After the unfortunate accident on planet Gran Canaria Emmanuelle made contact with Christopher Iglo, commander of the colony ship Astral Queen to talk about the transfer requested by her head of security Flint Stone. He wanted his career to grow and aboard the Astral Queen he would get the opportunity, Emmanuelle informs the commander that there will be two more guests for him, a Kusari woman with amnesia and her Hispanic maid. After having made this announcement the commander simple replied "The more the merrier" It was only an hour later when the Discordia made contact with the Astral Queen again and it only took half an hour to deal with this matter, after all, both ships have a schedule to attend to.
After the formalities the commander had someone bring Shizuma and her maid to their new home while he guided Flint around the bridge of the ship. Their new home was almost as luxurious as the one that burned down on Gran Canaria. After they where shown around the house the person who brought them their said goodbye and left, a moment of akward silence followed. "So... you are my maid then? What's your name?" She looks at the Hispanic woman in front of her "My name is Ana and yes I am your maid senora Sakuragi." Shizuma was confused, she couldn't remember anything of her life before she woke up aboard Discordia after the destruction of Freeport XXI "And my name is Shizuma yes? Shizuma Sakuragi?" Ana simply nods and they both sit down "Could you... could you tell me more about... me?" Ana nods again and begins to tell practically everything she knows about the woman in front of her, about their old home, the girl she adopted Kiriko Hidamari, about her own daughter Hera Sakuragi and how she does not know where they are right now Shizuma also asks about what she did for a living but Ana had to admit she knows nothing about that and she didn't want to guess why Shizuma used to carry around two jungle blades everywhere she went.
At the meanwhile captain Iglo is showing Flint around the bridge by the end of the tour the Christopher turns to Flint "I'm an old man mister Stone and I won't be able to run this ship forever, you will become my apprentice and I will teach you everything I know." Flint could feel his jaw drop and he stutters "W-why me?" Christopher laughs "You are motivated, besides I had a long talk with captain Mimieux about you and she actually recommended it, twice."
Shizuma rises from the couch she was sitting in "I am going to unpack my things, could you make us some dinner? I'm starving." Ana jumps up and makes a small bow "Certainly senora Sakuragi." Shizuma enters her room and closes the door behind her, she looks at the small bag that sits on her bed and she realized she doesn't have anything to unpack besides those two jungle blades and the bathrobe she was wearing when the people of the Discordia pulled her out of the escape pod, the clothes she was wearing right now where give aways from the kind crewmembers of the Discordia. She puts the little stuff she has away and decides to take a shower before she has dinner, by the time she returned to the livingroom Ana was already waiting. Shizuma didn't know what it was but it smelled delicious. They exchange pleasantries during dinner and also make plans for the day to come, Ana suggests to go shopping to get Shizuma some new clothes. Shizuma frowns as she doesn't have any credits, not even to pay Ana for her services. As if Ana could read her mind she pulls a creditcard out of her pocket "Don't worry, i've been safekeeping it for you, you are a wealthy woman senora Sakuragi" She smiles as she hands the card to Shizuma who is suprised by the loyalty and honesty of her maid. "So tomorrow we go shopping, I heard they have almost everything aboard this ship, but right now I suggest you go get some rest while I clean the table, you look exhausted." Shizuma nods and thanks Ana for the delicious dinner before heading to her room.
At the beginning of a new day Shizuma got up early, she is excited about going shopping, of course she has done this before but she has no memory about any of it, by the time Ana got out of bed Shizuma was already dressed and ready to go. "I guess we'll have breakfast on the way then" she smiles and they get on their way. The ship is divided in several districts as it where so the two women make their way to the shopping district, Shizuma was very eager to use an R.P.T. (Rapid Personnel Transport) to get there, she had been admiring these small hovering two person transports the other day and she couldn't wait to get in one. It's easy to use, slide your credit card into the central panel and tell it where you want to go. But Ana thought otherwise "I suggest we go on foot senora Sakuragi, you have gained a few pounds since the last time I saw you." she says on a teasing tone. Shizuma was disappointed but she agrees and so they eventually reach the shopping district on foot and by using a couple of elevators.
They walk into a tiny bistro and order breakfast for two as they wait Shizuma is looking at a screen on the wall in front of her, it shows alot of different things, some commercials of other shops or job offerings from shops and factories aboard the ship, every once in a while a screen shows up with some information about the ship itself and it's current location. Finally their breakfast arrives and as they enjoy it they talk about the day to come. After they finished dinner Shizuma pays with her creditcard and they get on their way, a couple of shops away from the bistro they came across the first clothing store, they walk through the isles and stop sometimes to look at something, they reach the dresses and Ana takes one out and holds it against Shizuma's chest to see if it would fit her "I think this would look good on you, you always liked to wear dresses. Do you remember that?" Shizuma shakes her head "I don't know... Don't they have something that looks more like this?" she gestures at the giveaway jeans and top she was wearing and Ana sighs as she puts the dress away again. They spent almost two hours in the shop looking for some clothes Shizuma likes but at last they manage to get some.
Meanwhile Flint leaves the same bistro where the two woman had breakfast earlier that day, he had a cup of coffee in his left hand and a virtual copy of the Astral Times in his right, as he walks down the wide hallway he is reading his newspaper and sipping his coffee. Being caught up in an article he's reading he didn't notice the two women come out of the clothing store and bumps right into them. He only just manages to prevent spilling his coffee "Sorry I wasn't paying attention to..." he looks up at the women "Oh, it's you two. How is your new home?" Ana gives him a dirty look "You mean the new home we needed because you burned down senora Sakuragi's house?" Flint looks down in shame and apologizes again, Shizuma is gazing at the shiny badge on his chest and points at it "What is that?" Flint follows her pointing finger and looks at his badge, he looks up at her and proudly says "I'm the commanders apprentice, he's teaching me everything so that I can eventually take command of this ship." Shizuma looks impressed "I wish I could be of any use, it's the least I can do in return for the commanders hospitality." She smiles at Flint and he could feel his chest warm up, he isn't a fool and just like any other healthy man he likes beautiful women, but Shizuma has something he couldn't explain, he realized he was standing there, staring at Shizuma for far to long and stutters "I-if you w-want I can ask the commander i-if he has a p-place for you?" Shizuma looks as if she was going to explode of happiness, she hugs Flint "Arigato Flint-kun!" She let's go of him and suddenly runs off, she had spotted an entertainer in something that looks like a nomad costume. Flint looks confused and gazes at the booty of the woman who had just hugged him, then he noticed Ana standing in front of him with her arms crossed. "uhm... yes?" Ana pokes his chest with her index finger several times "I know what you're up to and I won't let you if you even as much as think about doing something to her I will seperate you're manhood from your body and crush them with a hammer and if you're lucky i'll do it in that order!" She runs after Shizuma who was trying to push over the entertainer in his nomad costume, leaving a confused and partly terrified Flint behind.
Several days have passed since they ran into Flint. The past few days haven't been much of an adventure, Shizuma is sitting on the foot end of her bed as she tries to remember the dream she had last night. She closes her eyes hoping it would make it easier to remember, she dreamed about her family, but why? Are her memories returning or is her mind playing tricks on her? These dreams started after Ana had given her a picture of Kiriko and Hera, maybe she is just to desperate to remember something. Shizuma grasps her head with both hands, mad at herself she repeats the same phrase several times "You'll remember eventually..."
A sudden knock on her bedroom door startles her "Senora Sakuragi, there is someone here to see you." she sighs in relief and cleans herself up a bit. A man is waiting for her as she enters the livingroom, he is wearing a zoner uniform and greets Shizuma kindly "Kallisti miss Sakuragi, the commander has sent an invitation to join him in his office." he hands her a handwritten letter and Shizuma couldn't help but stare at it. Even in a time like this with all the technology we have the commander decides to have a courier deliver a handwritten letter to her. She slowly reads it and looks up at the courier again, not sure what to do next. Apparently he could read the hesitation on her face "What shall I tell the commander miss Sakuragi?" She looks at the letter again and takes a deep breath "You can tell the commander that tomorrow afternoon fits perfect for me." With nothing more then a small bow the courier leaves again. Ana steps in front of Shizuma with her arms crossed "Senora, you aren't really considering to take a job that would force you to be around that idiota that burned down your house, si?" Shizuma merely shrugs "I know his type, I could see it in his eyes. He only wants one thing and that isn't a good conversation!" Shizuma smirks "I know perfectly well what he wants, I may have lost my mind but i'm not stupid.""And you have no problem with that?!" Shizuma laughs "I want to have something to do on this ship and you should not worry about Flint, he's not my type." After she said that she hesitates for a moment, is she really sure that he isn't her type or is her mind playing tricks again?
Almost two months have passed since Shizuma had a meeting with captain Iglo, he offered her the position of communications officer which she gladly accepted. After a training of one month she was seated at her station for a two weeks evaluation. Upon completion of that she received her insignia and she could now call herself 'Junior Lieutenant'
Tonight she has the bridge all to herself since she is in watch duty for the next four hours, the Astral Queen is currently stationary in the Omega-49 system approximatly ninety thousand meters from planet Gran Canaria, so actually there wasn't much to look at outside. She leans back in the captain's chair while gazing into the endless void of space as her mind wanders off. For months she tried so hard to remember anything about her past but now it all seem so meaningless. She enjoys her life as she knows it and for the first time the idea of her past actually scares her, what if she used to be a thief, or worse, a murderer? If that was the case and people find out, what would happen to her? A voice awakes her from her contemplation "This is Zoner borderworld transport one zero zero Z two dash four five for the Astral Queen, do you copy?" She jumps up and walks to her station and quickly puts on her headset "Zoner borderworld transport one zero zero Z two dash four five, this is Astral Queen, I copy you loud and clear.""Good evening ma'am, we are delivering that H-fuel you have ordered." Shizuma calls the file with shipping orders onto her mainscreen and runs her left index finger down the list until it finally stops at 'H-fuel : 580 tons' "Copy that captain, you are cleared to moor at port side fixture five, they are already awaiting you."
She returns to the captain's chair and sits down again, she follows the entire mooring procedure on the main screen. When they are fueled up they have exactly enough to make one jump and she just hopes it will be some place nice where she wouldn't have to stare at foggy clouds all night. Her mind wanders off again and she thinks about her job and the ship she's on, she could never have imagined there would be so much traffic going in and out the Astral Queen, most of them are simple freelancers looking for a place to rest and have a hot meal but they also have alot of traders visiting their ship. Some come to sell things while others come to buy them, if she wouldn't know any better she would think the Astral Queen is nothing more then a flying flee market. It's hard to imagine there is this much peace aboard a ship that has so many different nationalities aboard, maybe it is because no one is allowed to carry any type of weapon on board except for the law enforcers. The ship does have a large amount of armories spread all over the ship, in case the ship becomes under attack every crewmember can get a firearm to defend it.
"Astral Queen, here zoner borderworld transport one zero zero Z two dash four five, we have delivered the H-fuel and are ready to depart." Shizuma quickly walks to her station again "Roger that, you are cleared to unmoor, good night captain." She still feels strange whenever she speaks the common language flawlessly as it was the only part of her training she actually had trouble with. But it was a requirement to get the position of communications officer, she can still hear captain Iglo tell her during their meeting two months ago "If you want this position then you will have to have perfect knowledge of the common language, you are free to speak any language you prefer in your free time, but when you are on duty you are restricted to the common language only."
A buzzer sounds and a recorded voice resonades through the bridge "Relief the watch!" Her four hours of watch duty are over and she would be relieved within the next two minutes and she suddenly feels so exhausted that she is looking forward to her nice warm bed.