File 4.6 - Attempted Greetings

Revived, Edgar returned to Base with his farewells concluded. He held a determined look in his eyes and a set course. However, it didn’t last for long before Ensign Tool spotted him. Ed tried to evade him, but failed, as he always knew where Ed turned. It took until caught for Ed to remember the band on his wrist. ‘Damn tracker!’

“I adjusted your schedule so you could finish your business, Petty Officer Dubois, but your orientation is still happening today.”

Tightening up his hand, he fought with his urges to snap at the Ensign. ‘I haven’t found ‘er yet!’ He fixed Ansgar with a stare trying hard to keep his emotions in check, but still failing. “I have one thing I need ta do and then ya can do what’ver ya want ta mah!”

“I’m afraid you’ve already used up your free time.”

Ed stepped forward, losing the battle with his emotions. “Damnit! It’s just one thing! I dun even need ta leave tah base!”

Ansgar read Ed’s face, seeing the serious tone in his eyes. He quickly weighed things forced to make a fast decision. “You have as long as it takes for me to find your orientation officer and get things ready. But you must be in uniform!” His words had to rise as Ed already started off in his own direction. All he got in response was a hand wave to acknowledge. Ansgar sighed to himself.

The answer put a smile on Edgar's face. He sprinted over to the apartments not caring about how out of breath or sweaty he got in the process. The bag dropped carelessly at his side the moment he breached the threshold. Edgar was back out the door in seconds hopping on one leg with his pants while simultaneously fighting with his blazer. He finished his wardrobe in the elevator and bolted the moment it opened. ‘Where tah hell is she?! I dun have long!’

His first location he checked was the female apartments, but the computer informed him that she was not back. It sent him off deeper into the Base asking around in search of clues. A couple of people remembered seeing someone that seemed like Shizuka, but gave him no good leads. Minutes continued to drain away from him the longer he went. ‘Damn, if I had ask’d Ensign Tool he probably would ‘ave known! Now I won’t be able ta find ‘er at all!’

An empty hall in the middle somewhere looking like every other place Edgar came to a stop. He needed a moment to think. Everywhere he ran was already turning into a jumble within his mind. He couldn’t keep one hallway straight from another. The bland military appearance left him confused. ‘Where is she?!’ He pounded his fist against the wall in frustration.

Just as he began to walk away, he crossed paths with Shizuka at an intersection. He froze in place standing in her way, though not intentionally. Ed simply didn’t know what to say or how to act now that he found her.

Contrary to how she usually acted towards him, she barely even flickered a moment of frustration at him. Her face looked like it wanted to sag and her shoulders curved down more than usual. Everything in the way she moved looked broken. The fire in her eyes was gone. Shizuka simply walked around Ed.

A woman in uniform walked with her, an escort. Ed didn’t recognize her, however she stared at him briefly as though he did something wrong. The whole scene confused him. He had no words. His words were sealed with his lips, locked up tight.

Shizuka continued her dead walk away from him. The further she got away the tighter Ed’s chest got. The paralysis finally snapped, letting him stretch out his arm. “…Shu…Su!” It almost seemed like he was shouting unintelligibly. Only the woman glanced back at him, the one that noticed his voice. Shizuka made no response or reaction to him. Ed ran down the hall after her, not willing to give up. “Shu…Shizuka!” He couldn’t allow himself the moment of pride to get her name right. His eyes burned holes in the back of Shizuka waiting on her.

The call of her name caused her to stop. For what seemed like an hour, Shizuka slowly turned toward the voice. Her responsiveness was still missing. Ed finally locked eyes with Shizuka, but he didn’t feel like she was actually looking at him. The dead expression prevented her from looking like anything more than a doll. Nothing was getting through to her and he knew it. He hung his head, unable to say anything more.

Ed didn’t know when she left, he never heard the clicking of shoes against the polish floor. It wasn’t until a hand grabbed him from behind that he returned to reality. Ensign Tool stood behind him, likely wanting him to leave with him for the orientation. Ed nodded vaguely at him and followed. ‘I missed my chance…but I have to keep trying!’

An unfamiliar room swallowed him up. His daze made the passage of time hard to track. Before him stood a young man, older than the Tool, but still qualified in age enough to merit young. Ed didn’t even try to get a feel of the man. Nothing really mattered to him at the moment. Orientation likely happened, but he would have failed a quiz on it.

His day ended with the same feelings he had the night before, multiplied.