/start/
Location: Ryou, planet Daichi. Warehouse district near spaceport.
"Who's the broad?"
Konpeki watched from the comfort of the car as Silic met his 'contact'. She captured an image of the person with her sunglasses for later identification. "Broad?" she said, reading the guys lips. "Really?"
"She's no one. Do you have everything?" Silic replied to the man as they walked towards the door, probably dismissing her to ease the mans worries.
"Most of it, some of the motors ne..."
About a minute later Silic came out, shook a hand one more time then returned to the car carrying a dark canvas bag. He gently placed the bag in the back seat where it made a few clunking noises before sliding back into the front seat.
He turned to her and gave an embarrassed smile. "Sorry I took so long. Got an address for me to drop you off?"
Her curiosity was piqued but there was no way she could see what was in the box. But it had a significant weight given the way it landed. So help me if all this is about getting himself an illegal weapon to soothe his Nepleslian pride, I will box his ears. she thought.
"Actually I've got business in the downtown section. Just take Yew Road until you reach the square. I've imposed on your generosity enough." she said.
"Ah, Yew crosses with Temata somewhere, hopefully I'll find it there." said Silic, starting the car again and looking between the seats dispite the reversing camera on the dash. He drove them through the city, MEGAMI occasionally popping up a view of the passing car from passing security cameras but mostly the trip remained unnoticed. Silic himself appeared to be thinking hard about something.
As they turned onto Yew Street Silic noticed something he seemed to have been looking for. He suddenly pulled over and parked the car, he hopped out with a quick "Sorry." and then walked hurriedly towards a small payphone.
In an age of modern communication the humble payphone stand was nearing extinction, however their use as emergency communication and doubling as a telecommunications relay they had found their niche.
Silic slipped through the door and closed it behind him. A slight pop in Konpeki's ear informed her that the MEGAMI was still faithfully following her order and had already tapped the phone.
Konpeki was still uncertain to make of Silic's behavior. She knew he was up to something, but what was the question. She reached into her pocket and pulled out a object. Her next way of observing and tracking Silic. She put her hand out the window, and the TORI took flight. She had programmed it to follow and record, so that she could monitor his whereabouts no matter where he went.
Silic's call went out, the bird-mimicking TORI alighted on the phone booth and peeked through the gap at the top of the door. Silic was leaning against one of the walls, eyes closed, he looked tired somehow. It was the first time she'd seen him without his dark glasses on.
click
Someone picked up.
"Moshi moshi?" came a tired sounding female voice.
"Hi Rachel, it's me." said Silic, voice flat.
"Silic? Is that you? Do you realize what time it is?"
"Sorry, I'm kinda isolated out here, and I no longer carry a watch." replied Silic, looking at his left wrist as he spoke, leather glove closing slowly.
"It's late." said the other end, quickly changing to a slightly more urgent tone. "How are you, really? I mean, a week after leaving rehab you just disappeared. Your father-"
"I'm sorry, okay." Silic cut in "I just-I don't know..."
"Well, no one here knows where you shot off to. When those medals came through the post from you with no letter your mother had a fit."
"I can imagine. Thought I'd do some good here but," Silic paused for a second of thought and then sighed "...it's all just kinda screwed up. Anyway, how's Emmy doing?"
"She's fine, misses you. After the divorce I thought you wouldn't be able to take care of her, I mean your eyes were-"
"Yeah. I know." Silic seemed to deflate, he hunched a little. "Could you put her on?"
"Alright..." There was a few shuffles and some intelligible words, then the sound of heavy breathing came on the phone.
"Hey Emmy." Silic said, voice perking up. A happy bark replied. Emmy was obviously a dog. "You been a good girl? I hope so!" More estatic barks answered. Silic laughed freely, then the woman's voice came back on.
"Thanks for getting her stirred up right in the middle of the night." She admonished, voice only half serious.
"Thanks Rachel." said Silic, voice a little more serious now. "It's been nice talking to you."
"Now wait just a-"
Click
Silic had hung up. He looked up at the Tori perched on the phone booth. "Get outta here ya bloody rat with wings!" he shooed it, the artificial bird took flight dizzily and flew out of sight to a nearby building, mimicking its natural counterpart.
Silic stepped out of the phone box and back to the car. "Sorry about that, you never know when those things will crop up." he said, looking a little brighter than when he'd hopped out.
The little TORI alighted next to a line of other birds all rustled in for the night, a female chooed appreciatively at the TORI, causing it to take a few steps sideways. The other bird followed, eying the poor TORI curiously. Konpeki got a small feeling of sweat-dripping from the little helper.
Konpeki was still trying to assimilate the phone call Silic had made, it was not a local call, and from her perspective was innocuous. She sent a mental command to the TORI to take flight and fly ahead on the road so that it could monitor. It was starting to feel like she was on a wild goose chase, that Silic was for the most part just a soldier with no hidden agenda.
"Maybe I'm just a little crazy, but whenever I see one of those things I find that it's time for me to call someone. Just the person I have in mind at the time." Silic grinned "I guess it was just that time." The car pulled back out onto the near-empty road.
