Chapter 22

Homesick

They left that afternoon after a quick shower each. Asami bundled up in light winter gear while Korra, being the stubborn and 'always hot' Water Tribe girl, donned nothing but her normal attire. It took several hours to walk to and through Republic City, but they didn't mind. The engineer led the brunette on a different route so she could point out new sites in the area. Everything from small markets to tall skyscrapers, colorful green parks to the mix of greys from various types of buildings, and even over two long, but beautiful, bridges which connected the different land masses of Republic City, separated by the waters of Yue Bay. Korra had never seen anything like it: her small village, as spread out and somewhat modernized as it seemed to become from decades past, paled in comparison. The hustle and bustle of unfamiliar vehicles passing to and fro, the murmurs (some angry, some pleasant, though none were necessarily directed at them) of passersby, the light hum of some nearby industries… it both excited and overwhelmed her. She missed the quiet winds of the Southern Water Tribe, the many shades of white and blue of the glaciers and the ocean, and the crisp, clean air that always had that chilling bite to it.

"This is where my dad works."

Korra's attention was pulled from her thoughts and homesick feelings. She followed Asami's arm to the large and wide building in front of them. The short rectangular facility had four tall pillars at each corner and large doors on the front. Mechanics and assembly line workers could be seen moving about, along with industrial cars, to transport raw materials and finished products between and within the warehouses. Behind them was a segment of Yue Bay that had stretched further inland towards the mountain range to the east of the City.

The engineer wasn't quite sure how they managed to cross the entire City to reach this point, and her feelings on the matter were mixed. They had started innocent enough with a simple walk around the small lake off campus to the south. The water had attracted and excited Korra, so Asami figured they should see more of the Bay. This turned into adventuring over the mid-north bridge, which brought them into the Downtown District of Republic City, just west of City Hall. Wandering around the fancy restaurant and storefront strips brought them further south to another beach. Across the water, Asami knew too well, sat Future Industries. Throughout their journey, memories of the City and the time she spent there with her family welled up inside of her. She reminisced the games of Pai Sho at the park and the Sunday strolls through the City. Each Satomobile that passed them worsened these emotions. Sure, she had missed her father and the mansion, but the urge to return had never been this strong. She wanted to feel the sense of control she used to experience every day on the racetrack or in the training gym, with her combat instructors. She yearned to be under a Satomobile, clothes and hands caked in grease and oil from a night of hard work. And so she brought Korra across another bridge, and here they were. Now what?

"It's huge, Asami. He's the engineer for them, right?"

She chuckled. "He's not just the engineer, Korra. He's the inventor, the mastermind, the owner."

"Wait, your dad owns this whole place?"

Asami nodded, a bit of pride in her demeanor. "Yes. Future Industries." She motioned to the building with a swish of her hand. "Someday, I'll take his spot in the company, when he's retired, and I'll get to make innovations and technology of my own."

Korra looked back and forth between the warehouse and Asami's twinkling eyes, which were dead-set on the business before her. "You get to inherit all of this?"

"I do."

"That's amazing, Asami. What kind of stuff will you make when you take over?"

She broke her gaze and met the younger woman's stare. "I'm not sure," she replied with a shrug. "I guess it just depends on the progress my dad has made and what people need. I'll probably try to upgrade the Satomobiles as much as I can. I've been doing some sketches of ways to improve the fuel transfer throughout the engine and some stronger pistons to–"

She threw up a hand. "Wait, wait, Asami, you're losing me. What's a Satomobile?"

The engineer gave Korra an incredulous look. "You don't know what a Satomobile is? We passed over fifty of them on our way here."

It was the Southerner's turn to shrug. "I'm not from the City, Asami. I'm assuming that, if they're called 'Sato'-mobiles, your dad makes them, right? But I don't really know much else. I've heard of them in the radio advertisements once in a while, but I never really knew what they were. Sounded cool enough, though."

"Korra, Satomobiles are all of the personal vehicles that people use to get around in the City. Well, most of them. Cabbage Corp. has an automobile model as well, but the difference in quality between the two companies is vast. Future Industries is far superior." Asami put a hand on her hip and smiled.

"Have you ever driven one?"

"I've been driving them since I could reach the pedals. I would have brought one with me, but the college doesn't allow first years to have vehicles." She puffed at this and rolled her eyes at the idiotic rule. "What about you? Have you ever been in one before?"

She shook her head and laughed. "I didn't even know what they were a minute ago, Asami." Korra broke eye contact and stared out at Future Industries. "When we landed on the coast, Naga helped me bring my stuff to the dorm. Well, close to it. She wasn't allowed on campus, so my dad and I walked everything from the outskirts to my room while my mom kept an eye on Naga so she wouldn't get into trouble." She paused a moment, absorbing the company's size and the information the older woman had just given her. When she returned her gaze, the raven-haired beauty was looking out to her dad's business once more. The sunlight reflected off of her skin and revealed a small amount of pink on her cheeks from the cold. There was a mixture of emotions on her face that Korra tried to decipher: pride, joy, nervousness, and something else. Longing? Sadness?

Asami whipped her head to the Water Tribe girl with a mischievous look on her face and grabbed her tan hand before she could question anything. "Come on, I've got an idea." She tugged Korra as she sprinted towards the entrance of Future Industries.

(-)

They ran around the side of the building behind all of the workers and slipped through a series of hallways and rooms unnoticed. Asami pulled a ring of keys from her pocket that she nabbed earlier out of a more "executive" looking room. She secluded a bright gold one from the many brown and silver pieces and opened the door in front of them to reveal a small, outdoor obstacle course with tall walls enveloping it. The place was devoid of anything but a few Satomobiles and the sky above them. The engineer locked the exit behind them and led Korra to the vehicles in the back corner.

"Hop in, Korra."

The Southerner stopped in her tracks and examined the machinery in front of her. It was somewhat similar to the few snowmobiles that her Tribe had (though many of them were in disrepair), but intimidating, nonetheless. Asami was already in the driver's section and buckling herself in. She waved at Korra to enter with an excited look on her face, so the brunette followed suit and slipped into the passenger side. The dials and dashboard were foreign to her. The smooth fabric of the seat was nice against her skin. She followed the older woman's cue and snapped the safety belt around her torso.

"My dad installed this little track to test out new Satomobile designs for efficiency and what not." Asami spoke as she flicked the engine on. It purred to life and hummed under her fingers. Oh, how I've missed this. She ran her fingers around the steering wheel and took in the soft vibrations the machine sent her way. 'No drive is as smooth as the drive when you're driving a Satomobile' Asami repeated the radio advertisement in her head, knowing from experience the grace that was the Satomobile. Especially in good hands.

She shifted into drive and grinned. "This isn't quite the racetrack at my house, and this certainly isn't a racecar, but I can still make her dance." She gripped the wheel and shot Korra an excited smirk, who met her with inquisitive eyes.

Machines can dance? Don't they need legs?

"Ready for your first ride?" Asami's smile and energy was infectious. The Water Tribe girl couldn't help but reciprocate it.

"Absolutely."

With a pound of her foot, they took off. Asami sped up and switched gears several times before they even finished a single square loop. She took the corners with fast proficiency. Adrenaline pumped through her and flooded her with homesick memories. She pushed the limits and hit levels much higher than any of the streets of Republic City allowed. The engineer glanced over to the younger woman, who had light knuckles on the arm of the door but a look of pure joy on her face. I wish I could take you to the real track. We could go double this speed. Asami spun the Satomobile with grace and weaved through cones with deft precision.

She really is making it dance, Korra thought, sneaking a look at the driver. Her face was focused, one hand on the wheel, the other on the shifting knob between their seats. She stared at her fingers holding the black rubber stick, and had to suppress the urge to place her palm over them. As much as she wanted to, something held her back. It was either uncertainty or the fear of her movements causing an accidental crash and quick death to the pair.

Or both. Yeah, both.

Asami did a full turn and attacked the track in the opposite direction. She slowed the Satomobile down until she reached a speed that Korra was more accustomed to seeing on the roads. After another circle, she parked the vehicle with ease. The hum of the hot engine died and an exhilarating silence, accented by their own heartbeats, filled them.

"That was awesome!" Korra pumped her fist in the air.

The engineer smiled in quiet contemplation and humility. A bout of sadness crept into her but she pushed it down. "I'm glad you liked it, Korra." She gave her a smile but couldn't hide her mixed feelings. The Southerner picked up on this with ease.

"Didn't you have fun, Asami?"

She paused and looked to the base of the steering wheel. Her fingers were tight against the soft material. "No, no, I had plenty of fun! It was nice driving again." Then it hit her hard. "I've really missed it."

The same wave of emotion that buzzed through Korra on their way here radiated from the driver. "You miss home, don't you?"

Asami rested the back of her head against the seat and looked into the roof of the Satomobile. "I do. I call my dad every few weeks through the phoning radios around campus, but I haven't been home in a long time. I know it's ridiculous. I could just go home for a weekend. It's not like it's across the worl –" She shut her lips before she could say another word. She didn't stop her sentence soon enough though.

For Korra, home was across the world. Half of the world, at least. She hid her wince and looked out the passenger side window. "It's okay, Asami. You don't have to live far away to be homesick." She fidgeted with the door handle. All of the events the past few weeks had distracted her from these feelings of separation. Their walk through the City brought them back, for some reason. She felt the engineer's presence beside her, though they weren't touching, and tried not to think of everything she longed for back at the Southern Water Tribe. Her family. Naga. The food. She needed a diversion from her thoughts. "Do you miss your dad?"

"Yeah, I do. I miss working with him and doing things with my hands. My labs are nice and sketching is great, but it's not the same. I miss driving and building and tinkering. It'll be worth it in the end, though." She opened her door and slid out of the idle vehicle. Korra followed.

"Why don't you go visit him? You're probably closer to him now than you've been in a while since you've been stuck at the college."

She took note of Korra's wording but decided not to press it. Instead, she shook her head and dropped her eyes. "He's out of town right now on a business trip, from what I remember during our last conversation. Still, though…" Asami looked around the track one last time. "It's nice seeing this place again." With a sigh and a smile, she led the younger woman out of the test area and back to the exterior of Future Industries without a single employee noticing. This behavior didn't slip past the Southerner.

"Asami, if you're supposed to inherit this place, why are we being so secretive about being here?" Korra asked after they were a block or two away from the factory.

That same sneaky grin returned to her pale face. "Well, my dad doesn't really like me driving the prototype Satomobiles, in case they malfunction. He doesn't want me to get hurt from any explosions."

The Water Tribe girl froze. "Explosions? We could have blown up?!"

She laughed. "Only the people who try to do what I did without experience would blow up. I, on the other hand, know what I'm doing and how to work my way around machinery without getting myself hurt. The Satomobile we drove only had minor changes, from what I remember. Nothing dangerous. I'm surprised it was still there, to be honest. I would have thought they upgraded that one by now. Sometimes I sneak in and drive the ones that I know, for a fact, are mechanically sound." Asami grinned and continued walking. Korra trotted behind her, still trying to get over the fact that she could have been blown to smithereens. "I never get caught, though." She finished with a devilish tone and plopped her forearm onto the brunette's shoulder. "Come on, Korra. Let's get some food. There are some cool vendors near the park that I think you'll like, if you're willing to sacrifice a trip to Narook's."

Korra grinned. "Lead the way, Miss Asami Sato, the Great!"

Asami shook her head and linked her right arm with the shorter woman's left. "You're making me sound like some sort of Republic City radio advertisement."

She tightened her grip on the engineer without thought. "Well, you seem to be amazing at everything you do, so why not show you off? 'Asami Sato: engineering extraordinaire, future owner of Future Industries, multitalented maiden of her time, with an impeccable beauty that you'll remember for the rest of your life'." Korra imitated a broadcaster. She was so caught up in the moment that she didn't realize her own words until several seconds after they left her mouth. A deep red formed on her face to match the one that already occupied Asami's. She pulled away out of embarrassment and tried to hide her blush. They returned to the center of the City in silence, each stealing glances of the other and noting the loveliness beside them, grateful for this distraction from the turmoil within.