============================ BB Post in Progress =============================

Group: Maverick Hunter

Title: Report: Cairo

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<Text Message from Bowie. You know the drill.>

As you already know, the Robot Masters attacked Cairo on Sunday afternoon. It was staged as one of their standard terrorist attacks at first, to which I responded due to the bulk of Repliforce already being deployed in Canada due to a Maverick supply raid. Engaged Quick Man at the shuttle port, but was unable to drive him away before receiving crippling damage. Simian Monk retrieved me from the field just as Dr. Wily arrived. My hovercycle was abandoned as Simian doesn't have a license and I was in no condition to drive it myself.

I cannot provide further information regarding the battle after my removal, as I was taken out of the city. End report.

<attachments: (1) expense report, including ammunition, and a long list of Swiss and Russian replacements for Cheap Amerikan parts. (2) requisition order: Indian Spirit hovercycle with racing mod package (pending insurance claim, which will almost certainly be denied).>

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[Radio: (B) H-Chat] Sasha transmits, "Bowie?"

[Radio: (B) H-Chat] Bowie transmits, "Yeah?"

[Radio: (B) H-Chat] Sasha transmits, "Once we are done here, may I talk to you?"

[Radio: (B) H-Chat] Bowie transmits, "If ya want."

[Radio: (B) H-Chat] Sasha transmits, "I do."

[Radio: (B) H-Chat] Bowie transmits, "Radio whenever yer ready."

Bowie is in the bedroom area, changing into one of his nicer shirts. There's some Christmas music (courtesy the local station) playing softly as background noise. He seems to be in a better frame of mind than he was last night. Admittedly, he hasn't done much today aside from whittling and finally filing some reports to HunterNet.

[Radio: (B) H-Chat] Sasha's voice is oddly distant. "...yes...I will."

Kalinka has been working rather diligently on something in her personal labspace/workspace recently. While she tends to get caught up in her work, this doesn't seem to be like a project for the UN.

"Hmm," Bowie says finally, breaking the silence. "Miss Sasha wants t'speak with me."

[Radio: (E) Joint-Chat] King Dragon transmits, "This... is dimly.. peaceful... ironically..."

Kalinka hms? She leaves her project to look in at Bowie. "Oh, the new Miss Cossack, she wants a word with you? Really?" She arches a brow.

[Radio: (E) Joint-Chat] Iris transmits, "Where are you?"

[Radio: (E) Joint-Chat] Sasha transmits, "Earth orbit."

[Radio: (E) Joint-Chat] Conduit transmits, "He's in space Iris, we're getting ready to bring him into the Comet as we speak."

[Radio: (E) Joint-Chat] King Dragon transmits, "As... it was said once... in .. an old move..." A pause. "I'm not dead yet!"

Bowie finishes buttoning up his shirt as he turns to face her. "Yep. Prolly 'bout last night."

[Radio: (E) Joint-Chat] Iris transmits, "Hmm, okay! Be careful up there, guys. Glad to hear you're coming home, King."

Kalinka smirks. "What about last night?" she asks, looking skeptical. "Is she getting bossy, again? Do not let her push you around if she tries to do that."

[Radio: (E) Joint-Chat] King Dragon transmits, "Glad... to be... alive ... still.. heh."

Bowie says with a shrug. "She asked nicely." He walks over towards her, his sweetheart a thin smile. "Don't wurry, sunshine. Ah'm through with tryin t'please Cossacks."

Kalinka leans up and gives him a kiss. "I cannot tell you to enjoy yourself, because spending time with her is like spending time with a toaster oven. Except the toaster oven is warmer and has a better personality. I just hope it is quick and...not too unpleasant."

Bowie returns the kiss, as always. It's not Sasha's fault that she's the way she is, he reflects. "She won't be the first difficult person Ah've werked with."

Kalinka says, "Yeah, I know. She does not mean to be difficult. It is just...ugh. You know? Every day, I have to ask: I got replaced with -her-? Anyhow. See you when you get back, dear."

"Nobody can replace ya, sunshine," he says, suddenly serious again. "Remember that."

Kalinka nods slowly. "...I will remember," she answers, still looking up at him.

Bowie leans over to kiss her again. "Ah love ya. Ah'll be home when Ah can."

Kalinka says, "Okay, I will keep some soup on for you."

*kiss*

Bowie bundles himself up in his coat and scarf, gives her one last wave, then heads out into the brisk Moscow evening.

[Radio] Sasha sends you a tightbeam radio transmission: "I am in Neo-Tokyo. Where can we meet?"

[Radio] You send Sasha a direct message: "Neo-Tokyo's fine. Whare should Ah meet ya?"

[Radio] Sasha sends you a tightbeam radio transmission: "Would Tetsuo's be acceptable?"

[Radio] You send Sasha a direct message: "That's fine."

(And off I go.)

Tetsuo's Hibachi Grill and Karoake Bar

A large building is illuminated by a neon sign reading "Tetsuo's Hibachi Grill and Karaoke" and the sound of music wafts out to the street, along with the tantalizing aromas of well-prepared food. This is one of the hottest places to be in Neo Tokyo and perhaps even the world. It's also known as a place where opposing sides will clash, errupting into a fight that bad enough to ruin the interior for a number of days. But the management must be good, because Tetsuo's is always open again for business soon enough.

Sasha [Standard Gray] [MH] Ban Joe #0001

Out <O> leads to Nogaki Commercial District - Neo Tokyo.

At the moment, Sasha is sitting at a table near the door, by her lonesome. She's alternating picking at a teriyaki rice bowl and folding napkins into interesting shapes as she waits.

Bowie doesn't keep Sasha waiting long. He's easily spotted as he walks past the front windows to the door, as he's still wearing his typical stetson hat. The coat, however, is decidedly Russian. What an odd combination. He steps in a moment later, glancing around the restaurant until he spots Sasha, and moves to join her.

Sasha looks up as Bowie steps in, pushing aside her napkins and half-eaten meal. She raises a hand to wave. "Bowie. Please sit down. Thank you for coming." It seems she's learning some manners from her parent.

Bowie takes off his hat. "Evenin, Miss Sasha." His tone is polite and civil, but nothing more. He takes a seat across from her, setting his hat on the empty seat next to him.

Sasha shifts her stuff over a little to make room for her crossed arms. "I wanted to ask you about my father," she says, without preamble.

Ah. So that's what this is about. Bowie laces his fingers, resting his hands on the table. His tone remains so neutral it's almost painful. "Whut do ya want t'know?"

"Do you think that he is an evil man?" Sasha asks, looking Bowie in the eyes. Her own tone is a mixture of curiosity and resign. Like she needs to know the answer for her own peace of mind, but doesn't enjoy the process of getting there.

Bowie's gaze remains steady, though there is a world-weariness in it. If it were possible for a reploid to physically express exhaustion, he would. "No. He's not evil in the way that Sigma is evil, or Bass is evil."

Sasha blinks once slowly. "He is not evil in their way, but that does not exclude him being evil. What is he?" she asks, thoughtfully.

Bowie does his utmost to be both honest and civil at the same time. "Cossack is a man so driven by his goals that nothang else matters to him. He expects those around him to live up to his exactin standards, standards so high that no one has a prayer a ever meetin them. Then he doesn't seem to unnerstand why people disappoint him so badly."

Sasha listens attentively to this, her face not betraying a trace of what she thinks of this. When Bowie finishes, she looks down at her folded arms, then back up at his face. "And what about my sister? What do you think of her, and why she acts as she does?"

"Kalinka is in many ways like Cossack," Bowie admits, "which is why Ah thank she disappoints him so much. She has his intelligence, an also his temper. However, she's learnin how to control her temper better than she wus. She's learned a lot a thangs frum Cossack, both good an bad. That's why she acts like she does sometimes, because she's learned frum Cossack's actions as much as his words." He pauses a moment. "As fer whut Ah thank a her? Ah love her, Miss Sasha."

Once more, Sasha drinks this in, impassively. She looks down at her hands, unfolding her arms and picking up one of her folded napkins. She begins fiddling with it, unfolding it into a flower. "They say that love is blind. Do you agree with this?"

"Yes an no," Bowie says with a small shrug. "At first, ya don't want t'see the bad thangs about the person ya love. That's blindness in a way. Later on, ya become more aware a thair faults, an that's not a bad thang."

Sasha nods slowly to this. "I see." She crumples up her napkin-flower, setting it aside, next to her bowl of rice. "I love my father, Bowie." She says it as a simple statement of fact, looking up to meet his gaze to see that he understands. "I wish to protect him. That is why I ask."

"Ah see," Bowie says. He neither smiles nor frowns at her statement, keeping his own feelings on the matter behind a poker face. "There are many kinds a love, Miss Sasha."

"In what way do you mean that?" Sasha asks. She is not showing any sign of emotion herself--except for her hair, which is slowly cycling through the blue spectrum, from roots to tips.

Bowie doesn't seem to be bothered by the shift in hues. Goodness knows that there are stranger reploids that have served in the Hunters. "Thare's love a the parent fer a child, an a child's love fer a parent," he explains. "Thare's love a family, love a sisters an brothers, love a comrades-in-arms. Thare's also romantic love. Thare's also possessive love, though Ah don't thank that's love at all."

"No," Sasha states in agreement. "That is jealousy." She shifts in her seat, gathering up her napkins and setting them aside once more. "I am not sure how that applies, though. I love my father because he is my father." She laces her fingers together before her. "I just am not sure how to deal with the fact that my sister seems to hate him, and you share her opinions."

"Yes, thare's jealousy, but whut Ah mean is the sort a feelins a needin to control someone out a a misplaced sense a...a somethang. Ah don't know whut. Ah used t'see men beat thair wives, an parents beat thair children, an try to explain t'me that thay love the people thay're hurtin." Bowie pauses for a moment. It's a habit of his. "Ah'm an orphan, Miss Sasha. Built in a factory, designed by committee. Ah won't claim to unnerstand whut it is to love a father or be loved by one. Ah have no obligations to love Cossack, an he wouldn't want it anyway."

[Radio: (E) Joint-Chat] King Dragon murmurs a little bit. Looks like the doctors let him wake up for a bit. "Hey... Spaniard, Conduit, Sash.... thanks for the lift earlier.. didn't... want to get... frequent flier miles.. like that... ugh."

[Radio: (E) Joint-Chat] RF Sci. Capt. Spin Cougar transmits, "... Oh.. oh dear Doppler... King!?"

[Radio: (E) Joint-Chat] Barrage Raptor transmits, "Oh King! Thank goodness."

[Radio: (E) Joint-Chat] King Dragon transmits, "Reports ... of my death... have been greatly exaggerated.." A pause. "Third time,... I think... heh heh.."

[Radio: (E) Joint-Chat] Bolero transmits, "Yes, Spin. He's in the medbay. Conduit, Sasha, and I took the Comet up to orbit to get him."

[Radio: (E) Joint-Chat] Conduit transmits, "You sound a bit Better King. Good to hear you again."

[Radio: (E) Joint-Chat] Special Ops Warrior Ten transmits, "KD! Thank GOD! I was so woried about you..."

[Radio: (E) Joint-Chat] RF Sci. Capt. Spin Cougar transmits a scrambleCRASH. "Ow... darn bench.. I'll be right there!"

[Radio: (E) Joint-Chat] RF Captain Chi transmits, "Good to know you live."

[Radio: (E) Joint-Chat] Special Ops Warrior Ten transmits, "Medbay? *rushes*"

[Radio: (E) Joint-Chat] King Dragon transmits, "Heh heh.. frankly... I was... worried that ... I wouldn't make it either.. not that.. much of me.. made it out.. but.. it was enough.."

Sasha blinks once at his explanation of things. "Ah. Then I mispoke. I understand now." She considers a moment, then asks: "Do you tell me this because you think that I am asking you to change your opinion about my father? Or that he abuses me out of his own sense of 'love'?"

Bowie says "You asked me a question. Ah'm providin mah answers. Whut ya do with 'em is up to you, Miss Sasha. Ah'm not in the habit a forcin mah opinion on others."

Sasha smiles slightly. "You are a strange man, Bowie," she says, but it carries no weight of insult. She's simply stating a fact, as usual. "I'm not accusing you of forcing your opinion. I am trying to understand what that opinion is, because I am still not sure how I should feel about this."

Bowie gives her a quiet chuckle. "Ah'm almos thirteen years old, Miss Sasha. Thank that allows me t'be a little strange." He leans back in his chair slightly, resting against the back of the seat but not lounging. "If ya want mah opinion a Cossack, it's this. The man wants the world to conform t'his notions. People are supposed t'be as he wants them t'be, not as thay really are. Me, Ah do whut Ah can to make this world better than it wus, but Ah know Ah can't force people to change. Erry person must make thair own choices, even if thay're the wrong ones."

Sasha's smile becomes a little sheepish, and she nods to Bowie. "Yes. Did I misspeak? I am sorry, if I did." She leans back a little as he does, mirroring him. When he finishes speaking again, she gives another of her little nods, her smile fading. "I see. That makes sense, for my father is an opinionated man." She frowns now. "I think I see."

"Ah'm not offended, Miss Sasha," Bowie assures her. "Anyway, it's not bad to have yer own opinions. In fact, havin opinions is a good thang. It's when ya believe that erryone should thank the same way that you do is when ya get into trouble."

Sasha's expression returns to neutrality, and she gives Bowie a last nod, rising from her seat. She picks up the half-eaten bowl of food, putting the top on, and gives him a last little smile. "I do think I understand now, Bowie. Thank you. I--would stay and talk more, but I may have damaged my forcefield generators. I must go get them checked." With that, she gives him a little wave, and turns to exit the establishment.

Bowie gives Sasha a pleasant nod. "Good evenin." He turns to claim his hat and leave as well. Hopefully no one minds that he never actually ordered anything.