Log Date:
	11/3/98

Log Cast:
	Rosa Scardino, NPC orderly, Tance Vokrim

Log Intro:
	Tance Vokrim's first trip into the Ranges following his disastrous
return from Verron IV has done the man some good -- it's gotten his resonance
at least somewhat up from critically low levels, and it's even gotten him a 
share of a black cut, courtesy of the generosity of Gyles Lee. The problem,
though, is that the restored resonance in his system has begun to steady
his memory... and has brought back Tance's urgent desire to locate his
missing fiancee, Kesya As'shoriah. Bent on getting off Ballybran, Tance has
tried to hitch a ride on one of the system shuttles... only to discover
that the shuttle pilots flat refuse to take him off Ballybran's surface.
Incensed, Tance has attempted to force his way onto one of the crafts...
and this has put him right back in the Infirmary, this time under restraints
and under sedation as well.
	This little episode has brought him to the attention of one of the
current crop of recruits, a young woman named Katya, but the girl's attempts
to visit him in both his own quarters and the Infirmary have made little
impact upon his scattered consciousness. The medical personnel have kept
him confined to the Infirmary, slackening off the sedative as long as
he stays relatively docile. Unbeknownst to Tance, Meditech Espra has
appealed to Quinn to let him out of their care, and Quinn has put in a
request to another Singer to ask her to take Tance back out into the
Ranges....

----------
Rosa walks into Short Term Care looking for medical assistance.
Rosa has arrived.
Rosa ducks her head into Short Term Care. "Tance?" she calls quietly.

The only two figures visible in the ward are a form lying huddled on one of 
  the biobeds... and the blond-haired, blue-eyed, fresh-faced young orderly on 
  duty. The orderly in question looks up from his terminal, and blinks at the 
  sight of the new arrival. "May I help you, ah..." A bit of perplexity tracks 
  across the young man's face as he racks his brains for the newcomer's 
  identity. Oh yes! "Ah, Singer Scardino, is that right?"

No other Singer carries around a little pink teddy bear. Rosa smiles. "Yes, 
  I'm Singer Scardino, and this is Bear. We got a message that Tance needed a 
  ride out to the Ranges?"

Rosa
With shining coppery curls, golden highlights glinting among them, and a 
  dusting of freckles across the bridge of her nose, red is one of the first 
  things one notices about this petite young woman. Standing barely 150cm, her 
  trim body seems to exude energy. Rosa's straight stance and direct look note 
  her self-confidence, and the occasional flash of her green-flecked amber 
  eyes gives a hint to her temper.
Rosa's long, coppery tresses are pulled back away from her face and into a 
  braid, which swings across her back as she walks. She is wearing a dark blue 
  jumpsuit, with paler blue threads worked through. On her left breast is 
  emblazoned the Heptite Guild dodecahedron. On Rosa's feet are sturdy, well 
  cared-for boots with reinforced soles, of the type Singers wear when in the 
  Ranges. Around Rosa's neck is a simple gold chain, suspended from which is a 
  delicately crafted pendant, fashioned in the shape of an eight-pointed star. 
  Set into the center of this is an emerald, its rich green highlighted as 
  light reflects from its facets. 
The slight twinkle in Rosa's eyes, and the hint of pink in her cheeks seems to 
  indicate that Rosa is in a good mood. 
  
The young orderly crinkles his nose, casting a glance at the figure prone on 
  the bed. "Oh, right," he says sagely. "Yes, I've got that down in a report, 
  the Chief needs him in the Ranges to build up his resonance." A noticeable 
  flush of relief crosses his face at the thought.

On the biobed, the curled figure doesn't show any sign of moving.

Rosa takes a few steps toward the bed. "We're both glad to help," she tells 
  the orderly. "Tance has been a good friend." She pauses. "Is there any news 
  regarding Kesya?"

Doing his best to keep a straight face, though he's carefully pretending not 
  to look at Rosa's small stuffed ursine companion, the orderly clears his 
  throat uncomfortably, dropping his voice down. "Not yet, ma'am," he murmurs. 
  "There's been an investigation launched, but there's been no word back on it 
  yet."

Rosa bites her lower lip. "That's dreadful," she says softly. "I do hope Kesya 
  will be found. She was very good to me when I first adapted." She gives a 
  little sigh. "The least I can do is to take Tance out to the Ranges to let 
  him soak up a little resonance. Is he in any condition to fly?"

The orderly glances over his shoulder at the figure on the bed; all that's 
  visible of that prone form is the back of a threadbare jumpsuit and a 
  disheveled, shaggy gray-streaked head of hair. "Well... physically, he's 
  hale enough, ma'am..." is the dubious reply. But the young man also trails 
  off.

Rosa gives a little nod. "I understand," she says, voice quiet. "He's been 
  through quite a lot. I remember the state he was in before he and Kesya got 
  together. Don't worry," she tells the orderly. "I'm used to it - to him 
  being like that."

The young man bobs his fair head, and murmurs plaintively, "Well, ma'am, I've 
  orders to release him into your custody when you're ready... problem is, 
  he's just been... kind of lying there all day today, and um, I haven't been 
  able to rouse him much. If you think you can snap him out of it, you're 
  welcome to try." There's a look of pleading in his face for a moment; 
  evidently, this particular patient unnerves this particular orderly.

Rosa looks down at the little Bear she's carrying. After a moment, she nods. 
  "Bear and I," she tells the orderly, "will give it a try. But if you could 
  find some peach ice cream, it might be helpful."

The orderly bites his lip. "We've been trying that, but confidentially, 
  ma'am..." And he leans in closer to whisper in the Singer's ear. "Chief 
  Malloret had us slip him a sedative in some, and I think CS Vokrim's kind of 
  caught on, if you know what I mean...?"

Rosa ahs, nodding slowly. "Well, perhaps that might not be a good idea," she 
  says. "But Bear and I did bring something down here that we made ourselves." 
  She winks, then speaks out somewhat more loudly. "Tance? It's Rosa and Bear. 
  We've brought some fresh-baked cookies."

The orderly perks up; perhaps the fellow wouldn't mind cookies himself. He 
  sneaks a peek at Rosa, hoping for a glance of whatever cookies she might be 
  carrying, but summons up the willpower to discreetly creep back to his 
  terminal. The Singer on the biobed, on the other hand, doesn't show a sign 
  of stirring. Tance's back is still pointed at the door. Either he's asleep, 
  or unconscious, or deliberately ignoring everything and everyone else in the 
  room.

Rosa digs in a pocket, pulling out a paper bag. From it, she extracts a couple 
  of cookies. "Chocolate chip, Tance," she says. "Fresh baked. They're quite 
  good." She offers one to the medic - whether Tance can see or not. " Bear 
  says they're good for you. And see? This nice young man is having one too."

The orderly lights up, flashing Rosa a big grin, but wisely keeps his mouth 
  shut even as he munches a cookie in one hand and resumes typing at his 
  terminal with the other. There's a pause of a few seconds, and then a low, 
  cracked voice can be heard issuing from the biobed: "Don't want any cookies."

Rosa grins at the orderly. "Well, it's a good thing someone likes them," she 
  says. She then takes a few steps toward the bed. "Bear'd be really hurt if 
  you didn't at least try 'em, Tance. He's always liked you and insisted we 
  make this batch specially for you. Sure you don't want to try?"

The curled-up figure can be seen to stiffen; Tance's spine and shoulders look 
  rigid under the worn jumpsuit he's wearing. He doesn't roll over or look 
  round in his visitor's direction, though, even as he barks sullenly, "Don't 
  want any!"

Rosa chuckles quietly. "Oh, c'mon, Tance. You don't want to hurt Bear's 
  feelings, do you?" She pauses a moment. "He says he'll sing you a song if 
  you have a cookie. A naughty song."

The orderly peeks around Rosa, surreptitiously looking on; perhaps Tance's 
  response is promising, if the boy's face is any indication. Tance, in the 
  meantime, abruptly jerks round where he lies, a motion that brings his 
  bearded, haggard face into view. The man isn't quite so alarmingly pale and 
  gaunt as he'd been when the Deputy Guildmaster hauled him back to Ballybran, 
  but still, it's apparent that Tance Vokrim is not in anything resembling 
  ideal physical condition. Dark-ringed dark eyes hard and stony in that worn 
  countenance, the Singer flips over, half-propped on one elbow while he 
  growls, "I said go away!"

Rosa does her best to control her reaction on seeing Tance's face, though she 
  does pale somewhat. Even the little pink creature she's holding looks 
  shocked. "Tance," the little Singer says, "you don't want to hurt Bear's 
  feelings, now do you? We cam all this way to see you."

The sight of Rosa and her bear seems to give Tance pause somehow. He blinks 
  under his disheveled bangs, clearly taken aback, before the burst of fury 
  drains out of him as quickly as it had come. He subsides again, curling up 
  on the bed and turning his face back towards the far well. "Don't want any 
  cookies," he mumbles.

"Well, they're here if you want them," Rosa says with a smile. "We did make 
  them just for you." She looks at Tance's back. "Would you like to chat with 
  Bear for a bit? Or give him a hug? He says he's missed seeing you around."

Several seconds pass before Tance can be heard to mumble crankily, "Don't want 
  the karkin' bear... shouldn't be here, need to go... I gotta go...."

Oh dear. The orderly flashes Tance a distinctly uneasy look, and waves a now 
  cookie-free hand to get Rosa's attention. 'Distract him!' the young man 
  mouths urgently.

"I don't' know where your little green Bear is," Rosa responds. "But my Bear 
  would sure like to stand in for him, at least right now." She smiles. "As 
  for going anywhere, what say the two of us go out and take a little trip to 
  the Ranges?" She nods slightly to the orderly.

"Ranges..." comes the lowly groaned word from the prone Singer, his voice 
  roughening with yearning before he seems to catch himself. His head tossing 
  a little on the biobed's pillow, Tance mutters raggedly, "NnnoOooo, no, I 
  can't stay, I can't, I gotta go..." And then he rolls over again. Abject 
  misery and worry are beginning to flicker into troubled life in his 
  expression.

"That's right, Tance," Rosa says softly. "You've got to come out to the Ranges 
  with Bear and me. You can feel it. Your symbiont needs to be recharged. 
  It'll be a good trip. And I've stocked the sled with all manner of good 
  food."

Now that Rosa and Bear are in Tance's line of sight again, the aged Singer 
  seems to be caught again. There's cognizance of some kind struggling into 
  being in his bewhiskered face, serving to sharpen the worry there, and after 
  a moment he blurts pleadingly, "... Jade...."

Rosa reaches out toward Tance with her free hand. "Jade would want you to come 
  to the Ranges with me, Tance," she says firmly. "You know how upset she is 
  when you abuse your symbiont. C'mon with Bear and me. You'll feel worlds 
  better after some time spent out there. Promise."

The orderly is armed with a hypospray in his pocket, and he unconsciously 
  fingers the flap of the pocket in question even as he silently looks on, 
  ready to come over and intervene if the patient under his care seems to be 
  growing too agitated. But the patient in question is now gazing dolefully at 
  Rosa, his face a mask of raw emotion. "But I gotta go find her," he protests 
  then, a full sentence for all that his voice is hoarse and bleak.

"Tance," Rosa says quietly, "look at yourself. You're in no condition to go 
  offplanet and look for anything. You've got to get your symbiont recharged. 
  Now. I'm here to take you with me. Let's get going." She looks to the 
  orderly and shakes her head slightly, indicating that the sedative isn't 
  needed just yet.

Something in Rosa's softly reasonable tones seems to be getting through to the 
  older Singer. Tance does, indeed, glance down at himself, and shame starts 
  creeping into his face. "Can't help her," he mumbles then, mournfully. Then 
  he peeks up again. His expression an odd mix between pleading small boy... 
  and cogent, deeply worried man... Tance croaks, "You... wanna help me, 
  girlie?"

Rosa smiles gently. "I don't know if you remember, Tance," she says, "but the 
  two of us are friends. Bear too. Yes, I want to help you. The first thing 
  you need to do is to get back out to the Ranges and soak up some resonance. 
  You'll feel more yourself, then." Her expression shows concern, her voice 
  encouragement. "Bear and I will help you."

Brown eyes flick their bemused gaze to the stuffed bear, and then slowly, 
  tentatively, Tance bobs his shaggy head. His gaze dips morosely. "'Kay," he 
  mutters. This provokes a decidedly relieved expression on the face of the 
  young orderly, who murmurs for Rosa's benefit, "I'll get him updated as 
  checked out in the records, then, Singer Scardino."

Rosa's smile is one of pleased relief. "I'm very glad, Tance," she says. She 
  hesitates a moment and holds out the little pink creature. "Would you like 
  to hold Bear for a time, while the orderly updates your records?" she asks. 
  She nods to the orderly. "I think we're about ready to go."

Tance blinks at the bear and then at its owner, a look of faint consternation 
  crossing his eyes, as his dark brows knit over them. Clearly a bit baffled 
  by the purpose of holding a stuffed animal, the older Singer perhaps 
  nevertheless seems to grasp the younger's motive here. He gingerly accepts 
  the bear, peering down at it and keeping his gaze there.

The little pink Bear goes willingly into Tance's arms, looking content to be 
  there. "See?" Rosa says encouragingly. "Bear's happy to see you too. He 
  likes his ears scriched," she adds in an undertone.

Stifling a smile, the orderly taps briskly at the terminal, and then says 
  politely to Rosa, "He's all yours, ma'am."

Tance, in the meantime, has started looking decidedly sheepish. But he gives 
  the bear's ears a tentative scritch anyway, at Rosa's suggestion.

The little Bear looks very pleased indeed to be getting such nice scritches. 
  "Just a little to the left, he says," Rosa interprets to Tance. She smiles 
  and offers the orderly another cookie before looking back to the bedridden 
  Singer. "Feel up to going to get your cutter now?"

Slowly, as if he's not entirely certain of his own steadiness, Tance sits up. 
  His gaze comes up a little, and he mutters confusedly, "Need it...?"

Rosa chuckles quietly. "Well, do you want to cut while you're out there?"

Sitting up... well, that worked. Tance glances disorientedly about as if the 
  room looks somehow different to him in this position, and then, just as 
  gingerly, he rises slowly to his feet, pulling himself stiffly up off the 
  biobed. The bear held absently in one hand, he finally looks back to Rosa, 
  seemingly at a loss. "Crystal," he mumbles, a hint of that yearning entering 
  his face again. "I... I-I-I can't cut green..."

Rosa gives a relieved smile as Tance is able to stand without assistance. Bear 
  doesn't seem to have much expression at all, but he doesn't look too upset 
  that he's being held so absently. "Don't worry, Tance," Rosa says. "I know 
  about you and green. I've got two sites right now that're fairly close. 
  One's yellow and one's blue. Neither site is particularly dangerous, 
  geography wise." She looks to the orderly. "Is either color better than the 
  other at helping him soak up resonance more quickly?"

"You'd know that better than I would, ma'am," puts in the orderly, "but he's a 
  green-adapt, it'd be that or black that'd make his resonance go up faster."

As the young man speaks, Tance starts, another worried look etching lines in 
  his face. "Black... no black," he mumbles uneasily. "No black..."

Rosa looks back at Tance. "No," she replies, "no black either." She looks at 
  the orderly. "There're reasons for him not to go to a black vein right now, 
  I think. Not that I've got one, anyway." She offers Tance another reassurign 
  smile. "Let's go get your cutter and be off, shall we?"

Tance locks his gaze back onto Rosa, seeming to draw in a bit of comfort from 
  her reassurance. "'Kay," he warbles tinily, his voice going a little 
  overhigh.

Rosa nods confidently. "Okay, then, let's get going before met puts a hold on 
  for storms or something. I did check, by the way. Weather's clear for the 
  next several days." She gestures toward the door. "Shall we?"

Tance bobs his head slowly, stepping tentatively away from the bed. From the 
  way he's moving the older Singer might be just a little unsure of himself on 
  his feet, too, but he follows Rosa readily enough.

Rosa walks out slowly, keeping an eye on Tance. "Now Bear," she begins, "you 
  just wait a bit until you start on that song, all right?"
Rosa leaves the busy emergency room.
Rosa has left.

You're ready to leave the emergency room now.
Infirmary(#403RAM)
The main infirmary is a bustling place with medics, orderlies and patients 
  constantly moving about. The floor is covered with a sterile-looking white 
  tile, the walls painted with stripes of various colours. A velvet black 
  stripe leads past several medical offices to Long Term Care, while a dark 
  red stripe leads off in the direction of Short Term facilities. At the 
  nearest end to the lifts, a large administration area has been set up, 
  complete with monitors and computer equipment lining the walls behind the 
  long counter. Towards the other end of the room, several examination tables 
  sit quietly amongst movable privacy screens and sterile cabinets. Since the 
  infirmary is so buried so far underground, only the strongest Passover 
  storms produce any sub-vocal resonances. The ever-present smell of medicines 
  and antispetics hangs in the air. The lighting on this level has been set to 
  a steady warm glow for the afternoon hours. 
Contents:
Rosa
Dr. Bear
Catering Unit
Obvious exits:
Medic Shuttle  Private Door  Long Term Care  Short Term Care  Lift  
Further information is available via '+lhelp'.
Game INFO:  This is a room that may be monitored via +watch.

Rosa pats Dr. Bear on the head as she passes by.
Rosa heads toward the lift area.
Rosa has left.

You enter the center of the infirmary.
Lift Area - 12
The colors are dimmer here, even to your enhanced eyes. The air filters cannot 
  completely mask the scent of medicine and sickness here, though. 
This well carpeted area circumscribes a circle with the center being filled by 
  a shiny lift tube. On the doors to the tube is the number 12. There is a 
  button set into the wall, you may summon a 'lift.'
Contents:
Rosa
Obvious exits:
Infirmary  New Arrivals  Trauma Center  Radiant Tubs  

Lift 1 arrives with a soft *whoosh*.
Lift 1 has arrived.

Rosa says "Here's the lift. C'mon."
Rosa enters lift 1.
Rosa has left.

Lift 1
The smooth metallic walls surround you. You notice to your right is a control 
  panel which contains a row of darkened buttons indicating the levels of the 
  Guild complex ('look panel'). Just 'press' the desired level number and 
  you'll be on your way.
Contents:
Rosa
Control Panel
You enter lift 1.

The lift doors slide shut and you feel the slight *pop* of air pressure 
  changes.
A soft chime sounds and a computer-generated voice announces:
"Fifth Level (Administration  Research  Control  Marketing)."
The doors *whoosh* open.
The lift doors slide shut and you feel the slight *pop* of air pressure 
  changes.
A soft chime sounds and a computer-generated voice announces:
"Eighth Level (Crystal Tuning, Cutter Techs,  R & D)."
The doors *whoosh* open.

Rosa smiles. "This shouldn't take long. Your cutter's in storage, isn't it?"

Tance mumbles uncertainly, "I... think so...."

Rosa leaves lift 1.
Rosa has left.

You leave lift 1.
Lift Area - 8
This is a technical and training level. The cutter technician's work areas are 
  here and many training rooms to instruct recruits and continuing education 
  of guild members. From the corridors, you can hear the whine of crystal 
  being retuned and the shriek of cutters tuned to rich singer voices.
This well carpeted area circumscribes a circle with the center being filled by 
  a shiny lift tube. On the doors to the tube is the number 8. There is a 
  button set into the wall, you may summon a 'lift.'
Contents:
Rosa
Lift 1
Obvious exits:
Crystal Tuning  Cutter Technicians  Research and Development  

Rosa walks slowly toward the lair of the cuttertechs. "We'll just check and 
  see."

Tance shuffles along in Rosa's wake, still absently holding the bear. He's 
  walking slouched from his full height, and both his steps and his gaze are 
  shy, hesitant.

Rosa smiles gently. "See? Here we are. C'mon in. HOpefully, they'll be in good 
  spirits today."
Rosa walks into the cutter technician area.
Rosa has left.

You walk into the cutter technician area.
Cutter Technician's Waiting Area
This small waiting area is full of people. By most of their reactions, the 
  inhabitants by and large seem to be Crystal Singers, all waiting to stow or 
  have their cutters repaired. Behind a counter is the door that leads to the 
  service area. On the other side of the room is a door that seems seldom 
  used, and wholely ignored. As you begin to comtemplate it you notice a 
  administrator looking at you.
Contents:
Rosa
Cuttertech Data Terminal
Service Counter
Computer
Obvious exits:
Lift  Office Area  Service/Storage  Patterning Room  Cutter Practice Room  

Rosa looks around and, on seeing noone present, walks toward the storage room.

It takes Tance a bit before he follows Rosa into the waiting area, casting 
  nervous glances about in all directions.

Rosa nods encouragingly to Tance. "Let's go get your cutter."

The older Singer knows this drill; he straightens up a bit, and bobs his 
  unkempt head tentatively, cajoled along by his young escort.

You go through the Service/Storage exit.
Cutter Service/Storage
Here is where the technicians repair cutters damaged by their Singers. People 
  sit on benches around the room making small minute changes to the 
  complicated mechanisms before them. You also note the large storage 
  containers that are used to store cutters when singers go off world or are 
  inactive.
Contents:
Cutter Storage Rack
Obvious exits:
Out  

Rosa arrives from Cutter Technician's Waiting Area.
Rosa has arrived.

Tance pauses by the cutter rack, looking bemused again, his brown gaze 
  sweeping slowly over the equipment before him.

Rosa nods. "Looks like your cutter's on the rack," she says, after scanning 
  the list. "Are you able to get it down on your own?"

"Yeah," mumbles Tance. "I... yeah..." He straightens up again, and then 
  awkwardly reaches for the device.

Tance's Crystal Cutter has arrived.
You carefully lift Tance's Crystal Cutter from the storage rack.

Tance turns around then, the cutter in one hand, the bear in the other, and 
  gives the young woman before him another vulnerable look. The cutter looks 
  about as battered as he does; evidently it hasn't been serviced in a while.

Rosa looks critically at the cutter. "Looks like it could use a little 
  service," she says. "But we can see to that when we get back." She smiles. 
  "You'll be fine once we get out there, Tance," she says. "I'm sure." She 
  gives a playful wink. "To the Hangar now?"

Another hesitant nod. "Okay," comes Tance's mumbled reply.

Rosa smiles. "It'll be good for you, Tance," she says. "Let's be on our way."
Rosa goes through the Out exit.
Rosa has left.

[And on out toward the lifts....]

You walk out towards the lifts.
Lift Area - 8
This is a technical and training level. The cutter technician's work areas are 
  here and many training rooms to instruct recruits and continuing education 
  of guild members. From the corridors, you can hear the whine of crystal 
  being retuned and the shriek of cutters tuned to rich singer voices.
This well carpeted area circumscribes a circle with the center being filled by 
  a shiny lift tube. On the doors to the tube is the number 8. There is a 
  button set into the wall, you may summon a 'lift.'
Contents:
Rosa
Lift 1
Obvious exits:
Crystal Tuning  Cutter Technicians  Research and Development  

Tance does not appear to be the most talkative man on Ballybran, as he follows 
  the younger Singer out to the lifts once more. He keeps moving with that 
  slight uncertainty that suggests he doesn't entirely trust himself on his 
  feet, and keeps sneaking furtive peeks at everything he passes, his brow 
  crinkled in bewilderment as he strives to recognize what he sees.

Rosa keeps smiling encouragingly to Tance. "That wasn't so bad, was it?" she 
  asks. "Now lets just head on up to the Hangar. Maybe," she adds with a 
  playful wink, "we can sneak in and out without Azaria catching us."
Rosa enters lift 1.
Rosa has left.

[And on to the Hangar...]

You walk from the lift area to the hangar ready room.
Hangar Observation Area
The hangar ready room functions as an observation area for the hangar 
  activities. Several ergonomic chairs ring a display console which debriefs 
  the pilots before they leave the Joslin Plateau Facility.
As you gaze into the hangar, you can see the dust swirling as the wind whips 
  by the hangar entrance. Soft lights glow brighter as the shadows grow deeper.
You may view the activity of the hangar floor by asking the computer to relay 
  the activity to you. Type <on> or <off>.
Contents:
Rosa
Obvious exits:
Hangar Floor  Lifts  

Rosa winks. "Here we go."
Rosa strides purposefully to the active hangar floor.
Rosa has left.
On the hangar floor, Rosa emerges from the ready room with purpose.

You head purposefully through the doors to the floor.
Hangar Floor
The immense cavern that serves the guild faces the eastern sky. The blue sky 
  merges with the harsh browns of the long plain of the Joslin Plataeu far to 
  the east. The smoothly tiled floor is scarred by myriad gashes and scratches 
  caused by wind-tossed sleds. The northern and southern walls contain 
  over-large double doors while the western wall is set with observation 
  windows. Looking around (+view), you notice several signs posted. The hangar 
  is half hidden in shadows as Scoria graces the sky high above. The horizon 
  merges with the sky in hazy bands of blue. The sled racks are illuminated 
  slightly. 
Contents:
  Tance, over by the wall. 
  Rosa, over by the wall.
  Sabreena's sled 
  Bremen's sled 
  Luthe's sled 
  Scorpion's sled 
  Katie's sled 
  Remy's sled 
  Estara's sled 
  Nestor's sled 
  Diamond's sled 
  Sled Tech Desk 
  Repair Bay 1 
  Radar 
  Corbin 
  Hangar Terminal 
  A large map, for instructional purposes 
  Sled rack
Obvious Commands ("." for list):
  .wait  .sleds  .desk  .radar  .map  .hangar door  .sit
Obvious Exits:
  Workshop  Processing  WWSF Transport  Met Transport  Equipment Room  
  Simulators  Catwalk  Sorting  Ready Room

Rosa walks out across the hangar, her step slow as she keeps pace with Tance. 
  "Looks rather peaceful at the moment," she comments, making her way to the 
  sledtech desk and gesturing to Corbin.
Rosa murmrs to Corbin and checks her sled out.

Corbin nods to Rosa and manipulates the machinery to unload the sled from the 
  racks.

Rosa's sled has arrived.

To this, Tance only nods, inching warily out into the wide Hangar bay. 
  Nervousness virtually pours off him like crystal resonance, and although 
  he's managed to sling his cutter more or less where it belongs on his 
  shoulder, he looks quite incongruous carrying the thing. He can be seen to 
  start as Rosa's sled is unracked. jerking round restlessly to watch it.

The pink sled is a little hard to be missed - it's the only one that's quite 
  that color. Rosa smiles proudly as it's unracked. "Okay, Tance," she says. 
  "Are you ready to be on your way?"

Pink... sled... okaaaaaaay... the sight of it clearly gives the older Singer a 
  start, but he nods slowly anyway, now clinging to the strap of his cutter as 
  if he thinks it might anchor him somehow.

Rosa's sled
This is the workhorse of the crystal cutters, a rugged, fast vehicle.  The 
  drive is located on the bottom, the storage compartment for the crystal in 
  the rear of the craft, and specially reinforced.  There are five entrance 
  hatches into the sled: one into the main compartment, where the Singer's 
  seat and console are, one in the bottom, by the drive, plus two on either 
  side and one on top of the sled's storage compartment.  This particular sled 
  has "Bunny" painted near the nose.  The sled's quite flourescent coloring 
  makes hiding it - in the Ranges or elsewhere - a null propostion. The color 
  stands out like a glamour drag queen at a high school prom in Oklahoma - 
  even in the Hangar at JPF in the middle of a blinding blizzard. A slightly 
  less ridiculous shade of the paint traces the outline of a large smiling 
  teddy bear on the sled hatch door. That bear itself wears a sweater of an 
  intricately knitted pattern of more shades of...pink! PINK! This sled is 
  PINK!  

Rosa touches Tance's arm gently. "Let's go on and strap in, okay?"

"Ahh... okay," mumbles Tance unsurely, his eyes wide enough in his grizzled 
  face that their color is quite apparent despite the uneven bangs hanging 
  across them.

Rosa moves toward the sled and thumbs open the hatch. "You and Bear can share 
  the co-pilot's seat, all right?" she asks Tance. "It is rather a nice sled. 
  I've kept it up as best I can."
Rosa steps into the airsled "Bunny."
Rosa has left.

Rosa's sled
Various lights around the sled illuminate the interior quite nicely. Pale 
  sea-foam gray walls have been stripped and washed, while the cleaning 
  solution used providing the inside compartments with a soft fresh scent of 
  flowers. Shining slightly, the previous layers of polish have been removed 
  from the floor, and a new coat evenly applied. Various pieces of equipment 
  show small touches here and there as well. The computer screens, though dark 
  at the moment, still manage to reflect the light. The large forward window 
  also sparkles, though a few small streaks across its surface can be noticed.
On the other hand, the personal area of the sled looks clean, but cluttered. 
  Items left behind by the Singer have been dutifully cleaned, and left in 
  neat piles on the counters and bed.
This is a 2 person capacity sled.  There is room in this sled for 8 cartons, 0 
  have been checked out.  One of the special new engines has been installed, 
  allowing for greater speeds.  The console is off.   The speaker is off.  The 
  auto-scanner is off.  A small metal plate is fastened to the upper left 
  corner, you can just make out "Bunny" scratched into the surface.
The weather is fine. A good day for flying.
  ( Type 'sled help' to see available commands. )
Contents:
Rosa

"It's.... pink," mutters Tance gruffly as he creeps into the sled.

Rosa's lips twitch as she moves over and racks her cutter. "Yes," she says, 
  "it's very pink. I asked them to paint it for me. Hard to miss out in the 
  Ramges." She winks. "Hey, why don't you bring your cutter on over here?"

Tance peers around the sled, rather dubious about the color scheme on the 
  inside of it, too, but he does turn towards the other Singer anyway. "Uh.... 
  rack it," he mumbles vaguely, his brow furrowed in concentration, now. 
  "Protect it..."

Rosa nods. "That's right," she says. "We've gotta rack the cutters up and 
  secure them before we start flying. If they're loose, they could get 
  damaged. And that's expensive."

There's that look of half-comprehension again. Seeming in a daze, Tance brings 
  the cutter over to his escort, presenting it timidly.

"Thanks, Tance," Rosa says with a smile as she takes the cutter and racks it, 
  makin sure both cutters are safely stowed. "Now I brought some of my own 
  things down here to put in the catering unit. Hope you don't mind lasagne or 
  beef stroganoff. Both beds're made up as well - and I've a bedroll set up as 
  well." She smiles. "Sanitary unit's right in there. Small but functional. 
  Got any questions?"

"I... " The man's brow furrows again, and he glances left and right in 
  still-apparent nervousness, before he looks down at the woman before him 
  once more. "Wh-what do you... want me to do...?"

Rosa smiles reassuringly. "Go up front and strap into the copilots seat, will 
  you? Bear doesn't mind sharing, even though it's usually his seat. I'll fly 
  us out.It's not a long flight."

The older Singer nods slowly, turning and shuffling that way; as he goes, he 
  peers down at the bear, apparently half-baffled that he's still carrying the 
  thing.

The little redheaded Singer smiles and, after checking that everything else is 
  secure, walks to the pilot's seat and sits. She carefully straps herself in 
  and then looks to Tance. "You doing all right?"

He's found the straps, and has buckled a couple of them, though his hand are 
  shaking. Bear has been stuffed unceremoniously between his hip and the side 
  of the chair. As Rosa speaks up again, Tance pauses, seemingly caught for an 
  answer, before he murmurs abashedly, "I... I'm not all right... am I...?"

Watching carefully to see that Tance does indeed secure the straps properly, 
  and wincing slightly at Bear's now-ignominious position, Rosa starts at the 
  question. She shakes her head slowly. "Not quite, Tance," she says slowly. 
  "But you can be, in time, with work. Bear and I will do what we can, too. 
  Promise."

The straps get secured, slowly but surely. Tance's gaze has turned absent, 
  though, hangdog and morose. He doesn't answer the younger Singer's 
  assurances.

Rosa digs in her pockets and comes up with her bag of cookies. She holds these 
  out to Tance. "In case you get the munchies while we're flying," she says. 
  "And do tell Bear if you object to his singing. Some of the songs are a bit 
  on the risque side."

Tance turns his bemused brown gaze around to his companion, blinking first at 
  the cookie bag, and then down at the bear as if he'd forgotten it was there. 
  He selfconsciously frees the little fellow from where he's been stuck, and 
  then sits there with bear and bag in his lap. "Okay," he mumbles, his voice 
  gone overhigh again.

Rosa gives a smile. "Bear says thanks for moving him," she comments. "He likes 
  to look out the window while we're flying." She winks, then begins running 
  over her preflight check, flipping switches and checking readouts. "Looks 
  like the sled's in good shape."

"That's... good...." mumbles Tance, looking at a loss as to what to do with 
  his hands, with the bag and bear there in his lap. He shoves one through his 
  wildly disheveled hair.

Rosa activates the console with the push of a button. There are two short 
  beeps and the status light registers green.
With the flick of a switch, Rosa activates the auto-scanner.  A yellow light 
  on the console comes on.
Rosa finishes flipping switches and speaks into the mike. "I've requested 
  permission to go. You ready, Tance?"

He starts, perhaps surprised to be asked. "Yeah," he says after a moment of 
  deep deliberation.

Rosa nods. "Okay, then," she says. "Let's be on our way." She punches the 
  throttle and the pink sled takes off.
Rosa nudges the control bar, speeding the sled up.
Rosa says "I'll get us to cruising altitude and then use the autopilot. That's 
  a handy bit of hardware, by the way. Very good for getting you from one 
  place to the other without too much fuss."

"I... don't think I remember it," mumbles Tance lowly.

Rosa brings the sled to a halt.
Rosa slows her sled, then stops it. "It's pretty new," she says. "And 
  expensive. Ten thousand for installation, and not at all cheap to repair." 
  She punches in some coordinates. "I'll just take us to a nice island claim. 
  Got a beach to relax on. How about that?"
Rosa flips a switch, activating the autopilot system.  A bland voice announces 
  an estimated travel time of 1 minute.

Tance starts visibly at the unfamiliar voice.

[It doesn't take long at all before Rosa's sled reaches its destination...]

A buzzer goes off and the autopilot light shows green, indicating that the 
  specified coordinates have been reached.
Rosa brings the sled to a halt.

"That's the computer," Rosa says reassuringly. "And see? It's pretty good 
  about getting us places quickly. I think it's worth the money." She angles 
  the sled downward. "We'll be on the ground in a bit."

Tance eyes the control panel warily, and then gives another of those slow and 
  hesitant nods. "Okay," he murmurs in husky tones.

A buzzer goes off and the scanner light shows green, indicating that a landing 
  spot has been found.
Rosa brings the sled to a halt.
Rosa levels the sled out as it hovers over a site. "I'll just ease it down 
  now," she says quietly. "Bear says you're good company. You've got a comfy 
  lap."
Rosa brings the sled to a gentle landing.

Tance peers down awkwardly at the bear again. Tance, it would seem, is not at 
  all accustomed to being a conversational topic of stuffed pink bears.

Rosa says "Do you remember your little green bear?"

"M-_my_ bear...?" blurts the older Singer, as the sled comes in for a landing. 
  The confused brown eyes shoot their gaze back to the sled's pilot.

Rosa maneuvers the sled carefully as she lands it. Flipping switches, she then 
  unfastens her straps. "Yes," she says with a little smile. "We gave you a 
  bear. A green one. It was a while ago, though, so you might not remember."

Tance considers this, and then shakes his head dolefully.

Rosa smiles. "That's all right, Tance. Don't worry about it. Why don't you 
  unstrap and then we can go take a look around?"

The grizzled and graying man nods again, moving to do as Rosa asks, and at 
  last he's out of the chair and getting to his feet. He almost drops both 
  bear and bag as he does so, and he fumbles to keep his grasp on them before 
  silently and shyly offering them to the young woman. His mouth has tightened 
  up into a little awkward line within the beard, and his brown eyes have 
  turned liquid.

Rosa hops right up to a seat, stretching out as she does so. As Tance 
  faulters, she again offers a reassuring smile and takes the bag and Bear as 
  well. "See?" she asks. "Wasn't that hard getting out here. Feel up to taking 
  a look outside?"

Tance seems to consider... and then shakily nods. "D-don't... let me forget," 
  he whispers.

Rosa stuffs the bag back into her pocket and walks over to give Tance's arm a 
  slight squeeze. "I won't," she says quietly. "Bear and I will be with you 
  every step of the way." She moves to the catering unit and removes a pair of 
  Yarran ales from it, putting those into other pockets. "In case we get 
  thirsty," she adds with a grin. "C'mon outside, Tance." She palms the hatch 
  open and heads outside.
Rosa has left.

You step out from the cramped interior of the sled "Bunny."
Island Mesa
Twin peaks of black basalt thrust up out of the foaming sea, glistening with 
  water. The jagged rocks gleam like huge teeth, inhospitable as all 
  Ballybran. The top of the southern rock looks like it has been lopped off 
  with a giant's knife. The resulting platform, though slanted, is big enough 
  to land a sled on.
The sled takes up most of the platform, and the wet basalt is slippery, making 
  the footing precarious at best. The second peak, rising just to the north, 
  is where you thought you detected crystal... but how would you get there?
A shallow 'chimney' on the northern side of the rock looks like it's the only 
  way down.
All about you can see freshly painted a pink rabbit with floppy ears. 
Contents:
Rosa
Rosa's sled
Obvious exits:
Chimney  

Tance draws in a breath as he steps out of the sled, finding himself 
  surrounded on all sides by.... water.

Rosa leans against the sled. "It's a pretty view, isn't it?" she asks. "The 
  beach is just down through that tunnel over there."

Pretty though the view might be, something about it seems to disconcert Rosa's 
  charge. He steps away from the sled for no more than a step, and then 
  abruptly staggers back against it, looking shaken, his face going pale.

"Tance," Rosa says urgently, moving quickly to the older Singer's side, "what 
  is it? What's wrong?"

He slumps down a little against the side of the sled, making him more of a 
  height with his companion, though it's doubtful that Tance sees her. Dark 
  eyes going even more liquid, he stares out to sea and mumbles, "J-Jade... 
  likes sailing..." His expression is positively heartsick.

Rosa closes her eyes, giving a soft sigh. Her hand reaches out to Tance, 
  touching his arm gently. "That she does," she murmurs. "I'd forgotten. 
  Tance, are you sure you can handle being here? We could go look for another 
  site."

The arm Rosa touches, as well as its mate, curl tightly around Tance's thin 
  wiry frame; the arm she touches is shaking, too. His head bows over and his 
  eyes clamp shut; perhaps he can't bear to look at the ocean right now. "I... 
  I-I..." That's all he manages to rasp.

Rosa slips her arms around Tance and holds him, like she would a child. "It's 
  okay, Tance," she murmurs. "It's okay. Promise. I won't let anything hurt 
  you out here."

"Jade," Tance mumbles piteously. "M-my fault, all my fault..."

Rosa shakes her head, still hugging Tance. "Please," she murmurs, "don't worry 
  about it. What happened was an accident. You'd never hurt Jade."

Tance continues to slide downward, trying to curl up into a ball by the sled, 
  oblivious to the fact that his taller frame is tugging Rosa's down with him. 
  A tiny whimper escapes him, an alarming noise for a man his size, then it 
  segues into muffled words directed somewhere towawrds Rosa's shoulder as the 
  younger Singer's embrace holds him close. "Don't wanna remember... don't 
  wanna forget... my fault, a-all my fault... couldn't hang onto her, Jade 
  honey, I-I-I couldn't hang on..."

Tears stream down Rosa's face as she slides down to the ground with Tance, 
  moved by the tragedy. Her hands stroke Tance's shoulders. "You'd never hurt 
  her intentionally, Tance," she murmurs. "Whatever happened was an accident."

Those shoulders quiver violently under Rosa's soothing fingers, and Tance 
  keeps trying to curl up into as small a ball as he can make of himself. 
  Though he doesn't lift his face, it grows suspiciously damp there the 
  younger Singer's own shoulder. Perhaps Tance senses this, for he tries to 
  move, muttering in bleakly rough tones, "My fault. A-all my fault..."

Rosa was clearly not quite prepared for this. She's moved, however, and very 
  worried. Her hands keep stroking Tance's shoulders and back soothingly and 
  she continues to rock him, damp shoulder or not. "Don't blame yourself," she 
  murmurs. "You can't do that, Tance. It doesn't change anything or help 
  anything. She wouldn't want you to do this to yourself. She loved you too 
  much for that."

Tance's thin form can be felt to jerk violently at something in his 
  companion's words -- the past tense, perhaps. "C-can't... keep it straight," 
  he groans, barely audibly. "I-I-I'm gonna forget, I don't _wanna_ forget..."

"Tance," Rosa says softly, firmly, "we won't let you forget. I've got a 
  datapad here. Tell you what - when you feel up to it, voice record 
  everything you remember. I'll do what I can to prompt you. It'll help."

A small interrogative noise creeps out of the huddled Singer, though Tance 
  doesn't manage to look up.

Rosa smooths over Tance's hair, still rocking him. "We can record what yo udo 
  remember. And talk about things that I remember. Would that help you? Would 
  it make you feel better?"

How long has it been since Tance last had a decent haircut? Months, 
  undoubtedly, from the length of his shaggy mop, disheveled strands reaching 
  past the nape of his neck in back, falling forward to conceal his face when 
  he's huddled over. Shot through with gray though it might be, that mop of 
  his is still quite thick and full, a sign that he's not really as old as he 
  sometimes seems to think. "Y-you'd... d... do that?" he mumbles, not looking 
  up. He's still shuddering, but a little less frenetically now, as the young 
  woman's soothing starts getting through to him.

The little redheaded Singer's braid is freshly done, hair pulled back from her 
  face. A little smile lighting up her face, she nods. "Of course I would, 
  Tance. You may not remember, but the two of us are friends. And Kesya too." 
  She hesitates a moment, going back to smoothing back Tance's hair. "Looks 
  like you need a friend right now. Even if it's the strange little Singer 
  with the talking teddy bear."

He's wound up huddled more or less in Rosa's lap now, and residual tremors are 
  still gripping his frame. Abashedly, he tries to move around to hide his 
  face, but after a long moment he mumbles, ".... 'member the bear... I... I 
  think..."

Rosa may be tiny, but she's not weak. She keeps an almost protective hold on 
  Tance, rocking him in an attempt to ease the tremors. She sniffles a bit, 
  and gives a little smile at those mumbled words. "You remember him? Really? 
  Oh, Bear will be very proud to hear that. He's always thought the world of 
  you, you know. Doesn't recommend his kin to live with just anyone, you know."

Tance doesn't answer that one, not immediately; perhaps he has no idea what to 
  say. Rosa can keep a good hold on him, suggesting that the man's craving 
  comfort even as he can't bring himself to look at her. He still doesn't look 
  up, staying there huddled halfway in the younger Singer's lap and finally 
  manages to mumble in that overhigh tone he's been using, "O-oh..."

Rosa chuckles quietly, giving Tance a little hug before she brushes his hair 
  back. "Hey, Bear's picky. He doesn't like just anyone, you know." She gives 
  a little sigh. "Tance, feel up for a drink? Still got those ales in my 
  pocket. And I think my leg's fallen asleep."

That makes him start, jerking again, and trying to sit up. "Sorry," he 
  mutters, still not managing to look Rosa in the eye.

The little Singer's braid bounces as she laughs. "Don't apologize, Tance. 
  Really. It's all right. Why not lean back against the sled and have some ale 
  for a bit?" She smiles. "I could heat up something to eat, too."

He does sit up, slowly, uneasily, but his head stays ashamedly bowed. Tance 
  lifts a hand and scrubs it roughly across his face even as he mumbles, 
  "O-okay..."

Rosa reaches into a pocket of her jumpsuit and pulls out a nice bottle of ale, 
  popping the lid expertly. "Hey, which'd you prefer? I've got lasagne, dragon 
  steak, and beef stroganoff. And a pretty good chili." She grins. "It's nice 
  having company for dinner. Even if it is out on a rock."

"D-dragon steak?" mumbles Tance, even as he inches back against the pink hull 
  behind him.

"Yep, dragon steak," Rosa says with a smile as she hands over the ale. "Nice 
  and spicy too. With milsi stalks and a few other tidits. Want me to grill 
  'em up?"

Tance lifts his head enough to see the ale as it comes into his field of 
  vision; with a tentative hand, he accepts it, though he doesn't dare to 
  sample the stuff yet. "Do somethin'," he mumbles. "Should do somethin'..."

Rosa slowly pushes herself to her feet. "Why not take a drink of the ale and 
  tell Bear a little story while I get dinner ready?" She shakes her legs, one 
  after the other. "Or do you want to help with dinner?"

As Rosa rises, now, finally, Tance risks a look up at her. His expression is a 
  study in embarrassment, a blush darkening what's visible of his cheeks, his 
  eyes still suspiciously damp. His brow furrows as he seems to try to wrap 
  his mind around the options given him; it seems to be a good idea, though, 
  for having to think seems to sharpen his gaze, bringing cognizance into 
  those plaintive eyes. "I'm..." The syllable comes out of him overhigh yet 
  again, and he clears his throat, muttering more lowly, "I-If you need 
  help..."

If Rosa notices the blushing, she gives no indication of it, looking down at 
  Tance with a little smile. "Of course I'd like some help," she says. "We can 
  keep each other company while we cook. Maybe Bear will sing for us." She 
  winks playfully.

A flare of confusion in the bewhiskered visage; Tance may be trying to 
  exercise his intellect, but it seems that Bear might be a bit beyond him as 
  of yet. The flicker of reason hides again behind shy unquestioning 
  acceptance as the older Singer slowly and stiffly pulls himself to his feet, 
  trying not to look out at the water as he does so.

Putting a hand on Tance's shoulder, Rosa gently guids him so that he doesn't 
  have to look out at the water. "And this way," she adds, "you can get the 
  steak cooked the way you like. I'd hate to overcook it. Dragonsteaks are 
  quite good."

"I, I dunno if I've had 'em," mumbles Tance, even as he's guided into the sled.

[To be continued...]