On Astral Tides: From Humble Freelancer To Astral Emperor

Five Hundred And Forty-Two

“Good morning… ugh… my… my head…” I was greeted by the sight of a very pale-faced Christina rummaging around beside her bed for something. Her long, rather unkempt ash-blonde hair had tangled up around her naked body, and as the thin bedsheet she was wearing fell away, revealing her rather impressive breasts swinging bare, I looked away like a gentleman. She’s such a pain, but…

Honestly, she had been a welcome distraction. We had carried on drinking at Kelly’s Haven long into the night. I worried about local liquor laws, as we went past the stated closing hours, but Buck had just shrugged and said that tonight was special, and if the police were called, he’d deal with it. Indeed, the raucous crowd had cheered and drank, and sang songs, both American and Irish, and oddly enough there were even a few Japanese songs thrown in, some I recognised as particularly bad renditions of some famous anime themes.

I think Buck could certainly have made more money. I certainly lightened my wallet a bit. But… Seeing the huge upswing of support for Shaeula was heartwarming, and also served a purpose. It’s a war of hearts and minds now. And… if we’re going to win people over, I think it’s easier to direct people’s approval towards tangible people like Shaeula, rather than an abstract, nebulous God. Though… we also need to increase faith in those too. The Pilgrimage… hmm… I wonder… I’ll call Arisu-san, she probably has connections…

The news coverage had actually displayed some footage from the press conference in London, and of course the scene where Shaeula had delivered her now famous catchphrase. The crowd had cheered and toasted, and when I had announced that I had word that Shaeula was safe and had triumphed, the patrons were boisterous and exultant in the extreme, cheering and toasting her wildly. We had also recorded a lot of the footage, which I planned to show Shaeula as a surprise.

Pulling on her glasses, Christina blinked blearily, her skin an unhealthy pallor. She made no effort to cover herself though, merely yawning. “…I thought that you were getting me drunk, so you’d have an excuse for attacking me. Really, is everything I’ve heard about men wrong?” She seemed almost affronted, and I had to chuckle.

Of course I didn’t do anything. Just letting her sleep in my room as she wanted was a big enough concession. I honestly don’t think that Adam White will try anything now, there’s no benefit to it for him. He might certainly be brutal in his methods, but he also seems pragmatic, measured. But Christina was right. If there was even a one percent chance they might try to snatch and disappear her, it was probably worth eliminating that last risk.

“No, I think it’s just that you’re not my type.” I shot her down, and she shivered, her body reacting, and I cursed myself for having the perception to notice. I did not need to see that. Oh well… compared to the troubles of last night, this is only a minor annoyance.

“Your cold rejection stings. But I’m a persistent woman.” She stretched, making sure to show off her ample breasts, letting the sheet fall further to reveal that she wasn’t wearing panties either. Though I knew that. She didn’t exactly make an effort to cover herself last night. It felt rather uncomfortable sharing a room with a naked woman, even if of course I was the perfect gentleman and left her to her own bed, but it wasn’t as if even Eri would care that much. She knows she can trust me not to do anything stupid, and I’d much rather be here with her, or indeed any of my girls. Shiro… she’d just laugh and make jokes about how if this was a year ago, I’d think I’d died and gone to Heaven…

Christina held her pose, her pale, clammy skin growing redder and redder, as for a moment I was lost in thought, shaking off the mussiness of my own sleep. Not that I had much. But I thought I’d snatch an hour. Since for once I wasn’t also bustling in the Boundary, it made sense to try and activate The Future Reflected By The Moon. It didn’t reveal anything though. But then, it’s not like even Tsukiko had prophecies and visions when she wanted. All I got from my hour of sleep was a vague feeling of restless dread, a faint headache, and a handful more messages on my phone.

“I… uh…” Christina’s mouth was flapping, and I realised I was staring, so I glanced away, and she let out a long breath, trembling a little. Both relieved and aroused, she shuddered, wrapping her arms around herself. “…You’ve got a sadistic streak, haven’t you? Do you get a thrill from bullying me? If so…” Her smile was wicked, and I could almost see her drooling. “…I don’t mind. I daresay there’s things a shy boy like you would like to try but don’t want to appear perverted in front of your other women.” She winked playfully. “…Little miss Christina here won’t judge, even if it hurts! I’ll consider it an experiment in human reproduction and…” She suddenly turned green, stomach heaving. “…oh, I shouldn’t have drunk so much, but… it was fun and unusual for me…”

“You’re a pain, you know that?” With a sigh I got out of my own bed, and placed my hand on her forehead, careful to avoid her as she tried to press against me. Aether trickled, and her pallor faded, and her eyes became rather more lucid. With a smile that was decidedly less lewd, but was still rather teasing, she thanked me.

“Oh, that’s so much better. I rather enjoyed the experience of drinking to excess, but… yes, the body does not approve. Speaking of experiments…” Despite the fact she was stark naked, she suddenly narrowed her eyes, her focus sharpening. “…I get you were busy last night. You had so many calls and messages…”

Yeah, she’s not kidding. Obviously I had calls from all of my women, as well as my family, friends and more. Oddly enough, the most interesting call was from Yu-mi. Remembering, I couldn’t help but smile a little, though obviously it wasn’t all good.

“I know you’re likely busy, but I just wanted to check in with you. Or perhaps you’d rather I make room for another call from Eri and the rest?” Yu-mi had joked, and after I assured her that no, I was glad to hear from her, and that she was safe, she had got down to business.

“My dad’s staying with us for now. He’s very shaken up by the whole disaster at the Tengokusentou. A bad business that. I’m just glad that everyone made it out safely. It seems that Hinata was shrewd as always, taking Shiro as protection. Though I hear she certainly held her own… no, if she hasn’t told you already, I certainly won’t steal her thunder. Be sure to praise her properly, okay? Women love that from a man they like.”

I remembered thinking just how much Yu-mi’s demeanour had changed, from the sullen, standoffish woman who loathed the idea of an arranged marriage with me, but would have done it anyway for her cousin, as she was a kind girl at heart, to this proactive, cheerful and charming woman who was constantly driven to succeed.

“Anyway…” she had continued. “…your mother’s taken charge of him and got him settled in the spare house. She then moved the idol girl in with your sister for now, saying she couldn’t stay in a house with my dad. I get it, but it’s not like my dad has the guts to try anything… oh well.” She had giggled, clearly amused. “I really like your mother. She’s very welcoming. Though she does keep teasing me, asking if I regret turning you down. Well, enough of the happier chat.” She was serious then. “I’ve been in touch with Kang Da, back in Korea, as well as several acquaintances of my dad. In my role as South Korea’s Adamant Captain, of course.” She sounded proud and teasing at the same time. “There’s definitely been a planned leak of the footage, it wasn’t an accident, unlike the government claimed. It seems that factions in the Blue House are jockeying for position, and we’ve almost become a casualty in the crossfire of their schemes…”

She had then explained her reasoning, and her plans for action. She was going to fly back to Korea when everything was settled, but before that, she had asked to come along on the Pilgrimage. I had been a bit surprised, as she wasn’t Japanese, but that hadn’t concerned her. “It’s not like I’m particularly devout, and… honestly, if I’m going to hold the position I’ve been given, I can’t be just a figurehead. I’m… actually a rather prideful woman, aren’t I? Besides… having met those you call Kami, I have no problem worshiping them. It’ll be good practise.”

“Practise for what?” I had asked, and she merely giggled again, this time rather wickedly.

“Wait and see. It’s not for me to say. I may be a Captain, but I still answer to the Commanders. So do you, it seems.” After that, we had exchanged some more chatter, mostly for us both to reassure each other everything was well, and then after I hung up, of course I had another call from someone else…

As those memories ran through my head in an instant, in front of me, Christina finished her plea. “…and yes, you’ve had other things on your mind, but… it’s important to further our understanding of your abilities. Now more than ever.”

“Yes, but… I don’t exactly trust you, do I?” I countered, standing, Christina’s eyes devoured my body, her throat gulping, her face hot, but I was wearing underwear, at least. Though obviously, my body was far from the rather frail, nerdy state it was accustomed to only five months ago, and now my muscles were quite impressive. Other things too.  “I’ve learned my lesson about oversharing.”

“That hurts… and not in a pleasing way…” Christina tore her eyes from my body, looking into mine earnestly, and it was an expression I seldom saw on her. “…look. I said it to Adam, Chris, Gina and the rest, didn’t I? I’m a patriot. I am a proud American. But… I’m also a woman. I never thought that would matter, but it does. I’m… perhaps I’m a fool.” She paused then. “No, actually, this works!” She bounced up and down excitedly, and I hardly knew where to look.

“At least put on a nightgown or something, I know you brought luggage.” I complained, and she shook her head.

“No! The topic is serious, but… this is a rare chance to appeal to you! Anyway… intelligence. Your Statistics, as you call them. Intellect is a thing, yes? If so… there should be a great deal of ramifications. Firstly, nobody can remain as they were if their brain changes so. Greater processing power will inevitably strip away extraneous, irrelevant emotions and ideas. Consider chess… well, I suppose it should be shogi, no?”

“It’s fine. Mom taught me chess too. Not that I’m much good at either. Although…” It’s true I’ve not played in a while. Maybe I’m grandmaster level now? It should be easy enough to calculate dozens of moves ahead in an instant…

“Yes, you get it. A boring, yet ruthlessly efficient game, is what our best chess-playing AI’s manage nowadays. But you… your brain should be working at the level of a supercomputer, in some respects. Perhaps not quite as good at calculations. But when you combine what our brains do well that computers do not, pattern recognition, abstract thinking, intuitive logic… there’s no way you should be making the choices you do.”

“Is that a dig at me?” I had to laugh, and she shrugged.

“I’m not a liar, Akio. I may have my faults…”

“Oh yes, you certainly do…”

“Now that’s the sort of coldness that somehow thrills me.” Christina giggled, and while I hated myself for it, and was certainly not softening my stance or forgiving her for her many crimes, I couldn’t help but find that a little amusing. “No, I’m serious.” She continued to lecture me, which was rather incongruous, as she was still stark naked in our hotel room.

“My point is, if we understand the how and the why, we can turn it to our advantage, and make it perform the what.”

“I’ve already thought about this. Resilience seems to prevent my thought processes from changing too much. It’s hard to explain to someone whose stats aren’t as absurd as mine, but… even though I can be in two places at once, or think about six different things at the same time, and run through thoughts that should take minutes in a fraction of a second… I still feel like me. So of course I act like I always have, just… a little more solidly, for want of a better expression.”

“That makes sense!” Christina agreed, balling one fist and slamming it in her open palm for emphasis. “But that’s not the whole picture. In our analogy… you’re a chess supercomputer. You’ve gone from an amateur to a grandmaster, yet you can still make moves that eschew the best outcome, based on what your Resilience protects. And honestly…” She blinked behind her glasses. She didn’t really need them after she finally received the full Chirurgery, but she had said she was used to them, and it made her look intellectual. “…I think that’s a good thing.”

I blinked at that, completely shocked, and she snickered. “Surprised? I… may not grasp the finer points of human behaviour, but… I’ve changed. Been changed. The logical outcome I can think of, is that you either demand I be punished for my actions, or better yet, make Adam hand me over, and exploit me for everything I know. Perhaps even take out your anger on me, treat me harshly, then sentence me to death.” She shivered at that, lips parting wetly, and my earlier amusement vanished. Nope, still creepy. But… she’s vastly more expressive than before. Just what happened when Haru shared all those memories and experiences with her?

“Logic dictates what is necessary, desirable or harmful. But… following your career, from what Adam has unearthed, and I have learned since… despite mistakes, despite choices that were poor… you’ve prospered. I think… pure calculative and logical methods will fail in the end.”

“I’m surprised to hear you say that.” I said at last. “Isn’t that a denial of everything you’ve worked for, you’ve done?”

“Not at all!” She waved her hand triumphantly, back straight, face proud. “I have just come to a realisation. Data supports the change! And it’s relevant here. So… you’re a chess supercomputer, yes? You have immense processing power, but… if I wanted you to do something else… well, I can’t suddenly expect you to perform flawlessly at poker, for example. Your brain, whether your Intellect, as you call it, is either ten, a hundred, a thousand, or even ten thousand, can’t know what it doesn’t, can’t perform tasks it doesn’t have software for. And… the effect of Intellect is surely not just mediated by Resilience, but also your personality.”

“And so?” I asked, rather fascinated by the in-depth analysis.

“And so… if I was to install poker software onto you, you’d be capable of perfectly playing hands, but… you could also bluff! Because you are not swept away in the cold enforcement of logic and numbers.” she declared triumphantly. “More to the point… it’s why a genius like me is valuable. I live and breathe the scientific process. So, were I to have your level of Intellect, I would be able to operate far in excess of others, because the core of my being, the software and hardware mediated by both Intellect and Resilience, is specifically optimised, by either nature or nurture, most likely a combination of both, for experimentation, intuitive leaps, data sorting, pattern recognition and more! But…” She narrowed her eyes. “…I can also help you train your mind to have the same sort of pathways as mine does.”

“Be like you? No thanks.”

“You wound me again. Is it fun for you, deliberately being cold? Here I am, all defenceless, naked before you… surely you wish to push me down, punish my cheeky, virgin body and soul with your…”

“Enough.” I flicked her forehead, and she pouted, though her eyes were sparkling. “You’re making some good points, but enough with the terrible flirting. It’s not sexy, you know?”

“Really? I disagree, my body is…”

“It’s your attitude. Honestly… being so brazen about it is almost off-putting.” I explained. “Anyway… I get what you are saying. You’re saying that even with all my stats, I’m likely still less efficient than you or Ixitt at research and creation. It makes sense. Motoko and Natsumi, for example, they are able to defeat opponents with greater speed and strength, because they know how to use what they have more efficiently.”

“Exactly. So… you should share with me. I know you distrust me. But… I’ve made it clear.” She spread her arms again, looking proud. “I’ll have no secrets from you. Honestly… it’s also best for America. We’ve… disappointed you. And even on this fun trip across the world, I’ve seen nothing to make me doubt you are going to be… what did they call it… ah yes, the Astral Emperor. So… use me. I… honestly, I’m a mess of confusing emotions I never felt before. And it just motivates me to reach new heights. You… can use those who have done bad deeds, yes? That woman, Nie Ling. She is from China and was involved in the second Kyoto incident? Her ability… it is simply too good to pass up. There must be others, yes? I was listening to your calls.” She pulled out her phone, showing me she had searched online for the myths and legends of Tamamo-no-Mae. “Compared to me… if even half of these tall tales are true… her hands are stained crimson with blood to the elbows.”

It's true. She’s got me there. She’s genuinely seeking redemption. For selfish reasons, perhaps, but…

As if seeing me wavering, she smirked. “It’s cute. Everything shows on your face. I never would have paid that any notice before. I’m changing. I thought… to perfectly replicate a thing was for it to be the thing. But perhaps now I realise… aiming to be something, changes you. We can’t stay the same. So…” She took off her glasses, folded them neatly and her expression was now incredibly serious, none of her earlier flirting. “…you took me from Adam. Use me. It’s not just logical, but also tallies with your past acts. If they have to strive for forgiveness, to balance the scales, then I shall as well. I… will need help, yours and others. Because… I do tend to forget myself when conducting research, and I admit… I will take actions that go beyond the bounds of what ordinary men and women would countenance. Yet… with a firm hand…”

I raised an eyebrow, and her smile was calm as she continued. “I do not mean it in a sexual manner, I assure you. I… hope for that too. But… since I apparently lack charm, I shall set it aside for now.” Even her word choice and tone were different, as if delivering a proposal or request for funding. “You can bind me further with these mind controlling winds. Or any other method you might have. You can set guards and watchers upon me. You can vet every experiment. I have no wish to die for nothing. Dying for something… that is meaningful. Romantic, perhaps I would say now, though never before.”

“There’s nothing romantic about death.” I disagreed. “It just leaves behind sorrow.”

“You would be sorrowful for me? I shall… bear that in mind.” She blinked, misunderstanding me, but… I suppose it’s true that living her life to make amends is a better choice.

“Now, you can hardly deny we need to further research all aspects of ether, aether and all other new phenomenon?” At my headshake, she nodded knowingly. “Of course not. In fact, your own progress has outstripped ours. Now, from the chess grandmaster standpoint…” she went back to her earlier example. “…experimenting on enemies and criminals is logical. But… we did that, and you loathe it. And yes, when the subjects run dry… it leads to…”

“What you did.” I grunted coldly, and she shivered.

“Yes. Mistakes. For… I was going to say good reason, but… now I see our folly. Hence why I propose this.” Her expression was calm and composed. “I shall be the test subject for every experiment I can be involved in. There are no moral issues with that, and I shall not only suffer what our prior subjects did, but… worse.” Her lips quirked in a smile both excited and fearful. “After all, while Scryer is a decent healer, compared to your efforts… We shall dig into my brain, my body, my spirit… every part studied and tested. We shall build knowledge, and implement it.”

At her words, I had horrific visions of her skull peeled open, parts of her brain removed and then regrown, and other horrors. I raised it, and she looked at me with such a red-faced and lustful expression, her calm shattering, I nearly recoiled.

“I knew you would understand. Yes, I have plans in that direction. Chakras, how do they interact with our Material forms? How does the brain mediate such things? Can lost memories be healed… so many things we should know.”

“I…” Suddenly I felt sick. “…I was planning to transplant my Eye and regrow it. No, I already tried… it didn’t work, but…”

“You have not given up.” She clapped her hands together, entire body now scarlet with arousal and excitement. “A failure can tell us as much as a success, sometimes. But… what would you do if you caused permanent injury to yourself, lost your Eye?”

“I was certain that wouldn’t happen…” I admitted, and she nodded.

“As am I that my experiments will not maim or kill me and will lead to applications that will strengthen you and your followers to unprecedented heights.” She then shrugged. “If I am wrong… then I have reaped what I have sowed, yes? These Church folk, do they not say ‘an eye for an eye’?”

I didn’t like it, not at all, but… She’s right. I believe I can win my wager with Tan, use the Seeds to replicate my Eye, but… such resources are finite and precious. If improvements could be made… and she’s willing. Insane, but willing… but, can I trust her? Oddly enough… I hate to say it, but…

“I’m going to take a shower.” Christina’s tone was back to normal now. She stood, sniffing her naked body. “I reek of sweat and alcohol. No wonder you aren’t pushing me down on the bed…”

…I think so long as she’s got access to the research she wants to do, she’ll be happy. Even so… whatever happens, we need safeguards on her… Watching her go, my headache had returned. Damn, it seems that I’m always on the verge of a migraine nowadays…

***

As the sound of the shower filled the room, I quickly cleansed myself with a little water element and aether. Glancing over at the discarded mess of Christina’s clothes, I realised she was quite the slob too. Though to be fair she was very drunk. Everyone was. Even Zachary and Bethany had carried on drinking with us into the small hours of the morning, Bethany’s wariness of me having faded after I healed her scar. As I prepared the expensive suit I would be wearing to meet the President at the White House, for a state dinner and then a less formal gathering afterwards, I skimmed my phone, firing off messages where appropriate.

Huh, a new one from Fujiwara-san. Seems important…

Checking the time, I made a call, and quickly he answered. “Sorry about the late hour over there.” I apologised. “I got your message. Is… is everything all right?”

“Hardly.” Fujiwara Shige-san, the grandfather of Miyu and Honoka-san, sighed, his usually steely tone, rich and powerful despite his advancing age, sounding rather defeated, exhausted. “While my granddaughters are safe, and the Tengokusentou and Hanafubuki survived, the damage is… significant. Fortunately, winter break is almost upon us, so Itsuki, Kira and I, on consultation with the other families, have decided to suspend school for the meantime. The security is clearly inadequate for these troubling times.”

That made sense. I murmured my agreement, and he got to the point, what he really wanted to discuss. “While the former fiancé of Shiraishi Nozomi is still at large, perhaps not even in the country, significant assets, mostly stolen from Shiraishi house and liquidated, it seems, have been moved abroad. We did however, thanks to the brave efforts of Hinata-san and your fiancée Shiratori-san…” He called Shiro by her actual name, which would hardly have pleased her. “…as well as my Miyu, I can hardly believe it…. We captured his brother, as well as a number of members of the Ruby Group. It did not take long for… Shiratori-san to persuade them to talk. And it confirmed my worst fears.”

I listened, as he explained how he had established Fujiwara Security Services after his eldest son and his family was killed on a trip to America. He had always had suspicions about who was behind it, hence the strange state of Fujiwara house, but… “So, it seems Hidemasa was indeed behind it, and he had contact with the powers behind the Ruby Group, the Chinese Triads… no, Cultivators, I suppose I should say…” He paused for a moment, and I could hear his grief. “I can hardly believe it. Kazuhito likely suspected his brother had great hatred for him, hence why he absolved himself from running Fujiwara house and went into politics. And despite being the eldest, Miyu was always too quiet and diffident. Or so I thought. To think she would defy me and end up under your reins.”

I wanted to protest at that, but it was technically true, and it didn’t seem the time anyway, so I made a quiet, non-committal response as he continued.

“I believed that if Hidemasa felt he would take over after me, or at the least, Honoka and her chosen husband would, he would remain quiet, but…” Another long, mournful, grief-stricken sigh. “…it seems that the changes that have swept over Japan provoked him. He fears Miyu’s rise, under your care. And he is hardly competent enough to succeed on his own merits, taking over from Koji-kun, who runs our businesses for me and directs policies I have no need to interfere in. So it seems he once again turned to outside aid, those who had served him well before.”

The bitter story was unveiled, though there were still gaps, of course. But it seemed that the Ruby Group put Hidemasa-san… no, Hidemasa… Those who would turn on their family don’t deserve any respect… in contact with Kuwahara Takehisa, who was already rotting the Shiraishi house from within after his engagement to Nozomi-san. The plan was then to dispose of Miyu, alongside her father, and if possible, some other executives on site, like Harada Koji-san, and the head of Fujiwara Security Services, Ueno Junichiro-san, by using hidden methods only the Ruby Group supposedly had. That would be by these Sānchóng I’ve heard about. But…

“Hidemasa can hardly even scheme correctly.” Fujiwara-san grieved. “The Ruby Group and the Serpents behind them surely wished to eliminate the majority of the powerful nobility, leaving us vulnerable to takeover, and Japan’s economy and political power in turmoil, now of all times. Kuwahara-san was simply the first snake of ours that left his burrow. There are others. Though we are doing a full audit of the Three-Hundred and the Fifty-Eight. Though I would ask…” He paused, seeming a little hesitant, so I encouraged him to speak.

“…if I could obtain the assistance of Suzuki Haru-san, as well as Hikawa Chiaki-san and Chiasa-san? This is too important not to extract all the poisonous thorns, especially now.” He then explained the ongoing situation in Japan. The major Church attacks had been in Kyoto and Tokyo, both bombings and shootings in the Material, and widespread chaos in the Boundary, though in our Territories at least, as well as Gin-san’s in Kyoto, the Boundary battles had wrapped up before the major Material strikes, so the damage was lesser than anticipated, though lives were still lost.

A full audit of Territories around Japan was ongoing by the Ministry, with military support, but from just Tokyo alone, many of the Territories whose owners remained anonymous had vanished, surely destroyed. If that was repeated over Japan, or worse, worldwide… Yeah, we got out okay, but… a lot didn’t. Fortunately, all our Territories are linked by Ring Gates, so we are far less vulnerable…

Public sentiment was mixed. Just like after Kyoto, protests and some rioting had broken out, though surprisingly, in Japan at least, it wasn’t as furious as expected, our reputation and deeds having garnered some support, or at least a willingness to wait for our responses, from many. Though of course, there were still a great deal of angry voices demanding Chosen be exiled from Japan, imprisoned or worse, and another group targeting us specifically, as well as the nobility and wealthy of Japan.

“…so then. Now that Hidemasa is in custody, when you return, if we could search his mind for what we need that would be appreciated. And then… Honoka’s potential engagements are now void, and as a daughter of a kinslayer and a disgrace, her path to inheritance is blocked. Though, there are other issues…” Talk had turned back to Fujiwara house’s troubles.

“These are all internal family matters.” I suggested. “…I don’t think I need to be involved.”

“I fear you are mistaken.” he disagreed. “With Miyu as your… Vassal…” The word seemed to pain him a little. “…and under your protection, you will certainly find yourself involved regardless of your desires. But for now… I believe you are meeting the President shortly?”

At my affirmation, he offered me some advice. “He is a… troublesome… fellow. I have met him on a number of occasions, he fancies himself a businessman, and indeed he has accumulated a great deal of wealth. But… he can also be unreasonable. Yet he can certainly be persuaded to act for self-interest. Remember that and you can get what you need from him.” After some more warnings and advice, I hung up, just as Christina was coming out of the bathroom, towelling off her damp hair. Still naked I see. Not that it matters now, I’ve seen enough of her.

“Like what you see?” She teased, preening, and I merely shook my head and started to get changed. Seeing I wasn’t biting, she went over to her own luggage, pulling out a rather fetching pale green gown with golden accessories. Then out came her underwear, which was green as well, in a similar shade, and rather… scanty.

Seeing me looking, she chuckled. “I can hardly meet our President and all the other dignitaries in a lab coat, can I now? Besides, I can’t embarrass you, little miss Christina would never shame you so!” she promised cheerfully. “And it isn’t like you can go just with Adelheid, is it? Americans are quite conservative, you know. It’ll look bad.”

“Adelheid isn’t anywhere near as young as she looks…” I protested. I mean, she was drinking beer with the best of us last night.

“So, you’d be happy to take her out on a date to a fancy restaurant then?” Christina asked shrewdly, as she pulled up her panties and started to tug on her bra, covering her ample breasts, and she smirked as she saw me looking. Okay, she got me that time. Having them covered actually makes it more interesting. What can I say, I’m a man…

“It would be rather embarrassing and uncomfortable.” I admitted. “People would certainly mistake things.” I had that issue now, though mostly with Shaeula and Hinata, though Daiyu looked younger than she was too, Cultivators seeming to have a slightly slowed physical maturity, perhaps due to their Qi training from a young age.

“Exactly.” Christina laughed, stepping into her dress. She struggled to zip it up and turned her back to me, so without much thought I pulled the zipper up, and she squirmed, making sure everything was in place. “You need a woman of a certain calibre on your arm at this event, and the fact I’m American… it shows you’re on good terms with us.”

“I’m not really though.” I disagreed. “There’s some Americans I’m friends with, like Buck and his wife, and I suppose David now. Bethany and Zachary seemed all right too. But I’d say I’m on bad terms…” I put on my watch, and my cufflinks, each of which was an antique which Motoko had gifted me, apparently from her grandfather.

“…I’m hurt. But I understand. Consider this… efforts to repair relations.” Christina pointed out, and it was hard to argue with that. “…besides… while we’ll be working together a long time, I’ll be busy, as will you.” Her smile was a little sad, and a lot nicer than her usual one. “So I may never get this chance to raise my favourability points with you like this again.”

“I think you studied the wrong things when you were learning about Japan.” I grumbled, before taking a deep breath. “Look. I’ll be honest. It’s not just up to me what we do with you. I need to get everyone else’s input, though they’ll let me make the final call.”

“A marriage interview, how old-fashioned.” she teased, only to shrug. “Just lightening the mood again. I can tell you are about to say something important.”

“I am.” I nodded, checking myself out in the mirror, but I could see her reflection, watching me. “I… experimented on Kondou Kazuo. He was a monster, a death row prisoner, you’d say. But my actions were still cold. But… without the experiences there, some of my later deeds, such as removing Divine Favours with Chirurgery, they might not have been possible. Not just those…” I took another dep, regretful breath.

“When I tormented Shaeula and the others, to help them learn Chirurgery at the cost of pain and potential harm, or when I was the instigator and catalyst in turning Hyacinth into a weapon of mass destruction that could have a catastrophic impact were she to misuse her strength. All for good, necessary reasons. It’s just…” Words failed me, and I shrugged helplessly.

“I’m not going to say that I understand, or that you did the right thing. But not because I don’t, or think you were wrong…” Christina spoke earnestly. She pulled her glasses on again. “That’s better. I feel quite naked without them. Oh yes… you don’t want me to tell you what you did was right. You want to feel burdened. I must say…” She puffed out her chest proudly, which made her green gown strain. “…I’m rather proud of myself for picking up on that. Emotions… are just like anything else. A set of software we can put in our brains. I’ll master them.”

I don’t think it works like that, but… perhaps it wasn’t just the memories and experiences she shared, maybe they’ve jogged loose some rusted gears, or soaked in somehow…

“What matters is the line. The line you can live with. What I… what we did… that crosses what you can tolerate. So… I’ll help you stay behind your line. In future, any dangerous experiments, where someone might be harmed, I’ll willingly accept. And help you plan and improve them. I am a genius after all.” She couldn’t help boasting. “I have no wish to die, and I don’t enjoy that sort of pain… though… perhaps in bed…” She glanced over meaningfully, before snorting. “…but death in the pursuit of the true pinnacle of science… that is an end I can face with few regrets. Of course, I shall endeavour to make our experiments as safe as possible, so as not to strain your delicate conscience. And… who knows. Maybe one day you’ll forgive me.”

“It’s not up to me.” I disagreed, and she shook her head, even as she styled her hair, though she was doing such a bad job of it I took over, frustrated, and as I brushed through her long ash-blonde hair and pinned it up, she answered my denial.

“No, but… it’s yours I care about. I’m Christina Bakker. I’m always going to be selfish. But… a firm hand on my reins, your hand… and I believe I can certainly do a great deal of good.” Her smile was proud, but also a little pouty. “I mean, why do others get to have a second chance, and I don’t?”

Not answering, I finished up her hair, and perhaps that was an answer. I pulled out my phone and called up Adelheid, who grumbled she was already ready. “Come on then. Our transport awaits. I’ll be honest, like most people, I’ve always wondered what the White House is like.”

“It’s probably not as exciting as you are imagining.” she shrugged. Outside our room, Adelheid was waiting for us. She was wearing a modest black dress, with the hems down to her ankles and full coverage, along with a black lace hat with velvet purple roses, her hair hanging loose, yet I could tell she’d made an effort. Giving her a thumbs-up, I praised her.

“Looking good, Tanya!”

“I keep telling you, my name is Adelheid!” she shot back, and even though we were speaking in German, Christina got the gist of it.

“You know…” she smirked. “I put Tanya in a search engine, with Adelheid’s description and…” I quickly grabbed her hand to stop her showing her phone.

“It’s just a joke.” I promised. “Though you look very adorable today, Adelheid.”

“Of course I do. You think a little beer will leave me hungover? I am German after all.”

“Just a little, huh? I remember you draining bottle after bottle… but then, I guess your stats are good, so whatever. Anyway, shall we go?” Trey and Aliyah were surely sleeping off their own brutal hangovers. Today they were again gathering information from their fellow PMC’s, but they’d be joining us to retrieve Egil’s body later. I had offered them the opportunity to come with us, but Treyvon got rather panicked at the thought of his sister getting drunk and punching the President or something similar… yeah, that would certainly be a diplomatic incident I don’t want to resolve…

As Christina agreed cheerfully and Adelheid with significantly less enthusiasm, we strode down towards the foyer, only to stop when we got there, as three familiar faces were wating. Is that… FBI Director Christopher Wright, Zachary and Bethany? What are they doing here?