Jun 16 00:06:20 105 PA

From Chronicles

The current game time is: Tue Jun 16 00:06:20 105 PA.

The garage area of Advanced Idea Mechanics is an extremely large single room, with a chemically treated (MDC) concrete floor. The walls, unlike those of the office are completely undecorated, giving the place a spartan, industrial feel. Which is fitting, considering the bustling of activity that is being undergone in this place. Most often, a suit of power armor or two is being worked on and occasionally a giant robot can be seen encased in scaffolding along one wall. At one time or another, just about any kind of job is visible being done. From weapon reloading, to repairs to outright radical modification. And it isn't just confined to robots and power armor, either. The occasionally light armored vehicle and even main battle tank are seen here on occasion. To help with the work itself the ceiling is fitted with huge cranes that move on mobile tracks, allowing them to lift into place things like weapons and giant robot limbs. For working on the latter as well, a massive support construct has been built into one wall complete with a crane of it's own, providing means to lift and secure for repair a robot that is missing both legs if required. Other equipment, from spot welders to laser torches to electronic toolkits can be found on benches and the like all through the area. As you watch, men in exoskeletons, sometimes assited by a vehicle or a crane carry things from two rooms visible down a short yet wide hallway, slipping under large blast doors. These doors close automatically behind whomever leaves, indicating perhaps that volatile materials are stored within.

The AIM itself is in near silence at the time of the day. Most sensible and even the less sensible operators are at home, sleeping, eating, or even drinking. One work station is lit, and one operator is working, head bent over a piece of machinery. Close up, her face is blank, a lack of personality in it, her clear brown eyes lacking the expression that makes her into a person.

Kid comes into the place on a hunch and she finds she isn't wrong on it this time, once she's spied Cali. She comes tromping over in her 'Kathy' disguise, glancing around as she approaches nearer. Making doubly sure no one is nearby when she gets to the other woman. Rather than alert from behind, she will move around to the front of the station and give a low, "Cali. Wake up girl." Already expecting her to be mind deep into whatever it is she can do with those powers in her head. Keeping her voice light so as to not startle her out of it too harshly.

For a couple of moments, there is no response, and then the slow blink that floods her eyes with personality, and her expressive face with confusion. "Uh?" She blinks again, looking around, finding the busy AIM emptied of people. "Kid? What time is it?" She stretches, hands going to her back, with a faint wince as the muscles protest the lack of movements. "Ain't sleepin' though."

Kid frowns a little. "Way past when you shoulda got your ass outta here, girl," she states with an obvious note of disapproval. "And no's as good a time as any for it, though not before I have a little talk with you. You know the elf wanted my help with finding your boy Kalvin, yeah? Well, I got some initial digging done. Figure I could deliver it to you." She smirks faintly and lifts her arms to cross them over her chest. "Though I wonder if you're awake enough to translate it proper to him."

There is a brief flash of exasperation on Caliopa's face and in her expressive eyes before she replies. "What are you, my mother?" There is an unusual sharpness in her voice as she slides from her seat, moving to put her tools away. The second comment gets Kid another look, the anxiety for her friend showing on her face. "What did you find? Ain't nothing in his flat, even when I touched stuff, Kid. Like he just vanished."

"Don't gimme shit like that, Cali. If you don't know what time it is, something's wrong, yeah?" Kid replies to harsh with equal harsh, though not anger. "But we can fight over that later." She moves back around the workstation to stand nearer as she says lowly, "Pretty much what you got. Talked to people at his place, people at his work, even manages to get on his computer and have a look. He's just up and vanished suddenly. Nothing out of the ordinary.. like sign of trouble or bad people hanging around, something that could give a reason or anything like that. But I doubt he expected it, cause he left some guy in the middle of a partial conversion. And from what I get, he's not the sort to do that. So whatever it was, it was sudden and unexpected. His vehicle is still here too. Last place he was seen, that I can measure, was at the Nut and Bolt. I'm trying to pin down some events from that night.. see if there might be something that happened then that could clue us in, but that's going to take time."

"No, somethin's different to the way you workin', Kid." For once Caliopa's temper snaps in her eyes for a moment, "Nut and Bolt... why would he go there? It ain't precisely his type of hangout." Her forehead wrinkles in confusion, and she leans against her workstation, giving Kid a thoughtful look. "Who'd he leave? Nothing of this makes a piece of sense."

Kid shakes her head slightly, leaving the other argument for later, stating, "My intel has that as a hangout for him. So him going there ain't out of the ordinary. And I didn't get the partial's name. Its that the guy was left hanging that matters. I could dig it up for you if you want, but I don't see how it factors." She then steps back and shrugs her shoulders slightly. "It don't add up, that much is true. Usually people leave something behind that indicates why they vanished. Even if its just people seeing things. Behavior changes.. activity changes, something. I don't get none of that." She pauses, considering for a few moments. "If you want guesses, someone or something snapped him up suddenly, without warning. If that's so, then it'll be hard to figure unless I can get some kinda lead atht he Nut and Bolt. If that turns up dry too, I'm outta options. Only other possibility is something came up and he had to leave fast. But his ambulance is still here and it'd have to be pretty heavy if he'd go without telling anyone and without tying up his loose ends. So I really doubt that's it."

"Snapped him up..." Caliopa repeats slowly, her forehead wrinkling. "What do you mean, kidnapped or some such? Why'd anyone want to do that? It don't make a piece of sense. Ain't like he is rich or...anything." She sighs, putting the last of her tools away, her gestures weary. "Will you keep lookin' for me? I mean, I know you like payin' and I got some put aside for the garage so I ain't strapped..." One side of her mouth tugs up, deepening a dimple but a smile lacking the humour the movement should hold.

"The elf is paying, but I'm not quite done yet," Kid states casually. Of course she's already got the deal worked out, so to speak. "Just tell him to hold off transferring anything until I get it all done. Still checking the Nut and Bolt, but once that's done I won't have anything more than guesswork," Kid replies. "It'll be about then that I'll have to draw a big blank. As far as I can tell, he doesn't have any obvious enemies. Unless you and the elf got any leads on that. Know anyone that might want to do anything to him?"

"Can't think of a person that don't care for him, least ways respect him." Caliopa's pink shaded glasses might be in action but her eyes and face speak volumes of how deeply she believes that. "I'll tell Atti, ask him too, if he can think of anyone. Might be worth askin' the doc, or maybe Zaphod guy, or whichever of him got control over his headspace right now." She reaches for her coat, pulling it on, the temperature in the AIM not precisely middle of the day heat.

Kid nods and considers idly. "Maybe. We'll see." And, with that done, she eyes Cali. "I think you should be getting home. Or at least getting some food into you, cause I bet you ain't had a bit to eat since at least midday. Maybe since morning." Casual challenge in her eyes as she makes those statements, feeling reasonably sure that one or the other might be true.

Caliopa gives an irritable huff. "It ain't like I got hungry enough to notice, Kid. And it ain't like I need fussin' over all the time, like I'm some kid that don't know enough to look out for myself." She swings her work bag onto her shoulder, giving Kid a look of irritation. "And it ain't like I'm not eatin' enough to feed several folks over and over."

Kid smirks a little at that and gives her shoulders a casual roll. "I'm not fussing, I'm just pointing out the obvious." Her eyes narrow slightly as she notes, "What happens if you ever have an important meeting or whatever and you decide to do a little work before then.. and when you finally finish up with what you do.. meetings come and gone. Or anything else like that." A pause, her brows lifting as she concludes, "Whatever you do with those mind things you got, you aren't controlling them so good. You want to work all night and not eat, that's fine by me. But I'm thinking you might want to try and control what you do a little more, so as you don't let it control you or whatever happens there. And don't get pissy at me on it. Not like I'm looking to control your life, but I am going to tell you straight when I think you're fucking up. You should know me better than that by now."

"It ain't that I can't keep track of time if I want, sometimes it's so that I ain't got no reason to." She shrugs, folding her arms across her chest, defensiveness screaming from her. "It ain't like these things come with a manual for the stupid, and it ain't like many folks got it in their mind weaseling to get out, and know how to tell me what to do." She reaches forward, flicking her work light out and leaving them in the dim light of the security lights. "You ask Ordo. It ain't something that you get with the stuff you know how to do, Kid."

Kid snorts faintly at that. "Yeah, but I finally got Ordo to start doing something other than bottling it up like its some kinda monster," she states. "I know you don't got a manual, but getting all defensive don't change facts." She steps up to Cali and tosses an arm to lay over her shoulder. Looking to motivate them both on a path out, if she's not too resistant to it. "Hell, if you're going to worry about me stuff, don't get pissy when I return the favor. And it ain't like I'm always badgering you either. I just call it like I see it when I see it."

She does move outwards but pulling away from the arm on her shoulder, the defensiveness showing in her eyes. "Ain't like you let me worry over it, even like you told me about it." She points out, the irritation in her eyes deepening. "Can't pull that on me if you ain't likely to tell me yourself that some folk tryin' to kill you dead."

Kid rolls her eyes casually, letting her draw away as they walk along. "Next time someone is out to kill me, you'll know about it. Not like that sort of thing happens every day, you know." A sidelong glance slid toward Cali. "Maybe you should talk to Ordo, find out what kinda whatever he's doing to learn his crap. Might work for you too, you never know." She shrugs. "Never really asked him about it."

Reaching the door, Caliopa gives Kid one glance sidelong before opening it and stepping out. "Ordo didn't have much control over his shit last I saw. Crater in the park speaks for itself I reckon." She observes, her tone sharpening. "And figures, you don't want to let the guy past them fences of yours. In case, mebbe, someone gets close 'nuff to like you or something."

Kid breathes out a melodramatic little sigh at the not entirely unexpected turn that comes up in this conversation. "That don't make good advice any less good, Cali girl," she states. "Since both of you don't have huge amounts of control, you might as well collaborate. As to him and me.." She frowns slightly and says, "He seems ok. But I'm taking it slow. I have my reasons for not rushing into something like this. Hell, I think I told you all about them already. So don't go lecturing me on this, alright?"

"You don't lecture me, I won't lecture you." She observes, with uncaliopaesque sharpness, "Two folks that have different skills, neither of them got a handle on it, don't make any sense to combine us and just have neither of us gettin' it." She shoves her hands into her pockets, turning her steps homewards.

Kid follows along for now, given that their paths are somewhat similar for the moment. Shooting Cali a sidelong glance, she murmurs, "You might not know the same stuff, but you got the same roots to it. And similar issues." She shrugs. "I'm not lecturing. I'm giving helpful suggestions. He's got something going as of late. Dunno what it is, but it wouldn't hurt to ask him about it, would it? Just a little time spent. You got some of that, don't you?"

"No, I ain't." Caliopa does turn then, stopping to glower at Kid. "I got machines up to my neck, jobs that ain't done, ain't finished, and figurin' out how much to charge, and chargin' it and collectin' it, so I ain't got a moment of time spare, else I'd be lookin' for Kalvin meself, not payin' someone else." That is definitely, clearly a snap. No doubt, and she turns to stomp on.

Kid frowns at that, eyeing Cali on that new bit of information. "Then maybe you need to throttle back. All work and no play just plain sucks." She gives her shoulders a casual roll. "But its your life, I guess. If you want to work yourself into the ground, that's yours. Since I'm not supposed to lecture." Her yes slip back towards Cali as she continues along, her own booted steps decidedly lighter.

She stops again, turning to look at Kid. "I can't afford to drop workin', not with the garage, and lookin' for Kalvin, and savin' up for stuff." She has her hands bunched into her pockets, clenched. "And yeah, t'aint anyone's business but mine." She stomps on again, glowering. "Gonna get that garage, and gonna make it safe for me and Atti."

Kid pauses when Cali pauses, then starts up again when she does. "Cause you want it fast. Fine, fine." The girl rolls her shoulders once more at that. "Just don't forget what its like to have fun, yeah?" She considers briefly, then wonders, "Think you could fit me into your busy schedule some time? We ain't done nothing fun together in a while. I'm sure we could think of something to do."

She shrugs at Kid, almost as prickly now as the woman by her side. "I guess. I oughta spend time at home with Atti 'n' all, but it ain't like I'm doin' the workin' just for me." She walks a little in silence before speaking, "I thought I might buy something to wear, a surprise or something."

Kid nods idly at her first words, waiting in the quiet after for what comes next. A little smile coming to her as she idly suggests, "Something nice? Maybe we could drop by a salon too. Some hair work, some nails and such. Make a whole package.." She slips a sidelong glance towards Cali. "A wind down day before some night fun for you and the elf." A casual smirk rising at that.

A frown plucks at Caliopa's forehead at the suggestion, and her fingers touch her ponytail lightly. "I guess. My nails aren't precisely like..." She shrugs, pausing near the apartment entryway. "Either way, won't hurt. Mebbe when I get the garage, we can have a party, celebrate a bit."

Kid grins casually and pauses nearby as well, cocking her head a little. "Maybe.." She shrugs a little and grins. "And don't worry about the nails, girl. I know a nice little place for that. Not too often I get work like that done, but they can even give you some extensions if you want to play at having some real talons for a little while. It can be fun." Her grin widens. "Especially for that night fun."

The inevitable colour flushes Caliopa's cheeks and she shakes her head. "You got a dirty mind." She scolds, the hint of affection in her voice. "Guess we can do that. Figure a day out mebbe..." She pulls the door open, letting the warmth ride out of the building. "Yeah."

"You don't know the half of it, Cali girl," Kid replies with not an ounce of repentance in her tone. "Don't worry about it too soon, I got that investigating to do and my day job. Tell the elf I'll let him know if something comes up. Either in person or with you." She lifts a hand from her coat pocket in a little finger flicker wave. "Nite Cali. Don't burn yourself out, girl." More casual that, given as she turns to continue on to wherever she's off to this early in the day.Tags:caliopa, kid