THE JOB, Chapter 5: The Secret Word Is...

FOREWORD: Nobuyuki will find out in the next chapter, I swear!

AUTHOR: Dreamr

LAST REVISION: 30 October 2002

EMAIL: TrueDreamr@Hotmail.com

BEGIN.

WHAM!

Ryoko looked up at the stage and saw that Mihoshi had fallen on her face again.

"That's five!" She yelled to Rich's wife, who was tending the bar tonight. The short Japanese woman turned around and made another mark on the chalk board behind her, adding yet one more tick to the total for this evening.

Two weeks ago, as she walked among the tables, she had seen a couple of guys making bets on how many times Mihoshi would trip and fall. They had stayed all night, and actually kept count. Being the kind of person to take advantage of a good idea if it benefited her, she suggested to Rich that they start a betting pool. It had taken a bit to work it out so it was legal. Apparently, betting was considered a form of gambling, and was illegal in a bar. But, Rich turned it into a fifty/fifty raffle, with half the pot going to the winners, and the other half going to customer-related improvements. At any rate, the customers seemed to like it.

Looking up at the clock, Ryoko saw that Mihoshi had only five minutes left in her shift. She scanned the room, taking a quick count of those present. The bar was packed. Since she and Mihoshi had started dancing, business had boomed. They worked adjacent shifts, so most customers stuck around for both of them. The cash was coming in at a satisfactory rate. Before too long, she would have enough money to take Tenchi anywhere she wanted. She sighed, letting a huge grin of anticipation show on her face.

"Hey, everybody!"

Ryoko looked up at the stage. Some poor fool had given Mihoshi a microphone.

"I'm all done, now. But thank you for coming to see me!"

The spectators cheered Mihoshi. Her bubbly personality seemed to be compensation enough for the small amount of embarrassment she still exhibited when she got on stage. Even though that all-too frequent emotion often was the source of Mihoshi's clumsiness, her lack of grace was a source of entertainment and profit for the bar. Not to mention it helped pay the rent for both of them. Oblivious to the deeper realm of possibilities and futures within her own feelings, Mihoshi continued to smile at the microphone.

"Ryoko's up next. If you really like her, then you should give her all your money. That way she can take Tenchi on a trip!"

In the blink of an eye, Ryoko was on the stage. She snatched the microphone from Mihoshi and gave her a push towards the edge of the platform.

"Get lost, air-head."

"Hold on, Ryoko! I forgot my tips!"

A sudden gust of wind swept Mihoshi's earning into a swirling column and then dumped them at her feet as Ryoko took over control of the viewing area.

"There. Now scram!"

The pirate turned dancer quickly returned to the center of the stage with Mihoshi's microphone in hand.

"Hey, guys."

"HEY!"

She put on her most seductive smile.

"Who's ready for a real show?"

"WE ARE!"

Giving the microphone a twirl as she held the long cord, she let it go, sending the implement flying right to the waiting hands of the DJ. Closing her eyes, Ryoko began to dance. Only occasionally did she allow her observers to look into her golden eyes. They saw only her body. But hidden behind her shuttered lids, Ryoko saw the reason for reinitiating her career in the field of men's entertainment. Money, and her own confused sense of gratification were no longer motivators. She was no longer confused, and the money was necessary only as a means to an end. The end of the beginning of her new life. For now, she drew on the experiences of the past, despite the unpleasantness it brought her. Silent suggestions long forgotten still remained in the tangled confusion of memories that her work dug out of the past. That the suggestions she insinuated with her body would never be acted on in more than a fantastical way gave small comfort to the young woman. But the sins of her innocent youth were harsh and masterful. Each night brought renewed memories of similar nights spent in similar places with similar men. Some were better, some were worse, all were tempting. Each night, Ryoko worked harder so the duration of her employ would be shortened, thus the number and duration of past temptations would also be shortened. The desire to just let go and enjoy her freedom called and beckoned to her each time she got on the dance floor. Only one thing kept a creature of the night from venturing into the night she loved: the promise of something better. Each night, Ryoko reminded herself that Tenchi was worth waiting for.

Nobuyuki Masaki owned a van. It was silver, with an off-white interior. There was nothing strange or unusual about it, except for the fact that he was driving it back to the house on a Thursday, instead of Friday. Normally, he commuted from his small apartment in town to the architecture firm where he worked feverishly to keep his family, and his family's friends, taken care of.

Being a trusted member of the firm, and an established employee with a track record of satisfactory performance, fate, or perhaps one of the firm's partners, had seen fit to give him an opportunity to acquire a huge new contract from a prospective developer. All he had to do was take them to a business dinner and convince them they should do business with his firm.

The middle-aged architect was bubbling and smiling with visions of promotions and raises as he parked the van under the awning next to the side door of the house he had designed for his family. Ironically, his house was filled with more aliens than family. The sounds of female squabbling that emanated from within attested to that. For only the millionth time, Nobuyuki wondered what his dear departed Achika would think of such a thing.

"Ah, well. At least if I get promoted, the money won't be such a problem anymore."

With a smile still on his face, Tenchi's father opened the door and stepped in to once more subject himself to the various conflicting personalities that made his son's life so complicated.

"It'd be nice if someone would greet me as enthusiastically as they greet Tenchi."

Setting his briefcase and the sturdy cardboard tube which housed the proposed designs on the floor, Nobuyuki slipped his arms from the tan trench-coat and then set it on a peg near the door. Thus relieved of his material burdens, he sauntered into the main room to tell his family of his good fortune, as premature as it was.

"Hey, everybody! Guess what happened to me today?"

When there was no answer except for the continued sounds of young females arguing, he took a closer look at what was going on.

Ryoko and Aeka were both towering over the dinner table, hurling insults and pointing fingers in each other's faces. Just visible behind them, Tenchi was trying in vain to dispel the argument as peacefully as possible. At their feet, Washu sat with a cup of tea in one hand, while the other hand whisked over a holographic computer terminal. She seemed quite oblivious to the argument occurring just above her head. Sasami was trying to slip past them with a silvery pot full of steaming food held in her mittened hands. Sitting on the table, there was a small furry animal crunching up a carrot. Nobuyuki's father-in-law was nowhere to be seen. None of them was paying any attention to him. Nobuyuki wilted like a flower suddenly transported into a desert. To top it all off, the telephone suddenly roared to life, announcing another individual wanting attention from someone other than him. Reluctantly, he reached back into the hallway behind him and picked up the noisy device.

"Eh, hello?"

Kiyone's voice called out to him from across the digital wasteland.

"Hi, Mr. Masaki. Um... Mihoshi and I were wondering, um..."

"Yeah, sure. Join the party."

Kiyone's voice seemed surprised.

"Oh. That was easy. I mean, thank you very much for inviting us over for dinner."

The sound of a struggle came from the small speaker embedded in the object he was holding, then Mihoshi's voice spoke to him.

"Thank you, so much! Our stove just suddenly broke-down and we..."

There was a break in the voice, followed by the sounds of more struggling. Kiyone soon took over again.

"Anyway, we'll be right over."

Just before the professional police officer hung up, Nobuyuki heard her berating Mihoshi for breaking the afore-mentioned stove.

"If you hadn't turned it up so high...click"

With a sigh, he hung up the phone. Although he already knew exactly how many people would be sitting at the dinner table, including Mihoshi and Kiyone, Nobuyuki counted them off anyway, hoping the number would somehow come out different this time. Tenchi, Ryoko, Aeka, Sasami, Washu, Mihoshi, Kiyone, Katsuhito, and Nobuyuki made nine, not counting Ryo-o-ki. The table could fit eight in a pinch, but not with all the food needed to feed so many people.

Since his father-in-law had not yet arrived for dinner, Nobuyuki slunk off to find the elder member of the household. Perhaps the priest had prepared some tasty tidbit within the secretive confines of the shrine that he would be willing to share with his unlucky son-in-law. Or, perhaps not so unlucky. Once he won that new contract, he would finally have something to crow about.

"It was Friday night, and all through the house, not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse."

Ryoko immediately banished the strange rhyme that had suddenly come to mind. But it was true. For once, the immense bath hidden within an extra-dimensional space inside Tenchi's house was empty except for her and her sake. If she was not going to go out, she could at least have some fun. Not that it was much fun getting drunk alone.

Tossing aside the fourth travel brochure of the evening, Ryoko sighed into her drink. In just a couple of weeks she will have saved enough to pay for two people to take some of the less expensive trips. The pictures were pretty enough, but they just did not tell her enough about the places for her to seriously consider a vacation there. She knew of some really nice places off-planet. But the money she earned on Earth was useless anywhere else. It would have to be here.

The door to her Fortress of Solitude slid open, admitting another soul or six. Mihoshi, Kiyone, Aeka, Sasami, Washu, and Ryo-o-ki all entered to immerse themselves in the soothing waters.

"Oh, hi, Ryoko!" Mihoshi's enthusiastic voice greeted her first, followed by most of the others.

Aeka groaned when she saw her rival was already present.

"Do you ever do anything except lounge around, uselessly consuming resources?"

"I pay rent." Although Ryoko did not put much into her comeback, it still caused Aeka's hackles to visibly rise.

Gritting her teeth in annoyance, Aeka set her small box of bath liquids and shampoos down on the wooden floor near a handy wash stool.

"I will find out what you're planning."

Sasami set her own bathing supplies just away from her sister's.

"I think it's very responsible of Ryoko to chip in. We haven't run short of money at all since she started working."

Like a linesman in tennis, Washu scored the point: Ryoko 2, Aeka 0. (Yes, I know tennis is scored in increments of 15.)

"Yup. It's sure lookin' good for Ryoko! You'd better pick-up the pace, princess."

"I am quite aware of that, LITTLE Washu."

Aeka quietly simmered as she carefully arranged her extensive cache of cleaning supplies around her. Blowing up at Ryoko at this point would only make her appear jealous of the pirate. She was just starting to get back in the mind-set of taking a warm bath, rather than confronting her nemesis, when Mihoshi found something to slip on. With a cry of dismay, the perky blond slipped on the brochure Ryoko had carelessly tossed aside and fell flat on her back.

Whump!

"Ow, ow, ow..."

Kiyone groaned at Mihoshi's display of clumsiness.

"For crying out loud, Mihoshi! How do find so many things to trip on? Eh? What's this?"

Kneeling down to inspect the crumpled paper stuck to the bottom of Mihoshi's right foot, she saw that it was a travel brochure for an exotic locale. Her detective's instincts immediately kicked in, and she quickly discerned that it belonged to Ryoko. With a knowing smile, she dangled the paper pages at arm's length and wiggled it as if she were fishing for something.

"Hey, Ryoko. Planning a trip?"

As soon as Ryoko saw that someone had gotten a hold of one of her brochures, she leapt out of the water to retrieve it, heedless of her lack of modesty.

"Gimme that!"

Kiyone playfully snatched it away.

"A little vacation for two, perhaps?"

Ryoko lunged again, forcing Kiyone to step back. In the background, Aeka's ears began to twitch as she unavoidably listened in on the playful argument.

"Give it back!"

"What makes you think Tenchi will say yes?"

Ryoko's look of annoyance was quickly replaced by anger. She snarled at Kiyone as her energy sword appeared in her hand clenched hands.

Seeing that she had pushed Ryoko a little too far with her good-natured ribbing, Kiyone sent the hot-potato someone else's way by flinging the magazine like a Frisbee.

"Aeka!"

The princess turned around just in time to catch the sheaf of papers right in the face.

Whap!

"Ow!"

Ryoko leapt at Aeka with a cry of anger.

The sight of Ryoko in her full fury was not a pretty one for the First Princess. So she did the only thing that made any sense: she erected a protective force-field. Ryoko slammed into the shield, sword first. The energy release caused the water drops on her bare skin to vaporize, sending streamers of steam into the air. Flashes of light and crackling energy filled the baths, sending the others scrambling for shelter from the coming storm. Peeking out from behind her sister, Sasami looked down at the object of contention while Aeka taunted her opponent.

"You dare to attack me? Very well. Take this!"

Aeka caused her shield power to surge dramatically. The sudden increase in power blasted Ryoko across the bath, where she disappeared through the bushes on the far side. Thinking she had won the encounter, Aeka lowered her shield.

"That ought to teach you to challenge me."

As she was no longer in danger, Sasami picked up the magazine and began to approach the place Ryoko had come to rest. A massive ball of energy suddenly erupted from the bushes, heading straight for Aeka. However, Sasami was standing directly between them. The other girls' eyes widened in horror as Sasami stood still, too shocked to move. Aeka yelled at her from behind.

"Sasami! Look out!"

An energy shield suddenly appeared between Sasami and the offensive attack. The ball struck the shield and exploded, scorching and burning the floor in that area, but leaving Sasami unharmed.

Ryoko stood in the bushes with her right hand held out in front of her, and her left hand wrapped around her right wrist for a brace. She looked at Sasami in surprise.

"Sasami?"

The young girl hugged the magazine to her chest.

"I just wanted to give you your magazine back."

Aeka rushed up and knelt down in front of her sister.

"Sasami, are you all right?" She carefully examined her sister for signs of injury. "You seem well."

"I'm a princess, too, you know."

Sasami's reassurance seemed to relieve Aeka's worry.

"So you are."

Ryoko walked slowly to where Sasami was standing with her sister so she could retrieve her brochure.

"So, can I have it back, or what?"

Aeka clucked her disgust as she stood.

"Tsk. If that is all you care for, then you are welcome to it."

Sasami held out the magazine so Ryoko could take it.

"You should go to Caladan."

"Caladan?" Ryoko asked as she took the papers back.

"Mmm. It's a resort planet with lots of beaches."

Ryoko contemplated that option for a moment.

"I don't think so."

"Why not?" Sasami asked. "It's perfect for you."

"It's lame."

Aeka turned her head away in disgust.

"Is it completely impossible for you to tell the truth?"

"You'd better keep quiet, princess!"

"That's where Ryoko's from."

Everyone turned to look at where Mihoshi was now sitting up on the floor. Ryoko decided to make it a little clearer to Mihoshi how she felt about having her personal facts put on display.

"Shut up! That's personal stuff!"

Sasami looked up at her again.

"Wow, Ryoko. Are you really from Caladan?"

"No, I'm not." She growled.

Mihoshi suddenly began to look completely baffled.

"But, that's what your record says."

"Well, the record's wrong."

Ryoko strode to the water's edge and jumped in, spraying water all over Washu, who had been in the process of downing as much of the sake within the floating tray as possible.

"Hey. Don't ever get between a genius scientist and her liquor."

Ryoko snatched one of the remaining bottles.

"Then get your own. This one's mine."

Behind her, Mihoshi continued to her fruitless attempts at mental exercise.

"But if Ryoko's not from Caladan, where is she from?"

Sasami joined Ryoko in the water.

"Come on, Ryoko. Tell us where you're from."

"Forget it."

Sasami latched on to her right arm and gave Ryoko her best puppy dog-eyed look.

"Please?"

Ryoko looked into the mouth of her empty bottle.

"Why should I?"

"Maybe people would be nicer to you if you talked more about yourself."

"Yeah, right. Like anybody could ever understand me."

Deciding on a warm soak before washing, rather than after, Aeka quietly made her way into the bath.

"I would not waste my time even asking. I'm sure Miss Ryoko has nothing of any interest to tell us."

"Mekina."

Everyone looked at Ryoko.

"Mekina?"

"That's what I said."

Mihoshi insisted on continuing to spin her wheels.

"Then... why does Ryoko's record say that she was born on Caladan?"

Kiyone was of a like mind about that.

"That's a good question. Care to explain, Ryoko?"

Ryoko was very carefully examining the empty bottle in her hands. She turned it around and around, then over and back again.

"It's a long story."

The two remaining women stepped in to the water, as well. Kiyone offered some encouragement as she settled herself.

"We've got plenty of time."

Ryoko sighed in resignation. Closing her eyes, she let her hands fall back into the water, submerging the bottle she was holding. The air within bubbled out of the open mouth, and burst to the surface of the water.

"I was too young to remember, but..."

END.

AFTERWORD: Aren't I wicked? I'll tell Ryoko's life story (TV version) near the end of this fic.