Chapter 4: Money, Junk, And Blondes

Jamie walked along side of Bit, his eyes oscillated between the screen of his comp board, and the cracked sidewalk that they traveled. "I've been looking over the rules for Class S. They're really complicated."

Bit wrinkled his brow. "What do you mean, complicated?"

They made their way toward the edge of the southern side of Capital City.

"Well, for one thing the battlefields are huge." Jamie stared wide-eyed at the comp board. "Wow. Some of these Teams have been in Class S for eight years."

Bit smiled. "Well that just makes for better opponents."

Jamie looked concerned. "It also makes for lots of repairs. It says we get a stipend for being in Class S as long as we maintain an annual victory rate of forty-five percent. Otherwise, the next year is out of our pocket."

Bit put his hand on Jamie's shoulder. "We can't change the rules, so lets just enjoy the time we got. Lighten up. We can buy some of those CP-18 Impact Cannons for your Raynos. After all, you'll be fighting in there with us. You could use the extra firepower."

Jamie's eyes widened. "Me? Fight in Class S?" He dropped the comp board, grumbled, reached down, and picked the device up of the sidewalk.

"See?" Bit leaned forward. "You think too much, Jamie." Bit straightened, and extended his arms outward. "Live for today."

Jamie rolled his eyes. Frustration grew inside of him. It seemed like the more he tried to reason with the team, the less they listened to him. He finally gave up on the argument. "We've been to three Zoid junk stores. What are you looking for?"

"Liger needs some stronger bearings in the leg joints when he's in the Panzer Unit CAS. I can think of only one Zoid that has those parts."

Jamie stopped. Was Bit insane? Jamie had studied the specification charts of Zoids as part of his strategy. There was no way to change Liger's performance in the Panzer unit. "What Zoid is that?"

Bit extended his arms outward. "Salamander!" Bit put his arm on Jamie's shoulder. His other hand shook about. "The wing pivot-joint bearing housings of a Salamander Zoid are the same size as Liger's. But! They have a vented housing for the bearing race. It should help reduce Liger's leg joints overheating."

Jamie looked puzzled. Salamanders had been banned from Zoid Competitions long ago as they were considered far too powerful for use in sporting events. So Jamie had no data on the Zoid. "Why would Salamander wing pivot-joint bearings be so unusually large and vented?"

"Because Salamanders were designed to carry weapons up to, and including, the Gojulas Cannons. The more load a Salamander carries, the more often it has to flap those huge wings." Bit flapped the air with his arms. "The bearings were vented to reduce weight, and vent heat." Bit laughed. "And since they're vented, they just happen to dissipate heat really well." Bit smirked. "A specification often overlooked by Zoid customizers."

Jamie stared at Bit. If Bit was right, then it might be possible. But with no data to study, Jamie felt himself once again at the mercy of his wild and crazy teammate. He came to his senses as his past experiences with his team mate came to the forefront of his mind. He was, after all, dealing with Bit Cloud. "How much are these bearings going to cost?"

Bit shrugged. "Who cares? With Liger stable in the Panzer CAS, we'll have a new surprise for our opponents." Bit raised his hands, and closed them into fists. "We'll be ready for the best of Class S!"

Jamie frowned at the all too familiar show that Bit put on. He lowered his arm, and let his comp board hang from his hand at his leg. "How much for the bearings, Bit?"

Bit stroked his chin, and stared at the clouds. "Oh, I don't know. I'd barter for three thousand a bearing. That's about half the price of a new set." Bit squinted his eyes. "Then we'll need new races for the bearings. They should be about one thousand per bearing."

Jamie shook his head. His Zoids specs showed that Liger Zero had sixteen load bearings in all four of its legs. He groaned as they started to walk down the street again. "You spend money on parts like Leena spends money on ammunition."

Bit looked around as they reached the intersection of the outer roads of the city. "What were you saying about Leena, Jamie?"

Jamie rolled his eyes. "Oh nothing. I just wondered if Leena got my message."

Bit pointed across the intersection at a well-used building in front of a fenced-in pile of masses of metal. The parts of many Zoids could be recognized and nearly all showed signs of being well-used. "There it is. Niller's Heavy Metal. They say if you can name a Zoid, Niller's got two parted out in that lot."

Jamie groaned at the junkyard. "Bit, that place looks pretty run down."

Bit smiled. "Why waste money on a pretty building when you could buy a Zoid shell to salvage?"

Jamie shook his head. "Your junking days before finding us must have been pretty grim."

Bit couldn't hear a word of Jamie's comment. He had already headed across the street towards Niller's at a brisk walk.

Jamie walked more slowly as he followed Bit. No since getting in a hurry. If this Niller has got the parts, Bit will barter and blab for an hour.

"Excuse me?"

Jamie jumped as the sound emulated only a couple of feet behind him. He turned to see a girl who looked about his age. Her blond hair shined in the mid-morning sun, and her blue eyes were full of life. She walked right up to Jamie, and looked slightly upward at him.

"You're Jamie Hemeros from the Blitz Team, right?"

Jamie laughed nervously as he brushed the back of his head. "Uh, yeah. Why do you ask?"

The girl put her hand under her chin, her eyes darted up and down. She looked to be calculating something. In an instant, she was right back up into Jamie's personal space. "I like you." She leaned back away from him, tilted her head, and smiled broadly.

Jamie felt his face become warm. He tried to be polite. "Uh, gee, that's really nice." He took another step back. But the girl, again, walked right up to him.

She looked confused. "Where are you going?" She sounded commanding.

"Well, I have to catch up with my friend-"

The little blond girl raised her hand, and gestured Jamie's comment aside. "I overheard. Uncle Niller has the parts. He'll sell them for Bit's price. Now, walk with me."

The girl took a step while Jamie stood still, confused, and nervous.

The girl stopped, mid-stride, and turned her head toward Jamie. "I said come on." She reached back, and took Jamie's hand. Grasping it firmly, she pulled his arm as she took another step.

Jamie was in a grand state of confusion. As the girl pulled his arm out in front of him, he reluctantly followed. He blushed profusely. He'd never held hands with a girl, and in less than a minute, one said she liked him, walked with him, and now held his hand. He tried to open his fingers to see if his hand could slide away from hers, but she clasped his hand firmly. Jamie closed his hand over the girl's. "Uh . . . where are we going?"

The girl smiled, and turned toward him, her face full of cheer. "There's a great soda shop on the northern edge of town. They make great floats. You'll like them. They're really sweet and creamy."

"Uh, okay." Jamie felt as though he was drowning in awkwardness. "Look, I don't even know you. Could you at least tell me your name?"

The girl turned her head, and smiled. "Sure. It's Tiana."

Jamie tried to relax. "So, why are you so interested in me? Do you want my autograph?

Tiana giggled, and shook her head. "No. Why would I need that. I'm your girlfriend."

Jamie's face went white. "My what?"

Tiana smiled, and clenched his hand tightly. "Jamie, shut up. You think too much. Keep your analyzing on the battlefield. I'm your girlfriend. That's it. We're going on a date to get floats, and then we're going for a walk."

"But what about, Bit?"

"Oh when he finds out that Uncle Niller has the Salamander parts he'll forget all about you." Tiana laughed. "Besides, Uncle Niller already watched me walk off with you. If Bit remembers to ask him, he'll tell him where you went."

Jamie continued to follow Tiana's lead. My head is spinning. This girl is insane. How did she just decide we're together?

"Jamie?"

Jamie pulled himself together, and tried to seem a little more relaxed. "Yeah?"

Tiana smiled, and turned to look at him. Those blue eyes commanded attention. "You're muttering. I can hear you." She squeezed his hand, and grinned. "Shut up. We're going to have a good time at the soda shop."

Jamie finally gave up, and followed Tiana down the street.