The sun was beating down with a vengeance. Thankfully, Griftor was able to
keep most of the heat out of the cockpit. Dana and her zoid had been
traveling for two days now. All she could see was desert and mountains.
But according to the map that she had, there should be a town of some sort
nearby. What she really needed was some place where Griftor can get a check
up.
At the last town they were at, the people had marveled at her zoid's unique
design. Just like everywhere else that she had been, no one could even
remember a story about a zoid like hers. Everyone was glad to help a
struggling, new warrior out. They gave her a listing of all the teams
(imagine using zoids for sports!), the map, some money, food, and a place
to sleep for the night. The next day, they left the town and headed on
their way.
Dana was beginning to think that she had read the map wrong when Griftor
drew her attention to something that was over the horizon. It looked like
a large golden fan with a blue jewel in the center. It rested atop of a
skyscraper on the edge of a town. Yes! There it was. Maybe they might
even know where a mechanic shop is.
"Come on, boy, let's get there!" she urged as she increased the speed.
The zoid was quite willing to comply. It wanted to meet other zoids and
learn from them what this world was like. Maybe it'll finally find others
like it.
Doc was happy. His team had made it to Class S, and won the Royal Cup. Now they were preparing for the next challenge. He had called them back from their vacation time to get ready. Everyone was gathered before him. They looked refreshed and ready for action. But there were things that they needed to do first. "Okay team, listen up. I know that you might be reluctant to go back to work, but I wanted to us to prepare now for whatever is coming up next. I'm going to have the zoids overhauled now to see if there are any problems." The team groaned. The cost of the overhauls would eat up a large percentage of the money they had left. But Doc was insistent, "Better to get rid of them now then to mess up later in battle." That was his final word on the matter. He then turned and headed to the front desk to talk to the clerks. On his way there, he spotted a young woman who looked like she just swallowed something foul. The girl was wearing black vest and boots along with a white t-shirt and brown pants. She had her copper hair pulled up in a ponytail and fingerless gloves on. It looked like that she was a little older than Lena, maybe closer to Brad's age. Her posture and arm muscle suggested that she was a warrior, but he didn't think that she fit the description of any warrior Doc had heard of. "Hello there. What seems to be your problem?" he said. If she was a warrior, then maybe he could strike some kind of deal with her to join the team. It wouldn't hurt to have another pilot and zoid on standby. She jumped at the sound of his voice, startled. The young woman smiled and stood. "Money. I want to get my zoid a check-up but apparently I don't have enough money to get it," she said. "Well, what estimate did they give you?" She handed him a slip of paper with a price on the bottom. It was a bit high, but well within the Blitz team's budget. Inspiration came to him. He turned to her, "Let me tell you what. It just so happens that my team's zoids are in for an overhaul right this moment. How about I add your zoid to the list and you can work it off by joining my team?" She seemed to consider it for a moment then reached a decision. Holding out her hand she said, "All right. You've got a deal. I don't think you'll regret it either. My name is Dana Sol." He took her hand and shook it. "I'm Dr. Toros. Call me 'Doc.'" Together they walked over to the counter to talk to the clerks.
"Uh oh," Jamie said. He was watching Doc going to the counter while the others were sitting around, waiting for him to get back. "What is it, Jamie?" Lena asked. The strategist's tone brooded no good. "Doc's stopped and now he's talking so some girl." "Wonder what they're talking about," Bit said. They all looked over and saw Doc talking with a copper-haired girl. Brad had to admit that the girl had a nice figure, but it was hard to tell at this distance. Then they watched them shake hands and walk to the counter. "Something tells me that we've got a new team mate," Brad mused. The others groaned at the prospect. Doc was always making deals with people without thinking everything through. The team wondered what he had gotten them into this time. Brad's prediction was justified as Doc and the girl walked over to them. "Okay, team. I want you to meet our newest member, Dana Sol," he announced. "Dana, these will be your new team mates. This is Bit Cloud, my daughter Lena, Brad, and Jamie." "Hi everyone. It is nice to meet you," she said. Dana looked over her new companions and didn't feel welcomed. They looked at her as a curiosity and unknown. She hoped that given time, they would warm up to her. Brad was right, she was attractive but she looked young. He hoped that she was as good a warrior as Doc thought she might be. "Okay, all of you go ahead and look around. Dana, you go on and join them, I'll look after your zoid," Doc said. "Griftor." "Huh?" "My zoid is called Griftor, Doc. Why don't I go down with you bring him in? He can be a bit unruly around strangers," she suggested. "I can catch up with the others afterwards." Doc nodded and they left to bring in the new zoid. After a moment, Bit got up and followed. "Hey Bit, where are you going?" Lena called. He turned and looked at them, "I'm going to see what this new zoid looks like. From the sound of it, Griftor may be a zoid we haven't seen before. Don't tell me that the rest of you aren't just as curious." Admittedly they were and followed Doc and Dana. What kind of zoid did this girl have? Their question was son answered as they watched Dana bring Griftor. The team was gathered on a catwalk above the maintenance bay. When Griftor made his entrance, everyone gasped. It looked magnificent. Doc had made a good deal for once. But Brad couldn't believe it. This was a small planet after all. Griftor was the very same zoid that he had seen in the forest when he was on vacation. Which meant that Dana was the mysterious pilot that had managed to get away from him. Although the idea of going against her had a certain appeal, he was glad that they would be on the same team. Her arsenal was impressive looking and he doubted that most of it would still be there if it wasn't useful. "Incredible! I've never seen a zoid like that before! What a great addition to our team it will be!" Doc was drooling over the latest zoid. Jamie, Bit and Lena were speechless and amazed by what they saw. Doc was dancing as he left to get a closer look at Griftor. "Wow," whispered Lena. "Yeah, no kidding. It's amazing," seconded Bit. "Looks like Doc actually made a good deal for once," Jamie said. Brad didn't say anything. After a moment he told the others something to the effect that he would catch up with them later. Then he went down for a closer peek himself. He also wanted to talk a bit more with Dana.
"Wow! What an incredible zoid. I'm surprised that none of the other teams have wanted you to join them. But then I may have been lucky and gotten to you first, my dear," Doc said as he watched mechanics scramble over Griftor to begin. Dana was standing beside him feeling a little embarrassed. She knew that there weren't many zoids like Griftor around anymore, but that didn't stop her from feeling this way. She reached into a pocket and pulled out a disc. "This is my zoid's schematic. It will help you with the check-up," she said and handed it to the nearest mechanic. She froze in surprise. Dana recognized the mechanic that was taking the disc. Fortunately, she remembered what she had been told to do if this should ever happen. The pilot recovered quickly and pretended that nothing happened. And the mechanic did the same thing. The other women took and the disc and gave it to her supervisor who was talking with Doc. Behind them, Dana could see Brad coming her way. Brad was kind of cute in her opinion. But he had an air of arrogance that put her off. Still, it was too early to make those kind of judgments. He walked up beside her and took a long good look at her zoid. "Nice zoid. It's great to be able to take a closer look this time," he said. "What do you mean by 'this time'?" she asked. Brad laughed to himself and pointed to a zoid that was behind them. She recognized it as the same zoid that she had seen in the mountains. Then she laughed. "So you're the pilot that I ran into," she said. He nodded, "Small planet isn't it? My zoid is called Shadowfox." "Hmm. Nice name. Does it perform up to it?" "You bet. Come on, I'll show you around." She agreed. Together they walked off to the games room. Brad told her about the ZBC, team ranks, and pointed out to her other zoid warriors and what teams they were on. Dana absorbed this information and stored away for later. "Where do I register?" "I think that there is a registration station over there. I'll help," he said. "Thanks." "You know, I'm glad that we're on the same team. But it's also a shame that I won't get a chance to go up against your zoid," Brad told her. She laughed, "Be glad that we're on the same team. There are few zoids that could take down Griftor; and I don't think that your zoid is one of them." Brad smiled but didn't say anything. Dana got registered as a member of the Blitz team and was given her registration console. She carefully pocketed it and Brad led her to where the others were.
"Doc Toros, your zoids are ready," a clerk announced. "Ah, good. Is everything all right?" he asked. The clerk nodded, "They all seem to be in good shape. But I thought that you would want to know. It appears that the Griftor zoid has a black box similar to the Laeger Zero's. We couldn't scan it. "And it has some unusual weapons. The two cannons on the back are actually pulse cannons. They're expensive and hard to get. But I bet it beats having to buy ammo all the time. The structure is unlike anything that I have ever seen before. You sure got a rare zoid here, Doc." Doc signed the bill and took the disc with the schematic on it. He thought about how strange it was that no one had ever heard of a zoid like this before now; there haven't even been rumors about Griftor. And where on earth did that girl get pulse cannons small enough to fit on it. Current technology hadn't found a way to make pulse weapons small enough for such a purpose. The way that they had just shown up was weird too. It was like the zoid and its pilot just dropped out of the sky somehow. The whole thing left him uneasy. He would have to talk to Dana later. Right now there were other matters to attend to.
Doc was happy. His team had made it to Class S, and won the Royal Cup. Now they were preparing for the next challenge. He had called them back from their vacation time to get ready. Everyone was gathered before him. They looked refreshed and ready for action. But there were things that they needed to do first. "Okay team, listen up. I know that you might be reluctant to go back to work, but I wanted to us to prepare now for whatever is coming up next. I'm going to have the zoids overhauled now to see if there are any problems." The team groaned. The cost of the overhauls would eat up a large percentage of the money they had left. But Doc was insistent, "Better to get rid of them now then to mess up later in battle." That was his final word on the matter. He then turned and headed to the front desk to talk to the clerks. On his way there, he spotted a young woman who looked like she just swallowed something foul. The girl was wearing black vest and boots along with a white t-shirt and brown pants. She had her copper hair pulled up in a ponytail and fingerless gloves on. It looked like that she was a little older than Lena, maybe closer to Brad's age. Her posture and arm muscle suggested that she was a warrior, but he didn't think that she fit the description of any warrior Doc had heard of. "Hello there. What seems to be your problem?" he said. If she was a warrior, then maybe he could strike some kind of deal with her to join the team. It wouldn't hurt to have another pilot and zoid on standby. She jumped at the sound of his voice, startled. The young woman smiled and stood. "Money. I want to get my zoid a check-up but apparently I don't have enough money to get it," she said. "Well, what estimate did they give you?" She handed him a slip of paper with a price on the bottom. It was a bit high, but well within the Blitz team's budget. Inspiration came to him. He turned to her, "Let me tell you what. It just so happens that my team's zoids are in for an overhaul right this moment. How about I add your zoid to the list and you can work it off by joining my team?" She seemed to consider it for a moment then reached a decision. Holding out her hand she said, "All right. You've got a deal. I don't think you'll regret it either. My name is Dana Sol." He took her hand and shook it. "I'm Dr. Toros. Call me 'Doc.'" Together they walked over to the counter to talk to the clerks.
"Uh oh," Jamie said. He was watching Doc going to the counter while the others were sitting around, waiting for him to get back. "What is it, Jamie?" Lena asked. The strategist's tone brooded no good. "Doc's stopped and now he's talking so some girl." "Wonder what they're talking about," Bit said. They all looked over and saw Doc talking with a copper-haired girl. Brad had to admit that the girl had a nice figure, but it was hard to tell at this distance. Then they watched them shake hands and walk to the counter. "Something tells me that we've got a new team mate," Brad mused. The others groaned at the prospect. Doc was always making deals with people without thinking everything through. The team wondered what he had gotten them into this time. Brad's prediction was justified as Doc and the girl walked over to them. "Okay, team. I want you to meet our newest member, Dana Sol," he announced. "Dana, these will be your new team mates. This is Bit Cloud, my daughter Lena, Brad, and Jamie." "Hi everyone. It is nice to meet you," she said. Dana looked over her new companions and didn't feel welcomed. They looked at her as a curiosity and unknown. She hoped that given time, they would warm up to her. Brad was right, she was attractive but she looked young. He hoped that she was as good a warrior as Doc thought she might be. "Okay, all of you go ahead and look around. Dana, you go on and join them, I'll look after your zoid," Doc said. "Griftor." "Huh?" "My zoid is called Griftor, Doc. Why don't I go down with you bring him in? He can be a bit unruly around strangers," she suggested. "I can catch up with the others afterwards." Doc nodded and they left to bring in the new zoid. After a moment, Bit got up and followed. "Hey Bit, where are you going?" Lena called. He turned and looked at them, "I'm going to see what this new zoid looks like. From the sound of it, Griftor may be a zoid we haven't seen before. Don't tell me that the rest of you aren't just as curious." Admittedly they were and followed Doc and Dana. What kind of zoid did this girl have? Their question was son answered as they watched Dana bring Griftor. The team was gathered on a catwalk above the maintenance bay. When Griftor made his entrance, everyone gasped. It looked magnificent. Doc had made a good deal for once. But Brad couldn't believe it. This was a small planet after all. Griftor was the very same zoid that he had seen in the forest when he was on vacation. Which meant that Dana was the mysterious pilot that had managed to get away from him. Although the idea of going against her had a certain appeal, he was glad that they would be on the same team. Her arsenal was impressive looking and he doubted that most of it would still be there if it wasn't useful. "Incredible! I've never seen a zoid like that before! What a great addition to our team it will be!" Doc was drooling over the latest zoid. Jamie, Bit and Lena were speechless and amazed by what they saw. Doc was dancing as he left to get a closer look at Griftor. "Wow," whispered Lena. "Yeah, no kidding. It's amazing," seconded Bit. "Looks like Doc actually made a good deal for once," Jamie said. Brad didn't say anything. After a moment he told the others something to the effect that he would catch up with them later. Then he went down for a closer peek himself. He also wanted to talk a bit more with Dana.
"Wow! What an incredible zoid. I'm surprised that none of the other teams have wanted you to join them. But then I may have been lucky and gotten to you first, my dear," Doc said as he watched mechanics scramble over Griftor to begin. Dana was standing beside him feeling a little embarrassed. She knew that there weren't many zoids like Griftor around anymore, but that didn't stop her from feeling this way. She reached into a pocket and pulled out a disc. "This is my zoid's schematic. It will help you with the check-up," she said and handed it to the nearest mechanic. She froze in surprise. Dana recognized the mechanic that was taking the disc. Fortunately, she remembered what she had been told to do if this should ever happen. The pilot recovered quickly and pretended that nothing happened. And the mechanic did the same thing. The other women took and the disc and gave it to her supervisor who was talking with Doc. Behind them, Dana could see Brad coming her way. Brad was kind of cute in her opinion. But he had an air of arrogance that put her off. Still, it was too early to make those kind of judgments. He walked up beside her and took a long good look at her zoid. "Nice zoid. It's great to be able to take a closer look this time," he said. "What do you mean by 'this time'?" she asked. Brad laughed to himself and pointed to a zoid that was behind them. She recognized it as the same zoid that she had seen in the mountains. Then she laughed. "So you're the pilot that I ran into," she said. He nodded, "Small planet isn't it? My zoid is called Shadowfox." "Hmm. Nice name. Does it perform up to it?" "You bet. Come on, I'll show you around." She agreed. Together they walked off to the games room. Brad told her about the ZBC, team ranks, and pointed out to her other zoid warriors and what teams they were on. Dana absorbed this information and stored away for later. "Where do I register?" "I think that there is a registration station over there. I'll help," he said. "Thanks." "You know, I'm glad that we're on the same team. But it's also a shame that I won't get a chance to go up against your zoid," Brad told her. She laughed, "Be glad that we're on the same team. There are few zoids that could take down Griftor; and I don't think that your zoid is one of them." Brad smiled but didn't say anything. Dana got registered as a member of the Blitz team and was given her registration console. She carefully pocketed it and Brad led her to where the others were.
"Doc Toros, your zoids are ready," a clerk announced. "Ah, good. Is everything all right?" he asked. The clerk nodded, "They all seem to be in good shape. But I thought that you would want to know. It appears that the Griftor zoid has a black box similar to the Laeger Zero's. We couldn't scan it. "And it has some unusual weapons. The two cannons on the back are actually pulse cannons. They're expensive and hard to get. But I bet it beats having to buy ammo all the time. The structure is unlike anything that I have ever seen before. You sure got a rare zoid here, Doc." Doc signed the bill and took the disc with the schematic on it. He thought about how strange it was that no one had ever heard of a zoid like this before now; there haven't even been rumors about Griftor. And where on earth did that girl get pulse cannons small enough to fit on it. Current technology hadn't found a way to make pulse weapons small enough for such a purpose. The way that they had just shown up was weird too. It was like the zoid and its pilot just dropped out of the sky somehow. The whole thing left him uneasy. He would have to talk to Dana later. Right now there were other matters to attend to.