The clouds scudded low casting shadows on the buildings in the morning light. Shimi approached the Scav Base nervously. She had practiced what the Cyclops Captain had told her for the past forty minutes, until it became second nature. She cleared her throat and said, "Is it true? That If I walk up here and want to work on Flying City 64, that You Scavs will just take me up there?" The Scav gate corporal Held up a hand. "You walk into the particle-stream, you'll be vaporised. You leave your weapons here. You'll undergo an apprenticeship for six months. You'll be tended to medically, and get three meals a day. That's the deal. Depending on your energy and skills, doing better is up to you." Shimi was actually surprised. It actually sounded like a good deal. She remembered her mother's twisted dead body that had been thrown from above and blinked. She smiled tightly and said, "Sounds good. I'm for it." The Corporal moved over to the controls and said,"Voice override--Gate control." He punched in a five digit number and the particle-stream powered down. He held oput a hand, and asked, "Can I have your sidearm?" Shimi grabbed the barrel in her left hand and it flipped out of her hands to the ground. She swore loudly, "Oh, suffering shit! Sorry, Nerves. I'm really nervous about working for the flying cities. I've heard plenty of bad things." She danced around while picking up the firearm. Captain of the Cyclops Recon Squad, and her infiltration Specialist, Rabbit-Ears ran silently into the opening, momentarily flashing into visibility as they passed the low-powered particle stream emitters. They ran to the edge of the opening while the sun disappeared back into the clouds. The Corporal activated the weapon scanner, as the particle-stream barrier came back on-line. The Cyclops Capitan and Rabbit-Ears braced themselves to strike off the Scav's heads. A chime and the Scav Corporal nodded. "You're clean. No metal, batteries, or explosives detected. Go with the private, he'll take you to the commandant who'll arrange everything." Shimi nodded and patted her saddle-bags. She swallowed to moisten her dry mouth and was led away by the private. The Cyclops Captain followed Shimi, leaving Rabbit-Ears at the gate, eying the surveillance camera. Everything was going according to plan. So far. --To be continued-- Media is Poser 6