[center][h2]Lost and Found[/h2][/center]

[center][img]https://i.imgur.com/W38AKEC.jpg[/img][/center]

Thanks to [@wanderingwolf] and [@psych0pomp] for lending characters and words.

[b]” Listen to me, child.”  Ba ba’s hands cradled her face,  “You run.  Run as fast as you can.  Don’t stop til you’re safe.”

Mei Lin felt the tears come, and a quiver to her lip that wasn’t brought on by the cold.  “No!  I can help you!  You’ll see!”  Ba ba’s head turned at the sound of a heavy crash further up the ridge.  The bear, now excited by the blood trail in their footprints, had picked up its’ pace.  “Come with me!” the child whimpered.

“Go…GO!”  She saw the moistening in his eyes as he shoved her downhill.  “He’s coming!”  Ba ba cried urgently.  NOW!”  She turned, half blinded in her tears, and began to stagger down the snow covered slope.  From behind came the thumps of heavy footfalls, punctuated by the rhythmic grunting of the pursuing bear. 

 [i]”Ko-dee-ak”[/i], the word Ba ba used, darted across her mind.  She’d seen bears only once before, when Ba ba took her to a traveling sideshow.  They were funny, wearing silly hats and peddling tricycles around a ring.  She’d thought them delightful.  But this [i]ko-dee-ak[/i] was nothing like them.  He was a mountain, standing tall as the trees when he reared up, all teeth, claws, and roar when he’d struck their camp.  She found her speed, racing downward into the thickening treeline, knocking snow from the overloaded boughs as she fought to keep precarious balance.

From behind her came a deafening roar, answered by Ba ba’s angry shout.  [i]”Hā! Nǐ xiǎng yào lìng yīgè, nǐ zhège gǒu shǐ? Hǎo la…hǎo la!”[/i]  He must’ve struck the bear with the crash kit’s knife.  Hobbled by his shattered leg, weakened by the blood loss that their makeshift [i]ter-ni-ket[/i] couldn’t staunch, Ba ba was putting up a fight.  The sounds from above gave her hope.  Maybe she shouldn’t run too far.  He’d need her to circle back and help after he’d killed…

Then came the screaming, a gurgling wail that seemed to rise up from deep within.  Like the bear, she thought, but…was that Ba ba?

“RUUUUNNNNN!”[/b]

“Beg pardon, ma’am?”  

Abby glanced up from her novel.  The man looked local.  He wore the loose fitting clothes and broad brimmed hat over knee boots all scuffed from lotsa traipsin’.  His beard was flecked in grey, trailing down a face gone ruddy and dark from years spent ‘neath the local sun.  “Yessir?” she asked.

“Lookin’ fer work,” he said.  “Got anythin’?”

“You mechanic?  We’s needin’ a mechanic.”

The stranger shook his head.  “No, ma’am.  But I ain’t afraid ‘o’ hard work.”

Abby give a mild shake of her head.  “Sorry, friend.  Ever’thin’ else is covered.”  She looked down the way.  “Lotsa boats berthed jest now,” the girl offered.  “Sure’n one of ‘em’s gon’ come up shorthanded fer launch.  Look fer them’s takin’ on cargo first.  They’ll be yer best bet.”

“‘Preciate that, ma’am.” The man give a tip of his hat afore settin’ off.

“May the road rise,” she said in kind.  The deckhand just put ‘er eyes back inta Mei Lin’s flight down the mountainside when ‘er hip pocket commenced vibratin’.  [i]What’s he done now?[/i]  the smile rose tah her lips as she anticipated more from Thomas.

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[b]Message from:  NOT YOUR BOYFRIEND

Hey Kid, we’re bound for CAPITAL CITY, OSIRIS.  Cargo is 12 pallets.  Skids up day after tomorrow, high noon.  Do some Abby-cadabra and get my hold filled up.  Extra points for passengers.  Pen says hi.  Girl knows how to dance.

Captain Slide[/b]

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“Huh,” she said again tah his messagin’.  Abby put Mei Lin aside an’ scooped up tha clipboard.  After conjurin’ actual flight time she figgered out per kilo shippin’ rates an’ passenger fees.  Then, she flipped over tah her notes of all them as come askin’.   “Nope…nope…negatory,” the girl struck each name an’ destination off ‘er list.  Next one she found herself hopin’ for:

[i][b]Celia Winters - 1 passenger & 20 beagles - Londinium[/b][/i]

Abby worked the chart, clockin’ in current orbits ‘o’ both planets ‘round tha White Sun.  “Hmm” her brows lifted, afore she jumped on tha cortex to call Ms. Winters.

“Hey, Cal Junior,” Rex’s voice boomed out behind her as he tromped down the ramp.  “Showin’ a little leg, huh?”

She give ‘im her “wooden indian” look.  “Nothin’ gits by yew.”

“Not that, anyway,” he waggled his eyebrows over them sunglasses.  Looked like Rex done dressed fer tha planet, wearin’ khaki shorts an’ a tropical print shirt the girl swore she could read by after sundown.  “Important tanning tip, mei mei.  Gotta lay on your stomach if you want color on the backs of your legs.”

“Smart talk from a man’s got tha pastiest shanks I ever did see.”

He grinned.  “Ladies who ride the highway like a well marked onramp.  Hey, what’s Cal Senior up to?”

“Him an’ Pen went inta town,” Abby said.  “Linin’ up a job.  It’s called work.”

“Take it from me,” Rex shook his head.  [i]”Nàgè gǒu shǐ huì shāle nǐ.”[/i]*
*that shit’ll kill you

Abby come back, smilin’ all sweet as she asked [i]”Nǐ zěnme zhīdào de?”[/i]**
**how would you know?

“You need more sin in your life, kiddo.  Anyhoo, tell him I’m lookin’ for him, wouldja?”  Rex give out a big yawn, arms spread wide as he stretched.  “Well, gotta run.  Things to meet.  People to do.  Ciao.”

“Hasta.”  She watched the man as he sauntered off.  Seemed like Rex had a lucky star in the ‘verse.  Set Abby tah wonderin’ if they both shared tha same one in their Cap’n.  

Her call tah Ms. Winters went straight tah voice mail.  “Ni hao, this is Abby from China Doll,” she said tah the voice recorder.  “Turns out we’s headed fer Osiris.  Not a straight run tah Londinium, but orbits look right tah make it a puddle jump if yah wanna change boats.  Leastways there’d be time tah check with tha Cap’n ‘bout takin’ a side trip.  Lemme know if yer interested.”  That part wrapped, she set tah work figgerin’ out a couple package rates tah git tha woman an’ her dogs tah Osiris with the Londinium add-on.  Cap’n would want the numbers.  Right now they wouldn’t make nothin’ fer the side hop, but she conjured they might pick up somethin’ else ta keep both China Doll and her finances in the black.

[center][hider=Gato Que Avanza, Perro Que Ladra]
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1YCY8lr7Ecc[/youtube]
[/hider][/center]

When the shuttle dropped skids right fronta her, weren’t no way she couldn’t stare.  Thing’s painted all metal flake purple with flames trailin back orange an’ read along her sides.  Roof struts’d been chopped a might tah narrow out tha windshield an’ passenger windahs.  They’s more chrome on it she’d ever seen.  Whole thing glowed unnerneath like she had a reactor all broke open, til Abby conjured it’s naught but LED lightin’.  Couldn’t see inside, what with them windahs tiinted so dark an’ all.  Whole thing throbbed an’ shook so much she pondered how it weren’t leavin’ a trail ‘o’ screws an parts what done fall off.  

Back door flew open, an’ music hit ‘er in tha chest.  The real surprise was that fella Yuri, him as they rescued on New Melbourne, climbin’ out.  She could see he’s still perty stove up an’ movin’ slow.  He raised his right hand tah wave, a smile comin’ tah his face til tha shuttle’s passenger windah rolled down.  “Hey, [i]cabrón[/i]!”

“Yeah?”  Yuri turned back.

“C’mere,”  All Abby could see was sunglasses,  a doo rag on ‘is head, an’ tha pen he waved as Yuri leaned toward ‘im.  “For good luck,” he said as he signed Yuri’s cast.  “You need some.  Buena suerte, man.”  He give the cast a friendly pat, afore lookin’ over his shades right at her.  A mouth fulla gold teeth grinned, then ‘is lips pooched as he blew ‘er a kiss.  “Oooh, mama!” he laughed as the shuttle went skids up an’ cruised back the way they come, music throbbin’ as it faded away.

“See yah made friends,” Abby set ‘er eyes on the mechanic.

“Yeah…yeah!” Yuri chuckled.  “They were good guys.  It’s Abby, right?”

“Sure’n it is.  How yew keepin’?”

“Well enough.”  He stopped before her.  “Is the captain about?”

“Nah, he’s off handlin’ business.”  She looked ‘im up an’ down.  While it’s pain as day Yuri’d cleaned up since she last seen him, what with the cast, new bandages an’ such, she could also spot the tiredness rollin’ up on ‘im.  “Yah wanna wait inside, mebbe have a bite an’ a sit down?”

The smile returned to Yuri’s face.  “Do I look like I need it?”

“Our doc would give me all kindsa nasty looks if’n I didn’t offer.”

“Hey,” he said, “you told me the boat needed a mechanic?  That still true?”

She nodded.  “Ever mechanic on a Firefly?”

“No, but I do know the MSR reactor - radion core combination’s one helluva lot safer than the one I just spent three years keeping together.” 

“They’s reliable, alright,” the girl opened ‘er clipboard.  “Cap’n’s got tha last say on it, but if yah conjure tha goesintahs an’ goesouttas he’s like tah hire yah.  Usual deal…full share, gun bonus if we gotta pull ‘em an’ such.”

“I don’t have a gun,” Yuri shook his head.  “I don’t have anything, right now.”

Abby come up outta her chair.  “Tell yah what.  Lemme walk yah back.  We’ll setcha up a room tah stretch out in.  Got things like toothbrushes fer them as fergot tah pack ‘em.  Might also have some clothes in tha lost ‘n’ found.  Welcome aboard tha China Doll.”

“Thanks,” Yuri gave a grateful nod as he fell in at her side.  “Nice to come aboard under my own steam.”

Once Yuri’s all sitchiated, Abby headed fer tha ramp.  On tha way, she’s bangin’ out a message tah tha Cap’n:

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[b]Message from:  IN YOUR DREAMS

Copy on Osiris.  Might have a nibble for cargo, but nobody booking passage yet.  Tell Pen I want details.

The Mop Queen

PS:  Abby-cadabra.  Just pulled a mechanic out of my hat.[/b]

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