TWO

MUDDLED WATER

Review Corner

Mobmal: If she gets no trouble, I don't have a story to tell :)

Blue City,
Eastern Continent, Planet Zi,
November 15, 2127

In normal days Kenny made deliveries for Saskia every other day. Saskia's unwillingness to rely on electronic communication was close to legendary; Kenny was her first choice to send private messages or goods to colleagues all over ZOITEC plants. And it was not without reasons. Kenny was as assertive as Saskia, probably even more. ZOITEC employees that despised working with Saskia would ignore her calls or electronic messages, but they would readily accept her memo via Kenny just to make him go away.

Kenny loved Saskia, as a brother did a sister. She never once questioned his delivery fee. More often than not, she tipped him more than what he deserved. But money was not the reason behind their attachment. Saskia never saw him as a courier. She didn't use his service because he was good, although she wouldn't use him if he wasn't up to her standard. She recognized his industrious nature and decided to help him. Hardwork shouldn't go to waste, that was her answer to any inquiry on why she relied on Kenny. And Kenny returned her favor by making absolutely sure that her delivery was accepted, and acknowledged, by the intended individual.

So when suddenly Saskia stopped calling, Kenny became agitated. She hadn't called him for a month, the longest she had ever been absent. At first he was concerned. As her absence dragged on, concern became suspicion. Perhaps Saskia had employed another runner and was too coward to tell Kenny herself. He felt betrayed. When the lull reached the 20th day, Kenny knew something bad happened to her. Saskia was not the type of person who just went missing. It had happened before, but on those rare occasions she was caught up with bad people. And that was what Kenny was worried about.

"My eyes have not lain upon her for a month," Kenny told his girlfriend Roxy one day. "It is as if Mother Zi itself swallowed her. No calls, no message, nothing."

"She is an adult, is she not?" Roxy replied. Her carefree nature kept her composure. "She has a life absent you. She may be enjoying the gift of flesh with her boyfriend…"

"She does not have a boyfriend!" Kenny blurted.

"How do you know? Do you know it for a fact or is it the fruit of your imagination?" Roxy turned Kenny's face toward her. "For a 14-year-old, your obsession about an older woman starts to sound eerie."

"Mind your tongue, Roxy!" Kenny slapped Roxy's hand off his cheek. "I do not have obsession over Saskia! I am just worried that she is in trouble of some sort. Saskia is not somebody who does as she pleases absent notice. Her manner sprouts but responsibility and respect."

"My mind is trying to understand you but my tongue speaks for my heart," Roxy replied calmly, as if Kenny's outburst didn't bother her in the slightest. "You have filled your mind with thoughts of another woman instead of me."

"Apologies, I assure you my heart longs for no one else but you," Kenny mellowed out and wrapped his arms around Roxy. "But I am distraught over the disappearance of Saskia. She is a friend and a sister I never had. Would I stand idle when my sister is in trouble? Would you?"

"I wouldn't, but I would clear the matter before I make my action." Roxy said in a comforting tone. "Your heart is pure, but your mind is playing tricks on you. So if the burden of her loss consumed your heart, go and give her a visit. Give the woman a deserved chance of explanation."

Kenny took a step back to take a good look at his girlfriend. Roxy was a slender, petite girl with hair hanging loose halfway between her shoulder blades and her waist. At 14 years old, she was barely older than Kenny, but her calm demeanor and her wisdom betrayed her age. She was the source of Kenny's strength, especially in a situation like this when he didn't know where to look.

"What would I do without you?" Kenny said as he kissed her cheek.

"Now don't get sentimental before the job is done," Roxy replied with a wink. "Go visit your sister. When mind clear, come back to me."

It was a bit strange to come to Saskia's office without a job to do. The size of the building was intimidating from the outside, but once Kenny went past the security guards, it was just a cubicle farm in the inside. Hundreds of engineers sat in front of computer screens in tedious uniformity. The sound of keyboards and mouse buttons drowned the voice of human beings. Everywhere he walked, the view was all the same.

Kenny never understood how Saskia could stand working in the office. Looking at the same environment, the same people, the same room, the same tools everyday… He wouldn't last a week. Granted, she made more a day than he did a week, but sitting for hours in a confined room staring at a screen didn't sound exciting in the slightest. Kenny needed the thrill of speeding among cars on the street to keep alive. He would rather sit on the back of his organoid, Cleto, than getting fat in the office, regardless the money.

Kenny swerved between the cubicles toward Saskia's office, but was completely mortified to see a middle-aged man with a thick pair of glasses and a few strands of hair covering his balding head sitting on her chair. Kenny froze as he looked straight into the man's eyes.

"Who are you?" the man asked with malice in his voice. "What do you want?"

"Who are you?" Kenny replied. "Where is Saskia?"

"That wench doesn't work here anymore," the man huffed.

"Apologies?" Kenny couldn't believe his ears. "You called Saskia… what?"

"Put ears to work, scoundrel!" the man suddenly roared. "If she comes to presence, tell her that there's no need to show her face at ZOITEC anymore!"

"I have not laid eyes upon her in a month!" Kenny's assertiveness got the better of him. "I am standing here nothing but confused, and I am not leaving until I have an absolution!"

"This is no place for your kind!" the man hissed and grabbed his comset. "Security! Throw this lowlife out of the building!"

"Belay that demand; no need for security," an old woman came and tried to defuse the situation before it blew out of control. "I will escort this young man out."

"Never to show your ass up here again, or see yourself rot in jail!" the man hollered as the old lady tugged Kenny's hand. "Heed my words, you parasite!"

"What in the name of Zenebas is going on here?" Kenny blurted as the old lady escorted him off the office. He quickly added another entry to his list of not wanting to work in an office environment: horrible coworkers, or horrible bosses. "Who is that man? Why is he taking Saskia's office? And where is Saskia?"

"We are all in the same boat as you, Young Man," the old lady explained. "Saskia has not come to work for a month. All attempt to communicate with her ended up in vain. ZOITEC fired her and put that man in her stead. It was a shame. We all miss Saskia. She was the sun that made this office brilliant. That man undid every good thing Saskia brought upon us. But it was only logical, if you'd gone missing without words for a month."

"No eyes had lied upon her either?" Kenny frowned. "This is unlike her. I have known her for years. I know irresponsibility is not in her moral kaleidoscope. Is there anything to her I can use? Anything at all?"

"Aside from the last package you dropped on her desk, none exists."

Kenny's eyes widened. "Me? What package?"

"You mean… that wasn't you? When my eyes saw a young boy in her office, I assumed it was you."

"No! I have not done such service for her in a month!" For a second, the thought of Saskia having another runner materialized, and he felt betrayed again. How dare she got another runner and didn't tell him about it! But his resourcefulness quickly took over. That package was his opportunity to get to Saskia. "Where is the package?"

"What does your mind speak of?" the old lady stopped and cringed.

"Saskia only received packages through me. That one is clearly delivered to her by mistake. I will return it to the sender. Perhaps I can shed some light about her disappearance."

The old lady looked at him in the earnest, trying to decide if she would believe him or protect the package out of respect for Saskia. In the end any chance to get Saskia back was worth a try. She asked Kenny to wait in the hallway while she went back to the office. A brief moment later she came back with a small box in her hand.

"See it used, Young Man," the old lady said as he handed in the box. "We all seek Saskia's return."

"You have my words," Kenny replied. "Gratitude. I will not turn your kindness to waste."

But Kenny never meant to return the package. As soon as he left the office building, he ripped the package open to reveal a small holovideo. He pressed the play button, and a hologram of a woman's face materialized. He had never seen her before. She had short black hair, and her stare was as cold as ice.

"Saskia, you may not know me, but I need your trust," the woman's voice crackled through the small speaker. "My name is Lieutenant Cassiopeia. I am a Rottiger agent. Somebody might be making an attempt at your life. If you value your life, come and meet me. I am not at the liberty to discuss it through this message, so I attach my coordinate. Please, come alone and tell no one. It is the only way I can guarantee your safety. Apologies for contacting you this way, but I know not any other path..."

Making attempt at her life? Kenny's head was suddenly bombarded by questions. Who is that woman? What is Rottiger? Who's making attempt at Saskia's life? He knew that some people at ZOITEC were miffed by Saskia's unorthodox approach, but was it enough to harm her? But then again, the middle-aged man that replaced Saskia was uncouth and ruthless. There might be more to it than just office politics.

As the holovideo kept playing the message, Kenny sat down and tried to wrap himself around this new development. But the more he thought, the more headaches he got. He just sat there massaging his temples until the holovideo beeped, showing a map. For a moment he wagered the risk. He didn't know that woman on the holovideo. He didn't even know if this message was real. She could be the one making an attempt at Saskia's life. But it was his only chance, his only clue to get one step closer to Saskia. As dangerous as it sounded, he knew he had to take it.

"Roxy? Kenny," he called his girlfriend. "Something came up. Don't wait on me for dinner."

The coordinate on the holovideo led Kenny and Cleto to an abandoned warehouse at the edge of Blue City. The nearest human settlement was half a mile away, and whatever happened at the warehouse would not be noticed. It was a perfect ambush site, and Kenny started to believe that coming here was a bad idea. Saskia might have been dead already. But he was there anyway, so he decided to brave the darkness and find some clues.

"Open your eyes, Cleto," he said as he dismounted his organoid. "I need them as sharp as they can be."

Cleto replied with a series of chirp, but it quickly sensed something. The metal dinosaur was just about to move to that direction when a strand of chain whipped around its neck. The hook at the edge of the chain wrapped around itself, turning it into a noose. It caught Cleto's neck and pulled it down. The metal dinosaur slammed to the ground hard, tossing debris and broken glass all over the place.

"Cleto! Dammit!" Kenny turned around to help Cleto, writhing on the ground but unable to get off of the chain, when a shadow zipped right in front of him, blocking his way to his organoid. Kenny couldn't see what it was, but the dim light reflected on a piece of metal right under his chin. He didn't have to look down to figure out what it was.

"Who are you?" a hoarse male voice echoed in the abandoned warehouse.

"My name is Kenny. I am looking for a friend."

"What brought you here?"

Kenny held his breath. This guy was probably the one that the woman on the holovideo warned Saskia about.

"Your tongue denies me? My blade can put a hole in your throat, and I can obtain that information faster than your gasp for your last breath. So for the last time, Kenny, how did you know this place?"

Kenny didn't see any other way out. "A message for a friend. The holovideo is in my pocket."

The man rummaged Kenny's pocket and drew the holovideo out. He played the message, then retracted the blade, lifting the pressure on Kenny. Kenny stepped back and observed the man as the light from the hologram illuminated his face. He was tall, taller than Saskia, with blonde hair and dark icy blue eyes. His entire body was wrapped in a piece of black shroud.

"Where is she?" he asked without turning his back from Kenny. "Where is Lieutenant Cassiopeia?"

"I don't know…"

"How did you acquire this device?" the man turned around and put his dagger on Kenny's cheek. "Did she make contact with you?"

"No she did not!" Kenny blurted, a mix of panic and ire. "She assigned a runner to drop it off at Saskia's office! I have never seen Lieutenant Cassiopeia until this afternoon! What is happening here? Who are you? Who is Lieutenant Cassiopeia? Where is Saskia?"

"Saskia is missing?" the man retracted his blade once more.

"Has been, for the last month," Kenny explained, cautiously selected his words as not to agitate the man again. "I sought her in office but procured the holovid instead. That is the reason I am here; merely to seek friend. Are you seeking her too?"

The man drew a deep breath. "I am Captain Royce DesGagne, Rottiger Special Operation Force."

"Rottiger?" Kenny mumbled. "Isn't that woman on the holovideo from Rottiger, too?"

"Lieutenant Cassiopeia is a Rottiger outlaw," Royce walked toward the broken window. "She was my best subordinate, a thrifty and loyal compatriot. But she conducted illegal operations against Rottiger orders and claimed civilian casualties as a result. Rottiger discharged her without honor and now she was on a retaliatory mission against all Rottiger agents all around Zi."

"Oh my god," Kenny muttered in disbelief. "Then why Saskia? What does Saskia have to do with this?"

"Not Saskia," Royce turned around. "Lieutenant Cassiopeia is after her zoid."

"Saskia's Gilvader!" Kenny exclaimed. He had never seen the zoid before, but from what Saskia told him, he knew that the Gilvader was some sort of Guylos legend that could easily put the strongest zoids to shame. "If Lieutenant Cassiopeia manages to acquire that zoid…"

"Then we have to make sure it does not happen!" Royce boomed. "You said you acquired this holovid at Saskia's office, correct?"

"Yes."

"Then there is a chance Cassiopeia had not gotten to Saskia yet. We have to get to her first. Where is Saskia's living quarter?"

"It lies in the other side of town, two hours on Cleto."

"See it done in one hour with mine," Royce retorted and made a short whistle. A deep growl emanated from the dark corner of the warehouse. Then something big moved. The big shadow rose to its gigantic feet and walked slowly and steadily toward Royce. It stopped just above Royce's head. The darkness covered most of the body, but the light from the stars was enough to reveal the head of the monster.

"A Command Wolf," Kenny chimed.

"You can go with me," Royce said as he climbed his zoid, "but your organoid stays."

"I can't…"

"It stays, or both of you keep up with me on foot."

Kenny sighed in defeat. "Stay here for the present, Cleto. I will not be long."

Saskia's hangar was a complete disaster. Debris and dust covered the entire area, as if it hadn't been occupied for years. The bedroom was almost nonexistent, and only after Kenny and Royce moved a pile of wood planks they could see traces of Saskia's clothings. There was no signs of any zoid ever lived there.

"Mother of Zi! What happened here? Did Lieutenant Cassiopeia come here first?" Kenny mumbled as he inspected the mess.

Royce didn't answer. He observed the place intently, looking for clues that might shed some light about what had happened. He circled the hangar several times before he finally stopped at a corner, picking up a piece of metal from the floor. He inspected that piece under the star light, then put it in his pocket. His face showed content.

"Zoid piece?" Kenny asked.

"Your service is no longer needed," Royce replied as he walked back toward his Command Wolf.

"Wait! Wait! What is it?" Kenny tried to stop him. "I brought you here! You are not to shut me out like this!"

Instead Royce threw a pile of money to the ground. "Your path ends here. Heed my words, young man. Go home, see the money used, and enjoy life if only for a while. This matter is not of your concern anymore."

"What? You crook! I must find Saskia!"

But the Command Wolf let out a long howl, then receded into the night, leaving Kenny alone in the disarrayed hangar.