Job Hunt

JamPony was a virtual bee hive. Couriers moved about either on their feet or on their bikes. Nÿx walked down the ramp taking everything in. This was where Max had spent most of her time working and moving about Seattle, her very own playground. The lockers stood at the back of the building with people constantly moving about and to her left was the little lounge area where others sat watching the idiot box.

Nÿx wondered absently if 'EyesOnly' would put up a broadcast today. She hadn't seen one since she'd arrived in the city and was beginning to think something must've happened. Nÿx still hadn't' been able to get to Terminal City and the waiting was finally getting to her.

With new purpose Nÿx made her way to the window where a slightly blondish man wearing glasses yelled out orders.

"Bip, bip, bip people! These packages won't deliver themselves!"

'Normal.' Nÿx smiled to herself finally meeting the man she'd heard about from the stories Max had relayed to her brother. Belatedly she remembered that Zach had also worked at JamPony briefly when he'd been searching for Max.

'Big brother left a bad impression here.' That didn't bother her too much considering not one of them looked alike. With the exception of Krit and Max or so Syl had said. Then she'd looked at Nÿx with a slight frown but hadn't said anymore.

'Do I look like her? Is that why Krit saved me? Because I reminded him of his sister?'

She didn't know it but Krit had pictured Tinga the way Max had seen her. In the tank with all those tubes… that thought had made his decision for him and now Nÿx had a life of her own. But Nÿx didn't know that and so her main worry was that they had made her in Max's image. Just a cheap copy.

That wasn't the case and as she approached the window where the rapidly reddening face of Normal kept yelling out parcel numbers she dreaded having to explain she wasn't the X-5 he thought. She wasn't an X-5 at all.

Normal turned to face the little girl quietly standing at his window and barked; "What?"

"Hello." She said in a soft voice. Normal's eyebrows drew together in a frown. Nÿx saw this and pushed her trepidation aside.

"I'm Nÿx and your new outstanding JamPony messenger." She smiled holding her hand out to him never flinching from the look on his face. Inside she was willing him to just shake her hand and give her the job.

"My what?" Normal asked incredulously. He looked over the girl once more noting the golden skin, long black hair falling in waves to frame her face. The delicate look of her features, finely shaped eyebrows and long dark lashes framing the darkest almond shaped eyes he'd ever seen. On a closer look he noticed tiny flecks of green in their depths. She had the look of a cherub or at least what he'd heard described as a cherub with slightly rounded cheeks and full lips. Normal tilted his head slightly at the image.

"How old are you?" he asked in his best grumpy voice. She lowered her hand to the top of the counter and arched an eyebrow.

"Twenty. How old are you?" she returned with an impish smile. Normal started at that and frowned again. He leaned down thinking she was a petite little thing and said; "I'm the boss here. I ask the questions so don't go getting smart with me missy."

"Yes, sir." Nÿx replied with an appropriately demure smile as she straightened. "So, which packages are mine?" she asked eyeing the parcels in front of Normal.

"Ha!" Normal exclaimed. "There are procedures here girly. There's an application to fill out and paper work to file-."

"Great, then I should definitely get started on that." Nÿx replied.

-X-