Uhm, yes. You can make babies everywhere. She smirked at her. You know. The babymaking way.
Lindsay grabbed her fork, blushing slightly. The polished metal slowly pierced right into the banana's tip.
Sex. I mean, that's what people come here for. Sex, honeymoons, vacations, gambling, the occasional perception enhancer. That being said, Cryer has a lab on one of the other islands, for those who want designer babies. The people who come here usually can afford gene mods.
Sighing, she idly broke the tip of the banana off, pierced it with her fork, rubbed it against the vanilla ice cream and a bit of whipped cream, then lead it to her mouth.
''Sorry I just imagined a weird laboratory making babies somewhere.'' As she chuckled a bit ashamed. The lieutenant took some more bites before to talk again. ''Anyway, as you already told me about you, I shall do the same.'' She pauses while she took another bite of her pasta. Once the mouth free, she engaged the conversation. ''As you already know, I am a lieutenant of the fifth fleet. And you already know my name. But out of duty, I can let you call me Victoria. So... I was born on Manhattan the 9th October. My parents worked for Deep Space Engineering. I also have a sister, Kaicha Blake. She is my older sister. We have two years that separates us. One day, she vanished.''
Before to continue, she continued her meal until the last bite. ''Since his disappearance, I went at West Point to be a cadet. Being in the navy helped me to focus on something else.''
Must be horrible to lose a family member. Your parents are still alive, right? You look like you're in your mid-20s. Idly playing with her fork, she eyed Victoria more closely. Her outfit made her seem younger, she figured. Never had a sister. Just my parents and their one daughter. If it was just up to them, I wouldn't have been allowed to leave the planet at all. Luckily, Gallia made them change their opinion.
Putting the fork away, she instead grabbed the spoon, which was obviously better for scooping up the ice cream.
You know, the very first thing I've noticed is the poverty. Down here, you don't see any of that. Orbital only allows people to stay on Curacao if they are either born here, work here or are on vacation here. Anyone who can't afford being here is sent back to their home planet or station, with a nasty fee to pay. The same goes for Baden Baden, and I think Denver in Colorado has a similar policy to avoid displeasing the rich people there?
She frowned at her eye cream. It was melting quickly in the heat, despite the AC blowing a cool breeze into the café.
''Yes, my parents are still alive. And it will surprise you but I am twenty-nine years old.'' She finished her sea food pasta and attacked the Banana Split. ''I'm curious. Why your parents wouldn't let you leave the planet?'' She asked while she took a bite of the banana.
While she was eating her dessert, Victoria looked the gestures of the woman in front of her. She just noticed that the black dress was looking good on Lindsay. With a paper towel, the lieutenant removed the ice cream that recovered her mouth. ''I do not think I said it but your dress looks good on you, Lindsay.'' She smiled at her and continue to eat her Banana Split.
Thank you! I saw a heroine in a show wearing it and wanted to have it. Host World. It's the one about robotic humans slowly replacing their real counterparts. Loved it.
So she really was older than she appeared to be. Another win for a decent make-up.
My parents didn't like the idea of me roaming around in space. Space is dangerous. Pirates can be reasoned with, but, you know, there was that one day a few years ago when one of the big aliens was in the sky of Curacao. Like, where is one even safe when they appear even in Cortez now? I had a conversation with two pilots at Ames in Kepler, who said a few interesting things about them. Although they got very cryptic. It was almost as if talking to Ego. She smirked at her. People used to think we are safe on planets, but with them appearing here, and with warship debris having fallen from the sky during the fights in Cortez between the Gallics and the Allied Fleet, they saw it was time for me to get a ship. Just in case. Just to be able to flee if need arises.
The whipped cream was gone by now, devoured by the small woman.
''Host World? I never saw that one.'' Explained Victoria. When Lindsay answered her question, she was shoked. ''So you are a victim of the war... I wasn't there but only heard stories.'' She finished fastly her Banana Split but because she ate it too fast, the cold hit her head. She brought her hands to her head. ''Aie! I ate it to fast...'' She said and laughed at the same time.
After the pain disappeared, Victoria looked at the woman. ''I know it is my duty due of my work but if you stay in Liberty I will do my best to not let any pirate bothering you.'' Victoria only tried to ensure Lindsay that she can trust her.
Victim of the war. In a way, yes, but I wouldn't publicly call myself one. Curacao was never directly attacked since Orbital had maintained a neutral relationship with Gallia, and the planet never was considered a valuable target by Gallia. It's really just that stray shots and debris fell from the sky, knocked some weather control satellites out and crashed into some resorts. Most populated areas were protected by shields, as far as I know. People were panicking, still, because the docking ring got damaged and OSC stalled all shuttle flights to and from space, trapping people down here.
Using the spoon, she cut a chunk out of the banana.
People would burn me if I called myself a victim of the war. Compared to the genocidal attacks on Leeds and New London at the end of the war, anything in Cortez was really almost nothing worthy to mention.
Sighing, she looked up at Victoria.
I don't think I should take the Yacht to Bretonia. I feel like that would make many people angry. I would love to fly through Bretonian space, though, at some point.
Victoria Blake listened carefully to Lindsay. She took a moment before to answer at her question. ''Well, I once went in Vespucci for a final attack. But in a crucial moment, the insurgency outnumbered us. At the end, it was a mess.'' She explained the general details to Lindsay.
Victoria looked at Lindsay for long seconds. She never thought for a second going out with someone but right now, it is happening. ''Probably she will be a good friend, for me?'' Thought the lieutenant. ''You want to go in Bretonia? Why?'' She asked finally.
For a few seconds, she just stared at her, pondering what to answer.
To be honest, I just want to see space? Like, when you have the ability to go anywhere you want, you certainly want to do that, right?
It was dumb and irrational, but hopefully relatable, she thought.
I mean, I don't mind staying here on the planet or have this ship moored at Newark or Trneton to watch the traffic or talk with the pilots in space, just for the fun of it. But, you know, when I went to Honshu to get my robotic crew, I moved through Kepler. Taking a break at Ames was... incredible. The horrible Dark Matter cloud is all over the system, but Ames has that shield bubble where you can stay relatively safe. I watched the purple and blue particles and the lightning discharges flickering all over the place, and I think I made a friend or something of that sort there, too. And Shikoku... even better. Beautiful system. I want to see more of that, and Bretonia makes me curious, just like any other system.
Smiling sheepishly, she focused more on her banana.
Maybe it's what they call the Call of the Void, maybe it's just curiosity. However, I won't risk anything. So, I'll keep my eyes and ears open for Freelancers who can escort me on trips every now and then. Ego would be one who seems reliable, but also... a bit tricky to deal with. I guess money talks for him, but I wouldn't mind someone less, uhm, pessimistic for such trips, additional to his guns.
''I see. Well, I would like to come with you but as you know, my job does not allow it. I am stuck in Liberty and its borders.'' She smiled at her. Often, she looked at the window to see the outside. People were about to return to their hotel, house and so. After some seconds spent to see the outside, her eyes turned on the woman. ''Lindsay, I hope you will stay in safety during your trip and if you get bored, you can always contact me.''
The lieutenant wondered if one day, she could travel everywhere like Lindsay can. ''Maybe in a year?'' She thought to herself.
