For every direction you could see stars there was probably a habitable planet amongst them. Ever since the dawn of time creatures look after the stars are wondering what was out there. After the space race in the 1960s humanity pushed out into deep space. Slowly but surely they made their mark on the universe. One of these marks was an old escape craft no bigger than a an expensive yacht. The four engines escape ship drifted along, it's engines having ran out of fuel long ago. Solar panels were extended but those two were on their final legs. The small reactor core was all that could produce any meaningful amount of power. Interspace wasn't a place one wanted to be stuck in, especially without a light speed drive.

The little shuttle hadn't even been equipped with one, neither the ship it abandoned. Everything except the bear essentials were kept on minimum power, navigation sensors were also turned off due to lack of fuel. The shuttle could not even detect the larger ship the size of a two story house closing in from above. The ship's docking clamps lowered over the main hatch. It has been generally advised that all ships carry the same style docking port and it was one of the few relics from an old era that remained true. The clamps took hold and gently pulled the airlocks together. The larger ships hatch opened and two figures wearing pressure suits approached the door. Both of them held handheld welder's. The door took no less than three minutes to cut through before it was pushed in. There was a loud bang within the ship as the two turned off the torches.

The lead one turned on his helmet lamps illuminating the dark and interior. "Geez I've only seen one of these in museums" he muttered to himself.

"These puppies are over 70 years old. They launched back in 2065" his companion commented.

Both of them moved in deeper into the shuttle, computers slowly began to turn on at the presence of life. Readouts began to display and systems placed on low power and began to warm up. Both men paused and looked at each other. They didn't expect something so old to have such a quality of life feature. Despite the tech being a lot more rudimentary it wasn't to do similar in design to what they were using now.

The leader pulled out a scanner, a dot appeared over a schematic. "Life signals coming from the middle, it's pretty faint. Our sensors must've missed it when we were coming in" he said.

"There goes our salvage," the other lamented. "Unless we can get them to sign it over for a cheap penny"

The commanding officer looked at his subordinate with a disapproving look. "Come on let's see if this things right" he responded before continuing.

The two moved on following the signal. They reached a small room with the door closed. Both of them took positions on either side of the door. The second man touched a stud on the door control panel. The door moved into the wall with a whoosh. The commander peeked in and saw a 10 foot long floor mounted cryogenic capsule on the opposite side of the room. Checking the scanner it was indeed what they were looking for.

The commanding officer let out a deep sigh. "Pressurize the ship, we just lost our savage"

"I'll see what I can do" The second one said.

The commander stepped over to the pod. The cover had frosted over. Placing a gloved hand gently on the cover he wiped the frost away revealing a boy no older than 20 in hibernation. Dark brown hair adorned the top of his head with a slender frame the compliment it. The older man felt a cold wave rush over him. God knows how long the shuttle had been drifting and it was lucky the guy was even found. Let's get you outta here. He thought to himself. The sounds of the vents grew intenser, lights began fluttering before going stable.

A tall dark haired man observed his patient named Mark though a camera mounted on the corner. His patient was awake and enjoying a meal of bacon and eggs. The 20 year old ate peacefully. There was a window to the room but given the five story height of the building it was never meant to open. It was honestly better that way, if the boy knew he would probably take a jump to his death. The doctor took a breath. How am I gonna explain it?. He thought. Something like this has never been done before, The doctor was the first to tell someone they had slept for over 70 years. The ship was called 'smile' and had a almost mythic reputation for its disappearance. Computer logs told a different story. The ship simply fell into an astroid storm and was torn apart. It was believed that there were no survivors. The doctor began towards the door gently opening it. He was about to tell someone that everyone he knew was dead and to top it all off he had an a hospital bill over 50,000. Not exactly one would call good news.

Mark finished eating just as the doctor walked in. Mark placed his fork down as he watched the doctor.

"Anything wrong with me doc?" Mark inquired.

The doctor shook his head. Mark. Felt a wave of relief coming over him. Well that's good. He mused as he grabbed the glass of water and sipped it. There was still something about the doctor that told him something was up. Something that he probably would find out eventually.

"It's regarding the year. Chirst, I really don't know how to word this" the doctor admitted.

Mark suddenly felt uneasy. He knew this was coming and accepted long ago that there was a possibility that everyone he knew and loved was already dead.

"It would've taken me 100 years to get to Alpha Centauri, so how long have I been out there?"

The doctor nodded. "70 years, a deep space salvation team found you..." The doctor trailed off.

Mark drew a breath. "Shit...oh shit" he muttered in surprise.

He was earlier than expected, but it didn't stop the nagging feeling in the back of his mind. He quickly shoved it aside. He was currently the oldest man in the room let alone the damn hospital. He didn't even look a day over 20.

"We're going to have to keep you here for a few weeks. Rehabilitation and what not" The doctor said taking a more casual approach.

"Yeah, I know the drill" Mark nodded.

Cryogenic freeze was difficult, The body would be need to be extensively worked after a long sleep. Muscles would need to be strengthened once again. He'd been thought it twice when jobs went on far longer than anticipated. 70 years... 70 years. He thought in dismay. The one thing that kept us from being a complete shit show was him not being dead. The hospital bill was gonna be a costly one. Mark shuddered at the imaginary prices. Mark picked up his water and took another sip. It was gonna be a rough couple of weeks.

His body was still recovering but he was getting better. He could stand on his own now meaning he could clean up. He could lift 50 pounds now, his old record was 120. The skyline wasn't much to brag about, Aside from looking futuristic it didn't feel off. With the advent of hyper space time wasn't much for concern anymore. A dozen years to reach planet would now be hours. He gazed on with a glass of orange juice in hand. Mark heard a pair of footsteps approaching the open doorway. Suddenly they stopped and a knock sounded.

"Come in" Mark said dryly.

Only one pair of footsteps entered.

"Someone's hear this see you mr Harrison" a nurse said.

Mark could see the man in the windows reflection. A tall man, dirty blond hair and blue eyes. He wore a two piece blue suit with a green tie.

"Unless you are related then leave. I've got no money for any of you"

Scammers had been poking around for the past 5 days. Mark was sick and tired of it and wanted to scream. The man look hurt. Mark saw the man hadn't left. He turned facing the older man. Suddenly the man responded.

"Are you interested in a job Mr. Harrison?"

"Well I've got 50,000 to pay off so yes" Mark nodded slowly.

The man smiled pulling out a thin device. He stepped close handing it too Mark. The 20 year old looked at the man and then the pad. Confusion quickly formed on the boys face. 3WA?. Mark looked at the company name. It was an odd name.

"I'm Gooley Francess. For some reason the master computer has told us to offer you a position as a trouble consultant" he explained.

"I'm sorry could you explain what the job entails?" He said sceptically.

Gooley stepped over to the bed and sat down. "A trouble consultant is an agent. As part of the Worlds Welfare Works Association it is an agent's job to deal with the trouble assigned to them by the master computer," Gooley explained. "Try think of it as being a 007 thing" he advised.

Mark did as he stepped over to the door. Signalling a nurse she approached.

"Anything I can help you with?" She inquired.

Mark nodded. "Is this legit?" He passed her the pad.

The nurse looked it over. Her face lit up with surprise. She then passed it back.

"I'd take it if I were you," she told him. "The first paycheck on loan will be enough to pay out the hospital bill" she added.

Mark looked in shock. The nurse then stepped away towards her duties. Mark was stunned. Here was a job right out of the gate and a chance to pay off all of his debt. He would have to be an idiot to pass it up!.

"Are you satisfied?" Gooley inquired.

Mark decided to go for it. "Yeah, I'm in" he responded.

Gooley smiled. "Just sign your name on the pad and once you've recovered and adjusted you'll start training"

Mark liked that. He had some time to get used to things. Finding the light pen he signed it not before reading the whole thing including the fine print. Gooley stood and grabbed the pad and pen.

"Thank you, see you in three weeks"

Mark only nodded as the man walked out. Moving over to the bed Mark sat down. Well at least I got a job with a good pay and benefits. He optimistically thought. Slowly he laid down. He had some phone numbers still rattling around in his brain, it would be fun to see which one worked. He passed. The heartbreak wasn't worth it. Reaching for the television remote he turned it on. Letting the sounds overtake him.

Gooley felt like he was about to have a heart attack. The latest report from the 'Lovely angels' was enough to make a nun swear. The sheer number of incidents these two had caused had earned them a very different name. The Dirty Pair, it was enough to send even the most hardened criminal into a moment of complete fear. Their track record was solid. The property damage was high as usual and the mental stress they cause them was at an all-time high. Wiping the sweat from his brow he sighed deeply. Nobody causing more trouble than those two. Why the master computer still gave them high priority jobs was beyond him. Speaking of the master computer it pinged again making a decision on who Harrison would be folded in with for his 3WA position. Queueing up the results he gasped. He almost had a heart attack again!.

"You've got to be fucking kidding me!" He said in alarm.

Putting the newbie with Kei and Yuri of all people. Two of the most destructive people in 3WA!. Gooley slumped into his chair in defeat. There was no arguing at the computer, it was a cold and logical machine unburdened by personal feelings. He had no choice in the matter. This isn't gonna go well. He thought despairingly as he picked up the phone. No he had to tell both Kei and Yuri. The dirty pair was about to become a dirty trio.

"May god have mercy on that boy" he said before putting in the final digit.

The next day Kei and Yuri entered the hospital. Both looked at the door as they road the elevator up to the fifth floor. Kei was a tall but muscular woman with a light tan and brilliant short red hair and a fiery temper. Yuri stood beside her, blue hair, slender but well built frame and dark long blue hair. Both were wearing more casual civilian clothes. Yuri wore grey skinny jeans and a green jacket whist Kei wore a pair of grey short shorts and red tank top.

"I still can't believe that damn computer," Kei vented. "A guy, a guy who slept through every major event for the past 70 years!"

Yuri was much more neutral to the idea. She wasn't gonna make any harsh judgments till she at least met the guy.

"Kei just chill out. You haven't even met the guy," Yuri then felt the elevator stop. "He might be cute"

The doors then slid apart. Kei sceptically walked though with Yuri. They were looking for room 259.

"He better be after all that beauty sleep" Kei responded dryly.

The two reached room 259 and Yuri knocked. After a minute the door opened. He was clean shaven and had brown hair and blue eyes. He was only a few inches shorter than them but his frame was skinnier. Mark looked at them oddly, completely confused by the visit.

"Can I help you?" He said.

Yuri suck her right hand out. "I'm Yuri..."

Mark then went pale. "Ohhh yeah, Gooley told me about you two. Actually it was more of a warning..." Mark recalled.

Yuri wasn't so shocked. Kei on the other hand audibly groaned. Mark grasped Yuri's hand and shook it.

"How bad did he make us sound?" Kei said, now curious.

Mark hesitated. Both girls looked at him curiously, Kei growing more and more impatient by the second. Mark took a breath. This is gonna he fun. He thought dryly.

"Only the juicy details," Mark replied. "It's both terrifying and impressive"

Kei sighed. "Oh just our luck" she wanted to strangle her superior but couldn't.

Mark shrugged. "If I had to choose this or floating around the universe asleep never to be found I would choose the two of you"

He wanted to be open minded. Surely it couldn't be as bad as it was described, Could it?. Kei felt better as Mark invited them in.

"So what happened on Nolandia?" was the first question to come out of his mouth.

Kei shuddered, that was over a year ago. Clearly Gooley had given him some of the more juicy stories. Yuri closed the door.

She bit her lower lip. "Just an average job, minus the psychic powers" she answered vaguely.

Mark left it at that. "Alright," he replied. "You two want some coffee?"

The awkwardness was off the charts. Every syllable out of his own mouth felt like moving a freight train by hand. Luckily both Kei and Yuri nodded. For the life of him he couldn't understand why they were referred as 'The Dirty Pair'. He was probably missing a lot of context. Then again everyone had accidents, he knew it just as well as anybody. Like them he was also very lucky to even be alive. Mark touched the stud on the wall intercom and placed an order for 3 coffees. Hopefully it would be enough to break the ice a little.

A few weeks later Mark stood on the dirt with several other trainees. They were whispering amongst one another as not to be heard by him. Technically he was the oldest person here. Each of them was decked out in grey unisex jumpsuits. They were very similar in fit and structure to the old flight uniform Mark used to wear, but those had The decency to be a bit more colorful in the design.

"Uh oh here comes the drill sergeant" one of the trainees warned.

Everyone quickly lined up and waited. The man was tall around 7 feet, thick gray hair and steely brown eyes. He was wearing a military outfit, from the insignia Mark quickly figured out he was a former sergeant. The boy quickly snapped to attention. The rest quickly followed his example.

Sergeant Donovan smiled as he reached them. His gaze fixed upon Mark. "That's how it's done ladies. Back in the good old days of space exploration. Back on the chain of command was as firm as a military one," clearly he was nostalgic. "Before pirates and other scumbags took to the stars"

He then stopped before Mark, both meeting eye to eye. Mark could instantly tell he was a definite hard ass. There was a reason behind it however, to prepare the trainees for the harsh universal ahead. The drill sergeant then broke eye contact.

"Today we will be doing laps around the track. 50 laps at jogging speed" He told everyone.

The tension lowered just a little. This is where the fun begins. Mark said as everyone began jogging over to the track. He quickly joined them.

"Come on pick it up ladies!" Donovan yelled at them.

Everyone quickened there pace as the merged onto the track. From the hill Yuri and Kei watched as they sat on a red and white checkered blanket. In the middle of the blanket was a small basket. A bottle or wine rested up against the basket as the two sipped from glasses.

Kei watched the newbies going around the track as Yuri read a newspaper on her pad. The news of Mark being folded into the lovely angel's had spread like wildfire and Kei and Yuri were in the papers again.

"We're famous again" she passed Kei the article.

Kei looked reading the title. "Is Harrison an attempt to reel the Dirty pair in?... what the fuck is this shit!" Kei asked continuing to read the article and only getting angrier.

It was a blatant lie!. Mark was lumped with them thanks to the central computer. Another pair of decent years and eyes would be an improvement but to say it was to 'reel them in' is nothing short of fantasy.

"Let them go at it. The more they hype it up the more they'll be disappointed" Yuri smirked.

The disappointment alone would be hilarious to see. Besides it was better than giving fuel to the fire. Kei reluctantly agreed.

"Yeah," Kei sighed. "So how's he doing?"

Yuri grabbed a pair of small electric binoculars. Looking through she got a good look at Mark. He was keeping up very well for a guy who only woke up a few weeks ago.

"Pretty good," Yuri told her. "He's in third place"

Kei grabbed the binoculars and looked. She saw him keeping his pace as the drill instructor kept egging them on. Donovan what is the biggest hard ass in 3WA. No one better to train recruits than him. A former army sergeant whose sense of humour was almost non-existent. Kei took a sip of her red wine. Having Mark on would be interesting. Kei and Yuri continued watching the recruits. It wasn't going to the beach topless but it would do.

End of prologue.