The Long Road Home

Posted on Sun 15th Apr, 2018 @ 5:37pm by

410 words; about a 2 minute read

Mission: Brushfires
Location: Pearl with a Chainsaw, Promenade, SB 109
Timeline: MD 3, 14:50

It was after the lunch rush when the restaurant's front door opened. Five women, their white hair only a few days growth from the scalp, entered together. Four of them shared the same face; the fifth had a massive bandage covering the right side of her visage. All of them looked tired, even defeated.

"Oh!" exclaimed the hostess on duty, one of the neon-orange haired Ripper sisters. "Winters!" She stepped quickly from behind the station and fell to her knees, bowing over them and placing her hands beside her head, on the deck.

"No," one of the shorn girls said, "Please." But reflexively, they returned the honor, bowing deeply from the waist. "We have heard that Envoy Corundum is here," the spokeswoman said. "We had hoped for an audience."

"Of course," Wailing Ripper said, getting up from her knees. "Follow me?" She led the little group to the stairs in the corner of the overlook, and down. At the midpoint, the Winter sisters paused and faced the statue of Enlightened Master Kong, offering him a bow before continuing on.

"Just a moment," Wailing said, leaving the Winters at the foot of the stairs. She slid open a lattice and paper door and was gone no more than a moment before returning in the wake of a short, solidly built man with fire-engine red hair and a circle beard.

"February Winter!" he exclaimed, going directly to the sister with the large bandage. He took her unbandaged right hand, folding it in both of his. "I am so sorry for your loss... it is a loss to us all. Forgive me for not having contacted you; I wished to offer privacy in your time of mourning. What can I do for you, and for your sisters?"

"We want to go home," February answered. "We want..."

January took a half step forward to stand beside February. "We want to take them Home," she finished.

"Of course; of course. I am detained on the station a while longer on diplomatic business, but I place the People's Starship Chopped Liver at your immediate disposal."

"Thank you, Envoy Jewel." The sisters bowed as one.

"Shall I send the Ophir sisters to assist you with moving the caskets from the Morgue?" the Envoy asked.

"No." December's answer was firm, despite the tears on her cheeks. "We will handle the transfer."

"Thank you," September added a moment later. "But we prefer to do it ourselves. We... owe them."

 

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