[Saturday September 14th, 2075; Moving out of Tarislar, Puyallup, Seattle]
@Bittorrent & Flicker:
"Hello Madam, they call me Bittorrent and my associate here goes by Flicker. Oblique said that we should come speak with you."
The vast lady reclining on a mound of cushions before you giggles, a mellow but oddly childlike sound, and extends her pudgy hand to grasp yours. Her skin is warm and silken and strangely compelling. She is swathed in a dark grey silk bedecked with stars in silver thread that through some digital trickery seem to evolve and burst like the universe in fast forward
“'ello gorgeous” and her prodigious bulk wobbles again as she laughs “Come into me little 'ouse and we cin see why Oblique sent you to ‘ole Meg” the Cockney accent sounds strange issuing from this bizarre form but is somehow comforting in its warmth "always nice to git guests 'ere, let's see what we can see..."
"Meg! Stop that, stop teasing our guests..."The newcomer is a little girl, anywhere between eight and ten, dressed in a simple off white dress with bare feet, her smile is serene as she turns to you both "I am sorry about Meg, Oblique sent you to me? You want to know what I've seen..." it is a statement rather than a question
"'caws they want to know what you seen deerie, they all want that, 'till they hear it, 'en dey ain't so keen" and with a quiet cackle the fat lady simple vanishes
"I am sorry, she likes to tease, there's no harm in her. Please come in...you want to know about today..."
@Morgan:
As the journey fully gets underway the mountainside begins to be populated by a ream of personae as the performers and other members of the troupe log on. A brief check on the logs shows you that most are using the host as a doorway to the matrix at large, venturing to the citadel above and launching themselves into the ether via the satellite uplinks maintained on the zep hovering above your meat somewhere...
@Ghost / Luz / Al / Cutter:
Each in your own way you settle in to observe, ignoring the ash as a minor irritation. The wind is picking up but Al is secure on the running boards in the lead cab whilst Luz is near the head of the second train amongst the tarp covered canvases that presumably house the tents for the performances.
Although the wind makes it difficult to discern an exact direction you all pick up on the full throated roar of the heavy hogs in the distance...
@Leaflock:
"You are handling our metaphysical security ya? Oblique asked me to talk to you and offer assistance...I am William Zeiss..."
"I am indeed, Leaf is the name Mr Zeiss, or should I say Herr Zeiss?
If you can offer some insights into this strange little troupe that you have that would be extremely helpful. As you may be aware, we've been asked to tag along on your journey at the last minute and many of us have not yet been fully briefed on what we might be needed for. I myself, am here strictly to provide medical assistance should it be required."
"Do not come to me for briefing, I am not going to waste my time trying to describe this rabble! It is as you see, chaos walking, dancing, strutting, whatever. There is beauty in it, in the chaos, but it is not something for forming into words, ya? That chaos fuels the universe, so perhaps this is a little microcosm, ya? A reflection on the world we live in? But if you are merely here to heal I suppose that my brother and I will need to handle things as usual, it is typical of Oblique, he wilfully ignores our needs..."
@Harrier:
<<@Morgan/BT [Harrier] Checking with the zeppelin to see if they have a sensor feed to add to our net. I'll let you know.>>
>>@L'Ombre Zep: this is Harrier. About those sensors?
But it is your own thermal sensors on drone one, out near the head of the convoy, that detect the riders inbound. Heavy bikes, Yamaha Akiras, a couple of Harley Scorpions, ten in total riding down the 161 towards you. Although natural visibility is now crap if they have any kind of thermal then they cannot fail to have spotted the heat signatures approaching them...
>>@Harrier: Zep here, I'm meshing you in now, nothing in the skies apart from your own birds, but you'll have seen the fraggers on the road ahead...