[Please give another round of applause for captain Casey Imamu and her wonderful work in Ix Chel.]

A tall, skinny man in a dark blue suit said as he stood behind a pedestal which was in front of a hall filled with people.

They all clapped their hands and flashes from several cameras bathed the room in blinding white light.

[Ok, we’ll be taking questions now.]

The dark-haired man said.

“I have one for captain Imamu!” A woman said, prompting the skinny man to exchange looks with several other men in suits.

[Uh, sure. Ask away.]

The man said into the microphone as a tall woman walked over to the pedestal.

She towered over everyone she walked past by several feet and had bright red hair that seemly glowed.

Her body was covered in dark tactical armour and clothing that wasn’t dissimilar to that worn by the row of people behind her.

The woman picked up the mic and smiled as she looked at the crowd before her.

No one spoke as her pale blue eyes surveyed the room.

They eventually landed on the woman who had asked for her.

“Good afternoon. What was your question?” The woman known as Casey Imamu asked seemingly snapping the woman she was looking at out of her self induced trance.

“Umm… I was wondering what a day in the life of Unity’s best is like?” The woman asked, her face beet red.

Casey placed her finger on her lips for a moment.

“Well, it's definitely a lot of work, considering our pay,” Casey said and the hall was filled with amused chuckles.

“I’m kidding. Being a part of Unity’s combined police force is an honour none of us takes lightly. From the moment we clock in till the shift ends, we conduct ourselves with the highest degree of professionalism. Although that sounds a little strict, it helps us work better as a single force.” Casey said.

“Umm… that’s not what I meant. I was asking what you do personally.” The woman asked as she tightly clung to the device in her hands.

“Oh? If that’s your question, then I guess I’d say that I’m a workaholic. I’m usually reading all manner of documents and whatnot. Although I have developed an interest in painting.” Casey said and again, the hall was filled with amused chuckles.

Casey then went on to answer more questions from various other people before the conference ended.

A man then walked up to her. His body covered in gear that was very similar to what Casey wore.

“Awaiting orders, ma’am.”

“Return to your station. The district chief will advise you on what to do next.” Casey said.

The man gave a sharp salute before turning to leave.

“Painting, huh?” A voice said from behind.

Casey turned to find a certain skinny man.

“Yes sir. I bought a few brushes, some canvases and an easel recently. It’s been a delight.” Casey said with a smile.

“I bet. Anyway, things have seemingly calmed down. Take the next few days off. We’ll call you if something comes up, ok?” The man said.

“Yes sir!” Casey said with a sharp salute.

“Good.” The man said before walking away.

Casey let out a deep sigh before making her way towards the exit to her right.

She then made her way towards her office which was on the third floor.

There, she unstrapped her bulletproof vest before removing it.

She then slipped into her coat before grabbing her keys and exiting her office.

“Good afternoon, ma’am.”

“Good afternoon, Captain.”

Such things were said as Casey left Unity’s Central Police Department building, which was about the size of half a football stadium.

She made sure to bid her colleagues farewell before making her way to the parking lot where she hopped into what could only be called an armoured vehicle.

It wasn’t a military-owned vehicle. Instead, it was a civilian-owned armoured truck called the HPT-114-c.

It was extremely sturdy and could fit up to six people. Seven, if the circumstances were right.

Casey made her way onto the streets of Cynosure, Unity’s capital, before making her way north.

Unity was a man-made continent that was located in the Pacific ocean.

It was the product of the collaborative work of almost all of the world’s country’s as they pushed science and technology to their limits.

Space exploration and resource management reached efficiency levels that were unheard of before Unity’s conception and this led to the world becoming a better place… for a while.

Casey eventually arrived at her house, which was a medium-sized building in the northern hills of Cynosure.

She grabbed her work files and then entered her house to find several unfinished paintings littering the place.

A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

She rushed into her office before dropping her files on her desk.

She then grabbed her phone to check the time and saw that it was almost five o’clock.

“Mmm…” Casey droned before rushing into the bathroom where she removed her clothes revealing countless faint grey lines that covered her body.

She also had several silver plates of varying size all over her body and her palms had hexagonal markings on them.

Casey hopped into the shower and meticulously cleaned her body before leaving the shower and brushing her teeth.

She then spent the next thirty or so minutes looking for an appropriate way to tie her thick, curly red hair.

She settled on a simple ponytail of sorts before rushing into her bedroom where she got changed into a cerulean blue skirt, peach blouse and a navy blue coat.

Her phone then vibrated a few times, prompting her to grab her keys and phone before rushing out of her house.

She then hopped into her truck before making her way back to central Cynosure.

After stopping at a red traffic light, she quickly checked her phone and found that she had received a message.

[I’m on my way to the restaurant.]

The text said and it was at this point that Casey realized that she hasn’t applied any makeup to her face.

Her eyes widened, but she eventually sighed in defeat.

This was partially because she didn’t have much makeup to begin with.

She eventually arrived at a restaurant called The Saepenar and after parking her car nearby, she walked into the classically designed building and as soon as she stepped into the building, the air changed. It was filled with the scent of freshly baked bread and various other delightful aromas.

“Casey?” A voice said from behind.

“Yes?” Casey asked as she turned around, her heart rate incredibly high.

Her gaze then landed on a face she hadn’t seen in a very long time.

It belonged to a man who was far shorter than her, although that didn’t mean much, especially when it came to Casey.

He had brown eyes and a head full of brown hair although bits of grey could be seen here and there.

“Wow. It’s been a while, hasn’t it.” The man said with a gentle smile.

“Y- yes it has, Greg,” Casey said with a bashful smile.

“Shall we?” Greg asked as he gestured that they enter the restaurant.

“Definitely,” Casey said before following Greg towards one of the many empty tables.

The restaurant had a design that resembled much of what you’d find in late twentieth-century Europe. It had many possibly handcrafted pieces of furniture, but Casey paid very little attention to such things.

She sat opposite Greg and the two looked at each other for a moment.

“I still can’t believe it’s been twenty years and look at you. You’re a rockstar.” Greg said as he leaned back into his chair.

“I’m no rockstar. Most of the work is done by the hard-working men and women of Unity, but we both know all there is to know about me. What about you? What have you been up to?” Casey asked while desperately suppressing the urge to smile.

“Mmm… while you were off saving the world, I got a job in the real estate industry.”

“You sold houses?”

“I built them.”

“Oh.”

“Yeah, that’s pretty much all I’ve been doing ever since. Not much else an old war dog like me could do either way.” Greg said with a rather distant look.

“Hey, don’t say that. You were the most talented of us. Speaking of, what happened to the others? Ooh, what about Laura?” Casey asked, but Greg’s expression darkened even further.

“She… she got redeployed and… she didn’t make it back,” Greg said. His voice as silent as a whisper.

“Oh. I’m sorry.” Casey said, but Greg lifted his head before smiling.

“No, don’t be. We all knew what we signed up for. Now, let’s talk about something else, like how much those scientists are payin’ ya’.”

“It’s actually not that much. They treat me like any other civil servant. I do my job, do some paperwork, get paid and do it all over again the next month.”

“But you live in Cynosure. That can’t be cheap.” Greg said with narrowed eyes.

Casey noticed his hands were placed firmly on his lap, but she paid it no mind.

“It isn’t, buy the house is owned by the government so yeah. There’s that.” Casey said as the waiter arrived.

The two then ordered fairly light meals before resuming their conversation.

“What about you? How’s life in Kukulkan?” Casey asked as she fiddled with the salt shaker.

“Meh, it’s alright. But if I can be completely honest, my days were rather dull before I bumped into you. What were you doing there anyway?” Greg asked.

“Mmm… You see, unlike ordinary policemen who have stationary zones they patrol, I am more mobile and flexible in my area of operation. If I’m needed in Ix Chel, I’ll go to Ix Chel. Same with Kukulkan. I just happened to be operating there when we met.”

“Is that so?” Greg droned.

“Well, I’m glad,” Greg said as the waiter arrived with their meals.

The two then dined on some rather fine cuts of meat and various other side dishes.

After finishing their meals, the two then left the restaurant and Greg accompanied Casey to her vehicle.

“Whoa! That’s… a big truck.” Greg exclaimed.

“Hehe, I had no choice in the matter. The big wigs gave it to me and I grew attached to it before I had the chance to buy my own little car.” Casey said as her face burnt red with shame.

“No, it’s good. Looks really sturdy. Correct me if I’m wrong, but this is the civilian version of the HPT-114-C right?” Greg asked.

“Yep-“

Greg’s phone loudly vibrated, but he ignored the notification.

“So…”

“Yeah?” Casey asked.

“There’s a great spot a few blocks from here. The ambience is amazing and the drinks are to die for. You up for it?” Greg asked.

Casey wanted to tell him that alcohol did not affect her, but she only nodded in response.

“Great! Why don’t we take your tank?” Greg asked.

“It’s not a tank!” Casey cried before she and Greg entered her truck.

They then made their way to a little spot to the south.

It was a rather small building and was dimly lit by yellow lights.

Casey and Greg entered to find that it was relatively empty.

The two then sat in front of the main bar table.

The bartender eventually arrived and the two ordered some fairly strong beverages.

“Ah! So tell me more about what happened after you left? That project X thingy was so top secret we were barred from even asking about it.” Greg asked.

“Well, there’s not much I’m allowed to say-“

“Come on. I won’t tell another soul.” Greg said with a grin.

“Nope. Can’t say. What I can say is that our work helped bring about important changes to the world.” Casey said.

“Do they pay you to say that?”

“Nope. That’s how I truly feel.” Casey said as she looked at her glass.

“Ugh, fine. Keep your secrets.” Greg said as he ordered another round.

Casey casually drank her glass’s contents and the two continued to casually converse.

It eventually grew too late and the two had to leave the cosy little place.

They both stood beside Casey’s truck as the night hung.

“Hey, umm… it’s gotten pretty late. You could sleep over at my place. If you want.” Casey said, prompting Greg to look at his phone.

“Mmm… well, it is a Friday, so yeah,” Greg said.

The two then made their way to Casey’s house and they promptly entered it after Casey parked her truck.

“Wow. That’s a lot of paintings.” Greg gasped as he followed Casey into the living room.

“Well, they’re incomplete. Oh and pardon the mess.”

“No, it’s not a problem at all. You should see my place.” Greg said with a chuckle.

The two then stood in silence for a while and Casey’s heart rate reached its highest.

“I missed you, you know.” Greg suddenly said.

Casey turned around to find Greg looking at her with a strange expression.

“You were the best of us and although that was plenty enough reason to accept why you’d been chosen, I just never could.” He said as he inched towards her.

“I would’ve stayed, but I had a duty-“

“I know and that’s something I always admired about you,” Greg said as he got ever closer.

“I’m glad I met you that day,” Greg said.

“Me too,” Casey said as she lowered her head.

Greg wrapped his arms around Casey as his lips met hers.

The two separate briefly before looking into each other’s eyes.

They kissed again, but more passionately.

Casey then gently held Greg’s hand and led him into her room before once again kissing him.

Casey led Greg towards her bed and the two clumsily fell onto it.

“I missed you so much,” Greg said.

“Me too,” Casey said as Greg removed his.

Casey nodded to herself internally before removing her coat.

Greg then saw the faint grey lines that covered her arms.

Casey then hesitantly removed her blouse and Greg’s eyes widened as he saw the countless silver indication plates that could be seen all over her body.

“Uh… how much did they change?” Greg asked.

“Well… nothing that really matters,” Casey said with a pained expression, but her heart sank as Greg eyed her body with an expression that resembled disgust.

“W-what’s wrong?” Casey asked.

“Are you still even human?”