2019: A 'Dome Odyssey

Crimson Typhoon's spotlight has so many uses ....
Date/Timing: 2019 Q1 - Q2
Setting: Hong Kong Shatterdome
「Wow,」 says Mǐn, 「That is a lot of boxes.」 
「Yep,」 says Zhang-the-delivery-person, handing over the clipboard, 「nine hundred Globe Theater-grade light filters for one 'D H Stanley'.」 
Mǐn flips through the invoice. 「The Globe Theater ... Why do I know that name?」 
「It's, uh, basically if you perform there you're made it as an actor. Like that /Star Trek guy, the, um, bald, with the nose.」 
「Oh! Him! Sir Charles Xavier—no, that's, um ....」
 
「Well, that, guy—he's a regular front runner.」
 
「Cool,」 Mǐn says absently, frowning. 
「Yea, looked it up just for this—something wrong?」
 
「Don't recognize the name.」 Mǐn signs anyway. 「Probably a new transfer. Thanks a bunch.」 
「You're welcome, have a great day.」 
「You, too. Later.」 
.
 
Mǐn eats lunch with her left hand and navigates the PPDC [personnel] database with her right then her head suddenly gets really heavy—
「What'che doing?」 asks Jin, draping himself over her back. 
「Trying to find someone,」 says Mǐn. 「Ever heard of 'D H Stanley'?」 
「Oh yea,」 says Cheung, plunking down across the table, 「that's Hu's internet handle.」 
「I thought it was yours,」 says Hu. 
「Pretty sure it's Cheung's,」 says Jin.
 
Mǐn shrugs him off and he dramatically tumbles to the ground. 
「And you were going to tell me this when?」 
「Uh ....」 
Mǐn rolls her eyes and stands. 「You've got nineteen boxes down in Deliveries. Have fun!」 
.
 
A few weeks later, Marshals Xiong (HK) and Pentecost (ANCH) make a midnight, 'Can't sleep?' round of a nigh-empty Shatterdome—a state of desertion achieved [only] once in a blue moon. 
「And the Beckets?」 she asks. 
「They get along,」 he says slowly. 
「How's their Jaeger?」 
They step into the dark hangar, door sliding loudly in the silence. 
「Quite well. The team gave her a new coat of paint last month.」 
「Still blue?」 
「Still blue.」 
「Then it appears we are at an impasse,」 says Xiong. 
「It appears we are.」 
/CACHUNK
They blink in the sudden glow of a bloody sun. 
""That's a very nice rendering, Becket; I think you've improved a great deal.""
「Have they ever done that?」 asks Xiong. 
「No, they have not.」 
「Rangers!」 
Muffled squabbling—
""I know I've made some very poor decisions—""
「「Turn it off!」」 hisses one triplet. 
""—but I can give you my complete assurance—""
「「I'm trying!」」
""—my work will be back to—my mind is going. I can feel it. I'm a ... fraid. Good evening, Marshal—""
「「Gimme that—」」 snaps a smaller voice. 
「「Eek!」」 
/Thunk
The glow dies. 
Two headlamps flicker to life. 
So does a third halfway down the chest plate. 
「Get down here,」 orders Pentecost. 
「「I'm stuck.」」 
「Were you three waiting here since lights out?」 asks Xiong. 
「「Maaaybe,」」 calls the middle light. 
「Since you like it here so much, you can clean the floor.」 
「「Okay.」」 
「The entire hanger floor, without help.」 
Silence. 
「Do we have an understanding?」 
A chorus: 「「Yes, Marshal.」」
Pentecost speaks up: 「I expect Miss Mori to report for school at eight hundred hours.」 
「「Yes, Marshal.」」 
「Goodnight, Rangers.」 
「Goodnight, boys.」 
「「Goodnight, Marshals.」」 
Xiong and Pentecost make their way out. 
Grip shoes squeak on metal. 
「「I feel as transparent as a jellyfish,」」 mutters a triplet. 
「We can hear you!」 calls Xiong. 
The scuffling stops dead. 
Pentecost slips Xiong a tenner. 
「I always feel like the mean parent when you're around,」 she murmurs, pocketing it as the door clangs shut. 
「Odd,」replies Pentecost, 「that's how I feel when you're around.」
Category:2001: A Space Odyssey (reference)
Category:Ficlet
Category:Mako
Category:Mako (ficlet)
Category:Pentecost
Category:Pentecost (ficlet)
Category:Xiong
Category:Xiong (ficlet)
Category:Cheung
Category:Jin
Category:Hu
Category:Cheung (ficlet)
Category:Jin (ficlet)
Category:Hu (ficlet)
Category:Tang Min
Category:Tang Min (ficlet)
Category:Crimson Typhoon's spotlight
Category:Meis and their shenanigans
Category:Ficlets with images