Territory

Writers: Miriah, Yvonne
Date Posted: 12th September 2014

Characters: Kumore, Ricker
Description: Kumore and Ricker meet over a generator
Location: Dolphin Cove Weyr
Date: month 8, day 12 of Turn 7

Ricker slept late, lulled by the time difference and the silence of his new apartment deep within the Weyr. His previous apartment had opened directly out into the Weyrbowl, but here he was three doors in, secluded and shaded, and delightfully quiet.

By the time he was dressed and ready to leave his cavern of a home, the sun was mid-way to noon and there wasn't much left to breakfast on. He munched through an apple and a heel of bread and ham before jamming a beat-up leather hat on his bald head and going to explore. The first stop was the storerooms set aside for the Technicians, which he persuaded one of the Headwoman's girls to show him. She was all giggles, but he was more interested in the stacks of lumber and copper wiring, the buckets of nails and the woeful lack of gears.

After that he decided to opt for a walk on the beach instead of a tour of the workrooms set aside for the Technicians while they were there. He'd end up spending more than enough time on the workbenches, with the faces that were undoubtedly squinting at switches and wiring now. But the beach... it was stinking hot, shimmering in the sunshine, and lacking most of the dragons and half-naked (or naked) riders he'd expected. He glanced up and saw Wings in formation -- drills, then, in the noonday sun. He didn't envy them.

He found a shady spot beneath a wide tree, stripped down to nothing, and sprinted across the hot sand into the water. The sand burnt the soles of his feet but the water was delightfully cool and the bottom sandy. Poor for fishing and if a reef had ever been there it had long been torn to shreds by dragon claws. He flipped over and floated in the blue, the water lapping against his skin and his eyes screwed shut against the glare. After far too little time he reluctantly left the water, dressed, and headed back to the Technician's wing.

On his way he decided to check in on his generator, which he'd left covered with an oiled burlap tarp in the shade of a stone outcropping near one of the entrances to the Lower Caverns. Whistling, he rounded the corner, then paused. The burlap was off, and someone had removed the main coverplate. That someone was crouched in front of the hole, peering at the workings within.

Ricker cleared his throat. "Can I help you?"

A greasy hand pointed off to the side. "Yeah. Hand me the small wrench over there and the tube of lubricant. This gear has to be replaced before it snaps." Kumore didn't even look over her shoulder at the sound of his voice. She mumbled quietly to herself as she tilted her head to the side and frowned, peering at the wires.

The wrench was placed in her palm, followed by the lubricant. "You offering to machine one for me, or do you happen to have one in your back pocket?" Ricker asked.

"Front pocket. It would poke me in the ass otherwise. Thanks." Sticking her tongue out of the corner of her mouth in concentration, she reached in, popped one gear out of place and then worked the cracked gear carefully out. "Name's Kumore. Who're you?"

Ricker settled himself on the sand next to her-- him? And took off his hat to fan himself. Kumore seemed to be another Technician, and he wasn't about to stop him-- her? from doing his work on the generator for him, but that didn't mean he'd let her-- him? rummage around in there without supervision. "Senior Journeyman Ricker, here to electrify the place. Where'd you get trained, Kumore?"

"I'm Weyrtrained. Was at Dragonsfall for my apprenticeship and when I was a Junior Journeyman, I was shuffled around from Weyr to Weyr. First time at Dolphin's Cove." She pulled the cracked gear out and handed it to him. "Am loving it so far. But it's a bit lacking in machinery, so when the call came out about getting this place all up to snuff on gadgetry, I came along with a few others."

Weyrtrained, which didn't answer the gender question. Not that it actually mattered much, except to save him from embarrassment later on. Ricker decided to ask Solis about it later. In the mean time... "Well, you seem to have an instinct for it. But next time, come find me and _ask_ before you touch my stuff."

That made Kumore pause and turn to him with both brows raised. "Last I heard, this generator was the Weyr's." A lip corner quirked. "I brought my own tools too. I fix things. That's my craft. This needed it."

"And I greatly appreciate the fix," Ricker said genially. "But this particular generator is _mine_. I built it, I brought it here, I'm setting it up. It even has my name on it, if you bothered to look. I don't mind sharing my toys-- but this little beauty is what got me my Senior knots."

"Ah." Kumore sat back on her heels and promptly handed him the new gear. "Well then, I apologize."

"No offense taken." Ricker ran his fingertip over the gear's teeth. "I'll need another hand to get it up to speed and set up, though. Want to be it?"

"No." Her lips lifted slightly. "I'm sure an apprentice would be willing though." She rose to her feet and brushed off her hands. "I'll be sure to look for names next time I start repairs. Thanks for the head's up on that."

He shrugged. Too bad-- having a Journeyman assistant was _way_ better than some incompetent brat of an apprentice. Even if the Journeyman in question was... confusing. "See you in the workrooms."

Kumore chuckled. "Doubtful. I'm rarely in them. Besides, wouldn't want to play with anyone's toys. I'll stick to fixing what is obviously broken."

"If you want." He tucked the gear into his shirt pocket. If Kumore wanted to miss out on the interesting work, that was his-- her? choice. "Nice meeting you anyway."

Both brows raised at the politeness. "Was it?" Her lips lifted a little higher. "Have a good afternoon, Ricker."

He grunted a reply that might have been 'good afternoon' or something else entirely, and bent to examine Kumore's work. The Journeyman had a deft hand, but the stage that she-- he? had left the repairs in required tools, and he'd rather get scorched than ask Kumore for a wrench and a screwdriver.

Last updated on the October 3rd 2014

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