“What...?” It was only once Terra was alone on the repatriation ship en route to Idaho that she returned to her senses after the ludicrous commotion and swamp of complicated office procedures. “Die-san?”
Diode wasn't there. No one occupied the seats to her left and right. While five or six other passengers on official business were seated in the cabin rows, the silver hair she had grown accustomed to wasn’t among them. She had been stolen away.
Terra was aware of that in theory, but the reality that the girl wouldn’t be by her side was only just setting in. It was only natural that it took this long. Not half a day earlier, she had been celebrating their joint return and discussing plans for the future. She had taken her eyes off her companion for only a few minutes, and that was the opportunity to spirit the girl away from her—and now, the two no longer shared the same air. On the contrary, receding from one another at a relative speed of more than 10 km/s marked the end of the time they shared together. It wasn’t easy for Terra to rationalize that; to do so would be impossible. However, that was the harsh truth of the matter.
“Die...san...” Terra again looked around for Diode for a while, but eventually covered her face and started sobbing.
The wool was pulled over their eyes right after their arrival at the base ship Table of Johor. The Insolvent, the Trades’ huge helium harvestor, entered port without issue. Terra and Diode were welcomed as guests of honor. Just as the two walked through the gate and started to think the Trades were nicer than they originally thought, they were summoned by staff in protective suits. The staff were apparently there to administer a checkup to the two accident victims. Believing it only made sense, the two followed the staff to an examination room. They called Diode in first. Terra waited in the corridor outside for about eight minutes before an official spoke to her.
“If you need any ceremonial tools, we do lend them out. There is a fee, though.”
Seeing Terra’s confusion, the official tilted their head and peeled the plate reading “Examination Room” off the soundproof door. The text it concealed read “Multi-denominational Prayer Room.” Terra stepped into the deserted room. The rear door was left open. The needles of the main star pointer slowly spun as it lay on top of a prayer rug spread for worshipping travelers.
Terra only recalled fragments of what happened after that. She constantly tried to reach Diode by minicell as she ran through the corridors shouting her name. She opened every door she came across, authorized for entry or not. With Diode nowhere to be seen and no response on the minicell, Terra felt time flow away like a jetstream. Suddenly, she felt three people restraining her, telling her to stop because it was pointless. They had already taken Diode. The culprits were Gendō who were long-term on-site delegates—or, rather, they argued they weren’t culprits at all, as they claimed they were within their legal rights to repatriate a woman who had jumped ship without permission to their clan. That argument made no sense to Terra at all.
Her mind went blank afterwards. If it had happened in front of her, Terra would have gotten Diode back if it even if it meant resorting to force, but the girl had been carted off in a Gendō ship stationed there before she was even aware of it. There was nothing she could do at that point.
Others around her figured out the situation and initiated the requisite procedures on their own while Terra collapsed into a seat as the strength left her body. Terra absorbed bits and pieces of the ensuing exchanges, like claims of sovereign infringement and demands for reparation directed at the Gendō. The Trades, apparently, hadn’t intended the slightest bit of any of this. It wasn’t just the Trades, either.
The Endeavour clan was making its own inquiries. Terra heard something about a repatriation request and cost-covering, meaning the people from her hometown were also taking action on the matter. The inhaler who had introduced herself as Pri also stayed facing her for a while, and Terra got the sense Pri was talking at her about something. If that was the case, though, nothing Pri said stuck with her. Terra was completely disoriented, or more accurately, everything had happened too quickly for her to accept. That was inevitable, given both her plans and purpose had vanished all at once.
The people around Terra had turned out to be very kind, taking up the baton that had been passed to them while she dealt with the shock. Once she came back to her senses, they treated her as a victim whose only goal was to get home. Nothing was further from the truth. That was the exact opposite of how she felt, but she didn’t have the will to correct them anymore. It was meaningless.
“Die-san, Die-saaan...!” Her voice echoed through the cabin, which caused the other passengers to look on in worry.
Inside the ship that took her further from her life’s purpose with each passing second, Terra gave in to the downpour of emotion—but her wailing and grief lasted no more than twenty minutes. She spent some time wiping her face, then started mumbling to herself. When the repatriation boat arrived at Idaho six and a half hours later, she was still mumbling. As passengers unbuckled their seats and floated towards the exit one after another, the next-to-last person to leave overheard her weird muttering.
“Mhm, all right. That one’s suicidal enough.”
As a child, amber-eyed Pohi Nootka was told that if things had gone better, she would have been raised in the Nootka clan. The truth, at least as it had been passed down to her, was that the influential Nuer clan had taken control of the weakened Nootka clan during the riots that occurred as the Circs were establishing themselves 300 years ago. Later in the Circs’ history, the Nuer clan was absorbed into the QOT clan after it had itself weakened.
The QOT name originated from an ancient phrase meaning ‘That which involves everyone is debatable by anyone.’ True to that principle, the QOT argued over policy with relatively little gender discrimination. Pohi had been raised in that environment, but as she grew older she displayed the talent to become a decomper. In accordance with the principle of marriage between clans, she departed for the base ship whose name referred to an old land with fertile soil, Idaho.
Now, she was the wife and fishing partner of the Endeavour Clan Chief, Xeon Highhertz Endeavour. She wanted for nothing in life. She was blessed with five kids, plenty of friends, and black hair and dark brown skin that only grew more lustrous with age thanks to her Nootka heritage. Her husband always showed excellent skill both as a fisherman and as a leader, and he never failed to praise the beauty of her amber eyes at night, either.
She thought her life was basically perfect. Until she saw that pair of women, at least.
“Hey, Terra-chan!” “Welcome back! What a way to return!" “I heard you got hit by a black-veined squid and almost died, are you okay?”
Half of that pair, Terra Intercontinental Endeavour, had just appeared in the terminal lobby after arrived back at her base ship. Sending out a repatriation ship to bring someone home was an extravagance, so a large number of incredibly curious people turned out to greet her. Mixed in among the crowd were her aunt and uncle, who acted as foster parents, as well as her acquaintances from the fishing harbor. Of course, Xeon, the Clan Chief who personally ordered the ship, lay in wait with arms wide open.
“Welcome back, Terra-kun! I have been informed that you were caught out by an ejector’s E-storm, chased by a Gendō attack ship, and crashed into the abyss after a besshu attack. Despite that, you escaped using what little clay remained. That is not just setting a minor precedent for a woman, it is a feat accomplished by no one among us Endeavours! I, too, am proud of you!”
The man, who gave his speech half for the sake of being heard by those around him, was accompanied by Pohi and two subordinates, who also greeted Terra with a smile. The occasion was deserving of the welcome, since she had returned with both her life and the two pits after boarding the clan’s precious pillar boat. At the same time, though, it was clear the ceremony was for distant clans whose eyes were turned on a woman who had just come back from doing whatever she wanted. Xeon’s conduct was nothing more than an impersonal social act.
There was no reason to expect anything personal in this, but for some reason, Pohi found herself curious to hear Terra’s response.
“Yes. I’m back. Thank you. I’m so sorry for all of the trouble I caused. Diode-san? She’s not with me. I think she had her fill and went home. She saved my life. That’s right. I’m alone. I’m fine. Thank you. I’m really happy to be back. A welcome party? Do I need to dress up for it? Yes, thank you, I’ll gladly accept the invitation.”
The 24-year-old woman answered the barrage of questions with a bright, flawless smile. Her extraordinary height and the way she conducted herself in the middle of a crowd combined to resemble a lighthouse to Pohi. Her existence harkened to a light cast on boats limited to travel within a planet’s atmosphere, guiding them away from a crash on dark seas.
This girl can’t get married, can’t get with the program, and her talent only slightly stands out. If you saw the way she acted, you’d pity her. Why does she remind me of a lighthouse in spite of all that? Pohi was confused by the unfamiliar, complicated emotion.
When the welcome party started that night, Terra got friendly with a charming young man four years her senior. Was it an instant connection? Or did they already know the other?
Her companion, whose name was Bedrich, hailed from the Itar clan. He was at Idaho due to his job sailing an ice extraction ship mining water from the icy moons which orbit FBB. All sixteen clans needed people for the job, and the possibility of working anywhere allowed people outside the clan to come and go. Talented and determined young people flocked to the duty of finding a new icy moon.
Considering the situation from the perspective of the Clan Chief’s wife, it was perfect opportunity to bring an excellent young bloodline into the clan. For a woman in our clan who has so many problems, he’s the type of partner that seems almost too good. Not only that, it would pair a sailor with an owner-decomper! It’s nothing less than ideal!
That was how Pohi would have usually thought, but it left her unsettled. There are clues that this woman, this lighthouse in a maelstrom, was deeply intimate with that Gendō girl. No doubt she’s sad now that her partner isn’t there—or at least, I hope she feels sad. Yet, there she was, already hovering near a young man over shared cocktails.
What is she doing? Hm, well, it’s not actually that surprising. Pohi was a woman who had borne witness to twenty Bow Awows. Countless times, she had seen young people decide to try something new by breaking up with an amicable partner and flirting with a new companion. She had also seen people simply change their minds, discuss things that deeply worried them, or sprout new and unexpected love. It wasn’t unusual for a couple to part after a major incident like this. As she grew older, Pohi recalled those moments of young love with great joy.
Things didn’t make sense to her this time, though. While Terra and Bedrich might strike just about anyone as a good match, Pohi had a feeling it wouldn’t end well for reasons she couldn’t really say. Shrouded in that strange, unfamiliar feeling, she kept close tabs on Terra. She carefully listened for anything and everything regarding the unmarried woman from the Intercontinental family using office time from her loyal subordinate, connections with other elders, and even some of her own privileges within the system itself. Pohi was self-conscious about her curiosity and suspicion, but she also felt it was an unspoken duty. She was aware of a possibility Terra could create trouble, and as the Clan Chief’s wife, she needed to nip trouble in the bud when he couldn’t fully attend to it.
The next day, the lighthouse woman left for her job as a video distribution officer. Once at the media storehouse in the Antiquity Fan District of Idaho’s Year 10 Ring, she discussed with a coworker how to classify and title the material she was viewing. As the storehouse was old, she also had the responsibility of repairing parts that had broken with age. She dug up worn-out data stones scattered around the garden-like media storehouse, and used AMC clay and other construction supplies she took from the public-use materials warehouse to neatly lined them up again—it was the ordinary, boring prep work that needed to be done before her real job, similar to preparing to fish.
Then, once she was finished with work, she met up with the young Itar man. The two immediately headed to the docked ice extractor Insatiable. It seemed more like a business meeting than an attempt at simply deepening their relationship.
In the following days, Pohi dedicated herself to tasks other than watching the two young people. She had an ever-increasing list of tasks as the Clan Chief’s wife, despite the population of a base ship not quite numbering 20,000. One of those tasks was to discuss gossip, both inside and outside of the clan. She only remembered the two after nearly a week of being busy with those boring matters. Her subordinate had made considerable progress in the investigation requested by Pohi.
“She’s planning to board an ice extraction ship?”
“Yes. Miss Terra Intercontinental plans to board Mr. Bedrich Kunden’s ship.”
“Why?” She pressed further, the question coming automatically.
Pohi’s subordinate explained that if a decomper was to board an ice extractor, it would be for the task of anchoring the ship. When an extractor drilled asteroids to mine ice, recoil caused it to float away. To keep the extractor in place, anchors were deployed and driven into the surface from all four corners of the ship. The main issue with that approach was the high cost of the anchors. A decomper on board, though, allowed both perforation and extraction to be done by changing the AMC clay’s shape instead of using ready-made pickets. That way, they could complete their work without discarding the pickets and the valuable materials they were made from and massively improve their efficiency. It was the reason a decomper was desired for the job.
The two youths made abnormally smooth progress with their arrangement, and it wasn’t long before Terra was showing up at the base ship’s decomp training grounds to practice making clay pickets.
I understand, but that can’t be all there is to this. It wasn’t the explanation Pohi wanted to hear, even though Terra, unable to fly her pillar boat, was looking for a new job and had found a ship that was perfect for her.
It also wasn’t what she wanted to know. What Pohi wanted to know was why those two—who, in a contest meant to parade her and her husband’s own decades of experience, instead caught a phenomenal, unprecedented 58,000 ton bachi orca after showing off new and amazing forms of decompression in front of everyone—suddenly separated like they had, and whether Terra was honestly discussing boarding a man’s boat barely a week later, despite no prior connection.
There’s no way she could bring herself to discuss that. That lighthouse woman couldn’t desire that kind of partner or job. So, just what is Terra Intercontinental Endeavour doing?
An ever-increasing number of strange notions and beliefs began to take root in the mind of the Clan Chief's wife, and as they did, it became increasingly clear what she needed to do regarding the matter. Three days later Pohi Nootka, who saw through everything, summoned Terra to her residence.
After what sounded like a scuffle at the entrance, the living room door suddenly burst open and fiendishly energetic little creatures poured in.
“I’m hooome! Mom, our snack yesterday—is there any of that dry melon left?” “Mom, listen, listen, there was a leakage alert today!” “I’ll be back this evening.” “Huh, TT-san?!”
They were the Highhertz children. Four or five kids of various sizes in elementary cruise school uniforms bounced around their mother, tossed away their bags before heading out again, or innocently passed through before making their way to the kitchen.
“Now, now, all of you, we have a visitor! Give her a proper greeting!”
Pohi, the mistress of the house, clapped her hands. All the kids lined up beside one another and introduced themselves in sequence.
“I’m Kalyana.” “I’m Zagi.” “I’m Seward.” “Klink!”
Satisfied, their mother turned to Terra. “See? They’re good kids. Darwis, my oldest, ran off though.”
“Ah, yes, they also seem super lively! But don’t they have a nanny...?”
“On days we go fishing, yes, we do, but Suima rotates between three families, and it isn’t her turn here today. Oh, it would have been nice to introduce you to her while you were here, wouldn’t it? You’ll eventually need to rely on one yourself, you know.”
“No... uh, but thanks very much...” Terra replied, barely managing a smile.
They were in the high-class Running Water Fan District, a residential zone located in the Year 250 Ring. It was blessed with a comfortable gravity of exactly 1g and attracted residents wishing to view majestic rapids. Terra sat down at the reception table inside the Highhertz residence living room after Pohi gestured for her to do so, but that moment had marked the arrival of the sudden storm of children.
“I can put you two in touch, so let me know if you ever have kids of your own. Now move along, everyone. Zagi, make sure to serve a portion to everyone!”
Three kids replied with “Okaaaay” and followed Pohi’s instructions, but one stayed behind. A golden-haired girl who had inherited both parents’ dark skin timidly stood in front of Terra. She seemed to be a middle schooler.
“Umm, can I ask you something, TT-san?”
“Sorry? TT?”
“Trawling Troll–” She quickly covered her mouth as soon as she started speaking. “Um, no! Everyone calls you that, but... but they aren’t trash-talking you! What they mean is that Tr—Terra Intercontinental-san’s nets are incredible, that’s what they mean!”
“Aha, so that’s what people call me now?” Feeling dejected, Terra couldn’t help but wistfully smile after failing to brush it off with a laugh. “That’s a funny nickname.”
“Kaly, what do we say when we need to apologize?”
“I–I’m sorry! I’m sorry!” The little girl teared up at her mother’s warning, apologizing profusely. “Tr–Terra-san, I wanted to ask how you make those nets...”
“Ahh, nets. Nets, hmm.” Terra didn’t sense any ill will, so she tried to lighten the mood with her answer. “The nets I make... they’re just from remembering the things I always daydream about. Stuff I’ve seen in photo books or movies.”
“Photo books?”
“Yeah, I distribute them. You should try giving them a look too, since there are plenty aimed at minors. If you do, maybe you’ll start seeing those things for yourself here at FBB.”
“At FBB? We can see them here?”
“That’s right,” she replied. Thinking about it was like taking a peek into her own inner workings. “Fat Beach Ball’s clouds can change into any shape. When I was a kid, I used to watch down there a lot, so...”
“Can I become a decomper like you if I do that?” The girl kept staring straight at Terra.
I didn’t become like this because I wanted to—Terra stopped that thought just before she replied with it. Even though it was a new experience to her, she understood she was about to be an influence on someone, not being influenced by someone.
“Becoming someone like me... That’s a hard question, but I guess it’s doing something like what I just told you, and also thinking about the desires of the person you want to decomp for.”
“Someone you want to decomp for? Who’s that?”
It was only natural that Kaly would ask, but Terra didn’t know what to say. She stared at the girl, not able to breathe.
“Somebody just like how your dad is to me.”
Pohi lent a helping hand, much to Terra’s surprise. The daughter’s unsatisfied face said she wanted to hear it from Terra, but Pohi gently shooed her away, telling her they were in the middle of an adult conversation and that she need to leave it for later. Then, with a somewhat stern expression, the Clan Chief’s wife turned around.
“Well, I don’t have any doubt now.”
“Excuse me?”
“You, for some reason, refused to give the name of the lover you just took for yourself.”
Terra thought she had dodged the bullet, only to have it come around and shoot her in the back instead. Feeling awkward, she replied, “I... I'm just a little embarrassed...” With that, her questions about what brought the conversation to this point raced out of her mouth. “What is this about? What business do we have today?”
“The reason you’re here today, Terra Intercontinental-san, is your lover’s name. What is it?”
Terra’s attempt to change the topic ended up with her getting shot again by the question. Disoriented, she replied, “By lover, do you mean Bedrich-san? We really don’t have that kind of a relationship yet, but why do you believe we do?”
“Let’s go through it in order for now. You've been acting interested in him, and it seems he’s also taken a liking to you. There’s gossip circulating among the people who know you that you two might be dating, and that gossip has made it my ears. So, is everything I said true so far? Or have I misunderstood something?”
“Misunderstood...” Unable to keep up with the fast pace of their conversation, Terra couldn’t reply properly. “No, you haven’t misunderstood anything... I think.”
“I see, I’ll continue then. You volunteered as a decomper for the Insatiable, which he works for. You got on and checked out the equipment, didn’t you? You even went out for a decomping trial once.”
“Ah, yes. I did, but... how did you know about that?”
“That's an easy thing to find out, you know. You weren't trying to hide that decomping test, and you were at the Endeavours’ Idaho. There’s no reason for you to ask how I know that, and as a matter of fact, I believe it’s you who owes me some answers.” Dodging Terra’s question with ease, Pohi pressed further. “And it’s not just one answer. There are three, maybe four issues that are rather murky. What do you think?”
“What... would those be?”
“You want me to list them? Well, okay, but since it’s quite troublesome, I’ll just come out and say outright the last and biggest thing you were going to do. So, fourth thing first: you’re planning to jump ship from Idaho without permission.”
“Ju–” Terra froze up yet again.
“You really are the kind of person who’s better off not lying, huh?” Pohi’s pitying tone stabbed her. “I came to the conclusion that was your plan because a spare spacesuit was discovered inside of one of the Insatiable’s clay anchors. You stashed it there with your decomping abilities. Needless to say, I'm a decomper myself, so I’ve already extracted said spacesuit. I have racked my brain to understand why you would do such a thing, and the only conclusion I can reach is that you planned to wear it to board another spaceship. Of course, there is no reason to do that at Idaho’s docks... but at an ice asteroid, you could use that spacesuit to escape since other clans’ ice extraction ships visit those too—Well? Do you acknowledge that to be the case?”
“...This is all too sudden, I don’t really follow.” Terra looked confused, and her eyes wandered to the minicell in her left hand and the brightly lit high window.
“Then, I’ll keep going. Three: you lied about wanting to be part of the Insatiable’s crew so you could put that plan into action. Since you plan to escape while under contract, you will undeniably be committing a crime.”
“Ah...” Terra wasn’t prepared mentally for the sudden gravity of Pohi’s speech, or for her to start with the biggest wrongdoing. The shock hit her much harder than expected. She grew pale, not even able to cut in.
“Two: in addition to lying about wanting to be a crew member, you pretended to be interested in Bedrich-san to smooth the way despite not really liking him. That’s not a crime the Guards can arrest you for, but you are aware that it is distasteful, no?”
“I... he–”
“Go ahead and say it. If you really do like him, then it might increase the number of people who think this is a beautiful little love story. Going behind the back of a man you like to carry out a plan to jump ship isn’t consistent with that at all, though.”
“...I guess you know everything. I take it you even saw what I did in the attic? I know the Clan Chief’s wife is important, but is that even allowed?”
“What did you do in the attic? I haven’t surveilled any private spaces. I’d anger everyone in our clan if I did that type of thing. What I know comes from public spaces where anyone can see you, like the work port, library, or restaurant district. You have no reason to find fault with that, since I was doing it for the sake of investigating a crime. While our clan allows ships to come and go with relative freedom, you must know we cannot treat boat owners jumping ship without permission lightly. If I reported you to the Guards right now, you’re facing a transfer to a zero-g area with no view of the outside, not to mention the years of movement restrictions that would be imposed on you–” Pohi gave a single wave of her hand and focused her sharp eyes on Terra. “Well, I don’t need to tell you that, we’re all taught that in elementary cruise school.”
Terra continued to look away. She couldn’t reply. It was hard to breathe, like the room had opened to the vacuum. She felt a chill run down her spine.
“So, with that said, what I want to know is—” Pohi slowly bent over the table, and whispered so quietly her voice wouldn’t even reach the back of the sofa. “What do you want to do?”
“Wh...”
“Look right here, straight at me. Don’t look away.”
Terra had been focused on her left hand since the middle of their conversation, but on command she turned to look directly at Pohi. The amber eyes of the woman who was almost twice her age looked into her with a faint glimmer.
“Finally, one: you’ll go to those lengths because you’re chasing that girl, Diode.”
“—Gh.” On that point, Terra groaned voicelessly and started to stand.
Pohi stopped her by grabbing her arm. “Tell me! Did you have a fight with her? Or was it the other way around?”
“Po... Pohi-san?” Terra blinked.
Pohi’s rapidfire talking continued, “I know you haven't thought about anyone except the twister you went fishing with. I’m a decomper, and I can clearly see she’s that kind of twister to you. That's why I don't believe that you two peacefully parted ways; there’s no way either of you would do that. Given that, what really happened then? Is it possible you had a small argument over a misunderstanding? Or maybe your frustration with each other boiled over at the end and you impulsively split up—if that’s the case, I’d guess it was over something particularly thorny—but now your regret is so unbearable you’d do this to see her again? So, what happened? Tell me?”
Terra was astonished. It had taken her a while to finally understand what Pohi was driving at. The first thing that was clear to her was that Pohi wasn’t admonishing her; if anything, Pohi seemed sympathetic. Of everything Terra had felt during this conversation, sympathy was the most unbelievable. In a daze, she asked her own question of Pohi.
“But... it’s unacceptable for a woman to be your partner as a twister in the first place, isn’t it?”
“If we’re going by common sense, yes.” Pohi snorted, then crossed her arms assertively. “But being able to bend or ignore common sense is a decomper’s strong suit, though, wouldn’t you agree?”
“Really?”
“What do you mean ‘really’? That’s the kind of decomping you’ve pulled off yourself—Ahh, I see. You haven’t really talked to other decompers, have you?”
“No, I guess I haven’t.”
“No matter who the decomper is, that’s what we think. What we imagine. We want to create the shapes we like. We want to see shapes we’ve never seen before. We’re surprised to see things we didn’t know about. That sort of things.”
Terra took in those words, then whispered, “Wait... So, are you saying you recognize us?”
“Yes, that’s what I thought about you two. I understood you and her formed that kind of shape, something new.”
Terra fell back onto the sofa, feeling dizzy after the tension left her body. She kept her eyelids shut tight to stop herself from sobbing on the spot.
“Oh my, are you okay? Would you like a drink?”
After asking with concern, Pohi brought some coffee over from the wall printer. Terra breathed deeply while she held the warm cup in her hands. Pohi smiled wistfully and spoke.
“It looks like you were terribly anxious. I’m sorry. I thought you would sidestep the topic if I broached it lightly.”
“I’m sorry... I was confused.”
“Don’t worry, take it easy. Just let me say beforehand not to take this as a sign that the Endeavours as a whole are changing their policies on the matter, okay?”
Terra looked at her and nodded. “Okay, I understand.”
“Xeon is going to put your control pits back into a pillar boat tomorrow, but that won’t mean you’re allowed to board again just yet. Strictly speaking, I’m just giving you advice like this because I felt like lending a hand. Still, I believe this meeting can have a better purpose; at the very least we can let those four problems of yours slide as a mere failed attempt. Kneading a spacesuit into the ice extraction ship anchor? I don’t think a plan can get any more suicidal than that! Think about it a little harder, okay?”
“Okay.” Terra nodded and couldn’t keep herself from smiling. “Okay.”
“Good. So... let’s get back to what we were talking about earlier.” Pohi picked up her own cup, and this time sat next to Terra. Their shoulders rested at different heights, so she looked up to Terra and with the same quiet voice from before, asked, “What did you two fight about?”
“Nothing. It’s just... she was kidnapped.”
Terra explained how the Gendō kidnapped Diode. If she had told someone any earlier, it would have made it obvious to them she wanted to bring the girl back. That was why had she kept quiet on the matter.
“Oh my...” Pohi’s eyes were wide open after hearing Terra’s story. “So, you two didn’t part ways, but were split up? Of course you’d be desperate to save her! My, how cruel... I believe we may be able to lodge a little complaint regarding that officially.”
“No, please don’t, Pohi-san.” Terra shyly held out a palm at Pohi, who had grown angry. “Even if you do, the Gendō won’t give Die-san back. They’ll increase their security instead, I’m sure of it. But I... I’m getting her back, no matter what it takes, no matter how far I have to go to do it.”
“...Terra-san.” Pohi placed her cup on the table and held Terra’s hand. “Yes. I know how you feel... er, no, rather, I understand where you’re coming from. You have my sympathy. I’ll be cheering for you.”
“Thank you.”
“What are you going to do, then? Because in that case...” Pohi paused in consideration. “I think... you should make some adjustments, since following your plan as-is will eventually break the law. Maybe you could even get Bedrich-san and the Insatiable to lend you their might. Well, you won’t make his dreams come true, though. Your plan to board another ship at an icy moon is good, though. You have already given some thought to what you’ll do after that, right?”
“Well, about that—” Terra lifted her cup and drank nearly half of it while she thought. Finally, she made up her mind and looked to Pohi. “Then yes, I have thought about it. I’ve made a few changes after talking to you, though. Could I make a request? Just one.”
“What is it? You can tell me anything.”
“When I leave this ship, we probably aren’t coming back—but, if that’s really what happens, would it be possible not to blame Uncle Rubal and Aunt Mora, or demand compensation from them?”
Surprised, Pohi shook her head. “Aren’t coming back? So, you’re not returning with her?”
“I’m not. There’s somewhere we need to go.”
“You’re going through with that criminal plan after all, then?”
“No, I’m going to do something else.” Terra wasn’t sure which face she was supposed to make for this, so she flashed Pohi a troubled smile and confided, “Everything you brought up has changed my plan, so I’m not planning to trick you and go ahead with it anyway.”
“A different method.” Pohi stated firmly, staring at Terra as if seeking her confirmation. “Will you harm anyone or steal anything?”
Terra set her cup aside and gazed at the skylight. “I won't harm anyone or steal anything that belongs to someone. If anything, all that will be missing from now on is our catch—but we were never fishers to begin with, were we?”
“Right.” There was a hint of bitterness in Pohi’s smile. “We kept refusing to recognize you as fishers, even after you brought your boat back from the bottom of the clouds.”
“This isn’t about revenge or anything like that. Something that absolutely would have benefitted the clan going ignored was a bit... hard to deal with, but that’s all.”
“I understand.”
“So, with that said... I’m very grateful to you, Pohi-san.”
“It’s okay, stay well. I’ll do something about your aunt and uncle, all right?”
Terra thanked her, and the married woman saw her off at the entrance as she left.
The next morning, Terra prepared breakfast, packed lunch, and baked sweets. She set off for work in the Antiquity District in Idaho’s Year 10 Ring carrying a slightly oversized gray rucksack. Once there, Terra reviewed a video of a woman rope-tied to a scaffold sticking out of a deep fissure. She was being forced into the fissure, and Terra discussed with her coworker Makia whether it was a work of entertainment, a scientific experiment, a torture record, or something more difficult to categorize.
At noon, she ate the lunch she packed in the ancient-looking media storage garden and grabbed the horse’s tail. The tail belonged to an old robot horse that had existed since Idaho’s Antiquity District was built. She followed its clip-clopping until she found data stones scattered like ruins in the depths of the archive, where she passed through a discreet, hidden door and entered the 300-year-old escape ship.
The moment she stepped into the hidden space, her minicell started on its own and Exceptional Eda’s face appeared.
“Congratulations, Terra-chan. You finally made your escape.”
“Sigh...”
She leaned against the wall with the rucksack and slowly sank to the floor. The horse that stood beside her after leading her here snorted and returned to the archive. The door closed, leaving the escape ship completely isolated from the interior of the base ship Idaho. For a moment, Terra couldn’t get back up. Both the relief of achieving her plan and the fatigue of the effort weighed heavily on her. Leading the Itar youth on and arguing with the Clan Chief’s wife who saw through her were the kind of difficult thing that she would normally find impossible.
“I’m exhausted... I feel like I took ten years off my lifespan.”
“It was terrifying when that auntie exposed you like that. Heh, you lucked out.”
“That wasn’t luck, that was her being a nice person. Please don’t call her an auntie,” Terra said, glaring at her minicell.
Eda laughed. “Haha, what’s the problem? I’m an auntie too, but I don’t mind that at all. I’m out here living life to its fullest.”
“I didn’t mean like that...”
“You’re grateful, I know. Are you also feeling guilty, then? Since we’re about to run off with some of the clan’s property after ganking it?” Eda asked with a level tone and shrugged. “Magiri and I, the Great Chiefs, have owned anything and everything in Idaho from the very beginning. That even goes for the very molecules making up your body, Terra-chan.”
“My body is mine.”
“Maybe at first, because it’s only yours until it belongs to someone else!” The way the short haired woman dressed in white on Terra’s left hand said that was so friendly it was scary.
Even though Terra was aware of how bizarre the woman’s existence was, she still couldn’t believe the sight of it. Terra first met Professor Dryeda de la Lucid, xenobiologist first-rate, in the depths of FBB’s clouds, then encountered her again a day after being sent back to Idaho.
Terra grabbed the horse’s tail out of faint hope when she first got back to the media storehouse. That was the moment she opened the door for the first time. The instant she stepped inside, Eda spoke to her. Once they were certain the systems onboard the escape ship still worked, Terra’s escape plan became a firm possibility for the first time.
Eda had existed inside the ship since then. She didn’t have a physical presence, but her personality was there. It did seem like Terra had carried her back up with them, but it was also possible Terra’s entry awakened a hibernating AI that contained Eda’s data. Either way, it meant that she could probably communicate from anywhere. Terra hadn’t been able to pin down her real location yet. Eda was inscrutable, but thankfully, they shared a goal.
“Anyway, thanks to all the supplies you brought, Terra-chan, it was possible to get this ship up and running again. Now all that’s left to do now is to bring Diode-chan over and then I can send us flying to the GI.”
“Absolutely do not send us flying before she’s on board with us, please.”
“I know. If I did, you’re sure to blow up the ship. I promise we’ll pick her up before we run away.”
They could work together because Professor Eda also wanted to go to the GI. While Terra tricked the watchful eyes of the clan by pushing forward with her fake plan of escaping on the ice extraction ship, Eda made preparations for their real escape plan in the old escape ship. In the event they failed and the real plan was uncovered due to carelessness, Eda had arranged to create an opening to escape by using the Great Chief code to force the base ship into a state of emergency. Thankfully, they succeeded without needing to resort to it.
It was a lot for mere common interest. Curious, Terra started to question her. “Eda-san, why are you going so far to help us out? You told me you’ve gotten in contact with people at FBB before, but still.”
“For fun,” Eda said bluntly, then continued, “There’s also something I’d like to ask you, then. Why do you want to save Diode-chan?”
“Because she’s my partner. Is that so weird you need to know more about it?”
“I don’t want to hear more because it’s weird, it’s because I want to know if you’re aware of your sense of priorities. There are many sides to a person, and just as many ways they can show those sides. It’s rare that someone accepts every part of another person, so if you have a deep knowledge of which traits you love the most, it can help maintain your bond—now, of Diode-chan’s traits, which one do you want to get back the most?”
Terra fell silent after Eda’s surprise attack. She was asking an unexpectedly interesting question.
“Her looks? Her personality? Her abilities as a pilot? Or maybe an aspect I don’t know about and haven’t seen yet...?” The bittersweet scent of her hair deeply embedded in the fifteen cushions she shoved in the plumbing gap. Terra’s face instantly reddened at the sudden memory. “Er, uh, no–”
“Hmm?”
Terra held her left hand and its minicell as far as she could from her body and covered her face with her right hand. “...Sorry, but could you hold off on that question for now?”
“Hm? So you want to give a well-thought-out answer? All right, all right.”
Terra became more self-aware the more she thought about it. She wanted to meet up with Diode, to look at her face, to talk with her. More than anything, Diode’s capricious presence—tiny in all three dimensions, scampering away at some times and abruptly affectionate at others—was something Terra wanted to use her own hands, her own chest, to–
Fwah... Terra took a deep breath, doing her best to settle her fluttering heart and rising body temperature. I really need to do something about this, especially my left hand—she thought.
“Now... I believe we should get going soon.”
Terra got her breathing under control and climbed the stairs leading into the control room. The room’s ceiling sloped forward to meet the bow; fourteen reclining seats faced outwards in a radial configuration. A fifteenth seat, the captain’s, was able to swivel around the dashboard. Terra seated herself there, and she felt completely out of place because of its apparent importance. Since she was here all by herself, though, it was where she had to sit.
“We’ve finished our preparations, right? So, are we ready to depart?” Terra’s hand reached for the conspicuous escape button.
“Not yet, the most important thing to do still remains,” Eda replied with a serious face.
“And what would that be?”
“Aren’t you going to name the ship?”
“What? But that’s not even an issue...”
“No, it’s important! Who would do something boring like not giving their spaceship a name? If you won’t name it, I will. Of Insanity, Intolerance, and Inseminate, which is your favorite?”
“I feel like all of those names are terrible. Wait, are you the one who named all those ships that are still around from the early days?”
“That’s right. So, how about Insomnia?”
“Why?”
“That’s probably in the cards for the two of you.” The woman squinted knowingly and smiled.
When the lunch break ended at 12:59 P.M. on Day 108 of CC 304, a small object not listed among the Circs’ active vessels emerged from the north end of Idaho’s central shaft like an ancient wine bottle being uncorked. The object, measuring about 20 meters both vertically and horizontally, anchored itself at the port with the sole purpose of extracting and stowing two control pits from a pillar boat’s AMC clay rigging. It was determined that a decomper was onboard the object, since the act had been carried out by decomping.
Once finished, the main engine immediately lit and sent the object hurtling away. Idaho’s fleet control attempted to track it, but for reasons unknown, it failed to determine the object’s orbital trajectory due to insufficient data. The object was lost.
At 3:40 P.M, a report from the Antiquity District’s media storehouse confirmed that Terra Intercontinental Endeavour had jumped ship without permission.