04-29-2016, 03:21 PM
A little later in the day, Proto Man went out into the streets by himself. Since the incident earlier, he’d found himself a little frustrated with the whole situation. He knew that Mickey would start giving him those sad eyes that implied they were to blame for the whole situation, but the preteen machine knew better. Sure, they’d topple over the house of cards, but they had poured kerosene onto it and light the match.
So he walked by himself, rather than risk getting into another ideological kerfuffle with Mickey. As he made his way down what seemed to be a small street, he found himself drawn in by a hand-painted sign hanging above a shattered storefront. Along with offering sales of basic goods, the store also advertised the services of the ‘Gold Cross’ with clearing up damages or helping the especially sick or injured.
Pausing abruptly in front of the building, Proto Man pivoted and made his way for the door. A quick glance told him that the door had been stitched together from a bunch of different piece of wood. That’s some genuine safety. Once inside the building, the red robot was hit by a surprising amount of light, which seemed to come down at him from all angles.
“Welcome to Gold Cross Three,” a very pleasant-sounding woman remarked as the android made his way over to counter. On the other side, a young woman with blonde hair and old clothes was trying to sort through what seemed to be a bunch of random tools. If not for the grease stains and the fact that she was pushing twenty, she could have passed for Roll, Proto Man’s younger sister. “Are you here to drop something off or pick up something?”
The preteen machine stepped onto a little stool in order to stand at the same height as the girl across the counter. He glanced around at the room and noticed that a lot of the shelves seemed pretty empty. A look into the backroom, which was covered by a blanket on a metal rod rather than an actual door, showed a storage space without a whole lot of surplus.
“You running low?” Proto Man remarked as he looked back at the woman and adjusted his sunglasses.
Instead of responding right away, the counter attendant simply reached up under the metal countertop and pulled out a small pistol. “Listen, if you’re thinking about robbing us, you might as well just try it now. I’d like to get a good night’s sleep tonight if it’s at all possible.”
Proto Man held up his hands to show that he wasn’t holding his own weapon. “I’m sorry, I didn’t come to start any fights.”
Perhaps it was the tone of his voice or the fact that he looked like a small child. Either way, the woman relaxed and stopped pointing her weapon at him. One awkward silence later, she cleared her throat and started to speak. “I’m sorry, Kid, I’m just so sick of the assholes out there. Whether they’re trying to rob us or lie about their predicament… people can be the worst.”
The machine nodded his head. “I know what you mean,” he muttered as he set his hands on the counter. “Is that why this place is so empty?”
“Yea,” she shot back. “Between opportunists inside the town and the raiders that hit the convoys, it’s impossible to keep anything in stock. If you can’t tell, we’re not the central location. They have first dibs on everything, because they serve the largest and most affluent portion of the town. After them, you have Station 1, Station 2, and then my humble little hole in the wall.”
“Can I help at all?”
The initial response was an apathetic shoulder shrug. A beat later, the woman offered something more tangible. “I suppose you could help escort the supplies? They get hit a lot on their way here, but I’m not sure how you can help… you’re a kid.”
“Everyone has to try,” Proto Man muttered. “Or things won’t change.”
His new acquaintance shrugged her shoulders. “I wish I had that kind of optimism, but it’s hard.”
“Where do I go?”
“If you head to the West Gate, they can direct you along your way,” the woman said before reaching back under the counter. Instead of a gun, she produced a small golden cross. “This will act as an ID card so please do not lose it.”
Scooping up the little piece of tarnished metal, Proto Man nodded and headed out of the little structure.
So he walked by himself, rather than risk getting into another ideological kerfuffle with Mickey. As he made his way down what seemed to be a small street, he found himself drawn in by a hand-painted sign hanging above a shattered storefront. Along with offering sales of basic goods, the store also advertised the services of the ‘Gold Cross’ with clearing up damages or helping the especially sick or injured.
Pausing abruptly in front of the building, Proto Man pivoted and made his way for the door. A quick glance told him that the door had been stitched together from a bunch of different piece of wood. That’s some genuine safety. Once inside the building, the red robot was hit by a surprising amount of light, which seemed to come down at him from all angles.
“Welcome to Gold Cross Three,” a very pleasant-sounding woman remarked as the android made his way over to counter. On the other side, a young woman with blonde hair and old clothes was trying to sort through what seemed to be a bunch of random tools. If not for the grease stains and the fact that she was pushing twenty, she could have passed for Roll, Proto Man’s younger sister. “Are you here to drop something off or pick up something?”
The preteen machine stepped onto a little stool in order to stand at the same height as the girl across the counter. He glanced around at the room and noticed that a lot of the shelves seemed pretty empty. A look into the backroom, which was covered by a blanket on a metal rod rather than an actual door, showed a storage space without a whole lot of surplus.
“You running low?” Proto Man remarked as he looked back at the woman and adjusted his sunglasses.
Instead of responding right away, the counter attendant simply reached up under the metal countertop and pulled out a small pistol. “Listen, if you’re thinking about robbing us, you might as well just try it now. I’d like to get a good night’s sleep tonight if it’s at all possible.”
Proto Man held up his hands to show that he wasn’t holding his own weapon. “I’m sorry, I didn’t come to start any fights.”
Perhaps it was the tone of his voice or the fact that he looked like a small child. Either way, the woman relaxed and stopped pointing her weapon at him. One awkward silence later, she cleared her throat and started to speak. “I’m sorry, Kid, I’m just so sick of the assholes out there. Whether they’re trying to rob us or lie about their predicament… people can be the worst.”
The machine nodded his head. “I know what you mean,” he muttered as he set his hands on the counter. “Is that why this place is so empty?”
“Yea,” she shot back. “Between opportunists inside the town and the raiders that hit the convoys, it’s impossible to keep anything in stock. If you can’t tell, we’re not the central location. They have first dibs on everything, because they serve the largest and most affluent portion of the town. After them, you have Station 1, Station 2, and then my humble little hole in the wall.”
“Can I help at all?”
The initial response was an apathetic shoulder shrug. A beat later, the woman offered something more tangible. “I suppose you could help escort the supplies? They get hit a lot on their way here, but I’m not sure how you can help… you’re a kid.”
“Everyone has to try,” Proto Man muttered. “Or things won’t change.”
His new acquaintance shrugged her shoulders. “I wish I had that kind of optimism, but it’s hard.”
“Where do I go?”
“If you head to the West Gate, they can direct you along your way,” the woman said before reaching back under the counter. Instead of a gun, she produced a small golden cross. “This will act as an ID card so please do not lose it.”
Scooping up the little piece of tarnished metal, Proto Man nodded and headed out of the little structure.
![[Image: proto.jpg]](http://epiqz.com/omni/proto.jpg)
![[Image: DAHost.png]](http://www.omniverse-rpg.com/images/badges/Events/DAHost.png)
Dante's Abyss 2015
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