Zali gets out of her last class at the end of the school day on her birthday, and there's a horrible noise, like three songs torn apart and then crudely sewn together. The teacher and other students look around for a second, and then go back to their business.
The hall is filled with students rushing out the door.
Outside, all of the school girls you talk to say things like: "Excuse me, do I know you?" even when Zali says stuff like "Hi Claire."
Zali goes home. This is the intro to the subway system. Basically, you pay for your ticket at the counter, and then get on the train and it takes you to where you paid for. Zali shows her monthly pass to the counter clerk. He enters her number into the system, and then says "I'm sorry miss, but that's not a valid pass." Zali insists, but the clerk won't budge, so she has to pay. "Maybe there's been a computer error or something, but I can't let you on the train.
Zali's home is in a big apartment complex in Lona's Heights, a fairly upscale neighbourhood with a big mall, etc.
When she gets home, dad isn't home (mother is long dead). "This is the worst birthday ever." She goes into her room, and it's got a cradle and a teddy bear, and stuff like that. "This is like all my stuff from when I was a kid...I'm getting really creeped out here."
There is a laptop open on the cradle. She picks it up "Well this is a pretty cool birthday present, I guess, but where's dad?"
Then there's a knocking sound. "This is the Bureau of Information, is anybody in there?"
Zali: "What the fuck?"
BOI Agent: "Druk Marshall, if you're in there, open the door!"
Zali: "They're after dad!?! What's going on?!?"
Pause..., BOI Agent: "We're coming in!"
They start ramming the door, and you have a minute to find a hiding place.
Three agents enter the room, two generic male MIBs, and one superior female agent with grey ponytailed hair.
Superior Agent: "He's not here. Search thoroughly."
Zali slips out when they've gone past into the other rooms.
She gets out onto the street, where there are now a number of police, who have the area cordoned off. The police then receive a radio call from the BOI Agents ordering them to accost anyone carrying anyone attempting to leave the building.
As the cops move to arrest Zali, Julia appears, rushing on screen very loudly. She runs directly into one of the big police barriers, moving it forward far enough that Zali can get past.
???: "Get outta there, kid!"
Zali: "Who the hell are you?"
???: "Go, you idiot!"
A brief fight ensues between Julia, Zali, and the cops.
Julia and Zali evade the authorities by use of some weird back alleys. They convince Scorbut the smuggler to sneak them back to Underbridge via his boat, the Albatross.
Zali: "Who are you? Why did you help me? What's going on?"
???: "I'm Julia, and I helped you 'cause I'd hate to see a kid like you caught by the pigs."
Zali: "I'm so scared!!! Why were they after me? What do they want with dad?"
Fade to black...
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