Friends in the Force

Appearing on one of Internet City's numerous entrance platforms, Eternalis and team proceeded to walk about the impressively large site of activity, due to it housing the main operating centers for many important corporations. Among those corporations was the ubiquitous Global Network Administration, dealing with the preservation of many of the network's vital functions. The newest, most prominent structure owned by the GNA was currently the massive Recruitment Kiosk.

Contrary to what its name implied, the Kiosk was very large. "Oh, what's happening around here?" said Eternalis, surveying the area. There were quite a few Navigators walking around, talking to each other, reading the informational holoscreens, and generally socializing. "Global Network Administration Recruitment Kiosk," narrated Aurora, the info from a nearby terminal fueled into her visor for quick absorption. "Seems they're taking people for the NetPolice and the NetMafia."

"Oh, that sounds interesting," said Harke. "Pull a screen up on the PET for me, would you, Et?"

"I can do that," said Aurora, transferring the data to the operator. Harke raised an eyebrow at the unexpected polite response from Aurora, remembering her rash behavior from before. He was amazed that his sister's fix could really have this much of an effect on Aurora's earlier sour personality. Now, she just seemed a lot more... professional. Still, he sort of liked the earlier naive child-type Aurora.

Reading through the screens, he happened upon the section that detailed the NetPolice's Department of Technology, and quickly took an interest in the details. With his studies into the area, his attention was quite captured. And of course, with Eternalis being essentially a self-maintaining crash test dummy, it would be perfect. Of course, there lies the problem of actually convincing the Navi. And of course, at that opportune moment, a figure decided to ambush him from behind the couch on which he was sitting.

"Ha!" said Reverus, grabbing his son's shoulders in a sneak attack.

"Grah!" exclaimed Harke, jumping from the unexpected surprise. Turning around, he saw the assailant to be his father, and relaxed. "Argh, Dad, what the heck."

"Hm-hm. So I see you're interested in that recruitment drive there," replied Reverus, scratching his rough chin, having not shaved for a couple of days. "NetPolice, Department of Technology... Nice choice," he observed. Harke grinned sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck reflexively. Reverus returned the grin with a ruffle through his son's hair and a fatherly smile of his own. Waving about his hand, he meandered over to the kitchen, leaving Harke rather weirded out. That was... approval?

"What did your dad want?" asked Eternalis, who was reading through the holoscreen pulled up.

"No, nothing. I was thinking of having you guys join the NP Technology form. It's a good way to direct a lot of your... uh, functions, into something that could very well help people," he said.

"... Are you trying to turn me into some kind of experimentation dummy?" said Eternalis, asking his companion.

"Come on, think about it. Your functions are rock solid enough that anything they decide to test wouldn't mean much to your systems. Besides, don't you want to see what kind of experimental weaponry they have?" persuaded Harke, trying to appeal to the Navi's side of things.

"... Now that you mention it, that sounds neat. Aurora, what do you think?" said Eternalis, to the surprise of Harke, who thought he'd need a little more persuasion.

"I'm quite suited for Technology purposes, I think. I've worked a little before in experimentation," replied Aurora.

"Really? Never heard that before," said Eternalis, tilting his head unit a little.

"It was short, and I didn't do much. Anyway, should we go to sign up?" said Aurora, turning away and dodging the question.

---- [Waiting on Chardes]

Landing into Internet City with a clunk and a thunk (for each), Rhea made sure that she herded Harley along to the kiosk, absorbing any information deemed necessary and useful to the purple Navi. A poke at a hologram here, opening some public data there, staring at some of the free exhibits and technologies--

--Rhea stopped at an exhibit, featuring a NetPolice Superbike-like vehicle for Navis on cop duty.

Rhea stared at the exhibit, then at Harley, then back at the exhibit again.

"... Is there anything wrong, girlie?" Harley asked, standing very still. Sure, he shared some similarities with the exhibit, but that definitely didn't mean that he was one of those two wheeler thingies meant to be controlled by some Navi on a high horse.

"It looks like you," Rhea commented. Harley knocked his head to the panel he stood on.

Wow, Aurora's being really cooperative. Did Karen knock her upside the head or something? thought Eternalis, examining Aurora's serious-looking face. From that kind of look, he thought the SP felt more like a secretary than a partner... which really troubled him. Boy, there's no satisfying me, is there... he mused, crossing his arms. If he had a forehead to press on in a stressed manner, he would, but then, his thoughts were interrupted by a sudden clanking from nearby.

Somehow, he felt compelled to look in the direction of the noise, and saw a pretty familiar-looking horse. Because Harley was rather large and dominating, he was recognized instantly by the aquatic Navi as the Support Program of a certain swordswoman. ...He'd never understood why the petite Navi had any need for such a gigantic mount. Where was Rhea, anyway? He didn't see her anywhere near the large equine SP. Was the horse lost? ... Or was the rider?

"Isn't that Harley?" said Aurora, confirming her Navi's suspicions. Her visor, of course, revealed the rather boring truth in a matter of moments.

"... Rhea is behind him."

"Oh, I thought it was weird that he looked like he was just walking around by himself."

Sure enough, as they watched Harley walk around, they saw Rhea emerge from behind him, looking at what seemed to be a superbike exhibit of some sort. Some comparison and head-paneling later, Eternalis decided, "Hey, c'mon, let's go say hi or something."

"Sure," replied Aurora in a curt tone.

... Yeah, he'd have to deal with that somehow later. At least dragon-lady Aurora was talkative, even if about 90% of that was insults thrown in his direction. In any case, he walked towards Rhea and Harley, with Aurora in tow. "Hey, Rhea, Harley, fancy meeting you here," he said. Aurora walked up beside Eternalis, silently staring forward. Sparky in Aurora's arms reacted with a small bark that said, "Hi! Hi!"

Rhea looked up from the exhibition at last, noticing a few familiar figures approaching to herself and Harley. "Salutations. However, 'meeting me here' is not within the ambit of being 'fancy'." Rhea greeted, turning to face them even as Harley lifted his head from the panel.

"Oh! Just when I get humiliated... An angel has descended to alleviate and make me forget my wounds!" Harley greeted happily at Aurora, though unable to portray such excitement on his face, his body language of an equine was pretty much obvious. In fact, it's quite awkward as Harley's weight made resounding echoes around them due to his enormous weight bulk. "And a puppy as well, it would seem," the horse added, slightly jealous of Sparky's current location. If only he wasn't that huge, heck, maybe he could get the same treatment from the tiny purple...

... Harley gave a glance at Rhea. Heh. Yeah, fat chance, no pun intended, he mused.

"Your eyes are lingering, Harley," said Aurora, giving the mechanical equine that placid look that she had been sporting for the last half hour. Sparky sensed his mistress's remark, and let out a small bark at Harley. ... Well, she looks like she can still throw some words out, at least, thought Eternalis. Her personality wasn't wiped to bits or something like that. Trying to get the Aurora matter out of his head, he focused on how he had met Rhea. Not a few hours ago had he seen her last, and it was certainly nice to come across her again.

"So what brings you two here? We were just about to sign up for this NetPolice thing," said Eternalis, once again taking his place as the leading talker.

"So cold," Harley commented, looking hurt as he took a trot backwards. Rhea watched idly at the exchange, unsure of the hidden meaning beyond what was mentioned literally.

Thankfully, however, Eternalis spoke in a language that she understood. "What a coincidence. I am here to investigate into this matter as well." She looked to the counters, then at the motorcycle exhibit, then back at Eternalis.

"There is no ulterior motive. There will also be no mentioning of my opinion that Harley should be given the form of a two-wheeled mechanism for heightened speed and maneuverability."

"... You just mentioned it, egghead," Harley sighed.

Aurora chuckled slightly at Harley's hurt reaction, and smiled. "Don't be so hard on yourself," she said, with Sparky replying in kind with another light bark. Eternalis, meanwhile, was surprised that the generally apathetic-looking Rhea would have an interest in such a strange concept as... a bike. A pretty impressive bike, too, from the looks of it. Wouldn't mind having one for himself.

"Hey, let's go sign up together. It'll probably be cool to cover each other's backs, and we can get things done faster," suggested Eternalis. Aurora turned her head ever so slightly, and whispered, "There you go again," in that subtle tone, barely recognizable. So the previous personality wasn't completely wiped, it seemed. Oh, well, at least he knew Karen didn't nuke Aurora's head or something like that.

"Collaboration improves efficiency, yes," Rhea agreed, proceeding towards the counter. "Where do I go for signing up?" she looked around, spotting the clearly evident kiosk beaming in all it's obviousness. Without hesitation, the petite Navi moved herself there.

The gigantic horse, however, was still unhappy at the fact that he was compared to an inanimate automobile. No! He was more than that. In fact, he was a war stallion, capable of moving at amazing speeds through various forms of terrain.

Then he saw that he really did possess similar traits as the bike, and commented no further. What kind of stupid war stallion has quadruple exhaust pipes at their rear?

"Oh, I get it," Harley snorted at Rhea playfully, "You made this up, didn't you?!" the stallion continued, expelling a hot stream of steam from the aforementioned pipes. "I'll show you what it means to be a true mode of transport! Sir Eternalis, Lady Aurora, boon puppy companion, let us depart!" Harley announced, trotting with his head high towards the counter.

"... Well, that was easy," said Eternalis to himself. Jogging up to Rhea, he caught up to her, and then turned around a bit. "Come on, Aurora, Sparky. Don't want to get left behind," he said, urging them on forward. At this time, Harley was also off, leaving the blue Navi's SPs behind. "Enthusiastic," commented Aurora, as she followed behind, Sparky not really giving much reaction except to drool a little.

Reaching the counter area first, Eternalis went off to the nearest one, and stood in front of it to wait. "Excuse me, I'd like to sign up for the NetPolice with a partner. I'm requesting for the Department of Technology, and my partner is..." he hesitated, and looked back at Rhea. "Which division did you want to sign up for, Rhea?"

Rhea huffed slightly in response that Eternalis's long legs brought him to the counter first, hastening her pace to join the blue Navi's side. "Persecu-- Prosecutions," Rhea said, quickly fixing the error. "What are the procedures that we have to go through in order to sign up?"

"You guys are going in together, right? I'll give you this one," the man behind the desk responded. Quickly, he rotated around the monitor so the navis could see and provide their digital signatures. "The coordinates are given there, so don't forget to copy them before you go."

-------------------------------

Mission: For All Department Recruits, Any Number

Description: The employer, a public safety navi named FashionMan, has requested that the applicant meet him at Netpolice HQ. The mission will continue from there and will involve assisting the employer in their daily routine. The employer assures the navis employed that successful completion of the tasks given will result in employment into the department of the navi's choosing.

Reward: Any department employment

*Coordinates attached*

"Ah, this looks all right," commented Eternalis. "What do you think, Aurora, Rhea?"

"I think it looks suitable for a recruitment mission," replied Aurora. Sparky gave a small bark, possibly of approval. It was kind of hard to tell. The Navi downloaded the coordinates, transferring them to Aurora. "Could you pull up a map or something with this, Aurora?" he asked, waiting on Rhea to give her consent. As soon as she did, he intended to head out. "Sure," she said.

"This works fine," Rhea announced, signing the digital document with a finger on the screen, producing blocky words signifying "RHEA". It was quickly followed by a hoofprint endorsement from Harley.

"Looks fine, of course! A task looking befitting for any fresh recruits, I bet," Harley rolled his eyes, taking a sniff at the signed monitor. "So is our lovely band of unlikely adventurers headed to?"

"This should be enough," said Aurora, overlaying the coordinates on a small map she pulled off a nearby data screen. With that, she enlarged it, and pointed to the area they were to visit. "There's our destination. Let's go," she said, leading the way, with the others following behind.