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Description
SHARDS:  Out of Network
By Invader-Hime

Asta Quaserstar scrolled through document after document and sorted them all into their respective folders on the large touchscreen monitor.  One by one, she pulled little blips of energy across the screen and dropped them into containment fields within the interface.  It wasn't interesting, but it paid well and had few occupational hazards, unlike her previous employment stints off of Chiroptera Nova.  Times were hard out in the wide galaxy, so she had returned home to familiar stomping grounds where mana was plentiful and the economy was booming.  It was a living, which was more than she'd be making anywhere else, thanks to domestic policy.

She blinked her large, predatory eyes when her silent message button illuminated.  She pressed her fingers against her energy panel and sent a bolt of energy to her contacts files.  A smile tugged at the corners of her lips when she saw who was messaging her from lightyears away.  Asta sent another flicker of energy to enable her video communications signal.

Her impossibly large eyes were blue with tiny flecks of silver glitter in them and they practically glowed with excitement.  Carefully, she fastened her face mask over her nose and mouth.  She had the distinctive thin metal mask that all Nova medical officials wore.  It covered her nose and mouth and fastened to two circular clips that were fastened into her thick lavender hair.  Both clips glowed, recording everything that was said.  One was for her own personal records, the other was for the Nova High Council's Medical Board.

On the other end of the galaxy, the face of retired Plumber Kevin Levin smiled back at her.  His dark eyes peered at her wrist.  Her employers were keeping her well fed.  He noticed the thick bracelet on her left hand and noted the three green bars that indicated she was running on a full charge...less likely to give in to temptation that way and more likely to respond to reason...and a good bribe.

"Asta!  Good to see they're taking care of you.  Hey, I was hoping you could stop by the house and take a look at my daughter, we need an expert's opinion on her,"

"Not to sound ungrateful, but surely there are other doctor's in closer proximity?" Asta asked, sounding uninterested in making a stop in the Terran system.

"None with your...qualifications and experience.  I'll make it worth your while, Asta.  I'll get you all the proper paperwork with no questions asked for legal transport.  No looking over your shoulder or anything like that.  I'll even pay you a little something, too,"

He turned his palm toward the screen and flashed what looked like a makeup compact.  There was a slight blink of magenta that flickered when he opened it caused Asta's interest to noticeably pique.  She unfastened one of the circular badges from her hair and put it down on the table.  She pressed a gloved finger to its surface and Kevin heard it power down.  Asta turned the second clip in her hair and her slender, clawed fingers twisted it to the left and the color within it shifted from white to lavender.

"How soon do you need me there?" she asked, sounding significantly more eager than she had earlier.

"Tomorrow afternoon would be best.  She isn't in very good shape,"

"You do realize where I am, don't you?" Asta asked.

"Of course, I wouldn't expect you to be anywhere else...which is why I'll double your payment if you agree to take the next shuttle out of the Anur system to the Peptos Quadrant,"

Asta's eyes glowed blue and a few points of light flickered off of her in a glowing aura.  She swallowed and the light died down.  She turned her government recording device back on.

"Mr. Levin.  I understand the nature of your family emergency and I will be on my way to take care of it to the best of my ability on behalf of the superior medical facilities of my homeworld,"

She winked at him.

Kevin nodded.

"I appreciate your generosity.  I'll be sending you travel documentaries momentarily.  See you tomorrow, Doctor,"

"See you tomorrow, Retired Magister Levin,"

Description
SHARDS:  Out of Network
By Invader-Hime

Asta Quaserstar scrolled through document after document and sorted them all into their respective folders on the large touchscreen monitor.  One by one, she pulled little blips of energy across the screen and dropped them into containment fields within the interface.  It wasn't interesting, but it paid well and had few occupational hazards, unlike her previous employment stints off of Chiroptera Nova.  Times were hard out in the wide galaxy, so she had returned home to familiar stomping grounds where mana was plentiful and the economy was booming.  It was a living, which was more than she'd be making anywhere else, thanks to domestic policy.

She blinked her large, predatory eyes when her silent message button illuminated.  She pressed her fingers against her energy panel and sent a bolt of energy to her contacts files.  A smile tugged at the corners of her lips when she saw who was messaging her from lightyears away.  Asta sent another flicker of energy to enable her video communications signal.

Her impossibly large eyes were blue with tiny flecks of silver glitter in them and they practically glowed with excitement.  Carefully, she fastened her face mask over her nose and mouth.  She had the distinctive thin metal mask that all Nova medical officials wore.  It covered her nose and mouth and fastened to two circular clips that were fastened into her thick lavender hair.  Both clips glowed, recording everything that was said.  One was for her own personal records, the other was for the Nova High Council's Medical Board.

On the other end of the galaxy, the face of retired Plumber Kevin Levin smiled back at her.  His dark eyes peered at her wrist.  Her employers were keeping her well fed.  He noticed the thick bracelet on her left hand and noted the three green bars that indicated she was running on a full charge...less likely to give in to temptation that way and more likely to respond to reason...and a good bribe.

"Asta!  Good to see they're taking care of you.  Hey, I was hoping you could stop by the house and take a look at my daughter, we need an expert's opinion on her,"

"Not to sound ungrateful, but surely there are other doctor's in closer proximity?" Asta asked, sounding uninterested in making a stop in the Terran system.

"None with your...qualifications and experience.  I'll make it worth your while, Asta.  I'll get you all the proper paperwork with no questions asked for legal transport.  No looking over your shoulder or anything like that.  I'll even pay you a little something, too,"

He turned his palm toward the screen and flashed what looked like a makeup compact.  There was a slight blink of magenta that flickered when he opened it caused Asta's interest to noticeably pique.  She unfastened one of the circular badges from her hair and put it down on the table.  She pressed a gloved finger to its surface and Kevin heard it power down.  Asta turned the second clip in her hair and her slender, clawed fingers twisted it to the left and the color within it shifted from white to lavender.

"How soon do you need me there?" she asked, sounding significantly more eager than she had earlier.

"Tomorrow afternoon would be best.  She isn't in very good shape,"

"You do realize where I am, don't you?" Asta asked.

"Of course, I wouldn't expect you to be anywhere else...which is why I'll double your payment if you agree to take the next shuttle out of the Anur system to the Peptos Quadrant,"

Asta's eyes glowed blue and a few points of light flickered off of her in a glowing aura.  She swallowed and the light died down.  She turned her government recording device back on.

"Mr. Levin.  I understand the nature of your family emergency and I will be on my way to take care of it to the best of my ability on behalf of the superior medical facilities of my homeworld,"

She winked at him.

Kevin nodded.

"I appreciate your generosity.  I'll be sending you travel documentaries momentarily.  See you tomorrow, Doctor,"

"See you tomorrow, Retired Magister Levin,"