back into the bed. She had little choice on the matter, and decided to enter the title of the disk she had found in Yaichiro's little stash... since it did seem the most sentimental thing he had in his possession. So, as she settled into the closed apparatus, she put in the passcode as it appeared on the title of the disk, and waited for the
result.


...Access Granted! She was in, and multiple things started to pop up in the directory. A simulation mode automatically started...and she found herself in a simulation of the YSS Sakura's Power Armor bay...but these were not the regular armaments. Three craft were shown in the bay openly, while two other spots were locked away with very heavy encryption...the ones shown were a LAMIA which had been modified to have a cramped cockpit for a Yamataian or an NH-29, an M11 CAMIE Construction Mecha which was likely made from the project, and a type of compact Starfighter she'd never seen before. Its cockpit was armored, so much that one could not see inside. It looked to have a very large cannon of some type for its size, and strange swiveling engine exhausts and turrets which used some new type of joint. It seemed to have a very low polygon count, however, so that no details could be observed. Evidently, these were either made before the frames were finalized, or were a security measure...but the cockpit COULD be opened.


As quickly as Helen could move in the simulation, she went about evaluating the various props in the simulation. Studying their design, and in some cases function in the event of an object which defied visual analysis. Though, her investigation eventually led her to the cockpit which opened before her, and she eased herself into as she looked over the interior and went about looking for a key thing that was a part of any cockpit, an instruction manual.


There was no instruction manual -- instruction manuals were security liabilities. However, the interior was very clearly defined so as to let her use it. It seemed to be some kind of standardized pod, possibly ejectable, and configured for Yamataian or Neko use, right down to the SPINE interface. At least it wasn't rigged for a Brain-slave or a Mishhu...when she entered, the walls of the cockpit started to change color until she had a clear volumetric view of the exterior...apparently this was the original purpose of Volumetric Windows -- a pilot's volumetric and panoramic viewscreen. The controls seemed to slide out of the arms of the chair, but were evidently optional. Whatever this thing was, it was designed to be flown without the need for them.


She peered about quickly, evaluating the controls, and committing all of the labels to memory before she decided that she had seen enough for the time being. She went about exiting the simulated cockpit, and gave one more look to the armor bay simulation before she went about withdrawing herself from the simulation. She needed to make sure that she had time to cover her tracks before Yaichiro would return, and she was not about to risk her cover on zipping about in a simulated fighter-craft.


The bed seemed to have a large assortment of logs, redundant and otherwise, but was designed not to transmit or receive a thing until Yaichiro consented...with yet another password block. She was right not to try to fly the craft, as she may easily have left too little time to take care of all of her tracks. She would see from this that the filename of the craft's external rendering was "TSUBAME", however.


Helen browsed what she could of the basic data logs before she opened the bed and climbed out, only to open the side panel and go about returning the function of the device to its normal state. Once the Comfort Bed was once again configured to being a glorified pleasure machine, Helen went about tidying up the quarters to just how she had found them when she had entered... plus some of her clothing moved about as she changed into another set of clothes for her off-duty hours. Of course, set of clothes was a misleading notion as she simply sat upon the bed in a bra and panties as she thought on what she had seen.

It was apparent to Helen that Yaichiro was involved in a project that was being privately funded and operated outside of the scope of the Yamataian government for reasons seemingly involving the need to develop a secret line of technologies to surprise an opposing force. Though... which side was it for, or was it even for an established and known organization? Again, Helen was confronted with the notion of personally investigating the prospects of being a test-pilot or some other associate undercover.

ON: YSS Eucharis

It was the morning of the second day of Eucharis' stop in the Ikoi starbase's repair facilities and a freshly-showered Hanako was found in her cabin trying on her new black uniform coat for the first time, making poses in the mirror.

Kiko was dressed in one of her working uniforms, having showered recently herself but dried herself off. She strode down the hallway to the Taisa's office with her distinctive lack of feline grace and a blank face hiding her nerves. After looking around to be sure that nobody was watching, she swallowed and pressed the wall panel's button to announce herself. A chime sounded inside the room.

The Taisa answered the door with her coat still on. Kiko could see her hair was still damp and could smell the honeysuckle aroma of her shampoo wafting from it. Hanako's big golden eyes looked at Kiko. "Ah, come in," Hanako offered. The Taisa's cabin was lit dimly but it was kept very neatly inside. Hanako had a large bed with fur blankets on it and a bookshelf of custom-printed leather-bound volumes.

Kiko pushed the button to open the door and stepped in. She bowed low to Hanako, then saluted and looked around. She immediately noticed the new uniform and blinked. "Inoue-Santô Hei reporting for my interview, ma'am. Should I have worn something else, Taisa?" She considered projecting an image of more apporpriate clothing over her uniform.

Hanako nodded, offering Kiko her leather chair to sit in while she removed the coat and sat on the bed in her Type 30A uniform and tights. "You are fine. These are the replacements for the older coat varieties. I will distribute one to everyone prior to the next mission. I hope you have got a chance to explore the ship and to start meeting your fellow crew members."

Kiko sat on the chair and folded her hands in her lap. "I was not aware that we were allowed to roam when off-duty, ma'am. I suppose I've had some opportunities to meet the rest of the crew." She didn't mention that she'd missed most of them because she was too shy. No need to annoy her superior with information she didn't ask for.

"We should get started with the interview. Why did you choose the Eucharis, and now that you are on the Eucharis, what are your goals here?" Hanako asked.

Kiko nodded. "The Eucharis has a reputation for frequent combat, and I did not want my infantry training to go to waste." She mentally shook herself to avoid getting distracted by her own thoughts. "My goals... am I permitted to request clarification, ma'am?"

"Where do you want to go in the Star Army?" Hanako clarified. "What can I do to help you be successful?"

"Ah." Kiko said, disguising a sigh of relief as a grunt of understanding. She was confused by the question, though; from what she'd heard, Hanako wasn't the sort of person to ask questions about things she didn't care about. She squashed the impulse to say "space," and answered instead, "I don't have any real career ambitions beyond my choice of occupation, ma'am."

"So you are just here to kill things," Hanako paraphrased. "You picked a fine ship for that."

Kiko bit back a gasp of horror, though she didn't manage to stop her eyes from widening. "With respect, ma'am, that is incorrect. I didn't choose to become a soldier out of any fondness for violence. I apologize for misleading you; it was not intentional." The violence of a miltary life had actually diminished its appeal to her, though not by enough for her to choose a different career.

"We are facing a worthy and brutal enemy. If you joined because you want to stop their onslaught, this is a good ship for that, too. I am surprised by your lack of ambition, though."

"I am flattered that you think so, but that wasn't why I became a soldier either, ma'am." Hanako hadn't asked, but based on the general order to show initiative she guessed that the Taisa would appreciate being corrected when she was mistaken about something. "Would you like me to attempt to become ambitious, ma'am? I suppose a higher salary would be helpful..." There wasn't any particular reason she thought that Hanako meant her statement as a criticism, it was just that her mouth was moving.

The Taisa made deliberate eye contact with Kiko. "What I need from you is for you to care and to excel. It is important to remember that we have a future and to prepare for it. Your presence here is a part of that. You are at the crossroads of your destiny and the destiny of our nation and people, for this ship will change this war and the war will forever change us and everyone it touches. With that in mind, I want you to feel a sense of purpose better than just 'not wasting your infantry skills.' I want you to want to help us fight the enemy, to the death if needed. I want focus and conviction. Tell me again why you really joined the crew."

Kiko froze under Hanako's gaze, unable to act on her impulse to look away. She fought through the fog of intimidation enough to listen to what her captain was saying as intently as she could. She opened her mouth to answer, found herself unable to speak, and swallowed. She didn't want to answer such a personal request, but the Taisa's voice allowed no disobedience. "Because I want to be able to care about people who are strong enough that I won't hurt them," she answered. She looked down. "My apologies for being so selfish."

"Everyone hurts. While you are here you are going to grow up," Hanako told Kiko, sensing immaturity in the Nekovalkyrja's response. "If you are looking for a family, this is as good as any. This ship has been my home for the last three years and I know the people on it better than anyone else now. They are good people."

"Yes, Taisa." Kiko's lips started to twitch upward, no matter how she tried to stop them.

"Welcome to the Eucharis crew," Hanako told Kiko. "Is there anything you would like to ask before you are dismissed?"

"Thank you, ma'am," Kiko said, utterly failing to keep the gratitude out of her voice. She took at breath to steady herself and continued, "yes, but nothing that is appropriate." Her refusal to lie to her superiors annoyed her sometimes.

Hanako raised her eyebrows curiously, inviting the inappropriate question.

"M-may I think of you as a friend?" Kiko asked, fidgeting. That was a bad idea, now she'll hate me and kick me off the ship...

"As long as it does not interfere with the chain of command," Hanako nodded. "I want everyone on this ship to be a part of the group."

Kiko's eyes widened. "R-request permission to hug you, ma'am!" she said, trembling.

Hanako let out and laugh and her serious expression became a surprised smile. "Alright."

Kiko practically flew forward and embraced her captain. The tears in her eyes made a stark contrast to the expression of bliss on her face.

END