officer was demanding.
It was the first time that he had flown first class, and the presence of the free alcohol would have been a comfort if Jenner hadn't pulled it from his hand.
"Nope, we need you sharp if you're going to hit the ground running in Nagoya."
"Hit the...?"
"Yup, Arch booked you for a late meeting with an Inoue rep. It's a long flight,” Jenner continued. “Why don't you take some time to learn the language?"
Padraic took the language download that Jenner was offering and automatically thumbed open the secondary port behind his right ear.
"Aren't you going to...?"
Jenner made a face.
"I hate those things,” he said, settling in for a nap. “Go on. Nineteen hours ought to be just enough time to get you up to code."
The small yellow fish on the side of the module was friendly at least, and Padraic was almost beginning to hope that things were going to go smoothly when a shoal of bright blue sparks flared through his head.
"Oh, fuck me,” he muttered, holding his head as it tried to break in two, but then the mind-bending pain was gone, leaving the first gibbering notes of a download in progress behind them. He had had easier downloads, but he had had worse ones too, and he tried to shove the pain aside. He grunted and put his head between his knees, feeling suddenly ill. Jenner rubbed his back solicitously.
"All right?” asked Jenner, and Padraic waved him off.
The pain was gone, but the other symptoms of a truly epic migraine were definitely in the works. Padraic let the static sounds of the download lull him into a state that he could pretend was a nap and tried to get comfortable.
* * * *
The landing in Nagoya would have been fine if the Japanese language module hadn't spat at the last moment and left a feeling like frying eggs in Padraic's brain.
He stumbled off of the plane with his carry-on in a death grip and stared around the airport. They had landed in the middle of what promised to be one hell of a snowstorm, and the people who could were getting out of the terminal as fast as possible.
"Over there, over there!” Jenner pointed, and Padraic could see a slim young man in a crisp black suit holding up a sign that said “Dahl."
Padraic glanced at his companion, but Jenner seemed content to trail along in his wake. Apparently, Jenner wasn't going to be useful until and unless assassins attacked, so Padraic took a deep breath and started walking.
The man with the sign tucked it under his arm and bowed to them. Caught unawares, Padraic tried to bow in return but stumbled slightly. When Padraic glanced up, the Inoue representative was smiling in a way that could have meant anything.
"Sharp” was the only word that Padraic could find to describe him, from his brisk, white smile to razor-sharp neatness of his black hair. Despite that, Padraic found himself putting on that familiar nervous smile that he usually wore when confronted with handsome men. When he spoke, his voice was warm, albeit as crisp as a good linen sheet. His words, on the other hand...
"The fact that welcome, as for me your flight feeling is good is relied on to Japan. I am above the well, bearing fruit."
Padraic stared. He heard Japanese words, but his brain insisted that they meant... something that he wasn't sure was English.
"Going, does preparation do?"
"Er, to the Inoue Corporation?"
The driver smiled again before switching seamlessly to English and allowing the rather tender portion of Padraic's brain that was responsible for language to rest.
"Yes. You are meant to be at the corporation within the hour. Are you ready to depart?"
He reached out to take Padraic's bag, and Padraic automatically handed him the one with his clothes, taking a firmer grip on the one that held his tools. Their hands touched, and Padraic had time to think how warm the other man's hand was before he pulled back nervously. The Inoue representative only nodded, turning away and leaving Padraic feeling oddly bereft.
The young man
It was the first time that he had flown first class, and the presence of the free alcohol would have been a comfort if Jenner hadn't pulled it from his hand.
"Nope, we need you sharp if you're going to hit the ground running in Nagoya."
"Hit the...?"
"Yup, Arch booked you for a late meeting with an Inoue rep. It's a long flight,” Jenner continued. “Why don't you take some time to learn the language?"
Padraic took the language download that Jenner was offering and automatically thumbed open the secondary port behind his right ear.
"Aren't you going to...?"
Jenner made a face.
"I hate those things,” he said, settling in for a nap. “Go on. Nineteen hours ought to be just enough time to get you up to code."
The small yellow fish on the side of the module was friendly at least, and Padraic was almost beginning to hope that things were going to go smoothly when a shoal of bright blue sparks flared through his head.
"Oh, fuck me,” he muttered, holding his head as it tried to break in two, but then the mind-bending pain was gone, leaving the first gibbering notes of a download in progress behind them. He had had easier downloads, but he had had worse ones too, and he tried to shove the pain aside. He grunted and put his head between his knees, feeling suddenly ill. Jenner rubbed his back solicitously.
"All right?” asked Jenner, and Padraic waved him off.
The pain was gone, but the other symptoms of a truly epic migraine were definitely in the works. Padraic let the static sounds of the download lull him into a state that he could pretend was a nap and tried to get comfortable.
* * * *
The landing in Nagoya would have been fine if the Japanese language module hadn't spat at the last moment and left a feeling like frying eggs in Padraic's brain.
He stumbled off of the plane with his carry-on in a death grip and stared around the airport. They had landed in the middle of what promised to be one hell of a snowstorm, and the people who could were getting out of the terminal as fast as possible.
"Over there, over there!” Jenner pointed, and Padraic could see a slim young man in a crisp black suit holding up a sign that said “Dahl."
Padraic glanced at his companion, but Jenner seemed content to trail along in his wake. Apparently, Jenner wasn't going to be useful until and unless assassins attacked, so Padraic took a deep breath and started walking.
The man with the sign tucked it under his arm and bowed to them. Caught unawares, Padraic tried to bow in return but stumbled slightly. When Padraic glanced up, the Inoue representative was smiling in a way that could have meant anything.
"Sharp” was the only word that Padraic could find to describe him, from his brisk, white smile to razor-sharp neatness of his black hair. Despite that, Padraic found himself putting on that familiar nervous smile that he usually wore when confronted with handsome men. When he spoke, his voice was warm, albeit as crisp as a good linen sheet. His words, on the other hand...
"The fact that welcome, as for me your flight feeling is good is relied on to Japan. I am above the well, bearing fruit."
Padraic stared. He heard Japanese words, but his brain insisted that they meant... something that he wasn't sure was English.
"Going, does preparation do?"
"Er, to the Inoue Corporation?"
The driver smiled again before switching seamlessly to English and allowing the rather tender portion of Padraic's brain that was responsible for language to rest.
"Yes. You are meant to be at the corporation within the hour. Are you ready to depart?"
He reached out to take Padraic's bag, and Padraic automatically handed him the one with his clothes, taking a firmer grip on the one that held his tools. Their hands touched, and Padraic had time to think how warm the other man's hand was before he pulled back nervously. The Inoue representative only nodded, turning away and leaving Padraic feeling oddly bereft.
The young man
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