I was on summer vacation for about 2 months so that's why it's been so long since I posted a new chap but anyway here it is. I hope I didn't get rusty or something over the summer.

It's been fixed up now! Fixed again!

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Ch. 13: The Next Step.

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It was a bit nostalgic really. The space pizza that is. Or at least Naota thought it was supposed to be pizza; the smell was a bit off and tasted a little too much like Tomato but it looked like pizza.

Naota practically inhaled the last piece, walking round all day was tiring work. He glanced at Hotaru beside him who was still eating peacefully as they walked. She didn't attack hers with the zealous frenzy Naota had.

"We're going to see the frogs now right?," he said while shifting the bag of nasty pickles behind him so he didn't have to smell them.

"Mhmmmm….," Hotaru responded through a full mouth. But the twitch in her left eye had betrayed her annoyance. He had asked…3? 4 times? Well anyway maybe just one too many.

"Can't believe anyone could like these things, they aren't even normal pickles." Naota flared his nostrils, the smell coming from the pickles seemed impossible to avoid.

"Your not exactly open to new things are you huh?," Hotaru said gulping down the last of her own pizza.

Naota averted his gaze to the high cylinder shaped tower to his right trailing its length till his eyes found the deep swirling purple sky. Personally he thought that was an unfair comment, everything within a few … who knows how many billions of trillions of miles was new to him and he didn't recall hearing himself complain.

He was pulled out of his thoughts when Hotaru spoke up again, "We're here."

He silently followed Hotaru towards the massive skyscraper at the end off the street, the only thing that really set this one aside would be that it had a dingy gray color to it that reminded him of cement. But cement lacked the sheen this buildings gray surface had.

Instead of going in when they got to the doors Hotaru touched a panel on the left and the screen came to life with the striped, zigzag, squiggly, and straight lines that made up the strange alien language.

"Okay now look for 'Blue Frogs'," Hotaru directed as she grabbed him by the shoulders and shoved him in front of the panel.

Naota scanned the various lines and tried to make sense of them but had no more luck than he had the other day.

Reluctantly Naota turned his head and gave Hotaru a hopeless look then with some difficulty admitted, "I can't read this…."

"Can you read any language? Your native writing maybe?" Hotaru was tapping her foot, the buckles on her boots jingling like bells.

"Well yea I can… but just not this," Naota said not really seeing why it mattered much.

"Well then," with a gloved hand Hotaru turned Naota's head back to the screen herself, "try again." It was a command not a suggestion.

Naota gave a tired sigh and scanned the lines again seeing nothing different nor anything that made anymore sense than before.

Hotaru lazily gave him a sharp smack in the back of the head. "Smack!" For some reason a good knock to the head also made him feel a bit nostalgic too. Only at first though.

"Don't try and understand or decipher the stupid little lines, no one can do that," Hotaru laid her finger tips back on his head. "Just try and READ it, that's all," Carefully she pulled his head back so he was no longer an inch from the screen.

Naota would have grumbled about how frustrating and stupid this was or about the smack to the head she had seen fit to give him but for some reason it really just didn't seem like the time for that.

Again, he scanned the lines. Looking at everyone one as if they held a secret. "Read," the word came in a low whisper. Hotaru might have whispered it or maybe it was something only he heard in his head. Naota unfocused his eyes and looked at the panel as a whole.

One second the lines were there and suddenly he found himself reading the line at the top.

"Services and Information."

There were words there now, it was as if they had always been there and he just had been so blind and stupid he couldn't see them. That was the only way Naota could explain it. Now he couldn't find any of the lines that had previously occupied the screen even if he tried. But they were there, they had to be. Just like the words he read now were there.

"I can read...," Naota would have sounded as delighted as he felt if he wasn't so busy looking at every micro-inch of the screen trying to puzzle out what the hell was really going on. Stuff like this could make a guy feel a bit stupid.

"Great, great...," Hotaru gave him a rather patronizing grin and a pat on the back. Then in a darker voice continued, "Now do what we came here for so we can leave. My brother can get grouchy if we keep him waiting too long."

For the life of him Naota could not imagine seeing Kazuki being grouchy but got to work anyway.

Information: guests: #7597 Blue Frogs:

Client has checked out of the Heavens Cellar in Jasper Crossroads, 11 hours 12 minutes 53 seconds ago (A.U.T). Reservation was made at The Riders Tag on Graps in the 11th Star Cluster. Further information is unavailable. Rooms are vacant and available for room rentals; please see 'Services: Rooms.'

Naota's heart had fallen before the first line was over but read on the account that seeing something he could actually read was somewhat of a comfort.

Hotaru leaned in over his shoulder due to his lack of response and a moment later remarked, "Hmm, well that's a bit of a drag. You got no luck kid, 11th star cluster... It's not right next door but," a light smirk spread across her lips, "it's not as far as Earth."

Naota nodded. Truth be told he had known instantly that he was going to the 11th star cluster; there had never been a doubt in his mind or any hesitation. It was something that was absolute. He gave Hotaru a good look. Going would mean he would have to leave her and Kazuki as well.

Naota found that to be a saddening thought. Out in this foreign place people who would help, even ones he hardly knew, were priceless. But this was HIS mission after all; he had no need to drag them in anymore than he already had.

"Naota we going or not?," Hotaru called from a little ways off. Naota hadn't noticed; he had been too busy plotting.

"Coming!." Naota hoped down off the stairs and jogged to catch up to Hotaru. This was something he supposed he would have to think about later.

"We did what you wanted so we are going go check up on Kaz now." Hotaru took a good look at the sky above, "it looks kinda late." She gave Naota an accusing look, "It's your fault, just remember if he asks." Naota took a careful look of his own at the sky. It was purple as always and the warm city lights brightened it. It looked exactly the same as it had that morning to Naota. Then again Naota was sure they had spent at least several hours walking around the city.

If they had been talking about anyone other than Kazuki Naota might have been worried after the way she said it. Kazuki was... well not the violent type from what Naota had seen.

As they made their way back Naota made a point to read EVERY sign they passed. But in the dozens of words he read as they made their way back Kazuki not once did he see where the letters came from. One moment there were those lines then there were letters. By the time they got back to the shop Naota was holding his head due to the slight headache that seemed like a side effect from too much reading.

"Store's dark, he probably went back home," Naota said while still giving his head a shake. Indeed the curtains were drawn over the windows like they had been when he had first seen the shop that morning.

Hotaru ignored him and just walked inside, evidently the door was not locked. With a sigh Naota followed. Upon entering he saw that it seemed to be even more disorganized than it had been that morning.

"Kaz-" Hotaru began to call but was almost instantly interrupted by a, "Back here!"

Kazuki popped up behind a counter with a small smile on his face and smudge of grease on his nose.

"What are you doing back there? And why did you close up shop?," Hotaru went to a nearby table and started fiddling with the same guitar bridge as that morning giving the impression that she wasn't all that interested in the answers.

Kazuki pulled a stool up so he sat across from his sister and gave a exhausted sigh; dropping a ruined and smoking hammer on the table as he did so. Leaving Naota to help him self to a seat at the head of the table. After a long day of walking a good sit felt pretty good.

Gesturing to the hammer Kazuki said, "That's the third one today i have busted to tiny pieces trying to get a look at the internal mechanisms of Naota's guitar." Kazuki shot him a rather envious look at the last few words. "I was searching top to bottom trying to find another and the reason i closed up was so i could focus on getting it open."

"Any luck?," Hotaru asked without looking up from the chrome bridge in her hands that clicked and clanged as she handled it.

"No...," said Kazuki sounding very defeated.

The clinking sound momentarily stopped as Hotaru gave her brother a glance before going back to pointlessly fiddling with the piece of junk in her hand, "well... I didn't see that coming. So... what does it mean then?"

Kazuki smiled brightly, "It can mean a lot of things but basically if it has a system lock to begin with its an unusual guitar. If it has a system lock i can't break into then it means its a very unusual guitar." Kazuki ran a hand through his green hair as he leaned back into his seat, "Actually i was interested so i looked around the records of manufactured guitar models and find it matches a 4003 bass. But after having a closer look it matches the description of the older 4001 bass better."

Naota watched Hotaru's hands as she messed around with the guitar part she held. The clinking was getting annoying. Naota muttered to himself, "Someones O.C.D..."

Hotaru threw the guitar bridge casually not really paying attention where it went. It missed Naota's head by mere inches. "Ok so that means what?"

Excitement flooded Kazuki's face as it seemingly always did when he talked of guitars, "the 4001 bass guitars are an old model of the S.P.B. advanced battle-shock guitars that never made it past the pre-production level. They were produced in small numbers and were unreliable in combat so production was discontinued. However it was noted that when the guitars worked properly their performance was phenomenal. That's why they reverse engineered it and rebuilt it into the 4003 bass that had smaller energy consumption and smaller N.O. requirement. It worked fine and was reliable but they failed to maintain performance."

Naota felt like he was in trouble for some reason; maybe just because he didn't really understand much of what was being said.

"Is my guitar broken?" he said bluntly hoping for a somewhat simple response.

Kazuki shrugged, "Not that I can see but then again i can't give it a full check." He got up and went behind a counter and brought out Naota's azure blue Ricken then came back and laid it out on the table for him to see. It was the same as it always had been. Suprising? For some reason not really.

Naota saw Hotaru giving him a dissatisfied look from the corner of his eye but rather kept looking at Kazuki and was glad when he continued to speak. "Oh, that reminds me," Kazuki looked to his sister.

"Before I closed up someone stopped by; he had some interesting news. Apparently someone broke out of a fortified S.P.B. penalty center and It's got the old brotherhood buzzing like someone kicked their hive." Kazuki laughed seemingly enjoying the thought.

Hotaru smiled widely as well, "Who was it?"

"There are hundreds of rumors flying around as to who it was. Some say it was a outlaw or a bounty hunter while others say its some crazy Driven. It's been said that it was Atomsk himself who vaporized the entire complex and shot off." Kazuki found the last one funny.

Naota saw a chance here. "Who is Atomsk?," asked Naota innocently. In truth he knew next to nothing about who or what he is.

Hotaru looked at him as if she had forgotten he was there then laughed at him openly. "I keep forgetting how isolated Earth is," she said as the laugh died. "Atosmk is a myth that's been told since the dawn of time. They say he is a being of pure energy and has unlimited N.O. But i wouldn't buy into that. It's just a story."

Kazuki interjected, "Well says you, some people devote their lives to hunting him looking to take his power. Call them the Driven."

Hotaru snorted, "I call em lunatics who go too far to get something that doesn't exist."

Kazuki smiled sweetly, "I like to think of them as passionate."

Hotaru gave her brother a wary look and Kazuki laughed.

"Well either crazy, obsessed, or passionate people who hunt Atomsk, the Driven, have a reputation for causing trouble. Lots of trouble," Hotaru said. She looked like she was going say something else but Kazuki started talking, "You know I would put money it was a driven that broke out of that penalty center. Sounds like something a driven would do. Likely he broke in cause he heard some random rumor that he would find Atomsk or some clue as to his location."

Naota had really had enough of this topic and it made him feel uncomfortable, so he was about to change the topic by saying the only thing he felt he really needed to say. That he had to leave now that he had done what he came here for. Though he took a second to find the words so it didn't come out so blunt.

But before he could open his mouth the room darkened as did the lights outside leaving the room, and the entire city, in dim lighting.

"The day went by quick," said Naota suppressing a yawn. He really did feel tired after all this.

But the looks on Kazuki and Hotaru's faces caught his attention. Both were looking at each other wearing the same grim look. Wordlessly Hotaru got up and reached under a counter bringing out a panel which she started checking vigorously.

Naota would have asked what was going on but Kazuki seemed to have sensed his confusion, "It's not night time. The city alarm has been triggered and all the lights have been shut off to help avoid detection. Also it serves to tell people to be quiet and it means the city is on alert."

Naota listened and found that the cacophony of voices that he had heard out on the street was gone, only leaving dead silence.

"What's going on?," asked Naota as he tried listening for some small sound.

"He just told you," said Hotaru impatiently without lifting her head from the screen.

"I heard him but WHY is the alarm gone off?," Naota said with an edge in his voice.

Hotaru's hands stopped moving over the screen, "The city AI has detected the presence of S.P.B units and has taken concealment action."

Kazuki shrugged, "It's a patrol, they have come by before. They'll just pass-"

"No they won't, the city AI is preparing to screen us out. There are six combat S.P.B vessels displaying combat awareness heading here. They aren't recon ships and they are deliberate."

Kazuki made a sour look, "Stop talking like you're so smart Hotaru, your just reading the computers report. If that's the case then the AI will just screen us out and it's no big deal really."

Naota was confused again, "We are doing what? What happens when they get here?"

Hotaru began typing on the panel again but really it looked like she was punching it, "The city is run by an AI called Jasper. He is in essence the city itself. Since they seem to know of Jasper's location he is going to move the city before they get here." She said it relatively nonchalantly.

"He is going move what?" Naota heard it but it did sound like a bit much.

Hotaru sighed, "look... the gas sphere Jasper's Crossroads is concealed is not natural though you really can't tell the difference. There are hundreds of other gas spheres spread out in just about every part of the galaxy imaginable and Jasper can MOVE the city to any of these if there is a threat of detection or attack. We call it a screen. We'll disappear and when those S.P.B guys come and take a look inside the gas sphere they'll find it empty and the city gone."

"Also when we transport the gas sphere we are sent to become toxic and impossible to navigate for 15 days as a precautionary measure. So you see we are totally safe," said Kazuki seeing nothing worrying about the whole situation. Then added, "Someone must of slipped up and told about the city's location again."

"So no one can come in the city for 15 days?," asked Naota.

"That's what he said," came from Hotaru in an exasperated tone which Naota ignored.

"What happens if you want to leave?" Naota asked.

"Well... you can't," said Hotaru contemplatively, "never thought about that actually."

It took a moment for that to sink in and for Naota to realize what it meant to be stuck for 15 days. The way he saw it he had to leave now. Before he lost track of the blue frogs who at this point where the only lead he had on Haruko. So with his resolve unwavering he said, "I have to leave. Now." He tried to make it sound like a fact.

The response he got from Kazuki and Hotaru were blank looks. No surprise was evident.

Hotaru spoke up, "You think waiting 15 days means you will lose track of the blue frogs don't you? Do you really know exactly what you're doing? Trying to leave now to go looking across the galaxy for frogs and this girl that you know?"

Naota smiled and scratched that back of his head awkwardly, "You know I have no clue what I'm doing but that doesn't matter. At least that's what Haruko would think." Why should it matter anymore? He was in space so far away from home that it seemed like basic logic no longer even applied to anything.

Kazuki grinned, "I like the way this friend of yours thinks!"

Hotaru looked interested by her brother's comment and then gave Naota an analyzing look. Tapping the heel of her foot against the ground while she did so her boots jingled.

Kazuki lifted himself up and walked up to Naota and put his hand on his shoulder. "Tell you what; you don't have to go alone. Because I'm going with you."

Hotaru smiled sweetly, "oh and leave me here alone? You know it pretty irresponsible to run off with this kid and leave your little sister here all alone."

Kazuki shrugged, "No i wouldn;t leave you. I figure you'd want to come too."

Hotaru gave him a sour look. "Only because you'd get yourself killed if i let you run off alone!"

"Sure sure," Kazuki said innocently.

Naota, for reasons he couldn't explain, found himself angry. He had to suppress it. Who were they to invite themselves? He didn't want their help. Kazuki must have noticed a slight change in Naota's demeanor because he asked, "something wrong with us coming? We can help."

With the kind looks he was getting from Hotaru and Kazuki Naota found it easy to let his anger disappear. So he said nervously, "Well... you guys have already done... a lot. I mean a lot to help."

Hotaru piped up, "yea we have." No modesty there.

Kazuki put in, "So what? You can pay us back? How about this. You can let me keep looking at your guitar and maybe once this is all over with maybe I can buy it off you. Cause I know now you ain't never had no intention of selling when you got here."

For some reason Naota wanted to say no to their offer but he just couldn't see why that was so. Despite that feeling Naota shrugged and said, "Ok... sure. Lets go." He didn't wait for a response and just slipped his guitar over his shoulder by the strap and walked outside. His stride filled with determination. But that only lasted until he got outside.

He took an embarrassed look over his shoulder and muttered, "um... where do we go?"

Kazuki snorted and Hotaru said, "Your bike and ours are on top of our building complex. We got to go fast though because Jasper is going to screen the city out any time now." She said it calmly but bolted off running down the street leaving Naota and Kazuki to catch up since she didn't seem interested in waiting for them.

Running down the dimly lit street Naota reflected on his two companions. He had friends now. When he thought about it that way it seemed like someone had just lightened the load on his back.

The purple swirling gas above the city flashed white and the glow grew. Pops and distant explosions could be heard as lighting raced across the gassy sky but no thunder to be heard.

Kazuki called to him, "It's starting!"

"What is?," asked Naota, "the screening?"

"Well that too," said Kazuki. "I was talking about the fighting."

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Don't hate me for the cliffhanger ending but this chap was really long. Had to stop somewhere right? Anyway do ur review thing and let me know what u think.

There are so many things to explain... like how everything works in this outter space world I'm creating while flying by the seat of my pants. I'll go ice my brain now...