The Westphalia, Kepler
October 12, 822 A.S. One of the hangar bay doors of the Westphalia slowly opens, with an Eagle fighter snubcraft entering the hangar shortly after. Upon the fighter touching down and enabling the docking clamps that were below the ship, the hangar doors close with a loud thud. The hangar starts repressurizing, white gas that disappears soon after, pours from the walls to fill up the room with breathable air. A green light lights up at the end of the hangar, and the entire space quiets down. A moment later, the Eagle's side entrance opens up and extends itself a set of stairs with a woman standing on top of them. She had long, belly length hair and green eyes - she gave the impression of the usual Kusarian woman aside from the eyes - they was something that she inherited from her Rheinlander father.
Izumi Nessel climbs down the stairs of the fighter onto the hangar bay, looking around as she descends. She was used to seeing Kusarian ships seeing as her father was a shipyard master, but she has never been inside one of these luxury yachts. The view, even in the hangar, blew her away. Everything was so modern looking - from the lights, to the consoles, to the way the hangar itself worked. Reaching the floor of the bay, Izumi looks around once again to see any indication of her new employer appearing, or something that would give her directions onboard the ship.
Eventually, Izumi started to realise that the glowing bottons and flickering lamps might be the only welcoming committee in the hangar. While waiting, her eyes have gotten used to the dimmed light.
The closer one looks at the structures and ornaments at the wall, the more slight wear marks can be noticed, and here and there, sheets of papers and cigar stubs lie around. The second impression can not be discribed as chaotic, but the heyday of the hangar sure is over...
The eerie silence that was emphasised by the monotonous humming of life support systems, is suddenly cut by dozens of huge, bright floodlights being simultaniously activated with loud clicks.
Seconds later, at the other side of the hall, a double-winged metal sliding door opens. A male steps through the entrance, quickly making his way down the small steps. He approaches energetically with open arms and a big smile on his face.
Since the floodlights felt like a sun exploded in front of her eyes, Izumi hasn't fully noticed her new employer until he was only a few meters away:
Following the saying "Like master, like man", the rather bizarre liner fits its' Captain's appearance.
The tall, scraggy man is dressed in a long, white laboratory coat, blue jeans and black shoes. Inside the numerous pockets of the coat, various small devices, and especially loads of pens are carried around. He wears a short three-day-stubble, rectangular glasses with blue lenses, topped by a rather wild hair style.
"Sorry for the letting you wait, Miss Nessel!", Hans von Goeben exclaimed, "I forgot to prepare an adequate welcoming drink, so I had to do this first. Etiquette has to be respected, isn't it?", he smiles and takes Izumi's hand for a firm, yet gentle handshake.
"But anyways, welcome onboard The Westphalia! Glad you are finally here! I hope you had a safe flight?" Hans is shaking her hand during the whole greeting while the fat grin won't go off his face.
Izumi stares at Hans with a dumbfounded look on her face, clearly trying to understand the bizzare greeting she just received. It was customary for Izumi, as for most kusarian women, to bow respectfully, rather than handshake business partners.
"Konnichiwa, it is a pleasure to meet finally meet you in person." She mutters after a small, awkward moment."The flight was uneventful, hai. It's even unexpected, considering the recent events.."The green-eyed woman mentions with a smile.
Izumi looks around once again, now noticing the finer details after her eyes adapt to the new lighting that makes her a tad less enthusiastic. She refocuses back to Hans.
"Well, now that I'm here, I'm at your service." The Kusarian smiles. "This ship really is quite interesting, I'd love to see it more in depth later, if that's alright with you..." Nessel couldn't resist making a comment on how much she loved the design of the ship, before getting back on track. "Oh, gomenasai, you must have plans for me already, considering why we're here for."
As a reply, Izumi's host shows a peculiar, serious grin. In a dark, almost threatening voice, he continues:
"Indeed I already have plans for you, Miss Nessel...", Hans suddenly points towards the door. A strange moment of silence passes.
The friendly smile returns out of nowhere. "...and that is having the welcoming drink with you!"
he proceeds happily and lowers his arm. "We are not here to stand around in the cold hangar, are we? And after having a sip, I can show you around here as much as you want to."
Turning around, Goeben gives her a sign to follow him.
Behind the exit of the hangar, they pass a small chamber, completly made out of metal. A sign on the wall proclaims that this room is used for decontermination and security protocols. The presence of the humans passes unnoticed by the two laser sentries. Seconds after hangar entrance closed which left the duo trapped in this metal box, the door on the opposite side swings open and sends a convenient blow of fresh air in Izumi's face.
"We just have to take the elevator to Command Bridge level." With these words, Hans slowly walks with his arm crossed behind his back, down a rather long corridor.
This hallway stands in direct contrast to the sterile hangar:
A red carpet guides the guest towards the elevator at the end of the room. Close to the walls, white columns form a guard of honour, while carrying either marble busts of ancient great person, or small exotic plants. Instead of doors or windows, the beige walls themselves are mostly covered in red curtains with golden fringes, which is topped off by the warm illumination.
During the elevator ride, not a single word was spoken. It would have drowned in a scratchy 1920ies jazz-record anyways.
Appearently, the whole ship, or at least the "open access" areas of this yacht, are kept in an old-fashioned style. The salon is no exception. Wooden furniture, divans, a huge bar...a huge bar with the welcoming drinks on them.
Hans makes an inviting gesture to sit down on the divan. "So, Miss Nessel...please make yourself a home. Maybe a drink, alcoholic or without spirit? Just name your wish. While resting a bit, we can plan the next steps."
Before Izumi is even able to answer, he turns around to the bar and starts pouring various liquids inside a glass. Obviously his own "welcoming drink". He looks over his shoulder.
"Oh, and by the way...could we talk to each other using our first names? Of course, only if you allow to. I am not really a fan of formal assosiaction within my own home, y'know..."
Nessel sits down on the divan following Hans' gesture. "Ofcourse, I wouldn't mind. We have known each other for quite a bit by now. Your home, your rules, Hans-san." She smiles.
"Oh, I'm quite fine with anything you will offer me, I don't recognize even half of these drinks." She admits, looking down a bit in shame. The whole luxury theme is completely new to her. Izumi was like a poor child that suddenly became a princess, the thought that she would be staying and living here was incredibly exciting. All she had seen before was mostly her modest home in Tokyo, the small, cramped rooms on most stations and her ship's interior.
Nessel looks at Hans pouring his welcoming drink. She remembers her employer's.. interesting humour and way of greeting, thinking that this will probably be more of a weird, wild adventure more than anything.
She settles in her divan more comfortably and asks a question: "Do you do -all- of your work on this ship as well?"
The ice cubes are clicking against the glass as Goeben places two colourful beverages on the table. He let himself fall and sink into a great armchair next to the divan, and points towards Izumi's drink.
"Since you could not decide, I made you a drink without alcohol, to be on the safe side when it comes to different tastes."
Three levels of red, white and green liquids are piled up, and on the surface, pieces if oranges are floating around. It is decorated with a tiny umbrella and a Physalis fruit hanging on the edge.
"So, yes, if there is work to do here, I do it on my own. Also, when I am in space, I am living, working, travelling and slacking off in this ship. And most of my time, I spend in space!", Hans takes a huge sip.
"As a freelancing person...", he continues,"...who isn't employed in the protection or whatnot militaristic branche, it is ideal to have an indipendent operation base. I can go anywhere I can find contracts, work indipendently and spend my free time in privacy if I want to. It bears a lot of options. Including rooms which do not give you claustrophoby."
He leans back even more, now directly looking at Izumi instead of his drink.
"And about work itself on this ship...", he grins,"...we can later have a closer look at the ressources onboard. The laboratory, in particular. And I will also give you a list with things I've already thought of which have to be done. We will see for what you have talent, and what you are even willed to do. It ranges from mechanical stuff over IT management to lab work. And of course, you will get a weekly wage."
Hans takes his drink and eats the decorating fruit.
"But enough of me and my plans already; there is enough time ahead of us to discuss these things. Instead, please tell me a bit about yourself, Izumi. We've met some time ago already, but...you know, most of the time, there was no chance to chat normally."
He chuckles. A bit strange, thinking of the dangerous circumstances they ran into each other the first time.
"For example, what do you hope to find on this ship? And why this place, and not the billions of other vessels in Sirius?"
Izumi leans forward and reaches for the curious-looking drink that Hans had made her while listening to his story. Her facial gestures hint that she agrees with the scientist on how liberating being a freelancer is.
She takes a sip of the drink as Goeben asks his question. "What do I hope to find...", she takes a small moment to think, "I hope that my experience working here would answer some questions I have for myself and life in general... and perhaps one day to earn enough money to afford living like you do, Hans-san.", she finishes the sentence with a grin. "And why this ship in particular? It's because I know the ship's captain and I can consider him a friend that helped me in times of need, that I feel the need to reciprocate to."
A more serious expression appears on Izumi's face.
"You see, I still haven't found an exact purpose in life and have quite the wanderlust, until I find something that I can truly claim as worthy of dedicating a life to. A goal, or an occupation, or anything else, really." She sighs before continuing. "Don't take this the wrong way, I do find it great fun to be freelancing around and witnessing all there is to see, but it makes me a bit envious of the people who strive for their goals and live adventurous, perhaps dangerous lives..."
Nessel shrugs. "And I know you probably won't agree with this, but I would actually like to know more about the.. situations that I've gotten myself involved into as a part of that search for answers. Everyone seems to be against it for some reason... Naturally, I won't let this get ahead of me and impact your work, I promise!"
The researcher slowly runs with the right hand over his stobble-beard; seemingly thinking.
He is staring blankly at an imaginary point on the wall, next to Izumi.
Again, a moment of silence passes...one might get the impression by now that there is no one, or nothing, else onboard that can cause any noise.
Hans suddenly presents a teeth-showing smile.
"Hmmm, yeah. Yeah, I like your answer, Izumi.", he focuses on his guest again,"It reminds me of myself, I have to admit. As cheesy as that might sound to you. After I had finished my years in the academy, I had a degree, debts and, as a fresh labcoat, no place to work at. So I packed my stuff and ventured out, trying my best! And, look at me now! Not bad for a theorist, I think. Even though Lady Fortuna assisted me a lot." His slightly red cheeks show a satisfied smile.
"Anyways, transfered to your situation...", Goeben puts the empty glass on the table, "...fullfilling this blind wanderlust might be exactly the right thing to do when you are on the search for such undefined things like perspective, money and the miracles of Sirius. Trying a shot in the dark! My most favoured method!"
He stands up, pressing his hands on his hip. "And about the...bizarre...things that had happened to you: It's hard to explain in words. I suggest you take care about the things here onboard and have a clearer view on Sirius first, before you worry your head about things like aliens. Besides, we can fly your new working station to places where you can see for yourself. Think of it as free field trips!"
Hans offers a handshake. "Long story short: Consider yourself as part of the crew now!"
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