[Junk XIII] Entering Trench (S 4-8)

Rich

Stitch,

When you got to Salt, did you get a room at those weird mobile homes? I assume a real bed would be nice, right? That night at Salt was hilarious, the Candies all danced like crazy to old rock n' roll and got pretty trashed.

The next morning was quiet, the Candies all slept in various places: several shared a room together, some spent the night with some Salt villagers, others slept on the floor of Ollie's after passing out. It took over an hour for Kiddo to round up all the North Candies, then you all headed out.

Oh, it seems that Kiddo's brother Hump and her Gramma Jemma are coming along. Jemma brought her "Fatboy" out of retirement for this ride:


Hump rides with Jemma, but man, you know he'd rather be in Metro's van. How did that work out?

You rode north all day. In the evening, you passed that scuttled pick-up truck, flipped on its side, riddled with bullet holes where you saw candy bar wrappers nailed into the tires. The North Candies whooped and pointed proudly, Mamba fired a couple shots in the air. It added a little excitement to the air. But everyone was getting tired. Tired riders are dangerous. Kiddo pushed everyone on to Trench, you arrived late, late at night.

In the morning, you and Metro are good to go. Unfortunately, the Candies got really trashed again, and Kiddo ended up telling everyone to sleep in and you'd take off the next day. Metro doesn't seem fazed, he actually likes Trench. After Kiddo's announcement, it looks like you've got time to kill. Jemma and Hump are around, if you want to socialize with them at the little restaurant stall out here in Outer Rim... what is the name of that place and what do they serve?

Or did you want to check on the infirmary in town? Metro told you he could get you inside, if you wanted.

Genevieve

Yeah, we did get a room in a mobile home. It wasn't a great bed, but stretching out was very nice.

Hump got motion sick- he seemed to want to ride with us in the van but Jemma didn't really give him a choice. She wasn't mean about it, but he wasn't going to say no to her.

The restaurant is called the Curb- they serve all sorts of stuff- the offerings change depending on what they can find. Mostly they don't even have a menu- you just show up and pay and they put a plate in front of you.

I spend time eating with Jemma and Hump, but I really want to check out that infirmary, so I excuse myself and take Metro up on his offer.

Rich

Jemma's pretty nice, not nearly as rough around the edges as you might think. She asks after Kiddo, like how you know her, how you two get along. She even asks, indirectly, about Kiddo, VB and Rinso, like she wants to know what you know about them. That part, she waited to ask you alone, Stitch. How did you handle that?

Regardless, Metro is happy to lead you to the gate to Trench. One of the guards, a beefy guy with a crew-cut, recognizes him, "Mr. Metro? Gods, it's been forever. You look great, sir!"

Metro nods politely, "I'd like inside for the afternoon, please, Chesdale." Chesdale, the crew-cut guard, he ducks his head, orders the guards to open the gate, then waves you both in.

You pass through a second gate, one where there is a space with no people at all. There are machine guns mounted on the inner wall, and this walkway between gates is basically a killzone. You see old bloodstains on the ground and walls. No bodies or skeletons, but they don't clean this place out here too well, probably as a warning.

But that interior gate, a big shiny bronze one, it opens up to clean cobblestone streets, people, healthy-looking people inside. They're all clean and dressed in bright colors, vibrant stuff. Yeah, sure, there are men and women with guns on the roofs watching over you, but still, these people look happy.

Metro takes your hand, leads you on into market, which is where Kodak was trying to get you before. The place is an open bazaar. Its easy to spot the out-of-town traders from the locals, the "citizens". The non-citizens have their passes hung around their necks, and they look a little worried, like jumpy, not wanting to get in trouble.

Metro is pretty quiet here, just watching. Several people recognize him, call him Mr. Metro. He's aloof, pleasant but aloof. He leans in to ask, "Straight to the infirmary, or did you want to look in the market, Stitch? They have hydroponically grown fruits here."

Genevieve

I talked to Jemma about Kiddo, VB and Rinso, though I don't know much about whatever they've got going on. They have a bond, I know that, and for Rinso to just run off- even to right past wrongs- without talking to either of them was shitty of him. I like Jemma.

I look around the city, trying to take it all in. I'm surprised we don't have to wear visitor passes. "No passes?" I ask Metro after we are past the gate.

I was about to say straight to the infirmary when he says the magic word- fruit. I sort of melt a little. "Fruit? Like not from a can?" I ask. "Show me to this magical market!"

Rich

Metro smirks that little smirk of his and answers, "Passes are for visitors. I'm a citizen, and you're my guest, darling." He offers you an arm, which is gentlemanly, but also gives you a definitive statement that you are there with Metro, which seems to count for something here.

"Exactly. There's a subterranean grove," he taps the ground with his foot, "Right under here. The heat lamps are a drain on resources, but as long as Spanx keeps the solar panels maintained, she can handle it. Some might call it a luxury."

He pulls out a few crushed cans from his pack and walks into the market with you. There is a young girl selling tangerines and apples. They look amazing. Metro pays for them, then hands you one of each. "Go ahead. Try it. What do you think?"

How do they taste, Stitch?

Genevieve

I smile at his little smirk, but my brow draws together a little. He certainly is a mystery. I take his arm and hook mine around his.

"I'm starting to understand why people want to live here so badly..." I say.

Oh god. The taste! It puts that muffin back in Boomtown to shame! I close my eyes and the experience is... intense. The flavors! The juice of the tangerine dribbles down my chin a little and I don't care one bit. "This is the most delicious thing I've put in my mouth in my entire life."

Rich

Metro chuckles, "You are so adorable, Stitch." He reaches into his pack and pulls out three more cans and buys some more fruit, then puts that in his pack.

He walks you around the market, showing you the cobbler, the tailor's shop, even the artists' corner. He says, "It is a bit medieval now, but I hope this place can continue to grow. To help more people. But, I'm worried."

Genevieve

I grin at him, eyeing the pack a couple times. He's such a tease.

"How come?" I ask him. Trench's set up may be medieval, but looking around, I see folk smiling. People are happy here. Healthy.

Rich

Metro stops smirking, and looks at you, "This bounty... it never makes it outside the walls. Neither do the people. It's stagnated. An ivory tower. Spanx sold me on the greater good." He pauses, looking over at a very large multi-level home... like a palace, "Her idea of greater. It's much smaller than mine."

You notice that Metro isn't too lovey-dovey. He's near, he put an arm around you, but he's still guarded. "To the infirmary?"

Genevieve

Huh. I wonder what his idea of greater is? I make a mental note to ask him later.

I get why he's not doing the public displays of affection- I follow his lead.

"Yes!" I say. I'm actually excited to see it- I wonder if I can maybe pull a shift and fill up my last stock. I wonder if they even need a doctor, maybe they are all set here...

Rich

Metro takes your hand and leads you out of the market. He points out some of the architecture, detailing how the stone cut from the area near the Big Crater is perfect for cutting and shaping into form, that each of these buildings are quite sturdy and built within a small range of floorplans so they can easily modify or adjust if needed.

You see a small red cross painted on a small building not far from the center of town. He walks into a small place laid out like this:


There is a man and woman sitting quietly in the waiting room. Metro looks at the reception area, where a woman in white is writing on some papers. He says softly, "Hrm, I don't recognize her."

He walks up to the reception and says, "Hello, is Lever here?"

She frowns, "I'm sorry, sir. He's resting upstairs. Do you need to see a nurse?"

Genevieve

I look over to Metro, waiting back a bit. "Everything ok?" I ask him.

Rich

Metro asks the receptionist, "Can I see Lever? I'm Metro."

Her eyes widen slightly and she sits up. She stands, "Oh. I'm sorry, Mr. Metro. He's... he's rather sick. If you can come with me, I'll take you to him."

Metro looks back to you, Stitch, saying softly, "C'mon." I assume you follow. The three of you head back through the meager pharmacy where you see a pair of young people in white with mortar and pestle crushing out and measuring medicines. through a door to a set of stairs up to a second floor.

The receptionist, she raps on the door, which opens a moment later. Metro and then you are both on the stairs. The stairs are stone, but outside in the warm day. She beckons you inside when the door opens.

You enter the room, a modest apartment, one that looks like it is sparsely appointed, with a bookcase full of medical texts of a wide array of ages and detail. There are maybe thirty different flower arrangements in pots all around, not in the best shape. They remind you of floral arrangements sent for funerals.

In the middle of the room is the man who opened the door for the receptionist, who is just not leaving. He looks to Metro, shakes his hand, this man, he looks worn and tired. Sitting in a corner near a door is a very pretty young woman who looks dazed, glassy-eyed.

The man, you know him. You laid him out, once. It's Ivory. Metro is about to introduce you.

What do you do?

Genevieve

I look around the room, assessing my options.

OOC: Read a sitch incoming.

Genevieve

OOC: Read a sitch. Roll+sharp.
(Rolled: 2d6+3. Rolls: 2, 6. Total: 11)

Genevieve

OOC: What's my best way past Ivory? What should I be on the lookout for?

Rich

Stick to Metro. He's giving Metro a great deal of deference.

You should watch out for that girl, its Medley, she's high as a kite on something. She's been pushing it for a while, you can see small sores on her mouth hidden by lipstick, her eyes are bloodshot and her hands are shaking. She looks like a budding tweaker.

Genevieve

I take a step forward so I'm closer to Metro- to his side. "Hello. I'm Stitch. I'm a friend of Metro's." I hold my hand out to shake Ivory's. This doesn't have to be ugly, and I don't want to cause Metro any trouble here.

Rich

Ivory narrows his eyes, and takes his hand back, all dramatic. "You are the girl from the gate! With Kid-do!" He looks to Metro, "Is this some kind of insult?"

Metro pauses, then says politely, "Stitch is not an insult. She's a doctor. A very accomplished one. I thought this would interest you?"

He continues to scowl, but instead of saying more, he walks away, towards the door where Medley is sitting nearby. Metro follows. Medley doesn't really react to this.

Inside the room is dominated by a big four-poster bed. It's by far the most ostentatious thing in the whole apartment. There are pictures on the wall. Which is totally normal in your head, Stitch. Except you realize that you haven't seen a single photo since you landed on this crudball. They're of Lever, the old man, the doctor and father of Ivory. Also, there's a woman, probably his wife, in most of the pictures. They look happy. She's not here.

Lever looks very infirm. Worn. He greets you in a reedy voice, "Oh my son, I told you I am far too old to survive visits from such pretty ladies. My heart cannot take it." He offers a weak smile, "Perhaps if I close my eyes, I will be able to bear the burden of looking on her for a bit longer."

Metro comes in to stand by his bedside, "Lever. It is Metro. It is good to see you. This is my good friend Stitch. She's the pretty one."

The old man opens his brown eyes and he smiles again, "A doctor? She is too young..."

What do you do?

Genevieve

I keep my face neutral- Ivory doesn't have to like me.

I walk over to Lever, smiling at his comment. I kneel down next to the bed. "I'm older than I look." I give Metro a secret smile.

I look between Metro and Lever- I'm not quite sure how to ask the old man if I can check him out.

Rich

Lever chuckles a raspy laugh, "Do you want to look at me, pretty lady? I assume you aren't here for my sparkling wit." He starts to sit up, hesitates a second, his arms shaking, until Metro reaches behind him to help him sit up. Metro even adjusts his pillows and unbuttons his silky pajama shirt. Then, Metro slides back and ushers Ivory out of the room, leaving you alone with Lever.

"I'm old, that's all." Lever explains as you start to examine him. "My only regret is never finding someone to fill my shoes. I have triage nurses, a couple in training, but there is so much for them to learn, and so much is..." he points to his head, "Just here."

Genevieve

I handle him gently, trying not to be patronizing- he's a doctor, he doesn't need me to explain what I'm doing. I still do it a bit, though- force of habit.

I nod, agreeing. "Medical knowledge is scarce here." I've seen versions of this before- older people sad to see their memories won't be carried on by anyone.

Rich

"What is the business term? Diminishing returns?" He asks, but its that kind of pretend dialog that patients do to pass the time during an examination. "Or is it diminished resources? Or apathy? Just squandered, Stitch. My son, my grand-daughter, good people, but it takes a knack to be a doctor, you know? Some people, they look like doctors."

He squints up at you, "You should mess your hair up. Smile less. You're too pretty. But inside... you are a doctor." He winks.

Genevieve

I mess my hair up and scowl, "Now I'm a real doctor." But I can't hold it for long and I end up giggling. I smile at him- I like this guy.

"I know. I pulled a girl's appendix out on the hood of a car." I'm proud of that and not too shy to brag about it. "It's this place, maybe. You grow up fending for yourself- who can blame people for not wanting to help others when they don't know where their next meal will come from?"

I try to imagine Ivory as a doctor and I'm glad he never went that route. This planet makes people hard. Too hard, maybe.

OOC: Read a person incoming.

Genevieve

OOC: Read a person. Roll+sharp.
(Rolled: 2d6+3. Rolls: 4, 5. Total: 12)

Genevieve

OOC: What does Lever wish I'd do? What does Lever intend to do? How could I get Lever to tell me what he doesn't want me to know about Trench?

Rich

Lever keeps talking as you check him out. There are a few things you could do for him, but he's basically right, he's dying of old age. He laughed a reedy laugh at your attempt to be glum, the man has a twinkle in his eye when he's happy that is infectious.

He keeps talking, "You know, I like you, Stitch." He leans in a little and whispers, "I'm going to tell you a secret... I think Metro brought you here because he wants you to take over the infirmary. I'll move out of here, in with my cranky son, who really does love me. I'll stick around for a little bit, grease palms, introduce you to the Guild Masters, show you the undercity... but you're with Metro. He's probably told you all that, of course."

If you make him think Metro is worried about you surviving or doing well, he would be motivated to try and help you. He's used to folks only giving half truths to get what they want, and he doesn't like it.

Genevieve

I'm surprised- I'd given some thought to trying to start my own infirmary or clinic, but it didn't occur to me to take someone else's over.

"Oh." I start, searching for words. "That sounds like Metro- we had some gang trouble in Boomtown and he was worried about me. Setting up shop here would be... different."

I make a mental note to ask Metro about the undercity. I wonder why he didn't say anything about the Guild Masters?

"I'll have to think about it." I answer after a few long moments. "I was supposed to go up to the Ascendant. You're not planning on dying today, right?" I joke with him. I'm sad I didn't meet him earlier- working with him would have been an honor.

Rich

Lever sighs, "Well, I was. Didn't you see all the pretty flowers outside? I hoped to kick the bucket before they all wilted. But..." he looks up to the ceiling like he's doing some calculations, "I could hold on a bit longer."

You help him put his top back on, and he thanks you. He looks at you for a long moment, like he's trying to decide something. Then he leans slightly forward, "You do know the truth about Metro... right?"

Genevieve

"Ha." I say at his calculations.

I'm tempted by the offer. I'm sure that Trench is certainly hiding things, but there are worse places to be. There's a part of me that would rather ride around, helping those who can't get into Trench, but I know I can't help everybody. Staying here would also put several walls between me and Ronnie...

"I do." I reply. "He and I traded truths. Maybe I'll tell you mine one day."

Rich

Lever smiles when you tell him you know the truth about Metro. When you mention your own truth, he raises his eyebrows in comical curiosity. He reaches over to pay your hand, "When you come back from the Ascendant, I can show you the clinic, make all the introductions, get you set up. It will be wonderful, knowing a real doctor is still here." He looks at your with a fatherly grin.

There's a rap at the door, then Ivory sticks his head in, "Father? Johndeer needs to speak with you."

Lever sighs, looks to you apologetically, "Safe travels, Stitch. I look forward to seeing you again. And... work on the grumpy look. You keep ruining it with those smiles."

What do you do?

Genevieve

I laugh- no way I can keep a stern face on around Lever! "Thank you. See you soon."

I let myself out of the room, looking around for Metro.

Rich

Metro is sitting beside Medley, the two have been chatting quietly. You can see Medley is a little less fazed out, this attention is getting through to her. Metro, he's obviously concerned, he's brought her a glass of water, he's moved close.

When he sees you emerge from Lever's room, he touches Medley's forearm lightly, then stands up. "Everything alright?"

He looks to Medley, then you, "Oh Stitch, this is Lever's grand-daughter Medley. Medley, this is Stitch." She gives you a wan smile.

What do you do?

Genevieve

"Hi, Medley. Nice to meet you." I say, smiling back at her.

"You want me to stay." I say to Metro quietly, not asking.

Rich

Metro answers without hesitation, "I want you to consider it." He seems ready to lead you out, "We should get back soon."

Genevieve

I nod. "I will." I would have preferred he just tell me that in the first place, but maybe he thought Lever would be downstairs working and feel less like a set up.

"Anything I can do for her?" I ask quietly about Medley. It seems weird to ask him- I'm the doctor- but no sense beating around the bush.

Rich

Metro glances back at her, "She's addicted to a variant of meth-amphetamine cooked here. She needs counseling and treatment. And someone to listen to and guide her, which it seems Lever cannot do now."

Genevieve

I nod. Nothing I can do right now.

I wonder if Metro will continue to work on the towers if I take over for Lever. He'll leave me here and move around. He will feel like I'm safe, but will I be?

Rich

Metro leads you out of the infirmary, back out to the streets. He leads you down an alley to what looks like a small school area, from the little bright-colored playground of plastic slides and little pools to the dozen or so small kids of ages ranging from six to eleven or so.

While you're standing in the shake of an arcade walkway, he reaches into his pack and pulls out another tangerine for you, "Are you alright, Stitch? Anything you want to talk about?"

Genevieve

I sigh, pushing the tangerine back towards him. "I wish you would have just said about Lever before- instead of bringing me here and having him be all 'I wish I had someone to pass the knowledge onto' on me." I watch the kids play.

"I'm getting mixed signals from you- you want me to take over for Lever but you're worried this place is stagnating." I explain.

I don't say that my real fear is that I would be giving up helping people who really need it- people like Payday who would have died without me- for the safety of the walls.

Rich

Metro doesn't make eye contact, but he takes the tangerine, puts it back in his pack. "I know. I'm sorry about the mixed signals. I'm having mixed feelings. It's difficult to reconcile that you are an excellent doctor who can help so many people against my own selfish desire to keep you safe, and well... maybe a little happy."

He turns to look at you, "I did not expect the hard sell from Lever. The last time I'd spoken with him, he was in perfect health. Yes, he was looking for a successor, and I did want you to see the infirmary as it works day to day, not some special presentation he might have put on for you." He shakes his head, looks down at your feet, "I shouldn't have brought you to see him like that. That was not fair. Please forgive me."

Genevieve

"It's ok." I assure him. I take a step closer and take his hands in mine. "We'll figure it out. What now?" I ask.

Rich

A thankful smile finally spreads across his face. "Well, there is a very nice restaurant called Toho that serves a rather badass facsimile of sushi. We could have dinner, spend some time together at the undercity gardens, then sleep on a real bed. Does that sound like a better apology?" He smirks a little.

Genevieve

"That sounds wonderful!" I say, smiling back at him, giving him a little smirk of my own.

Rich

Metro chuckles, "You smile like that and I won't let you get much sleep, Stitch." He puts an arm around you and leads you away from the small school and through a courtyard near the wall away from the gate. On top of one of the buildings is a machine gun nest, manned by a couple guards keeping watchful eye on the area below the mesa. You head up to a set of stairs along that same building and take it to the top floor.



Metro opens the door and you enter a small foyer with nice red carpet, soft live music playing. It's an actual, honest to goodness restaurant, the smells of Asian cuisine. There are red curtains blocking off the rest of the place from this small entryway. A fairly attractive teenage boy greets you and takes you to a table. The interior of the restaurant is a dozen tables with white tablecloths, nice table settings, matching chairs. There are only two open tables here, and the clientele are well dressed, clean and pleasant. Some of them seem to recognize Metro.

You're very under-dressed.

What do you do?

Genevieve

"Oh, uh..." I mumble as we are seated. "Aren't I underdressed?" I ask nervously. I don't really have any nice clothes, but I would have tried to clean up a bit if I'd known. I feel a little silly.

Rich

Metro stops, like this hadn't occurred to him. "I, uhm, well, we both are." He looks to the young man and asks, "Is my appearance a problem?"

The boy ducks his head, "No, Mr. Metro. You are an honored guest. Please, come and sit."

For a moment, Metro peers at the teen. Then he says, "Expo? You're Expo, aren't you?" The teen smiles. Metro chuckles, "You've certainly grown."

"Please," Expo says as he pulls a chair out for you, Stitch, "Sit."

There was a bit where the people eating generally grew silent, as if they were eavesdropping on this conversation. Then, Expo's move to seat you seems to re-balance things. People resume eating and chatting. Nobody interrupts you, and after a couple minutes, a waitress comes out to list the chef's specialties for the evening. Which one has you salivating, Stitch?

Genevieve

More of this honored guest- I wonder how long he's been a citizen here? He seems to be known by almost everyone, and they offer him deference.

"Why is everyone so nice to you?" I ask quietly before the waitress comes over. She talks about the specials- all of them make my mouth water- sushi! It was probably my favorite food back on the moon, though I didn't get it often. "Will you pick for me?" I ask Metro- he would know what's good here.

Rich

"I helped the founder of Trench once." Metro answers right as the waitress comes up. She lists all the different items in a row. It's a simple but refined menu.

When you ask Metro to pick, he rattles off, "We will have the following: grilled shitake, hokkaido uni, black truffle ball sushi with black truffle dollop, shimaji and grilled unagi. For dessert, do you still have the melon?"

She smiles and leaves you two alone, returning with a white wine and a small green salad. Metro smiles when he sees you react to the fresh greens. He pushes his plate forward, "Would you like mine, too?"

Genevieve

"No, thank you! You eat it!" I tell him. Really I just want to save room for the other food he ordered...

I want to take his hand, but I stop myself. He's a private guy and I don't want to make him uncomfortable here. "What did you do?"

Rich

Metro nods when you decline the salad and picks up a nice green leaf. He chews on it fastidiously and politely wipes at his mouth with a cloth napkin before answering softly, "I helped him with the design of this." He takes a drink of the glass of water, then adds, "I'm sorry. by this, I mean Trench. Which wasn't my suggestion for the town's name. I thought Xion or Jericho might be interesting. Or even Ryleth or Roanoke. But, no, he had to name it after himself."



The sushi comes out shortly after, and it looks expertly prepared, and delicious. The next bit is taken up by the pure delight of an amazing meal. It definitely takes the edge off. As the two of you sit quietly, you notice that folks are ending their meals and filtering out. Pretty soon, you'll be the only people left in the restaurant, it seems.

What do you do?

Genevieve

I savor the food- it's certainly making staying in Trench more tempting.

"When was that?" I ask him.

Rich

"We drew up plans thirty two years ago. It took him eight years to get started, though." He picks up a roll deftly with his sticks, and offers you a bite. It's a veggie roll.

Genevieve

"Don't they realize you haven't aged?" I ask him quietly. I'm content to stay here as long as he wants to. He said something about the undercity gardens, but I'm not in a rush.

I take a bite of the roll- it's delicious, of course. I wonder if they have the same kind of fish here that Earth had.

Rich

"I'm sure some do. It's why I don't come back often. It's been a while since I was here last." He takes a bite, washes it down with relish. "It's been five years. Trench is dead now, but there are a number of folks who still know me."

And now it is just the two of you here.

Genevieve

"Ha- so what- they gave you a lifetime membership?" I kid. "So what about the Guilds? The undercity? Lever mentioned it, but didn't elaborate."

Rich

The waitress comes to clean up your empty plates, brings you each a plate with a single, very large blueish melon slice. Metro demonstrates cutting the rind off the edge for your benefit, then cuts his into smaller bite-sized pieces, "Spanx took over for Trench, and she formalized the guilds. It's one of the reasons I decided to leave. More backwards thinking, with price fixing, control of process and creativity, creates an oligarchy focused on economy."

He takes a few bites of the melon and washes it down before continuing, "With the harsh climates, its easier to cultivate crops in a stable underground area. Undercity isn't that big, really. But there are nice gardens and some other interesting places. Like the lake, and the mine. Trench has so much potential. Maybe in a generation, it will change again."

Genevieve

I follow his example with the melon and enjoy it.

I smile a wry smile. "Maybe." Not all of us will see that...

Rich

As you're halfway done with the melon, the waitress comes out, "Mr. Metro, are you almost finished? The, ah... the curfew begins shortly."

"Curfew?" Metro asks after swallowing some melon. "It this across Trench?"

"Yes, sir," she answers.

Metro blinks, "Is it a sundown curfew?" She nods. He pulls some tin cans and a small electronic watch, an Ironman, and puts it on the table, "Will this cover the meal?" She nods again.

"Change of plans, Stitch." Metro says with a sigh, "We can either hurry to find a hotel or head back out to the van. Your choice."

Genevieve

"Oh, uh- we can go back to the van." I'd really been hoping to sleep in a bed. Maybe do other things in a bed. I sigh. I really don't want to make trouble, though. "It's ok. Maybe next time."

Rich

Metro scoots back form his chair and leans towards you, "If you're willing to move quick, maybe we can sneak in under the wire." He looks to the waitress, who is hurriedly grabbing up the jingle Metro left, and he asks her, "Is McGraw Hill's still open?" She nods.

He stands and offers you a hand, "C'mon, Stitch, let's get you into a bed."

Rich

With Metro leading you, both of you head outside where the sun is setting. You move through a couple courtyards and past several groups of guards who eye you suspiciously. Near the western edge of town you end up at McGraw Hill's hotel. The place is clean, reminds you of the place at Armour, but much larger. The balcony overlooks the wall and is a gorgeous view of the sunset, which is nearly set by the time you step foot onto the balcony together.

--END SCENE--