Mattchstick

Men vs. Women Race to 1000

661

Men vs. Women Race to 1000

653

Men vs. Women Race to 1000

649

Men vs. Women Race to 1000

642

Sol City [Modern Slice of Life] . (CHAPTER ONE COMPLETED!) . ARCHIVED

KRISS MAUSER

LOCATION: SCVRS

TIME: WEDNESDAY, 9:15 AM - 12 PM

"'26. They're swatted' First letter is G. Gnats."

Reluctantly, Kriss etched the word into the paper and glanced down the hall. He hadn't properly answered a clue all day but it did little to improve his mood. He had set this day aside entirely for training when he could have been doing...well, anything, really. He wasn't exactly a social individual and likely wouldn't have spent the day, say, shopping at the mall, but still. This was his time and it was being actively wasted. He tossed the puzzle and pen onto the table a bit more forcefully as if to emphasize his irritation, even though he was the only one in the room.

To her credit, Allison got up, showered, and dressed in a surprisingly short time. She arrived at the lounge area in less than fifteen minutes, shirt straight and bootlaces tied, though her hair was still damp and her cheeks were a bit red. She didn't know Kriss particularly well, but she knew he wouldn't be interested in excuses, so she saved them both time and kept her mouth shut. She straightened her back and lifted her chin to present herself for inspection. Kriss didn't bother. He was already standing and, without a word, moved briskly to the main garage. Ally followed him, her embarrassment rapidly being replaced by curiosity. The building was split into two large sections: housing/offices and bays. While the ambulances shared a bay (i.e. a wide open garage with a smooth concrete floor and two roll-up doors), the boat was separated by a cinderblock wall with set of double doors, minus the doors, which had never been installed. The boat was resting on a steel trailer connected to a two-door 4x4 emergency rescue truck. The walls of the bay were lines with toolboxes, hoses, and an ice box in case anyone wanted to fill up a cooler with ice.

Kriss slapped a panel on the wall as he entered the bay, lifting the front door and letting the sunlight in. He crossed his arms as Ally popped in beside him, cocking her head to the side and raising an eyebrow. She was facing a 10m Naiad Rescue Vessel. It featured twin diesel jet engines, a hardtop cabin that seated four, beam lights, search lights, infrared cameras, Radar, and GPS/AIS tracking. The cabin held room for four, including two nav/com stations equipped with VHF radio, UHF radio, and long-range cellphone capabilities. Unloaded, it weighed nearly 5,000 kgs (11,000 lbs). Both boat and truck were painted in the standard SCVRS colors: white and blue, with silver text and a large Star of Life stamped on the truck doors. The sunlight slid into the room, glinting off the [RESCUE BOAT] reflective text emblazoned on the sides of the cabin. It was an impressive sight, even in a garage. She trotted over to it and placed a hand on the hull, grinning widely and letting out a quiet giggle.

"WOW! Look at this thing!"

"That is what I am doing," Kriss replied, his voice giving off just a hint of irritation. He hadn't completely calmed down from having to yell at her to get her out of bed. Ally toned down immediately, stepping back a few feet and reducing her grin, though she couldn't resist bouncing up and down on her toes. She looked a bit like a dog staring at an unguarded cheeseburger. It was a habit, to the point that she wasn't even aware she was doing it. Kriss was painfully aware that telling her to stop would accomplish nothing, so he forced himself to ignore it as best he could and focus on the lesson.

He hadn't been exaggerating when he said it would be a 12-hour training session. The first four occurred in the building, with the boat still on the trailer. It mainly covered memorizing what was on the boat, where it was located, and what it was used for. He drilled her on victim scenarios (breathing, not breathing, warm, cold, shaking, etc.) and what protocols could and could not be followed on the water. She had received no formal training on open-water rescue. He had her remove all of the equipment, identify it, then put it back in the correct place. He even made her step out of the boat while he went in and moved various items around, then had her climb back in and figure out what had been misplaced (and return it to its place). It was monotonous, but Ally was a quick learner. They were done with the basics by noon.

"So now do we take it out on the water??" she asked as she climbed out of the boat for the last time.

"As soon as Snap gets here," Kriss said. He didn't sound at all impressed by Ally's performance, because he wasn't. She did well, but she was expected to. As far as he was concerned, there wasn't anything particularly impressive about knowing how to do the job you've been hired to do (or volunteered for).

"Good timing," a voice said as a figure appeared inn the open bay door. The two turned to see Snap, wearing her formal blue-grey uniform and pink-and-black sneakers. They didn't match, but she didn't care. Kelly Snapdragon was a tidy, organized woman, but she could not care less about shoes. She owned one nice pair of low heels for fancy occasions and sneakers for everything else. She tied her hair into a short ponytail and nodded in their direction. "You kids having fun?"

"Yup!" Ally replied crisply, bouncing on her toes again.

"Kriss, you being nice?"

"Yes."

Snap glanced back at Ally and winked. "Is he being nice?"

She nodded quickly. "Yeah! Kriss is a great teacher. You wanna come with us?"

"Nope," Snap replied, brushing past the duo and heading for the offices through the ambulance bay. "I've got paperwork to deal with. Keep your life jackets on. If you need anything, my phone number is 9-1-1."

Ally watched her leave, then turned back to Kriss.

"So now do we take it out on the water??"

"Yes. We will launch at the marina. There is a designated boat ramp. I will drive."

Ally let out another quiet giggle as she hopped into the passenger seat of the truck. She was entirely too excited about all of this, but then again she had never been in a boat. She was a good enough swimmer, but boating was all new territory. Kriss climbed in and the duo, in unison, slammed their doors closed. The beefy V8 engine roared to life and the two set out for the harbor. He glanced at her as they pulled onto the highway. She had retrieved her phone from a pocket and was typing away. He briefly considered saying something about it, but he refrained. It was none of his darn business.

Men vs. Women Race to 1000

622

Sol City [Modern Slice of Life] . (CHAPTER ONE COMPLETED!) . ARCHIVED

KRISS MAUSER

LOCATION: SCVRS

TIME: WEDNESDAY, 8 AM

"'62. Scarfed down.' Eat. No, past tense. Ate?"

Kriss hesitated, then wrote "ATE" beside clue 62. Crosswords were crafty with wordplay and it was rarely as easy at it seemed. The answer could just as well be "Had," and since he was doing everything in pen, he was trying to be careful. He had a few more clued in, mostly just names of actors or musicians that Ally had provided over the past four days. Most came from internet searches, though she knew a few off the top of her head, surprisingly. She was sharp. She was also talented. Snap hadn't been bluffing; Ally had definitely completed all of her training courses, and the one single call they had gone out on (a fender bender on Interstate 98 hardly worth mentioning), but she performed beautifully. She was more emotional than Kriss and, subsequently, was able to dissolve a fight between the drivers and calm down a panicked bystander. Snap usually handled that sort of thing but she had decided to let Ally have a go. Her youth and kindness played well in her favor, unlike the more coarse nature of Snap and blatant indifference of Kriss. She would have threatened to call the cops. He would have let them go at it and patched up the loser.

Since then, Ally had spent most of her time away from the building, though she assured Kriss that she would be available. She even dragged him out to her car, a well-worn Jeep Wrangler, to show him the short-wave radio mounted to the dashboard. She offered to give him a ride to show him how it worked. He declined, but it didn't seem to phase her. He assumed she was either in school or had a job, or maybe just spent her free time with her family or friends. Kriss didn't know, and he really didn't want to. He didn't know her address, education, or even her age. If she hadn't introduced herself, he wouldn't have known her surname either. All that mattered was that she was a capable driver and had carried over her training into the real world.

Unfortunately, that training did not involve water rescue. Allison's rescue squad was in a landlocked county. They didn't have a boat, which meant no on-site training. It had been mentioned in one of the slideshows as "something other squads do," so she was going to have to learn it here. Just being a good swimmer and knowing that you should always wear a life jacket doesn't cut it for water rescue. If there's a body in the water at midnight in 35-degree weather, someone has to go out and get them. She would be best off spending one entire 12-hour day on boat training. Ally had requested Wednesday morning, saying she would sleep over at the rescue squad. Kriss had approved, telling her to meet him in the lounge at 8 AM. He was up at 6:30, getting his usual morning jog and shower in and eating a proper breakfast for once and arriving at the lounge a half hour early.

It was now 8 AM and Ally was not present.

Kriss's phone buzzed to confirm that it was time to start training. He flicked it open and closed the alarm as a scowl worked its way onto his face. He tossed the puzzle onto the table and headed for the dorms. There were two sets, labeled MALE and FEMALE, that included a bathroom, shower, and lockers to hold belongings. Someone had installed a whiteboard and a coat rack for uniforms in the men's dorm, along with a dart board that had only three darts. The rooms were comfortable, with heating and cooling systems in both and four sets of bunk beds. Each could comfortably house eight people, though there were never that many present. In fact, as of today, there was no one else present in either, besides Allison. Kriss paused outside the women's dorm and rapped a knuckle on the thick wooden door.

"Ally. It's 8 AM."

Silence. Kriss wished Snap was here, but she wasn't in until 10, and the next paramedic didn't sign in until noon. He really did not want to invade her privacy, but tardiness was unacceptable. Thinking for a moment, Kriss decided to compromise. He faced the hallway, twisted the knob, and shoved the door open.

"ALLISON. WAKE UP," he called, looking away from the room and stepping aside to let the harsh overhead lights in the hallway stream into the room. He heard a yelp, a thump, and the sound of covers being thrown off of a bed.

"I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry I got in late last night I had an alarm but I guess I muted my phone that's weird it should have gone off anyway I'm sorry just let me get myself together" Allison responded, turning several sentences into one and speaking as quickly as possible. He slammed the door shut, cutting off any further excuses or apologies, and returned to the lounge area. Snap would be hearing about this.

Sol City [Modern Slice of Life] . (CHAPTER ONE COMPLETED!) . ARCHIVED

@Silver Fox Uh...Ashton is still addressing Snap like Kriss. Kriss was, like I said, still in the ambulance. The second paragraph of your post (and half of the first paragraph) don't make sense because no one asked her that.

I'll copy/paste the section of my post that addresses you directly, with details in parentheses.

"Everyone stay here," Snap said to the crowd sharply, turning to give them a clear view of her badge. A sense of authority often gave bystanders a sense of ease, and nothing helped more than a big silver pin. Without another word, she and Kriss raised the stretcher and rolled it to the ambulance. She helped him raise her into the back, then closed the doors and returned to the party. She (Snap) was going to get some testimonials from eye witnesses. Hopefully Ashton, if she was still there. He (Kriss) glanced down at the glassy-eyed woman as he secured the stretcher to the floor.

"Is there any chance you know what a four-letter word for 'Roman goddess' is?" (Kriss said to the unconscious woman)

Long Over-due Return

It's like magic except not.

Hi.

Sol City [Modern Slice of Life] . (CHAPTER ONE COMPLETED!) . ARCHIVED

KRISS MAUSER

LOCATION: SCVRS

TIME: SATURDAY MORNING

"'48. Its atomic number is 79.'"

Kriss glanced around the lounge area, checking to see if anyone had left a smartphone or laptop that he could consult. His own phone, an old flip-top model, was lucky to even have Solitaire. He had owned a smartphone before, a few years ago. But that was before training. Kriss had seen the numbers. The death toll. People couldn't stop using them, even in a vehicle going twenty miles over the speed limit. He squeezed his eyes shut, trying to block out the slideshows, but he had seen the casualties first-hand. He didn't want to blame smartphone manufacturers. They weren't forcing people to text and drive. But they were making it easier. Fingerprint-unlocking. Voice detection. Talk to text. Everything was becoming more and more convenient. The numbers between drunk driving and "distracted" driving were getting terrifyingly close to each other. Last year, more people were involved in collisions from their phone than from alcohol.

Idiots.

Fortunately for everyone, the little incident last night was neither of those. Readings indicated her blood pressure had dropped dramatically, causing dizziness and fainting. She was stable by the time they reached the hospital and Kriss doubted she would be admitted for long. They had returned to the squad building without further incident, minus a brief stop to grab a cheeseburger for dinner. He had considered ordering a pizza (the local pizzeria was on his phone's speed dial) but it was late, so he settled for a combo meal. It was gone within a half hour of parking the ambulance, and after a brief shower and "good night" to Kelly, who decided to return home, he crashed out in his bunk.

He slept through the sunrise, so his morning jog was a bit warmer than usual, but otherwise it looked to be another classic Saturday. Sit around and wait for a call. Maybe finish the crossword puzzle before the new one was delivered. Unlikely. It was still missing most of the answers. They weren't kidding around with their 3-star ratings. Snap didn't have the energy to work up any more answers the night before and she wouldn't be in until noon. Kriss glanced up at the clock. 11:53. She would be here at any time. He considered the prospect of having an actual breakfast before lunchtime, but the cereal bar was still working just fine. Maybe he would hit the town for lunch.

*slam!*

The sound of metal banging against metal indicated the arrival of Snap. Kriss ignored the noise, then raised an eyebrow and glanced toward the door. He didn't recognize the footsteps. It sounded like a pair of boots rather than Snap's squeaky sneakers. He heard a soft cough, like someone clearing their throat, and he remembered that there was no one at the front desk. Tossing the newspaper and pen onto the table, he buttoned his collared shirt and ran a hand through his hair. Look good, feel good. Whoever it was, he was representing the SCVRS and needed to be professional. He stepped out into the corridor and into the front office, if you could call it that. It was the size of a jail cell, with a wide front window (minus the window) and a wooden desk covered in paper that really, really needed to be rearranged.

He was greeted by a young woman. Late teens if Kriss could hazard a guess. She had brilliant red hair resting over her shoulders and behind her back and dull brown eyes. She looked eager, but nervous, and her hand hovered over the front pocket of her jeans where her phone was. To Kriss, though, all of this was eclipsed by her shirt. Specifically, it was an SCVRS polo, identical to his own. She was a volunteer, but he had never seen her before. He turned and checked the staff list for new names, but there were no fresh entries on the large whiteboard mounted to the back wall, nor was anyone scheduled to come in at noon besides Snap. She wasn't wearing a name tag, much less a badge, so she couldn't have completed training, and Snap hadn't mentioned any new volunteers. But here she was, wearing an SCVRS shirt and looking uncomfortable. Kriss blinked a few times, unsure of how to proceed. Crew worker? Visitor? Hello?

"Hello!"

The girl grinned and waved briefly in his direction, quickly returning her hand to her pocket. She was clearly struggling to resist getting on her phone. At least she wasn't rude. Unlike Kriss, who only now realized he hadn't addressed her yet.

"Hello," he said flatly, grabbing a pen from the desk and lifting the check-in sheet. "Your name?"

"Allison Hawthorne," she replied crisply, standing on her toes. Combined with the leather work boots she was wearing, she was almost as tall as Kriss. He turned to examine the whiteboard.

"Your name is not on the board. Are you a visitor?"

"Nope! I'm an EMT. I work here."

"No you don't," Kriss shot back a bit sharper than he intended. "Your name is not on the board."

The young lady scowled comically, then shrugged. "Well I don't know what to tell you. Does it say 'Ally?' That's my nickname."

"No, it does not," Kriss replied, starting to become impatient.

"Then write it in," a voice called out, accompanied by the loud slam of the metal front door. Snap appeared in the window a few seconds later.

"This is Allison Hawthorne. She just moved into Sol City. Said she was an EMT-1, so we ran a background check and she's passed all the preliminary courses. I know it's not standard protocol, but I'm authorizing her to volunteer for a week to see how she does."

Kriss complied, writing the name in his angled blocky handwriting at the bottom of the list with a dry erase marker.

"You ready for this weekend?" Snap asked, reaching into her pocket and frowning to find it empty.

"Yes," he replied, grabbing a can of honey-roasted peanuts from a desk drawer labeled [THE DRAGON] and tossing it to Snap, who cheered up instantly. The drawer contained nothing but snack food, and no one was allowed in it except Snap, for obvious reasons.

"Good. Allison will be on deck with you. Head on back," she said, motioning for Ally to head past the desk. Kriss listened to her boots tap along the corridor and sighed silently to himself.

"Hey," Snap muttered, tapping a finger on the desk to draw Kriss's attention. "Go easy on her. I'm making her work a 12 today. I know you don't like chipper people, even if you won't admit it, but she's new and I might not be there to help her on a call. I've already talked to the other squad chief and he says she's very professional on call. She's part of the team for the next seven days. Help her out, or I'll pull rank on you."

Kriss nodded, unable to stop the hair on his neck from rising. The only thing worse than Snap being hungry was Snap pulling rank. He had never made her mad enough to do it and he wasn't about to start now. He wrote Ally's IN and OUT hours on the board, then returned the marker to the desk and headed to the lounge area. He found himself face to face with the young woman, who was seating in one of the few chairs, typing away on her phone. He ignored the loud tapping sound and returned to his crossword. The clue from earlier was still unanswered. He picked up the pen and clicked it in and out, irritated. How many four-letter elements were there? Iron, lead,...neon...no, none of them fit. The third letter was L.

"Hey, Kriss? What's the WiFi password?"

Without getting up or turning to look at her, Kriss passed her a sticky note. She leaned forward and accepted it, glancing back and forth between the phone and note. An idea occurred to Kriss.

"Its atomic number is 79," he said aloud.

"Gold," she replied, still typing in the password.

"Thanks," Kriss responded. He sounded unimpressed, but as far as he was concerned, she had made a good first impression.