Mahiro Sato
Copyright© 2023 by Old Man with a Pen
Chapter 3
When the conversion was finally, a ‘full bake,’ as Sam put it, I said, when confronted by the ‘rescue’ assignment, “Make it two.”
Eva Caretaker Coordinator walked through the secret door and sent me home.
No matter how much I complained ... it’s in the rulebook.
“First timers have a three week ‘cooling down’ period. Go home, build your portal ... if ... at the end of your wait time ... you decide you don’t want to go ... don’t come back.”
Cin was sitting in her comfy chair ... the alarm clock rang. She put down her book and hesitated when I came through alone.
“Where is JW?”
“He stayed,” I said.
“Why did you leave him there?” Cyn asked ... but not politely.
“I didn’t have a choice, Eva Caretaker Coordinator put me out,” I said.
“Why?”
“New heros have a three week waiting period,” I explained.
“You weren’t a new hero, you were supposed to be a Hero’s Companion.” That was an accusation.
“I changed my mind.”
“Oh ... why?”
“Because I have a better record in the hero trade,” That was a ’Listen here, Missy. I don’t have to explain my actions to the likes of you,’ statement.
Cyn was working herself up to a hissy-fit when JW stumbled through the mirror.
The boat was still adrift ... sorta pissing around the same general area... 15 minutes is 15 minutes.
“Let’s go home,” JW said. “I’ze a tired puppy.”
When one is already at sea, evolutions for sea don’t happen ... the crew just keeps on keeping on ... only back-tracking. It’s a little more complicated than that ... the wind is still blowing in the same direction it was blowing in ... in other words ... going back takes a lot longer than going forward.
We made a start ... and would have been moored in a couple three hours ... except for that damn tsunami.
The cat didn’t see the mooring ball for weeks. A thirty foot hump in the water passed under the cat.
“What was that?” JW asked.
I was already headed to the helm, “Tsunami.” I was formal, “By the powers vested in me by the Diet. This boat is commandeered for the duration ... for however long it takes to clean this mess up. Hold on... ‘nother wave!”
All told, six great waves and a few small ones passed under the 100 foot cat. The biggest ones were about 40 feet ... a small roller-coaster ... but thrilling none the less.
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