bOverlap - Part 1/b
i3rd February 2040 - Bought ticket to Tokyo./i
This will probably be my last ride on the skyhook. Actually, it had better be - my visa expires next month.
Then I can go to Amsterdam to exhibit my photo collection and visit Langley. Although the photo collection is
a cover-up of my life - jsut a hobby, meeting Langley is all business: a dace with Death.
Likewise, I have 2 reasons for being in Tokyo: one is to capture the mythicak Knightsabers on film and the other
is to meety someone for Langley. I dod not yet know who this person is; further instructions will be given when I meet
that person.
I do no know, or try to know, the who-what-and-why elements of Langley's commands. I understnad it to be a threat to my
life; I suspect it to be a threat to Langley. I do not question however - He questioned and He was dealt with. I do not
want to be dealt with. Therefore I do not question in the first place.
A large multi-vision screen is showing the 2-o'clock express. How the Skyhook operared will for ever be a mystery to me.
It only seems ordinary to the millions of passengers it carries each day; to them it is just a convenient mode of transport
- a machine.
I look at the multi-vision screen again. The frame is too large and jagged; a lot of friction and pressure must be dealt with
while it operates. It must be a hinderance, a barrier to the speeds it was designed to perform.
I shake my head abruptly to put the thought out of my head. A hairpin falls out, and I turn my head to look for it. At that
moment, a sniggering street rat shoves me past, and reaches out his hand to strike my handbag down.
"Old country rat ain't ya?" He yells at me as he runs past, dissolving amongst the crowds. I look down. Of course my handbag
is not there any more. It ahs been swept away by the thousands jostling in this small space at rush hour time.
My ticket. It's in that handbag. Dammit!
Someone taps my shoulder. I turn around. Brown hair, glasses.
"Lookin' for this?" He drawls as he hands me back my bag. Tarheel accent? Can't be. I survery his appearance for more clues.
Orange and pink combo - must be lacking in the fashion department/had a tough day at the launderette or just plain gay.
Whichever it is, there's no need to worry about pick-up lines. Something about his manner...Police?
"Thank you, officer," I turned around to walk away.
He jumped back in surprise. "Hey, wait, don't leave me here!"
I obeyed his command.
"You some kinda psychic?" From his expression, I saw that he was greatly puzzled.
"I am not sure whether I am one, but I am sure that wasn't a pick-up line," I answered, hoping this would clear it up.
"How?" This man was perplexed, and was now squinting his eyes, trying to glare the trick out of me.
"Easy, it's because you'e not attracted to girls."
"OK so I AM gay, but how did you know that?"
"That's easy too. You wear pink, and police officers don't wear pink."
"Whoa, Whoa, girl! Don't go all psychic on me! So I am in the AD Police - but how did you know THAT???"
"WOmen's intuition." I smiled as I excused myself, leaving him stranded on the platform.
I really needed to catch that express.
Really.
__________________________
Linna pushed her chair in as she stood up.
"That should be my 2 o'clock express." She muttered as she took a glance at the screen.
"And I got a band rehearsal. Gotta work over the bridge. Well, we've played hokey enough, haven't we?"
Linna nodded. "Yeah, and I gotta face that durned boomer woman after the lunch break. She said she wanted to see me."
She grimaced as thoughts of possible discussion topics flashed through her head.
"Well, looks like the rest of the world is waiting for us to move on. I'll see ya tonite."
With that, Priss picked up her jacket, and in the distance Linna heard Priss's motorcycle start up, then speed away.
Linna sighed, then checked into the terminal.
_________________________
Daley was staring into his coffee. Women's intuition. Like he hadn't thought of that.
He felt atap at his shoulder.
"C'mon Daley, you weren't like this! You're the one who teases me when I'm depressed, not the other way around."
Daley twisted his mouth into some sorta smile. "You're gloating over this, aren't ya?"
"No, how coudl I be overjoyed about ...Okay, maybe just a little." Leon grinned as he scratched the back of his head.
"What IS the prob? You looked happy until the lunch break...?"
"Leon, jsut shut up, okay? Your colsolations are just another nightmare that I need to get counseling about."
"Hey! That's not a nice remark! I'll shut up after this - will going out with me make you feel better?"
Daley was exasperated. Will this monkey never stop?
"Look, Leon, just because I'm gay it doesn't mean that I want to go after every chick on the highway alright?"
"Well, I want to go after every chick on the highway, provided that she's pre...Whoa! Nene! I didn't know you were here?!"
Nene smirked as she walked out of her cubicle. "Every chick huh? Wait till Priss hears about THIS, Leon-chan! Now you definetely
blew your only chance to get her e-mail!"
Leon was now grabbing at any straw to get out of the mess.
"Nene, I really didn't mean naything in that context..."
"Yes you did, sunshine and now you gotta pay for it! Nyah!"
Here Nene stuck her tongue out and skipped down the corridor yelling out a "Good afternoon, everyond! I'm takin' t'nite off!"
Leon slammed his head into the wall and Daley could not help but chuckle at the sudden change of expression in the monkey's face.
"Lemme guess your next comment - you're gonna say 'Dammit how in the name of Heaven did this turn to a kiddie shack??' right, Leon?"
Leon was stunned.
"Hey, Le-on...!" Daley tapped at his shoulder, and Leon came back into his senses.
"Hey, how did you know that?"
"If I was a gal, I'd call it women's intuition, but since I am not, I call it getting used to your IQ."
With this, Daley left, leaving Leon stranded.
Leon stared after Daley for a few seconds, then he regained his intelligence.
"Hey, partner, wait?"
______________________
Linna was the last one to arrive, bursting in upon Sylia and the others with dishevelled hair and work clothes still on.
"That durned boomer executive found out about my hacking attempt and made me mop the whole office floor." She grumbled as she plonked
herself between Nene and Priss upon the couch.
Priss raised her finger. "Can we commence the important meeting now?"
Nene raised an eyebrow, but Sylia sent a look at Nene before any comments were made.
"Well, yes, we should begin..." Sylia started, and Nene buried herself deeper into the couch.
"So what is it? The rogue boomer we did yesterday came back alive?"
i3rd February 2040 - Bought ticket to Tokyo./i
This will probably be my last ride on the skyhook. Actually, it had better be - my visa expires next month.
Then I can go to Amsterdam to exhibit my photo collection and visit Langley. Although the photo collection is
a cover-up of my life - jsut a hobby, meeting Langley is all business: a dace with Death.
Likewise, I have 2 reasons for being in Tokyo: one is to capture the mythicak Knightsabers on film and the other
is to meety someone for Langley. I dod not yet know who this person is; further instructions will be given when I meet
that person.
I do no know, or try to know, the who-what-and-why elements of Langley's commands. I understnad it to be a threat to my
life; I suspect it to be a threat to Langley. I do not question however - He questioned and He was dealt with. I do not
want to be dealt with. Therefore I do not question in the first place.
A large multi-vision screen is showing the 2-o'clock express. How the Skyhook operared will for ever be a mystery to me.
It only seems ordinary to the millions of passengers it carries each day; to them it is just a convenient mode of transport
- a machine.
I look at the multi-vision screen again. The frame is too large and jagged; a lot of friction and pressure must be dealt with
while it operates. It must be a hinderance, a barrier to the speeds it was designed to perform.
I shake my head abruptly to put the thought out of my head. A hairpin falls out, and I turn my head to look for it. At that
moment, a sniggering street rat shoves me past, and reaches out his hand to strike my handbag down.
"Old country rat ain't ya?" He yells at me as he runs past, dissolving amongst the crowds. I look down. Of course my handbag
is not there any more. It ahs been swept away by the thousands jostling in this small space at rush hour time.
My ticket. It's in that handbag. Dammit!
Someone taps my shoulder. I turn around. Brown hair, glasses.
"Lookin' for this?" He drawls as he hands me back my bag. Tarheel accent? Can't be. I survery his appearance for more clues.
Orange and pink combo - must be lacking in the fashion department/had a tough day at the launderette or just plain gay.
Whichever it is, there's no need to worry about pick-up lines. Something about his manner...Police?
"Thank you, officer," I turned around to walk away.
He jumped back in surprise. "Hey, wait, don't leave me here!"
I obeyed his command.
"You some kinda psychic?" From his expression, I saw that he was greatly puzzled.
"I am not sure whether I am one, but I am sure that wasn't a pick-up line," I answered, hoping this would clear it up.
"How?" This man was perplexed, and was now squinting his eyes, trying to glare the trick out of me.
"Easy, it's because you'e not attracted to girls."
"OK so I AM gay, but how did you know that?"
"That's easy too. You wear pink, and police officers don't wear pink."
"Whoa, Whoa, girl! Don't go all psychic on me! So I am in the AD Police - but how did you know THAT???"
"WOmen's intuition." I smiled as I excused myself, leaving him stranded on the platform.
I really needed to catch that express.
Really.
__________________________
Linna pushed her chair in as she stood up.
"That should be my 2 o'clock express." She muttered as she took a glance at the screen.
"And I got a band rehearsal. Gotta work over the bridge. Well, we've played hokey enough, haven't we?"
Linna nodded. "Yeah, and I gotta face that durned boomer woman after the lunch break. She said she wanted to see me."
She grimaced as thoughts of possible discussion topics flashed through her head.
"Well, looks like the rest of the world is waiting for us to move on. I'll see ya tonite."
With that, Priss picked up her jacket, and in the distance Linna heard Priss's motorcycle start up, then speed away.
Linna sighed, then checked into the terminal.
_________________________
Daley was staring into his coffee. Women's intuition. Like he hadn't thought of that.
He felt atap at his shoulder.
"C'mon Daley, you weren't like this! You're the one who teases me when I'm depressed, not the other way around."
Daley twisted his mouth into some sorta smile. "You're gloating over this, aren't ya?"
"No, how coudl I be overjoyed about ...Okay, maybe just a little." Leon grinned as he scratched the back of his head.
"What IS the prob? You looked happy until the lunch break...?"
"Leon, jsut shut up, okay? Your colsolations are just another nightmare that I need to get counseling about."
"Hey! That's not a nice remark! I'll shut up after this - will going out with me make you feel better?"
Daley was exasperated. Will this monkey never stop?
"Look, Leon, just because I'm gay it doesn't mean that I want to go after every chick on the highway alright?"
"Well, I want to go after every chick on the highway, provided that she's pre...Whoa! Nene! I didn't know you were here?!"
Nene smirked as she walked out of her cubicle. "Every chick huh? Wait till Priss hears about THIS, Leon-chan! Now you definetely
blew your only chance to get her e-mail!"
Leon was now grabbing at any straw to get out of the mess.
"Nene, I really didn't mean naything in that context..."
"Yes you did, sunshine and now you gotta pay for it! Nyah!"
Here Nene stuck her tongue out and skipped down the corridor yelling out a "Good afternoon, everyond! I'm takin' t'nite off!"
Leon slammed his head into the wall and Daley could not help but chuckle at the sudden change of expression in the monkey's face.
"Lemme guess your next comment - you're gonna say 'Dammit how in the name of Heaven did this turn to a kiddie shack??' right, Leon?"
Leon was stunned.
"Hey, Le-on...!" Daley tapped at his shoulder, and Leon came back into his senses.
"Hey, how did you know that?"
"If I was a gal, I'd call it women's intuition, but since I am not, I call it getting used to your IQ."
With this, Daley left, leaving Leon stranded.
Leon stared after Daley for a few seconds, then he regained his intelligence.
"Hey, partner, wait?"
______________________
Linna was the last one to arrive, bursting in upon Sylia and the others with dishevelled hair and work clothes still on.
"That durned boomer executive found out about my hacking attempt and made me mop the whole office floor." She grumbled as she plonked
herself between Nene and Priss upon the couch.
Priss raised her finger. "Can we commence the important meeting now?"
Nene raised an eyebrow, but Sylia sent a look at Nene before any comments were made.
"Well, yes, we should begin..." Sylia started, and Nene buried herself deeper into the couch.
"So what is it? The rogue boomer we did yesterday came back alive?"