“And thank you for your excellent guided tour of your very interesting spaceship.” Tzoltzin put his hands across his chest, fingers downward, marking a polite end to the discussion. Followed by his Adjutant, he returned to his air car.
There is now a gap of a fair number of years.
See the Alpha Core
Primary Atomic Spray Facility One
Bulger Shipyards, North California
Elaine Bell stood at one corner of the landing field, waiting for her expected guests. Today was gray and rainy, a December chill having replaced the warmer weather. Gusts of wind drove puddles across the landing field.
“Senor Inspector Tzoltzin’s aircar is on final approach,” the voice in her earbug announced, “coming in at 270 true. Takeoff of the Mighty Transporter II is being held until he lands. Bulger Flight Control, out.”
She looked out over the waters of the Pacific. The roar of the waves, driven by a storm still well off-shore, was unusually loud. Waterproof rain gear or not, she was facing into the wind, and could feel raindrops breaking across her face. There, dipping below the cloud line was the bright Republic Orange of the Inspector’s air transport. She felt the distinct hum of a vehicle landing with the support of an alpha drive core. As it settled to earth, her freight transporter rolled forward, positioning itself as close as possible to the aircar’s now extending landing ramp.
Lieutenant Tashiro Junichiro appeared at the passenger hatch, made a cursory check of the surroundings, and marched down the ramp. “Elaine,” he said as he reached bottom, “it is as always good to see you. The Senior Inspector will follow in a moment; he is donning weather gear.”
“Apologies for the climate, but you can’t put a weather screen over a landing field,” Elaine said.
“Curiously, the Inspector said the same thing. He grumbled about the expected near-polar weather.”
“We ran up the temperature inside the building,” Elaine said, “and have the stack of heated drying cloths that I gather are the Creztailian custom. There is also hot tea.”
“Heated cloths are indeed the custom,” Junichiro said, “and he is fond of your Australian Keemun tea if it can be had.”
“Ready and waiting.” Fortunately, Elaine thought, Mabel Brixton keeps careful notes on these things.
“And here is the Senior Inspector,” Lieutenant Tashiro announced.
Inspector Tzoltzin waddled down the ramp, his batrachian snout pulled back under a long rain hood. “Ah, Great Commander of Building Things Bell. I am of course delighted to see you, despite your sad weather. Though I have read there are places north of here where the rain falls as beautiful white crystals, hopefully only to be seen from the far side of a thick pane of glass.”
“And I greet you also, Senior Inspector,” Elaine answered, her arms outstretched with palms up. The Inspector repeated the gesture. “However, be so kind as to step into the transporter, and we will be in someplace more comfortable in a few moments. Of course, if you ever wish to see a snow storm, you could visit our Polar Coastline.”
