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Hanzo meditated as the sounds of the waves crash upon the shore, and the scent of nicely made tea filled his nostrils. It was a pleasant day, one he would cherish, if only…
His companion was here to enjoy it with him.
Mei was supposed to be here a few hours ago, with him and her on the beach enjoying a nice cup of tea for two. But she didn’t arrive, and Hanzo’s patience only ever worn so thin. They’ve been doing this for a few weeks.
Did she have a last minute emergency? Was she pestered by her colleagues? Hanzo grunted.
He drank his tea and started to get up, heading back into the base, Hanzo taking one good look at the sunset.
Back inside the base, he shrugged. Oh well. Life happens, he ponders. Perhaps they’ll pick it back up again tomorrow. As he walked, he began to sense something approaching. Or someone. He looked up, and heard whirring.
A blue bulb was approaching him? No. As it approached Hanzo, it whirred happily. Almost like relief.
“Snowball.” Hanzo said. It was Mei’s robot companion. He placed his hand on top of the robot and rubbed it, almost how Mei does it. “What are you doing out here alone? And where is Mei?” The robot whirred sadly and nudged itself forward, almost like it’s urging Hanzo to follow it.
“You want me to follow you?” He said to confirm Snowball’s request. It nodded and beeped.
“Lead the way.”
They went through the base, moving in a swift fashion. They could have taken it slow, but Hanzo sensed that this seemed like an emergency, judging on how Snowball is moving.
They arrived at a sealed door, Snowball beginning to enter the passcode, but Hanzo stopped it. “Tell the passcode.”
He knew that the robot was enter the code by slamming itself into the datapad, something Hanzo preferred not to see. The robot then switched its visor to display the passcode. Hanzo entered the numbers swiftly and the door slid open.
His nostrils sensed a subtle smell of alcohol as the door opened. Then he heard a slam and a groan. As Hanzo entered the room, Papers were all over the floor.
Everything he saw in his eyes surprised him to high heaven.
It was Mei, typing on a computer, while drinking a glass of baiju. Baiju was alcohol, he knew that from visiting China in his travels. He looked at Snowball, who looked back at him, whirring sadly.
“Thank you, I will handle this.” He said, and urged the robot to leave. It nodded, and left the room. As he approached Mei, he could see her pouring another glass. He cleared his throat.
“Mei-Ling.” He called.
“Huh?” Mei said loudly. She turned to face the voice that called to her.
The look on her ached Hanzo’s well being. The majority of both of her eyes were bloodshot, as if she didn’t blink at all. Tears, both dry and fresh, dripped down like waterfalls. Her hair was a mess, her hairpin and her glasses on the desk where she was working.
“H-Hanzo…”
“Mei...you are not well.”
It looked like she wanted to say something, but she aggressively turned around and downed another glass of baiju.
Hanzo took away the gourd and her glass. She whined and began to lunge at him, urging him for the alcohol.
“Mei-Ling, how long and how much have you been drinking?! You are intoxicated!”
The tears that were already in her eyes began to well up. “H-Hanzo, you don’t understand, I...it’s all my fault. Everyone is dead because of me! I…!” The tears fell, Mei not doing anything to wipe them off.
“What..?” Hanzo then put the alcohol on a nearby shelf and he saw her returning to the desk, walking in a way that she’s almost limping.
“I..I have to keep working...for them, I...it’s my burden and my duty alone. For them. For something I should have…!” Hanzo quickly wrapped his arms around her, trapping her.
He remembers the tale she told him about her stationing at Ecopoint: Antarctica, and how her team, whom she considered a family to her, they became stranded and resorted to cryostasis. Mei was the only one to awake after 9 years of sleep, and the rest of her crew was dead, their bodies still inside the pods of which they slept in.
He could see her struggling to remove his embrace.
“Let me go,” She whined. “I have to…”
“That is enough, Mei. You are intoxicated, and in no position to continue working at this hour,” He turned her around to make her face him. “You need rest.”
“Hanzo, it’s all my fault they’re dead. I have to work to save them. To honor them. It’s my burden and my duty.” She protested.
To see her like this, and hear her talk about her duty and burdens, it ached him to the point of unbearing. Was she hearing herself talk?
“I have to do this, I…” She continued, but Hanzo silenced her.
“Mei,” Hanzo began. “I understand your concern for your work, but continuing to work this late, and consuming alcohol to cloud your mind and judgement is a recipe for disaster of your well-being.” He tightened his embrace on her, careful not to hurt her. “You need to rest. I will take you to your room.”
Mei began to protest again, “But…!”
Hanzo shifted his embrace to lift her into his arms. “But nothing. Rest. Now.”
Mei opened her mouth, Hanzo ready to shut down her challenge, but she suddenly relented, and sheltered herself into him. Hanzo grabbed her hairpin and glasses and departed.
The walk to Mei’s room was mostly silent, with her protesting a few times but Hanzo easily silencing her. As they arrived, he crouched to let her input the passcode and the door slid open.
He settled her down into the bed, and put her hairpin and glasses on the nearby desk in her room, and could see Snowball in it’s recharging station, asleep.
Her room was more neatly organized than his, he remarks.
As he looked over to her, the intoxicated Mei was staring at him.
“You didn’t have to do this for me.” She said with a slur.
“I have been down that path of disaster many times. I believe I still am.” Hanzo said with solemn. He shifted to her. “Rest now, so you may become sober and have a clear mind.” As she fully laid down, Hanzo helping her, she suddenly grabbed his hand.
“Wait. Will you…please stay with me?” Mei said shyly, blurting out the last 3 words quickly, she thought he couldn't understand what she said.
Hanzo understood and his eyes widened slightly. “I do not think that’s…”
“I...hate being all alone. After I lost my friends...because of me...even if I have Snowball...I always feel alone. No matter what...I’m alone.”
As if his well being couldn’t ache more. It’s not her fault, he wants to tell her. It never was. But would she listen? He then heard her beginning to speak.
“I mean...you don’t have to but…” She began dialing back.
He hushed her. “Very well. I will stay with you.”
“Hanzo…” She said as he scooched her over, making room for him to lay down beside her.
He began to hold her close, and she responded back by sheltering herself into him. She was a cold shivering body, and she huddled up to his warmth.
As he laid with her, Hanzo pondered.
Him seeing how lonely Mei really is, her drinking, her speaking of her burdens and her duty…
He sees himself in her.
A realization he immediately resents. No one should be like him. No one, especially as pure as her.
Looking down at her she was already asleep, but he held her ever closer. He hears her whispering something as she sleeps.
“Thank you…thank you…so much...Han...zo...”
“You will never be alone now.” He whispered, a vow to her, and to himself, and soon after he found himself asleep with her.