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Serial Pub: Ninth Step Station s01e10

Ninth Step Station s01e10 by Malka Older 

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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 10: The Foreign Mischief

After 10 weeks we have finally arrived at the final episode of this first season of Ninth Step Station. Looking back it has been quite the ride though this futuristic Tokyo, backed up by the USA and partly invaded by China. 

As I mentioned at the end of last weeks episode, it left the story hanging on a perfect moment. The Forgein Mischief picks up directly from that moment. Its hard for me to go into detail as it would spoil the whole ending of the this season, so I will try to be a cryptic as possible. 

So looking at the beginning, it sketches a perfect disarray by the events of episode 9. Here we saw an important figure get shot. This had direct impact of the story as by loosing this important figure opened several other doors for the opposition. The events in the first half of the story do quickly fade away as a more impending doom is lurking over the city of Tokyo. Is it that moment? Yes it is. Just a very quick summary, several key events that happened over the course of the first nine episodes now fall fully into place in the grande picture of it all. I think most of the readers will say: Yes finally!

The ending of the episode will leave definitely make you wish that season was just around the corner. It is interesting too see that the ending was chosing in this direction and there are some comments made that can and probably will influence season two. 

Eventhough most of the pieces are now a completed puzzle: there are still motives that I am keen to find out the why's: Charles what is you bigger motive, Nishimura, the Nakajima-kai and where has Kaori disappeared to, and perhaps also important the ulterior motive of the peacekeepers.  

What I have to praise all of the authors for of Ninth Step Station is how they were able to keep each individual episode on level with each other but also on tempo. Of course there are some stylistic differences between authors and this is normal. But it never felt as if the episodes were out of sync with each other. 

As I mentioned above, Episode 10: The Foreign Mischief is the grande finale that the series deserves. I especially like the rallying bit at the end but as there were no clear appointments I think it can still be anyones agenda. Really looking forward to see how season two will turn out. 


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