Yan Sun slides the hologram closer to Jessica to show her their route, crossing over to the mainland via one of several bridges that connect it to the spaceport complex. As promised, their destination seems fairly central. "Not too far," she assures as the door closes. As soon as the taxi starts rolling, she redirects her attention towards something unseen, implants alight as she focuses on empty space. The fingers of her left hand, resting
#HongKong – August 31, 2025
Jessica studies the hologram for a few moments before giving a small nod. In truth, it makes no difference to her one way or another where they stay or how long it takes to get there, but there's a sense of nervous excitement that she'd never admit to urging her to fill the silence. As she opens her mouth to speak she glances Yan Sun's way, the woman's preoccupation causing her to pause, brow furrowing. "What you are doing?"
Yan Sun eyebrows furrow, sparing no glance Jessica's way. "Just a sec!" she says in a tone that indicates she's too busy to take in the question, but her next words answer it regardless. "Okay..." she sighs, blinking away the intense glow and stilling her hand. "We've got privacy now," she says, turning to look at Jessica. "Made sure the VI can't listen in." The taxi's path takes them along the edge of the water on an eastbound path,
streaming alongside countless other vehicles towards the city proper. To the north lies water filled with boats as well as landing pads for hulking space freighters carrying hundreds of containers. To the south... well, there's not much of a view. The cliffs of the natural portion of the island make sure of that. They're covered in greenery, carefully maintained for the massive tourist resorts that take up the south side of the
island, beyond the hills that shield it from the spaceport. Up ahead, beyond a vast forest of cargo containers that lies below the elevation of the road, the city proper glitters, its colorful lights distorted by the fast-running rain on the windows.
Jessica's brow lifts in amusement and she briefly glances about the interior, as if looking for some indication that something has changed. The mention of privacy seems to cause her to relax a bit, bringing one leg onto the seat so she can sit sideways and turn to better face Yan Sun, one shoulder pressed against the back of the seat as she studies the woman before her and the landscape through the window beyond.
Yan Sun shifts as well, turning towards Jessica and relaxing in her seat. "Sorry about the ads, should've warned you about that," she says, rolling her eyes. "Once we're settled in, I'm gonna find an access point to tap into the city grid and update my cloaking program. It'll need some tweaking since I've been gone a while, and I'm gonna make sure it covers you as well. After that there'll be no more automated ID or location tracking. The
surveillance VIs just... won't notice you specifically at all. They'll still know someone is there, so crosswalks and stuff still work, but nothing else. It's the closest thing you're gonna get to privacy here," she explains a little apologetically, before flashing a small grin. "More than 99% of the city has. Benefits of travelling with an expert like me," she brags with a cocky wink, resting an elbow against the backrest.
Jessica gives a roll of her eyes as Yan Sun finishes. She was warned about the surveillance, so it's not a surprise, per se. But it's still somehow more unsettling than she had expected. "Mmm." she agrees. "You are sooo good. Is very impressive, kitty cat." she offers in a patronizing tone, though a fond smirk shows through. She settles one hand on Yan Sun's leg and urges her a bit closer.
Yan Sun doesn't seem too bothered, sticking her tongue out at Jessica before scooting closer, leaning against her shoulder and looking out the window, taking in the familiar sight of the cargo container expanse that makes up the docks district, and the buildings that rise beyond. Her eyes lock on one building in particular, an unremarkable one that blends in with the other apartment complexes around it. But in her mind the image of the
prefab stacks atop its roof becomes clearer with every meter. As does the image of the inhabitants. Is any of them looking this way at this moment? Is Para or Argent up late, looking out the window at the lights of Lantau Island? Is... Changying? There's an uncomfortable squirming in her belly as she tries to banish the thought of a familiar, red-haired woman sitting on the edge of the roof, having a night-time smoke and watching the
ships come and go. Watching the glowing dots that is the line of cars streaming across the bridge into the city...
Jessica is ignorant to the whirlwind of thoughts going on in Yan Sun's head. She hooks a hand against the inside of Yan Sun's knee and tugs her just a little bit closer as she scoots to close what remains of the gap between them. "Tell me about this place." she says, hand still lingering on her partner's leg as she looks from Yan Sun to the window separating them from the rest of the city.
Yan Sun ' attention is brought back to the hear and now by the request. To the woman whose breath she can feel. Whose hand is resting on her leg. "Hong Kong? Uhm... okay, uh... I mean, I've told you a bit, but... this is the docks district, if it wasn't obvious," she says, pointing out the window at the expanse of stacked containers below. "Behind us, on the other side of the mountains? That's where all the tourists go. It's a big resort
complex. The amusement parks I told you about? They're over there too. But we're on our way to Kowloon." She points ahead, at the mass of megabuildings rising tall beyond the old apartment buildings that border the docks. As their car emerges onto the bridge connecting Lantau Island to the Kowloon peninsula that houses most of the city center, she lifts her head and looks behind them out the south-facing windows, where the north side
of Hong Kong Island can be seen. The skyscrapers there rise taller and more elaborate than anywhere else in the city. "That's the central business district across the water on Hong Kong island. The whole place is the richest part of the city."
Jessica follows Yan Sun's descriptions to each location as it's pointed out. Not exactly what she was hoping for. "You are sounding like a VI, kitty cat." she sighs, leveling a disinterested look on Yan Sun. "Tell me about this place." she repeats, as if saying it again, in a slightly different tone, clarifies her request. "Who is running these docks? Who they are at war with?" she clarifies, "Who we should not fuck with in Kowloon?"
The important stuff. The sort of things that were probably passed around regularly throughout Adrasteia. The kind of information you had to stay up to date on if you didn't want to cross the wrong person, step over lines, or find yourself in the middle of a turf war.
Yan Sun lets out a slightly embarrassed half-laugh at being called VI-like, sitting up a bit straighter as she considers the request. The clarifying questions make her frown and shake her head. "That's not really-... it's not like that here. There's no... gang wars or anything. Not since before I was born. PubSec cracked down hard on organized crime decades ago, wiped out most of the Triads and drove the rest off-world. That's when the
surveillance net was set up. The Party and the corps run things now, and PubSec keeps people in line for them. That's who you don't wanna piss off if you want to stay out of trouble."
Jessica frowns, glancing back behind them towards the business district previously pointed out by Yan Sun. "The corps always win. Maybe is like this everywhere..." she offers in a quiet mutter, no doubt that Adrasteia isn't far from her thoughts. Even some backwater city at the ass end of the galaxy was swallowed by the corporate machine. But she actually seems to try and actively keep that from souring her mood and turns her focus back
to Yan Sun. "Okay, then where is the best place for dancing? Mmm?" she hums, giving Yan Sun's leg a squeeze.
Yan Sun lights up. "Oh, I'm definitely gonna show you," she promises with a grin. "There's a couple of clubs you've got to see. There's... a lot of stuff you've got to see, actually. Like the view from the Peak. And there's this cool night market really close to where we're staying, I think you'll like it." Outside, the city is upon them, the bridge more of an elevated highway now, passing among and often over the run-down centuries-old
apartment buildings that make up the western edge of Kowloon, bordering the docks. The buildings of the central areas ahead rise much taller, and most seem far more recently constructed.
Jessica's smile fortifies and, despite her silence, it's not hard to see that a bit of excitement boiling just beneath the surface. She gives a few small nods as her attention shifts back to the city beyond the window. The way Adrasteia dwarfed everything else on Aite always made it feel so big. But Hong Kong makes Adrasteia look like the Gorge. A subtle reminder of just how small her pocket of existence was. But Jessica isn't easily