I was at wit's end by Wednesday morning.
First, I had missed seeing Katz when he dropped by. But Yoriko, Yayoi, and Leda all insisted that I needed to sleep, and I wasn't about to disappoint three of the important people in my life. (Hmmmmm... When did I start thinking of Leda as one of the important people in my life?) Besides, I really did need the sleep. I hope my snoring didn't disturb anyone else.
But Katz was one of the people I relied on to keep me in the loop on what was really happening, along with Yoriko, Jon Helscher and Joe Corcoran - missing any chance for an update didn't sit well with me.
Second, I was travelling alone and incognito. Sure, it was only to Kandor City - practically next door - but I didn't feel comfortable without my pistol or my 'waved-kevlar jacket. And I missed Yayoi. It was only the third time since she'd first woke up that she wasn't close enough for me to talk with on a moment's notice. (Sometimes I thought it was only our talks that kept me sane. Other times, I regretted programming Yayoi so closely to her template character that she'd never agree to share my bed... but then I'd remember that Yoriko wouldn't like that if I had.) When I realized I missed Yayoi more than I missed having access to the armory aboard the 'Blade, I wondered - was I finally growing up, or was I becoming dependant on one of my closest friends?
Third, I'd done my own driving to get from Stellvia to Luna, and I'd learned the hard way that I was badly out of practice. At least another dent in the bumper of the Little Deuce Coupe (a 'waved 1993 Jetta with what looked like wood side panels) didn't look out of place, but I remember being at least a decent driver. (Maybe I really was becoming dependant on Yayoi...)
Fourth, I felt ridiculous in this outfit. Not that most of it was very different from what I usually wore, but the motorcycle leathers were damned hot, and the helmet interfered with my peripheral vision. The computer and sensors that Sora had built into the helmet helped offset that, but not completely.
So I thought it might be a good idea to show up early, and try to get my composure back.
Katz, Comrade Fnord, and I were scheduled to meet at the Paragon City Saloon at 13:00. I walked into the Saloon at 11:59 and looked around, only to discover I wasn't the first paranoid to show up. That actually calmed me down. I smiled at the cute waitress at the door, told her I was meeting a friend who was already here, asked her to bring over a couple of Crystal Sapporo Darks and a plate of stuffed potato skins, and handed her the credit card I was using for this trip. (Owning my own space station, and thus my own bank, made it easy to get credit cards with false names.)
Then I walked over to the table that Katz was already at and sat down. "I don't remember asking you to sit down," he muttered.
I raised the helmet's visor. "But I promised to buy the first round, Katz."
"Noah? What's with the outfit?"
"I told you I'd be showing up in costume, remember? Besides, it's got built-in sensors and armor." Those sensors pinged, alerting me to the waitress showing up with the food and beers I'd ordered.
She put everything on the table and handed me the credit slip to sign. I did so after retrieving and pocketing my credit card - but not before Katz noticed the name typed on it. Once the waitress left, he asked, "'D. Quincy Sangnoir?'"
"It's a long story. Too long for the time we have before anybody else shows up, and not for public consumption anyway. But it matches the outfit. So, any idea what Mal really wants to talk about?"
-Rob Kelk
"Read Or Die: not so much a title as a way of life." - Justin Palmer, 6 June 2007
--
Rob Kelk
"Governments have no right to question the loyalty of those who oppose
them. Adversaries remain citizens of the same state, common subjects of
the same sovereign, servants of the same law."
- Michael Ignatieff, addressing Stanford University in 2012
First, I had missed seeing Katz when he dropped by. But Yoriko, Yayoi, and Leda all insisted that I needed to sleep, and I wasn't about to disappoint three of the important people in my life. (Hmmmmm... When did I start thinking of Leda as one of the important people in my life?) Besides, I really did need the sleep. I hope my snoring didn't disturb anyone else.
But Katz was one of the people I relied on to keep me in the loop on what was really happening, along with Yoriko, Jon Helscher and Joe Corcoran - missing any chance for an update didn't sit well with me.
Second, I was travelling alone and incognito. Sure, it was only to Kandor City - practically next door - but I didn't feel comfortable without my pistol or my 'waved-kevlar jacket. And I missed Yayoi. It was only the third time since she'd first woke up that she wasn't close enough for me to talk with on a moment's notice. (Sometimes I thought it was only our talks that kept me sane. Other times, I regretted programming Yayoi so closely to her template character that she'd never agree to share my bed... but then I'd remember that Yoriko wouldn't like that if I had.) When I realized I missed Yayoi more than I missed having access to the armory aboard the 'Blade, I wondered - was I finally growing up, or was I becoming dependant on one of my closest friends?
Third, I'd done my own driving to get from Stellvia to Luna, and I'd learned the hard way that I was badly out of practice. At least another dent in the bumper of the Little Deuce Coupe (a 'waved 1993 Jetta with what looked like wood side panels) didn't look out of place, but I remember being at least a decent driver. (Maybe I really was becoming dependant on Yayoi...)
Fourth, I felt ridiculous in this outfit. Not that most of it was very different from what I usually wore, but the motorcycle leathers were damned hot, and the helmet interfered with my peripheral vision. The computer and sensors that Sora had built into the helmet helped offset that, but not completely.
So I thought it might be a good idea to show up early, and try to get my composure back.
Katz, Comrade Fnord, and I were scheduled to meet at the Paragon City Saloon at 13:00. I walked into the Saloon at 11:59 and looked around, only to discover I wasn't the first paranoid to show up. That actually calmed me down. I smiled at the cute waitress at the door, told her I was meeting a friend who was already here, asked her to bring over a couple of Crystal Sapporo Darks and a plate of stuffed potato skins, and handed her the credit card I was using for this trip. (Owning my own space station, and thus my own bank, made it easy to get credit cards with false names.)
Then I walked over to the table that Katz was already at and sat down. "I don't remember asking you to sit down," he muttered.
I raised the helmet's visor. "But I promised to buy the first round, Katz."
"Noah? What's with the outfit?"
"I told you I'd be showing up in costume, remember? Besides, it's got built-in sensors and armor." Those sensors pinged, alerting me to the waitress showing up with the food and beers I'd ordered.
She put everything on the table and handed me the credit slip to sign. I did so after retrieving and pocketing my credit card - but not before Katz noticed the name typed on it. Once the waitress left, he asked, "'D. Quincy Sangnoir?'"
"It's a long story. Too long for the time we have before anybody else shows up, and not for public consumption anyway. But it matches the outfit. So, any idea what Mal really wants to talk about?"
-Rob Kelk
"Read Or Die: not so much a title as a way of life." - Justin Palmer, 6 June 2007
--
Rob Kelk
"Governments have no right to question the loyalty of those who oppose
them. Adversaries remain citizens of the same state, common subjects of
the same sovereign, servants of the same law."
- Michael Ignatieff, addressing Stanford University in 2012