Tales of the Courier – No Good Deed Goes
1courier sits in silence. The command room is emptied of all but two, and it is silent. It is almost an awkward silence. They had spoken briefly, a few minutes ago, but all had been silent since.
The silence is broken by a road tech entering the command room to give an update.
“Your ride is ready and cargo loaded. Destinations are preloaded in navi*. ” The road tech exits quickly and 1courier wonders if he should rally the AI, or if AI is able catch on, so to speak. Now he grins, this was going to be a good run.
After leaving the command room, he stops at the HQ motorpool. Spare parts and rubber bands, he thinks, as he moves toward the back of the motor pool staging lot. What he needed was not rubber bands, and he briefly wonders if they still make them in any universe.
Good Deed Goes
He needs a new pair of boots. For the ride. Based on the dropoff intel, there was going to be rough terrain, and getting stuck was not part of the plan. The boots were actually swath* chains. So named for their ease in installing, in any circumstance, on the road.
They were invaluable in off-road situations, and highly portable. Two is good, four is better, he thinks as another tech confronts him,
“Can I help you 1courier?” The road tech asks politely but with some impatience. They were busy in the motor pool on a regular basis, much of the time the road techs had no time for anything other than current missions.
1courier grins, and asks for the swath* chains. Moments later he is leaving the motor pool and heading to the ride. Time to go.
It was a quick run, away from HQ. Within hours he has the cargo delivered to the first dropoff location. Once navi* is reset he continues to the next dropoff location. It is in a tunnel, underground, many miles further on.
He floors the accelerator pedal, the ride leaps forward chewing up the road savagely. At this pace, arrival would be sooner rather than later. He is musing over thoughts when a voice brings his focus back to the road.
The Courier
“We will be at the dropoff location in less than five minutes.” The voice is cool and slightly melodic.
1courier grins, the AI had been very silent. “I wondered when you might chime in.” He watches, as the ride passes into the tunnel opening. They are descending rapidly, and the tunnel continues downward as far as is visible.
They would be within range of the dropoff in less than five minutes. The tunnel around the ride suddenly shudders, making a dull rumble sound. Next, the tunnel road buckles, and the opening behind the ride collapses.
1courier pushes the ride harder, and for a moment, it looks as though the ride will get through. Then the tunnel ahead collapses, sealing them in, and 1courier grins. Snug as a bug in a rug.
*navi – navigation console
*swath chains – self winding all terrain hiker chains
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