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Post by Evangeline on Oct 30, 2008 15:54:16 GMT -5
"There are so many things I can see, but can't put names to." Erika sighed. "Just knowing would lift a big weight off of me, even if I never see them again. What I know for sure is that they were somewhere in Florida. That's a long way off, even for me."
"Yeah, sure." Bill accepted the book carefully.
"You know, search patterns are kind of an instinctual thing with our breed, just like the humans' stockdogs always wanna herd something. We have, shall we say, a high "work drive." Jordan explained. "But the HH-65 variant that Bree is has it multiplied. Even when we were little, she was always finding the damndest stuff and bringing it home. Mom finally had to call a stop to it after our hangar started resembling a junkyard. I think that was why she didn't argue when Bree went off to training at fourteen."
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Post by ebonyviper on Oct 30, 2008 16:17:13 GMT -5
"But that doesn't mean it's out of reach," said Delfina, "These kinds of searches aren't easy and they do take a lot of time."
*****
Ebony sat back and let Bill look through her sketchbook.
*****
"She must've been a spunky kid," said Shale.
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Post by Evangeline on Oct 30, 2008 17:40:09 GMT -5
"She was into everything, looking for the patterns." Jordan glanced back to check on his sleeping twin sister. "Her searches weren't just the physical ones."
"I know." Erika leaned against Randy. "I just feel kind of bad that everyone's going through this trouble, just for me."
"These are wunner'ful, Ebony." Bill surveyed the sketches. Many of them were from the earliest days of the humans' presence. "I can really see how they were feeling."
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Post by ebonyviper on Oct 30, 2008 17:56:16 GMT -5
"I don't doubt that," said Shale.
*****
"Hey, it's no problem," said Delfina, "I've done it for others as well."
*****
"I was there when they first came here," said Ebony, "And I'm one of the first inhabitants they've met."
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Post by Evangeline on Oct 30, 2008 18:09:31 GMT -5
Bill chuckled at one drawing in particular, and showed it to Fillmore. "Does this feller look familiar to ya?"
"Yeah, that's Mater sleeping with the goats." Fillmore smiled. "I got a couple of them now myself. They're great at keeping the weeds down. Cute little guys too."
"Reg'lar menagerie here." Bill smiled. He pointed to a sketch of a mare and foal. "That would be a nice carving."
Jordan checked back on Bree. She still slept soundly under the potion's effects, but her breathing seemed a little easier. Greg was settled beside her, occasionally checking her temperature, only rising to switch out ice bags or gel blankets. He returned to Shale. "She sounds a little better than before."
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Post by ebonyviper on Oct 30, 2008 18:22:49 GMT -5
"I really didn't think any of my sketches would be carving-worthy," said Ebony.
*****
"The sleep is good for her," said Shale, "It's helping."
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Post by Evangeline on Oct 30, 2008 19:17:57 GMT -5
"You've done so much for me already." Erika turned her gaze at the wavelets ahead of her. "I feel I shouldn't be asking more."
In the meantime, the ensign was heading back towards shore in a purposeful fashion...
"You don't give yourself enough credit." Bill came to the last of the book, closed it, and handed it back to Ebony. "And these drawings are a unique record, just like the ones I did sixty years ago."
"Chrylser, I hope so." Robin sighed.
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Post by ebonyviper on Oct 30, 2008 19:26:00 GMT -5
"Hey, it's no problem," said Delfina, "We're all glad to help."
"Of course," agreed Freda.
*****
Ebony took the sketchbook back and returned it to her compartments where inside was a manila folder.
She perked up at the mention of 60-year-old drawings, "Oh, really?"
*****
"I'm sure she'll get better soon," said Shale.
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Post by Evangeline on Oct 30, 2008 19:46:30 GMT -5
"I don't know how I can ever thank you all." Erika was looking rather wet-eyed again.
"I saw that UFO crash inta the sea along with a hundred other folks." Bill reminisced. "I was maybe ten years old at the time."
"She's a fighter." agreed Jordan.
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Post by ebonyviper on Oct 30, 2008 20:00:24 GMT -5
"You don't have to thank us," said Freda, "and there's no need to pay us back. Just know that there are people here that'll help you if you ever need it."
*****
"Do you still have the drawings?" asked Ebony.
*****
"I know," nodded Shale.
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Post by Evangeline on Oct 30, 2008 20:38:44 GMT -5
"A few." Bill nodded. "I'd given a lot of sketches n' stuff to the library a few years ago. Otherwise they woulda just moldered in my old workshop."
"This is the first time in years that anyone really treated me like a person instead of an animal or a plaything." Erika blinked back tears.
"What time did Mom and Papa give for ETA?" Robin asked.
"A little after midnight, they said." Jordan answered. "I know Shale's really looking forward to that."
In the meantime, Ensign Jastrow was cajoling one of the ratings into letting him have one of the empty fuel-supplement cans from Bree's morning meal. He finally made off with several.
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Post by ebonyviper on Oct 30, 2008 21:02:18 GMT -5
"Well..." Ebony pulled out the folder, "I came across them on my own research and had them photocopied." She opened the folder and pulled the photocopies out.
*****
Delfina smiled, glad to see that Erika's tension was melting away.
*****
Shale rolled his eyes, "C'mon, you're messing with me, Man."
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Post by Evangeline on Oct 30, 2008 21:41:48 GMT -5
"That's the sketch I did of the UFO, alright." Bill said. "At one point, it streaked down the beach, then hovered over us for maybe thirty seconds, and I memorized everything about it that I could and drew it later."
The waitress finally came up. "Good afternoon, are you all ready to order?"
Randy rubbed the side of his bow against Erika's cheek and nibbled at her side in a gentle kneading motion, as if massaging the hurt away. "It's all over now." he whispered to her. "You've got your life back."
"Papa doesn't bite." Robin rolled her eyes. "He just wants everyone to think he does."
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Post by ebonyviper on Oct 30, 2008 22:02:10 GMT -5
Ebony put the photocopies back in the folder as the waitress came up. "Yes, I'll have an orange citrus please."
*****
Delfina looked out at the harbor for a moment.
*****
"I don't want to let him get to me," said Shale.
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Post by Evangeline on Oct 30, 2008 22:30:45 GMT -5
"We'll try to keep him off your case." Jordan promised.
Ensign Jastrow was coming back with a few small cans. "Paydirt! I got some of the supplement cans they delivered this morning."
Bill and Fillmore made their orders, and kicked back. "This place is generally pretty good."
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