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balthazar
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Post Posted: Tue Jun 28, 2011 7:16 pm |
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Joined: Wed Feb 25, 2009 10:57 pm Posts: 4102
Location: Currently on expedition.
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Jason heads toward the argument, trying to get close enough to understand what's being said. He keeps an iron grasp on his big dumb grin and his gray wall though, just in case he bumps into someone.
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CCC
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Post Posted: Wed Jun 29, 2011 4:00 am |
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Joined: Wed May 15, 2002 12:00 am Posts: 11381
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Cecil loads boxes like a good human drone. Once he and Maria have a full load, he'll push it into the warehouse, following all the other humans and keeping his eyes open.
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Ruan
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Post Posted: Wed Jun 29, 2011 5:04 am |
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Joined: Wed Sep 01, 2004 12:00 am Posts: 6868
AOL: RuanalHallen
Location: What matter wounds? For each time he falls, he shall rise again and woe to the wicked!
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Tom, in the meantime, follows Jason like a good little minion, just a few steps behind.
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weatherwax
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Post Posted: Wed Jun 29, 2011 10:29 am |
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Joined: Fri Apr 04, 2003 12:00 am Posts: 2825
WLM: [email protected]
Location: Wishing I was not in Kansas anymore
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As Jason and Tom wander down the right hallway, the argument grows more heated.
"At least use your words! Do you want someone to overhear?"
I'm not going to be uncivilized!
"That's THEM talking, you fool!"
The argument is coming from inside one of the stock rooms of the warehouse, filled with boxes but empty of people. The speaking voice is muffled, while the inner voice is crisp and clear.
"Fine!" says the second voice, now aloud. "You want me to use my mouth, filthy thing that it is, I will!"
There's a pause. No thought drifts from the speakers, though both are trying to muffle irritation, worry, suspicion, stress.
"This is the last time I'll call on you," the first speaker says, voice low. "You are becoming a liability."
"Good," the second snaps. "I'm perfectly happy with my life, and I'm not too keen on you lot mucking things up for me."
"Just make sure Delivercargo8 gets the delivery," the first voice growls. "I'm stowing in that one. I'll figure out the rest."
"Fine," the second voice mopes. Now leave me be.
A moment of silence, then a small woman with dark, fluffy curls appears in the doorway. She has a rediculous grin on her face, and all of her thoughts blare HAPPY! WORKING! SO HAPPY!
*** The humans that Cecil follows leads him back to the main hallway to a large storage room filled with people unloading boxes. The boxes stretch to the ceiling. Humans use the dollies to float to the top of the heap and neatly stack boxes on top of each other. If Cecil glances left or right, he'll see that this almost full room is not the only one. Six warehouses to the right appear completely filled with boxes and sheets of metal. Another six on his left (including his) are slowly being filled by the human laborers.
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balthazar
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Post Posted: Wed Jun 29, 2011 2:35 pm |
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Joined: Wed Feb 25, 2009 10:57 pm Posts: 4102
Location: Currently on expedition.
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Jason keeps the big dumb grin on his face, but adds thoughts of confusion and a general feeling of lost to the usual happy feelings.
Hello, do you know where the crates for ship Delivercargo4 are?
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Ruan
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Post Posted: Thu Jun 30, 2011 12:23 am |
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Joined: Wed Sep 01, 2004 12:00 am Posts: 6868
AOL: RuanalHallen
Location: What matter wounds? For each time he falls, he shall rise again and woe to the wicked!
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Tom, in the mean time, keeps his mind relatively blank aside from happy, peaceful, 'I want to help!' thoughts.
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CCC
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Post Posted: Thu Jun 30, 2011 4:51 am |
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Joined: Wed May 15, 2002 12:00 am Posts: 11381
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Cecil pushes his dolly right past the warehouse that the human he's following is going to, and turns in at the last of the six warehouses being filled on his left. He diligently unloads the boxes, taking a good look around the warehouse as he does so; remembering the advice of the Patiae, he takes in every detail of this warehouse and notes in his memory that it is merely one of twelve. Once the boxes are unloaded, he and Maria take the empty dolly out of the warehouse, and turn left, away from the rest of the boxes needing loading and towards the sound of machinery working.
Hopefully nobody will think to stop a pair of humans with an empty dolly looking diligently for warehouse 43.
A question - are these metal goods new-and-shiny, or old-and-ready-for-recycling?
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weatherwax
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Post Posted: Thu Jun 30, 2011 3:58 pm |
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Joined: Fri Apr 04, 2003 12:00 am Posts: 2825
WLM: [email protected]
Location: Wishing I was not in Kansas anymore
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The curly-haired woman, still broadcasting HAPPY THOUGHTS, cocks her head and furrows her brows slightly.
I don't know about your shipment, sir, I work on a ship, she says. As you know, of course. I'm not attached to a dolly.
At the edges of the protective mental layer Gil placed over the humans Tom and Jason feel a gentle prodding, like someone testing their boundaries.
***
The metal sheets are dull, but clean and unscathed. The same goes for the goods in the boxes -- no marks, no scrapes, no visual signs of wear and tear.
As Cecil and Maria walk from the twelve active wearhouses, the activity of the humans thin. From time to time a couple humans pass by with dollies, empty or laden with boxes. After about ten minutes of walking, they reach warehouse 43.
The door is open to a large room. Twenty neatly stacked square boxes sit in the center of the room.
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CCC
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Post Posted: Fri Jul 01, 2011 5:47 am |
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Joined: Wed May 15, 2002 12:00 am Posts: 11381
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Cecil loads up a dolly-full of boxes (how many boxes fit on a dolly? Probably only 12, so it'll take two trips... if all 20 would fit on, then Cecil will find a way to pack them badly enough that all 20 won't fit on a single load) and then takes himself, Maria, and their full dolly back the way they came. He'll keep a lookout for Jason and Tom on the way.
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balthazar
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Post Posted: Sat Jul 02, 2011 1:44 am |
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Joined: Wed Feb 25, 2009 10:57 pm Posts: 4102
Location: Currently on expedition.
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Jason tries his best to feign embarrassment.
Sorry, I've never been here before and don't know my way around. I was told the crates were in warehouse 43.
At the probing at Gil's barrier, Jason's body posture doesn't change, but he forces himself to relax, just in case action becomes necessary.
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AlternateTorg
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Post Posted: Sat Jul 02, 2011 10:42 pm |
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Member of the Fraternal Order of the Emergency Pants |
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Joined: Mon Dec 15, 2003 12:00 am Posts: 2994
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Praise the Masters! María broadcasts. So many opportunities to serve! Truly I am favored of them! And as if that wasn't enough, they give me such wonderful food! I would eat it all day, except then I wouldn't be able to load pallets! After helping Cecil load up, she returns with him, looking carefully around her for any signs of suspicious activity.
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CCC
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Post Posted: Sun Jul 03, 2011 12:17 am |
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Joined: Wed May 15, 2002 12:00 am Posts: 11381
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"Tone down on the food a bit," says Cecil in a low voice as soon as there are no other humans nearby, "the merest hint would work just as well, if not better. Don't overdo it like that."
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AlternateTorg
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Post Posted: Sun Jul 03, 2011 6:23 pm |
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Member of the Fraternal Order of the Emergency Pants |
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Joined: Mon Dec 15, 2003 12:00 am Posts: 2994
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"You're right," she replies in a whisper, and complies. In fact, she opts for a contented but mundane stream of consciousness, in the hope that any uninvited "listener" which wasn't repelled by the occasional mention of food would find the rest boring.
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Ruan
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Post Posted: Mon Jul 04, 2011 6:26 am |
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Joined: Wed Sep 01, 2004 12:00 am Posts: 6868
AOL: RuanalHallen
Location: What matter wounds? For each time he falls, he shall rise again and woe to the wicked!
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Tom continues to do his level best to radiance innocence at Jason's side.
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weatherwax
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Post Posted: Wed Jul 06, 2011 11:12 am |
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Joined: Fri Apr 04, 2003 12:00 am Posts: 2825
WLM: [email protected]
Location: Wishing I was not in Kansas anymore
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The woman with curls, while still broadcasting HAPPY THOUGHTS, frowns at Jason and Tom.
"You can drop the act," she says, backing away slowly. "Who the hell are you? You've got multiple protective barriers, and I've never seen more than the most rudimentary protection on Controlled people."
Suddenly the lights flicker in the warehouse, and there's a distinct, grinding whine coming from the docking area.
***
The flickering lights and the grinding whine can be seen and heard from Maria and Cecil's viewpoint as well.
Last edited by weatherwax on Wed Jul 06, 2011 12:52 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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