Sime~Gen Roleplaying on IRC: Snake River Dam Scenario
Episode #29: Mule Corps Blues (8/20/00)
Franses has been traveling for the better part of a month to get here. He looks around at "here" and decides that maybe he ought to keep traveling. But then that would not get the selyn delivered.
Franses has been trying very hard not to scare the renSime but carrying as much selyn as he is he can't really help it. Every time he has tried to ask where the Sime Center is they just back up and point in some direction or other. Not very helpful.
Franses has asked a couple Gens but they aren't much more helpful. Mud, dirt and tents everywhere. This is not what he is used to. Nice clean Sime Centers with walls and floors and a good plumbing system, yes. This roughness, no.
Jeniard comes down the mud wallow -- I mean, path -- between two columns of ragged tents.
Jeniard is pursuing rampant rumors of an extremely high field Gen roaming around looking exhausted and directionless.
Franses is covered with dirt, old horse sweat and his own old sweat. He knows he is rank and wants desperately to get cleaned up before he goes anywhere near a channel.
Franses is also trying not to let his frustration show in his nager. Being a redhead and from a long line of redheads he is having a bit of a time with his temper too.
Franses: [yells] For death sake doesn't anyone around here know where the Sime Center is!
Jeniard hears a disturbance and changes direction. He does rather zlin a high field Gen over there. But... a Donor?
Jeniard asks a passing renSime what is going on, and is told there is a crazy, high field Gen standing shouting at the sky.
Jeniard hurries onward, and finally spots Franses.
Franses [carrying always makes him cranky and now he is even more cranky than usual. He can't help the genetic quirk that makes him a high producer but a lousy Donor.]
Jeniard can immediately tell that this is a capital-D Donor, and nobody he knows. The man seems to have a bit of a temper, too.
Jeniard approaches cautiously, not getting too close at first.
Jeniard: Can I help you? [calls out]
Franses turns to see a Sime approaching him. He knows it must be a channel; a renSime would be going the other way.
Franses: I hope so.
Jeniard sees Franses' uniform better as the man turns around, and realizes he is a Tecton selyn transport agent... one of the group known irreverently as the "Mule Corps".
Franses is suddenly selfconscious about his train worn appearance.
Franses: Are you a channel?
Franses lost his glasses somewhere down the side of the mountain.
Jeniard: Yes. I see you're here to make a delivery.
Jeniard is a bit puzzled, as he hadn't been expecting one today, but then deliveries have been popping in at odd times ever since the Tecton became fully aware of the extent of the selyn shortage here.
Jeniard: Well, come on up and I can get you straightened out.
Jeniard: Get you some place to stay the night.
Jeniard assumes Franses will leave immediately upon unloading and resting. They usually do.
Franses: Yes! By the way [hands the channel his papers] Franses Packard at your service.
Franses: I know you weren't expecting me. I got rerouted in transit to Walla.
Jeniard: Great.
Jeniard looks through the papers automatically.
Jeniard hands them back.
Franses: I'm sorry for my aroma, it's been an interesting trip.
Jeniard: Trust me, nobody will notice, at least unless you go indoors. This place is filthy.
Franses is trying to stay down wind of the channel.
Franses nods.
Jeniard of course is taking Franses to go indoors right now.
Franses: How do you stand it?
Jeniard: Believe me, it isn't easy.
Franses: I was raised on a farm and I can barely take the stench.
Jeniard begins to lead Franses up hill toward a cluster of hastily thrown up wood structures that are the Tecton work compound.
Jeniard can't blame Franses for missing them earlier; they don't look like his idea of a Sime Center either.
Franses: Is there some place I can get a shower before I off load my selyn?
Jeniard: Yeah.
Jeniard: We observe all the sanitation regulations here, at least for work.
Jeniard isn't even going in to how much trouble it's been to enforce that.
Jeniard has been treated to the sad sight of Arat going into fits and haranguing helpless Tecton employees about things like wood fire heated water tanks not being hot enough, and troughs not being sterilized. It was not a pretty view.
Franses brightens immediately. He lets this show in his nager.
Franses: Oh, how I have missed bathing!
Jeniard smiles
Jeniard doesn't have the heart to tell him that the cleanliness will last only until the moment Franses steps back outside again.
Franses remembers to tone down a bit. He doesn't want every Sime with in zlinning distance giggling uncontrollably.
Franses: Will you be taking this delivery?
Jeniard: Probably. You caught me at a good time.
Jeniard's Secondary is low due to having to give the selyn to Snake for an emergency healing session.
Jeniard doesn't like working with Snake, of course, but if somebody's life is at stake....
Franses: Wonderful! Sorry I didn't catch your name.
Jeniard: Ah, sorry, I'm Hajene Jeniard.
Franses: Pleased to meet you Hajene.
Franses thinks the channel doesn't know how pleased, and makes a note to keep it out of the ambient.
Franses: I travel a lot in my line of work. Even spent some time on the mining circuit, but this is as far on the other side of nowhere as I've ever been.
Jeniard: It's pretty out of the way. [agrees]
Jeniard takes Franses in the back door of the pine-scented, sawdust-insulated new building being used as Collectorium.
Franses: Oh [fumbles in his coverall pocket for another set of papers] I will be staying for a few months. Here are my assignment orders and a voucher for the extra selyn.
Jeniard looks surprised.
Franses kicks himself for not remembering to give Jeniard both sets.
Jeniard takes the new set of papers and looks through them, standing in the hallway.
Jeniard: I see.
Jeniard: Well then, welcome to the Snake River Dam construction site.
Jeniard reads through to the end of the papers to see what Franses did to deserve such a position.
Franses: Sorry I didn't mention it earlier. I'm just too tired to think straight and too highfield for that matter.
Franses thinks it was probably a subconscious desire not to have to stay in this place that caused the slip up.
Jeniard: Well, let's get your field taken down. I'll introduce you to the Controller later.
Franses: Thanks! I hate carrying for over a month at full capacity. It makes me a bit nuts.
Franses is looking forward to being clean and fishing his spare glasses out of his back pack. He fears that if he gets a good look at this place though it will probably depress the daylights out of him.
Go on to Episode #30: Unnatural Habits
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