CMDR KazukoHimura profile > Logbook

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Commander name:
Current ship:
FINA [AR-TS3]
(Type-9 Heavy)
 
Member since:
May 26, 2021
 
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0
 
Systems visited:
7,669
Systems discovered first:
1,989
 
Balance:
2,942,786,085 Cr
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After having multiple successful jobs in the reintegration program under her belt, a future stint at the Pilot’s Federation Academy in Matet, and having made plenty of strides in therapy-though a lot more work is still needed, it was finally time. The room that Kazuko picked out back when she was still known as Ichigo Shiyoni was to be hers no longer. She was going to move into her very own apartment! The paperwork was already finalized, she just needed to sign everything and make her selection-and of course, pack. Which is what she was doing now.

Regular clothing, flightsuits, various games and their devices, plushes, blankets, and her beloved puzzle box, all of them were neatly put into various suitcases, and said suitcases placed onto a cart. Kazuko took one last look at the room, a brief flash of the memory of her picking it out at the forefront of her mind. A melancholy smile formed on her face.

She let the psychiatric staff lead her, just like she did back then, onto the ship that would transfer her to the Wylair Verdure Center. The trip didn’t take long, due to both her current facility and the new one being on the same planet. Like back then, she was led off, and over to a large sprawling expanse of buildings. It didn’t take long for her to select an apartment, as while all of them could be awash in the eternal sunset of Keltim A5, this one had an amazing view through the window as well.

Once settled in, Kazuko had a ton of paperwork to attend to, both for her future schooling, and for the apartment, so she got to writing and signing, signing and writing. There was so much that her hand hurt by the end of it, and the datapad nearly got a groove in the shape of her signature on it. Shaking her writing hand out, Kazuko began to unpack her bags, hanging clothing and flight suits in the closet, blankets and plushes on the bed, everything else on a shelf or her nightstand or dresser. While she knew she’d have to pack all over again in a month or so, Kazuko wanted to at least have everything in place now, since she would be back eventually. Especially since to her, this apartment is now home.

From Employer to Friend (Collab with Kezika)

Having gotten quite a few jobs under her belt, Kazuko was now the main go-to for any inventory management tasks in the job program. She was to help retrieve cargo for another Cutter-the ship Arcus. Getting there was easy enough, and so was the trip to retrieve the cargo-but the people that were supposed to load the cargo on were delayed for reasons unspecified. Annoyed, Kazuko found a spot to rest in the cargo bay, opting to wait out the delay. Glancing upwards, she could see a woman with short hair holding a datapad standing in front of her. “Are you Kazuko Himura?” The woman asked, tapping away at the datapad. “I am.” Kazuko stated. “Are the dock workers here? Is there anything I can do while I wait for them if they’re not?” “Pleasure to meet you, I’m CMDR Kezika, care to come up to the CMDR quarters for some Fujin Tea and charcuterie, while we wait?” Kezika offered, which was met with an odd glance from Kazuko at first. Why such a friendly offer? She’s just temporary inventory management. She initially wanted to turn down the offer, since she didn’t exactly feel deserving of such a thing, but politeness-and hunger-won out. “Y-yeah, sure. Lead the way.”

Kezika led Kazuko up through the interior of the ship, swiftly reaching the CMDR quarters. Opening the door revealed a sprawling expanse of pure, distilled luxury. It looked more like a room from a mansion rather than simple quarters! Kazuko hesitantly followed after Kezika, taking a seat at a small table opposite her. Shortly after, Kezika’s butler brought both the aforementioned tea and charcuterie, and it took a ton of restraint for her to not just take the whole platter for herself. She sipped a bit from her cup of tea, at least once it was poured. An audible growl from her stomach prompted her to, in a hasty attempt to not seem like she’s deliberately not eating for some reason, fill her personal plate up with various cured meats. “Feel free to eat as much as you would like.” Kezika stated, having heard the grumbling. “I had my chef prepare it just for you since we’ll be here for a while waiting for this starport’s cargo loaders to get to us. In the meantime, what do you enjoy doing in your free time?” Kezika’s butler then set a small plate of charcuterie in front of her-inviting Kazuko to gently pull the rest of the tray towards herself. “Me?” She asked, between mouthfuls of food. “I play a lot of games, I guess. Been taking a liking to the ones set up in the facility’s entertainment rooms. Not to mention the puzzle box I’ve had for quite some time.” “Ah, yes, the Jaradharre Puzzle Box, exquisite programming on those.” Kezika mused. “Any specific games in the entertainment system you’re interested in?” “Anything that allows me to explore. Lately I’ve been playing a space flight simulator!” Kaz exclaimed, her eyes having lit up with excitement remembering the hours she spent engrossed in that particular game. “Ah, so you find piloting ships enjoyable? Have you given any consideration into it as a profession when complete with the reintegration program?” Kezika’s question made Kazuko nearly jump for joy.

“I have! I’ve always wanted to see what was out there. I’ve spent so long in just one place, I want to travel, I want to fly to new places! On my own terms, too! It’s like the ultimate form of freedom!” “Nice, well I can see about potentially getting you set up to attend the Pilot’s Federation Academy in Matet after you are discharged from your current program.” Kezika offered. Kazuko nearly cried tears of joy, but managed to stifle them back easily. “Thank you so much!” She exclaimed, barely able to say anything further, so she promptly opts to finish off the rest of her share of the food. Kezika waited to ask her next question until Kazuko had calmed down, and finished eating. “Sorry about that…” Kazuko trailed off once calming down. “Got a bit too excited there.” Her face was slightly tinted red with embarrassment. “Oh, excitement is wonderful! Any other games you enjoy? I personally enjoy some of the vintage World War Interim Era games.” Kezika added. Kazuko sighed in relief upon hearing the first part. “I think the other games I enjoy are from that era? A lot of old role-playing games that allowed you to connect with other people using something called The Internet.” She remarked.


After a bit of conversation for a while-and more food in Kazuko’s case, both Kazuko and Kezika were alerted to the fact that the dock workers have finally arrived, meaning this small meeting has to come to an end, marked by the arrival of Kezika’s butler.

“Ma’am, the cargo loaders have reported loading completion” He stated, speaking to Kezika. “Guess that means I have to head back.” She stated, turning to Kezika. “It was nice meeting you.”

“Ah yes indeed, and I must get the ship ready to launch and head back to Keltim, here is my contact card for you to keep in touch with,” Kezika stated, holding out said card, which Kazuko gently took. “Thanks-I’ll keep in touch!” She exclaimed, slowly getting up from her chair and leaving the quarters, ready to begin her job for real this time.

(Kezika wrote her side of the story!)

Placement End Disaster (Collab with Dirius)

(This particular story was written as if the two of us were roleplaying, I have left it as is for your reading convenience.)

Kazuko had been in the job placement system for only a couple months when an Imperial Cutter had docked at Alfven Orbital for an emergency-several crew members needed immediate medical attention. While she was certainly not a doctor, the amount of injured had left the crew short-staffed, giving Kazuko an opportunity for another placement. Her main task? Inventory management. Given that the facility she had been living at for all of her free life is on Keltim A5, the trip to the station was quick. Once on the station, she headed for the hangar that the Cutter, Midnight Sun, would be docked at, taking the elevator down.

“Great. Just what I need another babysitting job.” Grumbled Jay Garret, Chief of Security onboard the Midnight Sun. He was getting tired of babysitting his own subordinates, let alone some egg head that wasn't even a part of the crew. His next thought was abruptly cut off as the door to the elevator opened, revealing a very thin young woman. ‘They must be short on staff.. The patients are working’ Jay thought to himself. “Wow, she looks sick as-” a sharp pain in his side reminded him that his XO was with him to meet the loading team. Marcela Lamb, tough as nails and a temper that would make a DI or Gunnery Sergeant blush. Nobody but the Commander called her by her nickname “Mars”, unless they felt like being dressed down on the spot and put on cleaning detail.

Kazuko shielded her face and rolled her eyes upon hearing Jay’s remark about her. That certainly wasn’t the first time she’s heard a remark, and certainly not the last. At least it wasn’t someone claiming her thin stature was the reason she was staying in a psychiatric hospital-she swore if someone did that again she would deck them. After that hidden display of annoyance, she faced the two once more, awaiting orders.

“A pleasure to meet you”, Mars held a slate up, ignoring the display, and scrolled a few pages down.”Kazuko Himura, if you’ll please follow me I'll show you where you can send the supplies.” Mars directed a withering gaze towards Jay, ”This is Warrant Officer Jay Garret, he is the Chief of Security aboard the Midnight Sun and will be coordinating with you. His job is to verify that each container has the expected contents.” Jay nods dutifully and keeps his mouth firmly shut, a dull ache in his sides reminds him that his life could very well depend on it. If the rumors of his XO’s temper were even a smidge true. “I’ll have my men split up into the teams and check each Container you bring on as swiftly as possible. Just stay out their way and let them do their jobs, then you can do yours. Shouldn't take very long to finish this up.” he motions with his hand to a corner of the large hold. There were droves of military weapons and suits, hundreds of suits. All mounted on various platforms lining the corner of the hold, that was marked off very obviously when red painted lines, lights dotting them periodically. “Do not cross those lines, anyone that so much as touches those lines will be escorted off the ship. Make sure all of your group knows this. We are ready to take on cargo immediately, how soon can you start?”

Kazuko listened intently to introductions, explanations, instructions, etc., nodding the entire time. When asked how soon she could start, she had one reply. “As soon as possible, sir.” She was here to work, not to wait around, after all. Given her ‘upbringing’, just waiting around would cause her to be anxious of possible punishment, leading to her always needing to be doing something-and given that she just started, it’s not like she could ask someone if there were any tasks needing done, after all. But for now, she had to listen to Officer Jay Garret.


Kodiak stood brooding in front of a holo image. The INV Aurora, a missing Majestic Class Interdictor was displayed in its Imperial glory. Contact lost in 3304, no transmission, no debris, just a dead end. Kodiak let out a deep sigh and turned away to leave his quarters. There were some things he needed to check on. The new medical supplies should be in the process of being loaded by now, hopefully Jay isn't taking out his frustrations with his assignment on the help.

Kazuko had easily gotten to work, loading some of the lighter cargo, and taking inventory of it all. She seemed rather focused on her work, unless Jay got on her case for some reason or another, prompting rolling of eyes and the occasional snippy remark. This isn’t her first job, she didn’t need to be micromanaged, and she just wanted to Be. Left. Alone. Thankfully at this time, she was indeed being left alone, and was thus too busy meticulously checking and double checking everything.

Arriving in the cargo hold, Kodiak was surprised to see how fast the cargo was being loaded. All obviously under the direction of a single individual, an extremely gaunt and lanky girl with long, black hair tied in a ponytail. He figured that was the one he needed to touch base with and approached. “Hello, I'm Captain Kodiak, you must be the person in charge of this operation.”

Kazuko looked up upon hearing Kodiak’s voice. “I am. I’m Kazuko.” She stated, her voice rather quiet. “Everything is in order so far, there’s still more crates of supplies incoming.” She shifted her weight slightly, going over the datapad’s contents once more, her pale blue eyes slightly able to be seen from behind it.

“Do you need any special arrangements for the medical supplies? Are the containers refrigerated or do they need unloaded and put away?”, Kodiak seemed to realize he was being overbearing and stopped himself.

“All of these containers should be fine.” She stated, seeming a tad annoyed due to the overbearing-ness that she caught on. “Everything that needs refrigeration has been handled already.”

“Ah, I see!, well if you need anything specific contact my XO or me then.” Impressed by the professionalism he set off to continue his rounds on the ship.


Kazuko had finished off taking inventory, and had done so early-the next batch wasn’t going to arrive for another five or so hours! Having been told prior by Kodiak to contact either him or his XO, she set off looking for either of them. She had found Marcela Lamb, Kodiak’s XO first, but she had her own task she was dealing with, so Kazuko headed off to find Kodiak himself-her search lead her past the section of the cargo hold that had the long display of suits-she noticed one that looked much different from the rest. She’d examine it further, but doing so would require crossing the lines Jay told her not to cross-and she didn’t wish to deal with him again. Ignoring the suits for now, Kazuko made her way through the halls of the Midnight Sun, soon standing in front of a very important looking door.

Kodiak was deep in thought. He was about to make his next move in a long running chess game with an old friend he met back when he was just starting his career in the Emperor's navy. He hoped to finally score a win and end his 11-0 losing streak… When his thoughts were interrupted by a request to enter.

Once her request was granted, Kazuko nervously stepped inside Kodiak’s quarters. “I apologize for interrupting, but my tasks were finished early-next shipment isn’t going to arrive for five hours at minimum. Is there anything else that needs done?”

“I don't really have anything for you to do at this time. Despite what my Chief of Security said, we aren't in a hurry. ” his eyes just for an instant flicker to the image on the INV Aurora still on display. “We are waiting for our personnel to be well enough for duty again, and several other ships to rendezvous with us.”

Kazuko was internally relieved, grateful she’s not going to be punished for not doing anything. She nodded in understanding at his explanation, before briefly speaking up. “The same Chief of Security who nearly remarked upon my appearance?”

“I apologize for anything Jay might have said. He may not have a filter on that mouth of his, but he is the best at what he does.” He turns and stares towards the holo board displaying his doomed chess game and seems deep in thought.”Was there something else? You are free to explore the ship in your free time if you desire. Within reason of course.”

“Apology accepted. And there’s nothing else.” She awkwardly replied, initially intending to leave, but the holo-board caught her eye. It was rather clear she was intently watching said doomed chess game.

“You play?” noticing her shift in attention.

“A little, I guess.” she added.

“As you can probably see I'm a little hung up on a long running game” he gestures with dismay at the holoboard.

Kazuko intently studies the current holoboard setup, trying to see if there were any glaring weaknesses on the opponent’s side. “I think I might see something here…” she trailed off.


A week later was when the ships that Kodiak was waiting for had arrived, and when most, if not all, of his staff had recovered. The inventory management was complete, but not all was well, as Kazuko had not reported for her task…

(POV Shift)

I was deep into the most recent report regarding the missing ship. My slate had chimed a few times that I noticed, but I couldn't be bothered answering it. I was startled sometime later by a very aggressive knocking at my door, I knew no one would knock on their Captain's door like that save for one person, clearly this was important. Slightly alert I worked my way over to the door, of course now that I'm up and on my way…. The Emergency override is activated and my XO is looking around my cabin rapidly. I’m not sure what she was looking for but she obviously saw the look of confusion on my face.

“Is there a problem, Mars?” her eyes got larger almost as if she just realised what she did.

“I don’t know Captain, all of the cargo is loaded and put away but we haven't been able to find that woman to finalize the transfer.”

I saw her do one more quick sweep of my quarters and it dawned on me that she was expecting her to be here, playing a game or something. I suppose that's fair, she has been coming up here each day after her work was done.

“That’s strange, I’ll contact the facility and see if she was reassigned or simply busy” I sent off a message to the supervisor responsible, and followed Mars out of the room. I was so busy I hadn't noticed the time, it was well after the usual time she would show up. A push of a button I contacted Jay, asking if she was seen on or exiting the ship today. His response was immediate, she had indeed entered the ship and was allegedly still onboard. This was quickly becoming a serious matter, much more than just an unsigned document. Was she sabotaging something? Was a spy making her move? Was this at all related to the missing INV Aurora? So many questions, and as Captain it was my duty to think of all the possible scenarios. I ordered Mars to organize a squad of marines and search the areas of the ship that are off limits. I took another squad with me to the cargo hold.

We searched for what felt like a half hour and teams were checking the contents of various containers. I was collecting my thoughts with a short walk when Mars found me, she hadn't had any luck either. She didn't find any evidence of sabotage either, we were perplexed. “Are we sure she wasn't able to get off the ship without using the cargo hold?” Mars was just about to send another set of orders when, almost at the same time, we both noticed a still form draped over an open container that was wedged between two very large stacks of military style crates.The two of us hurried over, by the time we made it there i could hear another set of footsteps rapidly approaching. The chief of security was fast approaching, Mars and I accepted his help and began lifting the body checking for signs of life. I heard Jay catch his breath and mumble something under his breath, I soon saw what elicited that reaction. She was here, we found her. Paler than I remember, physically touching her made it clear that she was much skinnier than her uniform let on. It felt wrong, as if we had only found half of the woman that we had all become acquaintances with. Mars looked at me as if she had something to say when my slate went off.

“Sir, we can take it from here. Get to the bridge.” Mars’ face shone with conviction. That's what I loved about my XO, she had to be the best one in the Imperial Navy. I took one last look at the now-stranger in their arms. Enemy? Friend? Victim? I hadn't the time to find out, my fleet was here and we had a lead. We were headed to the Pleiades.

Her Improving Past

(Date: Unknown, Past entry 2/2) #1515 had gotten fairly accustomed to being in the hospital-she got food when hungry, water when thirsty, relief when in pain. Though deemed fully recovered from the initial state she was found in, there were still some nutritional deficiencies needed to be addressed, as well as the clear trauma and lack of skills courtesy of where she came from. All three of these would take time, and the latter two were things that the hospital was not geared to handle.

#1515 only became aware of this when the screen by her bed lit up, and 5 other faces showed upon it, two of which she recognized. One of them was the nice lady who talked to her several times over her stay, having heard all of #1515’s confessions regarding her treatment. The other was the doctor who checked in on her and examined her from time to time. The other 3 were complete strangers.

“What’s going on…?” was the only thing #1515 could even say, she was admittedly a bit frightened and confused. “Good afternoon.” The calm voice she recognized was the first to be heard. She introduced herself as Kay. #1515 couldn’t read the names on the screen below their pictures, so she was grateful for them being told to her-at least for the people she didn’t know, as she’s spoken to Kay several times. The doctor she knew introduced himself as Victor shortly afterwards. The others, an important looking man and woman, called themselves Torvald and Akhila, respectively. A third woman called herself Chiyo. “I guess you can call me #1515…” was the only thing #1515 could say. She had no idea what was happening, so she just mimicked what the others were doing. “#1515…” Chiyo mused. “Is it okay if we call you something else? Ichigo, perhaps.” “Why?” #1515 asked. She was confused as to why she was being given a name. “Everyone deserves a name, after all.” Kay added. “In addition, after what you have told me over our many discussions, there is a place that can help you greatly-and you’ll need a name there.” “A new… master?” #1515 asked, her face falling. She feared her time of freedom had come to an end. “No, no, of course not!” Akhila exclaimed. “There is much, much more to life than slavery, and where you are going to go will show you that. Would you like to see some of the rooms?”

#1515 stared at the screen in confusion still. What were these people talking about? Why couldn’t they just tell her who she was working for now and get it over with? She hesitantly nodded. The squares containing the video feeds of the five people moved, making way for a larger screen, showing various photos of a large room with an empty bed-that looked quite soft, with soft colors painted on the walls. A large window took up one of the walls near the bed, showing a lovely view of the night sky. #1515’s eyes widened in awe, and her thin, bony fingers brushed up against the holo-screen when she got a good view of said night sky, but they passed right through. Other rooms were shown as well, fairly similar in contents, the main difference being where the furniture is placed, or the color of the walls. “Am I allowed to choose?” #1515 asked timidly. “Of course.” Chiyo answered, smiling warmly. “Ichigo, if you are alright with me calling you that, you have as much of a right to choose what you want as everyone else that is present here. All of us want to help you, and in order for us to do so, we think you should be moved to an environment that would help you heal.”

After some hesitation, #1515...no...Ichigo finally spoke. “It’s… nice to be given a name.” She replied. “But I have two questions.” “Go ahead, Ichigo.” Torvald stated. “I was told that I’m already in an environment that helps me heal. Why do I have to move?” Having those two seemingly conflicting statements only confused Ichigo more. “Where you are now was to help heal your body. Now it is time to heal your mind.” Victor explained. “We have done all we could to help you at this hospital.” “Oh.” Ichigo stated. “But who will I be working for?” “Nobody.” Chiyo reassured her softly. “Your time as a slave is over, Ichigo. Now it’s time for you to rest, heal, and learn.” A hesitant smile formed on Ichigo’s face, almost as if her expressions were forced, or if she was frightened of showing emotions. But one thing was clear for her, she was relieved. Even with the nightmares still haunting her, things were getting better.


The Adder that Ichigo was riding on slowly descended onto the facility’s flight pad, and once fully secured, she was led out by the paramedics. A couple staff members then led Ichigo into the rehabilitation center. Immediately she began glancing around at the polished interior, the eternally setting sunlight reflecting onto the pale colored floor tile, bathing everything in an orange hue. It almost made Ichigo want to twirl around with her arms extended, despite the fact she was still feeling fatigued due to malnutrition. But not knowing if that was alright to do kept her frozen in place, partially hidden behind the two psychiatric staff. Another individual led the three into a small side room, containing a long table and some chairs, a datapad resting at the head of the table. The third individual took the datapad as she sat down, the others-and then Ichigo, when gently prompted-followed suit.

Ichigo only really picked up that her full name was “Ichigo Shiyoni”, as discussed with Chiyo prior to her discharge from the hospital, as she kept staring out the nearby window during the conversation between the staff members. She couldn’t help but watch in awe at small things such as a breeze lightly blowing through the grass, how the leaves on the trees were the same vibrant green, or even other ships landing and taking off in the distance. Ichigo was snapped out of her trance by a single question: “Well, Ichigo, this is going to be your new home. Would you like us to show you around?”

Ichigo was then led down a small hallway by the two staff members, and out a door, which revealed what looked like a small neighborhood of sorts, several buildings that looked like long houses scattered about, peppered with trees, bushes, and even a few other buildings. A small pond lay nestled between two lopsided hills, reflecting the eternally orange sky. Both staff members showed Ichigo that the many doors of the ‘long houses’ led to different rooms, much like the ones she was shown over the screen. Her heart was initially set on the one she first saw while back in the hospital, but upon seeing one where the walls were practically bathed in sunlight, and was arranged to allow for a large open floor, Ichigo immediately caved, wanting that particular room-which was granted to her in a heartbeat. She was told that the room would be prepared just for her, which Ichigo questioned. “Why are you doing all of this for me…?” she asked, her voice still as small and quiet as ever. “There’s no locking doors, there’s so much room…” “Room for you to grow.” One of the staff members that was escorting her explained. “And locking you in a room accomplishes nothing.” Ichigo opted to accept that answer despite having a reasonable-to-her counterpoint.

She was soon led around the outdoor grounds, shown various places for different sorts of outdoor activities, including the pond. Ichigo shuddered upon seeing her reflection in it, as she had not seen how horrifically gaunt and ragged-looking she really was up until now, despite some surfaces in the slaver ship being reflective. She was reassured with a pat on her shoulder before being led in and out of various buildings, showing different indoor activities, as well as various necessities. A delicious smell permeated the air of the hallways in the large center building upon entry, and Ichigo realized just how hungry she was. However, she didn’t wish to admit it, as she’s had it drilled into her that she only got so many rations a day. When she and the others passed a basket filled with assorted snacks, Ichigo nabbed an item from it, trying her hardest to hide it from any prying eyes. She felt horrible that she had to resort to stealing food, but Ichigo was desperate at this point.

Before Ichigo could even enjoy her newly plundered food, her stomach grumbled audibly, reminding her-and anyone nearby-that she hadn’t eaten since she was on the ship en route to the facility. This prompted the staff with her, and a couple nearby, to notice her. Ichigo mentally cursed-something a girl her age shouldn’t do, but being on a slaver ship exposes one to some rather adult language-as now not only is it clear she stole food, but her own body embarrassed her at that. She hesitantly held out the packaged snack with a sheepish look on her face, her cheeks tinted red. “Ichigo, it’s okay.” One of the staff reassured her. “All of those snacks are for you. If I had known you were hungry, we’d have taken you to the cafeteria, and gotten you something to eat.” “I-I didn’t want to bother-” Ichigo stammered, only to be cut off. “No, it’s not a bother at all. Come, let’s get you a good meal.” Ichigo certainly followed, munching on her snack the entire way. Though once in the cafeteria, there were so many different options for food that she was nigh-unable to choose, and the fact she was still downright ravenous despite having something small earlier wasn’t helping matters. Eventually she settled on a warm bowl of soup, as that was something familiar to her-albeit with more than just broth this time.

Once she was done eating, the remainder of the tour continued, and Ichigo was led back to what would now be her room-and was told a surprise was waiting for her inside. She eagerly opened the door, to find that sitting on the bed was a cube-shaped object, with a bow neatly tied around it. Ichigo gently picked it up, looking over it with a curious gaze. “That is a Jaradharre Puzzle Box.” A staff member explained. “It will make any game you desire to play, and will customize itself over time, making it truly yours-and nobody can claim otherwise.” If Ichigo wasn’t repressing most of her emotions, she would have cried tears of joy right there, as having an object of any kind to call ‘hers’ meant she was a person now, and not property.

Eventually, the staff members had left, and when Ichigo was sure she was alone, she extended her arms above her head and twirled around in the large empty space...only to stumble and fall after about 10 seconds courtesy of still feeling fairly weak.


Ichigo had been living at this particular facility for a year now, and was making quite a few strides. She now knew how to read and write, and had caught up in other academic matters, but socially she was still struggling. Thankfully she was able to be easily taken out into the general public after her first month, as research revealed that her slavers thought she was deceased, and never bothered to look for her-she was not told who was responsible for her enslavement, to prevent further trauma. Though despite most of these strides, she still had the parasite and its symptoms to contend with, including slow growth. The only reason she was able to still match other children in height was the fact that while enslaved-which was essentially the first eight years of her life-she was raised in zero gravity. As a result, she was not just unhealthily skinny, but lanky.

Ichigo was in a routine therapy appointment with Chiyo, her therapist, when she was asked a peculiar question. “Ichigo, are you ready for a permanent name?” “I thought Ichigo was my permanent name.” Ichigo replied, a perplexed look on her face. “While we did name you when you came here, it was only temporary-we fully intend for you to choose your own name-as you are your own person.” Ichigo thought about it for a moment before replying. “Where did you come up with my current name?” “An old language from before the third World War on Earth.” Chiyo began to explain. “The culture that spoke this language seemed to enjoy wordplay, to the point that numbers could be turned into names, and names into numbers. You came to us from a numbered star system, only designated by a number. I was able to turn those numbers into a name.” Ichigo listened, her eyes wide in awe. When it was just her and Chiyo, she was able to fully show her emotions-and was encouraged to do so regardless of who she was with or where, though that was extremely difficult for Ichigo to do. “I would like to do the same with my first name.” Ichigo stated, a slightly awkward smile on her face. “Hmm…” Chiyo trailed off. “Kazuko is another name that can come out of the number 15. It also has many other meanings, such as “One child” or “Harmony Child”” Ichigo...no...Kazuko nodded eagerly, before speaking up once more. “For my last name...I’m not sure. It’s cool that my temporary one shows where I came from, but..” “You don’t wish to risk it leading to you being found again, right?” Chiyo calmly asked. “Even if that risk is extremely low, I’d rather you have that extra peace of mind.” “Yeah...that. I did come from a red ship though. I was told that the wreckage was of a red painted ship-and some of the areas inside were red, too.” Upon hearing that, Chiyo browsed through a file on her datapad. “The closest I could find is Himura-meaning “Scarlet Village”” Kazuko spoke her new name-Kazuko Himura-aloud a couple of times, before tearing up. “I...I love it…” she choked out. Kazuko held her head up high when that appointment was finished, as having a permanent name meant personhood to her, too.


When Kazuko was much older, the facility she had been staying at for her entire free life was bought by a different company. With that came many changes for her, starting with the fact that that was the highest amount of new faces she’s seen in a short period of time. Second off, the games she loved so much that allowed her to immerse herself into large worlds only grew more numerous, second only to her beloved puzzle box. Third, and most importantly, it was time for her to become more independent. While she still struggled socially to a degree, and still had some difficulties medical-wise, she was able to possibly move into the next level of care-which was her own little apartment, in a way. Several people came by with loads of forms to sign and fill out to get the process started-which could take some time. In addition, it was time for her to learn additional life skills, so she started applying for a special job program that gave people like her work experience and valuable skills. More paperwork, but more progress, having come so far from the frightened child escaping a red ship, with nothing to her number for a name.

Her Painful Past

(Date: Unknown, Past entry 1/2) The alert tones, sirens, and lights flashing weren’t what caused #1515 to break focus, as the ship she was forced to work on was occasionally attacked, and sometimes had components temporarily stop working. What broke her focus, however, was the prison door opening, signaling a systems failure so catastrophic that everyone must evacuate. With the doors open, #1515 ran, worn magboots clanking as she immediately searched for a way out-and hiding from anyone else who might spot her. She was NOT going down with this ship, not now, not EVER. #1515 recalled seeing some escape pods in one of the cargo bays she was assigned to work in, so she ran there as fast as her legs could carry her.

Gasping for breath, #1515 finally made it to the cargo bay in question, just as the ship began to plummet. With her lungs screaming for oxygen, she darted over to the first unoccupied escape pod, and climbed inside, hoping that she would be found as it was closed.


The next thing that #1515 knew, she had spilled out of the escape pod onto a soft surface that she couldn’t easily identify, and there was something in her lungs that wasn’t air. Immediately clapping her hands over her mouth, #1515 coughed violently, the offending fluid seeping between her skeletal fingers. Even when she could finally breathe normal air again, she shivered, cold and soaked to the bone. She wearily glanced around as she brushed a lock of short, black hair out of her field of vision, pale blue eyes unfocused and glazed over. #1515 could hear voices, see disjointed shapes, but none of it made sense. Where was she? What is happening?

“Can you hear us?”

“Hey, kid! Can you hear us?”

#1515 could hear them, but the words held no meaning, echoing in her head. The adrenaline was wearing off quickly, and her emaciated body couldn’t manage consciousness much longer. #1515, the young child who escaped her cruel masters, felt herself falling back to the soft surface from before, and then nothing at all.


#1515 woke up lying on another soft surface-well, softer than slave allotted beds-covered in strange cables and tubes, some which she was tethered to. Odd sounds could be heard from the machinery surrounding her, and something was covering her mouth. Yet, she could still breathe easily. Despite this, and despite feeling a bit less weak, #1515 was trembling. She didn’t know where she was, who brought her here, what they wanted with her, anything. For all she knew she’d be delivered right back where she came from...wherever that was. There was a lot of red on the interior, but that was all she knew of note.

#1515 was reassured by medical staff that she was safe, and they were there to help her. She was brought a small bowl of a warm liquid that smelled good, and encouraged to drink it. #1515 certainly did, and it tasted much better than the tasteless, chalky squares she’s had for as long as she can remember. In addition, it was much more filling than those nasty squares. This surprised #1515, but also left her quite relieved, as she didn’t know whether the constant hunger she had lived with for years would finally come to an end. Vocalizing this lead to #1515 being given an impromptu visit from a lady that asked her all sorts of questions about herself, where she came from, etc. All of these questions were answered honestly, but with plenty of hesitation (and encouragement that everything will be ok). #1515 eventually opened up completely, though the process took several days. She spoke with a distance in her eyes, an almost robotic tone, and an occasional waver in her voice, tearing up near the end no matter how hard #1515 fought her own emotions. But what she said made one thing clear-she had been enslaved her entire life.


Even after deemed able to eat solid foods, and even after being deemed physically recovered from her ordeal, #1515 still dealt with frequent hunger, and an increased appetite. This required tests to be run on her, requiring her to stay in the hospital for longer. The results revealed that there were more damages done by her ordeal than expected-permanent ones, in fact. #1515 was told that there was something in her body called a parasite, and that it was making her hungrier than usual-and that it couldn’t be removed without making her very sick. Upon hearing that, she began to weep, tearfully confessing that one of her first memories was being forced to swallow a plant worm thing, for doing something she can’t even recall. #1515 also admitted to having nightmares of that very moment and the subsequent hunger that plagued her for so long. Both of these things only solidified that she needed assistance beyond what the hospital could handle.