24991122 | 2137

  Court of the Cherry Blossom | Kagetsu-no-Kami | The Bay

  1°17′06.00″ N

  103°51′06.12″ E

  “Hey, is that…” Damian pointed.

  Shirley peered where he is pointing.

  There standing near the railings.

  Stood a man in a black leather jacket.

  White hulls.

  Champagne flutes.

  Leisurely crowd.

  Leather jacket.

  “…Adrian Vekt?” Damian finished, awed.

  “Leather jacket.” Shirley murmured, “it’s him alright.”

  “You know him?”

  “I might.”

  Damian stared at her.

  Then at the crowd.

  Then back at her.

  “Is there anyone here you don’t know?”

  She cocked an eyebrow.

  “You want to meet him?”

  “You’re serious?” Damian hissed. “Yes. He invented the Spacebridge.”

  She took his hand.

  Pulled.

  Adrian Vekt stood, his back to the world.

  His eyes upon the heavens.

  She drifted closer, Damian in tow.

  She stood next to him.

  Didn’t announce herself.

  He didn’t notice.

  “Your telemetry’s still drifting,” she said.

  He turned.

  Blink.

  Once.

  Twice.

  Then he lit up.

  “Shirley!”

  “Hi, Adrian.”

  “Finally,” he said, lowering his voice, “someone I know. I was bored to death.”

  “Why are you here?” she asked.

  “Aya invited me,” he said. “Something about helping with the national space program.”

  “Sounds fascinating.”

  “It’s not,” he replied flatly.

  You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

  Then leaned in.

  “I was actually hoping to see her Advanced Cybernetics.”

  “Robotics?”

  “Cooler.”

  A conspiratorial whisper.

  “Robot ninjas.”

  Shirley smiled.

  Just a little.

  “I didn’t know Muramasa was making robots.”

  “They’re not,” Adrian said. “They outsourced it to Cyberdyne Systems—”

  “Adrian,” Shirley said softly, “Are you sure you should be telling me all these?”

  “You are EVECorp right?” he caught himself “right, right – don’t tell Aya.”

  “Adrian.” A hiss.

  He froze.

  “Oh. Right. That.”

  Turning to Damian, earnest and apologetic.

  “You weren’t supposed to hear any of that.”

  Damian blinked.

  “…Okay.”

  “By the way,” he said, “who are you?”

  Damian cleared his throat.

  Introduced himself.

  Adrian nodded.

  “You’re with her?”

  “Erm. Yes?”

  “How long?” Adrian said thoughtfully.

  Then, helpfully he whispered.

  “I tell you, man, she goes through guys—”

  “Adrian.”

  Not loud.

  Not sharp.

  Low.

  Adrian froze.

  Mid-sentence.

  Mid-thought.

  “Right.”

  Shirley’s eyes didn’t leave him.

  “Right.”

  “Good, Adrian.”

  He nodded once.

  Gravely.

  He turned back to the space.

  “We’re moving the test array up, near space.”

  She smiled.

  “Radiation shear?”

  “Mass shadowing.”

  His eyes lit.

  Bright. Focused.

  “Cape’s too close. If the Phantom Drive destabilizes—”

  “The what drive?” Damian asked.

  “The Phantom Drive,” Adrian said, matter-of-fact.

  “You know. Like Superman.”

  He made a small imploding gesture with his hand.

  “—you don’t want that anywhere near a gravity well.”

  “Especially not Florida,” Shirley said.

  “Especially not anywhere with lawyers,” Adrian replied, deadpan.

  “Name check out?” Damian asked.

  “I haven’t been served yet,” Adrian said. “So yeah.”

  Shirley laughed.

  Soft.

  Damian too.

  For a moment, the regatta noise fell away.

  Stars, boats, impossible futures.

  All briefly aligned.

  He glanced at Damian, curious now.

  “You’re alright, man.” Adrian said, clapping him on the arm.

  They stood there together.

  The noise of the regatta faded.

  “You know,” he said after a while, “everyone thinks this is about speed.”

  She waited.

  “It’s not,” he continued.

  “It’s about distance without consequence.”

  A moment passed.

  “Moving mass without making the universe angry.”

  She tilted her head.

  “That’s a poetic way of putting it.”

  “I’m bad at poetry,” he said.

  Then, almost shyly—

  “But space deserves better language.”

  She looked at him then.

  “You are a good man, Adrian.”

  “You’ll get there,” she said.

  “Thanks,” he said, “drop by some times, the Cape.”

  “I will.” She nodded.

  “Good luck with your phantom,” she said.

  He smiled.

  “Bring this one,” he added, as an afterthought, “he’s cool.”

  They turned to go.

  Behind them, Adrian Vekt went back to watching the sky.

  “Great guy.” Damian said.

  “I know.”

  “You think we should…” Damian said as he looked back.

  “Take him up on his offer?”

  “Yes.” Shirley smiled.

  24991121 | 1045

  The Elysium Winds | Singapore Strait | Singapore Maritime Borders

  1°18′40.0″ N

  104°03′10.0″ E

  The ocean stretched before them.

  Crystal blue.

  Glittering upon the sun.

  The ancient, pristine blue.

  Unmarred by human hands.

  The Elysium Winds cut through the water with smooth, whispering speed,

  Its polished deck gleaming under the noon sun.

  No crew.

  Just he and her.

  Damian lay back on the cushioned deck lounger,

  The spray of the sea.

  Salty and fresh.

  Warm breeze brushing his face.

  Then Shirley stepped out of the cabin.

  He tilted his sunglasses up.

  She wore a sheer white shirt over black bikini.

  Astraria Maison sun-weave fabric

  Shimmering faintly in the reflected sunlight.

  Hair tied loose, shades pushed up onto her head,

  Her skin radiant, flawless.

  Glowing under the tropical sun.

  She took a sip from the coconut.

  Breathtaking.

  She turned.

  “What are you looking at?” she whispered.

  Her tone teasing, soft.

  “You,” he said.

  Damian watched her.

  The sunlight curving around her.

  The wind caressing her hair.

  The way she closed her eyes when the spray hit her skin.

  “You seem carefree. Almost… happy.”

  She strode over to join him.

  Standing over him.

  “You are ruining my tan.” He said.

  “I don’t think you mind,” she smiled as she slithered up to him.

  She joined him, sitting beside him.

  She kissed him.

  “You never told me you liked the sea.”

  She sipped from the coconut.

  “It’s quiet here.“

  He regarded her, curious.

  “What does that even mean?”

  Shirley smiled, her expression wistful and serene.

  “The sea keeps you honest. There’s nothing out here. Nowhere to hide.”

  Her eyes flicked to him.

  He felt exposed.

  “What are you looking at?” he whispered.

  “Just now, when you looked at me,” she said.

  He didn’t reply.

  He just looked at her.

  “You looked at me, like I am going to fade away.”

  He didn’t reply still.

  He found no words.

  She tilted her head.

  The silence between them stretched.

  Warm.

  Soft.

  Unbearable.

  She reached forward and plucked a droplet of seawater from his cheek,

  her touch feather-light.

  Something shifted.

  The wind slowed.

  The world leaned.

  She kissed him.

  A gentle kiss.

  A sunlit kiss.

  “Come here,” she said as she took his hand.

  He smiled.

  They laughed as they stumbled into the cabin

  The door closed.

  They surrendered to the heat and the sweat.

  To each other.