A Rush and a Push (IC)

[Lance]

Quicksilver doesn't turn his head towards Eyeless, only raises it slightly. "Your timing, as always, is impeccable. We were just discussing the giant man-eating monster terrorising the town. Another of your famous charging ports for my friend, Ms Susie." he says in the most sarcastic tone his modulator can muster.

[kalstone]

Violet says, "I've been known to do a little tracking. After we help ourselves to your fine cooking, we'll head down to that light and see what we can find."

[tibbius]

The food is good, the power has the steady glow of solar under desert sun.

After lunch, you head down the street to the fatal traffic light.

There's no trace of danger there. Some sickly-looking yellow centipede grass sprouting from cracks in the pavement. The light hangs from the wire, blinking RED one way, YELLOW the other.

The sun beats on your shoulders like a flow of hot sand from the sky.

The two droids notice their chip temperatures near the high limit. They need to get back out of the sun. Violet's not feeling so great, either. You realize you've seen very few people on the street. Probably staying out of the mid-day heat.

[kalstone]

Violet

"It's hotter 'en the hinges of Hell out here. Maybe we should find some shade until things cool down."

[tibbius]

Near the intersection are some dilapidated one story houses, a building that looks like a warehouse attached to a machine shop, and a convenience store without a sign.

[Lance]

"If any of these establishments are open in the relevant hours, they might be helpful." Quicksilver points out and heads for the machine shop.

[kalstone]

Violet follows along.

[tibbius]

The machine shop has a glass door that appears to lead into a deserted front office, and also has a steel panel garage door that is about half open. Under the edge of the door, you can see bright white LED light and legs standing by some kind of machine station. As you approach, Violet feels a brush of cool air drifting from the open door. Quicksilver's sensors pick up machine oil and some kind of chlorofluorosolvent, like would be used for cleaning oil off finished parts. There's a very faint high pitched cutting noise and a slightly louder electric motor hum.

[seanfsmith]

Eyeless uses the opportunity for the cool environment to vent off some of the heat they've picked up and he looks around for signs of activity. Is anyone here at the moment or have they gone for lunch?

"You doing business?" he calls out.

[tibbius]

The cutting sound continues for a few moments, then stops. The motor hums a moment longer, then there's the beep of a button being pressed and the hum changes to a whine that deepens in pitch as it fades.

The feet and legs that you saw under the door move toward you, then there's a rattle a clatter and a bang as the person who owns the legs pulls the door up to its top position.

He's a dark-skinned, square jawed, muscular man with a shaved head and a nose ring; medium height. He's wearing soccer shorts, sandals, and a faded concert t-shirt from an EDM/industrial act that was popular last decade. He looks at the three of you.

"You're trouble," he says with a laugh. "C'mon, come in." He jerks his thumb sideways toward a door in the inside wall of the machine bay, beyond the several cutting and drilling tools that stand on the yellow-painted concrete floor. Most of the tools are painted an awkward shade of lavender, trade mark of Present Co. A couple older ones are green with red highlights.

[kalstone]

Violet

"Pleased to make your acquaintance. Name's Violet. Yours?"

[tibbius]

"Vitash," he answers, "call me Vee. Nice to meet you, good lookin." He grins flirtatiously. "So I can tell you three are the type who find trouble, what kind are you lookin for?"

[Lance]

"The kind of trouble brewing at your doorstep" Quicksilver indicates the intersection with his thumb. "Are you working at the time of day when the disappearances happened? Do they always happen at a specific time? What can you tell us? We'd like to put a stop to them."

[tibbius]

Vee stops grinning.

"Yeah, that's some bad shit," he says with a serious expression. "Both times it was loud enough, I heard it over the lathe. Fast, though. By the time I grabbed my pistol and got outside to look, there's just the car there, with the door torn off." He shakes his head. "I ... can't imagine what could do that."

[Lance]

Quicksilver nods, trying to appear solemn. After a small pause, he looks pointedly towards the exit. "An exact time frame would be helpful. We might need to recreate the circumstances, to bait another attack."

[tibbius]

Now, Vee stares at Quicksilver with a puzzled expression. "Bait ... an attack? Droid you be crazy? Didn't you hear me? Whatever that thing is, it rips the doors off cars!" He shakes his head emphatically. "I can see you strapped with a piece, but I don't reckon that little cannon gonna fend off whatever is doin all that." He looks at Violet and Eyeless. "You gon' talk some sense into this droid?"

[kalstone]

Violet

"I'm inclined to agree with you, but we gotta stop this thing somehow. What would you suggest?"

[tibbius]

The muscular machinist shrugs, his hands spread palms upward at rib height. "Ambush it. I mean, I guess you gotta have bait to set an ambush. And ... you wouldn't want to use anyone else as the bait. So, what, you're gonna just sit on one of your speeders under the light, and wait for it?"

[kalstone]

Violet

"Well, it attacks after sunset, so I reckon it's nocturnal. I was figurin we could try to track it back to wherever it sleeps and maybe hit it during the day."

[seanfsmith]

Eyeless

"Hate to be obvious, Vee, but how just does one ambush without bait?"