Author Topic: Need a tow truck? [Rhi!] (Read 2968 times)

Tally · « **on:** March 14, 2013, 12:28:53 am »

From the air, the place looked like a junk yard.

From the ground it looked like a junk yard.

There was only one ship here, the Sassy Juice, and unless there was some underground bunker then that was the ship transmitting the distress signal.

Bluebird didn't have the instruments to scan their systems, but could be they were broken down. This was a desert planet, not a lot of water. A bad place to get stuck. There were some colonies a couple hundred miles away, but this place? Looked like it had been a docking station at some point, but it was all gone to hell now.

Rebecca alighted Bluebird upon the ground in its bipedal mode. There was no hiding the mecha's purpose—she wouldn't have wanted to even if she could. Bluebird was built for offense and her array of weapons were readily apparent to anyone with a scanner. Suited her just fine. She wanted anyone who might cause her trouble to know just how much heat she was packing.

There were a few of the Juice's crew out and about, so she greeted them through Bluebird's external speaker. "You folks need a hand?"

Rhi-Rhi · « **Reply #1 on:** April 28, 2013, 04:31:39 pm »

They were going to roast out here.

If they didn't freeze to death once night hit.

Already the temperature had chased Ari out of his ship and into the dry air, but it was cooler out here under the shade Sassy cast than it was sitting around in a tin can waiting for someone to respond to his distress signal which, uh, whoa. Speak of the devil.

Dust rose where the mecha landed and Ari shielded his eyes from it with his arm. When the dust cleared, he took it in cautiously. There was no telling if this one was here to help, or was an opportunist looking to strip them down and leave them for dead, and considering what he'd do in the same situation? He rested his hand on his gun, holstered at his hip, and cleared his throat, which was uncomfortably dry.

"If you're offerin', that'd sure be nice!" he called out. "Ya wouldn't happen to know of any functioning docking stations nearby, would ya?"

Tally · « **Reply #2 on:** June 22, 2013, 11:48:57 pm »

Oh sweet good gods. Did that guy have his hand on his gun? Like he was going to what? Shoot the giant mecha? With its fighter-grade alloy plating? So cute!

Her entrance had caused quite a stir, several of the crew taking cover or retreating back into the ship—and damn whoa was it ever a doozy. Looked like Bluebird would fit in their cargo hold standing straight up!

"Didn't scan the whole planet, but nothing within a good six hundred miles. Some settlements a ways away. They won't have much in the way of tech, though. What's your trouble?"

Rhi-Rhi · « **Reply #3 on:** August 25, 2013, 01:01:53 pm »

"Fuckin' engine, of course," Ari said with a frown, not liking the sound of that. Six hundred miles? Gods-fuckin'-dammit. Just his luck. He nodded toward the ship. "Coolant valve's out, so she overheated and here we are!"

He smiled up at the mech and waggled his eyebrows. "Ya wouldn't happen to have a convenient spare lyin' 'round that's also conveniently the right model now, would ya?"

Tally · « **Reply #4 on:** October 05, 2013, 07:28:11 pm »

Rebecca experienced a burst of empathy for them all, tempered by the good sense of knowing that misfortune didn't make someone innocent or safe.

So. The real question was, just how far was she willing to go to help them, if she could indeed help at all?

"Sorry, sugar, I don't. What else can I do? What's the easiest way to get you flying again?"

Rhi-Rhi · « **Reply #5 on:** October 07, 2013, 09:59:56 pm »

Of course she didn't have the part. Didn't mean he didn't feel irrationally disappointed all the same.

Ari heaved a sigh and shrugged his shoulders. "Well, easiest way would be to get that part. Or get towed somewhere that has that part. But," he said, eying her mecha, "since that don't look like an option..."

He tilted his head. "How generous ya feelin', darlin'?" he asked. "And how trustin'?"

Tally · « **Reply #6 on:** October 07, 2013, 10:09:58 pm »

"Right. Towing's out." Bluebird packed more power than what she looked like, but not enough to break atmo with that huge honkin' boat in tow.

"Why," she said. "Whatcha have in mind? My generosity might be a moot point. Don't have much on me."

Rhi-Rhi · « **Reply #7 on:** October 07, 2013, 10:11:46 pm »

"I'm not askin' for money," Ari said. "I'm askin' for a ride."

Tally · « **Reply #8 on:** October 07, 2013, 10:16:35 pm »

A grin split Rebecca's face, there in the anonymity and confines of the cockpit.

"Oh, that's easy, sugar. I've got space for two! Where you need to get?"

Rhi-Rhi · « **Reply #9 on:** October 07, 2013, 10:22:57 pm »

There it was again. Sugar, huh? Ari grinned. Though he couldn't see her, he liked the sound of her voice, and could appreciate anyone who casually tossed around pet names like that.

"The nearest repair shop, for starters. See if they got the part or know of a place that does. Once we get it, my mechanics can take care of the rest. I'll reimburse ya for flyin' me all over. Generosity's one thing, but I ain't expectin' altruism, here. Sound fair?"

Tally · « **Reply #10 on:** October 07, 2013, 10:29:30 pm »

"Sounds more than fair. Reckon it'll be pretty easy to take you that far."

Oh dear. Was she sounding too eager? She wasn't so good at this kind of thing, but maybe he wouldn't notice.

She knelt Bluebird down and a panel in the torso carriage slid open, revealing a small compartment with a chair for one.

"She's got passenger seating. Hop in."

Rhi-Rhi · « **Reply #11 on:** October 07, 2013, 10:42:20 pm »

Ari eyed the seat, and had a moment of uncertainty. He'd never been in a mecha before. Was this a normal seating arrangement? Then again, like hell would you want a stranger as your copilot.

But luring someone off and kidnapping them in this fashion was exactly the sort of thing he'd do, under similar pretenses, because what better way was there than preying on someone who had few other options?

Of course, he was thinking like a pirate and not your average joe. Not everyone was like that. And it might be a long time before someone else came by, and there'd be no telling what their motives were, either.

So fuck it. "Thanks, doll."

He turned to a nearby mechanic to give them a quick rundown of what he was doing, ignored the look he received in return, and boarded the mecha.

Tally · « **Reply #12 on:** December 08, 2013, 11:39:36 am »

For a second there she was afraid he might not get in. She held her breath and let out a relieved sigh when he boarded.

"No problem."

One push of a button and he was secure in the pod. No windows in there, but a projector could show him either herself or the view outside. She put her own face up so they could talk eye to eye finally.

"Pleasure to have you aboard," she said, smiling. "I'm Rebecca."

While she talked, she got airborne.

Rhi-Rhi · « **Reply #13 on:** January 21, 2014, 10:30:50 am »

Ari leaned back in his seat, arms folded behind his head, but he sat up straighter when the driver's face projected before him.

"Oh, heeeey...you're cute!" he said with a grin, leaning forward and propping his chin up on his hand. He waggled his eyebrows. "Nice to meetcha, Becca--mind if I call ya Becca? I'm Ari. Thanks for the help, by the way. Probably woulda been eons before the next ship showed up."

Tally · « **Reply #14 on:** February 04, 2014, 03:40:04 pm »

Since her guest was so busy admiring her cute face, he couldn't see her circling his ship and taking pictures of it—lots of nice detailed pictures and scans of its ID number and name.

"Thanks, hun. Becca's fine, whatever you like. You all strapped in? I'm gonna hit high atmo."

Rhi-Rhi · « **Reply #15 on:** February 06, 2014, 04:17:53 pm »

"Yep, go for it," Ari said, testing the straps just to be sure.

He leaned back in his seat, bracing himself. "Gonna be long to get there, sugar? Don't wanna leave those guys too long." He was going to be pissed if the repair place was just a few minutes away.

Tally · « **Reply #16 on:** March 06, 2014, 01:12:43 pm »

"About an hour as the mech flies."

Once she got them on their trajectory and put the Sassy Juice on their six, she opened Ari's view port so he could see where they were going. In the meantime, she sent a request to the drone satellite orbiting the planet for info on this ship. It would take a few minutes to compile and bounce back to her.

"What brought you here?"

Rhi-Rhi · « **Reply #17 on:** July 30, 2014, 02:55:25 pm »

"Well, nothin' really brought me here," Ari answered, leaning against the arm of his seat and peering out the view port. "'Cept an overheated coolant valve. Needed a place to land fast, and this was the closest there was. What about ya? Pretty desolate place to just be chillin' by, eh?"

Tally · « **Reply #18 on:** July 30, 2014, 07:29:43 pm »

"Oh me?"

The docs still hadn't come back, but that was okay. She had an idea of what they'd find, given what she'd heard through the grape vine.

"I run security for this colony up in the nearby quadrant. This planet's just out of our control, but that's kind of the problem y'know? This planet ain't under anyone's control. We see a lot of raids kick off from the nightside here. So I swing by during my patrols and vapor any pirate activity before it can get off the ground."

Rhi-Rhi · « **Reply #19 on:** July 30, 2014, 07:52:48 pm »

...You clever fucking bitch.

Somehow, Ari managed to keep the calm smile on his face, even as he wanted to scream--and as he was suddenly very aware of the dinky, handle-less pod he was in. Fuck. Fuuuuuck. He kept his muscles relaxed and nodded along to her words. The key here was to stay cool. Stay chill. He'd just deal with her once they...well, once they got somewhere where he could deal with her!

"So what you're sayin', darlin', is I couldn't have picked a better place to break down, eh?" he said with a grin and a wink. "Safe, regular patrols, and I get to stare at your pretty face."