Meeting of the Minds
October 24th 2006 15:02
Meeting of the Minds
5 July 2054, 13:24
Gteams Heartland Headquarters, two miles outside New Chicago.
Work Trailer “C”, North end Scrap yard, outside of the med-center.
If anyone on the ground were to have looked up in the hot July day, they would have noticed what appeared to be a second sun. The glowing orb was as bright as the sun, but cool. Unlike the sun, it moved. It moved toward the military base and under both a radar screen and a laser grid just as easily as any fish goes through water. It landed outside of the scrap yard, and then faded away, leaving Crone, standing there.
Next to Crone was a box, about the size of large automobile. It made a scraping sound within it, and she softly talked to it. “There there. Just one short hop left. You will be riding. I will find Gears and we’ll get a loader. Have to be prepared for your grand entrance.”
She walked up to the back end of a trailer used as a makeshift workshop. It had loud music playing from inside. A visual display popped on, and she saw Gears friendly face grinning at her.
“Hey Crone. See you made it back.”
“Indeed I did. I also brought a present for Dr. Reis. I was wondering if you had a loader available for use.” Gears smiled.
“Oh yes, I have a loader droid.” He nudged Charlie, who was off-camera with an elbow. The loader droid had broken three days ago, and Charlie was the replacement. He did not mind, it gave him a chance to go around the base and meet new people. Charlie liked meeting new people. “I'll send my new assistant out to run it. Just lead the way and he'll catch up.”
Charlie cocked his eyebrow.
“Very well then, I'll head that way.” She spun on a bare foot and began to walk slowly as Gears cut off the video link.
“Who is that?” Charlie asked.
“That's Crone. Your trainer. Now remember what I said about her. As long as you do what she asks, you're cool. Got it?”
“Got it.” Charlie grinned. He could do what he was told.
The door of the bay opened and Charlie strode out. He hefted the box for weight and balance and then lifted it bodily above his head. A soft grunt as he realized there were things moving in the box and he had to keep under it. In a couple of super-sized steps, he had caught up to Crone.
“I'm assuming you have access to the med-bay.” She said, again without turning.
“Yes ma'am. I've been all over the base quite a lot over the last few days.” He replied.
“Oh been busy, have you?” She asked.
“Yea. Gears has me running all over the place.” He said.
“Well that's not so bad. Makes the time pass. Things can get boring in the support staff if you don't have something to do, I imagine.” She replied.
“Yeah, well, I figure Gears will keep me busy enough. Between that and my school work, I'm pretty much tight.”
“Oh?” Crone asked as they walked through the body scanner. It started to beep maliciously at them, and Crone muttered at it: H gzsd sgzs czlm bnlosdq
It shut off. As well as every alarm system in the entire building. Crone detested alarms.
“Now then, may I ask, what are you going to school for?”
“Well I'm not sure, quite yet. Haven't decided. They’re telling me I'm taking a general course right now.”
She nodded approvingly. “Always good to have a broad base. I have been to a couple of Universities in my life. Interesting places. Now is this through the military universities or through the Gigopolis University extension?”
“Gig U. Gears said that while the Military education was good, the Gig was better.” Charlie said. He ducked into a smaller corridor to follow her. She had a quick pace. Technicians, now used to Charlie's size, swarmed past them toward the front corridor to wonder what was wrong with the security system.
“Quiet loader you've got there. You must be very good at maintenance.” She commented.
“I try.” He grinned wryly and followed her into a large, open space. This was the med-lab. It was about one-hundred feet in diameter with workstations along its circumference. It had a few pieces of gym equipment, a treadmill, and a portable UHMRI. Dr. Reis watched as Charlie set down the box gracefully and General Kinomoto turned.
“Well good to see you two working together already.” The General intoned.
“Eh?” Crone said. “You mean that trainee? I haven't seen him. I hope he's a civil sort. I don't take to those smart-mouthed city kids, you know that.”
Charlie chuckled and Crone spun on one foot. Her eyes widened.
“Ma'am.” He offered his massive hand. She smiled a wry grin.
“You?” she cocked her head quizzically, and then saw there was no loader robot anywhere.
“Yes ma'am.”
“Young man, do you have any idea what you've been carrying?” She asked.
He set it down and replied, “I don't. I can tell you it's moving in there, and keeping under it in that itty bitty hall is a pain.”
She rapped sharply at a side of the crate and it fell down to the side facing Dr. Reis making an obnoxious, crushing noise. As it fell a woman of African descent in a wheelchair who had no legs wheeled into the room from a back entrance.
The sound of a horse whinnied.
The room went silent.
Dr. Reis looked at her.
“Dr. Reis, I present Esmeralda.” Crone intoned after walking around to the opening. She beckoned with her hand.
The horse was a beautiful white creature who, after some coaxing came to Crone's hand. It stretched out its fluffy white wings, and the horn in the center of her head shone an unearthly light.
Dr. Reis was silent.
“Well?” Crone looked at him.
Dr. Reis did not reply.
“For all your toys you cannot explain her, can you? She's something greater than you can possibly imagine.” Crone leaned over and kissed her on her velvety muzzle. The Unisys nickered at her.
There was a long, dark silence. The Unisys trotted out, and fluttered its wings, stretching them out slowly and then went to each person in turn, looking at them in the eye. To the black woman in the wheelchair it lowered its muzzle and nickered in her ear. She giggled like a schoolgirl.
“She's sweet.” The woman wore a simple black jumpsuit whose legs wrapped under her amputated stumps. Esmeralda lowered her head and the horn glowed, a brilliant, blue light. Her name badge read, 'DarkStarr' upon it.
She gasped softly as the blue light tickled her body.
“She can help some of your pain, Denise.” Crone said softly.
Denise's ebony skin glowed a sort of pale blueness. Denise mewled gently, and then her eyes dilated.
When Esmeralda finished, Denise sat back in the canvas wheelchair. She looked to Crone, and then to the Unisys.
“Thank you. I feel much better.” She said.
The background chatter of the room, of technicians and support staff started to return to normality. They understood that unusual things were normal to them. Esmeralda trotted about happily, and spoke to them all in a low throaty voice, which further befuddled both Dr. Reis and General Kinomoto.
Crone cornered Charlie.
“One rule, young man. Do as I say, when I say it. Don't ask questions, don't fight me.”
“Yes ma'am.” He said.
“Tomorrow morning, six. Be fed, be rested. We'll begin out on training area C.”
“Yes ma'am.” He said.
She looked him in the eye, and made sure he understood what she was saying. He nodded.
“I think you'll do nicely. For my last one.” She gave a half smile.
“I'll try ma'am.” He said.
“That's all I ask.” She replied. “That's all I ask of anyone.”
5 July 2054, 13:24
Gteams Heartland Headquarters, two miles outside New Chicago.
Work Trailer “C”, North end Scrap yard, outside of the med-center.
If anyone on the ground were to have looked up in the hot July day, they would have noticed what appeared to be a second sun. The glowing orb was as bright as the sun, but cool. Unlike the sun, it moved. It moved toward the military base and under both a radar screen and a laser grid just as easily as any fish goes through water. It landed outside of the scrap yard, and then faded away, leaving Crone, standing there.
She walked up to the back end of a trailer used as a makeshift workshop. It had loud music playing from inside. A visual display popped on, and she saw Gears friendly face grinning at her.
“Hey Crone. See you made it back.”
“Indeed I did. I also brought a present for Dr. Reis. I was wondering if you had a loader available for use.” Gears smiled.
“Oh yes, I have a loader droid.” He nudged Charlie, who was off-camera with an elbow. The loader droid had broken three days ago, and Charlie was the replacement. He did not mind, it gave him a chance to go around the base and meet new people. Charlie liked meeting new people. “I'll send my new assistant out to run it. Just lead the way and he'll catch up.”
Charlie cocked his eyebrow.
“Very well then, I'll head that way.” She spun on a bare foot and began to walk slowly as Gears cut off the video link.
“That's Crone. Your trainer. Now remember what I said about her. As long as you do what she asks, you're cool. Got it?”
“Got it.” Charlie grinned. He could do what he was told.
The door of the bay opened and Charlie strode out. He hefted the box for weight and balance and then lifted it bodily above his head. A soft grunt as he realized there were things moving in the box and he had to keep under it. In a couple of super-sized steps, he had caught up to Crone.
“I'm assuming you have access to the med-bay.” She said, again without turning.
“Yes ma'am. I've been all over the base quite a lot over the last few days.” He replied.
“Oh been busy, have you?” She asked.
“Yea. Gears has me running all over the place.” He said.
“Well that's not so bad. Makes the time pass. Things can get boring in the support staff if you don't have something to do, I imagine.” She replied.
“Yeah, well, I figure Gears will keep me busy enough. Between that and my school work, I'm pretty much tight.”
“Oh?” Crone asked as they walked through the body scanner. It started to beep maliciously at them, and Crone muttered at it: H gzsd sgzs czlm bnlosdq
It shut off. As well as every alarm system in the entire building. Crone detested alarms.
“Now then, may I ask, what are you going to school for?”
“Well I'm not sure, quite yet. Haven't decided. They’re telling me I'm taking a general course right now.”
She nodded approvingly. “Always good to have a broad base. I have been to a couple of Universities in my life. Interesting places. Now is this through the military universities or through the Gigopolis University extension?”
“Gig U. Gears said that while the Military education was good, the Gig was better.” Charlie said. He ducked into a smaller corridor to follow her. She had a quick pace. Technicians, now used to Charlie's size, swarmed past them toward the front corridor to wonder what was wrong with the security system.
“Quiet loader you've got there. You must be very good at maintenance.” She commented.
“I try.” He grinned wryly and followed her into a large, open space. This was the med-lab. It was about one-hundred feet in diameter with workstations along its circumference. It had a few pieces of gym equipment, a treadmill, and a portable UHMRI. Dr. Reis watched as Charlie set down the box gracefully and General Kinomoto turned.
“Well good to see you two working together already.” The General intoned.
“Eh?” Crone said. “You mean that trainee? I haven't seen him. I hope he's a civil sort. I don't take to those smart-mouthed city kids, you know that.”
Charlie chuckled and Crone spun on one foot. Her eyes widened.
“Ma'am.” He offered his massive hand. She smiled a wry grin.
“You?” she cocked her head quizzically, and then saw there was no loader robot anywhere.
“Yes ma'am.”
“Young man, do you have any idea what you've been carrying?” She asked.
He set it down and replied, “I don't. I can tell you it's moving in there, and keeping under it in that itty bitty hall is a pain.”
She rapped sharply at a side of the crate and it fell down to the side facing Dr. Reis making an obnoxious, crushing noise. As it fell a woman of African descent in a wheelchair who had no legs wheeled into the room from a back entrance.
The sound of a horse whinnied.
The room went silent.
Dr. Reis looked at her.
“Dr. Reis, I present Esmeralda.” Crone intoned after walking around to the opening. She beckoned with her hand.
The horse was a beautiful white creature who, after some coaxing came to Crone's hand. It stretched out its fluffy white wings, and the horn in the center of her head shone an unearthly light.
Dr. Reis was silent.
“Well?” Crone looked at him.
Dr. Reis did not reply.
“For all your toys you cannot explain her, can you? She's something greater than you can possibly imagine.” Crone leaned over and kissed her on her velvety muzzle. The Unisys nickered at her.
There was a long, dark silence. The Unisys trotted out, and fluttered its wings, stretching them out slowly and then went to each person in turn, looking at them in the eye. To the black woman in the wheelchair it lowered its muzzle and nickered in her ear. She giggled like a schoolgirl.
“She's sweet.” The woman wore a simple black jumpsuit whose legs wrapped under her amputated stumps. Esmeralda lowered her head and the horn glowed, a brilliant, blue light. Her name badge read, 'DarkStarr' upon it.
She gasped softly as the blue light tickled her body.
“She can help some of your pain, Denise.” Crone said softly.
Denise's ebony skin glowed a sort of pale blueness. Denise mewled gently, and then her eyes dilated.
When Esmeralda finished, Denise sat back in the canvas wheelchair. She looked to Crone, and then to the Unisys.
“Thank you. I feel much better.” She said.
The background chatter of the room, of technicians and support staff started to return to normality. They understood that unusual things were normal to them. Esmeralda trotted about happily, and spoke to them all in a low throaty voice, which further befuddled both Dr. Reis and General Kinomoto.
Crone cornered Charlie.
“One rule, young man. Do as I say, when I say it. Don't ask questions, don't fight me.”
“Yes ma'am.” He said.
“Tomorrow morning, six. Be fed, be rested. We'll begin out on training area C.”
“Yes ma'am.” He said.
She looked him in the eye, and made sure he understood what she was saying. He nodded.
“I think you'll do nicely. For my last one.” She gave a half smile.
“I'll try ma'am.” He said.
“That's all I ask.” She replied. “That's all I ask of anyone.”
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