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Once "Sgt. Weidler" arrives, she sees a trio of Joes by an A.W.E. Striker and walks over to them, hiding her unease at being surrounded by military personnel on their own turf. "Pardon me, but you're one of this base's electronics personnel, aren't you?" She asks, despite knowing exactly most of who she's presently out-numbered by.

"I sure am... Name's Dial-Tone; you must be that V.I.P. we're expecting." He replies, then points to the dashboard. "But I'm a bit busy, ma'am. You'll have to look for Breaker or Mainframe."

"Oh, i see. Before i go, might i ask what you're working on?" She asks next. Aside from Zartan, the most any Dreadnok knows about this stuff is Buzzer, as mentioned by his bragging about once changing the Tele-Viper's goggles so they all used pig-Latin.

"This? It's a new targeting system that these two are gonna try out once I'm finished programming it." Dial-Tone replies while motioning to Crankcase and Lady-Jaye, who gives her the directions, but is turned down as she mentally recites the Baroness's files on them.

Crankcase: real name unknown. Former assigned driver for General Abernathy, Clayton M.

Lady-Jaye: real name, Hart-Burnett, Alison R. Trained in covert operations, aerial operations, and long/close range combat. (AKA: avoid this cow like she's got the bleedin' plague unless ordered ter do so.)

"Thank you, but I've already seen the base layout." She replied, inwardly breathing a sigh of relief that the disguise worked.


The next day, Cover-Girl is replacing some parts in the left shroud on a H.A.V.O.C. "Ah don't see none why yew should be distrustin' that new gal frum Washington, when she's jus' here fer another day or two." Cross-Country says while leaning against it and thumbing through a catalogue.

"Disrupting what, now?" She asks as she removes her earplugs. "...Oh; it's nothing to do with that, it's just that it's a bit odd for anyone to avoid us like Weidler's been doing." She explains, recalling how the visitor turned down sleeping in the female barracks and has only showered once in the guest quarters. "Scarlett thinks she's just being shy, but who knows."

Meanwhile, Sgt. Weidler is reaching for the floppy disk with the "new codes" when Mainframe walks in. "Hey Carol, get a load of this!"

"Th-this better be important."

"I just heard from a classmate of mine in California; he says Apple's working on a new PC." He replies, shoving a letter about something called The Green Jade in her face as he goes on and on. As she feigns interest on the outside, she again cycles through a dozen different ways of killing him for flapping his gums about some geeky crap when they both hear shouting outside. "Hmm... Who was it this time?" He asks when they find Beachhead looming over a toothbrush wielding chemist.

"May, thets who!" The 4IC told them as he and Airtight looked towards him. "Breaker caught him messin' around in thuh laundry room while checkin' last night's sec-rec*; Ah woke up tuh find Recondo's pants in... did i say yawl could take uh brayke, maggot?!"

"I was wondering why Roadblock looked different today."


While that is happening, Airborne is about finished supervising Slip-Stream's practice flight around Keystone with a Skyhawk. "I'd say we can wrap this up, don't you agree?"

"Roger that, lead; let's head home." Slip-Stream replies.

As the pair turn around, Airborne spots something familiar below, a car owned by a fellow Joe who is walking into a bar... the type on most men's no-go list. "Aw, Hawk is not going to like this."


Chapter forty-five.

*Security recording.