Snippet #2826189

Miiya Aether
Er? Miiya wasn’t sure what Bella meant, so she decided to just be agreeable. “Yup.” She replied.

Even though Miiya was still pained by her leg and somewhat less talkative than usual, that did not mean she was not a still a chatterbox. If Bella took a moment to digest Miiya’s statements, think, or not talk, she might find it difficult to get a word in edgewise afterward. If she did not tune the Aeros girl out on the walk, the neoprimordial would have learned Miiya’s top seven favorite foods (from both Blue Heaven and New Warsaw), the best buffet in the bazaar, this week’s lunch menu at GeneCorp, and which snack machine sometimes dispensed doubles if you pounded on it just right.

Even Aishe, distracted as she was with worries about her sammaran friend, thought she should perhaps step in to derail Miiya’s food-centric monologue. “Are you hungry, Miiya?” She asked, quietly.

“Do pigeons like to shu on washed cars? Yes!” She chirped. “And that is a thing, by the way. I know. I talk to them.” Miiya’s assertion about one of her favorite sayings was completely untrue, of course. She could no more talk to birds than she could lay eggs, but the winged girl found the idea of crapping on things from on high endlessly amusing, and much of her humor revolved around similar themes.

Aishe’s intervention worked, in a somewhat roundabout way, because Miiya realized she ought to discuss what would happen when they arrived at the offices. “Right, so, when we get there, GCIS is going to want to interview us individually.” she warned. “They’ll probably put us in separate rooms--don’t worry, it’s all good; they’ll have snacks.” She turned her attention to Bella. “Just ask for whatever you… eat” unless it’s people. “If you eat, that is. Also, if you need anything special like--” Miiya just barely stopped herself for saying “like a litterbox or something.” Was that a xenodismissive microaggression? she wondered. She had taken that sensitivity training a few months ago on a different station and she couldn’t remember all the details. “...uh…like--whatever, just ask, okay?” Miiya’s lungs were sized for aviating, which meant she didn’t often have to pause for breath. “I’ll come and find you as soon as I can. She patted Bella’s massive clawed paw once more, in a gesture of reassurance that might have been touching if it were not so ridiculous. [color=#6495ED] I promise, so don’t worry.”

And then Miiya paused, struck by a not-so-rare bout of self-doubt. Is this… right?[\i] The thought came, unbidden, sharp and present like the shooting pain in her thigh. [i] Is it safe for her? Despite Miiya’s mostly-kidding thoughts about Belle being a man-eater, the neoprimordial seemed a peaceful and gentle being. On any of her other postings, Miiya would not have hesitated to turn her over bring her in to the local GeneCorp branch offices. But this work rotation was ...weird.

Delfye and Aishe were not Miiya’s first experience with kidnapping, but this was the first time lawlessness had crept into her working life with GeneCorp. There had been gangs, organized, and disorganized crime on L21 in New Warsaw, but that had been different. Kidnappers were bad guys. Whether they coerced you with lies, chemicals, or force, you didn’t worry about them if once you were ransomed or otherwise escaped. Not like Aishe seemed to be distressed by Delfye’s arrest.

The Blue Heaven branch office was strange. They seemed to own the authorities here in this part of the belt, not simply cooperate with them. They owned other things too, things that maybe shouldn’t be owned, like Aishe.

Am I doing the right thing?

This was Miiya’s job; bring the GM back. Found an anomalous friend creature on the clock? Report and bring her in to corporate. They are valuable assets, and you are too, if you bring them in. I’m an asset to the company. But I have a choice; I can leave.

Miiya shook her head to clear away these doubts. Sen would tell her to face reality; right or not, she had no power, money, or friends and therefore no real choice. Just be quiet, keep your head down, and do as you’re told. That was what she had learned from Ma. That was what she should do now. As they reached the office, Miiya turned to Aishe and tried to coach the GM with the same ideas. Whether she was trying to convince herself, or the her Ughyr friend, she was not sure. “A-Aishe, just tell them the truth.” Miiya exhorted her ward as they reached the office, before expounding on what her version of the truth was. “That creep distracted our escort and kidnapped you. I chased you down, beat him up, and he let you go.” That was basically what had happened, right? No need to mention how Miiya had gotten herself locked out of the duffy or how Delfye had voluntarily surrendered. Sometimes the Aeros girl could be breathtakingly self-centered, and that showed in her last words to her ward as they were escorted into the GeneCorp lobby. “This could be really good for me.”

Aishe gave Miiya an unreadable expression as GeneCorp Internal Security took charge of the three. Each was taken to an individual interrogation conference room. The rooms were comfortable enough, with normal funishings of tables and chairs. The doors were marked with stickers indicating that recording devices were active and present.

The doors were also locked.