Starting Out.

Thud.

Thump.

Clatter.

"Gwath amlug!"

"No need to get violent, but I -gngh -ravving -unhh -agree."

Ka-thunk.

The door swung open, and the heavy box was dropped to the floor. The carriers straightened up, one of them rather less than gracefully. She rubbed her arms and arched her spine.

"'M telling you for free, Estelnar, I hate having to carry these things around. I mean, it's not like they need to come here before we pack them into the printing rooms; you can program them just as well where we need them. But nooo, policy says an Agent has to set up any out-of-base equipment in his or her own Response Centre first."

"Breeze. I don't like it either. But it gives us a way to go prodding at stuff if we're walking around."

"Fine." The human grimaced, and then checked the basket affixed to the wall by the door. There was a lot of paper in it.

"Is it just me, or did we get a front page?"

"And a page three. And a note on missing Agents. And a lot of other stuff."

"Hmm." Starwind frowned thoughtfully. "Could we hack into the SO's computer again? He might have something on missing Agents."

"And you can sniff out a story fom a word," Estelnar replied dryly. "Yes, I can. Are you going to work out the truth or just seven different fictions?"

"Well, I usually do get the truth, even if a lot of gunk comes with it. C'mon, we both do that. See potential, take a hint, work out theories...find the truth. Piece together fragments -"

"-apply human nature. I know. However, you generally seem to use that skill to make up outrageous suggestions after you've worked out what really happened."

"Most of the stuff's sent in by other people," Starwind pointed out, pulling her wayward blonde hair out of its ponytail and shaking her head. "It's hardly my fault if they're imaginative."

Estelnar didn't bother arguing. Instead, she dug a small white bottle out of the basket and tossed it over. "There's your meds for next week, miss ADD. Now, can I get on with programming?"

Starwind caught the pills easily. "Sure. What do I need to do?"

"Well, if you can set them in pairs and run a line from each to the yorich port -you've done that before, haven't you? And then just start up the console, but only one section of it. And then stand back."

The girl nodded, and began to lift out the printers and wire them together, before running connections into the base of Estelnar's console.

(A brief pause for clarification here. Due to the fact that the two used computers more than other people, they had redesigned their RC to the point of having three consoles -er, computer-like areas. One was over each bed; the third against the back wall. However, the three were melded together. Despite this, there was a door in the back of the room. And a lot of spare space. Moreover, they had so much data that a great deal was stored on flash drives. Most of the data was not meant to be there.)

The connection process was slightly hindered by the obstacle of the bed. As the Elf would have pointed out, at least it was neat.