Cowboy Bebop Fan Fiction ❯ Fantaisie Sign ❯ Planet Earth Is Blue, And There's Nothing I Can Do ( Chapter 3 )

DISCLAIMER: Cowboy Bebop and its characters are owned by the anime companies that made them, and not by me.

Author's Note: This fanfic is in the first-person style, with the POV being Edward's for all but a few chapters (and when the POV is different, I won't switch mid-chapter, the whole chapter will be like that). I've never even attempted doing something like this before, so bear with me.

French Note: For the few French language bits in this fic, I'll be using Babelfish. So pardon my French. ^_^

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"Francoise, wake up... it's your big day, remember?"

I opened my eyes and sat up... dad was calling me Francoise again. Ah well!

"Morning already, Daddy?" I asked him. My dad was sitting at the foot of my sleeping bag, smiling warmly at me.

"It's 7:30 right now... first shuttle to Neo-Paris leaves at noon. I'd say that with security check-ins and everything, you should probably get to the spaceport about ten so you don't miss your flight," he said.

"I see..."

I flopped back down onto my pillow. I still had two and a half hours... and I was still tired.

"Francoise, you should probably get up... I'm making a big breakfast for you!" he said. I sat up.

"Big... breakfast for Edward?" I replied, blinking my eyes. He nodded, and I quickly crawled out of my sleeping bag. "How big?"

"Well, come see!" he said eagerly. "C'mon!"

I quickly followed my dad as he slid off the edge of the trailer onto the hood of the truck, then leaped off. I did the same, and began to look around.

"It's inside the trailer," he said, pointing to the door. "I just finished making it, so it'll be piping hot!"

Grinning, I ran inside the trailer and gasped.

"Oh my goodness.... look at all of this food!" I exclaimed. There, all laid out before me on the small table next to the couch, was a heaping plate of pancakes dripping with butter and syrup, a large plate of sausages and bacon, and a large, steaming bowl of scrambled eggs. Next to all of the food was a pitcher filled with orange juice, and a tall glass to pour it in.

"Like it?" he asked me.

"Like it? Ed loves it!" I shouted jubilantly, running to the table and picking up a fork. I dove into the food, eating the pancakes first, since they were my favorite. Daddy really hadn't always been a good cook... when I moved in full-time with him it took him a while to get the hang of cooking, but he became rather skilled at it, and we split the cooking duties. I will say that the breakfast he'd prepared for me that morning was easily the best I'd ever had!

"Glad you enjoy it, sweetie..." he said.

Briefly stopping my feeding frenzy, I turned my head toward daddy.

"Daddy... you really didn't have to do this," I said sweetly. "I mean... Edward loves this food, but-"

"Francoise, it's your last meal here for a while, right? So I wanted to make it a really, really good one... I got up at four in the morning and walked out to the nearest store, then-"

"It's okay, daddy!" I said, giggling slightly. "Thank you, really... you DID get something for yourself though, right?"

A look of surprise crossed his face, and I immediately knew that he hadn't.

"Uh, actually...."

"You can have some of Edward's food, okay?" I said, offering some of my breakfast to him. "Edward is getting kinda full anyway..."

"No, no, that's fine," my dad said. "It's all for you, okay? I'll just whip up some leftovers for breakfast or something-"

"No, no, that will not do!" I said, smiling. "Take Edward's food, take it, okay?"

He smiled back.

"Well... I guess all that cooking made me hungry..." he said, pulling up a small chair and sitting across from me at the table. "Thanks, Francoise."

"Don't mention it!" I said. "Now let's eat!"

---

We quickly finished off the remainder of the breakfast. I wanted to help daddy with the dishes, but he insisted that I go and rest. I went to my room and looked in my closet for a suitable outfit for my journey.

"What to wear, what to wear...."

Opening my closet, I quickly picked out a cute looking dark blue turtleneck and a light blue pair of denim jeans. I took off my pajamas from last night and put the turtleneck and the jeans on, then put on a pair of shoes. Then, I picked up my suitcases and walked back out into the kitchen, where my dad was still busy with the dishes.

"You know, Francoise..." he said, "you wore blue pajamas last night, and you're wearing blue clothes now. You're not sending some kinda subliminal messages to me, are you?"

"Daddy, you know I'll miss you..." I told him. "Maybe Edward is feeling a bit blue...."

Was I feeling blue? It was pretty rare for me to feel sad, I was usually happy... I was angry more often than I was sad, actually, and I hardly ever get angry at all! I really was going to miss daddy, though...

"Well, you know you'll be able to call here anytime you want," he said reassuringly. "I'll take the videophone with me everywhere I go!"

"You won't be able to plug it into the truck, daddy..." I reminded him, frowning slightly.

"I'll get a cellular videophone then!" he said. "Those are-"

"A lot of money," I told him again. My frown turned into a smile. "Don't worry about it! We'll be able to talk with each other a bunch!"

"You're right," my dad told me. "Every single day, Francoise, I promise!"

"Yaaaaay!" I exclaimed, clapping my hands together. "You know something... Edward doesn't feel blue anymore! Edward is happy!"

Daddy smiled. I think we were both feeling blue there for a while....

---

"Remember, every single day-day, okay?" I said to my dad as we stood outside the entrance to the spaceport.

"I'll call every day, I promise!" my dad replied. "I know you'll get into that college, Francoise!"

"Edward will call you as soon as she finishes her interview!" I promised. "Bye, daddy!"

"Bye...."

And then, his expression softened. His eyes began to water slightly... and so did mine. We both knew this would happen... my dad didn't care though, and even though I'd never seen him cry, he didn't look like he minded me seeing him now. He brushed a tear from my cheek.

"You know I'm gonna miss you... Edward," he said, calling me Edward for only the second time since... well, since ever. "Have a good time for me, okay? I'll miss you so much..."

"I'll miss you too, daddy..." I said, embracing him. Then, I sniffled. "I'll be back soon..."

The embrace ended, and he slowly began to walk away.

"Goodbye, Edward.... take care...." he said. He slowly got into his truck, then drove away as I waved to him.

I hadn't seen a single tear fall down his face, but I knew he felt like crying... we'd probably see each other again in six, maybe seven days... but I really, really didn't want to leave my dad... and yet, I felt something... something strange, and yet familiar. For the first time in nearly four years, I was truly on my own....

---

Brushing away the last of my tears, I ventured into the spaceport. It was bustling with activity, mostly outgoing tourists from Earth, but a few from other planets and satellites, most of them crater-hunting thrill seekers looking to spot a meteor shower. And of course, there were always bounty hunters, looking to make their fortunes catching fugitives who were hiding out on Earth's desolate surface.

"Whoa..." I said, looking around in bewilderment while holding my two suitcases, one in each hand. "This place is really busy..."

The first place I stopped was the cash machine, a small electronic kiosk placed against the wall near the entrance. Several of them were lined up in a row, and people would walk up to them and quickly deposit or withdraw their cash. I walked up to a kiosk, set down my suitcases, and pulled my money card from my pocket. I knew my dad had put 10,000 wulongs on the card for food and other amenities... I had looked up the college's website again and learned that they had a temporary dormitory reserved for touring students, so I knew where I'd stay. I swiped the card through the machine and gazed at the display.

"Lessee, I have... 1,013,776 wulongs?" I gasped in disbelief, staring at the machine in shock. I only expected to have the 65,000 wulongs from Faye-Faye and my dad, and then a few more that I already had on the card. "And a message from Faye-Faye..."

I tapped the touch-screen to activate the message. A small window popped up on the screen with Faye-Faye's face on it. She began speaking.

"Ed, I was going to send you 55,000 for the ticket, but then I realized that your dad... I mean, he loves you and all, but he's poor and he wouldn't be able to give you much money. And you're going to Paris! I mean, the bright lights, the fine cuisine, the sexy French men... um, well, if you're into that.... anyway, I sent you a million wulongs! I've got plenty, so... don't even think about paying me back, I won't take it, it's all yours, Edward! Congratulations!"

The window disappeared. I smiled.

"Thank you, Faye-Faye..."

Taking my card from the machine, I picked up my two suitcases and headed over to the security checkpoint. I put my card back in my pocket and smiled at the security official.

"Well, hello there, little lady!" he said in a friendly tone. "We need to check your bags, so just set them down on the conveyor belt and walk this way, please!"

"Okey dokey mokey pokey!" I said, smiling sweetly at him. I'd definitely have to stop talking like that during the interview with New Parisian Liberty's dean of admissions, but for now, I could just be myself. I walked through the metal detector, which remained silent as I passed through and walked to the end of the conveyor belt. After my bags were scanned, I picked them up and walked over to another smiling security official. This time, it was a young woman.

"Please place your bags on the table for a standard manual security inspection!" she said in a kind tone. I placed my two suitcases on the table. "Now just head to the waiting room and you can pick up your luggage in about fifteen minutes."

---

An hour later, I was still in the waiting room.

"What's going on?" I said to myself. "What could be taking them so long to check Edward's suitcases?"

I hadn't packed anything that could be considered contraband... no weapons, no drugs... only some clothes, a toothbrush, some other little trinkets, and my Tomato...

"Uh oh... Tomato!"

What if they'd found the hacking files? I'd never been caught hacking before... I knew it was a crime, but I'd never hurt anyone...

"Tomato?" asked a small boy sitting in the chair next to me, evidently having overheard me before. "You like tomatoes?"

Just then, the door opened. Two gruff-looking male security officials appeared at the door.

"Miss Appledelhi," said one of them sternly, "you should come with us."

"Is there something wrong?" I asked meekly, standing up. "Uh oh... Edward is in big trouble now..."

"Just a couple of questions," the other official said. "Then you'll probably be on your way."

I was slightly relieved, but I knew that a 'couple of questions' could easily turn into a long, exhausting inquisition... I had less than an hour until my shuttle left! I could miss my flight! I followed the officials down several narrow hallways into a small, secluded room. Then I started worrying again... these were two guys, and I was just a young, 18-year-old girl... I knew I'd be ready to defend myself, though. My dad had taught me most of his moves... if these two guys tried anything, they'd have to deal with Radical Edward!

"Right in there, ma'am," the first official directed.

I walked into the room, and the door was closed behind me, the officials staying outside. Well, at least I wouldn't have to worry about them... The room was dark, lit only by the dim glow of a hanging light, which shone a dim glow on the large, brown table under it. The only two people in the room besides me were a brown-haired woman who looked to be about in her thirties, sitting behind the only table in the room and wearing a neatly-pressed blue trenchcoat. A tall, white-haired man who appeared twice her age was standing next to her, wearing a gray trenchcoat. They directed me to sit at the table, across from them. I did as I was told, and noticed a familiar object on the table... my computer.... my Tomato. My heart began pounding.

"Francoise Appledelhi... is that correct?" the woman said, asking my name. I nodded. "Alright then, let's make this quick."

The elderly man walked around the table and stood behind my chair. I began to sweat nervously as he pointed at my computer.

"Open it up," the man ordered. I opened my computer and noticed that it had been turned on. "We've detected the presence of several... programs on your computer, Miss Appledelhi."

"The hacking programs," I told him. I wanted to be completely honest with both of these people as much as possible... maybe if I told them everything, they'd let me off easy... oh, I couldn't go to jail! I'd never get to go to college... and dad would be so disappointed with me...

"Yes, those," the woman said. "They're quite advanced, you know. A few clicks and you'd be able to take down a whole infrastructure."

"Edward would never do that..." I said, immediately realizing that I should've probably referred to myself as Edward in the presence of these officials.... "These people won't put up with my usual self..."

"Edward?" the man asked. "Who's that?"

"You see, Edward is-"

"You mean Radical Edward?" the woman asked, cutting me off. "The legendary hacker, Radical Edward?"

"Oh my gosh, they think Edward is referring to someone else!" I thought happily, immediately formulating a story for these two officials. Honesty was officially out. "This is Edward's big chance!"

I nodded.

"Edward is.... my boyfriend," I told the woman. "I was taking this computer back to him, and-"

"So you know Radical Edward?" the old man asked me. "Then you could be of use to us."

"Please don't arrest me!" I pleaded. "I could take you to Radical Edward!"

"Guess you're pretty eager to make a deal then," the woman said sternly. "If you take us to Radical Edward so we can arrest him, you'll be relieved of all charges."

"Really?" I said happily. "All of them?"

"That's right," the woman said. "Which are.... um..."

"Aiding and abetting a known fugitive by knowingly delivering an illegal piece of contraband, punishable by up to 30 days in prison and a fine of up to 350,000 wulongs," the man said.

"Well, that was easier than Edward thought it would be... wait a minute, when Ed takes these swoooookie police people to wherever Edward takes them and they realize that there is no Radical Edward, then Edward will be in big trouble...."

There was no other option... I'd have to make a run for it. I didn't want to, but-

"Look over there, it's a criminal!" I shouted, pointing to the corner of the room. They briefly glanced toward the corner, and I quickly grabbed Tomato and make a break for it. By the time they realized they'd been duped, which was only a second (they were pretty smart detective-persons), I was running out the door. They quickly gave chase, following me down the narrow hallways through which I'd came before and dashing after me as I ran out into a crowded lobby.

"Where'd she go?" the woman asked.

"Dammit, we're gonna lose her!" the man shouted. I quickly dashed inside a small room and slammed the door, locking it behind me. There, on a small table, I found my two suitcases, lying open. All of my stuff was still there, and I breathed a sigh of relief.

"Whew..." I said, placing my computer into one of the suitcases and closing them both. "That was a very very close one for Edward..."

Picking up my suitcases, I carefully gazed out into the lobby. The two officials were nowhere to be found. I casually strolled out into the lobby and merged with a large group, being careful that there was no way they could find me, even if they were still around looking for me.

"Attention, attention, Spaceflight 5485 to Neo-Paris will be departing from Gate 29 in 15 minutes," said a female voice over the PA system. "Repeat, Spaceflight 5485..."

"My flight's leaving!" I thought to myself. "Hurry time now!"

I dashed out of the crowd and ran toward the departure gates, my suitcases in hand.

"Twenty-four, Twenty-five, twenty-six, twenty-seven, twenty-eight... Gate 29, there it is!"

I dashed through the gate. There, I saw it... the shuttle that would carry me out to the stars once more... and to Neo-Paris. The shuttle was a large vehicle that strongly resembled the large jet planes which dad had shown me on Earth, saying that they used to carry people around in the 20th Century. The main difference was the large rocket boosters in the back of the shuttle, as opposed to the engines on the jets. I walked up to the shuttle's entrance and was greeted by a friendly-looking female flight attendant.

"Hello, and thank you for flying Terra Shuttles today!" the woman said. "Please present your ticket."

I gasped. In all the turmoil from the chase, I'd completely forgotten to buy my ticket!

"Um.... you see..."

"You do have a ticket, right?" the woman asked.

"I sort of.... forgot to buy one," I admitted.

"I see," the woman said, frowning. "Well, you know the rules. No ticket, no-"

"We've got an extra ticket!" said a woman behind me. I turned around to see a well-dressed middle-aged woman standing behind me, holding up a ticket. Standing next to her, holding her hand, was the small boy who had sat next to me in the waiting room. "My husband couldn't come, so we've got an extra ticket..."

"It's the tomato girl!" the boy said, smiling and waving up at me. "Hi! Hi, tomato girl!"

I smiled back at him.

"Tomato girl?" the woman asked. "Well, anyway, you've got enough money, right? It's a first-class round-trip ticket, I'll sell it to you for the same price I got it for. 120,000 wulongs, is that okay?"

I nodded and took out my card. She pulled out a small device, and I entered 120,000 wulongs into the device's small keypad, then swiped my card, transferring 120,000 wulongs over to her account. Then, she handed me the ticket.

"Thank you," I told the woman.

"You're welcome, young lady," the woman replied. "You seem like a sweet girl!"

"Tomato girl! Tomato girl!" the boy said, jumping up and down. The woman and her child boarded the plane. I handed the flight attendant my ticket and did the same, stepping on board the shuttle.

"If Faye-Faye hadn't given Edward that extra money, Edward wouldn't have had enough to buy that lady's ticket!" I thought to myself. This day was turning out to be one narrowly averted disaster after another... I hoped Neo-Paris wouldn't be like that...

---

After taking my seat in the richly decorated first-class area, I leaned back in my seat and looked up at the ceiling. The woman who had given me her ticket, and her child were seated next to me in the row of three seats.

"So, why are you going to Neo-Paris?" the woman asked.

"Well, Edward is.... I am going to Neo-Paris to interview for admission into New Parisian Liberty College," I said, stopping myself from referring to... myself as Edward. I guess I was gradually going to start phasing out my Ed-speak to prepare for my interview... well, for a little while, anyway.

"NPLC?" the woman said. "That's the finest college in the city, you know."

"Well, I really hope I get in!" I told her eagerly. "That's where my mother went to college...."

"It's where my husband went," the woman said. "We live in Neo-Paris. My husband had to run a few errands back on Earth, so he'll catch another flight."

"I see...."

"All passengers, this is your captain speaking. We'll be taking off in just a few minutes, so put your seatbelts on and get ready for takeoff."

I sat back up in my chair and put on my seatbelt, making sure that it was tight.

"This your first time in space?" the woman asked.

"Oh, no, no, no," I told her. "I've been to space lots of times... I've actually lived in space!"

"Really?" the woman asked, becoming more interested in what I was saying. "Did you enjoy it?"

"Sure, Edward loves space!" I said, smiling. Oops. Guess old habits die hard... but I really didn't want any of these old habits to die. Edward Wong Hau Pepelu Tivuruski the 4th was a part of me...

"Edward?" the woman said incredulously. "Who's Edward?"

"Tomato girl! Tomato girl!" the boy chanted, clapping his hands and smiling. I smiled back at him. Edward wasn't just a part of me... she was me.

"Edward is.... Edward," I told her. "Edward is me!"

"Oh," the woman replied, smiling again. "That's your name?"

I nodded. Just then, the shuttle's thrusters began to fire up.

"Woooooo!" the boy shouted. "Blast off time!"

"I always thought Lukey would be scared of blastoffs, but he loves them," the woman said, smiling. "He's a lot less nervous than I am...."

The boy continued to clap his hands as our shuttle lifted off into space. I gazed out my window and saw the Earth growing smaller and smaller as we left the surface and journeyed into space.

"Passengers, it's the captain again. We've just lifted off, and we should be reaching the gate in about forty-five minutes, at which time after we pass through the gate we should reach Neo-Paris in twenty minutes, giving you a total flight time of just over an hour. We hope you enjoy your flight today, and thank you for flying with Terra Shuttles."

So that was it... in a little more than an hour, I'd be in Neo-Paris. I'd have four days to hang around the city before my interview and tour at the college, and I wondered how I'd pass those four days. I had plenty of money thanks to Faye-Faye, so I could pretty much do anything I wanted... it looked like the sky, and the stars would be the limit. I'd find something to do.

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Well, that's it for chapter 3! I think it's the single best chapter I've ever written of anything before... what did you guys think? Please review!