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Serial Pub: Ninth Step Station s01e06

Ninth Step Station s01e06 by Curtis C. Chen

Years of disaster and conflict have left Tokyo split between great powers. In the city of drone-enforced borders, bodymod black markets, and desperate resistance movements, US peacekeeper Emma Higashi is assigned to partner with Tokyo Metropolitan Police Detective Miyako Koreda. Together, they must race to solve a series of murders that test their relationship and threaten to overturn the balance of global power. And amid the chaos, they each need to decide what they are willing to do for peace.

Ninth Step Station is written by a collaboration of authors including: Malka Older, Fran Wilde, Jacqueline Koyanagi and Curtis C. Chen. Similar to all the serials from Serialbox, this story is also released in episodes. Every episode is written by a different author.

Episode 6: The Stolen Xiǎohái

Last week we saw that our duo in Tokyo had to deal with a defector with sinister thoughts who in the end only had one way out. That of killing himself. It left a lot of questions on the chinese influence and what their ulterior motive really is. Before I started episode seven I did look up the word XiÇŽohái just so I know what is means and it translates from Mandarin into child. So The Stolen Child. Meet Colonel Ting the liason of the People Republic of China. During a visit in the Japanse side of Tokyo, his daughter, Annie, gets abducted. From an earlier encounter when Miyako was still in her younger years they actually met. Ting only wants her and Emma on the case. On the crime scene only Annie's data sleeve is found and this is not a lot to work with and get a lead. As an added bonus Miyako and Emma do get assigned reinforcements in the form of two Chinese police officers Wong and Liu or as Emma like to call them Jay and Silent Bob (guess they are icons in this world as well!). After a video is released the investigation goes into a rapid but then all of a sudden Ting disappears as well... Now they have to find two missing persons... 

There is a certain clash of cultures between these two teams which is showcased in just a terrific. Its part funny but also part serious. When you though that the relation between Miyako and Emma had some moments but this is next level. The ending of this story with the japanse rebellion, Yamashita-kai and the truckload of weapons that was delivered for other services, does prepare the overall story for a solid continuation. Definitely some pieces of the puzzle that are falling into place but there are still some missing. The story is getting better and better. 

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Tune in next week for  Episode 7!



Interested? Start reading by clicking this link!

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