08-29-2016, 06:39 PM
Carmelita was sitting in the mess hall, writing and rewriting the recruitment ad, when a call from Al3x came over her earpiece.
She flicked out the eyepiece and answered the call.
“Hey, Al3x, you and Chip bored of the workshops already?”
++Not a chance, but we’ve got a visitor. An equine of some kind, looks dehydrated, just appeared over the south-eastern dunes. Here’s a visual.++
Carmelita watched the video feed. On screen, a stallion of the same type she’d encountered in the Town With No Name water shortage was galloping down the dunes, heading for the main gates.
“I’ll go and meet him, see if he’s okay. Hold off on the autoturrets unless he seems hostile.”
++Got it. Chip and I will stay out of sight and be ready to come running.++
“Sounds good. On my way.”
Carmelita strode from the hall, activating the cloaking function of her collar as she went. It was time to greet the unexpected visitor.
---
She reached the gates with half a minute to spare, jogging to a halt in time to have a closer look at the stallion as he approached.
Carmelita felt a bit of sympathy for the stallion. Grey fur and black hair were bound to be sizzlingly hot, and while the smoke and green eyes seemed a little strange she wouldn’t begrudge him appearances.
As the stallion came within fifty metres she dropped the cloak, her form blurring into view in the air. The vixen supposed she could easily be mistaken for a mirage at this distance.
“Good day, sir! My name is Inspector Carmelita Fox-Cooper and I’d like to invite you into the cool and offer you some water. Any objections?”
The stallion pulled up abruptly, taking a moment to steady himself and try and look presentable.
“None, Inspector. My name is Sombra, and I could definitely do with a drink. Lead the way!”
---
Carmelita lead Sombra through the base to the mess hall with little conversation, suspecting that in his state he might not be up for it. Instead, she ushered him inside the small building and offered him a seat, fetching a couple of large plastic cups from the kitchen and filling them with cold water.
“Here, take your time,” she said, offering him the cup and taking sips from the other. “There’ll be time for talking once the magic of air conditioning and refrigerated water fixes your dehydration.”
Carmelita smiled slightly as Sombra gave a nod of acknowledgement before turning her attention back to her recruitment ad. Writing it with a virtual keyboard overlain on her eyepiece, she caught sight of the stallion looking at her strangely as he drank the water.
Eventually, two hooves slammed the cup down on the table and he gave a relieved sigh.
“Another?” she asked.
“Please.”
She refilled the cup from the water dispenser and returned it to the stallion, handing it over.
“So,” she asked, as Sombra sipped at his second drink. “What brings you to the SupraPol Mech Depot?”
She flicked out the eyepiece and answered the call.
“Hey, Al3x, you and Chip bored of the workshops already?”
++Not a chance, but we’ve got a visitor. An equine of some kind, looks dehydrated, just appeared over the south-eastern dunes. Here’s a visual.++
Carmelita watched the video feed. On screen, a stallion of the same type she’d encountered in the Town With No Name water shortage was galloping down the dunes, heading for the main gates.
“I’ll go and meet him, see if he’s okay. Hold off on the autoturrets unless he seems hostile.”
++Got it. Chip and I will stay out of sight and be ready to come running.++
“Sounds good. On my way.”
Carmelita strode from the hall, activating the cloaking function of her collar as she went. It was time to greet the unexpected visitor.
---
She reached the gates with half a minute to spare, jogging to a halt in time to have a closer look at the stallion as he approached.
Carmelita felt a bit of sympathy for the stallion. Grey fur and black hair were bound to be sizzlingly hot, and while the smoke and green eyes seemed a little strange she wouldn’t begrudge him appearances.
As the stallion came within fifty metres she dropped the cloak, her form blurring into view in the air. The vixen supposed she could easily be mistaken for a mirage at this distance.
“Good day, sir! My name is Inspector Carmelita Fox-Cooper and I’d like to invite you into the cool and offer you some water. Any objections?”
The stallion pulled up abruptly, taking a moment to steady himself and try and look presentable.
“None, Inspector. My name is Sombra, and I could definitely do with a drink. Lead the way!”
---
Carmelita lead Sombra through the base to the mess hall with little conversation, suspecting that in his state he might not be up for it. Instead, she ushered him inside the small building and offered him a seat, fetching a couple of large plastic cups from the kitchen and filling them with cold water.
“Here, take your time,” she said, offering him the cup and taking sips from the other. “There’ll be time for talking once the magic of air conditioning and refrigerated water fixes your dehydration.”
Carmelita smiled slightly as Sombra gave a nod of acknowledgement before turning her attention back to her recruitment ad. Writing it with a virtual keyboard overlain on her eyepiece, she caught sight of the stallion looking at her strangely as he drank the water.
Eventually, two hooves slammed the cup down on the table and he gave a relieved sigh.
“Another?” she asked.
“Please.”
She refilled the cup from the water dispenser and returned it to the stallion, handing it over.
“So,” she asked, as Sombra sipped at his second drink. “What brings you to the SupraPol Mech Depot?”