Another Way to Travel, Interlude I
==================================

"I'm worried," Yuri said, as she brought the Lovely Angel into the 
atmosphere. 

"Worried?" Kei asked, surprised.  "You're not still bothered by that jerk 
at Drazuri Control, are you?" Her mouth set in a thin line. "I'd like to 
know where he picked up his manners, trying to drive us off like that!"

"No, he was annoying, but that's all." Yuri shook her head. "I've just 
had the feeling that this is going to be a bad one, ever since the Chief 
gave us the briefing."

Kei looked up uncertainly. "But it's so simple! All we have to do is find 
this guy Keffer and ask him about that mystery ship he's supposed to have 
seen. It'll be easy!"

"Exactly."

The two looked at each other for a long moment, before Yuri turned back 
to the controls.


"Kanishka, dead," the Professor muttered as he slumped behind the wheel 
of his car. "Damnit... it doesn't seem real. He was my mentor at the CS 
labs, and a good friend for years. Why do I feel so numb?" He sat for a 
moment, turning the car keys over and over in his hand. "He said things 
were getting tense at the Labs... I'll bet that's who set the fire. 
Bastards." He slammed his fist down on the steering wheel, luckily 
missing the horn. His eyes glinted as he looked up at the face of Snow 
Hall. "They're gonna pay." 

Across the street, the half-ruined facade to Hoch Auditorium turned a 
soot-stained yet dignified face on Snow, waiting patiently for the 
rebuilding funds to be allocated. High up, in one of the few undamaged 
windows, a shadowy figure watched the last of the firemen leave. When the 
street had cleared, he pulled out a communicator.

"T-two to base," he said. "The leak's been eliminated." He jumped as the 
silence was broken by a car engine. Looking out, he saw a white car drive 
off. "There... there appears to have been someone else watching the 
building... Yes, it was a white Toyota Tercel SR-5... No, I didn't get 
the license number; he drove off too fast." He held the communicator away 
from his ear as a blast of sound came out. "Y-yes, sir. I'll get right on 
it." He climbed down from the window and set out trying to find the car...



Travis Butler
(The Professor, formerly of Myth and Magick!, Lawrence, KS;
 tbutler@tfs.net, now from the Wandering Powerbook;
 <http://www.tfs.net/personal/tbutler/>;
 Mac page <http://www.tfs.net/business/tbutler/>)

..Cats are the proof of a higher purpose to the universe.