08-30-2016, 05:59 AM
Carmelita gave Sombra a sympathetic look.
“Sorry, but the nature of the Dataverse means it can be near impossible to track down the creator of content. There are one or two people I know who might be able to track them down, but I wouldn’t trust them to do so.”
Sombra snorted in frustration.
“This technology is a bit beyond my previous experiences. Tell me that the air conditioning and refigerated water are easier to get to grips with…”
Carmelita quirked her muzzle.
“That depends. How familiar are you with plumbing and air ducts?”
The stallion rested his head against the table and groaned. The vixen felt compelled to rest a hand comfortingly on the stallions fetlock, but decided to give him space.
“It’s not all bad. There are populated areas that would have these already installed, or have people you could hire to do the design work for you. Your best bet would probably be the Vasty Deeps, the other side of Coruscant and two gates round to the right in the Nexus.”
The stallion gave a rough grunt of acknowledgement.
“Why don’t you go rest up? There are spare beds in the living quarters and there are showers with warm and cold water if you want to get the sand out of your coat. After you’ve recuperated, we can talk more. I’d like to hear quite a bit about this ‘crystal crafting’ you mentioned earlier, and I can go print you out some maps and basic information on the Omniverse’s geography for you to read.”
“I must admit, a wash does sound excellent. Do you have servants in this base I could call on?”
Carmelita took a moment to understand what he’d said.
“What? Oh, sorry, no. Just official personnel, no manservants or support staff or cooks or anything like that. If you do need something you can’t summon just give a holler and I should hear you.”
“Very well. Lead the way!”
Carmelita showed Sombra the way to the bunkhouse and showers before taking the opportunity to walk outside. She opened a call to Al3x.
“Did you get all that?”
++Sure did. He seems alright, if a little medieval.++
“Can you keep a camera and mike out for him? Both if he needs something and if he tries sneaking off around the base.”
++Will do.++
“Now I have to get back to writing that stupid recruitment ad…”
---
It was only a few hours later, as Carmelita was finalising some touches to her second draft, when Al3x called her up again.
“What’s the matter? Our guest up to something?”
++No, but I’ve picked up engines approaching from the same direction he came from yesterday. He mentioned bandits, so I’ve got the autoturrets ready for non-lethal fire.++
“Understood. Warning shot first. I’m on my way to the gates again.”
Carmelita stood rapidly, saving and closing the document and running for the exit to the mess hall.
As she burst out the doors the sound of the autoturrets firing hit her ears as heavily as the afternoon heat.
Two trucks had crested the dunes to the south-east simultaneously, followed by a small buggy. Upon having green bursts of light shot across their bonnets, the two trucks had screeched to a halt, but the buggy clearly had other ideas and attempted to make a break across the open ground for the compound.
Under her cloak, the vixen watched impassively as the towers flashed red and the engine block was toasted, the two people inside diving out and the vehicle coming to a flaming halt.
The bandits stared down at the compound before gathering back together. The trucks picked up the remaining two and the vehicles reversed back over the dunes before they could be heard driving away.
“Looks like they didn’t have the stomach for it,” Carmelita commented.
++Maybe, maybe not. I think I’m going to ask Chip to start working with some shielding tech, if they’d taken a potshot from that distance there’s not much I could have done.++
“Fair enough. How’s our visitor?”
++Still asleep, I think.++
“Right then, I’m going to finish up that ad.”
++You’ve said that at least three times today.++
“Well this time it’ll be true.”
---
It was after Carmelita had posted the recruitment ad on several sites across the Dataverse and begun eating a small dry tart from the nutrient synthesiser that Sombra reappeared in the mess hall, looking a world better. His coat and hair were groomed and clean, and his red horn was polished and free of sand.
“Hello there! Sleep well?”
“Sorry, but the nature of the Dataverse means it can be near impossible to track down the creator of content. There are one or two people I know who might be able to track them down, but I wouldn’t trust them to do so.”
Sombra snorted in frustration.
“This technology is a bit beyond my previous experiences. Tell me that the air conditioning and refigerated water are easier to get to grips with…”
Carmelita quirked her muzzle.
“That depends. How familiar are you with plumbing and air ducts?”
The stallion rested his head against the table and groaned. The vixen felt compelled to rest a hand comfortingly on the stallions fetlock, but decided to give him space.
“It’s not all bad. There are populated areas that would have these already installed, or have people you could hire to do the design work for you. Your best bet would probably be the Vasty Deeps, the other side of Coruscant and two gates round to the right in the Nexus.”
The stallion gave a rough grunt of acknowledgement.
“Why don’t you go rest up? There are spare beds in the living quarters and there are showers with warm and cold water if you want to get the sand out of your coat. After you’ve recuperated, we can talk more. I’d like to hear quite a bit about this ‘crystal crafting’ you mentioned earlier, and I can go print you out some maps and basic information on the Omniverse’s geography for you to read.”
“I must admit, a wash does sound excellent. Do you have servants in this base I could call on?”
Carmelita took a moment to understand what he’d said.
“What? Oh, sorry, no. Just official personnel, no manservants or support staff or cooks or anything like that. If you do need something you can’t summon just give a holler and I should hear you.”
“Very well. Lead the way!”
Carmelita showed Sombra the way to the bunkhouse and showers before taking the opportunity to walk outside. She opened a call to Al3x.
“Did you get all that?”
++Sure did. He seems alright, if a little medieval.++
“Can you keep a camera and mike out for him? Both if he needs something and if he tries sneaking off around the base.”
++Will do.++
“Now I have to get back to writing that stupid recruitment ad…”
---
It was only a few hours later, as Carmelita was finalising some touches to her second draft, when Al3x called her up again.
“What’s the matter? Our guest up to something?”
++No, but I’ve picked up engines approaching from the same direction he came from yesterday. He mentioned bandits, so I’ve got the autoturrets ready for non-lethal fire.++
“Understood. Warning shot first. I’m on my way to the gates again.”
Carmelita stood rapidly, saving and closing the document and running for the exit to the mess hall.
As she burst out the doors the sound of the autoturrets firing hit her ears as heavily as the afternoon heat.
Two trucks had crested the dunes to the south-east simultaneously, followed by a small buggy. Upon having green bursts of light shot across their bonnets, the two trucks had screeched to a halt, but the buggy clearly had other ideas and attempted to make a break across the open ground for the compound.
Under her cloak, the vixen watched impassively as the towers flashed red and the engine block was toasted, the two people inside diving out and the vehicle coming to a flaming halt.
The bandits stared down at the compound before gathering back together. The trucks picked up the remaining two and the vehicles reversed back over the dunes before they could be heard driving away.
“Looks like they didn’t have the stomach for it,” Carmelita commented.
++Maybe, maybe not. I think I’m going to ask Chip to start working with some shielding tech, if they’d taken a potshot from that distance there’s not much I could have done.++
“Fair enough. How’s our visitor?”
++Still asleep, I think.++
“Right then, I’m going to finish up that ad.”
++You’ve said that at least three times today.++
“Well this time it’ll be true.”
---
It was after Carmelita had posted the recruitment ad on several sites across the Dataverse and begun eating a small dry tart from the nutrient synthesiser that Sombra reappeared in the mess hall, looking a world better. His coat and hair were groomed and clean, and his red horn was polished and free of sand.
“Hello there! Sleep well?”