The
shorter Vixen stepped up. "Hey, listen up," she called for
attention, "The Scarlet Vixens are recruiting!"
There
were screeches of bar stools being pushed back as bar patrons
rapidly rose up and shouted for attention. Several stepped close to
the Vixens.
A big
man in bulky ceramic armor pushed aside one of the smaller men who
had been calling for attention. "How about me?" he said
to the taller Vixen, "How about I join you?"
The
dark-skinned Vixen rubbed her chin as she studied his appearance.
"Mmm... you good with close range combat?"
"Yes,
I'll beat any opponent, whether they come singly or in groups!"
the man boasted. He shoved away another man who tried to get close
enough to make his job application.
The
shorter Vixen placed a hand on the big man's chest and firmly pushed
him away. "Sorry, pal, we're looking for someone who can work
with machines."
The big
man stared at the Vixen disbelievingly. He was about to protest when
the other patrons rushed up between him and the Vixens, clamoring for
the women's attention. They boasted of their exploits, fame and
abilities. But one by one, they were rejected by the Vixens.
"You
should hire me!" a woman demanded as she stepped up to the
Vixens. She wore a coat with tools sticking out of her pockets. Her
face was blackened, except for the skin around her eyes that was the
shape of the goggles she wore above her head. She had combed-back
pale yellow hair, dirty with dirt and grease.
The
Vixens surveyed her from head to toe. "Tell us about yourself,"
the shorter Vixen requested.
"You
want a woman who can fix stuff, you've got me, Sharpwrench Kelly"
the woman introduced herself, "I can fix anything. Vehicles,
guns, power armor. Can even paint them any color you like too."
The
dark-skinned Vixen rubbed her chin again. "Can you fix a broken
engine in the middle of a firefight?"
"Betcha
I can!" Kelly claimed, "No problem at all. I'd even
guarantee my work."
"With
bullets flying and things blowing up everywhere?" the tall Vixen
added.
"Just
keep them off me and I'll do it. Hell can come dance around me for
all I care and I'll still get the job done. Just don't let a big one
land on me, 'kay?"
Then the
shorter Vixen asked, "Can you build stuff?"
"I
built a racer myself from scratch," Kelly said, "Can even
build you a fully-armed walker if you get me the parts."
"What
about getting through security systems?" the same Vixen asked.
Kelly
drew herself up proudly. "Not a problem," she said
confidently, "Electronic, mechanical, steam - I can do it all."
"Time
is sometimes limited, especially in a firefight. Can you work
quickly?" the tall Vixen questioned.
Kelly
turned to her. "I'm damn sure I can. I make my skills to be the
very best."
The two
Vixens glanced at each other. Together, they turned to Kelly and
declared their decision: "You're overqualified."
Kelly's
jaw dropped. "What!?"
The
other bar patrons started protesting. "Then what are you looking
for?"
"What
kind of a engineer do you want then?"
"Are
you really hiring?"
Suddenly,
George was grabbed by his collar by a bald fat man and hauled to his
feet. "What about this one then?"
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