Chapter 129: I Washu

"Ho, Ho, NO!" She finally waved him away.

"Don't YOU even think of psychoanalyzing ME buster!"

"Is the scientist afraid of what she might find?" Katsuhito asked mildly.

"As a priest however I believe I'm equipped to tell you, confession is good for the soul!"

"Brrrr!" Washu remarked, wrapping arms around her-self again.

"Suddenly seems a little chilly up here!" She nodded emphasizing the stunning Yukatta she presently wore. "Maybe I should go get a coat?"

"All have noted how you bury yourself in research," He pressed unabated.

"One maniacal project after another, almost without pause." His gaze upon her centered.

"But to what end? The way you pursue scientific 'truths' perhaps is only an obvious evasion of a more basic one."

Katsuhito stopped, looking deep into her eyes.

"How long will you mourn for your lost child?" He asked directly.

"You unbelievable bastard!" She spat eyes fierce as any tigress.

"Running your trap like you have all the answers!

Well, here's a little 'heads up' BOY," She emphasized deliberately leaning towards him.

"YOU DON"T HAVE SO MUCH AS A CLUE!" Her choice of terms and reason lost on neither of them.

"Then Perhaps..." Katsuhito replied slowly. "It is time you educated me."

Washu started at her place at the rail. His response seeming to have taken her unawares.

She continued to study him for a few moments, most of the anger draining away, till her eyes softened at last, her general expression growing forlorn.

"Ever heard of Pragmis nine?" she asked quietly, searching his eyes.

"The name touches something." Katsuhito murmured after a moments thought.

"But if I have it would have been centuries ago."

"Well, you can give yourself a gold star if you remember anything at all." She smiled at him grimly.

"Because the place was and IS a shit-hole! Both the planet and its matching solar system!

No historical or mineral wealth to speak of, originally settled by people jumping off of Ore carriers from the shipping lanes.

Which by the by is the ONLY thing Pragmis ever had going, being dead smack dab in the gutter between the Jurian outer fringe and the League of Confederated worlds."

"There are countless unremarkable systems on the outer fringe." He shrugged after a moment.

"I take it this 'Pragmis' holds some other distinction?"

"Only that I was born there." Washu smiled.

"Yep! You heard it here!" She continued elaborately.

"DON TAH DA DON! Washu the greatest scientific genius in the universe!

Daughter of Wessla and Jom Hakubi of sight forty one b alpha!" She paused, eyeing him sourly.

"Pretty bad when a planets not important enough to actually bother naming its cities huh?"

"Surly There is no sin in coming from humble origins?" Katsuhito shrugged again.

"Tell that to anyone who's ever tried to climb out of an ore bucket like Pragmis nine!" She volleyed.

"And just for the record, you're right! It's not a sin! Its a freaken crime!

A fact anyone born to wealth and status will only be too happy to point out!

I'm telling you there is just a, a stigma that comes from being dirt poor.

And that was what my family was.

I was the youngest of a production run of fifteen, yes count 'em, I'll hold one of your shoes! Fifteen children."

"In such a place," He reasoned soothingly aloud. "A large family would be a blessing I should think?"

"Almost an imperative is more like it." She responded lightly.

"More hands to do the work. Trouble was, 'the work' consisted of speculating, processing and refining Cysrarium ore!" Washu made a face.

"That is unless a girl wanted to try their luck at the local freight port and more than likely wind up sell'n it on the streets, or dead in a gutter."

"I'm sorry." He offered. Feeling suddenly compelled.

"Eh, don't be." She waved him off.

"We all gotta come from somewhere right? unfortunately, as you might have guessed, I was a little different."

She paused, sighed. Seeming to look off into the distance, to the past.

"Smarter, I guess you'd say. Never content with picking rocks out of one hopper just to stick 'em in another.

Always had my head in the clouds!"

Washu paused again a nostalgic look misting her eyes. "And beyond!" she continued.

"So I studied, saved every ducat I could scrounge.

Bought used textbooks from anyone who could get 'em to me.

Still lots o' people told me I was reach'n too damn high!

Needed to find my place! Stop jump'n for the stars before I fell 'n broke my pretty little neck!"

"Hmmm." Katsuhito smiled quietly.

"What's so damn funny a bout that?" Washu steamed.

"I'm just having trouble picturing you as," He searched for a word. "An 'ore rat'."

"Probably because I wasn't." She stated adamantly.