> The Transporter > by Unit_ZER0 > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- > Part 01: Startup > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- To look at him, no one would ever guess what it was Cole did for a living. True, on the surface he seemed like any other twenty-something trying to make his way in a hostile job market. It helped that he’d had several years of experience as a computer technician, and worked a wide variety of different jobs, from landscaping to electronics assembly. The fact that he was so nondescript as to be invisible to the casual observer helped as well. Slightly above average height, average build. Not too dark, not too light. The only “distinctive” features that could be claimed about him were his shorn skull, and trimmed mustache/soul patch combo. Those and his rectangular framed glasses completed the look of a man so bland as to fit in anywhere. Couple that with a near chameleon-level sense of fashion, and he could be literally anyone: businessman, day laborer, or blue-collar workingman. Today he was wearing what he thought of as his “Professional” look: a black suit and white button-down shirt, unbuttoned collar, no tie. The meet was at one of the usual places, a bar and grill called “Jakes”. He’d picked the place, the prospective client, the time. She’d said she would be wearing a white dress and teal blouse. It only took a moment to spot her, seated at the left-hand corner of the moderately busy bar. Making his way to her, he cleared his throat. “Miss Harp?” The young woman turned, and Cole took note of her hair’s flawless dye job. A bit distinctive, but for its distinctiveness, it fit. “Mr. Cole”? “Just Cole.” “Very well. My name is Lyra Michela-“ “No names.” “I understand. I’d like to make use of your services for a transportation job.” “Type of cargo?” “A sealed trunk.” “Size and weight?” “Six by two by two, twenty kilos” “Pickup point?” “The ornamental overpass at the edge of town, this Friday, midnight.” “Distance?” “About three hundred kilometers, actual coordinates will be provided at the pickup point.” “Timeframe?” “Three hours, but ideally as fast as possible.” “Ok, so a package, six by two by two, twenty kilos, three hundred kilometers, pickup at midnight, I assume stealth is essential?” “Yes.” “Five thousand. Half at pickup, half on delivery.” “Reasonable.” “Do we have a deal?” “Indeed. Thank you Mr. Cole, we’ll be in touch.” Cole and the woman nodded to one another, and she got up to leave. As she was leaving, Cole took a seat at the bar. After a moment, the bartender, and owner, Jake stepped up. “You want to tell me why a girl like that is negotiating a transport, Jake?” “Nothing to tell.” The grizzled forty-something replied. A man of few words, Jake had seen action in the “sandbox” and had come back to the states with a newfound appreciation for peace and quiet. His bar and grill was one of the quieter night spots, perfect for Cole’s purposes. The two had met when Jake had needed several cases of a particularly rare brand of scotch moved under circumstances Cole didn’t ask about, and Jake never volunteered to clarify. It was often like that with Cole’s former clients, they would provide references to prospective seekers of Cole’s unique services, and Cole ended up with a clandestine network of intel all over the city he could use to vet those potential clients. “She called the number, and asked about your reliability, qualifications, that sort of thing.” The bartender continued. “Obviously she thought I was worth risking whatever she’s moving.” “Obviously.” Cole ordered a beer, and settled down to think about what equipment he might need transporting something his instincts for trouble were practically screaming about. TWO DAYS EARLIER: Lyra Michelakos, AKA Lyra Heartstrings, was sitting at the breakfast table of her house in Ponyville. After the excitement of several months ago, she’d gotten used to the semi-monthly trips between her parent’s home on earth, and her residence in the town where she’d settled. The princesses still wanted to keep contact with the human world to a minimum, and understandably so, but her sister’s visit had allayed several concerns about the unpredictable nature of humans. She had just lifted a forkful of her breakfast to her lips, when there was a knock at the door. As her plate of pancakes wasn't going to empty itself, she yelled for her roommate. “BON-BON! DOOR!” With only a brief grumble, Bon-Bon, Lyra’s roommate/best friend, got up off the couch, where she was reviewing a new candy recipe from Neighpon, and trotted over to answer the door. What greeted her eyes was not a sight she was expecting this early in the day. “Princess Luna!” “Greetings, Miss Bon-Bon. Is thy roommate present?” “Yes, your highness, just a moment.” Bon-Bon trotted back to her roommate, and poked her with a hoof. “Lyra, the princess is here!” After hastily swallowing her mouthful, Lyra walked over to the door, and bowed. “Good morning Princess Luna.” “Rise, Lyra Heartstrings. Art thou well this morn?” “Yes, you highness.” “Good, I would speak with you about a matter I am certain your unique… heritage may prove most beneficial in.” “Certainly, your highness. How can I help?” “Walk with me, Miss Heartstrings.” The pair walked some distance from Lyra and Bon-Bon’s home, and down the street away from the center of Ponyville, followed at a discreet distance by the Princess’ personal guard detail. Once they reached a spot where they were far less likely to be overheard, the Princess turned to Lyra with a searching look. “Lyra Heartstrings, what knowledge hast thou of this human creation known as “Internet”? “Not much, your highness. I use it to look up things I need to know to fit in in the human world, and to keep track of current events, as well as communicate with my friends, but that’s pretty much it.” “We have heard that the humans use this “Internet” as one would the advertisements found in a local newspaper as well, to advertise both goods and services.” “I've heard that as well, your highness. My dad – my human father, has often said he buys a lot of his writing supplies from an “Online Store” called ‘Amazon’. He described it to me as the biggest general store that doesn’t actually exist.” At the slightly confused look on the princess’ face, Lyra continued, “Think of it as a massive catalog of almost anything you could want or need, and then once you’ve made your purchases, they are delivered to your house a few days later.” “That sounds… most impressive.” “I thought so too. After seeing it for myself, I asked, and there are several sites where businesses advertise services as well. One business he told me about was where you could have a group of persons come to your house and clean it for you. Or request a plumber or builder to come and repair damage, or perform additional construction on your house.” “That seems… risky.” “I agreed, but there are methods for countering that risk. Some places of advertisement have a rating system, so that workers who do good work can be sorted from those who don’t do a good job. Other places have a provision here people who've had work done by a business can comment of what they though. If the work done was good or bad, and would they go to that person or business again in the future.” “What about services of a more… clandestine nature?” “I'm sorry, but I don’t really understand the question, your highness.” “Lyra Heartstrings, I would speak plainly with thou. Several days ago, a group of archaeologists from the Royal Academy of Science and Magic discovered an ancient storage cache out in the Badlands. The contents are unknown, although the cache’s sole container is heavily shielded, and there have been several… incidents since its discovery. The incidents point to changeling activity.” “I can see how that would be a concern, your highness. If the changeling remnants get hold of whatever is in that case…” “Exactly. It could be nothing, or it could be something we would rather they did not possess. Now, We would secure transport which is both beyond the ability for changelings to infiltrate, and above reproach. This has led Us to the possibility of using foreign assistance. Such assistance would not be aware of the politics of relationships of the region, and thus could not be bought, or threatened, much less impersonated by an infiltrator. We do not come to this decision lightly, several transport methods were proposed, but all are controlled by Our ponies, and as such are at risk of being compromised.” “Whereas a human transporter…” “Would be –at least provisionally– above suspicion.” After a moment’s thought, Lyra’s face lit up. “Princess Luna, I think I know where to start looking for a solution.” “Speak, Lyra Heartstrings.” “My human father told me of a place on the Internet called “Craigslist…” ONE DAY AGO After a hasty departure from Ponyville, and an all-too brief meeting with her human family, Lyra found herself sitting in front of her personal computer, staring at the ad on her screen: Allied Transportation Services Secure, Fast, Reliable Call (617) 555-1672 References available upon request For such a basic ad, it was unusual that the advertisement had a live rating counter embedded. It displayed a rating of 4.89 out of 5 stars, with over 75 clients posting. Of all the other “Transportation” services listed for the given geographic area, the first four were bus companies, and the next few either personal chauffer services, or private taxi companies. It was time to check this company’s “references”. Sighing internally, Lyra picked up her phone, and dialed the number on the screen. After a few rings, the other end was picked up, and she heard a voice answer “Jakes.” “Hello, my name is Miss Harp, and I’m looking for references about Allied Transportation Services…” FRIDAY NIGHT Cole sat in the driver’s seat of his 2008 Hyundai Elantra. The car, and the underground garage it was parked in, were silent, and he was mentally reviewing his equipment: Navigation system, FLIR, radar jammer, and his insurance… After a moment, his watch began to beep. Looking down, Cole saw that the time was rapidly approaching midnight. Silencing his alarm, he calmly started the engine, and fastened his seatbelt. The supercharged, fuel-injected dual-overhead-cam engine started with a rumble, and began to purr. He pulled on his leather driving gloves, straightened the lapels of his suit, and put the machine into gear. The car was a deep midnight blue, and it’s all LED illumination and angel eye headlamps made it shine in the dark like a land-bound spaceship, as Cole drove it up the ramp, and out into the cool night, lights glinting off the car’s spoiler-and-fin assemblies. As he rolled down the silent streets, the crimson striping at the edge of the Elantra’s black seven-spoked wheels caught the light of the overhead streetlamps, and seemed to almost glow in companionship with the pinstripe that adorned each side of the car. If the light hit it just right, the black-on-blue twin stripes could be glimpsed on the left front fender… After a few minutes, Cole arrived at the arranged meeting place, a section of the old highway that had once passed this way, but had since been re-routed. In an odd choice, the city planners had decided to keep a segment of the old highway intact, and build a park around it. The stone overpass had a shallow arch, and the top section had now been converted into a massive footbridge, with a roadway still passing underneath. As his lights swung across the structure, Cole spotter “Miss Harp” standing to one side of the arch. He pulled up to her, and after a brief pause, the young woman climbed in. “Mr. Cole, good to see you again.” “Likewise. Where are we headed?” “Just through the arch, we’ll be meeting the others and the package there. I wanted to meet with you first, and ensure you didn't have any questions.” “None so far.” “Then let’s get going.” With a mental shrug, Cole put the Elantra into gear, and the sedan rolled forward. As they passed under the arch, there was a brief feeling of twisting dislocation, a sense of wrongness, that was gone almost before he could register the sensation as a sensation. Then the car rolled out under a wide desert sky, liberally dusted with stars. This was clearly not the sky over his hometown. Cole knew that, because the stars were rarely visible within the city limits due to light pollution. A brief glance in the rearview mirror showed that the remnant of old roadway was gone as well, there being a similarly shaped arch of large boulders taking its place. Clearly the not-sensations he had experienced a fraction of a second ago were not imaginary, and something major had just transpired. Cole turned his head, and gazed silently at his passenger. Lyra Heartstrings gazed steadily back at the Transporter. For someone unfamiliar with interdimensional travel, he was taking the experience extremely well. Perhaps a bit too well. She heard the underlying tension in his voice, masked, but still evident. ”I take it we’re about to meet the individuals who commissioned this job.” The man asked. “Indeed Mr. Cole. Let me be the first to welcome you to Equestria.” > Part 02: Accelerate > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- “Let me be the first to welcome you to Equestria.” With those words, Cole knew that the incidents in New York and its surrounding areas had not been a fiction. He’d looked into it, of course. He’d even taken some jobs in the months afterwards ferrying supplies into the affected areas, more due to the fact that certain parties refused to enter the affected zones, even after most of the damage was cleaned up. One of his more conspiracy-theory oriented clients had insisted that the incident involved the cast members of some children’s cartoon, at least in passing. After doing more research, Cole was forced to agree. It seemed that the six principal members of that show’s cast actually existed, although where they had come from, and where they had gone after their appearance had remained a mystery, a mystery Cole had now at least partially solved. A logical extension of that premise was that the creatures he now saw outside his vehicle, standing to his left, also called wherever the “ponies” that had been seen in New York had come from, home. He’d researched the basic premise of the show, and its core cast, more out of a need to be informed regarding the existence of creatures which had up until that point been relegated to the realms of a children’s fantasy, and now had been definitively proven to exist, than out of any love for the show, or desire to meet them, or any other creatures of their ilk. Lyra stared across at the human in the driver’s seat. The blue glow of the instrument panel threw his face into sharp relief, and made the planes of his face harsh. His expression was blank, like a sphinx, but she could see the thoughts racing behind his eyes in the way his hands flexed once, and the way his shoulders shifted. “Well, this is unexpected, but a job’s a job. Where’s the package I’m supposed to be moving?” he began. After a brief moment of surprise at his professionalism, Lyra realized that Cole was keeping his unease at the current state of affairs in check by falling back into his “professional” persona, and simply taking events as they happened. He was clearly one of those rare kinds of persons who could deal with the unexpected almost instinctually, and process what had actually happened later, when his reactions would have less immediate consequences. “We’re going to meet with some pon-people who will explain the situation, and give you your final instructions.” “I take it GPS is not an option here?” At her puzzled look, he nodded sharply, and adjusted one of the extra screens that surrounded his instrument cluster. “There, I've set up an inertial trace. Will I need to find my way back here, or will there be a gate or portal to send me home at my destination?” “A route back to your world will be provided when you arrive. Please, let’s go talk to the Professor, and her associates.” With a curt nod, Cole put the car in park, and switched off the headlights, leaving the engine, and running lights engaged. He then unbuckled, and stepped out, Lyra mirroring his actions on the other side. As he stepped out, Cole kept the vehicle’s door open, allowing the bright interior lights to wash out around him, as he waited for his brief passenger to make introductions. Lyra hurried over to the group standing off to the vehicle’s forward left. It consisted of four ponies, and one thestral, the latter clad in the armor of one of Princess Luna’s Night Guard. The ponies were fairly unique, but each sported the look of archaeologists, or other explorers. The obvious leader was a gray-maned earth pony mare wearing a tan bush jacket, which contrasted with her cobalt blue coat, and frame-less glasses perched on the end of her muzzle. Her cutie mark was of a stone tablet. The young Pegasus stallion on her left sported a telescope on his flank, and also wore a bush jacket, not as visible against his dark earth coat in this light, but still visible. The third member was a slightly taller than average unicorn mare, with a cutie mark of a crossed pickax and shovel, showing up clear against her vibrant orange coat. She wore no jacket, but instead a poncho with its hood thrown back. As Lyra approached, she bent down slightly to offer greetings. “Professor Stone, I've brought along our transporter.” “I trust the human has been briefed?” the Professor responded curtly. “Yes, he knows the specs of the item, and has agreed to transport it.” “Good.” With that, Lyra turned, and addressed Cole. “Mr. Cole, this is Professor Rosetta Stone, and her two assistants Spyglass, and Earth Mover.” She didn't bother to introduce the Night Guard, and he didn't bother to introduce himself either. Mentally Cole noted the presence of all four equines, and then focused on the large trunk-like case that sat beside them. “I take it this is the package?” he asked, indicating the case. “Seems a bit smaller than I expected.” He quickly glanced at the equine’s feet/hooves, and then realized his mistake. “Nevermind.” “Mr. Cole,” The Professor began. “I trust you understand the nature of your assignment? This case must be delivered to the royal archives in Canterlot by sunup. Earth Mover here will be accompanying you, as well as Sergeant Stormcloud.” Cole mentally calculated the space he had available, and answered. “That’s fine, I understand the need for additional security. And my payment?” Wordlessly, the unicorn levitated a bag of bits to him. Cole took the bag, and placed it in the utility well in the driver’s side door. “Thanks, consider the package as good as delivered.” “See that it is.” The Professor finished, and stalked off, her Pegasus assistant trailing behind, having never said a word. “Sorry about that.” Lyra said apologetically. “She’s like that with everyone.” I’ll be back on the other side with the other half of your fee, and some information for if we need your services again.” With that, she turned, and walked back through the arch behind the car. Cole saw her go in a brief ripple of the surrounding air. Turning to his new passengers, he allowed himself a small, sardonic grin. “Let’s get this show on the road.” Cole turned to his new passengers. “Ok, let’s get the package loaded.” Turning, he opened the rear driver’s side door, and then reached down into the driver’s door, and triggered the trunk release. Walking around to the trunk, he withdrew floor supports, and a support cradle, which he then installed in the back seat, creating a stable platform for the case, while leaving a space for one of the ponies in the seat right behind him. Finishing, he turned to see the unicorn (“Earth Mover”) had picked up the case, and was waiting expectantly, it being held in the orange-yellow glow of her magical grip. After a brief moment of consideration, Cole stepped back, and let the unicorn place the case in the obvious position atop the support frame. As she stepped back, Cole stepped into the space she’d vacated, and strapped the case down, then he gestured to the Sergeant. “Sergeant, you can ride next to the package, if that’s your preference.” “Thanks.” The thestral replied, and stepped into the compartment, after a moment, he sat on the cushion on his haunches, and hooked the door handle, drawing it closed with an authoritative “clunk”. Cole took note of how the Sergeant’s armor allowed him to move, yet still protected his vital areas, as well as the bladed sheaths he wore on his front hooves, and nodded silently to himself. Here was someone who could be counted on to protect the package if things got dicey… Now, there was the professor’s assistant, who was now eyeing the softly rumbling vehicle with what Cole could only mentally describe as “trepidation”. Cole turned to her, and gestured around the side. “Come on, I’ll open your door.” With a short glance at the human, she followed him as he made his way to the passenger door, and opened it. After another momentary glance at the vehicle’s brightly lit interior, and the pulsating orange light at the lower corner of the passenger side door, Earth Mover climbed into the passenger seat. Once she had settled down, Cole shut her door, and then walked around to his own door, entered, and took his seat. As the cabin lights faded, he switched on the two map lights up front, and turned to his two passengers. “Ok, so here’s how this works. This vehicle can travel up to 200 kilometers per hour. 250 if things get dicey. But for safety’s sake, you’ll need to use the safety belts at your positions.” He demonstrated by fastening his own seatbelt. After a moment, the unicorn mimicked his actions with her magic, drawing the webbed fabric strap across her body, so that the lap belt covered her front hooves, and the diagonal strap went across her chest. After a brief study, Earth Mover correctly determined how to slot the buckle into its receptacle. “If it’s all the same to you Sir, I’ll stay loose. Better to keep the package safe, should we come under attack.” The Sergeant demurred. “Besides, I trust you’ll keep us on course without any major jostling, right?” Cole nodded once. “Sure thing. Now, where am I headed?” Here Earth Mover took up the conversation. “You’ll be heading north-northwest out of the Badlands to Dodge Junction. From there we’ll head west, and parallel the rail line to the Ghastly Gorge, and then cross the bridge, and follow it straight through Ponyville and on to Canterlot. Once we enter the city, we can take the streets to the Palace, and the secure archive.” “Understood,” the human replied, and began adjusting his instruments. As he worked, both his passengers looked on with interest. First, Cole adjusted the small screen to the right of the instrument cluster to display a standard radar interface with compass indicator. The ponies were fascinated by the faded green wedge that tirelessly swept its little circle. Next, the human toggled the small rectangular screen in the center to display a view of outside, but the color was unnaturally washed out, yet almost as bright as daylight. After adjusting the FLIR display to a level he was comfortable with, Cole moved on to the left-hand screen, adjusting it to display a dorsal view of the car, with the front pointing up, and a standard chronograph beside it in a split screen. As Cole sensed their eyes on him, he turned and gave his passengers a brief look. “Just some tools to let me see the world outside a bit more clearly, and a timer. Can’t have us getting there late, right?” At their wordless agreement, he nodded once, and pulled on his driving gloves. Tugging his seatbelt once, and settling into his seat, Cole snapped off the map lights, put the Elantra into gear, and switched on the headlights. The ice blue-white beams of the primary and high-beams cut through the darkness of the surrounding desert with an actinic glare that would have blinded anypony unfortunate enough to have been staring directly into them. As it was, there were actually several somethings staring at the sleek vehicle when it switched on its lights, and they recoiled in pain, forelimbs scrubbing at compound eyes dazzled by the bright beams. After a moment they recovered, and returned to their posts to watch, some among the assembled still blinking spots from their eyes… As the Elantra began to roll, Cole focused on the now running mission clock. He had determined that the car’s rugged street tires could handle the sandy ground with no trouble, so long as they avoided rocks and the divots and hummocks such terrain undoubtedly had in abundance. The ride was surprisingly smooth, no doubt due in part to the high-end shocks that cushioned the car’s frame. Slowly, Cole picked up speed, until they were rolling along at a good 65KPH. At that speed, the desert flowed by. Not too fast, but much faster than a pony could move at full gallop. Earth Mover and Sergeant Stormcloud both stared out at the passing desert, muted a bit by the dark window tint, but still gleaming in the moonlight. The passing hills and occasional plant were almost mesmerizing, but the variance of the passing terrain was not enough to lull either of them to sleep. The experience of traveling this fast without any effort on their part was so much like riding the trains that crisscrossed Equestria, yet noticeably different. For starters, there were no tracks, and their vehicle could go anywhere it wanted to, just like a cart, but much, much faster. As he got the Elantra up to speed, Cole set the cruise control, and relaxed. It looked like this was going to be a fairly easy, if somewhat boring job after all. Granted, there was the whole weirdness factor of dealing with sentient ponylike creatures, but the pay was good, and although his passengers hadn’t said much, Cole didn’t anticipate any complications… Of course, it was as soon as those thoughts crossed his mind, and he’d just begun to mentally review the way he’d spin this story out to Jake, that things took a turn. It started with a blip at the bottom of the radar screen. It pulsed as the sweep of the radar sensor painted it again and again, but it kept its distance. Cole eyed it with interest, but no real concern. Maybe one of the thestrals undoubtedly assigned to the group that had found the case had been assigned to shadow them, and ensure the package arrived safely… Cole felt a bit insulted at the thought, but held his tongue. Then the first blip was joined by one more. Then two. Then five. Then Cole switched the FLIR view to the rear camera, and saw the entire swarming mass glimmering in the infrared display. Calmly, the human turned to his two companions. “Looks like someone else wants what we’ve got.” He stated calmly. “We’re being followed.” “How can you tell?” Sergeant Stormcloud asked, peering out the rear window. “Take a look,” Cole offered, indicating the rear FLIR view. “Horseapples.” The sergeant cursed. “Can we outrun them?” “No problem.” Cole replied, as he disengaged the cruise control, and put the pedal to the floor. The turbocharged DOHC engine responded to the demand for more power with a roar, and the Elantra leapt forward like a scalded manticore, quickly accelerating up to 170KPH. Cole held it at that speed, not wanting to push too hard on potentially unstable terrain, and the swarm on the FLIR view and radar scope began to drop back. That was when they started shooting. The FLIR view sparkled, and then bolts of green energy began impacting all around the car. Cole reacted calmly, carving irregular S-turns all across the desert floor, still heading in the direction Earth Mover had told him to, but making the Elantra and its occupants a much harder target. The engine raced for a minute as the car raced off a low hummock, only getting a few inches of air, but jostling the occupants nonetheless. As all this was going on, sergeant Stormcloud was keeping an eye on the firing changelings – for that was what they clearly were – The swarm had begun to gain again, but were clearly too far back to even come close to actually hitting the vehicle in which he rode. “Good move, weaving like that!” he called over his shoulder. “Looks like the bugs were expecting the first volley to scare you into stopping!” “This isn’t the first time I’ve been shot at while transporting.” Cole answered back. While the two males were conversing, Earth Mover was silently panicking. This wasn’t supposed to go like this, the human was supposed to stop and surrender! She looked from the explosions outside and to their rear, over to the calm expression on the human’s mostly unreadable face. “You need to stop.” “What was that?” Cole asked. ‘You need to STOP.” “Relax, we’ll outrun them. This isn’t my first rodeo.” “Really, you want to surrender to the bugs?” the sergeant broke in. “After how they treated the citizens in the failed invasion, you really want to surrender an unknown object to them? I knew you academic types were a bit weak-kneed, but this is a whole new level of pathetic!” “You don’t understand! If we don’t stop, I’ll die!” “You’re not making sense,” Cole responded. “If we stop, I’m pretty sure they’ll kill all three of us, and take the case, and whatever’s in it. Escaping them is our only viable option.” “But if we deliver it, they’ll kill me!” Earth Mover insisted. After scrunching up her face in a clear internal struggle, the orange unicorn appeared to come to a decision, and was briefly consumed in a burst of orange-gold fire. What the flames left behind was definitely pony-like, but clearly to Cole’s eyes one of the “bugs” the sergeant had been referring to. “You see,” the revealed changeling said, looking into the human’s face. “If you deliver that case to the princesses, you condemn all my kind to death.” “BUCK!” The sergeant exclaimed, swinging around, and placing his left bladed forehoof against the changeling’s upper chest. “What did you do to the real Earth Mover!” “I AM the ‘real’ Earth Mover!” While this exchange was taking place, Cole had reached down into the well on his door, and retrieved his “insurance” a black Glock 18c machine pistol. Casually aiming it across his lap at the creature sitting in his passenger seat, he broke into the conversation in a calm clear voice that cut through the heated exchange between the two equines like a scalpel. “I like to think I’m not the kind of person who will easily sentence another being to death. And normally I don’t as questions about what it is I’m transporting, or what happens when it gets where it’s supposed to go, but in this case, I’ll make an exception. I think you’d better explain this from the beginning.” > Part 03: Redline > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- “…Perhaps you’d better start from the beginning.” Earth Mover looked across at the human and the thestral. Clearly, this was not going to end well –for her- if she didn’t start talking. “There is a chance that the case we’re carrying is the Ark of Queens” “That means nothing to me, you’ll need to be more specific.” Sergeant Stormcloud stated flatly. With a resigned sigh, the changeling continued. “The Ark of Queens is an artifact from changeling lore. It contains the genealogy and history of the original seven queens, their hive locations, and territories across Equestria. It was lost over a thousand years ago, when the Princesses began to unify the land, and establish its borders. It is said that the queens allowed this because they did not wish to be revealed, and that the three races living in harmony would provide a more stable source of food.” “You mean they’d be more easily able to replace ponies in key positions, right?” “No! Changelings don’t normally replace ponies! That makes no sense! What would be the point? Passive emotion harvesting takes longer, but leaves more to be had later, versus directly infiltration a community by replacing someone who WILL eventually be missed, it’s just too risky.” “Before we go any further, what emotion does your hive harvest?” Cole asked. “Curiosity, mostly, although the idea of each hive harvesting a specific emotion is an oversimplification. We have emotions we prefer, but any strong emotion will do, especially the more positive ones. Emotions like hate or fear are powerful, but can make us sick. We need food and water too, just not as much as a pony.” The sergeant narrowed his eyes speculatively. “You seem awfully knowledgeable for an infiltrator or drone. And your eyes are different too… You aren’t a queen, right?” “No, not hardly. But I will be one day.” “That doesn’t make sense,” Cole broke in. “If your species is organized even a little bit like an insect-like hive, queens must be both rare and valuable. Why put someone like that at risk, sending them out into the world?” Here Earth Mover sighed, and gave a resigned smile. “It’s mostly just a coincidence. Queens, at least potential queens in my hive, are required to serve in all the roles within the hive: Larval Tender, Digger, Soldier, Infiltrator, Scout, and so on. The first queen of our hive decreed that in order to be an effective queen, one had to experience life at all levels of the hive, so she could rule fairly and impartially. It was just a coincidence that I was learning under an infiltration specialist when the Ark was found.” Here the sergeant made the connection: “if your hive focuses on feeding on curiosity, it makes sense you’d masquerade as a student…” “Sergeant, if you could please pull those blades away from my thorax, I’d really be grateful.” With a twitch of his lips, Stormcloud pulled back some. “I’m still going to keep a close eye on you.” Here Cole took up the conversation: “I saw just now, and when you loaded the case, that your magic is yellowish-gold. The bolts we’ve been dodging were green and blue, care to explain?” “I’d guess the changelings out there are from Chrysalis’ hive, and maybe one other. After her defeat, Queen Chrysalis has been laying pretty low, and sending her scouts and soldiers out as hired help to other hives. The ones out there were part of a group that was supposed to secure the Ark, and bring it back to either my hive, or another.” “And when we didn't stop, they gave chase.” The human finished. “What did you mean when you said you’d die?” The sergeant inquired. “If what we have here is actually the Ark, and I have no reason to suspect that it isn’t, then the princesses will have a pretty good idea of where to look for other changeling hives, as well as how to detect other hive’s members. If I had to guess, when Chrysalis and her army were ejected from Canterlot, the spell that did so must have only affected changelings from her specific hive. I was there when it happened, and I was unaffected.” “And if they know where to start looking, even after over a thousand years, it’ll make finding and rooting your fellow changelings out all the easier.” “Are you really worried they’ll kill you on sight?” Cole asked. Earth Mover just looked at him, then half nodded/glanced at the sergeant still poised to attack should she make a wrong move, and returned her gaze to him. Cole nodded once in understanding, and put his gun away. “Sergeant,” he began, “I don’t think the changeling is going to attack.” After a moment, the thestral visibly relaxed –slightly- and returned to his post beside the Ark. “Just keeping vigilant, Sir.” As the Elantra continued to race into the night, Cole noticed the faint lights and shapes of structures in the distance. He then switched the FLIR view back to the forward camera, and the low buildings of a frontier town became visible. Turning, he regarded his insectoid passenger. “I take it that’s Dodge Junction ahead?” “After what I’ve told you, you still intend to carry out your assignment?” “I agreed to transport the case back there, and I always complete my mission.” At the clear signs that she was about to protest, Cole continued: “Not that this situation isn’t far more complicated than it first appeared. We will deliver the package, but I think the sergeant here can at least vouch for your non-hostile reactions to us, right sergeant?” “I don’t like it, but I have to admit, she hasn’t caused trouble. I’ll need to talk to my captain, and from there my princess, but I can say for sure that she won’t be attacked on sight at least. How things go after that, remains to be seen.” “I don’t feel comfortable with this, but I don’t think I have a choice.” Earth Mover admitted. “Things have been tense after the invasion attempt, and the queen has been worried we’ll all be discovered. How to approach the princesses, and more specifically, how to deal with the paranoid reactions of the populous, that’s a pony of a different color.” “I’m sure they’ll at least give you the benefit of the doubt, right?” Cole asked. “Ponies are very much herd creatures,” she countered. “No offense sergeant, but when one of you panics, the rest follow in short order.” “Ponies might, we thestrals are a bit different. But I have to agree, the idea of accepting changelings openly is a very touchy one, even if not all changelings were responsible for the invasion attempt. I suspect its due in part to the fact that you’ve been so secretive. Ponykind in general has no idea how to react to what they don’t understand. And as a result, the usual reaction to the unknown is fear.” As the trio continued to discuss the implications of revealing the changeling race to ponykind in a non-threatening manner, and the potential obstacles created by Chrysalis’ failed attempt to invade Canterlot, the Elantra drew closer to Dodge Junction. When Cole could see the rail line, and the dark trail it left in the surrounding desert, he spun the wheel, and the car began a gentle turn westward. Once they were lined up parallel to the rails, the ride smoothed out noticeably, and Cole took the speed up to a reasonable 160KPH. Up ahead, near Appaloosa, a new threat was beginning to stir. When the arrangements had been made to try and intercept the Ark before it could reach Canterlot, several contingencies had been implemented. One of which was to set up teams in both Dodge Junction, and in Appaloosa to intercept whatever means the ponies would decide on to actually move the thing. The development that they had decided to enlist the help of a human to move it had been unexpected, to say the least. The Appaloosa team had only minutes to prepare an intercept, seeing how fast the human vehicle could move. An additional force that did not help their efforts was the fact that the vehicle made very little noise unless one was exceptionally close. It didn’t rattle like a cart or wagon, and the dust plume it threw up in its wake made a chase from directly behind a bad idea. The brilliant beams of light that pierced the darkness as the Elantra cruised along made actually spotting the machine easy, yet they also made its approach speed deceptive, and the vehicle was on the intercepting changelings in an instant. Cole had only the briefest impression of dark, chitinous bodies, holding what looked like a large net looming in the headlights, before the net was tossed over the vehicle, and, unsurprisingly, the Elantra swept past, completely untouched. Later analysis of what had happened would reveal that the compression wall of air pushed in front of and around the car had caused the tossed net to be lofted upwards, and then drawn down violently behind, before it was roiled and twisted in the vehicle’s wake, hopelessly tangling its would-be captors in their own net. “Did you guys see that?!” Cole asked, startled. The entire attack had taken place, and failed, in less than two blinks. “I did,” sergeant Stormcloud responded. “Looked like a net. You didn’t tell us there would be other attempts at capture along the way.” He said, looking suspiciously at the changeling.” “I didn’t think they’d be necessary.” Earth Mover replied nervously. “There may have been contingency plans put in place, but this is as unexpected for me as it is for you.” “Can’t you just contact them, tell them to call off the attack?” “Not exactly. Changelings can communicate telepathically, but only with members of their own hive, and even then usually only between themselves and their queen. We use speech just as you do for most things.” “And since we can’t stop and talk, since that’ll just give them a better chance to attack, we’re going to have to outrun them…” With Appaloosa long behind, Cole focused the FLIR off into the distance, the better to spot a similar approach before things got out of hand. Before long, he hit another realization. “You said there was a gorge that we’d have to cross, right?” he asked. “Yes, The Ghastly Gorge is crossed by the rail line up ahead, and we can use the bridge to cross. I think if I use my magic to grip the edges of this vehicle’s wheels, it can balance atop the rails.” “If we get on the rails now, we can hopefully get to the bridge before the pack we just passed can get word to any comrades they may have in the area…” the sergeant put in. Earth Mover concentrated, and twin tracks of golden light appeared in front of the speeding Elantra. With a little finessing, Cole was able to steer the car onto the tracks, and in a blink, they were atop the rails, where the ride smoothed out considerably. Earth Mover scaled back her magic, concentrating it in four sparkling “shoes” of light that gripped the wheels of the human machine to the tracks, yet allowed it to roll freely. Cole looked over at his insectoid passenger, who seemed relaxed, despite the constant minor effort of maintaining the constructs that allowed them to stay on track, made obvious by the faint glow that surrounded her horn. “Nice work.” “Thanks.” She replied. It was then that circumstances threw them another curveball. Under the bridge spanning the Ghastly Gorge, the changeling in charge of placing the pulsating crystals gave his team’s handiwork one final check, and then flew off to the gorge’s far side. As soon as the lights of the vehicle they were hoping to stop crested the horizon, his horn flickered once. With the FLIR at maximum zoom, Cole could see several miles down the track to the gorge itself, and the bridge that crossed it. Suddenly, he saw a flicker of movement in the display, and then it whited out. Beyond the windshield, the bright flash of the explosion reached them first, and then the booming rumble of the demolition rattled the Elantra’s windows. Sergeant Stormcloud reacted instantly. “Cole, slow down.” Surprised, the human complied, slowing the vehicle down to a near crawl as the thestral turned toward the changeling. “Earth Mover, can you create structures with your magic? Ramps, for example?” “Sure, I guess, but why-“ “Good. Cole, here’s what we’ll need to do. Thestrals can do some of the same things Pegasi can do, so I’m going to give us a boost with a thunder burst. But you’ll need to be going a specific speed for it to work best. Can you accelerate slowly, and I’ll tell you when it feels right?” With a curt nod, Cole began to accelerate, gradually approaching just about 142KPH, when Stormcloud told him to hold it there. As the human complied, the sergeant began to concentrate, and lightning began to crackle around the body of the car, coruscating down the sides, as the thestral began to build a thunderhead in the pocket of turbulent air immediately behind the vehicle. Once the charge had reached its peak, Stormcloud turned to Earth mover. “Can you give me two ramps, just in front of the severed sections of track?” “Sure,” she replied, seeing the sergeant’s plan. Cole fully grasped the situation, and readied himself. As the Elantra held steady at the desired speed, Stormcloud continued to feed energy into the thundercloud he was forming, until the lightning flared, and he shouted: “NOW!” and the cloud exploded with concussive violence, shoving the Elantra down the track towards the edge, as Cole mashed the accelerator to the floor. The car picked up speed in a rush, and the residual magic from Earth mover’s efforts to keep it on the rails left twin trails of fiery discharge down the track. In a fraction of a second, the human machine had reached its top speed of almost 225KPH, hit the magically constructed ramps at the end of the truncated span, and leaped out over the empty gorge. > Part 04: Overdrive > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- As the Elantra leapt into empty space, Cole found himself strangely calm. This was without a doubt the strangest job he had ever undertaken. Moving a mysterious package that might turn out to be an ancient artifact of great value. Being pursued by some of that artifact’s rightful owners. Racing down a set of railroad tracks. And now, flying through empty space, to a probably painful landing. And all of this in a world populated by pastel equines… ponies! And sort-of-equine bugs. If it wasn’t so very unprofessional, Cole might have begun laughing hysterically right then and there. But there was the (rapidly) upcoming landing to consider... And if he screwed up, there would be no time to laugh, only time to die. Work now, psychotic break later. As they soared towards their destination, Sergeant Stormcloud looked at the human in the driver’s seat of the contraption he found himself in. Clearly, this creature was not a cowardly sort. If all humans were like Cole, humanity was one very strange species indeed. Here was an individual who had trusted a mad scheme by himself and the bug without question, and was clearly determined to accomplish his assignment. That took guts, as well as a very low degree of sanity. Not to mention doing so in their world, not his own! This human would bear watching. Who knew? If he drank as well as he drove, this could be a person worth getting to know. As the three of them and the Ark underwent the most dangerous thing Earth Mover could think of ever having attempted in her life, she took a quick look at her two companions. Clearly, the thestral was unconcerned. He must have suspected she would help them land safely, if only out of a sense of self-preservation. The human… that was a different story. She could practically taste the emotions rolling off him. There was a note of confidence, a whole lot of courage, and a healthy dose of fear in the mix, but oddly, the emotions she was picking up were muted, as if held below a simmering pot’s lid. As they drew closer to the ground, she could sense them beginning to surge, almost bursting out. The Elantra, supremely unconcerned about the mental state of its passengers, dropped out of the sky like a flying brick. As it approached the ground on the opposite side of the gorge, there was a brief golden flare of magical energy, and the wheels thudded down. With a roar, the car skidded sideways, and came to a stop in a swirling cloud of dust. Without a sputter, the engine cut, and the lights died. Suddenly, the driver’s side door slammed open, and Cole stumbled out. Staggering away from his vehicle, he stopped, put his hands on his knees, and breathed deeply, like a swimmer who’s just come up from a deep dive. The door behind the driver, and the passenger side door opened as well, spilling the bright interior light across the area where the vehicle had landed, as dust swirled and eddied away from the scene. Both Earth Mover, and the sergeant trotted over, concern on their features. “Cole? Are you all right?” The changeling inquired. “No,” was the curt response. “Want to talk about it?” the sergeant added. “No. Going to have to though, got to finish the job.” “We can take a couple minutes,” the sergeant added. “I’ll keep my ears open.” Even Cole had to chuckle at that one, as the sergeant swiveled his tufted ears back and forth. Earth Mover moved a little closer. “I understand you do this kind of thing for a living-” She began. “-Just not in a world filled with talking ponies.” Cole finished. “You’ve got to understand, I’ve seen things. Bad things. Things you have no basis for understanding. I kept it together. No matter what. But this… This is a whole new level.” “I Understa-“ “-No, you don’t. It’s not your fault, but you don’t. We just jumped a car over a canyon! Does that even sound remotely normal to you?!” The look the insectoid pony gave Cole at that point quickly defused the human’s rising agitation. It spoke volumes, chiefly among them being the phrase: “Really? You’ve been conversing with creatures you weren’t even sure existed a week ago, and a canyon jump is what pushed you over the edge?” In the back of his badly misfiring brain, Cole noted that the look she was giving him would have looked just as much at home on a human face as it did on hers. And that fact alone was enough to get the human to begin to pull himself together. “Ok,” Cole began after sucking in a deep lungful of air, and letting it out again. “That’s enough of that. We’ve still got a package to deliver, and whoever dropped the bridge will probably be along in a couple minutes to check on us. There’s no way they didn’t notice the fact that we aren’t in the bottom of the gorge.” Earth Mover was beginning to figure out the human’s mercurial attitudes, and recognized that the fact he had a purpose was pulling him back from the brink. “I agree. I can sense a few changelings nearby. They haven’t begun to approach, but that’ll change quickly.” “Then let’s get going.” Sergeant Stormcloud stated flatly, as he re-entered the Elantra, and slammed his door. Turning, he looked out of the brightly lit interior to gaze expectantly at the others. With another glance at Cole, Earth mover also trotted back to the Elantra, and re-entered. As the passenger door slammed shut, Cole took a good look at his ride. The dark blue paint was dusty, but unmarred, and the four tires were intact. As he stood, gazing at the wide open driver’s door, with the door’s courtesy light pulsing a reddish orange, in counterpoint to the bright bluish white light from the dome and footwell lights, he felt a place inside himself that had come loose slowly move back into place with an almost audible ‘click’. Squaring his shoulders, the human strode back to his vehicle, and its valuable cargo. Climbing back inside, Cole slammed his door, and turned the key. The engine started without a single chug, and the Elantra came to life around him. As he secured himself, and double checked the sensors, Cole turned to Earth Mover. “Thanks,” he said gruffly. The changeling ducked her head, then looked out the side window. “Same to you,” he said over his shoulder to the thestral. “Don’t mention it.” Was the calm reply. With that, Cole put the car into gear, and set off for the tracks. Without being asked, a shimmering pair of ramps appeared, and the Elantra mounted the rails once more. As they sped onward, Cole turned to address the thestral: “Sergeant, is there a rail station along our route?” “Just up the track a ways, there’s Ponyville. Why?” “We ought to leave a warning about the bridge.” “Consider it done.” The unusual trio drove on in silence, as the human vehicle flashed along at a steady 200KPH. In next to no time, they were slowing down at the Ponyville rail station. As the car drew to a halt, sergeant Stormcloud opened his door, and exited. Flapping his leathery wings, the thestral soared up to the platform, and trotted up to the station master’s shack. Per standing orders from the Royal Guard, the shack was to be kept occupied by one guardspony at all times, and the current guard was reading by lamplight when the sergeant knocked. With a sigh, the guardspony, a thestral himself, put his book down, and opened the door. “Can I help you?” he asked. “Private,” the sergeant began, “I’m sergeant Stormcloud 14th scouting division. I’ve been on assignment for classified transport, and we were nearly intercepted up the line. The Ghastly Gorge Bridge is out, and I need notification passed both up and down the line.” “Understood, Sir.” The Private replied crisply. “Many thanks,” the sergeant replied, and turned to leave. Looking past him, the private saw the strange, low shape of the Elantra, as well as noticed the faint rumble of its engine for the first time. “Sergeant! He called out. “What manner of train is that?” “Sorry private, but that’s above your pay grade. If anyone other than the princesses themselves asks, you saw nothing here tonight.” Mentally groaning at the lost chance to study the unusual machine more closely, the private nodded. “Understood, Sir.” With an acknowledging nod, the sergeant turned, and dropped off the edge of the platform. The private saw a brief flare of light, as the sound of a door opening was heard, and then the light faded as the door closed. With an increasing rumble, the strange train moved off, accelerating rapidly, the only indication of its presence being two baleful red lights, spaced almost like eyes, which faded into the distance with great rapidity. As they pulled out of Ponyville, Cole brought the Elantra’s speed up to a blistering 220KPH, and set the cruise control. He was taking no chances this time, and the car flashed through the night like a phantom, its deep blue coloration rendering the body nearly invisible, the only indicators something was even there being the actinic glare of the headlights, and the baleful glow of the taillights. After blasting through a tunnel carved straight through a mountain range, the lights of Canterlot could be seen in the distance. Turning, Cole addressed his passengers. “Looks like we’re coming up on our destination. What’s the plan?” “I’ll get out when we pass the guardpost, and head to the Secure Archives entrance.” The Sergeant began. “I can ask Princess Luna to meet us at the archive, and then we can get this situation with Earth Mover and the Ark sorted.” The changeling in question looked back at the thestral in surprise. This was the first time he had addressed her by her actual name, and not as “the bug” or worse… Although the sergeant’s next words proved he hadn’t begun to completely trust her yet... “Still, keep an eye on her, ok Sir?” Well, it was a start. “Sure thing,” the human replied. “Speaking of eyes, shouldn’t you be in disguise at this point?” he continued, directing his last comment towards the changeling. “What? Oh, right.” In a golden blaze, Earth Mover resumed her unicorn disguise. After a few more minutes of gradually slowing down, the Elantra drew up to the guardpost that controlled entry to the city, and Sergeant Stormcloud dismounted. With a brief wave of one wing, he trotted over to the guardpost, and spoke to the thestral on duty. After a brief converstion, the on-duty thestral gave a wave towards the car, and the sergeant took to the air. Taking the signal for the permission-to-proceed that it was, Cole put the Elantra back in gear, and rolled through at a sedate pace. After traveling a few hundred yards, Earth Mover tapped the human on the arm. “We can get off here, and take the streets to the Archive.” With a brief flare of power, another set of golden ramps appeared, and Cole guided his vehicle onto the cobblestone streets. As they rolled along, Cole shut off the high beams, and the main lights, allowing the softer glow of the rings surrounding all four lights, and the banks of LEDs below them to light their way, as that was all that was needed in the city proper, what with streetlamps lighting the main thoroughfares. Cole took the time they had left to address his last passenger. “You know, I wouldn’t blame you if you made a break for it right now,” he began, “But I have to say I’m impressed with how you’ve handled things so far.” “The thought has crossed my mind several times since we entered the city,” Earth Mover admitted, “But then what will that mean for the Ark? At least if I stay with it, I can guarantee that the voice of its rightful owners will be heard.” “Even though you’re putting yourself at risk?” “Especially since I’m putting myself at risk." she replied, shedding her disguise once more. "If I can convince the princess not to use the contents of the Ark to hunt us down, maybe we can finally start to normalize changeling/pony relations.” Hearing that phrase, and the words that followed, served to convince Cole that he was definitely in the presence of a ruler-in-training… Princess Luna waited outside the entrance to the Secure Archives building, sergeant Stormcloud at her side. It had been a fairly uneventful night, until the sergeant had come in with his report… The fact that a changeling -and royalty at that- had infiltrated the expedition to the badlands had been distressing enough, but from the sergeant’s report, it was clear that the circumstances surrounding the infiltration, and the events that had followed, were far more complicated than first glance would make them out to be. The human vehicle entered the courtyard in front of the Archive at a slow trot, and pulled up before the duo, before shutting down. Cole exited, and came around the hood to stand before the princess. “Morris Cole, Ma’am,” he stated. “Here with the package you contracted for delivery.” ‘I am Princess Luna, Mister Cole. We are pleased thou hast carried out your assignment as contracted.” The human bowed in respect, and then opened the passenger door. “May I also present to you Miss Earth Mover, of the changeling hive.” Here Earth Mover exited the human vehicle in her natural state, and legged a bow as well. “Your Highness.” The princess gestured simply, “Rise,” she commanded. “You are known to Us from the sergeant’s report. We would discuss matters regarding the status of our two races. Please bring the Ark of which the sergeant spoke as well. This situation may yet be resolved to the mutual satisfaction of all parties concerned.” As the Princess had been speaking to the changeling, Cole had taken the opportunity to open the rear passenger-side door, and remove the Ark, as well as place it on the ground beside her. As the Princess finished her speech, and the two began to walk away, Earth Mover shot Cole a grateful look, picked up the Ark, and joined the princess in their walk inside the archives. Sergeant Stormcloud came over to stand beside the human. “So, all that, and she barely has time to say goodbye.” “Things seem to be moving pretty quick for a job that finished in the middle of the night,” the human commented nonchalantly. “In any case, my part in this is over and done with. Between you and me, I’ll be glad to get home. This was one of the more… colorful jobs I’ve had” “But not the most?” “Close, but not quite.” “Sounds like a story best told over a couple beers.” “You’ve got that right. You should come and visit Jakes. It’s a place where I do business, and grab a beer, if you want to hear about it.” The human stated, looking down at the thestral. “I’ll keep it on my shortlist,” the thestral responded, “But right now, I’ve got to file my report, and it looks like they’re ready for you.” Stormcloud finished, gesturing to a stone arch off on one side of the courtyard, where a blue-coated unicorn was just finishing a spell. As the pair watched, the air within the arch rippled, and then the view through it changed to one Cole had seen a few hours before. “Guess this is goodbye for now,” the human stated, holding out a hand. “Take care of yourself, Sergeant.” The thestral placed a hoof in the human's grip, and the two shook. “You too, Cole.” With that, the thestral and the human went their separate ways. As the sergeant took to the air, he heard the by now familiar rumble and growl of the human’s vehicle starting up. As Cole closed his door, and started up, he thought back on the events of the day, and then shook his head. Nope, best wait until I have a cold one in hand before I go down that road… Putting the Elantra into gear, he drove up to the arch, and rolled his window down. “Thanks.” He said to the unicorn. “You’re most welcome,” the nonplussed equine responded. With a short nod, the human rolled up his window, and drove through the arch. > Epilogue > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- After returning through the portal, the end of the job had been somewhat anticlimactic. Cole had met up with Ms. Heartstrings/Micahaelakos, and received the second half of his payment. Then she had returned to her world with a wave. Before she left though, she’d given him a business card, and he’d given her his direct number, to be presented to the Princess of the night. Now, two days later, Cole sat at Jake’s bar once more. It had been a long day, and the human was looking forward to a hot sandwich and a cold beer. Jake came over with Cole’s beer, and stuck around to chat. “So, how’d that job for the girl with the funny hair go?” “Fairly well, all things considered.” “That’s it?” “Pretty much. But I will tell you this: Fonzarelli’s boys were right.” “So they really were in New York?” “Indeed. And they need services like mine on occasion. Same as anybody else, I guess.” “So you’ve got another job?” “Nope, but they’ve got my number.” As the two humans continued to chat amicably, one of the bar and grille’s other patrons turned her attention to the TV set on the back wall, and sipped her Long Island iced tea. The woman was tall, striking, and wore a white business suit, with a small golden sun pinned to her lapel. As she contemplated the prospects of using the services of the human at the bar, one corner of her mouth turned up in a faint smile, as she focused her violet eyes on the soccer match presented on the screen.