Oct 23 11:13:39 106 PA - Caliopa's debt payment is agreed
From Chronicles
Kingsdale - Monkey Business
An apt play on words, Monkey Buisiness is run by none other than Salvador Oneros, a run away CS Monkey boy with a flair for games in general and pre-rifts ones in particular. With a sharp sense for buisness to go along with it, the inevitable result was Monkey Buisness. A 24/7 around the clock arcade to keep the denizens of Kingsdale ammused. Near the door is a simple little coffee bar like setup that sells chips, soda, coffee and other things to drink or nibble uppon, though nothing of real sustinance. To compliment this area are several plush though heavily worn sofas, chairs and tables. Deeper in are all the games themselves, older favourites such as virtual gravball, to the latest such as Deadboys and D-Bees 3, CS Killer IX and Day of the Brain Eating Zombies.
The real treasures of this place however are much deeper in, in the back in a seperate (And usually locked) room. Accesible to those with a taste in the real oldies. The pre-rifts games. Some of the machines in the back are near priceless to collectors, ranging from pre-cataclysm VR arcade games, to even an extremely ancient but still functional pac-man table that has exchanged hands almost innumerable times.
It's a fairly typical early evening at Mokney Business, numerous youths as well as even a fair number of adults can be found here unwinding and playing any assortment of video games. Many, if not most up front are all the latest and greatest to come out, even several from the Coalition States are present dispite their antimagic/non human bias. Deeper in a few older but still robust post rifts machines and even a few of the more common pre-rifts machines are present, thought he latter are few and far between. At least, anywhere the public can see.
Today several humans are staffing the arcade, with the notable presence of Salvador himself. The owner, however rather than working seems to be buisy chatting with several of the patrons about the 'finer points' of Deadboys 4: Vampire Kingdom.
Caliopa has come here, her face set in serious lines, wearing her work clothes. Typically, the mechanic has thrown herself back into work. She hesitates at the entrance, looking around before she makes her way directly towards Salvador. "'Scuse me?" The words are spoken softly, a hesitant smile on her lips. "You Mr Oneros? I'm Cali. Caliopa. Reckoned we had some talkin' to do." The smile wavers, uncertainty in her face, obvious to anyone to read.
"So you see, it's in this manner that the Coalition is both ironically trying to keep people in the dark, while also spreading information in a rather counter intuitive manner. Why most of the weaponry used in the game are ones that would actually work against a vampire, yet there are several misreprentations of how they would actually function against such creatures, much less the previously noted inna.." Salvador blinks a little at being adressed by the apparently somewhat hesitant, dare he think, meek woman. "Err.. well yes. Yes I am!" He says standing 'tall' and proud. Well.. as tall as a monkey boy is ever going to get. Which is to say, not terribly tall, nor is he really standing at this point, but rather hanging off the corner of the game machine in question and rocking back and forth just a little. Though he does stop and straighten out a moment, his finger like toes curling against a lower edge of the gaming machine. "Oh.. yes yes yes!" he says hopping off the machine once Caliopa offers up her name "Sorry lads, got some important buisiness we do, this lass and I! Girl.. woman.. what ever. The game is afoot! Or perhaps she is afoot of the game."
Caliopa's smile widens, lighting up her face, a sunny expression which her friends would recognise. "I reckoned I ought to come 'n' find out what I owe you." She offers a hand to him, her manners late but present. "Ain't sure 'bout no game though?" The smile fades a little around the edges, and her eyes become questioning. She glances at the lads, lifting a hand to tuck a stray strand of hair away from her face, But the certainty does grow with the surety that he is the right person and she is in the right place. "Reckoned it best to find out where we stand."
Salvador hardly seems to let Caliopa's unfamilarity with games get in the way it seems as he leads her off abit away from the general crowd. "Oh well I suppose that particular bit doesnt matter so much. It's not yoru ability to play games that I care about my dear! But rather your particular.. talent with machines I've heard so much about. So here I was, wondering if perhaps you might some how, be able to ahhh.. fix a particular piece. Pre-rifts technology. Bit in sad shape to say the least however..."
The confusion in her face deepens, and Caliopa slides her hands into the pockets of her coveralls. "I ain't real sure I'm gettin' what you want clearly. You sorted out all that business with the KDPD for me, 'n' what you reckon you want in return is me fixin' up somethin' old that is broken?" She gives him a perplexed look but follows him despite that.
"Well.. yes. Why else would I be interested in you? You dont... you dont have any pre-rifts games or the like do you?" He asks somewhat suspiciously, though there's a fair bit of good nature about that suspicion none the less, almost one may dare say a hopeful tone in that. But he doesnt wait for a reply, instead Salvador launches onward "You see I am in the buiness or perhaps it's more apt to say hobby of collecting games. A hobby turned into a buisiness which in turn perhaps turned back into a hobby.. or something like that. Suffice it to say I am a collector of the rare and unique when it comes to entertainment systems the world over!"
Caliopa's confusion deepens for a moment before it clears and she recognises a fellow obsessive and she smiles, the smile lighting up her face. "Reckon I understand now..." She comments, tilting her head as she speaks to him. "What is it that you got that needs fixin' up? I ain't makin' no promises that I can do it but I'll do my best. You done a real good turn for me there, 'n' there weren't no need for you to have done that." A hesitation and she speaks lower, "Thank you."
Salvador seems to completely ignore the thank you and perks right up, if a perky individual can be said to perk up any more. "Oh good good good!" he exclaims jumping up and down a little before Cali, even doing a few rolls and an actual flip "I know.. I know you cant guarantee anything, but I figgure given your reputation with all things mechanical and the like that if anyone can fix it, it'll be you for sure!" he pauses then to look up at Caliopa "Uhh... so when can you leave?"
Caliopa does that slow blink people do when startled and trying not to show it. The rolling and the flip bring out a brief giggle and a shake of her head. "I...uh, leave? It ain't here?" The question is startled, her eyes widening, her eyebrows drawing together slightly into a perplexed frown. "I mean, where is it? What is it? If it is a piece away, I got to take my tools with me, 'n' I ain't able to take all of them... Ain't got a truck big enough for that..."
"Oh well, I'm sure I can make the necessary arrangements my dear! Worry not we can get what ever tools you need to where ever it is they need to go! Which.. in this case would be some palce called madtown or madhaven, or.. something or other with madness involved. Supposedly a few other things but it's all just a big heap of old ruins where one of my associates found a most unique relic of the old world as it were! It even turns on, though how this happens well.. we cant figgure out since there's not been any known power to the area since it got destroyed. But who am I to question it in the grand quest for knowledge and fun?!" Salvador says launching into another machine gun style bit of rapid talking. "So go on then go pack your bags, maybe find a few friends to go with you since I understand there may be a few nasties lurking about and see if you cant get that little treasure out in one piece and properly working hey? And we'll call it even or something like that. If you can actualy get it out and in working order I'd even pay you for your time!"
Caliopa's smile fades at the rapid fire talking and she finds herself nodding slowly. "Reckon it might take a piece of time to organise some folks to travel with me, but I owe you so it ain't unreasonable to be askin' that." She hesitates and then nods abruptly, her face set in serious lines. "You got it. I'll let you know when we're ready to be leavin'. You comin' along?"
"What me? Go out there? Are you crazy?" he declares with some suprise but no malice in his tone "I have a buisiness to run! Besides there's all sorts of nasty things out there and I already lost touch with two fo the teams and old bill apparently went a little bonkers a while ago. But you'll be alright of this I have no doubt! And just ignore that whole crock about ghosts and goolies and other such nonsense."
Caliopa's skin pales a little as he lists all the reasons why he wouldn't go himself and she holds her temper, speaking evenly. "Reckon you'd best tell me all that happened before. Seems it ain't a simple matter of goin' there 'n' fixin' somethin'..." She absently fiddles with a tiny tool that was in her pocket, almost for comfort. "Ghosts 'n' goolies 'n' all?"
"Oh Posh, it's all just campfire tales with nothing behind em anyway! Just people dont like staying around the place long cause they all get spooked by a bunch of ruins. I mean.. ok so they can be a little spooky and the like, especially when it's such a large expanse of ruins. But that doesnt mean there's ghosts and other things at every turn!" Salvador explains "Most of the time see it's just the wind or tricks of the imagination. Though I suppose now and then some one may actually run into a real ghost or osmething of the like out there. But it's no more likely than anywhere else in this world I tell you!"
Caliopa gives him a look of open doubt and shoves her hands back into her pockets. "'n' the name, madhaven, that is just a piece of coincidence, right?" She mutters the words, her forehead creased into a frown. "I guess I promised, so I'll look at findin' them that can fight spooks 'n' the like." She shakes her head, giving him a serious look. "That'll make us more 'n' even then." She speaks the words slowly, giving each a weight of promise. "'n' I don't owe anythin'."
"Oh yes! Quite quite, I dont seek to rule your life my dear, I'm not some slave master like the Coalition! They may have created me but they could not contain me nor would I see to contain anyone else." Salvador says sounding a little upset and hurt "Just well.. see all that talent, I didnt want to see it go to waste! Do you know how hard it is to find some one whoc an even fix these things?"
"I ain't promisin' I'm able to fix it. Jus' that I'll try 'n' that'll set us even." Caliopa sets out her terms clearly, her brown eyes resting on his face, her expression serious. "I ain't implyin' you are anythin' like them. Jus' settin' the contract nice 'n' clear." She pulls a hand from her pocket, offering it to him to seal the bargain. "You'll be hearin' from me." She promises softly.
"Oh, well I suppose.. I just.. well.. I just figgured if it could be fixed some one like you could! I mean.. it kind of works, but nto really right? Even if you cant quite getting it working agian, well.. do your best to get it out in one piece? Maybe if youc ant I'll some day find some one who can repair it." Salvador says looking a touch crestfallen but still hopeful."
Caliopa nods slowly, the seriousness of the mission preying on her mind. "I'll do my best, 'n' if I can't fix it out there, might be able to do more here so I'll brin' it home in one piece if I can. No promises though, the attempt puts us square." She is clear on that, her teeth nibbling at her lower lip, a worried movement.
"Oh! Of course.. of course! And.. if you do get it workign, as I said I'd... I'd definately pay you what it's worth! I.. I just wanted you to try was all.." Salvador says softly, his exuberance gone now, at least temporarily. "And I'll make all the travel arrangements. It might take a little while though, it's hard these days to find good reputable transporters when there's all these wars on..."
Caliopa nods slowly, her mind already ticking over at this job, her thoughts more on the mystery machine than the ghosts and goolies. "You got any hints to it's type? I mean, I'll take some tools but it seems to me that we got to get it home first, 'n' then fix it up. Seems sensible not to hang out there..." She shakes her head, straightening slightly and giving him a nod. "You make them arrangements, I'll get my friends sorted. You let me know when you got them ready."
"Type?" Salvador asks a moment looking confused and then brightening right up again. "Oh! Right well it's this VR rig, kinda like some I have in the back but it seems different. Not sure why or what it does realy, no ones' been able to get it to properly boot. It's definately some sort of game or something though, becuase there were several other rigs around it, though their all too badly damaged to recover. You might be able to salvage them for spare parts though!"
"A game." She speaks slowly, her mind ticking ahead. "Right then." She offers her hand again, giving him a direct look. "You let me know when you are ready with arrangements 'n' all, 'n' I'll get a friend or two to travel with me." She confirms, before turning on her heel to leave, her face pale but thoughtful.
