[Fiction] An Unwelcome Visitor

[robkelk]

A little something for the JMC offices scene - use, modify, or discard, as you see fit.

"Captain Antilles, Miss Takami Sakuragi from Stellvia is at the front desk. She'd like to say hello."

The timing seemed odd, but not completely unreasonable. "Send her in." A few minutes later, the office door opened. "Come in, Miss Sakuragi. Don't take this the wrong way, but why are you here?"

"I was making a courtesy call before looking for Chris Wood, but it looks like I can put those two visits together." Takami smiled as she turned to Chris. "You are Captain Wood, are you not?"

"How did you know?"

Nene rolled her eyes at Jeph's question. "Takami's one of the rising stars of the Hacker Underspace. I assume she cracked my radio encryption."

"What? Oh, I wouldn't do that! No, I just noticed all the little telltales and put them together. Captain Wood, we need to get your fingerprints and photo again to update your contractor file. Is now a good time?"

Chris shrugged his ... her shoulders. "It's as good a time as any, but I don't see any of the equipment you'd need to do that."

"Didn't anybody tell you? I'm an AI, like Nene. I can take a photo of you just by looking at you. Smile!" Takami looked straight at Chris' face for a long moment. "Has anyone told you how beautiful your face is? I'm jealous. Now I'll have to look at your hands to get your fingerprints."

As Takami stared at Chris' fingers, Jeph asked Nene, "Does that look as creepy to you as it does to me?"

Nene just nodded.

"All done! Thank you for your time, Captain Wood; we'll get your ID card to you by the end of the week." Takami turned to leave, then turned back. "What name do you want on the ID?"

--
Rob Kelk
"Governments have no right to question the loyalty of those who oppose
them. Adversaries remain citizens of the same state, common subjects of
the same sovereign, servants of the same law."

- Michael Ignatieff, addressing Stanford University in 2012