Pale Blue Dot - volume 4 - The eyes 4.5
Imported from SF2 with no description.
As Tohru found me, it wasn't exactly at the best moment. I had just fallen from what was supposed to be the final landing point used to dissipate the remaining momentum, lying flat on my back against the cold ground, next to the statue's pedestal. My magnetic boots had latched onto the statue, dragging me around its neck in circles until they overheated and lost their magnetic charge, causing me and the statue's head to crash to the ground together. I thought they had reinforced this thing years ago, but fortunately, there wasn't much momentum left, so I landed fairly softly.
“And what was that for?" Tohru asked after catching his breath, his tone and presence syncing up, with a mix of frustration and bewilderment spilling out.
“You were so tense, I just had this urge to let off some steam," I replied, though honestly, I didn't quite know why. I hadn't ridden the moving sidewalks since I graduated high school. The impulse hit me out of nowhere, but I wasn't in the mood to analyze it now. “Plus, I thought it'd be more fun to bring you to the plaza this way."
“Alright, that was fun. But why here?" Tohru asked, and from the way his voice moved, I guessed he was looking around the plaza.
“When I was feeling down, I used to come here," I answered. “I think this place really reflects the essence of the Lunar."
Tohru was silent for a moment, probably taking in the statues, I assumed. But I also guessed he might not fully grasp what I was trying to convey.
“It's... definitely beautiful," he said, with an emotion in his voice that I hadn't expected. “But I... I don't like the dome."
“The dome?" I asked, curious about the term Tohru mentioned.
“Uh... I thought you could..." He hesitated, his tone growing a bit awkward before he shook his head and continued. “It's the transparent shield above us, wrapping us inside." He gestured upward with his arm. “It keeps us breathing, prevents us from freezing, and serves as the only barrier between civilization and the endless void."
“I... don't see anything," I said, following the direction of his gesture. All I could perceive were the strong pulsating waves of the stars, and the occasional vibrations from passing aircraft. What... is the dome?
“Oh." He sounded a bit detached. “No offense, but I really envy you, being unable to see the dome."
I mulled over the meaning behind his words while trying to untangle the overly complex and abundant waves surrounding Tohru.
“Please tell me you don't plan on coming out of retirement," a familiar voice reached my ears, and I couldn't help but smile. “And I really think you're too old to be doing this kind of thing."
“Sheriff William," the scent of the gemsbok was unmistakable. “Send the invoice and fines to the usual place, okay? And for both our sakes, let's pretend I've already received a verbal warning."
“It's 'Chief' now," his tone still carried that world-weary vibe. Well, I guess I'm partly to blame for that. “Thanks to you, I've been promoted at a record-breaking pace." I heard the sound of him kicking the statue's severed head beside me. “At least let me confirm this is just your midlife crisis acting up?"
“That's too harsh, I just turned twenty-eight," I replied with a laugh. “And I promise this won't happen again." I raised both hands, crossing my index and middle fingers.
William let out a snort before walking away, the magnetic boots making heavy sounds on the marble floor.
“What was that all about?" Tohru asked, clearly confused by the scene.
“I told you, this place truly reflects the essence of the Lunar." I sat up and lifted the statue's broken head, holding it in front of Tohru. “Meet my father—John London, the Lunar first citizen."
“Huh?" Tohru's presence exploded, completely enveloping him. “Your father was the first citizen?" I could almost hear the high-pitched scratching sound, perfectly expressing a muntjac's anxiety. “Why didn't I find any reports about this when I looked up your information?"
“It's not just my father." I gestured vaguely, as if I cared. “There's also my grandfather, grandmother, great-grandfather, great-great-grandfather... I've honestly lost track of who's who. And our family values privacy very highly." I summed up various behaviors that were inconvenient to explain in detail with a simple explanation. “Hmph, first citizen." I laughed, letting Tohru chew on the irony. “Just mentioning him ruins my mood. Let's head back to the studio, it's just nearby."
“Oh, there's something a bit awkward..." Tohru turned to face me. “My luggage."
“Ah, sorry about that." I replied with a sheepish grin, making an apologetic gesture. “It only came back to me when I hit my head on the ground earlier," Who knew that a blow to the head could actually make someone a bit clearer. “I've already arranged for a logistics company to pick up your luggage. It should arrive by tomorrow morning at the latest. I've got a few spare toiletries you can use in the meantime." I added.
“Oh, thanks." Tohru seemed to relax a bit, but then another wave of complex emotions burst out from him. I hoped I'd eventually get used to this; I don't think I've ever met someone more emotionally expressive.
“Well then, let's go." I casually tossed the statue's head aside and pointed in the direction we needed to go.