(looks like this is going to be less than one scene per week... )
"So, this is Little Jakarta. Looks like Helium."
"If you judge only by the spaceport, yes. It'll be different once we're in town." Yayoi opened a locker and pulled out a bundle of clothes. "Would you mind looking the other way while I change?"
Inspector Aki quickly turned to study the view of the wall just outside the front window.
After a long moment, Yayoi cleared her throat. "Thank you." Natsuko turned to see her companion buttoning up a burnt-orange jacket (which matched her slacks and shoes) over a plain white blouse. "It's somewhat annoying, but when you care what other people think, you have to avoid giving offense. I picked up this outfit the first time I was here." As Yayoi pinned up her hair and grabbed a hat from the locker, she added, "I hope it's still in fashion."
"If it was black instead of orange, I'd think you were trying to dress like me. Do I have to pin my hair up as well?"
"If you don't want to stand out, yes. We can get you a hat at the duty-free shop."
"I'm surprised they have a duty-free shop here."
Yayoi grinned. "They just call it that; nobody charges customs fees here. Their view is that taxes and bureaucracy are for places like Stellvia and Helium."
"How do they pay for public infrastructure?"
"Mostly they don't. What they absolutely need, I've been lead to believe they collect donations for."
"Taxes by another name."
"Don't tell them that." Yayoi opened the hatch and gestured for Natsuko to go first, then followed her out and locked the Love and Justice behind her. She finished secuting the ship just as a port worker reached them.
"Welcome back to Ganymede, Sailor Stellvia! You are, of course, pre-cleared to enter town. Who is your traveling companion, please?"
Before Yayoi could reply, Natsuko Aki said, "I'm called Eimi Anderson."
Yayoi very carefully did not show any reaction to that.
The port official tapped the screen of his tablet a few times, then looked up. "Thank you, Ms. Anderson. Welcome to Ganymede. May I give you directions to the shops here at the port?"
"We know where they are, thank you." Yayoi smiled. "We'll head there now. Selamat tinggal."
The port official went about his business as the two newcomers headed for the port's commercial district. "What was that last phrase that you said?
"I'm told it means 'good-bye' in Indonesian, or maybe 'farewell'." Yayoi's smile disappeared. "What the hell was with you, using Eimi's name instead of your own?"
"I usually use her name when I go undercover. Nobody's noticed yet."
"For somebody who wants to distance herself from the family, you're awfully quick to use the name of a family member who can't object any more."
Natsuko stopped. "What happened to Eimi?"
"She's no longer with us. And that's all I'll say about it outside the Old Ring on Stellvia."
"I didn't know. I'm sorry. I'll stop using her name once this is over."
"You can stop now," Yayoi all but hissed.
"It's the name I used at customs. I'm stuck with it."
"Nobody cares, here. You. Can. Stop. Now."
Natsuko looked Yayoi in the face, and realized how close she was to finding out how hard Sailor Stellvia could hit someone. She had no doubt she'd win a fight between the two of them, but a disturbance would draw too much attention. "All right. I'll stop now."
"Thank you." Yayoi started walking again. "Let's get you that hat, and then we can be on our way."
--
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
"So, this is Little Jakarta. Looks like Helium."
"If you judge only by the spaceport, yes. It'll be different once we're in town." Yayoi opened a locker and pulled out a bundle of clothes. "Would you mind looking the other way while I change?"
Inspector Aki quickly turned to study the view of the wall just outside the front window.
After a long moment, Yayoi cleared her throat. "Thank you." Natsuko turned to see her companion buttoning up a burnt-orange jacket (which matched her slacks and shoes) over a plain white blouse. "It's somewhat annoying, but when you care what other people think, you have to avoid giving offense. I picked up this outfit the first time I was here." As Yayoi pinned up her hair and grabbed a hat from the locker, she added, "I hope it's still in fashion."
"If it was black instead of orange, I'd think you were trying to dress like me. Do I have to pin my hair up as well?"
"If you don't want to stand out, yes. We can get you a hat at the duty-free shop."
"I'm surprised they have a duty-free shop here."
Yayoi grinned. "They just call it that; nobody charges customs fees here. Their view is that taxes and bureaucracy are for places like Stellvia and Helium."
"How do they pay for public infrastructure?"
"Mostly they don't. What they absolutely need, I've been lead to believe they collect donations for."
"Taxes by another name."
"Don't tell them that." Yayoi opened the hatch and gestured for Natsuko to go first, then followed her out and locked the Love and Justice behind her. She finished secuting the ship just as a port worker reached them.
"Welcome back to Ganymede, Sailor Stellvia! You are, of course, pre-cleared to enter town. Who is your traveling companion, please?"
Before Yayoi could reply, Natsuko Aki said, "I'm called Eimi Anderson."
Yayoi very carefully did not show any reaction to that.
The port official tapped the screen of his tablet a few times, then looked up. "Thank you, Ms. Anderson. Welcome to Ganymede. May I give you directions to the shops here at the port?"
"We know where they are, thank you." Yayoi smiled. "We'll head there now. Selamat tinggal."
The port official went about his business as the two newcomers headed for the port's commercial district. "What was that last phrase that you said?
"I'm told it means 'good-bye' in Indonesian, or maybe 'farewell'." Yayoi's smile disappeared. "What the hell was with you, using Eimi's name instead of your own?"
"I usually use her name when I go undercover. Nobody's noticed yet."
"For somebody who wants to distance herself from the family, you're awfully quick to use the name of a family member who can't object any more."
Natsuko stopped. "What happened to Eimi?"
"She's no longer with us. And that's all I'll say about it outside the Old Ring on Stellvia."
"I didn't know. I'm sorry. I'll stop using her name once this is over."
"You can stop now," Yayoi all but hissed.
"It's the name I used at customs. I'm stuck with it."
"Nobody cares, here. You. Can. Stop. Now."
Natsuko looked Yayoi in the face, and realized how close she was to finding out how hard Sailor Stellvia could hit someone. She had no doubt she'd win a fight between the two of them, but a disturbance would draw too much attention. "All right. I'll stop now."
"Thank you." Yayoi started walking again. "Let's get you that hat, and then we can be on our way."
--
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