[Radio] You send Kalinka a direct message: "Evenin, sunshine."

Kalinka sends you a tightbeam radio transmission: "Hellooooo there! How are you?"

[Radio] You send Kalinka a direct message: "Doin jus fine. You?"

Kalinka sends you a tightbeam radio transmission: "Oh, I am a busy, busy bee! I am down here in the Motorpool, trying to piece together the Gunslinger."

[Radio] You send Kalinka a direct message: "Yeah, saw the report."

(So Bowie goes to visit.)

You enter the Hunter HQ - Motorpool.

Hunter HQ - Motorpool

Douglas has claimed this area as the Motorpool. Various diagnostic and repair equiment set around with large pits and overhead lifts for him and the other mechanics of the Hunters to use to repair the vehicles of the faction. They are also set up for regular Hunters to work on their personal vehicles.

Despite Douglas' claim though, someone else had another idea in mind. Because, underneath the artifical lighting in here, Roll has taken charge of the corners and sides of the room. There, among the machines of war, Hunterly curses, and toxic mud, grow gorgeous bright blooms. Worried that someone would accidentally step on the flowers, Roll also built a small, pretty fence around the plot. She comes down once a week to keep the plants watered and fed and she enjoys this task as a respite from worrying about her brothers and the other Hunters.

Kalinka [Work] [MH] Ride Armor <Gunslinger> [MH]

Harley Hoverbike <Eildath> [MH] Maverick Hunter VTOL <Vorpal> [MH]

Ride Armor <Triumph> [MH] All-Terrain Tank <Inferno> [MH]

Interceptor <Gyrfalcon> [MH] Hunter Harley Davidson <Dredd Cycle> [R

Hoverbike <Scimitar> [MH] Modified 2215 Corvette - X-2007 <Bondmo

Beta Mk.

Crevasse <C> leads to Hunter HQ - Staging Level.

Rapid Access Tunnel <T> leads to Light Labs - Basement.

Kalinka is, at the moment, squeezed partway beneath a severely damaged Gunslinger, doing some sort of critical internal repairs.

Bowie moseys across the staging platform to the motorpool, carrying a paper bag in each hand. The Gunslinger receives a look of dismay from him - Mike wasn't kidding about the damage. Still, he has confidence that it'll be right again in no time. He continues in that direction, looking around for you know who.

Kalinka scoots out from beneath the Gunslinger to grab a tool, and she pauses, grinning widely when she sees who's coming over. "Oh, hi!"

Bowie returns the grin, then holds up one of the sacks. "Figgered ya were too busy t'cook, so Ah brought dinner."

Kalinka giggles, grabbing a nearby rag and cleaning her hands and face of grease and other mechfluids. "Oh, you are so sweet and thoughtful! Thank you!"

Bowie holds the grin. "Yer welcome." Finding a relatively clean workbench, he starts laying out supper: deli-style turkey sandwiches laden with lettuce, tomatoes and other fixings, and potato chips. Bottles of soda are in the other bag.

Kalinka gets up and strolls over to join Bowie, taking off her dirty work-coat and placing it near her work tools. "Mm, this does look good! And I am hungry and have had NO time to make dinner...so thank you!" She begins devouring her sandwich. "Mm...you know...we should go talk to Daddy."

Bowie twists the lid off his soda and has a seat on a convenient stool. "Ah know." Pause. "Does he even come out a his lab anymore? Ah haven't even seen him."

Kalinka mentions in-between bites... "I have visited him. He is very, very busy working on something. I do not know what it is. At least he is eating the dinner I make for him." She shrugs, looking over at Bowie. "I am sorry to say, but there is good chance he will...give you a hard time."

Bowie nods, sipping from his soda as he watches her eat. This was more for her benefit than his. The smile slips, replaced with a more resigned yet wry expression. "Ah figgered he would. Yer his little girl, after all."

Kalinka sighs. "Yes, but he knows that will never change. I do not know, sometimes, why he must make such big deal out of something that is not...you know, affecting him directly. Anyhow...I have been thinking that maybe the direct approach is best. If we just go and tell him, maybe he will not be as upset. Otherwise, he will learn from someone else, and...that will be the end of it."

Bowie again nods, this time in agreement. The very idea of sneaking around behind Cossack's back is repugnant to him. Best to be direct. "Right. Any idea how t'break this t'him?"

Kalinka makes short work of the sandwiches, then she pops open the bag of chips and begins packing them away. "I think we should just...walk in, see if he can take a break from what he is doing, and then...just tell him. Or I could radio him to find out."

Bowie says "We better call ahead." The last thing he wants to do is interrupt some delicate experiment. This is going to be difficult enough.

Kalinka nods, and places her arm around Bowie, giving him a gentle squeeze as she calls her father on the radio.

Kalinka sends a radio transmission to Dr. Pavel Cossack.

Kalinka receives a radio transmission.

Kalinka sends a radio transmission.

Bowie sits there, trying to cover his trepidation with his usual calm facade. The lack of a racing pulse helps with the illusion, but not much.

Kalinka receives a radio transmission.

Kalinka nods a little bit about something, and then she turns back toward Bowie. "He is in his lab this evening. So...when you are ready, I guess we can go...um...yeah."

Bowie nods, setting aside the soda and rising to his feet. He gives her a reassuring smile he doesn't entirely feel. "No time like the present."

Kalinka stops him for a moment, turning to face him and looking up at him in a reassuring manner. "It will be okay," she promises quietly. "No matter what, it will be okay. Would you like me to do all of the talking?"

Bowie moves to rest his hand on her shoulder, giving it a gentle squeeze. "Ah'm sure Ah'll find words if we need them."

Kalinka says, "Come on..."

(And so they walk into the metaphorical lion's den.)

Hunter HQ - Dr. Cossack's Lab

This is a room approximately 90 meters long, but very narrow ith a low ceiling. The walls and ceiling are bare metal with regular grounding bolts driven into them, with a white anti-static tile floor. There is a area in the midpoint of the room that deviates from the white; a pattern of red and gold, about as wide as the table that used to be bolted there. It vaguely resembles a `C', with a red star in the upper left corner of the C and the letters `Dr' inside the C, underlined several times -- perhaps for emphasis.

The room has been modified into a modern laboratory, with banks of computer systems, weird upgrade-chamber like devices, tools, and other errata arranged in a neat and organized fashion. It doesn't take up the whole room -- probably a little more than three-fourths of the room is `laboratory'. The remaining fourth, furthest from the door, consists of a series of neatly stacked, generally equal-sized containers, marked with labels that are meaningless to the average person.

Kalinka [Work] [MH] Dr. Pavel Cossack

Out <O> leads to Hunter HQ - Science Corridor.

The Cossack is sitting in the laboratory at his console, reading the most recent edition of the Moscow Times. His feet are propped up on the corner of the console, and he seems to be deep into reading it.

Kalinka arrives into the lab with Bowie, a bit jittery and nervous as she walks in. She's trying to look reassuring for Bowie, though. "...Hi Daddy."

Bowie walks along with Kalinka into the lab, making a valient attempt to appear his normal placid self. It's funny, really. He's stared down drug runners, kidnappers, thieves, murderers, Robot Masters, and Mavericks. He's fought in more battles than he can remember, and cheated death twice. Very little phases him anymore.

And yet, the thought of an angry Cossack still frightens him.

Bowie musters his usual smile. "Evenin."

He folds down his newspaper, squinting. The Cossack is nearsighted, so he reads with his glasses off. Seeing two people, he puts his feet down and puts back on his glasses, turning in his chair to face them more directly.

"Ah, Kalinka, Bowie. Good evenink. Haff seat?"

Dimly, Cossack senses something amiss, but he doesn't know quite /what/ it is yet...

Kalinka glances over at Bowie, and chews on her pinky-finger nail for a moment before having a seat in a nearby chair. She makes sure that there's also a seat adjacent to her, where Bowie can be close. Internally, she's cursing herself for feeling so much like she's in trouble.

Bowie takes the seat next to Kalinka and sits down, setting his hat in his lap. Behind his calm smile lurks some of the same nervousness. He doesn't exactly fidget, but he's unsure what to do with his hands for a moment, finally deciding on resting them on his knees.

The feeling of `oddness' does not leave the Cossack's mind. It begins to be reflected in his gaze as the two sit down.

"Vhat brinks you down here at ziss time of day?" he asks.

Kalinka sighs to herself as her heart pounds against her chest at a sickening rate. She wasn't even HALF this nervous when she introduced her father to Silo. So why is she angsting now? Well, it's obvious to her that this is a much different situation. She's matured greatly in the past few months...learned some valuable lessons, and she has a much different mindset. She can only hope that her father can see this.

Clearing her throat, she begins to speak. Due to Bowie being present, she's keeping things in English...although it's an added nerve-wracker for her. "Er...well, I did want to explain something," she says softly. "As you know, Bowie and I have been good friends for some time. Not only with...friendship, but it is more like...partnership. We cover each other in situations with danger. We train together, also."

In a way, Bowie may be lucky that he has a circulation pump in place of a heart. It can't pound in his chest. Nor can he suffer from butterflies in his stomach, or a good case of nerves. Somehow, these facts don't seem to be helping him. His gaze flits from Kalinka to Cossack and back again. For now, he has no words to add to hers.

He's going to need a cigarette, yes.

The Cossack fishes a cigarette out of his breast pocket, putting it between his lips. He lights it in a smooth movement, lighter seemingly teleporting into his hand. He takes a long drag, looking between the two people before him.

"Ziss is goink vhere I t'ink it is goink, isn't it," he says.

Kalinka nods, being very honest with her father. "Yes, it is," she admits. "And yes, we did give this much thought. This is not something that will...interfere with duty. I wanted to make that very clear. This is not about dating. It is...something else." (What else?!) she thinks frantically. (Don't overtalk yourself, Kali. Let him vent, or...whatever it is he's going to do. Don't explain unless he asks for it. He's Daddy, and he's going to be concerned.) She calms, and falls silent, listening to her inner voice of reason for the moment.

Bowie continues to sit there quietly, trying to remain both calm and not appear to be some Paris come to steal fair Helen away to Troy.

Although, he admits privately as he casts a glance at her, when Kalinka smiles, fair Helen would weep with envy.

The Texan clears his throat, finally finding something resembling words. "We're...well, as Kalinka said, we're not goin t'let this get in the way a our duties, but...er,...Ah'd like permission t'see yer daughter. Sir."

He smokes for a while, staring at the two individuals in front of him. He wears no particular expression at first, though a sort of dull resignation begins to enter his features. He seems more fatigued than he is angry.

"You vant," he says, "to -date- her."

He puts his cigarette down, resting it on the edge of an empty soda can. Cossack is talking to Bowie alone. Kalinka is secondary to this discussion -- this is between men.

"Fine," he says, after a long second, coming out more as a sigh. "Yes, Bowie, you may go on dates wiff her if you vish. As lonk as she vishes to see you, I haff no problem with zhat. I vant her to be happy."

His gaze then tracks to Kalinka. He stares at her for a few moments, then looks back to Bowie. His eyes take on a particularly glossy gleam to them, adrenaline running through his system being repressed by sheer will. His voice has an icy, precise quality to it...it is not that dissimilar to Vile's in many respects.

"You know who I am. You know vhat I vill do. I do not need to vaste breaff givink you zee full speech, just zee abstract."

A long pause.

"You hurt her," he says, "I vill kill you. You vill not come back. Zeir vill be no vepairs, no miracle cures, no force in Heaven or Hell zhat can resurrect you vhen I am done. I vill find you anyvhere you vun ... I vill take you down, I vill kill you. Not Rock, not Zero, not Protoman, not a single force on Earth vill saff you. Zeir vill be no veasonink, no pity, no mercy; zeir vill be no reprieve from zee Patriarch, zee Premier or zee Secretary-General."

"And it vould not be quick."

He stares at Bowie for about 10 seconds after saying that in silence. Then he sits back, turning in his chair to pick back up his cigarette. His normal demeanor returns, and he speaks in his native tongue.

<< "I have terrified him in the tradition of my father. My mark is on his soul. You may now ..." >> With an air of resignation, << "/date/ him, if you wish, with my blessing." >>

Despite her father's horrible 'promise' to Bowie, Kalinka is now remarkably calm and even cheerful. The worst was TELLING him. The worst part was walking in here, sitting down, facing him and telling him. NOW...the worst is over. Hopefully, she thinks to herself, Bowie won't be scared away. She has her hopes set very high. Briefly, she answers her father in Russian... "<< Thank you, Daddy. >>"

Bowie finally loses the smile he's been maintaining to a more sober expression. Every word of the Cossack's is heard and remembered. The fact that he is not being ranted at does not bring any relief. If anything, Cossack at ice calm can be more frightening. Though he does not return the stare, he does not wilt under it. Instead, the Texan remains as he usually is, calm yet resolute.

Once Cossack is finished, he glances over at Kalinka again, then returns his gaze to the former. "Ah would never do anythang t'hurt her. You have my word."

The Cossack does not look back over at the two. He leans back in his chair instead, resting his eyes while smoking his cigarette. The drugs keep him sane. At least, that's what he tells himself.

"You may go," he says, as if he were a headmaster dismissing two freshly scolded students.

Kalinka looks over at Bowie, and her wide-eyed gaze strongly suggests that the time has come for them to vacate. "Okay, well...well thank you, Daddy," Kalinka says awkwardly, encouraging Bowie to follow her toward the door.

Bowie collects his hat and his thoughts as he stands, his smile more one of relief than anything. No death, only the promise of death. He can accept that. The Texan puts the chair back as it was, and, still carrying his hat, follows after Kalinka.

Kalinka enters the Hunter HQ - Science Corridor.

Kalinka has left.

You enter the Hunter HQ - Science Corridor.

Hunter HQ - Science Corridor

The rumbling of the sea, as well as the sounds of distant equipment, is heard here -- but not much else. If anything, the hallway is suspiciously quiet, considering its location.

The floor of the hallway has been stripped out, leaving it bare metal -- grounding nuts are driven into it at regular intervals to keep electricity from conducting. The walls have been recently patched with quick-set plasteel, with the odd reinforcement arch added in at a key point.

There is a sharp right turn near the end of the hallway. On the left side of the remaining hallway, there are a series of inch-thick windows, through which the sea is visible at a weird angle The windows are immaculately clean, though this seems to be a recent phenomenon. On the right side of the hallway are several office rooms -- or were, before they were systematically gutted down to the last piece of metal and paper. Not even a layer of dust remains, the rooms sitting like missing teeth in a empty skull.

At the midpoint of the looted rooms is a new automatic sliding door, made out of some sort of frosted plastic material. At the mid-point of the door is Dr. Cossack's mark, with the word `Laboratory' written underneath it. However, an old brass plate reading `Briefing Room' is on the right side of the door.

Kalinka [Work]

East <E> leads to Hunter HQ - Dr. Cossack's Lab.

South <S> leads to Hunter HQ - T-Intersection.

Kalinka breaths an audible sigh of relief, once the doors close behind the pair. "See...not so bad."

Bowie is still smiling as he sets his hat back on his head. "Nope. Not too bad." At least, not as bad as the last time he walked in there.

Kalinka receives a radio transmission from Chill Snowcat.

Kalinka turns toward Bowie with a serious expression. "Do you still...I mean...even after THAT...you would still like to...?"

Chill Snowcat sends you a tightbeam radio transmission: "hey ya want some icecream?"

[Radio: (B) H-Chat] Chill Snowcat transmits, " Bowie.....Sis? Hey is anyone alive out there? I got ice cream...."

Bowie's smile softens. "Kali, nothang he could say could change how Ah feel about ya."

[Radio: (B) H-Chat] Stealth Nekojin transmits, "*ominous, rattly voice* There is no Bowie. Only Zuul."

[Radio: (B) H-Chat] Shield transmits, "Zuul should learn not to refer to himself in the third person."

[Radio: (B) H-Chat] Bowie transmits, "Ah still exist, thankee. An ice cream sounds good."

[Radio: (B) H-Chat] Chill Snowcat transmits, "oh hush! Has anyone seen Bowie and my sis? OH there ya are Bowie! Do ya got Kali with ya? I'm gettin the sprinkles and syrups together."

[Radio: (B) H-Chat] Stealth Nekojin transmits, "*normal again* Tsk. Ruin my fun why don't you. See if I let YOU watch this datacrystal with my collection of 20th century movies on it."

[Radio: (B) H-Chat] Shield transmits, "I fail to see how that has a downside for me."

[Radio: (B) H-Chat] Stealth Nekojin transmits, "Oh come now. Some of these are classics! Ghostbusters one through six, the Mission Impossible series up to number ten, and all sorts of others! It's a great crystal, all the best of the twenty first century as well."

Kalinka makes a surprised little squeak, and then leans up to give him a very heartfelt kiss. "Now I know you are for real," she murmurs. "It is not that I could not believe it before. But this was...trial by fire, of sorts. And even after all of that...you really do care!"

[Radio: (B) H-Chat] Shield transmits, "I do not like the twenty-first century."

Bowie is struck speechless by the kiss, blinking several times in surprise. A small, almost dopey grin spreads across his face.

[Radio: (B) H-Chat] Stealth Nekojin transmits, "Piffle. You won't know that until you've tried everything from it. Why, they had NORMAL flavoured Coca Cola back then. For the first time! When it still had cocaine in it!"

[Radio: (B) H-Chat] Phoenixflame CO Michael Eildath transmits, "So? They have regular Coke now. -ssssiiip.--"

[Radio: (B) H-Chat] Shield transmits, "An exceptionally wise human once said, "you do not need to eat the entire cup of pudding to know that it is vanilla.""

[Radio: (B) H-Chat] Chill Snowcat transmits, "Okay....I got oreos, m&ms, chocolate syrup, carmel syrup, cherries, rainbow sprinkles, chocolate sprinkles, mint chocolate chip ice cream, bananas, french vanilla ice cream, neopolitan, death by chocolate ice cream and those edible bowls. Do we need anything else?"

[Radio: (B) H-Chat] Stealth Nekojin transmits, "What if it has a layer of chocolate under a layer of vanilla, hmm? And they do, yes, Mike. But this was before they were ordered to remove the cocaine from it."

[Radio: (B) H-Chat] Phoenixflame CO Michael Eildath transmits, "Perhaps because cocaine is a /narcotic/?"

[Radio: (B) H-Chat] Shield transmits, "My point is, I don't like pudding."

[Radio: (B) H-Chat] Chill Snowcat transmits, "guys?"

[Radio: (B) H-Chat] Bowie transmits, "Be thare shortly."

(Bowie walks Kalinka back to her room, then goes to take Chill up on his offer.)

You enter the Hunter HQ - Commissary.

Hunter HQ - Commissary

Once the most-used area on the Fort Sam Houston, this area sees a little less usage by the Maverick Hunters, but it is still an important part of the ship. The mundane tasks of the Maverick Hunter Base are carried out here, from clothes laundry and armor cleaning to basic repairs. Mail sent from Neo-Tokyo is sorted here and delivered, and there is a small commisary, primarily for the human residents of the base, though it gets more than its fair share of usage by the Reploids here, as well. The room is seldom busy, but without the functions performed here, life in the Hunter Base wouldn't be quite as easy.

Chill Snowcat [Unarmored]

Down <D> leads to Hunter HQ - Science Area.

East <E> leads to Hunter HQ - Medical Area.

South <S> leads to Hunter HQ - Residential Level.

Bowie walks in, grinning like someone who just won the lottery. Or just escaped certain doom and kept the prize to boot.

Chill Snowcat is still getting all the fixings out.

Bowie pulls up a chair in the kitchen area close to the ice cream, still grinning. Well, somebody's certainly happy, isn't he?

Chill Snowcat looks at Bowie and grins, "What's up? Ya look like yer happy..."

Bowie leans forward, resting his elbows on the table. It's bad manners, but he doesn't particularly care. "We told her dad."

[Radio: (B) H-Chat] Chill Snowcat transmits, "hey ummm is anyone hungry cause ummmm I think I got too much ice cream out"

Chill Snowcat smiles, "And yer still alive! That's great!!!"

Bowie laughs, mostly in relief. "Yep, so Ah am. An Ah get t'stay that way if Ah treat her right."

(And the scene peters out...)