Feb 28 14:14:50 105 PA

From Chronicles

The current game time is: Sat Feb 28 14:14:50 105 PA.

Weather at Sat Feb 28 14:14:53 105 PA (6.60C, 43.88F): It is overcast and somewhat blustery, with an indecisive mix of snow and rain falling. The snow tries its best to dodge the the rain, but in the end, the rain is the sole survivor.

Mid-afternoon in the AIM, and there are workers everywhere. Separate from them, alone by her truck, Caliopa is sat quietly on the tailgate. She has a mug of coffee next to her, a large bottle of oil, and all her tools.

Each tool is taken, cleaned thoroughly and oiled before being placed on a blanket next to her. The ones needing repair are placed separately, in another pile. Her head is bent over the work, but her face is thoughtful, miles away...

Desmond enters the AIM building with a purposeful stride. His ears flicking too and fro as he heads for the big, ever present truck that he once used as a perch. The tread of his boots not too loud, perhaps veiled by the din of working enough that as he moves along the side of the vehicle, he won't be heard. He moves just a step past the edge of the truck's rear, eyes turned down toward Caliopa. For a few moments at least, he'll watch her, if she doesn't immediately notice his presence.

Caliopa 's attention is mostly on her tools at first glance, but if someone looked closely for more than a moment, they might notice that she has cleaned the same tool four times now. Her fingers are rubbing oil into it, over and over.

If someone took a moment to look properly at her, they might see she is talking softly to herself, under her breath. The conversation with herself is not going well, and her eyebrows are drawn together, her mouth pinched.

He is tempted to listen in. He might be able to decipher her words, but he chooses against this. Desmond clears his throat 'softly', though the sound retains a depth coming from the likes of he. A moment waited after that as he observes, "You appear introspective." He keeps a bit of distance from her, even easing a step back from the rear corner of the truck.

Caliopa lifts her head slowly, her eyes unfocused for the second before she blinks, the cleared brown eyes focussing on him. "Thinking." She explains, the one word answer taking a second to process. She glances down at the tool, her forehead wrinkling before she puts it onto the done pile. "What can I do for you?" She draws her legs up, wrapping her arms around them and watching him over them, with faintly narrowed eyes.

Desmond considers her question for a moment. His own mulling is brief, however, before he ventures, "Perhaps I should ask the same of you. My motivation for being here is admittedly frivolous and inappropriate, considering your state." He folds his arms behind his back, hands linked as he considers her quietly after the vague semi-offer.

Caliopa narrows those rich brown eyes at him before shaking her head, "I ain't in any sort of state, just doing work and thinking. What did you need?" Her gaze slides past him, returning to him with a puzzled expression on her face, "You ain't bought a ride in?" She uncurls a little, hanging her legs down over the side of the tailgate, resting her palms against the metal.

"I don't own a vehicle," Desmond informs her. There is a slight crease in his brow, a firming of his features before he states, "I wanted to tell you a joke." That in and of itself could be considered amusing, mingling how he deadpans the statement as well as who is making such a statement. "But I don't believe that now would be a proper time for such things, considering," he adds.

Her forehead wrinkling upwards, puzzlement written all over her features and shining in her eyes, Caliopa tilts her head and looks at him, a half smile on her lips. "A joke?" She sounds completely confused, and rubs her thumbs against the metal.

"Yes." The crease of his brow deepens just slightly and a frown comes into being. It wouldn't be a hard guess to assume second thoughts are rearing their ugly head. "But you are not in the mood for such things," he declares. "Thus it would serve no purpose." His expression relaxing slightly as he focuses more on Cali. "Your thoughts are obviously troubled. That much is plain to see."

"You came to find me to tell me a joke?" Caliopa repeats slowly, puzzlement written on her face. "I'm just mulling stuff over when I work, else I'd be bored. Ain't no major problems that I got. What is your joke?"

Desmond now seems quite reluctant to actually deliver on what he came for, meeting her query with a period of stony silence. Seemed like a good idea at the time, but now.. He clears his throat again. "It isn't my joke," he informs her firmly. "I hear many things where I work. This was the most appropriate."

The half smile stays on Caliopa's face, and she nods slowly, giving him a look that suggests she is wondering if, perhaps, he is a little backwards. "Alright..." She speaks slowly, clearly trying to be kind, "Tell me your joke..."

Desmond frowns faintly in response to this. Though socially uninitiated in places, he's actually quite intelligent. But he decides to let what her tone suggests go for the moment. Still, it takes him a moment to push himself into. When he does finally do it, he does it as deliberately as he often approaches conversation. "Three rats are sitting at the bar, bragging about their bravery." He pauses after the hook for a moment, then delivers the line. "The first states, 'I'm so tough I once ate an entire bag of rat poison' *pause* The second states, 'Yeah? I'm so tough I was once caught by a rat trap and bit it apart'" By now he's looking a bit uncomfortable with it, but he soldiers on and delivers the sinker. "The last rat then stands and says, 'Later guys, I'm off home to harass the cat'".

For a second, Caliopa stares at him, her eyesbrows drawing together before she gets it, the penny visibly drops and she grins broadly, causing the dimples either side of her mouth to deepen and her eyes to warm. "That is funny..." She tilts her head, giving him a considering look. "So, why come and tell me?" She asks softly, moving to cross her legs and rest her elbows lightly against them. The movement causes her to lean forward a little, "A person could wonder, you know."

Dr. Kelley, wrapped in buckskin clothes and a now matted-down cloak, enters the shop and slaps his hands together for warmth. Visibly shivering, he says to no one in particular, "Atlantis has such nicer weather." He continues to blow on his fists and rub his arms as he doffs the cloak.

The distinct aura of discomfort in ever line of his posture fades somewhat when she smiles, the warmth of her expression helping to melt just a bit more. Thus his response to her comes a bit easier than his prior words, his rolling basso profundo tone evened out. "Because of the night past. The poor attempt at humor. I wanted to.. test my abilities at it," he states, perhaps not quite catching on the subtler meaning of what one could wonder. He's standing near, but not to near to where Cali is sitting, stance straight, but relaxed, hands folded together behind his back. Anyone with an eye for such things might see a hint of military ingrained into that stance.

Caliopa is perched on the tailgate, her legs crossed. She shakes her head, the warm sunny smile lighting up her face. "You ain't used to using humour? Ain't so much the joke as the timing of it, I reckon. You come across someone in your place, someone that you don't know, that, excuse me, ain't a small fella nor harmless..." She shrugs, lightly, "Ain't gonna be a comfy social thing, whichever way you spin it." She glances over, her eyes catching Kelley's entrance, and she lifts a hand in greeting, something wary lurking at the back of her expressive eyes.

After what seems like a few long moments, Kelley stops shivering and begins walking toward his Jeep-mo-bile, eyes on the ground so as to avoid stepping in any pools of automotive fluids. Speaking to the ground, he says, "Hi, Cali, good to see you again. Have you had a chance to... whoa..." he falls silent as he barely misses running smack into the big cat's shoulder. He mouths to Caliopa, "Another cat?" Then, "Pardon me, sir, I was not looking where I was going."

"I see." His initial response to her words before she notices someone else. The urge to look is resisted for a moment, spotting that flicker in her eyes before he too turns his attention toward the good doctor. His eyes narrow ever so slightly as he observes the man intently. The near collision doesn't garner a flinch and the apology is accepted with a slow bob of his head. "Mistakes are not hard to make," he comments as his attention returns to Caliopa. "I understand your feelings," he adds to his response.

Caliopa nods at Kelley, the corners of her mouth quirking and leaving deep dimples there. "Another." She mouths with a small shrug. "Did I have a chance to..?" She trails the phrase off, in a lilting question. The flicker in her eyes is gone, the sunny smile firmly in place. "Mistakes ain't half easy, and if you'd never make them, you'd have to be dead..." She uncurls, swinging her legs over the ledge before she jumps down, a tiny figure in combats and oil covered t-shirt.

Dr. Kelley takes in the big cat with a single glance, and then appears to mentally dismiss him, not as threat per se, but as someone who is fairly confident isn't going to start a fight. His eyes light up at Caliopa's happiness, and a wide grin cracks his face. "At least he's not radioactive!" Turning to the D-Bee-like animal, he extends a hand in greeting and says simple, "Hi, I'm Dr. Kelley, Kingsdale's resident scientist, as far as I can tell."

Desmond quite passive for the moment, falling silent, but watchful, ears flicking forward as Cali speaks of mistakes, then toward Kelley as he speaks. The talk of radioactivity brings a new subtle crease to his brow, but he holds comment until after the doctor introduces himself. "Desmond," he replies, one of his hands coming around to take the one offered. His grip is as firm as one might expect, given his build, but he doesn't squeeze down hard at all, releasing after a moment, the hand slid behind him again. "What, if I might inquire, is this talk of radioactivity?"

Taking a moment while the men meet, Caliopa turns, carefully and neatly putting the things she was cleaning away. To reach the tailgate, she has to lift her arms quite high, and she instinctively rises onto tiptoe. "There was some talk of a bloke giving it off..." She comments softly, over her shoulder. "Doc, what was I meant to have a chance to do?"

"I thought that you were going to check the brake pads for me, since this thing is all but falling apart while I watch," Kelley explains. "Also," he removes a sandwich from the leather carrying case at his side, "I was hungry and didn't feel like eating alone." He somehow does an admirable job of pretending to be nonchalant about having a giant cat as his side, either that or he really *is* nonchalant about it, or maybe he's just stupid. Only his hairdresser knows for sure.

Desmond nods his head once toward Caliopa as she fields his question in part. "I see." Then the next logical conclusion, "I assume that this individual is similar to me." Nothing wrong with being at ease around Desmond, he is just standing there, after all. He does fall quiet then, still ever so observant of what words the two humans pass back and forth.

A guilty look flickers across Caliopa's face at Kelley's words, "I forgot, I'm sorry, Doc." There is a confused feeling lurking in the back of her eyes, as she admits to forgetting work. She turns from the tailgate, resting her back against it. "You bought food?" The warm brown eyes narrow for a moment, before the sunny smile is reestablished. "Yes," Kelley says after swallowing a bit of trout sandwich. "I have another one in here packed for dinner, but I think I'll be home by then, if you'd like it." He fishes another fish sandwich out of his bag. "I'm sorry that I can't offer you anything to drink." He turns his head toward the big cat and looks up - but not all that far up - into the D-Bee-ish animal's eyes. "And you sir, how are you doing today? The weather is terrible, but at least you can escape it for a while in here, huh?"

Desmond spends his quiet moments watching Caliopa. When given something of interest to observe, he does so with a singular focus and just a dash of subtlety. His attention flicks to Kelley when addressed, a response not delayed in coming, "Yes, the weather is less than inviting in the now," he agrees easily enough. "As to myself I am fine." Though that sounds more like a default response than anything else.

Caliopa moves with grace when she does so, placing both her hands on the tailgate to jump up. "I got tea if you care for some, doc... Desmond?" The offer is matched by her actions, sliding a kettle onto a small stove in the truck. "Don't need to be taking your meal, doc, but there is summit of sorts to mention." She returns to the ledge of the tailgate, perching there, her fingers tapping a nervous beat against the metal. "Ain't sure this is the time nor the place but..."

Looking back and forth between the cat whom Caliopa has no identified as "Desmond" and the tiny mechanic, he makes his way slowly toward Caliopa and leans his body on the side of the truck. "Yes, Cali, what is it? And why are we trading jokes? Just out of curiosity, of course."

Desmond nods slightly toward Caliopa a she offers tea. Thinking better a moment later as he adds, "If you are making some," he agrees. Then he goes silent again. A displeased crease returning to his brow as Kelley mentions the trading of jokes. He had hoped that no one else would be witness to that.

Caliopa swings her legs slowly, "Just for practice for me, doc. Nothing majorly...anyhow the thing is, that robot. When I touched it.. I kinda saw stuff. I ain't sure if you know it but since you have an interest and all..." she trails off, glancing between the two men.

Kelley smiles and accepts the proffered tea. He turns his back to the back of the truck and asks Desmond politely, "When did you arrive in our fair city, sir? I imagine that I know at least half the people in this city, and I don't recall seeing you before." He sips at his cup of tea, makes a face unseeable by anyone else. So maybe he doesn't really care for tea he was just being polite. But since he continues to sip at it with a normal face and smile gracing his countenance, nobody should be ever the wiser.

On some level, Caliopa's talk of seeing things garners a new level of interest from Desmond, evidenced in a slight perk of his ears as his eyes settle on her again. "Recently," he replies vaguely in response to Kelley's query, barely sparing the man a glance to go along with that barebones answer. Then he asks Cali, "What sort of things do you see when you touch objects?"

Pushing hair from her face with one hand, Caliopa's smile has faded, the talk of the visions not lending itself to cheer. "History, where they been, what they seen, what was done to them, what was done with them... depends." She turns that brown gaze on the doctor, "That robot weren't meant to be like that, not at first. Someone took it and changed it, some folks that look almost human but got skeletons...with guards around too, skulls for faces." She is shivering slightly, fingers tightening on the tailgate. "Them that made it, they ain't hurtful, just grey folks, with big eyes. Them others, they put on other bits, and made it hate."

Kelley listens intently to what the small woman has to say, nodding and bobbing his head up and down, taking it all in a jiving it together with what he already knows. "Other bits? Other.. people?" Kelley asks. "Can you tell me more about them? Can you tell me anything else about these aliens? As described, they're similar to the creatures that Mr. Renos saw when he examined the first robot. My analysis of the machine has taught me a great number of things about it, but I can't see its social past, only its mechanical one."

"Yes.." There is a sublime understanding in the big cat's deep voice in response to Cali's initial descriptions. However when she goes into detail, some of that understanding fades as he considers the concepts communicated. He falls utterly silent as Kelley adds his own thoughts, obviously having nothing to contribute to the moment. But he continues to listen.

Caliopa screws her eyes closed, trying to see what she saw before, her hands tight on the tailgate. "The robot, our robot, is lying on a table, them other robots adding stuff to it. They look like skeletons, the guard ones, they got skull faces, they're heavy. The old robot, before they got it and made it evil, it wasn't made for this, made in a factory, peaceful by them grey people with the big eyes." She opens her eyes, blinking slowly, "Ain't nothing else..."

"So, basically what you know is that there was a race of 'friendly' aliens who built the then as maybe a repetitive labor robot or something? A general purpose model? But then there are the skull-faced guards, that's a little confusing. My own analysis would suggest the same things, sans personnel. It's obvious that it was, indeed, some kind of labor robot that had its armor and weapons welded on by someone else. I found two programming languages in it, just like you saw. One was a friendly word - the translators say that it's "Algae", but we're no quite sure what that does. And the remainder of the robot's programming was basically 'Kill All Humans,' which is decidedly unfriendly. If you're human. Though I suspect that they are also targeting D-Bees, as that vision about the sixth race was brought up a few weeks ago," Kelley says in one longwinded breath.

Concern returns to Desmond's features as Cali describes more. But that concern fades when Kelley details further. His expression smoothes back into calm again. "There are trouble about, then?" he asks. "I had heard rumor of something, but as a stranger to this place I know little of what has been going on," he admits. "Is there anything I should be concerned about?"

Caliopa nods slowly as Kelley talks, "The friendly fellows made him at first, then those others with the guards, they changed him." She shakes her head quickly, trying to clear the images, and her hand strokes the truck's metal lightly. "Of sorts." She leaves explanation to the doctor.

"Thank you, Cali," Kelley says with sincerity. He rubs his hands together after putting he remainder of his sandwich back into the leather pouch. "That's not terribly helpful right at the moment, but it does at least support the theories that we're working on. If you can, and I know that it's uncomfortable, you're broadcasting it in hi-definition, but anything more that we could find out about these aliens and their skeleton guards would be immensely helpful. Right now we sort of have the murder, the murder weapon, but no suspects and no motive. Well, other than, "Kill All Humans."

Desmond tilts his head slightly, gleaning enough from the talk to get a better sense of things. "For some, death is a motive of its own. You would be foolish to pass it off." His expression firms as he adds, "If such is the case for the trouble I have heard of here, then you and yours would do well to be prepared to return the sentiment in kind," he advises the both of them.

Caliopa nods slowly, some strong emotion lurking in her eyes. "If we get more bits I can try..." The talk of killing clearly bothers her and she drops her eyes to look at her own boots. "I didn't get anything else from it... nothing more than that. It ain't much of use, doc, and I'm sorry for that."

"No, it's useful in figuring out the whole problem, Cali, just not useful yet in figuring out the big picture." Turning to the big cat, he adds, "Yes, we are anticipating further attacks on our city, and my team - including Cali, here, if she'll do it - is getting ready to make another foray into the countryside - this time, for dinosaurs, though. Of course," Kelley says raising both hands to wait heigh, "We thought the were going to look for dinosaurs last time, too, Mr. Desmond. If you would like to accompany us and see the strange goings-on for yourself, I am certain that we could happily accomodate you."

Throughout his time here, the large male has seemed almost passive in his manner. Still, cool of demeanor and content to silence. The mention of outside.. of hunting. There's a change. A subtle intensity in his eyes, a tensing of his stance. Interest, though he mutes it almost as quickly as it rises. Choosing his words carefully, he replies to Kelley. I must admit that I am intrigued by your offer. But I have need to build my resources here and have little to spare for a hunt of that nature." A pause before he adds, "Unless there was compensation to be included in excess of the resources expended."

Caliopa moistens her lips quickly, nervously, "I'll come, doc, but I got repairs to make to my armour, and Raina is gonna sort me out a weapon of sorts to ..." She hesitates over her choice of words, "Disarm, rather than kill them. Just so, if we run into one again, I might see if there ain't somesuch..." She trails off. Desmond's reaction gains him a slow, silent considering look, her brown eyes giving him a look that is used on machines that are giving slightly cause for concern.

Kelley picks up and perks up at Desmond's reaction. "I can't guarantee you any compensation, Mr. Desmond, but the last two times that we ran into these robots, we were well compensated in both money and material. I suspect that if we run into another robot, or even one of these 'demon' dinosaurs, and manage to survive the encounter to drag it back, well, I imagine that we'd be well compensated again. People are starting to recognize the Vogon Constructor Fleet in the daily vids." He turns his attention to Caliopa and says in a quiet tenor, "A new weapon, Cali? What does it do? I went out and bought a missile launcher. So did Carl. So we should be better off to face one of these things down. But please, tell me about your new weapon? And.. what do you think about Officer Raina?"

Desmond nods once, considering the response given by Kelley. There is an almost shrewd air about his expression and posture as he mulls his offer of cooperation. But it doesn't take him long to decide. "I accept your offer," he states. "I would offer you my services for a fair portion of what results from it. Some advance notice of the day would be appreciated, as I do currently have steady employment and would not desire to have schedules conflict."

Caliopa lifts one shoulder, the question perplexing her slightly. "Raina? She seems nice enough. Friendly like, we chat a bit." She shakes her head, "Told me that there are guns that might do it, ion..." The hesitation there is one of uncertainty, "She and Kaomas offered both to show me how to use it...reckon for me, it would be best for Raina to teach me. I ain't so comfortable with him."

Kelley laughs and says, "I'm not comfortable with Kaomas either, Cali. The man's either got a genuine bloodlust, a massive ego, or he's just plain stupid. He refuses to listen to the strategy that Carl and I have come up with. It's a good plan, and would work if we encountered a beast like the last one. However, I'm a little reticent about this 'ion cannon.' From what our exploratory research has shown, that thing was firing an ion cannot, and it seemed to want to do a lot more than disable." He scratches at his chin for a moment, and adds, "I meant, do you think that Officer Raina would like to accompany us on our next mission. Her credentials could add more credibility to the VCF. And of course, Mr. Desmond, I will inform you when we plan our mission.

An ear swivels toward Cali as she speaks of others. Names that don't click for Desmond. Still, he listens discreetly. "Very well," he replies to Kelley. A pause before he adds, "I should return to that work, I think I have extended my break time past what was agreed upon." He turns his head toward Caliopa and dips his head once. "Thank you for your assistance," he says. Then to Kelley again as he states, "You may leave a message for me at Moe's Tavern when you have a date. I will come with what little I have in the now."

Caliopa is nibbling on her finger by the time Kelley finishes speaking and she has to take it out of her mouth to speak. "It ain't that he acts like that during the fight. It was the after, when folks were hurt. He ran to get the money and things, not help others. It ain't right." She hesitates, frowning slightly, her forehead wrinkled. "Think she might if we asked, it ain't outside of possible." Desmond's words gain him a small smile, which fails to warm brown eyes. "Thanks for the joke." She speaks softly, kindly.

"It was nice to make your aqcuaintance, Mr. Desmond. I will be certain to contact you." To Cali, he says, "The problem with Kaomas is exactly that - he has no concern for the well-being of others. If he would just hop on board with this new strategy, we wouldn't be in nearly the same danger that we were in last time." He adds, "He talks a big game, but I'm not convinced that he's actually as good as he thinks he is. Or bright. I mean, blocking a 16' tall robot trying to kick you? That's just crazy."

Desmond nods in response to Cali, then Kelley before turning to start walking away. Of course an ear swivels back, the big cat listening even as he strides away. His expression thoughtful as he slowly departs the AIM garage.

The girl sighs after the man leaves, turning her gaze back to the doctor. "I'm sorry for my note, being so brusque and all. It ain't that I'm angry at you. Just it ain't a place for someone in the middle of it." She hesitates, lowering her voice. "I'll be working with her, and I ain't going to make it hard on them around us."

Kelley says, "Don't worry, Cali, it takes a lot to offend me. When you've been around as long as I have, well, you either go crazy, or you learn a lot of patience. Obviously, I've learned the latter." He smiles warmly. "As far as you and Katsumi go, well, I don't pretend to understand it with all of her 'pack mentality' thing, I was just taking dictation. But tell me about this new weapon, I'm intrigued."

Caliopa shrugs, looking down at her boots for a moment, "Just an ion gun, Raina said. She reckoned it would scramble the robots so they stopped and I didn't have to kill them..." She aims for a sunny smile, "I ain't so comfy with killing so it sounds like good..."

"So, Cali. Tell me how you're getting on after our encounter with the robot." Kelley says briefly. "And how Atticus is doing. He seems.. nice, but a little, I'm not sure. Childish, perhaps?" He turns to see Zaphod walk in the door, and raises a hand in greeting.

Zaphod sticks his head in the door. "Huh." He says. "Speaking of Atticus, I was just looking for him. Figured that he'd be here, if anywhere." apparently, 'Carl' is still very much in control. He glances towards Kelley, idly. "You get your artillery yet? Gunnery is being.... rather slow to deliver."

She glances up with a sigh, chewing her lower lip. "He ain't childish, more along the lines of straightforward." Her cheeks do flush a little, and she pushes the hair out of her face, glancing at Zaphod. "He ain't around...Just telling the doc I'm ordering me an ion gun. I'm told it won't kill them but.."

Kelley nods to Carl. "I haven't actually received it yet, but they guarantee me that I'll be receiving it soon." He turns to face the small woman once more, and says, "We ordered missile launchers to deal with the next robot that we encounter. Trouble is, I can't get Kaomas to listen to me past the bone in his forehead about the strategy that Carl and I worked out. He's not a team player, and perhaps if Desmond becomes a useful regular, we might actually let Kaomas go."

Zaphod raises an eyebrow. "Who told you that?" He asks, out of curiosity. "Because, it's hardly true. An ion pistol will kill people and... machines if you will, just as hard as any laser beam or plasma thrower. Hell, for the most part they actually do moe damage than contemporary laser pistols." He turns his head, raising an eyebrow at Kelley. "What was his fantastic idea?" He inquires. "I assume he thinks he came up with something better?"

Caliopa 's face falls, her forehead knotting, and she drops her gaze to her boots. She doesn't speak, falling silent and chewing her lower lip. She listens to the discussion between the two men, her face thoughtful, emotions flickering over it. Fear, worry, and a brief piece of anger.

"He didn't offer a better plan other than telling me that ours was absurd - my word, not his," he responds to Carl. "I'd suggest having you go and speak with him, but somehow I think that he wouldn't mind coming to blows with you, and we don't want that. Cali here thinks that Officer Raina might want to join the team, but I do want to make sure that we wouldn't be working under the authority of the KDPD. I'll take their assistance, that's for certain, but I don't want them - or the militia - in charge of the VCF. If anything, and if I may be so bold, I see myself as being the one in charge, though if one of my charges is failing to listen to me, then well, I guess I'm not doing my job."

Zaphod shrugs, quietly. "You and I had the talk about that. You know how I feel." He muses, for a moment. "It's probably just as well that I don't. Because I'd really hate to have to kill him." The sad thing is, there is no dishonesty in Carl's voice; no suggestion that he's telling anything but the truth. "Anyway, I have to find Atticus. So, I'm going to move along. Let me know Kaomas gives you any trouble beyond being irritating... and I'll deal with it."

Caliopa nods slowly, slanting a look at Zaphod thoughtfully. She stays perched on her tailgate, drumming her fingers against the metal. "Sorry he ain't here..." She murmurs, before tilting her head back slightly, "I ain't sure why Raina would tell me it ain't gonna kill if it would..." The words are soft, holding a world of bewilderment.

"Well, maybe the KDPD have somekind of weapon that we don't know about," Kelley says to Carl with an elaborate shrug. "Though I agree with Carl - that last bot used an ion cannon against us, it didn't exactly tickle. Carl, I hope that you're still with us when I get my launcher. I trust Zaphod to teach me, but I'd rather the instruction come from you."

Zaphod gives a slight smile. "I'm doing my best." He says, and then turns, vanishing mysterously!

Shaking her head at Zaphod's hurried departure, Caliopa looks over at Kelley and shrugs. "Mebbe they do, doc. Or mebbe I am as green as I'm cabbage lookin' and everyone that meets me seems to figure that quick enough." She moves, climbing to her feet to move into the truck, putting her cup on the side in there.

"Cali, I have, temporarily at least, been placed in the middle of your spat with Katsumi, and I have no desire to stay there. But it has aroused my curiosity. Perhaps if you could tell me your side of the story, I could reason with Katsumi? Not that I'm demanding it from you by any means, please understand that. I'm just curious now." Kelley places his hands on his hips, standing akimbo in the middle of the garage.

Caliopa turns her head, looking over her shoulder at him for a moment, her face serious. She moves slowly towards the tailgate and sits down again, hugging her knees to her. "I ain't sure where to start. Ain't what we done,... well it is but it was the lies over the reasoning for it." She sighs, resting her chin on her knees. "I loved Perry, we were happy. He didn't know about what I do, just thought I'm a mechanic and I never knew much more than him being a training officer for them." One of her hands drop to the truck, holding onto the metal tightly. "She turned up, same place I mostly met him for lunch, telling me how he is just using me, planning to get to the folks that I worked for and do them all a badness." Her eyes flicker up to Kelley's face. "Scared me half to death."

"I can see how that would be troubling, Cali," Kelley responds to the woman's philipic. "I think I'll not stay in between you too. Clearly, it needs to be resolved between the two of you, and the two of you alone. Have you told Mr. Atticus about this? Do you have anyone to confide in?"

Caliopa hesitates before half shaking her head, a slight movement, "I ain't precisely told him everything. I ain't sure how to put it. Don't reckon any man would take it well to be the second lover of a woman who killed the first." Her cheeks are red, and she drops her gaze, avoiding his. "Ain't exactly inspiring for confidence."

"Well, if you want some unsolicited advise, I'd tell you that I think Atticus cares for you enough to hear and handle the truth. He may be... well.. childish is still the best word that I can come up with.. but he's a thoughtful man," Kelley says. "You have to get this over with sometime soon, or it will just eat away at your soul until you're just a bitter husk. I'd hate to see that happen."

One side of her mouth quirks slightly, "Doc, I reckon you're leaping ahead of Atticus and me, we ain't done more than have a kiss or two so far. Don't go hearing wedding bells for a while yet." She moves the hand clutching the truck's metal to her knees, hugging them, "I ain't the fast moving type. Nor's he, least not with me." Her cheeks are pink, "Man is sleeping on his own sofa..."

"I apologize for my outlook on your relationship with Mr. Atticus." Kelley says. "But anything that I can do to help, if you think of something, let me know. You know how to reach me." He dons his now dry cloak and turns to exit into the snowy hell beyond the door. "Goodbye, Cali, I'll take my leave of you now. They're going to be doing some blasting in the quarry, and I want to be there to make sure it all goes smoothly." He heads for the door.

Caliopa watches him go with a puzzled look on her face. "That's alright, doc..." She murmurs, reaching for his cup and moving to wash them up. "Folks do come and go fast here."