Junior looked up into the back lit head surrounded by a halo of long hair. Someone was trying to loosen his safety harness.
"Are you an angel?" he asked, still quite dazed from his brief flight and harsh landing.
"Are you a dumb ass?" came the feminine sounding response.
"Prolly," Junior admitted. As the figure helped him sit up, he felt certain that part of his skull (the part that didn't hurt like all get out) must have remained stuck to the seat of his still-smoking Beater.
Junior noted that Dank crouched near the fallen machine, monitor plugged in and chirping data at him. Dank glanced up and nodded at him.
Junior's gaze traveled along the Beater, noting the numerous dents and scrapes, leaking coolant and sparking electronics. It looked like a total loss.
Then he took note of the person who had helped pry him out.
The stranger was short and pale skinned. Her hair was long and dark in stark contrast. She wore grease-stained coveralls that did very little to conceal her obvious femininity.
She looked up at Junior after she had finished clamping off a coolant leak.
Her eyes were sharp and intelligent.
One side of her mouth turned up in a sardonic smile as she said, "What the hell were you thinkin' fighting Big Roy and Bessy in this hunk?"
Dank took offense, "She ain't no hunk. Her electronics alone'r the finest on the planet."
"There is yer problem," she nodded brusquely, "Y'all spent too much time installin' monitorin' devices and too little time makin' this Beater ready to really fight!"
"Beggin' your pardon, ma'am," Junior tried his best to be polite, "But who the hell are you?"
"I'm Trixie May," she stood up straight, chest to chest with Junior, "Doc's my dad. I been away at school."
"School?" Dank asked. Everyone in Impact got the same education. There was no need for anything else in most circumstances.
"I'm a Healer," she clarified, "and I'm pretty good with a wrench if you'd like a hand with this. Whether you'd like a hand or not it looks like you need it."
Junior and Dank exchanged glances. Obviously, their design was lacking in a few key areas . . . Like actual ability to fight, for instance.
"Sounds nice, Trixie May," Junior extended a hand.
She looked at it appraisingly, then took it and gave it an enthusiastic shake.
Chapter Five Interlude
File: Datanet Core Server Gamma Delta ninety-nine, Galactic Geology, Era: Modern -5, Index Distribution of Resources, Data Compiled by Computer Simulation and Verified Through Remote Core Samples
Currently, the Benevolent States United enjoys an unheralded era of universal distribution of energy resources. Thanks to the unending research into energy management, the Faithful have access to an unlimited supply of fusion-based and solar collected energy at an extremely reasonable price.
The Benevolent States United (long may they reign) generously acts as the universal power supplier. The insignificant profit made from the average Faithful consumer is, as all things, redistributed into social services and the upkeep of hardware for the Earth Prime Protection Force.
Recently, a new element has been discovered by the Benevolent States United Science Corp which is referred to as Be-esunium. This unique element seems able to store vast quantities of energy in its crystalline structure. Statistical analysis tells us that Earth Prime is home to less than an ounce of this material.
The greatest source of Be-esunium (which could have extremely beneficial impact on the Benevolent States United's continued ability to provide the Faithful with inexpensive and reliable energy) is the tiny garbage planet of EcoHope 11, which has recently been certified as uninhabited.
"Dang Datanet must be busted," in frustration Dank shook his screen and set it down.
A loud crash echoed from the crater as another shipment arrived. The shed was amazingly empty with the Beater "resting comfortably" in the workshop behind The Rusty Tankard.
"Let's go," Junior suggested, opening the door into the cloud of fresh dust.
The rocket seemed to have spilled twice as much material as any other day. The shipment must have been a heavy one, too, because the nose cone was wedged more deeply than normal into the pulverized dirt.
Checking their lists against the monstrous piles of metal, plastic, glass and foam, they began to gather the items requested by the other settlers.
Motor bushings for a tiller? Check.
Tires that are less bald for a grocery delivery cart? Check.
"Fresher than current" water purification filters? Check.
Master Control Board for a PS11G Data Entry Terminal? Oddly, check.
"What the hell is this?" Dank brushed some dirt out of a small hole kicked up by violently distributed garbage to pick up a small shard of stone. He placed it in his front pocket for study later.
The two also managed to find some parts to repair the Beater, which they carried to the back entrance of The Rusty Tankard.
They found Trixie May up to her elbows in Beater guts. She was busily re-routing the wiring inside the steel frame of the machine.
Doc's workshop was huge compared to the cramped shed on the side of the crater.
It was built slowly, obviously, out of cinder blocks as an addition to the back of The Rusty Tankard. Glossy white paint coated the walls so thickly it contained eternally frozen drips of the stuff. An array of tools was laid out on a pristine work bench. Doc must have been making a fortune off beer.
Trixie May looked up, wiped a sweat soaked lock of hair away from her face and said, "Good timing. I was just about done without those replacement parts."
Dank looked over her modifications with admiration. In addition to re-routing the cables, she had added aluminum heat sinks to the moving parts for added cooling, re-sealed the fuel tank and hard wired the LEDs into the master circuit board.
"Looks sweet!" Dank announced.
"Yeah, it does," Junior agreed, though he hadn't yet managed to look past Trixie May.
"Dank, pull up an article about advanced water cooling. We may be able to increase fuel capacity and cooling at the same time by adding a few pumps and redistributing some fluids," Trixie May mopped at her forehead with a shop towel.
Inspired, Dank sat down and placed his screen on his lap. As he began to type, the screen went dark. Out of habit, Dank slapped the side of the screen.
With a great bang and an arc of electricity, Dank's lap seemed to catch fire.
He screamed and jumped but managed to carefully secure his precious data access terminal before slapping at his smoking pocket.
"What was that?" Junior asked, choking on the crisp smell of ozone.
"This!" Dank produced the stone he had found earlier.
"Hey!" Trixie May examined it, "I read about this stuff. It's called 'Be-esunium'. They say it stores and releases energy."
"Well, it sucked my terminal dry and then fried my pants," Dank continued to rub his leg, "There seems to be a bunch of 'em in the crater and you're welcome to 'em."
Trixie May wondered aloud, "Do you think it might be useful in power distribution for the Beater? I mean, we could let it charge up overnight before a match and then supercharge the attacks."
At the word "supercharge" Junior perked up.
"If it'll let me kick Big Roy's ass I'll load the Beater down with a ton of rocks."
