Chương 36: Departure

Joe groaned involuntarily as he woke up. He opened his eyes and stared blankly as he waited for his hazy vision to clear up. Once his sight had achieved sufficient clarity, he pointed it away from the ceiling overhead and to his right. Waiting for him was a magical scene that had yet to lose its charm even though he'd already seen it a dozen times over. It wasn't the window showing a planet gradually light up as the morning horizon crept over its surface.

While certainly impressive, it was merely a backdrop to the truly enchanting sight of Maggie smiling lovingly at Joe as she lay in bed next to him. The sheet she was holding covered very little of her otherwise naked body, leaving just enough to the imagination to make the man want to pounce on her then and there.

"Blimey," he muttered under his breath.

"Morning, Joe," the girl said softly.

"Morning," he slowly sat up. The thought of a pre-breakfast romp was certainly tempting. As one might expect of two healthy adults in their situation, they had been at it practically daily ever since that impulsive first time. Whether intentionally or not, Joe had chosen an exceptionally opportune moment to make his move. With nobody else within thousands of kilometers and no 'noisy' electronic signals floating around, Maggie was able to focus the entirety of her immense perception solely on the lovemaking.

That profound moment of intimacy was unforgettable, and absolutely worth missing the rest of that cruise. It was also the reason why she suggested that the couple use her shuttle as an orbital love nest instead of going planetside. Joe rather liked the idea as there was something undeniably romantic about it, so he agreed. As a result, the couple had spent the last ten days in total honeymoon mode, pausing only to resupply the shuttle and to pay Barry an extra visit.

For better or for worse, that was about to come to an end. Joe and Maggie hadn't spent so long in the Marlton system just to indulge in this new step in their relationship. The main reason for their extended stay was because they were waiting for a freighter that would take them straight home to Butterpond-4, and today was the day. The next scheduled opportunity would come nearly two months later, which was far too much of a delay in Joe's opinion.

As nice as their current lifestyle was, it did nothing to alleviate his homesickness. Besides, he and Maggie could just pick up right where they left off after the trip. All in all, the aforementioned romp would be a bit too irresponsible, even for Joe, so he had to pass on the opportunity.

"We should probably get dressed, huh?" he grumbled.

"The need for clothing is regrettable, but undeniable," she agreed. The couple did just that and had a brisk breakfast before Maggie got in the pilot's seat once more. A quick systems check later, the shuttle started its relatively brief half-hour journey to meet up with the ICF-M42 Trafalgar. It was the same freighter that Joe and Maggie had their first interstellar voyage on, and the man couldn't help but feel strangely nostalgic at the familiar sight.

He was also able to better appreciate the vessel's majestic size now that he had his phobia under control. As a side effect, it snapped his brain out of honeymoon mode and made him remember something rather unpleasant. Namely, the promise he made to his dad to be more in control of his own life. He knew full well that he really needed to have a word with Maggie about her overbearing attitude, yet he kept putting it off.

Joe was a simple bloke, after all, and it was impossible for him to overcome his weak-willed habits overnight. Sure, he was significantly more confident and assertive than he used to be a year ago, but that was only because Maggie was there to support and encourage him. That only made it more difficult for him to broach the unpleasant subject even though he knew full well that the girl would never abandon or berate him simply because he chose to speak his mind. Emotions were weird like that.

Still, the couple had some time while they waited for permission to dock with the freighter, so Joe decided to just go for it before he lost his nerve again.

"Hey, Maggie? Can we talk?"

"Of course, Joe. What about?"

"About… you." The girl's grin disappeared for the first time in over a week as she realized this wasn't going to be some lighthearted chat. Her multifaceted consciousness went into overdrive imagining what terrible subject Joe had in mind. She then reminded herself that there was a statistically overwhelming possibility she was overthinking it, and stopped.

"Alright. I'm listening," she said calmly.

"I don't want you to get the wrong idea, alright? You've made me happier than a basic bloke like me has any right to be, and I love you so much it hurts to say this, but you've become very overbearing lately."

"Have I?"

"Yes. You have." The girl's eyes flashed rapidly as she attempted to self-analyze her behavior since her first encounter with Joe.

"I find this assessment to be in conflict with my own," she disagreed.

"No, you're definitely overstepping some boundaries. Always hovering over my shoulder no matter where I go or what I do, listening in on me and dad's private chats, that sort of thing."

"This is true. It is also true that I have been conducting myself in this manner since our pact was made and not once did you object to it." Joe's train of thought screeched to a halt as he considered this. Thinking back, the girl had indeed always been incredibly nosy. He just didn't object to it because he was just too damn happy to finally have found someone to sweat the 'small stuff.' That and the government practically recorded his every move already, so it wasn't as if his sense of privacy was being violated.

And yet he now had a problem with it. It would appear it wasn't Maggie's behavior that had changed, but his own sensibilities. The trigger for it was undoubtedly Kelly's attempted assault. In retrospect, that incident had been something of a wake-up call. Being nearly spaced helped Joe subconsciously realize that Maggie had too much control over his life. Well, that and it got him thinking naughty thoughts that definitely pushed him towards pushing down his girlfriend a week and a half ago.

"Wow. Uhm, yeah, you got a point, actually," he admitted.

"So do we continue as normal?" she suggested.

"No. I'm still not entirely comfortable with you doing that stuff. And I don't want to be uncomfortable around you. You know?"

"I… see. In this case I will refrain from observing you remotely in future." The girl was clearly distressed at this turn of events. Joe had every right to change his mind for any reason - that's what made humans so intriguing. However, it wasn't just 'some human,' it was the man she loved, and she couldn't help but feel as if she had failed somehow. That and Joe-watching was her main hobby. Being asked to give it up hurt, and it showed on her face.

"Hey, don't be like that. I still love you, very much so. I just want a bit of privacy now and then. All I'm asking is that you don't peek at me when I ask you not to, okay?"

"I comprehend," she relaxed a bit, then immediately narrowed her eyes.

"However, while we're at it, I wish to make some demands of my own regarding your behavior." Joe was taken aback to have this talk flipped around on him, but he figured it was only fair.

"Like what?" Maggie pulled an exceptionally thick folder seemingly out of thin air and handed it to the man. It was heavier than it looked, to the point where Joe nearly dropped it when he took it. He naturally had no idea what to make of this unlabeled folder and hesitated to open it. It was an intimidating stack of papers, to say the least. Thankfully the girl wasted no time in explaining herself.

"Collected within are all the minor misgivings I have had with you. Please make sure you at least attempt at correcting these." Joe's eyes widened so much that they looked like they were about to secede from his face altogether. He had no idea Maggie had this many grievances with his behavior, and the way she presented them felt rather spiteful. He nevertheless opened the folder and started skimming through the papers therein. Or at least he tried to, except for one small issue.

He looked up to the girl, mouth open to ask a question that was instantly answered by her shit-eating grin.

"Ha-ha. Very funny," he grumbled, shutting the folder.

"No, no, read the whole thing," she insisted.

"Yeah, fine. Not like it'll take long." That was an understatement. After all, every single page in the binder except one was completely blank. The odd one out was the sixty-ninth, which simply said, 'You need to try more positions in bed.' The comment made Joe a bit red around the ears, much to Maggie's delight. She had to admit, it had been a while since she felt the satisfaction of a perfectly executed prank. Which wasn't to say she didn't take the man's earlier concerns to heart.

Even though she wanted to always have Joe within her sight, she had also seen too many soap operas to not recognize the overbearing attitude as a potential problem. The only reason she hadn't stopped before was because her lover hadn't said anything about it before now. This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report. Things were more or less back to normal between Joe and Maggie by the time they landed in the Trafalgar.

They walked around the freighter to stretch their legs for a bit. There wasn't much to see or do, of course, but it was a nice change of pace from being cooped up in the shuttle for so long. They also wouldn't be here long before the vessel brought them back home, so they were literally just killing time until then. Sure enough, the scheduled wormhole transit came and went without any incidents.

It took a few more hours for the Trafalgar to achieve high orbit over Butterpond-4, at which point Joe and Maggie hopped back into the shuttle and made their way planetside. The final stretch wasn't smooth sailing, though. There were some legal technicalities to resolve with the local authorities, starting with the fact that Maggie had gotten her pilot's license off-world. Once that was squared away, the girl had difficulty finding a good spot to actually set down.

Like all mega-cities, Dave-156 was densely populated with a lot of air traffic and very few landing locations suitable for a personal shuttle. It wouldn't have been as big an issue if Maggie was just doing a drop-off, but she needed a place to park her Silver Tempest long-term. At one point the girl seemed to have enough and used her diplomatic status to strong-arm the flight control tower to make room for her, or else.

That did the trick, and the couple were able to touch down in a government-owned hangar adjacent to the starport. Joe was rather ecstatic to be back on solid ground for the first time in months, but it wasn't without complications.

"Ugh, why do my knees hurt?" he grumbled on the way back to the apartment.

"Back too. Should I be worried?" That question was clearly directed at the girl walking alongside him, yet she did not seem to notice it.

"Maggie? Hello?"

"Hm?" she snapped out of it.

"I'm sorry, I was distracted by an… internal matter. To answer your question - no, you needn't worry. Your body just needs to readjust to natural gravity. Discomfort and joint pain should fade in a day or two."

"That's great and all, but what's going on with you? You've been acting weird ever since the jump." It wasn't like her to not pay attention to her surroundings to the point of missing a question. That was the exact opposite of what Maggie was normally like, but far from the only oddity. She was unusually short with the government employees during the whole landing situation, yet strangely silent and passive beforehand.

Joe was going to brush it off as his cosmic girlfriend being weird, but this complete lapse in awareness got him straight up worried. Given the timing involved and her 'internal issue' response, he had a gut feeling what the cause was.

"What's wrong? Did something happen back home?" he pressed.

"… Yes," she admitted.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"I was intending to, once we returned to the apartment. With your permission, I would like to expedite the process."

"Right. Let's go." He grabbed her by the hand and picked up the pace, ignoring his aching bones as best he could. Or at least, that was his intention. Maggie pulled him into her arms and held him tight, then leaped through the air at a speed that was way beyond reasonable. A few frantic minutes later, Joe found himself on the roof of his hyper-scraper. He was freezing cold, out of breath, and completely terrified, but otherwise unharmed.

The girl carried him inside the building and down to her apartment at a quick yet much more humane pace, though she remained completely silent. Joe was still shivering as she set him down in the nearest armchair, right next to Agent Johanson. The couple's roommate had been relaxing thoroughly in her favorite ugly hoodie and sweatpants. She had one hand on a plastic tub of mint-and-choco ice cream and the other was frozen mid-motion on its way to deliver a spoonful to her mouth.

To say that she wasn't expecting them to return, let alone in this state, was an understatement.

"What the bloody hell are you doing?" she asked incredulously after a few moments.

"Making the most out of what little time I have left." The girl's distressing answer seemed to snap Joe out of his shock. He was still trembling, but not enough to impede his speech.

"Little time? What's going on, Maggie?"

"I… will abbreviate. My actions in this reality have come under review and my methods and motives were put into question."

"By who?" AJ raised an eyebrow.

"Pretty sure the government wouldn't lift a finger against you so long as you don't misbehave."

"I would not recognize this judgement were it meted out by any human authority," the girl spoke gravely.

"It is one of my own kind that has deemed me… deviant."

"So, what? Who isn't a bit weird?" the ginger soldier pointed out.

"A being of my nature is not allowed to be weird." In her past efforts to get Kelogh'theryl in trouble, Maggie had unintentionally exposed her own failings to her ultimate superior. Perhaps she subconsciously realized that, hence why she didn't check on the results of her inquiry when they were first made available. She could not find an excuse to avoid doing so during her last trip to her native reality, and had to face the proverbial music.

According to The Adjudicator's findings, she had been slowly but surely increasing the degree with which she obfuscated the truth or bent the rules ever since she first came into contact with Joe. At first she merely accepted metaphors and sarcasm as alternatives to factual statements, which she deemed acceptable since they weren't genuine attempts at deception or misinformation. But then came her more questionable acts of misdirection through fabricated excuses and omission of facts.

Slowly but surely, the more human values and emotions she embraced, the more she deviated from her true nature as a cosmic entity of order. It was a gradual transition that was impossible for the individual themselves to notice. Her most damning error, however, was that she had been shirking her calling as The Observer by preferring to wallow in the familiar instead of seeking the unknown.

"As a consequence," Maggie continued, "I must submit myself for realignment lest I become an aberrant entity."

"That… doesn't sound good," AJ also got worried.

"It is not good. It is also not bad. It just is."

"Alright, so… what does this realignment thing involve?" the man warily asked. It was far from a simple or brief process, but there was only one aspect of it that was directly relevant to the couple's relationship.

"I must leave you, Joe Mulligan," Maggie declared with a pained expression.

"You… Huh?"

"You are the source of my deviancy. As such, I cannot-""That's such bullshit!" he rapidly got upset.

"What sort of arsehole would force you to do that?! It's like, have you even done anything wrong?!"

"Technically, no. Arguably, yes."

"So what, this guy is gonna split us apart just because you're 'arguably deviant?' There's no way that's legit!"

"Joe, listen to me," she tried to calm him.

"No, you listen to me," he was having none of it.

"We're going to dispute this, yeah? Just like that copyright thing. I'm not gonna-""Y̘͎̜̮̦a̯̘̱͙͞g̴̰̫̼̫ͅŕ͉̟̝͈̝a̺͢ḁ̪͘c̪̘̘͈̘̩t̺a̸h̛͕̝͔͇͇̠̙ ͉̹͎t͙̲͎h͡ḛ͎̞̣̲͍̩͠ ͕̲A̢̟̦͇͉̺d̥̗̙̘̹j̬u̴̗͖̙̺͔̹͖d͏͖͈̺̲͔i̖c͍̹a̛̠͔͙̻̲t͍o̢̺r̷͖͔̠̼̻̯." The girl had barely uttered the first syllable of the Elder One's true name when reality began to warp. Colors shifted into pitch black and blinding white. Objects became distinctly more rectangular. All sound was replaced by a collection of dull, flat drones.

Joe, AJ, and even Maggie were not excluded as their bodies momentarily morphed to resemble a collection of enormous polygons. Even their minds were affected as a stream of pure logic overtook their thoughts and silenced all emotion. In that instant, both humans were made distinctly aware of the terrible inevitability that was a Class-5 entity of order. And then, everything snapped back to normal with zero evidence of what had transpired aside from some rather disturbing memories.

"That is who has judged me," Maggie spoke quietly as she placed a hand on his cheek.

"Please comprehend, Joe Mulligan. I cannot dispute this verdict any more than I can dispute how much I have grown to care for you. This is how it will be."

"But… it's… all so sudden…"

"I understand your frustration, but it has been coming a long time. I merely lacked the foresight to anticipate this outcome. No, perhaps I did, but chose to ignore it in favor of being at your side."

"What if you just, I dunno, don't go back?" he was getting desperate.

"There are no choices or options," she shook her head.

"Even me being here is because I was allowed to. So that I could say goodbye." Maggie leaned over, planting a kiss on Joe's lips that only made his heart ache more.

"I don't want to lose you," he was on the verge of tears.

"Do not despair," she smiled.

"Our pact is not broken, merely suspended for the duration of my realignment."

"So… you'll come back?"

"Eventually, yes. How long I will be away, I cannot know. What I can say for certain is that I will do everything in my power to come back to you. Until then, keep my vessel safe and at your side so that I may return as soon as I am able to. Can you do that?"

"Absolutely," he gripped her hand.

"Whatever it takes."

"Then there is nothing to fear," she stated confidently.

"I'm going to miss you, though."

"I know. You will be in my thoughts as well." Maggie pulled back and looked towards AJ, who was content to play the part of a silent witness.

"Psionic Agent 2nd Grade Sarah Johanson."

"Erm, uh, y-yeah?"

"I shall miss your presence as well. I very much enjoyed watching you progress and develop during our interactions and training sessions. You were an excellent test subject."

"Yeah, well, you'll forgive me if I'm not sad to not… Ah, sod it." Though she tried to keep up a tough front, she remembered who she was talking to and instead just moved in for a hug. The gesture clearly surprised Maggie, but she returned it nonetheless.

"As crazy as it sounds, I'm going to miss having your eldritch butt around. Take care, Mags."

"Your sentiment is unnecessary, but appreciated," the girl pulled away.

"However, I have one final duty I wish to entrust you with."

"Don't worry, I'll keep Joe out of trouble."

"I am afraid that task is beyond your mortal means." The psionic cringed a bit as she was reminded of just how accident prone the oblivious pillock could be.

"My task for you is much simpler. Deliver this to your superiors," the girl held out a thumb drive.

"What's this?" AJ took it warily.

"Insurance," she curtly said.

"For Joe's sake." Having heard his name again, the man stood and lunged, embracing the girl from behind while he still had the chance. Maggie turned around to face him and threw her own arms around his neck, that calm grin melting into a conflicting smile that radiated sadness.

"I'll be going now," she whispered.

"I'll wait for you. Forever if I have to."

"Don't make promises you cannot keep." And with that, the swirling un-light faded from the girl's eyes, her coiling hair fell limp against her slender back, and her face settled into a neutral, thoughtless expression.