Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Mise wakes up early, the sky still looks dark with sun starting to climb. Sky looks violet purple with dash of glowing orange. "Nice view, better shot it first. " Position her tablet for nice spot, and take the nice sunrise view. 

Bathroom all belong to her today, Haski might have a morning class and left early.  After getting her favourite khakis, she grabs her bags and goes downstairs for breakfast. Dad makes some nice curry and phrata, they also video chat with NuHwa, who is about to go for training.

" When are you coming back? " Ask Mise, "either tonight or tomorrow. Coache want to see some result, and he does not like what he see yesterday.. " NuHwa sounds disappointed and exhausting, even early in the morning. 

" Well, have fun and don’t forget our little game !" Mise says it with a wink. 

"Ok...  Sure" NuHwa whisper quietly as if he does not want parents know about the little game Mise is referring, and shut the phone quickly.

" What game? NuHwa been teasing you again?" Dad asks. 

" Nope , just jokes between me and him." Mise smiles and hide away eye contact from dad. A quick snap of the tuna sandwiches, she kisses dad and mom bye and head for work. 

Crowd seems to be less today, and Johnson is up early looking around for someone. Mise sneaks behind him and makes sudden jump in front of him. " Morning, looking for your new girlfriend? " Mise teases him.

"Huh ? What girl? You mean last night? A friend’s birthday and invited his sister friends along, all bunch of school girls."

" School girls are young and cute , suits you !". Mise keep on teasing but kind if feel regret when she sees Johnson started speechless and trying to find words to reply. 

" Alright, bus is here, let's go. " With guilt, Mise grab Johnson hand and lead him to usual seats. Johnson seems more relaxed now and sit more closely to her in the bus. Whatever hard feeling last night seems to be disappear when Johnson just let Mise do the talking , and holding her hand passionately. 

"So, do you want to go for a movie after work? "Ask Johnson.

 "Oh I can't, I might have to work late tonight" . Mise replies, and suggest few days later. "Alright, catch you later. "  A hug and she off to the bus. Johnson wanders when is the best time to tell her.

Today lab three is very quiet, only she works alone, and no sight of Mike and friends. Lab three kind of sporky without those crowns around, especially the only other lab which is occupied is four labs away. However, once she concentrates on her work, she kind of forget the silent around her. She must have been working too hard when she heard some cracked sound from her white towering plant column. 

“ Since when this plant can grow that high? " Then she saw a few flowers open up like sunflower and glowing seeds projecting out. She almost look for cover afraid those seeds would explode, then out of sudden the whole kab is darken and replaced with gloomy projection onto the  wall and ceiling. It looks like a panoramic view of a place, a place similar to her hometown, with people walking and talking. However she saw something unfamiliar, some humanoid looks like her kind, but with facial hair and rather odd looking walking pattern. Before she could look more detail, everything vanishes and light is back on again in lab three. Mise thought, has she being working too hard that she is hallucinating. Then a tab on her shoulder, she turns around to see Nuru staring at her curiously.

"Lunch time, are you coming? " Ask Nuru

 "Oh ya., I am coming, did you see that? The blue projection from..." She pointed hesitate to the plant.

 "Nope, what projection? Only you and the high tech desktop. We thought we could to find you in cafeteria. But you weren't, so Mike sent me to look for you. " 

Mise stunned for a while, "Geez, I must been looking at the screen too long."  Quite convinced she is hallucinating, she stop pursuing the topic and follow quickly behind Nuru. They run quite fast and didn't notice Johansfre is whispering to his phone.

"They manage to trigger the portal opening. Looks like the artifact is still functional. Proceed to next stage?" He listen carefully, nodded and shut off the phone and walks towards cafeteria.

The cafeteria is busy as usual, same group of people sits together, but today there seems to have more colour mixture around. If one just look casually, one would say there are few more women working here. However, Mise looks closely, she could spot the men style in their suits. Men style tends to flavour monotone colour, simple straight cut and no-nonsense design. Even though they opt for complementary colour, the simplicity still found in their suits, no matter they wear long dress, skirts or pants. Of course the more obvious is the scar that accumulated built up during their former training or accidents. Men don't shy away from scar like women do. Even with today basic laser scalpel which can remove scar and restore smooth skin cost effectively, men still secure scars like a sacred trophy. Quite an unusual ritual, Mise thought.

After lunch, Mise almost forgot the strange encounter with the white column plant. She does not want to talk about it anymore, but insist on walking together with Mike and lab mates back to Lab Three. They finally walk back to work which took them 30 mins. Thus really frustrated Mise which live on a fast lane. Upon arriving to her lab, she notice the white plant has shortened its height to normal. Hmmmm...she thought, perhaps what happened this morning was really her hallucination.

The work schedule is back to super busy till the evening. As one of the template requires some revision and more variation based on colour scheme. However it is all done before five. Mise is afraid she might have to stay back, Mise decides to stay back a while to await further instruction from Illy Chan. One quarter later, Illy calls back, he is happy with the results and would liaison with other departments to await their feedback. This mean Mise might get few days peace and quiet. However, she started to feel the corporate pressure, and have second thought of continue her work here. Even though the sport and recreation facility as employee benefit are quite attractive too. 

The workload for late afternoon is rather relax, Mise could even go afternoon tea time with Peter. They have quite casual chat that cover a wide range of topic, while admiring the ever changing colour of sakura and bowl flowers. Mise learn that Peter came from a clan who is exception skillful in carpentry. Their family used to make furniture, ornamental  wood work for the loyalty. Mise was passionate about woodworking and handicraft back in high school. So she and Peter could dive in the topic very deep and technical.

"So, why didn't you follow the line of traditional ? " Mise ask curiously

"I tried, " says Peter, "but I have limited talent in controlling my finger, hence unable to control the final wood form. Luckily I have few sisters to pick up the trade. They are way much better than I. " Mise always fascinated thing that are done with hands, such as carpentry, sword welding, iron work, painting. Much of this works are done by android or robotic collaborative, and the products they generated are perfect and identical. Works done by human tends to be not uniform, couple with imperfection, which makes it very unique from product to product.

Today they work slightly late till the security requests them to go home unless being required to work overtime. The lab three team packs their stuff and quickly head to the lift. It seems they are not only one who work late. They have a nice talk about deep learning, plant neural network used as a server and ancient wood work robotic. When Mise reaches the bus stop and bid them firewall, and very glad to learn a lot things, unusual knowledge from them. Sometimes she just want to geek out it, a topic where Johnson would vanish instantly the moment Mise talks about it. 

Speaking of Johnson, " Hii gorgeous! " Someone whisper at her back. 

Mise turns around and saw Johnson, or is he? She is wearing nice lace skirt, her blonde hair look curvy and shining, with decent make up. " Johansen?, Since when did you come back?" Mise quite surprised to see Johnson twin sister at central city. They practically look like mirror images when they were young GaPan (neutral), before attain their maturity. Later as they mature into female and male, the difference becomes obvious. Johansen speaks intellectually, every works has deeper meaning if one digest her conversation carefully. Meanwhile, Johnson, to put words politely, one could predict what he would say sentence by sentence. Mise knows quite a few twins and triplets, most of them might have share similar facial structure, but not skin colour. Johansen and Johnson are the only twins that share similar facial structure and skin colour. 

"Hi, don't get too excited, mom asks me to wear like her so she would get some family photos. And the heel shoes is killing me !". And yes, the moment Johnson speaks, one would instantly distinguish him from his sister. 

"I see, you look sexy in woman dress!" Mise teases him, " so, your sister still doing her research at the other side?" 

" You gotta be kidding me! I am a dude, not a girl. Yup, she still in the tropical forest in the other twin earth, communication has been bad these few months, not to mention the travel distance has to pass a sun, we have hard time getting a decent chat." 

"But she is back every year at least, right?" Mise understands the homesickness when she was abroad at Canada. Johansen is about 2 Astronomical Units away. Pretty long distance. "How could she cope with that?," Mise wanders.

"I guess she is married to her work, husband and wife make a good team in harsh environment.” Johnsan says jokingly.

"Is it mean to be sarcastic or bad joke? I am not laughing.." Mise frowns " Alright, want a drink? I am off work "early", I could use a sexy escort with me !". Mise decides to tease him full height by saying the word "Escort" loud enough. 

Before the crowd surrounding turn their head to look for the escort, Johnson quickly grad her arm and move away. " Very funny, girl , wait till I get you drunk"

They go their favourite bar, "Sober"  around the corner, which usually populated by graduates and blue collar working class. Today seems quiet even though it is day four of the week, or may be the night is still young. Everyone turn around to see this charming lady that Mise brings around, and back to business as usual. Johnson could be very attractive when he dresses in female form. However the gesture and word of language kind of rugged as men. 

Mise orders tequila while Johnson goes for his regular Corona. They cheers for good career and friendship , one shot down and order another round. 

"Have you heard of Kihrhirts? " Johnson asks. 

"Hmm. . The Brewmaster?" Mise answers curiously.

"Er.. nope . An urban legend of a failed experiment. A government project about a portal that open into inter dimensional world. It suck in few scientist, but it also bring back other things too. " Johnson explained.

" Some story you heard from Kitchen?" Mise asks.

 "Ya,... Kind of sporky, " continue Johnson, " Eventually they retrieve back the survivor and send back those things. Somehow i the transit the only survivor actually manage to grab the thing and said something tohe before the portal collapse. Few years later, the scientist gone mad and left a diary that tell her story during the investigation of the inter dimension. Her diary was so weird that the agency thinks it is much better to hide the diary away from exposure to the public. " Johnson reports it like a pro.

Mise looks at him for a while, and checks the Corona, for alcohol content and asks politely ," have you been drinking before we met just now?"

" No, no,  I wasn't drunk, just the story I heard." He protests. 

"Well, my tequila seems watery, I though back then was much stronger." Mise is wondering whether she should complaints to the bar tender. 

"Nope, it is usual, the more stressful you are, your body metabolism races faster, and you could digest high level of alcohol much faster. " Johnson explaines like a expert, "in your case, you resistance towards alcohol might grow stronger over age. " Johnson claims it proudly. 

"So, you are saying .. I am old?" Mise pretends to be angry.

"Err... That is not what I meant actually." Johnson didn't expect such reaction from Mise, he was meant to impress her by keep on practising this response, and let it out at the right time. It seems sometimes he say the wrong phrase at the wrong time.

Mise smile at him cheekily, and said "gotcha! And you seems bit of awkward these day, what happen? Stress at the kitchen? Or new girl recruits?" The last sentence sound more like a test , instead of teasing.

" Ya, they are quite sweet and hard working too, never say no to me.." and Johnson realise this might not be the right response, " Err... I mean they are hardworking and obedient to senior chef." 

" Yup , have it your way, look at the time, it is late, have to meet up my brother. " Mise sounded frustrated and can't wait to go home. 

" Ya, this round on me, I will send you home." Johnson says it quietly.

Both of them walk home quietly, without exchange any words. There are few times Johnson try to grab her hands, and she just sway it appropriately. 

When they reach Mise home, Johnson grab her shoulder and look gentle in her eyes, and say, "Mise, as long as I know you, there is a feeling I wish to..." And the front door bang open, NuHwa is there to open the door.

"Hi sis, hi Johnson, you guys done kissing?" 

Embarrassed, Mise hits NuHwa at the hip, and push him inside, while smoothing Johnson shoulder gently and out of guild, "see you tomorrow?" 

" Alright, see you, sweet dreams" Johnson waves and walks back.

Half force fully push NuHwa into her room, " you spoilt my moment, you still want the massage?" Mise says it angrily. 

Knowing his sister temper, he whisper "just the back would do." He undress and lay down. Mise have a peek at her brother front, the previous bruise seems to subside, but they seems to have more red bot, or bite marks around his abdominal. 

"Ant bites or allergy? Old wound faints, new wound comes." Mise says it disapprovingly. 

"Seriously, it is ok, small issues, just help me massage the back would do." 

"No worry, I got just the right cream for you. " It is an old habit of Mise keep those healing oil and cream handy for all sort of unusual occasion. Before NuHwa objects, she apply a thin coat from his breast down his abdominal and down to his inner thigh. The plus side of the cream is it heals fast; the downside, it causes arousing sensation, pain , itchy hot and chilling pain. Sometimes the sensation come in different order. Mise quite enjoy to see his brother sudden change of different reaction.

" Ok, ok, no more of the cream " and dashes out of the room, but runs back again to grab is robe, and say, " you are so evil , sis..." 

"Wait, I haven't do your back." Mise jokes. There will always be next time. 

Quite a night today, she tidies up her stuff and prepare for tomorrow routine. Then off to bed soundly.