Zabaione Costada was alerted by Molly when the ship entered the solar system. At sublight speed, there still remained a few hours before they would reach Galaxy Post Planet Delta DES-8228. Coming out this far alone had been a new experience for her; she usually worked with a partner. But the Council had needed him elsewhere, thus making the trip a long and boring one at that. She took the down time to study Earth culture via the manuals and actual reports submitted by her quarry.
Mizuho Kazami, former Level C Planet Inspector had committed capital crimes. The Galaxy Federation's ruling Council had stripped her from her post and sentenced her to rehabilitation, remediation, probation, and house arrest. Somehow, Kazami had escaped and fled back to Earth in her impounded starship. It fell to Zabaione, Level C Gingeramen Marshall to track down and retrieve the fugitive from justice.
Matagu Shido, 17year old Japanese High School student and avid photographer and astronomist, sat on the mountaintop alone with his telescope watching the cloudless night sky. He had come to this favorite spot of his which provided a clear, open view. The weather was warm enough to allow him to sleep without a tent under the stars, with the soothing sounds of of nature. The place felt both peaceful and romantic to him, but he had come alone with no one to share it with. There were some girls in his class who were interested in astronomy, but he never got the nerve up to ask them to come here. Matagu was a serious student who did well, and he tried to convince himself that was the reason he didn't have a girlfriend throughout high school. Deep down, he longed for someone of the opposite sex to like him. His two best friends had no trouble with getting girls interested in them. Being here with a girl would have been nice especially one like Ms. Kazami. He thought about his gorgeous language teacher for about the millionth time. That was a pipe dream; she clearly was out of his league and as it turned out, spoken for.
"Molly, prepare for orbital entry/planetfall," Zabaione relayed to her sentient ship's computer interface. Molly resembled a small doll with a dew drop head, pale skin, small circular eyes, turquoise clothing, and a stringy tail. "Take us to Kazami's last known location."
The ship's avatar saluted her human partner and initiated the landing sequence after they cleared Earth's atmosphere. Zabaione gazed out of the view port and noted how beauteous the planet appeared despite it being a primitive world. She reminded herself that this wasn't a vacation and that Kazami's capture remained the priority one. Molly scanned for a landing spot and chose a mountaintop clearing.
The gentle summer breeze that Matagu enjoyed suddenly picked up into a raging windstorm. He saw many of his belongings blow several hundred feet away into a grove of trees.
"What in Kami's name?" he uttered to himself, realizing it may be smart to take cover somewhere. He grabbed his telescope and flashlight then ran off towards the growth.
Just a few months ago, he and his circle of friends had witnessed an actual UFO fly directly over their heads. The details were still quite vivid in his mind's eye and tonight, he realized, that maybe he was experiencing a close encounter of the same kind. Most people would have panicked or at least tried to get the hell out of there. But Matagu had resolved at an early age to meet head on anything remotely extraterrestrial or supernatural if ever the opportunity presented itself.
Zabaione felt relieved once her ship officially landed. It would feel good to walk in real gravity and breathe fresh air. A simple scan had revealed optimal climate levels outside.
"Molly, teleport me 15 meters from the front, I want to have a look," the marshal ordered.
Seconds later, the alien inhaled Earth oxygen for the very first time; it felt clean and pure. She looked down into the valley and saw artificial lights.
"Just like Star Trek," Matagu breathed, seeing a humanoid form shimmer into view. He recognized her silhouette as female, but knew better than to jump to conclusions as far as alien life forms were concerned.
Molly teleported onto Zabaione's shoulder, clearly agitated.
"What? A sentient life form is nearby?" her jade green eyes flashed with alarm. She cursed herself for being too caught up in the moment, forgetting to follow protocol. At least Molly had remembered to cloak the ship.
With uncanny swiftness, she locked onto Matagu and saw him staring at her from behind a tree.
He realized she saw him and stepped out into the clearing. "Welcome to Earth," he said awkwardly.
She had enough command of English to communicate with him. Tumultuous thoughts ran through her mind on how to deal with the situation.
She was tall with an piercing green eyes and hair to match. The word "Amazon" came to mind, but she wasn't muscular, just lithe and graceful like a model. Matagu sensed an unearthly aura about her and could not stop beholding her beauty.
Zabaione found herself drawing her sidearm and made a beeline towards the sentient.
Unarmed, Matagu had no recourse than to get the hell out of there. He took off, realizing this personal could be hostile. So much for his attempt at diplomacy
Kei Kusanagi woke up that next morning feeling like a millionaire. Married life with an alien was anything but dull. Mizuho exemplified everything he wanted in a woman: beauty, brains, sensitivity, and passion. He really wished he could have slept in with her this morning, but he had a summer job to go to. Yamadasensei had gotten him a position on the lakefront, maintaining jet skis and pontoon boats for rental. Between that and studying with Mizuho, he kept himself rather busy. He felt he needed to help them earn a little more money even though she made good money as a school teacher.
After a quick shower, he went out to the kitchen, smelling freshly brewed tea and seeing his lovely wife cooking him a cheese omelet. Kei's eyes roamed her ample body and noted the frilly apron. She looked good in anything, but certain outfits turned him on swiftly.
"Good morning, dear," she smiled broadly at him.
"Good morning, ma'am," he leaned up and bussed her on the cheek. She frowned, so he gave her one on the lips.
Marie watched the couple from his perch on the kitchen table. Their happiness made him feel bad and good, the former reminding him of his beloved Miruru. The little being missed her.
"I may come by the lake later on to sunbathe and swim," she told him. "Is there anything you would like for dinner?"
"I know what I want for dessert," he teased.
Mizuho flushed. "I'm going to Herikawa Groceries."
"Beef or Pork Dombun would be nice," he replied. "Maybe we should invite Uncle and Aunt over for a change."
She nodded in agreement. Usually the couple had them over several times a week for meals.
"Have you booked a hotel for your overnight road trip with Matagu?"
"I'll give him a call sometime today," Kei replied. "He was supposed to take care of it."
The two had decided to visit several colleges over the course of two days. Kei kept wondering if his wife planed to keep teaching high school since he had graduated or follow him to college. Part of him wanted to stay in this area, they had a nice apartment and he could be close to his Uncle. He did fear he wouldn't be good enough to pass the entrance exams. His high school GPA had left something to be desired. It didn't hurt to have a great tutor in Miss Kazami around though. Prep school was a consideration. Matagu's grades and smarts were enough to get him in. He had already passed a number of practice entrance exams rather easily.
There were hard choices to make, but they'd make them together.
"I'll talk to the guidance counselor," Mizuho said. "Just to see what he has to say."
Kei cleared his plate then took it to the sink. He kissed her goodbye then set off for work.
"Molly searchlights!" Zabaione commanded her interface.
The little creature emitted a wide strobe beam into the treeline as the marshal ran after the fleeing human. The last thing she needed was to have her mission compromised or be guilty of one of the crimes Kazami had committed.
Matagu ran through several scenarios in his mind. He saw the high intensity beams light up the forest like midday. Darting behind a wide tree, he felt his adrenaline pumping throughout his body. The alien stopped, probably noting his pausing.
"Please! I mean you no harm!" he shouted.
"Stay where you are, step out and raise your hands above your head!" she yelled.
That didn't sound like anything an alien abductor would say.
"I just want to talk!" Matagu shouted. "Please lower your weapon."
She wasn't an idiot, nor about to give him the upper hand.
"Do as I said and we'll talk," she insisted.
Reluctantly, he stepped out into the open, hands raised.
"Turn around, palms open," she related, sprinting towards him.
He knew the risk of being slaughtered right there on the spot, but held fast.
"What's your name?" she asked as her right hand grabbed his right wrist. In one continuous motion, she slapped what felt like handcuffs on him. Matagu tried to twist away from her. "Hey wait!"
Like a cat, she pounced on him, taking him to the ground hard. Zabaione sat astride his chest, her long legs pinning both his arms to the ground. Her hand pressed a glowing baton into his windpipe. In spite of his predicament, Matagu could not help but admire how beautiful she appeared, nor the fact that this was the closest he had ever been to a female.
"Matagu Shido," he wheezed, answering her question.
"I am Zabaione Costada, Level C Planet Inspector of the Galaxy Federation," she lied, her true mission needing to remain a secret. "Molly teleport us to holding cell Alpha. This is a priority one."
They were taken instantaneously to a white walled room measuring 12' x 8'. She remained on top of him, even though they were in her element now.
"I regret having to take you into custody, Matagu Shido, but I cannot have you tell others about what you have seen here," she informed him.
"Custody," he choked out. "Please! I promise not to…"
He seemed sincere, but she wasn't about to let emotion cloud her judgement.
"I may have to erase your short term memory."
"Please," he begged, his eyes locking with hers. He flushed, captivated by how lovely they were. "All my life I've waited for a moment like this."
"To be held prisoner?" she asked incredulous.
"No," he smiled. "To meet someone from another planet. I've always believed."
She let up on his throat, seeing how hard it was for him to talk.
"Matagu Shido, I am going to release my restraining hold on you. Remain prone until I allow you to sit up, understand?"
He nodded.
Zabaione stood up and backed away out of the room. His eyes followed her, admiring the form fitting silver jumpsuit she wore.
"Okay, you may sit up."
He noticed that she stood outside his "cell". Reaching out, his hand was blocked by an invisible barrier.
"My duty is to observe life on this planet and to keep my alien heritage a secret. I am to live among you as one of you," she told him.
"You mean you don't intend to colonize or conquer our world?"
She seemed insulted. "Of course not. The Galaxy Federation is a peaceful union of starfaring races. We have a code of non-interference with worlds such as yours, ones who have not achieved a certain level of technology."
"You're telling me all this," he looked down. "I want to know so much and soon you're going to make me forget it."
"I have to, but afterwards when I live among you, perhaps I'll look you up and we can become….friends."
She avoided his gaze when she said that; it made her feel worse. This human boy seemed amicable and kind. Once she captured Kazami, it would be time to leave. And since she wasn't really an Inspector, she doubted she'd ever return to Earth again.
Matagu sighed. "Would it be a real friendship if only one of us knew the truth?"
She felt even worse. "I need to take care of some things," she said softly. "Molly will let you read some of our manuals in the meantime."
Zabaione went to her personal quarters and sought to pick out some Earth clothing to wear. The sooner she got to Kazami, the better. She thought about the look on the boy's face when he explained how passionate he was at knowing life existed on other planets, then the disappointment at hearing his memory would be erased. He happened to be an innocent victim. She had always wondered what humans were like. She had done some research on Kazami and discovered her father had been from Earth. The Galaxy Federation had not disciplined her mother for marrying a human.
She couldn't just have Molly teleport the felon into her ship. She had to do a little surveillance to see if she could be charged with additional crimes.
As the adrenaline rush wore off, Matagu began to feel very tired. He felt hungry and thirsty as well, but his gear had been scattered back at the campsite. Alone in the cell, he thought about Hyosuke, Kei, Ichigo, and the others. If only they could see him now. UFOS were real. Aliens existed, beautiful ones at that. Still, he had to think of a way to escape with his memory intact.
In spite of his circumstances, he soon drifted off to sleep.
Koishi Herikawa busily took food orders over the phone and from the fax machine in the air conditioned office of her family's thriving supermarket. The deli was one of the biggest moneymaking parts of the store, catering to the many people who worked in the business district of the town. She would spend most of the morning doing just that then help the workers put the orders together for the delivery boys. Miina Miyafuji spent her time at the cash register.
"Hey come out to the front," a voice said after she answered a call.
The lithe short haired brunette met her friend Ichigo Morino out in the shopping area near the middle aisle. The short, peanut butter haired ex class president held a shopping basket filled with odds and ends.
"Good morning," Koishi greeted her friend with a smile.
"Seems so," Ichigo grinned slighty. "Was it a good night last night?"
"I don't know what you're implying, girlfriend," the other blushed a bit. She knew better, though. Ichigo knew a lot of things about people, more than she let on, and she liked to torture people with that knowledge.
"Perhaps another personally delivered lunch to Mr Yamada, then?" she suggested.
"Oh," the brunette nodded. "Yes, he ordered something as usual. Tuna fish on rye."
"Are you dessert?" the older gal deadpanned.
"Let's not discuss my lovelife around here," Koishi requested. "I still haven't told my family about our relationship."
"Why keep it hidden now? You've graduated high school, it's perfectly legit now?" argued the shorter girl.
"Because then I'll have to lie about it not being okay during my entire senior year," she replied. "Now, enough about me, dear. Did you go to the mountain with Matagu last night?"
"No, I didn't," Ichigo admitted. "Why go there alone and have to rebuff his advances?"
"I think….You should have went," insisted the exasperated, younger girl.
"When Hyosuke and Kaede backed out, I knew it was a setup," the older gal answered matter of factly.
"Poor Matagu," commented the other.
"Just because the rest of you have paired off, doesn't mean Matagu and I have to," the shorter girl stated.
Herikawa frowned. "Why not?"
"Just because."
"Because he's younger? Age doesn't matter. You said so yourself with Masami and me!"
Ichigo knew her circle of friends was going in different directions in the near future since they had all graduated from high school. Hyosuke and Kaede were headed to Tokyo U, while Kei was looking into art school. Herikawa intended to stay local, going to prep school to be around Yamada, while she herself had been offered a full scholarship in Kyoto; she had taken the entrance exams during her senior year and aced them. When it came to love, she did not want to commit. Her disease and having lost six years of her life caused her to believe that guys would be scared away. Matagu had shown some interest in her, but she felt he was an immature, sex starved pervert. A nice guy, but not boyfriend material.
"Hello ladies," a familiar face came into view.
"Miss Kazami!" Ichigo greeted her with a cat grin.
Herikawa wondered if their former homeroom teacher had heard the entire conversation.
"Do you have any paprika?" the teacher asked.
"Sure, aisle six!"
Matagu woke up with a start. At first wondering as to where he actually was then it dawned on him and his heart sank. He looked at his watch and saw it was mid morning. Obviously his memories of the night before remained intact. He recalled a tall beautiful woman named Zabaione had taken him into custody. He was on board a spaceship!
There was the sound of an energy field collapsing then the female alien stood just inside the entrance of his small cell.
"Mister Shidou, you're free to go," she stated matter-of-factly.
"I am?" he asked incredulous. In spite of himself, his eyes focused on her snug fitting tee shirt and cargo shorts. Those legs seemed to go for miles.
"Yes. Despite my better judgement, I am releasing you as my prisoner. You may resume your normal life."
Zabaione turned to Molly. "Prepare to transport him back to his campsite."
"Wait!" Matagu insisted. "What about you? Where will you go?"
"I have this whole planet to watch," she replied expressionless. "I can go anywhere."
"Please," he held up a hand. "Please let me show you around here. Just for a couple of days, it's really nice."
He knew he sounded like he was begging and probably sounded desperate and pathetic, but she was to die for and he had lost any chances with Ms Kazami because of an inability to muster nerve. Zabaione felt her heart lurch. As much as she tried to remain the stoic professional, his gentleness and amicable demeanor stirred something within her. Not many males were like this human; they were an intriguing species. He had openly accepted her alien nature and meant no harm. It couldn't hurt to say yes.
"Very well," she agreed. "What do you want to do?"
Matagu had to suppress hentai thoughts. "Well, the first order of business is to get breakfast or perhaps a late brunch," he suggested with a smile. "Then I could show you the town and Lake Kizaki. It's bound to be a nice day."
"I'm with you," she assented then gestured for him to follow her out of the detention area. "You're free to use my refresher and if you lack fresh garments, Molly can generate something for you."
He nodded at her and wondered how he was going to pass off Zabaione to his family and friends. It would strike them as odd for him to bring home a stunner like her, not to mention that she appeared a few years older. He was a poor high school grad looking to pass his college entrance exams. They would all wonder what she saw in him. Questions would be asked, but he intended to pass her off as a fellow astronomer friend. He would enjoy Hyosuke's good natured ribbing and say anything but reveal her alien heritage.
"The refresher is voice activated, it will respond to your specifications," Zabaione told him. Molly floated near her mistresses' shoulder.
"What exactly is that?" he asked curiously.
"Simply put, an interface with the rest of my vessel, an AI," the flame haired woman replied. "She controls the various functions and I think of her as a boon companion."
"What are her teleportational capabilities?"
"It's complicated. We can transport ourselves from anywhere on a planet to another locale on the same planet, but she can also open portals to other dimensions."
"So that's why you need a ship?" he asked.
"Precisely. It's not like we can jaunt from one end of the galaxy to the other. We still need ships and they can travel very fast," she cracked a small smile. He seemed fascinated by their technobabble.
"Well, I'm going to use your shower or whatever it is," he told her. "I hope you're hungry, I know I'm starving!"
"I'm anxious to sample your cuisine," she said then left the area to give him privacy.
Matagu and Zabaione took public transportation back into town. The alien marshall tried to remain non-plussed at the plethora of new sensory stimuli. After all, she was a trained professional, having been to numerous planets within the Galactic Federation. Yet try as she might, the tourist part of her felt more than elated. Law enforcement personnel rarely had time to appreciate the sights. She spent more time in spaceships since she had attained her position.
"I've been meaning to ask, I know it's daytime here, but doesn't your biological clock get messed up traveling so many light years?" he asked her.
She shifted in her bus seat to face him. "You mean time differences?" she guessed. "When I entered your system, I tried as best I could to compensate. Luckily when it was night for you, it was night for me. Sometimes that isn't the case and I'm used to going without normal rest."
He had a number of questions he intended to ask and it felt exhilarating to talk to such an enchanting woman. After Ichigo, she was a breath of fresh air! He wondered if a trend was beginning as he started to show attraction towards older women. Ichigo, Ms Kazami, and now Zabaione. His relationship with Ichigo had never progressed beyond friendship. Of the six friends, he related to her the least and knew she wanted nothing to do with him in a romantic sense as she outnumbered him by almost six years in age. With Ms Kazami, it only amounted to a teacher/student relationship; he had entertained wild thoughts of proposing to her, but the cold reality was that he had nothing substantial to offer. Even thinking he had a chance with Zabaione was a pipe dream. But to not even try at all, like he had not with Ms Kazami, was something he never wanted to endure again. There were rumors throughout the last year of high school that she was having an affair with Kei of all people.
The bus came to a stop in the center of town. Zabaione felt like she had stepped back in time, so ancient the surroundings looked to her compared to her homeworld. There were gas powered automobiles and bicycles on the streets. Matagu led her down the busy sidewalk that ran alongside the thriving business district.
"My parents own a beauty salon," he mentioned to her. "If you'd like to get a manicure, pedicure, or anything let me know!"
She arched an eyebrow, but gave no comment. Dolling herself up was a low priority on her list. The collection of Mizuho Kazami remained priority one. He stopped at the entrance of a café which had outdoor seating in a lush garden setting. Characters on a banner read "Flower and Sword Garden Bistro". A tall girl with red wavy hair in a pony tail greeted them just inside the door. Her exotic look was attributed to her being a quarter of Irish.
"Matagu?" Kaede Misumi said in stunned disbelief. She had never seen him in a social setting with a girl, not to mention such a looker as the one now. Matagu had always been down on himself, referring to be the last member of the "Virgin Federation". Thoughts of him hiring her to be his girlfriend crossed her mind, but she quickly dismissed them. He didn't have the money for such things and as a friend, she would give him the benefit of the doubt. After all, Kei had landed Ms Kazami.
"Hello Kaede," he smiled weakly. "How are you this morning?"
"Fine," she smiled back. "Two? Would you like to sit outside?"
He nodded and she led them to a small table next to a gurgling manmade fountain. Goldfish of various sizes swam around in the clear cool water. After pulling out her chair for her, he sat himself then took two menus from the hostess.
"So aren't you going to introduce me to your friend?" she pressed.
He chided himself for his lack in manners. "Zabaione, this is my classmate and friend Kaede Misumi. Kaede, this is Zabaione Costada, a graduate student from America."
"Nice to meet you," Kaede smiled warmly at the woman. It felt nice to meet a person a little taller than she with almost the same hair color.
"Likewise," Zabaione afforded her a pleasant look. "This is my first time sampling the fare of your land."
"This place serves a traditional Japanese breakfast as well as a Western one," she let her know.
"I'm used to the Western," she expertly covered Matagu's white lie. "What do you recommend?"
She glanced at her menu then looked at Matagu then Kaede.
"I'll let Matagu help you choose," she decided then walked away to greet some more arriving customers.
He paused, distracted by their eye contact. Those jade green ones mesmerized him to no end. "I usually have miso soup, rice, eggs, and some natto."
"Rice is your staple food, right?"
"Yes, how did you know?" he asked with interest.
"I browsed the manual. We have field reports on your cultures."
Actually, she had read from one of Kazami's own observations, when the fugitive had been a bona fide planet inspector.
"Explain eggs, miso soup, and natto to me," Zabaione requested.
It would have been more helpful to wait for the food to arrive to provide a visual aid, but maybe she was testing his communication skills. "Well, eggs are a protein source from an unfertilized embryo, usually from a domestic bird, a chicken," he responded helpfully. "You can eat them raw or cooked. Miso is a paste that is dissolved in hot water, hence the soup. A few vegetables and bean curd can be added. Natto is something that takes getting used to. It's not pleasant to look at, smells funny, but is very healthful. It's an acquired taste."
"You speak warily of it," she observed.
"That's because a lot of people I know don't like it," he said. "But you should try it anyway. Most foreigners don't like it, but I'm anxious to know what an alien might think." He chuckled nervously.
"I've tried different food from all over the galaxy," she told him. "I have a pretty strong stomach."
"What do you like best?"
"Food that comes from oceans."
"The lake here has great fish," he mentioned. "We could go fishing later on from a boat. There are people right on site that prepare your catch right after!"
The waitress came by with some green tea and he requested a tall glass of ice to cool it down.
Their breakfast arrived soon enough and Zabaione picked up her chopsticks. "You'll have to explain how to use these utensils," she requested.
"You take the food from the dishes and put them on your own plate," he relayed.
She stared at the natto, a conglomeration of gossamer strings and small circular particles.
"It's fermented soy bean," he added. "Goes good in the soup or on your rice."
She inhaled the pungent smell and wrinkled her brow. "This is going to be interesting," she commented, then followed his example as he took the food with his chopsticks.
Kaede watched with interest from her podium, knowing that Hyosuke and the others had to know soon about Matagu's change of luck.
Maho Kazami nervously entered the dean's office, wondering why she had been suddenly pulled from class in the middle of an examination. Her dean, a homely middle aged woman with graying hair, sat calmly behind her desk, a serious look on her face.
The young girl swallowed hard, feeling an immediate sense of dread.
"Sit Miss Kazami," the adult beckoned, then took off her glasses.
"What is it?" Maho asked meekly.
"Last night, your mother was detained and charged with felonies, namely aiding a criminal, unlawful transit to a restricted world, and using Federation resources for illicit means," began the dean.
"That's not fair! My sister can choose to live her life how she pleases!" Maho declared angrily.
Knowledge of Mizuho Kazami's fall from grace weighed heavily on her little sister. Both teachers and classmates in this prestigious prep school kept curious eyes on Maho, regarding her with caution and suspicion.
"That is beside the point," the dean told the black haired girl. "Your status is being scrutinized as well. As a minor, you are not accountable for acting with your mother, but certain powers that be have decided to restrict your access to your ship and communications. You are hereby restricted from all contact with your older sister and while your mother is on trial, you will be staying with designated guardians."
"They can't do this!" the youngest Kazami argued. "My father was from Earth, my sister has every right to return to his birth world!"
"Your sister had a duty to the Federation," a voice said from the corner. It came from a man in a dark black suit.
The color in Maho's face paled.
"This is Inspector Suzuki," the dean introduced.
"I need your cooperation," the man addressed the girl. "In doing so, you will ensure that your future career with the Galactic Federation is a successful one."
"And if I don't?"she dared to ask.
"A juvenile detention facility awaits on some backwater world where you will be scrubbing toilets for years to come," a sadistic smile came to his face.