They’re cattle Amber…I’m hardly walking into a dangerous situation here.

Yes but you know anything could happen.

Anything could happen anyways, C’mon…

You could get raped, shot, hurt, killed…and there’s the risk of infection if you leave a sterile environment.

Your studio isn’t a sterile environment! And unlike yours my listening clone is fully plugged and protected.

Love, please, you can get into all kinds of trouble-

Was that you giving me permission?

You know that’s not what-

C’mon, it’s safer than most of the places you’d want me at anyways. It’s a shuttle terminal for fuck’s sake.

It’s Jita love, it’s one of the busiest in the damn galaxy. Stop being-

Oh come on Amber, really. This fussing is getting annoying you know? Just let me have my fun. I’ll get bored of them after an hour like I always do.

I really wish you wouldn’t take that shit.

Huh?

That damn…dust. It’s really screwing with your judgement.

Amber…I’ve not even had any yet. You’d know if I had…

Well-

Well that was kind of a screwed up judgement wasn’t it?

Kai. Please, just-

No Amber. I've been the one trawling through all of the accounts. It's me who has had to pore over this shit each day for the last month while you are off doing whatever the fuck it is you do. I deserve a fucking break ok? I just want to get my dust, my ten seven clone, and catch some conversations. I am not asking much.

Listen, Kai. Please. Just stay home with me, I’ll give you foot massages all night long, anything.

We can do that any time, I want to go out.

You can go out any time!

Hah! Now that was definitely you giving me permission!

You little bitch, stop that.

I’m off, don’t wait up whore! Love you!

Darling it’s ok now, I’m sorry. Please stop crying.

Bu…bu…but you are cross at me!

No dear, not any more. I’m sorry.

I only wanted to know what happened to her arm.

I know dear, I know. You have to understand darling, you can’t talk like that about people’s handicaps.

Why not?

It’s not proper Brutor etiquette. We don’t do it.

What’s etiquette?

Manners dear. You know how your father never says bad words? How he says it’s bad manners?

Yes…

That’s etiquette darling. It just means manners.

But why can’t I ask her about her arm?

Because…we don’t talk about what makes us weak. It makes people upset.

I didn’t mean to make her sad!

Of course you didn’t darling. It’s just that we prefer to talk about what makes us strong. Do you understand?

I think so…

Captain, we’ve got a problem.

You are the new Lieutenant?

Yes Sir. Lieutenant Dalyn Sir. We’ve just received an eyewitness report of someone breaching the second section.

Confirm it first, we don’t do anything until then.

Yes sir, it’s just that…permission to-

What is it Lieutenant? Just spit it out.

Yes sir. It’s just that the woman’s description of the subject matched with the earlier reports of the other TU sighting. The same unusual walk, same clothes and height.

Ok then. Move your men into position in the fourth section, I will arrange for backup there.

Understood Sir, we are already well on the way. I’m fairly sure they will be moving rapidly to the hangar. Do we have permission to sh-

Granted Lieutenant. Just don’t make a mess if there are people. I’m getting enough from the PR department after the last one.

Copy Sir. We won’t let you down. Approaching section four gates now. 2 minutes.

Backup is still 5 minutes out Lieutenant. Engage at will, but use your own judgement.

Understood Sir. You think she’s a jumper?

They almost always are here.

Sir, if she is…

Then you go for the legs. Use UHV rounds and don’t stop shooting until she can’t move them, understood?

Yes…Sir. If she tries to escape?

Take the windows.

Won’t that mean she can-

Yes Lieutenant. Down here we are just as happy if they run away.

Well I don’t know for sure, no.

But you’re fairly certain of it?

Yeah, I mean, I heard them say it.

You heard them say it? They actually said the words?

Yep. They said Isol.

…shit. He’s fucked then. Great stuff!

Man, it’s all a beat up by the media if you ask me. I’d not get too triumphal just yet.

You kidding me? Even the unarguable facts, the shit we all know…even that is good enough.

Eh, I dunno man.

You fucking kidding me? They take ‘em, tag ‘em, and feed ‘em pills for the rest of their life, no food. Pump ‘em with cybernetics to keep them alive hundreds of years in their dank little hole in this fucking…crater…in the northern pole. I can’t think of a more depressing or inescapable punishment.

Yeah, sure, but we don’t really know that’s what they do, that’s what I mean.

You wanna go there and find out then?

Hah, fuck no. I’m just sayin’

Yeah, yeah. I get your point, but I mean I’ve taken the Urlen-Sivala shuttle past it, and you see it.

See it?

See the crater. Right at the tip if the planet. See the patrols around the perimeters and shit. It looks pretty full on.

Hmm, I didn’t know that you could see it like that.

Oh sure, they even take private shuttles closer in if you get a good captain and have a bit of ISK to throw around. I think if you’re press you can actually land there.

Really?

Yeah, remember that article? Uh…forget the name now. The one about the guy who almost escaped when his gang pretended to be a reporter crew? Makiri…whatever.

Somah?

Yeah, Somah! The journo’s were actually legit but were totally screwed over.

Oh wait I remember that, they didn’t get to leave the planet for a month, yeah?

It’s just awful, Saya lost her whole family, poor girl.

Oh dear, how unfortunate. I will pray for her.

Thank you Father, I will let her know she is in your prayers. It’s almost funny that you say that.

Why? What do you mean?

It’s a good story Father, one I think you might like. If you have a moment longer?

Certainly, my shuttle isn’t leaving for a little while.

I take it you heard about how low the death toll was?

Yes, I had heard it was only around 20,000.

That’s correct. Did you hear about why?

No dear, why was it so low?

Well, you see father, the churches in the Ashiri province…they were built many hundreds of years ago, on very solid foundations, stronger than most residential buildings on the entire planet, in fact.

I see.

The earthquake hit during Sunday prayer. Almost everyone in the entire area was in service. Almost all of the chapels stood. Everywhere else, just fell into ruin.

Oh my. I see now why you said I might like that. I will have to tell it at my next address, dear. There is a lesson in that for all of us.

Yes, Father, there is. Anyhow, I wont keep you any longer. I look forward to your next appearance at our district.

Yep.

You two look so good together.

Thanks, it’s going really well.

Starting to get to know eachother better?

We are. Just the other day actually, he said something that caught me.

What did he say?

He walked in on me after a heavy night of work. I’d been called in unexpectedly, so there was no way he could have known I’d just done a shift. Without a word from me he offered to do dinner because I was so tired.

Cute, how did he know?

He said I had tired skin.

Tired skin?

Yup, I don’t know either. He just said when I was tired my skin shone a bit more brightly.

Really? I never noticed.

Me neither, but clearly he’s paying attention.

Hah, yes. That’s nice.

It made me smile.

Yeah, I suppose so. How did I do yesterday?

You’re going alright, but you still are behind quota. At this rate you’ll have repaid by the end of next month instead of this one.

Fucking hell…really?

Yes, really. Hopefully I don’t have to remind you if you don’t-

You don’t have to remind me.

Good.

Guess I better get to it.

Exactly.

So which section am I working today?

Wait, where are your gloves?

I lost them.

Well you can’t work like that. It’s too obvious.

What else am I supposed to do?

Go buy some gloves.

…if I could afford gloves do you think-

Ok, fine, but I’m not paying for them.

I guess my day just got a little harder.

Pick a few old ones to start with, they won’t notice. If anyone asks just spin the usual bullshit. Once you have enough, buy some fucking gloves, ok? I’m not bailing you out again.

Yeah…ok.

Maybe from now on you’ll not forget them?

Ok, I guess not. Damn, I wanted to hear your voice babe.

I’m about to be shipped out again. I’m sorry. My shuttle leaves in….one hour for the Border Zone and we’re about to start briefing. I know I told you I’d be back home by now, but I’m doing good work here babe. The Captain says I’m due for promotion, says I might be leading my own unit soon. You know that will be good for the both of us…we just have to be patient babe. I figured if I stay on until the formal departure next fortnight it will look better. I’m sorry to disappoint you, I know how you made plans.

Tell your parents I’m sorry, and that I’m going to make an extra effort to arrange a proper meeting when I return, ok? I miss those brown eyes of your Linah, damn I miss them. I promise you I’m staying faithful and that everything is going to be ok.

They’re calling me now so I have to go. I’ll see you soon babe, I’ll bring you home something nice from the border.

Love you.

I know…no respect for themselves or others.

I can’t stand it!

Don’t let it get to you old friend, it’s a lost hope. Let’s just keep moving or we’ll miss the shuttle.

But, wait. Wait damn you! Do they even realise she is a Gallente?

Of course they do. They just don’t care. Come on.

How can they not care?

They forgot. It wasn’t their war.

Well I’m going over there to remind them then.

Haha, relax. You’re not going over there. They’re not just kids, they’re dangerous, and we are running late.

You think I don’t have any fight left in me?!

I didn’t say that old friend! Just calm yourself down or you’ll go into cardiac arrest!

That’s enough cheek from you! I’m serious here.

Look. They haven’t forgotten, they’re just disrespectful. They don’t care, it wasn’t their war.

Why do you keep saying that? Of course it is their war. It’s theirs and every Caldari’s. Theirs as much as it was mine. To think I fought so these people could…grovel at the feet of Gallente girls. It sickens me!

Times change, old friend.

I don’t like it.

You don’t say. Come on, if you stand there gawking we’re going to miss our ride and then you’ll have to stare at it all day.

Right, let’s get the hell out of here.

I said I don’t want to talk about it.

If you can’t share it with-

Just forget about it.

It’s a bit late for that now.

We’ll I’m not going to tell you.

I don’t believe this. I told you I was going to-

JUST FORGET ABOUT IT.

I CAN’T JUST FORGET ABOUT IT.

FINE.

FUCK…

Just…

WHAT?

Nothing! Calm down. I’m sorry.

Good. You should be.

And?

And…I don’t want to do that again. Just don’t push so hard on these things ok?

It isn’t?

Not at all. Take fish for example. Their own digestive gases are used as a buoyancy aid and even though they are dissipated eventually, it’s not really what you would call a fart.

Really? I didn’t know that.

The Rukuru don’t fart either. When most mammals digest food, bacteria in the gut produces methane. That’s the main ingredient in a good…or depending on your perspective, bad fart.

Hah!

The Rukuru however, they don’t have that bacteria. They have a different one that produces acetate instead, which further helps digestion. Not only does the acetate remove the need to fart, it increases the efficiency of digestion.

How?

It’s a complicated process, but it increases the energy extracted from food. So what we did was figure out how to get the Rukuru bacteria into cows, thereby decreasing the amount of methane released by livestock.

Bizarre.

It may be, but you have to understand, when you have entire planets or entire continents on planets, fully dedicated to raising livestock, it starts to add up very quickly. Before we had these genetically enhanced livestock, we had to use far more expensive measures to keep planet atmospheres liveable.

Mmm, that’s a fair point.