A/N – I have some news that'll be of interest to any British Nadesico fans who might be reading this. I've recently found out that Nadesico is being shown on British TV for the first time ever! It, along with Evangelion, is being shown on the Sci-Fi channel as part of a show called Saiko-Exciting, which is on at 10am on Saturdays and is repeated at 8am on Sundays and 5pm on Mondays. Sorry if you already knew, but I only just found out!
With that said, onward with the story!
Fifteen
Morning came eventually and Ruri found herself more able to manage her thoughts in her usual logical fashion. It was clear that she had to act now or risk losing her life - the one thing she had left.
Since it was Nergal who had hired the assassin, he would know that she was staying at Seven Oaks. That meant he could strike at her at any time. However, Ruri had made a few assumptions which would make things a bit more difficult for her would-be killer. Since no attempt had been made on her life after that one yesterday, it was fair to say that something was keeping him away from the orphanage.
She'd applied a bit of logic to the situation and decided that they wanted her death to appear as an accident or suicide, rather then a murder. A murder would point the finger at Nergal, since they would be just about the only suspects. If her death was to appear a murder, then the assassin would have to get her when she was alone, otherwise there would be either a witness or another corpse in the equation. That would explain why he hadn't attacked her at the orphanage, since nearly all the time she was here, she was in someone else's company. That was true of school as well, meaning that she was at her most vulnerable when travelling between the two.
And that was the reason why she could not leave the orphanage. Once she was outside the gates, she was a target and could be attacked at any time. However, staying at the orphanage wasn't as easy at it sounded, since an unlikely obstacle had arisen in the form of Miss Nishida. She wouldn't let any child miss school without a good reason – she was very strict on that front. To get around her Ruri had planned to hide in the cellar for the day, but then she'd confided in Mikoto, who'd had a better idea. She'd suggested that she fake her own illness. If she was convincing enough, that would be more then enough reason for taking a day off.
So both of them had put on a show. After everyone else had left for school Miss Nishida had come up to find them both still in bed. Naturally, she'd demanded to know why they were still here and Mikoto had replied in a dramatically weak voice that she was feeling absolutely terrible and felt like throwing up. She was quite an actress and had Ruri not known, she would have been fooled as well. When she herself had been asked, she'd just emitted a low groan, like Mikoto had instructed her to. Miss Nishida had bought the whole thing and immediately set about getting them extra pillows, glasses of water and bowls to put by their beds, just in case they were sick. Ruri found it amazing that Mik's plan had actually worked, and a little sheepish that she hadn't thought of one better.
The one drawback of their scheme was that it meant they had to play sick for the whole day. So they spent the whole morning in bed. For most of this time, Ruri just dozed, catching up on the rest which she'd lost last night. She never reached proper sleep though, since every time there was a noise somewhere in the house, her eyes would instinctively flit open and she'd have to reassure herself that no danger was nearby before she could settle down again.
By early afternoon, the pair decided they were suddenly 'well' enough to get up. They kept up their performance when Miss Nishida came in to check on them, but otherwise they just hung around, waiting for the day to pass. That was fine for Ruri. Mikoto, on the other hand, found it deathly dull.
"So-o bored!" she groaned stretching out on her bed.
Ruri, who'd been sitting on her own bed and reading, looked up. "Maybe you should try doing something purposeful to occupy yourself," she suggested.
"Like what?"
"You could read a book. Or finish that homework assignment we were given yesterday,"
Mikoto wrinkled her nose. "I think I'll pass! Anyway, what are you doing reading? I thought you were meant to be thinking of a way to escape that assassin!"
"My mind is constantly on the task," Ruri said. "Even when I am reading, I can apply my mind to other things," She closed her book and sighed. "But in any case, I have not seen any logical solution yet,"
"Well, I'm sure you'll think of something eventually," said Mikoto, looking up at the ceiling blankly. "I haven't really thought of anything either, but I did have one idea. I was wondering if your old crewmates could help us,"
Ruri shook her head mournfully. "It is a good thought, but they are all still in detention. I can't meet them or even talk to them,"
"Oh right, I remember you saying that. So they're all out of reach then?"
"Yes. There's no-one…" Ruri trailed off, her eyes suddenly widening. Mikoto looked at her oddly as the white girl murmured, "Miss Fressange!"
"Huh? Who?"
"Miss Fressange. She wasn't a part of the crew who retook the Nadesico, so she wasn't detained. That means I can contact her." She immediately brought her computer onto her lap and began typing.
"Wait a second, who is this Miss Fressange?"
"Miss Inez Fressange is a researcher in the employ of Nergal," replied Ruri, not looking up from the screen. "She became a crew-member on the Nadesico after we found her on Mars. She has done a great deal to enhance our understanding of the ancient technology found on Mars, such as the P-T engine,"
"Hey, did you say she works for Nergal?" asked Mikoto, trying to pull Ruri's attention from her computer. "If she's part of Nergal, surely that means…"
"It's all right. She's not like Akatsuki or Erina. I trust her," She tapped in a few more keys. "Here, I've found her phone number,"
"Sheesh, that was quick!"
"Yes. Now I will need a telephone,"
"Well, Miss Nishida has one in her office,"
"That will do," Ruri immediately upped and strode out of the door. Mikoto followed her, a little overwhelmed by this sudden rush of action.
The pair scurried downstairs and found Miss Nishida in the games room, tidying up. She was stacking magazines on a shelf next to the television, and turned around as they approached her.
"Well, you two seem much more lively now!" she observed with an smile.
"Yes," replied Ruri impatiently. "We were wondering if we could use the phone in your office,"
Miss Nishida's face smile faded to curiosity as this abrupt request. "Whatever for?" she asked, her eyes expanding behind her spectacles.
Ruri opened her mouth, but she didn't have a reply ready. Fortunately, Mikoto stepped in for her with a very well-crafted fib.
"It's for this science project which Ruri and I are doing. We have to get stuff on volcanoes, so we ordered this book from the library and we want to phone up to see if it's come yet. Please Miss Nishida, it's really, really important!"
Miss Nishida, trusting as ever, accepted this. "Well, I suppose you can use it then. As long as you don't talk for too long. Money doesn't grow on trees you know!" She followed up with her characteristic grin.
Although it was hard not to wince at the cliché, Ruri nodded a thank-you to her and immediately went through to orphanage's main office, next door to the games room at the bottom of the stairs. The tiny room was completely cluttered, but Ruri managed to find the phone on the desk, hidden underneath a hefty wad of papers. Mikoto watched her as Ruri lifted the receiver.
"You are good at lying," Ruri observed as she dialled the numbers.
Mikoto shifted her shoulders indifferently. "It's a useful talent to have,"
"Evidently," murmured Ruri, punching in the final digit. She brought up the handset by her ear as she heard the dull, cyclic ring tone. "Please pick up," she hissed imploringly.
The ring tone continued for several more seconds and it seemed like there would be no response at all, until eventually, to Ruri's dismay, the answer phone kicked in.
"Hello, this is Miss Inez Fressange speaking. I apologise, but at the moment I'm incredibly busy on a very important project and am therefore unable to take your call. However, in a few seconds you will be diverted to a Nergal employee who will be happy to forward any messages to me. Thank you for your call. Have a nice…"
Ruri immediately slammed the handset down, cutting the connection.
"What!?" inquired Mikoto.
"They were diverting me to Nergal," explained Ruri. "I didn't want them to trace me,"
"Oh? What difference would it have made? They already know you're here,"
"True, but if they traced the call to this orphanage they would have seen what I was intending and know that I know that I am a target for assassination. I believe that would cause them to abandon the caution they are currently using and instead take steps to eliminate me as soon as possible. Furthermore, it would have put Miss Fressange in danger too, if they suspected that she was assisting me."
"Okay, okay I get it!" asserted Mik, holding up her hands at Ruri's reason. "So I take it you didn't get through to her?"
"No," replied Ruri, her bunches swinging around as she shook her head. "The answer phone said she was too busy to take the call. Chances are that it will be hard to get hold of her any time soon,"
"Oh," murmured Mikoto disappointedly. "So now we've got to think of another plan?"
For a moment, Ruri said nothing. Then suddenly she started up and out of the study. "I'll send her an e-mail from my laptop instead," she said over her shoulder. "That will be more likely to get through to her,"
"But what if it doesn't?" asked Mikoto, following her.
Ruri sighed. "Then we'll have to find another way." Quite what that other way would be was beyond her at the moment.
They returned to their room and Ruri brought out her computer again. Over the course of the next half-hour, she composed her e-mail message to Miss Fressange, asking for help with this horrible situation that she'd been thrust into. Though she kept her typically calm exterior on the whole time, inside she was feeling desperate. If her former colleague couldn't help her, then she didn't have many options remaining.
* * *
"Where are you taking us? What is this about?" Akito asked their escort, as they walked down the corridor.
"You'll find out soon enough," the robust guard replied, his grim expression holding firm.
"We're not in any trouble are we?" asked Jun, coming up on the other side of the guard. "We haven't done anything!"
"I said, you'll find out soon enough!" stated the guard forcefully. "Right this way,"
Akito dropped back so that he was walking beside Seiya. "I sure hope this isn't about yesterday's ketchup incident," he murmured.
"Yeah," grunted the mechanic, giving him a side glance. "Cause if it is we'll string you up, fry-cook!"
"What are you talking about?! It was your fault!"
"Yeah, right," snorted Seiya. "Only in the eyes of the guilty, Tenkawa!"
"What's that meant to mean?!" shouted Akito.
"Hey, simmer down back there!" shouted their guard, swivelling his head around to face them. Both mechanic and cook went instantly silent, like two reprimanded school-boys.
Jun sighed. "Good thing Ruri isn't here at the moment. She'd have probably called us all idiots by now."
Eventually, their guard stopped by a metal door, which slid open after he tapped a few digits into the keypad. "Okay, go on in." Stepping to one side, he gestured them through the open door. Akito's mouth dropped open as he entered a room filled with the people with whom he'd brought peace to the solar system. Everyone's heads turned towards them as the trio walked in.
"Ah, Mr Tenkawa," said Prospector, regarding him with his fingers interlinked. "So glad you could join us."
Akito took a few more steps into this common room, staring around at everyone. Most of the key members of the crew were here, though a few were noticeably absent. "Uh, hi. What is...?"
"AKITO!"
He was nearly bowled over as he was struck by fifty-two kilograms of former Nadesico captain. Yurika hurled herself at him and enfolded him in a warm, but very restrictive, embrace.
"Yurika," Akito began awkwardly. "Uh, good to see you too." He returned her hug.
"Oh I've missed you so much! I've been so worried about you because you haven't had me with you! How have you been? You're okay aren't you? Have Jun and Seiya been good company?"
"I'm fine Yurika! Really," Akito blurted, cutting off her verbal machine-gun.
"I'm so glad to hear that!" Yurika hugged him tighter, almost to the point of cutting off his circulation.
"I'm glad to see that you're alright too," he said quietly.
Across the room, someone laughed out loud. "Well Ryoko, looks like you're too late!" giggled Hikaru. "I don't think you can break those two up now!"
"Aw, can it!" growled Ryoko, looking away to one side.
"Can it break those two up? Can what break those two up?" Izumi inquired with a tiny smirk. Megumi, sitting next to her, had the good grace to look confused, but everyone else just ignored her.
"Well, now that everyone's here we can make a start," said Prospector, shuffling some papers on the table in front of him. "There's not much to get through, but it's all pretty important stuff, so make sure you listen up. To begin with…"
"Just a moment, Mr Prospector," said Minato, sitting up straight on the sofa and holding her hand up to interrupt him. "We're missing Ruri. Shouldn't she be here?"
Prospector adjusted his glasses, suddenly looking a tad uncomfortable. "Ruri won't be able to join us. Anyway, moving on to the task in hand…"
"Hey wait a second!" said Akito, taking a step towards him. "Why can't she come? Is she sick or something?"
Prospector looked over to him. "Well, she can't come because she's elsewhere at the moment."
"What do you mean?"
"She was never here. Under UEAF detention rules she was too young to be detained and was subsequently a free agent."
"What?!" It was Yurika who responded this time, in a high voice of anxiety. "Are you saying they just threw her out into the world all by herself?!"
"No, no, of course not. Nergal dealt with the matter and had her put in an orphanage in the Northern Area. You needn't concern yourself, she's being well looked after."
"An orphanage?" A few of the other crewmembers echoed Akito's enquiry.
"Yes, an orphanage." Clearly, Prospector was becoming tired of this matter.
"So she's there in a strange place all by herself?" Yurika asked, her voice dripping with concern.
"Big deal," said Ryoko, who was leaning against the wall with her hands behind her head. "So the kid's in an orphanage. At least she can walk outside without having a camera shoved up her ass."
"Yeah, she's better off then we are," added Hikaru.
"Maybe so," muttered Yurika gloomily. From her downcast expression, it was clear that she didn't believe her own words. In the space of a few minutes her mood had reversed completely.
"Now that that's settled, let's get down to business," Prospector said.
"Right," Yurika said, her voice barely above a whisper. Akito noticed that Minato wasn't looking very happy either.
Prospector coughed and began. "As you may have realised from the fact we're all here now, the UEAF have decided to grant us a few extra privileges. Since we haven't caused them any trouble over the past few weeks, they've decided that we can now see each other at meal times as a kind of reward. What's more, we may now make use of the internal communication system, meaning we can communicate between cells at any time we wish."
"Well, that's good news," said Megumi, with a grin that was more relieved than cheerful. Having other people to talk to besides Yurika was clearly an attractive prospect to her.
"It is, but I want you all to remember that we were given these privileges on the grounds that we behaved ourselves. I shouldn't have to tell you that they can be removed just as easily." He swept a warning glare over all of them.
"Yeah, yeah, we get it," said Seiya. "So what else you got for us?"
"Um yes, there's one more important announcement I have to make," said Prospector turning over a paper. "Have any of you heard about these Earth Government meetings that are taking place at the moment?"
When everyone replied with blank stares, he continued. "The Earth Government has met in order to determine their stance on the war. They will also review their inquiry of the events that took place on Mars." He pushed up his glasses. "With any luck they will decide that we had humanity's best interests at heart by halting the war. That may mean a reduced sentence or we may even be released immediately!"
"Well, that certainly sounds appealing," murmured Minato.
"However, it could also go the other way," Prospector continued. "It may be decided that our actions were treacherous and dangerous to the Earth's war efforts and survival. If they look at it that way…" He trailed off uneasily.
"It means we'll be stuck in prison for real, right?" muttered Ryoko darkly.
"Well yes, that's certainly a likelihood. So as you can see it's a bit of a lottery."
"So when will we know what they've decided?" asked Akito.
"I can't say for sure. They're still going over the details, but it's expected they'll make an announcement towards the end of this week. Nothing's certain at the moment, but prepare yourselves for the worst."
"I suppose we just have to wait and see what they do with us," said Yurika softly.
"Again," remarked Ryoko in a dry tone.
"Well, that's really everything I have to say for now," said Prospector. He glanced at his watch saying, "We've got another few minutes or so before we're due to be taken to lunch, so do what you will until then," He laid his papers on the table to conclude the meeting.
Immediately the room erupted into conversation as the crew-members began to talk with each other about this news. However, one person remained noticeably silent. Akito saw Yurika's subdued demeanour and called her on it.
"Yurika, are you okay?"
"Hmm? Oh, I guess so," she replied simply. "But there is something bothering me."
"What is it? Is it about Ruri?"
"Well, yeah. I'm really worried about her,"
"Er, you probably should worry so much," said Akito, struggling for comforting things to say. "I mean, she may be just a kid, but she knows how to handle herself."
"I know, but she's always had us with her. I don't know if she'll cope as well all by herself." She lowered her head dejectedly. "She's not like a normal girl. I think she'll find it hard to fit in in an orphanage."
"Huh. You may be right," admitted Akito, scratching the back of his head nervously. "But like Ryoko said, at least she has her freedom unlike us."
"Do you think Ruri will see it that way?" Yurika asked. "I think that she'll find it very constrictive. When she was aboard the Nadesico we all treated her like an adult, but now everyone will look at her as just a normal young girl," Lifting her head to meet Akito's eyes, she said, "She'll find that hard to take."
Akito wasn't sure what disturbed him more, the implications of Yurika's statement, or the fact she was being so uncharacteristically perceptive. She was certainly making a few good points, and they were making Akito more and more anxious. Over the past year he'd grown fond of the little albino girl and the thought that she might be unhappy with her life bothered him immensely.
"You may be right," he said. "I hope she's okay." He scratched his chin thoughtfully. "However, for all we know she may be having a great time there,"
"Perhaps she is," murmured Yurika. "But I really don't see how. She's just so different to normal kids." She bowed her head again.
"Yurika," Akito murmured. "Come on, don't be so down," He took her comfortingly in his arms. She hugged him back tightly, burying her head in his chest. As she remained silent, Akito searched for something reassuring to say, and found it after a few seconds.
"Hey, I'm sure they'll let us communicate with people outside soon. That means we'll be able to talk to her and we can see for sure how she's doing."
"Do you really think so?"
"Sure," said Akito. "But until then, don't worry about her. I'm sure she's doing just fine. She's more capable then you think,"
"Yes. Yes you're right," said Yurika, producing a weak smile. "Thank you Akito. You always know how to cheer me up!" She squeezed him harder.
"Hey there you two lovebirds!" laughed Minato, who'd crept up on them with Yukina and Megumi. "Are you coming to lunch?"
"Yeah sure," said Akito, disentangling himself from his girlfriend.
"Sheesh, are you two always together?!" murmured Yukina, with over-dramatic exasperation.
"Not as often as we'd like!" said Yurika, kissing Akito on the cheek. She seemed to have regained her usual enthusiasm back in an instant.
"So what do you think about Ruri in an orphanage?" asked Minato. Reading her face, they could tell that she was concerned about the child as well.
"Oh, well, we've just been talking about that," said Akito uneasily. He'd hoped they could leave the topic for a while now that he'd finally cheered Yurika up.
"Yes," replied Yurika. "I'm a little worried about her,"
"Same here," said Minato. "I really hope she's okay, but we won't know until they let us contact her."
"Yeah, we just came to that conclusion," said Akito.
"You know, I really don't see why people are making such a big fuss over this," said Megumi, her blue eyes flitting between Yurika and Minato. "I mean, where else would she go? Even if she was in here with us, she'd have probably gone into an orphanage after they released us, right? I mean, where else could she have gone?"
"Where indeed," murmured Yurika quietly. Her expression was surprisingly thoughtful, one normally reserved for her strategic battle-plans.
"Hey, can we go to lunch now?!" demanded Yukina impatiently. "I'm hungry!"
"Yeah, let's go," said Akito. The five of them joined the others heading for the exit. As they were herded into the cafeteria in the next room, Akito found himself sparing a final thought for Ruri and wondering just how she would be faring in her new situation.
"Well, at least we're not at war anymore. It's not like her life's in danger or anything," he thought to himself with a small shrug. If she did have troubles, they'd be minute compared to the ones they'd faced before. However she was doing, surely she could be thankful for the large mercies.
