Tailspin, page 23
“Most important controls,” I said and indicated each of them as I spoke. “Two cyclic pitch control sticks, two collective pitch controls, two pairs of anti-torque pedals, and an overhead control panel.”
“Good. Continue.”
I motioned then to the dashboard in front of me. It was backlit at the moment. “There’s not a lot of differences in most basic helos,” I said. “Instrument panel and interseat control panel.”
“Top of the dashboard, warning panel. Every failure you might see would light up here with image and acronym.” I was learning those, but I was not a hundred percent clear on all of them yet. I admitted that to her.
I stared at the LED dials and, from left to right, I identified for her every single one and what it did.
“Small left rectangular dial which is lit up with OAT—Outside Air Temperature.”
Then there were six or eight clock-styled dials. These were for the engines, transmission, and fuel. “Most important one is here,” I said and tapped it. “Torque.”
I moved to the right-side dial. “Then this one is RPM. Both needles here have to be in green, or I’m gonna fuck the blades.”
“Basically, yes.”
“Then we have speed, altitude…” And I couldn’t think of it. Damn. “Manifold pressure.”
I was failing already.
“How come we have to learn all these?” I said. “Isn’t my tech supposed to know and just do all this?”
“No,” the AI said. “You need to learn these basics first, before you rely on any machines to help. Or other pilots to do it while you are doing something else.”
It was the way she said you—did she know I was destined for something other than pilot? I then turned to the overhead panel, lights, heating, and AC and DC panels. I ran her through the shape of every button that was there.
“Interseat,” I said. “Fuel, GPS, radio to the other pilot, to ground or flight control, men on the ground and other teams, helos or others.”
I hesitated over nothing else.
“Excellent,” she said. “You have amazing recall.”
“It didn’t feel like that yesterday,” I said. “Every time I tried to read them back to you, I fumbled.”
“You were exhausted. Food and sleep have done you good.”
She was probably right.
“What’s next?”
“Oooh,” she said. “Exciting times. Now I get to take you through starting the engines, security protocol, what could go wrong, and how to fix it.”
“That ‘go wrong’ is what worries me,” I admitted.
“Better you learn in here what can go wrong than out there.”
Again, she was right.
“Okay.”
“Buckle in.” She grinned.
I fastened my seatbelt, and we started from the beginning once again.
When I pushed the first button, the view around me changed. Suddenly I was in an open field.
Damn, it looked real.
“Surprised?” she asked.
“Extremely,” I added. “You haven’t just secretly transported me outside, right?”
When the engine started and the pod vibrated, I laughed nervously.
Then someone appeared beside me—a female form.
“Now it looks like you have an actual instructor.” She smiled at me.
“Wow. This is amazing.”
“You seem to have a grasp of almost everything. Let’s see if you can lift off.”
“I’m willing to try.”
I checked all the dials and took in the information. “Fuel on, engine starting.” I sucked in a breath, then clicked off the parking brakes. “If I could move first,” I said, “I’d edge our nose left.”
“Explain why?” the AI asked.
“Nose into the prevailing wind,” I said. “If possible, of course, keep any fumes out of the cab while starting. Of course, that’s not needed in the modern helos.”
I never stopped eyeing the RPM till it reached the optimum speed for liftoff. I kept my hand still on the cyclic and pulled the collective up. We eased into the air perfectly. I stayed there for a few moments before I panicked.
It was great to see the wind outside dusting the ground. The grass moved under the force of our air. It was so real. I loved it.
“Let’s go, then,” the AI said, and we did. “Take a nice lazy circle around, then land.”
“I have to land too?” Crap. My hand shifted slightly, the helo dipped, and that was the end of it. I was thrown in my seat, lost all control of everything, and bam! Crash, bang, wallop!
“You are dead,” the AI said.
I was staring at the grassy field with fake blood on the screen. “Tell me something I don’t know.” I let out a sigh.
27-Shay
Nothing.
Shay pushed the door open and stepped inside.
No one was there. Nothing had moved. Had it?
He took a double take at his desk. The walrat had moved. Not a lot, but he was sure it had moved.
With a sigh, he slid his plate onto the table, checked the rest of his room to make sure his meager belongings were there, then he sat down and picked up a sandwich, continuing to eat.
The walrat raised its head and then dropped it. The light in its eye was dull, but there. Pulsing.
“Shit!” Shay jumped up, the chair clattering behind him. He dropped his sandwich, the remnants of it now dripping down his clean clothes.
Shay knelt and picked up the fallen food. He pulled the chair back to him and slowly eased back onto it, staring at the walrat.
“Hi,” he said and held out some of the sandwich. “Are you hungry?” He cringed. “You’re not hungry. What am I even saying? You’re fully robotic, right. Right?”
The walrat turned to look at the open hole in his side where the nine-seven battery pack was still connected. It looked at Shay.
“What are you trying to tell me?” he asked.
The walrat looked back to the hole.
“You want me to close it?”
The walrat nodded.
“What about power?”
It closed one eye, and it opened its mouth. Surprised to see what was going on on the inside, Shay nodded and edged in closer. The walrat’s fur fluffed up, and he growled when Shay disconnected the battery, but then he sighed. A really deep sigh.
“Thank you,” a tiny voice echoed out of the walrat.
Shay cocked his head to the side. “You speak?”
“Your language is easy.”
Shay didn’t know what else to say, and the two of them just stared at each other. “You don’t know anything about us, do you?” the walrat asked.
Shay shook his head.
“Then if you don’t mind, I wouldn’t say no to some of your nite mixture. With a little more energy inside me, I might be able to make a connection between us, then we can learn about each other properly. Sound good?”
Shay picked up the bottle. He had been planning to use this for his escapades tonight, but instead he decided he would ask Anada for some. She would be carrying energy packs.
The walrat waited while he unclipped the top.
“Just pour it in my mouth,” he said.
Shay followed his instructions, and a moment later, his one eye glowed brighter.
“Much better,” he said. “Thank you. You should finish it and your sandwich. You need it.”
The potion always tasted salty, which was never very nice, but Shay downed it and began to eat the rest of his food.
“Listen while I explain what you need to do.”
“But you’re so young. How can you even know?”
“I might seem like a pup, but this is just our first stage. We can grow just like you can.”
“So you are organic?”
“I was, so some of me is, and no, I wasn’t dead when you found me. I was just conserving energy.”
That annoyed Shay. “Someone hurt you. Why?”
“I wasn’t what they wanted,” he said. “They decided the only way to get rid of me was to kill me. I was lucky that the gunshot missed my brain and only took out my eye.”
“That’s horrible,” Shay said. “Then they just threw you out with the trash?”
The walrat nodded. “Put your hand between my paws.”
“Will it hurt?”
“Yes,” he said and laughed when Shay pulled back. “I’m joking. It might sting, but it won’t hurt. You’ll get used to my humor after a while.”
“Why would you want me?” Shay asked before putting his hand back.
“Don’t have a lot of options here, do I?” The walrat lowered his head. “That doesn’t mean we don’t have choices. If you don’t want me at any point, or I you, we can dissolve our contract.”
Shay placed his hand down and waited for the sting.
“More like a pinprick,” he said. Shay felt the tiniest bit of pain at the tip of his finger. Then his eyes widened.
Found: Walrat
Name: Pim
You have found a young walrat.
The walrat is known for its intelligence, its fierce loyalty to its owner, and its strength of will. They only stay with a partner that will care for them on a deeper level, one who is as interested in learning and growing as they are.
Would you like to own this walrat?
Accept: Y/N
Shay clicked the yes.
The walrat’s eye changed color slightly before becoming more orange. Shay stared at them. “Wow, that’s neat.”
Then Shay could see his stats even if he couldn’t see on it what he was looking at upgrade wise, maybe it needed to sync?
Identification: Pim
Species: Walrat
Bonus: None: Badly Damaged
Mod Capacity: 8 *with mods* 10
Mod Capacity in Use: 4
Stat
Current Points
Description
Mods
Quality
Dexterity
4
Governs agility and movement.
Front Left and Right Leg Mod: 0
Cost: 0
Mental Power
4 = *6*
Governs swiftness and fortitude of the mind.
Brain Mod: 2
Cost: 4
(+MP 2)
Basic
Perception
8
Governs an individual’s senses and connection to the world around them.
Brain Mod:
Cost: 0
Strength
4
Governs physical strength and damage dealt.
Back Left and Right Leg Mod: 0
Cost: 0
Toughness
4
Governs the body and internal fortitude.
Basic Organelles:
Cost: 0
“You’re young?” Pim asked.
Shay shied away. “Nearly thirteen,” he lied and blushed. “Sorry, habit to lie.”
“Can I see your stats?”
Shay hesitated, then nodded and pulled his stats up.
Identification: Shay - Seamus Xion.
Species: Human
Bonus: High IQ - Raises MP and PER x 2
Mod Capacity: 22 *with mods* 33
Mod Capacity in Use: 10
Stat
Current Points
Description
Mods
Quality
Dexterity
10
Governs agility and movement.
Right Arm full Mod:
Right Hand Mod:
Cost:
Mental Power
10 to 12 = *18*
Governs swiftness and fortitude of the mind.
Brain Mod: 2
Cost: 2
(+MP 2)
Basic
Cranial Storage: 2
Cost: 2
(+MP 2)
Basic
Perception
8 to 10
Governs an individual’s senses and connection to the world around them.
RI Mod: 2
Cost: 2
(+MP 2)
Basic
Strength
8
Governs physical strength and damage dealt.
Left Leg Mod: 3
Cost: 4
(+TOU 3)
Professional
Hand Built
Toughness
12 = *15*
Governs the body and internal fortitude.
Basic Organelles: 0
Pim struggled, laying his head on his paws. Shay moved in closer, and reaching out, stroked down his good side. “Are you okay?”
“Tired,” he yawned.
“I’m going to have to go soon,” Shay said. “Will you be okay here?”
“I will sleep.”
“Is there anything I can do to help?”
“I will need new parts. You can fix me, right?”
“I need some money first.” Shay sighed. “But I will do everything I can.”
***
The call had come in from Anada, and Shay’s stomach had dropped. Now he dressed in his darkest clothes and packed his gear inside the hidden pockets. No backpack for tonight. He was just going in to show Anada what to do and where, then get out. That was it, that was all he wanted to do. Nothing else.
Anada waited for him outside. It wasn’t raining, but it was still cold. Shay covered his face, tucked down, and led her away from the street following his own mental map of this area of the city.
Anada never spoke after the initial greeting. Shay tried, but she just stayed silent. The walk kept Shay warm enough, even with his threadbare clothes. But his mind kept wandering back to Pim. What he needed, and what he wanted to do with him.
Shay’s smile spread, even though they approached the outer edge of Molsk’s sectors limits.
Sinister Farm had two large plantations. The first crossed the imaginary border between West Shamrik and South Laviathon, then out into the fresh lands with some of the farm outside the city limits. Shay had only tracked a few miles up the farm fencing, but it was far enough for him to see the rich lands and buildings they owned.
This time of night, there was no one working. They were all sleeping. Even the farm animals were all tucked away in their field shelters.
“How much further is it?” Anada protested.
Shay chuckled to himself but answered. “Not far now. We just need to reach that corner. The hole is there. Can’t miss it.”
He nodded, looking ahead. Rain had started falling no sooner than they had hit the corner. Shay hated rain because it meant wet feet again all the way home. Especially if they went into the farmlands.
Anada stopped, but she was frank. “Show me,” she ordered.
“You could at least ask nicely,” Shay said, dropping to his knees and pulling out what he needed. Within seconds, he’d hooked the battery pack up and lifted the wires out of his way. Scooting through the hole, he looked back at Anada. “Gimmie a minute; you’re a lot bigger than me.”
Carefully, Shay pulled the fence wire up from the bottom. Then waited while Anada crawled in. The big woman caught her back on the wires, but there was no instant death. The pack worked, blocking the system.
Shay made to move off, then stopped when Ananda didn’t follow him. “I’ll throw you some extra funds if you come inside with me,” she said. “Not too keen on farms.”
“You’re joking? Don’t like the animals or the open land?”
Anada shot him a glare, but answered with, “Where there are farm animals, there are predators. If you’ve ever seen a duckat running full pelt at you, you’d know about it.”
“Ahh,” Shay replied. “I’ve seen them, but not that close.”
“Then let’s hope we don’t see anything tonight.”
She’d probably just jinxed it, hadn’t she?
The waste area was not much farther. Shay really hadn’t travelled that far inside the lines. They stopped by the large hole in the ground. “You found him in there?”
Shay nodded, unsure if she could see him in the darkness so he said, “Yes. He shone in the moonlight, just catching it as I walked past.”
“I think we can find our way back,” Anada said. “Big enough to find useful things in, right?”
“Yes, look,” Shay pointed. “There were waste materials already showing from yesterday’s rain.”
Metallic silver shone up, twinkling at them.
“Go on,” Anada said. “Go take a look.”
“Why me?” Shay protested, already knowing the answer.
“Easier to get out if there’s trouble.” She waved. “Go.”
Shay stepped carefully to the edge, squatted down, and then slid over the edge, finding his footing amongst the rubbish.
The rain had washed a lot of the smell away. But it still stank, and Shay used his sleeve to cover his mouth and nose.
Finding the item he’d seen shining from above took a while from this angle, but he located it. It turned out to be several small metallic sheets. Picking them up, he stacked them on top of each other, then made his way back.
Anada held her hand out for the goods before she helped Shay back up to ground level, then she stashed the items before turning to head back the way they came. The night had gotten away from them. Shay had to work. Tomorrow would be long enough as it was.
“Come on,” Shay said, his pace quick to leave the farm.
“In a hurry?”
“I have work tomorrow, so yes. I’ve been up twenty-two hours already.”
“Sorry, kid,” Anada said.
Shay caught her facial expression. She really did look sorry. “Don’t worry about it. I’ve done my bit. Hopefully, Miss Tellier will keep her promise and tell me where I can go for parts.”
“We will,” Anada said. “We might be street born and bred, but we are true to our people. She will tell you, and I’ll sort out some extra funds.”
“Good. Continue.”
I motioned then to the dashboard in front of me. It was backlit at the moment. “There’s not a lot of differences in most basic helos,” I said. “Instrument panel and interseat control panel.”
“Top of the dashboard, warning panel. Every failure you might see would light up here with image and acronym.” I was learning those, but I was not a hundred percent clear on all of them yet. I admitted that to her.
I stared at the LED dials and, from left to right, I identified for her every single one and what it did.
“Small left rectangular dial which is lit up with OAT—Outside Air Temperature.”
Then there were six or eight clock-styled dials. These were for the engines, transmission, and fuel. “Most important one is here,” I said and tapped it. “Torque.”
I moved to the right-side dial. “Then this one is RPM. Both needles here have to be in green, or I’m gonna fuck the blades.”
“Basically, yes.”
“Then we have speed, altitude…” And I couldn’t think of it. Damn. “Manifold pressure.”
I was failing already.
“How come we have to learn all these?” I said. “Isn’t my tech supposed to know and just do all this?”
“No,” the AI said. “You need to learn these basics first, before you rely on any machines to help. Or other pilots to do it while you are doing something else.”
It was the way she said you—did she know I was destined for something other than pilot? I then turned to the overhead panel, lights, heating, and AC and DC panels. I ran her through the shape of every button that was there.
“Interseat,” I said. “Fuel, GPS, radio to the other pilot, to ground or flight control, men on the ground and other teams, helos or others.”
I hesitated over nothing else.
“Excellent,” she said. “You have amazing recall.”
“It didn’t feel like that yesterday,” I said. “Every time I tried to read them back to you, I fumbled.”
“You were exhausted. Food and sleep have done you good.”
She was probably right.
“What’s next?”
“Oooh,” she said. “Exciting times. Now I get to take you through starting the engines, security protocol, what could go wrong, and how to fix it.”
“That ‘go wrong’ is what worries me,” I admitted.
“Better you learn in here what can go wrong than out there.”
Again, she was right.
“Okay.”
“Buckle in.” She grinned.
I fastened my seatbelt, and we started from the beginning once again.
When I pushed the first button, the view around me changed. Suddenly I was in an open field.
Damn, it looked real.
“Surprised?” she asked.
“Extremely,” I added. “You haven’t just secretly transported me outside, right?”
When the engine started and the pod vibrated, I laughed nervously.
Then someone appeared beside me—a female form.
“Now it looks like you have an actual instructor.” She smiled at me.
“Wow. This is amazing.”
“You seem to have a grasp of almost everything. Let’s see if you can lift off.”
“I’m willing to try.”
I checked all the dials and took in the information. “Fuel on, engine starting.” I sucked in a breath, then clicked off the parking brakes. “If I could move first,” I said, “I’d edge our nose left.”
“Explain why?” the AI asked.
“Nose into the prevailing wind,” I said. “If possible, of course, keep any fumes out of the cab while starting. Of course, that’s not needed in the modern helos.”
I never stopped eyeing the RPM till it reached the optimum speed for liftoff. I kept my hand still on the cyclic and pulled the collective up. We eased into the air perfectly. I stayed there for a few moments before I panicked.
It was great to see the wind outside dusting the ground. The grass moved under the force of our air. It was so real. I loved it.
“Let’s go, then,” the AI said, and we did. “Take a nice lazy circle around, then land.”
“I have to land too?” Crap. My hand shifted slightly, the helo dipped, and that was the end of it. I was thrown in my seat, lost all control of everything, and bam! Crash, bang, wallop!
“You are dead,” the AI said.
I was staring at the grassy field with fake blood on the screen. “Tell me something I don’t know.” I let out a sigh.
27-Shay
Nothing.
Shay pushed the door open and stepped inside.
No one was there. Nothing had moved. Had it?
He took a double take at his desk. The walrat had moved. Not a lot, but he was sure it had moved.
With a sigh, he slid his plate onto the table, checked the rest of his room to make sure his meager belongings were there, then he sat down and picked up a sandwich, continuing to eat.
The walrat raised its head and then dropped it. The light in its eye was dull, but there. Pulsing.
“Shit!” Shay jumped up, the chair clattering behind him. He dropped his sandwich, the remnants of it now dripping down his clean clothes.
Shay knelt and picked up the fallen food. He pulled the chair back to him and slowly eased back onto it, staring at the walrat.
“Hi,” he said and held out some of the sandwich. “Are you hungry?” He cringed. “You’re not hungry. What am I even saying? You’re fully robotic, right. Right?”
The walrat turned to look at the open hole in his side where the nine-seven battery pack was still connected. It looked at Shay.
“What are you trying to tell me?” he asked.
The walrat looked back to the hole.
“You want me to close it?”
The walrat nodded.
“What about power?”
It closed one eye, and it opened its mouth. Surprised to see what was going on on the inside, Shay nodded and edged in closer. The walrat’s fur fluffed up, and he growled when Shay disconnected the battery, but then he sighed. A really deep sigh.
“Thank you,” a tiny voice echoed out of the walrat.
Shay cocked his head to the side. “You speak?”
“Your language is easy.”
Shay didn’t know what else to say, and the two of them just stared at each other. “You don’t know anything about us, do you?” the walrat asked.
Shay shook his head.
“Then if you don’t mind, I wouldn’t say no to some of your nite mixture. With a little more energy inside me, I might be able to make a connection between us, then we can learn about each other properly. Sound good?”
Shay picked up the bottle. He had been planning to use this for his escapades tonight, but instead he decided he would ask Anada for some. She would be carrying energy packs.
The walrat waited while he unclipped the top.
“Just pour it in my mouth,” he said.
Shay followed his instructions, and a moment later, his one eye glowed brighter.
“Much better,” he said. “Thank you. You should finish it and your sandwich. You need it.”
The potion always tasted salty, which was never very nice, but Shay downed it and began to eat the rest of his food.
“Listen while I explain what you need to do.”
“But you’re so young. How can you even know?”
“I might seem like a pup, but this is just our first stage. We can grow just like you can.”
“So you are organic?”
“I was, so some of me is, and no, I wasn’t dead when you found me. I was just conserving energy.”
That annoyed Shay. “Someone hurt you. Why?”
“I wasn’t what they wanted,” he said. “They decided the only way to get rid of me was to kill me. I was lucky that the gunshot missed my brain and only took out my eye.”
“That’s horrible,” Shay said. “Then they just threw you out with the trash?”
The walrat nodded. “Put your hand between my paws.”
“Will it hurt?”
“Yes,” he said and laughed when Shay pulled back. “I’m joking. It might sting, but it won’t hurt. You’ll get used to my humor after a while.”
“Why would you want me?” Shay asked before putting his hand back.
“Don’t have a lot of options here, do I?” The walrat lowered his head. “That doesn’t mean we don’t have choices. If you don’t want me at any point, or I you, we can dissolve our contract.”
Shay placed his hand down and waited for the sting.
“More like a pinprick,” he said. Shay felt the tiniest bit of pain at the tip of his finger. Then his eyes widened.
Found: Walrat
Name: Pim
You have found a young walrat.
The walrat is known for its intelligence, its fierce loyalty to its owner, and its strength of will. They only stay with a partner that will care for them on a deeper level, one who is as interested in learning and growing as they are.
Would you like to own this walrat?
Accept: Y/N
Shay clicked the yes.
The walrat’s eye changed color slightly before becoming more orange. Shay stared at them. “Wow, that’s neat.”
Then Shay could see his stats even if he couldn’t see on it what he was looking at upgrade wise, maybe it needed to sync?
Identification: Pim
Species: Walrat
Bonus: None: Badly Damaged
Mod Capacity: 8 *with mods* 10
Mod Capacity in Use: 4
Stat
Current Points
Description
Mods
Quality
Dexterity
4
Governs agility and movement.
Front Left and Right Leg Mod: 0
Cost: 0
Mental Power
4 = *6*
Governs swiftness and fortitude of the mind.
Brain Mod: 2
Cost: 4
(+MP 2)
Basic
Perception
8
Governs an individual’s senses and connection to the world around them.
Brain Mod:
Cost: 0
Strength
4
Governs physical strength and damage dealt.
Back Left and Right Leg Mod: 0
Cost: 0
Toughness
4
Governs the body and internal fortitude.
Basic Organelles:
Cost: 0
“You’re young?” Pim asked.
Shay shied away. “Nearly thirteen,” he lied and blushed. “Sorry, habit to lie.”
“Can I see your stats?”
Shay hesitated, then nodded and pulled his stats up.
Identification: Shay - Seamus Xion.
Species: Human
Bonus: High IQ - Raises MP and PER x 2
Mod Capacity: 22 *with mods* 33
Mod Capacity in Use: 10
Stat
Current Points
Description
Mods
Quality
Dexterity
10
Governs agility and movement.
Right Arm full Mod:
Right Hand Mod:
Cost:
Mental Power
10 to 12 = *18*
Governs swiftness and fortitude of the mind.
Brain Mod: 2
Cost: 2
(+MP 2)
Basic
Cranial Storage: 2
Cost: 2
(+MP 2)
Basic
Perception
8 to 10
Governs an individual’s senses and connection to the world around them.
RI Mod: 2
Cost: 2
(+MP 2)
Basic
Strength
8
Governs physical strength and damage dealt.
Left Leg Mod: 3
Cost: 4
(+TOU 3)
Professional
Hand Built
Toughness
12 = *15*
Governs the body and internal fortitude.
Basic Organelles: 0
Pim struggled, laying his head on his paws. Shay moved in closer, and reaching out, stroked down his good side. “Are you okay?”
“Tired,” he yawned.
“I’m going to have to go soon,” Shay said. “Will you be okay here?”
“I will sleep.”
“Is there anything I can do to help?”
“I will need new parts. You can fix me, right?”
“I need some money first.” Shay sighed. “But I will do everything I can.”
***
The call had come in from Anada, and Shay’s stomach had dropped. Now he dressed in his darkest clothes and packed his gear inside the hidden pockets. No backpack for tonight. He was just going in to show Anada what to do and where, then get out. That was it, that was all he wanted to do. Nothing else.
Anada waited for him outside. It wasn’t raining, but it was still cold. Shay covered his face, tucked down, and led her away from the street following his own mental map of this area of the city.
Anada never spoke after the initial greeting. Shay tried, but she just stayed silent. The walk kept Shay warm enough, even with his threadbare clothes. But his mind kept wandering back to Pim. What he needed, and what he wanted to do with him.
Shay’s smile spread, even though they approached the outer edge of Molsk’s sectors limits.
Sinister Farm had two large plantations. The first crossed the imaginary border between West Shamrik and South Laviathon, then out into the fresh lands with some of the farm outside the city limits. Shay had only tracked a few miles up the farm fencing, but it was far enough for him to see the rich lands and buildings they owned.
This time of night, there was no one working. They were all sleeping. Even the farm animals were all tucked away in their field shelters.
“How much further is it?” Anada protested.
Shay chuckled to himself but answered. “Not far now. We just need to reach that corner. The hole is there. Can’t miss it.”
He nodded, looking ahead. Rain had started falling no sooner than they had hit the corner. Shay hated rain because it meant wet feet again all the way home. Especially if they went into the farmlands.
Anada stopped, but she was frank. “Show me,” she ordered.
“You could at least ask nicely,” Shay said, dropping to his knees and pulling out what he needed. Within seconds, he’d hooked the battery pack up and lifted the wires out of his way. Scooting through the hole, he looked back at Anada. “Gimmie a minute; you’re a lot bigger than me.”
Carefully, Shay pulled the fence wire up from the bottom. Then waited while Anada crawled in. The big woman caught her back on the wires, but there was no instant death. The pack worked, blocking the system.
Shay made to move off, then stopped when Ananda didn’t follow him. “I’ll throw you some extra funds if you come inside with me,” she said. “Not too keen on farms.”
“You’re joking? Don’t like the animals or the open land?”
Anada shot him a glare, but answered with, “Where there are farm animals, there are predators. If you’ve ever seen a duckat running full pelt at you, you’d know about it.”
“Ahh,” Shay replied. “I’ve seen them, but not that close.”
“Then let’s hope we don’t see anything tonight.”
She’d probably just jinxed it, hadn’t she?
The waste area was not much farther. Shay really hadn’t travelled that far inside the lines. They stopped by the large hole in the ground. “You found him in there?”
Shay nodded, unsure if she could see him in the darkness so he said, “Yes. He shone in the moonlight, just catching it as I walked past.”
“I think we can find our way back,” Anada said. “Big enough to find useful things in, right?”
“Yes, look,” Shay pointed. “There were waste materials already showing from yesterday’s rain.”
Metallic silver shone up, twinkling at them.
“Go on,” Anada said. “Go take a look.”
“Why me?” Shay protested, already knowing the answer.
“Easier to get out if there’s trouble.” She waved. “Go.”
Shay stepped carefully to the edge, squatted down, and then slid over the edge, finding his footing amongst the rubbish.
The rain had washed a lot of the smell away. But it still stank, and Shay used his sleeve to cover his mouth and nose.
Finding the item he’d seen shining from above took a while from this angle, but he located it. It turned out to be several small metallic sheets. Picking them up, he stacked them on top of each other, then made his way back.
Anada held her hand out for the goods before she helped Shay back up to ground level, then she stashed the items before turning to head back the way they came. The night had gotten away from them. Shay had to work. Tomorrow would be long enough as it was.
“Come on,” Shay said, his pace quick to leave the farm.
“In a hurry?”
“I have work tomorrow, so yes. I’ve been up twenty-two hours already.”
“Sorry, kid,” Anada said.
Shay caught her facial expression. She really did look sorry. “Don’t worry about it. I’ve done my bit. Hopefully, Miss Tellier will keep her promise and tell me where I can go for parts.”
“We will,” Anada said. “We might be street born and bred, but we are true to our people. She will tell you, and I’ll sort out some extra funds.”
