Joe woke up with an involuntary groan. He opened his eyes and stared blankly, waiting for his hazy vision to return. When his vision was clear enough, he moved his gaze from the ceiling above his head to his right. What awaited him was a magical scene that, despite having seen it a dozen times, still did not lose its charm. This is not a window that shows the planet gradually lighting up, as the morning horizon crawls over its surface. While it's really impressive, it's just a backdrop, and what's truly fascinating is Maggie lying on the bed next to Joe, smiling affectionately. The sheet she was holding in her hand covered only a small portion of her naked body, leaving plenty of room for imagination for the man to want to pounce on her on the spot.

"Oh my God." He muttered under his breath.

"Good morning, Joe." The girl whispered.

"Good morning." He sat up slowly.

The idea of frolicking before breakfast is certainly tempting. As one would expect, two healthy adults in their case, who have been doing this almost every day since the first impulse. I don't know whether it was intentional or not, Joe chose a very opportune time to act. With no one else within a few thousand kilometers and no "noisy" electronic signals around, Maggie was able to focus her huge perception on doing. That moment of deep intimacy is unforgettable and definitely worth missing for the rest of the voyage. It's also why she suggested that the couple use her shuttle as an orbital love nest instead of going to Earth. Joe liked the idea because it had some kind of undeniable romance, so he agreed.

As a result, the couple spent the last ten days entirely on their honeymoon, stopping only to refuel the shuttle and make an extra visit to Barry. For better or for worse, it's all coming to an end. Joe and Maggie have been in the Malton system for so long, not to take a new step in their relationship. The main reason for their extended stay was that they were waiting for a freighter that would take them directly back to the Bad Pound IV, and today was the day they were going. The next scheduled opportunity would come in two months, and in Joe's opinion, it was too late. Even though they now live a good lifestyle, that doesn't alleviate his homesickness. Moreover, he and Maggie can start over after the trip is over.

All in all, even for Joe, the aforementioned frolic was a bit too irresponsible, so he had to pass up the opportunity.

"It's time for us to change, right?" He grumbled.

"The demand for clothes is regrettable, but undeniable," she agrees.

The couple did just that, and they had a light breakfast before Maggie sat in the pilot's seat again. After a quick system check, the shuttle began a relatively short half-hour journey to rendezvous with the ICF-M42 Trafalgar. It was this freighter that Joe and Maggie made their first interstellar voyage, and seeing this familiar sight, Joe couldn't help but feel a strange sense of nostalgia. Now that his phobia is under control, he is better able to appreciate the magnificent dimensions of the ship. As a side effect, it woke his brain out of honeymoon mode and reminded him of something rather unpleasant.

That is, the promise he made to his father was to take more control of his own life. He was well aware that he really needed to talk to Maggie about her arrogant attitude, but he kept procrastinating. Joe was a simple man after all, and he couldn't get rid of his weak-willed habits overnight. Of course, he was more confident and decisive than he was a year ago, but that was only because Maggie was there to support and encourage him. This only made it harder for him to bring up this unpleasant topic, although he was well aware that the girl would never abandon or reprimand him for choosing to speak his mind. The emotions are just that weird.

Still, the couple had some time to wait for the cargo ship to dock, so Joe decided to do it before he lost his nerve again.

"Hi, Maggie? Can we talk?"

"Of course, Joe. About what?"

“…… You. ”

For the first time in more than a week, the girl's smile disappeared as she realized that it was not a light-hearted chat. Her multifaceted consciousness began to go into overdrive, imagining what terrible topic was on Joe's mind. Then she reminded herself that, statistically, there was a good chance she was overthinking, so she stopped.

"Okay. I'm listening," she said calmly.

"I don't want you to get me wrong, okay?" You make me happier than ordinary people like me, I love you so much that it hurts to say this, but you've become too domineering lately. ”

"Me?"

"Yes. You have. ”

Since meeting Joe for the first time, the girl's eyes flashed quickly as she tried to self-analyze her actions.

"I find this assessment to be in conflict with my own," she disagreed.

"No, you did cross the line. No matter where I went or what I did, it always hovered behind me, eavesdropping on my private chats with my dad and things like that. ”

It's true. It is also true that I have been doing this since we made the contract, and you have not objected to it once. ”

With this in mind, Joe's train of thought came to an abrupt halt. In retrospect, the girl did always be nosy. He just didn't object, because he was so happy that he finally found someone who sweated for the "little things". And the government has actually recorded his every move, so his privacy has not been violated. However, he now has a problem. It doesn't seem like Maggie's behavior has changed, it's his own emotions that have changed. The fire of all this was undoubtedly Kelly's attack attempt. In retrospect, that incident was a wake-up call. Being forgotten makes Joe subconsciously realize that Maggie has too much control over his life. This gave him some indecent thoughts, which definitely prompted him to push his girlfriend down a week and a half ago.

"Wow. Well, yes, you have a point," he admitted.

"So are we going to continue with business as usual?" She suggested.

"Nope. I still don't really like what you do. I don't want to be uncomfortable with you. You know what?"

"I ...... Got it. In that case, I will no longer observe you remotely in the future. ”

The girl was clearly distressed by the turn of events. Joe has every right to change his mind for any reason – that's what makes humans so interesting. However, it's not just "someone", it's the man she loves, and she can't help but feel as if she's failed. That and watching Joe is her main hobby. She was sad when asked to give up, and this showed on her face.

"Hey, don't do that. I still love you, very much. I only want a little privacy once in a while. All I ask you is that you don't peek at me when I tell you not to peek at me, okay?"

"I understand." She relaxed, then immediately narrowed her eyes. "Still, with that said, I'd like to make some of my own demands on your behavior."

Joe was taken aback by the remark, but he felt that it was fair.

"Like what?"

Maggie seemed to pull out a particularly thick folder out of thin air and handed it to the man. It was heavier than it looked, and Joe nearly dropped it on the ground when he picked it up. Naturally, he didn't know what to look at this untagged folder, and hesitated to open it. Taking a step back, that's an intimidating pile of documents. Thankfully, the girl wasted no time explaining what she meant.

"I keep all my little doubts about you in my heart. Make sure you at least try to correct these mistakes. ”

Joe's eyes were wide open, as if they were about to disappear from his face completely. He didn't know that Maggie was so upset about his actions, and that the way she expressed her displeasure made him feel rather malicious. Still, he opened the folder and began browsing through the files inside. Or at least he tried to do so, except for one small problem. He looked up at the girl and opened his mouth to ask a question, which she immediately answered with a grin.

"Haha. It's funny. He grumbled and closed the folder.

"No, no, read the whole article," she insisted.

"Yes, that's good. It won't take long. ”

This is an understatement. After all, every page in a binder is blank. Oddly enough to say 69, it just says, "You need to try more poses in bed." This sentence made Joe's ears a little red, and Maggie was delighted. She had to admit that it had been a while since she had felt satisfied with a perfect prank. That's not to say she didn't take this man's previous worries to heart. As much as she wished Joe was always in her sights, she had also watched so many soap operas that she didn't realize that this arrogant attitude was a potential problem. The only reason she didn't stop before was because her lover hadn't said it before.

When Joe and Maggie landed on the Trafalgar, their relationship was somewhat normal. They walked around the freighter and stretched their legs. Of course, there's nothing to see and nothing to do, but it's a nice change of pace from being locked up in the shuttle for a long time. They won't be here long before the ship will take them home, so until then, they're just killing time. Sure enough, the scheduled wormhole crossing did not occur without incident. It took another few hours for the Trafalgar to reach Butte

po

D-4 is in high orbit, at which point Joe and Maggie jump back into the shuttle and fly to the side of the planet.

However, the last paragraph was not all smooth sailing. There were some legal technical issues that needed to be resolved with the local government, starting with Maggie's obtaining a pilot's license abroad. Once all this is laid out, it can be difficult for the girl to find a good place to actually sit. Like all large cities, Dave-156 is densely populated and has heavy air traffic, with few landing sites suitable for personal shuttles. It wouldn't be a big deal if Maggie was just here to give it away, but she needed a place to park her Silver Storm for a long time. At one point, the girl seems to have had enough, and she uses her diplomatic status to put pressure on the flight control tower to make room for her or face punishment. The trick worked, and the couple was able to land in a government-owned hangar near the airport.

For the first time in months, Joe was back on solid ground and he was ecstatic, but it wasn't without complications.

"Ah, why does my knee hurt?" He complained on the way back to his apartment. "Back. Should I be worried?"

The question was apparently aimed at the girl walking beside him, but she didn't seem to notice.

"Maggie? How are you?"

"Huh? She snapped. "I'm sorry I was ...... Internal affairs are distracting. Answer your question – no, you don't have to worry. Your body just needs to readjust to natural gravity. The discomfort and joint pain will go away within a day or two. ”

"That's good, but what's wrong with you?" You've been behaving strangely ever since you jumped. ”

Not paying attention to her surroundings to the point of missing a problem, which is not her style. It's the exact opposite of what Maggie usually looks like, but she's by no means the only one who's weird. Throughout the landing, she was unusually cold towards government workers, but before that she was surprisingly silent and passive. Joe had intended to dismiss it as his cosmic girlfriend was weird, but this complete lack of consciousness made him worry directly. Considering the timing of the incident and her "internal problem" response, he had a gut feeling what the cause was.

"What's wrong? Did something happen in the house? He asked.

“…… Yes," she admitted.

"Do you want to talk?"

"As soon as we get back to the apartment, I'm going to do it. I would like to expedite this process if you allow it. ”

"That's right. Let's go. ”

He grabbed her hand and quickened his pace, trying not to care about his aching bones. Or at least, that's his intention. Maggie took him in her arms, hugged him tightly, and then leaped through the air at an unusually fast speed. After a few frantic minutes, Joe found himself standing on the roof of his skyscraper. He was cold, out of breath, completely frightened, but otherwise unharmed. The girl carried him into the stairs and went downstairs to her apartment at a quick but more human pace, although she remained completely silent. Still shivering, Joe sat him in the nearest armchair, next to Agent Johnson. The couple's roommate was completely relaxed in her favorite ugly hoodie and sweatpants. She was holding a plastic bucket of mint chocolate ice cream in one hand and freezing in the other hand as she prepared to send a scoop of ice cream to her mouth. To say that she doesn't expect them to come back, let alone in this state, is an understatement.

"What the hell are you doing?" After a moment, she asked incredulously.

"Make the most of the little time I have left."

The girl's painful answer seemed to wake Joe out of shock. He was still shaking, but not enough to get in the way of him talking.

"Small time? What's wrong, Maggie?"

"I ...... I would abbreviate. "My actions in this case were scrutinized and my methods and motives were questioned."

"Who did you help?" AJ raised an eyebrow. "I'm sure that as long as you don't make mistakes, the government won't lift a finger against you."

"If this judgment had been made by any human authority, I would not have recognized it," the girl said solemnly. "It's my kind who thinks I'm ...... Deviant. ”

"So, what? Who isn't a little weird? The ginger soldier noted.

"Eccentricity is not allowed for a man of my nature."

In her past troubles for Kylotelier, Maggie inadvertently exposes her failures to her highest superiors. Perhaps she was subconsciously aware of this, so she didn't check the results of the investigation when they were first announced. On her last trip back to her homeland, she couldn't find an excuse not to do so and had to face the well-known consequences. According to the adjudicator's findings, she has been slowly but surely increasing the level of obfuscation of truth or distortion of the rules since she first approached Joe. At first, she simply embraced metaphors and sarcasm as substitutes for factual statements, which she thought were acceptable because they weren't really deception or misinformation. But then, she made even more problematic misleading behavior by making up excuses and omitting facts. Slowly, but surely, the more she accepts human values and emotions, the more she deviates from her true nature as an entity of cosmic order. It is a gradual shift that is impossible for the individual to notice on his own.

The worst mistake she has made, however, is that she has been evading her mission as The Observer, preferring to indulge in the familiar rather than explore the unknown.

"So," Maggie continued, "I had to readjust myself so as not to become an abnormal individual. ”

"That doesn't sound good," said AJ, worried.

"It's not good. It's not bad either. That's it. ”

"Okay, then...... What does this restructuring involve?" The man asked cautiously.

Far from being a simple or ephemeral process, there is only one aspect that is directly related to the couple's relationship.

"I've got to leave you, Joe Mulligan." Maggie said bitterly.

"You...... Huh?"

"You are the source of my transgression. Therefore, I can't-"

"Nonsense!" He quickly became angry. "What kind of bastard would force you to do that?" It's like, what the hell are you doing wrong?"

"Technically, no. Yes, so to speak. ”

"So what, this guy wants to separate us just because you 'can be said to be abnormal'?" That can't be legitimate!"

"Joe, listen to me," she tried to calm him down.

"No, you listen to me." "We're going to argue about that, aren't we?" It's like copyright. I'm not going to—"

"Y̘͎̜̮̦ a ̯̘̱͙͞g̴̰̫̼̫ͅŕ͉̟̝͈̝ a ̺͢ḁ̪͘c̪̘̘͈̘̩t̸̺h̛͕̝͔͇̠̙͉̹͎t͙̲͎h͡ḛ͎̞̣̲͍̩͕̲͠ a ̢̟̦͇͉̺d̥̗̙̘̹j̬u̴̗͖̙̺͔̹͖d͏͖͈̺ ̲͔̖c͍̹ ̛̠͔͙̻̲t͍o̢̺

̷͖͔̠̼̻̯。 ”

As soon as the girl said the first syllable of the old one's real name, reality began to distort. The color changed to pitch black and dazzling white. The object becomes significantly more rectangular. All the sound was replaced by a dull, monotonous hum. Joe, AJ, and even Maggie are no exception, as their bodies instantly transform into a giant collection of polygons. Even their minds were affected, and a stream of pure logic took over their minds, silencing all emotions. At that moment, it was clear to both of them that this was a terrible inevitability, that it was an order of a Level 5 entity.

Then, everything returned to normal, and there was no evidence of what had happened, except for a few disturbing memories.

"This is who will judge me," Maggie said softly, placing her hand on his cheek. "Please understand, Joe Mulligan. I cannot deny this verdict, just as I cannot deny my concern for you. Here's how it will be. ”

"But...... This...... It's so sudden......"

"I understand your frustration, but this frustration has been going on for a long time. I just lack the foresight to foresee this outcome. No, maybe I know, but I choose not to bother with it in order to be there for you. ”

"What if you, I don't know, don't go back?" He began to despair.

"There is no other choice," she shook her head. "Even I came here because I was allowed to come. So I can say goodbye. ”

Maggie leaned down and kissed Joe on the lips, which only made his heart ache more.

"I don't want to lose you," he almost cried.

"Don't despair," she said with a smile. "Our agreement wasn't broken, it was just suspended during my regrouping."

"So...... Will you come back?"

"Ultimately, yes. I don't know how long I'm leaving. I can say with certainty that I will do my best to get back to you. Until then, please keep my ship by your side so I can come back as soon as possible. Can you do it?"

"Of course," he said, grabbing her hand. "Whatever it takes."

"Then there's nothing to be afraid of," she said confidently.

"I'll miss you, though."

"I know. I'll miss you too. ”

Maggie took a few steps back and looked at AJ, who was content to play the role of a silent witness.

"Second Class Psionic Agent Sarah Johnson."

"Uh-huh, what's wrong?"

"I'll miss you too. I'm excited to see you progress and develop in our interactive and training sessions. You are an excellent test subject. ”

"yes, well, you'll forgive me if I'm not upset...... Ah, it. ”

Although she tried to be tough, she remembered who she was talking to, so she stepped forward and hugged her. The gesture obviously surprised Maggie, but she went back anyway.

"As crazy as it sounds, I'll miss having you as weird guy around. Take care, Maggs. ”

"Your feelings are superfluous, but I'm grateful," the girl broke away. "I have one last thing to entrust to you, though."

"Don't worry, I'll keep Joe out of trouble."

"I'm afraid this task is beyond your capabilities."

The psyker cringed a little when she remembered how accident-prone the forgetful pillow was.

"The task I've given you is much simpler. Give this to your superiors. The girl pulled out a USB stick.

"What is this?" AJ cautiously accepted.

"Insurance," she said briefly. "For Joe's sake."

After hearing his name, the man got up, pounced on her, and hugged the girl from behind, taking advantage of the opportunity. Maggie turned to face him, her arms around his neck, her calm smile melting into a contradictory smile that showed sadness.

"I'm leaving now," she whispered.

"I'll wait for you. If necessary, I will always do so. ”

"Don't make promises you can't keep."

With that, the swirling light in the girl's eyes disappeared, her curly hair hung down on her slender back, and her face changed to a neutral, nonchalant expression.