EXCOLO: GUARDIANS

[al-shairan.livejournal.com]

Chapter 1: Another Beautiful Day in the Dome

It is early evening as I leave my office, sunset streaking through the Dome, the pale glow of the Gate coming from the east so that there is light from both sides. I love this time of day. The clouds are scudding fast, and I think there may be a storm tonight. I find myself regretting I do not have any particular reason to go into the Outer Districts tonight. The city under the Dome is very graceful, of course, but I like to be in the open air.

However, I have arranged to meet a friend for a drink, and so I stroll the three blocks from the university to Illyria, a bar popular with academics and the artistic crowd. As well as Guardians, of course. There is something of La Belle Epoque to the warm wood and soft lights. I absently tap the bust of Shakespeare for luck as I come in - his forehead is worn from thousands of patrons doing this, though no one knows from where the tradition originated - and I find a table. I flip through an e-newspaper on the table viewer as I wait for my drink to arrive. I minimise The Excolo Times; it is a worthy paper, well written and reputable, but I am interested in The Recorder. We are keeping an eye on some of its reporters.

Comments

[lei-miao-shan.livejournal.com]

Today is not one of the days on which I have a lecture, but my path takes me to the campus anyway. A personal errand this time, rather than work. I do not mind; the campus is lovely, as is the walk, and I enjoy seeing my students outside of class, when they are sitting in huddled groups over coffee or walking hand-in-hand down the paths. Several of them recognize me and nod or call to me, and I nod to them in return. I enjoy teaching, though it still feels odd to me to be teaching Mandarin, something that seems so natural to me that it needs no explanation. Ah, well.

It is a beautiful day, and there are many folk on the streets, shopping or wandering or traveling. Illyria is crowded at this time of day, but I see who I am looking for at our usual table. Reading, of course. Smiling, I come up to him and bend to kiss his cheek, "Nihao, Lex." I say, "You are well, I hope?"

[tess-thiess.livejournal.com]

One of these days I'll find a devil who can sniff out magicks, and then I'll have a problem. But in the meantime I can walk among them, showin' 'em what they expect t'see. They dunt see my gift, and with some effort they dunt see the shooter at my back, hidden under my jacket. Their machines ignore it too, 'cause they're easier t'fool in some ways.

Harder in others, but that ain't my job, and it ain't my reason fer bein' here. Someone got word that several more dangerous devils would be gathering here tonight. We're startin' t'shift supplies 'v the new drugs, and we can't afford more heat on us. I ain't so keen on the drugs, but it brings in cash 'n it causes trouble fer the devils, and that's important.

I ain't quite sure who they are, so I find myself a corner table and pull out my sextant, and start t'take it apart. It ain't so strange, with all the university folks and artists, and we're learned t'hide our gear.

[parras-siren.livejournal.com]

It isn't a terrible sort of place, I suppose, and really, one can't work all the time. And they do make an excellent silver fizz.

I sip it at the bar, because really, I'm not sure I want to be here all that long, and look for faces I know. Oh, there's darling Miao. I do think she might have put on a tiny bit of weight since I last saw her, but really it mostly just makes her look healthy.

She's with Lex Shairan, and I smile with some satisfaction - they do work ever so well together, and it would be ever so convenient if they ended up a couple. Heaven knows we could use that particular combination of abilities in one individual. The idea that either of them wouldn't abide by their reproductive duty to Excolo Corp - well. It's really more a moral duty than anything, and they're both so very conscientious. The powers that be are convinced that sooner or later we're going to work out the mechanics of the Guardians' talents, and I've been hearing ever such interesting things coming out of the breeding programme.

I'm thinking of going over when that Donner individual joins them. A most interesting combination of talents at that table, now. His is really rather intriguing, if a little macabre. Perhaps he and Miao...? I look at them thoughtfully.

[al-shairan.livejournal.com]

I feel perfectly at my ease, now. It is an unpleasant situation, to be sure, but I have the calm certainty that in this moment I understand my role. Miao has calmed the crowd. I hear the whine of ambulances' sirens as they approach. The hurt will be tended to soon.

I crouch down in front of a blonde woman.

"Are you alright?" I ask, and she nods, eyes glazed. She is in shock, but Miao's comforting is working well. I can feel something of the effect of it myself, my own confidence magnified.

"Good," I say. I take her hands comfortingly. "You will be quite alright. Now," I say, and I let my desire to persuade bloom in my head, feeling like hot petals unfurling. "Tell me if you know anything about what happened."

This one proves to know nothing in particular, and I move onto the next.

[al-shairan.livejournal.com]

There is no need for the scene to be secured by personnel when Miao and I are here. I keep them in place, and she keeps them content to be here. And so I can conduct my interviews in relative peace, even as the emergency crews arrive and take out the dead and injured.

I have discovered very little of note, and I return to Guardian headquarters feeling frustated. There I am debriefed, which takes some time, but I am finally relieved of duty at about midnight. I know that I will be called in early tomorrow, and so I should sleep. But I am restless, and I find myself thinking of what Miao and I discussed in the bar. Benedict brought up drugs, too, and it makes me wonder if there is a connection here, somewhere.

There is a place I should go, I think, and I go home to get changed.