by MatrixSynaptic » Mon May 05, 2003 6:22 pm
It was a day like any other in the Border City of Nova Romeo, the Faetoh Maie center of the world. People were milling, vendors were selling and bystanders were bystanding, and the roars of battle from the site of Liberty Arena Digital Combat Pit were raging out over the city. Thomas was a warrior like the ones in that pit that day, but he wasn't there right now, in fact, he was elsewhere, attending his needs.
"4,600 credits for a repair! You've got to be kidding me!" Tom shouted at the arrogant conman mechanic, sneering in all his oily glory. "Well, that's the damage to fix your damage. It ain't cheap you know." the mechanic replied snottily. "I asked for you to fix a few dents and give it a fresh paint job!" Tom replied angrily, "And that doesn't cost 4,600 creds!"
"Well, I took the liberty to double check the weapons system, and I found that one of your turrets was slightly miscalibrated by a few degrees, which could mean a big difference between victory and defeat, Mr. Score, and I like having you as a customer, and I figure if you die, you won't come to me any more." The mechanic said, rubbing his hands in a greasy rag, 'So either pay me or I can undo what I did."
Tom fetched his Credstick from his pocket as the Gearhead produced a Digiboard. Tom slotted the stick and set the payment at 5,000 creds, noting to keep the change. Undersigning, Tom turned over the board to the smiling mechanic, who waved him goodbye. Seething in anger but slightly surprised that an ordinary mechanic knew how to calibrate the guidance systems of remote turrets, Tom boarded the Skorp parked in the garage of the shop, started it up with a swipe from the ignition stick and drove off.
It was not an uncommon thing to see large machines driving along the highways with the other ground-bound cars, but it was another thing to see a literal interpretation of a modern day tank idling behind the current day Volkswagon on Liberty Road. Tom had no real end destination in mind, and decided to just drive until he either found something to do, or it ran into him.
Pulling to the side of the road, Tom exited the machine and headed into a nearby coffee house. He needed something to relax, and rather than go risk life and limb in the arena, he decided for a nice hot cup of joe. As he sat down, about 4 SoliciTek Ad Screens hovered their way over to him to hock their wares remotely. Shooing the bothersome screens, Tom was approached by the service droid, who through the recently successful days of the coffee shop, began to look more and more like a teenage human girl than it's original beginnings as a hobbling tin statue. "What would you like?'' the ServDroid, 'Sarah', asked. "Coffee, black." Was the reply. Countless times Tom has seen the machine stiffly walk away to fetch the order, though this time he noticed the movement was more fluid and, well, feminine. Tom was starting to wonder if the droid was fully equipped when she returned with a steaming cup of morning juice. "Enjoy!" she chimed with the over-extatic tone of a chipper lass, first day on the job, same way she always has since she became the ServDroid of the shop 3 years ago. Luckily AI programming never got sick, tired, bored or demanded salary, or the owner would be quite screwed.
Leaving the shop at little after 4, Tom hopped back into the Skorp and left, headed for home. Another uneventful day, he thought but at least I got the Skorp fixed. Tom continued along his way, puttering up to his home. He reminisced back to the days when it used to not only house him, but his entire family, comfortably. Tom looked forward to the day when he would share his house with at least one other person, but then again, Tom liked his solitude.