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Post by Evangeline on Sept 5, 2008 19:42:37 GMT -5
Mairi was leading the nurses and orderlies who were bringing in the first of the child patients. Those that were conscious viewed their surroundings with wide eyes as the medical team transferred them from their guerneys to beds in the expanded sickbay unit. Passing Jessica, she saw that the older woman was a little shaky, just enough to make her wonder.
Jessica caught the tail end of Aron's description of "carsverse" reproduction. "Does that mean that they have... "relations", then?" This was starting to play some "interesting" mind games.
Brett called Marisa over the radio. "You OK with everyone down there?"
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Post by elizar on Sept 5, 2008 19:49:45 GMT -5
"If you are asking if they have sex, the answer is yes." Aron said. "Their world is near mirror of ours, aside from human versus machine thing. There are many similarities." Aron looked around, but decided not to continue with what he was about to say with so many around
Leroy had taken his time exploring, even talking to one of the cattaurs. He then turned to Lazaro. "Any particular highlight you haven't showed me yet?" He asked.
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Post by Evangeline on Sept 5, 2008 20:36:23 GMT -5
Jessica paused. The idea of a car or a large plane or ship mating and giving birth was something that was more than she could digest right now. "Maybe we could go into that more later?"
"There are the helicopters." Lazaro suggested to Leroy. "Representing the United States in this contingent. They just happened to be the ones with the most direct experience with humans."
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Post by elizar on Sept 5, 2008 20:59:38 GMT -5
"Sorry." Aron said smiling. "It took a while for me to get used to it. I was for over a year wondering how things worked under there before taking two years in medical school. And right in the beginning, with a dead car in front of me, I was wondering what I could do to make him run again."
Leroy looked at Marisa down at the docks, and Brett talking to her from the cargo ship, and the third one marked as a Coast Guard copter. "How come you had easier time with them than the cars, which I assume are the more numerous ones in the world you were in."
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Post by Evangeline on Sept 5, 2008 21:53:52 GMT -5
Lazaro began by way of explaining, "Aircraft have much keener hearing and smell than cars do, and by that token, they were the first to become aware that there was something entirely new in their world on that night in March of 2008. They tend to be of a much more symbiotic mindset than cars, as in their natural, unaugmented state they lack the ability to do fine manipulation. A race with dexterity as one of its primary assets will be seen as a desirable association."
Jessica now had to try getting her head around a whole new meaning for "Dead Car". "Sounds... just... ugh!"
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Post by elizar on Sept 5, 2008 22:21:32 GMT -5
"We are maybe going too fast for you." Aron said to Jessica. He saw how low the sun was in the distance, and didn't quite trust the community to be crime free, even moreso of what was going on.
Leroy seemed to almost sense Aron's thoughts. "It's getting dark soon. I'll send a message to Wellington and tell them of your requests and what you have to offer in return."
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Post by Evangeline on Sept 5, 2008 23:22:09 GMT -5
"Good." Lazaro read Leroy's concern. "We have pretty good security on board. Even if any prowlers got past the ship's and helo's senses, they'd still have to contend with forklifts that outweigh them by a factor of five, and a few dozen taurcat girls who are still slightly miffed at "missing the fun" earlier." He clarified. "Taurcat males are bound to their territories and very aggressive and intolerant towards other adult males. Too dangerous to recruit."
Nearby, one of the aforementioned girls was "doing her nails" with a sharpening stone. One at a time she extended a half-inch long claw and honed it against the moistened stone.
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Post by elizar on Sept 5, 2008 23:41:30 GMT -5
"If anyone does get a bright idea to rob you, leave them alive." Leroy said. "You need to start to look good in order for this to happen." He looked at the cattaur. "Is it me or are they getting in my head?"
"It's getting dark." Aron said to Jessica. "Your daughter may be worrying about you."
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Post by Evangeline on Sept 6, 2008 0:50:37 GMT -5
"The girls know that." Lazaro said. "The baddies may need a change of pants when it's over, but they'll be alive. As I said, they like to "play" with attackers, mostly psyching them out. And they are a telepathic species. When they're concentrated in numbers, they can have an effect on unshielded minds whether they mean to or not. The "in my head" thing disappears once your brain learns how to set up defenses and tune it out. Takes a day or two in most cases."
"Perhaps I should go." Jessica concurred. "But tomorrow is also a work day, so you should see us then."
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Post by elizar on Sept 6, 2008 6:32:51 GMT -5
"Good, I thought at first this was a precursor to a stroke. But since that never came -" Leroy waved his hand slightly. He unintentinally spoke as if he had spent some time expecting one.
"I'll be here if you don't mind." Aron said. "Though I wouldn't mind meeting your daughter, the problem is to walk back here. Don't know the town, and I stick out."
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Post by Evangeline on Sept 6, 2008 18:26:51 GMT -5
"I understand," Jessica nodded. "Chandra usually gets off school at three in the afternoon, so she can come right over to work." She turned as the clopping of a horse team grew louder, and the team was pulling an omnibus. "I'd better get home now."
Lazaro noted that Leroy was not a young man, that this would be a routine worry for someone in his age bracket. "I don't think that's coming your way just yet. The taurcats might catch onto it if something was really going wrong and let us know."
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Post by elizar on Sept 6, 2008 18:50:24 GMT -5
Leroy shook his head. "My blood pressure's been rising progressively for the past five years, and I've had migraines for the last two months. I've been obeying the doctor, but nothing seems to work."
"Hey Jessica." Aron turned to face her before she left. "Thanks. Thanks for not trying to exact vengeance on me or anything like that." He smiled.
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Post by Evangeline on Sept 6, 2008 18:56:17 GMT -5
"In the church, we're called on to forgive." Jessica said before boarding the bus. "I have a lot to forgive. I started with the easier ones first."
"Maybe we could do something to help." Lazaro offered. "We do have some drugs on hand that could reduce the blood pressure."
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Post by elizar on Sept 6, 2008 19:12:39 GMT -5
"I'll see you." Aron said not moving from his spot. When the bus started to move, he went back to Urqhart for rest.
"It would be most appreciated." Leroy smiled. He looked after the omnibus, and saw his own guards outside, almost bored waiting for him to get back to his own home.
"But what's another day?" He nodded. "Your doctor has been bit busy with my own shipment of patients, but if he has a window tomorrow, let me know. You check out fine, I should go send the a-okay message to Wellington. The sooner we get the agreement finalized, the better."
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Post by Evangeline on Sept 6, 2008 20:58:44 GMT -5
"We're looking forward to that." Lazaro nodded. He needed to get back to his own team as well.
Capt. Urqhart heard Aron coming back even before he saw him, and opened the gangway gate so that Aron could board and Mairi could finally depart. Mairi smiled diffidently to Aron and then to Marisa before going on home, still mindful of the teeth of the latter even if no harm was meant.
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