IDS Yīnghuā - Log 1.0: Swift as the Wind and Quick as Lightning (風馳電掣)

As they walked through the hallways and entered a tram station, Hoshiko noticed that the way ahead of them was empty. She knew her mother, and that it meant only one thing.

"She's really pissed," she realized. Sitting down in their lobby, the tiger princess pulled out a cigarette holder and lit up, taking a deep puff. It was no wonder why the humans were so addicted - life was stressful. "There's usually foot traffic in this area, and on top of that, we shot up one of her prize subjects. On top of the breach." Hoshiko hated waiting to get punished, as rare as that was. But the trip itself was exactly that, in a sense. The high-speed tram they entered in meatspace zoomed through the station, passing other, occupied stops before taking a turn that she didn't recognize, and did not show up on the maps.

They entered a black-zone.

As the tram slowed down to a stop though, they could all see a single horned figure waiting for them. Clad in a revealing red dress, labcoat and armored boots and gloves, it was clear that it could only be one person. Doors parting, and rectangular, red eyes set on them, the group of Daqinren suddenly felt vertigo as their virtuality crashed.

"You will address me as Yīshī Yáng Jù (醫師羊)" She introduced herself in meatspace "What do you have to say for yourselves?" she challenged them. "But not you two," the short sheep horned woman pointed at the two princesses. "I am referring to these two imbecilic Humans!" she accusingly pointed at Jian and Wen.

Despite her tiny stature in comparison to Xian and Wen, the horned centenarian seemed unimpressed. Instead, she peered at the two with her rectangular pupils, the otherwise youthful skin by her eyes briefly wrinkling as her gaze narrowed ever so slightly. What she gave was increasingly becoming more common for the Daqinren to receive as time went on.

It was the stern look of a disappointed grandmother.

"I see having your virtual lobby popped has not sobered you two troublemakers yet, but I am not surprised," Yang Ju sternly remarked. "All of you, this way," she turned and lead them down the hall. The situation felt surreal, now that they were deprived of a shared lobby together that they could communicate quickly and efficiently. Even though their own personal virtuality lobbies remained intact, being forced to pay so much attention to meatspace somehow felt uncomfortable. The walls too plain to please the eye. The light too dim for comfort. Even the hallway was too cramped, optimized to have set traffic lanes of pedestrians.

As glamorous as The Empire was, its meatspace half was utterly utilitarian. Perhaps even punishingly so.

"They are right in that this was all ridiculous." Hoshiko remarked, a little irate herself. "I was going to shoot too, but if that wasn't the right response, what was?" Despite that however, there was more going on behind her look of irritation. Though the princess had looked distressed at the time, she seemed to have recovered quite well, as she quickly made to follow and encourage both Xian and Wen to do so. She also made sure to Helping to pull Jun along as too, though a haggard and unkempt Sakamoto tagged along with eyes that were looking a thousand yards away.

"Ask, shout or yell at her to stop," the Sheep sub-type Daqinren replied without a glance back. "You had asked her to do something for you after all," she continued as they neared the black-zone's airlock. "Shoot the surgeon for making a cut, why don't you?" her tongue snapped at Wen and Xian. The vault-like doors quickly and smoothly parted to allow them in, the chamber quickly scanning and blasting them with precise jets of air and who-knew-what-else to impart the base level of decontamination. "And security could not respond. You had shot them all," Yang added, she pointed out, a hint of heat in her voice.

As the airlock opened, the group bore witness to the well lit hallways and rooms of a laboratory wing, the glimses from opening and closing doors from the hustle and bustle making it clear that there was plenty underway.

"Ugh. Big sister, please don't be gentle," Yáng grumbled to herself. Taking in a deep breath, she addressed Wen after his tirade. "Perhaps a big stick is what is needed to deal with a head like a bull's," the head surgeon coldly remarked. "Though at least one of you troublemakers are somewhat reasonable," she noted, still displeased. Light flashed through the observation slits of a room they passed, a faint rumbling passing through the floor. Their guide seemed undisturbed by this and continued on.

"No more alcohol for you, Jun," the tiger princess made to rein in her sister-in-law. More importantly, Hoshiko waved a hand at Sakamoto, prompting the crafty merchant to put the bottle back under the long sleeves of her dress and pretend she never presented it. "Speaking of, why alcohol? This 'Viz' mentioned drinking all her problems away," the tigress observed.

"Because her survival came with a cost, namely, having a much more advanced case of corruption than Wen," the big horned elder promptly replied. "Though Wen's case was mild, hers was severe due to the large fluctuations of what they call 'mana', either marking the water creature's engram a higher priority, or overwriting her own memories entirely." The head surgeon paused for emphasis before adding, "She is acutely aware of this, and would rather not have an existential crisis at all hours." Her no-nonsense tone made it clear that she would have been equally comfortable in a classroom with chalkboard, and by now, they stood in front of the entryway into one of the many labs, its airlock opening with expectation.

Yīshī Yáng Jù stopped short of entering and turned around to look at them all.

"Any last words before we enter? I am aware that Zhùlǐ can have quite the tempter," She reminded them.

She was not called 'The Black Empress' for nothing after all.

"Whatever happens, I don't intend these to be your last words either," Hoshiko began. It felt awkward and even isolating to talk so much in meatspace, but being cut off from one another, there wasn't any other option. "I'm your commanding officer, and I'm ultimately responsible for you all," the princess admitted.

The old goat eyed woman rolled her gaze at these children.

"Old human superstition should be disregarded," the scientist replied to Jun. The airlock cycled them through with a hiss and smooth sliding of its doors, while beyond, they could see a workshop filled with tools, parts, and finally, a thruster assembly with a pair of jump-suited legs sticking out from underneath. Yang Ju ignored that though. Pulling out a rod-like device, she expanded it and began looking over the bleating cow. "You aborted, so congratulations. Or my condolences. Whichever makes you feel better."

Reaching into her fanny pack, she injected Jun through one of her suit's ports, an almost-addictive-feel-good sensation quickly coursing through her body.

"Ala-Ala, so many assumptions," the pair of legs under the thruster assembly called out to them. Despite the interruption in their conversation, Empress Zhuli, continued to work. "Anomalous individuals and objects need customized containment procedures, and this one required Chongwu, as Daqinren such as ourselves tended to be...troublesome." It was strange seeing the empress doing manual labor of any sort, and even stranger seeing her out of her designer dresses. "Too arrogant, too condescending. So, the Chongwu, made specifically to contain Viz, were made. After a series of severe injuries of course," she added.

Struggling to crank something into place, they could hear Zhuli sigh and drop her tool with a little more force than she had to. The airlock cycled as someone labeled "Oumijia" began to approach. Just as before, they were all cut off from connecting with one another.

"I also had a water cistern and a 'hidden stash' of more alcohol placed nearby, knowing she is attracted to water. And alcohol." Rolling out on a motorized mechanic's creeper, she sat up and brushed herself off, though it didn't do much for the oil and lubricants on her jumpsuit. By now, the newcomer had come through the airlock too, and she finally had a smile on her face again as she waved at the messy haired young man. "I'm sorry you came at this time dear, please wait right over there!"

It vanished as soon as she looked back at them all.

"One of several contingencies. This time, she settled in and drank herself to sleep. After plowing her way there, and Through two engineers and one scientist." She paused for emphasis. "As specimens go, I'm sure you can tell she is very, very valuable to have such abnormal Secure Containment Procedures."

Zhuli smiled agian, and stepped closer, settling a hand each on Wen and Xian's shoulders.

"What do you two have to say for yourselves?"

The Empress' grip on Xian and Wen's shoulders tightened.

"Ala-ala, no problem at all. I'll just make sure people are informed on entry, and the good doctor will requisition new people, equipment, and time." Zhuli continued to smile at the two. Now that Oumijia was closer and at ease, he could see the Empress up close. The fourth of all Daqin-kind was not particularly tall, and despite the unflattering jumpsuit, his eyes could tell that she was gracefully shaped underneath. But it was the eyes of this dark haired brunette that drew all the attention. They burned like bright gold set into a face of soft and elegant asiatic features.

A reptilian tail suddenly swished through the air behind her, golden scales gleaming as she lowered her head ever so slightly, the points of her horns now aimed at the two taller soldiers.

"Of course, there's three people well and truely dead, so I'll have you two help me to make up for that!" she gleefully smiled with delight, discomfort squeezing down on their shoulders. "Wen. Xian. Make me three more people, and I'll consider the matter closed," she ordered the two, her grip on their shoulders now clamping down to the point of pain. "Or, better yet, if you two start making a new person - right here, right now - I'll be lenient and consider this collaboration successful!"

"Mother!" Hoshiko spoke forward as she spoke up. From where he stood, Oumijia could see that a 'pocket tiger' of a princess try not to wince as the Empress's baleful gaze turned on her. Unfortunately for said princess, her tiger-like tail briefly bristled up for a moment like a bottle brush. Like her mother, she was short, but the resemblence ended there. Hoshiko's hair was orange, with hints of black and bits of white that framed her face. Looking at her, it felt to his eyes like she could have come from anywhere, with facial features that seemed to belong anywhere and nowhere.

But her eyes shined a bright, electric blue.

"Yes, soldier?" The Empress continued to smile. Internally, Hoshiko's mind immediately overclocked as she retreated into her virtual reality. Pacing around her garden, she walked circles and circles around a raised dias of golden chrysanthamum flowers until she calmed down somewhat. The princess knew she was going to get lumped in with the two for trying to interfere, but, there had to be a way to convince her to stand down. Pacing around and around the flowers, she knew they were in trouble because of the turn of phrase Zhuli had used. But, maybe that was the way out?

"As their commanding officer, Mother-Empress, I should be held responsible for my subordinates," Hoshiko began, careful to speak as clear, confidently, and most importantly, sound as much like a political officer as she could. "The full burden of replacing all three personnel rightfully falls upon myself only. Though, I understand you may feel that this is too lenient for troublemakers, and insist that I only take on one of three so that the punishment is felt," the princess added, her tail swishing giving away her own anxiety despite the calm tone. "Regardless, I trust your wisdom, as I believe this cooperation will be very successful!" Hoshiko clicked her heels together.

The eternally youthful face of the empress winced ever so slightly as the last phrase wiped the smile off her face.

"Of course your cooperation will be very successful," the Empress let go of Wen and Xian. "Though, having made my point, I hope that such cooperation will not be necessary in the future," she stepped back. Turning back towards her engineering project, she held up a hand and snapped her fingers - their virtuality network access had been restored. "Once you've enjoyed your time off, return to your station. I'll have another assignment available soon enough."

"Yes, Mother-Empress," the tiger princess bowed. She quickly messaged them all, "Now bow and get in the damn airlock before one of you messes up again!"

"Ara, I almost wish they had to 'cooperate' instead," Sakamoto Hina laughed in their minds. The raven haired beauty didn't need to be told twice. Bowing, her exotic feathers on display, she retreated. Yáng Jù, the very short and abnormally proportioned old woman, tossed her long, white hair back and made for the airlock with them. "New-guy, why don't you select our virtual reality lobby?" Sakamoto messaged Oumijia.