03-12-2017, 06:33 PM
The sun shone down on the canvas as Chip hammered at a small sheet of steel. The rhythmic beating of hammer blows rang out, alone except for the soft sound of shifting hot air.
Pausing her work, she held up the sheet to the engine and found that it was nearly the right shape. The freshly installed collar securing the cylinder’s integrity stood out amongst the darker steel as she examined the fittings for the reinforcing plate.
“How much longer would you suppose the repairs will take?”
Chip suppressed her shock at the sudden interjection of a cultured voice from behind her, instead setting down her tools and turning around calmly.
“An hour or less, if my fix holds up first time around,” she said. “I assume you must be Cobalt?”
The crystalline figure gave a polite bow, the white felt not quite disguising the shining surface hidden beneath. His shoulders were surprisingly thin for his stature, giving him a distinctly bottom heavy appearance.
“And your name is Chip. Please, don’t let my inquiries slow your progress. We have a meeting to be present for. The convey awaits!”
Chip pursed her lips as she began buffing out the worst of the dents.
“About that,” she asked. “You say you’re part of a convoy, so why aren’t you with them?”
“Poor luck and happenstance. After we got a couple of wheels stuck in a sand trap, we were forced to wait until Sandslash finished digging us out. Since I could guide us back with a copy of the convoy’s itinerary, we decided not to delay the rest of the convoy. Sadly, we proceeded to break down.” He smiled with a literal gleam in his eyes. The sun bounced off the jagged crystal shards that formed his teeth, near blinding. “It is most precipitous that you arrived when you did.”
---
It was time to test her repairs, and Chip closed the bonnet with an air of anticipation. The human, who hadn’t said a word since she’d appeared to send Cobalt back out to the dunes, grunted sourly before climbing into the cab.
Chip waved and the woman turned the keys. With a grumble, the engine came to life, the pur turning into a roar as the woman revved the engine. With a thumbs up, Chip took down the canvas and stowed it in the boot of her now boiling hot car. When she returned, the woman put the engine into idle and stepped out to clasp her hand.
“Thank you for your aid, Chip. I must say I was suspicious of your fortuitous arrival, but it appears my fears were unfounded. Is there anything you’d be interested in for repayment?” The woman tucked a strand of liquid silver that flowed from her scalp and tucked it back beneath her headscarf as she talked.
“Your name, for starters,” Chip replied. “ Other than that, a good word about the lead mechanic of SupraPol. Can’t hire people who don’t know I exist!”
The woman gave a smile that softened her eyes and cheeks.
“Very well. You said that you were headed to New Babylon?” Chip nodded at the woman’s words. “Then I, Driver Nazeem, would like to invite Mechanic Chip to accompany the Green Sands Convoy as far as New Babylon.”
“I accept,” Chip said.
With that, the two synced their communicators before readying their vehicles. The other four climbed aboard the truck and the group set off, Chip bringing up the rear.
---
“Chip to truck, Chip to truck, I’m seeing a dust cloud approaching from the right. Do you have visual?”
++Driver Nazeem to car, Spotter Cobalt has eyes on skags, repeat eyes on skags. Five armed bikes on approach. I suggest you split off while we deal with them.++
“Chip to truck, not happening. This car is rated bullet resistant and I’ve been involved with vehicular combat before. I’ll watch your tail.”
++Driver to car, confirmed. Places!++
Chip tightened her hands on the wheel, dropping back to hide in the dust cloud kicked up by the truck. The lower profile of the patrol car meant it was less likely to have been spotted, so her presence would be something of a surprise to attackers.
The next minute stretced into the next. Sand flew across the windscreen as she steadied the car’s course.
A crack of gunfire.
++Driver to car, skags have engaged.++
Chip’s face hardened as she flipped a switch on the dashboard and swerved out of the dust cloud.
---
The appearance of a hover car, hidden police lights deployed and flashing, was a surprise to the mutated madmen that made up the Crushed Glass Gang. A speaker crackled to life as the truck sprouted turrets and defenders.
++This is SupraPol Patrol Car 006. You have fired on a merchant truck, and any further violence will be met with lethal self defence. Withdraw and go on your way.++
The lead skag roared maniacally and directed two of his bikes to deal with the interloper. The rest he lead in an attack on the truck.
---
A burst of electricity from Hiyo’s rooftop turret joined with blaster fire from Cobalt’s fortification and Sandslash’s rifle rounds from the passenger window as the skags opened up with their submachine guns. Chip lost focus on the fight as two bikes became more immediate problems.
She tapped the brake as the passengers opened fire, swerving right and crumpling the back wheel of the red and blue bike. As the vehicle tumbled and sent its passengers flying she slammed the wheel over to the left and rammed the second bike, knocking it from its wheels. Both attackers out of the picture, she returned her attention to the fight in front just in time to have a loose bike wheel dent her fender.
In the few hair-raising moments she’d proven the value of vehicular weight, the truck had whittled down another two attackers. Hiyo and Cobalt had been forced to retreat, leaving only Sandslash to finish off the clip of his assault rifle.
The gun jammed, and the pokemon took it in one hand and hurled it at the lead skag. The brief intermission in the gunfire as the driver swerved to avoid the weapon was enough for Sandslash to push open the passenger door and scraping a sharpened toe through the sand.
A fissure opened up across the dune, widening to swallow the front wheel of the motorbike. The lead skag leapt to safety as the driver and bike went freewheeling across the sand with a couple of horrid crunches. As Chip passed the mutant, a crack rang out from the rifle he’d pulled from his shoulders. Sandslash cried out in pain, hauling himself bodily back into the cab. Leaving the skag in the dust, the two vehicles journeyed on into the setting sun.
Pausing her work, she held up the sheet to the engine and found that it was nearly the right shape. The freshly installed collar securing the cylinder’s integrity stood out amongst the darker steel as she examined the fittings for the reinforcing plate.
“How much longer would you suppose the repairs will take?”
Chip suppressed her shock at the sudden interjection of a cultured voice from behind her, instead setting down her tools and turning around calmly.
“An hour or less, if my fix holds up first time around,” she said. “I assume you must be Cobalt?”
The crystalline figure gave a polite bow, the white felt not quite disguising the shining surface hidden beneath. His shoulders were surprisingly thin for his stature, giving him a distinctly bottom heavy appearance.
“And your name is Chip. Please, don’t let my inquiries slow your progress. We have a meeting to be present for. The convey awaits!”
Chip pursed her lips as she began buffing out the worst of the dents.
“About that,” she asked. “You say you’re part of a convoy, so why aren’t you with them?”
“Poor luck and happenstance. After we got a couple of wheels stuck in a sand trap, we were forced to wait until Sandslash finished digging us out. Since I could guide us back with a copy of the convoy’s itinerary, we decided not to delay the rest of the convoy. Sadly, we proceeded to break down.” He smiled with a literal gleam in his eyes. The sun bounced off the jagged crystal shards that formed his teeth, near blinding. “It is most precipitous that you arrived when you did.”
---
It was time to test her repairs, and Chip closed the bonnet with an air of anticipation. The human, who hadn’t said a word since she’d appeared to send Cobalt back out to the dunes, grunted sourly before climbing into the cab.
Chip waved and the woman turned the keys. With a grumble, the engine came to life, the pur turning into a roar as the woman revved the engine. With a thumbs up, Chip took down the canvas and stowed it in the boot of her now boiling hot car. When she returned, the woman put the engine into idle and stepped out to clasp her hand.
“Thank you for your aid, Chip. I must say I was suspicious of your fortuitous arrival, but it appears my fears were unfounded. Is there anything you’d be interested in for repayment?” The woman tucked a strand of liquid silver that flowed from her scalp and tucked it back beneath her headscarf as she talked.
“Your name, for starters,” Chip replied. “ Other than that, a good word about the lead mechanic of SupraPol. Can’t hire people who don’t know I exist!”
The woman gave a smile that softened her eyes and cheeks.
“Very well. You said that you were headed to New Babylon?” Chip nodded at the woman’s words. “Then I, Driver Nazeem, would like to invite Mechanic Chip to accompany the Green Sands Convoy as far as New Babylon.”
“I accept,” Chip said.
With that, the two synced their communicators before readying their vehicles. The other four climbed aboard the truck and the group set off, Chip bringing up the rear.
---
“Chip to truck, Chip to truck, I’m seeing a dust cloud approaching from the right. Do you have visual?”
++Driver Nazeem to car, Spotter Cobalt has eyes on skags, repeat eyes on skags. Five armed bikes on approach. I suggest you split off while we deal with them.++
“Chip to truck, not happening. This car is rated bullet resistant and I’ve been involved with vehicular combat before. I’ll watch your tail.”
++Driver to car, confirmed. Places!++
Chip tightened her hands on the wheel, dropping back to hide in the dust cloud kicked up by the truck. The lower profile of the patrol car meant it was less likely to have been spotted, so her presence would be something of a surprise to attackers.
The next minute stretced into the next. Sand flew across the windscreen as she steadied the car’s course.
A crack of gunfire.
++Driver to car, skags have engaged.++
Chip’s face hardened as she flipped a switch on the dashboard and swerved out of the dust cloud.
---
The appearance of a hover car, hidden police lights deployed and flashing, was a surprise to the mutated madmen that made up the Crushed Glass Gang. A speaker crackled to life as the truck sprouted turrets and defenders.
++This is SupraPol Patrol Car 006. You have fired on a merchant truck, and any further violence will be met with lethal self defence. Withdraw and go on your way.++
The lead skag roared maniacally and directed two of his bikes to deal with the interloper. The rest he lead in an attack on the truck.
---
A burst of electricity from Hiyo’s rooftop turret joined with blaster fire from Cobalt’s fortification and Sandslash’s rifle rounds from the passenger window as the skags opened up with their submachine guns. Chip lost focus on the fight as two bikes became more immediate problems.
She tapped the brake as the passengers opened fire, swerving right and crumpling the back wheel of the red and blue bike. As the vehicle tumbled and sent its passengers flying she slammed the wheel over to the left and rammed the second bike, knocking it from its wheels. Both attackers out of the picture, she returned her attention to the fight in front just in time to have a loose bike wheel dent her fender.
In the few hair-raising moments she’d proven the value of vehicular weight, the truck had whittled down another two attackers. Hiyo and Cobalt had been forced to retreat, leaving only Sandslash to finish off the clip of his assault rifle.
The gun jammed, and the pokemon took it in one hand and hurled it at the lead skag. The brief intermission in the gunfire as the driver swerved to avoid the weapon was enough for Sandslash to push open the passenger door and scraping a sharpened toe through the sand.
A fissure opened up across the dune, widening to swallow the front wheel of the motorbike. The lead skag leapt to safety as the driver and bike went freewheeling across the sand with a couple of horrid crunches. As Chip passed the mutant, a crack rang out from the rifle he’d pulled from his shoulders. Sandslash cried out in pain, hauling himself bodily back into the cab. Leaving the skag in the dust, the two vehicles journeyed on into the setting sun.