San Angeles General Hospital

It's a hospital in need of a desc!

Repair/Recovery Chamber

Out <O> leads to San Angeles - Southern Downtown.

[Radio] Chill Snowcat sends you a tightbeam radio transmission: "Hey bro? Ya alive?"

[Radio] You send Chill Snowcat a direct message: "Mmph. Yeah. Nore or less."

[Radio] You send Chill Snowcat a direct message: "Thankee fer the rescue. Nice t'know somebody still gives a darn."

[Radio] Chill Snowcat sends you a tightbeam radio transmission: "I am always there for anyone who needs me."

[Radio] You send Chill Snowcat a direct message: "Nice t'know."

[Radio] Chill Snowcat sends you a tightbeam radio transmission: "Do you need anything?"

[Radio] You send Chill Snowcat a direct message: "Not really."

[Radio] You send Chill Snowcat a direct message: "Well, Ah'd like mah arm back, but thay're werkin on it."

Bowie now remembers one of the downsides to civilian medical care: the waiting. He's out of critical care, his internals repaired and once again functioning under his own power. Unfortunately, they don't have his brand of optics in stock, let alone a matching arm, and so he must wait. Rubber patches cover his empty eye and arm socket in the interim, to prevent dust from collecting. He sits propped up in bed, watching the vidscreen idly as he waits.

Kalinka slinks into the room quietly, looking decidedly unhappy. Her expression falls even further when she sees the condition Bowie's in. "Oh, handsome, what happened to you??"

Kalinka receives a radio transmission.

Bowie manages a weak smile - thank goodness they at least were able to apply the right color of synthskin. And, surprise surprise, his hair is long once more. "Got more than Ah bargained fer yesterday. Some Mav named Psychogenesis decided the humans were at fault an tried t'kill em."

Kalinka sends a radio transmission to Chill Snowcat.

Kalinka receives a radio transmission from Chill Snowcat.

Kalinka gently wraps her arms around Bowie, resting her head on his shoulder. "I should have come with you. Did you call the Hunters for backup?"

Bowie gently leans his head against hers. "As started with backup. But Stiletto got tied up tryin t'find survivors, an Ah dunno whut happened t'Portal. One minute thare, the next gone." He doesn't sound bitter, more a recitation of the facts as he knows them. "By the time Seismic an Chill got thare, wus too late t'do anythang but pick up mah sorry hide, an the human Ah wus protectin."

Kalinka shakes her head. "You are not sorry. Do not talk like that," she murmurs soothingly, running her hand through his hair. "You are brave and you are courageous, and you saved someone's life last night."

"That's true," Bowie agrees quietly. "Chill checked him into the hospital las night. Never got his name, though." He turns his head slightly, having to hold it at an odd angle in order to see her better. "Ah'm hopin Ah can talk t'him later, an find out whut wus really goin on down thare."

"I wonder what the Mavericks are doing in Texas. Well...let me change that a bit, we KNOW what they are doing," Kalinka says. "I just wonder what it is that is down there that interests them. Maybe...a power source? Or secret project...?"

Bowie gives a small shrug. "Dunno. Not even sure it wus the Mavs. Yeah, we found one, but Ah got the impression he wus like us, gettin thare too late." He sighs. "Ah'm hopin the guy Ah protected will talk t'me. Thangs...got pretty violent yesterday."

Kalinka nods. "Just try and rest," she soothes. "I am going to try to get you out of here and make repairs for you so you can relax and recover at home."

Bowie musters a smile. "All right, sunshine. Thank thay're jus waitin on mah parts...thay're more used t'handlin civilian models."

"Okay," Kalinka agrees grudingly. She'd like nothing more than to check Bowie out of this place right this minute, but she knows that isn't really a viable option right now. With a sigh, she steps over toward a chair in the corner, grabbing it and pulling it over toward the bedside then sitting down. "So you say that Chill showed up to help you out?"

Bowie nods. "Ah called him, actually. Ah couldn't hardly move, an Sy's too big t'fit into the buildin. An Chill is qualified fer search an rescue." With his good hand, he brushes a strand of hair out of his face. To think he was almost used to having it short. "So, he found the guy fer us, then brought us back here."

Kalinka grins widely. "Chilly is a good guy. Crazy sometimes, yes, but his heart is in the right place." Perhaps it's a good thing she doesn't know he called her father, after all.

Bowie isn't about to tell her. Besides, he was fading out, and so he could have simply imagined it. "Yeah, Chill's a goof, but a good goof. Give him somethang he's capable a doin, an he'll give ya a hundred an ten percent."

Kalinka seems to agree, and she muses quietly for a long moment. Suddenly, she asks... "Who fixed your hair?"

"One a the nurses," Bowie replies. "Figgered if thay had t'fix errythang else, may as well ask fer a style, right?" He gives her another smile, this one stronger. "'Sides, Ah know ya like mah hair longer, too."

[Radio: (B) H-Chat] Liese Schreiner transmits the sound of meat sizzling on what is probably a grill of some sort.

"I do," Kalinka admits, her eyes twinkling. "I think it is sexy. Maybe that is crazy, but if it is, I admit to being insane and liking it too."

Bowie's smile strengthens to a grin. "So, should Ah ask fer mah hair to be long as Zero's?" he asks, plucking a strand of hair and holding it out to its full length.

Kalinka chuckles. "Ooh, that would be nice, but...I think the length you have now is perfect. Zero has a bit too much. Kind of like...a big mop."

Bowie laughs at the mental image that conjures: Zero mopping the hallway with his hair. "Better Ah keep mah hair this length then." He flips the hair back over his shoulder.

============================== Maverick Hunter ===============================

Message: 10/79 Posted Author

Field Report: Lajitas, TX Mon Oct 13 Bowie

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

<Hunters and Allies may read. The resident Hunter hackers (you know who you are) can tell this report was filed remotely.>

<Hunter spinny. Text report follows.>

On the afternoon of Oct. 12, I was notified that someone was using my old callsign over a shortwave radio band. The person who notified me did not understand Spanish, but after some asking I determined that the person calling shares a mutual friend with me through the Texas Rangers. The transmissions were a call for help, though due to the language barrier and the non-use of an emergency band, they were not immediately recognized as such. The transmissions came from Lajitas, Texas, a small border town along the southern Rio Grande. After checking with the Rangers, I went to investigate, accompanied by Stiletto Sterling and by agent Portal of Interpol.

The town had already been a battlezone by the time we arrived. There was also anti-reploid graffitti painted on several of the buildings. One reploid was found lying in the street, and Stiletto and I came under fire as we approached the body. I attempted to negotiate with the gunmen, two young humans. They said that the reploids who worked at the nearby textile mill had gone crazy, and that the dead body in the street had been the leader.

As I attempted to talk the gunmen into lowering their weapons, the corpse in the street, for lack of a better term, "reanimated". We quickly shot it down, which revealed that it was under the control of a Maverick that Agt. Portal identified as Psychogenesis. We were forced into engaging the Maverick in combat. At some point during the battle, Agt. Portal used a timestopper and retreated. I remained to defend the human gunmen, as they were clearly in danger from the Maverick. Psychogenesis got the better of me, but I prevented him from attacking anyone further. Seismic Earthworm and Chill Snowcat extracted both me and one of the gunmen (who had been injured) from the scene and brought us to San Angeles Hospital for treatment of our injuries.

I believe more happened in the town than a simple Maverick attack, and I intend to investigate as soon as I am sufficiently recovered. I also believe our joint frequencies may be compromised, and strongly suggest rotating them as soon as possible. End Report.

<Attachments: completed expense report, itemized medical bill from San Angeles Hospital>

==============================================================================