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Posted: Thu Jul 10, 2008 10:36 am
Reiku hopped off the red LFO and ran over to the Twilight and climped up next to the second cockpit. He open it and saw rose peacefully sleeping. He tunched her check as he heard another noise and a screeching of breaks. "Ten to one it's some army guy coming to look.. " he mumbled as he left rose in the cockpit and stood on Twilight's shoulder and looked towards the sound.
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Posted: Thu Jul 10, 2008 10:43 am
James saw Reiku on the Twilight. He knew Rose must be there and headed in that direction. He looked towards the MAT director as he walked but said nothing. An unspoken thought seemed to pass between them. They both knew a daughters well being came before a machine.
Tolly nodded to him as he went and continued to watch the Corallian.
"There..." Ruby seemed to whisper. She didn't continued. Instead she placed a second hand on the LFO and Tolly walked around her to see her face. A vacant expression covered it. He didn't like it. After a few seconds Ruby's eyes looked fearful then quickly cleared up.
"What is it?" Tolly asked. "What is there?"
"There... " she started again but once more kept quiet.
He knew she was holding back. She didn't trust him.
Her hands let go of the LFO and she backed away from it. "There has been a change."
He waited patiently for her to continue. When she didn't he spoke calmly and with a cool tone. "A change in what Ruby? What has changed?"
Again he waited patiently. It was becoming clear to him that she wasn't going to say anymore. "Okay." he said finally, "I get it. Still, if it endangers the Acumen family then they will need to know. I don't want them to come to any harm."
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Posted: Thu Jul 10, 2008 10:45 am
Reiku looked toward's james. " Hey james you okay? " He could see that the man was in a bit of shock. " Rose is okay she's in twilight's cockpit. " he sat down as he pressed a few botten's and the Twilight transformed into to it's car mode.
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The lifting ship made it's final cornate and sat down in the huge feild and started to open all it's bays. " Sir everthing's ready. " Sead one of the worker's as he kept a eye on the traper wave computer.
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Posted: Thu Jul 10, 2008 10:47 am
Reiku nodded. " She means's everything to me as well james.. " He mumbled as he closed the hatch on the cockpit and walked be hide james up to tolly and sunlight and ruby.
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Posted: Thu Jul 10, 2008 10:59 am
Over head the sun had grown low in th sky. Gold danced on the water in the distance. Around them the debris of the crash had all settled and the curious bystanders had all seem to have rushed off. Tolly thought it strange at first that no officers had approached thus far. After a few moments, he realized that if the UF had a real presence in the rubble of this city then it wouldn't be as bad off as it was.
"It's been awhile James." Tolly started.
"Yes, that is has Mr. Marcius." Roses father said and put out his hand.
"Oh, drop the Mr. stuff. We've known each other too long for that."
"Oh... no." James said almost laughing. "As hard as it is to cut through the red tape of your company and actually get you on the radio, I think Mr. is more than deserved. You know, I've been trying to get in touch with you for hours today. I actually had some pompous little brat tell me an hour ago that you were in an important meeting."
Tolly winced and he let go of James hand, "Oh, that. Yeah real sorry there." Rubbing the back of his head he almost seemed to turn red. "Would you believe I was actually talking to Reiku at that moment. He was telling me about our young friend Ruby here."
"Uh huh." James said in response. Turning to Ruby James bowed slightly.
It was ungentlemanly to offer your hand to a lady. Tolly was surprised to see Acumen not do it. Most people didn't go in for such pleasantries these days.
"My dear, you have helped to save my daughters life. I don't know how you got into my hanger, or into the Twilight for that matter, but my daughter is safe and unharmed. That leaves me slightly in your debt. Please if there's anything I can do in return then just ask it."
"Well," Tolly thought, "Maybe I should have tried the flattery routine." He kept his mouth shut though. After years of working together he knew James was better at it than he was.
"I.." Ruby said "No, there is nothing I need for myself sir. but if you'd like, please see that this one is repaired." She patted the side of Sunlight and looked at it sadly. "I was sorry that I had to hurt her so."
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Posted: Thu Jul 10, 2008 11:00 am
Reiku stepped up and quickly climbed to the cockpit and open it manually. He leaned over the seat to see the screens. "I'll reboot the main computer and see what was the bug.. " As he touched the interactive console an electrical shock ran through his arm and across his chest. He fell to the soft sand below.
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Posted: Thu Jul 10, 2008 11:04 am
No!" Ruby yelled towards the Sunlight.
Both James and Tolly rushed to Reiku to see if he was okay. James looked his hand over for blisters or burn marks. After a few seconds he grinned. "You okay Reiku?"
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Posted: Thu Jul 10, 2008 11:05 am
James leaned back to give him some room.
He wondered at how quickly Reiku had fallen. In his mind he knew that a jolt like that did more to hurt and scare than to leave lasting damage. If it had lasted longer though, things might have been different.
Tolly sat forward beside him. His eyes were watching the strange Corallian girl. "Reiku, can you hear me okay? It was a 120 volt charge. The console wouldn't have had anything stronger on it. You're probably hurting right now but it will go away. If you can I want you to sit up."
He put his arm under the young pilot and tried to lift him to a sitting position. "Just take it easy for a minute. Do you know what you touched in there?"
James looked up at the Sunlight. "There must be a grounded neutral on the frame. Probably happened during the crash. We'll need to power the unit down to make sure it doesn't burn up any of the circuitry."
"I'd tend to agree, James." Tolly said still holding up Reiku. "Uh, Ruby was it?" He looked up at her again. "Why do I get the feeling that wasn't completely accidental? The timing was awful convenient."
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Posted: Thu Jul 10, 2008 11:06 am
Twilight started to move as it transformed into his human mode and stared towards Sunlight. The mecha looked odd as it moved on it's own. Rose was still knocked out. The amber eye's looked down at them all as it spoke to Ruby in her head.
"Ruby, is Reiku okay? I felt his pain.. " Said the awkward voice to the young girl ahead of him. "Somethings going to happen and he's in the middle correct? " The voice sounded human like a grown mans voice to her.
Reiku slowly open his eye's. He looked towards Tolly, then James, then finally Twilight. "What happened..." He mumbled as he tried to get up but was stopped by Tolly.
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Posted: Thu Jul 10, 2008 11:07 am
Tolly watched in shock as the LFO lurched forward. As it stopped abrumptly in front of the Corallian girl he stared at her in wonder.
"Was it speaking to her?" he thought. "He had heard of such but never seen it."
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Posted: Thu Jul 10, 2008 11:08 am
James stood watching the spectacle. At first he had wondered why Rose was moving the LFO in such a way. As she stirred though he realized she hadn't been.
"Great scott!" he exclaimed. "It's... but that can't be."
Tolly put out his arm to the mechanic and watched the LFO as is settle back down.
"Take it easy. Obviously there's something going on here we aren't completely seeing." In a serious tone he spoke to Ruby.
"That's two now. I've heard of this type of thing happening before, but never to two different LFO's at nearly the same time. What is going on. You obviously know something more than you're saying."
He helped Reiku to his feet and gave the young man a look of concern.
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Posted: Thu Jul 10, 2008 11:10 am
Reiku looked stright back at tolly and shook his head. "I'll befine... " He looked at rose then ruby. " Ruby these menare my friends.. argh.. " He coughed hard. " They woult hurt you.. " Her pink eye's closed." But... " He sighed." Trust them ruby... Tolly saved my life a couple time's and he knew my father so did james. " He tryed to smile but it was hard his body wasstill in pain.
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Posted: Thu Jul 10, 2008 11:10 am
Ruby looked from Reiku to Tolly and then to James.
"Okay Reiku," she said barely above a whisper. "But not here." She looked around the street. The sun had left them and only the glow of sunset gave them any light now.
"We can talk at my garage then." James offered. "I'll need to load the Sunlight LFO and then we can go." Turning to Tolly he frowned. "I need to... I need to tell you something before we go there though Mr. Marcius."
The frown seemed to grow longer. In the low light is cast a weary palor over his normally cheerful face.
"Yes?" Tolly said curiously.
James didn't speak right away. Instead he scratched his chin and looked at Rose in the Twilight. He wondered how well the elder Marcius would take it. With a quick nod and a resolute stance he made his decision. "There are archetypes in the hanger for you to inspect." With that he walked towards his truck and began moving it towards the Sunlight LFO. When he reached the truck he radioed the garage from where no one would hear him. "Acumen to hanger. We will be having company tonight. Director Marcius from MAT labs and a friend of Reiku's. See that Topher is told... and hide his motorcycle."
With that he began loading the crazed archetype.
Tolly watched the mechanic walk away confused. He didn't let it bother him to much though. There were important matters to discuss.
"Okay Ruby. At the hanger then. I'll give you a lift back."
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Posted: Thu Jul 10, 2008 11:12 am
As reiku climbed into twilight hefelt his left arm go numb. He pulled his body into the cockpit as rose open a commlink to him. " Reiku you should rest i'll pilot Twilight back to the hanger. " She let out a smile as Twilight change into it's car mode.
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Posted: Thu Jul 10, 2008 11:13 am
The Sunlight was being loaded and the Twilight was already in the air. Ruby still hadn't moved though. Tolly waited patiently for her.
Once the Sunlight was on the back of Acumen's flat bed truck Ruby nodded and spoke,"You will be safe little one."
She then turned to Tolly. "Mr Tolly... I hope Reiku has not put his trust in you foolishly. I also hope I'm not about to do the same."
"Well," he said rubbing the back of his head. "That makes two of us then. I try to do right by most."
"I see." Brushing out the wrinkles in her dress Ruby knelt down to the sand around them. She reached out her hand and took a pinch.
Tolly recognized the gesture. It was a Voderak pray ritual. He wondered at where she had learned it. As he stood silently a cool breeze floated by in the dark air.
Ruby cupped the sand in her hands and held them together. After a moment, she tossed the sand high in the air. "May my actions be the will of the Voderak." she said and stood again. "I am ready sir."
With that they walked towards Tolly's motorcycle and climbed inside.
"You know," he said once the cockpit was closed. "You're not at all like the other Corallian girl."
"You mean the youngest one... no. I'd imagine I'm not." she responded.
"The youngest huh?" he said trying to keep her talking. "Does that mean there are others like you and her?"
There was silence. He figured he had gone to far and drove quietly. After a few minutes though he heard her speak again. "Yes..."
He didn't push her. Instead he simply nodded and let her speak at her own pace.
"Gonzy was the first. He came before me. I haven't seen as much of the world but I hope to one day. He has moved on from here though. That makes me the oldest. For.. for along time I thought it would only be me and him and that Voderak had forgotten us. Then Sakuya came."
"The Sakuya?" Tolly said surprised. "Well that makes sense. I've met Voderak that have spoken of her. But.. if you came before her.." Tolly's mind was moving quickly. "I suppose it's rude to ask a woman her age."
Ruby laughed. The sound was like bells sounding in the wind. "Yes it is Mr Tolly... but I don't mind. Since I'm being honest with you and all." She took a deep breath. "I'm 417 years old."
"Excuse me?" he said and pulled the motorcycle into the hanger of James garage.
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