The Esper of Algol: Protector

Animal Experimentation

There was an eerie feel about the town of Abion. It was too quiet.  People could be seen walking about the streets or inside houses, but they hurried away when the travelers were spotted.

Myau's tail bushed out. "There's a distinct lack of other animal scents here," he remarked.

"You think it means that what that chemist guy in Bortevo said was true?" Odin  asked. "That there's a scientist here is doing weird things to animals?"

Noah was scanning the street for the shop. He wanted to make the purchase quickly and get out of here.

"There," he said, pointing to a building on a far corner of the town.

As they walked toward the shop, a young woman bumped into Alis from a side street.

"Oh! Sorry!" She said as she helped Alis steady herself.

"It's ok," Alis responded.

The woman nodded politely at Noah and Odin, but her eyes grew round when she saw Myau. "You shouldn't have brought your cat here!" she whispered. "There's... You should take it away before something happens to it." She scurried off as quickly as she could.

"I hope that motherfucker tries to come after me," Myau muttered. "He'll be sorry he ever saw a cat!"

In that attitude, Myau insisted on sitting outside while they entered the shop. "You sure?" Odin asked him. "You'll be unprotected. It's dangerous if that madman is around."

Myau crouched low by the wall of the store. "Yeah. I got Noah's present and I'm not scared of any stringy-ass scientist."

The shop was empty.

Alis walked up to the counter confidently, and stated in a way that suggested purchasing universal solvents was and everyday occurrence, "I am here to purchase some polymeteral."

The shopkeeper looked her up and down, and glanced at Noah briefly.  He didn't seem to realize Odin was with them, and indeed, Odin was  surreptitiously browsing other wares. "You're a bit young to be running a  pick up for such volatile chemicals," he said.

Her eyes shifted quickly from side to side, "Shhh," she whispered to him, "do you want to blow my cover?"

The shopkeeper was taken aback for a moment and looked toward Noah.

"Yeah," Noah whispered quickly, "You don't want to be responsible for jeopardizing the mission."

This did not seem to convince the clerk. "I'm going to need to see some credentials."

Well, it was a... try. Not a very good one, but a try. Noah thought. But Alis was rummaging in her  pack. She pulled out the passport she had been using to get them on and off the shuttles in the Paseo and Camineet spaceports.

The shopkeeper looked at the passport and raised his eyebrows in surprise. Noah peered at it, too. It was the first time he'd gotten a good look. It was a military issue passport, complete with her picture, info, and even Lassic's seal.

"Huh," the shopkeeper said. "Ok, then, wait right here." He disappeared into a back room.

Alis and Noah looked at each other in silence for a moment, then both simultaneously started quietly laughing.

"Shh," Odin hissed. "You guys really will blow the cover if you act like a couple of kids."

They stopped giggling, but it was hard to get the smile off his face.  So, to sober up a bit, he leaned down to whisper to her, "Where did you  get a military passport?"