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[roboticists]

"Are you looking for Miss Aura Blackquill? She's not here to take your communication but I'm Clonco! I can help!"

Comments

[cardboard_journalism]

Kaaaahk kahk kahk! I'm aware of the malefactions of a mysterious hacker or cracker about!

...and what I want to show you isn't something on a CERES-device thing.

[roboticists]

... Oh alright. I guess I can meet you in McCeres. Me, this time. Rather than Clonco.

[audio->action?]

[cardboard_journalism]

Thank you!!

Be there in... ten? No, fifteen!

[end call, and she'd... take off right away.]

action!

[roboticists]

{ Aura's gonna be waiting in McCeres, with its weird... Japanese menu now. Hopefully whatever Myriam had was good. ]

action

[cardboard_journalism]

[it wasn't soon before Scuttlebutt would arrive... or at least who else would wear that cardboard box?]

[she took a quick glance around, like she wasn't... really... looking for Miss Blackquill, before stealthily sidling over to her]

Sss, sss... Miss... Blackquill?

[roboticists]

You should try going around without the box.

[ She's gonna look at Myriam expectantly, because this has to be something big. ]

[cardboard_journalism]

Never.

[normally she'd give a longer retort, but, yes, to business!]

I want you to look at this!

[cardboard_journalism]

[and, a printout would slowly extrude from the gap in the box she had been using to see out of]

[roboticists]

[ Aura's not sure what her life has turned to when she's taking printouts from boxes, but she takes it. ]

What is it?

[cardboard_journalism]

Sss, sss, sss! It's a super-secret document I nabbed from the CERES research tower! ...the original burned, but not before I took that photo.

Anyway, I don't really have the technological background to analyze the jargon so... I thought I could ask you.

[The scientific jargon papers that Scuttlebutt found, while heavy on the jargon, are all clearly about the sale of some unquantifiable substance that is in high demand around the galaxy. Key words that appear over and over are "wireless energy transfers" and "high-substance converters".]

[roboticists]

[ She reads it over, raising an eyebrow at what Myriam had given her. What on earth was this? Did she get this during the tours? ]

And why should I tell you what this says? Do I get any recompense other than a name check in The Cerealia Times and a free paper?

[cardboard_journalism]

[....oops, she hadn't really anticipated that]

Kaaahk kahk kahk... I guess if you really want to be compensated for it then that's legit... but, this is for the public good to know what CERES is really doing!

Actually, I thought you'd rather the paper leave your name out so CERES doesn't potentially go after you for helping me out. --And my paper is already free! Why is no one noticing this?

[roboticists]

Go get me a Samurai Pork Burger and a Green Tea Ice Cream Sundae and we'll talk about me telling about what these concepts mean, okay?

[ She's just gonna wave her hand dismissively and look at the printout with a fascinated expression. ]

[cardboard_journalism]

S-sure! No problem!

[she'll just scamper over to get in line then before Aura changes her mind]

[roboticists]

[ Does Aura feel bad making this poor school girl get her a meal?


















Nope. ]

How fascinating.

[ She says, looking over the printout again. How on earth did she find it? ]

[cardboard_journalism]

[trapped in the fast food restaurant line... nothing to do when you're trapped in the fast food restaurant line...]

Kahk kahk...

[finally she'll order and then... wait at the pick-up side...

...

...

...

...

...

then bring the tray back to Aura. A quick glance shows she got nothing for herself.]

Here! All done... kahk kahk kahk.

[roboticists]

[ Aura looks at what Scuttlebutt brought her, smiled and leaned in. ]

Thank you, dear editor.

[ And she slips a piece of paper in to the hole in Myriam's box.

It reads:

Someone in CERES is trying to make a profit on an energy source that's in high demand all over the galaxy. They want to charge a premium because it's the sort of thing that you need to power a city colony like this or bigger. Don't concern yourself with the scary words, it just means that it's efficient at what it is. ]

[cardboard_journalism]

[She did something! And she smiled about it! Scuttlebutt almost swayed for a second]

[then she blinked when Aura passed through her note]

Kahk...

[She gave it a read, with just enough light to read in the box]

Oh... okay...

[she took a glance around, then scrawled on a page of notepad paper and offered that back]

[Could this be connected to the frequent power outages?????]

[roboticists]

[ Cool it Scuttlebutt, she's eating her burger. But she does scribble back, rather hastily --

I don't think so.

Remember, I told you nothing. You just bought me food because I'm so great. ]

[cardboard_journalism]

[R-right...]

...

...

...Is it good?

[roboticists]

It's very tasty.

[ She's going to gesture to Scuttlebutt as if to say that she were dismissed. ]

And remember, you learned this from the internet.

[cardboard_journalism]

Of course! Of course...

[she made a feint of getting up, then stopped]

Oh, just... one more thing! If you'd indulge me. I just remembered another issue I needed your opinion. Sss sss sss. Do y'mind?

[she was acting, she knew she wanted to bring this up to Aura.]

[roboticists]

... Yes?

[ She's halfway done with her burger Scuttlebutt, what is it now? ]

[cardboard_journalism]

What's your honest opinion of Athena Cykes?

[take that!]

[roboticists]

Nothing to do with you.

[ And for good measure, she's just going to take out her stun gun. ]

Did you know that the human body has a resistance of 500 Ohms when we're all sweaty under stress?