[02] TEXT; unlocked

[servomotor]

GOOD MORNING ZION

[It's about 8:00 in the evening; the vast majority of shops closed and dinners eaten.]

I HAVE A HOVERSHIP AND NO ONE TO CREW IT

WORK FOR ME. RESEARCH AND CIVILIAN/MILITARY CONTRACTS. IT'S BETTER THAN WORKING FOR THE ZDG FULL-TIME BY AN IMMEASURABLY HUGE PERCENTAGE. I KNOW, I COULD SET THE BAR HIGHER, BUT YOU KNOW WHAT

ETA 1 WEEK TO COMPLETE REPAIR/RETROFIT. NO AUTOMATED RETRACTING STRIPPER POLES THIS TIME (MORE OF A PROMISE THAN A REGRET)

Comments

[nightride]

are you fucking with me?

[servomotor]

NOT THIS TIME

I SWEAR IT WAS A PIG

BOAR HOG ... PROBABLY NOT A SOW

déjà vu anyone

[nightride]

[Hog, there we go. Intrigue increased, despite Tony's... everything, so far. Shannon wasn't much different.]

i know the one you mean.
a week sounds pretty optimistic.

[servomotor]

WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON IT FOR LONGER THAN THAT. TRUST ME.



DID YOU SEE IT HAPPEN IN OLYMPUS?

[nightride]

i know.
i saw some of it.

[servomotor]

AHH

WELL YOU WOULDN'T TAKE HER TO PROM TO LOOK AT OUTSIDE, BUT INSIDE SHE'S MORE BETTER THAN EVER

DISCLAIMER: NOTHING THAT COULD TAKE A MILE-LONG CENTIPEDE ROBOT

STILL WORKING ON THAT

[nightride]

["more better"]

you're selling this pretty hard.

[servomotor]

THIS IS DEFINITELY MY FORTE

I HANDLED MOST OF MY PR BACK HOME

[nightride]

i can tell.
what's your beef with the zdg?

[servomotor]

POLITICS ARE THE WET, SUCKING SEDIMENT INTO WHICH CORRUPTION BURROWS LIKE THE MOST GROSS SUBTERRANEAN PARASITE THAT YOU CAN THINK OF FROM WHATEVER YOUR ORIGINAL MATRIX WAS.

SOME OF THEM MIGHT BE OKAY AS INDIVIDUAL PEOPLE

2/2

[servomotor]

I MEAN THAT'S THE COUNCIL BUT THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THEM AND THE MILITARY IS SELF-APPARENT



HOW ABOUT YOU HOW WOULD YOU CHARACTERIZE YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH THE ZDG

[nightride]

[This guy just gives and gives, huh. It kinda makes him feel at home.]

i fix their stuff, they feed me, they bring in more stuff that needs fixing, etc.
sometimes i drive.
the rest, i don't know. politics aren't really my thing.

[servomotor]

YEAH.

WHAT DO YOU DRIVE

[:V :v :v :V :v :VVVV]

[nightride]

vehicles.

[He's starting to feel conspicuous. Is anybody else reading this? Nobody else better be reading this exchange on a public network, accessible to one and all.]

[nightride]

[...he'd probably better give the guy a little more.]

mostly the non-flying kind, but also the flying kind.
i don't have a resume on me, sorry.

[servomotor]

THAT'S OKAY WE CAN SEE HOW YOU DO IN THE COCKPIT IF YOU FEEL LIKE COMING IN

YOU DON'T HAVE TO ANSWER NOW

THE MORE WHIMSICAL AND ECCENTRIC THE BETTER OUR SITCOM WILL BE

[nightride]

time/place?

[servomotor]

DROP YOU A LINE WHEN SHE LOOKS OPERATIONAL

YOU CAN CONFIRM FOR ME

SHOULDN'T BE MORE THAN 5 DAYS

locked, no longer anonymous;

[nightride]

.

[There's no display name attached to this number, but at least it's a number.]

locked;

[servomotor]

[Noted. It's valuable information, for all that Tony just says]

ARE YOU THIS ELOQUENT IN REAL LIFE

locked forever;

[nightride]

are you this loud?

[heh heh]

[servomotor]

[rude]

YYNN

I HAVE ACTUALLY BEEN TOLD THAT I HAVE A MUMBLING PROBLEM

EVERYONE LISTENS TO ME ANYWAYS

[medium degree of 'everyone']

[nightride]

[Do they have a choice? This crosses his mind, but no, maybe he shouldn't if he wants this guy to let him play with the new baby. Instead:]

it could be less than five days if you wanted.

[servomotor]

OH REALLY

I COULD USE A NAP AT SOME POINT TOMORROW I GUESS

[that's maybe approximating a yes]

ARE YOU GONNA CALL IN SICK

[nightride]

i can come by after.

[You know, when real human beings (see what I did there) would be thinking about food or sleep or something. Seems like someone's always telling him to go home.]