[h2][color=f49ac2][b]CORINNE SHOURICHI: RUNNING IN THE...[/b][/color][/h2]

Corinne Shourichi came to in the shower.

She had not, as could be expected of a fun-loving, devil-may-care young woman such as herself, gotten here with the assistance of alcohol. Nor had she slept her way into such a primo location to lay her head for the night; after all, had she taken either of these very plausible avenues, there would be a guy or gal here for her to share a hot shower and plenty of morning Eurobeat (it’s good for the soul!) with. No, Corinne had wound up in her present state through cold hard cash and careful geographic planning. This shower, and the lovely little studio apartment that it sat in, was exactly 21.098 kilometers away from the headquarters of Mao Industries, and was owned by a Mao employee who was enrolled in SpaceBnB, meaning he could not turn down Corinne’s money in any good conscience as long as there was nothing demonstratably wrong with her.

And there was nothing [i]demonstratably[/i] wrong with her.

[i]Since[/i] Corinne had fallen asleep and woken up in this advantageous position, her initial gameplan for the morning was, so far, still capable of being satisfied. Having fallen asleep nude, she rose up and promptly showered, stepping out of the shower in a Spartan manner instead of enjoying the soak of the hot water on her skin as she usually might. When she stepped out after only a few minutes, she promptly grabbed the clothes she’d left on the sink the night before and threw herself into them, saving the metallic mask that she donned for military functions for last.

She saw no reason to wake up the Mao Industries wage slave, preferring to kick open his front door to fire up her leg muscles for the hour ahead. Normally on Earth she would take this chance to breathe in deeply, savoring the crisp morning air of whatever city she happened to be laying over in. Cerevis City was a domed environment; there was no joy in the first breath Corinne took at the front door, nor was she even technically outside. Her mouth set in a hard line. It would have to do. Her morning run schedule could not be interrupted, or she would no longer be fit to even be called human. Her spine and herosim would become primordial soup inside her very flesh! This was proven science!

She was a human being. She was not soup. This was proven science.

[url=https://youtu.be/RbWZByi7cRc]With her destination of Mao Industries HQ set firmly in her mind, Corinne began her morning half marathon.[/url]

There were those who said that Corinne was a maniac to perform such runs on such a regular basis, and that her heart would surely give out half a century prematurely from the stress. To those people, the glorious Captain Shourichi said:

[color=f49ac2]”SHUT UP, STOLL!”[/color]

Those who the masked Captain was passing on the sidewalk turned to look at her incredulously, certain that her determination was aimed at them. This was nonsense. They were worms; worms, worse than soup, for they had never been heroes at all. She was screaming for someone else.

[color=f49ac2]”I WON’T TAKE SHIT FROM A GIRL WHO TALKS THROUGH A ROOMBA! I’M ALIVE! ALIVE! [b][i]AAAAAAARGH!”[/i][/b][/color]

Her determination kept her blood boiling all the way to the vending machines in the Mao Industries break room on the floor of their briefing. Corinne Shourichi, flushed red through exertion and hot blood, and the proud owner of a 1:06:44 half marathon time, burst into the conference room after delivering a fierce kick to the automatic door. Thankfully the glass didn’t break. It was prone to breaking on Earth.

Corinne raised a sports drink in each hand, a gesture which resembled the hunter-gatherers of yore, presenting fresh kills and the promise of food to those who hugged the cradle of civilization in times long forgotten. Hazel Ada Stoll in particular received a defiant thrust of Corinne’s chin, as though the Captain had proved the mute’s doubts unfounded somehow. Her expression only brightened when she saw who she would be receiving the briefing from.

[color=f49ac2]“Sadbear Gynecology!”[/color] the Captain exclaimed. [color=f49ac2]“Seeing you alive this morning makes my heart beat even faster!”[/color]

Corinne knew the young woman from her days at the academy, but she hadn’t been scheduled to come across the Federation official again until it was time to object at Sadbear’s wedding and carry her off for their own ceremony. Seeing her this early - even before the engagement! - was a genuine pleasure!

[color=f49ac2]“Tell me, what was your time this morning?”[/color] she asked expectantly.