It was just another day, really. Go to work, type up reports...the usual. But today was different. You probably want to know how, right? Well, today was the day it finally happened. Years of work and risks and dreaming had paid off for me. I guess I'm one of the lucky ones. I sat at my office, working as usual, keeping my workspace ridiculously (and uncharacteristically, considering what I'm like) clean when the director of our latest mission approached me. In case that confused you, I work for the Gattaca Aerospace Corporation, or GAC. It's the best space-flight conglomerate there is, not to boast.
"You keep a clean desk, Kuchiki" I looked up, wondering why Director Aizen – who never really wanted anything to do with anyone – was suddenly so interested in me. But I shrugged, trying to keep in character.
"I try. Any reason why you came from three floors up to come tell me that?" It may have sounded harsh, but that's how I had to be. And besides, Aizen always seemed to prefer those who showed distain towards him, he was weird like that.
"Nothing gets past you, does it? You're right, I need to talk to you" Every time I heard that phrase my heart would start to race. If he found out about me, it would be a disaster, and not just for me either.
"Yes, sir?" He smiled that creepy smile he always has, and I start to wonder if he really does know.
"I want you on that shuttle to Titan next week. Any problems?" Although Aizen would only accept one answer, he would still ask. I shook my head, still taking in what he said. Ever since I could remember I've dreamed of going into space. It's unclear to me why I wanted to do this, whether it's because I want to see other planets or because I'm just sick and tired of this one, I've always wanted to go where the night time stars are. Titan is the fourteenth moon of Saturn, and it's a mission we've all been working on for a long time now. Aizen left as quickly as he had arrived, probably to go torture someone else. But just as he reached the end of the hall he shouted back to me
"Oh, you'll need to go get some final tests done." Then left. But that was fine; I had time to prepare for the tests.
It may have seemed suspicious that I left as soon as Aizen said that, but I needed time to get back home and get everything I needed. It was something my housemate was used to – in fact, it was something he had to help me with. He agreed to it a long time ago, when this whole thing really started. But as always, he was slightly drunk. I guess that's all you can do when you're stuck inside all day with no other tasks. Though he had to be careful – his drinking could affect everything. But I'm just going on about nothing now, and it's not like anything went wrong. I got my things and came back to Gattaca in time for the tests. As always, Dr Kurosaki would talk about one thing or another (I never really listened during genetic tests) which I could care less about. Any other time I would listen to him and probably say more back to him, but I had to make sure the results said what they were supposed to – what I wanted them to – say. And like every other time this had happened, it came up with the same result:
VALID: BYAKUYA KUCHIKI
I'd relax after that.
"So you're on the new mission?"
"Yes, just found out today" He nodded and switched off the machines that determined who I was.
"Tell me you're the least bit excited." He looked at me as if expecting me to jump around and shout excitedly. But I didn't do that.
"Ask me again in a week" He sighed and smiled, and I politely smiled back. After that we dropped the subject.
"Did I ever tell you about my son?" I shook my head. Whether he had or not I didn't know, but I just knew that I'd never heard. He mustn't have been able to remember anyway, otherwise he wouldn't ask.
"Ah, remind me to sometime..." With that we nodded at each other and I went back to work.
Life goes on as normal. But before I went back to my desk which could belong to someone with obsessive compulsive disorder, I decided to watch the rockets take off. I always did this, every single day. Now it was just a habit really. I never noticed Yoruichi come up behind me and stand there. It unnerved me to think that she could have been standing there for ages, just watching me watch the take offs. I decided to think that she didn't do that.
"I heard that you're going to Titan now" I turned to her. She was tall and slender, but very strong. But that was how she was made to be, it would in today's world be impossible for those geneticists to get it wrong. I nodded.
"In a week, yes" She smiled slightly. From the moment of conception it was decided that Yoruichi would not go to space. She would do many other things which her genes allowed, but her career paths were chosen for her. It was the same for everyone, but not for me...and a few others I did not know in other places.
"You excited?" Why was everyone asking me this?
"A bit, maybe. I don't know" She smiled, just like Dr. Kurosaki did.
"Typical you, never showing anything." I shrugged and turned back to the latest take off.
"How many do you reckon there are a day of those? A dozen?" Yoruichi asked, probably trying to revive the conversation.
"Sometimes more"
"Well you're the only one who watches all of them" I smiled at her. She was the one person I really talked to here, mainly because everywhere I went she was there, and she helped me settle in when I first started. Another spark shot up into the sky, leaving a blinding trail behind it. That was the tenth rocket sent up – they might go over the average today. But then again, the day was drawing to a close. We stood in a silence that had been worn comfortable by years of working together.
"Congratulations, Kuchiki. You finally got what you came here for" I smiled and nodded at her; it was nice to hear someone say it.
But I was not Byakuya Kuchiki.
AN: So I finally got round to writing a Bleach fic. This is all based on the film Gattaca by the way, which you should watch. It's bloody good. The other chapters will be longer than this, by the way, but preludes are always hard to write. This one was horrible because I didn't want to give too much away Dx Anyways, reviews are nice, but non-Byakuya's story will go on anyway 3
