01 - Public / Video

[domesheriff]

[for a moment, a woman's face is simply staring out at the broadcast, consideringly, as though not sure it's started yet. she's in her early twenties, Hispanic, her dark hair braided, and dressed in the uniform of resort security]

[realizing from the display on the screen that the broadcast must have started, she says:] Hello. [the word is a bit uncertain. she swallows, trying to mask her nerves, and continues more calmly:] I'm Linda Esquivel. I'm from Chester's Mill, Maine. [there's a beat of hesitation, as she wonders if she should give more information than that, but she ultimately decides to leave the description as it is] I just got here a couple days ago, and I've joined the security patrol. I was a sheriff's deputy back home. [and sheriff, but she doesn't think two days of that job due to the disaster that happened really counts, so she leaves her credentials at that]

I thought you should know who I am in case you see me around. And, uh, I'd like to start meeting people, too--and learn a little more about this place. I've never seen anything like it before. [another pause as she debates how to end an open message like this. finally, she goes with:] I'm here if you'd like to talk.

Comments

[domesheriff]

[Linda's surprised to hear the reference to deathclaws] Are you from the same place as Boone? Or...near there? [because she'd hate to think of creatures like that being common to many worlds]

[Elle's musculature does imply someone either familiar with combat or other athletic pursuits, but considering her youth and how small she is, Linda can't help being surprised by her very informed talk about guns. her brow furrows] Yeah? Did you deal with raiders and the wildlife a lot back there, as a courier?

[quixotically]

[Oh!] Yeah! Yeah, we are. We were friends before we came here.

Oh, you bet. Courier work means a lot of traveling, and surviving out there means doing a good bit of prospecting, too. Er... Y'know, scavenging for supplies. And you're a lot more likely to run into a building where somebody or something's made base than you are to find one that's empty. [She's sounding awful cheerful for talking about this kind of thing.]

[domesheriff]

[Linda smiles at Elle's answer] Must be nice.

Ohhh, got it. [knowing that Elle's world is Boone's world, it clicks for Linda now. in a world ruined by a nuclear war, she supposes even the mail (because that's what she assumes Elle means by "courier") would be a dangerous job. and as far as Linda's concerned, Elle's apparent optimism does her credit] The animals have kinda run wild there, huh?

[quixotically]

I'd say you're more likely to see a nest of geckos than you are to accidentally trip into a raider camp. Most of the raiders have been run out of the Mojave by now... But depending on where you go, you've got cazadores... coyotes, nightstalkers... mole rats... giant mantises... bighorners can be pretty grumpy if you get too close to the herd, too... Oh, and if you hang around Lake Mead too long, then you have to deal with the lakelurks, too.

Most of 'em, they don't tend to bother me too much. But I've seen the kind of damage that nightstalkers can do, it's not pretty.

[domesheriff]

[while many of those creatures are like nothing she knows on Earth, the names and sheer variety of them are enough to make her shudder] That sounds like a lot of trouble to deal with. Courier must be the kind of job people must be grateful you're willing to do.

[quixotically]

[Elle goes shy, eyes falling away and cheeks going pink.] Well... I mean, someone's gotta do it. It's not really all that... I mean, yeah, it's dangerous, but... I dunno what else I'd do, you know? It's kind of been... my entire life, so...

[domesheriff]

[Linda chuckles at Elle's reaction, smiling] Yeah, I think I know what you mean.

[quixotically]

[Elle tilts her head.] Have you always done police work?

[domesheriff]

[Linda nods, still smiling a little] I joined the force right out of school. So it's been...about five years now.