Chapter 86: 'Hanky Panky'

Kneeling beside the frame of Tenchi's bed, Mihoshi was 'rocked back' on her heels surveying the dubious bounty of her search.

During the last twenty-five minutes she'd gone over every nook and cranny of the room with the proverbial 'fine toothed comb'. Even to the point where Mayuka now rested peacefully on an improvised futon against the room's west wall.

Moving the little girl so she could flip the mattress over had certainly paid high dividends. Yielding four safety pins and a spool of black thread complete with a needle still inserted.

From the room's closet she obtained three playing cards, 'none from the same deck incidentally' along with the same number of rubber bands, of various lengths. A total seven yen in coins had been scattered about the floor inside, 'One five piece and two ones' well as a pair of old rubber galoshes.

The Jurians had screwed up enough to actually leave behind a nail file laying right out in plain view on the room's desk and had missed a wire hanger against the wall just behind.

Apparently the nincompoops hadn't realized the desk draws actually opened! As consequence, one well-used x-acto knife and treasure of treasures, A roll of nickel bar soldier! More than likely left over from Nobuyuki's electronic enthusiast days was soon added to the collection.

An unopened package of metal thumbtacks, a partial box of paper clips and one tube of lead refills for a .05 mechanical pencil rounded out the bounty from the desk. Last but certainly not least, the desk lamp itself. While it was a standard flex neck model, Tenchi had upgraded it with one of those micro florescent bulbs.

It was when Miho chanced 'up ending' the left ... boot? She supposed that had to be the correct word?

In the time she had been on the planet, she was almost certain she'd never heard of a 'galoshe' used as a singular term. Regardless, Mihoshi almost had a coronary when the rubber rain boot released the holiest of holies. A roll of gray duct tape!

The goddamn fools! Anyone who'd been on earth longer than two months quickly realized 'Duct tape' was the force that bound the cosmos together. Somehow Jurai had apparently missed out on its development! And they had the 'nads' to call themselves an empire!

Not a bad haul, it didn't stop Mihoshi from wishing she could have sneaked the busted TV up here. She doubted however the guards in the upstairs hall would have ignore the almost player piano sized bulge under her bathrobe.

She was just mulling over the possible of using the nail file to start prying actual nails out of the floor boards when there came a knock on the door.

"Who is it?" Mihoshi asked. So help her if one of the knights barged in here she was going to personally eject them out the window!

"Mihoshi!" She heard Kiyone's familiar hiss. "It's me!"

What a relief! She was after all a trained policewoman. That didn't mean she, 'got her rocks off' knocking the sweet be-Jesus out of total strangers!

With trembling hands Mihoshi turned the knob and pulled the door slowly opened quickly admitting Kiyone into the room.

The feeling of anxiousness Miho been harboring, dissipated watching her partner, almost dropping numerous objects cradled in her over loaded arms.

"How the hell did you get down the hall with that arm load?" She asked flabbergasted as Kiyone shut the door by leaning against the inside.

"You know several of these knights are related directly to each other?" Key told her breathlessly. "And there's married couples as well?"

Mihoshi just starred at her partner, needless to say that wasn't an answer to her question.

"Really?" she asked weakly. Noting the myriad of 'lumpy', not to mention distinctly noticeable zones under her partner's robe as well. "I hadn't noticed."

"Yep." Kiyone nodded brightly. "In fact I think, the Guard at west-end of the hall outside is involved with the one at the east-end!"

"Is that right?" Mihoshi sighed, getting more confused by the moment. What did this have to do with anything?

"I knowwwwwww they got sum-tin 'go'n on' for a fact!" Kiyone added with a wicked smile. "I winked at the guy just outside and big girl down the hall tried to knock his head off!"

To this Mihoshi nodded, feeling slightly relieved.

"Scandalous Key!" she grinned. "You been a naughty girl?

"I used the commotion to raid the upstairs bathroom!" Kiyone explained making way over to the bed sheet Miho had spread open on the floor and began to deposit her booty.

"Heh! Looks like Ayeka's not the only Jurian who's got man problems!" Key added ruefully as she carefully knelt. "Shoot the boys a little cheesecake and their heads almost explode!"

"Whoa!" Mihoshi breathed wonderingly. "Where the hell did you get the radio?"

Key smiled as her partner retrieved and examined the prise.

"From the kitchen junk drawer!" she explained, almost embarrassed. Kiyone wasn't inclined to mention however, the little scene she had also staged in the kitchen a while ago. Instead she proceeded to remove object after object till Mihoshi was left utterly and completely stunned.

"You are amazing!" Mihoshi told her in total awe. "I just can't believe how fantastic you really are key!"

"Shucks lil' Ms. Miho!" Kiyone drawled. "Tweren't nutt'n an'nie gal-laxcy po-lice wo-mans cud'na handle!" Mihoshi simply regard her wryly shaking her head.

"Shor'nuf" She grinned, her expression faded as Kiyone's turned instantly serious.

"Now lets see what we can do with this stuff." Key nodded gravely.

2
Twenty minutes later however, reality found the twos spirits some what dimmed.

"No good key." Mihoshi shook her head sadly. "There is nothing here we could really build a transmitter with!" Her blue eyes seemed to almost glow in the dim of the room as she turned her gaze full upon her partner.

"At least, nothing 'strong enough' to breach a shield of the magnitude they've set up!" her verdict rendered she returned to studying the collection of choice parts arrayed before her with a frown.

Standing now beside the desk Kiyone, fix her gaze on Mihoshi for a few moments. Considering what a chameleon her associate was, always had been. Under that gorgeous exterior lay a mind that was ... Unique in Kiyone's travels.

The individual most people seemed to consider the biggest 'bubble head' this side of the Magellanic clouds had 'aced' both her entrance and aptitude tests at the academy, not to even mention being the finest marksman Kiyone had personally ever seen.

No, Mihoshi's problem was her obsessive compulsiveness. Focusing so narrowly on a single problem placed before her that the universe around her simple winked out of existence. Yet her grace under pressure had been proven time and time again.

Drumming fingers on the desk Kiyone chewed her lip, turning her concentration instead on the eclectic gathering of objects on the bed sheet.

"What about using a modulated beam transmitted directly at the shield?" Kiyone glanced back at her partner. "I remember two cadets getting rescued off an asteroid using a stunt like that once?"