The walk back to the spherical pod waiting for the pair was morbidly silent. The cop's grip on Inazo's arm felt like a tether to reality, rather than an arrest, as his thoughts spiraled out of his control.
If he had been stronger, none of this would have happened, he wouldn't be forced to turn his back on the wailings of the damned. A tug to follow along by the cop, however, snapped him out of his stream of thoughts.
The pod had its door open in invitation, its compact size was deceptive, as it was designed to comfortably accommodate up to four people. The interior, visible through the open door, suffused a dreamy glow and was equipped with modern amenities that promised a comfortable journey, ...albeit to uncomfortable ends.
- "This pod...-", he started.
- "...is the reason why you're getting arrested, or lack thereof." She interrupted, "You can't just swim around in the middle of a highway without an Arbor Mobile, you know?"
- "....."
As the conversation died, the cop felt the awkward silence of the surrounding cosmos, compelling her to start a conversation.
- "Stars above. Even space-trash haulers know basic laundry protocols." She flicked the dripping edges of the cloak, "These ink stains reeks worse than a Garnet Grid brothel's back alley."
- "Ink...?"
- "Yeah right, don't play dumb. The only other explanation would be that you snooped around in abandoned zones, and that's Rotspawn ichor. Just a heads up, don't admit to it, you'll be in hotter soup."
The cop dryly chuckled at her own joke. Once her creased eyes relaxed, she realised that the joke ran out of fuel midway. Inazo stared blankly at her, almost as if he was looking beyond her, pupils constricted, cold sweat on his temples.
- "Yeeeeah... forget I said anything"
As they hopped inside the Arbor Mobile, she took in his appearance, through the rear view. Ink-stained cloak hid his figure well, and the bandana mask covered his face below his nose.
His fashion sense raised a lot of questions, but as she was going to make another poorly delivered joke, a glint from the waistband of his pantaloons caught her eye.
- "Seems like you're not only into breaking Laws of the Arbor? House Cygnus' mark deserves better than a Rotspawn bath."
- "..."
- "Why not get an honest man's job instead of feeding the Grey Market? They could use lesser patrons, already a big enough nuisance"
- "Came from a dead man's arms, I'm no smuggler."
- "Let me guess - he accidentally fell onto your blade 17 times?" Her chuckles soon die when they earn another blank stare from him. She patted herself inwardly for the joke, nevertheless.
- "Dying man's request, must take this to some 'Ironclad General.' His blood froze mid-sentence."
- "Wait...Wait a damn second, repeat that name again?'
- "'Ironclad General'...Why? You know him?"
- "Shit...", she muttered under her breath.
She immediately pulled over the Mobile, got out of the pod, entered the backseat, all without a moment's break.
She frantically fiddled with the cuffs, her fingers faltering. Inazo had never seen someone that scared of losing their job.
- "Esteemed guests of the General! My sincerest apologies for this terrible misconduct. I swear I wouldn't have cuffed you if I'd have known. I'm sure we can erase this moment from our memory and fix this before it's too late. Right? Hehehe...."
- "Please tell me it's not too late.", she muttered under her breath again."
Taking the opportunity, Inazo calmly decided his questions.
- "Do you know where I can find him?"
- "Of course...We were actually headed that way regardless. He's currently headed for "The Consortium", in the lands of Equilibra."
"...Consortium?"
- "It's a political meeting amongst the three leaders of the major political parties. I won't bore you with the details. But you seriously didn't know that? Jeez..."
- "So is he like someone...important?
- "Do you live under a rock, or are you as dense as one? Don't you know that the Ironclad General, Augustus Impervius, is the one-and-only representative of the Ironclad Coalition? Of course he's important."
- "Sounds regal enough, I suppose. I still don't understand why you're that afraid of him."
- "I really hope you don't say that to his face."
Inazo raised his eyebrows, eliciting an explanation implicitly
- "If he decides to unleash the Impervia battalion, it's not just a matter of sending troops. It's a declaration of war on a cosmic scale."
- "Planetary systems can be reduced to rubble within hours. The mere threat of his wrath keeps most systems in line. He's not just a leader; he's a force of nature, the backbone of Nexus"
- "Sounds more sensitive than powerful." To which, she simply sighs.
---------------------------
The Arbor Mobile glided through the void, its hum distinctly audible over the oppressive silence inside. Inazo sat rigid, his ink-stained cloak clinging to him like a shadow.
The weight of the insignia was hidden beneath it, laid heavy on his heart-a reminder of the blood-soaked hands that had passed it to him. His mind won't settle from the horrors he had witnessed.
The cop's knuckles tightened on the controls, her eyes flicking between the endless starry tears outside and Inazo's reflection in the rearview mirror. She finally broke the silence, looking rather concerned.
- "Hey," the cop pressed, louder this time. "You know how many people would kill for an audience with him? Literally kill. You ought to be a bit more excited."
- "...Not one of them," Inazo said flatly, his voice carrying an edge that made Jun-ko pause.
She forced a laugh, though it sounded hollow. "Sure... But when you do meet him..." She hesitated, then pushed forward with a nervous grin.
- "Maybe you could put in a good word for me? Name's Jun-ko by the way, badge number's 7783...I did let you out of those cuffs. That's gotta count for something, right? "
Inazo's eyes flicked to her briefly-cold and unreadable-before returning to the stars. A hint of a smile graced his features, how unserious.
Jun-ko kept shifting impatiently in her seat but said nothing more as Terminus Station loomed into view ahead. The station was a platform made of white marble and steel, its surface gleaming under artificial lights like a beacon in the void.
Around it, streams of ships formed chaotic lines, more than fourteen transit ports connecting to the station, the countless blinking navigation lights resembling constellations caught in turmoil. The Terminus looked like a glowing yarn ball, with the peculiar smell, similar to naphthalene wafting the air.
Jun-ko let out a low whistle as she slowed the pod to join the gridlock. "Well, this is new," she muttered. "Traffic's usually bad here, but this..." She gestured at the chaos ahead with a dramatic wave of her hand. "...this is terrific. Great..."
As their pod inched closer to the station's entrance, they were intercepted by a Terminus Guard-a tall figure clad in pristine white armor that gleamed like polished stone under the station's lights.
His helmet visor was down, obscuring his face entirely, but his voice came through sharp and commanding through external speakers.
- "State your business," he barked.
Jun-ko leaned out of her seat slightly to respond, her tone casual despite the tension in her shoulders. "Just passing through to Equilibra," she said breezily.
The guard didn't move an inch. His stance was rigid as steel as he replied coldly: "Access is restricted. No unauthorized personnel are permitted entry."
Jun-ko groaned audibly and slumped back into her seat as though physically struck by his words. "Oh, come on! This is just ridiculous!" she snapped, throwing up her hands in frustration.
"Every time these damn politicians get together, they screw things up for everyone else! Do you have any idea how many detours I've had to take this week alone? And now this? Besides, how am I unauthorised? I'm the superintendent of-"
The guard remained unmoved; his posture unyielding as stone. "I'm only following orders, miss" he said curtly. "Standard protocol. Now if you have nothing to do other than complaining, I suggest you move along."
Before either of the two could argue, the guard moved on to the next pod, leaving them speechless. Jun-ko sighed exasperatedly,
"Not this again..."