“The Miraculous Meetings: the crew of the Dauntless is complete?”
“You know dear, I don’t think we should have stopped for that hitchhiker, it was quite a bad idea, we’re going to be very late now, and you know what my people say about that, yes, and I do admit that my people are known for their charity every once in awhile, yes, but this delay has caused us a great deal of time, hmm, don’t you see, because it has made us late, and we are already running far behind schedule, and any further, I’m afraid, will result in a sharp decline of profits, don’t you understand, can’t you make this thing go any faster, hmm?”
“No. I am sorry.”
“That’s very disappointing, yes, because even if you are trying your best, and I know you are my dear, then that must mean this is all my beautiful vessel can give us, yes, because this is probably its top speed, and if you can’t exceed its top speed, as you’re no doubt trying very hard to do, hmm, then that means we’ll be late, and I’ll have lost a considerable profit, you know, because we’ll have missed the deadline in the advertisement, aren’t you worried?”
“No. We’ll make it.”
“My dear, I admire your fortitude, and that is precisely why I have kept you on for so long, you see, because you’re a blessing, and no member of my race could possibly hope to find any better servant, yes, I really lucked out with you, didn’t I, but how can you be so sure that we’ll make it, especially since picking up that passenger delayed us, and we’re already running so very, very, VERY late, and I’m afraid that our top speed simply won’t suffice to meet the deadline, so do you have a secret, my dear?”
“Yes. A path through the heavens that will take us there and will return one day and nineteen hours to our schedule.”
“Oh, that’s wonderful, however did you find such a path, but wait, you had better not tell me, because more than likely a member of my race has already bought and paid for it, and if we use it and get caught, we can feign ignorance, yes, and say we came here by accident, and were lost, and were unaware of the copyright infringements, and I say, my dear, that if someone has not yet bought this route, I would like to place my gold atop it, and charge the tiniest profits, so be a dear and check to see if this path is owned, but don’t tell me, all right?”
“I have already filtered the route through all known Norgrin venues. It has not been bought.”
“Oh thank heavens, well, then that means I’ll take it, so would you please record that in the archives, and remove the necessary funds from my account, because I’d like to own a shortcut like this if it’ll save us some time, but I say, my dear, kindly refrain from using our species’ name, because as you know, it has already been copyrighted, and I don’t want to have a lawsuit because my innocent servant was ignorant of our statutes, and you WILL be more careful in the future, won’t you?”
“Yes. I will try, Master.”
“Good, that’s good, you’re quite a dear, now please keep course and tell me when I have ownership of this pass, and do you think I’ll already have a revenue when we arrive at Strategos, and how rich is this Dr. Miracle, I wonder, if he or she can offer 300G to practically anyone in our humble galaxy, or for that matter, a greater sum once the job is complete?”
“I’m not sure. I have not been able to discover any records concerning Dr. Miracle’s status or identity.”
“I assumed as much, and an ‘A’ for effort, I suppose, and more than likely, he or she is a fan of anonymity, and they must be, if they are this wealthy, and take treasure-hunting as a hobby, because they’re most definitely a person after my own heart, and a fine ally if any of the rumors prove to be true, but my dear, aren’t you supposed to update me about the status of this path?”
“It’s already yours, Master. Everything you have requested has been completed. You have not made any profit from the passage yet.”
“I didn’t expect to, my friend, since we ourselves have just arrived, and if nobody else knows about this, as you claim, then how in the world could I make any profit yet, when we are not yet out of the pass ourselves, but oh well, it’s still very fresh, and if I make some advertisements, I’ll have all my investments back in spades, so make that a top priority, and by the way, how much closer is Strategos now, and will we make our deadline?”
“Strategos is approximately 347 light-years away, and at the rate we are going, we will make it with about ten hours to spare.”
“Ten hours, did you say, because when you think about it, that’s hardly any time, I mean we don’t even know where Dr. Miracle might have docked, or what the Dauntless looks like, and perhaps joining him or her is a bad idea since it seems our host does not even have the prudence to list these basic instructions, why, we could be searching the planet for days, and we’d be no closer to finding our goal, and all this trouble I went through will have been for nothing, and now I’m depressed.”
“We’ll find Dr. Miracle, Master. We found the shortcut, didn’t we?”
“Ah, yes, we did, and what a fool I am for thinking so negatively, yes, we must all be positive, because if we surrender now, we’ll have already lost, so we have ten glorious hours to spare, and with our combined skills, we won’t even need one of them when we arrive, don’t you think?”
“Yes.”
Name: Vimmy Fonester
Species: Norgrin (copyrighted) (Avaricus grinmus)
Origin: Nurogrim (also copyrighted) (Grinma 6)
Number of businesses owned: Eleven official, three undisclosed
Name: Mink
Species: Yun (Joffis yunis)
Origin: Joff (Pfreg 3)
Favorite pastime: Observing the world
“How can that maiden endure such a rancorous master?” mused the hitchhiker, shaking her head as she washed the dishes. The swordswoman was going to Strategos as well, to sign up as a warrior for Miracle’s crew, but she didn’t even have enough money to buy a ticket for the transport services: knights of New Avalon led fairly monistic lives and survived on the donations of others. Vimmy and her servant Mink had stopped by New Avalon only to refuel and trade (there was no way the diminutive entrepreneur could resist), and while they were there, they ran into a swordswoman who begged and pleaded for their hospitality.
“Art thou truly destined for Strategos?” she had said. Vimmy’s answer consisted of a long-winded speech detailing the journey they had went through and the trials yet to come, but in the end, she replied that she was headed there (“thank you for asking”), and wondered what business the knight had there.
“O eloquent noblewoman, whose worth is surely beyond measure, I am but a humble knight seeking a way to prove myself amongst my ranks, so that I may achieve honor and title befitting the great, whereby I would be given—“
“Yes, yes, I’m sure it’s a lot, but you see my friend, you’re wasting up a lot of our time, we really came here for supplies, and I must thank your people for doing their part to boost my economy and their own, but we must be off and I’m afraid taking you would simply be out of the question, now if there won’t be any further delays, we’ll be off.”
“You can join us,” said the chatty woman’s servant. The knight gazed up and beamed for joy; she clasped two dark-gray hands just as the master gawked.
“I thank you, most worthy visitor! I know not even thy names, yet I am indebted to thee beyond all capacity for words!”
“MINK, you know full well that I don’t run a charity here and since this woman has no money, as heartless as it may sound, we’ll have to leave her and be on our way, so kindly—WHAT DID YOU SAY, YOUNG LADY?!”
“Um…I-I s-said that I owe thee a debt, gracious one.” Gears were already beginning to turn in Vimmy’s head—she jerked it back and forth, humming and smiling to herself—and finally seemed to come to a decision.
“You say you owe us a debt, well, I’ll see you pay that, my friend, but you’ll have to work very hard because Mink is my servant and she works VERY hard, but you’re a strong woman and you seem capable, though I doubt you’re Mink’s equal, but nobody is in this galaxy, so I kindly welcome you aboard, but you must remember to keep everything nice and tidy, and assume all responsibility for everything you do, and once we’re on Strategos, we must part ways and I hope, I pray my friend, that your debt is repaid, because what a tragedy it would be for you to keep it while we’re guests aboard Dr. Miracle’s vessel, don’t you see?”
“I understand.” It was difficult following Vimmy, since she spoke at an incredible speed, and always seemed excited even when talking about the most mundane topics, but the lady-warrior got the gist of it, and knelt before them both. “I am at your service. Prithee, introduce yourselves, O great benefactors, and I shall give you my name as first sign of good faith.” Vimmy took at least a minute to introduce herself; Mink just pointed to herself and announced her name. If she didn’t move, one would think this woman was a statue. Her face betrayed no emotion whatsoever, and she was so rigid and unflinching that one felt she should be on a pedestal (the dark gray skin made it even more believable). Vimmy swore that Mink was the best and staked no less than two-thirds of her entire fortune on the woman’s reliability, for which the knight was deeply impressed.
“And how about you?” Vimmy concluded eagerly. She had very little interest in the knight—it was merely the prospect of a debt that thrilled her.
Name: Sharyn
Species: Human (Homo sapien)
Origin: New Avalon colony (orbiting Uther 10)
Skin color: Green
And now Sharyn of New Avalon had to work her fingers to the bone in order to pay off her debt. Vimmy explained to her that the jobs she was tasked to were normally reserved for Mink, but since she had so graciously volunteered to take over, the gray-skinned servant could be put to better use. The experience was tremendously humbling for Sharyn, who had been a proud warrior in her homeworld, but at least she had a way to get to Strategos. Sometimes she would see Mink wandering around, attending to “better uses”, but there was not the slightest hint of friendliness or even contentment on her face—nor was there malice or grief. That face was as clean and pure and dull as a smooth slab, her eyes expressionless, her mouth flat, her voice deliberate and slightly husky. Sharyn couldn’t tell what Mink was thinking, and although all she had to do was ask, she didn’t believe this would work.
“Pardon me, benevolent Mink,” she called. Mink paused to examine Sharyn, silently wondering why she had been interrupted. “Prithee, be frank. Have I caused thee offense, my friend? For if thou art agitated in any way…”
“Why would I be angry?” Mink wondered.
“Erm…then is something the matter? Would you rather I not be here?”
“No, it’s fine. You wanted to come along and we have more than enough room.”
“You are certain that all is well?”
“Yes, if not better.”
“Then I am a welcomed guest here?”
“Of course. But be mindful of Vimmy. She is a good master, but very greedy. At least you were clever enough to take advantage of this. Please excuse me.” The words and expressions were mechanical, but Sharyn could sense that Mink meant no harm, and was probably quite good at heart, just not accustomed to strangers. Not everyone could be as bold, outspoken, or confident as Sharyn of New Avalon—and no doubt the galaxy had billions of people very unlike her. The mere thought humbled her until she finally bent down and resumed scrubbing the floors.
……
Strategos was used to receiving millions of visitors every day, so being infiltrated by several dozen adventurers did not affect it at all. As Chandra and Herut were landing in their stolen vehicle (arguing about how they should dispose of such a hot item, since they would no longer need it), Vimmy and Mink were making a landing as well, their lone passenger weary but relieved. Sharyn had proven herself a worthy servant during the long voyage over and successfully cleaned the entire ship. Even though Mink’s expressions did not change, she reported that she was glad to have the assistance, and she hoped that she and Sharyn would continue being friends as they worked for Dr. Miracle. As they left Vimmy’s ship, the chatty businesswoman asked Mink and Sharyn to go search for the Dauntless while she sold her vessel.
“But keep this in mind, my newly-freed servant,” she murmured in the knight’s ear: “As worthy an aide as my dear Mink is, she’s developed a habit of staring out into the open whenever she’s in a new place, and I’ve noticed she has a particular fondness for aesthetic scenery, you know what I mean, don’t you, so keep an eye out for her and make sure she doesn’t slack, she’ll stare for hours if you don’t remind her how important this is, and I say, be sure you ask around, because someone in this port city is bound to know where our destination is, do you remember its name, it’s called the Dauntless.”
“I shall keep all this in mind,” Sharyn answered. She took Mink’s wrist and led her through the city, and sure enough, the gray-skinned woman quickly lagged behind as she gazed with hidden joy at the infinite sky surrounding the flying continent. Sharyn couldn’t help but share her enthusiasm, and slowed her gait so they could absorb the majestic spectacle. Galactic records generally agree that Strategos once had much more surface area, and was like any other terrestrial planet out there. Three theories existed that suggested how it had arrived at its current status, though members from each camp quickly dismiss the ideas from their rivals.
Some people accepted the idea that a very advanced alien species was responsible. They utilized a technology that people were just beginning to grasp, and—in the face of a possible apocalyptic scenario—raised several continents high into the sky in order to preserve most of their world. Several crafts had already explored the majority of Strategos’s atmosphere and could not support this theory, since they pointed out that there would still be some debris left around the core (citing that the law of gravity would keep said remains suspended in the “middle” for as long as the planet revolved). Others claimed that a massive meteor had struck the very tiny planet, which had boasted an enormous atmosphere to begin with, and scattered the pieces of the world into the air, where they were supported by massive “balloons” of lighter-than-air gas. A final theory claimed that Strategos had always been a gas planet, and the continents were the remains of “living vessels” that could support and ferry life. Whatever the reason, it was now used as a spaceport, and Sharyn and Mink drank it in before resuming their task.
Normally, the wind and moisture of the outside world is filtered in through small slots, since to leave the continents exposed to the vast atmosphere would be catastrophic. Cloud-farmers bring moisture and various gases in to supply the world with basic materials, but sometimes a bit of steam will slip in harmlessly. Sharyn observed several ghostly strands dancing in the air and watched them in wonder, making sure to move a little in order to avoid total distraction. The wisps gradually began to take shape, though, and as she stared, now totally motionless, they took the image of men, armed with various weapons.
“What devilry is this!” she exclaimed, drawing her sword. Sharyn immediately sliced through three of them—they were quite easy to destroy with her skills—but more came to replace them, until there were fifteen of the fog-men there.
“What business do you have with us?” Mink asked flatly. One of the fog-men rushed her, but was eliminated as she swept her arm right through his head. Five ganged up on Sharyn—she cut four of them down, but was hurt by the fifth. She stumbled back in surprise, her arm throbbing from the damage, her breath wary. These misty entities were not difficult foes, but their numbers made them dangerous.
“I shall not be beaten by the likes of thee!” she swore, impaling three in one lunge. Mink “killed” two more—but how could anyone possibly kill anything made out of smoke? More and more of them streamed in, even as they fell by massive numbers. Destroying them was a cinch; surviving would be nearly impossible. As Sharyn forced her way through their ranks, covered with sweat and drops of her own blood, she noticed there were even more of them around—scores and scores, but they were attacking other people.
“We’re not the only ones afflicted by this obstacle!” she said to Mink, who merely nodded in response. “Somehow, we must escape and assist those people. Faugh—if only I had a diversion!” She cleared a path for herself, but came to a screeching halt just two meters shy of a precipice. Naturally there was a wall erected to keep people from falling off, but it was so clear and polished that it looked almost invisible. Sharyn was now cornered, and even with the impassive Mink at her side, things didn’t look good for her. She clutched her sword and held it before her, ready to die fighting if necessary.
A gust of wind must’ve kicked up, because she saw a large number of the assassins flying into the air, fading away and drifting off. This was no breeze, though, but a helping hand come to strike from behind. Bolstered by the kindness and bravery of this stranger, Sharyn and Mink pressed on until the last of the fog-men were eliminated. They were then able to behold their savior, who was a fellow swordswoman, although one descended from the rabbit-folk, since she had their long ears, their curious faces, and their puffy tails. She had mesmerizing crimson hair and stood quite tall, but like most of her kin, she did not look nearly as powerful as she was.
“We thank you, kind lady,” Sharyn saluted. She reached out her hand, but the other woman just grunted and sulked away. A second girl came running by, slowly and wearily, dressed as a doctor but so frail, it was a miracle she could go that fast. She reached the rabbit-warrior and hugged her fiercely, declaring something Sharyn and Mink could not hear. The doctor turned to look at her audience, blushed prettily, and approached them, her gait very calm and sincere (if one can call a walk sincere).
“Are either of you wounded? Oh, look at that!” Without waiting for an answer, she tended to their injuries—but how quickly and efficiently she worked! It was common to see physicians wandering around Strategos, but none of them had this woman’s skill. Five seconds after she finished dressing their wounds, Sharyn and Mink felt better than before.
“We are in your debt yet again,” said the knight, bowing deeply. “If there is anything we may do to show our thanks…”
“No, it’s not necessary,” answered the doctor brightly. “I’m just doing my duty.”
“Take us to the Dauntless if you know where to find it,” spoke the warrior. Sharyn and Mink gazed at her as they realized they were all headed in the same direction.
“Would that we could, friends.”
“We’re searching for it now,” Mink replied. “It seems we’ve been led to find each other.” The quiet warrior nodded curtly; her companion clapped her hands cheerfully.
“Wonderful! We can go look for it together! Oh, by the way, this is—“ The doctor was suddenly cut off as a petite, purple-skinned, fashion-conscience creature scurried past them, berating her companions in a shrill, incessant voice.
“Mink, Woman, why haven’t you found the Dauntless yet, I’ve already sold the ship and made a tiny profit, and I even had time for lunch, which I hope you two have had because I’m not paying for your meals, especially not now since you haven’t found the Dauntless, and from the looks of things, you’ve been fighting as well, and who are these two people, I have no doubt you’ve been up to no good, I expected this behavior from you, Mink my sweet, but I thought this lady was a little more responsible, well, I am disappointed, so answer me!”
“Who…” whispered the doctor.
“Annoying,” concluded the warrior. Mink sighed: it would be up to her to iron out the details.
Name: Athena Sifr
Species: Usagin (Primus lepus) (commonly called “rabbit-people”)
Origin: Olympia Prime (Olympus 1)
Weapon’s name: Murisato
Name: Fuuka Fujiwara
Species: Kitsune (Kitsunae vulpus) (commonly called “fox-people”)
Origin: Onogoro (Shimada 4)
Hates: Snakes
“Fog-Ninjas?!” Vimmy blurted as explanations were made. It was by far the briefest sentence she had made yet. After rambling for at least a good two minutes longer, it was decided that the small group should help those in need—and thus, little by little, the pilgrims became acquainted with their fellow coworkers: Shana, Valti, Kate, Kyrie, Yenae, Eve, Allegra, the Acheron sisters, Rebecca, Lil, Aseria, Chandra, Herut, Riene, Athena, Sharyn, Fuuka, Vimmy, and Mink.
“This doesn’t surprise me,” said a weary Yenae, once the last Fog-Ninja was wiped out. “Dr. Miracle sent that ad throughout the whole galaxy, or so I’ve heard. This probably isn’t even a fraction of the applicants. Well, the more the merrier, I guess they say.”
“I see the docks,” Kate mentioned. She felt uncomfortable with so many people around, and decided to busy herself checking out the surrounding area. Strategos was a far cry from her homeworld of Utopia; she shivered for joy as she anticipated what other worlds they were going to explore. Soon everyone could see their destination, and flocked there as a single group.
……
Even though the ports of Strategos are littered with ships of every size, color, shape, and design conceivable, somehow, it was impossible to mistake the Dauntless in that crowd. There is a certain vague similarity that most ships have, if they are made in the same galaxy. The number of intelligent species in the Milky Way is vast, and their diverse creativity leads to any number of possible results (humans in particular claim the coveted title of “best imagination”), but after a certain point, there are definite parallels between the work of one species and the work of another. Not so with the Dauntless, for this was a vessel that seemed to originate beyond the borders of the Milky Way, borne out of a creativity so distanced and alien that no other living creature could have conceived it. Later on, the crew would understand that the Dauntless had indeed originated from another galaxy, though which one it was, and how it had arrived on domestic shores, were questions for another day.
Because the creativity of these alien designers was so unlike anything that had been seen before, it was very difficult to describe the craft. It was roughly the size of a cruiser, and was certainly capable of comfortably housing the number of hopeful candidates, with room to spare for various necessities and luxuries. There was a conveyor belt ramp that led from the ground to the interior, resembling the hungry mouth of a dragon; the ship itself was a contradiction of engineering. It seemed bulbous and sleek, dull creamy-peach and brilliant silver, outstandingly intimidating and comfortably familiar, powerful but with the grace of a swan, fierce and unrelenting and capable of surviving Hell itself, hence its name, but very peaceful too: like the mighty whale that, at a distance, seems terrifying, but is actually quite gentle, yet unmistakably majestic all the same. The simplest way to describe it would be to say it was a vessel magnificent enough for an Emperor but practical enough for the humblest monk.
Naturally, there was already a line. Vimmy wanted to push her way through (being rather short in stature only increased her desire for attention), but there were women in the line even rougher and more self-centered than she was, and of course Sharyn played the role of police officer by keeping the peace.
“We arrived with plenty of time to spare, lady Fonester, just as lady Mink predicted. There is no further need for haste.”
“Yes, but I’m a very important person, and this business deal will make or break my career, so why are all these fools prohibiting me from achieving supremacy, and why do they have to take so long, can’t they hurry up, don’t they understand that time is money?”
“Have patience, Master,” Mink said calmly. “Dr. Miracle will not turn us away since we have made it this far. We can certainly wait a few more minutes.”
“She’s right,” Sharyn said, throwing the taller woman a smile. Mink merely declined her head, so Sharyn just assumed she was in a good mood. There were at least fifty people in the line by Mink’s count, five or six of them males who apparently could not read, or else thought very highly of themselves. Nobody could see the very front of the line, nor could they tell if Miracle was there in person or if a representative was thinning out the herd. A few people were already being dismissed, though, mostly misguided males. The handful of females being cut from the list trudged despondently away, but it was clear just by looking at them that they would be of little use on this dangerous voyage.
Chandra had charmed her way near the head of the line, but discovered it was impossible to proceed any further. There were two women between her and the reception desk, and even though she poured her feminine wiles all over them, they refused to budge. Being a pleasure unit designed specifically to be seductive, submissive, attentive, and devoted, she was unversed in the niceties of polite society and so failed to understand why what she was doing was both wrong and ineffective. Her predecessors were strong people not easily susceptible to fickle charisma or frivolous sex, yet their species were ironically renowned for their passions.
At the very front of the line, speaking with the receptionist, was an Elshyrin (or snake-woman), who were infamous for their cold and intimidating personalities. This one in particular craved action and adventure, and one got the impression she would rather be in the middle of a war than following a team of roughneck treasure-hunters. She glowed quietly with a dull copper light, her slick, sensual scales shining in the light. Unlike the Lamias, who slither along the ground with a more reptilian appendage, the Elshyrin stand upon two legs, and are more apt to dress like a human—this woman seemed to prefer loose-flowing robes and dresses. Her muscular arms were crossed and her sharp teeth were bared; a forked tongue wiggled in the air at times, testing the new sensations all around her.
“Are you the one that’s keeping track of all this?” she snapped, kicking the table impatiently. The receptionist held down papers and pencils so they wouldn’t fly off, and smiled warmly at the Elshyrin.
“Yes, I am. I’m Dr. Miracle’s assistant. Might I have your name?”
Name: Naja Elapidae
Species: Elshyrin (Lamias erectus)
Origin: Jelrin (Prayxus 2)
Greatest strength: Ambition
“Ah yes, I remember you made a reservation, and your people insisted that my master take you with us. Welcome aboard, Miss Elapidae!”
“Don’t get cozy!” Naja snapped, pushing the receptionist’s hand away. “I’m not exactly pleased to be here. My people insisted? Ha! Those toothless bastards sure can lie. They forced me here in order to humiliate me!! I aspire to great heights, so don’t think I’m going to let you or your fucking treasure hunt slow me down!!”
“I assure you, Miss Elapidae, Dr. Miracle would never impede your ambitions. Even if you are only staying with us for a short time, you are a welcome addition to our team.”
“I dunno about short,” she grunted. “If it came down to staying here or going home, I’d anchor myself down on your ship. Just don’t disturb me for the rest of the day: I’m in a venomous mood!” She opened her mouth to expose those legendary Elshyrin fangs, which were already dripping with poison. The receptionist smiled warmly and waved at her.
“All right, I’ll tell everyone else. Why hello there!” she said to the next one in line, the girl preceding Chandra. “Do you have an application filled out?”
“Yeah, right here!!” she bellowed. She slammed the paper on the desk, upsetting the rest of the paraphernalia. She looked willful and strong, and just a bit angry at the world, but this only sharpened her adorable features. She was a cat-girl through and through, from the tip of her fuzzy white tail to the faint whiskers on her cheeks, all the way up to her pointy cat ears and snobbish pink nose. It is universally believed that cat-folk (a derogatory slang word for the Felinis people) are bubble-headed, impulsive, moody, arrogant, lazy, and quick-tempered sex fiends, with one particular race having a craving for their own gender. As the receptionist read this furry girl’s résumé, however, she quickly discovered that she was a deviant.
Name: Alala
Species: Felinis (Felis sapiens) (commonly known as “cat-folk”)
Origin: Tigris (Leo 4)
Biology: Half-human, half-Felinis
“Oh wow,” the secretary gasped. “You received valedictorian at Phobos and Ares Academies?! That’s incredible! It also says that you have several years’ experience as a records keeper, and have practiced contortionism for nearly half your life. That’s wonderful!”
“You’re damn right it’s wonderful!” Alala shouted. “I’m gonna prove something to those dogs who dared to laugh at me, and if they can’t respect my academic prowess, then maybe getting rich and famous will show them! Whaddya say, lady? Am I in or not?!”
“You’re definitely in,” chuckled the receptionist. “Dr. Miracle will be delighted to have such an energetic and intelligent lady onboard…and think of how useful it will be to have an escape artist with us!”
“Hell yeah!” she roared, balling her fists and unintentionally striking a very adorable pose. “This’ll show them! You won’t regret this, lady, I promise! So where do I go now?!”
“Just head up the ramp to your right and make yourself at home. There are plenty of rooms, so find one that suits your tastes.”
“Great!” she growled happily. “So when do we blast off, huh? When do we get to find the treasures?!” The receptionist laughed beautifully; Alala was bursting with zeal and spirit, which would certainly boost morale.
“All your questions will be answered later. Will the next one in line please step forward?” It was Chandra’s turn now, and she immediately went right to work, fixing a seductive gaze on the unsuspecting secretary. She was certainly not unattractive, although far from the beauty that Chandra herself exuded. The woman actually looked fairly mousy and petite: she had soft brunette hair wrapped in two pigtails, a face that shined with love and patience, two small honest green eyes (hidden behind oversized eyeglasses), and she dressed shoddily—apparently the type of woman who didn’t care about fashion. Her vague, innocent expression concealed a woman who was likely closer to thirty than twenty, and a pair of crutches was leaning against her chair: her right foot was swathed in bandages, and the woman winced whenever she put any weight on it.
“Hello, beautiful one,” Chandra whispered huskily. “I’m Chandra, the passionate one. If there is anything I may do for you…truly, anything at all…you must not hesitate to ask.” She concluded with a giggle and waited for the magic to take affect. The receptionist didn’t even seem to notice the flirtation, and smiled politely.
“Actually, you can fill out an application. I’m afraid that Dr. Miracle will not accept you until you have completed one. It would be unfair for everyone else.”
“But I’m already at the front of the line,” Chandra moaned. Acting so defenseless was a surefire way to earn the sympathy of anyone she desired—but once again, this meek woman was not stirred.
“It only takes about half an hour to fill one out. You may return it to me whenever you are finished. I assure you, the good doctor will not depart until midnight tonight, so you have ample time.” The receptionist laughed warmly, disarming Chandra and disabling her powers. She was smart enough to realize there were some people she just could not seduce, no matter how hard she tried, and unfortunately, she had met her match in this unassuming assistant. With a sigh, she accepted defeat, but scribbled as fast as she could, fearful that every second counted.
To be concluded…
Preview of next chapter
Naja: WHAT!? That’s IT? This sucks! I came all the way out here and I barely get a few words out of my mouth!
Aseria: There’s nothing we can do: this seems to be a very lengthy opening chapter.
Naja: Well, I just hope everything finally resolves itself next time! I’m spending valuable time with these fifth-rate thieves! They had better appreciate it.
Herut: We’ve been through a lot, but in the next part, we finally get to see who makes the cut—and who is just cut! I hope Chandra doesn’t finish in time, heheh.
Yenae: Ooh, scary girl! She’s a cutie, too! I wonder how ticklish she is!
Athena: Hmph.
Fuuka: I think what my dear Athena meant to say is that you should all stay tuned for the conclusion of the first chapter: “The Miraculous Meetings: will we all make the grade?”
Athena: We’ll see.
Lil: Damn! If the first chapter is FOUR PARTS long, how will the rest of the story play out?
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