Participants:
Scene Title | Paranioa Choo Choo Train |
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Synopsis | Chance meeting, and a little information pumped. |
Date | February 20, 2009 |
Sub-zero temperatures, even when out of the wind, are only slightly mitigated by the brightness of the sunshine outside. Alley Cat Couriers is not having one of its better days for staff turnout, while speed of delivery is slowed by the extra layers of clothing required for riders to survive.
Within Alley Cat's HQ, a young woman in all-black biker leathers is currently propped against the front of the reception / office counter, using a pencil to mark intersections on a pre-Bomb map of Manhattan.
"I think it's just blocked drains, again, but this whole section here's now slicked over with ice. It's still flowing in some places, but even there, the splashes'll freeze on the riders if they go through it. 'Course, this area's pretty unstable, so I'd say we tell the guys to cut East, over this way. I had a look on my way back, and it seems okay at the moment…" Her accent is unmistakably both British and educated, her words accepted - albeit somewhat regretfully - by the bespectacled man behind the counter.
Minea's on low tech. She doesn't like low tech. She's become accustomed to high tech, but she understands and is even more aware of what goes through a certain technopath's line of… sight? So it is, that she's resorting to walking into alley cat with the hopes of getting some delivered, a large manila envelope in her hands as she approaches the desk.
"Of course, that leaves them to work around the broken road here. Feck." Another couple of marks are added to the map. "I'm going to need to stick up marks on the walls, I think…." Ygraine glances around, quirking a wry smile at Minea, apparently utterly failing to recognize her. "Hi. Don't mind us. Just having fun with the weather and the Midtown ruins, but we can get your package wherever it needs to go."
'Ms. Fitzroy" Minea nods her head when she see's Ygraine. Well, so one member worked here. "I have something urgent, needs to get to the other side of town" there's a nod to the bespectacled man. "Got someone who can do it?"
Ygraine darts a glance to the manager, then nods. "Give me five minutes to check that nothing's iced up on the bike, and I can take it." She glances down at herself. "Not exactly usual bike courier gear, I know, but given Midtown and the weather, I've been helping out on powered transport."
There's a nod to Ygraine though Minea does lean in and start discussing price with the bespectacled man, sot hat Ygraine can have her five minutes to ensure everything's fine. Minea doesn't' seem to object in the least.
Ygraine delays just long enough to add a couple more squiggles to the map, then turns to amble back outside, shuddering theatrically in the doorway as she refastens her jacket and heads out, shoulders hunched against the chill.
Price haggled, everything's dealt with, Minea's not far behind Ygraine out towards her back. No hunching against the cold for this woman, though she keeps the package close. Once they're out of hearing range of anyone else, it's a cautious look that's thrown to the woman. "How are they?"
Crouched by her bike - a big, powerful, British-built Triumph rather than a low-rider or a Japanese crotch rocket - Ygraine has just finished checking the rear brakes. She looks up, expression somewhat bewildered. "Oh, fine, thanks. I try to keep him in good working order anyway." She patpats the vehicle with one gloved hand.
"Not the they I was asking about. You know who i'm talking about Ygraine Fitzgerald" Minea studies the british woman before her, though she glances to the bike then back.
Ygraine quirks a brow. "FitzRoy", she says gently, frowning a touch… then cocks her head and gives the woman a longer look. "Mmmmm. Well… I had thought this might be somewhere that someone'd show up. Thanks for at least not making it my home. My fiancee's… upset enough about things as it is." Straightening up, she glances around to confirm that none of the company's nicotine junkies have stepped outside for a fix. "Were you sent on one of the… field trips?"
'I think, Ms. FitzRoy, you mistake me for something I'm not. If I was company do you think I would have been there at that meeting and again at the hospital?" Come on. Really? "That and if I was, you'd likely not be conscious right now" Minea points out.
Ygraine shrugs and chuckles. "You're a Fed, aren't you? To get me out the country, all that'd be required is a phone call to immigration reporting that there were "suspicions of association with illegal elements" or something of the sort, and my visa'd be rescinded. Disposing of me's easy to do quickly and legally, and riskier than it would be for most if it's done unsubtly. But I wasn't thinking that you were here to tell me I was under arrest. It did occur to me, however, that someone might drop in for a chat."
"Are you all that paranoid? Really?" Minea's surprised. Squirrely this one."I just came to have a package delivered. I can have someone else deliver it, it's not that big a deal to me. you just happened to be up at the front of the counter and you volunteered I might add, to do that" Though said packaged still rests in her own hands. "I'm not here to arrest anyone. If I was, I would have done it at the meeting, with all of you hiding behind your masks while edward ray popped up pictures and names. So ease down on the paranoia choo choo train there"
Both brows lift… then Ygraine laughs. "Choo-choo train? And I did say that I _didn't_ think you were here to arrest me. No - the farce at the meeting was not exactly welcomed by some of us. We were told to turn up incognito, to a meeting where… well. Anyone there can now get me thrown out of the country, pretty much at will, given the paranoia in US Customs and Immigration about "suspect individuals"." Another chuckle, and Ygraine shakes her head. "But… how's who? Are you asking about anyone in particular? I don't know what, or who, you know. I'm not exactly wholly in the loop myself."
"Regardless, I'm not who you think I am. Teodoro and his friends did their homework and if I was a threat, then I'm sure they wouldn't have brought me to the den to meet all the cubs, hmm? and I mean them, as a whole. I cut off contact when I was done. I'm just curious. I know some members got picked up" She passes over the package, files it seems. She rattles off an address "Tell them it's priority. I'd take it down there myself but I have to pack"
Ygraine moves to tuck the package into one pannier, carefully locking it shut. From within her jacket, she withdraws a pad, propping her rump against her bike while she writes out a receipt. "Messed up, bluntly speaking. Took days for everyone who did make it to turn up again. At least one or two still missing. Others known to've been picked up and taken to Utah. Divisions over whether saving the world means it was a brilliant success, or whether all the deaths and disappearances mean there's a lot that should've been done better. One of us got to experience what it feels like to die - twice in the same night. I was comparatively lucky, in many ways. We didn't run into a scoop-squad, on my trip. I just got to listen to someone die, shoot a gunman to save someone, meet a tank, and get hit on the head and spend two days concussed. But in the end - it worked. Around five and a half billion people don't need to die just yet."
"Shot in the gut. lost an ovary. But I came out fine. Couple dozen kids were parked at the hospital, they're safe now" and Now Ygraine has given her more information that she knew in the first place. So, productive side trip. "I'm sure the missing people will turn up. In what state, it's unknown, but, I'm sure everyone's looking for them" as if that's consolable.
Ygraine can't help but look up, wincing sharply at Minea's own succinct report. "Fuck", she responds eloquently, expression rather shocked. "Evolved healing?", is a somewhat more normal response from her, a second later. "And… not everyone. I'm pretty sure the group'll lose people over this. Certainly, for daring to voice criticism, I wasn't exactly made to feel welcome. And I've not been asked to do anything, or given any updates. Might simply be that there's nothing I can usefully do. Not as if I'm good at undercover work, or the like. I'm not stupid enough to pretend that I could go unnoticed if I began poking around asking questions. But some of us are just… trying to get back to normal, 'cause there doesn't seem to be anything else we _can_ do."
'No evolved healing. Just lucky" She holds her hand out for the receipt. "So your not with them anymore? You parted ways?" There's surprise registering on the woman's face.
Ygraine belatedly and rather sheepishly hands over the receipt, after a moment's blank confusion. "I… I'm honestly not sure. I've heard from precisely one of them since the meeting where I dared to agree with the suggestion that things could have - should have - been handled better. My fiancee's livid. Still. Thinks that the group just… dehumanizes people, and burns them as resources whenever it's expedient. I'm not so harsh in my judgment, but… if I'm as mistrusted as I think I now am, it's probably a moot point _what_ I think. Of late, I've been back to trying get the lifeblood of the city going again, one parcel at a time. It's not dramatic, but it's worthwhile. And I don't need to watch or listen to people die, so the comparative lack of excitement might be a good thing."
"What they do is illegal, or else why would they be hiding. We have laws, put in place, and rules that have to be followed. They do good, to a degree, but in the not so proper fashion" There's a gesture to the now hidden package. "I should let you get going. I have stuff to do. Glad you made it out okay. You take care now Ygraine. It was nice talking to you"
Ygraine chuckles softly. "Illegality doesn't have to equate to inhumanity or even immorality. But… thanks. Good to put a face to the name properly. Hopefully we never have to deal with each other when _you're_ the one on the clock doing your job."
"Ygraine. My on the clock job had nothing to do with hauling in people. I don't know what they told you I did, but.. like I said, it's not what you think. You take care now, get it there fast. I left extra tip at the desk for you" With that, Minea turns away, heading over towards the parking area and the black 81 Malibu that's there.
Ygraine can't help but laugh again, cracking a grin at the woman as she departs. Within moments, the Briton's astride her bike, securing her helmet, getting ready to venture out into the icy ruins of Midtown once again…
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