Chapter 1

New York, New York

3 years later

McGrady's Old Ale House

“Master, another glass please.”

Silently, the bartender slid a glass of beer to the waiting customer and extended a smile. His graying hair was ponytailed in a manner like a dashing young man, though obviously he’s not.

The place could only be called a joint. It was very quiet and had all the memories of old world plastered around its mahogany interior, very out of place in this kind of city. New York is the center of all business, like it has always been, therefore the technology here is only second to that of Vitalis.

Vitalis was a city made on top of a man made island over the Pacific Ocean. It was the place where the strongest military power was situated, as per UN order.

The whirling fan hanging on the ceiling swayed gently as another customer walked in, ringing the brass bell by the door.

The new man shook his hat and signaled the bartender. “Kahlua, please. With ice.”

“So, Red...how’s the job?”

Levi sipped the beer and put it down with a thunk. “Lousy, I couldn’t stand those amateurs.”

“But you got good money on them, right?”

“That’s none of your business.”

“You know, thank you…” he took the glass and drank its content in one gulp. ”…I’m here for the new job, Chevnovsky said this is big. He needs my help too.”

Levi looked at the rugged man, his close shaven beard and his utter ignorance of proper working suit was very disturbing. But they were both on the same job and kept their honor on the job. Not like the Greedy Condors. She didn’t get along well with him. But maybe that’s because both of them get along like house on fire. No one is safe.

“Hmh.,” she drank again and left some change on the table.

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“Master, I’ll be going on ahead.”

Javier nodded at the bartender. “Still so unfriendly.”

Levi looked back and threw a coin at Javier. “You owe me a glass.”

Levi grimaced as her head thumped. This is what I get for drinking so early in the afternoon.

While she was walking slightly groggily, she bumped into someone.

“Whoops, sorry.”

“Heh? You think sorry is enough? That hurts you know? I want reimbursement!”

“Whoa, that’s rich. Haven’t heard anyone using that old excuse for extorting money since…ever.”

“Why you!” he stopped mid sentence and now was totally checking Levi out. “Hey…you’re kinda nice looking, wanna have some fun with me?”

Ah, the headache is starting early. Levi was standing like a buccaneer, a drunken one. Her face showed amusement, or bewilderment. Around her, people were drifting away. Like sewer sludge down a poolside.

Hmh…that’s all these people ultimately amount to. The kind of people I hate, The ones who awkwardly tried to stay out of trouble while assuring themselves that it was happening to someone else. It’s their trouble, not mine.

“Oh, you wanna be submissive are ya? Wanna play rough like?”

She pushed him back and asked. “You got balls, dude?”

“Got it? I’ve got two, and a hard on in stash! Ready to sev, ya know?”

“Mind if I see how hard it is?” her eyes gleamed like flame.

“Ohh, playing kinky are ya. Fi-“

She kicked him in the privates with her shoes so hard, even the brain felt the hurt in his essentials. The man crouched in an extremely agonizing pain. His face turned red and blue like Christmas light.

“Oh…not that hard now is it? Got a kick out of your libido?”

“Hugh…”

She pulled his arm back and hit him on the jaw, sending him into dreamland and into a nearby trashcan.

“Keep that disgusting…wossnames… to yourself, you son of a bitch.”

She walked away as if nothing happened, her hands inserted into her pockets. Behind her people started to drift back like the sea after Moses closed it to swallow Pharaoh’s army.

“Levi, you’re back! How’s the city?”

She was greeted by a handsome boy, with dark hair and bright, Japanese face. On closer inspection, he was actually…a she. She threw herself at Levi, who answered her with a smile.

“Same old, same old…got you the candies you wanted, Karis. Here,”

She threw a yellow colored bag at her.

“Oh, oh, oh! Got it!” she opened the wrapper and chewed on one of them. “Hmm…Rockenberry’s is the best!”

“Where are the others?”

“Captain and brother are still having lunch. Camus was getting himself a new CD, and Norma is still sleeping.”

“I see…I’ll have a nap. So if they come back, wake me up.”

She nodded cheerfully and flung herself into her private control panel below the Captain’s command panel.

The girl was Karis Landgust, a 14 years old genius directly from Harvard. She was the first mate of the Starship and the creator of Norma, the ship’s artificial intelligence.

Levi walked towards her room in the left end of the starship Norma Verde.

Her room was simple and had her clothes scattered about like nobody’s business. On her desk was her diary and a small TSP (Touch Sensitive Pad) used for holographic computer interface attached to it.

She took off her jacket, her flight hat, and turned on her gramophone. An old relic of days gone past, it still had the golden relief of the maker’s brand. A slow Jazz music began to play, one of her favorites, Satin Doll.

She threw herself on her bed and looked out at the window. She kept still until tiredness from the last mission took her over.