Roy
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When Tyler got back with the burner phone and lunch I think Nola was the most excited. Not only had he gotten multiple burners and replacement sim cards, he looked like he had gotten one of everything at a steak house and picked over a liquor store. One of everything.
"My god man, how much did you spend. The whole stack?" Dave said to him
"Yeah, what else was I gonna do with it? We can just make more?" Tyler said to us with a shrug
"We are barely able to account for the cash we have already spent, and that is assuming your recycler friend pans out. We need to be careful with this." Dave said with an exasperated cadence
"You worry to much. No one is gonna check on purchases at liquor stores or restaurants. We just have to worry about the big purchases." Ty said dismissively
"For a man who believes the government is actively out to get him, you have levels of naiveite I wouldn't believe are possible" Dave muttered before returning to his spreadsheets to add in the cost of our super lunch purchase.
Tyler had Nola eat the whole truck again rather than try to unpack everything. He also pulled a menu out of his pocket and dropped it to the ground. He said he wanted Nola to try matching things to it when we ordered.
Tyler might not have heard her response, but she was excited for the challenge. She gave a menu to each of us including Verdandi, I am not sure how useful he found it. He just pointed to 3 seemingly random items.
She ended up confusing Ty's porterhouse for a t-bone, but otherwise got it all correct. Not bad for a first time waiter.
Kathy was excited by the possibility of an unlimited bar at her event. To hear her tell it you'd think one of the biggest expenses in fundraising was getting the donors drunk.
"We need to get this place back open and moving again today. Probably as soon as after lunch if we can. I want to watch it in motion so I can design our releases and branding." She said while scribbling in her notebook. I glanced over trying to read it before remembering I could expand my awareness in my domain. She was writing a list of items she would need from a banner printer before the end of the week. I feel like we could just make those in house. I said as much.
"We need to show our faces in the community, that is part of this. Plus, all my friends use the same sign maker. An order with him is just as good as a postcard to the circuit crowd." She said.
"If the place is going to open again, can I accompany whoever is questing to resolve the heist?" Verdandi asked me between bites of steak.
"That would be good. We can talk a bit about the wider universe while we drive and if someone pulls us over we can have you hide under a blanket in the back." But that would leave just Tyler here to run the place. Well, Tyler and Nola. But she's not gonna be doing any customer service.
You are forgetting Dave and Kathy. Dave already has the uniform.
"Dave's a supervisor. That means he's not actually gonna do work." I said out loud, not caring if he could hear. Maybe I could trick him into working.
"Tyler can do the lifting, I'll take payments and direct traffic. Don't think I don't know what you are doing there Roy." He said in mock accusation. Close enough, that frees me up for a trip with Verdandi.
"Thanks Dave. I appreciate the help. Nola, where are we going?"
I shot past Fort Morgan and then took a county road off 71. The highway isn't as big there, but it still gets enough traffic to not be a total loss as a project. I found a piece of raw land without a fence we can claim and dump the stolen vehicles on. I still don't see why I can't just put them there now?
"Because we want to check around for things you can't see outside of your borders. I've seen what you see. Your vision stops a few yards from your edges. We can't have you pop a bunch of large equipment into existence 20 feet from a farmer. You were here when we talked about this." I said a little confused
Yeah. I just don't want you to leave...
"I'm not even leaving this time, I'm still gonna be connected the whole time" I said in response.
I got a mental wine in response.
"Is it because I am going to be far away from the core?" I said
I don't know.
I could tell she felt a little disappointed in herself at that.
We need to work on separation anxiety. Just a little bit
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After a little more doddling about we re made my car and tinted the back windows for Verdandi to remain a little less visible. We both agreed that the back seat would be easier to hide in. Tyler, and more surprisingly Dave, both suggested we bring a weapon with us 'just in case'. Just in case of what?!? We are going, we are dropping stuff off and turning around. This should be the easiest quest in existence. I think Tyler is rubbing off on him too much.
As we drove away with Verdandi under cover Dave came out and put up an 'Open' sign for Kathy's soft re open. I hope all goes well.
Once we were on the highway Verdandi got out from under the blanket to look at the sites passing by. Our route wouldn't take us through as many cities as last time, but we still got to see some new sites. Unique rock formations, old tourist traps, strange buildings, buildings that look normal to me but are brand new to aliens. Sightseeing was fun to do vicariously through Verdandi, but not why I brought him on the trip. Well, not the only reason. I needed to keep mining him for information or talk about what is bothering him. Preferably both. But at this point I wasn't getting either.
I'll keep trying though
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When we left the highway and aimed for the dirt road we started looking around for other drivers and people that would be able to see us, We passed some large farm plots and scrubland, seeing no one for several minutes.
Right here is where I stopped growing. I got here just a little bit before you did. Lots of natural land there. No one around.
She was completely right. Aside from the dirt road and old wooden power poles the area looked about as natural as it probably did 200 years ago. We both pulled out the binoculars Nola had made for us and scouted around.
I couldn't see anything or any one.
"Do you have enough to spare to make everything we took?" I asked
Absolutely! I've been saving up for this since you started talking about this. All the machines will be cleaned of any evidence, cleaned and repaired and put here to find.
Perfect.
You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.
"I will dial the non emergency line then. Do you need long to get them in place?"
HA! No.
She said as multiple tons of equipment popped out of the ground like daisies
Well no reason to dilly dally. I typed in the number Dave had given me. Should I do an accent to disguise my voice?
Absolutely do not.
Why not? I think I can pull it off.
Yeah, you think that. But you are wrong. Just listen to Dave and don't complicate things.
Yeah yeah, alright. I'll be boring and practical.
"Police services, how can I help you" The voice on the line said to me, interrupting our mini argument
"Yeah.. um hi. I am out here in the country driving and I saw some really suspicious dudes moving some big equipment around. This is preserve land, so I don't think there'd be building going on." I made my voice a little deeper, Nola sent a pang of disappointment through the bond at me. It isn't an accent, its vocal modulation. Totally different.
"Ok sir, and you have reason to believe this is criminal activity?"
"Yeah.. all the licenses are blacked out. And there is a lot of stuff out here. Too much for one building project." Now that I am out here I am realizing I should have practiced what I would say to get them to investigate. Now I just sound like a nimby complaining about....noise.
"And they are making too much noise for the area. We have a sound ruling to protect the birds. They can't just go around like this. It's breaking noise ordinances." I was rewarded with an audible sigh from the other end as the tech now was required to send a unit. Required, but not urgently.
Honestly that's even better. We can make our way out of here long before they send a unit.
"Alright sir, we will be sending a unit. You can expect to see them in the next 2 to 3 hours. Can you give us the location"
"I appreciate your help so much officer. Thank you." I gave them the location crossroads, gps coordinates, and a few landmarks I could see. The dispatcher did ask for a call back name, I panicked a little at that. Ended up giving her Verdandi Smith since it was the first thing that came to mind, and its not like they're gonna be pulling up his criminal history on this planet. He gave me a weird look, I don't blame him, and went back to scouting the area.
After I hung up the phone I dumped it on the road and Nola ate the evidence. We turned around in a wide arc and headed back the way we came.
"That went well." Verdandi commented from the back seat as we drove. He seemed ready to talk now. Good.
"Yes it did. Thanks for your help." I said back
He chuckled at that. "Yes, because you couldn't have done this without me." He said with a lot more sarcasm than I think he had ever used before.
"Yeah, alright, but I still think you are a valuable member of the team. We are working together on this. You've still got more knowledge on this than me. I'm just trying to figure this out as I go." I said, probing to get him to open up. About dungeons, about himself. Anything really.
"I wonder if the other core masters were like you at the beginning." He said, mostly to himself. But he was staring at me intensely in the back seat.
"Can you tell me a little about them? Even just stories might help." I asked
"The next youngest among them is almost 200 years old for starters. Some of them have been around so long we don't know when they started." Ok, either the best self potions stack for me or there is something else going on there.
"You don't age." Verdandi said in response to my expression in the rearview mirror. "In fact, you only get stronger and larger with age."
"Larger... Like, growing a few inches to be your height or...?" I asked, leading the question
"They are giants. Double or triple the size of normal men. Dozens of times as strong. You could still pass for normal for the next few decades, unless the strange growth of Nola starts applying to you."
"Hey Nola?" I said
I am not doing anything I am aware of, but I will keep an eye on it. Avoid more accidents. Besides, I like you fun sized.
"I am average height for this country!" I said, only a little offended.
Just keep telling yourself that heel lifts.
Ok she has me there.
"Your continued refusal to embrace your power amuses me." Verdandi said as our argument ended. "But I suppose it is one of the things that makes you and your dungeon unique. The fact you are even separate at all is unique."
"Can you tell me a little bit more about that? Nola is my only experience with this and she's been pretty... strong... personality wise since the beginning" Nola didn't comment on that, but she started to. Then she went quiet. I patted the bond to see if she was alright, I got the feeling that she was, but that she needed a minute.
"The core keepers that have been willing to talk about their abilities, and they are few, have all referred to the core as a tool. An incredible one, but not a thinking one. The core master on Gracja has written extensively on the abilities of the core, and never once mentioned it as a thinking being. You speak of Nola exclusively as a peer or person. Even though she is only heard by you."
"Any chance they're all just lying to protect their cores?" I asked. Verdandi broke into that yipping laughter again.
"We exist at the core master's discretion, not the other way around. They have no reason to lie to us or to anyone." He said after he stopped laughing
Well. That's ominous
"I thought that you said they worked with you? Doesn't that mean, I don't know, that they are under someone's command?" I asked
"They'll take suggestions, at most, if they deem the request worthy. Mostly they will only interfere when their supply of tribute or delvers is interrupted." Verdandi said in response
"Seems a bit cold to me." I said
"It is a trait of gods to see a creature with its back broken, and be unmoved" Verdandi relied quietly, reverently.
"Good thing I'm just a man. I still care enough to help." I said turning back to the road, white knuckles gripping the steering wheel.
"Yes. Just a man." Verdandi replied. He didn't believe it. And he went silent looking back from where we came. Conversation time over
There was someone parked or broken down on the road ahead of us. I slowed our roll.
"I see someone on the road ahead, no moving. They may need help if they are broken down. Hide for me."
I slowed to a stop a little ways from a young woman looking like she was trying to get a signal with her phone. I rolled down the window and stuck my head out.
"Hey there! You trying to call someone?" I shouted out at her. "I can give you a jump if you need one."
She smiled at me, and then tried to look sexy. Badly. Why? That's a weird reaction.
"Hey there yourself... stranger." She said with a nervous upward inflection. And a forced smile. Does she think I'm dangerous or something? Well, I guess I am way out in nowhere land and she has no signal. I'll stay in the car.
"Is there anything wrong with your car?" I asked. Stupid. Social conventions strike again. I cannot give her a ride with Verdandi in the back. If he breaths wrong we could be exposed.
"No no, car's fine. I was just.. Not important. Yeah. Where are you coming from by the way? See anything interesting?" She asked. Weird line of questions again. I can't get a read on her
"Just heading back home from Kansas. If you don't need help I'll be getting back to it" I said, trying not to sound too eager to leave
"Kansas huh. And where is home?" She asked. Is this flirting? I legitimately cannot tell if this is bad flirting. I squirmed a little.
"Listen...miss..." I started
"Chelsie" She said with some confidence returning, reaching her hand into the window to shake. I did not rise to that.
"Verdandi" I said in return. When she made a face I continued "I think it's Dutch"
We stared at each other awkwardly for a moment. I cleared my throat. "Well. I will be going now. Nice to meet you Chelsie."
She backed away from the car and put on a fake smile again, before waving goodbye. I took the invitation and kept my speed just below peel out range as I drove away.
Weird.
Something was going on there, but I don't know what.
If it turns out I was being hit on and I missed it I will be so angry at myself later.
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Chelsie
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"Roman you need to call in an APB or run the plates or something. This has to be our guy. It is too much of coincidence. The atmospheric monitoring unit went weird like the others just a few minutes before I saw him drive by" Chelsie shouted into her phone after "Verdandi" drove away. Terrible name by the way.
"Chelsie, we work for NOAA, not the FBI. We don't call in APB's. We don't pursue suspects at all. We just need to find out what is going wrong with the units." Roman said back to me. He sounded tired. We had both been running hard at this problem since we found it.
"This is what's going wrong with the units. I just know it" I said back to him
"Well, if he was there, then there should be recent tamper evidence. Go see what you can see at the unit. From what I show that one is hooked up to an old water shed near the base of the powerlines at marker....14 and a half. See if there is anything to see."
Yes. Progress. We are gonna break this case wide open.
"I'm going there now. You'll get my report soon." I said before hanging up the phone and jumping in the rental. I wonder what goodies I will find at the scene of the crime.