Tales of the Courier – All That Glitters
The streets are paved with gold. Every step is priceless and smooth with an easy stride. All that glitters…the left front tire blows as they round the last turn, before the enclave. Hell has unleashed and it’s destroying the ride around them, as they run for their lives, in the pouring rain.
Cheeky is shouting instructions, her voice barely audible over the din happening around them. They have seconds The rear compartment is no longer protected from the falling destruction and the container is exposed.
1courier grips the wheel tightly, keeping the last of the suspension guided towards the enclave. The first of the shards pierces the roof and rips sharply across the dash, as more of the crystallized rain begins puncturing the roof. The ride stalls from the damage, and momentum is all that’s left when they breach the protective barrier.
Within seconds several service bots extinguish the flames from the front of the disintegrated ride. Shouldering the door hard, 1courier exits the ride and cuts for the passenger side to get to Cheeky. She is struggling with the damaged door, 1courier grabs the door from the outside, and together they free the jammed door.
There is an awkward moment as she scrambles from the ride and trips into 1courier. He helps to steady her, and grins. “Watch that first step, it’s a doozy.”
She grins back, shaking her head and gazing briefly at the rain bringing doom just beyond the barrier, “That was too close for comfort 1courier, your timing leaves room for improvement.” She turns and moves purposefully in the direction of the command post on the far side of the enclave. He watches her move away, knowing there is more to this.
The container is removed from the ride and transported to a holding area. Another ride is there, and courier17 is preparing it for the container. The activity is uncommon for an enclave, and 1courier wonders if things are changing for the better. He considers the old saying, the more things change, the more they remain the same.
Cheeky returns with an urgent message from HQ.
“The Commander wants your ear, 1courier, you are expected in the conference area, we are scheduled to depart after …the rain.”
There is that tell, again. This time he knows it’s not imagination, and decides this would be a good time for that heart to heart. It is something else to consider, as he makes his way to the conference area. He grins, this should be good, it’s been a while since he last chatted with old stuffy boss.
The flashing red alarm lights have stopped by the time he enters the conference area. The danger of the rain is coming to an end. Nalphia will have clear skies for some time, moving forward. The news of the rain will bring scavengers from several universes, and tourism will boom. Everybody wins. Trying not to lose that feeling, he looks around for old stuffy.
There is a stuffed chair, but it is empty. The Commander isn’t one for dramatic entrances, so the red flag isn’t unexpected. He glances in the direction of the holding area, where no one is working or preparing. Service bots are gone as well. He looks around, taking in the entire enclave, and realizes he is quite alone in this place.
Shit. It’s not the space that concerns, it’s the floating bar of this delivery, and it’s quickly becoming a challenge. The only other thing that matters is Cheeky, and she is no where in the enclave. The ride is is in the holding area and the container is loaded. The defector is awaiting transport, and all others have split the scene. Must be time to go.
He jumps into the ride, and fires the motor. Courier17 will have made sure navigation was loaded first, it’s a courier thing, maps are golden. He toggles the hover mode and feels the ride raise slightly as the wheels leave the ground. The route takes them further across Deritrous into an area that is still uncharted. A known defector to an unknown place. He grins again, this was more like it, known unknowns, the building blocks of adventure.
The disappearance of the enclave is a sticking point, he will deliver this container and double time it back here for the search. Checking the m-com reveals no connection, and now things begin to click into place. This was much worse than he first thought, now would be a good time for some tough love from Cheeky, but he will have to find her first. Time to go.
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